Couverture de The Heat Pump Podcast

The Heat Pump Podcast

The Heat Pump Podcast

De : Amply
Écouter gratuitement

The Heat Pump Podcast discusses all things related to heat pumps. We cover: HVAC entrepreneurship, business operations, technology innovations, building science, how policy impacts both contractors and homeowners, and more.

Our goal is to ensure that the transition to heat pumps for heating and cooling is a win for everyone – homeowners, contractors, and the planet – by sharing insights, learnings, and best practices.

2024 Amply Energy Direction Economie Management et direction
Épisodes
  • #61 The Equipment Isn't the System: David Richardson on High-Performance HVAC

    #61 The Equipment Isn't the System: David Richardson on High-Performance HVAC
    Jul 8 2026
    Ready to design heat pump systems that really work? Grab our free manual S cold-climate heat pump selection tool. 👉 https://bit.ly/heatpump-manual-s-free-tool If you’re enjoying the Heat Pump Podcast and getting value from conversations like this one, please take a few seconds to leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. ------------------------------------------------- What separates an average HVAC installation from a truly high-performing system? In this episode, David Richardson joins the Heat Pump Podcast to explore the principles behind high-performance HVAC. The conversation covers everything from airflow and static pressure to building science, duct system performance, heat pump design, and homeowner communication. David Richardson is Vice President of Training at the National Comfort Institute (NCI) and one of the most respected educators in the HVAC industry. With decades of field experience, David has helped thousands of contractors improve system performance through measurement, testing, and verification. Expect to Learn: The equipment is not the system. David's central argument: the box is just one component. The system is what each contractor custom-manufactures on site with the ducts, airflow, and workmanship around it. Same equipment, two installs, two completely different results.The average system delivers about 57% of its capacity into the space where people actually live — not at the equipment, in the room. High-performance work can push that to ~88%. The 88% isn't better equipment; it's attention to detail.Duct location is the biggest lever. After that, duct leakage. David is blunt that leakage inside the conditioned space still counts — if the air isn't reaching the farthest room, those are BTUs you didn't deliver.Heat pumps cut your temperature rise roughly in half. An old furnace might run a 60-degree rise; a heat pump replacing it may run half that or less. Duct losses you got away with behind a furnace start eating real capacity behind a heat pump.Pressure and airflow can both check out while the system still underperforms. Temperature is the measurement that catches it — always verify delivered BTUs, not just readings at the equipment.Don't drown the homeowner in data. When people don't understand what you're telling them, they panic and grab the one thing they do understand: price. Great work loses to the cheap bid because of communication, not competence. Timestamps [00:00] – Introduction to the Episode [01:57] – David Richardson's HVAC Journey [07:42] – Leaving the Family Business for NCI [10:39] – What Does "High-Performance HVAC" Really Mean? [16:07] – The 57% Problem [20:05] – The PATH Framework [26:27] – Why Contractors Skip the Fundamentals [28:57] – Data Discernment vs. Data Drowning [33:23] – Applying High-Performance Principles to Heat Pumps [41:12] – Having Difficult Sizing Conversations [46:43] – Solving the Mystery of the Dusty House [52:23] – Ductless Heat Pumps and High-Performance Contracting [58:05] – Where to Learn More Follow David Richardson: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-richardson-41502112/Website (Company): https://www.nationalcomfortinstitute.com/LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-comfort-institute/Facebook (Company): https://www.facebook.com/NationalComfortInstituteX (Company): https://x.com/team_nciYouTube (Company): https://www.youtube.com/@NationalComfortInstituteIncNCI Follow the Hosts: Ed Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-smith-5aa8716Eric Fitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehfitz/Amply Energy Website: https://www.amply.energy/Amply Energy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amplyenergyAmply Energy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amplyenergyAmply Energy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amply_energy/
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    1 h
  • #60 Designing Heat Pump Systems That Won't Come Back to Haunt You, with Eric Fitz

    #60 Designing Heat Pump Systems That Won't Come Back to Haunt You, with Eric Fitz
    Jul 1 2026

    Ready to design heat pump systems that really work? Grab our free manual S cold-climate heat pump selection tool - the same systematic approach that helps contractors get sizing right the first time.

    👉 https://bit.ly/heatpump-manual-s-free-tool

    -------------------------------------------------

    Heat pumps fail homes for one reason more than any other: someone guessed instead of measured. In this episode, Amply co-founder and co-CEO Eric Fitz shares his complete heat pump sizing playbook in a talk recorded at the Building Performance Association's annual conference in Columbus.


    Eric is a mechanical engineer and a self-described Manual J nerd, and he takes you through the whole chain of system design: how Manual J defines what the home needs, why duct capacity is its own separate check that can make or break a retrofit, and how Manual S picks the right equipment. Along the way he shares the quick field tricks that remove the guesswork — the ten-second flashlight test for low-E glass, the $3 tool for checking wall insulation, and why a thicker filter actually fixes high static pressure.


    You'll also hear plenty of audience Q&A from the room.


    Expect to Learn

    • Why accurate Manual J load calculations are the foundation of successful heat pump system design.
    • How infiltration, windows, insulation, and duct leakage dramatically affect heating and cooling loads.
    • Methods for measuring duct capacity and identifying airflow restrictions before equipment selection.
    • How to interpret heat pump performance data, including capacity, COP, latent cooling, and airflow requirements.
    • The tradeoffs between oversized and undersized systems, and how proper sizing improves comfort, efficiency, and indoor air quality.


    Timestamps

    [00:00:00] - Episode Teaser

    [00:04:06] - Heat Pump Design Fundamentals and the ACCA Design Process

    [00:07:27] - Understanding Load Drivers: Temperature, Windows, and Infiltration

    [00:14:02] - Window Performance, Low-E Glass, and Shading Effects

    [00:20:11] - Verifying Insulation and Building Envelope Conditions

    [00:26:26] - Duct Leakage, Static Pressure, and Measuring Airflow

    [00:44:48] - Heat Pump Performance Data Explained

    [00:52:57] - Manual S Sizing Rules and Heat Pump Selection

    [01:11:07] - Balancing Comfort, Efficiency, Auxiliary Heat, and Real-World Constraints

    [01:17:05] - There Is No Perfect Heat Pump: Making the Best Choice

    [01:19:37] - Closing Remarks


    Follow the Hosts:

    • Ed Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-smith-5aa8716
    • Eric Fitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehfitz/
    • Amply Energy Website: https://www.amply.energy/
    • Amply Energy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amplyenergy
    • Amply Energy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amplyenergy
    • Amply Energy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amply_energy/
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    1 h et 21 min
  • #59 Everybody Recommends “A Guy”: How Paul Bojko Turned Being Different Into a Chicago Heat Pump Business

    #59 Everybody Recommends “A Guy”: How Paul Bojko Turned Being Different Into a Chicago Heat Pump Business
    Jun 24 2026
    Want to win on trust, not price? Download our Trust Checklist and see exactly how top HVAC companies build authority and close higher-quality deals. 👉 https://bit.ly/the-heatpump-trust-checklist ------------------------------------------------- In this episode of the Heat Pump Podcast, host Ed Smith sits down with Paul Bojko, owner of A-Guy Heating & Air, to explore what it really takes to build and scale a heat pump–focused HVAC business. Paul shares his journey from military service and mechanical work to launching his own company and ultimately specializing in ductless heat pump systems. He breaks down how focusing on a niche, investing in branding, and embracing non-traditional marketing strategies helped transform his business. The conversation dives into the realities of running an HVAC company, from early struggles and burnout to building a team, improving processes, and shifting from technician to business owner. Paul also explains why proper system design and load calculations are critical, and how many contractors still get it wrong. They also explore how content creation, social media, and even radio partnerships are becoming powerful tools for growth in today’s HVAC landscape. Expect to Learn In a market with only 50–60 mini split contractors, niching down beats competing with every HVAC truck in town.The mechanical install is the easy part — sizing the system right is the work most contractors skip.Chicago homes with 120,000 BTU furnaces keep coming back needing 50,000 or less. Believe the numbers once you've measured enough of them.Right-sizing will cost you some jobs. Stand behind the number anyway — offer to re-run it, but don't cave to "bigger is better.""Traditional" marketing is now Google and Facebook ads. Sponsoring a local radio host was Paul's fastest-working channel.Teaching at a community college doubles as a months-long job interview — two of Paul's hires came through it.Your brand isn't an afterthought. A memorable name and mascot made A-Guy identifiable in a sea of look-alike contractors. Timestamps [00:00] – Introduction to the Episode [02:02] – Paul Bojko’s background [07:45] – Transition into HVAC and discovering ductless systems [11:09] – Mentorship, training, and early business insights [14:37] – Key changes that drove business growth [17:38] – Marketing strategies and standing out in HVAC [26:36] – Hiring Through Education [30:10] – Content creation and building a modern brand [34:04] – System design, load calculations, and customer education [45:14] – Advice for Contractors and Future Heat Pump Specialists Follow Paul Bojko: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-bojko-b9a156230/ Website (Company): https://a-guy.com/ Facebook (Company): https://www.facebook.com/aguyheating/ YouTube (Company): www.youtube.com/@aguyheating Follow the Hosts: Ed Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-smith-5aa8716Eric Fitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehfitz/Amply Energy Website: https://www.amply.energy/Amply Energy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amplyenergyAmply Energy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amplyenergyAmply Energy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amply_energy/
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    48 min
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Aucun commentaire pour le moment