According to industry experts there are over 100,000 HVAC contractors currently doing business in the U.S. However, statistics show that 50% of small business startups fail within the first year and 95% fail within five years. Therefore, the 100,000 plus contractors successfully doing business have figured a thing or two out. Let’s look at some standard business practices of these HVAC companies that keep them profitable and out of the failure statistics.
There is an old joke among HVAC contractors. When bidding on a replacement system for a customer, step back 100 feet from the house and hold up your hand. If three fingers will block the view of the house, install a three-ton unit. If it takes four fingers to block the view, then install a four-ton unit. That meager attempt at humor does highlight an issue that has been kicked around since the beginning of the industry. Are load calculations necessary? If so, how do you properly size a heating and air conditioning system for a house or commercial building?
JADE Learning, a nationally trusted electrical continuing education provider, now offers online CE courses for HVACR technicians in 12 new states across the U.S. with courses approved for New Jersey coming in the Fall of 2019. JADE works with each state’s board of contractors to design approved courses helping heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration technicians meet continuing education requirements for license renewal.
Back in the rural south, around 1940, power companies would mail flyers to their customers at the beginning of summer. These flyers would give tips on how to stay cool during the hottest days ahead. Some of the tips were; grow ample shade around your residence, stay inside during the hottest part of the day, use open windows for increased air circulation, and keep wet towels available to cool your forehead and neck. Homes, in those days, were designed to facilitate air movement. Large porches and arched ceilings in hallways enhanced air currents that moved freely through the structure. These conditions were the norm for homeowners before the availability of affordable air conditioning.
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