selling IAQ

[tlchvac]

Any good tips on moving IAQ products?I would also like to know if there are any other sites that you guys go to about the benifits of IAQ products.THanks

[Sleuth]

http://www.airadvice.com/

Personally I've seen IAQ to be slow movers. They can be useful when HO are upgrading a system and want the works. Just have to be in the right neighborhood and they can work. By the time people realize they have IAQ problems it's usually way out of hand and the habits that got them there will be hard to change - it will often become your fault. lmao

[teddy bear]

Compared to quoting equipment that people call and request, selling IAQ is real skill. 7 out ten consumers are not interested. The IAQ fads have burned out the consumer and the salesman. What' real IAQ? Fresh air to purge pollutants and replace oxygen, dehumidification to maintain <50%RH to avoid mold and dust mites, and +10 MERV air filtering to keep air/equipment clean. These points are supported by EPA/American Lung Ass.. Do your systems provide this? The first salesman that admits their equipments elimitations to provide is out because all the others claim the minimal systems will provide all of the above. The reality is that under ideal conditions the minimal system will provide adequate IAQ. Rain for a week, lack of wind, or cooling/heating system operation deteriorates the IAQ. Combine ideal comfort with IAQ and you may stand a chance. It takes years to gain the reputation of a problem solver of comfort or IAQ problems. Make sure you have a source of income, can handler the rejection of the 7 out of 10 "don't care what's the price" folks. I have been mfg/selling IAQ for 15 years, it's getting better but not easy. We had other sources of income until IAQ products could stand on their own. IAQ is still the most difficult to sell product, we mfg. TB

[tonys]

selling IAQ is certainly more Art than Science.

[air2spare]

TB?

[teddy bear]

TB is teddy bear. Sorry TB

[air2spare]

you what do you manufacture? sorry for typo

[ek]

Selling Indoor Air Quality is easy. The hard part is keeping up with who has what filter or which UV bulb goes with what customer. It pays to have good software to keep track of IAQ replacement junk.

Try selling a range of products like:

Honeywell Touchscreen Thermostats
AprilAire 5" pleated media filter systems
Thermastor whole house dehumidifiers
CO detectors
Water prevention devices
Humidifiers
Attic Tents
etc.

***Make sure you can keep track of replacements or it will get out of hand***

[teddy bear]

Originally posted by air2spare
you what do you manufacture? sorry for typo
We manufacture the Santa Fe, Ultra-Aire, Hi-E Dry, and Phoenix dehumidifiers. We also mfg. the Therma-Stor heat reclaim water heaters. TB

[tonys]

selling IAQ is easy...when dealing with an uneducated client.

anyone with the ability to Google and do some basic research on the subject will quickly realize indoor air quality STARTS with:
air changes, % fresh air, humidity controls, and limits on infiltration (i.e. take your dusty coat and boots off AT THE DOOR).

good filtration down at the air handler is good for the air handler.

[drk]

outside air is very over rated

[tonys]

tell that to ASHRAE.

[drk]

ASHRAE! Outside air is over rated! I'm not saying not needed just that it is not the cure for most things!

[air2spare]

use of outside air being pumped in is to maintain a slight positive pressure inside the house to prevent infiltration of dust, etc. If you have a leaking house its better to push out rather than suck in.

IMHO

[teddy bear]

Originally posted by drk
outside air is very over rated
The role of fresh air is to purge pollutants, replenish oxygen, and provide make-up air for bath fans, kitchen hood, and combustion air. New housing in cold climates are tight enough that clothes driers back-draft water heaters and windows sweat. Also the CO2 levels are high indicating a decrease is oxygen levels. Most warm climate homes are not tight and do not require fresh air ventilation. Sweaty windows are the clue. Leaky homes are hard to pressurize. Even leaky homes may be short on fresh air with no wind during warm weather. 50 cfm of fresh, clean air when occupied is the safe bet.

[drk]

I can put a 1200 cfm fan in my window and blow out! Open other windows for make up air and my windows will steal sweat. Yes Outside air is good for c0 and c02

[syntropicsystems]

Do your IAQ products provide solutions to the customer's problems? Can the results be documented? Our distributors sell IAQ solutions for people that are experiencing odors, allergic reactions, short and long term health problems created by their environment, and people that are smart enough to want to prevent health problems caused by their environment. Customers want results. If their odors go away, their symptoms reduced or eliminated, particulate counts decreased, microbial counts decreased, etc. you've got a happy customer that will refer you to others with similar problems. If you're not carrying the right products, helping customers identify the root cause of their problems, and providing solutions that address the root causes of the problems (instead of patches), you'll always have difficulty selling IAQ products.

[air1]

Originally posted by syntropicsystems
Do your IAQ products provide solutions to the customer's problems? Can the results be documented? Our distributors sell IAQ solutions for people that are experiencing odors, allergic reactions, short and long term health problems created by their environment, and people that are smart enough to want to prevent health problems caused by their environment. Customers want results. If their odors go away, their symptoms reduced or eliminated, particulate counts decreased, microbial counts decreased, etc. you've got a happy customer that will refer you to others with similar problems. If you're not carrying the right products, helping customers identify the root cause of their problems, and providing solutions that address the root causes of the problems (instead of patches), you'll always have difficulty selling IAQ products.


IAQ is a growing concern amongst home owners. In particular people with allergies. People with allergies are willing to spend the extra money to alleviate their symptoms. The problem seems to be in identifying the source of the problem. The lack of ability to identify the source of IAQ problems makes addressing the problem like shooting in the dark.

Designing a ventilation system similar to a cleanroom would help most people with allergies. But the cost would be considerable. The system would have to constant air circulation to scrub the air and filter to at least .3 micron, maintain space under positive pressure to prevent infiltration and possibly use a A to A heat exchanger for energy conservation.

I would be nice if we had the ability to sample the air over an extended period of time and identify and IAQ problems.

[syntropicsystems]

Filtration is a passive system and only as good as the amount of stuff floating in the air is filtered out. It doesn't do anything for the bacteria or microbials in the ducts or in the facility. Recently posted research by Kansas State University on RCI Cell technology (proprietary photocatalytic oxidation system) showed microbial reduction of up to 99.9% within 24 hours on exposed surfaces. Real time data monitoring using Aircuity systems shows airborne particulate reduction of 30% or greater in small and large particulates, as well as TVOC reduction of up to 50%. Filtration has its place, especially when drawing in outside air. Reduction of particulates, microbials, and TVOCs are all good goals. How much is too much? It depends upon how much the occupant wants to reduce their exposure levels. Personally I'd rather not have too much stuff floating around and have reduced chemical and microbial exposure.