Heat’s On volunteers ready local homeowners in need for winter

September 25, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Olivia Braund and Jacob Michel, third-year apprentices with Local 455, inspect the furnace of a disabled homeowner in St. Paul.

Members of St. Paul Steamfitters Pipefitters Local 455 teamed up with Minneapolis-based Local 539 and local union contractors Sept. 19 to provide no-cost heating repairs for low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners across the Twin Cities.

The annual day of service, known as Heat’s On, sent two-person crews to make minor furnace repairs, check for dangerous heat-related health conditions and replace smoke detectors for homeowners identified by two area nonprofit agencies, Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington County and CAP of Hennepin County.

At a home in St. Paul’s Como Park neighborhood, third-year apprentices Olivia Braund of Stillwater and Jacob Michel of Carver, both members of Local 455, ran the furnace through a series of service tests. They checked the heat exchanger, tested the environment for natural gas leaks and ran a combustion analysis.

Michel also checked the gas pressure after hearing from the homeowner that a different technician had replaced a valve on the furnace earlier that week. Michel wasn’t surprised to discover the pressure was well below the recommended 3.5 inches of water column.

Volunteers gather for a recognition breakfast before making their service calls.

“They just slapped it in and called it good without adjusting the pressure,” Michel said of the other technicians. “That causes the flame to burn dirty, and it’s a really easy thing to do, too.”

Situations like that are what keep Braund, a Heat’s On volunteer for the last three years, coming back.

“It’s always interesting,” she laughed. “And it’s good just to know these homeowners are safe and ready for winter. They’re always super nice, too.”

Before union members picked up their call sheets for Heat’s On this year, they gathered for a 7 a.m. breakfast at St. Paul Local 455’s union hall, where several lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, thanked union members for volunteering their time and expertise.

Since its launch in 1986, Heat’s On volunteers have provided over $4 million in services and repairs to 8,606 households in the Twin Cities, logging nearly 40,000 hours of volunteer service.

– Michael Moore, Union Advocate editor

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Pipefitters turn out for union’s annual Heat’s On service day

October 20, 2025 by

Elected officials and labor leaders join union members for a group photo after the Heat’s On 2025 welcome breakfast.

Local Pipefitters unions kick off their Heat’s On service day each year with a breakfast buffet in the conference room of a hotel in Roseville. So many union volunteers showed up this year that some had to eat in the lobby.

It was as big a turnout as anyone in St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455 or Minneapolis Local 539 could remember seeing since Project Heat’s On got started in 1986, and that’s good news for the low-income, senior and disabled homeowners who received furnace maintenance and repairs at no cost Oct. 4.

Union volunteers provided service to homeowners identified by two Community Action Partnership agencies. Union contractors, members of the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association, covered the cost of materials needed for the repairs.

In addition to inspecting homeowners’ furnaces, union members checked for dangerous heat-related health conditions and replaced smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors.

Local 455 apprentices Benjamin Mullin (L) and Adam Stehr inspect the boiler at a home in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood.

Union apprentices helped boost turnout for Heat’s On this year. Adam Stehr and Benjamin Mullin, first-year apprentices with Local 455 who paired up this year, said the service day offered an opportunity to hone their skills while giving back to the community.

“For me, it’s an opportunity to learn a little bit,” said Stehr, whose employer works in building and construction. “Working with someone on the service side, it’s cool to get out and see different things. In piping there are so many routes.”

Mullin does work for a commercial and residential service contractor, and he walked Stehr through the steps of inspecting the boiler of a house in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood, their first of two service calls planned that day.

“Something I was always taught was it costs nothing to be kind, and you should look for ways to help others in the community,” Mullin said. “That’s what this day is all about.”

Heat’s On has given back over $4 million in volunteer work hours and repairs over the last four decades.

– Michael Moore, Union Advocate editor

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Pipefitters’ service day keeps heat on for homeowners in need

September 24, 2024 by

Members of Pipefitters Local 455 and Local 539 gathered for a photo after the Heat’s On volunteer breakfast in Roseville.

Union pipefitters on Saturday carried forward their fall tradition of providing free furnace repairs and inspections to senior, low-income and disabled homeowners in the Twin Cities.

St. Paul-based Steamfitters Pipefitters Local 455 and Minneapolis-based Local 539 team up for the annual service day, Project Heat’s On, each year. Union volunteers provide service to homeowners identified by two Community Action Partnership agencies, and union contractors, members of the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association, cover the cost of materials needed for the repairs.

The volunteer effort, started in 1986, has since given back over $4 million in volunteer work hours and repairs to nearly 8,500 Minnesota households, reducing their energy costs and preventing heat failure.

Local 455 journeyman Brian Nelson volunteered for the sixth time this year, traveling to Cottage Grove with fellow Local 455 member Ray Bear, a four-time Heat’s On volunteer. At their first of two scheduled service calls, they tuned up a recent retiree’s furnace.

Brian Nelson (L) and Ray Bear tune up a retirees’ furnace in Cottage Grove during Heat’s On 2024.

“I just like giving back,” Nelson said. “You feel good about it. Doing this for people who need help feels better than doing it for your shop.”

Bear said union volunteers offer more than just their expertise during Heat’s On visits; they provide companionship, too.

“Talking with the customers – a lot of them don’t have a lot of resources or see a lot of visitors,” Bear said. “Providing that connection is the part that’s the best.”

That’s what Sonia Gass, executive director of Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties, refers to as “the human touch,” and at a breakfast before volunteers fanned out across the metro, Gass told union members that it’s an important part of the service they provide. it

She remembered tagging along with a volunteer crew that serviced the home of a retired big-band musician. “The service prodder asked him, ‘Do you play?’” Gass said. “And before you knew it, the service provider was getting an hourlong concert while he did the repairs.”

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Union pipefitters help homeowners in need prep for cold weather

October 4, 2022 by

Avery Peterson (L) and Jim Westphall take a service call on St. Paul’s east side.

Union pipefitters fanned out across the Twin Cities metro area Saturday to provide free furnace repairs and inspections to 100 low-income, senior and disabled homeowners.

It marked another successful year for Project Heat’s On, the community service initiative sponsored by local pipe trades unions and their signatory contractors.

“I’ve got my talent, and I might as well give my talent back to the community,” said Jim Westphall, a newly retired member of St. Paul Steamfitters Pipefitters Local 455. “I might as well pay it forward.”

Westphall partnered Saturday with his former co-worker at Cities 1 Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, Avery Peterson. For Westphall, it was his 23rd Heat’s On experience. For Peterson, it was the first.

“With our training, this is something we can give back to help people save a little bit of money,” the first-year apprentice said. “It’s nice to give back, and I’ll be back for many years to come in my career.”

Inside a home on St. Paul’s east side, Peterson and Westphall performed a routine maintenance check on the furnace, pulling and cleaning the burners, cleaning the flame rod and replacing the filter.

“You want to make sure the flame rods are clean because if they’re not, the furnace will fail in the middle of winter,” Westphall said.

They also changed the batteries in the home’s thermostat, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

Before providing free furnace inspection and repairs to Twin Cities homeowners, union pipefitters gather with elected officials and community leaders at a Roseville hotel for the Project Heat’s On volunteer breakfast.

Since its inception in 1986, Project Heat’s On has provided service calls to more than 8,200 households. Union pipefitters have donated more than 37,000 hours of volunteer labor, and with contractors covering the cost of parts and other improvements.

Organizers estimate the value of repairs and service provided through the program is nearly $4 million.

Local 455 and Minneapolis-based Pipefitters Local 539 and their contractors work with Community Action Partnership agencies in the metro to identify homeowners in need of assistance.

“Local 455 has so many proud members that are willing to give back to the community,” Local 455 Business Manager Tony Poole said. “I’m thankful to be a part of such a great organization.”

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Union pipefitters make furnace repairs for homeowners in need

October 3, 2018 by

Mel MacFarlane (L), a journey-level pipefitter with Local 455, and third-year apprentice Ben Woodis ran a service heck for St. Paul resident Mary Kujawa during the Heat’s On service day Sept. 29.

Some 200 union tradespeople spent their day off Saturday inspecting and repairing furnaces at no cost to senior, low-income and disabled homeowners across Minnesota.

Volunteers with Project Heat’s On, the service day launched in 1986 by unions and their signatory contractors, came from three Pipefitters locals: St. Paul- and Mankato-based Local 455, Rochester-based Local 6 and Minneapolis- and St. Cloud-based Local 539.

Together, union members prepared 140 home furnaces for winter, making repairs that will reduce energy costs and prevent heating failures.

“St. Paul Steamfitters/Pipefitters Local 455 started Heat’s On in 1986, and it has been an overwhelming success,” Local 455 Assistant Business Manager Tony Poole said. “The following year, Local 539 made it a joint effort.

“Since then our members have donated thousands of man-hours helping low-income residents in the metro area by inspecting and making repairs to their home heating systems. It has been great to give back to the community.”

Since the project’s inception, volunteers have donated more than 35,000 hours of labor – at a value of $3,841,975 – to 8,144 households through the Heat’s On program.

Mel MacFarlane, a journey-level pipefitter with Local 455, and third-year apprentice Ben Woodis ran a basic service and operations check for Mary Kujawa, who lives in St. Paul’s North End neighborhood.

Kujawa said she wanted to be sure her furnace would make it to the holidays, when she plans on hosting her children and more than 40 grandchildren. MacFarlane, in his fourth year as a Heat’s On volunteer, saw no red flags during his inspection.

“She’s going to be set for the heating season,” MacFarlane said. “If nothing else, we delivered some piece of mind here today – and a few moments of companionship.”

Heat’s On is a combined effort of Pipefitters unions and the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association, which provides materials and parts for repairs, as well as four Community Action Partnership agencies (Hennepin County, Ramsey and Washington Counties, Three Rivers, and Tri-County), which identify homeowners in need.

Learn more about Project Heat’s On at www.mnpipetrades.com/heatson.php.

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Volunteer Pipefitters keep heat on for homeowners in need

October 2, 2017 by

Local 455’s Maria Pinzon and Christopher Kristenson repair a Frogtown homeowner’s furnace.

Over 100 low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners in Minnesota received free furnace repairs and inspections Saturday, thanks to union pipefitters and their contractors.

Project Heat’s On, in it’s 31st year, drew volunteers from local unions in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Rochester and St. Cloud. In the Twin Cities, 90 members of St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455 joined the effort, as did 80 members of Minneapolis-based Local 539.

Pipefitters like Maria Pinzon and Christopher Kristenson, fifth-year apprentices with Local 455, traveled in teams to homes, where they repaired minor furnace problems, replaced smoke detectors and checked for dangerous heat-related health conditions.

“We do a lot of simple things that people aren’t able to do because they are elderly or busy in life,” Pinzon said. “It can really make a world of difference and possibly save a life.”

At a breakfast banquet before the volunteer event, union leaders and elected officials, including Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, thanked pipefitters for their work – and for raising awareness about the importance of keeping home-heating systems in good repair.

Among the causes of home fires in Minnesota, heating systems recently dropped from second-most common to third, A.J. Neis, a fire inspections supervisor with the City of St. Paul, told volunteers.

“The needle is moving in the right direction, and that’s because of the work you guys are doing,” he said.

 

Since its launch in 1986, Heat’s On volunteers have donated more than 34,000 hours of skilled labor, providing more than $3.7 million worth of repairs to 7,869 Minnesota households.

“There is a definite need for this service in our community,” said Greg Rottach, energy conservation construction manager with Community Action of Ramsey and Washington Counties, a nonprofit agency that identifies homeowners for Heat’s On assistance. “For our participating households, knowing that you have safe and adequate heat for the winter is quite a relief.”

For Pinzon and Kristenson, the first stop of the day was a home in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood. After tuning up the furnace and replacing a condensate drain line, they headed for another home in the city’s North End.

“I have family members that struggle in similar situations,” Kristenson said. “It was a good opportunity for me to give back.”

Pipefitters from Locals 455 and 539 gather for a photo after the Heat’s On breakfast banquet.

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Volunteer Pipefitters keep heat on for area low-income, elderly homeowners

September 29, 2016 by
Local 455 volunteer Luis Parad, a service professional from NAC, checked for leaks in the radiator of a house on Carroll Avenue in St. Paul.

Local 455 volunteer Luis Parad, a service professional from NAC, checked for leaks in the radiator of a house on Carroll Avenue in St. Paul.

Volunteer members of St. Paul-based Pipefitters Local 455 serviced and repaired furnaces free of charge to disabled, elderly and low-income homeowners in the Twin Cities area Saturday during their annual HEAT’S ON day of service.

The volunteer effort drew 51 volunteer members of Local 455, as well as other Pipefitter locals in Minnesota. Union contractors, members of the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association, supplied parts and vehicles for the effort, and local community human service organizations, including the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties, helped identify homeowners in need.

HEAT’S ON is a national program that started in the Twin Cities in 1986. Since it’s inception pipefitters in Minnesota have volunteered nearly 40,000 hours and helped 7,728 homeowners, providing repairs worth an estimated $3.6 million to area homeowners.

Several elected officials attended a banquet breakfast prior to the volunteer event to recognize and thanks union members for their service to the community. Gov. Mark Dayton signed a proclamation declaring Sept. 24 HEAT’S ON Day across the state.

Elected officials who attended the event included U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Attorney General Lori Swanson, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, State Sen. John Marty and Ramsey County Commissioners Janice Rettman, Rafael Ortega, Jim McDonough and Victoria Reinhardt. Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Ken Peterson and Department of Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman also attended, as did a representative from the office of St. Paul City Council Member Dan Bostrom.

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Volunteer pipefitters tune up furnaces for homeowners in need

October 16, 2014 by
web.heatson-mahoney

St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455 volunteers during HEAT’S ON 2014 included Soua Lee (L) and State Rep. Tim Mahoney. (submitted photo)

Volunteer members of St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455 serviced furnaces for low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners as part of the 29th annual HEAT’S ON day of service Sept. 27.

Area union contractors, members of the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association, supplied parts and vehicles to the effort, and 147 volunteers from Local 455 and other pipefitters locals provided the labor.

HEAT’S ON volunteers tuned-up or repaired 141 furnaces statewide, increasing homeowners’ safety and reducing their fuel costs. Volunteers also installed or maintained smoke detectors.

This year’s event provided assistance to homeowners in Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Cloud, Rochester and Mankato.

HEAT’S ON is a national program that started in the Twin Cities in 1986. Since then pipefitters in Minnesota have volunteered over 32,833 hours and assisted 7,588 homeowners at an estimated value of over $3.5 million.

Participating homeowners were selected with the help of local community human service organizations, including the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties.

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Volunteer pipefitters service furnaces across state

October 21, 2013 by
Casey Cartier (left) and Lance Morgan service a furnace during HEAT'S ON 2013.

Casey Cartier (left) and Lance Morgan service a furnace during HEAT’S ON 2013.

Volunteer members of St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455 and Minneapolis Pipefitters Local 539 serviced furnaces for the needy Sept. 28 during the 28th Annual HEAT’S ON Program. The day of service safeguards low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners – and reduces their fuel costs.

Area union contractors supplied parts and vehicles to the effort, which drew 156 volunteers statewide. They serviced 143 furnaces for operating efficiency and safety, and they installed or maintained smoke detectors in homes in Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Cloud, Mankato and Rochester.

HEAT’S ON is a national program that was started in the Twin Cities in 1986. Since then pipefitters in Minnesota alone have volunteered over 32,098 hours and assisted 7,447 homeowners at an estimated value of over $3.4 million.

Homeowners were pre-qualified for HEAT’S ON assistance with the help of local community human service organizations including the Minneapolis Community Action Agency, Community Action for Suburban Hennepin and the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties.

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Project HEAT’S ON assists Minnesota low-income, elderly homeowners

October 24, 2012 by

Local 455 members Robert Morin (left) and Scott Erlander volunteer during HEAT’S ON. (submitted photo)

Union pipefitters and members of the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association teamed up for the 27th consecutive year to provide free furnace inspection and repair for low-income seniors and disabled homeowners in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Mankato and Rochester.

HEAT’S ON (Handicapped and Elderly Assistance To Service Our Neighbors) drew 176 union volunteers Sept. 29, including members of St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455 and Minneapolis Local 539.

Together, they serviced 182 homes at a value of $91,000 to homeowners, increasing the fuel efficiency of their furnaces and reducing their exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Since its inception, HEAT’S ON volunteers have worked more than 28,000 hours, donating $3 million worth of repairs and assistance to homeowners in need.

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