AHR Expo 2024 is in the books! Early reports stated that roughly 50,000 attendees travelled to Chicago from January 22 through 24 to see the latest and greatest technology that the heating, cooling and plumbing industry has to offer, and they weren’t disappointed. For those of you who stopped by our booth (we displayed our …Read More
Search Results for: usboiler report
24 hour Tech Support in a Box!
USB-Connect Tool-Features, Benefits and Application by Tom Secondino,Technical Sales Support Specialist This month’s article will cover the benefits and usage of our new USB-Connect app and Bluetooth adapter. What does USB-Connect do for you? Enhanced diagnostics? Got it. Step by step tutorials including illustrations on everything from fuel conversion to troubleshooting? Yep! Missing a manual …Read More
USB-Connect Service Tool-Application, Usage and Benefits
As our industry grows more complex, the role of the service technician becomes more challenging. After having a career as a service technician, contractor, and now as a member of the Heating Solutions Sales tech team, I appreciate the struggle a field tech can have when faced with multiple manufacturers offering a wide variety of …Read More
The Profitability of PR in the Trades
By Tom Soukup, Principal of Patriot Water Heater Co. and Patriot Pool Heating Company Public relations (PR) is a term you don’t often hear associated with small HVAC businesses. But think about it in its simplest form. Anything you do to interact with or improve your relations with the public is, in fact, PR. Some …Read More
AHR Show Returns, Stoking Industry Excitement
The HVAC/R industry’s largest trade show made a solid comeback after a one-year, COVID-induced hiatus. Las Vegas hosted the 2022 AHR trade show January 31-February 2. The city, which depends heavily on conventions, seemed thrilled to have heating and cooling professionals back to visit and exhibit. There was widespread, cautious optimism concerning turnout at the event, given …Read More
Comfortable, Quiet Steam Boiler Heat in NYC
New York City still runs on steam heat. From the countless Brownstones that line its streets to the high-rises and universities served by Con Edison’s steam utility, vaporized water reigns king in the Five Boroughs. Saying that David and John Cataneo Jr. cut their teeth on cast iron steam boilers wouldn’t be a stretch. They …Read More
Navigating Supply Chain Challenges in the HVAC Industry
By: Allie Perez If you are looking for good news about the state of the supply chain, look elsewhere. The consequences of the supply chain shortages and delays are felt daily by HVAC business owners and contractors. The cold hard truth is that the supply chain issues, not to mention inflation, are showing no signs …Read More
Recruit and Retain Tradeswomen Through Inclusivity
By: Allie Perez Inclusivity, a multi-syllabic word inundating the vernacular of today’s culture. The word implies including those who would otherwise be outcast or marginalized. Tradeswomen are no stranger to being marginalized in their non-traditional occupations. Being an inclusive employer is more than just being willing to hire women. Inclusivity is a cultural shift in …Read More
Making the SteamMax – A Steam Boiler for Modern Challenges
By Ed Johann, Senior Engineering Advisor, U.S. Boiler Company – Aka Dinosaur Emeritus My email signature concludes with a tongue-in-cheek job title of “Dinosaur Emeritus,” accompanied by a graphic of a dying Tyrannosaurus Rex. It’s funny but true; I’ve been in this industry a very long time. Not quite as long as steam heating systems have …Read More
The Grim Outlook for Plastics, Parts and Polymers
By: Allie Perez Contractors are no strangers to adversity. The pandemic started a snowball effect that still has HVAC and plumbing professionals reeling. Just as COVID restrictions loosened, Mother Nature went into full attack mode. Winter storms and the blockage of the Suez Canal took no time to rear their ugly head. The summer ushered …Read More
Hydronics = Affordable Fresh Air
By Rich Medairos, Director of Engineered Products & Systems Training, Taco Comfort Solutions The scientific community now has a preliminary grasp on how large a threat the novel COVID-19 virus poses. What’s yet unknown – among building design professionals and the skilled trades – is the impact that the virus will have on commercial building …Read More
TBros: 119 Years and Counting
Trethewey Brothers opened its door in 1902 on Washington Street in Roslindale, Massachusetts. Now, four generations later, it’s still family owned, but by two families. “I became a partner in 2010, but I’ve been with the company for 35 years,” said Mike Flanagan. “Bob Trethewey, whose uncle George retired about 11 years ago, is also a …Read More
It Ain’t What You Don’t Know – Boiler Water Quality Review
By Tom Secondino, Technical Sales Support Specialist for U.S. Boiler Company Two young fish were swimming along one day and happened across a much older fish swimming towards them. As they passed, the older fish smiled and said, “Hey boys, how’s the water?” The two younger fish glanced at each other and swam past. A …Read More
The Skilled Trades are Essentially Essential
By: Allie Perez The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought new words into the average American vernacular. One such word, thrown around at every press conference or piece of proposed legislation; “essential.” On March 16, 2020, President Trump outlined specifically which industries fall under “essential.” Classified under the jurisdiction of the Cybersecurity and infrastructure Security Agency …Read More
Uber for HVAC Parts
Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber and Lyft all have something in common, despite the fact that the first two companies move food and the latter two move people. These new(ish) services provide custom local transportation, and they do it fast. Sure, taxi cabs and pizza delivery services have accomplished the same tasks for decades. The tides are …Read More
Filling the Skilled Labor Gap with the Unemployed
By: Allie Perez Indisputably, the United States finds itself in the midst of a skilled labor shortage. Baby boomers continue to retire and leave skilled labor jobs unfilled. High school students flock to colleges leaving skilled labor jobs unfilled. Unable to fill existing jobs limits a company’s ability to attract new business with not enough …Read More
Corona Consequences: The Virus’ Effect on the Skilled Trades
By: Allie Perez The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected every business and industry in the world. Whether business is considered “essential” or “non-essential,” all businesses have had to cope with changes to employment, safety and financial stability. Within the construction industry, divides between critical business for infrastructure versus new industrial construction sites have fueled …Read More
Tips for a Successful High Efficiency, Condensing Boiler Installation
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company A successful high efficiency, condensing boiler installation starts with proper planning and proper boiler sizing. Yes, this means you must complete a thorough heat loss calculation. I often ask in training seminars, “Is it more important to properly size a cast …Read More
Local For-Profit Companies Improve Life at Nonprofit Women’s Shelter
At Clare House, a non-profit transitional home dedicated to serving homeless women and their families in Lancaster, PA, it’s a typical day. Mothers are getting ready for work while simultaneously preparing kids for school or daycare. The phone rings frequently while the families are out for the day. Maryanne O’Neill, Clare House Executive Director, answers questions …Read More
High Country Hydronics
Hydronic Country. What comes to mind? New England? New York? Maybe even the northern Mid-West, but likely not the New Mexico-Colorado border. You might be more surprised to learn that southern Colorado is full of steam systems. Steam showed up here in force just a few scant decades after the Colorado Territory became the Centennial …Read More
The History of Apprenticeship and What We Risk Losing
By Allie Perez Apprentices may not affect daily life directly, but they are a pivotal component of the skilled trades industry and its future. Famous painter Leonardo Davinci reflected, “Poor is the pupil who does not surpass their master.” As an artist, Davinci lived as an apprentice before success and fame. Once he owned his …Read More
Hiring Green: Part 2
Last month, the US Boiler Report covered Dustin Ebersole’s concept of hiring green employees and training them to become the technicians he needs to grow his company. Ebersole owns High Efficiency Solutions, a small mechanical company, and he believes that green hires, as opposed to hiring trained and experienced techs, might be the key to building …Read More
Controlling Multiple High Efficiency Boilers with Energy Management Systems
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company As many of you are aware, we can operate up to 8 high efficiency boilers in a lead/lag system with just a boiler enable to the master boiler and a handful of Cat-5 cables. There is much more to this story. …Read More
Oil to Gas in the Hamptons
In the Hamptons, where some of Long Island’s highest real estate prices are found, custom homes of all sizes line the South Shore. The well-appointed residences are typically built for extravagant entertaining and large groups of visitors. Numerous bathrooms, lavish soaking tubs and multi-head showers are the rule, not the exception. “Nine times out of ten, …Read More
Building a Life in the Trades
Regardless of the career path, the surest track to success is dedicating oneself to the craft. Anthony Ortiz is a 39-year-old project manager for Gateway Plumbing and Heating, in New York City. He recently passed his Master Plumber’s License exam, and loves just about every element of his work. But his future wasn’t always so …Read More
When the Cobbler Gets His Shoes
People like to dream about what they’d do if given the opportunity to build their forever home. Maybe it’s a massive, luxurious abode designed for entertaining, or an architectural masterpiece with copious use of glass, open spaces with clean lines. Others might opt for smaller floorplan, green elements and a tiny carbon footprint. For Michael …Read More
Hiring Green (Part 1)
A strong economy over the past year has been a blessing for most businesses, though for many HVAC contractors there have been times that it has felt like a curse. New construction and renovations are up. Homeowner confidence is high, creating a surplus of replacement work, too. But the manpower challenge still exists: too much work …Read More
Race Across America
There are only so many hours in a day. What we fill them with is up to us. Usually, work consumes the largest portion of our time, especially when working in the trades as of late. Then there are kids and spouses who require, and deserve, a good deal of our attention. After that, typically, …Read More
Single-Family New Construction Increases
Lititz, Pennsylvania, has not seen a strong single-family, new construction market for almost a decade. However, due to recent growth, the economy in the southeastern part of the Keystone State is on the rebound. With interest rates still low, small business slowly blossoming, and nearby Lancaster City in the midst of a revitalization effort, framing …Read More
Looking to expand your marketing? Go digital.
By Billy Marshall, CEO, ServiceTrade Why do service contractors wrap their trucks and vans with logos, brand promises, and contact information? Simple. As they deliver service in their coverage area they want both their customers and prospective customers to see their brand in the neighborhood. Ideally, the logo and the brand promise are memorable, and …Read More
Mobile Live Fire Boiler Training
Among the services a manufacturer’s representative can provide to an HVAC contractor, few are as valuable as training. If the training is mobile, even better. After all, it’s easier for one rep to travel to the contractor’s place of business than to have a whole crew of technicians drive to the rep’s office, on the …Read More
Steam Boiler Skimming
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company Skimming a steam boiler is the process of removing any oil from the water volume. If not completed properly, the presence of oil can cause the boiler to surge, as the water’s ability to flash to steam is affected. While U.S. …Read More
A Steam Solution of Historic Proportions
The building at 20 West 44th Street in Manhattan ranks high on the list of historically significant places in New York City. It’s home to The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, which began in 1785. As the name implies, it was founded by a group of mechanics, tradesmen, free thinkers and entrepreneurs who vowed …Read More
Burnham Holdings Center for HVAC Technology At Thaddeus Stevens Expands College Program
Born with physical disabilities on a Vermont farm in 1792, Thaddeus Stevens grew up in a poverty-stricken, broken home. His father died in the war of 1812 when Stevens was 12 years old, leaving his mother to run the farm and raise a family. She knew that the only promising future for her two eldest sons …Read More
As Good As It Gets | Conigliari Plumbing & Heating, Flanders, NJ
David Conigliari has been in the plumbing and heating trade since 1985. He’s watched northwestern New Jersey grow, and with it, the demand for premium comfort. “Efficiency has always been a major determining factor when it comes to product selection and system design, but more and more, comfort is becoming as big a consideration,” said Conigliari. “There …Read More
Hydronics 101 for Homeowners
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company In our quickly changing industry, it can be a continuous struggle to keep up with advancing technology, trends and codes. And if you – who spends every day doing it – feel a bit overwhelmed at times, how do you think …Read More
Women in Energy Coming to EEE: Growth, Education, Networking
One of the fastest growing organizations within this male-dominated industry is comprised largely of women. Women in Energy was founded in 2017 to give women in our industry an arena to connect, learn, grow, and succeed. In 2016, when Marjorie Feinman, Associate Director of Fuel Merchants Association of NJ, and Judy Garber, Executive Director of …Read More
Women Trailblazers of the Mechanical Contracting Industry
By Candace Roulo On a January Sunday morning, I came across the article “Last Michigan WWII Fly Girl Dies at Age 97” in the Detroit Free Press. Her name was Jane Doyle and she was one of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during WWII. The article was an interesting read as I wondered why …Read More
Heavyweight Bout – Sales vs. Install!
Does your business involve one person selling the job and others installing the job? Fair enough. It is a functional, typical approach that can result in the right people doing the right things for your customers. It also results in a natural dynamic between the install team and the sales team. That dynamic can be …Read More
New Condensing Boilers for Colorado Church
When Temple Baptist Church, located in Pueblo, CO, needed to replace their oversized, antiquated boilers, they called Moose Plumbing & Heating. Jason Mulso – whose friends call him “Moose” – started the company in 2005. He and his two employees serve southern Colorado. Residential work is the focus, but they do enough commercial work to …Read More
Is My Boiler Too Small?
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company If a client’s home is not as warm as they want it to be on extremely cold nights, they may question: “Is my boiler too small?” Do not automatically blame the boiler size. Another issue or a mix of several …Read More
The Warmest Yard
Super Bowl LIII is almost upon us! Before too much longer, we’ll watch the New England Patriots battle the Los Angeles Rams. As you slip into your recliner to watch the last game, you might complete a mental rundown of your Fantasy roster and what you wished you had done differently. Perhaps the thought of …Read More
That Dreaded Combustion Test
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company It is late in the day, you’re tired, hungry, dirty and looking forward to going home and spending time with the family over a cold beer. Before heading home, you take a few minutes and marvel at the heating masterpiece you …Read More
Hydronic Retrofit Yields 33% Fuel Savings for Elementary School
Some HVAC companies focus exclusively on home comfort. Others concentrate on commercial work. And then there are those that operate effectively in both markets. Bob Ives, president of Bow Plumbing and Heating Corp. in Bow, New Hampshire, explains that they specialize in home comfort, but their frequent high-efficiency boiler work makes his company a name …Read More
Alpine Multiple Boiler Installations
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company Some large homes and many commercial boiler applications will include installations of multiple boilers. The Alpine high-efficiency condensing boiler will allow up to eight boilers to be piped and wired together, all controlled by a single master boiler. The master can …Read More
Folds of Honor
For many of us, Veterans Day serves as a brief reminder of the sacrifice that our past and present armed service members make in order to protect the freedom we all enjoy. For others, that sacrifice is an ever-present consideration. Military men and women have paid a toll for which we cannot reimburse them. But …Read More
Business Basics: The ONLY Three Ways to Grow Assets
You can turn around a bad financial situation if you are willing to apply some ‘bare bones’ business basics. In business, there is ultimately one financial scorecard: The Balance Sheet. Every other financial report is a subset of the balance sheet. The Balance Sheet equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity Assets = Claims on the Assets. This …Read More
The Proper Disposal of Boiler Condensate
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company The decision to install a high efficiency, modulating, condensing boiler inevitably leads to some responsibility regarding disposal of condensate. While visiting jobsites to assist contractors, I’ve seen a multitude of ways that condensate is removed from the boiler room to be …Read More
When Recruitment Efforts Go Big League
With cooling season winding down and the depths of heating season still a few months away, now might be as good a time as any to consider what your company is doing to keep the ranks full. Have you made a concerted effort at recruiting new employees in the past year? Could you use an …Read More
Tracking Trends of Success
There’s almost no limit to the type and variety of mechanical firms that install and service heating systems across this great nation. Family-owned, local, state-wide, nationwide, union, non-union, commercial-only, residential-only, industrial, full-service or tightly focused. What really separates them, however, is their reputation, stability, and profitability. The greatest disparity between them is not their size …Read More
Woman-Owned, Quality-Driven
Deb Page and her husband Jim have written their own playbook for success, and it looks a lot different than most. The husband/wife team balances work, family and philanthropy with a flair that’s uncommon in modern American society. About seven years ago, Deb, after learning the ropes of the mechanical trade from Jim, decided to …Read More
U.S. Boiler Company’s Condensing Evolution
By Ron Beck, Outside Technical Advisor and Manager of Training for U.S. Boiler Company You may not realize it, but as heating contractor, you have a tremendous influence in what our company makes. A good example of this can be found in how our condensing boiler line has evolved over the past twelve years. In …Read More
A Contractor’s Real Mission
This month’s contractor feature story covers Antigua Mechanical in Manchester NJ. The company is interesting not only because it is a woman-owned firm, but also because the owner, Deb Page and her husband, Jim, have found a way to weave international and local philanthropy into the company. Or maybe… the philanthropy wove itself in. Their …Read More
Ditch the Yellow Pages (If You Haven’t Already)
Use Vehicle Wraps, Website Services, and Word of Mouth to Increase New Customer Leads By Candace Roulo As a new homeowner, I quickly realized how important it is for contractors to market and advertise their companies online. In our modern culture, contractors need to be utilizing online marketplace services such as Angie’s List and Home …Read More
Built to Serve
Service comes in a lot of different shapes and sizes. It can be as simple as lending a hand to someone in need, volunteering for a community project or, working in a line of duty that requires sacrifice or courage. Some people thrive on providing service. These individuals seem to check all the above boxes …Read More
Residential Indoor Air Quality Retrofits – Answers to a Growing Need
By Mike Lee, Regional Director for Steve Lee & Associates Ahhh, AC season. Time to think Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). But depending where you live, allergies are not the only airborne irritants, nor is late spring and summer the only time that brings these woes. 2017 was the year the West burned. Heavy snowpack and …Read More
New System Tool Gives Hydronics a Seat at the Table
For many years, HVAC industry professionals have lamented the inadequacy of efficiency ratings to evaluate different system types equitably, especially in the commercial realm. Suffice it to say, the cornucopia of dissimilar efficiency rating systems (EER, IEER, SEER, AFUE, COP, etc.) for different commercial HVAC equipment makes the task of comparing real-world, as-applied system efficiencies …Read More
Financial Troubleshooting Tips
Do you have an accounting mess on your hands? It happens! Here are a few tips and tricks for finding and fixing the loopholes in your accounting program. Financial Tips and Tricks: Understand and accept that it may be you. I often hear something along these lines, “That number wasn’t there yesterday! It must …Read More
Honesty Sells Itself
John Romano entered the trades the way most folks do. He began as an apprentice with a medium-sized mechanical company and learned as much as he could. His boss was a great teacher and a boiler mastermind. After years of learning and doing, Romano became a licensed plumber and a very savvy hydronic technician in his …Read More
Tips For A Successful Cast Iron Water Boiler Installation
I will always preach that a successful cast iron water boiler installation begins with proper planning. I worked for an oil company for 20 long years, and 9 years of that I was a Service Manager. During this time, I came across many problematic jobsites. I would evaluate the installation issues and try to figure …Read More
Combined Heat and Power
Have you ever wondered what kind of mechanical system you would build if the entire focus of the project was to maximize energy efficiency and minimize operating expenses and carbon footprint? In the commercial realm, that daydream might include what’s called “combined heat and power,” (CHP), also known as “Co-generation” (Co-gen). These systems continuously supply …Read More
Hydronic System Simplicity
Complex hydronic systems are so 2008, at least according to Mechanical-Hub ProStaffer Andy Mickelson, who owns Mickelson Plumbing and Heating in Missoula, MT. His three-man shop does plenty of high-end residential work, and their recipe for success, serviceability and efficiency includes a heavy dose of “keep it simple.” On a custom home, where some contractors may …Read More
Dealing with No
“NO!” This word usually stands between you and something you want. No wonder it is such a tough word to hear. But if you are going to survive in the heating and cooling industry, you are going to have to learn to hear “no” for an answer! You may say that you don’t want to …Read More
A Bunker Boiler in Boston
The seemingly endless list of Boston neighborhoods is nearly as famous as the iconic accent in which they’re typically pronounced by locals. Worcester is pronounced Woostah, Harvard Yard is, of course, Hahvuhd Yahd, and everyone knows that Southie refers to South Boston. Boston Standard Company serves most of these areas. And while Joseph Wood, the firm’s …Read More
Tips for a Successful Steam Boiler Replacement
U.S. Boiler’s technical service line receives many calls throughout the year from contractors, distributors, and our factory sales reps pertaining to multiple boiler installation scenarios. In fact, some of the Beck Tips I write about stem from these calls and questions. This month, I will address a call we receive a lot. The conversation goes …Read More
Drones Find Work in the Trades (Part 2)
In case you missed it, last month’s issue of the US Boiler Report featured an article about the use of drone technology in the HVAC trade. Alan Perlman, founder of Drone Pilot Ground School, weighed in with some additional information about operating drones commercially and acquiring a professional drone pilot’s license from the Federal Aviation Administration …Read More
Drones Find Work in the Trades
Drone, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Small Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS)… Call them whatever you like, but they’re popping up everywhere, pun intended. And while your kids might own one, they’re not just playthings. When drones most often make headlines, it’s either something recreational (like drone fishing – Google that and thank me later) or obnoxious …Read More
Sitemap
This sitemap is provided to help visitors find their way around our site. If you’re unable to find what you’re looking for here, please try the menus or search tool above to find the topic that interests you. Home Find a Contractor Register Your Product Find a New System Explore U.S. Boiler Company Products High …Read More
Important Safety Information for Models ESC-SCG-PVG Boilers
Check Your Boiler Check your boiler’s model number to see if it is affected by this recall. If you need assistance locating your boiler model number, please reference our Boiler Identification Guide. The first three characters of your boiler model number will start with ESC, SCG, or PVG. Here are a few examples of ESC, SCG, …Read More