Pumping Away & More w/ Dan Holohan (Podcast)

Dan Holohan speaks to Bryan about his background and journey as a writer. He also dives into his book, Pumping Away, and describes classic hydronics as he does in his book. Bryan and Dan also briefly discuss the difference between search and research.

Dan is a prolific writer, and one of his most famous works is The Lost Art of Steam Heating. However, this episode primarily focuses on Pumping Away: And Other Really Cool Piping Options for Hydronic Systems. Although Dan has retired, his daughter has ensured that his books will continue to remain in publishing for years to come.

Pumping Away is about the piping genius of Gil Carlson. Carson was one of the founding fathers of hydronics. Carson’s main contribution to hydronics is the idea that circulators need to pump away from compression tanks. Hydronics systems use steam, hot water, and gravity furnaces for heating. Boilers and radiators were not common in the public sphere at that time. As Dan describes in his book, hydronics is a relatively old technology. Many American buildings used hydronics to control the temperature in buildings before the days of World War II. Dan’s conversational prose and easy-to-understand drawings bring hydronics to life in his readers’ minds.

Dan’s advice for the new generation’s technicians is to recognize their value. When young people recognize their value, they can take ownership of their knowledge. However, empowering the next generation also requires new technicians to share their knowledge readily. The trade thrives when technicians share their knowledge and don’t see the trade as a competition where people try to get a jump on each other.

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