CONNECTED CONTRACTORS: White-Rodgers’ Connect mobile app displays full text for error codes, instead of flashing lights, and offers troubleshooting tips. (Courtesy of Copeland)
The White-Rodgers Connect from Copeland, which uses near-field communication (NFC) to link a mobile device to any compatible White-Rodgers control, is a new computer application designed to help technicians save time and money and provide efficient HVAC equipment installation and diagnostics.
Connect, introduced in September 2022, is the Gold winner in the Contractor Services & Software category in this year’s Dealer Design Awards.
“This app will also change the way technicians diagnose in the field and provide a platform for quicker and more accurate service calls,” said Nayan Mishra, senior product manager at Copeland. “It will help technicians become more comfortable with using advanced technology to aid in their work. In light of the technician shortage, the ability to more efficiently configure and diagnose controls is more important than ever.”
According to Mishra, the app contains four major sections: 1) Configuration, which shows all controls settings and helps technicians set up a control for a specific use. Users can also search by replacement part number to automatically configure to hundreds of OEM settings, saving time and improving accuracy; 2) Status, which displays high-level information on the status of the control; 3) Diagnostics, which shows active and historical fault codes and troubleshooting tips; and 4) About, which includes links to installation information, customer service, and technical help.
Mishra said the app displays full text for error codes, instead of flashing lights, and also displays troubleshooting tips. Faults can be cleared from within the app, he said.
The app also gives controls a greater universality of unlimited timings as opposed to controls with dipswitches that provide only limited timings, he said.
Approximately two years of research went into White-Rodgers Connect, Mishra said, and the company relied on contractor interviews and customer feedback to develop the product. He said Copeland plans to expand the app to additional universal controls and add a custom configuration profile to maximize efficient installations.
“This product is a breakthrough for enabling broader use of universal controls,” Mishra said. “The simplicity of configuration through the app will help increase adoption of universal controls, which provide contractors decreased inventory while still being able to complete the job in one truck roll.”
As it uses NFC, White-Rodgers Connect requires no Wi-Fi or cellular service, and no login is needed. The app is available for free download on the Apple App and Google Play stores.
MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE: Weil-McLain’s ProTools app puts users in control of boiler monitoring and maintenance through a wealth of resources, including troubleshooting help, parts location, technical manuals, warranties, how-to videos, and more. (Courtesy of Weil-McLain)
The Weil-McLain ProTools App, which allows hydronics technicians to quickly access information on the setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting of Weil-McLain boilers, took Silver in the Contractor Services & Software category.
Introduced in October 2022, the app puts users in control of boiler monitoring and maintenance through a wealth of resources, including troubleshooting help, parts location, technical manuals, warranties, how-to videos, and a connection to real-time technical support, said David DeVries, director of product management at Weil-McLain.
“The ProTools App enables those in the HVAC industry to hone their hydronic expertise and streamline customer visits to provide clients with a premium and differentiated experience,” DeVries said. “This one-stop resource for boiler installation and maintenance is ideal for contacting the right person for customer support, checking a warranty, finding troubleshooting information, getting to the right page of the boiler manual quickly, and so much more.”
The app is compatible via Bluetooth with the Weil-McLain ECO Tec Series 2 high-efficiency residential boiler, giving technicians access to operational logs that provide data on system performance and potential fault conditions.
Among the ProTools App’s features, DeVries said, are access to real-time technical support via phone, chat, or video call; a parts locator that can find specific parts with illustrations easily; and a troubleshooting fault-code function that takes the technician directly to the appropriate page in a service manual for next steps.
DeVries said that about two years of research, which included meetings with focus groups and feedback from contractors and customers, went into developing the ProTools App. Weil-McLain plans to “continuously optimize” the app, DeVries said, including by expanding its connectivity features to other product lines, increasing its access to solutions that don’t require technical support, and adding a feature that can download fault logs.
“Logs can be sent to the tech team to help diagnose the specific problem to assist the technician,” he said.
ProTools is available for both Apple and Android devices.
