PLUMBING

Finally, this brings us to finding the right material in plumbing that we can use VR for. Designing cross connection control (CCC) devices for virtual reality gave me the idea. This seemed to be the perfect example for interactive universal educating. Cross connection control for Western Canada is governed by the Western Canada Section of the American Water Works Association (WCSAWWA) and we teach courses at SAIT for students to achieve their CCC licence. Testing CCC devices, such as the reduced pressure zone valve assembly (RPZ) and double-check valve assembly (DCV), are procedural and sometimes complicated to rehearse. It is similar to refrigeration line sets, with water instead of refrigerant, although it does involve refrigeration blue, red and yellow hoses in order to test the pressure difference between check valves. Many plumbers/CCC technicians carry a laminated procedure sheet with them as they test as it is hard to memorize. Can you imagine the anxiety of passing the physical lab test without the cheat sheet? The best way of knowing something is practice, and to that end we are now in the middle of designing CCC VR testing.

HERE’S WHERE WE ARE SO FAR

Now that we have 3D digital scanners, we no longer have to 3D design everything. Meanwhile another Gas and CCC instructor, Donnie Mackenzie, has been videoed while teaching the CCC procedures by our video specialist and pipefitter instructor Michael Fournier. It has taken many instructors collaborating to just get the VR ready for the animation interactive process.

When students are able to practice with virtual CCC testing at home or school, this will indeed help with their education process. When perfected, it might even be possible to perform the annual minimum six device testing procedure. But while technology augments education, live, animated and passionate teachers continue to be the linchpin; technology just supplements their efforts.

Running Flushometer Stymies Techs

Another VR project came to me as I was writing this article. When I was the A&B plumbing manager there was one particular service call that produced way too many callbacks. This was the infamous toilet or urinal flushometer. It was almost a miracle if one of my many service technicians could actually fix a running flushometer without a callback.

Once I had to send four different service technicians to one finicky toilet flushometer at a Royal Canadian Legion in Calgary. We ended up installing a new one at our cost due to our incompetence. Thank goodness that Legion is no longer haunting us with its old flushometers − they tore it down and built a new one. That experience has convinced me that the diaphragm flushometer merits a VR assignment. We already have an animated PowerPoint on this device that should help getting it to the VR stage.

You may be wondering what could have been the problem with this flushometer. Well, after three technicians replaced every conceivable integral part with the flushometer repair kit, they hadn’t noticed that the brass housing was slightly pitted right below the diaphragm. This could be simulated in a VR exercise. Think of the money it could save your service company.