Latest / Cool Talk with Hartzell's | Your HVAC Questions, Answered! / Are Cold Climate Heat Pumps Worth It

Transcript

Are Cold Climate Heat Pumps Worth It · Cool Talk with Hartzell's | Your HVAC Questions, Answered!

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Imagine getting a utility bill for one single month that um basically equals a car payment.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that is the worst feeling.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_02: And just because the temperature outside dropped to five degrees for a long weekend, for millions of homeowners who rely on standard heat pumps, and you know, that is not some worst case scenario.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: That is just what happens every single January.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it really is a massive vulnerability in our residential infrastructure.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_02: It is.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: You buy a system that promises incredible efficiency, and well, it works beautifully all fall.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: But the second you actually face a brutal howling winter freeze, the technology essentially throws its hands up in defeat.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_02: It switches over to emergency backup power and absolutely drains your bank account.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell It is incredibly frustrating.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we expect our modern comforts to work exactly as advertised, especially when the stakes are high and the temperature plummets.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: When you hit that critical threshold and your system's coefficient of performance, or uh COP, suddenly drops off a cliff, it is stressful.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: You want reliability, not a sudden realization that your expensive equipment has this glaring, incredibly costly weak spot.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell That feeling of equipment betrayal is exactly what we are looking at today.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to our deep dive.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_02: We are talking about the heating systems in our homes and specifically the limitations of traditional heat pumps.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: It is a very timely topic.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, because for decades, there has been a known engineering issue with how these systems perform when the weather gets truly brutal out there.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_02: But today, our mission is to explore some new insights from Dave Hartzall.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Right.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: He's out in Oklahoma.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he's the owner of Hartzall's Heat and Air down in Oklahoma, and he's discussing train technology's new residential cold climate heat pumps.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_02: We want to discover if this new technology actually solves a decades-old HVAC problem, or if it is just a bunch of clever marketing hype, you know, designed to upcharge you for a shiny new box.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Which happens a lot in this industry.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, all the time.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, let's unpack this because we really need to understand the underlying physics of where traditional heat pumps fail before we can evaluate if train has actually fixed it.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell That is a vital distinction to make.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: Setting the stage here really matters because this directly impacts your daily comfort and frankly your wallet.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: We are not just talking about abstract engineering concepts here.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Right.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: We are talking about your actual house.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: We are talking about whether you wake up freezing on a Tuesday morning and exactly why your utility bill doubles in the middle of January.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: As we know, a standard heat pump does not generate heat like a gas furnace does.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: It moves it around.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it moves heat from the outside air indoors and down to a certain thermal balance point, usually around 35 or 40 degrees outside.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: They are incredibly efficient at doing that.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_02: The system can still easily find enough ambient thermal energy in the air to grab it and bring it inside.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: But wait, hold on.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: I need to challenge this whole concept for a second.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Go for it.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_02: When the temperature drops to zero degrees or sub-zero with the wind chill, there is literally freezing air outside.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_02: How does any compressor actually squeeze heat out of air that is already freezing?
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that honestly sounds like marketing speak to me.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: It sounds totally counterintuitive, I agree.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: But it all comes down to thermodynamics.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, cold is just the absence of heat.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: And absolute zero, where all thermal energy stops, is negative 459 degrees Fahrenheit.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: Oh wow.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: So at zero degrees Fahrenheit, there's actually still plenty of thermal energy left in the ambient air.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: The magic happens with the refrigerant inside the system.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so how do they capture it if the air is already technically colder than the equipment?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell This is where trains new variable speed compressors, well, they fundamentally change the game here.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: In an older single-stage system, the compressor just pumps refrigerant at one set pressure.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: It is on or off.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: But an inverter-driven variable speed compressor can dynamically alter the pressure of the refrigerant.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: By significantly dropping the pressure of that liquid, they also drastically drop its boiling point.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: Interesting.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: They can lower the boiling point of the refrigerant so far below the outside ambient temperature that even at zero degrees Fahrenheit, the outside air is still warm enough to boil the refrigerant.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: Wait, really?
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_02: The freezing air boils it.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: And when that refrigerant boils into a gas, it absorbs that ambient thermal energy, which is then compressed and pumped inside to heat your home.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: That is fascinating.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_02: So they are essentially manipulating the boiling point on the fly to capture heat that human beings cannot even feel.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Precisely.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: It is brilliant engineering.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell You know, I was trying to think of a good way to visualize this mechanical difference.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_02: Think about riding a bicycle.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_02: An old single-stage heat pump is basically like riding a fixed gear bike up a steep hill.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I like that analogy.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_02: You have no options.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: You either stand up on the pedals and grind with everything you have, which you know causes a massive spike in your physical energy, or you just stall out and have to walk.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: That is a brilliant way to look at it.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: The fixed gear forces an all-or-nothing response to a changing environment.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: But the new variable speed compressor is like a modern bicycle with a full cassette of gears.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: As the hill gets steeper, or in this case, as the temperature drops lower, you just shift gears.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: You adjust your mechanical advantage.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: You maintain a steady, efficient cadence regardless of the incline, rather than causing a massive exhausting energy spike just to keep moving forward.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: And avoiding that massive energy spike is the entire point.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Because when a standard single-stage heat pump hits that steep hill when temperatures drop into the 20s or below, it loses capacity.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: It fails to absorb enough heat.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: And, well, that triggers the uh auxiliary resistance strips.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_02: The emergency heat.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_02: Which for anyone who has ever looked at their thermostat and seen that little light come on is basically a giant toaster hidden inside your air ducts.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: Precisely.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: It is a giant toaster.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_00: Those electric resistance strips consume an astronomical amount of electricity compared to the normal refrigeration cycle.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_02: So your bill just shoots up.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Your COP plummets to one.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Meaning for every unit of electricity you put in, you only get one unit of heat out.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Compare that to a heat pump running efficiently, which can often give you three or four units of heat for every single unit of electricity.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_02: So the physics checkout and the variable speed gear analogy makes sense.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: But this brings me to a very practical question about where this technology actually belongs in the real world.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_02: Because when I hear the phrase cold climate heat pump, my brain immediately goes to places like Minnesota or North Dakota.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: I picture feet of snow and ice fishing.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that is the standard mental image.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell But Dave Hartzell is operating his business in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: People do not usually associate Oklahoma with the Arctic tundra.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: They absolutely don't.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: And the climate data reflects that.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, Oklahoma is not Minnesota.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: But the application of this technology in Oklahoma is actually a perfect example of why we need to look beyond those geographical marketing labels.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, really?
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_02: How so?
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Homeowners often assume coal climate tech is only for northern extremes, but it is highly relevant for transitional climate zones like Kingfisher County.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_02: Because of how unpredictable the weather patterns are, right?
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_02: Dave points out that Oklahoma's average January low is generally in the 20s.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Which is cold, but manageable.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: A standard heat pump can usually sort of limp along at those temperatures without totally failing.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_02: The real issue is that Oklahoma experiences these brutal sudden cold snaps.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: A polar vortex dips down and the temperature will suddenly drop into the single digits or even go below zero when you factor in the wind chill.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Those extreme temperature plummets are the true test of any HVAC infrastructure.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Statistically, Dave notes, that these severe cold snaps only happen about five or six days a year in his specific area.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: But those five or six days are the exact moments when the old traditional systems completely give up and those incredibly expensive backup heat strips kick into overdrive.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: He actually shared a specific story about this to put it in perspective.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: The one about the customer on the highway?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_02: Dave recalled a customer of his out on Highway 33.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_02: She had a very nice, newer home with a standard heat pump installed.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_02: Two winters ago, during one of those sudden Arctic blasts, her system had to rely on the backup electric strips so heavily that her electric bill jumped$60 to$70 in a single month.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Wow.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: Just from a few days of cold.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_02: The backup heating was just running nonstop, day and night, trying to fight the freezing temperatures outside.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: It perfectly illustrates the hidden financial penalty of older technology.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: The system kept the house warm, yes, but the cost of doing so was severe.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_02: But I have to play devil's advocate here, and I am guessing you listening right now might be wondering the exact same thing.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: Let's hear it.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_02: If these extreme cold snaps, you know, these single-digit days, only happen five or six days a year in a place like Oklahoma, is it actually worth the cost of buying and installing a completely new, highly advanced system?
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: It seems like a massive capital investment just to solve a problem that only lasts for a single week out of the entire year.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: What's fascinating here is how you have to calculate the long-term value versus the short-term pain.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Dave synthesizes this beautifully in his approach.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: It is not about surviving a six-month continuous winter of subzero temperatures like you would in the upper Midwest.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so what is it about?
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: It is about avoiding those sudden expensive energy spikes.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: It is about having consistent, reliable performance without ever leaning on that emergency heat.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_02: So avoiding the giant toaster entirely.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: When you factor in the extreme mechanical stress placed on an older single-stage system trying to keep up, and the repeated financial hits during those cold snaps year after year, the variable speed technology becomes a very targeted solution for a specific painful problem.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: It is about peace of mind.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_02: It is knowing that when the weather turns unexpectedly nasty, your system is not going to suddenly drain your bank account just to keep your pipes from freezing.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: The reliability during peak thermal stress is where the value truly lies.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: All right, so the engineering is sound and the regional application makes sense.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: Let us talk about the reality of paying for this equipment.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: The fun part.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: No, they are not.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: They carry a significant premium over standard units.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: The advanced variable speed compressors, the complex control boards, and the intricate sensors simply cost a lot more to manufacture and install.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_02: And Dave is extremely careful about how he discusses pricing, which I really appreciate.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_02: He notes that the exact cost really depends on a massive list of variables.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, absolutely.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_02: It depends on your home's square footage, the required tonnage for your specific layout, the quality of your insulation, and the current condition of your ductwork.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: You cannot just give a blanket price over the internet.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: You really can't.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_02: Which is why Dave offers estimates to physically evaluate all of this for each individual house.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: It is the only responsible way to price HVAC equipment.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: Every single home is a unique thermal envelope, and guessing over the phone is a recipe for disaster.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_02: But what about help from the government or the power companies?
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: Whenever there is a big push for energy efficiency, people always want to know about rebates and incentives to soften that upfront blow.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: Well, this is a highly complex and constantly shifting landscape.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Currently, federal rebates for these specific systems are non-existent.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: Wait, really?
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: Nothing at all.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you simply cannot rely on federal help right now to subsidize the purchase.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Utility rebates, on the other hand, do exist, but they are a moving target.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron Powell Okay, how so?
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: They are based entirely on your zip code and your specific energy provider, and they vary wildly depending on who is managing your grid.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: Dave gave the example that a customer living in an area serviced by OGE might see a completely different utility rebate program than someone living a few miles away on a rural co-op grid.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_02: Which means we cannot give you any specific numbers today.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: The utility rebate programs change so frequently that you really have to get your local professional to pull the current official program data for your exact utility provider before you count on any savings.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no specific dollar amounts exist that we can promise you today.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Transparency is key here.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: Assuming you will get a specific rebate without verifying it through your contractor first is a very quick way to blow your renovation budget.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: And speaking of budgets and transparency, Dave makes a really interesting point that honestly goes against everything you might expect from a guy whose entire livelihood is based on selling heating equipment.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I know what you were going to say.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he actively advises against replacing a perfectly good 10-year-old system.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_02: If your current heat pump is working fine, he says do not rip it out just because train releases something shiny and new.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: That speaks to a very strong ethical foundation.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: These advanced units are best suited for specific scenarios where the return on investment actually makes sense.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like what kind of scenarios?
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: They are ideal for dyeing systems that need total replacement anyway, or for brand new build where you want to install the most efficient technology from day one.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: Or uh for replacing incredibly expensive liquid propane setups that are draining a homeowner's finances every single winter.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_02: It is about finding the right tool for your specific property.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: You might look into a cold climate heat pump or perhaps consider something like geothermal heating and cooling, which is just another modern option Dave offers in Oklahoma.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: There are options.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_02: But the point is, you don't just buy a system because it is the newest thing on the market, you buy it because it actually solves a structural problem with your home.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes the newest technology isn't the right answer at all.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: Dave readily acknowledges that in certain homes, a standard gas furnace paired with a standard air conditioning unit is still the smarter and cheaper option for a family's budget.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_02: It just depends.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: It entirely depends on the infrastructure you already have in place, the cost of natural gas in your area, and your long-term financial goals.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_02: So what does this all mean?
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: It means you have to actually do the math for your own house.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_02: You cannot just rely on a catchy headline about cold climate tech.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: No, you definitely get on.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_02: You have to weigh the premium upfront cost, the potential utility savings during those cold snaps, the current lack of federal rebates, and the physical condition of whatever is already sitting in your backyard.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: It requires a highly customized diagnostic approach.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: And that customized approach extends far beyond the initial purchase and installation.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, definitely.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_02: Let us say you run the numbers, you decide to make the investment, and you get the train cold climate heat pump installed.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: Now you need to understand what it actually takes to keep this advanced technology running smoothly over the next decade.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Because it is a completely different beast.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: Because as we established with the compressor physics earlier, these are not the simple, clunky machines we grew up with.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: They certainly aren't.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: These new units are highly complex because they are manipulating refrigerant pressures on the fly.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: They feature significantly more electronics, complex control boards, and uh delicate temperature sensors.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_02: So it is way more complicated than a fan and a motor.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: The days of a contractor just installing a box and forgetting about it are completely gone.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: You are essentially installing a specialized computer outside your home that regulates refrigerant flow based on microadjustments in ambient temperature.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_02: That sounds like a lot of delicate components that could potentially break while sitting out in the rain and snow.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: Does new technology like this carry a higher risk of failure just because it is relatively new to the residential market?
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: It is a completely valid concern.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, introducing new complexity always carries some inherent risk regarding long-term wear and tear.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: However, Dave points out two reassuring factors.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, what are they?
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: First, Train's parts network is exceptionally solid.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: They are an established manufacturer, not some Silicon Valley startup.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: Second, and more importantly, the core variable speed compressor technology inside these new units is already deeply proven.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, they've used it before.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: So the engine itself is battle-tested.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: They just tuned it for winter conditions.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: That is a great way to put it.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_02: But because it is so complex, regular maintenance is absolutely essential.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_02: You cannot just ignore this specialized computer until it starts making a weird grinding noise.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: Definitely not.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: Dave actually offers a standalone AC tune-up for$229.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_02: The entire goal there is to have a trained professional catch the small, minor sensor issues during a routine check, you know, before they cascade into major mechanical failures that leave you stranded without heat in the middle of a blizzard.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: Preventative maintenance on variable speed systems is non-negotiable.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: The tolerances are just too tight to ignore.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: But, well, we also have to live in reality.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: Even with the absolute best maintenance schedule, mechanical things eventually break.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: True.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_02: So let us say your system does go down on one of those freezing 20-degree nights.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: What is the actual financial damage just to get someone in your driveway to figure out what went wrong?
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Dave breaks this down very clearly, which is honestly refreshing for this industry.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: He runs a flat$210 regular hour service call, and he is incredibly transparent about exactly how that$210 is calculated.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_02: The breakdown.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: It breaks down into a$99 dispatch fee and a$111 diagnostic fee.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell And we really need to pause right here and emphasize a very crucial detail about that fee structure.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: That$111 diagnostic fee is entirely separate.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, very important point.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_02: Dave makes it very clear that the$111 is absolutely not credited toward whatever the final repair cost ends up being.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_02: It is a standalone charge.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell Exactly.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: And there is a good reason for that.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: You are paying a separate charge for the technician to come out, apply their highly specialized expertise, hook up advanced meters, and you know, figure out what is actually failing inside a very sophisticated piece of equipment.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_02: They're putting in real brain work.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: You are paying for their diagnostic knowledge and their time, not just the eventual parts and labor to swap out a broken wire.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell And keep in mind that$210 total is just for regular business hours.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: If your heat pump decides to die at 2 a.m.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_02: on a freezing Saturday night and you need an emergency after hours call, Dave charges a flat$309.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron Powell Which is completely fair.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he is very upfront about this reality too.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_02: It reflects the truth of emergency repair at work.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_02: His technicians have families, they are being pulled out of bed in the middle of the night, and providing that level of immediate, skilled response simply costs more.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: If we connect this to the bigger picture, it explains exactly why more sophisticated technology requires highly skilled, transparently priced technicians.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: You do not want an amateur guessing which expensive sensor is failing on an inverter-driven heat pump.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_02: No, you definitely do not.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: You need a professional who truly understands the electronics and the thermodynamics we discussed earlier.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: And professional expertise requires fair, transparent compensation.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_02: It really brings everything back down to earth.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_02: We can sit here and talk about variable speed compressors, shifting gears, and thermodynamics all day long.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_02: But at the end of the line, the success of this technology comes down to trusting the person standing in your driveway with a wrench and a multimeter.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: That is exactly right.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_02: And that seems to be the core philosophy of Dave's business.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_00: What is wild about Dave's approach isn't just the technical knowledge.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, he has over 45 years of experience turning wrenches in this industry.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: And he started Hartzell's Heat and Air back in 2011.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: But in an industry that is so often built on aggressive upselling, his level of diagnostic transparency is actually a massive competitive advantage.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_02: And the community seems to back that up entirely.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_02: His business boasts over 300 Google reviews with a 4.8 star rating.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: That is hard to achieve.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: It is.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: When you read through those insights, it is clear that high rating is a direct result of his honest approach.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_02: People deeply respect when a contractor actively tells them they do not need to spend their money yet.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: It is his core operating philosophy.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: He firmly believes that you should not sell a customer a Cadillac when a Chevy does the job just fine.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: That makes perfect sense.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: If a basic system fits your needs and your budget, he isn't going to push you toward the most expensive, complex, variable speed unit just to artificially inflate his profit margin for the month.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_02: That is incredibly refreshing in today's market.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_02: So what is the ultimate takeaway for you listening right now?
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_02: If you are intrigued by the thermodynamics of these new train cold climate heat pumps, you are highly encouraged to get your own home evaluated rather than just buying what is new on the market.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_02: You can explore your specific options by visiting Hartzelsheatair.com or by calling 405-375-4822.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: A professional assessment of your unique thermal envelope is the only way to make a truly informed decision about integrating this technology.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_02: Before you get entirely swept up in the shiny new technology and the promise of lower bills, take a good hard look at your own home.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: Good advice.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: Evaluate your installation, look closely at your current heating setup, and understand your actual energy costs.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: A high-tech, variable speed heat pump cannot fix a house with terrible windows and zero insulation in the attic.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_02: You have to look at the whole picture before you spend a dime.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: And if we no longer need to pipe natural gas into every single new home just to survive the winter, how does that entirely change how we design, build, and power the cities of the future?
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_02: That is a massive shift to think about.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_02: We could be looking at completely different utility grids for entire neighborhoods in the next few decades.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: But until the cities of the future arrive, you still have to make sure you aren't shivering in your own living room today.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_02: Make sure you do your homework, understand the physics of what you are buying, find a technician you actually trust, and don't just invest in complex technology without making sure it actually solves your home's unique problems.