Stephen Minnich

Stephen Minnich

Stephen Minnich has nearly 40 years of experience in the heating industry, primarily installing and servicing hydronic systems. He most recently operated Minnich Mechanical Design, based in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village. Minnich is currently an HVAC consultant for Elevate Energy, Chicago.
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ARTICLES

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Contractor Stories

The Future is Bright

The hydronic industry is in good hands; the young men and women I see on Instagram are crushing it.
July 2, 2021
Stephen Minnich
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The hydronic industry is in good hands; the young men and women I see on Instagram are crushing it. They’ve put in the work to not only learn the trade but to be hydronic professionals.
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Contractor Stories

Summer-Time Boiler Guy

The hunt for cool air started in April and led to frustration before leaning on some industry friends.
June 1, 2021
Stephen Minnich
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My plans were set. It was still the night before, but I was already getting excited about it. It had been at least a year since I’d been in a venue like this.
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Contractor Stories

Spring Training: Back to Basics

Now that winter is in our rearview mirror, it’s time to review some of the core basics of an efficient, trouble-free hydronic system.
May 7, 2021
Stephen Minnich
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Now that winter is in our rearview mirror, it’s time to review some of the core basics of an efficient, trouble-free hydronic system — starting with the concept of pumping away from the point of no pressure change.


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Contractor Stories

Schools of Thought

We have choices — and working in the trades has been the gift that keeps on giving for me.
April 2, 2021
Stephen Minnich
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Choosing a career path isn’t the easiest decision when you spent the better part of high school doing everything but studying. 


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Contractor Stories

Buffer Tanks

These under-used components of today’s hydronic systems virtually eliminate boiler short-cycling and premature failure of other parts.
March 8, 2021
Stephen Minnich
These under-used components of today’s hydronic systems virtually eliminate boiler short-cycling and premature failure of other parts. Every time I look at one of these multizone projects on social media or upfront and personal, I’m looking for the buffer tank and wondering: Is the boiler short-cycling? Does this system need a buffer tank?
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Contractor Stories

No More Dirty Water

New heating technology changed the way we think about H2O in our hydronic systems.
February 1, 2021
Stephen Minnich
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Back in the day, most of us believed getting black water from boilers wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
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Contractor Stories

Grinding My Gears

My pet peeves: factory-installed pressure relief valves and inconsiderate customers.
December 1, 2020
Stephen Minnich
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My pet peeves: factory-installed pressure relief valves and inconsiderate customers.
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Contractor Stories

Choosing a Boiler

Select models able to meet the building's heat loss on the coldest day of the year, based on the heat loss load calculation.
October 31, 2020
Stephen Minnich
No Comments
Select models able to meet the building's heat loss on the coldest day of the year, based on the heat loss load calculation.
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Contractor Stories

Manual J Simplified

Some tips on doing manual heat loss load calculations.
October 6, 2020
Stephen Minnich
No Comments
Some tips on doing manual heat loss load calculations. Using the software is easier, I think it’s important to understand what these numbers represent and where they come from.
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