Mechanical Business January/February 2016

JAN/FEB 2016 $6.95

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WHAT

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WET HEAT APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES

February 2016

A SOPPING WET SUPPLEMENT OF MECHANICAL BUSINESS

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Me chanical

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CONTENTS O F

From Milk Crates

BACK TO SCHOOL with GERRY DEE

to C Coffee Cans to Today

62COVER FEATURE The star of CBC’s Mr. D talks about the show’s fifth season, his days as a sports reporter and what makes a great bathroom.

Greg Dalgetty

WHAT www.mechanicalbusiness.com

WET HEAT APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES

February 2016

29WHAT SUPPLEMENT Our Wet Heat Applications & Technology supplement is back and better than ever.

Check out the latest hydronic products, news and features, starting on page 29.

20VEHICLE OUTFITTING Storage for the Trades Paul Morgan

F E A T U R E S 24PLUMBING Changes to Water Heater Regulations Greg Dalgetty

A SOPPING WET SUPPLEMENT OF MECHANICAL BUSINESS

MB SPECIALISTS 16PLUMBING Breaking Down Barriers Fred Bretzke

26HVAC 42FIND THE FIX

Managing Relative Humidity Gord Cooke

44ROAD WARRIOR: Simon Auger

36HYDRONICS

64PLUMBING

Everything in Its Place Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

Ensuring Excellent Sewage Pump Performance Denton Gaiser

46HYDRONICS A History of Circulators Dan Holohan

54ASK ROGER

80PLUMBING

Is Your Business Measuring Up? Roger Grochmal

A Modern Line on Shower Drains Brad Cornelissen

61MARKETING 85TOOL TIP: Keeping Warm on the Job

Everyone’s a Journalist Doug MacMillan

PRODUCTS 55,56Hydronics 68,83Plumbing 74,76,78HVAC/R 79Stuff you need DEPARTMENTS 04From the editor’s desk 06News 14Profile: Del Pawliuk 84The Info Page 85Calendar 86By the Numbers CHECK US OUT ONLINE

70REFRIGERATION Screw Compressors, Part 2 Phil Boudreau

mechanicalbusiness.com

On the cover: Gerry Dee spent 10 years at the front of a classroom. He now plays a teacher on TV. His hit show Mr. D is currently in its fifth season. Photo: CBC

FROM Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 Canada Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com Jan/Feb 2016 Issue Published 6 times per year.

Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com Associate Editor/Web Editor: Greg Dalgetty, ext. 225 greg.dalgetty@mechanicalbusiness.com National Accounts Manager: Jeff Superle, ext. 221 jeff.superle@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Art Direction: JJM Graphic Ltd. davem@jjmgraphic.com Circulation Manager: Shila Naik (905) 272-4175 shila.naik@mechanicalbusiness.com Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. 222 bruce.meacock@mechanicalbusiness.com PM:41536047 ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print) ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online)

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THE

EDITOR’S

DESK

Keeping a Professional Edge With the amount of change that is ongoing in the mechanical trades, you’d almost need a course (or several) to keep up with it all.

From newly developed products, to the integration of building systems and phone apps, to code and regulatory changes that affect which products can be sold in Canada, and how these products must be used or installed, the task that faces a trade professional is not getting any less complicated anytime soon.

Take tank-style water heaters as a prime example.

New regulations are increasing the size of these units, and possibly how they need to be installed.

As such, many manufacturers are offering training to help installers navigate this new product (for more on this, turn to page 24).

Living in Digital Want to keep up-to-date on your digital device?

Check out our home on the web, mechanicalbusiness.com, for news, products and digital editions of the magazine to read on your tablet or computer.

For professions that have continuing educational requirements, it can be easier for employers to ensure that workers are keeping up with changes in the marketplace. So why then, in a field as technical as mechanical systems, are most professionals not required to take regular training to maintain their credentials and keep their skills fresh?

For those who don’t see the need of such training, think about the last project that you were called in to clean up. Would a few hours of training by the original installer or designer have made a difference? Those are the types of installations that we base our Find the Fix puzzles on (the current quiz is over on page 42), so we know they are out there.

Whether mandated or not, increasing one’s skills is never a bad thing, and there are plenty of organizations orrganizations willing to help. Just J scratching the surface of options, HRAI’s SkillTech Academ emy y and MCAC’s MCAC C’s Construction Const Academy Education Council both offer industrys ecific training programs, sp progr specific and CIPH offers numerous seminars and webinars ever every year. And with digital delivery, you don’t even need to tra a to a training session; all you need is your travel fa me edi dia device. favourite media B ing a professional Be profess Being means being well trained, and even the nee to skate at practice, so I encourage you to best player needs check out a few of the courses and seminars in your area, and y to keep your professional edge well polished.

Until next time,

From time to time, Content Media Group Inc. makes subscribers’ names available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to readers. If you would like your name excluded from these mailings, please notify the publisher. © Copyright 2016. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher.

Proud members of:

d ll Adam Freill

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Printed with bio-renewable vegetable-based inks with less than 3% V.O.C.

02.16

News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Quebec Engineering Consultant Wins Technology Award Nicolas Lemire, president of Pageau Morel and Associates in Montreal, has received an ASHRAE Technology Award for his firm’s retrofit of the Anne-Marie Edward Science Building at John Abbott College, in Sainte-Anne-deBellevue, Que. The building features geothermal wells, low flow plumbing fixtures and natural gas hot water heating and solar preheating.

Canadian Wins Caleffi Grand Prize

pageaumorel.com ashrae.org

Bill Olschewski (right) of Tip Top Plumbing in Manitoba was named the grand prize winner of the 2015 Caleffi Excellence contest in December. His upgrade to a domestic heating and cooling and hot water system was voted on by a panel of industry experts and Caleffi executives. As the grand-prize winner, Olschewski will enjoy a trip to Italy to see the Caleffi World Headquarters.

Congratulating him is Ryan Bristow of Equipco Ltd. Caleffi’s 2016 Excellence contest is currently underway, inviting contractors to submit photos and videos of hydronic and plumbing projects. Twelve monthly winners will receive iPad minis, with the grand prize winner receiving a trip to Italy. New to this year’s contest, winners will be selected by attendees of Coffee with Caleffi webinars.

New Energy Efficiency Requirements in Ontario An amendment to Ontario’s Green Energy Act took effect on January 1, setting new minimum efficiency standards for 18 products in the province. As a result, the efficiency requirements for boilers in new and retrofit constructions have been revised. In addition, COP requirements for liquid-to-air geothermal heat pumps in open-loop cooling mode now align with Energy Star standards, and the MEPS requirements for water chillers now align with ASHRAE 90.1-2013 standards. A full list of the regulations can be viewed on the Government of Ontario’s website. ontario.ca

caleffi.com

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

Norma

Sam Hill

@NormaRitchie

@samahill

Of course the furnace conks out on one of the coldest days of the year.

Steph Curry is having a killer season because of his new toilet.

Dec 10, 2015

Jan 7, 2016

Royal Canadian Inst.

sky’sthelimit

@RCI_Canada

Hot Rocks: Canada Sits Atop Massive Geothermal Resource - IEEE Spectrum

“A good water policy would encourage water conservation not water use.”—Prof Arlene Kwasniak.

Nov 30, 2015

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@forempowerment

Jan 5, 2016

Buildings Show Hits Toronto The 2015 edition of the Buildings Show hit the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in December. The annual threeday event featured over 1,600 exhibits and attracted 30,000 construction professionals to the five shows that make up the event. Pictured above, Greg Bork of Flir talks to a show attendee.

Canadians Named Runners-Up in Lochinvar Contest Two Canadians have been named runners-up in the first round of winners of Lochinvar’s VIP Contractor program. Matt Derrien of Cooper Plumbing & Heating in Calgary came in second place. Shane Fink of Triple H Hydronics, also in Calgary, won third place. Both contractors received Visa gift cards for their entries. The contest runs through April, with three winners announced each month.

Contractors are invited to submit photos and videos of residential and light commercial boiler installations for consideration. First-place winners get a trip to Lochinvar’s Nashville Experience.

constructcanada.com

HVAC Coalition Recaps Highlights Speaking at the HRAI GTA Chapter AGM, held in Vaughan, Ont., in late November, Martin Luymes, HRAI’s director of programs and relations, discussed the HVAC Coalition’s achievements over the past year. Highlights included getting the Ontario Energy Board to demand a cost analysis report from Oakville Hydro outlining its business relationship with Sandpiper Energy; working on a DSM framework for gas utilities; and working with Enbridge Gas Distribution to address its charges for new connection fees. Luymes also talked about HRAI’s interest in pursuing a political advocacy plan.

lochinvar.com

Johnson Controls and Tyco Announce Merger Johnson Controls and Tyco, a provider of fire and security systems, have entered into a merger agreement. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2016.

hrai.ca

Rising Radiant Professionals Honoured

MARCH 2014 $6.95 20 C 2014 OCT O /OCT T/O PT/ PT P EPT/OC E EPT/ SEPT/OCT SEPT SE S 95 $6.95 $6.95

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2015 $6.95

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Daniel Vastyan, an account manager and writer for Common Ground, and Max Rohr (Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr’s son), a representative for Shamrock Sales, were among the recipients of the Radiant Professionals Alliance’s Rising Radiant Professionals award, announced in December. The award recognizes people under the age of 30 who have compiled impressive bodies of work in the radiant and hydronic fields. Both Vastyan (top) and Rohr (below) are 29.

Congratulations Dan and Max!

johnsoncontrols.com tyco.com

C M P X .com ness busi ical chan .me www

A SOPPING

WET WE ET T HEA HEAT H AT T APPLICATIONS A PLICA APPLI APP AND AN ND D TECH ICATIO TECHNOLOGIES TE TEC CHNO HNOL OLO LOG OGIES

August A ug gustt 2015

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Committing to Fighting Climate Change Canada joined the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction at the COP21 Climate Summit in Paris in December. The alliance features 18 countries and 60 organizations, including the World Green Building Council, who are pledging to accelerate the fight against climate change by reducing energy demand in the construction sector and promoting energy efficiency in buildings. cop21paris.org

B.J. Williams & Associates Wins Sales Award

Watco QuickTrim®

B.J. Williams & Associates brought home the Top Performing Sales Agency Award at the Yellow Jacket sales meeting held at the Hilton Paradise Valley in Scottsdale, Az., on November 21. From left to right: B.J. Williams & Associates team members Mike Lanners, Tom Ritchie, Kristen Ritchie and Shane Williams. actoolsource.com

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…drop in designer finish and stopper whenever you’re ready.

Len Siderius of Siderius Heating and Cooling was the lucky recipient of a 2016 Ski-Doo, given away by Allied Air and Kerr Smart Energy on November 30 in Courtland, Ont. Pictured above, Ryan Thomson of Kerr Smart Energy announces Siderius as the winner. alliedair.com kerrsmartenergy.com

Useful. Innovation.

816.796.3900 Q watcomfg.com

Follow Us on Twitter @MechBusiness

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TSSA Extends Compliance Date for Unvented Heaters in Livestock Facilities Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has suspended its January 1, 2016, enforcement deadline for compliance of existing unvented heaters in livestock facilities installed before October 1, 2014. Non-compliances will not be enforced until the effective date of the next Gaseous Fuels Code Adoption Document. tssa.org

APP ALERT Tools-to-Go App The Tools-to-Go app, available from Winters Instruments, provides access to four tools and is designed to facilitate the specifying of gauges and thermometers. The app also features a pressure/temperature converter. It is available for Android and iOS devices. winters.com

Standards Council Recognizes IAPMO EGS The Standards Council of Canada has accredited the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials Electric, Gas and Solar division (IAPMO EGS) as a certification body. IAPMO EGS certifies electric plumbing products, including motor-operated water pumps, swimming pool pumps and electric plumbing accessories (such as plumbing control systems, irrigation equipment, electric faucets and toilet-flushing systems).

Tool Tracker App Wells Innovations’ Tool Tracker App allows contractors to scan barcodes placed on their tools to keep track of tool inventory. It tracks tool information, jobsite location and any maintenance requirements. The app is available for Android and iOS devices. wellsinnovations.org

scc.ca

SANI

3

1.28 GPF

A PUMP COMPANY SINCE 1958

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Movers & Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

D-B Cooling Systems on the Move D-B Cooling Systems Inc., a representative of Delta Cooling Towers and Robur gas-fired heat pumps and chillers, has a new mailing address and phone number. They can be reached at 252-291 Main Street, Wasaga Beach, Ont., L9Z 0E8, or by phone at 705-429-5115. dbcoolingsystems.com

Wolseley y Relocates and Expands Several Branches RectorSeal Acquires Acquir q res AC L Leak kF Freeze RectorSeal has acquired the assets of Universal Technologies Inc. and its AC Leak Freeze brands of air conditioning and refrigeration leak repair sealants. rectorseal.com leakfreeze.com

Daikin Applied pp Purchases Minority Stake in Software Developer Daikin Applied has acquired a minority ownership stake in Riptide IO, a company that builds software designed to manage and automate building equipment. Riptide IO was involved in the development of Daikin Intelligent Equipment, a cloud-based platform for managing HVAC equipment. daikinapplied.com riptideio.com

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Wolseley has announced several branch expansions throughout the country. The company has relocated its HVAC/R branch in St. Catharines, Ont., and expanded it to include the company’s full line of plumbing products.

The new 13,000-square-foot facility is located at 139 Cushman Rd. Wolseley also merged its plumbing and HVAC/R branches in Dartmouth, N.S., and moved them into a larger facility, located at located at 15 Garland Ave. The company’s Brantford, Ont., HVAC/R branch, located at 349 Henry St., has been expanded to include plumbing products. Finally, Wolseley’s plumbing branch in Brandon, Man., located at 2313 Park Ave., now carries the company’s full line of HVAC/R products. Pictured above: tthe Wolseley team in St. Catharines. From left to right: Paul Morgan, Steve Thomson, Jim Humphries, Shane Oneschuk, James Bent and Barry Rohaly. wolseleyinc.ca

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Alexandre Tagliani NASCAR racer

Alex’s pit stop challenge

Visit us at the CMPX show in Toronto, booth 314-316 and meet Alexandre Tagliani, NASCAR racer, on March 16, between 9 am and 4 pm. Try to beat his time at the pit stop challenge!

SINCE

1995 riobelpro.ca

02.16

People in the news www.mechanicalbusiness.com MATTHEW COWLEY has been appointed the sales account manager for Spectroline’s air conditioning and refrigeration product line. In his new role, he will be active in the Canadian market as he aims to maximize sales and identify new business opportunities.

STEPHANIE BRETELER has been promoted to Ottawa sales manager with Goodman Manufacturing. She started working at Goodman’s Ottawa branch six years ago and has previous experience as a customer service representative with the company.

DAVID WEINSTEIN has been named the president and CEO of CSA Group. He will be responsible for the leadership and development of the Toronto-based global standards organization, which employs more than 1,800 people.

SEAN KELLY has been named Emco Corporation’s regional manager for the Midwest. Kelly will also continue in his current role as vice-president of procurement. He has been with Emco for 20 years.

CLINT GULBRANDSEN is manager of the newly merged and relocated Wolseley plumbing and HVAC/R branch in Dartmouth, N.S. Gulbrandsen started at Wolseley in 1993 as a shipper/ receiver in Thunder Bay and became manager of the Dartmouth plumbing branch in 2014.

BOB FAHRNI has been appointed accounted manager for Carlo Gavazzi’s Greater Toronto Area and Northern Ontario regions. In his new role he will focus on supporting channel partners and developing new and existing business relationships. He has a background in selling industrial automation components and systems.

Re-Think Refrigeration.

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Modern refrigeration requires a new kind of OEM partner. An OEM who is as comfortable in a processing plant, as they are in the CAD room. An OEM who understands that “field work” trumps “lab work”. And an OEM who delivers turn-key solutions that have been designed, tested and field proven in the real world.

Oxford Refrigeration can help expand your opportunities and introduce your customers to the most technically advanced systems in North America. Let us show you how.

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Re-Think refrigeration. Re-Think with Oxford.

www.oxfordenergy.ca 519-532-6373 12

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C O N D E N S I N G

T E C H N O L O G Y

02.16

Profile Del Pawliuk: Life in the Fast Lane

Using a combination of hard work and considerable drive, the newest president of MCAC, Del Pawliuk, doesn’t know the meaning of “slow down.” That might very well explain his collection of fast cars, which just happens to include a 1967 Shelby 428.

With a wealth of experience and knowledge about the business of jobsites, Pawliuk credits his parents for instilling him with his work ethic. “My father always told me, ‘You either do it right, or don’t do it at all,’” he says. “You have to work hard, and do the best you can.”

Q A

And when mistakes happen, he says it is always best not to hide. “Own up to it, and people will respect you.”

Although he considers himself a very private individual who doesn’t like to talk about himself, we managed to corner him for a few minutes to pry some details out him, and to learn what the coming two years has in store for MCAC.

How did you get started in the mechanical sector?

Q

What are some of the changes you’ve seen in the industry?

I have my certified management accountant credentials, or what is now a CPA. I trained in management and costing. When I joined the mechanical sector, it was a business opportunity. I went from being a worker in construction to being an owner.

A

When I started out as a young man, you used to be able to have a handshake, and it could be a $1 million or $2 million contract, which is more like a $10 million or $15 million contract today, and you could work on a handshake.

Now, it just doesn’t work that way.

Q A

What do you enjoy most about the industry?

Q A

Photo: Ali Pearson

Tell us about your company, and your role within it.

RF Contracting started out as a plumbing and piping company. In the mid to late ’90s, we got into iron working and civil work as well. Around ’98 or ’99, we started to get into general contracting.

Q

What’s the secret to growth and success?

A

It’s all about people.

All a company does is supply these guys with money and the opportunity to show what they can do.

They are the ones that make or break you.

Q

As the head of the MCAC executive board, what are some of the top things that you’d like to see accomplished during your tenure?

BIO Name: Del Pawliuk Title: President, RF Contracting Inc. Age: 65 Born in: Two Hills, Alta.

Resides in: Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. Joined the construction industry in 1972; mechanical sector in 1994 Hobbies: Fishing, hunting and fast, fast cars Family: Wife Karen, a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren

14

In our industry, you get a job and it starts from nothing and a year or two later you can look out there and say I had a hand in building that. It makes you feel good. You have a sense of accomplishment.

A

Prompt payment legislation is on top of the priority list.

If the federal government and one province pass prompt payment legislation, we think the rest of Canada will follow. We are working on that, at all levels.

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By Fred Bretzke

PLUMBING

Breaking

Down Barriers

CODE REQUIREMENTS C Section 2.2.2.5 of the 2010 C Canadian National Plumbing

I

still remember the ’70s, when we didn’t really worry about barrier-free washrooms. They certainly were not compulsory back then. The American Standards barrier-free standard was published in 1961, but I don’t recall all it becoming mandatory until the late ’70s or early ’80s.

I remember when my parents began to age, they became a little more—how should I put this?—brittle. My dad was a very active and physical man until cancer and age got the best of him. My mom suffers from bad knees, hips, back and joints, as many seniors do.

Code states that a public water C clo closet must have an open-ended, elong elongated seat. This really is not just for barrie barrier-free, but all public toilets. Other than that, we must refer to the barrier-free codes for each province, which are basically universal.

The following are the most important Alberta and Ontario barrier-free code requirements. These codes are

I remember my dad renovating his bathroom and installing grab bars in the shower and by the toilet to make it easier for mom. He even installed one of those elevated toilets seats to make it easier to sit.

Little did he know that he would eventually need these barrier-free accessories more than mom would.

pretty much the same throughout the rest of Canada.

I remember getting them a hot tub that dad installed in the back room, with grab bars and all. I thought this would be therapeutic and help them to relax and heal. But it became too difficult for them to actually get into it because they had to lift their legs over the high hot tub wall. We ended up installing a barrier-free shower with grab bars on all the walls.

2. The door lock must be able to open from both sides.

1. A single-toilet barrier-free stall must be a minimum of 1,500 mm x 1,500 mm.

3. The stall must be equipped with grab bars.

4. The centre line of the toilet must not be less than 460 mm and not more than 480 mm from one side

When you are young and healthy, you don’t really understand how difficult it could be just to go to the washroom in peace and comfort.

If you are physically impaired, it can be a major problem. Can you imagine how awkward and difficult it must’ve been for some people way back in the day?

of the stall.

continues on page 18

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PLUMBING

continued from page 16

2 3 4 5

The stall should be 2,400 mm x 1,700 mm.

6

There must be 760 mm minimum clearance width below

The centre line of the toilet must not be less than 460 mm

Modern barrier-free stalls are now called universal toilet rooms,

7 8

and they consist of a water closet and lavatory. These stalls have

Toilet seat height should range from 430 to 460 mm. It is sometimes

larger dimensions and further requirements over what’s out-

preferable to use extended toilet seats as tall as 500 mm for older

lined in the “Code Requirements” sidebar (previously noted).

users. For more detailed information, please refer to online barrier-

MODERN BARRIERFREE STALLS

1

18

The lav flood level rim should be at least 865 mm in height.

The bottom of the lav should be at least 735 mm in height.

There should be at least a 460-mm centre-to-wall measurement on the lav.

the vanity.

and not more than 480 mm from one side of the wall.

The exposed lav drainage and water lines must be insulated.

free design requirements in your province.

There must be a minimum wheelchair swing radius of 1,500 mm between the toilet and lavatory.

M e c h a n i c a l

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I really began to appreciate the importance of barrier-free washrooms when I had my knees replaced a couple years ago. I recently toured my fourthyear plumbing apprentices through the South Health Campus, a new $1.4 billion hospital. This state-of-the-art facility has every form of barrier-free accessory. In other words, it was nothing like some of the hospitals I have stayed in over the years.

My first hospital visit was in 1979 in Mons, Belgium. I was having my meniscus removed after blowing out my knee.

While touring downtown Brussels, I had decided to get my picture taken on top of a 15-foot statue. I thought I was Superman and jumped off the statue in front of a crowd of people. I was trying to land in a deep fountain of water, but I missed and landed on the cobblestone road. My knee went one way and my leg went the other.

While I was recovering from my surgery at the hospital, I had an English-speaking roommate who had been in a motorcycle accident. Each day, four or five nurses would come into our room and draw the curtain between us to perform some kind of ritual on him. All I heard was him yelping in shock and the nurses giggling.

Then they would come to me, and a nurse would ask me in French something I did not understand. I didn’t know what to say, so I said, “NO!” This continued for five days, and I still had not gone to the bathroom except to pee. I was pretty sure they were giving my roommate a bedpan, and there was no way I was going to go through that humiliation. But eventually the cramping became so bad I finally conceded. The nurses shut the curtain and slowly lifted my little hospital gown…

I quietly pulled myself off the bed and limped ped to the washroom down the hall. I crept into o the doorless, non-barrier-free bathroom stall, as barrier-free bathrooms did not exist at the time. I slowly and painfully tried to situate myself on the seatless toilet—that’s right, a seatless toilet! Can you u believe it? No bloody toilet seats. Apparently you had to bring your own.

PLUMBING

BACK IN THE DAY…

And that wasn’t the only thing missing. I suddenly realized there was no toilet paper.

I slowly pulled myself together and crawled down the hall in search of a spare roll of tissue. I went into some old guy’s room and asked in broken French if he had any. He laughed and gave me some. As I slowly crawled back, I didn’t notice that the nurses were watching me in disbelief—and yet not offering to help.

I finally got myself back to the seatless toilet, ready to go. And let’s just say the rest is history.

After that day, I had lost all my shyness. The nurses were so proud of me. They said it was a miracle—they had never seen anyone walk for at least 10 days after the kind of knee operation I’d had. Given the knee replacements I had coming up years later, I feel blessed that we’ve had barrier-free toilets here in Calgary since 2012.

Fred Bretzke is a full-time pipe trades instructor with SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary and the general manager of A&B Plumbing & Heating. He can be reached at fred.bretzke@sait.ca.

Catalog No.

Item Code

Power Source

DPHTP500

08177

1/2" 18V cordless (1500 RPM) or electric drill

gal/min

l/min

psi

bar

1.3

4.5

500

34

To my surprise—and shock—I felt an icecold surge on my rear. Apparently the nurses were just trying to ice me down to prevent bedsores. Of course, I still had a real problem. I was in a cast and not supposed to walk for at least 10 days. But the cramping was so extreme. I needed to go to the bathroom. Badly.

M e c h a n i c a l

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19

VEHICLE OUTFITTING

B y P au l M o r g an

From Milk Crates to Coffee Cans to Today

was an apprentice long ago in a dark age. I know this because there can be no way trades folks today travel as I did back then.

I

The memories are vivid: travelling along one of Ontario’s busiest highways as a third passenger in the day’s cargo van – in the unheated, unseated and unsafe rear cargo area of the vehicle.

I kept warm under anything I could pull over my body; unaware that being unable to feel my toes was the least of my concerns. At any moment, under good hard braking, I could be propelled as a projectile or have my skull crushed by any number of unsecured, heavy and sometimes explosive items inside the van.

TALL OR SMALL, CUSTOMIZE THEM ALL While manufacturers continue to recognize the importance of an enclosed, weatherproof toolbox on wheels, the style, length and height are very much up for the choosing nowadays, as models come in tall and standard heights, with long and short vans both being viable options.

Milk crates loaded with fittings, coffee cans brimming with nuts and bolts, bent pieces of all thread, unliftable tool boxes and somebody’s collection of scrap copper were all threats to my wellbeing.

The two fellows up front weren’t much better off. There was no partition. At least they had seat belts.

Thankfully, vehicle modifiers or “upfitters” are here.

These pros take voluminous cubic space and make it a thing of beautification, organization and utilization.

Furthermore, vehicle upfitters increase the level of safety for the road bound worker immensely. Gone are the days when tradesmen slap a couple of shelves in the van on a slow day.

The taller vans offer the ability, says Farmboro’s Andy Maynard, to “get in and stand up...or create a mobile workshop, or just simply have more cargo capacity.”

However, in cities where underground parking is the regular realm of the service industry, getting up close and personal with your clientele when tall truck meets short entranceway is an ugly sight. Therefore, the mini-cargo-van is back, and upfitters are more than happy to customize these just as well.

Homemade shelves made from leftover ductwork and a can of self-tapping screws just don’t stand up in a vehicular accident, nor will they in court. With litigation at an all-time high in Canada following KEEPING THE STORAGE IN THE BACK accidents and By far the most crucial and popular upfit is the partition or bulkhead separatinjuries, a ing vehicle occupants from cargo. Primarily a safety feature, this separation higher measure also increases occupant comfort. of installation Noise reduction, climate control and....accessories! These things almost quality is make your lunch. You want to hang your hardhat, sort your purchase orders necessary. or keep manuals at the ready? No problem.

Partitions come basic or with the ability to morph themselves into storage or cabin organizers. These units are crash tested and some include contouring to maximize seat travel. Others even offer flexibility to cater to changing cargo and cabin space demands. continued on page 22

20

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VEHICLE OUTFITTING

continued from page 20

SAFE AND CERTIFIED

GETTING ORGANIZED

Safety needs to be priority number 1 in the workplace, and rightly so. Every worker needs to commit to getting himself or herself home each day. In the construction industry, most of us are familiar with on-site rules and regulations relating to safety.

Let’s face it, we could all use mom nagging at us to tidy up. Upfitters, like mom, give everything a home – to a science.

Be you a plumber, an HVAC technician, a controls installer or a refrigeration mechanic, vehicle modifiers will help you store and easily access your most used tools and parts.

Vehicle upfitters face safety standards every which way they turn. From customer to supplier to vehicle manufacturer to the Canadian government, modifiers must be accountable at every level. As I picked the brain of Steve Austin, an approved vehicle upfitter at Burlington Krown, a distributor of Adrian Steel commercial upfitting solutions, he waved his arm around the room like a conductor as he pointed out his credentials.

“You need to prove to them you know and understand the requirements,” he said, adding that customers often ask for a copy of his certification.

Bins large and small for items large and small, drawers, lockable chests, hooks, cable reel holders, cabinets, ladder keepers and even work benches make it possible to have a tidier work truck than your bedroom.

Some vehicle manufacturers such as Ford and General Motors have upfit training programs and certification demands. Without meeting their levels and training, an upfitter can’t touch their vehicles.

Upfit suppliers such as Adrian Steel, Ranger and Weather Guard, have limited approved dealers. Their installers need a great deal more than a business card and a cordless drill. With reputations for quality product with strong safety standards, suppliers are looking over the shoulders of their installers.

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Paul Morgan is a licensed journeyman and professional writer who works in the wholesale sector.

Higher energy-efficiency ratings and lower cabinet heights

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Changes to Water Heater Regulations

By Greg Dalgetty

C

hanges are coming—or have already come—to residential water heater regulations throughout Canada.

Natural Resources Canada and the Office of Energy Efficiency are increasing the energy factor (EF) of gas- and oil-fired water heaters. Meanwhile, the maximum allowable standby loss has been lowered for electric water heaters.

Here’s what you need to know about the new regulations.

What’s Changing?

Across the board, residential water heaters are getting bigger, heavier and more expensive, advises Paul McDonald, general manager of Bradford White Canada.

To meet the new regulations, electric water heaters will require additional insulation, which will increase their diameter and height. Piping and components such as drain valves and temperature and pressure valves may also require additional insulation.

Gas-fired water heaters will also require further insulation, new flue baffling, or an electronic ignition—or a combination of these measures. Oil-fired units require additional insulation or new combustion systems. For more information, visit nrcan.gc.ca.

When Are the Changes Coming?

The new requirements for oil-fired water heaters took effect throughout Canada on April 16, 2015.

The increased efficiency requirements for electric water heaters also took effect in Ontario in 2015. These will apply to the rest of Canada as of April 1, 2016, the same date that the revised requirements for gas-fired water heaters will take effect.

Greater Cost to Homeowners In the end, these larger, more expensive units—and in some cases, tricky installations—will add up to greater costs for the consumer.

“The costs of the tanks are going up in price, so there’s a higher cost to the homeowner. And there are additional costs to the homeowner in applications where the closet is not big enough,” McDonald says. “That’s the homeowner’s costs—it’s

Adjustments for Contractors

not the contractor’s, manufacturer’s or distributor’s. It all filters

Training is key to ensuring that contractors are ready to deal with the fallout of the new regulations.

down to the consumer, one way or the other.”

“We’re doing a lot of training with contractors from across the country, and so are the other manufacturers,” said McDonald.

With water heaters getting larger and heavier, installations may become more of a challenge.

“You may need a second guy to help move a heater, whereas in the past it could have been done by one person,” McDonald said. “That’s an installation cost that’s greater to the homeowner or end user.”

Space may also be a concern, especially with electric water heaters getting larger.

24

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“Quite often electric water heaters are stored in a closet, because they don’t need a lot of air and space around them,” McDonald said. “If it’s going to be two inches wider or two inches taller, it may not fit into that closet anymore.”

New water heater technology may present another issue as well.

When contractors are replacing old heaters with condensing units, they may be required to install a condensate drain near the heater, or a condensate pump, depending on local requirements.

速

HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC

B y Go r d C ooke

Managing Relative

I

was a little surprised last month when I was asked to visit a homeowner who experienced excessive condensation on their relatively new windows and mould on the windowsills

all last winter.

I wasn’t surprised by the condensation over one of the coldest winters in the last 20 years in a home with well over 100 plants.

I was surprised, however, that the homeowner was unable to receive consistent, responsible, accurate advice regarding the problem, or appropriate solutions from the multiple contractors they had

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

consulted. Prior to reaching out to my firm, they had tried both window companies and mechanical contractors. It feels like we in the building industry should be able to get this right and all sing the same tune, regardless of what we are trying to sell.

BEFORE YOU READ THE REST OF THIS COLUMN, COMPLETE THIS LITTLE QUIZ:

What is an appropriate relative humidity (RH) to minimize condensation on double-glazed low-E, argon-filled windows on a cold winter day?

30 per cent 40 per cent 50 per cent

35 per cent 45 per cent

The contractor who recommended floor-register deflectors to direct warm, humid air away from the windows was on the right track.

True

False

The contractor who told them they had to get rid of their plants was being practical and helpful.

True

False

(For the answers to these questions, see Solving the Problem.)

continues on page 28

26

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HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC continued from page 26

FINDING A

Solving the Problem

T

here are, in essence, three ways to manage excessive humidity.

The first is to warm up the cold, condensing surfaces (in this case, the glass). For example, a savvy window salesman might have looked at the homeowners’ love of plants and suggested triple-glazed windows.

1

A helpful HVAC contractor might suggest an efficient ECM fan motor on the air handler running all the time, with furniture and curtains moved away from the floor registers to allow warm air to bathe the windows as much as possible.

The second strategy is reducing or controlling the sources of moisture.

2

Cooking, showering, cleaning, normal respiration and perspiration are common sources of humidity. Fish tanks, stored firewood, hot tubs, water features and in this case, the damp soil from a hundred plants, can easily push the relative humidity higher than the building can withstand.

While there are excellent dehumidifiers for special applications such as refrigerated storage and skating rinks that can dehumidify air to very low temperatures, the common household dehumidifier is typically designed for dew points above 5°C. Of course, we are in Canada, and Mother Nature provides a reliable and inexpensive source of sub4°C air for months at a time. The answer to the vast majority of high winter indoor moisture levels in Canadian buildings is to provide the capacity for ventilation rather than mechanical dehumidification.

Anytime outside air is reliably between 5 and -10°C, ventilation is the best option for dehumidifying most buildings.

The rest of the year, buildings need mechanical dehumidification such as whole-home dehumidifiers, two-stage air conditioners or at least thermostatic or enthalpy controllers that adjust cooling operation to optimize dehumidification.

However, just like a health club owner can’t tell clients to take shorter showers, I don’t think it’s very helpful to tell a homeowner to get rid of the plants they so clearly enjoy. It’s better to suggest ways of controlling moisture sources.

An enclosed shower room, lids on the fish tanks, plastic covers over the soil in plant boxes (at least for the winter months) would all work wonders.

The third strategy is to remove moisture from the air inside the building.

3

The inside air can be cooled mechanically below its dew point to remove moisture, or air that has already been cooled and dried can be introduced to the environment.

In the example house I’ve referred to, maintaining an RH of 35 per cent at 20°C means getting air below the dew point of approximately 4°C.

28

M e c h a n i c a l

balance

B u s i n e s s

anaging humidity is really about maintaining a moisture balance. It should be enough to prevent occupant complaints about dry skin and electric shocks, and to avoid excessive shrinking, cracking or warping of building components. And yet the humidity should not be so high that it causes excessive condensation on windows in winter and mould in basements in summer.

M

Moisture in air is generally good for people, but bad for the building when it is in liquid form – especially when the humidity in the air condenses on building materials. Moisture in air condenses when it comes in contact with surfaces below the dew point. RH should be just high enough to avoid condensation on the coldest surfaces.

Historically, the coldest surfaces in typical buildings have been windows. The simple chart below is from a 20-year-old Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation publication. It doesn’t address newer technologies such as low E coatings, argon gas fills or insulated spacers, but it does provide good guidance.

In the house I was in, the windows were double-glazed, which means an RH range

Maximum RH with indoor temperature at 20°C (68°F) Outdoor Temp.

Single Glazing

Double Glazing

Triple Glazing

0°C (32°F)

36%

60%

71%

-10°C (14°F)

20%

46%

60%

-20°C (-4°F)

11%

34%

50%

-30°C (-22°F)

5%

26%

42%

-40°C (-40°F)

2%

20%

36%

Quiz Answers 1 - 35% 2 - False 3 - Practical, yes; Helpful, no

0 2 . 1 6

of 30 to 40 per cent would be appropriate for most of the winter. None of the contractors who had been at the house had actually measured the RH, which was surprising. However, on the day of my visit, the RH was 50 per cent.

WHAT www.mechanicalbusiness.com

WET HEAT APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES

February 2016

A SOPPING WET SUPPLEMENT OF MECHANICAL BUSINESS

See our full line of products ntiboilers.com

WHAT

great C O N T E N T S supple m e nt

02 . 1 6

F E A T U R E S 44ROAD WARRIOR: Simon Auger Greg Dalgetty

34GUEST COLUMN 46CIRCULATORS The Second Most Common Machine in Mechanicals Dan Holohan

50IN-FLOOR HEATING Hitting the Floor for Question Period Eric Riml

A recent project in Stoney Creek, Ont., shows what a group of big-hearted contractors can do when a community institution needs help.

Ron Robinson

Everything in Its Place 36HYDRONICS Selecting the right components only gets you so far. Installing them in the right places can make a hydronic system greater than the sum of its parts.

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

Looking up to 54ASK ROGER Is Your Business Measuring Up? Roger Grochmal

Heating Systems 40 0RADIANT CEILINGS

58HYDRONIC IQ Nothing But Net Lance MacNevin

Most people think of hydronic heat in terms of in-floor heating and radiator systems, but radiant ceilings are another option worth considering.

Jerry Leyte

D E P A R T M E N T S 32From the Editor’s Desk 42Find the Fix 55,56Products

On the cover: A founding member of the HRAI Golden Horseshoe Chapter, Ron Robinson served as project coordinator when the organization stepped up to deliver new heating equipment to a local museum. Photo: David Chidley

WHAT

Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 Canada Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com February 2016 Issue Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com

Associate Editor/Web Editor: Greg Dalgetty, ext. 225 greg.dalgetty@mechanicalbusiness.com National Accounts Manager: Jeff Superle, ext. 221 jeff.superle@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Art Direction: JJM Graphic Ltd. davem@jjmgraphic.com Circulation Manager: Shila Naik (905) 272-4175 shila.naik@mechanicalbusiness.com Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. 222 bruce.meacock@mechanicalbusiness.com We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Submissions: Copyright in material submitted to the magazine and accepted for publication remains with the author, but Mechanical Business and its licensees may freely reproduce it in print, electronic or other forms. Mechanical Business also reserves the right to edit said submitted materials to suit the editorial needs and mandate of the publication.

FROM

THE

EDITOR’S

Opportunities Abound As last year came to a close, we watched the Canadian economy take a number of hits, and that has many customers facing ever-tightening budgets. As such, there’s a greater emphasis on finding savings than ever before.

The good news is you can help.

All this budget-consciousness presents a huge opportunity to savvy contractors, manufacturers and wholesalers in the hydronic market. Improvements to mechanical systems have opened the door to substantial cost savings that present real value to homeowners and business owners across the country.

to date on the newest highefficiency hydronic products, visit us at mechanicalbusiness.com.

Adding a buffer tank to an oversized boiler, for instance, can be a means of storing excess heat. Devices designed to remove air and dirt from hydronic systems can boiler. also help increase the lifespan of a b might say things seem bleak, reasons for So, while some m optimism—not tto mention business opportunities—abound. may be tight and economic times uncertain, Yes, budgets ma but rest assured that the hydronic industry is well-positioned to deliver real va value for money and offer long-term savings. this knowledge, we can move forward together Armed with th to ensure a bright future for the industry. nothing loyaler than a And remember—there’s rem cared-for boiler. cared-f

© Copyright 2016. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher.

Yours truly, Your

Proud members of:

Greg Dalgetty

S u p p l e m e n t

If you’re looking to stay up

On the boiler front, turndown ratios and modulating condensing units can ensure that systems are firing at optimal rates to meet heating loads. Combustion and thermal efficiencies are at all-time highs. And if installing a new heating system isn’t in a customer’s budget, there are other ways of finding efficiencies.

From time to time, Content Media Group Inc. makes subscribers’ names available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to readers. If you would like your name excluded from these mailings, please notify the publisher.

W H A T

Newest Products

Take, for example, how pump technology has improved exponentially in recent years. Manufacturers have introduced variable speed pumps that ensure greater system efficiencies and performance. Some come with constant flow options, which not only lower electricity bills but also extend a pump’s lifespan by reducing the operating horsepower and speed to match specific system needs moment by moment.

Notice: Mechanical Business is published for owners, managers and decision makers with mechanical contracting firms and the sector’s supply chain partners in Canada. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Mechanical Business, Content Media Group Inc., its staff, directors, officers and shareholders (‘The Publisher’) assume no liability, obligation or responsibility for advertised claims, for errors and/or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information.

Manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over published editorial.

The publisher reserves the right to publish a printed correction in a subsequent issue for editorial errors, omissions and oversights.

Subscriptions are available for $90 plus taxes in Canada and the U.S. Single copies are $15.00. Outside Canada and the U.S., the rates are $150.00 (annual) and $25.00 (single copy).

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Spreading the Warmth T

wo and a half years ago, I was reading my local newspaper when a small article with no picture explained how a local museum, the Erland Lee Museum, was struggling to keep its heat on due to the reliability of its old oilfired boiler – a piece of equipment that had been flooded at times over its lifespan.

Never having been to the museum before, I reached out to see if we could help in some way. After a walk-through inspection, I soon realized the challenge was huge, but not out of reach for a heating and cooling association with some funds and big hearts.

Photos: David Chidley

As a founding member of the HRAI Golden Horseshoe Chapter, I knew we had the expertise and generosity within our membership to correct this situation, so I made the pitch.

It can sometimes be hard to find a worthy partner in the community to give back to, but this seemed to be a good win-win partnership. The museum is not government funded, relying on donations and volunteers to keep the heat on, doors open and to serve the community. The contractors within the Golden Horseshoe Chapter service and live in the same region as the museum, so this was truly a hometown project for all of us.

With an approval from the chapter’s board and a thumbs-up from our membership, we formed a technical steering committee to assess the needs and find solutions for the museum.

Cash donations from chapter members, as well as the ClimateCare Co-operative, helped get the ball rolling, and manufacturer, wholesaler and supplier members were encouraged to participate by way of equipment and materials donations.

Photo: Jimmy Jeong

For Home and Country Located at 552 Ridge Road in Stoney Creek, Ont., the Erland Lee Museum serves as a memorial to the birthplace of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario, a not-for-profit charitable organization that offers educational programming and community support, and advocates for social, environmental and economic change. The Lee family home was the location of the inaugural meeting of the organization, in February of 1897.

As a result, almost all equipment and materials were donated free of charge to the project, and four member contractors stepped forward with the right expertise to complete all aspects of the new systems for the two buildings that the museum uses.

In the main house, a new boiler, indirect water heater, pumps, radiant floor manifolds and controls were needed to bring the existing hydronic system in the main museum building back to life.

The staged installations took place from spring through fall of 2015, and I am happy to report that all systems are performing well, providing the museum and staff comfort and energy cost reductions.

It is interesting to think about where that quick read of the local newspaper one day two and a half years ago has led our chapter, and the positive exposure it has brought to the companies involved, and our industry as a whole. And it makes me appreciate what a group of big-hearted contractors can do when a community institution needs our help.

fwio.on.ca

I can’t help but have that make me feel warm inside.

Ron Robinson AtlasCare Heating & Cooling HRAI Golden Horseshoe Chapter Museum Project Coordinator

34

W H A T

Suppl emen t

02. 16

Hydronics

in Its

By Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

Everything Place B

uilding an effective hydronic system is more than selecting a few critical components. The placement of these essential items in the piping is critical.

The key to every efficient and reliable hydronic system is proper placement of the air removal, dirt and magnetic removal, expansion, and system fill components. The good news is all these components can fit nicely in one compact package, right near the boiler.

Done properly, the components will definitely add up to more than the sum of the parts!

Where There’s Air, There’s Trouble Good air removal is critical to system performance. Air comes in big, small and micro-bubbles. Modern hydronic boilers will only achieve top efficiency numbers when all types of air are removed, so it is worth spending the money for a top quality micro-bubble-type air separator.

Micro bubbles are often smaller than the eye can see. They appear as cloudy water. These smallest of bubbles are the toughest to remove from a system, but they can cling to heat exchange surfaces and inhibit the heat transfer.

Air will come comes out of solution most easily at the hottest point in the system. For boiler applications, install the purger as close to the outlet of the boiler as possible. Be aware of where the vent will discharge, however, just in case it spits water or develops a leak someday.

Most brands have a threaded connection to allow you to install a vent discharge line. Route this line to the floor to direct any errant water discharge out of harm’s way.

Top quality micro-bubble devices are available in all sizes and connection types, and they work quickly and efficiently.

Small float-type air vents are designed to work in conjunction with the boilerinstalled air separator. These smaller vents capture air that works its way up to the high points in the system. You will commonly see these on boiler headers, at the top of indirect tanks, at radiators, on manifolds, or at the highest points in the building.

KEEPING THE INSIDE CLEAN In older systems with iron pipe or cast iron radiators, it is possible that particles will continue to work their way into the fluid stream for the life of the system. Regardless of the age, or the materials that system components are constructed from, dirt and deposits left behind from the installation need to be removed, so a dirt elimination device should be on your shopping list.

Choose a dirt eliminator that continues to work long after the system is installed.

Dirt separators pull particles from the fluid and allow them to settle into the lower portion of the device.

This eliminates the concern that the particles will block the flow as the system does its work.

A ball valve at the lower portion of the dirt separator allows you to flush out the particles. This valve is also an ideal place to inject cleaners or conditioners, and to sample the fluid yearly. continued on page 38

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continues from page 36

A good place to locate the dirt separator is at the return connection to the boiler. This allows you to catch any particles before they can get into the heat exchanger passageways, pump impellers and control valves.

If you experience this sludge or gritty, dark-coloured fluid, look for the cause. Usually you have oxygen getting into the system somewhere.

A newer feature that has been added to some dirt separation components is magnetic separation. A magnetic band or rod is inserted to capture any fine particles.

Non-barrier radiant tube is one way that can happen; leaks around packing or seals are another; or you could have an air vent that is placed where it is under negative pressure conditions.

The inky black-coloured fluid or sludge lurking in some systems is often caused by O2. This oxygen gets into the system and corrodes ferrous metals. The strong magnetic field will capture and hold the very fine particles until the band or rod is removed and the separator flushed out.

Hydronic conditioner fluids may be a good investment in systems with chronic corrosion issues. These fluids will provide a fine film on surfaces to protect them from corrosion, and oxygen scavengers in the conditioner fluids will help get that oxygen out of the system. Be sure to check the fluid condition every year or two though, and add a boost when needed.

BUILDING AROUND EXPANSION

COMBINING FUNCTIONS

The expansion tank serves as sort of a “spring” in the system. It accommodates the expansion of system fluids as they are heated.

Where the expansion tank connects to the piping system establishes the PONPC, or the “point of no pressure change.”

The circulation pump(s) should pump away from the expansion tank. This ensures the piping system sees the increased pressure difference the pump provides.

The connection point of the expansion tank is also the ideal place to connect the system fill valve and backflow assembly.

The fill valve sets the static pressure in the system, and is used to initially fill and purge the system. Look for a valve with a simple to use “fast fill” feature and a gauge to monitor the system for leaks.

In addition to the basic system components, safety devices need to be installed as per the equipment manufacturer and local codes. These should include pressure relief valves, and a properly sized low-water cutoff switch. It can also be a good idea to include a flow or pressure switch in the boiler or near boiler piping, whether required by code or not. And install accurate pressure and temperature gauges to monitor and document system operation.

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Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr has been a plumbing, radiant heat and solar contractor and installer for 30 years. A long-time columnist and trainer, he is manager of training and education with Caleffi North America. You can reach Hot Rod at bob.rohr@caleffi.com.

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There are some combination devices on the market. These dirt/air/magnetic separators can replace the individual components, and can save time and money. The question becomes where to place the combo units for best performance, however.

Ideally, the air removal is best placed at the boiler supply, the hottest point in the system. Dirt and magnetic separation is often best situated on the return side connection. So there is a bit of a quandary.

I prefer to place combination units based on best air removal, which puts them at the boiler supply. The combo units will still remove dirt and particles at the location, but it may require a trip through the boiler first.

Some hydraulic separators can also perform four functions in one: hydraulic separation, air removal, dirt separation and magnetic separation. If your system can benefit from, or requires, primary secondary piping, have a look at hydraulic separators (or low-loss headers, as they are sometimes called).

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Radiant Ceilings Jerry Leyte

Looking up to

Heating Systems A MATTER OF COMFORT Most people think that comfort is a matter of supplying heat to the body. Rather, comfort is controlling the rate at which a body loses heat.

A typical person at normal or light activity loses heat at a rate of about 400 BTUH. That heat energy is lost in three specific ways. First, the body loses heat through convection, or air currents passing over the body surface. Second, the body loses heat through evaporation, by breathing and sweating.

Third, the body loses heat through radiation, or the transfer of energy from a warm surface to a cooler surface.

A person feels most comfortable if the body loses its 400 BTUH in a certain ratio. Approximately half is through radiation; just under a third is through convection; and the rest is through evaporation.

Heat energy always travels from a hot surface or mass to a colder one. This is why people feel uncomfortable when standing on a cold tile floor or next to a cold wall, even though the thermostat reads an air temperature of 70°F to 72°F. The colder floor or wall surface is drawing heat out of that person’s body faster than it can be replaced.

A common response to this type of situation would be to simply turn up the thermostat and increase the air temperature. This response may offset the radiation heat loss to a small degree, but other comfort issues may persist.

When surrounded by surfaces that are roughly the same temperature as the body surface, natural heat loss via radiation is controlled, and the individual tends to be more comfortable.

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W

hen most of us think about hydronic radiant heat, infloor systems and radiators tend to spring to mind, but there’s another surface that can be used to keep a room comfortable: radiant ceilings.

Like radiant floor heating, radiant ceiling uses the same three types of heat transfer: conduction, radiation and convection.

Heat radiation from a ceiling system will warm room surfaces, furnishings and floors, and those surfaces then provide secondary transfer through conduction (direct contact) and re-radiation. When people walk across the floor or touch a table that is warm as a result of heat radiation, some of that heat is transferred to them. That’s conduction.

The effect of conduction with radiant ceiling is less than that of a radiant floor, but for projects where it is not desirable, or possible, for the floor to be disturbed, it does provide an interesting solution.

A great example of using radiant ceilings would be in heritage homes where the original hardwood or tiled floors want to be maintained for their character or to stay true to the history of the structure. By installing radiant in the ceilings, it can be a fairly clean installation method with minimal disruption to the original structure, and stucco or plaster ceiling designs can often be replicated to match the original style used in the room.

The thermal transfer coefficient of radiant ceiling heat takes into account the transfer of heat energy due to convection and radiation.

The coefficient of radiant ceiling heat is about 1.1 BTU/h/ft2 per degree Fahrenheit difference between the ceiling surface temperature and the room setpoint temperature. With radiant floors, the heat transfer coefficient is 2.0.

Being a low-mass system using highly conductive gypsum sheetrock, radiant ceilings are very responsive and are suitable for surface temperatures as high as 100°F with normal eight-foot ceilings. Surfaces can go up to 110°F for ceilings higher than eight feet, but lower than 12 feet.

Where ceiling height is a concern, using the ceiling for radiant may help, since radiant ceiling heating systems typically only require 1-1⁄2” of height, making it possible to retrofit a heating system into a space with minimal impact on the room dimensions.

One of the biggest advantages that radiant ceiling panels offer is that they are not subject to changes in floor coverings or use patterns, so swapping a carpet for a tile or laminate floor will not require a reconfiguration of the heating system.

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

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Unlike radiant floor heating, floor coverings are not a concern with radiant ceilings, and the surface temperature limitations are higher. The exception is when a radiant ceiling is installed over an uninsulated concrete slab. In this case, using a high R-value floor covering may be beneficial.

It is not recommended to use a ceiling system for heating if the room is to have uninsulated, bare concrete floors, since the concrete floor will never feel truly warm for the occupant’s feet.

The lack of insulation under the slab will cause too much heat to be lost to the ground below, and for the occupants of the space, an ideal comfort level may never be reached since the floor will always feel cold.

Even with a forced air heating system, an uninsulated concrete slab in a basement will always be cooler than the air in the space. For uninsulated slabs, floor coverings are always a plus when considering comfort. Carpets or rugs often make the most sense for these types of applications.

A radiant ceiling system can be used as a sole source of heat or as a supplemental heat, but as with any heating system, it is important to perform an accurate room-by-room heat-loss analysis using an appropriate indoor design temperature.

Keep in mind that it is not always necessary to install tubing over the entire ceiling area. If the BTUH per square foot requirement is low, increasing the load per square foot and concentrating the tubing and plates in the high heat-loss areas of the room can reduce the amount of material required, thus lowering the installed price of the system.

Five performance factors to calculate when designing a hydronic radiant ceiling heating system:

DID YOU KNOW? Radiant ceilings typically operate on water temperatures no higher than 120°F.

1. Accurate room-by-room heat-loss analysis 2. Surface temperature requirements 3. Supply water temperature requirements 4. Fluid flow requirements 5. Pressure loss

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Jeff House is an experienced industry professional and hydronics trainer. He handles the sales territory from the Niagara region to the Greater Toronto Area for Jess-Don Dunford, a manufacturers’ rep in Ontario. He can be reached at jhouse@jessdondunford.com.

Find the Fix

KEEPING IT SEPARATED Hydraulic separation is one of those terms making the rounds as a best practice for hydronic system installations. Whether termed low-loss headers (LLH) or hydraulic separators, the use of these devices—or closely spaced tees, properly spaced tees, or even buffer tanks used as low-loss headers—is the way to go for trouble-free installs.

I like to think that the LLH allows you to create a heat engine on one side and a building side (or system side) with both sides joined hydraulically, but kept separate by a clutch.

Here’s a job with an LLH where you are called in to start and set up the boilers, and to commission the system. The install had been done by others. Once you purge the air, all seems to be working well, so off you go. On a mild day, however, the boilers seem to be going off on limit.

a) 1-1/2”, the same size as the boiler connections. b) 2” would work, as it is capable of carrying approximately 500,000 BTUH with a 20°F 6T. c) Same size as the low-loss header fittings, if the LLH was sized properly. d) C or D. e) A or D.

S u p p l e m e n t

Please include your name and daytime phone number.

a) If the common piping is sized right as per the drawing, then just the way it is shown as a pumped return. b) Reverse-return with properly sized piping always works. c) Direct-return has worked for years. d) 2-pipe is the way to go as there are 2 boilers. e) A or B.

A Super Way to Make Holes

W H A T

a) It doesn’t matter as long as it is near the LLH since the LLH is the neutral point. b) Where all the circulators can pump away from the point of no pressure change. c) On the boiler side. d) On the answers system side.

Email your to adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com. e) All of the above.

4. What method of piping the boilers would ensure proper flow through both boilers?

WIN!

42

a) The total flow (gpm) of the boilers. b) The larger flow of either the boiler(s) or the system. c) Maintaining a low-flow velocity through the LLH to ensure any air rises and dirt falls. d) B or C. e) Any of the above 3. The proper location to attach the system feeder and the expansion tank is:

1. If there are a pair of 200,000 BTUH boilers, the common piping with both boilers connected would be:

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2. A low-loss header should be sized based on:

Email your answers to adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com.

Please include your name and daytime phone number.

Looking for the November/December answers?

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

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Road Warrior

By Greg Dalgetty

Favourite car?

Ford Mustang

Name: Simon Auger Company: T.M. Briggs Job Title: Heating Installer Age: 26 Lives in: Montreal Joined the mechanical industry: 2009

Heating things up, with

Simon Auger

Photos: François LeClair

F

44

or Simon Auger, working for T.M. Briggs is something of a family tradition.

“The company has been around since 1909,” he explains. “My grandfather bought it from Mr. Briggs and my dad bought it from my grandfather.”

Auger originally had thoughts of becoming a firefighter, but his father suggested he try his hand at the family business.

“My dad suggested I come and work with him while I was deciding what I wanted to do,” Auger recalls.

“And since then, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve been doing. I like seeing the results of what I’m working on at the end of the day.”

Six years of boiler and furnace installations later, it’s safe to say that he’s found his calling.

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Favourite tool in your toolbox?

My pipe wrench.

What’s your service area?

We’re not just in Montreal.

Sometimes we go up to Tremblant, Beaumont, Sherbrooke—we pretty much go wherever the job takes us.

Favourite band?

Muse

Where do you like to get dispatched to?

I like to work in Westmount and NDG. It’s funny, because those are areas my grandfather used to work. My dad and my grandfather worked on a lot of those houses, and now I’m dismantling their work to install new equipment.

Favourite movie?

I like James Bond films a lot.

What have you been working on lately?

Tomorrow I’m working on a project at a pizzeria, working on a gas oven and all kinds of gas appliances. Last week I did a snowmelt project in a driveway.

I installed roughly 2,500 feet of pipe in the driveway.

Favourite food?

Veal parmesan

Favourite concert?

Eminem at the Osheaga Festival in Montreal.

What’s your favourite part of the job?

I really like installing boilers.

Doing the schematics of which pipes go where, and figuring out where all the pieces of equipment need to go.

What’s your most memorable project?

One of the nicest jobs I’ve done was at a duplex where they renovated everything in the house and installed radiant flooring on all three floors, including the basement. There was about 8,000 feet of piping in the floors.

Do you have any hobbies?

I’m a Scouts counsellor, so I do a lot of outdoor activities and camping with the kids.

Favourite radio station?

CHOM 97 W H A T

Favourite TV show?

Gold Rush Favourite sport?

Hockey and Aussie rules football.

Favourite beverage?

IPAs Favourite place in the city?

Loyola Park Favourite outdoor activity?

Canoeing Favourite vacation spot?

I don’t really have a favourite spot—I just care about having a good time with the people I enjoy being with. It’s not the place that matters.

If I were prime minister for one day, I would: Fix the health and education systems.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?

When I was a kid, I went to Peru with the Scouts. We raised something like $40,000 for homeless kids.

If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?

Devoted

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Circulators

By Dan Holohan

Dan Holohan is an author, speaker, steam heating expert, and founder of heatinghelp.com, a highly regarded industry site that shares information about heating systems old and new. He can be reached at dan@heatinghelp.com.

2nd

THE

MOST

COMMON

machine in mechanicals

G

ravity-hot-water heat was both the simplest and most-complicated system ever to stroll through the history of residential hydronic heating.

They were easy to understand, but difficult to install. They were safe because they were open to the atmosphere, but that also meant that they were subject to lots of corrosion, and as they aged, they developed internal hydronic barnacles that slowed the water on its lazy climb to the radiators.

So, in 1928, along came the American circulating pump, courtesy of Homer Thrush. In Germany, and a bit earlier, the pump company Wilo also came up with a circulator for residential use.

The trade loved the circulator because it moved hot water from the boiler to the radiators and back again relatively quickly. They overcame the frictional resistance of the pipes and made heating more automatic.

A tradesman could have a thermostat starting and stopping the circulator.

Combined with the advance of fuel oil, which was coming into its own at the time as a replacement for the drudgery of coal, life was getting easier for everyone who lived in a modern, hydronically heated home.

The first Thrush circulator was of the vertical variety. The motor sat above the pump body, and the pump had a packing gland that dripped water constantly. You had to adjust the packing gland to so many drips per minute, and you had to keep an eye on that drip rate as time went by.

EARLY ANCESTRY Credit the Egyptians for coming up with the first pump. They called it a shadoof.

Picture a long pole sitting on a fulcrum.

There’s a heavy rock on one end and a rope and a bucket on the other end.

continues on page 48

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continues from page 46

You also had to install the pump near a floor drain because it dripped all that water, and all that lost water had to be replaced with fresh water. It wasn’t the easiest machine going, but it was better than what they had before, that being just gravity.

The Dead Men installed those earlier circulators near the floor and always on the return side of the system because that’s where the water was coolest. Cooler water was better for the packing gland, and these early circulators also had large flanges to accommodate the large pipe of a gravity system.

Back then, Bell & Gossett sold only tankless water heaters. You’d hang one of those shell-and-tube heat exchangers on the side of your coal-fired boiler and let gravity do the rest. The B&G folks watched what Homer Thrush was doing with his circulator and decided to get into that business as well. In Canada, the technology hit the market as Armstrong.

B&G had a smart marketing guy named Ed Moore who came up with the idea of calling the B&G circulator the “Booster” because that’s exactly what it did.

Add one of their boosters to an old gravity system and it would boost the heat to the building.

What’s in a name? In this case, success! Smart marketing put B&G on the map.

The ’70s brought the small, water-lubricated circulators from such firms as Taco and Grundfos, and lots of change followed. We went from single-speed, to three-speed, to variable speed. Circulators just keep getting smarter!

CIRCULATOR, OR PUMP? Why do we say “circulator” and not “pump” when we talk about these common heating machines? It’s semantics, sure, but it helps us to understand.

A bicycle pump is a pump. Plunge down and you expect to get a positive pressure at the hose’s outlet. An oil-burner pump is also just that: a pump. You expect positive pressure when it runs.

A circulator is also a pump (a centrifugal pump), but within a closed hydronic system a circulator serves as a differential-pressure machine. It doesn’t have to raise the pressure at its outlet to make the water flow. It can just as easily lower the pressure on its suction side to get things moving like the cars on a Ferris wheel.

That’s why we say circulator and not a pump.

The difference is that it’s in a closed system, not an open system.

What’s in a name? Understanding!

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2 Spots on the Podium

GETTING SMARTER The key word is “commutate,” which means to reverse the direction of an electric motor.

In this case, the circulator does it electronically with a microprocessor, which allows it to operate at just about any point within its GPM vs. Head range. That’s what makes it so smart.

Smart circulators work on either a difference in pressure, or a difference in temperature across a hydronic system.

Either way, they run on ECM motors. ECM stands for Electronically Commutated Motor. These use a brushless, direct-current, permanentmagnet design.

I like both the Delta-P and Delta-T options, and I think each has its place within the systems we install.

Some systems have lots of zone valves, be they electric or non-electric, and that’s a good place to sense a changing pressure differential across the system and change the speed of the circulator as those zone valves open and close.

Other systems have just loops of baseboard radiation and since the coldest day of the year doesn’t happen very often, it’s nice to be able to sense that the water is returning to the boiler at a temperature that’s nearly as hot as the temperature at which it left. A Delta-T circulator would slow down the flow when it felt that.

In Europe, many countries now demand that all circulators be smart and that all boilers modulate and condense flue gases. Yes, you can legislate energy conservation, and since poorly sized circulators can use lots of electricity, they’re getting a lot of attention lately.

The pump is indeed the second most common powered machine in the world.

The electric motor wins first-prize. And since a circulator has both pump and motor, it wins both the gold and the silver medals!

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In-floor Heating

By Eric Riml

HITTING THE FLOOR FOR

question

PERIOD

O

ver the years, I’ve had questions, fielded questions and heard questions about hydronic systems. I am a firm believer in that old adage that there are no silly questions, but many of us have a fear of looking silly or uninformed. Unfortunately, that can leave us wanting for information. So, for all of you who have been too shy to ask, I’ve compiled a list of a few questions that I’ve been asked over the years. Feel free to email me others. You never know; you might see them answered in a future article.

Why are equivalent length loops important?

Y

ou may have read in a lot of different places that your in-floor loops in a zone, or on the same manifold, should all be the same length. This isn’t a “rule” per se – but rather a way to save money on components like balancing valves and flow gauges, and also on time.

Although manifolds with all these components are easily found, you may occasionally want to go in on a lower-priced job, and still get adequate performance, by using plain copper manifolds and omitting the extras.

While I personally recommend against skipping accessories like flow gauges, because they allow you to tweak your installation, I also realize that sometimes you need to be able to recommend the “bronze option” to a client, just to get in the door.

What if you ignore balancing and equivalent length?

S u p p l e m e n t

Tubing Diameter

Recommended Length

Recommended Velocity

3/8” 1/2” 5/8” 3/4”

125-150 ft 250-300 ft 350-450 ft 450-500 ft

1.5 – 5 ft/s 1.5 – 5 ft/s 1.5 – 5 ft/s 1.5 – 5 ft/s

Sources: Uponor Quick Reference Guide 2012 and HeatingHelp.com

One of the main reasons, in practice, to use the sweet spot instead of a longer length is that if you have to run a slightly longer loop here or there to get adequate coverage of the floor, or if you need slightly higher flow than expected, you’re not going to have to throw all the typical design assumptions out the window, which affects things like pump sizing and the effects of glycol-to-water ratio.

Be aware that your main design limit is velocity and not head loss or flow. Yes, the last two are very important, but velocity noise and wear are two of the most visible (and annoying) problems in radiant piping.

A

The water is going to take the path of least resistance, and that may push all the flow through your shortest loops. This type of problem is a nightmare to correct after installation is complete as it requires the addition of flow gauges and balancing valves after the fact, and then time trying to adjust all the flows, hoping that the loops aren’t so different that they exceed the balancing range of the valves, or the maximum head of the circulator.

W H A T

The typical “sweet spot” and recommended run lengths for PEX, by diameter, looks something like this:

Why Can’t I Run 500’ loops of 1/2” pipe?

Simply put, you’re going to have some loops getting more flow than others, and some of your longest loops may not get any flow at all!

50

Guidelines on Loop Length vs.

PEX diameter

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ctually, you can. However, your flow rate needs to be quite low, meaning that your required BTU needs to be quite low as well. If all you are trying to do is keep the chill off the floor, long loops may not be a problem. However, if you’re trying to heat the zone in a cold climate, then chances are you’ll need a higher BTU delivery, which means a higher flow rate, which means higher velocity, which means that suddenly a 1/2” pipe at 500’ isn’t such a good idea anymore. continued on page 52

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J O I N I N G

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continues from page 50

Slab, Overpour or Underfloor?

B

oth thick slab and thin-slab overpour are valid techniques for building heat emitters into a dwelling, and will often depend more on the dwelling’s structure than on your preferred choice.

When discussing heating mass, the two large factors I would consider are: • Reactivity to changing conditions; and • Efficient cycle lengths.

The lower the mass, the faster the emitter will be able to react to changing conditions. If you live in an area where temperatures are moderate, and don’t tend to swing much from one day to the next, then the high mass of thick slab will give you nice, long, efficient cycle times, and even heat.

Why can’t I heat this room solely with in-floor heating?

I

However, if you live in an area such as Calgary, where chinooks are common and, even in winter, the temperature might vary as much as 40°C in a 24-hour period, then residents will appreciate a more time-reactive heating source, which generally means one with a lower mass that will accept and lose heat more quickly, making thin-slab overpours more attractive.

t is entirely possible, even with modern insulation, that a room shouldn’t be heated entirely with radiant heating. The room, especially if it has high ceilings or large windows, may require more heat than a properly designed radiant floor can emit.

The reason for the heat-emission limitation is mainly one of surface temperature. Above 85°F, the surface temperature can start to affect the glue in the sub-flooring, the integrity of some wood floors, and also the comfort of the inhabitants.

A more practical limitation, however, is the amount of pipe you can fit into a square foot of flooring, and the diameter of pipe that’s convenient to work with, since bending 3/4” pipe into less than 12” bends isn’t that easy.

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S u p p l e m e n t

The main point you have to understand, and one that you can use to reassure your clients, is that all our designs serve the absolute coldest possible days of the year. It’s often true that the radiant floor heating will serve 90 per cent of a room’s heating needs, but on those few coldest days of the year, the floor will no longer keep up, and that’s when the occupants will be glad for the supplemental heat.

Incidentally, this is when you might be able to sell them on upgrades such as a radiant towel (glove) warmer, or a decorative panel radiator. Alternately, a fan coil as supplemental heat can also later be upsold along with air conditioning and HEPA filtration.

Trilex Inc.

52

Furthermore, the use of multiple short loops, when you have to return to the manifold with each one, becomes increasingly inconvenient as more loops are added.

Eric Riml is a certified hydronic designer working in Calgary, Alta. He consulted with Rod Mitchell at Cronkhite Supply Calgary for additional input on this article. Eric can be reached at hydronichelp@gmail.com.

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Is Your Business Measuring Up?

T

he old business saying, “What gets measured gets managed,” is as true today as it ever was. At a time when every small business decision can have big implications on your bottom line, defining and analyzing performance metrics allows for clarity and precision in your decision-making.

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

The most important and probably the most difficult thing to measure is our mission.

We need to have a clear understanding of what makes our business different in the marketplace, and take steps to ensure we are consistently delivering on that promise.

For one contractor it might mean being the best at completing service calls in a single visit. By tracking all service calls to evaluate length of stay, if the work was done in one visit, and why or why not, he can understand the variables that can contribute to improvement.

At AtlasCare, our mission is to deliver a fantastic customer experience with every transaction. We look at customer ratings on objective forums such as Homestars and Google+ to see how we are doing. The problem with this as a single measurement is that it only captures people who are at the extremes of being very happy or very unhappy. It doesn’t give us a complete picture.

We also measure something called the Net Promoter Score or NPS. This requires us to call customers at random – not just the really happy ones – and ask them just one question: On a score of 0 to 10, how likely would they be to refer us to a family member, friend or neighbour?

Measure, and Focus on Change A few years ago I was struggling with what was happening to the bottom line in our service department. I suspected it was attached to warranties but I didn’t know for sure.

I segregated the warranty numbers and determined that this was the fastest growing and least profitable segment of my business. With all the 10 year warranties coming to roost in the field, it was no wonder. Now that we knew where the problem was, we could begin to address it.

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W H A T

For business owners, the focus inevitably drifts towards financial measures. Those are how we tend to define success: The bottom line. At my company, we look at everything from the number of phone calls we get, sales leads, service agreements sold and renewed, tune ups and service calls completed, as well as equipment units sold. This is the real measure of growth.

Measurement is about a point in time, but also a period of time. Look at trends to get a feel about which way things are going. One way to do this is by looking at numbers as a 12-month moving average.

Finally, I’ve learned that it is important to not only measure activity but also to draw on the expertise of others. Empower your team by setting targets and holding people accountable to achieve them. And look for industry benchmarks to understand how your business performs when compared to our peers.

REVENUE AND MARGINS Break down performance by revenue streams, such as installations and service. Where are the margins greatest, and where does the business lose money?

With rapidly rising costs in areas such as parts and equipment, if our own prices keep pace we can see revenue growth. In a competitive market, our prices may not adjust as fast as the costs rise or fall, so profitability may actually shrink even though sales are rising. On the other hand, revenue may be growing but unit sales may actually be shrinking.

S u p p l e m e n t

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Hydronic Products Gas-Fired Condensing Boilers

Snow Melt Control System The Snow Melting Control 680 from Tekmar Control Systems is engineered to control hydronic heating equipment in order to melt snow from roads and walkways. It can integrate with two snow or ice sensors and communicate with building automation control systems using BACnet or Modbus.

Peerless PureFire gas-fired condensing boilers from PB Heat offer efficiencies of up to 95 per cent and run on either natural gas or LP gas. They come in residential and commercial models with heating outputs ranging from 47,000 to 195,000 BTUH. They feature stainless steel burners and heat exchangers, and have a built-in neutralizer component.

www. peerlessboilers.com

www. tekmarcontrols.com

The first PEX material was fabricated in the 1930s.

Vent Kit The Eco Systems Common Vent Kit from Centrotherm allows contractors to vent up to four boilers. The kit is available for back-to-back and inline configurations and comes with 6”, 8” or 10” connections.

www. centrotherm.us.com

Air Handler with Hydronic Heat

Brass Ball Valves

Offered in four sizes, these variable-speed modular air handlers with hydronic heat from ADP feature multiple airflow settings.

Their constant air circulation mode runs at 50 per cent of cooling CFM.

ProPEX brass ball valves from Uponor are suitable for radiant heating and cooling and hydronic piping applications. The full-port valves are code-listed, commercial-grade PEX-toPEX and come in 1/2" to 2" sizes.

www. uponor.com

www. adpnow.com

Boiler Control System The New Systems Control (NSC) package, available from Bosch Thermotechnology, is designed to control single- or multiplezone systems with a variety of Bosch and Buderus boilers.

It uses plug-and-play wiring terminals and offers two-way communication with boilers.

www. boschheatingandcooling.com

W H A T

S u p p l e m e n t

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55

Hydronic Products Condensing Boilers Vitocrossal 300 gas condensing boilers from Viessmann are suitable for residential and light commercial applications. They come in sizes ranging from 19,000 to 199,000 BTUH and offer AFUE efficiencies of 95 per cent. The units feature water-cooled stainless steel combustion chambers and stainless steel heat exchangers.

www. viessmann.com

Ultrasonic Flow Meters Belimo’s inline ultrasonic flow meters are engineered to provide hot or chilled waterr flow measurement. They are designed to give readings that are accurate to ±2 per cent and to a repeatability of ±0.5 per cent. They have a power consumption of 0.5W and are constructed to integrate into building automation systems.

Boiler Panel The ECO1ZN3P boiler panel, available from HeatLink, is designed for use with Weil-McLain ECO boilers. It features three Grundfos UPS15-58 pumps and has a grey finish that matches ECO boilers. The panel is designed for systems with an operating temperature range of 40°F to 200°F and a maximum operating pressure of 125 psi.

www. heatlink.com

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A T RUSTE D HISTORY. A N I N NOVATIVE FUTURE.

Four-in-One Separator

The HG110-D is a triple-listed thermostatic mixing valve that can be used at the source, point-of-use or at multiple fixtures. It delivers water at a safe 49°C (120°F) om all outlets, while allowing the water heater to be set at a germ-killing 60°C (140°F). The higher tank temperature means the hot water demands can be satisfied longer, providing more hot water while using less energy.

Protect, Boost & Save with Cash Acme’s family of valves.

Manufactured and Distributed by Reliance Worldwide Corporation (Canada) Inc.

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W H A T

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The SEP4 from Caleffi is a four-in-one hydraulic, air, dirt and magnetic separator. It has a removable external rare-earth magnet collar that allows users to flush out impurities while the system is running. It is engineered to remove all ferrous impurities from a hydronic system, including magnetite. They are available with 1”, 1-1/4”, 1-1/2” and 2” connections.

www. caleffi.com Hydronic IQ (from page 58) Answers: 1-b, 2-b, 3-c, 4-b, 5-a, 6-d

Hydronic IQ

NOTHING BUT NET The N NBA’s All-Star Game is in Canada this year – the first time the celebration of the best in professional basketball has been held outside of the United States. So, in honour of the special event, we’ve decided to shoot some hoops with this edition of the Hydronic IQ quiz.

We’re holding a three-point shooting competition, with two shots from each of three spots on the floor. So grab your workmates, talk some court smack, and target that hoop with your knowledge of hydronics.

The answer key can be found on page 56.

4. When installing radiant heating tubing circuits or loops in the floor:

Left Corner 1. When installing tubing for radiant floor heating: a. The tube spacing should always be the same. b. The tube spacing may vary to offset areas of higher heat loss or different floor coverings. c. The tube spacing should increase at the exterior walls. d. The tube spacing should not be less than 12 inches on centre.

2. When piping multi-temperature primary/secondary hydronic systems that include distribution equipment such as baseboard convectors and radiant heated floors: a. The radiant zones are usually supplied by the primary loop. b. The radiant zones are usually supplied by the secondary loop. c. The baseboard zones are usually supplied by the secondary loop. d. Both radiant and baseboard zones are usually supplied by the secondary loop.

Top of the Key 3. According to CSA B214/12, when installing radiant heated floors on or below grade, slab edge insulation: a. Is not needed when outdoor design temperature is above -10°C. b. Is not needed when under slab insulation is used. c. With a minimum R-value of 5 h•ft •°F/Btu shall be placed on all vertical slab edges. d. Should always be twice the thickness of under slab insulation.

a. Loop length is not a concern, provided all available floor space is covered with tubing. b. The warmest water of the circuit should be routed to exterior walls first. c. Only one layout pattern is allowed per room. d. Both barrier and non-barrier tubing may be mixed without concern.

Right Corner 5. When two identical pumps are piped in series: a. The delivered head pressure doubles. b. The delivered flow rate doubles. c. The delivered head pressure is halved. d. The delivered flow rate is halved.

6. In a closed-loop hydronic radiant system, using only approved tubing with an oxygen diffusion barrier will: a. Reduce or eliminate pump cavitation and noise. b. Prevent micro-bubbles from forming in the water. c. Eliminate the need for an air separator d. Prevent long-term corrosion on ferrous (iron or steel) components.

2

DID YOU KNOW? The American Basketball Association officially introduced the three-point shot for its 1967–68 season. The NBA adopted it in the 1979-80 season.

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W H A T

S u p p l e m e n t

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So, are you a champion of the court?

0 to 2 correct – What more can we say? Air ball!

3 to 4 correct – Work on that follow through and practise.

5 correct – You’re worthy of a spot on the Dream Team.

A perfect 6 – Cut that net down and parade it around the shop!

You’ve earned that championship.

Answers on Page 56 With thanks to Lance MacNevin, P.Eng., director of engineering with the Building & Construction Division and Conduit Division of the Plastics Pipe Institute www.plasticpipe.org

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Marketing with DOUG MACMILLAN

Everyone’s a Journalist in the

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

Eyes on the Page Research demonstrates that consumers will spend more time on your content than they will on your ad. They will more easily recall interesting content than even the most clever ad copy.

They are also more likely to talk about or share useful information than a “special offer.”

B

ack in the day, any newspaper worth its ink kept the advertising folks and the reporters at a safe distance – never should the dirty ink of advertising brush up against legitimate news, or so went the thinking of the time. One side sold, the other side told, and there was a hard line between.

Of course, somewhere along the way it was discovered that good information is good information, regardless of the source, so those lines are no longer drawn in quite the same way. Now, everyone is a journalist.

At times it can be tough to tell which stories are news and which are marketing, but every second of every day millions of stories are being told in the spirit of providing useful and legitimate content, while also meeting marketing goals.

Content marketing has been a thing for decades, of course. (This column you’re reading? Exhibit A.) However, the growth of social media, popularity of user reviews and a surge in consumer due diligence have pushed the whole content envelope forward.

Done well, content marketing shares interesting or useful information with the goal of changing or influencing consumer behavior to meet business goals.

What is content?

Not sure what to write about? Here are 10 themes that you can easily make your own:

1. Easy-to-apply energy or water saving tips.

2. A story about an interesting retrofit.

3. Tech’s voice: Why maintenance matters.

4. A “how-to” series. Talk about changing a filter, checking for air

6. Parts Unknown: Give your customers some interesting insight into the parts of an HVAC or plumbing system – just don’t get too technical. Think Discovery Channel, not installation manual.

7. Financing questions and answers.

8. Consumer alerts about door-to-door scams and other issues.

9. Training. Talk about the education and training your technicians have taken.

leaks, or fixing a dripping faucet with a new washer.

5. Tech profiles – these can help humanize your key team members and are a head start on a relationship with your customer.

10. Future focus: What’s changing in HVAC and plumbing systems.

Current hot topics could include the Internet of Things, and touchless and intuitive equipment.

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61

CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER

Life on the Road… and in the Washroom

By Greg Dalgetty

Gerry Dee has had an illustrious career as a stand-up comic. He won the San Francisco International Comedy Competition in 2002 and was named the Best Comic in Canada at the 2008 Canadian Comedy Awards. He also placed third in the fifth season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing—the best finish by a Canadian in the show’s history.

He still tours regularly, and he’s stayed in many a hotel during his life on the road. That also means he’s used a variety of hotel washrooms.

Some were great—others, less so.

mr.d

“The water pressure in hotel showers is sometimes hit or miss,” he notes, adding that the showerheads themselves can be of dubious quality. “I think some hotels think they can save money by getting a cheap showerhead.”

Catch season 5, Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBC.

Dee says that a spacious washroom wellstocked with power outlets can make or break a hotel stay.

“There’s nothing like being on the road and being able to feel like you’re at home.”

G Photos courtesy of CBC

erry Dee knows a thing or two about teaching—and even more about how not to teach. The Toronto native and star of CBC Television’s Mr. D spent 10 years at the front of a classroom before he left to pursue a career in comedy.

He even wrote a book—Teaching: It’s Harder Than It Looks—in which he recounts tales of teaching while hungover and losing students’ exams. We caught up with Dee recently to talk about his TV series, stand-up comedy and what he looks for in a good washroom.

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Spring Tour Dates Gerry Dee is returning to the stage this spring with three arena shows scheduled in April and May. “I’m going to be doing a longer set,” he says of the upcoming dates. “I usually do an hour, but I’ll be doing 90 minutes at these theatre shows to allow room for new stuff that people have never seen.”

These shows will give fans of his TV show a chance to see Dee in his element as a stand-up comic.

“People tend to know me only from Mr. D. They’re not even aware that I was a comic first. So I just want to give them 90 minutes of laughs.”

For a list of upcoming dates and venues, visit gerrydee.com.

Gerry Dee— Sports Reporter Before he was Mr. D, Gerry Dee had a segment on sports network The Score in which he conducted humorous interviews with famous athletes. As a big sports fan and a former varsity hockey player and golfer, he recalls those days fondly.

Go to YouTube for the interview with Charles Barkley.

Very Funny!

“There were a lot of moments that I cherish,” he says.

“Meeting Wayne Gretzky, Peyton Manning, Michael Jordan—all the famous athletes I got to meet.”

When asked who his favourite interview was, Dee is quick to answer.

“The Charles Barkley interview was a lot of fun,” he says. “He was phenomenal.”

But not all the athletes he interviewed quite understood his comedic approach to interviews.

“Chris Chelios didn’t really get what was going on,” he recalls of the former NHLer. “So I just thanked him and exited the interview gracefully.”

Once a Teacher…

Dee is best known for portraying Gerry Duncan, an underqualified but lovable high school teacher, in the hit television show Mr. D. The comedy series is currently in its fifth season, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

And even though he’s more than 10 years removed from working in a classroom, a part of him will always be a teacher.

“We try to make sure the show is authentic to what we each went through in the school system,” Dee says.

“We’ve all had teachers, and we’ve all been students.

I think people can relate to it quite easily because of that.”

“It feels so long ago now, but I could easily walk into a classroom and pick it right back up again if I had to. I feel like I’ll always be a teacher,” he says. “I feel like I’m part of that club, so to speak. That’s why people who are teachers can relate to the show. I’m tapping into a lot of things as a character that they wish they could do, have thought of doing or maybe even have done.”

Dee created the show himself and also serves as its executive producer and writer. His own experiences as a teacher have formed the basis of his character on screen.

“As indicated on the show, I wasn’t the most knowledgeable guy in certain subjects, but I always had a story or some lesson I would try to pass on from my mistakes,” he says. “Most of the things I taught were life experiences.”

DID YOU KNOW? Gerry won a Canadian Screen Award in 2013 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Comedic Role.

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PLUMBING

B y Den t o n Ga iser Denton Gaiser is the vice-president of business development for Canature WaterGroup’s Professional Plumbing Division in Canada. He can be reached at denton.gaiser@canaturewg.com

ENSURING EXCELLENT

Sewage

pump

BE SAFE When water and electricity get together, there’s always a risk present, so while some of the following may seem like common sense, I still feel compelled to include the advice.

The first step before doing any work associated with these pumps is to ensure that the unit is not plugged in. If it is, unplugging it will be the first thing to do, and whether connecting or disconnecting the power cord from the outlet, check to confirm that you are not standing in water.

The local plumbing and electrical codes will come into play for these pumps, so check to confirm that your installation complies with the regulations in your part of the country.

On the electrical side, this means working with a licensed electrician for the wiring, and we recommend that a separate circuit be used, along with a ground fault circuit interrupter.

And don’t run the pump dry when confirming that it is powered. This could damage the mechanical seal and reduce the life of the pump.

PERFORMANCE

S

ewage and effluent pumps may have a dirty job to do, but installing and maintaining them need not be any messier than necessary. To get these systems working, and to keep them working well, here are some tips to keep in mind for your next installation.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION There are several factors to consider when choosing where to locate a sewage basin. You want the pump and basin to be in a clean location, with enough space to make servicing the unit possible.

The location should also have good ventilation, and be protected from freezing temperatures.

The pump should be installed on a hard, level surface, and should never be placed directly on rocks or other sharp objects. Use fine pea gravel or washed crushed stone as bedding material. Do not use sand or native soil for backfill.

Check the installation instructions supplied with the pump to ensure that the basin is properly sized for the size of pump being installed.

If the pump will be moving raw sewage, a gas-tight cover is a must, as is a vent pipe. This pipe should be connected to the home’s vent system. continues on page 66

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PLUMBING

continues from page 64

FLOATING FREELY Most sewage and effluent pumps use a float switch to automatically turn the pump on and off as the basin fills or empties. To ensure that the switch operates properly, take care to properly position the float during installation. It needs to be positioned such that it cannot hang on the sides of the basin or on the pump.

If the pump is running while the impeller is out of the sewage, or if it won’t start despite rising liquid in the

basin, check to ensure that the float is not caught on something.

And never test the float while the impeller is out of the water. This can damage the pump, and shorten its lifespan.

Quick Tip Ensure that you have a gas-tight cover for your sewage basin and proper size of vent piping.

MAINTENANCE AND REMOVING CLOGS Sewage and effluent pumps don’t usually need much maintenance. A once-over on the pump every few years and an occasional inspection of the switch and pump to ensure no buildup on the float is a good idea, however. If any debris is on the switch, it can be hosed off.

Before embarking on any work on a pump, be sure to unplug both the switch and the power cord. After taking the pump out of the pit or basin, clear it of any debris and dirt and ensure that the float switch operates freely.

To clear the pump of debris, carefully separate the base from

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the pump body, removing any screws and being cautious not to damage the components when prying the parts apart.

Check and clear the impeller and volute passageway, and ensure that the impeller turns freely once cleaned. Also clean away any debris that could be clogging the suction inlet, pump discharge, check valve and discharge line.

Once the parts are clean, carefully reassemble the pump, ensuring that the mechanical seal and any rubber gaskets are not damaged.

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PLUMBING

Products

Thermostatic/Pressure Balancing Valves EV95C thermostatic and pressurebalancing valves from Riobel come in SPEX and EX models. The sixposition units feature a 1/2” inlet and three ½” outlets. They have a flow rate of 6.0 gpm at 60 psi.

www. riobel.ca

Pipe Clearing Jet General Pipe Cleaners’ Typhoon trailer jet is designed to clear pipe obstructions by dispensing 12 gallons of water per minute at 2,500 psi. It comes with a 200-gallon holding tank and has a jet hose reel with capacity for 400 feet of 1/2” line and a water supply hose reel carrying 150 feet of 3/4" hose. The unit also features a 690 cc (24 hp) engine with electric start, a 7-gallon fuel tank and a suspension rated at 3,500 lb. per axle.

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Island Tub Drain OS&B’s ITD self-sealing, self-guided island tub drains allow contractors to install free-standing tubs over a finished floor at the rough-in stage. Installers attach the supplied tailpiece or ABS reducing brush to the bath drain and lower a tub into the self-guided rubber seal. Three models are available in ABS, PVC and cast iron.

Drainage System Drain-Guard piping systems from IPEX provide a pipe-in-pipe method of transporting sanitary and storm drainage away from critical areas. The system is composed of a primary carrier pipe, available in 1-1/2” to 8” sizes, surrounded by a secondary containment pipe. Larger sizes are available upon request.

www. osb.ca

www. ipexinc.com

Push-to-Connect Couplings Acid Neutralization System Zurn’s PHIX cartridge installs underneath a sink to neutralize acid in wastewater. A single cartridge can accommodate two sinks without any additional piping requirements. The cartridges are suitable for use in labs with multiple sinks with clean acid wastewater.

www. zurn.com 68

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PVC transition couplings from SharkBite are engineered to connect Schedule 40, 80 or 120 PVC pipe to copper, PEX, CPVC or PE-RT pipe.

They are available in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" sizes.

www. sharkbite.com

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Commissioning

SEMI-HERMETIC SCREW COMPRESSORS in Field-Piped Systems

Part 2

L

ast issue we discussed the initial procedures required for correct and safe commissioning of semi-hermetic screw compressors. So let’s continue this discussion, beginning with the rotation test, keeping in mind that this is a brief overview with a focus on only the main and most import steps.

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

A WELL-OILED MACHINE

Rotating, The Right Way

Once the rotation of the compressor is confirmed, the suction service valve can be opened and the oil solenoid can be reconnected. The compressor can be started, and the start-up procedure continued.

Screws are similar to scrolls in that they must be operated in the correct rotation. When a screw is permitted to be started up in the wrong direction, significant damage can occur in a very short period of time. In fact, if a screw compressor runs for several seconds in reverse, it is safe to assume that the compressor will endure significant damage.

Remember that the oil solenoid should not be energized until the compressor has started up. This ensures that the rotor profile area does not fill up with oil, making it difficult for the compressor to start.

Check the sight glass in the oil injection line to ensure that it is full of oil.

There should be no flashing or bubbles present. If the compressor shuts down on low oil flow, possible causes include that the discharge pressure is too low, the oil service valve is not open, there is insufficient oil charge, the oil solenoid has not opened, or the oil mixing valve is piped incorrectly. Regardless, this issue must be corrected before proceeding.

During normal operation, the pressure at the discharge end of the twinhelical rotors will, of course, be higher than on the suction end.

When a compressor starts up with correct rotation, the rotors tend to shift slightly toward the suction end of the compressor. This is very normal and the amount of this shift is referred to as the axial clearance. This is set by the compressor manufacturer before leaving the factory. In this case, locking collars are adjusted prevent excessive axial clearance. continued on page 72

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continued from page 70

If the compressor is permitted to operate in reverse, the rotor movement is no longer limited and the helical rotors will be forced toward, and come into contact with, the discharge flange. At this point, the rotors will begin to cut into the discharge flange and cause irreparable damage (see photo above).

Reverse operation of the rotors must be avoided.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! With rotation confirmed and oil in the unit, we can verify that the sequence of operation is correct and in accordance with the compressor manufacturer’s instructions.

If the manufacturer indicates that the screw compressor should start up fully unloaded, the compressor should not be loaded up until it has started up completely and, in the case of VFDs and soft-starters, reached full speed – usually within three seconds.

If the compressor will be used in economized (ECO) mode, the economizer should be delayed until the minimum allowable capacity step for ECO mode is achieved, possibly by using a time delay relay or suction pressure signal.

For low temperature compressors, the compressor should generally be locked out until the saturated suction temperature reaches -20°C. Once we have confirmed the correct sequence, the pressures and temperatures should be checked during all modes of operation. This will generally take a few hours to complete if done correctly.

In particular, confirm that the oil injection temperature is within allowable limits and that the suction, discharge and economizer superheats are correct. Also check the amperages of all three phases feeding the compressor to ensure that they are correct.

And don’t forget to complete the start-up sheet or data protocol in order to establish baseline data for your future reference.

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Check Your Rotation So how do we ensure that the compressor does not start up in reverse?

There are two tests that are recommended. First, a phase rotation device should be used in order to check the phasing at the supply side of the contactor(s).

Note that the phasing of the supply should always be clockwise, regardless of the actual rotation of the compressor. In other words, L2 should always lag L1 and L3 should always lag L2.

Next, it is a good idea to check the wiring between the contactor(s) and the compressor terminals to ensure that that they are correct according to the diagram on the underside of the electric terminal box cover.

This next part of the procedure involves starting up the screw for a very short duration. In order to accomplish this, we must first close the suction service all the way, and then open it only one full turn.

Install a suction pressure gauge on the suction service valve of the compressor or other low pressure port of the compressor body. Never use the PLC or other system controller to read the pressure at this point.

During this test, the discharge service valve must remain fully open. The compressor should be energized for only one second or so. The fact that the suction service valve is open only one turn will ensure that we will be able to determine if rotation is correct or not.

If the pressure drops then we know that the compressor is turning in the correct rotation.

If the pressure does not appear to change, or appears to increase, it is likely that the compressor is spinning in reverse.

With semi-hermetic screws, it is unlikely that the suction pressure will increase with reverse operation due to the fact that the discharge check valve is in close proximity to the discharge port of the rotor profiles. However, for screw compressors that have an integrated oil separator, this is possible.

If the compressor starts up in reverse, any two phases should be swapped to correct the rotation. Be very careful with part-wind start and wye-delta start motors to ensure that the wiring is correct.

For part-wind start motors, each winding may be tested individually as described above. For wye-delta motors that start up in reverse, however, it will be necessary to reverse two of the phases feeding the main and delta contactors.

If it was necessary to correct phasing to the compressor contactor(s), it is good practice to repeat the test just to be certain that the rotation is correct. But remember that the motor draws its highest amount of current during start up, so always wait at least 10 minutes before subsequent starting.

With direct across the line starting, the compressor will draw its full locked rotor amperage (LRA). With 50/50 part-wind start motors, the starting amperage will be approximately 2/3 of the LRA. With wye-delta start motors, the starting amperage will be approximately 1/3 of the LRA.

0 2 . 1 6

Taking Ductless to a New Level.

COMFORT FOR LIFE

With Daikin floor mounted ductless systems you get a level of installation flexibility that you expect from a market leader. Daikin’s MXS line of multi-split systems now includes floor mounted models that offer

MXS Series systems achieve: Up to 18.9 SEER | Up to 12.6 HSPF

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Enhancing levels of indoor comfort is easy with ductless systems offering energy efficiency ratings of up to 18.9 SEER, up to 12.6 HSPF, and up to 12.7 EER. Now you and your customers have

* Complete warranty details available from your local dealer or at www.daikincomfort.com.

To receive the 12-Year Parts Limited Warranty, online registration must be completed within 60 days of installation. Online registration is not required in California or Quebec.

more options to enjoy comfort beyond traditional ducted systems.

For more information on Daikin’s single and multi-split heat pumps,

COM FOR T FOR LIFE

please visit www.daikincomfort.com, www.daikinac.com or connect with your local Daikin brand sales representative.

Our continuing commitment to quality products may mean a change in specifications without notice. © 2015

· Houston, Texas · USA

HVAC/R Products P Non-Contact Readings FLIR’s TG54 and TG56 spot IR (Infrared) thermometers are engineered to take non-contact surface temperature readings in areas that are difficult to reach. They offer a distance-to-spot ratio of up to 30:1 and allow users to view current temperature readings with the last two readings simultaneously.

Differential Pressure Transducer The Setra Model MRG differential pressure transducer, available from Alpha Controls, is engineered to satisfy 90 per cent of range output configuration combinations. It has eight selectable ranges and three selectable outputs. It comes with an optional duct probe that can be configured by swapping out the pressure tubing inside the unit.

flir.com

HCFC and HFC Units Celseon AK/AJ condensing units from Tecumseh feature a modular design and a capacity range of 1/3 to 1-1/4 hp.

They are available in R134a and R404a models, as well as models for R12, R22 and their replacement blends.

www. alphacontrols.com

www. tecumseh.com

Ductless System The 19 series of single-split ductless residential systems from Daikin offers SEER capabilities of up to 19.0 and an HSPF of 9.0. Its drain pan is designed for operation in cold weather. Systems range from 0.75- to 2.0-ton cooling capacities and are available in heat pump and cooling-only models.

daikinac.com

Unit Heaters with 3:1 Turndown Ratio

24.5 SEER Air Conditioners with Inverter Technology

Nexus unit heaters from Sterling HVAC are available in seven sizes ranging from 100,000 to 400,000 BTUH. They have a 3:1 turndown ratio and offer efficiencies as high as 96 per cent. The units feature 316L stainless steel heat exchangers and 409 stainless steel combustion tubes, and are capable of single-stage, twostage or full modulation firing rates.

AVXC20 air conditioners from Amana come in 2- to 5-ton sizes and deliver up to 24.5 SEER. They feature variable-speed swing and scroll compressors, as well as an ECM outdoor motor. The units come fully charged for 15’ of tubing length.

amana-hac.com

sterlinghvac.com 74

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

System 636® Flue Gas Venting provides a complete product offering to get the job done on-time and to the finished quality customers need.

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

• Unmatched quality • Permanent solvent weld connections • Rugged Schedule 40 thickness

• Installer training • Leading distributors • Technical support

System 636 – Ask for it by name.

System 636® is available in PVC and CPVC For Flue Gas Venting Applications ipexinc.com/system636

Toll Free: 1-866-473-9462

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

HVAC/R Products P Air Filtration System Ostberg’s Heat and Energy Recovery Units (HERU), distributed by Ontor, remove polluted and warm moist air from ventilation systems while recovering heat from the used indoor air.

They are available in four sizes suitable for 3,000 to 10,000 square feet, and have temperature efficiencies of up to 85 per cent.

ontor.com

The Testo 420 balometer flow hood weighs 6.3 lb. and uses a built-in flow straightener to take accurate readings on turbulent outlets. It features a display screen that can be removed and used as a manometer for room pressurization and Pitot flow readings. An app can be downloaded to monitor readings from a smartphone or tablet.

Cooling coils can last up to 30 years if they are properly maintained.

www. testo.com

EZ Roll PlusTM PE Coated Insulation EZ Roll Plus PE ™ coated insulation is the next revolution for air conditioning and refrigeration applications.

• Moisture and water resistant • Labour saving • Eliminate on site-repairs • PE coating protects tubing & insulation • Install through rough surfaces without tearing Ask for EZ Roll Plus at your local wholesaler.

Contact us today for more information.

1-800-561-7119 • 519-455-9238 www.glcopper.com

M e c h a n i c a l

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Desolv, available from RectorSeal, is designed to clean coils in mini-split air conditioners. Available in 16-ounce aerosol cans that feature a two-stage spray nozzle, it is unscented and non-caustic, and designed to preserve IAQ in sensitive environments such as data centres.

rectorseal.com

Flow Hood with an App

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Coil Cleaner

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DEB McGRATH AND COLIN MOCHRIE

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HVAC/R Products P Ductless VRF System

18.5 EER Heat Pumps

Trane’s water-source ductless VRF systems are suitable for multiunit residential, commercial and institutional applications. They use water or geothermal sources to heat or cool a condenser. The units deliver efficiencies of up to 30.1 IEER and 27.4 SCHE.

Vertical stacked water source heat pumps (VSHPs) from Johnson Controls offer efficiencies as high as 16.6 EER and 18.5 EER in geothermal applications. They are engineered for use in multi-storey buildings with consistent floor plans and feature a pre-engineered piping system.

www.

trane.com

johnsoncontrols.com

Multi-Unit HVAC

Temperature and Humidity Data Logger

Magic-Pak HWC heating and cooling units from Allied Air are available in 1-, 1.5-, 2- and 2.5-ton capacities for apartments and multi-unit buildings. They provide gas heating and electric cooling, with a 22,000 to 55,000 BTUH heating capacity and a cooling capacity of 12,000 to 30,000 BTUH.

The TS-100 temperature and humidity data logger, available from AAB Smart Tools, connects to iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth to provide data on dry bulb temperature, wet bulb temperature, feels-like temperature, dew point and relative humidity.

www. aabsmart.com

www. allied-commercial.com

One box. Unlimited solutions

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

1-888-652-2219 www.hi-velocity.com 78

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STUFF YOU NEED Tape Measures

Brazing Materials Handy One AL-822, available from LucasMilhaupt, is a non-corrosive, flux-cored brazing material that consists of a filler metal in strip form that is rolled around a powdered flux. It is engineered to join aluminum to aluminum and aluminum to copper.

www. lucasmilhaupt.com

Stanley’s Fatmax tape measures come in 25’ and 35’ lengths. They feature a 13’ standout and are available with an optional oversize hook attachment for framing applications. They are engineered to provide shock absorption to protect the slide lock when the measure is dropped.

www. stanleytools.com

Lead-Free Solder Sterling lead-free solid wire solder, available from Worthington Industries, has a lowest melting temperature of 410°F and a highest tensile strength of 7,130 psi. Its NSF 61-G certification allows it to be used in potable water applications

www. worthingtonjoiningtech.com

Drill Bits

Follow Us on Twitter @MechBusiness

Red Helix drill bits, available from Milwaukee Tool, feature a chip breaker engineered to decrease heat build-up and a 135° split point designed to prevent walking. They come in sizes ranging from 1/16” to 1/2”. They’re also available in a Cobalt series for hard metal applications.

www. milwaukeetool.com

Crimp Tool Kit Sheet Metal Brake The MB48B miniature brake, available from Malco, is engineered to fabricate register boxes and drip pans, as well as angled corners for flashing and fascia. It weighs 45 kg and can produce 135° bends in 22-gauge galvanized steel up to 48 inches wide. The unit operates on a workbench or tailgate.

Optional legs are also available.

www. malcotools.com

The ratchet action crimp tool kit, available from Wiring Pro, includes a commercial-grade full-cycle crimp tool and four interchangeable dies. The crimp tool features an ergonomic design engineered to maximize crimping force. The dies are suitable for use with wires measuring 0.33 mm2 to 8.36 mm2.

www. wiringpro.com

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PLUMBING B y Br a d Cor n e l i s s e n

Shower Drains A Modern Line on

Linear shower drains are providing bathroom designers another style option for high-end residential projects.

Influenced by the practical nature of commercial trench drains like those used with airport runways, hockey arenas and roof drainage, they are well-suited to the growing trend to use larger format tiles throughout a bathroom install.

In a traditional shower layout using a point drain, smaller tiles are often used on the floor than on the walls. This helps ensure that the shower floor slopes appropriately to the drain. Larger tiles cannot conform as easily to the curve and slope needed with these drains.

The use of a linear shower drain allows for a single slope tile install, making it possible to continue the larger tile from the walls to the floor of the shower without causing pooling or other drainage concerns.

The result is a clean, modern look, without performance sacrifices.

Front or Back?

Dealing With Joists Designing the drainage system for any washroom takes forethought, and linear shower drains do have some unique considerations when planning out where to place the drain, so take time to figure out the orientation that works best for your project.

When installing within a new build with wood construction, floor joist orientation will be a factor. In most installs, the preferred placement will be parallel to the floor joist.

Placement of the showerhead and the drain is a matter of preference. The linear drain can be placed at the shower door opening, at the shower enclosure end, or along the back wall.

Traditionally, a zero-threshold install requires the bathroom floor to be raised or lowered to accommodate the body of the drain below the floor. There are, however, linear shower drains that are designed to recess into the subfloor to allow for a zero-threshold or curbless shower.

The zero threshold install is not only functional, but offers a contemporary design that allows the use of the same tiles throughout the bathroom, right into the shower enclosure.

As with all showers, a bed slope will be required. The slope should be 1/4” per foot, or a one per cent grade slope, to allow sufficient flow back to the drain.

Always refer to the manufacturer’s specifications for install details regarding slope and mortar bed grading.

If the drain is being installed perpendicular to the floor joist, avoid the temptation to notch the joist without checking the structural integrity of the floor suspension that would result. This is especially important when pre-engineered floor joists are being used. It may be best to raise the floor height to accommodate the linear drain body.

Concrete installs are typically trenched before being placed in the floor for the waterproofing system install.

Some linear drain products may be installed directly on subfloor material, which may help when navigating structural difficulties, but check to confirm that the manufacturer’s instructions allow for that style of installation.

continues on page 82

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Gerty Has A New Hairdo...

And she can’t wait to tell you all about it.

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

You see, Gerty just loves to talk. And talk. And talk.

Whether it’s sharing stories about her latest crumpet and jam social, her beloved Mrs. Muffles or her new “fantabulous” hairdo (her words, not ours), Gerty’s stories will hold you captive. Captive, of course, being the operative word. So, while she gets paid to be on the phone – you don’t. We understand that. That’s why we’ve made our online renewal process easier than ever.

Simply visit our brand new website, click on the Subscribe tab and confirm that you want to continue receiving (or start receiving) Mechanical Business. It’s fast, easy and Gerty free.

www.mechanicalbusiness.com

If your label says “Time2Renew” – this could be your last issue.

Please Renew Your Subscription Today.

PLUMBING

continues from page 80

Keeping Up With the Flow It is not unusual to see a linear shower drain installed in showers that have multiple outlet points. Regardless of number of outlets, it is important to calculate the total flow output to ensure the linear shower being installed is capable of taking away the full flow output of your system.

Installation Notes When quoting on the inclusion of a linear shower drain in a project, it is best to look at the total cost of the install, rather than simply the cost of the drain itself.

Expect labour savings from building a single slope rather than a quad slope, as well as from tile installation, since large tiles will take less time and effort than 1” x 1” mosaic tiles, for example.

DIDYOUKNOW?

Waterproofing a linear shower drain can be achieved in many ways. The use of a chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) fabric coated sheet membrane is commonly used, although some linear shower drains use a traditional base for installing a PVC sheet membrane installed between the floor slope and the dry pack mortar below the tile. This is a traditional full mortar bed installation.

A linear shower drain with zero threshold can be used to make a shower accessible.

There are also linear shower drains available to accommodate a hot mop liquid membrane.

Brad Cornelissen is the commercial sales manager at OS&B. He can be reached at brad@osb.ca.

SPOTLIGHT PROFILES TOTO’S FIRST CLASS SEATING Toto’s Entrada close coupled toilet features the high efficiency E-Max flushing system, which has a flush rate of 1.28 gpf (4.8 lpf). You can find the Toto Entrada economically priced to meet your needs at Bardon Supplies Limited. We offer a wide range of toilet models to accommodate any bathroom size or style, all while keeping water efficiency in mind.

bardonsupplies.com DIRT SEPARATOR WITH MAGNET Caleffi’s ASME registered flanged DIRTMAG® provides 2½ times the magnetic particle removal performance of standard dirt separators with up to 100% elimination efficiency. DIRTMAG® separators remove both ferrous and non-ferrous impurities continuously. Magnetic particles are captured by a concentrated magnetic field created by powerful neodymium rare-earth magnets inside a brass dry-well below the flow stream.

100

www.caleffi.ca

PLUMBING

Products

Kitchen Faucet Addison kitchen faucets from Delta feature pull-down wands that allow users to toggle between spray and stream modes.

They feature a multi-ow functionality: the standard ow rate is 1.5 gpm, but it can be increased to 2.2 gpm at the push of a button. Faucets are available in one- and three-hole 8� installation models.

Commercial Drain Pump Sanishower drain-water pumps from Saniow are suitable for use in boutique gyms, spas or ofďŹ ce spaces. The pre-assembled units can be installed above-oor to connect to showers, sinks, urinals and pedicure chairs. They have a pumping distance of 12' vertically and 100' horizontally

www. sanio.ca

www. deltafaucet.ca

Sink Fastening System The Ez Torque sink installation system is pre-installed in top-mount residential and commercial Franke Kindred sinks.

The system secures the rim of the sink ledge to the countertop using integrated red clamps made of steel and polymer resin.

franke.com

One Choice.

One Zurn.

Tub/Shower Trim Kit Moen’s 90 Degree Posi-Temp tub/shower trim kits feature a singlehandle lever and a showerhead that delivers a ow rate of 2.5 gpm at 80 psi.

They have a pressure-balancing control valve engineered to maintain water temperature. Kits are available in chrome and brushed nickel ďŹ nishes.

www. moen.ca

Evacuates waste nearly twice as far.

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Track Lavatory Carriers

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Watts’ track lavatory carriers have arms that can be adjusted vertically tically and horizontally. They are designed signed to be installed by one person and d come pre-boxed. Carriers are 36� tall all and adjustable from 18� to 24� inches ches wide.

www. watts.ca M e c h a n i c a l

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THE INFO PAGE PAGE #

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Tel: (877) 226-4255 www.acocan.ca

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Tel: (615) 889-8900 www.lochinvar.com

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Tel: (905) 696-7800 www.camus-hydronics.com

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Tel: (800) 639-2474 www.ciph.com

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TOOL TIP OXFORD ENERGY SOLUTIONS INC.

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Keeping Warm on the Job

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Tel: (800) 387-7373 www.viessmann.ca

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T

he one thing that’s a bigger pain than working outside in cold temperatures is working outside in temperatures thatt vary from chilly lows ows to moderate highs ass the day progresses. Shedding layers that are needed at 6 a.m. to prevent overheating when mid-day temperatures turn warm can be a huge pet peeve.

The introduction a few years back of heated jackets by several major tool companies has changed the game on cold jobsites. It is now possible to reduce the reliance on bulky and cumbersome layers.

When looking into a purchase of this type of gear, the first thing to consider is how and where you will be using it.

Will you want to wear it under outerwear that you currently own, like a company jacket? Then a hoodie or a thinner jacket might work best.

KEEEPING IT CHARGED Some heated apparel goes beyond simply keeping your hands and core warm. It can also keep your phone and other portable electronic devices charged.

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Tel: (905) 884-7444 www.victaulic.com

CALENDAR Buildex Vancouver February 24-26, 2016 Vancouver, B.C. buildexvancouver.com MCA Student Chapter Summit February 25-27, 2016 Toronto, Ont. mcac.ca CCA Conference March 6-10, 2016 New Orleans, La. www.cca-acc.com

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World Plumbing Day March 11, 2016

www.worldplumbingday.org

CIPH Gala for Habitat for Humanity March 15, 2016 Toronto, Ont. www.ciph.com MCAC Winter Meetings March 15-17, 2016 Orlando, Fla. mcac.ca

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CMPX 2016 March 16-18, 2016 Toronto, Ont. www.cmpxshow.com MCA Ontario Conference April 10-16, 2016 Montego Bay, Jamaica mcac.ca CIPH Ontario Region Business Meeting April 14, 2016 Mississauga, Ont. www.ciph.com M e c h a n i c a l

Sponsored by Milwaukee Electric Tool – a proud partner with Mechanical Business. Look for video tips, tools and reviews at www.milwaukeetool.com.

Be sure to visit mechanicalbusiness. com for your chance to win valuable Milwaukee products and merchandise!

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bythenumbers

Compiled by Mechanical Business

SHOWER TIME

WORKING 9 TO 5 67% of Canadians have a 9-to-5 work schedule.

50.2 hours

Time per week spent

on work-related activities.

43%

of women are willing to reduce their shower time by three minutes.

29%

of men are willing to do the same.

ONLINE HOMEWORK People who bought a home for the first time in 2015 did much of their homework (pun intended!) online.

83% 84% 63% 42%

used the internet for research. used an online mortgage calculator. conducted a financial self-assessment. got pre-approved for a mortgage online.

HOUSING PRICES ON THE RISE HOUSEHOLD HUMIDITY With winter comes low humidity, so it can be interesting to see how much moisture various activities add to the air in a home.

6.76 L 1.8 L 38 L

Cooking three times a day for one week.

17% 13% 12% 10%

increase in Greater Vancouver. increase in Victoria. increase in Hamilton/Burlington, Ont. increase in the Greater Toronto Area.

Washing clothes once per week.

Breathing and moisture evaporating from the skin of a home’s occupants.

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Housing prices were on the rise in some of Canada’s biggest cities—and their surrounding environs—in 2015.

15.4 MILLION

The number of Canadians who have to commute for their work. Meanwhile, 1.1 million work from home.

PM# 41536047 Postmaster: Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to: Mechanical Business, 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2

M e c h a n i c a l

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™

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TECH SPEC

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