Radiator Paint Colors
Ever wonder why so many of the old radiators you see are painted silver? Back in the day, they were mostly plain grey metal, but then the Spanish Influenza arrived during...
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.
Find help by category
Recent Articles
Pumping Away Piping
This is an excerpt from Dan Holohan’s book Pumping Away and other really cool piping options for hydronic systems. Since you've read this far, I figure you must be pretty...
Search or Research?
I was having dinner in Canada with some friends and we got to that point in the meal where the waitress asked about salad dressing. "What do you have?" one of the guys as...
Water Quality with High-Efficiency Boilers
The majority of the hydronic boilers we install today are low-mass, modulating condensing boilers. Sure, we still install a few atmospheric cast iron boilers on occasion,...
A Practical Manual of Steam and Hot-Water Heating (1911)
A Practical Manual of Steam and Hot-Water Heating was written by Edward Richmond Pierce in 1911. This will give you a glimpse into what heating was like during that time ...
Steam-Boiler Water Feeder Patent (1879)
William C. Wolfe's circa-1879 patent for a water feeder shows an invention that is remarkable simple and fully automatic. It's probably one of the earliest feeders to app...
SelecTemp Modulating Zone Heating
Turbonics offered this unusual steam system, which Iron Fireman had come up with years before. It was called SelecTemp and offered self-modulating zone heating. Thanks to...
Hydronics - A Profitable Non-Growth Business
Over the years, I've asked friends in this business where the hydronics industry is located. They shake their heads and look confused. "I mean if you had to get in your c...
Old Radiator Ratings
If you're replacing a steam boiler, there's only one right way to size that boiler, and that's to measure the radiators. If you're replacing a hot-water boiler, you'll do...
It's About Time
Years ago, back when he was still making magic in his family's business, I'd get together with Al and his brother Richie, The Man Who Can Fix Anything. We'd go into old h...