New England HVAC Insider Guest Columns
	Would The Real Gas Code Please Stand Up By Joseph P. Guzzo One of the least understood parts of the code are the Mass. Modifications. I purposely did not use the word difficult because it’s not, in fact it is simple. The problem is it must be explained, and for many it never was.
	Nozzle Tools By George Lanthier The first thing I want to look at is the #517 Nozzle Adaptor Resurfacing Tool, Figure 1. Its purpose is to repair nozzle adaptors where the face has been scored from over tightening of the nozzle, and we’ll look at that too, that can lead to off-center fires and poor burner operation.
	Is the Training You Provide Relevant and Making Better Technicians?  HVACR equipment is only as good as the quality of the installation. Equally true is that the technicians installing/servicing equipment are only as good as the training they receive.
	What is DOC By Christopher F. Hawthorne CPCU, CRIS, CIC, LIA The need for Drive Other Car (DOC) coverage is a good example of when the accounting profession gives a client advice and may unknowingly put the client at risk. It is common to meet a business owner that owns all vehicles used both personally and commercially in the business name.
	MEMA Offers Hurricane Preparedness Tips By Christopher F. Hawthorne CPCU, CRIS, CIC, LIA As we enter the 2011 Hurricane Season, which experts are predicting to be very active, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is offering personal preparedness tips for the all of the citizens of the Commonwealth.
	Green Everything By George Lanthier I don’t know about you but sometimes I get fed up with hearing about the whole ‘green’ thing. Green cars, green houses, green fuel, green everything. What’s sad is that this is really nothing new, it’s just recycled stuff from the 1970s with a new buzz word to sell more of us on conservation and energy savings.
	Walk Away By Christopher F. Hawthorne CPCU, CRIS, CIC, LIA A rule of thumb in determining general liability is that the last person to touch the project can own the liability. This can be quite unfair but we do see it often. During the day to day activity certain simple common sense rules are easy to lose sight of, especially when the push for higher sales and receipts has never been stronger.
	What is a Waiver of Subrogation? By Christopher F. Hawthorne CPCU, CRIS, CIC, LIA On almost a daily basis a request for a certificate of insurance arrives from a SubContractor who is working with a general contractor or a larger entity such as Lowes. These requests always ask for evidence of the Sub-Contractor’s insurance program. However, many request more than just evidence of insurance.
	Updated Procedures By George Lanthier we started talking about the operating benefits or lack of them regarding a principle called ‘cold-start.’ Now although most of us know that refers to system operating temperatures I’m going to define the term and its opposites for the sake of the newbies and greenies out there. After that, I’m going to tell you why I don’t like it and throw a curveball on another cold-start problem.
	Plumbing vs. HVAC By Christopher F. Hawthorne CPCU, CRIS, CIC, LIA It may seem obvious to those in the business that plumbing, heating, ventilation, cooling that the trades have many variations. Yet to many outside of the industry it is not that clear.
	Tracking Service Calls at an HVAC Company Can Be a Daunting Task.  By Thomas Persha Hawthorne Tracking service calls at an HVAC company can be a daunting task. If the company has an extensive customer base and a large number of service technicians the volume of working being scheduled on the phones can be enormous.
	Alternative Sources of Small Business Capital By Dan Hawthorne Last month’s article mentioned the contraction in credit card limits and the resulting need to ensure that you have access to other sources of credit. Putting a great big exclamation point on the magnitude of the contraction in credit card limits, a recent article in Barron’s reported the biggest-ever drop on record in consumer credit in the third quarter of 2009.
	Workers Compensation Essentials 2009 By Christopher F. Hawthorne CPCU, CRIS, CIC, LIA While the subject of insurance typically is one of business owner’s least favorite subjects, the issue of Workers Compensation and Employers Liability coverage (WC) can stand alone as an irritant. Like a F550 coming at you, WC gets your attention.
	Fuel for Thought as Diesel Prepares for 2010 Emissions Standards By Kelly Hiner, Enterprise Fleet Management Now that 2007 mandates for diesel engines have been fully-implemented, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is gearing up to enforce new diesel exhaust regulations that take effect in 2010. The new regulations will dramatically reduce discharges of both particulate matter (soot and ash), hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide (NOx).
	It's A Crime By Christopher F. Hawthorne CPCU, CRIS, CIC, LIA  To steal a line from an article written years ago, “If you’re in the right position, stealing is a cinch (1).” As you might recall, I wrote that when times get tough, fraudulent insurance claims light up.
	Will Adding a Service Tech Make You More or Less Money? Tom Grandy, president Grandy & Associates When you first got into business you probably thought there was a direct relationship between growth and profit. The thinking was “If I do more work I will make more money. Therefore, if I do a lot more work I will make a lot more money.” Well if you have been around for a number of years you have learned that the above principle doesn’t always hold true.
	Too Small For Supply Chain Management? By Jack McGowan, MCA Associates For the past ten to fifteen years, you may have read about Fortune 500 companies undertaking Supply Chain Management (SCM) initiatives. Business publications are constantly reporting on the successes – the improved profitability, the reduction in operating expense and the better utilization of inventory.
	Submit your articles to fredmartel@comcast.net