Home Depot

johnny2

This just in....Weil McLain boilers are now available for installation through Professional, licienced, Trane Dealers! See the displays at these fine Home Depot locations- Manchester, Bloomfield, Wallingford and Torrington, CT. Soon to be in a Store near you.

ed wallace

do you think tin knockers know about cast iron piping ? cannot wait to see the screw ups steam systems with ductwork headers and hartford loops

John T_2

Them's fighten words

> do you think tin knockers know about cast iron

> piping ? cannot wait to see the screw ups steam

> systems with ductwork headers and hartford loops



John T.

John T_2

Them's fighten words

Not ALL tin knockers are hacks. In fact I think that most of those lousy duct systems you see out there aren't installed by those that can call themselves tinkockers.

And yes some tin knockers can install a quality hydronic system.


John T.

ed wallace

fighting words

sorry if i offended you but in my neck of the woods i have seen some crazy installs done by tinknockers installing boilers one comes to mind steam system done in copper with no hartford loop and still on bottom of shipping crate

John T_2

No offense taken

A hack is a hack is a hack, no matter what trade he is in. I have to admit the vast majority of the duct systems I see are nowhere near acceptable. The thought of the same installers installing hydronics is scary. Shoddy work however can be found in all the trades.

Don't be too hard on those of us that can knock tin. Forced air although not a premium system does fill a need for those who cannot afford a hydronic system. IMHO


John T.

Bob Bona_4

we

need you guys!(for a/c:)) I can stand back and marvel at a transition, or a square to round or, my favorite-a pair of pants.. there's a lot of thought that goes into fabrication!

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

Online Sheriff \"Murph\"

SHEETMETAL.......

Makes me bleed (alot)!!!

Troy_3

Trane? who?

The real question is--what qualifications or criteria has to be met to be a Trane dealer or installer? Is there any hydronic training or prequalifying? If you use our furnaces you must be a genious? Sorry for the sarcasm. I am sumwhat skeptical. I have never seen a furnace company do a hydronic product justice. WM should know that. time will tell!

CT-S1- SM-1 with 25 yrs. experience

Home Depot the Real Story ! License classification vs. Skills

I personally know the contractor involved with the Home Depot At Home Services Program and here's what he told me about the program. Potential customers phone The Home Depot
Comfort Center in Florida and the customer service rep. creates a customer referral form with some general information and prefered meeting times. The contractor then visits the home,performs a heat loss/gain (Wright J)checks connecting loads by measuring baseboards or radiators evaluates ductwork for leakage, lack of insulation and proper sizing, discusses equipment selection and options with the homeowner and follows up with a prompt detailed proposal for doing the mechanical work. By the way the contractor supplies all the equipment and puts his own price on the job. When the job is complete the contractor performs a 33 point inspection report making sure nothing was overlooked by the technicians (call backs cost real money duh!)has the customer sign off on the work completion form and within 7-10 working days gets a check from Home Depot! High quality ! high margin! installations all types.

CT-S1- SM-1 with 25 yrs. experience

Trade License classification vs. Skill levels

I can see the same narrow-mindedness that existed in the trade when I started 25 year ago still exists today! It is discouraging and painfully evident from the many smug remarks I have read posted on The Wall, that there is a clear lack of respect among some tradespeople in our industry as they relate to their colleagues who posses licenses of different classifications. Believe it or not there are some people gifted and skilled enough to perform exceptional workmanship in all aspects of the trade for which they are licensed. They are called CRAFTSMEN ! Just ask Mr. Holohan about the OLD DEAD GUYS! Some of them had KIDS!

ScottMP

Your are correct

And those " craftsman " work for themselves and run successfull business.

They do not roll over and allow someone else to run their business and jobs.

JMHO

Scott

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

mp1969

Home Depot threat

Gentlemen,
We tend to give ourselves far to little credit for what we know and our very complicated expertise. With this in mind do you really think marginal do-it- yourselfers are going to install complicated primary secondary systems with multiple need loops and an add on domestic hot water storage vessel?
The answer to these threats is to align with our local,state and national code infrastructure and enforcement agencies and form a voluntary yet necessary group. We need this group to educate and point out the hazards and negatives of improperly install and maintained heating HVAC and plumbing systems.
I have toyed with the idea of a "Code Compliance Group" that would consists of professional code enforcement,installers and possibly insurance carriers. This group would point out the need for permits, the dangers and liabilities of do it yourself and would broaden the ability to report violators.
This group is long overdue and a legitimate way to combat against the unlicensed,undertrained,non insured and wannabes that Home Depots' philosophies create.
They tell me Lowes has permit counters but here in Milwaukee the Home Depots have none and only care about selling!
Time for us to fight back with the ones who keep us honest.This will require a joint effort some resources and some time. Without such a group we surely will see our trade(s) quality slip and quite possibly our market share dwindle!

Rich Kontny
richk@nconnect.net

don_9

inforcement

Can we start with the builder's,The one's that only want
to pay for a $3800 hundred dollar hvac system in a $400 thousand dollar home?

How about if we set standard and inforcement for home's like they do with commercial building.

How can you stop a homeowner who can pulled his on permit and get blow joe in there to do the work.I am working on a house now,that this guys is doing everything but the hvac.
He asking me what size wire he needs to pulled for my equipment.This scare the hell out of me,what can you do?

tim from Reed Wright

qualifications

I think the ?? of qualifications to be a Trane dealer is somewhat sketchy when Burnham and Weil Mclain will sell to any body with a pulse and a check book. I see as many poor installs by plumbers as tin benders. Not knocking the ones who do it well, just giving equall air time to the mfrs and trades.

Mark J Strawcutter

I must be missing something but..

Why does it scare you that he asked? I'd be thankful. Better than having him assume a certain size, or start checking nameplates on equipment and missing something. You're the hvac guy, it's your equipment, if he's supplying primary power it's only reasonable that he ask you what your needs/requirements are.

If I were in that HO's shoes I'd probably ask you what the load (amp draw) was of your equipment. But since there are special rules that permit reduced size wire for some hvac equipment then asking for wire size might be more appropriate.

Mark

Walt

HD Value Added?

I am the kind of homeowner that researches every major purchase or job that goes into our house. Before I look at roofing bids I have some idea of how the old roof should be taken off and the new one put on. I am also willing to pay up for quality. I short, thought I seemed to have developed a strange fetish for doing my own hydronics work, if I did not have this illness I am the kind of customer that would be hiring the likes of the guys who post here. This is where I send friends who ask about heating issues.

Given what experience with Home Depot there is very very little chance that I would hire a heating contractor that was associated with them. Such a contractor would have a bid stick against them in my book when compared to high quality independants. Among other concerns they would have to address, they would have to explain to me how it could be that I would not be paying a higher margin when I was paying HD and them.

Just one home owners opinion.

P.S. We have always seriously considered all bids that have been put in front of us by tradesmen and have NEVER ended up taking the lowest bidder. This is not because we throw money away...quite the opposit..it's because we want to get good quality and a fair deal. If we are shopping for a new Benz, it is unlikely that we are going to buy a used Pinto.

Bob Boltz

Home Depot

Maybe we worry too much about the competition. As contractors, we should market, install and service, at a higher level. We are then,worth what we charge. Are we afraid of competition?

Bob Boltz

Home Depot

Maybe we worry too much about the competition. As contractors, we should market, install and service, at a higher level. We are then,worth what we charge. Are we afraid of competition?

don_9

He is

not qualified.I have no problem giving sparky the max
and min amp draw,+ voltage he know what to do with it.
This guy is clueless.

nick z.

prices

I find it hard to beileve that H.D. could hire a good contractor,pay him his price, and add there profit. And be at a price that was less then a contractor.

Bob_9

Basicaly, any Trane contractor who wants to pay Trane $4000.00 a year to participate in the "comfort specialist" program can be a Home Depot installing contractor.
Is this the creme-de-la-creme of H.V.A.C. guys? NO.
It's simply the ones who chose to participate.
Are homeowners getting the best job from the most qualified contractors when they purchase through Home Depot? NO.
(However with the price they'll pay you'd expect it)
I am a heating guy. I fabricate sheetmetal. I install hot water heat. I am still learning today.
Don't worry about Home Depot or the hack installer. Focus on yourself and the job you do and the service you provide and everything will be O.K.

CT-S1- SM-1 with 25 yrs. experience

Selling H.V.A.C. equipment to homeowners