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How Industrial Fan Tech Upgrades Home AC · Cool Talk with Hartzell's | Your HVAC Questions, Answered!

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Imagine driving your truck down the highway by completely flooring the gas pile and then letting off entirely when you get up to speed and then slamming it back to the floor the second you slow down even a little bit.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that would be terrible.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: Right?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: It would be an incredibly jarring ride, and I mean it would absolutely destroy your engine over time.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, totally.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: But right now, for millions of you listening, that is exactly what the air conditioner sitting outside your bedroom window is doing every single day.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell It really is wild when you think about it that way.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we accept a level of brute force mechanical operation in our homes that we would just never tolerate in our vehicles.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Exactly.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: And usually, you know, when we think about massive industrial infrastructure, we picture things that have absolutely nothing to do with our daily lives.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Right, like huge factories or something.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Yeah.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: You look at a giant ventilation fan inside a hospital or those colossal turbines moving air through a highway tunnel.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: And you just assume that technology exists in its own separate universe.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell But it really does not.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_01: It does not.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: And today, our mission on this deep dive is to explore exactly how the massive industrial fan technology, keeping those huge commercial spaces comfortable, is secretly finding its way right into your living room.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell It is happening a lot faster than people realize, too.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Yeah, and we are going to do that by looking at an industry article detailing a major partnership between ABB and Novenko.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: And we are pairing that with some incredibly practical insights from Dave Hartzell of Hartzell's Heat and Air down in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Which is great because building efficiency really is a universal science.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the physics simply do not care if you are cooling a 50-story glass skyscraper or just, you know, a single-story residential ranch house.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: The rules are the same.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: The underlying principles scale perfectly up and down.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell And this matters to you directly.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: Even if you never step foot inside a commercial highway tunnel or a hospital mechanical room, the technology that they are developing to keep those massive structures efficient is eventually going to impact your monthly power bell and you know your everyday comfort.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's unpack this by starting with a big industrial pipeline.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: Sounds good.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: So the ABB and Novenko partnership is entirely focused on a massive shift toward variable speed technology.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: But um what exactly does that mean in plain English?
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well, to really understand this, we need to look at what these two companies actually bring to the table.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: So ABB is a global manufacturer of smart electrical motors and drives.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: They essentially make the complex electrical brains that govern how a motor operates.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Got it.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: And Novenko.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Novenko, on the other hand, builds the massive commercial ventilation fans themselves.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: So when you pair an ABB smart drive with a heavily engineered Novenko fan, you create a system that only works exactly as hard as it needs to at any given moment.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell So instead of the engine just flooring it and then shutting off, it can actually feather the gas pedal.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: It is a fundamental shift away from machines that just run full blast all the time.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: But the mechanism behind how ABB does this is what is really fascinating.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: They use something called a variable frequency drive.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: And as a homeowner, I hear variable frequency drive and my eyes immediately glaze over.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how does that actually work?
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell I know.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: It sounds super technical.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: But think about the electricity coming out of your wall.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: It flows in a very specific constant wave or you know, a frequency.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: A standard motor just takes that power and spins at one single aggressive speed.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell The flooring it part.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: But a variable frequency drive acts like a highly intelligent translator.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: It intercepts that electricity and literally changes the frequency of the wave before it ever even hits the motor.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Oh wow.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: So it alters the power itself.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell Yes.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: By lowering the electrical frequency, it tells the motor to spin slower.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: It is literally changing the heartbeat of the electrical current in real time, all based on what the building actually needs.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Which makes total sense for a massive hospital, right?
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: We're running huge fans full blast 24 hours a day, which is cost an absolute fortune.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Oh, yeah, millions of dollars.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell But how does a partnership like this impact the person listening right now?
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell Well, according to Dave Hartzell, who, by the way, has spent 45 years observing this trade in Oklahoma, these massive industrial innovations inevitably shrink down over time.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell They always do.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell He noted that the concepts they prove on giant commercial buildings eventually become the ECM blower motors and the variable capacity compressors that end up sitting right there in residential attics and hallway closets.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell That pipeline of innovation just always flows downstream.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean the commercial sector has the massive budgets and the strict regulatory pressures to force research and development into energy efficiency.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: Trevor Burrus Because they have to.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And once the technology is proven, the manufacturing costs slowly come down, and then companies realize they can miniaturize that exact same logic for residential consumers.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned ECM blower motors, which they've talked about.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: What exactly is an ECM?
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell So it stands for electronically commutated motor.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Okay, that still sounds a bit intimidating.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Yeah, it does.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: But basically, older motors used physical carbon brushes that actually rubbed against the moving internal parts to transfer the electricity.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Trevor Burrus, Jr.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, so actual physical contact.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell Exactly.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: And they generated friction, they wore out over time, and they only really had one speed.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Gotcha.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: But an ECM uses complex electronic controls and magnets to spin the motor without that physical friction.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: That allows it to dial the speed up and down with absolute pinpoint accuracy, just like those massive Novenko fans.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Okay.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: So to push back a bit, is this new variable speed technology truly just like putting your house on cruise control?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: Because I mean, while cruise control is nice for my foot on the highway, does it really fundamentally change anything about the actual environment inside my house?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Well, the cruise control analogy is perfectly accurate for the user experience, but the physics behind it reveal a massive hidden benefit.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: What's fascinating here is the concept of inrush current.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Inrush Current.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: Starting an electrical motor from a completely dead stop is the single most power-hungry moment in the entire equipment cycle.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Really?
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: Why is that?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Well, imagine your car breaks down on a flat road and you have to push it to the gas station.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I have been there.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: It is the worst.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: So getting that heavy car to move from a completely dead stop requires every ounce of strength you have.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: You are straining just to overcome the initial physical inertia.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Yeah, your legs are burning.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: But once the car is rolling at a walking pace, you can keep it moving with just one hand on the bumper.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: Oh wow.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: That makes perfect sense.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: The heavy lifting is all at the very beginning.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell Exactly.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: And electrical motors work the exact same way.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Overcoming the initial inertia of the heavy fan blades and the internal compressor components requires a huge surge of electricity, which is that inrush current.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: By finding a steady lower speed and simply holding it there, you avoid that massive repeated energy draw.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: You keep the motor rolling with one hand on the bumper, so to speak, rather than constantly stopping it and having to push it from a dead stop all over again.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Wait, that naturally leads me to a bit of a logical contradiction, though.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, what is that?
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: Well, my dad used to yell at me for leaving the lights on in the living room because it wasted power.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Dads always do.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: Always.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: And if this variable speed system is trying to hold a steady lower speed instead of shutting off entirely, that means the machine is running for a much longer period of time.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Yes, it is.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: So how does running a machine all day actually save electricity?
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: It sounds like my power bill should go through the roof.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell It is the most common misconception in the entire industry.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I completely understand why your dad was yelling about the lights.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: But the reality of runtime with this specific technology is totally counterintuitive.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Okay.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: How so?
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: Running an ECM motor longer at a highly efficient, very low speed uses significantly less total power than the constant violent start and stop cycles of older units.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell Because you are avoiding that massive push to get the broken-down car rolling again.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Precisely.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: You are trading short bursts of incredibly high energy consumption for a long, gentle, low energy hum.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell And that long, gentle hum changes everything about comfort.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: Especially when you factor in regional weather challenges.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, uh Dave operates in central Oklahoma.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: And let me tell you, uh, an Oklahoma August is not just hot.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: No, it is brutal.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: It is incredibly oppressively sticky.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: The air is so thick.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: And because a variable speed system runs longer at that lower speed, the air inside your house is constantly moving across the freezing cold coils inside your indoor unit.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: That continuous, steady process pulls far more moisture out of the thick air compared to an older system that just blasts the room with cold air for 10 minutes and then immediately shuts off.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell And this is a crucial scientific distinction between sensible heat and latent heat.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, what is the difference?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell Sensible heat is the actual temperature you can read on a wall thermometer.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like the air feels hot or cold.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: Latent heat is the thermal energy hidden inside the moisture in the air.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell So latent heat is basically the humidity?
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Yes, exactly.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Older single-stage systems were great at dropping the sensible heat quickly.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: They blasted cold air, the thermometer dropped to 70 degrees, and the thermostat just turned the unit off.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Because the job was done, quote unquote.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell Right.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: But because they only ran for 10 minutes, they did not run long enough to pull the latent heat, the humidity, out of the air.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Which leaves you sitting in a room that is technically cooled, but it feels totally damp and clammy, like you are in a cave.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell Exactly.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: You are cold but sweating.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: Variable speed equipment gives the system the extended time required to properly wring that moisture out like a sponge, effectively dehumidifying the space while gently cooling it.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Okay.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: Here's where it gets really interesting.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: I am totally sold.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: You just spent 10 minutes telling me how amazing and efficient this new variable speed tech is.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I should probably just go rip out my perfectly fine 15-year-old single-stage unit this afternoon, right?
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: I would probably make that money back in a year on my power bill.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely not.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Do not do that.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: Wait, really?
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: But it is so much more efficient.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: It is, but Dave gives incredibly practical advice on this exact point.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: If your current system is running fine, you keep it.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, interesting.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: You have to consider the embodied carbon and the massive manufacturing cost of creating a brand new unit.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: The environmental and financial cost of ripping out functioning equipment far outweighs the immediate monthly energy savings you would get.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: You will just never make the math work if you replace a working system prematurely.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: So it is really about the actual lifespan of the machine.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's about life cycle efficiency.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: The time to upgrade is when the unit has reached the end of its natural life, like when parts are getting very hard to find, the compressor is whining loudly, and the system is actively limping through the summer heat.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: When it's on its last legs.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: That is when you have the conversation with a professional about upgrading to variable speed technology.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Rushing to replace a working machine just to chase a slightly lower power bill is simply throwing your money away.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: You have to be strategic.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: So let's say we have solved the cooling and humidity issue with these brilliant smart motors.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: But here's the thing that confuses me.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: If I get the smartest variable speed system and I have all these incredible new thick windows and spray foam insulation to save energy, why do people still complain that their newly renovated house feels stale?
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that happens all the time.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: Like the temperature is perfect, but the air just feels heavy and stagnant.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: That is the tighthouse paradox.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: Let me give you an analogy for this one.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: Think of a modern, highly energy efficient home like a giant, perfectly sealed plastic sandwich bag.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, I'm with you.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: A sandwich bag.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: If you climb inside that sealed sandwich bag and zip it shut, it does not matter how perfectly cold the air conditioning is inside.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because the bag is completely sealed to prevent energy loss, absolutely no fresh air can get in.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Without punching a few intentional holes in that plastic bag for ventilation, the environment inside becomes totally stagnant.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: You are just breathing the exact same trapped air, the same cooking odors and the same pet dander over and over again.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: Boof, that paints quite a picture.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: And you really need fresh air, especially in a place like central Oklahoma, which is just full of blowing dust and crazy high pollen counts.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: We build these homes to keep the expensive conditioned air inside, but we literally trap all the bad stuff in there with us.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: And this brings us to a critical difference that people often misunderstand.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Air conditioning and ventilation are two completely different mechanisms.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Air conditioning alters the temperature and humidity of the air that is already trapped inside the house.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Ventilation is the mechanical process of bringing fresh air in from the outside and forcefully pushing the stale contaminated air out.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, that makes sense.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: Because in older homes, like my grandparents' house, for example, the construction was so loose and drafty that the house naturally ventilated itself.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: The bag was already full of holes.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: The wind literally blew right through the cracks around the doors and those old single-pane windows that lost a ton of energy, but the air never really felt stale.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell And if we connect this to the bigger picture, this exact tight building paradox is what drives the massive commercial ventilation industry that Novoplex operates in.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, really?
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: Hospitals, schools, and major office buildings are sealing up their exterior walls and roofs tighter than ever to meet very strict energy efficiency standards.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: But because they are sealing those structures so tightly, they are forced to engineer much smarter, highly active mechanical ventilation systems just to compensate and keep the occupants healthy.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell And the exact same logic applies to your house.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: Residential homes require the same intentional approach to moving air.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it might not be a giant tunnel fan, but it means relying on bathroom exhausts, kitchen range hoods that actually vent outside instead of just blowing air back into your face.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell, so many just blow it right back at you.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell It is the worst.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: Or even dedicated whole house ventilation systems.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_01: Dave points out that many of the comfort complaints he gets from homeowners are actually just airflow and ventilation failures.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: That happens a lot.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the air conditioner itself is working perfectly, but the house feels stuffy because it is literally starving for fresh air.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Which perfectly illustrates why treating the home as a complete interconnected system is so vital.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you cannot just swap out an electrical motor, seal up your windows, and expect miracles if the air cannot actually move properly.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: So understanding the science of variable speed motors and proper airflow is fantastic.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_01: It is great theory.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: But how do you actually apply this knowledge to your own home without getting completely overwhelmed by all the technical details?
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like what is the very first step for a normal homeowner?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Well, it starts with the most basic fundamental maintenance.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: A dirty system is constantly fighting itself.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you go out and install the absolute most expensive, top-of-the-line variable speed unit on the market, it will waste a massive amount of energy if the internal coils are caked in dust.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: Really?
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: Why does dust matter so much?
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: Does it just block the air from getting through?
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: It does block airflow, but worse than that, dust acts as a thermal insulator.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: It literally coats the metal coils and prevents the heat in your air from transferring into the cold refrigerant inside the pipes.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Oh wow.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: It is literally like trying to cool down a hot drink while it is wearing a sweater.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: That is a great visual.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: So a basic tune-up is actually a major efficiency upgrade all by itself.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: It is the most critical first step you can take.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: A standard tune-up involves a professional coming out to check the exact refrigerant levels, thoroughly cleaning all the dirt off those coils, and verifying every single electrical connection to make sure the sensors are reading accurately.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: Right, because of the smart tech.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: If the sensors are dirty or the airflow is blocked, the smart drive from a company like ABB cannot do its job properly because it is receiving bad data from the machine.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: It thinks the house is cool, but really the sensor is just buried in dog hair.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_01: Now, people also constantly ask about utility rebates when they think about upgrading to this highly efficient equipment.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone wants to know how much money the power company is going to give them back.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: But why do utility companies even offer rebates in the first place?
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell It is a good question.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell It just seems weird that they would pay you to use less of their own product.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell It all comes down to the economics of the power grid.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: Think of the electrical grid like a major highway.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: During a hot August afternoon, everyone gets on the highway at the exact same time.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Every single air conditioner kicks on.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: Gridlock.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: If the utility company runs out of capacity on that highway, they are forced to build a brand new power plant just to handle that peak demand.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Ross Powell And building a power plant costs billions.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: Astronomically expensive.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: So paying you a small rebate to upgrade your equipment so you use less electricity during those peak hours means they do not have to build that new power plant.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_00: It is a massive financial bargain for the utility company.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Okay, I get it now.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: But the reality is that those rebates are incredibly complicated to actually get, right?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: They change frequently based on which utility company you use, your specific zip code, and the exact dates of the different government and local programs.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, it is a constantly moving target.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: The funding for those state or local programs can run out halfway through the year, or the specific efficiency requirements can literally change overnight.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_01: Which is why Dave says a good professional will look up the current official programs for your specific area before making any promises.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: You never want to assume a rebate is guaranteed until the contractor actually verifies the paperwork for your exact address.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: So, what does this all mean?
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: How does a homeowner actually know what equipment fits their specific house and, you know, their specific budget?
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, this raises an important question regarding how consumers should view the role of an HVAC technician in the first place.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: The goal of a good technician is not just to sell you the most expensive box they have in their truck.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is accurate diagnostics.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: Dave Hartzall emphasizes the absolute necessity of performing honest in-person evaluations.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: Not every single home needs the most expensive variable speed system on the market.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: Because sometimes the simpler solution is actually the better fit, especially if the house is older and the duckwork cannot handle the variable airflow anyway.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Ross Powell Exactly.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: A reliable two-stage system might be absolutely perfect for the size and layout of your home.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Or, you know, in some cases a homeowner might even explore geothermal heating and cooling.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: That is actually one option Dave offers out in Oklahoma.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, that is cool.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: It is entirely about matching the technology to the unique demands of the property.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: Expert diagnostics are about finding the right fit for your unique ductwork and your specific wallet.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: You simply cannot do that over a quick phone call.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: You have to actually walk the house, look at the size of the individual rooms, check out the ductworks laid out in the attic, and see what the home is actually capable of handling.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: Listeners who want straight answers on how this applies to their own home can reach Dave at 405-375-4822 or by visiting Hartzelsheatandair.com.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Yeah, having a trusted professional look at the physical realities of the space is really the only way to bridge the gap between high-end industrial theory and actual residential comfort.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell It really brings the whole journey into focus.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: We started by looking at massive commercial partnerships, you know, ABB and Novenko, designing variable frequency drives and colossal fans for enormous buildings.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Huge scale.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: And the ultimate takeaway is that the sophisticated logic cooling those massive spaces is the exact same logic moving into your backyard.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: Running equipment smart by holding a steady, efficient pace is always better than running it hard.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: It massively reduces wear and tear on the motors, it drastically lowers your overall energy consumption, and it just provides a much more consistent level of humidity control and comfort.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_01: And as we continue to build homes with better insulation and tighter window seals to save that energy, remembering that a house has to breathe makes proper mechanical ventilation absolutely non-negotiable.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: You cannot just focus on the temperature on the wall.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: You have to manage the actual quality and freshness of the air itself.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: Otherwise, you are just living inside a sealed sandwich bag.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell And as we continue to build increasingly airtight, highly engineered smart homes and cities, it leaves you with a fascinating concept to ponder.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, what is that?
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: Will the future definition of indoor comfort eventually shift from simply adjusting a thermostat on the wall to curating our own entirely synthetic personalized microclimates in every single room of the house?
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: Now that is a wild thought to leave on.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: From massive hospital fans to a personalized microclimate right in your living room, the technology just keeps getting smarter and shrinking down to fit our lives.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for joining us on this deep dive.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: Stay curious, keep paying attention to the systems running quietly in the background, and keep learning.