Dead Men Tales

The Legacy of the Dead Men

December 27, 2022 09:30 - 9 minutes - 9.05 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan reflects on the Dead Men who came before us and the legacy they left behind.

Pivotal Advice

December 20, 2022 09:30 - 8 minutes - 7.9 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the advice that changed his life.

Pipe Stories

December 13, 2022 09:30 - 9 minutes - 8.32 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the tale of how nominal pipe sizes came to be, as well as some comical work stories.

Divvying Up the Utility Bill

December 06, 2022 09:30 - 8 minutes - 8.23 MB

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.

Mistakes Were Made

November 29, 2022 09:30 - 8 minutes - 7.95 MB

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.

Trane Whistles

November 22, 2022 09:30 - 8 minutes - 8.05 MB

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.

Learning from the 1930s

November 15, 2022 09:30 - 9 minutes - 8.89 MB

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.

Dead Men Tips

November 08, 2022 09:30 - 8 minutes - 8.07 MB

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.

Many Tanks!

November 01, 2022 08:30 - 7 minutes - 6.77 MB

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.

How Steam Traps Can Bite You

October 25, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.58 MB

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.

The Two Sides of Hydronics

October 18, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 9.03 MB

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.

Seeing The World In A Different Way

October 11, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.93 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan tells the fascinating story of how James and Reuben Trane's inventions shaped the HVAC industry.

Grabbing the Elephant

October 04, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.24 MB

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.

The Unseen Damage of A Flooded Steam System

September 27, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.85 MB

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.

Cardboard Apps

September 20, 2022 08:30 - 7 minutes - 7.07 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan reflects on a time when apps were cardboard and contractors were delighted by them.

Unsung Heroes

September 13, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.67 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan celebrates the unsung heroes who do the tough jobs that keep our cities running.

Adventures in Pumping

September 06, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.94 MB

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.

The Tenderfoot Years

August 30, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.55 MB

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.

A Disastrous Decision

August 23, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.9 MB

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.

Old Radiator Tips

August 16, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.63 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares some tips about old radiators that he’s picked up over the years from the Dead Men.

Why Compression Tanks Waterlog

August 09, 2022 08:30 - 6 minutes - 5.91 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the history of expansion and compression tanks, along with some troubleshooting tips.

The Jal Fitting

August 02, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.48 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan tells the story of Irwin “Jal” Jalonack and his decision to use hydronic radiant heating in 18,000 Levitt homes in the 1940s and 50s.

Running Down A Heating Mystery

July 26, 2022 08:30 - 7 minutes - 6.98 MB

There are always undeniable truths when you're troubleshooting, but sometimes we miss them because we arrive at the job with our minds made up already. In this episode, Dan Holohan solves heating problems by getting back to basics.

The Dopey Kid Who Used To Wear Your Clothes

July 19, 2022 08:30 - 10 minutes - 9.41 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan tells the comical tale of a life lesson learned the hard way.

How One Missing Pipe Can Make All the Difference

July 12, 2022 08:30 - 7 minutes - 6.47 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the solution for a common problem in areas where contractors add hot-water zones to steam boilers.

Dangerous Dan and the Hole in the Ground

July 05, 2022 08:30 - 7 minutes - 6.69 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan tells you a tale that will keep you spellbound, of Dangerous Dan and the hole in the ground.

The Magic of a Simple Air Vent

June 28, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.32 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the story of how the air vent made quite an impression on those who were able to afford this relatively new thing called steam heat in 1924.

The Hartford Loop

June 21, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.96 MB

From 1879 to 1891 there were 2,159 reported steam boiler explosions in the US. In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the story behind a piping configuration that saved boilers and lives.

The Foundry

June 14, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.44 MB

Boilers don’t come from catalogs. In this episode, Dan Holohan takes you to a foundry where boilers are born.

Old-School Solutions

June 07, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.82 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan takes you to a circa-1871 loft building in NYC and shows you how Paul and Joe are running a large steam-heating system without steam traps using tricks from the Dead Men.

So Thorough. So Quiet!

May 31, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.98 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan spins an on-the-job tale that will leave you laughing.

Heating Boston's Old North Church

May 24, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.9 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares a story about replacing the boiler on the unique heating system in Boston's Old North Church, as well as some Dead Men tips for a false-water-line bottle.

How Diaphragm Tanks Came To Be

May 17, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.6 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares some little-known stories about how diaphragm tanks were invented, as well as advice that will come in handy on the job.

Pump and Circumstance

May 10, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.53 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares the story of Smokey and how pumps can create air problems in hot-water heating systems.

Hidden Radiators

May 03, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.74 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares how the Dead Men installed indirect radiation in wealthy customers’ homes. It combined heating with ventilation and discretely hid radiators.

Adventures in Steam Heating

April 26, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.53 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares some basic principles of how steam heating systems operate and why opportunity knocks for those who work on them.

Uncle Tony

April 19, 2022 08:30 - 7 minutes - 7.15 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares some funny stories about his Uncle Tony and this wonderfully wacky business.

A Dead Men Secret

April 12, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.57 MB

The Dead Men had a clever solution for balancing gravity hot-water heating systems. They told each other about it, but they never wrote it down so that you and I, stuck in the 21st Century would know. In this episode, Dan Holohan shares this secret that was almost lost to history.

How They Rated Radiators

April 05, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 7.8 MB

From the paint-the-floor method to the American Radiator Company's Institute of Thermal Research, Dan Holohan explores how the Dead Men developed radiator ratings.

When It Comes to Boilers, How Old Is Too Old?

March 29, 2022 08:30 - 9 minutes - 8.46 MB

In this episode, Dan Holohan shares stories about a quest for the oldest boiler, a near-death experience, and century-old equipment that has nine lives.

Voices From The Past

March 22, 2022 08:30 - 8 minutes - 8.15 MB

It’s amazing what old heating systems can tell us if we pay attention to the details left by the Dead Men who installed them.

The Significance Of The Fire

March 15, 2022 08:30 - 7 minutes - 7.23 MB

The Irish made fires that never went out. The fire in the hearth was for cooking and for warmth, and it smoldered for hundreds of years in some cases. In this episode, Dan Holohan reflects on his heating heritage.

Quiet May

March 08, 2022 09:30 - 9 minutes - 8.88 MB

The May Oil Burner Company made an oil burner they called Quiet May during a time when just about everyone in America who had central heating was burning coal. To overcome this obstacle they didn’t just sell an oil burner. They sold intangible things such as better health, a cleaner home, more free time, more family togetherness, peace of mind, convenience, and more living space.

Episodes