I learned early in my heating and air-conditioning career that service agreements were a key component to building a successful residential HVAC business. In this industry, service agreements are suppose to help protect your business from a recession and from mild summer or winter seasons.

Welcome back! Alright, enough small talk already, let’s get down to business. What do you know about tankless water heaters? Just the gas fired units, natural or LP; we’ll leave

Before I start, my Italian wife just walked by and wanted to know if I was writing a cook book. No, but this could actually be a recipe for survival;

Do you know what nasty stuff lurks in your attic or down in that dungeon you call a basement?  Of course you do, you probably installed it, or at least

The other day a friend called me to help him with a problem on a job. His customer had an oil tank in their basement that began to leak, and obviously needed it replaced. Now, I know that a lot of you don’t see oil systems too often, if ever, but for those of us who live in the northeastern part of the country, it’s pretty common.

You know, a lot of what I talk about these days is the need for training that exists in the HVAC world.  So, without going into another rant on the subject, let me ask you this. 

“Hey there, do I know you? No, not you; you, the one trying to solder those two pieces of ¾ PVC together. No, I must have you confused with someone else, but while I’m here, I think we should talk. Did you ever work with PVC before? No, that’s what that white pipe in your hand is called. Here, look, do you see the way that the torch is melting that pipe all over your shoe? Yeah, that white, smokin’ plastic running across your Timberlands? And you’re having a problem with that SilverBrite taking, aren’t you? Well, they have words for that technique and techs with skills like yours, but I don’t think I am allowed to use them here. No, hey, STOP THAT, you don’t need a bigger tip, just sit down and listen, but put out the fire first. And you better put the dog out, too. Yeah, in the back around his tail…”

I have always considered myself an optimistic, positive person. Therefore I was somewhat surprised to find myself halfway through a column which was very negative about the near future of our industry.

Just recently the Dow Jones dropped 260 points in one day, making it negative for the year. As doubts about an economic recovery send consumers into a selling frenzy, there’s a ray of light at the end of the tunnel if you’re an HVAC contractor.

We here in the Midwest are just finishing up one of the hottest summers we can remember. We actually finally had some 100°F days again. If you are like many of us, you have reduced your staff in the last couple of years to help you through the serious economic downturn.

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