Thank you to all of the attendees in Austin, Texas at the HARDI annual meeting. Your questions, comments and engagement with our panelist and interactions with our speaker created value and provided additional knowledge to our attendees.

It has been my privilege to serve as you 2018 Women in HVAC President. I couldn’t have done it without the guidance and support of our outgoing Past President Julie Decker. Her patience and demeanor will be missed, but she will remain active through our new Advisory Council which she was instrumental in setting up. This council allows past presidents to remain involved on a limited basis through advisory work and philanthropic activities. It will be a great benefit to the organization to be able to continue to harness the experience and expertise of our past presidents. Thank you Julie!

I also move to my last year on the board as Immediate Past President, but leave the presidency in the very capable hands of Danielle Putnam. As President of The New Flat Rate, she brings all of the desired characteristics to this seat. Her leadership capabilities, passion, strength and nurturing nature will be an asset to the organization as we continue to build and grow. Her ability to see the big picture will help us to use our resources to the greatest benefit. Welcome Danielle!

I thank the entire board for their support and hard work to make 2018 a success. What an honor to have worked with such a wonderful group of women. I cherish the wisdom they have bestowed on me and the relationships that will forever remain in my heart. Thank you ladies!

Our organization is member-driven and your active participation is a key component. If you would like to become more involved, I encourage you to join a sub-committee. For information on each committee, visit https://www.womeninhvacr.org/webapp/p/19/focus. If you would like more detail on a particular committee, please email info@womeninhvacr.org and one of us will get back to you.

Now, let’s tighten our belts and get ready for 2019 as we move forward to even greater things!

There is never a good time for a damaging water leak, but homes are especially vulnerable around the holidays because so many are left alone.

When homeowners leave “over the river and through the woods” for holiday visits, they should be able to leave with peace of mind that the home is protected from unexpected incidents of frozen pipes, broken water heaters or washing machines, leaking HVAC,  or other sources. You can pray it never happens, but why not make sure it doesn’t…with LeakSmart!

How it Works

LeakSMART is the world's most intelligent leak and flood protection system for a home or business. Not only does it detect a leak as soon as it starts, it stops it in less than 5 seconds!

LeakSMART provides complete protection from water leaks. LeakSMART works by first installing a valve on your water main. The LeakSMART Valve connects directly to the water main supply and automatically shuts off the water in less than five seconds in the event of a leak.

Sensors around the home are connected to the LeakSMART Hub and receive alerts via LeakSMART App. The sensors detect leaks and monitor temperatures in the home. Up to 32 sensors can be added. For the best protection, sensors should be installed at the most high-risk areas, including washing machines, water heaters, basement, bathrooms and HVAC system.

Powered by ZigBee, protection is guaranteed 100% of the time—even if the Internet and power are down. A LeakSMART Range Extender is available to boosts signal strength of the sensors. Simple plug and play operation of the range extender is all that is needed. It’s perfect for those homes or offices larger than 6,000 square feet.

The LeakSMART Hub communicates between the sensors, valve and homeowner. Again, the hub continues to work even if the power is out. Installation is so simple: simply plugs into your router and an electrical outlet.

Install Outdoors

LeakSMART can be used indoors or out. An outdoor valve enclosure is 100% waterproof and completely tamper-proof. It’s properly vented to handle temperature fluctuations and extreme heat. It may be installed horizontally or vertically and fits ¾, 1, 1-1/4, and 2-inch installations.

Smart Home Integration

LeakSMART works on its own or with other smart home platforms including Nest, SmartThings, Wink and Iris and coming soon, it’ll integrate with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Comcast and Google. What this means for the homeowner is better protection when away from home. They’ll be prompted immediately via all Apps if a leak occurs. In that case, they’ll also be able to turn off the heating and cooling system through the connected thermostat.

LeakSMART is the single, best solution for leak and flood protection. It’s capacity to detect leaks as soon as they start and shut the water main off immediately, makes them a ‘must-have’ for every home or business owner who wants to avoid the costly disasters that a frozen pipe or malfunctioning home system can create.

Want to learn more about LeakSMART? View this on-demand webinar…watch when it is most convenient for you! http://info.controlsintelligence.com/leaksmart-webinar-ondemand

To order LeakSMART technology for your customers, visit https://jacksonsystems.com/search?search=leaksmart

Pointman Hires Melissa Harris as VP of Marketing

Pointman, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company known as a trusted provider of growth solutions for HVAC contractors nationwide, has hired Melissa Harris as its Vice President of Marketing. She will work to grow brand awareness, craft product messaging, and increase exposure of Pointman and its newest product, PACT.

Harris previously worked as Director or Marketing at Medaille College in Buffalo, NY, and Digital Marketing Manager at Leisure Living in Tonawanda, NY.

“After working in higher education and e-commerce, I am excited to enter the HVAC industry,” she says. “I’m particularly pleased to have the opportunity to help contractors to better face their daily challenges and improve their people, strengthen their processes and grow their profits.”

Harris says explaining the benefits of PACT — a best practices-driven combination of Process, Analysis, Community and Technology — is an essential element of her role at Pointman.

“PACT is a groundbreaking solution that gives customers both award-winning software and the tools necessary to make bad habits become good business practices,” she says. “It provides a path to better reviews, more repeat and referral business, and customers who become your biggest promoters. We tell that story each day through our marketing efforts.”

Harris earned a bachelor of arts in communications from Buffalo State College. She lives in Niagara Falls, NY.

To learn more about Pointman and PACT, visit www.pointman.com.