HVAC

The air filters in homes play an important part in capturing dust, debris and other particles such as mold and pet dander from the air keeping your indoor space clean and pollution-free. There are many advantages to regularly changing the air filters in a home, and this article will outline some of the reasons why this should be at the top of the list of home improvements projects.

Better Air Quality

Air filters are designed to improve your indoor air quality by filtering out particulates such as spores, dust, dander, smoke and smog. Regularly changing your air filter will keep your home cleaner, ensuring the air you breathe is fresher and healthier. This is especially important for pet owners as well as children and elderly people in your household.

Cleaner air within your home can also help allergy and asthma sufferers, especially during the hay fever season. Regularly changing your air filter can make it easier to breathe and reduce indoor allergy symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose or congestion.

A dirty air filter will also accumulate build-up from the air it draws in which can cause mold, fungus and bacteria to grow in it. This can have a counter effect of introducing harmful particles and pollutants into the air in your home causing potential health problems.

Greater HVAC Efficiency

One of the most common reasons why heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment breaks down is due to dirty air filters.

Changing your air filter every 90 days or more will keep it from clogging up and preventing air from passing through. A dirty air filter can place undue strain on your HVAC system as the heating and cooling equipment must work harder to draw in air causing it to expend more energy in maintaining a comfortable temperature. This can also cause malfunctions in your HVAC system, resulting in overheating or freezing when set to air conditioning mode.

Regularly changing the filter will ensure your HVAC system is performing at its optimum efficiency, helping to reduce the cost of your energy bills. It will also ensure that it lasts longer and needs less repair and maintenance.

Your air filter’s main job is to protect your home’s HVAC system. An air filter that has a  MERV rating that is too high can cause damage to its heat exchanger, compressor and air conditioning coil. It is best to use an air filter with a lower rating such as a MERV 11 air filter or below, which is fine for residential use.

Cleaner Environment

The more efficiently your air filter is working the more dirt, debris and dust it is able to capture. This can greatly reduce the accumulation of dust on indoor surfaces such as shelves, books and tabletops.

Regularly changing your air filter will ensure there is less airborne dust. A cleaner indoor environment means you do not need to spend so much time and energy cleaning your house.

Follow the guidance in this article to ensure your air filters and HVAC system are working optimally at all times, creating a clean and healthy environment for you and your family throughout the year.

Second-annual grant program helps launch, grow, and strengthen home service businesses across the U.S. and Canada

Jobber, the leading provider of home service management software, today announced that Jobber Grants, the first program of its kind designed to support and shine a spotlight on the hard-working entrepreneurs within the home service sector, is now accepting applications through May 26, 2022.

New and experienced business owners alike are invited to apply for free grants ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. Applicants are asked to share what sets their businesses apart in the areas of excellent service, leadership, business acumen, and community support, and how they would further impact their local communities with funding. Twenty-five home service businesses across 50+ industries, including lawn care, plumbing, residential cleaning, and painting, will be awarded $150,000 in total. Finalists will be announced in August 2022.

“Home service entrepreneurs help keep our homes and offices running smoothly, provide meaningful employment to millions of people, strive for the highest standards in all areas of their businesses, and give back to the communities where they live and work,” said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber. “Jobber Grants continues our company’s tradition of supporting and celebrating this well-deserving yet underserved segment of the small business community. For all you do, this $150,000 is for you.”

Branden Sewell, owner of Seal Pro Painting and a 2021 grant recipient, is committed to paying his employees a higher than average salary and providing them with the right equipment to do their best work. His existing team was booked two months in advance and he needed to hire more people to accommodate the jobs that were coming in.

“We allocated our funds toward growth,” said Sewell. “Now as a team of seven full-time employees, we’re also starting a new marketing department, launching a podcast and creating an internal series of training videos for all employees. On top of all that, we were able to acquire our first physical location for an office. We are incredibly thankful for our partnership with Jobber and all they have done to help us achieve our mission of making a positive impact.”

Jobber Grants are organized into categories that reflect various stages of company growth, from ideas on paper to recently launched ventures and established businesses. Categories include:

• Almost-entrepreneurs (pre-business): Entrepreneurs who have the drive to start and run a home service business.
• New business owners (0-3 years): Entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of building their team, client list, and services.
• Experienced business owners (3+ years): Entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their mature business to its next growth stage.

Recipients have the freedom to choose how to use the grant to support their ambitious business goals and innovative ideas. Whether a company is looking to purchase new equipment, increase its marketing investment, launch a new service, or train their teams, funds from the Jobber Grant program are designed to help small business owners be more successful.

Meaghan McVicker, owner of Green Clean Machine and a previous Jobber Grant recipient, organizes beach cleanups and contributes to several local business boards and councils when she’s not busy running her business and working on a franchise plan.

She shared the impact of this grant on her plans to expand her service area: “It was instrumental in the progression of my business. I was able to afford new equipment, supplies, and I saved up enough to give my crew an extra treat for Christmas! Being able to show my employees that I want to give back to them and support them in the ways they needed was relieving.”

The Jobber Grants program is one of many initiatives within Jobber’s ecosystem dedicated to supporting the home service entrepreneur, whether it’s through the company’s award-winning business management software, free resources such as Jobber Academy and the Jobber Home Service Economic Reports, events such as Jobber Professional Development Day, and more.

To learn more about Jobber Grants or to apply, visit: www.JobberGrants.com.

RectorSeal®, Houston, a leading manufacturer of quality HVAC/R and plumbing tools and accessories and a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSW Industrials, Inc. [NASDAQ: CSWI], adds new and improved 13-inch Big Foot® H-Frame kit to the company’s expansive line of HVAC products.

The Big Foot 13-inch H-Frame kit is designed for ideal rooftop support of ancillary equipment, including ducts, pipes, and cable trays. Available in three sizes, Small, Large, and Mega, Big Foot H-Frame kits are suitable for internal or external applications ranging from -22⁰ degrees to 176⁰  degrees.

Big Foot 13″ H Frame

The new 13-inch H-Frame Kit differs from the current assortment, with its improved flexibility to accept multiple sized struts or threaded bar – 13/16 x 1 5/8″, 1 9/16 x 1 1/2″ and 1 5/8 x 1 5/8″ strut, and 1 9/16 x 1 9/16 box section steel. The EPDM anti-vibration mats come adhered to the 13″ x 13″ new look feet, which conforms better to uneven surfaces.

Big Foot systems set a new standard for free-standing, non-penetrative frames.  The rugged stance, modular flexibility, and architecturally friendly systems provide optimum weight distribution coupled with quick on-site leveling and a reduced risk of roof leaks.  Big Foot systems do not penetrate the waterproof membrane of roofing, avoiding the requirement for the difficult installation of flashing around structures.  With up to a maximum load capacity of 1,100 pounds, weather-resistant Big Foot H-Frame kits offer outstanding installation flexibility.

Big Foot bases are constructed of glass-filled Nylon with UV protection.  The frameworks are hot-dip galvanized for all-weather protection. Further, they are tested to ASTM (Salt Mist) B117 and G85 (Acetic Salt Mist) standards.

Since 1937, RectorSeal has offered products that have built a steadily growing and loyal following among contractors due to differentiated and proven product performance.  Further, RectorSeal is often the first to tackle and solve challenges faced by professional trade contractors.

Please visit www.rectorseal.com for additional details, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest product enhancements and news.

Home Service category shows strong resilience to economic uncertainty, reaching 20 months of positive revenue growth

Jobber, the leading provider of home service management software, today released its latest Home Service Economic Report: 2021 Review. The report features expert insights and proprietary data aggregated from more than 160,000 residential cleaners, landscapers, HVAC technicians, window washers, plumbers, and more, who use Jobber.

“The performance of the Home Service category has made the trades an attractive option for entrepreneurs, those seeking a career change, and young adults entering the workforce,” said Sam Pillar, CEO & co-founder of Jobber. “2021 was a notable year as it demonstrated just how essential the Home Service category is with its high growth and unprecedented consumer demand.”

Raking in the Green: Home Service Outperforms Most Other Categories

Spending on Home Service outperformed most major categories, such as Food and Beverage Stores, Clothing Stores, and Restaurants, throughout 2021, with growth exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Home Service revenue growth has been steadily growing since June 2020. Year-over-year median revenue grew at a faster rate in Q4 2021, even while new work scheduled during Q4 2021 slowed, showing companies were able to make more per job.

• Contracting Segment Prices Climb: Contracting businesses benefited from increasing prices with 12% revenue growth in Q4 2021.
• Contract Jobs Grow Cleaning Segment: Recent growth in the Cleaning segment’s new work scheduled was driven by a 16% year-over-year increase in contract jobs.
• New Work for Green Segment Stands Out: The Green segment, which includes outdoor services such as pressure washing, lawn care, and landscaping, experienced high growth in new work scheduled during 2021, while other segments slowed down.

Housing Dynamics

The active real estate market, further heightened by the desire to purchase homes before mortgage rates increase, continued to create momentum and demand for home services.

• New Homes Can’t Bridge the Gap: The U.S. housing market is nearly four million homes short of buyer demand; the supply of newly built units has been unable to satisfy this ever-increasing demand.
• Shoppers Turning to Older Homes: With limited supply, homebuyers are turning to older homes or choosing to invest in their current home; as such, home improvement and maintenance expenditures are tracking toward double-digit growth in 2022.

Payments Tech: Pay Now or Later?

Home Service businesses have their own unique dynamics related to payment collection. Some businesses like the immediate liquidity of cash, while others prefer to take checks for a large job so they don’t have to pay credit card transaction fees. That said, Jobber’s data does indicate that adoption of payment technology is on the rise.

• Growth of Online Payments: Online payments grew to 39% of all payments processed across all Home Service segments.

• Green Segment Catching Up: Green businesses, which showed the lowest percentage of online payments prior to the pandemic, has seen rapid adoption, climbing over 35%.

Skilled Worker Trends: Retirements Open More Opportunities For Those Starting Their Careers

The challenge to hire skilled trade workers remains widespread, despite a significant opportunity in earning potential for those who choose to enter Home Service.

• Retirement’s Impact: Half of the people who exited the labor market in 2021 were 55+, accelerating the rate of retirement—a macro trend that also impacted Home Service.
• Job Openings Remain Unfilled: The ratio of hires to job openings continued to grow, such that job openings widely outnumbered positions being filled.

“It’s a testament to the resilience of the Home Service category that revenue growth can be sustained even when there’s a drastic shortage of talent,” said Abheek Dhawan, VP, Business Operations at Jobber. “With Home Service demand at a record high, the category remains ripe with opportunity for those willing to enter it.”

To download the Jobber Home Service Economic Report: 2021 Review, visit: https://getjobber.com/home-service-reports/february-2022/