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Goodman Locations 6741 Cariboo Road, Unit 111, Burnaby, BC V3N 4A3 2640 Jacques Cartier-Est, Longueuil, QC J4N 1P8 4313 Autoroute Des Laurentides, Laval, QC H7L 5W5 1055 Cardiff Blvd., Mississauga, ON L5S 1P4 1161 Parisien Street, Ottawa, ON K1B 4W4 15700 Robins Hill Road, London, ON N5V 0A4 46 Zatonski Avenue, Brantford, ON N3T 5L8 8305 Jane Street, Unit 3, Vaughan, ON L4K 5Y3 963 Brock Road, Suite 1-5, Pickering, ON L1W 3A4 18043 111th Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5S 2P2 7007 54th Street SE, #141, Calgary, AB T2C 3C2 807 60th Street E, Saskatoon, SK S7K 5Z7

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Contents o f

whAt www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Busine ss

Wet Heat applications and tecHnologies

February 2014

16 HVAC/R

35 Calling all Wet Heads! We’re kicking off

another year of the most popular hydronic supplement in the country, Wet Heat Applications & Technology (WHAT for short). Check out new products, trends and installation and design advice from our list of esteemed contributors, all starting on page 35.

Matching components for top performance Ray Koepke

28 VEHICLE OUTFITTING

Optimizing storage space Andrew Snook

A sopping wet supplement of mechAnicAl business

COVER FEATURE Few people have reaped the successes of running their own business quite like Arlene Dickinson, but she’s not keeping her secrets of success to herself. She’s founded a number of companies to help stimulate the economy, invest in entrepreneurs, and fuel the entrepreneurial spirit. Andrew Snook

48 FIND THE FIX 50 Road Warrior: Marty Ruhe 70 Refrigeration

A Canadian twist on an Olympic slide Adam Freill

74 PLUMBING

Options abound in H2O treatment Paul Ethier

MB specialists 22Plumbing Commercial cross connections Fred Bretzke

26HVAC/R Getting flexible with duct Gord Cooke

46Hydronics Finding balance Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr 82 HVAC/R

67ASK ROGER Coping with increasing costs Roger Grochmal

A measure of sound Andy Krug

84 PLUMBING

78Refrigeration Modern technologies call for a new approach Phil Boudreau

Installing and maintaining sewage ejector systems Denton Gaiser

97TOOL TIP:

88marketing Your questions answered – Part 1 Doug MacMillan

Laser measuring devices

products 60-64Hydronics 83,90-91HVAC/R 92-93Plumbing 96Stuff you need departments 04From the editor’s desk 06News 14Profile: Gaetan Beaulieu 94The Info Page 95Calendar 97Crossword 98By the numbers CHECK US OUT ONLINE

mechanicalbusiness.com

On the cover: Dragons’ Den co-star Arlene Dickinson is a marketing mogul who has a love of the entrepreneurial spirit. Photo: Courtesy of CBC TV’s The Big Decision

From Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 Canada Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com Jan/Feb 2014 Issue Published 6 times per year. Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com Associate Editor/Web Editor: Andrew Snook, ext. 225 andrew.snook@mechanicalbusiness.com National Accounts Manager: Laura Goodwin, ext. 221 laura.goodwin@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Art Direction: JJM Graphic Ltd. davem@jjmgraphic.com Circulation Manager: Shila Naik (905) 272-4175 shila.naik@mechanicalbusiness.com Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. 222 bruce.meacock@mechanicalbusiness.com PM:41536047 ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print) ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online)

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Submissions: Copyright in material submitted to the magazine and accepted for publication remains with the author, but Mechanical Business and its licensees may freely reproduce it in print, electronic or other forms. Mechanical Business also reserves the right to edit said submitted materials to suit the editorial needs and mandate of the publication. Notice: Mechanical Business is published for owners, managers and decision makers with mechanical contracting firms and the sector’s supply chain partners in Canada. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Mechanical Business, Content Media Group Inc., its staff, directors, officers and shareholders (‘The Publisher’) assume no liability, obligation or responsibility for advertised claims, for errors and/or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. Manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over published editorial. The publisher reserves the right to publish a printed correction in a subsequent issue for editorial errors, omissions and oversights. Subscriptions are available for $90 plus taxes in Canada and the U.S. Single copies are $15.00. Outside Canada and the U.S., the rates are $150.00 (annual) and $25.00 (single copy).

the

editor’s

desk

Ready for the busy to happen With this being our first print edition of 2014, I’ll take this opportunity to kick off another exciting year with you, here at MB. Not only are we gearing up for the onset of shows and events, but this year will also be filled with regulatory changes and economic pressures, the likes of which we have not seen in several years, so we are anticipating some exciting times. Price increases are a part of normal business, and we’ve heard about some product costs rising already this year. With the Canadian dollar sitting almost a dime below par, we are likely seeing a price trend that isn’t going to abate anytime soon. We are going to have to figure out how to cope with this as the year progresses. Thankfully, Roger Grochmal has some great advice on that front in his column on page 67. Be sure to give him a read.

Join us at CMPX 2014 The CMPX Show is just around the corner, and we’ve got you covered. Be sure to pick up our next edition for a show guide and all the information you’ll need at the show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, March 19 to 21.

On the product front, the changes to industry standards regarding lead content in a number of plumbing products were recently approved by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes, and are now part of the published revisions, errata and editorial updates that apply to the National Plumbing Code of Canada 2010 (see our news section).

Those changes will be reflected in local codes as the jurisdictional authorities across the country adopt the revisions, but the adoption timeframe is different from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, so if you are uncertain about the status of a product for a project, be sure to contact the local inspector before you hit up your wholesaler for product, to ensure that problems are not encountered at the inspection stage. Another change, at least in Ontario, came with the passing of the Hawkins Gignac Bill, which makes carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in all Ontario homes with fuel-burning appliances, heating systems, fireplaces or attached garages. This is an opportunity for mechanical contracting firms to add an additional service to existing service contracts, if you haven’t already been offering CO detectors. Homeowners need the devices, so it might be an idea to add them to your truck’s inventory. And if you are looking for more new items to add to your offerings, be sure to put a trade show or two on your calendar (feel free to use our listings on page 95 as a guide). With CMPX hitting Toronto in just over a month, MEET in Moncton in May, and CIPHEX West coming later this year, just to mention a few, 2014 should prove to be busy, and we are looking at being there with you every step of the way.

From time to time, Content Media Group Inc. makes subscribers’ names available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to readers. If you would like your name excluded from these mailings, please notify the publisher. © Copyright 2014. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher. Proud members of:

Until next time,

Adam Freill, Editor

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News

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Exhibitors flock to CMPX 2014 Floor show space for the 2014 Canadian Mechanical & Plumbing Exposition (CMPX) has been sold out more than two months prior to the show’s opening, scheduled for March 19. The show will have more than 500 exhibitors with over 800 booths in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s North Building from March 19 to 21. In addition to the trade show, attendees will have the opportunity to check out the CMPX New Product Showcase and more than 20 Learning Forum sessions organized by HRAI and CIPH. The Learning Forum sessions will feature presentations on smart controls, an F280 codes update, enhanced refrigeration solutions, rainwater and greywater challenges, high efficiency space heating and cooling, marketing and social media tips, Ontario Plumbing Code changes, and more. Fees for the seminars are included in the registration, along with free habourfront parking and shuttle service. Be sure to check out our show guide in the March edition of Mechanical Business. cmpxshow.com

Lead content standard updated The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) has approved the updating of the Table of Referenced Documents in the National Plumbing Code (NPC) to reflect the most current editions of standards CSA B125.3-2012 Plumbing Fittings and ASMEA112.18.1/B125.1-2012 Plumbing Supply Fittings. The changes incorporate requirements for low-lead content fittings. The most current editions of the standards have been published as interim changes to the 2010 NPC, and it is now up to each province or authority having jurisdiction to navigate the adoption process.

Hauling Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs legend Darryl Sittler sits behind the wheel of the 2014 NHL Winter Classic Ice Truck at Canlan Ice Sports in Oakville, Ont., as part of the festivities put on by York to help promote the NHL’s Winter Classic. The truck was en route to Michigan for the outdoor game held on New Year’s Day. York also gave away passes to the Hockey Hall of Fame in return for a donation to the local food bank. Attendees were able to get autographs and win tickets to the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich., where the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in a shootout. york.com

CIPHEX West to co-locate with Buildex The CIPHEX West trade show will be co-locating with Buildex Calgary in 2014. The Buildex Calgary tradeshow and conference features exhibits and educational seminars related to interior design and architecture, property management, construction and renovation. CIPHEX West is scheduled to take place at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park in Calgary on Nov. 5 and 6. CIPHEX West will feature more than 250 exhibitors, a hydronic event, water treatment workshops, a new product gallery, and HVAC/R and plumbing educational sessions.

nationalcodes.nrc.gc.ca

ciphexwest.ca

buildexcalgary.com

Follow Us on Twitter! It’s MB’s Twitter Roundup Caught the twitter bug? We’ve got you covered with tweets about everything that matters to the mechanical trades in Canada. Follow us @mechbusiness.

CIPH News

HRAI

Moen

Yeezy

@CIPHnews

@HRAI_Canada

@moen

@YifferYeezy

Only two more months until World Plumbing Day 2014 (March 11, 2014). Tell us how you plan to celebrate. worldplumbingday.com

Congrats to Tom Boutette of B&B Trade Distribution Centre who was appointed as the Canadian Region Director for HARDI.

#SaveH2O tip: Dual flush toilets can save a gallon or more per flush over standard models.

January 11, 2014

January 10, 2014

#Canada’s #EconomicActionPlan worked 4 me. Just seen a commercial with a woman who’s now an HVAC tech #ApprenticeshipGrants $4000 #Ontario #Trades

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January 8, 2014

January 5, 2014

Refrigeration recap Refrigerant Management Canada’s (RMC) annual general meeting took place in November in Mississauga, Ont. In addition to an update on RMC’s accomplishments throughout the year, the meeting featured a The 2013-14 RMC board of directors. Standing: Dennis Larson, Stuart Smith, Jim Flowers, presentation on steam plasma Domenic Loconte, David Morden, Warren Heeley arc refrigerant cracking by and chair Rob Flipse. Sitting: Katelyn Gorelle, Julia Frid and Marie Li-Ying. Recyclage EcoSolutions’ vice-president of business development, Alain Boisvert. To date, RMC has collected and destroyed approximately 3.6 million kilograms of environmentally damaging refrigerant.

Service with a smile Unika Hypolite (right), Uponor’s channel marketing manager for Canada, smiles for the camera while manning his company’s booth during Construct Canada, which took place in Toronto this past December. The trade show celebrated its 25th year in 2013, attracting more than 24,000 attendees. In 2014, Construct Canada will co-locate with IIDEX Canada for a total of nine expositions that will take place concurrently from Dec. 3 to 5, 2014 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

refrigerantmanagement.ca

constructcanada.com

iidexcanada.com

TSSA targets oil The Canadian Oil Heat Association’s (COHA) Ontario chapter has asked all its contractor and distributor members to have copies of their customers’ comprehensive inspections on file to ensure they are in compliance with Ontario Regulation TSSA Act, 2000 O.Reg. 213/01. The association advised that TSSA inspectors will be enforcing the regulation during all inspections, and that failure to comply may result in charges. Anyone in need of forms can request the order form by contacting COHA Ontario.

Giving apprentices a boost

coha-ontario.ca

On Dec. 3, Humber College’s plumbing apprentice program received a $25,000 shot in the arm from pump manufacturer Grundfos. The funding is part of the company’s technical school initiative, and will be delivered as a series of $5,000 grants over a five-year partnership with the college. Mechanical Business contributor Sam Steele, an instructor in the school’s plumbing apprenticeship program, was instrumental in securing CIPH Industrial Pipe, Valves the grant from the firm. The funding will be used to provide and Fittings Council chairman an annual $1,000 award for students in their final year of Kevin O’Reilly (Westlund, a study, as well as training equipment and resources, including division of Emco Corporation) high-efficiency pumps, technical literature and access to pump welcomes council members to Toronto’s Steam Whistle Brewery for industry professionals. a networking luncheon at the end of November. The event featured humber.ca grundfos.ca a tour of the John Street Roundhouse, a building that functioned as a Canadian Pacific Rail steam locomotive repair facility when it was built in 1929. More recently, it was repurposed into commercial real estate space that now houses the brewery and other tenants. In addition to checking out the pipes and valves of the building’s heating system, the tour featured a look at the brew house, the fermentation vessels and the bottle-shop, as well as freshly bottled samples of pilsner. (Editor’s note: Sometimes being an editor has its perks!) Renew your subscription, free of charge at

Networking at the Roundhouse

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App Alert

News

www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Refrigerant charging calculator The HVAC Refrigerant Charge app from Carmel Software Corporation is designed to allow HVAC technicians to perform superheat and subcool refrigerant charge calculations on-the-fly. The app includes pressure/ temperature data for over 75 refrigerants. carmelsoft.com

SAIT Polytechnic achieves gold, and silver

Pick a pump The TacoHVAC Pumps app allows users to select from centrifugal pumps manufactured by Taco. The user can select a pump for application to hydronic heating and/or cooling systems, while checking out the pumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characteristics. The app allows users access to Taco product literature and gives them direct access to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technical support department. taco-hvac.com

SAIT Polytechnic recently attained two LEED gold certifications and one silver recognition for its Trades and Technology Complex in Calgary. The 740,000 sq. ft. complex opened to staff and students in August 2012. In addition to state-of-the-art labs and exposed infrastructure, the complex has a variety of green features, including low-flow toilets and faucets, white reflective roofing materials, and an energy-saving digital lighting system. sait.ca

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Aquatherm revamps website

A meeting of mechanical minds “The goal for the HVAC Coalition has been, and always will be, a level playing field,” Roger Grochmal, chair of the HVAC Coalition, told a packed house during HRAI GTA Chapter’s November meeting, which also served as the coalition’s annual general meeting. Grochmal said utilities pose a danger to HVAC contractors, however, he discussed a three-step model for dealing with issues related to utilities, which includes: advocating directly with utilities; engaging politically with municipal governments (stakeholders) when the utilities are publically owned; and intervening selectively to try and set precedents with the Ontario Energy Board.

Aquatherm recently redesigned its website, adding a variety of features, including training videos, case studies and several other tools to assist contractors, engineers and associates in specifying the company’s polypropylene-random (PP-R) on projects. The case studies featured on the website can be searched by location, application, product and project type. The site also offers users the ability to locate customer support and wholesalers of the product lines. aquatherm.com

hrai.ca

Rebuilding geothermal ClimateMaster’s Paul Bony discusses rebuilding the geothermal industry during the Ontario Geothermal Association’s annual general meeting held in Orangeville, Ont. Bony, along with WaterFurnace’s Will Lange and Enertech Global’s Steve Smith, comprised a panel that discussed different avenues for the industry to overcome its current challenges in the province and nationwide, from a manufacturer’s perspective. The AGM also featured keynote speaker Andrew Pride, vicepresident of conservation for the Ontario Power Authority. ontariogeothermal.ca M e c h a n i c a l

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Movers & Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Johnson Controls buys part of Hitachi Johnson Controls, Inc. recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Appliances, Inc., to obtain a 60 per cent ownership stake in Hitachi Appliancesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; global air conditioning business, excluding sales and service operations in PANTONE 1797 Japan and certain other assets. The partnership will include such products C: 0% M: 100% Y: 99% K: 4% as variable refrigerant flow and inverter technologies for commercial and residential markets. The joint venture is expected to begin operations this year, subject to final due diligence and approvals. johnsoncontrols.com hitachi-ap.com

Ontor masters new products Ontor Limited has been named the master distributor for Amaircare, a manufacturer of air filtration systems for residential, commercial and automotive applications; and for Heat Saving Systems Inc., manufacturers of heating and ventilation equipment, including air curtains, air doors, fans, fan heaters and cooling towers. ontor.com

Torbram Electric relocates branch Torbram Electric Supply has relocated its Belleville, Ont. location to 57 Cannifton Rd. Phone and fax numbers remain unchanged. Tel: (613) 967-1656. F: (613) 968-3898.

Granby names new sales rep

torbramelectric.com

Carrier teams up with Bosch Carrier recently signed an agreement with Robert Bosch North America Corporation (Bosch) to form a joint venture to develop and manufacture geothermal and water-source heat pumps for the North American residential and commercial segments. Carrier geothermal and water source heat pumps will be developed and manufactured in the U.S. Sales channels and the respective brands for each company will remain independent of one another with product expected to reach both companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing markets in North America. The transaction completion is pending necessary regulatory approvals. carrier.com bosch-climate.us

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Granby has appointed Brennan Ferguson Associates HVAC Sales (BFAL) as its sales rep for the Atlantic provinces. The company will be representing Granby Furnaces Inc., Granby Industries l.p. and Pensotti products. BFAL can be reached at (902) 464-0794, or by email at info@bfal.ca. granbyindustries.com

CCTF teams with Oventrop CCTF Corporation has been named the exclusive Canadian master distributor for Oventrop Corporation. CCTF will be selling Oventropâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s line of balancing and control valves through its Canadian distributors. cctf.com

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02.14

People in the news www.mechanicalbusiness.com Napoleon Group of Companies has named John Czerwonka its vice-president of sales for the company’s hearth division. John has 14 years of experience in sales with home development, dealer and builder direct channels. He will split his time between the company’s Barrie, Ont. office and its plant in Crittendon, Ky.

Viqua has appointed FRANK PROFITI to the position of general manager. His main responsibilities will include providing leadership to all areas of the company’s consumer water treatment business including sales, service, marketing, product development, engineering and manufacturing operations. Blanco recently appointed GARTH WALLIN its new president. He has sales, marketing and operations experience, including 19 years in the hardware industry. Goodman recently named MIKE MACCORBY the branch manager of the company’s soon to be opened Winnipeg branch. Mike has been active in the HVAC sector for over 26 years, including geothermal design and radiant flooring. SEAN KELLY was recently named the vicepresident of procurement for Emco Corporation. Sean has been with the company for 18 years in various leadership roles, including region vice-president of B.C. from 2000 to 2006, and division vice-president of Waterworks from 2006 to present. He will retain his role as division vicepresident of Waterworks.

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Dettson Industries has named ALFONSO TORRETTA its sales and technical representative for Ontario. He has more than 30 years of industry experience.

Masco has promoted PETER ASHTON (left) to director of trade sales. In addition to his work with the company, Peter was recently named Associates Council chairman for MCA Canada. Masco has also hired TONY PIZZI (centre) as its regional sales manager for Eastern Canada, and LUCIANO MARONE (right) as the company’s builder sales representative.

KVC Industries has hired LIONEL ANDROSOFF as its sales manager for Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Lionel has more than 21 years of sales and marketing experience working for manufacturers and suppliers within the mechanical industry.

Wolseley Canada recently hired RYAN HUNT for the role of outside sales for its HVAC/R Business Group in Mississauga, and Brampton, Ont. He has more than 10 years of experience in the industry.

NCI Canada has hired NEB SAMARDZIC as its director of sales, wholesale. Neb has worked in the industry in the Canadian marketplace for three years, after spending 14 years with a large multinational company in Europe.

With the recent retirement of Pat Cushing at A.O. Smith Enterprises, the company has reorganized its sales department. GEOFF HOLLOWAY, vice-president of Canadian sales will have accountability for the wholesale and home services (rental) sales channels, along with Canadian sales administration. Sales managers Glen Gottschalk, Malcolm Bradbury and Jim Nicklasson will report to Geoff, along with Tasha Medeiros, Josella Widmeyer and Debbie Shortreed, the company’s inside sales specialists. KIM LAURETTE, the company’s director of retail sales and Canadian marketing, will have accountability for the retail sales channel along with Canadian marketing responsibilities. Ian Reinhart, senior marketing coordinator, and Bronwyn Thornton, inside sales specialist, will report to Kim.

Desco has hired DOMENIC DEFAZIO (top) as its new operations manager. The company has also brought on DUNCAN SALISBURY (bottom) as its purchasing manager. Both will work out of the company’s Etobicoke office.

NEXT Plumbing & Hydronics recently hired MIKE PANZARINO (1), FAB IAFANO (2), FRANK IAFANO (3) and SCOTT BOUCHER (4), as members of its outside sales team, as well as hydronics specialists STEVE GOLDIE (5) and PETER ZANDBERG (6). All of the company’s new employees are long-time veterans of the GTA plumbing industry, having worked in the trade and on the supplier side with various organizations.

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Profile Looking forward with Gaetan Beaulieu

Building his company, Beaulieu Plumbing and Mechanical, with his wife Carol from a small room in his home into a firm with more than 160 people and operations in three provinces, Gaetan Beaulieu has come a long way, but the recently-minted chair of the Mechanical

Q A

How did you get started in the m echanical sector?

It was a personal interest. I was a plumber. I went from being an apprentice to journeyman, to

Contractors Association of Canada is not resting on past successes. Always busy, he’s pushing forward at home, in business and with the association. We caught up with him to reflect on the past, and to see where his term at the helm might take the association.

foreman to running the satellite office for a company in Quebec. We started our company in 1984 in my family house in New Brunswick.

Q A

Tell me about your company.

I n business for 30 years, we offer plumbing, heating, geothermal, ventilation manufacturing and installation, refrigeration and medical gas mechanical services to residential, commercial and industrial customers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

What do you enjoy most about the i ndustry?

I am quite proud of what our people build, and their accomplishments, and I am proud to provide work to others.

Q A

Who have been some of your mentors over the years?

T he main mentor, and my supporter, who is always there to support me, is my wife, Carol. We started together, and she is still working with me.

Q A

You’ve grown from a small, four- p erson operation to 165 people. What are some of the main differences between your operations now and when you started?

W e are more diversified. We have a sheet metal shop, and instead of having an office at home and a small warehouse, now we have a 62,000 sq. ft. building.

What charity have you selected as the C hairman’s Charity?

W e are going to continue with Operation Eyesight, an international development organization focused on the elimination of avoidable blindness. As the new chair, there have to be a few priority items on your to-do list. What are the top three things that you’d like to see accomplished during your tenure?

1. Prompt payment legislation.

Bio Name: Gaetan Beaulieu Title: President/Owner Age: 62 Company: Beaulieu Plumbing and Mechanical Inc. Corporate Office Location: Edmundston, N.B. Founded: 1984 Association position: MCAC Chairman Joined MCAC National Board: 2003 Born in/currently resides in: Caron Brook, N.B. Education: New Brunswick Community College in Edmundston

Photo: Time Capsule Photographic Studio

Q A

FAST FACTS

2. Working with the design profession on change order procedures, tender documentation and quality of specifications.

• Gaetan started his company in the same room in which he was born. • He loves spending time with his four grandchildren, and lists that as his number 1 leisure-time activity whenever the opportunity presents. • Gaetan is a Beatles fan.

3. Working with the federal government and organized labour to establish a new standard for the pipefitting and steamfitting trades.

hat’s the best piece W of advice that you have received?

Don’t be afraid, and have faith.

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Hvac Ray Koe pk e

Matching components for top performance

tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freezing out and you get the call to work on a furnace that requires major repairs. Given the needs and age of the unit, you suggest replacement of the furnace. All too often, in this scenario, the rest of the components that make up the HVAC system are overlooked, including the air conditioner that may be close to the same vintage as the furnace. This could be robbing the homeowner of greater comfort and efficiency. It might take a bit more time, but a comprehensive estimate that includes an up-to-date load assessment, and an inspection of the air conditioning system and ductwork, could prove quite beneficial.

Take pictures and explain the benefits of your recommendations. Never underestimate the value of a few pictures. And perhaps the A/C system is just fine for now, but it could be beneficial to install a cased coil onto the new furnace as part of the current project, and deal with the A/C at a later date.

Perform an accurate computer analysis for the home. Consider any improvements or future changes planned for the building envelope, and ask questions to discover any shortcomings in the present system.

Airflow Perform a walk-through and verify all duct openings and damper settings. Set the unit to deliver the highest airflow possible, and measure the CFM (cubic feet per minute) rate and ESP (total external static pressure).

A/c Condition It may be time to update the air conditioning system as well. Review the present state of it, inspecting both indoor and outdoor coils for any air restrictions. Look for rusting of tube sheets and condensate pan. Look for rotting fins, especially outdoors where animals may have been targeting the coil. Also be on the lookout for any signs of oil tracks on pipe joints.

Building load

10 steps to matching With an accurate assessment of the present heating and cooling load requirements, and the capability of the existing ducting system, it is possible to select components that will work together in a harmonious HVAC system. These selections will either provide a comfortable, efficient home, or a nightmare of energy bills and endless complaints. To avoid the latter, consider these 10 points when matching components of an HVAC system.

Capacity The capacity selected should just maintain setpoint at design conditions. Avoid selecting equipment based on the coldest or hottest day of the year. This would result in oversizing, requiring more airflow, thus costing more and reducing operating efficiency.

continues on page 18

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HVAC

continued from page 16

Motor type

Staging

Select from single-stage, multi-stage, modulating or, for A/C, inverter drives. These are all options worth considering. Zoning may offer an opportunity to reduce equipment capacity by as much as 30 per cent, in some cases.

Airflow

Find the highest CFM required and compare that with previous airflow test. Ensure the existing ducting will support this airflow without excessive static pressure. You may need to make some changes to the existing ducting to reduce the ESP.

The multi-speed, constant torque X-13 ECM motor has a tendency to reduce the CFM delivered as the static pressure increases. As the motor increases rpm the power applied reduces, much like the characteristics of a PSC style motor. It may have multiple speed taps for different heating and cooling speed options, along with time delays, in some cases. The standard PSC will offer multiple speed taps, but is not as efficient for continuous fan applications and has limited speed options.

ESP available and system pressure drop

Add up all of the pressure drops. Find the wetted coil pressure drop rating and the supply and return air duct and filter losses. Compare this to the available ESP for the equipment. Most furnaces are designed and rated to deliver a nominal 0.5” wc total ESP, but can be up to as high as 1.0” wc ESP.

An ECM motor may be able to deliver up to 1.0” wc static pressure, but this does not come without a price. As the static pressure increases so does the wattage. The reason this happens is the rpm and power output are increased to maintain the programmed CFM. As the wattage increases, the SEER rating is diminishing. It may take as little as a 12-watt increase to de-rate by one full SEER.

Coil sizing

In a refrigeration cycle, the evaporator is the “boss” as heat picked up in the evaporator must be dealt with by the rest of the components in the system. In an A/C system, the indoor coil is the evaporator. Pay continues on page 20

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HVAC

continued from page 18

special attention to the sizing of the coil. An evaporator that’s undersized, or one with poor airflow, results in less heat transferred to the coil, lower pressure and temperature, possible liquid flood back, coil icing, water damage, longer running times, higher operating costs, less reliability, and less comfort. And oversized evaporator, or too much airflow, results in higher current draw, more heat that the condenser needs to discharge, higher suction pressures, and higher head pressures, which results in less latent heat removal, more noise, higher operating costs and less comfort.

Coil construction

Coils have undergone significant changes over the past few years, with adjustments to the number of rows, fin spacing and lancing, and how the coils are circuited. The inside of the tubing may now be score or rifled to further enhance the heat transfer surface area, and tubes and fins are being made from aluminum for increased dependability. They can be cased/uncased, upflow/downflow, horizontal, “A” shaped, “N” shaped, flat or slanted style. All these have a specific application, so consult the manufacturer for details.

SEER targets

be if you are going to apply for grants. Keep in mind that if the ducting is too restrictive you will not meet the intended SEER, even if the equipment is “AHRI rated.” You may have to re-evaluate the pressure drops and perhaps select a coil of a lesser pressure drop.

Metering devices

There are many different metering devices. The selection of a hard-shut-off type, for example, may require the condensing unit to be equipped with hard start components but offers an advantage, in that it traps liquid in the liquid line during the off-cycle so that it reaches “steady state efficiency” faster. Fixed orifice types may be less costly, but may not provide adequate refrigerant control at low load conditions. Bi-flow TXVs may be required for heat pump applications, and electronic expansion valves also offer high performance and precise refrigerant control.

Ensure the combination you are selecting provides the highest value to the customer. Each model and size is tested and certified under specific test criteria. The certification and test results are available at www.ahridirectory.org. It is not mandatory that every installation be an AHRI rated combination, but it may

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Ray Koepke is a field service representative and training manager with Ingersoll Rand HVAC. He can be reached at Raymond.Koepke@trane.com.

PLUMBING By F re d Br e t z k e

Commercial cross connections A

Fred Bretzke is a full-time pipe trades instructor with SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary and the general manager of A&B Plumbing. He can be reached at fred.bretzke@sait.ca.

student once gave me a book called, Flushed: How the Plumber Saved Civilization. I didn’t know it was possible for a book to be entertaining and educational on the subject of plumbing, but this book manages to

Rule No. 1

The first and most important rule in cross connection is that we protect a city’s water mains from commercial buildings’ potential pollutants. A pollutant, in cross connection terminology, means discoloured or distasteful water that may cause sickness, but not death. When adhering to this code, you are in fact making a premise isolation, which means protecting the city main from pollutants at that premise. We use a DCVA, or Double Check Valve Assembly, as shown in the illustration above, for this purpose. This device has to be tested for proper working order on installation, on relocation, after repairs, and annually. When installed, they need to have proper clearances according to local codes in order to have room to test them. When installing a DCVA on a sprinkler line it’s mandatory to use OS&Y valves, so that one can see that they are in the fully open position by visual inspection of the exposed stem of the valve. The DCVA is the third-best method of preventing a cross connection in a commercial building. The best method, of course, is using an air gap – an actual air space between the water supply and drain.

do it. It’s so good that we use it as part of our curriculum at SAIT since it basically explains the world history of plumbing, and you can’t talk about cross connection without talking about history. From people dodging the remnants of the chamber pots thrown out windows in the Middle Ages, to the Roman’s baths and toilets, where it was common to share a communal sponge on a stick for wiping, cross contamination has been prevalent throughout history. Fortunately, the plumber came along and helped save civilization with cross connection codes and devices that helped prevent the spread of disease. We’ve come a long way, but that doesn’t mean cross connection protection is perfect, so here’s some code information that might help as you deal with cross connection devices in commercial buildings.

Did YOU Know? The rules of an air gap are found in 2.6.2.9. of the Canadian National Plumbing Code 2010. An air gap is not a device, it is a method of cross connection.

Backflow prevention Another effective way to prevent potential cross connection in a commercial building is called a reduced pressure backflow prevention device, or in short, an RP device. An RP is required to be used in severe situations where a cross connection could prove to be lethal. RPs are used in such buildings as hospitals, chemical plants, and any other situation that uses deadly chemicals, and which has a water supply. RPs are installed in hospitals in parallel on the main water supply downstream of the continues on page 24

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water meter. RPs in parallel mean two RPs have to be installed with a bypass, so that one can be shut off and tested while the bypass has temporary water run through it. This is required for hospitals or any other building considered to have a severe threat of cross contamination and yet requires a 24-hour constant supply of water.

Know your bylaws When it comes to the proper installation of backflow prevention devices, Jeff Crossman, backflow prevention officer for the City of Guelph, Ont., says contractors need to remember to become acquainted with municipal bylaws in each city they operate. Although all municipal backflow by-laws are based off the B64 standard, which is the standard for backflow preventions, installation, maintenance and service, it doesn’t mean that the municipal bylaw has to be 100 per cent reflective of the standard. “They’re allowed to amend it or tweak that standard to meet the needs of their municipality,” Crossman explains. “The mechanical companies have to know that. You have to know the differences between the bylaws.

For example, Kitchener, Ont., is a premise-only facility. Waterloo, Ont., looks for full protection. Guelph looks for full protection. So what mechanical contractors can do varies.” He says any time an installation requires anything outside of the B64 standard, it is vital that the contractor contacts the municipal inspector. “Because the standard is only a standard, they are able to amend or tweak it.” Crossman also reminds contractors in Ontario to keep their Ontario Water Works Association status current. “In order to test backflow devices you have to have passed a course at an accredited college. It expires every five years, so keep it current. Municipalities are not supposed to recognize qualifications if those certificates have expired, and if you don’t maintain your active status by taking the recertification classes you have to take the full course again.”

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Getting flexible on duct considerations

am always challenged by my clients – builders and HVAC contractors – to find cost effective ways to improve the performance of the buildings they work in. I was reminded on a recent site visit that sometimes we overlook simple, inexpensive changes that have a really good “bang for the buck.”

A crimped duct.

Installation Issues In my experience, most builders are responding positively to the historic changes coming to building codes and rising expectations of their clients. Mechanical contractors too, need to step up to meet the new performance demands. One example is the performance of ventilation systems. As with any mechanical issues, the first suspect is always the equipment. However, in the case of ventilation I find I am usually pleased with the performance of the equipment itself, but find the installation of flexible duct and outside hoods attached to it lacking.

M e c h a n i c a l

This visit involved understanding the value of properly selected, and installed, insulated flexible duct. I was in a new home under construction by a very large builder in a southern climate. This builder, for the first time, was considering offering a comprehensive ventilation strategy to homebuyers – in this case, ERVs. As we discussed the installation of a demonstration unit, the HVAC contractor mentioned that he had heard it was recommended to use sheet metal ducts wrapped with an insulation blanket for ventilation ducts. I found this very odd in a market where miles of insulated flexible duct is used in HVAC applications.

In fact, in the very house we were in the contractor had demonstrated excellent choices and workmanship in the insulated flexible duct used for the central A/C system. As we discussed the issue further, he thought he had heard that some influential building science types had been considering pushing for a ban on flex duct for ventilation systems. I explained to him that I too hear concerns that flexible duct is never installed correctly, resulting in restricted airflow and the collecting of potential pollutants, and thus, should not be used. This should come as a warning to contractors installing HRVs, ERVs or other ventilation systems in Canada. We can’t let a kneejerk reaction to a symptom of poor choices and poor installation practices derail the overall goal for cost effective, high performance buildings. Properly selected and installed flexible duct can help achieve this goal.

Flexible duct that is not properly sealed, is poorly supported, too long, not pulled tight, and with crimped turns that severely restrict airflow is common, and thus, is often the cause of homeowner complaints and unnecessary call backs to builders, building evaluators, equipment manufacturers and contractors. I am also disappointed to find ducts that don’t meet the requirements of local codes in new homes where building inspections have been done by municipalities.

Improperly supported duct.

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We, as an industry, need to fix this before anyone goes further to ban the use of insulated flex duct.

• I nsta • lEx l a ti c it o inn gi s saudev sa n •c eCs o n• nect Th e oin r sflu vs.enair ce d ou f ct b u•ildIninsu g lat d esign io n values

Connectors vs. air duct Often overlooked is the seemingly fine distinction between what is referred to in the code as duct “connectors” versus “air duct.” The next time you pick up a piece of flex duct, look for the compliance words “connector” or “air duct.” Flexible duct manufacturers use the convention of a ULC marking in a circled border to denote the duct is approved as a connector and can only be used in lengths no more than four meters (13 feet) long. Air ducts have the ULC marking in a square border. Product choice should reflect the length of flex required: longer than four meters will require a product qualified as an air duct.

The shortlist Rules for flexible duct installation that all contractors should be aware of: • Design systems so that the insulated flexible duct is as short as possible.

Insulation values InItem most Canadian building codes, it has long been required that ducts longer than three meters (10 feet) carrying cold air into a 1. heated space must have a minimum R-val2. ue based on the design 3. temperature for the day geographic region of 4. the installation. Table 5. 9.32.3.10.A. is from the 6. Ontario Building Code, for example.

Column 1

Column 2

Outside Winter Design Temperature as per MMAH Supplementary Standard SB-1, “Climatic and Seismic Data”(1), °C

Minimum Thermal Resistance, RSI (R)

–7 to –11

0.5 (2.84)

–12 to –17

0.9 (5.11)

–18 to –24

1.2 (6.82)

–25 to –29

1.4 (7.96)

–30 to –34

1.8 (10.23)

–35 and colder

2.1 (11.93)

•

Choose products with a more durable outer lining that is tear and puncture resistant. These are usually the aluminized liners with a scrim.

•

Choose products with an inner core that will not unravel when cut. This is easy to identify, pull on the end of duct wire. If it unravels easily, ask your supplier for the next quality level up.

•

Choose products that have a minimum of one inch of insulation overlap over the perimeter of the duct so there are no gaps or cold spots on the outer jacket.

• Support the flexible duct with fabric or plastic hangers that are at least an inch wide to avoid pinching.

This means in all of Ontario, if you use a duct longer than three metres on the intake (supply) side of any ventilation system it would need to have an insulation value of at least R5. Of course, the typical product sold is R4.2 or less. With these two simple code requirements in mind, and appreciating what is typically selected and installed in the field, it should come as no surprise that as many as 95 per cent of HRV/ERV installations use inferior and or non-code compliant insulated flex duct. This is even before we consider proper installation methods or better choices for flexible duct that make for durable, efficient and healthy ventilation systems.

Bang for your buck I can’t think of a better performance boost for any builder. For less than $15 per box to go to an upgraded flexible insulated duct, and 10 minutes extra in proper installation technique, the difference is incredible. We shouldn’t have to justify this on call back reduction and better customer satisfaction – we could, but we shouldn’t – we should just do it. Using good quality, code-compliant product, coupled with training, will help avert any tough talk of banning flexible duct.

• Ensure the inner core is pulled to ensure there is less restriction on airflow and make wider radius turns to avoid kinks. • Seal both the outer liner and inner core duct to the HRV or ventilation system collar and to the outside hood.

“Get certified!” Check out the Air Diffusion Council’s online training module that is available to certify you and your installers on the proper way to install insulated and uninsulated duct. www.airdiffusioncouncil.org

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VEHICLE OUTFITTING

B y A n d r ew S nook

Drawers and shelving Using drawer and shelving space effectively to access your most used parts and tool will help feed a company’s bottom line. Ray Hewines, fleet sales manager for Ranger Design, a company that supplies storage systems for several brands of vehicles, says drawer systems are an extremely popular choice for customizing storage space in commercial vehicles, since technicians find them helpful for organizing their work space.

Optimizing

storage space M

any companies go to great lengths to create an ergonomic environment for their employees in an effort to help them work more productively, which can create big savings for employers. So it is no surprise that finding ways to optimize storage space in commercial vans is top of mind for mechanical contracting firms looking to keep their technicians’ workplaces as efficient as possible.

By Definition Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiencies in their work environment.

“Fleet vehicles are used to generate revenue, and as such, we have to make sure we have a vehicle that’s ready for the customer, exactly how the customer needs it,” explains Joe De Stefano, General Motors’ national sales and marketing manager. “Commercial bin packages are highly valued among tradespeople, including those in the plumbing, electrical, appliance repair, heating and HVAC industries.”

“The less the techs have to get in and out of the van, the better,” he says. “It maximizes their efficiency in regards to time.” Hewines adds that the contour of the shelving is an important factor to consider for maximizing floor space. “Make sure the shelving is tight to the wall,” he says. “Make sure that the shelving decks are of a suitable size to accommodate their needs and preferences. Some techs have their own way of storing products, their own preferred sizing of containers, so shelf depth is important. You want to make sure the shelves you install are durable and tough. You want to be able to put the product in and then forget about it.” Although storage designs vary from one manufacturer to another, Hewines says the majority of companies still opt for a steel design. continued on page 30

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VEHICLE OUTFITTING continued from page 28

Organization

Size it out

innovation

One of the more recent innovations in storage are what Ranger Design’s Ray Hewines refers to as “parts keepers,” where a technician can remove the parts case and take it with them on to a work site.

One of the steps in ensuring a companies’ fleet fits the needs of its technicians, is planning out the size of the equipment they will carry. “The most important thing they need to think about is the biggest thing they’re going to carry,” says Curtis Calwell, product specialist for MercedesBenz Sprinter. “They need to make sure they have a vehicle that fits that and gives themselves lots of room. It doesn’t make sense to jam too much into a smaller vehicle.”

Another option to help technicians become more efficient on the jobsite is a seat that converts into a work station, like the one offered on the latest Ford Transit Connect. “The passenger seat folds down all the way to create a table for doing paperwork on, or using a laptop,” says Dave Shuttleworth, assistant product marketing manager for Ford’s commercial vehicles. He adds that the latest models also come with an overhead shelf behind the seats for additional storage space and that the vehicles can be equipped with literature holders, storage cabinets and dividers, double floors, drawers, cargo management packages, and more. Sprinter’s Curtis Calwell says one of the most popular items right now is foldaway shelving “When you have stuff to transport you can have the shelving down, but when you have larger items that need the total floor space, you can then fold those shelves out of the way,” he explains.

Calwell says the 2014 Sprinter is designed with near vertical walls to minimize wasted space, and the outfitters that Mercedes-Benz Sprinter work with have designed their storage systems to fit the shape of the walls. “This allows technicians to store the most possible, and leave the most room down the middle of the van,” says Calwell. The widths and heights of the side and rear door openings are also a consideration when selecting vehicles for a fleet. Larger doors “obviously help loading and unloading entry, and also allows them to design bigger shelving and bigger storage areas they can build into the vehicle,” he says.

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Cabinet width

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120K

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VEHICLE OUTFITTING continued from page 30

Building bonds One part of the puzzle contractors need to remember when planning out the purchase of a vehicle or fleet is to build a strong relationship with their dealers, as well as the outfitters. “It’s usually not a one-solution-fits-all. Everybody kind of has their own idea of what they need,” says Mercedes-Benz Sprinter’s Curtis Calwell. “That’s what is great about these outfitting companies – they’re small enough to custom-design whatever the end user ends up needing.” Often enough, a one-of-a-kind solution inspires new products or storage system arrangements from an outfitter.

Safe storage

“One guy has a need for something, and it turns out a bunch of people need the same thing, so it ends up being a product that they offer,” says Calwell.

When it comes to the safety of HVAC/R and plumbing contractors, gas storage should be top of mind when deciding how to outfit a fleet, says Ranger Design’s Ray Hewines. “Sometimes they’re carrying around oxygen or hydrogen, so you want to make sure they’re securely fastened,” he says. Improperly secured tools also present a potential job hazard for contractors. “You see people who don’t think twice about throwing everything in the back, but if they were to get into an accident that’s a lot of stuff that has the possibility of flying forward,” says Sprinter product specialist Curtis Calwell, who adds that there has been a stronger focus over the past few years on making sure a fleet’s storage is both functional and safe.

“Our factory partitions are designed to actually withstand the weight that can be carried in the rear, so if your payload is 5,000 pounds, that partition is designed to stop that much weight from entering the cab.” Calwell adds that some of the solutions offered nowadays by outfitters include locking mechanisms for attaching to boxes to the shelves, and that some companies go as far as to crash test their storage solutions to ensure they are as safe as possible.

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WHAT www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Wet Heat Applications and Technologies

February 2014

A sopping wet supplement of Mechanical business

From far and wide… we’re Connecting Canadians From coast to beautiful coast, Uponor works with partners to provide innovative, efficient and trusted solutions. Whether a hotel in Toronto, a government building in Montreal, or a Condominium in Vancouver, the Uponor PEX-a Plumbing System, featuring Uponor AquaPEX tubing and ProPEX expansion fittings, consistently provides cost and labour savings, without compromising quality. At Uponor, we stand on guard for our partners. We work with you to find the right solution each and every time. • Most trusted, tested and listed in the industry • ULC S102.2 plenum listing* • Shape memory — kink reparable • Full-service design and technical support • Engineer’s resource portal: CAD, Specs, BIM, LEED®

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WHAT f e a t u r e s 40 Guest Column Helping builders build the hydronic business Kaveesh Padiachy

t a e r g C ONTENTS supple m e nt

0 2 . 1 4

life hydronics

We all need balance, in

and in

46 HYDRONICS

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

50 ROAD WARRIOR: Marty Ruhe Andrew Snook

42 Pumps

Detective Barba and the mysterious case of the banging zone valves John Barba

52 HYDRONIC IQ Around and around we go Sam Steele, Warren Hyde and David Hughes

ive Barba Detectan d the mysterious case of the ne valves o z g in g ban

56 TUBING

Radiant tubing installation methods and spacing Jerry Leyte

d e p a r t m e n t s 38From the editor’s desk 48Find the Fix 60-64 Products

On the cover: Road Warrior Marty Ruhe wanted to be a tradesman from an early age. He got his wish, and is loving life in hydronics. Photo: David Chidley

WHAT

Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 Canada Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com Jan/Feb 2014 Issue Published 6 times per year. Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com

Associate Editor/Web Editor: Andrew Snook, ext. 225 andrew.snook@mechanicalbusiness.com

Wet Heat Applications and Technologies

From

the

editor’s

Looking for growth opportunities Growing the hydronic market share in Canada has been a challenge for a long time. While efforts have been made with such programs as Beautiful Heat to increase public awareness of radiant as an option for comfort heating, the best way to increase uptake, whether we are talking heating systems, negotiating a contract or thinking about dessert with dinner, is simply to make it too difficult to say no.

National Accounts Manager: Laura Goodwin, ext. 221 laura.goodwin@mechanicalbusiness.com

Right now, we as an industry need to make it difficult for potential customers to say no.

Looking for training, products and advice?

Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com

How do we do that? Well, on page 40 our guest columnist, Kaveesh Padiachy, the business development manager for Central Canada with Uponor, suggests one way to do this is to work with builders to make as many homes radiant-ready as possible.

Just hit the Mechanical Business website. Your source for training schedules, product information and a full archive of informative, technical articles. mechanicalbusiness.com

Art Direction: JJM Graphic Ltd. davem@jjmgraphic.com Circulation Manager: Shila Naik (905) 272-4175 shila.naik@mechanicalbusiness.com Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. 222 bruce.meacock@mechanicalbusiness.com

Once the heat delivery mechanism is in place, selling the rest of the system becomes much easier, and unlike that bathroom rough-in that’s never quite in the right place, embedded tubing won’t have to be moved.

PM:41536047 ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print) ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online)

Getting builders to agree can be a challenge, but perhaps we need to make it too difficult for them to say no as well. We need to show them plans that will increase their sales and lessen their worries – builders don’t like call-backs either.

Postmaster – Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to: Mechanical Business, 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2

The good thing is that we still like to keep up with the Joneses, so once Mrs. Jones starts bragging about the heated floors her builder provided, well, that will help on the sales front.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Alleviating worries about call-backs will require a solid track record, as well as products, training and tools that make systems quick and efficient to install, as well as easy to replicate.

Notice: Mechanical Business is published for owners, managers and decision makers with mechanical contracting firms and the sector’s supply chain partners in Canada. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Mechanical Business, Content Media Group Inc., its staff, directors, officers and shareholders (‘The Publisher’) assume no liability, obligation or responsibility for advertised claims, for errors and/or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. Manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over published editorial. The publisher reserves the right to publish a printed correction in a subsequent issue for editorial errors, omissions and oversights. Subscriptions are available for $90 plus taxes in Canada and the U.S. Single copies are $15.00. Outside Canada and the U.S., the rates are $150.00 (annual) and $25.00 (single copy).

Does it take time and effort to make it hard for someone to say no? You bet. Can it be a lot of work to do this? Of course. Will it be worth it in the end? Absolutely. Until next time,

Adam Freill Editor

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W H A T

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Helping builders can help build the hydronic business

n a slow economic market, the ability to innovate and differentiate may be the defining factor between businesses that succeed and those that fail. And there is an opportunity that exists for hydronic contractors to help home builders differentiate their offerings from those of their competitors. It’s called being rough-in ready. Although the new home market is well recovered from that of 2009, 2013 was a year in decline. Pretty much right across the country the story is much the same, with starts down roughly 20 per cent. The softer economy has also brought about a longer sales cycle for new homes, with builders in some parts of the country reporting cycles having doubled to six months.

How can contractors and home builders work together to shift this? A new trend that is gaining popularity, helping shorten sales cycle, and also offering an upgrade for homeowners is roughing in PEX tubing in basement slabs for future radiant heating. In the past year alone, radiant “rough-in” has demonstrated successes of reducing sales cycles by as much as 50 for some builders. Radiant heat is by no means a new concept. With the help of the Beautiful Heat campaign, much has been done to educate and reach homeowners about comfort, environmental, and economic benefits of radiant heat. A gap does still exist around the misconceptions about the difficulty and cost of a radiant system, however. In the past, it was not unusual for a pricey and complex hydronic system to have been proposed. As a result, builders have had difficulty in embracing or upselling radiant. Alternatively, we have found that a more successful approach for mid-to-entry level luxury homes is a stand-alone radiant system that operates in parallel to a traditional home system; and one that can be installed on the homeowner’s schedule – when they are ready to finish or upgrade their basement, whether that’s at time of purchase or a few years later.

W H A T

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02. 14

By working with builders to have PEX roughed in, in a manner similar to what’s done for bathroom pipes, a once expensive upgrade can be separated into two steps that help minimize cost. Moreover, the roughed-in component is often worked into the amortized home purchase price. Homeowners then have the flexibility to decide when it makes financial sense for them to finish the rest of their radiant system. These roughed-in basements are also showing secondary benefit to homebuilders: a heated basement allows a homebuilder to more easily upsell a finished basement. The technology in radiant systems continues to evolve to deliver simplicity, peace of mind and comfort for homeowners. Radiant is now also providing peace of mind for contractors and builders, with a solution that can help both businesses thrive and differentiate in this moderate economic climate.

Getting rough-in ready PEX tubing for a 2,000 sq. ft. basement can be installed in less than a day with two installers, and some PEX manufacturers now also provide adhesive mats that allow for PEX to snap in to a pre-spaced grid without the need of tie wraps, helping reduce labour hours. Additionally, some manufacturers have turned a once complicated set of radiant components into a radiant appliance – a pre-assembled box containing a boiler, radiant manifold, expansion tank, air vent, pump, isolation valves, pressure relief, and even a thermostat. This appliance only needs an electrical supply and connection to the existing radiant roughed in tubes for the homeowner to have a comfortable, warm basement.

Hydronics By John Barba John Barba is the contractor training & trade program manager with Taco, Inc. He can be reached at johbar@taco-hvac.com.

Enough with

Barba Detectainvdeth e mysterious case of the es v l a v e n zo banging

n our last episode, we put forth the proposition that not all circulators are created equal. There are circulators with flat curves and ones with steep curves. There are circulators with multiple curves that are all steep, and ones with multiple curves that are all flat.

There are also variable speed circulators with curves that are fixed, albeit funny looking; and variable speed circulators with curves that actually adjust to what the system really needs. None of them, however, are a “plug ‘n play” or a “one size does it all” circulator. That’s more wishful thinking than anything else.

To illustrate, we explored the “Mysterious case of the banging zone valves.” As you’ll recall (in Part 1 of the series, last issue) a contractor did a complete boiler change out, replacing the boiler and all the trim. It was a zone valve job, and he installed a new, “onlypump-you’ll-ever-need-‘cause-it-replaces-all the-others” three-speed circulator. The system heated just fine, but the zone valves, which used to be quiet as a church mouse, now banged like an all-percussion marching band. Why? And how can we make ’em stop? The answer, friends, can be found between the flanges.

the banging,

already!

So, mystery solvers, how do we make the banging stop? Two solutions jump to mind. One is simple. One is silly. Let’s start with silly.

Solution 1: Install a pressure differential bypass valve Why is this silly? Because it’s the most labour-intensive (and as a result, most costly) and the least effective. To install a pressure differential bypass valve you have to drain the system, alter the boiler piping to accommodate the valve, pipe the valve correctly and set the valve up properly (not a “gimme” by any means). That’s a lot of time, material and effort for what amounts to just masking the fact that the wrong pump was installed in the first place.

So let’s check out Solution 2

Universal Hydronics Formula

The situation

GPM = BTUH ÷ ( T × 500)

The old circulator was a three-piece Taco 110, a high-flow, low-head, flat-curve circulator. The total heating load of this job was 80,000 BTUH, and by applying the universal hydronics formula we know the total required flow rate for the job is eight gpm. Let’s presume each zone is roughly equal in overall load, at roughly 16,000 BTUH apiece (1.6 gpm each).

With all zones calling, here’s where the system operated when the 110 was in service: That’s about eight gallons per minute at roughly seven feet of head pressure. Now let’s look at what happened when only one zone called: The flow rate changed drastically, from eight gallons per minute to around 1.6, but the head pressure (pressure differential) is only about 7.5 feet. That’s only a half a foot of change, meaning the zone valves were closing against, at most, 7.5 feet of head. In terms of pressure, that’s only 3.25 PSI worth of pressure differential, and not enough to cause any zone valve to bang. Now, you fellow hydronics detectives will remember the key: There was a new circulator installed with the new boiler. It was a three-speed Taco 0015 because, after all, a three-speed circulator’s the only one you’ll ever need, right? continues on page 44

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And if the job requires a total of eight gpm at roughly seven feet of head, the 0015 looks perfect, no?

Solution 2: Install a flat-curve pump

All ya gotta do is slap it in! If you’re one of those perfectionist types, you’d go ahead and set it to medium speed. But if you’re just being sure, high speed is the way to go. What in the name of NCIS could go wrong?

This is the solution that actually solved the problem, although it took some convincing. The installing contractor was told by both his rep and wholesaler that he was going to install a bypass valve and figured he’d have to eat the cost.

Well, if your only threshold is no one complaining about freezing to death, there’s no problem. It says here this system’s going to deliver all the heat your customer could want at medium or high speed. And you can bet dollars to donuts it would work most of the time at low speed, as well.

When it was suggested that the simplest, most logical, least expensive and most effective solution would be to swap out the three-speed steep-curve pump for a flat-curve model, there was a bit of skepticism. “That can’t be it. That’s such old technology. It’s been around forever!”

No problemo!

It sure has, but the laws of physics have been around even longer.

That is, if we can ignore the banging. Why does it bang? Take a gander... Remember, with a fixed-speed circulator the system will always operate on the pump curve. Always. Note where the operating points are at each of the three speeds, and note the corresponding head pressures. We know the zone valves didn’t bang at around 7.5 feet of head pressure differential (that’s where we were with the old circulator), so it’s likely there was no banging with all zones calling and the 0015 set at low speed. However, with only one zone calling, you can see the spot where the system curve intersects the pump curve is up around 13 feet of head – nearly double the head produced by the old circulator. Welcome to Bang City. At medium speed the intersection point is around 17 feet and at high speed it’s around 20 feet. Those are higher rent neighbourhoods in Bang City. Now, in this example, the installer interpreted the clues correctly and rightly concluded the 0015 was the culprit. However, the escape from Bang City went badly awry when he swapped out one brand of three-speed for another. Different brand, same issue. With this type of pump, problems start as more zones close. The system moves up the pump curves and the zone valves close against greater pressure differentials, and they are not going to be quiet. On the face of it, either the 0015 or the 15-58 should be a perfect fit for this job, since their performance curves cover the flow and head requirement. And all the sales guys say that since it has three speeds, it’s the only pump you’ll ever need and it makes pump selection “easy.” Well, the easy answer is often the cleverest. Unfortunately, it’s also often wrong.

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Hydronic systems

life hydronics

We all need balance, in

and in

here is so much emphasis on green, efficient building systems these days and between the individual component efficiencies, the paperwork and calculations of building rating systems, whole-building efficiency analyses, and new controls and components to figure out, it can all seem rather complicated. Is there a simple path that will lead to efficient performance? Well, when it comes to hydronic systems a key to efficiency, Grasshopper, is balance.

step

Tools and valves

All heating and cooling designs should start with a load calculation. Only with a roomby-room load “target” can you achieve the goal of an efficient and comfortable environment – and that stands regardless of whether you are using a hydronically pumped system or not, but it is especially important when planning out efficient zoned systems. The load calculation numbers

Understanding the various types of balancing valves and tools helps throughout the process, from the design on paper, to the final tweaks made at the jobsite. Luckily, there are many sources of product, design help, and education available. Let’s look at the types of valves and how they work, to get you started. You could break down the types of valves into two categories: manual and automatic. In some cases, you will use a combination of the two types. In some cases, balancing meters need to be attached to the valve to adjust the flow rate. In other cases the readout meter is built into the valve or manifold. If the valve has a flow meter built in, the installer can dial in the correct flow when the system is commissioned. With a manual valve you will have markings or a scale to help adjust the proper flow. The number of rotations of the handwheel, for example, equates to a flow rate. Manual balancing valves have a place in hydronic systems. These are commonly ball or globe type valves. More “engineered” or sophisticated manual valves will offer better balancing characteristics, and better accuracy. Some manual valves may offer hand wheel scales and ports to connect a differential pressure meter to confirm and fine-tune the adjustments.

guide the designer and installer

Another type of balancing device is an automatic balancing valve.

in sizing and piping the system

One example of this is a pressure-independent balance valve (PIBV). This type of valve will provide a preset flow rate across a range of pressure differentials. So as the circulator pump sees different loads switching off and on, the PIBV dials in.

properly. Load numbers turn into flow rates and temperature differential requirements, which

The PIBV is commonly designed to be installed at the heat emitter unit. The task performed by this automatic valve is to regulate the exact flow rate for optimum performance.

will affect component selection. For example, the circulator pumps specified need to ensure

Engineers often mix the various types of valves in a system design, taking cost of materials and performance features into consideration. Manual valves could be used to adjust flow rates to the risers, for example, while the PIBV would take final and precise control at the heating, or cooling, emitter.

that the proper amount of flow reaches the heat distribution components.

In hydronics, as in life, the goal is achieving balance. Here’s to a zen-like heating experience.

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by Bob ‘Hot Rod’ Rohr

In hot

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr has been a plumbing, radiant heat and solar contractor and installer for 30 years. A long-time columnist and trainer, he is manager of training and education with Caleffi North America. You can reach Hot Rod at bob.rohr@caleffi.com.

water

Balancing valves also have a place in DHW recirculation systems. In this application they will regulate flow to multiple branches on the system. The goal is to provide quick DHW, while not overflowing the circuits and causing noise, wear, or excessive energy use. Some installers use automatic flow balance valves on large shower valve/body spray installations to limit the drawdown rate of the HW tank.

Purpose of the parts Balancing valves and

Balancing big, and small

devices are common components of large, complex hydronic systems. The purpose of a balancing

Balancing is critical in large projects, like commercial

device is to ensure that

buildings with lots of heat emitters.

there is a proper and

It may well be one of the more complex design criteria, and

consistent rate of energy

designing and selecting products takes a good understanding of flow dynamics, so if you are new to the

transfer.

concept, or want to learn more about recent product developments, contact your local manufacturer

For example, consider a

or wholesale reps, or surf the World Wide Web for guidelines about selecting and installing products.

large multi-storey office

Over the years, hydronic manufacturers have developed a comprehensive library of educational

building that’s been zoned

material, so there’s tons of material available. With a little bit of research, you can easily see how a

for hydronic heating, and

simple balancing product can enhance an installation.

possibly cooling. The loads

And be sure to study the mechanical drawings that engineers create. Those are a great resource to

vary constantly, and the

see how the engineer applies the different styles of balancing products, which can help build better understanding of how they would fit into subsequent installations. Balancing is also important in small jobs, so don’t overlook this detail, even on residential projects. Take, for example, a basic radiant-floor heating system in a home that has multiple loops or zones. Even with these systems it is a good idea to use a load calc and radiant design program to help spell out the ideal balancing approach. The design program specifications will show the flow requirement for every zone, and also for each individual loop.

various rooms will have different energy needs. By using the correct balancing product, you will assure not only accuracy and consistency, but also distribution efficiency, and related energy savings. Pretty sweet.

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Jeff House is an experienced industry professional and hydronics trainer. He handles the sales territory from the Niagara region to the Greater Toronto Area for Jess-Don Dunford, a manufacturers’ rep in Ontario. He can be reached at jhouse@jessdondunford.com.

Buffer tank boo boo The homeowner is complaining about his boiler short cycling all the time in milder weather. He says his fuel bill is higher than expected, and the constant wear and tear can’t be good for the controls. The previous contractor had changed the boiler piping from a one-zone series system to a four-zone system to provide better comfort and allow different temperatures in the rooms not being used. You suggest adding a buffer tank as a solution, as this will allow for the system to coast for longer on mild days without the boiler coming on. You design for a minimum boiler run time of 12 minutes. The 30 gallon buffer tank you install was the closest fit, as the smallest zone was a two-loop bathroom in-floor zone of 3,845 BTUH on design conditions. Due to space issues you pipe as per the drawing. 1) The boiler is an older 82% efficient low mass boiler with an input of 160,000 BTUH. The main piping between the boiler and the buffer tank should be: A) 1” like the boiler fittings. B) 2” like the fittings on the buffer tank. C) 1-1/4” minimum if the boiler is set for a 20 degree delta T. D) Pipe size is not critical, the size of the buffer tank is. 2) You keep the existing boiler circulator, a flat-curve single-speed, but you use the popular three-speed steep-curve circulator for the four- zones. The four zones are all piped with 3/4” copper. Are there any issues that might appear? A) Circulator differential fighting each other may cause potential flow problems. B) All advantages of the buffer tank are negated when both circulators are running at the same time if the piping is sized correctly. C) If the boiler and the circulators are sized right for design conditions then there will be no problems. D) Theoretically, it should work just fine.

A) 3/4” B) 1” C) The rad has 1/2” connections, so 1/2” should be fine. D) It depends on the delta T.

Looking for answers? The answer key for the November/December quiz is: 1-D; 2-B; 3-D; 4-D If you need the quiz, check it out in our issue archive, available at www.mechanicalbusiness.com. W H A T

S u p p l e m e n t

A) You have seen it many times; a defective relief valve. B) You are pumping into the boiler, thereby raising the pressure in the system too high. C) You should have installed a wild loop to relieve the pressure when all four zone valves are closed. D) You didn’t resize the expansion tank and now, wi the added volume of 30 gallons of water to the system,your existing tank is too small. 5) Bonus Time: This is a perfect job to use the variable speed circulators on. Which will work better for overall energy and system efficiency? A) Delta P B) Delta T

Step right up and win a prize!

3) The largest zone is 80,000 BTUH. What size would you use to pipe that zone?

4) On design conditions, you get a call that the relief valve is dripping. What could be the cause?

0 2 . 1 4

Just like Errol Hibbard, the national service manager at Laars Heating Systems Company in Mississauga, Ont. Errol picked up a Milwaukee M12 Fuel 1/2” Hammer Drill for knowing his stuff. We’ve got another Milwaukee M12 Fuel 1/2” Hammer Drill up for grabs this issue, so drop us a line and get those answers in by March 14. Send your solution to adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness. com. And be sure to pick up the next edition of Mechanical Business for the next installment of Find the Fix!

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road warrior

B y A n d r ew S nook

What’s your favourite thing about the job? “I enjoy the fact that no one project is the same as another. I enjoy making people happy and comfortable. I really enjoy the hydronics jobs.” Any area you like to get dispatched to? The closer, the better. Tell us a little about your latest jobsite: “Lately it’s been a few retrofits, a boiler and an indirect tank going in. Aside from that, a couple new houses on the go; ductwork and furnaces.” What’s your fondest memory on the job? “I’d have to say it’s a job up near Trenton, Ont. We did a geothermal hydronic job. It was really cold weather.” Favourite tool in your toolbox: My thermal gun. What radio station do you listen to during the day? 102.1 The Edge Favourite band: Dave Matthews Band Favourite magazine (aside from Mechanical Business): Men’s Health

Name: Marty Ruhe

Favourite cartoon as a kid: 2 Stupid Dogs

Age: 27 Lives in: Welland, Ont.

Favourite car: Aston Martin Vanquish

Company: Marty’s Heating & Air Conditioning

Favourite website to browse: youtube.com

Job title: Owner/operator Employees: 5

Favourite sports team: Toronto Maple Leafs

In the mechanical industry since: 2003

Biggest pet peeve: Call backs

Trade school: Mohawk College

Photo: David Chidley

arty Ruhe always knew he wanted to pursue a career as a tradesman. As a teenager, he attempted to obtain a co-op placement to become an electrician, but that unsuccessful try didn’t hold him back. In fact, he sees it as a move that worked in his favour. “No electrician wanted to hire a co-op, so I hopped on a heating and air conditioner company truck,” he explains. “I’m happy I did it, ’cause I’d hate to be pulling wire. I’m much happier with this trade.” Once certified as a journeyman, Marty decided to go into business for himself. Working with one other technician, he created Marty’s Heating & Air Conditioning, which offers installs and servicing on a variety of mechanical equipment in the Niagara Region and surrounding area. Although his company performs installs and servicing for a wide variety of systems, nothing makes him happier then designing a hydronic system from scratch. W H A T

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FLIR E4 Thermal Imager

hydronic iq Around and around we go It’s hard to believe that four years have passed since our gold medal harvest at Vancouver’s Winter Olympic Games, but it has, so we’re looking forward to seeing another medal haul from our team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. In addition to sending best wishes to the hundreds of Canadian athletes who are in Russia for the games, we’re taking some inspiration from them for our Hydronic IQ quiz. This time around we’ve decided to give short track speed skating a try. How’s 8 laps around the rink sound? Last one to finish has to sharpen everyone’s skates! Answers can be found on page 64.

1. What type of pump will never dead head when all zone valves are closed? a) A single-speed pump. b) A three-speed pump. c) A variable-speed pump. d) An ECM (electronically commutated motor) pump. 2. Approximately how much tubing would be required for a floor area of 1,800 square feet at 9” spacing? a) 1,353’ b) 1,800’ c) 2,394’ d) 3,600’ 3. A panel radiator operating at a low temperature spaced two inches off the wall tends to transfer heat into a room in what manner?

A short track primer Short track speed skating events take place on a 111.12metre oval track on a rink that is 30 metres by 60 metres. Races are skated counter-clockwise. With tight quarters and between four and eight skaters vying for position in each race, the boards are covered by protective mats that are water-resistant and cut-resistant, and designed to cushion the impact of high-speed crashes. Skaters compete in singles and relay races over distances of 500 to 5,000 metres. Referees are used to ensure that races are fair, and these officials can disqualify an athlete for any one of several violations, including pushing, blocking, or otherwise causing an impediment for another skater. They can also advance a skater to the next round if they are knocked down by another skater who has committed a foul.

4. Which of the following components is not part of the boiler water make-up system? a) Pressure reducing valve. b) Backflow preventer. c) Pressure relief valve. d) Fast fill bypass valve.

a) Convection b) Conduction c) Radiation d) Forced-convection

5. What is used to control the amount of heat leaving a baseboard enclosure? a) Perforated enclosure b) Reflective insulation c) Pivoting damper d) Location of internal baffles

DID YOU KNOW ?

Short track speed skating originated in Canada and the United States in 1905. By the 1920s and 30s, the sport was gaining popularity elsewhere in the world, but it was not made a full medal Olympic sport until 1992.

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continues on page 54

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continued from page 52

6. After a hydronic heating boiler is filled with water and before the unit is in operation, what must be done? a) b) c) d)

Air must be added to the cushion tank. Air must be removed from the system. Air must be introduced in stages. Air must be removed and re-injected at the air scoop.

7. What is a characteristic of the two-pipe reverse return heating system? a) The radiator with the longest supply has the shortest return. b) The radiator with the longest supply has the longest return. c) The runs to the radiator increase as the length of the supply main increases. d) The runs to the radiator decrease as the length of the supply increases. 8. A pressure reducing valve is set at 12 psi. What would the pressure at 9’9” above the pressure reducing valve be? a) b) c) d)

7.77 psi 4.23 psi 22.52 psi 16.23 psi

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9 So, any new world records set? 8 out of 8 correct – That’s a top-of-the-podium performance for sure! 6 to 7 correct – So close to the gold, but silver isn’t bad. 4 or 5 correct – You’ve managed to sneak in there with the bronze. Only 4 more years until the next Olympics. 3 or below – Don’t worry, the boards are padded so the fall shouldn’t have hurt too much.

With thanks to Sam Steele (below left), a professor of plumbing at Humber College in Toronto, Warren Hyde (centre), a plumbing and hydronics professor at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont., and Dave Hughes (below right), associate chair - (Special Projects) Pipe Trades Programs, School of Trades at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Pipe Layout Tx

B y Jer r y L eyte

Radiant tubing

installation methods and spacing

The Evolution of High Efficiency Condensing Boilers • Innovative Design • Engineering Elegance • Efﬁcient Performance

here are numerous methods of how to physically install tubing in a radiant slab, and various spacing configurations and tube depths that can be used, and there are reasons and ramifications with every choice made on the jobsite which, for the purposes of the discussion at hand, we will focus on slab on grade applications for a typical warehouse or office. The general rule of thumb for tubing installation depth is two to three inches below the surface of the slab. I wrote about the effects of various tube depths in the January/February 2012 edition of Mechanical Business (online at www.mechanicalbusiness.com). Tube depth is always a consequence of the installation method that is being used for the radiant tubing. For example, if the tubing is going to be installed directly onto rigid foam insulation, or an existing surface, the final tube depth would depend on the depth of the overpour slab itself. Sometimes foam insulation may be located on top of an existing structural slab and then only require a shallow two or three-inch overpour, but if the insulation is to be installed below the structural slab, that slab would typically be between four and six inches thick, if not thicker. Other methods of installing radiant tubing to insulation include PEX rails, or to tie or clip the tubing to wire mesh that is laid directly on top of rigid insulation. Insulation panels with a knob pattern are also available from numerous manufacturers, allowing the tubing to be simply walked into place and friction fit. These panels typically offer patterns that allow tubing to be spaced in three-inch increments, allowing for six, nine and 12” spacing. continues on page 58

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NTI_Ad_TrinityTx_MB_3rd_SB_.indd 1

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Pipe Layout continued from page 56

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Advantages of installing the radiant tube directly to rigid foam insulation Spaced out

Consistent tubing depth. When using chairs or lifting wire mesh during a pour, the actual depth of the tube may vary depending on if there are sags in the tubing or the mesh in various locations within the slab. When stapled directly to a rigid surface, there is a level of consistency that can be expected.

Added protection from future tube damage. When installed directly on the foam insulation, there is a level of protection for the tubing during the installation and prior to the pour. The tubing is less likely to get damaged from sharp objects, such as rocks, or metal burs on wire mesh or rebar. Also, by being stapled directly to the insulation, the tube is that much deeper in the slab, and therefore is less likely to get damaged if the slab gets drilled or cut in the future.

Easier and faster installation. When installing tubing to rigid insulation, installers typically use staple guns that allow then to remain upright, thus minimizing bending which can cause back and knee strain.

Improved radiant performance. Whenever insulation is included in a radiant installation, the overall performance of the radiant system will be improved, in terms of response time and efficiency. The general rule of thumb is to have a minimum of five times more resistance below the slab than the surface cover that is above the slab, to ensure a good response from the radiant system.

If the desire is to have the radiant tubing installed at a fixed depth within a thick slab, wire mesh or rebar would be required. This would be set on chairs to maintain the desired depth within the slab. Wire mesh or rebar is often required within concrete slabs for structural integrity and is used as an anchoring point for connecting the radiant tubing. Connecting tubing to rebar can be accomplished with plastic zip ties or wire ties. This is a labour intensive process, but often the most cost effective. When tying radiant tubing to rebar, always make sure the tubing does not stay in full horizontal contact with any long sections of rebar. Tubing should always be tied perpendicularly to rebar and be at least an inch from any horizontal runs. Structural engineers require the concrete to have full contact with all rebar, and will insist on shifting any radiant tubing that has too much horizontal contact. This method of radiant tubing installation is labour intensive as it is, and not a fun job to have to disconnect and repeat.

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Radiant tubing installations are typically six, nine or 12”. Wider spacing requires less tubing and less installation labour, but does have a higher operating cost than installations with tighter tubing spacing. Let’s assume you are building a 10,000 sq. ft. commercial building with radiant heating. The loop layout within that building would likely have 12” spacing in the slab. This design would produce approximately 30 BTUH per sq. ft. of heating at a supply water temperature (SWT) of approximately 41°C. If that same building was designed with six-inch spacing, the SWT for the heating would become approximately 34°C to deliver the same 30 BTUH per sq. ft.

Pick a depth

In addition to the method of radiant tubing installation and the tubing depth, tube spacing is another key consideration. The tube spacing is often determined based on the desired radiant output desired from the floor.

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This does double up on the amount of tubing that would be needed, but it would also have the advantage of being used for radiant cooling, if desired. Chart 1 lists the SWT that would be required at various tube spacings to give a 30 BTUH per sq. ft. heating output.

On the straight and narrow Regardless of the tubing spacing that is selected for a given job, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to stay as consistent as possible to the original radiant layout and design, to ensure even heat distribution and to get the optimum performance from the radiant system. Even spacing not only delivers a more uniform distribution of heat, but also minimizes risk if and when a slab is required to be drilled or cut.

Using such products as knob mats, PEX rails or prefabricated roll out PEX mats can help ensure proper tube spacing, while allowing the installation to go quickly. If tying the tubing to rebar or wire mesh is the chosen method, ensure a professional installation that is evenly spaced and at a consistent depth within the slab.

Chart 1. Typical heating and cooling capacities based on tube spacing.

Jerry Leyte, P.Eng., MASc., is the sales manager for Central Canada at Uponor. He can be reached at jerry.leyte@uponor.com.

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HYDRONIC

Products

HYDRONIC

Products

Indirect-fired water heater Weil-McLain’s Aqua Logic companion water heater is designed for use with the company’s WM97+ gas-fired boilers. The units are built with an 18.2 gal. stainless steel tank and 1-1/4” stainless steel coil. Features include a three-speed circulator, a thermostatic mixing valve, 3/4” temperature and pressure valve, two 1” stainless steel flexible connection hoses and two tank temperature sensors..

www. weil-mclain.ca

Snow melting control

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Snow melting control 654 from tekmar is designed to operate hydronic or electric equipment to melt snow or ice from any surface. With the use of in-slab or aerial mounted sensors, the 654 can automatically start the system as soon as snow is detected. Features include tandem snow/ice detection, storm pre-warming, zone priority and tracking.

www. tekmarcontrols.com

Stainless steel boilers NTI’s Trinity Tx condensing stainless steel boilers are offered with maximum input ranges of 46,000 to 151,000 BTUH. The units feature a 5:1 turndown, outdoor reset control and a stainless steel heat exchanger. They have efficiencies of 93.1% AFUE and are available as a combo unit that offers up to 5.4 gpm of DHW production.

www. nythermal.com

HYDRONIC Products Modulating boiler Zone valve Zone Sentry zone valves from Taco are designed for baseboard, fan coil, radiator, convector, heat pump and radiant applications. They feature a forged-brass valve body, a one-handed lift-off actuator, and are built for installation in any direction or orientation. The valves are available in 1/2”, 3/4” and 1” sizes and draw 1.44 watts. The units are built with LED lights that display the operation and thermostat status.

www. taco-hvac.com

Water-based hydronic heating systems have existed in North America for more than 100 years, evolving from steam-based systems.

Laars’ MagnaTherm modulating, condensing boiler is available in 2, 3 or 4 million BTUH sizes. It has a thermal efficiency rating of 95%, and offers 5:1 turndown. The unit features a stainless steel heat exchanger, multiple voltage options, and on-board control functionality for balancing combustion, air flow and water flow. The boiler is built with a colour touch screen display and a sealed condensate trap.

www. laars.com

Hydronic furnace Sime’s Murelle 110R has a heating input range of 399,000 BTUH and a condensing efficiency rating of 97% AFUE. The units are building management capable and can be cascaded up to 12 units.

www. simenorthamerica.com

PEOPLE. SOLUTIONS. VALUE. Industry leading service. It’s what we do. With 20,000 parts stocked on the warehouse floor, an in-house training facility to teach your installers the best techniques on the latest systems, and engineering support with deep experience in hydronics—we have what you need. We can even find the manual for you. Because it’s our business to support yours.

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Half Page Aquatech Ad Dimensions: 7 x 4.875

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2505_AQ September 21, 2012

HYDRONIC

Engineers and architects in countries around the world look to Runtal for innovative heating solutions. From health care to high-rise and everything in-between, Runtal is the leader in heating efficiency, durability, comfort and style.

HYDRONIC

Products

Hydronic unit heaters

Iron body circulator Bell & Gossett’s NRF-22 system lubricated iron body circulators from Xylem feature a bearing system designed to eliminate seasonal freeze-up. The units are built with a stabilized, heat-resistant polypropylene impeller, a self-cleaning particle shield, and a one-piece high-nickel stainless steel stator can. The face plate and rotor sleeve are also constructed of stainless steel.

www. xylemappliedwater.ca

Modine’s Hot Dawg H2O hydronic unit heaters are offered in two models, with operating ranges of 23,700 to 39,200 BTUH and 23,900 to 56,800 BTUH. The internal coil can handle water pressures up to 150 psi and temperatures up to 200°F. The units offer air flow up to 710 cfm and feature a low profile allowing for horizontal or vertical air discharge.

www. modinehvac.com

Air and dirt separator Spirotherm’s Spirovent Dirt air and dirt separator is designed to flush dirt while the system is in full operation. They are available for pipe sizes ranging from 2” to 12” and are offered with male threads in 2” to 4” sizes. The units have volume ranges from 1.8 to 132.1 gal. and a recommended flow range of 45 to 1,400 gpm.

www. spirotherm.com And with engineering assistance just a click or phone call away, you can rest assured that form matches function.

Make it extraordinary. Make it Runtal. 1-888-829-4901

runtalnorthamerica.com 62

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Piping system Aquatherm Blue Pipe poly-propylene (PP-R) piping is designed for hydronic, chilled water, geothermal and condensing water applications. The pipe uses heat fusion technology for installation. It features a faser-composite layer of glass fibre and PP-R designed to keep the pipe rigid at high temperatures. The pipe is offered in sizes ranging from 1/2” to 24”.

www. aquatherm.com 0 2 . 1 4

Outdoor reset control The CPU-0550 standalone outdoor reset control from HBX Control Systems is designed to accommodate staging, mixing, differential setpoint and pump sequencer applications. It offers boiler run time rotation, multiple pump options and a multi-colour display. The controller is built with colour coded and keyed terminals.

www. hbxcontrols.com

HYDRONIC ProductsHYDRO Hydronic radiator The Runtal NEO combines a radiant panel with 24V fans and a heat exchanger, offering outputs up to 13,850 BTUH. Features include a control panel for controlling the three speeds of the fans, an alert for filter cleaning and sensor defects, and a 5-mm thick, woven, washable polyurethane filter. It is available in heights of 17.5” and 23.3”, and lengths of 31.5”, 39.4”, 47.2” and 59”. The unit comes standard in white, with optional colours available.

Mixing control HeatLink’s three-temperature Combi DHW Panel operates as a high/low temperature distribution centre with a boiler, or other nonDHW appliance, as a heat source. It features two high temperature branches, one for an indirect-fired DHW tank with priority and one for a high temperature heating application. The compact mixing control uses a three-way mixing valve and actuator to automatically regulate the water temperature in the radiant heating circuit.

www. heatlink.com

www. runtalnorthamerica.com

Infloor heating tube Zurn’s hy-PE-RTube is available in nominal sizes ranging from 3/8” to 1” and is constructed using Dowlex 2344 resin. It features five layers and offers oxygen permeation protection.

www. zurn.com

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HYDRONIC

Products

Modulating boiler Rinnai’s Q Premier modulating boiler has a 95.4% AFUE rating, a maximum heating input of 130,000 BTUH and a 5:1 turndown ratio. It has dimensions of 23.6” x 61.8” x 25.2” and weighs 243 lb. It features a 24-gallon stainless steel indirect tank, and is available in natural gas with propane conversion kits.

www. rinnai.us

Solar thermal controller Caleffi’s iSolar MX LTE multi-functional temperature differential controller is equipped with five relay outputs, as well as one 0-10v pump speed control signal output for high-efficiency pumps. The controller is also equipped with eight Pt1000 sensor inputs, one CS10 irradiation sensor input, one impulse flow meter input, five Pt1000 sensors, a 0-10v adapter cord, and an integrated SD memory card slot.

www. caleffi.us

Commercial boiler Fulton’s Endura condensing hydronic boiler has a heating input range of 1.5 to 2 million BTUH and thermal efficiencies up to 93.7%. It features a stainless steel heat exchanger, a UV scanner for flame proving, and a colour touchscreen display. The unit offers integrated sequencing for up to eight boilers and optional modulation performance with up to 8:1 turndown.

www. fulton.com

Residential boilers Lochinvar’s Cadet residential boilers are available in four standard heating models with maximum input ranges from 40,000 to 120,000 BTUH, as well as a combo model that offers a maximum input of 120,000 BTUH and 3.0 gpm of DHW production. The units have an efficiency rating of 95% AFUE. They feature a stainless steel heat exchanger, a polypropylene jacket and push-button digital control.

Gas-fired boiler The Vitodens 200-W, B2HA gas-fired condensing boiler from Viessmann comes in nine sizes with an input range from 12,000 to 530,000 BTUH, with the ability to cascade up to eight units for a maximum heating input of 4,240,000 BTUH. The units are built with a stainless steel heat exchanger and offer multiple venting options up to 180 ft. in length, with common venting capability for up to four boilers.

www. lochinvar.com

Heat exchanger control station The HES-2V heat exchanger control station from HPS Controls is a prefabricated, compact, wall-mounted, pre-piped and pre-wired control that is designed to isolate hydronic systems from glycol and potable water systems. It allows for up to two secondary heating zones and is available with a 20-, 30-, or 50-plate heat exchanger.

www. viessmann.ca

www. hpscontrols.com

Hydronic IQ Answers: 1-D, 2-C, 3-C, 4-C, 5-C, 6-B, 7-A, 8-A

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with Roger Grochmal

Coping with increasing costs Roger Grochmal is the CEO of AtlasCare in Oakville, Ont. To submit a question about your company, business practices, or the industry in general, send an e-mail to Mechanical Business Magazine’s editor, Adam Freill, adam.freill@ mechanicalbusiness.com.

“Roger, I’m in a position now where I have to increase my prices so I can stay profitable. I’m a bit nervous about how to handle it with my customers. What’s the best approach?” Sam B., Calgary, Alta.

ommon wisdom for businesses is that cash is king. One important way to ensure you are always cash positive is to keep current with your prices. When you come through a period of low inflation and a stable Canadian dollar like we have had over the past couple of years, it is easy to get lulled into believing you don’t need to change prices. Like all good things, however, this period seems to be coming to an end. Over the past few months, the Canadian dollar has declined below 93¢ and the U.S. economy, particularly the housing sector, has begun to grow nicely. Most major equipment suppliers have recently announced price increases in the five to six per cent range for the first quarter of this year. I fully expect that we will see further price increases before too long as the U.S. housing sector continues to strengthen. The reality is that we will have to pass these price increases on to our customers. Most contractors I know don’t have a lot of room to absorb them and still maintain their profitability. The big question is how do we sell it to our customers? The key is to face it head on. It’s kind of like going to the dentist. You know you have to do it, you face it with dread, but you are totally relieved when you’re all done.

Walking the walk We recently increased our prices and spent several months planning and testing it with select customers. We made a number of modifications and decided to do it in one fell swoop rather than in two phases as some had suggested. The key was a strong communications plan with both staff and customers. The results have been good. We had less backlash than expected, and the customer loss was much less than we had anticipated.

Never be embarrassed or apologetic for passing on a price increase. As contractors, our profitability is tied entirely to the price we get for our services. Stay current.

Communication is key The first part to increasing prices is dealing with your staff. You can often feel more opposition from the people inside your company than outside. Communicate clearly to everyone why you need to implement a price increase. You can even involve some of them in helping you set your new prices. The big fear, especially for front line staff, is dealing with the customers on the phone or in person. You have to help them with scripts or at least some talking points to deal with the objections we all know they are going to hear. Otherwise, you as the owner will have to take all the calls.

M e c h a n i c a l

The message to customers has to be one where you remind them of the value you bring to the equation. The equipment we sell only represents half the selling price. The balance is the value we, and our people, bring every day. This is a message you must deliver to your customers every day, not just when you have a price increase to pass on. They need to be reminded of the value proposition.

B u s i n e s s

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COVER STORY

Photos: Courtesy of CBC, YouInc.com and Christopher Wahl.

By Andrew Snook

ew people have reaped the successes of running their own business quite like Arlene Dickinson. The marketing mogul joined Venture Communications in 1988, becoming its sole owner in 1998. Under her leadership, the company has become a powerful marketing machine with an impressive list of high-profile clients, including Toyota, Subway, Cenovus Energy, the L.C.B.O. and Travel Alberta, to name but a few; and Arlene has become one of Canada’s most dynamic marketing, communications and entrepreneurial experts.

But Venture Communications isn’t where Arlene’s ambitions and entrepreneurial spirit end. The co-star of CBC’s Dragons’ Den and The Big Decision is also the CEO of Arlene Dickinson Enterprises and YouInc.com. She founded these companies to help stimulate the economy through investing in entrepreneurs, and to fuel the entrepreneurial spirit by creating a social network dedicated to the entrepreneurial lifestyle.

See Arlene on Dragon’s Den, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST

Arlene is an Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Mount Saint Vincent University, Saint Mary’s Univer

Going All-In

Marketing advice

Arlene is always looking for different avenues to stimulate the country’s entrepreneurial community, and her latest book, All-In, which hit the shelves of bookstores this past December, is no exception. “It’s all about the entrepreneurial lifestyle,” she explains. “It’s about the truth of being an entrepreneur, what it really means. I’ve interviewed about 30 different entrepreneurs around the country; heard their stories of successes and failures, and how personal and professional lives intersect when you’re an entrepreneur.” All-In takes a different approach than her first book, Persuasion, which came out in 2011, but she enjoys the process and the introspection it affords. “Persuasion was a very personal book, so I found it almost cathartic to be able to talk and feel okay about putting yourself out there. It’s a scary thing, but I found it very helpful to me to write. It opened worlds for me that I hadn’t thought about, because it makes you think about your life differently. You have to think about the lessons that you’ve learned. It requires a discipline that you normally don’t apply to yourself. “So the second book where I was doing a lot of interviewing of entrepreneurs, it was the same thing. It makes you ask questions you probably wouldn’t ask yourself normally. There’s an inward thinking process about being involved in writing a book that’s very unique. And it was very fulfilling for me.”

If Arlene only had one piece of advice to offer small business owners for marketing their businesses, it is to dare to be different. “When you’re marketing a service you have to be able to differentiate in some way, and that becomes hard,” she explains. “I think it is about making sure your team understands the value set that you have, as it relates to delivering your service. A lot of mistakes are made in the service business because you have the entrepreneur that’s keenly engaged in doing the best work they can. But if that standard isn’t understood by all your team and held up as the standard of excellence, what happens is your services start to slip and you start to lose customers. So it’s really important when you’re in the service business that you have a standard of excellence that everybody understands and that you start to get known for.” Arlene also reminds small business owners of the perils of playing the price game. “If you want to get into the price game you’ll end up probably playing a tough game, ‘cause anyone can drive you to the bottom – but you’ve got to play a game where people feel there is value for what they’re getting, and value isn’t always price. Value is very rarely price. It’s a combination of servicing, and skill, and quality, and price is a factor, but it’s not the only factor.”

Arlene’s enterprises Through Arlene Dickinson Enterprises, Dickinson is helping entrepreneurs commercialize their ideas and take them to market. One of her latest partnerships was with Kinetex, a marketing and tech sales consulting firm, to form the AK Technology Group, an enterprise designed to provide expert counselling to start-up technology companies for business planning, product design, marketing, manufacturing, sales and distribution. “Through Arlene Dickinson Enterprises I’ve developed a kind of ecosystem of support to help commercialize products across a variety of different areas, technology being one of them,” she says. “There’s a whole bunch of things that I’m working on related to promoting the entrepreneurial economy.”

A meeting place for mechanical minds? Arlene encourages entrepreneurs within Canada’s mechanical sector to join YouInc.com to learn from the endeavors of others. “They should join the site because there is a lot of information there that is just practical, storytellingtype information, entrepreneur to entrepreneur, talking about failures and successes, and the roads travelled – tales from the battlefield of being an entrepreneur,” she says. “There’s also a community where you can talk to other entrepreneurs – share and learn lessons from each other.” There is also a section on the website where people who are interested in obtaining assistance for the commercializing of their ideas, or are looking for investors, can submit their ideas.

Loo love on Dragons’ Den The venture capitalists of CBC’s Dragons’ Den have listened to a countless number of pitches over the show’s eight seasons, but the mechanical sector – more specifically, the plumbing sector – has offered more than its fair share of pitches to the Dragons over the years. “We get so many pitches on toilets it’s not funny. There is clearly a very personal relationship between a man and his toilet,” Arlene says while laughing. “Probably proportionally, we’ve had more HVAC- or plumbing-related pitches than anything. Either they’re toilets or heating, or they’re showers, or something to do with kitchen sinks. So we get a lot in that area, and some of them are insanely crazy, like portable bidets… there is an obsession with that area.”

Navy and is the recipient of honorary degrees from sity and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

FEB

Refrigeration

A Canadian assist Olympics

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Start (elevation/course length) Bobsleigh, Skeleton: 836m/1,500m Luge, men: 839.2m/1,475m

2010 Two-man bob gold medallists Germany

Luge, women’s / doubles / team relay 829.6m/1,384m

at the

B y Ad am Frei l l

Corner 1 Bobsleigh 2010 golds Two-man GER 3:26.65 Two-woman CAN 3:32.28 Four-man USA 3:24.46 Finish 711.5m

13 14

Lowest point 704.1m 17

6 7

10 18

3 4

5 Sanki Sliding Centre 2010 Skeleton gold medallist Amy Williams

Weight house Run-off slope

MAPPING the track Before a track is built, a number of possible track layouts will be modelled on a computer. “We do a contour map of the land at about 0.5 metre intervals,” says Gudzowsky. “What that allows us to do is create an initial centre line.” Using that centre line and computer modelling software, designers can calculate approximate speeds, velocities and gravitational forces for each of the sports that will use the track. “Once we have the track design, then we get into more complicated drawings of the curves and so forth,” explains Gudzowsky. That leaves the company with a cross section of the complete track, in three dimensions. “Once you have the track design, then you can start to design the refrigeration system, because the refrigeration system is, of course, in the track.”

M e c h a n i c a l

2010 Luge gold medallist Felix Loch

anadians and ice seem to go Luge 2010 golds Singles F. Loch (GER) 3:13.085 Skeleton 2010 golds hand-in-hand, so it may not J. Montgomery (CAN) 3:29.73 Singles T. Huefner (GER) 2:46.524 come as a big surprise that A. Williams (GBR) 3:35.64 Doubles Austria 1:23.040 the Olympic sliding centre, where Sources: ISCIBG Group, sochi.ru, olympic.org Pictures: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions are taking place during the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, have a connection to our country. Drawing from an international community of Refrigeration System: experts in their field, Calgary-based ISC/IBG Group • 3,730 kW ammonia system. member companies have designed the tracks for • 82 kilometres of steel pipe. the past six Olympic Games. The Sanki Sliding • 7,400 square metres of ice. Center, located just under an hour outside of Sochi, • Elevation from the top of the track in Rzhanaya Polyana, became the company’s sixth to the bottom, where the refrigeration consecutive Olympic track when the Games opened system is, is 132 metres. on February 7. Terry Gudzowsky, the firm’s president, led the Full Length of Track: 1,800 metres group that worked on the Sochi 2014 Sanki Sliding Center project, and was active from the preCompetitive Length of Track: construction stages onward, watching as the site • Bobsleigh: 1,500 m went from a rugged outcropping in the mountains • Skeleton: 1,500 m to a sliding facility that will attract athletes from • Men’s Luge: 1,475 m all over the world, both during the Olympic • Women’s Luge: 1,384 m Games and for years to come following the closing ceremonies. Turns: 18 total, 17 for competition “My first trip there, I was sent by the International Bobsleigh Federation the week before the Olympic Estimated Average Grade: 9.3% Games in Torino,” says Gudzowsky. “That was a kind of reconnaissance mission to see where a track Calculated Speed Ranges: could possibly be built.” • Bobsleigh: 125 to 135 km/h What he found during that 2006 trip was a beautiful • Skeleton: approximately 125 km/h mountain region that was home to a ski resort a • Luge: 128 to 136 km/h little over a half-hour away from the resort town of Sochi. “It is a very mountainous area, a couple thousand continued on page 72 metres high,” he says. “That’s good in terms of weather, but in terms of terrain, it is very steep. It is

About the Track

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32 Refrigeration continued from page 70

very rugged; and it was very difficult to find a location. We found a location partly down a ski hill.” An ideal spot for a track, he says, is an area that will accommodate a build site that’s around a kilometre long, and about a half-kilometre wide, with a slope that will generate speeds that easily exceed 100 km/h. “That doesn’t really exist, so you have to fit the design into the area that you have.” Once an area is found that’s close to ideal, the details are sent to the international sliding federations for approval, after which the real site preparation work begins. “You want to follow the lay of the land as much as possible,” explains Gudzowsky. “For one, it’s cheaper, but it is also aesthetically better for the athletes to follow the lines, and it doesn’t disturb the slope. What you hope to do is leave as much of the forest in there as possible because it helps with the slope stability, and you create little microclimates that help keep a cooling effect on the track.”

KEEPING the ice nice Temperature and sun exposure affect ice, and

Dealing with micro-climates

section to section. As such,

The drop in elevation required the ammonia ice plant to be robust enough to ensure that ice could be made all the way to the top of the 1,800-metre track, and the elevation changes create different climactic environments that affect the ice in sections of the run. Not only that, but the system needs to be ready for any weather conditions that could be experienced during competition.

help keep the conditions

The ammonia ice plant at the centre is built to provide up to 3,730 kW of refrigeration – more than 1,000 tons. “Typically it doesn’t get that warm, but we are in an area of the world where it might,” he says. “This year they have snow, so that will cut down on the operating costs for refrigeration.” Although the track will be seamless ice on its surface, temperature changes can cause expansion and contraction in the concrete, steel and pipe used in the walls of the track, so expansion joints are built in.

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M e c h a n i c a l

the conditions can vary from

Building something that will be almost two kilometres long that drops almost 150 metres along its path creates challenges for the mechanical systems designers, and for the crews that will take care of the refrigeration system and the ice once the facility is built.

“The track is made so that if you really had to, you could refrigerate it at as much as 20°C,” reports Gudzowsky. “That requires a lot of refrigerating power.”

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along an 1,800-metre track,

“The track isn’t one continuous length of concrete and pipe,” says Gudzowsky. “On the outside, you have a layer of ice, then you have a layer of concrete, and then you have two layers of rebar, and then refrigeration pipes in there, and another two layers of rebar behind that, and more concrete and steel mesh, so you have a layered system all the way down the track, with around 82 kilometres of pipe inside the track, and about 6.8 kilometres of long distance connector pipes for evaporators, valve stations, and so forth.”

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designers build in shading systems that can be adjusted for each section or zone, to as consistent as possible all along the run. “When you make the ice on the track, you want to keep a uniform thickness,” says Gudzowsky. “Once the concrete is cold, icemakers start spritzing it with hoses – which infers, of course, that you have a water supply system all the way up the track that is workable in all temperatures right down to -30°C. Spraying it on doesn’t give you a smooth surface, so the track workers use scrapers to scrape it smooth all the way down, and that’s really an art.”

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Paul Ethier is the national sales representative for commercial products at Watts Water Technologies (Canada). He can be reached at paul.ethier@wattswater.com.

Options abound in H2O treatment

few years back I attended a residential water treatment installer’s course in Calgary. During one of the mid-morning coffee breaks, where a good portion of the teaching and learning occurs at this type of event, I was quite surprised to discover that half of the people in attendance were either employed by plumbing contractors or were themselves an owner of a residential plumbing business. The other half consisted mainly of water treatment dealers.

As I see it, this represents a shift within the plumbing industry. Plumbers are taking residential water treatment more seriously as a way to augment their core business. If your plumbing company is part of this trend, I thought it might be useful to provide a ready reference to three standard treatment methods, and a basic overview of how each technology works. In a future issue, we’ll have a look at some of the more recent additions to the water treatment arsenal.

Standard Methods of Water Treatment softeners 1Water (ion exchange) There are many ways that water can pose ongoing issues within a home’s piping system, but in terms of overall cost, water hardness surely takes the prize. Water is typically considered “hard” when the amount of calcium and magnesium exceeds three grains per gallon (US). Although there are about as many types of water softeners as there are water treatment manufacturers, the method of ion exchange is basically the same. The units typically consist of three main components: the pressure vessel where the ion exchange process takes place; a separate tank where the brine solution used for regeneration is stored; and a control valve that directs the flow of water during service and the regeneration cycle. In recent years, control valve manufacturers have been making great strides in optimizing salt efficiency.

How ion exchange works Inside the pressure vessel are thousands of tiny electrically charged polystyrene beads. These attract positively charged ions called cations. Once the beads are supercharged with positively charged ions from the brine solution, water containing such cations as calcium and magnesium will enter the inlet side of the valve and will kick off the cations from the brine solution in favour of the more attractive hardness minerals.

The regeneration cycle When the hardness minerals have exhausted the resin bed during normal service, the control valve will trigger a backwash, sending the collected impurities down the drain.

continued on page 76

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page 74from page 32 continued PLUMBING continued from

2Reverse osmosis (RO systems)

Developed over 40 years ago for large seawater desalting plants and other industrial uses, reverse osmosis technology has since been scaled down for point-of-use residential purposes to improve small quantities of water intended for drinking and cooking. As its name suggests, reverse osmosis is the reverse of the naturally occurring process of osmosis, which is how water is transported into and out of living cells in nature. By applying pressure on the incoming higher solids/salt content supply side, RO’s semipermeable thin film membrane will allow only pure water to pass through to the product side. This requires a rinse line to move the impurities away from the membrane. This water will be discharged to drain, or it can be redirected for some other purpose – typically back into the water heater or into a rainwater collection system. These pump systems are known in the water treatment industry as a “Zero Waste RO.” The efficiency of any RO system is dependent upon three variables: total dissolved solids (TDS) of the feed water; the feed water pressure; and the feed water temperature. The RO feed water must be pretreated in order to prevent membrane damage and/ or premature fouling. There are typically two stages for residential RO pretreatment, a polypropylene sediment filter and a carbon filter for chlorine, taste and odour reduction. These should be replaced every six months, or as needed.

DID YOU KNOW? Reverse osmosis is very temperature dependent. The RO process occurs more slowly at colder water temperatures than at higher temperatures.

3 Ultraviolet disinfection - UV

Don’t over-do it (or under-do it) Using a water quality report as a basis for suitable treatment, determine the size and capacity of the system by taking the incoming line size, fixture count and the number of people living in the house into consideration. It shouldn’t just be about what the homeowner wants, but also about exactly what they need to improve their water quality.

In residential areas that are not supplied by a central, chlorinated municipal water source, other forms of disinfection, such as UV may be necessary. Basically, a UV system physically treats the water by radiating the cells of the microorganism (Cryptosporidium, bacillus, E.coli, to name but a few), causing a molecular rearrangement of its DNA, rendering it unable to self-reproduce and form colonies inside a water supply. UV disinfection only targets potentially harmful bacteria and viruses. It has no effect on the pH, taste, smell or appearance of the water.

When sizing and installing a UV system: • Size the system for the peak flow of water to the house. The radiation “dose” of UV light is dependent on the time water spends inside the UV chamber. • Always install a UV system as the final treatment device, and make sure a five micron sediment filter is installed in front of it. • When installing UV in a rural residential setting, always chlorinate the well and piped system, and check for dead spots, especially in older homes. To do this, add household bleach to the filter housing (making sure to remove the filter first), turn on every tap one by one until chlorine can be smelled at each tap. Let it sit there for 20 to 30 minutes, and then flush it out until the chlorine smell can no longer be detected.

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Refrigeration

B y P h il J. B o udreau Phil Boudreau is the Ontario sales manager for Bitzer Canada Inc. and provides training and technical support for Bitzerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clientele. Phil is also a refrigeration instructor at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario. He can be contacted at pboudreau@bitzer.ca.

Modern technologies call for a new approach W

ith controls, components and systems evolving at such a fast past, it is of course important for us all to keep up with these changes. It is equally important that we try not to apply the same old approach to service and installation without modifying our installation and service practices to suit modern technologies. Perhaps a shining example of this can be observed by comparing traditional HFC to R744 (CO2) systems. Here are a few things to consider when working on this newer generation of systems.

System pressure levels Pressure levels with R744 are considerably higher than with NH3 and HFCs, including R410A. Only hoses and pressure gauges that are suitable for these higher pressures must be used. As a general recommendation, subcritical R744 hoses should have a working pressure of 800 psig and a 4,000 psig burst pressure. For transcritical service, hoses should have a working pressure of 3,000 psig along with a 12,000 psig burst pressure. Due to the very high cylinder pressures of R744, an appropriate regulator must always be used.

System charging After evacuating an HFC system, it is then charged with liquid and/or vapour. To speed things up during the commissioning of larger systems, liquid is charged directly into the high side receiver. R744 has a triple point of -69.9Â°F at 74.1 psia. At atmospheric pressure, R744 will be in the solid state commonly known as dry ice and will sublimate directly to a vapour at -109.3Â°F. Allowing the refrigerant to solidify may cause the blockage of tubes, but more importantly, can be very damaging to system piping and components that are not rated for such low temperatures. Generally, the correct way to charge the system is to add sufficient vapour refrigerant to the system to ensure that dry ice will not form.

Pipe sizing Due to the very high latent heat value of R744, mass flow rates are lower than with HFC refrigerants. Since R744 exhibits a higher latent heat and higher density, considerably smaller piping diameters are used. Note that smaller piping diameters carry higher pressure ratings. This is one of the contributing factors that enable the use of copper materials in some R744 systems. Interestingly, R744 exhibits a lower density gradient between the saturated vapour and saturated liquid points. This contributes to less of a difference between the diameters of tubing used for liquid versus vapour. continued on page 80

Piping materials In subcritical R744 systems, it is possible to use copper piping materials. In transcritical systems, however, materials having higher pressure capabilities are required. Examples of this include steel and stainless steel. The B51, B52 and B31.5 codes specify what materials can be used.

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What One Canadian University Learned About Zuba-Central.

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continuedfrom frompage page3278 Refrigeration continued

Crankcase heaters Most compressors in the field are fitted with crankcase heaters, but some are not. The decision to use a heater or not is left up to the system designer or manufacturer. However with R744, the use of a heater may be mandatory due to the high solubility of the R744 in POE oil.

Superheat requirements When the switch from CFCs and HCFCs to HFCs was made it was necessary to switch to POE oils, in order to maintain a miscible mixture that would travel freely through the system. This is most important in the low-side of the system where the liquid is boiled off to a vapour, making it more challenging to get the oil back to the compressor.

Safety Limits

Since R744 has a higher affinity to haemoglobin in red blood cells than oxygen, R744 will displace oxygen and then be transported throughout the body. Depending on the concentration of R744 in the air, harmful side effects can occur. These can range from drowsiness at a one per cent concentration, to the possibility of death when exposed to concentrations above five per cent.

As it turned out, the miscibility of HFC refrigerant in POE oil is greater than what we experienced Since R744 has a density that is higher than air, we have to install in the past with some of the other refrigerant-oil monitoring devices at low heights (close to the floor) in mechanical rooms. combinations. In the case of R744, its solubility in POE oil is even greater. This makes it more challenging to maintain sufficient viscosity levels within the compressor. This is the main reason why a higher base oil viscosity is required when using POE with CO2. From a compressor perspective, it is essential that the manufacturer’s requirements for minimum superheats are met. For example, a minimum suction superheat of 35 to 40°F is not abnormal for an R744 subcritical compressor. In additional to return gas superheat, minimum discharge superheat values may be required. Refer to the manufacturer’s compressor operating instructions for exact values.

Temperature differences in heat exchangers Due, in part, to the high thermal conductivity of R744, the temperature difference required within the heat exchanger is generally lower. This applies to both the high and low sides of a system. Oftentimes this point is overlooked when designers and engineers are making comparisons between HFCs and R744. From an installer’s and servicing technician’s perspective, this should be remembered because it is quite possible that lower temperature differences will be experienced as system engineers work towards the highest practical efficiency.

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Water solubility

Remember the days converting from CFC refrigerants to R22? One of the discoveries made was that R22 in its vapour state had less capacity for moisture than it did in its liquid state. This means that when the moisture level was above a certain level it would separate from the refrigerant. During defrost, ice would melt and run into the cracks and crevices found in brazed joints, etc. Then, once the system returned to its refrigeration mode, the moisture would freeze and of course, expand. With R744, we have a similar dynamic. The water carrying capacity of the vapour is quite low. As a result, ice may form and create a blockage to refrigerant flow. This may be damaging to the system.

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B y BDen y Go t ornd Gaiser C o o ke Denton Gaiser is the vice-president of water systems at Novo Water Conditioning. He can be reached at denton.gaiser@novowater.com.

Installing and maintaining

sewage ejector systems S Size it Right The size of the ejector pump and basin will be the first thing to consider. To determine the proper size, simply count the number of fixtures that will be feeding the sewage basin. For an average residential installation with two or three fixtures draining in to the basin, a standard packaged system will usually suffice. If uncertain, don’t hesitate to hit up your wholesale distributor for a bit of sizing advice. They will have the formulas specific to the equipment they sell. Key considerations for the system will be total dynamic head, the highest vertical point, and the size of the basin provided. Regardless of peak flow requirement for a given application, the pump must always be able to provide a minimum velocity of two feet per second through the line.

ewage ejectors are the answer to installing a complete bathroom, laundry room, or even just a shower in a basement, or anywhere else that is below the main sewer or septic lines. While today’s sewage ejector systems are easy to install and can provide many years of trouble-free service, it is still a good idea to check with the local building department to ensure the installation conforms to local plumbing codes prior to starting a project that requires the installation of a sewage ejector pump. With a green light in hand, here are a number of considerations that will help ensure the system is properly designed and will continue to perform as expected.

Installation considerations Locate the basin near the sewer line that runs to the approved sewage system. Dig a pit large enough to hold the tank, and as deep as is needed to place the tank inlet at the lowest elevation for all drain lines that will run into it. continues on page 86

The sewage ejector system will consist of a basin (usually a minimum of 24” in diameter by 24” high), a sewage pump capable of handling 2” solids, a check valve, and a float switch. Most manufacturers today supply “pre-assembled” sewage ejector packages with a pump mounted in the tank and a piggyback liquid level control to start and stop the pump. These are ready for the contractor to plumb inlet, outlet and drain to them. A full flow check valve, shut off valve and high water alarm are add-ons that can be added to the installation, as required. Piggyback float switches are recommended over a hard wired switch. The piggyback style of switch allows for easy trouble shooting of the pump should the pump fail.

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continued from page 84

Level the basin and fill it with water to ensure it doesn’t move. Connect the drain pipes to the tank, then backfill and compact dirt around the tank. Complete all cement work before proceeding, taking care to prevent any dirt, cement or debris from entering the basin The plumbing fixtures drain into the basin, the fluid level rises in the tank where a float switch then turns on the pump and pumps the sewage up through the check valve into the regular drain line. A vent pipe (usually a 2” opening) must also be run to relieve the suction created by the pump as well as get rid of unwanted sewer gases.

Liquid level control operation C

A float switch is used for automatic operation to turn the pump on

and off. The liquid level control should be adjusted to ensure that the

pump does not operate for extended periods of time while the motor

housing is in air, otherwise thermal protection will shut the motor off.

The pump must also not operate for any length of time while the

impeller is out of water. Position the float so that it cannot “hang up”

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on the sides of the basin or on the pump itself.

Adjustments can be made by decreasing or increasing the float

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tether. Generally aim to have a minimum tether length of 4” and a maximum of 6” (152 mm) when the float is secured to the pump. Securing the float to the discharge pipe should be done with a cable tie or waterproof tape.

Check valves & air locking Check local codes to determine if a check valve is required. If using a wastewater pump, a check valve is recommended. If a check valve is being used, it’s recommended that a

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3/16” hole be drilled in the discharge pipe to prevent air locking of the pump. This hole is located in the basin between the pump and check valve, usually a few inches above the pump “on” level, but below the pit cover.

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Automatic thermal overload protection The motor will likely have a built-in automatic overload protector. It will cut off the power to the motor before the temperature rises enough to damage the motor windings. Should the overload stop the pump operation, it will reset automatically and operation will resume when the motor cools enough to close the overload switch.

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Simplex, or single pumps are often installed, particularly in a single-family residence but many applications require duplex systems (two pumps for fail safe operation). Duplex systems ensure continued operation if one pump fails, help minimize wear on each pump, and provide extra capacity in times of extraordinary loads.

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For example, if the pump does not run, or if it hums, the pump plug and liquid level control plug may not be securely fastened together. Alternatively, a circuit breaker may be tripped or fuse blown.

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If you suspect that the problem is an inoperative liquid level control, test the control by plugging the pump cord directly into the wall outlet rather than into the piggyback plug of the float switch. If the pump operates, the float tether requires adjustment or should be replaced.

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MechanicalBusiness.indd 1

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Sometimes the liquid level control can get trapped below the water level. If that happens, free the float and reposition it so that its motion is unobstructed. If the pump will not stop running, the liquid level control is likely caught on the basin sides or on the pump. After you free the float, re-install it so that its motion is unobstructed. Sometimes a motor will run but will not pump sufficient (or any) water. This may be a symptom of an air locked pump. Try running the pump through several quick on/off cycles by plugging and unplugging the pump cord (detach it from the piggyback plug first). Another possible reason for insufficient water movement could be a plugged impeller, volute and/or suction opening. This will require a cleaning. Water flow issues can also arise if the discharge piping is too small. To solve this problem, replace it with piping thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of equal or greater size than the pump discharge. M e c h a n i c a l

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Marketing with Doug MacMillan

Your questions answered – Part 1

I Doug MacMillan is president of The Letter M Marketing in Guelph, Ont. To reach him, email doug@thelettermmarketing.com.

How much should a small- to medium-sized residentially focused mechanical services company be spending on marketing? Ah, the age-old question. It’s the most difficult to answer without a more strategic exploration about the business and its market. How competitive is the market? Is it urban, or rural? (Ads cost a lot more in Toronto than in Sault Ste. Marie, but furnaces cost the same.) What are the goals of the business? Is it to stay smallish, or grow? Are there new services to educate your market about? Is cultivating repeat business a major strategy, in which case more of your marketing is focused on a known list of customers? All impact budget planning. These days, marketing investment is definitely two-fold. Both financial and human resources are necessary. Depending on your strategy, you can run lean on one and invest heavily in the other. Most mechanical contractors should expect the combination of their human and financial marketing investments to come in between five and eight per cent of annual sales.

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get asked marketing questions often enough in my daily life, and while some of these discussions can turn into full columns, the answers to others don’t always need a full page to discuss and dissect. These latter questions can still be interesting, however, so we’ve collected a bunch of them, with the thought of sharing some insight in this current, and the next edition, which will be out in March. So, without further ado, here’s the kick-off to my list of the most interesting questions I’ve been asked in the past 12 months.

What mailer, ad or direct marketing piece has recently caught your attention, and why?

Last year, Kmart’s “Ship my pants” television spot really stayed with me. You’ve probably seen it, but if not search for it on YouTube – it’s worth the search. Sure, it runs the risk of relying on lowest-commondenominator style humour to grab our attention, but with two versions of the spot totalling 28 million views on YouTube alone, it hit the mark as a cheeky approach to communicating an important, under-used service for the retail chain – online orders and delivery. For me, it’s a reminder not only that humour is one of the most engaging forms of advertising, but that today’s marketing must be bold, inventive and a little risky to really stand out.

What’s your favourite logo of all time (aside from your own, of course)?

Long before text messages normalized the use of keyboard symbols as “emoticons,” our agency did some work with Clarica, an insurance company that has since been purchased by Sun Life. I’ve always been a proponent of the most straightforward designs possible for corporate brands. They are too hard-working to be complicated. Clarica’s logo was among the best I’ve come across – regular keyboard symbols laid out to illustrate two people engaged in conversation. Brilliant.

What’s the best piece of marketing advice you have received?

It’s awfully close to the same advice my grandmother gave me at Christmas time around 1968: “Send a hand-written thank-you note.” Now more than ever, dropping a card in the mail is a simple, inexpensive and authentic way to stay connected to customers, make a lasting impression and start a relationship off on the right foot. I try to send at least one note a week. It amazes me how few people do.

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SPOTLIGHT PROFILES

MCEE “2013 Product of the Year” Winner! The Conforto CHE (condensing high efficiency) is the first oil-fired furnace built for homeowners expecting unsurpassed performance and energy efficiency. Its innovative operation delivers a 95%+ heating efficiency along with superior comfort, saving up to 40% in oil consumption each year. This Energy Star® furnace (certified at all firing rates) can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 3,000 lb./yr. All this, in an attractive, stylish and maintenance-friendly package!

www.granbyindustries.com Lighten the Load Reed’s DPHTP500 uses a ½” corded or cordless 18V or higher drill, capable of 1500 RPM. (Drill not included.) The drill power source keeps weight off this hydrostatic test pump, making it lightweight and portable. Its included hose permits the pump to be set near the work instead of held close to the work.

www.reedmfgco.com FOR HEALTHY INDOOR CLIMATE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT VENTILATION Östberg is leading the way in the manufacturing of ventilation and ERV products, globally. Our mission is to provide the best quality and widest range of ventilation products in the industry today, at competitive prices. We market and carry a large stock of finished UL-products in North America which guarantees short and accurate delivery times.

www.ostberg.com Detect issues easily and instantly! The Fluke VT02 Visual IR Thermometer is top rated, requires no training, and offers pocket size infrared detection with hot and cold spot markers. The VT04 does the same with 4x sharper images than the VT02. Starting from under $500! Ask us about the VT04 HVAC Kit shown here! See them in action at: www.flukecanada.ca/beyondtemp

Marketplace Ads

www.flukecanada.com M e c h a n i c a l

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HVAC/R Products P Grooved copper CuPro’s factory poly-coated, innergrooved copper tubing for gas and oil is designed to protect the copper from corrosion. The pipe is available in 1/4”, 3/8” and 1/2” type L nominal sizes with a wall thicknesses of 0.30”, 0.35” and 0.40”. It comes in standard lengths of 60’, 100’ and 250’.

cupro.ca

Residential furnace Dettson’s Chinook forced-air central heating systems have heating input ranges from 15,000 to 120,000 BTUH and efficiencies of more than 95% AFUE. The product line is offered on four platforms: single stage, dual stage PSC or ECM motor, or modulating. The Canadian-made units operate on natural gas or propane.

Chillers Daikin’s AGZ-E air cooled scroll chillers feature full load efficiencies up to 11.4 EER and 16.5 EER. The chillers are available in sizes ranging from 30 to 70 tons. They feature high evaporator leaving water temperature capability (65˚F). The units exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1 2013 and FEMP 2012 standards.

dettson.ca

daikincomfort.com

Air conditioner

Combo system Navien’s condensing tankless water heater system with air handling unit for combined space and water heating combines the company’s NPE-240A condensing tankless water heater and SunTherm’s MMVE air handling unit that has up to 1,400 cfm. The unit has a maximum heating input of 199,900 BTUH and a flow rate up to 11.1 gpm. It operates on natural gas or propane and has an energy factor of 0.97.

Ingersoll Rand’s Ultra Series Model 4A7V0 is offered in 2to 5-ton sizes with efficiencies up to 20 SEER. Its features include a variable speed scroll compressor, variable-speed fan motor, rust-resistant screws, an all-aluminum spine fin coil and compressor sound insulators. The units operate on R410-A refrigerant and are compatible with the irLink communicating system.

ingersollrandhvac.com

navienamerica.com

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HVAC/R Products P Geothermal heat pump Rooftop units Coleman’s exact-fit replacement rooftop units are designed to eliminate the need for curb adaptors. The units are available in sizes ranging from 3 to 12.5 tons and offer seasonal efficiencies of 13 SEER with 10.8 to 11.2 EER, or 15 SEER with 11.5 to 12.2 EER. They feature a single or dual scroll compressor, indoor and outdoor fans and are convertible from 2” to 4”air filters.

GeoStar’s Aston Compact offers efficiencies of 3.7 to 4.8 COP and 18 to 30 EER and is available in capacities from 0.75 to 6 tons. The unit features communicating controls, hot gas bypass and reheat, and high-efficiency PSC, 5-speed ECM or variable speed ECM blower motors.

www. geostar-geo.com

www. colemanhvacdealer.com

Pipe supports Insuguard’s insulated pipe protector for refrigerant piping is designed to offer protection against friction from other pipes and support fittings. It is built from polypropylene and is available in five sizes ranging from 2-1/4” to 6-1/4”, with models available for strut systems and clevis hangers. The pipe supports are available in black or white, and are paintable.

www. insuguard.com

Programmable thermostat

Two-stage furnace

The Prestige IAQ from Honeywell is designed to integrate humidification, dehumidification, ventilation, indoor air quality and zoning systems without running new wires. Features include wireless capability, a full-colour display, self-monitoring diagnostics, and remote management. The thermostat also offers an alerts log, a system performance log, four assignable inputs and pre-populated dealer info.

Napoleon’s 9700 Series is offered in input ranges from 60,000 to 120,000 BTUH with efficiencies of 97.1% AFUE. The furnaces feature a burner system window, an ultraviolet light air purifier, built-in LED service lights, stainless steel heat exchangers, and ECM variable speed blower motors. The units can be operated with gas or propane. The furnaces are 32-7⁄8” in height and are offered in cabinet width sizes of 17” and 22”.

www. napoleonheatingandcooling.com

www. honeywell.com M e c h a n i c a l

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PLUMBING

Products

Toilet kit

Couplings

OS&B’s 2128-CFX toilet flange extension kit is designed for bathroom renovations where a new floor has been installed and the old closet flange is too low. The kit comes with two extenders, 1/4” and 1/2”; four fastening screws, two peel and stick gaskets, two 3-1/2” T-bolts with washers and nuts, and two retainers to hold T-Bolts in place.

www. osb.ca

Waste disposer The Evolution Excel food waste disposer from InSinkErator has three stages of grinding and a jam sensor circuit that increases torque by 500 per cent to break through tough jams. The 1-hp, 120V disposer features an auto-reverse grind system and various noise-reducing technologies. It has a grind chamber capacity of 40 oz.

Victaulic’s Style 107 QuickVic rigid couplings are offered sizes ranging from 2” to 12”. They are designed to join standard roll-grooved and cutgrooved steel pipe. The couplings feature no loose parts, and there is no need to disassemble them before installation. They are designed to accommodate pressures ranging from full vacuum up to 750 psi (5,170 kPa), depending on pipe diameter and wall thickness.

www. victaulic.com

Tub filler Delta’s floor mount tub filler has a single-hole, one-post installation. It is built with a single-function pressure-balance cartridge and a handshower mounted on a pivoting arm, built with soft rubber spray holes for wiping away calcium and lime buildup. The handshower offers a flow of 2.0 gpm at 80 psi. The tub filler offers a laminar flow of 6 to 9 gpm at 60 psi. Higher flow installations flowing at 10 to 12 gpm at 60 psi are sold separately.

www. deltafaucet.ca

www. insinkerator.ca

Pipe inspection General Pipe Cleaners’ GenEye POD and Mini-POD combine camera, reel and monitor into all-in-one packages. The units feature a self-leveling camera and 200 ft. of Gel-Rod for troubleshooting 3” to 10” drain lines. They also come with a flexible gooseneck monitor mount, a 512 Hz transmitter, LED dimmer control, and video-out connection for recording on external devices.

www. drainbrain.com 92 xx

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Tee and valve kits Dahl’s lead-free tee and valve kits are an alternative for hooking up a branch line without using saddle valves. They are available with straight or angle valves and in rough brass or plated finish. The kits meet the plumbing code and are available for dishwashers, water filters, instant hots, icemakers, humidifiers, and for all common pipe types.

www. dahlvalve.com

PLUMBING

Products

PEX plumbing elbow Uponor’s ProPEX EP 45-degree elbow is designed for use in commercial PEX plumbing systems. The elbows are available in 1½” and 2” sizes and are designed to hold tight connections with 1,000 lb. of radial force when used in conjunction with the company’s PEX-a pipe.

Push-fit fittings Sharkbite’s 2XL line of large bore push-fit ball valves and couplings are compatible with copper, PEX and CPVC, and are certified for 200˚F and 200 psi. They are available in 1-1/4”, 1-1/2”, and 2” sizes.

www. uponor.ca

www. sharkbite.com

Potable water system IPEX’s AquaRise potable water system for commercial and high-rise construction is non-metallic and available in sizes matching 1/2” to 4” iron pipe diameters, with a continuous working pressure up to 400 psi at 73°F. AquaRise pipe, valves and fittings are a solvent weld system designed for hot and cold water distribution through mains, laterals and risers, as well as smaller plumbing applications including laterals, distribution and branch lines.

Bathroom drain Watco’s Universal NuFit bathroom drains are designed to fit all standard bathtub drains without removing the strainer body. They are corrosion resistant and resist harsh chemicals. The drains are available in nine finishes, with a standard or high-flow grid strainer.

www. installaquarise.com

www. watcomfg.com

Pulldown faucets Grinder pump The Sanicubic1 grinder pump from Saniflo Canada is designed to handle up to 50 gpm from several fixtures. The 1-hp pump has a vertical discharge of 36 ft., horizontal discharge of 328 ft. and a 1-1/2” discharge pipe. It is designed to operate at a maximum temperature of 158°F (70°C). The unit’s dimensions are 13-3/4” x 18” x 16-3/4”.

www. saniflo.ca

STo faucets from Moen feature an integrated two-function, self-retracting wand. They have a flow rate of 1.5 gpm at 60 psi, a 3/8” connection size and a 68” hose length. The faucets are offered in single-handle kitchen and bar/prep models, in chrome, matte black and the company’s Spot Resist stainless finishes.

www. moen.ca M e c h a n i c a l

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Select the Dryden™ Bath Collection It’s what we do. With 20,000 and other water-efficient products parts stocked on the warehouse floor, an in-house training from Delta. Making every drop count.™ facility to teach your installers the best techniques on TOOL the LINK TM deltafaucet.com/green latest systems, and engineering Make sure you have the right tools for the job support with deep experience before you get there. With RFID (Radio Frequency in hydronics—we have what you need. We can evenIdentiﬁ find thecation) tags attached to your equipment, you manual for you. Because it’squickly our can take inventory of the tools in your truck PAGE # on the in-dash computer screen.‡ business to support yours. bed or van box

The info page Call us at 1-866-594-0767 or look us up at CMX.

nd equipment safe. o secure items in nt theft.

2322_AQ February 10, 2012

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Commercial Fans & Dampers

Tel: (800) 628-8810 www.hilmor.com

Wall Fans | Utility Fans

External Mount Duct Fans

Cabinet & Exhaust Fans

Dryer Boosting | Air Purification

Roof Fans | BDD & IRIS Dampers

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Tel: (800) 465-6130 www.moen.ca

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28010030cae Kitchen 8.25x10.5-Boutique_2.indd OEM Solutions

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Industrial Fans

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comparison of faucets that have a flow rate of 2.2 gpm under ASME A112.18.1

Half Page Aquatech Ad Dimensions: 7 x 4.875

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DESIGNED FOR THE PLUMBING PROFESSIONAL Focus on Quality

Fresh Modern Design

World-class ISO9000:2000 certified factory Professional Global Quality Team State-of-the-art product & material testing laboratory

Brand new tooling and state-of-the-art blow and injection molding equipment produce crisp, attractive appliance like products Unparalleled high-gloss tank finish

Two piece Features That Matter AC Quarter page ad (4C Mechanical Business)_Layout 1 2014cabinet Proven

Performance

Save valuable installation time with quick connect plumbing connections,brine line, drain line and even power cord ‘Meter-in-Bypass’ design prevents meter binding and saves space Simple user-friendly electronics # PAGEdiagnostic ‘No Touch’ rotating display prevents unnecessary service calls Heavy duty packaging arrives at destination undamaged

NSF certified pressure tanks. 0.00% failure rate on past 500,000 tanks! Control valves are NSF tested to NSF 44 standards for structural integrity. Cycle testing exceeds 82 years equivalent life! Blow molded brine tanks & cabinets made with NSF approved high density polyethylene. No cracks or pinhole leaks. High-efficiency settings allow for up to 65% less salt & 45% less water usage*

EXCEPTIONAL 25

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Real Support When You Need It Tel: (800) 459-4822 Tel: (800) 519-8794 The most experienced team of water professionals in the industry When you specify a Woodfordtreatment faucet or hydrant you’re recommending the exceptional. www.thermaflex.net www.navienamerica.com

“Not only does NOVO supply a quality product but they stand behind it with superior support and service”

The unmatched quality has made the family owned and operated Woodford Manufacturing Company # in hose connected faucets and hydrants PAGE#1

CALENDAR of

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EVENTS

Kevin McKenna, McKenna Plumbing & Heating (Guelph, ON)

65 Call to find a Stocking Distributor Nearest You

Tel: (877) 655-6686 1-877-655-6686 www.novowater.com

Front Row (l to r):

ISOLATE, DRAIN & FILL

& RHY2www.thermalhydronics.com Roof Mount Hydrant

Back Row (l to r):

CMPX 2014 ANY PIPED SYSTEM March 19-21, 2014

The RHY series of product provides water availability on the PAGE # PAGE # roof for washing down cooling towers, cleaning condenser coils, water for window washers and other types of roof 56 equipment. 21 G

Bill Beedle, Dave Pitman, Denton Gaiser

RKS EVOLVED INTO Tel: YEARS. (800) 688-2575 415 MILLION www.nythermal.com

# Park St. Regina, SK PA E 655 #21 - 20 Steckle Kitchener, ON ThePl.RHY2 hydrant

*Compared to mechanical metered softeners

is ASSE 1052 approved with a double Tel: (888) 678-3709 check valve on the nozzle which is field testable. It is not required to remove the double check to drain down the www.thermopan.com hydrant.

PATENT PENDING

Tel: (877) 314-6040 www.osb.ca

the RHY1 or RHY2 include all necessary mounting hardware for proper installation on a commercial roof including 2º shim for pitch adjustment.

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www.uponorpro.com

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89 Woodford Model RB67 Round

1-866-678-2374 www.ostberg.com TOWEL Designed especially for tilt-up wall construction. RADIATORS Fits through standard 6¨ diameter cored hole.

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untal Radiators

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fuelish?

100

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Wall FaucetPAGE #

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Designed to be used in mild 62 climate areas. Fits modern architecture. Standard finish is chrome with optional rough brass Tel: (888) 829-4901 or polished brass. An ASSE 1052 www.runtalradiators.com listed double check backflow preventer is field testable.

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77 WOODFORD COMPANY Tel:MANUFACTURING (719) 574-1101

2121 Waynoka Road, Colorado Springs, CO. 80915 • Phone 800-621-6032 FAX 800-765-4115 www.woodfordmfg.com • A Division Of WCM Industries, Inc.

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s include reset ratio adjustments, warm weather n, minimum boiler temperature and boiler al settings. All these functions are designed e fuel consumption - in both new and retroﬁt

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Mizer uses microprocessor-based controls to G E\ 5HOLDQFH :RUOGZLGH &RUSRUDWLRQ regulate boiler supply temperature, based on oor temperature.

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installed later if needed.

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COMMERCIAL

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t without Compromise

39 2 0 1 4 THE FASTEST WAY TO Tel: (905) 265-1527 Woodford RHY1

Dale Lewgood, John Cardiff, Don Matt, Dean Dalrymple

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PAGE # installations. The FuelMizer is easy to install and will not aﬀect the boiler’s warranty.

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TACO CANADA LTD. P 8450 Lawson Road, Milton, ON L9T 0J8 Tel. 905-564-9422 Fax. 905-564-9436 www.taco-hvac.com

CMPX IS COMING ! AND MECHANICAL BUSINESS WILL BE THERE. MAKE SURE YOU COME AND VISIT BOOTH #N22/N23

MEET 2014 May 7-8, 2014 Moncton, N.B. www.masterpromotions.ca

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11th IEA Heat Pump Conference May 12-16, 2014 Montreal, Que. www.iea-hpc2014.org

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FOUNDING MEMBER

Tel: (905) 564-9422 www.taco-hvac.com Hot Water on D’MAND®

Circulators

Electronic Controls

Radiant Mixing Blocks

iSeries Mixing Valves

ProFit Parts

eLearning

Software

Fl FloPro P Tutorials

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STUFF YOU NEED

Cordless reciprocating saw Milwaukee Tool’s Sawzall 18V cordless reciprocating saw features a brushless motor, an adjustable shoe, integrated LED light, and a hang hook for storage. It comes with a lithium ion battery pack that can operate in temperatures below -18°C.

www. milwaukeetool.ca

Radio and charger in one DeWalt’s DCR015 radio and battery charger features a 360-degree roll cage, integrated battery charger, device storage box with AUX and USB ports, and two AC power outlets. The unit charges the company’s 12V MAX and 20V MAX battery packs while plugged into an AC power source and can also run off either battery.

Multi-tool blade The Bosch carbide tip multi-tool blade is designed to cut metal, wood and other materials, including fibre board, cement board, plaster and lathe, ceramic tile, nails, bolts, screws, sheet metal, copper pipe, cast iron, and hardwood. It has a 1-1/4” blade width, and the carbide tip is welded to a high-carbon steel body.

www. dewalt.com

www. boschtools.com

Thermal cameras

In-Vehicle Mount

FLIR Systems’ E-Series line of thermal cameras feature a 3” colour LCD display, wide-angle focus-free lens, on-camera button controls, and multi-spectral dynamic imaging. All models offer a centre spot measurement mode and come with a lithium-ion battery. They are designed to offer ±2% or 2°C accuracy and have a temperature range of -20°C to 250°C.

Motion Computing’s In-Vehicle Computing Solution includes a range of docks, mounts, integrated features and computing accessories designed to work with motion tablet PCs for maximized safety, reliable connectivity and increased productivity on the road. The company offers preferred installers in Canada, a 3-year standard limited warranty, customized mounting kits and crash test results. Customized dash mount kits are available for several vehicle models.

www. motioncomputing.ca

www. flir.ca 96

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Break Time

For this puzzle’s solution, visit mechanicalbusiness.com

Across

1. National association representing heating, refrigeration and air conditioning sector. 2. Trade school based in Edmonton, Alta. 4. A useful hydronic piping arrangement. 8. COHA’s annual symposium. 11. The host city for this year’s AHR Expo. 13. Emco purchased them in 2013. 15. Used in ground or water systems. 17. An efficient rating. 19. Player in the wholesale plumbing and hydronics maketplace in Ontario.

Down 1. Nickname for MB columnist Bob Rohr. 3. CIPH’s travelling trade show. 5. This month’s warrior on the road. 6. The Dragon donning our cover. 7. Air behind water. 9. Channel locks, pliers, etc. 10. A place where snakes are sometimes welcome. 12. A popular type of hydronic tubing. 14. Hydronic installation code for Canada. 16. Furnace take-off. 18. A measure of heat.

Tool Tips

Going the distance with measuring tools Beyond the Lastly, be sure to get one with a good IP aser distance meters have come a long straightaway (Ingress Protection) rating. This will tell way. Nowadays, a decent unit will have a range of up to 200 feet with accuracy of you how impermeable it is to dust, dirt and Some laser distance 1.5 mm, or 0.05 of an inch. That’s generally water. An IP of 54 or higher can be good measurement tools more than “close enough” for measuring for contractors. will measure cornerroom lengths for piping runs. to-corner and top-toA good unit for a contractor should offer bottom on a diagonal, multiple functions beyond simply measuring which makes taking room measurements distances. The ability to calculate area quick and easy. and volume can be a real timesaver on a jobsite. Memory storage of readings and Sponsored by Milwaukee Electric Tool – a proud Pythagorean calculations are also handy partner with Mechanical Business. Look for video tips, tools and reviews at functions to look for. www.milwaukeetool.com. Since lighting isn’t always great in mechanical rooms Be sure to visit mechanicalbusiness.com for your chance to win valuable Milwaukee products and merchandise! or on construction sites, or at times can be too great, look for a unit that has a display that is easy to be read in darkness or bright lighting.

M e c h a n i c a l

B u s i n e s s

0 2 . 1 4

Compiled by Mechanical Business

HVAC optimism

79% Percentage of HVAC/R manufacturers predicting “excellent” or “good” prospects for their businesses in 2014.

sweeping stats

3,660

The number of thermostats collected by the Switch the Stat program in its fall collection sweep.

14.19 kilograms

The amount of mercury diverted from the air, water and soil as a result.

32% Expect a sales increase of more than 10 per cent.

Online while underwater

75%

The percentage of Canadians who would fix an internet outage within a day.

52%

Canadians who would fix a leaky faucet within the same timeframe.

Energy Savings

47 million kWh The total energy savings created by the Eco-City Community Challenge national energy efficiency program.

Building Billions

$6.8 billion

Roping in refrigerant 3.6 million kilograms

The value of municipally issued building permits in November 2013, down 6.7% from October, but still on an upward trend stemming from eight monthly increases since the start of 2013.

The amount of surplus refrigerant waste collected and destroyed by Refrigerant Management Canada to date.

VAST Volume 5.7 million litres Sources: Air Canada Centre, RBC, Canadian Tire, CMHC, Statistics Canada, Industry Canada

M e c h a n i c a l

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0 2 . 1 4

The total water volume of Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. PM# 41536047 Postmaster: Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to: Mechanical Business, 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2

TECH SPEC

Side Discharge Shower Drain

Convert a bathtub to a walk-in shower? No Problem. Introducing the Side Discharge Shower Drain. CSA Certified. Available in square (SDB48) or round (SDB47) grate style in both Chrome and Brushed Nickel (-BN) finishes. No Muss, No Fuss, No broken up concrete. The Side Discharge Shower Drain from OS&B® - Your job just got a lot easier.

41 " 8 106mm

21 " 2 62mm

15 " 8 41mm

Features

Shown with Square Grate (Model #SDB48).

• Low profile brass Base • Extra-long ABS Body for deeper installations • Reversible ABS Collar allows 1” of increased adjustability • 1-1/2” Copper DWV Hub Connection

21 " 2 65mm

5 " • 3 solid1brass Bolts 8

23 " 4 71mm

• Polished 41mmStainless Steel Grate (available in Round or Square) 23 " 4 70mm

NEW IDEAS. NEW LOOK. NEW PRODUCTS.

Think Inside the Box Do you really know what’s in that Lead Free box you’re buying? Can you guarantee that your Lead Free products are 100% compliant? Don’t put your business at risk by selecting the wrong supplier—put your trust in Watts.

Install with Confidence.

Founding Member:

Learn about Watts’ Lead Free transition at WeAreLeadFree.net For Lead Free product information visit Watts.com

A Watts Water Technologies Company