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CONTENTS
OCTOBER 2026 / VOL. 100 NO. 5
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EVENT REPORT WINNERS ALL AROUND The 10th Modern Hydronics Summit combined education and prizes. By HPAC Staff
30 MECHANICAL MINUTES FUTURE-PROOFING HYDRONICS SYSTEMS In this webinar review we share insights from John Siegenthaler about the long-term value of designing systems around low temperature supply water. By Doug Picklyk
16 COVER STORY SWEET HEAT COMFORT AND CRAFTSMANSHIP Congratulations to this year’s three winning projects. By Doug Picklyk
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HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
HYDRONICS LOWER THAN YOU THINK Working through the math to size modern panel radiators. By John Siegenthaler
30 CONTROLS DATA, DATA AND MORE DATA In the age of AI, modern controls can provide live and historical data to help contractors refine comfort in homes and buildings. By Curtis Bennett HPACMAG.COM
COVER PHOTOS: TERRA MECHANICAL/FARR MECHANCIAL/SIMCOE MUSKOKA HOME COMFORT
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CONTENTS 34
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HYDRONICS BUILDING BLOCKS H TEMPERATURE CONTROL B B HYDRONICS AND PIPING EFFICIENCY Optimized hydronics systems require well thought-out design and control strategies. By Michael Breault
HVAC GETTING INSIDE AIRFLOW Be prepared to understand the consequences of poor airflow with a residential HVAC system and the real remedies required to fix it. By Ian McTeer
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PLUMBING HOT WATER ON DEMAND If you install water heaters, are you also offering customers the instant hot water they desire? By Doug Picklyk
REFRIGERATION THE UNSUNG CONDENSER Putting a spotlight on the oftenforgotten member of the vapour compression cycle. By Dave Demma
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HEAT PUMPS A TORONTO COMPANY’S PUSH TO A WORLD WITHOUT REFRIGERANTS Fifteen people, 10 years, one idea: a small Canadian startup thinks it’s found a way to do what a century of HVAC engineering hasn’t. By Marty Henwood
BUSINESS BEYOND THE BOOKS Accurate financial records tell you what happened. The right advisor helps you decide what happens next. By Matthew Birch
BUILDING BLOCKS
OCTOBER 2026 / VOL. 100 NO. 5
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49 DEPARTMENTS 8 UPFRONT 10 FEATURED NEWS Go Lime expanding through acquisition. 11 INDUSTRY NEWS 46 MECHANICAL SUPPLY NEWS 48 PEOPLE 61 THE SOURCE 62 CALENDAR
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HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
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< UPFRONT KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER ACROSS CANADA'S HVAC AND PLUMBING INDUSTRIES, RETIREMENTS ARE STEADILY CHANGING THE MAKEUP OF THE WORKFORCE. Each year, each month, we are saying farewell to people who have spent decades diagnosing systems, calming customers, mentoring apprentices and building businesses through hard work and trust. Their departures create opportunities for the next generation, but they also carry a risk, because when an experienced professional leaves, a lifetime of practical wisdom can walk out the door. The trades have always demanded continuous learning. New refrigerants, heat pumps, controls, connected equipment, efficiency standards and installation methods are constantly reshaping the work. Training on emerging technology is essential, and younger technicians can bring new skills and fresh perspectives. Yet technical information is only one part of mastery. A manual can explain how equipment is designed to operate, but it can’t always explain the odd sound that signals trouble, the odd leak that reveals a hidden problem or the small adjustment that prevents a callback. That knowledge is often informal, built through repetition, mistakes and observation. It includes tips for working in a cramped mechanical room, ways to explain a difficult repair without confusing a homeowner, and the judgment to know when a quick solution is not the right solution. It also includes lessons about character—showing up, owning an error, treating customers and coworkers with respect, and refusing to compromise safety or quality. Are these skills or traits that can be passed along? Is someone out there training an AI model right now on how to fill those shoes? Does your company pair veteran tradespeople with apprentices for meaningful time in the field, not simply occasional observation? Do teams hold short debriefs after unusual service calls to share what worked, what didn’t and why? These days companies can create and share simple videos, troubleshooting notes and customerservice playbooks. This applies to contractors in the field as well as distributors, wholesalers and educators all passing along what they’re learning to the next in line. Does your business encourage a culture where asking questions is a strength and sharing knowledge is part of the job? Experienced techs should be encouraged to explain not only what they did, but how they thought it through. Newer workers should be given the time to listen, practice and eventually teach others. Mentorship should not be left to chance or squeezed into the last week before a retirement party. We will always have to say farewell to colleagues and industry partners as the years pass. We must wish them well. But hopefully we can also capture some of their best stories and life lessons. Retirement shouldn’t be about people leaving the industry behind, it should be the industry welcoming the opportunity to build on that foundation and continue raising the bar. <> – Doug Picklyk, Editor
Reader Service Print and digital subscription inquires or changes, please contact Angelita Potal, Customer Service Tel: (416) 510-5113 Email: apotal@annexbusinessmedia.com Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 EDITOR Doug Picklyk (416) 510-5218 dpicklyk@hpacmag.com DIGITAL EDITOR
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PUBLISHER Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 pleonard@hpacmag.com CEO Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065710 Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning (established 1925) is published 6 times per year by Annex Business Media. HPAC Magazine is the leading Canadian business publication for the owner/manager of mechanical contracting businesses and their supply partners. ISSN: 0017-9418 (Print) ISSN 2371-8536 (Online) Contents Copyright © 2026 by Annex Business Media may not be reprinted without permission. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information please visit us at www.hpacmag.com. Subscription Price per year: $46.68 (plus tax) CDN; United States: $118.81 CDN; Elsewhere: $130.48 CDN; Single copy Canada: $8.00 CDN. Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning (establish 1925) is published 6 times per year by Annex Business Media. HPAC Magazine is the leading Canadian business publication for the owner/manager of mechanical contracting businesses and their supply partners. MAIL PREFERENCES: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Tel: 416-510-5113, Fax: 416-510-6875; E-mail: apotal@annexbusinessmedia.com; or by mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto ON M2H 3R1 Annex Privacy Officer Privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374 HPAC Magazine receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. HPAC Magazine, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. NOTICE: HPAC Magazine, Annex Business Media, their staff, officers, directors and shareholders (hence known as the “Publisher”) assume no liability, obligations, or responsibility for claims arising from advertised products. The Publisher also reserves the right to limit liability for editorial errors, omissions and oversights to a printed correction in a subsequent issue. HPAC Magazine’s editorial is written for management level mechanical industry personnel who have documented training in the mechanical fields in which they work. Manufacturers’ printed instructions, datasheets and notices always take precedence to published editorial statements.
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Jeff Schwartz, CEO Go Lime
GO LIME LAUNCHES ACQUISITION ROLLOUT IN ONTARIO With stated intentions of expanding across Canada, both organically and through acquisition, on August 7th Toronto-based residential HVAC home services company Go Lime announced its first acquisition of 2026 with the addition of Cobourg, Ontario-based Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning. This news was followed in September with the additions of both Services Plus and A Plus Heating and Air Conditioning, two established HVAC service businesses in Ontario serving Simcoe County, an area north of Toronto including Barrie, Innisfil, Bradford, Orillia, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Midland, Alliston and the surrounding region. Go Lime, which launched as a brand in 2024, has established itself as a digitalfirst HVAC services company introducing pricing transparency and a range of payment options to homeowners. With a very direct-to-consumer approach, the company is seeking to disrupt the established water heater rental business in Ontario while also building out the brand in home comfort services. Go Lime opened retail kiosks in Walmart stores in Ontario and has an expanding relationship with Home Depot. Last December the company was acquired by UK-based Basalt Infrastructure Partners, adding more capital to pursue its growth plans and compete with the 10
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
existing private-equity backed players in the market. As part of its recent acquisitions, Go Lime announced the new firms will retain their existing names, and the company’s intention is to invest in each firm’s growth within its region. “We did not buy a customer list. We invested in a group of people who know this county and know their trade,” said Jeff Schwartz, president/CEO of Go Lime following the acquisition of Comfort Zone. “The name on the truck stays the same, because the name on the truck means something in this community.” Schwartz indicated that the Comfort Zone acquisition is a template for a growth strategy expected to unfold further in the months ahead, and that led to the additions of Services Plus and A Plus. “We said there would be more to come, and this is another important step in that journey,” said Alex Kaplunov, Chief Operating Officer of Go Lime, in a company release following the September acquisitions. “Our approach is simple. We look for great local businesses with great people and strong reputations, then invest in helping them grow. We want to bring resources to these communities, create more opportunities for employees and apprentices, and help great local businesses serve even more customers. That is how we intend to grow across Ontario and, over time, right across Canada.” Comfort Zone, formerly part of the MechCan Inc. family of brands, also sees an opportunity to grow following the Go Lime acquisition. “The same people are still here, and the same standards are still here. What is different is what we can say yes to,” said Lisa Barry, co-founder and operations manager at Comfort Zone, in a
media release. “Hiring more local technicians. Getting to more customers the same day. Investing in training to grow our skilled technician and apprentice team. Those were always the goal. Now we have the means to get there faster.” Services Plus has served Barrie, Innisfil and Bradford for over 30 years, and A Plus is a Lennox Premier Dealer that also brings decades of experience serving the Simcoe Country area. “Thirty years in, the thing I care about is that the name still means something in Barrie and Innisfil after I’m done,” said Peter Kilpatrick, president of Services Plus in a media release. “Same crew, same trucks and same standards. That was not just a condition for us to join another company, it was a prerequisite.” golime.com comfortzonecanada.com servicesplus.ca aplusheating.ca ONTARIO ADDING 3,800 SPACES FOR SKILLED TRADES EDUCATION On September 10th the Ontario government announced that an additional 3,800 spaces are being created for skilled trades education programs as part of an announced 40,000 new funded seats at publicly assisted colleges and universities. This most recent allocation is part of a broader $1.7 billion investment to support a total of 70,000 new seats covering in-demand post-secondary programs. The allocation of the first 30,000 seats was announced in May 2026, and this new announcement confirms the funding for trades programs, and in total the province will be adding over 40,000 spaces in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs, over 16,000 in health care, close to 8,000 spaces in education programs and more. Which institutions will be receiving the funding, and how much, will be revealed in the coming weeks. ontario.ca HPACMAG.COM
Pitt Meadows executives: (l-r) Alexandra Desautels CFO; James Zelinski, Chief of Staff; and Sam Revel, COO.
PHOTO PITT MEADOWS
PITT MEADOWS SHIFTS MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE Large project mechanical contracting company, Pitt Meadows Plumbing & Mechanical Systems of Maple Ridge, B.C., has announced new changes in its leadership structure designed to prepare the company for its next stage of growth. While the ownership team remains unchanged (Steve Robinson, president/ founder; Stewart Robinson, executive vice president/founder; and Matthew Robinson, senior vice president), changes have been announced at the executive level. Sam Revel has been named vice president and group chief operating officer (COO), Alexandra Desautels has been named vice president and group chief financial officer (CFO), and James Zelinski has been named group chief of staff. These group-level roles are designed to support Pitt Meadows’ development of shared services across its growing group. Well-known in Western Canada for its institutional, commercial and high-rise construction projects, Pitt Meadows is positioning itself for greater integration within its operations. In addition to the executive level, the company has reorganized its senior leadership team, with several roles supporting the entire organization through a shared services model. According to the company, this leadership update builds on the growth of the organization which includes expanded capabilities, larger projects, new markets, and increasing shared support across business functions. pittmeadows.net HPACMAG.COM
CLIMATECARE ATTRACTING ATTENTION ClimateCare Canada, the member-owned co-operative of independent HVAC contractors, held a general meeting in Vaughan, Ont. in late August where it announced four additional businesses have joined its discovery participant program, a pre-cursor to full membership: Evans Heating and Cooling (Niagara Falls), A-Plus Air (Hamilton), Campeau Heating (Sudbury) and Beaulieu Plumbing & Mechanical Jonny Hill, (Edmundston, NB). Marketing Manager The cooperative also announced a staff transition, with Tom Rand who has led member marketing shifting his focus to coaching and training members, and the group introduced Jonny Hill as its new marketing manager who brings more than 15 years of experience, most recently as national manager of digital strategy at Ducks Unlimited Canada. climatecare.com
HALF OF CANADIANS FAVOUR TRADES OVER UNIVERSITY AS ROUTE TO SUCCESS A new study reveals that 50% of Canadians see trades as the strongest route to success for students as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes education and employment across the country. The Future Careers & Education Paths Report, based on a survey conducted through Angus Reid and sponsored by Embark, a Canadian education savings company, reveals that only 20% of Canadians think children are being prepared for jobs that will exist in 2050. When asked: Which education path will best prepare kids for a successful career in 2050? The most popular answer, chosen by 41% of Canadians, was trade or vocational school. And when combined with the option of “Apprenticeship program” (which was selected by 9%), in total 50% of Canadians surveyed see trades as the way to go, outpacing university which was selected by 37%. The survey found support for trades is strongest in B.C. and Atlantic Canada,
while Quebec/French Canada skews towards university. From a generational perspective, Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980) are the strongest supporters of trade school with 58% selecting trades and apprenticeship programs as the best avenue for success. Boomers were next at 54%, while trades were selected as most popular by 45% of Millenials (1981 to 1996) and only 35% of Gen Z (1997 to 2012). The report is based on a survey conducted July 20th to July 22nd, 2026, among a representative sample of 1,514 online adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. embark.ca TRADES TRAINING BOOST IN B.C. Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, B.C. is adding more than 800 new trades-training seats in 2026-27., bringing the total number skilled trades training seats available at TRU to 2,400 for this school year. The province stated that the additional spaces will help reduce wait lists for indemand apprenticeship programs including plumbing and refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanic. The announcement is part of the larger Look West initiative by the Province of B.C. to add 5,000 trades-training seats across the province in 2026-27. gov.bc.ca <> OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
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< EVENT REPORT
WINNERS ALL AROUND The 10th edition of the Modern Hydronics Summit combined education and networking along with product demos and plenty of prizes. BY HPAC STAFF
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The Master Class sessions closed out with an expert panel discussion on the debate between zone valves versus zone circulators (pumps). The talk was moderated by Michael Breault of Hydronic Systems leading an engaging conversation that included Andres Menendez from Grundfos, Jay Vath from Tekmar and Gabor Milisics from Rhella. After doing his homework, Milisics was clear, circulators are the way to go.
MASTER CLASSES
HYDRONICS 101
To kick-off the series of sessions targeting experienced hydronics pros, JeanClaude Remy of Uponor/GF Building Suppies opened with an in-depth session on snow melt, diving into the design parameters and how to avoid the pitfalls that can limit a system’s effectiveness. After lunch, John Siegenthaler, a regular HPAC magazine contributor and one of the most respected experts in the industry, followed with a look at delivering lower water temperatures, a subject he’s been talking about for over a decade, and one that is more relevant than ever as more designs and systems move toward heat pumps.
The series of three sessions dedicated to hydronics newcomers was both sponsored and presented by NEXT Plumbing & Hydronics Supply. Led by Hardeep Chahal and Vince Bagetta, Hydronics 101 opened with the basics: how condensing boilers work and where the real advantages of hydronic heating shows up in keeping buildings warm. The second session focused on the key components including circulators, buffer tanks, expansion tanks, air separators and how piping design ties the systems all together. The Hydronics 101 sessions wrapped Continued on p14 HPACMAG.COM
PHOTOS: MARTY HENWOOD
he 2026 Modern Hydronics Summit took place September 10th at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont., bringing together contractors, engineers and exhibitors for a full day of technical sessions. And the show didn’t disappoint, with expert speakers, panel discussions and over 50 brands exhibiting on the showroom floor. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the show has settled into a rhythm since its maiden edition back in 2013: bring in the people who design and install hydronic systems, put them in a room with the industry experts, manufacturers and distributors, and let the discussion with an engaged crowd of attendees get specific. This year’s agenda split into three tracks: Master Classes, Hydronics 101
and Applied Hydronics Sessions, each aimed at a different level of expertise. As always, the exhibitor floor did its share of the heavy lifting. Exhibitors filled every corner of the space, fielding questions and giving contractors a chance to see equipment up close. An event like this doesn’t run without their support. Following is an overview from the 2026 Modern Hydronics Summit.
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< EVENT REPORT Continued from p12
up with a discussion looking at controls, including basic strategy, zoning, in-floor capabilities, and closed with John Siegenthaler joining for a “Putting it All Together” question and answer session.
APPLIED HYDRONICS The Summit’s keynote speaker, John Siegenthaler, discussed the long-term value of designing low-temperature supply water systems.
Jean-Claude Remy of Uponor/GF Building Solutions led a Master Class in Snow Melt.
Running parallel to the main conference room sessions, the Applied Hydronics Sessions, sponsored by IBC Boilers, focused on the engineers in attendance. Saeed Danesh, M.Eng. from Rehau, walked through radiant cooling for commercial applications. He was followed by Chris DesRoches, P.Eng. of Swegon, and Tyler Pullen from Mitsubishi Electric, sharing detailed information on commercial heat pumps in both new build and retrofit settings. Hassan Naji of Armstrong closed the track with a session on performance envelopes and what is necessary to enable an adaptive, efficient hydronic system in commercial buildings.
AWARDS AND GIVE-AWAYS Zone valves or zone circulators? The panel (l-r) Andres Menendez of Grundfos, Jay Vath from Tekmar and Gabor Milisics of Rhella shared their thoughts, moderated by Michael Breault of Hydronic Systems.
The Hydronics 101 sessions were led by Hardeep Chahal and Vince Bagetta of NEXT Plumbing & Hydronics Supply. 14
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Tyler Pullen of Mitsubishi Electric (pictured) together with Chris DesRoches, P.Eng., of Swegon, delivered a session on commercial air-to-water heat pumps — one of three sessions in the Applied Hydronics series.
The main conference stage also made room for three of the day’s most anticipated moments, prize give-aways. To kick off the show, HPAC publisher Peter Leonard announced the winner of two tickets to see the Toronto Blue Jays in action on Monday, September 14th (the Jays were still in the hunt for a wildcard spot). A second set of tickets for that game was announced before the lunch break. This year’s ticket sponsor was Lochinvar/Aqua-Tech Sales & Marketing. Over lunch, HPAC’s 6th Annual Sweet Heat Contest handed out its 2026 honours across the three build categories (Residential New Build, Residential Retrofit and Commercial Build), recognizing installs that pushed past the ordinary with well crafted designs (read more beginning on page 16). The Modern Hydronics Summit closed out with Toronto’s first Hydronics HaulHPACMAG.COM
“This year’s Summit closed with the Hydronics Haul-Away. Seven attendees walked out with over $35,000 in total prizes.” Away, where seven attendees walked away with over $35,000 in total prizes, courtesy of our generous manufacturers and distributors. Attendees were required to visit all of the participating vendors and get their entry forms validated. Once complete the entries were entered into a draw. The prize packages ranged from a combi boiler and Yeti tumblers, to circulators, thermostats, PEX coils and much more. Congratulations to the seven Haul-Away winners: Alex Baig, Waza Home Comfort; Neil Chenier, Chenier Mechanical; Ed Verboom, Ed Verboom Plumbing; Chris Kieft, TRS Mechanical; Stephen McDonald, Afterglow; Omar Youssef, Avnan; and Jacob Futas, Farr Mechanical.
Conversations carried over to the exhibit hall with over 40 exhibitors and 50 brands of products on display.
SPONSORS As always, the Modern Hydronics Summit could not run without the support of the many exhibitors and the 45 booth spaces, as well as our key sponsors including: Wolseley Canada (registration); Master Hydronics (Master Class sessions); NEXT Plumbing & Hydronics Supply (Hydronics 101 sessions); IBC Boilers (Applied Hydronics sessions); Rinnai (VIP guests); Grundfos (refreshments); Alleguard (show guide); and Lochinvar & Aquatech Canada (Blue Jays tickets). Thanks again to attendees, exhibitors, speakers and sponsors for joining us in Mississauga! Details for the 2027 Modern Hydronics Summit will be released soon. A video replay of some Master Sessions will be available online in the coming months. <> HPACMAG.COM
Seven attendees walked away with prize packages from the Hydronics Haul-Away: (l-r) Alex Baig, Waza Home Comfort; Neil Chenier, Chenier Mechanical; Ed Verboom, Ed Verboom Plumbing; Chris Kieft, TRS Mechanical; Stephen McDonald, Afterglow; Omar Youssef, Avnan; and Jacob Futas, Farr Mechanical.
Paul McDonald of Aqua-Tech (left) presented two Blue Jays tickets to draw winner Charlie McCallion of TM HVAC Group. Another set of tickets went to Derek Parag of Thermal Zone Heating & Air Conditioning.
2026 Sweet Heat winner Tyler Dynes of Farr Mechanical was on-site and was congratulated by contest sponsors CB Supplies and Grundfos. Pictured here: Tanveer Khan of Grundfos (left) and Tyler Dynes. OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
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< SWEET HEAT For the second time Terra Mechanical from B.C. wins in the residential new construction category.
COMFORT AND CRAFTSMANSHIP Congratulations to this year’s three winning projects in the sixth annual Sweet Heat Awards. BY DOUG PICKLYK
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Supplies and Grundfos, each of the winning contractors is receiving products from each sponsor. Three judges evaluated this year’s contest: Brian Morgan, owner of The Morgan Group; Michael Breault a hydronics champion and consultant working with Hydronic Systems; and Erin Deibert, technical specialist – hydronics, with Robinson Supply. “Thanks to all those who submitted their work for us to have the privilege of judging them,” said Deibert, a first-time judge. “Universally the systems touched on efficiency, control strategies and unique way of providing a system that had to fit the space and criteria from the customer. It’s very encouraging to have dedicated contractors seeking to satisfy both the requirements of hydronics and drive customer satisfaction at the same level of commitment.” Continued on p18 HPACMAG.COM
PHOTO: TERRA MECHANICAL
his year we celebrate two repeat winners and one new winning company and in our sixth annual Canada-wide Sweet Heat hydronics installation contest, a competition where we invite contractors across the country to share photos and explain the challenges they encountered and the creative solutions they used on projects completed in the past year. The 2026 competition received 27 entries, and the projects were divided into three categories: commercial, residential new build and residential retrofit. For the third year in a row Farr Mechanical of Stouffville, Ont. claimed a top prize, each award has been in a different category. Terra Mechanical of B.C. won its second award in the new build residential category, and first-time entrant Simcoe Muskoka Home Comfort of Orillia, Ont. took top honours in the residential retrofit section. This edition of Sweet Heat was generously sponsored by CB
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Following are this year’s three winning entries.
TERRA MECHANICAL The top prize in the residential new build category went to a project that required installing an efficient heating and cooling system for a custom 8,000sq.ft. three-level home on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, designed and installed by Terra Mechanical of Delta, B.C. The ocean-front property was originally intended to use an ocean-loop heat exchange system, but approval delays led to a switch to air-to-water heat pumps, preserving the efficient low temperature hydronic heating system, working together with a gas boiler as back-up. Terra Mechanical, owned by cousins John Rosse and Jason De Los Santos, has been operating since 2003 and has been working with air-to-water installations for close to 20 years. The firm has found a niche in custom homes. One of the challenges on this project was finding space to locate four six-ton variable-speed monobloc air-to-water heat pumps on the property. Ultimately the heat pumps were mounted on the rear of the garage on custom brackets with slide out rails for easier service.
The heat pumps are piped underground with insulated glycol lines in a home-run configuration back to a central manifold in the mechanical room, feeding the 100-plus gallon buffer tank. The controls, which are connected to a home automation system, stage the heat pumps to satisfy the buffer tank (maintained around 120F), with the boiler coming on only when the water temperature begins to drop. “There’s a 30-minute delay between each heat pump coming on, and then once two hours would go by and the supply temperature is not coming up the boiler would kick on,” explains Rosse. Zone pumps activate based on individual zone calls. The system distributes to seven heat-and-cool zones and five heatonly zones. The home uses all in-floor heating, plus the system also heats the pool and hot tub. There are three plate heat exchangers: one to separate the glycol loop from the water loop, plus dedicated heat exchangers for the pool and hot tub heating. “The heat exchangers for the pool and hot tub are very large because we’re sized for low temperature water on everything,” says Rosse. The house has two dedicated mechan-
18
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
FARR MECHANICAL This year’s winner in the commercial category involved providing heating to an indoor baseball training facility in Aurora, Ont. The project marks the third year in a row that Farr Mechanical of Stouffville, Ont. has taken first place in a Sweet Heat category. The 10,000 sq. ft. training facility includes full radiant in-floor heat throughout an indoor baseball diamond, office areas, a gym space and a batting cage area. The mechanical room has two 399 Btu/h boilers and an 80-gallon buffer tank. “When you have that much
Four air-to-water heat pumps were mounted on custom brackets with slide out rails for easier service. HPACMAG.COM
PHOTOS: TERRA MECHANICAL
The mechanical room includes a large brazed plate heat exchanger and buffer tank.
ical rooms, a wet room with the hydronics system for the heating, and an air room that handles cooling. The cooling is an all-air system, with two five-ton air conditioning condensers and five air-toair fan coils to meet the cooling demand, which was necessary due to the extensive curtain wall glazing on the home. The domestic hot water for the property is provided entirely by two 80-gallon heat pump water heaters. “What a great job taking a complex system and making it look (relatively) simple. This is such a nice, clean installation,” noted judge Michael Breault.
The tidy mechanical room for this indoor baseball training facility.
PHOTOS: FARR MECHANICAL
boiler sometimes the smaller office zones do not have enough load, so the boilers only have to worry about flowing to and from the buffer tank,” says Tyler Dynes, the lead tech on this project. After the buffer tank, there are nine different pumps that go to all different areas of the building. What made this project stand out was how the hydronics were also incorporated to temper the airflow into the building. As Dynes explains, the building also includes eight heat recovery ventilator (HRV) systems for providing fresh air, and their main challenge was bringing in a large amount of fresh air throughout the year without decreasing the indoor air temperature during the colder months. The decision was made to add hydronic heating coils to the ductwork of the HRV systems to keep a consistent air temperature in the building. “We have thermostatic controls in the duct work monitoring the airflow temperature going by, and if it reads a drop in temperature it sends a signal back to the boiler room,” says Dynes. One of the manifolds In the mechanical room is labelled HRV one through eight, and that is the solenoid that opens to go to that circuit. “So it doesn’t matter which of the eight are calling, we can pump hot water to that designated area and just heat that air,” he adds. HPACMAG.COM
“What a great job taking a complex system and making it look (relatively) simple.” This creative way to use the hydronics system to handle the fresh air heating load was appreciated by the judges. As Dynes also noted, it was a simple costeffective solution, eliminating the need for additional make-up air or air heating appliances.
SIMCOE MUSKOKA HOME COMFORT The winning entry in the residential retrofit category this year required transporting materials by boat to an island property in the Muskoka area of Ontario. This is the first Sweet Heat win for Simcoe Muskoka Home Comfort, an Orillia-based company founded by Dan LeBlanc in 2015. After starting out on his own, LeBlanc has grown the business to just under 55 employees with a full-service team of up to 40 technicians providing a broad range of HVAC services for the area. This retrofit project required the reworking of an existing geothermal system fed by a lake loop. The island cottage
Controls for this project handle infloor heating and coils in the fresh air ducts.
covers about 5,000 sq. ft. and the hydronic system is set up for heating, using in-floor radiant and hydronic fan coils. “We did offer them a four-pipe system with two buffer tanks, one heated, one cooled, but they wanted to keep the system as simple as possible,” says LeBlanc. The original system was a single oversized 10-ton geothermal unit fed by three lake loops with one loop not working, and a separate 5-ton unit dedicated to a pool that had since been removed. Isolating and testing each loop revealed that one was damaged, so that loop was capped and the system was rebuilt around the remaining two. The retrofit replaced the failing system with two 5-ton geothermal heat pumps piped into a 2-in. copper header feeding a 120-gallon buffer tank, which supplies five air handlers and five floor manifolds covering 18 radiant floor zones, including an outbuilding fed from the main building’s mechanical room. “We wanted to put in a cascading system to add some redundancy and add the ability to stage down as well,” says LeBlanc. The 120-gallon buffer tank replaced a domestic hot water tank the previous installer had repurposed for the job, a workaround that never worked as intended. Continued on p20 OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
19
< SWEET HEAT
Continued from p19
Two new geo units cascaded for staging and redundancy.
Original space reconfigured and repiped.
The existing controls platform was resurrected, confirming every thermostat and relay at the zone level before working back to the master. Components were added and settings tweaked. LeBlanc notes that the homeowners are looking into a whole home automation system that may lead to enhancing the HVAC control system. Domestic hot water for the home is handled separately by three preexisting electric tanks. The project was done completed earlier this spring and was led by Ryan Doyle. “Ryan started with us six years ago as a co-op with a local trade school, and he is a great example of a tech that has put in the extra hours learning to become the best in the field,” says LeBlanc. “He now takes on all our large
scale geothermal/hydronic jobs.” One additional wrinkle to this island project was that the property’s dock was underwater from spring flooding, so materials for the job were brought in by beaching a boat on shore. Plus, the island was without power for a week. While admiring both the creativity and ability to overcome adversity on this project, the judges also appreciated how the team was able to take a complex system and making it look easy.
building retrofit. A single cast iron boiler was replaced with two cascading wallhung condensing boilers and an indirect tank to handle the domestic hot water. In the residential retrofit category, the runner-up was Van Custom Plumbing for the complete reworking of a 2,700 sq. ft. penthouse in a 10-storey Vancouver building. A high-temperature perimeter fin-tube system was replaced with lowtemp. radiant floors. The system was redesigned entirely with heat-loss calculations and zoning requirements. And the runner-up in the residential new build category was Farr Mechanical for a 7,000 sq. ft. home with geothermal units for heating and cooling, plus a boiler for back-up heating. The system runs the home’s in-floor throughout all three levels (plus garage), DHW, and a custom inground pool with a heated cabana. Thank you to all the contractors who took the time to enter the 2026 Sweet Heat contest. All of the entries can be viewed in a video on our YouTube channel, youtube.com/@hpacmag. HPAC Magazine would like to encourage all hydronic system installers in Canada to keep photos of their best work and enter next year’s edition of Sweet Heat. <>
2026 Sweet Heat Entries
RUNNERS UP As in past years, the competition is always close and the runners-up in every category are worthy of recognition. In the commercial category the runner up was a past winner, Canuck Mechanical of Prince George, B.C. for an apartment
Thank you to all the contractors who entered the sixth annual Sweet Heat hydronics installation contest: Canuck Mechanical, Prince George, B.C.; Chenier Mechanical, Finch, Ont.; Ed Verboom Plumbing, Simcoe, Ont.; Farr Mechanical, Stouffville, Ont.; Good Grade Mechanical, Victoria, B.C.; GTAHeat.ca, Concord, Ont.; John Sadler Plumbing & Heating, Surrey, B.C.; Klimatrol, Brampton, Ont.; M&T Plumbing, Toronto, Ont.; MAK Mechanical, Barrie, Ont.; Parr Mechanical Plumbing & Heating, Stratford, Ont.; POC Plumbing & Heating, Coldwater, Ont.; Quality Air Care, Kelowna, B.C.; RBA Mechanical, Edmonton, Alta.; Riverdale Plumbing, Toronto, Ont.; Simcoe Muskoka Home Comfort, Orillia, Ont.; Terra Mechanical, Delta, B.C.; Van Custom Plumbing, Delta, B.C. 20
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
HPACMAG.COM
PHOTOS: SIMCOE MUSKOKA HOME COMFORT
Before photo of the old geo unit and water heater tank being used as a buffer tank.
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< HYDRONICS
LOWER THAN YOU THINK Working through the math to properly size modern panel radiators at low water temperatures. BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER
M
odern panel radiators are one of my favourite hydronic heat emitters. They’re easy to install, emit radiant and convective heat, and have high-quality powder coat finishes making them durable and attractive. They are versatile in new construction and very well suited for retrofits. With proper sizing they can also work well in a low temperature distribution system supplied by air-to-water or geothermal water-to-water heat pumps. The panel shown in Figure 1 is about two feet high and five feet wide. You can see the two ½-in. PEX-AL-PEX tubes that supply it connecting at the middle of the base of the radiator. You can also see the non-electric thermostatic valve at the upper right corner of the radiator. That valve automatically regulates the flow rate and thus the heat output of the panel, making it an independent zone. There’s also a dual ball valve fixture at the base of the radiator that can isolate the panel from the system if ever necessary. As is the case with many heat emitters in North America, the published data for heat output from panel radiators is based on relatively high water temperatures. The most common being an average water temperature of 180F, and an assumed room air temperature of 68F. This makes the difference between the average water temperature in the 22
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
Formula 1: radiator and the room air temperature 180-68 = 112F. This temperature difference, or ∆T, is a reference condition which will eventually be used as part of the derating procedure for operation at lower water temperatures. In North America it’s common to find heat output rating tables based on this 112F temperature difference. An example is shown in Figure 2. The black numbers are heat outputs (in Btu/h) based on the dimensions (height, width and thickness) of the radiator. The typical “thickness” dimension is based on 1, 2 or 3 water plates within the panel. Note the reference conditions in the upper right.
ADJUSTING DOWNWARD These rating tables are fine for installation where a conventional boiler operating at relatively high (but fairly common at present) water temperatures serves as the heat source. But what happens when panel radiators are installed in lower water temperature systems supplied by heat pumps or other low temperature heat sources? The short answer is that their heat output decreases. But by how much? To date, there is no Canadian or North American rating standard that’s specific to panel radiators. This is where we turn to a European standard called EN442. It is widely accepted across Europe where tens of millions of panel rads are used, and it provides the basis for adjusting heat outputs over a wide range of conditions. It also involves several calculations, given as formulas 1, 2 and 3 below. Don’t panic about the math – I’ll walk you through it.
Formula 1:
⎛∆T ⎞ Qe = Q112 ⎜ d ⎟ ⎝ 112 ⎠
1.3
Where: 1: heat output of the QFormula e = estimated panel radiator (Btu/h) Formula 2: ∆Td = temperature difference deterFormula 1: 1.3 mined using either Formula ⎛ ∆ Td ⎞ 2 or Formula Q = Q ⎟⎠ e (ºF)112 ⎜ 3 below + Tout1.3 ⎡⎛ Tin⎝ 112 ⎤ ⎞ ∆Q112 Td ==⎢the − Tpanel output ⎜⎝ ⎛ ∆ air ⎥ radiaT2d ⎞ of⎟⎠the ⎣ Qwhen tor between⎦ the ave = Qthe 112 ⎜difference ⎝ 112 ⎟⎠ erage water temperature and room air temperature is 112F (Btu/h) Formula 2: 1.3 = an 3: exponent (not a multiplier) Formula x (use [y ] key on scientific calculator or your smart phone) Formula ⎡T2:⎛ T− T+ T ⎞ ⎤ Formula ∆= Td = 2:⎜in in out out ⎟ − Tair ∆T
(
)
⎢ ⎥ ⎛⎣⎝Tin − 2Tair ⎞⎠ ⎦ ln⎡⎛⎜ T + T ⎞⎟ ⎤ in out ∆ Td = ⎢⎜⎝ Tout − Tair⎟⎠− Tair ⎥ ⎠ 2 ⎣⎝ ⎦ d
Formula 3:
Formula 3:
Formula 3: (Tin − Tout )
∆ T =⎡⎛ T + T ⎞ ⎤ ⎡⎛ 160 + 140 ∆ Td d= ⎢⎜ ⎛in Tin −outT⎟air− ⎞Tair ⎥ = ⎢⎜ ⎝ ⎠ 2 ⎣ ln ⎟⎠ ⎦ ⎣⎝ T⎜⎝in T−2Tout ( ) − T out air ∆ Td = ⎛ T −T ⎞ ln ⎜ in air ⎟ Where: ⎝ Tout − Ttemperature air ⎠ ∆T = effective differ-
d ence (ºF) Tin = inlet water temperature to panel 1.3 160 ⎡⎛ T⎛in ∆+ TTout⎞ 1.3 ⎤ ⎛⎡⎛85 ⎞ ⎞ + 140 (ºF) d ∆QTd ==Q⎢⎜ −=T9500 ⎟ air ⎥ =⎜⎢ ⎜ ⎜ ⎟ e 112 ⎝ ⎟⎠ 2 = 6 ⎠ 2 ⎠temperature ⎣⎝ ⎝water ⎦ ⎝from ⎣112 Tout = outlet 112 ⎡⎛ T + T ⎞ ⎤ ⎡⎛ 160 + 140 ⎞ panel (ºF) ∆ Td = ⎢⎜ in out ⎟ − Tair ⎥ = ⎢⎜ ⎟⎠ ⎝ air2 temperature ⎠ Tair = ⎣room 2 ⎦(ºF)⎣⎝ ln = natural logarithm function (use [ln] key on scientific calculator or your Formula 4: smart phone) 1.3 1.3 Here’s an example: ⎛ 85 ⎞ ⎛ ∆ TIn d ⎞Figure 2, a twoQeT= Q−112T ⎜ 9500 ⎜ = ⎟⎠ =24 water plate inches ⎝ 112 ⎟⎠ ⎝ 112that’s out radiator air u = 1.3 1.3 high andT 48 − Tinches ⎛ 85 ⎞ ⎛ ∆ T ⎞long has a rated
( ( Qin Q = e
112
) air ) d
⎜⎝ ⎟ 112 ⎠
= 9500 ⎜ ⎝ 112 ⎟⎠
HPACMAG.COM
=6
Formula 1:
length
height
1 water plate
1 water plate panel thickness
24" high 20" high 16" high
16" long
24" long
36" long
48" long
64" long
72" long
1607
2421
3632
4842
6455
7260
1870
2 water plates
Formula 1: ⎛∆T ⎞ Qe = Q112 ⎜ d ⎟ ⎝ 112 ⎠
16" high
10" high
1.3
3046
2301 1491
1.3
3 water plates
20" high 16" high
4060
48" long
4123
6186
8245 4498
7127
3455
5180
Formula2247 2:
⎡⎛ T + T ⎞ ⎤ ∆ Td = ⎢⎜ in out ⎟ − Tair ⎥ ⎝ ⎠ 2 thickness ⎦ ⎣ panel 3 water plate
+ Tout ⎞ 24"⎤ long Tin long ⎡⎛16" ⎟⎠ − Tair6830 ⎥ 2 ⎣ ⎦ 3320
4978
10" high 2191 Tin − Tout ) (3304 3: ⎡⎛ T + T ⎞ Formula ⎤ ∆ Td = ∆ Td = ⎢⎜ in out ⎟ − Tair ⎥ ⎛ T −T ⎞ ⎠ 2 ⎣⎝ ⎦ ln ⎜ in air ⎟ ⎝ Tout − Tair ⎠ (Tin − Tout ) ∆ Td = Tin + Tout ⎞ ⎤ ⎛ T − T ⎞ rating table. − Tair2.⎥ An example of a typical panel radiator ⎟⎠Figure ln ⎜ in heatairoutput 2 ⎦ Formula 3: ⎝ Tout − Tair ⎟⎠
64" long
72" long
10994
Formula 3:
12368
5995
6745
12668
14254
9212
∆ Td =
10363
(Tin − Tout )
⎛ T −T ⎞ ln ⎜ in air ⎟ ⎝ Tout − Tair ⎠
36" long
48" long
64" long
72" long
9586
11870
15829
17807
10247
3: 3934 Formula5937
6091
⎡⎛ T + T ⎞ ⎤ ∆ Td = ⎢⎜ in out ⎟ − Tair ⎥ ⎝ ⎠ 2 ⎣ ⎦
9500 6907
3373
8447
5415
36" long
4750
7509
Formula 2:
24" long
∆ Td = ⎢⎜ 4531 24" high ⎝
Formula 2:
5630
1.3
16" long
Formula 2:
1.3
COURTESY JOHN SIEGENTHALER
⎛ ∆ Td ⎞ ⎜⎝ ⎟ 112 ⎠
20" highe
4222
⎛∆T ⎞ 2 water Qe =plate Q112 ⎜paneld thickness ⎝ 112 ⎟⎠
∆T ⎞ ⎛3153 Q = Q112 ⎜ d ⎟ ⎝2733 112 ⎠
24" high
2817
1: 1352 Formula 2032
Formula 1:
1:
:
Heat output ratings (Btu/hr) at reference conditions: Average water temperature in panel 1.3 = 180ºF ⎛ ∆ Td ⎞ Room temperature = 68ºF Qe =across Q112 ⎜panel =⎟ 20ºF temperature drop ⎝ 112 ⎠
7469
13664 9957
4958
6609
18216 13277
20494 14938
⎡8811 ⎛ T + T ⎞ 9913 ⎤ ⎡⎛ 160 + 140 ∆ Td = ⎢⎜ in out ⎟ − Tair ⎥ = ⎢⎜ ⎠ 2 2 ⎣⎝ ⎦ ⎣⎝
heat output (at ∆T= 112F) of 9,500 culator. You can use a scientific calculatemperature in the panel and the room Tin −its Toutheat ( ) Btu/h. Estimate output assumtor to raise a number to the 1.3 power. (e.g., the 1.3 value of ∆Td 1.3 ⎡⎛ T + T ⎞ ⎤ ⎡⎛ 160 + 140 ⎞ air temperature ⎤ ∆ Td = 85 ∆ Td = ⎢⎜ in out ⎟ − Tair ⎥ = ⎢⎜ − 65 ⎥ = 85º F ⎛ ∆ Td ⎞ : ⎛ ⎞ ⎟ ing an inlet ⎛water of 160F, Don’t have calculator? formula 1). ⎟ This is where ⎠ usedQ ⎠ Tair ⎞ T −temperature = 9500 2 ⎣⎝ a2scientific ⎦ ⎣⎝ Just ⎦ in ⎜⎝ ⎟⎠ = e = Q112 ⎜ ln ⎜ in temperature ⎝ 112 ⎠ 112 ⎟ an outlet water of 140F, turn on you iPhone, press the calculator Formula 3 comes in. ⎝ Tout − Tair ⎠ ⎡⎛ T + T ⎞ and⎤ turn ⎡⎛ 160 + 140 ⎞ the⎤ “landThe decision on using Formula 3 n − Tout ) and a room air temperature ∆ Tofd 65F. = ⎢⎜ in outAPP, − Tair ⎥ = ⎢⎜ the phone⎟to− 65 ⎟ ⎥ = 85º F ⎝ ⎠ ⎝ ⎠ 2 2 ⎦ ⎣ ⎦ scape” orientation - instant scientific rather than Formula 2 is based on yet Tin − Tair ⎞ For now we will use Formula 2 ⎣to cal⎟ culate the value of ∆Td: calculator. Here’s the result. another formula (sorry, but it’s necesTout − Tair ⎠ Formula 4:it Formula 4. sary). We’ll call 1.3 1.3 ∆ T 85 Btu ⎛ ⎞ ⎛ ⎞ d ⎡⎛ Tin + Tout ⎞ ⎤ ⎡⎛ 160 + 140 ⎞Q = Q⎤ = 9500 = 6637Formula 4:
∆ Td = ⎢⎜ ⎣⎝
2
⎟⎠ − Tair ⎥ = ⎢⎜⎝ ⎦ ⎣
2
⎜⎝ F ⎟⎠ = 85º ⎟⎠ −e 65 ⎥112 112 ⎦
⎛∆T ⎞ Q ⎤ ⎡⎛ 160 + 140 ⎞ ⎤ e = Q112 ⎜ d ⎟ n + Tout ⎞ ⎝ 112 ⎠ = − 65 = 85º F − T ⎟⎠ ⎟⎠ air ⎥ ⎢⎜ ⎥ 2 2 ⎦ ⎣⎝ ⎦
1.3
⎛ 85 ⎞ = 9500 ⎜ ⎝ 112 ⎟⎠
⎜⎝ ⎟ 112 ⎠
1.3
Btu = 6637 hr
Formula 4: As the entering water temperature The value of Qn for 1.3 Formula 1 is the 1.3 drops closer to the room air tempera85 ⎞ Btu flow rate through the panel ⎛ 112, ⎛∆T ⎞ radiator’s at ∆T= or Toutthe −T ) Qe = listed Q112 ⎜ heatd output = Formula 9500 6637 ( 4:⎟ =ture, ⎜ ⎟ ⎝ 112 ⎠ ⎝ 112 ⎠ u = hr theair EN442 standard introwhich was 9500 Btu/h. changes (Tin − Tair ) duces a modified way to calculate the 1.3 Now just put1.3 the numbers into 85 ⎞ Btu (T − T ) ⎛ ∆ Td ⎞ Formula 1⎛and grab (scientific) 6637 u = outcal- air difference between the average water ⎟ =your ⎟ = 9500 ⎜ 2⎜
⎝ 112 ⎠
⎝ 112 ⎠
HPACMAG.COM Formula 4:
hr (Tin − Tair )
hr
u=
(Tout − Tair ) (Tin − Tair )
Where: Tout = outlet fluid temperature from panel (ºF) Tin = inlet fluid temperature to panel (ºF) Continued on p24 OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
23
(115 (115− −9090) ) = =30.83º ∆ ∆TdT= FF = 30.83º d − −7070 ⎛ 115 ⎞⎞ 115 ⎛ lnln ⎜⎝ ⎜ ⎟ ⎝9090− −7070⎠ ⎟⎠
< HYDRONICS
Continued from p23
Tair = room air temperature (ºF) This formula looks at how the outlet temperature of the radiator is dropping relative to the inlet temperature. As the flow rate through the panel decreases there would be a wider temperature drop across the panel and thus the value of “u” in Formula 4 will drop. Here’s the criteria set by in EN442 standard: If u < 0.7 use formula 3 If u ≥ 0.7 use formula 2 Here’s another example. Water enters the panel radiator used in the previous example at 115F, and exits at 92F. The air temperature in the room is 65F. Determine the correct ∆Td to use in Formula 1. Solution: Start by calculating the value of u:
found 25% to be a good “ballpark” ratio between the published heat output ratings of most panel radiators, based on the ∆Td = 112F rating conditions, and the estimated output when operating the panels in the range of 105F to 110F average water temperature.
“My suggestion is to select radiators so the supply water temperature under design load doesn’t − T ) (120F. 92 − 65” (Texceed )
1.3
1.3 ⎛ 30.83 ⎞⎞ ⎛ 30.83 2500 = Q 2500 = 112 Q112⎜⎝ ⎜ ⎟⎟ ⎝112 112⎠ ⎠
This can be solved for the necessary output at the ∆Td=112F
Btu ( 2500 Btu ( 2500) ) = =13,13,374 Q112 Q112= = 374 1.31.3 hrhr ⎛ 30.83 ⎞⎞ ⎛ 30.83 ⎜⎝ ⎜ ⎟⎠ ⎟ ⎝112 112 ⎠
Now it’s just a matter of looking through the table in Figure 2 to find a radiator with a listed output close to this value. The three water plate (thickest) panel with a height of 24 inches and length of 48 inches has an output of 13,664 Btu/h, which is very close to air u = out = = 0.54 calculated output. Tair ) (115 − 65 ) (Tin −BACKWARDS WORKING A three water plate panel that’s 20 T − T 92 − 65 ( ) ( ) out air Now the inches high and 64 inches long has a u = that you know = how to derate = 0.54 − 65 ) at lower (Tin − Tofairpanel ) (115 heat output radiators listed output of 15,829 Btu/h - more Tout − Tair 92 − 65 ) ( water temperatures let’s consider a typthan enough. u =(T − Tair ) = = 0.54 ( 92 − 65 ) = 0.54 u = out Tin − Tair= (115 − 65 ) ical sizing calculation where you need to My suggestion is to select radiators (Tin − Tair ) (115 − 65 ) select a panel for a specific design load. so (Tin − Tout ) = (115 − 92 ) = the 23 supply water 23 temperature under ∆ T = = = 37.33ºexceed F d Since 0.54 < 0.7 the EN442 standard Consider a room with a design load of design load conditions doesn’t ⎛ 115 − 65 ⎞ ⎛ Tin − Tair ⎞ ⎛ 50 ⎞ ln(1.85185) ln ln ln ⎜ The selected ⎜⎝ radia- ⎟⎠ 120F. ⎜⎝ Incorporate ⎟ prescribes use of Formula 3 to calcu2,500 Btu/h. panel outdoor reset control 5) 92−−92 65) 27 ⎠ Tair) ⎟⎠ ⎝TTinout− − Tout 115 ( 23 23bring the water tem( = 0.54late ∆Td: tor will be supplied with water at 115F, into the system to = ∆ Td = = = = 37.33º F 65 ) ln(1.85185) ⎛ 115 − 65 ⎞ peratures ⎛ Twith ⎞ temperature ⎛ 50 ⎞ even in − Ta air 25F ln and operate lower under partial load ln ln ⎜ ⎜⎝ ⎟ ⎜⎝ ⎟⎠ ⎟⎠ TinT−in T−outT)out 115(115 − 92−) 92 ) 23drop. ( 23 ( 92 − 65 ⎠ conditions. 27 23 23 T − T ⎝ out air ∆∆TTd d== = = = = = 37.33º=F37.33º F = − 65−⎞ 65 ⎞ ⎛=50 ⎞The ln(1.85185) ⎛ ⎛TinT− T−airT⎞ ⎞ ⎛ 115 ⎛ 115 ⎞ ln(1.85185) temperature will be 70F. The use of renewable heat sources, ln ⎜ ln⎟ ⎛ 50room in air ln ⎜ ln lnln ⎟ ⎜⎝ T⎜ − T ⎟⎠ ⎟ ⎝ 92⎜ − 65 ⎠ ⎠ ⎜ ⎟⎠ 1.3 1.3 ⎝ 92 − 65 ⎟⎠ ⎝ 27 27 above Use⎝ the to ⎛select especially Td ⎞ 37.33two Btu heat pumps, coupled to mod⎝outTout −airTair ⎠ ⎞ ⎛ ∆ information Qe = Q112 ⎜ = 9500 ⎜ = 2277 ⎟ ⎟ possible radiators from the table in ern hydronic distribution systems, will ⎝ 112 ⎠ ⎝ 112 ⎠ hr 23 (115 − 92 ) = 23 = 1.3 1.3 = 37.33º F Figure 2. increase as fossil fuel prices and conBtu ⎛ 37.33 ⎞ ⎛ ∆ Td ⎞ ⎛ 115 − 65 ⎞ ⎛ 50 ⎞ ln(1.85185) QSolution: 9500 ⎜ 4: = 2277 n⎜ ln ⎜ ⎟ with=formula cerns over carbon emissions continue ⎟ ⎟ e = Q112 ⎜Start ⎟ ⎝ 92 − 65 ⎠ ⎝ 27 ⎠ 1.3 ⎝ ⎠ ⎝ ⎠ 112 hr 112 1.3 Btu to shape the market. The procedure ⎛ 37.33 ⎞ ⎛ ∆ T ⎞ 1.3 1.3 TQ − T⎜air ) d (⎟92 −= 659500 ( ) Q = = 2277 out112 ⎜ ⎟ e T⎠d ⎞ a scientific (Tout − Tair ) = ( 90 − 70 ) = 0.44 presented above allows you to select u =You’ll again = need = 0.54 ⎛ 37.33 ⎝ 112 ⎠ ⎞ = 2277 ⎝ ⎛) ∆ hru = Btu calcula− 112 Tair112 Qe (=TinQ ⎟⎠ ⎜⎝ (115⎟⎠− 65=) 9500 ⎜⎝ 112 hr 112 turned horizontally) (Tin − Tair ) (115 − 70 ) tor (or your iPhone panel radiators that allow these heat to get the natural logarithm [ln] of (T − Tair ) = ( 90 − 70 ) = 0.44 sources to operate at high efficiency 1.3 u = out ⎛ 37.33 ⎞ 1.85185 Btu in the above calculation. No Since use Formula 3 to get while providing superior comfort and T0.7 Tout − Tair ) ( 90 − 70 ) (TinU −(<115 0⎜ = (2277 air ) − 90()115 − 70 ) ⎝ 112 ⎟⎠ big u = deal, = 1.85185=on 0.44 hr enter just the cal∆T : lasting value. <> ∆ T = = 30.83º F d d − 70 )70) ) 23 (TTin(outT−inT−−airTTout)air) (115((115 90 −92 − 23 115 − 70 ⎞ ⎛ = ∆ T = = = = 37.33º F culator and= press the [ln x] key. u d= display ln ⎜ ⎟ − 65 ⎞ = 0.44 ⎛ 115 − ⎞ ⎛ 50 ⎞ ln(1.85185) ⎝115 in − 90−−90 70) ⎠ T⎛⎜inT− TTairairappropriate 70 (115 ln ⎜⎝ ⎟⎠ ) lnof⎜⎝ ∆Td ⎟⎠ ( Nowlnthat the value John Siegenthaler, P.E., ⎟ 92 − 65 27 ⎝ Tout − Tair ⎠ ∆ Td = = 30.83º F 115 − 90 ( ) 115 − 70 ⎛ ⎞ has been determined, the final step is to has over 40 years of ex0) ln ⎜ ⎟⎠ = 0.44∆ Td = ⎛ 115 − 70 ⎞ = 30.83º F ⎝ 90 − 70 1.3 plug thelnnumbers into perience designing mod70 ) ⎜ (115 − 90 ⎟ ) Formula 1: ⎛ 30.83 ⎞ ∆ Td = ⎝ 90 − 70 ⎠ = 30.83º F ern hydronic heating 2500 = Q112 ⎜ 1.3 ⎟⎠ − 70⎛⎞37.33 ⎞ 1.3 ∆ T⎛d 115 Btu ⎛ ln ⎞ ⎝ 112 Next, set up Formula 1 with all the systems and is the author Qe = Q112 ⎜ ⎜ ⎟ = 9500 ⎜⎟ ⎝ 112 ⎝ ⎠90 − 70 ⎝⎠112 ⎟⎠ = 2277 hr 1.3 known information, the reof Modern Hydronic Heating (4th edi0.83º F 30.83including 1.3 ⎛ ⎞ 2500 = Q ⎜ ⎛ 30.83 ⎞ 2500 Q112 This= is roughly about one quarter of quired heat112output tion) and Heating with Renewable ⎝ 112at⎟⎠ the lower water ⎜⎝ ⎟ 112 ⎠ the (“rated” of the panel. I’ve temperature (e.g., 2500 Btu/h): Energy (visit hydronicpros.com). Tout − Tair heat − 70 ) 1.3 ) ( 90output
( (
) )
(
( (
u=
)
) )
= 30.83 ⎞ = 0.44 − 70 ) (Tin − Tair ) ⎛(115 ⎝ 112 ⎠
2500HPAC = Q112| ⎜OCTOBER⎟ 2026 24 115 − 90
Q112 =
( 2500 )
⎛ 30.83 ⎞ ⎜ ⎟
1.3
= 13, 374
Btu hr
HPACMAG.COM
< HYDRONICS
FUTURE-PROOFING HYDRONICS SYSTEMS A review of the latest 30 Mechanical Minutes webinar, where we speak with John Siegenthaler about the long-term value of low temperature supply water. BY DOUG PICKLYK
This edition of 30 Mechanical Minutes had host Doug Picklyk (left) and hydronics expert John Siegenthaler talking about efficiency in system design.
F
or over a decade HPAC contributing writer and hydronics industry expert, John Siegenthaler, has been talking about designing hydronics systems around low supply water temperatures. In this recent webinar we revisit the topic and John explains why low temperature water is a long-term solution for installers and homeowners. The sponsor for this edition of 30 Mechanical Minutes was Wolseley Canada, national wholesaler for plumbing and hydronics professionals, The reasoning behind designing for low water temperature is all about achieving the best efficiency for a system; it isn’t just about designing systems for air-to-water heat pumps. Modulating condensing boilers are at their most efficient when working with lower water temperatures as well. So designing for low water temperatures isn’t just about the move to electrification. It’s just about efficiency, period. “I like to describe hydronics systems as long-term value propositions,” says 26
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Siegenthaler. “They are not the least expensive option for HVAC, but if they’re properly designed, properly installed and reasonably maintained, major portions of those systems, especially heat emitters, distribution piping and so forth, will last for decades. “It only makes sense for designers to think: ‘What I can do today that is going to affect that system years from now?”. He notes that as the heating industry gradually transitions away from conventional boilers and begins embracing heat pumps, both air-to-water and geothermal water-to-water, they all benefit from lower water temperatures. And that benefit equals higher efficiency, getting more heat output for a given amount of energy input. Upon registration for the webinar, attendees were asked, “Have you installed or sold an air-to-water heat pump on a residential hydronics project?” More than a quarter replied with yes. Siegenthaler found that response rate surprising, considering that air-to-
water heat pumps are still relatively new in North America. “The last two to three years have seen a lot of products come into that category, but for basically one-in-four people to have either installed it or designed it, actually that’s very encouraging.” Attendees were also asked: “What is the typical supply temperature you design for?” A few stated that it depends on the application. But for those who replied with numbers, nearly three-quarters responded with supply temperatures between 110F/45C and 140F/60C. “Again, that’s encouraging,” said Siegenthaler. “The low water temperature trending in North America has followed the European trend by several years, and floor heating was really what brought that trend to North America. But in the last few years, we’ve also seen lower water temperatures expand out to other heat emitters like panel radiators, fan coils, and other types of radiant panels like radiant ceilings.” HPACMAG.COM
IDEAL TEMPERTURE When asked, “What is an ideal supply water temperature for heating to maximize energy efficiency in today’s hydronics systems?” Without any hesitation Siegenthaler replies with 120F. “It is a compromise between not going so low that your capital costs go way up in terms of the size of the emitters required and so forth, but it’s also not going high enough in temperature that we’re handicapping the performance of the heat source,” he says. “I would suggest that regardless of the heat emitters you’re working with, if you can design your system so that at design load — coldest day conditions — your water temperature does not have to go over 120F, I feel that is a definite step towards future-proofing the system. You’re keeping it compatible with where heat sources are moving today, as well as looking down the road 20, or 40, years.”
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He shared a graph showing typical water temperature ranges for different types of heat emitters, indicating how radiant floors, radiant walls, radiant ceilings, and panel radiators all fall comfortably into that 120F category. He also showed an image of a fan-assisted panel radiator, an emitter that can enhance convection and increase heat output at low water temperatures. “Manufacturers understand the market is moving continuously towards lower temperatures, and they want to have products that are compatible, especially given where electrification and heat pump technology is taking the market today.” He notes that there are more fan coils that can operate with lower water temperatures today, but he warns that you have to be careful with any type of fan coil, especially those using lower water temperatures, making sure the air is well diffused into the space. “You don’t want
that relatively cool air to blow directly at somebody. It could feel a little bit cool simply because of the motion.” When it comes to different types of heat emitter, when the surface area of the heat emitters goes up the difference between the water temperature and the room temperature goes down. Basically, to keep a room’s temperature constant, the supply water temperature from the heat source can go down as long as the total surface area goes up. However, increasing emitter size can increase the cost of the system, but the benefit of the lower water temperatures is going to give the system higher efficiency over the long term. So, is there a perfect balance? “It’s a complicated answer, and it’s going to depend on the cost of adding more surface area versus the trade-off in efficiency of the heat source,” he says. He reminded contractors to think of Continued on p28
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< HYDRONICS
Continued from p27
hydronics as a long-term value proposition, citing his own success at encouraging clients to spend more money upfront to build that future-proof aspect into their system.
OUTDOOR RESET He also brought up the efficiencies of using outdoor reset to maintain lower running supply temperatures. And he reminded us that design load temperature doesn’t occur very often, noting research that roughly 2.5% of the hours in the heating season are at design load. “So the vast majority of your heating season, you are at partial load,” says Seigenthaler, adding that with larger heat emitters the water temperatures would probably fall into the range of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. “And your heat pumps are going to love operating at those water temperatures.”
RETROFITTING HIGH TO LOW TEMP When asked how best to shift to lower water temperatures in a retrofit situation, Siegenthaler pointed to two options: one is to reduce the load of the building by improving the thermal envelope through added insulation, air sealing, better windows, or better doors; and the other option is to add heat emitters. “And that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use the same heat emitters that the building has. If it’s a fin tube baseboard or cast iron radiators, you may add panel radiators instead.” Wall-hung panel radiators are one of Seigenthaler’s favorite heat emitters, as they come in many different sizes, heights, widths and thicknesses. “If we wanted to have the equivalent of 23 feet of residential baseboard, we could do it with a panel radiator that’s 24 inches high, 48 inches wide, and about four inches thick,” he says. He also proposes adding some floor heating under a bathroom or under a 28
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Figure 1. This diagram illustrates the higher performing heat output of radiant ceilings and walls when compared with radiant floors.
kitchen if it’s accessible. Practically speaking, he admits that if it’s a leaky older house, the better return on investment is to bring the load down through insulation, as opposed to just buying and installing large surface area heat emitters. Another option is to introduce a fan coil unit where you can get equivalent heat transfer in a smaller device. He then was able to show the relationship of water temperature versus heat output for three different types of larger surface radiant systems: an underfloor system, radiant ceilings and radiant walls (see Figure 1), all using tube and aluminum plate assembly. He notes that you get more output from the radiant ceilings and walls. “We have better heat transfer from those particular geometries,” he notes. In describing the graph, he points to the radiant wall construction, assuming it’s 70F degrees inside, it can give you 40 Btu/h per square foot. “You might say, a house doesn’t need 40 Btu/h per square foot of floor area. Modern construction can be 10 to 15 Bth/h's per square foot of floor area, and so the implication is we don’t necessarily have to use all the walls or all the ceiling to get
our required output.” He encourages people familiar with radiant floor heating to look into radiant walls and ceilings as alternatives.
FINAL THOUGHTS Finally, Siegenthaler was asked, “How do you talk about future-proofing a home heating system with homeowners?” “I think the best way to approach a potential client is to start with distinguishing a properly designed hydronics system from other options out there. Quite honestly, some options in the market today are a 15-year lifecycle and then it’s a complete tear out.” He suggests for a hydronics system, a condensing boiler has 15 to 20 years of life, but the piping, the heat emitters and even the circulators can all last for decades. “So we’re offering a longer service life, which is worth something.” Investing more upfront to eliminate the need for expensive upgrades as a building ages and as new heat sources emerge is his focus. The 30-minute discussion was followed with an question and answer segment. To view the entire webinar visit hpacmag.com/webinars or see it on youtube.com/@hpacmag. <> HPACMAG.COM
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< CONTROLS
DATA, DATA AND MORE DATA In the age of AI, modern HVAC controls can provide live and historical data to help refine comfort in buildings. BY CURTIS BENNETT
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the controls we see daily. When we look at an App, or some user interface (UI), the data for that interface is coming from somewhere. The actual dictionary term for data is: “a collection of raw, unorganized facts, measurements, or symbols before they are processed and given context.” Keep that last part in the back of your mind. We know that our movements and almost everything about us is being fed into some AI these days so corporations can sell us “stuff” we don’t need, but they know we want. Everywhere you search on the internet, anywhere you go with your phone, guess what, they know. There are many programs running on our phones to track us. It always makes me think of the song by the Police. “Every breath you take. And every move you make. Every bond you break. Every step you take. I’ll be watching you.” Not to oversimplify it, but it is crazy. But lucky for you and I in the HVAC industry, we are not “Big Data.” What is the difference between the data that heating and cooling control systems collect and the data “the big guys” collect? I know you are asking that right about now. The data we are talking about is used to help you make decisions. Co-Pilot just helped me decide on a gardening plan last week. LOL. Not the same decisions. In the HVAC industry we use data to refine comfort in a building, change settings
on a boiler or make informed decisions on problems happening in real time. Remember, I told you to keep something about that definition in the back of your mind. It was “before they (facts, measurements and symbols) are given context.” Data means nothing outside of context. Our context is controls and buildings. Historical data of conditions in a building gives us the context we need for “data” to be relevant. Historical in the sense that the controls store data on a server or location “on the web,” so that data can be graphed or tabled at a later date. Looking at this data can help you fine tune controls in the field. Historical data gives you a snapshot into exactly what was happening at that moment in time. Information like how many times the hot water tank has cycled in a day. Why does that matter? It might give a good clue that there is a bypass leak, or a recirc pump is running all the time. Something is stripping heat off the tank without any use. Or at the very least someone takes a lot of showers. HPACMAG.COM
PHOTO: VERTIGO3D/GETTY IMAGES
f you are around my age (go ahead and guess), anytime you hear the word Data you may think of one thing — the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek the Next Generation. “Make it so number one.” I still use that expression with people at work sometimes. I love it (them, not so much). When I think of Data, the pale green looking sentient, he was always there on the bridge of the Enterprise for everything that ever happened. If they needed a calculation done, guess who did the calculation? Data did. If they needed some weird statistics of how probable it was to lose propulsion? Data did it. Data also kept a mental log of everything; he could recall moments in time and everything that he had learned over his life. Data was a large language model (LLM) in the best sense of the word. So, how is this Star Trek analogy relevant to our industry and to this article today? Well, this article is on data (with a small “d”). What is data when “we” talk about it? It can take on so many meanings. It really does depend on context. The word gets thrown around quite often now. With the onset of AI and LLMs people use the word data in the context of all the information the LLM has in it. Another way to look at data is on a much smaller scale. Data can be used for the output of all
“AI is good at looking through data, analyzing it and helping to make even better decisions. The larger benefit of historical data is this: How many times has a customer called you just to say the system is working perfectly? That’s right, never. No news is good news. So, when they do call, it’s to tell you something is not working or something is weird with their system. There are only two ways to know what is happening to the system. The first is to go on-site and sit in the mechanical room for five days until the same problem shows up, or you can use a control that gives you historical data. There are controls out there that have this capability (wink wink , nudge nudge), and it’s built into an App to make it that much easier to find that historical data. By looking back at history, you can see temperatures and device operations at an exact time. I will also tell you this, historical data without all the pertiHPACMAG.COM
nent information is almost as bad as not having any at all. Customers are looking for answers when they call. They spend a lot of money on systems designed to keep them comfortable and save them money. Being able to give them an exact answer and a solution is what we should be doing. With the right data at our disposal, it gives us the answers and gives them the comfort they made the right decision putting the system in place. What else can we learn from system data? What can you learn from flow rates in a building or a suite? Well, we know that a toilet flush is 3 liters if it’s a low flow. If the flow meter increases by 3 liters in volume at 6:30 am, you know what time people wake up before work. Flow data can also tell you what time they shower and when they come home from work. Think about it. It sounds crazy, and no one is using the data for those things, but having this data can become relevant. Consider a residential building with 50 suites, by knowing how much water is being used just on toilet flushes the
building owner might be able to save money by mandating special toilets or using low flow shower heads. In this case you have before data, “the baseline,” and then you have the data from after the changes to compare. This is a big deal. Apply water pressure sensors in each suite. What could that tell us? It could tell you about expansion tank failures; it could help with finding where leaks might be; it can give you the health of the system if all the pressures line up floor by floor as they should. Integrating AI to monitor and assess this information will be happening sooner than later. AI is good at looking through data, analyzing it and helping to make even better decisions. Using controls that do not have these data capture capabilities gets you none of this information. No information equals no informed decisions. Leaving your customer literally “out in the cold.” The coolest part comes when we compare current data with historical data. We can predict what should be happening based on history and compare it to the real time data and make decisions based on that. Or we can use alerts to let customers, or contractors, know there is something that is unusual. Not necessarily something wrong but a, “Hey, take a look just to make sure” alert. Our job is to make your job easier. Use controls that give you the information you need to see the whole picture. I have said this a million times: it’s 2026 and a basic relay just does not cut it anymore. I think Data would agree with that. <> Curtis Bennett, C.E.T., is the product development manager with HBX Control Systems in Calgary. He formed HBX Control Systems with Tom Hermann in 2002. The systems are designed, engineered and manufactured in Canada. OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
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Rather than relying on a single design point, the Performance Envelope establishes a practical operating space that reflects real world conditions.
< HYDRONICS BUILDING BLOCKS
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HYDRONICS
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TEMPERATURE CONTROL AND PIPING EFFICIENCY
Optimized hydronics systems require well thought-out design and control strategies. BY MICHAEL BREAULT
T
emperature control and piping design are fundamental elements of an efficient hydronic heating system. While there are countless approaches to piping and controlling hydronic systems, the most effective designs share a common goal: matching heat production to building demand while minimizing energy consumption and installation costs. Efficiency is not determined solely by the choice of boiler, or other heat source, and the choice of thermostat. It is influenced by the overall system design, including zoning strategies, water temperature management, circulator selection, pipe sizing and control methods. Understanding how these elements interact allows designers and installers to create systems that deliver comfort, low operating costs, and the equipment longevity customers deserve.
Flow Rate
Approximate Copper Pipe Size
20 GPM
1-½ in.
13.3 GPM
13 GPM
1-¼ in.
10 GPM
10 GPM
1 in.
System ΔT
Required Flow
20°F
20 GPM
30°F 40°F
Figure 1. Increasing system Delta-T value reduces flow rate.
Figure 2. The impact of flow rate on pipe sizing.
Although multiple independent zones provide greater control flexibility, this set up can also lead to reduced efficiency if not designed properly. Frequent cycling, uneven load distribution, and reduced boiler runtime efficiency are common challenges. More sophisticated control strategies generally improve efficiency but also increase installation costs. The objective is to balance performance, comfort and return on investment.
supply water temperature in response to changing conditions, such as outdoor temperature or system demand. This approach improves efficiency because lower water temperatures reduce standby losses and increase modern condensing boiler performance. As a practical guideline: for approximately every three degree Fahrenheit reduction in system water temperature, overall efficiency can improve by about 1%. Over the course of a heating season, this incremental improvement can result in significant energy savings.
CONTROL STRATEGY Control strategy is often overlooked when evaluating hydronic system efficiency. In its simplest form, a hydronic system may consist of a single thermostat controlling a single boiler. However, as system complexity increases, multiple zones and thermostats are frequently introduced. For example, six thermostats can be configured as six independent microsystems operating separately, or one integrated system with six zones. 34
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TEMPERATURE REDUCTION AND ENERGY SAVINGS One of the most effective methods of improving hydronic efficiency is reducing water temperature in the system whenever possible. A basic thermostatic mixing valve provides a fixed outlet temperature and represents a low-cost solution suitable for many applications. However, a motorized mixing valve paired with a control system can continuously adjust
THE UNIVERSAL HYDRONIC FORMULA Hydronic system sizing is based on the fundamental heat transfer equation: Btu/h = GPM × 500 × ΔT Where: • Btu/h = Heat transfer rate (British thermal units per hour) [a Btu is the amount of heat energy needed to HPACMAG.COM
Feature
3-Way Mixing Valve
4-Way Mixing Valve
Ports
3
4
Primary Function
Mixes supply and cooler return water for desired supply temp.
Simultaneously controls supply and return temperatures
Boiler Protection
Limited
Excellent
Return Water Ternperature Control
Indirect
Direct
Installation Complexity
Simple
More complex
Cost
Lower
Higher
Common Applications
Radiant floors, snowmelt, mixed-temperature zones
Cast iron boilers, biomass boilers, low-temp. distribution systems
Control Options
Thermostatic or motorized
Usually motorized for best performance
Figure 3. An overview comparison of three-way and four-way mixing valves.
raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit] • GPM = Flow rate (gallons per minute) • 500 = Constant for water
• ΔT = Delta-T, the temperature difference between supply and return water (F) For primary loop calculations, a
20-degree Fahrenheit temperature differential is commonly used because it simplifies design calculations. A quick rule of thumb is: Boiler Btu/hr ÷ 10,000 ≈ Required GPM at a 20-degree Delta-T While simple, this approach does not always produce the most efficient design. If the Delta-T can be increased, it can introduce advantages to the system. Consider a 200,000 Btu/h boiler with different Delta-T values using the equation above (see Figure 1). Increasing the system temperature differential significantly reduces required flow rates. Lower flow requirements has a trickledown effect on both pipe and circulator pump sizing. Lower flow rates allows the use of smaller piping (see Figure 2). And given the cost of copper piping, these reductions can substantially decrease installation expenses.
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π BRING ON THE HEAT PORTABLE SMALL SPACE ELECTRIC HEATER
HOT SELECTION OF HEATERS
MOUNTABLE SMALL SPACE ELECTRIC HEATER
FORCED AIR HEATERS
COMPLETE CATALOG
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< HYDRONICS BUILDING BLOCKS Continued from p35
Reduced flow requirements also allow for smaller circulators, which leads to lower electrical consumption, reduced operating costs, lower maintenance requirements; and improved system efficiency A higher Delta-T design also improves a condensing boiler operation. The goal is to maintain the return water temperatures below the condensation threshold (typically around 130F) so the boiler can continue operating in condensing mode, maximizing its fuel efficiency while still delivering high-temperature water when needed. This is one of the most effective strategies for extracting additional efficiency from modern condensing heating equipment.
Figure 4. A diagram of three-way mixing. Note the circulator is on the outlet of the mixing valve.
OUTDOOR RESET Additional energy savings can be achieved through outdoor reset control. Many modern boilers include this functionality as a standard feature, and for systems that do not, aftermarket reset controls can provide similar benefits. The purpose of outdoor reset is straightforward: match the boiler water temperature to the current heating load of the building. So, rather than maintaining a constant a higher water temperature regardless of outdoor conditions, the outdoor reset control automatically lowers the target temperature during milder weather. The multiple benefits of outdoor reset include: improved fuel efficiency; reduced cycling; longer equipment life; improved occupant comfort; and more consistent indoor temperatures. In an ideal system, heat production closely follows building heat loss, resulting in steady and efficient operation.
MIXING RESET CONTROL Many hydronic systems contain multiple temperature requirements based on the heat emitters being used in the 36
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
Figure 5. A diagram of a four-way mixing design.
“In an ideal system, heat production closely follows building heat loss, resulting in steady & efficient operation.” house, for example: baseboard heating, fan coil units or radiant floor heating operate best at different supply temperatures. The boiler must be able to satisfy the highest temperature requirement within the system, while the use of mixing controls is used to accommodate lowertemperature loads. For example, consider a system con-
sisting of a cast iron boiler with outdoor reset, a baseboard heating zone a radiant floor heating zone. On a cold day, the baseboard system may require 150F water, and at the same time the radiant floor system (a larger mass system) may only require approximately 100F to satisfy the heat loss in that space. If residual heat already exists within the primary loop, an injection system can often satisfy radiant heating demands without firing the boiler, utilizing stored thermal energy already present in the system water. Hydronic systems commonly employ five primary mixing methods. 1. Three-Way Mixing Valves: Threeway mixing can be achieved using heatregulated thermostatic mixing valves or HPACMAG.COM
motorized mixing valves. Thermostatic valves maintain a fixed outlet temperature, while motorized valves continuously adjust temperatures in response to control signals and sensor inputs. Motorized systems offer superior performance because of their variability and ability to be used in outdoor reset-controlled applications. 2. Four-Way Mixing Valves: These mixing valves may be fixed during installation or motorized and controller-operated. These valves provide precise temperature control and can improve return water temperature management in certain system configurations. Because the three- and four-way valves are similar, I included a comparison chart (see Figure 3, page 35). Note: the circulator must always be installed on the outlet side of a three-way or four-way mixing valve (see Figure 4). 3. Injection Valve Mixing: Injection valve systems regulate the amount of hot water introduced into a secondary circuit and they may use fixed-position valves or motorized valves. Motorized injection valves provide improved temperature stability and are well suited for outdoor reset applications. 4. Injection Pump Mixing: Injection pumping operates similarly to injection valve systems but uses a circulator to transfer heat into the mixed circuit. Advantages of this process include the ability to achieve larger temperature differentials, excellent performance over long distances, reduced distribution pipe sizes and superior flexibility. When properly designed, injection-pumped systems can operate with Delta-T values approaching 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows the use of smaller diameter tubing to serve remote manifolds located 60, 70 or even more than 100 feet from the heat source. 5. Three-Way Diverting Valves: Unlike mixing valves, diverting valves have one inlet and two outlet ports. Typically installed on return piping, these valves direct water either back into the supply circuit or to the boiler for reheating. Although effective in certain applications, diverting valves are less common than the other mixing methods discussed.
we want to avoid). Installing a buffer tank increases system water volume and thus will reduce cycling frequency which will improve efficiency and extend the equipment lifespan. Finally, when connecting loads to a primary loop, always arrange takeoffs in order of temperature requirement, so position highest-temperature loads first and lower-temperature loads downstream. This strategy ensures the highest temperature loads receive the hottest available water while maximizing the use of residual heat throughout the system. In conclusion, efficient hydronic system design extends far beyond boiler selection. Proper piping design, temperature management, flow optimization, mixing strategies and advanced controls all contribute to overall performance. Ultimately, here’s the lesson: the most efficient hydronic heating system is one that continuously matches heat production to actual building demand while operating at the lowest practical water temperature. <> Michael Breault owns Gemini Hydronic Comfort and Control Solutions and supports Hydronic Systems in Southwestern Ontario. With over 25 years in hydronics, he has held various trade certifications including gas fitter, oil burner technician and refrigeration technician. michael@ghs-ca.com
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FINAL THOUGHTS Whenever possible, the goal is to keep a system as simple as you can. Heat load calculations may suggest multiple supply temperatures required throughout an all-radiant system. If differences between zones are only a few degrees, a single common supply temperature is often sufficient. This approach reduces system complexity, equipment cost and future maintenance requirements Also, when designing primary-secondary distribution systems the spacing between closely spaced tees should not exceed four pipe diameters. Excessive spacing can compromise hydraulic separation and negatively affect system performance. And I always recommend that you consider a buffer tank when a system has small loads. Small zones often cause boilers to short cycle (firing on and off quickly, which is something
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HOT WATER ON DEMAND If you install water heaters, are you offering the instant hot water people desire? BY DOUG PICKLYK
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[under Division B, Section 2.6] specifies that any hot water distribution system with a developed length greater than 30 metres (about 100 ft.) must maintain its water temperature via recirculation or a self-regulating heat tracing system. Most smaller single-family homes in the country don’t reach that threshold, meaning hot water recirculation is primarily reserved for large custom homes. So, in some areas of Canada, new custom homes are being built with dedicated hot water recirculation lines by code, and for these homeowners a codedriven requirement designed to encourage water savings is providing them with the satisfaction of instant hot water. But it’s the retrofit market that remains untapped. In Canada, between 800,000 and 1 million water heater replacements occur each year, and that presents a massive opportunity for plumbers and homeowners to both benefit from hot water recirculation. “I think we underestimated the potential of hot water recirculation applications in the residential market,” says Andres Menedez, account manager, residential business, with Grundfos. He notes that for all water heater sales in Canada retrofits make up about 80% of the market. Some market research suggests that 60 to 70% of those water heater sales occur under emergency-replacement conditions, where consumers generally go with the lowest installed-cost option
rather than evaluating energy savings or instant comfort. Yet, Menedez is seeing two things happening in the market: homeowners are learning more about instant hot water, and water heater installers are also learning about the retrofit hot water recirculation solutions available. “We have seen what we call a hybrid installer base that is diversifying their revenue by going to dedicated and nondedicated recirculation lines,” he says. While the vast majority of homes in HPACMAG.COM
PHOTO © GLEBCHIK/GETTY IMAGES
t’s a tricky conversation explaining to homeowners how tankless water heaters save energy because they heat water instantly on demand, but then you must explain that doesn’t mean that tankless systems will deliver hot water on demand at their taps. For that to happen, you need to have the hot water recirculation line conversation. It’s a subtle difference, but it can mean a lot when a customer expects hot water at their shower instantly, and they still wait minutes for the heat to arrive. Only hot water recirculation can get that hot water there on demand. Some U.S. statistics note that an average family can waste up to 12,000 gallons of water annually while waiting for hot water. That’s why in areas where water conservation is a priority, like the state of California, hot water recirculation is a requirement in most new homes. California’s Title 24 energy code mandates that residential hot water distribution systems with a distance of 50 feet or more from the heat source to the furthest fixture use on-demand recirculation systems triggered by a push button, a motion sensor or smart home control. The recirc line gets initiated by the user then shuts off once a set temperature is reached by a sensor on the return line. The on/off solution avoids the always-on continuous circulation pumps which lead to high standby heat loss through pipes. In Canada, the National Plumbing Code
For retrofit applications, the Grundfos Alpha Comfort Solution smart pump works with a crossover bypass valve.
tor [in North America], and more installers are discovering that it is an easy installation and could be part of retrofit of a new tank in the house,” says Menendez. And he notes they are working with one of the largest installers of replacement water heat tanks in Ontario to incorporate retrofit recirc pumps in their offering. Pump manufacturers are developing smarter solutions for this retrofit market. Grundfos has a few options including its Alpha Comfort System that includes a smart ECM pump that comes with a bypass valve. Taco also offers a few solutions including the Hot LinkPlus system combining a 006e3 ECM circulator with a SmartPlug and bypass valve. Some of these solutions are designed to work with tank water heaters only, and some can operate with both tanks and tankless water heaters.
TANKLESS CHALLENGE
Taco’s Hot LinkPlus system combines the 006e3 circulator with a SmartPlug for tank water heaters without dedicated hot water return lines.
“I think we underestimated the potential of hot water recirculation applications in the residential market.” Canada don’t have recirculation lines, there are crossover solutions that use a four-way thermal bypass valve that gets installed at the furthest fixture from the water heater (usually under a bathroom sink) that repurposes the cold-water line to send hot water back to the water heater to create a recirculatling line. The typical crossover valve will open up when the water temperature on the hot side drops below around 95F (35C) and will close when the temperature reaches around 105F (40.5C), although the temHPACMAG.COM
peratures may vary by manufacturer. For these solutions, the recirc pumps will activate using timers, either built-in or external, to only turn on during set times of the day, or modern smart solutions will learn usage patterns and adapt to run when the hot water is required. Because it may take minutes for hot water to be completely circulated through the system, the timers activate recirc system prior to the first use of hot water to ensure hot water is available. “We’ve seen our sales spike in this sec-
The challenge for retrofitting with some tankless water heaters is achieving the flow rate required to trigger the flow switch to turn the water heater on. “Many crossover valves have a flow rate of only 0.25 gallons per minute (gpm) and most tankless units need 0.5 or 1 gpm to fire,” notes Eric Contini, regional sales manager with Jess-Don Dunford, a manufacturer’s representative in Ontario, supporting Taco solutions. “So you need to put multiple crossover valves in that house in order for it to give you enough flow to fire the tankless unit.” He notes that with a tank water heater it’s an easier solution because you don’t need to fire up the unit, as it’s already holding heat. The newer smart on-demand pumps have built-in temperature sensors and a flow sensing capability that will trigger the pump to start raising temperature and flow. New flow sensing algorithms will detect when valves start opening, and they can detect flow variation, so in the case of the crossover valve, when the set temperature is reached and Continued on p41 OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
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RECIRC INTEGRATION
A gallery of tankless water heaters with integrated recirc pumps.
AO Smith Adapt+ tankless with integrated recirculation pump can trigger with a wireless button, sensor or a wi-fi module kit for control via an app.
Bradford White’s Infiniti GR series tankless gas water heater has a built-in recirculation pump and recirc connection.
The Navien NPE-A2 features its Comfort Flow system including a small buffer tank, recirc pump and controls that avoids ‘cold water sandwich’ and speeds delivery time.
The Noritz NRCR111 and NRCR92 feature an integrated recirculation pump.
The Rinnai SENSEI RXP line includes an integrated multi-speed recirculation pump.
Rheem’s Iconic tankless gas water heater features the integrated recirc pump.
valve closes, the pump will stop. In addition, the tankless water heaters are coming out with lower activation rates that is helping the water heaters respond to low-flow hot water demand, whether its recirc crossover valves or low-flow fixtures. Also, all major tankless water heater manufacturers now have models with recirculation pumps integrated into the unit (see gallery above). They are being designed to work with either a dedicated line or crossover valve, and they have built-in intelligence for learning a user’s hot water demand patterns to prime the lines when they are used the most, or they can be set up with a timer, or because of the California rule, they can be activated by a button, sensor or app.
DEVELOPING THE MARKET Hot water recirculation, outside of large custom homes, is still a developing market in Canada. “There is still an education opportunity with both homeowners and the trade partners,” notes Averie Dellamora, sales manager with Rinnai in Canada. And Adam Wills, director for Navien in Canada agrees. He does see recirc growing as a solution for tankless water heaters, “However as a percentage of our business it’s probably flat, as our S2 [tankless model without integrated recirc pump] has grown in residential new construction markets that typically require more price sensitive products.” Yet, Menendez notes that they have seen spikes in installaHPACMAG.COM
tions of their recirc retrofit solution in the U.S., and he notes that the Canadian market is sometimes one or two years behind. And growth will require both demand from homeowners and confidence from installers that the solution works and it’s not too challenging to install. There is potential for growth among hydronics installers, because they have a more knowledge about pumping, friction and load calculations, and getting into hot water recirculation is another way for them to diversify revenue streams. From one experienced contractor’s perspective, who has installed hot water recirculation lines, “Don’t forget to insulate the lines. I cannot emphasize that enough,” says Gabor Milisics, owner of GTAheat.com, specializing in hydronics and snow melt systems. “You’ve got to insulate the hot water line and the recirc line, otherwise you have a radiator running under the floor joists all year,” he says, adding that installers must take caution not to run the lines close to where there may be a floor sensor for in-floor heating, or those sensors may never turn on. As for encouraging more plumbing contractors, who may already be installing water heaters (whether it’s an emergency situation or not), Menedez believes hot water recirculation doesn’t need to be a hard sell, simply ask the homeowner one question: “Are you waiting for hot water?” In the end, the ability to deliver instant hot water with a relatively simple installation can deliver satisfaction for the customer and a new profit centre for the installer. <> OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
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DESIGNING HEAT PUMPS WITH NO REFRIGERANT Fifteen people, 10 years, one idea: a small Canadian startup thinks it’s found a way to do what a century of HVAC engineering hasn’t. BY MARTY HENWOOD
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Team members of Enersion at the company’s research and assembly facility in Toronto’s east end.
during a phase change. Adsorption means molecules cling to a surface rather than soaking into it. Inside a vacuum sealed container sits pure water and two heat exchangers. One is bare. The other is coated with Enersion’s patented nano-porous material. The system pulls the pressure down to 5 to 12 millibar, low enough that water boils at 7 to 10C. At the bare exchanger, the water draws heat from the fluid running through its pipes and boils off as vapour. That leaves the fluid chilled, and the chilled water goes to space cooling. The coated exchanger pulls in the vapour. When the coating is full, heated fluid runs through its pipes and drives the water back off as vapour, which condenses and returns to boil again. And the cycle repeats, over and over. On this day, Enersion’s research and assembly floor buzzes with activity. Towards the back of the facility, a team loads components of a new unit, crated and bound for installation at Mohawk
College in Hamilton. About 15 people currently make up the Enersion team: engineers, R&D, welders, machinists and more. That number is expected to double in the coming months. A decade ago, there was no floor, no team, no crate headed out the door for an installation. There was Hanif Montazeri, Enersion’s co-founder and CEO, working on a quantum mechanics adsorption model at the University of Toronto. Montazeri and a colleague came across a company using nano-porous materials to produce cooling. “I found it very fascinating,” says Montazeri. U of T is the common thread running through Enersion’s story, and that thread led to Arshan Singh, Enersion’s cofounder and VP of Business Operations. Montazeri brought him the idea, and Singh started digging into existing patents, trying to understand why the technology hadn’t caught on. Montazeri and Singh quickly found their answer: cost. HPACMAG.COM
PHOTO: OPPOSITE PAGE COURTESY OF ENERSION
he first thing you notice on this stretch of Toronto’s industrial east end is the strip plaza itself: low, beige, unassuming, home to a few HVAC companies, commercial printers, trade contractors and a clean-tech startup. Searching for that start-up leads to a plain glass door you’d only notice if you were looking. But behind that door, Enersion is chasing a solution to HVAC’s Achilles’ heel: proving that water, not chemistry, can do a refrigerant’s job. The company keeps its corporate headquarters on Toronto’s downtown waterfront, glassier, glossier, the kind of space built to host investors, not engineers. The waterfront office doesn’t build anything. Everything happens here, in this strip plaza. The heat pump unit Enersion builds is virtually silent. It doesn’t hum the way a traditional rooftop chiller does, because there’s no compressor cycling inside: no refrigerant line, no click of a contactor kicking in. What moves through it instead is water vapour, pulled across a bed of nano-porous material structured like a honeycomb built for a molecule. Nothing with a global warming potential over 1,000 ever runs through it. Enersion’s system runs on the adsorption cycle, a process that uses the heat a substance takes in or gives off
At the time, adsorption cooling had limited applications in Europe, particularly Germany, where electricity costs roughly three times as much as it does in North America. The designs Montazeri and Singh found there were expensive to manufacture, bulky and only modestly better than a traditional compressorbased chiller: an electrical coefficient of performance (COP) around 9, roughly twice as efficient, but not enough to offset the added cost. In 2016, Enersion was formed. “We began our journey to design something that is commercially viable,” Montazeri adds. “Every design decision was based on cost.” Solving the challenge meant re-engineering the material and the box around it until the economics, not just the climate case, held up.
HEAT DOING THE COMPRESSOR’S JOB For applications in the field, the Enersion unit’s output is chilled water at around 8°C and hot water in the 50 to 60°C range, with an electrical COP the company reports at 46, against the 3-to-6 range typical of a conventional chiller. As a heat pump, the unit runs both directions depending on the season: a cooling cycle through summer, then reconfigured to provide heat during the winter months. “We use heat as a thermal compression. It’s still a compression, but thermally,” Montazeri explains. The system draws minimal electricity for pumps and controls. The company’s nano material behaves almost like a contradiction, holding heat in and letting vapour move through at the same time. Solving that part of the puzzle falls to Bahman Lashkari, Enersion’s director of R&D. “This nano-porous material can basically be used as an insulator,” Lashkari explains. “The heat conduction is so low. On the other side, we have to have a high mass transfer and high heat transfer over them.” HPACMAG.COM
The early stages of an Enersion nextgeneration heat pump being installed on a building at Mohawk College in Hamilton, September 2026.
Every part of that cycle has to hold up thousands of times, on a real building, not a controlled lab.
THE PROJECTS ARE REAL Enersion has moved from prototype to projects. The technology’s earliest deployment was a data centre in Toronto, followed by a project with the Royal Canadian Navy and a greenhouse partnership with tech-forward farmers in Alberta. As of late September, integration continues at the Mohawk College installation, and it’s now in talks on two more data centre projects in Toronto and Alberta. Singh has spent years pitching this model to building owners who’d never thought about waste heat as an asset. The market, he says, is finally looking to the future. “Every market we are seeing different drivers for our technology,” Singh says. “There are so many reports about how sustainable cooling markets are really rising, so I think there’s not a better time.”
MADE IN CANADA For contractors and engineers used to specifying a chiller and a boiler as two
separate systems, Enersion’s technology collapses both into one box: one that connects in series to existing HVAC for a retrofit, or scales alongside new construction. Enersion says the unit lasts 25-plus years, with the nano-porous powder swapped out roughly every 10 to 15 years. It’s BACnet compatible, with an electricity backup for when waste heat isn’t available. Enersion isn’t just designing the technology. It’s manufacturing it too, relying heavily on aluminum, a metal Canada produces at scale, and leaning into domestic sourcing as trade uncertainty makes supply chains a bigger question. “In North America over the past 20 years, a lot of the manufacturing has been offshored,” says chief engineer Vignesh Krishnamurthy. “There are a few companies bringing it back, like the old-school Henry Ford integration. That’s what we’re trying to do with our manufacturing.” Montazeri sees it as more than a hedge against tariffs. He’s betting Canadian-made components pay off on their own.
STILL LEARNING Nearly a decade of work went into the nano-porous material itself, and the team is still fine-tuning the technology. Manufacturing remains expensive, and Enersion is still trying to show, one installation at a time, that the economics hold up outside a controlled test. When Krishnamurthy talks about the material, it doesn’t sound like a product on a spec sheet. It sounds like something still being understood. “This nano-porous material is basically a gold mine,” he says. “If anybody can figure out how to do it and tap into the energy density of that powder, it becomes one of the most efficient machines in the world.” Nobody’s fully figured it out yet. Enersion is betting it can be the first. That bet is either its biggest risk, or its whole reason for existing. <> OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
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MECHANICAL SUPPLY NEWS MANUFACTURERS • DISTRIBUTORS • WHOLESALERS HRAI REPRESENTS IN OTTAWA At a time when Canada is making global headlines for its political moves, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) convened in Gatineau, Que., across the river from the nation’s Capital. The association’s annual conference and AGM included a keynote address from former interim leader of the federal Liberal Party, Bob Rae, along with other informative panel discussions, inspirational talks and award presentations followed by a trip to Parliament Hill. Plus, following the conference HRAI held a press conference in Ottawa to express its concerns over tariffs and laid out its request for relief. The HRAI membership consists of manufacturer, wholesaler and contractor divisions, coming together to represent all aspects of the HVAC/R industry. The theme of this year’s conference was “Unconventional,” and with a record attendance announced, the event met all the regular expectations. The opening reception was held at the Canadian Museum of History and included a welcome from the Algonquin people. For the opening keynote, attendees received a copy of the just-released book, Reclaiming Canadian Sovereignty
DISTRIBUTION >> Barclay Sales is now representing Canadian-made Greentek HVAC ventilation systems across Western Canada. greentek.ca barclaysales.com >> LG Electronics Canada is partnering with Winnipeg-based manufacturer’s representative BPL Sales to expand access to applied HVAC project support across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. bplsales.ca lg.com 46
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
Michael Miller (right) takes the gavel as Chair of the HRAI national board for 2026-27 from outgoing Chair, Joe Muchynski
The Honourable Bob Rae addressed Canadian sovereignty at the 2026 HRAI Conference
in a Ruptured World, a collection of essays edited by the speaker, Bob Rae. The timely book and speaker was a win for the HRAI conference. Another timely, more technical, panel session followed on the subject of artificial intelligence (AI) in the HVAC/R industry, and that led to a panel on environmental and regulatory forces affecting the industry with input from Samantha Slater, senior vice president of government affairs for the AirConditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), on the state of regulation and deregulation happening south of the border. The annual HRAI Awards Dinner “unconventionally” took place on the first night of the conference and saw the ceremonial passing of the gavel to the national Chair for 2026-27, Michael Miller, of Taco. Miller takes over from Joe Muchynski of Arvin Air Systems. Additional awards included: Life Member Awards going to Barbara O’Reilly of Rheem and Bruce Passmore of EMCO; President’s Recognition Awards to Mark
Parliament of Viega and Jim Wood of OPTTA; an Impact Award to Martin Luymes of HRAI; and the Warren Heeley Environmental Award to Bill Yeo. Day two included an inspirational talk on leadership and more discussions on U.S. and Canada relations. A series of regulatory and technical educational break-out sessions were also held in the afternoon. And the conference closed with a reception on Parliament Hill with Members of Parliament in attendance. Before departing Ottawa, HRAI leadership [Martin Luymes (vice president of government relations), Mike Miller (HRAI chair), and Victor Hyman (policies and priorities committee chair)] took to the airwaves for a press conference recorded by CPAC to urge the Federal Government to resume trade negotiations with the U.S. “The Canadian industry supports a return to trade policies that benefit consumers and workers on both sides of the border,” said Miller. hrai.ca HPACMAG.COM
HoldRite, Cash Acme brands and more. The confirmed deal values RWC at approximately US$2.8 billion, but the deal includes a “Go Shop” provision that allows RWC to solicit alternative proposals until October 15, 2026, with Brookfield retaining the right to match. brookfield.com rwc.com CB Supplies receives Supplier of the Year Award at AD Conference: (l-r) Eric Findlay, Andrew Sheret; Rob Dewer, AD; Michael Boudreau, Warren Lowe and Ken Wilson, all CB Supplies; and Martin Deschenes, Group Deschenes. A recent stop in the GRUNDFOS BASEMENT Taproom Tour, a multi-city event series, brought together plumbers and HVAC technicians at 3 Brasseurs MicroBrewery in Oakville, Ont. for the launch of the latest generation of hydronic circulator pumps.
RWC AGREES TO BROOKFIELD ACQUISITION Private equity firm Brookfield is set to acquire Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC), makers of the SharkBite,
SWEDEN’S BEIJER REF ACQUIRES MONTREAL-BASED ENERTRAK Beijer Ref, a Sweden-based global HVAC/R distribution group operating in 46 countries, has acquired an 80% interest in Enertrak, an HVAC distributor based in Montreal. The acquisition is Beijer Ref ‘s first entry into the Canadian market, and expands its presence in North America. beijerref.com enertrak.com
AD CONFERENCE SUPPLIER AWARDS AD Plumbing & Heating Canada celebrated multiple suppliers during its Supplier of the Year Banquet in Vancouver where CB Supplies and Boshart Industries were both named 2026 Suppliers of the Year, CB Supplies (High Volume) and Boshart Industries (Regular Volume). Maax Bath won Most Improved Supplier of the Year. adhq.com
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Rinnai Canada has named Brent Gerrits as commercial sales manager. Gerrits, a journeyman plumber and project management professional, brings more than 30 years of experience in the mechanical industry. Based in B.C., he will work di- Gerrits rectly with contractors, engineers, and Rinnai’s partners. HeatLink Group has named Kim Laurette as vice president of sales and marketing, replacing Wade Peterson who retired. Most recently, Laurette served as vice president of residential sales with Laurette A. O. Smith, where she worked for over 20 years. Noble in Ontario has named Samuel Tomlinson as a profit centre manager at its Etobicoke plumbing location. Tomlinson brings a strong background Syed in sales and operations, across B2B Tomlinson industrial and technical industries. Arfain Syed has also joined as profit centre manager at the Etobicoke HVAC location, bringing a strong background in HVAC and hydronics with expertise in service, team leadership and technical product knowledge.
Jess-Don Dunford has added Jason Ramcharitar as business development manager for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Most recently with Metalworks, Ramcharitar previously spent a decade at Noble.
Ramcharitar
NAVAC has named Muktar Malawiya as Canadian sales manager. With more than 20 years’ in the HVAC/R measurement and test solutions field, most recently with Kane Canada, Malawiya will be expanding NAVAC’s presence across the country. Malawiya Navien Canada has announced Adam Ritchie as its Eastern Canadian territory sales manager. Ritchie brings 14 years of experience in plumbing wholesale distribution with Emco in Ontario, most Ritchie recently as profit centre manager in Hamilton. A.O. Smith Canada has appointed Gary Barrington as vice president, residential sales. Most recently with Masco, Barrington brings 25 years of experience across wholesale, retail and trade channels.
Barrington
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Zoning system and smart sensor sold separately. The smart sensor only works with the zoning system.
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
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HVAC >
GETTING INSIDE AIRFLOW Be prepared to understand the consequences of poor airflow and the real remedies required to fix it. BY IAN McTEER
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PHOTOS: IAN MCTEER
’m writing this in the cooling airflow season, but the truth is forced-air heating systems live or die by airflow all year long. Far too many residential systems aren’t designed at all; they’re improvised around whatever obstacles the builder left behind, whether that’s joists packed with plumbing, missing partitions, or duct paths that never existed in the plans. I’ve seen countless homes where the HVAC system looks too much like an afterthought: trunk ducts sized by eye, round runouts scattered like spokes on a wheel, panned off joist spaces riddled with wiring and pipe penetrations, and furnaces stranded at one end of the basement, miles from anything resembling a central heating concept. Homeowners end up living with the consequences, which include secondfloor rooms that never condition properly, noisy airflow, cold basements and equipment that never performs anywhere near its nameplate rating. This is where my HVAC philosophy matters more than math. In many homes, installing a furnace that can operate within the limits of the existing duct system is a better, more honest choice than performing a load calculation and discovering the entire air distribution system would need to be rebuilt; something not many homeowners will agree to. And this becomes critically important when the goal is to install a hybrid heat pump system. These systems depend on stable, predictable airflow to protect compressors, coils and electronics. An HPACMAG.COM
Figure 1.
“If you can’t heat a room, you’ll never cool it. And that simple line exposes the heart of most comfort complaints.” undersized, leaky or poorly conceived air distribution system will destroy that equipment far too quickly, no matter how carefully the load was calculated or how efficient the nameplate claims the system to be.
CONSEQUENCES OF IGNORING AIRFLOW REALITY When a system is installed without regard for the ductwork’s actual capacity the consequences show up everywhere: in perceived comfort, in noise, in equipment longevity, and in never ending callbacks.
Here are the core consequences: 1.Chronic High Static Pressure and ECM Abuse This is the root of many downstream failures. A furnace or heat pump trying to move 1,200 cfm through ductwork that can only handle 700 cfm is operating in a permanent state of distress. High static pressure forces the ECM to run at maximum torque near the top of its curve and the amp draw is maximized causing the motor to run hot. The consequences are: creates noise, vibration, and whistling; ECM’s fail early, often outside of warranty (see Fig. 1); and the motor is blamed for expensive repair when the duct system is the real culprit. 2.Heat Pump & Hybrid System Damage A duct system that cannot support the required cfm will ruin a heat pump faster than a furnace, and the homeowner is likely to blame the equipment, not the airflow. Without stable airflow: coils freeze; compressors overheat; deContinued on p52 OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
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Available across Canada Western Canada
Ontario
at these fine distributors Quebec
Atlantic Canada
< HVAC
Continued from p49
frost cycles fail; refrigerant mass flow goes out of specification; expansion valves hunt constantly; and efficiency numbers disappear (customer may discover the system is using more energy than expected). 3.Furnace Overheating and Limit Cycling An oversized furnace paired with undersized ducts means: • Limit tripping, then the limit fails open • Short cycling • Prematurely failed heat exchangers • Temperature swings • Second floors that never heat/cool properly • Cold basements summer and winter • Airflow noise • Endless callbacks: blame the refrigerant charge, blame the thermostat/ blower speed/equipment brand/ installers. These are not equipment problems; they are airflow problems disguised as equipment problems. None of these problems are mysterious; they’re the predictable result of pairing modern equipment with air distribution systems that were never designed to support it.
Figure 2. A register buried under drapes prevents airflow.
Figure 3. A transfer grille above the door helps airflow where few returns exist.
PERENNIAL PROBLEMS When central cooling started to be included as a staple of new construction residential HVAC, a duct designer once told me, “If you can’t heat a room, you’ll never cool it,” and that simple line exposes the heart of most comfort complaints. A room that won’t heat is almost always a room starved for airflow; an undersized branch duct, a blocked return path, a balancing damper that’s been moved or broken, or a supply register buried under drapes or furniture (Fig 2). Many older homes were built with a single return air (RA) grille in the upstairs hallway and none in the bedrooms, a design that only works if every 52
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
Figure 4. Rating plate from a furnace installed in a 900 sq. ft. bungalow.
bedroom door stays open. Once the doors close, those rooms become isolated pressure chambers unless the door is undercut or a transfer grille is installed (Figure 3). I’ve also found return grilles mounted on stud spaces that weren’t open, base plates never cut out, or partitions sitting on beams that completely blocked airflow. Even oversized furnaces contribute by shortcycling and never delivering sustained airflow to distant rooms. The truth is simple: if the duct system can’t deliver the cfm the room needs, no equipment, furnace, AC, heat pump, or smart thermostat will ever make that room liveable. These are exactly the kinds of problems technicians don’t want to hunt for; because they require wandering through bedrooms, moving furniture, peeking behind drapes, and explaining to homeowners why their decorative choices are sabotaging their comfort. And homeowners don’t want that intrusion either. Airflow in residential applications has been an ongoing topic for me, practically every year I write about equipment problems related to forced warm air system airflow shortcomings. Make the equipment happy, then the customer must be happy, right? Curiously, perfect airflow doesn’t always make it so. According to the Ontario Homebuilders Association, there were nearly 5 million homes built in Ontario when there was little, or no consideration given to a home’s energy performance. Many of these houses have upgraded windows and doors, better attic insulation, even high efficiency gas furnaces or hybrid heat pumps. But what about the air distribution system? The secret to high efficiency gas furnaces is not so much hidden in better combustion technology or secondary heat exchangers, of course those improvements are key factors, but the other Continued on p53 HPACMAG.COM
thing is greater airflow; better than 40% more in most cases. Years ago, a friend of mine told me his fledgling company wanted to replace an old school vertically vented 100K Btu/h conventional gas furnace with a modern (at the time) 90% AFUE 80K Btu/h gas furnace with a maximum 65F temperature rise. He told me the unit would be installed in a 900 sq. ft. bungalow, solid masonry construction (no insulation in the walls) with modern windows, doors, and improved attic insulation. No load calculation had been done. I asked him to get me the rating plate from the original unit (see Figure 4). He said likely no changes would made to the main trunk (20 x 8-in.). However, the RA drop duct would be improved and a better RA boot installed. Use the temperature rise formula to see if you’re anywhere in the airflow ballpark. CFM =
Btu input x combustion efficiency 1.08 x temperature rise
Conventional Furnace Airflow (taken at 80% nameplate AFUE): 100,000 x 0.8 CFM = 108 (100F maximum rise from rating plate)
Figure 5. Cabinet filters provide an improved airtight fit.
CFM = 740 (according to my chart, the original furnace could work with a 20 x 8 trunk) New Furnace Airflow: CFM =
80,000 x 0.9 70.2
CFM = 1025 (My chart says 20 x 8 duct can handle 800 cfm.) I told him the 80K unit won’t work in that duct system unless completely renovated. Better to install the 60K unit as it has a better chance of working properly in the existing distribution system.
AIR FILTRATION The trend to higher efficiency air filtration has a downside. Make no mistake, I’m not against installing high efficiency air filters into a ducted forced warm air system. Here’s the way I see it: • Install a 4-in. cabinet style filter assembly. • Be sure the filter resistance matches the furnace blower capacity. • Cabinet filters provide a better airtight fit (see Figure 5). • A sealed MERV 8 can outperform a leaky MERV 13. • Install the cabinet horizontally in the RA drop duct around waist height to ensure ease of maintenance. • Best to have a maintenance program in which filter pressure drop can be used to determine filter changeouts instead of simply using calendar dates. • High performance air filtration must not be utilized with outHPACMAG.COM
Figure 6. Suggest a standalone air filtration unit when superior filtration is required for a customer.
dated duct systems, advise customer so afflicted to utilize a standalone unit when superior filtration is desirable. Some premium units incorporate air quality alerts: the unit in Figure 6 is warning of poor indoor air quality via a red warning light. Light turns blue when air quality improves.
OBSCURE ISSUE Bypass humidifiers, especially those installed with ECM furnaces on undersized restricted duct systems, can create unintended excess airflow recirculation thus reducing net airflow across the heat exchanger and causing elevated temperature rise or limit trips. Continued on p54 OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
53
< HVAC
Continued from p53
Humidifier manufacturer AprilAire published a technical bulletin about this phenomenon, noting that variablespeed blowers amplify bypass flow due to their staticpressure compensation behavior. A bypass humidifier is fundamentally a pressuredriven device. It relies on the pressure difference between supply and return to move air through the humidifier pad. On a PSC blower, that pressure difference is relatively stable. With a variable-speed ECM, the blower actively compensates for static pressure changes. This can create a feedback loop: an excessive amount of warm supply air can be pulled through the humidifier and dumped directly back into the return. The bypass duct is stealing supply air. The ECM senses reduced airflow across the heat exchanger and ramps up to maintain programmed airflow only to increase the supply-return differential. (see Figure 7). Aprilaire recommended the installation of a damper in the bypass duct to regulate airflow, however, the installer was advised to verify the temperature rise after installation. The bulletin “Bypass Humidifier Pre Installation Set-Up and Checkout Procedure” advised the installer to test the static pressure at several points between the furnace supply and return air ducts. For example, I’m looking at a blower chart for a two-stage 60K Bth/h 95% AFUE furnace with ECM. The chart shows second stage airflow at its maximum 60-degree F temperature rise will deliver 900 cfm. From Table 1 (Fig 7), a pressure difference of 0.15” w.c. bypasses 135 cfm, that’s 18% of air bypassed. What if the ECM, due to a restricted duct system, forces the pressure difference upwards to 0.30” w.c.? At 190 cfm (27%) bypassing, this furnace is undoubtedly compromised by limit tripping, even with a clean air filter. On a service call to investigate limit tripping, apart from having to evaluate all the other potential service-related issues, a second-rate duct system including an ECM furnace and bypass humidifier must be investigated. Best advice: be sure the house needs a humidifier, otherwise suggest an alternative humidification device.
HOMEOWNER’S DILEMMA For many homeowners, it comes as a shock when a competent HVAC practitioner explains that the real solution to their confused perception of HVAC comfort isn’t just another furnace or heat pump, but also a full duct system renovation; often after they’ve already replaced equipment once or twice and invested heavily in other upgrades. Faced with yet another major expense, most simply continue living with the ductwork they have. And, some contractors will not quote duct system upgrades having convinced themselves the potential customer will balk at a seemingly un54
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
BYPASS HUMIDIFIER Bypassed Air (CFM) PRESSURE INCH W.G.(1) “A”
"BYPASSED CFM(2) (a)
VELOCITY fpm(3)
0.05
74
377
0.10
108
550
0.15
135
688
0.20
155
790
0.25
175
892
0.30
190
968
0.35
208
1060
0.40
223
1187
0.45
240
1223
0.50
253
1289
(1) Pressure differential as measured between points(R) and (S). (2) CFM Bypassed through a 6 inch round duct from “supply” to “Return” side. (3) Velocity of air in 6 inch round duct. Figure 7. Bypass humidifier air flow table (source AprilAire).
affordable price. Homeowners aren’t malicious; they’re overwhelmed. They also play a role in the decline of system performance, usually without realizing it. Modern forced air and hybrid heat pump systems require regular maintenance and a basic understanding of how the controls work, yet many people (myself included at times) neglect filters, block return grilles with furniture, ignore annual service, or operate the HVAC system in ways that undermine its design. A heat pump can’t survive long with a clogged filter, and even the best engineered air distribution system will struggle when airflow is choked off by lack of maintenance. These aren’t moral failings; they’re predictable outcomes when complex equipment is installed in homes where no one has been taught how to care for it. The long and the short of it is this: airflow isn’t just a matter of ducts and equipment; it’s a shared responsibility between the people who build the system and the people who live with it. <> Ian McTeer is an HVAC consultant with over 35 years of experience in the industry. He was most recently a field representative for Trane Canada DSO. McTeer is a refrigeration mechanic and Class 1 Gas technician. For any comments or questions, Ian can be reached directly at imcteer@outlook.com. HPACMAG.COM
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< REFRIGERATION
THE UNSUNG CONDENSER Putting the spotlight on the often forgotten member of the vapour compression cycle. BY DAVE DEMMA
R
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HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
Figure 1b: A horizontal air-cooled 8-fan condenser
quired saturation temperature that is necessary for the heat transfer. For example, if R-22 was being used in the refrigeration system (yes, R-22 has been phased out, but it’s simpler to describe the process with a refrigerant that does not have a glide), the expansion device would result in a liquid/vapour mixture at 48.6 psi, which corresponds to a 25F saturation temperature. Finally, the refrigerant is at a state/condition that is useful for the heat transfer process. Evaporator: Receives the 25F liquid/ vapour mixture from the expansion device. As the refrigerant flows through the evaporator tubing, fans circulate air from the space through the fin/tube arrangement, transferring heat from the air to the refrigerant. Since the vapour compression cycle will not provide the desired result without all four of the above components, it would be difficult to say which component is more important than the others. Certainly, compressors and expan-
Figure 2. A coaxial water-cooled condenser
sion devices have been very adequately covered. Evaporators as well, but perhaps to a lesser degree. But the condenser, that poor component, never seems to receive any attention. [insert sad face emoji here]
CONDENSER TYPES Like the evaporator, the condenser is also a component whose purpose it to transfer heat. And there are three major methods of accomplishing this: Air Cooled Condenser: An example of a finned-tube condenser coil is shown in Figure 1a (top right). The coil is the medium for transferring heat, and air is the heat transfer medium. Fan motors/ fans are used to move a measured volume of air through the coil, with the HPACMAG.COM
IMAGE SOURCE KEEPRITE REFRIGERATION; WESTERMEYER INDUSTRIES
efrigeration is the achievement of a temperature below that of the immediate surroundings. And, it is achieved by transferring heat from the refrigerated space to somewhere else. The vapour compression cycle is one method of achieving that lower temperature. The cycle’s ultimate purpose is to provide liquid refrigerant at a temperature that can facilitate adequate heat transfer from the space that requires a specific temperature to be maintained. For example, an application that requires a 35F temperature would typically utilize refrigerant at a 25F as the medium to transfer heat from the space. As a reminder, the vapour compression has four major components: Compressor: Receives low pressure vapour and “compresses” the vapour, resulting in a higher pressure. The compression process also adds heat to the vapour. The high temperature/high pressure refrigerant leaving the compressor is of no use in accomplishing the required refrigeration. Condenser: Receives the high temperature/high pressure vapour from the compressor and transfers heat from it. The resulting heat transfer first de-superheats the vapour then allows the vapour to undergo a phase change into liquid. In a perfect world, the condenser will also subcool the liquid refrigerant. This warm/ high pressure liquid is still of no use. Expansion Device: Receives the warm/high pressure liquid from the condenser and allows it to experience a reduction in pressure. The resulting lowpressure liquid will correspond to the re-
PHOTO © ITTHOPHON/ADOBE STOCK; IMAGE SOURCE UNITED HEAT EXCHANGERS
heat of the refrigerant transferred to the air flowing through the coil. Condensers can be separate from the other components, part of a condensing unit (which consists of a compressor and condenser), or part of a package unit (which consists of the entire vapour compression system). Depending on the application, the condenser could either be mounted horizontally (air flow in a horizontal direction, figure 1b) or vertically (air flow in a vertical direction). Capacity is determined by the physical size of the condenser coil, the tubing diameter, the fin spacing, the volume of air flow, the thermodynamic properties of the refrigerant being used, and the condenser TD [temperature difference — the difference between the ambient air temperature and refrigerant saturation temperature in the condenser]. Water-Cooled Condenser: These operate similar, in principle, to air cooled condensers, but in this case water is the heat transfer medium. There are three common varieties: Coaxial. A coiled assembly with a large tube for water flow and a smaller tube (inside the water tube) for refrigerant flow HPACMAG.COM
Figure 3. A shell and tube condenser
(see Figure 2). These are typically piped in a counter flow arrangement. For example, the refrigerant inlet and water outlet would be at one end, with the refrigerant outlet and water inlet at the other end. Coaxial water-cooled condensers provide a functional inexpensive option. They are non-accessible, and if there is a scale buildup inside of the condenser they cannot be cleaned. Shell and Tube. As the name implies, this consists of a large shell with tubes running inside of the shell (see Figure 3). Refrigerant vapour enters the shell, and its heat is transferred to the water running through the tubes. The carbon steel shell has removeable end bells, which al-
low access to the copper tubes (for standard applications), or copper-nickel tubes (for salt water applications) for cleaning. Brazed Plate Water-Cooled Condensers. These are comprised of stacked corrugated stainless steel plates which are “brazed” together (see Figure 4). The plates have channels in them, which allow for refrigerant vapour flow on one side of a plate and water flow on the other side of a plate. The plates are non-ferrous, making them resistant to corrosion and rust. These are highly efficient heat exchangers which allow for a compact footprint. Evaporative Condenser: A hybrid Continued on p58 OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
57
< REFRIGERATION Continued from p57
combination of air cooled and water-cooled condensing (see Figure 5), in an evaporative condenser discharge vapour flows through a condenser coil (without the typical fins that a condenser could would have). The condenser coil is continually wetted via a water recirculating system. As the evaporative condenser’s fan motor circulates air through the condenser coil a portion of the water evaporates, facilitating condensation. While these are highly effective and allow for lower condensing temperatures, they do require regular maintenance to ensure that the condenser coil does not become fouled with scale.
SIZING CONDENSERS The condenser must be sized to reject all of the heat that is added to the refrigerant during the vapour compression cycle. This would include the heat that is transferred to the refrigerant flowing though the evaporator, plus the heat that is added to the refrigerant vapour during the compression process (heat of compression). For example, a compressor operating at -20F SST, 100F SCT, with a capacity of 52,500 Btu, would have an estimated Heat of Compression of 31,570 Btu. The condenser selection would be based on the compressor capacity plus the heat of compression (52,500 + 31,750 = 84,070 Btu). Given that the peak system load occurs during the heat of the summer, for most of the year the condenser would be oversized. While this would comprise another full-length article, some measure of maintaining a minimum discharge pressure is required during the cooler months of the year. On the other hand, if the condenser has insufficient capacity during the heat of summer, the system will operate at elevated discharge pressures and temperatures. While the insufficient capacity might be the result of an incorrectly sized condenser,
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HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
there are countless system related issues that could also be the cause, all resulting in a loss of heat transfer capacity: • Dirty condenser coil, restricting air flow. • Older condenser coil, with some of the aluminum fins having decomposed due to corrosive environments. • Defective condenser fan motors/fans, or electrical controls, resulting in a loss of air flow. • Fouled surface in water cooled condensers, reducing heat transfer capacity. • Elevated supply water temperature, resulting in higher condensing temperature. • Lack of water treatment, resulting in fouled tubes in evaporative condenser. The negative impact of the loss in heat transfer capacity is reduced system capacity and elevated discharge temperature, which will accelerate chemical decomposition of refrigerant and oil, reduced compressor life and increased expense. Yes, that often overlooked component certainly can be the cause of major system problems if it isn’t treated nicely. <> Dave Demma holds a degree in refrigeration engineering and worked as a journeyman refrigeration technician before moving into the manufacturing sector where he regularly trains contractor and engineering groups. He can be reached at ddemma@uri.com. HPACMAG.COM
IMAGES: ALPHA LAVAL (LEFT); EVAPCO
Figure 4. Example of a brazed plate water cooled condenser
Figure 5. How an evaporative condenser operates
The industry update you can walk through.
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< BUSINESS
BEYOND THE BOOKS Accurate financial records tell you what happened. The right advisor helps you decide what happens next. BY MATTHEW BIRCH
B
y the time Ryan received his monthly financial statements, he already knew the business had been busy. His four-truck plumbing and HVAC company had completed one of its strongest months of the year. The schedule was full, technicians were working overtime and revenue was climbing. The bookkeeping was current. The bank accounts were reconciled. The income statement was accurate. But Ryan still had questions. Why did cash feel tight? Was overtime helping or eroding margins? Could the business afford another tech and truck? Should he change prices or the mix of work? His financial statements contained the information he needed, but they did not make the decisions for him. Many trades businesses reach this point. They have someone keeping the books, filing sales taxes, processing payroll and preparing reports. Those responsibilities are essential. Without accurate and timely bookkeeping, every financial decision rests on an unstable foundation. But accurate books are the beginning of financial management, not the end. As a business grows, the owner needs more than a record of what happened. They need someone who can interpret the business, test decisions, and build a plan for what comes next. They need an advisory relationship. 60
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
REPORTING VERSUS ADVISING Bookkeeping and advisory work solve different problems. Bookkeeping creates an accurate financial record. It answers questions such as: Are the accounts reconciled? What did the business earn? How much is owed by customers and to suppliers? Advisory begins once that information is reliable. It asks: Why did gross margin change? What is causing the cash pressure? Which work is most profitable? What will happen if we hire another technician? One looks backward to establish the truth. The other uses that truth to look forward. Bookkeeping and business advisory are distinct professional disciplines. Hiring someone to maintain accurate books does not mean you have also hired someone qualified to guide business strategy. It is like hiring a nurse and expecting them to perform surgery: both roles are essential, but each requires different training, experience, and expertise. A bookkeeper should be evaluated on accurate records, disciplined financial processes and timely, dependable reporting. An advisor should be evaluated on their ability to understand your company and industry, interpret financial and operational information, test important decisions and turn your goals into a strategic action plan. It is possible for one person or firm to
possess both skill sets, but that competence should be demonstrated, never presumed. In most cases, a business should intentionally engage both a professional bookkeeper and a qualified advisor, often a fractional CFO, in the proportions it requires. Neither replaces the other, and here are some areas that overlap. Pattern Recognition: A monthly income statement can tell you whether the business made money. An advisor helps explain why by connecting financial results to what happened in the field. Gross margin may be declining while revenue increases. Overtime may be rising faster than billable work. Higher average job value may be offset by callbacks. Accounts receivable may look reasonable in total while a few slow customers create recurring pressure before payroll. For Ryan, the problem was not a lack of sales. Larger projects required materials well before progress payments were collected, while overtime and return visits compressed service margins. Once the pattern became visible, the question changed from, ‘Why is there never enough cash?’ to, ‘How do we change billing terms, scheduling and job HPACMAG.COM
continue using overtime, add a technician, or improve scheduling and first-call completion. The advisor did not choose for him, but he helped him make the choice with his eyes open.
review so growth stops creating unnecessary pressure?’
PHOTO © ARTMARIE/GETTY IMAGES
Decision Support and Planning: Business owners rarely struggle because they have no ideas. They struggle because every idea carries a financial consequence. Adding a truck creates capacity, but it also adds payments, insurance, fuel and maintenance before the revenue is established. Hiring a technician may reduce overtime, but only if demand, dispatch capacity and working capital can support the ramp-up period. More commercial work may increase revenue while stretching collections and tying up cash in materials. A business advisor helps make those trade-offs visible before the commitment is made. Often, a simple forecast is enough. What will the decision cost? When will cash leave? What additional revenue or margin is required? What happens if results take longer than expected? Planning is not about predicting the future perfectly. It is about understanding likely outcomes and protecting the business if reality does not follow the most optimistic plan. Ryan could compare three options: HPACMAG.COM
Accountability and Action: Insight only creates value when it changes what happens next. Owners are pulled in dozens of directions. Even when they recognize a financial issue, customers, employees and the schedule can push it aside. Pricing reviews get delayed, overdue accounts go unaddressed, and hiring proceeds without a clear target. A weekly or bi-weekly advisory meeting creates a rhythm for action. The meeting may review cash for the next several weeks, compare results to the plan, discuss one or two operational indicators, and confirm the next actions. The advisor does not run the business. They keep strategic priorities from disappearing beneath urgent work. For Ryan, that meant setting a deposit requirement for larger projects, reviewing overtime and callbacks every two weeks, and establishing the revenue and margin targets that would justify the next hire. The value came from connecting each action to the numbers and reviewing it consistently. That is the quiet advantage of accountability. It turns good intentions into operating habits.
ADVISOR ROLE A useful advisory relationship should make the business easier to understand. This includes the small changes that often go unnoticed throughout the year but which accumulate and have very large impacts on profitability. Your advisor should explain the numbers in plain language, connect them to operations, and focus on the decisions that matter most. They should understand the industry, your business, ask questions before offering answers and challenge assumptions when necessary. The relationship should also be ongo-
ing. An annual tax-time conversation can identify what happened, but it offers no proactive approach to managing profitability. Monthly, bi-weekly, or sometimes weekly contact allows the owner and advisor to respond while options remain. Most trades businesses will never require a full-time controller or CFO, however, many can access the right level of support through a fractional CFO or qualified business advisor. The objective is financial clarity, strategic direction and greater confidence in the decisions shaping the business.
BEYOND ACCURATE BOOKS Every effective advisory relationship depends on reliable bookkeeping. If the financial information is late, incomplete or inaccurate, an advisor cannot properly understand the business or recommend what should happen next. But accurate books are still only the foundation. Visibility matters when it leads to action. If an advisor helps a business with $500,000 in revenue identify and implement changes that generate another $35,000 in annual profit, the benefit becomes real. That additional profit could allow the owner to pay themselves properly, catch up on bills, build a cash reserve, invest in the business, or simply reduce the financial pressure they carry home. Your bookkeeper gives you dependable information about what happened. Your advisor helps you understand why it happened, decide what needs to change and build an action plan to improve what happens next. That is the value of going beyond accurate books. <> Matthew Birch is the founder of Legacy Profit Solutions and The Legacy Directory, a network that helps business owners build stronger financial teams. Reach out at matthew@legacyprofit.ca or 587-879-7822. OCTOBER 2026 | HPAC
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FOR THE LATEST EVENT NEWS, SEE HPAC'S NEWSLETTER @ HPACMAG.COM
Kitchen + Bath Canada November 11-12
The Buildings Show December 2-4
Kitchen & Bath Canada (KBC) Expo will be taking place at the Toronto Congress Centre and will be attracting both designers and contractors across the country. Now under new ownership, the show is being reimagined to reflect the needs of Canada’s kitchen and bath community.
Held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this show is designed to attract contractors seeking to discover the latest in trends for the residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial building sectors. The event includes a comprehensive conference program and trade show.
thebuildingsshow.com
2027
2026
Visit event websites for the most current updates and registration details. AHR EXPO January 25-27 The Air conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration (AHR) Expo returns to Chicago to showcase the latest in technology advancements for the industry. Co-sponsored by ASHRAE and AHRI, the expo and conference is the largest of its kind in North America.
ahrexpo.com
kbcexpo.com
KBIS February 2-4
WWETT Show February 23-25
ACCA Conference March 10-12
The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas is North America’s largest trade show dedicated to all aspects of kitchen and bath design, connecting design and contractor professionals with the latest products, trends, and technologies.
The Water and Wastewater Equipment, Treatment and Transport show taking place in Indianapolis is an annual trade show and conference for wastewater and environmental service professionals.
The Air Conditioning Contractors of America Association is holding it conference at the National Harbor in Washington D.C., bringing together business leaders to network, learn and build stronger companies and a stronger industry.
ISH March 15-19
MCABC Leadership Conference April 6-7
MCEE April 14-15
Held at the expansive Frankfurt fairgrounds in Germany, ISH is the world’s leading trade fair for the HVAC, hydronics, plumbing and water services industry. Featuring leading edge technologies, the show represents the future for the industry.
Being held at the Paradox Hotel in Vancouver, the Mechanical Contractors Association of B.C. will be getting together for a day-and-a-half of high-level learning and networking to push the industry forward.
Held in Montreal every two years, MCEE Expo is Canada’s largest combined mechanical, plumbing, hydronics, HVAC/R, electrical and lighting expo. The 2027 event at the Palais des congrès de Montréal will feature an increased floor space for exhibits and sessions.
Heat Pump Symposium May 11
OPIA AMES May 30 - June 1
CIPH Annual Conference June 12-15
The Heat Pump Symposium produced by the HRAI returns to Toronto for Canada’s only event, bringing together contractors, manufacturers, wholesalers, government, public utilities and more to discuss the latest in equipment developments and exchange knowledge.
The Ontario Plumbing Inspectors Association (OPIA) will be holding its 93rd Annual Meeting and Education Seminar (AMES) in Owen Sound. The first day will include the 23rd Annual Gary Greig Golf Classic Tournament.
The Annual Business Conference is the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating’s premier event bringing together senior industry leaders representing product manufacturers, wholesalers and agents from across Canada for a mix of business and social programming. The 2027 event will be at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C.
wwettshow.com
kbis.com
accaconference.com
mcabc.org
ish.messefrankfurt.com
heatpumpsymposium.ca
mcee.ca
opia.info/ames
ciph.com
Planning an event? Send the details to
editor@hpacmag.com 62
HPAC | OCTOBER 2026
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