• Manufacturer Responsibility - Manifesto

  • Jan 16 2025
  • Length: 30 mins
  • Podcast

Manufacturer Responsibility - Manifesto

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  • Summary

  • In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan shares his "Manufacturer Responsibility Manifesto," a document he wrote over two years ago but held back from publishing until now. The manifesto addresses growing concerns about the burden being placed on HVAC contractors, particularly smaller businesses, due to manufacturing quality issues and warranty policies. The industry has undergone significant changes since the 1990s, including stricter refrigerant regulations and an increase in parts failures. While manufacturers offer longer warranty periods now than in the past (often 10+ years compared to 3-5 years previously), these warranties often don't cover crucial expenses like refrigerant, brazing rods, fittings, and labor costs. This leaves contractors in a difficult position of either absorbing these costs or charging customers and potentially damaging relationships. The manifesto calls for manufacturers to take greater responsibility for their products, particularly during the warranty period. Bryan proposes that manufacturers should reimburse contractors for total costs (including labor) for manufacturer-caused repairs within the first year, and cover parts and ancillary materials (including refrigerant) during the subsequent warranty period. He argues that this would incentivize manufacturers to improve product quality and reduce environmental impact, as they would bear more of the financial responsibility for failures and refrigerant losses. Key topics covered in the podcast: Evolution of HVAC industry regulations since the 1990sIncrease in parts failures compared to previous decadesImpact of global supply chain issues on part quality and availabilityEnvironmental concerns regarding refrigerant leaks and equipment wasteWarranty coverage limitations and their impact on contractorsDisparity between domestic and overseas manufacturing qualityFinancial burden on small contracting businessesNeed for clear standards to differentiate manufacturer vs contractor-caused failuresProposal for comprehensive warranty coverage including ancillary materialsEnvironmental responsibility and accountability in manufacturingRole of manufacturers in industry sustainabilityImpact of private equity and large companies on the industryNeed for improved quality control in manufacturingRelationship between warranty policies and contractor-customer trustCall for industry-wide collaboration to implement changes Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Take the HVAC School Industry Pulse Survey by WorkHero at https://hvacrschool.com/industrypulse. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android
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