The company I work for did it again.

Steamhead (in transit)

starting your own company?

Gordon and I did. Best move we ever made, should have done it much sooner.

If you know steam, you'll have plenty of work.

<A HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=367&Step=30">To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"</A>

Mike D

I posted pics about 2 months ago of a hacked in Peerless hot water boiler. This time they hacked in a 400,000 btu steam boiler. Sorry I didn't get pictures this time.

I am a servicetech for this company but they sent me over to help put this boiler together. So we get ready to start piping and I make some suggestions to the old timer who is supposed to be teaching 3 new installers on how to pipe steam boilers. Well my suggestions were too much work and I was asked to leave the job.

About a week later I get a call for that property and they are complaining of lots of banging and little heat. So I get down there and find he capped off 1 of the 2 risers, Hartford loop was all wrong, and the equalizer was tapped into the riser about 10 inches above the waterline. I told the customer we would have to fix some of the piping.

About1 hour after the call the boss calls me screaming that I don't know what I'm doing and I never installed a boiler in my life and the old timer has installed hundreds. The next day me, boss, and the old timer went to look at the job. Neither one would admit to seeing any problems so as a punishment for opening my big mouth I had to redo his mess the next day.

Now the properly piped boiler is purring like a kitten and the owner couldn't be happier. The boss still thinks I'm an a--hole for looking out for his company and wont acknowledge that I have any knowledge of steam heat.

Leo

Unless

Unless you like working for an idiot you should have started two months ago to look for a new job. It took me two and a half years but I landed something that I am very satisfied with.
Do you really thing the boss is going to change? If it happens again before you find a new job keep your mouth shut and let the customer keep calling the boss.

Leo

Unknown

Mike

That`s a difficult situation to be in for yourself, but one that we all see very often in the "competition market". If I were you, an employee of this guy, be very "tight-lipped" on what you say to the HO as they will call him,(your boss), and tell what you said before having a chance to report it to him yourself. Now you have made your employer look even worse to the HO by "turning up the heat" under his butt! Is there any way you could work with, instead of against, your boss to convince him that you do have some knowledge in these areas of heating? Obviously as you did repair this system, that should tell him "something" of your skills. It`s tough to "teach an old dog new tricks", but hang-in there, and don`t let this one job "go to your head"! Come off "cocky" and he`ll resent you for it! Good Luck!

Dave

jackchips_2

Mike,

> I posted pics about 2 months ago of a hacked in

> Peerless hot water boiler. This time they hacked

> in a 400,000 btu steam boiler. Sorry I didn't get

> pictures this time.

>

> I am a servicetech for

> this company but they sent me over to help put

> this boiler together. So we get ready to start

> piping and I make some suggestions to the old

> timer who is supposed to be teaching 3 new

> installers on how to pipe steam boilers. Well my

> suggestions were too much work and I was asked to

> leave the job.

>

> About a week later I get a

> call for that property and they are complaining

> of lots of banging and little heat. So I get down

> there and find he capped off 1 of the 2 risers,

> Hartford loop was all wrong, and the equalizer

> was tapped into the riser about 10 inches above

> the waterline. I told the customer we would have

> to fix some of the piping.

>

> About1 hour after

> the call the boss calls me screaming that I don't

> know what I'm doing and I never installed a

> boiler in my life and the old timer has installed

> hundreds. The next day me, boss, and the old

> timer went to look at the job. Neither one would

> admit to seeing any problems so as a punishment

> for opening my big mouth I had to redo his mess

> the next day.

>

> Now the properly piped boiler is

> purring like a kitten and the owner couldn't be

> happier. The boss still thinks I'm an a--hole for

> looking out for his company and wont acknowledge

> that I have any knowledge of steam heat.

jackchips_2

Mike,

offer to do the next changeout on your own, with an apprentice and guarantee it will work or you will repipe it under directions from the old timer.

Good luck,

Jack

Brad White_9

Mike- You can fix any boiler

but you cannot fix stupid...

You are far better off with any other outfit even your own. I would get out of there, not just because of their technical ineptness but their unwillingness to learn and what seems like a cruel streak for no particular reason.

Ignorance is correctable by education.

Stupidity, short of winning a Darwin Award, has no end.

Paul Pollets

Agreed

Put your boss on this website and make him read "The Lost Art of Steam Heating" Have him buy a copy for the "old-timer" as well.

Ignorance is bliss...except that steam boilers MUST be sized and piped without error.

You should be looking for a better company...

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

ScottMP

Mike

The company did it again or You did it again.

If you decide to go into business for yourself or work for another company you need to learn to be carfull what you say and when you say it. I don't want to come off hard here, its not my intention, but you allready know these guys arn't on the same page. Looking back maybe it would have been better to go back to the boss before you said ANYTHING to the customer ( ie: I need to go back for parts or check with the boss before I do anything ). Let the boss know what you found in the office, back room or anywhere where the conversation was just you and him.

If you go into business for yourselve, understand that there will be times when you need to watch what you say and when you say it. Customers will take what they want to here and tell you or someone else only what they want to.

I agree with others you need to find a better place to work. These guys don't get it. They'll drag you down.

Good Luck

Scott

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Mike D

I didn't try to make anyone look bad I just agreed with the owners son that some of the piping needed to be fixed.

ScottMP

Sorry Mike

I did'nt mean to insinute that you did. I was just thinking about the politics of a job like this and tryed to offer some advice. I think you have a future in business and what I offered was insight into problems like this.

Only YOU can judge if your boss and others can change.

You may just have to move on.

Scott

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

realolman

WHY would you

send guy 2 out to fix something guy 1 did last week?That's just ignorant.

And if guy 2 did in fact fix it, how does the boss possibly reconcile his stupidity? I'll tell you how... he just ignores all reality except for the part where he is guy 2's boss. One time my boss was putting some sort of stuff through himself that we both knew was horse$^!+ ...I asked him if I was on Candid Camera.

I don't work for a heating company, but I know the feeling.

jim s_2

get out

no way this situation will get better,seems the"old timer"has him convinced his way is right and you don`t know what you`re talking about.

Was anything said after you fixed this boiler?

Did you show them the piping diagram in the instruction manual?

just my $.02