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Get onboard with Weil-McLain and join us for a week-long Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas.

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C O N T E N T ST A B L E O F

M B S P E C I A L I S T S

18HVAC/RRaising your IAQ I.Q. Gord Cooke

24REFRIGERATION Dealing with low suctionpressure Phil Boudreau

28ASK ROGERWeathering the economicstorm Roger Grochmal

38HYDRONICS Thermal mass & in-floorheating Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

74MARKETINGSocial media part 2 DougMacMillan

93WORLD VIEW World Plumbing Day:Plumber’s pride Jeff Patchell

P R O D U C T S

43,62,65 Hydronics

78,90HVAC

85Plumbing

92Stuff you need

D E P A R T M E N T S04From the editor’s desk

06News

16Profile: Noble

88The Info Page

89Calendar

94By the numbers

M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 1

www .me c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c om

On the cover: Bill McCreary began his refereeing career at age 23 and called his first r egular season NHL game in 1984. During histime, he’s shared the ice with such greats as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby. Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

29We’ve packed our first 2011 dose of W etHeat Applications & Technology, WHAT,full with hydronic information that mattersto you. Discover WHAT it’s all about in thisissue of Mechanical Business.

72COVER FEATURE Veteran referee Bill McCreary, who once workedas a plumber’s helper, is in the midst of his finalseason of NHL hockey after 26 years of keepinggames fair and safe. Adam Freill

F E A T U R E S

20DRAIN INSPECTION Pain in the drainDavid Janzen

50FIND THE FIX

80PLUMBINGTesting and servicingbackflow preventers Wayne Wilson

82PLUMBING The hard facts on soft waterJon Sandomirsky

69FLEET MANAGEMENTDenise Deveau

76VENTINGConnected andbreathing rightAdam Freill

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Seeking growth in 2011

4 M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 1

With this being our first print edition of the new year, I’d like to wish each andevery one of you a prosperous 2011. It should be an interesting year as we adjustto an ever-changing marketplace. Some rebate programs have gone by thewayside, others have come into place; we have a dollar that’s sitting pretty muchat parity, so that will affect the supply chain; and we could be seeing an electionbefore too long, and who knows what that will bring with respect to politicalpromises of efficiency and incentives.

One thing that is not changing is the need to connect with your customers, and tocreate a positive impression that will have them coming back for more. Reachingout can be tricky business though. Reach out in the wrong way, and all of yourefforts can go for naught. Get it right, however, and you might be in for your bestyear yet.

In the distribution sector, one company that seems to be quite adept at theconnection equation is Noble. While others may have been tightening their beltsover the past year or two, Noble has been in growth mode, growing bothorganically and through acquisition. The one-time regional player has expandedfrom Ontario into Quebec and B.C., and has its sights set on being a truly nationalplayer. For a background on who they are, check out our interview with two ofthe company’s key executives on page 16.

On the hydronic front, there are some exciting activities that will be put intomotion this year as well. Don’t miss our special report on the establishment ofBeautiful Heat Inc. on page 36, and the $5 million marketing campaign aimed atthe consumer marketplace.

The new year has kicked off, and we do hope that it is going well so far, butthere’s always another rung to reach for. So enjoy this latest edition, don’t forget

to check out the advice from our line-up of MB specialists like DougMacMillan and Roger Grochmal, and please visit our website

to check out training opportunities, employment andevent listings, back issues, and to keep your subscriptionto the magazine and our e-newsletter, up-to-date.

Until next time,

Adam Freill, Editor

02.11


Newsw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

From waste pipe to Hoops ofHopeThree years ago, New Brunswicknative Cory Richardson, founder ofAction Hero Network, contacted LeeThompson, Ipex customer servicemanager in Saint John N.B. to see ifthey had any extra polyethylene pipe.Richardson was organizing a trip toUganda and wanted to make hulahoops for children at an orphanage inthe Kanungu district. Thompson wasmore than happy to supply the pipe to a good cause. Withanother trip to Uganda in the works for Richardson this year,Ipex is once again donating spare pipe. “We don’t throw any ofit out anyhow, as the material is recyclable,” explainsThompson. “But now it’s going to a good cause making kidssmile, and that’s what it’s all about.”

ipexinc.comactionheronetwork.net

B.A.Robinsonrenovates inCalgaryMatt (left) and Ross Robinson welcomed guests as B.A.Robinson unveiled its newly-renovated Calgary showroomin November. Approximately 500 people attended the12,000 sq. ft. showroom’s grand opening. Displayinghundreds of lighting and plumbing fixtures fromnumerous vendors, the facility has a working wall offaucets, a lighting lab, and a fully-functional shower suite.The showroom is located at 4120 Blackfoot Trail SE.

barobinson.ca

Recognizing support anddedication

Keith Ottaway, president of Allpriser, a publisher ofmaterial pricing guides for plumbing, HVAC,

electrical and fire protection contractors, recentlyreceived the first ever Doug Crawford MemorialAward, which recognizes those who have made

significant contributions to MCA Canada throughlong-standing voluntary participation. Ottaway has

served on several MCAC committees, and was one ofthe founding members of MCA Canada’s associate

membership council.

mcac.ca

Focusing on productivityGuest speaker Sherry Cooper, executive vice-president and chief economist with BMOFinancial Group, discussed Canada’s economic outlook during CIPH Ontario region’sbusiness meeting in November. She advised that productivity will have to increase as theCanadian dollar continues to hover around parity with the U.S. dollar, but at the same time,Canada is viewed internationally as a safe haven for real estate investment. More than 250people attended the event, where numerous service awards were handed out.

Among the recipients was Wolseley Canada’s Cathy Warner (pictured at left receiving heraward from Kevin Fullan), who received CIPH’s Outstanding Service Award for her 25 yearsin the industry, and for five years serving as a director on the CIPH Ontario board.

ciph.com

Pipe-makingrevealed at IPVF luncheonThe Industrial Pipe, Valve andFittings council’s luncheon inNovember took place in Welland,Ont., where guests had the chanceto attend a tour of Lakeside Steel. More than 55 industry professionalstook part in the hour‐long tour, where the steel pipe manufacturingprocess was explained. Founded in 1909, Lakeside produces 250,000tons of product annually with its stretch reduction and ERW mills,which are capable of producing 3/4” to 8-5/8” pipe. The next IPVFNetworking function will be held in May.

ciph.com

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Mechanical engineeringstudent receives scholarshipIncoming MCA of HamiltonMcMaster University StudentChapter president, Brad Gregus,recently received theassociation’s $1,500 StudentChapter Scholarship. In his fifthyear of the MechanicalEngineering and Managementprogram, Gregus is specializingin thermofluids and energysystems.

mcahamilton.org

Mechanicals making anappearance in QuebecPresented by CIPH, CMMTQ, CETAF and CMEQ, theMecanex/Climatex/Electricite/Eclairage (MCEE) show willtake place at Place Bonaventure in Montreal on April 20and 21. The event is Eastern Canada’s largest mechanicaltrade show, with more than 300 exhibitors taking part. Inaddition to discussingproduct and serviceofferings on the showfloor, guests will alsohave the opportunityto attend seminars andworkshops addressingtechnical, sales and design challenges. This year’s seminarscover such topics as R-22 transition refrigerants, groundsource heat pump systems and solar thermal technology.

mcee.ca

Targeting customer serviceHRAI Greater Toronto Areachapter guest speaker Ellen

Roseman, a businesscolumnist for the Toronto

Star, spoke to a full house atthe chapter’s Novembermeeting about providing

better customer service.

“Customer service is a moving target,” sheexplained, adding that it’s important for

contractors to help homeowners understand howtheir homes work. “New homeowners especially

need help. In a lot of cases, they’re not exactly surewhat’s going on in their basements, which provides

you with a better business opportunity,” she said.

hrai.ca

Heat pumps an option in low ambient tempsAnton Wolmarans, vice-president and general manager ofMitsubishi Electric Sales Canada’s Heating, Ventilation andAir Conditioning Division, welcomed engineers and

contractors to the MitsAirconditioning technicaltraining event, held in Vaughan,Ont., in November. The dayfeatured sessions aboutMitsubishi’s line of heat pumps,and potential applications in theCanadian marketplace. Thecompany’s Zuba Central is ratedfor use down to -35°C.

mitsair.com

Looking to hire?Check out MB’s online careersection, home of the latest industry job postings.mechanicalbusiness.com

02.11

NEWSw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m


Carrier acquires controls firm Carrier Corp.’s Automated Logic Corporation(ALC), a provider of control systems forHVAC, lighting and energy management ofbuildings, has acquired T.A.C. Controls &Automation Inc., an independent ALC controlscontractor in Concord, Ont. T.A.C. Controls & Automation designs, installs andservices building control systems for a wide range of market segments, includingeducation, healthcare, and commercial offices throughout southern Ontario. Thecompany is now called Automated Logic Ontario.

carrier.comautomatedlogic.com

B139 committeeseeking inputCOHA is encouraging oil-heat professionalsto get involved with the process of formingthe new edition of B139 Installation Codesfor oil-burning equipment. The latest versionsare B139-09 and B139-06 ON. For moreinformation or to submit suggestions,additions and revisions email COHA [email protected].

coha.ca

Savana Cargo Van Astrobody

Sierra HD

Savana Cargo Van

Sierra HD

connect Phone. 905-695-8911 Web. www.royfoss.com Email: [email protected]

Lowe’s supports skills trainingLowe’s Canada has donated $1.25 million to Skills Canada to encourage thepromotion of skilled trades to youth.

“Lowe’s is committed to helping close the gap on the impending shortage ofskilled trade workers that Canada is facing,” says Alan Huggins, president ofLowe’s Canada (far right in photo). “We are very passionate about the workSkills Canada is doing and are thrilled to partner with them.”

The Lowe’s funding program is aimed at engaging students and teachers looking to improve their school campus, curriculumdelivery and surrounding community. The program supports high school-based projects currently underway in Alberta andOntario, and will expand to other regions as Lowe’s establishes retail locations in additional communities.

skillscanada.comlowes.ca

72 HRVs adopted HVAC for Habitat raised$154,286 in equipment and cashdonations for the Toronto chapterof Habitat for Humanity througha charitable event held inNovember. With the support ofHoneywell Canada, 72 heatrecovery ventilators were “adopted” by guests at the event and donatedto the Habitat cause.

During the event, Neil Hetherington, CEO of Habitat for HumanityToronto, presented the original founders of HVAC for Habitat with the“groundbreakers” shovel. Receiving the shovel were David Ferracuti ofAmbient Mechanical, David Dawson of TA Canada and GerryCellucci of Yorkland Controls.

ambientmechanical.com tacanada.comyorkland.nettorontohabitat.on.ca

Fluid requiressafe handlingHRAI has issued a hazard alert concerning the use of ethanol ingeothermal heat pump installations in the province of Ontario. Agrowing number of geothermal systems are using an ethanol-watermixture as an alternative to glycol. Ethanol-water mixturescontaining as little as 20 per cent ethanol in the total system volumeare classified as class IC flammable liquids by NFPA 30 Flammableand Combustible Liquids code. Basic precautions include keepingsources of ignition at least three metres from the ethanol or ethanol-water mixture, and placing a spill control kit and a 10B or20B portable fire extinguisher at the location where the flammableliquid is dispensed.

hrai.ca

Call to Find a StockingWholesaler Near You

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Incentives for sustainable designThe City of North Vancouver has adopted azoning bylaw amendment giving new buildings adensity bonus in return for energy-efficient design.The bylaw does not increase the allowable densityon a property, rather, it permits additional floorarea over a base threshold of permitted density, upto the official community plan maximums. In turn,developers must meet the energy performancerequirements of ASHRAE standard 90.1-2007.The bylaw went into effect on January 1, andrepresents an opportunity for progressivecontractors in the B.C. region.

cnv.org 9M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 1

THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR YOUR JOB

Introducing Ford Work SolutionsFord Work Solutions is a suite of tools designed to enhance the productivity of Ford trucks and vans. Real solutions for real-world needs.

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IN-DASH COMPUTERThe in-dash computer with Internet* is your mobile offi ce.** Remotely access and edit fi les on the offi ce computer with the LogMeIn® feature.* Create and print invoices with word-processing and spreadsheet software, and an available wireless printer. You don’t have to wait to get back to the offi ce to take care of business.

TOOL LINKTM

Make sure you have the right tools for the job before you get there. With RFID (Radio Frequency Identifi cation) tags attached to your equipment, you can quickly take inventory of the tools in your truck bed or van box on the in-dash computer screen.‡

CABLE LOCK±

Help keep your valuable tools and equipment safe. A retractable cable allows you to secure items in the pickup bed and help prevent theft.

CREW CHIEFManage your fl eet in real-time with vehicle tracking and data.* Plan vehicle routes to adapt to the ever-changing needs of your business. Crew Chief can help your fl eet run effi ciently and reduce fuel costs.† The better you know your fl eet, the better it works for you.

*Additional monthly fee required. ** Some features are unavailable while driving.† Crew chief enables fl eet managers to analyze driving routes and idle times in order to make changes that can help improve fl eet fuel economy up to 18% and reduce engine idle time up to 64%. ‡ Feature requires in-dash computer to function. ± Feature availability may vary by vehicle and body style; refer to 2010/2011MY Ford order guides for details.

1-800-668-5515 I www.fl eet.ford.caVisit fordworksolutions.com for more information.

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02.11

Movers and Shakersw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m


Redmond/Williams adds adistribution centreRedmond/Williams has acquired a new 43,000 sq. ft. distribution centrenear its head office in Mississauga, Ont. The facility, at 5190 Tim erlea Blvd.,will house an improved trainingcentre and a state-of-the-artfireplace showroom.Construction of the newcomplex finished in January.

redmondwilliams.com

Yorkland Controlspartners witheSight EnergyYorkland Controls Ltd, aHVAC control systemsdistributor, is eSightEnergy’s first businesspartner in Canada. Yorkland Controls works withcommercial high-rise residential and industrialcompanies throughout Canada providing cost-effective energy management and reductionsolutions. Monitoring data from energy systems,eSight Energy’s software suite is a web-based tooldesigned to help save energy.

yorkland.netesightenergy.com

Pipe distributor rebrandsMueller Flow Control, a distributor of commercial,industrial, waterworks and fire-protection piping,recently unveiled its new name. The company is basedout of Stoney Creek, Ont., has 17 locations acrossCanada, and is now known as Flocor. The company’smanagement team, employees, office locations andcontact numbers remain the same as they were priorto the name change.

flocor.ca

ITT restructuring businesses ITT Corporation’s board of directors hasapproved a plan to divide the company’sbusinesses into three separate, publicly tradedcompanies. The Bell & Gossett product linewill be part of the yet-to-be-named water division. All brand and company contacts are expected to remain unchanged.

itt.com

Sauermann Group comesto Canada

The Sauermann Group NA has named E.S. Gallagher Sales Ltd. of Toronto as its

national sales representatives in the Canadianmarket. The Sauermann group, based in Italy,

manufactures condensate pumps for theHVAC/R industry.

sauermannpumps.us esgallagher.com

Armstrong growing in Asia Expanding its global operations,Armstrong has opened amanufacturing facility in China.The Armstrong Fluid SystemsShanghai facility measures over 30,000 sq. ft. and is the company’sthird manufacturing location in Asia, and ninth worldwide.

armstrongintegrated.com

Research anddevelopment

expansionMJSI Inc. is expanding its headquarters, increasing thespace available to its warehouse and R & D facilities.

The plan is to expand its facility, in Shorewood, Ill., byan additional 10,000 sq. ft., effectively doubling thesize of its current testing facility and providing morewarehouse space. The company expects to have the

new facility completed this spring.

gomjsi.com

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02.11

People in the newsw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

SuperiorRadiantProducts Ltd.has appointedKRISKADLECEKsales manager,

engineered projects. He bringsmore than 15 years ofexperience in the HVACindustry with specialization ininfrared technology.

MechanicalBusiness is pleasedto announce theaddition of ournewest teammember, LAURAGOODWIN. Laurajoins the crew asnational accountsmanager. A 20-yearveteran of the B2Bmarketplace, she hasa record ofexcellence honed through years with technicaljournals. She has three sons, and they, along withher husband Michael, share their home with twocats and a Boston Terrier named Murphy. Whenshe’s not on the phone or on the road visitingclients, Laura enjoys crafting stained-glass artwork.

McQuay Internationalhas added a new positionto its solutions group withthe hiring ofMOHAMMEDLUQMAN as vice-president of solutions. Hebrings with him more than20 years of experience inconstruction, and energyand facilities management.

PinchinEnvironmental hasnamed EDWIN LIM,senior vice-presidentof sustainability andbuilding sciences. Hehas 20 years ofbuilding industryexperience and is anactive volunteer withthe Canada GreenBuilding Council.

M.A. Stewart & Sons hashired RICK PALAMARUK(left) as western regionmanager. Rick brings 15years of industrial sales andmanagement experience tothe company and will bebased out of its Edmontonoffice. ROB HARDY (centre) has been appointed to product development manager,Canada and will also oversee the B.C. sales team. TROY TRAVIS (right) has beenappointed sales rep, within British Columbia.

Heating, Air conditioningand RefrigerationDistributors Internationalhas hired SUSAN LITTLEas the association’s directorof marketing. She willoversee HARDI’s marketingand branding strategies.

A.O. Smith Canada has announced that GEOFFREYHOLLOWAY, director Canadian sales, will beresponsible for the Canadian wholesale channel. Geoffpreviously handled A.O. Smith’s commercial sales. PATCUSHING, vice-president sales is now responsible forthe Canadian rental and retail channels.

Eden Energy Equipment Ltd.has announced MATT IRVINEhas joined its sales team. Aprofessional engineer, Matt hasseven yearsof experiencethegeothermalindustry inOntario.

B. A. Robinson Co. Ltd. recently announced severalpersonnel changes within its Western Canadaoperations. GREG RIDDELL (left) has moved to theWinnipeg office as the company’s HVAC productmanager. He has been with the company for 14 years,spending most of that time at the Brandon, Man.,location. Based out of Surrey, B.C., MIKE BRYANT,(right) is now regional HVAC manager. He has morethan 20 years of HVAC industry experience.

STEVESAUNDERS(right) has beenpromoted topresident ofGoodmanCanada. Saunders brings morethan 25 years of industryexperience to his new role. Alsoat Goodman, BRENTPURNELL(right) is nowbranch managerof theEdmontonlocation.


HIRING?Why not post your ad at mechanicalbusiness.com?

ASSUMING YOU’RE NOT AFRAID OF COMMITMENT

Whirlpool® is a registered trademark of Whirlpool U.S.A. and is used under license by Tradewinds Distributing Company, LLC, Jacksonville, Florida. Tradewinds and the manufacturer of the HVAC units are solely responsible for the products and the warranty. View warranty certificate for complete details.

®Registered trademark/™Trademark of Whirlpool, U.S.A. ©2009 Whirlpool Corporation. All rights reserved. WSP9051. 10/09.

Montreal:1-877-653-1007

North Toronto:1-877-780-3316

Burnaby, B.C.Trane HVAC Parts

and Supplies:1-604-473-5650

MaritimesKerr Controls Ltd.:1-902-895-9285

www.kerrsmartenergy.comSaskatoon:

1-888-651-7350West Toronto:

1-866-797-4756

Edmonton:1-855-443-3072

Vancouver:1-888-420-1331

Calgary:1-866-950-6579

Brantford:1-888-764-7740

Ottawa:1-866-876-2927

Laval:1-877-698-1809

East Toronto:1-866-374-8844

Goodman Distribution, Inc. Co-Distribution

w w w . w h i r l p o o l c o m f o r t . c o m

02.11

Profilew w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

Noble: Fostering growth in the mechanical sectorQuite possibly the biggest newsmakers of the year in the Canadian mechanical marketplace in 2010, wholesalerNoble is promising that the positive news and growth will continue through 2011. Over the past year, thecompany expanded its presence beyond Ontario with the acquisition of wholesale firms in Quebec and BritishColumbia, and grew further in its home province with the purchase of Don Park. Despite the rapid growth, thecompany, which is owned by Rona, is adamant that its culture of customer service excellence and productavailability will be the pillars upon which future growth will be pinned. To find out a little bit more about thecompany, we sat down with vice-president of procurement Brahm Swirsky and president Michael Storfer.

Company: NobleFounded: 1997 as Noble Trade (Trade Plumbing Supplystarted in 1992 and Noble Plumbing Supply in 1993)Acquired by Rona in 2007

Rebranded Noble in 2010

Size of original Noble Trade location: 22,711 sq. ft.Moved to Concord location in 2005

(144,000 sq. ft.), added 188,000 sq. ft. in

2009, adding 167,000 sq. ft. this spring.

Number of locations (current): 40

QUICK FACTS

QWas your rapid expansion pre-planned, or were you adjustingto economic circumstances?

A Brahm: Noble, even prior to the Rona acquisition, had mappedout a strategy should the economy start to falter. In times ofuncertainty most of the market will take steps to cut back onkey areas like inventory, staffing, services and even closelocations. Our plan was to maintain and increase our servicesand inventory in order to better serve our customers and garnermore market share.

QWhat’s your corporate philosophy?

A Michael: Our obligation is to keep our customers active andproductive on their job sites. We have built the company on the

same premise by continuing to provide ourcustomers with multiple levels of support:locations, people, trucking and inventory.

QAre there Noble policies that you arerolling out into the acquired companies?

A Michael: Our goal is to both learn fromour acquisitions, but also impart some ofour core values. These companies willwork in conjunction with, and as part of,the Noble network and will be expectedto offer the same service platforms as thebalance of the company.

QHow do you foster the feeling ofbelonging that you have amongstyour employees?

A Brahm: Many of us have beentogether now almost 18 years,growing up in the company andindustry. Wewere two familybusinesses thatmerged into oneentity. Newpeople comingin get exposedto thecamaraderie andget taken intothe fold. Simply, it is family and wetake great pride in saying that.

QYou’ve recently made a fewpurchases, and rumour isthere are a few more tocome. What’s going to bethe biggest challenge goingforward?

A Brahm: Likely the biggestchallenge will be to quicklyintegrate the newacquisitions while managingnew markets and our growth.We have great people and thesetasks take a lot of effort. We havestepped up and added much moredepth to handle this in all ourdepartments.

QWhat do you do when you are not on the road buying up othercompanies?

A Brahm: Family and cycling, in that order. Michael: Beyond the office, we encourage all our staff to “placefamily first,” and strongly believe in that credo. There isNOTHING more important than the people you love outsideof the workplace.


Brahm

Michael

84 employees, spouses andindustry friends are riding onthe Noble team for the Ride toConquer Cancer in June.

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HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC By Gord Cooke

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 air flow

management in houses,

and can be contacted at

[email protected].

■ AWARENESS

The first level, this involves a fullunderstanding of potential indoor airpollutants, their sources, technologies fordetecting them and an understanding of allthe possible solutions. It is common forparticipants who take this type of trainingto feel overwhelmed and even somedesperation that there are no simple waysto improve air quality in most buildings. It isimportant to remember that this is a firstlevel of training and more practicalapplication is required.

■ APPLICATION

At this level, contractors should be able toinvestigate and identify indoor air qualityproblems in the field. Training might includea review of testing protocols andinvestigation techniques and tools.

■ INTERPRETATION

Training participants should be able to rankand prioritize IAQ issues they discoverwhen doing investigations, and developappropriate solution strategies. Achievingthis level takes field experience and ideallymentorship from an organization orindividuals with field experience.

■ CONSULTATION

The ultimate goal is forcontractors to have a level ofunderstanding of IAQ issues thatallows them to empower theirclients to take appropriate, cost-effective actions to optimize airquality in their homes and offices.This implies a level of knowledge thatis beyond simply recommending specificproducts that a contractor might off erfor sale. This level of knowledge willundoubtedly be the combination ofnumerous training courses andfield experience.

THE LEVELS OF IAQ KNOWLEDGE

Raising your I Q TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR CONTRACTORS

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation(CMHC) is no longer offering its residentialindoor air quality training through the IAQ

Program. Over the past 14 years, CMHC haddeveloped and delivered a series of courses acrossCanada to develop an awareness and understanding ofresidential indoor air quality issues.

There were one day and multi-day courses. The oneday courses were more general in nature; onepresenting a comprehensive overview of IAQ issues,the other was targeted to the new home andrenovation building industry and focused on mouldand moisture issues.

The unique offering was a three-day IAQ InvestigatorsCourse where small groups of participants learned toconduct home inspections focused on air quality issuesand provide written action plans to homeowners toimprove the quality of air in their homes. This courseincluded a field training phase where interestedparticipants submitted four field reports for peerreview over a 12 month period.

MOVING BEYOND CMHC

Indoor air quality is animportant public health issueand requires a thorough,comprehensive, measuredapproach to find practical, costeffective solutions. For thisreason a varied, multi-leveltraining experience is beneficial.Look for at least fouropportunities – courses,workshops, seminars, reviews ofresearch papers or governmentpublications – to gain theknowledge and experiencenecessary to provide clients withhelpful solutions.

vA

IAQ ONLINE:• cmhc-schl.gc.ca• epa.gov/iaq• hrai.ca• iicrc.org• enerquality.ca• eeba.org• healthyindoorspartnership.ca


• Finding IAQ training • Levels of knowledge

The real value of the CMHC training was that itfocused on empowering industry participants andhomeowners to make informed, practical and effectivedecisions, and to take appropriate action.

CMHC has offered to explore opportunities foralternative delivery channels for the course materialsbut is looking to the building industry to increase thecapacity for the delivery and maintenance of effectiveindoor air quality training.

So there is a challenge to the industry to replace thepractical and helpful CMHC approach to air qualityissues. Let’s have a look at courses already available toour industry, and how contractors can use them totake advantage of the CMHC training legacy.

HRAI

The Heating Refrigeration and AirConditioning Institute (HRAI), throughits SkillTech Academy, has had long-

standing interest in IAQ training. For example, the ventilation courses havealways had an introductory section on air quality and mechanical strategiesto resolve them.

More recently, HRAI has introduced a specific comprehensive three-daycourse focused entirely on indoor air quality. It is called the Indoor AirQuality Awareness Course. It covers a wide range of building issues thatcan lead to air quality problems, discusses tools, techniques and protocolsfor investigating IAQ issues, and identifies available solutions.

IICRC

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, RestorationCertification (IICRC) has historically representedthe interest of the carpet and floor cleaningindustry. More recently they have become animportant resource in training for mouldremediation, and their certification designation is often required byinsurance companies in water damage claims and mould clean ups.

While the courses do cover the basics of indoor air quality issues, they arespecifically focused on clean up and remediation strategies and techniques.

EnerQuality

The EnerQuality Corporation in Ontariooffers building science training to the ne whome construction industry, as related tothe energy efficiency programs they

deliver – including ENERGY STAR for New Homes, R-2000 and EnerGuidefor New Homes. More recently EnerQuality has expanded its off erings toinclude a half-day IAQ workshop and a ventilation workshop.

The IAQ workshop is based on a similar workshop offered by the Energyand Environmental Building Alliance in the U.S. That course was written tohighlight the requirements of a new EPA labeling program called the IndoorairPLUS Package for New Homes. This label can be earned by participatingENERGY STAR builders in the U.S. if they build to specific requirementsfocused on improving indoor air quality.

HIP

The Healthy Indoors Partnership (HIP) is an industr yassociation with multi-stakeholder collaboration.Members include government, manufacturers, HVACindustry companies, restoration companies, researchinstitutions and public interest groups. A fairly newCanadian organization, HIP has been offering webinarsand short seminars on a variety of IAQ related topics, and the organizationis developing a more formal indoor quality curriculum that will include fulland multi-day courses at deeper levels of interest.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF IAQ TRAINING

• Manufacturers’ training – These courses canbe a great supplement to independent

training resources.

• Conferences and trade shows – This isa great way to hear different voicesand perspectives on the issues toenhance education and experience.

• General building constructioncourses – Such courses as the

Better Built House courseoffered in Atlantic Canada byAtlantic Home Warranty, or

the R-2000 Builders Workshopoffered by the Canadian HomeBuilders Association, alwaysinclude helpful segments relatedto moisture management andindoor air quality.

What’s available?


DRAIN CLEANING By David Janzen

Pain in theDRAIN

UNCLOGOLOGY

A lthough no

academic

establishment

offers an unclogology

degree, one could argue

that plumbers qualify

for an honourary

bachelor’s. Whether it’s an eight-hour ordeal, or a week-long

affair, drain servicing is simultaneously part fine art, part

science, part war and a whole lot of detective work.

Resolving blocked-drain distress demands creative thinking,

plenty of know-how and a good deal of patience.

Here are a few interesting stories from the field. If you have

any of your own feel free to email them our way.

Perpetrators guilty of clogging drains come in all f orms. Even something as

innocuous as cauliflower can cause a headache . Just ask Wayne Stewart, president

of A.R.Wright Plumbing & Heating Ltd. in Calgary, Alta. He’s been a plumber for 26

years and has seen all kinds of od d blockages. “Pork chop bones, pieces of curtains,

toys, false teeth, tooth brushes, phones - you name it.”

On one occasion he was on a r esidential job responding to a plugged water closet

call and discovered the source of the blockage was a clump of cauliflo wer. At that

point, the light went on for grandma, who didn’t understand how the toilet could

get plugged as it had been working fine all day before her family arrived for dinner.

She told Wayne that her grandson wasn’t fond of cauliflower, and instead of eating

his veggies, he must have fed them to the toilet. Cauliflower is now off the menu.

THE CAULIFLOWER

WARS

continued on page 22

SEE AND HEARWhen pipe locating, working with a camera

equipped with a sonde and a detector can

prove invaluable, especially when working

close to electrical or gas lines. Accuracy,

should any digging have to take place,

becomes critical since clipping a line is not

an option.

Tales of woe:

CONCRETECLEANOUTSSometimes honest mistakes can make for a realnightmare. Dave Hurst, of Dave Hurst Plumbing &Heating Inc., in Kitchener, Ont., once ended up having toreplace more than 100 feet of pipe after a concrete firmaccidentally allowed cement to overflow into the sewagesystem at a commercial site. In his 43 years of plumbing, hereports that he had never encountered a problem of thisnature before.

“The floor had separated from the wall in acommercial building, and the engineers toldthe company to re-pour the floor. What theydidn’t realize is that some of it had spilled into thecleanouts during the repair. We were the third company theyhad called in to deal with the situation.”

His company worked around the clock for a week cleaning upthat mess. “We put in some long days. Because it had gotteninto the drain system, environmental people got involved, andon top of it, the business stayed open during the fix.”

After diagnosing the problem, the plumbers systematicallyidentified which pipes contained concrete and made theappropriate replacements.

A helpful tool in Dave’s repertoire that proved vital to the floorincident was a camera at the end of the auger . “After wereplaced all the problem pipes, jetted and flushed the system,we used the camera to make sure no other pipes werepartially full of concrete.”

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DRAIN CLEANING

continued from page 20

THE ROOT OF THE MATTER

Tree roots can cause problems, especially inhomes that still have clay-tile, or cast-iron sewage

pipes. “When tree roots hit a foundation wall, itdrives them straight down,” says Dave Hurst,of Dave Hurst Plumbing & Heating. “If there’sa worn out pipe there, the roots will find a wayin. I’ve seen roots as thick as your thumb.”

Using an arrowhead cutter on a one-inch steelcable, he sends the cutter down the line to punch ahole in the blockage. That’s step one of his three-pronged approach. The blockage could be anywhere

between the house foundation and the city sewageline, so it takes “a good plumber, who has a feel for the

machine, to know they’re into something.”

After carefully retrieving the line back, step two involves jetting toclear the line. “Over time the ‘spidered’ roots will have blocked all kinds of debrisand hardened. We can flush that, and the broken root matter, but we can’t stopthe roots from growing back.”

The final step is to get a first-hand look inside the pipe, and measure the extent ofthe problem. There are root-killing products available, says Dave, but dependingon the situation, typically the pipes have to be replaced with ABS, PVC drain-waste-vent or SDR sewer pipe.


• Concrete cleanouts • The chimney cleaner • The root of the matter

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THE CHIMNEY CLEANERThings took an interesting twist while

Jamie McLellan of J.J. McLellan & Son

Plumbing & Heating in Mount Forest, Ont.,

was augering a second-floor toilet drain. “What we

didn’t know initially, is that the drain was blocked

by ice.”

So instead of performing its job, the auger line was

diverted by the ice up and out the v ent. “We

couldn’t figure out what exactly was happening and

thought we had maybe hit a blockage. So we

decided to go outside and there it was, wrapped

around the chimney.”

Fortunately, the cable hadn’t tangled too badly and

Jamie was able to get on the r oof and retrieve it

safely. This time, all the pipes needed was a bit of

heat, and the system was back to normal.


REFRIGERATION By Phil J . Boudreau

Phil Boudreau,

is the Ontario sales

manager for

Bitzer Canada Inc.

and also provides

training and

technical support

for Bitzer’s clientele.

Phil is also a

refrigeration instructor

at Humber College in

Toronto, Ontario.

Phil may be contacted at

[email protected].

effectsTheof lowsuctionpressure

L ast issue we discussedcompressor applicationlimits, electrical

connections, electrical startingequipment and how todetermine the correct operatingamperage of a compressor(Controlling compressor short-cycling, Mechanical Business,November/December 2010,page 64). In this article, we willcover compressor short-cyclingissues and will also have a lookat compressor operation in a vacuum.

Never operate a single-stage hermetic or

semi-hermetic compressor in a vacuum as

motor damage is likely to occur at some point.

This is due to the fact that ar cing may take

place across the terminals inside the motor.

OPERATING IN A

VACUUM

Some arcing may also take place

between the windings

themselves at these very low

pressures.

The three photos to the left and

above show a semi-hermetic

type screw compressor and were

taken during a tear-down

procedure. This compressor was

operated in a vacuum during its

final days. As you can plainly

see, the vacuum conditions did

not do it any favours.

Generally speaking, it is

recommended to design and

operate open-drive type

compressors at suction pressures

above 0 psig due to the presence

Possible causes of low suction pressure• Insufficient heat getting to the evaporator.• Metering device problems. • Low refrigerant charge.



REFRIGERATION

of a shaft seal. Over time, the shaft seal may leak.

As a result, air, moisture and other contaminants

may enter the system.

Although two-stage, internally-compounded

compressors may be capable of operating at saturated

suction temperatures (SST) of -90°F or so, the pressure within the motor

barrel will be considerably higher than atmospheric pressure. The motor

barrel is exposed to the inter-stage pressure.

The actual inter-stage pressure varies by

compressor model and manufacturer, but our

formula (See sidebar on page 27) gi ves us a

reasonable estimate to work with. This

calculation also gives us a quick method of

determining if our valve plates are performing

their function correctly.

At lower suction pressures and temperatures,

oil return may become more of a challenge.

Generally speaking, HFC refrigerants such as

R404A, R407A and R507 are very miscible

with POE oils. This helps minimize potential

oil return issues with these low-temperature

systems. The use of highly efficient oil

separators, such as coalescing types, tends to

minimize the oil film present in heat-

exchangers. This, of course, leads to higher

heat transfer coefficients within the condenser,


FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

Pressure v. SST


• Inter-stage pressure • Suction l ine siz ing

At lower evaporating temperatures, each single

psi of pressure drop has a more noticeable

effect on system performance. Figure 1

illustrates the fact that decreasing

pressures always result in lower saturated

suction temperatures.

In addition to this fact, F igure 2 illustrates

the effect of decreasing pressure with a

number of HFC/HCFC refrigerants used

in low-temperature systems.

In Figure 3, we can see that pressure

drop has varying effects on saturated

suction temperatures depending on the

refrigerant type used. In other words,

some refrigerants experience a higher

drop in saturated suction temperature

given the same pressure drops. This is a

good point to keep in mind when

sizing and laying out suction lines.

nter-stage PRESSURE

T he inter-stage pressure is simply the pressurethat exists between the two stages of

compression. In a compressor that has a high-stage to low-stage compression ratio of 2:1, theformula to calculate the approximate inter-stagepressure is:

* Note that the psia (pounds per squar e inch,absolute) unit of measure must be used for thiscalculation.

Using this calculation, a system that operates at asuction pressure of 17.6 inches of mercury gaugepressure (which corresponds to -80°F SST @dewpoint) and a discharge pressure of 252 psig(which corresponds to 105F SDT @ dewpoint)would be expected to have an interstage pressureof approximately 40.17 psia or 25.47 psig.

SUCTION LINE SIZING

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FIGURE 3

Inter-Stage psia = Suction psia

Discharge psiaX(√ )

with Roger Grochmal

It’s been a difficult couple of years for my business. I think I see thelight at the end of the tunnel, but I continue to be cautiously optimistic.What are you doing to weather the storm? Allan B., Brandon, Man.

As we celebrate the new year, I can’t help but beglad that 2010 is finally over. The HomeRenovation Tax Credit wrapped up, we lost thevery popular Federal ecoEnergy program andhere in Ontario, we gained the Harmonized SalesTax. I feel like a survivor. It was a heck of a rollercoaster. 2011 can only be better.

So what is a contractor to do?

In our planning at AtlasCare, wedecided to do a couple of things.Firstly, we recognize that ifwe are going to haveto grow, it will haveto be at the expenseof our competitors.If we currently havea one per cent share ofthe market, then 20 percent growth would increase myshare to 1.2%. This would be arounding error for some of my com-petitors, but it is significant to me. This isan achievable goal.

Secondly, we will get there by focusing on ourstrengths and what we do best. Our brand residesin our people and the trusted service we provideto our residential customers, so we shed somemarginal business activities that detracted fromour residential focus and skill set.

Lastly, we recognized that feeding at the govern-ment trough had turned us into a bunch of farm-ers harvesting the business coming at us. We nowhave to be hunters to go and get business fromour competitors.

I am excited going into 2011. We are focused onwhat we do best. We are making investments inmarketing and business automation. And we arestriving to be the best in our niche.

So, now I get to turn the question back around toyou: What are you doing to be stronger, smarter

and more focused?

Streamlined and focusedGrowth will come to those who can unleash thecreative talents of their people to reduce costs,improve service and generate business whilestaying focused on their niche. All of us dosomething better than somebody. That’s whywe got into business.

Focus on what you do best

Roger Grochmal is thepresident of AtlasCarein Oakville, Ont. Tosubmit a question aboutyour company, businesspractices, or the industryin general, send an e-mail to MechanicalBusiness Magazine’seditor, Adam Freill,[email protected].

28 M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 1M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 1

finding the new nomal?We find ourselves in themiddle of what mostexperts believe will be aprotracted recovery from avery deep recession. Itcould be five to sevenyears before we return to anormal level of economicactivity, whatever that is.There is no wind in theeconomic sails. Therewon’t even be any inflationto provide growth.Depressing? Perhaps, butan essential correctivemeasure and, in my experi-ence, the entrepreneur’smotivation to focus on run-ning a better business.

To make a real impact in the fight to reduce energy

consumption, choose with your heart and mind

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C O N T E N T Sw h a ts u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

On the cover: You might recognize Paul McRoberts, our Road Warrior from Nov/Dec of 2008. Since appearing on the cover of MechanicalBusiness, he frequently gets recognized by customers, peers and suppliers, and he’s used the profile to help grow his business. Photo Dave Chidley

D E P A R T M E N T S

34Welcome

50Find the Fix

63Tool Tip

38HYDRONICSThermal mass and in-floor heating.Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

great

F E A T U R E S

44RADIANTCOOLINGDesignconsiderations fornew commercialbuildingsJerry Leyte

48ROAD WARRIOR Saskatoon’s Rod GasmoDave Bowden

52CASE STUDYKingston Ontario’sWinston ChurchillPublic SchoolChristopherMakarewicz

56FLUID DYNAMICS – PART 3 Getting a-head in HVACRod Brandon

58DESIGN FUNDAMENTALSStart at the beginningLance MacNevin

60QUIZ Test your hydronics I.Q.David Hughes and Warren Hyde

S P E C I A L R E P O R T

36BEAUTIFUL HEAT ON THE HORIZONAdam Freill

All in for

In-floorA lesson in

ANATOMY40 All about the

inner workings ofa circulator. John Barba

P R O D U C T S

43,62,65Hydronics

34

F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

Delivering on Comfort

Look to Runtal for INSPIRED RADIANT heating solutions. Comfort, style, durability, versatility and ENERGY EFFICIENCY are the hallmarks of residential and commercial building spaces designed the Runtal way. The worldwide LEADERin standard and custom designed radiators for over 50 YEARS our ENGINEERING ASSISTANCEtakes the guess work out of every job. And when itcomes to off-the-shelf solutions, you can rely on ourIN-STOCK solutions.

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Content Media Group Inc.19 – 1525 Cornwall Road

Oakville, Ontario L6J 0B2 CANADATel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913


Editor: Adam Freill, ext. [email protected]

National Accounts Manager:Laura Goodwin, Ext. 221

[email protected]

Assistant Editor: David Janzen, ext. [email protected]

Controller: Liz [email protected]

Art Direction: JJM Graphic [email protected]

Circulation Manager:Shila Naik (905) 272-4175

[email protected]

Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. [email protected]

PM:41536047ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print)

ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online) .Notice: Mechanical Business is published for owners, managers anddecision makers with mechanical contracting fir ms and the sector's supplychain partners in Canada. While ever y effort is made to ensure theaccuracy of the information, Mechanical Business, Content Media GroupInc., its staff, directors, officers and shareholders (‘The Publisher’) assumeno liability, obligation or responsibility for adver tised claims, for errorsand/or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of thisinformation. Manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over publishededitorial. The publisher reser ves the right to publish a printed correction in a subsequent issue for editorial errors, omissions and oversights.

© Copyright 2011. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in anymanner without prior written permission of the publisher.

The gentleman on the cover of our WHAT supplement may be a familiar face toMechanical Business subscribers. Paul McRoberts was our Road Warrior in November of2008 (see page 48 for this edition’s Road Warrior), and was featured on the cover of thatedition. His firm, iFH Designs and Installations (iFH), specializes in in-floor heatingsystems, and he’s not afraid to let potential customers know the benefits of such systems.

What attracted us to him back in 2008 was his drive to sell the benefits of radiant toconsumers. He’s active on the home show circuit in his part of the country, lends hisexpertise to a radio show, and sells the concept of comfort every chance he gets. He’s alsoa registered contractor with the Canadian Hydronics Council, and he even uses hisappearance on our cover as a way to break the ice with prospective customers.

“When customers see me on the cover of the magazine, it provides credibility in the skillsand abilities that my company brings to the table,” he said during a recent interview. It hasbeen a huge boo to his business.

So why revisit someone like him? Well, Paul and his company are a single player in amarket of single players, and his efforts are definitely to be commended, but we are on theverge of seeing the launch of something that should be a major shot in the arm to helpfoster the consumer awareness that he has been fighting for, sometimes single-handedly.

So, with that said, flip the page to learn all about the launch of Beautiful Heat Inc. andbeautifulheat.com, an industry led effort to bring the message of radiant comfort to theconsumer level.

Until next time,

Adam Freill, Editor

n

36

S P E C I A L R E P O R T

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

With statistics showing a heating marketshare loss ofabout a tenth of a per cent per year, and that

marketshare hovering around six per cent in Canada, themarketing committee of the Canadian Hydronics Council(CHC) has finally received consensus on the launch of itslong-term strategy designed to reverse that trend and to growthe hydronic market in Canada.

On the drawing board as a recommendation for more thanthree years (see Mechanical Business, December 2007, page18), the Beautiful Heat marketing strategy has been broughtforward through the ratification and formation of BeautifulHeat Incorporated, a stand-alone entity with its roots in CHC.

“The intent o this from day 1 has been to reach theconsumer,” explains Beautiful Heat Inc. chairman JohnGoshulak. “The purpose of reaching that consumer is todefend our position in the market, in terms of marketshare,and to grow the business.”

According to Goshulak, research gathered by CHC indicatedthat new home starts are a major factor in where the hydronicheating sector is losing consumers to other heating options,with many builders opting to go with forced-air systems.

“A lot more new homes are beingbuilt without hydronics than withit. The purpose of this is to turnthat decline around,” he says. “Thebest way we deemed, was as anindustry campaign. Nobody individually could take it on. Theonly way to do it is as an industry.”

As such, in early January the CHC formally announced that14 manufacturers of hydronic-related products had officiallyjoined the Beautiful Heat campaign, pledging a percentage oftheir sales to support the marketing program. The plan issimilar to the structure used in other industries, such as egg orcotton producers. When a product is purchased, an agreed

upon percentage of the sale price isdirected to a marketing board that usesthe funding to support an advertisingand awareness campaign aimed atdriving future sales.

“Fourteen companies have put adeposit in,” reports Goshulak. “Overthree years, more than five milliondollars is going to be available for thiscampaign.”

Full details of the new corporation, andthe launch of its website, are scheduledto be unveiled at a board meeting thismonth, with the first steps of thecampaign hitting the street this May.

“Will Prices go up?”

BeautifulHeat.com

on the horizonBy Adam Freill

Not necessarily. How the individual partnerdecides to set aside their portion of the fundingfor the program is not dictated by BeautifulHeat Inc. BHI has left it up to each individualcompany to decide where and how theirportion of the funding will be generated, sothat could be a redirection of existingmarketing funds, or some other arrangementdecided upon by the management team of eachindividual partner.

f

iSeriesMixing Valves

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All in for

In-floor

38 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr has been a plumbing, radiant heat and solarcontractor and installerfor 30 years. A long-timeRPA member andcolumnist, he is manager of training and education with Caleffi North America.You can reach Hot Rodat [email protected].

TUBE SPACING AFFECTSTEMPERATURE DELIVERYThe chart below shows how the spacing

changes the output-to-temperature equation.

Thin slab over-pours are another common

“wet” or high mass application. Usually

1-1/2” to two-inches of concrete or

gypson-based products are installed over

the tubing. Note that the thin slab will not

move heat laterally as well as the thicker

slabs would, so tighter spacing may work

better for output and comfort levels. A good

simulation program should show you this

application.

When talk turns to radiant heating many agree thefloor is an ideal location for the installation. After all,every building has one! The most common applica-tion I generally find is a concrete slab infloor installation.

On the surface, throwing a bunch of PEX in aslab seems like a simple no brainer, but like any com-ponent of a system, the devil is in the details. Thank-fully, we now have a deep bench of experience todraw upon as far as how actual systems perform inthe wild. Time and experiences, along with data log-ging and case studies, have provided us with facts towork from. There in no need to guesstimate an in-floor design or installation anymore.

Planning the design and installation on paper isstill recommended, regardless of how small or sim-ple the project seems. And design software packagescan make life much simpler for the designer.

The beauty of simulation software is the ability torun “what if” scenarios. Change the insulation thick-ness, thickness of the slab, tube spacing, supply tem-peratures, etc. Notice how the software changes theperformance and output of the slab? Try that onpaper and you’ll be running calculations for days.

Tubing the slab is one area where more is better,in my experience. A tighter tube spacing can allowyou to run the lowest possible temperatures. Thisplays nicely to slabs that may be supplemented withsolar. Also, low-temperature condensing mod-conboilers like it cool, so if you can tighten the spacing, go for it.

There is a plethora of installation products andtools available to you these days. Some insulationproducts offer triple-duty functions, providing theunderslab insulation, vapour barrier and hold-down

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1 39

by Bob ‘Hot Rod’ Rohr

From thermal mass to finished floor Concrete slabshave evolved to the point of being a much-desired finished floor product,as well as the structure and foundation for the building. Research some ofthe wild and durable concrete stains and pigments available – the optionsare seemingly endless.

THE GREAT COVER UP

Computerizedhelp The evolution of

radiant design software

programs has provided

us with simple, concise

and user-friendly means

to ensure you start

down the right path.

Search radiant product

manufacturer websites

for demo versions of

software, and shop

around or take a class

or two to help learn the

finer points of this

crucial design step.

functions all in one. Level the sub-base, flop downthe panels and walk the tubing into place.

And please, please, please don’t scrimp on under-slab insulations. Two inches of foam, or the equiva-lent r-value, should be a minimum. For tighterheat-loss control, don’t be afraid to go to even sixinches of foam under the slab.

A botched or under-designed slab or infloor installation is not easily fixed. The additional cost tobeef up the insulation or add some PEX to tightenthe spacing before the pour is an investment thatwill return the favour for years, decades or more. If itis worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

May your concrete finish flat and live crack free.

The floor covering used in in-floor applications needs to be considered when designing the system. Thisshould be done in the planning phase and should be documented andsigned off by the interested parties. Adding wood, carpet or other resistivefloor coverings after the initial design phase could have some serious side ef-fects. Bare concrete is still my favourite finish, but I understand concrete,even coloured and cleverly scored or textured, is not for everyone.

Tile is a great option, engineered or laminated wood products can work well.

Vinyl, linoleum, rubber are other common choices.

You need to know the r-value of the flooring product to see how it changes

the floor’s output. Check that the manufacturer has approved the product for

direct contact with a warm concrete installation, and know your slab surface

temperatures under design conditions. Glues and adhesives need to be con-

sidered when adding a floor covering.

I’m not a huge fan of carpet and pad over infloor, or any radiant surfaces.

Depending on the thickness and material you could end up with an r-value of

R-3 or more. That will be a game changer when heating season rolls around.

Once the system is in, leave a copy of the design on the job site, just in case

someone opts to change the floor coverings at a later date. There may be

some fudge factor to accommodate a floor covering change, but maybe not.

It is all know-able with a few mouse clicks though.

Tube Management Viega’s’ ProRadiant, and other similar products, offer

tubing coils fastened to a hold-down bar, allowing an

installer to lay down multiple runs of tubing at the same

time. Simply roll out these products, connect them to

the manifold, pressurize, take some pictures or video

and call in the concrete. The labour savings with this

type of product can be a huge factor in larger jobs.

And there are a number of tie-down tools on the

market for attaching the tube to the re-mesh or directly

to the foam. Any tool that eliminates the bending over,

or working crouched over or on your knees, will be an

excellent investment. Demo some of the products

available before you buy.

Another clever product is the Tube Caddy from

Axiom. It ensures that your tubes exit the slab spaced

and protected.

Keeping a test manifold in your inventory can be a

good idea. Chose a rugged, simple manifold to be

used during the pour. After the building is erected and

the walls completed replace the manifold with a clean,

new, perhaps zone-able version.

And don’t forget that manifold cabinets can dress up a

manifold nicely, too.

40 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

CIRCULATORS By John Barba

John Barba is the residential training/trade program

manager with Taco and offers the Anatomy of a

Circulator course as part of the company’s FloPro

University e-learning self-study course for hydronic

system installers. Check it out at www.floproteam.com.

A lesson inANATOMY

In most circles, a course in anatomy is thought to be arather ugly ordeal, but don’t worry, this lesson will bescalpel-less with no cadaver, toe tag or messy incision.

We are going to do a bit of dissection along the waythough, so feel free to don a lab coat and goggles.

Why should we care about a circulator, or the details ofhow a particular circulator is designed andmanufactured?

The circulator is the vital heart of any hydronic system.You can’t make a hydronic system work without acirculator. The circulator has one purpose; to move waterin the system by creating flow.

There are several different types of circulators, each withits own design and best application. Some are “wet rotor”and some are dry. Some need to be lubricated, others areself-lubricating. Some run fast, some run slow, whileothers can even vary their speed. For this discussion, weare going to focus on wet rotor circulators.

Things that affect the selection of acirculator include the shape of thevolute; the size, shape and designof the impeller; and the power ofthe motor. Working together, theydetermine the characteristics andcapabilities of any circulator.


Acirculator creates flow. It does this by using

centrifugal force to create a pressure differential. A

circulator does not lift water. A pump lifts water. A

circulator circulates water through a continuous loop

system by creating a pressure differential.

Water enters the circulator at a lower pressure, the

circulator accelerates

the water and

sends it back out

at a higher pressure.

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CIRCULATOR COMPONENTSTHE VOLUTE Designed to maintain a steady stream with as littleturbulence as possible, the suction side (inlet side) ofthe volute is bigger around than the discharge side. Thishelps create the pressure differential. Arrows on theoutside of the volute indicate the proper direction ofwater flow.

THE IMPELLERThe thickness, diameter and construction of theimpeller all play a role in the performance of thecirculator. The thickness of the impeller determines itsflow capacity. The thicker the impeller, the greater theflow. If you have two circulators with the samehorsepower, the one with the thicker impeller willgenerate more flow.

The diameter determines the amount of speed that canbe imparted into the fluid. The larger the diameter, themore velocity. More velocity means the greater thepressure differential, and the greater the amount ofhead (system resistance) that the circulator canovercome.

Other factors affecting performance include thenumber of vanes, curvature of the vanes, the location ofthe vanes, and whether the impeller has open or closedvanes. Open-vaned impellers are used in circulatorswith high flow and relatively low head. This includes“flat-curve” circulators, which work well for radiatorand baseboard applications.

Closed-vaned impellers are used in higher head andmedium-high flow circulators. Possible applications forthis type of circulator include those used forgeothermal, solar and radiant heating systems.

THE MOTORA single-phase AC induction motor uses magnetism tooperate. It has a stator (wire coils) on a spinning shaft.

42 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

The rotor is made up of an equalnumber of steel laminations fitted withevenly-spaced copper bars along theoutside edge. This is a so-called “squirrelcage” rotor, for obvious reasons.

During the manufacturing process, therotor is mounted on a hollow ceramicshaft. The shaft spins on two carbonbearings positioned on either side of therotor.

The entire assembly is then slid into thestainless steel cartridge sleeve. Two ringsare positioned over the cartridge sleeveto line up with the bearing supports andshaft. The top of the cartridge is cappedoff so water can only enter through thehollow shaft. Finally the impeller is mounted on the end of the shaft.

At the end of all this, you have a device that’s ready to work. Apply electricalpower and the rotor spins in the magnetic field, turning the impeller.

As we mentioned before, the size of the motor, its horsepower rating, directlyaffects its performance. A circulator with a more powerful motor will producemore pressure and more flow than a circulator with a smaller motor.

CIRCULATORS

DIFFERENTIAL DIFFERENCESJust as it is with weather fronts, a fluid must flow from an area of higher pressureto one of lower pressure.

Water enters the casing and runs into the e ye of the impeller which spins it tooutside with (you guessed it) centrifugal force. It’s this action that adds velocity tothe water, creating higher pressure before leaving the circulator.

Hydronic systems mimic Mother Nature: the greater the pressure differential, thegreater the flow. Ah, there’s magic in the flow when an installer selects the rightcirculator, enabling appropriate flow through the system.

ANATOMICALLY CORRECT FOR THE APPLICATIONA circulator’s design, and the influence of horsepower and impeller speed, factor into itsperformance curve. Flat-curve circulators are used in radiator and baseboardapplications which require higher flow rates but havelower overall head losses.

With steep-curve circulators, small changes inflow rate will result in relatively large changesin head pressure. These can work well forfan coils, solar thermal systems, and forradiant floor heating.


KEEPING WETWITH WATERWith water lubricatedcirculators, there’s always waterin the cartridge. There’s no needfor oil or grease. The systemwater lubricates the bearingsinside the circulator cartridgejust like having oil lubricate theengine pistons in your car.

Once the system is filled andpressurized, small amounts of airmust be purged by running thecirc for a few minutes. But oncethe cartridge is full of water, thehollow ceramic shaft will act likea mini expansion tank, providingthe exact amount of spaceneeded for the water in thecartridge to expand and contractas it heats and cools.

HYDRONIC

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1 43

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Radiant flooring systemThe ProRadiant Climate Mat from Viegamakes use of cross-linked high densitypolyethylene (PEX) barrier tubing in con-junction with stainless steel or coppermanifolds, and electronic and non-elec-tronic controls to deliver hydronic radiantheating and cooling. The stainless mani-folds have one-inch NPT removable endcaps and 1-1/4” union connections.

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Radiant Cooling by Jerry Leyte

When designing radiant heating into new commercial buildings, why notinitially design the system to accommodate radiant cooling, even if heatingis all that is currently planned for that building?

If the owner is unsure about the add-on, or the budget doesn’t allow for acooling plant, there are still advantages to designing the radiant heating systemwith future radiant cooling in mind. For example, having closer tubing spacingin the slab – a requirement for cooling – is significantly more cost effectiveduring the original concrete pour, versus doing an over pour at a later date,or having to later add radiant cooling in the walls or ceiling.

Keep in mind, a new commercial building has a long life cycle. What if, fiveyears after the building is completed and occupied, the owner wishes thatthey could have included radiant cooling as well? With the building beingradiant-cooling-ready, delivering on that option is a much easier exercise.

Post-construction desire for radiant cooling could be triggered by higherenergy costs, new technologies, the presence of a new district cooling system, increased architectural popularity and/or demands for improvedcomfort levels. And these are all good reasons to incorporate radiant cooling designs before the slab is poured. Adding radiant cooling as an afterthought is possible, but comes at an added cost and inconveniencethat would likely make it prohibitive.

Add to that the reality that futurecosts of energy are difficult to predict, but it would be prudent to be ready for any economic changesrequiring energy conservation, andconservation efforts match well with with radiant cooling systems.

BecomingFUTURE-READY

44 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

PRO TIPFor all buildings integrating radiant cooling to address shortand long wave energy (sensibleloads), there is need for a dedicatedair system to deal with latent andventilation loads.

more radiant cooling on page 46

Dehumidification to the rescueA relatively new wrinkle to the HVAC world is

radiant cooling. While condensation was an

early concern with these systems, technology

has emerged to effectively solve the integra-

tion of radiant with dehumidification systems,

as demonstrated by a growing inventory of

world-class projects. A fantastic example is

Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok’s

International gateway to the world.

Thailand regularly has RH levels well above

75 per cent, and despite this challenge, design

engineers were able to successfully incorporate

radiant cooling into the mechanical system for

this large and impressive building.

The inclusion of radiant cooling into the main

floor of the airport led to a 40 per cent reduc-

tion in the size of the HVAC equipment needed

to satisfy the total building cooling load. That

reduction translated into a 30 per cent reduc-

tion in total energy on the cooling side.

At 13° north of the equator, one would have

difficulty finding an equally hot and humid

environment in Canada that would be

comparable to the climate in Bangkok.


46 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

Going radiant-plusRadiant heating installations are becomingmore common in commercial buildings withinNorth America and are in a growth patternsimilar to that already experienced in Europeand Asia. Emerging from this trend is the hy-brid “radiant plus HVAC system,” a combinedsystem of radiant heating that incorporatesforced air equipment as well. This setup of-fers a number of advantages, including im-proved indoor air quality, improved thermalcomfort, less draft and noise, significant en-ergy savings, and smaller HVAC equipmentrequirements.

Radiant Cooling DesignParameters:• Minimum Surface

Temperature: 19°C (66°F)

• Average Supply WaterTemperature: 13 – 14°C (55°F to 58°F)

• Spacing: 150 mm (6") oncentre to a maximum of225 mm (9") on centre

• Loop Lengths: 90 to 105 m (300 to 350 ft) for 16 mm (5/8") tubing

• Design differential temperatures: 3 to 5°C (5 to 8°F)

BENEFITS ON THE HOT SIDEBeing “radiant cooling ready” also has immediatebenefits on the heating side of a radiant systemas well. Let’s assume you are building a 10,000sq. ft. commercial building and are planning toinclude radiant heating as part of the mechanicalsystem. The loop layout within that buildingwould likely have 12” spacing in the slab. Thisdesign would produce approximately 30 BTUHper sq. ft. of heating at a supply water tempera-ture (SWT) of approximately 41°C (106°F).

If that same building was designed with radiantheating and cooling in mind, the design wouldlikely require six-inch spacing instead of 12”.This does require double the amount of tubing,however the SWT for the heating would be-come approximately 34°C (94°F) to deliver thesame 30 BTUH per sq. ft. as the original 12”spacing design for heating.

This 7°C (12°F) reduction in heating fluid enables the boiler or heat pump to run more efficiently. Furthermore, the lower SWT couldallow the building owner to capitalize on suchalternatives as waste heat, district energy, cogenand renewable energy sources that are capableof providing low-temperature heating fluids.

These efficiency improvements can be recog-nized immediately once the system becomes operational, even if incorporating radiant coolingis part of a future plan for that building.

This example is based on the assumption thatthe radiant system would be incorporated intothe floor of the building, but if you are dealingwith a multi-storey building and are consideringusing a thermally active building system (TABS),this same radiant heating/cooling design conceptwould apply.

TYPICAL HEATING AND COOLING CAPACITIES BASES ON TUBE SPACING.

Design fundamentalsThe key design factors to be considered whenlooking at radiant cooling are tube spacing, fluidtemperature, slab sensor placement and controls.These factors need to work together to maintain:

• accurate supply water temperature; • accurate surface temperature measurement

for staying a few degrees above the dewpoint temperature of the surrounding air; and

• reasonable response time at the radiant surface for changes to space conditions.

Tube Supply Maximum Capacity SupplySpacing Water Temp. Heating Cooling Water Temp.(in.) (°F) (BTU/ft2) (BTU/ft2) (°F) 15 111 30 3 55-60 12 106 30 4 55-60 9 100 30 10 55-60 6 94 30 14 55-60

Jerry Leyte, P.Eng., MASc.,is the Canadian commercial

sales engineer for radiantheating and cooling at

Uponor. He can be reachedat [email protected].

Built to be the Best™

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Mississauga, ON | 866.690.0961 | www.bradfordwhite.com

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ROAD WARRIOR By Dave Bowden

What do you specialize in?“I do everything fromplumbing to A/C, butboilers are what I like.”

What’s your favourite thingabout the job? “Seeing peo-ple smile when it’s minus-30and you fix their furnace or boiler.”

What brought you to thetrades? “A friend's dad actuallyintroduced me to it. He gaveme a job and I liked trou-bleshooting from the start.”

Time behind the wheel perday: 2 hours

Kilometres logged per day: 80

Service vehicles: “We have a1993 diesel tool bus and a2006 Dodge diesel 3/4-tontruck.”

What’s the story behind thebus? “I bought a used 36-pas-senger school bus and it worksgreat. All my stuff is inside, outof the rain and snow, and I canstand up in it to find everythingon the shelves.”

Any area you like to get dis-patched to, and why? “I like togo up north because of thelakes and wildlife.”

Fondest memory on the job:“Getting the furnace up andrunning for an elderly lady, whohad just lost her husband andwas scared of letting someoneinto her house.”

Favourite tool in your toolbox:“Flash light and Leatherman onmy belt.”

Favourite performer:Terri Clark

Best concert you ever attended? “Terri Clark andBrooks & Dunn when theyplayed in Saskatoon in 1998.”

Favourite movie:The original StarWars trilogy

Favourite sport:“Definitely hockey.”

Favourite place tohang out: “In my garage. I like

having a couple sodas with theother guys in the trade and talking work.”

Favourite outdoor activity:“Lots, including camping,quading [riding four-wheelers],boating, sledding and huntingdeer and moose.”

Favourite drive-thru restaurant:“A&W, I like the Mozza burger.”

Favourite localhaunt for lunch:“The SharkClub. It’s apub/sportsbar.”

Favourite car-toon as a kid:“InspectorGadget – he had all the neattools I wanted.”

What do you like to do in your spare time? “Spendtime with my family.”

Biggest pet peeves:“Telemarketers.”

My rule of thumbis... “Do the work as if itwas your house.”

If I had a million dollars... “I'd be rich!”

M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 148

Call for a furnace orboiler technician inSaskatoon and don’t besurprised to see a schoolbus pull up to the frontdoor. Rod Gasmo,owner of FuturePlumbing & Heating,has been using therather unique ride – his“Tool Bus” – for hisbusiness for a few yearsnow, but that’s not theonly fun vehicle you’llcatch him behind thewheel of. His ’69 FordMustang is still thefavourite of his vehicles.

Favourite car:My ‘69 Mustang

Phot

os: C

hris

Hen

dric

kson

Pho

togr

aphy

Name: Rod GasmoCompany: Future Plumbing & HeatingLocation: Saskatoon, Sask.Title: OwnerExperience: 16 yearsTrade school: SIAST Kelsey Campus, Saskatoon, Sask. Born in: Prince Albert, Sask.Resides in: Saskatoon, Sask.Age: 39Family: Wife, Bonnie-Ann; sons Colton, 17, and Riley, 11; daughter Larissa, 9.

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50 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

This Month’s Quiz:

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Talk to us before your next project,and be sure to visit us online.

THE PROBLEM INSTALLATION

The thought process was sound. Replace an old castiron boiler in the church with modern high-efficiencycondensing modulating boilers.

The two boilers in the new system would providesome redundancy and improve the turn down ratio to10:1. By combining with outdoor resent, the efficiencycould really be pushed to the maximum. The new boilers are designed to provide up to 399,000BTUH each, and the boiler fittings are 1-1/4” for bothsupply and return. During the upgrade, an 80-gallon indirectwas added for DHW purposes, and the old forced-air furnaceswere replaced with new variable speed hot water air handlers.

As the DHW and the air handlers required high temperature water, they wereconnected to the priority side of the boiler number 2. With relays, boiler 2 wouldalso back-up boiler 1 for the main heating system. Two boilers at 50 per cent aremore efficient than one boiler at 100 per cent. The two pumps on boiler 2 do notrun at the same time.Although this system is providing heat and hot water, how could you simplify andimprove the system? What would you do different and why?

Answer and win!EXPAND YOUR REPERTOIRE! Send us your solution to this month’s puzzle byMarch 18th and you could find yourself withone of the newest, and most coveted, tools onthe hydronic jobsite – An M12 ProPEX Ex-pander, courtesy of Milwaukee Electric Tool.Send your solution to [email protected].

The November/December Fix:

Here is how our quizmaster, Jeff House, would setthings up:

Although the system was working, pump conflict is avery real possibility with this almost primary/sec-ondary piping arrangement.

The contractor followed the manufacturers install di-agram to keep warranties intact, but the pipingwould work better if the piping loop had been over-sized and the secondary loads balanced. It wouldalso be beneficial to move the air separator to thehot side.

A simpler way would be to use a hydraulic separatorto keep the boiler loop and the system separate. Agood hydraulic separator not only eliminates pumpconflict, eliminates air, and allows dirt separation, italso allows an old system to work as it did before.This way if there are problems with the old systemthat you were not made aware of, you have notchanged the characteristics of the system with the in-stallation of the new high-efficiency boiler.

And, of course, you still have priority DHW and out-door reset with the new setup.

Jeff House is an experienced in-dustry professional and hydronicstrainer, and handles the GoldenHorseshoe territory for Jess-DonDunford, a manufacturers’ rep inOntario. He can be reached [email protected].

Next month the coffee couldbe on Mechanical Business!

THE FIX:

For more puzzles from our archives,visit us on the web,

www.mechanicalbusiness.com.

Get your fix online

THE PROBLEM: A simple retrofit to upgrade to high-efficiency modulating con-densing boiler technology is a great way for building ownersto save on utility costs and do their part for the environment.

With outdoor reset and DHW priority, the tenants should becomfortable and have plenty of hot water. Although this re-cent upgrade is working, what can you suggest to improve the system?

51W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

Case Study By Christopher Makarewicz

52 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1


Winston Churchill Public School(WCPS) is a single-storeyschool building located in the

heart of Kingston, Ont. Built in the 1960s,WCPS serves 324 students in kinder-garten through Grade 8. Part of theLimestone District, the governing schoolboard encourages curriculum and practices thatteach students about the importance of preservingnatural resources for future generations to enjoy, andit also looks for environmentally preferable solutionsto maintain its schools.

In the 1980s, the school’s original oil-fired boiler wasreplaced with five small, modular natural gas-firedboilers. Designed to operate at lower boiler watertemperatures, the benefits of the system were neverfully realized because they were used in conjunctionwith traditional finned-tube radiators. These continu-ous finned-tube radiators required high boiler watertemperatures to radiate heat effectively throughoutthe school’s offices, corridors and classrooms. In addi-tion to not capturing the total energy efficiencies, thesystem did not offer optimal comfort for building oc-cupants. If the room became excessively warm, win-dows were often opened to compensate,resulting in additional en-ergy loss.

Providing sustainable heating for students

Christopher Makarewicz, Dipl.T, B. Eng, is anengineering advisor for Jaga Climate Systems.Jaga is a manufacturer of radiator systems. For

more information about radiator technology,visit www.jaga-canada.com.

Installation by rotationThroughout the six-month installationprocess, teachers experienced little disruption becauseclassrooms were renovated on a rotating schedule.Since the new system has been up and running, administratorshave received only favourable feedbackfrom teachers and students about the increased comfort inthe classrooms andease of control of thethermostat. It is antici-pated that the in-creased temperaturecontrol will lead tohigher productivity inthe classrooms.

“We knew there had to bea more effective way of

heating our building, but weneeded a solution that could be used in conjunctionwith renewable energy sources,” said Glen Carson,facility services manager with the Limestone Dis-trict School Board. “We needed a solution thatwould be effective for the students and teachers,while reducing our long-term costs.”

In 2008, the school board approved a completeoverhaul of the school’s heating system with thefocus of reducing energy consumption. David W.Downey Engineering, Ltd. was hired to design anew system that would not only provide a sustain-able solution, but one that was also cost-effectiveand safe for students. After receiving approval to re-locate the boiler room from the basement to a smallstorage area beside the school gymnasium, DavidDowney developed plans to upgrade the system.

Warmth and safetyIn addition to providing enhanced comfort and control, teachers have also noted the increasedsafety of the new radiators. Because they require low temperature outputs, the exterior casingof the radiators remain safe to the touch, making them a good solution for schools and otherapplications where users may come into direct contact with the heat emitters.

EVOLVE AND DOMINATE.

SOUNDS LIKE A PLAN.

In just 6 years, SharkBite® push-fi t fi ttings have evolved from our fi rst 1/2" coupling into a best-selling full line that keeps on growing. We’ve climbed to 580 species that make up the industry’s only Total Rough-In Solution.™ Including 1/4"

to 1" push-fi t fi ttings and PEX tubing, and a wide range of valves with integral SharkBite connectors. As for sharks – they’re trailing us with 440 species. And they had a 415 million year head start.

54 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

To replace the original condensing boiler system, Downeyworked with local manufacturer representatives from Dis-Tech to obtain and install five Viessmann Vitodens high-

efficiency, natural gas-fired, wall-mounted condensing boilers.Each unit serves as a fully-modulating condensing boiler. Solarpanels mounted on the roof provide an offloaded energy sourcefrom the new boiler plant.

To maximize the energy efficiency of the condensing boilers,Downey replaced the finned tube radiators located throughoutthe school with 107 Maxi radiators from Jaga Climate Systems.

The radiators operate at lower water temperatures – 130 to 140degrees Fahrenheit – thereby reducing the total amount of energy required to heat the building.

“By developing a system that couldbe used with multiple high-effi-ciency boilers, we were able to addsolar panels as a renewable energysource to extend the life of the sys-tem,” said Downey. “The key wasnot only finding renewable energysources, but radiators that couldwork in the system without reduc-ing its energy efficiencies.”

Within each classroom, teachers canadjust individual thermostats tocontrol the room temperature, so ifstudents are more active, as in manykindergarten rooms, the temperature can be quickly reduced. Byusing radiators with built-in thermal mass the engineers wereable to better control energy loss and maximize student comfort.A larger digital control network can be monitored by plant oper-ators or other school administrators.

In addition to offering adjustable temperatures throughout theday, each radiator in the new system is also linked to a timedschedule which reduces temperatures when the school is closed.


The ecobee Energy Management System and Remote Sensor Module

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A LOW-TEMPERATURE

SOLUTION

As a result of the cen-tralized digital controldevice and low-watertemperature outputs,the school anticipatessaving $20,000 in thefirst year, and a savingsof $100,000 in the firstfive years.

RETURNS OF MANY KINDS

“I can’t take a leak.”

“That’s why I only use Dahl valves.”Nothing makes my blood boil like going back on a job to replace

a leaky valve that’s caused water damage. I just can’t stand it, and now I don’t have to because I’m using Dahl valves,

covered by a 25-year warranty. With Dahl on our trucks, I sleep better at night.

Want to know more? Call toll-free 1-855-423-4862. Josh, Gaylen or Thomas will answer your questions.

Or visit us at www.dahlvalve.com

Made in Canada.Really.

By Rod Brandon

Additional Reading

In our first article in this

series, Water, Water

Everywhere…

(Mechanical Business,

January/February 2010,

page 50), we learned

that there is no better

medium for the distribu-

tion of thermal energy in

an HVAC system, than

simple tap water.

In our second article, Re-

sistance is Futile (Me-

chanical Business,

July/August 2010, page

44), we learned that sys-

tem resistance is based

on the pipe run length,

diameter, and the impact

of all connected fittings

and devices. Check the

articles out t


Fluid dynamics – Part 3

56 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

For closed loop circulatingpumps, additional measures thathelp avoid cavitation include:

• Locate the expansion tank nearthe suction side of the pump.

• Ensure the expansion tank ischarged to 12 psi or higher.

Getting a-head

Net PositiveSuction HeadThe Net Positive Suction Head

Available (NPSHA) must be

above the Net Positive Suction

Head Required (NPSHR) to avoid pump cavitation.

Cavitation can occur when the pressure of the fluid at the impeller suction is below the liq-

uid vapour pressure. This causes the fluid to boil producing gaseous bubbles. As the fluid

moves toward the impeller outer diameter, the pressure increases above the vapour pres-

sure, causing the gas bubbles to implode. These implosions, though very small, are suffi-

ciently powerful and plentiful to erode and eventually destroy the impeller.

CATIVATION AVOIDANCE

For all applications, keep NPSHA high by keeping the fluid temperature into the pump as

low as practical and avoiding operating the pump with an inlet valve closed or thr ottled.

(At 140ºF and less, the fluid vapour pressure is relatively low and cavitation is unlikely.)

Creating flow and directing thermal energy in a sys-tem, in a controlled manner, requires knowledge

of static and dynamic pressure, and how these variablesexist within a system and impact performance and reliability. Read on…

Dynamic HeadDynamic head is the force imparted on fluid by mechani-cal means to produce the desired flow.

As we have previously learned, system resistance varieswith flow, resulting in dynamic head loss. In the case of anopen system, the static (elevation) head, as well as the dy-namic head loss, must be overcome to achieve the pre-scribed flow. Whereas, in a closed loop system we onlyneed to overcome the dynamic head loss to achieve thedesired flow. This is why a potable water booster pump,for example, must produce a much higher head than atypical circulating pump, for the same building.

The dynamic head that a centrifugal pump produces isdictated by the motor speed and impeller diameter. For agiven system resistance, the greater the speed and/or im-peller diameter, the greater the head produced. Pumphead can be also be increased by putting two or morepumps in series. For very high dynamic head require-ments, it is common to use a multi-stage pump, wheremultiple impellers in series are driven with a single motor,thereby reducing the number of moving parts.

IN HVAC

WORKING WITH CLOSED LOOPS

a

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1 57

Rod Brandon is a technical marketing specialist with S.A. Armstrong Limited, a globalsupplier of HVAC and fluid flowequipment and solutions for residential, commercial and industrial applications. He can be reached at [email protected].

For open systems, if the supply fluid is not pressurized:

• Locate the supply tank as high as possible.• Ensure the supply tank is vented to atmosphere without

restriction.• Locate the pump at as low an elevation but yet as near

the supply tank as possible.

Static head in a closed systemIn a closed system, such as a hydronic heating or

cooling system, the rules change.

Now, we no longer have to overcome the static

(elevation) pressure.

Once the system is filled, very little force must be

imparted on the fluid to make it circulate through

the loop.

Any amount of differential pressure (delta P) across the

pump adds dynamic head to the fluid, resulting in flow

from suction to discharge.

As a liquid is not easily compressible, any movement

of the liquid is transmitted through the entire loop,

causing circulation.

For a given system resistance, the higher the pump head, the higher the flowrate.

Static head in an open systemStatic head is only an issue in open systems, such as cooling

towers and potable water boosters.

Basically, water in column produces a pressure on its own base,

proportional to height. One foot of water column, produces one

foot of head, or 0.43 psi. A height of 2.31 feet of water column

produces 2.31 feet of head, or 1 psi, and so on.

So for an open system, if we want to pump water up not only

do we have to overcome the system resistance of the piping

and fittings between the pump and discharge, we also need to

overcome the static head – the downward pressure exerted by

the weight of the water column itself.

If we want to pump water from an open tank at the base of a

100-foot tall building to an open discharge at the top, we

need a pump that can deliver 100 feet of head, just to

get water up to the top of the pipe.

WORKING WITH OPEN SYSTEMS

Design Fundamentals By Lance MacNevin

58

Start at thebeginning

Lance MacNevin is a mechanical engineer, orig-inally from P.E.I., and is responsible for REHAU

Academy in Leesburg, Va. He can be reached [email protected].

The Math: A.K.A. “The Easy Part”Like all heating system designs, radiant heating design mustalways start with calculated heat loss of the space, on a room-by-room basis, according to established procedures. From theoverall heat loss of the space, calculate the radiant panel heat-ing requirement – how many BTUHs or Watts of energy are re-quired per unit area of heated panel. Don’t forget to watch forobvious but sometimes overlooked obstructions that impedethe panel area from contributing heat to the space – for exam-ple an island in the middle of a kitchen.

Take, for example, a 100,000 sq. ft. commercial building witha heat loss of 2,000,000 BTUH and 90,000 sq. ft. of floor avail-able for installing radiant pipes. The radiant panel heating re-quirement is 2,000,000 BTUH divided by 90,000 sq. ft. offloor, or 22.2 BTUH per sq. ft. This is the average required out-put for the entire heated floor area at design conditions.

The next step is to determine how warm the panel will needto be in order to sufficiently heat the space.

Our commercial building had a radiant panel heating requirement of 22.2 BTUH per sq. ft., and the customer wantsan indoor air temperature of 68°F (20°C).To find the radiant panel operating temperature, we take the22.2 BTUH per sq. ft. and divide by our 2.0 HTC. Adding 68°Ffor the desired temperature gives us an operating tempera-ture of 79.1°F (26.2°C). This represents the average floor tem-perature required to heat this building at design conditions.

*Radiant HTC is the heat transfer coefficient, a value for predicting the combined radiant and convective output of a heated panel. For radiant floors, in most situations that value is 2.0.

**Indoor Air Temperature is the desired air temperature for the space. Most radiantdesigns use 68°F (20°C) for this value, but this is based on customer needs.

What’s being heated? While radiant floors are usually the most effi-cient and comfortable panel choice for instal-lation of a radiant system, this is not always aviable construction option. Therefore, it is vitalto first confirm whether it’s the floor, walls,ceilings – or even a combination of these areas – into which the radiant system will beinstalled.

What installation techniquewill be used? Many radiant installation techniques are usedtoday, oftentimes in relation to building re-quirements and installer capabilities. Perhapsthe PEX pipes will be encased in a poured thermal mass. How thick willthat thermal mass be? Or, perhaps the pipes will be used with a dry panelsystem utilizing a highly thermally conductive material such as aluminum.How will that affect the design?

What floor coverings havebeen specified?To accommodate the effects of heat on, for ex-ample, carpet versus hardwood floors, radiant

designers mustknow what floorcoverings havebeen chosen prior to providing any calculations.

Stay Tuned…While important to theoverall radiant designprocess, the heat loss,and the other values de-rived from it, don’t allowfor much creativity. Thereal fun actually beginswith picking the best pip-ing layout for the job.This is where the impactof such factors as pipesize, pipe spacing andpipe circuit lengthscomes into play. Be sureto pick up theMarch/April 2011 editionof Mechanical Businessas Lance discusses thesecritical elements.

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

Radiant designers are often asked to make calculations with-out prior receipt of the most fundamental information for ajob. To ensure a proper design, it is important for designers to

be proactive in acquiring information, before calculations are done.

Radiant Panel Operating Temperature

Radiant Panel HeatingRequirementRadiant HTC*

IndoorAir Temperture**( )= +

Radiant panel heating requirement

Total Heat LossAvailable Area=

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Water Heaters

The first round of NCAA March Madness basketballtips-off on March 15 as 68 teams from across the U.S.vie for the most coveted trophy in college basketball.Facing elimination from the tournament each game,competitors either flourish or flop as momentumbuilds towards the final. Our hydronics tourney has alittle different format, but the pressure is still on if youwant bragging rights. So lace-up, warm-up, and takeyour best shot. It’s game time.

The answers can be found on page 66.

1. Where is the “point of no pressure change” located in ahydronic system?

a) at the outlet of the pressure reducing valveb) at the expansion tankc) at the inlet of the circulatord) at the pressure differential bypass valve

2. What is the purpose of installing “closely spaced tees” ina hydronic piping system?

a) to promote gravity circulationb) to promote a higher delta Tc) to shorten the length of the primary loopd) to prevent gravity circulation

3. What does a spill switch detect?

a) a low-water situation in the boilerb) a zone valve that fails to closec) products of combustiond) a no flow situation across the boiler

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS

Test Your Hydronics IQ

Zurn Industries Limited3544 Nashua Drive, Mississauga, ON L4V 1L2Phone: (905) 405-8272 Fax: (905) 405-1292

www.zurn.com • [email protected]

• Certifi ed to NSF/ANSI 61-G (No Lead)

• Shorter lay length – fi ts in smaller valve box

• Top access to test cocks, shutoff valves, and check assembly – easy to test

• Entire fl ow housing is removable to facilitate check access for cleaning or repair

• Easy to winterize by removing wetted components between shutoff valves

• Simple design – composite housing and check modules resist corrosion

Unsurpassed Serviceability, First-Rate Performance in a Shorter, Smaller Package

Reduced Pressure Principle Backfl ow Assembly375XL

350XL Double Check Backfl ow Assembly

60 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

McKay Boiler Supplies Inc. is a thriving heating wholesaler lo-cated in Woodbridge, Ontario. We have built our reputation onservice and our unique ability to find parts that others can’t. Weare looking for an experienced Counter Sales Associate to helppromote our entire line of products and programs. This positionhas direct contact with customers. Therefore, neatness in per-

sonal appearance and professional customer service is essential,as is fluent command of both written and spoken English.

Primary Job Functions Include:

• Establish and maintain good relations with customers by providing prompt and courteous service.

• Effectively communicate features, benefits, and warranty information to customers.

• Assist in all sales, inventory, stocking, delivery and operational duties as required.

If you have HVAC counter experience and are seeking a new opportunity where your efforts will be noticed, we’d like to hear

from you. Please fax your resume, in confidence, to (905) 265-8135.

HVAC Counter Sales Associate

MB CLASSIFIED

With thanks to Dave Hughes (far right), chair ofthe Plumber and Gasfitter Programs at the

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, andWarren Hyde (right), a Plumbing and Hydronicsprofessor at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont.

4. What is the heat output for a hydronic sys-tem that has a flow rate of 13.5 gpm and adelta T of 15 degrees?

a) 101,250 BTUHb) 121,500 BTUHc) 150,000 BTUHd) 202,500 BTUH

5. What must happen with the flow rate inorder to raise the heat output into a room?

a) decreaseb) increasec) stay the samed) nothing, the delta T must be increased

6. Which type of boiler listed below wouldbe classified as low mass?

A. Steel fire tube boilerB. Horizontal cast iron sectional boilerC. Finned steel tube boilerD. Vertical cast iron sectional boiler

7. Which term below best describes the typeof rating after stack and jacket losses havebeen deducted?

A. Net inputB. Gross inputC. Net outputD. Gross output

8. From the following features, which onehelps convection heat transfer to the spacefrom cast iron baseboards?

A. An integral damperB. Fins cast into the backsideC. Dark colourD. The large flat front surface

9. What effect will raising the return watertemperature have on a condensing boiler?

A. Increase condensationB. Reduce fuel consumptionC. Reduce operating efficiencyD. Increase modulation range of the gas valve

10. What is the delta T required for a heatingload of 28,000 BTUH when a flow rate of 3.75gpm is used? (Choose the closest answer.)

A. 10° TB. 15° T C. 20° TD. 25° T

So, are you a champ? 10 out of 10 – Way to score a last second buzzer-

beater for the Championship! 8 or 9 correct – A Final Four Finish – not bad...

6 or 7 correct – Nearly made it to the Elite Eight...5 or below – Bowing out in the first round, best

crack open those textbooks.

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1 61

HYDRONIC

62 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

In-floor canalAvailable in lengths rangingfrom 43” to 193” and heightsas low as 3.5”, the MiniCanal in-floor heating systemfrom Jaga Climate Systems isdesigned for use with con-densing boilers, heat pumpsor solar systems. Its radiatorfin tubes can be customized tofit bends around corners.Grilles for the assembly comein a wide range of wood andaluminium offerings, as wellas pebble and accordiondesigns.

jaga-canada.com

Balancing valveLow-flow CircuitSentry balancingvalves from Bell &Gossett featureadjustable flow ratesbetween 0.25 and 3.8gpm. The spring-loaded cartridgeassembly allows fluid to flow betweentwo and 60 psi. Made from brass, thevalves are rated to a maximum working pressureof 400 psi and a maximum working tempera-ture of 250°F (121°C).

bellgossett.com

Featuring a stainless steel heat exchanger and a5:1 turndown ratio, XFyre condensing boilersfrom Raypak Canada, a division of RheemCanada Ltd., are available in sizes from300,000 to 850,000 BTUH. They offer 94per cent thermal efficiency, have a 9.5 sq. ft.footprint, an LCD display and weigh between410 lb. and 580 lb.

raypak.com

Able to provide 100 per cent heating efficiencydown to an ambient air temperature of -28.8 °C(-20 °F), Fulton’s Invictus A and AR series ofgas-fired absorption heat pumps offer heatingcapacities up to 123,000 BTUH. The ARmodel offers a cooling capacity of 57,000BTUH. Invictus W and WLB geothermal heatpumps provide heating capacity up to 132,000BTUH and cooling capacity up to 54,600BTUH.

fulton.com

Available with or withoutsealed auxiliary end switch-es, two-way UP Zone Valvesfrom Grundfos incorporate 14-VAC, normally closed, motorized actu-ators that can deliver 20 psi of close-off forceat a flow rate of 7.5 Cv. The valve bodies are constructed of forged brass, arerated at 300 psi, and are available in 1/2” to one-inch sizes with sweat con-nections. A 3/4” model with threaded (NPT) connections is also available.

grundfos.ca

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1 63

Ball valvesFeaturing two O-rings, the Dahl BrothersCanada mini-ball valves with cold expan-sion connections for PEX-A pipe arecompatible with 3/8” to 3/4” tube sizes.They are rated to maximum workingtemperatures of 250°F and maximumworking pressures of 250 psi. The quar-ter-turn, washerless valves can beordered to accommodate screwdriver,Allen key or loose key adjustment.

dahlvalve.com

Solar thermal systemViessmann’s Solar-Divicon-HX pumping andheat transfer station features a double-walledheat exchanger and includes a three-speedsolar loop pump, a three-speed DHW pumpand a solar controller. The pre-wired unitsoffer flow rates from 0.1 to four gpm andzero to 320°F temperature gauges. For thesolar loop, maximum allowable pressure is 87psig and for the DHW tank loop, maximumpressure is 150 psig.

viessmann.ca

Sponsored by Milwaukee Electric Tool – a proud partnerwith Mechanical Business. Look for video tips, tools and

reviews at www.milwaukeetool.com. Be sure to visit mechanicalbusiness.com for your chance to win valuable

Milwaukee products and merchandise!

TOOL TIPS

When looking to buy a hand tool, contractors should be looking for a few keythings. Durability is going to be really important, so look for rugged rubber

over-moulding that is integrated into the handle of the tools that you are buying.These are going to be tossed into tool boxes, bags and buckets, and find them-selves on the ground often enough, so you don’t want over-moulding that’s goingto tear off easily.

Shafts of screwdrivers should be hard-ened steel. This all ties into reliability,and if you are not looking to frequentlyreplace these sometimes overlooked, yetvital devices, it might be a good idea tolook into the warranty offered on thehand tools you are buying. Some companies even offer a life-time warranty on hand tools, and in the longrun, this might save you a few dollars, notto mention frustration on the job site.

Functionality is also a key concern. The tool should work in real life applicationsand speed up the contractor’s work. Multi-functionality can help this. Toolswith integrated wire strippers, wire bending holes, jab saws with rasping holesbuilt into them will increases a contractor’s productivity.

Make sure that all componentreplacement functions, like

changing blades and accessingblade storage, are tool-free.

Want to savea bit of time?

Getting a handle on hand tools

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3) Company Job Sectors – check ALL that apply:

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HYDRONIC

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1 65

Zone valvesZ-Series E-Z-Top White-Rodgers zone valvesfrom Emerson Electric Co. are designed fortwo-way straight-through positioning with areturn spring for hydronic systems. The 24 Velectric motors on the brass valves provide 20psi of close-off force. Available in 3/8” to1/2” sizes, they are rated to a maximumpressure of 142 psi and maximum tempera-tures of 110 °C.

white-rodgers.com

Condensing boilerThe four heating-only models andthree combi models in Rinnai’s Eand Q Series wall-mounted condens-ing boiler lines feature maximuminputs ranging from 75,000 to205,000 BTUH. They operate oneither natural or LP gas and offer upto 96.5 per cent AFUE efficiency.All models have stainless steel heatexchangers, and include an outdoorreset function with a sensor. Theunits vary in weight from 86 lb. to141 lb.

rinnai.us

High-efficiency boilersAvailable in five differentmodels, Weil-McLainCanada’s Ultra Series 3gas-fired boilers are sizedfrom 80,000 to310,000 BTUH.Featuring cast aluminumheat exchangers, theyoffer a 5:1 turndownratio and are rated up to93.3 per cent AFUEefficient. The units havevariable speed motorsand require two-inch tofour-inch venting pipes.

weil-mclain.ca

Radiant heating platesPre-drilled Rauplate from Rehau accepts 1/2” Raupex oxygen bar-rier pipe, and is designed to be fixed to the joist space beneath afloor. Measuring 47” by 8.7”, the aluminum plates are 0.03” thickand allow two pipes per plate, offering eight-inch on-centre spac-ing. Spacing between plates is recommended at one-inch. Theyare available in boxes of 20.

rehau.ca

Victaulic’s 793 TA series of differential pressure con-trollers are designed to stabilize pressure and ensureproper flow rates in HVACsystems. The controllerscome standard with adrain kit, measuring port,transition nipple andadjusting tool, and are avail-able with a threaded endfor 1/2” to two-inchsizes. They are capableof stabilizing differentialpressure ranges of 1.5 to 8.7 psi, 2.9to 11.6 psi and 5.8 to 23.3 psi,depending on configuration.

victaulic.com

Differential pressure controllers

HYDRONIC

66 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 1

Hydronic circulatorArmstrong’s ArmFlo E series of circulatorsfeature stainless steel shafts, permanentlylubricated bearings, and a silicon carbidemechanical seal. Available in cast iron orbronze, they offer flow rates from 38 gpm to143 gpm, and weigh from 11.5 lb. to 27.7lb. The units are able to circulate fluids to amaximum temperature of 230°F (110°C),having motor speeds ranging from 3,250rpm to 3,500 rpm.

armstrongpumps.com

Balancing valves Caleffi’s Quicksetter 132 series of balancingvalves with flow meters are designed for hotor cold water systems. The brass valves havea maximum working pressure of 150 psi, amaximum temperature range of -10 to110°C (14 to 230°F), and are compatiblewith water and glycol solutions. Available in1/2” to 1-1/2” sizes, they offer flow ratesfrom 0.5 to 32 gpm. When activated, theflow rate is displayed on a flow meter housedin a bypass circuit on the valve body.

caleffi.com

Gas-fired boilersThe DynaForce series ofboilers from Camus weighfrom 190 lb. to 1,350 lb.and offer a maximum allow-able working pressure of160 psig. The units areavailable for hydronic anddomestic hot water heating,have an efficiency rating upto 99 per cent and can befired with natural gas orpropane. They are sizedfrom 300,000 to 5 millionBTUH, and offer returnwater temperatures down to 40˚F.

camus-hydronics.com

High-efficiency boilersOffering heating capacities from25,000 to 800,000 BTUH,Trinity Lx natural gas boilersfrom NTI are rated at 97 percent AFUE efficient. Featuringmodulation rates up to 8:1, theunits have 1/2” to 1-inch NPTgas connections. Both vents arelocated on the top of the unitand they have a 5.7” touch-screen display.

nythermal.com

Designed to require no minimum inlet/outlet pip-ing length for proper operation, the AS-MBmicro-bubble air separator from Watts featuresforged brass body construction in flanged, 3/4”,1" and 1-1/4” FPT sizes. It makes use ofpolyphenylsulfone coalescing media and canoperate at temperatures up to 116°C (240°F).

wattscanada.ca

Air separator

Answers: 1b, 2d, 3c, 4a, 5b, 6c, 7d, 8b, 9c, 10b

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Contractor finds value in GPS

Fleet managers and dispatchers spend their days trying tokeep tabs on personnel and equipment in order to run an

efficient business, and that’s not always an easy task. Butwith the sophistication of today’s global positioning system(GPS) tracking devices, staying on top of your company’sservice activities can be a lot easier than you might think.

According to Vince Arone, general manager and vice-presi-dent of business development at PinPoint GPS Solutions, aprovider of real-time fleet tracking services, GPS is gainingground in the mechanical contracting world. “That’s becausemany in the industry are discovering that GPS systems canaddress a number of challenges.”

Arone reports that two things have happened to bring GPSto the mainstream. For one, GPS has become a lot moreaffordable. “Generally the cost of tracking has come down interms of hardware, software (most is web-hosted now) andair-time fees. It’s like the cell phone. You get your phonefree with a three-year contract. Now you can have GPScapabilities for as little as $40 to $60 a month per unit,without any capital outlay.”

Another important driver that is increasing the need to keeptabs on field activities is the growing use of service levelagreements (SLAs). “In order to compete today, mechanicaland plumbing companies are often providing customerswith clearly defined SLAs that require service within aspecified time frame,” Arone says. “GPS not only helpsyou locate the closest available driver, but you alsohave a means to measure their arrival times.”

Given the benefits – and depending on a contrac-tor’s needs and customer base – it is rapidly becom-ing a technology that operators are coming to realizethey can’t afford to be without.

Two years ago the folks at Lisi Mechanical Contractors Limited in Mississauga,Ont., were getting fed up with rising gas costs and t echnicians being “missingin action.” That’s when the plumbing services company decided it was time tosign up for GPS tracking services for its trucks on the road in Toronto and B.C.

According to Christina Franco, the company’s accounts and office manager,until GPS came along, she simply called driv ers when an emergency call camein. With five to 10 emergency calls a day, that wasn’t always easy.

“GPS has given us the opportunity to log customer and supplier visits, monitorwhere our guys are, how much gas they’re using, and how close they are tocustomer sites. Now we’re not sending someone half-way across the city when

someone is around the corner.”

The GPS service subscription costs about $600 a month for thetracking of all 15 of the company’s vehicles from a central loca-

tion, and Franco reports that the return on investment wasrealized within about four months. “It has paid for itself overand over again. We had astronomical gas consumption, butonce the GPS was in, it was easy to monitor that, as well aswhat our technicians were doing during the day.”

An added bonus was tracking work-related versus personaltravel. “By properly monitoring personal usage, we can

charge the gas and mileage back to the driver. It’s also helpedwith customer disputes, since we have a report of when they

arrived at and left a site. Payroll is more accurate as well.”

All in all, it’s been a good investment for the firm, she says. “It’s very efficient and has saved us a lot of time.”

M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 1 69

FLEET MANAGEMENT By Denise Deveau

Getting on the right track with GPS continues on page 70

Measuring the ROI

85

Whatever your investment, it’s alwaysgood to know what your payout will bein the end. Pinpoint GPS’s Vince Aronereports that, on average, users can see areturn within a three-month time periodif all advantages are factored for. Whenassessing the potential return on invest-ment for a GPS tracking system, consider:

Idling time – With the ability to trackvehicles on the road, Arone estimates thatyou can reduce idling time by 20 to 30 percent overall, which translates into savingson fuel and vehicle wear and tear.

Overtime – GPS enables better schedulingand utilization of resources on the road.Through route optimization, a companycan easily save up to two hours per monthof each driver’s time on the road.

Vehicle maintenance – Less time on theroad translates into fewer service appoint-ments and more effective preventativemaintenance.

Driving habits – GPS systems can be pro-grammed to record all sorts of bad drivingpractices, from sudden braking and rapidacceleration to excessive speed and dis-tance. A driver “abstract” will pinpointwhere drivers can adjust habits to drivemore effectively and reduce costs.

Theft protection – Alerts within the system allow you to track the location ofthe vehicle to inform police. (Note: somesystems only provide notification that it’sstolen without providing location coordinates).

Tracking work “on the side” – It is notuncommon for technicians to squeeze in afew jobs “on the side” during the course ofa day. GPS allows managers to track anyunauthorized stops. If the practice isallowed, it will help operators ensure thatthe extra work stays within agreed uponparameters (e.g. eight hours a week maxi-mum outside of business hours).

Reporting – Supervisors can check howmuch time is spent on sites, service recallsand other details. The information can beused to adapt contracted rates to meetservice demands.

Where GPS can help• It’s 10 a.m. and your dispatcher has jus t received an emergency call.All your technicians are out on the r oad, so it takes half an hour orlonger to call each and every one to f ind out where they are, and ifthey’re available.

• You need to f ind your top HVAC specialist to handle a par ticularlytricky service request, but they aren’t answering their phone, and youdon’t know their current location. So the customer is left waiting untilyou find them.

• Your fuel costs are rising steadily and you suspect that a dr iver is wasting time taking longer routes or performing unauthorized work during regular business hours.

Depending on the GPS solu-tion of choice, dispatchers cancommunicate with on-boarddevices to track a truck’s cur-rent location (information isfed back to the dispatch centrein real-time), as well as delivermessages and provide the des-tination address. If the driver isavailable, he or she can simply click on the message t o get a mapshowing the most efficient route. Drivers can also use the t erminals to input their status – for exam-ple, if they are on lunch or at a sit e – so that dispatchers immedi-ately know if they need to find an alternative. Some systems willeven provide a running tally of such statistics as speed, fuel con-sumption, acceleration, idling time and other data.

A two-way communications street

• Measuring the ROI • Where GPS can help


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When a career in plumbingproved to not be in the cards,Bill McCreary took a slightly

different path – a refrigerated paththat led him to the NHL. Now youwon’t find his name on t he StanleyCup or on any NHL scoring sheets, buthe does have more than 1,700 regularseason games, and almost 300 playoffgames, under his belt – all as a ref ereein the National Hockey League.

Highly regarded for his work on theice, McCreary comes across as a downto earth guy who even picked up ahammer and drill during the lockoutseason so that he could keep a steadypaycheque coming in. Now the NHL’ssenior official, McCreary is in themidst of what will be his final go-round on the ice, winding up a careerthat started as a young referee in theOntario Minor Hockey Association inhis hometown of Guelph, Ont.

Cover Story

By Adam Freill

Bill McCreary

DID YOU KNOW?Bill McCreary made his NHL regular seasondebut refereeing a game between thePittsburgh Penguins and WashingtonCapitals in Washington on Nov. 3, 1984.

Age: 55Hometown: Guelph, Ont.Family: Wife Mary Ann, daughter Melissa, and sons Michael and RyanPosition as hockey player: Left WingerHighest level reached as a player: Sr. JuniorShoots: LeftStarted as a referee: Age 23Joined the NHL as a referee: September, 1982First regular season game: November 3, 1984Referee Number: 7

Lou

Q. How did you get your start as a referee? A. “In Guelph, we had a tremendous representation that was already working in theNational Hockey League. When I joined, I was very fortunate to work with some peoplewho had high skill sets. I was able to learn very quickly .”

Q. Was it much like an apprenticeship?A. “I think it is very comparable, because you start of f in the minor leagues and you goand work your way through, what we had back then, the old Central Hockey League, andthen the American Hockey League. We had some good coaches at the time. I had peoplelike Matt Pavelich and John Ashley, Frank Udvari – he was probably the main person whohelped me get through my career and helped teach and mentor me.”

Q. Tell me about the demands of the job. What’s it like to be constantly on the road?A. “You have to have a very understanding and supportive family . We were calculating theother day, and I’ve stayed almost exclusively at Marriott’s five solid years of my life.”

Q. How did you end up making cabinets? A. “During the lock-out year, we lost a full year’s salary. My neighbour who owns a cabi-net-making company took me on, and I was part of the installation cr ew for about fourmonths.”

Q. Any plumbing experience?A. “When I was a young guy, a good friend of our family’s owned a plumbing businesshere in Guelph, and I worked with him as the grunt guy doing a little bit of plumbing, butI never really pursued it. It just didn’t seem to fit for me, or I didn’ t fit for him, whateverthe case may be.”

Q. What’s it like as a referee, being part of great moments in hockey history, but notwalking away with a trophy? A. “We can’t win the cup so to be selected to work in the Stanley Cup game is the ulti-mate goal for any official each year when you start out. I’ve worked 15 of the past 16years, so it has been a true honour.”

Q. Do referees keep mementoes? A. “I think most of the guys do. I know I have... when I did my 1,500th game and my1,600th game. The three Olympic gold medal games... I have a puck fr om each one ofthose. And they hold a special place.”

Q. What’s your goal, when refereeing a game? A. “I keep it very simple. I have two wor ds that I try to work with all the time, and that’ s tokeep the game ‘fair’ and ‘safe.’ If the players know you ar e keeping the game in a safeenvironment for them to play in, and you ar e keeping it fair for both sides, then that justenhances the product on the ice.”

Q. How has the job of a referee changed over the years? A. “Years ago you were credited with your judgement on not calling penalties, what you might call ‘non-calls.’ Now we are charged with calling penalties, and I think it is anecessity that we do so to uphold the high standar d of play.”

Q. Which NHL rink has the best ice? A. “Back in the ’80s, it was Edmonton and the old Minnesota ar enas. Over time, the newbuildings have been built with new technology, and new ice-making equipment, andrefrigeration equipment, and of course, people studying ice and how to make it, and howto make it better, so it is hard to single out one building now, but one building that doescome to mind is Montreal. Montreal is a very active building, it has a lot of events that goon, and they still have a very consistent ice surface.”

Q. Who was your favourite player when you were growing up? A. “I had two cousins who played in the NHL, so I always followed their car eers. But goingback, I liked Johnny Bower and Bob Baun. And Dick Duf f was always a favourite of mine,and ironically, Dick Duff ended up coaching me in Windsor in junior.”

Q. What about after retirement…any plans? A. “I would like to stay in the game in some capacity . I love the game. I’m a fan of thegame, and if I can help some young of ficials along the way, that would be great to giveback to the game in that way.”


Q. Do you still get blamed for that open icehit on Wayne Gretzky in 1981?A. “I did for a long time when I first broke in,especially with the Oilers. They finally let upon me when the truth came out that it wasn’tme – but it was a cousin of mine that did hitGretzky, and it certainly was a big hit inWayne’s career.”

It wasn’t me!

“Years ago I was working a game in Bostonand I made a couple of calls that the fans did-n’t like. In the old Boston Gardens, it wasalmost a tradition that the fans would litterthe ice with things when they were upsetwith your work, or lack thereof. It was anafternoon game, Hartford was playingagainst Boston, and it was late in the thirdperiod when I called a second penalty againsttheir goaltender for knocking the puck overthe glass. Somebody threw a pool ball on theice at me. And in those days,we never wore helmets.The ball rolled down toMike Liut, the Hartfordgoaltender, and heskated it up to me andsaid, ‘You may want tokeep this.’ It was a num-ber 7 ball off a pool table.”

Why number 7?

Bill McCreary has worked the Stanley Cupfinals 15 times and has also refereed in threeOlympics, including the gold-medal game inall three of those tournaments.

Did you know?

• Wayne Gretzky• Mario Lemieux• Mike Bossy• Marcel Dionne• Larry Robinson• Guy Lafleur• Sidney Crosby • Alexander Ovechkin• Steve Stamkos

Who does BillMcCreary list assome of the mostskilled players hehas shared the icewith?

Last issue, we explored a broad snapshot of the web’s new frontier: social media. Much has been made in recent years of theneed for businesses to jump on the social media bandwagon. Companies from every industry are running full steam aheadinto the fray with varying degrees of success. There is no

question that social media is pervasive and growing, but the bigquestion is, “Can social media help mechanical contractingcompanies increase revenue and grow their business?”

Many companies are hesitant to take the plunge into socialmedia. Some don’t see a strong business case. Others fear thatusing social media puts their company’s privacy and intellectualproperty at risk.

But, like anything, the rewards are there if you can harness thepower of the tools at your disposal.

Social media is like any other business development tool; timeand energy are required. Be prepared to allocate some dedicatedtime to keeping on top of your social media channels.Remember, a poorly maintained presence can be as bad, orworse, as not having one at all.

Users expect real, two-way conversations not cannedanswers and marketing speak. Be honest, be timely

and be responsive, even when the conversationisn’t positive, and you’ll see your reputation,

and your business, grow.


WHY BOTHER WITH SOCIAL MEDIA? BUILD CREDIBILITY. By cutting through the marketing clutter and communi-cating directly with current and potential clients, you can build cr edibility bydemonstrating your experience and expertise. Updating industry news andnew products, answering questions and sharing knowledge all show clientsthat you are a company that’s informed, skilled and thinking about them asmore than just a source of revenue. The name of the game is having r eal con-versations that build strong relationships.

LET YOUR CUSTOMERS PROMOTE YOU. Social media tools allow satisfiedcustomers to provide testimonials and recommendations for other potentialcustomers. This kind of feedback has become an important tool for peopleresearching the internet for contractors. Knowing that other customers havehad a positive experience working with you can attract new customers inways that traditional marketing can’t.

MEET YOUR CUSTOMERS ON THEIR TURF. Social media isn’t a fad. The mostpopular social media sites have hundreds of millions of members. That’s ahuge potential customer base already interacting with the people they

know, and companies they like. This pool of people r epresentsa huge amount of potential business.

PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION. The dark side of social media is the prevalence of negative, damaging and outright wronginformation posted online. By being actively engaged, youcan be aware of these comments and address them as theyoccur. Dealing with comments posted online in a transpar entway shows you’re open to criticism and willing to work withyour customers to resolve their concerns. The result is a wellprotected and maintained online reputation.

MONITORING THE CONVERSATION. If you’re not ready toengage, social media can still be a valuable tool in your marketing toolbox.You can use these tools to monitor what’s being said about your business,your customers and your competitors. There’s a lot of information out thereand it can be valuable. By doing a quick sear ch of sites like Facebook andTwitter every few days, or on a weekly basis, you can stay awar e of what’shappening out there.

THIS IS THE SECOND IN A THREE-PART LOOK AT SOCIAL MEDIA. Check outSocial Media, A Primer (Mechanical Business, November/December 2010,page 42) for Part 1 in the series, and be sure to pick up the next editionof Mechanical Business for a look at some compelling industry examplesof contractors who have managed to skate onto the social media rink...

Doug MacMillan is president of MacMillanMarketing Group in Guelph, Ont. To reach him, e-mail [email protected].

Marketing

insoutsOF SOCIAL MEDIA - PART 2

ANDTHE

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VENTING By Adam Frei l l

When it comes to the venting of combustionequipment, a significant amount of time, energy

and resources have been devoted to navigating codesand local variances affecting the termination of ventsfor furnaces, boilers and water heaters on the exteriorof structures, but don’t overlook proper ventingpractices inside the house. What is done insideis just as important as the connection with theoutside. Equipment installers need to ensurethat the selected vent materials areappropriate for the application, and that theyare installed properly for the appliance inquestion.

“The requirements of one manufacturer arenot applicable to the appliance of anothermanufacturer,” warns Brian Carroll, venting andOEM product manager at Don Park, so it is up tothe installer to refer to the installation instructionsto determine what type of venting options areallowable by the manufacturer of the furnace,boiler or water heater. Typical options in theCanadian marketplace are ULC S636 PVC, ULCS636 CPVC and AL29-4C stainless steel.

“All venting material in Canada must be ULC S636 approved,” adds JohnGoshulak, vice-president of sales and marketing with Weil-McLain Canada.

The selection of venting material is critical. While some products are approvedfor use with both ULC S636 PVC and ULC S636 CPVC, the application of

the appliance may be what ultimately dictates materialchoice. PVC is rated to 149°F, so it can generally be

used with low-temperature applications, but ifthe system is changed in the future, for

example with the addition of an indirect DHWtank on a hydronic system, the vent material will

no longer be appropriate, and CPVC or anotherapproved vent material will need to be used.

There are a few appliances that are approved forPVC and CPVC for all applications. These aredesigned so that the vent termination fittings onthe appliance stay within the approvedtemperature range, regardless of application.

“If the boiler has a stainless steel termination, ratherthan a plastic termination coming out the top of theappliance, it might be rated and approved for usewith PVC, but check the installation instructionssupplied with the unit before making anyassumptions,” advises Goshulak.

VENTINGADVICE

Keep it simple. Take the most directroute.

Watch the slope. Generally speaking,slope back towards a condensingboiler, but follow the manufacturer’sinstructions for the appliance you areinstalling.

Support the vent pipe appropriately,and don’t expect the appliance tosupport the load.

When working with ULC S636, theglue and the pipe need to matchappropriately. If they do not match,an approved transition piece mightbe necessary.

If you do an appliance change-out ,the venting may need to be changedtoo.

There is no ULC S636 requirement inthe U.S., so ensure that you are usingthe Canadian installation manual forthe appliance you are installing.

Connected andbreathingright

Venting instructions are

found in every manual, in

the venting section, right

at the beginning are the

guidelines to follow

– the code

requirements.

There may be

markings on the

boiler or furnace as well,

but generally those are

only category markings.

HVAC/R

Fieldpiece Instruments’ SRL8 refriger-ant leak detector comes standard witha hard case, a heated diode sensor, arechargeable lithium ion battery, walland car charging units, nine-inch flexi-ble and rigid extension wands, 10replacement filters, and five O-rings. Itssensor is designed to detect CFCs,HFCs, HCFCs and blends, and techni-cians have the option to switch tomanual zeroing mode to help pinpointleaks even in contaminated areas.

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Belimo’s GKBX24-MFT actuatoruses a brushless DC motor andhas a torque rating of 360 in-lbs.The actuator is designed for theHVAC market to provide opera-tion of dampers with selectable,fail-safe positioning. It offers 95°of rotation and a visual indicatorto show the position of the actuator. The actuator can operate in ambient temperaturesranging from -30°C to 50°C (-22°F to 122°F).

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Modulating furnacesLuxaire’s Acclimate series ofmodulating gas-fired furnaces areavailable in sizes ranging from60,000 to 120,000 BTUH, andoffer up to 98 per cent AFUEefficiency. Featuring aluminizedtubular heat exchangers, theyare manufactured to accommo-date upflow or horizontal appli-cations, but can be converted todownflow orientation. All unitsuse hot surface ignition and canbe converted to propane (LP)gas operation.

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Go AheadAnd Vent.

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Rick Goosen, of Goosen Heating and Air Conditioning in Niagara Falls, Ontario, knows a thing or two about the HVAC

industry. With 34 years in the business,he knows that when he educates hiscustomers, he gains customers-for-life.And he also knows that being one ofCanada’s premier Coleman dealers forthe past 15 years has helped pave theway. As he puts it, “Coleman opensdoors. Today, with industry-first products like the Echelon that is up to 98% efficient, with its installation and service-friendly 33” height, I see an evenbrighter future. Thanks, Coleman.”

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Offering thermal efficiencies of up to 94 per cent, SuperiorRadiant Products’ Premier VS-VH vacuum radiant system can becustom-engineered to suit project requirements with long orshort, and condensing or non-condensing options. Availablemodels have firing rates from 20,000 to 120,000 BTUH, andradiant tube sizes range in lengths from 10 to 70 feet. The burn-ers are compatible with the company’s modulating control sys-tem, enabling communication with energy management systems.

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Don Park’s galvanized steel filterframes are available in sizes rangingfrom 14” by 22” to 20” by 25” inone-inch thickness. Two frames areavailable in four-inch thick models,sized at 14” by 25” and 16” by 25”.The frames have fishlocks on the fur-nace side for installation purposes.

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Variable speed drivesS-Flex variable speed drives from Taco are designed to reduceenergy consumption in HVAC pump applications. Models areavailable from one to 40 hp at 208 Vac and 230 Vac, andfrom one to 100 hp at 460 Vac. The units operate in ambienttemperatures ranging from -10 to 40°C (14 to 104 °F).

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All backflow preventers will fail and become cross-connections themselves in time if not maintained and

tested periodically. Maintenance is therefore a vital elementof any successful backflow program. Without it, controlwould not be possible.

The integrity of any testable backflow preventer isdependent on it being tested and serviced upon its initialinstallation and then annually thereafter.

BACKFLOW PREVENTERS By Wayne Wilson

When testing a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer, look for signsof water discharge from the relief port of the RP. Such nuisance dischargesare common system problems and are not a valve problem.

The likely cause of such a valve discharge is quick closing valves in thesystem, such as solenoid valves or flushometers that cause water hammersurges that come crashing back onto the RP’s number two check valve.Similar discharge can be caused by fluctuating supply line pressure that canfool the RP into responding to back syphonage, even though it’s a temporaryline pressure fluctuation caused by supply line variables.

The quick fix for both of these problems is to install a line-sized, spring-loaded soft-seated check valve between the backflow preventer and thecause of the system fluctuations.

On the downstream side, the check closes and absorbs the pr essure beforeit hits the RP, preventing the discharge. On the supply line, the check closeskeeping the higher line pressure trapped momentarily between the checkand RP, keeping the RP closed – again eliminating the discharge . Surgearrestors can also be used to eliminate these pr oblems.

Because RPs are designed to discharge to atmosphere, care must be given tothe sizing of floor drains to ensure adequate drainage is available in the caseof a severe discharge occurrence. The air gap drains that mount under theRPs are designed to handle low to moderate discharge. They cannot captureall the discharge from a severe occurrence.

If the RP is discharging continuously in a no-flow condition, the problem ismost certainly a leaking first check. The volume of water being discharged isidentical to the volume of water passing by the first check. Therefore, a large

leak would be caused by a large piece of debris and asmall leak would be caused by a correspondingsmaller piece of debris.

Reduced Pressure (RP)

Has enough room been given totest and repair the backflowpreventer? Clearances fromwalls, ceiling and surrounding

piping must be present. Theinstallation should be clearly visible

from within the room, and be free ofclutter. According to code, backflow preventers

cannot be installed more than 1,500 mm (five feet) above acentreline height above the floor.

Space it out

• Before opening up a backf low preventer in need of repair, a good practice is to have a rubber parts kit on hand.

• Replacement parts must be from the original manufacturer of the valve. If not, the repair will cause the loss of certification for the valve repaired,and any liability issues would fall squarely on the shoulders of the service contractor.

• Another good practice is to install wye strainers in front of backflow preventers. The leading cause of valve failure is debris getting caught on the seats of the backflow preventer. One note of caution though, strainers cannot be used in a fire line without proper approval.

• Thermal expansion downstream of the backflow preventer can cause excessive pressure.

• Consideration must be given to the use of expansion tanks to avoid possible damage to the system or backflow preventer.

• And all testing and repair must be performed by a certified tester as outlined by CSA B64.10-07.

Maintenance Tips

TESTING & SERVICING ARE ESSENTIAL


In the case of double-check valves, testingthe valve is vital since it is theonly way to determine if the valve

is working properly or not. There is novisual discharge of water from a DCVA.

Wayne Wilson is the product manager for

backflow preventers with Watts Industries

(Canada) Inc. He can be reached at

[email protected].

DOUBLE-CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY (DCVA)

With typical water softenerinstallations taking only aboutan hour, the add-on can addsignificant revenue to eachcall, while doing the rightthing for your customer.

SOFTEN THE WATER TO SAVE ENERGYAccording to the findings of a study conducted by the Battelle Memorial Institute,

an independent testing and r esearch facility dedicated to a pplied science andtechnology, water softeners can save significant amounts of energy.

The institute’s study tested de vices f ed with both softened and unsoftenedwater under contr olled laborator y conditions to quantify the eff ect on

performance efficiency. Specific focus was directed at efficiency improvements inhousehold water heaters from the use of softened water, and the subsequent effecton performance of such fixtur es as lo w-flow showerheads and faucets, as w ell as

appliances, such as laundry washers and dishwashers.

Testing was conducted on 10 storage-type gas water heaters, 10 storage-type electric waterheaters and 10 instantaneous gas water heaters. Five of each type w ere tested without an ypreconditioning of the water supply, which had a water hardness of 26 grains per gallon – similarto that found in cities like Kitchener, Ont., or Regina. The other five of each type w ere testedusing a water softener to remove hardness constituents from the water supply.

In addition, 10 lo w-flow showerheads, six dishwashers and six laundr y washers w ere tested,with half on the hard water supply and half on the soft water suppl y.

In general, the study f ound that the efficiency of gas storage and instantaneous water heatersremained constant o ver the lif e of the unit when w orking with tr eated soft water . Incontrast, units on har d water had a noticeable decr ease in efficiency o ver thetesting period, resulting in higher natural gas use . In ad dition, because of theneed to ha ve the instantaneous water heater delimed or cleanedperiodically, it was f ound that the cost r ecovery of the inclusion of awater softener could be as little as one y ear.

The full r esults of the study , commissioned in 2009 b y the Water QualityResearch Foundation, can be found by going to www.wqa.org.


PLUMBING by Jon Sandomirsky

THE HARD FACTSON S FT WATER

Installing a new mid- or high-efficiency waterheater in a hard water environment is muchlike washing your car on a rainy day – you

normally lose the benefit pretty quickly. Notonly are you doing a major disservice to yourcustomers but also to your business.

Protecting the functioning and efficiency of aclient’s water heater, fixtures and other water-using appliances by installing a water softenerwill save money and aggravation, while addingincremental revenue to an installation.

After seven days of testingwith hard water (28 grainsper gallon) only six of 45spray nozzles were open ina showerhead included aspart of the study.


• Soften and save • A void scale

Showerheads and FaucetsAccording to a study at Battelle Memorial Institute:

• Showerheads on hard water lost 75% of the flo w rate in less than 18 months due to scale collection on the strainers.

• Faucets on softened water performed nearly as well as the day they were installed.

Avoiding scale downstreamIn the Battelle study on hard and soft

water, dishwashers and washingmachines were operated for 30 daysand 240 completed wash cycles. The

units operating on soft water werealmost completely free of anywater scale build-up, whereasunits using hard water showedthe need for de-liming andcleaning due to the build-up of scale and deposits.


Facial coverage85%

20%than other eye/facewashes

Better protection

Furthermore, the study found that softened watersaved 34 per cent of costs compar ed tooperating on untreated 20 gpg water, and saves47 per cent compared to operation on 30 gpghard water.


PLUMBING • The Appliances

Jon Sandomirsky is the executive vice-president of marketing with Novo W ater

Conditioning/Canature North America Inc. He can be reached at

[email protected].

Electric water heaters

Up to 30 pounds of calciumcarbonate, or rocklike scale, canaccumulate in electric water heatersover time, report the authors of theBattelle study on soft water. Thestudy found that the expected life ofthe heating element can beshortened due to scale build-up,which increases the operatingtemperature of the element. Everyfive gpg of water hardness can cause0.4 pounds of scale accumulationeach year. On 30 gpg water thatequates to 2.4 pounds of scaleaccumulation, in a single year.

Gas water heaters

Hard water can lead to asmuch as a 48 per cent loss ofefficiency in gas water heaters. Incomparison, those operating onsoftened water were shown tomaintain the original factory efficiencyrating over a 15-year lifetime.

For every five grains per gallon (gpg)of water hardness, a four per centloss of efficiency was reported, alongwith a four per cent increase inoperational costs for gas storage tank

water heaters, when using50 gallons of hot waterper day. On 30 gpg hardwater, that results in 48per cent less efficiencythan with softened water.

Tankless heaters

The Battelle water softnessstudy found that indoor instantaneousgas water heaters (tankless heaters)operating on softened water maintainthe original factory efficiency ratingover a 15-year lifetime. This contrasts greatly with the tankless water heaters in thestudy operating on 26 gpg hard water that failed to function because of scaleplugging in the downstream plumbing after a simulated 1.6 years of equivalent hotwater use.


PLUMBING


Novo’s Speed Pro reverse osmosis drinkingwater system is available in 50- or 75-gallonmodels. Featuring a 3.8 gallon storage tank,its five micron pre-filter removes silt, sedi-ment and other particulate, and its granular-activated carbon pre-filter traps such miner-als and contaminants as chromium, copper,chlorine and mercury.

novowater.com

Featuring a screwless design, OS&B’s 7030 ABSwaste and overflow system offers a slide-on face-plate and a spin-on tie plate. Compatible with five

different drain-closure options, it’s available in11 different finishes ranging from antiquenickel to Venetian bronze. Various pipelengths to install between the overflow anddrain are available to accommodate tub design.

osb.ca

Novanni’s Elite series of stainless steel sinks areavailable in a wide array of models, includingundermount and topmount designs in square- orD-bowl configurations for kitchen, laundry, utilityor vanity applications. They feature rear-posi-tioned drain holes, and all models with a 3 1/2”drain include an all-metal stainless steel strainer.Drop-in models feature Novanni’s SynkSeal, afactory-installed gasket.

novanni.ca

The Marathon electric water heater fromRheem comes with a factory-installed vacu-um relief valve and has 3/4” inlet and out-let connections. Available models come in40, 50, 85 and 105 gallon sizes and havea maximum working pressure of 150 psi.

rheem.com

A D I V I S I O N O F T R I M B L E

PLUMBING


OUR SELECTION

WILL SURPRISE YOU.

www.contrac.ca

Free Living accessible roll-inshowers from Mirolin offer lowthresholds and are designed foreasy entry and exit. They areavailable in 43”, 51” and 66”sizes and offer four shelves, anoptional fold-up or mouldedseat, and various arm configura-tions, catering to left- or right-handed individuals. The acrylicshowers come in one-piece ormulti-piece designs, weighbetween 185 and 220 lb., andcome standard with 3-1/4”chrome drains.

mirolin.com

Featuring a custom-sized grooved spool installed between the back-flow body and downstream shut-off valve which allows for cus-tomer-specified assembly lengths, 300 AR backflow preventersfrom Wilkins are available in four models. Sizes range from 2-1/2”to 10”, and they are designed to be lighter than flanged models.

zurn.com

SharkBite’s contractor toilet and faucet kitsfrom Cash Acme include push-fit chromestops at 1/4” (3/8” OD) and toilet or faucetconnectors. Available with either a naturalbrass or chrome-plated finish, the push fit-tings have a maximum working pressure of200 psi and are rated for a maximum tem-perature of 200 °F (93 °C).

sharkbite.com


Ready-to-tile Tile Redi shower bases are exclusivelydistributed in Canada by Maax. The moulded, one-piece preformed module includes a drain, splashwalls, curbs and a 1/4” per foot pitch to the drain.The bases are designed to be leak-proof and do notrequire waterproofing when installing.

maax.com

The Danika bathroom faucet from Moencan be installed in a single- or three-holeconfiguration, as an escutcheon plate isincluded. It is also available in a vesselconfiguration to accommodate vessel sinkapplications. For temperature control,the lever handle offers 100° oftravel. Featuring a ceramic-disccartridge, it allows water toflow up to 5.7 litres per minute(1.5 gpm), and is available in a chrome finish.

moen.ca

Featuring 90 per cent thermalefficiency, A.O. Smith’s NextHybrid residential, condensing,gas-fired water heater can bevented vertically or horizontally.Offering 189 gal. of first-hourhot water, it requires no mini-mum flow rate for ignition. The120 V, 60 Hz unit weighs 198lb. and measures 47.38” tall.

hotwatercanada.ca

Aquatherm’s Greenpipe is constructed frompolypropylene-random (PP-R) plastic, and isdesigned for use in above ground residentialand light-hazard fire sprinkler applications. It isavailable in 3/4” to four-inch diameters and isjoined by heat fusion welding. Requiring noglue, cements or sealants, the pipe is resistantto freezing, impact and hard water.

aquathermpipe.com

Functioning similar to anair conditioning heatpump, the Accelera 300water heater from StiebelEltron pumps heat intowater stored in its 80 gal-lon tank, rather than emit-ting it to a conditionedspace. Standing 74” tall,the unit weighs 287 lb.,offers 3/4” water connec-tions and operates at amaximum water pressureof 87 psi.

stiebel-eltron-usa.com

Croma E 100 Vario-Jet shower-heads and handshowers fromHansgrohe are available in chromeor brushed nickel finishes. Offering85 spray channels and a four-inchspray head, the Vario-Jet featureallows users to reduce the numberof active nozzles, providing a moreconcentrated spray pattern. Flowrates are rated at two gpm.

hansgrohe.ca

Tel: (800) 639-2474www.mcee.ca

TTHHEE INFO PAGE

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Tel: (800) 464-6372www.extech.com

Tel: (519) 756-5760www.madok.com

Tel: (877) 812-7788www.motors.mep.ca

Tel: (416) 845-2587www.hydronicpanels.com

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

Tel: (800) 272-3539www.bradleycorp.com

Tel: (866) 690-0961www.bradfordwhite.com

Tel: (714) 634-1844www.fieldpiece.com

Tel: (800) 245-6200www.drainbrain.com

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Tel: (800) 387-9630www.mitsubishielectric.ca

GET ON THE INFO PAGE

Tel: (800) 222-8243www.accubid.com

Tel: (905) 761-6161www.apollovalves.com

Tel: (877) 700-4242www.sharkbitepro.com

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Tel: (800) 668-2389www.colemanac.com

Tel: (416) 781-5286www.cozyheaters.com

Tel: (800) 668-5515www.fleet.ford.ca

Tel: (855) 356-2671www.flocor.ca

Tel: (888) 256-7551www.contrac.ca

Tel: (800) 644-9599www.grundfos.ca

Tel: (450) 378-2334www.granbyindustries.com

Tel: (877) 655-6686www.novowater.com

Tel: (888) 237-2589www.cerlalux.com

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Tel: (800) 268-5355www.dahlvalve.com

Tel: (905) 712-3030www.deltafaucet.com

Tel: (877) 932-6233www.ecobee.com

Tel: (315) 298-5121www.fulton.com

Tel: (877) 780-3316www.goodmanmfg.com

Tel: (800) 553-9749www.genetron.com

Contact: Bruce Meacock at [email protected]


Tel: (905) 405-8272www.zurn.com

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96 VISIT US ONLINE AT

mechanicalbusiness.comTel: (888) 735-5475www.selkirkcorp.com

Tel: (877) 836-7772www.simenorthamerica.com

Tel: (905) 564-9422www.taco-hvac.com

Tel: (888) 678-8711 www.thermopan.com

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E V E N T SC A L E N D A R O F

CaGBC National SymposiumApril 13-14, 2011Toronto, Ont.www.cagbc.org

MCEE 2011April 20-21, 2011Montreal, Que.www.mcee.ca

KBIS 2011April 26-28, 2011Las Vegas, Nev.www.kbis.com

OilheatJune 21-22, 2011Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.www.coha.ca

CIPH ABC June 26-29, 2011Victoria, B.C.www.ciph.com

ISH 2011March 15-19, 2011Frankfurt, Germanywww.ish.messefrankfurt.com

CMCEF Middle ManagementConferenceMarch 23-25, 2011Saskatoon, Sask.www.cmcef.org

F.A.S.T. 2011April 6, 2011Vaughan, Ont.www.wolseleyinc.ca

CIPH Ontario Region BusinessMeetingApril 7, 2011 – Belleville, Ont.May 12, 2011 – Mississauga, Ont.www.ciph.com

2 0 1 1

If your organization has a conference, trade showor other event coming up, send details to

[email protected]

See it all online at www.mechanicalbusiness.com

GOT AN EVENT? SPREAD THE WORD!

TM

Tel: (877) 314-6040www.osb.ca

Tel: (888) 829-4901www.runtalradiators.com

Tel: (905) 695-8911www.royfoss.com

Tel: (888) 208-8927www.wattscanada.ca

Tel: (905) 856-3557www.vikinggroupinc.com

Tel: (719) 574-1101www.woodfordmfg.com

Tel: (416) 661-3306www.yorkland.net

Tel: (800) 928-7867www.zoellerpumps.com

Tel: (800) 363-5874www.saniflo.ca

Tel: (888) 994-7726www.uponor.ca

Tel: (905) 456-8300www.weil-mclain.ca

Tel: (800) 688-2575www.nythermal.com


HVAC/R

Remote sensorEcobee’s Remote Sensor Module is designed forcommercial or residential applications and allowsusers to monitor indoor and outdoor air tempera-ture, humidity, CO2, and discharge air tempera-ture. The unit supports 10K NTC resistive tem-perature sensors and zero to five or zero to 10 Vhumidity or CO2 sensors. It also allows for up tofour dry contact inputs to be connected to func-tion as high/low temperature alerts.

ecobee.com

Available in dual fuel or air han-dler split system configurations,Econar geothermal systems fromGeoSystems offer heating capaci-ties from 31,000 to 49,500BTUH. Both the dual fuel andsplit system units use R410Arefrigerant, provide air flows of1,100 to 1,550 cfm and are ratedfrom 3.6 to 4.1 COP. The airhandler is available with anoptional multi-speed ECM motorand is adjustable for vertical orhorizontal installation.

econar.com

High-efficiency furnacesTempstar’s single-stage SmartComfortDLX 95 gas furnaces are rated 95 percent AFUE efficient, and are sizedfrom 60,000 to 100,000 BTUH. Thefurnaces have stainless steel primaryand secondary heat exchangers andoffer dual venting. Units range inweight from 153 lb. to 193 lb. and thecabinets stand 40” tall.

gotempstar.com

Energy transfer pipeInsulpex piping from Rehau is designed totransfer hot or chilled water through buried

pipelines. Available in one- and two-pipe con-figurations, ASTM carrier pipes range

from one-inch to two-inch sizeswith an oxygen barrier. Inmetric sizes, pipe is avail-able from 63 mm to 160mm with an oxygen bar-rier also available. Thepipe is designed to han-dle fluid temperatures upto 93°C (200 °F).

rehau.ca



Ventilation fansFeaturing a built-in damper toprevent back draft,WhisperLite ventilation fansfrom Panasonic are designedto handle air volumes of 62to 150 CFM. They feature aflush-mount grille incorporat-ing a 32-watt Energy Starrated CFL light fixture and afour-watt night light. A condensermotor turns a Sirocco blower wheel,providing operating noise levels of onesone or less.

panasonic.ca

Variable-speed furnacesWeighing from 121 lb. to 170 lb., theGMVC95 series of two-stage, variable-speed gas furnaces from Goodmanfeature aluminized-steel, dual-diametertubular heat exchangers and are ratedup to 95 per cent AFUE efficient.Sized from 46,000 to 115,000BTUH, the units offer sealed combus-tion allowing for either direct or non-direct venting applications.

goodmanmfg.com

Zuba Central heat pump systemsfrom Mitsubishi Electric offer a heat-ing capacity up to 40,000 BTUH.The outdoor unit operates with soundlevels as low as 52 dB and the systemuses R-410A refrigerant. Measuring13” deep, the outdoor unit stands53-5/32” tall and is 37-12/32” wide.

mitsubishielectric.ca


Heated jacketCompatible with the batteriespowering the entire line of M12power tools, Milwaukee ElectricTool’s M12 Cordless HeatedJacket offers up to six hours ofcontinuous heat from a singlecharge. Available in sizes rang-ing from medium to 2XL, themulti-layered soft shell jacketfeatures three stitched-in carbonfibre heating zones and offersthree heat settings.

milwaukeetool.com

Cordless impact driverDewalt’s 12 V Max ImpactDriver Kit includes a cordlessimpact driver, two lithium ionbattery packs with a charger, abelt-hook, a bit tip and a con-tractor bag. Weighing 2.3 lb.,it measures 6-1/4” in length,provides 950 inch-pounds oftorque and features three LEDlights to provide workspacevisibility. Its 1/4" hex-chuckaccepts 1" bit tips.

dewalt.com

Locking pliersIrwin’s vise-grip Curved Jawlocking pliers are designed toreduce slipping and stripping,and are available in “fastrelease” or original models.Featuring one-handed, triger-less release, the fast releasemodel also offers Irwin’s anti-pinch, non-slip ProTouchgrips, designed to reducehand fatigue and discomfortdue to vibration. Both modelsare constructed of heat-treatedalloy steel.

irwin.com

Electrical dataloggersReadings from Extech Instrument’s single ordual-channel voltage and current dataloggerscan be downloaded to a computer via USBcable for analysis. The handheld devices meas-ure and log AC voltage to 600 V and currentto 200 A at sampling rates of one per secondto one per 24-hour period. The units includecurrent clamps, test leads, a USB cable,Windows compatible software, a universal ACadaptor and a 3.6 V lithium battery.

extech.com

Featuring a seven-inch LCD colourmonitor, the Gen-Eye X-Pod fromGeneral Pipe Cleaners offers aself-leveling camera, able toinspect three-inch to 10” linesup to 100 feet. Stored on a24” frame, it comes with bothAC and DC power cords, athree-inch trap skid, andoffers LED dimmer control.It has a video-out connec-tion for recording to anexternal device.

drainbrain.com

W RLDVIEWJeff Patchell


A day just for youOver this way, in Melbourne, Australia, our state regulator, thePlumbing Industry Commission (PIC) has a number of eventsplanned to acknowledge the day. Leading up to World PlumbingDay, the PIC is hosting a virtual “Festival of Plumbing” which willincorporate a two-day national conference for the broad industry on

regulation, licensing, sustainability andinnovation. This is expected to attractaround 500 delegates, with plumbersattending an accompanying exhibition.

The PIC is also running breakfast eventsfor plumbers in major regional areas.

World Plumbing Day offers plumbers theopportunity to make community presen-tations. If you are a member of a serviceclub, why not get yourself nominated tospeak to members about what you do, thelatest technologies you use, and the linkbetween plumbing and health and safety.

If you are more adventurous, perhaps you’dlike to make a presentation or two at a localschool about the role plumbing plays inhealth with young children.

There are many personal, professional andindustry benefits associated with improvingthe image of plumbing. Why not think abouthow you can help polish up the perceptionsof our vital industry?

World Plumbing Day is on March 11. Get involved!

Throughout the Asia Pacific, the public image of plumbingtends to be one that is often negatively stereotyped. I’m sureit’s no different in your region.

Plumbers are often the butt of jokeswhen the media is describing the indus-try. The ire is worse when a customer –as usual – is forced to stay home waitingfor a serviceman who is running late.

These stereotypes suggest there is aclear lack of understanding about thebroad scope of work undertaken byplumbers in their communities.However, the largest information gapis found in the lack of understandingbetween good plumbing and its linkto health and safety.

For many reasons, including thoseabove, the World Plumbing Councillaunched its first World PlumbingDay on March 11 last year. Theevent was highly successful anddespite being launched from astanding start, the WPC hopes tobuild this day into a tradition ofglobal acceptance – on an annualbasis.

So, with a little momentumbehind it, World Plumbing Day 2011 will again take placeon March 11. After some substantial knowledge sharingabout 2010’s event – undertaken by the many countries thatbecame involved – even more regions and plumbers areexpected to host activities this year.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with commercializing theday for your own benefit. However, it is hoped that the daywill also be used as an opportunity to close the knowledgegap and link good plumbing practice with health and safety.That should be a primary objective of the day.

Jeff Patchell is managing director ofConnection Magazines Pty Ltd. He

operates www.worldplumbinginfo.com, an online plumbing industry

knowledge bank.

SPEAKERS RESOURCESThe World Plumbing Council

www.worldplumbing.org offers ideas and tools toassist with speaking engagements.

Look for the link Taking the plumbing message intoschools, where you can download a PowerPoint

presentation that can help

World Plumbing Day is a great way to get involved inyour local community and reinforce your important role.

Activities can include myriad things:• Associations/licensing organizations running

major events.• Local plumbers communicating with their

customer database to inform them thatWorld Plumbing Day is taking place.

• Offers of a special deal for servicesduring that day or week.


PM# 41536047Postmaster: Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to:

Mechanical Business, 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2

Compiled by Mechanical Business

1,000,000,000 Square footage of LEED certifiedbuilding space on the planet.

Size of the largest pipe valveinstallation without interruption ofthe flow of water.

Number of wooden toiletseats Kevin Shelley brokeusing his head in oneminute.

Which provincial residents are most likely tosnoop through a dinner party host’s bathr oomcupboards and cabinets.

Value of the global water technology sector .

8 6

46

$400 BILLION

Saskatchewan and Manitoba .................30%British Columbia ........................................28%Quebec ......................................................25%Alberta .......................................................25%Ontario........................................................17%Atlantic Canada .......................................17%

BATHROOM SNOOPERS

UPLOADING FRENZYEvery 60 seconds 126,000seconds worth of video isuploaded to YouTube.That’s 35 hours!

' "

Ceralux is an OS&B Partner Company

12" Wide Trench Drain Just Got a Whole Lot Easier

A Watts Water Technologies Company

Introducing the New Dead LevelTM

DX 12" Trench Drain

Customers who have used our unique Dead Level™ Trench Drain system call it the best trench drain ever. And understandably so. The Dead Level™ system cuts installation

time by more than half, and makes floating, pinching, and misalignment things of the past. Now we’ve made a great product even better.

Dead Level™ Trench Drain is now available 12” wide. With radiused bottoms and smooth interiors, the new DX channels generate maximum hydraulic flow.

For additional information, click on over to wattscanada.ca

January/February 2011

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