'Holmes On Homes' HVAC Make It Right

[udarrell]

Mike Holmes "Holmes On Homes" HVAC Make IT Right,
Sunday night, Holmes' had a show on, - a major home heating & Air Conditioning problem.

If U saw the show, what do U think about the way the HVAC subcontractor's A/C work was handled?

NO video showing the use of "Best Practices."

No dry nitrogen flowed during brazing, no leak testing, no evacuation of the lines, no nitrogen purging of lines, no super heat or subcooling, no heat-loss & heat-gain calc performed, no duct system airflow Manual D, etc., on & on, - I left for the rest of U to cite - nothing shown illustrating or demonstrating "Best Practices"...

What did U think of the explanation of the heating airflow CFM?

Broadcast Communications was my major in college...

If Mike is the Show's Executive Producer &/or Director, then you shoot all the necessary footage to prove you did the installation RIGHT; then edit the video so it includes the video proofs that you did it RIGHT, including the other relevant video to coincide with the purpose of the Show.

If you head & direct the production you can show what is most important to the viewers to know & use.

I assure you, had I produced & directed that TV Show everyone would have learned critically important things they all need to know & put to valuable use.

There were other options whereby the ceiling could have been left higher; perhaps using high efficiency ductless heat pumps.

Some electric baseboard heat could also be used in rooms where the hot water heating system, (even that Holmes subs installed,) if it turns out it can't keep-up.

(The options can be quickly & easily shown with energy source cost comparisons; IMO too much video is spent on non-usable/useless stuff to viewers.)

That's never what happens on shows that include his HVAC subcontractors'.

They're never shown - demonstrating doing it RIGHT. - udarrell

[Gary]

The purpose of the show is to sell products and glorify Mike Holmes... not to teach the viewers anything.

[cadillackid]

trouble is on a TV show its a darned if you do and darned if you dont scenerio... someone is always going to criticize how the job was done... yes there are certain practices that the industry is deemed that it "should" follow... and the viewers really probably dont care about seeing the nitrogen valve opened and the time to watch the sub leak test, etc..

TV is a VERY different breed of Life... I have been on TV several times for my Christmas Light show.. and they never wanted to "waste" camera time with me talking about why to use GFCI's and why to use UV resistant cords and how to properly Calculate loads as to not create a fire hazard.. they had no care of this at all and in fact never want me to talk about it...

so my guess is that this show was no different.. the average viewer doesnt care or even know what is right and wrong when it comes to installing a system.. (they only care if it is done wrong and the system breaks before they sell the house) so they point out what the AVERAGE person can look for and such....
-CHristopher

[udarrell]

Well, were I producing the show, I would briefly illustrate the right sequential procedures & why it would save them a lot of needless expense, both upfront & down the road.

I want to see some utility value in broadcasting content & it is rare to see any! Most broadcast content, even public BR, is a waste of our time. - udarrell

[Gary]

The DIY programs have not been about DIY since Bob Vila was running "This Old House".

[cadillackid]

well thats true most DIY shows arent about the average guy DIY any more....

in actuality i promote the idea that people *CAN* do a lot to maintain their home HVAC systems...

no i dont advocate the average DIYer ever attempt to crack the refrigeration circuit.. but certainly they can vacuum out the coils, oil motor and blower bearings where applicable, make sure vegatation is cut away from outdoor units, clean flame sensing rods in gas furnaces, make sure burners are cleaned out, filters, ducts, grilles, etc...

however in this day and age you have LOTS of people out to save a buck.. and so even with stringent laws on refrigerants people are trying to do their own service work on equipment...

even down to the point of repairing leaks, not vaccing and R-22 system down and then charging it with propane till the suction line is cold and assuming it will just work that way... and if their registers are pushing cold air they really dont care....

in the USA any old Joe can buy 410A as HFC's are not restricted for purchase to EPA certified personnel so there are guys posting on craigs-list "will service your new HVAC system, Cheap!".. so the guy has a set of gauges, a torch and a vacuum pump and goes around servicing systems...

sure most all the regulars on this site know the proper ways to handle a refrigeration circuit and the procedures to keep it running efficiently and for a long time.. but really the consumer doesnt care anymore... often the customer will say "oh just get it running for the summer im selling the house anyway.. it just has to be cold for the realtor and the new buyer".. or it is a bank calling in service saying "yes this was a foreclosed home and the buyer says the A/C is conked out.. patch it together till we close the sale"....

in a rough economy people think about the "money I need to spend now".. not the "money I will end up spending later if the job is not done right"...

there's a reason HVAC unit sales on the internet are skyrocketing right now... ill ventrue to say most the equipment is sold to homeowners and not professionals...

distributors like R.E. Michel, Lute Supply and others are even beginning to relax their policies of "we only sell HVAC equipment to licensed contractors".. why? they need the sales....
-Christopher

[udarrell]

The government ought to put a stop to sales to non licensed individuals.

When it comes to moisture in the system, R410A is more apt to cause problems than R-22. Triple evacuation is recommended on R410A systems.

If we want efficient performance, & we must have it, - then we need professionals installing the equipment! - udarrell

[dlc]

how old was the episode? lately mike holmes has shifted gears to go after the shady 'home inspection' industry.
also keep in mind his crew do repairs to alot of defects to the house, so as most posters commented on is the timeline of a tv show and lets face it only the a/c guys want to watch someone fix an a/c unit everyone else wants to see the 'other' stuff. of past episodes i've seen the company he uses for hvac appear to do a good job, we just don't see the technical part.

[cadillackid]

The government ought to put a stop to sales to non licensed individuals.

When it comes to moisture in the system, R410A is more apt to cause problems than R-22. Triple evacuation is recommended on R410A systems.

If we want efficient performance, & we must have it, - then we need professionals installing the equipment! - udarrell


the government needs to keep their sticky fingers out of a free market business.... you think lots of people buy HVAC equipment and refrigerants online and from china now?? just wait and see what would happen if the government made HVAC only available to professionals....

you would see a black market like never before.... and the american companies would go out of business for sure...

I happen to be one of those people that believes HVAC takes on new looks and us as engineers, designers, techs, need to move on to the new technologies...

its not the end of the world that homeowners put in HVAC.. just like it hasnt been the end of the world that they run their own electrical, plumbing, put in their own windows, build their own decks, pour their own patios, etc etc...

yes I agree HVAC is getting more complex all the time and there is a lot of room for failure and inferior work resulting in poorly running systems or risk of injury to the homeowner.. no different than a homeowner playing with 220 volts in their electrical panel...

let the MARKET shake it out not the government. reality is there will be a market for HVAC contractors as there are plenty who dont want to touch it and plenty of jacked up installs that will need fixed...

I venture to say many of us are homeowners ourselves and would hate if the government said we could not run a wire for an outlet or a new pipe for a toilet... because if that happened the plumbers and electricians would double their prices knowing homeowners would have to pay or do without...
-Christopher