How The HVAC Industry Adapted to Covid-19

The Pandemic Highlighted the HVAC Industry’s Resilience

During the pandemic, nearly every industry faced new challenges and discovered new opportunities. The HVAC industry is no exception. Our resilient network of contractors and distributors faced significant obstacles and persevered with flying colors. As the disruptive effects of Covid-19 wane, we are excited about the promising outlook the future holds – with many reasons to believe demand will only continue to increase.

At One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Franchise Development, we feel very bullish about the current position of the HVAC industry. People need clean, high-quality, temperature-regulated air. It is our job to adapt to new scenarios to ensure this demand is satisfied. Thus, when confronted with supply chain disruptions and logistical issues that emerged due to COVID restrictions, our distributors and HVAC franchisees banded together – applying teamwork, innovation, and collaboration to overcome obstacles. If anything, the pandemic illustrated the resilience, importance, and durability of our industry.

Greater Demand for Clean Indoor Air

In many ways, Covid-19 delivered a boost to the HVAC industry. With people spending more time indoors and more money retrofitting their homes, the demand for working home HVAC units drastically increased. This led to a significant uptick in maintenance requests and new installations. The prevalent concern about the spread of germs and bacteria also spurred a tremendous increase in concern about indoor air quality (IAQ).

With increased focus on the overall quality of indoor air, the desire to improve AIC has grown exponentially. A recent survey found that 60% of homeowners value the importance of air quality more than they did a year before. Clearly, interest in clean indoor air circulation dramatically magnified due to the fear of contracting an airborne virus. With individuals spending so much time indoors to avoid a highly transmissible virus, this makes perfect sense. As a result, the HVAC industry witnessed significant windfall from the movement to keep indoor air healthy and clean.

Updating Our Technological Versatility

With Covid-19, our franchisees pivoted quickly: adding video consultation services, relying on cloud-based technologies, creating digital forms, integrating photo and video to perform remote troubleshooting and diagnostic services, and so much more. When the pandemic was at its peak and restrictions were strictest, performing on-site contact was nearly impossible. However, by quickly adopting new technological systems and interfaces, our HVAC specialists were able to stay busy despite challenging conditions.

In fact, the pandemic accelerated already emerging trends, such as e-commerce and virtual communication systems. We also learned new ways to perform services remotely. Working with smart thermostats, our technicians learned to monitor, troubleshoot, diagnose issues, and offer professional advice remotely. As a result of these inventive alternatives, we’ve now replaced inconvenient face-to-face interactions with contactless service calls and remote transactions. This has allowed our HVAC teams to bypass costly travel times.

What The Future of the HVAC Industry Holds

As we transition back to relative normalcy and in-person operations, our work environment is more versatile and flexible than ever before. Sometimes, adversity can illuminate new opportunities. By remaining nimble and responsive, we’ve found novel ways of streamlining various services. From online/virtual training to geographic flexibility, many operations can be completed in a more cost-effective and expedited manner. Moreover, by finding and closing gaps in our processes, we are now more robust and prepared for disruption than ever.

The HVAC industry proved itself to be an essential industry with a quick economic recovery rate. The demand for our products is stronger than ever. With homes, apartments, condos, and medical facilities prioritizing clean air, the demand for updated HVAC equipment surged. The public now recognizes the health benefits of quality IAQ products and HVAC equipment – making the HVAC industry instrumental in creating healthy environments for homeowners and workers. Furthermore, with more individuals continuing to work remotely from home, investments in HVAC systems are bound to continue to skyrocket.

Signs of resurgent normalcy are emerging all over. The economy is bouncing back, increasing jobs and money to spend on HVAC equipment and services. Customers are more comfortable allowing technicians into their homes and businesses. Supply chains are stabilizing. It is impossible to predict what is to come. But looking back at how the HVAC industry fared during the pandemic, we can confidently say that we not only passed the test but also developed a blueprint for navigating and surviving future global shutdowns.

Give us a call at (855) 996-4747 or contact us online to learn more about our HVAC franchising opportunities today!