Let's get hitched: boiler to indirect water heater union
Wayne and Jean are like most of our retired customers: They are concerned about rising fuel costs, are on a fixed income and they want some ideas about...
Solutions simplify boiler checks, protect PCs
A new software program, Versentia for Boiler Inspection, enables efficient and accurate gathering and managing of documentation required of contractors...
Hydronic radiant heating options, Part 3
At the end of last month's column, I mentioned a product that was recently introduced to me as a “potential threat” to my business as a hydronic heating contractor. Sure, I said, bring it on. I always want to know what the enemy has up its sleeve. That's the work of a wise warrior....
A water temperature device is like a switch
A boiler water temperature controller is just an on and off switch that controls water temperature. How simple can you get! It's like a thermostat, but...
Problem solving for performance issues
What are the most common yet challenging problems for managers to address? It's not material shortages, as-built discrepancies or even weld defects. It's...
It's all about me: marketing in a slow economy
Mildly out of breath, I take my place on the back row in exercise class among a couple dozen health seekers. The first four words should give you a clue...
Just the facts about those pesky headhunters
Over the years I've gotten many emails asking about dealing with professional executive employment recruiters or They all boil down to two general questions:...
A 30-second lesson on project management
My wife and I were lounging about on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday just being more or less quiet and happy and talking gently about the things the...
Your IRA just got better much better
Three cheers! Now you can, under new rules, use your IRA and other retirement plans to make your children and grandchildren very rich. Later, I will explain...
New contract docs: do they make a difference?
The American Institute of Architects updates its form documents on a regular basis, and the A201 General Conditions (1997 Ed.) were slated for review...
If it's flushable, it sells, even if it's not
Move over tampons, you've got competition! The term certainly is a catchy phrase. Add safe for sewer and septic systems and you've got a very powerful...
Alternatives to hydronic radiant heating, Part 2
We ended last month's column (p. 36) having looked at the individual wire core circuit type of electric radiant heating system. I failed to mention that...
Mobile tracking offers decrease downtime
Here are two mobile solutions that can help HVAC contractors substantially improve worker productivity and minimize lost downtime. The first is a well-executed...
Why this branding thing is driving me crazy
Branding, schmanding. The next person who tells me they want to their plumbing business may actually get a hot iron e-mailed to them. Somebody out there...
Water jetting sewer and drain lines
One of our first introductions to water-jetting sewer drain-line cleaning machines took place while a commercial high-pressure jetter was on site cleaning the downstream side of a parking lot grease trap. The building’s food court PVC drain line left the building to enter a large 1,500-gallon grease trap and returned to rejoin the building’s......
Cleaning out my New year’s closet
It’s that time of year when I take a deep breath and pray upon the past year, throw darts at a dartboard to get my net profit goal for next year and roll a single die to determine what percent of salary ...
The great (inadvertent) 401(k) rip-off
Raise your hand if your company has a qualified retirement plan (QRP). Your QRP can be a 401(k), profit-sharing plan, SEP-IRA, pension plan or any one of the many other QRPs. If so, listen up. Chances are this column is going to make you and your employees money — lots of money....
Online solutions save time and then some
Adobe Acrobat Professional (www.adobe.com) provides an effective way to create, manage and share PDF documents over the Internet. This latest edition, Version 8, has a host of new features and enhancements, many of which would be helpful to contractors and subcontractors who want to communicate and collaborate with all team members during design and review cycles. ...
How to Win the Life Insurance Tax Game
Enriching the IRS with your life insurance dollars — death benefits — at your family's expense makes my blood boil. Turning the insurance tax table on the IRS makes me one happy camper. You too can join the tax-saving fun. Become a happy camper....
The Long Journey to Conservation
High efficiency furnaces and boilers that can hit 96% or better, inverter heat pumps and A/C units with 11-HSPF and 21- SEER, ground source heat pumps peaking at 31-EER and gas-fired water heaters achieving 99% efficiency! All of which exceed the requirements for an Energy Star rating. The industry and we have done very well in promoting responsible conservation of our finite resources – or have we?...
Columnists
Avoiding the Top Five Local Marketing Mistakes
The goal of small business owner is to drive new business. So how can plumbing contractors avoid the common local marketing pitfalls that claim so many...
Watching a killer at work, Part 1
We have all had this phone call. Even if its not one of our own installations, we still have a moral obligation to address the situation to the best of...
What? Everybody doesnt agree with us?
Just about everybody in the industry thinks of himself as one of the good guys and the industry in general as being on the right side of the issues. After...
When leads, sales dont come, whos to blame?
The majority of plumbing contractors hit a rough patch from time to time. The key to overcoming it is knowing what went wrong and what to do about it....
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