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Systems Help Center

Our comprehensive HVAC Systems Help Center covers a wide range of HVAC-related topics, including air conditioning and heat pumps, geothermal, hot-water heating, thermostats and controls, solar, steam heating, and warm air. We also have a section of informative and entertaining articles to help you sharpen your HVAC business skills. And our Heating Museum is a captivating journey through the evolution of HVAC technologies. 

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Recent Articles

Steam Boiler Ratings Explained (Video)

In this video, Dan Holohan explains steam boiler ratings. When you look at a boiler manufacturer’s catalog, you’re going to see Input, D.O.E. Heating Capacity (Gross), an...

Published on 03/09/2020 2:43 PM by Dan Holohan
Posted in Steam Heating
Steven Gold's Mattress Radiator

Dan Holohan shares his knowledge about the first safe and successful steam radiator for house heating. Steven Gold patented his "mattress" radiator on October 3, 1854. It...

Published on 03/06/2020 3:06 PM by Dan Holohan
Posted in Steam Heating
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Technology

Our daughter, Erin, bought our business in 2016 when Marianne and I retired. Erin is of an age where she is more comfortable with technology than I am, and she was the br...

Published on 03/06/2020 10:22 AM by Dan Holohan
Posted in The HVAC Business
GE Atomizing Boiler

Here is some information about the GE Atomizing Boiler. The first part of this document comes from the 1960 Audel Oil Burner Guide, written by Frank Graham. The second pa...

Published on 03/02/2020 11:23 AM
Posted in Heating Museum
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Choosing The Trades

It’s four years ago, and 8th-grader Paige Knowles is walking down new corridors and thinking about her future. She’s able to get a glimpse of the different labs, but the ...

Published on 02/26/2020 1:27 PM by Mikayla Knowles
Posted in The HVAC Business
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Spitting or Hissing Air Vents

Here are some reasons why the air vents are hissing or spitting water on your one-pipe steam heating system (and where to look for solutions). The system is dirty. Steam ...

Published on 02/25/2020 11:23 AM by Dan Holohan
Posted in Steam Heating
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The Pipes, The Pipes Are Calling!

If you look at the pipes in your old steam system you’ll notice that most of them are made of black steel. This was the standard in the old days. Nowadays, some contracto...

Published on 02/19/2020 10:45 AM by Dan Holohan
Posted in Steam Heating
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The Wedgie Factor

Comfort is a funny thing. When we have it, we’re usually not aware of it. It’s just there.

Published on 02/12/2020 12:19 PM by Dan Holohan
Posted in The HVAC Business
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Keep It Simple

Once upon a time, when a manufacturers’ rep was foolish enough to hire me and teach me enough to be dangerous, I suggested to my boss that he would be very smart if he al...

Published on 01/28/2020 11:17 AM by Dan Holohan
Posted in The HVAC Business