HPAC01_2010

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

$5.00

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Simplicity

OPENS THE DOOR To New Markets

BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEMS

HOW TO SELECT

the optimum heat exchanger IN THIS ISSUE >

> WHAT TO NPC 2010 INEXPECT THIS FROM ISSUE > > HEAT PUMP CONCEPTS > BALANCING INPUT AND RELEASE IN A HYDRONIC SYSTEM

> THE STEPS TO TAKING YOUR BUSINESS TO MARKET

> ELECTRIC THERMAL STORAGE – A TURNKEY SOLUTION

PM 40070230 R10815 Returns: HPAC P.O. Box 720 Stn. K, Toronto, ON M4P 3J6

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Mike Miller, Business Development Manager

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Pipe Diet Cracking Down On...

COVER STORY

CARUK GROUP

Dealing with grease at the source rather than down the line makes sense.

Building Automation…

Bringing It Home System developments remove the mystery and open up new markets for HVAC/R technicians.

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Van On The Run

A stolen service vehicle drives its owner around the bend. By Jim Caruk

Caruk

Group FEATURES 18 Solar Panel

40 Hydronics

Thermal Linking – Part II John Siegenthaler explains how to compensate for the heat exchanger performance penalty.

A Pair Of Certainties It’s our job to ensure the system delivers the desired comfort while it tries to balance itself, says John Siegenthaler.

22 NPC 2010…What To Expect

46 Management

A "heads-up" to code users. from Raman Chauhan

25 Show Preview – CMX/CIPHEX 2010

Preparing Your Business For Sale Mark Groulx outlines the steps to complete before taking a business to market.

26 Heat Pump Concepts

58 IAQ

Ian McTeer defines the terminology you need to know.

Caruk

Group

32 HVAC/R

A Look To The Future Geothermal pundits talk about the state of the industry.

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VOL. 84 NO. 1

An Air Purification Option The challenge of an indoor pool environment is met with gas-phase air purification, explains John Parris Frantz.

62 HVAC/R Energy Efficient Solution Proves Itself Luc Boily presents the ins and outs of electric thermal storage.

PRODUCTS 28 Grease Interceptors 36 HVAC/R 38 Hydronic 49 Plumbing 55 Gizmos And Gadgets Tools, software and other gear to help you tackle the task at hand.

DEPARTMENTS 4 Upfront 6 Industry News 51 Manufacturer Supplier News 60 Calendar 61 Training 61 The Source

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Upfront

A CALL TO ACTION It is a good thing that governments at all levels are offering initiatives and rebates to improve energy efficiency. It is not a good thing that the myriad programs create a labyrinth for contractors and end users. The same can be said of efficiency legislation.

What has created the politicization of environmental issues?

According to Dr. James Hansen, author of Storms of My Grandchildren, “politicians have failed to connect policy with the science, responding instead with ineffectual remedies dictated by special interests.” Hansen is thought to be the most credible expert on climate change in the world.

An interview with him on CBC Radio during the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference prompted me to buy his book. In it he discusses why cap-and-trade will not work and the perils of continuing to rely on coal.

Hansen also cites 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as the goal we must achieve if our children and grandchildren are to have any kind of a future. Certainly he has created some controversy in that his views tend to collide with the mainstream – including his criticism of the Kyoto Protocol.

In spite of his dire predictions, Hansen holds out hope. He sets out an agenda in the book that calls for urgent action and a uniformity of purpose. It is that uniformity that is missing worldwide.

After the climate change conference less than 50 per cent of the participating countries pledged to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Canada has signed on. But what does that mean? In spite of the dollars that have been spent to date, Canada’s lacklustre performance in terms of the environment was the subject of ridicule during the conference.

Has it all been greenwashing on a global scale? Read the book and see what you think.

t

announcemen

Editor

John Chiasson has joined HPAC Magazine as an account manager. John will be responsible for looking after existing accounts, as well as new business development. He has over 20 years experience in the advertising industry and has worked on several business-to-business publications, including a plumbing trade magazine. He is looking forward to establishing new connections within the industry. Contact him by e-mail john.chiasson@hpacmag.rogers.com or at tel. 416-764-1557.

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HPAC Magazine One Mount Pleasant Rd. Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5 TEL: 416-764-2000 FAX: 416-764-1746 www.hpacmag.com Editor Kerry Turner (416) 764-1549 kerry.turner@hpacmag.rogers.com ACCOUNT David Skene (416) 764-1590 MANAGER david.skene@hpacmag.rogers.com ACCOUNT John Chiasson 416-764-1557 MANAGER john.chiasson@hpacmag.rogers.com Sales & Marketing Kim Rossiter (416) 764-1787 Coordinator kim.rossiter@rci.rogers.com Art Director Melissa Crook (416) 764-1545 mel.crook@rci.rogers.com Production Manager Jennifer Reinhardt (416) 764-3842 jennifer.reinhardt@rci.rogers.com Circulation Manager Bibi Khan (416) 764-1450 bibi.khan@rci.rogers.com PUBLISHER Peter Leonard (416) 764-1510 peter.leonard@hpacmag.rogers.com Executive Publisher Tim Dimopoulos Luc Boily, Jim Caruk, Raman Chauhan, CONTRIBUTORS John Parris Frantz, Mark Groulx, THIS ISSUE: Ian McTeer, Mike Miller, Jennifer Paterson, John Siegenthaler Rogers Media Inc. President and CEO Anthony P. Viner Rogers Publishing Ltd. President and CEO Brian Segal Senior Vice-President Business AND Professional Publishing John Milne SENIOR Vice-Presidents Michael Fox Vice-Presidents Immee Chee Wah, Patrick Renard

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40070230, Registration No. 10815 Return undeliverable items to: Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning, Circulation Dept., 8th Floor–1 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5 Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning (established 1923) is published 7 times per year by Rogers Publishing Limited, a division of Rogers Media Inc. HPAC Magazine is the leading Canadian business publication for the owner/manager of mechanical contracting businesses and their supply partners.

ISSN: 0017-9418 Contents Copyright © 2010 by Rogers Publishing Limited, may not be reprinted without permission.

Subscriber Services: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information… please visit us at rogersb2bmedia.com/hpac.

Subscription Price per year: $40.00 CDN; Outside Canada per year: $80.00 US; Single copy Canada: $5.00 CDN. Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning is published 7 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues.

Mail Preferences: Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available please contact us at rogers@cstonecanada.com or update your profile at rogersb2bmedia.com/hpac.

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, Rogers Publishing Limited, 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.

Our environmental policy is available at rogerspublishing.ca.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs.

Proud member of:

HPAC | January/February 2010

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Industry News

SEE THE LATEST HPAC e-newsletter @ hpacmag.com

NEWS BIG DOLLARS FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL

The Government of Ontario has announced that the Ontario Solar Thermal Heating Initiative (OSTHI) will provide up to $400,000 per project - a five-fold increase over the previous $80,000 maximum which, when matched by the federal government, means that applicants can now obtain up to $800,000. The OSTHI is open to industries, businesses and public institutions, including schools, hospitals, municipalities, municipally-owned utilities, industrial associations, non-profit organizations and energy service companies. news.ontario.ca

The average national EnerGuide rating of new homes in Canada is 76. Alberta's current average is 71 while British Columbia's rating is 77 and Ontario's is 78-80.

"Energy efficiency has become a base standard consumers expect in a new home," said Consumers Council of Canada president Don Mercer. "Canadians understand the negative impact on their pocketbooks posed by rising energy prices. They are embracing choices that are good for the environment, increase their comfort and lower energy bills."

The poll comes in the wake of the Government of Alberta's proposed new energy efficiency requirements for homes and other buildings in Alberta. Consultation from stakeholders concluded last November and proposed changes to the Alberta Building Code are being prepared in co-operation with the Safety Codes Council. Following that, the public will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes. municipalaffairs.alberta.ca

CONSTRUCT CANADA A SUCCESS More than 23,500 visitors attended Construct Canada, Canada's largest building, design and construction trade show. With over 1,050 exhibits, 200 new and green products and 250 presentations, visitors viewed the latest in building, design and construction products, services and technologies. The event returns to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building December 1-3, 2010. constructcanada.com

To date, OSTHI participating industrial, commercial and institutional organizations have projected savings of 115,332 GJ of energy and over $2.25 million in energy costs, per year.

THE VALUE OF HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY A poll of Alberta consumers, commissioned by the Pembina Institute, NAIMA Canada and the Consumers Council of Canada, illustrates the interest Albertans have in home energy efficiency and their support for an updated provincial building code. Ninety-six per cent of Albertans surveyed responded that household energy conservation and energy efficiency in their homes are very important (59 per cent) or important (37 per cent), with 87 per cent supporting the provincial government enacting legislation that establishes more aggressive household energy efficiency levels.

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UPPING THE EFFICIENCY ANTE An amendment to regulations under the B.C. Energy Efficiency Act concerning minimum energy efficiency performance levels for electric and gas water heaters will take effect September 1, 2010. Water heaters manufactured after this date must comply with the regulation. Unsold inventory of products manufactured before the effective date can still be sold in British Columbia after the effective date.

The new minimum standard for gas and propane-fired water heaters applies to storage-type water heaters with a rated storage capacity of 76 to 360 liters and an input of 75,000 Btuh or less. The regulation applies to voluntary purchases of new or replacement water heaters only.

Minimum Energy Efficiency standards are based on an Energy Factor (EF) and the rated storage capacity. The new continued on page 8 HPACMAG.COM

02/09/2010 11:35:25 AM

DON’T LET

WINTER WEATHER BURST YOUR BUBBLE

Freezeless AND Anti-Rupture? What’s the difference? A freezeless faucet has the shut off mechanism well within the heated portion of the home – but what if a garden hose or other device is inadvertently left connected to a faucet during freezing temperatures? Water in the tube fails to drain, this water then begins to freeze and pressure in the tube is increased as ice forms and tries to compress the water trapped in the tube. The tube ruptures and the next time the faucet is used the wall will fill with water. Woodford Model 19 Freezeless Faucets have a patented pressure relief valve which allows for expansion during freezing temperatures, saving the faucet and preventing a costly repair or call back.

With Woodford’s Model 19, you’re protected – even from other people’s mistakes!

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Industry News

continued from page 6

minimum standard for electric water heaters applies to storage-type water heaters with a rated storage capacity of 50 to 454 litres. The regulation applies to voluntary purchases of new or replacement water heaters only. Minimum Energy Efficiency standards are based on standby losses, tank volume and inlet orientation.

In addition, all electric storage-type water heaters must have functioning heat traps installed including R-4 (RSI 0.70) pipe insulation. Information bulletins and reference tables are available (empr.gov.bc.ca/EEC/Strategy/EEA/ Pages/default.aspx): Gas WH bulletin; Reference table; electric WH bulletin and reference table.

SACRIFICE COMFORT FOR ENERGY SAVINGS? Recent research exploring comfort's impact on workplace productivity and energy conservation seems to indicate that business owners should think twice before tweaking workplace temperature settings. Sixty-nine per cent of survey respondents said they would be willing to sacrifice their

Join The Green Scene

preferred ideal temperature in the office to help their company conserve energy. However the survey, which was commissioned by Johnson Controls, also found that nearly four in five participants (78 per cent) say they are less productive at work when they are too hot or too cold.

The challenge for business owners is to avoid a negative impact on office productivity and the possibility that workers may take action to circumvent their discomfort, including the use of portable heaters or fans.

"Employers may be tempted to turn down the thermostats, but this quick fix could lead to hidden costs," said Clay Nesler, vice president of global energy and sustainability, Johnson Controls. "Energy efficient systems and equipment is the win-win alternative, allowing businesses to save energy and money without sacrificing workplace productivity." johnsoncontrols.com

continued on page 10

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Industry News

The 27th COHA conference will only have one focus:

The future of the Oilheat industry and you

Oilheat 2010 June 16-18

, YOUR FUTURE. BE THERE! ITS Charlottetown, PEI

continued from page 8

New Year HeraldED Changes January 1, 2010 was a significant date for the mechanical industry as Canada moves to improve gas furnace efficiency and North American manufacturers discontinue cooling systems using R22. The new national minimum energy performance standard for most residential gas furnaces will be 90 per cent AFUE. HRAI and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) have developed two communication pieces to assist contractors and others with the change to the energy performance standard. One provides information to homeowners about the changes. The second is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) dealing with the upcoming changes from an installation standpoint. Both are available at hrai.ca under "What's New."

CHECKS INTENSIFY FOR GAS-FIRED NATURAL DRAFT BOILERS

Oilheat 2010 in PEI will deliver valuable knowledge and information you can’t miss:

» » » » » »

Technology of the Future Be The News: Harnessing the Power of Editorial Best Practices and Reducing Risks Strategic Future of Oilheat PCI Compliance How to Up Sell Equipment

Visit us at www.symposium.coha.ca for further information.

Delta Prince Edward 18 Queen Street Charlottetown, PEI, C1A 8B9 Tel: 1-800-268-1133

In Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has determined that the use of natural gas and propane burning natural draft boilers equipped with a draft hood may result in a carbon monoxide (CO) safety hazard. In previous years, TSSA has required that the technician entering a home equipped with a residential boiler, perform a visual inspection and a CO check in the flue and take appropriate action based on the result(s). Despite this increased vigilance incidents continue to occur, therefore TSSA's current orders have increased requirements.

Incidents investigated to date have shown that the key contributing causes include: »» Many boilers are not being maintained in accordance with the boiler manufacturer's instructions. It is imperative that boilers are cleaned properly on a regular basis to reduce the likelihood of CO production. »» Chimneys intended to evacuate CO and smoke from the boilers to the outdoors are not operating properly due to other exhaust systems (such as wood fireplaces, dryer exhausts, new kitchen exhausts, etc.) and the installation of more energy efficient windows and doors. These systems and home upgrades limit the outside air infiltration into the home and cause the house to depressurize.

To address this situation, TSSA now requires that all heating contractors perform a CO safety check when a

Canadian Oil Heat Association 115 Applecreek Blvd. #202 | Markham, ON, L3R 6C9 Tel: 905-946-0264 10

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SEE THE LATEST HPAC e-newsletter @ hpacmag.com

BOILER SAFETY SCRUTINIZED

INSTALLATION CODE PRICED RIGHT

The need to modernize the regulatory framework in British Columbia and make changes to certain components of the Power Engineers, Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Refrigeration Safety Regulation has been raised by various stakeholders in the boiler safety system.

The following areas are presently being pursued: introduction of safety management plans into the Safety Standards Act; elimination of prescribed staffing requirements for low pressure thermal fluid plants that are equipped with modern safety systems and devices; and elimination of prescribed requirements for BC Safety Authority boiler safety officers.

For more information, contact BC Safety Authority, Jim Allaway, leader, stakeholder engagement programs, tel:.

778-396-2129 or e-mail Jim.Allaway@safetyauthority.ca.

The eighth edition of CSA B139-09 Installation code for oil-burning equipment is available to members of the Canadian Oil Heat Association at a special price. This Code will not replace B139ON-06, the Ontario installation code for oil-burning equipment. CSA B139-09 went into effect on January 1, 2010 in Nova Scotia. coha.ca

technician enters a home with a boiler. The technician is obligated to take action when an unsafe condition is identified. These checks will be required when a technician enters a home with this type of boiler, regardless of whether the homeowner/user has requested service on that boiler. This check is required once during the heating season.

The gas technician is also required to visually examine the boiler and, if there are signs of poor operation, additional steps may be required including a home depressurization test or non-compliances corrected by adding combustion air, make-up air, installing a water bypass, etc. TSSA is requiring that CO alarm(s) be located in the vicinity or within the sleeping quarters of the home.

The technician is required to ensure that the alarms are present or issue a directive that they be installed.

Additionally, for new or replacement installations, TSSA requires that Category I, natural draft boilers with a draft hood be installed in an isolated room with specific combustion air and a CO alarm.

To assist contractors and technicians in explaining the new requirements to the homeowner, a homeowner fact sheet on TSSA letterhead is provided with the director's order. For more information, contact TSSA at 877-682-8772. tssa.org Raphael Sumabat, Engineer Specialist, TSSA Fuels Safety Program

Successful First Step To Reaching Consumption Targets The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada has established a common methodology for normalization of energy data with the Real Property Association of Canada (REALpac) and the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC). BOMA identified this as an important first step to reaching the 20 by '15 (20 eKWh/ft2/ year in office buildings by the year 2015) volunteer national energy consumption target introduced by REALpac. continued on page 12

State-of-the-Art Geothermal Training & Testing Facility

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866.310.6690 GEOSMART ENERGY.COM January/February 2010 | HPAC

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If achieved, the target will lead to an estimated energy cost savings of $1.85 billion annually and an annual greenhouse gas emission reduction of 7.5 megatonnes. realpac.ca bomacanada.ca

Building on expertise The 5th Biannual Middle Management Conference, which is themed Strategies for Jobsite Success, will be held March 24-26 at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto, ON. Sessions include strategies for mitigating project risk, identifying risks with Leed projects, improving productivity, managing project change, and improving performance through commissioning and retro-commissioning. Other sessions on the agenda cover BIM (Building Information Modeling) and building collaborative customer relationships. For further information contact Tania Johnston, tel. 613-232-5169 or e-mail tania@cmcef.org. cmcef.org

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U.S. Finalizes HCFC Allocation and Equipment Rules Rules announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding HCFC-22 equipment installation and servicing, as well as production allowances of HCFC refrigerants, took effect January 1, 2010. The final rules reflected many of the changes the HVAC/R industry had asked for after the rules were first published December 23, 2008.

"This is a positive outcome," said Talbot Gee, vice president of Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI). "Our concerns were addressed in our favour," said Charlie McCrudden, vice president of government relations for Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA).

In a recent webinar Gee highlighted the "most significant outcomes" as: »» Servicing of existing HCFC-22 a/c and refrigeration systems will not be interrupted.

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T775 Built-In Control With Honeywell’s T775, you’ll know you have exactly what you need, because all the features are self contained.

This Electronic Standalone Controller puts an end to add-on costs. You won’t have to worry about having the right modules in stock or needing to piece them together.

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»» T here will be no impact on existing inventories of components manufactured before Jan. 1, 2010. »» New installation projects have a two-year grandfather period.

He noted there is "no restriction of any product manufactured prior to Jan. 1, 2010 if used for servicing."

Resignation Prompts Changes To HRAI Board The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute (HRAI) board of directors has appointed two directors to HRAI officer positions following the resignation of HRAI vice chair and HRAI contractors division chair Mike Latreille.

Latreille has left the HVAC/R industry. Colin (Rusty) Jennings of Carrier Canada Ltd. has been appointed HRAI vice chair and Ron Robinson of AtlasCare has been appointed secretary/treasurer. Robinson assumes the role of HRAI contractors division chair, while Marc Gendron of Les Enterprises MLG & Fils Inc. has been appointed vice chair. Gendron represents la Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ) on the board. Dave Derksen of Tech-Air Ltd. has been named secretary/treasurer of the contactors division. For more information e-mail spapp@hrai.ca.

Installers, Solar Communities – or all four. Click on the icons to find out more and take a virtual trip around BC, from up above or from street level and find out where solar has been heating up.

SolarBC also notes that social housing providers can now reap the benefits of renewable energy savings with cash incentives for solar hot water. Funded by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resourses and delivered in cooperation with Natural Resources Canada's federal ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat program, SolarBC's Social Housing program matches the ecoENERGY incentive to a maximum of $40,000. In addition, Vancity offers an ecoEfficiency loan, with payments matched to energy savings.

Incentives for solar hot water have doubled until the end of March or until 200 homes in the province have taken advantage of the now $2,000 investment. Homeowners may also secure a zero interest loan through a SolarBC bank partner. solarbc.ca

RECALL ALERT Watts Regulator Co., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, has voluntarily recalled oneinch 140X-9 temperature and pressure relief valves, manufactured between October 20, 2006 and July 30, 2009, that were sold individually or already installed in large water heaters. Some of these valves were miscalibrated and may not be effective in reducing pressure and averting a potential failure or rupture of the water heater tank or associated valves. The affected date codes range from 0641R through 0930R. Contact Watts Regulator at 888-272-4649.

BC Celebrates In The Sun British Columbia will host its first annual Solar Days, May 28-29, 2010. This province-wide solar celebration runs in conjunction with Europe's annual solar week, which sees over 5,000 activities in 10 countries around Europe. In BC events will happen in each of the nine Solar Communities, as well as any community that wants to participate.

Organizations who wish to host an event should contact the organizers at 866-650-6527 or by e-mail info@solarbc.

A Google map showcases more than 150 installations across BC. A customized legend allows you to view by residential installs, government installs, SolarBC Registered

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Cover Story

BUILDING AUTOMATION...

Bringing It Home At first glance building automation appears to be clear terminology. It means automating a building or does it? Any confusion or inconsistency may result from how our industry interprets building automation, which varies depending on the requirements of individual jobs.

BY MIKE MILLER

“

Building automation describes the functionality provided by the control system of a building. The control system is a computerized, intelligent network of electronic devices, designed to monitor and control the mechanical and lighting systems in a building.

Building Automation Systems (BAS) core functionality keeps the building climate within a specified range, provides lighting based on an occupancy schedule, monitors system performance and device failures and provides e-mail and/or text notifications to building engineering/ maintenance staff. The BAS functionality reduces building energy and maintenance costs when compared to a non-controlled building.

A building controlled by a BAS is often referred to as an Intelligent Building System.

—Wikipedia.org

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” HPACMAG.COM

2/11/10 3:22:08 PM

M

ost building automation system (BAS) manufacturers have qualified HVAC/R technicians on staff who understand that each environment is unique to the components and devices that need to be controlled. Companies offering building automation systems are often tasked with the entire job, including the HVAC/R equipment, but as we know, controlling an HVAC/R system requires more than just a number of switches, relays and outputs. Logic must also be at work.

Some BAS systems are available through regular distribution channels such as wholesalers or specialty controls supply houses. Others are distributed through a dealer network that consists of a controls company and installers who familiarize themselves with the hardware of a specific manufacturer. Those dealers specialize in software code writing but also have a detailed level of understanding of the components that need to be controlled.

The idea was to create a platform that includes a lot of the required software and make it customizable and field configurable by someone not intimate with software code development. As a result of these developments, these systems can be installed by any HVAC/R technician.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE While there are a number of options available, a systems supplied BAS might look like this: A main control panel sits in the mechanical room in close proximity to most of the mechanical components, which could include DHW tanks, boilers, heat pumps, solar

WHAT IT IS A BAS system is made up of pieces of hardware with inputs and outputs designed for a specific purpose. An individual who is capable of writing software code and who is also well-versed in the specifics of the HVAC/R system, creates the software to tie the different pieces of hardware together. The software ensures that the finished BAS system runs all the equipment in the most energy efficient manner possible while satisfying the indoor climate requirements set forth by the end user.

An example of a residential building automation system tied together by software.

OPENING UP THE MARKET In the past, one had to be a BAS expert to install these systems. As time has passed, some system providers developed their own versions of an HVAC BAS system. The goal was to outfit more buildings and homes with an integrated approach that offers remote monitoring and troubleshooting, while keeping the systems simple and easy to understand for everyone. hpacmag.com

HPAC01_014-016v2.indd 15

storage, mixing stations, snowmelt groups and of course, all pumps and valves. All of those have smaller equipment interface relays mounted at each device being controlled. For example, a boiler would get a boiler relay that either has a modulating output (0-10Vdc) to a boiler, or just dry contact outputs depending on what type of boiler is installed. A mixing station has a mixing relay (0-10Vdc). A pump has a pump relay that switches power to the pump. continued on page 16 January/February 2010 | HPAC

15

2/10/10 3:42:42 PM

Cover Story

continued from page 15

The equipment interface relays are wired back to the MCP with Cat5 cable. Not only can one send a control signal to operate a device over this cable, but the cable can also be used for a feedback signal coming from a device to prove that it is actually running.

Larger equipment, such as air handlers, fancoils, unit heaters, furnaces and HRVs have larger interface boards that can be referred to as field modules. Those are boards with inputs and outputs specifically designed for the device to be controlled. For example, a furnace and air conditioning board is mounted right next to the equipment it controls.

This board has outputs for heat, cool, fan, humidification

variable speed fan control, as well as humidification and de-humidification – all on a programmable schedule. A slab sensor input for surface temperature control of a radiant heating system is also available at the thermostat.

PULLING IT TOGETHER In most cases, a touch panel interface is added to provide for user-friendly comfort control of the entire system from one central location. It may also be wired back to the main control panel via Cat5.

Since all mechanical devices being discussed here use equipment interface relays or field modules, this particular

“The goal was to outfit more buildings and homes with an integrated approach that offers remote monitoring and troubleshooting, while keeping the systems simple and easy to understand for everyone.� and de-humidification, as well as a couple of optional sensor inputs. An HRV board has outputs for three fan speeds, but also inputs for volatile organic compound (VOC) and/ or carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors. The ability to mount the device right at the equipment it controls, speeds up and minimizes the heavier gauge and multi-conductor wiring.

Other field modules include zone valve and damper control boards that have powered outputs for each device. All field modules connect back to the main control panel via Cat5 cable.

Other remotely located devices could be manifolds and thermostats. A connection hub is typically located at a manifold (or centrally in the mechanical room if so desired) and has inputs for conductor communicating thermostats and outputs for manifold loop actuators (if applicable). The module is wired back to the main control panel via Cat5.

Those thermostats, even though they are only connected via a two conductor wire to a connection hub, can provide up to three stages of heating, two stages of cooling and

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example is modular by nature. Its scalable size allows it to be implemented from smaller to larger residential and even commercial buildings.

Once everything is connected, the system must be configured for the software that ties the equipment and zones together.

BAS systems may offer remote monitoring, troubleshooting, alarm notification messaging, as well as all major comfort level adjustments from anywhere in the world. Systems may also be integrated with any other BAS that is controlling the audio, lighting and possibly even building security.

Building automation systems do not have to be complicated and one does not have to be a software expert to work with them. Team up with a system supplier who will work with you from the beginning to the end of the job.

Some provide mechanical and electrical application drawings, custom software code for custom applications and field technical support.

Mike Miller is a controls specialist with experience in the manufacturing, distribution and contracting sectors of the industry. He can be reached at mike.miller@uponor.com.

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HPAC | January/February 2010

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hpacmag.com

02/09/2010 11:50:59 AM

Solar Panel

Thermal Linking – Part II The fundamentals of heat exchangers in solar thermal systems. BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER

FORMULA 1 Where:= 1 +

[( [(

(

(

Figure 1

It is no surprise that as internal surface area and effectiveness go up so does cost. This begs the question: How much effectiveness is necessary when selecting a heat exchanger for a solar thermal system?

The presence of any heat exchanger between the collector array and the water in the storage tank elevates the collector’s absorber plate temperature relative to a system where tank water flows directly through the collectors. The warmer the collector operates, the greater its rate of heat loss to surrounding air. This decreases collector efficiency.

Engineers have studied this issue and derived a correction factor that gives the necessary increase in collector area that would compensate for the performance penalty due to a heat exchanger between the collectors and storage tank.

Here it is: (FRUL ×Aca C CAIF = 1 + × e ×c C 1 Cc min

(

I

n the September/October 2009 issue of HPAC, available at hpacmag.com, the concept of heat exchanger effectiveness was addressed. The effectiveness of a heat exchanger based on known inlet and outlet temperatures and flow rates was also calculated. The higher the effectiveness of a heat exchanger, the closer it approaches being the ideal heat exchanger, which would have an effectiveness of 1.0. All real heat exchangers have effectiveness values less than 1.0.

(

[

[

(0.865) ×128 1866 × 0.5×1866 1 1866 CAIF = collector area increase factor FRUL =1.059 slope of collector efficiency line (Btuh/ft2/ºF) Aca = gross area of collector array (ft2) e = effectiveness of collector/storage heat exchanger (see Part I) Cmin = smaller of Cc and Cs (see below) Cc = (8.01 × D × c × ƒ) collector Cs = (8.01 × D × c × ƒ) storage

18

HPAC | January/February 2010

HPAC01_018,020.indd 18

(

One way to increase effectiveness is by adding more internal surface area to the heat exchanger. This surface area is what separates the hot fluid from the cool fluid. All heat passing from the hot to cool fluid must flow across this internal surface area.

With flat plate heat exchangers, internal surface area is increased by adding more plates, by making the plates larger or by doing both.

With coaxial tube-in-tube heat exchangers, manufacturers can increase tube size, tube length or both, to add internal surface area.

(

HOW LOW IS TOO LOW?

D = density of fluid (lb/ft3) c = specific heat of fluid (Btu/lb/ºF) f = fluid flow rate (gpm) After looking at all this math you are probably swallowing hard, wondering if it is possible to make these calculations.

They look daunting, but taken one step at a time they are manageable.

Let’s work it through for the system shown in Figure 1.

It is operating at the same conditions for which the heat exchanger’s effectiveness was calculated in part one (see HPAC September/October 2009). continued on page 20 hpacmag.com

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= 1+

[( [(

(

(FRUL ×Aca C × e ×c C 1 Cc min

(

[

(0.865) ×128 1866 × 0.5×1866 1 1866

(

CAIF = 1 +

(

Figure 2

Assume the array contains four, 4x8 foot flat plate collectors. The total gross area is therefore 4x32=128 ft2.

The FRUL value for a collector is the slope of its efficiency line. This number is determined by testing and is listed for any given collector in the manufacturer’s literature. It can also be found for a wide variety of tested collectors at the website solar-rating.org. We will assume a typical flat plate collector with FRUL= 0.865 Btuh/ft2/ºF. The last step is to put all these numbers into Formula 1:

(

First, determine the density and specific heat of the fluids on both sides of the heat exchanger. These properties depend on the fluid’s temperature. The density of water can be determined from Figure 2.

The specific heat of water has minimal variation for the range of temperature we are working with. We can consider constant at 1.00 Btu/lb/ºF. The density and specific heat of the glycol solution in the collector loop is found by referencing manufacturer’s literature (or their website).

(

Solar Panel

[

1.059

The values of these fluid properties, at the operating conditions of the system, are given in Figure 1. They are based on the average temperature of each fluid within the heat exchanger. For example, the hot glycol solution enters the heat exchanger at 130F and leaves at 120F, so its properties are determined for an average temperature of 125F. Next, calculate the value of Cc: Cc = (8.01 × D × c × ƒ) collector = (8.01 × 64.0 × 0.91 × 4) = 1866 Btu hr•°F Now calculate Cs: Cs = (8.01 × D × c × ƒ) storage = (8.01 × 61.8 × 1.00 × 6) = 2970 Btu hr•°F

Comparing these results, Cc is the smaller of the two.

Therefore the value of Cmin = Cc = 1866. By the way, you may have noticed that these calculations were the same as those done while calculating the effectiveness of the heat exchanger in Part I. The effectiveness of the heat exchanger in Figure 1 was determined in Part I: e= 0.50 The last numbers needed for the CAIF calculation are the gross area of the collector array, and a performance index for the collector designated FRUL. 20

HPAC | January/February 2010

HPAC01_018,020v3.indd 20

The result, 1.059, implies that the collector array area would need to be increased by 5.9 per cent to compensate for the performance penalty of this specific heat exchanger.

If the collector array were twice as large, 256 square feet, and operated at the same conditions and with the same heat exchanger as in Figure 1, the CAIF would calculate to 1.119. This implies the collector array area would have to be increased 11.9 per cent to compensate for the penalty of the heat exchanger. That is quite a hit to performance.

THE BOTTOM LINE I suggest it is reasonable to limit the performance penalty associated with having a heat exchanger between the collector array and storage tank to five per cent. This implies the effectiveness of the heat exchanger – used with the operating conditions stated above – needs to be not less than 0.55.

Using a larger heat exchanger will always increase performance. It will also increase cost. The optimum heat exchanger would be the one that gives the lowest total life cycle cost over the life of the system. A software design tool such as f-chart (fchart.com) can be used to determine life cycle costing of different hardware options, including the collector/storage heat exchanger.

John Siegenthaler, P.E. is the author of Modern Hydronic Heating. Reference information and software to assist in hydronic system design is available at his website: hydronicpros.com. He can be reached at siggy@dreamscape.com. hpacmag.com

02/12/2010 09:44:20 AM

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Plumbing

NPC 2010...

What To Expect

The new edition of the National Plumbing Code will be released by the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) later this year as the “Canadian” model plumbing code.

It includes a number of significant changes that will impact designers and contractors.

BY RAMAN CHAUHAN

A

and facilities. These new fixture unit values were not repn interim change to NPC 2005 was issued to deal resented in the NPC and are now included in the tables of with burns and scalds due to hot water delivery fixture unit values. in all buildings. This change mandates that water Facilities such as assembly occupancies were not dealt delivered to tubs and showers in all occupancies with in the NPC. Fixture use is different in such facilities, should be at 49C. This means that mixing valves have to particularly for stadiums or cinemas and they need differbe used since water delivered to other fixtures such as ent design considerations. Additional information has been kitchen and laundry sinks and lavatories can be at higher included to deal with such facilities. This should be of temperatures. The reason for delivering regulated water help to designers. The overonly to the bath and shower all result of the changes is was because, according to THE MAJOR CHANGES a lower water usage, which the statistics presented to the » Hot water delivery to showers and baths to be regulated. has an impact on the water committees, this was where pipes delivering water to the most of the injuries were tak» Water pipe sizing information completely revised. building/facility. ing place. This then became » CSA B 128.1 is referenced thus permitting limited The fixture unit values in a case of risk management. re-use of water. the former Table 2.6.3.1.

Lavatories were considered were updated and expanded but the statistics did not supto deal with new materials and fixtures. The table has been port the fact and so lavatories are not regulated. expanded and revised to add fixture unit values and new Also, thermostat controls for electric storage-type serupdated information has been added for fixtures that are vice water heaters are required to be set at 60C. This was found in modern plumbing systems. The source for updatdone to avoid the formation of legionella bacteria. Electric ing the information has been ASPE, Uniform Plumbing Code, hot water heaters tend to have cold spots where the bacHunter, etc. This then permits consistency and harmony in teria thrive. Gas water heaters do not have this problem information that is used in North America. because there is more churning of the water and the way Appendix information related to water pipe sizing has they operate does not lend itself to the growth of legionella also been expanded to provide background information bacteria. and examples for calculating the water pipe systems for The water pipe sizing information in the NPC needed smaller buildings. This helps designers who want to design an update because it had not been reviewed in nearly systems using empirical information rather than consulting 30 years. Information on new materials and technologies with professional designers. was reviewed and this resulted in many changes to the Other changes of significance to contractors deal with NPC. Most of that technology did not exist 30 years ago. a change made to extend the use of PE/AL/PE pipe to Concerns about resource conservation have prompted the continued on page 24 use of water conserving appliances and fixtures in buildings

22

HPAC | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

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HPACMAG.COM

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hot water applications. This was done because the product has been modified so that it can now perform for hot water applications. This change is so new that authorities may not be aware of it.

Previously the requirements for vent pipe flashing were not harmonized between the NPC and Part 9 of the NBC. This has now been done so the list is similar. Otherwise situations would occur where an item listed in the NPC would not be allowed or may be required to be of different thickness according to the NBC requirements. This should help contractors supplying materials for construction.

The requirement for a removable screw cap to prevent backflow has been deleted. Simply put, this requirement did not make sense.

Designers will be happy to know that appendix information has been added to ensure that suds from clothes washers do not disrupt the venting system by blocking the vents. Dimensions are provided to ensure that connections are made appropriately. The drain connections for washers

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HPAC01_022-024v2.indd 24

or laundry tubs have not changed for many years. Today we are seeing different kinds of washing machines. We are moving from top loaders to front loaders and although they use less water, they pump out at a faster rate which results in drainage problems. To deal with a greater pump output the drain trap size has been updated to 2 inches.

This should help in coping with the faster flow and avoid floods in the laundry room.

“ The water pipe sizing information in the NPC needed an update because it had not been reviewed in nearly 30 years. ” To avoid damage to roofs due to water ponding, requirements have been modified to require additional scuppers.

This change is of particular importance to designers.

Where the roof parapets are higher than 150 mm, additional overflows are required so that the water load is dissipated rapidly reducing the possibility of structural roof damage.

The NPC lacks information on designing water systems combined with a fire sprinkler system. NFPA Standard 13D is now referenced in the NPC. The referenced standard provides details about designing combined systems and should help the designer avoid mistakes in sizing the system so that they can both function together.

For the first time the NPC is providing information on water flow velocity and clarifies that the flow velocities are to be as per manufacturer’s recommendations. A new table has been included to deal with generic designs. The NPC deals with re-use of water, another first, and has referenced CSA B128. The NPC will allow the use of non-potable water for irrigation and the flushing of water closets and urinals.

Raman B. Chauhan, P. Eng. was a technical advisor with the National Research Council of Canada before establishing Chauhan Consulting. He can be reached at ramanchauhan@ gmail.com. Raman Chauhan will be speaking on this topic at CMX/CIPHEX on March 25, 2010. hpacmag.com

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Plumbing

PIPE DIET

Cracking Down On...

Oil and grease in the wastewater can wreak havoc on collection system pipes and also impede wastewater treatment with catastrophic and expensive results. BY JENNIFER PATERSON

I

Photo: Goslyn

n Canada, the National Plumbing Code (NPC) requires that grease interceptors be installed wherever food is cooked and/or processed to protect the drainage system of the facility. Municipal governments across the country have also implemented a set of increasingly aggressive sewer use by-laws that control discharges into the sewer systems. Many regions have a sewer enforcement program specifically targeted at commercial facilities, such as the City of Toronto’s Prevention Plan (P2) program, which certain business sectors must submit to the city identifying ways to avoid, reduce or eliminate the creation of certain pollutants at the source.

The Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton is active in eliminating toxic inputs to its treatment systems through the Industrial Waste Sewer Use Control Program. All industrial, institutional and commercial facilities that discharge

Annual yellow grease production is difficult to estimate. Figures from the Biodiesel Association of Canada indicate that in British Columbia alone, the yellow grease produced in restaurants and in the food service industry is 21.4 million litres per year (approximately 19,700 tonnes).

A grease interceptor is a plumbing fixture that traps fat, oil and grease (FOG) to prevent it from entering or clogging up the sewer system. These vaults have a minimum capacity of between 500 and 750 gallons and may be located above ground, below ground, inside the kitchen or outside the facility. The vault includes a minimum of two compartments and flow between each compartment is through a 90-degree fitting designed for grease retention. The capacity of the interceptor gives the wastewater time to cool, allowing any remaining grease time to congeal and rise to the surface where it accumulates until the interceptor is cleaned.

Since the first patent on the traditional passive grease trap in the late 1800s, the design has remained very much the same. The current industry standard for passive grease interceptors is ASME A112.14.3.

Grease recovery devices (GRD), which aim to separate out the grease and water and collect the grease for recycling, fall under ASME A112.14.4.

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WHAT IS A GREASE INTERCEPTOR?

non-domestic wastewater are required to comply with the sewer use by-law, which sets limits for various pollutants being discharged.

In Alberta a STANDATA, jointly developed by Alberta Municipal Affairs and the Plumbing Technical Council, in December 2007 states: “Except for dwelling units, where a fixture discharges sewage that includes fats, oils or grease (FOG) and is located in a public kitchen, in a restaurant or in a care or detention occupancy, it shall discharge through a grease interceptor.”

The STANDATA reminded installers, designers and safety codes officers that protection is required from all materials that may impair the drainage system. Where a fixture discharges FOG or similar materials, a grease interceptor designed for the purpose of trapping such discharge continued on page 28

26

HPAC | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

HPAC01_026-029v2.indd 26

HPACMAG.COM

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file name: BEL258_ROG

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final size trim: 7.875" x 10.75"

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continued from page 26

and with sufficient capacity to perform the task shall be installed in accordance with Subsection 2.4.4 in the NPC of Canada 2005.

According to Alberta Safety Services, the STANDATA was meant as a reminder and clarification of the NPC's requirement and, since interceptors are identified in clause 2.4.4.3, all provinces that have adopted the NPC should be asking for this equipment to be installed.

The latest standard for grease interceptors, CSA B481 Series-07, was published in February 2007. Standard B481.0 specifies material, design and construction requirements for manufactured grease interceptors intended to separate and collect organic FOGs from water. Grease interceptors covered in the CSA B481 Series include those that are installed in drainage systems to reduce the amount of organic FOGs entering the sanitary system; used for indoor applications (usually referred to as the under-the-counter type) or for outdoor applications (i.e., underground); have a flow rating of not less than 26 L/min (seven gpm) and not more than 380 L/min (100 gpm); can operate at any flow rate below their flow rating; and are hydro-mechanical batch-flow interceptors. The CSA B481 Series does not cover interceptors intended for rainwater, sanitary wastewater or wastewater containing petroleum products such as gasoline, heating oils or mineral oils.

“At present, all grease interceptors must comply with the requirements specified in CSA B481.0 and all grease interceptors shall be tested and rated in accordance with ASME A112.14.3, with local building and plumbing codes governing installation requirements and local sewer-use bylaws governing removal efficiency requirements,” explained Derrick Lundy, drains product manager, Watts Canada.

“Plumbing inspectors should pay very close attention to what is being specified and installed at commercial and institutional facilities to ensure sanitary sewer bylaws are met,” said Rob Abernethy, P. Eng. manager, Canadian and international markets with Green Turtle Technologies.

"Unfortunately, no governing body has embarked upon plumbing code grease standards for equipment that match municipal sanitary sewer bylaws," added Abernethy. "In the interim, specifiers, plumbing officials and end users should ensure that the interceptor specified, reviewed and installed meet the new regulations of 100 mg/L for grease in order to protect themselves against fines, retrofits and legal ramifications."

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W h a t ' s Av a i l a b l e

Plumbing

Low Profile The Z-1171 grease interceptor from Zurn Industries is available in 500, 700 and 800 sizes. It is rated between 20 and 50 gpm with a 40 to 100 lbs. grease capacity.

Features include internal air relief by-pass, bronze cleanout plug and trap seal, and a gasketed secured cover with integral flow control fitting. zurn.com

No Hub Connections Watts Drainage WD Series grease interceptor from Watts is available recessed or floor mounted. It features a gasketed epoxy-coated steel skid-proof cover secured with hex head centre bolts, removable baffle assembly, deep seal trap with cleanout, and external cast iron flow control fitting. wattscanada.ca

Mesh Replaceable Filter Green Turtle Technologies has introduced the Microceptor, an under-the-sink solids interceptor.

With a 90 per cent solids removal rate, it is suited to residential and commercial applications. As a failsafe, the interceptor allows wastewater to by-pass the system in the event of a lapse in basic maintenance so that the sink can continue to be used during busy periods. greenturtletech.com

Interceptor Alternative The Grease+Gard retrofit skimmer and grease recovery device from Jay R. Smith can remove up to 98 per cent of free-floating FOG discharge found in food service facilities and commercial kitchens. It has a belt and heater assembly that is controlled by a 24-hour timer so that the grease interceptor is maintained on a regular basis. jrsmith.com

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02/11/2010 10:21:19 AM

Indoor Use The Trapper II polyethylene grease interceptor series from Schier Products can be installed above or below ground. It features built-in flow control and triple outlet.

The units range between 10 and 100 gpm, a grease capacity between 20 and 350 pounds, and a liquid capacity between 5.3 and 110 gallons. schierproducts.com

Eight Models Mifab’s Series MI-G grease interceptor is available in sizes ranging between 87 to 587 pounds when filled with water and between an eight- and 100pound grease holding capacity. It features a removable baffle assembly and cross bar, deep seal trap covered by a lid, sewer gas stopper and external vented flow control fitting. mifab.com

Multiple Installation Options

No Moving Parts

Canplas’s Endura grease interceptor is available in 15-20, 25, 35 and 50 gpm models. Installation options include infloor, on-floor and multi-story. It has a grease capacity between 65 and 122 lbs., and a liquid capacity between 21.6 and 52 gallons. canplasplumbing.com 22743_ICON_HalfPageB_CAN.qxd

Goslyn grease recovery devices feature a manually controlled flush valve to discharge settled silts. A strainer basket collects food and particle waste while the grease collection cassette captures FOG for recycling. greasetrap.ca

2/9/10

2:44 PM

Page 1

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January/February 2010 | HPAC

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Show Preview

CMX•CIPHEX T he 19th CMX-CIPHEX Show will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, March 25-27. Opening day kicks off with ASHRAE president, Gordon Holness, who will take an in-depth look at the importance of addressing existing buildings in order to achieve ASHRAE's Sustainability Goals in his presentation: Sustaining Our Future by Rebuilding Our Past. The role of the ASHRAE's Advanced Energy Design Guides, Standards 90.1 and Standard 189.1 and the potential for Standard 100 to be redeveloped to address current technology for building renovation will be addressed as well as using commissioning and retro-commissioning, operation and maintenance as key tools in keeping green buildings green.

The Learning Forum features more than 25 seminars during the show's three-day run. HPAC columnist and industry favourite Robert Bean will present: Residential Construction – The Five Key Elements of Air Quality and Inspecting Hydronic Heating Systems – the basics of modern hot water heating systems, their proper arrangement, codes, standards and best practices.

Those interested in emerging trends and technologies will want to catch Evgueniy Entchev's Thursday afternoon presentation on Residential Heating: Designing A System Using Renewable Resources, which includes systems using solar, alcohol and a range of bio fuels. In addition, a session on Residential Graywater Reuse will discuss selecting the right technology, understanding the characteristics of graywater and the economic considerations of various system designs.

Financial expert Mark Groulx, who is featured in this issue on page 46, will present Selling Your Contracting Business: From Establishing Value to Negotiating the Sale.

This session will provide business owners with the crucial steps in successfully preparing their business for the sale, selecting prospective buyers and dealing with the paper and legal issues along the way to sealing the deal.

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ALSO ON THE AGENDA…

• Bob

Bach's The Push Toward Green: Keeping the Customer Happy highlights the latest updates, the newest developments and some solid advice on trends in client expectations, developments in the marketplace and upcoming targets in energy efficiency; • Plumbing Code Changes: Installing Hydronic Heating; Defining Mechanically Vented Appliances (CSA B214) will provide attendees with the straight facts on upcoming changes to the National Plumbing Code, including updates to CSA B214, the Installation Code for Hydronic Heating Systems and important information about changes to the definition of mechanically-vented appliances; • Minimizing The Impact of Summer Utility Peaks for new home and retrofit markets reviews traditional air conditioning approaches, new zoned approaches and new mini-split technologies as well as the options available to offset HVAC loads during utility peaks; and • Gord Cooke on High Performance HVAC for High Performance Buildings and Indoor Air Quality: Challenges and Opportunities.

READY TO ROLL One lucky attendee will win a 2010 Nissan Titan – outfitted and customized for the winner with tool racks, bins and one year of complimentary GPS service. Every attendee will be provided with a ballot to enter the draw, which will take place at the close of the show on March 27.

Online registration is available at cmxciphexshow.com.

Visitors who register before March 18, 2010 will save 50 per cent.

HPACMAG.COM

2/10/10 3:30:32 PM

PAC’s H r o f p u Step right

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Fluke True-rms 233 The world’s first remote display multimeter.

Removable magnetic display allows you to be 30ft away from the measurement point for difficult measurements where display viewing is challenging.

TurboTorch Deluxe Portable Torch Kit This complete kit is designed to hold two 14.1 oz Map/Pro or Propane cylinders (not included) along with all the tools needed for soldering and brazing.

Testo 410-1 Vane Anemometer Measures air velocity, temperature and humidity.

Testo 510 Digital Manometer Differential pressure meter is ideally suitable for pressure measurements in the range 0 to 100 hPa .

Extech BR200 Video Borescope/Wireless Inspection Camera Complete with a detachable 3.5” colour display allowing users to position the borescope as needed to access a difficult location without losing sight of the display.

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HVAC/R

Heat Pump

Concepts It is important to understand the fundamental terminology associated with heat pumps. BY IAN MCTEER

BALANCE POINT: is the outdoor temperature at which there is not enough recoverable heat to provide 100 per cent of the building’s heating requirement. At this temperature, heat pumps need a backup heat source to either take over completely or to add extra heat to the airstream. Ground source systems are unaffected by plunging outdoor air temperatures so the COP remains fairly constant but they still require a backup heat source.

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The balance point temperature can be calculated by the contractor. A heat loss calculation of the building is plotted on a manufacturer provided chart. Then, a heating performance line of the selected equipment is added to the chart. Since the heat loss line is ascending and the heat pump performance line is descending, the two lines will cross each other at one point – thus the balance point temperature of the outdoor air is obtained. Essentially, at the balance point the indoor room thermostat is going to call for second stage. Either the electric resistance back-up heat will come on in stages, or, in the case of an add-on system, the outdoor unit will stop and the fossil-fueled appliance will take over.

DEFROST CYCLE: for air source heat pumps, defrost is an inherent inefficiency. As the temperature of the air entering the outdoor coil drops close to 40F, the surface temperature of the outdoor coil will be at or below the freezing point. The amount of air passing through the coil is reduced and the unit will automatically switch into cooling mode in order to warm the outdoor coil enough to melt the ice. The supplementary heating system will be engaged during defrost to help temper the leaving air in the house. In early heat pump designs, defrost occurred on a timed schedule (called command defrost) often set to 30-minute cycles whether it was needed or not. In the early 1980s a demand defrost system was perfected that allowed tighter defrost criteria and reduced defrost total time.

Ian McTeer is a field service representative with Trane Canada DSO. He can be reached at 416-494-2855 or by e-mail at imcteer@trane.com.

FOR MORE ON HEAT PUMPS AND VALUABLE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE TIPS SEE HPAC NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 AT HPACMAG.COM

Image: iStockphoto

COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE (COP): is the ratio of the total useful heat output divided by the total electrical energy needed to operate the system. Resistance heat is the process of converting electrical energy directly to heat, but a heat pump uses electricity to move heat.

Because of the refrigeration effect (the fact that it takes more heat to make a substance change its state rather than to simply increase its temperature) an air source heat pump can move two to three times more heat per kilowatt compared to that of straight resistance heat. One KW supplied to a resistance heater will produce 3,413 Btuh. However, any heat pump operating at a COP of 2.5 to 1 produces 8,532 Btuh. The higher the COP a system can maintain, the more “free heat” it can provide.

Heat pumps are rated in several ways: Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF) for heating performance, SEER for cooling performance, EER for snapshot electrical consumption, and COP. The COP rating, taken at two outdoor air temperatures: 47F and 17F. A quality heat pump system will generate a COP pushing 4:1 at 47F – by 17F a COP of 2.5:1 or better is a must.

HPACMAG.COM

2/9/10 3:04:26 PM

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HVAC/R

A Look

To The Future When I first got involved in the industry people asked me: Does it even work? People didn’t believe in the technology.

They were skeptical. They thought it was alternative. And I think what has increased the demand in Manitoba is that Manitoba Hydro’s incentives have driven the growth in the industry. Their loan program made geothermal more accessible to more people. But it also provided credibility to the technology. And once Hydro made that commitment, the public started to view geothermal as a real option.

The federal government, through the ecoENERGY program, implemented a $3,500 incentive for retrofitting your home to geothermal. And in Manitoba, they made announcements of $2,100 in additional incentives for retrofits for a total of up to $5,600 to convert your home and $3,000 for new construction.

I think all those things in combination, as well as fuel prices and environmental awareness increasing, are driving demand.

Connor Twohig, LEED AP Enermodal Engineering Calgary, AB Geo-exchange systems have been in use in North America since the '50s or '60s, first gaining popularity in the U.S. for use in the air conditioning industry. They came up to Canada in the '80s. Their popularity arises from their potentially high efficiencies. These were and are in use without the assistance of government grants. Some grants have been put in place to assist with this type of technology, but I don’t think this is a driving factor.

I’m sure the popularity of certain technologies will continue to grow as developers and operators strive to be 34

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Leaders in the field of geothermal talk to HPAC about the rise of the technology and why it is here to stay.

BY JENNIFER PATERSON

“greener” and use less energy. Renewables are usually the last thing one would do as they typically have the worst paybacks (versus other energy saving measures). I’d expect the smart developers would only use renewables in buildings striving to be carbon or energy neutral, or very close to it. Renewables certainly aren’t a “tack-on” solution to lowering building energy consumption.

Stan Marco, CEO GeoSmart Energy Inc. Cambridge, ON The geothermal industry had some significant success in the early- to mid-1990s, but started to see a decline as lack of industry training resulted in undersized equipment and sub-standard installations. The road back to the

Photo: iStockphoto

Mike Millard, geothermal consultant Southern Comfort Mechanical Inc. Winnipeg, MB

hpacmag.com

2/9/10 3:04:48 PM

proliferation of geothermal has been long, but steady. Proper contractor installation training by regional and national distributors, and many successful installations have been the greatest factor in the rebirth of our industry. The geothermal industry has continued to grow as green-thinking consumers enjoy 60 per cent energy savings in operating cost reductions. Current federal and provincial programs have further enhanced the trend of growth in the industry.

No question, the geothermal industry appreciates the federal, provincial and regional incentives. Before the grants, however, our industry was seeing, strong sustainable growth based on a volatile energy market, as well as concerns about the environment. When the grants are gone we will continue to grow based on the same sustainable principals. Energy costs will continue to rise and climate change is not going away. The current government programs require a level of training that will help to ensure sustainability as well.

FLIR bSeries - HPAC Sep08:3.375x4.875

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Gerard Paradis, owner Paradise Plumbing & Heating Dunrea, MB We have been installing geothermal systems for more than 20 years and have seen the technology become more viable as the cost of alternative fuels has risen and everyone wants to reduce their carbon footprint.

Incentives are helping spread the word about geothermal, but they are not what is driving it. They do make people more aware that geothermal technology is coming of age.

It would not make a huge difference to those who are in it for the long-term if incentives were cut. But as soon as the incentives are gone, the installers who are in it for a fast buck will also be gone.

I expect that as fuel prices increase geothermal will continue to grow and solar thermal and photovoltaic will become more predominant.

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www.endura-form.com January/February 2010 | HPAC

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products HVAC/R The AFB/AFX and NFB/NFX series of direct-coupled spring return actuators from Belimo offer 180 in-lb (AFB, AFX) and 90 in-lb (NFB, NFX) minimum torque; a smaller housing for tight spaces and easier handling; and motor run times of 70 seconds with AFB, AFX and 40 seconds with NFB, NFX. Manual override is standard on all models.

They can also be integrated with new and certain existing Belimo accessories allowing for mounting and commissioning options. belimo.us

The SRL8 heated diode refrigerant leak detector from Fieldpiece comes with a hard case, a heated diode sensor (uninstalled), a rechargeable lithium ion battery, wall and car charging units, nine-inch flexible and rigid extension wands, 10 replacement filters and five O-rings. fieldpiece.com

Cliplight Mfg. has introduced Flash, an ultra violet (UV) leak detection dye that uses a drying agent (Dry R) to keep the dye stable and prevent it from crystallizing.

The injection hose, coupled with Dry R, allows the dye to mist into the system for instant distribution. One can treats up to one five-ton unit or 64-ounces of system oil. cliplight.com

Commercial and vertical stacked watersource heat pumps from Johnson Controls can be used in water-loop, ground-water, or ground-loop applications. In addition to a space-saving footprint, the self-contained heat pumps feature HFC-410A refrigerant, microprocessor controls, thermostats with occupancy sensor and a two-inch-thick filter option. Water-source heat pumps offer energy efficiency ratios (EERs) as high as 13.50, and heating capacities from 8,700 to 79,500 MBH. Vertical stacked heat pumps offer EERs as high as 13.40, and heating capacities ranging from 11,800 to 36,400 MBH. johnsoncontrols.com

The testo 875 thermal imager has been designed with the HVAC/IAQ and weatherization professional in mind. With a thermal sensitivity of 0.10C, a full sized 160x120 focal plane array and a 3.5� display, it allows the user to easily identify problem spots quickly and accurately. The imager includes 2 GB of image storage, advanced software and is RESNET compliant. testo.com

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Hart & Cooley has added SMART Home Zoning for residential HVAC systems to its lineup.

Suited to new and retrofit construction, it features easy heat pump set up and self-diagnostics.

Up to four thermostats are controlled by one microprocessor panel. hartandcooley.com

Panasonic Home & Environment Company has added the WhisperGreen-Lite FV-08VKML2 and FV-08VKSL2 to its ventilation products. Designed for 4" ducts, they feature built-in variable speed controls that range from 0–80 CFM and a built-in delay timer that can be pre-set up to 60 minutes. The models offer noise levels of less than 0.3 sones, two 18-watt compact fluorescent ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs and a nightlight feature. panasonic.com/ventfans

Metal-Fab has introduced a sprinkler head access port for its G Series grease duct. It allows access, without the use of tools, for the installation, removal and inspection of sprinkler or wash-down nozzles. The port includes a shield to protect the sprinkler head during cleaning cycles. greaseduct.com Summit Process Controls Group has introduced model RI-700H hvac/r diagnostic refrigerant analyzer from Neutronics Inc. The portable Ultima ID Pro identifies more than a dozen HVAC/R refrigerants with a component breakdown of the blend ratios.

It allows the consolidator to know refrigerant quality before giving it to the reclaimer.

The reclaimer then has a means of sorting refrigerants by both type and quality. summitpcgi.ca

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products Hydronics

The OPTIFLO pressure independent control valve from Bell & Gossett features integrated pressure/temperature ports. It combines an externally field-adjustable automatic balance valve and a full modulating control valve with 100 per cent valve authority. Available in sizes between 1/2" to 1 1/4", the valve features flow rates from .3 GPM through 13.2 GPM. balancevalves.com

Caleffi’s SolarFlex is a pre-insulation solution of two flexible stainless steel pipes inside two EPDM closed cell insulation and an integrated sensor wire, for connecting solar thermal collectors to a pumping station. It is rated for fluid temperatures up to 350F and working pressures up to 150 psi. The piping jacket is marked for ease of identification of flow and return. It is available in random lengths from 10’ to 164’ in one-foot increments. caleffi.us

Triangle Tube offers factory prefabricated boiler manifolds with capacities from 800,000 Btuh to two million Btus (two to five boilers) in two different piping arrangements: primary secondary or reverse return. The Cascade system features individual, 95 per cent efficiency, fully modulating, low water content 399 MBH boilers. It is available in a reverse return piping arrangement utilizing a single pump, or in primary secondary piping with individual three-speed pumps and a hydronic junction. triangletube.com

GeoSmart Energy recently released Premium H Series, a hydronic water to water heat pump system. The HT and HS units come housed in heavy gauge stainless steel blue cabinets and feature integrated scroll compressor technology. The HS models are available in 1.5 to 6 nominal tons, while the HT units feature dual single stage scroll compressors and come in eight to 15 nominal ton capacities. All units use R410A refrigerant. geosmartenergy.com

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Honeywell has enhanced its Aquatrol hydronic boiler controls to simplify the installation process and add functionality.

Aquatrol is pre-programmed with the most common installation settings. A plain-language digital screen guides contractors through on-screen menus. Its modular design allows contractors to expand to up to 64 zones of heating.

Enhancements allow it to work with any digital thermostat and control up to two stages of heating. forwardthinking.honeywell.com

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Cleaver-Brooks has launched ClearFire Model CFW, a high-efficiency, commercial boiler.

The non-condensing carbon steel boiler utilizes a patented heat transfer technology to reach an efficiency level of up to 88 per cent.

Available with inputs ranging from 400,000 to 2,400,000 BTU, the CFW features a 5:1 turndown and advanced Falcon controls that can integrate up to eight boilers. cleaverbrooks.com

Weil-McLain Canada has introduced an Ultra commercial boiler line with U-Control flexibility on all models. U-Control offers such benefits as 11 pre-set applications, fully integrated multiple boiler control and real text LCD display. The boilers have efficiency ratings of up to 94.7 per cent and offer direct vent or direct exhaust options, with 20 to 100 per cent modulation. Standard safety controls are mounted and wired, including manual reset high limit, LWCO, and high and low gas pressure switches. weil-mclain.ca

Taco has added a line of variable speed 00 solar pumps designed to match solar collector output for improved solar system performance. The circulators, with integral solar control, include the 009 solar drain-back circulator and several cast iron and non-ferrous pump sizes. All wiring for power and sensors is done directly to the circulator. The pumps are designed for drain-back, open loop, or closed loop applications. They offer user-definable output for: heat dump, one or two storage tanks, storage tank supplement or booster pump. taco-hvac.com

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HPAC01_038,039.indd 39

REHAU’s RAUPLATE joist space radiant heating system has one pipe channel on each edge. The predrilled, single-plate design accommodates two runs of ½" RAUPEX O2 Barrier pipe. When combined with fixing rails, RAUPLATE keeps a firm grip on the pipe, reducing expansion noise in the joist space. na.rehau.com/heating

The HydroZone hydronic tank controller eliminates the need for external control devices when used in conjunction with WaterFurnace GeoTank. A sensor built into geothermal storage tanks enables the HydroZone to control water temperature using: outdoor reset (heating only), tank control (manual) or tank control (auto changeover). With menu-driven software and adjustable setpoints and deadbands, the unit can control up to four compressor stages, with the fourth stage configurable as auxiliary heat for the hydronic tank. waterfurnace.com

January/February 2010 | HPAC

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2/10/10 4:58:03 PM

Hydronics

A Pair Of Certainties During 30 years of dealing with hydronic heating I have checked out my share of systems that worked well. Unfortunately, I have had even more opportunities to look over systems that delivered more surprises than heat. The lessons learned from doing the forensics on problem hydronic installations have been applied to designs and incorporated into training programs.

BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER

A

side from the value of analyzing and resolving issues with troublesome systems, forensic experiences have confirmed that certain behaviours are common to all hydronic systems. When understood and respected these traits unfailingly reveal why a given system does what it does. Understanding and applying these common characteristics can be a real asset for design, as well as troubleshooting.

WHO IS IN CHARGE? Fundamentally there are two things that every hydronic system you will ever design or install “wants” to do. They all want to operate at simultaneous conditions that I refer to as thermal equilibrium and hydraulic equilibrium. Both conditions represent a balance between energy input and FIGURE 1 energy release.

Thermal equilibrium is the concept that every system seeks to operate where the rate of heat input to the water from the heat source (boiler, heat pump, solar collector, and so on) is exactly the same as the rate of heat release from the water to the heat emitters.

The supply water temperature and temperature drop the system stabilizes at are always necessary to balance these rates of heat flow. In some situations these temperatures can be significantly higher or lower than what we expect based on control settings.

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Here is an example: Imagine a hydronic floor heating system that has eight parallel 350 foot circuits of 1/2” PEX tubing embedded in a bare concrete slab. The system is directly piped to a 50,000 Btuh boiler as shown in Figure 1.

The boiler’s temperature limiting controller has been set by the installer for 140F because that is the temperature he thinks the system should operate at.

When the system is fired up, the boiler temperature slowly climbs over a period of four hours and eventually stabilizes at 99F. The burner remains in continuous operation, but the water temperature leaving the boiler refuses to go above 99F. The installer thinks there is something wrong because the boiler is not reaching the temperature he “told continued on page 42

HPACMAG.COM

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Hydronics

continued from page 40

it to� by setting the limit controller to 140F. He grabs a wrench and whacks the limit controller a couple of times to show it who is in charge.

After a few more hours the boiler is still purring along at 99F outlet temperature, so he shuts off the system and pulls the limit controller off the boiler. His next stop is his local supplier where he demands a replacement for the obviously defective controller.

FIGURE 2 ACHIEVING HYDRAULIC EQUILIBRIUM

In reality, there is nothing wrong with this controller. The system is simply operating at thermal equilibrium where heat added to the water by the boiler matches the rate at which heat is dissipated by the distribution system. This particular floor system can release all 50,000 Btuh of heat input without the supply water temperature needing to rise above 99F. Because the limit controller is set well above this temperature it cannot intervene to affect the current operating conditions. Its presence is irrelevant in terms of controlling this system.

Incidentally, if the boiler supplying this system was not designed to operate with continuous flue gas condensation, the installer will soon have more to contend with. Thermal equilibrium does not care if the boiler is condensing, or corroding, it only cares that the heat flow rates are balanced.

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YOU CAN SEE IT Have you ever stood in a mechanical room and watched the temperature indicator on a boiler? Sometimes it slowly climbs as the boiler fires. What you are seeing is the system trying to find thermal equilibrium. The fact that the temperature is increasing means that the boiler is currently injecting more heat into the system water than the distribution system is releasing.

Many of you have also seen the opposite effect; a decrease in boiler temperature as the system operated.

Perhaps it occurred when a cool slab with embedded tubing came online with a boiler that was already up to an elevated temperature.

If the system did not have a mixing device that monitored boiler inlet temperature you probably watched a rapid temperature descent to a condition where the boiler was only putting out luke warm water even with its burner firing continuously. Once again the system is simply seeking thermal equilibrium where heat output from the boiler matches heat absorption into the slab.

Since the slab is cold it is absorbing heat from the circulating water much faster than the boiler can reproduce that heat by burning fuel. Hence temperatures are headed downward until a balance is found.

So, what can you conclude if you see the temperature indicator on a boiler holding steady even with the burner running non-stop? You got it – thermal equilibrium has been achieved.

Remember, hydronic systems always try to operate at thermal equilibrium. It is only the intervention of limiting controls that sometimes prevents this condition from occurring.

FLOW PHYSICS There is another form of energy constantly being put into and taken out of hydronic systems as they operate. It is mechanical energy called head. An operating circulator converts electrical energy into head energy and imparts it to the fluid. At the same time, every component through which this flow passes removes head energy due to friction. The system always stabilizes at a flow rate where the rate of head energy input exactly matches the rate of head energy dissipation. This hydraulic equilibrium is usually achieved within a few seconds of turning on the circulator and remains intact until the system operating condition is altered (i.e. a valve is adjusted, a zone turned off or on, and so on). The concept is illustrated in Figure 2.

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“ ... hydronic systems always try to operate at thermal equilibrium. It is only the intervention of limiting controls that sometimes prevents this condition from occurring. ” FIGURE 3 SYSTEM CURVE/PUMP CURVE

You can determine the hydraulic equilibrium point by finding the intersection of the system head loss curve and pump curve for the circulator (see Figure 3). The point where these curves cross is called the operating point and is the only possible condition where head input exactly balances head loss.

The system curve changes every time a zone circuit turns on or off, as well as when someone adjusts a flow regulating valve. As soon as this takes place the system quickly settles to a new flow rate where head input from the circulator matches head loss from the currently configured piping system. Think of the operating point sliding up or down the pump curve as necessary to maintaining the balanced condition.

You have heard it said that nature likes a balance. This is perfectly illustrated through thermal and hydraulic equilibrium within all hydronic systems. Our task as designers is to ensure the system delivers the desired comfort while it seeks to operate at both thermal and hydraulic equilibrium.

When you consider system operation from this standpoint it all makes sense.

John Siegenthaler, P.E. is the author of Modern Hydronic Heating. His website, hydronicpros.com, offers reference information and software to assist in hydronic system design. He can be reached at siggy@dreamscape.com.

Visit hpacmag.com to see more hydronic columns by John Siegenthaler.

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Guest columnist Caruk

Car

Group

run Van on the

By Jim Caruk

I

was reading the other day that $100-million worth of stuff is reported stolen every year from Canadian jobsites. Vehicles and power tools top the list.

Somewhere in those jobsite theft statistics is my latelamented van, half-full of tools.

But when my van drove off on me a couple of years back, it didn’t just disappear into the sunset. No, it hung around the city, making fun of me, even getting me into all sorts of trouble. I swear the guys who stole it had a sense of humour.

Here’s what happened. We were working just two doors down from my place on a major renovation for a neighbour.

It was a beautiful, quiet day in the middle of the summer. I was up a ladder and my partner, Jim, was down at the bottom when we heard an engine start up over in the direction of my property. Then Jim says, “Sounds just like your van.”

I was busy doing something on the eaves trough, so I didn’t even look down, but I joked, “Sure, somebody’s probably stealing it right out of my driveway.” Then, all of a sudden, it didn’t seem so funny because it did sound like my van, so I said to Jim, “Well, maybe go take a look, would ya?” I remember I felt kind of dumb even saying it.

So Jim walked to the end of the driveway and looked down the road, then came belting right back, face all red: “Holy s**t, it was your van, Jim! Some guy just drove off in it!”

Down the ladder I flew and we jumped in my truck (I had a van and a truck and we were using my truck that day). We hammered it down the street but the thief had a good head start on us, so by the time we reached the intersection, we didn’t know which way he’d gone.

Luckily, there were some City workers on the corner and I yell over, “Did you see a white van going like a bat out of hell just now?”

They had, and pointed us in the right direction, but our buddy was already long gone; the road was empty as far

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#@!

CARUK GROUP

Caruk

Group

CARUK GROUP

Caruk

Group

Caruk

Group ahead as we could see. We drove around a bit, of course, but we were pretty sure he wasn’t going to be stopping for Timmies. Unbelievable.

So, I call the police. I call the insurance company. I fill out the forms and I try to remember all the tools that were in there. Naturally, the police had no leads and I was left in a state of stunned disbelief. Then, on the 32nd day (you’ve got to wait 30 days), I got a settlement from the insurance company for both the van and the tools – well, the depreciated value, anyway. Still, I figured, I got a cheque. Could be worse.

A couple of more weeks went by, and then I got a call from a contractor I sort of know who works in the same part of the city as I do. hpacmag.com

2/9/10 3:12:53 PM

#@*!

Caruk

Group

Caruk

Group

CARUK GROUP

oup

Caruk

Group “You son of a b***h!” he yelled.

“Whoa. Who are you calling a son of a b***h?”

“You, you son of a b***h. You were on my jobsite last night, stealing my tools!”

He said he was working on a job at Keele and Lawrence and somebody saw my van there, complete with The Caruk Group logo on the side, where some guys were helping themselves to his stuff. I mean, why not right? The thing was only half-full of my tools, so the guys who stole it had cargo room for a lot more stuff. These guys are real entrepreneurs.

After I got the guy to stop yelling, I explained that my van had been stolen. I told him I was sorry for what happened to him because I could relate, then his tone changed. hpacmag.com

HPAC01_044,045.indd 45

“I thought it didn’t make sense that you’d be driving up to rip us off with your name and phone number on the side of your vehicle,” he said. Ya think?

Two more weeks went by, and then another acquaintance says to me, “I see you’re selling your van.”

I just shook my head: “Where the hell is it this time?”

“Sorry, I thought you knew,” he said. “Car lot at Dufferin and Lawrence. Actually, an auction.”

An auction?

What kind of nerve do you have to have to auction a stolen vehicle with the name and phone number of the original owner still on it? By the time we got over there to check it out, of course, it was gone. Just playing with me again.

A couple of more weeks went by and I ran into a buddy of mine I hadn’t seen in a while.

“Hey, I see you’re working down by Osler School now. Got a good job there?” he asked.

“No, we’re still finishing up on my street,” I said. “What do you mean, Osler School?”

“Well, I don’t know, Jim, but I was pretty sure I saw your van there.”

“My van was stolen,” I explained.

“Well, now you’ve found it – congratulations,” he laughed.

So I call the cops again, and a detective friend there calls me back about an hour later. “Yes, it’s here; it’s your van,” he said. “It’s in one piece, but it’s got about three week’s worth of parking tickets on it.” The police suggested we leave it there for a while and watch it to see if anyone came back for it. No one ever did.

Needless to say, the insurance company was soon on the phone sniffing around, just maybe, for their money back now that my vehicle had been “recovered.” But I wanted no part of that, or the parking tickets for that matter – bad karma. I kept the insurance money, which was legitimate; the vehicle had been damaged and the case was long closed.

But I still wonder if someone picked up that van at a police auction or something. If someone did, and if that someone is reading this, proud new owner, do me a favour: Would you please take “The Caruk Group” logo off the side?

Jim Caruk started his career in the heating and air conditioning business prior to establishing The Caruk Group, a general contracting company in Toronto, ON. He is the host of HGTV’s Real Renos and a columnist with Canadian Contractor.

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Management

Preparing Your Business

For Sale

While entrepreneurs work to generate earnings for the present, most also work to create equity in the business that will allow them to sell it in the future. BY MARK GROULX

B

y and large businesses are sold for one of two reasons: retirement (when the owner’s children are not interested in taking over the business); or changes in shareholder relationships (disputes, death and other influences).

Regardless of the reason for sale there are numerous steps shareholders should take before the company is put up for sale. These fall into three time frames: things to do well in advance of sale, things to do a year or two before the sale and things to do just prior to the sale.

WELL IN ADVANCE

Photo iStockphoto

There are many tax implications related to the sale of the business. Business owners who have even an inkling of hoping to sell their company in the future should discuss the prospect with their accountants to make sure the company and its ownership are structured to maximize the after tax proceeds from a sale.

Probably the most consistent benefit for any Canadian selling a business is the Small Business Capital Gains Tax exemption for the first $750,000 of proceeds resulting from

the sale of shares of the business. This tax free exemption can be attributable to any number of shareholders provided they have been shareholders for at least two years and the company meets certain other tests your accountant can explain.

If you decide to share the proceeds with your spouse or children each of them can receive $750,000 tax free under this structure. If you do not want them to spend the money or get their hands on it right away, your accountant or lawyer can set up family trusts to hold the proceeds with you as Trustee. The essence of this point is that the shareholdings have to be in place at least two years before the sale of the business.

Another seemingly obvious but surprisingly rarely undertaken preparation is to discuss the prospective sale with stakeholders. If you realize you may be selling in a few years time, do not surprise your minority partners, your most senior management or your family. More often than not the sale is a benefit to all involved. And if you need unanimous shareholder approval for a sale you had better have sorted that out well in advance.

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ONE TO TWO YEARS IN ADVANCE It may come as a surprise, but there are business owners in Canada and abroad who charge non-business expenses to their companies, thereby decreasing the amount of tax they have to pay to the tax man. As surprising as that may be, the profitability of the business is a primary measure of what the buyer is prepared to pay.

Considering that the purchase price will usually be a multiple of pre tax earnings (plus interest and depreciation) anyone thinking of selling their business in the next year or two should look to minimize these outside expenses and thereby decrease the uncomfortable discussions about how the earnings should be “normalized.” There are enough variables and issues to deal with in a transaction without having to squabble over these normalizations. Besides, the increased tax paid is well offset by the three to six times multiple you will make on the earnings.

Running a business is usually a hectic, all consuming activity and often times corporate record keeping suffers as a result. If you are planning on selling your business you have to get your files and records in tip top shape. If they are not in order you will be penalized in the due diligence process.

You will be requested to provide legal documentation such as Articles of Incorporation and corporate minutes.

Your lawyer should be forewarned months in advance so he can make sure these documents are in order. Similarly you will be required to provide extensive record keeping related to accounting, tax, banking, human resources, health and safety, information systems, real estate and more. A simple example is an employee list showing the name of each employee, date of hire, age, job position, salary or wage and other pertinent information.

“...the profitability of the business is a primary measure of what the buyer is prepared to pay. ”

You will be asked to provide all material contracts related to all aspects of your business. The more accurate and current that information is the more smoothly the sale will proceed. Prospective buyers will also make investigations into products, customers, outstanding litigation, environmental issues, among other things. Anything you have to document these matters is helpful in completing the process. This is a time-consuming (and tedious) exercise, yet it is essential to the preparation process.

Buyers do not like companies that are dependent on the owner to operate. You should work to give the management team enough independence that they can pretty much run the show without you. Similarly, do you have good systems to automate the business as much as possible?

Scheduling systems, reporting systems, accounting and billing systems all add to the value of the business.

JUST PRIOR Assuming you have attended to the issues above, it is time to start the process of selling your business. Ideally the timing of commencing the process would occur close to your year end or shortly thereafter. This will allow the prospective purchasers to have quite current financial information from the year end financial statements.

Even more importantly, if you have a seasonal business, in which most of your activity occurs at a certain time or times of the year, you should schedule the sale process around those times. Preparing information, meeting with prospective buyers and all the related activities involved in selling a business are very time consuming. You want to have as much time available as possible to deal with these matters while continuing to run the business.

Finally, hire an advisor. Not your lawyer or your accountant but someone who specializes in selling businesses. Not many people sell their house without an agent and selling a business is significantly more complicated than selling a house. Preferably hire someone with a long track record, with good references and who knows your industry.

So there you have it. You are ready to go to market.

Next time we will speak about the process of selling your HVAC/R business.

Mark Groulx is president of A.I.M. Group Canada.

He can be reached at mark@aimgc.ca. Groulx will be speaking at CMX/ CIPHEX on March 26, 2010. Watch for more on this topic in upcoming issues.

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products Plumbing Uponor offers 3" tubing for commercial plumbing applications. The tubing complements the current AquaPEX tubing offering, ranging from ¼" to 2". uponor.ca

RIDGID’s SeeSnake microDrain inspection system features a 30’ flexible cable and a 22-mm diameter camera head. The unit is 19" high and 4 ½" wide. Multiple monitor compatibility allows users to use the microDrain reel with any SeeSnake monitor or the microEXPLORER digital inspection camera to capture still and video images. ridgid.com

Reed electric hydrostatic test pumps are designed to simplify pressure testing in both residential and commercial buildings. A built-in bypass allows for automatic water recirculation once the set pressure is reached. The hose features a quick disconnect with a built-in check valve. Models are available with or without a protective cage. reedmfgco.com

Pearl Baths, a division of MAAX, has launched the Ambrosia series of bathtubs. Available as a freestanding or drop-in, both models are 66" X 36".

Options for the drop-in version include a back massage system with four microjets and two rotating water jets, an ozonator whirlpool system and a ThermaZone heated backrest. pearlbaths.com

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products Plumbing continued from page 49

The Gen-Eye Spectra video inspection system from General Pipe Cleaners features a 160 GB hard drive, DVD recorder and a 15" LCD monitor. A self-leveling colour camera keeps the picture right side up.

The stainless steel camera housing is 1.4" in diameter and carries 16 white LEDs to light up lines as large as 10" in diameter. The system may be used to troubleshoot 2" to 10" lines. It includes a built-in AC/ DC converter, on-screen distance counter, titler, built-in voice over unit and trap skid. drainbrain.com

Alsons has launched the ActivTouch hand shower with three spray-selection buttons. Eight spray combinations are offered. In addition to the push-button spray selection, the hand shower offers a "pause control" button, which operates from the front or the back of the hand shower, reducing the spray to a trickle. It has a five-foot ex-

Taco has support stands for its KV vertical in-line pumps and KS vertical split-coupled pump models. The stands are made of ductile iron and have easy access bolt holes. taco-hvac.com

tendible, stainless steel hose and anti-clog nozzles. The shower arm mount also allows the unit to operate as a fixed head. alsons.com

The ChekPoint EC-3106 electronic faucet from T&S Brass has the ability to switch from a sensor faucet to a manual faucet. Available for deck-mount applications, it converts by rotating the top cap of the faucet until it locks into the desired mode.

Once engaged in the manual mode, the faucet is turned on and off by rotating the cap on the top of the faucet. It is available with the hydro-generator (EC-3106HG). tsbrass.com

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The Boutique pulldown kitchen faucet from Moen is available in chrome and LifeShine classic stainless steel finishes. It is offered in a single-hole mount. A deck plate is included for three-hole sink applications.

The faucet includes a fibre pulldown hose with a ball joint at the end of the wand.

Moen’s patented Hydrolock installation system snaps the faucet and supply lines together with a telltale “click." moen.ca

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Mechanical Supply News

MSN Anvil International Secures Certification

Anvil International’s Figures 6400, 7000, 7001, 7012, 7013, 7400 and 7401 grooved pipe fitting products for both cold and hot water applications have received NSF/ANSI Standard 61 Certification. This certification is in addition to Anvil’s Xtreme lubricant and copper fittings, which were already certified. NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components is a nationally recognized standard for all devices, components and materials that contact drinking water. anvilintl.com

Fast And Green Building automation and energy management solutions company Distech Controls was among Deloitte's 2009 Technology Fast 500 – a ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth over five years (2004-2008), period during which Distech Controls grew by 263 per cent.

Distech also received the Deloitte Technology Green 15, an award that showcases 15 Canadian companies that are creating breakthroughs in the field of green technology. Other recipients were Bionest Technologies (GrandMère, QC), Eco Waste Solutions (Burlington, ON), ecobee (Toronto, ON), Energate (Ottawa, ON), EnviroTower (Toronto, ON), Fifth Light Technology (Oakville, ON), Ground Effects Environmental Services (Regina, SK), H2O Innovation (Quebec City, QC), HTC Purenergy (Regina, SK), ProSep (Montreal, QC), Real Tech (Whitby, ON), Sempa Power Systems (North Vancouver, BC), Tantalus Systems (Burnaby, BC), and Vive Nano (Toronto, ON). distech-controls.com

Joint Venture Tackles Heat Transfer Wolverine Tube, Inc. and The Wieland Group have formed Wolverine/Wieland Heat Transfer Technologies, LLC (WWHTT), a joint venture that will develop innovative and energy efficient heat transfer technology. With facilities in Huntsville, AL and Ulm, Germany, the new company is expected to accelerate the pace of heat transfer innovation, reduce the cost of technology development and increase the competitiveness of its customers' products.

"The heat transfer markets we serve demand constant innovation. WWHTT will develop technologies that allow engineers to create air conditioning and refrigeration systems with higher efficiency, lower end-user operating cost HPACMAG.COM

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Walter Preps Hi-Tech World HQ Walter Surface Technologies has unveiled plans for its world headquarters, which is being built in Point-Claire, QC. The company markets its products and processes across Canada, the U.S., Latin America and Europe.

The new facility includes a geothermal system, humidity chambers, and advanced processing and materials handling techniques. Tim Houghton, who had been leading the U.S. operation, has been moved to Montreal and promoted to president and C.O.O. for all divisions. walter.com and reduced refrigerant use," said Harold Karp, Wolverine president and chief operating officer.

Wolverine and Wieland will license certain heat transfer technologies to WWHTT, which will then develop new heat transfer technologies, processes and products that will be licensed to Wolverine, Wieland and third parties. wlv.com

Company Fortifies Compressor Operations Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) is establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to compressor business operations effective April 1, 2010. MHI's current compressor business operations will be transferred to MHI TurboTechno Co. (MTT), which will handle compressor design, engineering, marketing and after-sales services. The main office of the company will be located at the Kan-on Plant in Hiroshima, Japan. MHI efforts to boost business development in this area are part of its quest to rank among the world's top three compressor manufacturers. mhi.co.jp

Schüco Taking Off In Canada Schüco International KG, which is represented in more than 75 countries with its energy-efficient building envelope and solar solutions, has opened a headquarters in Ontario.

Schüco Canada Inc. is located at 2425 Matheson Blvd.

East, 8th Floor, Mississauga, ON L4W 5K4, tel. 877-484-1777. schuco.ca continued on page 52 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 | HPAC

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MSN

continued from page 51

Celebrating 50 Years In The Industry Deflect-o began business 50 years ago with its signature Air Deflector product. Today it manufactures a full line of sheet metal duct, pipe and fittings, flexible ductwork, semirigid aluminum products, chimney liners, exhaust hoods, intakes, dampers, custom products, grilles and registers, as well as a line of clothes dryer venting products. deflecto.com

Boiler Manufacturer Undertakes Expansion & Unifies Brands In a bid to increase operational efficiencies in the production of its line of firetube boilers CleaverBrooks, Inc. is expanding its manufacturing facility in Thomasville, GA. On completion the multi-million dollar project is expected to streamline the manufacturing process, thereby increasing capacity and decreasing delivery times.

The expanded Thomasville plant, scheduled for completion in December 2010, will have more than 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space and increase employment by up to 20 per cent to approximately 250 people.

“The extra manufacturing capacity will enable us to bet-

Aiming For Global Recognition Farr Air Pollution Control (APC), a producer of dust and fume collectors, has announced that it will now operate under the name Camfil Farr Air Pollution Control (APC).

“The dust collection business unit has merged two well-known and respected names – Farr APC in North America and Camfil Farr in the rest of the world – to create a single identity that will have global recognition,” stated company president Lee Morgan. Camfil Farr APC is a subsidiary of Camfil Farr and is headquartered in Jonesboro, AR. farrapc.com

ter serve our customers both now and in the future,” said Welch Goggins, president and CEO of Cleaver-Brooks. “In addition to decreasing delivery times, we will continue to introduce new products that help customers reduce both energy costs and greenhouse gases.”

The company recently unveiled a new logo and announced that its brands will now do business as Cleaver-Brooks.

Previously, the company’s range of boilers, burners, controls and accessories was marketed as: C-B Package Boiler, C-B Nebraska Boiler, C-B Energy Recovery, C-B NATCOM, C-B ProFire and C-B Aftermarket. cleaverbrooks.com

Kohler Goes Green Inside And Out Kohler Co.'s environmental, health and safety building located in Wisconsin was recently awarded LEED Silver status from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The building achieved LEED Silver status following enhancements to the building's interior and exterior, along with installing upgrades and monitoring devices for energy and water usage. A 50-per cent reduction in water usage was achieved by installing new faucets and fixtures in the bathrooms. Kohler received all five points in the Innovations Category for LEED, a not-so-common achievement for a LEED-EB building (Existing Building). kohler.com

Stainless Steel Fabricator & Importer Acquired In a bid to expand its presence in the foodservice segment of the commercial market, Elkay Manufacturing has acquired Spokane Stainless Products Inc., a fabricator and importer of stainless steel commercial kitchen products.

SSP is headquartered in Spokane, WA, with operations and distribution facilities in the Pacific Northwest and Ohio.

“The SSP independent rep sales force brings vast experience and impressive qualifications in the foodservice equipment channel to the Elkay family. The SSP product line, combined with the experience and relationships of these important rep agencies will accelerate the rate at which we intend to grow sales in this market,” said Jack Krecek, vice president of the Elkay plumbing products division, commercial business unit. sspinc.net

Waterfree Gets The Nod Falcon Waterfree Technologies has received the President Obama's "E" Award for Export Growth. The President's "E" Award, which originated during World War II, recognizes Falcon for consecutive years of export revenue growth,

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SEE THE LATEST HPAC e-newsletter @ hpacmag.com

plus a successful marketing strategy for export growth and entering new markets. falconwaterfree.com

Johnson Controls Firms Up Software Partnership The Unitary Products division of Johnson Controls has renewed its partnership with Wrightsoft Corporation, a provider of HVAC load calculation, design and sales software.

Under the terms of the agreement, Wrightsoft will continue to offer software, including Right-Suite Universal to York, Coleman and Luxaire distributors and dealers. Right-Suite combines both residential and commercial load calculation and design methods into a single program. The agreement also enables the distributors to sponsor Right-Suite training for their dealers and gives dealers the opportunity to purchase software and training programs through their local distributors. johnsoncontrols.com

Watts Industries (Canada) Inc. will now be known as Watts Water Technologies (Canada) Inc.

DISTRIBUTION »» Wolseley Canada is distributing Hallowell International’s Acadia combined heating and cooling system throughout western and central Canada, and Quebec. The new distribution partnership increases Wolseley’s selection of green products for the residential and light commercial marketplace, while providing Hallowell with an expanded network of training facilities and customer support. hallowellinternational.com »» Price Pfister has announced that Can-Cell Industries is its newest distributor. Canadian-owned and operated, CanCell is based in Edmonton, AB with eight branches located from Thunder Bay, ON to Vancouver Island, BC. can-cell.com »» The grand opening of the Sherbrooke City, QC branch of Deschênes & Fils and Réal Huot took place practically 20 years to the day after the opening of the first Deschênes branch in Sherbrooke. Some 250 guests attended the fall event at the new 15,500 square foot building, which includes many advanced automation technologies. Construction materials were provided by Groupe Deschênes' various

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subsidiaries: Almacorp (ventilation, air-conditioning, controls), Deschênes Lacroix (electricity), CFH (sprinklers, fire and alarm systems, backflow devices), Huot (aqueduct, sewers and drains), and Deschênes (plumbing, fixtures and heating systems). deschenes.ca

The pipe cutting at the grand opening. (From l to r) Sylvain Vachon, vice chair, Réal Huot; Martin Deschênes, chair, Groupe Deschênes; Jean Prémont, sales manager, Réal Huot; Sylvain Maclure, branch manager; and Claude Lambert, general manager, Deschênes & Fils Montreal.

»» Crane Supply has opened a new location at 7800, rue Elmslie in Ville la Salle, QC H8N 3E5, tel. 514-766-8541. cranesupply.com »» Ancamna Sales (506-863-9862 or 902-223-1370) is now representing all of Zurn’s product lines in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Par Four Plumbing Products Inc. (709-739-7177) is representing Zurn in Newfoundland. Cardinal Sales (905-829-3744) has assumed all aspects of Zurn product representation in the Greater Toronto Area. zurn.com

ON THE MOVE »» Don Park LP is relocating its Oshawa location from 828 Ritson Rd. South, to 380 Marwood Dr., effective March 1, 2010. The 15,000 square foot location features dock level doors and a training facility. donpark.com »» Dobbin Sales has moved to a new location at 51 Terecar Dr., Unit 2 in Vaughan, ON L4L 0B5, tel. 905-264-5465.

The move was made to accommodate its growing product line and the subsequent growth in staff. dobbinsales.com

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MSN

PEOPLE On The Fast Track

continued from page 53

PEOPLE »» Rachel Bouthillette has been named director of purchasing with BMI Canada Inc. Prior to joining BMI several years ago, Bouthillette held business development positions outside of the mechanical industry.

to this appointment, Goodfellow was the director of sales and marketing for residential products.

Bouthillette

»» There have been a number of staffing changes at Desco Plumbing and Heating Supply, a division of Groupe Deschênes. Scott Jamieson joins the company as a sales rep in Kitchener, ON and Bryan Beatty is a new sales rep in Orillia, ON. Jim Barless has been promoted to branch supervisor – North York, ON, while Dave Nakashima assumes the position of regional manager – Eastern Ontario. Dave Lawther has been named branch supervisor at the Oshawa, ON location. Groupe Deschênes recently acquired Mueller Flow Control where personnel will continue to operate the business under the leadership of Kevin Fullan, vice president and general manager and his management team.

Fullan reports to Joe Senese, vice president of operations at Groupe Deschênes.

Bahiou

Mitchell

»» Farid Bahiou has been named national sales manager Canadian HVAC products with WILO Canada. He joined the company in 2005 as regional sales manager Eastern Canada and was instrumental in developing the Stratos pump products.

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Bishop

»»Joe Drago has assumed the newly-created position of Bradford White Canada’s sales representative for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). He started his career with the company in 2003 and when Canadian production of Aero products relocated to Middleville Drago in January of 2006 he was named sales administrator. In addition to his sales role, Drago will be responsible for all product update training with BWCC staff, as well as with his customer base.

Wyman

»»Moen Canada has promoted Andrew Wyman to the position of regional sales manager, wholesale. Wyman was most recently senior territory manager, where he managed and implemented the launch of Moen Commercial products in Canada. He joined the company in 2001.

Industry Veteran Named Regional Manager

Goodfellow

»» Dynamic Air Quality Solutions has announced several staff changes. Carl Mitchell has been named senior vice president of sales. Mitchell was most recently vice president of commercial sales, a position that has been filled

by Paul DeIuliis. Steve Mores has returned to Dynamic Air Quality Solutions as vice president of residential sales. Rob Goodfellow has been named vice president of marketing where he will be responsible for residential and commercial marketing communications and product management. Prior

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»» Douglas Bishop has been named vice president-sales and marketing of Danfoss Turbocor Compressors Inc. Prior to joining Danfoss Turbocor, Bishop was with Carrier Corporation in its commercial refrigeration division.

Wolseley Canada has appointed Rick Elliott to the position of southwest regional manager. In his new position Elliott is responsible for managing and growing Wolseley’s southwest operations, which now includes Hamilton, ON. Elliott, who has over 30 years of Elliott industry experience, was president and CEO of McKeough Supply before becoming general manager following the company’s acquisition by Emco.

Elliott is based at Wolseley’s Hamilton branch at 123 Dartnell Road and can be contacted at rick.elliott@wolseleyinc.ca.

Visit HPAC at CMX/CIPHEX booth N11/N12

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gizmos & gadgets The Dynamic line of hand tools from Gray Tools includes a four-piece plier set with ergonomic handles. The set is comprised of 7" linesman pliers, 6" diagonal cutting pliers, 6" long nose pliers and 10� groove joint pliers. dynamictools.ca

Stanley’s FatMax Xtreme portable truck box has an integrated alarm system with a water-resistant, user activated keypad. A docking station secures the box to the back of a truck and provides a firm lockdown on the undercarriage of the box. Its load capacity of 130 pounds offers space for a variety of secured tools and accessories. The box features a vertical storage organizer that mounts on the inside, a telescopic steel handle and 8.5" diameter rubber wheels. stanleyhandtools.ca

With its high-speed steel cutting edge and screw tip, the Lenox bi-metal ship auger bit is designed to survive nail encounters. The edges may be sharpened for longer life. lenoxtools.com

eClientPayments offers contractors the ability to create custom payment plans for their customers. Payments are made through secure, online transactions handled by PayPal. The plans are recurring and once initiated by the customer, income is received regularly for the duration of the billing cycles. Administrative reports provide instant information on payments received and account histories can be accessed from remote locations. eclientpayments.com

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Bio-Circle tool and part cleaner utilizes a bio-remediation process to remove grease and dirt leaving a residue of slightly warmed, virtually plain water. biocircle.com

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gizmos & gadgets

continued from page 55

The M12 cordless PVC shear from Milwaukee utilizes a stainless steel blade for burr-free cuts. A variable speed trigger allows for a controlled cut in low temperature conditions. An offset blade will cut PVC mounted to a stud or close to a wall. Powered by a lithium-ion battery the shear is able to make more than 200 cuts on a single charge. It has a 2 3/8" maximum capacity and weighs 4.7 lbs. milwaukeetool.com

RIDGID has launched RIDGIDConnect, a subscription-based, online business tool that has the ability to share and store digital assets such as diagnostic job site photos and videos, job reports and histories, maintenance records, customer lists and other business files. Subscribers have the ability to prepare and send detailed, job reports which include notes and customer details to multiple recipients; edit and narrate digital media (videos and photos). RIDGIDConnect.com

Thinking Buildings Universe is a new web site from Grundfos Building Services.

It offers a range of information and tools on commercial pumps. The key features of the site include: a case study library; a pump selection tool; a search encyclopedia; and quick links to graphic animation, videos, PDF files and other documents dealing with pump products and their applications.

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Autodesk Ecotect Analysis software is a sustainable analysis tool that delivers a range of simulation and analysis functionality through desktop and web-service platforms.

Whole-building energy, water, and carbon analysis capabilities converge with desktop tools to conduct detailed environmental simulations. Features of the software include: interactive 3D displays; solar radiation, shadows and reflections, shading design, and visual impact studies; detailed weather, energy, water, and carbon-emission analysis (via web-service tools) enable evaluation of multiple design alternatives; and ENERGY STAR scoring and analysis of potential for LEED daylighting credits. http://en.autodesk.ca

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MEET (Mechanical Electrical Electronic Technology) has become Atlantic Canada’s most inclusive event, giving visitors a unique opportunity to network and compare the latest products and services available to the industry to date.

If your business plan includes putting your products in front of contractors, developers, engineers, trades people and just about anybody involved in the industrial, commercial and residential sectors, MEET 2010 is the event for your company!

To reserve your space at this premiere event, please contact: Shawn Murphy smurphy@mpltd.ca

Ron Lockhart rlockhart@mpltd.ca

Toll Free: 1-888-454-7469

ATTENTION VISITORS!!!

Go online, register, save on admission and avoid the lineups!!! Register at www.MEET2010.ca and SAVE 50% off your admission price!

(Registration at the door will be $10.00)

Show Hours

Wednesday, May 5 9am - 6pm Thursday, May 6 9am - 5pm

IAQ

An Air Purification Option En route to replacing an aging dehumidifier for its natatorium, resort managers discover that technology advancements offer solutions to the challenging eye and lung irritation nuisance of indoor pools. BY JOHN PARRIS FRANTZ

T

he Nottawasaga Inn Resort, a year-round convention and vacation facility 40 miles north of Toronto, has become Canada’s first indoor pool facility to use gas-phase air purification – optioned on its dehumidifier purchase – to combat chemical odours. Chloramines are formed in all pools when chlorine molecules attach to ammonia and other organic byproducts of the human body.

When swimmers complain of chlorine odours or irritation, experts say it is actually the chloramines that are to blame.

Natatoriums such as the 7,000-square-foot pool area in the 41-year-old resort must be chemically shocked routinely to control water-borne bacteria, but the gaseous chlorine-based by product can linger and re-circulate through the HVAC dehumidification system. Indoor pool dehumidifiers typically have fabric media filters, however they are only effective in trapping airborne particulates, not gasses.

Conversely, gas-phase filtration uses carbon-based impregnated pellets as a media to adsorb contaminants, as the natatorium’s air is re-circulated through the pool

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Environmental of Barrie, ON provided sheet metal fabrication to retrofit new return ductwork to the unit.

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The 7,000 sq. ft. pool area is housed in a 70,000 sq. ft. sports and leisure dome.

dehumidifier. Similar technology has been used for decades to remove gaseous contaminants in heavy industrial applications.

In addition to having the gasphase filtration, which uses a custom-mixed blend of coconutbased media, the resort’s new dehumidifier also recovers heat to provide free pool water heating and ties into the resort's central plant boiler and heat pump systems.

Gas-phase filtration also has energy and building envelope conservation advantages. The alternative IAQ solution to chloramines build-up, especially during large bathing loads Nottawasaga experiences regularly during holidays, was introducing additional outdoor air to the dehumidifier’s return air. However, continually heating outdoor air to maintain the natatorium’s 84F air temperature set point is expensive. Additionally, chloramines exposure can corrode and prematurely end the lifespan of a facility’s building components.

“During the retrofit design period the resort’s board of directors requested a unit design that would provide more outdoor air to relieve the chloramines build-up during capacity days, but we didn’t think we could get larger ductwork into the tight-spaced mechanical room,” recalled Ed Carney, sales engineer at Kilmer Environmental, in Toronto, ON. “So I suggested trying the newest technology in controlling chemical gasses in indoor pools…gas-phase filtration, which would perform better and save energy versus increasing and heating outdoor air.”

Although the 13,500-cfm dehumidifier was an identical model drop-in replacement, refrigeration component technological advancements have improved energy efficiency the last 15 years. The new unit has a 70-minimum circuit ampacity (MCA) and 110-maximum overload protection (MOP) versus the older unit’s 83-MCA and 125-MOP, which calculates into a total kilowatt/hr savings of 24,000 kWhr annually, based on 90-per cent compressor run times.

Peter Biffis, director of Nottawasaga Inn Resort, believes HPACMAG.COM

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the enhanced IAQ will translate into increased resort business. “When our golf course closes for the season, the indoor pool is the jewel of our facility, so when people have a great experience without any negative effects of chloramines that are common in all indoor pools, the word of mouth spreads quickly,” added Biffis.

John Parris Frantz is with JPF Associates Communications Inc., an agency specializing in the subjects of heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Pool dehumidifier with trays of adsorbent compound, which includes a green blend of coconut-based media.

VISIT HPAC AT

CMX/CIPHEX

BOOTH N11/N12

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Calendar 2010 FOR THE LATEST EVENT NEWS SEE HPAC'S NEWSLETTER @ hpacmag.com

CIPH Gala March 24

CMX/CIPHEX March 25-27

This evening event, in support of Habitat for Humanity Canada, will be held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. ciph.com

The biennial CMX/CIPHEX show will be held at the North Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, ON. cmxciphexshow.com

Existing Buildings in Urban Areas: Dramatically Cutting the Energy Waste April 19-20

Mechanical Electrical Electronic Technology May 5-6

This conference will address theoretical and practical matters associated with major improvements in the energy efficiency of existing buildings. It will be held at the Grand Hyatt in New York, N.Y. ashrae.org

Co-sponsored by CIPH, ASHRAE, the Illuminating Engineering Society and ElectroFederation Canada, MEET will be held in Moncton, NB. masterpromotions.ca/meet.asp

Oilheat 2010 June 16-18

ASHRAE Annual Meeting June 26-30

CIPH ABC June 27-30

The Canadian Oil Heat Association is holding its annual meeting in Charlottetown, PE at the Delta Prince Edward. symposium.coha.ca

Albuquerque, NM is the venue for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ annual meeting. ashrae.org

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating annual business conference will be held at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland in St. John's, NL. ciph.com

ICBEST 2010 June 27-30

Intersolar North America July 13-15

HRAI Annual Meeting August 19-21

NRC-IRC will meet in Vancouver, BC for the International Conference on Building Envelope Systems and Technology (ICBEST) 2010. icbest.ca

Intersolar North America will be held in San Francisco’s Moscone Center West. intersolar.us

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute is holding its annual meeting at the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis in Alberta. hrai.ca

World Energy Congress September 12-16

CHES National Trade Show & Education Forum September 19-21

Green Building Festival September 22-24

The 21st World Energy Congress will be held in Montreal, QC. worldenergy.org

MCA Canada Annual National Conference September 22-25 The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada is holding its annual meeting in Halifax, NS at the Halifax Marriott Hotel. mcac.ca

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The Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society will meet at the Telus Conference Centre in Whistler, BC. chesconference.com

Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) April 15-18 The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show & Conference is being held in Chicago at McCormick Place. kbis.com

CIPH Ontario Region Conference May 14-16 CIPH Ontario is holding its regional conference at the Hilton Fallsview Hotel in Niagara Falls, ON. barden@sympatico.ca

The 2010 Green Building Festival will be held at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto, ON. greenbuildingfest.com

CIPHEX West November 3-4

Construct Canada December 1-3

CIPH’s western trade show and conference is being held in Calgary, AB. ciph.com

Canada's largest building and construction show will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building. constructcanada.com

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Training CMCEF National Seminar Program

HRAI SkillTech Academy

The Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation program includes: commissioning, dispatcher training, change out and project management. cmcef.org

Subsidies and incentives are available for SkillTech’s residential courses, including the new Indoor Air Quality Awareness three-day program. hrai.ca

Solar Installer Certification Programs

TECA’s Quality First Training

For information on Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) workshops and training courses, visit cansia.ca or tel. 866-522-6742.

To register for the Thermal Environmental Comfort Association’s (TECA) Quality First training courses, e-mail training@teca.ca or call 604-594-5956.

Hydronics Training

GeoExchange Training

Information on the Canadian Hydronics Council two-day Introduction to Hydronic Heating Installations course is available at ultimatecomfort.ca or tel. 416-695-0447.

Developed by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition (CGC), the three-day training program is intended for those involved with the installation of residential geothermal systems. skilltech@hrai.ca

TheSource Bell Mobility.................................(866) BELL-BIZ....................... bell.ca......................................................... page 27 Bradford White-Canada.................(866) 690-0961..................... bradfordwhite.com........................................ page 29 CIPH............................................(800) 639-2474..................... ciph.com...................................................... page 48 CMX/CIPHEX Show......................(416) 444-5225..................... cmxciphexshow.com..................................... page 25 COHA...........................................(800) 268-1133..................... symposium.coha.ca...................................... page 10 Delta Faucet Canada....................(800) 567-3300..................... deltafaucet.com........................................... page 23 Endura-Form.................................(604) 792-0232..................... endura-form.com.......................................... page 35 Flir Systems.................................(800) 430-6754..................... goinfrared.com............................................. page 35 Ford Fleet....................................(800) 668-5515..................... fleet.ford.ca................................................. page 21 GeoSmart Energy.........................(866) 310-6690..................... geosmartenergy.com.............................. page 11, 13 HG Spec.......................................(450) 434-3384..................... hgspec.com................................................. page 49 Irwin Tools...................................(800) GO-IRWIN..................... irwin.com..................................................... page 63 Knauf Insulation...........................(800) 825-4434..................... knaufusa.com.............................................. page 33 Liberty Pumps..............................(800) 543-2550..................... libertypumps.com........................................... page 9 MEET Show..................................(888) 454-7469..................... meet2010.ca............................................... page 57 Mitsubishi Electric.......................(905) 475-7728..................... mitsubishielectric.ca....................................... page 5 RMC............................................(866) 622-0209..................... refrigerantmanagement.ca............................ page 37 Selkirk Commercial......................(888) 735-5175..................... selkirkcommercial.com................................... page 3 Taco Canada................................(905) 564-9422..................... taco-hvac.com.............................................. page 19 Thermo Mfg..................................(888) 678-3709..................... thermopan.com............................................ page 17 Topog-E Gaskets...........................(800) 587 7123.................... topog-e.com................................................. page 24 Uponor.........................................(888) 994-7726..................... uponor.ca....................................................... page 2 Watco Manufacturing...................(816) 796-3900..................... watcomfg.com................................................ page 8 Watts Canada..............................(888) 208-8927..................... wattscanada.ca...................................... page 43, 64 Wilo Canada.................................(866) 945-6236..................... wilo-canada.com........................................... page 41 Woodford Manufacturing...............(800) 621-6032..................... woodfordmfg.com........................................... page 7 Yorkland Controls.........................(877) 733-3833..................... yorkland.net................................................. page 12

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HVAC/R

Energy-Efficient Solution

Proves Itself

BY LUC BOILY

E

lectric thermal storage (ETS) is a means of storing heat during low-consumption (off-peak) periods so that it can later be discharged when the power demand is high. The end result is reduced energy costs.

The Technology

Target customers A thermal storage heating system can make a big difference on the electricity bill for business customers who pay for a demand charge (45 kW and over). It can optimize heating costs for shopping centres, office buildings, schools, hospitals, arenas, churches, post offices, underground garages and many other types of buildings. In addition, the investment in the system can generally be recovered within five years.

ETS systems exist in forced air and hydronic versions.

The difference between them is how heat is distributed to the building. It is via air for the forced air type, and it is water or a glycol/water mixture for the hydronic system.

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ThermElect ETS systems, shown here, were developed

by Hydro-Quebec for its business customers at the Laboratoire des technologies de l’énergie (LTE) in collaboration with the manufacturer Steffes Corporation.

Alain Moreau, researcher and project manager for HydroQuebec said: “The quantity of energy that an ETS system can store is impressive. On a comparative basis, the ThermElect can accumulate 15 times more energy per m3 than hot water at 100C according to results from pilot projects.”

“Those interested in knowing which system more conveniently fits their facilities just have to consult an energy- efficient service firm,” explained André Paré, who is commercial and industrial service director with Groupe Master S.E.C., a distributor of ETS systems. “Once the best system is selected, it can be installed and maintained by a subcontractor in building services. This is an excellent win-win example between the energy-efficient service companies, which have the skill in evaluation, and the mechanical contractors who have the skill in installation.”

Luc Boily is editor of Plomberie, Chauffage & Climatisation (PCC) and a freelance writer and translator.

Photo Hydro-Quebec

When the power demand is low, electrical resistance elements heat high-density ceramic bricks to very high temperatures. The stored heat is circulated later by the heating system to provide heat without using additional power during costly peak periods. The storage module can output and store heat simultaneously, so the heating needs are covered at all times. ETS can shave substantial amounts off the load for several hours. For example, it can deliver the equivalent of an 80-kW furnace for eight consecutive hours using only the heat from its thermal storage mass.

This is equivalent to the power required to heat a dozen single-family homes for eight hours when the outdoor temperature is -30C. What’s more, several modules can be installed on the same system to increase heating capacity.

Since ETS systems come with a built-in load management controller, they offer a turnkey solution for customers with no energy management system. In addition to automatic control of thermal storage based on power demand, the controller can manage 16 other electrical loads in the building.

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Check it out today at your local hardware retailer. bernzomatic.com/quickfire Š 2010 BERNZOMATIC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

"The Dead Level™ product is superior to anything we have experienced."

Bob Ouellette F.A. Williams, Inc. Mechanical Contractors Belmont, MA

Uniquely Engineered, Dead Level™ Presloped Trench Drain System

Watts is pleased to introduce the Dead Level™ Presloped Trench Drain. Dead Level™ installs and performs like no other trench drain system. A unique patent pending frame anchored design cuts installation time by as much as 50%, while self-aligning features create dead straight, Dead Level™ runs. Labor-saving 1’ Straight and Corner/Tee sections virtually eliminate field cutting operations, and courtesy construction covers ship with every order. Gratings and options are available for a wide variety of commercial applications.

For additional information, visit our web site at www.wattscanada.ca

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