Columns

RSS

Several years ago, I had the opportunity of visiting the Mostra Convegno Expocomfort show in Milan, Italy. It ranks right up there with the famous ISH show in Frankfurt, Germany, as a “bucket list” event for those who are passionate about hydronic heating and plumbing.

Many of us have heard the term, ‘The Great Resignation,’ in describing the massive amount of employee turnover the last few years. In 2021, federal data shows nearly 50 million workers left their jobs for various reasons — higher pay, new career opportunities and more. With an already strained job market in the skilled trades, employee retention is more important than ever.

Most construction contracting businesses, including plumbing and HVAC companies, are required to secure licenses before they are legally allowed to work in many states. However, the laws and requirements for licensing vary from state to state. One common condition of obtaining a license as a plumber or HVAC technician in most states is to secure plumbing or HVAC bonds. These bonds are required by various states to protect consumers and the state from potential losses caused by an HVAC technician or plumber. Here is some general information about the process of becoming licensed and bonded for plumbing and HVAC contractors.

Because plumbing is one of the most essential building systems, demand for plumbers and excellent plumbing work continues to skyrocket. There are currently more than 480,000 licensed plumbers in the U.S. — a number that is expected to increase by nearly 16% over the next three years to meet current shortages.

The plumbing industry is a stable industry. There is never a shortage of people who need plumbing work on their homes, businesses or apartment complexes, and this constant demand makes owning your own plumbing company an appealing opportunity for many prospective buyers. However, starting your own company from the ground up can be difficult.

There has been a lot of private equity activity in the service trades since the COVID-19 lockdowns. Suddenly, boring old businesses gained monetary sex appeal when they were declared essential and could continue making money while many other local businesses were effectively shuttered. This has led to a land rush for good service contracting businesses and many plumbers have grabbed the brass ring while the grabbing was seen as good.

I always seek out the Bradford White booth to see what’s new and visit with friends both old and new. It was fun catching up with Carlos Morales because we had worked closely together several years ago in the development of the company’s gas-fired tankless water heater line. Lois and I had the opportunity to beta-test a number of tankless models and report back on their performance. Stability of delivery temperature; showering while other hot water usages ran simultaneously or intermittently; and, of course, attempting to max out the full-flow capacity.

The most effective leaders understand that leadership is more than just giving orders and dictating how things should be done. It’s about understanding the unique needs of everyone in your company (or department) and finding a way to lead in a fair and compassionate manner.

Morris had me on the phone. It was 1974 and he was calling from Brooklyn, New York. I had a waxed handlebar mustache that year, and my workmates at the manufacturers’ rep were calling me Rollie Fingers because he was pitching for the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.

Last month, we discussed the role of buffer tanks in combination with air-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps that operate as “on/off” devices. The key concept was to turn the heat pump on and off based on changes in the buffer tank temperatures and not based on thermostats calling for heat.