HPAC May 2022 by Annex Business Media

MINI-SPLIT SYSTEM DESIGN

MAY 2022

SIZING PLASTIC PIPING

IAQ GALLERY

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COOLING CONUNDRUM GETTING A HANDLE ON HUMIDITY

ROAD TO 2030: PANEL DISCUSSION HEAT PUMPS & HYDRONICS Follow Us On

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CONTENTS

MAY 2022 / VOL. 96 NO. 3

The latest in service vehicles for 2022.

COVER: ELECTRICMANGO/ADOBE STOCK. PHOTO ABOVE: PIO3/ADOBE STOCK

FEATURES

PANEL DISCUSSION ROAD TO 2030: DISCUSSING THE INDUSTRY’S APPROACH TO FEDERAL EMISSIONS REDUCTION PLANS Trade contractors are encouraged to get out ahead of the curve with respect to energy retrofits and take advantage of the opportunities available. By Doug Picklyk

DUCT FREE ZONE MINI SPLITS AND SYSTEM DESIGN Installers must first become system designers to ensure a set up meets the ultimate needs and expectations of the homeowner. By Gerry Wagner

16 COVER STORY

22 HPACMAG.COM

HVAC HUMIDITY PIPELINE We look at approaches for dealing with the challenges of hot and heavy weather systems in central and eastern Canada. By Ian McTeer

24 IAQ PRODUCT SHOWCASE A selection of products and systems designed to improve indoor air quality for residential and commercial applications.

CONTINUED ON P4 MAY 2022 | HPAC

CONTENTS

MAY 2022 / VOL. 96 NO. 3

HYDRONICS SIMPLE & REPEATABLE Delivering comfort and convenience by combining single zone cooling and multi-zone heating using heat pump system designs. By John Siegenthaler

SHOW REPORT LIVE AND IN PERSON This Spring the industry assembled at events in Toronto, Mississauga and Moncton. By HPAC Staff

34 CHILLED BEAMS AIR QUALITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY: PART II Taking a look at the economics of swapping out a VAV system for a DOAS and chilled beam solution for a low-rise office building. By Mike Miller

36 PLUMBING PLASTIC PIPE SIZING In this episode of 30 Mechanical Minutes Lance MacNevin breaks down the sizing details and calculations for using plastic pressure piping in commercial applications. By Logan Caswell

42 SERVICE VEHICLES SHIFTING GEARS, SLOWLY More hybrid and electric options are joining the service vehicle line-ups, but if you want one today the choices are still limited. By Jil McIntosh

47 REFRIGERATION CO2 AS REFRIGERANT? PART II After falling out of favour in the 1960s, CO2 is making a comeback as a refrigerant for supermarket refrigeration systems. By Dave Demma

34 DEPARTMENTS 6 UPFRONT 8 NEWS FEATURE Modern Niagara partners with cleantech start-up on new A/C solution. 9 INDUSTRY NEWS 39 MECHANICAL SUPPLY NEWS 40 PEOPLE 53 THE SOURCE 54 CALENDAR

41 4

HPAC | MAY 2022

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< UPFRONT PERFECT STORM THE RETURN OF IN PERSON INDUSTRY EVENTS, IN THE FORM OF ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, SUPPLIER EVENTS AND MAJOR TRADESHOWS HAS brought a true sense of normalcy to the industry and given us a sense of a return to the way things were. But in the past two years things have changed, and the in the past few months the level of attention being paid to the way home and building owners heat and cool their properties in the near future has become a greater topic of interest among main stream media. On March 29th the Minister of the Environment released the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Canada's Next Steps for Clean Air and a Strong Economy. The Plan addresses multiple issues, including sections on carbon pricing, the production of clean fuels, the electricity grid, heavy industry, the oil & gas sector, transportation, agriculture and yes, buildings. Among the $9.1 billion of investments recommended in the Plan, $150 million is earmarked for the development of a Canada Green Buildings Strategy, designed to lead to new policy, programs, incentives and standards required to "drive a massive retrofit of the existing building stock, and construction to the highest zero carbon standards." In an attempt to share how contractors will be affected and can participate in the transition that will be affecting the industry, we at HPAC pulled together a virtual panel discussion on April 25th inviting a contracting company, HRAI, NRCan and the Electro-Federation of Canada to discuss the topic. Generously sponsored by Mitsubishi Electric and Eaton, the free webinar covered many issues, from heat pumps to the stability of the grid (see more, page 11). One key topic was about selling heating and cooling systems today based on the price of carbon in the future. While in many jurisdictions across Canada the cost of electricity, and even the greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production, is not favourable, but going forward the economics and sustainability strategies suggest electrically-powered HVAC will be the more cost-effective and climate friendly in the near future. These same trends were also key to discussions at the Ontario Geothermal Association meeting held in Mississauga on April 26th. The well-attended event shared research on the benefits of geo-exchange technology when it comes to reducing peak demands on the grid, and attendees heard from developers who are keen on the technology and see the interest in geothermal for multi-unit residential exploding over the next three years. Many in this geothermal community foresee a perfect storm gathering as carbon taxes rise, net zero demands increase and developers sharpen their pencils and realize the future economic benefits of geo-exchange technology. However, the storm clouds may be heavy, because the industry worries about having the capacity to meet the demand. The opportunities for designing, drilling and installing geo systems could be massive, but will there be a workforce to fulfill the demand? This is a question that reverberates across the entire HVAC and plumbing industry - hopefully a return to in-person gatherings can ignite a spark to solve the demand for more resources industry wide. <> – Doug Picklyk, Editor

HPAC | MAY 2022

Reader Service Print and digital subscription inquires or changes, please contact Urszula Grzyb, Audience Development Manager Tel: (416) 510-5180 Fax: (416) 510-6875 Email: ugrzyb@annexbusinessmedia.com Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 EDITOR Doug Picklyk (416) 510-5218 dpicklyk@hpacmag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Logan Caswell (416) 728-6209 lcaswell@hpacmag.com ASSOCIATE David Skene (416) 510-6884 PUBLISHER dskene@hpacmag.com NATIONAL Kathryn Swan (416) 510-6797 ACCOUNTS kswan@hpacmag.com MEDIA DESIGNER Emily Sun esun@annexbusinessmedia.com ACCOUNT Kim Rossiter (416) 510-6794 COORDINATOR krossiter@hpacmag.com PUBLISHER Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 pleonard@hpacmag.com COO Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065710 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. ISSN: 0017-9418 (Print) ISSN 2371-8536 (Online) Contents Copyright © 2022 by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. may not be reprinted without permission. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information please visit us at www.hpacmag.com. Subscription Price per year: $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. MAIL PREFERENCES: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Tel: 416-442-5600 ext. 3552, Fax: 416-510-6875 or 416442-2191; E-mail: blao@annexbusinessmedia.com; or by mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400, Toronto ON M2H 3R1 Annex Privacy Officer Privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374 HPAC Magazine receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, 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. 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 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. Manufacturers’ printed instructions, datasheets and notices always take precedence to published editorial statements.

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and auto-populate invoices to extract cost information from a document, and integrate with your accounting software to ensure your financial data is accurate.

3 ways to improve cash flow in your HVAC business

ash flow. It’s the most important yet easily neglected part of business management. As a business owner, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day running of your business. However, it doesn’t take long for cash flow mismanagement to catch up. Discover how to ensure cash flow and keep your business running smoothly with these three tips.

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Ensure business clarity

Can you deep dive into each job, look at dispatch times, track how long it takes to invoice and receive payments? Maybe you can do one, or a couple of things, but not all of them. Business clarity means having all your business data in one organized place. It means not having to click through a pile of spreadsheets to find the answers you’re looking for. Many times, this lack of clarity comes from running your business on a variety of software that doesn’t link well. Or, you could still be using paper and data isn’t being updated in your system. Whatever the situation, businesses who prioritize having their data organized all in one

location often have better clarity on where their cash is coming from and going to. One way to do this is to switch to field service management software where you can collect data from all the workflows of your business. Not only will this help you see where you are making and losing money, but you’ll also be able to run comprehensive reports that dig into the core issues of your cash flow woes. This insight can then help you to make strategic decisions and help boost profitability.

Speed up processes with invoicing software

Once you’ve implemented an allin-one software, you can focus on making it easier to invoice customers and have them quickly pay you. This cycle is a vital part of good cash flow management, so it’s important to ensure it’s running smoothly and efficiently. Invoicing software can help you save time when a job is finished. You can set up automatic invoicing for recurring jobs

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Provide flexible payment options

Next, it’s time to look at how you can make it easier for your customers to pay you. Provide a variety of options so that customers can choose which payment option suits their needs. By doing so, your customers are more likely to pay promptly, improving cash flow. Another option for payment flexibility is payment automation. For example, if you have recurring maintenance jobs, or your business is working on a larger project, you may be working on a progress billing agreement. In these cases, you can easily set up automatic invoicing and payment processing to reduce staff stress with less invoice chasing and ensure your payments stay up to date.

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NEWS FEATURE SEE THE LATEST NEWS @ HPACMAG.COM

ACTING DIFFERENTLY Modern Niagara is partnering with Blue Frontier to bring new sustainable A/C technology to market. BY DOUG PICKLYK

“

f we’re going to decarbonize buildings across the country by 2050—and I don’t think I’m alone in thinking we can’t get there with the technology solutions available— how can we all bring our collective skills and resources together to solve this problem?” asks Brad McAninch, CEO of Modern Niagara, one of Canada's largest national mechanical, electrical, building services, and integrated building technology contractors with six regional offices across Ontario, Alberta and B.C.

global cleantech companies to win a 2022 BloombergNEF Pioneers award. Blue Frontier sees the target market for its technology as non-residential buildings that require 5 to 10-ton packaged rooftop units and replacement systems. “They’ve really done a great job at understanding what the market will need and what their technology can bring to it,” says McAninch. “What led us on this path are clients who are setting very ambitious emission reduction and decar-

“People are going to have to think differently, act differently and behave differently if we’re going to get to where the world needs to get to with regards to emission reduction.”

HPAC | MAY 2022

bonization targets, and we believe that it’s going to be very difficult for our clients to achieve these targets using existing technologies.” Modern Niagara’s role with Blue Frontier will be to assist with field testing in North America. The first two units are set to be operating by mid-June, one in Ontario and the other in the U.S., with two more second-generation units planned for August installations. “With everything that is happening with decarbonization of buildings and the focus on energy efficiency, we really believe that liquid desiccant—a technology that has been around for a century and primarily used for dehumidification—could be used widely for air conditioning purposes,” adds McAninch. The company discovered Blue Frontier while doing its own research into liquid

desiccant developments, so they called them up and offered to become a part of the technology development team. “People are going to have to think differently, act differently and behave differently if we’re going to get to where the world needs to get to with regards to emission reduction,” says McAninch. He sees this partnership with Blue Frontier as an example of how Modern Niagara is thinking and acting differently. “We’re out there trying get in front of this and figure out how can we help.” And earlier this year Modern also partnered with Worldfavor, a global sustainability platform, as the company has set its own goal of becoming net zero carbon by 2030. “We have ambitious targets, and even though this is our business (it’s what we do every day), it is hard,” says McAninch. “If it’s hard for us, then it’s going to be very challenging for everyone else. And that’s why we are out looking for solutions. “It’s doable, but it’s going to take a lot of effort and a lot of people working together.” <>

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PHOTO COURTESY MODERN NIAGARA

In answer to this question, Modern Niagara announced in early March that it has entered into a joint product development, manufacturing, and commercialization partnership with Florida-based start-up Blue Frontier centred around a new energy efficient packaged rooftop unit technology designed for the commercial building air conditioning market. The Blue Frontier technology uses a proprietary liquid desiccant solution to dehumidify the air which is then cooled to the required temperature and humidity via indirect evaporative cooling. The desiccant uses energy to recharge, but it can be optimized to recharge during off-peak hours to enhance the system’s efficiency. The company claims the technology uses 60 to 90% less electricity than standard commercial A/C units. In April the company was one of nine

Brad McAninch, CEO Modern Niagara

INDUSTRY NEWS

SEE THE LATEST NEWS @ HPACMAG.COM

Service Experts celebrates the 100th anniversary of Bryant Heating & Cooling with gift to Make-A-Wish Canada.

PHOTO: NIC ANTAYA

BRYANT HEATING & COOLING OF WINDSOR CELEBRATES 100TH ANNIVERSARY On Monday, April 4, Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts announced a $75,000 gift to Make-A-Wish Foundation Canada in celebration of Bryant’s 100 years in business in Windsor, Ontario. Bryant became affiliated with Service Experts in 1998. bryantheating.ca RIGHT TIME GROUP CONTINUES TO GROW AND EVOLVE Right Time Group of Companies continues its growth across Canada with three recent acquisitions, two on Vancouver Island (360 Super Techs and The Comfort Group) and one in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (Wardlaw Heating and Cooling). These acquisitions give the home services group 21 total locations across Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and B.C. with over 1,000 employees. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in St. Catharines, Ont., Right Time is majority-owned by Gryphon Investors, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. Gryphon acquired Right Time in December 2020 from Clairvest Group when Right Time had 10 brands and 11 locations. Last October Gryphon also acquired Southern HVAC, a collection of 15 HVAC brands across Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas with over 650 employees. At that time is was announced that Southern HVAC and Right Time would be rolled under the umbrella of NAEHS (North American Essential Home Services). The two entities continue to operate independently, retaining their existing brands and management teams, while leveraging the combined scale and scope of the two businesses. At the same time Ian McKeen was named CEO of NAEHS. McKeen, a dual Canadian and U.S. citizen, was previously president/COO of Service Experts (owned by Enercare). right-time.ca HPACMAG.COM

B.C. RAISES TAX ON FOSSIL FUEL APPLIANCES, CUTS TAX ON HEAT PUMPS On February 22 the provincial government in B.C. announced changes to its tax laws with direct effects on the heating and cooling industry. Effective April 1, 2022, the provincial sales tax (PST) rate on the purchase or lease price of fossil fuel combustion systems was set to increase from 7% to 12%, while heat pumps are now be exempt from PST. The PST rate increase applies to fossil fuel combustion systems that heat or cool indoor spaces or water including: boilers, central forced air furnaces, unit heaters, storage water heaters, instantaneous water heaters, air conditioners and fireplaces HRAI and CIPH both expressed concern over the taxation changes, which ultimatley led to greater clarity and alterations to the original notice with respect to how additional parts and components used in fossil fuel systems are taxed. gov.bc.ca HRAI TO OFFER IGSHPA RESIDENTIAL TRAINING The Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) and the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) have established a training agreement that will make HRAI the exclusive delivery partner in Canada for all of IGSHPA’s residential geothermal courses. “In light of the growing number of government programs and policies aiming to de-carbonize heating in Canada, the HVAC/R industry is looking to broaden its offerings to include low-carbon technologies such as geo-exchange and, as that segment of the market grows, there will be increasing demand for quality training,” said Sandy MacLeod, HRAI president/CEO. hrai.ca igshpa.org INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR WOMEN IN COOLING LAUNCHED ASHRAE and Women in HVAC&R (North America) are among a group of international organizations involved in the launch of the International Network for Women in Cooling (INWIC) to advance engagement, promote career opportunities and increase participation of women in the cooling sector, including refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pumps (RACHP). The initiative is led by the World Refrigeration Day Secretariat and the United Nations Environment Program OzonAction. unep.org Continued on p10 MAY 2022 | HPAC

< INDUSTRY NEWS Continued from p9

THE “NEW” 2020 NATIONAL MODEL CODES RELEASED The 2020 National Model Codes, the updated set of model construction codes that includes the National Plumbing Code of Canada 2020, National Building Code of Canada 2020, National Fire Code of Canada 2020, and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2020, are now available. A volunteer group, the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC), is responsible for the development of the National Model Codes with updates intended to be on a five-year cycle. Across Canada, provincial and territorial governments have the authority to enact legislation that regulates building design and construction within their jurisdictions. All current provincial and territorial building, fire, plumbing and energy regulations will remain in effect until the new Codes are adopted, with or without modifications, by the provincial or territorial authorities having jurisdiction. The 2020 Codes include nearly 400 changes from the pre-

vious versions. Highlights from the new 2020 codes include: • Performance requirements for HVAC and service water heating equipment are updated to align them with Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations and relevant standards, and to add new equipment types; • A tiered energy performance compliance path which incrementally improves energy efficiency at each successive tier (four energy performance tiers are specified); • Updates to evaporative equipment and drain pans to minimize the growth and transmission of legionella and other bacteria; • The introduction of whole-building airtightness testing as an option for complying with air leakage requirements; • The introduction of encapsulated mass timber construction to allow for the construction of wood buildings up to 12 storeys tall. The 2020 Codes are available now through the National Research Council of Canada (NRC)’s Publications Archive in a free electronic format for download. To purchase the publications in print format, an order can be placed online through the NRC’s Virtual Store. <> nrc.canada.ca

Yorkland Controls assists with

PROVIDING HEALTHY SPACES What are the impacts of COVID-19 on a building’s energy usage while managing IAQ and reoccupying facilities? Some of the measures Yorkland can assist with: • smart IAQ sensors with algorithms to develop an IAQ Index/score based on TVOC, PM, CO2 and humidity levels • needle point bipolar ionization for air purification • real time occupancy data through Smart People counting sensors integrated to IAQ control • critical environments including room pressurization monitoring and control

HPAC | MAY 2022

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ROAD TO 2030 >

ROAD TO 2030: DISCUSSING THE INDUSTRY’S APPROACH TO

THE FEDERAL EMISSIONS REDUCTION PLANS Trade contractors are encouraged get out ahead of the curve with respect to energy retrofits and take advantage of the opportunities available. BY DOUG PICKLYK

cross Canada buildings of all sizes account for 12% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released into the atmosphere. As a category, the emissions generated by burning fuel to heat homes and office towers are behind only the oil & gas (26%) and transportation (25%) sectors as the most prolific polluters in the country, and that’s why programs are being drafted to encourage change. This past March the federal government released its 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, a 271-page document that includes $9.1 billion in new investments designed to ensure Canada will reach an emissions reduction target of 40 to 45% below our 2005 levels by

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2030. This target is designed to put the country on a path towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050—a commitment made by countries around the world as part of the Paris Agreement. Among the spending announced in the new 2030 Plan is $150 million towards the Canada Green Buildings Strategy, a nation-wide game plan to develop new policy incentives and standards to drive new building construction and the retrofits of existing building stock towards zero carbon standards. According to Kevin Spencer, vice president of energy solutions with Modern Niagara, a national mechanical and electrical commercial contracting company, the demand for decarbonization among new building projects has already started. “Especially for government projects, there is certainly a focus on GHG targets that must be met by the team that's designing and building the facility, and it has to operate that way as well,” said Spencer during a panel dis-

cussion with three other industry experts hosted by HPAC and Electrical Business magazines. Held on April 25th, the live online panel event, The Road to 2030: Trades Contractors and the Federal 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, was sponsored by Eaton and Mitsubishi Electric Heating and Cooling. The hour-long event addressed what mechanical and electrical contractors need to know and how they can get out ahead of changes that are coming to the building industry. When it comes to retrofits of commercial buildings, Spencer is seeing two different approaches among existing building owners. There are companies that have articulated their own climate reduction goals and have started down the emissions reduction path, and then there are the building owners who are in a wait-and-see mode. “We have an energy solutions group with a number of energy engineers and Continued on p12 MAY 2022 | HPAC

< ROAD TO 2030

Continued from p11

HVAC technicians that are looking for better ways to improve not just the energy efficiency of buildings, but now we're also switching over to help our clients decarbonize and electrify,” says Spencer. And while he’s seeing progressive companies that are in the planning stages, he foresees the actual transition to lower-emissions technology will begin happening between now and 2030. For residential contractors, the most significant push towards decarbonizing homes is the transition off of natural gas and towards electric heat pump technology for heating and cooling —a solution that's being heavily promoted in jurisdictions across Canada. Jeremy Sager, a senior HVAC and renewables research engineer with CanmetENERGY (NRCan), addressed some obstacles that contractors need to be aware of to get themselves and homeowners on board with electrification. “We need to get past the assumption that heat pumps don't work in cold climates,” says Sager. “We've done testing on this technology in our lab … and we've seen that the systems do perform well, even in cold temperatures, some systems performed down to -30 Celsius.” A range of heat pump technologies exist today, and Sager explains that there are options for those who want to fully electrify their homes or those looking to begin with a dual fuel, or hybrid system, by adding a heat pump to an existing gas furnace, or even those with electric baseboards who could incorporate heat pumps to displace some of their loads with more efficient heat pump solutions. A challenge he sees is contractors not taking the time to properly size and select systems. “I think calculating proper design, including a heat loss and heat gain calculation, is something that needs to be done to make sure we're getting the systems in the right size to address the load. We don't want 12

HPAC | MAY 2022

Jeremy Sager, CanmetENERGY

“I think the more we can get heat pumps into people’s houses the more costs are going to come down and the more heat pumps going to become a commoditized item, like a furnace is for the average homeowner now.”

to oversize, and we don't want to undersize,” says Sager. While he sees heat gain/loss calculations being more common for new builds, it’s not always built into retrofit projects and that’s a problem.

INDUSTRY ACCEPTANCE Martin Luymes, vice president of government and stakeholder relations for the Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), is seeing a range of attitudes among members when it comes to transitioning heating and cooling away from fossil fuels. “Among the contractors, it’s a very small percentage of people who are very eager to get into this, but on the other hand, we have people who remain skeptical.” Industry veterans have experienced government commitments and then withdrawals from low carbon programs and policies in the past. “That creates a bit of an uncertainty around where we’re going, and for contractors to invest in the future of their businesses in terms of product mix and train employees requires clear signals from government,” says Luymes. “However, I will say, I think more and more our membership is getting the sense that this is an inevitability and they need to start preparing.” Some concerns about decarbonization and a mass migration to all-electric solutions for heating buildings revolve around the additional load being placed on our existing and aging electrical grid. Canada’s electricity grid

is one of the cleanest in the world, with over 80% produced by non-emitting sources, and part of the 2030 Plan includes transitioning the remaining generation to clean sources. And although there are other “clean” alternatives for heating, such as hydrogen and biomass as alternative fuel sources, electricity is the leading solution. “When it comes to clean energy, or reducing carbon emissions, electricity has and will play an important role in achieving those goals,” says Gurvinder Chopra, vice-president standards and regulations with the Electro-Federation Canada. “Our research and development teams are spearheading their product designs in that direction.” Electrical grids and electrical products are all going through a transformation as technology and innovation are disrupting the traditional models, notes Chopra, who points to three key trends leading the disruption: the electrification of the transportation sector; decentralization or distributed energy resources (DERs), where localized energy generation and storage meet demand flexibility and energy efficiency; and the digitalization of the grid including smart metering, smart sensors and automation beyond the meter. With respect to concerns about grid capacity, Chopra explains that it is clear from many studies that unless there is a very sudden upsurge, the current power system is capable of absorbing additional loads. He does acknowledge there is a need for investContinued on p14 HPACMAG.COM

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< ROAD TO 2030

Continued from p12

The virtual Road to 2030 round-table discussion included: (clockwise from top left) Doug Picklyk, HPAC; Gurvinder Chopra, Electro-Federation Canada; Martin Luymes, HRAI; Jeremy Sager, Canmet ENERGY; and Kevin Spencer, Modern Niagara.

ments and operational adjustments including replacing aging, inefficient electrical infrastructure, and using energy efficient products.

RETROFIT OPPORTUNITY The transition of buildings away from fossil fuels to electrification for heating and cooling does provide a “massive opportunity” for contractors, suggests Spencer. And although he admits the government messaging with respect to incentives doesn't seem to be uniform across the across the country right now, he is confident that the traditional course of action for lifecycle replacement—swapping out fuel-burning equipment for the same thing—is going to be disrupted. Sager also sees a huge opportunity on the residential side with air conditioner replacements. “Let's look for ways to swap out [the AC unit] for an equivalent capacity heat pump, if that's what the homeowner is looking for,” he says. “Our research has shown that if you do go this route, you can still generate 25 to 30% GHG reductions if you swap an air conditioner with a like-for-like heat pump. “I think the more we can get heat pumps into people’s houses the more costs are going to come down and the 14

HPAC | MAY 2022

Martin Luymes, HRAI

“One of the things we need to do as a sector across the board, is to send a signal to utilities and governments at the provincial, federal and even municipal level that we have solutions,”

more heat pumps going to become a commoditized item, like a furnace is for the average homeowner now.” Contractors can also offer solutions to homeowners that can optimize their heating systems to be lower cost or to release fewer GHG emissions. In jurisdictions like Ontario, where there is time-of-use electricity pricing, smart switching controls can be incorporated with the use of hybrid (or dualfuel) heating systems—using an electric heat pump in tandem with a gas-fueled furnace—and the controls will ensure the homeowner is operating the leastcost heating system at all times. “I would encourage contractors and distributors to ask for these kinds of capabilities from their equipment suppliers,” says Sager, who also suggestsmaking homeowners more aware of ground source systems as well as the air source heat pump options.

TAKING CHARGE As different levels of government continue to develop new plans and directives to drive Canadians towards new emission-free ways to heat and cool homes, both Luymes and Chopra agree that industry needs to be at the table helping to set the agenda. “One of the things we need to do as a sector across the board, is to send a signal to utilities and governments at the provincial, federal and even municipal level that we have solutions, we have ideas about leading the way in the drive to low carbon technologies,” says Luymes. For example, HRAI conducted research that shows that a greater adoption of ground source heat pumps, rather than relying 100% on air source heat pumps, could provide great benefits to managing the grid because the ground source systems don't peak anyHPACMAG.COM

where close to the same level on the coldest days of the year. Luymes points to this research being helpful to the electrification policy discussion. “It doesn't really say one technology is better than the other—it’s more about showing there are considerations that need to be thought through when we’re talking about electrification.” According to Chopra, almost every member of Electro-Federation is aligning with climate change. “I mean, they have to be, there's no other option. They’re all helping the customers and suppliers to implement sustainable practices across the value chain and throughout the lifecycle of their products and solutions.” He also highlighted one member company that has supported two apartment buildings in Switzerland with carbon neutral energy production and with no-cost electricity or heating for the tenants with photovoltaic modules installed on the front and on the roofs, and with two wind turbines. “The production covers energy demand for heating and cooling, and the production of hot water for all residents. The system also manages switching from one source to another at optimal times, switching power on and off to manage efficiencies and costs. So, all this is happening as we speak, and as Martin mentioned, we need to have proper policies in place which would help these going forward.”

Kevin Spencer, Modern Niagara

“The selling is shortsighted, … now is the time to be presenting other options with longer-term benefits for clients.” HPACMAG.COM

Gurvinder Chopra, Electro-Federation

“When it comes to clean energy, or reducing carbon emissions, electricity has and will play an important role in achieving those goals”

SELLING THE LIFE CYCLE The panelists all agreed that where the greatest gap exists in the industry today is in the number of properly-trained technicians and the lack of long-term thinking when it comes to selling HVAC systems. “When you’re dealing with a building owner, and whether it’s HVAC equipment or whatever it may be, the focus is typically always on installed price,” says Spencer. “And yet there’s so much more that goes into it—there’s the energy consumption and the air tightness of the building—and it doesn’t really matter if it’s a residential building or a commercial building, but we really are lacking the skilled expertise to look at a building, and the systems in that building, and come up with solutions for that client where we can say: ‘Here’s what the financial cost over the lifecycle of that equipment will look like for you. Today, if you put in a heat pump, whether it’s ground source or air source, it will absolutely under its lifecycle be more cost effective than fossil fuel based natural gas.’” He sees the selling process today to be too short-sighted. People are replacing gas appliances for similar products because it’s familiar. “But carbon pricing is escalating, so when you look out even eight years from now pricing will change. So now is the time to be presenting other options with longer-term benefits for clients.” Selling against the rising carbon price is seen as a short-coming for the industry. “If you’re not thinking about that, and presenting the alternatives to your customers, you’re really doing a

disservice,” suggests Luymes. HRAI has been working on a plan of training programs for a low carbon future. It includes re-training programs for existing HVAC technicians as well as developing a new pathway to attract new technicians for the residential heat pump trade. But by far the biggest need, says Luymes, is to get people to understand how to sell the solutions. “There’s all kinds of new technologies and people have to technically understand how to install and service them, but also, how do you sell them, particularly when the price point is a bit higher than what people are used to?” Sager and Luymes also see opportunity in the market for existing contractors to join forces to provide a broader suite of services to address energy retrofit solutions for businesses and homeowners. HVAC contractors can take the lead on the mechanical room, while electricians manage solar solutions and smart controls, while another contractor takes care of the windows, insulation, weather stripping etc. Very few companies are in a position to offer the whole suite of services and that could create a new business model. “And I would suggest that contractors who think about leading with their own expertise and broaden into some of those other services will be doing themselves a favour,” says Luymes. “They’ll also be doing their customers a favour and will be positioning themselves for long term success.” <> To view a recording of the entire Road to 2030 session visit hpacmag.com. MAY 2022 | HPAC

< HVAC

HUMIDITY PIPELINE Approaches for dealing with the challenges of hot and heavy weather systems in central and eastern Canada. BY IAN McTEER

HPAC | MAY 2022

“Keeping the level of humidity within the home somewhere between 35% to 50% should be the gold standard.” ing systems for relief. When moisture condenses on the outside of the windows, that’s a pipeline day. I once spent some time in New Orleans during July where I learned from the locals that only tourists visited the beautiful parks during the summer. I saw a mobile home with a 5-ton packaged unit installed into a large window opening; it’s so hot that shipyard welders started their day shift at 3:00 a.m. going home at noon to avoid the worst of daytime heat; some people slept outside when the cooling system goes down. This kind of extreme weather, visited upon unsuspecting Canadians, is truly behind our robust cooling industry in eastern Canada.

HUMIDITY: GOOD OR BAD Someone once said, “moderation in everything.” Scientists and HVAC engineers have determined, especially considering Covid-19, that maintaining a consistent level of moisture in the air inside buildings helps to prevent some health problems. Keeping the level of humidity within the home somewhere between 35% to 50% should be the gold standard for moisture control. Too much moisture damages buildings, creates ideal conditions for bacteria and viruses, and allows dust mites colonies to multiply, while too little moisture is equally hospitable to potential pathogenic organisms. Out of control moisture levels within the home (leaving thermal comfort aside for a moment) creates ideal conditions for the growth of dangerous mold, often in places the average homeowner doesn’t realize even exist. Sometimes, a minor renovation will expose a world of fungi happily doing their thing, as can be seen in Figure 2 below. Continued on p18 HPACMAG.COM

PHOTO: FAITHIE/ADOBE STOCK

s a kid, I never noticed how bothersome hot and humid weather would become in southern Ontario during our glorious summers. I was too focused on enjoying those days. Years later, I learned about the number of days and hours a specific area would experience different temperatures throughout the year. For example, in a document created by Lennox and published in the 1986 version of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual J, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) can expect to experience an average of 709 hours (30 days, roughly) at or above 75F (24C). By comparison, Miami, Florida has an average of 5,273 hours at or above 75F. Nothing about humidity though. Well, we’ve all heard of oil, gas, water, sewage and steam pipelines, but what about a humidity pipeline? Well, there is a particular weather phenomenon that occurs regularly during our summers in much of eastern Canada. Weather observers talk about a “pipeline” that opens between the Gulf of Mexico and southern Ontario through to southern Quebec and points east. The pipeline encourages a flow of incredibly hot and humid air, typically relegated to the Southern U.S., up the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys to the lee of the Appalachian Mountains and into our region. Often lasting for several days and periodically opening and closing the flow of moisture almost anytime from June to late August, the moist air pushes the socalled humidex readings beyond 105F (40C) in some areas causing health problems and generalized misery for many people who’ve long since turned to cool-

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< HVAC

Continued from p16

In our northern climate, maintaining an appropriate level of humidity during the winter months is one thing, but rarely do summertime moisture levels in the home warrant much discussion beyond the old standard complaint: “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” The curious thing is that eastern Canada, affected by the “pipeline,” does have a humid climate. Engineers classify humid climates as having an average dew point of 56F (13.3C) or higher. Ottawa, often described as the coldest capital city in the world, also possesses an average dew point in July of 59F (15C) (source: timeanddate.com/weather/canada/ottawa/climate), and when the “pipeline” gets going the dew point can exceed 70F (21C) for days at a time. Temperatures can soar in other parts of Canada, the prairie cities often experience high temperatures, but rarely is moisture a problem because weather patterns allowing for the incursion of hot and humid Gulf of Mexico air do not exist in other parts of Canada. We have learned so much about how buildings function throughout the years, especially how to reduce energy consumption while maintaining a healthy indoor environment. Yet, there are more than 4 million homes in Ontario alone that were built without deference to energy performance and ventilation. I think it’s safe to say that many of those houses have been retrofitted with new windows, doors, furnaces and cooling equipment over the years, but too often the cookie cutter recipe used for HVAC systems continued the use of the original cookie cutter. However haphazardly the retrofits were made over the years, studies have shown that HVAC systems are too often oversized!

MOISTURE HAS A SOURCE

HPAC | MAY 2022

Figure 2: Renovation project reveals hidden mold.

there is a difference between the indoor and outdoor dew point. Suppose a cooling system can maintain a sensible temperature of 75F (24C) at 50% RH; plot those conditions on a psychometric chart and find the dew point will be a reasonably comfortable 55F (13C). On a hot “pipeline” day (say 70F (21C) dewpoint), an older, leaky house with its cooling system working overtime is a candidate for an invasion of moisture by convection through gaps, holes, open doors, etc., and by vapour diffusion. Even a small difference in dew point across building materials such as drywall, wood, and even insulation, means there will be a transfer of moisture across those materials, from the higher dew point temperature to the lower dew point temperature.

MECHANICAL ISSUES Whether the house is new or old, an accurate load calculation will ensure the proper equipment will be specified for any job. The goal of any HVAC system must be to transfer heat as efficiency as possible, yet numerous studies consistently show mechanical system flaws lead to poor performance, lack of humidity control and higher than anticipated electricity consumption. Combined with lack of maintenance, too many systems are wasting precious energy resources. The most common mechanical problems in the millions of HPACMAG.COM

PHOTOS: NATALIACATALINA/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES ; IAN MCTEER

Visible sources of moisture are easily recognized as liquid water leaking into the building from roofs, windows, doors, and faulty drainage from sinks, tubs, showers and so on. I’m talking about the invisible sources that cooling systems typically are not designed to deal with. Sources of moisture, such as vapour diffusion, are difficult to find and not always easily explained to homeowners. Many sources in the house include: cooking, bathing, hot tubbing, indoor gardening, toilet seats left up, plus the added potential sources from the mechanical system such as constant fan operation in cooling season, oversized cooling systems and leaking ductwork complicate the matter too. Basements rarely ever require mechanical cooling, unless some heat producing process is going on down there, because the ground temperature is such that heat will flow from the basement into the cooler ground all year. But what about water vapour? Water vapour can diffuse thorough solid materials or simply barge in through open doors and windows whenever

Figure 1. Condensation on windows from high humidity.

older “pipeline area” houses, especially if they’ve been haphazardly renovated, almost need no introduction: • Oversized cooling equipment (and furnaces, too) that short cycle reducing only the sensible load. • Improper equipment selection leading to high evaporator dew point temperature. • Improper air flow outside of the manufacturer’s recommendation of 350 to 450 cfm per ton; airflow is often too low because of undersized or improperly installed duct systems. Sensible capacity increases by about 7% at higher airflow and decreases at lower airflow. Because latent capacity is reduced somewhat at 450 cfm per ton, standard procedure in Ontario has been to use airflow settings ranging from 350 to 400 cfm per ton. • Remember, many houses built in Ontario had duct systems designed for furnaces with a temperature rise of 100F or greater, no such thing as future proofing back then. The residential cooling market was in its infancy; no one thought furnaces of the future would require 45% more airflow. Without renovation, it’s impossible to guarantee energy savings from modern forced warm air mechanical equipment. • Studies also show that unsealed duct systems lose about 25% of cooling system performance because the conditioned air is not getting to the places where it’s needed. In

basements where ductwork is exposed, all trunk duct joints and perimeter pipe take-off fittings must be sealed (see Figure 3, next page).

WHAT CAN BE DONE? Fortunately, for many of us, we don’t have a summer climate anything like the southern United States. Miami, Florida has a July dewpoint of 73.4F (23C), conditions we in eastern Canada see only when the pipeline is flowing in full force. Even though our residential cooling equipment might run thousands of fewer hours than our mechanical colleagues down south, it is nevertheless vital that our cooling systems match the sensible load as closely as possible. And we do know that controlling humidity has everything to do with human comfort along with reducing embryonic outbreaks of pathogenic organisms and reducing potential property damage caused by unwelcome moisture incursion. So many of the four million or more homes (in Ontario alone) have second-rate air handling systems, it might be better to abandon the existing forced warm air duct system altogether. Without proper airflow, equipment run time is compromised so that providing effective cooling and humidity control is impossible. Continued on p20

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HPAC_InternationalComProd_May22.indd 1

MAY 2022 | HPAC

2022-05-06 12:42 PM

< HVAC

Continued from p19

Figure 3. Unsealed duct systems lose about 25% of cooling system performance.

when a human needs analysis combined with all the necessary industry parameters are included in the kitchen table quote, the cost perspective may be daunting to some consumers. Workarounds may be possible, but the “we’ve always done it this way” approach isn’t helpful. Here are some strategies to consider: • Do a load calculation to be sure the

equipment is not oversized yet can run long enough to condition the living spaces but not the basement (walk out basements excepted). Today’s cooling units feature much larger evaporator coils often taking more time to absorb heat through the mass of the coil, thus 15-minute cooling cycles will do little in the way of controlling humidity. • Inverter drive compressors com-

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HPACMAG.COM

2022-05-10 2:33 PM

PHOTO: PHOTOVS/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

In such cases, I think a cold climate heat pump using floor mounted terminal units (or a combination of wall and floor mounted units) would provide superior cooling and humidity control along with efficient heating. Older houses are inherently inefficient because there is too great a temperature difference between the inhabitant’s skin temperature and the temperature of surrounding infrastructure such as walls, doors and windows. For the average consumer looking for a low-cost cooling unit installation, it’s not likely they’ll be interested in spending more money on building envelope improvements. HVAC sales professionals must consider offering strategies to maintain a suitable relative humidity in the house during the cooling season, however, depending on the condition of the house,

IMAGE: APRILAIRE

Figure 4. Example of a ventilating dehumidifier.

bined with variable speed indoor blowers providing capacity control is a good way to go for older houses, provided the existing duct system is appropriately sized and properly installed. • Install a smart thermostat capable of controlling the indoor blower so that dehumidification cycles are enhanced, and that the continuous blower operation will cease if the RH climbs beyond 55%. • Recommend an ERV for all-year ventilation, but do a blower door test as well to be sure only the necessary amount of outdoor air is provided. Older houses are leaky: reduce infiltration as much as possible. Some situations might benefit from a ventilating dehumidifier (see Figure 4, above). • Homeowners should be aware of new generation ventless

clothes dryers and heat pump water heaters. Eliminate air exhausting appliances! • A zoning system utilizing outdoor unit compressor capacity control (inverter drive, two-stage or two-step) combined with variable speed indoors and a smart controller that provides system relief (no bypass) could be an option when all the ductwork is exposed in an unfinished basement. With the advent of smart thermostats capable of monitoring and reacting to humidity levels, I think it’s best to provide a system that will efficiently keep an older “pipeline” house at 74F and 50% RH. We know that longer run times (not too cold), less moisture coming in from outside, less indoor moisture generation, and simple things like keeping the doors closed and windows shaded on pipeline days makes for effective cooling, but in the end our customers will do what they will. When the annual humidity pipeline opens yet again, let’s make sure they’re ready. <> Ian McTeer is an HVAC consultant with over 35 years of experience. He was most recently a field rep for Trane Canada DSO. He is a refrigeration mechanic and Class 1 Gas technician. Ian can be reached at imcteer@outlook.com.

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HPAC_Kane_May22_CWM.indd 1

MAY 2022 | HPAC

2022-05-12 9:17 AM

< DUCT-FREE ZONE

MINI SPLITS AND SYSTEM DESIGN Installers must first be system designers to ensure a set up meets the needs and expectations of the homeowner. BY GERRY WAGNER

HPAC | MAY 2022

tinues beyond the sizing calculation with a proper system design. Where is the best placement for the evaporator? The outdoor unit? How to best run the lineset, condensate drain tubing and power/communication cable between the indoor and outdoor unit? These concerns are just that, concerns that must be addressed before holes are drilled through walls.

“The advent of alternatives to the “high wall mount” evaporator … create even greater emphasis for the need for proper mini split system design.” I always promote the evaporator be placed on an outside wall for no other reason than ease of installation. (This regular “Duct Free Zone” column of mine is directed at the HVAC/R trade, not to homeowners, so I’m speaking to my trade brothers and sisters here.) It is in our best interest to install the wallmounted mini split indoor unit on an outside wall for ease of lineset, condensate drain and electrical cable run. Nine times out of 10 with single-zone

systems your outdoor unit will be just on the other side of the outside wall where you are installing the evaporator, and that makes our job as installers a whole lot easier, and there is nothing wrong with trying to make your job easier. Also, nine times out of 10 I’m going to centre the evaporator on the outside wall onto which it is being installed for no other reason than aesthetics—it looks better when it is symmetrical. The 10th time is when I’m trying to effect more than one room with a single evaporator, and this is a very common and very acceptable design alternative. There are any number of reasons why I might use one evaporator to service more than one room: open floor plan, difficulty in installing a second evaporator and the most common reason, simple economics. In my Sizing, Design & Installation curriculum, I speak to the need to be able to accommodate all of our customers, not just the ones with an excess of disposable income, but also those who are on a tight budget. Utilizing one indoor unit to service more than one room, where applicable, can be a significant cost savings, and that makes sense for everyone. I don’t want to imply that mounting the evaporator on an interior wall is a HPACMAG.COM

PHOTO: PIMAN KHRUTMUANG/ADOBE STOCK

omeowners seem to have a perception of mini splits which over simplify their application and installation. Truth be told, mini splits often find themselves bunched together with window units and free-standing portable AC units in the collective mindset of the buying public. This perception is unfortunate, inaccurate and frankly, not healthy for the HVAC industry. I have two curriculums that I conduct for the inverter mini split product line I represent in Canada, one being Sizing, Design & Installation and the other, Troubleshooting. Sizing, Design & Installation, yeah, you heard me “DESIGN.” After a sale, installation is not simply slapping an evaporator on a wall and attaching it to an outdoor unit in the closest possible proximity. Installers must first be system designers to ensure a system meets the needs and expectations of the homeowner and at the same time performs to its fullest potential. A professional installation starts with a proper heat gain/heat loss calculation, in Canada the industry standard being the CSA F280–12 Standard for residential applications or the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual J. A professional installation then con-

no, no, or in some way a poor design. Clearly there are applications where an interior wall is the best location, but when we do install on an inside wall additional accommodations must be made for condensate removal (pump), not to mention lineset and electrical cable routing. I always stress that as designers and installers we must make sure the homeowner is onboard with our design and understands it. The homeowner can’t do something that impedes that flow of air after you leave, compromising your system design (i.e. they can’t put a bookcase in front of the evaporator if you are trying to have the throw of air from that single indoor unit effect more than one room). I always make a point to mention in my training that I’m not there to disparage conventional ducted “unitary” type systems, ducted systems should not, and will not disappear. Mini splits are

Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump Systems

simply an alternative to the conventional ducted system. Sometimes a better alternative, but not always! Those of us who have designed and installed ducted, unitary type systems, from scratch, whether it be new construction or renovation, wouldn’t think of doing so without a proper system design and mini splits should be no different! Let’s be honest here, the primary reason mini splits have taken this long to take hold in Canada, when the rest of the planet went ductless decades ago, is the mini split evaporator. The advent of alternatives to the “high wall mount” evaporator, like ceiling cassettes and ducted evaporators, create even greater emphasis for the need for proper mini split system design. These evaporators, though more discrete and aesthetically more “familiar” in appearance, do have their own unique installation requirements. Harry Eklof, founder of Harry Eklof &

■

■ ■

Associates, one of the premier manufacturer’s representative agencies in our industry and one of my most valued mentors, both in life and in business, had an expression: “perception is reality.” Harry recognized how perception, no matter how inaccurate it may be, is reality to those who don’t know better. We as HVAC/R professionals must understand that no matter what the perception the homeowner has of inverter mini splits, we know better and must give mini splits the same respect and consideration that ducted, unitary systems have enjoyed for generations. <> Gerry Wagner is the vice president of business development for Bathica. He has 41 years in the HVAC/R industry working in manufacturing, contracting and training. He can be reached at GerryWagner@ Bathica.com. www.TOSOTamerica.com

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HPAC_NationaEnergy__May22.indd 1

MAY 2022 | HPAC

2022-05-12 1:47 PM

IAQ PRODUCTS Indoor Air Quality is a vast topic with an almost exhaustive list of solutions for HVAC professionals to provide comfortable climates for homeowners and commercial building operators. Following is a collection of products to get you familiar with some options available on the market.

RenewAire has introduced the EV Series Pre-

Fresh-Aire UV has added the APCO-X MAG, an

mium–Model S, a static plate enthalpy core-

addition to the APCO product line of combina-

Panasonic’s WhisperAir Repair air purifier fea-

based ERV for smaller IAQ-oriented applica-

tion ultraviolet (UV) technology and activated

tures nanoe X air purification technology that

tions. Like the larger EV Series Premium

EverCarbon media catalyst air treatment for

uses moisture in the air to neutralize pollut-

models, the Model S offers top-level CFM/watt,

HVAC systems. The new unit’s magnetic

ants. These air purifiers maintain healthy in-

exhaust air transfer ratio and static pressure

mounting bracket’s compact footprint is de-

door air quality by suppressing airborne and

capabilities with customizable features. The

signed for installation flexibility near the evapo-

adhered pollen and other allergens, inhibiting

unit is Home Ventilation Institute (HVI)-certified

rator coil, plenum or duct. The mount attaches

odours, and breaking down hazardous sub-

(CSA 439-09) and designed for new 3-bdrm/2-

to metal cabinets and its anti-vibration coating

stances. The units are maintenance free with

bath single-family homes under 2,500 sq. ft.,

prevents wandering out of position. It also fea-

no filters to change and no duct work required.

condos, dorms and light commercial buildings.

tures a three-year UVC (254-nm) quartz lamp

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and UL-2998 validation as free of potentially

struction, WhisperAir Repair can be mounted

plying 30 to 130-CFM by an EC motor, digital

harmful ozone. The unit also features the AP-

in most ceilings, and the paintable, low-profile

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CO-X’s V-Twin Cell Matrix incorporating lifetime

grille blends into any room.

ments, and MERV 13 filters.

ceramic cells infused with EverCarbon media.

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renewaire.com

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The Respicaire BioClean is a high output, UVC germicidal purification system designed for

The Air Excellent air management system from

European manufacturer VENTS offers an inno-

commercial air and coil disinfection for large

Centrotherm provides draft-free, noiseless fresh

vative single room WiFi-enabled energy recov-

rooftop units (RTUs) and air handling units

air supply to living spaces and efficient stale air

ery ventilator (ERV). The TwinFresh Expert pro-

(AHUs) up to 100 tons. The units include high

exhaust from kitchens and bathrooms while

vides continuous ventilation all year with a

intensity UVGI lamps with telescoping bars for

contributing to energy efficient homes and cre-

93% efficiency. The units offer three speed

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ating a better overall environmental footprint.

levels, various ventilating modes, efficient fil-

diagonal, horizontal and vertical installation.

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tration, wall-through plug and play installation,

BioClean has been engineered for surface and

simply clicks together to form an air-tight seal

quiet operation and modern design. The units

airstream decontamination. Proven to be test-

and with flexible vents it allows for complete

are suited for a comfortable indoor climate and

ed on the pandemic corona virus and shown to

customization while allowing installers to inde-

required air exchanges in renovated premises,

inactivate 99% in seconds, the BioClean helps

pendently control the air quality in each room.

recently inhabited houses or reconstructed

eliminate coil biofilm while inactivating air-

The system was designed to increase oxygen

apartments.

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is suited for indoor air quality solutions.

viral load, bacteria, and mold growth.

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HPAC | MAY 2022

HPACMAG.COM

IAQ PRODUCTS Venmar Ventilation’s Canadian-made Venmar AVS N series and vänEE AI series heat recovery ventilators (HRV) and energy recovery ventilators (ERV) feature new VIRTUO air technology offering improved performance and quick installation. Their smart, built-in, auto balancing allows quick set up, and the continuous self-adjustment optimizes operation and simple The Kaiterra Sensedge commercial indoor air

touchscreen controls allow simple settings. They

quality monitor allows users to monitor air

come standard with MERV 8 filters and MERV 13

quality, volatile organic components like CO2

are an option.

and other harmful matter that pose risks to

www.venmar.ca

building occupants. It uses a real-time dashboard for reporting, monitoring, and analysis, allowing users to act before they have to react, preventing repairs and unnecessary building closures. The Sensedge uses removeable sensor modules for easy replacement. The system supports connections to the cloud for data reporting and BACnet for local building automation system integration. kaiterra.com

The Central Air Controller from HAVEN combines with the company’s Central Air Monitor

The ODD-ERV-120 from Ortech is an energy re-

to makes home HVAC systems healthier. The

covery ventilator (ERV) with washable MERV 6

Air Monitor is mounted directly within the duct

air filters in the return and outside supply air

and combines miniaturized particulate sens-

streams. The ventilator with enthalpic core pro-

ing lasers and chemical sensors to detect lev-

vides both heat and humidity recovery. The

els of airborne contaminants. The Controller

units feature EC motors with total speed con-

automatically optimizes HVAC system filtra-

trollable range and offer performance up to

tion, ventilation, or humidity levels on-demand.

77% SRE. The system also has automatic re-

Data is available via an IAQ app to homeown-

covery core defrost mode and also offers an

ers and HVAC professionals.

optional touchscreen controller.

haveniaq.com.

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The Condair HumiLife whole-home steam hu-

Yorkland Controls offers a selection of IoT-ready IAQ

midifier is direct furnace mounting so it saves

sensors that make it possible to continuously moni-

space in any residential mechanical room. The

tor indoor air quality for building occupants. Smart

system uses steam to create hygienic, whole-

IAQ sensors transmit data to building automation

home humidity. Steam is vented through forced

systems and centralized IAQ analytic platforms to

air ventilation units and automatically regulated

control and validate ventilation control strategies.

to prevent dry air while also adhering to harmful

The sensors monitor and control based on air pollut-

aerosols like pathogens and allergens. There is

ants such as PM2.5,PM10, VOC, CO2, and ozone.

no standing water, so mold and scaling will not

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accumulate in the cylinder. The unit is capable of using three sensors to automate humidity

Sanuvox’s Bio-Wall air disinfection system is a cus-

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tomized solution to help prevent propagation of bio-

electricity usage while enjoying comfort in the

aerosols in even the largest air handler units. In-

whole home. It can also be remotely controlled

stalled in ventilation ducts, this UV purifier has been

through a built-in app on a phone or tablet. Pat-

shown to effectively reduce airborne concentration

ented auto-adaptive water management maxi-

of biological pathogens, like mold, bacteria, and vi-

mizes the humidifier’s cylinder life.

ruses (such as SARS-CoV-2).

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HPACMAG.COM

MAY 2022 | HPAC

< HYDRONICS

SIMPLE & REPEATABLE Delivering comfort and convenience by combining single zone cooling and multizone heating using heat pump system designs. BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER

he versatility of modern hydronics technology allows designers to create systems that are “customized” to the needs, and constraints of almost any building. While best known for space heating, most modern residential systems also include provisions for heating domestic water. Still, for decades, one of the “shortcomings” of smaller hydronic systems has been the inability to cool buildings, undoubtedly swaying many prospective clients to ducted forced air because it provides both heating and cooling. This long-standing shortcoming is changing as the future of energy supply for heating continues to progress away

from fossil fuels and toward electricity. Heat pumps, in both air-to-water and geothermal water-to-water configurations, are increasingly being used instead of fossil fuel boilers. This transformation brings the ability to provide chilled water cooling, and thus a more complete solution to comfort. That’s a really “big deal” in my opinion.

A GREAT COMBINATION An approach I like to promote is multiple heating zones in combination with single zone cooling. The heating distribution system could use one type or a combination of heat emitters. An example would be radiant floor, wall, or ceiling heating in some areas combined with panel radiators in other areas. Ideally, all heat emitters would be sized for the same supply water temperature. This keeps the system simple by eliminating the need for mixing. Figure 1 shows a combination of heat emitters, all served by homerun circuits

of ½-in. PEX, PE-RT or PEX-AL-PEX tubing from a common manifold station. Flow to the manifold station is provided by a variable speed pressure-regulated circulator set for constant differential pressure. Each emitter is equipped with a non-electric thermostatic radiator valve. That valve is built into the panel radiators. The only thing needed to make each panel radiator into an independently controlled zone is to screw a thermostatic operator onto that integrated valve. The other two circuits show a combination of floor heating and a towel warming radiator. Flow through these circuits is controlled by an external thermostatic valve equipped with a remote adjustment dial typically mounted to a wall. This combination of thermostatic valves provides five independently controlled heating zones. As the valves open, close, or modulate flow, the variable-speed pressure-regulated circulator senses the “attempt” to change differential pressure and immediately adjusts motor speed to cancel out that attempt. This allows the flow in each homerun circuit to remain stable regardless of what zones are active.

HOT & COLD

HPAC | MAY 2022

Continued on p30 HPACMAG.COM

ALL IMAGES COURTESY JOHN SIEGENTHALER

Figure 1. A combination of heat emitters all served by homerun circuits from a common manifold station.

In Figure 2 (page 30), a low ambient (split system) air-to-water heat pump is the source of heating (and cooling). The heat pump is equipped with a variable speed inverter drive compressor, allowing it to modulate both heat output and cooling capacity down to about 40% of peak rating. The compressor speed changes based on maintaining user-specified leaving water temperatures for heating mode and cooling mode operation. In most systems this allows the heat pump to

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WIN ONE OF TWO $3000 BUYING SPREES FROM EMCO! Get your cameras ready. Be a part of Canada’s hydronic installation contest. Proud of your work? Better than the rest? It’s time to bring it on! THERE WILL BE A WINNER IN EACH CATEGORY: COMMERICAL AND RESIDENTIAL. ENTRY IS SIMPLE- send us pics of your installation. Include a brief description of the particular challenges that you faced with this installation and how you overcame the obstacles. This can be a new installation or a retrofit. Submissions are limited to one per contractor. Deadline to enter is August 11, 2022. All submissions will be shown at the Modern Hydronics Summit 2022. The two winners will also be announced by John Siegenthaler at the Summit. In addition to having your winning entry shared across our social media channels you’ll also be interviewed by HPAC’s editor and featured on the cover of the October edition of HPAC – SEND ENTRIES OR QUESTIONS TO DPICKLYK@HPACMAG.COM WITH THE SUBJECT LINE “SWEET HEAT CONTEST”

< HYDRONICS

AIR QUALITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY: PART II In this example we take a look at the economics of swapping out a VAV system for a DOAS and chilled beam solution for a low-rise office building. BY MIKE MILLER

n part one of this article (March 2022) I spent some time reviewing the need for enhancing the amount of fresh air ventilation in buildings, one of the key recommendations from the international health and science advisory bodies during the pandemic. I then went on to share one of many options available to achieve greater fresh air exchange in buildings through the use of a hydronic system solution using a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) in combination with active chilled beams. This solution, with the proper controls in place, can achieve well-conditioned fresh air in occupied areas, and it can be incorporated into buildings as a retrofit or designed into new installations, all while effectively managing energy consumption. For this article we’re going to analyze

the potential benefits and energy savings in a typical commercial building.

Figure 1. A typical five-story low-rise building.

VAV AIR HANDLER

To show how a DOAS/chilled beam solution could operate, we’ll look at an existing low-rise commercial building designed and operating using a variable air volume (VAV) HVAC system. We’ll consider an office building with five floors, a total area of around 200,000 sq. ft. Our sample building uses the current ASHRAE ventilation guidelines of 17 cubic feet of air per minute (CFM) per person. Using a conventional HVAC system based on 400 sq.ft./ton, we'll have a total of 500 tons. To calculate a total annual operating cost we’ll use $0.15/kw-hr and $0.95/ Therm, so we arrive at $360,000 (numbers for demonstration only).

A conventional VAV air handler handles total load (latent and sensible) for a building. In our example (see Figure 2) the air handler design has a recycled air duct introducing 90% return air. Looking at the air handler schematic, we need to circulate 200,000 CFM through the building to handle the design load. On the supply side we have: outside air intake at 10% of the supply air; a filter; a heating coil; a cooling coil; and a 210 HP supply fan. On the return side we have a 40 HP return air fan. With only 10% outside air introduced into the system. This leaves potentially virus-laden air to recycle throughout the building. To make our office building safer by doubling the amount of ventilation, from 17 CFM per person to 34 CFM per person, the air handling equipment might need to be upsized and extra costs will be incurred. An extra 167 Tons would be required to satisfy the load. Using the same cost structure as before, we have a new annual operating cost of $440,000 or an increase of $80,000 per year. The mechanical system would look the same as shown in Figure 2, except the exhausted and fresh ventilation air is doubled and the return air is dropped to 80%. The same HP fans would be in place to circulate the air.

Figure 2. A conventional variable air volume (VAV) system. 34

HPAC | MAY 2022

HPACMAG.COM

PHOTO: DISORDERLY/GETTY IMAGES

LOW-RISE COMMERCIAL

HYDRONIC RETROFIT Now to the hydronic retrofit solution using chilled beams. Again, we are trying to make this building safer by doubling the current ventilation standards but also effectively reducing the operating costs. Is this even possible? First, we will rely on the much more efficient distribution options with hydronics versus air. Just a reminder: 1 ton of sensible cooling (1,200 Btu/h) requires 550 CFM of air through a 10in x 12-in. duct, while that same 1,200 Btu/h can be achieved by 2.4 gallons per minute (GPM) of water through a ¾-in. diameter water pipe. In our same sample building, instead of the air handler treating 100% of the load we decouple it and replace the air handler with the DOAS. We treat just the latent load, which means only 40,000 CFM total for the entire building based on the doubled ventilation requirement (see Figure 3). The air is moved to the occupied space and then exhausted from the building meaning no air is recycled (no return air) and hence no virus-laden air is re-introduced into other occupied spaces. Applying the chilled beam injection pumping system (one pipe primary/ secondary with local mixing) will provide the increased ventilation we are seeking along with lower annual operational costs with savings of $90,000 due to the reduced fan energy. HPACMAG.COM

Figure 3. A dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS)

Figure 4. Operational savings of DOAS/chilled beam versus VAV.

The sensible load is conveyed to the spaces via hydronics using a single pipe distribution system with local mixing per active chilled beam zone for temperature and humidity control. A run-around loop is used to extract heat from the exhausted air and capturing this energy as first source for the incoming ventilation load. As mentioned throughout these two articles, a chilled beam can offer significant energy savings. In Figure 4 we see the air system’s energy profile. The energy required to generate the Btus to satisfy the loads is 55% of the overall required energy. The balance (45%) is used to distribute the Btus. A conventional chilled beam system decouples the loads, transporting the sensible load via hydronics reduces the fan horsepower required. While

some of this HP now shifts to pumps, the total savings can be significant. Chilled Beams are really the way to go in my opinion, and I expect this segment within our industry will grow. Seems to be a no brainer for any new building design, but this solution should also be considered for retrofit applications as well. I hope these articles at least inspired some additional thoughts. All buildings need to become safer indoor environments. This is where the fight against any future pandemic should begin. <> Mike Miller is VP Sales Canada, Taco Comfort Solutions and is a past president of Canadian Hydronics Council. Email: hydronicsmike@tacocomfort.com. MAY 2022 | HPAC

< PLUMBING

PLASTIC PIPE SIZING HPAC Magazine spoke with Lance MacNevin to break down the sizing challenges with plastic pressure piping for commercial applications. BY LOGAN CASWELL

This edition of 30 Mechanical Minutes featured a conversion between HPAC Editor, Doug Picklyk (left) and Lance MacNevin (right) from the Plastics Pipe Institute. MacNevin shared some history of plastic piping along with sizing tips for commercial applications.

n April 20th HPAC Magazine hosted the latest edition of 30 Mechanical Minutes, the free webinar series featuring virtual content for real world professionals. This edition zeroed in on plastic pressure piping in commercial plumbing, with a focus on the growing adoption of plastic pipes and sizing issues when it comes to design for plumbing and heating applications. The guest for this episode was Lance MacNevin, a frequent contributor to HPAC and the director of engineering with the building and construction division of the Plastics Pipe Institute. This edition was sponsored by IPEX.

HISTORY LESSON To begin, MacNevin shared some background on the early history of plastic piping in the construction industry, which dates back to the 1950s. The earliest residential installations of CPVC plumbing pipes was in 1959, and early-stage development of PEX piping was introduced in the1960s, with fullscale production hitting the European market in 1972 and really taking off in 36

HPAC | MAY 2022

Canada in the 1990s residentially, and then in the 2000s for commercial applications. Other materials like polypropylene and PE-RT piping were first developed in Europe in the 1980s and introduced in Canada in the 2000’s. From a building code perspective, MacNevin shared that both CPVC and PEX have been in the Canadian National Building Code since the 1990s, and polypropylene was adopted in 1995, while PE-RT appears in the latest 2020 National Plumbing Code released this past March. While most certified plastic pressure piping can be used for commercial systems, some materials are not available in the sizes required. For instance, PEX tubing is widely available in up to 2-in. diameter, while CPVC and polypropylene are made from ½-in. all the way up to 24-in. and 30-in. or even larger. In the field, plumbers will typically choose CPVC or polypropylene (including PP-R and PP-RCT) piping for its rigid characteristics on straight run installations. An example would be the vertical risers in multi-story buildings and horizontal headers of a school or an apart-

ment building or condo. The logic is that you don’t need flexibility along a riser or header, but you do need big pipes and big volume. Then when it comes to branching off to individual classrooms, bathrooms, apartments or hotel rooms, the more flexible PEX or PE-RT are the choice of installation professionals. MacNevin notes that all of the piping approved by the code has pressure rating for continuous operation of 100 psi at 180F giving plumbing installers the ability to seamlessly choose where they want to use rigid piping and where they want to use flexible pressure piping.

SIZING PLASTIC PIPING Clearing up some terminology, MacNevin then clarified sizing issues as tubing and pipe have dimensional differences worth explaining. “We call it all piping, but there actually are dimensional differences between tubing and pipe,” he says, and this applies to plastics and copper and steel piping as well. “Tubing” means the actual outside diameter (OD) is ⅛-in. larger than the nominal size, it’s also known as copper tube size (CTS). “Pipe” means the actual OD matches that of iron/steel pipe HPACMAG.COM

of the same nominal size, iron pipe size (IPS). “So when people ask for a plastic pipe or plastic tubing they really should use the right wording to make sure they get what they’re hoping for.” He also adds that polypropylene generally follows the European metric dimensions. When it comes to sizing piping correctly for plumbing and heating applications you need to know: 1) Required flow rate (GPM or l/min), 2) specific fluid type (water or perhaps a glycol mix for hydronics), 3) fluid temperature (which affects viscosity), 4) pipe type, inside diameter, and smoothness, and 5), pipe length and associated fittings. Since going with rules of thumb are not recommended, MacNevin shared how designers calculate pressure loss, velocity and the Reynolds number, an industry standard used to predict whether the liquid as a laminar or turbulent flow. The classic equation that is used by the industry for pressure loss calculations is the Darcy Welsbach equation. The Plastics Pipe Institute has a free online tool, the Plastic Pipe Design Calculator (PlasticPipeCalculator.com) which can be used for calculating pressure drop and head loss among other options.

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Lance MacNevin demonstrated a typical calculation using the PPI Plastic Pipe Design Calculator.

MacNevin provided viewers a concise walkthrough, demonstrating the ability to select piping and sizing type, wall types, and pipe diameter. Additional parameters on the calculator include flow rate, pipe length, fluid type and average fluid temperature. Individual fittings can also be included, and then the online calculator does the work to reveal the resulting flow type (laminar or turbulent), pressure drop, head loss and velocity. Pressure loss and velocity are the two main factors to be considered when sizing piping systems, says MacNevin. To reduce pumping costs and save energy, designers typically want to keep friction low, and they want to keep velocity down to mitigate noise and vibration. And yet stagnation for potable water is always a concern so you want to keep the water moving. Oversizing piping systems Continued on p38 HPACMAG.COM

It delivers greater corrosion resistance, flow rates and carrying capacity, and lower thermal conductivity than metal. It also has higher impact resistance, lasts longer, costs less to maintain AND weighs less than cast iron. System XFR DWV… fast becoming the preferred choice across Canada. System XFR DWV… fast becoming the preferred choice across Canada. Ask for System XFR DWV by name. Be sure to check out our entire line of DWV System pipe and fitting products. For more information contact 1-800-463-9572 or visit ipexna.com. Open your IOS or Android device and scan here for more information.

MAY 2022 | HPAC

< PLUMBING

Continued from p37

can lead to cost over runs and increased installation costs. Using the calculator, designers can try out different piping scenarios to find the right fit.

THE REYNOLDS NUMBER Also, for hydronic heating applications there is the very specific purpose of optimizing heat transfer through the wall of the pipe that’s located within a floor or encased in concrete outside in a snow and ice melt tubing system. For these applications a minimum fluid velocity is important for optimal heat transfer to encourage a turbulent flow. “You want the water moving fast enough so that it’s always mixing and you don't get any slow-moving boundary layers of water inside the pipe wall (laminar flow). To predict the velocity profile and flow regime, the Reynolds Number is calculated to find that “just right” pipe size. As MacNevin explains, the process for pipe design and specification is iterative, with the benchmark Reynolds Number separating laminar flow and turbulent flow at around 2,300. Above 2,300, the Reynolds Number indicates turbulent flow regimes that will give decent heat transfer through the pipe wall. There is also transitional flow, a rate between laminar and

turbulent, but as MacNevin points out, with radiant heating in a floor for example, the 180-degree bends in the typical small diameter tubing include even more churning and turbulence to prevent laminar flow, and so most radiant and snow melt systems are getting good heat transfer, even if people didn't design it that way. Yet, taking the time to calculate the proper sizing and ensuring a turbulent flow will lead to better results. “These are some of the factors that designers really should be thinking about when sizing pipes,” suggests MacNevin. “It's kind of like a Goldilocks situation, you don't want too much and you don't want too little, you have to find that middle ground and find the just-right perfect pipe. There's always an optimal pipe size for a situation, but it might take a little work to get there.” MacNevin also outlined how the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) offers a suite of tools for specifiers, designers, distributors, and installers, from training presentations and technical reports to case studies and more: visit www.plasticpipe.org/ BuidingConstruction for more information. <> To view this entire episode of 30 Mechanical Minutes, or see previous episodes, visit hpacmag.com/tech-pulse.

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MECHANICAL SUPPLY NEWS

MANUFACTURERS • DISTRIBUTORS • WHOLESALERS

New 70,000 sq. ft. building will add manufacturing space.

OUELLET GROUP ANNOUNCES EXPANSION Ouellet Group has announced the addition of a new building next to its plant in L’Islet, Québec. The new 70,000 sq. ft. acquisition adjacent to Ouellet is expected to increase manufacturing space well over 50%. Specializing in air conditioning, electric, gas and oil heating, the company employs over 500 and operates nine business locations and distributes 10 product brands across North America. ouellet.com DAIKIN APPLIED ANNOUNCES PRICE INCREASES Daikin Applied has announced a price increase of up to 12% on commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The increase is expected to apply to all new orders received after May 25, 2022. daikinapplied.com

NAPCO PIPE & FITTINGS RENAMED Westlake Pipe & Fittings, formerly NAPCO Pipe & Fittings, has announced its new name-change. “As Westlake Pipe & Fittings, we are refining our collaboration with customers to continually advance our pipe and fittings products and systems as well as innovate and reinvent solutions with the latest technology,” said Andre Battistin, vice president of Westlake Pipe & Fittings. Additionally, the recent acquisition of LASCO Fittings has allowed the company to provide a wider array of injection-molded fittings to current market segments and expand into new market segments including pool and spa, aquarium and waterpark, and golf irrigation. westlakepipe.com T&S BRASS TURNS 75 T&S Brass and Bronze Works has been providing solutions for the plumbing industry for 75 years — since 1947. Originally founded in New York, T&S relocated its headquarters and U.S. plant to South Carolina in 1978. Today T&S employs hundreds around the world at facilities in three countries. tsbrass.com

STELPRO GROUP ACQUIRES MÉTAL BF Stelpro Group has entered into an agreement to acquire Métal BF, a custom metal parts manufacturing company located in Terrebonne, Québec Founded in 1960, Métal BF operates in a 35,000-sq. ft. workshop processing steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper. Métal BF will remain independent to Stelpro, and production will continue at Métal BF’s Terrebonne plant. A plan to increase Métal BF’s production capacity is expected to be rolled out in the coming years. Groupe Stelpro now consists of electric heater manufacturer Stelpro, heating cable manufacturer Flextherm, controls manufacturer Synapse Électronique, metal parts manufacturer Métal BF, the Stello joint venture with Hilo - a HydroQuébec subsidiary, and a Sevcotech México joint venture production unit. stelpro.com HPACMAG.COM

DISTRIBUTION >> OS&B announced that Can-Aqua International has been appointed to represent its lines in Saskatchewan and Manitoba/Lakehead. osb.ca can-aqua.ca >> Aqua-Tech Sales and Marketing, the rep and master distributor for Lochinvar across Canada (except Quebec) has announced that True North Hydronic Sales is taking on all sales activities in Southern Alberta. aquatech-canada.com >> Bartle & Gibson has formed a regional partnership across Western Canada with DXV, manufacturers of bathroom and kitchen fixtures. DXVs product categories are now offered through Bartle & Gibson and Bartle & Gibson Showrooms. bartlegibson.com >> Wolseley Canada opened a branch in Richmond, B.C., a 12,000 sq. ft. site located at 7671 Alderbridge Way offering a full selection of plumbing products. The location includes a Wolseley Studio showroom, Wolseley store and a 7,000 sq. ft. warehouse. wolseleyexpress.com >> Stern-Williams Products announces that current rep agency Palser Enterprises is expanding to serve the Greater Toronto Area. Palser already covers the southwestern Ontario area for the brand. palserent.com >> Noble has opened a new branch in Stratford, Ont., 585 Wright Blvd., and will be opening an 8,500 sq. ft. branch in Owen Sound soon. noble.ca Continued on p40 MAY 2022 | HPAC

< MSN

Continued from p39

CANADA INFRASTRUCTURE BANK PARTNERS WITH JOHNSON CONTROLS The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and Johnson Controls have signed an agreement that commits more than $125 million to accelerate private sector decarbonization retrofit projects across Canada. The agreement sees the CIB investing up to $100 million toward commercial, industrial, manufacturing and multi-residential buildings leveraged through Johnson Controls OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings as a Service offering. “We are delighted to partner with Johnson Controls … to enable large-scale retrofit projects that will be carried out with no upfront investment from building owners,” said Ehren Cory,

CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank, in a media release. The CIB’s Commercial Building Retrofit Initiative targets building retrofit projects with a minimum of 30% greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction at the building level. Johnson Controls will identify and manage the retrofit projects and participating organizations will be provided with capital, expertise and solutions. Over the next five years, the collaboration is expected to reduce GHG emissions by more than 48,000 tonnes per year from the decarbonization of retrofitted buildings. In addition, according to the project parners, the projects are expected to create more than 900 jobs in the trade. <> cib-bic.ca

< PEOPLE IN MEMORIAM – Sadly we announce the passing of Pierre Dandurand, who lost his fight with cancer on April 14th. Dandurand was 59. Pierre was devoted to the HVAC industry, and many knew him through Victaulic where he worked since Dandurand 1990. He was also on the board of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH-Québec) for 10 years, including a term as president in 2008-2010. Bradford White Canada has named Mark Williamson as general manager/sales director and Ian Spalding has been named the company’s assistant general manager/controller. Williamson Spalding Williamson has more than 30 years of experience in industrial and consumer goods industries, joining Bradford White in 2017 as national sales manager, most recently serving as director of sales and marketing. Spalding has more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing finance and has worked at Bradford White as controller since 2000. Jean-François Charest has joined Thermo 2000 as national sales manager for Canada. Charest brings many years of experience as a sales manager in the HVAC business. He will develop the J-F. Charest company’s expansion across Canada.

HPAC | MAY 2022

Stelpro has appointed Patrick Charest as vice president, sales and business development. Charest will provide leadership in the planning and execution of sales and customer service strategies across all distribution channels and P. Charest territories. He has over 25 years’ experience in the manufacturing industry in sales, marketing, and general management. John Galyen, president of Danfoss North America since 2011, has announced his retirement, and Rick Sporrer, vice president sales America Sporrer for Danfoss Power Solutions, has Galyen been appointed to take over the role. Galyen and Sporrer will work together during with transition, with Sporrer fully assuming the position on July 1. Galyen joined Danfoss in 2001 holding various management-level positions prior to his appointment to president. During his 21-year career with Danfoss, he oversaw the company’s grow in North America – from $100 million in annual sales to $3 billion. Sporrer brings more than 30 years of customer and regional expertise and leadership to the new role. Steve Hocurscak has joined Watts as the senior product manager, regulators and automatic control valves (ACVs). He will have overall responsibility for developing and executing new strategies Hocurscak focused on business growth. HPACMAG.COM

PHOTO CREDIT

Bob Bettles has taken on the role of senior technical advisor with Powrmatic Canada. Bettles will be responsible for training both sales teams and clients in all six of the company’s branches. He brings experience in trade and wholesale public Bettles speaking and training roles.

Eric Bodanis is now Ontario sales manager with Calefactio. After 20 years with The Morgan Group, Bodanis joins the Calefactio family to take on new challenges in Ontario. Bodanis

SHOW REPORT >

LIVE AND IN PERSON The HVAC and plumbing industries gather at Spring events. HPAC STAFF

CMPX, the national trade show in Canada, returned after four years.

s pandemic restrictions lifted earlier this year the opportunity for large gatherings returned, and this Spring the HVAC and plumbing industries in Canada were happy to embrace the chance to reconnect and take advantage of trade shows and conferences.

The MEET Show in Moncton attracted nearly 6,000 people.

OGA town-hall panel: (l-r) Jeff Hunter, Jim Bolger, Martin Luymes, and Tim Weber.

hosted 15 sessions over the three-day show covering a wide range of topics. “CMPX proved if planned and executed properly tradeshows will continue to be a key element to meet the marketing needs of exhibitors,” reported Ralph Suppa, president and general manager of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH).

tractors, designers, drillers, manufacturers/distributors and industry advocates make up the Ontario Geothermal Association, and the industry came out in force for the association’s 'Closing the Loop Conference,' held Tuesday, April 26th, at the Hilton Mississauga. OGA president Jeff Hunter welcomed the crowded conference room, acknowledging the strong attendance as a sign of the growing interest in geoexchange technology. On-hand to introduce the keynote was Carlyle Coutinho, CEO of Enwave (the event’s lead sponsor) who announced the official launch of the company’s Geo-Communities business. The keynote included highlights from ground source heat pump research projects commissioned by HRAI and OGA, and Martin Luymes of HRAI explained how details of the research is being shared with governments and utilities across the country. The day-long conference featured a series of educational sessions highlighting the benefits and efficiencies of geoexchange systems, the opportunities ahead for the technology, along with the ongoing challenges the sector faces in building momentum and fulfilling its climate-friendly promise. <>

CMPX The Canadian Mechanical & Plumbing Expo (CMPX) successfully returned to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre March 23-35. The show received 16,059 registrations, more than 1,000 over its 2018 numbers, and just under 9,000 people attended the event over the three days. “You could feel the energy in the aisles,” said Sandy MacLeod, president/CEO of HRAI. “We were thrilled to hear from so many industry leaders that they were seeing old and new customers at CMPX.” A total of 2,899 exhibitor representatives spread out over the 68,000 sq. ft. in the North Hall of the convention centre for the show. New this year was the Podcast Hub, which hosted live conversations by HVAC Know it All (Gary McCreadie) and Refrigeration Mentor (Trevor Matthews). The Learning Forum HPACMAG.COM

MEET SHOW Atlantic Canada’s largest trade show for the mechanical industry, the Mechanical Electrical Electronic Technology (MEET) Show, returned for two days, May 4 and 5, at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick. Nearly 6,000 attendees made their way to the event, making it a very successful show. “We saw professionals from all across the country showcase the latest technology - from robots to heating units and smart building innovations, there was a lot to take in over the course of two days. We are hearing lots of positive feedback from exhibitors and attendees alike,” said Shawn Murphy, show manager.

ONTARIO GEOTHERMAL ASSOCIATION A passionate community of HVAC con-

MAY 2022 | HPAC

< SERVICE VEHICLES

SHIFTING GEARS, SLOWLY More hybrid and electric options are joining the service vehicle line-ups, but if you want one today the choices are still limited. BY JIL McINTOSH

ast year was an unusual one for the auto industry, as companies struggled with pandemic-related supply chain issues and, most notably, a shortage of microprocessor chips that stalled production. If you order a new vehicle, you may wait longer for delivery. It may also be missing certain features, such as heated seats, that dealers will retrofit once the chips come in.

Many companies are bringing in electric work vehicles, and some are listed among the brands below. Electric options will bring down your fuel bills and cost less to maintain, but remember that their stated range is an estimate and cold weather reduces it, and you’ll have to install charging stations to keep them going. Following is a complete listing of your service truck and van choices for 2022.

FORD

An all-new model for 2021, the F-150 receives only minor upgrades for 2022. New features include onboard scales, which can measure the payload weight, and Smart Hitch, which measures tongue weight. The 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel has been discontinued. Cab choices are regular, supercab, and supercrew. Turbocharged engine choices, called EcoBoost, are a 2.7-litre V6 or 3.5-litre V6; non-turbo engines are a 3.3-litre V6 and 5.0-litre V8. The F-150 hybrid uses the turbo 3.5-litre, and automatically switches between gas, electricity, or a combination. The newest F-150 is the all-electric Lightning. Depending on the model, it’s expected to have a range of 370 to 515 km on a charge, make up to 775 lb-ft of torque, and tow up to 10,000 lbs. Super Duty models, the F-250, F-350 and F-450, receive minor upgrades for 2022, including an available 12-in. touchscreen, while King Ranch and Platinum trims come only with 4x4. Cab choices

F-150 LIGHTNING PRO

F-150

are regular, supercab and supercrew, and engine choices are a 6.2-litre V8, 7.3-litre V8, or 6.7-litre Power Stroke diesel that makes 1,050 lb-ft of torque. The full-size Transit van gets some new features, including an automatic idle shut-off with timer and new shelving options. It comes with two versions of a 3.5-litre V6, one turbocharged; with available crew van seating; and in three

E-TRANSIT

lengths and three roof heights. New this year is the E-Transit all-electric version. It has the same configurations and interior dimensions, gets approximately 203 km on a charge, and offers an available on-board generator. The compact Transit Connect cargo van comes with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and can be ordered with a rear liftgate or cargo doors.

TRANSIT CONNECT Continued on p44

HPAC | MAY 2022

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< SERVICE VEHICLES Continued from p42

GENERAL MOTORS SILVERADO

EXPRESS

SAVANA

The mechanically-twinned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra receive a refresh for 2022, including new styling and interiors, new driver safety-assist technologies, 20% more torque on the 2.7-litre engine, and a 4,000-lb towing increase on diesel-equipped trucks to a maximum 13,300 lbs. Both brands are available in regular, double and crew cab. Engine choices are a 2.7-litre turbo four-cylinder; 5.3-litre V8; 6.2-litre V8; and 3.0-litre inlinesix turbodiesel. The last-generation models are also being built as the lower-priced Silverado Limited and

Sierra Limited. There will also be an allelectric Silverado by 2024. It will feature an integrated bed and “mid-gate” cargo bed extension, similar to the discontinued Chevrolet Avalanche. The heavy-duty Silverado and Sierra are unchanged for 2022, and come in 2500 and 3500 configurations, in regular, double and crew cab. The two available engines are a 6.6-litre V8, or a 6.6-litre V8 Duramax turbodiesel that makes 910 lb-ft of torque. Available features include eight cameras, with hitch views and a “transparent trailer” view of what’s behind the trailer.

The Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana cargo vans come in 2500 or 3500 configurations, in regular or extended wheelbase. It’s a very old design and with no major updates for 2022, but it’s a proven vehicle and upfits can be easily moved from older versions. Available engines are a 4.3-litre V6, a 6.6-litre V8, or 2.8-litre Duramax four-cylinder turbodiesel. GM’s new BrightDrop division will produce all-electric delivery vans at its facility in Ontario. The EV600 light-duty van is expected to have a 400-km range and be available to order this year.

BRIGHTDROP

SILVERADO EV

HPAC | MAY 2022

SIERRA HPACMAG.COM

MERCEDES-BENZ

The full-size Sprinter comes with a choice of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine; a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine; or 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine. Available configurations are 2500, 3500, 3500XD heavy-duty, and 4500. The cargo version comes in three lengths, and with a standard or high roof. There’s also a five-passenger crew van, in high-roof and with two lengths. Some models are available with all-wheel drive, which is updated for 2022. While the old system split the torque 35/65 front to rear, the new system varies the power distribution as needed for traction. There’s also a new Speed Delivery Door that automatically opens and closes when unloading, but it’s more suited for parcel delivery. An electric eSprinter is sold in Europe, and it’s expected to be available in Canada in 2023 or 2024, built in the U.S. The Metris is the only midsize cargo van in our market, and is unchanged for 2022. Available in two lengths, it uses a

SPRINTER

METRIS

2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with nine-speed automatic, and is rear-wheel-drive. The van can be optioned with a liftgate, or with a choice of dual cargo doors that open either 180 degrees or 270 degrees.

RAM

The Ram 1500 gets new trim packages for 2022 and options including an LED light that illuminates the hitch. The truck comes only in Quad or Crew Cab. Engine choices are a 3.6-litre V6, a 5.7-litre V8, or a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel. Standard on the gasoline V6, and optional on the V8, is a mild hybrid system called eTorque. The self-charging system adds electric torque on acceleration to improve fuel economy, but can’t run on its battery alone. Ram is planning an all-electric truck, expected to arrive for 2024. The last-generation Ram from 2018 is still being built as the lower-cost 1500 Classic. It comes in regular, quad and crew cab, with 3.6-litre V6 or 5.7-litre V8 but without eTorque, and the diesel isn’t available. The Ram 2500 and 3500 come in regular, crew, or mega cab, which de-

3500 HEAVY-DUTY

votes most of its extra length to storage behind the rear seat. Updates for 2022 include an all-new infotainment system and an LED light for the trailer hitch. Engine choices are a 6.4-litre V8 or 6.7-litre Cummins turbodiesel, which makes 850 lb-ft of torque. The 3500 further offers a high-output 6.7-litre diesel that makes 1,075 lb-ft of torque. An optional rear air suspension levels the truck when it’s loaded. Ram’s full-size ProMaster cargo van upgrades its six-speed automatic to a nine-speed for 2022, and adds a five1500

PROMASTER

PROMASTER CITY

passenger crew van. New features include wireless phone connectivity and Wi-Fi capability. The ProMaster uses a 3.6-litre V6 and is front-wheel-drive. That’s unique in the full-size segment and gives it a lower step-in height. It comes in 1500, 2500 and 3500 rating, with three wheelbase lengths, four body lengths, and two roof heights. The compact ProMaster City cargo van receives some new standard features for 2022, including driver’s-seat height and lumbar adjustment, cruise control, and backup sensors. It uses a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and can tow up to 2,000 lbs. Continued on p46

HPACMAG.COM

MAY 2022 | HPAC

< SERVICE VEHICLES Continued from p45

TOYOTA

TUNDRA

The Toyota Tundra is an all-new model for 2022, with a fullyboxed frame and redesigned suspension. The “i-Force” uses a new twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6, while the “i-Force Max” adds a hybrid system. Both use a 10-speed automatic transmission, and the hybrid is self-charging and can run on its battery alone at lower speeds. Both engines are available in 4x2 or 4x4. Maximum towing is 12,000 lbs for the i-Force, and 11,170 lbs for the hybrid. The i-Force comes in double cab or crewmax, while the hybrid is crewmax only. Both come standard with driver-assist technologies including adaptive cruise control, emergency front braking, and lane-keeping assist.

MIDSIZE TRUCKS FORD RANGER

While midsize trucks won’t handle the big jobs, they could be just right for lighter-duty such as service calls where a big truck isn’t necessary. There are a number of models to choose. Ford’s midsize Ranger is unchanged for 2022, and uses a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine with standard 4x4. It’s available in supercab with six-foot bed, or supercrew with five-foot bed, and can tow up to 7,500 lbs. There’s also the all-new compact Maverick, with gasoline engine or hybrid powertrain, and while it’s intended

GMC CANYON

FORD MAVERICK

primarily for consumers, some companies are successfully using it for business. General Motors offers the mechanically-twinned Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon in extended cab, or in crew cab with two box lengths. Along with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder and 3.6-litre V6, these two trucks offer a 2.8-litre turbodiesel, and that gives you up to 7,700 lbs of towing capacity. The Honda Ridgeline is also more consumer than commercial, but it’s still a very capable worker with its

NISSAN FRONTIER

CHEVROLET COLORADO

3.5-litre V6 and standard all-wheel drive, and a dual-hinged tailgate that opens conventionally or sideways like a door, for easy access to cargo. Nissan has a new Frontier, its only truck now that the Titan has been discontinued in Canada. It comes in king cab or crew cab, with a 3.8-litre V6, standard 4x4, and a top towing capacity of 6,490 lbs. The Toyota Tacoma comes in access cab or double cab, with 3.5-litre V6 and standard 4x4, and can tow up to 6,500 lbs. <>

TOYOTA TACOMA

Jil McIntosh is an automotive writer and reviewer with a specialty in trucks and commercial vehicles. McIntosh writes for several outlets and is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Her work can be found at WomanOnWheels.ca. 46

HPAC | MAY 2022

HPACMAG.COM

REFRIGERATION >

WHY CO2? – PART II

Re-visiting the return of CO2 as a refrigerant solution for supermarket applications. BY DAVE DEMMA

n the last issue of HPAC (March 2022) I wrote about the re-emergence of CO2 as a refrigerant being used in supermarket applications in North America. I’ve returned to share more on the subject, specifically some of the key differences between a CO2 system and our more common HCFC/ HFC refrigerant systems in place today, and also to share some potential system set-ups required to work with CO2.

CO2 DIFFERENCES 1. Higher Pressures: while CO2 pressures are higher than those experienced with HCFC/HFC refrigerants, this is not the first refrigerant to enter the marketplace with substantially higher pressures than the industry’s mainstay refrigerants. See Table A for a comparison between former mainstay refrigerants and the new refrigerant designed to replace it. The most recent example of this would be the higher pressures seen in an R-410A system as compared to an R-22 system. While it’s not of the same magnitude as the increase between CO2 (R-744) and R-404A, it’s still a good example. 2. At a given saturation temperature, the CO2 pressure will be substantially higher than HCFC/HFC refrigerants. For example, at a -20F SST, the corresponding pressure will be 200 PSIG. Because of the higher pressures, you may see Type K copper, steel, stainless steel, or hybrid copper-steel piping, depending on the application. For example, the maximum allowable working pressure for the CO2 LT Secondary system is 400 PSIG. This would be the rating for the system relief valves. As such, the copper tubing will need to have a MAWP rating of at least 400 PSIG. The 1-⅝-in. and 2-⅛-in. Type L copper tubing does not meet that rating, requiring Type K to be used for those two sizes. 3. The CO2 might be used as a secondary heat transfer fluid. 4. Insulation wall thickness will be 1-in. in mild conditions (80F dry bulb, 50% RH), 1-½-in. in normal conditions (85F dry bulb, 70% RH), and 2-in. in severe conditions (90F dry bulb and 80% RH). 5. Piping in display cases must be insulated. 6. Available in several different purity grades (as opposed HPACMAG.COM

to a single grade for HCFC/HFC refrigerants). The Coleman Grade, with a purity of 99.99%, is the recommended minimum grade for refrigeration applications. 7. CO2 has a greater volumetric cooling capacity as compared to common HFCs. For example, in a -20F application, R-404A has a latent heat of vaporization of 81 Btu/lb-min. In the same application CO2 has a latent heat of vaporization of 130 Btu/lb-min. The resulting mass flow requirement for CO2 will be approximately 38% less, with the benefit of smaller compressor displacement and smaller pipe sizes. 8. Due to the high operating pressures you will see more pressure relief valves. Anyplace in the system where liquid CO2 could be trapped with an isolation valve closure will require a relief valve piped in parallel. This allows a flow path for the potential high pressure CO2 in the isolated portion of the system to vent back to the main receiver vessel. 9. System Charging: after evacuating, break system vacuum with vapour only. The triple point occurs at 75 PSIG, charging liquid into a system which is at a pressure less than 75 PSIG will allow triple point conditions, meaning that some portion of the liquid will turn into a solid. This is known as deposition (or desublimination). It would certainly be unfortunate if dry ice were to form inside the system piping during charging. The system should be pressurized to somewhere between 200 PSIG to 250 PSIG to avoid this scenario. In the previous article I covered a series of important definitions including: critical point, critical temperature, critical

Table A. Pressure comparisons between refrigerants.

Table B. Pipe requirements CO2 secondary.

Continued on p48 MAY 2022 | HPAC

< REFRIGERATION Continued from p47

pressure, triple point, sublimation, subcritical and transcritical. Before we walk through four types of CO2 systems that might be present in a new application, let’s cover a few more system-related definitions: • Direct Expansion: A refrigeration system which includes a compressor, condenser, evaporator coil and some variety of expansion device. • Primary Refrigerant: A refrigerant which is used to lower the temperature of a secondary heat transfer fluid. For example, R-407A or R-448A could all be applied as a primary refrigerant. • Secondary Heat Transfer Fluid: A fluid used to transfer heat from the refrigerated space to the primary refrigerant. • Single-Phase Secondary Heat Transfer Fluid: A secondary fluid which absorbs heat by experiencing a sensible heat gain (temperature increase, but no change of state) • Two-Phase Secondary Heat Transfer Fluid: A secondary fluid absorbs heat by experiencing a latent heat gain, resulting in change of state. • Cascade System: A system having two (or more) refrigerant circuits, where the evaporator of one circuit provides the heat transfer capacity necessary to accomplish condensing in the second circuit. The cascade evaporator/condenser will typically be of the brazed plate heat exchanger type. • Upper Cascade: The refrigerant circuit in the cascade system which provides heat transfer capacity to the condenser in the second circuit. The heat transferred to the refrigerant in this system is rejected to some type of heat sink, typically an air cooled condenser, evaporative condenser, or water cooled condenser. • Lower Cascade: The refrigerant circuit in a cascade system which transfers heat from the refrigerated 48

HPAC | MAY 2022

Figure 1: CO2 Secondary – Liquid Overfeed System

spaces, and transfers that heat to the upper cascade.

CO2 SECONDARY – LIQUID OVERFEED SYSTEM This system will use a separate direct expansion system, whose purpose is to maintain a secondary heat transfer fluid at a specific temperature. It is similar in concept to a chiller system cooling down propylene glycol, which is then pumped to the various display cases and walk-in boxes, and used as the medium to transfer heat from those refrigerated spaces. The obvious difference being that CO2 has replaced the propylene glycol as the secondary fluid. Why bother using CO2 for this application? Glycol has been used with success as a secondary fluid in medium temperature applications. While a second stage of heat transfer will add some inefficiency, because the chiller negates pumping refrigerant to each display case and walk-in box, it does allow a huge reduction in refrigerant charge. Unfortunately, glycol is not suitable as a secondary fluid for low temperature applications. So, this method of reduc-

ing the refrigerant charge has not been an option for low temperature systems. CO2 allows secondary systems to become a viable option for low temperature applications. As opposed to the sensible heat transfer process which propylene glycol offers, CO2 offers the added heat transfer benefit of a fluid experiencing a change of state, which makes it a more efficient process. This, plus the fact CO2 has a greater volumetric cooling capacity, will allow for the use of smaller pipe sizes. Figure 1 shows a typical piping/component diagram for a CO2 Secondary – Liquid Overfeed System. This being a cascade system, an HFC system will provide the heat transfer capacity necessary to condense the CO2 vapour into a liquid. Note that the lower cascade (the CO2 portion) does not use a compressor. We’ll start at the Liquid Vapour Separator, which receives the liquid/ vapour mixture returning from the evaporators, and separates the two phases in the vessel. Liquid from the bottom of the vessel enters the pump inlet, which provides Continued on p50 HPACMAG.COM

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necessary pressure differential to supply liquid CO2 to the various evaporators connected to the system. As with any other refrigeration system, a main liquid filter-drier will be used to remove harmful contaminants from the CO2. From there, the CO2 enters a liquid header, where individual liquid circuits will supply CO2 to each evaporator. This is a liquid overfeed system where the CO2 flowing to the evaporators is already at the design SST. As such, no expansion device is required. In addition, the evaporators are circuited for the overfeed application. A solenoid valve at the inlet of the evaporator, controlled by either a standalone temperature controller, or the system’s central energy management controller, will regulate the flow of CO2 to each evaporator. When the temperature is above the set-point, the solenoid valve coil will be energized, allowing the valve to open. Liquid CO2 will flow through the evaporator, changing state as it absorbs heat from the refrigerated space. A mixture of liquid and vapour CO2 will flow back to the Liquid Vapour Separator, with the liquid settling to the bottom, and the vapour rising to the top. The cooler temperature occurring in the cascade evaporator/condenser will facilitate the flow of vapour from the separator to the condenser, resulting in a change of state from vapour to liquid, replenishing the liquid supply in the separator.

Figure 2: CO2 Low Temperature Direct Expansion Cascade – Subcritical System

CO2 LT DIRECT EXPANSION CASCADE – SUBCRITICAL

Figure 3 – CO2 MT Liquid Overfeed/LT DX Cascade – Subcritical.

Think of this as a typical vapour compression cycle, with CO2 as the refrigerant in the system. The only difference between a standard vapour compression cycle and the DX Cascade – Subcritical system is the fact that the heat transfer capacity necessary to condense the high temperature/high pressure vapour leaving the compres-

sor into a high pressure/high temperature liquid is provided by an HFC refrigeration system, with the heat transfer taking place in a cascade evaporator/condenser (Figure 2). Starting at the compressor: low temperature/low pressure vapour flows from the evaporators to the suction manifold, where it is then dispersed to

HPAC | MAY 2022

whichever compressors happen to be operating at any given time. The compressors will compress the vapour, with a high temperature/high pressure vapour exiting the compressor. As common in a typical HFC multicompressor rack, the discharge vapour flows to an oil separator before entering the condenser. HPACMAG.COM

Again, the main difference in this system is that rather than a traditional condenser, the discharge vapour enters the cascade evaporator/condenser. Here the HFC system provides the heat transfer capacity necessary to condense the CO2 discharge vapour mass flow into a liquid. From here on, the system is nearly identical to a standard HFC system, with the liquid refrigerant flowing into a receiver, through a filter-drier and sight glass, then onto a liquid header. Here the individual system branches are supplied liquid as necessary. Electric expansion valves have become a standard feather in LT CO2 applications, taking the high temperature/high pressure liquid and allowing it to experience a pressure drop to bring the liquid to the design SST. The liquid vapour mixture enters the evaporator, absorbing heat from the refrigerated space, and fully changing state into a vapour before the evaporator outlet. In the diagram in Figure 2, an electric suction line regulator is shown as the method for maintaining constant discharge air temperature.

CO2 MT LIQUID OVERFEED/LT DX CASCADE – SUBCRITICAL The system in Figure 3 shows a hybrid system, a combination of the two previously discussed systems. The addition of the MT liquid overfeed portion requires the receiver to be of the liquid/vapour separator design. Liquid from the separator is pumped to both the LT and MT evaporator systems, with the MT operating as flooded evaporators and the LT operating as DX evaporators. The liquid/vapour mixture leaving the MT evaporators and the discharge vapour leaving the LT compressors are piped together via a tee, and then flow into the liquid/vapour separator. From here, vapour condensation is accomplished as the lower temperature in the cascade evaporator/condenser draws the vapour from the top of the separator.

Vapour from the LT evaporator systems enter the LT compressors, which raise the low pressure to an intermediate pressure corresponding with the MT vapour pressure. The discharge vapour from the LT compressors flow through an oil separator, and then enters the suction manifold to the MT compressors. Here, the LT discharge vapour is joined by the vapour leaving the MT evaporator systems, and the entire system mass flow then enters the MT compressors. The discharge vapour leaving the MT compressors will first flow through an oil separator before entering the gas cooler. Now, if the ambient conditions are such that the SCT is less than 87.9F, the CO2 vapour will indeed condense into a liquid. In this condition, the system will operate similar to a typical vapour compression cycle, with the liquid leaving the gas cooler flowing into the receiver, and supplying the liquid header as needed. But for those times when the SCT is above 87.9F, the gas cooler transfers heat from the discharge vapour without a change of state taking place. This “neither liquid nor vapour” mixture enters the flash tank, where the “flash tank bypass valve” will vent the high pressure to the suction manifold of the MT compressors. Continued on p53 22_0883_HPAC_MAY_CN Mod: April 4, 2022 9:54 AM Print: 04/19/22 2:50:33 PM page 1 v7

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CO2 BOOSTER – SUBCRITICAL/ TRANSCRITICAL SYSTEM The final system is the granddaddy of sustainability, as it eliminates the need for any refrigerant other than CO2. As such, in ambient conditions where the resulting saturated condensing temperature will be greater than 87.9F the system must operate in the transcritical region. Since above the critical point the CO2 will not exist as a liquid, this presents a challenge that must be dealt with by different system design/components (Figure 4). This is a two stage (compound) compression system, which in principle isn’t unlike the many R-22 two-stage that saw use after R-502 was phased out. The idea is that compressing the vapour from the low temperature evaporator systems in two stages allows for greater compressor efficiency by reducing the operating compression ratio of all compressors.

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This allows sufficient reduction in pressure/temperature to move below the critical point, and allow the CO2 to revert to a saturated condition, with both liquid and vapour phases present. From here, the liquid is supplied to the liquid header, supplying liquid to the various liquid feeds to each evaporator system as needed. There are a few problems with the transcritical application: (1) Due to the higher condensing temperature and pressure, the higher compression ratio results in a less efficient compression process; (2) the refrigerant quality (% vapour) after the expansion process is greater, meaning that greater mass flow is required to provide the same mass flow of liquid at the evaporator inlet; and (3) some amount of MT compressor capacity is dedicated to bringing the transcritical refrigerant mass in the flash tank back into a subcritical state. These have the combined effect of reducing the system efficiency, requiring extra compressor capacity to meet the design load condition. One partial solution against the inefficient transcritical operation would be the addition of an adiabatic gas cooler. Think of a condenser/gas cooler with

Figure 4: CO2 Booster – Subcritical/Transcritical.

the incoming air being treated first by an evaporative cooler, to reduce the warm ambient air temperature to a cooler entering air temperature. Well, there it is, a brief but lengthy overview of various CO2 systems available for sustainable supermarkets. As I stated in Part 1 of this article, the CO2 movement has seen a tremendous increase in Europe and it’s growing in North America. And while I hadn’t been

too enamored with CO2 before, that’s changing. <> Dave Demma holds a degree in refrigeration engineering and worked as a journeyman refrigeration technician before moving into the manufacturing sector where he regularly trains contractor and engineering groups. ddemma@uri.com.

THE SOURCE ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE

Adrian Steel.....................adriansteel.com...............................p.43 Bradford White................bradfordwhite.com/infinitiseries...... p.5

National Energy Equipment........................nee.ca...............................................p.23

Franklin Electric.............littlegiant.com..................................p.38

Powrmatic.......................powrmatic.ca....................................p.55

Fujitsu..............................fujitsugeneral.com...........................p.56

RLS Fittings....................rapidlockingsystem.com..................p.49

Gree..................................gree.ca.............................................. p.17

simPRO............................simprogroup.com/ca......................... p.7

ICP....................................keeprite.com.....................................p.19

Thermo Mfg.....................thermopan.ca...................................p.20

IPEX..................................ipexna.com.......................................p.37

Trimble..............................construction.trimble.com.................. p.2

Kane.................................kanetest.ca.......................................p.21

Uline.................................uline.ca............................................. p.51

Mestek.............................spacepak.com..................................p.27

Viessmann.......................viessmann.ca...................................p.31

Mitsubishi Electric.........mitsubishielectric.ca........................p.13

Yorkland Controls...........yorkland.net...................................... p.10

HPACMAG.COM

MAY 2022 | HPAC

CALENDAR

FOR THE LATEST EVENT NEWS, SEE HPAC'S NEWSLETTER @ HPACMAG.COM

2022

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic visit event websites for the most current updates. IDEA 2022 – Building Connections June 6-9

CIPH Annual Business Conference (ABC) June 19-21

Taking place at Sheraton Centre, Toronto, the International District Energy Association (IDEA) annual conference connects members of the district energy industry from across North America and around the globe.

CIPH’s Annual Business Conference will run in person at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Alberta. Attendees must be CIPH members.

ciph.com

districtenergy.org

Ventilation 2022: 13th International Industrial Ventilation Conference for Contaminant Control June 22-24 The Ventilation 2022 Conference will take place at the Sheraton City Centre in downtown Toronto. Inaugurated in 1985, the event takes place every three years allowing time to develop new research and technology applications and to document the findings.

ashrae.org

Retrofit Canada Conference June 23-24

ASHRAE Annual Conference June 25-29

Modern Hydronics Summit September 15

The second annual Retrofit Canada Conference will be taking place in-person in Toronto and will also feature a live streaming option for attendees. The conference will address issues for contractors and engineers in the mechanical and plumbing industries.

This year’s Annual Conference is being hosted in Toronto at the Sheraton Toronto. The technical program is comprised of eight tracks including: connected buildings; cold climate building system design; IAQ, energy use, comfort and health of sustainable buildings; and buildings in the aftermath of COVID-19.

This in-person educational conference and table-top tradeshow focuses on the latest in hydronics and is being held at the Universal Event Space in Vaughan, Ontario. Hydronics pros and those new to the trade will all learn at this HPAC Magazine event.

retrofitcanadaconference.com

modernhydronicssummit.com

ashrae.org/conferences

NADCA Technical Conference September 15 – 17

ASPE Convention & Expo September 16-21

HRAI Annual Conference September 18

Hosted at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the event is a place where colleagues can reunite, new technicians can learn about the industry, and new equipment will be showcased.

The ASPE Convention & Expo is designed to enhance the professional development, technical education, and career growth of plumbing professionals. The event will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This will be an in-person conference and it’s being held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, a stone’s throw from Parliament. The event will include keynote presentations and committee meetings.

nadca.com

expo.aspe.org

hrai.ca

Canadian Hydronics Conference September 27-28

MCAC Annual Conference 2022 September 28-October 1

NAFA 2022 Annual Convention October 11-14

The Canadian Hydronics Council will bring hydronics industry professionals together in Saskatoon to connect in person and share knowledge and business building ideas.

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

Hosted at The Coeur d’Alene Resort in Idaho, NAFA members include air filter and component manufacturers, sales and service companies, and HVAC and indoor air quality.

ciph.com/page/CHC

www.nafahq.org

mcac.ca

Greenbuild International Conference and Expo November 1-2

The Solar Forum 2022 November 14-15

IGSHPA Annual Conference December 6-8

Being held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.

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

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

informaconnect.com/greenbuild

acca.org

igshpa.org

HPAC | MAY 2022

HPACMAG.COM

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HPAC May 2022

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