Industry News

To celebrate National Tune Up Day on September 25, Service Experts will give $5 from every tune-up, drain cleaning and water heater flush to Make-A-Wish® America throughout the months of September and October. The contribution of up to $40,000 from Service Experts continues a relationship started in 2018 with Make-A-Wish America that has led to more than $1.5 million in total giving to help grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

“Getting to see the power of a wish for a child and their family has been the highlight of our partnership with Make-A-Wish America – we’ve had the honor of getting to personally grant 27 wishes in that time,” said Dave Moody, Chief Marketing Officer of Service Experts. “National Tune Up Day and the weeks around it have our technicians in even more people’s homes, giving them the perfect opportunity to highlight the work Make-A-Wish is doing with help from our network of more than 100 service centers.”

Most recently, Service Experts participated in a wish reveal with Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana to a 12-year-old with a respiratory disorder to Hawaii with her family. Earlier this year, the company also had the honor of Linda Pauling, co-founder of Make-A-Wish, joining them for a wish reveal at their annual meeting in Orlando. A wish experience can be a game-changer, impacting not only the wish kids, but also their families, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals and communities. A wish renews hope, uplifts spirits and encourages the belief in the impossible, giving kids the strength to fight against—and even overcome—a critical illness.

“Make-A-Wish relies on the generosity of individuals and organizations, like Service Experts, to close the gap in the number of children waiting for their wishes to be granted,” said Leslie Motter, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “For the past seven years, Service Experts has ensured that when children are dealing with unplanned hospital stays and uncomfortable treatments, they can count on a wish to help them replace anxiety with hope and reclaim a piece of their childhood.”

Since its founding in 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 375,000 wishes nationwide to children battling critical illnesses. A wish experience can be a game-changer, and tens of thousands of volunteers, donors, and supporters like Service Experts advance the Make-A-Wish vision to grant the wish of every eligible child.

• The Refrigerant Detection System Calculator is built into the Ducted Systems Solutions app, allowing contractors to easily and quickly determine if residential or commercial HVAC projects require a Refrigerant Detection System
• The Ducted Systems Solutions app is a centralized resource to find equipment information, including step-by-step installation guides and videos for commercial rooftop units and residential HVAC equipment

Johnson Controls Residential & Light Commercial has announced the launch of its Refrigerant Detection System (RDS) Calculator within the Ducted Systems Solutions (DS Solutions) mobile app. A first for the residential and light commercial HVAC industry, this innovative calculator is designed to help users determine the need for refrigerant detection systems based on specific conditions such as space dimensions and the amount of refrigerant being used.

This calculator is part of Johnson Controls’ broader initiative to transition to more environmentally sustainable refrigerants, like R-454B, which has a lower global warming potential (GWP) compared to traditional refrigerants. The calculator is also designed to assist contractors and distributors with simple step-by-step installation instructions if they determine a RDS is needed.

“The transition to low-GWP refrigerants has been complex, as building codes that reference safety standards vary from state-to-state,” said Chris Forth, vice president of regulatory, codes and environmental affairs, Johnson Controls. “Our goal is to make the transition as seamless and confusion-free as possible for contractors and distributors so they can focus less on calculations and conversions, and more on providing efficient, safe and compliant installations. Our user-friendly calculator gives straightforward recommendations in just a few, simple steps.”

Available within the company’s DS Solutions App and product selection tools, the patent-pending RDS Calculator prompts users to answer a few questions about the job, such as refrigerant volume, supply air discharge height, total area being conditioned and potential zone impact. Once submitted, the calculator provides an immediate report summary and indicates if an RDS is recommended to ensure the application is compliant with current standards (UL/CSA-60335-2-40, 1). The report will also flag additional mitigation details, including whether additional exhaust air is required in the conditioned space, and provides a rationale report so contractors can easily act on the results.

A year of research went into the development of the RDS Calculator, including close collaboration with safety agencies to confirm compliance with current standards. The calculator is being launched alongside the shipment of the company’s newly updated A2L portfolio of residential and light commercial ducted HVAC products.

To comply with safety standards and ensure customer safety, new R-454B equipment can be equipped with a factory-installed refrigerant detection system engineered to detect refrigerant concentrations as determined by the safety standards and building code requirements. If a leak is detected, the RDS activates an alarm sequence and automatically shuts down equipment compressors, de-energizes attached ignition sources and activates airflow circulation to prevent the refrigerant from reaching its lower flammability limit.

Launched in 2022, the no-cost DS Solutions App provides contractors with instant access to commercial and residential equipment information such as installation guides, parts list, start-up sheets, warranty information and training videos to help streamline installation, troubleshooting and maintenance processes. This digital resource was designed to help enhance contractor efficiency by reducing the need for physical manuals and paper assets that can be time-consuming to navigate and sort through while on the job site.

The DS Solutions App is available for Android and iOS and can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple App Store. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com/ds-solutions-app.

Franchise Owners Can Now Leverage the Power of ServiceTitan to Enhance Performance, Optimize Customer Experiences, and Enable Profitable Growth

ServiceTitan, a leading software platform built to power the trades, today announced a strategic partnership with Authority Brands, a home services franchise leader. This new partnership will deploy ServiceTitan’s platform across several of Authority Brands’ industry leading home service businesses including Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky Electric, and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. The new integration will empower franchise owners to maximize business performance, grow profitably, and deliver a superior customer experience.

“ServiceTitan is purpose-built to solve the complex and always evolving challenges for trades businesses of all shapes and sizes,” said Ara Mahdessian, CEO of ServiceTitan. “Since 2018, we have partnered with Authority Brands’ franchise owners to increase close rates, ticket sizes, and efficiency across their operations. We’re excited to grow our relationship with their portfolio of businesses by integrating ServiceTitan across these franchisees, while empowering them to maximize performance, offer superior customer experiences, and become more profitable.”

As one of the largest franchise systems in the trades, Authority Brands provides home services through over 2,000 territories operated by more than 1,000 franchise owners. The company enables its brands with robust marketing capabilities, dependable technology, and operational support to ensure their growth and success.

“We are dedicated to enabling our loyal franchise partners with cutting-edge solutions that accelerate their businesses. The comprehensive functionality, intuitive design, and ability to consolidate operations into a single platform set ServiceTitan apart as a preferred partner,” said Craig Donaldson, CEO of Authority Brands. “We’re thrilled to establish ServiceTitan as the primary platform across all locations and further enable our franchise partners to run efficient and profitable businesses.

Through its partnership with ServiceTitan, all Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky Electric, and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning locations will operate across one unified CRM, enabling system-wide visibility and ensuring accuracy all on one centralized platform. Authority Brands franchisees will also have access to ServiceTitan’s all-in-one platform and comprehensive capabilities to manage their businesses.

“As a franchise owner, nothing is more important to me than growing my business every day. This partnership between our brands and ServiceTitan is the best way to help our entire network grow. Both ServiceTitan and our brands are the best at what we do. I am excited to see ServiceTitan’s stellar operations and marketing services matched with our multi-million dollar business for continued success,” said Aaron Hagan, franchise owner of Mister Sparky Mid-America.

For more information about ServiceTitan, visit https://www.servicetitan.com.

Leading manufacturer of water heating and HVAC products supports 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance

Rheem®, the Atlanta-based manufacturer of water heating and HVAC products, joined forces with 9/11 Day Meal Pack to honor the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Rheem Employees assembling 9/11 Meal Packs.

“We are proud to support 9/11 Day and its mission to inspire the spirit of unity, service and shared humanity throughout the country and in our own backyard,” said Dipa Homer, executive vice president, global human resources and communications, Rheem. “The 9/11 Day Meal Pack Program provides our team the opportunity to honor those impacted by the events of 9/11, while also solidifying Rheem’s commitment to the Atlanta community by directly serving those at risk of hunger or struggling to feed their families.”

In partnership with 9/11 Day, Rheem employees volunteered for this Day of Service by packing meals for those at risk of hunger. The program works in partnership with local Feeding America-affiliated food banks, and other hunger relief organizations, to receive and distribute meals through its networks of pantries, faith groups, and schools. Volunteers from Rheem, and other companies across metro Atlanta, packed more than 200,000 meals yesterday.

Rheem is focused on creating a lasting legacy by encouraging employees to take part in its philanthropy program, Heart of Comfort® and supporting ongoing efforts, such as 9/11 Day Meal Pack.

Rheem CEO Chris Peel, Rheem EVP HR & Communications Dipa Homer, and Rheem SVP and GM Greg Miller.

This is the second year Rheem has honored the 9/11 anniversary and National Hunger Action Month by participating in 9/11 Day Meal Packs. The anniversary of 9/11 has become America’s largest day of service, recognized under federal law. The observance, widely known as “9/11 Day,” now engages more than 30 million Americans, many of whom participate by volunteering, donating to charities and performing other acts of service.

“The 9/11 Day observance and our Meal Pack events are only possible because of the generosity and support of organizations like Rheem and its employees,” said David Paine, president and co-founder, 9/11 Day.

For additional information on Rheem, visit www.rheem.com.