Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner

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Educating the homeowner(s) establishes trust, and trust trumps price so their sticker shock can be tolerated.

Toilets are wonderful receptors for a wide variety of items. We've had many interesting calls regarding these clogged porcelain edifices of human waste removal devices. For instance...

Twenty-nine years ago, when we built our forever home, my central air conditioning systems consisted of two 2-ton condensers with two air-handlers in the attic and ductwork that utilized fiberglass ductboard with short runs of flex ducts terminating at commercial-grade ceiling registers. The condensers and air handlers were used that we salvaged from one of our job sites. I kept them with the notion of using them and figured we would upgrade from 10-SEER to higher efficiency units once they died.

I always seek out the Bradford White booth to see what’s new and visit with friends both old and new. It was fun catching up with Carlos Morales because we had worked closely together several years ago in the development of the company’s gas-fired tankless water heater line. Lois and I had the opportunity to beta-test a number of tankless models and report back on their performance. Stability of delivery temperature; showering while other hot water usages ran simultaneously or intermittently; and, of course, attempting to max out the full-flow capacity.

Attending trade shows both large and small have always been an integral part of keeping our business abreast of changes within the PHVAC industry. Our employees knew that upon my return, there would be new innovative products joining the tried and true offerings we provided for our customers.

Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!
For older folks, that’s a serious consideration, and falls can break bones and cause lifelong debilitating injuries, while ice and snow present numerous dangers.

Mike Rowe, the “Dirty Jobs” guy, caught a bunch of flak for saying, “safety third.” Seems folks took that to mean Rowe did not consider jobsite safety a priority when, in fact, he was attempting to point out the absurd notion that posted “safety first” signage was a farce. No one is really going to be constantly looking out for an individual’s safety and Rowe was simply trying to convey the message that everyone has to be responsible for their own safety on jobsites.

In last month’s column, I touched on air-to-water heat pumps because they are rapidly becoming very saleable to consumers. In some areas of the U.S., electric heating, cooling and production of DHW are no longer an option and fossil fuels have been outlawed.

Taco Comfort Solutions wins the AHR 2023 Innovation award for Sustainable Solutions with its System M. I fully expect to see a virtual explosion in the number of air-to-water heat pumps on display at the upcoming AHR Expo in February.

Common sense runs through our veins and helps us avoid idiotic, absurd edicts handed down by well-intentioned, but seriously misguided politicians. The fact is, I’ve always felt that common sense, along with training and knowledge, often handed down from generation to generation, guides our hands and minds as we toil at PHVAC issues.