HVAC Know It All Podcast

In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Business Edition Podcast, co-hosts Gary McCreadie and Furman Haynes from WorkHero continue talk with Derek Cormier, Founder of Escape The One Man Show, and CEO & Founder at Climate Experts Air Plumbing & Electric, about building a profitable HVAC company that depends less on its owner. They cover apprentice recruiting, financial literacy, field service software, office staffing, virtual assistants, and the limits of AI call handling. They also examine private equity offers and why repeatable systems can give owners more choices about whether, when, and how to sell. Derek operates in Melbourne, Florida, and draws on his experience building a recruiting pipeline, moving from paper invoices to Housecall Pro and then ServiceTitan, and restructuring office support. He describes testing AI phone agents against human customer service representatives and using financial reports to identify overstaffing. His approach centers on Climate Experts' mission: "caring enough to do it the right way, no matter what it takes."   Expect To Learn: -How an apprentice recruiting pipeline can reduce dependence on individual technicians. -Why owners need to understand their profit and loss before delegating management. -How reporting needs can guide field service software decisions. -How to balance office support, specialized roles, and staffing costs. -Where virtual assistants and AI fit into customer service operations. -Why customer communication preferences should shape phone and texting workflows. -What to examine in a private equity offer and which ownership alternatives the hosts discuss.   Timestamps: 00:00 - Episode Introduction 00:49 - Recruiting Apprentices Versus Experienced Technicians 01:36 - Software and the Shift to Business Ownership 02:38 - Understanding Profit and Loss 04:26 - Balancing Office Support and Overhead 07:00 - Bringing Virtual Assistants Into the Team 08:10 - Human Call Handling Versus AI 10:40 - Customer Preferences for Texting and Calls 12:03 - Business Acquisitions and Trade Experience 15:00 - Sustainable Ownership and Exit Choices 19:03 - Examining Private Equity Deal Economics   Follow our Guest Derek Cormier:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-cormier/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thederekcormier/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thederekcormier/    Follow the Company Escape The One Man Show: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/escape-the-one-man-show/home/ Website: https://www.escapetheonemanshow.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/escapetheonemanshow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EscapeTheOneManShow/    Follow the Company Climate Experts Air Plumbing & Electric: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climate-experts-air-plumbing-electric/home/ Website: https://www.climateexpertsac.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climateexpertsinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/climateexpertsac/    Follow Gary McCreadie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/  Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/    Follow Furman Haynes:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/furmanhaynes/  WorkHero: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workherohvac/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workhero__/  

In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Podcast, host Gary McCreadie talks with David Nicholson, Training Manager at NTI Boilers, about on-demand water heating and combi boiler operation. They cover demand sensing, burner startup, water quality, ignition systems, and domestic hot water priority. HVAC technicians will learn how these controls work together and why a heating call does not always trigger immediate ignition. David draws on his experience in technical support and contractor training to explain the equipment decisions behind common service questions. His work with engineering and research and development also informs his perspective on igniter reliability, while feedback from technicians helps connect product design to installation and maintenance challenges.   Key Takeaways How flow switches and flow meters signal domestic hot water demand and influence burner response. How the boiler checks safeties, verifies fan speed, initiates ignition, and proves flame before modulating output. Why incoming water filtration and water-quality treatment matter for flow-switch reliability and scale prevention. Why NTI Boilers moved toward spark ignition and how electrode warping can still cause failures. How domestic hot water priority, diverting-valve operation, and temperature differentials affect a combi boiler's response to space-heating calls.   Key Timestamps 00:00 –  Introduction to the episode & Guest David Nicholson 02:07 – Regional differences in technician knowledge and training needs 03:22 – Learning from technicians and recognizing manufacturer knowledge gaps 10:29 – Types of flow switches, spark vs hot surface igniters, and combi 19:08 – Igniter reliability, domestic hot water priority, and space-heating controls   This Episode is Kindly Sponsored by: Cintas: https://www.cintas.com/hvacknowitall Cool Air Products: https://www.coolairproducts.net/  SupplyHouse: https://www.supplyhouse.com/tm  Use promo code HKIA5 to get 5% off your first order at Supplyhouse!   Follow the Guest and His Company on: David Nicholson - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-nicholson-7a9884118/ NTI Boilers - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ntiboilers/ NTI Boilers - Company Website: https://www.ntiboilers.com/    Follow the Host on: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/ LinkedIn - HVAC Know It All: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hvac-know-it-all-inc  Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/   Follow the Podcast on:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HVACKnowItAll  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LCBJGw0EHG03rdWHxUMce Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hvac-know-it-all-podcast/id1359253455 

In this episode of HVAC Know It All, host Gary McCreadie talks with Tyler Nelson, Master HVACR, HVAC Sales Manager & Trainer - Americas at Seitron Americas Inc., about heat exchanger inspections, combustion diagnostics, and personal carbon monoxide monitoring. They explain how visual checks complement analyzer readings, why building changes can disrupt draft, and how technicians can approach CO protection throughout the year. Tyler conducts training for contractors, distributors, and conference audiences. His work includes helping contractors improve installation, commissioning, and diagnostic practices. He brings that field-training perspective to inspection access, interpreting combustion measurements, and using technology without abandoning hands-on diagnostic skills.   Key Takeaways How ambient CO monitoring, installation checks, visual inspection, and combustion analysis work together as layers of a diagnostic process. How borescopes, phone cameras, and planned access panels can help technicians inspect hard-to-reach heat exchangers. Why a blue flame alone cannot establish safe combustion performance. How building alterations and exhaust systems can change pressure conditions and interfere with appliance draft. Why personal CO monitoring remains relevant during summer service calls when other fuel-fired appliances are operating indoors.   Key Timestamps 00:00 - Factory Direct Filters Ad 00:42 - Guest and Episode Introduction 02:09 – Layering ambient CO checks, installation review, and visual inspection 07:43 – Planning inspection access during installation 12:21 – Personal CO monitoring and year-round exposure risks 13:55 – CO safety for customers, technicians, and staff   This Episode is Kindly Sponsored by: Cintas: https://www.cintas.com/hvacknowitall Cool Air Products: https://www.coolairproducts.net/  Factory Direct Filters: https://www.factorydirectfilters.com/  SupplyHouse: https://www.supplyhouse.com/tm  Use promo code HKIA5 to get 5% off your first order at Supplyhouse!   Follow the Guest and His Company on: Tyler Nelson, Master HVACR - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-nelson-master-hvacr-9a8a981b/ Seitron Americas Inc. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/seitron-americas-/inc Seitron Americas Inc. - Company Website: https://www.seitronamericas.com/    Follow the Host on: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/ LinkedIn - HVAC Know It All: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hvac-know-it-all-inc  Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/   Follow the Podcast on:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HVACKnowItAll  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LCBJGw0EHG03rdWHxUMce Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hvac-know-it-all-podcast/id1359253455 

In this episode of HVAC Know It All, host Gary McCreadie talks with Tyler Nelson, Master HVACR, HVAC Sales Manager & Trainer - Americas at Seitron Americas Inc., about testing combustion at light-off, steady state, and shutdown. They examine what each phase can reveal about burner operation, heat exchanger integrity, and fuel delivery. Technicians will learn why steady-state readings alone can miss diagnostic clues and how analyzer protection affects testing practices. Tyler wrote Combustion Analysis: The Essentials and recently joined a collaborative team of trainers at Seitron Americas Inc. His teaching connects analyzer readings to a diagnostic thought process: what a technician observes, what it might mean, and what to check next. That approach also informs his use of multiple tests when evaluating a suspected heat exchanger breach.   Key Takeaways How testing at light-off, steady state, and shutdown reveals different operating characteristics that steady-state testing alone can miss. Why Nelson uses CO air-free readings to evaluate combustion and distinguishes light-off thresholds from steady-state thresholds. How monitoring oxygen after the blower starts can help identify a suspected heat exchanger breach as part of a broader verification process. How shutdown readings can reveal clues to a leaking gas valve, residual oil, or a secondary heat exchanger drainage problem. Why light-off testing requires close attention to analyzer sensor protection, and why temporarily closed supply registers must be reopened after static-pressure testing.   Key Timestamps 00:00 - Factory Direct Filters Ad 00:42 - Guest and Episode Introduction 02:24 – Defining light-off, steady state, and shutdown 09:20 – CO air-free readings and combustion evaluation thresholds 15:58 – Analyzer protection and focused attention during light-off testing 17:48 – Static-pressure testing within a multi-step heat exchanger evaluation   This Episode is Kindly Sponsored by: Cintas: https://www.cintas.com/hvacknowitall Cool Air Products: https://www.coolairproducts.net/  Factory Direct Filters: https://www.factorydirectfilters.com/  SupplyHouse: https://www.supplyhouse.com/tm  Use promo code HKIA5 to get 5% off your first order at Supplyhouse!   Follow the Guest and His Company on: Tyler Nelson, Master HVACR - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-nelson-master-hvacr-9a8a981b/ Seitron Americas Inc. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/seitron-americas-/inc Seitron Americas Inc. - Company Website: https://www.seitronamericas.com/    Follow the Host on: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/ LinkedIn - HVAC Know It All: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hvac-know-it-all-inc  Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/   Follow the Podcast on:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HVACKnowItAll  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LCBJGw0EHG03rdWHxUMce Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hvac-know-it-all-podcast/id1359253455 

In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Business Edition Podcast, co-hosts Gary McCreadie and Furman Haynes from WorkHero welcome Derek Cormier, Founder of Escape The One Man Show, and CEO & Founder at Climate Experts Air Plumbing & Electric, to talk about building a company that can operate beyond its owner's field skills. They discuss aligning business partners, recording revenue, protecting business value, making the first office hire, and creating repeatable training systems. Derek explains why developing apprentices around achievable standards helped him move from doing the work himself toward managing the business. Derek grew up working on construction sites with his father and spent five years as a police officer before returning to Melbourne, Florida. He studied construction engineering at UCF while working as an HVAC technician, then chose to pursue HVAC. After working for several local companies and starting a branch of his uncle's business, Cold Air, he obtained his own contractor's license and rebranded as Climate Experts. His experience rebuilding the business in 2019 informs his approach to hiring, training, and company culture.   Expect To Learn: -How communication, technical judgment, and hands-on skills support the transition from technician to owner. -Why partners need aligned values, shared goals, and clear decision-making authority. -How unrecorded cash revenue can undermine business valuation and financing opportunities. -Why faster payment collection gives a business more cash to reinvest. -How to choose an early office hire around the owner's operational weaknesses. -Why repeatable work standards help owners delegate without expecting every technician to match their skills. -How supervised development and appropriately assigned maintenance work can help apprentices build experience.   Timestamps: 00:00 - Episode Introduction 00:59 - From Construction and Policing to HVAC 04:53 - Why Derek Started His Own Business 07:41 - Family Partnerships and Different Business Goals 11:03 - Recording Revenue Instead of Hiding Cash 12:32 - Faster Collections and the Cash Conversion Cycle 13:19 - How Reported Profit Affects Business Value 15:31 - Rebuilding with an Office Manager as the First Hire 17:12 - Repeatable Standards and Staged Technician Training 21:41 - Hiring Experience Versus Training for Culture   Follow our Guest Derek Cormier:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-cormier/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thederekcormier/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thederekcormier/    Follow the Guest's Company Escape The One Man Show: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/escape-the-one-man-show/home/ Website: https://www.escapetheonemanshow.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/escapetheonemanshow/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EscapeTheOneManShow/    Follow the Guest's Company Climate Experts Air Plumbing & Electric: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/climate-experts-air-plumbing-electric/home/ Website: https://www.climateexpertsac.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/climateexpertsinc/    Follow Gary McCreadie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-mccreadie-38217a77/  Website: https://www.hvacknowitall.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/HVAC-Know-It-All-2/61569643061429/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvacknowitall1/    Follow Furman Haynes:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/furmanhaynes/  WorkHero: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workherohvac/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workhero__/