Richard Trethewey is the heating and plumbing expert on the popular PBS home improvement show “Ask This Old House.” For an October 2018 episode, Trethewey met with homeowner Scott Sanders, who needed to replace an ailing 20-year-old electric tank water heater.

As public drinking water quality has come under more scrutiny in recent years, reverse osmosis (R.O.) systems have become increasingly popular in homes and businesses as alternatives to costly bottled water and water delivery services. R.O. systems remove unwanted contaminants, bad tastes and odors from drinking water by forcing municipal or well water through a semipermeable membrane.

Mmanufacturer of air-to-water heat pumps called asking if I would be willing to visit a home to perform a heat loss/gain calculation where two of its heat pump systems had been installed and determine why the home was not heating and cooling to the homeowners satisfaction.

That prophetic little quote from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” pretty much sums up where our industry is today with residential ECM circulators. So many myths, many of them downright crazy, make it nearly impossible to make clear-headed and smart decisions for your customers.

I’ve been discussing with clients lately about scaling/growing their companies, and they fear that it will just be more stressful and possibly put a damper on their lifestyle and personal freedom.

When John Kopf eventually gets around to designing and building his own house, he will go with hydronic heat instead of a more traditional forced air system. Kopf knows a thing or two about heating, having spent more than 20 years in the industry. He currently serves as boiler product manager for Navien.

Twenty-five years ago, I wrote a story for this fine magazine. I titled it, “Only Gus Touch.” Over the years, many people have told me they still remember that tale and ask if I can send them a copy. Sure, why not?

Over the years, our office has received requests for design assistance for systems involving two hydronic heat sources, each in different buildings, where the expectation is to have either heat source supply heat to either building.

It was still hot and sweaty in the midday sun just a couple of days after Labor Day in New York, and at first glance, you’d think we were out in the yard in the dead of winter.

A strategic plan allows you to be proactive in controlling your business, instead of reactive.