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Follow Us On @hpacmag Follow Us On @hpacmag AUGUST 2022HPACMAG.COM CHANGE IS ON THE HORIZON DEW POINT DILEMMAHEATOPTIMIZINGEXCHANGERS TROUBLE SHOOTING PUMPS WORKING REFRIGERANTSWITH HYDRONICSMODERN FALL 2022 ALSO INSIDE

SPEAKERS SUMMIT 2022 IS BACK LIVE! LEARN FROM OUR TOP-NOTCH HYDRONICS EXPERTS ENJOYLUNCH,REFRESHMENTS,DINNER&DRINKSHAVE A CHANCE TO WIN TOOLS AND BLUE JAY TICKETS! (Blue Jays vs NY Yankees) SponsorPlatinumSponsors Supported by • Do you have new members of your team looking to improve their knowledge of hydronic systems and the components that make them work? • Perhaps you are primarily an HVAC or plumbing contractor who is considering adding hydronics to your repertoire. Then Hydronics 101 is made for you! • Industry experts will walk you through the basics of hydronic systems and help you understand why this technology is growing so rapidly. • Topics include: Boilers | Circulating Pumps | Piping | Controls | Heat Emitters | Boiler Chemistry • Hydronics 101 sponsored by John Siegenthaler Siggy covers hot button topic Hydronics for Net Zero Homes Mike Miller Circulators and Valves Jeff House and Brian Morgan team up to discuss the critical nature of proper boiler chemistry Tom Gervais Regulatory Outlook for Boilers and Water Heaters NEW IN ‘22 - HYDRONICS 101 Sept 15, 2022 | NEW VENUE: Universal Eventspace,SEEVaughanALLTHESEBRANDSATTHESUMMIT

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4 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM CONTENTS 52 57 HVAC11FEATURESCOVERSTORY WORKING WITH REFRIGERANTS A look at where we’ve been and preparing for the introduction of more climate-friendly, mildly-flammable, alternatives. By Ian McTeer HVAC16 PRODUCT SHOWCASE A selection of the latest in equipment and supplies for HVAC techs. PLUMBING52 THE “NEW-SCHOOL” PLUMBING Vancouver’sBUSINESS Impetus Plumbing & Heating is embracing social media and breaking down old-school perceptions. By Dan Vastyan REFRIGERATION57 WHAT’S NEW IN REFRIGERATION? Smart electronic technologies are improving installation and operational efficiencies for large refrigeration projects. By Dave Demma 11 Terence Chan, owner of Impetus Plumbing & Heating in Vancouver. IMAGESRASSADORNYINDEE/GETTYKUNAKORNPHOTO:COVER

ALSO INSIDE MH 26 9 HPACMAG.COM AUGUST 2022 | HPAC 5

PUMPSMH10 BRIGHT IDEAS – TROUBLESHOOTING 101

SHOWMH15PREVIEW MODERN HYDRONICS 2022

COOLINGMH26

HEATMH28EXCHANGERS

A quick lesson in condensation prevention when it comes to radiant cooling. By Curtis Bennett

New pellet boiler district energy system helps NWT government reduce its carbon footprint. By Ellen Cools

AUGUST 2022 / VOL. 96 NO. 5 HYDRONICSMODERN 2022FALL INENERGYDISTRICTNWT Pellet boiler fires up heating system in Yellowknife. OPTIMIZING BRAZED PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS CIRCULATORS: TEMPERATURE OR PRESSURE TROUBLESHOOTINGCONTROLTIPS&LARGEPUMPSa publication of DEPARTMENTS6 UPFRONT 8 NEWS FEATURE Canada Launches Greener Homes Loans up to $40K. 9 INDUSTRY NEWS 49 MECHANICAL SUPPLY NEWS 51 PEOPLE 61 THE SOURCE 62 CALENDAR SYSTEMMH6

DISTRICTMH20HEATING

OPPOSING CURRENTS When it comes to designing systems with brazed plate heat exchangers, stick with counterflow piping. By John Siegenthaler

DESIGN

Both temperature control and pressure control of circulators can work when matching flow rate with heating demand, but there are important distinctions. John Siegenthaler

DIFFERING DELTAS

From home maintenance to commercial mechanical room operations, problem solving always requires a plan. Mike Milleredition of the Summit returns as a one-day in-person event with new twists. HPAC Staff

THE TheSUMMITsixth

HEATING YELLOWKNIFE

DEW DROP INN

Around since 1933, the group maintains some of the traditional character that would be expected from such a long-standing organization, but the top ics of discussion at this year’s conference were very ‘of the moment.’

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A nice touch at the CIPH event is the recognition of members whose legacy forms the building blocks of the industry in many ways. This year Honourary Life Membership Awards were presented to: Harald Prell, retired president of Viessmann Canada; Bill Palamar, president/CEO Aqua-Tech Sales & Markeing/ Weil-McLain Canada; and Joe Senese, retired from Groupe Deschenes. Both Prell and Palamar were at the event, continuing to share their knowledge and experience with others.

NOTICE: HPAC Magazine, Annex Publishing & Printing Inc., their staff, officers, directors and shareholders (hence known as the “Publisher”) assume no liability, obligations, or responsibility for claims arising from advertised products. The Publisher also reserves the right to limit liability for editorial errors, omissions and oversights to a printed correc tion in a subsequent issue. HPAC Magazine’s editorial is written for management level mechanical industry personnel who have documented training in the mechanical fields in which they work. Manufacturers’ printed instructions, datasheets and notices always take precedence to published editorial statements.

He’s not alone. There are many brilliant tradespeople sharing techniques and tips over social media channels and promoting the message that plumb ing and HVAC is valuable and cool, all while also trying to raise their game.

HPACTel:Privacy@annexbusinessmedia.comOfficer800-668-2374Magazinereceivesunsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press re leases, promotional items and images) from time to time. HPAC Magazine, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.

Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning (established 1925) is published 7 times per year by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. HPAC Magazine is the leading Canadian business publication for the owner/manager of mechanical contracting businesses and their supply partners.

AUDIENCEASSOCIATEEDITOREDITORASSOCIATEPUBLISHERNATIONALACCOUNTSACCOUNTCOORDINATORDEVELOPMENTMANAGERMEDIADESIGNERPUBLISHERCOO

The idea of competitors getting together to elevate an industry is not new— it's the foundation of most any association—but what I've seen lately is a greater effort among a new generation of passionate contractors in the HVAC and plumbing sector who are making efforts to promote and improve the in dustry. In this issue we have a profile of Terence Chan, founder of Impetus Plumbing & Heating in Vancouver. Chan uses his energy towards creating more exposure and improving the image of the plumbing profession.

6 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM < UPFRONT

Proud member of:

The CIPH, like most associations, draws its strength from member volun teers, a blend of partners and rivals who together aim to raise the level of the industry they serve. It’s refreshing to see competitors sitting around the same table, sharing ideas, and also enjoying downtime in social settings.

Reader Service

IN LATE JUNE I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE 89TH EDITION OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF PLUMBING AND HEATING'S ANNUAL BUSI NESS CONFERENCE held this year in picturesque Jasper, Alberta. It was my first live CIPH national conference experience, as it was the first in-person edi tion held since 2019.

ISSN: 0017-9418 (Print) ISSN 2371-8536 (Online)

Supply chain expert Ian Heller from Distribution Strategy Group in the U.S. addressed the current supply problems all industries are experiencing. His message to plumbing and heating distributors is to continue striving to make purchasing convenient and easy for contractors, (while acknowledging you’ll never be as seamless online as Amazon), and remember your greatest value is being able share knowledge and create personal relationships with your customers—connections that can’t be duplicated online.

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information please visit us at Subscriptionwww.hpacmag.comPriceperyear:$44.00 (plus tax) CDN; Outside Canada per year: $112.00 US; Elsewhere: 1 year $123.00 (CDN); Single copy Canada: $5.00 CDN. Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning is published 7 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues.

We are fortunate to have a number of these social media professionals/in fluencers joining us the Modern Hydronics Summit on September 15th in Toronto, along with the the regular thoughtful speakers and knowledgeable exhibitors who also form the collective network of industry supporters.

As an association, the CIPH consists of manufacturers, wholesalers, dis tributors, manufacturer’s agents and others who make and sell products and services for all aspects of the plumbing and heating industry in Canada.

Also, as we were closing this issue I found out CIPH president Ralph Suppa will be retiring at the end of 2023. Ralph is the ultimate supporter of this in dustry. It's still early, but thank you Ralph for all you do. <> – Doug Picklyk, Editor

Doug Picklyk (416) 510-5218 dpicklyk@hpacmag.com Logan Caswell (416) lcaswell@hpacmag.com728-6209

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INDUSTRY NEWS SEE THE LATEST NEWS @ HPACMAG.COM

Graham Prokopetz, a Red Seal Plumber and field operations supervisor with Botting and Associates in Calgary, has been awarded the 2022 Darryl Cruickshank Red Seal Industry Award. Named to honour the life-long impact of the late Darryl Cruickshank, the award recognizes an individual from industry who has made an outstanding contribu tion to the promotion or development of apprenticeship training in Canada. Prokopetz was selected for the award based on his extensive work and volun teer history, and his inspirational leader ship to the next generation of skilled tradespersons.Withover45 years in the trades, he has achieved excellence by obtaining his Gold Seal Certification in addition to his Red Seal Endorsement, but most no tably through his extensive mentorship to Sinceapprentices.2010, Prokopetz has mentored 13 high school students participating in Alberta’s Registered Apprenticeship Program, one of whom was the first woman to obtain a Journeyperson certi fication in plumbing. red-seal.ca

CANADA LAUNCHES GREENER HOMES LOANS UP TO $40K

Thecommenced.CanadaGreener

The Federal Government has launched its interest-free loan program to help homeowners and affordable housing providers complete deep home retrofits.TheCanada Greener Homes Loan is designed to help up to 175,000 eligi ble homeowners undertake deeper, more costly retrofits that will have a significant impact in reducing a home’s en vironmental footprint, energy bills, and improve home resiliency. Interest-free loans of up to $40,000 will be available per household.

Since the launch of the program, further air source heat pump and cold cli mate air source heat pumps installation requirements have been further clar ified. Clarifications to the program includes a note stating the air source heat pump or cold climate air source heat pump must be installed by a licensed and trained professional.

The Canada Greener Homes Grant initiative also requires that the heat pump system be capable of distributing heat throughout the entire condi tioned space in the house, including the basement (for basements where the distance from the top of the floor slab to the bottom of the ceiling joist is 1.8 m or higher). This applies regardless of whether the heat pump system is a central ducted, mini- or multi-split ducted or ductless system.

NIKOMSOLFTWAERPHOTO:STOCK/ADOBE

GRAHAM PROKOPETZ WINS RED SEAL INDUSTRY AWARD

The mechanical system contractor is responsible for specifying (including load calculations, sizing and selection) and installing the new heat pump sys tem to meet this requirement.

8 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM

The first phase, which launched on June 17, 2022, is open to eligible home owners who are applying or have an open application (pre-retrofit stage) to the Canada Greener Homes Grant. The second phase, starting in early September 2022, will expand the eligibility to homeowners who have closed their applica tion (those who have requested their post-retrofit evaluation or grant), but still have remaining eligible retrofits they are interested in pursuing, that have not yet

Algonquin College, George Brown College and Mohawk College have joined resources to launch a new fouryear honours degree in Business Administration, focusing on people working in skilled trades occupations. The partner colleges will deliver this

ONTARIO COLLEGES PARTNER TO LAUNCH 4-YEAR BUSINESS DEGREE FOR TRADESPEOPLE

As of early June, the Greener Homes initiative has already issued $38 mil lion in grants to 10,300 homeowners. So far, heat pumps are the top retrofit taken up for the grant. Almost 3,200 Canadian homeowners have received $13.2 million in grants for installing heat pumps.

Homes Loan is part of the Canada Greener Homes Initiative. The program builds on the Canada Greener Homes Grant launch on May 27, 2021.

Additionally, a minimum of one warm air supply outlet or indoor head is re quired on every floor, including each level of a split-level, mezzanine level, etc., of each dwelling unit in a building. More than one warm air supply outlet and/ or indoor head per floor may be required to ensure heat distribution to the en tire building. (A transition period is in place, since this clarification came after the launch of the Canada Greener Homes Grant). nrcan.gc.ca

What If Water Heaters Had Tinder® Profiles?

Toronto welcomed the global ASHRAE conference in June.

HPACMAG.COM AUGUST 2022 | HPAC 9

ASHRAE HOSTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN TORONTO

The only tankless water heater system designed and built for commercial

HPAC_Intelihot_Aug22.indd 1 2022-08-05 9:59 AM first-of-its-kind degree in September 2022, with all instruction provided re motely and virtually. The program, ap proved by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, is intended for people working in the skilled trades sector who are looking to grow their own businesses, take on greater responsibil ities in their current work environments, or pursue management careers in me dium-to-large organizations. The online Bachelor of Business Administration (Trades Management) (Honours) degree will concentrate on business administration, managerial skills, accounting, project management, leadership, marketing, communication and applied research competencies. This theoretical instruction will be com bined with 420 hours of structured work experiences (or equivalent), for which students receive credit. tradesmanagementdegree.ca

ASHRAE, the global professional engi neering society committed to advancing the state of HVAC/R, held its 2022 Annual Conference in Toronto June 25 to 29. More than 1,800 industry profession als attended the conference in-person and virtually. Topics discussed among the over 80 technical sessions included changes to buildings influenced by the pandemic and the broad topic of decar bonization.Duringthe conference Farooq Mehboob of Karachi, Pakistan took on the role of ASHRAE president for 2022-23 and intro duced the theme for the year, “Securing our“TheFuture.”future does not belong to those who sit and watch,” said Mehboob. “A meaningful and powerful future will not come to us…we must collectively seek it…create it…secure it. And that’s what we’ll do because that’s who we are.”

INDUSTRY NEWS >

FortisBC is introducing a new commer cial prescriptive rebate offer for gas ab sorption heat pumps. The program is being offered to com mercial, multi-unit residential and insti tutional buildings, including office buildings, hotels, schools, hospitals, Continued on p10

GAS ABSORPTION HEAT PUMPS

intellihot.comwork.

COMMERCIALFORTISBCashrae.org.INTRODUCESREBATEFOR

The study anticipates that Canada will have a shortage of skill workers in the near term. The federal government plans to stimulate economic growth, and over $3.6 billion has been commit ted to finance energy efficiency up grades and low-carbon retrofits for large buildings as a way to meet GHG emis sion reduction targets. To achieve these results the green building workforce will need to triple by 2030 to meet the de mand for sustainable building construc tion and renovation.

STUDY:fortisbc.comGREEN

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and the Delphi Group re leased a new re port, Green Retrofit Economy Study that profiles pathways that will equip the green building community with insights into the workforce and supply chain needs across Canada’s retrofit economy.

RETROFITS REQUIRE TEAMWORK

ON BUILDING DECARBONIZATION

ASHRAEiapmo.orgTAKES

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) has published IAPMO/ANSI/ CAN Z1117, Press Connections as American National Standards (ANS) and National Standards of Canada (NSC).

IAPMO UPDATES STANDARD ON PRESS FITTINGS

< INDUSTRY NEWS Continued from p9

10 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM recreation centres and care homes. The program is available for retrofit ap plications, and the building must have a dedicated outdoor space either on the ground level or roof for the gas absorption heat pump units. Commercial customers can receive up to $35,000 in rebates de pending on the scope of the project.

ASHRAE has issued a position docu ment on building decarbonization and the group's role on mitigating the nega tive carbon impact of buildings on the environment.

The new IAPMO/ANSI/CAN Z1117 su persedes the widely used IAPMO PS 117, which is a standard referenced in the model plumbing codes including the ANSI-accredited Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). It specifies requirements for materials, physical characteristics, performance testing and markings. Products covered by this standard in clude fittings, tube and pipe with press connection ends combined with other types of connections (e.g., threaded, soldered, and push-fit).

The report acknowledges that Canada will need to lean heavily on a skilled, qualified, and growing workforce, as well an accessible and affordable supply chain of low-carbon products, materials, and equipment. Among the key technol ogies and products identified are heat pumps along with heat and energy re covery systems. cagbc.org

ASHRAE’s position is that the decar bonization of buildings and its systems must be based on a holistic analysis in cluding healthy, safe & comfortable en vironments, improved energy efficiency, environmental impacts, sustainability, operational security and economics. By 2030, ASHRAE hopes all new buildings are net-zero GHG emissions in operation, widespread energy efficiency retrofit of existing assets are well under way and embodied carbon of new con struction is reduced by at least 40%. <> ashrae.org/decarb 2022-04-06 1:53 PM

OnSite_AdrianSteel_April22.indd 1

HVAC > Continued on p12

• Line sets too often were out of round.

HPACMAG.COM AUGUST 2022 | HPAC 11

EARLY DAYS

WORKING

As residential air conditioning became more popular and affordable in the early 1980’s, some air conditioner manufacturers opted to provide threepiece systems charged with R-22 re frigerant. The evaporator coil contained a vapour holding charge with the bulk of the charge contained in the outdoor unit. Contractors would purchase a pre-charged, pre-insulated copper in terconnecting line set of the appropri ate length and size for the job. These pre-charged systems were popular since no brazing or system evacuation was necessary. But pre-charged systems brought frustrating problems:

• Line sets were often work-hardened and difficult to bend due to improper handling and storage.

Where we’ve been and how we're preparing for more climatefriendly, mildly-flammable, alternatives.

After Billy Durant purchased the Guardian Refrigerator Com pany with his own money in 1918, he incorporated the business into General Motors (GM) and renamed it Frigidaire. By 1929, Frigidaire had sold over one million refrigerators, the only trouble was, the nasty nature of re frigerants like sulfur dioxide, methyl chloride and even ammonia, kept Billy awake at night. Thus, GM created a subsidiary company designed to moni tor the exploration of alternative refrig erants. One scientist, Thomas Midgley fashioned a team of researchers that developed dichlorodifluoromethane, branded Freon 12 (R-12). Midgley, a shameless self-promoter, loved to boast the compound was completely safe. So much so, he demonstrated his claim publicly by inhaling a lung-full of R-12 and then exhaling the chemical onto the flame of an open candle. No fire, no explosion, and Midgley was un harmed. Must be safe, no? The chemical was deemed safe, but unbeknown to anyone, including Midgely, the Ozone Layer was being attacked.

• Wholesalers often ran out of shorter line sets forcing installers to pur chase longer line sets; excess tubing would be coiled up (horizontally!) somewhere in the furnace area.

• The tubing insulation often proved inadequate allowing condensate to form on the outside. To avoid some of the problems asso ciated with pre-charged line sets, some contractors (including this one) would purchase a ZERO-kit containing just

MCCREADIEGARYPHOTO: REFRIGERANTSWITH

BY IAN McTEER

12 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM < HVAC the brass connectors and then fabri cate a line set to manufacturers’ speci fications out of bulk copper and better-quality insulation, even sweating elbows when needed to make a neat and tidy installation. By connecting the evaporator coil section to the field fabricated tubing, I would pump a deep vacuum into the suction line, liquid line and the evapo rator coil. I would then pressurize the evacuated components with vapour to bottle pressure before connecting to the outdoor unit thus releasing the bulk of the charge into the fully open sys tem. Once started, I would charge the capillary tube metering system to su perheat. MEA CULPA I mention all of this because, from my experience, too many pre-charged sys tems were overcharged. At start-up, re frigerant regularly needed to be released from the system; in fact, one manufacturer even provided a chart in forming the installer how many sec onds to leave the suction service valve open to the atmosphere so the charge might be corrected for a specific set of components.Manyservice calls to malfunctioning units required vast amounts of R-22 be removed from the unit after a previous servicer loaded the poor machine with enough R-22 for several units. Why? Because the prevailing theory among poorly trained servicers was that to stop the evaporator coil from icing over just add more R-22. “Pump it in until you get 70 on the blue gauge.” Midgley convinced HVAC/R practitio ners (as well as those using chlorinated refrigerants as blowing agents) that at mospheric discharges of his invention were harmless. Refrigeration textbooks of my era stated, “Saving the refrigerant is not recommended in small systems. The low cost of the refrigerant does not jus tify the time it takes to store it. The ser vice technician may exhaust it into the air or into an approved exhaust sys tem…never into a sewage disposal sys tem.” Of course, the technician was warned to use goggles and gloves es pecially when venting to the atmo sphere. Such a waste. As our industry quickly rushed to sell the benefits of central cooling (and there are many benefits), the complex relationship between a well-designed and properly installed duct system and the refrigeration unit meant to operate in conjunction with it was not fully un derstood.Fartoooften, this one seemingly insig nificant shortcoming led to premature system failures often caused by over charging. Inevitably, quantities of chlori nated refrigerant large and small were regularly “vented to the atmosphere.”

Figure 1. Ozone depletion and global warming comparison. from p11

Continued

Recent scientific studies show the ozone hole in the Antarctic has closed. Certainly we’re doing the right thing by eliminating chlorine from refrigerants. By recovering refrigerants, even from the smallest systems, the efforts started in 1988 to reduce this type of environmental damage have also been takenThere’sseriously.nogoing back. Refrigerant recovery equipment is now an impor tant tool in every technician’s and in staller’s kit. Unfortunately, refrigerants continue to escape into the atmo sphere, most often through system leaks, physical damage and by fires. Although the ozone depletion prob lem has been largely put to bed, scien tists worry about refrigerants causing further damage by contributing to globalChlorinatedwarming. refrigerants such as R-12 were phased out in the 1990’s and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are either phased out or in the pro cess. The most common replacement refrigerant for HCFC-22 is a hydrofluo rocarbon (HFC). Even though its Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) is zero, R-410a has an uncomfortably high Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 2088. To counter the ODP/GWP co nundrum, scientists and engineers are developing better methods of using some of the chemicals Midgley worked so diligently to dismiss as too danger ous for public consumption. Natural refrigerants such as ammo nia and CO2 along with hydrocarbons such as propane (R-290) and isobu tane (R-600a) are back in specialized applications that incorporate new safety standards aimed at equipment designers, installers and technicians.

SOME GOOD NEWS

SO, WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

• Flammability describes the ability of a substance to burn. The number 1 means a refrigerant will not propa gate a flame while those coded with 2, 2L, or 3 will burn or even explode.

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2:33 PM A2L

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As time goes on, aging units containing HCFC and HFC refrigerants will need to be replaced. I’m thinking our industry will make a concerted effort towards adopting man-made lower GWP prod ucts. Hydrocarbon refrigerants are not likely to be used in residential and com mercial air conditioning applications, at least in the near term. Why? Standards developed by ASHRAE and ULC specify the amount of system charge that might be released into a given area based on the Lower Flammability Limit (LFL) of theToorefrigerant.much flammable refrigerant leaking into too small an area could see the LFL reached; in the case of R-290, the LFL is 2.1% in air. Systems requiring large volumes of R-290 or R-600a are simply too dangerous. However, I had no qualms with my re cent purchase of a chest freezer con taining 1.6 ounces of R-600a. A mere 1.64 ounces leaking into the 8,000 cu bic foot area of my house means the LFL will never be reached.

• A2L refrigerants, however, have been formulated to be difficult to ig nite. Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) measures the amount of spark en ergy needed to ignite a flammable mixture of gas and air. A2Ls typically require 100 times more spark en ergy than an A3 refrigerant such as R-290, meaning that everyday items like cordless drills or electric heaters will not ignite A2Ls.

Our Mechanical Contractor Hub was built for you thermopan.ca 2022-05-10 MILDLY REFRIGERANTSFLAMMABLE

• A2Ls require higher concentration levels in air to reach their LFL and “As time goes on, aging units containing HCFC and HFC refrigerants will need to be replaced.”

Developing a refrigerant which meets environmental standards, behaves in a traditional manner within most sys tems, and is relatively safe to use is the proverbial tall order. ASHRAE Standard 34 classifies refrigerant toxicity and flammability classifications:

HPAC_Thermo_May22.indd 1

Reimagine your rough-in

• Toxicity, or the inherent poisonous characteristic of a substance, is de noted by letter code. The letter “A” denotes lower toxicity while the letter “B” indicates higher toxicity.

Continued on p14

ThermopanThermopan.’

Linesets, PVC, PEX and more ‘So easy, one person can hang a lineset.’ Snap Clamps

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is authorized to phase down the production of HFC refrigerants starting this year. Initially, manufacturers of high GWP HFCs like R-134a, R-410a, R-404a among others, were required to phase down production by 10% on January 1, 2022. By 2024, a 60% phase down will be enforced and, no doubt, the price of such HFCs will become astronomical. Even the newest refrigerants such as Honeywell’s Solstice and Chemours Opteon XL41 HFO/HFC blend (Hydro FluroOlefin) are still considered to be transitional refrigerants: un til the GWP number gets much closer to zero, the scientists will keep on looking. As of this writing, R-454B and R-32 will most likely be ad Figure 2. Chart showing flammability classes. Continued from p13

EVER FEEL LIKE

HPAC_TRIMBLE_HALF_AUG_BAS.indd 1 2022-08-09 9:10 AM

< HVAC have a much lower heat of combustion meaning a combus tion event is less likely to spread. Handling any refrigerant requires the use of ingrained safety practices. With A2Ls, concern about flammability and toxicity should still be top of mind, consider these points:

• If, for example, R-32 should catch fire from a torch flame during a service procedure, Hydrogen Fluoride is released which is toxic.

SOMETHING?MISSEDYOU

14 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM

On June 24, 2022, HPAC, along with sister publication Electrical Business, hosted an educational webinar on how to work more effectively in a Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) environment. A number of very interesting state-ofthe-art applications designed to benefit progressive contractors working in the commercial HVAC and plumbing sectors were discussed If you missed the webinar or wish to view it again simply click on the QR code. Learn from Trimble experts about the power of SysQue—a modelling solution for the Revit environment—and Connect2Fab estimating, procurement and fabrication solutions.

• There is a potential for refrigerant ignition during servicing.

• Beware of A2L released into a service vehicle during tran sit or a large leak into a confined space.

• Potential exists for ignition of a refrigerant leak during op eration, so find and repair any leaks.

• Structural fires causing catastrophic system destruction will release A2Ls.

WHAT CHANGES WILL HAPPEN?

• Canada’s B52 Standard along with provincial building codes will soon be updated to cover A2Ls. Many of the tools used by techs and installers currently working with R-410a will be suitable for use with A2Ls including gauge sets, manifolds, and scales. Tools such as leak detec tors, recovery machines and vacuum pumps will have to be rated for use with A2Ls. Digital gauges might require a soft ware update. A2L cylinders will come with a left-hand thread, thus a lefthand thread hose adaptor will be re quired for connection to the cylinder.

Figure 4 is a chart of some additional A2L requirements and differences. Take note, because these changes are coming so it’s best to be prepared. <> Ian McTeer is an HVAC consultant with over 35 years of industry experi ence. He was most re cently a field rep for Trane Canada DSO. Ian is a refrigera tion mechanic and Class 1 Gas techni cian. He can be reached at imcteer@ outlook.com.

As with anything new, some of your ev eryday HVAC activities will have to change, but not so much. Installation procedures for A2L equipment are like those of A1 products although every one must abide by manufacturer's in structions, governmental regulations, and local Obviously,codes.anyone handling A2Ls must take the appropriate training of fered by manufacturers, trade schools, and organizations such as HRAI and •ESCO.Main differences have to do with preinstallation safety inspection.

Can I reuse existing line sets? Yes –properlywhensizedandleakfree A2Ls are POE compatible however always check with manufacturer for line set compatiblity Embedded leak sensors? No Yes Units likely to have mitigation starategy in case of a leak: start an air dilution fan lock out unit operation, etc.

Additional Product Information and Training Resources: HRAI: lowgwprefrigerant.aspxESCO:hrai.ca/refrigerant-landscapeescogroup.org/training/

Purge Circuit with nitrogen? Good Practice Required Repeat as necessary Evacuate system Required Required Pump outlet must not be near ignition source Leak & Pressure Test Required Required No different from what you're doing now

Requirements and Questions A1 A2L Comments

• ASHRAE Standard 15 and a new standard for residential applications Standard 15.2 are updated or in the works.

Training Required Best Practice AbsolutelyRequired Installation and Service Requirements as noted by equipment manufacturers Figure 3. Comparison of R-410a characteristics with R-32 and R-454B. Figure 4. Additional A2L requirements and differences.

HPACMAG.COM AUGUST 2022 | HPAC 15 opted for use in residential and com mercial air conditioning applications. Carrier and Johnson Controls have an nounced plans to build equipment based on R-454B while Daikin, Lennox and Panasonic prefer R-32. While pure R-32 is an HFC refriger ant, it’s lower GWP (675) makes it suit able for use in residential and commercial applications.

Safely remove refrigerant for repair or replacement? Required Required Use A2L compatible recovery equipment

NOTE: A2L refrigerants are NOT dropin replacements. They can only be used with equipment specifically de signed for them within designated ap plications as determined by the equipment manufacturer. So far, A2L units can do anything R-410a units have been doing. R-410a, classified as an A1 refrigerant, is a blend of R-32 with R-125 added to sup press flammability but unfortunately exacerbates the GWP problem (see Figure 3).

TECHNICIANS AND INSTALLERS: WHAT’S NEW AND DIFFERENT

A2L cylinders pressure relief can open and reclose to relieve pressure: storage temperature must not exceed 50˚C. No smoking in service vehicles, vehicle flow through ventilation may be required.

• Maximum charge for A2L equipment will be limited by the cubic feet of available air space.

• Space must be large enough with enough air to keep the percentage of the LFL below that required to sup port combustion should the entire charge empty.

Flammable labelling? No Yes ISO warning triangle & flame symbol & labels, installer to provide charge info, test pressure & evacuation data

• New ULC standards published in 2019 cover design and test stan dards for HVAC/R equipment.

Cylinder Colour Rose Gray/Green/Red A2L cylinders to have red band around the top Cylinder Storage Upright,preventtipping preventUpright,tipping

16 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM Westinghouse has expanded its mini-split heat pump systems for the North American market. The company offers single-zone outdoor units ranging in capacity from 9,000 to 36,000 Btuh, and multi-zone outdoor units between 18,000 and 42,000 Btuh. Single-zone outdoor units are compatible with the new line of West inghouse indoor units, which includes ceiling cassettes, horizontal ducted, multi-position air handlers, and wall-mount units of various ca pacity. Multi-zone outdoor units are also com patible with wall-mount units, ceiling cassettes and horizontal ducted. westinghouseac-usa.com

Napoleon has added the NS18 heat pump and air handler. The heat pump features a variable inverter compressor and vapor in jection technology to heat a home in tem peratures as low as -30C (-22F). The air han dler offers a low and quiet with multiple installation options, it blends into the back ground as it maintains a balanced, comfort able temperature. The NS18 is compatible with any standard heat pump thermostats, smart thermostats or smart home systems working on 24V. napoleon.com

The CoilPro CC-400HF from Goodway for cleaning (air-cooled) condensers, chillers, gas coolers and dry coolers operates on AC power and connects to a ¾-in. water line for continuous operation. It offers siphon technology to draw from CoilShine, Good way's expanding foam detergent (or other non-acidic clean ers), laying on a thick layer of foam and then using the CC400HF technology to blast dirt, grime, and biological matter from coils. The unit includes a sectional three-piece wand for cleaning behind coils and sprays with a 90-degree nozzle at tachment for hard-to-reach areas. goodway.com

Fujitsu General America has introduced Airzone system, a new communicating zoning system for ducted mini-split and VRF heat hump and heat recovery systems. Available with wireless or wired communication, all Airzone dampers and optional zone modules are connected by a 4-wire cable which provides power and communication. Dampers are positioned to provide optimum airflow into a zone based upon demand monitored through zone controllers. The indoor unit fan is adjusted to meet the demand of all calling zones. A variety of damper sizes (six to 14 inches) are available. fujitsugeneral.com

HVAC PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Midea has launched its new EVOX central inverter heat pump system. The side discharge outdoor units support heat pump and dual-fuel heating capabilities, are up to 36% quieter than conventional units, are less prone to natural debris and require less rear clearance (12-in. vs. 24 in. with traditional units). The EVOX AHU includes computational constant airflow (constant CFM Blower) enabling airflow to automati cally adapt to the existing ductwork designs and issues caused by blocked coils, dirty filters and im proper duct sizing by adjusting output power and fan speeds. midea.com

SunTouch has unveiled SunStat ConnectPlus ther mostat. The new connected thermostat allows us ers to remotely access and control their electric floor warming system, using voice control with Al exa and Hey Google. Other features include a new design with glass front and capacitive touch screen, and remote access through the Watts Home mobile app. In addition, features include a voltage level detector and ammeter with diagnostic screen and wireless technology of 915MHz for con necting accessories (SunStat Relay R4 and Con nectPlus Smart Sensor). suntouch.com

HYDRONICSMODERN 2022FALL INENERGYDISTRICTNWT Pellet boiler fires up heating system in Yellowknife. OPTIMIZING BRAZED PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS CIRCULATORS: TEMPERATURE OR PRESSURE TROUBLESHOOTINGCONTROLTIPS&LARGEPUMPSa publication of

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NotAllGlycolsAreCreatedE CHEM-FROSTSafeForAllSystems IncludingAluminumandSolar PremierInhibitors HigherTemperatureRated Lowchemfax.comwholesalerViscosityyourlocalorvisit NotAllGlycolsAreCreatedEqual CHEM-FROSTSafeForAllSystems IncludingAluminumandSolar PremierInhibitors HigherTemperatureRated Lowchemfax.comwholesalerViscosityyourlocalorvisit Chem100%Frost Brand R Brand O Brand H Brand U Brand D Pail Size 20L 18.9L 18.9L 20L 20L 18.9L ConcentratePGAmount 95/5 92/8 N/A 94/6 95/5 95/5 AluminumSafe YES LIMITED TO 65C NO NO NO NO Solar Safe YES NO LIMITEDSOME NO NO NO GeothermalSafe YES LIMITED N/A N/A N/A N/A TemperatureRating 325F 275F 250F 250F 250F 220F Viscosity @ 35% 60C 5.5cP N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Boiling Point @ 100% 417F 370F 370F 370F 370F 370F ApprovedCFIA YES YES NO NO YES NO RawGradePG FOOD INDUSTRIALGRADE INDUSTRIALGRADE INDUSTRIALGRADE INDUSTRIALGRADE INDUSTRIALGRADE Purity PropyleneofGlycol 99.94%+ N/A 98% N/A N/A N/A Phosphate / Nitrate NONE YES YES YES YES YES InhibitorType NONPDT-TOXIC DIPOTASSIUMPHOSPHATE DIPOTASSIUMPHOSPHATE DIPOTASSIUMPHOSPHATE DIPOTASSIUMPHOSPHATE DIPOTASSIUMPHOSPHATE LEED YES NO NO NO NO NO *Based on information provided on respective manufacturers’ websites * **Subject tochange** HEAT TRANSFER FLUID - INHIBITED PROPYLENE GLYCOL COMPARISON CHART Based on information provided on respective manufacturers’ websites* **Subject to change**

111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 TEL: 416.442.5600 FAX: 416.510.5140 www.hpacmag.com

David Skene (416) 510-6884 DSkene@hpacmag.com

Both John Siegenthaler Hydronics -

NOTICE: HPAC Magazine, Annex Business Media, their staff, officers, directors and shareholders (hence known as the “Publisher”) assume no liability, obligations, or responsibility for claims arising from advertised products. The Publisher also reserves the right to limit liability for editorial errors, omissions and oversights to a printed correction in a subsequent issue. HPAC Magazine’s editorial is written for management level mechanical industry personnel who have documented training in the mechanical fields in which they work.

Logan Caswell (416) 728-6209 LCaswell@hpacmag.com

HYDRONICSMODERN a supplement of Heating PlumbingAir Conditioning Magazine

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH4 FALL 2022 MH6 SYSTEM DESIGN Differing Deltas

The sixth edition of the Summit returns in-person event new twists. HPAC Staff

When it comes to designing systems with brazed plate heat exchangers, stick with counterflow Siegenthaler

Kim Rossiter (416) 510-6794 KRossiter@hpacmag.com Emily Sun esun@annexbusinessmedia.com Urszula Grzyb (416) 442-5600, ext. 3537 ugrzyb@annexbusinessmedia.com

2022

DISTRICT HEATING Heating Yellowknife

MH20

Dew

The Summit

Manufacturers’ printed instructions, datasheets and notices always take precedence to published editorial statements.

Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 PLeonard@hpacmag.com

MH10 PUMPS Bright Ideas – Troubleshooting 101 From home maintenance to commercial mechanical room operations, problem solving always requires a Byplan.Mike Miller MH15 SHOW PREVIEW Modern

Bypiping.John

Doug Picklyk (416) 510-5218 DPicklyk@hpacmag.com

temperature control and pressure control of circulators can work when matching flow rate with heating demand, but there are important distinctions. By

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Proud member of: We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

Scott Jamieson

with

HEAT

as a one-day

New pellet boiler district energy system helps NWT government reduce its carbon footprint. Ellen Cools MH26 COOLING Drop Inn quick lesson in condensation prevention when considering radiant cooling. Curtis Bennett MH28 EXCHANGERS Opposing Currents

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Imposing a fixed delta-T between supply and return requires certain conditions are present in the system. These two examples meet those conditions.

DIFFERING DELTAS

BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER

Both temperature control and pressure control of circulators can work when matching flow rate with heating demand, but there are important distinctions.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH6 FALL 2022 DESIGN

SIEGENTHALERJOHNCOURTESYIMAGE

ver the years I’ve had a lot of questions asking if I prefer to operate zoned hydronic systems based on a set tem perature drop between supply and re turn water temperature (e.g., ∆T control), or a set pressure drop across the distri bution system (e.g., ∆P control). Both methods of speed control at tempt to match the flow rate in the sys tem with the current heating requirements of the building. The ulti mate goal is to reduce electrical energy use without compromising comfort. The choice between ∆T and ∆P con trol of a circulator has, at times, been the subject of rather “heated” debates. It’s almost as if a few Toronto Maple Leaf fans are disputing superior goaltending with some Calgary Flames fans. There appears to be some strong opin ions involved. Maybe it derives from selfjustification that refuses to believe any opposing view. Perhaps there’s a bit of brand loyalty mixed in, or some mathe matical manipulation that “proves” what nature will surely do whenever the sys tem being analyzed is put in operation. Being someone who’s not ready for a fisticuffs defense of how a circulator oper ates, or interested in faceless banter on the Internet, I tried to look at this subject from a sterile engineering perspective. I used software that is based on very accurate empirical models of heat emit ters such as finned-tube baseboard to see what happens to the heat output of a hydronic distribution that is forced to operate at an assigned (and fixed) ∆T as the supply water temperature is de creased. I refer to this as “constrained ∆T” operating logic. IT WORKS WHEN… What I found is that imposing a fixed ∆T between supply and return can work when the following conditions are all present: 1. Multiple heating zones are controlled

Continued on MH8

If the heat emitters were not over sized for the design load, all zones would, in theory, remain on until the de sign load condition subsided (or other factors such as internal gains or inten tional thermostat setbacks began influ encing the zone loads). When design load is no longer pres ent in one zone, and the associated thermostat turns off the zone valve or secondary circulator, less heat is being removed from the distribution system. This change reveals itself as an increase in return water temperature (assuming that the supply water temperature re mains constant). The temperature dif ference (e.g., ∆T) between the beginning and end of the distribution system de creases.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH8 FALL 2022

Many modern systems use outdoor re set control to vary the water temperature supplied to the distribution system based on outdoor temperature. When outdoor reset control is combined with a circula tor operating on constrained ∆T logic, the heat output from the distribution system decreases faster than it should based on outdoor reset control theory. This could lead to a reduction in building comfort under partial load conditions. For this reason, I recommend that circu lators using constrained ∆T control only be used in systems that meet all three of the previously stated constraints.

Constant ∆P is preferred when most of the head loss of the distribution system occurs in the branch (e.g., zone) piping, rather than the “common piping” through “∆P control does require the installer to set the circulator for the required ∆P (or in some cases the required head) of the distribution system at design load conditions.”

The mounting of the temperature sen sors could also affect how quickly the electronics in the circulator respond to the change in temperature.

The constrained ∆T method of control forces the active portion of the system to operate as if it is always at design load conditions. When a zone doesn’t require design load heat input the ther mostat for that zone would have to cycle the zone valve or zone circulator on and off to avoid overheating the space. This, in effect, directs “pulses” of heat into each zone whenever its thermostat calls for heat. The rate of heat delivery during each pulse remains at the design load rate. The duration of each pulse is the time that the zone valve or zone cir culator is on. The design load heat transfer rate multiplied by the “on-time” of the zone determines the total heat added to the space during each pulse. This method of heat delivery has been used in millions of North American hy dronic systems over many decades. It is generally acceptable if the thermostat differential and boiler high limit differen tial are reasonable. It’s important to understand that not all hydronic systems meet the three pre viously stated constraints.

Consider a low thermal mass hydronic heating system that supplies design load heat output when all zones are active and the supply water temperature re mains constant at the design load value.

DESIGN with valves, or multiple secondary cir culators supplied from a common pri mary loop.

3. The heat source maintains a constant supply water temperature, at the de sign load value, whenever any zone is calling for heat. Figure 1 shows exam ples of two systems that meet these criteria.

2. The system uses low thermal mass heat emitters.

A circulator operating based on con strained ∆T logic would sense this de crease and respond by reducing speed so that the design load ∆T was reestab lished for the zones that remain active. This process would repeat when an other zone turned off. This method of control reduces circulator energy use during partial load conditions. When a zone turned on, and the sup ply water temperature remains fixed at the design load value, the return water temperature decreases because more heat is being removed from the distribu tion system. A circulator operating based on constrained ∆T logic would sense this increase in ∆T and respond by increasing speed to reestablish the design load ∆T.

MASS MATTERS The requirement that the distribution sys tem have low thermal mass heat emitters implies that the temperature changes on the return side of the system would ap pear quickly as zones turn on and off.

A high thermal mass distribution sys tem, such as a heated concrete floor slab, could significantly delay these tempera ture changes due to heat being absorbed into or released from the thermal mass.

∆P CONTROL Differential pressure (e.g., ∆P) speed control is intended for use in hydronic systems that use any type of valvebased zoning (e.g., zone valves, thermo static radiator valves, or manifold valve actuators).A∆Pcirculator operates by continually comparing its pressure differential against some reference condition. The latter could be a fixed value (e.g., constant ∆P control), or a calculated value based on flow rate (e.g., proportional ∆P control).

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Modern Hydronics MODERN HYDRONICSWWW.HPACMAG.COM MH9FALL 2022 which all system flow passes. This is typ ical for “homerun” distribution systems.

Proportional ∆P control is preferred when the head loss in the piping mains (rather than the branches) is a large por tion of the overall head losses. The lat ter is typical for “2-pipe” direct-return or reverse-return systems. A ∆P circulator determines its current ∆P based on the electrical load on the motor, specifically the position of the ro tor shaft relative to the magnetic field applied to stator coils. It uses this information along with a “mapping” of motor operating charac teristics to infer both its flow rate and ∆P. It then adjusts motor speed up or down to bring its operating condition as ducers or variable frequency drives. Response time is short—a few seconds. This is an advantage over ∆T control that depends on the temperature re sponse of two sensors. ∆P control does require the installer to set the circulator for the required ∆P (or in some cases the required head) of the distribution system at design load conditions.Someinstallers balk at this require ment, claiming they have no way of de termining it. My response is: How do you know what size circulator is needed if you haven’t attempted to es timate its operating point when all zones are operating?

IN SUMMARY

Both ∆T and ∆P methods of circulator speed control can work, given the right application and adherence to the con straints mentioned above. Both have been used in the field for several years. Looking ahead, it’s likely that even more refined methods of circulator speed control will be developed, based on mul tiple sensed inputs, as well as coordina tion with other hardware in the system, such as boilers or heat pumps. <> John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a professional engineer with more than 40 years of experience designing hydronic heating systems.

BRIGHT IDEAS home maintenance to commercial mechanical room operations, problem solving always requires a plan.

I had about 45 minutes of commuting left, plenty of time to develop a compre hensive plan. I now knew that the prob lem was either with the house electrical system or the lamp. The house electri cal system consisted of the circuit breaker, the house wiring and the recep tacle. The lamp consisted of the electri cal cord, the lamp switch and perhaps the light bulb. To eliminate the house electrical sys tem, my plan upon arriving home was to turn off and on the electrical breaker at the electrical panel. The next step was to inspect the lamp switch, the lamp wir ing and the receptacle. I have a digital volt/ohm meter, which would make test ing the receptacle, the lamp wiring and the lamp switch a breeze. By this time I was almost home, and I felt confident that I had worked out a comprehensive plan to diagnose and solve the problem. Upon arrival I asked my wife to put the

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH10 FALL 2022

TROUBLESHOOTING– 101 From

PUMPS Continued

BY MIKE MILLER

I knew there was electric power avail able because my wife tested a bulb in another lamp. I also knew there were two lamps in the living room. One lamp was activated by a wall switch and the other lamp was plugged into a live elec trical outlet. I know that the lamps are about 26 years old which is the same age as the circuit breaker, the wiring and the receptacle. What I did not know was which lamp was not working, the wall switched lamp or the live receptacle lamp. Time to do some interviewing. I called my wife and asked several questions. Her answers revealed the following: the lamp in question is connected to the live receptacle, and that the lamp was work ing fine the day before.

STOCKYULI/ADOBERIBALKAPHOTO: on MH12

I’m going to share a simple example of my thought process when it came to solving a small problem at home, and then I will provide you with a real pump troubleshooting situation that I was asked to solve not too long ago.

So, earlier this year I left the office on my way home. The commute is little over an hour. When I first got on the road, I called my wife to give her an estimate as to my arrival time. She informed me that one of the lamps in the living room was no longer working. She also said that she replaced the light bulb with a new one that she knew was working because she tested it in an other lamp. The new bulb did not illumi nate. I told her that I had about an hour or so of driving and would think about it on my way Followinghome.myown advice, I started at the beginning and started to list the things that I knew and those that I did not know.

I could now focus my attention on the lamp connected to the live receptacle which allowed me to develop a plan.

e have all had opportuni ties to do troubleshooting. It seems as though I have been in the troubleshoot ing business the majority of my profes sional career. I am often asked, “What is troubleshooting? Where do I start? And what do I do? In its purist form, troubleshooting is the process we go through to solve a problem. As for where to start? My re sponse is always: start at the beginning. And when it comes to, “What do I do?”, the answer is, “Develop a plan.”

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On and off went the breaker, and on and off went the wall switched lamp. The breaker was not the problem.

PUMPS

The line diagram along with the photo graphs indicated that the suction header was at the same elevation as the pump suction connection. In other words, the centerline of the suction header was at the same elevation as the centerline of the pump suction.

Time to do some calculations. The suction header was 20 inches in diameter and approximately 30 feet long and was connected directly to the cooling tower indoor sump. Calculations Continued on MH14

The next step was to use my volt/ohm meter and test the receptacle that the lamp cord was plugged into. In order to access the receptacle, I had to move the sofa away from the wall because the receptacle was hidden by the sofa. As soon as I moved the sofa to reveal the receptacle, I had my answer.

I should have asked my wife to look be hind the sofa to see if the lamp was plugged in. That simple request would have revealed another possible course of action and I would have modified my plan.

4. Photos of the pump and motor name plates. 5. Pump speed in RPM. 6. Water temperature.

The elevation of the water level in the sump was 4 FT above the centre line of the pump. At this point I had a hunch that the suction gauge may not be giving us the actual suction pressure. I contacted the customer and asked for a short video of the suction gauge while the pump was running. The video revealed that gauge dial was resting on the gauge pin at 0 PSIG with no movement.

2. Photos of the piping and pumping system.

8. Suction pressure with the one pump running at pump suction flange. 9. Discharge pressure with the one pump running at pump discharge flange.

6. The cooling towers use an indoor sump.

10. Voltage and amperage at the VFD in put with motor operating at design Afterload.my initial interview on the phone, while waiting for him to send along his information, I collected some documen tation including pump data, motor data and drive data. Now it was time for me to develop a plan. I decided to create a four-step plan. The first was to review the published data along with the drawings, and the second was to review the information provided by the customer. I needed to evaluate the data before moving on to steps three and four.

You see, several years earlier, I pur chased a digital timer which can be pro grammed to activate and deactivate a device such as a lamp based on the time of day. The digital timer has an override switch (or on switch) which al lows the digital timer’s outlet to be on continuously. I removed the digital timer and plugged the lamp directly into the wall receptacle and the lamp bulb im mediately illuminated. Problem solved. The digital timer failed and no longer provided power to the lamp. My troubleshooting steps were cor rect, and I followed my plan. However, I could have determined the problem ear lier if I had been more comprehensive during the interview process.

wall switched lamp on so that I could check the circuit breaker. I went into the basement, walked over to the electrical panel and identified the breaker for the living room. Fortunately for me the breakers were well labeled, and I imme diately found the appropriate switch.

5. The pumps serve a condenser water system with an open cell cooling tower.

I received a call from one of our cus tomers regarding what was perceived to be a pump problem. I asked the cus tomer to provide a brief verbal descrip tion of the issue. He revealed the following: 1. The pumps were installed about 10 years ago and have been in service since.

4. The original design flow was 1,200 GPM and 25 FT for each pump.

As promised, let me walk you through a real-life pump troubleshooting prob lem that I was asked to solve.

3. There are five pumps installed, four operating in parallel one standby.

7. The flow was estimated by measur ing the pressure drop across the chiller condenser water barrel with one pump running.

3. Water level in the sump relative to the centerline of the pump.

7. Suction pressure with the pumps off measured at pump suction flange.

The photos also revealed that the dis charge gage was reading 11 PSIG (ap proximately 25 FT) and the suction gage was reading 0 PSIG (0 FT) for a differen tial pressure of 25 FT at 60 Hz.

Lesson learned.

I asked for some additional information, including: 1. One line diagram of the piping sys tem.

At this point you might have guessed that the lamp cord was not plugged into the wall. But you would be wrong.

8. The pressure differential was mea sured across the pump at approxi mately 25 FT.

I grabbed my volt/ohm meter and went upstairs to the living room. Before pro ceeding any further, I decided to replace the lamp bulb just in case. I removed the illuminated bulb from the wall switched operating lamp and installed it in the of fending lamp. Just as my wife indicated earlier, the bulb did not light up.

2. The customer is concerned that the flow is less than the original design (approximately 850 GPM) and that the flow may have been less than de sign for the entire 10 years.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH12 FALL 2022

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I asked the customer to replace the conventional suction gauge with a com pound gauge. A compound gauge can read pressure values both above and below 0 PSIG.

HPAC_ECOKING_HALF_OCT_BAS.indd 1 2021-09-29 2:27 PM proved that with one pump operating, the pressure drop was negligible in the suction header. Therefore, the pressure at the pump suction pipe where it con nected to the header should be + 4 FT. Again, back to the drawings and the photos to determine what was between the pipe connection at the header and the pump suction connection. This re vealed a butterfly isolation valve and a basket strainer. I now had enough infor mation to complete my plan.

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• With one pump running at full speed (1760 RPM) the suction pressure at the pump flange read + 3.5 FT (basket strainer screen out). These new readings proved that the actual pump pressure differential was 25 FT – (-12 FT) or 37 FT. At this pressure differential the pump curve indicated the flow to be approxi mately 850 GPM. The problem was not the pump but the unanticipated pres sure drop of the basket strainer (with screen in). I recommended that the customer in vestigate replacing and/or relocating the basket strainer—problem solved. Admittedly not all troubleshooting problems will be this easy to solve, but the principals are the same. First, identify the problem. Second, collect data including manufacturers data, drawings, diagrams, field mea surements, photos and videos (you can never have too many photos and vid eos). Third, do some calculations (if ap propriate), and finally develop a plan. Have fun on your next troubleshooting adventure and drop me a line to let me know how you are making out. <> Mike Miller is vice presi dent of sales, Canada with Taco Comfort Solutions and a past chair of the Canadian Hydronics Council (CHC). He can be reached at hy dronicsmike@tacocomfort.com.

• With all the pumps off the suction pressure at the pump flange read + 4 FT (basket strainer screen in)

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• With one pump running at full speed (1760 RPM) the suction pressure at the pump flange read – 25 Inches of Hg (approximately – 12 PSIG with basket strainer screen in).

I also asked the customer to take suc tion pressure readings with the basket strainer screen both in and out. Here is what he recorded:

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The Sixth edition of the Summit returns as a oneday in-person event.

Modern Hydronics MODERN HYDRONICSWWW.HPACMAG.COM MH15FALL 2022 S

ince 2013 HPAC Magazine has been hosting a one-day Modern Hydronics Summit ev ery two years in the fall, with the event getting bigger and attracting larger crowds every time. With the pandemic placing all live events on the sidelines in 2021 the HPAC Team made a pivot to hold a vir tual two-day Modern Hydronics Summit in March of 2021 attracting viewers from across Canada – drawing the larg

2022 - THE SUMMIT

MODERN HYDRONICS

BY HPAC STAFF SUMMIT PREVIEW

Schedule The 2022 Modern Hydronics Summit includes five educational sessions deliv ered by industry experts on topics that will set contractors up for success.

Location: Universal EventSpace (6250 Hwy 7, Vaughan, ON)

1:45 pm -2:00 pm Break/Trade Show 2:00 pm 2:45 pm Critical Nature of Boiler Chemistry (Jeff House, Brian Morgan) 2:45 pm -3:00 pm Break/Trade Show 3:00 pm -3:45 pm Regulatory Outlook – Boilers & Water Heaters (Tom Gervais) 3:45 pm -4:00 pm Break/Trade Show 4:00 pm -5:00 pm KEYNOTE Part II: Hydronics for Net Zero Homes (John Siegenthaler) 5:00 pm -5:15 pm Sweet Heat Contest Results 5:15 pm -8:00 pm Dinner/Bar Continued on MH16

Thursday, September 15 9:30 am - 10:30 am Registration and Trade Show Floor Open 10:30 am - 11:30 am KEYNOTE Part I: Hydronics for Net Zero Homes (John Siegenthaler) 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch & Trade Show 1:00 pm -1:45 pm Zone Circulators or Zone Valves? (Mike Miller, Dave Holdorf)

THANK YOU TO OUR SUMMIT SPONSORS

Platinum sponsor: Resideo. Keynote sponsor: Caleffi Hydronics 101 sponsor: NEXT Supply Tool sponsor: Kane Canada Event Sponsors: Lochinvar (AquaTech); Roth; Taco; Uponor; Viessmann

PLUS: Meet a line-up of HVAC social media influencers as they work on a live pre-fab boiler panel build. In attendance will be: Jess Bannister (@hvacjess); Aaron Bond (@bond_aaron); Terence Chan (@the_impetus); Gary McCreadie (@hvacknowitall1); Tyler Dynes (@dyneshvac); Kiefer Limeback (@toolaholic); Mike Flynn (@flynnstone1); George DeJesus (@Georgetheplumber).Continued on MH18

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH16 FALL 2022 SUMMIT PREVIEW

Untitled-2 1 2022-08-08 8:27 AM est attendance in the event’s history. This year, the 2022 Modern Hydronics Summit returns to a traditional one-day in-person format, Thursday, September 17 at the Universal Eventspace located in Vaughan, Ont., just north of Toronto.

And over 60 exhibitors for the trade show featuring all you need for your next hydronics projects.

THE LIVE EXPERIENCE While the virtual Modern Hydronics Summit in 2021 provided access to in dustry professionals from coast to coast, there is no replacing the value of personal interactions at our live hydron ics events. Meeting up in person with colleagues who share a passion for this industry, whether it’s sharing a laugh with an old friend or meeting up with new contracting pros, making connec tions and networking is how this seg ment of HVAC business continues to grow and prosper.

The trade show portion of the Modern Hydronics Summit will feature over 60 tabletop exhibitors, all specialists in the field featuring technology and services dedicated to this market niche. And of course the line-up of educa tional sessions will once again set up at tendees for success. Our featured keynote speaker, HPAC writer John Siegenthaler, will be detailing how hy dronic heating and cooling fit into mod ern Net Zero buildings. He’ll be identifying the advantages of hydronics systems for these applications and how to put the systems together with off-theshelf components to create simple, re

HYDRONICSMODERN 2021FALL SWEET HEAT 2021 This year’s contest-winning projects CONSIDERATIONSCHEMISTRYBOILERLAYOUTSMULTI-ZONEPLANNING WAREHOUSEINSTALLATIONIN-FLOOR SIZING PANEL RADS FOR LOW WATER TEMPS a publication of HYDRONICSMODERN 2022SPRING ADDSHEALTHMONTREALNETWORKHEATPUMPS Part of an $18.8 million energy efficiency project &PELLETOPTIMIZATIONSNOWATWCONTROLLINGHEATPUMPSMELTBOILERSFORCEDAIR a publication of FREE to qualified subscribers! Please fill in the following and fax today to 416-442-2230 or visit our website and click on subscribe www.hpacmag.com YES! I wish to receive/continue to receive HPAC Magazine absolutely FREE! No CityAddressCompanyTitleName Province Postal Code Business Phone # ( ) Business Fax # ( ) Your FREE subscription also includes our FREE e-newsletter, please provide your e-mail address below: SignatureE-mail: Date / / (Must be signed and dated to be valid) D M Y Publisher reserves the right to determine qualification & limit distribution. FAX: 416-442-2230 August 2022 IS CANADA’S #1 SOURCE FOR HYDRONIC COVERAGE: products, applications, events, news and more. HYDRONICSMODERN 2022FALL INENERGYDISTRICTNWT Pellet boiler fires up heating system in Yellowknife. OPTIMIZING BRAZED PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS CIRCULATORS: TEMPERATURE OR PRESSURE TROUBLESHOOTINGCONTROLTIPS&LARGEPUMPSa publication of I SEE YOU’RE HYDRONICS…INTO SINGLEMISSDON’TACOPYOFHPAC. 1. Company Business Activity? (Check ONE only)  Mechanical Contractor  Refrigeration Service Engineer/Contractor  Fuel Oil Dealer/ Contractor  Wholesaler/Distributor/Agent  Consulting Engineers/Specifying Writer  Plumbing Inspector  Government  Hospitals and Related Institutions  Utilities  General Building Construction  Others Allied to the Field (please specify) 2. Do you specify, purchase and/or approve the purchase of mechanical products or services?  Yes  No 3. Company Job Sector? (Check ALL that apply)  Commercial  Residential  Industrial  Institutional 4. Number of employees at this location?  1 - 4  20 - 49  200 - 499  2500 +  5 - 9  50 - 99  500 - 999  Unknown  10 - 19  100 - 199  1000 - 2499 5. Company Job Activities? (Check ALL that apply)  Plumbing (i.e DHW, Piping etc.)  Ventilation  Hydronic Heating  Refrigeration  Forced Air Heating  Fire Protection  Electric Heating  Air Conditioning  Other(please specify) HPAC Magazine 111 Gordon Baker Rd. Suite 400, North York, ON M2H 3R1

Also, live on-site a team of HVAC social media influencers in cluding Gary McCreadie, Aaron Bond, Terence Chan, Jess Bannister, Tyler Dynes, Kiefer Limeback, Michael Flynn and George DeJesus will be working on prefabricating three boiler panels. These HVAC pros will be interacting and live streaming action from the event while also sharing their own tips and tricks using the latest products and tools available.

SWEET HEAT

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

For the first time this year’s Modern Hydronics Summit is add ing a special track for those who are new to the industry or looking to improve their knowledge on hydronic systems and the components that make them work. This parallel track is being designed for HVAC or plumbing contractors who are considering adding hydronics to their rep ertoire, or those who want to get their technicians up to speed. We have dedicated space at the Summit where industry ex perts will walk attendees through the basics of hydronic sys tems and help them understand why this technology is growing so rapidly. Each session will be hosted by a product ex pert and every session will be very interactive and a lively Q&A will be encouraged!

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH18 FALL 2022

“There is no replacing the value of personal interactions at our live hydronics events.”

The Sweet Heat prizes will be awarded after the final ses sion at this year’s Modern Hydronics Summit.

peatable designs. Attendees will also be entered into a draw to win a signed copy of Modern Hydronic Heating for Residential and Light Commercial Buildings (4th edition) which was released this spring. Other presentations will include: the pros and cons of zone valves and zone circulators; a dive into boiler chemistry; and a look at current and pending regulatory changes and how they will effect new and retrofit hydronic system design. There will be draws for useful tools after each session, and there will also be Blue Jays tickets up for grabs. Along with a day of education and networking, registration also includes lunch, dinner and a post-event drink.

In the Fall of 2020 HPAC magazine launched the first ever Sweet Heat contest, inviting hydronic contractors across Canada to get their cameras out and share their creativity, artistry and re sourcefulness in delivering “Sweet Heat” to their customers. The response was great with over 30 entries last year. For 2022 a generous sponsorship has been attached to the con test, with winners this year (one commercial and one residen tial project) will each be receiving a $3,000 spending spree courtesy of their local EMCO location. In addition, the winning entries will be featured in the October 2022 edition of HPAC.

The 2022 Modern Hydronics Summit takes place September 15th. Registration is $99 (plus tax & service charge, $119.84 incl.) for the main event, special pricing is available for groups and Hydronics 101. For more information and to register to day visit: modernhydronicssummit.com. <> HPAC_Rhella_Aug22.indd 2022-07-27 9:25 AM

HYDRONICS 101

SUMMIT PREVIEW

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HEATING YELLOWKNIFE

Around the same time, J&R Mechanical began installing district heating systems for different govern ment clients. Their first system was for an Indigenous government client in Behchok , NWT, installing a plant that

This is not the first time that J&R Mechanical has installed a district en ergy system. According to owner Ken Miller, the company, which was founded in 1977, has been installing biomass boilers for over 12 years. When these types of boilers started becoming popu lar in the NWT, the territorial govern ment embraced the potential environmental benefits of using wood pellets instead of fossil fuels. Consequently, “Our government con tracts were specifying installations with biomass – in schools predominantly, at first – and that’s how we got involved in biomass,” Miller says. “In the years after that, when tenders would come out for different systems, we focused on that as part of our regular scope of plumbing and heating. The heating became bio mass, and we became a prominent in staller of biomass boilers for the government and the private sector.”

MECHANICALJ&RCOURTESYPHOTO

This 200-kW heat transfer station at the GNWT warehouse in Yellowknife allows J&R Mechanical to meter the heat for billing clients. It also provides a hydraulic disconnect between the client building heating system and the district heating system.

Continued on MH22

BY ELLEN COOLS

J&R Mechanical, a plumbing and heating contractor in Yellowknife, NWT, is one of the companies leading the charge. Last year the company began operating a new $1.1-million district en ergy system, called the Woolgar District Heating System, to provide heat to a government of NWT (GNWT) warehouse and three other private businesses, helping to reduce the government’s reli ance on fossil fuels.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH20 FALL 2022 DISTRICT HEATING A s more communities become aware of the benefits of using biomass to heat and power their buildings, more district energy systems are coming online in Canada. Remote northern areas in par ticular have recognized the opportunity to use bioenergy to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and lower their green house gas (GHG) emissions.

New pellet boiler district energy system helps NWT government reduce carbon footprint.

BRINGING BIOMASS NORTH

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The pellet boiler fired up.

Continued on MH24

The boiler produces heat, water vapour, carbon dioxide and ash. The heat from the water vapour is transferred to each build ing’s space heating system through un derground pipes, Miller explains.

“The process of burning wood pellets to create the heat source is the only real difference,” he continues. “We unload and load them, redistribute them to dif ferent silos in the community where these pellets are then extracted by au gers or different devices to feed the boiler, based on the demand for heat.”

Yellowknife, of course, is extremely cold in the winter, which means the sys tem has to be able to operate in a harsh climate. So far, there have been no is sues with the boiler, Miller says.

“The average design temperature here is to -45C; we’ve seen the boiler operate just perfectly in those tempera J&R Mechanical in Yellowknife has been installing biomass boilers for over 12 years.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH22 FALL 2022

The system itself is fairly simple, with two main components: a shipping con tainer housing a 1330 MBH (390-kW) Viessmann Vitoflex 300-UF boiler and a silo to store the wood pellets.

MECHANICALJ&RCOURTESYPHOTOS

According to Miller, the system is very similar to any other hydronic heating system: “You heat water and you trans fer the heat to buildings through various different types of heat exchangers, whether it be baseboard radiation or unit heaters, radiant in-floor heaters or radiant panel heating.

DISTRICT HEATING provides heat to eight buildings from one biomass boiler.

“As we continued to do more and more of those, we had this opportunity to propose a project that was literally right in our backyard – the Woolgar District Heating System – and the main client is the GNWT warehouse,” Milller says. “They have a list of buildings they wanted to switch to biomass, and this one was on their list.”

The project took two years from pro posing the idea to completion, including the planning and design, permits and in stallation.J&RMechanical ran into a few issues during the construction and installation process, mainly permitting issues, Miller says. “You can only dig in the summer here, so we started the project too late to get everything – the permits and all of that – on time in the previous summer (2019),” he explains. “Even into the con

struction season, in the summer of 2020, we were delayed because of per mits. We didn’t have everything in place. So, it took us into the winter, which caused some issues for us and left us with some seasonal deficiencies.” But, the system officially came online in March 2021, and has since been pro viding heat to the three businesses, the GNWT warehouse and a GNWT data cen tre that is connected to the warehouse.

FROM WOOD PELLETS TO HEAT

Fink Machine of Enderby, B.C., the supplier, assembled the boiler in the containerized plant, which was then shipped to J&R Mechanical, who in stalled it and connected it to their own systems. Meanwhile, the wood pellets came from a pellet plant in Alberta.

The territorial government agreed to their proposal to switch the warehouse over to a district heating system. J&R Mechanical also approached other busi nesses in the area that could benefit from the system, which led to 30% of the block coming on board.

MECHANICALJ&RCOURTESYPHOTO

The system has also had a big impact on the NWT government’s fossil fuel use, as it has cut oil use for the warehouse by 92% – from 60,000 litres per year to just 4,800 litres. The system has also re duced the warehouse’s GHG emissions by 145 tonnes of carbon equivalent. The project, which cost $1.1 million, was a big capital investment for J&R Mechanical. The NWT government gave the contracting business a $274,000 grant for the project, but the company footed the rest of the bill. However, Miller says their business plan calls for paying off that investment in four to five years of operations. So far, the feedback from the commu nity and the territorial government has been very positive, Miller says. He be lieves there are opportunities for other northern communities to develop simi lar district energy systems using woodburning boilers to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. “I think everyone is looking at them as a better solution – looking at biomass boilers to heat buildings – so I think it has been kind of proven that this is a good way to go,” he says.

REDUCING FOSSIL FUEL RELIANCE

Nevertheless, there are a few barriers to overcome when installing a system like this. One such challenge is under standing the potential impact on a com munity’s infrastructure.

“We bury pipes in the ground, and that can be very disruptive,” Miller ex plains. “There’s other stuff in the ground that you don’t see – power lines, water and sewer pipes, telephone lines and things like that, depending on where you’re trying to install it. So, engineering design can be a big challenge.”

“If our client base grows – and it poten tially will with some new developments next year or the year after – we possibly will have to expand the size of the heat ing plant to accommodate,” he says.

For now, though, the company is al ready planning to add one or two more buildings to the system and continue running it as is. <> This article originally appeared in Canadian Biomass (published by Annex Business Media, owners of HPAC). Ellen Cools served as Editor of Canadian Biomass.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH24 FALL 2022 DISTRICT HEATING tures,” he says. “It’s operating as it was designed to operate, with low mainte nance and fairly high efficiencies. It’s worked out well.”

“The average design temperature here is to -45C; we've seen the boiler operate just perfectly in those temperatures.”

J&R Mechanical established Enterprise Pellets in 2009 to supply, install and maintain biomass boiler systems for residential and commercial heating application in the area. The company distributes pellets to silos in the community.

However, the benefits far outweigh the costs, and J&R Mechanical is look ing at possibly expanding the Woolgar District Heating System.

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Ihave one distinct memory about my great grandparent’s homestead. At the entrance, where the two fences met between their land and the neigh bour’s, there was a large rock with the words: “Dew Drop Inn”. I always thought it was a really cool message. I have seen this little saying around in other places since, but I know that rock was there since around 1925, so they might have been the first. At least I like to think so. Well, that saying leads me to the topic of the day: condensation.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH26 FALL 2022

A quick lesson in condensation prevention when it comes to radiant cooling.

“I like radiant cooling, it just needs to be done correctly or you will have a very homeowner.”mad

Don’t get me wrong, I like radiant cool ing, it just needs to be done correctly or you will have a very mad homeowner. In many cases it could be the flooring with pipes are running through it that will condense or some sort of radiant cool ing panel.

The calculation is a pretty math heavy, but don’t worry we won’t get into it. Well, ok, just a little bit. Relative humidity is actually a ratio. A ratio of how much hu midity the air has in it to how much hu midity it could hold at that temperature.

DEW DROP INN

Radiant cooling has been on the verge of being mainstream since I got into the hydronics industry 20 years ago. Working with geothermal heat pumps provides the capability, and we have the piping infrastructure for the heating sys tem, so adding cold water into the mix should just work, shouldn’t it? Well it’s not that simple. Radiant cooling runs into a very big problem, especially in areas with high humidity. You know when you bring a can of Coke out of the fridge and put it on the counter, and those little beads of con densation form on the outside—it’s like the Coke is telling you that it’s perfect and ready for drinking. Well if that same condensation forms on the pipes run ning through your walls or on your radi ant floors, then we have a big problem.

STOCKANNA/ADOBESUBBOTINAPHOTO:

The condensation that forms is often called dew, or at least that’s what we call it when it forms on the grass and flowers in the yard—when the grass is cold from the night and the morning sun warms up the atmosphere. The point at which the condensation starts to form is call the “Dew Point”. The dew point of an item is a calculation that involves the relative humidity of the air as well as the temperature of the item.

The dew point calculation tells us at what temperature that humidity starts to squeeze out of the air. This is where the problem for radiant cooling comes in.

BY CURTIS BENNETT COOLING

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Once the control system has figured out the ideal temperature to be pushed out to the system, we need to get it there, so there will need to be some mix ing to properly control the temperature. Going even a touch colder than the dew point will lead to the formation of condensation, and it does not go away as soon as you push above that temper ature. So it’s very important not to go below it in the first place.

HPAC_AquaTech_June22.indd 1 2022-05-17 12:46 PM

So what do we need to do? We need to control, very precisely, the tempera ture of the fluid going into these areas. Having said that how do we make sure? It starts with the calculations. It is possible to have a different dew point in each room, so the dew point needs to be individually calculated from each room. That will mean each room must have a humidity sensor built into the thermostat.Thesecalculated values all need to be sent to a “CENTRAL” control. This is the important part. The system needs to communication as a “SYSTEM”, it can’t be individual rooms. All the rooms have to know the informa tion from the other. This way the system can determine the proper temperature that is required to be entering the system. It has to know dew point values in each room because it needs to go with the high est calculated temperature. If we chose the lowest temperature, or just an average temperature, we could have condensation forming in some rooms but not others. This is bad. When condensation forms on woods floors, it will eventually wreck them. If condensation forms on cooling panels that have been embedded in the ceiling. Well guess what, bad news as well. I think you see where this is going.

In future articles I may have to do a lit tle elaboration and get into more of the math, because radiant cooling is getting bigger every year and it’s critical that we control for that dew point or installa tions could become homes with dew drops within. <> Curtis Bennett C.E.T is product development manager with HBX Control Systems Inc. in Calgary. He formed HBX Control Systems with Tom Hermann in 2002. Its control systems are designed, engi neered and manufactured in Canada to accommodate a range of hydronic heat ing and cooling needs commonly found in residential, commercial and indus trial design applications.

Ok, I’ve kept this short and sweet, and hopefully to the point.

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OPPOSING CURRENTS

There are two possible ways to pipe up a flat plate heat exchanger. The two en tering fluids streams could be moving in the same direction, or in opposite direc tions. When the two streams flow in the same direction the configuration is called “parallel flow.” When the two streams flow in opposite directions the configura tion is called “counterflow.” These two flow configurations, along with represen tative temperature changes of both fluid streams, are shown in Figure 3. You can see that the temperature dif ference between the hot fluid and cool fluid changes considerably depending on where it is measured within the heat exchanger. For the parallel flow heat ex changer the temperature difference at the left side, where both fluids enter, is

When it comes to designing systems with heat exchangers, stick with counterflow piping.

Figure 2. Examples of complete brazed plate stainless steel heat exchangers.

HEAT EXCHANGERS Figure 3. There are two ways to pipe up a flat plate heat exchanger: parallel flow or counterflow.

FLOW DIRECTION MATTERS Assuming the channels between the plates were numbered, one fluid passes from one end of the heat exchanger to the other through the odd numbered channels (1,3,5,6, etc.). The other fluid passes from one end of the heat ex changer to the other through the even numbered channels (2,4,6,8, etc.).

BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER

Figure 1. Example of typical brazed plate stainless steel flat plate heat exchanger (BPHX) assembly.

Figure 2 shows examples of brazed plate stainless steel heat exchangers ranging from a 5 x 12 x 100 plate unit, to a rela tively small 3 x 8 x 10 plate unit.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH28 FALL 2022 Heat exchangers, in all their var ied types and sizes, allow heat to move from one fluid to an other without any contact be tween those fluids. They add considerable versatility to hydronic sys tem design. Common applications in clude domestic water heating, snow melting and hydronic subsystems for ga rage floor heating. Flat plate heat exchangers have cap tured much of the market. More specifi cally, “brazed plate” stainless steel flat plate heat exchangers (BPHX) are now available from several suppliers in a wide range of sizes. They are ideally suited for residential and light commer cialThisapplications.typeofheat exchanger is made by assembling a stack of pre-formed stain less steel plates that have copper bonded to them around their perimeter, and at points of contact between adjacent plates. The concept is shown in Figure 1. The stack is then compressed and heated in an oven to approximately 2,000F to braze the surfaces and pe rimeters together. Most manufacturers of brazed plate heat exchangers have standardized plates sizes. Typical plate dimensions are 3 x 8 in., 5 x 12 in., and 10 x 20 in. For a given plate size, heat exchange ratings are increased by adding plates to the “stack” that become the overall heat exchanger. Brazed plate heat exchangers are com monly described by the nominal size of their plates and the number of plates in the stack. For example, a 5 x 12 x 40 brazed plate heat exchanger has 40 plates, of nominal dimension 5 x 12 in. One unique plate forms the back of the heat exchanger (e.g, it has no holes through it). Another unique plate forms the front of the heat exchanger, and tran sitions to the four piping connections.

LAVALALFAOFCOURTESYIMAGE

Modern Hydronics MODERN HYDRONICSWWW.HPACMAG.COM MH29FALL 2022 very large. But this difference decreases rapidly as the fluids exchange heat and move toward the outlet ports. There’s also a variation in the temperature difference between the fluids as they move through the counterflow heat exchanger. The rate of heat transfer depends on how the temperature differences at all locations along the fluid pathways “average out.” Heat transfer theory can be used to prove that this aver age temperature difference, which is more specifically called the “log mean temperature difference” (abbreviated at LMTD), can be calculated using Formula 1. Formula 1: Where: LMDT = log mean temperature difference (F) (∆T)1 = temperature difference between the two fluids at one end of the heat exchanger (F) (∆T)2 = temperature difference between the two fluids at the other end of the heat exchanger (F) ln [ ] = the natural logarithm of the quantity in the square brackets.Here’san example of how to use Formula 1: Calculate the LMTD of the heat exchanger shown in Figure 4 (next page). Just carefully put the numbers into the formula. Let (∆T)1 be assigned to the top end of the heat exchanger. Thus (∆T)1 = 122-77 = 45F. This means that (∆T)2 is at bottom end of the heat exchanger. Thus (∆T)2 = 104-68 = 36F. Putting these val ues into Formula 1 yields: Reversing the ends of the heat exchanger representing (∆T)1 and (∆T)2 would make (∆T)1 = 36F, and (∆T)2 = 45F. Putting these values into formula 1 yields the same result. WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF VALVE BODIES IN STOCK! • Globe –style control valves ½-4” • Full line of NSF 61 rated valves for any application • Actuators for every application • Thermostats • Retrofits – All brands • Projects www.spartan-pd.com HPAC_Spartan_Aug22.indd 1 2022-07-22 12:42 PM Continued on MH30

Figure 5 shows a piping schematic where the heat exchanger is configured forAlwayscounterflow.check your piping schematics, or schematics that you may be approv ing for others to use, to be sure that all heat exchangers are piped for counter flow.Check any installations that you are inspecting, that include heat exchang ers, to be sure that they are operating in counterflow.

MODERN HYDRONICS WWW.HPACMAG.COMMH30 FALL 2022

MAXIMIZING LMTD

Although it’s possible to manually esti mate heat exchanger performance, the calculations are complex and time con suming. Modern practitioners use one of several available heat exchanger soft ware tools available from manufactur ers to rapidly evaluate “what if” scenarios, which lead to a final model selection.Inmost cases a brazed plate heat ex changer will be sized to pass a given rate of heat transfer when the differ ence between the entering hot fluid tem perature and the leaving cooling fluid temperature is no more than 5F.

Several types of brackets are avail able and they range from a simple steel “shelf” bracket, to brackets that bolt directly to the threaded studs supplied on some heat exchangers.

3. Finally, if the heat exchanger will be op erating with chilled fluids, which are lower than the interior dewpoint tem perature, be sure it’s fully wrapped with elastomeric foam insulation or other va pour impermeable insulation material. Stick with counterflow piping and the details mentioned above, and then stand back and be amazed at the in credible performance of modern brazed plate heat exchangers. <> John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a licensed professional engineer with more than 40 years of experience in designing modern hy dronic heating systems. Siegenthaler is the author of the textbooks Modern Hydronic Heating (4th edition available now) and Heating With Renewable Energy (see www.hydronicpros.com).

Figure 4. Figure 5. forschematicPipingconfiguredcounterflow. “It's always a good idea to put a high efficiency dirt separator, preferably one with a magnet, up stream of both inlet ports of any heat exchanger.”

Here are a few final application points regarding heat exchangers: 1. “Cleanliness is next to godliness" when it comes to heat exchanger perfor mance. It’s always a good idea to put a high efficiency dirt separator, prefera bly one with a magnet, up stream of both inlet ports of any heat exchanger. You can see these in Figure 5, along with isolation and purging valves. The latter can be used, if ever necessary, the isolate each side of the heat ex changer and chemically clean scaling from internal surfaces. 2. Always support heat exchangers to re duce stress on the connecting piping.

The higher LMTD at which any heat ex changer operates, the greater the rate of heat transfer, all other conditions be ingHeatequal.transfer theory can also be used to prove a very important concept in the application of heat exchangers:

The LMTD of a heat exchanger config ured for counterflow will always be higher than that of the same heat ex changer configured for parallel flow, and having the same entering and exiting conditions for both flow streams. This implies that heat exchangers should always be configured for coun terflow when the goal is to maximize the rate of heat transfer.

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The theme for the annual conference was Shift to Celebrate, as the CIPH em braces and adopts to changes in the in dustry and the association.

It was 20 years ago that Caleffi opened its North American headquarters in Franklin, Wisconsin. To honour the mile stone, the Mayor of Milwaukee pro claimed May 19, 2022 to be Caleffi Day, while the company hosted industry col leagues to celebrate its anniversary and the unveiling of a new Training Center. caleffi.us

“One of the important initiatives is building more diversity. In recent years our Board has transformed and commit ted to building a more diverse group that brings different perspectives and chal lenges the status quo … as business leaders we need to push to create more diversity and inclusion in our work envi ronments that are more representative of the communities we live in. Focusing on this will create opportunities and posi tive impact for all of us,” said Robinson.

HPACMAG.COM AUGUST 2022 | HPAC 49 MECHANICAL SUPPLY NEWS MANUFACTURERS • DISTRIBUTORS • WHOLESALERS

Becoming the 75th Chair of the Institute, Robinson is following in the path of his father, Ross Robinson, who served as CIPH Chair in 2003-04.

CIPH INTRODUCES NEW CHAIR –MATT ROBINSON

Following an introduction by outgoing Chair Bill Hooper (sales manager –Atlantic region, Uponor), Robinson ex pressed his gratitude to the group and his excitement in traveling the country to visit each CIPH region. While acknowl edging the work of those before him, Robinson is looking forward to working on the Institute’s strategic direction in the year ahead.

>> CHEMFAX CELEBRATES 50 Incorporated on October 1, 1972, Chemfax Products, a manufacturer of specialty chemi cals for the plumbing and hydronics industry, has grown from a small facility near down town Calgary to a company with over 150 products and distribution across Canada and the world. The company celebrated its 50year milestone at its annual Chemfax Stampede BBQ and open house in early July. chemfax.com Celebration at Caleffi in Wisconsin. Chemfax team in Calgary.Continued on p50

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The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) held its annual general meeting (AGM) at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge during the group’s Annual Business Conference (ABC) held June 19 to 21, the first in-person CIPH busi ness conference since 2019. At the AGM the CIPH welcomed Matt Robinson, vice president, Robinson Supply, as its new Chair for 2022-23.

Founded in 1933, CIPH will be celebrat ing its 90th year in 2023, when it will be hosting its annual business conference June 18 – 20 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. ciph.com

>> MAINLINE BACKFLOW PRODUCTS TURNS 25

Navac has formed a new partnership with DRM Repair Centre in Toronto to provide Canadian customers with outof-warranty repairs for its vacuum pumps, recovery units and other pre mium HVAC/R tools. DRM Repair Centre specializes in the service and repair of recovery machines and vacuum pumps for air conditioning and refrigeration. The company also of fers emergency services in time sensitive situations. navacglobal.com

ANNIVERSARIES >> CALEFFI TOASTS TO 20 YEARS IN NORTH AMERICA

Matt Robinson CIPH Chair, 2022-23.

AM Paul Stevenson

ACQUIRES CHIMINEE LINING Industrial Chimney Company (ICC) based in Saint-Jérôme, Québec, has acquired Cheminee Lining, the exhaust solutions di vision of U.S.-based industrial boiler man ufacturer, The Cleaver-Brooks Company. As part of the sale, ICC will continue to lease 56,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and 21,000 sq. ft. of office space located in Terrebonne, Quebec, as well as provide employment for more than 44 ex isting Cheminee Lining employees.

INDUSTRIAL CHIMNEY CO.

MEXICO Daikin Comfort Technologies North America (Daikin) has announced it will build a 761,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Mexico that will be fully opera tional in 2024. The estimated $230 million plant will localize production of Daikin’s mini-split and Daikin FIT residential inverter prod ucts that are currently imported from Asia and will serve the company’s growth in response to increasing demand for products in North and Latin America. northamerica-daikin.com 2022-01-31 11:44 Barbara O’Reilly

ciph.com

ACQUIRES TEMPERED NETWORKS Johnson Controls has announced the acquisition of Tempered Networks, based in Seattle, Washington. Tempered Networks has created ‘Airwall’ technology, a new system for buildings that enables secure network access across groups of endpoint de vices, edge gateways, cloud platforms and service technicians. The technology represents a stepchange in operational technology built on secure transmission pipelines to en sure buildings data exchanges and ser vice actions can only take place between people and devices that are continu ously authenticated.

MANUFACTURINGDAIKINjohnsoncontrols.comEXPANDINGIN

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) handed out the new award to O’Reilly at the CIPH Annual Business Conference in Jasper. The hon our recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to mentor ing, developing and promoting women in the plumbing and heating industry. O’Reilly has been with Rheem Canada for over 27 years and currently sits as a di rector on the Board of the CIPH.

ciph.com/hydronics_council

50 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM BARBARA O’REILLY RECEIVES FIRST CIPH WOMEN OF AWARDDISTINCTION

The inaugural CIPH Women of Distinction Award has been pre sented to Barbara O’Reilly, vice presi dent/general manager, Rheem Canada.

JOHNSONicc-rsf.comCONTROLS

The CHC (Canadian Hydronics Council) has bestowed its an nual Award of Merit to Paul Stevenson, a hydronics technical services specialist who recently retired from EMCO Corp. in Victoria after serving 45 years with the company.TheCHC Award of Merit is given to an industry volunteer who has contributed to the industry in Canada for at least 10 years, and whose contributions of time, knowledge and expertise have improved the professional profile of the industry through education, training, public rela tions, technical achievements or the de velopment of codes and standards.

Continued from p49

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CHC AWARD OF MERIT GOES TO PAUL STEVENSON

Uponor has appointed Andres Caballero as presi dent of the building solutions – North America di vision. Caballero succeeds Bill Gray who stepped down in January. Caballero previously spent over a decade in general management roles at Honeywell, leading global businesses in environmental and control solutions as well as building solutions.

John Lafontaine has been named branch director for the Markham branch. And Mahadeo Raja Autar is now branch director for Vaughan branch, he has pre viously worked at the Markham and Cranfield locations. 2022 06/30/22

HPACMAG.COM AUGUST 2022 | HPAC 51

NAVAC has promoted Luis Ochoa to director of sales for the newly created northern division, leading the company’s sales and marketing ef forts for all of Canada as well as the eastern and central markets in the U.S. Previously Ochoa was regional sales manager of the eastern region for NAVAC.

22_001585_HPAC_AUG_CN Mod: June 17,

LIXIL also promoted Marlon Thompson to vice president (leader), marketing Canada. In his new role, Thompson is responsible for the Canadian integrated marketing team of product, channel, digital and pricing. He joined the organization in 2019.

Master Group has appointed Doug Hines as director of branches. Hines has worked with Master for the past 11 years as a branch manager in var ious GTA locations. Master also ap pointed Essam (Sam) El Tawil as branch director – Burlington branch. Chris Bartolotta has been named branch director, based at the Hamilton branch. In addition, Master announced the transfer of Denis Cazabon to outside sales representative – refrigeration.

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Viessmann Canada has promoted Glen Mellis to the role of regional manager – Western Canada. In his new role, Mellis will lead the Langley team, while managing the future growth for the Western Canadian operations. Over the past 11 years, he was the territory manager in the Greater Vancouver Area. Mellis has replaces Randy Stuart, who retired at the end of June.

Mike Tzimas has been promoted to president, Napoleon, succeeding Ron McArthur who previ ously announced his intention to retire at the end of 2022. Tzimas was most recently the chief fi nancial officer (CFO) with Napoleon. He joined company in January of 2020 as vice president of finance and became CFO in January of 2021.

LIXIL Canada has promoted Cosimo Coffa to general manager, trade sales and marketing, responsible for American Standard, DXV, and GROHE brands. Previously Coffa led trade/ project sales for Canada since September 2018. He brings more than 27 years of experience in senior sales and marketing roles.

Daikin Applied Americas has announced that president/CEO Mike Schwartz will retire at the end of August. Schwartz has held the position since September 2011, and he has increased manufacturing capacity by 75%. Prior to joining Daikin, Schwartz held leadership roles at Lennox International from 1997-2005.

Lauren Cassa has been named branch representative/outside sales in Burlington. Cassa spent five years on the tools as a refrigeration apprentice prior to joining the wholesale side of the business.

4:50 PM Print:

52 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM

< PLUMBING I

Later Chan went back to school spe cifically for hydronic system design. No matter what he was doing, Chan was fully

Vancouver’s Impetus Plumbing & Heating is embracing social media and breaking down oldschool perceptions.

Terence Chan, owner of Impetus Plumbing & ContinuedHeating.onp54

“Wheninvested.Igraduated from trade school in 2011, I set a goal to become the best plumber in the world,” says Chan. “Each job change was a calculated de cision to gain the experience I needed to eventually start my own firm. I quite

“I was a straight-A student in high school and entered the University of British Columbia’s engineering pro gram,” says Terence. “That’s where my grades faltered, due almost entirely to my love of video games and the free dom to fail like I’d never experienced. I dropped out and floundered for a few months. My parents suggested a ca reer in the plumbing trade, suspecting that an opportunity to work with my hands would be a good change.” Chan enrolled in the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Plumbing Foundation course, at which point he realized that he wanted to give his all to becoming the best plumbing and heat ing professional he could be. “The trade bit me,” he explains, as he fell in love with creating things. After trade school, Chan ultimately took on positions with five different firms. He started working on commercial hi-rise installations; he then went into sales with a distributor, before heading back into the field for service experience.

THE PLUMBING“NEW-SCHOOL”BUSINESS

BY DAN VASTYAN n 1990, Bill Chan emigrated from Hong Kong to Vancouver. When he arrived in Canada, Chan bought a Street Fighter arcade kiosk, the first of many such investments on his way to becoming one of the area’s arcade pio neers. Like many immigrants to North America, Chan’s entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic thrived. In some ways, Bill’s son, Terence Chan, followed the same entrepreneur ial path, although in a more round about way in the beginning, and in a completely different market.

54 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM < PLUMBING

Toward the end of his information gathering period, Chan made price lists and paid for his own business licenses.

LAUNCH OF IMPETUS Chan founded Impetus Plumbing & Heating in 2015, serving the greater Vancouver area. His motive was to two-fold; to chal lenge himself and to enhance the perception of the trade.

“When people learn of this, they ask me why I’d go out of my way to help someone who will become strong com petition someday. I don’t see it like that,” explains Chan. “It’s great to see people grow. It's great to build com munity. There’s so much work out there, and quite frankly, I trust that Calvin won’t go after my clients. If he did, and if he succeeded in doing so, it just means that a) I never did a good enough job for my customers or b) they were never my customers to begin with!”

Referrals have steadily multiplied. Impetus hired its first of seven employees in 2017. The company has no niche aside from taking everything they do to the next level – whether in volving commercial, residential, service, installation or reno vation work.

Continued from p52

SOCIALLY ACTIVE

“Social media does a lot more good than bad for a busi ness, at least when used correctly,” says Chan. “We reach customers, potential customers and potential hires. Beyond that, we’re changing the perception of the trade in the minds of countless young people who may not even be in our area.”

When he does step away from Impetus one day, he’ll be ready to show us what he's really learned here.” Quan doesn’t have concrete plans to leave Impetus yet. He feels there’s much more to learn before he de cides to make the move. His current goal is to learn and experience the back-end operations of the business.

When he leaves Impetus, his plan is to lend Chan an ex tra hand from time to time.

“By helping Calvin, I know that when he goes out on his own, there will be jobs that he can’t handle himself, or there will be jobs he's too busy to handle,” continues Chan. “That’s when our relationship will pay dividends. We can always be there to help each other!” — Vastyan Impetus service technician, Calvin Quan, plans to strike out on his own, with the blessing of Impetus owner Terence Chan.

“The trade has always been perceived as blue collar,” he says. “And how often do you hear someone use the term, plumbing career? At its core, my passion stems from closing the gap be tween widespread perception of the trade and what a modern, professional plumbing and heating company really does.”

At every step, if there’s an opportunity for improvement, Chan explains how the situation could have been better handled. Chan allows Quan to also see how the company runs, hiding nothing.

“Another benefit of social media is the ability to network

literally took notes on sales, service, design, installation and business management. I recorded what each company did well and what they did poorly.”

Reviewing his many experiences, Chan had a revelation: changes to company cultures across all sectors of the trade were“Companyvital. culture directly impacts the public perception of the trade and impacts our ability to recruit and retain the right employees and deliver a phenomenal product,” he says. “At the end of the day, company culture dictates profitability.”

It is not uncommon for an eyebrow or two to raise after ex periencing the company’s quality of work and the employees’ dedication to their craft.

“Calvin is a young, ambitious individual,” says Chan. “He came from a few companies, much like myself, and decided he wanted to learn his final lessons at Impetus.

MENTORING FUTURE COMPETITION Service technician Calvin Quan works full time for Impetus Plumbing & Heating, but he also owns Ethos Plumbing and Heating—a one-man business he operates on a part-time basis when he’s not working for Impetus.

Quan left high-rise/commercial plumbing in 2019 and transitioned to service plumbing, and Terence Chan of Impetus has been mentoring him with the intention of helping him truly strike out on his own one day. In doing so, some would say Chan is doing himself a disservice, but he claims the opposite.

According to Chan, the most effective way to change percep tion of the trade is by providing professional, interesting, in formative and entertaining content on social media, and then backing it up with outstanding work.

Social media has become a critical recruitment tool for Impetus. Chan prefers to hire from social media because his followers are aware of the company’s culture, and they’re largely of the generation that’s in tune with his goals; bringing a professional, young presence to the trade.

Chan invests up to an hour a day on social media resulting in Impetus developing a following and being visible on nearly every mainstream platform.

Chan is mentoring Quan on how to run a business. He seeks out opportunities for Quan to gain more experi ence, tackle new challenges and run projects on his own.

“The companies I collaborate with on social media are always those whose products I use, and beyond that, they have to be actively trying to improve the trades. Jobber does that,” explains Chan. “I also met Sean Giberson, Canadian sales manager at Taco Comfort Solutions, through Instagram. I learned that Taco is a family-owned company that has built a community of forward-thinking trade professionals through online training and interaction. Their goals align with all of mine per fectly,” he adds.

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RESIDENTIAL SHOWCASE Right as COVID-19 made global head lines and lockdowns began, Chan pur chased his first home with a vision to make the residence an Impetus Plumbing & Heating showcase. “We were so inundated with calls from customers who were uncertain whether or not they could get a service professional to help them that I didn’t even have time to decide between a fixed or variable mortgage,” says Chan. “The emergence of the pandemic ulti mately set back my renovation timeline by a year. Dealing with the other trades, limiting the number of workers in the home, and eventually material short ages really hindered progress.” Now, in 2022, Chan lives in the home but admits it’s only 85% complete. His plan to completely renovate the 30-yearold, 2,900 sq. ft. home is slowly coming to a close. “I wanted to incorporate everything we can do in a residence,” says Chan. “Radiant tubing already existed on all three stories and in the basement, so we had a great baseline. The mechani cal room and bathrooms became my keyThefocus.”Impetus company colours are on full display inside the home. Each of four bathrooms feature black granite and gold fixtures, made by Riobel. Two of the restrooms feature six-function showers, while another has a large tub filler. The home also has a dog wash. “Most homes in Vancouver have me chanical systems crammed into the smallest space possible, and my house is no exception. It’s under the stairs,” explains Chan. “I could have moved it to the basement, but I wanted to dis play our capability within the confines of the average home in our area.” To meet a big hot water load, Chan paired a condensing Navien

HPAC_Saniflo_Aug22.indd 1 2022-07-12 11:14 AM with manufacturers and other compa nies that serve the trade,” he explains.

ContinuedNPE-240Aonp56

“I’ve aligned Impetus with companies that have the same vision I do.” A number of years ago, Impetus was approached by Jobber, a job tracking and customer management app that Chan now uses to run his business. He has allied himself with a number of other companies in similar fashion.

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PRIDE IN WORK “Seeing to those details exhibits qual ity and cohesiveness,” says Chan. “I did it in my house, and I do it in custom ers’ homes, too. “We’re not ‘butt-crack’ plumbers. We have software and new technology. We assemble controls systems. We have uniforms. We diagnose electrical is sues. “The trade is actively evolving, and I want to help drive that, both locally, through our work, and on a much larger scale via social media.” Chan has even created a new plumb ing group in Vancouver, the BC Plumber’s Association. The group is small for now, formed to facilitate busi ness discussions among like-minded professionals who want to see the in dustry advance. He believes that too much of the trade is still old-school, and that oldschool mentality is why, according to him, there’s still so much price resis tance in the market. “When people ask us what our hourly rate is, I nicely explain that they have the wrong company,” explains Chan. “That’s not us. We have five stars for a reason. People hear ‘plumbing’ and they think blue collar. That needs to change.” <> Dan Vastyan is president of Common Ground, specializing in marketing com munications serving the construction industry with a focus on plumbing and HVAC markets. danv@seekgc.com.

HPAC_Franklin_Aug22.indd 1 2022-07-11 3:04 PM instantaneous water heater with an NFC-200 combi boiler. If needed, the cascading system provides over eight GPM of DHW. Impetus re-plumbed the entire home and installed dedicated DHW return lines. Currently, the home’s three radiant zones are served by a Taco ECM circu lator and Zone Sentry zone valves with press fittings. Both circulators in the system feature isolation flanges. Other Taco components, include boiler feed valves, dual check valves, circuit bal ancers, the air separator and the mag netic dirt separator and zone control. Chan ran extra thermostat wires in case he decides to split existing zones in the future. The mechanical room has plenty of flair too, similar to what Impetus provides on all their boiler systems. A black and metallic gold epoxy pour was applied to the board supporting the boiler and components. The zone controller, water heater and boiler are all wrapped in matching gold vinyl, and green LED background lighting is pow ered when the boiler fires.

56 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM

< PLUMBING Continued from p54

First, let’s consider a large refrigeration project. For our ex ample, let’s say you’ve finished the easy part of the equip ment installation for a refrigerated beer distribution facility:

• Installing the pipe hangers, installing/brazing the piping

• Insulating the piping, including the messy gluing portion

HPACMAG.COM AUGUST 2022 | HPAC 57

In this article I’m going to discuss a couple new solutions that have been game changers in recent years.

• Overseeing the electrician who is running the three-phase power to the condensing unit and evaporators

Now comes the hard part, startup and commissioning:

• Leak testing and evacuating the system

Condenser capacity is based on several factors: physical size of the condenser fin/tube bundle, fin spacing, air flow pro vided by the condenser fan motors, and the thermodynamic properties of the refrigerant flowing through the condenser. While the condenser should be selected for the design condition (aka, the most miserably hot day that the equip ment will likely need to operate in), for most of the year when the conditions are milder than the design condition, the con denser will be oversized.

on p58

REFRIGERATION >

• Supplying power to the compressor

Every year, manufacturers present their current offering of the latest and greatest products to the marketplace, and ev ery now and then some technologies knock it out of the park.

• Overseeing the control wiring

• Putting an initial charge in the system

• Fully charging the system

• Setting the space temperature

Smart electronic technologies are improving operational efficiencies for refrigeration projects. DEMMA Continued

BY DAVE

• Supplying power to the evaporator fan motors

STOCKPATBOON/ADOBEPHOTO: WHAT’S NEW REFRIGERATION?IN

• Calculating and adding the extra charge needed for the condenser flooding valves to maintain the minimum head pressure during the low ambient conditions

• Checking evaporator fan and compressor motor amperage

rogress in most industries results from new ideas be ing provided with sufficient capital to undergo the nec essary research and development to ultimately become a reality in the marketplace.

• Installing three high profile evaporators in the warehouse

• Checking compressor oil level, and adding necessary oil to maintain the manufacturer’s recommended oil level

• Setting defrost schedule to manufacturer’s specification

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• And the fun part, getting up on a scissor lift and setting the thermal expansion valve (TEV) superheat to manufactur er’s Startupspecificationandcommissioning can be very time consuming, especially with larger more complex systems. But, what if the availability of new technology could shorten the time for startup and commissioning and result in a more efficiently operating system? Well, of course I wouldn’t be asking the question if an awe some answer couldn’t be provided. Let me cover two smart technology options that are currently available for the refrig eration sector that can help.

• Checking compressor oil pressure and verifying that the oil safety switch is working correctly

• Setting the cut-in and cut-out on the low pressure control and high pressure control

• Arranging the crane to set the condensing unit on the roof

In addition, given that every single system will develop a refrigerant leak at some point in its life span, the result ing recharge after the leak repair will be costlier. And then there is the extra refrigerant that will enter the atmo sphere and the environmental impact.

• Variable speed EC condenser fan motors respond to DC voltage signal, which allow the motor speed to de crease/increase based on the dis charge pressure. During periods of lower ambient temperatures, the fans may operate at their minimum RPM, yet result in a discharge pres sure that is still below the control ler’s minimum condenser temp. set-point. When this occurs… • A condenser split valve is initiated, which will remove a portion of the condenser from operation, and si multaneously, the controller will ramp the EC motor speed to allow a realistic RPM starting point to main tain the minimum head pressure with the reduced condenser surface. The condenser split eliminates the need for flooding valves (down to ambient temperature of -20F), reducing refrigerant charge. The EC motors maintain precise head pressure during conditions below the design condition, and reduce electri cal consumption over standard motors.

This is accomplished by allowing liq uid refrigerant to back up into the con denser (flooding the condenser), which then reduces the size of the condenser. While the operation of these valves merits a lengthy discussion of its own (which is not the point of this article), suffice it to say that the result of con denser flooding valves is a minimum head pressure which the system will never operate below.

< REFRIGERATION

ESP+ INTUITIVE EVAPORATOR CONTROL TECHNOLOGY

While this method of head pressure control provides very consistent head pressure during low ambient condi tions, it requires: (1) determining (and adding) the extra refrigerant charge the system needs to properly flood the con denser at the lowest ambient tempera ture expected, while still maintaining a liquid seal in the receiver, and (2) the obvious extra expense of refrigerant.

This is good, but only to a certain point. The lower condensing pressure resulting from milder ambient condi tions allows for a more efficient com pressor operation. This yields a greater compressor capacity, which can re duce compressor run time, or allow for cycling a compressor off in a multicompressor application.

As with some good things, too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. The lynch pin with an oversized condenser is how the reduced condensing pressure (which results in a lower liquid pressure) can negatively affect the TEV capacity.

• An electronic controller, which senses discharge pressure via a pressure transducer. The controller is factory pre-set to maintain a mini mum 70F condensing temperature.

A piping schematic of LIMITROL+ and components.

REFRIGERATIONKEEPRITESOURCE Continued on p61

Continued from p57

The Limitrol+ offers the following fea tures which eliminate the extra refriger ant charge typically associated with maintaining minimum head pressure, and also result in a more efficient sys tem operation:

TEV capacity is based on three sys tem parameters: (1) evaporator SST, (2) liquid temp. entering the TEV, and (3) pressure drop across the TEV port.

The lower liquid pressure during low ambient conditions results in a lower pressure drop across the TEV port. If the liquid pressure continues reducing dur ing low ambient conditions, the pres sure will eventually drop to a level that results in a TEV capacity that is smaller than the evaporator load. At this point, the TEV becomes undersized. So, some method is required to ensure the liquid pressure never reduces to a level where this can happen. One popular method is to use condenser flooding valves to maintain a minimum condensing pres sure (which in turn maintains a mini mum liquid pressure).

58 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM

As I have written about previously, the real beauty of electronic control is its ability to provide precise and repeat able results. Nowhere is this more ap

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FREE to qualified subscribers! Please fill in the following and fax today to 416-442-2230 or visit our website and click on subscribe www.hpacmag.com YES! I wish to receive/continue to receive HPAC Magazine absolutely FREE! No CityAddressCompanyTitleName Province Postal Code Business Phone # ( ) Business Fax # ( ) Your FREE subscription also includes our FREE e-newsletter, please provide your e-mail address below: SignatureE-mail: Date / / (Must be signed and dated to be valid) D M Y 1. Company Business Activity? (Check ONE only) o Mechanical Contractor o Refrigeration Service Engineer/Contractor o Fuel Oil Dealer/ Contractor o Wholesaler/Distributor/Agent o Consulting Engineers/Specifying Writer o Plumbing Inspector o Government o Hospitals and Related Institutions o Utilities o General Building Construction o Others Allied to the Field (please specify) 2. Do you specify, purchase and/or approve the purchase of mechanical products or services? o Yes o No 3. Company Job Sector? (Check ALL that apply) o Commercial o Residential o Industrial o Institutional 4. Number of employees at this location? o 1 - 4 o 20 - 49 o 200 - 499 o 2500 + o 5 - 9 o 50 - 99 o 500 - 999 o Unknown o 10 - 19 o 100 - 199 o 1000 - 2499 5. Company Job Activities? (Check ALL that apply) o Plumbing (i.e DHW, Piping etc.) o Ventilation o Hydronic Heating o Refrigeration o Forced Air Heating o Fire Protection o Electric Heating o Air Conditioning o Other(please specify) Publisher reserves the right to determine qualification & limit distribution. HPAC Magazine 111 Gordon Baker Rd. Suite 400, North York, ON M2H 3R1 FAX: 416-442-2230CONNECTED…STAY subscribe!clickandwww.hpacmag.comvisitortodayformthisfaxSimply August 2022

RLS Fittings rapidlockingsystem.com p.59 Saniflo saniflo.ca p.55

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As great as this benefit is, this is only one of many unique features offered with the ESP+ evaporator control tech nology. The Adaptive Defrost Controller eliminates the need for a mechanical thermostat and defrost time clock, and controls all aspects of the evaporator operation, including the following:

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Navien Navieninc.com MH5 Next Supply nextsupply.ca MH9 NTI ntiboilers.com MH13 Resideo Resideo.com/Pro/Water MH32 Rhella ........................rhella.com MH18

• Maintains precise temperature in the refrigerated space. When tem perature set-point is achieved, the controller will de-energize the factory mounted liquid solenoid valve.

• With all of the defrost controls at the evaporator, no wiring between con densing unit and evaporator is required. Simplicity is always sought after, but it’s rare that simplicity results in state of the art. Both of these award-winning solutions combine both. The benefit to the refrigeration installer and service technician is a time saving installation, simple setup and adjustment, and trou bleshooting aided by remote monitor ing and performance history. The end user will realize greater effi ciency, greater stored product integrity from precise temperature control, and the peace of mind knowing that any system malfunction is an email or text message away. Who can argue that? <> Dave Demma holds a de gree in refrigeration engi neering and worked as a journeyman refrigeration technician before moving into the manufacturing sector where he regularly trains contractor and engi neering groups. He can be reached at ddemma@uri.com.

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HPACMAG.COM AUGUST 2022 | HPAC 61 parent than in the ability of an electronically controlled step motor electric expansion valve (EEV) to main tain precise superheat control.

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• Capability for remote monitoring, re mote set-point changes, and alarm capabilities via text or email.

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• Allows for bonding of up to eight con trollers, maintaining the same high efficiency on multiple evaporator ap plications.

ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE

• Monitors the superheat condition at the evaporator outlet via a tempera ture sensor and pressure trans ducer. Instead of spending upwards of an hour to properly set a mechani cal TEV, the superheat set-point is entered into the controller, resulting in precise superheat control.

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REFRIGERATIONKEEPRITESOURCE

REFRIGERATION >

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• Initiates and terminates defrost as needed (true demand defrost), offer ing considerable energy savings over conventional defrost.

• Reduces EC fan motor speed when temperature is satisfied, resulting in further energy savings.

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THE SOURCE

Chart displays benefits of adaptive defrost control including 86% fewer defrost cycles leading to greater energy savings and enhanced system performance including improved integrity of refrigerated/frozen product.

Continued from p58

NovemberConferenceInternationalandExpo1-2

Send the details to dpicklyk@hpacmag.com

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada conference in Ottawa will include keynote speakers and topical panel discussions to complement the association’s AGM along with a variety of networking and social events. hrai.ca Canadian Hydronics Conference

The Solar Forum 2022 November 14-15

NAFA 2022 Annual Convention

September 28-October 1

Hosted at the Las Vegas Convention Center, IGSHPA is a non-profit, member-driven organi zation established in 1987 to advance ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology on local, national and international levels. igshpa.org

HRAI Annual Conference September 18-20

aPlanningnevent?

62 HPAC | AUGUST 2022 HPACMAG.COM FOR THE LATEST EVENT NEWS, SEE HPAC'S NEWSLETTER @ HPACMAG.COM CALENDAR

September2022 27-26

IGSHPA Annual Conference

December 6-8

Hosted at The Coeur d’Alene Resort in Idaho, NAFA members include air filter and com ponent manufacturers, sales and service companies, and HVAC and indoor air quality professionals. www.nafahq.org

Held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this three-day trade show and conference provides a broad overview of the construction industry with the latest in technologies and edu cational sessions for contractors of all types.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic visit event websites for the most current updates.

The American Society of Plumbing Engineers Convention & Expo is designed to enhance the professional development, technical education, and career growth of plumbing professionals.

The Buildings Show November 30-December 2

This educational conference and table-top tradeshow focused on the latest in hydronics is being held at the Universal EventSpace in Vaughan, Ontario. Hydronics pros and those new to the trade will all learn at this much anticipated event. modernhydronicssummit.com

This new event hosted in Phoenix, Arizona is designed for HVAC contractors to educate the community on the value and opportunities available in the rapidly evolving HVAC and solar market. acca.org

Greenbuild

September 15 – 17

SeptemberConference14-16

MCAC Annual Conference 2022

2022 2022 Building Performance Analysis

Hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, this National Air Duct Cleaners Association event is a place where colleagues re-connect, new technicians learn about the industry, and new equipment will be showcased. nadca.com

This ASHRAE conference taking place in Chicago will feature three keynotes and more than 90 presentations by leading industry practitioners and academic researchers. NADCAashrae.orgTechnical Conference

This focused two-day conference will bring hydronics industry professionals together in Saskatoon to connect in person and share knowledge and business building ideas. There will be opening and closing keynotes and plenty of educational sessions to choose from. ciph.com/page/hydronics_council

Shifting from hosting virtual events, the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) will be hosting their conference in person at the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel in Halifax. mcac.ca

This year’s event is being held in Indianapolis, Indiana. expo.aspe.org

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the largest annual event for green building professionals worldwide to learn and source cutting-edge solutions. informaconnect.com

Manufacturers and suppliers from around the world will gather in Atlanta to unveil the latest additions to their product line-ups for the A/C, heating and refrigeration industries. Exhibitors will be demonstrating their technologies and answering contractors’ questions. ahrexpo.com

ASPE Convention & Expo September 16-21

SUMMIT 2022 Modern Hydronics Summit September 15

2023 AHR Expo 2023 February 6-8

Informaconnect.com/the-buildings-show

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