Pm magazine 1015

www.PMmag.com October 2015 | Volume 33, Number 8

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Scott Robertson, president of Alliance, Ohio-based Robertson Heating Supply/Robertson Kitchen & Bath Gallery.

Navien innovation.

Now available in a boiler.

Introducing the Navien NHB condensing boilers As the leader in condensing technology, Navien has already reinvented the water heating industry with the award-winning NPE tankless water heaters and the NCB combi-boilers. The new NHB boiler series is the next in line of innovations from Navien. All NHB boilers have Navien’s advanced burner system, an AFUE of 95% and turn down ratios up to 15:1. Now available in four sizes: NHB-55, NHB-80, NHB-110 and NHB-150.

Reinvent your thinking about boilers at BoilersMadeSmart.com or Navien.com.

NEW NHB Installation Video Installer Dave Yates of F.W. Behler, Inc. gives this product a “two thumbs up” while he fully expects to see an energy consumption reduction of 30-50% for his customer.

T H E

L E A D E R

I N

C O N D E N S I N G

T E C H N O L O G Y

October 2015 CONTENTS features 30 ON THE COVER: PM 2015 Supply House

of the Year: Robertson Heating Supply This 81-year-old Ohio distribution firm uses technology and communication to stay relevant with contractors.

40 Unplugged: Cordless tool trends Cover photo credit: Kelly Faloon/Plumbing & Mechanical

The benefits of battery-operated tools.

46 PM Profile: HOLDRITE President

and CEO Tim McConnell The plumbing products manufacturer sees accelerated growth of technology and alternative piping materials.

30

departments 6 20 50 80 82 86 92 95

Around the Industry The Glitch & The Fix Truck of the Month Tool Tips Product Focus: Green plumbing New products and literature Classified marketplace Advertiser index

82

52 Sustainable uses for plastic pipe

Systems can help conserve water and energy.

54 Must-See Products

columns 10 14 22 26 58 62 66 70 74 96

Al Levi John Siegenthaler Dan Holohan Julius Ballanco Morris Beschloss Adams Hudson Kenny Chapman Jim Hamilton Ray Wohlfarth Kelly Faloon

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

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For subscription information or service, please call 847/763-9534, fax 847-763-9538 or email PM@halldata.com Editor Kelly Faloon 847/405-4041 • faloonk@bnpmedia.com Associate Editor Nadia Askar 847/405-4112 • askarn@bnpmedia.com Web Content and Engagement Manager Suzette Rubio 630/962-0086 • rubios@bnpmedia.com Hydronics Editor John Siegenthaler john@hydronicpros.com Art Director Stephanie Armstrong 248/244-8269 • armstrongs@bnpmedia.com Sr. Production Manager Lisa Rahimpour 248/620-4180 • rahimpourl@bnpmedia.com

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Senior Account Manager Michael Costantino 402/836-6266 • michael.costantino@infogroup.com AUDIENCE MARKETING Group Audience Marketing Manager Teresa Owens Multimedia Specialist Ashley Ludwig Corporate Audience Audit Manager Catherine M. Ronan

BNP Media Helps People Succeed in Business with Superior Information

PLUMBING & MECHANICAL (ISSN: Print 8750-6041 and Digital 2328-8698) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media, Inc., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $123.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $160.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $178.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2015, by BNP Media. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: PLUMBING & MECHANICAL, P.O. Box 2146, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to PLUMBING & MECHANICAL, P.O. Box 2146, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or KalbR@bnpmedia.com.

Around THE INDUSTRY

Plumbing & Mechanical is looking for some great-looking trucks to feature in its December issue. The 2015 Best-Looking Truck Contest will have winners in four categories: • Best-Looking Pickup Truck.

• Best-Looking Panel Van. • Best-Looking Box Truck.

• Best-Looking Inside.

To enter, go to www.pmmag.com/besttruck.

Select a category, tell us why your truck is the best-looking, upload high-resolution digital photos, and enter your contact information (in case we need more information). The deadline to submit contest materials is Nov. 13, 2015.

You can enter as many categories as you like. If we featured your vehicle as a Truck of the Month, you are still eligible to enter the contest. ◆

Photo credit: PHCC

Copp named PHCC-NA executive vice president The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association selected Michael R. Copp as its new executive vice president, effective Oct. 5.

Copp succeeds current PHCC EVP Gerry Kennedy, who will retire on Dec. 31, 2015.

Copp most recently was the chief operating officer of the American Retirement Association. Prior to that position, he was senior vice president of Michael Copp education at the National Association of Home Builders and managing director with the Professional Practice division of The American Institute of Architects. ◆

Viessmann celebrates 25 years in the United States In early September, Viessmann celebrated 25 years of business in the United States at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Warwick, R.I., with special VIP and open house events. More than 150 guests attended the anniversary day of celebration Sept. 9 with speeches, a gourmet luncheon and a walking tour of the Warwick facility.

The celebration was highlighted by speeches from Prof. Dr. Martin Viessmann, CEO and president of the executive board; Dr. Michael Luz, managing director of Viessmann U.S.; Rhode Island’s Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee; Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea; and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian.

In his keynote address, Viessmann spoke about the growth and evolution of Viessmann’s investment in the U.S. market which started in the 1970s, the importance of the company’s enduring trade partnerships with its customers and Viessmann’s longstanding commitments to energy efficiency and sustainability.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Photo credit: Viessmann

Does your company have the coolest trucks in town?

Prof. Dr. Martin Viessmann, CEO and president of Germany-based Viessmann, speaks to guests at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Warwick, R.I.

Viessmann specifically talked about the company’s precedentsetting accomplishments such as reaching high standards of energy efficiency and German climate policy targets well before the 2050 date established by the German government.

An open house event Sept. 10 for 200 contractors and heating professionals included state-of-the-art technical training and product information, as well as demonstrations and networking.◆

Winsupply changes name from WinWholesale WinWholesale has a new name: Winsupply Inc. Currently, most local companies operate under Win-branded names including Winsupply, Winnelson, Winair, Windustrial, Winlectric, Winfastener and Winpump, along with Noland Co. The adoption of Winsupply continues the process of ending the proliferation of the different local company names. Over the last two years and going forward, all new companies have and will take the Winsupply name, with the exception of Winwater companies which will retain their current name. It’s expected that many more will change their local brand to Winsupply. ◆

Obituary: Melvin Dubin Founder, Slant/Fin Corp.

Melvin Dubin, 92, founder and chairman emeritus of Slant/ Fin Corp., died Sept. 17. Dubin started Slant/Fin in 1949 and through his energetic spirit and determination, the company grew into a successful manufacturer of baseboard heating and boilers. He was a generous supporter of many charitable causes.

He is survived by his son Adam (now president and chairman of Slant/Fin), daughter-in-law Rachele and granddaughters Alyx and Nella. In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family suggests contributions be made to United Jewish Appeal, American Technion Society or Tilles Center For Performing Arts. ◆

INTRODUCING THE NEW FORD TRANSIT

The 2015 Transit can offer a best-in-class gas-powered maximum CARGO CAPACITY OF 487.3 CUBIC FEET.*

THE MOST VEHICLE CONFIGURATIONS IN ITS CLASS.

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OPEN FOR 6'5" TALL BUSINESS OVER

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A WIDE VARIETY

With an available cargo ceiling taller than some basketball players, the Transit van has loads of room for boxes, tools 6'5" and you. That comes in handy if you want a mobile workshop that lets you stand up straight. And the advantages just keep piling up.

OF DIMENSIONS The Transit van and wagon are available in 2 different wheelbases, 3 different lengths and 3 different heights. That makes it easy to choose one that will fit you and your business exactly. And if that’s not enough, it’s also available as a chassis cab and cutaway.

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The Transit van is available with the best-in-class maximum rear cargo door opening height. The doors open a full 237° and the floor is as low as 28 inches.† It’s all about making loading and unloading easier.

No matter what your business is.

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Around THE INDUSTRY Noritz launches Installer of the Year video contest Plumbing and heating contractors who install Noritz tankless water heaters can now enter the company’s Installer of the Year contest for a chance to win prizes, cash and social media support across all Noritz platforms.

Entrants must submit a 15-second video explaining why they choose to install Noritz brand products.

Submissions are open until Oct. 30, 2015, via the Installer of the Year landing page (http://woobox.com/5uc24d). A grand-prize winner will be selected based on votes received through the Noritz website Nov. 2-6. The winner will be announced Nov. 9. ◆

EMCOR workers don pink hard hats for Breast Cancer Awareness Month EMCOR Group announced that thousands of its employees at more than 55 EMCOR subsidiaries throughout the United States will commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October by donning EMCOR Pink Hard Hats in support of the company’s “Protect Yourself. Get Screened Today.” campaign on the company’s Pink Hard Hat website (www.emcorgroup.com/ pinkhardhat).

Employees and clients will wear EMCOR Pink Hard Hats and stand together to form massive human Pink Hard Hat ribbons to raise awareness for the importance of breast cancer screening.

Thousands of employees at subsidiaries across the country will wear Pink Hard Hats at construction sites. In addition, EMCOR’s fleet of more than 7,000 service vehicles will display Pink Hard Hat posters with the “Protect Yourself. Get Screened Today.” message.

“While it’s impossible to calculate the precise impact, we know this program is making a difference because people have come forward and told us how it has positively impacted their lives,” stated Tony Guzzi, president and CEO, EMCOR Group. ◆

Photo credit: Long Island Fight for Charity

New York plumber to fight for charity Michael “Machine Gun Mike” Graziose, vice president of Locust Valley, N.Y.-based Graziose Plumbing and Heating and The Valley Fireplace, will be fighting in this year’s Long Island Fight for Charity (http:// lifightforcharity.org), Nov. 23, at the Long Island Hilton in Melville, N.Y. Graziose’s Main Event match will be streaming live on the internet via pay-per-view.

The mission of Long Island Fight for Mike Graziose Charity is to raise funds for the Long Island Community Chest The Genesis School and the National Foundation for Human Potential and other charities. This year

8

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

the goal is to raise more than $200,000 and attract more than 1,200 people to the 12th Main Event. To date, Fight for Charity has donated nearly $1 million to Long Island charities.

Graziose is among the 26 businessmen and businesswomen selected to be volunteer boxers in the charity event. His parents started the plumbing business in 1973 to support their growing family.

“Through hard work my parents succeeded,” he said. “They taught me everything I needed to know about business and success in life. The decision to box in the Fight for Charity offers me a huge opportunity to help individuals who are struggling and ◆ families with needs.”

AFSA reveals 2016 schedule for fire sprinkler system training The American Fire Sprinkler Association announced the 2016 schedule for its popular Beginning Fire Sprinkler System Planning School: Jan. 11-22; Feb. 8-19; April 4-15; May 16-27; July 18-29; and Oct. 3-14.

The Beginning Fire Sprinkler System Planning School teaches the essential elements of system layout in accordance with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. It is geared toward those with limited experience or those who need assistance with design. The school, held at AFSA’s training center in Dallas, presents a comprehensive, practical approach to preparing fire sprinkler system drawings.

Enrollment is open to AFSA contractor members only until six weeks prior to each session. Pending availability, enrollment will be made available to nonmembers six weeks prior to the start of each session. Class sizes are kept small so space fills quickly. Early registration is highly encouraged. Register online at www.firesprinkler.org/education-center/schools.

For additional details, contact Maricarmen Martinez at mmartinez@firesprinkler.org or call 214/349-5965, ext. 132. ◆

NAHB study reveals home buyer attitudes on green home features The National Association of Home Builders’ publishing arm, BuilderBooks, recently released, “What Green Means to Home Buyers: Perceptions and Preferences,” a study of consumer preferences focusing exclusively on green/high-performance features in the home and the community.

The study examines consumers’ attitudes of various green features, concepts or terminologies, the resonance of those terms as potential marketing tools, and the likelihood that the home purchase decision may be influenced by any of these features or terms.

Most respondents note that energy efficiency and lower operating costs are in the top five influencers in a home purchase decision. Common words that home purchasers use to describe green homes include efficient, energy efficient, water efficient and high efficiency.

A hard copy of the study is available at www.BuilderBooks.com; the ebook is available at ebooks.builderbooks.com. ◆

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Managing YOUR BUSINESS d econ 60-S ractor Cont tion Solu

Al Levi

A limited democracy employees a voice in creating policies and procedures.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

I

“Here are the policies and procedures as I’ve roughed them out. They’re not set in stone. I want and need your input. Just know that some policies and procedures are non-negotiable. As we go through them together, I will make it clear as to which are up for discussion. What I seek is your input on these policies and procedures so we have something that will work for our customers, company and then ourselves. That is ultimately best for everyone.”

2. Bring the staff in early in the creation process by saying: “We need to create objective policies and procedures. I could do it on my own but I know you do the work each day so it’s smart for both of us to work together.

We will rough them out. Be aware as we go that some policies and procedures will be non-negotiable. I will make it clear as to which are up for discussion. What I seek is your help right from the beginning on creating these policies and procedures so we have something that will work for our customers, company and then ourselves.

That is ultimately best for everyone.”

A chance to be heard Which of the two approaches should you go with? It depends.

It depends on your managerial style. In the end, it really matters that employees get to put their “fingerprints” on the policies and procedures created. Otherwise, there’s little to no hope of getting real buy-in, which is what you’re after.

When your staff asks a question or seeks a change to a policy or procedure and it’s up for negotiation, I recommend you take their input whenever you can.

Otherwise, they quickly confirm in their minds that you’ll ask for their opinion but you don’t really want it.

They are entitled to be heard. And to

Photo credit: ©istockphoto.com/Jitalia17

Give your

am all about giving employees a voice in your company. It’s one of the biggest WIIFMs (“What’s In It For Me”) you can create for them to work at your company, stay a long time and buy in to its culture, heart and soul.

The people who work for you need to be heard.

But they need to be heard at the right time and in the right way.

Like a loving parent who both involves and engages the whole family for a healthy family relationship, there are times parents must make unpopular and tough decisions to benefit the whole family in the long run.

I know this can seem like it flies in the face of being friends with your kids (at least on the surface), but read on.

The same discipline applies to being a loving and guiding owner. Although you must seek employee input and buyin, you also must be willing to make unpopular and tough decisions that benefit the customer, the company and the staff because it’s the healthy thing to do for all concerned.

You want to be aware of what your employees’ concerns and motivations are but you must always balance that with what you know to be the path the company must follow. This can put you in conflict with what they express or desire. The truth is your ability to lead will be tested every day. Ideally, you want to become the type of person who people willingly want to follow.

The best time and place to ask for your staff ’s input is when you’re creating policies and procedures to run your company.

You will need to choose one of these two approaches: 1. Take a swing at them yourself (and with other senior management if they exist at your company), then come back to the staff with something along the lines of:

Copyright Š Liberty Pumps, Inc. 2015 All rights reserved.

Managing YOUR BUSINESS prove they’ve been heard, they must hear something like this from you: “That’s a good point. It deserves some consideration. I will reflect on it and be back to you with an answer one way or the other by next week.”

Don’t feel the pressure to offer up an answer immediately. To prove you’ve listened, write down what they say. Just as telling a doctor what hurts and he doesn’t make notes gives you little assurance you’re being heard, you need to show your staff that you have heard their concerns or ideas.

Make sure you get them a definitive answer in the time frame you promised. This is how you build and maintain trust.

When you do get back to them with a decision, you’re obligated to say one of these three things: • “Yes, we can change this policy (or procedure) the way you suggested;” • “No, we can’t change our policy (or procedure) and here’s why (explain your reason);" or

12

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

• “For today, I want to go with what we have here and moving forward I promise to revisit this issue.”

Ultimately, it’s you who has to make the right decisions in a decisive manner — that’s why it’s a limited democracy.

Make sure you

Al Levi has been helping plumbing and heating contractors solve problems and turn greater profits while making it possible for them to get their lives and free time back. To discover more, visit www.60SecondContractorSolution.com. And check out Al’s latest business adventure at www.zoomdrain.com/franchise-opportunity.

PM

get them a definitive answer in the time frame you promised.

The better you share your reasoning, the more likely your employees are to follow, especially if they feel they’ve been heard.

Even if they don’t like your answer.

Search our columnists’ archives

ONLINE at PMmag.com

Hydronics WORKSHOP John Siegenthaler, P.E.

Dynamic duo How to combine an air-to-water heat pump with a boiler.

Photo credit: SpacePak

Figure 1

An air-to-water heat pump.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

A

ir-to-water heat pumps represent a growing alternative to geothermal heat pumps in many parts of North America.

The latest refrigeration technology allows these units to maintain heating capacity down to 0° F (outdoor temperatures) while also delivering 140° water to the load.

An air-to-water heat pump, such as in Figure 1, gathers low-temperature heat by refrigerating outdoor air during the heating season. The low-grade heat is “upgraded” to higher-temperature heat using a refrigeration cycle. This heat is transferred to a stream of water, or water/ antifreeze mixture, where it’s ready for distribution using a low-temperature hydronic distribution system.

In areas where low-priced natural gas is not available, the cost of heat delivered by an AWHP, on a dollar per MMBtu delivered basis, is often significantly lower than that delivered by propane or fuel oil. Since most AWHPs operate on electricity, they can be combined with on-site electrical generation such as that provided by solar photovoltaic systems.

This option is especially attractive where net metering is available. Kilowatt•hours of electrical energy can be “banked” back to the utility grid from spring through fall, and then recalled to operate the heat pump during the doldrums of winter.

With net metering, no financial penalty is associated with this. It’s as if the utility grid is an infinitely sized, free-storage battery, operating at 100% efficiency.

Another compelling reason to use an AWHP is it can provide cooling during warm weather. Just like most geothermal and air-to-air heat pumps, AWHPs contain refrigerant-reversing valves that allow them to serve as chillers. As such, they can produce a steady stream of chilled water in the temperature range of 45° to 60° for use in hydronic cooling systems.

Keys to great performance The heating performance of an AWHP depends on outdoor temperature as well as the load water temperature. The warmer it is outside and the lower the leaving load water temperature (e.g., the temperature of the water leaving the heat pump condenser), the higher the heating capacity and coefficient of performance of most AWHPs. Obviously, there’s not much anyone can do to alter outdoor air temperature.

However, designers do have options when it comes to determining the load water temperature required of the heat pump.

The goal is simple: Design the heating distribution system for the lowest possible supply water temperature.

My suggestion is to design all hydronic distribution systems, especially those that will be (or might be) connected to heat pumps, so that they will deliver full design-load output with a supply water temperature not exceeding 120°.

Systems using low-temperature floor, wall and ceiling radiant panels, as well as generously sized panel radiators, can all meet this criteria. In some cases, even properly sized “low-temperature” fintube baseboard can operate with supply water temperatures in this range.

In very cold climates where several consecutive days of sub-zero weather can occur, there are times when the heating capacity of an AWHP will likely fall short of the heating load. Lack of sufficient capacity might occur when the outdoor temperatures are at, or close to, their minimums. It also might occur during periods of high demand, such as during recovery from temperature setbacks.

At these times, a supplemental heat source can provide the extra heat needed. If propane is available and cost-competitive against straight electric resistance heating on a dollar per MMBtu delivered basis, a

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Hydronics WORKSHOP

Either/or The first method uses the heat pump to supply the heating load until the outdoor temperature drops to the point where the heat output from the heat pump is insufficient to meet the load. The heat pump is then turned off and the auxiliary boiler is turned on.

The concept is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2 heating capacity of heat pump

design! heating! load space heating load (Btu/hr)

modern propane-fueled mod/con boiler is a good choice as the supplemental heat source. Having such a boiler also provides a backup heat source if the heat pump is not operational. The relatively low electrical wattage required by such a boiler allows it to operate using modestly sized standby generators during power outages.

There are two ways to use the auxiliary boiler to supplement a heat pump. The first uses either the AWHP or the boiler as the system’s sole heat source, depending on outdoor temperature.

The second allows the possibility of using both heat sources simultaneously.

Which approach is best depends on the relative cost of energy supplied by the heat pump vs. the fuel used by the boiler. It also depends on how low the outdoor temperature can drop before the heat pump should not be operated. Some modern low-ambient heat pumps can operate at outdoor temperatures below 0°, albeit at reduced heating output and low COPs.

heating load "duration curve"

heat supplied by auxiliary boiler balance point

spare heating! capacity of heat pump

50%! design! load

heat supplied by heat pump

no! heating! load

hours 1000

2000

3000

4000

Hours over which heating load is equal to or above a % of design load

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Boilers and Water Heating for ANY Residential Application 16

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

WE’RE HERE TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING OUR COMPETITORS WON’T. A CHOICE.

You know when to use YELLOW-coated Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing. You know when to use BLACK-coated. You like having a choice. You will continue to have one with WARDFLEX® and WARDFLEX II. At WARD MFG, we’re committed to helping you get what you need to do the job right.

YELLOW-coated WARDFLEX CSST continues to excel in many applications. With the proper bonding (as required by the National Fuel Gas Code for BLACK-coated CSST as well), it meets today’s strictest safety requirements. It complements BLACK-coated WARDFLEX II completely, offering slightly more flexibility and lower cost – but it’s still every bit the high performance product you’ve come to expect from Ward.

WARDFLEX ® STEPSAVER DOUBLE-SEAL FITTINGS CAN BE USED ON WARDFLEX ® OR WARDFLEX II.

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Hydronics WORKSHOP The heating load duration curve represents the severity of the heating load vs. the number of hours the load is equal to or above a given percentage of design load. For example, in Figure 2 (page 16), the heating load is equal to or above 50% of design load about 1,900 hrs. per yr., as shown by the yellow lines. This graph assumes that an average heating season lasts 5,000 hrs. per yr., which is just under seven months.

The exact shape of the heating load duration curve varies from one climate location to another. However, the curve’s general shape will remain similar to that shown in Figure 2. This curve shows the number of hours of severely cold weather, when the heating load is perhaps 90% or more of design load, are very limited, compared to the hours where the heating load is a smaller percentage of design load.

The “balance point” is where the heat output from the heat pump equals the heating load. The red-shaded area to the left of the balance point represents the time during which the boiler is meeting the load. In Figure 2, this is approximately 600 hrs. per yr. The blue-shaded area represents the time when the heat pump supplies the heating load. In Figure 2 this is about 4,400 hrs. per yr. — all but the time the boiler is supplying the load.

The mathematical areas under the heating duration curve represent the total energy supplied. The red area represents the total energy supplied by the boiler and the blue area shows the total energy supplied by the heat pump. If energy supplied by the heat pump is less expensive than that supplied by the boiler, the goal is to minimize the red area as a percentage of the total area under the curve.

The extent to which this can be done depends on the heating capacity of the AWHP relative to the design load. It also depends on how the heating capacity of the heat pump falls off with decreasing outdoor temperature. Selecting a higher capacity AWHP, relative to the design load, will move the balance point to the left, decreasing the energy contribution of the boiler. However, it also will increase installed system cost. The more expensive the boiler’s fuel is compared to the heat supplied by the heat pump, on a dollar per MMBtu basis, the farther the balance point should be moved to the left. This minimizes the energy contribution of the more expensive boiler fuel.

The pink-shaded area shows where the heat pump’s heating capacity exceeds the load. This area implies that spare heating capacity is available from the AWHP much of the heating season.

Good designers will use this available capacity for preheating, or perhaps even fully heating, domestic water.

Figure 3

Cooperating capacity

John Siegenthaler, P.E., is principal of Appropriate Designs in Holland Patent, N.Y., hydronics editor for Plumbing & Mechanical and author of the text “Modern Hydronic Heating.” John teaches two 10-week, design-focused online courses: “Mastering Hydronic System Design” and “Hydronic-Based Biomass Heating Systems.” These AIAapproved courses are offered in partnership with BNP Media and the Biomass Thermal Energy Council. For more information or a free sample course, visit www.HeatSpring.com.

PM

The second approach to combining an AWHP with a boiler keeps the heat pump in operation whenever there is a heating load and supplements its output, as necessary, using the boiler. This scenario is represented in Figure 3.

Notice how the blue-shaded area now spans the entire heating season. The red-shaded area is significantly smaller than in Figure 2, indicating that the boiler supplies a smaller percentage

space heating load (Btu/hr)

design! heating! load

no! heating! load

heating capacity of heat pump heating load "duration curve"

heat supplied by auxiliary boiler balance point

spare heating! capacity of heat pump

heat supplied by heat pump during of heating season (hours)

5000 hours

of the total space heating required over the season.

The feasibility of this approach depends on several factors.

First, can the heat pump operate during the coldest outdoor air temperatures experienced at the site? In most areas of the United States, the answer is likely yes. In bitter-cold areas with outdoor temperatures dropping below -10°, the answer is likely no. The heat pump manufacturer should be consulted for information on the minimum acceptable outdoor temperature at which the unit should be operated.

Second, how does the cost of heat supplied by the heat pump, operating under low outdoor air temperatures, compare to that supplied by the boiler on a dollar per MMBtu basis? Remember, the COP of most AWHPs under very low outdoor temperatures will drop significantly. If the cost of energy supplied by the boiler is comparable to that supplied by the heat pump, there may not be any incentive to keep the heat pump operating under very low outdoor temperatures. Shut it off and save the operating hours for more favorable conditions.

Next month we’ll look at how to pipe up a combisystem that can supply space heating, space cooling and domestic water heating using the combined attributes of an AWHP and auxiliary mod/con boiler.

Search our columnists’ archives online at www.PMmag.com.

18

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

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The Glitch & THE FIX ARE YOU AN ACE TROUBLESHOOTER?

PM's Hydronics Editor John Siegenthaler, P.E., has been challenging heating professionals to take a closer look at how radiant and hydronic systems should be designed to fit today’s efficiency-minded world. His website, www.HydronicPros.com, offers some of the industry’s leading software for creating these properly designed systems.

Plumbing & Mechanical is looking to test your mettle, too. In each issue of this magazine, John will pose a question to you, our readers, to review a system’s schematic layout and discover its faults, flaws and defects. PM also will archive all of its "The Glitch & The Fix" exercises at its radiant-focused website, www.radiantandhydronics.com.

Good luck!

Dubious drainback The Glitch Having heard the virtues of drainback freeze protection, an installer creates the system shown below. He uses an unpressurized thermal storage tank, and carefully slopes all the collectors and collector array piping for 1/4-in. per ft. drop to ensure efficient drainage.

Can you spot several other details that will immediately (or eventually) lead to problems with this system?

Visit www.radiantandhydronics.com to read The Fix.

temperature sensor strapped to pipe

solar! collector! array

All collectors and piping pitched minimum 1/4" per foot to allow water drainage

vent

cast iron! circulator! w/ check

air space sensor! in well

unpressurized thermal storage

differential! temperature! controller

squash plate fitting with elastomer seals

20

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

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Heating HELP Dan Holohan

Human nature is a glorious thing, as is ego.

22

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

I

fished for the first time in my life six years ago, which may seem strange since I was born on an island (Manhattan) and grew up on another island (Long). But my father wasn’t a sportsman and he never ate fish in his life, so I suppose that’s why I never got to hold a rod and turn a reel as a lad. And being a city kid, I have always had a healthy fear of nature — even though we have no wolves, bears or soaring bald eagles on Long Island. In NYC, they’re all locked safely behind bars in zoos, which is fine by me. I find nature to be very unnatural.

But the guys who plan this trip to the wilds of Northern Ontario each year are great friends and they convinced me I’d have the time of my life if I went along, so I gulped, packed a bag, borrowed a rod and reel, and then did my best to stand in a rocking boat for three days. It rained, of course. Sideways.

I whined about the weather and shivered in my soaking-wet running shoes and not-waterproof windbreaker until my fishing buddies explained one of life’s great truths to me: There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

Oh. So here’s what happened that first year.

I caught very few fish, but the guy with me in the boat caught lots. We switched up the next day — different buddy, different fishing guide — and the same thing happened. The fish kept giving me the fin, while the other guy caught monsters.

When this happened again on the third day, we all began to realize I was something special — a squeezable good-luck sponge.

Whomever I was with benefited from the luck that gushed from my miserable old body and entered their rods and reels. I became a dripping-wet charm and got invited back again and again as the years rolled by. And I’m OK with all of this because I bring absolutely no ego to the

sport of fishing and most everything else in my life. I’m just happy to be on this side of the lawn at my age.

And besides, there’s a delicious connection between fishing guides and heating technicians, as you shall see.

I religiously mimicked all the moves my buddies and dozens of professional fishing guides were making (cast like this, jig like that, set the hook!) with so-so results.

That’s when one of the guides bestowed upon me my new Indian name — Black Cloud. I looked up and we all agreed the name was appropriate.

“Do you have an Indian name?” I asked the guide.

“Yeah,” he said.

“And what is it?”

“Dances With Cougars,” he said.

“Oh.” Anyway, one of my fishing buddies, in an attempt to change my luck on a rare sunny day, filled my reel with a special sort of very strong line. He did this because he’s very experienced and knows the ways of fish. The two of us met that day’s guide.

I handed my rod and reel to him as I tried not to fall between the dock and the boat.

He looked at the line, sniggered, shook his head and told me it was all wrong.

“You can’t catch anything with that crap,” he said. “Don’t you know that?”

I just smiled at my buddy. Neither of us said anything.

We rode the lake for nearly an hour and stopped at a spot the guide said couldn’t miss. To me, it looked like every other spot on the lake. He handed me his gear because, as he had noted, I wouldn’t be able to catch any fish with that stupid line I had put on my reel. I smiled at my buddy again, thanked the guide and proceeded to catch a few fish slightly larger than the minnow on my hook.

“See what I mean?” the guide said.

Photo credit: ©istockphoto.com/Tarek El Sombati

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Heating HELP “That’s good line.” I smiled.

Later that day, I was catching some larger fish with my own rod and reel and the line that wouldn’t work in the morning because the guide had said so.

I smiled at him. “I bring you to the best spots,” he said. “That’s why you’re catching them now, Black Cloud.” Not a word from him about the inappropriate line.

At noon, we meet up with the rest of the gang on a tiny island for a shore lunch and delicious fish stories. Our guide tells my buddy and me he’s going to take us to some secret spots that afternoon to catch some of the biggest fish in the lake. We all smile.

We go to the secret places, spend four hours casting, only to catch a total of two small fish. The guide says: “I can’t believe your lousy luck, Black Cloud. The fish were here yesterday. It’s not me; it’s you and your bad juju.”

I smile because this guy is never wrong.

If I catch fish it’s because he knows the lake. If I don’t catch fish, it’s because my line is wrong, or I brought a banana on the boat, or I’m wearing the wrong hat, or because I’m just cursed.

Heads he wins; tails I lose. He’s a professional who is better than everyone else and never wrong.

Catching a good tech

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

When The Lovely Marianne and I were young, filled with hope and quite wet behind the ears, we bought this little house that had oil-fired hydronic heat. I signed us up with an oil company right here in town. It would make automatic deliveries and take care of all needed service. The next day, the oil company sends a serviceman to tune-up the burner.

He arrives, does his job and leaves. The next morning, TLM got into the shower, only to find we had no hot water. She yells at me. My fault.

So I call the oil company. A few hours later, a new serviceman arrives. He spends some time working on the burner that the other guy worked on the day before. When he’s done, he tells me theWANT otherBOTTOM guy is the worst mechanic in the world BARSand ANDdumber WATTS LOGOS TO LINEwhy UP than a box of rocks. He doesn’t know the company keeps him on but then he’s seen the company hire some world-class idiots in his time. Oh, and if I ever have another problem, I should ask for him by

name because he’s the best. The rest are losers.

The burner runs fine for two days, but then TLM gets another cold shower and yells at me. I call the oil company. They send us a different guy. He tells me the other two guys are complete morons and that I should ask for him in the future.

This goes on for a while until a salesman from the oil company shows up. He tells us the problem isn’t with its mechanics; it’s with our boiler. Every part on that boiler is serviceable, sure, but since the oil company’s mechanics can’t seem to service those parts, the boiler must be unserviceable. So there.

And young as I was, I looked up over my head for the black cloud and I smiled.

“Your guys told me your company hires idiots,” I said. “They each said that about the guy who was here before they arrived.

What do you think about that?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know anything about that. I’m in sales, not service.”

So we moved on to another company and just kept smiling because if you catch fish, that’s the guide’s skills. And if you don’t catch fish, it’s never the guide’s fault.

Even though he drove the boat to the spot and told you to cast to that shoreline over there. It’s not him; it’s you. It’s the line you’re using or that stupid lure you brought. “Here, try this one. That doesn’t work either? Well, that’s because of your bad juju.”

I just smile.

Human nature is a glorious thing, as is ego, and whether it shows up on a lake or in a boiler room, both human nature and ego always make me smile. Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.

I’ve got this black cloud over my head that always sends the good uck to the other guy, even though the guide will explain that all success is a result of his skills. But none of the failures.

That’s on me.

So keep smiling. And try to be kind to that guy who was on the job before you.

Your customers are paying attention, too.

Learn more at OneW Dan Holohan operates www.HeatingHelp. com. You can reach him at dan@heatinghelp. com. He loves hearing from you!

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Plumbing PRIMER Julius Ballanco, P.E., CPD

Bears and sanitation knowledge is invaluable.

26

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

W

noticed the dopey day hikers and reared up on her hind legs. Mama bear was taller than me. I took a picture with one hand while holding my bear spray in the other hand. It was a poor photo since I couldn’t hold the camera steady.

Russ and Randy arrived just in time to see the bear disappear into the woods.

My heart finally calmed down. Luckily for them, the dopey day hikers were safe.

My hiking club is an eclectic group: three doctors (including a heart surgeon), a dentist, a truck driver, a high school teacher, a retired middle school teacher, a retired salesman, a pipefitter, a minister, a college professor, an IT professional, an accountant, a publishing executive and me.

Yet, we all have fun together.

Bear encounters are very rare. That was a first for our group. We have seen bears off in a distance, but we have never had to pull out our bear spray with the possibility of using it, until this hike. This prompted the question of, “Do bears do it in the woods?”

The answer is yes, we see bear scat (the polite term) on the trail all the time.

Worldwide sanitation issues So what does this have to do with plumbing?

One day, I was hiking with Ted, one of the doctors, and the subject of sanitation came up — started by that joke about what bears do in the woods. Ted knows what I do for a living, so the conversation was appropriate. He and Mark, another doctor in the group, started Anidaso Health, a medical mission, about 10 years ago.

It is neither politically or religiously based. Ted and Mark simply go to Ghana, Africa, to take care of the medical needs of the people. They bring a team of doctors and head into the villages to perform surgeries and take care of general medical needs for roughly a two-week period.

Photo credit: ©istockphoto.com/rpbirdman

Your plumbing

e have a policy in my hiking club — never hike alone! This past summer, on the Teton Crest Trail, Randy, Russ and I took a break at the Cascade fork. We had about a mile and a half to hike to our campsite.

Three friends were in front of us and three behind us. Since I struggled up Hurricane Pass in the morning, a climb of more than 1,000 ft. in less than a mile, I told Randy and Russ I would take off early to start the climb. The last mile and a half to the campsite was all uphill.

I found I actually had more energy than when climbing Hurricane Pass and was making good time. As I rounded the bend, I saw, in the middle of the trail about 50 ft. in front of me, a very large black bear.

My heart began racing a mile a minute. I immediately grabbed my bear spray and started to slowly back up, keeping my eyes on the bear. Then, off to my left, I noticed a bear cub eating just off the trail. The problem was that I was closer to the bear cub than mama bear. In other words, I was in big trouble if mama bear noticed me.

Then I noticed a couple of dumb day hikers on the north side of the trail above the bear. They were foolishly trying to sneak up on the bear to get a better picture.

In a way, I felt relieved because the bear would eat them before she ate me. Then I got angry. Those of us who backpack get a back-country permit from the National Park Service. We have to go through bear training every year before we can start hiking.

Day hikers can just take off without a permit, without bear spray, and without knowing the dangers of bears.

After backing up about 100 ft., I reached for my camera. Then I started to yell. You are supposed to make noise so the bears will run off. Bears are more afraid of us then we are of them — or at least that is what they tell us. With the noise, the bear

Learn how beauty meets brawn at SterlingPlumbing.com.

Plumbing PRIMER Ghana is a stable country and the language is English. Ted was telling me that, on their last trip, more than 70 surgeries were performed. The medical team spends two weeks traveling through different villages in Ghana. From the United States, they land in Accra, the capital of Ghana, hop on a bus and drive four hours into the remote villages.

Their next trip is scheduled for the end of February and beginning of March in 2016. That is when Ted said to me, “You need to go. We need engineers and plumbers, in addition to doctors. The sanitation is dreadful.”

He explained that Ghanaian people in these remote villages defecate in the lake and then use the lake water for drinking.

He also said they defecate anywhere. I asked if they at least have outhouses. His response was no. Wow, they do need help.

Ted thought I could start off by educating the people about sanitation and water. The villagers will listen to what must be done to improve their health.

My bigger concern is how do you bring clean water and proper sanitation facilities to a village in two weeks’ time?

The answer is, you educate and show them how it is done. Then when you leave, they

How do you bring clean water and proper sanitation facilities to a village? can continue to improve conditions. But without the knowledge on what needs to be done, they cannot start.

Ted and Mark ship a container of medical supplies to Ghana before their trip. On every trip, the container arrives safely and on time.

I thought of the plumbing supplies that could be included in the container. What could be shipped to get started?

Then I had to stop myself and ask, “Do I have time to take off two weeks to help the people in Africa?” That question I have not answered. But it will keep me thinking for the next month or two before I have to make up my mind.

Can you take off two weeks to help the people in Africa? They can always use your help.

To learn more about Anidaso Health, check out the website at www.anidasohealth. org. The site includes photos of some of their medical mission trips. You can make a donation or volunteer for the next trip.

If I do go, I’ll be in touch with my manufacturing friends looking for plastic pipe and fittings, nonwater urinals, bucket and regular water closets, and water filtration equipment.

Julius Ballanco, P.E., is president of JB Engineering and Code Consulting, P.C. He can be reached at 1661 Cardinal Drive, Munster, Ind., 46321 or call him at PM 219/922-6171.

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By Kelly Faloon | faloonk@bnpmedia.com

Staying involved This 81-year-old Ohio distribution firm uses technology and communication to stay relevant with contractors.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Photo credit: Kelly Faloon/Plumbing & Mechanical

W

hen Scott Robertson, president of Alliance, Ohiobased Robertson Heating Supply Co., talks about the legacy of his grandfather, founder John Robertson, it’s with a sense of pride. The company has grown from one location and a few employees in 1934 to 31 locations, 283 employees and annual revenues of more than $100 million.

Robertson attributes its success to the people at Robertson Heating Supply and its five Robertson Kitchen & Bath Gallery showrooms, as well as to a few key lessons he learned from his grandfather.

“What he instilled upon me and our company culture is a very strong work ethic,” Robertson says. “He started the company right out of the Great Depression. So you can imagine he didn’t take a lot for granted and was willing to work for what he had, and he certainly left that footprint on all of us.”

John Robertson was an innovator in the wholesale distribution industry. He developed the “twig” concept — one-man branches located in small towns that can be very profitable without opening a fullfledged branch. He was one of the first in the industry to incorporate technology into his business. He added an in-house printing and publishing department in 1946, and computers in 1947.

“We’ve continued grandpa’s pioneering success in technology,” Scott Robertson explains. “About 20 years ago, we became one of the early wholesalers to get completely involved in barcode technology.

We pick each item in the distribution center and in about 10 of our branches with scanners, which is very efficient, very automated and very accurate.”

At the 217,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Alliance, workers on two shifts

The second and third generations of Alliance, Ohio-based Robertson Heating Supply/Robertson Kitchen & Bath Gallery (left to right): Lori Keller, Executive Vice President Ed Robertson, President Scott Robertson, Linda Wonner and HR Director Sue Neil.

how contractors can grow their businesses, how they can market their businesses, how to collect from their customers and how to hire the right person. I believe our contractors benefit from these classes that they may not have access to anywhere else.”

It’s for this spirit of education and becoming involved in its customers’ businesses that Plumbing & Mechanical named Robertson Heating Supply our 2015 Supply House of the Year.

Photo credit: Kelly Faloon/Plumbing & Mechanical

A passion for service

Robertson Heating Supply’s engineering department employs seven engineers to help design hydronic and HVAC systems and to answer contractor questions. Pictured are (left to right): Jason Seelman, plumbing buyer; Brad Gross, engineering department supervisor and buyer; and Chuck Delvichio, plumbing department supervisor and buyer.

pick 9,000 different SKUs per week. Any time someone picks an item, moves a product to a different area or receives product from a manufacturer, it is all done with barcoding and hand-held computers. In addition, the company runs a nightly shuttle five days a week from the distribution center to 22 branches. Orders are picked from about 8 p.m. to midnight.

At midnight, five drivers take semis full of product to those branches, ensuring that those customers have access to all 13,000 SKUs housed in the distribution center.

The idea of innovation doesn’t stop there. The 81-year-old company has taken the idea of contractor training to another level. The company offers conventional classroom training on many of the products it sells, but it also has a mini video studio where very specific training sessions can be recorded for contractor customers.

Contractors also can learn how to run their businesses more efficiently and profitably from Robertson’s.

“Business training is something that Scott and others within the company

began offering a few years ago,” says Sue Neil, Robertson Heating Supply’s human resources director and corporate secretary, and Scott Robertson’s sister. “It includes

Another legacy from John Robertson is communication — with employees, customers and industry partners. The company founder was well-known in the industry for sharing ideas to make the wholesale distribution industry, and his company, better. Today, Scott Robertson and the company’s managers continue that tradition of communication and sharing.

“Our regional sales managers, regional operations managers, vice presidents, department heads and the president of the company are very well-known outside of this building because they’re out in the field a lot,” says Scott Middleton, Robertson Heating Supply’s vice president of marketing. “And they listen. So why do we offer business training? It’s because in oneon-one conversations with contractors, we hear about their struggles. We internalize that. It’s how new departments and new services get developed here. That’s the

COMPANY SNAPSHOT ◆ Headquarters: Alliance, Ohio. Distribution center is 217,000 sq. ft. with a 36-ft.-tall ceiling and 33 loading docks. ◆ Territory: Michigan, Ohio and western Pennsylvania, as well as the border of Indiana and West Virginia. ◆ Market segments: Plumbing, hydronics (55% total) and HVAC (45%). ◆ Employees: 283. ◆ Top management: Scott Robertson, president; Ed Robertson, executive vice president; Sue Neil, HR director and corporate secretary; Geoff Alpert, vice president of sales; Scott Middleton, vice president of marketing; and Kevin Duro, vice president of operations. ◆ Top vendors: American Standard, BrassCraft, Cash Acme, Cerro, Charlotte Pipe & Foundry, Delta Faucet Co., Elkay, InSinkErator, Legend Valve, Maax Aker, Moen, Mueller Industries, Oatey, Rheem Mfg. Co., Sioux Chief, Sterling Plumbing, Viega, Ward Mfg., Watts Water Technologies, Weil-McLain and Zurn Industries. ◆ Website: www.rhs1.com

www.PMmag.com, October 2015

31

of key product information and the dealer’s price — through its in-house printing department. These bulletins cost the customer $70 a year. “The benefit of these bulletins is we inform customers about price increases as soon as we hear about them,” Robertson says. “It gives contractors the opportunity to buy product before the price goes up.”

The role of the distributor is evolving, especially on the technology side, he notes.

Photo credit: Kelly Faloon/Plumbing & Mechanical

passion of the company. It starts at the top and it trickles down.”

For example, listening to contractor concerns about getting in touch with someone at their local Robertson branch when troubleshooting a problem on a jobsite prompted the distributor to create an 800 number call-in service center to handle contractor questions.

Robertson Heating Supply publishes many price bulletins each year — a blend

At the 217,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Alliance, Robertson Heating Supply workers on two shifts pick 9 ,000 different SKUs per week. Any time someone picks an item, moves a product to a different area or receives product from a manufacturer, it is all done with barcoding and hand-held computers.

PERFECT DRAIN® CONGRATULATIONS From ELKAY Robertson Heating Supply/ Robertson Kitchen & Bath Gallery 2015 Supply House of the Year Visit elkay.com/perfectdrain to learn more about Perfect Drain.

32

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

As more young people enter the workforce, they’re looking for mobile apps and more information on websites. Distributors need to address these needs of future workers and customers while keeping their existing employees and customers comfortable.

“We’re easily accessible to those youngergeneration technology preferences where older companies and older generations didn’t grow up with an emphasis on technology implementation and may be slower to make those changes,” he explains.

Middleton agrees: “Today’s consumer expects everything immediately. You can buy anything on an online retail website with two-day shipping. We have to be aware of living up to the expectations of this generation and the ones coming after. I think we’re up to the challenge.

We’re fortunate that our industry still takes somebody to install our products. It’s

still a product tied to a service. It’s more difficult to make quick changes to that. Our company is conservative but aggressive, so we’ll change as needed.”

Another way Robertson Heating Supply helps its contractor customers is through

its engineering department. The 50-yearold department now has seven engineers, based either at the corporate office or in the field, who are highly educated in HVAC and hydronics. They help contractors design projects, do blueprints of layout

work, provide troubleshooting support and provide training classes for contractors’ employees.

“One of the challenges our contractors have is attracting and training newer employees, so our engineering department has a year-round schedule of training classes geared toward helping our contractors learn the HVAC and hydronics end of the business,” Robertson says.

Developing relationships We’ve all heard that people like to do business with people they know. Developing relationships with customers — whether you are a manufacturer, a manufacturers rep, a wholesale distributor or a contractor — takes effort and perserverance. And being a good industry citizen can help establish a rapport with customers.

One way Robertson Heating Supply connects with its contractor customers is through contractor organizations. It is a member of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, the Air Conditioning Contractors of America and the Michigan Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association.

Robertson and others throughout the company attend the annual conventions of these contractor groups to learn what industry concerns their customers have or what problems they may be facing.

However, it’s not enough just to join an organization, Robertson notes.

It’s important to attend meetings and participate, to share ideas and learn new ones. Most people say that networking opportunities are the No. 1 benefit of attending association conventions and meetings. Life-long friendships and business relationships are often the byproduct of such interactions.

“The enthusiasm, the passion, the buyin, it starts with Scott,” Middleton says. “He is a high-energy person and that makes it fun. You know it’s work. But as you get to participate and get exposure to new people and new ideas, you see the benefit. That sense of industry citizenship filters down through the organization.”

Robertson Heating Supply is “extremely close” to its contractor customers, Robertson adds. And it offers opportunies to stay close and cement those contractor

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

H E A T I N G

C O O L I N G

+

W A T E R

H E A T I N G

C NGRATS ON ONE HOT LEGACY

RHEEM CONGRATULATES ROBERTSON HEATING SUPPLY ON 81 YEARS OF BUSINESS BUILT ON INNOVATION, INTEGRITY AND “SERVICE THAT SATISFIES.” We appreciate Robertson Heating Supply’s strong commitment to Rheem’s water heating innovations and our full line of quality hot water solutions. We’re proud to be a part of their consistent success, and look forward to growing our partnership—providing industry-leading products, superior support, and a higher “degree of comfort” for every customer. Here’s to 81 more years of success!

Rheem.com

TIMELINE 1934: 1945: 1947: 1959: 1960: 1964: 1967: 1974: 1979: 1983: 1987: 1991: 2002: 2004:

Robertson Heating Supply Co. starts in Alliance, Ohio.

Branches open in Canton, Ohio, and Zanesville, Ohio.

Company moves from warm-air products and expands into plumbing.

Sister publication Supply House Times names Robertson Heating Supply as Wholesaler of the Year.

First twigs open in Beaver Falls, Pa., and East Liverpool, Ohio.

John Robertson elected president of National Association of Wholesalers.

Company makes first acquisition in Mansfield, Ohio.

John Robertson elected president of the American Supply Association.

John Robertson retires; Esmond Fogle takes over as company president.

Supply House Times, celebrating its 25th anniversary, names Robertson Heating Supply as Wholesaler of the Quarter Century.

Columbus location unveils Designer Showroom with 15,000 sq. ft. of display area.

Scott Robertson becomes president of Robertson Heating Supply Co. First plumbing-only branch opens in Valley View, Ohio.

The company celebrates its 70th anniversary with the grand opening of its new corporate headquarters, distribution center and showroom.

2009: Supply House Times names RHS its Wholesaler of the Year.

2014: Robertson Heating Supply celebrates 80 years in business.

2015: Plumbing & Mechanical names Robertson Heating Supply/Robertson Kitchen & Bath Gallery as its Supply House of the Year. relationships with nonbusiness activities, such as incentive trips (two each year), beach Olympics, golf tournaments and Texas hold ’em tournaments.

“We try to engage ourselves with our contractors in a normal way, outside of the day-to-day business, that allows them to see we’re normal people,” Robertson explains. “We’re good people.

We’re like them. I believe we do an outstanding job in that regard.

We pride ourselves on the fact that we’re an above-standards, highly regarded, high-integrity company, and we’re not going to do something to sacrifice that just to make a sale.

“I think part of it comes from our grandfather, part of it comes from being founded in a small city. Only 23,000 people live in Alliance, so if you do something wrong, there’s a good chance people are going to know about it.”

Middleton adds: “We have a very high level of engagement with contractors, and even with our competitors. It’s a generational philosophy that’s part of John Robertson’s legacy.”

The events with the most participation from contractors are those that combine business and fun, Middleton says, such as pairing a tankless water heater presentation/promotion with dinner and tickets to a regional pro baseball game. Another event included a trip to a NASCAR race, where Robertson Heating Supply sponsored part of a NASCAR car and driver.

Robertson’s hosts several expos/buying shows for contractors each year. The company rents out a space, usually sportsrelated, and brings in a group of its vendors and a group of its contractor customers. Some of the previous venues include FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, home of the Cleveland Browns; Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers; the “Horseshoe” in Columbus, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes; and “The Big House” in Ann Arbor, Mich., home of the University of Michigan Wolverines.

36

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

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Robertson Heating Supply invited friends, vendors and customers for the company’s 80th anniversary celebration in 2014. Customers visited with representatives from 60 of Robertson’s vendors in the company’s distribution center.

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“It’s a great buying opportunity for contractors, but it’s also a relationship event,” Middleton says.

Another advantage for Robertson Heating Supply is the longevity of its workforce. About one-third of its employees have been with the company for more than 20 years and 33 employees have more than 30 years with Robertson’s, Neil says.

“We strive to be an employer of choice,” she notes. “We know our employees by name, not by number. We encourage communication and welcome employee input. We are very open about our sales figures, how we stack up against other wholesalers in the industry. I do believe our employees appreciate knowing that information. We treat our employees fairly and believe they appreciate the perks that we give them.”

Along with high wages and excellent benefits, Robertson Heating Supply offers employees a corporate goal payout. After certain goals are met, a bonus is paid out to the employees at the end of the year. continued on page 48

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Unplugged: Cordless tool trends

Hilti’s TE 4-A Rotary hammer drill is available on an 18V battery platform. Lithium-ion battery technology was introduced to the tool industry about a decade ago.

W

hen working on a job that demands movability and reach, a cord can hinder productivity. When a contractor can use a cordless tool instead, he becomes independent of power sources on the jobsite. Cordless technology eliminates extension cords, which can create a trip hazard on a busy jobsite. For all these reasons, having cordless tools provides a great advantage. No longer a niche industry, the ever-expanding category continues to grow.

“Initially, contractors viewed cordless tools as a niche solution for some lighter duty applications, as tools did not have acceptable reach or power to replace corded tools,” says Aaron Brading, business unit manager of power tools for Hilti North America.

“Cordless tools have been popular in general since the early 2000s. Since

40

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

at least 2011, the industry has seen the number of cordless tools sold grow while the sales of corded tools is shrinking. My perception is that cordless tools will be the fastest growing segment of power tools, at least through the next five years.”

Shane Moll, president of the power tools division at Milwaukee Tool, agrees that the cordless tool market shows no sign of slowing down. As in many markets, customers are looking for a tool that is smaller, lighter, faster and longer-lasting. To fit these needs, manufacturers are looking to upgrade the battery and tool at the same time.

“We always look to see what we can do to make them lighter and smaller,” says Marcus Borman, global marketing manager at RIDGID. “One of the major changes in the past 10 years has been the switch to lithium-ion.”

The earlier generations of cordless tools did not have acceptable reach or performance for many commercial and industrial applications, Brading explains.

As battery cell technology transitioned to lithium-ion, manufacturers are able to push tools further in performance and reach.

Ever since Milwaukee Tool introduced its lithium-ion battery to the market in 2005, it has caused a fundamental shift in cordless tool technology, Moll says.

“Lithium-ion has allowed manufacturers to pack a massive amount of power and performance into a compact structure,” he adds. “Tools have gotten smaller and lighter, and, at the same time, outperform their predecessors.”

Makita also introduced its 18V lithium-ion category in 2005. “The market reaction was positive,” says Wayne Hart,

Milwaukee’s One-Key platform allows contracting companies to keep detailed records of each tool, assign locations or specific owners to each asset, upload data and history to create custom reports, and allow users to use pre-determined or completely customized set-ups for particular applications.

Photo credit: Milwaukee Tool

Photo credit: Hilti

The benefits of battery-operated tools.

Photo credit: RIDGID

One of the most popular lines of cordless tools RIDGID offers is its pressing tool line — RP 340 (pictured), RP 210 and RP 200. These tools connect copper, stainless-steel, black-steel or PEX tubing.

communications manager for Makita. “The Makita 18-volt lithium-ion battery gave contractors a great power-to-weight ratio and faster charge times than old technology such as nickel-metal hydride and nickel cadmium.”

The power plant As power tool manufacturers continue to embrace the innovation lithium-ion can provide, more power tools continue to be launched on various battery platforms. “For users, the ability to work off of one battery platform has become a ‘must-have’ so they don’t have to continually buy into new lines of tools in order to get the performance and reliability they need to do their jobs,” Moll says. “It is important for the customer to have a system of power tools which gives them the ability to use their batteries across a broad range of power tools.”

Purchasing a cordless tool is an investment in a battery platform, Hart agrees. “For contractors, breadth of line and battery compatibility are clear ‘must-haves’ when investing in cordless tools,” he notes.

Professional users expect manufacturers to provide tools using the same battery interface and an acceptable run time, Brading adds. “Without these two elements, cordless tools lose some of their value to contractors because batteries have to be changed too frequently or the expense of batteries cannot be spread across multiple tool bodies,” he says.

However, a tool’s performance is determined by more than just batteries, Moll adds. The motor and electronics infrastructure are also key factors that can offer a tool increased run-time and performance.

Another clear trend is the demand for increased battery efficiency. A slowcharging battery can mean wasted time on the jobsite. New technology means faster charge times and increased productivity.

“Select cordless tools are able to be powered by two 18-volt batteries for increased power and run time,” Hart says. “In addition, advanced batteries are equipped with protection features that extend the life of the battery, the power plant of a cordless tool line-up. New technology protects batteries from overload, over-discharge and overheating for longer tool and battery life.”

Ergonomics As technology advances, not only are manufacturers upgrading cells, they are also working on drive efficiency. “In 2006, a reciprocating saw struggled to perform applications in an acceptable manner for a commercial contractor,” Brading says.

“Today, cordless drives are at a stage where we can not only successfully deliver a preferred reciprocating saw, but reach further into concrete drilling and chipping.

This is done by ensuring the most efficient drives are in tools such as brushless motors or other high productivity drives.”

As the audience using cordless tools broadens and the duration of use lengthens, contractors are looking for tools to be lighter and more compact.

“The light weight enables contractors to use the tools for longer periods, making them more productive, while the compactness allows them to get in tighter spaces,” Brading says. “To gain better ergonomics, manufacturers are making tools smaller, or even moving tools to smaller voltage platforms like 12 volt.”

Hart agrees that ergonomics is a very important difference in tools. He notes that older battery technology was contained in a stem-style battery pack that extended into the handle, so engineers were forced to design the tool’s handle around the battery.

“Slide-style batteries had no stem and this allowed Makita engineers to design the power tool handle around the human hand for superior fit, ergonomics and comfort,” Hart adds. “For pro contractors using tools all day every day, this is an important difference over old and obsolete battery technology.”

Borman sees weight and quality as a necessity for cordless tools. “We are always working on getting the lightest tool out to market, with the highest quality,” he says. “Our largest tool with a battery — that can make connections on 1/2-inch to 4-inch copper — weighs 8 1/2 pounds. Fifteen years ago, the tool was almost double that weight. We also understand that contractors are judged on their quality, and if the tools they use are low quality, it will hurt their business. Once you lose quality, you lose customers for good.”

Another need in the market is customization options. “Users want to interact with their tools in numerous ways,” Moll says.

“One-Key is a digital platform for tools and equipment. By integrating tool electronics with a custom-built, cloud-based program, it will provide control and access to information that will revolutionize the way work gets done — and fundamentally change the way users interact with their tools.”

Contractor input Beyond these aspects of the tool, RIDGID is always keeping up with trends in the construction, remodeling and maintenance markets. “We keep our fingers on the pulse of the market to see what materials (copper, PEX, stainless steel, etc.) are being used, where they are being used, as well as how,” Borman says. “This allows us to not only continued on page 44 www.PMmag.com, October 2015

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continued from page 41 design tools that are smaller, lighter, faster and longer-lasting, but it also helps us design specific features or technologies to better serve customers working in an everchanging marketplace.”

Collaboration with contractor customers is important to the creation of tool solutions.

“We believe in a collaborative process when it comes to addressing jobsite challenges and creating innovative solutions to fit those needs,” Moll says. “From our salesforce to our product managers, we believe in going out into the field to speak with the people whose opinions matter to us most: our core users.

The knowledge we get while out on the jobsite is invaluable to how we help our users.”

Milwaukee Tool also works with tradetraining facilities throughout the country, he adds.

The contractor will always be the driver of the technology manufacturers bring to market, Brading says.

“As a manufacturer that sells directly to professional end users, we get feedback directly from the customer’s mouth and implement it into our development,” he

explains. “We offer customers a ‘no cost’ period of two years on all elements of the cordless system: tools, batteries and chargers.

Normal wear and tear is covered. We also cover shipping, parts and labor. Tools are typically back to the customer in four days.”

For Hilti, one of the benefits of having direct ties to contractors is that its salespeople teach training sessions across North America every day. These can be done at the customer’s site or Hilti’s Customer Experience Center in Irving, Texas.

RIDGID also offers comprehensive training on all its products. At its company headquarters in Elyria, Ohio, an entire building is dedicated to training contractors, distributors and its own workforce. As a global company, it also offers training all over the world. Its international training centers are located in Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Turkey, Australia, China and the Philippines.

The cordless tool industry is going to continue to grow and expand in every market, Borman predicts. “Once someone launches a technology, that company

Makita’s brushless motor technology means more efficient power and speed in a compact size. The 18V LXT Brushless Quick-Shift Mode Impact Driver (pictured) delivers 1,550 in.lb. of torque, yet has a compact size and a comfortable power-to-weight ratio.

and their competitors work diligently to improve upon the previous design,” he says. “Features that are a new innovation one year may become the standard two or PM three years later.”

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Unplugged: Cordless tool trends

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As market conditions change, business leaders should look for strategic competitive advantages HOLDRITE sees accelerated growth of technology and alternative piping materials.

HOLDRITE President and CEO Tim McConnell

PM: In what U.S. market sectors do you see opportunities for plumbing and mechanical contractors in the next 12 months?

TM: Geographically, we’re seeing double-digit growth in residential building construction and steady singledigit growth in commercial building construction. We use two types of data to track building construction activity: our in-house job-tracking team’s research and third-party industry reports and data.

Both sources continue to suggest strong growth in multifamily housing, hotel and education construction.

The greater variety of materials used in piping systems — especially a marked increase in plastic piping — means contractors and engineers who can develop the skill

sets needed to install and specify these systems in different building construction sectors will be highly sought after.

PM: What trends are you seeing in the plumbing and mechanical industry?

TM: How the industry uses technology is changing. Contractors and engineers are integrating mobile devices and software into their working processes more and more. This includes tablets and smartphones, and innovative software such as building information modeling.

As a manufacturer, technology offers us an interconnected marketing approach, which coordinates digital, online, print and website resources, and, ultimately, helps us communicate with our customers more effectively. By embracing these advances in technology, we provide a more targeted approach on the precise products and services our customers require.

For example, the HOLDRITE product installation animations on www.holdrite. com and the HOLDRITE BIM library make it easier for contractors, distributors and engineers to understand our product solution in minutes.

PM: What innovations can contractors expect to see from Holdrite in the next 12 months?

TM: Over the next 12 months, HOLDRITE will be launching more innovative product categories than ever

before in the company’s history. These products are game changers, poised to transform plumbing methodology in North America. We recently launched several new product categories aimed at giving contractors maximum flexibility.

These new products do not depend on the material type of the pipe being used, and, because most of the products are universal, their use is not limited by the building construction sector.

One such product category, the HOLDRITE ProGuard system, a pipe support platform that can be used with PEX, copper, or CPVC tubing, gives contractors a shop standard for both residential and commercial projects. Our recently released TESTRITE product category provides DWV testing with a safe, dry and fast solution, whether the system is PVC, ABS or cast iron.

These solutions provide contractors much needed versatility in tackling the difficulties of new plumbing trends.

PM: If you had one piece of business advice to give to contractors, what would it be?

TM: Technology and disruptive innovation are transforming industries and creating global economies. Companies that want to grow faster than the market must not only rely on driving down costs, but must view change as an opportunity to innovate.

PM

Read more from HOLDRITE's Tim McConnell at PMmag.com.

46

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Photo credit: HOLDRITE

P

lumbing & Mechanical last month interviewed HOLDRITE President and CEO Tim McConnell. He has worked at HOLDRITE in various roles since joining the company 19 years ago.

HOLDRITE designs, manufactures and sells rough-in plumbing products installed by mechanical and plumbing contractors, specified by engineers and sold through distribution channels for use in residential and commercial construction. Products include pipe and equipment support systems, acoustical plumbing solutions, water heater accessories, drain, waste and vent solutions and firestop-sleeving systems.

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John is also a contributing editor for PM, and its monthly “The Glitch & The Fix” column, which offers hydronic troubleshooting solutions in conjunction with the magazine’s twice-monthly Radiant & Hydronics e-News.

Dan Holohan began his love affair with heating systems in 1970 by going to work for a New York-based manufacturers representative that was deeply involved in the stream- and hotwater 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, Dan operates the popular website, HeatingHelp.com. He has written hundreds of columns for many trade magazines, as well as 16 books on subjects ranging from steam- and hot-water heating, to teaching technicians. His degree is in Sociology, which Dan believes is the perfect preparation for a career in the heating industry.

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Photo credit: Robertson Heating Supply

continued from page 38

Robertson Heating Supply stays close to its contractor customers not only through business-related events such as vendor expos and product/business training, but through events that combine business with fun. Pictured are Vice President of Sales Geoff Alpert (standing, second from left) and Vice President of Marketing Scott Middleton (standing, second from right) at a company-sponsored NASCAR event.

“We provide stability and consistency to the contractors as far as who they’re dealing with,” Robertson adds.

Continuity in business is reflected by the family members working for the company.

Robertson’s father, Ed Robertson, worked under John Robertson and Esmond Fogle managing the Kitchen Division and the company’s many real estate holdings; today he is the executive vice president of the company. Scott Robertson started working for the family business when he was 15 years old as a part-time warehouse worker. He worked in various positions throughout the company before taking over as president in 1991.

Neil joined the company in 1981 working in the printing department before moving into the tabulation department (the forerunner of the company’s IT department). She had several secretarial positions (including with her grandfather and her brother) before becoming the HR director in 1997. Robertson and Neil’s sisters, Lori Keller and Linda Wonner, work parttime in the accounts payable department.

The fourth generation is represented

by Kurt Keller, who fills in at the regional

48

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

branches when needed; Krystal Hancox, Neil’s daughter, is the HR assistant; and Ryan Robertson, Scott Robertson’s son, is working part-time while he finishes college, and then will move into outside sales.

‘Where amazing meets affordable.’

Extension of a plumber’s business Robertson Heating Supply has 31 branches in Ohio, Michigan and western Pennsylvania. More than half its business (55%) is from plumbing and hydronics. Two growth areas for the company are radiant heating and geothermal heating/cooling.

“People want radiant heat in their garages, in their driveways, their kitchen floor, their family room floor,” Robertson notes. “It is still a relatively up and coming area that we are growing in every year.

Geothermal is a very innovative, very efficient way to heat a home. It has been

an exponential growth part of the business over the last five years.”

The overall hydronics category has remained flat, however, as much of Robertson Heating Supply’s territory is still dominated by forced-air systems.

Plumbing, however, continues to grow.

To help its plumbing contractors, the company has five Robertson Kitchen & Bath Gallery showrooms, which are located in Cleveland; Columbus; Alliance; Lima, Ohio; and Pittsburgh.

“We have always viewed our showrooms as an extension of our plumbing contractors’ businesses,” Robertson explains. “The average plumbing contractor doesn’t have the space or the inclination to show his customers a large number of choices. So when we talk to contractors, we want them to think of our showroom staff as their employees, too. We have a business arrangement. We provide a large offering of products but given the markets we’re in, we try to be very budget-conscious — our tagline is ‘Where amazing meets affordable.’”

Each showroom works independently of the others, displaying product that reflects the communities they are a part of. All the Kitchen & Bath Galleries support the company’s key partners and offer similar promotional programs, but the product mix is different for each location.

In addition, each showroom has its own profit and loss statement. It is not part of a branch, it is an independent entity. It makes it much easier to talk about sales, profitability and expenses, as well as the success or failure of marketing programs.

What works in Columbus or Cleveland may not work in Lima or Alliance.

Robertson notes that four of the five showrooms have double-digit growth so far this year. The fifth one, he notes, had a record-breaking year in 2014, so it’s been challenging for it to surpass those numbers.

“The success of our showrooms — and our company — is the people,” he says. “People who are involved in their communities, working with their contractors PM and developing a strong bond.”

For additional photos, visit PMmag.com.

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Sweetening the current

50

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Members of the Radiant Professionals Alliance, the NC Sustainable Energy Association and the WNC Green Building Council, the company has grown to 12 employees, four vans and a hybrid sales vehicle it calls “The Estimator.” In addition to the Asheville area, it covers western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina, focusing on the design, installation and service of hydronic heating, solar hot water and solar electric systems for commercial and residential projects.

In order to look professional and take advantage of the opportunity for marketing as employees traveled between various jobs, the company decided to wrap all four vans — a 2002 Chevy Express 3500, a 2005 Chevy Express 2500, a 2006 Chevy Express 2500 (pictured) and a 2007 Chevy Express 2500. The sales vehicle isn’t wrapped yet, but is in the works.

“We chose these vans for several reasons,” Ager says. “They look good, are reasonably priced, have cheap replacement parts, long-lasting motors and can be worked on by local mechanics.”

By Nadia Askar askarn@bnpmedia.com We want to see what you're driving!

Send high-res photos and a description of your vehicle to Editor@PMmag.com.

Please include your name, company and phone number.

Photo credit: Sugar Hollow Solar

A

fter graduating with a physics degree from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, Phelps Clarke, co-owner and president of Sugar Hollow Solar, spent five years working at Sundance Power Systems in Weaverville, N.C. There he learned multiple types of systems, including solar hot water, radiant floor heating, micro-hydro and solar electric, while also earning his H-1 heating license.

In 2010, Clarke and Keith Holdsworth, project manager at Sugar Hollow Solar, decided to start their own company, Holdsworth and Clarke in Fairview, N.C., after Clarke saw some of Holdsworth’s radiant work a year earlier and convinced him to help try to improve the quality of renewable energy systems in the area.

Two years later, Clarke’s cousin, Doug Ager, joined as co-owner and treasurer to initiate a rebranding effort to help the company grow. They developed a new name, Sugar Hollow Solar, and tagline, “Sweetening the current,” and enlisted the help of graphic designer Jenny Greer, co-owner of Asheville-based Sound Mind Creative.

Ager, who is an advocate and student of hydronic heating, credits Greer with the design wrapping the vans, which also provides a consistent marketing message on business cards and the company’s website of promoting hydronic and renewable technology systems.

“It is based off a barn quilt idea, which is an old tradition in this part of the country where people either hang a quilt or paint an image on the side of a barn to represent various things,” he explains.

“Another design feature that we really liked is how Greer centered the sun part of the logo which highlights our focus on technologies revolving around solar energy — such as solar hot water and solar electric.

We wanted the vans to stand out to people driving by without being an eyesore.”

The tagline, which can be seen on the side of the vans, was created in a joint effort between Clarke and Ager. Clarke wanted to use the idea of “sweeten” which connected well with the name and Ager spent a day researching what makes a good tagline.

“We liked that it could be interpreted in multiple ways, with all of them being positive,” Ager says. “One of our big focuses in the company is the importance of craftsmanship in radiant and solar work, so we liked the idea of trying to ‘sweeten the current’ level of craftsmanship that we saw in the field. We also wanted to improve on the way business has been traditionally practiced as a way to ‘sweeten PM the current’ business status quo.”

By Kelly Faloon | faloonk@bnpmedia.com

Sustainable uses for plastic pipe

S

tatistics prove green building construction is not a fad, that it is here to stay. In a June 2014 McGraw Hill Construction report on green multifamily and single-family homes, almost two-thirds (62%) of single-family home builders say more than 15% of their projects are green. By 2018, that percentage increases to 84%.

During the Great Recession and subsequent periods of high energy prices, many homeowners and building owners looked to the heating and cooling industry for energy-efficient solutions to lower utility costs. Manufacturers continue to fine-tune technology to get the most efficiency from their products.

Along those same lines, water conservation has been a critical issue in the Western states for the past few years, culminating in California’s mandatory water reduction rule, the most stringent water efficiency standards in the country.

The primary goal of sustainable building systems is to conserve energy and water. In 2011, the Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association and the Plastic Piping Education Foundation commissioned a report on the sustainable uses of plastic pipe.

Water conservation technologies include graywater reuse systems (also called reclaimed or recycled water systems) and rainwater catchment systems. Graywater systems take wastewater from bathroom sinks, tubs/showers and washing machines, and reuse such water for toilet/urinal flushing or irrigation. Purple-colored PVC, CPVC and PEX is available to help identify nonpotable water lines, while piping used to collect and convey graywater to the holding tank is typically ABS, PP or PVC drain, waste and vent.

“Plastic pipe is considered suitable for graywater reuse applications because it

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Plastic pipe, such as Aquatherm’s Lilac PP-R pipe, is ideal for graywater/recycled water applications because of its noncorrosive properties.

does not corrode with acidic or aggressive water,” the report notes.

Rainwater catchment or harvesting systems collect rainwater from a commercial or residential building’s roof or property. Use of harvested rainwater generally includes irrigation, flushing toilets and washing laundry, the report says; however, in certain parts of the country (e.g., California and Texas), “rural households rely on rainwater as the only source of water for all household activities.”

Rainwater harvesting not only reduces potable water consumption, but is an effective strategy for managing storm water runoff rates, the report states.

Purple-colored plastic pipe also is used in rainwater catchment systems.

On the energy conservation side, geothermal systems using groundsource heat pumps is a growing heating and cooling technology in the United States. They use the renewable source of natural heat and heat storage capacity of the earth or groundwater to provide energy-efficient space heating/cooling or domestic water heating.

Geothermal energy systems consist of the indoor heat pump equipment, a ground piping loop and a flow center to connect the heat pump and the loop. The ground loop, which is invisible after installation (it is buried or submerged), allows for the exchange of heat energy between the earth or groundwater and the heat pump. “[High-density polyethylene] pipe is commonly used for geothermal energy systems loops, given its flexibility, resistance to chemical attack and corrosion, low cost and long service life,” the report explains. “PE also is chosen because of its ease of joining using fusion welds, allowing for long runs underground without fittings.”

High-efficiency hot water distribution systems that use plastic pipe such as CPVC or PEX have been shown to waste less energy and water than alternative metal piping systems, as stated by the “Evaluation of Residential Hot Water Distribution Systems by Numeric Simulation” study conducted by the Buildings Technology Center at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This is due to the insulating properties of plastic and the thicker walls of PEX and CPVC. Lastly, radiant heating systems use piping or tubing to efficiently distribute heated water throughout a building, either under floors or in ceilings and walls. The typical material used for radiant floor piping is PEX. “Its flexibility makes installation easier, especially in smaller diameters,” the PPFA report says. “Some manufacturers offer composite PEX-AL-PEX and PE-AL-PE pipe and fittings for the distribution piping.

Composite pipe is often used when the installation has to be done by one person since the pipe can be shaped without it recoiling back to its original shape.” PM

Photo credit: Aquatherm

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Expand your options with multiple materials from Viega

Only Viega offers press-fitting systems in multiple materials such as Viega ProPress for copper and stainless steel, Viega MegaPress for black iron pipe and Viega PEX Press in Zero Lead bronze and high-performance polymer. With so many material options and the widest range of approvals in the industry, you can install Viega press systems in nearly any application. For more information, visit www.viega.us. Viega

General’s Gen-Eye SDP video inspection system

General Pipe Cleaners’ new Gen-Eye SDP premium video inspection and location system features a 10.4” LCD sunlight-readable screen, built-in 4-hour rechargeable battery, a Wi-Fi transmitter for sending videos to a smartphone or tablet, and a built-in waterproof keyboard. Weighing 14 lb., it offers all the features of full-size video inspection systems in a compact package. Use the docking arm to mount it on a full-size reel to troubleshoot 3” to 10” lines or on a mini-reel for 2” to 4” lines. Contact the Drain Brains at 800/245-6200 or 412/7716300, or visit www.drainbrain.com/geneye.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Gerber’s Avalanche CT high-efficiency toilet

Gerber’s Avalanche CT high-efficiency residential toilet features a one-piece configuration and a concealed trapway, both features that cater to a homeowner’s desire for easy cleaning and simple, beautiful design. Available in white and offered as an ErgoHeight (ADA-compliant) elongated toilet, it operates at 1.28 gpf and is WaterSensecertified for water efficiency and performance.

It features a Fluidmaster fill valve, 3” flush valve and a dual siphon jet. Call 886/5385536 or visit www.gerberonline.com. Gerber Plumbing Fixtures

Uponor adds to ProPEX expansion fittings line

A first in the industry, Uponor PEX pipe and ProPEX ASTM F1960 expansion fittings will be available in 2 1/2” and 3” sizes come November 2015, offering professionals the ability to design and install even more commercial piping systems with PEX. The pipe offering, which includes Uponor AquaPEX for potable plumbing applications and Wirsbo hePEX oxygen barrier pipe for hydronic heating and cooling applications, will be available in various coil lengths and straight lengths to meet any application need. www.uponorpro. com/commercialpiping.com. Uponor

A safe, dry and fast DWV testing system from HOLDRITE

HOLDRITE introduces TESTRITE, the forward edge in the evolution of DWV testing.

TESTRITE — the safe, dry and fast inline DWV testing system — is designed with versatility in mind and can be installed in no-hub cast iron, ABS and PVC pipe systems in 2”, 3”, 4” and 6”. A complete test using the TESTRITE system requires a matter of minutes. The system features a unique reusable test wedge that keeps projects and installers safe and dry, drastically reduces testing time and works on multiple DWV piping systems. View installation videos at www.holdrite.com. HOLDRITE

Outstanding pipe systems, support tools means pleased customers, better profits

Leading engineers and contractors are embracing Aquatherm’s polypropylene-random piping systems for PHVAC and industrial applications. The company has developed outstanding support tools such as the Quick Check Estimator, and the Pipe & Pressure Sizing and Expansion Controls programs, along with the new Contractor Profitability Course. People are seeing firsthand the benefits afforded by Aquatherm Green and Blue Pipe. Check out a video (http://tinyurl.com/ mzoyhnd) explaining how things such as a proper heat fusion tool-to-installer ratio and optimized build strategies can reduce installation time by 63%. Aquatherm

Carlin Combustion’s universal oil primary control

General’s Speedrooter 92 reliable and easy to use

Every tool box needs Walton pipe extractors

Walton “REPS” pipe, stud and screw extractors easily remove all classes of pipe sizes from 1/8” to 2”, and stud and screw sizes from 3/8” to 3 1/2”. Made of hardened steel, they make a strong, four-point grip without hammering or pounding. The extractors pull rather than ream and release instantly — they do the job that makeshift methods can’t! Available as sets or individual pieces. For more information, call 860/523-5231 or visit www.waltontools.com.

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The Carlin Pro-X 70200 Universal Oil Primary Control replaces any oil burner primary control. It features easy on-board programming and an integrated LCD screen.

The control provides detailed fault history to take the guesswork out of troubleshooting.

Installation is simple as it automatically configures to 3-, 4-, 5- or 6-wire control operation based on the number of wires attached.

Take advantage of the latest technology in oil primary controls with the Carlin Pro-X 70200. www.carlincombustion.com. Carlin Combustion

Tempra Plus and DHC-E tankless electric water heaters

General’s Spider Cutter chews through tough drain clogs

Woodford Model 19: Freezeless wall faucet

General Pipe Cleaners’ Speedrooter 92 blends rugged reliability with ease of use.

The redesigned inner drum is molded to surround and contain the Flexitube distributor tube to prevent cable tangling. A grease fitting has been added to the hub to make it easier to grease and maintain the machine. The large steel drum holds up to 100’ of 3/4” or 5/8” Flexicore cable for clearing 3” to 10” drain lines; the small drum carries up to 100’ of 9/16” cable for clearing 2” to 4” lines. Call 800/245-6200 or visit www. drainbrain.com/92. General Pipe Cleaners

Stiebel Eltron offers the finest tankless electric water heaters available. Its Tempra Plus whole-house and DHC-E point-of-use units outperform bulky hot water tanks and reduce hot water pipe runs. Designed and manufactured in Germany to North American standards, the rugged Tempra and DHC-E series contain all copper piping and heating elements and ensure many years of reliable service. There is a three-year warranty on all Stiebel tankless water heaters. For more information, visit www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com or call 800/582-8423. Simply the best!

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This new double cutter from General Pipe Cleaners, nicknamed “The Spider,” features both front and rear blades. Cutting starts as the cable feeds into the line — and continues as it retracts. General offers two “Spider” models — the Double U-Cutter and the Double Heavy Duty Side Cutter. Each comes in 3” and 4” sizes. Made of hardened spring steel for durability and coated to protect against rust, they can be adapted to sectional machines or to other brands of cable-type drain cleaners.

For details, visit www.drainbrain.com/new.

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The Woodford Model 19 freezeless, antiburst residential wall faucet prevents burst pipes — even if the hose is attached in freezing temperatures. The Woodford Model 19 outdoor faucet features a patented pressure-relief valve that prevents pressure build-up and burst tubes. This product is made in the United States and is backed by a five-year limited warranty. Replace burst faucets with the Model 19 to prevent future faucet freezes and costly home repairs. For more information, contact Woodford Mfg. at www.woodfordmfg.com. Woodford Mfg.

www.PMmag.com, October 2015

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MUST SEE PRODUCTS

General’s Typhoon trailer jet storms through big line clogs The Typhoon trailer jet from General Pipe Cleaners delivers 12 gal. per min. at 2,500 psi to blast lines clean of grease, sediment and debris. It features a 200 gal. holding tank, a 690 cc (24 hp) Honda engine, and on-demand Vibra-pulse to help slide the nozzle around tight bends. A jet hose reel with 400’ x 1/2” capacity featuring variablespeed electric rewind and a water supply hose reel carrying 150’ x 3/4” hose are mounted at the rear of the unit. For more information, contact the Drain Brains at 800/245-6200 or visit drainbrain.com/jets.

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The search for a rep is a whole lot easier The Rep Locator provides a comprehensive database of manufacturers reps in the plumbing, heating, waterworks, kitchen and bath, and related industries. Published each June in Plumbing & Mechanical, Supply House Times, PM Engineer and Reeves Journal, you can find key information all in one source — complete contact info, lines represented, states and territories served. And it is fully searchable online year-round at www.locatearep.com.

Online extras include company brochures and line cards, live web and email links, and Google-based keyword search.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

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The Beschloss PERSPECTIVE Morris Beschloss

Housing on comeback trail blow on mercury emissions.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

W

• Although the free-and-easy push on bankers to lend mortgages to unaffordable clients is not being repeated, borrowers with less than superior credit are being treated more favorably by financial institutions. They are hoping to participate in what appears to be a solid “new housing” recovery. This is being supported by government-backed Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, as the Obama administration is hoping to light a new fire under additional housing construction in the future.

With the slow but steady employment improvement indicating greater numbers of families staying put, there seems to be a new warming trend toward homeowning.

This is being abetted by the unexpectedly high rental and long-term lease costs in a greater number of cities and middle-sized towns across the nation.

If this preliminary trend evolves into a solid residential construction recovery, the overall employment picture of both automotive and housing could be the forerunner of a stronger-than-expected 2016 overall U.S. economic expansion.

Supreme Court short circuits EPA With the current administration committed to climate control as a prime mandate during President Barack Obama’s second term, it came as a surprise when the U.S. Supreme Court passed down a negative decision this summer. This dealt the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a major blow on its “free-wheeling” restraints on business in general, and power plants in particular. These restraints were meant to force controls on mercury emissions and other toxic air pollutants.

The EPA had taken upon itself to put limits on electric utility production emissions and other climatic elements that could be construed as air pollutants, no

Photo credit: ©istockphoto.com/OGphoto

EPA dealt

hen assessing the strength of America’s leap-frog economic growth of the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, it’s readily apparent that the overwhelming automotive and housing construction sectors provided the backbone.

While automotive has surprisingly rebounded with unexpected vigor, any million-plus annual new residential construction units appear to be unattainable after the “housing implosion” that occurred during the Great Recession.

Conventional wisdom relegated additional future housing to long-term leasing, rental and speculative developments, rather than a personal long-term asset to be held indefinitely by the owner. This belief system traces back to the post-World War II return of the GI millions and lasted up to the mid-2008 crash.

While today’s residential construction circumstances are clouded by prospective owners’ doubts about resale, and the belief of many that homeownership has switched from asset to liability, recent indicators show a more sanguine attitude toward individual homeowning: • New 2015 home sales exceeded the previous year by 22% at mid-year (440,000 homes sold). According to expert analysts, existing U.S. home sales will increase by 6.8% this year, with new construction up about 9%.

These observers believe 2016 new home sales will rise 23%, while new housing starts are projected to rise into the double digits. Most of such activity will benefit traditional single-family houses.

• Most significant is about one-third of new home buyers will consist of first-time purchasers. This includes older, more seasoned buyers, rather than the job-entry-level young buyers that comprised the long span of the previous housing boom.

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The Beschloss PERSPECTIVE matter what the cost, negatively affecting America’s business and industry.

The court, in a 5-to-4 majority opinion

by Justice Antonin Scalia, demanded that the EPA must “reconsider the mercury rules, because it didn’t take into account industry costs before imposing a restraint on these emissions.

This unexpected ruling has brought to the surface the ongoing debate, raging for the past six years, regarding the EPA’s decision-making capacity no matter what the cost to industry before arbitrarily adopting such regulations. What is particularly significant in this late June decision is that President Obama had ratcheted up climate control into the top spot. This Supreme Court edict forces the EPA to justify both current and future limitations on business and industry. It encourages an accelerated attempt to fine-tune limitations on electric power generation, as the Obama term winds down 14 months from now. This was

reaffirmed by the high court, making it impervious to any further reactive limitations in the foreseeable future.

The EPA has openly admitted the consequential costs of these restraints had not been considered in its decision to further tighten controls, which it considers deleterious to the global atmosphere.

Although President Obama signed an agreement with China’s Chairman XI Jinping for future cooperation in a worldwide environmental restraints program, this agreement carries no forced implementation. It was considered as a sop by China to convey commitment to global cooperation on the earth’s future environment.

While no preventive action, other than that of the United States, has been taken to implement this program worldwide, it’s problematic whether the President’s environmental care inhibitions will be given the same level of support that the EPA now enjoys.

New economic determinant?

It’s becoming ever clearer that with the greater frequency of the Federal Reserve Board’s highly-publicized decisions, the Fed has become the apex on which the broad financial community — stock markets, traders and investment decisionmakers — take their cue.

This undisputable dominance as the prime instigator of ongoing economic decisions has put America’s Central Bank into this spot. This is due to its singular position of respectful independence and increasing clarity.

Gone are the days of former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan and others, whose main public exposure rested on the anticipation of whether the Fed funds rate (the basis from which commercial rates emanate) would go up, down or stay the same.

The turning point came in the early fall of 2008, when the Great Recession began to evolve. This brought into play the then recently appointed Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke, who, together with then U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson (2006-2009) and future U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner (20092013), fashioned a brilliant solution to an oncoming disaster.

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This expert trio, sanctioned by President George W. Bush at the time, was successful in containing what could have become a worldwide depression. This was done by shoring up the banking system and lending Treasury Department support to automotive giant General Motors and major insurance conglomerate AIG, among others.

With Fed Chairman Bernanke recognized as the key architect of this catastrophic containment, the Fed had gained new stature as the independently qualified agency to which the U.S. economy has now turned for future direction.

While previous Fed Board chairmen would limit their oversight to semi-annual presentations to the U.S. House and Senate, the broad Bernanke spectrum has been assumed by current Fed Chair Janet Yellen.

Utilizing the vast informational resources available from the 12 Fed regional board presidents, together with the amplification of the economic communications media, the Federal Reserve Board has become the ultimate U.S. economic action focus.

Even more, it has become influentially active with its multiple quantitative easings, which were instrumental in shoring up the U.S. Treasury debt. This was done by buying up billions of dollars of worthless mortgage-backed derivatives, which had been clogging up the big banks’ lending arteries, while also participating actively in the Treasury’s multiple weekly auctions.

The Fed also has become instrumental in setting rating standards for the nation’s leading banks. These have provided a new standard of balanced soundness to those financial institutions, which have been qualified by the Fed’s thorough assessment.

Industry analyst and writer Morris R. Beschloss’ career in the industrial pipe, valve and fittings sector spans more than five decades. He writes a column on industrial PVF for Supply House Times, Plumbing & Mechanical's sister publication, and is an industry analyst for the American Supply Association.

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Marketing STRATEGIES Adams Hudson

The silent profit killer can save your business from the evils of anti-retention.

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Y

apply to you until after you’ve called your CSRs, or you plant customers to watch the service call, or ask customers how many times they’ve heard from you after the invoice.

The good news is that all the fixes are totally in your control. Too often the smug attitude is, “Oh well, these things happen.” This pervades the plumbing and heating industry until you have a climate of complacency and anti-retention that isn’t just deemed acceptable, it’s expected. Ask your customers. We made 6,000 phone calls last year and the results were not pretty.

I can’t think of one thing that will suck the morale, profits and life from a company any faster.

There’s a saying in the sales industry: “When you lose a customer, you lose two ways. You don’t get their money. Your competitors do.” I’d like to change that slightly to three ways: You lose their referrals, too. (How many times do you recommend a business you no longer frequent?)

One awesome solution is to take A.C.T.I.O.N.

The six-step A.C.T.I.O.N. plan This plan can save your business from the evils of anti-retention.

1. Acknowledge. This is a standard staple of improvement whether you’re in AA or Over Eaters of America. Before you can fix anything, you first have to acknowledge that yes, there is a problem in your business and yes, it’s causing you to lose customers, waste money and miss the profit ship. Make out a list of target areas to improve (looking back on comments or complaints is a great place to start), and then get ready to …

2. Change. You know the areas you need to work on; now it’s time to get down to business. If the problem is appearing professional, have a team meeting and address the issue of dress. If it’s poor customer service, hire an expert. If you

Photo credit: ©istockphoto.com/skodonnell

Six steps that

ou can hear it in the phone calls. You may see it reflected in a sloppily clad technician. It often hides in the “meant to,” still undone things in your business that don’t cost you a dime, yet are costly as heck and recklessly damaging.

It is customer retention, or the lack thereof. We all like to think it’s there, working for us, because we’re just so darn good at our jobs. No customer could ever forget how timely, fair and magnetically “un-leave-able” we are. Until they actually leave, taking their business and referrals … forever.

Contractors are too often swayed by the cheapness of what I call “anti-retention.”

What is it?

Put simply, anti-retention is anything that doesn’t help you keep a customer. A few of the most common culprits in the contracting world are: • Ignoring customers. This is No. 1.

Tattoo this on your forehead.

• Treating noncustomers (first-time callers) and returning customers the same: on phone calls, through marketing and add-on offers. Segmenting makes sense and this is where you start.

• Setting an appointment and being late without a phone call to alert customers. Do you like it when your appointments are unapologetically tardy?

• Failing to explain what exactly you’ll be doing on the call and what the homeowner can expect. The “grunting assumption” by many techs as they clomp through a home is not charming. The words rude and irritating come to the minds of those who too often consider this painfully typical.

• Not creating a customer ascension model toward a maintenance program that keeps them comfortable — and you regularly in their homes.

• Expecting, but not engineering, referrals for your business.

There are more, but you get the picture.

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Marketing STRATEGIES have no idea how to start, the Hudson, Ink Coaching Club is a good start. Waiting will get you nowhere. You have to start today, right now, to change the environment of anti-retention before you don’t have a business to worry about. (Sorry, but sometimes the truth hurts!) And that means you’re going to need …

3. Team work. Ever heard the old saying, “The chain is only as strong as its weakest link”? From the receptionist to the CSR, to the technician to the accountant, customer retention is the job of your entire team.

It starts with a service mentality. Every single person’s job, first and foremost, is to take care of your customers. When the whole team works together for that single purpose, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish. It’s called synergy and it works!

4. Implement. You’ve identified your anti-retention areas, begun changing them and you’ve got the team all together on the same page (right?). Now it’s time to implement proactive customer retention programs. First, that doesn’t mean spending a bundle of money. You spend

$275 to $325 to get a new customer, but keeping the customer is a fraction of that — about $3 to $4 a piece. My personal favorite retention piece is a four-season newsletter program. You can boost your image through direct response ads and reinforce the relationship with meaningful content all in one fell swoop. And with it you can improve your online efforts.

A client recently put it this way: “After a year of testing the newsletter, I’m glad to say that we’ll continue. Sales to our house list increased by $270,000 over the previous year, with no other marketing efforts.”

How’s that for a return on investment?

5. Ongoing. Customer retention isn’t a stop-and-go effort. This is a complete paradigm shift, which is just a $50 expression for a complete change in your mindset.

Going back to the before is no longer even an option. That’s why you should notice I said customer retention “program,” not “event.” An active customer retention program is a scheduled, automatic, systemized part of your business.

6. Nurture. Now, I’m not going to go

all “Kumbaya” on you here. We’re not talking about group hugs and nap times — though that may be your cup of tea.

What we’re talking about is nurturing an environment that fosters retention. Reward your employees for retention-minded efforts and your customers for their loyalty.

You’ll come out ahead on both counts and guess what? Rewarding loyalty tends to breed more loyalty. How can you top that?

So, there you have it. It’s time to wage war on the anti-retention behaviors that have kept you from reaching the next level in your business. Remember, customer retention isn’t only possible; it should be the norm.

Adams Hudson is president of Hudson, Ink (www.hudsonink.com), a national contractor marketing firm serving the contractor trades. PM readers can get the complimentary “Customer Retention Kit” by sending a polite request to freePMstuff@ hudsonink.com or by faxing a request to 334/262-1115. Readers will also receive a complimentary subscription to the Sales & Marketing Insider with their request. PM

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The Blue-Collar COACH Kenny Chapman

What message are you really sending your clients?

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

W

e are all in the sales and marketing business to some extent. In fact, just about everything that happens every single day can be attributed to some form of sales and marketing. Somebody decided to get the message out about a product or service, and then a salesperson took on the task of educating his client (or potential client) to a tipping point of value. Once we cross the tipping point of value, a sale is made.

In our industry, sometimes the concept of “sales” can be looked at as a bad thing.

I disagree, based on the methodology of communication, desire of the salesperson or company and whether the sale enhances a client’s life. People buy things they don’t need all the time, but those things make their lives better in some way. Clients want to know what is available to them so they can make an educated choice for themselves.

We are selling all day long; it just takes on different forms that we don’t label as sales.

When I convinced The Lovely Christy to go on a first date with me, I sold her on the promise of minimal risk but tremendous potential. When you are attempting to get your children to go to bed or do their homework, you are using a sales process.

For some reason when we get in the workforce and actually put on our sales and marketing hats, our perception changes because we are conditioned to have a negative view of sales. I’ve addressed this point before, although I can’t stress this reminder enough.

Now I want to focus on the marketing component assisting the sales process.

Let's look at how your marketing message is showing up for your clients. Or is it? One of the really cool things about my job is I get to ride with technicians when I do my onsite consulting and training programs.

I am able to view exactly what the client sees, from your technician’s education to the communication process regarding your products, services, warranties, etc.

I was recently onsite with a client and went on three different service calls, with three different technicians, that produced three different guarantees communicated to the clients. You might wonder how this can happen. You covered the guarantees when you put the technicians through training when they first started with your company.

This must mean they know, remember and share the right information. Unfortunately, nothing is further from the truth.

This is just one example of a mixed message. Guarantees are a part of your marketing message, but what else are you attempting to convey to your potential clients that is getting lost in human communication? Are you running a seasonal special that your front-line team is not aware of? Do you have coupons in the newspaper that your team only finds out about when they read the paper themselves? Do they learn about a discount you’re offering because a client hands them a postcard you mailed at the end of a call?

We can all dive deeper into the communication exchange that is happening in the field when no one is watching. This isn’t about baby sitting or trying to be Big Brother; this is about protecting and improving your value proposition as the marketplace experiences it. I consistently stress to my clients the importance of performing ridealongs with the front-line team, but obviously we can’t be in all places at all times. Therefore, we must implement new strategies to make sure our messaging and branding is being executed at the highest level.

Business growth model When I was being trained by Michael Gerber at The E-Myth Academy many years ago, one of the concepts he taught revolved around innovation, quantification and orchestration. This is a great model for business growth in many capacities, and it’s

Photo credit: ©istockphoto.com/Cameris

Sales, marketing and communication

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The Blue-Collar COACH an important thing to apply to your brand message in the field.

First, we innovate a marketing campaign by making some positive changes or trying something new. Then we must quantify with our team their understanding of what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and how it positively affects them, the company and the client. If they don’t understand what we’re marketing or why we’re marketing it, how can we expect them to effectively communicate it with our clients? From that point, the orchestration piece is simply implementation. Make it happen.

One of the best things we can do is begin to educate our technicians and salespeople at a higher level — what we want the client to understand about our company brand and how we’re better than or different from the competition. One of the strategies we recommend is pulling a random stack of options sheets and invoices once a week and go through them with the entire team.

Make copies of them and give a copy to every front-line team member. The options sheet will tell a certain part of the

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

story of the service or sales call. The invoice will shed more light on what actions were taken based on the communication and education regarding the options sheet. Did the technician offer multiple options to the client based on the original reason for the call? Did he have the warranties stated regarding each offering along with a few benefit points for each item?

The options sheet is the story board and the technician gets to tell the story based on the discovery process executed on the call.

When you have your entire team looking at each other’s paperwork, they learn from each other. I study adult education a lot, and it has been proven that one of the best ways we learn as adults is from our peers.

When your team is looking at each other’s paperwork, it creates a safer environment than just getting called into the manager’s office and beaten into submission yet again.

Another positive outcome of having these meetings is your team realizes there is no perfection. Everyone crafts their paperwork a little bit differently. Everyone has different key points they speak to

when educating a client about a service agreement. Now everyone gets to see how it all comes together.

This is a very powerful platform for you to learn what is actually happening in the field and ask questions regarding the conversation and value proposition that took place with the client. This also gives you the ability to make suggestions regarding how to kick it up a notch each week for constant and never-ending improvement.

Many different ways exist to communicate with our clients, but the main ones are through marketing and the sales process that your technicians are using.

If you’re not innovating, quantifying and orchestrating, you are not progressing forward. Implement these strategies and see how much better your brand and marketing message is communicated to your clients.

Kenny Chapman, “The Blue Collar Coach,” is the author of “The Six Dimensions of C.H.A.N.G.E.” and owner of Peterson Plumbing. Visit www.thebluecollarcoach. com or call him at 877/968-2244.

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The BOTTOM LINE Jim Hamilton

Five steps to getting your 2016 plan started.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

R

ight here, right now, where is your focus?

As the owner, president or general manager for your company, your focus should always be on the future. If you haven’t done so already, you need to get started on developing your 2016 budget. Now is the time to start working on your plan and have documented, quantifiable action steps.

What is your plan for 2016? Where do you want to be at the end of 2016? How are you going to get there? What does success look like?

If you’ve been following me this year, you know it all starts with a plan. Your plan.

Follow these five steps to plan for next year.

• Step 1 — Collect operational data.

These three pieces of operational data drive your revenue results: trailing 12 months of call counts by department; trailing 12 months of conversion rates by department; and trailing 12 months of average sales by department.

Let’s take a look at some sample trailing 12-month data from fictional ABC Co.: call count is 2,500; calls ran, conversion rate is 80%; and average sales are $800.

Let’s do the math: 2,500 x 80% = 2,000 x $800 = $1,600,000 in revenue.

ABC Co.’s owner, Bill Murray, is planning for 2016 and wants to reach $2 million in revenue. Let’s see how Bill can achieve his revenue goal in Step 2.

• Step 2 — Identify your measurable action steps. How is ABC Co. going to get from $1.6 million to $2 million? The answers are vast. Here are a few examples: 1. Raise the average sale by $200.

2. Improve the conversion rate to 85% and improve the average invoice to $941.17.

3. Improve the conversion rate to 90% and improve the average invoice to $888.

4. Increase call count by 625, add a technician and perform exactly to your stats from this year.

Your action steps must be measurable.

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

The scenarios are endless, but that is not the point. The point is you need a plan to get to where you want to be.

• Step 3 — Leadership buy-in. The best way to get your team on board with your plan is to involve your leadership team in building the company’s 2016 plan.

When the answers of how to move the business from point A to point B come from your team, you have buy-in.

Remember you are working with adults here. In my experience, adults don’t like being told what to do. However, when adults are active participants in building a company’s plan, they are invested and committed to that plan.

Now you’ve got a great start in planning to build your 2016 revenue. However, revenue is just part of your plan — the easy part.

• Step 4 — Cost management. When it comes to budgeting cost, less is more. I’ve worked with contractors who spend dollars managing pennies. Don’t be that person.

Instead focus on what will move the needle.

Focus on the big five expenses: direct labor, direct material/equipment, salaries, advertising and vehicle cost. These five costs make up 75% to 80% of all your expenses. When budgeting for expenses, your first priority is to make sure you bring these costs in line. After you fix these, then you can focus on the peanuts.

In order to get your costs in line, you’ll need to know the benchmarks to reach.

Not all departments have the same directcost benchmarks. Let me say that again: Not all departments have the same directcost benchmarks.

The benchmarks for plumbing service are: direct labor fully burdened equals 24% and materials equals 10%. These represent your above-the-line costs and occur when a sale is made.

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The BOTTOM LINE On the other hand, overhead costs occur regardless if you make a sale.

The benchmark for these are: salaries fully burdened equals 15%, advertising equals 10% and vehicle cost equals 5%.

Salaries include gross pay, taxes, workers’

compensation insurance and medical.

Vehicle cost includes lease payment and depreciation (if you purchased), fuel and maintenance.

• Step 5 – Check the other areas. Do you need to redo your marketing plan? If

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

the answer is yes, what action steps do you plan to take?

What training does your field staff need in order to kick it up a notch?

Do you have the right people in place to take you to your goal? Are they capable?

Are they willing? If the answer is yes, what plans do you need to put in place to train them to reach your goal?

Your action steps must be measurable.

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.

If the answer is no, what are your plans for replacing them? Do you know the profile for the person you are looking for? If not, where and how will you get that information?

Following these steps will give you a jump start on creating a bright future for next year. Understand this is a plan; it’s not etched in stone. Work and monitor your plan, review your results with your team and take corrective actions when you see your plan is going sideways. Do this and you will have a great year.

I want to leave you with the most important message. Always keep in mind: There is no better than here! When your “there” has become “here,” you will simply obtain another “there.”

Said differently, make sure you are profitable here, before you go there.

Jim (Bone) Hamilton is a business coach with Nexstar Network. He has spent nearly 40 years in the plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical residential service industries. He has purchased and transformed 28 underperforming companies into profitable businesses. For more information, go to www.nexstarnetwork.com or call 888/240-7827.

PM

The Boiler ROOM Ray Wohlfarth

Carbon monoxide dangers proper tools to stay safe in the boiler room.

T

CO CONCENTRATION IN AIR 9 ppm

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

INHALATION TIME AND SYMPTOMS ASHRAE maximum allowable concentration for short exposure in a living area.

50 ppm

Maximum allowable concentration for continuous exposure in any 8-hour period.

200 ppm

Headache, tiredness, dizziness and nausea after 2 to 3 hours.

400 ppm

Frontal headache within 1 to 2 hours and life threatening after 3 hours. Maximum allowable amount (air-free) in flue gases.

800 ppm

Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within 45 minutes. Unconsciousness within 2 hours. Death within 2 to 3 hours.

1,600 ppm

Headache, dizziness and nausea within 20 minutes. Death within 1 hour.

3,200 ppm

Headache, dizziness and nausea within 5 to 10 minutes. Death within 30 minutes.

6,400 ppm

Headache, dizziness and nausea within 1 to 2 minutes. Death within 10 to 15 minutes.

12,800 ppm

Death within 1 to 3 minutes.

A typical plug-in carbon monoxide detector.

74

They evacuated the man and rushed him to the hospital. The man survived thanks to the quick thinking of the secretary and the first responders.

I was asked to visit this boiler room a few weeks later to ascertain the cause of the accident. The source of the incident was two-fold. The first cause was the flue for the boilers was improperly installed and allowed flue gases to vent inside the boiler room. The second cause was the boilers were not maintained properly and the fuel-to-air

Photo credit: Ray Wohlfarth

Use the

he school electrician entered the boiler room one morning to diagnose the electrical problem for one wing of the school. A short while later, the school principal asked the secretary to check on the progress of the electrician. When she opened the door to the boiler room, she saw the electrician passed out on the floor.

Rather than rushing to the fallen man, she sprinted to the office and called 911. The first responders tested the space and found highly elevated levels of carbon monoxide.

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The Boiler ROOM ratio of the burners was out of calibration, spilling high levels of the toxic gas into the boiler room.

The ironic part about this accident is that the equipment room did have a carbon monoxide detector but it was not connected to an alarm. When I arrived, the digital display was showing a flashing error code.

Each fall, the media is filled with stories about the dangers of carbon monoxide in homes and businesses — sad stories about people who have been overcome by the dangerous gas. The majority of these accidents could have been avoided.

Carbon monoxide, or CO, is an invisible, odorless gas that can only be detected

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with sophisticated instruments. My uncle, a third-generation coal miner, used to regale us with stories about how the old miners would take a canary in a bird cage into the coal mines when they worked. If the bird stopped singing, the coal miners would run for the exit because the carbon monoxide was elevated to a dangerous level. The bird was a precursor to today’s CO detectors.

Thankfully, we now have safer methods to test for it.

Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it displaces oxygen in the blood’s hemoglobin and forms carboxyhemoglobin. Since the oxygen is replaced by the CO, the body’s organs are starved for oxygen and nutrients, suffocating them.

The standard measurement for carbon monoxide is parts per million or ppm. To understand how small a ppm is, consider this. One part per million is equal to: • One day in 2,739 years; • One interception in 7,692 football games; or • One inch in 16 miles.

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It has been theorized that the body actually prefers CO to oxygen, which is why it is difficult to remove from the body. Carbon monoxide has a half-life of five hours, which means the level of toxic gas will drop to half its current level after five hours and drop in half again after an additional five hours.

However, exposure to a high level of CO could take too long to be removed naturally. In severe instances, a person may have to be inserted inside a hyperbaric chamber, which uses pressure and oxygen to force the carbon monoxide from the hemoglobin.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

An error code on a carbon monoxide detector. Make sure the detector has an alarm to warn of dangerous CO levels.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

The table on page 74 illustrates how deadly CO can be in only a few minutes.

Carbon monoxide is formed due to either an incorrect fuel-toair ratio arrangement, improper flame patterns or inadequate draft.

The fuel-to-air ratio should be tested on a regular basis as part of all boiler checks. The draft or flame pattern of the fuel-burning appliance could be affected by exhaust fans in the building or temperature of the water.

The fuel-to-air ratio should be tested on a regular basis as part of all boiler checks.

The safest way to test for carbon monoxide presence in an equipment room is to use a calibrated CO detector. For proper operation, the detector should be calibrated yearly. A technician at one of my seminars told me he used a plug-in-type CO alarm he purchased at a big-box store for CO testing. I informed him that he may be risking his life and he asked why. I explained there were two issues with using a system such as that.

The first reason comes from the CO detector manufacturer Kidde, “The CO alarm is designed to act as a monitor; it is not designed for use as a short-term testing device to perform a quick check of the presence of CO.” The other more critical reason is the response time. According to UL 2034 standards, the plug-in-type carbon monoxide detectors will take 4 to 15 minutes to react when the CO levels are above 400 ppm. If you look at the table on page 74, death occurs within 1 to 2 minutes if the level is above 12,800 ppm. A burner can go from 0 to several thousand ppm in seconds.

When I am testing for carbon monoxide, I like to simulate the worst-case scenario. In a commercial building, I will make sure all the fuel-burning appliances are operating. This may require opening the hot water valves to start the water heater. I will energize the exhaust fan and any fans inside the boiler room. I will test around all fuel-burning appliances such as the water heater, boilers and pool heater.

If I am inside a home, I try to simulate the worst case by starting all the exhaust fans in the house including kitchen and bath, clothes dryer and oven. One of the most common causes of CO production in residential buildings is the oven.

Make sure you have the proper tools to test for carbon monoxide and to repair the problem. Stay safe inside the boiler room.

Ray Wohlfarth is the author of a new book, "Lessons Learned: Servicing Boilers." In his spare time, he is president of Fire & Ice in Pittsburgh. Ray writes a monthly newsletter on commercial boilers. He can be reached at 412/343-4110 or ray@fireiceheat.com.

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tool tips

Edited by PM Staff

www.PMmag.com/tooltips

FIRST PLACE ▼ Easy removal of faucet stem o-ring

Insert a slender ice pick (whose point has been ground slightly blunt so as to not damage the o-ring) underneath an existing o-ring to be removed from a faucet stem. This allows room to thread a 10-in.-long, thin insulated copper wire — similar to telephone wire — under the old o-ring by 5 in.

Remove the ice pick. Now you have a 5-in. loop handle on the o-ring to aid removal. Hold both wire ends in one hand; pull the o-ring slightly away from and off the stem by circling the stem with the looped wire while pulling off. Use your other hand to hold the stem; place your thumb in the gap created by pulling on the o-ring.

Use some plumber’s grease on the o-ring to facilitate the removal process. Use the same wire to place the new o-ring on the faucet stem.

st 1

Ray Bordelon Apartment Services Metairie, LA

Another duct-tape use: protecting pipe

After more than 40 years in the plumbing field, my best tip is for insulating pipe from contact with hangers and other pipe, and for holding multiple sticks of pipe together.

Most people in the field use duct tape or 10mil tape. I do, too, but I reverse it and apply it sticky-side out.

It will slide easily to where you need it, will stay there once positioned and when removed (such as when bundling pipe together), it leaves zero residue on areas that need to be soldered. When you reverse the tape, you can wrap the pipe in an open area, then slide it to point of contact.

Removing wax from tools

When using wax rings to set commodes, it’s easy to get wax all over your hands and tools. A simple tip is to rub newspaper over them. The ink on the paper helps remove the wax.

Jackie W. Lewis Jack’s Plumbing Grove, Okla.

Brad Flynn Bradley J. Flynn Plumbing Concord, Calif.

SEND US YOUR TOOL TIPS ▼ If you have an idea that has saved you or your customers time and money, Plumbing & Mechanical would like to share your tip with our readers. You can email your idea directly to Editor@PMmag.com or mail it to Plumbing & Mechanical Editor Kelly Faloon at 155 N. Pfingsten Rd., Suite 205, Deerfield, IL 60015.

Our first-place winner will receive a Kinetic Water Ram from General Pipe Cleaners with a retail value of $325. The kit contains the Kinetic Water Ram, 4-in. rubber cone, five rubber plugs and a carrying case.

The Kinetic Water Ram uses a burst of compressed air to create a shock wave (kinetic energy) that travels though water to break up a stoppage. It quickly opens clogged sinks, toilets and tubs, and handles rust, grease and scale in lines with diameters up to 4 in. The Ram has a self-contained pump and pressure gauge, so you can hit the blockage with just the right amount of force. You get instant impact with no pressure build up. The shock wave travels so fast that it bypasses vents and stacks, hitting the stoppage with 98% of its force. The Ram is particularly useful when the problem is on the far side of a drum trap.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Product Focus GREEN PLUMBING PRODUCTS

Single-hole lavatory faucet Aquabrass’ Hockey single-hole lavatory faucet is inspired by the sport. It features clean-cut lines, smooth surfaces and a hockey stick lever. It is made of lead brass and has a flow rate of 1.5 gal. per min. It features a 3/8” connection, 16” stainless-steel braided supply hose, and single volume and temperature joystick control. A press pop-up drain with overflow is included. It is available in polished chrome, with 19 optional custom finishes and engraving available.

Aquabrass. www.aquabrass.com

Underground freeze protection Uponor’s Ecoflex Potable PEX Plus pre-insulated PEX pipe system for underground potable-plumbing applications provides energy-efficient freeze protection in cold climates. It features 1 1/4” AquaPEX service pipe with a 7 W/ft. heat-trace cable that runs the entire length of the pipe. The pipe and cable are then surrounded by multilayer PEX-foam insulation and covered by a corrugated, waterproof HDPE jacket. The pipe is available with a full line of accessories and uses ProPEX ASTM F1960 expansion fittings for durable, reliable connections. It is offered in 300’ coil lengths, with custom-cut lengths available as well. Uponor. www.uponorpro.com

Stainless-steel kitchen faucet Franke’s corrosion-resistance Steel Series includes kitchen (pictured), prep and bar models that feature a 100% stainless-steel pull-down, dual-spray head that extends up to 21” and offers full and needle spray patterns. Includes two polymer plastic O-Rings to seal the waterways, ceramic cartridges and the spray hoses. Hose construction consists of a PE inner core protected by a lowfriction, smooth nylon, braided, outside mesh. All but the potfiller uses a 35mm Kerox cartridge and Neoperl aerators, with a flow rate of 1.75 gal. per min. Franke. www.franke.com

Minimalist bathroom collection Moen introduces the Rizon bathroom collection, which includes matching shower fixtures that are compatible with Moen’s Posi-Temp pressure-balancing valve. Both the standard showerhead with a flow rate of 2.5 gpm and the Eco-Performance showerhead (pictured) that features a flow rate of 1.75 gpm meet WaterSense requirements. The collection — which includes lavatory faucets and Roman tub fillers — also utilizes the M•PACT common valve system, which makes it quick and easy to change the style of the faucet or shower trim in minutes.

Moen. www.moen.com

Super-saving faucet aerators Neoperl’s PCA low-flow faucet outlets can help save 70% on water and sewer bills, as well as energy bills (for hot water generation). The company’s SLC spray includes a silicone tip for a softer, gentler stream and for protection against lime buildup. Simply rub the silicone tip to clean the outlet. Enjoy water savings with a crystal clear stream by replacing an old aerator with the PCA 0.5 gal. per min.

Perlator laminar stream. It is pressure-compensating for high performance in all pressure conditions and its integrated anti-clogging dome screen filters sediment. Neoperl. www.neoperl.com

For more information about the products in this month's issue of PM, please visit the websites shown above.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Job pack faucets Matco-Norca’s Builder Light faucet family provides Job Pack faucets containing 4” and 8” two-handle lavatory and kitchen faucets, and single-handle tub and shower trim kits. The 4” lavatory and 8” kitchen faucets are lead-free. They feature metal lever handles, washerless cartridges and have a max flow rate of 1.5 gal. per min. at 60 psi. Lavatory faucets are available in chrome and brushed nickel finishes and come with a 50/50 pop-up. Kitchen faucets, which have a side spray option, come with chrome and stainless-steel finishes.

Matco-Norca. www.matco-norca.com

Plumbing • Heating • Gas • Industrial • Actuation • Hydronics

Filtered hot-water faucets Rohl’s Perrin & Rowe filtered hot water faucets offer hot water at 190° to 210° F with the touch of the handle. Each faucet comes with an 84 oz. stainlesssteel tank and inline filter providing up to 100 cups of near boiling water.

Faucet is available in three design styles — traditional column spout (pictured), traditional c-spout and contemporary Mimas c-spout. Available finishes include polished chrome, polished nickel, English bronze, satin nickel and Inca brass. Rohl. www.rohlhome.com

Raise Your Standards Designer spin jets Isenberg’s line of Designer Spin Jets is available in various shapes and offers a full 360° rotation of water flow. Featuring a European-made concealed valve and an economical 1.05 gal. per min. flow rate, this range of spin jets is available in chrome and brushed nickel finishes. Isenberg. www.isenbergfaucets.com

• IAPMO Certified - NSF 372 • IAPMO Certified - NSF 14 • ASTM F1960 - 1/2” – 2” • ASTM F1807 - 1/2” – 1-1/4”

• Stainless Steel Ball & Stem Standard • Blow-out Proof Stem & Packing Nut • PEX x MIP / SWT / FIP & Side Tap Models • Stem Extensions and T-handles Available

Call (586) 268-1220 or visit www.jomarvalve.com/raise/pm10 for a special offer

www.PMmag.com, October 2015

83

Product Focus GREEN PLUMBING PRODUCTS Handcrafted faucet California Faucets’ single-hole DIVA lavatory faucet is handcrafted of high-grade solid brass, and is available in a high-profile model measuring 8 5/16” with a 7 1/16” spout projection and a low-profile 6 3/16” with 4 3/16” spout projection. It features a ceramic mixing cartridge, 1 1/4” lift rod-style pop-up assembly, and a 1.5 gal. per min. water-saving aerator. It is available in 30 artisan finishes, as well as premium finishes, such as 24K polished gold.

California Faucets. www.californiafaucets.com

Filtration faucet Pfister’s Clarify filter faucet is equipped with Xtract filter mode and a GE 2X High-Flow filtration system. Users are able to select between tap and filtered water by pushing the handle back. The filtration system reduces contaminants such as chlorine, mercury, select pharmaceuticals and pesticides. The faucet features AccuDock advanced sprayhead docking technology, multiple spray options, one- or three-hole configuration and a Pforever warranty, which covers finish and function for life. Pfister. www.pfisterfaucets.com

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Touchless HET American Standard’s ActiVate high-efficiency toilets feature high performance, water savings, touch-free technology as well as a manual flush button on the outside of the toilet tank.

The toilets can successfully flush 2.2 lb. of waste while using a water-saving 1.28 gal. per flush. Its PowerWash bowl-cleaning technology provides a quiet, yet powerful flush that scrubs the bowl with pressurized water from the rim during every flush to remove every last trace of paper and waste. A decorative, highquality seat is included with each HET model, as is an EZ-Install kit. American Standard. www.americanstandard.com

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Products & Literature Tank lever and handle kit Korky’s StrongARM tank lever and handle kit is made of engineergrade material. The tank levers are reinforced at the elbow to provide extra strength and long life. The lever arm is designed to stand up to harsh water conditions and guaranteed not to rust. It adjusts to fit all handle positions including front, angle and side (left or right). It fits with both 2” and 3” flappers and canister-style flush systems and fits all popular brands. Korky. www.korky.com

Polypropylene pipe and fitting system F.W. Webb’s Niron PP-RCT pipe and fitting system is made from advanced beta crystalline PPR polypropylene in a multilayering manufacturing process. The pipe, enhanced with a fiberglass center, has insulating qualities that offer energy efficiency and noise mitigation for better acoustics.

The product meets industry standards and offers high purity options for nontoxic applications, such as food and beer production. Applications include hydronic heating, HVAC, water (potable, chilled, recycle, glycol, brine), liquid chemicals, compressed air and geothermal. F.W. Webb. www.fwwebb.com

Electric and gas jetters Electric Eel’s Eel-Jet EJ1500 Electric Jetter (pictured) cleans 1 1/2” to 4” dia. drain lines. It features 1,500 psi/1.7 gal. per min.; 1.5 hp, 15 amp motor; duplex pump with pulsation; reel capacity 150’ of 1/4” hose; removable pump/motor assembly; thermal relief valve and inlet shut off valve. The Eel-Jet EJ3000 Gas Jetter cleans 2” to 8” dia. lines up to 300’.

It features 3,000 psi/4.7 gpm; 13 hp overhead valve engine — electric start available; 2-to-1 gear reduced triplex pump with pulsation; and throttle back control automatically adjusts engine speed and low-tone muffler. Electric Eel Mfg. www.electriceel.com

Compact pressure-boosting system Grundfos introduces its Hydro MPC BoosterpaQ, a fully integrated and compact pressure-boosting system that offers multiple configurations — with up to six pumps in parallel — to accommodate water supply systems, as well as industrial and irrigation applications. The CU 352 intuitive graphical interface controller makes the system user-friendly, while ensuring efficient operation. Using actual pump-curve data, the controller helps to optimize energy consumption by controlling/staging the number of pumps in operation, as well as the speed of the individual pumps. It features a 3 1/2” by 4 5/8” intuitive color screen and a built-in Ethernet connection. Grundfos Pumps. us.grundfos.com

How to apply thermal storage Caleffi’s 17th edition of idronics is titled “Thermal Storage in Hydronic Systems.” Because of the excellent heat storage characteristics of water, adding thermal storage to a hydronic system lends itself well to many benefits including buffering a heat source against short cycling, reducing the heat source size relative to peak load and optimizing the use of surplus heat production. This edition explores these benefits and discusses how to properly apply thermal storage in hydronic systems. The edition is available free online.

Caleffi. www.caleffi.com

For more information about the products in this month's issue of PM, please visit the websites shown above.

86

Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

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Products & Literature Gas-fired condensing boiler Peerless Boilers’ PureFire gas-fired condensing boiler series is a high-efficiency, 95% AFUE boiler available for either natural or LP gas systems. The direct-vent, sealed-combustion boiler features a fully modulating, stainless-steel burner and is environmentally friendly with low-NOx operation. The boiler is available in six residential sizes — all Energy Star-rated; six commercial sizes are also available. PB Heat. www.peerlessboilers.com

Whirlpool bath enhancements Mansfield Plumbing introduces a variety of enhancements to its Swirl-way whirlpools. The chromatherapy mood light system features brighter, wide-angle lights. The housings for the lights are smaller in diameter than previously offered and mounted nearly flush to the tub wall for a clean, minimalistic look. The Hydro-v back jet system is fully adjustable. The constant heat option includes a low-flow, high-efficiency pump that quietly and calmly moves the water past an inline heater.

Mansfield Plumbing. www.mansfieldplumbing.com

Lubricant can with flexible straw WD-40’s WD-40 EZ-Reach features an attached, 8” flexible straw that bends and keeps its shape, allowing users to get around corners and crevices. This new delivery system gives trade professionals the ability to reach the unreachable and accomplish difficult tasks in overhead areas or under-the-sink plumbing components, among numerous other uses.

WD-40 Co. www.wd40company.com

www.PMmag.com, October 2015

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Products & Literature Infrared temp-guns Milwaukee Tool’s four Infrared Temp-Guns include the alkaline 10:1 with a temperature range of -22° F to 752°; the alkaline (pictured) and 12V 12:1 category, both with a temperature range of -22° to 1,022°; and the 30:1 Infrared/Contact with an infrared range of -40° to 1,472° and a contact range of -40° to 1,022°. Features include the ability to log 99 measurements, a five-year warranty, clear screens, fast scanning, a simplified keypad and interface, a hi/low alert setup, a fully bumpered nose, shielded LCD and over-molding, and an impact-resistance of 6’.

Milwaukee Tool. www.milwaukeetool.com Dual-circuit chiller Aqua Products’ Beast is an industrial design glycol chiller that comes standard as a dual-circuit model which gives users two completely independent chillers built into a single module. It comes in 4 to 20 hp models, and a choice of R-407C or R-404A refrigerant is available. Single point main power of 208-230/60/1 or three-phase and 460/60/3 options also are available. All come standard with a cETLus listing. Single-circuit models also are available as well as energy-efficient NextGen medium- or low-temperature models with self-diagnosis as standard on most models.

Aqua Products Co. www.aquaproducts.us

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

Magnetic debris removal Legend introduced a Magnetic Debris Removal accessory for the T-88 High Performance Air and Debris Eliminator.

During operations of the hydronic system, it generates a powerful magnetic field that attracts ferrous debris out of the fluid stream as it passes through the body of the T-88. This is especially effective in older hydronic systems that contain steel or iron piping, cast-iron radiators and/or boilers where ferrous oxide corrosion may have built up over time. Legend Valve. www.legendhydronics.com

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Products & Literature Special-edition heaters Modine’s special-edition, customized Hot Dawg heaters are available in camo (Huntin’ Dawg), diamond plate (Diamond Dawg), carbon fiber and satin black. The units are available in four sizes: 30,000, 45,000, 60,000 and 75,000 Btu — for propane or natural gas in standard power vent. The heaters commemorate the company’s 100th anniversary. Three appearance kits are also available to customize any space. The units are made in the United States. Modine. www.modinehvac.com

Hydro-core boiler compatibility matrix A new edition of Webstone Valve’s Hydro-Core Boiler Compatibility Matrix is available online. Hydro-Core Complete Near Boiler Piping kits are available to fit about 200 boilers from 20 different manufacturers. Utilize this matrix to find the right Hydro-Core kit for a specific boiler and save more than four hours on the next installation. It is designed specifically for hydraulic separation, pump isolation, and purging the near boiler piping or secondary circuit loops. Webstone Valve. www.webstonevalves.com

Business management software The Knowify system gives businesses a set of tools to manage their tasks. It is designed around tightly integrated modules covering each of the major areas — from time tracking, resource scheduling and bill paying to contract management as well as preparing, sending and collecting on invoices. It integrates with Intuit QuickBooks accounting software. It provides a secure, easyto-use, always accessible online platform.

Employees can submit expenses and track time from their smartphones with the app. New users get first month free.

Knowify. www.knowify.com

DO YOU DRIVE THE BEST-LOOKING TRUCK IN TOWN? If so,

enter it in Plumbing & Mechanical’s 2015 Best-Looking Truck Contest.

We’ll present the winners in our December issue in four categories: • Best-Looking Pickup Truck.

• Best-Looking Panel Van. • Best-Looking Box Truck.

• Best-Looking Inside.

To enter, go to www.pmmag.com/besttruck. Select a category, tell us why your truck is the best-looking, upload high-resolution digital photos*, and enter your contact information (in case we need more information).

You can enter as many categories as you like. If we featured your vehicle as a Truck of the Month, you are still eligible to enter the contest. *To take high-resolution digital photos of your truck, please be sure to set your digital camera to its highest setting in size and resolution. If you have print photos of your truck, call Editor Kelly Faloon at 847/405-4041 for instructions on sending them.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

The deadline to submit contest materials is Nov. 13, 2015.

Confined Spaces in Construction program The Mechanical Contractors Association of America introduces its Model Permit-Required Confined Space Program for Construction. It is an easily customizable tool that enables the user to create site-specific programs that will protect affected workers from confined space hazards and assist affected company personnel in complying with OSHA’s new confined space standard for the construction industry, which became enforceable on Oct. 2. The model program is available for download online. MCAA. www.mcaa.org

Stainless-steel tub filler Incorporating a graceful but robust operating lever made of surgical stainless steel, KWC’s Ono freestanding tub filler is now available in Slendure, a stainless-steel finish. This version of the tub filler is also equipped with an integral, wand-style hand shower. Also offered in chrome with the architectural ELY hand shower, this minimalist freestanding tub filler features a fixed 7 7/8” spout and a 71” hose. The filler spout has a flow rate of 7.5 gal. per min. at 60 psi of pressure; and the hand shower, 2.0 gpm at 80 psi. KWC. www.kwc.us.com

20V battery adapter Most of DeWalt’s 18V tools can operate off its 20V MAX lithium-ion battery platform with the 20V MAX Battery Adapter. Available battery capacities include the 1.3Ah, 1.5Ah, 2.0Ah XR, 3.0Ah, 4.0Ah XR and 5.0Ah XR. With the adapter, these six battery options, along with the 2.0Ah and 4.0Ah Bluetoothenabled batteries, can all be used with most of the company’s tools.

The adapter is packaged in two ways: as a stand-alone unit and as a combo with two compact 20V MAX 2.0Ah batteries and a charger.

DeWalt. www.dewalt.com

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Advertiser INDEX ADVERTISER Apollo Valves Appleseed Business Inc. Aquatherm Blue Collar Coach, The Bosch Thermotechnology Bradford White Corp.

BrassCraft Mfg. Carlin Combustion Delta Faucet Co. ECR International Elkay Mfg. Elkhart Products Corp.

Everflux USA Ferguson Enterprises Fluidmaster Ford Motor General Pipe Cleaners Gerber Plumbing Fixtures GMC Gold Medal Service Hilmor Holdrite Hydronic Alternatives Home Depot Irwin Tools International Exposition Co. Jomar Kohler Co. Laars Heating Systems Legend Valve Liberty Pumps Lochinvar Corp.

Metropolitan Industries Navien Omega Flex PB Heat ProVent Systems Ram Commercial Reed Manufacturing Co. Rheem Mfg. RIDGID Rinnai America Corp.

RUUD Sani Seal Sioux Chief Mfg. Spirotherm Sterling, a Kohler company Stiebel Eltron SupplyHouse.com Taco Inc. ThermOmegaTech Uponor Viega Wal-Rich Corp.

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PAGE # IFC 12 54 68 77 42-43 29 55 53 15 32 36 44 9 34 7 3, 54, 55, 56, 81 54 BC 72 13 54, 76 38 21 73 89 83 19 16 63 11 45 4 1 61 85 4 33 5 35 67 79 57 56 84, 87, 88 69 27 55 51 65 78 54, 59 54 64 55, 60 17, 75 24, 25 71 23 37 55, IBC 39 28

Get FREE product information from advertisers in this issue. Visit www.PMMag.com and click on Ad Index in the right-hand column of the home page. www.PMmag.com, October 2015

95

Editorial OPINION

By Kelly Faloon | faloonk@bnpmedia.com

A family affair revisited

A

bout 10 years ago, I wrote an article on family businesses and how to navigate through the “minefields” that abound in them. The topic enters my mind each time we profile a family-owned organization in this magazine, such as our 2015 Supply House of the Year, Robertson Heating Supply/Robertson Kitchen & Bath Gallery in Alliance, Ohio.

You can read about the distribution firm and why we chose to honor it on page 30, but I wanted to reflect on the family dynamics of Robertson’s for the moment. President Scott Robertson, the third-generation owner, works with his father and three sisters. Ouch, some of you may say. However, two of his sisters work part-time and his father is semi-retired.

Scott runs the show.

Sue (Robertson) Neil is Robertson Heating Supply’s human resources director and the company secretary. During her career in the family business, she was a secretary to her grandfather, founder John Robertson, and her brother. As HR director, Neil has a higher standing in the firm and is in a position to educate her brother on hiring practices, compensation and benefit structure.

Such situations can create tension, and I’m sure that has happened on a few occasions at Robertson’s.

But talking with brother and sister, I saw mutual respect for each other and their roles in the company. Obviously, the president of any company has enormous responsibility for the direction and success of the organization, as well as its employees. But HR directors have an equal responsibility to it is “an employer of choice,” as Neil has positioned Robertson Heating Supply.

And both have nothing but respect and admiration for their grandfather and his legacy.

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Plumbing & Mechanical, October 2015

The company should always come first.

As I noted in my February 2005 feature (“A family affair”), business schools don’t talk about family businesses. Yet at least 4.1 million companies in the United States (as of 2005) are family-owned and -operated with a lot of family involvement. Another 12.3 million firms have some family involvement. These businesses account for about 42% of the gross domestic product.

“Very few family businesses survive to the second generation, but the third generation is even harder,” says Dennis Jaffe, Ph.D., founding member of the Aspen Family Business Group, professor at Saybrook Graduate School in San Francisco and author of “Working With the Ones You Love: Building a Successful Business.”

Jaffe adds that while 40% of family companies survive to the second generation, only 15% make it to the third.

And only a minuscule 1% ever see the fourth generation take up the management reins. These companies fail because family issues take over the business or family members neglect the “renewal” of it.

I have no way of calculating how many plumbing and mechanical contracting firms are family owned, but I’m guessing they are the majority of companies. I base that on the fact of how many familyowned firms are represented at the many industry conventions, meetings and trade shows I attend.

And I’d venture to say that all those organizations have to deal with family issues at some point. They may not be critical issues, but they do need to be addressed.

Family members working together in a company must keep family and business issues separate, Jaffe says, and balance family and business goals. “Set boundaries within the home for talking about the business and create a respectful working relationship when a family member enters the business. This is especially crucial for family members who may not get along.”

Families also must have a realistic view of the financial picture of the firm; it may not be able to support all the family members and their families. I know some family firms had a difficult time during the Great Recession when deciding who to let go to keep it afloat. Family businesses should be not thought of as a life raft for family members who are having difficulty finding or keeping a job.

Another factor to consider is generational value shifts. “Each generation may have different values and expectations about how the business and money is used and managed,” Jaffe explains.

Regardless of how many family members are involved in the company or who is in charge, the primary focus must be to keep it a viable, successful enterprise.

Old arguments from childhood or slights by another family member don’t belong at the company table.

Learning to work together as a team will do much to keep the company around for future generations — for your family, your employees’ families and your customers’ PM families.

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TOW LIKE A PRO. Precision. It’s what makes us Professional Grade. Precision you’ll find in our belief that good is a world away from great. And precision you’ll find in the 2015 GMC Sierra 3500HD Crew Cab, which offers a maximum fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailer weight rating of up to 22,900 lbs.* A meticulously engineered available Duramax 6.6L V-8 Turbo Diesel gets Sierra HD up to speed with 765 lb-ft of torque. And an integrated trailer brake controller works seamlessly with ABS to ensure that stopping is just as precise. When it comes to towing the big loads, the pros know: precision matters.

THE NEW GMC SIERRA DENALI HD. THAT’S PROFESSIONAL GRADE.

*Requires 3500HD Crew Cab Dual Rear Wheel 2WD with available Duramax 6.6L V-8 Turbo Diesel engine. Before you buy a vehicle or use it for trailering, carefully review the trailering section of the Owner’s Manual. The weight of passengers, cargo and options or accessories may reduce the amount you can tow. ©2015 General Motors. All rights reserved. The marks appearing in this ad are the trademarks or service marks of GM, its subsidiaries, affiliates or licensors.