Heat Loss Information

My Thoughts - The Future of the Heating Industry

To Homeowners

I will open this article applying my 43 years of knowledge of the industry. Being in the industry and now retired as of the end of 2020. My career has spanned multiple positions at a heating company and a manufacturer. Here are my thoughts to pass on to homeowners and contractors/technicians.

The oil and gas industries are being pushed out as options for heating your homes. All heating appliances in the future will have to be electric instead of gas or oil.

The mandates to move away from fossil fuels really started much sooner, but got some teeth in 2020. Many areas of California mandate that no new homes can be built with any fossil fuel heating systems. Everything must be electric. It started, I believe, in Berkley, CA. Connecticut followed suit in some areas in 2021.

So, what does this mean to homeowners? On the East Coast, or old coast as I call it, many homes date back to the 1700s. Millions of homes were built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Many of these homes have been updated, and depending on when they were updated, the electric panels may be only 100- or 150-amp services.

To go to a newly designed electric boiler and furnaces, the electrical panels will need to be updated. This cost, added to the cost of the new appliance, becomes rather steep. Many may opt for mini-split heat pumps or heat pump boilers, which could help them avoid the need for an electric panel upgrade. We will trade the panel upgrade for the sight of multiple pipes and covers being installed and routed around the exterior of our beautiful old homes to connect to mini-splits.

But now the gasoline engine is being phased out, and cars will also be electric. How many cars are in a household: 1, 2, 3, or more? The electric panel upgrade is now imminent.

As we phase out the fossil fuel units, what controls the electric companies' price increases? Open your wallets and dig deep!

Proper appliance sizing will be more crucial than it is even today.

To Contractors and Technicians

If you own a contracting company, now is the time to get your techs trained to understand better electrical diagrams, use of meters, ohm's law, etc. Network with a good electrician to assist in training your techs. You can pass work back and forth to benefit both of you.

Our online seminars can help with the basics, understanding pictorial and ladder diagrams, electrical symbols, using VOM meters, and such. Additionally, use a reputable, qualified electrician.

To the Tech's

Hone your electrical skills. Working at a heating company for 20 years and a manufacturer tech line for 23 years made us realize our trade is weak in electrical troubleshooting. Most, not all of you will have to be much better than you are now. Enhance your worth by increasing your understanding of electrical troubleshooting. Not only troubleshooting with a meter, but also understanding how power affects switches, controls, and motors.

My biggest tip for techs is to learn all about heat pumps of all kinds, like Air to Air, Air to Water, and Water to Water styles. This is our future. If you want to expand your skills to service solar, it will bring a higher value to your boss and a larger paycheck.