Have you ever done this: Called up one of your competitors, assumed a fake voice and asked, “How much do you charge?” Go ahead. Admit it. We’ve all done it. If you took Economics 101 in high school or college, you learned that selling prices for goods and services are determined by “what the market will …Read More
US Boiler Report
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
Troops to Trades
As the bulk of skilled tradesmen and women in the United States approach a decade or less before retirement, fewer Millennials are pursuing a career in the trades despite rewarding pay and job security. According to ManpowerGroup, in 2012, 53% of skilled-trade workers in the United States were 45 years or older, and almost 20% …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
A New Paradigm
While hydronic system growth across most of the country is slow, Metro Detroit is seeing a bit of a water-side resurgence, at least in certain segments. And it’s appearing where people are demanding the best. “We’re installing more boiler systems now than ever before,” said Joe Sullivan, president of Paradigm Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc. “We’re …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
3 Etiquette Skills Every Plumbing and Heating Business Owner Should Master
You can develop better relationships, make more sales, and enjoy less turnover when you are polite. Here are a few vital “how to” tips: 1. How to Shake Hands Stand about an arm’s length from the person whom you wish to meet. Extend your hand, fingers long, so that you can clasp the whole …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
Eastern Energy Expo Makes a Big Splash
Celebrating the third year that the Oil and Energy Service Professionals (OESP) and Eastern Energy Expo (EEE) shows have been combined, both organizations pulled out all the stops. The show was held at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut on May 20 – 23. “Attendance was great,” said Ralph Adams, president of OESP. “The floor …Read More
Coffee Shop Lessons
I’ve had about a thousand jobs. I’ve handed out cheese samples in the mall. I’ve hawked frozen pizzas in the supermarket. I’ve taught skiing and windsurfing. I’ve been a grape-picker, a maid, and a lifeguard. And, before I got into the plumbing industry, I spent a lot of time working in restaurants. Perhaps the job …Read More
The Legacies We Leave
To quote an old country song, “I guess it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you… It’s what you leave behind you when you go.” Maybe this concept applies to situations aside from our own mortality. Maybe this thread should follow us through each chapter of our lives; career changes, moving …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
Hire Your Best Team – In ONE Day!
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could magnetize, hire and orient your best team ever in a single day? Let me share a neat strategy engaged by one of my clients. Then, try it yourself and let me know how you made out! Pick the One Day… Put the date on the calendar. A Friday …Read More
Proposal Software – Efficiency, Accuracy, and Options in Bids
Being an early adopter of new technology is generally a good thing. Sure, it can take a little longer to learn than it would once the technology has gone mainstream. But even with the longer learning curve, you’re still way ahead of the crowd. Bill Buffington considers himself an early adopter. He has always been on the …Read More