Dan Holohan

Dan Holohan: The two sides of hydronics

A history lesson on the two profitable sides of hydronic heating.

August 11, 2021

Steam-and hot-water heating joined hands a long time ago to make up what we today call “hydronics.” Both systems run on water, and they’ve been around for hundreds of years. The Institute of Boiler and Radiation Manufacturers coined the term hydronics in 1946 to make the science of heating a building with water sound sexy — like “electronics.”

Dan Holohan: Baseboard adventures

Sometimes you have to re-think the usual way of doing things.

Dan Holohan

June 25, 2021

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So this fella comes up to me after a hot-water seminar and tells me about a problem he's having with this copper-fintube baseboard loop he installed in this big hall with a bunch of offices. "I can't get the end hot," he said.

Dan Holohan: The subtlety of steam

Help your customer be a better troubleshooter.

Dan Holohan

June 7, 2021

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You may think steam is just, well, steam. But there’s a lot more going on when it comes to steam heating a building.

Dan Holohan: Sludge, scale and bouncing boilers

Understanding the causes of pipe scale.

Dan Holohan

May 5, 2021

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Clogging up heating surfaces is sort of like having all the traffic lights in your town turn red at the same time, and then stay red.

Dan Holohan: What's not in stock?

Hear directly from the contractor what they want from your inventory.

Dan Holohan

March 26, 2021

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I asked a bunch of heating contractor friends what was missing from their wholesaler’s stock and how they felt about that. They had some interesting things to say and I thought you might want to listen in.

Dan Holohan: Your body is a radiator

Use understanding of body temperature to sell radiant heating.

Dan Holohan

February 26, 2021

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Ever been to Ocean City, Maryland? It’s a summertime wonderland, and I was lucky enough years ago to get hired to do a seminar on hydronic radiant heating for a group of contractors who were having a conference there.

Dan Holohan: What is heat?

If you want to be a heating expert, you first have to understand what heat is.

Dan Holohan

January 28, 2021

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Before I retired in 2016, I’d get a lot of calls from lawyers who wanted to hire me to be an expert witness at a trial. They were almost always representing a building owner. I always said “no thank you,” because I like to keep stress out of my life.

Dan Holohan: Nearly famous heating quotes

Certain quotes always stick with you.

Dan Holohan

December 28, 2020

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Gil Carlson, who was the first person to come up with many of the hydronic concepts we take for granted today, was also my teacher. He would often say, “For a difference to be a difference, it has to make a difference.”

Dan Holohan: Trade resolutions

Ideas for a new year.

Dan Holohan

November 30, 2020

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It’s that time of the year when we’re supposed to get ready to make a resolution or two that will last a few weeks until we slouch back into our usual routines. You know how it goes. The stationary bike sure makes for a great clothes hanger, doesn’t it?

Dan Holohan: Will it help?

Asking yourself this question before speaking can change your outlook.

Dan Holohan

October 28, 2020

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If you’re lucky in life, you’ll occasionally have a conversation with someone that will stay with you forever. Maybe it was something your spouse said when you least expected it, or perhaps it was your child showing you a reflection of the sky in a puddle after a storm.