Why so many people on HeatingHelp all of a sudden?

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

I'm used to seeing 40 or 50 on line at any one time, but lately it's been over 200! It's a good thing!

Maybe all the hipsters and millennials trying to figure out the wiring on their new Nest thermostats?

SuperTech

Its because of the Nests! And nobody knows how to work on steam heating.

And this site just plain rocks.

STEAM DOCTOR

> @Alan (California Radiant) Forbes said:
> I'm used to seeing 40 or 50 on line at any one time, but lately it's been over 200! It's a good thing!
>
> Maybe all the hipsters and millennials trying to figure out the wiring on their new Nest thermostats?

Question is backwards. Real question is where were they until now and what took them so long.

JUGHNE

Right now when I look it shows only 4 on line......none of you 4 that just posted and not myself??????

A little time ago it showed about 80 guests?????

Erin Holohan Haskell

Thanks for being here everyone!

SlamDunk

Maybe it is Russian bots driving wedge issues like "favorite toilet" and "best hot water heater".

Or, Maybe the next gen is starting to buy their first homes.

Solid_Fuel_Man

Nah....its the Nests.....

Buy a fricken relay!

Formerly

Lots of people over their heads on home reno's during COVID...

Big Ed_4

More home projects lately . Disney World or family room ....

Wellness

How about one of the more obvious reasons (@Erin Holohan): great website management.

Erin Holohan Haskell

Wellness said:

How about one of the more obvious reasons (@Erin Holohan): great website management.

Thank you. And thanks to you all for being so generous in sharing your knowledge and helping others. This community is what makes Heating Help special and we are very grateful to know and learn from you.

HomerJSmith

Everyone's broke and they want to fix their stuff themselves and don't want to hire a Pro. I don't blame them, you Pro's are outrageously expensive. Despite price inflation, your labor prices are going to be going down as competition for jobs increases because of lack of work.

I saw this in 1980 when contractors were fighting for work.

Zman

HomerJSmith said:

Everyone's broke and they want to fix their stuff themselves and don't want to hire a Pro. I don't blame them, you Pro's are outrageously expensive. Despite price inflation, your labor prices are going to be going down as competition for jobs increases because of lack of work.

I saw this in 1980 when contractors were fighting for work.

There are certainly plenty of high priced and not very competent "pros" running around.
I don't think this kind of blanket statement is fair. I also don't think it applies to the folks who freely share their time and expertise on this site.

HarnessedPower

> @HomerJSmith said:
> Everyone's broke and they want to fix their stuff themselves and don't want to hire a Pro. I don't blame them, you Pro's are outrageously expensive. Despite price inflation, your labor prices are going to be going down as competition for jobs increases because of lack of work.
>
> I saw this in 1980 when contractors were fighting for work.

That may be true in some areas but certainly not all. Around here (a two-city region of ~120,000), pros of every kind are booked out weeks and months in advance right now - so many people are taking on projects now that you couldn’t hire anyone for an immediate need if you tried. I know, because I recently called 11 different plumbers to have a 40’ gas line run. Trench already dug, holes already drilled, ready to go. Third week of August was the best I got - and he said that inspectors are even further out.

My new neighbor is a freelance carpenter and I talked to him about rebuilding my front porch. Just supporting the roof, then I’d do the demo of the old deck & dig for new footings. He’d frame out the new deck and roof supports, and I’d finish it myself. He said he’d love to....in October. He said he’s been working 80-90 hours a week since the first week of March and his biggest concern is how badly he’ll get dinged on taxes next year.

So....tons of homeowners have gone the DIY route, almost out of necessity, which I’m sure accounts for a lot of extra site traffic. Which is fantastic, as this site (and all of you frequent contributors) are an amazing free resource!

Ironman

HomerJSmith said:

Everyone's broke and they want to fix their stuff themselves and don't want to hire a Pro. I don't blame them, you Pro's are outrageously expensive.

Have you ever owned or managed a licensed HVAC or plumbing company? Do you have any idea of the amount of overhead for these businesses?

The average one turns less than 5% profit a year while the owner puts in over 65 hours per week and stays awake wondering if enough $$ is coming in that week so he can make payroll and pay his bills. But we're "outrageously expensive"?

EzzyT

I completely agree with @Ironman. Very few people understand that Our pricing is based on many things especially our knowledge and expertise. Where not your driveway guarantee hacks we stand behind our work 100% which I know many of companies all say that but in my service area very few really stand true those standards.

HomerJSmith

Look, I understand the amount of time and money to run a business with all the regulations and hoops that businesses have to jump thru and that one deserves compensation for one's work and knowledge. But, when it comes to feeding one's family or calling a plumber, one will try and fix it himself and getting advice on this forum.

I'm not saying that you don't have work and are backed up, now. I am saying that the greater depression will become more apparent with due consequences. You forgot 1980 with interest rates at 19% and the consequences affecting the building trades or what happened in the '30's. The thought is that tomorrow is going to be like today. True, It is, until is isn't. Pricing is based upon many things, yes, but that doesn't mean squat. Why are we seeing record bankruptcies? One has to understand "Supply and Demand". I know you think you know what it means in an Economy, but you don't, you don't even know how it is used. I'm not being mean, just stating my suspicion. I loved to be proved wrong.

I believe knowledge not shared is sin and all the knowledge you got in your getting, you got from someone else. So, I laud all of the contributors that share their knowledge. You are doing 'good' , and you are blessing others and that's a really big thing.

I have suffered all my life with a "Cassandra Complex" (look it up), so I don't force my views and expect a strong reaction to my unconventional thoughts. But...

Time sorts all things out!

HomerJSmith

EzzyT, I don't understand, "Where not your driveway guarantee hacks..."

On all my jobs, I give a comprehensive tail light warranty.

HomerJSmith

Zman, what kind of blanket statement are we talking about?

Zman

" you Pro's are outrageously expensive." is the blanket statement...
I am curious what line of work you are in?

I think Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh had Cassandra Complex. If you always think the worst will happen, eventually it does.

" Even a broken clock is right twice a day"

HomerJSmith

It is more a provocative statement than a blanket statement. There is no one that thinks that they over charge for their services and everyone think that they deserve more. Now that's a blanket statement. Provocative statements are there to get you to think.

No, "If you always think the worst will happen, eventually it does." Thinking has an infinitive range of possibilities and doesn't in any way create outcomes. All outcomes have causes, that's the way the universe works. Thinking of possibilities based upon probabilities is the way that the future is understood. We all do this, that's how business works. The difficulty is our misunderstanding of what the probabilities are that given past actions impact future events.

How prescient, Zman, I was just thinking of a broken watch keeping time twice a day, minutes ago. You read my mind or I yours. It's hard to tell.

STEAM DOCTOR

@Erin Holohan Haskell . Maybe time to close this thread. Lets summarize. More people on heating help, some people think pros are charging too much, some people think that pros are misunderstood and the economy stinks. Nuff said.

HVACNUT

I think just leave the money out of it. You know, like we're supposed to.

You cant reply to the question of the thread without considering economics, but don't go deep on it.

Erin Holohan Haskell

This thread has run its course. Let's move on. Thanks.