Efficiency needs to be conspicous to sell

Another from the archives, this was printed in Phc News, a trade magazine.

Efficiency needs to be conspicuous to sell.

By Eric Aune, Plumbing & Hydronic Heating Contractor

Selling efficiency can be one of the hardest tasks endeavored by contractors in today’s economy.  Explaining the benefit of installing a ODR (outdoor reset) control on an existing cast iron boiler can be daunting to say the least.  First we as the “expert” have to be aware of our language and terminology when explaining how the device works, being careful not to lose our customer along the way.  I know when I see the “deer in the headlights” look I have to reign it in a little.  Most likely I have forgotten I am no longer in the classroom, talking to my students, but rather the homeowner I am talking to has not reached the same level of boiler-trekkie I boast about to the guys at the will-call desk and everything I am saying has them questioning whether or not it’s content is useful or even has any meaning to them.

Often my first reaction to a question by a potential customer about upgrading their heating or plumbing system would be to start by talking about saving money.  After all, isn’t that why they are asking? The answer: It depends. I have been around this business and in and out of these conversations to know the answer to that question is not as simple as it seems.  If I take from my reason given to the homeowner as to why an ODR control would benefit them the conversation about boiler system upgrades could easily go in the direction of comfort.  I have, on more than one occasion, worked to find a solution for customers who would like to conserve water in their home or business.  Not solely to cut operating cost in every situation but because that is what they felt was a good thing to do for the environment.

Energy plays a huge role in the overall market for selling efficiency. Not the only role, but a large one at that.  Energy prices are rising continuously throughout the country but, the varied costs of heating a home are relative to its geographical location.  That’s to say here in Minnesota, where I reside and operate my business, the heating season can average an astounding seven months long. Compare that to the tepid climate inhabiting the better part of the west coast where spring turns to summer much quicker and tends to stay around a while longer.  This comparison would have most assume that it must be much more expensive to heat a home in Minnesota than Washington State.  The variation in weather patterns, from Minnesota to the west coast, is not the bottom line factor in the cost of heating homes.  Utility costs play a major role here and that may be why the success of high efficiency upgrades and an overall successful push for hybrid heating systems has taken a stronger hold the closer you get to the west coast.

It may be too simple of an explanation; saying higher energy costs account for more upgrades but, there is and always will be the want to keep more of our hard earned cash in hand.  So what does that mean for those of us in areas where energy costs are relatively low?  One answer might be why our customers are talking with us in the first place, your past customers.

Psychology research suggests that people do good deeds as a strategy to attract mates.  Now I’m not suggesting we are running a dating service here but, often times when our customers are happy they will tell someone. With my own business I have drawn on the success of past modular condensing boiler upgrades and used utility bill comparisons to show potential customers the value in upgrading to high efficiency systems.  The same can be done with the benefits of installing a low water usage faucet or replacing old, worn-out water distribution systems and installing PEX as a solution.

Selling our customers on the real value of high efficiency systems and putting that value out there for all to see can be a successful strategy.  Displaying thank you notes or positive customer comments in the office or on our website/blog is a great way to get the word out.  Be conspicuous. After all, I think most will agree that it is great to receive a call from your customer’s neighbor looking to have an estimate drawn up on a similar type job as the Jones’.

Comfort and solutions will always be your best sellers in the high efficiency game.

Eric Aune, Owner of Aune Plumbing, LLC.  Zimmerman, MN

eric@auneplumbing.com

What is it supposed to look like?

Here is an article I wrote a while ago that ran in Phc News, a trade magazine.

What is it supposed to look like?

By Eric Aune, Plumbing & Hydronic Heating Contractor

Today I stood in the door way of a mechanical room for a rather large home somewhere in the northern reaches of a Minneapolis suburb with a look on my face that, I’m sure if the homeowner were there with me, would likely downgrade any amount of credibility I may have had while promptly returning his call for help.  After all, seeing such a menagerie of shiny copper piping assembled in such intricate patterns going in every direction you to might be a little overwhelmed.  Let’s get a little back story first…

Owning your own business has its perks, and depending how much you like to get away on the weekend, one of them being you are on call all the time.  It was Saturday afternoon and a great start to a wonderful July 4^th weekend at the family cabin.  Everything was great, we had already cleaned a fresh catch of walleye from the morning bite and the weather forecast had promised to be superb.   This, of course, is about the time when the cell phone rang.  On the other end of the [dreaded now, because I definitely like spending time with the family at the cabin up north] line was a customer from a past hydronic install with a problem…No domestic hot water and an almost empty glycol static fill tank waiting to pump out the last bit of fluid that remained.  Luckily the property of subject was only a quick 4 hour drive away and the wife completely understood the situation.

Now if you’re paying attention you might have put two and two together, and this is where I own-up to the fact that the mechanical room I was standing in front of was one of mine.  The “menagerie” of piping, all put there with pride by my two hands all the while with shoulders held high and a sense of mastery rivaled by only a few.  At least that was how I felt back then.  Now? Well, the look on my face would have likely told a story all too familiar to many of you.  As I stood there, with jaw gaping and eyes peeled, I thought to myself “Why does everything look so complicated?”

Hydronic heating systems in general are intimidating to look at.  Now I’m not saying when you, the professional, enter a mechanical room that you are intimidated but, put yourself in the shoes of the end user.  The immensely intelligent  Robert Bean [healthyheating.com], says it nicely when said like this: “One of the things people like about a forced air system is that they have a comfort level with what it looks like --- a furnace looks like a furnace, a condenser looks like a condenser...they're in an enclosure so the homeowner doesn't have to look at any of the inner working -- it looks like an appliance.”  Does your latest hydronic creation look like an appliance? The one I stood in front of today could be called an appliance, yeah if NASA had built it, and even then it would probably still have been tucked away in a remote room somewhere only to be accessed by the guy who designed it…because who else would know what the heck was going on?

Currently there are no parts of a hydronic heating system that can’t be purchased in some preassembled configuration.  Aside from the final gas, electric or venting connections you could design/build  your system right out of a box.  As recent as this spring we have witnessed the national unveiling of a complete boiler [electric] system, all piped and ready to go from a major manufacturer.  So why do we insist, as tradesman/women, that everything be assembled piece by piece? John Barba of Taco has a great explanation in a recent blog post (http://jbblog.flopro.taco-hvac.com/ ) why the math doesn’t work when you try to justify your operating costs and time available when you choose to do it yourself instead of buying it preassembled.  My argument follows the tail end of his, “Why does it have to be so customized? Why do we make everything so complicated? Shouldn’t we be moving toward uniformity?

Do you buy and install preassembled components? Why do you do it? Why not? When will we see the day when uniformity, as a system, is the norm? I know my latest service call had me wishing for it, will your next call have you thinking the same?

Eric Aune, Owner

Aune Plumbing, LLC

Zimmerman, MN  

Invisible water. Wait, what?

Its easy to disconnect ourselves, Living here in the United States, from the global water crisis.  Having an abundant water supply at our disposal for really any use has many blind to the fact that our water consumption is not only measured by what comes out of our tap in our home or from the water cooler at the office.  The same clean water we drink is processed and used for many purposes.  Washing cars, clothes, watering our lawns and filling the backyard swimming pool is all done with clean, processed water that we pay relatively little to receive.  We do this on a whim, without the thought process many throughout the world go through when considering how much water they can use in a single day without running out.

The average U.S. resident will use 151 gallons of clean water per day.  Compare this with the average water use in most African countries: less than 15 gallons per day.  Those numbers point out a disparaging difference in what must be our views of conservation.  Sure certain countries have less clean water available, but most are more conscious of their consumption in order to prolong the availability.

The majority of Americans do not even realize that their daily water use [drinking, cleaning & washing] is only a small part of the water they use each day.  Most of the water we use is invisible to us.  Its in the food we eat, the pop and soft drinks we drink and in the clothes we wear. Water is used in the generating of electricity we use to power the computer used to read this message right now.  Even the gasoline and diesel we burn in our cars and trucks has been produced with the help of water. This way of consuming water is invisible to most because it is not seen directly with our own eyes.  The water I use could be from as far away as Australia, South America or China.  Sources as close to my home state of Minnesota such as Wisconsin or California provide me with the benefit of water everyday and I never see it, nor do most.

But there isn't an easy way to see the connection between my consumption and the water problems that have been hitting headlines.  One way to make that connection in your own life is to monitor your water consumption daily for a week.  Its easy and you'll probably learn a thing or two on how you could live as well with less.  

Take five minutes each day and write down events such as showers, baths or clothes/dishes washing.  If you look closely each of your faucets will tell you how much water is coming out of them when in use.  Check the round thing on the spout of the faucet, its called an aerator. It'll likely say something like 1.6 gpm.  This means that for every minute the faucet is running it is spouting out 1.6 gallons per minute (gpm).  The toilet, where an amazing amount is used each day, says it on the bowl portion near the hinge of the seat.  Thankfully the majority of toilets only use 1.6 gpf (gallons per flush) whereas older toilets could consume as much as 3-6 gpf! Oh, if you have one of those...get it changed asap!

After a few days of writing this info down you can get a pretty good idea of how much water you are using on average.  Take the total gallons you estimated and add them all together, then divide that total by how many days you recorded this info to get the average used per day.  The number will surprise you, be sure of this.  Consider taking this test on days when you are doing laundry and when everyone in the home is, in fact, home as usual.  

I've been performing this service I have described here [called water auditing] for a couple of years now.  The numbers don't lie and they have begun to amaze me less and less.  We are all conditioned to think that water is and always will be here and available.  That may not be true, most likely isn't.

If you would like information on what you can do to change the amount of water you use please give me a call or email.  There are dozens of easy to do, often on your own if you're even the least bit handy, that are inexpensive and will have you feeling better everyday about your simple efforts and how it will make a positive impact on our precious resource. 

How many showers will Aunt Edna take?!

With the holiday season fast approaching, or if your family is anything like mine...a steady stream of weekend get together s starting on or around Thanksgiving day, you may be planning for some extra inhabitants at your home soon. If you have ever had a house full of guests stay an extended period of time at your place you may have had to be creative with your own personal grooming habits and time(s).

Often the biggest headache in your home when housing additional bodies is the increased downtime waiting for the water heater to catch up when everyone decides they stink just enough and need to freshen up. Most home's water heaters are not equipped to handle much more than the daily load put upon them. Add age and increased use and you have a holiday recipe for shrieks aplenty as you or your guest are suddenly finding themselves jumping frantically from unpleasant cold water in the shower. This, of course, can be avoided or even eliminated altogether with some planning and minor upgrades to your current shower hardware.

Long showers or increased amounts of trips through the bath due to guests in the home will drain your standard tank type heater in short order. Most [standard] shower heads (the part where the water is spraying out, not the control valve in the wall) allow around 2.5 gallons per minute of water through them. Some allow as much as 3-3.5 gallons per minute, that's a lot of hot water! New, high efficiency shower heads are engineered to use operate south of the 2 gallon per minute rate; presenting a 20% water savings that can significantly extend the number of showers you might be able to fit in to your daily routine.

Changing shower heads is rather simple. All local big box, and most local hardware stores have an excellent variety to choose from. Many of these new shower heads offer a great showering experience yet use a fractional amount of water when compared to what you may be using now. Sizing for shower heads are standard, making for a shot list of tools and materials required. If you're not the do-it-yourself type,  Aune Plumbing can help you get on track to a less stressful time spent with family.

This may also be a great time to consider the age and performance of your existing water heater.  As I have written here in the past, there are many options that may be a better fit for you and your family's lifestyle.  Check out all the information I have posted about water heaters, the different types and what may work best for you.  If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment to assess your current situation please email or call 763-238-2385.

The bottom line is this, staggering tasks such as washing dishes and clothes from taking showers when house guests are staying with you during the holidays will up your chances at keeping sane.  Upgrading your shower heads will make a big impact that will benefit you even after your big hairy brother leaves town through water savings and lower fuel consumption annually.  Have a happy holiday season!

You can tell a lot about your contractor if...

"The cobbler's kids have no shoes"

I bet if you asked the people in your life that you rely on for various services about the above statement they, like me, would probably reply with a smirk and say that statement applies to them more often than not.  Go ahead, next time you have your car in for a new set of tires ask your mechanic what shape his tires are in.  If he's quick he would reply with the nonsensical: "Round, of course."  If he is truthful you might find out that you are not the only one in need of new treads, this is a common theme for many service providers.  My friend, the dreaded accountant (I mean no ill will, ma'am) is the last to get her taxes filed.  This is the case because she is making sure all her clients are taken care of, just last year she told me she filed for an extension for herself.

So what does this say about these individuals? Are they disorganized, unable to finish simple tasks? Or are they simply trying to make a living in their craft, citing their chief responsibility to take care of their customers?  I prefer the latter. After all, I have so many projects around my own house waiting to be finished or even started(!).  Here's a list I have been working on for....er...quite some time:

Pay no attention to the date listed on the top....The funniest thing I find with this list is that it only has four main items on it.  Believe me when I say there are many more, most notable that hasn't made it to any list (that I know of) is to clean the garage.  My guess here is that the need to clean the garage is a constant, a need that will never be satisfied, as if life in general has a constant thirst for a clean garage...

Everyone has a list of things they would like to accomplish, some short but others longer.  My point being, and in reference to the title of this post, you can tell a lot about someone if you take a minute to consider the outlying details.  The story of my tax filing friend, not much unlike myself.  For example: I tend to worry more about my customers energy saving needs than my own almost to a fault, after-all, I probably could have saved enough energy to do the job three times if I had just finished insulating the rest of my mechanical room piping alone.  Oh, and don't get me started on the rainwater reclamation, that's a whole other story in and of itself.

Bottom line is this:  my kids have shoes (think plumbing), they might have an easier time finding their stuff in the garage if it were a little tidier but none of my customers are without.  I will always keep my customers needs close to my heart. Now, lets see what I can do about item number one....

Continuing with Ed. What about the tradesman?

Everywhere you look, it seems, we are bombarded with advertisements showcasing various two year courses geared toward either training us for a new career or gaining a leg up on others along our existing path.  Maybe I have the tendency to notice these advertisements a little more, after all I have been in school for nearly most of my life.  My guess is I am not the exception, however, more of the rule these days as many more professionals are going back or have never really left school in search of something more.  What about plumbers?

We live in a country that is geared specifically, with very few exceptions, toward readying us for the next level.  When you enter grade school you are milled into the machine that will, through repetition, have you ready to move onto middle school in just a few short years.  As history repeats itself, this continues through high school and then onto college.  Some choose a different path along the way.  I did but not after realizing that the University of Minnesota Engineering school just wasn't for me.  That path, trade school.  I still remember thinking how much more simple it seemed that I would go to work, doing something I enjoyed, and then go to school a couple nights a week all the while getting paid at the end of the week. Well I am still there, on the other side of the desk part of the time but, if you ask my kids where I am most nights you are likely to get one of three answers....work (because I own my own business and when the phone rings...), fishing or school. 

Naturally I prefer the fishing answer the most but the reality is, more often than not, I am either teaching a subject or devouring as much as I can about a subject somewhere either close to home or even half way across the country.

After finishing trade school locally I then continued on in the industry as a worker bee, only to realize I needed to prepare myself for the next level.  Sound familiar? Add to this the invitation to teach for Mpls Local 15 about five or six years ago and, ten years later and a few dozen classes completed, I find myself holding course completion certificates and syllabi amassed with great fervor along the way.  I would have to say that teaching trade school classes to apprentices and journeyman plumbers has lent as much opportunity to learn, for myself, as I could possibly hope to return to my students.  I enjoy it immensely, and will continue to do it as long as they will have me.  After all, I too learn so much each night spent in class.   

I keep a quote I printed out and taped to the wall near my home office computer, I don't know exactly who said it but it rings true for so many of us, me in particular.  I reads "If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less". 

Change for me comes in the form of learning.  New skills, new tools or methods.  We all have the need for change.  The plumbing and heating industry is no different than many others; if your going to offer the very best to your customers you have to stay on top of your game.  My game, for so many years it seems, is held in the classroom.  After all, if your not learning something new your just wasting your time.

Value service agreements, Home Service Plxx, Annual Inspection...Which one is for me?

Depending on where you live or who you may have invited into your home, there is a good chance you have been offered some type of service geared toward either maintaining your mechanical appliances or repairing them when problems arise.

There are companies, both local and national, that will offer programs for major repairs to a fixed group of appliances in your home in exchange for a monthly fee.  The fee is usually based on how many and what type of appliances are covered under your selected service.

These "programs" can be useful for most people not inclined to getting down and dirty with their washing machine on a Saturday morning because a belt is broken and when you wanted to wash your favorite shirt you instead installed a new swimming pool in the basement.  ~Don't ask....

In this contractors opinion, these monthly service agreements are valuable but only when a
[cost vs. benefit] analysis has been considered under simple scrutiny.  Consider this: The home you live in is less than ten years old, all appliances were installed new at construction and no major problems have arisen to date.  Would you benefit by paying a monthly service fee, some can add up to as much as $40-$75 per month? Keep in mind you will be paying this monthly premium every month, problem or not.  Think of it as insurance for your major appliances, with a repair company ready and willing to come out and fix the problem.

My guess is that many homeowners would consider this service to be useful, especially those of us in older homes with not so new appliances.  I caution my customers to read the fine print, however, and do not assume anything.  For instance, when your 25 year old furnace/boiler breaks down and the cause of the problem is not a simple replaceable component you may be left footing the bill for not only the repair parts but also the labor for the service tech.  And in no circumstance should you consider this a insurance plan geared for replacement should the need to install a new refrigerator or washing machine arise due to complete failure.  The service is only good for repairs of equipment that is otherwise in good working order.

So what is the alternative?

The alternative to a monthly bill and "insurance" program is simple really. Annual maintenance. All of us have been told one time or another "Have your heating/air system checked by a certified technician to make sure it is operating properly", maybe you are one of the savvy homeowners who have actually taken the time to read the appliance manual for this suggestion.....if so, you-da-man!

Having your heating and air conditioning system, water heater or washer/dryer inspected annually in my opinion is the best insurance policy against unforeseen problems.  The great thing about this type of "program" is the offering of these services for a one-time fee.  Should a problem be detected upon inspection you are likely to be charged for the repair but, honest pricing and contractors to go along with it should have you up and running again at a low cost when compared to adding up all those months of paying for a service and then only using it to replace a very minor part.

As my friend Mr. Barba says "Do the math".  If I pay $40 a month under the assumption my repairs are covered (for this example lets say they are actually, covered) for the next six months and find myself without heat, making a call for service.  Maybe the problem is a simple repair, after all our example here tells us the repair is covered, and the cost would have only been around $200 total (maybe something like a standard gas valve replacement)


Service plan scenario: $40.00 x 6 (months) = $240 total out of pocket 

Simple service call scenario: $85 service call fee + $115 (gas valve) = $200 total out of pocket

Remember, this is only a hypothetical situation but the completely perceivable nonetheless.  The math does not add up, in at least this example and many cases the problem would have been addressed during the annual inspection. 

Either situation presents a means to have your problems taken care of.  The "program" will insure you have a company you are somewhat familiar with at your service come out to take a look at and [hopefully] repair the problem with no extra charge to you.  The annual service will address the potential of problems and insure your system is performing properly now, with the option to service any problems should they arise in the future.  I can't make the decision for my customers but, in my experience the annual service offers the best value.