Name: Tyler Dynes
Company: Farr Mechanical
Current Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Job Title: Foreman, Lead Install
Years of Experience: 15
Instagram: @dyneshvac
Tyler began his career right out of high school by training as an auto mechanic. After about a year and a half of working in an auto repair shop, he quickly realized it wasn’t the path for him. One day, while changing the oil on a truck for a local HVAC fuel company, he asked the owner if they were hiring as he returned the vehicle to him, to which the owner replied, no. A few months later, that same owner returned to the shop and offered Tyler a job. Tyler worked for that local company for 11 years and now works as a Foreman and Lead Installer for Farr Mechanical in Toronto, Ontario.
We asked Tyler to share some of his insights from the job site and reasons for choosing Viega.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Honestly, it’s the opportunity to build some amazing mechanical rooms. We get to be a part of some pretty elaborate houses, the size of which a lot of people don’t get to see, much less be involved in the building process.
What type of jobs do you do?
Farr Mechanical does a little bit of everything, from custom sheet metal to gas fitting and hydronic heating and cooling in residential and commercial settings.
What is the first word that comes to your mind when you think of/hear "Viega?"
Reliable. I know I can trust Viega products, not to mention how much fun it is to press knowing it is a fast, safe and secure system.
How long have you been using Viega press fittings?
I started using the ProPress system around 2017/2018 and quickly committed to using Viega products in all my installs. I had so many boiler and hydronic projects to complete that I was trying to find more efficient ways to increase the speed of my installations. Using Viega makes things go three times faster, allowing me to complete more projects while maintaining a high quality of work.
What is your most used Viega fitting?
1-1/4", 1-1/2" ProPress 90. I always have 1/2"-1" male and female adapters and a good combination of Ts in my van (you might say I have a slight hoarding problem). Basically, I try to stock everything I might need for any install.
What is your most memorable install or project?
I recently won the 2024 HVAC Tactical Award for Picture Perfect Install. The project that was submitted for nomination was by far my most memorable yet.
It involved an 8,000-10,000-square-foot home in Ontario with two older mid-efficiency boilers and just a mess of a system that was running off nothing but switches and set-point controls. The homeowner was constantly having people in to repair it, and nothing ever seemed to work right. We recommended a total replacement of the system. We removed two boilers, a domestic hot water tank, four hydronic forced air furnaces, four air conditioners and five in-floor heating manifolds.
We redesigned the space and used two FTVN 199 NTI boilers with an NTI 80g indirect and a BuffMax buffer tank to help the boilers with smaller microzones. Five new stainless steel Uponor in-floor manifolds were also used. We installed four all-new EcoSmart hydronic furnaces with Lennox air conditioners that were controlled by a full Tekmar Invita control system for all ten zones.
The project took me exactly one month from beginning to end, but it would have taken much longer without using Viega! A project like this takes hundreds of hours, from the planning to purchasing parts and the build itself.
Advice for those considering getting into the plumbing trade?
What’s that expression? “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” My advice would be to take one day at a time. Take personal pride in your work and do your best. No one can know everything, and we are all constantly learning.
Advice for the younger generation on why they should join the trade?
The trades allow all of us the opportunity to work with our hands, create something that is essential to society and be creative in the process. You have the opportunity to make it what you want as there is a variety of work to be done. For me, I didn’t want to be in an office. I need something that keeps me moving and challenges me. It is a fast-paced, competitive yet steady job that we know will continue to be in demand for many years to come. It’s hard work but so rewarding, and it is guaranteed you will have work if you take pride in what you do. The good guys are always busy!
