Watts is helping bring heat to a Nebraska veteran’s tiny house—soon enabling him to live in a heated home for the first time in years. The project in Hubbard, Nebraska, is a partnership between “Project Veteran Tiny Home” in Hubbard, Nebraska, and Support Siouxland Soldiers in Sioux City, Iowa. Recently, the “Tiny Home” project lead Read more
Radiant heating
Navy veteran Rick Lewis outside his new home.
Watts is helping bring heat to a Nebraska veteran’s tiny house—soon enabling him to live in a heated home for the first time in years.
The project in Hubbard, Nebraska, is a partnership between “Project Veteran Tiny Home” in Hubbard, Nebraska, and Support Siouxland Soldiers in Sioux City, Iowa. Recently, the “Tiny Home” project lead contacted Watts, who, in turn, donated 500 square feet of its SunTouch WarmWire heating cable, Command Thermostat, plus related supplies.
The home is one of a growing number of “tiny homes” in the U.S., which meet a variety of low-cost housing needs. When finished, the veteran’s 500 square foot home will include a bedroom/living room, full kitchen, a bathroom, and will enable him to leave the camper where he lived previously.
“We finally got everything installed and it’s warm! I cannot thank you enough for everything,” said Heather Millard, the project lead, who approached Watts after living for years in a home with a Watts heating system. “Rick (our veteran) was so impressed!” For more information about SunTouch heating systems, go to SunTouch.com.
Playing it Cool with Radiant Thursday, May 21, 2020 12 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDT Radiant heating is a widely recognized technology, one that’s respected for delivering superior comfort and energy-efficient operation. But what about the ability for radiant cooling solutions? Take good notes! Guest speaker Max Rohr, REHAU Marketing and Academy Manager, will explain the Read more
Playing it Cool with Radiant
Thursday, May 21, 2020
12 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CDT
Radiant heating is a widely recognized technology, one that’s respected for delivering superior comfort and energy-efficient operation. But what about the ability for radiant cooling solutions? Take good notes! Guest speaker Max Rohr, REHAU Marketing and Academy Manager, will explain the physics of absorbing heat energy through a network of pipes and discuss application considerations for an energy efficient system design for radiant cooling.
You’ll learn:
→ Is comfort a number on a thermostat? Do designers have more or less more control options?
→ Why are hybrid radiant/forced-air systems the best way to handle sensible and latent loads?
→ Condensation?! No sweat. How do you avoid condensation in a radiant cooling system?
→ What is the most humid U.S. city with a radiant cooling project?
→ What inputs does your control system need to operate a radiant cooling system?
→ What are the most common installation types for radiant cooling projects?
Max Rohr is a graduate of the University of Utah. He currently serves as REHAU Academy Manager (Leesburg, Va.). Max is a self-described hydronics and thermostat nerd. He has worked in the hydronics and solar industries for 20 years (or however many years Hot Rod is willing to admit to the Division of Child Labor) in the installation, sales and manufacturing sectors.
Turning wrenches since he was 17 years old, George DeJesus (@georgetheplumber) considers himself relatively lucky during these crazy times were going through, as the service calls are still trickling in, with some days bit slower than usual. During the current state of the trades during the pandemic, DeJesus says it’s hard going into customer’s homes Read more
Turning wrenches since he was 17 years old, George DeJesus (@georgetheplumber) considers himself relatively lucky during these crazy times were going through, as the service calls are still trickling in, with some days bit slower than usual. During the current state of the trades during the pandemic, DeJesus says it’s hard going into customer’s homes right now, but he is taking the necessary precautions to take to keep himself as safe as he can. Pandemic or not, “I’ve learned to never get too comfortable that the jobs are going to come in,” says DeJesus. “You have to give great customer service so you get called the next time.”
DeJesus transferred to a trade school during his junior year of high school and got his first plumbing job at 17, and he hasn’t looked back. “High school just wasn’t for me. Finding this trade was my savior; I could have gone down a very bad road but I got a job, learned this trade and found I could be good at something. From there, it was easy to apply myself. I continue to learn every day, and teach when I can,” says DeJesus.
Having worked with various companies throughout the years has helped DeJesus become very well-rounded, learning more skills with each experience. For the past two years, DeJesus has worked for All Clear Plumbing and Drains, Succasunna, N.J., where he specializes in boiler and drain cleaning residential work, finding gratification in troubleshooting the most difficult service work jobs. “I love being a plumber. It’s hard work but when you have a difficult job and figure it out, it leaves you with great satisfaction,” says DeJesus.
DeJesus considers himself very fortunate to have had many mentors over the years, but perhaps none more influential than his father, a very hard working and dedicated general contractor. “There are new skills to be learned and I try to learn as much as I can about each position I take. The friends that I have met through the years are great guys and I love learning and sharing skills I know with them.”
What advice would DeJesus give to someone thinking about entering the trades? “It’s hard work but a good living. Don’t be lazy. If I’m showing you how to do something, pay attention and get involved. Keep your phone in your pocket. Measure twice and cut once,” says DeJesus.
One outlet DeJesus has found most satisfying and beneficial is social media. “I have definitely found social media to increase my friendships and knowledge,” says DeJesus. “It’s amazing that no matter how much you think you know, you can still learn more. I talk to most of my Instagram friends more than the friends I have locally. They can relate to what struggles come with the job and can celebrate the triumphs. I’m so thankful to have been able to make friends with so many great people.”
A proud install: oil-to-gas conversion; boiler was moved from one side of the house to the other to gain space. Added a zone of heat in the addition with a stat.
Yet one of DeJesus’ biggest struggles is balancing work and family time. In his “spare time,” DeJesus likes going to the movies with his wife and family, and he enjoys taking day trips and weekend trips. “I tend to put too much into my work. Even on my days off or when I get home, I tend to be catching up with IG and social media,” says DeJesus. “Lately, I’ve been trying to teach my kids some of the trade, and I do listen to my wife when she tries to focus me back to family time. Well, most of the time.”
In the end, DeJesus is a craftsman and he is proud of the work he does, and it shows. In fact, when asked when the last time he said, “Man, today is a great day!” he responded that it happened last week with his last boiler install. “I stepped back and felt that it was probably one of my best and favorite installs.”
With hard work and his willingness to get better, the trades have been good to DeJesus. You get what you put into it. “Not many people can say they make six figures and don’t even have a high school degree … well, at least working legally!” says DeJesus.
Taco Comfort Solutions’ Near-Boiler Trim Kit provides a quick and convenient way to purchase all the accessories needed for near-boiler piping. The Near-Boiler Trim Kit comes in premium, advanced and select configurations, and is available in 1” and 1-1/4” sizes so installers can select the kit that fits their needs. All versions of the kit Read more
Taco Comfort Solutions’ Near-Boiler Trim Kit provides a quick and convenient way to purchase all the accessories needed for near-boiler piping.
The Near-Boiler Trim Kit comes in premium, advanced and select configurations, and is available in 1” and 1-1/4” sizes so installers can select the kit that fits their needs. All versions of the kit include air separators, boiler feed and backflow preventer, 4.5-gallon expansion tanks, and all fittings and connections.
The trim kits are designed for easy installation and are ASSE listed.
For more information, visit www.TacoComfort.com
Taco Comfort Solutions offers the 4900 Series magnetic dirt separator to provide dual-action dirt separation for closed loop hydronic heating systems. Both hydronic component lifecycle and efficiency are improved with the use of an effective dirt separation system. Taco’s 4900 Series magnetic dirt separator utilizes a powerful, 13,000 gauss magnet in addition to patented PALL Read more
Taco Comfort Solutions offers the 4900 Series magnetic dirt separator to provide dual-action dirt separation for closed loop hydronic heating systems.
Both hydronic component lifecycle and efficiency are improved with the use of an effective dirt separation system. Taco’s 4900 Series magnetic dirt separator utilizes a powerful, 13,000 gauss magnet in addition to patented PALL ring technology.
The 4900 Series magnetic dirt separator efficiently separates microscopic particles including dirt and magnetite from hydronic fluid with minimal pressure loss. The unit is easily blown down (cleaned) by opening a valve at the bottom of the vessel.
Available sizes range from ¾” to 2” NPT and from ¾” to 1-1/2” sweat. The unit’s maximum operating temperature is 250°F and maximum pressure is 145 PSI.
For more information, visit www.TacoComfort.com.