Sheet metal & Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association

SMACNA’s new Mini-Split Systems in Residential Retrofit Applications members-only white paper covers installation applications for both outdoor and indoor units as well as “mini-ducted” systems that incorporate short runs of ductwork.

In the St. Louis market, the big topic of conversation in the world of heating and air conditioning is programmable thermostats.

SMACNA’s new Equipment Warranty Options for Residential Contractors Guide offers critical advice ensuring a contractor's ability to cover repair costs during the life time of the warranty.

Knowing and selecting appropriate warranties is essential to gaining new customers, retaining current customers, and improving overall profitability.

Residential sales management expert Tom Piscitelli shared techniques that residential service-based HVAC contractors should do to create the most profitable sales results.

For SMACNA contractors such as S&M Heating and Air Conditioning that do service or installation jobs on residential multiunit buildings, these projects offer reliable revenue and steady work for employees. Laski estimates that his company has installed HVAC systems in 25,000 to 30,000 apartments in southeastern Michigan over the last 57 years.

Welcome to “word of mouth” marketing in the era of social media. “It’s a form of verification from the existing customers that doesn’t cost a lot of money, and that type of marketing has helped us a lot,” says Randy Novak, president of Novak Heating and Air Conditioning.

When staff members at Centraire Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. refer to the technical aspects of the HVAC systems they’re selling, they turn to SMACNA’s Residential Comfort Systems Installation Standards Manual.

High-end HVAC systems known for their energy efficiency include geothermal, solar, High Performance Air Systems (HPAS), and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems.

SMACNA residential contactors are offering tailored solutions for their customers by freshening, purifying, and dehumidifying indoor air with products such as dehumidifiers, air purifiers, and high-efficiency air filters, which can reduce customers’ medical expenses and build company referrals along the way.

Smartphones, combined with the Internet of Things (IoT), not only allow people to remain plugged in with friends and family, they are also becoming a popular way to keep plugged in to what’s happening in the home.

Planned maintenance agreement programs provide a big bonus---work and steady cash flow year-round.

When asked how his firm is preparing for a cyclical downturn in the economy, SMACNA member George L. “Butch” Welsch told The ACHR NEWS magazine, “The most important thing we have done to prepare for a recession is to change the mix of our business from predominantly new residential construction to only 30 percent new residential construction, and 70 percent service, replacement, and architectural sheet metal.”

What if it were possible to identify and remove a potential barrier SMACNA contractors face in the residential market? SMACNA’s manual, Successful Customer Service Practices for HVAC Service and Retrofit Contractors, written specifically for residential contractors, illustrates a different way of looking at customer service when compared to commercial markets.

All contractors typically only get one chance to make a good first impression, but far too often residential contractors fail to make the most of this opportunity.