How to grow your business with smart HVAC systems
When temperatures aren’t extremely cold or hot, there can be a lull in business between annual service calls. Offering smart products alongside core HVAC sales and services is a unique solution to the seasonal highs and lows HVAC professionals experience.
Discover how to grow your HVAC business with smart HVAC system installation and service.
What is smart HVAC?
A part of smart home technology, artificial intelligence (AI) heating and cooling enables residents and building occupants to enjoy increased comfort, energy efficiency and monitoring. Some examples of what HVAC AI can do include:
Monitor system startup and operations to detect anomalies.
Notify when specific system components need to be serviced.
Predict if and when a system will fail based on performance metrics.
Connect to local weather data and adjust settings to prepare for inclement weather.
Maintain the cleanliness of air by integrating with indoor air quality, or IAQ, products.
Pro tip: The spike in demand for commercial and residential IAQ solutions presents another business opportunity for contractors.
The systems communicate through smart devices, and customers can manage the technology and get alerts through their phones. These capabilities are certainly useful from a homeowner’s perspective, but they also provide unique advantages for HVAC professionals.
What smart HVAC products are available?
Beyond popular smart thermostats, intelligent products paired with HVAC create a great add-on for your customers. The technology uses sensors—to detect temperature, pressure, humidity, leaks and more—that can then respond to the received data to improve indoor air quality. Furnaces, mini-split AC equipment and even vents can become part of a smart HVAC system.
Smart products can also make your job easier. With monitors for system or component failure as well as leak detection, you can access historical data ahead of service calls. HVAC AI can recommend optimal times for filter replacements and service checkups.
And advancements happening now, such as motion-activated AC and thermal AC, will soon filter through to common HVAC technology.
How to grow your HVAC business with smart products
Offering HVAC smart product installation services can help you grow your business, but the sheer amount of products can make it seem overwhelming. Get started with these three ways to increase your value to your current customers and gain business from new customers.
Show how smart HVAC technology increases comfort and savings.
Imagine a system that can learn when people are gathering in rooms and adjust temperature accordingly. Your customers will no longer have to fiddle with finicky thermostats or program in rigid times that don’t take into account day-to-day schedule changes.
Manufacturers typically report the savings people can gain with perfect conditions. Check these out so you can talk to your customers about opportunities for their households.
In addition to regular energy savings, smart HVAC systems can also help customers save on maintenance and emergency service calls. Your customers won’t have to wait until they get a high energy bill to learn there could be a leak or ventilation problem, and you’ll be able to review data collected from monitors to solve the problem more quickly.
Help customers save with professional installation.
While some smart home products are advertised as “easy to install,” when it comes to installing certain smart fixtures to existing equipment in a home, consumers could be intimidated.
For example, retrofitting a new smart thermostat to an existing HVAC system requires working with electrical wiring, and a mistake could knock out air conditioning when customers need it most.
When you’re talking to your customers about smart home heating and cooling, let them know that improper installation can reduce energy efficiency by 30%. This loss in energy efficiency would outweigh the energy-saving benefits of a smart thermostat.
Your professional expertise with smart home heating and cooling will give them peace of mind that their new system will work as efficiently as possible.
Install smart HVAC systems year-round.
It’s common for heating and cooling professionals to experience seasonal spikes in business when the weather changes. Conversely, it’s equally as common for business to taper off during the time between busy seasons.
Because smart technology is not dependent on the climate, you can promote your ability to install smart HVAC products as a way to build steady business throughout the year.
Pro tip: An excellent time to advertise your services with smart HVAC products is when you’re fulfilling your annual service agreements. Because you’re already in your customer’s home and they’re already doing business with you, this is a prime opportunity for you to talk about the advantages your professional installation can provide.
Build smart HVAC systems with Ferguson
Consider Ferguson an extension of your heating and cooling business and take advantage of our vast inventory of products contractors need. Our knowledgeable associates will help you find the right mix to build smart HVAC systems for your business and your customers.
Contact your local Ferguson to discuss the latest smart HVAC technology.