Making of a TV Show About Home Performance (Podcast)

In today's podcast, I talk with Corbett Lunsford about his new show about home performance and diagnosis. Home Diagnosis airs on PBS in winter 2018. Even though Home Diagnosis mostly deals with building performance, HVAC work is a large component of overall home performance.

Corbett Lunsford used to be a pianist before becoming a building performance expert. He was already familiar with media and decided to launch a YouTube channel. The goal of the YouTube channel was to bring visual information and practices to the masses. Since then, he has been working to create a much larger mass media project to let HVAC professionals and consumers know about building performance. Home Diagnosis is Corbett's means of bringing awareness to whole-home performance as buildings become much tighter.

The main goal of Corbett's TV show is to put home performance on the same level of awareness as car performance and athletic performance. Many factors contribute to comfort, but it is not all the responsibility of the HVAC technician. The home performance field addresses ductwork and the overall design of the house to provide the most accurate and holistic comfort solutions. The TV show also empowers consumers to talk to experts to help them achieve their comfort targets, not just request a certain repair.

While HVAC technicians make up for losses in a building enclosure, building science assesses the issues with the enclosure.

Bryan and Corbett also discuss:

Contractor mistakes
Good and bad practices for fixing ducts
“Seeding” your clients and building trust
Giving customers options to choose other contractors
Sponsorship offers and participation
Humid Climate Conference

Learn more about Home Diagnosis HERE.

Check out Corbett's Home Performance YouTube channel HERE.

Check out Refrigeration Technologies HERE.

If you have an iPhone, subscribe to the podcast HERE, and if you have an Android phone, subscribe HERE.

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Author:

Bryan Orr

Company: HVAC School

Position: Founder

Corbett Lunsford

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Our latest Podcast

HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

Chris Hughes and Steve Rogers from The Energy Conservatory discuss TEC’s TrueFlow technology and its crucial role in predicting airflow issues in the sales process, particularly for heat pump retrofits. They explain how the TrueFlow app helps contractors accurately measure both static pressure and airflow in existing systems, enabling them to predict whether proposed equipment changes will work effectively. This is especially vital when considering the growing trend of replacing gas furnaces with heat pumps, as the airflow requirements can differ significantly.

The conversation delves into a detailed example of replacing an 80% efficient 48,000 BTU furnace with a heat pump. They demonstrate how the airflow requirement would nearly double from 652 CFM to 1,200 CFM, potentially causing the static pressure to quadruple due to Fan Law 2 principles. This dramatic increase could lead to significant performance issues if not properly addressed during the system design phase. The experts emphasize that using TrueFlow during the sales process allows contractors to identify potential problems and necessary modifications before installation rather than discovering issues during callbacks.

The discussion also covers the ideal workflow for system assessment and sales, starting with customer comfort evaluation and proper load calculations. It’s important to reduce loads through envelope improvements when possible, particularly in cold climates where heat pump retrofits are becoming more common. Proper system sizing often means going smaller rather than larger, contrary to common industry practices, and the worst HVAC systems are often found in expensive custom homes rather than tract housing.

Key Topics Covered:

TrueFlow technology and its role in system forecasting
Fan Law 2 and its impact on static pressure when changing airflow
Heat pump retrofit challenges and considerations
The importance of accurate load calculations
Dual fuel systems as a solution for cold climates
The relationship between airflow and static pressure
Sales process integration of technical measurements
Common issues with oversized equipment
The importance of envelope assessment
Methods for reducing system loads
Proper duct sizing and modification strategies
The role of proper filter sizing and selection
The benefits of flat-rate pricing for duct modifications
Training resources and support available for TrueFlow users

Check out TEC’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@energyconservatory, and you can visit TEC’s website at https://energyconservatory.com/.

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