Mickelson Plumbing & Heating, Missoula, Montana, specializes in plumbing, HVAC and boiler service, and high-efficiency systems. Starting his own business out of necessity, or perhaps the illusion of it, Andy Mickelson (@mick_plumb) launched Mickelson Plumbing & Heating New Year’s Day, 2011. I guess you could say it’s all part of Mickelson’s fabric and mental make-up—there Read more
boilers
Mickelson Plumbing & Heating, Missoula, Montana, specializes in plumbing, HVAC and boiler service, and high-efficiency systems.
Starting his own business out of necessity, or perhaps the illusion of it, Andy Mickelson (@mick_plumb) launched Mickelson Plumbing & Heating New Year’s Day, 2011. I guess you could say it’s all part of Mickelson’s fabric and mental make-up—there is no end result other than success. “I am a terrible loser; I hate not winning daily,” says Mickelson.
Turning the clock back to where it all began, Mickelson was eight years old when he got his taste of real hard work, helping out his father, a remodeling contractor. “It was easy to have my brothers and me helping out, and at that time, we were eager to get dirty and learn how to build things, and THAT has never stopped,” says Mickelson.
Soaking up knowledge whenever he had the chance, Mickelson has had many great mentors in his first shop, and the UA produces an incredible brotherhood of knowledgeable folks. “Dick Darne was one of the Journeyman that I learned the most from; he had a hip replacement, and a few weeks later I began my service career, carrying his tool bag and being his hands in the field when he couldn’t. All I had to do was listen to directions and retain the methods of his madness. The troubleshooting tactics I learned in a roundabout way were invaluable.”
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Nearly 10 years after venturing on his own, who could’ve ever foreseen the situation we are faced with today? “The first quarter was one of the best we’ve ever seen, but April produced only 68% of the average business produced in the first three months of the year,” says Mickelson.
Thankfully, Montana has seen fewer COVID-19 cases than the rest of the country, and the state has re-opened for business. But that’s not to say Mickelson isn’t taking the necessary PPE precautions, and Mickelson is screening all customers at this time. “For the most part, we are not taking on work that can be postponed.”
In general, needless to say, Mickelson loves what he does—creating solutions for his customers. “Service work allows me to do that several times a day. It’s a good thing.”
But thinking of going out on your own? A heavily-involved Boy Scout leader, Mickelson suggests taking its motto to heart—Be Prepared. “Plan, Plan, Plan. There are fantastic resources available to help people prepare to start a business. USE THEM! Also, you have to answer the simple question, am I ready to be a business owner first and a plumber second? If yes, then proceed. If no, rethink the approach get your mind right. Businesses hire good plumbers, not the other way around.”
And those who are thinking of getting into the trades? “Do it, unless you have a better plan that actually pays,” says Mickelson, but he stresses that we need to kill the stigma that the trades are all about hard work. Concerning to Mickelson, those who discourage others from entertaining the idea of becoming a tradesman based on the work being too tough or man’s work. “Anyone who indulges in this tactic is merely afraid of their own deficiencies and nervous about being replaced by someone who may work smarter or harder.”
Sure, there are aspects that are hard, continues Mickelson, but with continued education and exerting oneself, reaching a higher level of employment in the trades is a real possibility. Good work ethics and attitude are noticed—one may not hear about it—but it doesn’t go unnoticed. And, share the knowledge others have shared with you. “I have always found that it is far easier to share knowledge with a willing listener than it is to intentionally with hold it,” says Mickelson.
Mickelson’s career has afforded him a good life with his wife and two kids. “Family time is my favorite. Second would be exercising my 2nd Amendment rights. Both of which usually occur outdoors.”
Yet balancing work/family life is a careful endeavor for Mickelson. “It’s really easy for family to take a back seat and be lost in the hustle. I traditionally try to make sure that work is done during the day and that my ‘Night Shift’ doesn’t start until everyone has begun to wind down for the night. All in all, business has taught me to use my time efficiently, and set priorities, Family, friends, money, seems to be a good flow.
All in all, waking up every day is a blessing for Mickelson. “I’ve told my kids for years that they are the only person who can make their day a bad day, so go into battle and aim for a great day, and worst-case scenario it’ll be OK.”
ECR International, headquartered in Utica, NY, recently appointed Michael Klas to Director of Sales and Marketing. Klas’ responsibilities include overseeing the company’s brand and channel management as well as to lead the North American sale team. Klas comes to us from Uponor, a world leader in PEX tubing, where he held the title Director of Read more
ECR International, headquartered in Utica, NY, recently appointed Michael Klas to Director of Sales and Marketing. Klas’ responsibilities include overseeing the company’s brand and channel management as well as to lead the North American sale team.
Klas comes to us from Uponor, a world leader in PEX tubing, where he held the title Director of Sales for the Eastern region. He was responsible for both the heating and plumbing sides of the business with P&L responsibility, and led a team of RSMs, Commercial Managers, FSRs and manufacturer’s reps.
Prior to joining Uponor, Klas spent five years with Viessmann in New England and previously held similar sales management positions with HTP and Lochinvar.
Mike is a degreed engineer from North Carolina State and comes to us with a wealth of experience in hydronics with much of it focused on condensing boilers and in-floor heating. His background, technical knowledge and experience will allow him to quickly contribute to ECR and serve our customers.
“Michael’s multi-faceted background in the hydronic industry and his significant experience within the high efficiency segment will serve him well in leading our North American sales and marketing teams,” said Ron Passafaro, CEO, ECR International. “Mike has experience in all steps in our distribution channel and understands the needs of distributor and contracting customers. We look forward to his leadership to increase market penetration throughout North America across all of our brands and products.”
As we work out our first few installs of the the ADEY MagnaCleanse I wanted to share a few quick videos ProStaff’er Andy Mickelson has posted on his Instagram account. Andy has a older radiant system he’s been working on in Montana that has thousands of feet of Onyx tubing and some major corrosion with Read more
As we work out our first few installs of the the ADEY MagnaCleanse I wanted to share a few quick videos ProStaff’er Andy Mickelson has posted on his Instagram account. Andy has a older radiant system he’s been working on in Montana that has thousands of feet of Onyx tubing and some major corrosion with a terrible buildup of iron oxide within the heating solution.
The ADEY products; the MagnaClean magnetic filter, MagnaCleanse magnetic filter flush station and chemicals all work together to filter an entire hydronic system of efficiency-robbing elements. The magnetic sludge, as you’ll see in the short 60 second video posts can cause failure of system components such as circulators, valves, air eliminators and flow controls; depending on the type of heat-exchanger used at the heat source the debris can even cause total failure from restricted flow and over-heating. Please watch for future posts here on The Hub and our social media pages as I will be installing and using the ADEY products on some of my installs as well.
The owner of a 2,800-square foot home in New Milford, Penn., was experiencing uneven heat throughout the residence, limited hot water and high utility costs. The installation of a new hydronic heating system helped drive home significant energy savings and ensure that “no place like home” feeling. Kirk Walthers, owner of the two-story residence on Read more
The owner of a 2,800-square foot home in New Milford, Penn., was experiencing uneven heat throughout the residence, limited hot water and high utility costs. The installation of a new hydronic heating system helped drive home significant energy savings and ensure that “no place like home” feeling.
Kirk Walthers, owner of the two-story residence on Main Street, sought a quick solution to alleviate his heating woes – not only for the comfort of himself and his family, but also because he rented space in the home to a hair salon business.
“We had an old steam boiler with a cracked block, and hot water heaters that were not providing adequate warm water,” said Walthers. “We figured it was time upgrade to a more efficient system to make the home more comfortable for us and guests – with the hope of reducing our utility bills in the process.”
Walthers contacted Jay Haggerty, owner of Haggerty’s Comfort Plus in New Milford, Penn., to handle the upgrade.
“An older model oil-fired steam boiler had exceeded its useful operating life and was not providing even heat throughout the home,” said Haggerty. “Additionally, an electric hot water heater was aging and inefficient.”
With the city planning to upgrade his neighborhood to natural gas in the near future, Walthers requested specification of a boiler that could operate on propane now and convert to gas later.
Haggerty recommended replacement of the old boiler and installation of a WM97+® 100K BTU boiler from Weil-McLain® – a unit that operates via propane or natural gas. The WM97+ is a wall mount boiler featuring a condensing stainless steel fire tube heat exchanger design and up to 95% AFUE.
Haggerty also specified a new Aqua Plus® indirect fired water heater to replace an electric 50-gallon unit.
Haggerty and team removed the old boiler and installed all new connections and ran copper piping in the boiler area. Installing the piping in some areas proved challenging.
“Part of the house was situated over a crawl space and navigating that space was challenging,” said Haggerty. “The house was built on large 8 x 8 square beams all the way around and we had to drill holes to get the pipe and tubing through the spaces.”
Walthers handled the removal of all of the steam radiators himself and Haggerty’s team installed the hot water baseboards.
The entire project was completed in less than two weeks.
“I’ve been using Weil-McLain systems since I’ve been involved in the heating business, and I’ve always liked them,” said Haggerty. The company provides great tech support and we’ve never had any issues with warranties.”
Walthers has experienced several benefits from the new Weil-McLain boiler and hot water heaters.
“The installation was a smooth process,” said Walthers. “And, the new water heater provides enough hot water for us and meets the needs of the salon.”
Walthers also appreciates the improved comfort in the home.
“The new heating system is quieter, takes up less space than the steam unit and produces a much nicer warmth,” said Walthers. “In fact, the house has never before been so comfortable.”
Most importantly, expensive heating bills are a part of the past.
“We’ve experienced drastically lower heating costs since the boiler installation – nearly 50% or better savings on those expenses,” added Walthers. “We actually have a credit on our propane bill now because we had paid ahead.”
Energy-efficient, reliable, space-saving unit features leading-edge condensing technology for residential applications Burr Ridge, Ill. – (September 26, 2016) – Weil-McLain® introduces the new AquaBalance™ combination boiler, featuring leading-edge hydronic technology for smaller space residential applications. The state-of-the-art unit combines the warmth of high-efficiency space heating and the convenience of on-demand domestic hot water in a Read more
Energy-efficient, reliable, space-saving unit features leading-edge condensing technology for residential applications
Burr Ridge, Ill. – (September 26, 2016) – Weil-McLain® introduces the new AquaBalance™ combination boiler, featuring leading-edge hydronic technology for smaller space residential applications. The state-of-the-art unit combines the warmth of high-efficiency space heating and the convenience of on-demand domestic hot water in a reliable, space-saving, easy-to-install package.
With a capacity of 155,000 BTUH input, the AquaBalance combi-boiler produces a constant supply of hot water with up to four gallons per minute (GPM) at 70 degrees F. temperature rise.
Featuring 94.4% AFUE energy efficiency, and the industry’s latest stainless steel, titanium-infused heat exchanger technology, the AquaBalance is ENERGY STAR®-rated to deliver maximum operational cost savings to homeowners and provide qualification for local utility rebates, if available.
The unit is ideal for retrofits or new construction in single-family homes, apartments or condominiums.
“The AquaBalance has a wide range of advanced features to deliver energy efficient, worry-free space heat and domestic hot water in a sleek, compact design that’s small enough to fit in a closet,” said Mike Boyd, product manager with Weil-McLain. “The unit’s high-efficiency condensing technology has the power to supply hydronic heat for up to a 2,500 square-foot home and enough hot water to run two showers and a dishwasher simultaneously.”
The combination boiler features an aesthetically pleasing design and simple, user-friendly controls to make installation and operation easy for contractors and homeowners.
“The AquaBalance unit also streamlines the installation process as it eliminates the need to hook up a separate boiler and hot water tank,” said Boyd. “Fewer pipes and less connection points translate into reduced set up time and a more efficient installation.”
Other features of the AquaBalance include:
- Low NOx rated – low emissions level achieved South Coast certification
- Proven Honeywell® boiler controls with digital display
- Unique 3-in-1 vent adapter approved to accept PVC, CPVC, stainless steel or polypropylene vent materials
- Easy electrical connection points and plug in cord
- Heavy gauge insulated jacket for quiet operation
- Removable sides for easy service
- Available as natural gas or propane (LP) gas operation with conversion kit
The AquaBalance joins the Weil-McLain family of boilers that includes the industry’s widest selection of high-efficiency gas and oil-fired boilers for residential and commercial needs.
To learn more about the AquaBalance boiler, visit http://www.AquaBalanceboiler.com or contact a Weil-McLain regional sales office at www.weil-mclain.com/en/weil-mclain/about-us/locations/.
About Weil-McLain
Weil-McLain® is a leading North American designer and manufacturer of hydronic comfort heating systems for residential, commercial and institutional buildings. Founded in 1881, Weil-McLain is based in the Chicago suburb of Burr Ridge, Ill., with manufacturing facilities in Michigan City, Ind., and Eden, N.C., and regional sales offices throughout the United States.
Weil-McLain hydronic boilers and indirect-fired water heaters integrate the latest in advanced controls and materials using cast iron, stainless steel and aluminum with sophisticated heat exchanger technologies that deliver optimum energy efficiency and reliability. Architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers and homeowners rely on Weil-McLain to address a variety of comfort heating needs. Products are engineered with aesthetics, functionality, safety and structural tolerance in mind. Additional information is available at www.weil-mclain.com.