LACHANCE’S RADIANT HEATING

RADIANT HEATING is one of those things that makes Eichlers special and enjoyable. So the phone number of a good radiant heat specialist, such as LaChance’s Radiant Heating, should find its way into every Eichler owner’s contact list.

“We care about getting Eichler owners their heat,” says owner Mike LaChance, about the mission of his company. He and his team specialize in maintaining, replacing, and installing boilers; repairing leaks; and installing replacement radiant systems.

It’s a full-service operation run by a family of radiant heat specialists. LaChance and brother Dale make a family tradition out of, as he says, “getting the job done right.”

After his firm’s 20-plus years in business, Lachance gets a lot of calls from return customers who have become “more like family” themselves, he says. “People like that we keep things light and familiar, while taking our work as seriously as possible.”

LaChance prides himself on his company’s quick response time and a willingness to tackle any job, big or small. “We don’t mind getting dirty,” he says. Jobs that other companies have estimated as next to impossible, he and his team have undertaken with patience and persistence, and have met with success. LaChance also has developed techniques to make his upgrades and repairs blend seamlessly with the Eichler aesthetic. Even when a radiant heat system expires, as many steel systems have been known to do over time, LaChance can restore an Eichler owner’s joy of radiant heat by installing a new in-slab system.

Projects like this are commonly done with PEX polyethylene tubing. To install it, separate shallow layers of gypsum and concrete are added atop the foundation slab, then new grooves for the tubing are cut into it. LaChance says the project usually takes about ten working days.

“PEX is a lot easier to utilize because it’s more flexible,” he says. “Sometimes with these grooving jobs, if the boiler isn’t too old, you can still use it.”

As technology changes, building and energy codes change with it, and LaChance naturally keeps up on the latest products and how they can reduce heating costs. Replacing an old boiler with a new high-efficiency one is a great place to start. “Homeowners can look at saving a half to two thirds on their gas bills,” he says.

Mike frequently recruits his son, Quinton, extending the LaChance tradition of a family business making customers feel welcome. “We want to make sure we treat people fairly, and be honest, and still keep things comfortable,” LaChance says.

BAY AREA PLUMBING & HEATING

BAY AREA PLUMBING & HEATING’S services cover the spectrum of Eichler heating and cooling needs radiant heat maintenance and repairs, high-efficiency boiler installations, zone control systems, indoor air quality, and other heating and cooling options.

With extensive experience working on Eichlers, Bay Area Plumbing & Heating owner Lance Eastman finds that today’s Eichler owners have options for heating and cooling their homes and domestic hot water that did not exist in the past.

“New advances in boiler technology allow a single unit to be used for radiant heat, domestic hot water, and even forced-air heating,” explains Eastman. “These energy-efficient units save space by eliminating the need for a water heater. Many of them also qualify for energy rebates.”

Radiant Heat Maintenance

Serving the Entire Peninsula

650-323-6006 baph@baph.com www.baph.com

CA license #584345

Other combination units can heat and cool one or more rooms while taking advantage of solar energy. “The latest mini-split systems are very efficient due to new inverter technology, fit well aesthetically into the Eichler design, and work great with a photovoltaic solar system,” says Eastman.

Fully integrated mini-splits go one step further by combining radiant heating/cooling, domestic hot water, and a built-in thermal solar component that allows the system to qualify for hefty federal tax credits while they last.

Some Eichler owners find that they need to replace defunct radiant-heating systems, yet still want the comfort of warm floors. In these cases, Eastman recommends upgrading to an energy-efficiency boiler and then adding a radiant track system that fits underneath a new floor. “A radiant track system eliminates the need to tear out or build up the existing concrete slab while still providing that ‘warm floor feeling’ indicative of Eichler homes,” Eastman says.

Another Eichler-compatible solution that Eastman likes are European-styled radiant panels. These contemporary radiators provide an energy efficient way to get the radiant heat feel without having to dig up existing flooring or penetrate the slab. “Unlike old cast iron radiators, radiant panels are sleek and modern-looking, and we can install them along the base of a wall or vertically on a wall,” says Eastman.

One of the most important but often overlooked home-maintenance practices, says Eastman, is regular tune-ups to heating and cooling systems. “Manufacturer-recommended tune-ups extend the life of the equipment and improve energy efficiency.”

“The energy savings from annual maintenance far outweighs the cost of the service. Regular tune-ups also ensure your equipment works when you need it, eliminating unwanted surprises when there are cold or hot spells. Eichler owners also have access to our ongoing ‘Free Consultation Program’ for new installations.”

JIM LE HMANN not only has some of the deepest local roots of any home improvement service provider in Marin County, but he has the right approach for homeowners who want multiple options for improving their heating systems.

“I’m more of a fix-it guy than a ‘tear it out and sell you something you don’t need,’” Lehmann says of two options for a radiant heat system diminished by leaking pipes.

These days Lehmann Radiant Heating is based in Lehmann’s Terra Linda home-office, three-quarters of a century after being founded locally by his grandfather in 1945 as Lehmann Plumbing.

“My dad took over for my grandfather…and I took over for him, so yeah, third generation,” Lehmann relates of the company’s history in Marin. Born and raised here, Lehmann himself has worked on hundreds of Eichler homes since graduating from San Rafael High School.

“He was ahead of his time, Joseph Eichler,” the plumber says with admiration. “The radiant heat is a great heating system. When it works, it’s hard to beat.” Of course, some have aged worse than others, which is where Lehmann comes in. Generally, radiant systems fail either because of in-slab leaks or a failed boiler. When it’s the former, repairs depend on the type of tubing and number of leaks.

“It’s pretty rare that I find more than a couple [leaks], but if it’s more than two or three, I’ll recommend changing systems,” says Lehmann of leaky copper-tubed systems. Steel tubing is more difficult to repair, so in those cases “you have to switch to alternative heating, like baseboards.”

Replacing the entire radiant system with a new in-slab system is “doable but expensive,” he explains, adding, “but it’s great when it’s done.”

For a replacement system, “You can zone it, so you have better control,” he said in contrast to the original radiant systems, which were designed to heat the entire house at one time. In essence, “The [original] Eichler home is a full-zone system.”

If and when the boiler is the problem, once again Lehmann offers options in the form of two preferred replacement models.

“The Allied boiler would be a good base model, and the IBC would be a high-efficiency, high-end option,” Lehmann explains. “With the high-efficiency [boiler], you can really save on your gas bill.”

Lehmann strives to offer practical maintenance options for Eichler owners. “Around here, I’m known for keeping the old systems going,” he says. “I can make systems run as well as they’ve been running for years.”

Words to warm an Eichler owner’s soul not to mention the soles of their feet.

Radiant Heat Maintenance

Serving the East Bay

855-686-6060 customercare@yourbigblue.com www.yourbigblue.com

CA license #951263

BIG BLUE HYDRONICS’ owner Paul Gerrard possesses a unique combination of training and background, compared to most radiant heat technicians.

The Brit, who trained as a hydronic-heating engineer at the London Institute, says it wasn’t until he came to the Western United States that he found the structures that truly spoke to him: mid-century modern homes. It all began with a Frank Lloyd Wright residence in Phoenix on which he worked.

“That was probably my first introduction to the mid-century modern style. Learning about Wright, I started thinking ‘wow, this is so cool,’” Gerrard says.

“I also really like these communities of Eichlers. When you drive in, it’s like going back in time to a different era full of promise for the future.”

Those homes often contain decades-old radiant heat systems, a challenge for which Gerrard and Big Blue Hydronics are particularly well suited. “Having cut our teeth on old systems,” Gerrard says, “we’re really good at keeping them going to the best of our ability, and for as long as possible.”

That can mean a range of operations, from finding and repairing leaks to doing maintenance that lengthens a radiant heat system’s life. “In the last few years,” Gerrard says, “there have been great improvements in chemicals we can add to radiant floor systems that can increase longevity,” such as a system flush and a corrosion inhibiter.

Gerrard is especially excited about his company’s in-house training program. “We train every day,” he points out. “Training can range from heating theory to installation practices. We also have a couple of boilers in our training room, where we teach and practice how to service boilers and make repairs. Sometimes even factory trainers from the manufacturers come to share their insight.

“Training our apprentices is something we all enjoy doing. And sharing our knowledge and planning for the future energizes our veteran plumbers.”

Another dimension of Big Blue’s expertise is knowing when it makes sense to abandon an in-floor system, and when to replace it with something else, such as modern, slim-line radiators attached to the existing boiler.

As for Big Blue’s company work habits, Gerrard says he appreciates cleanliness and order above all else, a proclivity he picked up from watching careful mechanics working at a Mercedes dealership. His team members are in full support.

“That idea of impeccable order and care for the client and the client’s product,” he points out.” When we’re in somebody’s home, we’ve got blankets from the door to the kitchen. The cleanup afterward is always an important part of what we do.”

The end result: a bold guarantee. “If you’re not 100 percent satisfied, we at Big Blue will refund all your money,” Gerrard says.

Hydrotech Radiant Heating

RADIANT HEATING has always seemed like a role Denis Roman was born to do. Though he founded Hydrotech Radiant Heating in recent years, this point belies his robust experience and knowledge of his field.

Roman got his start as an electrical engineer in Nicaragua but soon took an interest in radiant heating once he arrived in the United States. The industry provided a seamless transition for him, as he was quickly drawn to the electrical components of hydronic and boiler systems.

He embarked on this new journey in 2005, honing his craft with Reid Heating & Energy in Marin County. Now, Roman is the sole proprietor of his own company that has just become a corporation. Installations, replacements, troubleshooting, retrofitting, electric heat pumps, wireless thermostats Hydrotech Radiant Heating can do it all.

“I know by heart how to deal with all the systems,” he says.

Roman believes that radiant heating is the superior approach for residential heating, as it is “quite healthy and very efficient.”

It’s the hydronic aspect, though, that really takes it to the next level.

“With the high-efficiency boiler these days, the boiler modulates the water temperature depending on how cold it is outside, so it definitely makes the system very efficient, and it uses less gas to adjust the water temperature,” Roman says.

To date Roman has worked on over 200 Eichler homes, and through this experience, he’s seen clients save anywhere from 40 to 50 percent on utility bills by upgrading their original, 50-plus-year-old boilers to the modern, high-efficiency ones.

Roman carries brands such as Lochinvar and Navien, but he takes a particular liking to IBC, which he’s found to be the most trustworthy line of highefficiency boilers on the market.

Roman’s intimate understanding of hydronic systems and Eichler homes also helps him overcome any potential challenge that arises with retrofitting new radiant systems for homes.

“We can retrofit radiant heat without disturbing the hardwood flooring by going under the subfloor with heat transfer plates. We can also if there’s a remodel and they’re going to lift up the floor staple down the tubing on the top of the subfloor and basically pour gypcrete over it,” Roman says.

He also knows just how important it is for Eichler homeowners to preserve the original look, since no one “wants to see a bunch of pipes going across a system or going across a roof or wall,” he says.

While it sometimes takes a bit of creative thinking and maneuvering to place the pipes discretely, Roman and Hydrotech Radiant Heat are just the team to call in situations like these.

AMERICAN LEAK DETECTION employs some of today’s most fascinating technology to find the ‘unfindable.’

As recently as the 1960s and ‘70s, when Eichler was still building thousands of homes with radiantheating systems, a plumber’s primary means of locating leaks in these systems were their ears and fingers. They would listen for a leak and then ‘feel around’ for signs of wetness. That was the dark ages.

But in today’s high-tech world, American Leak Detection is the unrivaled world leader in the accurate detection of hidden water, sewer, and gas leaks.

Proprietary methods and state-of-the-art technology have revolutionized the exploration and discovery of leaks. With advanced methodologies and equipment, American Leak Detection is capable of determining the exact location of hidden leaks.

From radiant heating and swimming pools to underground plumbing systems and sewer lines, American Leak Detection’s sensitive electronic tools can identify the leak.

Each American Leak Detection technician has completed the industry’s most-extensive training program and is skilled in accurately locating the most difficult leaks, without destruction to property. Even the smallest leak can be located accurately.

American Leak Detection can also determine the depth of leaking pipes. In most cases, only a single floor tile must be removed and replaced. This causes less disruption and saves thousands of dollars in costly search-and-destroy methods that do not guarantee a leak location.

A small pipe leak that is only 1/8-inch in diameter loses 970 gallons every 24 hours, under a normal pressure of 40 pounds. This amounts to almost 30,000 gallons each month, or 360,000 gallons per year. With utility bills and water rates constantly rising, this type of leak is both wasteful and costly.

An unrepaired water leak can also cause massive structural damage by undermining a swimming pool or causing a slab house foundation to crack and buckle. Insurance claims have shown the cost of water damage often exceeds the costs associated with fire damage restoration.

If you are constantly refilling your pool or have a high water bill, you may have a hidden plumbing leak. American Leak Detection can help you locate the leak and provide an estimate for the cost of repairs upfront. Most repairs can be completed in just one day.

Contact American Leak Detection today to save time and money and avoid unnecessary property damage.

Electrical Upgrades & Maintenance

Serving the San Mateo Area

415-505-2932 needhamelectric@gmail.com www.needhamelectric.net

CA license #549434