Dead Men Tales: Hindsight

HeatingHelp

Hindsight

In this episode, Dan Holohan reflects on how hindsight has us shaking our heads at wacky decisions of the past, especially the one involving an asbestos hat.

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EBEBRATT-Ed

45 years ago we installed new oil burners in a school they were renovating. A shoddy plumber didn't do too good sweating a 4" water main and they flooded the boiler room.

They got the water out and fixed the leak but the 3 oil burners took on some water. They still ran but the engineer decided we had to take the burner motors out and take them to a motor shop and get the windings baked and re varnished and the bearings changed. Since it was only October we pulled 2 motors out and left 1 boiler running. I think they were 5 hp motors. Today they would probably trash them and put new ones in.

A few days later a helper and I picked up the rebuilt motors and took them to the school to install. Each of us had a 5hp motor on our shoulder and marched down two flights of stairs and down the hall to the boiler room door by which time we were almost pooped out.

I opened the boiler room door and started in, the floor was wet. The pipe covers were finishing up and had a big tub (about 2' X 4') and a water hose and they were mixing insulating cement with a hoe. 1975 ?? Could have been asbestos.

Anyhow, the floor was so slippery from water and asbestos I started sliding like I was on skis straight towards the big tub with the 5hp motor on my shoulder.

Lucky for me this big pipe coverer grabbed me as I slid by. I think I would be dead if he didn't.

I haven't thought about this for years, but for some reason when I saw asbestos mentioned it popped into my head.

dopey27177

Hi Dan

Here is a adage

Hindsight leads to foresight

65 years ago when I started in the plumbing business i was taught by plumbers 50 years old plus how to work, make money for the boss, keep your job and make very small mistakes that you can fix before leaving the job site. How did I know I made a mistake, my plumber watched what I was doing when he let me actually do plumbers work and he corrected me before I got into trouble.

He told me learn from your mistake and you will never make the same mistake again.

Truer words were never said. I never made the same mistake again but I made many others. Fortunately he, my plumber taught me to double check my work before going on to the next step.

I remembered most of those small errors! That was hindsight, doing something about not making errors of omission or commission is foresight.

Jake

DanHolohan

I like that, Jake. Thanks.

And Ed, I'm very glad that coverer was covering that day!

JayMiner

Dan-
I have to find a department store with that wire cage filled with rubber balls like we had back in the 60s/70s so I can get stocked up. My twin 275s are pushing 30 yrs old and I want to be prepared!
Thanks for the stories.

Voyager

Yes, hindsight is a wonderful thing, particularly when we are willing to learn from it. Just as we will one day look back and wonder how so many people believed that cloth and paper masks will stop a virus. Our masks are the equivalent of the asbestos helmet liner, although the helmet liner at least had a benefit! 😂

Adk1guy

Dan you always come up with good stories. Do you remember Saranac Lake NY? You put on a seminar I attended in the "hot Sara" and you wrote an article something like "city plumber country plumber" featuring a mutual friend from Saranac Lake, a Vietnam vet who lost his battle with cancer.

DanHolohan

Thanks, guys. And yes, @Adk1guy, I remember that day, and Bill. May he rest In Peace.