Mechanical Business January/February 2017 by Mechanical Business

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WET HEAT APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES

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CONTENTS O F

72COVER FEATURE

F E A T U R E S

When it comes to ice, Mike Craig knows his stuff. He’s worked on the ice and refrigeration systems for numerous outdoor NHL games, numer including several with his father, includi Dan C Craig. We caught up with him following the Centennial Classic followi event iin Toronto. Adam Freill

22VEHICLE UPFITTING Venting Your Van Denise Deveau

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33WHAT SUPPLEMENT

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It’s that time again—time for our biannual Wet Heat Applications & Technology supplement! Turn to page 33 for the latest in hydronic products, news and features!

65PLUMBING Shower Stats & Facts Adam Freill

74PLUMBING Backﬂow and Backwater Valves Moe Fanous

MB SPECIALISTS 18PLUMBING A Brief History of Toilets Fred Bretzke

26REFRIGERATION Capacity Controls for Supermarket Systems Phil Boudreau

30ASK ROGER

A SOPPING WET SUPPLEMENT OF MECHANICAL BUSINESS

PRODUCTS 55,60-62Hydronics 66,80,81Plumbing 86Stuff you need 88,89HVAC/R

The 10 Best Business Books I’ve Ever Read Roger Grochmal

40HYDRONICS 76PROJECT MANAGEMENT Handling Jobsite Material Challenges David Pelletier

82EVENT IN PICTURES MCAC Celebrates the Magic!

Moving BTUs Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

68HVAC More on Radon Gord Cooke

84MARKETING Cover Photo: Liz Tremblay Aviva Studios

Control Your Inner Geek Doug MacMillan

NEW!

DEPARTMENTS 04From the Editor’s Desk 06News 14Proﬁle: Dave Hughes 56Find the Fix 92The Info Page 94By the Numbers

HIGH DEMAND 9.0 ™

SHATTERING

CORDLESS EXPECTATIONS

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 January/February 2017 Issue Published 6 times per year. Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com Associate Editor/Web Editor: Greg Dalgetty, ext. 225 greg.dalgetty@mechanicalbusiness.com National Accounts Manager: Jeff Superle, ext. 221 jeff.superle@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Office Manager: Caroline Bexfield, ext. 227 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

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Uber Lessons for Contractors So I finally booked my first Uber ride a couple of weeks back. I have the utmost respect for licensed professionals, and the regulatory hoops that licensed professionals have to jump through just to earn a living, so I’ve been hesitant to use the ride-sharing service and others like it. That said, I figured I couldn’t speak to a subject without doing some research, so a ride was overdue.

MCEE is Coming This year’s largest combined mechanical and electrical show for the Canadian market is coming in April, and we’d like to see you there. MCEE hits Place Bonaventure in Montreal, April 26-27. Pop by booth 134 to say hello and renew your subscription. And be sure to pick up the March/April edition of Mechanical Business for our MCEE Show Guide. See you there! mcee.ca

It was pretty much everything that I expected. The app was easy to use; the car arrived quickly, and was clean and new; the driver friendly; the billing automatic; what wasn’t to like? Of course, the midday ride was not subject to surge pricing, nor did we have to explore insurance coverages. While the ride did not change my view of the need for a level playing ﬁeld in any marketplace, Uber has had me thinking about the lessons that can be gleaned for the mechanical trades from the taxi industry. The backbone that Uber relies upon is software that could have been developed and deployed by the existing taxi service providers, but was not. Political indifference and a lack of desire to enforce existing licensing requirements resulted in driver protests, but rare is the city that has banned the upstart that’s disrupted the status quo.

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

And public sympathy for the taxi industry has been minimal – let’s face it, smiling Uber drivers and easy-to-use technology is tough to compete with, especially if someone has had a less-than-enjoyable ride in a cab. So what’s to stop a third party, partty, y possibly y a company that specializes in the creation of mobile ap pps, fr from m creating an Uber P apps, Plumber or Uber Furnace app? Probably not much, so what bus business lessons can we take, and use, from the taxi industry? igg g I think the bi biggest lesson is the need to constantly be e olving. If the existing players in an industry assume that ev evolving. contin to do business the same way they always they can continue have, sooner or later someone will come along to force a change. And forced change will likely cost market share. The o other lesson is to be good at what you do, and put a focus on customer service. Do good work, at a fair price, in a timely, polite and professional m manner. Doing otherwise is only providing reasons for customers to look elsewhere for service.

From time to time, Content Media Group Inc. makes subscribers’ names available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to readers. If you would like your name excluded from these mailings, please notify the publisher. © Copyright 2017. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher. Proud members of:

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Sinclair Supply Celebrates Dan Sorochan Sinclair Supply is celebrating the legendary career of company owner and president Dan Sorochan, who recently announced his retirement.

CMPX 2018 Show Committee Announced

“Over the course of 70 years, Dan has grown the company to 17 branches across Western Canada, keeping pace with advancements and innovations throughout the industry,” said incoming Sinclair president Paul K. Lachambre. “His thoughtful style of leadership cultivated a family atmosphere at work, and demonstrated an obligation to service and excellence that customers could rely upon.”

The organizing committee for the 2018 edition of the CMPX show was recently announced, following a meeting in Toronto that kicked off the planning process for the next edition of the event. The members of the CMPX 2018 Show Committee are: Show chairman Dennis Kozina of Emerson Climate Technologies; Roisin Bennett of Next Supply; John Bonus of Wolseley Canada; Mike Cantin of Napoleon Products; John Cardiff of Canature Water Group; Brent Cornelissen of OS&B; Jim Garrett of Taco Comfort Solutions; Warren Heeley of HRAI; Elizabeth McCullough of CIPH; Bruce Meacock of Mechanical Business; Patrick Shield of Shield Associates; Ralph Suppa of CIPH; Ken Webster of Viessmann Manufacturing; David Weishuhn of Blue Flame Heating & Air Conditioning; and Loretta Zita of HRAI.

While no longer on the job in the branches, Sorochan remains the owner of the company, now helmed by Lachambre and CEO Milan Tuba. Congratulations, Dan, on an amazing career! sinclairsupply.ca

HRAI Manufacturers Prohibit Furnace Use During Construction HRAI’s gas furnace manufacturers are prohibiting the use of their furnaces to heat homes that are under construction, effective May 1, 2017. All of the association’s furnace manufacturers have agreed to use the following wording in their installation manuals: “Gas furnaces manufactured on or after May 1, 2017 are not permitted to be used in Canada for heating of buildings or structures under construction.”

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Size may not matter for some things. But when it comes to your heating & cooling equipment, it is critical.

#YEG Don’t let this #coldsnap get you down. Remove ice and buildup to prevent furnace & hot water tank failure. #staywarm #januaryistheworst.

January 4, 2017

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CIPHEX Roadshow 2017 dates announced! Exhibits & education 4 heating, plumbing, hydronics & water treatment in St. John’s, Edmonton & Regina.

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Worst Washrooms

Registration Opens for MCEE Registration has opened for MCEE, Montreal’s biennial plumbing, HVAC/R, hydronic, electrical and lighting expo. The show is scheduled to take over Place Bonaventure from April 26 to 27, 2017. In addition to getting an up-close look at the latest and greatest products, attendees will also have access to a variety of seminars and educational sessions, not to mention countless networking opportunities. As usual, Mechanical Business will be in the thick of the action, so be sure to come see us at booth 134, say hello and renew your subscription! mcee.ca

Canada Updates Energy Efficiency Regulations An amendment to Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations will increase minimum efficiency requirements for 20 household appliances and commercial products, including air conditioners, chillers, furnaces, boilers and refrigeration equipment. The changes bring affected products in line with efficiency requirements that are currently or soon to be in force in the U.S., and come into force in June.

What’s the Worst Washroom You’ve Ever Seen? Have you ever been in a washroom so horrible that it defied description? Well, no need to describe it—just send us a picture! Mechanical Business is collecting photos of some of the worst washrooms from around the world. So next time you run into an unsightly bathroom while you’re on vacation, on the jobsite or out on the town, grab your smartphone and take a picture. Your snapshot could end up in the pages of Mechanical Business! (Just be careful not to drop your camera on the washroom floor…) To submit your photo, visit mechanicalbusiness.com and simply follow the WORST WASHROOMS link on the homepage. While you’re there, tell us a bit about the washroom. This photo of a rusted-out sink and toilet was submitted by Doug Enns of Whiteshell Plumbing in Manitoba. Remember, folks—iron filters are your friends! Think you can top this? Then visit mechanicalbusiness.com and submit your photo today! mechanicalbusiness.com

nrcan.gc.ca

Service Experts Introduces Rental Program

CIPHEX Roadshow 2017 Dates Announced

Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning has launched a program allowing homeowners to rent HVAC equipment and water heaters. The company is now offering a full range of gas furnaces, garage heaters, air handlers, boilers, air conditioners, heat pumps and mini split systems, as well as tankless and tank-style water heaters. Service Experts has locations in three Canadian provinces.

CIPH has announced the dates and locations for its 2017 CIPHEX Roadshow. Events will be held in St. John’s, N.L. (September 21), Edmonton (October 17) and Regina (October 19). Following up on the 2014 and 2016 editions, the Canadian Hydronics Conference will take place in Edmonton in conjunction with the roadshow event.. A program of seminars and workshops for HVAC/R, R plumbing, hydronics and water treatment will be featured in all three cities.

serviceexperts.ca

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

The Bad and the Ugly The Western Canada Section of the American Water Works Association (WCSAWWA) recently announced the winners of its annual The Bad and the Ugly contest, which invites plumbing inspectors to submit photos of cross connection hazards. Richard Bastien, a backflow tester with Darspec in Montreal, submitted a photo of a capped discharge on an RP valve in a washroom. He won a five-valve Zurn Wilkins test kit for his entry. Mark Cranwell, a cross connection control officer with the Capital Region District in Victoria, B.C., was also crowned a winner for his photo of a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer with an illegal bypass piping arrangement. He received a gift certificate from the WCSAWWA for his entry. Pictured here, Bastien (left) receives his Zurn Wilkins test kit from his supervisor, Dany Cortez.

2015 NPC: Adoption Update Alberta has adopted the 2015 National Plumbing Code (NPC) without any province-speciﬁc variations. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan is currently updating its plumbing regulations and is expected to adopt the 2015 NPC this spring. alberta.ca saskatchewan.ca

M e c h a n i c a l

Alberta has outlawed door-to-door sales of certain energy products, including water heaters, furnaces and air conditioners. Those found in violation of these new regulations could face ﬁnes or possible charges under the province’s Fair Trading Act. alberta.ca

OGA Conference Returns in February The Ontario Geothermal Association’s 2017 conference is set to take over the Hilton Mississauga/ Meadowvale in Mississauga, Ont., from February 21 to 22. The event will feature industry leaders from across North America sharing their expertise and knowledge in everything geothermal. ontariogeothermal.ca

Canadians Honoured by Nortek

wcsawwa.net

Alberta Bans Door-toDoor Sales of Energy Products

Two Canadian companies were honoured at Nortek Global HVAC’s annual distributor business meeting, held in December in St. Louis, Mo. The Marks Supply in Mississauga, Ont., was recognized as a top Gibson sales performer in 2016, and Trent Metals Ltd of Peterborough, Ont., was named a top Frigidaire sales performer. nortekhvac.com

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APP ALERT Carrier Chillers App

Faucets Nab Good Design Awards American Standard has been honoured with two 2016 Good Design awards for its Beale touchless faucet and Edgewater semiprofessional faucet. The Good Design awards are presented each year by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. Pictured here is American Standard’s Beale touchless faucet. americanstandard.ca

The Carrier Chillers app allows consulting and facilities engineers to select Carrier commercial packaged chillers for their projects. Users input a chiller type, capacity and compression and then receive key technical data and product features for the individual units that meet their requirements. The app is available for Android, iOS and Windows devices. carrier.com

Pipe Design Calculator The Plastics Pipe Institute’s Plastic Pressure Pipe Design Calculator helps users size PEX, PE-RT and CPVC plastic pressure pipe and tubing. The free online tool is designed to calculate pressure and head loss, thermal expansion and contraction, surge pressures, pipe weight and volume, and lengths of expansion arms or loops. plasticpipecalculator.com

S Saniflo’s plumbing solutions p llets you make more money. B Become a Preferred Saniflo Installer tthrough our free training program! S Saniflo’s plumbing solutions are ideal for all residential and ccommercial applications and our Certified Training Program will give you the expertise to better serve all of your customers. w Once it is completed, you will be showcased on our website as O a Preferred Installer, giving you access to more customers! V saniflo.ca/certifiedinstaller or Visit ccall us at 1-800-363-5874 for information.

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Movers & Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Ontor Takes on New ProductsLines

Granby Gr ranby Acquires Tank Brands Granby Industries has entered in nto an agreement to acquire specialty fu uel oil tank manufacturers Vilco and Superio or Tanks. Terms of the sale were not disclo osed. Granby is working to integrate Vilco and Superior Tanks as smoothly as possible without any disruption to customer service. granbyindustries.com r

Ontor was recently named the Canadian distributor for product lines from Williams Comfort Products and Ripplepak. Williams offers a variety of heating solutions, fan coils and air handlers, air curtains and dehumidiﬁers. Ripplepak offers a variety of insulation products; Ontor will be distributing the company’s Insulapak and acoustic insulation for HVAC applications. ontor.com

AccuTools Appoin pp nts Canadian Rep

Pro r Kontrol Carrying Johnson Controls

AccuTools has named Summit Process Controls Group as its sales and marketing representative in Canada. AccuTools offers a variety of handheld portable electronic instruments for servicing HVAC/R equipment, with an emphasis on gas leak detection, refrigerant charging scales and vacuum gauge technology.

Pro Kontrol’s Dartmouth location is now distributing Johnson Controls’ Facility Explorer line of wireless building controls and communicating thermostats in Atlantic Canada (including Newfoundland).

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prokontrol.com r johnsoncontrols.com

Ductless Higher Comfort, Haier Living www.haierductless.com

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Movers & Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Aalberts Acquires Shurjoint

True North Opens for Business

Aalberts Industries, the parent company of Apollo Valves, has acquired 100 per cent of the shares of Shurjoint Industries, a manufacturer of grooved components for mechanical piping systems. Founded in Taiwan in 1974, Shurjoint offers more than 3,000 components in sizes ranging from 1/2” to 104” designed for use with a variety of piping materials in commercial and industrial applications.

Manufacturer’s representative True North HVAC and Hydronics opened for business in January. The company currently represents Haier Ductless and Smart Electric products throughout Canada; Ortech ventilation products in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and the Maritimes; and Morden National products, including Utica boilers and Olsen oil furnaces, in select Ontario markets.

shurjoint.com

truenorthhvac.com

Equipco Expands Bradford White Territory

E Enters Western Canada

Equipco Ltd. and Parmenter and Associates have joined forces under the Equipco Ltd. Ontario banner to represent Bradford White products in Western and Northern Ontario. The territory was previously represented by Parmenter and Associates. Equipco will continue to represent Bradford White products in central Ontario as well. equipcoltd.com bradfordwhitecanada.com

RAE Corporation has selected KFDS Enterprises to represent the company’s Century Refrigeration and RAE Coils products in Western Canada. Both product lines will be represented by Darren Stinson, who has over 25 years of experience in refrigeration technology and sales. His territory will cover British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. rae-corp.com

SO YOU CAN TOO. Your commercial plenum specs have just been met with the new Little Giant® VCC-20-P. This low-proﬁle, low proﬁle high-performing high performing pump is rated to meet the requirements of UL Standard 2043 and handle your condensa condensate removal needs in air handling and plenum applications. Say goodbye to condensate and hello to an expanded portfolio from the brand you trust. littlegiant.com

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People in the news www.mechanicalbusiness.com

GRANT WILSON has been appointed divisional vice-president of Goodman Canada’s Sales and Operations division. Wilson joined Goodman in 2001 and has held numerous positions with the company, serving most recently as divisional operations director. The company has also named MIKE PERONE the new divisional vice-president of independents. Bringing more than 37 years of HVAC experience to the table, Perone joined Goodman in 2010 as a regional manager. In his new role he’ll be responsible for growing Goodman’s independent distributors and supporting the company’s sales team and various product lines. Also at Goodman, JOE MONACO has been promoted to regional manager for Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. Monaco started at Goodman in 2004, working on a variety of sales and marketing initiatives. He has also served as a branch manager, and has been the sales manager for Ontario and the regional pricing manager for Canada.

JASON BOYD has been promoted to the position of vice-president and general manager of Dobbin Sales Ltd. A regular contributor to Mechanical Business, Jason has been with Dobbin Sales for 10 years, most recently serving as the business development manager for the company.

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KENDY SANDY has joined HRAI as the association’s new chapter relations and careers coordinator. She will provide support to HRAI’s Ontario chapters and the Careers Committee, as well as the Skills Committee. She has a background in public relations, adult education, staff training, and event and volunteer management.

Salus Controls has named SHELDON SCHIFFNER the regional sales and marketing manager for Western North America. In this role he’ll be responsible for developing the company’s rep network, setting up wholesale distribution, and coordinating North American marketing activities. Also at Salus, BILL LOWE has been named the new director of sales. Bringing more than 30 years of experience in the HVAC industry to the table, he will be responsible for managing sales strategies for Canada and the United States.

WAYNE PARMENTER, formerly of Parmenter and Associates, has joined Equipco as a territory business manager. He will be responsible for Bradford White products in Western and Northern Ontario, and brings more than 50 years of industry experience to his new role.

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Riobel has appointed RENÉE DEMARCO the company’s new Canadian sales manager. Demarco has been working at Riobel for close to seven years, in various sales capacities, and has more than 15 years of experience in the plumbing industry.

GILLES SHEEHAN has joined the team at manufacturer’s representative B.J. Williams & Associates/ ACTOOLSOURCE as a sales representative for Quebec. He will be working with the company’s established distribution network to promote a variety of air conditioning and refrigeration service tools and supplies. Sheehan has worked as a manufacturer’s rep in the HVAC/R industry for more than 27 years.

RYAN VANDYK is the president of True North HVAC and Hydronics, a newly founded manufacturer’s representative serving the Canadian market. With more than 13 years of experience in the HVAC industry, vanDyk has worked closely with contractors across the country and has extensive experience in the wholesale business.

Hired someone lately? Let the mechanical world know through the pages of Mechanical Business. To have your company’s personnel announcements included, free of charge, in an upcoming edition of Mechanical Business, simply send a note and a few details, to greg.dalgetty@mechanicalbusiness.com.

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Rely on toilets by Gerber: the professional’s choice.

02.17

Proﬁle Dave Hughes: A Natural at Teaching the Trades

When it comes to NAIT’s Dave Hughes, you might say that teaching is in his blood – his mother was a teacher. Then again, his father was a plumber, and later a plumbing and gas inspector, so perhaps it is plumbing and piping that the chair of the Canadian Hydronics Council (CHC) has in his DNA.

Q A Q A Q A Q A

How did you get started in the trade? I grew up in the industry. I started working ing in it in 1976, full-time, but I grew up in it. I was working in the summertimes mertimes with my dad d before that. How did you end up teaching? About ’82, there was a huge crash that came and almost all of o the work shut down. I went to the faculty of education cation and asked them m what they would give me for my trade tickets. Theyy asked if I had heard d about a $22,000 0. My bursary for vocational education where they give you $22,000. response was, “Where do I sign up?” I started arted teaching at NAIT NAIIT in 1992. What’s changed over the years in the trades? ades? There have been a lot of technological changes in the industry, but it really hasn’t changed a lot. ot. The materials may have changed; the jointing methodss may have changed, but it still all works the same. What is CHC currently working on? Getting all the hydronic training rolled out to all the colleges across the country. It is starting to pick up now. And CIPH, with its CIPHEX Roadshow, is promoting a CHC hydronics conference in Edmonton. We are also looking at a National Hydronic Forum again, sometime in early fall. This will be somewhere in the Greater Toronto Area.

BIO Name: Dave Hughes Titles: Coordinator (Special Projects), Mechanical Department, NAIT Chair, Canadian Hydronics Council Age: 59 Born in: Wetaskiwin, Alta. Resides in: St. Albert, Alta. 1. Dave’s been in the Ski Patrol for about Family: Wife Wendy, and children Jonathan 27 years and currently patrols just north and Rebecca of Edson, at a ski hill called Silver Joined the industry in: 1976 Summit.

FAST FACTS

2. Dave is a self-confessed techie. “I like my computers and my technology.”

Photo: Ron Kuzyk

And, of course, we are still trying to get some resolution on the energy efﬁciency codess and the amount of insulation under the slab for hydronic installations.

Dave’s unique perspective on the industry, and on education, has made him a great asset to the advancement of the mechanical trades in his home province of Alberta, as well as right across Canada.

M e c h a n i c a l

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3. He also loves to travel. “There are lots of places I want to go to yet. My favourite was China. I would love to get over to Australia and New Zealand and check that out. Vietnam and Cambodia would also be interesting to check out as well.”

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On the job with: Water Hammer Arrestor: A Unique History in South Korea The plumbing market in Korea has been making bold progress based on a very distinctive history. Radiant heating systems that utilized kitchen fire heat for warming living-room floors first appeared in Korea 1,000 years ago. Beginning in the 1960s, this heating system evolved to use hot water piping under the floor. When industrialization began to accelerate in Korea in the 1960s, the housing market rapidly moved from singlefamily houses to apartment buildings that better utilized the limited space in the cities. The demand for efficient piping systems for plumbing and heating systems grew. The copper industry in South Korea had been strategically fortified for national defense, due to the geopolitical situation with North Korea. This has deeply influenced the development of copper pipe in the Korean market since the 1970s.

On multiple xture branch lines up to 20 feet long, the Shokstop should be installed on the branch line between the last two xtures being served. The Shokstop should have a FixtureUnit rating equal or greater than the total Fixture-Units connected to the branch line.

On multiple xture branch lines over 20 feet long, two Shokstops should be used on each line with the second unit placed at the line’s midpoint. The Fixture-Unit ratings of both Shokstops should be equal or greater than the total FixtureUnits connected to the branch line.

Shokstop Sizing

Table 1

Single and Multiple Fixture Branch Lines

Fixture-Unit Listing Determine the total number of Fixture-Units on each branch line by referring to the list in Table 1 Shokstop Selection Refer to table 2 and select the Shokstop model with proper xture-unit capacity. If a battery of xtures is longer than 20 feet, more than one Shokstop will be required.

In South Korea, Sealtech is the only manufacturer of both stainless steel bellows water hammer arrestors and copper piston type water hammer arrestors. Sealtech began developing stainless bellows for special pressure control devices in the 1980s and supplied them to the semiconductor fabrication line at Samsung Electronics. For more than 10 years, Sealtech’s products have been exported to North America and Middle East. Stainless bellows type water hammer arrestors require a high-precision welding process with a microscope for diaphragm bellows inside a chamber. All finished products are subjected to rigorous vacuum leak tests (x10-7/min) to ensure zero defects. Thanks to its exceptional quality control, Sealtech achieved KFI (the Korea Fire Institute) certification for its stainless steel bellows water hammer arrestors. Sealtech has been supplying these arrestors since July 2016. With KFI-approved models, the noise and vibration problems of fire protection piping systems can be solved and the performance and lifespan of piping systems at apartment buildings can be enhanced.

Shokstop Placement and Sizing Data

The Shokstop sizing procedure described below conforms to Plumbing and Drainage Institute Standard PDI-WH201. Shokstop selection is based on total Fixture-Units on each branch line.

Even though copper pipe is a durable and reliable material for plumbing and radiant heating, it can also be noisy due to vibrations from the use of quick shut-off valve type water faucets. In order to address this issue, water hammer arrestors were introduced to the South Korean market in the late 1980s.

Type of Supply Control Fixture Water Closet Flush Valve Water Closet Flush Tank Pedestal Urinal Flush Valve Stall or Wall Urinal Flush Valve Stall or Wall Urinal Flush Tank Lavatory Faucet Bathtub Faucet Shower Head Mixing Valve Bathroom Group Flush Valve Closet Bathroom Group Flush Tank Closet Separate Shower Mixing Valve Service Sink Faucet Laundry Tubs (1-3) Faucet Combination Fixture Faucet

Shokstop Model No. P.D.I. Unit Rating Fixture-Unit Capacity

5 A 1-11

Table 2 10 20 B C 12-32 33-60

Fixture-Units Public Private C.W. H.W. C.W. H.W. 10 – 6 – 5 – 3 – 10 – – – 5 – – – 3 – – – 1½ 1½ 1 1 2 3 1½ 1½ 2 3 1 2 – – 8 3 – – 6 3 – – 1 2 3 3 – – 4 4 2 2 – – 3 3 50 D 61-113

75 E 114-154

100 F 155-330

NOTES: (1) All sizing data based on ow velocities of 10 fps or less. (2) When static water pressure exceeds 65 psi, contact WADE Engineering Dept. (3) Round up xture-unit totals to the next larger whole number.

WADE Drains Canada . Tel. 1-800-463-3480, Ext 2227 . Fax (418) 926-2430 . www.wadedrains.ca

Want to learn more? For more information, please visit www.wadedrains.ca

With Sealtech’s state-of-the-art precision production technology, stainless steel piston type water hammer arrestors were also developed for upgraded function and durability. This new model will be introduced to North America in early 2017. Sealtech is consistently working on solving noise and vibration problems in piping systems and developing water hammer arrestors with environmentally friendly lead-free material for potable water piping.

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

A B R I E F H I S T O RY O F

y dad was always an inventor. He felt he could create or build almost anything.

I remember I took him fishing once, out at Bow Lake. There appeared to be no fish in the lake, so I wanted to give up. I had all the fishing gear—it was all about the look to me—but the gear wasn’t helping any. hat There we sat in the still water on my Zodiac motorboat, pondering what to do. I was getting impatient, but dad was sitting there on his lawn chair thinking about how he could outsmart the fish. By now I knew how his mind worked. The German cogs and gears in his head were turning, trying to figure out a way to bring the fish to the surface. Fishing rods were too basic for him. He was probably considering depth-charging the fish to bring them to the top. If only we had some sticks of dynamite… He must’ve thought the fish were little U-boats swimming around our destroyer. Since we had no dynamite on hand, dad looked around the boat and found his trusty old badminton racket. You might wonder why someone would bring a badminton racket on a fishing trip, and I wouldn’t blame you. But my dad had one, with the plastic stringing removed and a hairnet installed its place. He expressed to me that if your fishing rods didn’t work, hairnet badminton rackets always did, so we motored to shore. Dad promptly jumped out into a spot of shallow water and started poking around for fish with his improvised net. Sure enough, he caught one. My dad had an inventive mind that was not only scientific but also cheap, and yes, duct tape was one of his best friends. He once tried to design a toilet out of a lawn chair on one of his old boats, but I had to put my foot down there. I couldn’t handle the idea of fishing with him sitting on his lawn chair and doing his business while whisking his badminton racket through the water.

THE DAWN OF PLUMBING I told that story because I believe many great inventions have been created by people not unlike my dad. Let’s do a little history lesson on the science of plumbing, and you can tell me if you disagree. Even way back in the day, plumbing was always on people’s minds. It was something they needed. History tells us that the Romans and the Chinese had developed early forms of modern plumbing. The Incas and Aztecs had running water throughout their mountain cities. One can only imagine how the servants to a king in China’s Western Han Dynasty felt when he demanded they make a place for him to defecate. I’m sure they were desperate to please him and he was relieved (literally!) when someone designed a stone seat complete with running water that served as a primitive—but functional—toilet.

continues on page 20

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PLUMBING THE ROYAL FLUSH

Going to the John Let’s jump ahead a few more years to the late 1500s. Somewhere re in England, a fellow by the name of John Harrington was working for the Queen. In order to impress the Queen, who was tired of using a chamber pot, Harrington created one of the ﬁrst toilets in England. He actually created this awesome toilet with a wooden tank hung in the ceiling. The Queen would pull on a chain to wash down her waste. It worked great and he was knighted for his efforts. The only problem was he eventually fell out of favour with the Queen over a book he wrote. And her bathroom still stunk, since old Sir John had neglected to create an S-trap in the toilet to prevent the sewer smells from rising back up into the room. But he’s commonly believed to be the origin of the phrase “Going to the John.”

You’ll note that most of these plumbing inventions were being created by the servants of royalty or religion. Apparently they believed in royal or divine pooping—or at least they were the only ones rich enough to afford it.

In Space, No One Can Hear You... Let’s push forward to the space age. For the Apollo missions, NASA originally invented a simple relief tube that astronauts urinated into. The urine was then jettisoned into space. Fecal matter was collected in specially designed bags.

Joining the Movement Science and plumbing kept improving as time rolled on. It took until 1898 for a fellow by the name of Albert Giblin to invent a ﬂushing toilet with an S-trap that prevented the sewer gases from coming back. Now this guy had a brilliant inventor’s mind and he probably understood how to mould china in order to make an S-trap, but he wasn’t that great at business. He worked for another fellow by the name of Thomas Crapper, who took Giblin’s invention and patented it, thereby becoming the ﬁrst plumbing wholesaler of toilets in England.

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It’s interesting to note that when astronauts travel into space, their kidneys detect the ﬂuid movement inside their bodies. A common reaction to this is that they feel the need to relieve themselves within two hours of departure. So the space toilet is the ﬁrst thing they need activated after they unbuckle themselves. And just like ordinary toilets, these space toilets need servicing from time to time. But the people doing this kind of work aren’t typical plumbers. For this work you would need to be a service tech working on the fans that distribute the vented waste.

Crapper also sold these new scientiﬁc inventions to the army, and advertised on the boxcars of trains in France during WWI. Soldiers, who I’m sure were sick of defecating in the trenches, might have been fortunate enough to use one of these modern devices when they needed to take a “crap”—and now we know where that word came from.

Later they would come up with a way better design that made use of the zero gravity conditions, exposing the solid waste to vacuum pressure that would kill bacteria. They invented a zero gravity toilet—the space toilet. This deﬁnitely couldn’t be called a water closet, as it used air to vacuum away the waste.

Believe it or not, but the Russians once sent a replacement pump on a Space Shuttle Discovery mission so that the space toilet on the international space station could be serviced. The latest and greatest modern version of the space toilet is called a UWMS, or Universal Waste Management System. Capable of handling long missions, it’s being designed to be quieter, lighter, more compact, more reliable and more hygienic than the previous versions. It will be coming to the next spacecraft near you in 2018.

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VEHICLE U UPFITTING: VANS

B y Den ise De veau

Venting

YOUR VAN f you’re a contractor who relies on such materials as refrigerants, propane, ne, chlorine or acetylene to get the job b done, there are two things you have to consider onsider when up fitting your van: venting and proper cylinder storage.

PASSIVE OR POWERED?

Keeping Fumes VENTING NTING FOR

SAFETY

All too often, contractors overlook venting as part of their safe handling practices. Many may think that vents are more of a convenience for dispelling odours, but these deceptively simple slots also help to address the health and safety requirements that go with carrying hazardous materials in your vehicle. “The reason why venting is overlooked is that regulations tend to be regional,” says Jay Cowie, product manager at Ranger Design in Montreal. Contractors carrying gases should be thinking seriously about venting, however, and asking their local vehicle upfitter about options that will suit the types of canisters they need for their jobsites, Cowie advises.

M e c h a n i c a l

CONTAINED In an ideal world, dangerous or noxious gases should be stored in a sealed cabinet in a contained area.

“Venting is imperative in those situations,” stresses Ranger’s Jay Cowie. “The right installation will ensure 99 per cent of fumes go to the right place.” A vented cabinet is a popular option with HVAC contractors, confirms Michael Tanel, sales manager with Farmbro Van & Truck Equipment in Mississauga, Ont. “Rather than venting the whole vehicle you are creating a compartment for noxious chemicals that is segregated from the rest of the vehicle.”

Whether venting a cabinet or the van itself, the go-to type of vent for most in the mechanical trades is a passive version. These are relatively simple devices that are designed to catch the wind when the vehicle is in motion to create air flow. Some models may have an open and closed position, much like a chimney flue or a wall or floor register in a home.

that rain, snow and ice don’t drip down into the vent mesh and compromise the cabinet. While it seems simple enough, not all contractors take the time to vent a sealed cabinet, Tanel adds. “That’s a bad idea, because the gas is not going anywhere and is creating a pressurized compartment. Any time you have pressurized gas in a contained area – whether it’s explosive or flammable – it’s dangerous.”

Venting for a closed cabinet is a relatively simple exercise. A drain or vent hole is positioned through the floor and a tube is vented through the side wall to create two different directions for gases to go. “Heavier gases tend to go out through the floor, while lighter gases might rise to the top of the cabinet,” Tanel explains. Take note, however: you can’t vent in certain areas, such as over a fuel tank. It’s also important to make sure that the wall vent is positioned so

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continued on page 24

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VEHICLE UPFITTING: VANS

continued from page 22

SECURED for SAFETY

Unfortunately, there are too many contractors who just throw canisters into the back of the truck, he says, adding that it’s not uncommon for him to see contractors in his shop who have rigged their own setup that’s not dissimilar to a bike chain looping through the frame of a bike.

Cabinet or no cabinet, canisters should be secured with some sort of holding system.

“There are a few different ways you can secure them,” notes Farmbro’s Michael Tanel. “Whatever the choice, they are all essentially bracket-mounted onto a solid vertical surface and secured with a pull or latching strap.”

“That is not the proper way to store tanks,” he says. “You can end up with a lot of noise at the back of the van if they’re not fastened tightly. In a worst-case scenario, if your vehicle rolls or is struck, you don’t want those bottles to shake loose.” A system that fails could cause considerable damage to the vehicle, and its occupants.

The safest way to store canisters, he says, is to use a vertical holding system. These are often installed on the ends of shelving units. Where Quick Tip space is tight, contractors might prefer The preferred place to locate to stack tanks on an angle to allow for bottle-holding systems is near more bottles to be stored in a vertical doors, so that you don’t need to space. crawl in to retrieve or swap tanks. “If you are placing them [angled] on their side, you have to be more specific about sizing,” says Jay Cowie of Ranger.

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POWERED OPTIONS

Regular bottle holder systems typically range from $200 to $400, including the frame, strap assembly and installation. A contained cabinet with venting, strapping and bumpers can run $300 to $500.

A less common choice for venting is a roof-style powered vent. These typically have a cover that opens as the fan turns on to pull the air out of the vehicle. While they are often seen on RV roofs, they are rarely used for commercial applications, Tanel says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would say 99 per cent of vents we do are manual.â&#x20AC;?

One very important thing that is often overlooked is the fastenings, Cowie says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Contractors should be very concerned how those tanks get strapped in.â&#x20AC;? He recommends the use of nylon straps that can be threaded through and pulled tight to hold the tanks securely. Above all else, keep in mind that venting and storage practices are driven by health and safety requirements. Those requirements can change from jurisdiction to jurisdiction â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and in some cases can be open to individual interpretation. Perhaps the best approach is to follow the strictest guidelines available for handling chemical containers; that way youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always know you are keeping things safe and sound.

Vehicle

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Another type is the rotating roof vent known as a centrifugal or â&#x20AC;&#x153;whirlybirdâ&#x20AC;? vent. These actively pull and/or exchange air from the cargo area and are designed to spin when the air moves across them. They have an open and closed position to prevent heat loss. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The action creates an air flow to pull gases from inside the vehicle, but they are really more for odours than for safety,â&#x20AC;? Tanel notes. The big drawback is that they can create a lot of noise if they are installed incorrectly. And if you opt for this type, be sure to factor in the additional stature of your van as they raise the height of the vehicle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You also need to clear them in winter because they can be easily affected by the elements,â&#x20AC;? Tanel says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not that common, except in cases where a contractor may have a worktable set up in the van.â&#x20AC;?

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REFRIGERATION

B y P h il J. B o u d r eau

CAPACITY CONTROL TRENDS FOR SUPERMARKET SYSTEMS S

upermarkets, food processing plants and a number of other commercial refrigeration applications can have a widely varying load, and are also subject to varying condensing pressures as the load and the ambient temperature vary. Most of these systems will regulate their capacity in response to suction pressure; however, as suction pressure fluctuates other components within the system will be affected and have to keep up. For example, the expansion valve has to constantly work to correct its position in order to achieve the superheat according to its set point. Although some metering devices may be better than others at maintaining a stable superheat, fluctuating suction pressures will have a negative impact on the overall system performance. One of the main reasons for this is that the average suction pressure will end up being lower due to valve and control fluctuations. Since low suction pressure increases the compressor power input per ton of capacity, the efficiency is reduced.

Increasing Steps Some parallel refrigeration systems, or “racks,” use a number of equally sized compressors. Alth Although h thi this may b be perfectly acceptable for applications where the load does not change much, and/or where each compressor is closely matched up with a similar evaporator capacity, this is not always the most desirable approach. In supermarket systems, for example, there are usually a variety of evaporator loads and loading proﬁles throughout the store. Consider a system having a few compressors of equal capacity. In this case, there will be many times where the total compressor capacity does not match the total evaporator capacity. As a result, compressors will have to cycle in order to achieve the set point and of course, excessive cycling reduces compressor life. Where better control of suction pressure is desired, the situation may be improved by using compressors of unequal size. For example, using four compressors of equal size will result in four steps, while using four compressors of unequal size will allow up to 15 stages or capacity steps. When compressor size is varied, for each compressor added the number of steps increases exponentially. For example, using ﬁve compressors increases the number of available steps to 31, and six compressors increases steps to 63. Of course, adding more compressors to achieve smaller steps also tends to increase total compressor cost for a given capacity requirement. (*Note that having all compressors off was not included as a step in the above numbers.)

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continued on page 28

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continued from page 26 continued from page 82 REFRIGERATION

Conventional Cylinder Unloading

Variable Cylinder Unloading

It is, of course, possible to increase the number of capacity steps in a system by adding unloaders on a smaller number of compressors. This is an approach that has been used for many years; however, it is important to consult with the compressor manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructions in order to fully understand the allowable unloading limits. Unloading a compressor too much will result in overheating. Remember that most compressors used in these types of systems rely on the refrigerant for motor cooling. With conventional unloading systems, unloaders are cycled occasionally and only used on certain cylinder heads. For example, a four-cylinder compressor would use one unloader. A six-cylinder compressor would use one or two unloaders.

More recent advancements in compressor technology now allow for the possibility of unloading all cylinders on a compressor using a pulse-width modulated, or PWM, signal. This signal is either provided by the systemsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; microprocessor controller or from a controller provided by the compressor manufacturer. With this approach, it is possible to unload a compressor down to as low as 10 per cent of the total capacity for a given set of operating conditions and refrigerant type.

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It is possible to achieve even better control of suction pressure by using one or more variable speed compressors in each suction group. In this case, the compressor speed will be controlled by an analog signal, such as 0 to 10V DC, which is typically supplied by the rack controller. Note that this is a proportional signal with no steps. Similarly, the compressor will speed up or slow down as needed. When a variable speed compressor is carefully selected, the amount of compressor cycling can be reduced substantially.

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For example, imagine an ice cream freezer door opening, followed by a corresponding increase in the suction pressure. If the VFD is not

Refrigerant Services Inc.

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• C o n v e ntion al cylin d er un loading • Var iable c y linder unloading

currently operating at full speed, it can simply speed up to offset the increase in pressure. If there is no VFD, a compressor may have to be started or a compressor has to be loaded up.

Perhaps the main downside to using a VFD is the initial cost. This initial cost has to be weighed against the value of the beneﬁts that it provides.

As with most things, there are pros and cons of both unloading and variable speed. For example, with conventional unloading, the initial cost is less.

In some cases, there are special compressors that are able to operate at higher speeds by increasing the VFD supply frequency and voltage to the compressor. With these special compressor and drive conﬁgurations, it is possible to use a smaller compressor and operate it at high speeds to overcome an increasing suction pressure. This has the effect of reducing compressor cycling even further.

Achieving a more stable suction pressure is typically easier than the simple on/off cycling of compressors. For even better control of suction pressure, a variable unloading technique may be used. The initial cost for this method is higher than with the conventional unloading technique, however. Variable speed drives can provide the added beneﬁt of even better suction pressure control when applied correctly. It is also interesting that variable speed drives are able to maximize power factor, to some extent. This is due to the fact that the compressor motor is supplied with DC voltage using a PWM signal to reproduce the sine waves, instead of being supplied directly from the AC power source.

Use of both the variable unloading and variable speed technologies are on the rise. As the requirements of better capacity control, reduced energy consumption, and perhaps power factor optimization become more important to equipment owners, these technologies will likely continue to be part of a growing trend in supermarket and similar applications.

Phil Boudreau 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.

Re-Think Refrigeration. E

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with Roger Grochmal

The 10 Best Business Books I’ve Ever Read

am what they call a visual person. My learning style comes in the written form, and I’m often asked by fellow business owners to suggest the one great book every entrepreneur should read.

With reading being second nature to me, creating even a short list of recommendations is a challenge, so here are 10 great business reads – some old favourites and some new books – that have had a big impact on me.

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

Like the Book, Only Better If you ever get a chance to attend a book reading and

1. The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard. I met Ken at a plumbing convention more than 35 years ago, shortly after he wrote the book. I remember him describing a typical manager with a bowling metaphor. He described a business as a bowling alley where there’s a sheet or screen between the employee (bowler) and the pins. The manager stands behind the sheet, with the pins. The employee throws the ball down the lane, under the sheet. He can hear pins being hit, but can’t see how many went down. The manager sticks his head out and tells the employee that he missed three. There are lessons here in being transparent and supportive. Sure, he missed three, but he got seven. What kind of a manager are you? 2. In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters. This book was first published in 1982. I was fortunate to hear Tom speak just a few weeks ago in Toronto. I was intrigued to see if the lessons he learned and wrote about 35 years ago were still valid today. The answer, in a single word, is yes! His advice for a manager is to always be MBWA (managing by wandering about). Staying close to your employees and your customers is invaluable.

signing, or get a chance to meet the writer, go for it. I have been fortunate to meet a number of these authors, which cemented their books into my consciousness while

3. Good to Great

by Jim Collins. I won’t try to describe this classic book in a sentence or two but I especially like the notion of developing a culture of discipline within your organization. When you combine it with entrepreneurship you can achieve some pretty amazing results.

giving me an opportunity to

4. The E Myth by Michael Gerber. This is a great hands-on book for any small to medium-sized contractor. Michael talks about how businesses start and how to manage the growing pains, turning them into real businesses that have predictable results.

explore their themes with the writers in person.

5. Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Levinson. This is a great book for contractors who want to grow their businesses but don’t have the big bucks to spend on flashy ad campaigns, especially in costly metropolitan markets. I have used many of his tactics over my career with very good results. Roger’s Top Ten Business Books continues on page 32

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with Roger Grochmal

6. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. I have read every book by Lencioni and they are all very good. He takes complex subjects and, with the use of a fable style of storytelling, teaches us very important lessons. We know we can’t do everything ourselves. In Five Dysfunctions, he reveals the things that lie at the heart of a team’s ability to succeed or fail, and how to build a cohesive, effective team.

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Roger’s Top 10 Business Books continued

7. Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. For Keith, your network is everything. He takes you through a series of steps on how to build your own network that will help you meet your business goals and fit to your personal style. I used to eat lunch at my desk every day and restrict my networking to outside events. I now get out on average three days per week, with all manner of people both inside and outside our industry, and it has really paid off.

Residential Mechanical Ventilation Installation - Level I

8. Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman. I read this book this fall

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after hearing Gino speak at a contractors’ conference. He has developed a hands-on, easy-to-use tool called the EOS, or Entrepreneurial Operating System. I have put his concepts to use in my own business since and built my strategic plan for 2017 using his system.

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9. Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish. He sums it all up in a one-page strategic plan, proving that strategic planning doesn’t have to be difficult.

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10. The latest book I have read is not about business, per se, but about vision. It is called Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance. Musk is that once-in-a-generation person who is able to attract intelligent dreamers to his vision of the future and motivate them to get there. His ability to get the impossible done in a very aggressive timeframe will blow your mind. He has single-handedly conquered and changed the auto, space and solar power industries. The scary thing is that he is only 45 years old and the best may be yet to come. I’d love to hear about your favourite books. Which ones have changed how you think about business?

B u s i n e s s

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WHAT www.mechanicalbusiness.com

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02 . 1 7

F E A T U R E S 38GUEST COMMENTARY How Energy Efﬁciency Brought a Family Together Steffen Werner

48PROJECT PROFILE Patrick Driscoll, the owner of Ironclad Mechanical in Edmonton, takes us behind the scenes at a custom build that’s as ﬁnely tuned as a luxury automobile. Greg Dalgetty

58ROAD WARRIORS Catching up with Clint Delong and Hans Kuivenhoven at Ontario Plants Propagation to learn how the combustion gases from an industrial boiler can help a greenhouse thrive. Greg Dalgetty

Together Again

A Dynamic Duo

44HEAT BLEED Unexpected and Unwelcome Heat Gains and Losses Eric Riml

52PROJECT PROFILE Delving deep into a retroﬁt project at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., that has all the trappings of a wethead’s dream. Jerry Leyte

D E P A R T M E N T S 36From the Editor’s Desk CHECK US OUT ONLINE

56Find the Fix 55,60-62Products

mechanicalbusiness.com

On the cover: Calefﬁ Excellence Award winner Patrick Driscoll has made a name for himself building custom systems and championing energy efﬁciency in and around Edmonton. Photo: Corey Hochachka

WHAT

Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 Canada Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com February 2017 Issue Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com

Associate Editor/Web Editor: Greg Dalgetty, ext. 225 greg.dalgetty@mechanicalbusiness.com National Accounts Manager: Jeff Superle, ext. 221 jeff.superle@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Office Manager: Caroline Bexfield, ext. 227 \Zkhebg^'[^qÛê]9f^\aZgb\Ze[nlbg^ll'\hf 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 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

FROM

If the universe is not only infinite, but constantly expanding, does it not stand to reason that intelligent life may have arisen elsewhere, given the proper conditions? These are questions I’m hardly equipped to answer, but Douglas Vakoch, the president of METI International—a scientific community dedicated to messaging extraterrestrial intelligence—is perhaps better qualified.

Did You Know? If you’re feeling overwhelmed, there are a number of traderelated business development

I was recently listening to a CBC radio and best practices organizations interview with him while I drove to work. that can help ensure you’re He was asked about the wisdom of actively broadcasting the right message. trying to contact alien life, when he has no way of knowing whether the aliens would welcome contact—or perhaps even respond with hostility. His answer? Too late. Whether we want to or not, humans are already producing television and radio broadcasts that could, theoretically, be intercepted by alien life forms. Vakoch pointed out that the very radio program he was speaking on could have listeners who were not of this Earth. All of this got me thinking—you never know who is listening to or watching what you broadcast. And I’m not just talking about little green men. If you’re a mechanical contractor, wholesaler or manufacturer, odds are you have a web presence. But is it up to snuff? Have you followed SEO best practices? Is your website optimized for mobile devices? website, are you reaching potential clients by other Beyond your website online means? Do you have an active presence on Twitter, Facebook or Link LinkedIn, and if you don’t, would it be worth exploring? Like it or not, soc social and digital media are a necessary part of doing business in this day and age. All the more reason to be cognizant message you’re broadcasting on the web. After all, you of the messa never know who’s watching, or how. next time, always remember—you’re warm in a Until n sweater, but hydronics is better. sweat Sincerely, Since

S u p p l e m e n t

DESK

Are we alone in the universe?

W H A T

EDITOR’S

What Are You Broadcasting?

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

THE

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couple years ago, I replaced some wet rotor circulators in my parents’ house in Germany. They had three-speed pumps that were about 15 years old. In spite of their age they were still working ﬂawlessly. So why replace them? Well, there was a good reason.

Steffen Werner is the director of marketing and Western Region sales for Wilo Canada. He can be reached at Steffen.Werner@wilo-canada.com.

I had just started working for Wilo at the time and had become aware of significant changes in the European pump market that were coming down the pipeline. A regulation mandating the use of ECM high-efficiency circulators was in the works. And with that regulation came some unexpected benefits... It was determined that around 23 terawatt hours of electricity could be saved per year if Europe moved to high-efficiency wet rotor pumps.

Did You Know? Pumps represent about 10 per cent of worldwide electricity consumption—a ﬁgure that is often overlooked.

This tremendous potential to reduce overall emissions and electricity consumption led to the implementation of the ErP-Directive (Energy-related Products) for wet rotor pumps. A certain energy efficiency index (EEI) had to be met for these pumps if a company wanted to continue selling their products on the European market. The index was set up to become stricter with the passage of time. This changed the European pump market drastically, leading to the widespread use of ECM pumps and speed/demand control modes. As a result, a lot of opportunities opened up for contractors to find smart solutions and new benefits for their customers. A common complaint contractors had often faced was control valves that were noisy from over pumping. But self-regulating ECM pumps made this issue a nuisance of the past. Furthermore, systems could now be designed to take full advantage of condensing boilers, since ECM pumps can ramp down to allow for cooler return water.

But it’s not just contractors who can beneﬁt. In the case of my parents, they saved about 200 Euros per year on electricity costs by switching to ECM pumps without making any other changes to their heating system from the late ’70s. The pumps amortized themselves very quickly and the money they save now goes into a fund for yearly trips to Canada. Looking back, a very small change led to some big opportunities.

W H A T

Suppl emen t

02. 17

Photos: Bookstrucker Photography

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently in the process of passing a similar regulation for small circulators. It is expected to be implemented around 2021 and will certainly affect Canada as well. This timeframe will give contractors and designers a chance to prepare for these changes.

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Hydronics

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.

By Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

MOVING

BTUs T

he heat exchanger (HX) could be considered the quiet workhorse of the hydronic world. These simple, straightforward-looking devices are non-mechanical, nonelectric components that perform mighty tasks.

FROM HERE TO THERE DOUBLE THE PROTECTION

Plate or tube-type heat exchangers are very commonly applied in the hydronic, HVAC, refrigeration and solar trades, and plate-style HX units are even seen in the dairy and food processing industries.

Where an increased level of protection is needed between the ﬂuids that circulate within the heat exchanger, a doublewalled HX can be called into duty.

For hydronic purposes, an HX basically allows heat to transfer from one fluid to another without the fluids touching or coming in contact with one another. A plate-type heat exchanger consists of a series of plates with numerous fluid paths. Often constructed of stainless steel, they can be crimped, brazed or bolted together to form the assembly. Corrugated plates provide turbulent flow for best heat transfer while reducing the potential for fouling or deposits collecting inside the passageways. Flat-plate exchangers offer a lot of performance in a small package, and are able to be scaled up for larger applications. Small versions are sometimes referred to as a “brick” as the size is similar. Another popular heat exchanger construction is a tube and shell, or tube bundle, arrangement. This type of HX uses a loop, or a series of loops, to form the heat exchange passages. Tube bundles can be inserted into insulated tanks to exchange heat energy from a boiler, or multiple other sources, into the fluid in the tank. This is a common style of exchanger used with large DHW applications. continues on page 42

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Swimming pools and spas are a common application for heat exchangers.

Double-walled units usually have an air gap, which provides visual detection of a leak. With this type of HX, multiple barriers would have to fail for the fluids to cross into each other. Of course, because there’s an air gap, there’s a transfer efficiency hit with a double-walled heat exchanger, which will add some additional system operational costs, not to mention the increased cost of the doublewalled units themselves. This type of heat exchanger is often used in refrigeration applications. Code officials enforce double-walled construction in some jurisdictions, depending on the fluids circulated.

continued from page 40

COMMON APPLICATIONS

The coil bundles can be made from smooth or finned copper tube, but stainless steel and cupronickel are other materials commonly used for HX coils. Many of the indirect-type water heaters we see in the industry have coil-type heat exchangers built into their tanks. Heat exchangers perform best when two pumped or moving flows of fluid are piped in a counter-flow method. When using a heat exchanger, be sure to add a dirt separator or strainer to protect it. New piping debris as well as rust and scale from older piping systems can plug the small passageways. On domestic water HX, adding an isolation or flush valve would allow a cleaner to be flushed through the HX without removing it from the piping, similar to a how a tankless water heater can be cleaned.

In heat exchangers, as in life, it’s all about the journey – moving warmth from one point to another.

GOING GEO WITH

Swimming pools and spas are another common application for heat exchangers. In the solar thermal industry an HX could be used to generate domestic hot water. Likewise, you may see a plate HX included within a mod-con boiler to provide on-demand DHW generation. Domestic water ﬂows through the plates, where it can be heated instantaneously as the boiler supplies the energy.

>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<

I recently visited a geothermal project where a large plate and frame style HX was used to separate the hot water pumped from 4,400 feet in the ground under Reno, Nevada.

SITE-BUILT EXCHANGERS

The HX transferred the energy from the well water into the central plant, which then provided energy to heat various buildings, generate DHW, as well as heat the pools on the property.

The most elaborate custom-built HX I have seen is one constructed in Brooklyn, NY. A team of clever contractors I know specialize in mikveh heating.

This particular heat exchanger was capable of transferring the thermal energy from the geothermal well at ﬂow rates up to 1,200 gpm.

They design large high-performance heat exchangers to quickly bring the baths up to operating temperature after the water is drained and replaced. This one was constructed by Kal and Moses and their team to ﬁt under the stairs that lead into the bath.

Over the years I have seen some clever homebuilt heat exchangers. In the early solar thermal days, heat exchangers were constructed by inserting a 20-foot length of copper tube inside a larger diameter length; basically a tube-in-tube design. It was a simple way to site-build a heat exchanger with offthe-shelf components.

A nice thing about the plate and frame assembly method is that it allows the entire HX to be disassembled and cleaned, should the plates foul or need replacement. In the case of this installation, additional plates were added after the system was operated for a period of time, based on the ﬂow and performance data gathered during that initial period. This type of HX is offered in a wide selection of dimensions and with various types of connection ports.

It is not uncommon for a hydronic application to have a need to separate glycol ﬂuids from water-ﬁlled piping. A snowmelt application would be one example where heat energy from a boiler would exchange energy via a heat exchanger from the system water to the glycol circulating in the snowmelt loops.

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They calculated the load, and determined the square footage required to exchange the energy from the boiler into bath water.

Eric Riml is a certiﬁed hydronic designer working in Calgary, Alta. He can be reached at hydronichelp@gmail.com.

Heat Bleed By Eric Riml

UNEXPECTED UNWELCOME HEAT GAINS AND LOSSES

espite everything system designers do, and even with the best laid out plans, contractors encounter a variety of situations on jobsites that cannot be foreseen and will need a judgment call. Even something like having to change the design to go around structural beams or heating ducts, which can cause longer supply runs, can play havoc with a heating system design. And things the designer can’t see, such as nearby cold water pipes or sewage lines, can pull heat away from the intended zones. And then there are owner-driven changes that can muck with a heating system’s effectiveness.

A RE-CUSTOMIZED CUSTOM HOUSE

once got called to a large house that had slab heating on both the upper and main floors. After the floor was piped and poured, the owner decided he wanted to change the layout of the upper floor. The result was something like Image 1. His complaint? One of the kids’ bedrooms was too hot – the one in the middle. He felt it was a control issue. “The thermostat must be set up wrong,” he said. But what was happening, as you might guess, was that the heat loss was higher in the outer bedroom, and the floor piping controlled by that zone was bleeding into the middle bedroom. What can be done about something like this, other than taking a jackhammer to the floor? Well, that depends. There is a possible solution, and though it isn’t a

Image 1

terribly good one, it may help. Let’s assume that we get lucky, and the loops are laid out as in Image 2. Since heating operates via a differential, what we want to do is slow down the ﬂow and increase the differential across the piping. If this works, the outside bedroom should still get the heat it needs, and the middle bedroom should be somewhat cooler. This may not work year-round, however, as at design temperatures the

Image 2

slower flow in the outer bedroom may not supply enough heat, and the supply water temperature may need to be raised, which may then exceed the floor surface temperature maximum. If that happens you might have to restore the flow and let the outer bedroom heat the inner one during those months, but for most of the year the outer bedroom should be comfortable, and the middle bedroom zone will be off most of the time.

continues on page 46

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continues from page 44

HIDDEN HEAT SINKS You’re in the house, installing your heating system, as designed. The house is empty, and there may not even be any drywall up, and almost certainly, the ﬂooring isn’t installed yet.

TRENDS IN LIGHTING Lighting used to be one of the biggest culprits in unexpected heat gain. The most common complaint from homeowners was that they paid for warm ﬂoors, but the ﬂoors never came on because of the heat produced by lighting! With LED lighting, excess heat has dropped rapidly in the last couple of years, but I would still recommend asking the general contractor for the electrical plan, if at all possible, and asking for them to point out any oddities or excesses of lighting.

The homeowner wants 2” thick, black shale tile in the large kitchen/dining/sunroom at the back of his house. Oh, and it’s south-facing. And he wants radiant heating. What he doesn’t realize is that, even without any piping, he’ll have radiant heating! Simply put, the solar gain will turn the tile into solar heat storage, and unless you add radiant floor cooling to your design, you will be fighting against this flooring to try to keep the zone comfortable. What actually happened in this real-world installation was the HVAC installers ended up adding a total of nine air-conditioning units to cool the air enough to make it comfortable in the home! I bet that floor was so hot that you’d have to wear slippers indoors, even in the summer. As the hydronic expert, ask questions about flooring. You never know, you might have the opportunity to suggest an option that will not only increase your profits, but result in a more comfortable home.

THE

There is plenty of non-LED specialty lighting still on the market today, although most custom homes are now moving toward LEDs, where the heat gain is minimal.

hot tub AND THE

If you have the money, snowmelt can be great for bragging rights. Of course, there should be limits, even when money does not appear to be a concern. On this one site where I was looking at a different heating system, the contractor got talking about a 1,000-sq.-ft. snowmelted patio at the back of the property. The patio had an in-ground hot tub that had a separate hot-tub boiler that he said ran all year, flat-out. When I asked why, he pointed to the stream behind the property, which actually ran underneath the patio for a bit – and pulled most of the heat away from the hot tub. He explained that the hot tub installers failed to install any insulation around the tub, believing that, as usual, the ground around the tub would be sufficient insulation. As an aside, the heating pipes had insulation under them, and didn’t suffer from this issue. The cost to the homeowner? A $5,000 gas bill every month. And he paid it – regularly. If I was the homeowner, I would seriously consider diverting the stream. It would likely be easier than pulling up all the pipe, moving the hot tub or adding insulation after the fact! Of course, if the heating contractor had spoken to the homeowner about the lack of insulation, this problem might have been easily avoided. Apparently the heating contractor didn’t inform the homeowner since he wanted to avoid conflict with the other installers on site. If you’re in this situation, ask yourself: Who is more important to you, the client, or the other trades? I realize this question can have different right answers, but it’s important to ask in such situations, rather than go with a default position of avoiding conflict.

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A Cadillac PROJECT PROFILE By Greg Dalgetty

SYSTEM

Patrick Driscoll knows a thing or two about finding unique HVAC solutions for large custom homes, and one of his latest projects in Sturgeon County, Alta., merges comfort and efficiency beautifully. “It’s a two-storey, 4,000 square-foot house, with about 1,800 square feet in the basement,” says the owner of Edmonton-based Ironclad Mechanical. “And there’s a monster garage. I’d have to say it’s damn near 1,800 square feet with 12-foot ceilings.” Driscoll was hired to install all the mechanicals and plumbing fixtures in the high-end new construction, as well as the heating for the garage. He ended up devising a fully zoned split system complete with two fan coils, two HRVs and a network of zone recovery terminals (ZRTs). He likens the finished product to a luxury vehicle. “It’s the absolute Cadillac of systems,” he says proudly. “You really can’t get any better than this.” We caught up with Driscoll to take a peek inside just as he was wrapping up work on the project.

STRUCTURING THE SYSTEM A 230,000 BTUH boiler serves as the heart of the 10-zone heating system, both for the house and garage. The boiler also powers an 80-gallon indirect water heater for all the domestic hot water needs. “It’s a fully modulating boiler that will dial in from zero all the way to 100 per cent,” Driscoll says. “The lowest it will run

W H A T

is 22,000 or 25,000 BTUs, so we’re really hitting target rates.” To ensure total comfort throughout the house, Driscoll and his team split the heating and cooling system into two subsystems, with fan coils on the upper and lower levels. The system uses HRVs and a network of ZRTs to recycle heat and

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boost exhaust ventilation when necessary. “It’s separated into two sections, from upstairs to downstairs, so you’re not freezing out the basement,” he explains. “For the main ﬂoor and basement, we’ve got one fan coil/HRV with the ZRT system. And then we have a completely separate fan coil/HRV system for the upstairs.”

INSTANT FEEDBACK AND ADJUSTMENT Designed to maximize efficiency, components linked to the heating, cooling and ventilation network are in constant communication with each other, ensuring that no energy is wasted. “What we’re really pushing is the communication between the systems,” Driscoll explains. “We’re not just slapping a boiler up on the wall. We’re doing full-on communication, so that we’re not calling for cooling and heating at the same time. “When this boiler gets a call for heat, it sends out a signal to the in-floor and the fan coil and checks the return temperature. Based on that, it calculates how much heat it needs to put in.” The ZRT system uses wall sensors to detect humidity and adjust ventilation needs accordingly. “The whole system is integrated with the HRV, so we’re scrubbing all that heat the best we can with the fresh air,” Driscoll says. “We’re always bringing in fresh air and running it through the fan coil to blow out through the high velocity system.” Everything is tied together with a smart thermostat, which monitors temperature fluctuations and can send customized alerts to the homeowner’s mobile device. “If your temperature drops, it can send an alert to your phone so you can call your local plumber. And then you’re not coming home to burst pipes.”

Photos: Corey Hochachka

MAKING A PERSONAL CONNECTION

All the heating is in-ﬂoor, while the fan coils handle the cooling side of things. “We have it sized to the point where the fan coils are not going to run for heating—well, unless maybe it gets to -50°C outside,” Driscoll says.

For Driscoll, one of the most important parts of the job is establishing a rapport with his clients. “Everybody wants to know their mechanic, because he knows your truck inside and out,” he muses.

For me, you should know your plumber inside and out. You should know their first name, and you should know what they’re capable of doing, so they get to know your system inside and out. That way you’re not just having some random guy coming in and throwing parts at it. continues on page 50

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PROJECT PROFILE continued from page 49 BATTLING BULKHEADS Aesthetics are important when building a luxury house, which means unsightly bulkheads can be a problem. “We’re dealing with high-end ﬁxtures and products, and we know that the homeowner doesn’t want to have this $2 million house that has bulkheads everywhere,” Driscoll explains. “So that was a bit of a challenge, ﬁguring out where everything would go and how to run things appropriately. That was very tough to do—there’s no way around it. “There’s only one portion of this house that was dropped, and that was right in the pantry and half bath, which you wouldn’t notice because it’s closed off from everything else and it’s right in the middle of the house.” Being able to use spiral ducts for the fan coils offered space-saving opportunities that helped keep the bulkheads at bay. “Everything else was done right up inside the joists,” Driscoll recalls. “We were able to run a smaller spiral duct because we had a higher velocity system, and we were able to place all the diffuser grilles more strategically.”

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

Project Profile By Jerry Leyte

STUDENT RESIDENCES GET THE

hydronic TREATMENT

ncreases in energy costs are leading many building owners and facility managers to look for more cost-effective ways of heating and cooling their buildings. Apartment buildings and student residences currently using electric systems are prime candidates for conversion to hydronic heating systems, and sometimes even water-based cooling systems.

THE BRICKER RESIDENCE

This past year, Wilfrid Laurier University, in Waterloo, Ont., opted to retroﬁt the electric heating systems in two of its existing student residences. The school went with hydronic heating and cooling for one of the buildings, and with hydronic heating for the other, which continues to use its existing forcedair DX cooling system.

The required ﬂowrates for the fan coil units varied between 4.7 and 13.5 gpm, and pipe size calculations were based on a Delta T of 10°F for the cooling system.

THE TEAM GENERAL CONTRACTOR:

Johnson Controls Inc. MECHANICAL SYSTEM DESIGN:

DEI & Associates Inc. MECHANICAL CONTRACTOR:

Modern Niagara

Located at 44 Bricker Avenue in Waterloo, the Bricker Residence is a 10-storey apartment-style residence. Each suite has four bedrooms, as well as common kitchen, bath and living room areas. This project retroﬁt was designed to have fan coil units located in each of the suites, and a new piping system added to supply heating and cooling water in a two-pipe switch-over system.

This particular building had new boilers and chillers added, and a main ring loop was installed on the ground floor. The majority of the piping was installed in the ceiling space of the main hallway. PEX risers were installed between floors to connect to each of the fan coil units, as shown. For all floor penetrations and through any fire-rated walls, the PEX pipe was sealed with fire-rated sealant. And each floor and ceiling penetration included a riser clamp to minimize pipe expansion between floors. Brickers Unit

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continues on page 54

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continued from page 52

TIGHT

timeframes AND TIGHT spaces

ne of the key challenges with these projects was to have the installations completed during a four-month period, from May to August, which is when the students were on their summer break. This left a very tight window of opportunity to get these projects completed. There was no room for possible delays or project extensions.

Transitions between black iron pipe and 3” PEX were made with brass threaded transitions and/or ﬂange kits as shown in Photo 1. Brass PEX transition ﬁttings were also used for connecting the PEX pipe to some valves and circuit setters (see Photo 2).

Photo 1

Most of the horizontal PEX installations had PEX support rails included to allow for fewer hanging brackets and to help minimize pipe expansion. By using the PEX support rails, the installers were able to support the pipe approximately every eight feet.

Due to the tight timeline, and the fact that these were both existing ﬁnished buildings, mechanical contractor Modern Niagara opted to use PEX piping instead of a more rigid pipe system. There were a number of places where space was limited for the installation of pipe, so the ﬂexible nature of PEX proved to be advantageous in those areas.

tools and the materials.

Photo 2

Where possible, the larger connections were originally assembled at the bench level and ﬁnal connections were made in the drop ceiling spaces and wall cavities.

The projects incorporated PEX sizes up to and including 3” diameter pipe, with all larger pipe sizes being black iron. Prior to the start of the PEX installation, Modern Niagara installers were trained by rep agency The Morgan Group, to ensure everyone was familiar with the use of PEX expansion tools, and the proper mounting and support requirements for the new larger diameter PEX pipe. Modern Niagara was familiar with working with PEX pipe and cold flare fittings from past projects, but this was the first project where larger 2” and 3” PEX and fittings were going to be used by them, and they wanted to ensure their staff were familiar with the

The majority of the 1” and larger pipe sizes used straight lengths of 10- and 20-foot sections of PEX. For smaller pipe sizes that were connecting to the fan coils or VAV boxes, it was possible to use ﬂexible coils of PEX, minimizing the number of elbows and other connections needed. Upon completion of each installation, the system was ﬁlled and pressure tested to check for possible leaks. The piping system was then insulated before reinstalling the ceiling panels and sections of drywall. And, of course, the projects were completed prior to the students’ return for their fall semester of studies.

THE GRAND RIVER RESIDENCE The Grand River Residence is part of Laurier’s satellite campus at 171 Colborne St. in Brantford, Ont. It is a ﬁve-storey building that houses 150 students.

Residence rooms are located on floors three through five, and classrooms and administrative offices are on the first two floors. This project was designed to have hydronic reheat coils added to the existing VAV boxes that were already installed in the offices, classrooms and suites. The existing forced air cooling system at this location was kept and not replaced. Due to the configuration of the building and the various locations of the VAV boxes, each floor had its own ring main

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loop that was fed with larger diameter risers. Smaller diameter PEX branched from the ring main on each ﬂoor to feed each of the reheat coils. These reheat coils varied in size and capacity, to match each of the room’s needs. Flowrates for the reheat coils ranged from 1.4 to 9.7 gpm, with a majority of the coils landing in the 2 to 4 gpm range. The system was designed using a SWT of 150°F and Delta T of 20°F.

HYDRONIC PRODUCTS System Water Filtration PEX Tubing Legend Hydronics’ Legend-Flex PEX tubing is engineered from a proprietary formula designed to maximize ﬂexibility and strength. It is available with crimp or expansion-style connections, and is compatible with cold expansion ﬁtting systems. Tubing is available in diameters of 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8”, 3/4” and 1”.

Calefﬁ HydroFill units are designed to remove minerals from the process water used in residential and commercial hydronic heating and cooling systems. The units feature shut-off ball valves made of stainless steel with brass housings and EPDM seals. Each unit comes with replaceable resin bags. Models are available with 6 gpm or 12 gpm ﬁlling rates.

www. calefﬁ.com

www. legendhydronics.com

Heat Transfer Fluid Chemfax’s Chem-Frost 100% is a non-toxic heavy duty heat transfer ﬂuid speciﬁcally blended for cold-weather climates. The 100 per cent propylene glycol features inhibitors designed to prevent corrosion. It is compatible with other propylene and ethylene glycol products.

Condensing Boilers Vitocrossal 300 CU3A gas-ﬁred condensing boilers from Viessmann are suitable for residential and light commercial applications. They come in sizes ranging from 19,000 to 199,000 BTUH and offer AFUE efﬁciencies of 95 per cent. With a turndown ratio of 5:1, they can be cascaded in installations with up to eight boilers for a total of 1,592,000 BTUH.

www. chemfax.com

www. viessmann.ca

LAARS HEATING SYSTEMS COMPANY ®

Fully Featured Fire Tube and Water Tube Designs To Meet the Heating Needs of Any Home. Built to be the Best • www.laars.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

PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS You are called in to look at a 5,000 sq. ft. two-storey home that has in-ﬂoor heating in the basement and in-joist heat for the four bathrooms. There are also two furnaces with A/C, but that’s not the current focus for you. The homeowner reports that the snowmelt system “eventually works” (it has seven loops of 3/4” PEX), the basementt and mestic bathrooms rarely work, and sometimes the domestic hot water runs out quickly. 0°F The instantaneous indirect works by storing 180°F boiler water in the tank. Multiple coils of 1/2” copper ature serve as a heat exchanger to raise the temperature about 100°F. On this job, the buffer tank is set at ce to 140°F, so the condensing boilers have a chance condense.

1. If the boilers require a 25°F delta T, the near b boiler il piping i i should be: a) 1” b) 1-1/4” c) 1-1/2” d) 2” 2. Is the main boiler pipe sizing of 1-1/2” correct if both boilers are running? a) Yes. b) No. c) Yes, if the delta T is 30°F. d) Yes, if the delta T is 40°F.

3. Wi 3 With h allll zones calling, lli plus l a 3 gpm callll for f DHW, DHW is i there h enough boiler output to cover all the loads? a) No b) Yes

4. If this is a primary/secondary system, what has to happen to make it work? a) Nothing. It will work all the time. b) It is not a primary/secondary system. c) It can only work if at least one boiler pump is running. d) A primary pump must be installed, so that the secondary loads can work.

WIN! Email your answers to adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com. Please include your name and daytime phone number.

Looking for the November/December answers? If you need the answers to last edition’s quiz, you’ll ﬁnd them on our home on the web, www.mechanicalbusiness.com. Just click the “Looking for Answers?” button on our homepage.

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Staying Warm and Dry! Solve our puzzle this month and you could win a Milwaukee M12 3-in-1 Heated Jacket. Pairing a heated hoodie with a heavy-duty wind- and water-resistant outer shell, its inner layer uses carbon ﬁbre heating ng g elements to create and distribute heat at to the chest and back. This is one heated jacket that is engineered to help you survive jobsite conditions in any weather. Send your solution by March 3 for your chance to win.

IN STOCK!

THIS AIN’T YOUR GRANDADDY’S MULTIMETER Introducing the DM284, an all-in-one True RMS digital multimeter and thermal imager that show you exactly where an electrical problem is to speed up troubleshooting. Infrared Guided Measurement (IGM™) is the future of instrument and tool technology. Plain and simple. And for the hardworking professionals in the building and electrical industries, it’s the perfect addition to the toolbox. By helping you identify and verify problems invisible to the naked eye, you’ll save time, money, and maybe even lives. Request a demo from participating distributors at FLIR.ca/DM284

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Road Warriors By Greg Dalgetty

Names: Hans Kuivenhoven (left) and Clint Delong (right) Company: Combustion Techs Location: Chatham-Kent, Ont. Job Titles: Co-owners Ages: 40 (Hans) and 45 (Clint)

Together Again

A Dynamic Duo Y

ou never know when a former colleague will become a future business partner. Just ask Clint Delong or Hans Kuivenhoven.

Photos: Jay Terry

“We used to work together,” Delong explains. “I hired Hans about 10 years ago at a different company. He was our apprentice. Ten years later he’s hiring me, asking me to help him out with his new business venture.”

Kuivenhoven started Combustion Techs, a ﬁrm that provides service and maintenance to fuel-burning systems in industrial applications, a little over two years ago. After subcontracting a project to Delong, the pair put their minds together, resulting in the two journeymen partnering in the business just over a year ago.

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“The majority of our work is service and maintenance on anything that burns fuel,” Kuivenhoven explains. That work includes maintenance contracts with several greenhouses with massive hydronic systems. We caught up with Kuivenhoven and Delong at Ontario Plants Propagation in St. Thomas, Ont., to learn more about their decade-long professional relationship, and to ﬁnd out how the combustion gases from an industrial boiler can help a greenhouse thrive.

How did you get started in the trade? Clint: I took an HVAC apprenticeship program because I got to work with a lot of burners. I liked the burner trade and troubleshooting. I started off my apprenticeship when I was 19 years old in Blenheim, Ont. Four years later I was a journeyman and I’ve never looked back. Hans: I worked in my family’s agribusiness for a while, and then I started looking for something else. One of the local guys hired me to work for him in the Woodstock, Ont., area. I started as a plumbing labourer, actually. I went from that to a sheet metal apprenticeship, got my gas ticket, and then I got into refrigeration. What’s your favourite thing about the trade? Clint: Variety. Every day is a new challenge, every day there’s a new person to meet, and every day there’s a new thing to do. What’s your favourite tool in your toolbox? Hans: That would be my Skullcandy headset. Clint: For me it’s my combustion analyzer. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done at work? Clint: I was in the Arctic for ﬁve weeks, starting up and commissioning some mineshaft heaters for a diamond mine called Ekati in 2006. The time I spent there was really cool—the landscape, no daylight, the cold weather; but nature was all around us. Hans: The most interesting thing I’ve done for work would be going to Nebraska and setting up two boilers and rebuilding them to run on used motor oil fuel. That was in 2005. Do you have any hobbies? Clint: I scuba dive. I started about 15 years ago. The last time I went out was in Georgian Bay. I saw a shipwreck down there in Penetanguishene. Hans: I’m a bit of a workaholic. My hobbies involve my kids and their athletic activities. I have four kids— the oldest one is 19 and the youngest one is seven. Favourite movie: Hans: The last good movie I watched was Top Gun. I’m joking! Honestly, I don’t watch much TV or listen to music, so this is all you, Clint. Clint: I like a lot of action movies. I just watched Die Hard again last night, and it’s great. I was so tired, but I still had to watch it.

What’s your dream car? Clint: I’d like to get back my Ford Fairlane convertible I smashed up when I was 17 years old. Hans: I would like to own a red ’76 hardtop convertible Corvette.

Hydronics in a Greenhouse One of Combustion Techs’ clients is Ontario Plants Propagation, a greenhouse in St. Thomas that covers close to 30 acres of land. “This facility cultivates all the crops that other greenhouses grow,” Kuivenhoven says. “So they start out with seeds and do all the plant care that’s required until the saplings are ready to be planted at other greenhouses.” Four 30 million BTUH boilers provide space heating and hot water for the facility—as well as another necessity. “The boilers also produce the CO2 that helps the plants grow,” Delong says. “The greenhouse uses the off gases from the combustion to help the plants.” Monitoring the conditions in the greenhouse is of the utmost importance to ensure that the temperature and CO2 levels remain at optimal levels. “It’s a very controlled setup, and that’s one of the things we look at with our instrumentation as well— the CO2 and the oxygen content,” Kuivenhoven says. “During the day you use minimal heat but require maximum CO2, and at night you require maximum heat and no CO2 because the plants go to sleep. So they came up with a storage tank system that uses a large hot water reservoir.”

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HYDRONIC PRODUCTS Pump Control System Xylem’s ﬁfth-generation Hydrovar is an intelligent pump controller capable of running systems with up to eight pumps. It has a multi-master functionality that allows each individual pump to take control if one or more units or sensors are not active. Suitable for new builds and retroﬁts, 21 models with standard with BACnet and Modbus capabilities are available.

www. hydrovar.com

High Efﬁciency Combination Boiler ACV Triangle Tube’s Prestige Excellence combination boilers with domestic hot water heating feature a stainless steel design for both the inner and outer tank. Available in sizes ranging from 80,000 to 399,000 BTUH, they offer a turndown ratio of 5.5:1, AFUE efﬁciencies of up to 95 per cent and the ability to supply 3 gpm of domestic hot water.

www. triangletube.com

Zone Valve Control The Zone Valve Control 304V from tekmar Controls operates zone valves in hydronic heating systems and is designed to connect with up to four thermostats. In addition to operating a zone valve, Zone 1 can also operate a circulator to provide heat to an indirect domestic hot water tank with optional priority over zones 2 through 4.

www. tekmarcontrols.com

The discovery of copper dates back to about 9000 B.C.

AQUATECH™ stands behind the solutions it offers with experienced technical and engineering support staff, and provides value that makes it hard to resist. Who better to rely on than our network of sales representatives and the complete range of Lochinvar® products.

Aqua-Tech Sales and Marketing Inc. 4390 Paletta Court, Unit M, Burlington, ON L 7L 5R2 P: 905.631.5815 F: 905.637.8655 aquatech-canada.com

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HYDRONIC PRODUCTS Fire-Tube Boilers Isolation Valves Webstone’s Isolator with round flange isolation valves feature bolt patterns specifically designed to accommodate high-efficiency variable speed pumps. They are available in three flange designs with FIP, SWT, or press connections in 1-1/2” and 2” sizes.w.

Lochinvar’s KHN Knight floor-standing fire tube residential boilers offer AFUE efficiencies as high as 95 per cent. Models range from 55,000 to 285,000 BTUH and offer a turndown ratio of up to 10:1. The boilers feature stainless steel heat exchangers and can be controlled remotely using the company’s Con-X-Us app.

www. lochinvar.com

webstonevalves.com

Union Connections Viega has introduced 12 additional cold press union options for the company’s MegaPress and MegaPressG systems for schedule 5 to schedule 40 carbon steel piping systems. The P x FPT unions are available in 1/2", 3/4", 1", 1-1/4", 1-1/2" and 2" sizes.

www. viega.us

Don’t take chances with your Flue Gas Venting system installations

System 636® Flue Gas Venting provides a complete product offering to get the job done on-time and to the finished quality customers need. • Unmatched quality • Permanent solvent weld connections • Rugged Schedule 40 thickness

• Installer training • Leading distributors • Technical support

Avoid uncertainty and go with the proven system solution – System 636 by IPEX. Everything an installer needs for quality, safe vent installations.

System 636 – Ask for it by name

System 636® is available in PVC and CPVC For Flue Gas Venting Applications ipexna.com

Toll Free: 1 866 473 9462

Products manufactured by IPEX Inc. System 636® is a trademark of IPEX Branding Inc.

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HYDRONIC PRODUCTS Butterfly Valves Belimo’s butterfly valves are engineered to offer an energy-efficient high-flow solution for hydronic applications. They feature a patented brushless DC motor technology designed to reduce energy consumption and enhance system performance. A variety of two- and three-way resilient and high-performance models are available with valve sizes ranging from 2” to 24”. Two and threeway victaulic models are available with valve sizes ranging from 2” to 12”.

www. belimo.ca

Combination Boilers Navien’s NCB-E combination boilers are available in four sizes ranging from 120,000 to 199,000 BTUH. Designed to handle household heating as well as domestic hot water requirements, they feature a Grundfos pump, integral air vent and a PRV top connection. Efﬁciencies range up to 95 per cent AFUE.

www. navien.com

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ECM Circulators Taco’s 007e circulators have ECM motors and require no programming. They feature a barrier designed to protect the pump from contaminants. The circulators are capable of automatically freeing locked rotor conditions and will self-purge air. Maximum ﬂow is rated at 16 gpm, and maximum shut-off head is 10'.

www. tacocomfortsolutions.com

Supply

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SL20-115G2 & SL28-160 Feature multiple piping options

Installer Setup Diagnostics

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Made of high grade 439 stainless steel the SL heat exchangers deliver 95% AFUE efficiency. The SL heat exchangers are easy to inspect and feature a condensate draining system that cleans as it heats. With more models, unmatched safety features and featuring our V-10 Touch Screen Boiler Controller, there is an SL model for every application!

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Sh wer Stats & Facts

Most Canadians tend to shower in the morning, rather than at night.

While a standard showerhead typically uses 9.5 litres per minute, a KLJK HIĹľFLHQF\ :DWHU6HQVH labelled showerhead uses only 7.6 litres per minute.

Compiled by Adam Freill

enerally speaking, showers use less water than baths, and take less time as well, so it should come as no surprise that most Canadians are more likely to hit the shower than lounge in the bath. On average, showers consume around 40 of the 204 litres of water that each of us uses every day, and according to a review of several surveys, most of us pop under the water for anywhere from 8 to 13 minutes. Here are some thoughts to ponder next time you hop in for a quick rinse.

Canadian retail sales of bath and shower products, like soap and shampoo, reached $962 million in 2015.

Shower controls should be located so that they are easily reached at a maximum height of 47â&#x20AC;?.

CSA Standard B651 requires that grab bars be mounted so they provide a minimum support of 133 kg (approximately 290 lb.).

Photo: Moen

The slope of the shower base is just as important as drain size. Shower stalls should be at least 36 inches by 36 inches, with showerheads placed at a comfortable level for the individuals in the home.

A 40-gallon water heater will supply approximately 28 minutes of continuous shower time.

All Canadian plumbing codes list a minimum size of 1-1/2â&#x20AC;? for shower drains, but most manufacturers only make 2â&#x20AC;? drains.

The world record for longest shower is held by .HYLQ Ĺ&#x201C;&DWĹľVKĹ&#x201D; 0F&DUWK\ ZKR LQ VSHQW 340 hours and 40 minutes in the shower at Buffalo State College.

M e c h a n i c a l

Almost half of the water used in your home is in the bathroom.

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PLUMBING

Products

Scale Prevention QSBRI’s passive backﬂow (PBV) device is engineered to prevent hard water scaling in domestic hot water systems. It can be added to any water heating appliance that uses an indirect heat source and a heat exchanger or condenser. The device is designed to continually back-ﬂush the heat exchanger any time hot water is in use.

www. passivebackﬂow.com

PEX Plumbing System SharkBite’s EvoPEX plumbing system features fittings, PEX, outlet boxes, valves and other accessories needed to install a complete plumbing system from meter to fixture. It has greencoloured visual indicators that will show when fittings are properly connected.

www. sharkbite.com

Shower Diverters Delta Faucet’s MultiChoice integrated shower diverters feature a combination rough-in designed to eliminate the need for an additional diverter valve. Once the unit is installed, future changes to style and functionality can be made without altering the plumbing behind the wall. The diverters are available in 3- and 6-setting options in traditional, contemporary round and angular modern styles.

Thomas Crapper & Co. Ltd. was founded in 1861.

www. deltafaucet.ca

A trusted brand. ,QQRYDWLRQ DQG FRPIRUW DW \RXU ÀQJHUWLSV

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M e c h a n i c a l

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riobelpro.ca

HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC

Gord Cooke is a professional engineer who has spent 20 years helping builders and HVAC contractors implement innovative technologies into highperformance homes. He has particular expertise in IAQ and airﬂow management in houses, and can be contacted at gcooke@ airsolutions.ca.

B y Go r d C o o ke

More on

RADON I

n my last column, we took a very broad look at radon, from exploring what exactly this important soil gas is to what opportunities it presents for interested HVAC contractors. Let’s now take a look at the practical opportunities associated with Canadian radon certiﬁcation, standard measurement techniques and appropriate mitigation tactics.

The Importance of an Early Start Radon measurement devices can be divided into two groups: short-term and long-term.

Getting CERTIFIED In Canada, radon certification is controlled by the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP). It offers certification for radon measurement professionals, radon mitigation professionals, radon analytic laboratories and radon trainers. In my opinion, the biggest opportunities for mechanical contractors are in the measurement and mitigation segments. As word of the danger of radon spreads, most customers will likely seek out the services of contractors with recognizable certification, given the grave implications ns of high radon levels.

Short-term testing is deﬁned as any test lasting less than 91 days, and it is often used for diagnostic purposes. Health Canada recommends that longterm devices, which typically measure radon over the course of 91 to 365 days, should be used following short-term measurements. Long-term test kits provide the only readings that mitigation decisions should be based on, due to the greater potential for false low or high readings from short-term tests. This is a key point when you consider the radon opportunity investment – your ﬁrst mitigation project will be at least a year away. You can already imagine the patience required both by your sales team and the clients who have shown initial interest. Get started now.

al The first step in becoming a certified radon measurement professional is to complete an appropriate radon measurement course, either online or in person. You can then write the C-NRPP Entry Level Radon Measurement Exam. This supervised exam is usually provided at the end of in-class courses, while online students must arrange for a proctor to supervise their sitting. Once you’ve taken and passed the exam you can then apply to C-NRPP for a two-year certification. After that, I would advise jumping right back into study mode with the e mitigation course. These two entry level courses are bundled by some e course providers, but do note that you must first have your Radon Measurement Professional certification to be eligible for your Radon Mitigation Professional certification.

M e c h a n i c a l

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continues on page 70

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Introducing Daikin AURORA for year-round comfort in single and multi-zone systems Year-round comfort, with energy efﬁcient Daikin AURORATM even when the temperature drops down to -13°F (-25°C). Bring on the winter! 20 SEER / Up to 13 HSPF. Up to 100% Heating Capacity at 5°F (-15°C) Learn more at daikincomfort.com ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Before purchasing this appliance, read important information about its estimated annual energy consumption, yearly operating cost, or energy efﬁciency rating that is available from your retailer.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC

continued from page 68

Comparing MEASURING DEVICES All short-term testss require closed-house se conditions for at least 12 hours prior to the start off measurement (HRVs Vs can remain running g as usual). Some companies have partnered with laboratories that will send you air-grab sampler kits that can be deployed for two days and then sent back to the laboratory for analysis. This method can tell you the radon concentration level at a specific moment in time in as little as four hours with incredible accuracy. Then there are a few different styles of continuous monitors, all of which are reasonably precise and reliable, and can measure radon concentrations from two days up to several months. Some can even provide trackable hourly variations in radon levels. The only real concern with these devices is the four-hour “ramp-up” time, which renders the first four hours of any test unusable. Consumer models of continuous monitors are often used to track mitigation system performance, showing current concentration levels on a digital display. Alpha track devices are also available for short-term testing. These C-NRPP certified devices are small plastic units that contain a thin strip of clear plastic that shows alpha strikes from radon decay. After 10 to 30 days of testing, the unit is mailed to a laboratory for results. They have become quite popular because of their affordability and simplicity. This same alpha track technology is used in affordable long-term devices that are left in a building at a specific location for 91 to 365 days before being returned to a laboratory for analysis.

DID YOU KNOW? An electret is a piece of dielectric material that has a quasi-permanent electric charge.

Other long-term devices use an electret ion chamber that holds a reusable, electrically charged puck that loses its voltage proportionally to radon presence in the surrounding air. These devices boast the beneﬁt of reusability, though corrections must often be made with the results (e.g., for unrelated gamma radiation entering the chamber, elevation and air density) and some precautions must be taken when handling electrets.

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Mitigation The most common form of mitigation is sub-slab depressurization (SSD). Active systems, including a properly sized radon-certiﬁed inline fan, prove to be the most effective type of SSD in our climate due to differential pressures that render passive systems ineffective for all but a few days a year. Sizing a radon-certiﬁed inline fan is done by means of conducting a communication test beneath the slab, whereby a hole is cored into the slab (generally a 5” hole), along with several 1/2” to 5/8” test holes plugged with manometers all around the slab. The 5” hole is sealed and a vacuum pressure is applied through it. Using the manometers, it is possible to judge the vacuum communication under the slab. This will dictate whether or not multiple suction points will be required and also determine the correct size of the inline fan. Once the fan has been properly sized, a 4” pipe is inserted and sealed through the cored hole into the clear gravel layer, or in some instances into the air plenum space for engineered products such as radon insulation panels. A 4” PVC stack is then carried up through the house, terminating through the roof if a common chase can be found, or often taken through the rim joist and up the outside of the home. This system creates a slight suction/negative pressure beneath the slab, capturing radon gas and ejecting it outside of the home. Sub-slab depressurization, while considered the most effective approach, can be obtrusive and disruptive, so there is a ventilation strategy that may be appropriate in many homes. Radostat devices detect levels of radon gas. At a peak of 150 Bq/m3 they close a set of contacts to pilot the ventilation equipment. These contacts can be wired to the high speed override circuit on HRVs and ERVs, or the high speed circuit on rooftop/air handling equipment to provide proven and effective ventilation to lower radon levels.

Perfect Placement Whether it’s mounted, placed or hung, a radon measurement device should be kept where it won’t be disturbed, away from outside doors and windows, and on the lowest occupied level of a building. All radon measurement professionals are expected to adhere to the C-NRPP recommendations for testing quality assurance, including the regular submission of duplicates (a second measurement device sampling alongside the ﬁrst), blanks (unused/sealed devices) and spikes (a device subjected to a known amount of radon in a laboratory chamber). If it has been determined that levels of radon within a building have reached an actionable level (200 Bq/m3, as prescribed by Health Canada) mitigation measures must be taken.

CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER

The First Skate

Photos: Kostas Lymperopoulos/CSM NHL Centennial Classic Maple Leafs practice, Toronto, USA - 31 Dec 2016; Liz Tremblay Aviva Studios

By Adam Freill

“Usually we, as a group, our ice crew and BaAM Productions – the production company that we work with – have a little shinny game before anyone else goes out there, just to see how things feel, and to see if we have to adjust temperatures, or anything like that,” said Mike. “It gives us a chance to get out there and see how things are going, but it also gives our guys a chance to have some fun with it, too. “They work pretty hard to put this thing together, so it is nice to get out for a half-hour or 45 minutes; to have a bit of fun out there.”

erhaps it was growing up watching his dad create the ice for the Oilers dynasty of the ’80s, or maybe he was just like most other Canadian kids his age, but as a boy growing up in Alberta, Mike Craig dreamed of making it big on an NHL rink. As the NHL’s senior manager of facility operations, he’s managed to come pretty close to that dream. Nowadays he makes big NHL rinks. And when we say big, we mean big. He’s been involved with almost every one of the NHL’s outdoor stadium games over the past decade, working with his dad, Dan, on some, and manning his own crew of professional ice makers on others. This past January, Mike was heading up the team that built the rink at Toronto’s Exhibition Place for the Centennial Classic game on New Year’s Day, while Dan was in St. Louis prepping the ice for the next day’s Winter Classic game south of the border.

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“We’ve worked on a number of NHL outdoor games together, and it wasn’t until the past few years where we’ve done multiple games and different rink builds at the same time where we’ve split up,” said Mike after wrapping up the event in Toronto. “Up until that point we’ve worked on pretty much every one together.” Of course, even when the pair are working separately, it’s nice to know they can rely on each other for advice. “While our group was in Toronto, they were in St. Louis, and we checked in daily just to compare notes and to see how each other were doing,” he said. “With their game being on January 2nd, and ours being January 1st, we were typically about one day ahead of them through the entire process.”

Have Ice Plant, Will Travel To facilitate the hosting of multiple games in different cities, the NHL recently invested in a pair of portable refrigeration systems. In December, one was dispatched to Toronto, while the other was sent to Missouri. “It is actually an entire refrigeration plant in a 53-foot trailer,” said Mike, describing the system he used for the Centennial Classic rink. “We have 300 tons with two 75 variable speed glycol pumps.” In Toronto, the ammonia-based plant was used to create ice for the NHL-sized surface, as well as a 30-foot by 110-foot auxiliary rink. The capacity of the system, says Mike, is not far off what would be found in a typical NHL facility. And with it containing an 800-pound refrigerant charge, all of the usual safety systems are contained in the mobile plant.

Control, Even in the Great Outdoors Many professional arenas use a wireless system called Eye On The Ice to monitor the temperature of the ice so that the refrigeration system can be adjusted to optimize the quality of the ice surface, and these modern outdoor NHL rinks are no different. “We use Eye On The Ice as well,” said Mike. “We put a layer of sensors right on the ice panels, and then we put another group of sensors about three-quarters of an inch up during our ice build.” This provides his crew with temperature readings on the ice panels, as well as of the ice itself, so that they can adjust the temperature of the glycol.

“It is basically a working trailer, so that is our mechanical room,” he explained, adding that it includes all of the usual systems and controls, like an ammonia sensor, that would be found und in a more typical arena’s mechanical room.

“One of the other things that we’ve added to our system sy ystem em m over the years is an inline heater,” he added. “If “ If we e run into some very cold temperatures, we actually able to heat the glycol – not so that it is a e ac are ar ctu hot, but h o ot, t b u around 27 degrees – so that we are able to kkeep ke eep ep o our surface temperature to where we want it, w wh het ethe he it is warm outside or extreme cold as well.” whether

Building a Portable Rink Most hockey arenas use tubing embedded in a slab as the base h b for their rink, but that’s not possible when building ice on baseball diamonds, football fields and soccer pitches, so preparations for ice start with preparation of the field surface. “This one was a little bit different from most facilities,” said Mike. “The field at Exhibition Park was basically perfectly flat.” With the level surface, his crew was able to put down a layer of ArmorDeck decking before building up a three-layer OSB foundation. Ice panels were placed on top of that. “We have 243 ice panels that make up our floor,” he explained. The panels are organized in three rows, each 81 panels long. “We have a supply header on one side, and 1” piping that runs off of our headers into our ice panels. They supply glycol down one side and run all the way across and collect on the far side. And then into the 1” line again. “The advantage to this type of a system is that each of these panels can be picked up and we store them in shipping containers. We have a system where we are able to offload them and load them up quickly. It’s a benefit to load into a venue quickly and then get out of there quickly as well.”

So what weather condition does he view as the hardest to contend with? “All of them,” he said with a laugh. “Each weather condition creates its own challenges. We’ve deﬁnitely been to places where our humidity has been close to 100 per cent all the way through; rain can cause some issues, depending on how heavy it is, and sunlight can cause some issues as well. “With the group that we have, we’ve been able to work through those, and know how to handle them now, but they do all present their own unique challenges.” And while they can handle almost anything that Mother Nature sends their way, if he and his crew had the ability to order up ideal weather, what would they have ordered for Toronto on January 1? “A nice cloudy overcast day, right around the freezing mark.”

FASTFACTS • Each ice panel is just over 28 feet long and two-and-a-half feet wide. • Mike Craig studied power engineering at SAIT. • Mike’s next outdoor NHL game will be the Stadium Series game in Pittsburgh on February 25th. M e c h a n i c a l

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PLUMBING

B y M o e Fanous

Preventing Unwanted Flow

Moe Fanous, P.Eng, PMP, is the manager of valve products with Watts Water Technologies Canada Inc. He can be reached at moe.fanous@wattswater.com.

“I have ordered a backﬂow valve for the drain line but I’m not sure why it has gate valves on it. How am I supposed to bury this thing in concrete?”

This may sound like an unusual question to those who are familiar with the right terms in the plumbing industry, since they know the difference between a backwater and a backﬂow device, but this misunderstanding does happen occasionally.

PREVENTING SEWAGE IN THE BASEMENT Backwater valves are designed to be used on drain lines only, and are usually installed in the property on the main drain, just before it crosses the property line and connects to the municipal sewer main. A backwater valve will prevent sewage in an overloaded main sewer line from backing up into a property, either because of excessive rainfall, tide water or stoppage. Most backwater valve designs look like a swing check valve, and are made from iron, plastic or, in some cases, stainless steel. The ﬂapper in the device can be designed so it either hangs closed or hangs partially open.

At the end of the day, both devices actually perform a similar function, but they are completely different in all aspects: design, performance, dimensions, application and, of course, installation.

In both cases, the force required to open the flapper to let the drain water out is minimal, since these drain lines are gravity-fed and should not be pressurized. In most designs, you will notice an offset between the inlet and outlet ports on a backwater valve, where the outlet is slightly lower than the inlet port. This small difference in elevation is enough to force the flapper open in flow conditions.

SIMILAR, BUT DIFFERENT The two devices, backwater and backflow, are never interchangeable. Each has its own use and specifications. Where the backwater is used on drain open channel flow or gravity-fed lines, the backflow can handle up to 175 psi working pressure of potable water. And where a backwater valve needs less than one pound of force per square inch to be fully operational, a backflow device can, depending on the type, require more than 20 feet of head pressure just to start opening.

M e c h a n i c a l

PROTECTING POTABLE WATER A backflow preventer device is a mechanical device designed to be installed on potable water mains only. Although they can feed many nonpotable applications, such as fire protection, irrigation and process water, they are always installed on the potable water side. There are more than 10 different types of backflow devices. Only three of these are testable devices, where they are designed as an assembly with shutoff valves on both ends. All types and designs perform a similar function as a backwater valve, by not allowing water to flow backward upstream. In the backflow world, this can be achieved by either breaking the vacuum upon loss of pressure in the potable water main, or by having one or more mechanical soft-seated and spring-loaded check valves to prevent any reversal of flow of potentially contaminated water in the potable water system.

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BUILT FOR THOSE WHO KNOW.™

RIDGIDbuilds.com

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

B y David P elletier David Pelletier is a plumber in Manitoba who offers consulting services in pre-construction planning. He can be reached at david@sw5.ca.

Turnover of Materials

Handling

JOBSITE MATERIAL CHALLENGES

Record and Follow Up

sk any contractor about back orders, incorrectly picked orders, shorted orders or damaged materials in a delivery and you better have a bit of time available for the conversation that will ensue.

Along with every packing slip, I always advise contractors to use a separate form that can be attached to the order to track who received it, as well as any issues with the order. I can’t stress enough how much time is wasted trying to ﬁgure out who did what to an order, or why something was wrong with an order. A simple, straightforward form will save hours of time for everyone, not to mention sidestepping a lot of frustration. Getting a good process in place is important, but ensuring that everyone understands how it’s used, and why, is the key to success with your team.

These are common occurrences in construction, and practices like hoarding materials have evolved as workers try to cope with these challenges. But this comes at the expense of efﬁciency. That’s why it is important to have a plan that addresses the control and handling of materials when they arrive, how to process them when errors are encountered, managing stock levels and prepacking materials for speciﬁc tasks or systems. A detailed pre-construction planning (DPCP) process and a control and materials handling process save time and frustration, and reduce stress. Either can work separately to improve your bottom line, but they’re more effective when implemented together. continued on page 78

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Most basic rough-in materials should be turned over (used up) every three to six weeks. This allows for good stock to be on hand, and easy reordering schedules – every week or two, for example. Too few materials on site will result in shortages for tasks, and unnecessary additional orders. Too much material on site causes clutter and crowded shelf space, excessive handling of materials and longer, less accurate restocking counts. Of these two problems, under stocking is usually more costly, due to crews not being able to complete a task in one operation. Having the right amount of supplies, at the right time, is important. These levels should also be changing as the job progresses; the closer to completion, the lower the reordering and/or stock levels should be.

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continued from page 76 continued from page 32 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Managing Order Issues

Back orders, or incorrect, shorted or damaged materials in a delivery are the very reasons why it’s important to be doing DPCP, or at the very least ordering materials a minimum of four to six weeks in advance of use. Working ahead of time provides several days to get purchase orders and lists out to suppliers, several more days for suppliers to assemble the orders, address any shortages they have and deliver the items to the site, and several days to process the orders on site – verifying the order and stocking the storage container or work area. Any problems identiﬁed with an order will require you to go through the same process that took place with the initial order, doubling the time necessary for orders to be 100 per cent completed. Giving suppliers enough time to pick up shortages from other branches, suppliers or distributors—preferably a week—when material is lacking at their facility will help keep your project on track. It makes more sense, and is easier, for suppliers to handle the shortages than to have to deal with them at a jobsite. Very few contractors allow enough time for suppliers to be an effective part of their construction team. Each of these issues will require a slightly different way of handling the situation, but there should be a system in place for tracking and following up on the missing or damaged items. Checking on the status of the order every few days is a prudent move. When I was running my own business I never realized how common it was to spend, or lose, several thousand dollars each month dealing with these problems. When I discovered the true costs of not having a process in place, I quickly implemented a system that worked for everyone. And one of the biggest beneﬁts I found was that suppliers would be much more willing to work with me, and would send out more accurate and complete orders. Sometimes we just have to learn the hard way, I guess.

Save Time by Prepacking Prepacking materials for a speciﬁc task is a great way to save time, especially when done in your shop or by your supplier, away from the distraction and demands of the project site. Packages of all materials required to complete a task, such as the installation of a lavatory, can be delivered on site to rolling racks in the work area. The last big project I was on had 90 lavatories to install in two different conﬁgurations, and this saved considerable time.

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Hoarding If materials are in short supply, crews may hide certain materials from other crew members because they don’t want to constantly have to wait, look for, or order materials they run out of. This is hoarding, and it is a problem. When you see hoarding, it tells you two things. First, there isn’t any planning, or it is not being done well. Second, and I feel that this is the most important, is that these people are identifying themselves as workers who care about wanting to get their work done quickly and efﬁciently. Of course, the workers who don’t hoard but are whining about shortages also want to get the job done and be productive and busy all day – they just want to do that without preventing others from doing the same thing. When hoarding happens, it’s not uncommon to see other issues to arise at the end of a project. Don’t be surprised if you ﬁnd a surplus of as much as 50 per cent more of a material at the end of the project than was required. And what do we usually do with these supplies? We take them to another project, back to the shop or go through the process of getting credit from the supplier(s) for returns. All of these have costs and time associated with them.

Making the Most Out of Your Water Conditioning Opportunity?

Plumbers are constantly performing repairs resulting from poor quality water. Hard water, iron and chlorine cause significant damage to pipes, seals, water heaters, boilers, fixtures, humidifiers, dishwashers and clothes washers.

As a trusted water professional, you owe it to your customer to ...

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Total Hardness (Grains per Gallon)

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Notes:

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Sales Materials

PLUMBING

Products

Commercial Faucets Chicago Faucets’ 3600 series faucets, available through Dobbin Sales, feature metering cartridges for user-adjustable temperature control, precise water ﬂow, automatic shut-off and adjustable runtime. They offer a choice of ﬂow rates ranging from 0.35 gpm to 1.5 gpm. Designed to mount to standard 4˝ sink openings, the faucets feature threaded mounting studs and free-spinning, stainless steel hose connections.

Grinder Pump Saniﬂo’s Sanicubic 2 is an above-ﬂoor grinder pump engineered for residential and commercial sewage applications. Its duplex-grinder system is powered by two 1-HP, 240V motors. Its inlets can accommodate 1-1/2” or 4” diameter pipes, and its maximum pumping distances are 36’ vertically and/or 328’ horizontally, with gravity fall.

www. chicagofaucets.com

www. saniﬂo.ca

Air Infusing Showerhead Danze’s Mono Chic 5” by 8” showerhead delivers a maximum ﬂow rate of 9.5 liters per minute at 80 psi. It is designed to infuse air into the water stream, increasing the water’s velocity and softening the feel of the spray. It is available in chrome and brushed nickel ﬁnishes, or in satin black as part of the company’s Mid-Town shower trim kit.

www. danze.com

ACO Drain - Linear Drainage Solutions Why is ACO Drain the world leader? Polymer concrete trench drain body

x Insensitive to freeze-thaw, exposure to weather, many chemicals x 4 times as strong as cement concrete x Non burning, complies with fire codes, ULC listed x Similar thermal expansion coefficient with concrete ensure same

behaviour between the two materials with temperature variations Design details

x Ribbed body allows full integration with surrounding concrete x V-shaped body ensure maximum self cleaning due to higher velocity flows

x Boltless locking grates for easy maintenance x No bolt installation device for fast and precise set up Quality of manufacturing

x All products are independently load tested - reports available x Ask for a sample and make your own conclusions Visit us today at www.acocan.ca to see how ACO can help with all your surface drainage requirements.

(877) 226-4255

80 xx

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ACO Systems, Ltd. I info@acocan.ca I www.acocan.ca

PLUMBING

Products

Backflow Prevention FEBCO’s MasterSeries backflow prevention assemblies are suitable for fire suppression systems, potable water supplies, and agricultural and municipal irrigation. They feature stainless steel internal components. N-pattern compact models are available for installations in tight quarters.

Wireless Control Navien’s NaviLink Wi-Fi control and mobile app gives users remote control of the company’s tankless water heaters, combiboilers and condensing boilers. Smartphone and tablet owners can control temperatures, access usage data, receive diagnostic notiﬁcations and remotely activate recirculation when paired with the company's HotButton accessory.

www. navien.com

www. febcoonline.ca

Copper Press Fittings Viega’s ProPress press pipe-joining system for copper tubing offers more than 600 ﬁtting conﬁgurations in sizes ranging from 1/2” to 4”. Suitable for residential, commercial, industrial and marine applications, they are available with EPDM, HNBR and FKM sealing elements.

www. viega.us

d % te s 0 0 te

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ry o t

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bite.

shark® series 818-819-820

Model 818 - 1 HP: 115/200/230 Volt, 1 Phase Model 819 - 1.5 HP: 200/230 Volt, 1 Phase Model 820 - 2.0 HP: 200/230 Volt, 1 Phase

Redesigned to handle the most challenging sewage applications, the new 1 HP and 1.5 HP Shark® models join our 2.0 HP Shark® Model 820. A new cutter design destroys tough materials including disposable wipes. More torque per cutter blade | Lowered amp spikes | Solids ground to less than 1/8”

Your Peace of Mind is Our Top Priority.®

1-877-710-7867 www.zoellerpumps.com

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MCAC Celebrates the Magic! Held on the grounds of Florida’s Disney World this past November, the 75th anniversary edition of MCA Canada’s national conference was a spectacle for adults and kids alike. Delegates were treated to a full slate of educational sessions, guest speakers and magical events – in patented Disney style! Among the many discussions over the course of the conference were looks at tendering in the construction trades, how technology is changing jobsites, and a hard-hitting and frank report on cyber security. The event also featured an inspirationial message from keynote speaker Theo Fleury, who aimed to help people get to where they need to go.

With events and outings hitting the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the water parks, this past year’s conference will be a hard act to follow, but organizers are doing their best to top it as they plan out the 76th anniversary edition, which hits the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa in Hawaii from November 6 to 9, 2017. www.mcac.ca

4 3

7 6

1 Former plumber, and current senator, Donald Plett. 1. 2. MCAC chief executive ofﬁcer Richard McKeagan (left) 2 with former NHL all-star and Stanley Cup winner Theo w FFleury. 3. MCA Newfoundland and Labrador manager Dave Dawe and his wife Pauline. 4. John Fornari, of Altac D SServices in B.C., talks water heaters with Bradford White Canada’s Dan Milroy. 5. CIPH chairman Bill Palamar (cenC tre) t presents MCAC CEO Richard McKeagan (left) and MCAC M president Del Pawliuk with an award recognizing the t association’s 75th anniversary. 6. Speaker James Benham, president and CEO of JBKnowledge (left), connects with Ian Roff from Besterd Mechanical. 7. MCA BC’s Dana Taylor (left) and Victaulic’s Tim Meadows get ready to hit the links. 8. Checking in at the Board of Director’s meeting.

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*Includes tolerance. Typical units can operate in heating mode down to -27°C depending on conditions.

M-Series | MFZ-KJ • Available in 4 sizes, all are ENERGY STAR® certiﬁed • Industry leading SEER up to 28.2, EER up to 15.8 and HSPF up to 13.0 • Capacity range of 2,300 – 29,000 Btu/h NEW *When installed by an Authorized HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) Installer.

Mseries.MrSlim.ca From the leader in comfort innovation comes our brand new floor-mounted design. This sleek and modern unit is available with Hyper-Heat technology to provide excellent heating performance in Canadian winters. Now available in single or multi-split, its high energy efficiency and extremely low operating noise make it the perfect fit for your next project.

Marketing with DOUG MACMILLAN

Control Your Inner Geek A little while back, my wife and I swung by a popular big-box ox electronics retailer to explore buying a camera for our son. We needed a little direction, and were helped by a very (read: extremely) knowledgeable young sales rep. After about 20 minutes of a mind-bending monologue about DSLRs, we found our opening to let him know we had the information we needed. All good. Deal done. We had what we needed in the ﬁrst ﬁve minutes, truth be told, but didn’t have the heart or energy to crush his enthusiasm. In his enthusiasm, he stumbled. Here’s how to succeed. Doug MacMillan is president of The Letter M Marketing in Guelph, Ont. To reach him, email doug@thelettermmarketing.com.

Succeeding in Technical Sales

Read the audience properly. We didn’t need about 85 per cent of what our salesman told us – most of it went over our heads. In sales, always start with a few questions that allow you to (a) understand the buyer’s needs and goals; (b) determine the buyer’s current level of knowledge and understanding of the product; and, most importantly, (c) determine the buyer’s interest in all that knowledge.

Focus on the benefits, not the features of the product. For the average buyer, it’s not what’s on the inside (of the furnace box or plumbing fixture) that counts, but what it does for those on the outside of it. Most benefits fall into a few basic categories of human need:

Uber, But Not over the Top To be really good at communicating a technical product or service, you need to be an uber-geek. The secret is to know when to let the geek come out to play!

• • • • • •

Will it save me time? Will it save or earn me money? Will it make me more comfortable? Will it be convenient? Will it elevate my status? Does it align with my values (such as environmentalism or fair trade)?

Provide information in layers. These days, there is a lot of information coming at us. We only have the interest or capacity for so much of it. We’re advising clients to “layer” their content in increasingly greater volumes, always pausing at each layer to determine if there is a need to go deeper, or if the audience has what they need. Knowing when to stop is the key to not talking past the sale.

Use visual tools. Roughly 65 per cent of people are visual learners, so society is relying more and more on what we see rather than what we hear to communicate. Visual tools transmit information faster and improve comprehension, so build your own visuals or connect with manufacturers to get your hands on as many visual tools as you can, and let those do the work for you.

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STUFF YOU NEED Data Loggers Kestrel’s Drop data loggers feature a compact waterproof design. They can be placed in multiple locations inside or outside to measure temperature, humidity, heat index, dew point temperature, station pressure, density altitude and pressure trend. Readings are transmitted to mobile devices via Bluetooth.

Circular Saw Skilsaw’s 7-1/4” Sidewinder circular saw is designed to cut through ﬁbre cement. It features an integrated dust collection system to funnel away silica, and is constructed with lightweight magnesium components. It also has a sleeve that is engineered to keep the cord and hose out of the way of users.

www. kestrelmeters.com

www. skilsaw.com

Layout System Hilti’s PLT 300 layout system is designed for laying out 2D and 3D positions on the jobsite. The system does not require levelling and features auto-stationing technology to allow for automatic station set up. It comes with a tablet that is in constant communication with the system and allows contractors to access BIM data.

www. hilti.ca

Jobsite Tunes Milwaukee Tool’s wireless jobsite speaker is compatible with the company’s M18 and M12 battery systems. It features six fullrange speakers and a 40-watt dual-channel digital ampliﬁer. Capable of streaming music via Bluetooth with a range of 100 feet, the speaker can run off battery or AC power.

CUTS CLEANER

LASTS LONGER

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PLUS™

CLEAN REAM PLASTIC PIPE FITTING REAMERS • Quickly and easily remove pipe and solvent cement residue to salvage ﬁttings for reuse. • Reliable Clean Ream PlusTM engineered for 250 or more reams — far more than the competition.

Heat-Treated Cutting Disc for Long Life

Cleaner Results

• Exceptional performance and durability result in less downtime.

Press Tool Ridgid’s RP 340 press tool is engineered to join copper and stainless steel tubing ranging from 1/2” to 4” in diameter and PEX tubing and black iron pipe ranging from 1/2” to 2” in diameter. Capable of more than 400 presses per charge, it features an LED light to illuminate dark workspaces. Reed Manufacturing Company Erie, PA USA • www.reedmfgco.com

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In an otherwise stagnant field, only one brand of furnace is bringing innovation to the HVAC world. Napoleon’s Ultimate 9700 Series looks different because it is different. The revolutionary Vortex turbulator increases heating efficiency, the ultra violet light purifies air and the SureView burner window shows the flames in operation as the furnace runs whisper quiet. Don’t get boxed in by outdated thinking. ™

napoleonheatingandcooling.com

TOOL TIP

HVAC/R Products P Gas Furnaces

Lighting for Worksites es

Napoleon’s Ultimate 9700 gas furnaces are available in six sizes with maximum inputs ranging from 40,000 to 120,000 BTUH. The units feature stainless steel tubular triple-pass heat exchangers. They offer two stages of heating and AFUE efﬁciencies of up to 97 per cent.

ll trades use lighting in some form. Whether you are a plumber or pipefitter trying ing to trace back a pipe in a basement or mechanical al room, or an HVAC technician investigating a faulty fan or control board, getting light to where you need eed it is part of doing the job right, the first time. Options in lighting have come a long way ay over the past few years. The yellow glow of halogen ogen bulbs has given way to LED lamps that have far better control over what you see and how you u see on a jobsite. Lighting is compared based on how many lumens, or light intensity, are put out byy the lamp. There are four major groups of lighting:: flood, site, tower and handheld, with the latter being ng available with or without magnets. Flood lighting allows for a general area to be lit well. The whiteness and direction of thee light beam are critical in these applications. Telescoping tower lights on a stand with h directional heads can cover off both a spepecific worksite as well as general area lighting, depending on how the heads are directed. Handheld and stick lights can be positioned for general illumination or for task lighting, and many of these lights offer hooks for hanging, or even magnets that allow for the light to be directed in tight quarters.

www.

napoleonheatingandcooling.com

Duct Fans Continental Fan’s AXC in-line duct fans are suitable for residential, commercial and light industrial ventilation applications. They are available in sizes ranging from 4” to 14” with airﬂows ranging from 147 to 1,400 cfm.

www.

continentalfan.com

Leak Sealant RectorSeal’s AC Leak Freeze Pro is a refrigerant leak sealant designed for use with residential and commercial refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The 11.5” applicator features a ﬂexible, transparent refrigeration hose and an attached copper reservoir that contains 1.46 ounces of sealant.

A LIGHT GLOSSARY Colour Temperature: Measured on the Kelvin scale (K), this is the colour appearance of the light the lamp produces. Colour Rendering Index: The CRI measures how accurately different colours show up under a light source. This can be extremely important when detecting the colour of wires. Beam Pattern: This is a measure of the consistency of light coverage from the centre point to the border. This is measured in lux, which is one lumen per square meter. Good lighting will have an even beam pattern.

Sponsored by Milwaukee Electric Tool – a proud partner with Mechanical Business. Look for video tips, tools and reviews at www.milwaukeetool.com. Visit mechanicalbusiness.com for your chance to win valuable Milwaukee products and merchandise!

www.

rectorseal.com

Direct-Vent Furnaces Williams Comfort Products’ high efﬁciency direct-vent furnaces (HEDVs), distributed by Ontor, offer AFUE efﬁciencies of up to 93 per cent. They feature ceramiccoated combustion chambers and can be vented horizontally or vertically. A 17,500 BTUH unit is available now, and a 35,000 BTUH unit will be available in June.

www.

ontor.com 88

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B y L in d a Farha

Low-GWP Refrigerant Honeywell’s Solstice N40 (R-448A) refrigerant for commercial refrigeration applications is designed for new supermarkets and R-404A and R-22 retroﬁts. It has a GWP of 1,273, and is suitable for low- and medium-temperature applications.

www.

honeywell-refrigerants.com

Aluminum Exhauster

High-Efﬁciency Gas Furnaces

Canarm HVAC’s ALX-UD-EC series of upblast direct-drive exhausters feature a spun aluminum housing engineered to be resistant to rust, chipping and peeling. They are available with PSC or ECM motors that can be accessed using a quick-release latch. All units can be wall-mounted and are available in wheel diameters ranging from 10-1/2” to 21”.

Goodman’s GMVM97 gas furnaces are available in sizes ranging from 40,000 to 120,000 BTUH and offer AFUE efﬁciencies of up to 98 per cent. They have self-calibrating modulating gas valves and aluminized-steel tubular heat exchangers.

www.

goodmanmfg.com

canarm.com

Since 1983

One box. Unlimited solutions

Hi-Velocity’s small diameter duct zoning systems provide quiet comfort and superior energy TIVJSVQERGI JSV EPP ]SYV VIXVS½X ERH RI[ GSRWXVYGXMSR ,:%' RIIHW 'SQQIVGMEP SV VIWMHIRXMEP IEGL W]WXIQ GSQIW GSQTPIXI [MXL IRIVK] IJ½GMIRX JER GSMP ERH IUYMTTIH [MXL ]SYV WTIGM½GEXMSRW [MXL YRPMQMXIH STXMSRW 'EPP YW XSHE] JSV QSVI MRJSVQEXMSR

1-888-652-2219 www.hi-velocity.com M e c h a n i c a l

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Marketplace Ads Ads from $995

SPOTLIGHTS

SEP4™ COMBINATION 4-IN-1 SEPARATOR

DAIRY KLEEN DESCALER

Expanding the industry leading magnetic separator line, Calefﬁ now offers the SEP4™ combination separator in sizes 2 to 14 inch ANSI ﬂanged, with ASME U-stamp. The SEP4™ combines air and dirt removal with hydraulic separation while also o providing high performance magnetic particle removal with powerful magnets, removing up to 100% of damaging ferrous impurities, including magnetite. The 4-in-1 functionality saves system installation and maintenance costs eliminating the need to include separate air and dirt separators.

Dairy Kleen Descaler, from Chemfax, is perfect forr boilers, water heaters, tankless water heaters,, ice machines and anywhere a nickel-safe e descaler is needed. It’ss also approved by the Canadian Food Inspection tion Agency. Go to our website to see a video of Dairy Kleen Descaler in n action.

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COMMERCIAL BOILERS

Chemfax’s Strike Drain Opener is an industrial-strength liquid drain openerr designed to dissolve cloth, grease, sludge, hair and tree roots. It’s accepted ed for use in registered establishments by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Visit chemfax.com for a video o demo of the Strike Drain Opener.

Advantus commercial boilers are available with inputs ranging from 450,000 to 4,000,000 BTUH. They feature two-pass counterflow fire-tube heat exchangers and stainless steel knitted metal fibre burners. Advantus boilers offer turndown ratios of up to 25:1 and thermal efficiencies as high as 99 per cent.

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The Marketplace Ads from $995

SPOTLIGHTS FLOCOR ANNOUNCES NEW WEBSITE Getting your supplies just got a whole lot easier! Whether from your PC, tablet or smartphone, you can now browse for product information, prices, availability and purchase directly online from our vast array of products, as well as manage your current shopping lists and purchase history. Simply get connected and simplify your life, from wherever you are, 24/7.

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FIELDPIECE INSTRUMENTS: REFRIGERANT RECOVERY MACHINE The new MR45 Recovery Machine features a smart, t, variable speed onehorsepower DC motor that minimizes liquid slugging and maximizes vapor recovery. The digital display is precise and easy to see, and the electronics are well protected for use in the rain, cold, and heat. Lightweight at only 22 lb, MR45 is also rugged with rubberized housing and rail slides for extra protection.

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INSTALLING A GROHE PBV NOW EASIER

POWER VTX® CONDENSING WATER HEATERS

GROHE has expanded its range of Pressure Balance Valves to include options for installation with PEX pipes and a second option without service stops for traditional copper pipe sweat installations. Features include a solid brass body, support brackets and diaphragm technology to prevent cross ﬂow. End-users will appreciate the GROHE Core Blue cartridge which provides a generous 265º range of motion for more precise temperature control.

PVI Industries introduces POWER R VTX condensing gas water heaters ers for medium-large commercial installations. The heater featuress a 95.5% thermal efﬁciency, low NOx pre-mix burner with full modulation, and 225 gallons of storage with 500,000 to 1,000,000 Btu inputs. The tank and heat exchanger are fabricated from AquaPLEX® duplex lex stainless steel, which requires no linings or anode systems and come standard with a 15-year corrosion warranty. Operating control is BAS-connectable and features a touch-screen interface with plain text for status, settings and fault indication.

grohe.ca

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THE INFO PAGE ACO ..........................................80

HeatLink ....................................51

Radiant ......................................34

acocan.ca

heatlink.com

radianthydronics.com

Anvil ............................................ 5

Hi-Velocity ................................89

Red Zone ..................................41

anvilintl.ca

hi-velocity.com

redzone-products.com

Aqua-Tech .................................60

Honeywell .................................27

Reed Manufacturing.................86

aquatech-canada.com

honeywell-refrigerants.com

reedmfgco.com

Brant Radiant .............................. 8

HRAI ..........................................32

Ridgid ........................................75

brantradiant.com

hrai.ca

ridgid.com

Calefﬁ ..................................53, 90

IBC .............................................63

Riobel ........................................67

calefﬁ.com

ibcboiler.com

riobel.ca

Camus .................................45, 90

IPEX ....................................19, 61

RS Cool .....................................28

camus-hydronics.com

ipexna.com

rscool.com

Centrotherm .............................46

Jim Pattison Lease....................25

Saniﬂo ......................................... 9

centrotherm.us.com

jimpattisonlease.com

saniﬂo.ca

Chemfax ....................................90

Laars ..........................................55

Sealtech.....................................16

chemfax.com

laars.com

sealtech.com

Daikin ........................................69

Lochinvar...................................39

Service Roundtable ..................85

daikincomfort.com

lochinvar.com

serviceroundtable.com

Fieldpiece..................................91

Master .......................................77

SharkBite...................................64

ﬁeldpiece.com

master.ca

sharkbite.com

FLIR ...........................................57

MCEE ........................................93

Stelpro ......................................71

ﬂir.ca

mcee.ca

stelpro.com

Flocor ........................................91

Milwaukee .................................. 3

Taco ...........................................37

ﬂocor.ca

milwaukeetool.ca

tacocomfortsolutions.com

Franklin Electric ........................11

Mitsubishi Electric ....................83

Viega .........................................47

littlegiant.com

mitsubishielectric.ca

viega.us

General Pipe Cleaners................ 2

Napoleon ..................................87

Viessmann .................................43

drainbrain.com

napoleonheatingandcooling.com

viessmann.ca

Gerber.......................................13

Navien .......................................23

Watts Water Technologies ...21, 96

gerberonline.com

navien.com

watts.ca

Giant Factories .........................66

Novo Water Conditioning .......79

Williams Comfort Products ......62

giantinc.com

novowater.com

williamscomfortprod.com

Goodman ..................................31

OS&B.........................................95

Yellow Jacket............................24

goodmanmfg.com

osb.ca

yellowjacket.com

Grohe ........................................91

Oxford Energy Solutions Inc. ..29

Zoeller .......................................81

grohe.ca

oxfordenergy.ca

zoellerpumps.com

Haier Ductless...........................10

Precision Plumbing Products ...15

haierductless.com

pppinc.net

HBX Controls ............................50

PVI .............................................91

hbxcontrols.com

pvi.com

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April 26 & 27, 2017

Place Bonaventure, Montréal

Canada’s largest plumbing, HVACR, hydronics, electrical and lighting expo

ř Attend free seminars, many of which will offer continuing education credits

ř See more than 400 exhibitors and thousands of products ř Visit the

New Product Showcase to see innovative energy and water efficient products

FREE REGISTRATION UP TO APRIL 25, 2017 www.mcee.ca Produced by :

In cooperation with :

bythenumbers

Compiled by Mechanical Business

HOUSE PRICES Thinking of buying a house? Here’s what the average house costs in a few of Canada’s larger cities.

PLUMBING BUSINESS Ever wonder how many people the plumbing industry employs in Canada? Well, stop wondering and start reading!

94,639

People employed directly or

indirectly in the plumbing industry.

17,413

Number of plumbing-related

businesses.

$17 billion

Annual industry-wide

revenue.

$1,008,000 Vancouver $710,000 Toronto $469,000 Calgary $349,000 Montreal $315,000 Regina $182,000 Fredericton

PROGRAMMABLE THERMO-STATS Households across the country use thermostats to control the temperature in their homes, but what percentage of those households are using programmable thermostats?

50 per cent Alberta 41 per cent Manitoba 38 per cent Saskatchewan 36 per cent British Columbia 36 per cent Ontario

DEMYSTIFYING ABSENTEEISM WINTER WONDERLAND The Quebec Winter Carnival runs from Jan. 27 to Feb. 12—and it’s big business!

Absenteeism affects all workplaces, be they in the private or public sector. So just how often are people in Canada not showing up to work—and for what reasons?

9.2 Average number of workdays missed per year.

500,000 people attend 165,000 attend the night parades. $28 million economic beneﬁt to

7.6 Days missed due to illness or injury. 1.6 Days missed for personal reasons such as family emergencies.

the Quebec City area.

28,217,707

The number of cell phones used in Canada. Let’s just hope most people have the decency to put their phones away at the dinner table! PM# 41536047

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Island Tub Tub b Drain D i ((Testable Testable Roug Rough-in) Now featuring a snap off Test Cap and an asymmetrical Deck Plate designed not to interfere with a freestanding faucet rough-in! Install a Freestanding Bath Tub in minutes... No muss. No fuss. No kidding. Your job just got easier.â&#x201E;˘

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Get customers Connected with our WiFi solution •

Access tekmar WiFi thermostats & controls remotely with tekmar Connect mobile app

Hydronic Zoning Just Got Smarter Zoning with RoomResponse™ Zone Valve Controls 304V & 306V Switching Relays 304P & 306P Automatically adjust the boiler temperature based on feedback from ANY brand of low voltage thermostat to: • Improve comfort & efficiency • Avoid service calls

Visit tekmarControls.com to learn more

WiFi thermostats with optional floor sensor WiFi The Thermostat 561 One Stage Stag Heat

WiFi The Thermostat 562 Two Stag Stage Heat, One Stage Cool, Co Fan