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Dead Men Tales
118 Episodes
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In this episode, Dan Holohan reflects on the Dead Men who came before us and the legacy they left behind.
In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the advice that changed his life.
In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the tale of how nominal pipe sizes came to be, as well as some comical work stories.
There’s long been talk about how to divvy up the heating expenses in buildings that have tenants. In this episode, Dan Holohan shares some methods he’s seen over the years in Europe and the US.
In this episode, Dan Holohan tells a story that has affected many homeowners since the 1970s and why you should always question whether that boiler feed pump should be there.
In this episode, Dan Holohan shares some of the things you have to watch out for when you're converting a steam system to a hot-water system.
In this episode, Dan Holohan takes us back to the 1930s when half of the buildings in the U.S. that had central heating had hydronics.
You can learn a lot from those who came before you. In this episode, Dan Holohan shares helpful (and somewhat peculiar) tips from the Dead Men.
In this episode, Dan Holohan walks through a job where the Dead Men used the top portion of each cast-iron radiator as a little compression tank.
In this episode, Dan Holohan shares all of the neat devices and techniques that the Dead Men came up with for steam-heating systems and how this knowledge can make you a better troubleshooter.
Steam-and hot-water heating joined hands a long time ago to make up what we today call hydronics. In this episode, Dan Holohan shares interesting stories from these two different sides of hydronics.
In this episode, Dan Holohan tells the fascinating story of how James and Reuben Trane's inventions shaped the HVAC industry.
In this episode, Dan Holohan tells the tale of a grand NYC building, a tenant set on modernizing his portion of the steam-heating system, and the mechanical mayhem that followed.
There's more to a steam-heating system flood than meets the eye. In this episode, Dan Holohan troubleshoots a problem with an old one-pipe steam system.
In this episode, Dan Holohan reflects on a time when apps were cardboard and contractors were delighted by them.
In this episode, Dan Holohan celebrates the unsung heroes who do the tough jobs that keep our cities running.
The second-most prevalent machine in the world is the pump. But this wasn’t always the case. In this episode, Dan Holohan shares how the arrival of pumps shaped the heating industry.
In this episode, Dan Holohan shares funny stories from the start of his career that involve a missing skyhook, an overly heavy roof drain, and some tough lessons.
Have you ever found yourself in some dank basement staring at (and totally appreciating!) the simple beauty of some old, one-pipe, gravity-return steam heating system? And then you decide that this system, which has gotten by without you for nearly a century, should have motorized zone valves. In this episode, Dan Holohan explains why you are doomed on the day that you make this fateful decision and how to recover from it.
In this episode, Dan Holohan shares some tips about old radiators that he’s picked up over the years from the Dead Men.





I'm a owner/operator of a HVACR business in Northern Indiana or "Michiana". At the beginning of this winter I stumbled upon "We got steam heat" at a air bed and breakfast my wife and I stayed at in Michigan. Big house with a huge steam boiler and beautiful cast iron radiators. The house didn't heat well and by chance your book was in the library and unfortunately never seemed to be opened. I read through that book and was so impressed with the way you are able to teach so effortlessly. I've only ran into one steam boiler in my area and didn't work on it because I had no clue what I was looking at. I didn't want to be a knucklehead! I'm happy I stumbled across your book because its an informative easy read. I am currently waiting on two more of your books to make it to my door step. Classic Hydronics and Pumping Away. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I'm very glad you started this podcast and wish you the best of luck! Dan Treadway dmtreadway17@gmail.com