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Building HVAC Science — Education
Building HVAC Science

Exploring the science, people, and practices shaping better buildings.

The Building HVAC Science Podcast dives into both the technical and human sides of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and building performance. Hosted by industry veteran Bill Spohn, CEO and co-owner of TruTech Tools, the show reflects Bill’s passion for advancing the HVAC craft through practical knowledge, curiosity, and conversation.

With more than 250 episodes and counting, the podcast features discussions with contractors, distributors, manufacturers, educators, and thought leaders from across the HVAC and building science communities. Each episode blends field experience with broader industry perspective, helping professionals stay ahead of trends, sharpen their skills, and build stronger businesses.

Topics include:

New tools, technologies, and field practices
Real-world case studies and lessons learned
Building performance, comfort, and indoor air quality
Industry innovation, workforce development, and the human side of the trades

Whether you’re a technician in the field, a business owner, a manufacturer, or simply curious about how buildings breathe and perform, Building HVAC Science connects you with the ideas and voices moving the industry forward.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This show is a production of TruTech Tools®, LTD.

Latest Episodes:

EP40 Why You need to Pay Attention to National Standards Affecting HVAC Installations with Jeremy Begley Aug 01, 2019

Show notes

In this age of high technology and Jedi Knights, we often overlook the need of personal involvement, but we do so at our own risk.

William H. McRaven (American Solider)

Attention all HVAC Techs:

Soon someone will be looking over your shoulder.

Not it's not the Homeowner, with severe coffee breath and a million little questions, it's going to be a Home Energy Rater giving a grade to your HVAC installation.

What???!!!

Yes, like it or not, this will happen.

And it is justified.

It's because the work done by HVAC Technicians is so important; important to the occupant's comfort, safety and health as well as their utilities bills AND the utility companies in general as they try to balance the supply and demand of energy.

Residential HVAC energy demand is a big topic in the utility world. (We'll do a podcast on this later.)

Listen in as Jeremy Begley of HVAC Design Partners of Cincinnati, OH shares with us how paying attention to standards as helped to shape his entrepreneurial career. Specifically, the upcoming ACCA/RESNET standard on Grading the Installation of HVAC Systems.

One timely note here: the comment period on the first draft of a new RESNET standard (BSR/RESNET/ACCA 310-201x, Standard for Grading the Installation of HVAC Systems) closes on Aug 6, 2019. If you want to review and/or comment go to this link ASAP www.bit.ly/RESNET-ACCA-310

Jeremy's got a lot to share with the both the HVAC and Building Performance industries. He came on the podcast to encourage others to review and engage in this and other important HVAC Standards.

The methodology in the standard has five steps – a design review, a total duct leakage test, a Blower Fan CFM test, a Blower Fan watt draw test, and a non-invasive evaluation of refrigerant charge (NIST found in MeasureQuick). These five tasks should be completed in sequence and upon completion the results are evaluated for compliance with thresholds. The result of this process is anywhere from a failing system to a grade 1, 2, or 3; with 1 being the top grade and all grades yielding extra points in the HERS rating.

Besides being important to HERS ratings, it is basic physics and the methods described have positive impact outside of the rating world.

Learn more about the standard itself by going to http://bit.ly/RESNET-310-INFO, where you will find a link to RESNET conference slides on this topic and a link to the other podcast I host, RESTALK, where I interviewed Wes Davis (ACCA) and Den Gamble (EPA) on this standard.

If you want to learn more about the services and training (coming) that Jeremy offers you can reach out via the contact form on his website: www.HVACDesignPartners.com

EP39 Learn about HVACR Chemicals & Sealants with Mike Walton of CoolAir Products Feb 11, 2019

Show notes

Looking to be a better HVACR Tech?

One key aspect is keeping up to date with changing equipment, products and techniques.

And that is no mean feat.

In order to do so, you need to help yourself to training and education where ever you can get it.

Like this podcast… especially because it is on a lesser known topic: HVACR Chemicals and sealants.

Mike Walton of CoolAir Products in Maryland, joins us on this episode to focus on 2 of the products he has brought to the US market: AC SmartSeal External- a line and coil repair product and AC SmartSeal Quick Shot, the 3 in 1 internal seal, lube and leak check dye. Interestingly, these two products work best together.

Mike discusses how and why he formed the company starting in his garage in 2014.

He describes his company's focus on the technician, by making products that are safe, effective, and easy to use.

Part of this ease of use comes because all products are 100 % safe to the touch, non-toxic and non-flammable. That means no warning labels and for our friends in California, no prop 65 issues. Plus, he backs up the product with 3rd party lab testing by Intertek

Mike's got a lot to share with the industry.

You can buy Mike's products at wholesalers across the US or online at www.trutechtools.com/Cool-Air-Products

If you want to learn more you can reach out to Mike at www.CoolAirProducts.net or MikeWalton@CoolAirProducts.net

EP38 Personalized Home Performance - Bill Spohn's new home construction Part 1 Feb 04, 2019

Show notes

Today we turn the tables and your host becomes the guest!

As you may or may not know Marilyn and I are building a new high-performance home this year (2019).

Even though I have been involved in home performance for 30 years, it was in the narrow field of test and measurement, not in construction detail and aspects.

And because it is our home and our money, everything about it is personal and I have a real hunger for the details which tends to complicate decisions!

So, I asked my thoughtful pal, Nate Adams to pitch some questions at me to get me to talk about the subject and share our journey up to this point.

We were calling it a high-performance house, but recently I've changed that to a new concept (in my mind): personalized performance – it's what we want our home to be.

I hope you enjoy the listen.

If you want to learn more you can reach out to Bill at Bill@trutechtools.com or Nate at Nate@energysmartohio.com via his website: www.NateTheHouseWhisperer.com

EP37 From Building Plaques to Building Performance A discussion with Ryan Miller of NCBPA Jan 28, 2019

Show notes

I've never thought about entrepreneurship when it comes to trade associations.

I just thought they always existed.

Well, in the nascent world of building performance, I should have known better.

Listen in as we chat with Ryan Miller, the founder and executive director of the North Carolina Building Performance Association, as he describes his vision for the future of building performance.

He believes poor building performance is one big problem to solve and he aims to do it in his state by connecting all the stakeholders with education and information, as well as lobbying and training.

And he is not just stopping in his state as he supports and gets involved with like-minded organizations across the country.

Pay particular attention to the four points he notes in his strategic plan:

Market Valuation

Policy and legislation

Work Force DevelopmentAnd Consumer Education

If you want to learn more you can reach Ryan via his website: www.BuildingNC.org

EP36 What is Home Performance 2.0? Jan 21, 2019

Show notes

Some of our listeners have likely heard of the term Home Performance.

But have you heard of Home Performance 2.0?

Michael Housh and Neil Comparetto join us to describe how they are helping to develop this new approach to serving customers with total home performance. This is a systems being developed by Nate Adams and Ted Kidd.

They describe a well performing home as one that is healthy, comfortable, safe, durable and, as a side benefit, uses less energy.

Michael and Neil are both trained and experienced HVAC technicians; mechanics in their own words.

They discuss how some simple changes in the approach to the way technical work is presented is resulting in better business and happier clients.

They describe the HP 2.0 process as consisting of 6 steps: client education, initial PAID consult, a comprehensive planning process, executing the project, QC, and continuous optimization with monitoring.

A large part of the client education consists of the resources available at www.NateTheHouseWhisperer.com – there you will find an inexpensive book that educates consumers (and techs!) on home performance, as well as 2 free downloads(chapters from the book) to share with Clients: Home Comfort 101 and HVAC 101.

These steps help to remove the pain of being a residential HVAC business owner:

(Much of this is based on the Sandler Selling Process)

Avoid fights over stuff you can't fix

More Happy Clients - Actually SOLVE client problems, no band aids

Smooth out monthly sales with large HP projects in off seasons

Onboard Staff Faster-with something else for apprentices to do

Fewer Unhappy Clients

Reduce Mold Risk

Reduce Boredom with Challenging projects and new twists all the time

Reduce or eliminate free quotes

Increase Ticket Sizes w/o Home Performance Jobs

Lower sales and marketing costs, with better word of mouth and paid consultations.

Bigger, more satisfying jobs vs Small jobs with lots of up-front work that often don't solve problems

If you want to learn more you can reach Michael at MHoush@HoushHomeEnergy.com and Neil at Neil@ComparettoComfort.com or Nate Adams and Ted Kidd at Nate@EnergySmartOhio.com

EP35 Let's get TECnical @ AirFlow hoods with Steve Rogers of the Energy Conservatory Jan 05, 2019

Show notes

You may know the answer to this question:

"Why would I want to use an air flow hood?"

You might not know the answer to this one:

"How do I find a good air flow hood?"

Steve Rogers, President and Owner of the Energy Conservatory, joins us to answer both of these questions as well as provide a rich background to his company and his career.

We hear how a customer ride-along stimulated a multifaceted investigation into the critical parameters involved in making great residential airflow measurements which could lead to a breakthrough product in the future

Steve explains how milkshakes help him focus on customers' needs in the product development cycle.

Visit www.EnergyConservatory.com to learn more about their products and training resources which are available through several distributors including TruTechTools, www.trutechtools.com/EnergyConservatory

If you read this before January 24, 2019, you can sign up to watch the webinar Steve will present with TruTech Tools on this topic: sign up link is www.bit.ly/TEC-FLOW

If you read this after that date, a recording of that video will be present on the TruTech YouTube channel: www.bit.ly/TruTechTubes

EP 34 CompanyCam - a tool for stress relief Jan 04, 2019

Show notes

Smartphones are great communications tools for contractors and techs.

But how do you organize and effectively share the right photos at the right time?

Listen in as Luke Hansen, former roofing contractor and inventor of the CompanyCam App, explains his journey from concept to successful business.

His low-cost service allows techs to share rich photo information without clogging up their photo library.

Rich info accompanies each photo: date, time, GPS location, user info and mark-ups & notes can be shared in your company, with the customer or with anyone you give the link to. Photos can later be sorted or filtered with data mentioned above.

If you've tried managing photos in DropBox, you know that takes a lot of discipline to keep things organized.

This app will save you hours of time cataloging photos or searching for ones you knew you took.

Video functionality is coming soon.

Go to www.CompanyCam.com/BHS for a special offer to listeners of this podcast.

EP33 When will homes be on auto-pilot for healthy IAQ? Dec 21, 2018

Show notes

How can an IOT (internet of things) based device help home dwellers and home performance contractors?

Listen as our guest Jacques Touillon, inventor of the foobot describes what got him started on the journey from a concept to a successful product sold around the world.

Jacques' describes his vision of a future homes that has "invisible" sensors control systems to maintain superb indoor air quality.

We discuss the importance of data and data processing, as well as recent environmental events (the wild fires in the Western United States) which shape the continuing development of this product

He tells of Home Performance and HVAC contractors using the foobot and similar products to diagnose and solve home owner problems related to indoor air quality and comfort.

EP32 Tersh, Bryan and Bill chat about entrepreneurism Dec 14, 2018

Show notes

Curious about what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

Well, so are these three guys.

Listen in as business owners Tersh Blissett (Icebound HVAC & Refrigeration), Bryan Orr (Kalos Services) and Bill Spohn (TruTechTools, LTD) discuss what it means to them to run their own businesses.

This wide-ranging discussion produced many good nuggets of info as we discuss visionaries, idealism vs. realism, and breaking from the status quo amidst tons of other topics.

You can reach these members of the BlueCollar Roots network at

Tersh@BlueCollarRoots.com Service Business Mastery Podcast

Bryan@HVACRSchool.com HVAC School Podcast

Bill@BlueCollarRoots.com Building HVAC Science Podcast

EP31 Called to the Long Game-Bryan Orr's Educational work in Haiti Dec 09, 2018

Show notes

We veer a little off the technical path in this episode as we discuss with Bryan Orr his educational missionary work in Haiti.

For the past 2 years, Bryan has led a small team of volunteers to first scope out and recently (November 2018) begin delivering basic trade education to native Haitians as young as 8 years old.

We hear about the leap of faith he has taken and how it has proven out in the overwhelmingly warm feedback from the people he has touched.

Learn how he addresses the logistical, practical and communications challenges he encounters with a systematic approach in a way similar to the way he breaks down the technical and business challenges in his everyday life as an HVAC Contractor/Owner.

We also gain insight into what is coming next for his work in Haiti.

If you want to learn more or get involved, reach out to Bryan@HVACRSchool.com

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