November/December 2012 by Mechanical Business

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TA B L E

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C O NT E NT S O F

KEEPING THE BTUS FLOWING 30PUMPS

52COVER STORY A life-changing period in his 40s, facing a failing marriage and failing health, was enough to show Brett Wilson that there was more to life than working long hours, seven days a week. He’s redefined his priorities, and he’s doing better than ever. Adam Freill

60HVAC

In order to pass a performance audit and meet air handling specifications, the owners of MuseumHouse decided to invest in duct sealing, and took a novel approach to the project. Denise Deveau

TACKLING

leakage from within

Navigating Velocity Demand 24

PIPE SIZING There are two key factors that influence the calculation of domestic water pipe sizing: velocity and demand. Rainier BratschBlundel

54TRADE SHOW MEMORIES A roundup of the largest mechanicals trade show in Western Canada.

On the cover: Entrepreneur and philanthropist Brett Wilson, who holds the record for the most deals signed by any of the Dragons on CBC's hit show Dragons' Den, has launched a book explaining what’s truly important in his life. Photo: Heather Fritz Photography

TA B L E F E AT U R E S 34HYDRONICS

What’s the colour of your water? Eric Riml

M B

C O NT E NT S O F

S P E C I A L I S T S 20

38 LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE Minimizing the exposure risk Adam Freill

42COMMERCIAL

KITCHENS Getting into less hot water Denise Deveau

46REFRIGERATION Refrigerants and their uses Andre Patenaude

50FIND THE FIX

Juggling revisions and future plans

64OIL HEAT

Firing up the burner Sean Hiscock

66ROAD WARRIORS New Era Plumbing

70PLUMBING

In search of endless hot water Matthew Reid

78TOOL TIP

Rotary Tools: Spinning round and round

84HVAC

Making the most of troubleshooting charts Carol Fey

88BOILER PROTECTION

Keeping safe from low temperatures Dan Rettig

HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC It’s tune-up time! Gord Cooke Unless they’ve already been serviced this year, each of the roughly 1.2 million HRVs and ERVs currently installed in Canadian homes could use a fall tune-up. ASK ROGER Protecting your reputation, and your bottom line Roger Grochmal If someone does trash your company online, explor e every opportunity to respond and resolve the matter. MARKETING Get more mileage out of your service vehicles Doug MacMillan Every single HVAC/R and plumbing contractor in Canada spends hours sitting in one of the most valuable marketing assets they have: their truck(s). REFRIGERATION Troubleshooting commercial condensing units and evaporator systems Phil Boudreau In order to troubleshoot “not-so-obvious” issues in a commercial split-type refrigeration system, a technician must be aware of the intended application of the equipment. HYDRONICS You can tune a boiler, but you can’t tuna fish. Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr A startup and clean-and-check service before the snow flies is a good move, and is one that we should be encouraging all our customers to do.

101 WORLD VIEW Fifty shades of greywater Jeff Patchell An exchange of innovative ideas, on-site experiences and best practices when it comes to managing and implementing gr eywater systems is needed for the global industry to benefit.

D E P A R T M E NT S 06From the Editor’s Desk 08News 18Profile: Jim Thomas 98The Info Page 99Calendar 102By the Numbers M e c h a n i c a l

P R O D U C T S 22,94HVAC/R 74,90,96Plumbing 82,89,92Hydronics 97Stuff you need CHECK US OUT ONLINE

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FROM Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 CANADA Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com Nov/Dec 2012 Issue Published 6 times per year. Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com Associate Editor/Web Editor: Jeb Roberts, ext. 225 jeb.roberts@mechanicalbusiness.com National Accounts Manager: Laura Goodwin, ext. 221 laura.goodwin@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Art Direction: JJM Graphic Ltd. davem@jjmgraphic.com Circulation Manager: Shila Naik (905) 272-4175 shila.naik@mechanicalbusiness.com Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. 222 bruce.meacock@mechanicalbusiness.com PM:41536047 ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print) ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online)

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Unfortunately it’s easy to fall into this habit – it’s not that we aren’t going to get it done, but maybe we can combine the current appointment with the next one on the schedule, when we are sure to have more time… right?

From all of us at Mechanical Business, thank you for another great year, and have a safe and happy holiday season.

I’ll tell you this much though, when you’ve had a complete system failure happen because of something that would have been easily caught during an annual check-up, it really changes your perspective about freeing up an hour or two, once or twice a year. The challenge is illustrating this to customers before they have that critical failure – that’s the one where they are calling you on Christmas Eve, around 11 p.m., so that you can get their 40-year-old “never-been-seen-by-a-contractor-other-than-the-originalinstaller” boiler, furnace or water heater to re-fire for “one last season.” Knowing that some of your customers do have the good sense to call you up before little problems become big nightmares, we’ve amassed a collection of articles aimed at helping you keep those systems running smoothly, and efficiently. So whether you’re performing an annual cleaning of an HRV or ERV (see Gord Cooke on page 20), are testing the waters of a hydronic system (Eric Riml has some great advice on that on page 34), or are thinking about what refrigerant to recommend for a commercial client’s retrofit (we’ve got a pretty good list starting on page 46) enjoy the issue, and we look forward to catching up with you again in 2013. Until next time,

Adam Freill, Editor Oh, and to my HVAC service contractor, sorry for not returning that last phone call, but how’s Saturday at 9 a.m. sound for the annual check-up?

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DESK

When it comes to ignoring the little warning lights on the dashboard, or pushing the limits of time between regularly scheduled maintenance appointments for my HVAC equipment I’ll admit, I’m guilty of it, but I know I’m not alone.

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.

M e c h a n i c a l

EDITOR’S

Solving problems before they start

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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Mike Martino I’m a “GOOD MAN” Martino Contractors Ltd.

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* Figure does not represent guaranteed results. Actual results dependent upon conditions beyond Goodman brand gas furnaces. Claim not veriﬁed by Goodman Manufacturing. Contact independent dealer for additional information.

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

We’ve Relaunched! Have you been to www.mechanicalbusiness.com lately? We’ve relaunched our site with a focus on bringing you more of what you want, in a way that’s easier and quicker to navigate. In addition to our current issue and full archive of digital editions, the newly revamped site features an active search engine, searchable product listings and a news section that’s updated daily. Be sure to drop by regularly to keep up with the industry, check out industry job postings and training opportunities, and to keep your subscription information up to date.

Focus on trades The STARRT Campus of Mohawk College in Stoney Creek, Ont., held its first annual Skilled Trades Exhibition in October. Between 400 and 500 students, including a number from the school’s Women in the Skilled Trades program (visiting the Moen booth in the photo), took in exhibits from more than 20 companies representing a wide variety of skilled trades sectors. mohawkcollege.ca

mechanicalbusiness.com

Beckett celebrates its 75th

Bringing colour to the bathroom Kohler held its “For the love of Colour and Sound” event at the Kohler Next Generation Showroom at the Watermarks Kitchen & Bath Boutique in Etobicoke, Ont., in November. The event featured a wide array of Kohler product vignettes, as well as displays of the Jonathan Adler colourful sink collection and the company’s new NUMI toilet, which is equipped with a motion-activated lid and seat, bidet function, illuminated panels, heated seating and even a warming function at foot level.

Beckett Corp. recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. The familyrun company has grown from the basement of founder Reginald W. Beckett’s home in Elyria, Ohio, to multiple businesses and affiliates that employ more than 650 people. The company is currently led by president and CEO Kevin Beckett, grandson of Reginald. Kohler’s Nicholas Rindt discusses the features of the NUMI toilet.

beckettcorp.com

kohler.ca

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

David Chilton

Michael Harrison

CIPHEX West

Robbaz

(@wealthy_barber)

(@HBAMMichael)

(@CIPHEXwest)

(@RobbazTube)

Gord Cooke is a great instructor. He did a class for us in MD last year on green home sales.

Check out the latest issue of Mechanical Business magazine — lots of great coverage of #CIPHEXwest.

Oct. 23, 2012

Oct. 25, 2012

Oh no! I forgot to run for President of the United States. It’s not too late is it? If it is, just vote Mike Rowe. He can clean it up.

A negative trend of the last ten years involves people’s growing willingness to cancel meetings with little notice. Oct. 18, 2012

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Nov. 5, 2012

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Boiler training in Barrie Guest instructor John Barba discusses hydronic systems at the Taco Canada Factory Training’s “Compleat” Boiler Room seminar, held by Mechanical Business contributor Jeff House, in Barrie, Ont., in October. More than 60 hydronic installers and designers attended the two-day program, which covered boiler sizing and piping, circulators, zoning strategies, and hydronic electronics. taco-hvac.com

CIPH gets social

New WSIB rules in Ont. According to new provincial policies, independent operators, sole proprietors, some partners and certain executive officers in the construction sector will require Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage beginning in January 2013. The majority of HVAC/R and plumbing businesses in Ontario that employ workers are already covered under WSIB, but newly affected employers can pre-register for coverage. According to a source at WSIB, sole proprietors will remain exempt from the new coverage rules, so long as they work directly for homeowners. The new rules will apply to any sole proprietors involved in commercial work.

RMC winners announced Brody Thompson, of Brody’s Mechanical Services in Simcoe, Ont., and Ozzie Xue, of Servocraft Limited in Toronto, each won an iPad in Refrigerant Management Canada’s “The Right Wholesaler” promotional campaign. The organization launched the campaign to raise awareness about purchasing refrigerant from RMC-supporting wholesalers. refrigerantmanagement.ca

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Sundawn Integrated Services president Stacey Parzygnat (left) and former St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation board member Adam Cook pose with Stan Parzygnat, Matt Harris and Shawna Parzygnat Harris in front of the NHS healthcare complex in St. Catharines, Ont. In October, the facility’s Parzygnat Family Medical Unit was named in honour of the Parzygnat family, which has helped the foundation raise nearly $1 million through its sponsorship of an annual golf tournament over the past seven years.

7 PM #4153604

Sundawn supports healthcare

“Social media and search engine marketing have converged — they’re now one and the same,” said social media expert Brian Bluff, who discussed the merits of Twitter and Facebook for B2B companies at the October CIPH Ontario Region Meeting in Mississauga. The event also saw Wolseley’s Terry Hutcheon and Allied Technical Sales’ Lou Petro receive 50 Year Service Awards, and Wolseley’s Sandra Simpson and AquaTech’s Frank Stempski received Lifetime Service Awards.

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

OCOT on the table

Hydronics Parts Group president Doug Mader strikes a pose at a recent open house and tour of RBI Manufacturing’s Mississauga, Ont., facility. The event featured food, networking opportunities and a presentation of the company’s latest products.

HRAI recently held a series of information meetings about the new Ontario College of Trades (OCOT), providing an opportunity for its members to learn how the college may impact their businesses. At the first of the meetings, held in Mississauga, Ont., on November 1, Bob Guthrie (pictured), registrar and CEO of the OCOT, and Linda Jones, manager of standards and assessment for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, spoke about the changes and fielded questions from HRAI members. “Employers and tradespeople are going to have to pay to be part of the college, so it’s up to them to demand value,” said Martin Luymes, HRAI’s director of programs and relations.

rbimfg.com

hrai.ca

RBI on display

We’re Here For You At NextEnergy, we hold all our geothermal contractors to a high standard of quality and professionalism. We are very diligent when selecting contractors to represent our company in the ﬁeld. We know that our success is tied to that of our dealer network and that is why, we are here for you. The success of a geothermal installation relies entirely on quality equipment and system components installed by an experienced contractor. Our equipment is from ClimateMaster, the world’s largest and most progressive manufacturer of geothermal heat pumps. Our highly experienced contractors continually perform tremendous work, we are proud to say it. We strive to provide our dealers with the most up-to-date training, products, sales and marketing support in the industry. Its what we do best.

To join our team visit www.nextenergy.ca or call 1-800-367-9810 10

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Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara scores a touchdown! Jeremy Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara, inside sales and customer service representative for Powrmatic of Canada, was one of three grand prize winners in the WhiteRodgers â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get in the Gameâ&#x20AC;? online training program promotion. Jeremy successfully completed all 12 online training modules and three huddles (web seminars). As a grand prize winner, Jeremy and a guest joined White-Rodgers at the 100th Grey Cup Game.

Victaulic celebrates Quebec opening Victaulic executive vice-president Gary Moore (left) and Canadian vice-president and general manager Tim Meadows were on hand for the official grand opening of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new 38,000 sq. ft. facility in the Saint Laurent district of Montreal, Que., in October. More than 160 customers attended the event, which included tours and demonstrations of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest products.

white-rodgers.ca

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222 222

A AGINCOURT GINCOURT C CAMBRIDGE AMBRIDGE

ETOBICOKE GODERICH

GUELPH HANOVER HANOVER

KITCHENER L LONDON ONDON LINDSAY NORTH YORK YORK LINDSAY

OSHA OSHAWA AWA ORILLIA

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

WorldSkills team announced Skills Canada has announced the 35 members of WorldSkills Team Canada 2013. Representing the mechanical trades are Michael Scheideman of Grand Prairie, Alta., in the refrigeration and air conditioning category; Nolan Spak of Morinville, Alta., in sheet metal; and Jean-Sébastien Simard of Terrebonne, Que., in plumbing. The team will compete at the 42nd WorldSkills Competition in Leipzig, Germany, this July. skillscompetencescanada.com

Noble heats up the fall Plumbing Plus’s Dan Vokey (middle) poses with Noble’s Vince Baggetta (left) and Allied Air’s Alain Boudreau (right) after winning one of the Concord furnaces given away at Noble’s 2012 Fall Heating Show in Vaughan, Ont. The trade show also featured prizes from UEi and Armstrong Air, as well as food and 10 complimentary workshops. noble.ca

APP ALERT Fix for plumber’s knee Prepatellar Bursitis, also known as “plumber’s knee,” afflicts many contractors who perform low installations on unpadded surfaces. The Prepatellar Bursitis app for iPad features an animated home exercise regimen of more than 20 exercises aimed at improving knee strength and stability to keep missed days to a minimum. cannytech.com

Moving on up In October, CIPH held an official open house at its new offices, located two floors above their former location at 295 The West Mall in Toronto. The organization is now in suite 504. Pictured: CIPH past-chairman Kevin Fullan (left) and CIPH president Ralph Suppa welcomed guests with tours of CIPH’s new home.

Check warranties on the fly Bradford White’s Warranty Check App lets plumbing contractors check the warranty status of a customer's Bradford White water heater from their iPad, iPhone or Android device. Contractors can use the app to track expiration dates and inform customers, and they can also locate the nearest sales representative. bradfordwhite.com

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Looking to hire? Check out MB’s online career section, home of the latest industry job postings. mechanicalbusiness.com

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Precise Control

Mechanicals honoured in Quebec Marc Gendron, president of Les Entreprises MLG & Fils Inc and secretary/treasurer of HRAI, received two awards at the Maestria Gala held by the Corporation des Maîtres Mécaniciens en Tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ) in Laval, Que., in September. His company was given top honours in the Accomplishment of the year – Works of less than $500,000 category, and Gendron picked up a separate Volunteer of the Year Award for his dedication to the CMMTQ’s activities. cmmtq.org

Video marketing a must “Viewers aged 55 plus account for the highest percentage of online video, and your customers are definitely among them,” said marketing expert Chris Appleton during the October HRAI Toronto Chapter meeting. Appleton’s presentation dealt with the importance of growing a brand through Facebook and digital video. hrai.ca

Plumbing code under review The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) has asked stakeholders, including representatives from the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC), to review and comment on proposed changes to the National Plumbing Code of Canada 2010. The next edition of the code is expected to be published in 2015.

Victaulic provides a complete line of balancing products that accurately control building temperature while optimizing energy efﬁciency. X

Eliminate ﬂuctuations in temperature.

Reduce energy costs.

Eliminate occupant complaints and costly remedies.

www.victaulic.com/balancing Victaulic is the exclusive North American representative for Tour and Andersson products.

nationalcodes.nrc.gc.ca

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Movers and Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Taco acquires Hydroflo Taco owner John Hazen White, Jr., recently announced his company’s purchase of Hydroflo Pumps, a manufacturer of vertical and submersible turbine driven pumps, based in Fairview, Tenn. Taco has previously distributed Hydroflo’s products throughout the Canadian marketplace. According to the terms, Hydroflo will become a wholly owned division of Taco, Inc., and Brian Daschner will stay on as Hydroflo CEO.

New rep in Quebec Smith’s Environmental, a manufacturer of hydronic fan convectors, kickspace heaters and baseboard radiation, has announced that Les Agences J.P. Sylvain is now its sales representative for the province of Quebec. smithsenvironmental.com

taco-hvac.com

Rinnai partners with Giant Rinnai America has joined forces with Montrealbased Giant Factories, a manufacturer of gas, electric and oil water heaters, to develop new products for the Canadian market. “Our partnership will lead to an even greater energy-efficient product offering for our customers and the industry as a whole,” said Jean-Claude Lesage, vice-president of Giant Factories. giantinc.com rinnai.us

New facility in Ontario M.A. Stewart & Sons Ltd. has announced the opening of its new Ontario distribution facility in Ajax. The office is located at 40 Pugsley Court and can be reached at 905-683-7303. mastewart.com

Mestek acquires Dadanco HVAC manufacturer Mestek, Inc., has acquired 100 per cent ownership of Dadanco-Mestek JV, a manufacturer of active chilled beams, induction units and induction diffusers. The deal also gives Mestek the rights to Dadanco’s proprietary nozzle technology used with induction units in heating and cooling systems. mestek.com

Emco acquires Independent Supply Emco has purchased Independent Supply Company, a distributor of HVAC/R parts and equipment. Rick Fantham, president of Emco, has confirmed that the ISC banner will continue as part of Emco. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

WaterFurnace buys into CHP WaterFurnace International Inc. has acquired a five per cent ownership position in GI Endurant, LLC, a company with significant combined heat and power (CHP) knowledge and experience. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but WaterFurnace will supply equipment to GI Endurant as part of the agreement. waterfurnace.com

emcoltd.com

Franklin Electric buys Cerus Water systems manufacturer Franklin Electric has acquired 100 per cent of the outstanding stock of Cerus Industrial Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of motor controls, starters, contactors, protection devices and variable frequency drives for the HVAC, industrial motors and pumping systems markets. The $25.7 million deal was an all-cash transaction. franklin-electric.com

McKeough opens in Hamilton McKeough Supply has opened a new branch in Hamilton, Ont. The new location, managed by Victor Hyman, is located at 240 Nebo Road, Unit #3, and can be reached at 905-574-4111. mckeoughsupply.com

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ENERGY EFFICIENT 4/10 hp (9ENH) or 1/2 hp (10ENH) (QHUJ\ VDYLQJ ORZ DPS 36& PRWRU runs cool to extend life

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People in the news www.mechanicalbusiness.com DAVE HOLDORF has joined Taco’s training team to support John Barba in the company’s Canadian training initiatives. Holdorf has led training sessions for the company at rep, distributor and contractor locations, and brings more than 15 years of experience in hydronics to his new role.

LG Electronics Canada has promoted DENIS MURPHY (top) to the role of senior commercial sales manager for the company’s air conditioning and energy solutions business. Murphy brings extensive sales and channel management experience to his new position. Also at LG, JAMES HONYOTSKI (bottom) has been promoted to the role of residential air conditioning sales manager. Honyotski has more than 20 years of residential and light commercial HVAC experience.

Trane Canada has named JOHN WARREN (1) service solutions leader for the company’s Trane Atlantic office in Halifax. DAVID TONER (2) has joined Trane Atlantic’s Saint John, N.B., office as its new contracting solutions leader. At the company’s Toronto office, NIK LJILJANIC (3) has been appointed to the role of commercial sales leader, and JOE CARPINO (4) has joined as Ontario parts leader. Trane Canada also appointed LEON HAWKINS to the role of national automation and controls business leader.

Carrier Canada has named PAUL DAVIGNON president and general manager. Davignon previously held management roles with Trane USA and Trane Canada.

M e c h a n i c a l

MIKE MILLER has been appointed to the role of national business development manager–Canada for Uponor. Miller, who has been with the company since 2008, will be responsible for growing all product lines within Canada.

Mechanical Business columnist ROGER GROCHMAL has a new title at AtlasCare. He is now the company’s chairman and CEO.

Roger’s son, MICHAEL GROCHMAL, has been named president.

CIPH has announced the appointment of KATIE HUTCHINSON as the institute’s new councils’ manager. Through this role, Hutchinson will manage the activities of the Canadian Hydronics Council and the Plumbing Industry Advisory Council. B u s i n e s s

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Wolseley Canada has announced the appointment of CASIAN GLAVCE to the role of strategic business manager of plumbing. Glavce brings 17 years of experience in sales and general management, business analysis and performance improvement to the company. Fairview Fittings and Manufacturing has appointed two new sales reps. GAETAN BOUCHARD (top) will cover the northern Quebec and Quebec City territory, while PATRICK RATHWELL (bottom) will serve Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat in Alberta. BMI has appointed CHARLES DARVEAU to the role of sales manager for Eastern Canada. Darveau brings experience in sales management and market development to his new role.

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 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com.

Hands Up!

How many Contractors now prefer AquaRise® over Copper?

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Profile Jim Thomas: Advancing stewardship in the trade

A Certificate and Specialist member of RSES, and a past-president of the Nova Scotia Chapters of both RSES and HRAI, Jim Thomas has been actively involved in the refrigeration trade for more than 40 years, at all levels of the sector. In 1993, he established Canada’s first refrigerant reclamation facility, and has developed and patented a

Q A

Tell us about your company.

We deal with used refrigerants that we reclaim and resell, and also dispose of the ones that have no value. We also sell our own line of replacement refrigerants that replace ozonedepleting refrigerants.

number of refrigerant reclamation technologies that are currently in use in facilities around the world. He has also spent time working on United Nations projects, has had a hole-in-one on the golf course and loves boating – did we mention that he’s a past-commodore of the Dartmouth Yacht Club? We recently caught up with him to talk shop.

I started out as a refrigeration technician. I worked with a local company for eight or nine years, and then I worked with Carrier for two or three years. Then a friend with a wholesale operation was looking for somebody to work with, and so I started in the wholesale business around 1978.

How did you get started in the industry?

WORDS OF ADVICE If someone tells you that something can’t be done, don’t necessarily believe it. When it came to our technology, there were people who said it would take millions to build and make it work. I think the first separator that we made cost us about $1,000, and it actually worked. If you think something can be done, don’t let others stop you.

How did you end up on the manufacturing side of the mechanical world?

Being involved at HRAI, I became interested in what was going to happen with refrigerants as they were getting phased out, and saw it as a business opportunity. We went looking for reclamation technology – nobody in Canada was doing anything like this – and we found some in the U.S. In ’93, we decided to go ahead and buy a system and open our doors.

Tell us about developing your own separation equipment.

FAST FACTS • Jim and his wife like to travel, and have taken cruises through a number of worldly locales including the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. • Jim has a 40-foot flybridge motor yacht.

Q A

We searched around for separation technology, but we couldn’t really find anybody. So we decided to try to do it ourselves. I designed a small system that would hold refrigerants. It took us some time to make it work, but once we got it working, it literally took the mixtures apart for us. A little while later we decided to develop our own reclamation unit because the equipment we had purchased was a bit limited, so we developed that and were able to patent that process too, and started providing those technologies around the world. Why should contractors and wholesalers make use of programs like Refrigerant Management Canada? It is important, and it is so easy to use. And it takes the risk out. Once the product is surplus to them, they can get rid of it for no cost, and they know the right thing is going to be done with it; either it is going to be recycled and go back into the market, or it is going to be properly disposed of.

BIO Name: Jim Thomas Title: President Company: Refrigerant Services Inc. Age: 63 Resides in: Fall River, N.S. Family: Wife Sandra, children Devin, Drew and Amber Joined the industry in: 1968 Education: Nova Scotia Vocational School (now NSCC) Member: RMC, HRAI, RSES and ASHRAE

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CONTROLLING fresh air delivery If you are still not sure that HRVs are really necessary, or think they are only needed in new homes, or in tight homes, or in those with moisture issues, or only in the winter, or only in homes with sick occupants, why not ask your clients if they would like to be able to control when they bring fresh air into their homes?

nless they’ve already been serviced this year, each of the roughly 1.2 million HRVs and ERVs currently installed in Canadian homes could use a fall tune-up. Start by checking the outside hoods. The fresh air intake screen is often blocked with leaves or dust. Don’t clean it until the device has been turned off, however. You want to avoid drawing dirt and debris into the ducts. Go to the unit and open it up. Clean or replace the filters, pull out the core and if it is plastic or aluminum, put it in the laundry tub or take it outside and run water through it, maybe with mild detergent to get it clean. ERV cores need only be vacuumed. Now clean the drain pans and the rest of the inside of the unit with a damp cloth. Ideally you would also access the fan wheels and use an old toothbrush and vacuum to clean the fan blades. The final part to a thorough cleaning will be to flush the drain line and refill the trap. With the unit properly cleaned, check for proper operation of controls and verify the airflow. Keep in mind that every manufacturer has a different control strategy, each with its own “boot-up” sequence. This, of course, means you need to read the manual. This will save you time though. Even if you are an experienced technician, don’t make assumptions about wire colours, fan speeds or control sequencing. Unlike furnaces, there are very few commonalities between HRV manufacturers. Each has its own defrost strategy and timing, its own control and wiring preferences, and even airflow balancing method. Moreover, all of these have changed multiple times as the industry has matured since the early days of mechanical ventilation in the mid-eighties. HRV maintenance provides an excellent new opportunity for HVAC contractors who have noted that cleaning and service opportunities have diminished due to advancements in furnaces and air conditioning technology. To be really effective at HRV service work, start this fall by building a database of the models and serial numbers of HRVs in your client’s homes, even before they need service.

Even if they don’t run the HRV all the time, wouldn’t it be nice to know that they have the capacity for fresh air whenever they need or want it? Just like an air conditioner that only runs when people want summer temperature control, so too is an HRV of great value for giving people the option of air quality control – year round.

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• C o n t r o l l i n g f r e s h air d eliver y • S er vicin g HR V u n it s

Start with a reboot

The insulated duct running between the unit and the outside hoods is often poorly installed, leading to condensation build-up within the duct. Check the ducts and connections looking for signs of dripping water or condensation.

Much like furnaces and air conditioners, most new HRVs have digital controls with troubleshooting indicators built in. This means the first service action taken on any new unit should be to reboot it. Unplug the unit for 30 to 60 seconds and plug it back in. It seems simple, but it is still an easy and effective way to start any service action.

The duct may be wet enough that it needs to be replaced. Otherwise, drain any water in the duct and then be sure to thoroughly seal the inner duct to the unit and hood connections, then seal – even more carefully – the outside vapour barrier jacket at the unit and connections. Inspect along the length of the duct for any holes, rips or tears and repair or replace as needed. Once the ducting has been addressed, check the fan speeds and airflow. Cycle the unit through each of the fan speed settings and listen for smooth changes in speed with no added vibration or excessive noise. The airflow should be balanced such that the supply and exhaust airflows are within 10 per cent of each other, and that the flows are within the expected capacity of the unit installed. Balancing has become much easier now that some manufacturers have measuring taps mounted in or on the unit itself. If no such taps exist, there are simple pressure probes that can be inserted into each of the supply and exhaust ducts. Next, check the defrost operation. All units in Canada, except those installed in the lower mainland of B.C., need a defrost cycle to ensure reliable winter operation. Most defrost systems include a damper that moves to close off

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the fresh air stream and divert the exhaust air back through the unit. In addition, often one fan will shut off during the defrost cycle. Most manufacturers will have procedures for how to simulate a defrost cycle. Defrost is usually initiated by a temperature sensor in the fresh air duct connection. In many cases, the boot up sequence includes at least a few minutes of a defrost cycle. Certainly, if you arrive to service a unit during cold weather (below -5°C), check to see if the unit is in defrost before starting any service work or troubleshooting. Defrost cycle lengths vary by manufacturer and by outside temperature. They could be as short as three or four minutes, and as long as 15 minutes. And some units are designed to simply shut down for extended periods in extremely cold weather (below -20°C, for example). One of the most common defrost issues is the failure of the temperature sensor, and since it is one of the least expensive components of an HRV, it is worth checking it out first.

A while back I came across an install where the contractor had gone to great lengths to shoe horn a fan motor assembly from one manufacturer into another manufacturer’s unit. The technician had custom bent the mounting bracket and rewired the wiring connector, but forgot to check the rotation of the motor. As a result, the fans were running backwards! A much better, and proper, option is to create a listing of the serial numbers of units for each client so that you can order the parts specific to that unit, in a timely fashion. There are virtually no generic parts for HRVs – not even filters.

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HVAC/R Products P Testo’s Model 316-3 refrigerant leak detector is designed to work to a sensitivity of 0.15 oz. per year and detect all CFCs, HFCs and HCFCs. The unit features a heated diode sensor, single-button operation, LEDs that display leak size, and an audible alarm. A high/low sensitivity adjustment lets users decrease sensitivity to pinpoint leak sources.

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Saniflo’s Sanicondens pump is designed to remove condensate from a variety of applications, including boilers, furnaces and water heaters. The unit, which allows condensation to be lifted through a small bore pipe to a nearby drain, handles condensate at temperatures up to 160°F and can pump up to 15" vertically or 150" horizontally.

www. saniflo.ca Designed for use as a master and zoning sensor, York’s Affinity Communicating Control provides up to six zones of control with a single zone panel. The device offers three communicating sensors, including a touch screen sensor that controls temperature and humidity levels; a zone display that adjusts temperature and fan; and a zone sensor.

The MT-543Ri Plus controller from Full Gauge features three-stage operation and can be used for cooling or heating systems. It has an operating temperature range of 0 to 50°C and a relative humidity range of 10 to 90 per cent. Users can program the second stage as an alarm and the third as a cyclic timer.

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WATER PIPE SIZING

B y R ain ier B r at sch - B l undel Rainier Bratsch-Blundel has been a licensed plumber for over 23 years and is a plumbing professor and the plumbing and Steamfitting programs coordinator for apprenticeship and skilled trades at George Brown College. He is also the president of the Ontario Plumbing Inspectors Association. He can be contacted at rblundel@georgebrown.ca, or visit OPIA online at www.opia.info.

Navigating Velocity and Demand

WORKING WITH SMALLER SYSTEMS One of the new methods found in the body of the 2010 NPC is suitable for one- or two-dwelling units, or row houses with separate water service pipes. It is a simplified method that can be used for smaller installations where the minimum water pressure at the entry to the building is at least 200 kPa, the total maximum length of the water system does not exceed 90 metres, and the values outlined in Table 2.6.3.4. of the 2010 NPC are used.

he building and plumbing codes across Canada state that when sizing the drinking water systems within a building it is to be done using good engineering practice, such as that found in the ASHRAE Handbooks and ASPE Data Books. (Note: The OPC will align with the NPC on its upcoming release.)

And there are two key factors that influence the calculation of domestic water pipe sizing: velocity and demand. To assess velocity, it is necessary to determine the maximum speed recommended for the piping material used. For steel this is 2.4 m/s (8 f/s). With copper, it is 2.4 m/s (8 f/s) on the cold water delivery side, and 1.5 m/s (5 f/s) on the hot water side. PEX is rated at 3.0 m/s (10 f/s). On the demand front, each project will have a hydraulic load determined using “water supply fixture units” (WSFU) – units of measure that were given new factors in the 2009 edition of the International Plumbing Code (2009 IPC). The 2009 IPC seems to be the baseline used to create the values for public and private use in the tables found in the 2010 National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC), and will be used in the next code cycle of the Ontario Building Code and the Ontario Plumbing Code and Guide.

When calculating the load on the domestic water pipe system, always start from the farthest point and work your way back to the source. In the case of the hot water side, that will be back to the hot water tank. There are three pipe-sizing methods found in the 2010 NPC. Two of them are relatively new, and were developed from methods being used in British Columbia. Each method requires the use of the “100% of the individual value” of the demand or hydraulic load from the WSFUs used in the system. These values vary by fixture, and are outlined in the code document. continued on page 26

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SIZING SMALL COMMERCIAL PROJECTS One of the methods to calculate pipe sizes for small commercial buildings uses a pressure range table found in the appendix of the 2010 NPC. This method can be applied to both public and private water supplies. Looking at a sample, theoretical system, it can be helpful to make a table to chart the risers (Table 3). In this example system, the developed length from the source to point-of-entry is 15m, and from point-of-entry to the farthest fixture is 45m. The pressure losses due to the height of the highest fixture will be based on three (3) metres at the source, and 10 metres from the source to the highest fixture. This example has a minimum static pressure at the source is 565 kPa, and the minimum static pressure at point-of-entry is 535 kPa. Also note that the water service pipes are copper, and the water distribution pipes

Looking at the water service size in Table 4, the total cold WSFU is 140 and the pressure at the source is 545 kPa. To translate this into pipe size, it is necessar y to use the Pressure Range table from the appendix of the 2010 NPC. Since w e have a length of 15 metres from source to point-of-entry, we must go higher than that on the char t. Same for the WSFU figure. Based on a flow velocity of 2.4 m/s of copper, we need to find the lightly shaded box that corresponds with an elevation greater than 15 and more than 140 WSFUs. This puts us at a w ater service pipe of 2”.

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• S i z i n g s m all co m m er cial p r o ject s

Taking pressure losses into account for the water meter, backflow preventer (20 kPa) and elevation (100 kPa), the distribution pipe sizing of the hot water system will be based on a pressure range of 415 kPa at a height of 45 me tres and a WSFU total of 96. Looking at the flow rate of 3.0 m/s for PEX, in the 46m column, this corr esponds to 11/2” supplies at the hot water tank. Exactly as was done with the hot water distribution piping, the 46m column is chosen to meet the needs of the cold side, based on 140 W SFU with a flow rate of 3.0 m/s. This results in a 1-1/2” cold water distribution system downstream of the water meter. continued on page 28

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WATER PIPE SIZING

continued from page 27

USING AVERAGE PRESSURE LOSSES A third method of determining pipe size is called the a verage pressure loss method. This was introduced in British Columbia about six y ears ago, and has been proven as an acceptable method of sizing water pipe. To calculate the pipe size based on a verage pressure loss, it is first necessary to ensure that there will be enough pressure in the system for the most remote fixture to operate properly. To do this, subtract the pressure losses for service from the minimum static pressure. This provides the adjusted pressure at the water service entry to the building. Taking this adjusted pressure, subtract pressures for meters, valves and

other devices, as well as losses for elevation, and the minimum pressure necessary for the most remote fixture to operate. What is left is the total pressure available to overcome friction loss in the piping system. If we divide this number by 1.5 times the developed length (plus additional losses if insert fittings are used), that will provide the average pressure loss per metre of pipe. If the average pressure loss is above 2.6 kPa per metre, it is possible to use the chart in the appendix of the 2010 NPC to determine pipe size, based on the maximum velocity of the pipe type, and the flow and fixture units served.

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COUNT ONCE, CHECK THE MATH TWICE The load from a fixture with both hot and cold is only counted once. This means that when calculating the load of the hot water tank on the cold supply, the load on the hot side acts as the load on the cold side, since the hot is supplied from the cold supply to the hot water tank.

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DETERMINING FACTORS There are five important factors that must be determined when calculating pipe sizes: 1. The developed length from the source to the point-of-entry, and then point-ofentry to the farthest fixture. 2. The pressure losses due to the height of the highest fixture. To calculate, add 10 kPa pressure loss for every metre in height. 3. The minimum static pressure, at source and entry. 4. The total WSFU (Cold, Hot, Hot and Cold, Cold before Hot, Cold at Hot). 5. The maximum velocities, as stated by the pipe manufacturer.

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PUMPS

Drew Wolf is a technical services field application engineer with Taco. He can be reached at andwol@taco-hvac.com.

By Drew Wolf

KEEPING THE BTUS FLOWING circulator will do only as much work (flow and head) as is dictated by the system, and the circulator can only operate on its pump curve. Furthermore, a centrifugal pump will attempt to supply as much flow as it can against the friction loss of the installed system.

TERMINOLOGY CHECK A circulator pump is a specific type of pump used to circulate fluid in a

If you were to open the outside faucet at your home, you would have a great deal of water flow. If you attach a 100-foot hose, the water flow decreases. This is due to friction loss. With a long enough hose, it would be possible to have the flow eventually cease.

closed circuit. They are commonly found circulating water in hydronic heating and cooling systems. Because they only circulate liquid within a closed circuit, they only

If a circulator can’t overcome the system pressure head (loss) and friction loss, the pump will not produce the desired flow rate or any flow. The impeller will simply spin inside the casing and produce heat, and the pump will eventually fail. On the other hand, placing a circulator capable of producing 40 gpm – much more than the system calls for – would cause the pump to back up on its curve and attempt to operate at a point detrimental to the life of the circulator. A circulator that is too large will produce noise that will be heard throughout the piped system, but much worse than that is the increased likelihood of erosion of the internal walls of the piping, which can lead to damage and leakage, perhaps at multiple places.

need to overcome the friction of a piping system (as opposed to lifting a fluid from a point of lower potential energy to a point of higher potential energy).

continues on page 32

As such, the velocity or speed of water in a hydronic system must be taken into consideration when selecting a system circulator.

GETTING THE INSTALLATION RIGHT Most installation errors encountered in the field are simple problems, and are relatively easy to solve. The biggest problems are almost always seen when installations are done without reading instructions or having adequate training on the equipment being inst alled or the system being built. Some of the more common problems we see in hydronic systems include improper pump locations, and mounting the pumps incorrectly.

DID YOU KNOW? One can only reasonably expect a flow of 4 to 5 gpm through a 3/4" heating loop. 30

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continues from page 30

IMPROPER MOUNTING

PUMP LOCATION Air in the system is a very common field issue, and it often ties to where a circulator is installed. Air will produce noise in the distribution piping, cause poor heat transfer, and cavitation within the pump casing. Proper pump location will reduce air entrained in the system water – of course, proper air elimination also plays an important role. In a closed system, circulators create pressure differential to move water. When the pump is positioned to pump away from the compression tank, the circulator’s pressure will be added to the system pressure and air removal becomes much more efficient. If the circulator is pumping toward the compression tank, the discharge pressure will not show as an increase. The suction side of the pump will see a pressure decrease, which will release the air that has been dissolved into the water. This will cause noise and, most likely, cavitation of the circulator.

The mounting configuration of the pump must be taken into consideration when designing a system. Water-lubricated circulators must be mounted in the horizontal position (parallel to the floor). This position will ensure sufficient lubrication of the rotor bearings. Three-piece pumps that consist of a motor, bearing assembly and casing should always be mounted in the same horizontal position as water-lubricated pumps. They are designed to be unsupported. Pipe hangers should not be used to support the motor. Pumps with a close-coupled design have the impeller directly mounted to the motor shaft and directly bolted to the pump casing. These pumps can be mounted in the vertical position. They can be mounted horizontally as well, but are limited in this configuration by the horsepower rating of the motor.

CATCH

THE

TRAIN

As you know, in a heating system, the circulator is the device that moves hot water produced by the boiler out to the building’s heat emitters, be they baseboards, fan coil units, radiant loops or even towel warmers. If the circulator isn’t properly sized to provide the correct flow in the system, the necessary amount of heat – or BTUs – canno t be transferred into the building. An analogy that I like to use, especially when talking with homeowners, is to think of the system being serviced by a hot train that’s hauling a load of BTUs. At every train station (radiator or radiant loop, etc.) a number of BTUs jump of f. The train continues through each station until all the BTUs have left the train, at which point the train returns to the station (the boiler) to pick up more BTUs and repeat the trip. If the train is too small to carry all the BTUs needed at the r adiators, less heat will be available, comfort will be compromised, and that could lead t o other problems within the heating system.

GET IN THE FLOW The flow, or gallons per minute (gpm), that a pump produces is dependent on the head produced by the pump. The system resistance is the controlling factor in determining the flow produced by the pump. As the flow increases in a piping system the resistance, or pressure drop, rises at a rate equal to the square of the ratio of the flow. The point where the system resistance curve and the pump curve intersect is the maximum flow that the pump will produce in that piping system.

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B y E r ic Riml

What’s the colour of your water? Y

Eric Riml is a certified hydronic designer working in Calgary, Alta. He can be reached at feedback@hotwaterheating.info.

ou arrive at a jobsite, and you see something strange in the water. We’ve all seen dirty boiler water in various shades, but what does it mean? The most common colour is black. Black, red or brown water usually indicates high levels of iron oxide, which means the start of corrosion of iron-based components, including steel. Black can also indicate bacterial growth in water – particularly in lower-temperature applications. Bacteria can form organic acids that can also eat at your components. Red and brown water can also mean galvanic corrosion, where electrical current is causing the iron to break away from the pipe walls, to be carried by the water and often deposited elsewhere as scale.

RUST AVOIDANCE Iron oxide will quickly turn the water black as the oxidization process moves along, though it may start as red or brown. Iron oxide in boiler water is almost always caused by excessive oxygen (air) in the system, which combined with heat, will rapidly cause rust. Improve your air filtration, and look for signs of excessive make-up water, usually from leaks or from pressure discharge.

Yellow or brown water can indicate the presence of dissolved organics, such as decaying algae, usually in a stage of decay. This is most common when using well water as feed water, which I would stay away from – you are far better to use a system feeder and bring in city water to top up the feeder. Foaming water can indicate that oils or grease are present. Certain chemicals can also cause foaming if exposed to air and heat. In rare cases, you may see strange hints of colour, from pink to green, caused by improper flushing or neutralization of boiler-cleaning chemicals. In these cases, you are likely to need a full flush and refill because oils, grease and chemicals break down over time with heat and oxygen, and the resulting gunk is not friendly to your boiler system. Muddy or cloudy water likely means there are high levels of suspended solids in the water. A small-particle micron filter is the solution, if you can’t possibly flush and fill with better quality water. This situation, more than any other, is a reason to test local water before the initial fill! If you ever have sand, sediment or other hard particles coming out of your filter (you DO have a filter, right?), you are going to experience additional wear on moving components, especially pumps, and excessive wear where you have higher velocity water. This problem can worsen itself if you have dissolved minerals in the water, such as carbonates or sulphates (calcium and magnesium being the most common).

continued on page 36

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continued from page 34

When should I replace the boiler water?

There are many ideas floating around about whether to regularly replace boiler water. Some contractors swear by keeping the old water, because while it might contain some sludge, it is relatively inert, having already scavenged the metals it needs, and having already had almost all the oxygen purged out of it. Others swear by regular flushing and proper pH balancing with chemical additives. Of the two extremes, the first way sounds much simpler, but do we really want to be running sludge through our circulators and boilers? Well, no. It will reduce their lifespan and possibly cause unpredictable failures.

Causes of

COLOURS

However, sludge is not necessarily bad. If it coats the inside of pipes, it will – to some degree – prevent oxygen from new feed water from getting at the metal. We’re also adding a lot more maintenance cost if we regularly flush the system with new water and have to test and top up all the chemicals. So when do we use each approach?

The foremost cause of “water quality problems” is oxygen. Especially with modern, high-efficiency boilers, removing gases from fluid becomes the highest priority. Excess feed water introduction into the system is another common culprit, because of leaks or continual relief valve discharge. The more water, the more contaminants you have to deal with, especially oxygen. Although less common, poor quality boiler fill water or feed water, whether initial or ongoing because of feed water, will introduce more contaminants that have to be continually dealt with, and can result in a “problem system.” Lack of dielectric isolation between dissimilar metals or high concentrations of metal particles in the water can cause electrical current, producing electrolysis, resulting in metals being pulled from the pipe w all into the water (called galvanic corrosion). This type corrosion causes pitting in some areas and build-up in others. Old chemicals can cause problems, too. Most chemicals degrade over time and must be flushed and replaced, or at least topped up. Heat and oxygenation will cause glycol to break down eventually, despite inhibitors, and fluid under a 25 per cent glycol concentration can be prone to biological activity (that is, the glycol can rot). When glycol degrades, it produces an organic acid, dropping pH and eating away at components, producing black water that smells like that drain-unclogging incident that you don’t like to talk about.

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My recommendation is that you make a judgement call based on the size, cost and type of the system, the maintenance it already requires, and the severity of the sludge or buildup.

GET IT TESTED A lot of problems can result from things you can’t see in the water, so when in doubt, have the water tested for: • pH • Suspended solids • Water softness/hardness • Inhibitor and glycol levels • Biological contamination

There is a great difference between a medium-sized residence with a cast-iron boiler, single pump and baseboard heating, and a 50-floor apartment building with a modcon boiler and snowmelt. If you are able to schedule regular maintenance and properly monitor the chemicals, and the components are expensive enough that extending their lifespan is more cost-effective than maintenance and chemical costs, and a degradation of the chemicals is going to cause catastrophic failure, then a rigorous maintenance schedule, with regular flushing, water and chemical replacement and monitoring, and regular examination of components for signs of pitting and scale becomes the right course of action. On the other hand, I would never advocate a full testing regime and regular purging and replacement of slightly-blackened water in a small system that is otherwise problem-free.

PH CHECK PLEASE Pay attention to the boiler manufacturer’s recommendation with regard to pH. Do not assume that a neutral pH (7) is the required level. In general, when pH is below the recommended level, the chances for corrosion increases, and when pH is above recommended levels, the chance for scale formation increases. For systems containing both copper and carbon steel, the condensate and feedwater pH is often maintained between 8.8 and 9.2 for corrosion protection of both metals.

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Watch your SPEED

Velocity erosion, producing its own form of wear, can be caused by undersized piping, scale build-up or oversized pumps. All of these causes can produce liquid velocities that can eat away at any kind of pipe. Combined with contaminants, such as dissolved solids or metal ions, the erosion effect can be rapid.

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LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE

B y A d am Fr eill

CONTROLLING the hazard Disease outcomes “The term legionnaires’ disease is the common name for a very serious form of pneumonia,” says William McCoy. “It is an extraordinarily aggressive infection that causes a severe pneumonia. Any time a person is infected by legionella bacteria, they have legionellosis, but legionnaires’ disease is an infection that leads to pneumonia.” The disease proves to be fatal in between five and 30 per cent of cases, with the mortality rate often depending on the speed at which treatment can be administered. Those who survive may not fully recover, suffering from irreparable lung damage. “Many people who endure those symptoms and survive have longterm debilitation,” reports McCoy. The other clinical illness caused by the legionella bacteria is Pontiac fever. This is a flu-like illness without pneumonia. Persons with Pontiac fever experience fever and muscle aches without pneumonia, and generally recover in less than a week, without treatment.

ot everyone who is exposed to the legionella bacter ia will develop legionnaires’ disease, but every case of legionnaires’ disease is the result of exposure to the bacteria, and in almost every recorded case of legionnaires’ disease, the illness has resulted from exposure to a contaminated b uilding water system, either plumbing or HVAC in nature. “When the bacteria enter building water systems, they often find environments that are conducive to growth: warm water, stagnant water, or slow-moving water,” explains William McCoy, chief technology officer at Phigenics, and chair of ASHRAE’s Standard 188P committee. “Premise plumbing or building water system plumbing provides many opportunities for the bacteria to amplify.” Amplifiers could come in the form of cooling towers and evaporative condensers, humidifiers, potable water heaters and holding tanks, pipes containing stagnant warm water, showerheads, faucet aerators, jetted bathtubs, pools, and public fountains. The proposed ASHRAE Standard 188P, which is expected to be pub lished in final form early next year, is a voluntary practice standard that requires facility manager s and owners to formally take responsibility for controlling legionella in their building or water system. “We know how to analyze and control this hazard,” says McCoy. “We need a standardized practice to specify for facility managers and owners exactly what to do in their facilities to control the hazard in a systematic and scientif ically defensible way.”

Combatting bacterial growth

To minimize colonization and amplification: • Avoid dead legs of piping; • Keep domestic cold water below 25°C (77°F) and hot water above 55°C (131°F); • Use biocides to control growth of bacteria, algae and protozoa; • Limit available niches for microbiata; and • Remove or prevent sediment accumulation in cooling basins, decorative fountains and hot water tanks.

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• C o m b a t t i n g b a c t e r ial gr o wt h • Gr o win g co n d it io n s

Reducing the hazard “In the case of legionellosis, the risk cannot be measured because it is too complicated. Transmission can vary, susceptibility varies, and all the various factors make it impossible to measure the risk. If you cannot measure the risk, by definition you cannot minimize it,” clarifies William McCoy.

While legionnella bacteria are commonly found in nature, they rarely pose a threat in the environment because the concentration tends to be very low. Like most bacteria, however, under certain conditions they can replicate to form sizeable colonies. Legionella pneumophila can grow in tap water between 25°C and 42°C, with an optimal temperature for growth of 37°C (98.6°F). Standing water in cooling towers, humidifiers and other building systems can provide these conditions. But there’s more to the spread of illness than bacterial colonies. “It is not just about the number of bacteria, it is also about the transmission of the bacteria. In a natural environment, often the numbers are very low, and there isn’t a ready source of exposure to aerosol,” explains McCoy.

What can be done, he says, is to use pr actices that will control, reduce or eliminate the hazard that can lead to illness.

By Definition Hazard – A biological entity. Risk – The probability that the hazard will cause harm.

Decontaminating systems The emergency protocol for decontaminating wet-typeheat rejection systems usually involves the use of chlorine and dispersants, which help increase the efficiency of biocides. For systems with significant legionella problems, a residual of as much as 3 ppm free chlorine may be used, but this level of chlorine can compromise piping systems if used on an ongoing basis. When decontaminating a potable water system, the bacteria can generally be effectively controlled by increasing water temperatures to above 60°C.

“The only way that the disease can be transmitted is from the water, through the air, and into the lungs. You cannot get legionellosis from person-toperson. You cannot get legionellosis from drinking contaminated water, nor can you get legionellosis from skin exposure to contaminated water. You can only get legionellosis if you inhale the water.” That’s why disease outbreaks tend to be tied to HVAC systems. Once a bacterial colony is present in a cooling tower or humidifier, the bacteria can become airborne by way of the ducts and fans in the HVAC system.

MAKING USE OF THE STANDARD For compliance with ASHRAE Standard 188P, Prevention of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems, building owners and managers need to take proactive steps to ensure that structures are in place to address the hazard. “The first thing that must be done is to establish a team,” says Standard 188P committee chair William McCoy.

Cooling tower cited in outbreak The outbreak of legionnaires’ disease in Quebec City earlier this year has been linked to an HVAC system in the city’s lower-town area. More than 180 cases of the disease were attributed to the outbreak, which started in the summer, and caused more than a dozen deaths.

That team will analyze the building’s water systems, creating a schematic specific to the facility that identifies critical control points – areas most at risk of bacterial growth – and prescribed steps that will structure how those points in the system will be monitored, and what corrective action will be taken if the bacterial count exceeds the set critical limit.

Authorities in the city mandated that cooling towers in the affected area be inspected and cleaned, which helped bring the illness under control. More than 100 cooling systems were disinfected as part of the clean-up.

The team must also verify that the plan is being implemented, and have a structure in place to verify that hazard control has been effective.

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with Roger Grochmal

Protecting your reputation, and your bottom line Roger Grochmal is the chairman and 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.

ur businesses are under assault every day and we may not even know it. We all have customers who make unreasonable demands. These are the ones who want us to throw everything in; they complain about everything after the fact to get a concession on the invoice; and more often than not, they are slow payers.

My team’s time and efforts are much better spent exceeding the expectations of our best customers than waging an endless battle with people who will never be happy.

What can you do? To cope with those who are unreasonable, I have a customer satisfaction guarantee where I will refund the entire amount of a service plan but with the agreement that they must seek out another contractor. I then put

The cost of getting a new customer is about $300. The cost of keeping a bad customer can easily exceed that, so sometimes we have to “fire” a customer.

Get Google Alerts

If you’re not using an online customer feedback mechanism like Homestars, set up a Google Alert with your company name as the search term. You can get bythe-minute, daily or weekly e-mail alerts that tell you when your company name is mentioned. It’s a fast and easy way to see what people are saying.

In the old days, you could ignore them, shoot them a high price to scare them off, or tell them to get lost. You can't do that today. Customers have a voice; it's called the internet, and they are not hesitant to use it.

their account in our “Do Not Service” category. You would be amazed at how many customers will call back to do business with you because they can't get what they want elsewhere.

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They also have media ombudsmen who can be like a dog with a bone getting a resolution for their listener. It’s a battle you can’t win. The odds are stacked against you. It’s a good idea to keep an eye online to see what customers are saying about your company – not just to hear the good stuff, but to learn from the negative feedback as well. B u s i n e s s

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In addition to doing monthly customer service phone surveys, at AtlasCare we encourage our customers to use Homestars (web-based consumer rating site) to share reviews about their experiences with our company. Sure, we love the positive comments and ratings, but we pay equal attention to the people who don’t give us a high mark, or who use this forum to share a beef with our company. If someone does trash your company online, explore every opportunity to respond and resolve the matter. We always make a point to post a response to a negative review on Homestars and make every effort to resolve the conflict.

Once you have resolved the matter with the customer, ask that they agree to retract their statement, or follow up with a post that recognizes what you did. The worst thing you can do for your brand and your reputation is to ignore the issue – most of the time, customers just want to know you’re listening. Remember, you can win the battle and lose the war at the expense of your reputation. I once knew a contractor who told me that he only needed to service each home in the Greater Toronto Area once and he would have a lifetime of work. With social media and the internet, that's not possible today.

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COMMERCIAL PLUMBING

B y Den ise Deveau

Getting into less hot water nyone running a commercial kitchen knows that they’re energy and water hogs. In fact, they are the highest commercial users of energy – up to five times higher than retail stores, for example.

Third on the energy consumption list at these facilities is water heating, which accounts for 17 per cent of costs. Reducing hot water usage is not always a complicated exercise, however. Something as simple as low-flow aerators or insulating pipes can deliver substantial savings to customers in this market segment. Because commercial kitchens are so dependent on hot water to function, and meet sanitation and safety standards, it’s crucial to design water heating systems that can always meet peak demands. In a poorly designed kitchen, however, getting hot water to faucets can take an inordinate amount of time. From a sanitation standpoint the goal is to reduce hot water wait time to 10 seconds or less. A wait time of 11 to 30 seconds is considered borderline and 30 seconds or more is unacceptable. Choosing the right equipment and fixtures plays a key part in optimizing a hot water system, because they are regularly used and the easiest to remove and replace. These include the dishwasher, pre-rinse spray valves and aerators on hand sink faucets. Low-flow, high-performance prerinse spray valves are considered to be the single most cost-effective piece of equipment for water and energy savings in commercial kitchens. By way of example, a 0.64 gpm spray valve can save 100 therms and $330 annually compared to a 1.6 gpm valve. When compared to a high-flow valve (4.5 gpm), the savings would be 400 therms and $1,350. Bear in mind that water pressure needs to be over 30 psi in order for them to work well. Aerators are also an inexpensive water-saving innovation that can be used at hand-washing stations or in lavatories. Many restaurants still use high-flow aerators (e.g. 2.2 gpm). However, in most cases lower flow rates will not affect performance.

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DESIGNING FOR SAVINGS The placement of sinks and equipment in relation to the water heater can help reduce water waste, as well as standby heat losses from the hot water piping. This is important in ensuring efficiency and performance of the distribution system. Surprisingly, energy and water savings are not always considered in the design stage, but there are many opportunities at this point to enhance the overall performance of the system. The two most commonly used distribution systems in foodservice are simple distribution, with supply piping and no return loop; and continuous recirculation, with supply piping with a return loop and pump. A simple distribution system is reliable and compatible with all types of water heaters, however there can be delays in hot water delivery depending on the length or diameter of the distribution line. This type of sy stem is typically used in facilities where distribution lines are less than 60 feet. Continuous recirculation circulates hot water at 140°F or more through the main distribution line and back t o continued on page 44

READY WHEN YOU ARE. We’re committed to providing innovative solutions that can help you get the job done. That’s why Delta allows you to order and install a variety of electronic faucet roughs and trims separately. Our pre-assembled roughs are pre-plumbed and factorytested to ensure quality and help save you installation time and hassle. And the trims can be ordered when you’re ready for them – no more worrying about storing or misplacing them during the project. For more information, visit deltacommercialfaucets.ca or specselect.com.

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COMMERCIAL PLUMBING continued from page 42 The world’s leading trade fair The Bathroom Experience Building, Energy, Air-conditioning Technology Renewable Energies

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the heater, ensuring a constant supply in the trunk line. Speed of delivery of hot water can depend on the branch and twig pipe size (i.e. volume of water in pipes between the trunk line and point of use). A recirculation pump timer can be inst alled to reduce operating costs of these systems. This can be timed to operate only when the restaurant is in operation. An aquastat can also be integrated so that the pump only r uns when the temperature in the return loop falls below a specified value.

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Other things that can improve distribution system performance are centralizing the water heater in or near the kitchen to minimize pipe runs to equipment and fixtures; and installing point-of-use heaters for remote hand sinks to eliminate the need for hot water lines. Dishwashers deserve a special mention since they are by far the largest consumers of water in a commercial kitchen, accounting for 40 per cent of total hot water loads. David Zabrowski, director of engineering for PG&E Food Service Technology Center, notes that there have been huge reductions in consumption on the equipment side. “Five years ago, flight-type machines were using 400 to 500 gallons per hour. The newest designs are at 80 to 120.”

Hot water systems in foodservice must deliver water at temperatures ranging between 120°F and 140°F to faucets and equipment, including dishwashers. At hand sinks, the water temperature may be reduced to 100°F.

Many operations are working with heat recovery from the waste steam from dishwashers as a means to generate further savings. Newer dishwashing systems run a condensing coil along the t op of the unit that captures waste steam to heat incoming water. With this approach, operators can use cold water to run the dishwashing machines and bypass the domestic hot water supply. Last but not least, disposal systems in the dish room can use up to 15 gallons of water per minute. It is possible to reduce that consumption by applying controls that sense the torque and adjust to what is being run through the unit.

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REDUCING THE LOAD The PG&E Food Service Technology Center suggests four key areas to focus on when it comes to efficient hot water delivery in commercial kitchens: 1. Reducing water use of equipment and faucets while maintaining performance; 2. Increasing the efficiency of water heaters and distribution systems; 3. Improving hot water delivery performance to hand-washing sinks; and 4. Incorporating “free” heating technologies, such as waste heat recovery and solar pre-heating.

Join The Green Scene

INSULATE FOR EFFICIENCY To avoid heat loss in a recirculation system, it is essential that the pipes are properly insulated with fibreglass or foam. While this is the most e ffective solution for improving efficiencies and reducing operating costs, it is often the most overlooked.

BREAKING DOWN ENERGY USE Restaurants are the highest commercial users of energy, says Derrick Finn, president of Finn Projects in Toronto. “They’re multiple times higher than other retail stores – in some cases five times higher.” He breaks down the main energy areas into five categories: • Cooking - 30% of energy consumption • Heating and ventilation - 23% • Water heating - 17% • Refrigeration - 14%

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REFRIGERATION

B y A n d r e P at enaude

Refrigerants and their uses W

ith CFCs having been phased out, the ongoing phase-out of HCFCs, and much discussion about future phasing out of HFC refrigerants, the refrigeration marketplace can be a challenging sector to navigate. Where choices were once limited to just a few refrigerant options, today’s technician may encounter more than 40 possible refrigerants in the field, and deciding which can meet a specified need can be a difficult task. For a refrigerant to be considered a long-term option it must meet three criteria — it must be safe; it must be environmentally friendly; and it must provide excellent performance benefits — thus resulting in zero ozone depletion with low Global Warming Potential (GWP).

As we consider the refrigerants available to manufacturers and the potential global warming impact of each, it is likely, at least for the nearterm, that most commercial refrigeration applications will stay with HFC options, such as R-404A, R-507, R-134a, R-407A, R-407C and R-410A. The efficiency performance and cost advantages of these refrigerants outweigh the disadvantages associated with higher pressures and direct GWP. Along with HFCs, several non-halogen substances, including ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, are also being used as refrigerants, and all of these substances can be refrigerants for the right application if the system can be designed to meet key selection criteria. It is important to recognize that refrigerant development is an evolutionary process. Today’s HFCs are the next steps, but they are not the last steps in the process. As technologies develop and new applications and system designs continue to emerge, other refrigerants are being developed and applied.

REFRIGERANTS, AT A GLANCE

R-134a R-134a was the first non-ozonedepleting fluorocarbon refrigerant to be commercialized. Developed more than 25 years ago, it has characteristics similar to R-12 and is used in medium- and hightemperature applications. R-134a is a single-component refrigerant and, therefore, does not have any glide. The disadvantage of R-134a lies in its fairly low capacity compared to R-22. To use this refrigerant, all the tubing in the heat exchangers and between the components needs to be significantly larger to minimize pressure drops and maintain an acceptable operating efficiency, but in larger commercial systems, in which large screw or centrifugal systems are used, and refrigerants like R-11 and R-12 were common, R-134a may offer a good solution. continued on page 48

DID YOU KNOW? 46

MEASURING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a direct measure of global warming that considers only the direct effect of the refrigerant as a greenhouse gas when it escapes into the atmosphere. The refrigeration industry developed TEWI (Total Equivalent Warming Impact) to measure the impact of various activities on global warming. This global warming calculation includes the effects of system efficiency and the source of the electricity (coal, nuclear, hydroelectric) and the direct effect of the refrigerant when it escapes into the atmosphere. A more widely accepted measure is now called LCCP, or Life Cycle Climate Performance. This takes a holistic approach to the system and accounts for everything involved in the lifespan of the system including safety, performance, environment and economics. LCCP is the new TEWI, and takes into account TEWI, as well as the direct impact from refrigerant leaks during production and the indirect impact of embodied energy of all materials used to manufacture the fluid.

It is estimated that HFCs will contribute no more than three per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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even exchange

Honeywell has solutions to replace R-22. The pressure is on to phase out R-22. Now is the perfect time to switch T tto a Honeywell Genetron non-ozone-depleting alternative for your A/C or refrigeration application. For A/C, consider Genetron ® 407C or 422D. For Refrigeration, consider Genetron® Performax™ LT, Genetron 422D, 404A or 5 507. Talk to your Honeywell distributor today to understand your options and hand-pick the R-22 replacements that will work for you. h

Brenntag Canada Inc. Exclusive distributor of Genetron® refrigerants in Canada Ontario & Western Canada: Tel. No. (416) 243-9615 Fax: (416) 243-9731 Quebec & Maritime Provinces: Tel. No. (514) 636-9230 Fax: (514) 636-8229 To learn more, visit www.genetron.com. © 2012 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.

REFRIGERATION continued from page 46 Ammonia

R-404A

Many equipment manufacturers are using HFC refrigerant R-404A as a long-term replacement for R-502. R-404A is an excellent low- and medium-temperature refrigerant, because of high energy efficiency and zero-ozone-depletion potential. R-404A is a near-azeotropic blend of HFC refrigerants R-125, R-143a and R-134a. Some users are moving away from R-404A/R-507 to R-407A/F because their GWP is approximately half.

R-507

This refrigerant is an azeotropic mixture of R-143a and R-125, with characteristics also similar to R-502. R-404A and R-507 operate at slightly higher pressures and slightly lower discharge temperatures than R-502.

R-407C

R-407C is a blend of R-32, R-125 and R-134a. Of the higher-temperature HFC options, R-407C was designed to have operating characteristics similar to R-22. The major concerns surrounding R-407C are in its high glide (10 degrees Fahrenheit) and the efficiency degradation when compared to R-22. In systems where glide is acceptable, R-407C has become a popular option. Care should be taken when applying R-407C in any applications in which glide can impact system performance by fractionation in flooded-evaporator or multievaporator designs. Also, R-407C should not be viewed as a straight drop-in for R-22 systems or applications.

R-407A

R-407A is a blend of R-32, R-125, and R-134a in a 20/40/40 ratio by mass. R-407A was designed for low- and medium- temperature refrigeration applications. Discharge temperatures of R-407A will be lower than R-22 but system pressures are slightly higher, and the refrigerant has glide. It is well suited as a retrofit for R22 in supermarket and food storage applications.

R-410A

R-410A has become the refrigerant of choice for use in residential air conditioning applications. Most major residential air conditioning manufacturers offer R-410A product lines. The refrigerant operates at 50 per cent higher pressure than R-22; however, the higher pressure allows the system to run at a lower temperature. R-410A is a near-azeotrope composition of 50 per cent R -32 and 50 per cent R-125. It delivers higher system efficiency than R-22, but cannot be used to retrofit existing equipment. Due to its GWP being almost half of R404A , R-410A is being strongly considered as a medium- and low- temperature replacement.

DID YOU KNOW? 48

Ammonia (NH3) is widely used as a refrigerant in large industrial refrigeration plants. As a halogen-free refrigerant, ammonia has the benefit of zero-ozone depletion potential and no direct GWP; however, its high toxicity limits its application to industrial refrigeration applications.

Carbon dioxide As a refrigerant, CO2 is given the designation R-744. CO2 is environmentally benign compared with other refrigerants, is non-flammable, has low toxicity, is widely available, and is a low-first-cost substance. Although thermodynamic performance of a simple CO2 cycle is worse than HFCs, CO2 can have good heat-transfer characteristics when used in a somewhat more complex cascading system. For example, performance is quite favourable in a subcritical application when cascaded with R410A or R134a on the high side. The pressures created by transcritical CO2 can present challenges in its usage. Under normal operating conditions, pressure will range between 1,300 and 1,500 pounds per square inch (psi). To prevent pressures above that level, the use of pressure relief valves is highly recommended. The comparably high pressure level and thermodynamic properties of CO2 as a refrigerant have driven some system designers to consider subcritical CO2 systems. These systems operate much like conventional cascade refrigeration systems, and compressors in the low-temperature stage are only exposed to pressure levels similar to high-pressure air conditioning applications.

Hydrocarbons The push for halogen-free refrigerants has led manufacturers to investigate hydrocarbons as a replacement for R-22. Propane (R-290) is considered as a replacement because it is a halogen-free substance with no ozonedepletion potential and low direct GWP. Propane is widely available and is a low-cost substance. The operating pressures of a refrigeration system with propane are similar to R-22. The disadvantage of propane and all hydrocarbons is that they are highly flammable. System costs are higher because of the required safety measures. Andre Patenaude, C.E.T., is director of marketing with Emerson Climate Technologies Canada. He can be reached at andre.patenaude@emerson.com.

As of 2020, chemical manufacturers will no longer be allowed to produce R-22.

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Made with Recycled Materials

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Juggling revisions and future plans

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.

You landed a great hydronics job and are placing the orders for all of the equipment and materials when the owners call to say they would like to add a pool heater in the future, and they now want to heat the garage – which has grown into a two-and-a-half-car storage space so he can have the workshop he has always wanted. She will get her pool in a couple of years – a small 12,000-gallon lap pool. After the initial panic of having to cancel equipment orders and resize everything, you decide to do the math and determine that the garage will add about 18,000 BTUH to the original load of 48,250 BTUH. 1. You decide that: A) The 125,000-BTUH boiler you had chosen is large enough for the job. B) Since you are going to be heating the garage in the winter, maybe you should go up to the 199,000 BTUH model. C) What about the pool being added in a couple years? Better go to the 285,000 BTUH model – most pool heaters are that big anyway. D) Tell the owners that this is too complicated and they should get someone else to do the job. 2. After talking through the design, you realize that the pool is going to need a pool heat exchanger that is capable of delivering at least: A) About 2 million BTUs in one hour. B) About 100,000 BTUs for a 1°F rise per hour. C) About 150,000 BTUs for a 1.5°F rise per hour. D) All of the above IF you were trying to raise the water temperature from 65°F to 85°F on a normal summer day with minimal wind conditions.

Want a Prize? Hardi Miroslav of Yorkton, Sask., did, and he’s now the proud new owner of a Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/4” Hex Impact Driver. Be sure to pick up the next edition of Mechanical Business to see who claims the next prize, and for the next edition of Find the Fix!

A) 1” B) 1-1/2” C) Your original 1-1/4” will be fine. D) 2” just like the openings on the buffer tank. 4. The garage heat exchanger package needs all the normal boiler trim accessories (expansion tank, feeder system, relief valve, air elimination device, etc.) because: A) It’s good to sell extras – more margin for you. B) The heat exchanger isolates the garage side from the boiler side, so you need to add them. C) CSA B-214 says it is the minimum safety standard. D) That’s the way you have always done it.

Answer and win!

Looking for the answers?

STRIKE UP THE BAND (SAW)!

The answer key for the September/October quiz is: 1-D, 2-B, 3-C, 4-A

Just send us your answer key to this month’s puzzle by January 7, and you could be sporting a Milwaukee M12 Cordless Sub-compact Band Saw, courtesy of Milwaukee Electric Tool. Send your answers to adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com and the M12 saw could be yours.

3. If you change the boiler size up to the 199,000 BTUH model, the main piping lines coming out of the buffer tank will be:

M e c han ic al

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If you need the quiz, check it out in our issue archive at www.mechanicalbusiness.com.

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COVER STORY By Adam Freill

ne of Canada’s top investment bankers, a co-founder of FirstEnergy Capital Corp., and currently chairman of Canoe Financial and Prairie Merchant Corporation, Brett Wilson wears many titles and hats: philanthropist, television star and, more recently, author. The things that matter most to him these days, however, have less to do with the world of high finance, and have everything to do with family, health and friends. A life-changing period in his 40s, facing a failing marriage and failing health, was enough to show him that there was more to life than working long hours, seven days a week. Redefining his personal definitions of success, he decided that if he was going to be able to consider himself successful, it was not going to be defined by his bank account, since the ones who were most important to him, his children, didn’t define success that way. He would need to rewrite his definition of success to put a focus on health, family and friends.

Photos: Heather Fritz Photography

“It is very important once it is too late, and that’s when most of us discover this,” says Wilson, who was as personable, candid and polite during our interview as he was when assessing entrepreneurial pitches during his three seasons on CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den. “I had the good fortune of finding out half-way down the path. I was in my early 40s, and realized, thanks to a failed marriage and a failing relationship with my children, that I wasn’t doing things that were completely in line with who I wanted to be.”

Changing the behaviours that are generally rewarded in the workforce, like working long hours and setting aside personal needs in pursuit of the next deal, is not easy though, and not everyone is ready, able or willing to take the type of steps that Wilson took to refocus his life. “In the book I push people to think about their definition of success. If your definition of success is purely financial, then just stay at the office; if your definition of success involves your relationship as a father and friend, then think har d about whether you are advancing your own definition of success by sitting at the office working for yet another five minutes, because every business will absorb every minute that you have available for it.”

Businesses need more than money “I can’t imagine that an organization that’s only focused on money would be very rewarding, on any level, to the individuals that work there. There’s no soul. One can argue that the organization doesn’t have a soul, but the people in that organization give the organization its soul, and if they are gathered around for one sole purpose, and that’s to ensure that Ebenezer Scrooge has more money, I’m not sure that you are going to go long and far. Turnover is going to be high; loyalty is going to be low .” -- W. Brett Wilson

Brett Wilson’s new book, Redefining Success, details how Wilson was forced to redefine his life, making health and key relationships his first priorities. Through trial and error, he discovered that these simple virtues are foundational for real, enduring success, both in business and in lif e.

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Deal making on Dragons’ Den In the three seasons that Brett Wilson was a panelist on the CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den, not only was he the most prolific deal maker on the panel, he set the record across all versions of the show for the number of deals struck. “I had a lot of fun doing it,” says Wilson, who left the show after managing to navigate some 31 deals with entrepreneurs from across the country. “A handshake on that show, to me, meant that we would try to get a deal closed. I think some of the other Dragons, on our series and on other series around the world, would take a handshake as, ‘We did a deal on TV, but I don’t really care what happens from here, but if everything works out just right, I might do a deal with you,’” he says. “I didn’t treat it that way. I took it very seriously, and I made a lot of investments.” Through those deals, he estimates that he has committed around $4.5 million, a figure that would likely result in a loss if he cashed in the investments today, “but let me have five years to keep working that portfolio and I think I will have a doubling of my investments,” he says.

Good hiring starts with a strategy “When we were first getting going, like most small businesses, sometimes you hire the first person who is willing to work with you,” recalls Brett Wilson, who admits that the hiring process should be more comprehensive than that, and is proud of how little turnover his company Prairie Merchant has had over the years. “At seven or eight people, our president and I sat down and said, ‘What do we need to round out this team?’ We started then to be more strategic in how we added more people.” For Wilson, bringing the right professional credentials to the table is a must in a potential hire, but that’s just a base upon which other skills much be layered. He looks for personality in terms of honesty and integrity, and an upbeat perspective on life. “Chemistry is pretty important. You don’t want someone who is going to be disruptive to the flow of the organization,” he says. “I don’t just look at the transcript. In fact, the transcript might be one of the last things that I look at. I am far more interested in the street smarts that these people have picked up since they’ve graduated.”

Starts, stops and fits While he’s better known for his life in the financial world, Brett Wilson graduated from university as a civil engineer, and spent time working on projects in Canada’s north as an engineer with Esso. “I had a passion for science. I had no particular affinity for business at that time, so science and engineering took me,” he explains. “When I discovered the MBA, where you can combine an engineering degree – or any degree, really – with further education in business, it was really just a question of when, not if, I would do both degrees.” Of course, the path to that road was not without a few difficult turns. “When I was working at Esso, I took their management aptitude test,” says Wilson. “What they basically said was ‘You are cut out to be a technical specialist with us, we are happy to have you, but you are going to be a technical specialist and that’s the size of the rung of the ladder that you’ll climb.’” Shortly thereafter, he took an opportunity to do an MBA, and he’s never looked back. “I started to focus on, and find my passion for, early-stage businesses and the application of entrepreneurial business skills.”

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www.ciphexwest.ca Industry shows its West Coast vibe Approximately 3,200 attendees passed through the gates at this year’s CIPHEX West trade show, held in November at the Vancouver Convention Centre in downtown Vancouver. Visitors took in more than 250 exhibitor booths featuring thousands of the latest industry products, while the show’s workshops and free seminars kept showgoers up to date with talks from such speakers as water-treatment expert Ric Harry, HGTV host Kelly Deck and Mechanical Business contributor Carol Fey. ciphexwest.ca

9 13

1. Napoleon’s Mike Cantin shows of f the brand’s line of furnaces. 2. Novo Water Conditioning’s Dale Lewgood (left) and Donald Matt (right) receive a Gallery of New Products award from CIPH president Ralph Suppa. 3. Carol Fey simplifies the troubleshooting process. 4. Visitors test tools at the Milwaukee booth. 5. N oble’s Ulyana Fedyna poses with prize winner Bonamy Y ang. 6. Show organizer Elizabeth McCullough shows off the New Product Showcase. 7. Dwight Einwechter demonstrates the TurboTorch. 8. HGTV’s Kelly Deck discusses the design advantages of in-floor hydronic heating. 9. Stuart Henry of Aqua Global Consultants addresses global water issues at a dinner hosted by CIPH. 10. Andrew Pape-Salmon, director of the B.C. Ministry of Energy’s Energy Efficiency Branch. 11. Ralph Suppa presents a product award to Rick Pr oulx and Doug Graham of Reliance W orldwide Canada (Cash Acme). 12. Stephen Bagshaw of Intelligent Green Services weighs in on tankless water heaters. 13. Gallery of N ew Pr oducts winner in the T ools and Equipment category went to Ridge Tool. Here, Jason Waller receives the award.

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INNOVATION MAKES A SPLASH IN CANADA

A. O. SMITH IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE ITS NEW LINE-UP OF RESIDENTIAL WATER HEATERS. For decades, plumbing professionals have relied on the quality and durability of A. O. Smith water heating products. With the added value of innovative features and advanced technology, choosing an energy efficient residential water heater has never been so easy. When you install an A. O. Smith residential water heater, whether it’s gas, electric or hybrid you can be confident that you are getting the best water heating solution regardless of the application — for today and for years to come. Proud to offer ENERGY STAR qualified models for superior energy efficiency.

Learn more about the A. O. Smith product line-up by scanning here with your Smartphone.

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IPEX System 15® & System XFR® Support New Wellness Centre’s Complex DWV Systems Due to $31 million in funding contributed by federal, provincial and municipal governments, Pictou County in Nova Scotia will soon enjoy a new multi-purpose sport, recreation and wellness complex. Opening in late 2012, the fully accessible, energy-efficient facility will help enhance the region’s image as an attractive place to live and work. Located on an 11-acre site, the new 150,000 square-foot centre will be owned and managed by the Pictou County Wellness Centre Building Authority. The new Pictou Wellness Centre is intended to be a world-class, multipurpose gathering centre with ice and aquatic sports, community fitness and wellness programs, youth programming, local events and business meetings. It will ultimately house the relocated Pictou County YMCA, as well as two NHL regulation-size hockey rinks, a 25-metre pool, a warm water pool for therapeutic programs, a gymnasium with a rock-climbing wall, indoor track, fitness centre, conference rooms, and licensed child care facility. With so many amenities, the new centre features complex drain, waste and vent (DWV) applications—from sanitary systems and showers in locker rooms to rain water collection and venting. Thankfully, a new easy-to-install PVC drainage system from IPEX helped speed the installation of the complex DWV system. Fast becoming the norm in building DWV specifications, System 15® and System XFR® pipe and fittings from IPEX have emerged as a viable alternative to cast iron and copper. System 15 is a cost-effective pipe for the majority of low-rise and light commercial applications where DWV systems do not need to run through air plenums. System XFR is an uncoated PVC pipe that is rated for installation in high-rise and plenum applications where tighter fire and smoke regulations previously limited the use of thermoplastic. System XFR’s advanced material meets fire-resistance and smoke development requirements of the National Building Code (NBC) of Canada, eliminating flame spared and reducing the volume of smoke generated during a fire. Lighter than their traditional metal counterparts, System 15 and System XFR are significantly easier to store, handle and install. With no special equipment needed to hoist up pipe during installation, System 15 and System XFR make what used to be an awkward two-man job now an easy one-man operation, substantially lowering installation labour cost and time. Due to excellent insulating properties, they also do not sweat the way metal pipe does, reducing or in same cases eliminating the cost of adding insulation. “We mostly used the XFR product for speed,” says Stewart MacIntosh with Atlantica Mechanical who installed the DWV system for the Pictou Wellness Centre. “It’s especially ideal for smaller diameters where you would have to use copper with soldered joints. When you compare joining PVC to soldering, there’s no comparison.” Made of tough, impact-resistant PVC, System 15 and System XFR are extremely durable and require virtually no maintenance, offering long-term cost benefits over the life of the system. They will not rust, pit, scale or degrade— even under continued exposure to corrosive environments—yielding a more pleasing, aesthetic system that will look as good in ten years as it does the day it is installed. IPEX DWV systems also have comparable noise transmission properties during drainage flow, making it suitable for schools, hospitals and nursing homes. “We used System 15 and System XFR for all of drainage, sanitation and main and lateral rain water leaders at the new complex,” says MacIntosh. “We’ve been using the product for quite some time. The IPEX team are good to work with, and they do their best to address our needs.” System XFR’s substantially lower roughness factor and larger inside diameter compared to metal systems allows for increased flow rate and carrying capacity, providing engineers with the versatility to design smaller, compact systems as needed. Available in a wide range of diameters to meet virtually every DWV application, System 15 and System XFR also offer simple joining with a wide range of solvent cements from IPEX, including low VOC solvent cement to comply with MJ LEED™ building standards. Fire stopping is also made easy with a wide ® ® GREY range of IPEX firestop devices and material certified for use with both System 15 and System XFR.

XFR

CIPHEX West Roundup November 7th and 8th Vancouver Convention Centre 15

14. Collin Warren of Allin Plumbing & Heating nabs another of Noble’s giveaways. 15. Ecotherm’s Ron McLean accepts the Gallery of New Pr oducts’ A/C and Refrigeration awar d. 16. Adam Scheuer of Tiger Purification Systems presents an introduction to rainwater harvesting. 17. Sarah Allin pr ovides advice on landing contracts with the federal government. 18. Hans Kircher of S.A. Armstr ong answers questions during the pumps symposium session.

WHEN THE SITUATION CALLS FOR UPDATING YOUR WATER SYSTEMS,

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19. Taco Canada’s Sean Giberson ur ges hydronics professionals to get involved with Beautiful Heat. 20. Theresa Kane discusses the Beautiful Heat campaign’s accomplishments. 21. Daved Benefield puts on a display of strength at the Zurn booth. 22. Stephen Knapp, executive director of the Canadian Copper and Brass Development Association. 23. Bell & Gossett took top honours in the Gallery of New Pr oducts, Hydronic Heating category. Tim Main (right) of Xylem Canada accepts the award. 24. Best new product in “Software and Electronic Equipment” went to Jonas Software. Receiving the award are Karoline Lapko (left) and Morgan Sadler (right). 25. This year’s show featured two full days of seminars and workshops. 26. Bill Hooper of Xylem Applied Water Systems takes part in a panel on hydronic pumps.

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Sealing the deal Duct sealing options range from the rudimentary to the sophisticated. Here are some of the available options, along with HVAC consultant Dara Bowser’s take on their pros and cons:

PAINT-ON DUCT SEALER This does a really good job, says Bowser. And the contractor can tell that a joint is sealed with a visual inspection.

FOIL TAPE This is approved for use on ducts. While good for some joints, it falls short of the mark for complex hidden joints and take-offs. “You can’t really seal those with that kind of tape,” says Bowser. “All you’re doing is covering up a leak.”

AEROSOL IN-DUCT SEALANTS For existing installations, this technology, which works from the inside to seal leaks, is becoming an increasingly popular choice because it eliminates the need to remove finishes to get at the ductwork.

COMMON GREY CLOTH DUCT TAPE This is not a good choice because it w as never meant for ducts. “It actually disintegrates in less than five years. It’s not good for sealing at all,” Bowser explains.

TACKLING

leakage from within Y

ou would think that a luxury residential complex would have everything signed and sealed. But for the upscale MuseumHouse in Toronto, the sealing part was an issue. Within a few months of completion of the project, it was discovered that duct leakage was a problem. In order to pass a performance audit and meet air handling specifications, the owners of MuseumHouse decided to invest in duct sealing.

“The building was only two years old when the decision was made,” says Kenneth Kwasniak, service operations manager for the John W. Danforth Company, an HVAC contractor and duct sealing specialist. “When the original contractor put the ductwork in they performed preliminary tests and drywalled everything. Because nobody had thoroughly tested the ducts, there was leakage above the drywall once everything was closed up.” continued on page 62

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PLUMBING

continued from page 60

leakage from within In a typical scenario, the job would require tearing down interior walls and manually sealing each of the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 25 individual duct systems. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But even those seals donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t last much longer than 10 years,â&#x20AC;? Kwasniak says. The option selected by the client was sealing ducts from the inside using Aeroseal technology, which would eliminate the need for costly renovation work. By sealing from the inside, teams were able to go into the individual units, cover furniture and valuables in plastic, and use filtration fans to minimize the presence of sealant particles. The non-toxic sealant is in the form of an aerosol mist that travels throughout the duct work, attaching itself to leaks where it accumulates until the hole is sealed. Each residence took a day to complete with minimal disruption to tenants.

FAST FACTS ABOUT DUCT SEALING â&#x20AC;˘ Duct sealing is the least expensive way to improve energy efficiency in a ducted HVAC system. â&#x20AC;˘ Between 60 and 85 per cent of residential homes could realize significant energy savings from duct sealing.

So far the results for MuseumHouse have been impressive. According to post-application testing, 90 per cent of the leakage was eliminated, and air loss was reduced from 300 CFM to 6.5 CFM.

Facts courtesy of Aeroseal

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To get the best airflow out of a heating and cooling system, Dara Bowser advises that ducts be tested. The benefits are worth the effort, he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest benefits are comfort and even distribution. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another one that would benefit energy providers. If air conditioners can deliver air more effectively, they would be run less and would reduce peak summer loads.

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TACKLING THE ELEPHANT

IN THE ROOM When Dara Bowser talks about the elephant in the room, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s referring to duct leakage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Typically, residential installation experiences 20 to 50 per cent leakage. Everybody in the industry knows this, but nobody is doing an ything about it,â&#x20AC;? says the owner of Bowser Technical Inc., an HVAC consulting firm in Brantford, Ont. If a two-storey house has a master bedroom that requires 100 cfm of air to cool the room on a typical summer da y, if the ducts leak 50 per cent of the air , then that room is never going to be cool. To compensate for the leakage, contractors may end up overdesigning a system, either by upsizing systems or installing additional air conditioning units. While leakage problems are prevalent, Bowser says the issue has not been fully addressed because there is no reference to duct sealing practices in current legislation, residential building codes or design specif ications. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even Energy Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new home requirements require ducts to be sealed. But they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require the ducts to be tested. They are more or less relying on the person to do a good job,â&#x20AC;? he says. This is not the case on the commercial installation side, where thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of concern about leakage and a demand for testing requirements, he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you have a $5 million building, owners are willing to spend the money. Residential builders donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to, so they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.â&#x20AC;?

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revenue streams In new builds, duct sealing takes extra time and effort. But Bowser says it

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could offer revenue opportunities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In some new builds, contractors will offer duct sealing as par t of an upgrade package, which could be anywhere from $250 to $500. If they think of duct sealing and t esting as part of the services they provide, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a nice bit of an add-on sale that can be very worthwhile to the customer because it will give them much better HVAC system performance. If they talk about the problem with customers, it could be an easy sell.â&#x20AC;?

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HVAC

Sean Hiscock is an instructor in the Oilheat Systems Technician program at Nova Scotia Community College in Dartmouth, N.S. He can be reached at sean.hiscock@nscc.ca.

B y Se a n Hi s c o c k

FIRING UP THE BURNER he best way to troubleshoot why an oil burner has shut down or is "off on safety" is to follow a logical sequence of operations. Using the following steps as a guide will ensure that no steps are missed.

First it is necessary to ensure that the proper voltage is going to the operating control or high limit. This supplies the burner with power. Assuming there is some sort of call for heat, or a need for domestic hot water, a signal for power is sent to the burner. Three things must be present at the same time to have fire: fuel, oxygen and a source of ignition.

Air is an absolute necessity when it comes to combustion, but air can be a double-edged sw ord. Without adequate airflow, there will not be a good mixing of fuel and oxygen, but with too much air the system is robbed of efficiency.

To confirm the availability of fuel and oxygen, make sure the fuel valves are open and remove the high-pressure line from the bulk head fitting. Aim it into a container. Reset the primary relay so that the burner motor will turn the pump coupling and the burner fan. Oil should now be spraying into the container, and the fan should be supplying air for combustion. Now is the time to check for ignition. Each burner has a recommended procedure for this and, for safety reasons, only use the procedure specific to the model of burner being checked. These steps will have narrowed the problem area to either the fuel unit, the ignition system or to the motor. If all three of these check out and are working properly, the nozzle, electrode settings and the draft are the next possible suspects in the investigative process. Once the cause of the failure has been determined and fixed, make sure to perform a complete combustion analysis to ensure maximum efficiency.

A CLEAN SPRAY One of the key components involved in ensuring that a system is operating efficiently is the nozzle. These should be replaced annually, and should be selected to match the design load. The burner manufacturer will have a recommended nozzle and spray pattern for the burner model being installed. It is not recommended to stray from this recommendation, nor is it advised to oversize the nozzle. Doing so could result in short cycles of the equipment, higher emissions and reductions in thermal efficiency.

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A WORD ABOUT AIR

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When a system is running with excess air, the temperature in the combustion zone drops lo wer, as does the flame temperature, which reduces the amount of heat that can be absorbed b y the heat exchanger. In the flue, excess air results in higher flue gas temperatures. As a result, contact time for the flue gas over the heat exchanger is reduced, as is the heat transfer rate to the heat exchanger, resulting in a less efficient heating system. Finding the right balance of available air is critical to a smooth-running system thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not wasting fuel.

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ROAD WARRIOR S

B y Jeb R o b er t s

Photo: Brian Hawkes

Name: Jhye Hopkins Company: New Era Plumbing & Heating Ltd. Job title: Co-owner Age: 28 In the mechanical industry since: 2002 Trade school: British Columbia Institute of Technology Family: Wife (Keli) and daughter (Madison) Pets: Two tuxedo cats (Bob and Dan)

f there’s one thing a contractor can never have enough of, it’s time. Nearly everyone in the industry would kill to have a second version of himself to get more done in less time, and while the science isn’t quite there yet, the co-owners of New Era Plumbing in Squamish, B.C., have the next best thing. Twins Jhye and Kodi Hopkins grew up together on their father’s job sites, and they’re as quick to help with each other’s work as they are to finish each other’s sentences.

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Name: Kodi Hopkins Company: New Era Plumbing & Heating Ltd. Job title: Co-owner Age: 28 In the mechanical industry since: 2002 Trade school: British Columbia Institute of Technology Family: Wife (Lindsey) and son (Jaxson) Pets: Two Cats (Zeik and Maxx)

“Our dad has been plumbing for 33 years, and ever since I can remember my brother and I have been around job sites,” says Jhye. “He even named my brother Kodi after looking down at his Kodiak work boots, so I guess you could say we were born to be plumbers.” We spent a little time with the twins to see how their unique situation benefits their business.

F a v ou r i t e t o o l i n y o u r t o o lb o x: “ Ou r ch an n el- lo ck p lier s.” What’s it like working with your brother? J.H. It’s awesome! Two minds are better than one, and we work extremely well as a team. K.H. We’re very close, and we find each other’s strengths and weaknesses and capitalize on them to be the best team we can be. Favourite thing about the job: J.H. Keeping up with the technology, and installing all the new products that come out. I also really enjoy meeting new clients. K.H. Staying on top of emerging trends — the work environment is always changing. Time behind the wheel per day: J.H. It depends on where we’re working, but we average one to two hours. Service area: K.H. Whistler, Squamish, and West and North Vancouver. Any area you like to get dispatched to? J.H. I enjoy working in Whistler. The views are amazing. K.H. Close to home is always nice. What radio station do you listen to during the day? J.H. The only one we have when we’re working in Squamish is Mountain FM. K.H. Since the reception is so bad, my iPod does the trick. Latest job site: J.H. A 24-unit luxury townhouse project called Rivendale in the suburbs of Squamish. We’re handling the plumbing, gas installations, HVAC and heat pumps.

Fondest memory on the job? J.H. Going to jobsites with my dad as a young child, handing him tools and being his little helper. K.H. The first time I worked alongside my father and brother as a ticketed journeyman. Favourite band/performer: J.H. Jedi Knights Circle, a hip hop group out of California. Best concert you ever attended? Both: The Tragically Hip in Deer Lake Park (Burnaby, B.C.).

Favourite drive-thru restaurant: J.H. Tim Hortons K.H. I try to avoid them, but I love Tim Hortons coffee in the morning. Favourite local haunt for lunch: Both: Naked Lunch in Squamish has the best sandwiches you’ll ever have. Favourite food: J.H. My wife’s shepherd's pie. K.H. My wife’s Lasagna.

Favourite movie: J.H. I enjoy comedies. Super Troopers makes me laugh every time. K.H. Right now it’s Ted with Mark Wahlberg. But one of my favourites is The Town. Favourite cartoon as a kid: J.H. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. K.H. Same here. I was a big Leonardo fan. Favourite sport: J.H. Baseball, but golf isn’t far behind. K.H. Baseball — the Blue Jays will win the pennant again one day. Favourite car: J.H. A 1951 Chevrolet pickup, which will be my next project with my son. K.H. My custom 1964 Chevrolet Impala. I spent two years building it. M e c h a n i c a l

Favourite place to hang out: J.H. At the baseball diamond with my friends and family. K.H. At Chances casino and bar with friends and family.

Favourite beverage: J.H. Iced Tea K.H. That’s an easy one — a nice cold beer or two. What do you like to do in your spare time? J.H. I golf every chance I can get. K.H. Renovate my home or spend time with my daughter, Madison. Last book you read: J.H. Be Prepared by Gary Greenberg. K.H. The Art of Making Money by Jason Kersten. Biggest pet peeves: J.H. People eating with their mouth open, people being late and people who don’t refill the toilet paper roll. K.H. I don’t like it when people say they’ll do something and never end up accomplishing it. My rule of thumb is: J.H. If it’s broken, fix it. If it’s not broken, fix it. K.H. Quality over quantity, and speed will come in time.

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Marketing with DOUG MACMILLAN

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

Get more mileage out of your service vehicles very single HVAC/R and plumbing contractor in Canada spends hours sitting in one of the most valuable marketing assets they have: their truck(s). If you’re paying tens of thousands of dollars each year to lease, insure and fuel your service vehicles, it makes good sense to make them work as hard as they can, and that means extending your brand and landing new customers.

But don’t simply slap a logo and phone number on the door and expect miracles. Invest in some creative thinking and probably some large-scale full-wrap graphics – they are a lot more affordable than they once were. Plan to turn a few heads while on the road with a unique photo or design that is the essence of your business – your uniformed team outside your shop, bare feet on a warm ceramic floor, or just a tight shot of a cozy fireplace. Conversely, solid colour itself without bold graphics is another great option.

Make the right impression

Never forget that the vehicle is a reflection of your brand and makes an Ask yourself if you can provide unique and useful content rather impression about the type of company you are running. I was recently stuck in than the usual list of bullets. And it would be neat to print a difstop-and-go traffic on the 401 watching an HVAC service vehicle bobbing and ferent tip on the back of each vehicle. Statements such as, “Grab weaving through traffic like a teenager late for curfew. a blanket. Every degree you reduce your heat at night cuts your heating costs by 1%,” or, “Time to upgrade. That old furnace It made a pretty lousy impression, and made me wonder what the real cost could be costing you 40% more to heat your house,” will stick would be of the “$49 Service Visit!” brazenly promoted on the side of the van. with people, and intrinsically communicate what you do. If you’re going to truly treat your vehicles like a marketing tool, Train your techs to be courteous and generous drivers who park legally, are think like a marketer. Be strategic. Provided it’s not losing you responsible for the environment (no idling), and care enough to keep the too much time or mileage, use well-travvehicle clean and in tip-top shape. elled routes that give you a larger audience. There’s nothing wrong with parking a bit An effective med ium farther from the shop if it means your billResearch tells us th at effective vehicle board will be seen by more people. advertising has a co 97 per cent. This far nsumer recall rate exceeds most tradit of up to ional media. Budg board is also a heck et-wise, your trave of a de al. Park the vehicles in different prime The CPM, or costlling billthe cost of some of per-thousand viewe the more tradition rs, is a fraction of residential locations from time to time, al marketing aven ues used by contrac provided you’re familiar with municipal ting firms. by-laws about parking commercial vehicles Stick to the basics in residential neighbourhoods. Don’t clutter the vehicle with too much information. A great big logo, brief definition of what you do, and web address should cover it. Add a phone Consider negotiating a permanent high profile parking spot number if you really think you need to, but these days it’s not essential. with another business in exchange for regular HVAC service.

One client had the great idea to schedule multiple service calls in the same neighbourhood every once in a while, so that more than one of their vehicles are driving around the same desirable area at the same time, creating the impression that, “These guys are everywhere!” Now that’s what I call smart marketing.

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Match the season?

In addition to being lower in cost, large scale vehicl e graphics are also more easily applied and removed than they once were. If you run seaso nal promotions, consider designing the vehicle to allow a significant part of your space for rotating graphics that communicate your current promotion.

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ONE PIPE CAN DO SO MUCH “We’ve been using Aquatherm for 4 years and are very satisfied with our results and the of work we can achieve with it. Aquatherm’s advantages are: speed of installation, labor savings, and not having to worry about jobsite theft or damage.”

quality

“The quietness of the pipe is a big benefit for this large commercial and residential project – with water flowing through it you don’t even hear it. And the ease of installation and how and clean it is to work with are also major benefits.”

John Price, President, Price Plumbing Ltd., Riverview, NB

quick

Rick Dearing, Owner/President, Red Deer Plumbing, Red Deer, AB

“Aquatherm has so many good characteristics. It will last the of a building. It is much lighter than other metals, and isn’t going to get stolen like copper. Its flow rates are far better, and it has a natural insulation value.”

lifetime

Jim Myers, Owner/Manager, Jeda Mechanical, North Vancouver, BC

“We were introduced to Aquatherm when it became available in our area and have enjoyed great success using it. When compared to copper piping there is also a in material costs and the product is far less likely to be stolen.”

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Glen Gardiner, Estimator, Mr. Plumber, Blair LaPierre Inc., Charlottetown, PEI

“We’ve worked with Aquatherm for the last four years, and have done several projects in Vancouver and Saskatchewan. The benefits of the Aquatherm system were . It was easier to work with since it is lighter than steel or ductile iron.”

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Hermann Koechl, Project Manager, GML Mechanical Ltd., Delta, BC

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TANKLESS WATER HEATERS

B y M at t h ew Reid Matthew Reid is a heating technician in the HV AC and Hydronics Department at Desco Plumbing & Heating Supply Inc. He can be reached at matthew.reid@desco.ca.

In search of endless omeowners love hot water. Want proof? Call them right after their nice hot shower has run cold and you’ll be sure to get an earful. Hence the plethora of sales pitches making the promise of endless hot water.

HOT WATER PIPE LAYOUT TIPS

Unfortunately, the wrongsizing of units and improper installation practices have left some early adopters of tankless technology wanting. There is an easy fix though. With a proper load demand calculation, and ensuring that the install meets the basic needs of the unit, the warm showers can last for as long as the homeowner desires.

When installing a tankless water heater, don’t overlook the piping connections coming into and exiting the water heater. As a good general rule, 3/4” pipe with an 18” straight run leading in and an 18” straight run exiting will help ensure good flow.

And don’t worry, the math is easy, and the basic needs of tankless water heaters are very simple. They consist of three things: water, air and fuel.

Our flow rate will be reported in gallons per minute, or 8.33 pounds per minute, but we are looking at an hour’s worth of energy, so let’s multiply the 8.33 pounds of water by 60 minutes. That gives us roughly 500 pounds of water, and a delta T of 80.

If you get all three of these things right, the chances of failure for the unit have all but disappeared and the unit should work maintenance- and trouble-free at high-efficiency while meeting that number 1 customer request of “never running out of hot water” for years to come.

DEMANDS CALCULATOR The number one request that I get when sizing a domestic hot water load for a customer is that the end user must never run out of hot water. Thankfully, this all comes down to simple math, and the definition of a BTUH is wher e to start on our path to meet this r equest. A British thermal unit per hour, or BTUH, is the approximate amount of energy needed to heat one pound of water one degr ee Fahrenheit in one hour.

To calculate the number of BTUHs necessary to maintain hot water indefinitely, let’s toss some numbers on the wall. The mass of water needed, a flow rate, and a delta T will all help us land at our magic number. We know that one gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds; and basing our delta T on an incoming water temperature of 40°F on the coldest day of the year, and 120°F for typical use and storage, we have a differential of 80°F.

Multiplying these figures together, we find that we need 40,000 BTUH to maintain a one-gallon-per-minute flow of 120°F water. That’s the math, and the numbers don’t lie, but we are not exactly done yet. To give a customer a system that will never run out of hot water, we need to calculate the total load. If the end customer has one standar d shower at 1.5 gpm, and one kitchen faucet at 2.5 gpm, then the total load is four gallons per minute. Given the flow requirements of the home, 160,000 BTUH will be required to meet this total load demand. And at that input rating, let the warm times roll. continued on page 72

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2" PVC Ve e Venting

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The new Navien NPE condensing series is so advanced retrofits have finally become simple. Now the existing 1/2" gas line can be used and in many cases our 2" PVC venting can be run through the existing chase. All of which allow for a tankless installation in about the same amount of time and cost as a traditional tank install. Simple retrofit, exclusive ComfortFlow™ technology, ultra high condensing efficiency and now field gas convertibility all combine to make the new NPE series easily the best choice in tankless! Learn more at TanklessMadeSimple.com

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TANKLESS WATER HEATERS

continued from page 70

Follow the instructions, to a tee Following installation instructions may sound simple, but I’m always amazed at the creative ways that some appliances get installed, and that creativity can cause problems with how a water heater performs. If the unit comes with two pipe connections for direct-vent application, use two pipes and direct-vent the unit. If it is necessary to terminate the exhaust with a tee, use a tee; if it says to use a 90, use a 90. And keep in mind that there is still water in tankless units when in standby mode. Since they do not fire unless called for, there is a chance they can freeze, but if the installation instructions are followed and the unit is properly vented, there should not be any freezing problems.

Deliver what the unit needs Tankless water heaters are high BTUH units. Feeding them with half-inch half-port gas ball valves attached to 90 feet of half-inch corrugated flex isn’t going to cut it. These are units where it will be necessar y to use the gas charts, since shortcuts and rules of thumb can cause operating problems for the appliance.

A cold water

SANDWICH There are a few idiosyncrasies with tankless water heaters that are worth thinking about and discussing with customers, especially those who have not had a tankless water heater before, and the cold water sandwich, where hot water is followed by cold and then hot again, is one of them. The cold water sandwich is something that doesn’t come up much as it did in the early days of the technology, since tankless installers and users have learned how to avoid it, but it will take some adjustment for some end users.

Size for the home’s total load, measure the distance from the main to the unit, and run the proper size of pipes based on all of these factors. And there is nothing wrong with corrugated gas lines, just size them corr ectly.

Unless additional equipment has been added to eliminate this phenomenon, when using a tankless heater, the user should leave the hot water running. If they turn it off and on continuously, perhaps when shaving, the hot water flow will be interrupted with cold water as the water heater cycles on, off, on, off, creating this “cold water sandwich.”

Once the unit is up and r unning, conduct a combustion analysis, as well as an intake analysis to make sure there is no cross contamination between the intake and exhaust.

There are items that can eliminate this effect, like in-line potable hot water expansion tanks, or the installer can just educate their customer.

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PLUMBING Redesigned with wheels and a folding handle, the Mini-Rooter Pro from General Pipe Cleaners is designed to clear kitchen and bath drains, as well as laundry lines. It features a detachable drum that holds up to 75 feet of 3/8” or 1/2” cable, and can be used with 2”, 3” and most 4” lines. An optional power feed drives and retracts cable at up to 16 feet per minute.

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Intellihot’s GC Series condensing hybrid tankless water heater operates at a maximum of 250,000 BTUH at 98 per cent combustion efficiency, has an EF of 0.93, and delivers up to 13.2 gpm at a 35°F rise. The unit works with static supply pressures as low as 2.5” WC, and its coil heat exchanger is designed to expand and contract to meet the thermal stresses of commercial applications.

Taco’s SmartPlus hot water recirculator is designed for systems with hot-water return lines. The device features a “smart” mode, which records hot water demand for seven days and then duplicates the pattern the following week. When not in use for 36 hours, it enters vacation mode, circulating water once per week. The unit is available in a bronze bodied 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch sweat connection.

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Available in a chrome finish, Moen’s Zarina single-handle bathroom faucet can be installed in a single- or three-hole sink. The faucet operates at up to 1.5 gpm, and incorporates ceramic-disc cartridge technology.

The Z5615-BWL commercial wall-mounted toilet from Zurn features the company’s EcoVantage antimicrobial glaze designed to inhibit stains and odour-causing bacteria, mould, and mildew while minimizing the need for chemical cleaners. The 1.28/1.6 gpf dual-flush unit uses a siphon-jet flush action with a 2” to 1/8” glazed trapway.

www. moen.ca 74

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REFRIGERATION

By Phil J. Boudreau

Troubleshooting commercial condensing units and VERSUS RECIPROCATINGsystems COMPRESSORS evaporator n order to troubleshoot “not-so-obvious” issues in a commercial split-type refrigeration system, a technician must be aware of the intended application of the equipment. This includes the design operating conditions in which the compressor and heat exchangers should balance. If needed, the manufacturer of the equipment can be consulted for this information.

Additionally, the correct service tools are needed. Pressure gauges and thermometers should be of good quality and properly calibrated. When taking temperature measurements, be sure to make a good thermal connection with the component that you are measuring, and clean the surface and insulate the sensor if necessary. To troubleshoot, it can help to use a “symptomcause-remedy” method. In order to guide us along the way, I have referred to the “Typical Refrigeration System Operational Trends” outlined in Ups and Downs of Servicing by Garth Denison. Please note that no attempt was made to include all possible scenarios for each symptom.

SYMPTOM: COMPRESSOR TRIPS ON OIL FAILURE CONTROL This is perhaps one of the most common issues that a technician may experience. Oftentimes, oil trips are misdiagnosed as a problem inside the compressor. Before you attempt to change an oil pump, or even the compressor itself, ensure that the possible causes have been checked first.

Check the crankcase temperature and compare with the manufacturer’s data. If it is too low, then it is likely that the return gas temperature is too low. Also, check the discharge superheat and compare with the compressor manufacturer’s specifications. If the discharge superheat is low, then it is likely that the return gas superheat is also too low. This will depend on the operating conditions. This becomes more critical at lower compression ratios.

Photos: Lou Recine

CAUSE: HIGH REFRIGERANT DILUTION OF THE OIL

If the compressor has an oil pump, measure the net oil pressure and compare with the compressor manufacturer’s specs. If the oil pressure is close to the trip point of the oil failure switch, there is a problem. Joe D’Ambrosio, supervising foreman for Coolmark Mechanical Ltd., checks the net oil pump pressure.

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Just because you have a return gas superheat that seems to guarantee that no liquid exists, it cannot be assumed that excessive refrigerant dilution of the oil is not the cause. The amount of refrigerant present in the oil depends on the low-side pressure and oil temperature, along with the type of oil and refrigerant used.

• S y m p t o m s an d cau ses The return gas superheat must always be evaluated along with the discharge superheat. For example, assume that a system uses Checking the crankcase temperature. R-404A refrigerant and operates at 25°F SST and 110°F SDT and with 10°F return gas superheat. In this case, the discharge superheat might only be 35°F. In many cases, this is too low. Low discharge superheat generally results in an excess of refrigerant in the oil, which reduces lubrication for the compressor. Also, the oil carryover rate tends to increase under these circumstances.

Ensure that the correct oil type and viscosity are used. Compressor oils must always be approved by the compressor manufacturer. If the viscosity is too low, then low oil pressure will follow. One way in which to verify that the correct oil is used is to use a refractometer to compare the oil sample to a virgin sample of the manufacturer’s recommended oil. This technique compares the refractive index of the two samples. If the two samples are similar but a foaming condition is present, this may be due to a mixing of two or more different oil types.

CAUSE: DIRTY OIL SCREEN If superheat readings are sufficient, then be sure to drain the compressor oil and inspect the oil screen at the base of the compressor. Take note of the appearance of the oil. If the oil is discoloured, the compressor oil should be changed. Oftentimes, the oil will become dark due to high discharge temperatures. After changing the oil, the operating conditions should be reviewed and corrected if necessary.

In order to increase the discharge superheat, it will be necessary to increase the return gas superheat. A liquid-to-suction heat exchanger (LSHX) is a common way to achieve this. A system that has very short piping runs, operates at low evaporator TD, Checking the compressor low compression ratio and low discharge superheat. evaporator superheat while using a refrigerant that is highly soluble in the oil such as R-404A and POE, is a good candidate for an LSHX.

Checking the return gas superheat.

CAUSE: INCORRECT OIL TYPE

Compressors that do not use an oil pump may have another type of oil failure control, such as the optical type. Optical oil failure controls are typically installed at the end of the crankshaft to ensure the presence of oil at the inlet to the crankshaft and the main bearings. When these controls trip, it will be necessary to ensure: 1) that there is sufficient oil in the crankcase, and 2) that the discharge superheat is not too low.

CAUSE: INCORRECT WIRING If you are working on a new or recently serviced system, verify that the oil switch has been correctly wired before condemning a component due to an oil safety trip!

SYMPTOM: LOW EVAPORATOR PRESSURE AND LOW SUPERHEAT Low evaporator pressure should be evaluated in conjunction with the evaporator superheat. There are several reasons why an evaporator may operate at low pressure. If it is determined that the evaporator superheat is low to normal, then the possible causes may be narrowed down somewhat.

CAUSE: LOW LOAD Low load may be due to a lack of airflow. Ensure that fan blades are of the correct type, positioned on the shaft correctly, and that they are turning in the proper direction. It is also important to ensure that the airflow to and from the coil is not restricted by anything in the room. Ceilingsuspended unit coolers must be positioned far enough away from the wall that they permit good return airflow. continued on page 78

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REFRIGERATION

TOOL TIPS

continued from page 77

Spinning round and round nce thought to be more for the hobby trade than the contractor’s toolbox, rotary tools are making huge inroads on professional jobsites, likely because the units bring a lot of versatility in a very small package. Accessories allow these units to go from cutting and grinding to deburring and more, so it’s not a big surprise that they are becoming a new best friend to plumbers and HVAC technicians.

CAUSE: UNEVEN FEEDING OF REFRIGERANT

The tools can be outfitted with a variety of cutting wheels, based on the material to be cut, so whether faced with steel, stainless steel, copper or plastic, the machines allow a contractor to cut a huge variety of pipe materials. Accessories make plunge cutting through drywall to install pipes, or removing tiles for a repair job, much faster and cleaner than the old manual methods. Plunge cuts in ductwork are also possible, with a set of metal blades. When assessing the specifications of a rotary tool, the key factor to consider is speed, and the control of that speed. A variable-speed tool that goes from 5,000 rpm (slow grinding) to 32,000 rpm (fast cutting) will cover most applications. Make sure the tool is compatible with the accessories you need and make sure the accessories you use are sharp. Replace wheels and brushes frequently to allow the tool to perform at its best at all times.

A cordless revolution Rotary tools are perfect for working in tight spaces. Going cordless is a great option, as it allows the tool to be used in areas without electrical service, like on new construction sites where hydro has not yet been hooked up.

If the distributor is not feeding each tube the same quantity of liquid and flash gas, it is likely that a low pressure and superheat situation will exist. The purpose of the distributor is to provide proper mixing of the liquid and flash gas as it enters the evaporator. If this is not occurring, check the sizing of the nozzle, if there is one. Also check for proper installation of the metering device relative to the position of the distributor.

CAUSE: UNEVEN EVAPORATOR COIL LOADING – AIR SIDE There are a few possibilities here. First, inspect the coil and ensure that the entire coil face is completely cleared of debris, frost and ice. If there are feeds that absorb little to no heat because they are surrounded with debris, they will tend to feed liquid to the suction header. The metering device will then respond by throttling as it works to maintain a constant superheat. This tends to starve all other feeds in the coil, hence the low pressure. It is very possible for a small group of non-heat-absorbing feeds to result in a low enough superheat to desuperheat all other feeds in the coil.

CAUSE: UNEVEN FEEDING OF REFRIGERANT The formation of ice is a sign that the defrost cycle is not working correctly. Ensure that all coil and pan heaters are working, or that the hot gas cycle is providing sufficient heat to the coil. It is also important that the defrost termination switch is correctly located and does not terminate too soon. The number and duration of defrosts must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Even after the evaporator is completely defrosted, it is very important that enough time for condensate drainage is permitted by the controls.

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

Phil J. Boudreau is the Ontario sales manager for Bitzer Canada Inc. and also provides training and technical support for Bitzer’ s clientele. He can be contacted at pboudreau@bitzer.ca.

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Kevin’s on the road, so you can keep on the job. More parts. More brand names. More branches. More service. PLUMBING • HVAC • HYDRONICS • INDUSTRIAL • FIRE PROTECTION • BUILDING MAINTENANCE Noble is known for having a great selection of stock-on-hand in our branches. Noble drivers like Kevin go the extra mile to get parts and equipment into the hands of customers at their businesses or on site. We’re on the road to keep you on the job and on schedule. That’s the Noble Difference and you’ll ﬁnd it in everything we do.

At Noble, we have a ﬂeet of more than 150 trucks, we have more than 50 branches, we carry more than 70,000 SKUs and we’re committed to having more of the parts, equipment and products that our customers need as stock-on-hand. So, if you’re looking for more, try Noble.

You need it? We got it. www.noble.ca 1-800-529-9805 OR 905-760-6800 BARRIE BELLEVILLE BRAMPTON BROCKVILLE COQUITLAM CORNWALL GRAVENHURST GUELPH HAMILTON KINGSTON KITCHENER LANGLEY LAVAL LONDON LONGUEUIL MAPLE RIDGE MARKHAM MILTON MISSION MISSISSAUGA MONTRÉAL NEWMARKET OAKVILLE OSHAWA OTTAWA PETERBOROUGH SECHELT ST. CATHARINES TORONTO VANCOUVER WINDSOR

HYDRONICS

B y B o b “ Ho t R o d ” R o h r

You can tune a boiler, but you can’t tuna fish

ell, it’s that time of year again. As the outdoor temperatures drop, the phone starts ringing with heating calls. Generally, the first calls are “no-heat” calls, and aren’t those fun? Ever get the 3 a.m. plea that so-and-so’s family is simply freezing and that they’ll simply not make it through the night, so they need you there in 20 minutes? That’s faster than the pizza man! Thankfully, some building owners and homeowners are proactive and actually ask for a startup and clean-and-check service before the snow flies, and it really is a good move on their part, one that we should be encouraging all our customers to do. Any mechanical device that uses fossil fuel should be maintained and adjusted for peak performance. Certainly if a vehicle becomes hard to start, or starts hiccupping when travelling down the QEW or Trans-Canada, it would be scheduled for service. Well, the same should apply to your customers’ heating appliances.

It pays to be on top of your system We all know that many customers call only when the system fails to operate. Not enough owners are concerned enough to schedule a yearly tune-up, but with more complex heating systems, and newer technologies like condensing equipment becoming the de facto norm, these annual visits should not be looked upon as being optional. Some manufacturers’ warranties are dependent on a yearly check, so the annual system physical is a wise investment. The challenge is devising a method to communicate to the customer the importance of a yearly check-up for their heating investment – before they are faced with a repair that is rejected from the warranty department due to improper equipment servicing.

HELP YOUR FUTURE SELF Record all the data on a service call. Most combustion analyzers have a printer option. It is wise to leave a dated copy of the analysis printout in a plastic bag at the jobsite to document your work for the next technician. Keep a second copy in your customer files to record the work you performed. Keeping a paper trail provides you with a record of the system’s operating habits, and can be used to prevent long-term problems. Digital pictures or videos with a “talk over” can also be helpful. If you are called back to that jobsite, having a picture or video to review can save time and money. And be sure to document any suggested changes or improvements that you present to the owner, as well as whether they choose to proceed with your advice.

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• H e l p y o u r f u t u r e s elf • Fin d in g t r ain in g

GET FRIENDLY

with your combustion analyzer With the continued interest in high-efficiency heating appliances, the need to be up-to-speed on combustion analysis is massive. If you install and service modulating-condensing equipment, or mod-cons, an analyzer is a must-have device in your kitbag. Equipment installation manuals clearly state that proper startup procedures involve a combustion test. Boilers that are having problems with lockouts, experiencing multiple tries for ignition, or present noisy combustion can generally be traced to improper startup procedures. Keep in mind that a combustion analysis can, and should be, performed on any fossil-fueled heating equipment. It is not just for higher efficiency products. Next time you disassemble and clean a dusty old atmospheric boiler, run an analysis before you start, and again after you have cleaned and adjusted the burners, and check out the improvements in the system. Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr has been a plumbing, radiant heat and solar contractor and installer for 30 years. A longtime columnist and trainer, he is manager of training and education with Caleffi North America. You can reach Hot Rod at bob.rohr@caleffi.com.

Finding training If you have not done a lot of combustion analyses, or just want to brush up on your skills, there are a lot of training opportunities available to learn about combustion, and the tools required to test and adjust burners. Almost all major boiler and furnace manufacturers offer this type of training for their products. From time-to-time, manufacturers will bring a group of customers into their facility for intensive multi-day training programs. Many of the progressive manufacturers have well-furnished and well-staffed labs that allow for hands-on training on several products. And don’t be afraid to extend the advantage you gain from attending these classes. Build a rapport with some of the manufacturer’s technical support team. These are the people who can help you when you are out in the field. With today’s smartphone technology, you can take and share pictures and videos in real time. If you have the right technical support person in your contacts list, it can be like having a factory support person right next to you on the jobsite.

school and the timely programs they offered. I still can picture the mini boilers they had built for training in the gas lab. I longed to go back to school after that visit. Great job, Dave!

Courses in your area Factory training is often provided by local wholesalers at their branch or training facilities. Next time you’re picking up an order at your favourite wholesaler, ask for a list of classes available – and a nice little bonus is that many courses include a meal, so you can feed the body and the mind!

Manufacturers of equipment are always happy to support the technical training centres and often provide them with equipment for their training labs. But don’t despair if the only boilers on your route are a little on the aged side. Many of the centres keep older technology along with the latest equipment for training purposes. And don’t forget that there’s a wealth of free knowledge out there as well. All it takes is a bit of networking with other trades-folk. It seems whatever problem or condition you come across, someone has seen that before. (They are usually from New York.)

Also check into training provided by third parties. I have visited some amazing trade schools, and utilities training centres across Canada and the U.S. over the years. Several years ago, Dave Hughes took a group of us on a tour of the NAIT training centre in Edmonton. I was very impressed with the quality of the

Tap into the knowledge that others have through trade associations or any of the various online groups. This is one case where the information age can work to your advantage. Help is just a keystroke, or the push of a button, away.

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HYDRONIC

Self-regulating pump

Boiler flushing pump

The Wilo-Stratos from Wilo is a self-regulating, inline, electronically commutated pump designed for hot- and chilled-water hydronic systems, as well as air conditioning, solar and geothermal systems. It operates within a temperature range of -10째C to 110째C, and offers a maximum head of 43 feet and a maximum flow rate of 273 gpm.

Designed to clean boiler and radiator systems without their removal, the MKIII Powerflow flushing pump from Fernox comes equipped with a 1,100 watt pump motor and has a 50 litre tank capacity. The unit is rated to an operating temperature of 85째C, and has a circulation rate of up to 99 litres per minute. It is suitable for domestic and light commercial systems containing up to 500 litres of fluid.

www. wilo-canada.com

www. fernox.com

Great on gas.

Now N ow ffeaturing ea t u r i n g the the AquaSmart Wireless A q u a S ma r t W i r el es s TTemperature emp er a t u r e Module M odul e

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Snow melt mixing panel Fixed-speed circulators

Heatlink’s SMP300SS-HEX Snow Melt Heat Exchanger Mixing Panel is designed to serve as a central operations centre for a fully automatic snowmelt system with a non-dedicated heat source. The panel comes equipped with primary and secondary pumps, mixing valve, mixing valve motor plug-in transformer, and isolation valves. It can be used on systems with heating outputs up to 300,000 BTUH.

Designed for a range of hydronic applications, Armstrong’s E.2 Series circulators are available in models with flow rates of up to 143 gpm and head up to 56 feet. The pumps feature a bellows-style mechanical seal with silicon carbide wear surfaces; a water slinger to protect the motor against water intrusion; and sealed, permanently lubricated bearings.

www. heatlink.ca

www. armstrongpumps.com

The Perfect Choice for Today’s Demanding Homeowners Laars boilers are everything a modern boiler should be easy to use, easy on the environment, powerful and compact. Laars has a solution for any home’s space & domestic water heating needs with boiler sizes from 50 to 285 MBH and efficiencies of 85 to 95%.

Find out more at www.laars.com 95% AFUE Floor Standing Boiler

95% AFUE Wall Hung Combi Boiler & Water Heater

85% AFUE Floor Standing Boiler

866.690.0961

85% AFUE Floor standing Combi Boiler & Water Heater

Indirect Water Heaters

www.laars.com

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HVAC

B y C ar ol Fey

Carol Fey is a technical trainer who has worked as a heating mechanic in Antarctica and has published six books for the HVAC/R industry. She can be reached at carol@carolfey.com, or visit her website, www.carolfey.com.

here is an old joke in the HVAC business that the instructions that come with a control are good only for lighting the pilot. The thing is, sometimes if you learn how to interpret what’s printed on that paper, you’ll learn why the pilot won’t stay lit. A fine example of this is a troubleshooting chart. It leads you effortlessly through the steps of solving a problem.

Making the most of troubleshooting

The troubleshooting chart is the perfect tool for technicians. Technicians are often are black and white thinkers. The answer is either “yes” or “no.” That’s how a troubleshooting chart thinks.

CHARTS

A troubleshooting chart is a flow chart. It shows a sequence of steps in a particular order. There are a few simple rules: You must start at the beginning. Starting in the middle can get you the wrong answer. You may not skip steps, even if you think they’re silly. You have to answer the questions honestly and without guessing. We mostly don’t like rules, but these are a small price to pay for getting to the right answer.

FOLLOWING THE PATH

In any troubleshooting chart, the pattern is: 1) A question or statement;

YES

2) A choice of yes or no; and 3) An action to take or a new question, depending upon the yes or no choice.

DOES THE DARN THING WORK?

DON’T MESS WITH IT

Looking at our cheeky troubleshooter’s chart, let’s start at the top and see where the answers take us. The first question on this char t is, “Does the thing work?” We need only to choose “yes” or “no.”

YES

DOES ANYONE KNOW?

“Yes” takes us to the action “Don’t mess with it” and straight down to the final resolution, “No problem.”

DID YOU MESS WITH IT?

YOU POOR FOOL

NO YES

“No” brings the new question, “Did you mess with it?”

YES

“Yes” takes us to the piece of information “You fool,” and to a new question, “Does anyone know?”

HIDE IT

The two answers to the question lead in two different directions. “No” goes to the instruction “Hide it,” and to the final resolution, “No problem.” “Yes” leads down an entirely different path. Have fun working through the various pathways, but watch out for the infinite loop. That’s where we just keep going around and around in a pattern. A real troubleshooting chart shouldn’t have any infinite loops. But seeing it in this one f eels a little like real life, doesn’t it? We can’t get out of the loop until w e answer the question “yes.” Then we can move on to “No problem.”

YOU POOR FOOL

WILL YOU CATCH HECK? NO

FORGET ABOUT IT

NO CAN YOU BLAME SOMEONE ELSE? YES NO PROBLEM

continued on page 86

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Gerty Has A New Hairdo...

And she can’t wait to tell you all about it. Gerty is our telemarketing Goddess – a job she w as born to, given her love of talk. And while it’s her job to phone you if you haven't renewed your free subscription at least once in the past year, her enthusiasm sometimes gets the best of her.

You see, Gerty just loves to talk. And talk. And talk. Whether it’s sharing stories about her latest crumpet and jam social, her beloved Mrs. Muffles or her new “fantabulous” hairdo (her words, not ours), Gerty’s stories will hold you captive. Captive, of course, being the operative word. So, while she gets paid to be on the phone – y ou don’t. We understand that. That’s why we’ve made our online renewal process easier than ever. Simply visit our brand new website, click on the Subscribe tab and c onfirm that you want to continue receiving (or start receiving) Mechanical Business. It’s fast, easy and Gerty free.

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HVAC

continued from page 84

WHY CHANGING PARTS WORKS — AND DOESN’T

RERE-VERBER-RAY VERBER-RAY

Let’s take a moment and consider why randomly changing parts often works. Many of the problems are caused by faulty wiring. If you change enough parts enough times, chances are you’ll eventually get the wiring right — even if you never knew that it was wrong in the first place. Manufacturers say that of the products they take back on warranty, the majority have nothing wrong with them. They take them back to earn everyone’s good will. What they can’t do is replace the time (translation: money) spent replacing something that wasn’t defective.

USING A REAL TROUBLESHOOTING CHART

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the HL3 SERIES g gas fired infrared infrared hea te fired heater Two T wo stage operation operation improves improves comfort comfort levels, levels, faster faster heat heat recovery recovery and an additional 12% fuel savings savings over over single stage. stage.

Quality, Quality, black coated, coated, locking locking tube e exchangers xchangers prolong prolong equipmentt lif equipmen life, fe, enhanc enhance e hea heatt output and install with ease ease.. A dvanced stainless st eel Advanced steel v ortex burner pr oduces an vortex produces elonga ted flame rresulting esulting elongated g reater hea ibution. greater heatt distr distribution.

H Highly ighly polished polished,, adjustable aluminum rreflectors eflectors pr provide ovide optimal ffocus ocus o of infrared infrared hea heatt waves target areas. w aves tto o tar get ar eas.

The method of using a real troubleshooting chart is the same as the humorous one. W e have to start at the beginning. The answers to the questions determine where to move next in the chart. Eventually the chart leads to the resolution of the problem. One of the biggest troubleshooting challenges in the heating business is electronic burner ignition. The controls themselves usually aren’t the problem, but they get blamed (and replaced in error) anyway. The troubleshooting problem comes from the fact that electronic systems don’t necessarily “think” the way we humans do. When we try to use only our human “logic,” it’s easy to get the wrong answer. A classic example is when the gas burner won’t light. There’s a pilot, but the valve won’t open to light the burner. Human logic says if there’s gas for the pilot, then there’s gas available for the burner. If that gas won’t come out of the valve, then we tell ourselves it must be a bad valve.

So we replace the valve but the system still doesn’t work. Human logic says then the problem has to be the ignition module. Replace that. The system still doesn’t work. The troubleshooting chart points out things that changing parts would never address, for example, what voltages to look for in specific places, whether the pilot flame is in the right place, or if the igniter has to be grounded. Following a troubleshooting chart lets us see the logic of the system. That’s called the “sequence of operation.” It’s not only that we may not know how things are normally supposed to work. It may also be that they work differently than we would have assumed.

NEVER ASSUME The chart also keeps us from forgetting steps. It may say something as simple as “Turn it on.” On the one hand we may think “Duh, what a stupid thing t o say.” On the other hand, I’ve embarrassed myself more than once by forgetting that step. That’s why we start at the very beginning.

BRANT RADIANT HEA HEATERS ATERS T LIMITED LIM 34 Scott Scott AAve.,Paris ve.,Paris OOn.N3L n.N3L 3R1 1-800-387-4778 w www.brantradiant.com ww.brantradiant.com

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The chart keeps us from making assumptions. For example, we may believe that there’s a call for heat. It can save hours, though, to have the troubleshooting chart ask “Call for heat from thermostat?” Having to answer “yes” or “no” is a painless r eminder to check the thermostat just to be sure.

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System 636® Flue Gas Venting System As a contractor, lists are a part of your day. Materials lists, ‘to do’ lists, requirements lists; in fact, the list of lists goes on and on. But when it comes to your flue gas venting requirements, we’ve made the list for you. Options that cover Class IIA (PVC – 65ºC) and Class IIB (CPVC - 90ºC) Robust Schedule 40 thickness pipe and fittings to resist impact and puncture Permanent and leak free solvent weld jointsproviding the ultimate in pull out resistance and safety Complete size range of long radius true 1/4" bends (90º) Certified vent termination options Flame and smoke listings for code compliant plenum and high rise installations Listed fire-stop systems and products readily available Low drainage grade for tight ceiling spaces (1/4" per foot) Plain End pipe with reusable cutoffs to reduce jobsite waste Minimal maintenance system that does not require an annual inspection A System that is manufactured in Canada and available coast to coast Sales support, technical assistance and field training Added benefit: knowing products are backed by Canada’s leading plastic pipe manufacturer So when it comes to flue gas venting systems, there’s really only one product that will meet all your requirements – System 636® by IPEX. One less list for you to do. A little more time for you to, you know, enjoy your coffee.

For more information visit www.ipexinc.com/system636

For Flue Gas Venting Applications Product manufactured by IPEX Inc. System 636® is a trademark of IPEX Branding Inc. S636

Call 1-866-473-9462 or visit www.ipexinc.com/system636

BOILERS

Dan Rettig is a product specialist at Lochinvar, with experience in technical service and product management. He can be reached at drettig@lochinvar.com.

Da n Re t ti g

KEEPING SAFE FROM LOW TEMPERATURES contractor recently asked me about problems with boilers condensing and breaking down the insulation boards that line the combustion chamber. All copper boilers experience this issue when the inlet water temperature stays consistently below 130˚F.

The reality is that non-condensing boilers operated at low water temperatures will experience component failures, repeated service calls and poor operation when allowed to operate in a condensing mode. The simple way to handle this problem is to ensure that a low-temperature protection device is included in any non-condensing system if the water temperature at the boiler inlet is less than 130˚F. These devices could be three-way bypass valves or thermostatic mixing valves, and they serve to divert some of the heated water from the boiler’s outlet back to the inlet allowing the hot water to mix with the colder water from the system return. The other option when working with inlet water temperatures below 130˚F is to make use of a highefficiency condensing boiler. These units are designed to operate with colder inlet water temperatures – in fact, they need low water temperatures to reach the efficiency numbers posted by the respective manufacturer. There is, however, a low end to safe operation for condensing boilers. The major concern is when water is exposed to temperatures lower than 32˚F, or when system fluid like a glycol mix is exposed to temperatures below its freezing point. Boilers with freeze protection systems bring on the boiler pump to raise the temperature of the fluid when the system setpoint is reached. If that is not sufficient, the burner will fire long enough to heat the fluid above the freezing point. Since pure water and glycol-water mixtures have different freezing temperatures, the setpoint ranges for freeze protection systems are field adjustable by the technician.

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Avoiding carbon monoxide leaks Allowing water less than 130°F int o a non-condensing copper boiler regardless of the manufacturer can cause multitudes of issues. Premature igniter, heat exchanger, heat tile and burner failures are the most common problems that occur. Intermittent ignition failures and delayed ignitions will generate repeated service calls. Additionally, the flue products that condense inside the vent may cause rusting of the vent material. When holes form in the vent, flue products may begin to spill into the mechanical space. If this occurs there is a chance for carbon monoxide poisoning in the occupied space, which is a serious and po tentially deadly hazard.

Don’t forget the boiler I was an HVAC technician for eight years before coming to work at Lochinvar. During my years in the field I worked on many boilers while being largely unaware of the effects that low water temperatures can have on a boiler. My previous experiences had me troubleshooting the components of hydronic systems and hardly touching the boilers. I diagnosed issues with water source heat pumps, air handlers with hot water coils, expansion tanks, and all other components, and all the while I ignored the boiler and failed to verify that it was functioning properly. Nowadays I have a better appreciation of the whole system, and the importance of protecting all key components, especially the boiler.

HYDRONIC Polyethylene hydronic pipe Roth’s X-PERT S5 is a five-layer polyethylene of raised temperature resistance (PE-RT) pipe made with polyethylene copolymer resin. The piping, which is available in sizes ranging from 3/8” to 1”, can be used in non-potable hot and cold water systems, and its five-layer construction is designed to keep the EVOH oxygen barrier intact.

www roth-canada.com

Wall-mounted boilers With heating inputs of up to 155,000 BTUH and efficiencies of up to 97% AFUE, WeilMcLain’s WM97+ wall-mounted gas condensing boilers feature fire tube heat exchangers, built-in boiler circulator and primary/secondary piping, and a pre-wired terminal strip. The unit can be vented with PVC, PP and SS up to 100 feet.

www. weil-mclain.ca

Web-enabled circulator Taco’s Veridian line of high-efficiency circulators are webenabled, wet rotor, variable speed commercial pumps for chilled and hot water applications. The pumps have a maximum head of up to 45 feet, a maximum flow of up to 350 gpm, and are suitable for use with fluids at temperatures from -10° to 110°C. They come equipped with a brushless electronically commutated synchronous motor, and can be operated as single or parallel variable-speed pumps.

www. taco-hvac.com

High-efficiency hydronic boiler Communicating thermostat The tekmarNet Thermostat 557 from tekmar is a communicating touchscreen thermostat designed for hydronic flooring with a two-stage heat pump, or for two stages of heating and two stages of cooling. The unit’s three auxiliary sensor inputs can be used to measure room, floor, outdoor or duct temperature, and its touchscreen allows adjustment of seven-day programming.

www. tekmarcontrols.com

Offering heating capacities of one million to 1.7 million BTUH, Laars’s NeoTherm LC hydronic boilers are designed to offer up to 94% thermal efficiency. The units feature stainless-steel heat exchangers and colour touchscreen displays, as well as low 10-ppm NOx emissions.

www. laars.com

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PLUMBING Navien’s NPE Series gas condensing tankless water heater is designed to be connected using existing gas lines and flue chases, and accommodates 2” ULC S636 venting up to 60 feet and 1/2” gas lines up to 24 feet. The unit features dual stainless-steel heat exchangers, a buffer tank and a recirculation pump, and is capable of being cascaded.

www. tanklessmadesimple.com Designed in partnership with Philippe Starck, Duravit’s SensoWash shower-toilet seat allows for two programmable user profiles. The system has a power-activated lid; a seat with rear, front and oscillating washes; an adjustable nozzle; and controls for seat and water temperature. The system includes a wireless remote control. The dual flush toilet was invented in 1980.

www. sensowash.com

“I can’t take a leak.” “That’s why I only use Dahl valves” valves.”

“We work in some of the finest homes in Toronto, and so I don’t play games with quality. It’s Dahl or nothing. Dahl people are all about solutions – just like us. If I need a special, one of a kind valve, they’ll make it up on the spot and I’ll have it the next day. That’s why I’ve insisted on Dahl products for over 40 years.”.i Mark Altman M&T Mechanical North York, Ontario

Turn to Quality. Turn to Dahl.™ Made in Canada. Really.

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Elkay’s Vandal-Resistant Bottle Filling Station offers flows of 1.1 gpm for refrigerated units and 1.5 gpm for non-refrigerated units. The station features a one-piece bubbler and a recessed orifice to prevent contamination. It is available as a filterless unit or with a 3,000 gallon filter. LED monitoring indicates when replacement filters are needed, and a counter displays the number of plastic bottles saved with each successive fill.

www. elkayusa.com

The Nu Drain system from Nu Flow is designed to rehabilitate or prevent damage to pipes by creating a protective, structural pipe inside an existing piping system. The system uses a liner saturated with epoxy to create a barrier that can span missing sections of pipe, resulting in a seamless, jointless pipe within a pipe.

www. nuflowtech.com

Available in four high-arc models in pull-out and pull-down versions, American Standard's Quince faucets are designed for single-hole installations. An optional escutcheon deck plate allows installers to use two, three and four-hole configurations. All models feature braided nylon metal hoses, metal spouts and lever handles, and washerless ceramic disc valves.

www. americanstandard.ca

MJSIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HydroClean fill valve is designed to adjust the amount of water directed to the toilet bowl and eliminate water waste due to overfilling. The deviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water jets are designed to clean rust and sediment from the tank with each flush. It can be installed without tools and adjusted without removal from the tank.

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HYDRONIC Condensing boilers Available in models with inputs of one million, 1.3 million or 1.5 million BTUH, Lochinvar’s SYNC condensing boilers offer thermal efficiencies as high as 98 per cent. The units come equipped with stainless steel heat exchangers. Touchscreens allow for access to operations data and performance history. A built-in cascading sequencer accommodates up to eight boilers for heating capacities of up to 12 million BTUH.

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

www. lochinvar.com

Tandem hydronic circulators Bell & Gossett’s Ecocirc 19-14 Auto and Vario circulators feature cast iron bodies and electronically commutated permanent magnet motors. The pumps have a maximum working pressure of 150 psi, a maximum working temperature of 110°C, provide up to 19 feet of head, and a maximum flow of 14 gpm.

www. completewatersystems.com

Hydronic heat pump

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

Designed to provide low-temperature hot water for hydronic heating applications, as well as chilled water for cooling, NorAire’s Air to Water Heat Pump System has a minimum SEER rating of 13. The system, which is designed to operate down to 0°F, comes equipped with an integrated 10, 15 or 20 kW auxiliary electric boiler with heating inputs ranging from 33,000 to 55,000 BTUH.

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

www. electromn.com

runtalnorthamerica.com 92

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Hydraulic separator

Adaptive circulator Featuring a permanent magnet motor design, the Alpha circulator from Grundfos uses adaptive technology to analyze a heating system and adjust to meet demands. The pump has a maximum working pressure of 150 psi, a top flow rate of 22 gpm and can provide up to 19 feet of head. It operates within a temperature range of 2.2° to 110°C.

The Spirovent Quad Hydraulic Separator from Spirotherm combines the functions of a hydraulic separator with those of an air eliminator and dirt separator, and is designed to remove entrained air and dirt particles from hydronic systems. The unit’s construction causes air bubbles to rise and collect before being released, while dirt and sediment sink to a dirt chamber designed to eliminate blockages. The separator is available for 1" through 2" pipe sizes.

www. spirotherm.com

www. grundfos.ca

Compatibility manifold Webstone’s Hydro-Core manifolds are available for use with a variety of boiler systems. The valves facilitate boiler installation, or the connection of secondary circuit loops in primary/secondary systems, and incorporate ball drain valves, rotating flange and drain valves, and plugged pressure gauge ports, as well as several other system components.

www. webstonevalves.com

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HVAC/R Products P High-efficiency heat pump

Double-bottom oil tank Available in models with 1/2” end openings, or 1/2” or 2” bottom openings, Granby’s Ecoplus residential oil tank offers fuel oil storage capacities ranging from 680 to 1,135 litres. Each tank features a doublebottom system with leak detection, and is constructed of 12-gauge steel with a polyurethane coating.

The 7 Series 700A11 from WaterFurnace is a variable capacity geothermal unit that offers efficiencies up to 41.0 EER and 5.3 COP, and heating capacities ranging from 13,000 to 78,000 BTUH. The unit features a soft-start variable capacity compressor, variable-speed ECM blower and variable-speed loop pump. A microprocessor controls and monitors heat pump conditions to determine when excess heat can be routed to domestic water heating.

waterfurnace.com

Learning thermostat Featuring a streamlined design and upgraded software, the second-generation Nest Learning Thermostat is designed to monitor and adapt to homeowner preferences. The thermostat is compatible with a wide variety of low-voltage heating and cooling systems, including second-stage cooling, thirdstage heating, dual fuel, emergency heat, and whole-home humidifiers and dehumidifiers.

granbytanks.com

nest.com

Residential gas furnace With inputs of 132,000 BTUH, Lennox’s SLP98V variable-capacity gas furnace features efficiencies of up to 98.2% AFUE. The unit comes equipped with a stainless steel secondary heat exchanger and a selfcalibrating variable-speed inducer that automatically adjusts to system requirements.

lennox.com

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HVAC/R Products P High-efficiency gas furnace Offering up to 96% AFUE efficiency and heating input capacities ranging from 60,000 to 100,000 BTUH, Goodman’s GMVM 96 is a multi-position, modulating variable-speed gas furnace featuring an aluminized-steel, dual-diameter tubular heat exchanger and a stainless-steel secondary heat exchanger. The unit’s self-calibrating, modulating gas valve is designed to operate with two-stage or singlestage thermostats.

goodmanmfg.com

Tankless-powered air handler Rheem’s RHWB hydronic air handler offers nominal heating capacities of 32,000 to 90,000 BTUH and features a low-profile style and an X13 motor. The unit is designed to be combined with the company’s tankless water heater as part of an integrated HVAC and water-heating system.

Compressor controller The AK-PC 781 multifunctional pack controller from Danfoss is designed to optimize compressor and condenser operation while offering oil management, heat reclaim and CO2 control. Capacity control is available for up to eight compressors, with three unloaders for each compressor. Programming is accomplished through the company’s AK-Service Tool software for PCs.

rheem.com

danfoss.com

Dryer Booster Fan Improve dryer efficiency Reduce drying time / energy costs Fewer service calls Simple installation

Current Sensor

Pressure Switch

Timer

Lint Trap

CONTINENTAL FAN CANADA INC. __________________________________ MISSISSAUGA, ON BUFFALO, NY DAYTON, OH T: 800-779-4021 W: continentalfan.com M e c h a n i c a l

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PLUMBING Available in 25- and 55gallon models, Bradford White’s High Performance Series of water heaters have heating inputs ranging from 78,000 to 80,000 BTUH. The units come equipped with integrated mixing devices, helical fin flues and use standard 4” venting.

Delta’s Linden pull-out faucet incorporates a touch sensor that lets users activate water flow by touching anywhere on the spout or handle. Other features include a flared wand, variable flow options and spray settings, and a low profile for kitchens with limited space above the sink.

www. bradfordwhite.com

deltafaucet.ca

Bradley’s Advocate Lavatory system is a commercial handwashing fixture that features a sink, soap dispenser, faucet and dryer in a single touchless unit. The system includes a 0.38 gpm faucet and high-efficiency dualsided hand dryer. It is constructed with recycled solid surface material.

bradleycorp.com

The Governor 80M2 universal toilet fill valve from Watts is equipped with a leak sensor that detects leaking flappers and prevents tanks from continuously refilling. The valve also includes a built-in surge release to protect pipes from thermal expansion surges, and an adjustable flow control that prevents tanks from overfilling.

The 7030 ABS Waste & Overflow System from OS&B features a screwless design, selfclinging gaskets, a crossbar-free spin-on tie plate, and a slide-on faceplate to complement modern tub designs. The system comes in offset and direct-drain configurations, and is available with a variety of drain closures.

www. osb.ca

wattscanada.ca

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Cleanable nut drivers

Cordless rotary hammer Delivering up to 800 revolutions per minute and 5,350 beats per minute, Milwaukee’s M12 Cordless 1/2” SDS Plus rotary hammer weighs 3.9 pounds and measures nine inches in length. Its electro pneumatic design allows for drilling of holes up to 1/2” in concrete and masonry.

With a 1/4-inch hex shank, DeWalt’s Impact Ready Cleanable Nut Drivers can be used with standard and high-hat hex head fasteners for high-torque applications. The drivers are designed to eliminate clogs for strong magnetic holds, even when using long fasteners at odd angles.

www. dewalt.com

www. milwaukeetool.com

Pole-mounted light Producing over 14,000 lumens from a 150 watt LED light head, Magnalight’s FPM-LED5W-30-120V Fixed Pole Mounted LED Work Light is an industrial-grade pole-mounted lighting system that includes a mounting bracket, aluminum pole, 25 feet of electrical cord and a waterproof step-down transformer. The mounting bracket can be permanently attached to the flat sides of lift buckets and platforms.

www. magnalight.com

Wireless time clock Portable vise stand Designed for use with up to 12” diameter pipe, Ridgid’s 460-12 Portable Tristand Vise comes equipped with three tool hangers, a tool tray and benders located at the rear of the base. An adjustable rear leg allows levelling of the stand.

www. ridgid.com

ExakTime’s JobClock Hornet wireless time clock is designed to replace timecards by automatically sending time and location records on an hourly basis from worksites to offices. The clock is housed in a weatherproof ABS plastic composite case, and it comes equipped with a 30-day rechargeable battery.

www. exaktime.com

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CIPH Ontario Business Meeting January 17, 2013 Mississauga, Ont. www.ciph.com NAHB International Builders’ Show January 22-24, 2013 Las Vegas, NV www.buildersshow.com

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RLDVIEW Jeff Patchell

An exchange of innovative ideas, on-site experiences and best practices when it comes to managing and implementing greywater systems is needed for the global industry to benefit.

in Australia

Fifty shades of greywater any parts of the globe face chronic water shortages due to population growth and climate change. If greywater can stay on-site and be reused for non-potable purposes, it greatly assists in taking some strain off the plumbing system needs.

Technologies exist to treat domestic greywater chemically, biologically and physically, rendering it safe for such applications as irrigation and toilet flushing. However, regulating the greywater environment is the major challenge. Here in Australia, a protocol has been created to measure the capabilities of greywater treatment technologies against a uniform set of criteria. A little farther north, in Portugal, a study prepared by the Portuguese government showed that the losses and inefficiencies of various water systems amounted to almost 40 per cent of total demand for water in the country. With the objective of increasing the efficiency of water use, the government there has established intervention measures to be implemented with the

Share your knowledge – shady or not Why did we emulate the title of such a shady but successful book with our greywater project, you ask? Well, it got you to read this column, didn’t it? So, a bit of marketing never hurts in assisting to raise awareness. How can you write yourself into a chapter? We’ve provided a few starting examples of greywater stories on www.worldplumbinginfo.com. Consider these to be ideas and experiences to motivate you to provide your own content as we build up the book. Send your greywater stories, ideas, pictures and illustrations to Jonathan Jackson at jonathanjackson@build.com.au. He’ll format your input and add you to the project. Please play your part in the development of this unique collaborative effort to open the world’s mind to the value of greywater, for today and tomorrow’s society. In anticipation of your input, I thank all those budding authors out there.

involvement of government entities, sector entities, water authorities, consumers and non-governmental organizations. While the world is full of good ideas, the plumbing sector is not so great at exchanging information globally. Thus, www.worldplumbinginfo.com has launched a collaborative effort to harness the best and most resourceful knowledge around the globe on this important subject, and to make it freely available to everyone. We call this project: 50 shades of greywater.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE WATER WE HAVE Barry Porter, CEO of Nubian Water Systems, an Australian firm that supplies sustainable water systems, believes there are four crucial elements in managing and providing innovative greywater systems:

1. Small physical footprint: When plumbers are looking at installing a greywater system, it is generally for installation in a house or an office. A residential greywater system will sit aboveground, while an office greywater system must be able to fit in the plant room. Neither system will occupy a lot of space. 2. Low electricity use: Using gravity helps reduce dependence on electricity. 3. High yield of water recycled: The whole reason for installing a greywater system is to save water. For most systems, for every 100L of water that goes in, only 80 litres of reusable water comes out. System designers are focused on raising this efficiency rate, however, and some have hit a 95 per cent reusable rate. 4. Quality of water output: The more outputs on a greywater system, the better chance the owner has to maximize the amount of water reused, meaning better bang for the buck.

Jeff Patchell is managing director of Connection Magazines Pty Ltd. He operates www.worldplumbinginfo.com, an online plumbing industry knowledge bank. 101

Compiled by Mechanical Business

FULL-TIME TRADES

97% Percentage of skilled-trades workers in Canada who have full-time (as opposed to parttime) employment.

TABLET TALK

100 MILLION

DRY SPELL

Number of iPads Apple has sold in the past 2.5 years.

30% Ideal level of humidity for homes during winter months. Humidity should be kept at or below 50% during the summer.

STEEL IN SPADES 900

Number of kilograms of steel the average Canadian owns.

WORLDLY WASTE

CARBON CAUTIONS

1.1 billion

25 parts per million

Number of people in the developing world who do not use, or do not have access to, toilet facilities.

Short-term exposure limit, based on a one-hour average, to prevent immediate health effects from CO exposure.

10 parts per million Long-term exposure limit to CO, based on a 24-hour average.

SPEED WITH AGE

8 MINUTES

Sources: Air Canada Centre, RBC, Canadian Tire, CMHC, Statistics Canada, Industry Canada

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Half of people aged 55 and older spend less than eight minutes showering. This compares to 35% for ages 35 to 54, and 28% for ages 18 to 33. PM# 41536047 Postmaster: Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to: Mechanical Business, 19 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1525 Cornwall Road, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2

Introducing the Complete Shower Install. Linear Shower Drains including the new Tile Top model Pre-formed Niches, Curbs and Curb Overlays Ready-to-tile Shower Base Kits :DWHUSURRĂ&#x20AC;QJ 0HPEUDQHV Pre-formed Benches Shelf Bench From the sleek contemporary bronteâ&#x201E;˘ Linear Shower Drain system to the convenient ready-to-install pre-formed Bath and Shower Niches, the new bronteâ&#x201E;˘ collection has your shower needs covered. For more information contact your OS&BTM Representative or call 1.877.314.6040

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