Episodes

I’m so happy to bring the voice, thoughts, and ideas of Michael Kane to the Building HVAC Podcast! You’ll hear about the art and process of product development that has evolved through 2 generations of ownership of this family business. Michael is a man of patience and empathy and greatly respects the dignity, value and skill of the trades, He hopes to create the best products for people in the trades to better do their jobs. You can learn more about UEI products at Michael’s website: www.UEi...

Since January is Radon awareness month, I’ve invited 2 people deeply involved in the Radon industry to be my guests today. Dawn Oggier, is Manager of Market Development for RadonAway and National Director for AARST – the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (https://aarst.org/) Brian Kennihan is the Business Development Manager for AprilAire. If you are catching this episode before or during your visit to the 2022 AHR Expo you can visit with both guests! Dawn at booth N...

Brian is on a mission with this company, Module Housing. Their tag line says it all: Designed for people and planet powered by offsite construction. Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briangaudio/ Or via his website: https://www.modulehousing.com/ This episode was recorded in July 2019.

“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.” Albert Szent-Gyorgyi I’m certain many of our listeners have had ideas for products of their own. Trade practitioners are clever and innovative on the job and so, able to see new ways to “connect the dots” and solve a problem. How do you go from idea to successful product on the market? How long does it take to develop award winning products? Today we are joined by Bob Belvick, Product Manager for ...

“Repetition makes reputation and reputation makes customers.” Elizabeth Arden Fortune may come knocking, but sometimes the sound is very faint, almost imperceptible. When someone takes you under their wing, how do you know if that’s where you want to be? If the bug to start your own business bites, what do you do next? Where can you learn from others’ experience and insights? We’re pleased to welcome the very successful HVAC contractor Hal Smith to the podcast. Hal shares with us the story...

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” Jimmy Dean Many of the people I meet in the industry have interesting stories. There are struggles and challenges in all their lives, our lives. What if a real police state was limiting your options in life? How would you direct your will? Your desire? Your drive to achieve? I met our guest today, Genry Garcia during the AHR Expo in Orlando in January 2020. As I learned more about him, I fo...

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke The topic of how to manage and improve indoor air quality comes up a lot lately. With all this interest come the offer of many “solutions” and devices. Wish you could learn the back story of and technology inside some of these devices? Ever wonder about the international perspectives on the topic of IAQ? The Building HVAC Science podcast is pleased to welcome our very first guest from another continent...

“Astronomy’s much more fun when you’re not an astronomer.” Brian May COVID-19 has impacted the way people interact for many months. Especially the way people interact with each other in spaces outside their homes. What do the air quality scientists have to say about the management of indoor air? What kind of measurements are significant and important? Will this pandemic impact the way we do things in HVAC after it subsides? Steve Pascuzzo, manager of testo’s commercial division, joins us t...

“When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple.” Paulo Coelho The construction is finished. Bill and Mairlyn moved in months ago. What’s it been like for Bill living inside his theories? Were any late course corrections necessary? Any regrets? In this podcast, recorded in April 2021, our friend Allison Bailes (The Energy Vanguard) becomes host and interviews/investigates if the SpohnHome as truly a high-performance home. Bill and Allison excha...

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris His head has been wrapped up in building and HVAC performance since the late 1980s. How does he sort through bringing his personal vision for his own home to reality? What’s it like actually living inside your theories? In this podcast, recorded in May 2020, our friend Nate Adams (from HVAC 2.0) becomes host and interviews Bill Spohn (normally this podcast’s host) on the journey he and...

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” Jonathan Swift Listeners to this podcast know, it is often very hard to explain what it is we do. When I try to explain this, people’s’ eyes and ears glaze over as I get into the technical descriptions of the invisible elements that make a home more comfortable, safer, healthier and energy efficient. (Wait, can an ear actually glaze over? I think ‘ve done it.) What if there were an independent, third party means to capture and make v...

“Data, data everywhere, and not a place to sync!” Eric Preston Sensor data and oftentimes, the corresponding analytics are popping up everywhere you look. What is happening in the HVAC world? In newer systems there are some options; most on the high end. But are there any reliable solutions that address more basic systems and the aftermarket? Here comes SensiPredict by Emerson. Emerson has designed a full eco system that helps to deliver new benefits for contractors; benefits that homeowne...

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Michael Jordan Years ago if someone said to me: “I’m building a Net Zero home.” I would have thought, “What are they giving up doing so?” Fast Forward to 2021: In addition to me living in a prospective Net Zero Home (check out other episodes of this podcast), there are now several national Net Zero competitions with utilities, raters, builders and homeowners working together to raise public awareness of this accelerating t...

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn Ben Franklin Bill is joined by Peter Troast of the Energy Circle and Steve Byers of Energy Logic to share their many reasons for attending the National Home Performance Conference year after year. Sign up for the 2021 National Home Performance Conference (all virtual) now at: https://events.building-performance.org/national/ Learn more about our guests and their businesses at these links: Energy Logic: https://theenergylo...

“I’ve been struck again and again by how important measurement is to improving the human condition.” Bill Gates Lend us your ears as Kaleb and Bill have a very fun interview with Ben Reed, VP of Products at TZOA, a relative new comer to the world of measurement products. TZOA’s approach with the Haven product is totally unique: a retrofittable residential air quality monitor that lives inside the central air handler and can control 1 or 2 systems that can impact air quality. Not just measurem...

“He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” Thomas Carlyle Bill was honored to welcome Dr. Stephanie Taylor to the podcast where she shares the fascinating story of her career path from medicine to architecture to crusading for better building health by bridging these professional silos. He had a great time interviewing Stephanie, plumbing the depths of her knowledge and experience. We discuss many aspects of IAQ and focus in on the impact of humidity on human health. ...

“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” George Santayana Bill is joined Marty and David Indursky, a father and son team that have built Encon, an award winning, NJ-based HVAC/building solutions company. Hear how David has reinvigorated the company by implementing modern technology techniques after he took it over from his father who founded ENCON in 1968. They share best practices and what sets ENCON apart. We also hear about and what David envisions for the future of the industry. You ...

“I grew up thinking that a research scientist was a natural thing to be.” Stephen Hawking There’s physical science. And there’s a kind of science as to how the mind works and how people achieve their dreams. Blend one-part plasma fusion physics with one-part commercial real estate and stir this in an open and creative mind and you have Peter Capuciati, the Chairman and Founder of Bluon and the guest of today’s podcast. Starting in 2011, Peter has led the team at Bluon to develop a true solution...

“The only think I have learnt over the years is that if you enjoy your work and put in best efforts it will show. If you follow this process, things work out. But if you go chasing a formula, success will elude you.” Mahesh Babu While building his own house, John Semmelhack’s innate curiosity grew as he researched the best was to design and build a home. This lead him to start his own business, Think Little. The name of his business is deceptive as John is truly a big thinker, who acts in qui...

“True genius lies not in doing the extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.” General Louis H. Wilson, Jr. Building science principles are few and fairly straightforward; ordinary, perhaps. HAM: A lot of it amounts to control the flow of Heat, Air and Moisture. But, like so many things in this world, the devil is in the details. Listen in as I chat with my good friend Nate Adams (a true genius) to get an update on his extraordinarily execution of ordinary measu...

May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house. George Carlin Yep, Radon is force of evil. Pure evil. Colorless. Odorless. Deadly. But sneaky. It’s deadly over decades. My good friend Dick Kornbluth joins me to unravel the intricacies of all aspects of Radon – a colorless, odorless, poisonous radioactive gas. Dick explains how and where radon is formed, how it gets into the air we breathe and the health impact it has on us. He reveals where the famous 4 picocuries per lite...

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean While we picked a specific topic, this is a wide-ranging episode with my friend in the industry, Eric Stromquist of Stromquist.com – 2nd generation controls distributor based out of Atlanta, GA. We discuss our thoughts and opinions on: How hard it is to actually get access to people – cold calling is basically dead Closed vs. open architecture in building automation systems C suite ex...

To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear. Buddha HVAC and building performance contractors are seeing more homes built or retrofit to tighter levels. Blower door test outs like 3, 2, 1 ACH50 or less. What do you do when the “house can’t breathe?” Hopefully, you see the humor in that statement. Of course - you build it tight and ventilate it right! (Credit for that phrase likely goes to Earle Perera and Lynn Parkins as the tit...

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 t...