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A quick lift to the rooftop
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Flying high with Major
DENIS BANDET Making waves in Montreal
60MCEE 2019
Attracting 5,335 visitors, the booths were buzzing with industry professionals at Place Bonaventure in Montreal during April’s MCEE show.
44COVER STORY Cooling a
20THE COOLING REPORT
There was a time when the closest Maj. Denis Bandet thought he’d ever get to touching the sky was from the top of a hydro pole, but a day out with friends threw all those plans up in the air. Simon Bowden
HVAC/R pros are well positioned to offer businesses and homeowners heating and cooling system upgrades that will add GHĆ‚EKGPE[ CPF TGFWEG QRGTCVKPI EQUVU YJKEJ KU IQQF HQT VJG planet and the wallet. Simon Bowden
IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE!
IT’S A 10-TON ROOFTOP HVAC UNIT! 52
PROJECT PROFILE 9CVEJKPI C TQQHVQR WPKV Ćƒ[KPI JKIJ in the sky over a shopping centre is a majestic sight, but the simple-looking procedure takes a considerable amount of planning and a lot of care and attention to detail. Adam Freill
38COMMERCIAL VEHICLES REVIEW
To use a word to describe the commercial van market, perhaps consistent is a good one. But don’t take that to mean that there’s nothing new. There are plenty of choices, and more to come over the coming year. Howard J. Elmer
On the cover: Maj. Denis Bandet is “The Boss� of the Snowbirds aerobatics team, which is a long way from his construction trade origins in his family’s business. Cover photography: Courtesy of Corporal Jeffrey Clement, Wing Imaging, 19 Wing Comox, Canadian Armed Forces.
Replacing Your Water Heater Every Few Years is Not Our Business Plan
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Engineered Water Heating Solutions®
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CONTENTS O F
S P E C I A L I S T S
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PLUMBING The Year of the Pool Fred Bretzke Dad was a visionary man, and when he promised that we could have a pool I knew I was in for a summer of digging.
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MARKETING Building your employer brand Doug MacMillan Our “employer brand” helps us when recruiting, so it should be on the radar of any company owner or manager.
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REFRIGERATION Going geo for heating and cooling Phil J. Boudreau Geothermal systems can be found in many countries around the world, and the refrigeration cycle plays a key role.
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HYDRONICS It’s a fluid situation! Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr One of the last details we usually think about is what we are going to fill the system with, but this liquid is what makes our BTUs flow.
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HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC Playing with the zoning Gord Cooke Zoning is an untapped opportunity for contractors, and making its way into more and more homes, but it requires the careful balancing of pressures, flows, temperatures and humidity control.
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ASK ROGER Help finding qualified technicians Roger Grochmal The next generation of technicians is out there, but we have to be proactive and get out in front of them to attract them to our businesses.
Marc-André Létourneau Simon Bowden
54COMMERCIAL PLUMBING The art of the in-wall carrier system Denise Deveau
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68 HVAC Humidity: One size does not fit all Mark Parliament & Alexandra Wennberg Parliament
78PLUMBING Unlocking the potential of intelligent water Cassie Schmid
D E P A R T M E N T S 6From the Editor’s Desk 8News 18Profile: John Baker 64Find the Fix 84The Info Page 85Calendar 86By the Numbers M e c h a n i c a l
P R O D U C T S 20-24,50,51HVAC/R 30,58,59Plumbing 66,67,82Hydronics 83Stuff You Need
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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
Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com Associate Editor/Web Editor: Simon Bowden, ext. 225 simon.bowden@mechanicalbusiness.com National Sales Manager: Jeff Superle, ext. 221 jeff.superle@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Operations Manager: Caroline Bexfield caroline.bexfield@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) We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada.
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.
Okay, to clarify, there’s a lot that we get right in this country of ours, but we tend to point at the things that we disagree with when putting pen to paper, so it’s refreshing when we can give a civil servant or two a nice pat on the back.
DESK
Catch our new look, online! If you haven’t checked out mechanicalbusiness.com lately, you’re missing out. Since our last edition, the website has been completely revamped to make it, in the words of the Six Million Dollar Man, “Better, Stronger, Faster!” Our sharp new look has daily news updates, more articles and new feature sections – everything you’re looking for, and more! Plus, now that it’s dynamic, it’ll look great on whatever device you are on.
Kudos, in this case, go to the powers that be at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for finally providing Canadians with free online access to a number of construction codes.
While you still have to pay for printed editions of the national energy, building, plumbing or fire codes, or to print from digital editions, it is now possible to download PDFs of the codes free of charge from the NRC website (nrc.canada.ca) for use on a phone, tablet or computer. How’s that for convenience? Making these codes publicly available is a move that’s long been discussed, and should be quite helpful on jobsites, especially if a building or plumbing inspector finds what they believe to be deficiencies in a build. Being able to pull up a code reference to (calmly) discuss why a particular option was chosen for a system may help prevent some rework, and these discussions also offer the opportunity for inspectors and tradespeople to share insights that can aid both parties involved in the approvals equation. Of course, having free access to the latest editions of the national code also elimina eliminates the excuse that, “I was working from an book,” old code book, , so be sure to actually make use of this rare freebie as it ha fr has just become much harder to use that old li line. ine n .
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).
Now, if only tthey could start converting the code book language to b be a little easier to follow. But access is a first step to ensuring that all parties on a great fi project can get on the same page, especially since proje the health and safety of Canadians is a primary reason why these codes exist. rea
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.
Until next time, build safe out there.
© Copyright 2019. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher. Proud members of:
M e c h a n i c a l
EDITOR’S
The codes are ours, let’s use them Every now and then, the government gets something right.
May/June 2019 Issue Published 6 times per year.
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Disrupting the construction site
Building codes available free
Innovative construction solutions were the topic of the day during MCAC’s Innovation Conference, held at the Beanfield Centre in Toronto in April. “Make people work in an environment that is controlled and you will get productivity,” stated Jacques Gauthier of Upbrella (pictured). Others at the event discussed such topics as energy efficiency in Canada, artificial intelligence, building modelling, and working with modular construction technology.
The National Research Council of Canada and Natural Resources Canada are now offering free online access to the National Building Code, the National Fire Code, the National Plumbing Code and the National Energy Code for Buildings. It is the first time the national model codes have been made available in Canada at no cost to the user. Paper copies of the codes, along with other supporting documents including the guides, are also offered at a reduced cost. nrc.canada.ca
‘Flushable’ wipes not safe to flush
mcac.ca
OGA showcases geothermal potential “Clean energy is not a myth,” stated Tim Wright of Enertech Global – Canada (pictured) during the 2019 Ontario Geothermal Association (OGA) conference in Mississauga, Ont. Marking the organization’s 10th anniversary, the April event attracted more than 100 industry professionals who discussed technologies and the regulatory environment as it relates to the geo exchange market. ontariogeothermal.ca
ryerson.ca
CIPH members focus on leadership
Montreal has begun moves to ban the use of te heating oil within the city. Mayor Valerie Plante said she will introduce a bylaw next year that will ban oil-burning equipment in new construction n by 2030, and in all buildings by 2050. Plante, who last year stepped up enforcement against the use off wood-burning stoves that fall below strict emissions standards, said she also wants to work with the province to expand a scheme that provides a subsidy to homeowners who replace fossil-fuelled systems with those that operate on renewable energies.
“When you give value to someone else, they will generally give something back.” That’s the law of reciprocity that keynote speaker Chris Cummins used to frame his talk to 157 CIPH Ontario members at April’s business lunch and AGM in Mississauga, Ont. Cummins’ mix of humour and insight provided plenty of food for thought. The gathering also marked the passing of the region’s presidency from Tom Newell to Grant Stuempfle (pictured) and the introduction of the 2019/20 CIPH Ontario board of directors.
ville.montreal.qc.ca
ciph.com
Montreal targets oil heat
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A new study from Ryerson University has shown that of the 101 single-use wipes it tested, including 23 labelled as flushable by the manufacturer, none were actually safe to dispose of down the toilet. The report, produced by Ryerson’s Flushability Lab at Ryerson Urban Water and entitled Defining ‘Flushability’ for Sewer Use, is the first test of single-use wipes against rigorous criteria for flushability. Results showed that not one single wipe was able to fall apart or disperse safely through the sewer system test.
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Desco attracts a crowd
Ex-Toronto mayor presents climate challenge David Miller, former Mayor of Toronto and current director of the C40 Cities Climate leadership group, took to the stage at the recent HRAI Symposium to discuss why cities need to look at low-carbon initiatives and why the global HVAC/R industry is a crucial component in helping deliver on these initiatives. Titled “Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Economy,” the annual spring event was staged at The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont., and included a tour of the innovative building’s mechanical systems (pictured). hrai.ca
CMPX show committee announced HRAI and CIPH recently introduced its CMPX 2020 Show Committee as planning continues for the next edition of the show, being held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from March 25 to 27, 2020. The committee includes: chair Dennis Kozina, Emerson CT; Joanna Woo, Emco; John Bonus, Wolseley/Frontier; Mike Cantin, Napoleon; Brent Cornelissen, OS&B; Ulyana Fedyna, Noble; Jim Garrett, Taco Canada; Jon Leeson, Desco ; Sandy MacLeod, HRAI; Elizabeth McCullough, CIPH; Bruce Meacock, Mechanical Business; Patrick Shield, Shield Assoc.; Garth Wallin, Blanco Canada; David Weishuhn, Blue Flame Heating and Cooling; and Loretta Zita, HRAI. cmpxshow.ca
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HVAC and plumbing wholesaler Desco welcomed hundreds of its contracting customers through the doors of its most recent Parade of Products, held in early May in Kitchener, Ont. The aisles were packed at the highly regarded industry event as representatives from 70 manufacturers shared information about their latest offerings. Here, Doug Purdy, Ipex’s technical sales rep for mechanical, discusses venting options with a pair of tradesmen. desco.ca
Canadian contractors hit California Navien hosted a number of contractors from different regions across Canada and the U.S. at its recent round table discussion in southern California. Canadian firms TSM Mechanical and Donaldson Plumbing & Heating were among those who met CEO Scott Lee (pictured) and members of the sales, marketing and training teams to discuss Navien innovation in products, programs and policies. The contractors involved were chosen as winners of the SoCal Getaway trip for their outstanding performance in the NavienRewards program during 2018. navieninc.com
Fortis to double conservation spending The BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) recently approved FortisBC's request to double its spending on conservation and efficiency programs in 2019 and triple this spending by 2022. FortisBC can now significantly expand its overall energy-efficiency investment to $368.5 million over that period. Some of the money will go toward extending the residential high-efficiency natural gas furnace rebate to be a year-round offer, as well as toward designing a similar program for small business customers. fortisbc.com
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Revamping of trades moves forward The Ontario government’s plan to replace the Ontario College of Trades took another step forward recently when the government introduced Bill 100, An Act to Implement Budget Measures and Enact, Amend and Repeal Various Statutes as part of its budget. Schedule 40 of the bill will, if passed, establish a new governance model for the regulation of the trades and apprenticeships that will be led by the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities with input from industry on training programs and regulation. A long period of consultation is expected before any detailed regulations are brought forward. collegeoftrades.ca
New definitions for refrigeration keywords ASHRAE and the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) have announced the establishment of new definitions for five refrigeration keywords: cooling, refrigeration, chilling, freezing and cold chain. The definitions are the result of more than a year of discussions and were established to clarify the meaning of basic terminology used in the HVAC/R industry. The definitions will be included in ASHRAE Terminology, the organization’s free online glossary of more than 3,700 terms and definitions related to the built environment. iifiir.org
Ontario scraps HVAC incentive The government of Ontario has axed the Conservation First Framework, including the popular Heating and Cooling Incentive (HCI) program. Since its inception, more than a million rebate cheques have been issued to Ontario households and over 1,400 contractors are currently registered in the program. A number of other schemes have also been scrapped, including: the Business Refrigeration Incentive and High Performance New Construction. hrai.ca
Complete Turnkey Venting Solutions For more than 25 years, Cheminee Lining has provided listed and custom exhaust system sizing, design, fabrication and installation for institutional, commercial and industrial projects. We offer Professional Engineer-sealed designs for all Canadian provinces and have a complete steel fabrication shop for ASME STS-1 freestanding stacks, structures and accessories. Applications: • Boiler • Generator • Heat Recovery • COGEN
• Grease Ducts • Other Flue Gas Exhaust Applications
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DIGITAL ALERT Product info with a tap
New Alberta codes now in effect The new Alberta building, energy efficiency and fire codes came into effect in April. The Building Code Regulation adopts the National Building Code 2019 Alberta Edition and the National Energy Code for Buildings 2017 Edition, while the Fire Code Regulation adopts the National Fire Code 2019 Alberta Edition. The updated codes contain more than 600 changes. alberta.ca
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Taco Tags provide product information on mobile devices via NFC (near-field communication) technology. A tap on the Taco Tag links customers to eLink, Taco’s cloud-based service, which provides product specs, model numbers, replacement parts and more. tacocomfortsolutions.com
AquaRise BIM files available online The complete library of AquaRise potable water piping system Building Information Modelling (BIM) files is now available online. The models allow for system testing and validation and can be downloaded to any desktop or directly into a design model. The files meet all applicable standards and are available in all relevant formats. ipexaquarise.com
Introducing PF400 Line Pressure Regulators The PF400 family of regulators are ideal for a wide range of applications. The materials and soft parts used in the construction of the PF400 regulators make them suitable for use with natural gas, LPG, propane, air and d ot other e non-corrosive o co os e gases gases.
STANDARD MODEL Inlet Pressure Range: 14” W.C. to 2 PSIG
Safe, Reliable and High Performance • CSA certified external ventt lilimiter it option ti ffor iindoor d iinstallations* t • Both vertical and horizontal installation positions • Complete lockup in absence of gas flow, 100% bubble tight shutoff • Designed to be used on furnaces and simple on-off loads 12 Leswyn Road Toronto,ON M6A 1K3 (416)-781-5286 info@ontor.com www.ontor.com
OVER PRESSURE DEVICE (DC) MODEL Inlet Pressure Range: 2.5 PSIG to 10 PSIG *As Approved by Local Codes and Standards** Brass Vent Limiters must be removed for outdoor installation **
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Manitoba schools to get mechanical makeover
Attracting young people to trades
Mechanical upgrades worth $17 million have been announced as part of Manitoba’s $57.5 million investment program for kindergarten to Grade 12 schools across the province. The money has been earmarked for projects in River East Transcona, Sunrise, Louis Riel, Winnipeg, Mountain View, Brandon, St. James-Assiniboia and Pembina Trails school divisions. The Public Schools Finance Board plans to complete the projects within six to 24 months following the awarding of tenders and start of construction.
The Residential Construction Council of Ontario, with support from the Ontario government, commissioned two reports that provide a roadmap to improve recruitment and retention of young workers in the skilled trades. The reports are bolstered by a video series highlighting the high levels of job satisfaction expressed by tradespeople who are currently employed across the province. To date, 12 videos of a projected 50 have been released.
manitoba.ca
B.C. increases energy efďŹ ciency rebates
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The ultimate space heating and DHW comfort package
Space heating up to 199k BTU/H Domestic hot water up to 199k BTU/H
Navien NFC condensing fire tube combi-boiler Patented stainless steel fire tube heat exchanger is in-house designed and manufactured using automated laser welders to achieve premium quality. It is ASME certified. New advanced performance built-in DHW module with integrated boiler pump and stainless steel flat plate heat exchanger. One of the highest industry flow rates of 5.4 GPM @ 67°F temperature rise.
More features, more benefits, more extras and more value...all in one package Now the innovator in high efficiency condensing tankless water heaters and fire tube boilers puts it all together in one amazing combi-boiler in 2 sizes: NFC-175 & NFC-200. • 5 modes of external domestic recirculation control built-in (Always on, Intelligent, Scheduling, HotButton, Aquastat) • TDR 11:1 for domestic hot water • Approved venting: 2" up to 60' or 3" up to 150' PVC/CPVC/PP/SS • Heating and DHW up to 199k BTU/H • AFUE 95.0% Energy Star Most Efficient for 2019 Plus the NFC combi-boiler package comes with 16 extras including a primary manifold kit, heating isolation valve kit and NaviClean™ magnetic filtration system. To learn more visit navieninc.com Earn more for each NFC at NavienRewards.com
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Saniflo and Centon link up in Ontario Saniflo Canada has formed a strategic partnership with Centon Sales to provide sales and service for its range of macerating and grinding pump systems as well as drain and condensate pumps to the wholesale channel in Ontario. Based in Mississauga, Ont., Centon Sales provides pre-construction and renovation planning support for a variety of plumbing brands, offering product training, technical support and sales. saniflo.ca centonsales.com
Anvil and Smith-Cooper to merge Anvil International, a designer, manufacturer and provider of products that connect and support piping systems, and Smith-Cooper International, a designer and provider of branded pipes, valves and fittings, have entered into an agreement to merge. The combined company will be majority owned by Tailwind Capital.
RSL partners with Allied Air Refrigerative Supply Limited (RSL) has announced a partnership with Allied Air Enterprises to stock a range of its HVAC/R products. Under the deal, the 15 branches of the Western Canada-based refrigeration and HVAC wholesaler can now offer its registered residential dealers access to the complete AirEasebranded line of high efficiency gas furnaces as well as a wide range of central air conditioners and heat pumps. The Ducane brand will be available to over-the-counter customers, while commercial customers will have access to the full Allied Commercial line. alliedair.com rsl.ca
anvilintl.com smithcooper.com
RectorSeal snaps up MSD Research RectorSeal recently acquired the assets off MSD Research, including its All-Access brand of air conditioning system condensate management products. All-Access produces air conditioning mechanical float switches, drain line cleanout devices and other accessories. MSD Research president Stuart Oakner has taken on the roles of inventor-in-residence and consultant for RectorSeal as part of the acquisition. rectorseal.com
Johnstone Supply marks reopening Tom Boutette of Johnstone Supply - B&B Trade Distribution Centre, pictured, took to the mic to officially declare the Etobicoke branch reopened for business during a day of fun, food and product giveaways in May. The centre, at 10 Ronson Drive, Etobicoke, Ont., is managed by David Minnis and features 4,200 sq. ft. of warehouse space and a 2,800 sq. ft. retail store. johnstonesupply.com
Master Group opens three branches
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The Master Group continues to grow its presence, opening its 36th point of sale recently. The Langley, B.C., branch is located just a few steps from the Trans-Canada Highway, at 9347 200A St., and will be managed by Mark Eastwood. In Alberta, the Calgary South branch is managed by Cory Holm and can be found at 1220 26th SE, and in Newfoundland and Labrador, the St John’s branch is located at 878 Topsail Rd. in Mount Pearl.
New finance option hits market
master.ca
servicetitan.com financeit.io
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ServiceTitan, a software firm serving home service businesses, has partnered with Financeit, a point-of-sale payment plan provider, to give Canadian home service contractors the ability to offer immediate, integrated financing options to homeowners.
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OS&B has appointed Kristy Bell to the position of Bronte Collection manager. Bell will be responsible for sales and marketing functions of the represented brands within the portfolio, including ThermaSol, Grabcessories, Waste Maid, EnduroShield, QM Drain and Bronte Collection Drains.
FUJITSU GENERAL AMERICA has announced the promotion of Dennis Stinson, who now assumes the role and responsibilities of director of national accounts. Stinson will work in concert with the sales team to support growth in all product segments.
Yvette Gillespie has been appointed INSINKERATOR CANADA’s western regional sales manager. Gillespie will manage sales activities from Manitoba to British Columbia and will have a particular focus on implementing the company’s growth strategy in the west.
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AQUATHERM has appointed Matt Denny (1) as regional sales manager for Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Denny has been in the mechanical sector for 20 years. Larry Hope (2) will continue as regional sales manager for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, and will now look after the territories of Nunavut, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. They will be assisted by Glen Miller (3), whose role as vicepresident and director of sales for Canada has been expanded to include the U.S.
BUILDING KNOWLEDGE CANADA has promoted Andy Oding to the position of vice-president. Oding, who has done some writing for Mechanical Business, has vast experience as a trainer in the building sciences and in the design and commissioning of HVAC systems. He also has specialized knowledge in the development of new codes and advanced building programs.
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Plumbing and heating wholesaler DESCO has promoted Brian Ruetz (1) to the position of sales manager following the retirement of Scott Duncan (2). Also at Desco, Mel Campbell (3) joined the company in May as regional sales manager for the GTA and East.
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GOODMAN has appointed Matt Saunders (1) to manage its branch in Nanaimo, B.C. Saunders has over seven years of sales, marketing and managerial experience. Daniel Pereira (2) has been appointed to manage the company’s branch in Mississauga, Ont. Pereira has been with the company for five years and will oversee all branch operations.
MCABC has appointed Kim Barbero as its new chief executive officer. Barbero started in her new role in April, filling the void left by the retirement of longserving executive vicepresident Dana Taylor.
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Gloria Coelho has joined boiler manufacturer NTI as the company’s Ontario regional sales manager. With 10 years of experience in the heating industry, Gloria has worked in both the contracting and the wholesaling segments of the mechanical sector. She is based in the Greater Toronto Area.
Trevor Reeve has been appointed BOW’s new territory sales manager for Ontario. Reporting to regional sales manager Mark Trenbeth, Reeve’s main focus will be to increase the company’s presence among its distribution partners and to develop mutually beneficial opportunities.
It’s A Great Trick If You Can Do It. We did... and it just got better.
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Reader Profile John Baker: Family and success go hand-in-hand
Family, community, professionalism and fun are all hallmarks of John Baker, and those he works with. Baker, who owns LUK Plumbing, Heating & Electric Ltd. in Kindersley, Sask., with his wife Tolanda, has been a fixture at industry conferences for the past two decades, and at Saskatchewan Roughriders games for much longer than that. But he got his start, and found his partner, thanks to a trades program in Stephenville Crossing, Nfld, in 1971.
John and his wife Tolanda
“I started out with a nine-month course,” he said during a recent interview. “This is also where I met my wife Tolanda, as I was staying two doors away at her aunt’s boarding house.” The couple moved to Saskatchewan a few years later and started the company that has now grown to two locations, 16 trucks and 25 employees. “We take pride in our work and in everything we do whether it is raising our children, teaching our apprentices, working in our customers’ homes or completing large industrial and commercial projects. We strive to be the best we can possibly be,” he says.
Q A Q A
Your family is very involved in the business. Was that by design?
We raised our daughter and our boys with the idea that they could be or do anything they wanted. We never pushed them in any one direction. We were surprised when four out of five of our children wanted to join us in the business. And we have a long-time office manager, Kim Schwanbeck, who has become part of our family as well. Building up a business can take a lot of time and energy. How did you balance work and family? We made a point of always putting our family first. We loved the time we were able to spend with our children. What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given?
BIO
We truly believe that honesty is the best policy. We also believe you should never stop learning, and that you need to treat other people – customers, employees, whomever – as you would your own family. And never put down your competition. They are out there trying to put food on their tables and take care of their families the same as me.
Name: John Baker Title: Co-owner Company: LUK Plumbing, Heating & Electric Ltd. Location: Kindersley, Sask. Age: 63 Born in: Stephenville, Nfld. Currently resides: Resort Village of Aquadeo, Saskatchewan Family: Wife Tolanda, children Glenda, Geoff, Chris, Mike and Dan, and 8 grandchildren
FAST FACTS ABOUT JOHN BAKER 1. In addition to business management training, John holds a Red Seal in plumbing and refrigeration, and is also a licensed gas fitter. 2. He loves to travel, having been all over Europe and North America, but he has a few more trips on his bucket list. “Australia, Japan and Israel are in my plans.”
3. John enjoys watching hockey and football, and can often be spotted sporting Saskatchewan green. “Go Roughriders!”
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Photo: Warne Photography
Q A
In other arenas, the bend of this blade would be assessed a two-minute minor.
What’s the secret of the superior efficiency and quiet operation of Napoleon’s 16 SEER central air conditioner? It’s unique Swet Fan Blade technology. With a distinct shape, aluminum blades and a plated steel hub. The 16 SEER until has a lower vibration level, which leads to a more silent operation. It’s also backed by a 10 year limited compressor and parts warranty, assuring you of summer comfort for years to come. napoleon.com
2019
Cooling Report
Cooling a Two-stage communicating air conditioner Goodman’s GSXC18 air conditioner, available in 2- to 5-ton models, offers wireless connectivity and up to 19-SEER performance. Units have a Copeland twostage Ultratech scroll compressor and a two-speed ECM condenser fan. goodmanmfg.com
By Sim mo on Bow wden den
W
ith climate scientists predicting that average annual global temperatures will continue to rise, summers are expected to last longer and become more severe.
Add to that more stringent energy efficiency standards and ever-rising electricity prices, and the HVAC/R industry is well positioned to offer businesses and homeowners heating and cooling system upgrades that will reduce energy costs. Given Canada’s huge size and wildly differing climatic conditions, this will mean different cooling solutions in different parts of the country, but whether people’s ultimate desire is to save the planet or simply save on bills, the cooling market is likely to only get hotter.
On the radar: (QHUJ\ HԀFLHQF\
Variable speed A/C The KeepRite CVA9 ProComfort Deluxe 19 air conditioner features a five-stage variable-speed compressor and ECM fan motor. Rated up to 19 SEER, the 2- to 5-ton units operate at noise levels as low as 56 dB. keeprite.com
Manufacturers and contractors have already seen the effects of the climate crisis on consumer behaviour: a product’s energy efficiency is now a key important selling point. Tom Carney, North American director of sales with Fujitsu says, “We have found that Canadian consumers are very aware of the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels and they are making a conscious effort to reduce their carbon footprint.” It is a sentiment picked up on by other manufacturers as well. “Energy efficiency is massively important in what system a homeowner selects,” agrees Sonny Pirrotta, national sales manager HVAC, Life and Device Solutions Division at Panasonic Canada. “Apart from a significant reduction in energy costs and earning a greater return on investment, it also enhances the quality of life of the occupant by adding comfort and, in many cases, notable health benefits.”
Ductless ceiling cassette Mitsubishi’s SLZ-KF heat pump four-way ceiling cassette with built in 3D i-see sensor technology features eight sensors that rotate 360° in three-minute intervals to detect room occupancy. Available in capacities from 9,000 to 18,000 BTUH, units have a maximum SEER rating of 22.4, HSPF of 12.2 and COP of 3.98.
Even if the person buying the equipment won’t be occupying the space being cooled themselves, contractors should not be shy about pushing the less obvious benefits of higher-spec systems. As Pirotta notes, “In the real estate market, energy efficient homes frequently sell or rent at a higher price than standard homes.”
mitsubishielectric.ca
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:HLJKLQJ FRVWV DQG EHQHӾWV :H While the future is of concern to many, it’s the present that occupies the thoughts of most Canad Canadians. This is why price point is still the biggest factor for many consumers. Power Powermatic’s director of HVAC sales, Benoit Mathurin, says the cost of equipment can vary in importance depending on who is buying. “On “On the new construction side it’s all about price, but on the replacement market it is differe different – the quality of the equipment you sell is more important,” he says. “Contractors ask ab about inventory, price, service, parts and warranties. Warranty is really important.” Andy C Cincar, Daikin North America’s division vice-president – Canada, says the ending of incentive programs is also having an effect on consumer choices.
Communicating air conditioner The York Affinity Series 2- to 5-ton 19 SEER YXT air conditioner from Johnson Controls features a two-stage compressor, a swingopen electrical box for full access to the inside of the unit, and a sound-reduction system, which includes a swept-wing fan and an ECM fan motor. york.com
“The cancellation of IESO’s Save On Rebates program in Ontario, coupled with changes in the Quebec market, will influence the HVAC product mix away from cold climate products and move it toward lower-efficiency systems,” he says. “Still, there will always be a segment of the market that will gravitate to high-efficiency, high-performing products.” That behaviour has also been noted at Napoleon, whose managing director of HVAC, Christian Romeroll, says, “With cooling products, we see for the Canadian market an increase in higher efficiency ACs, from 16 SEER to 18 SEER, in spite of the fact that 13 SEER units continue to be very strong in the market.” “We expect the growth of all indoor comfort product segments to continue during 2019,” adds Cincar.
Ductless revolution continues The vast majority of heat pumps in Canada are ductless, a segment that continues to grow in popularity.
Two-stage air conditioner The Rheem RA17 Classic Plus Series has cooling efficiencies up to 17 SEER and 13 EER, and is available in 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-ton sizes. The system can be remotely accessed through an app and adjusted via Alexa voice control.
“The ductless revolution is continuing in a strong way,” says Fujitsu’s Carney. “When people think of air conditioning, they immediately think of cold air, but these units do it all; heat, cool, humidify, dehumidify and disinfect.”
rheem.com
Climate and its impact on the efficiency, or coefficient of performance (COP), will play a big a part in how far the revolution will spread, however, notes Panasonic Canada’s Pirotta. “There are low-ambient limitations which limit the COP, so mini-splits, ductless and VRF units provide higher COP in B.C., for example, than in northern Ontario.” Daikin is one manufacturer pushing hard to increase the reach of VRF technology – which it terms VRV. “A single-phase VRV system supports both forced-air and ductless application,” says Cincar. “The technology provides the capability to zone, allowing customized indoor comfort and greater energy efficiencies.”
High-efficiency air conditioner Napoleon’s 16 SEER central air conditioner is offered in 1-1/2- to 5-ton sizes. It features aluminum micro-channel condenser coils, swept 2- or 4-fan blades, a plated steel hub and an Emerson EK filter drier. It uses a Copeland scroll compressor that contains built-in temperature and pressure protection. napoleonheatingandcooling.com
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Commercial considerations With almost 40 per cent of total energy costs linked to a building’s HVAC/R systems, there is a tangible e benefit for commercial building owners who can capitalize on efficiencies.
Mini-split units Fujitsu’s RGLX, part of the single-zone Halcyon line, features sufficient static pressure to heat or cool a whole house via ductwork. The units come in sizes ranging from 12,000 to 48,000 BTUH, with efficiency ratings up to 21.3 SEER. The mini-split models can be installed in applications that require static pressure up to 0.80” W.G., with maximum piping lengths of 246 feet. fujitsugeneral.com
Co ol ing Products
“Building owners are seeking energygysaving features which lead to lowerr utility costs, added comfort for theirr occupants, as well as reliability, redundancy and controllability of equipment,” says Pirrotta. “Improvements ements in ipment comfort, indoor air quality and equipment reliability can all be achieved with HVAC maintenance and upgrades.” Some commercial and industrial clients by t are ttargeting ti savings i b focusing on humidification. “Direct evaporative cooling is supplementing or reducing the
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(888) 8) 678 678-3709 3709
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A smaller evaporator coil, but loaded with BIG FEATURES AND BENEFITS. The AlumaFin7™ evaporator coil gives smart HVAC contractors more efficient options for installations in spaceconstrained homes. This All-Aluminum evaporator coil is constructed of 7mm tubing to help optimize the heat transfer properties of the refrigerant. Also, the multi-louvered fins are acid-etched to help drain condensate faster, compared to aluminum fins that are not acid-etched. These combined features help deliver improved airflow with minimal static pressure. For added structural integrity and air seal, the triangle plate’s thickness is increased. The AlumaFin7 evaporator coil is loaded with features that could make it your number one choice for your number one customers.
Our Goodman locations Barrie
705-242-6643
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403-250-6579
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450-681-2220
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905-760-2737
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780-443-3072
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450-674-3883
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604-420-1331
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905-564-9791
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778-744-4025
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519-757-0965
Hamilton
905-573-6565
Ottawa
613-745-3846
Our continuing commitment to quality products may mean a change in specifications without notice. © 2019 Goodman Manufacturing Company, L.P. Houston, Texas · USA www.goodmanmfg.com
2019
Cooling Report amount of mechanical air conditioning required in a lot of heatgenerating buildings, such as cannabis grow-ops and data centres,” says Glen Greer, Ontario sales manager and application specialist with Enersol. But the costs go beyond the electricity bill for some clients. “For example, long-term care facilities require humidification for patients, who might have respiratory or skin issues, but some institutions are shutting off their humidifiers after looking at their electricity bill. By going with an evaporative technology, we give them some free cooling with the humidification at the same time.”
Light commercial rooftop unit Daikin’s VRV LIFE uses inverter technology to eliminate hot and cold spots in homes and can be matched with up to nine ducted or duct-free indoor units connected to a single outdoor VRV heat pump. Available in 2 to 5-ton sizes, it reaches up to 18 SEER and operates in ambient temperatures up to 122°F in cooling mode. The side-discharge unit has a footprint of just 37” x 12-5/8”.
CLIMATE FACTBOX
daikincomfort.com
716 million tonnes Amount of greenhouse gases produced in Canada in 2017, a rise of 8 million tonnes from 2016.
511 million tonnes Canada’s 2030 annual greenhouse gas emissions target.
Co ol ing Products
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OH S#@% SUDDENLY GOT THE FEELING ITโ S TIME FOR A CHANGE? m 0ย vbm;vvฤท ฤพv|ย @ฤฟ _-rr;mvฤบ bv|-h;vฤท 7;ัด-ย vฤท 0uoh;m ruolbv;vฤท -m7 lou;ฤบ ย | b= ย oย u 1ย uu;m| ( l-mย =-1|ย u;u v;;lv |o 0; 1omvbv|;m|ัดย 7;ัดbย ;ubm] lou; ;ย 1ย v;v |_-m voัดย เฆ omvฤท r;u_-rv b|ฤฝv เฆ l; ย oย |-ัดh |o ย fb|vย ;m;u-ัดฤบ ย u -ย -u7ล ย bmmbm] vย rrou| ruo]u-lvฤท bm7ย v|uย ล ัด;-7bm] |u-bmbm] -m7 =ย ัดัด ัดbm; o= bmmoย -เฆ ย ; ruo7ย 1|v 1-m l-h; -ัดัด |_; 7b@;u;m1;ฤบ ย fb|vย ฤป- 0u;-|_ o= =u;v_ฤท bmCmb|;ัดย 1ol=ou|-0ัด; -buฤบ
Visit fujitsugeneral.com
By Fred Bretzke
Fred Bretzke is a full-time pipe trades instructor with SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary and the general manager of A&B Plumbing & Heating. He can be reached at fred.bretzke@sait.ca.
PLUMBING
THE YEAR OF THE
I
WATER FOR THE ANIMALS A hydrant hose bib is similar to a fire hydrant, as it looks like a frost-free standing hose bib or faucet standing upright out of the ground. It extends downwards about eight feet in depth with a gravel pit underneath it. When the hydrant calls for water, it flows up and out the tap. When you turn the water off, it drains down the casing to an eighth-inch drain out the bottom of the stem into a two or three-foot gravel pit which dissipates into the ground. This keeps the faucet from freezing in the winter. It’s a handy system for feeding animals in an unheated barn.
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can still picture it vividly. There I was, in the prime of my teenage years with another sweaty drop of perspiration slowly dripping down my forehead cresting over my eyebrow, landing on my burnt red cheek. Me, manning the shovel as my brother swung the pick. Did I mention that it was 90 degrees out? Around 10 swings of his pick would accumulate a shovel of dry cracked clay. Let’s see, about 10 pick swings per shovel of clay times about 500 shovelfuls to reach eight-feet-deep, times 120 yards divided by 30 days in a month… by my math, it looked like I was in for about a million days of hell! My poor brother’s shaved head was blistering in this heat. He needed some head gear to protect him, poor guy. I was able to escape the head shaver, although my long hair was soaking wet in this humid heat. Scanning the area, there was a spot of relief about 20 yards behind us, a pond of sort of cold water. It was supposed to be a lake, but it was a 15-foot-deep stagnant collection of algae and water that glistened greenish in the bright afternoon sun. I didn’t care that the pond wasn’t very pretty. It was wet, and hopefully cool. As I made my way through the weeds, to my surprise, there was this hairy thing surfacing out of the stagnant water. There was Dad, smiling from ear to ear. He yelled, “Come in! It’s refreshing, and you can help me with the pump!” I respectfully declined to jump in the cesspool and went back to digging the water service trench with my 16-year-old brother, Carl. Carl and I kept digging that water pipe trench for the pigs and cattle barn for the rest of the summer before finally installing a hydrant hose bib by the barn. That was life on the Parkhill Ontario farm that my dad had purchased just a few months before, and a short time before we moved back to the city, but my digging wasn’t done, nor was my quest for a nice spot to cool off in the summer’s heat.
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PLUMBING
MANNING THE SHOVEL, PART II concrete mixer arrived with many, and I mean many, bags of concrete. We formed so much concrete in that pool, it was like a bomb shelter from the Second World War. It was at least two to threefeet-thick. We laughed that it would probably last a millennium. We finally laid all the concrete and then installed the piping, filter and liner. Pools need proper circulation, sanitation and filtration, so I helped install a pressure sand filter with an enclosed tank that had an alum flocculant, gravel and sand in it. A pressure sand filter is a great system for residential pools and hot tubs. We use sand because it’s a great cleaner of water, and if it gets plugged or too dirty, all you have to do is reverse the circulating pump and backwash it. With sanitation, circulation and filtration set up, we added a boiler to heat our little pool, and I have to confess that it was much more enjoyable than the pond that only my dad swam in back at the farm the year before. I would like to add that, yes, this pool is still standing and is fully operational 42 years later, and that I tell this story from my 17-year-old point of view. I’ve grown to see that my dad was a man of integrity, hard work and strong spirit, and that he taught me my greatest lessons in life, and about work ethic – but I still complained the whole time.
For me, my new city life meant moving to London, Ont. I was truly excited, I could join the high school football team, school was full of pretty girls, and there were no farm chores now. The world was mine for the taking, or so I thought. One hot summer night, my dad summoned us to the backyard. I started to get nervous. Dad was a visionary man; a person who could see it in his dreams before he built it – or should I say, we built it. So, there was Dad, Henri, facing our backyard that extended 20 feet out at house level and then dropped 20 feet into a 150-foot by 50-foot wide valley of swampy dirt. He explained that as we were back in the city, and that we didn’t have our lake (pond) anymore, he promised that we could have a pool in our backyard. This is how I began my first pool installation. Dad couldn’t afford an excavator, nor did he need one because he had two young labourers. We had to hand-shovel truckloads of dirt into wheelbarrows and cart it all to the backyard, dumping it down the hill and slowly building up the level to extend 50 feet from the house. I’m sure I silently called my dad many adjectives during that summer, but eventually we got the hill finished. Then the real work started. Once we had our hill, we shaped a rectangular hole in the middle and formed it into a hard-earth packed pool. Next, we had to construct a concrete liner. I prayed for concrete trucks, but to no avail. The next day, a rented hand-portable
Did you know
?
If pool water is too acidic, or low on the pH scale, soda ash can be added to raise the alkalinity to a more normal range of 7.6.
Filtration options galore While pressure sand filters are one option for pools, it’s not the only technology making waves. Modern pools may use diatomaceous earth filter systems, UV sanitation systems or even lectranator salt water chlorination systems.
PROTECTING THE POTABLE SUPPLY Filling a pool, and auto-fillers that keep it topped up, can put the public water supply at risk. Depending on your region, cross-connection protection for pool water supplies can vary from a double-check valve assembly (DCVA) to an air gap of 10 cm (4”) on the makeup supply to an open tank system. DCVAs must be tested annually and installed in accordance to local codes and/or the 2015 National Plumbing Code, clauses 2.6.2.2. and 2.6.2.3.
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PLUMBING
Products
General purpose pressure gauge Winters’ PEM-ZR Economy StabiliZR gauge has a dampened movement designed to eliminate pointer flutter caused by vibration and pulsation. It is available in 1-1/2” to 4” dial sizes, with bottom and back connections from 1/8” to 1/4” NPT. Measurement ranges from vacuum to 5,000 psi. The dry unit can be installed in a wide range of temperatures.
Long distance drain clearer The Speedrooter XL from General Pipe Cleaners has a 3/4-hp motor that drives a variable speed cable to clear clogs in up to 200 feet of 3” to 10” lines. Drums hold 100 feet of 3/4”, 5/8” or 1/2” cable. Cables can be adjusted and drums changed with the turn of a knob. Units feature stair climbers, 10” ball bearing tires, a truck loading wheel and tool box.
www. winters.com
www. drainbrain.com
No-hub fitting restraints straints HoldRite’s #117 Series no-hub b fitting restraints provide a standard, uniform solution olution for restraining DWV pipe in all configurations tions up to 15” in diameter during high thrust conditions. nditions. System components are rated for up to o 50 feet of head pressure, are delivered ready eady to install, and are available in stainless inless steel, black iron or galvanized materials.
Copper press adapters ProPEX copper press adapters from Uponor can be used to make flameless hybrid PEX-to-copper connections in 1/2” to 3” sizes. The lead-free brass adapter incorporates a patented design for securely fastening the pipe and fitting together, eliminating the need for a stainless steel ring.
www. holdrite.com
www. uponor.ca
Flood protection system Mechanical couplings Ipex’s MJ Grey mechanical couplings are a joining option for System 15 and System XFR pipe. Offered in 1-1/2” through 12” sizes, the couplings are certified to CSA B602 and listed to CAN/ULC S102.2. The couplings can be adjusted in the field.
www. ipexna.com
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The Watts flood protection system with SentryPlus Alert is designed to detect potential flood conditions and shut down the water supply. The system will issue multi-channel alerts via call, text and email. It can be used to upgrade any existing RPZ backflow preventer. It is available in four configurations and can be ordered with an optional strainer with downstream shutoff.
www. watts.ca B u s i n e s s
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Marketing
with DOUG MACMILLAN
Building your employer brand C
A changing landscape The expectations of employees are
ompanies spend a lot of time and money building their brands, for good reason. In today’s cluttered marketing landscape, we need every advantage we can find to stand out to our potential customers. Fewer businesses put as much stock in their employer brand, however, but we really cannot afford to ignore this vital aspect of business.
changing. According to international employment agency Robert Half, the new generation of employees wants more than just a job: they want to be part of something, and feel they can contribute to your success. They value good pay, yes, but they won’t stay if there isn’t a strong, positive working environment that aligns with their values: community, freedom and
Our “employer brand” is the identity that helps us rise above our competitors when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best staff members, and it should be on the radar of any company owner or manager who has ever lamented the challenge of finding good people to add to their ranks. As noted in Roger Grochmal’s insightful column in this issue (see page 74), hiring quality, skilled technicians is a critical issue for contractors. A generation of tradespeople is quickly retiring and not enough young people are following in their footsteps. How can you live up to the promises of your company’s brand if you don’t have quality people to stand behind them?
empowerment. Progressive employers are embracing these expectations, but not all firms are communicating that they understand what these younger workers desire from
10 keys to building your employer brand Building an employer brand takes the same strategic focus and diligence as your corporate brand. In my experience speaking with contractors over the years, it takes a constant commitment, and is constantly evolving. Here are 10 commonalities from companies that have built solid employer brands.
their work life. That’s where the building of an employer brand comes in. As you conduct your next search for
1
Create a desirable culture – The working environment has become increasingly important to employees. Do you promote company values and make decisions based on them? Is there zero tolerance for unacceptable behaviour? Simple things make all the difference. Say thank you. Criticize people privately (and constructively). And respect that life can be stressful, so have policies that allow people to take time off for family matters or unexpected circumstances.
2
Commit to communication – Employees who feel “in the know” are more committed to your success. Communicate frequently about changes you are planning, and how things are going at the business. Be honest. Include employees in your challenges so that they can be part of the solution. Too often, business owners try to absorb all of the difficulties rather than involve their team.
3
Ensure strong leadership and mentorship – Younger employees look to the top for an example of how to act. “Do as I say, not as I do,” doesn’t cut it anymore. Establish strong, two-way channels for communication between management and employees, and create a mentoring program that provides for long-term collaboration between new and more
employees, ask yourself, “What is your company doing to communicate to potential employees that your company and its work aligns with their desire to be community minded, and that they will play a major part in the company’s success?”
Doug MacMillan is president of The Letter M Marketing in Guelph, Ont. To reach him, email doug@thelettermmarketing.com.
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ON-THE-GO THERMAL FOR ON-THE-GO JOBS The FLIR C3 is an affordable, pocket sized, professional thermal camera made for any job site. Easily troubleshoot mechanical issues such as: • Hydronic heating deficiencies • Overheated HVAC/R compressors • Flawed plumbing systems
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established team members. The surprising part? Mentoring happens both ways, not just from the older to newer employee.
4
Support flexibility –
Life is complicated, and a too-rigid workplace structure only adds to people’s difficulties. Good employers do their best to not be “one more thing going on.” To the fullest extent that you are able, allow employees to set their hours around their unique circumstances, such as taking time off to support their kids, family and health needs. It pays off in the end in loyalty and reduced t everyone which increases productivity. stress att work for everyone,
5
Support continuous training and development
Contractors who focus on keeping their team’s skills up-to-date will have a strong advantage recruiting potential employees who expect to continue advancing their skills on the job. Lean on manufacturers’ excellent training programs, as well as industry associations for sessions that will continue to build the skills of your crews. Even low-cost services such as Lynda.com can be very effective.
Get in, get out, and move on to the next big job with Little Giant® VCMX-20 Series Condensate Pumps. Whether it’s a new installation, servicing an existing pump, or a direct replacement, the VCMX was designed for simplicity and speed of installation. Features include a unique mounting bracket, ¼-turn check valve, external overflow switch, external test lever, and more. Let the industry leader catch your condensate.
littlegiant.com
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Provide reliable hours and steady work
It can be tempting for a contracting business to bring people in on call for seasonal work, contracting out some of their technical requirements rather than providing full-time employment. Avoid this whenever possible by rethinking the roles of employees to keep them busy and employed. A tech who isn’t busy can reorganize a warehouse or deliver marketing collateral, and that’s better than losing them to a company willing to give them full-time hours.
7
Provide fair pay and good health benefits
8
Promote and reward initiative and new ways of doing things – Today’s generation of
Although salary is only one thing prospective employees look at, clearly if you’re one of the better paying companies, you’ll have a better chance of attracting the best technical employees. A comprehensive extended health benefits plan is also a baseline expectation of new employees, and a good reason to focus on full-time employment rather than contractors.
employees want more responsibility and involvement, and people at the front lines of your business are often the most astute when it comes to finding new approaches that will improve your business. Create a culture that encourages employees to tell you
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what’s not working, and if possible, to come with a solution. I’ve heard of “brainstorm breakfasts” that bring people together to work in groups to solve one challenge that the business is dealing with.
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Don’t be ordinary – Finally, as they say, all work and no play… well, it’s boring. Integrate an atmosphere of fun and celebration. Potluck lunches are a good start, as are random games and experiences that take the dull out of the day. Go bowling. Put a potted plant on everyone’s desk one morning. Have a pajama day. Rent a wheel of prizes and give everyone a spin to win a small prize. Get creative, and give your people something good to talk about!
Support your community and encourage volunteerism – Potential employees will look at your
corporate responsibility as an important measure of the kind of company you are. Look for ways to give back to your community. Promote volunteering, either as a group – a fantastic team-building opportunity – or with a policy that allows employees to volunteer a certain number of hours each year on the company’s time.
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Road Warrior Marc-André Létourneau
Marc-André Létourneau
By Simon Bowden
An Olympic undertaking
Photos: Steve Gerrard
Name: Marc-André Létourneau Company: Climatisation Labrèche & Létourneau Born in: Mascouche, Que. Lives in: Saint-Roch de l’Achigan, Que. Age: 40 Family: Wife Marie-Claude Paradis, children Molly (10) and Loïk (8) In the mechanical industry since: 2000
T
here are few Canadian structures as recognizable or that have sparked as much controversy as the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, but for Marc-André Létourneau, it’s the coolest project he’s ever worked on. Known as the “Big O,” the venue built for the 1976 Olympic Games has had its fair share of troubles over the past 40-plus years, including falling masonry and a leaky roof that prevents the stadium from being used if more than three centimetres of snow falls. However, the Province of Quebec is now working on a redevelopment of the Olympic Park site, including the 165-metre inclined tower and the replacement of the roof — scheduled for 2024. It hopes this will reinvent the complex as an entertainment and retail hub able to draw visitors from across Canada and around the world.
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Part of that plan includes bringing the stadium’s mechanical systems into the 21st century – and that’s why Létourneau got the call. His company, Climatisation Labrèche & Létourneau, has been tasked with replacing 15 chillers at the stadium. The refrigeration equipment being replaced over the 11-week project was previously cooled with city water from an aqueduct. “We are replacing them with aircooled condensation units,” he says. And despite how some in Montreal view the iconic building, Létourneau says he is a big fan of it. “As far as I am concerned, I think the Olympic Stadium is an ingenious and beautiful building. I am proud to be part of the revitalization of the Olympic facilities.”
Greatest teacher: Robert Carrière at CFP Dalbé-Viau vocational centre. Favourite class: Cold room module. Best advice you’ve ever received: As long as you do it right, it won’t take much longer. Service area: Lanaudière, Laval and Montréal. Best part of the job: Troubleshooting. The most useful tool in your toolbox: Cell phone.
Marc-André Létourneau with colleagues Alexandre Maheu, left, and Yannick Pellerin, right, inside the Olympic complex in Montreal.
Favourite tool: Test instruments.
Answering the call
Time on the internet each day: 5 hours (mostly emails).
Not every call a technician receives takes them to a world-famous venue – dank basements and cramped mechanical rooms are more the order of the day.
Favourite non-work website: Facebook. Favourite work website: The Master Group (master.ca). Favourite app: CamScanner document scanner. Favourite piece of tech: My laptop. Usual breakfast: Grilled cheese sandwich from Tim Hortons. Favourite outdoor activities: Skiing and snowboarding. Best concert ever attended? Guns N’ Roses at Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montréal.
“My favourite part of the job is taking calls from customers – each call is a new challenge. Solving every technical problem ensures customer satisfaction and makes the days pass really quickly.” And whatever the size of job, Marc-André Létourneau’s desire to come up with the right answers to mechanical problems big and small remains the same. “I got interested in the job when I was younger, purely out of curiosity. I was wondering how we could make ice and cool buildings with a compressor, so I decided to go to school and make it a profession – one of the best decisions of my life!” he says.
3 albums that you’d take with you to your desert island:
Do you own a pet? Ragdoll cat.
1. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N’ Roses 2. The Razors Edge - AC/DC 3. Le ciel de mes combats - Éric Lapointe
What animal would you choose to be? A lion, so I would have no predators and simply sleep in the sun all day long.
Favourite TV show: Expédition Extrême We learn a lot about surviving in the forest.
One place in the world you would like to visit: Spain.
Favourite character on that show: Francis Bouillon, the former Montreal Canadiens player.
One word that best describes you: Hardworking.
Favourite movie of all time: Days of Thunder. Favourite sport: Golf.
If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be? Axl Rose and Slash from Guns N’ Roses. If I had a million dollars I would: Buy a cottage in the north with a huge wooded area.
Favourite car of all time: Ferrari F40. Favourite food: Steak & French fries.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be: A jet pilot like Maverick in Top Gun.
Last movie you saw: Justice League. M e c h a n i c a l
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES: VANS
B y Ho war d J. Elmer Howard J. Elmer is an automotive journalist and the founder of the Canadian Truck King Challenge. Be sure to check out his test drives at www.canadiantruckkingchallenge.ca.
T
o use a word to describe the commercial van market, perhaps consistent is a good one. The segment continues to be very healthy, and manufacturers are not really rocking the boat for the current model year.
2019 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT The 2019 edition of the Transit Connect adds a number of driver assistance features, including: side wind stabilization, a rear-view camera, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, a lane-keeping system, and adaptive cruise control. Also new are a pair of powertrains joining the original 2.5L I-4. The new standard is now a 2L I-4 with an 8-speed transmission and auto start-stop feature. Also new is a 1.5L EcoBlue turbo-diesel engine. It is also paired with the 8-speed transmission. The 2.5L engine, with the 6-speed auto, is now available to fleets.
Cab Style:
Certainly, some brands are adding new electronics and technologies that will appeal to fleet managers, and there are some new engines to consider, but with customers seemingly satisfied, most manufacturers are using this year as a bit of a carryover for their models. But don’t take that to mean that there’s nothing new. There are plenty of choices, and more to come over the coming year.
2019 FORD E-SERIES 350-450 CUTAWAY E-Series sales increased some 20 per cent in 2018, and that had the manufacturer announcing that production will extend into the 2020s – if demand continues. For 2019, the E-series is available as a cutaway or strip ppe ped d ch chas assi siss. S ingl in gle e an and dual-rearr wh whe e chassis have GCWRs stripped chassis. Single wheel rang gin ng fr from 13, 3,00 000 0 lb. to 2 2 00 2, 000 lb lb. En Engi g nes in incl clud ude e tthe 6.8L V10 and 6.2L ranging 13,000 22,000 Engines include V8 flex fle ex fuel, fu which can also be ordered as a CNG/propane CNG NG/p /prop prep package.
Van
Cab Style:
Van
Wheelbases:
104.8”, 120.6”
Wheelbases: Whe
129.9”, 147.6”
Engine Size:
2.5L I-4, 2L I-4, 1.5L EcoBlue diesel
Engine Sizes: Engi
3.7L Ti-VCT V6, 3.5L EcoBoost V6, 3.2L Power Stroke diesel
Power (hp/torque):
169/171, 150/144
Max. Payload: Max. Towing Capacity: Cargo Volume: Rear Door Height: Cargo Space Dimensions: Dimensions:
1,570 lb.
Power Powe (hp/torque): Pow
2,000 lb.
Max. Payload:
145 cu.ft.
Max. Towing Capacity:
52.1”
Cargo Carg Volume:
Height: 59.1” Width: 48.1” Length: 72.6”
Door Opening:
275/260, 310/400, 185/350 4,650 lb.
74.3”
Rear Rear Height:
Length: 189.7” (max.) Width: 72.2”
81.5” (max.)
Cargo C g Space Dimensions: Car Dimensions: Dime Dim
7,500 lb. 487.3 cu.ft. (max.)
Height: 81.5” (max.) Width: 69.8” Length: 171.5”
Length: 263.9” (max.) Width: 82”
2019 FORD TRANSIT Since its introduction just a few years ago, the Ford Transit has been gaining market share in leaps and bounds. With the news that Ford plans to introduce a number of updates the full-size Transit for the 2020 model year, likely including a hybrid-type version, the 2019 models are largely carryovers. Models include the Transit 150, Transit 250, Transit 350 and Transit 350 HD. Cutaway chassis cabs are also available.
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ONLY THE BEST
FOR YOUR BUSINESS. When it comes to building your fleet, trust Ford Fleet. With the support of dedicated Fleet professionals and an extensive national dealer network, our experts will be by your side before, during and after sale, offering vehicle advice, plus a nationwide network of Ford-approved upfitters and modifiers. We’re driven to make managing your fleet easier, because our ultimate goal is to make your business the best it can be.
2019 TRANSIT CONNECT 2019 F-150 2019 SUPER DUTY
2019 TRANSIT
FLEET.FORD.CA ©2019 Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES: VANS Cab Style:
Van
Wheelbases:
144”, 170”
Engine Sizes: 3L V6 turbodiesel, 2.1L I-4 turbodiesel Power (hp/torque):
188/325, 161/265
Max. Payload:
5,375 lb.
Max. Towing Capacity:
7,500 lb.
Cargo Volume:
547cu.ft.
Door Openings:
(Std.) Side Sliding Door: 59.8” Rear Height: 60.6” (Hi-roof) Side Sliding Door: 71.7” Rear Height: 72.4” Cargo Space Dimensions:
2019 MERCEDES-BENZ SPRINTER 1500 TO 3500 The third generation of the Sprinter has arrived in Canada as a 2019 model. New safety features include a self-cleaning rear-view camera in the rear-view mirror, 360-degree parking view, and a new rain sensor for the wiper system. Mercedes is also working on internet connectivity for Canada. This will work with a new feature on the Sprinter: Mercedes PRO. Providing logistical support to fleet managers, Mercedes PRO will report location, fuel levels and maintenance intervals, as well as improve navigation and provide analysis of driving styles remotely and in real time.
Cab Style:
Height: 65” (Std. roof)/
77.8” (Hi-roof) Width: 53.1 (between wheel arches) Length: 137.4” Dimensions:
Van
Wheelbase:
126”, 135”
Engine Size:
2 L I-4 turbo-gas
Power (hp/torque):
Length: 289” Width: 79.3”
208/258
Max. Payload:
2,502 lb., 2,447 lb.
Max. Towing Capacity: Cargo Volume:
5,000 lb. 183 cu.ft./199.2 cu.ft.
Door Openings: Side Height: 49” Rear Height: 48.2” Cargo Space Dimensions: Dimensions:
Height: 53.8” Length: 111.5”/120.5”
Length: 202.4”/211.4” Width: 74.4”
2019 MERCEDES-BENZ METRIS Available in two lengths, the mid-size Metris has cruised into 2019 as a carryover. Updates include the second wheelbase option, as well as new passenger van seating options. A rear-view camera is also standard equipment.
2019 RAM PROMASTER 1500 TO 3500
2019 RAM PROMASTER CITY
The ProMaster gets a modest facial update for 2019, along with an increase in towing capability. New electronics Cab Style: Van feature “Ram Wheelbases: 118”, 136”, 159” Telematics.” Engines: 3.6L Pentastar V6 (base), 3L I-4 EcoDiesel This is a sysPower (hp/torque): 280/260, 174/295 tem that tracks Max. Payload: 4,680 lb. vehicle and Max. Towing Capacity: 6,800 lb. driver behavior. Cargo Volume: 530 cu.ft. (max.) Vehicle diagCargo Space Height: 51” nostics and Dimensions: Length: 195” to 250” Width: 82.7” real-time performance data are also part of the package.
The City gets a new grille and front fascia for 2019, but otherwise it’s a carryover year. It does carry the electronic upgrades from last year, however. These include the Uconnect 5.0 multimedia centre with 5-inch touchscreen, hands-free with Bluetooth, streaming audio and the ParkView rear back-up camera.
ProMaster is available as a cargo van, window w van, van, n, chassis cab or cutaway model. It’s offered ed in tthree hre re ee weight classes, three wheelbase lengths, four body s, fou ur bo ody dy lengths and two roof heights, all on a front-wheelont-w whe h elldrive platform. HD vans are also available. ble.
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Cab Style:
Van
Wheelbase:
122.4”
Engine Size:
2.4L I-4 MultiAir2
Power (hp/torque):
178/174
Max. Payload:
1,885 lb.
Max. Towing Capacity:
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2,000 lb. (w/tow package)
Cargo Volume:
131.7 cu.ft. (max.)
Door Opening:
26” (side) Rear Height: 49”
Cargo Space Dimensions:
Height: 51.8” Width: 60.4” Length: 87.2”
Dimensions:
Length: 187.5” Width: 72.1”
The Lowest GWP of ALL Drop-in R22 Replacements.
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES: VANS 2019 NISSAN NV200
2019 NISSAN NV1500 TO NV3500 Nissan is working hard at establishing a presence in the overall truck market and that effort is going mostly into its pickups right now; even though its commercial presence all started with the NV.
This small van continues to make inroads as one of the lightest and cheapest vans in this class. Its specs remain unchanged again for 2019
Style:
Van
Wheelbase: Engine Sizes: Power (hp/torque):
146.1� 4L V6, 5.6L V8 261/281, 317/385
Max. Payload:
Coming to market in 2011, the Nissan NV Cargo van has had some success in this market, but there have been no updates since 2015. In comes in three versions, with either a standard roof or a high roof.
3,858 lb.
Max. Towing Capacity: Cargo Volume:
9,000 lb. 323.1 cu.ft. (max.)
Cab Style:
Van
Width: 61.6�
Wheelbase:
115.2�
Cargo Space Dimensions: Length: 150.2� Width: 70.2�
Engine Size:
Dimensions:
Power (hp/torque):
Rear Door Opening:
Length: 240.6� Width: 79.9�
Did you know? Ford’s E-Series has been in continuous production for 58 years with more than 2.7 million vehicles still on the road.
2L I-4 131/139
Max. Payload:
1,500 lb.
Cargo Volume:
122.7 cu.ft.
Cargo Space Dimensions: Dimensions:
Length: 6’10� Width: 4’6� Length: 186.3� Width: 68.1�
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2019 CHEVROLET CH CITY EXPRESS Don’t D Do n’t go looking loo for updates to the City Express this yea year. Based on the Nissan NV200 it seems to be working wo for the brand. Cab Style:
Van
Wheelbases: Cab Style:
Van
Wheelbase:
115.2”
Engine Size:
2L I-4
Power (hp/torque):
131/139
Max. Payload:
1,500 lb.
Cargo Volume:
122.7 cu.ft.
Cargo Space Dimensions: Dimensions:
135”, 155”
Engine Sizes: 4.8L, 6.0L, 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel
2019 CHEVY EXPRESS CUT-AWAY 3500-4500
Power (hp/torque):
285/295, 329/373, 260/525
Max. Payload:
4,120 lb.
Max. Towing Capacity:
For 2019 the chassis-cab carries on, without any changes.
10,000 lb.
Cargo Volume:
284.4 cu.ft. (max.)
Door Opening (rear/side):
Height: 49.4”/47.9” Width: 57”/44.1”
Width: 4’6” Length: 6’10” Length: 186.3” Width: 68.1”
Cab Styles:
Van, Cutaway
Wheelbases:
139”, 159”, 177” (single or dual rear wheels)
2019 CHEVY EXPRESS 2500 AND 3500 For GM, the van business remains steady enough that they will once again offer their traditional North American van – with no changes.
Cargo Space Dimensions (max.): Height: 53.4” Width: 52.7” Length: 146.2” Dimensions:
Length: 224” to 244” Width: 79.2”
Engine Sizes: 4.8L, 6.0L, 6.6L Duramax turbo-diesel Power (hp/torque):
285/295, 329/373, 260/525
Max. Payload:
9,147 lb.
5 or 500 vehicles,
we’ve got you covered.
Find out more: www.jimpattisonlease.com vancouver
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victoria
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edmonton
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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER By Simon Bowden
CATCH THE SNOWBIRDS For the full schedule of shows across Canada and the U.S. this summer, visit: http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/snowbirds/schedule.page
Flying high with Major
DENIS BANDET T
here was a time when the closest Maj. Denis Bandet thought he’d ever get to touching the sky was from the top of a hydro pole. His dad worked for SaskPower before setting up his own contracting business, and young Denis was being groomed to take over the family firm.
Photos courtesy of Corporal Jeffrey Clement, Wing Imaging, 19 Wing Comox, Canadian Armed Forces.
“I worked backhoes and bobcats, and climbed poles and all sorts of stuff in my younger years,” recalls Bandet, now “The Boss” of the Snowbirds aerobatics team.
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“I remember always being at the shop; changing oil, fixing machines, that sort of stuff. I think it’s in the blood. It’s still in my blood.” Being the eldest son in the family business, he says that it looked like he was destined to take over the reins some day, but a day out with friends threw all those plans up in the air.
FASTFACTS Major Denis Bandet Age: 49 Born: Calgary, Alta. Grew up: Regina, Sask. Unit: 431 Air Demonstration Squadron (Snowbirds) Base: Moose Jaw, Sask. 23 years in RCAF Call sign: Yuri/The Boss as Snowbird 1 Favourite airplanes: Single seat: F-18. Two-seat: Tutor CT-114
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“They tell you that air shows have a big impact on people, and it certainly did on me,” he says. “I went to my first air show when I was 21 and it opened my eyes – I was blown away by what I was watching and it set the ball rolling.” Not long after the show, he was off to a local flying club in Regina to do an exposure flight. “I went up with an instructor in a little Cessna 150. The minute we took off airborne, I was hooked. Absolutely hooked.” 0 6 . 1 9
PLOTTING HIS OWN COURSE Having a dream of being a jet pilot is all well and good, but when your current employer is your father, telling your boss you want to quit and go do something else is not the most comfortable conversation you will ever have. “I was working with my dad in the family business. I liked working outside. But I can say now that my heart was never in it. I just wanted something else. I felt there was something else I wanted to do that was more engaging, a little more adventurous in that sense. “Because I thought I would be taking over the family business I wasn’t as engaged in my studies as I should have been,” Bandet says. “But you know what, you can change your own path, so I went back to school and upgraded a bunch of skills and I started my private pilot’s licence.” Leaving Regina to continue his aviation training at Mount Royal College in Calgary, however, brought the reality of his career choice into focus. “The hard part was leaving the family business. It was tough,” says the major. “If you’ve ever worked for family then you know it’s one of the hardest things to do, and one of the hardest things to leave. I spent a lot of time with my dad. We worked together, so it was hard. There are days when I still miss it.”
Answering the call of duty After getting his wings, Maj. Bandet underwent fighter training in CF-18 Hornets, racking up flight hours and honing the skills he would later use to thrill crowds of thousands as a Snowbird. He says, “It was a hard road. I had a lot of nights where I didn’t know if I was going to go through the pilot training; wondering whether I was going to get washed out or not, but you’ve just got to be willing to do the work. Maybe A hallmark of a professional is that that’s something that intimidates people.”
Making it look easy
they make the hard stuff look easy, it can take years to hone one’s Hebut persevered, however, earning selection to the Snowbirds in that 2011 and two-year stint as craft, be on beginning stage orain the trades. Snowbird 6 –isthe outside right-wing position. Following “Easy a product of talent, plus a deployment to the Middle East as part of Operation perseverance, plus dedication,” says Impact, he made his way back to the Snowbirds’ base in Cochrane. “And I would say that Moose Jaw, Sask., in 2017 to take his seat in Snowbird 1 perseverance and dedication are as “The Boss.” bigger parts than talent.”
Making it as The Boss Whether you’re the owner of a mechanical company with three employees or “The Boss” to a group of highly trained military jet pilots, your people look to you for leadership. Of course, the military has its own hierarchy, but simply issuing orders is not enough to get the best out of people. “When I went through my pilot training, I was really impressed with the amount of responsibility they gave you at a very low experience level,” says Bandet. “I had about 400 hours of flying experience and I’m flying an F-18 by myself!” That level of trust is something that he looks to emulate in his leadership style. “I look to be a leader who puts a lot of trust into their people,” he says. “On the fighter pilot side of things, your leader should be somebody who is willing to jump in the jet and lead the whole formation across, either the combat line or just in training. ”Listening, says Bandet, is also a key part of the leadership role. “When we go into our briefing room we have this little model that says you need to check your egos and attitudes at the door, and that includes myself. “It would be nice just to be able to give people a pat on the back and say good job, but really we make our money in how we tear our show apart; finding what needs to be better. “Anything we do can be done better, and we are always open to that.”
Inspiring others to succeed Being such visible representatives of Canada comes with equal parts privilege and responsibility. Each Snowbird knows that whenever they don the famous red jumpsuit, they must not only make all the right moves in the air, but also on the ground. “We have the mindset that someone is always watching,” says Maj. Bandet of his team. “You have to be a role model. “The main motivation for us is not recruitment, it’s to inspire people to achieve something they never thought would be achievable. “If that leads to the military, great. But if the next person wants to be the best backhoe operator in the world, then we hope by watching our show that they’ve been inspired. Apply it to whatever they’re doing, and go be the best at it.”
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REFRIGERATION
Going geo for heating and cooling
A RENEWABLE SOURCE
G
eothermal technologies have been used in Canada since the late 1800s but the use of the energy source only really began to grow when energy costs soared in the early 1980s. More recently, with the greening of economies and energy policies, the technology has gained a broader audience, and the number of installations of geothermal systems continues to increase each year. Geothermal systems can be found in many countries around the world and will certainly continue to grow in Canada. In this article, we will discuss some of the highlights of geothermal HVAC systems, as well as how the refrigeration cycle plays a key role.
Phil Boudreau
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For the most part, a geothermal heat source, or heat sink, is a renewable resource as it has the potential to regenerate over a reasonable period of time. With a well-designed system, the seasons and the alternating cooling and heating requirements work to provide somewhat of a heat balance on an annual basis. In many systems, there is a non-renewable portion of the equation, since energy is used to drive the compressors, fans, pumps and controls, but complementary renewable electricity sources can be used should a building owner wish to go the net-zero energy route. The design and construction of the geothermal system is crucial in order to ensure sufficient heating and/or cooling. Also, improper design and layout can actually deplete the local resource too quickly, not allowing time for the natural regeneration over time. Improperly under-sizing a geothermal field will cause it to be heated or cooled too quickly, throwing it out of balance. As such it is imperative to properly size the geoexchange field.
Phil is the Ontario sales manager for Bitzer Canada Inc. and provides training and technical support for Bitzer’s clientele. He can be contacted at pboudreau@bitzer.ca.
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Canadian refillable cylinders available
Make the Switch to Solstice® N40
Solstice N40 (R-448A) offers 5-10% lower energy consumption, a 68% reduction in global-warming-potential and lower environmental impact on the planet. Solstice N40 is approved for use by all major compressor and component manufacturers, and is a near-drop-in replacement for R-404A, allowing for easier installations and conversions. Talk to us today to find out more. For more information visit: https:www.honeywell-refrigerants.com or Call 800-631-8138
© 2019 Honeywell International. All Rights Reserved.
REFRIGERATION It is the ground loop that constitutes the largest installation cost when it comes to geothermal systems. The installation cost can be considerably reduced by incorporating the ground loop installation with the building construction process.
PASSING THE BTUs The sub-terrain heat exchanger consists of a network or loop of tubing sections. These tubes are typically made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and often have a nominal diameter of 20 to 40 mm.
Heat can be absorbed from the loop and supplied to a space or process. The heat can be used to maintain comfortable space conditions, to heat water or even heat any type of process. In a heating application, the evaporator within the vapour compression process extracts heat from the water in the ground loop. By adding energy for the compression process, a significantly larger amount of heat will be made available on the heat-sink side of the vapour compression process.
When enough real estate is available, it is possible to construct a horizontal network of tubes without having to bury them too deep. When less real estate is available, vertical bore holes are used instead. These bore holes are typically placed 4.5 to six metres apart, which helps eliminate cross-heat-exchange from tube to tube. They usually extend downward from 15 to 120 metres, and even deeper in some cases. Of course, special machinery is required to handle such a task.
Similarly, heat can be absorbed from the space, such as in a building for example, and then rejected to the water in the group loop. In this case, the evaporator within the vapour compression system absorbs heat from the space and energy is added for compression. Then the total energy added to the vapour compression process is rejected to the ground loop.
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Again, since the ground loop temperature is quite stable and lower than our highest annual ambient temperatures, the process is quite efďŹ cient. The process becomes even more efďŹ cient when there is a simultaneous requirement for heat and cooling. In this case, the ground loop is not relied on as much as heat absorbed from an area where it is not wanted can be directed to an area where it is needed. When you consider that a cooling process requires input energy and a heating process also requires input energy, it is easy to see that having the same energy input serve both heating and cooling requirements leads to a very efďŹ cient process.
Combi
In larger commercial and industrial applications, this energy-savings potential can be exploited to an even higher level by installing multiple actuators between building temperature zones and the chilled or heated water loops. Systems can be designed to provide both heating and cooling to the various building temperature zones as needed.
Gobi II
THE MULTI-FEATURE POWERHOUSE
ENERGY AND THE VAPOUR-COMPRESSION PROCESS In general, the refrigerant vapour-compression process is considered to be rather efďŹ cient, as one unit of energy input into the process will provide somewhere between two to four — and sometimes more — units of energy at its output. The energy efďŹ ciency ratio (EER) — the ratio of the useful output in kBtuh divided by the energy added in kW to achieve the desired output — may be used as an indicator of efďŹ ciency for a vapour-compression process. With geothermal systems, EERs tend to be quite high.
Universal Condensate Pump
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In order to facilitate the exchange of heat from a heat source to a heat sink in a vapour-compression cycle, a compressor is needed. The purpose of the compressor is, of course, to create both upper and lower saturation temperatures to allow heat absorption at a low temperature and heat rejection at a high temperature.
Universal application %WX + XS WR %WX + N: WR N: b Integrated replaceable 10 A fuse )DFWRU\ LQVWDOOHG UHSODFHDEOH ™ PP $ IXVH
Reciprocating, scroll and screw compressors can be used for the purpose of elevating the saturation temperature as needed and are available to suit various compression ratios.
www.condensate-pumps.com Distributed in Canada by
A liquid pump is needed to circulate uid through the earth loop, and one or more heat exchangers are needed to extract heat from or add heat to the loop as needed. Additionally, fans are needed to exchange heat to and from the refrigerant. With process and secondary heating or cooling systems, additional heat exchangers may be used to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the process.
REFCO Manufacturing (US) Inc.
M e c h a n i c a l
B u s i n e s s
12 Leswyn Road, Toronto, Ontario M6A 1K3 Tel.: (416) 781-5286 Email: info@ontor.com www.ontor.com
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HVAC/R Products P Inverter air conditioner The 23,600 to 53,000 BTUH Amana AVXC20 A/C with inverter technology reaches up to 24.5 SEER and features a communication platform that provides automated controls, customizable settings and the ability to use a range of thermostats.
www.
amana-hac.com
R-22 is best for R-22 equipment. If you need to change,
Portable refrigerant detector The Bacharach PGM-IR is designed to find small refrigerant leaks in a wide area. The 6 lb. unit has a 1-ppm minimum detection level and can monitor for more than 50 CFC, HFC and HCFC refrigerants. Halogen, CO2, N2O and SF6 versions are also available. It uses a rechargeable Li-Ion battery.
www.
mybacharach.com
Arkema has your R-22 Retrofit Solution
407C
427A
407A
R-407C Air Conditioning R-427A All around solution for both A/C and refrigeration R-407A Refrigeration
Duct smoke detector Air Products & Controls’ SL-2000 Series Smoke Duct Detector, available through Ontor, is designed for the early detection of smoke in air moving through HVAC ducts and to prevent its recirculation. Ionization and photoelectric models are listed for velocities between 100 and 4,000 ft./min as well as high-temperature applications.
www.
ontor.com
Closed-circuit evaporative cooler Evapco’s single-cell ESW4, part of the company’s ESW closed-circuit evaporative cooler line, is offered in over 130 models with capacities between 270 to 670 nominal tons and with fan motor sizes of 20 to 100 HP. The 14-foot by 22-foot unit is designed for high tonnage applications, such as data centres.
For more information call 416-614-3610 or 1-800-567-5726 x 230 or visit us on the web at
www.R22retrofits.com
www.
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HVAC/R Products P Water source heat pump The Closetline CAS Packaged Heat Pump from The Whalen Company comes in vertical and horizontal orientations. Units range in size from 1/2 to 5 tons. The horizontal unit can be serviced through the bottom to virtually eliminate the need to remove ceiling units.
VRV air-cooled systems Daikin’s VRV Aurora series heat recovery systems are offered in 6 to 20-ton sizes capable of delivering heating down to -22°F. Engineered with proprietary vapour-injection compressor technology, the air-cooled series offers 100% of nominal heating capacity at 0°F, up to 85% of nominal capacity at -13°F and up p to 60% capacity at -22°F.
www.
whalencompany.com
www.
Condenser fan motor Conde Regal Beloit’s Belo Century JuggerNaut condenser fan motor is designed ffor commercial and residential fan and heat pump application applications and may be installed outdoors, with an ambient temperature rating of up to 70°C. It functions with a nontemperatu conductive grease and features full-phase insulation. Features include au automatic reset thermal protectors and double-sealed ball bear bearings.
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M e c h a n i c a l
Š 2019 International Comfort Products
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PROJECT PROFILE By Adam Freill
IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE!
IT’S A 10-TON ROOFTOP HVAC UNIT! S
eeing a load of mechanical equipment flying high in the sky is old hat for Ian Bergeron of Sprint Mechanical, but even with hundreds of helicopter HVAC lifts under his belt, he still gives each event his full care and attention, and that was very evident during a recent equipment swap at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. The lift, which included the placement of a new 10-ton, 1,450-pound rooftop unit, the removal of a pair of older rooftop units, and the movement of four pipe bundles, was one of several that Sprint does each year at that particular mall. “We are at Yorkdale about once every six weeks,” explains Bergeron, who actually did his first helicopter-enabled project at Yorkdale back in 1990. He became a pilot about six years later. “Yorkdale has done so many lifts that they have the process down to a science.” He estimates that the mall has around 900 rooftop units, along with other mechanical systems, like its cooling towers and exhaust fans. “The HVAC equipment we were lifting was to serve a new tenant, so it was going on a new curb in a new location,” says Bergeron. “We removed two old units. One was going to scrap and the other was going to storage as the old tenants moved out and the units were not required.”
Ian Bergeron of Sprint Mechanical (middle, in yellow safety gear) conducts a safety briefing with his team. Starting on-site a little before 6 a.m., the crew ensures that the parking lot has been properly cleared and cordoned off for the arrival of the helicopter around 7 a.m., at which point a safety briefing is held, personnel confirm their assigned tasks, safety gear is checked and the lifts can begin. In a standard two-hour window, Bergeron estimates that they can do 40 to 45 lifts, although on this particular Sunday, only six were required.
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“We start at sunrise and need to be cleaned up and gone by 8:30 a.m. to allow the store owners to do their prep work to open at 11.”
CHOPPER OR CRANE? The multi-storey roof at Yorkdale ranges from 66-feet in height in some areas to 30-feet in others. This elevation difference, and the amount of reach that would be necessary for a crane, makes it a good candidate for the use of a helicopter. “Typically, helicopters become feasible with buildings whose roof access requires 350 feet or more of reach,” says Bergeron. “When you use a crane, it can take a few days to set up and take down, meaning you are in fire routes and are taking up hundreds of prime parking spots that generate $15,000 per day per spot.”
NO SPACE? NO PROBLEM! Although this particular lift was made from the mall’s parking lot, Bergeron explained that they don’t need a landing spot in the immediate vicinity of the pickup or delivery zones. “We can pick up off a flatbed truck at an intersection, if needed, and can do a lift from as far away as a few kilometres using vacant parking lots or closed roads to stage from,” he says. “We don’t have to land if the space is too small. We can hover, drop the long line, and lift the units.”
Being somewhat of a novel solution for equipment placement, some building owners may express some initial hesitancy when the concept of a helicopter is suggested, but having a successful track record and being able to present a well-documented plan helps. “Initially, like with any new process or idea, you get resistance, not just from the building owners but from the general contractor or even the city, however after the first job, they see how safe, easy and efficiently we did the work, and they realize the benefits of the helicopter,” he says.
MAKING WEIGHT Helicopters come in varying sizes and engine configurations, affecting the loads that they can lift, and the projects that they can be used on. Sprint and its partner on these projects, Zimmer Air Services, use a Sikorsky S58T, the same type of aircraft that was used to pluck NASA astronaut Alan Shepard out of the sea on May 5, 1961, after he became the first American to travel into space. Considered a medium lifter, it has a cargo lifting capacity of 4,500 pounds, a range of 470 km and will burn around 120 gallons of fuel in an hour.
SAFETY FIRST When asked what gives him the biggest thrill when it comes to each planned lift, Bergeron is practical as ever. “It’s getting the job done as planned, in the time allowed for, with no issues or concerns,” he says. While weather is always a consideration, things like having snow on the ground are more of an issue for the landing crew on the roof and in the loading area, since the snow may mask tripping hazards, so work areas need to be cleared and roof crews need to be extra vigilant. For the helicopter flight crew, the main concerns with weather come from lightning, freezing rain and gusting winds. When not gusting, consistent wind coming from the direction the helicopter is moving can actually add to the aircraft’s lifting ability, which is a nice positive. M e c h a n i c a l
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art
PLUMBING By D e ni se D e v e a u
THE OF THE IN-WALL CARRIER SYSTEM
M
ore and more commercial toilet installations in North America are using in-wall carrier systems, but the path to hidden plumbing is not exactly new for those with a wellstamped passport.
Tim Schmidt, product manager for flushing and drainage with Viega, says the wall-hung toilet trend is actually pretty old-school for anyone from Europe. “The technology has been developing since the 1960s. It began trending in North American in the late 1990s,” he says. “This is the next evolution in toilets. They save space and water usage, and improve hygiene.”
DIFFERENT, BUT SIMILAR
Dan Walker, Sloan brand manager at Dobbin Sales, says in-wall systems are the preferred installation approach in new construction projects. “All new office towers are using concealed valves. It’s a cleaner look.” They are not typically used in retrofits since you have to start from zero, he adds. “The only way it would work for retrofits is if you are gutting the washrooms and rebuilding them. But typically they would prefer not to exchange the piping.” One of the biggest reasons for going the in-wall route is design choice, says Tony D’Amato, senior product manager with American Standard Brands. “A lot of designers want everything hidden in commercial spaces because it’s aesthetically pleasing and eliminates clutter.” Another compelling reason is vandalism, he explains. “They’re hiding the flush valves in the walls so they can’t be damaged,” says D’Amato. “You need an electrician and a plumber, while an exposed system just needs a plumber who can do the job in 15 minutes rather than an hour to do a concealed valve, but it pays for itself in cost savings from reduced vandalism.” “There are even specially designed flush plates with tamper-free features that you can’t pry off with screwdrivers,” Schmidt notes.
Did you know? Carriers can be rated from a standard 550 lb. up to 1,000 lb. They are also height adjustable, which helps to simplify installation and reduce any margins for error. 54
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Obviously, the installation is not the same as a floor-mount two-piece toilet, but it isn’t as difficult as one might think, says Schmidt. “The difference is you’re moving that connection of the waste line inside the wall. But outside of that, the functionality and how it’s installed is not that difficult or different,” he says. “You connect the carrier system to the tank and to the water supply with a 1/2-inch pipe. There’s a shut-off valve inside the tank that controls the water flow.” Flush actions can be mechanical, motion sensors, or infrared. “A lot of times for commercial applications, they use IR with a mechanical override,” Schmidt says. “Generally, they are done with AC or DC power to deliver the power to the flush.” Viega also offers a remote option where you can place the flush button up to six feet away from the toilet, he explains. “This is useful in public use ADA applications to provide more options for placing the flush actuator. It makes it more accessible without having to reach over or across the bowl.”
INTRODUCING THE MOST EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL WAY TO JOIN ½" THROUGH 2" CARBON STEEL PIPING SYSTEMS
victaulic.com | quickvicsd.com © 2019 VICTAULIC COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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PLUMBING
PISTON OR DIAPHRAGM?
think
Flushometers are manufactured in two different technologies – diaphragm and piston. Deciding which is best is based on such factors as the volume of traffic, water conditions (acidity, dirty water, corrosive water, treated) and operating conditions (i.e. water pressure factors).
FIRST
A big part of a successful installation is preplanning. “Because most piping goes behind the wall, it’s great to have it laid out ahead of time,” advises D’Amato. “Make sure the wall box is located properly so it doesn’t interfere with grab bars behind and to the side of the toilet.” Another key point is to make sure the sensor is at the correct level to see the user when they are standing and sitting. This can be an issue, particularly with accessibility code requirements mandating seats that have a rise at the back. One of the biggest installation costs for in-wall systems is generally electrical, D’Amato explains. “Many of the valves have to be individually powered by a transformer.” Some systems will allow one transformer to power multiple flush valves using a daisy chain approach, however. When planning an in-wall installation, ensure that the wall cavity space is at least six-inches so that it can accommodate a concealed flush valve. Roughing in the piping and carrier is essential. “It’s critical that you install everything
at the correct height for the sensors to work. Where you have accessibility code requirements for back rests on toilet seats, the sensor should be 2-1/2” above the top of the seat cover,” Walker says. And mounting rods need to be properly positioned, otherwise the bowl may feel unstable. The most important part of pre-planning, advises Schmidt, is to simply pay attention to the installation instructions from the manufacturer. “It’s a relatively easy installation if you pay attention,” he says. “You would be surprised how many installers are not familiar with these installations.”
HOW DOES YOUR WASTE FLOW?
A
with vertical or horizontal carriers. Carol
Brown, drainage manager for Watts, notes that 90 per cent of installations are going to need horizontal carriers. “While horizontal flowing systems don’t affect the bowl, they do affect what’s behind the wall,” she says. Then the decision is whether you need a right-hand or left-hand carrier. “In other words, when the toilet is hung, which way will the waste flow towards the stack?” If there are multiple banked toilets that flow left (or right), the last in the line would need to be vertical. For larger projects with bathrooms on every floor, Brown says the banked toilet setup can be prefabricated in the shop so the system can be more easily plumbed in and attached behind the wall.
M e c h a n i c a l
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TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS With in-wall carrier systems, it’s essential to establish a maintenance schedule. “These are electronic systems with moving parts,” Walker says. “People install these and figure they can put them in and walk away. But that’s not the case.”
n essential question is whether to go
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Diaphragm technology can accommodate the quick recovery needed to immediately flush again, whereas low-traffic situations can benefit from either technology, and certain piston designs can offer additional cleaning and maintenance features.
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The frequency of check-ins depends on the water quality. “A good time to do your first check is a year after installation. Then you can set up a maintenance schedule to check the flush valves and solenoids,” he adds. And Schmidt advises that it is a good practice to program the system to perform a hygienic flush every so many hours, based on the water quality of the building.
PLUMBING
Products
Drain cleaner Ridgid’s K-5208 sectional machine uses a 3/4 hp motor and cable that spins at 700 rpm to cut through obstacles. It can clean up to 200 feet of 2” to 8” drain lines, and weighs 54 lb. Tool-less clutch adjustment allows cables, which come in 7/8” and 1-1/4” sizes, to be switched, while infield clutch serviceability facilitates on-the-job repairs.
Wi-Fi connected shower The U by Moen shower, is a cloud-based, app-driven digital shower that offers Wi-Fi mobile connectivity and up to 12 customizable presets. The shower can be controlled via a user’s voice, smartphone app or the in-shower controller and is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. Available in a matte black finish, users can choose between two or four outlets.
www. ridgid.com
Thermostatic mixing valves
www. moen.ca
Bradley Corp.’s Navigator high-low thermostatic mixing valves feature a liquid-filled thermostat and positive shut-off of the hot supply when the cold supply is lost. Offered in 45, 80, 130 and 200 gpm models, they have adjustable temperature controls that are accurate to within 3°F. The units have a maximum operating pressure of 125 psi (860 kPA) and are rated for inlet temperatures up to 200°F.
www. bradleycorp.com
Polypropylene P l l hott tap h t ttooll The PP Hot Tap Tool from Aquatherm and McElroy allows for the installation of branches to a live service line. It is used to drill through the pipe wall and retract the cut pipe pieces, leaving a fusion-welded outlet fitting and ball valve in place. It can provide 1” to 2” branch lines on Aquatherm PP-R piping and comes with 1”, 1-1/4”, 1-1/2” and 2” cutters.
DROP SOME
WEIGHT CARRY LIGHT ™ TRIPOD VISE
15lbs.
www. aquatherm.com
LIGHTER THAN TRADITIONAL TRIPODS
• Lightweight aluminum legs for weight-critical field use and overlapping tray hinges for strength. • Reversible jaws give extra life and value.
Balanced padded handle
R450PAL #04456 Weighs 27.4 lbs.
• Protect plastic pipe with neoprene jaws or reverse for steel jaws.
Composite farmhouse sink Tool-safe raised sides Capacity 1/8" – 6" nom. Plastic Pipe (10-178 mm) 1/8" – 2" nom. Steel Conduit (10-51 mm)
Reed Manufacturing Company • Erie, PA USA 800-666-3691 • www.reedmfgco.com
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Blanco’s Ikon farmhouse sinks are available in the company’s patented Silgranit finish, a scratch and stain resistant composite granite material designed to offer an alternative to ceramic, stainless steel, or copper sink finishes. Sinks are available in 27” and 33” widths, in anthracite, café, cinder, metallic grey, truffle, concrete grey, biscuit and white colours.
www. blanco-germany.com
PLUMBING
Products
Bathroom grab bars
Lead filtration system Watts’ Pure Water high-capacity single-stage lead filtration system (PWDWHCL1) connects directly to most standard kitchen and bathroom faucets and is designed to provide protection from lead and other contaminants. It removes 99.2 per cent of lead and also reduces parasitic cysts, sand, silt, rust and other particulates. The 7,900 gallon capacity system has a 2 gpm flow rate, a 0.5 micron carbon fibre filter, and comes with fittings and tubing.
www. watts.ca
Extended repair coupling Nibco’s Press System copper extended repair coupling is designed to facilitate pipe repair without the need to drain the entire system. The lead-free coupling has an operating pressure rating of 200 psi CWP, a temperature range of -20°F to 250°F and is available in 1/2” (1.27 cm) to 2” (5.08 cm) sizes.
www. nibco.com
The Bronte Collection, available through OS&B, includes Grabcessories, a line of 2-in-1 grab bar products designed to prevent falls. Made of non-corrosive stainless steel, the products support up to 500 lb. and is shipped with all installation hardware included.
brontecollection.ca
HAIRY, CLOGGED, CORRODED TUB DRAIN? UNIVERSAL RSAL NUFIT FIT® MAKES OLD K DRAINS LOOK UTES. NEW IN MINUTES. NO TOOLS, NO SWEAT. Installs with pin… Install
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Fits over old tub drain No removing strainer body ■ Installs in minutes ■
Double D bl check h k valve l Mifab’s Beeco Series Barracuda 20 double check valve is designed to prevent pollutants from entering the potable water supply. It comes in 2-1/2” to 8” sizes and has two independent dual action check modules in a single 304 stainless steel valve housing. Units have a single full access service port and cover. They are approved for both horizontal and vertical applications.
…or with silicone Grid strainer keeps hair and other items out of bathtub drain.
Useful. Innovation. 816.796.3900 Q watcomfg.com Patent www.watcomfg.com/patents
www. mifab.com M e c h a n i c a l
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1
Making waves in Montreal The booths were buzzing as thousands of industry professionals made the trip to Montreal for the latest Mécanex/Climatex/Expolectriq/Éclairage (MCEE) show this past April. Catering to the mechanical trades, as well as electricity and lighting professionals, MCEE hit the exhibition space at Place Bonaventure with more than 400 industry booths and a wide range of educational seminars and demonstrations. The show will return in April of 2021, albeit at a different location as it moves to the Montreal Convention Centre. mcee.ca
3 2
5 4
6
7
8 1 Chairman of the 2019 MCEE committee, Jean-Marc 1. Lacroix, welcomes guests and exhibitors to the VIP product awards reception. 2. Welcome to the show! 3. Brent Cornelissen (left) of OS&B and Jerry Leyte of Viessmann. 4. The aisles were full as visitors checked out the latest products from industry suppliers. 5. Alex Frean of RectorSeal shows the Check-Flo backwater valve that won a best in category prize. 6. Danielle Laird and Tom Gervais work the Bradford White Canada booth. 7. Taco’s Sean Giberson (middle) showcases some of his company’s latest tech. 8. Josh Young shows how to press fittings at the Apollo Valves booth. 9. Paul Ethier of Watts shows off his company’s UV water treatment units. 10. Uponor’s Jean-Claude Remy (middle) discusses system design.
9
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www.mcee.ca
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Canada turns to Anvil for mechanical pipe connections.
Get the pipe connections and assorted ďŹ ttings from ONE SOURCE. $QYLO LV RQH RI &DQDGD¡V ODUJHVW VXSSOLHU RI GRPHVWLF DQG LPSRUW Ă€WWLQJV DQG FRXSOLQJV :H KDYH WKH EURDGHVW UDQJH RI SURGXFWV DYDLODEOH WR FRPSOHWH \RXU SURMHFW )URP VWHHO DQG FDVW LURQ Ă€WWLQJV SLSH QLSSOHV IRUJHG VWHHO KLJK SUHVVXUH RLO JDV Ă€WWLQJV WR SLSH KDQJHUV DQG VXSSRUWV JURRYHG Ă€WWLQJV DQG FRXSOLQJV 0DNH $QYLO \RXU WUXVWHG RQH VWRS VKRS
)LQG WKH TXDOLW\ FRQQHFWLRQ \RX QHHG DW anvilintl.com Phone Number: 800-661-8998 • Email: canadacs@anvilintl.com
HYDRONICS
B y B o b “ Ho t R o d ” R o h r
It’s a
FLUID SITUATION! O
ne of the last details we usually think about when installing, repairing or reworking hydronic systems is what we are going to fill the system with, and why.
HOT ROD’S NOTEBOOK I suggest we include chilled water and geo systems in this discussion.
WHAT’S IN YOUR WATER? Not all water is created equally. Our water tends to come from wells or surface sources. And many of the things that the water comes into contact with before it flows out of a tap can end up in this water, to some degree. With ground sources, including wells and springs, many of the minerals in the ground will be in suspension or solution in the water. Surface sources, like lakes and rivers, have the same concerns, in addition to any airborne particles and runoff that can fall into the source. Deicers and antiicers are a concern to our watersheds. And chloride blends can be aggressive to boiler materials.
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I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that water is the most commonly used fluid in hydronics, followed by glycol. And why wouldn’t water top the list of heat transfer mediums? It is affordable, readily available, safe, has good heat transfer properties, and it’s compatible with all the components typically found in a system. For hydronic applications, we assume all tap water is acceptable. Think again!
In addition to the natural elements and minerals in the water, there are more ingredients to consider. For example, water providers will treat water to ensure that it is safe for the consuming public. This is generally done to deal with bacteria or issues that could harm or sicken people, but additional chemicals may be added at certain times of the year to deal with high turbidly found in spring runoff conditions. The components that are added may or may not be compatible with all the hydronic components. Depending on what the water contains, and how much it contains, it can generally be filtered or treated to bring it into a safe quality level for hydronic use. Chemical treatments will help keep the scaling minerals in suspension and prevent them from scaling the wet surfaces. Additives for hydronic fluids can also buffer pH and provide a small, micron-thickness film layer to protect bare metals. Read up on what treatment is required or acceptable, or if and when a chemical romance is appropriate.
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A SWEET OPTION
CHECKING YOUR WATER A few inexpensive tools can help identify the m major concerns we have with water for hydronics. The hardness of the water is a measurement o of the percentage of scaling minerals present. Measuring the total dissolved solids (TDS) is an M iindicator of both the positive and negative ions p present and provides a bit more info than just a h hardness test. The pH, with is a measurement of tthe water’s acidity, is another good number to kknow. Virtually all boiler manufacturers have a water q quality specification in their installation manuals th that list these measurements. Failure to test the w water to ensure it meets the specs they outline co could void the boiler’s warranty. T This same concern of high TDS, or aggressive wa water, applies to every wetted component in the system. Aggressive water breaks down metal and shortens the life of the components.
START WITH A CLEAN SYSTEM All hydronic systems should be cleaned before any fluid is added. There are plenty of hydronic cleanerss (detergents) available to clean oils, fluxes, grease sludge, and other contaminants from systems. This involves extra hours and cost, so be sure to explain to your customer the importance of this step. It will help protect their investment and maintain the warranty protection. I recommend filling and purging before adding the cleaner. I then run up to temperature, overnight if possible, before flushing thoroughly and filling with good quality water or glycol. I am a proponent of adding a hydronic nic conditioner to plain water systems. You get oxygen scavengers, pH buffering, film providers, and more from a shot of inhibitor.
It’s not recommended to sip on the stuff, but glycol is known to have a sweet taste. Ethylene glycol (EG) is often used on larger systems as it is less costly than propylene glycol (PG) and has better heat transfer, but it is a toxic fluid that should not be used If there is a possibility of contact with domestic water. Propylene glycol should be used where this potential for cross contamination exists, with indirect water heaters, tankless coils and flat-plate heat exchangers, for example. Glycol needs to be maintained. It is best to check it yearly, and at least every two years. Record and document freeze protection and pH conditions. One indicator of glycol breakdown is if the pH is dropping. Some manufacturers suggest a flush and clean if the glycol pH drops into the mid-to-low 7 pH range. In some cases, the pH can be buffered to a safe level. Consult with the fluid manufacturer to be safe. Some glycol manufacturers will test a sample to give you a more detailed report than what you could develop on site with just a pH kit and refractometer. I would document this test result in critical application projects. Solar thermal is a particularly tough application for glycolbased fluids. Challenging operating conditions presented by stagnation, low loads or power outages can send temperatures over 350°F in collectors. Frequent high temperature episodes will breakdown the inhibitors and drive pH down. I would highly recommend a yearly check, and consider over-heat protection procedures as glycol can deteriorate quickly in solar systems.
Standardizing the quality Several European countries have water quality standards for their heating systems. The German VDI 2035 is searchable online, and a number b off European hydronic manufacturers point to that standard in their installation manuals. I would like to see Canada and the U.S. develop a hydronic water quality standard – any volunteers willing to help?
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.
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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.
FIND THE FIX
DOUBLE BOILER TROUBLE You’re working on a building that underwent major renovations to create 32 new office spaces. The use of hydronic low-temperature baseboards seemed to be the easiest way to heat the new rooms as the existing rooftop units didn’t reach the new spaces. The baseboards are connected to zone valves and each room has its own thermostat for personal control. Hydronic comfort was the goal, but it didn’t quite work out. 1. To size the low-loss header/hydraulic separator, you match: h: a) The total BTUs of the boilers. b) The total flow (gpm) of the boilers. c) Just the flow of one boiler as they both won’t run most of the time. d) The higher of the boilers’ side flow or the heating system side flow. 2. The boilers are each 240,000 BTUH 95% efficient condensing sing modulating models. Supply and return fittings on them are re 1-1/4”, so the near boiler piping can be: a) 1-1/4”. If they needed to be larger, the manufacturer would have made the fittings larger. b) 1-1/2” because there are two 1-1/4” pipes now. c) 2” would be best if the boiler delta T is 25°F. d) It doesn’t matter. Only a short, 20-foot run of piping is required to connect to the low loss header. 3. Will the small 1-1/4” piping thermally constipate the boilers? Would you recommend “therm-exlax” to get the BTUs out? a) Yes!
a) 2”, just like the low-loss header fittings. b) 1-1/2” will work. c) 1-1/4” d) B or C
b) No.
Email your answers to adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com. Please include your name and daytime phone number.
Looking for the March/April answers? If you need the answers to last edition’s quiz, you’ll find them on our home on the web, mechanicalbusiness.com. Just click MORE ° Find the Fix Answers.
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4. Although the boilers would be fine with 1-¼” piping if the boiler delta T is 30°F, once they join each other and head to the low-loss header, the piping should be:
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Hydronic Products Wall-mount combi boiler The Vitodens 100-W B1KA wall-mount gas condensing combi boiler from Viessmann has a stainless steel Inox-Radial self-cleaning heat exchanger and fullymodulating MatriX cylinder gas burner. It has a heating input of 21,000 to 125,000 BTUH and a 95 per cent AFUE rating, is NG or LP fuel compatible, has bottom pipe connections, front access to all serviceable components and offers multiple venting options. www.
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Magnetic boiler filter
Connected wet rotor circulator Taco’s Bluetooth-enabled 0018e residential variable speed, high-efficiency wet rotor circulator has an ECM permanent magnet motor and provides the ability to control real-time system performance via a mobile app. It features a maximum shut-off head of 18’, a maximum flow of 16 gpm, a 125 psi maximum operating pressure and a water temperature range of 36°F to 230°F. www.
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NaviClean, powered by Adey, is designed to protect boiler systems by using a permanent magnet to capture iron oxide, sludge and debris from incoming water lines. It has bi-directional flow and 360° rotational valves to allow in-line connections to be made. The units include a quick-release trigger and rapid-fit connections for maintenance and re-installation. www.
Copper tailpieces l
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Nibco’s Press System copper tailpieces are designed for use in hydronic heating applications. The tailpieces feature an inboard bead and EPDM O-ring designed to produce a watertight seal with a pressing tool. The tailpieces have an operating pressure of 200 psi cwp and a temperature range of -20°F to 250°F. Sizes range from 1/2” to 2”. www.
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Double suction centrifugal pump
Direct heat energy meter ter
The Bell & Gossett Series e-HSC Double Suction Centrifugal Pump comes in 90 versions to accommodate a wide range of applications. Units feature a maximum flow rate of 26,600 gpm and maximum head of 870 feet. The pumps have a nominal pressure range of 175 to 400 psi and a temperature range of -4°F to 250°F.
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Caleffi’s Conteca is a direct heat energyy meter that measures and records thermal al energy usage in residential and commercial rcial buildings. Accurate to less than 0.1°F at an ambient temperature of between 40°F to 113°F, it features an LCD screen en that displays BTU consumed as well as equipment operating status and logged data. It includes an electronic calculator and user interface, two temperature sensors nsors and sensor holder bodies. www.
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Hydronic Products Commercial condensing boilers Aerco AM Series boilers, designed for such applications as condos, offices, schools and nursing homes, can have between two and four individual modules, each with its own combustion chamber, burner, gas valve, and combustion controls and safeguards tied to common water connections. Available in four sizes, from 399,000 to 1,000,000 BTUH, units have a turndown of up to 20:1.
Wireless differential pressure manometer
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The Dwyer 490W-6-HKIT hydronic differential pressure manometer with wireless sensors is designed for measurement of differential pressure, single pressure and air flow. Logged data can be shared via Bluetooth over Wi-Fi, GSM or CDMA networks from up to 19.8 m away. Its compensated temperature range is 14 to 140°F (-10 to 60°C).
Indirect-fired water heaterr Weil-McLain’s Aqua Pro indirect-fired tank is s. designed to handle harsh water environments. Constructed of composite material, it featuress a at removable copper-finned, high-output coil that 0, is designed to resist corrosion. Available in 30, 55, 80, and 119-gallon sizes, it features top d. connections, and does not need an anode rod.
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HVAC B y Ma r k Pa r l i a m e n t and Al e x a ndr a W e n n b e r g P a r l i a m en t
Humidity: One size does not fit all E
very year, as spring rolls around, Canadian consumers start getting thoughts in their heads that the dry skin and electrical shock struggles due to low humidity will end for another year. Finding the perfect humidity level, however, is a year-round issue. Too much humidity, or too little, can hamper our hopes of gaining ultimate indoor comfort. As our customers tighten up their homes and buildings to reduce heat gains or losses, we need to come up with better ways to deal with the year-round humidity issues that come with it. Whether residential or commercial, there are several different strategies that manufacturers have started to implement to get humidity issues under control. With the creation of better controls to replace the simple thermostat, equipment manufacturers are offering technology-based solutions to help gain better control over humidifiers and airflow, which allows us to more accurately humidify our customers’ homes.
DID YOU KNOW?
Black mould growing on windows and basement drywall may be caused by humidity that is too high throughout the winter months.
Turning our thinking inside out Dry conditions can increase the evaporation of water from our bodies and cause the mucus membranes in our bodies to dry out which, as we all know, can make for an uncomfortable winter season. This happens, in part, because the air outside is so dry, but most people are surprised to learn that the humidity levels inside our homes and buildings are often the greater culprit. When we think about the average home in the wintertime, we often see relative humidity levels of around 15 to 25 per cent. To put that into perspective, the Sahara Desert usually sits at 25 per cent relative humidity. Health Canada recommends we keep a home’s relative humidity between 30 and 55 per cent in the winter for ultimate health and comfort.
SO, WHAT IS RELATIVE HUMIDITY? Without getting too in-depth about psychrometrics, relative humidity (rh) is the amount of water vapour present in the air at a given temperature and pressure, relative to the amount that air can “hold” at that given temperature. A common misconception about water vapour is that it is absorbed by the air. This is not quite true. The water vapour is just another one of the gases that make up the air we breathe. A great analogy to explain rh is that air is the container that holds the water vapour. If the amount of water in the air stays the same, the relative humidity is increased as the air is cooled and similarly, when the air is heated the relative humidity is reduced.
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HVAC FINDING MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS TO HUMIDITY Many technicians believe that simply installing an air conditioner will solve the humidity issues found in most homes, but controlling the moisture in the air is a far more complex puzzle than that. Since wall controls tend to be centrally located in most homes, we tend to read the humidity on only the main floor of the home. In older homes with less return air from the basements, we often end up with cold air in the air in the basement and don’t really deal with the moisture issues that are building. Remember, the colder the temperature, the higher the relative humidity can become. Thiss can be brutally obvious for anyone who has ever been in the basement of an old church or seen rotten ductwork in the basement of some older homes. So, if cranking the air isn’t the solution, what is? Well, several manufacturers have started building dehumidification protocols into their wall controls. These slow the fan speed down and run the air conditioner even when there is not a call for cooling. This approach will help in some homes. In some cases, continuing to run the AC unit after the demand is satisfied is not enough. For these more challenging applications, some manufacturers have started to use something that the refrigeration business has been operating with for years: condenser reheat. Condenser reheat gives the technician the ability to run the air conditioner much longer for dehumidification because we can now reheat the air to ensure we don’t overcool the home. We are also starting to see this technology in commercial rooftops and in some grocery stores.
Mark Parliament is a senior training consultant with Lennox Learning Solutions. Alexandra Wennberg Parliament is the founder of Maven Marketing & Communications, an agency with specialized focus on the construction, real estate, HVAC/R and non-profit sectors. To reach the authors, email awennberg@mavencommunications.ca.
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SEEKING YEAR-ROUND COMFORT Removing moisture is not the only concern when it comes to humidity. We also need to look at better ways of increasing moisture during the winter months. In larger homes, this may require the use of commercial-grade steam humidification to ensure we maintain the proper humidity level.
SIZE STILL MATTERS Some of you might still be thinking, “Can’t you just oversize the air conditioner to fix humidity issues?” The simple answer is no. Remember the analogy about air being a container? If we cool the container without changing the water content, we just raise the relative humidity.
HUMIDITY ISN’T JUST FOR HUMANS Proper humidity levels help increase an occupant’s comfort in their home, but that’s not the end of the story. With homeowners incorporating more exotic hardwood into their homes for flooring and furnishings, we need to be able to more precisely regulate the amount of moisture in a home year-round to maintain ultimate humidity levels for proper preservation of the wood. I recall a recent experience with a customer who demanded that his home maintain a certain humidity year-round due to this exotic hardwood floor. His home required a steam humidifier, HRV and an air conditioner with condenser reheat to ensure the home maintained the requested humidity levels through all four seasons. This multi-faceted approach required more mechanical equipment than most of us usually consider, but customers will spend to be comfortable, so don’t shy away from outlining a more robust, and costly, approach to the delivery of comfort. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to humidity issues. We need to look at the problem in its entirety. Just because the customer has entry level equipment does not mean that we cannot help them. As technicians, we need to take the time to learn what the real issues in each home are and develop a targeted strategy specifically for every individual customer’s needs. Not every customer will go for the “best” system in your good, better, best outline of system options when quoting, but let your customer choose where their comfort zone lies.
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PLAYING WITH THE
Solving for A small targets
couple of years ye ago, I wrote that zoning was an untapped opportunity for professional HVAC contractors in Canada. I want to update that assessment by making a prediction that in the next 10 years, some form of heating and cooling zoning will be effectively standard in all new homes.
I recall an office complex where one physically small zone had a very consistent call for cooling due to the sensible loads of the computer equipment in that zone. That resulted in relatively long run times for this zone and the discharge air would get colder and colder throughout the run cycle. Staff in the area complained of cold drafts, even though the space overall still needed cooling. Moreover, the ductwork serving that area would get cold enough to cause dripping condensation from the ducts that were in the ceiling space.
There are three reasons for my optimism. The first has to do with the enhancements we are seeing in HVAC equipment and system design, including the use of electronically controlled fan motors and multiple or variable capacity heating and cooling appliances. Even duct sealing is making its way into codes. Second, zoning equipment, controls and even strategies have advanced significantly. Wireless thermostat sensors and pressure sensing bypass air controls are two quick examples of helpful enhancements. The third reason for my prediction is the most compelling, however: the heightened expectations of homebuyers. Talk to a homeow homeowner and you’ll hear all about how much they spent on their house, followed by a long list of exp expectations that includes instant temperature co control. With smart home apps, they now carry their thermostat with them, and they are checking it. I’m even surprised at how often I check my phon phone to see what’s happening with the temperature and humidity in my home.
Frankly, a dedicated cooling system for the small zone would have been an ideal solution, but adjustments to the zoning and fan speed controls, along with a few modifications – specifically insulation – to the ducts that were accessible in the drop ceiling, allowed the HVAC contractor to address the comfort issues.
Of course, even with technological advance advancements, the zoning of central air han handling systems requires a caref careful balance of pressures, flows, tem temperatures and humidity control, all of which spells opportunity for HV HVAC contractors who are on their gam game.
Gord Cooke
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Gord Cooke is a professional engineer who has spent 20 years helping builders and HVAC contractors implement innovative technologies into high-performance homes. He has particular expertise in IAQ and airflow management in houses, and can be contacted at gcooke@airsolutions.ca.
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adjustment made with ECM drives is to try and maintain constant airflow in spite of rising pressures.
Too loud for comfort
In their enthusiasm to provide the ultimate in comfort – every floor to have its own control – they had failed to fully appreciate the capabilities, or perhaps the limitations of central ducted systems and single-stage air conditioning.
Last spring, I was invited to a building site with about 20 upscale, modern urban townhomes. The builder and their HVAC contractor proudly noted that they were including zoning as a standard feature in the two-and-a-half-storey homes, to provide better comfort control in both summer and winter.
There were a number of options available to cool that third floor. Some would just put in a separate ductless air conditioner. However, it could have been done successfully with a two-stage air conditioner and a pressure compensating bypass damper and controls that found the right fan speed for when just the third floor was running.
This is certainly a worthwhile approach, given the inherent difficulties in overcoming the natural buoyancy of warm air in taller buildings. The home design featured three distinct living areas. The first floor had all the common areas: kitchen, living room and family area. The second floor was reserved for sleeping rooms. The third floor was a smaller interior space that featured access through a west-facing patio door to a rooftop deck.
The chosen solution was to change the existing zone dampers to variable position dampers and a pressure-sensing device. Instead of using bypass air, the pressure sensor adjusted the dampers for the other two zones when the third zone called for cooling. This allows air to dump or bleed into those zones as well. The run times for the third zone were short enough that it didn’t cause overcooling in the other zones.
In the model home, that space was shown as a party space – a man-cave with a big screen, a big sound system, and a small bar and bathroom. The base HVAC system was a high-efficiency two-stage 60,000 BTUH gas furnace with an ECM fan drive and a single-stage three-ton air conditioner. It seemed natural and logical to have a three-zone system with each floor as its own zone.
Looping onto itself
As is often the case, the heat loss and gain calculations indicated the cooling was oversized by about 15 per cent, and the furnace oversized by about 35 per cent. The rationale from the HVAC designer, and reinforced by the contractor, was they needed the larger furnace size to drive the required airflow for air conditioning. Six of the houses had been occupied over the fall and winter. It should be no surprise that all winter long the systems had worked just fine in all occupied homes. It is a good bet that the upper third level thermostat never called for heat on its own. However, on the first sunny, warm me did afternoon in the spring, that third-floor thermostat in the model home call for cooling. vel in The fan ramped up in speed and kept ramping up until the noise level the third-floor media room was almost comical. It was louder than what could be reasonably overcome by the sound system.
Bypassing air back through the heating and cooling appliances impacts the energy performance of those appliances. In heating mode, recirculating heated air back through the heating appliance raises the return temperature. This has a negative impact on the ability of the furnace heat exchanger to transfer energy into the supply air stream. And the efficiency reduction in cooling mode is more dramatic because the temperature difference between the cooling coil and the air stream is less than the temperature difference between the air stream and the flue gases in the heat exchanger.
med It was only upon hearing the system operate that the designer seemed to understand that trying to jam close to 800 CFM into a relatively small room through inadequately sized duct work, inadequate bypass air and basic stamped floor registers wasn’t practical. rols Both the designer and contractor had the notion that the ECM controls would adjust to maintain an appropriate pressure. Of course, the
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with Roger Grochmal
I’m at my wits’ end. I can’t seem to find any qualified technicians ns to w work orrk in myy company. Help! 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 email to Mechanical Business Magazine’s editor, Adam Freill, adam.freill@ mechanicalbusiness.com.
Getting a head start on the competition At AtlasCare, we started developing our employment brand 10 years ago and have really worked on it. We want to be the employer of choice in our marketplace. It started by establishing the standard for the kind of employee we wanted. We serve a very diverse market, so we want our employees to represent the full demographics of the markets we serve. They have to have attended trade school, and not just passed, but we want the technicians who have done well. Most of all, they have to reflect our values.
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his is a question I hear everywhere where I go these days. It is particularly ly loud as we approach the busy cooling season. Skilled tradespeople are retiring in droves and, as an industry, we aree not doing enough to attract young ng people into these jobs.
ns The next generation of technicians is out there, but we have to be proactive and get out in front of them to attract them to our businesses. A critical first step is to develop an “employment brand” that makes it attractive for people to come and work for us. We spend time and energy developing our corporate brands because there is a lot of competition for customers. The same is true for employees, so it’s necessary to also establish our employment brand. My friend and colleague, Doug MacMillan, offers some good insights on this in his column in this very issue (see page 32). There is no simple answer to finding and developing good technicians. We are recruiting 365 days a year, and not just when we have an opening. Turnover is inevitable, so you always want to be ready. Be like a sports team and always have candidates in reserve so you can move quickly when an opening occurs. You need to be able to field a full team at all times. Your customers expect that from you. Now, where can I find a good plumber?
FINDING GOOD PEOPLE Where do you look for potential additions to your crew? The simple answer is everywhere. Leave no stone unturned. One of the best sources is your own staff. If you have a strong employment brand, they will not hesitate to recommend their friends. We are lucky in that our staff volunteer time to work in trade skills competitions and to attend trade fairs at local colleges. These are great ways to identify the cream of the crop of candidates, just as they’re ready to enter the workforce.
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Some contractors give talks at high schools to help younger people see the value of these careers. I have learned that a lot of young people don’t understand that g g, involve these careers are challenging, ted technology, sophisticated and pay well.
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Ask Roger with Roger Grochmal We need to change their perceptions about working in our industry, and that will take time and effort, and we cannot afford to leave this vital task to others. If we all do our part to showcase how diverse, interesting and fulfilling our work is, we can become a sector that’s attractive to young problem solvers. Of course, we also post openings on our website and on social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn, and search online on sites like Indeed. For three years now, we have also hosted job fairs with good success. One year, candidates came out in horrendous winter weather on a Saturday morning – we knew instantly they were good potential because they braved the storm to attend.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT BEING GOOD ON THE TOOLS When recruiting, an important thing to remember is that we are in the people business. Everyone at our companies is dealing with people every day. This includes working with their fellow employees, your suppliers, customers and potential customers. An employee’s primary task is to provide “psychological comfort” to the people they are dealing with. This means that we not only need people who are talented in a particular skill (on the tools) but more importantly are skilled in dealing with people. And the need for these people skills also extends to company owners – especially to owners. Our core competency has to be our ability to attract, train and continuously evaluate all staff. When you accept that this, and not your technical skills, is the required core competency of your company, can you begin to address the need.
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STICK TO YOUR OUR STANDARDS When there are not a lot of candidates out there, we run the risk of lowering its. This is a of standards for recruits. ician is an bad idea. Every technician outreach of your brand d and your corporate ideals. If p, you let the quality slip, n your brand reputation can suffer irreparable damage. ensure the best fit is important. As such, screening to how up with a clean driver’s abstract. We expect techs to show We also do a criminal background check. Lastly, we have established personality profiles for each position to take i and d we require i allll applicants li k a test to see if they h fit the profile. They have to be able to communicate, be comfortable in their own skins and have empathy. Do they have a learning mentality? Hire for attitude and train for the skills you want. I have never met anyone who has had success training good attitudes into their people. Once we’ve established fit and credentials, we then put candidates through interviews with two or three different people. We want AtlasCare to be a difficult place to come and work for. It saves us a lot of headaches down the road.
HIRING IS JUST THE FIRST STEP Once you’ve hired someone, the work to keep them is important. It’s far easier to work with your employees to keep them engaged than it is to continuously be recruiting. Everyone starts with very different work habits so our company has put in a detailed onboarding program so we can get them up to speed as fast as possible on the way we want them to do things. Regular reviews are important. We coach regularly to keep people on track, and weed out the ones who aren’t cutting it as quickly as we can. We also do regular one-on-one meetings and ride-alongs to ensure they are following our established processes. We expect performance to established KPIs. There is only one way to do things: our way, and to get them following our well-established procedures, we train, train, train and then train some more. Train your processes in addition to safety and technical skills. At the end of 90 days you should know if this person is a keeper. Then make the decision. Continuing to fog a mirror is not a good reason to keep someone. Your techs work alone for the most part. They are your face with your customers and you are only as good as your weakest person. Choose wisely.
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PLUMBING
Cas s ie S chmi d
W
ith more and more people diving into the Internet of Things (IoT) to automate their homes, new products are hitting the market almost on a daily basis. We can now automate almost anything in our homes — lights, garage doors, windows, blinds, appliances, clocks, speakers, door bells, surveillance cameras, home security systems, climate control systems, cleaning systems, sprinkler systems, lawnmowers — even food preparation. So, what about the plumbing system?
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF
intelligent water
Wouldn’t it be great if homeowners could have more control over what goes on inside those pipes? What if a pipe bursts when they’re away? Or, what if there’s a tiny leak that’s been quietly wasting water for months and homeowners are none the wiser until they get a huge water bill?
A trending topic Depending on the area of the country in which you reside, water scarcity may or may not be at the forefront of your mind. If you haven’t thought about it for a while (or at all), here’s a sobering fact: more than one trillion gallons of water is wasted each year in North America. Yes, that’s trillion with a T. Research estimates that by 2025, about 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, and by 2050, water demand is projected to grow by a staggering 55 per cent. So, if you’re a conservationist or not, the global water shortage is real, and it is something that your customers are going to be aware of, if they are not already.
The numbers don’t lie. There is business to be made here. Smart business. If you haven’t thought about it before, now’s the time. Intelligent water is the next frontier in the connected home. Just as the telecommunications industry was disrupted by cellular technology a few decades ago with the invention of the cell phone, the plumbing industry is now at that same intersection. Smart technology and other innovations are removing barriers, enabling us to have a new relationship with water — to better monitor, use, control and reuse water.
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The need for water conservation has become a trending homeowner concern.
DID YOU KNOW? The statistics on water damage claims are staggering: one in 37 homeowners will experience a catastrophic leak, costing on average $8,861 in damage. And, amazingly, plumbing leaks result in more than 14,000 water emergencies every day in North America, accounting for the second-largest insurance claim. B u s i n e s s
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People are looking to solutions that can help them conserve — and even reuse — water. In fact, greywater (the recycling and reuse of wastewater from sinks, showers, and tubs back into water used for laundry, toilets and irrigation) is now being considered in regions that are approaching extreme levels of water scarcity.
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PLUMBING
With these environmental challenges comes great opportunity — an opportunity to learn, solve and fix the problems we’ve created while also generating new opportunities for business and solutions for those in need.
Where is water being lost?
Embracing the opportunity We’re in the midst of “The Era of Intelligence,” and this new era is empowering us to move faster, smarter and better. We have access to data, and more importantly, insights that we’ve never had before. This is now allowing us to solve problems like we never have been able to in the past. Problems like the water crisis. What does that mean for you? Plumbing professionals have the opportunity to help their customers get connected to their plumbing systems in real time, offering smart, digital solutions to stop water waste and protect homes from the devastation of water damage. New products on the market are giving homeowners an unprecedented understanding of the water that flows behind their walls. This technology was born from considerable research. In the case of my company, we’ve monitored more than one billion water movements throughout plumbing systems in North America over the past decade to effectively learn how a home’s plumbing system should — and should not — function.
Toilet flappers, dripping faucets or pinhole leaks in corroded metal plumbing systems can run rampant in homes for months or even years without people knowing about the silent wasted water slowly trickling down the drain. Just 30 drips per minute from a faucet wastes as much as 5,970 litres of water over a year’s time. This wasted water could provide 79 showers a year for people. At 60 drips per minute, we’re looking at almost 12,000 litres of wasted water per year. That’s enough to do 525 loads of dishes in a dishwasher. But leaks aren’t the only culprit. What about faucets or garden hoses that are accidentally left running for several minutes or hours? Water leaks and water misuse are real, and every homeowner has either experienced or knows of someone who has experienced a water incident at one time or another.
Using algorithms, machine learning and artificial intelligence, it becomes possible to detect all types of plumbing leaks so that the smart monitoring system can automatically turn off water to mitigate damage in the case of a catastrophic event. from By monitoring a home’s entire plumbing system B systeem fr rom om a single location on the water possible tth he main water line right after the wate teer meter, it iss p ossible to measure temperature ttiny ti iny n changes in water pressure, flow an aand d temp per eraatture to detect plumbing issues change is ssu sues u in real time. When an unexpected chan ngee iiss detected, the system can app ca an se ssend nd an alert to the homeownerr vvia ia an ap pp fo ffor or complete awareness and system. an nd ccontrol ontrol of their plumbing system m. homeowner power off Thatt h om omeowner om then has thee po p weer to w t tturn u no ur ff their water remotely home, when en n tthey’re heeyy’’re away from hom me, e, aand nd d ccan a eeven an veen contact their trusted plumbing professional for immediate service, pl p lu um mbi bing ng p rofe ro fessional fo or im imme mme m di diat atte se serv rvic rv iccee,, if necessary.
GAINING INSIGHTS GA In addition additi to providing the ability to turn off their water supply su remotely, a number of apps also provide homeowners with a realistic look into their water usage. This information can be used actual w to increase increa awareness around water consumption, and to identify id areas in their daily lives where water is being wasted.
Cassie Schmid is the senior marketing manager of C I Intelligent Water at Uponor. She can be reached at cassie.schmid@uponor.com.
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MOVE OVER METAL From parking garages to hospitals to high buildings, more and more mechanical contractors and engineers are switching to a long-lasting DWV solution
Why are DWV systems from IPEX becoming the new standard? As an integrated solution, System XFR® and System 15® meet all code requirements for noncombustible buildings. More importantly, they provide the required rugged reliability with all the added benefits of PVC: • Lightweight, Easier to Install
• An Aesthetic Alternative
• Corrosion Resistant, Less Maintenance
• Unsurpassed Technical Support
• Long-Term Savings
SYSTEM XFR® is now available in larger diameters
14", 16", 18"
Contact us to learn more about our complete DWV product line. ipexna.com 1-866-473-9462
System XFR®, System 15®, MJ GreyTM and Drain-GuardTM are registered trademarks.
PLUMBING & MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
Hydronic Products Pre-packaged boiler plant The Riello Array condensing boiler is designed for use in commercial and institutional facilities. With inputs from 1 to 4 million BTUH and the ability to cascade up to eight boilers, it uses up to eight heat exchanger modules to provide redundancy and a turndown ratio of up to 40:1. The boiler has a 96.1% AHRI thermal efficiency rating and produces NOx emissions of less than 9 ppm at 3% O².
www. riello.com
Condensing firetube boilers Conden Cleaver-Bro Cleaver-Brooks’ ClearFire-CE fully condensing, high mass firetube boilers range in size from 500,000 to 6,000,000 BTUH and feature an AluFer tube design that achieve achieves up to 99% efficiency. The compact bo boilers are equipped with selfregulating fu fuel-air ratio controls and ECM variable-speed combustion air blowers. variable-spe lead-lag control can sequence Integrated le and modulate modulat up to eight boilers.
Copper snowmelt panels HeatLink’s SMP335 and SMP425 snowmelt panels are central operations centres for fully automatic snowmelt systems requiring isolation. The panels house the pump, mixing valve, and controls, and also contain brazed-plate heat exchangers to isolate the glycol mix from the heating system water. Units have an ambient temperature range of up to 120°F, water temperature range up to 200°F and a maximum operating pressuree on the secondary side of 100 psi.
www. heatlink.com .com
www. cleaverbrooks.com cleaverbro
Interlocking nterlocking pipe fastner system sy
The term "journeyman" was originally used in the medieval trade guilds and is derived from the Fren French word for day — journeymen were paid for their work each day.
The e QuadRail Fastener system ffrom Watts is designed gned to hold a wide wid variety of tubing and pipe in a substrate, substrat such as concrete, thin slab or sand. Ideal for radiant heating and cooling or snowmelt applications, the 4-foot rails are made from injected moulded nylon and can be secured to foam board insulation, wood sub-flooring or turf using staples, screws or nails.
www. watts.ca
Press connection valves
BTU metering system
Ultra Press press connection valves from Milwaukee Valve are designed to make wet or dry connections using standard press-fit tools. Applications include hydronic heating systems, potable water and HVAC. Available in brass, bronze and lead-free alloy, and in sizes from 1/2” to 4”, they come with factory-installed EDPM O-rings.
HBX Controls’ SensorLinx is designed to measure the energy used or transferred in a liquid heating application for tenant billing. The sensors, which also monitor flow, pressure and temperatures, can be used for system balancing as well as recording daily, monthly and yearly energy use in real time. The system can be used with glycol, methanol or water at flow rates up to 105 gpm.
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www. hbxcontrols.com B u s i n e s s
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STUFF YOU NEED
Heating cable connection kits
Compact drill/driver /driver
The Danfoss Connecto NA line of connection kits for self-regulating heating cables can be used with the company’s RX-C roof and gutter de-icing cables and PX pipe freeze protection cables. Eight variations are offered, which include splice or power connection assemblies, threaded caps, sleeves and clamping sheets. Silicone adhesive and end caps are also available, if required.
Dewalt’s Atomic Compact act Series includes the 20V MAX Cordless Compact Drill/Driver. Designed for use in tight spaces, it achieves es up to 340 Units Watts Out (UWO) and up to 1,650 rpm. It weighs 2.4 4 lb. and comes equipped with th a brushless motor, an LED D light, and adjustable belt hookss for left or right attachment.
www. danfoss.ca a
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www. dewalt.ca
Firestop p system The HoldRite e HydroFlame firestop product line includes firestop and acoustic sealants, intumescent wrap strips, pipe collars and putty pads for new and retrofit construction. The system provides flame, gas and liquid intrusion protection for a wide variety of wall and floor penetrations. The sealants can be used with cast iron, steel and copper, as well as non-metallic pipes such as PVC, CPVC, ABS, PVDF, PEX and PP.
www. holdrite.com
Laser distance meter The Ridgid micro LM-400 advanced laser distance meter is designed to provide distance readings in feet, inches or centimetres. It has a measurement range of 100 m and is accurate to within 1-1/2 mm. The unit can connect to a smartphone or tablet up to 10 m away via Bluetooth and can overlay measurements on a photo or sketch to share with others.
www. ridgid.com
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CALENDAR OF CIPH ABC June 16-18, 2019 Charlottetown, PEI www.ciph.com Supporting Women in Trades Conference June 17-18, 2019 Vancouver, B.C. www.caf-fca.org ASHRAE Annual Conference June 22-26, 2019 Kansas City, Missouri www.ashrae.org
VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE TODAY! mechanicalbusiness.com
EVENTS
CHES National Conference September 22-24, 2019 Saskatoon, Sask. www.ches.org
Canadian Hydronics Conference September 24-25, 2019 Ottawa, Ont. www.ciph.com
Missing something vital?
IYWPC 2019 June 23-27, 2019 Toronto, Ont. www.iwa-youngwaterprofessionals.org Wetstock 2019 August 24, 2019 New York City, N.Y. www.heatinghelp.com ICR 2019 August 24-30, 2019 Montreal, Que. www.icr2019.org HRAI Annual Conference August 25-27, 2019 Niagara Falls, Ont. www.hrai.ca
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BTN
Compiled by Mechanical Business
BY THE NUMBERS
HAPPY WORKFORCE A recent report looking at levels of job satisfaction within the construction trades found workers are a very happy appy bunch.
65% Of tradespeople rated their job ob satisfaction between 8 and 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. The average score was 7.9.
65% Of skilled trades workers would uld strongly recommend the trades to a young person.
IMMIGRANTS SETTLE IN, RISE UP
81% Of workers said they enjoy a sense of financial security.
The median wage of immigrants and refugees increases with the number of years spent in Canada.
GREEN SKILLS IN DEMAND
$19,100 Average wage of 2007 tax filers
Research from Ontario is casting a spotlight on pending labour force concerns in the building trades.
one year after arriving in Canada.
$25,700 Wage of the same group five years after admission.
$31,700 Wage of 2006 arrivals 10 years after immigration
87,000 Number of Ontario’s skilled tradespeople due to retire over the next decade. 147,000 Jobs estimated to be created in trades over next 15 years in and around Toronto due to growth in low-carbon building initiatives.
A FINANCIAL BALANCING ACT
$24.3 billion Estimated impact on Ontario’s GDP in foregone company revenues.
$3.7 billion Estimated cost to the province in foregone taxation.
Are you a saver? How do you compare to Canada’s highest and lowest earning households?
UNDRINKABLE WATER
$852 Average annual net savings for
Canadians often take clean water for granted, but many lives around the world are impacted by limited ted and unsafe water supplies.
Canadian households in 2018. 20% of earners in Canada.
4 billion People who experience severe water scarcity at least one month each year.
-$27,935 Net dissaving of bottom 20%
25% Primary schools around the globe that have no
$41,393 Average net savings of top
of earners.
drinking water service.
$4,782 Saved in households with a
700 Children under five years of age who die every y
major income earner aged under 35.
9.2 MILLION 86 114
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day from diarrhea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
The estimated number of Canadians who experienced tinnitus, the perception of noise or ringing in the ears, in the past year.
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