Heats On
In the fall of each year Pipefitters Local 455, Pipefitters Local 539, and the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association hold the annual Heat's On! event at several locations throughout the state.
Teams of volunteers annually clean, inspect, and service hundreds of appliances for low-income elderly and disabled homeowners. Heats On! has serviced over 6,211 homes, donated 24,893 hours of service, at an estimated value of over $2,744,700 since 1986.
Heats On! is on of many ways the Minnesota Pipe Trades Association and it's members are giving back to their local communities.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
One change to the longest running Heat's On in the nation was to provide the needy with Carbon Monoxide/smoke detectors. Heat's On had installed smoke detectors in previous years but now installs the combination detectors to draw attention to a Minnesota law requiring Carbon Monoxide/smoke detectors which went into effect in 2008.
New Furnace Fund
The Contractors Association and the Pipefitter Unions started up, in partnership with community action programs, a Heat's On! furnace fund. This fund was set up so that community members who wanted to donate money for furnace replacement but also wanted to keep the money in their community could do so.
In 2008, Local 455, Local 539, and the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association donated $20,000 to start up the furnace fund which helped replace 14 furnaces around the state that year.
