The One-Degree Principle

Duct renovation and high-performance HVAC are not for low-initiative

contractors because they require a lot of sustained effort

By David Richardson

ONE DEGREE AT A TIME: There’s no thermometer to let you know how close you’re getting to your 212°F. You
never know when a major breakthrough could be around the corner. Don’t miss it because you stopped short.
(Courtesy of National Comfort Institute)

July 20, 2023

Anytime change is involved, there is always fear and doubt to overcome. We just completed the
five-part series “Defining Duct Renovation” and discussed how you can transform your
installations and your company with this unique product. As long as NCI has been teaching duct
renovation, the same questions and concerns arise. Some of the most common are: Privacidad - Términos
 Where do I begin?
How do I apply all this stuff?
What if I find out my own installations have problems?

I wish I had a simple answer, but I don’t. There is no magic formula, because each company is
different. However, I can share one principle that applies to all successful contractors who I know
have successfully incorporated duct renovation into their companies. They figured out how to use
the “One-Degree Principle” to their advantage.

Many have expressed this timeless idea in various books over the years. Two of my favorites are He
Can Who Thinks He Can by Orison Swett Marden and 212-The Extra Degree by Sam Parker and
Mac Anderson. Let’s look at how you can also use this HVAC-inspired principle to succeed in
business and in life.

Thermostat Wars
If you’ve ever worked in a commercial office, you know the term ‘thermostat wars.’ Everyone in an
office has a different comfort level. One person is too hot while the other is freezing. Unless
someone locks the thermostat controls, people constantly change the set point up, down, and back
again.

It might not seem like much, but each small decision you make builds on the previous one, directly
affecting your direction. Ultimately, you decide how to adjust the thermostats in your life, both
professionally and personally. If you move it up one degree at a time, you move forward. If you
move it down one degree at a time, you move backward. Finally, if you move it back and forth, you
stay in the same place with no progress. That’s the one-degree principle.

Those who succeed at duct renovation, or anything else, make a decision and stick to it. They don’t
overthink or fret. Instead, they decide on the direction and just start.

How Water Responds to the One-Degree Principle

Water at sea level conditions provides a simple example of the one-degree principle in action.
Consider what happens to it as the temperature changes. If you take a pot of water at room
temperature and place it in the freezer, its temperature drops below 32°F and the water turns solid
— there is no movement.

If you’re indifferent or stuck, it’s hard to move forward. Sometimes life punches you in the face and
you simply quit. Your movement stops. Once you get cold on your goals, life slowly come to a
grinding halt, and you almost never see it coming.
Once you remove the frozen water from the freezer and place it on the counter, it warms up. A slow
increase in temperature from 32° to 33°F starts the transformation from ice to water, where it can
move. Latent heat (hidden capacity) plays a role. It only takes 144 Btu to convert ice to water.

While there is still only one degree of change, the momentum is just getting started. This is one
reason so many give up on New Year’s resolutions. When people don’t see results as quickly as they
think they should, they stop. They give up too soon and don’t give the one-degree principle enough
time to work.

As the pot of water continues sitting in room-temperature air, it slowly warms up to that
temperature. But if you put it on a stovetop and fire up the burner, the process speeds up. As the
temperature continues increasing from 33° to 211°, it takes only 180 additional Btu from this point
to move water toward the boiling point.

Change is hard and happens slowly, so it’s important to keep adding one degree at a time. It takes
an increase of 179°F to convert ice to water that begins to boil and then again change state.

When the temperature increases from 211° to 212°, a tremendous amount of energy releases all at
once and the boiling water converts to steam. This is the same type of action that occurs when you
achieve a breakthrough or success because you consistently added “one degree” to what you were
doing.

xxxxx

All that latent heat converts at once, as though it came out of nowhere. The entire time, this
reaction was slowly building through the consistent application of energy. When water boils at
atmospheric conditions, 970 Btu of heat releases instantly as a change of state occurs.

Beware of Complacency
It takes the constant addition of one degree at a time to reach the boiling point and maintain it.
Complacency is a danger once you reach this point. It’s easy to think you’ve arrived and now you
can take it easy. I’ve been a victim of this thinking. I removed heat from the water because I
adjusted my thermostat in the wrong direction. The temperature dropped, and I had to start over
again. I lost my momentum and had to regain it to move toward the boiling point.

All of us change because of daily decisions we make and the habits they eventually become. Positive
change results from hard work and repetition. It doesn’t happen overnight. As you start, things
might not happen as quickly as you want them to. Adding one degree usually takes you out of your
comfort zone but allows you to do things you normally wouldn’t. Don’t be surprised if you need to
turn the television off or get up an hour early.
 Change Your Set Point
Start by defining your boiling point — your 212°F. Unlike water, each of us has different targets to
aim for. For one person, it might be to quit smoking or eat better, while for another, it may be to
become a better technician or company owner.

Once you define the boiling points in your life, outline what you want to achieve and put it in
writing. And put it right in front of your face so you see it every single day. If you really want to
crank up the heat, give your boiling point a deadline. If you don’t define it, someone or something
else will define it for you.

There’s no thermometer to let you know how close you’re getting to your 212°F. You never know
exactly when you’ll move from 211° to 212°. A major breakthrough could be just around the corner
that you miss unless you continue to add one degree. Sometimes the change is slow, while, other
times, it is rapid.

Is it easy? No. Growth is hard regardless of what anyone tells you. Duct renovation and high-
performance HVAC are not for low-initiative contractors because they require a lot of sustained
effort. The key is to adjust your set point slowly and focus on progress, not perfection. Don’t try to
add 100°F all at once; you’ll burn out.

Applying the one-degree principle isn’t a one-time event. It’s comparable to an HVAC system that
cycles repeatedly. You’ll continually apply the principle to different phases of your life as you grow
and your circumstances change. Why not put yourself in control of the small decisions you make
daily and benefit from the one-degree principle?
KEYWORDS: Duct Dynasty duct systems ductwork

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David Richardson serves the HVAC industry as Director of Training at National Comfort Institute, Inc.
(NCI). NCI specializes in training focused on improving, measuring, and verifying HVAC and Building
Performance. If you’re an HVAC contractor or technician interested in learning more about duct renovation,
contact David at davidr@ncihvac.com.

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National Comfort Institute (NCI) is a High-Performance HVAC contractor training, certification, and
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