HVAC

Ah, the age-old question: is it duct tape or duck tape? Although often mispronounced, it’s actually duct tape (Duck is a brand of the tape) and covers a class of pressure-sensitive tapes that consists of three layers: polyethylene (plastic), scrim (mesh fabric) and rubberized adhesive. Yet, even with that clarification, the term “duct tape” can still be a bit misleading – although it’s considered a fix-all that got its name from early-on usage in HVAC work, duct tape is, today, actually not recommended for use on ducts (though there are some versions that are approved for HVAC applications).

Here’s a rundown of tape types.

• General Purpose Duct Tapes: Typical Thickness: 6-9 mils, handy for DIY home projects or light duty patching and bundling for pros on the jobsite.
• Heavy Duty Duct Tapes: Typical Thickness: 10-17 mils, every tradesperson should keep at least one roll of heavy duty duct tape in the toolbox — and multiple widths or colors won’t hurt.
• Clear Repair Tapes: Typical Thickness: Approx. 7 mils, your go-to tape for airtight, waterproof repairs on any surface that needs to be seen.
• Structural Grade Duct Tapes: Typical Thickness: Approx. 17 mils, the most robust option for extreme jobs, including those that require a rope or chain.

Duct tape is undoubtedly one of those versatile items that’s earned a place in just about any toolbox. It’s flexible, resists tearing, and sticks to just about anything. As contractors know, when it comes to jobsite efficiency, having the right tools for the job at-hand makes all the difference—and saving time means saving money.

The Mechanical Hub ProStaff team recently took on the challenge of trying out a new tape to see if it was the one to grab to ensure the fix doesn’t fail and can save time, money and a lot of space in the toolbox.

Traditionally, ropes or chains have been the only option for contractors and installers when they encounter jobsite tasks that require intense strength and durability. Until now as one 36-inch loop of new T-Rex® Brute Force^® can hold more than 700 pounds of weight and offers superior adhesion, so you can quickly secure, fasten and hold loads that you wouldn’t dare attempt with other tapes.

The high-bond, double-thick adhesive allows the tape to stick to rougher, dirtier surfaces and offers a durable, waterproof backing suitable for all-weather performance. Brute Force^® represents the next generation of high-performance duct tapes with patent-pending Forge-Link™ Technology.

ProStaffer Andy Mickelson of Mickelson Plumbing and Heating, Missoula, Montana, was impressed with the strength and said, “T-Rex Brute Force tape has an incredible tear-resistant design, so much so that you’ll require a blade to cut it. The adhesive layer is much thicker than any other tape I’ve used previously. The tape seems to hold well when bonded to itself and smooth surfaces alike, even when the surface is not completely dry. It will make a great addition to any travel box or tool box.”

“We have found a number of uses for T-Rex Brute Force! Someone didn’t judge the width of the truck while backing up and managed to rip off a side mirror. The mirror was put back into place and held there with the tape until we were able to get it into the dealership,” said Shay Shepston of Reimagined Renovations, Champaign, Illinois.

Shay added, “It’s been used to hold a foam base cove to metal before installing a pool liner, to hold PVC pipes in place while we work, and many other odd jobs. It has been added to all our trucks and toolboxes!”

According to our ProStaff team, the only drawback—and one they all mentioned—was that you cannot tear it; it must be cut. Contractors are so accustomed to just tearing tape, it required remembering to have a utility knife handy to cut it.

ProStaff member John Thompson with Thompson Family Plumbing & Rooter, with shops in California and Arizona, put it to work with his team and shared, “T-Rex Brute Force tape was fantastic to have on our work trucks. On multiple occasions it was used to build confinement areas with plastic, plus a last-minute repair to hold the casing together on my jackhammer because I broke it during a project. You never know when you might need something of this strength to get out of a jam.”

He joked, “I have never seen anything this durable. It’s truly remarkable to see the strength this tape has. I wish I could say that I’m putting together a zombie bunker, because I would seriously use it. It’s ‘Ferocious!’”

In addition to needing a utility knife to cut the tape, our ProStaff team suggested they would like to see the tape in more solid and neon construction colors such as red, white, green and possibly even reflective, as well as different roll size options.

T-Rex^® Brute Force^® is sold in 25-yard rolls and is available at national mass and hardware retailers. For more information, visit www.trextape.com/contractors.

Summer vacations are winding down and the annual ritual for parents buying school supplies for the kids is underway, but maybe it’s high time to kick off the old work boots and find a new pair. Does that sound like a great first step?

Recently, Mechanical Hub ProStaff member Andy Mickelson, owner of Mickelson Plumbing and HVAC in Montana,  tested a pair of Ariat Rebar Flex 6″ Waterproof Composite Toe Work Boots on multiple job sites and in various indoor/outdoor conditions to provide us with the following observations.

For those not familiar with the Ariat Work Boot Brand (most recognize the brand for its western boots), they have unique and tasteful designs while at the same time delivering high-quality performance and comfort in a stylish and fashionable boot.

Ariat work boots are designed and engineered with the contractor and jobsite person in mind. Constructed from premium sturdy and durable leather with the most advanced footwear technologies they offer superior performance and on the job critical protection in any work field or the environment. Ariat boots offer a safety platform to match every environment, such as the Grip Strip Platform, the Work Ride Platform, the Expert Safety Clog Platform and the Safety Clog Platform.

Ariat also offers ATS and 4LR technology for comfort, stability, and traction as well as waterproof technology with the impermeable waterproof barrier. Insulated boots featuring Thinsulate Ultra insulation will help to give your feet the highest level of cold weather protection and while remaining a lightweight shoe. Ariat also offers a steel toe range for added safety. Ariat boots come with an oil, slip, heat, and abrasion resistant sole that will perform with the best grip and traction on any floor surface.

MICKELSON:  It’s the first safety toe boot that I have comfortably worn throughout an entire work day in many years. For the past few months, I’ve worn them almost daily, sunrise to sundown, and in many cases hours into the night, on various surfaces without issue.

The Ariat Rebar work boots come out of the box ready to wear, with relatively little break in needed. The boots have a stylish design with a combination leather and mesh upper. The insole of the boot is comfortable with decent arch support. The soles are listed as a slip & oil resisting, debris release design. I’d support that statement having worn the boots through the better part of winter. Snow and parking lot slop stomps off easily. The tread pattern seems to grip well on most surfaces even when the temperatures drop well below zero.

Many soles will begin to harden and become hazardous well before that, not the case with the Rebar. The debris release design comes in nice while constantly transitioning from snow covered ground onto finished concrete or similar smooth finishes. The uppers of the boot are leather and man-made materials, which lend to the boot breathing very well. Generally breathing well and waterproof aren’t generally both strong traits in a work boot, again, not the case with the Ariat Rebar.

As a Professional Plumber and Pipefitter, these boots have been nearly submerged numerous times and thoroughly soaked on the exterior with no leakage regularly. The leather is holding up fairly well with normal daily abuse, resulting in small cuts and scrapes. The hardware on the boots consist of a single plastic rivet and webbing attachments below, holding a quality paracord like lace. Double row stitching has the components locked together.

Overall I look forward to wearing these boots for as long as they’ll last and very much looking towards to fulfill my work boot needs with Ariat in the future.

Work Boot Specs:

• Waterproof leather in key protection and support areas combined with rugged mesh panels
• 100% non-metallic
• Anatomical last for true fit
• Injected lateral support cage
• Forefoot flex notch
• Mesh lining
• EVA cushioning midsole
• ESS midsole in heel for extra protection and support
• Oil-and slip-resistant Duratread™ outsole with debris-release tread design
• Defined heel
• Safety toe is ASTM F2413-11 M/I/75 C/75 EH rated
• 4LR™ footbed for support and cushioning

For more on Ariat work boots and other work gear, visit Ariat Work.

As the HVAC industry evolves further in response to new market opportunities, sustainability initiatives and changing consumer demands it’s easy to be left at a loss of how to cut through the marketing speak and deliver benefit-driven information to your customers. Putting in the extra work to fully understand how to translate product features into real-world customer benefits will give you an edge in the market. Below is a discussion on how to navigate an industry of new and old considerations across customer demographics. Follow along to understand how you can shift your strategies to build customer relationships through simple communication training of your sales staff.

Define your competitive edge through no-nonsense delivery

Is it just me, or does every HVAC product on the market have the same features?

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: “Our new, highly-efficient product provides homeowners with a simple, flexible, and cost-competitive solution.”

Does this sound like a product line you offer? Truth be told, this description could apply to any number of products. For example, a system that offers “zoning” could be anything from a sophisticated ductless system to a simple air conditioner with manual air dampers.

Here’s the problem: today’s customers are the most educated customer base we’ve ever experienced. With access to information at our literal fingertips in our smartphones, customers can fact-check a sales pitch in an instant. HVAC repair and replacement is an expensive investment for most customers to begin with, so it’s understood that they want to know exactly what they’re paying for.

If you state that a product is efficient, customers want to know:  How efficient and what are the benefits? Compared to what? Does it cost more, if so, what’s the price difference? Do I really need it?

If you’re not being clear with your customers, you can trust that they are getting their information elsewhere — perhaps even pulling purchase decision information from your competition.

There are simple improvements to your sales information delivery that can help to move past the jargon and build meaningful conversations with your customers that leave them feeling well-informed and satisfied in their decision. In short, you can build credibility – and become the authority –  by being honest and transparent.

As mentioned, using vague terms to describe a product as efficient, variable, or flexible tells the customer very little. The way to fix this is to always speak in terms of comparison. By speaking in comparisons, you will educate the customer on all of the options available to them – not just the one you’d like to sell. This is a critical step in achieving value in customer satisfaction.

If you’re not comfortable speaking in comparison, here are three ways to help get you started:

1. Stop talking features & benefits and start talking sell points and personas

If you’re speaking to a customer about a solution they are just one step away in the sales funnel from making a purchase. It’s important at this stage that you carefully consider what you say and how you say it.

Consider this: most brochures you’ll hand a customer have a long list of features & benefits… those features are often phrased in comparison to an older version of that same product or directly to a competitor’s product – “Even quieter!” or “More flexible than ever!”

But the homeowner doesn’t care if it’s “even quieter” than a previous generation of a product that isn’t in the consideration set they are making for their home. Focus on the information your homeowner actually wants and needs: what options do you recommend; what specifically makes you recommend these based on my needs; how much does it cost?

Hone in on information by defining the sell points for all the products in your portfolio. An easy way to do this is to determine the five whys for each of your products:

• Who would most want or need to purchase this product?
• What type of situation is this product most suitable for?
• Why would they need this product?
• When can we promise to deliver this product to the customer?
• Where are most of the customers geographically located who need this product?

Notice the emphasis on the extremes in these questions. The goal is not to answer in general – “who could use or purchase this product” – but rather “who MOST wants or needs this product and why.” This is critical to defining the true selling points of a product.

By taking this approach, your team will be able clearly to describe the important reasons behind a recommendation because they have clear guidance as to why to recommend it in the first place. You might even consider building a questionnaire that will help both you and your customer come to a decision on the right choice for them.

2. Group your product offerings using tiers

Instead of confusing customers with an onslaught of product brochures covered in brand names, shiny logos, and pretty pictures, consider packaging your products into tiers. Most homeowners are able to easily pick up the concept of Good, Better, and Best – or Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

By grouping your offering into rungs on a ladder, you’re giving the customer a baseline to compare products against one another. The key to this approach is to ensure your groupings offer key differences. Perhaps package A is best for the cost-conservative homeowner, package B is best for the energy-conscious customer, while package C is most suitable to the customer seeking a quick turnaround.

With this system, customers can easily determine the difference between your products and make informed decisions on which products best fit their needs.

3. Give three options whenever possible

When ordering drinks at your local coffee shop, why is it so many of us opt for the medium size? A small seems too small, and a large seems, well…too large. When we are given three options, often we are seeking the Goldilocks “just right” feeling.

No one wants to miss out on an upsell, but the goal should not be to dupe your customer into buying the highest-margin product by failing to tell them about a more cost-effective option that likely checks off the needs on their list.  Provide customers with three options: something that doesn’t quite meet their needs, something that over-delivers, and a solution that falls in the middle.  Because you have tuned in to exactly what the customer needs, selling the middle option in comparison to the other two should be simple.

If you are the service provider for all three options, this strategy gives you an added bonus. If the customer chooses the more elaborate option, you’ve earned more. If they choose the less desirable option, they will know up front what they’re getting and perhaps sacrificing – and you’ve earned their trust in the process.

What does this sound like?

The common – although tired – sales pitch I shared at the beginning turns into a richer conversation once you’ve added comparisons.  In this example, I’ve uncovered that the customer is most concerned with the ability to stay comfortable in their home, with affordability being their second concern.

“The package I’d like to offer you today is our Premier package. Your upstairs and downstairs will have individual thermostats, which I know is what you were looking for. I’d like to share with you some other options for your consideration. Our Platinum package would give you even more comfort options: every room could have its own set point. The higher price could be offset with some rebates, but it is more expensive than the Premier package. Another option is our Economy package. This is the most affordable of the three, but it doesn’t come with the zoning you asked for. Given what we have discussed so far, I think the Premier package most meets your needs.”

By defining the sell points for your products, grouping them into tiers, and offering at least three options you can successfully provide the customer with a well-thought-out and easily understandable reasoning for your recommendation.

Resolve to make comparison-speak a habit in your organization and your customers will see you as a more trustworthy source of information for their buying decision process.

Pam Duffy, P.E. is the Owner of Spark One Solutions, LLC based in Dallas, TX – a marketing and business solutions consulting company based serving HVAC businesses.

She serves as a member of the AHR Expo Expert Council – a collaboration of HVACR experts and thought leaders launched by the AHR Expo in 2019 to educate and stimulate discussion concerning the biggest issues impacting the industry.

She has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Central Florida and is a licensed PE. She has 10 years of experience in the HVAC industry and is most well-known for bringing new HVAC products to life.

Pam will be speaking more in-depth on this topic at AHR Expo 2020, and it will be a free session with attendee registration. Register HERE.

Panasonic, an industry-leading manufacturer of air conditioning, heating and indoor air quality systems, announces a new collaboration with Trumbull Campbell Associates, Inc., an independent manufacturers’ rep firm selling applied commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment and parts, to distribute Panasonic VRF equipment to its commercial customers in Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

As one of New England’s most respected manufacturers’ rep firms, Trumbull Campbell provides sales, application and service support to customers across a variety of industries, including healthcare, biotech, hospitality, elderly care and higher education. Founded in 2006, Trumbull Campbell has delivered cost-effective end-to-end solutions to its customers, offering assistance with installation, design, and reliable products that address the complexity of maintaining an HVAC system.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to represent a company not only of innovation and quality, but one of integrity,” said Tom Trumbull, Co-Founder, Trumbull Campbell Associates, Inc. “The level of support we’ve received from Panasonic is a true differentiator from other manufacturers. Our foothold in the territory paired with Panasonic’s brand and reputation offer a winning combination.”

“Trumbull Campbell is able to provide exceptional support for their customers in New England seeking applied equipment solutions,” said Nathan Oliver, Eastern U.S. Sales and Business Development Manager, Panasonic Appliances Air-Conditioning North America. “We are pleased to align with a company that can provide our customers with a personalized experience, satisfying their VRF application needs from design and selection to commissioning and service.”

For more information about Panasonic heating and air conditioning, please visit na.panasonic.com/us/home-and-building-solutions/heating-air-conditioning/.