The Boiling Frog
By Hal Alles
I think everyone has heard how frogs behave differently when thrown into boiling water (they jump out) versus when swimming in water that is slow heated to boiling (they die). This may be stretching the analogy, but I believe the force of the free market on builders and home buyers has unwittingly been conducting an experiment on the behavior of consumers as they are brought to a slow boil. It is a classic contest between "bling" versus "bones" when houses are designed to minimize the cost of the things that are hidden (the bones) while spending on the things that are seen (the bling). Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes to the bone.
The HVAC system is one of the "bones" in a home; there is little to be seen, yet most designers object to what is visible - the vents. But unlike most other "bones" in a home, the HVAC system is entirely responsible for satisfying one of the five basic senses. It has impact on every person in the house in whatever room they are in. When it's dark and people can't see the bling, they can still feel the temperature. So how poorly does the HVAC system need to perform before home buyers will not buy the home? That is the experiment the free market is conducting. The HVAC system design has been compromised over time to enable an ever-lower bid. Ducts are made smaller, returns are eliminated, supply vents are eliminated or located to save time and materials, and larger areas and more rooms are put under the control of a single thermostat. The low-cost bidder usually wins, which usually means the most compromised HVAC system is installed.
After decades of intense price competition between builders and their HVAC contractors, the water may be getting close to boiling. Some builders conduct a customer satisfaction survey a year after purchase that includes the question "How is the temperature control?" In too many of these surveys, temperature control is the largest single source of dissatisfaction. Temperature-related problems are a major source of warranty claims - up to 90% for some builders. Not much is done, or can be done, other than provide temporary relief by rebalancing. Homeowners are told, "It is working the way it is supposed to work." The message is clear: "No need to ever complain or call again."
Many homeowners accept avoiding certain rooms many months of the year because they are too uncomfortable. They should get a refund from the builder for getting only partial use of the space they purchased. But will the home buyer ever exercise a basic survival instinct - to not buy a home without a written warranty covering temperature control? Will they ever demand and get guaranteed performance that is enforceable? Or will they accept ever-lower HVAC performance? I'm afraid I know the answer - the frogs die. But then again, people are not frogs, and frogs don't have attorneys.
May 2007 Builder Architect Edition Issue