Dead Men Tales

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During HeatingHelp.com’s Dead Men Tales podcast, industry expert and master storyteller Dan Holohan shares the stories behind the work and fun facts you may not know about heating history.

Dan Holohan, HeatingHelp.com


    • Dec 27, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 8m AVG DURATION
    • 118 EPISODES

    4.9 from 41 ratings Listeners of Dead Men Tales that love the show mention: dan, work, always, steam heat.



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    Latest episodes from Dead Men Tales

    The Legacy of the Dead Men

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022 9:52


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

    Pivotal Advice

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2022 8:37


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

    Pipe Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022 9:05


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2022 8:59


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 8:41


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2022 8:47


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 9:42


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2022 8:48


    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!

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2022 7:23


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2022 9:21


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 9:51


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 8:39


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

    Grabbing the Elephant

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2022 9:00


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2022 8:34


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 7:43


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

    Unsung Heroes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2022 9:28


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

    Adventures in Pumping

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2022 8:40


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2022 8:14


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2022 8:37


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2022 9:25


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2022 6:27


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

    The Jal Fitting

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2022 9:15


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022 7:37


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2022 10:16


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2022 7:03


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2022 7:18


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 9:05


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2022 8:41


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2022 8:07


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

    Old-School Solutions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2022 8:32


    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!

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2022 8:42


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

    Heating Boston's Old North Church

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2022 9:42


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2022 8:18


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2022 8:13


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

    Hidden Radiators

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2022 9:33


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2022 9:19


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2022 7:49


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

    A Dead Men Secret

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2022 8:16


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2022 8:31


    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?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2022 9:14


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2022 8:54


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2022 7:54


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2022 9:42


    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.

    Air Vents and American History

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2022 10:11


    The automatic air vent didn't come easily to the heating industry. It took hard work and a lot of very inventive thinking. Hearing this story will help you sharpen your troubleshooting skills.

    District Steam

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2022 7:42


    In this episode, Dan Holohan time travels back to 1905 when Washington, D. C. was pondering the promise of a soon-to-be-installed district heating system.

    What Ray Taught Me

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2022 8:33


    We all had to start somewhere, right? In this episode, Dan Holohan recalls a lesson learned the hard way and a mentor who had a brutal brand of kindness.

    How To Kill A Boiler

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2022 8:36


    In this episode, Dan Holohan shares a murder mystery involving a troubled heating system and a well-intentioned suspect.

    Special Tees

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2022 8:08


    In this episode, Dan Holohan tells us about the inventive tees used in early hot-water heating systems.

    The $37 Million Steam Trap

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2022 10:05


    Ignoring preventative maintenance can have disastrous consequences. Take this story, for instance.

    Events That Shaped Heating History

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2022 9:01


    From explosions to inventions, Dan Holohan shares a timeline of events that impacted the heating industry and the fascinating stories behind them.

    The Redflash Reckoning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2022 9:34


    In this episode, Dan Holohan tells a story about a mansion with two Ideal Redflash boilers, each with a rating of 500,000 Btuh.

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