Overview
Core competencies:
- Basic Competencies
- Safe Work Practices
- Understand building science principles
- Air Sealing
- Select proper materials
- Know minimum ventilation rates
- Use blower door
- Seal leaks in attics, floors, etc.
- Properly apply caulk & foam
- Weatherstrip doors, windows, etc.
- Repair broken glass
- Repair plaster & sheetrock
- Install or modify mechanical ventilation
- Duct Sealing
- Seal ducts
- Repair/modify ducts per work order
- Insulation
- Know insulation materials
- Know hazards of knob-&-tube wiring
- Know local attic ventilation codes
- Install blown & batt insulation
- Access & dense-pack sidewalls
- Install water heater blankets
- Insulate ducts & pipes
- Operate & maintain blowing machine
- Base-Load Measures
- Convert incand. lamps to CFLs, maintain light level
- Install low-flow showerheads/aerators
- Project Management
- Manage a crew of Installers
- Ensure Safe Work Practices are used
- Understand a work order
- Know building codes, esp. energy & H&S codes
- Order materials to avoid delays
- Maintain QC of wx work & ensure it meets pgm stds
- Warehouse materials as necessary
- Training
- Know adult learning concepts
- Know benefits of cross training
- Provide ongoing training
- Diagnostic Testing
- Blower door/zone pressure diagnostics
- Know air & heat movement principles
- Know typical air leakage problems
- Compute minimum ventilation rates
- Take blower door readings & interpret results
- Know air barrier & its proper alignment
- Know primary & intermediate zones
- Conduct zone pressure diagnostics
- Locate air barrier & determine its effectiveness
- Duct testing
- Know problems w/ different kinds of leakage
- Conduct pressure pan, duct blaster, or Delta Q
- Determine dominant duck leakage
- Measure & resolve room pressure imbalances
- Blower door/zone pressure diagnostics
- Combustion Appliance Safety
- Know CO action levels
- Know code requirements of:
- Vent sizing, materials, clearances, installation
- Safety shut-off devices
- Gas line sizing
- Combustion air
- Know causes & remedies of common vent problems
- Measure CO in ambient air
- Measure CO in vented & unvented appliances
- Measure CO of gas & propane stoves & ranges
- Clean & adjust ovens/ranges to remedy high CO
- Understand as-measured & air-free CO readings
- Detect gas, propane, and fuel oil leaks
- Conduct worst-case draft test of CAZ
- Measure steady-state efficiency of vented units
- Inspection and Measurement
- Know factors that affect heat loss in buildings
- Know critcal junction points
- Know R-values of different insulation materials
- Know different insulation mtrls & installation techniques
- Know air-sealing techniques & appropriate materials
- Know causes & remedies of moisture problems
- Know causes & remedies of IAQ problems
- Know residential mechanical ventilation systems
- Know min ventilation rates per appropriate ASHRAE 62
- Know electric base-load usage
- Measure building dimensions & compute areas
- Compute volume of conditioned space
- Define thermal envelope of a building
- Assess existing insulation & its R-value
- Business Management
- Employ U.S. citizens or properly documented aliens
Basically, you are in charge of making sure each and every job is done right⎯the most costeffective measures were correctly installed, the work was professionally done, and any potential health and safety hazards were addressed. This is of course an oversimplification. If it were that simple, a lot more people could do this job. But when you look at the detail of what goes into every job, it is not that simple.
You are many things.
Manager
You are managers in that you manage the crew so the job is done safely, effectively, and efficiently. You have to record materials used for your inventory system, you have to track your installations for your work plans, and you have to properly charge your installations to
the job.
You must maintain quality control on the job and make sure work is being done effectively and professionally.
Problem Solver
You are a problem solver. You may do the audit/estimate or you may be handed another person’s, but you have to understand what the work order calls for and then not only try to implement it on the job, but also identify the nuances and complications that inevitably arise
once you get into things.
Mentor, Trainer, and On-Site Supervisor
You are a mentor, trainer, and supervisor of the rest of the crew. You need to make sure that the crew members know what they are doing and are working efficiently. If they need help or do not understand, then you need to show them. If they are not working well or are goofing off, then you need to straighten things out. Your leadership will set the stage and motivate the rest of the crew.
Main Contact with Client
You are the main agency contact for the client. You will have more contact with the client than anyone from the agency. It is your demeanor and work style, more than anyone else’s that will make the lasting impression the client has of your agency and the Weatherization Program.
As if your responsibilities aren’t enough, the required knowledge and skills a crew chief must possess may even overshadow those responsibilities.
Building Scientist
You have to know all the field installation standards so the work you do meets all specifications and requirements.
You also need to know not only what, but you need to know how, too.
You need to know building science principles. You need a working knowledge of air and heat flow in buildings, factors that affect heat loss, construction features of a house, and the critical junctures where heat loss and air movement can unexpectedly occur.
Health and Safety Advocate
You need to understand the dangers of lead and know how to still do work while keeping the home and your crew lead safe. This also applies to moisture and mold, and other potential indoor air quality (IAQ) problems.
And of course, the crew chief always ensures the necessary equipment is on site, or the crew chief is adaptable.