HPAC October 2014 by Annex Business Media

COMPRESSOR SELECTION

SNOW MELT DESIGN

District Heating update

STEP-BY-STEP HEATING CHECKLIST

ASSESSING THE ASBESTOS RISK

CROSS CONNECTION CONTROL

heat, power and the rules of

proportion

Rethinking a complex relationship

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T A

OCTOBER 2014

Vol. 88 No. 6

tents 32 heating

ake A Listâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Check It Twice T Step-by-step annual servicing of gas appliances.

36 plumbing

rison-Proof Design P Correctional facilities bring a unique set of challenges.

BY ROD YEOH

38 hydronics

now Melt System performance S The influence of sensitivity and storm characteristics.

BY ROBERT BEAN

A Relationship With Benefits

The affect of flow on heat output. BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER

24 Refrigeration

THE ART OF LEAK DETECTION Institute programs requiring regular checks. BY DAVE DEMMA

28 health & safety

Be Aware Of Potential Risks Just how much of a threat is asbestos to mechanical contractors?

BY MICHAEL GLASCO

30 hydronics

Making Sense Of The Numbers Boiler ratings: how to read them and what they mean to you.

By Mike Miller

hpacmag.com

42 refrigeration

I mprove Efficiencies With Careful Compressor Selection How to match a commercial refrigeration system with design conditions. BY AUTUMN NICHOLSON AND MIKE SAUNDERS

48 plumbing

YOU HOLD THE POWER Crackdown on backflow bylaw enforcement creates demand for cross connection control specialists. BY STEVE GOLDIE

events C IPHEX WEST preview Schedule, speakers, hydronic conference, session descriptions, product showcase

DEPARTMENTS 8 Upfront 10 News Feature:

Together By Design Trades students help rebuild hurricane-ravaged communities. BY PATRICK CALLAN 12 Industry News 86 Mechanical Supply News 88 People 96 Calendar 99 The Source 101 Training

october 2014 | HPAC

contents

CONTINUED FROM P5

75 M ANAGEMENT

Fleet Tracking: a boost to mobile intelligence BY RYAN DRISCOLL

HPAC Magazine 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 TEL: 416.442.5600 FAX: 416.510.5140 www.hpacmag.com Editor Kerry Turner (416) 510-5218 KTurner@hpacmag.com

heating anatomy of a single-zone System

Assistant Patrick Callan (416) 442-5600, ext. 3524 Editor PCallan@hpacmag.com Sales & Marketing Kim Rossiter (416) 510-6794 Coordinator KRossiter@hpacmag.com Associate David Skene (416) 510-6884 publisher DSkene@hpacmag.com

Account Stephen Kranabetter (416) 510-6791 Manager skranabetter@hpacmag.com

heating District Energy Heats Up Across Canada BY PATRICK CALLAN

Art Director Sandy MacIsaac (416) 442-5600, ext. 3242 SMacisaac@bizinfogroup.ca Market Production Barb Vowles (416) 510-5103 Manager 800-268-7742, ext. 5103 BVowles@bizinfogroup.ca Circulation Manager Selina Rahaman (416) 442-5600, ext. 3528 SRahaman@bizinfogroup.ca PUBLISHER Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 PLeonard@hpacmag.com

events refrigerants, controls top of mind at agm HRAI Conference Report

BIG Magazines LP Corinne Lynds, Editorial Director Tim Dimopoulos, Executive publisher Alex Papanou, Vice-president of canadian publishing Bruce Creighton, President of Business Information Group

By Kerry Turner

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240, Registration No. 10815

renewables Pellets To Pex Combi-systems supplied by modern pellet-fired boilers. BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER

100

inance F Business 101–an update on industry Canada's benchmarking tools BY HANK BULMASH

102

AS I SEE IT GET AHEAD OF THE GAME It is time to embrace your techie self BY ANDREW ILLINGWORTH

Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning (established 1925) is published 7 times per year by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. HPAC Magazine is the leading Canadian business publication for the owner/manager of mechanical contracting businesses and their supply partners. ISSN: 0017-9418 Contents Copyright © 2014 by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., 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: $40.00 CDN; Outside Canada per year: $80.00 US; 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: 800.387.0273, Fax: 416.442.2191; E-mail: jhunter@ businessinformationgroup.ca; or by mail: Privacy Office, 80 Valleybrook Dr., Toronto, ON M3B 2S9. 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.

PRODUCTS 46 Plumbing 66 CIPHEX West Product Showcase See the latest offerings in hydronics, HVAC, tools,

Notice: HPAC Magazine, BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd., 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.

plumbing, IAQ, and more.

80 WORKWEAR Showcase

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< UPFRONT apprenticeship loan: off the mark? the government of canada will introduce the canada apprentice loan in January 2015. Essentially an

expansion of the Canada Student Loans Program, the program offers apprentices registered in Red Seal trades the opportunity to apply for up to $4,000 per period of block-release technical training (see www.hpacmag.com, and p12 for more on this story). When we first reported on this on August 1, 2014, we received some interesting feedback. "Why change things to make a young person's life more complicated...," asks Stephen Reid. "A lot of these apprentices are not living at home and are just starting out and have not been able to save for a rainy day, let alone eight weeks with no pay, rent to pay, car payments, gas to put in their cars, and still put food on the table and a roof for a young family. Some even have to relocate because they are from out of town. So, give them the $4,000 for each time they have to attend school to help with tuition, living expenses, gas and food with no payback as a grant on the first day of school." John Rousseau of Prince Edward Island agrees. "Apprentices do not need loans. They need living and travel allowance grants," writes Rousseau. "Apprentices are usually young people just getting started. Why burden them with a loan and hire a bunch of bureaucrats to waste time and money keeping track of these loans. Just give the money to the kids and let them spend their time learning skills instead of wondering how and when they will be able to repay a loan. This is a lame program aimed at keeping the little guy down!" At press time, there were no new implementation details for the program. What I find interesting is the language used in government releases: The estimated net cost to the government would be $25.2 million, and so on. The cost is actually to Canadian tax payers. Perhaps a less paternalistic approach would have created a more palatable program for apprentices.

Editor

HPAC | october 2014

hpacmag.com

News feature

SEE THE LATEST HPAC e-newsletter @ hpacmag.com

From The Rock To New Orleans Trades students help rebuild hurricane-ravaged communities. News Feature by Patrick Callan

tices. They were able to use the skills they learned at school and put them into practice under the guidance of a journeyman plumber. The rest of the group was made up of students with various skills, such as engineers, carpenters and electricians. “They’re all learning from each other and then learning about the benefits of giving back as well,” said Spracklin-Reid. One of the projects plumbers worked on this year was a rundown homeless shelter where sinks were not working, showers needed caulking and several drains were plugged. Although it sounds like remedial work, Spracklin-Reid noted that the tasks were things that no one knew how to do or was going to do. Spracklin-Reid recalls plumbing student Matt Myers saying that he had never seen that level of poverty, and he was upset he could not do more because of their limited time and resources. Another plumber, Justin Blanchard, who had recently lost a few people close to him in tragic accidents, said the volunteer experience brought a sense of happiness back into his life because he was able to help others through tough times. “You get more out of volunteering than you ever put into it,” added Spracklin-Reid. Together By Design has worked extensively with the Annunciation Mission over the years, which houses volunteers in New Orleans. In addition to plumbing repairs, students have done foundation work, rebuilt sections of homes, installed 70 feet of sewer pipe (including digging the hole), and replaced sidewalks, washrooms and drain lines. The biggest asset Together By Design brings with them is their knowledge of a range of skilled trades. While many student groups volunteer in New Orleans, doing things like painting

Student volunteers (l-r) Kyle Parrell, Miya Janes-Green, Ryan Miya Janes-Green displays Monahan and Mark Fagan get ready to work on the laundry shed. her handiwork. 10

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

Mark Fagan (l) and Dave Mandville size up their work at the Annuciation Mission. hpacmag.com

Images: Becki Peckham | Bold Creative

t has been nine years since hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, LA with wind speeds reaching 175 m/h. In its wake, 1836 people were killed, millions were displaced and property damage was placed at $81 billion. While the mainstream media has long since moved on, a small group of engineering students and skilled trades apprentices from Newfoundland has not forgotten about the plight of those who are still struggling to rebuild their communities, nearly a decade later. Every spring for the past six years, the Together by Design team has traveled more than 4200 kilometres from Newfoundland to New Orleans to volunteer on reconstruction projects. The student volunteers, apprentices and their mentors come from Newfoundland’s Memorial University, Carpenters Millwright College and UA Local 740 Plumbers and Pipefitters Training Centre. Together by Design co-founders, Darlene Spracklin-Reid, who teaches engineering at Memorial University, and John Oates, president of Skills Canada Newfoundland and Labrador, started the organization in 2009 so that students could get the experience of “service learning,” which combines classroom teaching with community service. “I wanted to bring an opportunity to my students to be able to learn about the benefits of volunteering, but also to use their skills to give back,” said Spracklin-Reid. Before becoming an engineering teacher, she worked for 10 years as a construction manager and admits she was unprepared for the realities of working in the trades. “You really need to work hand-in-hand with your trades people. They’re the ones who really provide you with the guidance you need,” explained Spracklin-Reid. Two of the 10 students who took part in this year’s trip to New Orleans from April 26 to May 10 were plumbing appren-

and picking up garbage, the Together by Design team can help with some of the more advanced construction projects. “We’re still one of the only groups that goes down there that brings people with skills,” commented Spracklin-Reid. The bulk of the projects they have worked on have been in New Orleans’s Broadmoor area, which is now about 85 to 90 per cent recovered from hurricane Katrina. “But there’s still plenty of work to be done in New Orleans,” noted Spracklin-Reid. Next year’s spring trip coincides with the tenth anniversary of hurricane Katrina. Spracklin-Reid is hoping many of the students who volunteered in previous years will come back for a big reunion trip, which could focus on helping a veteran in need. For 2016, Spracklin-Reid would like to do an exchange program, where students who are studying trades in New Orleans would come up to Newfoundland to work on a project, and then they would all head down to New Orleans to work on another one. “Every geographical region has different ways to do their work. It’s a pretty valuable experience for everybody,” said Spracklin-Reid. For more information about Together by Design visit www.togetherbydesign.ca.

The water heater had to be drained before it was moved. Mentor Chris Gushue and student Matt Myers remove the water heater from the laundry shed.

Industry News, see p12

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OCTOBER 2014 | HPAC

Industry News

SEE THE LATEST HPAC e-newsletter @ hpacmag.com

North America’s largest tradeshow for the HVAC/R industry will take place at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL from January 26-28, 2015. The 67th International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Exposition (AHR Expo) boasts more than 100 seminars and educational sessions. Special show features include the software centre, the building automation and control showcase, as well as new product and technology theatre presentations. AHR Expo Innovation Awards will be handed out and the ASHRAE winter conference will take place concurrently with the show at Palmer House Hilton, January 25 to 28. More than 2000 companies from 35 countries, covering every segment of the HVAC/R industry, will showcase their products at the show’s 45 000 sq. ft. exhibit space. The three-day event is expected to draw more than 60 000 visitors from around the world. www.ahrexpo.com

Economic Action Plan 2014 proposes to create the Canada Apprentice Loan The Government of Canada is introducing the Canada Apprentice Loan in January 2015. An expansion of the Canada Student Loans Program, the program offers apprentices registered in Red Seal trades the opportunity to apply for up to $4,000 per period of block-release technical training. Canada Apprentice Loans will be interest free and no payments will be required until an apprentice completes or terminates their apprenticeship training program. Final implementation details are being developed. At least 26 000 apprentices per year are expected to apply for over $100 million in loans. The estimated net cost of these loans to the government would be $25.2 million over two years and $15.2 million per year ongoing. www.actionplan.gc.ca

Ontario to implement provincial pension plan The Wynne government in Ontario is introducing a mandatory provincial pension plan designed to help middle-income continued on page 14

ASPE lays groundwork for Toronto chapter; interim board elected L to R: Jim Kendzel, ASPE’s executive director and CEO, and the interim board of directors for the Toronto ASPE chapter: Patrick Fedor, vice-president, technical/ legislative; Bryan Young, president; and Roger Campovari, secretary/treasurer. The board will oversee the next two meetings and help transition the local chapter from interim to official.

The American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), which celebrated its 50th anniversary on September 18, 2014, held its inaugural Toronto meeting on September 10, 2014. ASPE pitched the idea of forming a local chapter of the international organization for plumbing design, specification and inspection professionals. Jim Kendzel, ASPE’s executive director and CEO, headed up the meeting at the Holiday Inn Toronto Airport East, which drew about 55 people from the GTA area. “I’ve personally taken on this goal of getting the Toronto chapter going,” said Kendzel, who more than once mentioned the success of Montreal’s ASPE chapter. Kendzel said the benefits in becoming an ASPE member include access to exclusive publications (print and electronic), monthly webinars, regional workshops, professional certifications, and taking part in ASPE’s convention/exposition and technical symposium. But he added: “The biggest benefit our folks talk about is networking at the monthly meetings.” The basic requirements to form an ASPE chapter are membership fees ($190 US), at least 20 members – full and associate – in good standing, an interim board of directors, and planning the next two meetings. Once a chapter is formed, it is responsible to hold monthly meetings (which consist of a networking component and technical presentation), provide a newsletter for members, and keep up with local code updates. Kendzel added that most chapters have some sort of annual event. The technical component of the first Toronto meeting included a presentation from Kevin Ernst of OS&B and Kevin Wong of CIPH, on the future of low lead plumbing in Canada. For detailed information on low lead changes, read The Lowdown On Low Lead in HPAC December 2013. The second ASPE meeting in Toronto will take place on November 12. It will look at updates to Ontario and Canadian plumbing codes. The third will be held on January 14, 2015 and it will cover drainline transport. Both will happen at the Holiday Inn Toronto Airport East from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. www.aspe.org 12

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

hpacmag.com

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< Industry News

continued from p12

earners without workplace pension coverage. The Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORIP) will be mandatory for more than three million Ontarians. It will require contributions from employers and employees, which is expected to generate about $3.5 billion annually. ORIP will provide a stream of income indexed to inflation and paid for life in retirement. For more information, see Ontario’s Proposed Provincial Pension Plan–Does It Make Sense? in HPAC’s August 2014 issue at www.hpacmag.com. www.ontario.ca

New hires at HRAI The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) recently added three staff members to its team. Muhammad Bilal and Chang Lee have joined the technical services department where they are responsible for general support. Bilal will focus on building code related issues and Lee will focus on standards and regulation related issues. Sadia Zafar has joined the organization in the part-time position of program assistant, support services for the director, programs and relations, technical services department, as well as due diligence, boiler and pressure vessel and the HVACR Heritage Centre. www.hrai.ca

Construction of Edmonton’s tallest tower begins this fall The Edmonton Arena District joint venture of the Katz Group and WAM Development Group will start construction of Edmonton’s tallest tower this fall. Stantec will be the anchor tenant of the 62-storey building on the corner of 102 Street and 103 Avenue. This one million sq. ft. mixed-use office, retail and residential tower will meet LEED gold standards. It will stand 746 feet tall and host 26 storeys of offices Edmonton’s tallest tower will stand 62 and close to 320 residential units. storeys and be When it opens in the summer of designed to LEED gold. 2018, it will be one of the tallest structures in Western Canada. Currently located in office buildings across downtown Edmonton and headquartered at 10160 112 St. NW, Stantec will lease approximately 450 000 sq. ft of the new tower. www.katzgroup.ca www.stantec.com www.wamdevelopment.com continued on p16

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HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

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hpacmag.com

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Low inlet gas pressure capability (NG) as low as 4 inches of water column

< Industry News

continued from p14

ORAC, JTAC launch soft website for apprentice program The Ontario Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (ORAC) and the UA Local 787-Joint Training and Apprenticeship Committee (JTAC) have soft launched a new website at apprenticehvacr.ca. The full site will launch on November 1. Applications to the first-year apprenticeship program will be accepted on the site from December 1, 2014 to February 28, 2015. www.apprenticehvacr.ca

Looking for the missing link between efficiency & profitability? HeatLink is a leading supplier of potable water and radiant hydronic heating/cooling and snow melt systems. For over 20 years we’ve lead the industry in creating efficient heating, cooling and plumbing systems for residential and commercial construction. All our systems are easy to install and backed by a full warranty. Our innovative products are engineered to set the highest standard in energy efficiency and increase installation and system operating effectiveness. You can’t beat the HeatLink systems for efficiency, quality and price. Whether you are installing a residential plumbing or heating system, or designing a large commercial installation HeatLink has the products, systems, and design capabilities to meet your needs.

Systems for life. www.heatlink.com

The 26th annual Construct Canada will be held from December 3 to 5 in Toronto, ON at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s South Building. It is taking place alongside PM Expo, HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo and Concrete Canada. This year’s event will expand to the North Building to include Construct International and IIDEXCanada. All shows combined will create The Buildings Show, North America’s largest exposition, networking and educational event, which will feature more than 1600 exhibits and 350 seminars and demonstrations. www.constructcanada.com

RPA/ASSE looking for input on new hydronics certification The Radiant Professionals Alliance (RPA) and ASSE International are seeking professional input as they develop an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recognized standard for hydronic and radiant heating/cooling designers and installers. The standard will allow authorities to recommend certification as a minimum requirement to obtain a business licence to practice hydronic heating and cooling within their jurisdiction. RPA will revise its current certification program to meet the requirements of the new standard. The training curriculum will assure that a professional contractor meets all of the testing requirements needed to achieve ASSE Certified status. Recertification would be required at regular intervals. www.radiantprofessionalsalliance.org www.asse.com www.ansi.org continued on p18

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

hpacmag.com

< Industry News

continued from p16

Cross-border builder challenge slated for 2015 Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) and Canadian Residential Energy Services NETwork (CRESNET) have announced the 2015 RESNET Cross Border Home Builder Challenge. In its second year, the challenge is a friendly competition between American and Canadian homebuilders. Seven builder awards are up for grabs: five based on having the lowest Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score for their specific category and two special president’s awards based on HERS new home ratings. “With well over one million homes rated in the U.S., the HERS Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is now being measured in the US and Canada. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance,” said Steve Baden, executive director of RESNET. "The Index is based on an assessment by a certified Home Energy Rater who evaluates the energy efficiency of a home and assigns it a relative performance score. The lower the number, the more energy efficient the home,” added Baden. "As in 2014, we are expecting some of the largest and most respected Canadian and U.S. builders to participate in the 2015 competition," said John Godden, CRESNET president. The awards will be presented at the 2015 RESNET Conference in San Diego, CA. CRESNET was formed in March 2007 and signed an MOU with RESNET in July 2007. RESNET developed a full set of standards of practice and technical specifications for rating the energy performance of residential buildings and HERS–a zero based energy rating system where a U.S. code house rates at 100. CRESNET adapted the technical specifications of HERS to calibrate the "100" point to better suit Canadian codes and practices after it was given the exclusive right in Canada to use and adapt the U.S. standards. The Canadianized version is called E-Scale. www.resnet.us www.cresnet.ca

Onus on homeowners to ensure annual service Stephen Koch, president of the Canadian Oil Heat Association (COHA), issued an e-mail in early August to COHA Ontario chapter members noting it has come to the association’s attention that “some members have been burdened by subrogation using annual maintenance as a reason to place blame on the industry.” Koch said the issue seems to have been initiated by a TSSA regulation that has been misinterpreted by lawyers and courts. Clarification from TSSA places the burden solely on the owner of the equipment (usually the homeowner). 18

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

Koch said COHA supports its members communicating to homeowners that it is their responsibility to ensure that yearly maintenance is performed on equipment. In other COHA news, the English and French versions of Today’s Oil Heat Technician’s Manual 3rd Edition is back in stock, as well as The Professional Driver’s Manual. Contact COHA at tel. 800-257-1593 or download an order form. Today’s Oilheat Guide to Fuel Storages-Best Practices for Installation & Maintenance of Fuel Oil Storage Tanks is also available in English or French. www.cleanerheat.ca

seidner award winner announced France Lemieux (l) of Health Canada, receives the Joseph K. Seidner award from Kevin Ernst of OS&B.

The Canadian Advisory Council on Plumbing (CACP) presented the 13th Joseph K. Seidner Award to France Lemieux, head of the materials and treatment section of the water and air quality bureau at Health Canada, at the annual CACP meeting in Fredericton, NB on August 19, 2014. The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) established the award in November 2000 to honour Joe Seidner’s legacy in the standards community. Lemieux has been an integral part of the standards development community, participating on several committees, task groups and industry advisory bodies over the years. Her most notable recent accomplishments were her role in the Council of Public Health Consultants at NSF, and working with industry to smoothly integrate the Canadian Consumer Product Safety Act into our regime of regulations, codes and standards. www.ciph.com www.hc-sc-gc.ca

direct energy sells service business EnerCare has purchased Direct Energy’s home and small commercial services business in Ontario for $550 million. Direct Energy and EnerCare have jointly served more than one million home services and water heater rental customers in Ontario for more than 12 years. EnerCare owned the water heater assets, while Direct Energy provided services and managed the customer relationships. This transaction combines the two parts of the business hpacmag.com

into a single entity, which is wholly-owned and managed by EnerCare. In addition to water heater rentals, the Ontario home and small commercial services business will continue to provide its nearly 1.9 million total customer contracts with plumbing, protection plans, HVAC installs and maintenance, duct cleaning, and other services. www.directenergy.com www.enercare.ca

Canadian achievements recognized at ashrae conference Four Canadians were among the 89 members recognized for their contributions to ASHRAE and the built environment industry at the society’s 2014 Annual Conference, held from June 28-July 2, 2014 in Seattle, WA. Edward Mackie, Fellow ASHRAE, life member, who lives in Coquitlam, BC, received the Distinguished 50-Year Member Award. Jean Bundock, project engineer for Roche Ltd. Consulting Group in Quebec, QC, received the Distinguished Service Award, which honours members of any grade for giving their time and talent. Michel Bernier, Ph.D., P.E., and Parham Eslami Nejad, Ph.D., received a Technical Papers Award for A Preliminary Assessment on the Use of Phase Change Materials Around Geothermal Boreholes. Bernier is a professor at Polytechnique Montreal in Montreal, QC; Nejad is a postdoctoral researcher at Conmet ENERGY, NRCan, Varennes, QC. Jared Larson, consulting engineer at MacPherson Engineering in Regina, SK, received the Student Activities Achievement Award. ASHRAE also installed several new officers and directors during the conference, including two Canadians. T. David Underwood, Fellow ASHRAE, life member, ASHRAE-certified commissioning process management professional, Oakville, ON is president-elect. Darryl Boyce, Fellow ASHRAE, assistant vice president, facilities management and planning, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, is the new vice president. Both positions are one-year terms. www.ashrae.org

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Contracting firm expands into Saskatchewan Ambassador Mechanical Corp., a multi-faceted mechanical contractor that has worked in Manitoba and southern Ontario for over 20 years, has expanded into Saskatchewan. Kevin Price, who was most recently with Uponor, is managing the Regina location at 129 N McDonald St., tel. 306.584.9644. The company, which recently moved its head office and warehouse facility to 110-400 Fort Whyte Way in Oak Bluff, MB. employs over 150 trades people. www.ambassadormechanical.ca <> hpacmag.com

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< hydronics

A Relationship With Benefits How flow affects heat output and ∆T. BY john siegenthaler

NOn-PROPORTIONAL things Hydronics also has its share of nonproportional relationships. One of them is how the heat output and temperature drop across a heat emitter is effected by the flow rate through it. For example, suppose a given length of residential fin-tube was yielding a heat output of 5000 Btu/hr when operating at a flow rate of one gpm. If asked what would happen when the flow rate is doubled, while all other conditions remained the same, many people, including plenty who work with this hardware every day, would say that heat output would double. That answer might seem intuitive, but it is not correct. How about if the flow rate were increased from one to four gpm? That is a 400 per cent increase, surely that would at least double the heat output. To answer this, just look at some I=B=R (Institute of Boiler and Radiator Manufacturers) output ratings from 20

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

baseboard manufacturers. They are given for a wide range of water temperatures and for flow rates of one gpm and four gpm. You will find the rating at a flow rate of four gpm is about six per cent higher than the rating at one gpm, all other conditions being the same. The reason lies deep in the workings of natural convection and thermal radiation between the outer surface of the fin-tube element and its surroundings. It is also affected by the forced convection between the flowing water and the inner surface of the tube. The theory is complex, but the results are simply how nature behaves.

MAKING SOME MEASUREMENTS Suppose you made up a hydronic circuit like the one shown in Figure 1. This circuit contains 50 feet of residential fintube baseboard, along with a variable speed circulator, flow meter, two temperature gauges and some type of heat source. That heat source is controlled so that the supply water temperature into the fin-tube element stays at 180F. You turn on the circulator at full speed and the flow meter indicates eight gpm. The inlet temperature is steady at 180F and in a short time the outlet temperature of the fin-tube element stabilizes at 174F. Knowing the flow rate and temperature drop along

the fin-tube, you can calculate the rate of heat dissipation. q = ( 8.01Dc)(f)(∆T)=(8.01x61.3x1.00) (8)(180-174)=23 570Btu/hr

Where: q = rate of heat output (Btu/hr) D = density of the fluid (lb/ft3) c = specific heat of fluid (Btu/lb/ºF) f = flow rate (gpm) ∆T = temperature drop (ºF) 8.01 = a number that makes the units correct Now that you have a reasonable measurement of the heat output at a flow rate of eight gpm, you reduce the speed of the circulator so that the flow rate drops by one gpm. Wait for temperatures to stabilize and then write down the measured flow rate and outlet temperature. You keep doing this for flow rates all the way down to 0.5 gpm. Then you use this data to calculate the temperature drop across the fintube element (that is ∆T) and its heat output rate. You then graph the results for heat output and temperature drop. They should look similar to the graph in Figure 2.

THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT IS The graph of heat output (q) versus flow rate is probably not what you expected – especially if you think proportionally. It shows that heat output from

Figure 1 Hydronic circuit

variable speed controller heat! source

Tin=180ºF

Tout=?

ﬂowmeter

hen “thinking mathematically,” most people work with proportions. For example, if someone is baking cookies and they want to make a double batch, they intuitively know they need to double the amount of all ingredients. So, if a person who thinks that way was told that a 100 horsepower engine, at full throttle, could make a certain car go 100 miles per hour and then was asked how fast would a 200 horsepower engine make the same car go, they would likely answer 200 mph. Unfortunately, nature does not always work in proportions. It takes almost 800 horsepower to produce that kind of speed. Most of that power goes into overcoming the aerodynamic drag of the car at those high speeds.

50 feet of ﬁn-tube baseboard! (rated at 600 Btu/hr/ft @ 200 ºF & 1 gpm)

hpacmag.com

Figure 2 Heat output and temperature drop

25000

heat output (Btu/hr)

20000 15000 10000 5000 0

3 4 5 6 ﬂow rate (gpm)

temperature drop (ºF)

50 40 30 20 10 0

hpacmag.com

the fin-tube element drops off rather slowly with decreasing flow rate, until you get down to to a flow rate of about two gpm. Below this value the heat output really nose dives as you further reduce the flow rate. Heat output changes very quickly at low flow rates, but very gradually at higher flow rates. This characteristic is shared by all hydronic heat emitters: fin-tube, convectors, panel radiators, and even radiant panel circuits. This trend also holds true at other supply water temperatures. Now take a look at the temperature drop across the fin-tube over the same range of flow rates. First, it is obvious that the temperature drop does not remain constant as flow rate changes. The ∆T happens to be at the commonly assumed value of 20F when the flow rate is just a bit over two gpm. As flow increases above two gpm, the ∆T keeps dropping. At

eight gpm it is only about 6F. When the flow is only 0.5 gpm, the ∆T is slightly above 55F. These ∆T values are the direct result of heat output. There is nothing in this setup that forces the ∆T to stay at any particular value. There is also nothing “wrong” with the fact that the ∆T is changing.

WHY 20? I think that a circuit temperature drop of 20F deserves a special place in the recorded history of North American hydronics. It deserves that distinction, not because of any technical merit, but because it has established an unwavering allegiance among many who design hydronic systems. I have seen this many times. Someone draws a box representing a boiler on a piece of paper. They draw an arrow pointing into this box and label it as 160F. Then they draw an arrow pointcontinued on p22

OCTOBER 2014 | HPAC

< hydronics

continued from p21

ing out of that box. Most of the time it will get labelled 180F. Change the label on the outgoing arrow to 120F and ask for an update on the incoming arrow. What do you think it is going to be? My bet is on 100F. It is as if the water “knows” how to increase by 20F as it passes through any hydronic heat source and then drop by 20F as it passes around any hydronic distribution system. This is not true and it is also not necessary. It is common in Europe to see panel radiator circuits designed for design load ∆Ts of 30F or perhaps even higher. They do this because it reduces flow rate and reduced flow rate means small pipes and small circulators. It also means lower operating cost. Over there, every watt counts. They won’t operate a circulator at 45 watts, if it can create the necessary flow rate at 35 watts. They care and so should we. Radiant floor heating circuits can also be designed for different design load ∆Ts. I like to design around 15F for floor circuits in areas that are expected to have “barefoot friendly” floors. The smaller ∆T reduces variation in floor surface temperature a bit compared to what it would be at a ∆T of 20F. However, in an industrial building, I may push the design load ∆T for the circuit up to 25F. That is because heated concrete slabs in most industrial buildings do not need to be “bare-

foot friendly.” Designing around slightly larger circuit temperature drops also reduces flow rate, which in turn decreases circulator size and power requirements. In summary, the relationship between the heat output of a hydronic circuit and the flow rate passing through it is not proportional. Neither is the relationship between the circuit’s temperature drop and the flow rate through it. Be sure to examine this relationship as you design future systems. Opportunities abound for reducing both installation and operating costs based on reduced flow rates and higher circuit temperature drops. <> John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a mechanical engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a licensed professional engineer. He has over 34 years experience in designing modern hydronic heating systems. He is also an associate professor emeritus of engineering technology at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY. See John in Calgary, AB where he will be presenting two sessions at the CIPHEX West 2014 Hydronics Conference. Presented by the Canadian Hydronics Council, the conference is at the BMO Centre, Stampede Park, Calgary, AB November 5-6. www.ciphexwest.ca

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< refrigeration

The Art Of Leak Detection

The key to success is to institute programs that require regular checks. BY Dave Demma

ne of my customers had a recent problem with his home air conditioning unit. He is a smart guy…a professional engineer with a fair amount of experience in our industry, but he has no field experience. Being in the business, his wife expected that he would be able to determine what the problem was and then repair it in a timely manner. For a couple of weeks he was able to put her off while he was attempting to solve the problem. During this couple of weeks his coworkers and I took great pleasure in hounding him on a near daily basis, asking “So, did you get the problem solved yet…”. At one point I suggested that he ask one of his company’s technicians to come over after work one night and take a look at it, but given the extreme workload in the summer, he did not have any takers. Eventually his wife became weary of his inability to deliver the “cold air,” so he was left with no other alternative then to call a residential air conditioning contractor. When it became common knowledge that he finally called a professional, we (his coworkers and I) were more than a little interested in what problem the contractor discovered. 24

HPAC | october 2014

Here is where it gets interesting. Apparently, the contractor determined that his unit was low on refrigerant. He added three lbs of R-410A and by that evening all was well in their household, as cold air was abounding. As my customer was relaying the events to me I asked what anyone with a technician’s background would ask: ”Where did he find the leak”? My customer asked that very question to his contractor and this was his response: “Well, normally you’d see some oil at the leak location. I did a visual inspection and didn’t find any oil. Also, it’s really tough to check for leaks everywhere, so I didn’t check anywhere but the condensing unit. Don’t worry. It was a little short of charge, but I don’t think there’s a big leak anywhere.” Post Script: In preparation for writing this article I revisited my customer. I asked him if his air conditioning unit was still maintaining temperature, to which he responded “It’s starting to get a little warm in the house, like it was before the contractor came out in the first place.” Let me share another experience regarding leaks, this one hpacmag.com

supermarket related. A certain pressure regulating valve that is frequently used in multi-compressor supermarket racks was “allegedly” experiencing leak issues, and the gasket was blamed. This was “allegedly” occurring in several locations and it was blamed for 100 lbs to 150 lbs of leakage every several weeks. I was dispatched to investigate the reported leaks in these stores. Upon arrival at the store the technician directed me to the valve in question. He brought out his electronic leak detector, checked the gasket joints on the valve, and sure enough the detector indicated a leak. I always like to verify/pinpoint the leak location with soap bubbles, so I asked the technician to bring his bottle of bubbles in. We generously lathered the gasket joints with leak detector soap and after several minutes we found the tiniest of tiny buildup of foam at one of the gasket joints. Was there a leak? Yes. Was this the leak that was responsible for 100 lbs to 150 lbs of leakage every several weeks? No and no – not even close. Now, the leak detector screams at the same volume whether this is a small leak or a large leak. When sensing a leak with a leak detector capable of sensing a leak in the range of 1/10 to 1/2 ounce per year, how big a leak are we really talking about? 1/10 of an ounce per year equates to one pound every 160 years. Yes, it is a leak but it is not the leak in question, causing up to 150 lbs of leakage every few weeks. If there were 50 such leaks on a rack, the resulting refrigerant loss would be of such minimal consequence that it could be considered a nuisance. This is not to say that these small leaks should be overlooked or ignored. They absolutely should be addressed and repaired. A small leak today might develop into a larger leak next month/year. Now here is the potential problem which resulted in my being called to this jobsite: a technician determines that the refrigerant level has slowly dropped over the course of months, adds refrigerant and then proceeds to leak check the rack. He will undoubtedly take the path of least resistance, and start in the machine room. When his electronic leak detector finds a leak at a regulating valve or a solenoid valve on the rack, how often does he determine that his job is finished? Unless the technician leak checks the entire rack, fixtures piped to the rack, the condenser and perhaps the piping too, then the leak check is insufficient. How often does an insignificant leak take the blame for substantial refrigerant loss, while the real leak goes undetected because a technician has not completely leak checked the entire system? When an electronic leak detector senses a leak, it should then be verified with soap bubbles. An alleged leak that can-

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Continued on p26 october 2014 | HPAC

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< refrigeration

Continued from p25

“How often does an insignificant leak take the blame for substantial refrigerant loss, while the real leak goes undetected because a technician has not completely leak checked the entire system?” not produce any visible soap bubbles is not the culprit in major repetitive refrigerant losses. Once a leak is identified (and ultimately repaired), the question should be asked: “Is this leak large enough to have resulted in any significant loss of refrigerant to the system?” If the answer is no, then the logical conclusion should be that there is still a leak somewhere in the store. POSTSCRIPT: After discussing this situation with the contractor owner, he directed his technician to leak check the entire store in question. Admittedly, this is a herculean task. It requires a technician with patience, and an unquenchable thirst for finding any and all leaks. Here is what the technician found after a full-day of leak checking the store: two ball valve leaks, one case hand valve leak, two TEV leaks and a liquid line with a loose clamp, resulting in a hole from constant rubbing against the strut.

Moral of the story: 1. If a system that was once properly charged is now short of refrigerant, there is a leak somewhere in the system. Adding refrigerant without finding/repairing the leak(s) does not address the root cause of the problem. 2. In large systems with longer piping runs, multiple compressors and/or evaporators, there might be more than one leak contributing to the loss of refrigerant. Now, let’s talk prevention. While the data is a little old, it serves the purpose of this discussion. In 2011, EPA reported that the annual refrigerant leak rate in a supermarket was 23 per cent of its total charge. I find this mind-boggling. Imagine going to your bank to make a deposit, to which they undoubtedly would thank you for patronizing their fine institution. Before leaving though, your teller feels compelled to offer the following disclaimer: “You know that sometime during the coming year we will likely be robbed and you’ll lose approximately 23 per cent of your account balance.” No way would you remotely tolerate that. You would immediately withdraw your funds and close your account. So, why is a 23 per cent (or 20 per cent, or 17 per cent or 12 per cent, or…) annual leak rate acceptable? Certainly with the long piping, multiple fixtures and multiple control 26

HPAC | october 2014

valves present in the typical supermarket there is a substantial amount of potential for refrigerant leaks to occur. But are there not any ways to proactively reduce the expected amount of leaks a system might see? I recall working with a grocery chain that employed a team of technicians to maintain their own stores. Any equipment problems/failures could only be blamed on them, since no outside contractor was involved in maintaining their equipment. After a particular year where their annual leak rate was substantially above the national average and their annual refrigerant purchases were cause for alarm, they decided to implement some standards for reducing their refrigerant leakage. Management instituted a quarterly leak check program and this included leak checking the entire store. They had a specific set of technicians who became their leak checking “champions” because they realized that some technicians were better suited for the lengthy and repetitive job of leak checking. The results were phenomenal. They reduced their refrigerant consumption nearly 50 per cent the year that program was instituted. There is no way to completely eliminate refrigerant leaks. Vibration and pulsation will occur and occasionally will result in broken/cracked fittings, capillary tubes, and so on. Clamps will occasionally come loose, resulting in lines that rub against strut and develop leaks. Seals and gasketed joints will leak at some point in time. There are some environments that will cause the copper tubing to erode, resulting in a refrigerant leak. The key to keeping leaks at a minimum is to institute programs that require regular leak checks. As part of a program of this sort, it is imperative that the person who is performing the leak check do a completely thorough job. <> 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. He can be reached at ddemma@uri.com. For more information on leak detection see The Quest For The Smoking Gun, HPAC May 2014 at www.hpacmag.com. hpacmag.com

< health & safety

Be Aware Of Potential Risks Just how much of a threat is asbestos to mechanical contractors?

sbestos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the word itself may bring to mind debilitating diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. It does not seem right that a naturally occurring mineral can do such harm. Well, it does...and it does not. It does cause these diseases if workers are overexposed to airborne fibres released from asbestos-containing materials over long periods of time. It does not cause these diseases if asbestos-containing materials are properly managed in-place, kept in good condition, or if workers are adequately protected. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of building materials to strengthen them, provide insulation, or to improve fire resistance. Materials that are known or found to contain asbestos are called ACMs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; asbestos containing materials. In most products, asbestos is combined with a

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

binding material so that it is not readily released into the air unless physically disturbed or damaged. These materials would be called non-friable. Other ACMs have the potential to more readily release fibres because they are fluffy or fibrous â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are called friable ACMs. If asbestos becomes airborne and is inhaled, it can remain in the lungs for a long period of time, producing the risk for severe health problems that do not appear until many years later. Asbestos can cause asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs that leads to breathing problems and heart failure. Workers who manufactured or used asbestos products and have high exposures to asbestos were often affected with asbestosis. Inhalation of asbestos can also cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen lining. The regulation of asbestos in Canadian workplaces falls hpacmag.com

Image: istockphoto.com

BY michael glasco

under the jurisdiction of the each individual provincial workplace safety authority. Their requirements are quite similar though. (see below) How can these occupational health and safety requirements affect the heating, plumbing and air conditioning community? Imagine a project where you are working in an older building (1990 or earlier). You would be acting in the best interests of your employer, yourself and building management if you requested the updated asbestos inventory for the building prior to your planned work on site. If they have an inventory you should review it and see if your planned work will impact any ACMs. If your work will impact ACMs, or if you will need to work in close proximity to an ACM, asbestos mitigation efforts may be required. If your work will not impact ACMs, then it may proceed without any special mitigation efforts but you should always keep in mind the materials that contain asbestos in the building. If they do not have an inventory and your work could impact potential ACMs, it is actually your obligation to not proceed with your work until those potential ACMs are accessed. Having to deal with an asbestos issue after it is discovered during a project only adds significant project delays and potential penalties. Imagine coming across a suspect material that has been damaged and one of the trades becomes concerned that the material contained asbestos. Testing confirms that it does contain asbestos... now there is a worker (or workers) exposed

Summary of Workplace Safety Requirements • An inventory of all asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) should be current. • ACMs should be identified by labels, signs, or other effective means. • A risk assessment needs to be conducted by a qualified person on all ACMs in the inventory. • Friable ACMs are controlled. • Proper procedures are in place for work with or in the vicinity of ACMs. • Worker exposures to airborne ACMs are assessed. • All workers at risk of exposure to asbestos receive adequate training.

Asbestos Containing Materials Some of the more common ACMs include, but are not limited to: • Structural sprayed-on • Roofing felts fireproofing • Adhesives • Mechanical insulation • Roofing asphalt (e.g. on pipes and boilers) • Floor tiles and vinyl sheet • Duct insulation flooring • Acoustical and decorative • Gaskets spray • Cement pipes • Drywall joint compound • Caulking putties • Ceiling tiles • Plaster • Cement board • Duct Sealants • Transite pipes • Vermiculite • Paper products

to asbestos and the regulators are knocking on the door. It is important to understand that just because a building is old and contains asbestos does not mean that all the asbestos must be removed. Through implementation of an effective asbestos management program that meets the requirements of the local occupational health and safety regulation, a group of trades can work in the vicinity of asbestos-containing materials without concern. For the heating, plumbing and air conditioning community, it is advisable that awareness training be provided so that these groups know what building materials can contain asbestos, what a proper asbestos inventory looks like and what a proper risk assessment is. This information would provide them the tools to work safely in buildings where asbestos may be present. As with any health and safety program element, documentation is the key. Documenting your review of an asbestos inventory is as important as is documenting your team's discussions about the ACMs on that particular site. If the asbestos issues are taken care of properly from the beginning, then the worker, employer, building manager and regulator are happy. <> Michael Glassco, ROHT is president of Sterling IAQ Consultants Ltd. in Vancouver, BC. He can be reached at michael@sterlingiaqconsultants.com.

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< boilers

Making Sense Of The Numbers Boiler ratings: how to read them and what they mean to you. BY mike miller, with John Goshulak and Rob Waters

HPAC | october 2014

typically show the Net I=B=R (Institute of Boiler and Radiator Manufacturers) rating. This is probably one of the most confusing numbers still in existence within our industry. It is the old school way of determining how much of the 65 000 Btus we can count on getting into the house. The rating goes back to the days when hydronic systems consisted of gravity circulation systems with big cast iron radiators. It assumed that the piping losses and pickup allowance would amount to about a 15 per cent loss, which would bring us down to 57 000 Btu/hr of usable energy to heat the building. Today, these losses are often much smaller with distribution systems such as radiant floor heating and fan coils, different piping materials (PEX, CPVC), or insulation of the distribution piping. We are still required to follow the industry guidelines and these I=B=R ratings are published. With many modern hydronic systems the DOE output can be used to select the size of boiler required to satisfy the building heat load. Beyond these numbers, you may still

independent testing lab and may not necessarily represent the efficiencies realized in the field. These numbers could make the company’s products look better. Not everyone is following that practice, otherwise all would be stating the highest number they could justify. So instead, the industry benchmark of AFUE should be considered, since all residential boilers up to 300 000 Btu/hr have to be tested to this standard. Other typical ratings that are shown on rating plates include both the input capacity and the output heating capacity, measured in Btus per hour (or Btu/ hr). These two numbers show that a boiler with an input of 70 000 Btu/hr burns fuel (natural gas, propone or fuel oil) to produce 70 000 Btu/hr of thermal energy. Not all of this energy is transmitted into the water, resulting in the DOE (U.S. Department of Energy) output heating capacity number of 65 000 Btu/hr. About 5000 Btu/hr go up the chimney, or are standby losses off the boiler. Following that, boiler manufacturers Figure 1 Sample Ratings

Vent Material

Boiler

Input

DOE

Net

DOE

Vent

MBH

Heating

I=B=R

Seasonal

Diameter

Water

Capacity

Water

Efficiency

Inches

Content

MBH

ratings

AFUE%

Max

Min

Gal.

MBH

ECO 110

110

ECO 155

155

ECO 70

95.2

PVC, CPVC, PP, SS

2.5

101

95.0

PVC, CPVC, PP, SS

2.5

143

124

95.1

PVC, CPVC, PP, SS

3.2

Weil-McLain Canada

Model*

Figure 2 Sample Ratings Boiler Model

VBC-18

VBC-22

VBC-33

Input - Btu/hr

90,000

116,000

146,000

DOE Output – Btu/hr

75,000

97,000

122,000

Net I=B=R rating

65,000

84,000

106,000

A.F.U.E

83.7%

83.7% hpacmag.com

Viessman Mfg. Canada

oiler ratings are a means of assessing whether the boiler (or any product with ratings) is capable of performing the function it is being selected for. They also establish a benchmark that all equipment is compared to. As is the case with most technical products (computers, smartphones, dishwashers, and so on), there is a standard by which these products are rated. If everyone agrees to test to these standards, then a summary table of performance ratings of all products can be used to compare different products and evaluate the best choice for the application. A great example of that is the typical heating boiler. All boilers from reputable manufacturers are submitted to a battery of tests to determine performance. The basic results are usually captured on the rating plate (see Figures 1 and 2) and can be reviewed on industry websites for proper comparison. I do not recommend the selection of boilers based solely on the ratings shown on a particular company’s website. The reason for this is that there are ways that some test results can be misrepresented to show the best possible performance. A more accurate industry test that is used as a benchmark to determine the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) simulates a real world efficiency that can be expected by the end user. The test parameters are very tightly controlled and verified, so all boilers with an AFUE rating can then be compared. However, there are some companies that refer to other (higher) efficiency numbers like Thermal or Steady State, which may not have been verified by an

see the EDR rating (Equivalence of Direct Radiation). Depending on whether it is a steam or water boiler, this number states the amount of radiation a particular boiler can heat, in equivalent feet. The factor for steam is 240 and for water it is 170. So a water boiler with a Net rating of 57â&#x20AC;&#x2030;000 Btu/ hr divided by 170 would heat about 335 feet of baseboard radiation. You may find EDR ratings for the oldstyle column radiators published in old manuals and catalogues. This is helpful when you are replacing an old boiler and you are uncertain of the amount of heat needed for the building. In the old days, the boilers were always oversized, many times by a factor of at least two. Counting the existing radiation within the building and determining the EDR allows you to then relate back to the output capacity

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required to select the appropriate boiler. No sense in putting in a boiler that is bigger than necessary for the amount of existing radiation. As with all equipment, when boilers are oversized the overall system efficiency suffers resulting in discomfort in the space and reduced equipment life expectancy due to short cycling. So, having an understanding of at least the basic ratings for a boiler and the radiation can very often help avoid oversizing on projects. All boilers may not be equal, but at least they can all be compared equally. Other information is often provided by the manufacturer on a boilerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rating plate, including the maximum water operating pressures and temperatures, content of fluid, minimum and maximum gas pressures (if gas-fired), heat exchanger surface areas, clear-

ance to combustibles, power ratings and boiler serial number. For newer projects, it should be safe to size using the DOE Rating, with the newer materials used for distribution piping (lower distribution losses) and building construction (lower external losses). If the building is older, the I=B=R rating may be the better sizing method. <> Mike Miller is director of commercial sales, Canada with Taco Canada Ltd. and chair of the Canadian Hydronics Council (CHC). He can be reached at hydronicsmike@ taco-hvac.com. John Goshulak is vicepresident sales and marketing with WeilMcLain Canada. Rob Waters is solar product manager with Viessmann Manufacturing.

october 2014 | HPAC

< service

Take A List – Check It Twice Step-by-step annual servicing of gas appliances.

ith the heating season at hand, it is time for you to provide annual servicing and maintenance of heating appliances. Whether this is done under a service contract, or as requested by the customer, regular service will improve efficiency, lengthen equipment life and reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It also provides an opportunity for you to offer guidance to the customer and possibly generate sales. While you are in customers' homes, ask them whether they have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors–you could save a life.

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ired equ ati ure s rmos s as r r e t p e s ng y G a heck o mpera n of th or beari sembl t o te s C r i o t a o k m ⃞ he c we ti n ra er and er a n t blo ow op e ⃞ C heck blower ect bl nd op e v a p e and ⃞ C bricat d ins peed es d h u n s L c a r ire uir e ⃞ lean wit we r e q c t ent f b lo su r e s C i k e n ⃞ he c p a s s re cle nd in le ) nd ⃞ C he c k p a ble ) s a ctor a ation plicab r ic C l e p in ⃞ p rn ne ap ( i f a e c t b u nt c o n d t e r m h t ( i f g n e p i l a v s t n e ⃞ I amin ystem st pilo ion ur e x s t r at ju ⃞ E nting d ad ctifica empe n uct ve ce e) t ka e re str hec flam ck (flu furna all. In C re to ⃞ he ck ta st s su es ei n in g nce ⃞ C e a s u r s p ip a n d r n t e n a a s p r e u t i p ga ter s m a i f ol d g c t in ⃞ M he ck l re uate ls n ir fi l ter r C fi a a o n ⃞ lean t m r if y c eq eve er o jus e r ad xide l ⃞ C stom d ad to v o n ai o n n u e o a c c ti ck e en nm t il a li a n et w he k app /ven carbo b ⃞C n lo c ted er nce s t io ⃞ C ombu r eleva chang if fere d x o C f er s te k re or ⃞ hec ct hea eratu lenum x teri ustom C e p p / e ⃞ hc r io r te m ur n nsp wit ⃞ I heck nd ret nt inte klist er b c a e C ⃞ che ply nu m ip m s u p n e q u l e te d m e & r p e a a l e e c o m c to r n n u m b ⃞C v ea o nt r a m e & L a ⃞ as c er n ⃞ G as fit t ⃞G

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HPAC | october 2014

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iler S ⃞ Ch erv eck o peratio i c e C h e c ⃞ Ch klist n of s eck p a r ⃞ Check essure reli fet y limit c ontrols ef w set po ater press valve ur e a ints ⃞ Ch n d te eck e mp er a x p a ns tu r e ⃞ Ch ion ta eck o n k p e ration ⃞ Lub o ricate circula f thermosta ⃞ Ch eck r t ting p adian u mp a device t floo s requ r (mixin te mp e ir ⃞ Ch g valv r a tu r e e d eck p e or e c ont ro r quiva (if app essure sw l lent) itches licable ⃞ Ins and v ) pect b ent blo ur n er s wer ⃞ Exa and c mine v le e a n ⃞ Che n if re t conn quired ck ven ector a t dam ⃞ Ch per op nd venting e ck a system e n r d a tion (i ⃞ Ch adjus f appli eck fl ame r t pilot light c ⃞ Me ectific (if app able) as u r e ation licable st ack ⃞ Ch ) ( eck g as pip flue) tempe ⃞ Ch r a tu r e ing to eck a boiler nd ad ⃞ Clo just m c k ap anifold plianc ⃞ Co g e to v mb erif y c as pressur ⃞ Che ustion/ven e or re c t tilatio ck for input n air a elevat ⃞ Ins d e e pect h d carb on mo quate eat ex ⃞ Che ck noxide c t e m p e h a n ge r levels supply ra and re ture dif fer ⃞ Cle en c e tu r n p an b et we iping. ⃞ Lea equipmen en t inter ve c o m ior/ex pleted ⃞ Ga t e s con r io che ck t r a c to list wit r ⃞ Ga r nam s fit te h c us e&n to m e r r nam um b e e&n r um b e r

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controls on of safet y limit ⃞ Check operati perature tem d an sure Check water pres ⃞ relief valve cable) ion tank (if appli ⃞ Check expans t ta os on of therm ⃞ Check operati blower switches and vent re su es pr ⃞ Check (if applicable) ed and clean if requir ⃞ Inspect burners ventct pe ins d connector an ⃞ E xamine vent ing system plicable) er operation (if ap ⃞ Check vent damp cable) pli ap just pilot light (if ⃞ Check and ad tification ⃞ Check flame rec e) temperature (flu ck sta ure ⃞ Meas ing ⃞ Check gas pip pressure just manifold gas ⃞ Check and ad input ct rre co ce to verif y ⃞ Clock applian te ua eq ad air ion ntilat ⃞ Combustion/ve r ge an ch ⃞ Inspect heat ex nt interior/ex terior ⃞ Clean equipme customer ed checklist with ⃞ Leave complet name & number ⃞ Gas contractor & number ⃞ Gas fitter name

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< service

continued from p34

Gas fi re A n nu place clea al m ning ai a s e t s, i n s er n t en a n c e nd servicin ts an d log on ga s l g og light ⃞ Clean er s: glas

Checklists are reprinted with permission from the BC Safety Authority. Note: servicing of gas appliances may include but not be limited to the above checklists. For more information visit www.safetyauthority.ca. <>

s and m anu unit a f a c tu r c cord er’s g ⃞C he ck ing to u id elines t he en t he . tire ve termin n a t t s ion fo y s t ⃞ Ins e m r cond and pect t ition a he ex n d op glass plosio er at n relie door gaske f flapp ion s e al t s to er s a e nsu r nd ⃞ I nsp e e a p ct th r op er e bu openin rner, gs ve n tu ⃞ Ins ri, an pect d air t he g as v a and p lve, g ilot sy as c o s te m ⃞ Ref mp o n e r to t e n t s, he ma e nsu r n u f a c tu e p r op r e r ⃞ ’s e r log p m anu Verif y lacem al to cor re c ent t op e equip r m ent : ation of all f a n s, c ont ro option t h er m al os t a t s ⃞ Kee l, safeties, e t c. , r em p the o fi t r e e p lace a combu rea cle stible mater ar and that c ials, fl ould b free o amma e dam f bles o aged fr r items om hig h hea t.

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< plumbing

Prison-Proof Design Correctional facilities bring a unique set of challenges. BY rod yeoh

n Canada, the administration of adult correctional services is a shared responsibility between the federal and provincial/territorial governments. According to Statistics Canada, in 2011, there were an average of 163â&#x20AC;&#x2030;000 adult offenders in the correctional system at any given time. In the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, over 2.2 million adults were incarcerated in federal and state correctional facilities at year end of 2011. In order to house these offenders, correctional facilities of varying types are required, and they present a number of unique challenges in their design and construction. The first challenge is the different types of correctional facilities, ranging from state or provincial to federal, from minimum to maximum and even super-max security. Additionally, you need different facilities to house adult males, females and juveniles. For obvious reasons, these different types of offenders have to be housed separately and have differing requirements. Even within a specific correctional facility, there are varying requirements. Standard cells have different requirements than isolation cells and segregation units have different requirements than those in general population. 36

HPAC | october 2014

What does all this mean for a mechanical engineer or plumbing designer? Having worked on various correctional facilities, including the first LEED Gold certified correctional facility in Canada, I can say that it means that we have to be very knowledgeable about the differing requirements. We also have to be flexible in order to deal with different and changing theories or strategies on how to deal with the unique challenges within a correctional facility. The key is to listen to the experts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the correctional officers and maintenance personnel that deal with the issues on a day-to-day basis. The first requirement for the design of plumbing systems within a correctional facility, no matter what type, is the need to ensure that systems are heavy duty and robust enough to withstand a lot of abuse. The first rule is to locate all equipment and services in areas that are not accessible to inmates. If any plumbing fixture, equipment, or accessory must be located in an inmate accessible area, it must be specifically designed to be tamper and vandal proof. As you can imagine, inmates in correctional facilities do not generally have good impulse control or they would not be there in the first place and tend to damage or vandalize anything they can. hpacmag.com

“…inmates tend to use the toilets as garbage cans, drink coolers, laundry facilities, or as a means to dispose of contraband. They sometimes even use it as a toilet.”

Heavy duty penal/institutional fixtures are available from various manufacturers, and must be chosen to suit the specific use. One interesting thing to note, anecdotally, is that female inmates are much less likely to damage plumbing fixtures in their own cells than males. I guess women are smarter and realize that they are the ones that suffer if they cannot go to the bathroom. One other consideration is the ability for water closets and associated drainage piping to handle large objects being flushed down them. Basically, inmates tend to use the toilets as garbage cans, drink coolers, laundry facilities, or as a means to dispose of contraband. They sometimes even use it as a toilet. It is very common for inmates to flush whatever they can down the toilet. Studies done in San Quentin State Prison in California showed that inmates flushed their toilets between 35-65 times a day. The prison cafeteria either needs to serve less coffee, or the inmates are not just using the toilet as a toilet. In many cases, they flush repeatedly or will flush blankets, clothing, etc., in an attempt to clog their toilets and cause flooding and disruption. With pretty much every aspect of their lives controlled and scheduled, the operation of the incell plumbing fixtures is the only control inmates have and they often abuse this control. As mentioned above, not only does the toilet itself need to be able to handle anything that is flushed, so does the drainage system. This is usually accomplished by oversizing the drainage piping and by installing multiple traps, screens and cleanouts, which are accessible by operations personnel outside of inmate areas. Sewage grinder pumps (or muffin monsters, which is a brand name that is used to refer to grinder pumps in general, similar to Kleenex for facial tissues) are also installed to handle anything that makes it past the traps and cleanouts. With buildings now moving towards sustainability, the need to be able to deal with this heavy use of toilets must be balanced with the need to reduce water consumption. Obviously, if an inmate flushes the toilet up to 65 times a day, this can result in large amounts of water being wasted. However, you cannot simply install low flow toilets, as you need larger volhpacmag.com

umes of water to ensure the fixture and pipes do not clog. One possible solution is the use of controls to limit the number of flushes. Controls can be installed to monitor the water systems and either shut-off water, or at least notify correctional officers if an inmate flushes too frequently. Another issue that must be considered in correctional facilities from a plumbing perspective is the fire protection system. Sprinkler heads in inmate accessible areas must be tamper-proof and must be designed to prevent inmates from hanging themselves or others from them. “Institutional” sprinkler heads are designed to break away if a heavy load is hung from it. While this prevents injury, it does create a secondary problem as the sprinkler system will discharge water into the space. While water damage and disruption due to vandalism is not a good thing, one benefit of the sprinkler activating is that it alerts correctional officers that someone has tampered with the sprinkler head. One method of mitigating the resulting water damage is to have solenoid valves on the sprinkler systems serving the cells. This allows corrections officers to shut-off water flow quickly and remotely, once it has been determined that the sprinkler activation was a result of vandalism and not due to fire. In this limited space I have only discussed a couple of the issues that must be dealt with in plumbing design for correctional facilities. There are many other issues to consider, but the points highlighted here are the main ones that come up on all correctional facilities. The thing to remember when designing anything in a correctional facility is a variation of the quote from “Field of Dreams.” In the case of correctional facilities, “if you build it, they will come… and try to break it”. <> Rod Yeoh, P.Eng., P.E., is a LEED accredited professional and a principal, mechanical engineering, with DIALOG in Vancouver, BC. As a sought after thought-leader, Yeoh has presented on sustainable mechanical systems integration to the Building Owners and Managers Association, BC Hydro, Terasen, Light House Sustainable Building Centre, ASHRAE, APEGBC and at Buildex Vancouver. october 2014 | HPAC

< hydronics

Snow Melt System Performance Understand the influence of sensitivity and storm characteristics. BY ROBERT BEAN

would speculate that if one were to do peer reviews of a thousand snow melt designs over the past decade, it is likely less than five per cent would have included a discussion with the client about the influence of storm characteristics on system performance. Despite the most current published research by ASHRAE, which incidentally is now 15 years old, designers still default exclusively to the mid-1950s Class Method for determining loads without considering how “load sensitivity” and “storm characteristics” might conflict with client expectations and the designer's chosen design and recommended system. For those unfamiliar with snow melt design, the historical Class Method stems in part back to the work of Adlam, Chapman and Katunich, who assigned a surface flux (Btu/hr ft2 (W/m2)) to maintain a percentage of the slab surface free of snow accumulation. The percentage was simplified by defining it as a free area ratio stated as 0.0, 0.5 and 1; this sequence was then later contracted respectively to the Class I, Class II and Class III system types. Generally what this meant is at some combination of outdoor temperature, wind speed and snow fall rate, a Class I system with a 0.0 free area ratio would tolerate complete coverage of snow on the surface. That is 0 per cent melting on contact with an expectation that the surface would clear after several hours of operation. A Class II system at 0.5 free area ratio would tolerate 50 per cent accumulation (essentially slush). A Class III system at 1.0 free area ratio would accept no accumulation, that is 100 per cent melting on contact. Class I was assigned by practitioners to low risk residential applications, Class II for moderate risk commercial projects and Class III for high risk institutional/industrial systems. Though this method served the state of knowledge of the time, ASHRAE research carried out in 1999 at the University of Minnesota by Ramsey et al and in 2001 by Spitler et al at Oklahoma State University (OSU) has since reevaluated the calculation procedure, which includes a study of load sensitivity and storm characteristics on performance. So, what changed? In lieu of the Class Method, Ramsey and his team introduced a design methodology around sensitivity tables defined as “Frequency Percentiles” in a project 38

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

titled, “Development of Snow Melting Load Design Algorithms and Data for Locations around the World.” Using a refined set of algorithms, results now reported in the ASHRAE handbooks are presented in terms of “...frequency distributions that indicate the percentage of time that the required snow melting load does not exceed the reported value.” These frequencies were reported for percentages of 75, 90, 95, 98, 99 and 100. Translation: if a maximum load calculated for an area ratio of 1 and represented by 100 per cent, and a design load is picked as 75 per cent, then it communicates to the client that the design load won't exceed the maximum load 75 per cent of the time or it can be stated that 25 per cent of the time the design load will be exceeded. Following this work, Spitler and his team looked at the methodology and noted, “Design loads (surface heat fluxes) have been calculated by taking the instantaneous weather conditions and calculating the flux required at the surface to provide a given free area ratio. In this type of calculation, no account is taken of the history of the storm up to the point of interest, and no account is taken of the dynamic response of the heated slab. However, this design heat flux can never be provided at the surface instantaneously.” From this position ASHRAE funded the “Development of a Two-Dimensional Transient Model of Snow-Melting Systems, and Use of the Model for Analysis of Design Alternatives.” A sample screen shot is shown in Figure 1. By incorporating the work from U of M with the work from OSU it is possible to look at what could happen to system performance in light of storm characteristics or what I like to call its “personality.” Such information becomes very useful in communicating to clients the potential results given methods of slab construction, design and assembly of the system and choices in control strategies. Let's look at one example using Figure 1. Make note from the upper part of the graph that the wind speed recorded at the beginning of the storm was at approximately four fps (4.4 km/hr) and increased over a 45 to 50 hour period to a peak of approximately 47 fps (51.6 km/hr) tapering off to approximately 10 fps (10.9 km/hr) after 77 hours. Make note of the gusts where the wind picked up and then dropped down. During this same period the dry bulb temperature gradually hpacmag.com

Figure 1 Storm characteristics and load sensitivity it is likely the system rose from 25F to 32F would be left in the (-4C to 0C) and then “on” mode at least undeclined to just above til hour 28, at which 0F (-18C) with the expoint it is possible the ception of three signifisystem would be cant drops ranging from turned off (or possibly 25 to 30F (14C to 17C) left on). The critical below melting temperachange in characteristure. Note that the pretic occurs at hour 30 cipitation rate, which where there is a simulfor the first 30 hours taneous increase in was rather mild with snow fall, increase in five instances of snow, wind speed and drop was followed by a in temperature lasting steadily increasing snow for 10 hours. If hour fall lasting for about 10 30 occurred on a hours. It then tapered Friday evening when off to the 52-hour mark (screen shot ASHRAE snow melt analysis program) the operator was abat which point no fursent and unable to turn the system on there would be an acther snow fall was recorded. cumulation of snow over the weekend. Once you are comfortable understanding the transient perGiven the previous operation, if a control activated the syssonality of this particular storm, ask yourself how choices in tem would the designed and delivered power be able to maincontrol strategies such as “on/off” or “idle/on” might betain the free area ratio without knowing if the snow intensity have from an energy consumption and performance perspecwould continue during uncertain changes in temperatures tive? Would it matter if the slab was coupled to the ground or and wind speed and wind direction? If the slab served a comdecoupled with insulation? Would it make a difference if mercial building using a Class II rating for a free area ratio of tubes were located deep in the slab or midway? How would 0.5 at a 150 Btu/hr ft2 (473 W/m2) but during hours 35 to 41 these and other design choices along with the storm characteristics fit in with various clients and their expectations? the actual load was 230 Btu/hr ft2 (725 W/m2), then it is very How likely would client's expectations be met if these elelikely that the slab would accumulate 100 per cent snow covments were not discussed? erage rendering it into a Class I system rather than the slush Consider this storm with an on/off control strategy and no expected from a Class II system. insulation. For the first seven hours and possible hours prior Perhaps the consequences for this client would be minimal to the data, the upper portion of the slab would be at or for a flat slab but what if the slab was sloped steeply toward closer to ambient conditions and the bottom of the slab a pedestrian sidewalk and street? We would now have a would be at or closer to the temperature of the earth (this health and safety liability issue to consider. can be the same or not). Then sometime around the sevenHow would this change if an “idle/on” strategy was aphour mark the building operator or controls turned on the plied. With such a system the pickup load would be minimal system in response to snow fall. and with sufficient capacity it would be able to maintain the At the time of “on” there would exist a “pick up” load where system to meet client expectations. But what if the storm the downward flow of heat to ground and upward flow of heat characteristics were such that only a drop in temperature octo surface heat would have to be of such intensity for some curred without snow fall, then the “idle/on” system would be time to bring the slab up above the melting temperature durconsuming energy even though there was no load. ing the snow fall. Because this first instance of a snow load Neither the “on/off” or “idle/on” strategy is right or wrong was very low during rising ambient temperature and mild but the choice will have an influence on energy consumption winds, it is quite possible that somewhere between hour 10 and how the system performs when exposed to different and 12 the system would be shut off. Shortly thereafter anstorm personalities. other snow fall occurs with greater intensity followed by an In the Frequency Percentile method, the designer is reaggressive but short lived drop in temperature. quired to evaluate and explain to the client the risks when a Given the following snow fall instances at hour 20 and 25, maximum system load of, say 100 per cent is designed to hpacmag.com

OCTOBER 2014 | HPAC

< hydronics deliver something less than 100 per cent. In this example, if the client decided to design for 100 per cent load at 230 Btu/ hr ft2 (725 W/m2) using an “idle/on” control the system would maintain a free area ratio of 1.0 during this storm. Every drop in percentile thereafter would increase the risk of the system developing slush or having a complete accumulation of snow. The Class Method lacks the sensitivity analysis provided by the Frequency Percentile Method and was inadequate in explaining to owners the effects of transient loads, variable expectations, appropriate systems, with associated capital and operating costs. With an understanding of sensitivity and storm characteristics it becomes easy to explain to clients. <> Robert Bean, R.E.T., P.L.(Eng.) is president of Indoor Climate Consultants Inc. and a director of www.healthyheating.com. He serves on ASHRAE Committees: T.C.61. (CM), T.C.6.5 (VM), T.C. 7.04 (VM), SSPC 55 (VM). www.healthyheating.com

See Robert in Calgary, AB where he will be presenting two sessions at the CIPHEX West 2014 Hydronics Conference. www.ciphexwest.ca Bibliography Bean, R. 2012. Thermal to Hydraulic Calculation Procedure for Snow Melting Systems, ASHRAE Conference San Antonio. Seminar: Energy Efficient Snow Melt System Ramsey, J.W., M.J. Hewett, T.H. Kuen, S.D. Petersen. T.J. Spielman, A. Briefer, (1999), Development of Snow Melting Load Design Algorithms and Data for Locations Around the world (ASHRAE 926-RP), Final Report. Atlanta: American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers Inc. Spitler, J.D., S.J. Rees, X. Xiao, M. Chulliparambil. 2001. Development of a Two-Dimensional Transient Model of SnowMelting Systems, And Use of the Model for Analysis of Design Alternatives (RP-1090), Final Report, Atlanta, GA: American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers Inc. XIAO, X. 2002. Modeling of Hydronic and Electric-Cable SnowMelting Systems for Pavements and Bridge Decks, M.Sc. Thesis, Oklahoma State University

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Improve Efficiencies With Careful Compressor Selection How to match a commercial refrigeration system with design conditions. BY Autumn Nicholson and Mike Saunders

ommercial retailers know that compressor selection is a vital part of achieving refrigeration system performance and efficiency objectives. Today’s changing refrigeration landscape is forcing retailers out of their comfort zone and making them reconsider traditional refrigeration approaches. Global regulations, including those proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are phasing down the use of hydroflourocarbon (HFC)-based refrigerants, are giving rise to many blended, natural and synthetic refrigerant alternatives. In addition, growing consumer and retailer emphases on energy efficiency and sustainability are driving the wider adoption of more complex, unconventional refrigeration system architectures. As a result, compressor selection is more Figure 1 Refrigerants with glide (zeotropic) have differing temperatures at evaporator entrance and exit points. Mid-point is an average of the two.

important than ever, and refrigeration system designers must have a clear understanding of design conditions and make careful selections to meet their unique system requirements. An increasingly complex, new generation of refrigeration architectures introduces a variety of design conditions. Most retailers are quite familiar with the traditional direct expansion refrigeration architecture that is typically found in large supermarkets. This system is made up of centralized racks, equipment in the back room, condensers on the rooftop, and refrigerant pumped throughout the store to the display cases. It carries a high refrigerant charge and enables high compressor superheats back to the racks. Some of the more common alternative architectures include: • Secondary systems pump secondary refrigerant (typically glycol or CO2) throughout the store and use closely coupled evaporator coils that enable lower superheats. • Cascading systems use a low-side cascaded direct expansion CO2-based system that’s directly tied to the high-side HFC system. While more complex, it enables a reduction in refrigerant charge and provides potential energy improvements. • Trans-critical booster systems are among the most complex systems in use today and use low temperature (LT) compressors to raise (or boost) the vapour pressure to the level of the medium temperature (MT) evaporators. CO2 refrigerant is used for both LT and MT parts of the system. Another important variable in the compressor selection equation is the increasing prevalence of zeotropic refrigerants. Zeotropic refrigerants (commonly referred to as glide refrigerants) are comprised of a blend of refrigerants, each with a unique boiling point that creates temperature fluctuations as the refrigerant enters and exits the evaporator. The difference between these temperatures is often referred to as temperature glide. This makes the awareness of midpoint, saturated suction temperature (SST) and saturated condensing temperature (SCT) very important to compressor selection.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS Refrigeration system designers have traditionally selected compressors to match the capacity anticipated on the hottest days of the year, accounting for a design Btu load and 42

HPAC | october 2014

hpacmag.com

high ambient temperatures. While this approach ensures required performance in extreme conditions, it does not always equate to achieving system efficiencies. In light of the changing refrigeration landscape, designers should evaluate compressor selection on three important considerations. Identify the difference between mid-point and dew point temperature. The dew point refers to the moment at which the last drop of liquid evaporates upon exiting the evaporator. In refrigerants with no glide (such as R22), assuming negligible pressure drop, gas enters and exits the evaporator at the same temperature (i.e., inlet and outlet temperatures are the same). But with a glide refrigerant (such as 407A), there is a temperature differential between the inlet and outlet of the evaporator, necessitating the measurement of mid-point. Mid-point temperature in the evaporator, then, is the average of refrigerant inlet and outlet temperatures, and is the best way to approximate the middle state of evaporation (see Figure 1). A compressor, conversely, actually runs at dew point in the vapour state, so selecting at mid-point alone would incorrectly match the compressor to the required load. System designers should perform a conversion between evaporator mid-point and compressor dew point conditions to account for the temperature differential; compressor manufacturers often provide software tools to make this conversion and aid in the appropriate compressor selection. Refrigerants with glide (zeotropic) have differing temperatures at evaporator entrance and exit points. Mid-point is an average of the two. Evaluate evaporator and compressor capacities and superheats. Understanding the evaporator and compressor loads you are trying to match is critical to the selection process. Even though the same mass flow is going through the compressor, system designers must consider the capacities of the evaporator and compressor. Evaporator capacity is often referred to as Net Refrigeration Effect (NRE), and is the available cooling generated from the refrigeration system. Compressor capacity is the cooling capacity generated from the evaporator plus the heat gained between the exit of the evaporator and suction into the compressor (or superheat). Return gas (RG) refers to the temperature of the gas as it enters the compressor and is the sum of the SST and superheat. Similarly, there are two components of superheat. Evaporator superheat refers to the points between when 100 per cent of the liquid has become saturated vapour and the evaporator outlet. In order to guarantee that liquid does not flood back to the compressor, systems are always designed with a positive superheat coming off the evaporator.

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Compressor superheat refers to the additional heating that takes place to the gas after it leaves the evaporator and before it reaches the compressor. Systems with long suction continued on p44

Compressor Selection — A Real-life Scenario Traditionally, refrigeration system designers base compressor selections on dew point conditions, Btus required at max load condition and a design safety factor. But often, the compressor selected is not the best match for the operating conditions. Figure 2 is an example that demonstrates the selection options available in the design process. This scenario uses R-407A refrigerant and represents traditional design conditions found in supermarkets with large centralized racks: • Required load: 40 000 Btu/hr • Design conditions: +20F evaporating temperature/105F condensing temperature/65F RG (evaporator temperature plus 45F superheat)/0F sub-cooling/10F evaporator superheat You can see in Figure 2 that the compressor selected has a capacity of 47 800 Btu/hr. Based on dew point, the compressor selected is 19 per cent oversized and results in seven per cent excess capacity for the evaporator. At the mid-point selection, it is even more oversized: 26 per cent for the compressor and 13 per cent for the evaporator. The third row (45F RG/10F eSH) shows a newer smaller system with lines more closely coupled to the evaporator loads; it won’t pick up as much compressor superheat. You can see that compressor capacity decreases and evaporator capacity goes up, but the result is still close to 20 per cent excess capacity versus the load. The final row shows the best match for the design conditions and is accomplished with the selection of a smaller compressor. The more appropriately sized compressor allows the refrigeration system to achieve improved efficiencies. Figure 2 Typical compressor selection often results in a mismatch between capacity and design conditions. The compressor selected in this scenario was oversized at dew point, mid-point and even after creating lower RG conditions. Not until a smaller compressor was chosen (see bottom row) did the selection match design conditions.

october 2014 | HPAC

< refrigeration

continued from p43

line runs have the potential to pick up quite a bit of additional compressor superheat. It is important for retailers to realize that there is an inverse relationship between compressor superheat and the capacities of the evaporator and compressor. Increased compressor superheat results in increased compressor capacity and decreased evaporator capacity. This is due to changing density of the gas going into the compressor as temperature increases, which effectively decreases evaporator capacity. Conversely, decreased compressor superheat results in decreased compressor capacity and increased evaporator capacity. System designers should be aware of compressor superheat in the design condition so that they can make compressor selections to match that condition. But, it is equally important to consider the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evaporator capacity and compare that against the design load requirements. Increase capacity through mechanical sub-cooling or vapour injection. Sub-cooling refers to the process of cooling the liquid refrigerant prior to evaporation. This is achieved in one of two ways: vapour injected subcooling via the compressor (e.g., a vapour-injected compressor); or mechanical sub-cooling via a separate cooling cycle. Regardless of the method, the net effect of sub-cooling is additional refrigeration capacity. Because the liquid is subcooled before entering the evaporator, there is more potential to warm it up as it goes through the evaporator. A mechanical or electronic expansion device is used to lower the refrigerant pressure, and at that point it goes into the evaporator and starts to boil. Sub-cooling means there is more liquid to boil (versus vapour), or put another way, more potential for latent heat to be transferred (versus sensible heat). Essentially, sub-cooling increases compressor capacity

Figure 3 Retailers often select compressors based on extreme conditions and neglect efficiency at lower ambient temperatures. Here, the ambient temperature of 96.7F was selected, even though that temperature only occurs nine hours annually.

without changing its displacement. Since the mass flow going through the compressor is not changing, yet there is more potential for liquid evaporation, not only does sub-cooling increase compressor capacity, it also maximizes the efficiency of the refrigeration system.

Consider AEER Versus EER When sizing compressors, refrigeration system designers tend to focus primarily on capacity. While capacity is important, efficiency should be factored in as well â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and not just the energy efficiency ratio (EER) but the annual energy efficient ratio (AEER). AEER takes into account ambient conditions throughout the year based on the installationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geographic location. When designers consider efficiency from an annual perspective, they can select a refrigeration system that has the potential to run more efficiently in winter months (and much of the calendar year) at much lower condensing pressures. Many systems are not designed to exploit this potential, and compressors are selected to perform best in high condensing conditions (see Figure 3). This represents a condition that only occurs on the hottest days of the year and in actuality may be a poor match for most common annual operating conditions. While compressors and evaporators must be sized to match the load at the hottest days of the year, the system should also be configured for low condensing conditions to maximize energy efficiencies.

Advantages of Proper Compressor Selection While regulatory changes and the energy efficiency initiatives may be forcing retailers to adopt new refrigeration system architectures, careful compressor selection has become more important than ever. There are many advantages to carefully sizing compressors to match the load. If smaller compressors match design conditions, retailers can save on equipment and installation costs. Appropriately matched compressors will result in fewer compression cycles, longer compressor life spans, and an increased potential for energy savings. Finally, retailers should check with their equipment manufacturers to utilize software tools that can accurately match compressor selection to design conditions. <> Autumn Nicholson is an account manager for the Emerson Retail Solutions business supporting supermarket customers in her region with their refrigeration and building control needs. Mike Saunders is the director of end user technical sales and support at Emerson Climate Technologies. He has more than 19 years of experience in refrigeration product development and support. His current role is educating and supporting supermarket operators on refrigeration trends and compressor technologies. www.emersonclimate.com

HPAC | october 2014

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< plumbing

You Hold The Power Cross connection control specialists are a hot commodity. BY Steve Goldie

he last time the word “backflow” occupied my thoughts was in the early to mid-1980s when I was completing my plumbing apprenticeship. Around that time there were code changes relating to backflow. From my perspective the most significant of those was the requirement that vacuum breakers be installed on outdoor hose connections. Since then there have been some changes making “premise” backflow mandatory in many cases. Premise protection means that not only do individual appliances such as boilers need to have backflow protection, but the buildings in which they are installed also need a backflow device installed at the point of entry to the building. An apartment building which previously had just an inexpensive dual check valve on the ½" water line to the boiler, may now need a larger, and much more expensive full-sized device on the main water line entering the building. The first and best method of preventing any type of backflow is by way of an air gap. The most obvious example of an air gap is the spout on your bathtub. The tub spout terminates above the flood level of the bathtub so that it would not be possible, even in a negative pressure situation, for the dirty, contaminated bath water to re-enter the potable system by way of the spout. Where air gaps are not possible or practical, mechanical backflow devices are necessary. There are three major types; the aforementioned vacuum breaker (VB), the dual or double check valve assembly (DCVA) and the Reduced Pressure Principle (RP). There are several versions of each of these types suitable for the varying installations, fixtures and risk factors.

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

It seems quite straightforward. Municipalities deliver safe clean potable water to homes, businesses and industry. We need to ensure that in the event of a backflow situation, the safe, clean potable water remains that way. When I was in trade school it seemed to me that putting vacuum breakers on every single hose connection was overkill. In order for a hose to contaminate the potable system, the scenario would need to go something like this: on a nice sunny summer day, my neighbour Jack is spraying herbicide on his lawn using one of those sprayers attached to the garden hose. His wife calls him in and Jack puts down the hose, but leaves the tap turned on, and goes inside. While he is inside, the water main ruptures down the street. This causes a negative pressure in the line connected to Jack's hose, which siphons the herbicide from the sprayer, down WHAT IS “BACKFLOW”? When we refer to backflow, we are talking about the reversal of the normal direction of flow in a potable water distribution system. There are two types of backflow: back-siphon, and backpressure. Back-siphon is caused by negative pressure in the supply piping, possibly as a result of a water main break or due to high water withdrawal rate such as fire fighting or water main flushing. This is exactly the type of backflow that those hose connection vacuum breakers are intended to prevent. Backpressure is caused whenever a potable system is connected to a non potable supply operating under a higher pressure such as a boiler, a high pressure car wash or perhaps a chemical feed system in an industrial plant. In these situations some type of backflow prevention device needs to be installed and maintained at the point of cross connection in order to protect the potable system from contamination.

the hose and all the way back to the water main. I arrive home shortly after the water main has been repaired and go to the kitchen tap for a drink of water. Just my luck, I get the water that has been polluted by Jack's herbicide. My wife is left a widow, my kids fatherless. Not a good result, a couple of my neighbours might be happy to see me gone, but killing people is not what we want to do with our potable water. There are hundreds of millions of hoses connected to potable systems all over North America. This kind of occurrence, although rare, can and does happen. Fortunately for all of us, I am not the one who decides the whos, whats and wherefores of public safety. There are organizations along with several layers of legislation, agencies and guidelines to ensure that the appropriate devices are installed and proper procedures are followed. Probably the most authoritative resource on water safety is the American Water Works Association (AWWA), an international nonprofit and educational society and the largest and oldest organization of water professionals in the world. Its more than 60 000 members include more than 4600 utilities that supply water to roughly 180 million people in North America. It is organized regionally into sections. The Canadian Section was founded in 1916 and has since evolved into five sections covering the country: Atlantic Canada (ACWWA), Quebec (QWWA), Ontario (OWWA), Western Canada (WCWWA) and British Columbia (BCWWA). The western section includes the Territories as well as Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. continued on p50 hpacmag.com

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The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has developed the technical standard for the manufacture of backflow devices, as well as the testing and selection procedures for these devices. There are other guidelines, including the AWWA Cross Connection Control Manual, but the CSA B64. 10 is the current standard for the industry. The B64 outlines the where and when backflow devices are required, charts out the three risk levels: minor, moderate and severe. It prescribes which type of device is required to obtain the adequate protection. The B64 also outlines where it is necessary to install a testable backflow device. Testable backflow devices have test ports, which enable a trained technician with the appropriate equipment to test a device to ensure it functions properly. In order to protect the potable

system, these devices need to be verified to be in working order at least annually. Testing must be carried out by a certified Cross Connection Control Specialist (CCCS). It is the responsibility of municipalities to draft and enforce bylaws to ensure the safety of potable water systems. Most provinces have toughened up safe water legislation giving the municipalities the legislative clout they need to do so. Many municipalities in Ontario have recently done just that, which has led to the increased attention to the issues of backflow. In trade school, we were encouraged to get our backflow tester certificates because it would be a lucrative business. Here in Ontario at least, that was not the case as enforcement of backflow testing seemed to be lacking. Now at last, it appears municipalities are se-

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rious about enforcing backflow bylaws. If you got your certification back when I did, you will likely have to re-certify as AWWA certification is now the standard. Training and testing is still handled through the community colleges, but the certification must be AWWA (or the regional section such as OWWA in Ontario). Call your local community college for availability, classes fill quickly. I know one contractor who flew from Ontario to Alberta to take a weekend certification course to obtain his certificate. He did this so he could service one of his larger customers who needed to meet the deadlines for compliance that their municipality had set. So there we have it, quite a convoluted trail to ensure a safe glass of water. Many people I have talked to have thrown up their hands in frustration wondering who the ultimate authority in these matters is. Is it the AWWA, the municipality, or CSA? The truth is that the person with the most authority in these matters is the properly trained journeyman or Master plumber. A plumber with his CCCS certification is the only professional who can properly and legally survey a building for risk, install backflow devices, repair backflow devices and test backflow devices in every type of installation. No other professional, even a professional engineer with his CCCS, can perform all of these services. If you have not already considered it, look into the opportunities and see if it makes good sense for your business. <>

With 21 years in the field, first as a plumber in the family business and then on the supply side, Steve is frequently called on to troubleshoot systems and advise contractors. He can be reached at sgoldie@nextsupply.ca. HPACMAG.COM

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CIPHEX WEST 2014 show preview

ore than 250 exhibitors will participate in CIPHEX West 2014 Trade Show & Conference in Calgary, AB. Delegates of CIPHEX, and the co-located Buildex Calgary, will have the opportunity to see the latest product offerings from manufacturers of plumbing, hydronics, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, geothermal heating, solar/hydronic combi-systems, fire protection, industrial pipe, valve and fittings, luxury bath and kitchen, as well as water treatment products from Canada, the U.S. and overseas. Buildex offers over 225 exhibits and 35 educational seminars directed to three professional markets: interior design and architecture; property management; and construction and renovation. In addition to the exhibits, the 2014 show will feature a Hydronics Conference with hydronics experts Robert Bean, Dan Holohan and John Siegenthaler participating (see p58 for details on the conference, bios are below). With a focus on what is new in 2014 and what the industry can expect to see in the future, CIPHEX West will also feature seminars (see p60) focusing on new plumbing codes and standards, trends in plumbing and HVAC/R, and emerging technologies. Six sessions

CIPHEX West 2014 BMO Centre, Stampede Park, Calgary Wednesday, November 5 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Thursday, November 6 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. www.ciphexwest.ca

in the seminar and workshop program offer American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) CEU credits for ASPE members (see seminar descriptions on p58,60,61). One session offers GBCI credits from CaGBC. Other features at CIPHEX West include Hydronics Alley, which is a section of the exhibit hall devoted to hydronic heating systems, and the popular New Product Gallery. The trade show and conference event is produced by the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH), with support from the Canadian Water Quality Association, the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, the Canadian Hydronics Council, ASPE, the Thermal Environmental Comfort Association and the Canadian Association of Pump Manufacturers. www.ciphexwest.ca

Presented by the Canadian Hydronics Council, the CIPHEX West Hydronics Conference features HPAC columnists John Siegenthaler and Robert Bean, together with Dan Halohan. Sessions will be held in the Palomino Room of the BMO Centre. Advance registration is required for the paid sessions.

John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a mechanical engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a licensed professional engineer, and Professor Emeritus of Engineering Technology at Mohawk Valley Community College. “Siggy” has over 30 years experience in designing modern hydronic heating systems, including several using renewable energy subsystems. He is a hall-of-fame member of the Radiant Panel Association, and a presenter at national and international conferences on hydronic and radiant heating. Siegenthaler is principal of Appropriate Designs – a consulting engineering firm in Holland Patent, NY. He currently writes about hydronic heating and solar thermal system design for several trade publications including HPAC Magazine.

HPAC | october 2014

A Registered Engineering Technologist in Building Construction (ASET) and a Professional Licensee in Mechanical Engineering (APEGA), Robert Bean provides business, design and educational services related to buildings, energy and indoor environmental quality systems. He is president of Indoor Climate Consultants Inc. and director of www.healthyheating.com. Bean has delivered hundreds of lecturers/seminars/ courses for industry and professional associations and serves on numerous advisory boards and technical committees. He is a special expert on the IAPMO Uniform Solar Energy and Hydronic Code committee. He is a past two-term ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, recipient of the ASHRAE Lou Flag Award, recipient of the HRAI Education Supporter Award, inductee of the RPA Hall of Fame and recently listed by Contractor magazine as one of the top 18 most influential people in the plumbing and hydronics industry. He is a regular contributor to HPAC Magazine.

Dan Holohan first became involved with heating systems in 1970 when he went to work for a New York-based manufacturer’s representative that was involved in the steam- and hot- water heating business. He studied hard, prowled many basements and attics with seasoned old-timers, and paid close attention to what they had to say. Today, he operates www.HeatingHelp.com. He has written hundreds of columns for trade publications, as well as 17 books on subjects ranging from steam- and hot- water heating, to teaching technicians.

Sessions descriptions on p58 hpacmag.com

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Hydronics Conference Program* SESSION 1 Low Temperature/Low Mass Heat Emitters For High Performance Hydronic Heating Date Wednesday, November 5 Time 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Speaker John Siegenthaler, P.E. ASPE CEU Credits

This session will focus on the cutting edge hardware and design approaches needed to build heating distribution systems that can operate at supply water temperatures no higher than 120F (48C). There will be a discussion on a range of radiant panels including methods for wall and ceiling heating and design information on low temperature panel radiators, fin-tube baseboard and convectors. Low temperature distribution systems are crucial to high performance mod/con boilers, as well as systems that use thermally based renewable heat sources such as solar collectors, heat pumps and solid fuel boilers. Designing around low water temperatures also helps “future proof” systems that are likely to operate with different heat sources over their useful life. Low mass heat emitters are particularly well suited to well-insulated buildings, where internal heat gains can quickly change comfort levels if the heat emitters are not able to keep pace. Admission: $40 (plus tax). Includes workshop and continental breakfast; after October 31, admission is $60 (plus tax). SESSION 2 Building Science 101: Enclosures As A Filter, Sponge And Capacitor Date Wednesday, November 5 Time 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Speaker Robert Bean

*As available at press time.

SESSION 4 Hydronically Speaking: Ask The Experts Date Wednesday, November 5 Time 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Panelists Robert Bean, Dan Holohan, John Siegenthaler Moderator David Hughes, Associate Chair (Special Projects) of Pipe Trades, NAIT Do you have a question about hydronics you always wanted to ask? Do not miss your chance to hear from top industry voices: Robert Bean, John Siegenthaler and Dan Holohan. Admission: Free (seating is first-come, first-reserved) SESSION 5 Unique Hydronic Details For Domestic Water Heating Date Thursday, November 6 Time 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Speaker John Siegenthaler, P.E. ASPE CEU Credits

This session will focus on contemporary methods of configuring hydronic systems for providing domestic hot water. These methods can be applied to systems using conventional heat sources such as boilers, as well as systems using thermally based renewable energy heat sources such as solar collectors, heat pumps and solid fuel boilers. The session will focus on technical details that are synergistic to overall systems operation, including space heating and cooling. It explores the advantages and limitations of several approaches and presents information that designers can use on a wide range of projects. Admission: $40 (plus tax). Includes workshop and continental breakfast. After October 31, admission is $60 (plus tax)

ASPE CEU Credits

Today's heating contractor by necessity is transforming into a building and systems advisor. This is an introductory course on the science of buildings, including a study of materials and moisture and heat flows through the enclosure; the role of high performance building techniques on energy, thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Admission: $20 (plus tax); after October 31, admission is $40 (plus tax).

SESSION 3 The Top Ten Dumb Things We Do With Hot Water Date Wednesday, November 5 Time 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Speaker Dan Holohan No matter what size hot water heating systems you are installing or troubleshooting, you will enjoy Dan Holohan’s take on hydronics. He has seen a lot since 1970 and he has watched plenty of contractors and engineers scratch their heads over seemingly unsolvable problems. “Most of the time it’s because of something dumb, all of which I had to learn the hard way,” says Holohan. His stories will have you smiling and his word pictures will have you “thinking” like water and air. Admission: $20 (plus tax); after October 31, admission is $40 (plus tax).

HPAC | october 2014

SESSION 6 Updated ASHRAE Design Methodology For Snow Melting Systems Date Thursday, November 6 Time 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Speaker Robert Bean Although the Class Method is still used by many in the industry, the Percentile Design Method was introduced into the ASHRAE handbooks shortly following the release of the 2001 ASHRAE Research Project 1090 Development of a Two-Dimensional Transient Model of Snow Melting Systems. The course is an introduction to this methodology and includes a study of storm characteristics and the effect on control strategies and slab surface performance. Admission $20 (plus tax); after October 31, admission is $40 (plus tax). See p60 for the SeminarSchedule, and see p62 for Exhibitors List. Don't miss the Product Showcase p66.

See us at booth 437

hpacmag.com

www.franklinwater.com

Little Giant wastewater and HVAC products offer more features, accessories, and total value for professional contractors. For more information on Little Giant products, contact your local plumbing distributor.

Seminar schedule & Speaker Profiles CIPHEX West seminars (with the exception of the Hydronics Conference, see p. 58) are free to anyone wearing a CIPHEX West or Buildex Calgary badge and will take place in the CIPHEX West Theatre in the exhibit hall. SEMINAR W3 WHAT CANADIANS CAN EXPECT FROM LEED v4 Time 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 5

ASPE CEU Credits | GBCI Credits

SEMINAR W1 WATER DISINFECTION Time 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. ASPE CEU Credits

What are disinfection techniques? What are the concerns? Why is it needed in water systems? Maintaining integrity of water systems? Aaron Biffert speaks about his experiences rehabilitating and replacing systems following the Calgary floods. Speaker Aaron Biffert Biffert is the co-owner of Ecowater Systems Calgary. He has been in the industry for over 20 years and has been a water treatment systems dealer in the region for 17 years. He is a Canadian Water Quality Association Certified Water Treatment Technician (III) and currently serves as president of the Canadian Water Quality Association. SEMINAR W2 TEN WAYS TO CONVERT PROSPECTS INTO CUSTOMERS Time 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. This "how-to" presentation will provide 10 ways to improve customer engagement and deliver mutually beneficial business relationships. You will leave this session armed with techniques you can use right away to engage customers, improve conversion on sales and create long-term sustainable and profitable relationships. This session is suited to those who are just starting their careers, or those who want to brush up on their sales and customer relationship management skills. It will focus on sales techniques for contractors, but the tips and tools can also help inside and outside sales reps, as well as marketing and management professionals. Speaker Suresh Parmachand Parmachand is the strategic and creative director at Stratovate Group, a full service marketing and strategy agency. With over 15 years experience working with brands such as GE, Wal-Mart, ICI, and Holcim, he strives to be a customer advocate. He is a graduate of Edinburgh Business School with an MBA and MSc, specializing in marketing and strategy. See p58 for Hydronics Conference Program See p62 for Exhibitors List. Don't miss the Product Showcase on p66.

The LEED version 4 (v4) rating systems represent the next major step in the evolution of LEED, allowing practitioners of LEED to use one version, no matter where they are in the world. The rating systems, which were introduced by the USGBC in November 2013, build on the experiences gained from thousands of LEED projects and the latest technologies and practices in the field of green building. Special circumstances that can be found in various countries have resulted in the development of Canadian-specific Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs) for various credits. This session will explore some of the major changes that can be found in LEED v4. Speaker Adam Stoker, PEng, LEED(r)AP BD+C ND Stoker has been working with energy efficiency and sustainable buildings since 2004. His background in mechanical engineering, project management and green design allows him to offer a range of knowledge and expertise on sustainable design and environmental stewardship. He has worked on over 50 LEED projects across Western Canada. Stoker works as a green building consultant in the Office of Sustainability at the University of Calgary and sits on the board of directors for the Alberta Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council. SEMINAR W4 VELOCITIES AND WATER PIPE SIZING TABLES IN THE NATIONAL PLUMBING CODE Time 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. The National Plumbing Code of Canada prescribes methods for sizing potable water distribution piping based on water velocity recommendations of pipe manufacturers. Using the water pipe sizing tables included in the NPC for piping materials other than copper results in higher than recommended velocities occurring in systems. This presentation opens up discussion on how to deal with the discrepancies and review velocity tables that incorporate accurate fixture unit values. Speaker Brian Husband Husband is the chief plumbing inspector for the City of Victoria, BC. He holds a Plumbing TQ, a Level 2 Certification with the Plumbing Officials' Association of BC (POABC) and RBO status with Level 3 Certification with the Building Officials' Association of BC (BOABC). Husband is currently in his second term as president of the POABC and gives POABC Level 1 & 2 Study Session presentations to members around BC.

GET IT FASTER! Stay connected with • Product Recalls • Code Changes • Industry News • Events Visit hpacmag.com and click on • New wholesaler locations • And much more… 60

HPAC | october 2014

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EXHIBITOR LIST

Thursday, November 6 SEMINAR W5 MOULD REMEDIATION: REVIEW OF GUIDELINES AND THE EVIDENCE Date Thursday, November 6 Time 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ASPE CEU Credits

Common sense tells us that any visible mould growth or water-damaged building materials should be removed/repaired as soon as possible. However, it can sometimes be confusing about how to proceed, what type of containment or personal protective equipment is necessary, what should be discarded or cleaned, and what methods should be used to clean remaining materials/surfaces. This presentation will provide a summary of available guidelines and a review of supporting evidence.. Speaker Mona Shum, MSc, CIH Shum, who is occupational hygiene and safety team lead with AMEC Environment & Infrastructure, is a certified industrial hygienist with 17 years of experience in exposure assessment, chemical review, and project and program management. She has managed and conducted over 100 microbial indoor air quality investigations involving commercial and residential buildings, schools, and recreational facilities. She has been designated as an expert witness in several litigation cases. Recently, Shum updated a literature review for the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health on the evidence for mould assessment and remediation guidelines.

NEW Approvals

A SIMPLE AND FLEXIBLE SOLUTION FOR VENTING MULTIPLE POLYPRO® LINERS Run multiple flexible liners in a single chimney or B Vent space.

M&G DuraVent’s new solution for venting multiple PolyPro flue provides a simple and flexible solution. A great combination when you need to vent multiple appliances within the same space. All PolyPro terminations and components are listed.

SEMINAR W6 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TIPS – FROM ONE CONTRACTOR TO ANOTHER Time 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Social media initiatives can often be an intimidating thing for a contractor. Hear tips and tricks from a local contractor so that you can improve your effectiveness on social media platforms. Speaker Frieso Pouwer Pouwer is the president of Clean & Pure Water. He is a licensed plumber and a water treatment expert serving the Calgary area for the last nine years. Pouwer is a Ministry of Environment Water Treatment Operator (1) and a Canadian Water Quality Association Certified Water Treatment Technician (VI). Today, he markets successfully solely using social media and online marketing. SEMINAR W7 HAVING TROUBLE COLLECTING OUTSTANDING DEBT? Time 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Learn how to use existing laws and legislation to your benefit when collecting receivables. Speaker Patricia Wilson Wilson currently holds the position of director of civil enforcement with Consolidated Civil Enforcement Inc. She has managed more than 19 000 civil enforcement files over the past 14 years and is often called upon to provide training sessions to the Canadian Bar Association.

Scan QR Code to see installation video! Follow us on social media or for more information on our products, visit www.duravent.com

see Exhibitor list, p62 hpacmag.com

october 2014 | HPAC

Exhibitors List* Exhibitor Booth

Exhibitor Booth

D,E

A. O. Smith..............................................143 A.M.T.S. Limited.......................................528 Acudor Acorn Limited.............................. 314 Aimco International.................................320 Alberta Custom Tee Ltd...........................232 Allied Engineering Company....................658 Alpha Controls & Instrumentation...........357 American Standard Brands.....................201 Amtrol Canada Ltd..................................743 ANVIL International Canada.....................223 Aqua Tech Sales & Marketing Inc......... E16 Armstrong Fluid Technology.....................359 Attersall Marketing Ltd............................610 Axiom Industries..................................633 Aztec Washer Company...........................332

Dahl Brothers Canada Limited.................420 Danfoss Inc............................................. 418 Deflecto Canada......................................433 Dettson Industries Inc.............................428 Eastern Foundry & Fittings Inc................353 Eclipse Magnetics...................................121 Ecotherm Inc...........................................434 Emco Corp..............................................448 Energy Smart Canada Ltd........................615 Enerwest Geothermal Distribution...........615 Engineered Air ........................................449 Equipco Ltd..................................... 415-423 Erico........................................................335 Evergreen Bioheat Ltd............................. E13 Excalibur Water Systems Inc....................243

F,G

Belanger UPT........................................... 214 Bibby-Ste-Croix....................................321 Blanco Canada Inc...............................515 BMi..........................................................708 Bosch Thermotechnology Corp................555 Boshart Industries Inc.........................532 Bradford White Canada Inc..................537 BurCom Consulting Ltd............................ 715 Burnham.................................................423

Calefactio................................................754 Caleffi.................................................633 Camus Hydronics....................................554 Canadian Aqualine..................................739 Canadian Hydronics Council.................... E10 Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating...............................................200 Canadian Water Quality Association........ 318 Carlo Gavazzi (Canada) Inc..................... 511 Carremm Controls Inc..............................535 CB Supplies Limited................................233 CCBDA: Cdn. Copper & Brass Development Assoc...........................322 CCTF Corporation....................................259 Centrotherm Eco Systems, LLC............... E12 Colony Distribution Inc............................709 Complete Innovations Inc........................253 Conbraco/Apollo Valves.......................... 315 Culligan...................................................508 Cupro Solutions.......................................452 62

HPAC | october 2014

Fairview Fittings & Mfg Ltd........................ E6 Fernco Connectors Ltd............................628 Flexmaster Canada Ltd............................634 FLIR Systems Ltd.................................722 Flomatic Corporation...............................534 Franke Kindred Canada Limited...............123 Franklin Electric (Little Giant) ............333 G.F. Thompson Co. Ltd............................729 Gastite....................................................654 Gerber Canada........................................436 Giacomini Canada...................................553 Giant Factories Inc..............................235 Great Lakes Copper, Inc..........................406 Gree Canada...........................................454 Green Turtle Tech.....................................354 Greenway Water Technologies.................349 Grundfos.................................................443

H,I

Hathorn Corporation................................255 HBX Control Systems Inc.....................659 Heat Flow Heat Products.........................633 HeatLink Group Inc..............................548 Holdrite...................................................334 HPAC MAGAZINE.................................437 HPS Controls Ltd..................................... E15 Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute..............620 Hydronic Agencies Ltd.............................656 Hydronics Systems Canada.....................657 IBC Technologies Inc...............................337

*AS AVAILABLE AT PRESS TIME HIGHLIGHTED EXHIBITORS HAVE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS ISSUE

Exhibitor Booth

Imperial Manufacturing Group.................520 InSinkErator.............................................461 IPEX Inc...............................................237

K,L

Kanex Concrete Technologies..................459 KVC Industries.........................................750 Laars Heating Systems........................537 Lenox.......................................................622 Liberty Pumps Inc................................623 LynCar Inc............................................... 115

M & G Duravent...................................742 M.A. Stewart & Sons Ltd........................... E3 Mainline Backflow Products Inc...............306 Marking Services Canada........................220 Masco Canada Ltd.................................. 215 Mechanical Business...............................129 Mechanical Contractors Association of Alberta............................................458 Mechanical Systems 2000 Inc.............633 MEP Drives Ltd........................................523 Milwaukee Electric Tool...........................109 Mirolin Industries Corp............................343 Mission Rubber Company LLC.................435 Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada/ Klass Mechanical Sales Ltd.................. E7 Moen.......................................................236

Napoleon Heating and Cooling................636 Navien Inc............................................229 NCI Canada Inc.......................................632 Nexus Energy Products Inc...................... 746 Northern Alberta Institute Of Technology (NAIT) .......................... E14 NOVO Water Conditioning Products......137 NTI/NY Thermal Inc.............................543 Nu-Trend Industries Inc............................209

O,P

Oatey Canada SCS Co............................. 718 Oetiker, Inc..............................................552 Ontor Limited..........................................629 Ortech Industries Inc...............................653 OS&B......................................................257 Plumbing & HVAC....................................249

continued on p. 64 hpacmag.com

Does a traditional solder system really cost less than Viega ProPress ? ®

Do the + Math That depends on what you call a traditional solder system. If you’re talking about only the fittings, yes, but pipe joining is more than just fittings. It’s the connection – the pipe, fittings, flux, solder, fire permits, labor to install and more. Count the costs of all your consumables and your labor and you’ll save on your total job costs with Viega ProPress.

It all adds up at www.do-the-math.us 1-800-976-9819

The global leader in plumbing, heating and pipe joining systems

Exhibitors List*

*AS AVAILABLE AT PRESS TIME HIGHLIGHTED EXHIBITORS HAVE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS ISSUE

continued from p. 82 Exhibitor Booth

Exhibitor Booth

PowerMate/LP International Inc..............733 Primex.....................................................348

Qualitec Distributors Inc..........................529 Quote Express......................................... 518 Ratech Electronics Ltd.............................429 RedZone Products Inc.............................453 Reed Manufacturing Company.................336 REHAU Inc...............................................455 Reliance Worldwide Canada.................414 Research Products Corporation...............352 Rheem Canada Ltd..................................309 Ridgid......................................................556 Rinnai America Corporation..................... 514 Roth Industries........................................421 Royal Building Products - Pipe & Fitting Solutions..............................221

SFA Saniflo, Inc...................................404 Shel-B Sales...........................................358 Sinclair Supply Ltd...................................536 SJE - Rhombus........................................ 101 Slant/Fin Ltd/Ltée.................................. 745 Smillie McAdams Summerlin Ltd.............356 Spartan Peripheral Devices.....................457 Spectrum Sales Agency (1982) Ltd.........628 Stelpro....................................................409 Summerhill Impact, Switch the Stat.......... E4 Superior Radiant Products.......................529 Taco (Canada) Ltd...............................649 Tamas Hydronic Systems Inc...................652 Taylor Pipe Supports................................234 tekmar Control Systems..........................633 Thermo Mfg. Inc......................................103 Toto......................................................... 415 Triangle Tube...........................................423

UV Dynamics...........................................533 Vantage Marketing Ltd.............................328 Victaulic Ltd............................................522 Victor Technologies Canada Ltd............... 719 Viega LLC.............................................739 Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc..... 643 VIQUA......................................................521

U,V

Q,R

SAIT School of Construction...................... E8 Schwank Ltd............................................ 614 Schwartz Chemical..................................219

UEi Canada............................................... E1 Unified Valve Group Ltd........................... 519 Uponor Ltd...........................................648

W,X,Y,Z

Wade Drains Canada............................321 Ward Couplox/Wardflex...........................207 WaterGroup.............................................133 Watts Industries (Canada) Inc...............E9 Weil-McLain Canada................................549 Westcan HVAC Sales Ltd.........................554 Willim Ventures Inc..................................305 Winkler Technik GMBH.............................228 WiringPro Corporation.............................732 World Plumbing Day Lounge....................403 Woodford & Watco Mfg...........................329 Zilmet USA.............................................. 418 Zurn Industries Ltd..............................222 see product showcase p66

A trusted brand.

Inno nnovation on and comfort at your ngertips. ng

Hybrid TTX

Tankless

Visit us at CIPHEX West booth #235 Water heaters built by Canadians for Canadians!

HPAC | october 2014

GI-AD152En-0914

Condensing

hpacmag.com

The Evolution of High Efficiency Condensing Boilers High efficiency stainless steel boiler Models from 57,000 to 199,000 BTU/Hr Available in a combi version Fully modulating with 8:1 turndown Advanced outdoor reset control Venting to 150' on most models 2" venting on most models up to 100'

Product Showcase

2 Uponor North America has launched two

Giant’s commercial gas water heaters are available with capacities of 55, 80 and 119 gallons, in either natural or propane gas. Thermal efficiency is up to 96 per cent and output ranges from 100 000 to 199 000 Btu. Other features include a stainless steel 316 l inner tank, load matched modulating burner for maximum fuel efficiency and low NOx emission. www.giantinc.com

4 Saniaccess 3 system is designed for basements, apartment units and more. It comes pre-assembled with three inlets for a sink, toilet and bathtub/shower. The system can install a complete bathroom up to 15 ft. below the sewer line, or up to 150 ft. away from a soil stack, with gravity fall. It incorporates an actual shredder blade system and is equipped with two service panels atop the unit, which allows fast and easy access to the internal components. www.saniflo.ca

HPAC | october 2014

engineered polymer (EP) multiport tees for commercial plumbing systems using crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) pipe. The high-flow branch and flow-through EP multiport tees are targeted for commercial installations where supply lines are required to be upsized due to pressure or code requirements. One multiport does the same job as three separate tees, reducing the amount of connections by 45 per cent. Both the branch and flow-through multiports feature 1¼ in. inlets with three ¾ in. outlets. www.uponor.ca

The MC Modular Chiller series by Engineered Air comes in sizes ranging from 20 to 80 tons. The chillers can operate alone or in combination with up to 12 chiller modules. The 12 chiller array system can provide 960 tons of mechanical cooling. Each modular chiller comes with a fully-programmed controller and uses R410A refrigerant. At 26-in. wide, the chillers are designed to fit through standard doorways. www.engineeredair.com

The Buderus GC124 residential gas-fired boiler has been replaced with the GC144 boiler, a compact ENERGY STAR compliant boiler capable of delivering 85 per cent AFUE. Its three models are available with input heating capacities of 74, 103 and 132.5 MBH. Constructed of flexible, corrosion resistant GL180M cast iron, the GC144 comes with 1 ½ in. wrap-around insulation for better heat retention and less fuel usage. These models also include the Beckett AquaSmart control for outdoor reset with a Heat Manager function that adjusts water temperature based on load for additional fuel savings. www.buderus.us

The AquaTrip is a permanently installed in-line water leak detection device that monitors complete plumbing systems. Programmable to fit each installation, it will shut down supply when a problem is detected to prevent damage from lost water due to leaking pipes, faucets and toilets. www.aquatrip.com

hpacmag.com

EXHIBITOR Product Showcase LIST

RIDGID XD pumps have 360-degree float protection to reduce the likelihood of float obstructions. High-efficiency motors extend the switch life and reduce power consumption. The XD pumps have a non-wicking cord to prevent water from entering the motor and a cast-iron body and volute. The top suction design reduces clogging, eliminates air lock as well as the need to drill weep holes. www.ridgid.com

Viega offers specially designed adapter fittings for transitions from Viega ProPress copper systems to Viega PEX tubing systems. The fittings are a zero lead pressing solution for commercial potable water systems and are available in sizes up to 2 in. Viega’s adapters for joining copper and PEX tubing are approved for plenum applications and meet or exceed many industry standards including ASTM F876, ASTM F877, NSF 14 and NSF 61. www.viega.com

Armstrong Fluid Technology has introduced the Parallel Sensorless Pump Controller, an add-on control device that coordinates the output of multiple pumping units in a parallel configuration for energy savings. The Pump Controller controls up to four Armstrong design envelope-pumping units to reduce first-installed system cost. www.armstrongfluidtechnology.com

continued on p. 68

One Choice. One Zurn. Innovative solutions for new construction and retrofit applications. Commercial buildings today require more than just a handful of products. Zurn total building solutions provide proven results. We focus on delivering innovative products that offer savings in time, cost and labour. The breadth of our offering provides products to meet every objective. So when it comes to retrofitting plumbing products for your entire facility, there’s only one choice. Zurn. Z1800

ZW209 Z5755-U The Zurn Omni-Flo™ Urinal is designed with the end user in mind. An innovative, asymmetric back-wall minimizes splash back while providing sleek, modern aesthetics.

zurn.com 905.405.8272

HPAC_Zurn_Oct2014.indd 1

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9/8/14 1:56 PM

october 2014 | HPAC

Product Showcase continued from p. 67

10 Ratech’s Elite SD Wi-Fi, allows users to record pipe inspections wirelessly to iOS or Android devices, and to take digital photos and live video that can be uploaded to YouTube. The Wi-Fi interface is available on any current Ratech product or existing system in the field, and is available with a sun-readable 10-in. LCD monitor and either a self-leveling camera, small ultra micro camera or Ratech’s pan n’ tilt push camera. Systems come in cable lengths from 100 to 400 ft. www.ratech-electronics.com

12 HBX’s SN0-0550 standalone snowmelt control replaces the SNO-0500. Preset snow conditions (very light, light, moderate and heavy) simplify setting the control to turn on the activating system based on snowfall intensity. The control uses the HBX Optical SnowSensor (SNO-0110), which uses optics rather than continuity based on/off sensors. It also provides HBX snowmelt controls with feedback on snowfall rate and slab temperature. www.hbxcontrols.com 68

HPAC | october 2014

11 The SRP Modulus adaptive modulating infrared tube heater is designed to provide thermal efficiencies in excess of 80 per cent. Rates range from 80 000 to 200 000 Btuh with a 40 per cent modulating differential. The built-in quick-start function ramps up to high power resulting in optimum temperatures almost as soon as the heater is turned on. www.superiorradiant.com

13 Bosch Thermotechnology has introduced two gas condensing Greenstar models for residential applications with AFUE ratings of 95 per cent: the Greenstar Combi 131 for space heating and hot water at up to 3.2 gpm and the Greenstar 79 for space heating. Both wall-mounted units are available with new venting options – concentric up and out venting and polypropylene twin pipe for installation flexibility. The up and out venting option kit consists of an appliance adaptor, a 90-degree elbow and a telescopic termination to accommodate varying wall thicknesses. www.boschheatingandcooling.com

14 The Setra Power Patrol’s networked three-phase power meter works with Rogowski Coils, and with its small form factor it may be mounted inside or outside of the panel using either mounting tabs or the DINrail clip. Power Patrol series instruments are line-powered and do not require external power. The power supply can accommodate service voltages ranging from 80-600V (phase-to-phase). It has three LED indicators, which confirm proper CT-to-phase installation. Each meter comes with a field selectable Modbus or BACnet communication. Communication interface to the meter is through an RS-485 serial connection (BACnet MS/TP / Modbus) or over Ethernet (BACnet IP/ Modbus TCP). www.alphacontrols.com hpacmag.com

EXHIBITOR Product Showcase LIST

15 Masters Tinning Flux is a petrolatumbased flux used for typical sweat soldering of lead-free fittings and valves. It contains lead-free tin powder that helps draw the solder to aid in reducing voids. It is NSF listed for use with potable water systems and will work on pipe that is frozen or cold and wet from condensation or thawing.

16 Rinnai direct vent wall furnaces have a modulating gas valve and variable speed blower. Designed with safety features including lockable controls, auto restart and cool-to-the-touch cabinet, the furnaces have an .82 AFUE rating. They are designed for easy installation and come with multiple venting options.

17 System 636 by Ipex Inc. is fully certified to ULC S636, and is rated for flue gas temperatures up to and including 65C. System 636 CPVC is rated for flue gas temperatures up to and including 90C. Installer training focusing on proper solvent welding and other installation aspects is available.

www.gfthompson.com

www.rinnai.us

www.ipexinc.com

The IPEX Advantage When you choose System 15® and System XFR® from IPEX, you get more.

MORE Peace of mind knowing our technical support staff is there for you whether you’re an installer on-site, an engineer designing a system or when you’re working with inspectors. MORE Only IPEX offers a complete DWV system of Pipes, Fittings, Cements, MJ GreyTM Mechanical Couplings and Firestops, so you’ll save time and money.

continued on p. 70

Visit us at CIPHEX West Show

Booth 237

MORE In addition to technical literature, we provide detailed information on product attributes, uses, and installation procedures – everything you need to know. So, do you want more? Contact us today and get the IPEX Advantage.

Drain, Waste & Vent for Non-Combustible Buildings www.ipexinc.com Toll Free: 1-866-473-9462

hpacmag.com

DWV Systems Products manufactured by/for IPEX Inc. System 15®, System XFR® and MJ GreyTM are trademarks of IPEX Branding Inc.

october 2014 | HPAC

Product Showcase continued from p. 69

18 Bradford White’s Infiniti tankless water

19 With a drop of 3/8 in., spigot ends and

20 The PolyPro multi-flex venting system

no ‘two-foot rule,’ installation of the ML-FR4 backwater valve from Mainline Backflow Products requires less concrete and it is easier to get the appropriate grade. This valve can be installed on the main sewer line because of the normally open gate design, which also allows for the venting of sewer gases. The FR4 gate is hinged from above to keep the mechanical components away from the sewage environment. www.backwatervalve.com

from M&G DuraVent is designed for venting multiple PolyPro liners (flex or rigid). Installation is simplified by using a hose clamp and reline hanger support. The reline upper plates provide a watertight seal. Installing flexible venting inside an existing chimney reduces labour and material costs. The system provides a solution when appliances must intake and exhaust in the same barometric pressure. www.duravent.com

heaters incorporate scale reduction technology for improved efficiency and lifespan in residential applications. Models feature a fully modulating burner that covers the entire surface area of the heat exchanger, (regardless of rate), to reduce hot spots that can cause the scale build-up. The Infiniti series is available in standard efficiency and condensing efficiency with energy factors as high as 0.95. www.bradfordwhite.com

21 IBC has released eight new boilers including the DC Series Combi Boiler, which combines domestic hot water and space heating in a single compact design. The boiler condenses continually in both space heating and domestic hot water modes. A dual two in one, back-to-back heat exchanger eliminates the need for a diverter valve and secondary domestic hot water plate heat exchanger. Features include outdoor reset technology and unique “self learning” ECO-mode for greater DHW efficiencies. www.ibcboiler.com 70

HPAC | october 2014

22 Pietro Fiorentini’s 10 psi gas regulator features two-stage regulation for over pressure protection, an integral and external vent limiter (no vent line required), and complete lockup in absence of gas flow. It is also designed with inlet and outlet test ports, a 500-1 turndown ratio, and vent sizes ¼ in. NPT ½ in. – 1 in., ½ in. NPT 1 ¼ in. – 4 in. The regulator is suitable for natural gas, LPG and any non-corrosive clean gas, as well as for indoor and outdoor installations. www.fiorentini.com

23 The VersaTherm floor system from Legend is a low profile, high-output, snap-fit radiant panel system designed for new construction and renovation projects. The ¾-in. panels are pre-insulated and naturally water resistant, making them ideal for retrofits and basements. VersaTherm’s use of ½ in. tubing allows for greater circuit lengths. The tubing is 100 per cent protected by metal and the entire surface transfers heat. www.legendvalve.com hpacmag.com

EXHIBITOR Product Showcase LIST

24 The Comfort PM auto range from

25 The Island Tub Drain from OS&B is a

26 The ME8395 valve actuator from

Grundfos is designed for energy efficient hot water recirculation in residential homes. A low noise permanent magnet motor reduces energy consumption to 5W to 8.5W. Autoadapt ensures the pump only runs when required. The result is lower wait times for hot water, reducing water and electrical waste. The pump is compact and available with constant operation (100 per cent) mode. www.grundfos.ca

freestanding tub rough-in that features 18 Gauge epoxy coated metal deck flange. It is designed for an 8-in./10-in. joist space and can be installed with waterproofing membrane. The drain includes two 17G brass tailpieces (fine thread and flanged), an ABS adapter kit (attaches ITD35 to ABS bath wastes), an assembly with 1-1/2 in. DWV ABS tailpiece, 2 in. x 1-1/2 in. ABS reducing bushing and a cutting template. www.osb.ca

SANI

Spartan Peripheral Devices mounts on Spartan valve bodies and is controlled from a wireless, no batteries room temperature sensor with the EnOcean (902MHz) module WT913G. With an internal automatic changeover by detecting water temperature it can be used as cooling/heating control valve for two pipe fan coil units. www.spartan-pd.com

continued on p. 72

Macerating Toilet Systems

SMARTER FASTER CLEANER Install a bathroom anywhere without having to break the concrete! Complete range of macerators for half and full bathroom applications. 15 ft. 150 ft. SANIACCESS3

A pump company since 1958

hpacmag.com

SANIPLUS

SANITOP

1-800-363-5874

SANICOMPACT

saniflo.ca

october 2014 | HPAC

PRODUCT SHOWCASE continued from p. 71

27 The Terminator HVAC diffuser collar from

28 The Magnum DVR command module for

29 With its LMV5 linkageless burner

Primex Manufacturing Ltd. is a rigid, moulded housing with built-in flanges and measurements for standard applications. The industrialgrade plastic is durable, lightweight, nonrusting and has no sharp edges. The collar attaches quickly, leaving a level, circular opening that fits ducting and grilles without adjustments or shimming. Ducting fits over the top collar and the rigidity of the bottom circular opening ensures the diffusers and grilles stay snug against the finished surface. This product is suited to HRV, ERV and in-line fan supply and exhaust terminations. www.primexfits.com

video inspection systems from Hathorn Corp. features USB recording, an easy-to-use navigation menu, and a 10.4-ft. daylight readable monitor. The system has a full size keyboard, 16 pages of text writing, 512 Hz sonde, on-screen footage counter, 8x zoom, microphone, speaker and a two-hour built in battery with smart charger. Several different reel options are available along with three different camera head sizes. The command module can be programmed to work with other manufacturers’ reels. www.hathorncorp.com

30 EC-1K Line Set Duct provides space to install the EC-1, line-set pipes, electrical wiring and drain hoses providing a clean, finished look in any décor. The pump is accessible for maintenance or cleaning by removing the cover (no tools required). When using the EC-1K Line Set Duct, the EC-1 pump is positioned to maximize the quiet operation of the pump and keep the reservoir level for optimal performance. www.franklinwater.com.

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

31 Gree’s U-Crown Series split heat pumps provide heat when the outside temperature drops to -30C and cooling in up to 46C weather. The series uses DC inverter technology for increased energy saving capacity and G-10 technology to keep the unit quiet at a very low speed. The Gree U-Crown is flat and does not stick out of the wall. www.gree.ca

management system, Siemens delivers an integrated system that provides improved performance and efficiency while ensuring accurate control and safe operation. Features include integrated linkageless control, burner flame safeguard and modulation PID control, single or dual-fuel applications. It controls up to six independent actuators for improved efficiency in low NOx burner applications. www.scccombustion.com

32 The hydraulic separator control station by HPS Controls is a pre-wired low loss header heating station with up to 400 MBH with left and right boiler connections available. The circuit board has two boiler “enable” end switches to access high and low outputs to the boiler. Individual zones can be configured to either high or low temperature in the field. Other features include air elimination, pump isolation on all pumps, expansion tank/fill valve tapping, and it is easily purageable. www.hpscontrols.com HPACMAG.COM

EXHIBITOR Product Showcase LIST

33 The TurboTorch G Series nitrogen purging

34 Powermate motorized stair climbing

35 The HSE from Allied Engineering uses

regulator from Victor Technologies features a single stage purging and pressure testing regulator. It can deliver a psi range from 0 to 500. A heavy-duty steel gauge guard provides added protection. The G Series also features a high-strength alloy bonnet. www.victortechnologies.com

hand trucks and lift gates are made for heavy lifting. The Powermate safely moves loads across surfaces, up and down stairs, as well as on and off vehicles and loading docks. With the Powermate, most loads can be moved by one person instead of two or three. www.powermate.info

condensing technology with a dual copper waterway heat exchanger, which combines central heating and domestic hot water in a single appliance. The HSE features up to 94 per cent AFUE and is available in 125 MBH and 145 MBH sizes. www.alliedboilers.com

continued on p. 74

PEOPLE. SOLUTIONS. VALUE. Industry leading service. It’s what we do. With 20,000 parts stocked on the warehouse floor, an in-house training facility to teach your installers the best techniques on the latest systems, and engineering support with deep experience in hydronics—we have what you need. We can even find the manual for you. Because it’s our business to support yours.

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hpacmag.com

october 2014 | HPAC

Product Showcase

36 HeatLink’s pre-engineered ECO boiler

37 Navien’s NPE-A series ComfortFlow

38 A compact system for residential sewage

panel is designed for use with Weil-McLain high efficiency wall-mounted boilers. The pre-fabricated hydronics distribution system works with condensing boilers to streamline installation time and reduce costs. The panel has four Grundfos UPS15-58 pumps: a primary pump, a DHW pump and two heating pumps. The boiler controls the primary and DHW pumps. Each heating pump is controlled by a thermostat (supplied separately) wired to the terminal strip on the panel. The boiler controls the water temperature. www.heatlink.com

technology incorporates a built-in buffer tank and recirculation pump inside the unit to provide a zero gpm activation rate and to eliminate the “cold water sandwich.” With a return line, the pump saves thousands of gallons of water per year. Features include dual stainless steel heat exchangers, ½-in. gas lines up to 24 ft., and 2-in. PVC venting up to 60 ft. The condensing tankless gas water heaters are suited to commercial and residential tank water heater replacement, as well as new construction. www.navien.com

40 Marking Services’ MS-970 coiled pipe 39 The Sotria bath collection by Brizo has a number of influences: airplanes, automobile tail fins and mid-century America. Its triangular spout is used across a range of configurations and complemented by features including closed and channel spout lavatory faucets, a freestanding tub filler, and a multi-function showerhead. www.mascocanada.com 74

HPAC | october 2014

markers are designed to identify piping in environments where the pipe surface is rough, oily, wet or rusty. The markers stay in place on pipes thanks to the memory of the coiling process, and do not rely on adhesives. They wrap completely around the pipe (up to six ft. diameter). For six-ft. diameter and larger pipes, a nylon strap-on version is provided. Flow direction arrows are included on all markers. www.markserv.com

applications, the ProVore 680 duplex system is powered by two 1 hp grinder pumps and features Liberty’s v-slice cutter technology. This design shreds difficult solids, such as feminine products, rags and other unwanted debris. Operating on 115 or 230 volts, the system can be plugged into standard 20 amp home circuitry. The system is 24 ft. tall and ships complete with an alternating pump control unit. www.libertypumps.com

41 Laars Heating Systems’ Mascot LX combination boiler and tankless water heater features a heat exchanger that offers 95 per cent efficiency, full modulation and a supply of domestic hot water on combi units. The Mascot LX comes in 10 models – three combi boiler/tankless water heater (125, 150 and 175 MBH) and seven heating only (50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 and 220 MBH). It includes an advanced control system with auto cascade setup for multiple boiler installations, outdoor reset, primeless condensate trap, zero clearance installation and venting up to 150 ft. www.laars.com hpacmag.com

< management

Fleet Tracking: A Boost To Mobile Intelligence BY Ryan Driscoll

lobal Positioning System (GPS) fleet tracking is the technology that allows business owners and fleet managers to use location intelligence to improve fleet operations. It is designed to make businesses with mobile assets more effective and efficient, while cutting costs associated with fleet management. A GPS fleet tracking device uses GPS satellites to determine the precise location of a vehicle, piece of equipment, or other asset to which it is attached, and to record its position at regular intervals. In most cases, the device transmits its location over a cellular network to a GPS tracking company’s servers, which is then displayed within the GPS tracking software platform. Customers can see their vehicles and assets on a map in real-time and the location data is analyzed and interpreted by the GPS tracking company to provide actionable information for fleet managers to use. Up until recently the vast majority of mechanical contracting businesses have had limited knowledge as to what really goes on once a company-owned service vehicle leaves the yard for the day. In some cases, this lack of knowledge has led to fuel waste, less productive technicians, higher than necessary accident rates, maintenance issues, weaker customer service, and theft vulnerability.

technology at work The emergence of commercial GPS fleet tracking has changed the game as far as mobile business intelligence is concerned. Businesses use the technology to monitor fleets, cut costs, and improve ef ficiency and effectiveness. A typical mechanical contracting company can use GPS fleet tracking in a number of ways: • Reduce fuel costs by eliminating wasteful idling, speeding, unauthorized vehicle usage, and fuel card fraud. • Improve fleet-wide productivity by monitoring time onsite and knowing where technicians are located at all times. • Decrease labour costs and overtime hours by comparing GPS reports to time cards and knowing of any padded hours or fraudulent hours reported. hpacmag.com

• Improve overall safety by actively monitoring driver behaviour with proactive alerts and deailed reports. This will ensure the safety ofyour employees and the public. • E xtend vehicle life cycles by scheduling all maintenance within the GPS tracking software and setting up service reminders to let management know when a vehicle is due for maintenance. This way routine maintenance is not overlooked. • Enhance customer service by using efficient dispatching features for quicker response time, providing accurate ETAs and the ability to verify job completion. • Ensure quick theft recovery by being alerted when a vehicle is moving when or where it should not be and reporting its current location to officials.

REFINING CUSTOMER SERVICE There is no question that there is a direct correlation between customer service quality and revenue. So, every HVAC business should be focused on finding ways to improve upon it. GPS tracking gives businesses the opportunity to serve more customers on a daily basis, as well as monitor and coach employees about expectations and driver behaviour. GPS fleet tracking software will give a company the chance to be proactive instead of reactive. When drivers are running late, dispatchers or customer service teams will know and can call the customer to notify them. When a driver or technician is within a mile of the customer location, an automated text message or email can be sent to them, letting them know the tech is close. GPS fleet tracking is a powerful technology that has changed fleet management. It is no longer “a nice to have,” it is an essential tool. <> Ryan Driscoll is marketing director with GPS Insight. www.gpsinsight.com OCTOBER 2014 | HPAC

< Design

The Anatomy Of A Single Zone System

hen John Raftis, owner of Ivan Armstrong Trucking in Arthur, ON, moved forward with a 40 000-sq-ft warehouse expansion, he decided to go with an in-floor heating system.

Raftis wanted a simple system for the insulated steel framed structure, which would still offer the climate control necessary for his business. Contractor Len Coffey of Coffey Plumbing met with the owner of Hydronic

Solutions Inc., James Kuepfer, to discuss piping options for the in-floor heating system. Kuepfer, along with Brendon Yadu, technical sales and hydronic designer with Hydronic Solutions, were responsible for the piping designs. continued on p78

4 5

7 Expansion Tank 90 psi rated 1 T••hermal 79.3 gallons capacity • • • • •

Certified synthetic SBR rubber no seam diaphragm MIG welding Welded side outlet External baked on epoxy-polyester coating Protected pre charge valve

Low loss header • Flanged hydronic separator with insulation • Epoxy resin painted steel body • Brass drain and shut-off valve, air vent body • Max working pressure: 150 psi (10 bar) • Temperature range with insulation: 32÷220F (0÷105C); without insulation: 32÷250F (0÷120C) Connections flanged: 2" ÷ 12" ANSI 150 CLASS • Drain 1 1/4" HPAC | october 2014

3 4

Temp sensor to boiler control • Sensor inserted into thermowell • 10K thermistor • Corrosion resistant brass sleeve • Thermistor accuracy of +/-0.2°C • Brass sleeve for corrosion resistance Polypropylene venting (4") • Operating temperature limit of 230F/110C • 0" clearance to combustibles for exhaust temperatures up to 194F/90C, and 0" clearance for vertical installations up to exhaust temperatures of 230F/110C and 1/4"/6mm clearance to combustibles for horizontal installations at exhaust temperatures up to 230F/110C • Concentric vent system components listed at 0" clearance to combustibles for exhaust temperatures up to 230°F / 110°C. hpacmag.com

The building’s structural piers pushed the headers away from the outside wall. To ensure no cold areas would be present, circuits were looped under the return header and back into it.

feeder 7 Glycol • 2 % molybdate inhibitor adds protection to piping system • Eliminate the connection, and the required backflow

prevention, to the potable water supply •M aintain system pressure automatically • Monitoring the fluid level in the feeder provides an indication of the presence and magnitude of any leaks • If the system ruptures, only the fluid in the feeder can be pumped out, providing a measure of flood protection. • Fluid stored in a feeder tank at room temperature and atmospheric pressure • Replace fluid drained for service by pouring it into the feeder

Circulator 8 System • In-line, flanged wet rotor double circulator with EC motor and automatic capacity adjustment

Master and Slave Boilers • 5:1 Throttle Range - 80 000 to 399 000 Btu/hr • Built-in staging control for up to 24 boilers - up to 9.5 million Btu/hr and 120:1 turndown • Built-in manual reset LWCO-UL 353 certified • Venting to 200' using 4" PPS or CPVC • Stainless Steel options: 80psi in 439 Stainless Steel or 80psi in 316Ti Stainless Steel • 95.7 per cent efficiency • Built-in outdoor reset temperature controls

Circulators 6 Boiler • Single stage wet rotor pump with flanged connection

• Preselectable speed stages for capacity adjustment • Cast iron body • Automatically vented

hpacmag.com

•E CM technology to accommodate constant run in heating season • Integrated automatic capacity adjustment • Running ~120 GPM (max volume flow 479.9 US GPM) • Front operation and front access to the terminal room • Pump communication with IF (interface) module • Motor protection with electronic overload protection • Interface connection for extending built-in functions, for BA systems and external control • Impeller with 3D curved blades and rotor can • Pump housing with cataphoretic (KTL) coating for the prevention of corrosion The Valve count • 1 x1/2" Ball Valve • 3x4" Ball Valves • 1x1" Ball Valve • 6x1 1/2" Ball Valves • 7x Purge/Drain Valves • 3x1 1/2" Check Valves october 2014 | HPAC

< Design

continued from p77

The three boiler system has proven to be cost effective and efficient.

Since the hydronic installation needed to be installed on one heating zone, the design team specified a reverse return header system. The reverse return header system eliminated the need for a multiple manifold set up along the length of the outer wall and subsequent piping to each manifold.

Supply and return lines are embedded in the concrete and run from the boiler room to supply water to the floor heating circuits. The piping installation at the boiler used 4-in. Polypropylenerandom (PP-R) pipe, which decreased in diameter to 3-in. and 2-in. as the necessary supply flow reduced to each loop.

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Due to the length and size of the pipe, one of the challenges onsite was coupling the 4-in. piping and then positioning it for installation. The 4-in. pipe weighed 2.8 lbs/ft, making it easy for the work crew to pull out the headers as they were being built. The building is 265 ft. x 150 ft.; therefore, the header was divided into three sizes to reduce material costs and because larger pipe diameters would not be needed to supply the flow rates required to the circuits at the end of the building. The three sizes of pipe also kept the number of sizes of fusion heads to a minimum. Another challenge to the installation was dealing with cold Canadian outdoor temperatures. Since all of the pipe connections were performed onsite during colder conditions, in order to keep the fusion welding tool's irons hot during the fusion process, Coffey's crew pre-fabbed and fused the pipe inside an adjacent trailer and a propaneheated boiler mechanical room. Hydronic Solutions sales rep Don Weitzel, who is a licensed plumber, supervised the four-day, on-site set up and installation. In the end, the system worked flawlessly. The initial start up and flushing of the system worked smoothly. "I have never filled a heating system that went so easy," said Weitzel. "Everyone wanted a simple system, and the design I was proposing brought simplicity and cost savings to the owner," said Yadu. <> Compiled with the assistance of Brendon Yadu of Hydronic Solutions, a Waterloo, ON-based wholesaler. www.hydronicsolutions.ca

AdrianSteel.com 78

HPAC | october 2014

Resources www.tekmarcontrols.com www.wilo.com http://ibcboiler.com www.zilmet.com www.aquatherm.com www.rehau.com www.duravent.com www.axiomind.com www.caleffi.com hpacmag.com

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Workwear showcase

Ansellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HyFlex 11-101 and 11-105 gloves are touchscreen capable

Milwaukee Tool has expanded its line of M12 heated gear with the intro-

gloves for industrial work environments. Both gloves are manufac-

duction of the M12 Realtree Xtra Camo 3-in-1 heated jacket, and M12

tured with conductive yarn fibre designed to allow seamless

heated hoodie colour options for on and off the jobsite. Powered by

interaction with touchscreen equipment without removal. The yarn in

M12 red lithium battery technology, the heated gear distributes heat

the HyFlex 11-101 and 11-105 gloves leverages the electrical sig-

across the chest and back to actively warm core body areas.

nals naturally generated by the human body to activate touchscreens.

www.milwaukeetool.com

www.ansellhyflexus.com

Cintas Canada is offering a wider selection of uniform rental shirts to choose from, with the introduction of the Performance Polo. Featuring moisture-wicking capabilities and snag-resistant technologies, the Polo helps employees in active job functions and warmer work environments to feel fresh, dry and comfortable. Available in black and royal blue and made with 100 per cent polyester fabric, the shirt features a knitted collar for durability, unbanded sleeves for ease of movement, and a tag-less label for maximum comfort. www.cintas.ca

HPAC | october 2014

hpacmag.com

TenActiv S18TAFGFN gloves by Superior Glove are 18-gauge ASTM cut-level four work gloves with 1617 grams of cut protection. For comfort and extended glove life, high-strength composite filament fibre is incorporated so that it cannot come through to the hand. The black glove body and palm coating hide dirt. The foam nitrile coating is silicone free and offers a combination of flexibility, wear and wet grip. The gloves are also touchscreen compatible. www.superiorglove.com

The Bosch PSJ120 women’s heated jacket offers tailored-fit features and is powered by a Bosch 12V max lithium-ion battery connected to the BHB120 battery holster. In addition to powering the jacket, the battery charges USB-compatible cell phones and other electronics. This heated jacket is designed with three quick warming core heat zones – two chest and one back – to provide up to six hours of heated runtime on low heat level with a 2.0 Ah 12V Max battery. www.boschtools.com Blundstone Footwear has created a safety boot that meets UTE 165 CSA Met Guard. The boot offers easy pull-on, kick-off features, flexible Poron XRD foot-top met guards, steel toes, protected side elastics with leather covers, kevlar stitching and shock-proof soles. In addition to shielding feet from on-the-job hazards, these boots protect against the weather and rugged climate conditions. www.blundstone.ca

hpacmag.com

october 2014 | HPAC

< heating

District Energy Heats Up Across Canada BY PATRICK CALLAN

lesser-known method of communal heating and cooling, which traces its roots to ancient Rome, is picking up steam throughout Canada. In a district energy network, hot and cold water travels in a closed loop from a generating station through underground pipes to nearby buildings that use it for heating, air conditioning and hot water. For decades, the technology has been used across North America on university campuses, military bases and in larger cities. In Europe, modern district energy systems have been used extensively since the 1970s, and in some countries it is even mandated. District energy systems have three main components: a thermal energy plant with a boiler and chillers (which generates energy and in some cases can co-generate electricity), a thermal distribution network (pipes that transport thermal energy from the plant to end-users), and an end-user building interface (to transfer thermal energy from the working fluid to the buildings’ heating and cooling systems). When buildings – industrial, institutional, commercial or residential – connect to a district energy system, they do not need to own and operate their own heating systems (boilers, furnaces, baseboards), cooling equipment (chillers, air conditioners, cooling towers) or water heaters. Natural gas, propane, waste heat, heat pumps, biogas/biomass and geothermal can all be used as fuel sources in district energy systems, which can transport heat up to 30 kilometres from any single heat source and hundreds of kilometres when multiple heat sources are combined.

Chilled water pumps at Enwave’s John Street pumping station in Toronto.

District energy systems are often seen as a way to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, free up building space, as well as lower fuel, maintenance and equipment costs.

Municipalities the key drivers The Canadian Industrial Energy End-Use Data and Analysis Centre published a report in March 2014 on district energy systems in Canada and found there are currently 116 operating across the country, with Ontario and British Columbia leading the way at 34 and 25 respectively. The study discovered more than half of the survey’s 60 participants have commisContinued on p84

What’s in it for me? It is no secret that reducing our carbon footprint is a hallmark of the modern era – and a top priority on many companies’ corporate agendas. As a result, more and more Canadian municipalities and businesses are turning to solutions such as district energy. While many in the heating, venting and air conditioning community will take a wait-and-see approach towards district energy, learning more about this technology could help your business carve out a niche for itself and stay one step ahead of the competition. District energy experts agree that it could usher in new opportunities for mechanical contractors in regards to installation and maintenance. Daniel Engelberg, account specialist with Enwave, which operates an extensive district energy network in downtown Toronto, says he relies on skilled mechanical contractors on 82

HPAC | october 2014

a regular basis. “They do repairs, install new valves, repair valves and put in meters,” he says. “For anything to do with steam piping I use mechanical contractors.” Brad Bradford, community energy planner and Canadian Desk at the International District Energy Association, adds that when it comes to a building’s condensing and high efficiency boilers, the same people who look after the windows or clean the floors often maintain them. “A lot of the time there’s not dedicated staff managing the thermal assets within a building,” he says, adding, boiler plates can be installed at 80 per cent efficiency but without regular maintenance they will not be as efficient in five years. “But a district energy system is run by professionals that are optimizing all the equipment and maintaining it properly to make sure that you actually have that real world efficiency within the system.” hpacmag.com

District energy goes mainstream Guelph, ON is the first North American city to embark on a strategic plan to build a citywide district energy network that will supply at least 50 per cent of the community’s heating needs in the next 30 years. “In order to achieve the targets that are set out in Guelph’s community energy initiative, it’s necessary that the efficiency of heating and cooling homes and buildings be greatly improved,” says Sandy Manners, spokeswoman from Guelph Hydro, a key partner in the initiative. “And district energy is the solution.” Guelph’s District Energy Strategic Plan identifies 10 nodes for district energy facilities. The first planned facility began operating at the end of 2013 in the Sleeman Centre, a sporting and entertainment venue. The system is owned and operated by Envida Community Energy, a Distribution pipes being installed at the Sleeman Centre in subsidiary of Guelph Hydro, and serves as the central Guelph, ON. heating and cooling plant for the city’s Galt District energy system. It currently provides heating and cooling to the Sleeman Centre using natural gas to heat water in boilers and a central chilling unit to chill water. Soon the system will be expanded to heat and cool Guelph’s River Run Centre for the performing arts and other commercial and residential developments in the area. Construction of Guelph’s second district energy facility, in Hanlon Creek Business Park on a 675-acre mixed use Greenfield site, is underway. Two heat sources will serve this site. One plant, located in the west end of the park, will generate thermal energy using natural gas. The other will be a combined heat and power plant that produces thermal energy and electricity. This plant will capture waste heat from industrial processes and use it to heat boilers or drive chillers to provide heating and air conditioning to clients of the district energy system. It will also have the ability to generate 10.2 megawatts of the city’s electricity (about four per cent), which will be fed into the provincial grid under a 20-year contract with the Ontario Power Authority. This facility is expected to be complete by the end of 2016. Manners says the initial focus for Guelph’s district energy initiative is to attract commercial and industrial clients. As the program rolls out across the city, residential buildings will be added, beginning with multi-residential units. “From a cost effectiveness perspective it makes more sense if you have a certain density. So for individual residential homes, it doesn’t make an awful lot of economic sense right now,” she says. “But once the system is deployed throughout the entire community you would start to see residential homes added into the system.”

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october 2014 | HPAC

< heating

continued from p82

Enwave's Pearl Street steam plant in downtown Toronto.

sioned their district energy systems since 2000, and the majority also reported planning some level of expansion to their operations in the future. Brad Bradford, community energy planner and Canadian Desk at the International District Energy Association, says in many cases municipalities (like Guelph) are driving new district energy system starts, not just expansion, across Canada. In addition to the aforementioned environmental benefits, he explains there are other practical reasons as to why municipalities are opting for district energy systems. “As we’ve seen an increase in more frequent and severe weather events, municipalities are starting to recognize that providing critical infrastructure is important to their communities,” he says. “They’re not necessarily prepared to rely on the grid that we’ve used for the past 100 years. They’re looking for something that’s more community-based, less susceptible to these sorts of shocks and stresses associated with climate change.” With the grid there are hundreds of lines of exposed and vulnerable infrastructure, where energy or electricity has to travel over great distances, he adds. “With district energy, it’s in the community, it’s much smaller, close scale, and a lot of stuff is underground.”

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hpacmag.com

Fending off the old guard Those in the know about district energy systems are quick to rattle off the many benefits they offer, however, as with any niche or up-and-coming technology, education is often the toughest battle. “I would say the biggest challenge is that people don’t know what district energy is,” says Manners. “You have to explain what it is to people before they really understand what the benefits might be.” Daniel Engelberg, account specialist with Enwave, adds another challenge is fear of the unknown and traditional ways of thinking about heating and cooling buildings. “But if we can show them that we can compete with their other options, there's no downside,” he says, admitting district energy does not make sense for everyone. “New developments that fit in our network that have a viable heating load would make sense as long as the proposal is financially feasible for both parties.” Bradford, concedes that convincing companies to connect to district energy systems can be difficult, especially if they have recently spent the money to install boilers and chillers. “They’re going to say come back in 15 years,” he says, adding a key ingredient to district energy’s success hinges on

Just the facts: • Romans used district energy for hot water heated baths and greenhouses • Thomas Edison used combined heat and power in the late 1800s for the world’s first commercial power plant • The first commercially successful district energy system was in Lockport, NY in 1877 • 60 per cent of buildings in Denmark are supplied district energy • The average number of buildings served by a district energy facility in Canada is 43 • Canada’s oldest district heating system was developed in the 1880s in London, ON to distribute heat to government, university and hospital buildings

timing and planning. “Doing the planning on the front end and working with the municipality to identify where the new developments are going to be, and the type of development, is really important,” he says. “Too often it’s an after-the-fact consideration.” <>

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MECHANICAL SUPPLY NEWS MANUFACTURERS • distributors • wholesalers

SRP doing its bit to rebuild Canadian manufacturing sector

lets people monitor, control and automate their homes from wherever they are through a mobile app. The company will become part of the Samsung Open Innovation Center. SmartThings will move its headquarters from Washington, DC to Palo Alto, CA. www.samsung.com www.smartthings.com www.quietside.com

ADT buys Protectron for $555M

Left: Bruno Bieri, SRP manufacturing manager Right: Superior Radiant Products president Kevin Merritt addresses the crowd at the opening of the company's new Stoney Creek, ON location.

Superior Radiant Products (SRP) held the grand opening of its 50 000 sq. ft. Barton Street location in Stoney Creek, ON on August 27, 2014. The designer and manufacturer of infrared heating solutions for the residential and commercial market moved to the scalable LEAN facility early this year. The move from its original location on Millen Road marks a commitment to an aggressive growth plan. Established in 1995 with four employees, the company now employs 60 people worldwide. “We have come a long way,” said Kevin Merritt, SRP president. “SRP shipped its first order to Prince George, BC almost 19 years ago to the day. We have just received CE approval so we can ship products produced here to Europe.” The company is also ISO 9001:2008 certified. Nigel Southway of Nexus Consulting noted that SRP started the process of bringing production back to Canada in January 2014 with its portable LPG model, which entered the market in 2011. Fifteen hundred of the heaters sold in two years, but Made in China was not sustainable for the upscale North American market. “There were quality control and shipping issues,” noted Southway. The Made in Canada model is expected to launch in October 2014. www.superiorradiant.com

Samsung Electronics in acquisition mode According to reports from Reuters, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has acquired SmartThings (an open platform for the smart home and the consumer Internet of Things) and Quietside HVAC. Quietside, founded in 1998 and headquartered in California, imports and manages equipment sales to HVAC/R wholesale distributors throughout Canada and the U.S. In addition to its own brand, Quietside sells Samsung, Coaire and DVM S products. Founded in 2012, SmartThings 86

HPAC | october 2014

ADT Corp. has acquired Reliance Protectron Inc. (Protectron), a provider of monitored security services in Canada. It will continue to be headquartered in Montreal, QC and use the Protectron brand under ADT ownership. The acquisition brings ADT 400 000 residential and commercial customers including 31 000 contract monitoring accounts. www.adt.com www.protectron.com

Aeroseal acquires Comfort Institute Aeroseal has acquired Comfort Institute, a provider of home performance equipment and training for the HVAC industry. As a business unit of Aeroseal, Comfort Institute will continue to provide its current service offerings while adding additional services. The merger will improve Aeroseal's duct renovation capabilities and provide additional opportunities in the home performance market. Comfort Institute’s main facility, warehouse and offices will be relocated to Centerville, OH. For more information on duct sealing read Duct Leakage Under Scrutiny in HPAC September/October 2011 (www.hpacmag. com). www.aeroseal.com www.comfortinstitute.org

PVI Industries delivers largest shipment of AquaPLEX to BC PVI Industries shipped four 3000-gallon AquaPLEX duplex stainless steel hot water storage tanks for an apartment/ office building complex in BC this summer, marking the largest installation of AquaPLEX since it was introduced in 2010. Each tank connects to a plate-and-frame heat exchanger to generate thousands of gallons of domestic hot water per hour from a boiler water loop. The tanks are rated for 250 psi operating pressure, built and stamped to section VIII of the ASME code, and factory insulated and jacketed to meet ASHRAE 90.1 heat loss standards. The storage tanks are installed along with two 1500-gallon AquaPLEX water heaters incorporating immersed u-tube heat exchangers. www.pvi.com

Don Park sold, now under the Imperial umbrella Normand Caissie, CEO of the Imperial Manufacturing Group, has acquired Don Park Residential Manufacturing at 842 York Mills Rd. in Toronto, ON. Don Park is a producer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning galvanized duct, pipe and hpacmag.com

fitting products. The acquisition was effective as of July 30, 2014 and does not include the firm’s commercial manufacturing (ICI) and fire divisions. The company will operate under the name Don Park Manufacturing Inc. www.imperialgroup.ca www.donpark.com

invited to a baseball game following the event. Two additional stops were held in Western Canada: Trane Northwest, in Burnaby, BC on July 29 and Trane Calgary on July 31. The tour continues through mid-December. When it wraps up it will have visited 70 cities across Canada and the U.S. In other news, SPX opened a Canadian regional sales office in Mississauga, ON earlier this year. Located at 4141 Sladeview Cr. (tel. 905.607.6446) and managed by Tim Muldoon, the office supports cooling tower and OEM parts selection for Marley and Recold brands. www.spxcooling.com

Louisville Tin & Stove, makers of Cozy, sold

The winning team at the 9th Annual Wolseley Classic. (L to R) Perry Neumann, Wolseley HVAC/R Winnipeg, and Justin Habing, Rusty Radley and Chris Radley, all from R&R Mechanical.

Wolseley raises $40K for Special Olympics Wolseley Canada raised a company record $40,000 for Special Olympics (SO) Manitoba at its annual Special Olympics golf tournament in Winnipeg, MB in June at the Bel Acres Golf and Country Club. A total of 160 golfers and 28 sponsors participated in the 9th Annual Wolseley Classic golf tournament. And on July 12, batters stepped up to the plate and raised $750 for SO Ontario at Wolseley Canada’s 2nd Annual SO baseball tournament at Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington, ON. Approximately 60 people attended the event consisting of six teams made up of Wolseley Canada employees from head office and local branches. www.wolseleyinc.ca

2014 SPX Road Show Tour stops in Canada SPX Cooling Technologies Inc.’s customer appreciation event at Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto, ON.

SPX Cooling Technologies Inc.’s 2014 Road Show Tour, which features a 53-ft. trailer outfitted with a crossflow package cooling unit and an evaporative fluid cooler with pump skid or counterflow package cooling tower, recently made three stops in Canada. The Road Show was in Toronto, ON at the end of May and hosted a customer appreciation event at the Steam Whistle Brewery. Customers were hpacmag.com

Brinly-Hardy Company has aqcuired Louisville Tin & Stove Company, makers of Cozy residential gas and propane-fired heating equipment for 126 years. Both companies have roots in the Louisville area. Brinly-Hardy Co., founded in 1839, operated in downtown Louisville until 2000 when operations were moved to Jeffersonville, IN to make way for an east Main Street renaissance. Louisville Tin & Stove, still located in downtown Louisville, was founded in 1888. “This is a unique opportunity to put together two great, old Louisville companies, and generate growth for both of them,” said CEO Jane Hardy. “Our manufacturing processes are so similar. We’ve invested significantly in Lean production methods, and we see tremendous opportunity to do that with Louisville Tin & Stove as well. It also gives us both the workforce flexibility that we need across multiple seasons. It’s a real win/win.” In addition to lean methodology, the Cozy product line will get the benefit of Brinly-Hardy’s in-house research and development, design engineering and marketing teams. A significant expansion to Brinly’s 250 000 sq. ft. facility is also anticipated. “Cozy is a great brand from a company with similar values to ours, and we both want to see the jobs stay in the area. The integration will be a challenge, but I have faith in our teams. We’ll make it work,” said Hardy. www.brinly.com www.cozyheaters.com

Happy anniversary! >> Since starting out 10 years ago in a building with less than 1000 sq. ft., Hazloc Heaters has expanded its facilities four times and now occupies over 16 000 sq. ft. In addition to selling products in Canada and the U.S., the Calgary-based company has achieved international certification markings on its explosion-proof electric air heaters. Hazloc Heaters has also purchased two modern continued on p88 october 2014 | HPAC

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welding robots, developed proprietary custom material preparation equipment, as well as thermal imaging and heater performance test equipment. www.hazlocheaters.com >> Rinnai Corp., established in Nagoya, Japan in 1921, launched its first North American operation, Rinnai America Corp., in 1974 in Los Angeles, CA, making 2014 Rinnai America’s 40th anniversary. Its first venture into the North American market included spa heaters and home-heating solutions. Rinnai now offers a broad heating and waterheating portfolio. www.rinnai.us

Distribution >> Barclay Sales is representing Watercycles Energy Recovery Inc.'s drain water heat exchangers in Alberta. Barclay has also established a sales partnership with Gerber Plumbing Fixtures. Barclay will rep the entire Gerber Plumbing Fixtures product line in BC. www.watercycles.ca www.gerberonline.com www.barclaysales.com >> Noble has moved from its Lesmill location in Toronto’s North York area to 150 Duncan Mills Rd. Tel. 416.443.1300, fax. 416.443.1841. www.noble.ca >> Appleby Systems of Oakville, ON is now the exclusive dealer of Carrier furnaces and air conditioners in Burlington, Oakville, West Mississauga and the surrounding area. Appleby also provides ductless air conditioning systems and air conditioning repair in Oakville. www.applebysystems.ca

Clips >> HVAC/R professionals can now access the online product information database for Copeland compressors from Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. through a free mobile app.www.emersonclimate.com >> Rehau’s revamped website is designed with busy contractors in mind, offering quicker access to multiple resources and automatic responsiveness to mobile devices. The redesign includes a resource centre, blog and an edgeband colour search, which is an application used to search through all current Rehau colour matches by laminate brand. Other responsive design changes include larger images and text, and one-touch connections to social media networks. www.na.rehau.com >> Bronte Collection has revamped its website to include a searchable product catalogue, a photo and video gallery, indepth product features, downloadable product literature and more. www.brontecollection.ca 88

HPAC | october 2014

< PEOPLE The Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) has hired Michael Prencipe as manager of operations. He is responsible for managing all operations and service areas, including office administration and accounting/finance. Prencipe He will also oversee the CIPH Membership Committee, Canadian Association of Pump Manufactures (CAPM), as well as help with marketing and communications. B. A. Robinson Co. Ltd. recently made two job announcements: Shea Robinson is executive vice president and general manager, while Matt Robinson is vice president of sales. Shea (L to R) Shea Robinson, Ross Robinson and Matt Robinson at the Canada's Best Managed assumes responsibility Companies Awards in 2012. of the company’s dayto-day operations and an eight-member senior management team. Matt will work closely with the regional sales managers to build and implement the company’s sales strategy. Ross Robinson, president and CEO, will continue to be responsible for setting and maintaining the strategic direction of the company. Bob Parsons, who was the oil product manager at Wolseley Canada since 2000, officially retired on July 31. He will continue to help out with the Canadian Oil Heat Association’s (COHA) technical committee, a role he has held Parsons since 1993. Parsons is also a technical advisor for CSAB139, the installation code for oil-burning equipment. Danfoss has appointed Mark Menzer as director of public affairs in North America. This role includes engaging with policymakers and regulators on key issues such as energy efficiency, refrigerant policy, as well as electric motors Menzer and variable frequency drives in the HVAC/R, water, and industry sectors. Menzer has more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Raman Chauhan has joined Bibby-Ste-Croix as manager of codes and standards. Chauhan has served as a member on CSA’s technical standards committees for the past 17 years. He also has 28 years experience as senior techniChauhan cal advisor in plumbing and HVAC for the National Research Council of Canada. hpacmag.com

< PEOPLE HTS recently appointed four new principals from its Ontario office to lead the company’s growth in North America. Paul Povolo, senior sales engineer in the Povolo Breckenridge engineering department of the Toronto office, has helped double the size of the Toronto sheet metal department in 2013 by expanding both contracting and Arcese Kitchen engineering services. James Breckenridge, who heads up the automation and control department throughout Ontario, has grown the department tenfold since joining the controls group in 1996. Terry Arcese serves as a mentor for junior sales engineers, assists with HTS’s engineer recruitment program and chairs the Employee Stock Ownership Plan committee. He will continue his role as engineering sales manager in London, ON. Jason Kitchen, branch manager of the Ottawa and Sudbury, ON offices, has been with HTS since 1995 and was instrumental in opening and expanding the Ottawa office to include equipment sales, parts, controls and service departments. Distech Controls recently added Trevor Palmer to the company’s leadership team in the role of vice president of products and marketing. Palmer has more Gagnon Palmer than 15 years experience in contracting, manufacturing and technical sales organizations throughout North America and Europe. Distech Controls also appointed Elisabeth Gagnon as quality and information technology director. Having joined Distech Controls in 2008, Gagnon played a key role in implementing the organization’s quality management system and continued ISO 9001 registration, as well as the execution of the company’s enterprise resource planning software. Barclay Sales Ltd. Alberta has hired Leah Gyorfi to work in outside sales. Gyorfi, who has many years of experience in the industry, works out of Barclay’s Edmonton, AB office. Gyorfi

Brett Freeman has joined Pro Kontrol as branch director at its Markham, ON office, which services the GTA and surrounding area. Freeman has more than 30 years of experience in the HVAC distribution industry. He holds a certifiFreeman cate in business from the University of Toronto and has completed technical training from many manufacturers. hpacmag.com

Desco has hired Scott Duncan as sales manager and Diana Di Carlo as the new sales and operations manager for the company’s Water Closet showroom Duncan Di Carlo business. Both are located at the company’s Etobicoke, ON office. Duncan has held a variety of previous management positions at Honeywell Canada and holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Toronto. Di Carlo previously worked for DirectBuy and has a bachelor’s degree from McMaster University. Oatey Canada SCS Co. hired Joe Anile as national sales manager. Based out of the company’s Brampton, ON office, he is responsible for driving growth and providing market support, with a focus on the plumbing wholesale chanAnile nel. Anile previously worked in sales and marketing for American Standard.

Whaley

Wolseley Canada has appointed Eric Whaley to vice president of the company’s Information Technology (IT) department. He is responsible for driving the overall IT strategy for Wolseley Canada.

Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. has appointed Scott Dempster to regional sales representative for Western Canada. Dempster is responsible for sales activities in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Dempster recently held a management level position for eight years with a fire protection installation firm focusing on estimating, budgeting and operations. Michael Fragione has been appointed northwest regional sales manager for Globe Fire Sprinkler Corp. He serves Globe’s clients in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. Fragione has been active in fire protection contracting since 2007. His background includes experience in field management, sales and sales management. Flir Systems Inc. has hired Travis Merrill for the newly created position of senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Merrill will develop and lead Flir’s global marketing and brand building efforts. Merrill was most recently the vice president of marketing for Samsung Electronics America where he led the Galaxy Tab marketing initiatives from 2011 to 2014.

october 2014 | HPAC

< conference report

Refrigerants, Controls Top Of Mind At AGM BY kerry turner

he Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) held its 46th Annual General Meeting and Conference in Montreal, QC, from August 20-23. HRAI, which is in the final year of implementing its three-year strategic plan, opened the conference with its State of the Association briefing. Key HRAI personnel provided updates on their respective areas of responsibility. A highlight of the event was a panel discussion that attracted a full house titled The Future of Refrigerants: Get Ready For Changes. Wholesalers, manufacturers, contractors, and ultimately end users, will be impacted by the move to low GWP refrigerants. “The EPA is moving to de-list some replacement refrigerants. Some of the newer refrigerants are flammable or even toxic or high pressure in comparison to the relatively benign older refrigerants,” said Jim Flowers of Linde Canada, moderator of the discussion and 2014-2015 HRAI chairman. He then introduced panelists Dennis Kozina (Copeland/Vitter Emerson Climate Technologies), Tom Boutette (B&B Trade Distribution Centre), Rob Flipse (Gordon Latham Ltd.) and Ron Vogl

(Honeywell Fluorine Products) who tackled different areas of concern for manufacturers, wholesalers and contractors. “What happens in the U.S. will have a great impact on what happens here,” said Kozina. With the pressure to move to low GWP refrigerants and stakeholders looking for options he noted that, “30 per cent of the systems in Europe are propane. Propane is an option-it is similar to R404. “Ammonia is abundant, a great refrigerant in terms of the environment. After petroleum it is the most produced chemical. In large industrial apps it makes a lot of sense,” noted Kozina. “There won’t be one solution. Consider true environmental performance,” said Vogl. He also briefly discussed The Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program–a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative to evaluate and regulate substitutes for the ozone-depleting chemicals that are being phased out under the stratospheric ozone protection provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA). (CAA authorizes EPA to identify and publish lists of acceptable and unacceptable substitutes for class I or class II ozone-depleting substances.) Boutette noted that with the number of available options,

Bill Whitten of Rosetown Central Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Ltd. addresses contractor members after he received the Craig McCarty Memorial Award. The award is given to contractor division members who have shown outstanding leadership and dedication to the HVAC/R contracting industry in Canada by volunteering to serve in leadership roles within HRAI’s contractor division. The award is named in honour of the memory of Craig McCarty, who was the first appointed chairman of HRAC and a founding member of the Essex/Kent/Lambton Chapter.

Warren Heeley, HRAI president and Jacques Brodeur (r) of Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON, one of four recipients of the President’s Recognition Award. Brodeur was instrumental in organizing the NRCan subsidies for SkillTech Academy participants.

The Future of Refrigerants: Get Ready For More Changes panelists from left, Dennis Kozina, Tom Boutette, Rob Flipse and Ron Vogl. 90

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

Industry Leaders Recognized HRAI’s outgoing chair Marc Gendron and president Warren Heeley presided over the HRAI Annual Awards Luncheon on August 23, 2014. The Merit Award, which recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development and progress of HRAI and the Canadian HVACR industry, went to Ron Robinson of AtlasCare, Oakville, ON. Rusty Jennings, who is retired from Carrier Enterprise Canada, received the Life Member Award for individuals who have made a significant contribution to HRAI and the Canadian HVAC/R industry for more than 20 years. Robinson and Jennings were unable to attend the luncheon. Other award winners included Tom Cates of On The Level HVAC Design in Komoka, ON, who received the Education Leader Award. Cates is a SkillTech Academy instructor.

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labeling will be an issue. “Are the systems being labeled properly? As we move forward labeling and record keeping have to be a priority. “Contractors will need to carry more refrigerants–meaning larger trucks,” added Boutette. “Rather than carry 65 different refrigerants, determine the best option to carry,” advised Flipsi. “Contractors should develop an R22 replacement strategy,” said Flipse. “Should you convert an old system? Just as a system can perform as well or better [with the replacement refrigerant] some will perform just as poorly. He noted that there is a lot of technical support out there

and suggested contractors “do their homework ahead of time.” In addition to refrigerants, other hot topics at the conference included training and retention; Net Zero; system design; and controls. As Roy Collver put it during his session on combo systems, “It’s all in the controls.” The 46th Annual Meeting and Conference wrapped up with an energized Chairs’ Banquet with everyone on their feet enjoying what could best be described as a revival-like atmosphere. The 47th Annual Meeting and Conference will be held at Caesars Windsor from August 26 to 29, 2015 in Windsor, ON. We will see you there. <> www.hrai.ca www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/

Branding and creativity expert Ron Tite was an entertaining keynote speaker. (Notice the slide in the background.) Jim Flowers (r) and Marc Gendron, 2013-2014 chairman, share a moment on stage during the Chairs’ Banquet. Flowers, who is with Linde Canada, is HRAI’s 2014-2015 chairman. He has served on the HRAI Board since 2012 as a representative of the manufacturer’s division and as chairman of that division since 2012.

Antoine Lamarche of Pro Kontrols gave a detailed account of the pros and cons of zoning options for commercial applications. He noted that an integrated approach to system design is the best option. “The greatest savings are from eliminating waste,” said Lamarche. “You want to offer your customer state of the art, tailored solutions.”

Dave Weishuhn (l) of Blue Flame Heating & Air Conditioning chats with HPAC contributor Mike Miller before his session on piping and control strategies. Miller, who is with Taco, noted that “in many cases controls will get the blame [for performance issues] but they can only do what you allow them to do.”

2014-2015 HRAI Board of Directors Jim Flowers (chairman) Linde Canada, Aurora, ON Marc Gendron (past chairman) Les Enterprises MLG & Fils Inc., Westmount, QC Denis Fraser (vice chairman) Groupe Deschenes Inc., Montreal, QC Peter Steffes (secretary/treasurer) Ideal Heating and Cooling Ltd., Windsor, ON

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Rick Ellul (chairman–manufacturers division) Belimo Americas, Mississauga, ON Peter Sung (chairman–wholesalers division) Ecco Heating Products Ltd., Langley, BC Warren Heeley (president) HRAI, Mississauga, ON

OCTOBER 2014 | HPAC

< renewables

Pellets To PEX

Combi-systems supplied by modern pellet-fueled boilers. BY john siegenthaler

uropean countries such as Austria, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland, have embraced high tech boilers fueled by wood pellets as part of a responsible renewable energy portfolio. This attitude has led to committed research and development efforts that have significantly advanced wood fueled heating technology. The best-inclass technology currently available to burn wood pellets has leapfrogged what was available in the 70s and 80s. Today, residential and commercial size pellet-fired boilers can operate fully automatically for weeks. Depending on climate, these boilers may only require two or three ash removals per heating season. Many of these modern pellet-fueled boilers have integrated web-accessible Figure 1 Preventive piping: flue gas condensation

controls that can run the boiler, as well as several peripheral devices such as pellet transport systems, circulators and mixing valves. Owners and service providers can monitor the entire system using smart phones or tablets.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS Designers and installers should not look at a modern pellet-fired boiler as simply another “box” that burns fuel and produces heated water. These boilers have unique operating characteristics that must be respected if the system is to perform to its maximum potential. First, nearly all the pellet-fired boilers currently available in North America are intended to operate without sustained flue gas condensation. To prevent this condensation, the minimum sustained inlet temperature to these boilers needs to be maintained in the range of 130F. There are several ways to provide this protection. The most common include three-way thermostatic mixing valves, three-way motorized mixing valves and “loading stations.” The latter was discussed, in the context of wood gasification boilers, in HPAC March 2012 (Lower Limits, p28–find it in the archives at www.hpacmag.com). Figure 1 shows how to pipe each of these options in between the pellet-fired boiler and thermal storage tank.

Secondly, unlike a conventional boiler, which delivers heat almost immediately after being turned on, pelletfired boilers require 10 to 30 minutes from when they are called to operate, to when they can deliver heat to loads at the desired water temperatures. This operating characteristic implies that thermal storage is highly desirable. Thermal storage can lengthen the ontime of the boiler once it is fired. Doing so allows it to operate with reduced emissions and higher thermal efficiency. It also helps smooth out heat delivery to the load, especially if the load happens to be a highly zoned hydronic heating system. A properly piped thermal storage tank can also provide a thermal reserve for domestic water heating and serve as a hydraulic separator between multiple simultaneously operating circulators. A low temperature hydronic distribution system complements this thermal storage. The objective is to heat the thermal storage tank to a relatively high water temperature, such as 170 or 180F, and then “drain” heat from it to the lowest possible temperature at which the load can still be served. The lower the water temperature at which the heating distribution can operate, the better. My suggestion is to design every new distribution system so that it can de-

Figure 2 Single pellet-fired boiler system

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

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liver design load output using a supply water temperature no higher than 120F. Even lower supply water temperatures are possible using radiant panels in well-insulated buildings. Use of outdoor reset control for the mixing assembly between the thermal storage tank and distribution system further extends the working temperature range of the tank under partial load conditions.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER Figure 2 shows a system that uses a single pellet-fired boiler to supply space heating and domestic hot water. Both loads are supplied from the thermal storage tank. Think of this tank as the thermal battery and the pelletfired boiler as the battery charger. The pellet-fired boiler is turned on when the temperature at the upper tank sensor (S1) approaches a minimal value at which the tank can no longer supply the load. Since domestic water is heated on-demand through the external heat exchanger, the minimum acceptable temperature at sensor (S1) is typically 120 to 125F. Once the pellet-fired boiler is operating, it remains on until the hot water reaches down to the lower temperature sensor (S2). This logic may be built into the controller supplied with the pelletfired boiler. If not, it can be created using either two one-stage temperature Figure 3 Modified single pellet-fired boiler system

setpoint controllers, or a single twostage temperature setpoint controller. This control logic “stacks” the tank with hot water, so that when the pelletfired boiler is finally turned off, it can remain off for some time. Longer and fewer boiler operating cycles are preferred over more frequent and shorter cycles. Space heating is provided by a highly zoned low temperature radiant panel system. A motorized three-way mixing valve, operated based on outdoor reset control, supplies warm water to the radiant panels at the minimum temperature required to heat the building. The variable speed, pressure-regulated circulator automatically adjusts pumping power as the zones open and close. This reduces electrical energy use under partial load conditions. Domestic hot water is heated “ondemand” as it flows through the secondary side of a stainless steel brazed plate heat exchanger. Hot water from the upper portion of the thermal storage tank is pushed through the primary side of this heat exchanger by a small circulator whenever there is a demand for domestic hot water of 0.6 gpm or more. This control action is handled by a domestic water flow switch, which is similar to those used in most tankless water heaters. The switch contacts activate a small relay that passes 120 VAC to the circulator. An anti-scald

rated thermostatic mixing valve ensures a safe domestic hot water delivery temperature to fixtures.

“BIVALENT” SYSTEMS It is also possible to use a pellet-fired boiler in combination with an auxiliary heat source, such as a small mod/con boiler fueled by propane. Doing so allows the pellet-fired boiler to be sized significantly smaller than design space heating load, while still supplying the majority of the total seasonal space heating energy. Studies for buildings in relatively cold climates have shown that sizing a pellet-fired boiler to 60 per cent of design space heating load allows it to supply about 84 per cent of the total seasonal heating energy. If the pelletfired boiler were sized to 75 per cent of design load, it would supply about 96 per cent of the total seasonal heating energy. The auxiliary boiler turns on only during peak demand periods, or in a situation where the pellet-fired boiler may be inoperable. Figure 3 shows a slight modification of the system in Figure 2. A mod/con boiler has been added as the auxiliary heat source. It is piped such that it interacts with the upper 20 per cent of the water in the thermal storage tank. This provides adequate thermal buffering to prevent short-cycling under minimal loads, but does not require the auxiliary boiler to heat the full volume of the thermal storage tank. If the load exceeds the rate of heat Figure 4 Thermal storage tank

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OCTOBER 2014 | HPAC

< renewables production from the pellet-fired boiler, cooler water returning from the distribution system will eventually move up within the tank until the temperature at sensor (S3) in the upper portion of the tank drops to some value at which auxiliary heat input is deemed necessary. The auxiliary boiler is then fired. Once the combined heat output of both boilers exceeds load, the temperature at the top of the tank will increase. Hot water will start â&#x20AC;&#x153;buildingâ&#x20AC;? downward from the upper to lower portions of the tank. The auxiliary boiler can be turned off when the temperature at sensor (S3) has risen through some reasonable differential such as 15 to 30F. To lengthen the operating cycle of the pellet-fired boiler, it should continue operating until most of the thermal storage tank is filled with hot water. This condition can be detected by sensor (S2) near the bottom of the tank. The pellet-fired boiler is turned off when this sensor reaches a reasonable upper limit such as 170 to 180F. Figure 4 shows a thermal storage tank with multiple temperature sensors located at different heights to facilitate this operating logic. The position of sensor (S1) relative to sensor (S3) is based on the warm-up time of the pellet-fired boiler. The idea is to allow the

hot water volume between these sensors to supply the load as the pelletfired boiler warms up to the point where it is delivering heat to the tank.

HARD-WIRED LOGIC The control logic required to regulate the temperature stacking process can be created using a two-stage temperature setpoint controller along with a one-stage temperature setpoint controller. These controllers are readily available from several suppliers. Figure 5 shows a ladder diagram that combines these controllers with relays to provide the necessary control logic. With this configuration, a demand for space heating comes from thermostat (T1). This supplies 24VAC to the coil of relay (R1). Contact (R1-1) closes to power on the two-stage setpoint controller, as well as the one-stage setpoint controller. The two-stage controller examines the temperatures at sensors (S1) and (S2). If the temperature at the sensor (S1) in the upper portion of the tank is less than or equal to 120F, the stage 1 contact in the two-stage controller closes. This passes 24VAC to the coil of relay (R2). Contact (R2-2) closes to complete a circuit between the (T T) terminals on the pellet boiler, enabling it to fire. Another contact,

Figure 5 Pellet-fired boiler with external setpoint controllers

(R2-1) also closes to pass 24VAC to one side of the stage 2 contact. This contact will be closed because the temperature at the bottom of the tank, at this point, is much lower than 170F (i.e., because the top of the tank is only 120F or less). If the temperature at sensor (S1) increases to 130F or higher, the stage 1 contact in the two-stage controller opens. However, there is still a path for 24VAC through (R2-1) and the stage 2 contact to keep the coil of relay (R2) energized. This keeps the pellet-fired boiler operating. When the temperature detected by sensor (S2) in the lower portion of the tank reaches 180F, the stage 2 contact in the two-stage controller opens and the pellet-fired boiler turns off. If the pellet-fired boiler is unable to maintain the temperature in the upper portion of the tank above 115F, the onestage setpoint controller turns on the auxiliary boiler to supplement the heat output of the pellet-fired boiler. The auxiliary boiler remains on until the temperature detected at sensor (S3) in the upper portion of the tank reaches 130F. When using this scenario, it is important that both boilers are solely under the control of the controllers shown in Figure 5. They should not be operating based on outdoor reset control, which could interfere with the objective of the external setpoint controllers.

If your future installations include pellet-fired boilers, this combination of hardware and control logic provides a unique and stable combi-system. It is yet another example of how modern hydronics technology can enhance the performance of renewable energy heat sources. <> John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a mechanical engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a licensed professional engineer. He is currently teaching an online course on Hydronic-Based Biomass Heating Systems (http://bit.ly/ btecbiomass).

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

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Calendar 2014

FOR THE LATEST EVENT NEWS SEE HPAC'S NEWSLETTER @ hpacmag.com OGA Conference November 13-14

AHRI Annual Meeting November 16-18

IIDEX Canada December 3-4

The Ontario Geothermal Association will host its annual conference at the Taboo Resort in Muskoka, ON.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute will hold its annual meeting at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, CA.

www.ontariogeothermal.ca

www.ahrinet.org

Canada’s national design and architecture exposition and conference will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s North Building in Toronto, ON.

www.iidexcanada.com

HARDI Annual Conference December 6-9

Solar Canada December 8-9

Canada’s largest construction exposition and conference will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s South Building in Toronto, ON.

The Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International will hold its annual conference at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, TX.

Solar Canada 2014 will take place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, ON.

www.constructcanada.com

www.hardinet.org

2015

Construct Canada December 3-5

www.solarcanadaconference.ca

NAHB/KBIS January 20-22

ASHRAE Winter Conference January 24-28

AHR Expo January 26-28

The NAHB International Builders’ Show and the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show will take place in Las Vegas, NV at the Las Vegas Convention Center. www.buildersshow.com www.kbis.com

The ASHRAE Winter Conference will be held in Chicago, IL at the Palmer House Hilton.

The 67th International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Exposition will take place in Chicago, IL at McCormick Place. www.ahrexpo.com

www.ashrae.org

RPA Annual Meeting and Conference January 27

ACEEE Hot Water Forum February 22-24

Buildex Vancouver February 25-26

The Radiant Professionals Alliance will hold its annual general meeting and conference in conjunction with the AHR Expo in Chicago, IL at McCormick Place.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy will hold its forum at the Hilton Nashville Downtown in Nashville, TN.

Buildex Vancouver, a conference on design, construction and real estate management, is taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, BC.

www.aceee.org

www.radiantprofessionalsalliance.org

www.buildexvancouver.com

MCAA Annual Convention March 8-12

HVACR & Mechanical Conference March 9-11

ISH March 10-14

The Mechanical Contractors Association of America’s annual convention will be held at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Maui, HI.

The HVACR & Mechanical Conference for education professionals will take place at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum, MD.

ISH is the world’s leading trade fair for water and energy. The event will take place in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

www.mcaa.org

www.instructorworkshop.org

ACCA Conference & IE3 Expo March 16-19

NEBB Annual Conference April 16-18

The ACCA 2015 and IE3: The Indoor Environment & Energy Expo will take place at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, TX.

The National Environmental Balancing Bureau will host its annual conference at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa in Honolulu, HI.

www.acca.org

NFSA Annual Seminar and North American Fire Sprinkler Expo April 30-May 2 The National Fire Sprinkler Association will hold its annual seminar and expo at the Hilton Bonnet Creek in Orlando, FL.

www.ish.messefrankfurt.com

www.nebb.org

MCEE April 22-23 Canada’s largest exhibition for plumbing, HVAC, hydronics, electricity and lighting will take place at Place Bonaventure in Montreal, QC.

www.mcee.ca

RSES Canada Conference May 14-16

CIPH Annual Business Conference June 14-16

The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (Canada) will hold its conference in Calgary, AB. Venue TBA.

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating will hold its 83rd annual business conference at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, QC.

www.rsescanada.com

www.ciph.com

www.nfsa.org

HPAC | october 2014

hpacmag.com

Western Canada’s

largest trade show

for plumbing, hydronics, HVACR and water treatment. • Plumbing • Hydronics • Heating • Ventilation • Air Conditioning • Refrigeration • Solar Energy • Geothermal Energy

• Water Treatment • Pipes, Valves & Fittings • Fire Protection • Kitchen and Bath • Industrial • Natural Gas • Tools and Equipment • Software

250+ Exhibitors

The biggest showroom you’ve ever seen!

Free Seminars

Business tools for contractors, codes & standards updates, and industry-specific sessions to help wholesalers and contractors sell iT, insTall iT and mainTain iT.

Hydronics Conference

Featuring Robert Bean, Dan Holohan and John siegenthaler, north america’s top hydronics experts.

➤ New Products ➤ New Technologies ➤ New Ideas ➤ New Designs ➤ New Solutions

Find them all at CIPHEX West 2014 november 5 & 6, 2014 BmO Centre, stampede Park, Calgary

www.ciphexwest.ca • info@ciph.com

THE SOURCE

Advertisers in this issue Adrian Steel...................................................www.adriansteel.com ........................................................... page 78. AHR Expo.......................................................www.ahrexpo.com .............................................................. page 103 Aquatech.......................................................www.aquatech.ws ................................................................ page 73 Axiom Industries............................................www.axiomind.com ............................................................... page 22 Bardon Supplies.............................................www.bardonsupplies.com ..................................................... page 45 Blanco...........................................................www.blancocanada.com ....................................................... page 51 Boshart..........................................................www.boshart.com .................................................................. page 8 Bradford White...............................................www.bradfordwhite.com ........................................................ page 56 Bradley..........................................................www.bradleycorp.com ........................................................... page 47 Brant Radiant Heaters....................................www.brantradiant.com .......................................................... page 85 Caleffi............................................................www.caleffi.us ...................................................................... page 23 Chemfax........................................................www.chemfax.com ................................................................. page 9 CIPHEX West.................................................www.ciphexwest.ca .............................................................. page 98 Daikin............................................................www.daikincomfort.com ........................................................ page 52 Dobbin Sales..................................................www.jomarvalve.com ............................................................ page 46 Fantech..........................................................www.fantech.net .................................................................. page 83 Flir.................................................................www.flir.ca ........................................................................... page 13 Ford...............................................................www.ford.ca ......................................................................... page 79 Franklin Electric.............................................www.franklinwater.com ......................................................... page 59 Fujitsu...........................................................www.fujitsugeneral.com ........................................................ page 17 Giant..............................................................www.giantinc.com ................................................................ page 64 HBX Control Systems.....................................www.hbxcontrols.com ........................................................... page 97 Heatlink.........................................................www.heatlink.com ................................................................ page 16 Honeywell Genetron........................................ www.genetron.com ............................................................... page 27 Hood Chemical...............................................www.hoodchemical.com ....................................................... page 31 ICP - Keeprite.................................................www.GoKeepRite.com .......................................................... page 33 Insulation Solutions........................................www.insulationsolutions.com ................................................ page 85 IPEX..............................................................www.ipexinc.com .........................................................page 2, 14, 31 Laars.............................................................www.laars.com .................................................................... page 57 Lennox Parts Plus..........................................www.LennoxPartsPlus.com ................................................... page 25 Liberty Pumps................................................www.libertypumps.com ......................................................... page 49 M&G DuraVent...............................................www.duravent.com ..........................................................page 19, 61 Master Group.................................................www.master.ca .................................................................... page 95 Navien............................................................www.navien.com .................................................................... page 4 NTI................................................................www.nythermal.com ............................................................. page 65 OPA...............................................................www.saveonenergy.ca/heating-plumbing-ac ............................ page 35 Ostberg Americas...........................................www.ostberg.com ................................................................. page 85 Reliance Worldwide........................................www.sharkbite.com .............................................................. page 50 Reversomatic.................................................www.reversomatic.com ......................................................... page 11 Saniflo...........................................................www.saniflo.ca ..................................................................... page 71 Selkirk...........................................................www.polyflue.com ................................................................. page 34 Taco..............................................................www.taco-hvac.com .............................................................. page 41 Testo.............................................................www.testo.com .................................................................... page 84 Thermo 2000.................................................www.thermo2000.com ......................................................... page 22 Uponor...........................................................www.uponor.ca ....................................................................... page 7 Viega.............................................................www.viega.ca ....................................................................... page 63 Viessmann.....................................................www.viessmann.ca ..........................................................page 15, 40 Wade Drains...................................................www.wadedrains.ca .............................................................. page 55 Watts.............................................................www.OneWattsWater.com/HVAC .......................................... page 104 Wesmech.......................................................www.wesmechtech.com ........................................................ page 21 Zurn...............................................................www.zurn.com ...................................................................... page 67 hpacmag.com

october 2014 | HPAC

< finance

Business 101

An update on the Industry Canada benchmarking tool. BY hank bulmash

hy do some businesses grow and prosper while others, the majority, just manage to exist? That is a big question and it is something that business owners should think about a great deal. Not surprisingly, it is a major focus of business school enquiry. Many, probably most, businesses are run by crisis management – the problems of the day tend to dominate the thinking of managers. In other words, the way you spend your day depends more on your telephone than your brain. You can get some idea of that from the Industry Canada website’s information on HVAC contractors. The IC report is available at w w w.i c. gc.c a /ap p /s m e - p m e /b n c h m r k n g t l /r p r t- f l w. pub?execution=e1s1. When you go to the site, use NAICS code 23822 to generate the report that provides information on the income statements of HVAC businesses. The report covers a lot of businesses. IC tracks over 19 000 firms in the HVAC industry and the web page divides them into quartiles by revenue. The bottom three quartiles are composed of about 15 000 firms. These companies have revenues of $500,000 or less and they really reflect the situation of self-employed persons – sometimes with two or three employees. The largest firms in the bottom three quartiles have salary expenses of around $125,000 including the wages paid to the owner. They may have pre-tax income of 10 per cent of sales. The real businesses in the industry are among the 5000 largest firms – all in the top quartile. This quartile covers a very large range of activity. The smallest companies in the top 25 per cent have sales of about $500,000. The largest have revenues of ten times that: $5 million. The larger companies have a lower profit margin than the small companies. In fact, the smaller the business, the higher the profit margin. Companies in the fourth quartile, have profits of about 24 per cent of sales. In the third quartile, the profits are 19 per cent of sales. In the second quartile they are 10 per cent of sales and in the first quartile they are seven per cent of sales. This makes sense once you recognize that the smaller the company, the greater the percentage of profits that is a result of the owner’s work. So we might see that a company with sales of $80,000 (in the fourth quartile), might earn profits of about $20,000. That is both a high profit percentage of sales and not much money. The high percentage is attributable to the fact that the owner will take a low salary from the company. That low wage expense leads to a high profit. In other words, the companies’ books for the bottom three quartiles and the smaller firms in 100

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

the first quartile overstate profits because salary expense for the owner is understated. We all have seen small business owners working 12-hour days for inadequate remuneration. That is not a bad strategy if your business is really growing and the situation is short-term. Sadly in many cases that is not so, and being permanently over-worked and underpaid is the plight of many small business owners. For a company with $500,000 in sales (a small business in the first quartile), profits are about 10 per cent, or $50,000, and the same observation holds. The high profits are a result of the underpayment of the owner. For a larger company, say $2 million in sales, profits are only seven per cent – about $140,000. But it is likely that those profits are real, not inflated by the lower than market wages of the owner/manager. A company with sales of $500,000 has labour costs of about 28 per cent of sales, or $140,000. The percentage of labour costs for a $2 million company is higher at about 34 per cent of sales – $680,000. The difference in the percentage of labour cost in those two companies, about six per cent of sales, accounts for much of the excess profits in the smaller company. The fact that small companies have large profit ratios is one reason why companies do not grow. Growing can present too large a risk for an undercapitalized owner. It is hard to give up the perceived safety of a small firm with modest sales that is making enough money for the owner to live on in the hope that growing will pay off in the long run. One of the things humans are good at is avoiding looking at the bad side of things. So it is easy for a small business person, working hard and dreaming of a better future, to convince himself that what he is doing now is actually building for the future. And the illusory high profit margin can actually convince the owners of small businesses that they are doing better than they are. The Industry Canada reports lead one to believe that optimism of that sort is simply wrong in most cases. Working hard is a strategy for staying in place, not for growth. You cannot grow without planning for it. So why don’t more businesses plan for growth? First of all, planning takes time and energy, which is not easy if you are overworked already. Then to grow you need to develop capacity and building capacity is expensive. It means higher fixed costs, higher inventories and higher salaries – all to complete work that you might not be able to win. For many small business owners, the leap into the unknown is terrifying. And without a source of ready financing, it may not even be possible. hpacmag.com

One way to reduce the risk is to develop a written business plan. A business plan is just a set of business goals with strategies for achieving them. It is hard to develop your business without this kind of structure. Without careful thinking, the problems of the day-to-day will use up all your time and energy. For example, if you need to increase cash flow, you need to turn your receivables into cash faster. To do that, you need to actively learn to keep track of them. You have to learn how quickly you are being paid and which accounts are problematic. Preparing an aged receivables trial balance allows you to focus on customers who pay late. Once you know who they are, you can figure out how to deal with them. You may even decide that some of your problem accounts are not worth keeping. Most companies do this as an aid to growth. Freeing up the energy needed to service problem customers is one of the best ways to develop your enterprise. The difficulty for many businesses, especially small ones, is that there are so many numbers to deal with, so many demands during the work day, and so little time that it is nearly impossible to keep track of everything. And even if you

could keep track of everything, what would that tell you? You need comparisons to know if you are doing well or not. When an amateur golfer breaks 100, he can begin to feel better about his game. When he gets below 80, it is time for celebration. But how do you know if you are doing okay on inventory controls, or if your rent expense is out of line? The problem is, compared to what? That is when the benchmark at the Industry Canada website can be useful. The reports provide only income statements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not balance sheets. But you can use your balance sheets as a start along with projecting the kind of income you will need to fund growth in order to discover what you have to do to really develop the business. <> Hank Bulmash, CPA, CA, MBA, TEP, is CEO of Bulmash Accounting Professional Corporation in Toronto, ON. He can be reached at hank@bulmash.ca. See HPAC March 2013 (www.hpacmag.com) for more information on Industry Canada's benchmarking tool.

Training

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS CANADA NAIT The North Alberta Institute of Technology is offering a Hydronic Designer Core I (HDRO370) distance learning course. Students have nine months to complete six modules: heat, boilers, heat loss, blueprint reading, building construction and system design factors. Monthly intakes begin on November 1 and December 1. www.nait.ca/course_hdro370.htm

Dollars to $ense Energy Management Workshops

LEED Canada

CMCEF National Seminar Program

Canada Green Building Council workshops include LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation, Introduction to Passive Housing Design and Construction, and Overview of the LEED-ND Rating System for Canada, tel. 613.241.1184. www.cagbc.org

The Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Seminar Program Catalogue & Calendar is available online. It contains more than 100 on-site training programs for companies and associations. Contact your local association or the CMCEF office at tel. 613.232.5169.

CSA Learning Institute The CSA Learning Institute course calendar is available online.

www.csa.ca/cm/ca/en/training

TECA Quality First Training To register for the Quality First training course offered by the Thermal Environmental Comfort Association, tel. 604.594.5956. www.teca.ca

HRAI SkillTech Academy This course teaches the technical competence required to design and install HVAC systems for residential and small commercial applications. For more information contact Dorothy Allen by e-mail: dallen@hrai.ca.

www.hrai.ca

Canadian GeoExchange Coalition The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition provides a national accreditation program for geothermal loop installers. It is valid for commercial and residential installations. www.geoexchange.ca hpacmag.com

The Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada has workshops focused on improving efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering operation costs. A workshop schedule is available online. www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca

www.cmcef.org

RETScreen Training Institute The RETScreen Training Institute is offered in partnership with the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto. The Institute provides instruction on how to properly assess the viability and performance of clean energy projects using RETScreen software. A certificate is awarded for completing the course.

www.retscreen.net/ang/home.php

Canadian Hydronics Council The Introduction to Hydronic Heating Installations course is a starting point for those interested in installing hydronic-heating systems. The Essentials of Hydronic System Design intermediate level program helps practitioners understand key design principles and the different options and solutions required to meet client needs. Course descriptions and training schedules are available online.

www.ultimatecomfort.ca

OCTOBER 2014 | HPAC

101

< As i see it

Get Ahead Of The Game

Residential HVAC contractors are under attack; it is time to embrace your techie self.

BY Andrew Illingworth

ff-the-shelf, do-it-yourself, wireless controllers are being sold to consumers looking for significant savings, remote access and an environmentally friendly solution. These wireless controllers have been packaged well, they look good and they meet a need. The store shelves are emptying at an alarming rate, and contractors are faced with service calls on equipment that is simply not up to the job. Heat pumps, boilers and other system equipment are being short-cycled and abused. But hey, at least the controls look great when homeowners show them to their friends.

OUT WITH the OLD, IN WITH THE NEW (AND KEEPING UP) These units and applications do work in some ways. They allow the homeowner some level of control and they look good on their phone (let’s face it, the more professional units do not necessarily look great) but are they delivering long-term savings? Are they an environmentally friendly alternative? There is a strong demand in our industry for a product that provides a high level of remote comfort control and looks good at the same time. We cannot get away with something that looks like it should be hidden away in a mechanical room. The homeowners we serve are looking for something far better – they have high expectations. The consumer wants efficiency and savings but also demands the old benefits – hot water, heating and cooling on demand. It is challenging to provide a solution that is a wireless and user-friendly interface, which successfully controls a green, hybrid system. In addition, the solution must be fitted by a technician who is keeping up with the changes, and who understands both HVAC and remote controls. Most of us have been around long enough to know that things come and go. In this case though, wireless technology and environmental responsibility are here to stay. We need to take on the challenge before the off-the-shelf products mess us all up. What does the future hold? Everything will be wireless because as long as a wire maintains integrity there is a guaranteed connection and stability is our (cheaper) friend. It leads to less frustration for the homeowner and contractor alike. After all, it costs us money every time we make a visit to a site. How many times have we made a visit to a site only to find that the problem is not ours at all? Surely being able to monitor and resolve issues wirelessly is the answer. However, wireless can be very difficult to set up and brings some unknowns. It is of huge importance that the setup is done correctly; otherwise we create more issues than we solve. Wireless systems can often be temperamental and unpre102

HPAC | OCTOBER 2014

dictable. Many times the control system just does not provide the high level of service required.

THE WISH LIST We need controls that coordinate the equipment in our system designs. For example, if we use a bio mass/natural gas boiler combination for our heating system, a chiller and duct work for cooling, then we need wireless controls that will manage it all with NO issues. We want these controls to be easy to install – connecting quickly and easily to the equipment (any equipment) – offthe-shelf included. We do not have the time to read manuals, troubleshoot, call manufacturers or explain to homeowners why it does not work so it has to be intuitive and clear. We also want all of the setup in one room. We want feedback and monitoring – piping and system schematics showing us important information – what is running, what is not and why. E-mails detailing the exact problem provide information so we can monitor online and even fix the problem without an expensive site visit. We want to be able to control systems remotely, without having a degree in “nerd” that equips us to be able to configure routers, provide computer solutions, pay connection fees, hosting fees, licence fees and completing constant update configuration. Do we have the perfect wireless control unit yet? Almost. The system must be smart enough to know when to use gas, electricity or other forms of energy. Features give us extra options such as outside air temperature reset and being able to change the I/O locations within the software. The wireless controller must be homeowner proof. We do not want them easily changing settings that could be detrimental to the operation of the system. However, if they do manage to make changes then we want easy access to undo the homeowner ‘improvements’ without another site visit. We want to be able to do it from our truck. Lastly, we need the controls to be incredibly fast and easy to install. To be honest, we need a “paint by numbers” approach – pictures of our system and where to make connections. Oh, and the different parts of the system also need to self-connect. Are we asking for too much? No. All we are asking for is the next level in home comfort control and easy access. Green, hybrid and wireless systems are here to stay – let’s make sure we are as well. <> Andrew Illingworth is president of Thermo Matrix. The company manufactures and engineers low voltage hydronic HVAC solutions, as well as waste heat recovery systems. www.thermomatrix.com hpacmag.com

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