Ever since I started in my father’s business back in the 1980s, we focused on wet (hot water and steam) heating systems. This is still the case today. Oftentimes, we are faced with doing a task that requires expertise outside of our specialty.

Masonry: Most of the homes and commercial projects we encounter have masonry chimneys. We regularly must seal up a hole in the chimney, add another opening to the chimney or make a minor repair. On some occasions, we must form and pour a new concrete pad for the new boiler and water heater. Other times, we will simply extend the pad for the new equipment. One of my brothers who used to work in the family business was actually very good at bricklaying. He could patch a hole in a brick chimney, and most people would never know there used to be a hole there.

Carpentry: We sometimes have to build temporary supports for the unhung system piping out of two-by-four wood studs. We build plywood panels for many of the wall-hung boilers we install, along with the required framing to support the equipment. We often add 2x4 blocks to support the newly installed gas lines or heating loops. Not that long ago, we were asked to reframe a doorway that was too small for the new equipment to fit into the boiler room (we did not specify the boilers). We have framed and installed louver doors many times over the years. A church we have been servicing for over 30 years asked us to make and install approximately 20 radiator covers years ago. Finally, we use dimensional lumber to make the forms for the concrete pads mentioned earlier.

Rigger: We sometimes need to move heavy equipment. It might be a base-mounted circulator pump, boiler, air separator, condensate station, etc. For our rigging jobs, we might use chain hoists, rigging straps, hand carts, pipes as rollers, four-wheel dollies, pallet jacks, bottle jacks, four-foot-long crow bars and, my favorite, the Johnson bar. I’m still amazed at how much leverage the Johnson bar gives you, especially when moving one-ton objects.

Insulator: On many occasions, we are required to insulate the piping after a repair or installation. We have insulated a few stud bays over the years after repairing a frozen pipe. We have insulated more than a few radiant slabs over the years. We have even insulated a few radiant walls and ceilings. Many years ago, we were asked to insulate all the mechanical room piping at a local church. This job was a disaster, as there were eight zones of heating and cooling pipes, plus the boiler piping, the chiller piping and the piping to the eight base-mounted pumps. After this job, we found a company that takes care of all larger pipe insulation jobs.

Painter: We have painted the boiler mounting panels mentioned above, indoor and outdoor gas piping, boiler vent and fresh air piping to match the building. We have also painted boiler piping when specifically asked to do so, as well as concrete boiler pads, existing base-mounted circulator pumps and nearby piping.

Electrician: We have run miles of low-voltage wire for thermostats and sensors. This wiring might run from the basement of a house to the newly installed third-floor heating zone. The wiring could be for an outdoor sensor three hundred feet away on the opposite end of an apartment building. We also work with line voltage wiring often when doing diagnostics and adding or updating controls. We also work with line voltage when wiring a new boiler, pump, emergency switch, etc.

Metalworker: I thought ironworker was a bit of a stretch, so I thought “metalworker” was a more appropriate term. We often use Unistrut/Kindorf/slotted channels to support our piping. The strut might be mounted to the ceiling, walls or floor. This is by far our preferred method of supporting items. It reminds me of my childhood when I spent many hours building with my erector set. We occasionally use sheets of heavy gauge aluminum when required to close fresh air openings on systems that have been converted to direct piped fresh air. Of course, we work with galvanized smoke pipes on a regular basis. On larger commercial condensing jobs, we often work with stainless steel AL29 type of venting.

Welding: We do not have the skills or certifications that are required for welding pipes or boilers. As such, we always hire a welder when required. However, we act as helpers on most jobs that require a welder. About all I am asked to do is to set hangers, carry steel pipe, bevel ends, occasionally I get to “tack” a spot or two and hold pieces in place for the professional.

As you can imagine, we hire firms that specialize in the trades listed above for all larger jobs. We prefer to do the heating-only aspect, but oftentimes it is not practical to call a “pro.” For example, we are finishing up an emergency install of a new boiler on a Friday afternoon. I don’t know of a mason that is willing to come to our job site to mortar up that 10-inch hole in the brick chimney for the new 6-inch smoke pipe we just installed.

When working at my own house, a family member’s house or a friend’s house, I take it for granted that we can hold our own in most trades. I think this comes out of necessity. Friends and family are often surprised when we mention we can do this or that.

I just realized something, if my friends and family read this article, my phone might start ringing off the hook for some free labor, yikes.