We serve Warren, Washington and Saratoga Counties, New York
Hire Smart Part 1:
Health, Safety & Energy Savings Warning:
Has your heating installer invested in this equipment?
Have you ever heard of a Combustion Gas Analyzer?
Furnace and boiler manufacturers REQUIRE the use of this expensive tester to adjust their appliance for safe and proper operation.
Yet some Tradespersons and Builder’s crews feel they can’t afford to invest in and learn how to use this vital piece of equipment.
Worse yet, others will tell you they don’t need it!
The furnace and boiler installation manuals stipulate the proper range of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide in the exhaust.
What happens if the heating worker assigned to your project doesn’t verify the proper levels?
1. The manufacturer’s warranty may be voided
2. Your system will suck more fuel than necessary
3. Carbon monoxide poisoning can kill you!
Unfortunate news reports of near misses and deaths right here in the Glens Falls Region caused by carbon monoxide poisoning are proof that some individuals don’t take this matter seriously.
So don’t forget to ask: “Will your crew measure and adjust the combustion process for my system? Please explain.”
Here’s a 2 minute video showing how Mr. David Sellers uses the tester for your boiler room:
Hire Smart Part 2:
Do you really need the improvements your contractor is selling you?
Hire Smart Part 3:
What does your contractor guarantee?
Hire Smart Part 4:
Does your contractor like school?
Hire Smart Part 5:
Proper Radiant Heat Insulation: Does your installer know about this?
Hire Smart Part 6:
Afraid that Expert Contractors Are Over-Priced Elitists?
It goes without saying that for any purchase, large or small, we all want to get the most value for the least price possible.
Click here to learn how to do that as you Hire Smart.
Hire Smart Part 7:
Important Hire Smart Consumer Protection Message
Have you heard any of the following statements from your Remodeler, Building, or Heating Contractor?
“You can’t have wood floors if you want radiant floor heat.”
“Radiant with carpets just doesn’t work.”
“You always have to install another backup heating system with a radiant heat system.” “No, you can’t have what you want!”
“There’s absolutely no way we can work floor heating into your budget.”
“This white plastic tubing is the only way to go for radiant floor heating.”
“This control strategy is the only way to go for radiant floors.”
Every one of the above statements is FALSE!
“No, you can’t have what you want!”
Has your General Contractor (with an average heating crew) given you any of the above advice?
You can specifically request that the Heating and Cooling Sub-Contractors for your project be separated from the General Contract, so that you can directly hire someone who’s properly trained. (Contrary to your best interests, not all Builders will agree to this, unfortunately.)
Let’s be fair.
Your General Contractor who makes the above statements isn’t lying to you—he’s well intentioned, but just hasn’t pursued the education required to know the real truth about designing and installing the best heating system for your home.
For example, here’s a 1 minute video that shows you a VITAL insulation-with-radiant-floors standard that MOST General Contractors and their crews don’t follow:
Buyer Beware
Many homeowners are surprised to learn that New York State does not require a heating system designer or installer to have any sort of training or licensing!
“I don’t need no license!”
The cities of Glens Falls and Saratoga Springs require plumbing licenses, but not heating. And outside of those city limits, you’re on your own for plumbers as well.
This means it’s up to you as a consumer to make sure that the worker who designs or installs your floor heat is not the proverbial high school dropout who has exhausted every other career opportunity.
Ensure that he’s not the well-intentioned but uninformed individual who fancies himself a professional because he’s got a pickup truck and pipe wrench.
As a result, heated floors are more and more in demand. So nowadays, most plumbing and heating contractors and builders will say,
“Yeah sure, we install underfloor heat, no problem.”
Smart homeowners want a contractor who has distinguished himself and taken the initiative to pursue a specialized education in radiant floor heat. One who’s qualified to design and deliver the most efficient and cost-effective system for their home.
Hire an expert and get a masterpiece!
Effective and economical radiant heat is a multifaceted science. Cutting edge materials and innovative techniques are constantly changing the face of the industry.
So how do you go about finding a highly trained and skilled craftsperson who’ll give you value for your dollar?
Simply ask if he can explain to you why the above statements are false.
“I did plenty of research for the construction of our 9,000 square foot home, and knew that radiant floor heat was the best choice for even temperatures.
When our log home manufacturer heard we wanted underfloor heating, he recommended David Sellers Mechanical right away.
And the radiant floors work very well – as big as our rooms are, we still have even heat throughout the home.
I also like the efficiency of the system.
I prefer Dave Sellers’ systems because they’re well designed. That’s why I recommended him for my brother’s new home, and will recommend him for my son’s upcoming new home project as well.”
Usually, the cheapest heating system you can buy is no bargain.
David Sellers has been hired as an expert witness in heating-disaster lawsuits throughout our region.
He is also paid THOUSANDS of dollars every year to re-do systems that were not designed and installed properly in the first place.
Nice for us to pay our bills, but still Just So Wrong. You don’t need that kind of expense and aggravation.
Why not hire a competent professional in the first place? His prices will NOT BE DOUBLE the low bidder’s price. And the EXPERTISE & INTEGRITY you get are priceless!
“They Get What They Deserve”
“We find that many of the consumers who have problems are not entirely innocent,” says Jim Stembridge, former deputy administrator of Oregon’s Construction Contractors Board.
“In fact the biggest problems occur where people believe they can get a better deal than anyone else and go for the unbelievably low bid, when they should know that they are not going to get a satisfactory product for the price they are paying.
“Consumers often get what they deserve with these ‘special deals’ that turn out to be ‘special trouble.’”
Buy Cheap With a Heavy Dose of Hope?
It’s your choice.
You can opt for the cheap (inferior quality and worth) installation.
You can hope it won’t cost you unnecessary repair and fuel bills, and untold aggravation.
You can hope that your house won’t burn down in the middle of the night due to an untrained installation technician.
You can hope if you have a warranty issue your low bidder won’t be gone, or operating out of the same pickup truck, but under a different name and phone number.
Or you can enjoy the inexpensive (delivering the best quality for the most reasonable price), expertly designed heat that gives you more value for your dollar overall.
Why Your Low Bidder Will Be Grumpy At Best, Or Long Gone, When You Need Him to Honor His Warranty
There is only one way to be successful in business: charge more for products and services than it costs to create and deliver them.
The installation price a contractor gives you needs to combine:
Costs for the equipment
Federal and State mandated labor costs (Unemployment Insurance, Worker’s Comp Insurance, Social Security and Medicare Taxes)
Non-negotiable costs of doing business (a truck full of tools & supplies, truck fuel, liability and vehicle insurance, telephones, equipment repairs, etc. etc. etc.)
A reasonable profit
“How’d I lose my shirt?”
As you compare contractors’ proposals, keep in mind that 95% of contractors go out of business within their first few years of operation. They’ve never taken a business course, and they live from job to job.
The prices they are setting have no basis in cost.
Since they have no idea what their costs of business are, they have no clue why their runaway company doesn’t have enough money at the end of the month to pay all their bills.
While these contractors are in the process of losing their shirt, something nasty happens. They take their frustration and resentment out on their customers, and start treating them badly.
How to Get a Contractor to Treat You Like Gold
On the other hand, when a contractor makes a decent living while covering his costs of business, he treats his customers like gold.
He only works for customers who want his quality craftsmanship and good care, not the lowest market price from a contractor who may be out of business before the equipment warranty expires.
His ideal client is one who believes:
Contractors have every right to keep a decent, comfortable roof over their families’ head.
It’s a good thing for their Contractor to be able to afford access to quality healthcare.
A Contractor who works with his hands and his back for long hours in your crawlspace or basement should be allowed a reasonable retirement plan.
It’s even OK for their Contractor to to have a little left over to donate to charities that turn him on!
The Highest Bidder—Flip Side of the Same Coin?
You’d be surprised at how often we also see the uninformed Heating Contractor or Builder come in as the highest bidder!
Why does this happen? It may be that because the contractor is inexperienced with the type of work you’re hiring out, they feel the need to overshoot their price to cover themselves.
Anybody can get an accurate quote on materials. But what about labor costs, with its associated overhead? Since they’ve never done your type of project before, they’re not sure what they’re in for.
They have no idea how long their crew will take to finish the job, so they overshoot the labor estimate in their quote, to make sure they cover any and all unforeseen problems.
This is why the super high bidder can often be another red flag for you.
Bring Our Expertise Home
In contrast, your Building Systems Heating Contractor’s price represents the best combination of up front costs, as well as long term operating cost.
He can often save you money by using the most up-to-date products and installation methods that the average builder and heating contractor hasn’t heard of.
And by using his decades of experience with proper design principles, he will certainly save you money on your monthly fuel bills for the life of your heating and cooling system.
While you’re profiting by the savings your well-engineered heating system will provide, you’ll also be enjoying an unsurpassed level of comfort.
Trusted Home Comfort And Efficiency Expertise
“I did plenty of research for the construction of our 9,000 square foot home, and knew that radiant floor heat was the best choice for even temperatures.
When our log home manufacturer heard we wanted underfloor heating, he recommended David Sellers Mechanical right away.
And the radiant floors work very well – as big as our rooms are, we still have even heat throughout the home.
I also like the efficiency of the system.
I prefer Dave Sellers’ systems because they’re well designed. That’s why I recommended him for my brother’s new home, and will recommend him for my son’s upcoming new home project as well.”
We serve Warren, Washington and Saratoga Counties, New York
CONSUMER WARNING: New York State licenses for construction trades DO NOT exist! All tradesmen licensing is done at the local county, city or town level.
So on the State level, your barber needs a license to cut your hair. Your Architect, Engineer, and local Code Official are licensed by New York State. Your Home Inspector to come in after the fact needs a state license.
The installer of your heating system? The General Contractor who may be hiring and overseeing all your on-site Crews and Subcontractors? No state license required.
Check with your local town or county! Chances are they are one of the many NY municipalities that do NOT fill in the New York State gap by requiring a local Contractor’s or Builder’s license.
To say nothing about requiring that each and every worker who walks onto your project will follow Best Practices for your health, safety, and energy savings.
What this means is that your most critical hiring decisions involve making sure your advisers and on-site Supervisors are up-to-date in the latest Building System Science.
What’s Your Property’s Miles Per Gallon?
You see, a Contractor who has pursued an education in this specialized field of science looks way beyond your need to stay within your construction budget.
He also cares about your property’s ongoing “Miles Per Gallon” for the entire life of the home or building.
Hire smart and save every month for life!
When driving through Saratoga, Albany, and Glens Falls Area developments of (newer) homes in winter, David Sellers can look at the snow-covered roofs and tell which ones are bleeding heating dollars into the great outdoors
And it’s a lot!!!!!
Why so many Energy-Wasting Ripoffs?
Lack of Building System Science Education
Just what exactly is Building System Science?
Your home, office, factory, or store is a system and everything is connected.
The relationship between your insulation, air sealing, windows, heating, hot water, AND cooling system, is the key to your property’s overall performance in terms of health, safety, comfort, durability and energy efficiency.
Contractors who have pursued Building System Science training, regardless of their specialized trade, know how to evaluate EACH element of your property for its potential to effect other systems within the building.
Because of this Whole Building insight, they can help guide you in your decisions to maximize your energy savings, and ensure your comfort and safety.
For instance, a Heating Contractor who installs high efficiency heating equipment, may also advise you regarding where and how to employ air sealing to prevent mold & mildew while ensuring air quality, comfort, and savings.
Or a Building System Insulation Contractor may recommend a ventilation system along with insulation to make sure the building doesn’t become too tight.
Energy-Wasting RipoffsBuilding Science Savings
Common Insulation and Indoor Air Quality Misconceptions:
Think R-Value is the insulation be-all and end-all? This article is a must read.
Building System Science is a dynamic field, with new discoveries and applications constantly being added to this specialized body of knowledge.
The sad fact is that the Contractor Industry is FULL of really nice people who have not invested their precious time, energy, and cash into their ongoing Building System Science education. Not just the hired Crew, mind you. That goes all the way to the Builders and Foremen who oversee them.
Is your contractor stuck in his old school ways?
Even worse, there are some in our industry who insist on Old School. You know, the “This is how we’ve always done things, and this is how we’re always going to do things” mindset.
The challenge is that there are Old School building and renovation methods still being used by MOST tradesmen TODAY that result in:
High energy bills
Uneven temperatures from room-to-room
Drafty areas
Moisture, mold, & mildew
Poor air circulation or air quality
Ice dams on your roof
Pest infestations
Uncontrollable humidity levels
Premature deterioration of building materials
Rooms that overheat or don’t heat
Ghosting (unexplained black marks on walls and ceilings)
High carbon monoxide levels
Head spinning yet?
The Good News
Here’s what we hope is the good news: New York State has implemented Green Building Codes that should help all property owners.
You see, even though NY State does not license any of the trades at present, they do publish and update state-wide Building Codes.
And the New York State Energy Conservation Construction Code (2010 ECCCNYS) became effective on December 28, 2010.
Compliance to these new codes are enforced through your building permit process that includes project plan review and inspections at your County or Town level.
New York’s Building System Science Educational Initiatives
In February 2011, Dave Sellers paid to attend one of the state’s first educational initiatives regarding these new codes. Most who attended that event along with him were state and university educators, as well as municipal Code Enforcers.
He found the climate among his particular group that day to be very progressive and accepting of the Health, Safety, & Energy Savings Best Practices that were built into this new code.
So we’re cautiously optimistic about maybe those Old School building & remodeling errors eventually fading away. Time will tell.
Bottom line is, whether or not the Green Building Code is applied to your project will depend on the individuals involved, from the Designers to the Code Officials to the Contractors and their Crews.
Here’s what’s important to know when you’re Hiring Smart:
NEW YORK STATE KNOWS IT CAN’T GET 100% COMPLIANCE!
The NY State Division of Code Enforcement published information regarding how they plan to help professionals to learn and implement this new code.
“As part of New York State’s plan to achieve compliance with the 2010 ECCCNYS in at least ninety percent of all new and renovated residential and commercial building construction, the New York State Department of State has launched a major training and enforcement support initiative…” (The entire article can be found here.)
The state officials hoped that 90% of the Code Enforcers and Building Pros will get on board with the Best Practices.
Will the rest who won’t budge from their Old School state of mind add up to only 10%?
And which group do you want your local Code Enforcer and Contractor to be in?
So here’s the key question to ask EVERY Contractor BEFORE YOU SIGN THE DOTTED LINE:
“What do you think of the State Energy Conservation Construction Code?”
It’s a simple question, right?
The answers (or blank stares) you get will easily help you to identify which group your prospective Contractors fall into:
1. Thrilled that they may not have to stand on their head to get their colleagues to apply Health, Safety, and Energy Savings Best Practices to your project
2. Open to learning & complying with the latest Building System Science (and just need some time to get caught up. New York State is periodically updating and supplementing the 2010 code.)
-OR-
3. Will always be part of that ??% Staunch Old School.
Hire Smart & INSIST On This
When he went to that Green Code event, Dave bought his own copy of the Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State, 2010 Edition.
If you want to Hire Smart and protect yourself from expensive, aggravating, and yes even deadly problems, INSIST that the people in charge of your project own it, understand it, agree with it, and apply it to EVERYTHING they and their Workers touch on your project.
Cost Effective
The really good news is that you won’t PAY double for a Building System Contractor, but you’ll GET 3 times the value that their dedication to your lifetime of energy savings brings.
Already Hired Your General Contractor?
What if you’ve already chosen a Builder who either hasn’t heard of or dislikes the Green Building Code? Who in turn employs Workmen or Subcontractors that don’t look at your Whole Home or Building as a System? Who are not well-versed about your property’s Miles Per Gallon?
In this case, you can specifically request that the Heating and Insulation Sub-Contractors for your project be separated from the General Contract, so that you can directly hire someone who’s properly trained. (Contrary to your best interests, not all Builders will agree to this, unfortunately.)
As a Heating & Cooling Subcontractor over the years, Mr. Sellers has been known to be the Building System Champion on behalf of his clients.
This at times has meant standing toe-to-toe with on-site construction Crews & Foremen regarding their Building System Worst Practices that Dave knows will adversely impact the property’s Miles Per Gallon.
In some volatile situations, he’s had to go over their heads to the property owner to say, “If this is how the building will be sealed, I can’t warranty my heating system design for your ongoing comfort, safety, and energy savings.”
Looking to Hire a Builder or Contractor for your Saratoga, Albany, Glens Falls, or Lake George NY Project?
David Sellers has invested tens of thousands of his hard-earned dollars into his Building System Science continuing education, design software, and testing equipment.
And he spends many hours for each of his heating, cooling, and snowmelt system designs to painstakingly build the latest Building System Science into your property.
Call (518) 623-9760 today to arrange for a FREE Energy-Saving heating, cooling, or snowmelt consultation.
We can also refer you to our Capital, Saratoga & Southern Adirondack Region Building System Science classmates and Partners in the trades who have applauded NY’s Green Building Code along with us.
Give us a call! We love to chat with smart property owners like you.
Know Anyone Else in Upstate New York Who’s About to Go to Contract With a Builder or Tradesman?
Feel free to forward this message to them, BEFORE THEY SIGN!
And don’t forget to Hire Smart and ask, “Are you a Building System Contractor?”
If you’re preparing to hire Contractors in the Saratoga, Lake George, or Glens Falls area, this may be the most important page you’ll ever read.
Whether you’re hiring a Mechanical Contractor directly, or you’re relying on your General Contractor to bring in his own hired crew or subcontractor for your heating and cooling needs, getting the answers to these questions will have a direct effect on your comfort and utility costs for as long as you live or work in your home or office.
The finest heating and cooling delivery system will only be as good as its designer and installer. These 10 Powerful Questions will help you learn the key secrets to hiring the intelligent way.
1. May I get the names and phone numbers of customers you’ve worked for, and permission to call and visit the job sites?
The boiler room for FW Webb’s Plumbing & Heating Glens Falls Area Supply (Queensbury NY branch), designed and installed by David Sellers. It includes five hydro-air heating units for the showroom and receiving area, and one zone for the sidewalk snowmelt. The two-stage boiler provides added fuel economy.
Experts love to show off their work, and happy clients love to display their state-of-the-art heating system.
If possible, ask for and follow up with referrals whose projects are similar to yours.
Another possible source for finding out which Mechanical Contractors are the “cream of the crop” in your area, are local plumbing and heating supply houses.
The Managers of these supply houses will be able to give you their short list of the most technically capable technicians that they do business with.
Another benefit of asking a Supply Manager for references: you can be sure they won’t recommend any contractors who have a reputation for not paying their materials bills on time.
A supplier’s lien on your home due to a fly-by-night contractor who didn’t pay the materials bill for your project is certainly an aggravation you don’t need.
2. Will your heating system designer perform a comprehensive heat loss calculation to size my system?
Always ask! Not all installers take the time to do this. Those that do may not have the experience to do it properly.
Dan Holohan’s book Just Add H2Oh! gives an instructive description of what a properly trained heating system designer will do for you:
“He spends a good deal of time going through your home [or blueprints], measuring the dimensions of your rooms, windows and doors. He looks for fireplaces, exhaust fans, recessed lighting fixtures, and other things that can cause heat to escape from your home. He inspects the quality and quantity of insulation in your attic. He also asks whether you will have any additional insulation installed in your walls. These things can make a big difference in how much fuel you’ll use, and what size your heating system will be.
He takes the time to survey your home and perform an accurate heat-loss calculation because this always results in the greatest economy for you. He would never guess at how much heat your house might lose on the coldest day of the year. Nor would he ever base the sizing of new heating equipment on what’s already in an existing home. That’s simply not good engineering. He can’t take for granted that the long-gone contractor who first sized the heating equipment was correct. It always pays to check, especially nowadays with fuel costs so high.
And when he performs the heat-loss calculation on your home, he certainly doesn’t use ‘rules of thumb.’ ‘Rules of thumb’ often make the sizing process easy for a heating contractor, but these overly conservative rules also are guaranteed to increase your fuel bill every winter from now on.
Most of the ‘rules of thumb’ we’ve run across in our travels come from the days of single-pane-glass windows, little or no insulation in the walls or ceiling, open-window ventilation, and cheap fuel. Your heating contractor should refuse to provide you with an oversized heating system, and that’s why he always takes the scientific approach.
And nowadays, the science is pretty advanced! He invests in both the computer hardware and software that helps him do his job of sizing your system quickly and accurately. The system he proposes will fit your home like tailor-made clothing rather than something off the rack. There is no reason to increase your long-term fuel bills by oversizing, and that’s why he begins your project by sizing it accurately.”
Unfortunately, Mr. David Sellers has been asked to testify as an expert witness in several radiant floor heating lawsuits in our area that were the result of poor design.
He’s also been involved in being paid to re-design brand new systems that just didn’t end up keeping homes warm.
The last thing you need is to have to tear out sheetrock in your new home after your first winter there, because of the inadequate design skills of your contractor. (The true story of one of our local clients.)
Heating system design and installation disasters are preventable! Make sure whoever you hire has the skill and experience to do it correctly.
3. What’s the difference between a condensing and non-condensing boiler? Which one is best for me?
4. Will you use test equipment to measure and adjust the combustion process for my system? Please explain.
Modern heating equipment manufacturers require the use of expensive combustion testing equipment to adjust their equipment for safe and proper operation.
Yet many heating installers don’t even own this necessary equipment.
Or worse yet, they’ll claim you don’t need it!
The installation manuals of heating equipment stipulate the proper range of oxygen (for natural gas systems only), carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide in the exhaust.
What happens if your contractor doesn’t use the equipment to verify the proper levels?
The manufacturer’s warranty may be voided.
Your system will suck more fuel than necessary.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can kill you!
Unfortunate news reports of near misses and deaths right here in the Glens Falls Region caused by carbon monoxide poisoning are proof that some contractors don’t take this matter seriously.
5. What is outdoor reset control, and should my hydronic (hot water) heating system have it?
Outdoor reset controls automatically keep your home within your comfort range as outdoor temperatures go up or down. Your desired perfect temperature will be achieved, but not surpassed.
Your heating system will work like a system.
The outdoor reset feature is like having cruise control for your home comfort. It regulates the temperature of the water that flows through your heated floors (or radiators, or baseboard radiators) based on the outdoor temperature.
So when your system is climbing the hill because it’s 20 below outside, the accelerator will go to the floor. In the spring and fall when it’s 50 degrees, and you’re coasting down the hill, your system will let up on the gas.
You’ll never have to think about whether the system is on or off. You’ll only notice the comfort.
Do you want to save money with a more efficient system? And do you want to increase your comfort by reducing temperature swings in your home?
Then you want your designer to be skilled and experienced with outdoor reset.
6. Will you subcontract my work to other companies?
Don’t get caught signing with Slick Heating Sales Inc or Sly General Contracting LLC, who will turn around and subcontract to Joe Butt Crack Coffee Breath Plumbing Company to install your boiler and heating system.
7. Are your technicians trained and certified to install the equipment you’re recommending?
When you’re negotiating with a Plumbing and Heating or General Contracting company, the salesman is of necessity knowledgeable about his products. This, in and of itself, is not an indication of the skill of those actually installing your system.
Remember, the finest boilers, furnaces, and air conditioning equipment is only as good as its installer.
With all the information available today, there’s no excuse for a heating or cooling installation tech to pass up the education provided by manufacturers of the equipment he installs.
Ask if the manufacturer has a certification program, and if the installer has passed it.
8. May I please have a copy of your Liability and Worker’s Compensation insurance certificates?
In the event you hire an uninsured contractor, or your General Contractor hires an uninsured sub-contractor, you may become legally responsible if any injuries to workers and/or damages to their personal property take place while working at your home or place of business.
Be sure all workmen and subcontractors on your project are covered under their company’s Worker’s Compensation and General Liability policies.
Obtain copies of the Insurance Certificates before your project starts.
9. What do you think of the NY State Energy Conservation Construction Code?
Thanks to the New York State Green Building Code passed on December 28, 2010, unlicensed and misinformed Upstate NY Contractor & Builder ripoffs may soon become a thing of the past!
Make sure you NEVER work with a technician who can’t explain the Building Industry’s common radiant floor mistakes. (Or worse yet, is a Myth Believer himself!)
If you just ask the contractors bidding on your project these simple but vital 10 questions, you’ll rest assured that your heating and cooling system will be the most reliable and money-saving that you can get in Clifton Park, Hudson Falls, Bolton Landing, or anywhere in between.
David Sellers has invested tens of thousands of his hard-earned dollars into his 
