Mechanical Business November/December 2019

NOV/DEC 2019 $6.95

PM #41536047

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T A B L E

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CONTENTS O F

ALWAYS GIVING IT

HIS ALL 42COVER STORY A pillar of the Canadian mechanical industry for the past 45 years, no matter what Roger Grochmal gets involved in, he always puts full effort into it, but it has been his willingness to share knowledge and information that have left the most indelible mark on the industry.

Adam Freill

Ventilating a home:

Cover Photo: John Packman

B u s i n e s s

It’s about the numbers, not the windows 22HVAC/R In our attempts to make buildings as energy efficient as possible, newer building techniques and product technologies have created increasingly air-tight homes. Acceptable strategies for improving the IAQ for your clients depends on where in the country they reside or work.

Mark and Alexandra Parliament

Securing our Digital World 30BUILDING AUTOMATION There is a higher risk of you or your customer experiencing a cyber breach than of having a fire on premises. Companies have exit and recovery plans for fires, so why not have similar plans to be prepared for cyber threats to our businesses?

Danny Timmins

INN AT

Laurel Point GOES HYDROTHERMAL 2.0

64PROJECT PROFILE Located on the water in B.C., Inn at Laurel Point in Victoria has long been at the forefront of sustainable operations, including its hydrothermal infrastructure that draws ocean water to run part of the property’s cooling systems.

Denise Deveau

HEAT & HOT Water in One Efficient Package.

The Brute FT® Wall Hung Combination Boiler & Water Heater.

The Brute FT® delivers outstanding performance and quick response. Our modulating technology automatically adjusts fuel usage to match heat demand – saving up to 20% on heating utility bills compared to standard “on-off” boilers!

To find out more about the Brute FT® and other Bradford White products, visit our exclusive For The Pro® website dedicated to the professional. You’ll get: • Product Information • Technical Documentation • Marketing & Sales tools • Training Videos and more…

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© 2019 Bradford White Corporation.

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M e c h a n i c a l

T A B L E F E A T U R E S 40PLUMBING

M B

O F

S P E C I A L I S T S

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ASK ROGER For the greatest success, lean on a coach or mentor Roger Grochmal As I reflect on my career, one item keeps sticking out: I have always had a mentor, coach or partner.

34

PLUMBING Wild for hockey in the west Fred Bretzke I loved it when the Flames played the Oilers back in the ’80s and ’90s, especially when they met each other in the playoffs. That was always a cash cow for our plumbing company.

46

HYDRONICS Who is in control?

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr With the advancement of microprocessors, the way we control, or are able to control, hydronics has taken a giant leap forward.

52

REFRIGERATION Designing and building service-friendly systems Phil Boudreau There are many things to consider when building a custom system, including future service needs.

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HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC 2030 Vision: The future of controls Gord Cooke At one time, thermostats were usually flashing 12:00. Now, customers expect total HVAC control from their phone.

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MARKETING Keywords are key Doug MacMillan Tactics rise and fall. What doesn’t change is the importance of the words we use in our messaging.

66PLUMBING The 10 golden rules of drain safety Marty Silverman

MCAC’s 2019 National Conference

74ROAD WARRIOR: JAKE THOMPSON Simon Bowden

78HVAC/R Making digital connections Rick Ellul

82PLUMBING Getting groovy with plastic pipe repair Conn McAdorey

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CONTENTS

Selling alternatives to disposable water bottles Mike Hoyer

72EVENT IN PICTURES

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D E P A R T M E N T S 6From the Editor’s Desk 8News 18Profile: Dave & Wendy Smythe 76Find the Fix 84The Info Page 85Calendar 86By the Numbers M e c h a n i c a l

P R O D U C T S 38,70,81Plumbing 50,77Hydronics 56,57HVAC/R 80Stuff You Need

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FROM Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 Canada Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com November/December 2019 Issue Published 6 times per year.

Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com Associate Editor/Web Editor: Simon Bowden, ext. 225 simon.bowden@mechanicalbusiness.com National Sales Manager: Jeff Superle, ext. 221 jeff.superle@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Operations Manager: Caroline Bexfield caroline.bexfield@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)

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.

DESK

Keeping pace in an ever-changing place The world is changing, and technologies are evolving at a more rapid pace than ever before. That’s why constant learning and sharing of knowledge is so important. And a bit of cyber street-smarts doesn’t hurt either.

Of course, it’s not just about learning.

In speaking with Roger Grochmal for this issue’s cover feature (Page 42), his comments about failure to implement really struck home.

Anybody can learn how to do something, but not everyone will put in the time and effort necessary to master the use of that knowledge and go on to execute a plan successfully.

Merry Christmas!

See you in 2020 As another year of issues comes to a close, and with holiday season fast approaching, the team here at Mechanical Businesss would like to wish all of our readers, advertisers and supporters a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year. In the busy world in which we live, we hope that you get to enjoy some quality time with family and friends over the holidays.

The art of being a professional is making the difficult tasks look easy. Often the best professionals are the ones who put in extra time and effort so that difficult tasks “came naturally” to them. What we don’t see are the hours of practice they put in, their mental visualization, and their constant self-analysis.

Technology is allowing us to be in buildings from anywhere, and the IoT is making us more efficient. But much like wearing our steel toes to stay safe, we need to take certain steps to ensure that we don’t open the door to dangers in the cyber world as well.

30, security expert Danny Timmins outlines Starting on Page 3 cyber risks in th the mechanical world, as well as some basic can be implemented. security steps se ps that t

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).

So S So,, as we step further and further into the digital world, update those passwords and review what your be sure to upd doing on that front – and while in that company is d world, don’t forget to drop by our website digital w like, follow, friend and share our social and li media med posts.

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.

Until next time, U

© Copyright 2019. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher.

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M e c h a n i c a l

EDITOR’S

And technology can help, too. At the MCAC conference (Page 72) attendees had an opportunity to try out some very cool modern virtual reality training equipment.

We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada.

6

THE

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PLUMBING & MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Targeting an energy efficient economy “Our job is to make sure that energy efficiency reaches its full potential in Canada. To create a sector and energy efficient economy where energy efficient jobs and energy efficient economic development happens all across the country and in every community.” That was the message from Corey Diamond, executive director at Efficiency Canada, as he spoke to HRAI GTA Chapter members at their recent gathering in Vaughan, Ont. Diamond, pictured, discussed ways in which the heating and cooling industry can best position itself as a leader in the drive toward a greener and more energy efficient economy, including steps that HRAI members can take to further develop the sector. hrai.ca

Taco’s White honoured

Next Plumbing and Hydronics Supply, aided by former NHL star Shayne Corson, pulled 300 members of the industry together to take part in the annual Scotiabank Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer event – raising more than $345,000 in the process.

Overall, the latest staging of the event attracted more than 1,900 participants across 167 teams. Teams faced off at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, raising a record-breaking $3.1 million. Across the event’s nine-year run, a total of $23 million has been raised for cancer research at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. teamuptoconquercancer.ca

A positive outlook on economic growth

ciph.com

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The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York (the Society) has chosen John (Johnny) Hazen White, Jr., executive chairman and CEO of Taco Comfort Solutions, as the recipient of its 2019 Craftsmanship Award.

Announcing the award, Society president Dan Holohan said, “We see Johnny’s role has been to secure Taco as a world-class manufacturer of advanced heating and cooling equipment.” White, pictured, is the third generation of leadership at the family-run company. generalsociety.org

Getting a handle on prevailing economic winds was the subject of CIPH Ontario’s most recent regional business meeting.

Speaking to 125 attendees at the Mississauga event, Michael Gregory of BMO Capital Markets, pictured, provided key insights into business conditions in Canada over the shortterm, which he was generally positive about. He said, “Generally, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Ontario will be at or above the national (growth) averages going forward.”

M e c h a n i c a l

Targeting the light construction trades, with a significant focus on tools well suited to the mechanical trades, Milwaukee Tool has introduced its newest tools platform, the MX FUEL Equipment System. Comprised of some of the company’s largest and most powerful cordless tool offerings to-date, the lineup includes the MX FUEL 14” Cut-Off Saw, the MX FUEL Breaker for concrete demolition, MX FUEL Handheld Core Drill, MX FUEL Sewer Drum Machine with Powertredz, MX FUEL Rocket Tower Light with Charger, and the MX FUEL Carry-On 3600W/1800W Power Supply. Each of the products in the MX FUEL System operate off one completely compatible battery system. milwaukeetool.ca

Teaming up to conquer cancer

8

Milwaukee Tool launches new platform

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tacocomfort.com

ASHRAE revises Standard 90.1 ASHRAE has released an expanded, revised version of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2019, Energy Efficiency Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. It contains more than 100 changes from the 2016 version, including numerous energy-saving measures. Some of the significant changes made include revisions to sections dealing with administration and enforcement, the building envelope, lighting, mechanicals, energy cost budget methods, performance rating methods, and compliance. ashrae.org

Wolseley Canada wins sales award AHR Expo awards winners unveiled The winners of the 2020 AHR Expo Innovation Awards competition have been announced. Hosted annually by the AHR Expo, products in 10 industry categories are recognized for their innovative contribution to HVAC/R. Each winner will be formally recognized during the 2020 AHR Expo, which is being held from February 3 to 5 in Orlando, Fla. Winning companies are: Danfoss (three awards), Delta Controls Inc., York For Your Home, Fresh-Aire UV, LG Electronics USA, Interplay Learning, Matelex, and Infinitum Electric. ahrexpo.com

Watts sets sights on Legionella “Almost 1 in 20 people leaving hospital are leaving with an HAI, or Hospital Acquired Illness,” stated Munish Nanda, Watts Water Technologies’ president of the Americas, as he opened the Watts Healthcare Symposium in North Andover, Mass. in October. Shatha Salah, environmental manager at UAB Medicine, pictured, a hospital in Alabama that had to work through a deadly Legionella outbreak in 2014, said that plumbers play a critical role in the successful implementation of a waterborne infection prevention and control plan. The audience was told that routine maintenance, as well as communication and guidance, can help facilities mitigate the risks arising from cooling towers and plumbing systems. watts.ca

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Wolseley Canada was recognized by Samsung HVAC at the company’s Annual Partner Summit.

Samsung hosted 300 business partners in Denver, Colo., to highlight exceptional The Wolseley Canada team picks up their business performance, award at the Samsung summit in Denver, Colo. develop key relationships and communicate the future of Samsung HVAC America. Wholesale distributor Wolseley Canada picked up an award in the Mini Split Growth category for its sales efforts during the 2018-2019 sales season. samsunghvac.com

School trades program expanded The province of Ontario has announced a major expansion of the Specialist High School Major (SHSM) program, adding 122 new programs aimed at encouraging more students to enter the skilled trades. As part of SHSM, grade 11 and 12 students can now choose programs related to 19 different industry sectors, including construction, energy and manufacturing. It is estimated that by 2021, one in five new jobs in Ontario will be in trades-related occupations, with employers already facing a shortage of workers in some sectors. edu.gov.on.ca

CIPHEX West off to strong start CIPH has announced that more than 30 per cent of exhibit space for CIPHEX West 2020 was reserved during the first month of sales, giving the event a strong kick-off. The show, which will be held from November 4 to 5, 2020, is taking up residence at a new venue, the Coliseum at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, B.C. In addition to the booths and exhibits from key suppliers of equipment to the trades, the event will include a new product showcase, seminars, workshops and hydronics training. ciphexwest.ca

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Viega recognized for safety record Viega has won the Processor Safety Recognition Award for medium-sized processors (between 125,000 and 500,000 manufacturing man-hours) from the Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association (PPFA). Presented at PPFA’s Fall Meeting, the award is for the member processor with the lowest recorded incident rate of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses for 2018. Viega manufactures its PureFlow PEX pipe and fittings in McPherson, Kan. viega.us

Master Group scoops Fujitsu prize The Master Group took home the prize for being the Halcyon Distributor of the Year at Fujitsu General America’s third annual national distributor conference in Palm Springs, Calif.

Approximately 250 reps and wholesalers attended the September event, which was held at the La Quinta Resort & Club. Quebecheadquartered Master Group received its award at the gala on the final evening.

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Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has awarded an annual Safety Award to W.O. Stinson & Son Ltd., a family-run company that serves residential and commercial fuel and lubricant distributors in eastern Ontario and western Quebec. The company was recognized after launching a Quality Assurance Program based on the idea that safety is everyone’s responsibility, and that all employees should be aware of the requirements and regulations related to their jobs. wostinson.com tssa.org

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W.O. Stinson earns safety award

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WWW.GOODWAY.COM

Alberta makes big investment in trades The province of Alberta is increasing the amount of funding it provides to Skills Canada Alberta to $8 million over the next four years, a rise of $500,000 annually. The money will help Skills Canada Alberta expand programs that expose junior high and high schools students to the skilled trades, and enable more high school and postsecondary students to compete at regional, provincial and national skilled trades competitions. The province is also tripling the amount of scholarship funding available through the High School Apprenticeship Scholarship program to $1.5 million, which consolidates previous programs and will help more high school students access the education and training needed to get jobs in the trades. alberta.ca

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

ASHRAE unveils conference program The technical program for the 2020 ASHRAE Winter Conference, to be held from February 1 to 5 in Orlando, Fla., is now available online and in the ASHRAE 365 app. The conference offers over 100 technical sessions and a lineup of 300 speakers.

Registration for the conference provides entry to the co-sponsored AHR Expo, which starts on February 3. ashrae.org

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MCAHN scholarship recipients announced The Mechanical Contractors Association Hamilton Niagara (MCAHN) is marking the 25th year of supporting the future success of young trade professionals with a raft of new scholarship awards. Member contributions fund up to 20 $1,000 scholarships for exceptional students each year. Almost $500,000 in scholarships has been awarded since 1995. This year’s recipients are: Justina Ibrahim, Julia Taggart, Thomas Macdonald, Allison Struk, Justin Struk, Brittany Struk, Shelby Wilson, Rachel DeGasperis, Manuel Lemos, Sydney Kalyn, Aiden Brokenshire, Bryan Marr, Jacob Pellizzari, Sierra Pellizzari, Jayden Fernandes, Allyson Jugloff, Christine Yaromich, Taylor Campbell, Kristin Bennett and Jason Dales. mcahamiltonniagara.org

Dyson releases new Airblade technology

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After three years of development and 700 prototypes, Dyson Professional introduced its Airblade 9kJ hand dryer for commercial and public washrooms to the Canadian market at a special event held in downtown Toronto.

The unit has two efficiency modes, is equipped with a HEPA filter, operates at 77 dB in Eco mode, and uses a 75,000rpm motor to move 23 litres of air per second at speeds of 388 mph to dry hands in as little as 10 seconds. Dyson has been working to reduce the noise and power consumption levels of its hand dryers, including its Airblade Wash+Dry faucet with integrated dryer, which saw a second generation introduced earlier in the year. dysoncanada.ca

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DIGITAL ALERT Instrumentation selection and configuration

AtlasCare swings into action The 19th annual Golf Fore MS fundraising tournament, sponsored by AtlasCare, raised $64,000, smashing its target of $50,000. Funds raised will go to support the work of the Peel-Dufferin Chapter of the MS Society of Canada. More than 78 golfers took part in the September event, which is close to the heart of Mechanical Business columnist and AtlasCare chairman and CEO Roger Grochmal, pictured with his team. He said, “This has been an endeavour that is very near and dear to the Grochmal family. When we needed help, they supported us, and we’re just delighted to support them in return.”

Available for Apple or Android users, the Winters Tools-To-Go app can be used to convert temperatures and pressures to different units, as well as to select and configure products. The app, which provides users with access to specs, can assist with product selection, as well as search for a local supplier. winters.com

Magnetic field detection The Magnetic Tool app by Danfoss turns any smartphone into a precise magnetic field detector. The app provides detailed information about the magnetic field of the AC or DC coil in a solenoid valve, and can indicate the rotation direction of certain types of pumps. It also allows techs to document their work by taking and then sharing pictures with the system’s owner. danfoss.ca

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Tackling lead in water Quebec is set to become the first province in Canada to comply with updated federal regulations regarding the acceptable level of lead in drinking water.

In March 2019, Health Canada halved its guideline for the maximum acceptable lead concentration level in drinking water from 10 micrograms per litre to five. The province said that it will adopt the new standard and also announced that its methods of testing for lead will also be reviewed to fully comply with Health Canada’s recommendations.

Where lead concentrations are found to exceed five micrograms per litre, the provincial government has said that municipalities in the province will need to develop action plans to reduce the presence of lead, including such measures as the replacement of lead water service lines.

The announcements followed the publishing of some results from a multiprovince investigation into lead levels in drinking water, coordinated by Concordia University’s Institute for Investigative Journalism and supported by a number of news organizations. The investigation revealed a startling number of test results above the Health Canada recommendations, although provinces are able to set their own enforceable standards. canada.ca

Codes input sought The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) is asking for input as part of a review of the proposed changes to the 2015 editions of the national building, fire and plumbing codes.

Code users and stakeholders have until December 23 to submit their comments. A final national public review will take place in January 2020 and will include changes being proposed to the National Energy Code for Buildings 2017. If approved by the CCBFC, the technical changes will be published in the 2020 editions of the codes. nrc.canada.ca

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ESTABLISHED 1976

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Movers & Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Oatey buys Belanger Oatey has announced the acquisition of certain assets of Connecticut-based The Keeney Manufacturing Company. The transaction includes Keeney’s plastic injection moulding operation in New Hampshire, its distribution facilities in Georgia and Nevada, and the stock of Keeney’s two international subsidiaries, Tubular Industries of Canada Ltd. and KMC (Jiangmen) Co. Ltd. The purchase adds the Keeney, Plumb Pak and Belanger brand names to Oatey’s product offerings. oatey.com keeneymfg.com

Quebec-based ElectroBreeze Manufacturing has been acquired by FreshAire UV, a manufacturer of indoor air quality products.

The acquisition includes Electro-Breeze’s Canadian-based manufacturing and assembly operations for its polarized particulate filtration and other IAQ equipment, all of which will be relocated to Fresh-Aire UV’s Jupiter, Fla.-based filtration division manufacturing plant. freshaireuv.com r electrobreeze.com

IPEX completes Silver-Line acquisition IPEX, the Canadian-headquartered manufacturer of thermoplastic piping systems, has announced the successful completion of its stock purchase of Silver-Line Plastics. With this acquisition, first announced in August, IPEX will increase its market position in the U.S. with an expanded product portfolio serving a broader client base. IPEX is part of Aliaxis, a manufacturer and distributor of advanced plastic piping systems. ipexna.com slpipe.com

Master adds distributor, grows territory The Master Group has acquired distributor Baymar Supply Ltd, a Southwestern Ontario distributor in the commercial, industrial and institutional HVAC/R sector. Baymar will continue operations from its offices in Windsor and London, Ont. The Master Group was also recently named the sole source of Fujitsu General America’s Airstage VRF commercial HVAC products throughout Western Canada. master.ca

Danfoss turns to MARS Master distributor Motors & Armatures (MARS) has been chosen by Danfoss to serve all HVAC/R wholesalers throughout North America with the sale and support of its aftermarket products for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. MARS, which is headquartered in New York, has distribution facilities in Mississauga, Ont., and more than 65 representatives throughout Canada and the U.S. danfoss.ca marsdelivers.com

Vallieres agency g takes Nortek nationwide After f representing Nortek’s residential and aftermarket products in Quebec for the past four years, David Vallieres & Associates’ role is being expanded to cover all of Canada. “It’s an honour to have that faith of a manufacturer,” said Mike Vallieres, vicepresident and son of founder David Vallieres.

Stelpro joins Hilo in efficiency push

nortekhvac.com davevallieres.com

Heating products manufacturer Stelpro and Hydro-Quebec’s new subsidiary, Hilo, have created a joint venture with a mandate to develop connected devices for smart homes that will contribute to efficient energy use. The devices will be developed in Quebec and manufactured at Stelpro’s plant in Shawinigan, Que. Stelpro president Yves Chabot said, “Creating a joint venture between Hilo and Stelpro is a logical step given our desire to position our company as a major player in the energy transition.”

Arctic r Chiller joins Trane

stelpro.com hiloenergy.com

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Quebec firm bought by Fresh-Aire UV

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Trane, a business of Ingersoll Rand, has acquired Arctic Chiller Group, a Canadian-based HVAC manufacturer specializing in high efficiency air- and watercooled magnetic bearing, modular, and process chillers for commercial HVAC and process cooling applications. Arctic Chiller Group operates from locations in Ontario and South Carolina. arcticchillergroup.com r trane.com

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People in the news www.mechanicalbusiness.com

INSINKERATOR CANADA has announced the promotion of Heather Ferris to Eastern regional sales manager.

With 20 years of experience in the plumbing industry, Ferris will manage sales activities from Ontario to Newfoundland.

She will collaborate with InSinkErator’s regional sales agencies to support growth and new opportunities.

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OS&B INDUSTRIAL, a new division of OS&B that oversees a lineup of valves, has appointed Brent Tugwell (1) to vicepresident of sales, Brandon Cartmell (2) to customer service/warehouse manager and Stacey Cartmell (3) to general manager. They will operate from the company’s new facility in Hamilton, Ont.

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BRADFORD WHITE CANADA has announced the appointments of Graeme Gilbert (1) as regional sales manager for Eastern Canada and Joe Drago (2) to the role of Canadian product manager.

Gilbert’s responsibilities extend to Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.

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Barbara O’Reilly (1) has been promoted to general manager for RHEEM CANADA. O’Reilly, who joined the company in 1980, is active with industry organizations, establishing and leading the Rheem Canada Women in Business Mentorship group and chairing CIPH’s women’s network. Also at Rheem Canada, Cyril Koval (2) has been appointed to the role of commercial sales manager.

Gaelan McCormick (1) is now regional sales director for Canada at GOODMAN. He will work closely with independent distributors as well as offering support to the company’s regions.

Also at Goodman, Chris Chudley (2) has been promoted to provincial sales manager for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Don Snow (3) has been appointed territory sales manager for Southern Alberta, Justin Tan (4) has been promoted to provincial sales manager for British Columbia and Russell Pipke (5) is now the provincial sales manager for Alberta.

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Michael LeBlanc has been appointed vice-president of operations at AQUATHERM and will lead the company’s newly created operations department. LeBlanc has more than three decades of mechanical, plumbing, project management and rep experience.

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SANIFLO has appointed Teresa Cardona its new marketing and communications manager for North America.

Cardona will be responsible for developing communications strategies that promote the company’s mission, products and services.

PRIER PRODUCTS has appointed Matt Lemke as vice-president of sales and marketing. Lemke’s career spans more than 30 years in business-to-business and retail channels. His focus will be on strengthening relationships with existing and new distributors, retailers and contractors.

FRICO NORTH AMERICA, a Systemair company, has appointed John Raves as sales and technical support manager for Canada and the U.S. Raves has 12 years’ experience in the air curtain business and will be based at the company’s North American headquarters in Barrie, Ont. Martin Lower (pictured) has been named to succeed BARTLE & GIBSON president and CEO Robert Whitty, who is retiring next June. Lower, the current director of finance, has been with the company for 14 years. He takes on his new role effective February 3, 2020.

DANFOSS DRIVES has named Ian Barrie as its new head of sales for the Americas. In this position, Barrie will continue to build and develop strong regional sales channels and verticals for Danfoss Drives’ business within North America and Latin America. Barrie has been with the company for 25 years and was previously head of Global Key Accounts.

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12.19

Reader Profile Dave and Wendy Smythe: Delivering go out ut of of this this world w service Should it come as any surprise that one of the owners of Out of This World Home Services, Dave Smythe, wants to go to space?

Closer to home, and with feet planted firmly here on Earth, company owners Dave and Wendy are all about improvement and learning, extending that focus to their family, team and community as they operate their plumbing firm (with soonto-be-added HVAC services) in the Ottawa area.

Looking to support self-improvement and the next generation of the trade, last year the company set up an award for the top female student in the pre-plumbing program at Algonquin College, and also offers a scholarship for the top academic student in that program.

We caught up with the dynamic duo to talk about this goal of constant improvement, and how they work to create “wow” experiences for their clients, as well as for their team of mechanical pros.

Q A

What’s the biggest challenge running a mechanical contracting business nowadays?

Portraying the value of our services to clients in this quick, “easy-to-get” society. A lot of clients do not understand the relationship between qualified labour costs and the retail world of mass-produced products.

Q A

What’s the biggest challenge for you as a business owner?

It is the battle between the desire to grow – so finding the right advisors, team members and partners to work with – and being held back by the day-to-day operations of the business.

Photo courtesy of Robin Andrew/ Unposed Photography

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What would you tell someone who is new to the industry?

This is a great time to get into the trades. The skills are still going to be needed in the era of automation. Also, work on yourself, always. Always be improving and learning, even when you’re at home in the evening. People are either growing or dying – there is no in between.

BIO

Q A

Names: Dave and Wendy Smythe Company: Out of This World Home Services Location: Ottawa, Ontario Family: Two sons, Scott and Jamie Joined the industry: 1999 Education: Algonquin College

What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever been given?

Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, either way you’re right!

FAST FACTS ABOUT DAVE AND WENDY 1. Dave won a medal at the Ontario Skills competition when he was an apprentice.

2. They have both written books, as have their two sons.

3. Wendy met Dave when she was a nurse in the U.K. Dave was her patient.

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HVAC

By M a r k a nd A l e x a n d r a P a r l i a m en t

Ventilating a home: It’s about the numbers, not the windows W

hile writing this article, we have the windows in our home open to let in the crisp autumn air, giving us plenty of natural ventilation. Each year, as we fall into winter’s grip, however, our windows close and our indoor air quality has a tendency to falter.

AN EXHAUSTED APPROACH An exhaust-only system is simply a bathroom fan installed in the highest bathroom in the house.

Thirty years ago, this would not have posed much of a problem as older homes are not sealed like the houses today. These older structures allowed for natural air changes to occur, which would flush out adverse air quality in our homes.

In our attempts to make buildings as energy efficient as possible, newer building techniques and product technologies have created increasingly air-tight homes.

The downside to this is that we tend to trap more Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Respirable Suspended Particulates (RSPs) and water vapour, all of which can contribute to poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).

Ventilation: The process of “changing” or replacing air in any space to provide high indoor air quality.

While the fan is running, it exhausts air from the house, putting it into a negative pressure situation. This air imbalance will then be equalled out by infiltration air that is drawn into the home through cracks or crevasses in the building.

While relatively inexpensive to install, this system can cause significant inconvenience for the homeowner, especially if the house is sufficiently air tight as it can cause natural draft combustion appliances to spill.

It can also cause soil gas issues, like radon, to be drawn into the house.

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Acceptable strategies for improving the IAQ for your clients depends on where in the country they reside or work. An exhaustonly approach is still being used in some provinces, whereas other provinces mandate the use of an HRV or ERV by code.

RADON A radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock, radon is invisible, odourless and tasteless.

When released from the ground into the outdoor air, it is diluted and is not a concern. In enclosed spaces, like homes, however, it can accumulate to high levels and become a health risk.

While present in all areas of Canada, concentration levels will vary from region to region and house to house. The only way to be sure of the radon level in a home is to conduct a radon test.

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FINDING BALANCE One of the more recommended strategies for mechanical ventilation is a balanced system with heat recovery. A Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) or an Energy/Enthalpy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) can offset the disadvantages of supply-only or exhaust-only systems.

An HRV is a factory-assembled unit that incorporates a means to circulate air for balanced ventilation. It also provides a way to transfer sensible heat between the two different air streams.

It accomplishes this by drawing stale air from within the house (usually from kitchens and bathrooms) and forcing it through a heat exchanger before exhausting the stale air from the building.

On the opposite end, it draws fresh air from outside through this same heat exchange to take advantage of the heat from the exhaust air, transferring it onto the incoming air, warming it up.

An ERV looks and operates much like an HRV, except that the ERV core will exchange both sensible and latent heat.

This has led a significant number of HVAC contractors to believe that the HRV is to be used solely in colder climates and the ERV in warmer climates.

PUSHING, RATHER THAN PULLING A supply-only system is another ventilation strategy that can be used, preferably in mild climates.

Here, a fan is used to force air into a building envelope in order to positively pressurize the building. This will cause the stale air to be pushed out of the structure.

A downside to this approach is that moist air can be driven into the building, which can cause mould propagation, but the positive pressure does help to disperse soil gas issues.

While it is true that the HRV will remove more moisture from a home during the winter months than an ERV, it will cause the air conditioner to work harder in the summer because, unlike the ERV that deals with latent load, the HRV does not.

SIZING THE EQUIPMENT

It is important to remember that most manufacturers and codes require that the airflows be balanced within plus or minus 10 per cent of each other. Therefore, no matter which equipment is used, the most important aspect of any system is that it is balanced.

In Canada, the TVC is determined using a room count method, where every room is assigned a specific airflow in CFM. Once the room count is complete, a ventilation approach can be selected to meet the code requirements. One of the main codes used is CSA-F326.

This code specifies that the system used to meet the TVC must be capable of continuous operation at the TVC, and has the ability to operate at 40 to 60 per cent of the TVC.

When choosing which method to use to gain the required ventilation for a home, contractors need to take into consideration not only the specific requirements for the amount of air to be supplied to the house but also how much is removed.

Mark Parliament is a senior training consultant with Lennox Learning Solutions. Alexandra Wennberg Parliament is the founder of Maven Marketing & Communications, an agency with specialized focus on the construction, real estate, HVAC/R and non-profit sectors.

To reach the authors, email awennberg@mavencommunications.ca.

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The capacity of a ventilation system in a home is based on the Total Ventilation Capacity (TVC). This is the minimum amount of indoor air that the ventilation system must be capable of providing.

Planning a ventilation system in a modern home is not as simple as installing a fan in a bathroom or an HRV in the basement. Look at the building as a whole, since what gets installed in one area of the building can have a negative impact on another section of the house.

By approaching ventilation projects with the “House as a System” strategy, you can ensure that the ventilation system will not adversely affect other components in the home, like furnaces and water heaters.

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with Roger Grochmal

For the greatest success, lean on a coach or mentor, and be one for others.

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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 email to Mechanical Business Magazine’s editor, Adam Freill, adam.freill@ mechanicalbusiness.com.

hen I look back over my 45-plus years in the mechanical trades industry and reflect on the things that contributed to my success, one item keeps sticking out: I have always had a mentor, coach or partner to keep me focused on whatever I was attempting to achieve.

Somewhere along the way, I learned that coaching is not just for people starting their careers, but it’s valuable all the way along.

WHEN THE BOSS LOOKS GOOD, WE ALL LOOK GOOD S Success ttakes k teamwork

In the early part of my career, when I was working for others, I quickly learned that my role in the business, regardless of what it said in my job description, was to help my

Some people believe that asking others for advice is a sign of weakness. I see it as a strength. I believe in the old expression: “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go with others.”

I have always seen my work in this industry as a long-term career – and it’s been more of a relay with others than a solo sprint.

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boss achieve his targets and make him look good.

In return for my hard work and dedication, each of my bosses became a mentor to me and did what they could to ensure that I continued to develop along my career path. They were all good to me. They sent me to conferences and seminars, and encouraged my involvement in the community: in my church, in the Rotary Club, in youth basketball and municipal politics.

In each instance, when I decided to move on, I left with their blessing and all are still friends today.

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MENTORS ARE ALL AROUND US When I got into my own business, it was comforting forting to know that I could call any of my previous mentors for or advice, which I did from time to time.

Initially, I had a business partner. My motivation was finding an additional source of capital as I didn’t have any, however, I quickly learned that the value he brought to the partnership was that he was already in business and had faced many of the pitfalls that we were likely to encounter.

It was a great life lesson for me.

I believe that mentoring is a two-way street. For every coach I’ve had, I’ve also tried to serve as a support for others in one way or another. Over the years I have had people reach out to me for advice. I have been more than happy to spend the time chatting through their challenge, and to coach them if they needed it. It is one way for me to give back.

My son Michael and I make a point of supporting our employees in a similar way to ensure they have back-up, encouragement and advice to help them along in their career. I’ve found once people know it’s okay for them to ask, they’ll do it frequently and everyone is better for it.

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Coaching, mentoring and partnering nering all have a place in our lives. Today oday we live in a world of instant gratification where workers want nt recognition for everything theyy do.

This is understandable, and as employers we need to ensure people receive the recognition they deserve.

At the same time, the rule that I used at the start of my career holds true today: Stay on the path of making your boss look good and it will pay off in long-term relationships that you can lean on during good times and bad.

PAYING IT FORWARD

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I was recently honoured to receive an award from HRAI for lifetime achievement. While I may have been the only one standing up at the microphone, the stage felt packed with the people with whom I share the recognition, because they helped me get there.

They say you can judge a person by the company they keep. Keep yourself in good company and you will enjoy more success than you could ever achieve on your own.

LEARNING TOGETHER I have another partner in the business now, my son Michael. Every day we mentor one another.

We’ve joked that we should write a book together to chronicle the father/son journey we have taken together over the past 15 years. It has been a journey that has had its bumps at times, but we have both come out of it stronger by working through the more difficult times together.

And we are able to bounce ideas off each other, not for each other’s approval, but rather to generate stronger plans and, ultimately, to have a more successful business.

One of the things that we realized along our journey was that even with our partnership, honesty and trust, we both needed independent coaching. We joined an organization called CEO Global Network. This is an organization where business leaders from across all industries, big and small, get together with a professional facilitator to share experiences and seek advice from each other to solve real business problems.

When you boil it down, every business has the same problems. They differ slightly within an industry and have different scale, but the issues are generally the same, so there is value in learning from the paths that other professionals have used to address them at their companies.

Organizations like CEO Global Network exist in one form or another in most cities around the country, and I highly recommend finding one.

Our company also joined Nexstar three years ago, and when we did, the first thing they did was assign us a business coach. Their mission it is to see that we successfully adopt best practices and to help us be successful.

We meet with him via teleconference to ensure everyone is staying on track, and that we are receiving help and feedback when we need it.

We also have access to coaches in specific operating areas, such as marketing and callcentre management. It is an invaluable network.

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BUILDING AUTOMATION B y D a nny T i m m i n s

Danny Timmins is the national cyber security leader with MN LLP. He can be reached at danny.timmis@mnp.ca.

Securing our Digital World WHY THE LAX VIEW? The main reason why so many people and organizations do not place the necessary emphasis on cyber security, is because it is not a physical affront.

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hile today’s global marketplace is heavily technology dependant, and we all rely on technology for business and personal activities, the human factor is still the biggest risk to any person’s, company’s or organization’s digital security, and the bad guys know it.

Psychologically, if we feel that something is going to happen physically, we feel vulnerable. In the cyber world, everything is silent.

As a result, the people who want your information are engaging in social engineering tactics to target system users, many of whom fall prey on any given day.

Imagine the vulnerability you would feel if your passport was physically stolen. Now consider how you would feel if you had scanned your passport to book a hotel, and then that hotel’s email was subsequently breached.

Recent statistics tell us that phishing accounts for 90 per cent of all data breaches, and that close to four per cent of the population will click on an attachment or link, no matter what the circumstances.

Perhaps this is due to simple curiosity, or a lack of training, but the sophistication of modern phishing and social engineering emails has made it considerably more difficult to detect fraudulent attempts to infiltrate our digital worlds.

The level of vulnerability we feel from our passport information being in the wrong hands does not impact us the same, but the risk of someone using that information to steal your identity is the same.

I am part of a team of security experts that has the ability to craft a phishing campaign that will achieve, on average, a 35 per cent hit rate of an organization’s employees clicking on a link.

Of those who click, anywhere from 10 to 15 per cent will usually provide us with credentials – their user names and passwords.

Since we perceive the physical and the cyber world differently, it becomes a challenge to have users consider the risk in the same way, but it can help to test your team and conduct cyber awareness training so that the intrusion feels as real as a physical affront.

In a real situation, this is all the hackers need to download malware and gain access to an organization’s system without the user being aware that they have opened the cyber door for them.

Similarly, phishing via public Wi-Fi is a proven way to target users to gain access to an organization.

Did you know?

With the ever-increasing reliance on technology, there is a higher risk of you or your customer experiencing a cyber breach than of having a fire on premises. And yet our business resiliency and continuity plans outline exit plans and recovery for fires. Perhaps we should now be preparing for cyber threats to our businesses.

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When we participate in training seminars and conferences, our team has been known to test for this – so that those attending may experience the impact first hand.

We’ll set up a soundalike free public Wi-Fi system, and when an attendee connects to what they believe to be the correct Wi-Fi, they’ll happily type their LinkedIn or Facebook password to access our rogue Wi-Fi system. They think nothing of it, but that is all that a hacker needs to take over that person’s account.

Cyber has come out of its infancy. Over the next few years, we are going to see it mature. Commercial customers are going to be asking their third-party vendors – including the companies who are servicing their building systems – about their own cyber security maturity. Will you be ready?

What is the risk?

There are a number of reasons why a company should be thinking about security, but the simple reason is to protect your company’s data.

This data may be proprietary information, client databases or financial information, and it is all ultimately linked to your brand and reputation.

And not only would a data breach negatively impact how others perceive your company, an infiltration could also open your organization up to litigation by those whose information has been stolen.

What to do when infiltrated Getting ahead of a potential break-in is always better than reacting after the fact. Ideally, an organization should have a Cyber Security Incident Response plan in place in case of a breach.

PROTECTING YOUR CUSTOMERS There are a number of high-profile examples of security breaches where a company has been accessed through a doorway used by its vendors. In one highly publicized breach in the U.S., a major retail firm was infiltrated through an invoicing structure used by its contracting service providers, including its HVAC service provider.

The concern a business should have is that if their vendor or service provider is infiltrated, then any access information the vendor has is also in the wrong hands. As an organization, we need to make sure our contractors are taking the best precautions.

If I am a building operator and I have three or four different vendors – HVAC firms or elevator firms – and they have access to my building automation system, I should be asking them questions like, “What kind of security protocols are you using?” and “How are you protecting our building?”

I recommend business owners to request stipulations in their contracts, as well as evidence that the vendor is not opening the building systems and other data to risk.

Of course, whether you have a plan ahead of a breach or after, the first move is to contain the breach. Time is of the essence, and having a plan in place will help outline the action(s) you should take to stop the breach. See The Cyber Security Incident Response plan on the next page.

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The Cyber Security Incident Response plan

CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD

When putting together a response plan, there are a number of protocol steps that are advisable, as well as a number of questions to ponder so that the response addresses the specific details of the incident.

When an organization has been breached, we often find that the strength of a password, or lack thereof, is a contributing factor.

For example, there might be one password for everyone to use on the system. This can make it difficult to prove who accessed the system.

Here are a few items to address or consider in your plan: • No one is to post about the breach on social media unless approved to do so; • A decision-making procedure to decide if you require a forensic record of the breach; • Information of who to contact if legal advice is likely to be needed; • Insurance policy information and contacts; • A detailed communication plan, including who will serve as spokesperson; • If it involves a privacy breach, the company must contact the Privacy Commissionaire; • Details about the team that will stop the breach, clean the systems and record what happened;

• If the breach affects one or more of your clients, you will need to communicate with them; • If they choose to work with you, and/or implement their own incident response plan; • A copy of your action plan so that any other affected party knows what it looks like; and • When all is settled, conduct a lessonslearned exercise.

BEST PRACTICES WITH IoT DEVICES Many of the IoT devices that are used in building automation systems put a focus on the performance of the device, rather than on system security. As such, it is not always possible to ensure the highest levels of security are employed.

That said, when an IoT device is compromised, we often find that the default password is still being used. This is simply user error. A device’s default password is easy to find online, so at the very least, upon installation, it should be changed to a unique password with 12-plus character credentials.

At some point after the initial installation, each device will also need to be upgraded or updated.

This can take a considerable amount of time, especially when there are a large number of devices across a building or complex.

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In the IT world, it takes an average of nine months for the full installation of updates to systems at organizations once an upgrade is required.

For IoT devices, it could take even longer.

Hackers are aware of this vulnerability, and know that they have a potential nine-plus month window to exploit security flaws that these patches are intended to fix.

There is some good news on the technology front though, and that comes from the world of AI, or artificial intelligence.

Often referred to as machine intelligence or learning, AI is the use of technology for behavioural analysis. AI essentially puts eyes and ears on activities that might be difficult for IT professionals to easily identify by sifting through data logs.

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Equally shocking is how simple some people’s passwords are. The most common ones we run into when reviewing an organization’s security are Password1, Password12345 and, because we are on a qwerty keyboard, QWERT123.

So, what makes for a good password? We recommend that people use a 12-character password. Perhaps taking the first letter of each word in a phrase, so that it is easy to remember. By substituting numbers or special characters for some letters or vowels and adding an exclamation point or special character at the end of it, it makes it that much more difficult to crack.

Of course, most passwords can be broken in time. Using a 12-character password with special characters makes it much more difficult for cyber criminals to compromise your account than the accounts with weaker password protections. The aim is to not be the easy target.

For even better protection, we highly recommend an additional layer of security, using a multifactor that requires an extra verification step before the user is granted access.

This could be having a randomly generated access code sent to the user’s phone, which would then need to be inputted after the password, or it could simply be a USB key that needs to plugged in for the password to be accepted.

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By Fred Bretzke

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.

PLUMBING

wild FOR

HOCKEY IN THE

WEST N

ineteen eighty-nine was a very good year for my adopted hometown. That was the year the Calgary Flames hoisted the Stanley Cup after taking down the Habs in Montreal thanks to the play of such hockey heroes as Lanny McDonald, Doug Gilmour and a rookie named Theo Fleury.

Calgary was a hockey town waiting to celebrate. Just two years earlier, we beat the hated provincial rival Edmonton Oilers when Steve Smith scored on his own net.

That night, before days of the Red Mile, the infamous Electric Ave S.W. went crazy.

GOING INTO OVERTIME I can still picture the scene: The music was loud as Def Leppard’s Hysteria was playing in the background, all while strobe lights kept flashing in my eyes, blinding me as I continued to search for a supposed leak under the bar counter.

I could barely hear myself think when Mötley Crüe’s Girls, Girls, Girls came on, blasting out of the stage speakers. You could hear the adrenaline rush of the crowd as they whistled and clapped for the next performer in this very broken-down strip club in the southeast part of the city – or at least I assumed they were making noise for the dancer. Apparently not. They were cheering for Flames goalkeeper Mike Vernon as he made another save in overtime of Game 7 against the Canucks.

There was nothing more “wild west” than a strip bar during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

I was on call this particular night, trying to find a leak in the back bar. It was hard to tell whether it was coming from the food receptacle ice sink or the indirect floor drain.

These sinks should just have clear water waste or ice drippings draining from them, however that wasn’t always the case. Sometimes food and swizzle sticks would get plugged in the drip pipes under the sink.

Overtime Cont.

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I loved it when the Flames played the Oilers, especially when they met each other in the playoffs. That was always a cash cow of service calls for our plumbing company.

Win or lose, guys went nuts in the bars, quite often ripping urinals off the walls and booting toilet tanks till they cracked.

Sometimes our drain cleaners would find stolen credit cards wrapped in paper towels stuffed down toilets.

It was an emotional time in Calgary’s Wild West. Even my soon-to-be-born daughter had to wait for our doctor to arrive (late) at the hospital as he was waiting for McDonald to score his 500th goal against the Islanders. The Flames were scoring, the bars were busy, and so were we.

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A new 2015 code update describes the use of fittings and cleanouts for these particular sinks, but back then, it was usually a maze of plugged leaking piping.

There was so much dirt, booze, food and mould under the counters that it was hard to find the leak, especially in this dimly lit place.

Every time a goal was scored, a glass would splash over the counter from some excited fan, dousing me with beer as I crawled under the condensate pipes dripping on my soaked shirt. The bar kept selling drinks; people were going crazy; and no one paid any attention to me as I discovered that this was not a water leak.

Every now and then, the indirect floor drains would back up with a liquid that did not smell very good. I knew what this smell was, and I dreaded the thought of locating its source.

FROM BAD TO WORSE Picking myself off the floor behind the bar, I made my way towards the not-so-clean men’s bathroom. If ever you want to get grossed out, just make a trip to a crowded men’s room with a lineup to the urinals.

The three or four stall urinals were hardly enough to keep up with all the beer that the bar patrons were recycling. In short order, the urinals became plugged, but users continued to flush, and no one was stopping. I had to put an out-of-order sign on the fourth one, so that I could tackle the trouble in the pipes.

The interesting thing about trying to drain clean a stall urinal is that there is no cleanout.

The other fun part is that these stall urinals kept running because the automatic urinal flush tank had an inoperable water shutoff. And there was no way the bar would let me shut the building’s water off during this peak beer-selling time.

RECTIFYING

THE PROBLEM

I cringed a little as I pulled my drum drain cleaning machine into the washroom and knelt on the soaked floor. Guys continued to joke and trash talked each other at the other three urinals, overflowing them onto the floor.

The drain cleaning machine I was using had a foot pedal on it, which was good, but this particular unit had a bad wire attached to it.

If you weren’t careful and it got wet, well it could become quite a shocking experience, which added to the challenges of the day.

Since there were no cleanouts and the stall urinal was embedded into the concrete slab-ongrade floor, I could only stuff the auger down the urinal drain. After several attempts of running the auger back and forth down the old cast drains, it finally let loose and I saw – and heard – that beautiful swirling, swishing action down the drain.

Some of my beer-laden audience clapped and hee-hawed as they were able to use the fourth urinal without me in the way.

Thank goodness the Flames actually beat the Canucks that night in OT. Vernon was spectacular – or at least that’s what they told me.

Had the Flames lost, I would imagine that the automatic urinal flush tank stood a good chance of getting ripped off the wall, and I would’ve been there all night.

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Rewriting the rules So, here’s to the Flames winning, and the new cleanout rules for urinals and healthcare facilities (section 2.4.7.4. of the NPC). Under the 2015 code, cleanouts serving fixtures in healthcare facilities, mortuaries, laboratories and similar occupancies, where contamination by body fluids is likely, now need to be located at least 150 mm above the flood level rim of the fixture.

CLEANOUTS ON DRIP PIPES FOR FOOD RECEPTACLES The 2015 update of the National Plumbing Code of Canada tells us that cleanouts shall be installed so that the cumulative change in direction is not more than 90 degrees between cleanouts in a drip pipe from a food receptacle or in a fixture drain serving a kitchen sink in a non-residential occupancy.

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Commercial water heater A. O. Smith’s Cyclone LV water heaters are designed for use in commercial applications.

Available in 150,000 to 499,900 BTUH sizes, and in 220- and 250-gallon capacities, units deliver thermal efficiencies of up to 96%. Features include a submerged combustion chamber with helical heat exchanger coil, a colour touchscreen display and iCOMM remote monitoring capability.

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Grease interceptors Mifab’s Big Max HDPE grease interceptors are offered in capacities of 140 and 300 gallons. They are designed to process fat, oil and grease from waste water in commercial facilities at flow rates up to 75 and 100 gpm. Units are moulded from high density polyethylene that can handle temperatures up to 180°F. Each interceptor features 4” no-hub inlet and outlet connections, and a water- and gas-tight lid.

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Adjustable floor drain The Pronto adjustable on-grade PVC floor drain with integrated level specification from Watts fits pipe sizes from 2” to 4”. The drain features an integrated bubble level, two levelling shims, anchor flange and weep holes. It is preand post-pour adjustable, and comes with a round nickel bronze strainer and solvent weld outlet connection.

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The One-Piece Ball Valve from IPEX is designed for use with the company’s AquaRise CPVC potable water piping system. Available in 1/2” through 1” sizes, it can be used for high pressure systems or for applications that do not require a serviceable connection. Units have a one-piece valve body and are rated to 400 psi at 73°F and 150 psi at 160°F.

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Toilet paper grab bar Bronte Collection’s Grabcessories line, which is designed to prevent falls and promote independent living, includes a toilet paper grab bar.

Manufactured from non-corrosive stainless steel with a polished chrome finish, the 1-1/4” bar can support up to 500 lb. and features no-slip rubber nubby grips.

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Stainless steel braid jet hose General Pipe Cleaners’ stainless steel braid jet hose is designed for use with the company’s JM-1000 Mini-Jet and JM-1450 water jet drain cleaners for 1-1/2” to 3” drain lines. The hose’s 3/16” Teflon core reduces flow resistance and improves small line cleaning power. It is available in 30-, 50-, and 75-foot lengths.

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PLUMBING

Mike Hoyer is the business development manager with Reliance Home Comfort.

He can be reached at mhoyer@reliancecomfort.com.

By Mike Hoyer

Getting beyond the bottle So how can plumbers and sales professionals make inroads into the multi-billion dollar bottled water market? One word: education.

Knowing that a majority of bottled water consumers are motivated by health, convenience and cost-effectiveness, it is our job to present alternatives that satisfy these factors with the added bonus of being better for the planet.

An option for clients who want filtered water rather than the municipal supply at their taps is a reverse osmosis solution, and these are not only for residential applications.

The country’s top culinary experts know the secret to quality cooking, baking and even food preservation and storage starts with their water supply, which is why RO systems are also being found in commercial kitchens and restaurants.

Selling alternatives to

“When it comes to canning, all water is not created equal. In fact, water is the secret ingredient in the canning process,” said Top Chef Canada winner and canning enthusiast Carl Heinrich.

DISPOSABLE WATER BOTTLES

“A proper filter is the smart choice if you want to be a DIY canner because it will guarantee that the water doesn’t have dissolved minerals in it, helping lead to perfect preserves and pickles,” adds Heinrich, the executive chef and owner of Richmond Station in Toronto.

T

he federal government took an environmental step forward this year when it announced plans to ban single-use plastics in Canada as early as 2021. The landmark pledge, unveiled in June, means everyday plastic items like disposable straws, cutlery and plastic bags may soon disappear completely from store shelves.

This proposed ban out of Ottawa has also sparked conversation across our industry about the ways plumbers and sales professionals can support customers in embracing more eco-friendly habits in their homes and businesses.

With more than 50 billion water bottles being diverted to landfills or waterways globally each year, one of the most immediate and impactful ways Canadians can help the environment is by eliminating their consumption of single-use water bottles.

The mechanical industry is well-poised to provide leadership in this area by educating our clients about the benefits — both environmental and economical — of switching from disposable water bottles to more earth-friendly alternatives for staying hydrated.

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Chef Carl Heinrich shows the RO system that he uses.

Getting beyond the bottle Reverse osmosis filter solutions (RO water filters) can improve the taste and purity of tap water by cleaning out a variety of common contaminants from the water supply.

The RO filter removes contaminants from water by forcing water molecules through a semipermeable membrane. When used with additional filters, like carbon and sediment filters, the multi-stage filtration system can remove the sediments, minerals and chemicals that can cause unclear and unpleasant tasting water for your customers.

These units can be conveniently and discretely installed at the point of water consumption, such as the kitchen sink, and the need for replacement filters, which are simple and sanitary to install, provides another great reason to keep in contact with your regular customers.

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COVER STORY

By Adam Freill

Roger Grochmal ALWAYS GIVING IT I

HIS ALL

n trying to find a few words that capture the essence of what has made Roger Grochmal a pillar of the Canadian mechanical industry for the past 45 years, terms like hard work, dedication and caring come easily to mind, but it is his willingness to share that stands out the most.

A contributor to every edition of Mechanical Business since Day 1, Grochmal has always been willing to share the knowledge that he and his team at AtlasCare, a mechanical contracting firm located west of Toronto, put into serving their customers.

“There are no unique secrets in this industry. If you look on the internet, it’s all there,” he explained during a recent chat at his office in Oakville, Ont. “It is not the knowledge; it is the ability to implement that knowledge.

Failure to implement is what hurts companies.”

Of course, there will be some company owners who are able to implement some of the systems and ideas that he is more than willing to discuss, and Roger is very good with that.

“Canada is a big country, and there is plenty of room for good

Finding an escape When Roger isn’t filling his time at the office, a conference or industry event, you might find him sketching, painting, reading or out on a golf course or in a river.

He’s a member of a fly-fishing club on the Beaver River, near Thornbury, Ont., and does his best to get on a river whenever an opportunity, and season, presents itself.

“I fish all over the place,” admits the avid fly fisherman.

“It’s really relaxing.”

Sometimes he’s even been known to mix golfing and angling. “I throw a fishing rod in the golf bag and take it with me. You never know what will happen,” he says.

contractors to operate. I would always want to operate in a market where my competitors know what they are doing,” he says. “If they understand their cost structure, price their work properly, and hire and train quality people, it is good for all of us.”

Photos courtesy of John Packmann and AtlasCare

DRAFTED INTO THE TRADE

42

The first in his family to get a formal post-secondary education, Grochmal claims, “I didn’t choose this industry; it chose me,” as he was recruited by Trane Canada shortly after finishing his degree in electrical engineering at University of Alberta.

After a couple of years at Trane, Roger took an opportunity to be part of a management development program at Black & McDonald. “They would bring you in and you would learn about the whole business, and the expectations of the owners,” he says.

“Once in, however, I was all-in, and I committed my future to it,” he adds. “I always felt that I had an obligation to do whatever I could to make the industry a better place for all of us.”

That one-year program turned into nine years with the firm, where he learned to run their service business in Ontario, and was able to glean knowledge from such mentors as Bill and John McDonald and Doug Kitchen.

It probably didn’t hurt that his first steps into the industry were as part of a six-month training program at Trane’s facilities in Wisconsin with an international group of fellow sales engineers. “We had six months of fun in Lacrosse,” he laughs.

“I have always had coaches and mentors,” says Grochmal.

“You can’t do it all alone, especially now. I don’t think I’ve ever worked a year without a coach, partner or mentor in my entire working career. It kept me on the right path.”

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Empowering your people

Roger Grochmal

Chairman & CEO AtlasCare Oakville, Ont. AGE: 69 JOINED THE INDUSTRY:

1973

Roger Grochmal’s Keys to a Successful Career • Never stop learning.

It is a lifelong activity.

• Work hard. It won’t go unnoticed.

• Network. Get to know your competitors, suppliers, customers and employees.

• Get involved. Volunteer your time. Join trade organizations. Be active in your community.

People notice.

• Always have a mentor.

Everyone needs someone to “check their backswing.”

A company is only as strong as its people, and the better a job that your people do to take care of your customers, the better it is for the company, and the people within it, yourself included. It’s a cycle that has some fantastic benefits for everyone when a company manages to get it right.

So, how do you empower your crew so that they know what to do, and how to represent your brand and reputation, no matter what challenge comes up?

“The only path is to have a well articulated and understood set of values,” says Grochmal.

As companies get larger, it is very hard to put a prescriptive path to follow in all situations, so he has found that the best path forward can often be found by asking a simple question: Is it good for the customer and good for the company?

“You can really streamline a lot of things if you can answer that question honestly.”

HRAI past-chair David Weishuhn presents Roger with the HRAI Life Member Award.

Recognition of a lifetime of service Roger’s dedication and years of service to the industry were recognized by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) at the organization’s annual conference in Niagara Falls, Ont., this past summer where he was awarded HRAI’s highest honour, the Life Member Award.

In presenting the award, HRAI past-chair David Weishuhn highlighted two of Roger’s key industry accomplishments: his work to help establish the residential air conditioning trade in Ontario and the creation of the HVAC Coalition.

The HVAC Coalition, which was created to challenge certain actions of utilities, continues to work on behalf of contractors to ensure a level playing field for businesses engaged in mechanical contracting.

Also recognized was his passion for giving back. In addition to being active with community organizations and groups, Roger’s company has become a major supporter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, a disease that his first wife succumbed to.

AtlasCare continues to be a lead organizer, title sponsor and participant in the local Golf Fore MS tournament each year.

“

I’ve had to deal with a lot of loss.

I’ve lost two wives and a brother, so you learn to embrace each and every day. I stay close with my family and enjoy every moment for what it gives me. You have to enjoy every day. There is no rehearsal in life.”

Roger and his son Michael during a Toronto Blue Jays Day at the office.

M e c h a n i c a l

–ROGER GROCHMAL

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HYDRONICS

B y B o b “ Ho t R o d ” R o h r 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.

Who’s in

CONTROL? W

ith the advancement of microprocessors, the way we control, or are able to control, hydronics has taken a giant leap forward.

A RELAY TEAM

In the past, we commonly had a wall thermostat connected directly to a pump, or a zone valve and pump combination. The wall “stat” was basically a high limit control. It was not much more than a switch operated by temperature settings. Heat anticipators on many versions allowed some cycle adjustability.

Current thermostats offer many more options for gaining and keeping control, including the ability to monitor indoor and outdoor temperatures, respond to weather forecasts and be operated via voice commands. Online monitoring and adjustability have taken the control forward yet another step.

Properly sized and designed, a hydronic system could run constant circulation, with the modulating heat source supplying the exact amount of heat energy across the design conditions.

The wall thermostat’s main goal is to allow the occupants to prevent the heating system from overshooting the desired setpoint temperature.

If the building has multiple zones with varying temperature requirements, a relay control box should be used in conjunction with the thermostats.

The zone control boxes are the interface between the control device and the distribution system.

These control relay boxes have gained some intelligence over the years. In addition to the basic on/off function, other programable options are commonly included, such as the ability to exercise infrequently used circulators and the option to extract additional heat from the source, post purge, after the burner has shut down.

Zone control boxes also clean up the wire management portion of the installation. Fuse or circuit breakers within them protect components from shorts or mis-wiring. Considering the labour savings and the professional result, these control relay boxes are a no-brainer.

Customizing comfort for customers Perhaps the biggest advancement in control functions is the boiler controller itself.

Most current boilers have the ability to run an outdoor reset control function. On some, electronic derating is possible, as is the ability to lock the boiler at a low BTUH output condition. And a number of models will modulate up to 10:1. Another feature on some is ramp delay, which puts a time function on the various firing rates, and some controls have the ability to power multiple mixing devices.

You are (or should be) the one to decide if the heating system controls the occupants, or vice versa. Studies have shown that most homeowners are unhappy with the heating systems in their homes and offices, but we can fix that. It’s within our controls.

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Between the smart thermostats and the wide assortment of built-in functions on the boiler controller, wise selection and thoughtful installation can provide near endless control logic.

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FINALIST

HYDRONICS

⌬

THINKING THROUGH THE DELTA Every building should have a load calculation performed. Period. This is critical on both old systems and new installations, and needs to happen prior to designing the system.

The design step then defines the placements and sizes of the heat emitters, piping, controls and circulators for the system, providing the blueprint for how the system should be assembled.

Based on the type of heat emitters, the designer is free to select an operating delta T to which the system can be designed. In some cases, radiant slabs for example, a 10-degree delta may be used to ensure fairly consistent floor surface temperature from loop start to loop end. Tight delta Ts also help keep a consistent temperature across the surface area.

Panel radiators may be selected and sized to a 40-degree delta. Fintube convectors, air coils and cast-iron radiators are often sized around a

20-degree delta. I suspect the 20 degrees is most often used to simplify the math since 1 gpm of system flow moves 10,000 BTUH when at a ⌬T of 20.

The temperature differential on an operating system is an indication of the amount of heat energy being transferred, and this will vary from the design point throughout the seasonal, daily or minuteby-minute operation. The design ⌬T is

WORKING FROM FEEDBACK T

Keeping the equipment safe

he most accurate way to modulate heat output from an emitter is by varying the supply water temperature (SWT). This is a very linear relationship, as we all have learned from experimenting with outdoor reset curve (ORC) adjustments.

In addition to outdoor reset, I think indoor feedback is also an excellent way to modulate heat input to a space.

It is possible to have outdoor temperatures decreasing but internal ambient temperatures from internal gains keeping up with the load. It may not be necessary to raise SWT just because outdoor temperature is dropping.

Consider a family that arrives home at the end of the day. The extra energy from lighting, cooking, clothes drying, refrigerator operations, computer use, and even just the humans and pets radiating heat to the structure all contribute to internal heat energy gains.

In a super-insulated home with loads in the low single digits per square foot, it might be worth considering the inclusion of some indoor feedback to the heat source to modulate SWT.

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for a single point in time, as is the heatload calculation result. It is possible the system may not run consistently at the designed-for ⌬T, and that is fine. It may even be desirable.

As the load on the system increases, the delta may expand from the design number. Take a fin-tube system designed around a 20°F ⌬T. Coming out of temperature setback, or an occupancy change, can cause the indoor temperature to drop. Cold air across the fins at the floor level, against the temperature of the fins, drives the delta.

Under heavy loads, that delta could increase to 30°F, or more. This varying ⌬T can be observed in any type of heat emitter.

As the room approaches setpoint, the operating ⌬T will shrink as the heat emitter and ambient temperature come closer together. At some point, the high-limit temperature control (the wall thermostat) will shut down the operation.

1 2 . 1 9

We add limit controls and operating controls to keep the boiler in a safe operating condition. The heat emitters are in control of the boiler operating condition, not vice versa.

A good example of this is a large cold radiant slab starting for the first time. That cold return temperature will dictate the operating condition of the boiler.

With a non-condensing type boiler, you surely need return temperature protection, otherwise the high mass will take all the BTUs the boiler can produce and drive it to an unhealthy operating condition.

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Hydronic Products Dirt separator Taco’s 4900 Series magnetic dirt separator is designed to remove microscopic particles in closed loop hydronic heating systems. Available in sizes from 3/4” to 2” NPT and from 3/4” to 1-1/2” sweat, units can operate at temperatures up to 250°F and pressures up to 145 psi. Cleaning is performed by opening a valve at the bottom of the vessel. www.

Switching relays Tekmar Control Systems’ line of switching relays and zone valve controls includes the Switching Relay 302P. Designed to connect up to two thermostats, it includes RoomResponse, a system that automatically adjusts boiler operation for longer run times at lower temperatures.

Units feature top, bottom and back conduit knockouts and have an operating temperature range of 32°F to 122°F.

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Indirect DHW tank Viessmann’s Vitocell 300-W single-coil indirect-fired 42-gallon DHW tank is made of high-alloy stainless steel. It features a large-diameter 1-3/8” nonfinned stainless steel heat exchanger coil that extends to the bottom of the tank and NPT connections. The units have 2-5/8” foam insulation to help minimize standby losses. www.

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Commerciall boilers b l Available in 300,000 to 1,000,000 BTUH sizes, Raypak’s XFire boilers are designed for commercial applications. With a turndown ratio of 7:1 and thermal efficiency of up to 96.5%, units feature a touchscreen display, a stainless steel water-tube heat exchanger, and a light that works to provide a visual indicator of the status of the heater as well as being a service light.

www. raypak.com

Condensing fire tube commercial boiler Navien’s NFB-C commercial fire tube boiler is available in sizes from 20,000 to 399,000 BTUH. Units feature a turndown ratio of up to 15:1, thermal efficiencies to 97.5%, and top and bottom piping connections.

An optional NaviLink Wi-Fi controller can be added to enable remote access and monitoring via a smartphone or tablet.

www.

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Bell & Gossett’s Ecocirc XL 3-phase smart, multiphase wet rotor ECM circulator pumps are available in cast iron and stainless steel. Units have a maximum run-out flow of 375 gpm, a maximum shut-off head of 110 feet and a maximum operating pressure of 175 psi. www.

bellgossett.com

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ECM circulators

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REFRIGERATION

Designing and building service-friendly systems T

here are a number of applications or jobsites where an off-the-shelf type of refrigeration system may not be the best solution for your client. In these situations, a custom system may need to be built, but there are many things to consider at the design stage, and it’s not just about component selection.

Aside from a desire to build a system that matches the application’s requirements with long-term reliability, it should also be designed in such a way that it considers the needs of refrigeration service technicians, so that they can perform routine maintenance and any repairs that may be necessary over the lifespan of the equipment.

SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SERVICE THE OIL With field-built systems, it is generally recommended to change the oil, along with any oil filters and refrigerant filter-driers that may be present, within the first 100 hours or so of operation.

To do so, it will be necessary for the technician to have good access to the oil drain on the compressor, along with convenient access to the oil filter.

If you have ever worked on a system and asked yourself questions like: “Why didn’t they include a service valve?” or “Why did they put that way over there?” or even pondered, “I wonder what this wire is connected to,” you know how design choices can impact equipment servicing after the system has been installed and commissioned.

To facilitate oil draining, compressor manufacturers sometimes offer oil service valves. The oil service valve can help in reducing the mess that can take place when a plug is simply removed from the oil reservoir or crankcase. If the compressor is installed on a flat base, it may be a good idea to leave an opening below the oil service valve.

Oil heaters, such as crankcase and oil separator heaters, should also be accessible, just in case they should ever need to be replaced.

Compressors, along with some som oil separators, oil reservoirs and receivers, may also be equipped with an oil sight glass. Ideally, these components in such should be positioned p aw way that it permits periodic visual inspections without having to contort oneself.

Here are some points that should be considered when design-building custom packages. And don’t forget to get the equipment inspected and approved. In fact, providing drawings and documentation in advance may reveal some issues that are much easier to correct before the equipment is built and shipped into the field.

Phil Boudreau

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Phil 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.

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Canadian refillable cylinders available

Make the Switch to Solstice® N40

Solstice N40 (R-448A) offers 5-10% lower energy consumption, a 68% reduction in global-warming-potential and lower environmental impact on the planet. Solstice N40 is approved for use by all major compressor and component manufacturers, and is a near-drop-in replacement for R-404A, allowing for easier installations and conversions. Talk to us today to find out more.

For more information visit: https:www.honeywell-refrigerants.com or Call 800-631-8138

© 2019 Honeywell International. All Rights Reserved.

REFRIGERATION

DIDYOUKNOW?

WORKING ON THE COMPRESSOR The compressor itself should be easily accessible. This is very important. The compressor should be positioned so that the electric terminal box can be accessed from outside of the unit.

With screw compressors, it is generally recommended to send the oil to a laboratory for analysis and have a vibration analysis performed on the system once per year.

ACCESSING THE ELECTRICAL PANEL

Sometimes there are several wires inside a terminal box to support peripheral compressor accessories, such as the cooling command along with the line voltage from the compressor contactor, or even two or three contactors, as could be the case with partwind starting and wye-delta starting.

It can be a real challenge to trace wires when the wires are not neatly arranged and labelled in the electrical box. This becomes even more of a challenge when it is hard to access the terminal box itself.

And plan for what could happen down the road. If the compressor needs to be replaced at some point, it should be possible to remove it without having to cut and move structural members of the system’s chassis out of the way. When there is a need to remove sections of an equipment chassis, the structure of the unit can become unstable, resulting in an unsafe situation.

Much like with the compressor terminal box, convenient access to the electrical panel is very important. This is also a safety consideration because panels that are difficult to access can be dangerous to work on and can make it very difficult to trace wiring and connections.

Most modern panels use cable raceways to facilitate good organization of wiring. Good use of terminal strips, wire colour coding and wire labels also makes it easier for a technician to navigate a control panel when there is a need for troubleshooting.

In addition to the various national and local code requirements, the safety of building occupants and servicing technicians must also be kept in mind during the design and fabrication stages of the equipment.

Emergency stop (Estop) safety switches, or disconnects, should be included to facilitate shut-down of the machinery, and switches should also be included that allow manual low-side pump-down and compressor shut-off.

YOUR PHONE HAS IT. YOUR TABLET HAS IT. NOW YOUR MANIFOLD HAS IT TOO. TOUCH-SCREEN TECHNOLOGY COMES TO HVAC/R SYSTEM MEASUREMENT. P51-870 TITAN™ DIGITAL MANIFOLD 4.3” full color, touch-screen display Connects to smartphone via Bluetooth® and the ManTooth® app On-board data logging Vacuum sensor, hoses and carrying backpack included

www.yellowjacket.com

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Sight glasses and other useful items

HEAD TO PORT Unfortunately, many technicians face challenges during servicing because there are not enough service ports to facilitate the troubleshooting process. When designing custom equipment, be sure to include pressure ports to facilitate superheat, subcooling and oil pressure measurements.

It should be possible for the technician to check pressures entering and leaving each component in the system. This can save valuable time when diagnosing system problems. These additional ports will also prove useful during evacuation and charging procedures.

The push-pull method of refrigerant recovery allows for a high refrigerant flow rate using only a small pressure difference. Having vapour and liquid access ports at all locations in the system where a significant charge may be situated, such as in the receiver, is good practice.

When installing a liquid line sight glass, remember that if only one sight glass will be installed, that it should be installed in the liquid line just before the subcooler.

This is because it is possible to have 100 per cent liquid leaving a subcooler and saturated, flashing refrigerant entering the subcooler.

Having only one sight glass on the liquid line leaving the subcooler may mask an issue where the subcooler is doing oing some of the condensing, perhaps due to the system being eing undercharged or some other issue.

Of course, if there is no sight glass, a pressure port will at least be needed so that the technician can check the level of subcooling in the liquid line.

In some situations, such as with a low-temperature system for example, a liquid subcooler may be used. The purpose of the subcooler is to increase both the efficiency and capacity of the system by using an intermediate pressure to subcool the liquid entering the metering device at the evaporator.

And keep in mind that some oil separators utilize coalescing type elements.

These serve as filters, meaning that it may be necessary to replace these filters from time to time. It is important to remember to leave enough clearance space to remove the oil separator head and extract the filter elements.

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HVAC/R Products P Pellet stove venting system DuraVent’s PelletVent Pro is a venting system for stoves and inserts that use wood pellets, biofuels or fuel oil. Available in 3” or 4” diameters, the venting is UL listed for 1” clearance to combustibles. The system is rated for continuous use flue temperatures up to 570°F and features a laser-welded, double-wall pipe.

www.

duravent.com

Air handler Available in 1.5- to 5-ton sizes, Goodman’s 21” deep AVPTC Smartframe Air Handler features an aluminum evaporator coil, a variable-speed motor with internal TXV, and 12 field-selectable airflow settings. ComfortBridge communicating technology allows for remote setup, configuration, diagnostics and troubleshooting via the company’s CoolCloud app.

Rooftop units Johnson Controls’ Choice 15 to 27.5 ton rooftop units are available in standard efficiency cooling only, gas heat, or electric heat and feature independent circuits and a leadlag compensator. Achieving efficiencies up to 14.8 IEER (cooling only/electric heat) and 14.6 IEER (gas heat), each unit features four indoor airflow options, two independent refrigerant circuits and single-side access.

www.

johnsoncontrols.com

www.

goodmanmfg.com

Low-temp refrigerant L H Honeywell’s Solstice L40X ((R-455A) is a mildly flammable, zzeotropic refrigerant blend designed for use in commercial d rrefrigeration low-temperature aapplications. It has a GWP of 146 and an LFL (percentage vvolume) of 11.8 to 12.9.

Refillable cylinders are available R ffor the Canadian market.

w www. honeywell-refrigerants.com h

Condensate neutralizers Neutra-Safe’s tube-style condensate neutralizers are designed to serve high-efficiency, gas-fired appliances up to 2,000,000 BTUH in size. They feature integral unions and O-ring seals, as well as a clear tube for visual inspection of neutralization media without disassembly.

www.

neutrasafe.com

Secondary drain rain pans Gas furnace

RectorSeal’s Titan Metal etal Series of secondary drain pans come in eight sizes and feature ture 24-ga. seamless, one-piece galvanized steel ave a construction. Units have 3/4” drain outlet on the wide and long sides, a PVC C cap fitting and a drain line female fitting.

York’s LX Series TL9E ultra-low NOx residential gas furnace is available in 60,000 to 100,000 BTUH sizes and achieves 95% AFUE. The 33” high units feature an ECM fan motor, a single-stage burner and can be installed in a variety of positions.

www.

rectorseal.com

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york.com

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HVAC/R Products P Mixed flow fans Daikin’s Rebel rooftop system can be installed in a range of commercial applications in sizes ranging from 30 to 52 tons. Systems achieve an EER of 11 and IEER of up to 17 and feature ECM fans and a Class 6 leakage rating of +/- 6” of static pressure.

Canarm’s IMF-B belt drive mixed-flow fans operate with airflow going in both the axial and radial direction relative to the shaft. They are designed for use in applications that require large volumes of clean air at low to mid-range pressures.

Suitable for supply and exhaust functions, units are available in 16” to 50” belt drive diameters, with flow capacities ranging from 3,000 to 40,000 cfm.

www.

www.

daikinapplied.com

canarm.com

Packaged rooftop system

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Multiple fan array Rosenberg’s ECFanGrid consists of several modular, backward-curved centrifugal ECM fans or plug fans arranged in a grid construction designed g to provide continuous and consistent airflow in HVAC systems. Motors can handle 120 V singlephase power, 230-460 V three-phase power, and up to 600 V with a dedicated transformer for the Canadian market.

Electronic charging scale Refco’s OCTA-Wireless electronic charging scale, available through Ontor, can transmit measurement data to a wireless display located within a radius of 10 m. The aluminum housing and 12.6” by 1.75” platform can handle refrigerant nt cylinders up to 220 lb.

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rosenbergcanada.com

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Gas Fired, Decorative, Two-Stage, Low Intensity y Tube Heater designed for comfort and Specifically desig for outdoor driving ranges reliability. Ideal fo patios. and restaurant pa Product Features: Features - Patented two-stage two-st operation - Pre- and post-p post-purge controls - Self-diagnostic LLED, microprocessor based circuitry - 28 linear feet of radiant tube - 24 volt controls and power cord are standard.

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Call us to find a distributor near you.

34 Scott Ave. Paris, ON N3L 3R1 www.brantradiant.com PH: 1-800-387-4778

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HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC

THE 2030 VISION: FUTURE OF CONTROLS Using data

Smarter controls already allow you to “take the conn” and provide service reminders to your clients, and the diagnostic capabilities of equipment and controls could be a game changer for your service business.

Envision the productivity improvement and delight of your customers when you eliminate a first “discovery” visit, replacing it with a visit to the distributor counter to get a part on the way to the jobsite, all because the equipment signals you in advance of a problem.

Going forward, the run-time data compiled from the controls on existing equipment will be factored into sizing calculations to determine the actual optimal size of future replacement equipment.

I have long advocated for contractors to do heat-loss/gain calculations every time equipment is replaced. Soon, the algorithms within the controls of the existing equipment will do that for you.

Moreover, as the base of data expands, it will become possible to create a complete energy profile for homes that could be used to recommend equipment replacements and other energy efficiency upgrades, such as insulation or air sealing.

Combined with data from energy utilities, it could be an extremely powerful tool to target the most cost-effective ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the over 13 million homes currently in Canada.

Gord Cooke

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I

n my recent travels, and in recent conversations with my extended family and friends, I have been hearing two sides of a challenge that is at the heart of our industry: controlling the safety, health and comfort of indoor environments.

On one hand, my family and friends are kind of surprised that there aren’t simpler, more interactive, more functional control strategies that would tell them what’s happening with the air quality in their houses, how they are doing with respect to energy use, and anticipate or respond more quickly to their comfort needs.

On the other hand, it seems at every conference, trade show or manufacturer’s event, I hear both about the advancements coming and the angst of contractors that they don’t have the skilled labour required to meet the expectations of their clients for that ever-finer level of control.

If I look back, all of this has been building during the span of my career.

When I entered the industry, the first of the programmable thermostats were flashing 12:00 all over North America. Now it would seem that before my career ends, our customers will be expecting total control of their indoor environment to be at the beck and call of a sultry voice somewhere in the clouds.

Let’s have some fun and think about the possibilities, disruptions, opportunities and challenges presented by advancements in controls.

Gord Cooke is a professional engineer who has spent 20 years helping builders and HVAC contractors implement innovative technologies into high-performance homes.

He has particular expertise in IAQ and airflow management in houses, and can be contacted at gcooke@airsolutions.ca.

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Automating IAQ Beyond the traditional objective of enabling comfort control by monitoring and adjusting temperatures and humidity, there is currently a flurry of activity in sensing indicators of air quality.

About 35 years ago, we had a control for an HRV that had a very early version of a device that purportedly sensed a wide range of potential pollutant indicators, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and a whole array of VOCs. Unfortunately, it became apparent that the sensor was cross sensitive to moisture in the air, so results wandered uncontrollably.

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE The traditional, mercury bulb, slide-switch thermostat could only tell you what the actual air temperature or set-point temperature was notionally within three to five degrees.

Homeowners, my mother being the prototypical example, used the slide setting as a guide only to their sense of comfort. Up a little during the day, down a little at night.

Along came the digital display, initially for temperature and now for humidity, and it feels like the entire mechanical industry has become slaves to the numbers.

Of course, technology has advanced dramatically, and we are not far from sensors that can make complex decisions about changes in air quality indicators.

Ventilation, filtration, and even humidification and dehumidification equipment would be control candidates. However, to optimize the effectiveness of these strategies and meet consumer expectations – which will be raised by the very installation of advanced sensors – control would best be localized.

For example, quiet, powerful bath fans or kitchen range hoods should be the control target for air quality changes in those rooms. Such local or specific focus would require a more complex control strategy than just trying to control the central or whole house devices such as ERVs or filters on the main air handling device.

Eyes open, and forward looking Overall, we should be encouraged by how homeowners have embraced smart thermostats to date. They clearly have found many other benefits than the simple energy savings opportunities offered by the original digital thermostats.

Ever-advancing control opportunities will improve the productivity of your service team and provide better opportunities for equipment sales.

We will all have to be watchful to research and track control and communication protocols that are flexible and universal enough to encompass as many of the mechanical technologies and products you support as possible.

There are a lot of companies vying for a share of the expanding HVAC control space. Choose partners wisely.

The angst over what the numbers are, who has the most accurate thermometer, how they should feel, and how quickly they should change, dominates my work in comfort investigations and warranty work.

I look forward to the day when we move away from sensing and controlling just air temperatures and move towards a “feels like” control. Much like the weather forecasters amalgamate air temperature, humidity and wind speed into their daily forecast of how we are likely to feel, let’s look forward to the day when our control algorithms in thermostats can assimilate more of the variables that affect comfort indoors.

I can imagine sensors on the walls, windows, floors and ceilings helping to calculate the mean radiant temperature effect of the surfaces surrounding our clients. Indeed, those surface temperatures could be used to predict condensation potentials and adjust humidity levels accordingly.

Go further and image how the recent cost reduction advances in thermography might be incorporated into a control that regularly scans rooms looking for occupancy comfort indicators, such as skin temperatures, or looks for surface temperature changes of windows to anticipate radiant gains or losses to trigger air conditioning action.

That same thermal scan could also be used to detect changes in wall or ceiling temperatures to predict issues such as water leaks or even calculate instantaneous heat flow through the exterior enclosure.

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Marketing

with DOUG MACMILLAN N

Keywords are key O

ver my almost 30 years in the marketing game, ame me, I’ve seen tactics rise and fall in popularity and he effectiveness. One thing that hasn’t changed is the ng. importance of the words we use in our messaging.

Organic vs. Paid Keywords and SEO can be used in two ways: organic (free) and paid.

In organic SEO, keywords are placed in strategic places in your website and advertisements so that search engines such as Google can “understand” your business.

For example, the title, headings, description, photo tags and URL should all describe what you do and include keywords. Keywords should also be included in blogs, press releases, and other content.

Paid search, most typically Google’s Adwords service, allows you to pay to have your website and/or certain online advertisements show up at the top of search engine results when customers type in certain keywords.

Keyword choice is important here as you won’t want to show up for every search term, because they may not apply to your business.

For example, if you’re a plumber, you don’t want to be fielding inquiries from customers looking for general contracting.

Advertisers “bid” on the keywords they want to trigger a hit to their website, which can raise the price of the most applicable ones in the industry.

You’ll want to keep an eye on bid

n our website, What we say about our products and services on email newsletters, and advertisements affects thee overall success of the organization. me information faster and in In the age of digital marketing, individuals consume ods have evolved accordingly. If we different ways, and so our communication methods are going to catch anyone’s attention, we need to get to the point, and fast.

Word choice is more important than ever.

How are we described?

It is increasingly important to know the words our customers ustomers use to describe us, so that we can use them to be found.

In the digital age, we don’t just use words to convey our brand; they’re needed to stay distinct among endless messages competing for consumer attention.

Search engines like Google use specific phrases, called keywords, to help you reach the right people, right away. Without them, your target audience may never see your website at all.

What are keywords?

Keywords are words or short phrases that help generate traffic to your website by affecting the way they appear on search engine result pages. This is known as search engine optimization (SEO).

Keywords can be general, like “plumbing,” or more specific, like “Doug’s Plumbing”. They can also be targeted by geography (e.g. Doug’s Plumbing North Bay).

It is critical to understand the best keywords to use because being at the top of search engine results is one of the best ways to increase traffic to your website.

cont’d on page 62

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Doug’s Plumbing

Making Business Easy

Connected features made for easy living.

Our connected units use The Haier Home App to maximize comfort, convenience and savings. From location-triggered settings to schedules and weather alerts, you always get the right temperature at the right time.

To learn how we can make things easier for your business, visit haierductless.com

Marketing with DOUG MACMILLAN

What keywords should I use?

The best keywords are often different from the way you would describe your organization. They are the words that your audience would use when seeking your services.

Organic vs. Paid Cont’d prices so that you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

Adwords are a great way to boost your hits in the short term, but in the long run, organic SEO is the better and more affordable strategy.

If you’re already at the top of the search page, good for you! There’s less urgency for you to implement paid advertisements, but don’t let your online presence slip off your radar. Check back every so often

by Googling your key phrases to see how you’re doing.

Your customers likely won’t be searching for specific furnace brands or models, and they won’t know the technical or industry terms for plumbing services. Instead, they’re more likely to type in the general problems they’re experiencing.

Entering keyword options to Google Keyword Planner.

To find out what your customers type into the search bar when they need your services, the first thing you should do is ask them.

Include a question in your customer feedback survey asking what words or phrases they would use to describe your company and your services.

Also check out the Google Analytics data for your website to see details about the searches that are directing people to your website. That’ll give you a great list to start from.

How do I know my keywords are working?

Over time, you’ll know your strategy is working when your website starts climbing up to the top of the search engine results page. You’ll start to see more hits to your site, and hopefully more sales. If you’re running Google AdWords advertisements, you’ll be able to see which keywords are generating the most traffic.

Use this information to adjust your strategy going forward.

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

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Google Keyword Planner results show that the keyword “furnace installation” receives many more impressions through online searches than “broken furnace” does. This is also why the cost to bid on this phrase is so high.

With a set of words, you’ll want to check those against an online tool like Google Keyword Planner.

Look for the keywords that capture the most monthly hits on the internet and which keywords have the highest estimated cost-per-click. The secret to your strategy will be in balancing between the most popular keywords and what you can afford.

There is no set number of keywords to target, because it depends on the size of your business and your available budget. Start with a list of five to 10 distinct keyword phrases. Keep in mind that bidding on both “furnace installation” and “furnace installations” is not an efficient use of resources. Re-evaluate your list after a few weeks.

Once you’ve determined your keywords, it’s time to start using them. Fold them into your website and start creating Google AdWords advertisements if you need to.

Using keywords to improve your SEO is a long game. It is a constantly evolving strategy that requires your diligence to refresh and update keywords as needed. Monitor your traffic and Adwords weekly, if not more frequently. Keep an eye on the Google Keyword Planner. And remember to pay attention to seasonality, and adjust your keywords accordingly.

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Canada’s National Show for the HVACR and Plumbing Industries

METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE

March 25 - 27, 2020

cmpxshow.ca

PROJECT PROFILE | By Denise Deveau

INN AT

Laurel Point GOES HYDROTHERMAL 2.0

I

t’s not easy to maintain or upgrade an underground hydrothermal system, but sometimes an opportunity comes up that helps the cause.

Located on the water in B.C., Inn at Laurel Point in Victoria has long been at the forefront of sustainable operations, including its hydrothermal infrastructure that draws ocean water to run part of the property’s cooling systems, says Ian Powell, managing director.

“We’ve always been ahead of the curve,” he says. “Almost 30 years ago we became one of the first in the country to have one.”

The two-pipe system that runs from the harbour to the inn’s Arthur Erickson wing has done its work in supporting the property’s carbon neutral goals. But in the fall of 2018, they had a unique opportunity to take a closer look at what they had, and to improve upon it.

That’s when Transport Canada launched a nearby soil remediation project that would open up the system for all to see.

“Because they also had to dig up the property around the hotel, it was an ideal opportunity to upgrade the system, streamline maintenance and reduce our energy bills even further,” Powell says.

“The technology and understanding of these systems has moved a lot in 30 years. We were able to be far more scientific than last time. At the same time we realized we could put a plan in place for future sustainability.”

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A NEW BEGINNING “We knew Transport Canada was doing site remediation on property that fronted the inn,” says Sarah Campden, associate with Herold Engineering Limited in Victoria. “Part of that meant removing the hydrothermal pipes running the system. The other was demolishing the existing salt water pond because the remediation would be taking the soil to the bedrock layer.”

Given that everything would be completely exposed, it made sense to not only assess their current needs, but future plans as well.

The original system was comprised of one supply and one return line, with 6” PVC pipes connected to the hotel’s newer wing. The older wing’s cooling system was powered by electricity.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER To build the new system, the PVC pipes between the harbour and the mechanical room were replaced with 6” HDPE pipes: two for the existing system; two additional sea water supply and return lines in the same trench; and two pipes to the older wing for future connectivity.

“When the time comes, it will be easy to connect the pipes with the new mechanical room to create a closed loop,” Campden explains.

An additional 3” line runs back from the building into what will be the new pond, so it can be filled from the same system.

Laying the pipes was not without its challenges, however. Because of the thickness of the foundation walls and the additional lines, they had to reorient where the pipes were coming in. “We had to be very specific in terms of where the coring was placed and the structural framing in order to make sure we could reconnect everything on the inside. It was super-tricky getting that layout finished,” she says.

Photos courtesy of Tourism Victoria and Inn at Laurel Point.

Another challenge was maneuvering under the inn’s concrete patio in order for the pipes to reach the hotel. In digging up the patio, they found a large retaining wall. The option was to cut, remove and replace it, or dig under it.

“We decided to dig, and sure enough we hit bedrock,” Campden adds. “Overall, getting around all the existing infrastructure of concrete, electrical, irrigation and drainage was a huge challenge. The records at the inn were quite good, but not perfect. We ended up having to move around some stuff we hadn’t anticipated.”

ADDITIONAL ACCELERATIONS Beyond the piping, the remediation also allowed the team to finish replacing pneumatic valves, an upgrade that they had been working on for the past 10 years, replacing older technology that was showing its age with direct digital control (DDC) system valves.

“With everything being open, we were able to get rid of the remaining pneumatic valves and put everything on DDC,” says Bernie Moore, the inn’s maintenance manager.

“Now I can type parameters into a computer and calibrate the valves any time I need to,” he explains. “The difference in terms of programming, monitoring, and maintenance is like night and day.”

In addition to simplifying the programming, the upgrade is expected to improve efficiency of the hydrothermal system by up to 40 per cent, reports Powell.

HOW IT WORKS

With the inn planning to demolish and rebuild the older Laurel Point wing in the next five years, the opportunity to be ready for that next project presented itself.

“We thought it would be great to have the same hydrothermal capabilities there, knowing each would have its own mechanical room,” Powell explains.

“We knew where the inn was, and we knew where they would have to go,” Campden confirms. “The only question was, ‘How far do we take this?’”

After many discussions, they decided to create an additional loop in anticipation of the rebuilding of the second wing.

“The current hydrothermal system at the Inn at Laurel Point is an open loop configuration that brings water directly from the ocean into the building’s heat exchangers in the basement and returns it back to the ocean,” explains Moore. “The distance to the ocean is about 300 feet, so water further cools as it makes its way back.”

Because the inn is using salt water as a coolant, they installed titanium heat exchangers. The first heat exchanger services the 114 air conditioning units in the rooms of the newer wing. A smaller heat exchanger supplies the chilling for the public areas.

When working with salt water, there are special considerations, Moore says. In addition to titanium, which is more resilient, the impellers for drawing the water are bronze.

“These wear out and have to be replaced every three to four years,” he explains. “But when they were first installed in 1989, they were cast iron. We only got one season out of them.”

The third floor mechanical room houses the fresh water side of the loop for the building. In the winter months there is a three-stage boiler to assist in heating the loop.

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PLUMBING

B y M ar t y S ilver man

10

The golden rules of drain safety

1

USE COMMON SENSE

Common-sense, practical precautions can prevent many tragedies, so trust your intuition. If you suspect a situation is dangerous, it probably is.

RULE

Never leave machines unattended. Turn off and unplug equipment when it is not in use, especially around children and pets. And always read the machine’s instructions, follow the recommended maintenance procedures, and replace worn or lost safety decals.

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ALWAYS MONITOR SURROUNDING HAZARDS

Sewer and drain cleaning machines often operate close to water. So make sure that electrical equipment remains safe from current leakage. Routinely check machines, power cords, and extensions for worn or damaged insulation, loose or broken strain relief grommets, dangling switches, and missing ground prongs.

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We’ve all heard horror stories from the jobsite: the tech who lost fingers after a drain cleaning cable suddenly bucked and kinked; or a worker electrocuted after a frayed electrical cord was left trailing in standing water.

Luckily, work-related accidents such as these can be avoided by sticking to the 10 golden rules of drain safety.

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ONLY USE EQUIPMENT WITH BUILT-IN ELECTRICAL SAFETY DEVICES

Drain cleaning equipment with pneumatic foot pedals add a layer of safety. With these, an air bubble triggers the on-off switch through an air hose. Since switching actually occurs at the motor, which is several feet away, no electricity runs between the pedal and the machine. Plus, the operator feeding cable completely controls machine power, so there is no delay as you wait for an assistant to depower the motor that could be in the street above.

Each machine should include a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI). GFCIs can detect current leakage as little as 5 milliamps and will automatically shut power off before operators are injured or electrocuted. To protect both machines and wiring, GFCIs

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LET THE MACHINE WORK FOR YOU

Patience, Grasshopper. Don’t force cable through a blockage. Let the cutter do its work. Otherwise, you risk damaging the snake and injuring yourself. If the cable starts bucking or twisting, stop. Slide the excess cable back into the drum and then proceed, slowly feeding it back into the drain. Excessive torque can cause the cable to whip and kink, which can cause injury to operators.

With a sectional “walk-behind” machine, never touch the spinning cable or you could lose a finger. And make sure your machine has a belt guard, designed to protect those irreplaceable fingers.

WATCH YOUR DISTANCE

Drum-type and sectional machines designed for close-up operation should be securely placed within two feet (0.6 m) of a drain opening. If you can’t position the equipment that close, run the cable through a guide tube or pipe to prevent whipping. You want to go home with all 10 fingers, after all!

Safe cleaning practices help, too. Healthcare workers apply a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 20 parts tap water (1:20) to blood spots on clothing. Your drain cleaning cable and work clothes can be likewise cleaned.

RULE

CAREFULLY Y CHECK ELECTRICAL L OUTLETS

Only plug machines into properly grounded outlets. If in doubt, check outlets with a ground checker before connecting equipment. If you’re using a hand-held drain cleaner with a double insulated motor, make sure the outlet is also properly polarized.

Rubber gloves are never enough on their own. Always wear protective leather gloves over rubber gloves. Spinning cable can easily tear rubber gloves, providing pathways for contaminated wastewater and possible infection.

Wear ssafety glasses, goggles or face fac shields to guard eyes from flying drain deb and germ-laden debris splash-back. Long sp sle sleeves and work pants can help minimize bruises brui and abrasions, and don’t do forget to wear rubber footwear around water.

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Only use leather gloves when handling drain cleaning snakes.

Cloth gloves can easily catch in rotating coils of cable. Also avoid loose-fitting apparel and anythi anything that might snag on rotating cabl cable drums, including belts, banda bandanas and jewelry.

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You can also purchase extension cords with in-line GFCIs. Some jurisdictions require GFCIs on extension cords used with electrical drain cleaning equipment.

When using drain cleaning equipment, p , only ever use heavy-duty extension nsion cords of proper length – no more than han 50 feet (15 m). Lighter or longer cords can result in severe power losss and dangerous motor overheating..

from drains before starting work, as exposure to those chemicals can injure operators and damage cable.

DRESS FOR PROTECTION

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MAINTAIN YOUR EQUIPMENT

Make sure your machines are properly maintained. Add an appropriate oil to the cables at the end of each day to prevent rust and extend their life.

Lubricate bearings regularly, as per the instructions, and replace worn parts and cables before a catastrophic failure occurs in the field.

RULE

should be integrated into power cords and need to be regularly tested to ensure proper performance.

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PLUMBING

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USE YOUR HEAD, DON’T LOSE IT

CLEAN UP!

Common-sense cleanliness around wastewater should also be followed. Never touch drain cleaning cables with your bare hands. And thoroughly wash your hands after completing jobs. Neutralize or remove any corrosive drain cleaners

No drain cleaning machine is safer than its operator.

Plumbing, drain cleaning, and maintenance pros who exercise common sense protect themselves, and their livelihoods!

Marty Silverman is the vice-president of marketing for General Pipe Cleaners. He can be reached at mjs@generalpipecleaners.com.

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Products

Instant hot water tank InSinkErator’s digital instant hot water tank is designed for use with the company’s domestic instant hot water faucets and filtration systems. Each 2/3-gallon tank features tool-free connections and dry start protection. The tank has an electronically adjusted thermostat that can set the temperature at which water is dispensed in 1°F increments from 190°F to 210°F.

www. insinkerator.ca

Back-up pump Zoeller’s Aquanot 508 Spin DC sump pump is designed to work alongside submersible or pedestal pumps to provide up to six hours of continuous pumping. Units achieve a flow rate of 35 gpm at 10 feet of head at 12.7 volts. The proprietary Spin controller includes a low battery indicator and alarm and self-testing abilities. An optional high-water switch is available.

www. zoellerpumps.com

Thermostatic mixing valve Webstone’s Pro-Connect ProPush ultracompact thermostatic mixing valve for residential applications has a 2-1/2” by 3-1/4” body designed for under-sink installations and 1/4” ends for fully-removable push connections to copper, CPVC or PEX. It features a dezincification-resistant lead-free construction and a temperature-locking handle.

www. webstonevalves.com

Potable water piping system

CUTS CLEANER

Aquatherm’s Green Pipe is a polypropylene-random (PP-R) pressure piping system that is NSF rated for potable water.

Available in 1/2” to 18” nominal diameter sizes and installed using heat fusion, its hydrophobic material is resistant to hard water and chemicals.

LASTS LONGER CLEAN REAM PLUS™ PLASTIC PIPE FITTING REAMERS

www. aquatherm.com

• Quickly and easily remove pipe and solventt cement residue to salvage fittings for reuse. e.

Water softener ftener

• Reliable Clean Ream PlusTM engineered for 250 or more reams — far more than the competition.

• Exceptional performance and durability result in less downtime.

Heat-Treated Cutting Disc for Long Life

Cleaner Results

• Designed to ream out 1-1/2" or 2" Schedule 40 PVC, CPVC and ABS fittings.

Reed Manufacturing Company Erie, PA USA • www.reedmfgco.com

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Novo’s 485 highhefficiency water softener is designed to lower salt and water use by combining reverse se flow (upflow) regeneration with th precision brining. g.

Available in cabinet and twin-tank models, units feature an automatic backwash setting and an automatic system refresh after seven days of non-use. A hose clamp and 10 feet of drain tubing are included.

www. novowater.com

On the Move with You.

Follow Us Today.

Daily postings on all four social platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & Linkedin.

MCAC hits Music City The honky-tonks were hopping and the line dancers dancing as some 300 members of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada took to Music City, Nashville, Tenn., for the organization’s 2019 annual conference in October. From Graham Sherman, co-owner of Toolshed Brewing, discussing the importance of beer to the Canadian economy, to BuildForce Canada’s Bob Collins’ explanation of the state of Canada’s construction economy, to entrepreneur Mandy Rennehan’s candid discussion about the need to fix the perception of the trades, the event was packed with information for delegates to digest.

Next year’s conference is scheduled for October 21 to 25 in Napa, Calif. mcac.ca

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Enjoying the hospitality and music at Florida Georgia Line House House. 2 2. MCAC president Jack Bavis welcomes first-time delegates to the conference. 3. Jack pr Bavis Ba (right) presents Dave Flamand with a Life Member Award. 4. Opening night started st under the Nashville stars. 5. From left: Marilyn Stroud, Brent Cornelissen, and an Kevin and Cynthia Fullan enjoying the fun at Florida Georgia Line House.

6. Gaetan Beaulieu, a past-president of MCAC, tries his hand at virtual reality training.

7. Graham Sherman, co-owner of Toolshed Brewing. 8. Welcome to Nash tra Vegas!

9. Wayne Turchetta gets animated about sales leadership and training. 10.

Ve Victaulic’s Rob Bonsall hits the tables. 11. “Why is my lawyer allowed to charge me Vi $176 $1 for reading an email, but when I send out a bill for $200 to snake a drain, I’m ‘gouging’?” asks contractor Mandy Rennehan. ‘g

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mcac.ca

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Daikin EMURA Form. Function. Redesigned.

As awarded by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.

What does your ideal comfort zone look like?

With the Daikin EMURA, now available in a single-zone application, you can transform any room into your own personal paradise.

2019

Learn more at daikincomfort.com/go/emura

Road Warrior Jake Thompson Name: Jake Thompson Company: AccuServ Job title: Project Manager Lives in: Toronto, Ont. Age: 28 Partner: Rebecca In the mechanical industry since: 2016

Jake Thompson: Thinking on his feet

By Simon Bowden

T

hinking fast and being nimble with power tools are definite pluses for anyone working in the mechanical trades – especially if the customer has a plan of their own.

“I am often going to jobsites in Toronto that have building permits for renovation and the homeowner has asked for in-floor heating for their newly underpinned house. The issue is that I am typically called just a couple of weeks before the slab is due to be poured,” laughs Jake Thompson, a project manager with Toronto-based AccuServ Heating and Air Conditioning.

Photos by: John Packman

Working in “scramble mode” to prepare a quote, sell the job and design the new HVAC system, all while submitting for appropriate permits and coordinating technicians and suppliers for the installation date, has become part of his fun in the mechanical room, but he still brings his woodworking equipment to the worksite, since a bit of extra construction won’t hold his team back from completing an install.

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“Finding out the stairs to the basement are, in fact, just a ladder, would prevent our team from bringing a pre-fabricated boiler board into the basement.” His solution: “We build new stairs ourselves.”

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The current work ride: When I’m not running parts in my own vehicle, I’m driving a Mercedes Sprinter.

Kilometres per day: 15km, and it could be a lot more if I forget a lineset ducting fitting on a Saturday!

The most useful tool in your toolbox: My computer.

Tool you wish you had: X-Ray scanner to see behind walls so I don’t eat another electrical wire with a hole saw.

Worst thing about working in a Canadian winter: Finding anywhere to park on a Toronto side street that isn’t occupied by what looks like a Zamboni ice dump.

Time spent on the internet each day: 6 hours.

Favourite work website: engineeringtoolbox.com Favourite work technology: A manometer. There’s a lot I can learn from a system once I know the static pressure.

Favourite band: Linkin Park.

Best concert ever attended: Digital Dreams 2015.

Favourite TV show: MindHunter. It’s interesting to see how deviants in our society conduct themselves, and how our society shapes their behaviour and vice versa.

Favourite character: Holden Ford (MindHunter), because you can see how his work affects his personal life and what he does in order to cope.

Favourite movie: The Matrix.

Favourite sport: Golf, although darts is a close second.

Favourite car: Saleen S7 Twin Turbo in candy apple red.

Chip off the old block Jake Thompson showed an early aptitude for working with his hands; always relishing the chance to pick up the tools during woodworking class at school. Combining a zeal to understand how things work with a strong role model in the form of his dad, his path looked locked in.

“Everyone had always told me from a young kid that I should be an engineer,” Jake recalls. “I figured I could work out the math and get back to working with my hands afterwards – and I get a bit of both flavours where I am now with AccuServ.

“My dad has been my greatest teacher. He taught me a lot about finance and his hard-working mentality has rubbed off and continues to drive my growth in all aspects of life. He hammered the idea into me of ‘three quick steps’ when I was a young kid. Whenever I start something new I always bring as much momentum as I can into the first stretch in order to better overcome those initial hurdles.”

Favourite food: Burritos, easy to grab and go, and pretty healthy when done right.

Favourite snack: Ketchup chips.

Biggest pet peeve: Loud chewing.

Usual breakfast: An espresso. A suggestion from a client to get a machine has really provided a quality start to my mornings.

One word that best describes you: Patient.

Hobbies: Yoga and playing the guitar (not at the same time).

One thing most people don’t know about you: I can speak conversational Spanish.

Last book read: Ontario Building Code, Volume 1.

If I had a million dollars I would: Invest in a diversified portfolio of technology and energy companies.

3 albums that you’d take with you to your desert island: 1. Best of Bach – Self made playlist 2. Spirit Bird – Xavier Rudd 3. Very Best of Toots and The Maytals M e c h a n i c a l

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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

WHO’S ON FIRST? A number of years back, a young family bought its first house, a small bungalow, which gained a second floor addition as the family grew. Now, the homeowners are looking at a main floor addition of a master bedroom, en suite bathroom and walk-in closet.

Over the years, the house has adapted from standard baseboard rads to new lower temperature panel rads, lowerr temperature baseboard rads and an air handler. Ductwork was added to the two-storey addition years ago for air conditioning.

The new addition is going to be a slab on grade with in-floor heating. The boiler was upgraded to a highefficiency mod-con a few years back. Based on the piping schematic, let’s give the system a quick pre-check.

1. The boiler tappings are 3/4” and the primary piping is 1”. Is this a sufficient size to handle all the loads?

a) Yes. b) No. 4. If the boiler was set at 160°F (71°C) on design conditions, what would be happening at Zone 1?

a) Yes b) No 2. The closely spaced Ts in Zone 1 are right after a 90. What is the recommended distance for the Ts from a corner? a) 8” b) 6” c) 4” will work. d) 6 to 8 pipe diameters to allow for laminar flow.

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

Please include your name and daytime phone number.

Looking for the September/October 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 “Find the Fix Answers” under the More tab on our homepage.

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3. Would it be the same for the distance between sets of Ts?

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a) The TRV would start closing sooner as the rads only require 140°F (60°C). b) Zone 2 would continue to run longer as the water temperature it sees would be less than the 160°F (71°C) it requires. c) Zone 3 might see a temperature of 150°F (65°C) and should work as planned. d) Since design conditions rarely happen, no one would notice that anything is wrong.

WIN! Get a new camera for the New Year Get the right answers in the Find the Fix quiz and you could start 2020 out with better than 20:20 vision, by winning the FLIR C3 compact thermal image camera with Wi-Fi. The C3 has all the pro-grade features that make it the go-to tool for inspections, maintenance and repairs. Send your answers to us by December 31 for your chance to win.

Hydronic Products Balancing and modulating control valves Victaulic’s TA Series 7MP pressure independent balancing and modulating control valves are available in 1/2” to 3” sizes, with DZR brass copper alloy or ductile iron valve bodies. Units are rated for temperatures from 32°F to 194°F, have a maximum working pressure of 365 psi, and use equal percentage modified (EQM) flow characteristics for temperature control.

www.

victaulic.com

Fire tube boiler Lochinvar’s Epic Fire Tube Boiler for residential applications is available in four sizes ranging from 80,000 to 199,999 BTUH. In addition to a 10:1 turndown and a 95% AFUE efficiency rating, units feature a text-based user interface, outdoor reset and a stainless steel heat exchanger. Units can be direct-vented either vertically or horizontally with 2” or 3” PVC, CPVC, PP or SS up to 100 feet. Up to eight boilers can be cascaded. www.

Condensing boilers Laars MagnaTherm HTD condensing boilers are available in six sizes from 1,600,000 to 4,000,000 BTUH. Units feature a stainless steel heat exchanger and deliver 95% thermal efficiency, real-time oxygen trim compensation and a 20:1 turndown ratio.

The Linc icon-driven control system with colour touchscreen is designed to display key metrics and connect to building automation systems via BACnet.

lochinvar.com

www. laars.com

Ball valves Viega’s 3-piece ball valves are approved for use with all MegaPress carbon and stainless steel pipe M and pressing applications, excluding natural gas. Available in multiple materials and with EDPM FKM seals, units come in 1/2”, 3/4”, 1”, 1-1/4”, 1-1/2” and 2” sizes. The company’s Smart Connect technology helps to identify connections that have not yet been pressed.

www. viega.com

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HVAC/R

ow this may sound odd, but when I was asked about writing this article about the Internet of Things (IoT) and what people in the HVAC/R industry should be thinking about, the one person I knew I needed to call was a plumber friend of mine.

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By Rick Ellul

Yes, Bill’s been a plumber for decades, but he does the kind of plumbing most plumbers don’t do. You see, Bill is a plumber of the internet.

DIGITAL CONNECTIONS CONNECTING G THE PIPES

Types of connectivity When working with IoT devices, there are two basic types of connectivity: temporary and permanent.

When visualizing the internet, it can an help to think of it as a series of pipes pes that can be connected in many different ways. Paths can be direct, t, or through a series of multiple connections.

Temporary connectivity: An example is your mobile phone that has the ability to connect wirelessly to the internet through a cellular network. For some Internet of Things devices, when you connect to them for the purpose of configuration, perhaps using an app to set up a thermostat’s parameters, the thermostat will piggyback on the internet connection it realizes it has and send a request to the manufacturer’s cloud site for updates, and to share information about where it is. The connection disengages when you finish the setup. In this way, the temporary connection is used only for a limited time.

With the evolution of smarter devices, like sensors and actuators, s, these pipes are now being connected between devices, or things, without the need of a person to receive the information being sent. These devices are smart rt enough to share information with each other to assist with the decisions ions re that these smarter (IoT) devices are designed to make.

Permanent connectivity: Permanent connections can bee wired or wireless. A wired connection onnection likely uses an Ethernet cable – for those of you who still remember the kitchen hen phone with a curly, knotted cord, Ethernet rnet jacks look like oversized phone jacks. These jacks are now showing up on valves, actuators, rs, VFDs and sensors to allow them to have an IP connection.

These devices can also share their information over the internet. Big computing systems can analyze the trillions of bytes of information and do things like predictive maintenance, so that a contractor or business owner can prevent equipment breakdowns and downtime.

This area of connected devices and buildings is growing at an extremely fast rate, and contractors risk being left in the dust if they don’t take it seriously, and start to build their digital skillsets now.

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On some systems, these connections may only connect to a BACnet et IP BAS system, but it is not a big leap for the device to use that connection 1 2 . 1 9

DATA – IT’S ALL IN A NAME

and the network piping to find its way out to the internet, so it can communicate.

A permanent wireless connection uses a device that has one of the many available wireless protocols built into it. It uses that to connect to a wireless router to find a pathway out to the internet. In most systems, the wireless device uses a wireless router er that is connected into the network, but with the advent of 5G networks, we can now go right to a cellular router and directly to the internet over a cellular network.

With all these sensors, actuators, drives, chillers, pumps, and more sharing all of the information they collect, the amount of data can be overwhelming. And a big problem stems from the lack of uniformity of the data. Maybe Manufacturer A calls its pressure data output “Condenser Pump P1” and Manufacturer B calls theirs “Pump - Condenser P1”.

Each company means the same thing, but without a common naming convention the differences can cause a lot of extra work for data analytics tools and people.

Thankfully, a group of HVAC/R and building automation folks got together to decide a way to move forward with common names everyone can use. The group is called Project Haystack, (project-haystack.org) and their work is another area worth getting familiar with if you want to be a modern digital age. savvier HVAC/R contractor in the m

TOOLS OF A NEW TRADE You are a trade professional in the HVAC/R industry, ind but there’s a new trade that is evolving, evo and it’s impacting (and is a part of) the HVAC/R industry. Networking and data da analytics, connecting to and taking advantage adv of the Internet of Things, is changing what goes on in the mechanical chan room. And the HVAC/R world is no longer just confined to a building and its boiler room.

You may hear the term “tethered” in relation to a wireless permanent connection. What this meanss is that the permanently connected device has access ss to the internet, and will allow you to view what is s. happening in the device, remotely, as it happens.

DIDYOUKNOW?

Picture Piccture yourself yoursel standing in a mechanical room watching gauges ga flicker as pressures change in the system. You see the internal fluid temperatures of the water and air, a and you hear noises that inform you about the system’s s health. If you are a wise old dog of the trade, trade sometimes sounds are all you need to know that trouble is brewing. t

Companies like Cisco offer a wide array of training modules and certifications that cann help further your knowledge and comfort with networking systems.

A new type of contractorr If you really want to take full advantage of this growing adoption of smart ssensors and actuators, it can help to that will help you understand how and look for training tha what these device devices can communicate, as well as the network require requirements needed to integrate devices together in a building.

Some ha have already been trained in these systems. system You may already have seen the terms term “Master Systems Integrator” or “Master “M Technology Integrator,” and if you hav haven’t, you soon will.

As you listen to the system, that ball of mush between your doing millions of computations. It’s yo our ears is do comparing the inputs to information you have in your head from experience; making yes or no decisions to guide you to a conclusion. This is what data analytics is all about, and it is the next frontier for the Internet of Things.

Analytics tools are generally sold as a service, like software, and they allow you to perform remote diagnostics of the system, based on the outputs you have set the tool up to provide.

Rick Ellul is Belimo’s regional sales manager for Central and Western Canada. He can be contacted at rick.ellul@ca.belimo.com.

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STUFF YOU NEED Infrared thermometer Reed’s R2310 Infrared Thermometer is designed to track maximum, minimum, average and differential readings from -31°F to 1,202°F. It has a 12:1 distance to spot ratio, a resolution of 0.1°F and a response time of 250 ms. Features include adjustable high/low alarms and a display that can show readings in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

www. reedmfgco.com

Cordless handheld core drill Milwaukee Tool’s cordless MX FUEL Handheld Core Drill is designed to create holes up to 6” in diameter in reinforced concrete. The 21.58 lb. unit features a safety clutch and proprietary Autostop safety technology. It has an integrated pressure gauge and LED level to aid with accurate drilling at speeds of 790 to 1,550 rpm.

www. milwaukeetool.ca

Self-levelling laser level Fluke’s PLS 3R Z self-levelling three-point red laser level is designed to assist with laying out reference points for a range of applications. Weighing 1.3 lb., the laser offers a pendulum lock platform for safe transport, tilt mode functionality, and 90° up, down and forward point laser direction. Units have a working range of 100 feet and are accurate to 1/8” at 30 feet.

Compact thermal camera FLIR’s C3 pocket-sized 640 x 480 pixel digital thermal camera features a 3” touch screen with auto orientation and Wi-Fi capability that enables sharing of stored images. It has an object temperature measurement range of -10°C to 150°C, a thermal sensitivity of less than 0.1°C, a spectral range of 7.5 to 14.0 μm, and storage capacity for up to 500 sets of images.

www. fluke.com

www. flir.ca

Gas leak detector tor Amprobe’s GSD600 gas leak detector is designed to detect methane (40 to 640 ppm) and propane gas (35 to 580 ppm).

When gas is detected, it will emit a frequency tone and LEDs will display the level of gas present. The unit can be muted in quiet work environments, and comes omes with an earphone jack for noisy jobsites. bsites. It has a 17.6” probe to access difficult ficult areas.

Cordless pipe-threader The DeWalt Flexvolt 60V Max Cordless Pipe Threader is designed to thread 1/2” to 2” black iron pipe or rigid conduit. It has a right-handed thread direction, uses a Flexvolt 9.0Ah battery and features a brushless motor. The tool can be monitored and tracked via the company’s Tool Connect mobile app.

www. amprobe.com

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www. dewalt.ca

PLUMBING

Products

High efficiency urinal Press slip ball valves Nibco’s Press Slip Ball Valves are manufactured from a lead-free brass alloy and are dezincification resistant. Suitable for use in potable water and HVAC applications, the valves are available in 1/2” to 1” sizes.

They have a maximum pressure rating of 225 psi at 250°F.

American Standard’s Greenbrook high efficiency urinal has a flush valve consumption of 0.125 to 0.50 gpf, and an inverted back for splash protection.

The vitreous china wall-mounted unit has the company’s EverClean surface, which contains antimicrobial properties.

www. americanstandard.ca

www. nibco.com

Toilet fill valve The PRO45 toilet fill valve from Fluidmaster is designed to eliminate water hammer.

The unit is height adjustable from 9” to 14” and can be used to replace most fill valves and ballcocks across all brands.

A unit with a brass shank is also available.

Leak detection and shutoff system Heatlink’s Water Leak Detection and Supply Shutoff System features a battery-operated leak detector with a 6-1/2-foot sensor wire that wirelessly communicates with an inline shutoff valve to shut off water supply in the case of a leak. Additional sensors can be added and remote monitoring is available. The shutoff valve has a manual override, 3/4” NPT female pipe connections and is rated to 300 psi.

www. heatlink.com

www. fluidmaster.com

Follow Us on:

Tankless water heaters Rinnai’s Sensei tankless water heaters are available in sizes ranging from 130,000 BTUH to 199,000 BTUH, with DHW flow rates of up to 11 gpm. The units, which achieve a UEF of 0.96, offer multiple venting options and two user-set recirculation modes.

The combustion system is designed to self-compensate in areas with fluctuating gas pressures.

Pull-down commercial faucet Chicago Faucets’ 434-ABCP is a commercial pull-down polished chrome kitchen deck faucet with a 9” centre-to-centre spout. It features all-metal construction and is equipped with a ceramic disc cartridge, a 1.5 gpm non-aerating outlet and a temperature limiter.

www. rinnai.ca

www. chicagofaucets.com

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PLUMBING

Conn McAdorey is the Southwest Ontario regional manager with Victaulic.

He can be reached at conn.mcadorey@victaulic.com.

By Conn McAdorey

Getting

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aintaining a piping system’s integrity is critical, so making fast and reliable repairs is extremely important. It is not unusual for companies to go with a tried and true solution, even if it takes more time, but some customers are willing to open the door to trying something new.

A different approach In more cases than not, the first solution a company considers is one that has been used successfully in the past. When addressing CPVC or PVC pipe joint failures, the most common repair method uses primer and cement to restore watertight connections.

with plastic pipe repair Quick work makes for happy customers When an existing CPVC piping system experienced a fracture at Calframax, a precision component manufacturer located just outside of Windsor, Ont., the company’s plumbing service provider suggested the use of a new repair option: grooved joints.

Arriving at the facility, the team at Pro Trades Mechanical found that a six-inch cooling water line had corroded and was in need of immediate repair.

Using tools that allowed workers to prepare the pipe on site, installers cut precision grooves in the pipe and installed grooved couplings designed by Victaulic for use on this type of pipe.

While this has been the traditional approach, it is not the only option. A recently developed option for joining these types of plastic mechanical piping is the use of grooved couplings.

According to Jeff Lamarche, co-owner of Pro Trades, “The installers were immediately comfortable with the cut grooving tool, which made the prep work easy.”

The system had to be drained before repair work could begin, but it was not necessary to fully evacuate the line as the installation of grooved couplings does not require completely dry conditions. And despite tight access points to work within, the space around the location of the leak was not a limiting factor.

While similar to the grooved coupling systems used with ductile iron and other metallic piping systems, this joining system has been specifically designed for use with CPVC and PVC. Using a portable, lightweight grooving tool, site personnel can cut a precise groove in Schedule 40 to 80 CPVC and PVC pipe, creating a groove profile that allows a coupling to be installed using only a socket wrench or impact gun.

Making up the joint is a simple matter of stabbing the coupling onto the pipe end, inserting the second pipe, and tightening the nuts and bolts until metalto-metal contact occurs at the bolt pads.

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“Grooving the mechanical joints made it easy to install the coupling,” Lamarche said. “We had to manage some offsets, but that was much simpler with the coupling.”

Positioning the couplings was straightforward, as was verifying the integrity of the connection, he said.

“Installers could see the bolt pads come into contact with no visible daylight between the pads and knew the joint was properly seated in the groove.”

Because there were no special tools or skills required, it was possible to finish the job in a single day.

“We could not have finished this fast using a conventional solution,” Lamarche added, explaining that his customer was very happy to be back online quickly.

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SPOTLIGHTS MOVE AIR LIKE A BOS Canarm HVAC introduces the FANBOS. This fan blankets a very large area by constantly moving air to create an expansive comfort zone. The large ceiling fan creates a gentle and even cooling effect of three to four degrees throughout the space. During the heating season, it can destratify uneven temperatures that can be in excess of fifteen degrees from ceiling to floor. This results in significant energy savings since the heating system cycles less frequently.

canarm.com The Lowest GWP of ALL Drop-in R22 Replacements.

• GWP of just 1765 • High, medium & low temp applications • Suitable for refrigeration & air-conditioning • R22-like COP and Capacities •MO, AB and POE oil compatible

www.rscool.com Refrigerant Services Inc.

DUAL PORT MANOMETER AND PRESSURE SWITCH TESTER An industry exclusive – Fieldpiece Instruments introduces the SDMN6 Dual Port Manometer and Pressure Switch Tester. This dual-port manometer measures gas, static and differential pressure and also accurately tests pressure switches by simulating a draft with an internal pump. It also allows technicians to easily calibrate any adjustable pressure switch to the furnace manufacturer’s specifications.

fieldpiece.com FULLY MODULATING 10:1 TURNDOWN RATIO The condensing Dynaforce® Series product line with Sola Touchscreen technology is now available with a fully modulating 10:1 turndown ratio. This option has an identical gas train to the standard 5:1 turndown models to further simplify startup and service and is available for models 500 through 1800 exclusively. For more information on this or any other of our product lines, visit our website or call your local Camus Representative.

camus-hydronics.com M e c h a n i c a l

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OF

Interior Design Show January 16-19, 2020 Toronto, Ont. www.interiordesignshow.com

Buildex Vancouver February 12-13, 2020 Vancouver, B.C. www.buildexvancouver.com

KBIS January 21-23, 2020 Las Vegas, Nev. www.kbis.com

World Plumbing Day March 11, 2020 www.worldplumbing.org

NAHB IBS January 21-23, 2020 Las Vegas, Nev. www.buildersshow.com CIPH Ontario Region Business Meeting January 29, 2020 Mississauga, Ont. www.ciph.com ASHRAE Winter Conference February 1-5, 2020 Orlando, Fla. www.ashrae.org

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE TODAY! mechanicalbusiness.com

www.watts.ca

2020 CALENDAR

AHR Expo February 3-5, 2020 Orlando, Fla. www.ahrexpo.com

www.webstonevalves.com

EVENTS

CCA Conference March 15-18, 2020 San Diego, Calif. www.cca-acc.com CMPX March 25-27, 2020 Toronto, Ont. www.cmpxshow.com CIPH Ontario Region Business Meeting April 30, 2020 Mississauga, Ont. www.ciph.com MEET May 6-7, 2020 Moncton, N.B. www.meetshow.ca

M e c h a n i c a l

National Apprenticeship Conference May 24-26, 2020 Calgary, Alta. caf-fca.org ASHRAE Annual Conference June 27-July 1, 2020 Austin, Tex. www.ashrae.org CIPH ABC June 28-30, 2020 Mont-Tremblant, Que. www.ciph.com ASPE Convention September 11-16, 2020 New Orleans, La. www.aspe.org CHES National Conference September 20-22, 2020 Halifax, N.S. www.ches.org Plastic Pipes XX September 21-23, 2020 Amsterdam, Netherlands www.ppxx.eu

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BTN

Compiled by Mechanical Business

BY THE NUMBERS

EFFICIENCIES ON THE HOME FRONT There are a number of ways that homeowners can save money on their energy bills this winter. Here’s the percentage savings that can be expected from some easy-to-suggest ideas.

WELCOMING CHANGE Nearly half of all homeowners in Canada are planning to renovate in the next year.

40% - Insulating a water tank.

30% - Sealing air leaks in ductwork and around doors.

10% - Turning back thermostats 7 to 10°F for 8 hours a day.

$11,000 - Amount millennials expect to spend.

$8,582 - Amount baby boomers anticipate spending.

67% - Canadians who would rather renovate than sell their home and move.

57% - Homeowners who are willing to

ENVIOUS NEIGHBOURS Nearly two-thirds of Americans have considered a move to Canada for the following reasons: 1. Affordable healthcare

(40%)

do their own renovations.

2. A more stable political climate

36% - Identify the bathroom as where

3. Safety

they will spend their renovation budget.

4. Affordable education

(38%)

(38%)

5. Equal rights

(36%) 36%)

(35%)

DISASTER MANAGEMENT How many of your customers know what their insurance policy covers, should the worst happen?

FUTURE OF WORK Beyond the universal use of smartphones, Canadian companies have embraced a range of advanced digital technologies. The most common are:

52% - Canadians who find their home insurance policy difficult to understand.

39% - Wearables, such as smartwatches and

40% - Believe their policies automatically

body-mounted sensors.

protect all of their valuables.

38% - Augmented and virtual reality.

37% - Artificial intelligence and machine

36% - Homeowners who know they are covered for damage caused by a sewer backup.

learning.

31% - Homeowners who have never taken an inventory of their property.

40,800 86 114

The number of skilled tradespeople who are expected to retire over the coming decade in Alberta.

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The wait is over!

Introducing our new line of products for use in non-combustible buildings.

Now you have a choice.

Your job just got easier.™

Features •

•

Meets flame and smoke requirements of CAN/ULC S102.2-10 for non-combustible buildings (use approved PVC primer and solvent cement to make joints).

SD250-SS

Will not support combustion in the presence of an ignition source.

Available products •

Offset style Waste/Overflows available in Testable and non-Testable models, Kit and Half Kit formats, and a choice of mutliple closure mechanisms. Rough-in and Trim also avaiable.

•

ITD25 non-combustible FR PVC Island Tub Drain.

•

SD250-SS non-combustible FR PVC 2" Shower Drain.

2550QK-CP Model Shown

*Certifications ITD25 CAN/ULC S102.2 FSR 0 / SDC 40 *The “cCSAus Meets UPC” mark means the product conforms to the requirements of the NPC, UPC, IPC and IRC.

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Straight to the Point!

Save Cost and Install Time The unique pre-sloped design of the Dead Level® trench drain ensures consistently straight runs and makes installation quick and easy.

• Standard 4' and 1' sections eliminate nearly all field cutting • Frame locks ensure a straight run, every time • The unique design transfers the load to the concrete, maintaining drain integrity during the concrete pour • The drain’s construction cover protects against the impact of people, concrete, hoses, and finishing equipment

For more information go to Watts.com/Deadlevel

TRY IT. There’s Nothing Like it.