Boilers can feel intimidating the first time you step into a boiler room—the heat, the noise, the pressure gauge, and the weight of knowing that mistakes can be costly. Trace Blackmore opens with a reminder that boilers deserve respect, not fear—and that learning fundamentals is how you replace mystique with clarity.

The talent gap behind the boiler room door

Eric Johnson, Founder and CEO of Boilearn, explains why boiler expertise is becoming harder to replace. He points to the shrinking pipeline of boiler-trained technicians—historically strengthened by Navy steam training—and why companies can't rely on "tribal knowledge" and informal shadowing alone to develop the next generation.

Training that scales past the 2–3 day class

Eric shares what pushed him to build Boilearn: technicians and operators need structured, repeatable competency systems—not just scattered classes and a "shotgun approach" to on-the-job training. He lays out why fundamentals can be taught effectively online when it's done well, and why travel-heavy training models often spend a large share of the budget on logistics instead of learning.

Troubleshooting that starts with fundamentals

Troubleshooting is where boiler work can feel like a mystery—until you understand fundamentals and sequence of operations. Eric explains how technicians can isolate problems faster by knowing what should be moving (or not moving), testing one theory at a time, and using electrical diagrams as a practical roadmap when formal sequence documentation isn't available.

Better partnerships between boiler techs and water treaters

The conversation closes with practical steps that reduce friction and finger-pointing: take photos during inspections, package observations clearly in service reports, communicate directly when possible, and over-communicate inspection schedules so the water treater can prepare the program before the boiler is opened.

Listen to the full conversation above. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps

02:20 - Trace Blackmore sets the stage on boiler fear vs. Respect, learning boilers from a Navy-Trained mentor

09:20 - Words of Water with James

10:50 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

14:20 - Interview with Eric Johnson of Boilearn

16:30 – Eric's Path: HVAC school – Boiler Service Tech – Founder

19:10 – What Boilearn Does

22:10 – The lost "lifeline" problem

33:20 – Electrical Troubleshooting

44:20 – Coordinating Boiler Openings and Inspections

Quotes

"I've learned that boilers are something you definitely need to respect, but definitely not fear."

"There's a career behind boilers. There's a career behind water treatment and not enough people talk about it."

Connect with Eric Johnson

Email: eric.johnson@boilearn.com

Website: Boilearn I The Foundation of Boiler Training

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericjohnson2020/

Boilearn: Overview | LinkedIn

Guest Resources Mentioned

Boilearn

Boilearn mission and origins

Boiler operator roles and skills

Common steam‑boiler problems

Safe boiler operation guide

Boiler start‑up and maintenance

Safer operation manual

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

AWT Technical Training Seminars

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

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Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is water lost from a cooling tower as liquid droplets are entrained in the exhaust air.

2026 Events for Water Professionals

Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.

460 Building Boiler Talent: Fundamentals, Online Training, and Better Partnerships with Eric Johnson