January/February 2010

PM #41536047

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• Alarm contact • Innovative floor or wall-mount configuration provides exceptional access to all components • Factory-installed condensate trap with no moving parts • Spark ignition with dual electrodes using a high-output transformer for unparalleled ignitions • No clearance required on the back, bottom or right side • Three configurable pump outputs

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F E A T U R E S 72 COVER FEATURE What it takes to win Battle of the Blades – on and under the ice Dave Bowden

www.mechanicalbusiness.com

29 Canada’s hydronics publication returns to

whet the appetites of “Wet Heads.” Check out the first WHAT edition of 2010 in this issue of Mechanical Business.

74 HVAC/R The evolving nature of IAQ Michael Dobbs

82 OLYMPICS Reared with refrigerant: The Whistler Sliding Centre Dave Bowden

P E R S O NA L I T I E S 20 HVAC/R Bringing Controls into the 21st Century Gord Cooke

36 HYDRONICS Picking the Point to Place the Pump Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

46 ASK ROGER Surveys, and What to do With Them Roger Grochmal

60 MARKETING

24 SPECIAL INSERT

Refrigerant Management Canada: The Changing Landscape

RIGHT TOOL for the RIGHT CL

the

G

18 PLUMBING The right tool for the job – matching equipment to blockage type Marty Silverman

Do You Have the “Write” Stuff? Doug MacMillan

69 REFRIGERATION Reclaiming Heat From Systems Phil Boudreau

78 PLUMBING Staying Out of Hot Water Roger Uuemae

91 WORLD VIEW Scrapping Inefficiency in the U.K. Jeff Patchell

P R O D U C T S 62 Hydronics 77,84 HVAC/R 80 Plumbing 90 Stuff you need

D E P A R T M E NT S 06 From the editor’s desk 09 News 16 Profile: Ed Seaward 88 The Info Page 89 Calendar 92 By the numbers

On the cover: A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Craig Simpson most recently continued his winning ways when he laced ‘em up for the CBC’s Battle of the Blades. Photo: Insight Productions

FROM Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 CANADA Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com Jan/Feb 2010 Issue Published 6 times per year.

Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com US Sales Manager: David Gerchen (314) 878-3939 david.gerchen@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills, ext. 221 liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Assistant Editor: Dave Bowden, ext. 225 dave.bowden@mechanicalbusiness.com Art Direction: JJM Graphic Ltd. davem@jjmgraphic.com Circulation Manager: Shila Naik (905) 272-4175 shila.naik@mechanicalbusiness.com Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. 222 bruce.meacock@mechanicalbusiness.com PM:41536047 ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print) ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online)

Postmaster – Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to: Mechanical Business, 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2.

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Mechanical Business also reserves the right to edit said submitted materials to suit the editorial needs and mandate of the publication.

Notice: Mechanical Business is published for owners, managers and decision makers with mechanical contracting firms and the sector's supply chain partners in Canada. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Mechanical Business, Content Media Group Inc., its staff, directors, officers and shareholders (‘The Publisher’) assume no liability, obligation or responsibility for advertised claims, for errors and/or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. Manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over published editorial. The publisher reserves the right to publish a printed correction in a subsequent issue for editorial errors, omissions and oversights.

Subscriptions are available for $94.50 in Canada and the U.S. Single copies are $15.00. Outside Canada and the U.S., the rates are $150.00 (annual) and $25.00 (single copy).

Are we out of the woods yet? Well, the jury is still out on that one. But there does seem to be a renewed sense of optimism, which was long overdue, especially considering how well the Canadian marketplace has been poised, both going into the recession, and now, as we cautiously emerge.

Of course, now the real work begins. Looking back at what has transpired over the past year-and-a-half is necessary, and likely beneficial, but we cannot afford to get mired in what has passed. Pick off the best of the lessons learned, dust yourself off, and take a good hard look forward. It is time to figure out where you and your company stand right now, decide where you want to be, and to create a plan or path to get there.

Here at Mechanical Business, we set a goal of being the premier book in the business, and we went about carving our place as a leader in the market in just three short years. But I am reminded of the old adage, “That’s nice, but what have you done for me lately?”

Well, we’ve set a few goals that will help us provide you with even more of what you’ve come to expect from Mechanical Business, so keep an eye on the magazine, your in-box and our website, www.mechanicalbusiness.com, as we roll out our plans throughout 2010.

And to help get your plans for 2010 in motion, we have a special offer that’s limited to the first 1,000 Mechanical Business readers who respond. Canada’s largest mechanicals tradeshow event is coming to Toronto in March, and we want to see you in the aisles. So, we’ve purchased 1,000 entrance fees for you, our readers. To secure your free admission to the show, just visit www.mechanicalbusiness.com, follow the link, and fill out a registration form and use coupon code MBFREE. It’s that easy.

See you at the show!

Adam Freill, Editor

Proud members of:

B u s i n e s s

DESK

So, here we find ourselves at the start of a new year, and what a year to be emerging out of, eh? 2009 will go down as one of the more interesting rollercoaster rides in recorded history, and yet, most everyone has survived.

© Copyright 2010. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher.

M e c h a n i c a l

EDITOR’S

Helping you with your plans

From time to time, Content Media Group Inc. makes subscribers’ names available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to readers. If you would like your name excluded from these mailings, please notify the publisher.

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02.10

News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

B.A. Robinson rebrands

Deschenes Group purchases Mueller Flow Control Montreal-based Deschenes Group Inc. recently announced the purchase of Mueller Flow Control (MFC), a division of Mueller Canada Ltd. that was previously known as ITT Grinnel. Deschenes Group expects the acquisition to increase its presence in Quebec and Ontario, and help the company expand into British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. MFC will continue with its current operational structure and staff, with Kevin Fullan, vice-president and general manager of MFC reporting to Deschenes vice-president of operations Joe Senese.

B.A. Robinson recently rebranded its six wholesale B.C. Plumbing Supplies branches in British Columbia, bringing them under the Robinson banner. While the six branches have maintained the B.C. Plumbing Supplies name since Robinson purchased them in 1994, the company said the rebranding will better align the six British Columbia outlets with its other 12 Western Canada wholesale branches, which already use the B.A. Robinson name. barobinson.com

groupedeschenes.com

AtlasCare teams with charity AtlasCare recently hosted its third annual Comfort Drive, collecting winter apparel in support of Out of the Cold, a Toronto-area program that provides the homeless with meals and shelter.

“We understand how very fortunate we are,” said AtlasCare president and Mechanical Business columnist Roger Grochmal.

“Being able to help those in our community who need it most, especially at this time of year, is the least we can do.”

Two-stage direct expansion CO2-based refrigeration system The Ontario Joint Training and Apprenticeship Committee, in partnership with Cimco Refrigeration and Emerson Technologies’ Copeland Division, recently demonstrated the first Canadian two-stage direct expansion CO2 refrigerant-based refrigeration system. The first stage of the system consists of R-410A and uses a Copeland digital scroll compressor. The second, low temperature stage consists of a sub-critical R-744 (CO 2) system and uses a Copeland CO 2 scroll compressor.

Designed and developed in Canada, the system is meant to serve as an example of how CO 2 can be used as a modern, safe and efficient replacement for existing refrigerants.

In other AtlasCare news, Comfort Zone 21 Degrees recently announced that AtlasCare will take over its residential clients following president Stewart Paterson’s decision to focus exclusively on the commercial HVAC sector. ootc.ca atlascare.ca

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

New Saskatoon training facility The Mechanical Contractors Association of Saskatchewan (MCAS) has partnered with SaskEnergy to develop the SaskEnergy Technical Training Centre in Saskatoon.

The new training facility includes a technical training lab and classrooms, and exposes students to all mechanical equipment used for heating, ventilation and cooling. “A laboratory with innovative technical equipment suitable to all users will help to meet the demographic training challenges our industry faces in Saskatchewan,” said Allan Awrey, president of MCAS, which provided heating & mechanical equipment, mechanical contracting services and consultation during the facility’s development. The facility also features video-conferencing capability, allowing students to hear from speakers and presenters across the country.

New title in NATE preparation series RSES recently announced the release of Air Distribution, the newest title in its Preparing for the NATE Exam series. The series of manuals is designed to help heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians and installers understand the key concepts required to pass the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) examinations. rses.org

mca-sask.com

Decision on HFC phase down delayed

Watts announces name change To better align itself with its parent company, Watts Industries (Canada) Inc. recently changed its name to Watts Water Technologies (Canada) Inc. wattscanada.ca

Parties to the Montreal Protocol decided in early November to delay a decision on including a phasedown of HFCs in the protocol until sometime later this year. In September 2009, Canada, the United States and Mexico proposed bringing HFCs under the protocol and commencing a phase-down in 2013, but that decision will now be deferred until parties to the Montreal Protocol meet again in October 2010. ozone.unep.org

Innovation winners honoured Nine companies won Innovation Awards at the recent AHR Expo in Orlando, Fl. Winning products include: AIC Wireless’ WBT900 Wireless Device in the building automation category; Delphi’s Micro Channel Evaporator for cooling; Danfoss’ Performer VSD in the green building category; the VRV III – C Heat Pump System from Daikin AC (Americas) in the heating category; Samsung Electronics’ SPi Bacteria Eradication Technology in the IAQ category; Mueller Industries Australia’s 3C Condenser in refrigeration; AEC Design Group’s ArtrA O&M in software; LA-CO Industries Inc.’s Cool GelHeat Barrier Spray in tools; and DuraSystems Barriers’ DuraDuct HP Blast Duct System for ventilation. ahrexpo.com

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Prowse joins BIM council Al Prowse, president of H. Griffiths Company Ltd., has been appointed to the Canada Building Information Modelling (BIM) Council Board of Directors. Currently a member of MCAC, he brings more than 20 years experience in the mechanical trades to the council, which provides a self-regulating BIM authority to the architectural, engineering and construction industries. canbim.com

Johnson Controls marks LEED milestone Johnson Controls Inc. recently announced that 500 of its employees in North America achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) professional accreditation. In addition, more than 100 employees achieved LEED Green Associate status, the newest credential for green building professionals that denotes basic knowledge of green design, construction and operations. johnsoncontrols.com

Belimo swings into spring Serge Baribeau, HVAC purchasing manager with Edmonton’s Amre Supply Co. Ltd., left, poses with Belimo regional sales manager Ron Dooley and the golf bag he earned as a winner in Belimo’s Swing Into Spring promotion. belimo.ca

HVI elects officers and directors

Mechanical Business checks out Uponor and Construct Canada Uponor general manager Bill Gray (far right), vice-president of marketing and offerings Joel Culp (last row, centre) and central region sales manager Denis Montour (far left) flank the winning team from the Royal Bank of Canada at Uponor’s sustainable building contest. Using material provided by the company, teams competed to build a self-sustained structure. For the second straight year, RBC took home the grand prize, a $2,500 charitable donation, which Uponor made on the bank’s behalf to the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. The competition took place at Construct Canada, the 21st edition of the country’s largest conference for the building design, construction and renovation industries. This year’s event featured more than 450 speakers, 1,050 exhibits and 23,000 visitors.

The Home Ventilating Institute recently elected a new slate of officers and directors. Peter Grinbergs of Airia Brands Inc. in London, Ont., will now serves as immediate past-chairman, as Jim Boldt of Broan-NuTone, LLC in Hartford, Wis., was elected to a twoyear term as chairman of the board.

Daniel Forest of Venmar Ventilation, Inc. in Drummondville, Que., was elected to a one-year term as director, as was Mario Lavoie of Imperial Air Technologies in Dieppe, N.B. hvi.org

constructcanada.com uponor.com

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Movers and Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Viega names regional reps

Don Park Oshawa relocates Effective March 1, Don Park will move its Oshawa, Ont., facility to a new location, which will include an open-concept showroom, among other changes. “We’re growing and expanding,” said marketing manager Michelle Barta.

“We’ve got deck-level doors that will help with shipping. It’s just a much cleaner, updated layout.”

The new store will be found at 380 Marwood Dr. in Oshawa. Contact number is Tel.: 905-619-6517. donpark.com

Viega recently announced a number of new wholesalers as it continues to launch its ProRadiant and PureFlow lines in Canada. Tom Beggs Agencies will represent the lines in Manitoba, while Wesmech Technical Sales and JF Taylor Enterprises Ltd. will do the same in Ontario and Atlantic Canada, respectively. viega.com

New Goodman location Goodman Canada has opened a new branch in Laval, Que. The new branch can be found at 4313 Autoroute des Laurentide. Contact info is Tel.: 1-877698-1809 and Fax: 450-681-5879. goodmanmfg.com

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Movers and Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Maritime adjustments for Watts lines Hydro Mechanical Sales recently added to its roster of Watts products in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In addition to its current Watts plumbing and heating lines, the sales firm will now provide support for Watts Drainage, Powers Thermostatics, Powers Plumbing Brass (formerly Crane) and Watts Water Quality businesses. Bell & Bell Sales will continue to represent Watts Radiant and WaterPEX brands. wattscanada.ca

Williams expands Gordon R. Williams Corporation has moved to a larger location in Mississauga. “We were growing and needed to serve our customers better,” said accounts manager Chris Pascary.

The new office is located at 3770B Laird Rd., Unit 10, in Mississauga, Ont. Contact numbers are Tel.: 905-820-1400 and Fax: 905-820-1435. williamshvac.com

Zurn names regional distributors Zurn recently announced a number of new regional distributors. Ancamna Sales will represent Zurn products in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; Par Four Plumbing Products will represent the manufacturer in Newfoundland; and Cardinal Sales will represent the company in the Greater Toronto Area zurn.com

Dobbin Sales moves Dobbin Sales Ltd. has expanded, moving from a facility on Wildcat Road in Toronto to a new location in Vaughan, Ont. “We needed a bigger warehouse facility,” says marketing manager Jason Boyd. “Dobbin had been in the same location for 25 to 30 years, so it was time for a change.” The new office can be found at 51 Terecar Dr., Unit 2, in Vaughan. Contact info is Tel: 905-264-5465 and Fax: 905-264-8445. dobbinsales.com

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People in the news www.mechanicalbusiness.com JERRY LEYTE recently joined Uponor as the company’s commercial sales engineer. Leyte’s responsibilities will include conducting training and sales sessions with engineers, architects and contractors.

GRADY TAYLORhas been appointed national sales manager at G.F. Thompson.

He was promoted after 10 months as key account manager and was formerly a national account manager with the company.

MIKE PERONE has joined Goodman Canada as its regional sales manager.

Responsible for all sales activities across Canada, he brings nearly 30 years of industry experience to the position. He is an active member of industry associations, including BILD (the Greater Toronto Home Builders Association) and the Toronto Residential Air Handlers Group.

Wolseley Canada recently appointed RICK ELLIOTT to the position of Southwest regional manager. In addition to 30 years of industry experience, he has been involved in CIPH for more than a decade, previously serving as chair.

Wilo Canada recently promoted FARID BAHIOU to national sales manager, Canadian HVAC products. He first joined Wilo in June 2005 as regional sales manager for Eastern Canada.

WADE PETERSON recently joined Heatlink Group Inc. as vice-president of sales and marketing for North America.

He brings more than 20 years of experience in the radiant heating and plumbing industry to the position.

RICK LITTLE was recently promoted to branch manager of Johnson Controls. Previously serving as controller and senior financial manager, he has been with the company since 1994.

He will be responsible for York’s commercial and residential brands in Ontario, and the Coleman, Luxaire and FraserJohnston brands in Ontario and Manitoba west.

M e c h a n i c a l

InSinkErator has appointed WENDY JOHANNSON to the newly created position of national wholesale sales manager. She brings more than 15 years of experience to the role and will work closely with InSinkErator’s sales agencies to further develop the wholesale, builder and plumbing trade channels of the business.

JOE DRAGO of Bradford White-Canada has been named to the newly created position of sales representative for the Greater Toronto Area.

Since joining the company in 2003, he has served as purchasing manager and sales administrator. His new duties will include sales development within the Toronto region, in addition to sales with utility and rental entities in the Ontario market.

Mechanical Business recently welcomed DAVE BOWDEN to the team as assistant editor. He previously worked as a reporter for The National Post after completing a bachelor’s degree at Queen’s University and journalism school at Centennial College. In addition to attending industry events, his responsibilities will include writing news, product announcements and features. Please help us welcome him to the industry.

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Profile www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Harnessing a Passion for Discovery A man with his ear to the ground looking for new technologies, and how they can be integrated into the energy marketplace, Ed Seaward knows the value of a strong trade show. Perhaps that’s what motivated him to get involved in the CMX/CIPHEX show.

You can catch up with Ed at the show this March. It runs at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from the 25th to the 27th.

Q A Q A

Q A

What brought you to the gas and heating business?

I actually started with an oil and gasoline company, Sterling Fuels, a division of Ultramar. I worked in their gasoline division and then moved into equipment sales in their home comfort division.

How long have you been in the industry?

About 28 years. After three or four years in the HVAC business, I joined the sales department at Union Gas in London in 1986. After Union Gas separated the retail sales, rental and financing business in 1999, I stayed with the utility and became the marketing manager. Last year I took on an entirely different role – a business development role focused more on renewable energy.

What do you enjoy most about the industry?

Two things. First, it is always challenging. The business evolves and keeps you interested and motivated.

Second, with most of my career spent in channel relationships and account management, it is dealing with people.

Q

What brought you to join HRAI, and why did you decide to take an active role in the association?

Q

Why is it important for employers to give their staff time to attend this, and other events like this?

A

Well, Union Gas has been an associate member since the founding of HRAI. For me, HRAI has always been an important partner since most of my roles have had me focused on contractors and manufacturers.

A

Q A

Tell me about your role with the CMX/CIPHEX show.

If there has been one consistent message delivered in today’s changing business world it is that employers need to invest in their employees’ skills and knowledge. In terms of bang for your buck, there is an incredible amount of knowledge available for employees, all under one roof.

Q A

I was asked to join the show committee for the 2004 CMX show.

I really enjoyed becoming involved because it was at that show that we established the Learning Forum which I think is key. I was asked to be the chair for the 2006 CMX/CIPHEX show, a position I continued with in 2008 and now with this show.

How has CMX/CIPHEX expanded over the years?

The fact that this show addresses the entire mechanicals industry in Canada makes the trade floor a complete experience for anyone in the business, no matter how focused or diversified their business is.

Bio Name: Ed Seaward Title: Manager, Market Opportunity Development, Union Gas Ltd. Chair, CMX/CIPHEX Show Age: 53 Born & Raised in: London, Ont. Resides in: Georgetown, Ont. Family: Wife Barb, son Mike Education: University of Western Ontario, Political Science Hobbies: Reading, golf, travel and movies

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FAST FACT •After graduating from university, Ed wrote three or four screenplays –and not one dealt with the energy industry!

the colours of cool

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Learn more about the entire line of Honeywell Genetron® refrigerants at www.honeywell.com/genetron www.410A.com ©2006 Honeywell International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DRAIN CLEANING

b y M ar t y S ilver m an

Y

ou are a professional plumbing contractor. You know that the best tool to clear a clogged kitchen sink is very different than the right tool to clear a main drain. But did you know that even though one tool could be used to clear a sink, bathtub, and toilet, the best tool is different in each case?

RIGHT TOOL for the RIGHT CL

the

And while many contractors use the same drain cleaning tool to clear a line clogged by debris and by grease, they really should be using two different tools. If you are using the same tool for both jobs, read on, and find out why using the best tool for each job will save you time and money.

What type of DRAIN is it?

Sinks, Laundry Tubs, Roof Vents If you are clearing small diameter drain lines (1-1/4” to 3”), you can use machines that use smaller diameter cables. Hand-held models that carry 1/4”, 5/16” or 3/8” cables are best suited for this application, as the small diameter cables are flexible enough to get around the tight bends. And remember, it is easier on the cables if you remove the P-trap under the sink rather than wrestle your way past it with a snake.

To determine the proper drain cleaning tool for your application, you must first locate the source of the problem. If the clog is in a small drain line, like the sink, basin, or laundry tub, then a hand-held machine or small floor model drain cleaner is the appropriate tool to use. If several drains are affected, the blockage is probably in the larger line common to those drains. If this is the case, a larger floor model drain cleaning machine is the right tool for the job.

Drum-Type Cable Application Chart

Matching the Machine to the Task

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CABLE SIZEDRAIN LINE SIZETYPICAL APPLICATIONS 1/4”

1-1/4” to 2”

Small lines, tub, and shower drains

5/16”

1-1/2” to 2”

Sinks, basins, and small drains

3/8”

2” to 3”

Stacks, laundry lines, and small drains

1/2”

3” to 4”

Roof stacks and small floor drains (no roots)

5/8”

3” to 6”

Floor drains, cleanouts, and tree roots

3/4”

4” to 10”

Large drains, long runs, and tree roots

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• Wha t ty p e o f d r a i n i s i t ? • W h at t yp e o f st o p p age is it ?

What type of STOPPAGE is it?

In order to choose the right tool for the job, it is important to know what stoppage you are up against. Both cable machines and high-pressure water jets provide the power needed to clear a stoppage, whether it is grease, sand, ice, or heavy stoppages like tree roots, but sometimes one is preferable to the other.

Tree Roots Cable machines, both drum-type and sectional, are the ideal tools to cut and clear tree roots and other difficult obstructions.Use a larger diameter cable that has the torque to cut tree roots.

Foreign Objects To retrieve objects, rags, children’s toys, broken cables, etc., cable machines are the best tool to use. Begin by choosing the size of your drain line to find the right cable machine for your application. Closet augers work well retrieving diapers from the toilet. In other lines, there are a variety of retrieving tools available to attach to the end of the cable for this purpose.

Toilets and Urinals The best tool for clearing a clogged toilet is the closet auger.

No other tool in your arsenal will go through the bowl as quickly and easily. The spring is flexible enough to get through the tight bends in the bowl. Some come with a down head that helps guide the cable around tight bends in older bowls. Most low-flow bowls are easier to get through with a regular spring head.

Consider a telescoping auger. If you’ve ever had to remove a bowl because the stoppage was just beyond it, you’ll know why. The telescoping augers hide extra cable in the handle.

Bathtubs and Showers The best tool for clearing a clogged or slowdraining tub is a water ram. Tubs often drain through drum traps that are very difficult to get through with a cable. The water ram uses a burst of compressed air to create a shock wave that follows the path of the water and isn’t affected by tight bends and narrow lines. It travels down the line and knocks out the stoppage without harming the pipes.

Grease For restaurants, factories and institutions where grease clogs are a constant problem, water jets are the tool to use. Cable machines can have a hard time clearing soft stoppages. Jets use a stream of high-pressure water that hits the stoppage and flushes it away.

The thrust of the nozzle drives the hose down the line and gives you wall-to-wall cleaning action.

Sand, Mud and Debris Water jets are ideal for clearing sand, mud, and debris choked lines, as well as grease, ice, and other soft stoppages from drain lines. Water jets use a stream of high-pressure water that hits the stoppage and flushes it away.

Debris blockages can range from hair, soap, and scale in smaller lines, to tree roots, clippings and gravel in larger drain lines. Cable drain cleaners are required to clear debris-choked lines.

Two types of machines are available – drum-type and sectional.

Floor Drains, Clean-Outs and Main Lines For clearing 2” to 4” drain lines, but not tree roots, you can use a 3/8” or 1/2” cable. There are many machines available in this range.

Some feature variable speed power cable feeds to make the job faster. Others offer wheels and folding handles to get to and from the job easier. Choose one that has enough cable capacity for most of the jobs you’ll encounter.

Heavy duty machines with large-diameter, durable cables are needed to clear tough stoppages and tree roots. A smaller diameter cable does not have the torque needed to cut through roots. Two types of machines are available - drum-type and sectional. Each has advantages.

Marty Silverman is the vice-president of marketing with General Pipe Cleaners. For more information about drain cleaning equipment, e-mail marty@drainbrain.com.

Coming Next Issue: Marty looks at drain cleaning equipment that can make life easier for drain cleaning pros!

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BRINGING CONTROLS into the21st Century W e recently relocated our

office to a larger space. Much to my surprise the new

location has a high-efficiency gas furnace,

but a traditional mercury-bulb slide-switch thermostat. Not surprisingly, the ’stat was covered with the classic clear plastic lockable cover – a clear indication to me that previous tenants suffered with comfort complaints and tinkering of settings.

Seeing that ’stat piqued my curiosity as to how many offices, and how much commercial HVAC equipment, is still controlled by outdated technology, and what resulting opportunities are available to contractors. If a contractor is able to identify and demonstrate at least a few of the most costeffective applications of control options that are now available to the HVAC industry, well, there’s an opportunity there.

It is time to go back to commercial clients and demonstrate how the comparatively moderate cost of controls, such as new thermostats or CO 2 sensors, offer a great investment that can improve comfort, air quality and overall building performance.

Not only that, but it’s a tremendous opportunity for service work that can be done during slower months, and you can start with your existing roster of clients, targeting small business owners who can appreciate the value of energy savings.

SOLVING THE COMFORT QUANDARY Let’s start with the typical office scenario, occupied 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., leaving the potential for 15 hours of energy saving downtime. I am hoping contractors don’t need to be reminded of how reducing the difference in temperature between outside and inside through setback thermostats reduces the heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer over the unoccupied period.

Don’t allow your clients to be confused by the old argument that the energy needed to warm up the building in the morning negates any savings. This is just not true, since the energy saved during the cooling down period roughly equals the energy needed to reheat. The real savings come from the extended lowertemperature differential during the set-back period (see sidebar, Quick Math).

Let’s also not get distracted or discouraged by previous client experiences with

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the first generation of digital setback thermostats. These could be difficult to read, program and maintain over long periods of time. Leading controls companies like WhiteRodgers and Honeywell have introduced models with great features that overcome previous shortcomings.

For optimal control and comfort, be sure to use the higher-end thermostats that can guarantee an accuracy of +/-10ºF. This level of accuracy, resulting from better sensor Quick Math - Heat transfer and anticipation technology, across a building enclosure eliminates many of the is a direct function of the temperature swings that lead temperature difference to tampering of settings and across the walls, windows comfort complaints, and also and ceiling assemblies. If ensures optimal energy use. the winter temperature is -20ºC and the indoor Managing the comfort setting is at 20ºC during expectations of a wide range of the day but 15ºC at night, occupants in an office can be heat flow throughout the further enhanced by features unoccupied period will be such as adding a second reduced by 5/40 or 12.5%. remote temperature sensor.

Prorated over a 24 hour This allows averaging and/or period would mean a heating energy saving of weighting of temperatures almost 8% over this cold across different spaces. day and even a higher continued on page 22 percentage saving on milder days.

• M a x i m i z e t h e Th er m o st at • Dem an d C o n t r o lled V en tilation

SOLVING THE COMFORT QUANDARY

cont’d

Another great feature, especially for commercial applications, is enhanced lockout selections and adjustable temperature limit ranges that allow occupants some measure of control while maintaining the integrity of pre-programmed set-points.

Demand Controlled Ventilation

This type of security, combined with better, more intuitive, touch-screen displays, offer a much better alternative in this age of increased energy awareness and higher comfort expectations.

Another excellent control opportunity is in existing buildings with high, but variable, occupancy levels, such as schools, offices, fitness clubs and entertainment facilities. In these types of buildings, poorly controlled HVAC systems providing the ventilation rates required for proper air quality control will dominate the total heating and cooling loads.

Ideally, ventilation would be provided through an energy recovery ventilation system.

However, the capital cost and complexity of adding an ERV to an existing building may be

PRACTICING WHAT I PREACH

prohibitive.

A more manageable strategy would be to

In my own office, I went with one of the newest generation commercial thermostats and even in our modest office it promises to return us somewhere from $60 to $75 a year. With an installed cost in the vicinity of $600, that is a quick and easy ROI of 10 to 12 per cent, and any business owner should appreciate that is a great use of money.

apply an occupancy-based sensor control, such as a carbon dioxide control. Carbon dioxide levels are an excellent indicator of ventilation needs for people. The new generation of CO2 sensor technology avoids the need for annual calibration and can provide a stable output signal proportional to carbon dioxide levels detected.

This signal can be linked to variablespeed fan motors, or to damper controls within the fresh air intakes or economizer sections of existing rooftop HVAC equipment. This arrangement would result in a reduction in energy required to reheat or pre-cool fresh air during low occupancy periods, while still allowing for optimal air quality control during peak periods.

MAXIMIZE THE THERMOSTAT The new generation of thermostats offer many enhanced features. Many of them have the ability to control fans, fresh air dampers, compressor run times and other accessories, all from one location. While this may require running additional wires, it does allow for optimization of energy use, indoor air quality control and comfort.

Demand controlled ventilation (DCV) can be applied cost effectively in many applications Gord Cooke is a professional engineer who has spent 20 years helping builders and HVAC contractors implement innovative technologies into high-performance homes. He has particular expertise in IAQ and air flow management in houses, and can be contacted at gcooke@airsolutions.ca.

with the addition of the control and modifications to fan and damper controls.

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Contractors –

Reduce Your Environmental Footprint Today!

How? Support this award-winning program today and help us safely destroy environmentally damaging ODS refrigerants.

To date, we’ve collected and destroyed over 1.6 million kilograms!

What contribution to environmental protection will you make?

Contact your wholesaler or ask RMC for details

Destruction of ODS refrigerants is

easy, and free!

For more information:

www.refrigerantmanagement.ca

and to ensure that the current inventory is safely recaptured and disposed of in an environmentally safe way.

Refrigerant Management Canada (RMC) was created in response to this challenge. Today, thanks to the support of our stakeholders, we are the leading organization of our kind, putting Canada at the forefront of ODS collection and destruction.

a letter from the chair Over the past 25 years, the international community has taken steps to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the amount of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) released into the atmosphere. Under the Montreal Protocol, the production and consumption of ODS including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) will be phased out in industrialized countries over the next three decades. The global environmental movement has had specific implications for the HVACindustry, in which CFCs and HCFCs were (and still are) commonly found in refrigeration and air conditioning applications.

The challenge for Canada is to eliminate the use of CFCs and eventually HCFCs

Established by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) and championed by the Canadian Stationary refrigeration andair conditioning industry, the RMC program has been one of the most successful responses to this global environmental initiative. In 2007, the program received international recognition when it was awarded the Best-of-the-Best Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Our mission, established over a decade ago, continues to be to provide an environmentally responsible program in partnership with government and the Canadian public that: • Manages the environmentally responsible disposal of Canada’s stocks of surplus ODS refrigerants for the Canadian refrigeration and air conditioning industries; • Meets the objective of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to minimize and avoid the ultimate release of these substances to the environment; and • Ensures that all surplus ODS refrigerants will be managed in the most environmentally responsible manner to minimize the depletion of the ozone layer.

Since its inception in 2001, the program’s capacity to collect and destroy ODS refrigerants has steadily increased. To date, the program has safely collected over 1.8 million kg and destroyed more than 1.6 million kg of ODS. These accomplishments are a testament to the dedication of our stakeholders, and our ongoing efforts to continually expand and enhance the program.

Moving forward, we continue to lobby the government to regulate HFCs. This would allow us to levy and accept HFCs into the program and further enhance our ability to protect the ozone layer.

Dennis Larson, Chair

Did you know?

RMC has reduced green house emission gas by 5.1 mega tonnes.

protecting the environment is good business Ozone depletion is a global environmental concern and traditional refrigerants continue to be a cause of this problem. By joining RMC, you’ve become part of the solution.

Your commitment to RMC is also a savvy business decision – helping you grow your enterprise. Business action on environmental issues is growing. Supply chains are being ‘greened’. With a little time and attention your environmental leadership will help you win and retain customers.

Protection against climate change. Global warming is a top-of-mind environmental issue and ozone depleting refrigerants are a contributor.Your involvement in the RMC program, and your environmental value proposition, help protect and repair the global climate.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Sustainability. Many of your endusers will have an interest in environmental protection because of their commitment to either CSRs or sustainability. Your participation in RMC helps them advance their CSR/sustainability agenda.

By participating in the RMC program, you’ll be doing “good” and doing “well” at the same time.

Benefits to human and animal health. The ozone layer protects our world from too much solar radiation. This atmospheric shield absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Without this protection, excess ultraviolet energy reaches us on Earth and can lead to serious problems such as: • Increased rates of skin cancer; • Changes to ecology on land and in our oceans; and • Damage to materials like nylon that are important to us economically and socially.

Your work, through RMC, is reducing these risks.

Ecological and biodiversity benefits. Plant development and physiology are adversely affected by increased UV-B from ozone-depletion that causes direct and indirect damage to the plants. Protection against further ecological damage – and turning back the clock on damage already done – is part of your value proposition.

HOW RMC WORKS Contractors Recover refrigerant from equipment owners in standard recovery cylinders and drums and transport them to wholesalers.

Wholesalers Transport refrigerant to collection service providers where they are stored and bulked in ISO tanks.

Collection service providers Ship refrigerant to disposal service providers where it is safely destroyed.

Did you know?

Environment Canada created the UV Index in May 1992 and it is now used in over 26 countries.

RMC online Refrigerant Management Canada is re-launching its online home this March. The new site has been modernized, with improved navigation and user-friendliness. On the site, you’ll ďŹ nd details about the RMC training program, refrigerant disposal, statistics, facts, ďŹ gures and more. Authorized wholesalers will have exclusive access to detailed RMC statistical reports, media kits and licensing agreements.

Be sure to check out www.refrigerantmanagement.ca, and to add the site to your favourites list on your browser!

Thousands (kg)

Did you know?

To-date, RMC has destroyed 1.6 million kilograms of environmentally damaging refrigerant waste.

Did you know?

RMC has reduced ODS emissions by approximately 700 ODP tonnes, results above and beyond the requirements of the Montreal Protocol.

RMC leading with training

RMC participants

This spring, RMC will launch a training program that is designed to educate wholesaler representatives. The program will provide a solid understanding of RMC and its applicable regulation and guidelines, and aims to have at least two counter personnel at each branch trained in the handling of surplus ODS refrigerants for the program.

Levy contributors The following manufacturer, import, and reclaim companies have made a commitment to the RMC program and remit a levy to RMC on all sales of HCFC refrigerants: – Alltemp Products Ltd. – Arkema Canada Inc. – DuPont Canada – Fielding Chemical Technologies Inc. – Honeywell Genetron – Ineos Fluor Canada – Linde Canada Inc. – Refrigerant Services Inc.

The online training program will be offered to wholesalers free of charge. Upon completion of training (with passing grades, of course), the participating employee will be issued a certificate. This certificate will include the company name and the person’s name.

For details about the program, visit , www.refrigerantmanagement.ca or call RMC at (905) 361-1165.

RMC will further recognize top performers in the training program by entering perfect test scores in a grand prize draw. Be sure to include RMC training in the training plans and programs for your counter staff this year.

Refrigerant Management Canada (RMC) is a not-for-profit corporation established and administered by the leading industry association, the Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), for the purpose of responsible disposal of surplus ozone depleting refrigerants from the stationary refrigeration and air conditioning industry.

RMC collection service providers – Fielding Chemical Technologies Inc. – Linde Canada Inc. – Refrigerant Services Inc.

Did you know?

The RMC program has the endorsement of the Environmental Choice Program – the EcoLogo.

Refrigerant Management Canada 2800 Skymark Avenue Building 1, Suite 201 Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5A6

www.refrigerantmanagement.ca Telephone: (905) 361-1165 or 1-866-622-0209 Fax: (905) 602-1197 e-mail: rmc@hrai.ca

Zero or even below, the Woodford 65/67 series commercial wall hydrants will tolerate any temperatures without freezing. All drain automatically, even with a hose attached. The 67 models include an ASSE Standard 1052 approved backflow preventer connection…and all come with Woodford quality, durability, and the ability to tolerate anything Mother Nature can throw at them.

WOODFORD 65/67 SERIES FREEZELESS WALL HYDRANTS

Model 67 Freezeless Wall Hydrant with backflow prevention The ASSE 1052 approved double check is field testable. Designed to complement modern architecture.

The Model 65 offers the same features with an ASSE 1019 vacuum breaker.

RB67 Round Box Freezeless Wall Hydrant Fits through standard 6" diameter cored hole.

Supplied with a ASSE 1052 approved double check backflow preventer that is field testable. Designed especially for tilt-up wall construction. Also available as the RB65 with ASSE 1019 approved vacuum breaker.

B67 Freezeless Wall Hydrant with double check backflow protection A rectangular version of our RB67, with backflow prevention. Also offered as the B65.

WOODFORD MANUFACTURING COMPANY

2121 Waynoka Road Colorado Springs, CO 80915 800.621.6032 www.woodfordmfg.com

Choose from backflow prevention (67 series) or anti-siphon vacuum breaker (65 series) hose connections.

THE HEART IS BUILT WITH PERFORMANCE IN MIND

Like the heart, the ALPHA™ always delivers the flow that’s required.

Easy-to-use interfaces and a range of unique features make it simple to install and operate.

Unique ALPHA Plug

Large display shows current energy consumption in Watts

Nut capture

A one button, easyto-use interface

Large display shows current flow in gallons per minute

Integrated check-valve

Compact design

Grundfos helps you keep in touch with the future Our new website is also Powered by the Impossible. Here you’ll find all the information, downloads, marketing materials and tips you need. The web site explains energy saving with E-circulators in your applications.

Find out how Grundfos just keeps getting better at: poweredby.grundfos.ca

Visit grundfos.ca/handbook to order a FREE copy of the Grundfos Handbook. Use Promo Code: 47132KL

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C O NT E NT S

F E A T U R E S 38 VARIABLE SPEED CIRCULATION Fixing the Delta T John Vastyan

34 GUEST COLUMN James Derksen

40 QUIZ Test your Hydronics IQ David Hughes

44 SYSTEM DESIGN The Benefits of Pre-built Mike Breault

46 ASK ROGER Surveys, and What to do With Them Roger Grochmal

50 HYDRODYNAMICS Water, Water Everywhere Rod Brandon

52 PIPING Accounting for Expansion Rick Leniuk

Picking the Point to Place the Pump 36 PUMPS

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

In the Zone with Controls 42 CASE STUDY 56 CONTROLS

Allan Black

Adjusting for Efficiency Gary Burger

60 MARKETING Do You Have the “Write” Stuff?

Doug MacMillan

P R O D U C T S 62 Hydronics

D E P A R T M E NT S 32 Welcome 49 Road Warrior: Gary Ball 66 Find the Fix

On the cover: James Derksen’s Winnipeg-based Derksen Plumbing & Heating Ltd. recently installed the mechanical systems, including a million square feet of in-floor heating, at Manitoba Hydro Place, the head office of Manitoba Hydro. Photo: John Woods

Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, Ontario L6J 0B2 CANADA Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com US Sales Manager: David Gerchen (314) 878-3939 david.gerchen@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills, ext. 221 liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Assistant Editor: Dave Bowden, ext. 225 dave.bowden@mechanicalbusiness.com Art Direction: JJM Graphic Ltd. davem@jjmgraphic.com Circulation Manager: Shila Naik (905) 272-4175 shila.naik@mechanicalbusiness.com Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. 222 bruce.meacock@mechanicalbusiness.com

PM:41536047 ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print) ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online)

.

Notice: Mechanical Business is published for owners, managers and decision makers with mechanical contracting firms and the sector's supply chain partners in Canada. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Mechanical Business, Content Media Group Inc., its staff, directors, officers and shareholders (‘The Publisher’) assume no liability, obligation or responsibility for advertised claims, for errors and/or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. Manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over published editorial. The publisher reserves the right to publish a printed correction in a subsequent issue for editorial errors, omissions and oversights.

FROM

THE

EDITOR’S

Green Carrots and Other Incentives With many of the incentives that have been driving home improvements scheduled to come to an end in the not-so-distant future, it is more important than ever to ensure that your company is well prepared to handle selling without the carrot of incentive money to dangle in front of your customers.

So what carrots are there to dangle?

Well, there’s the obvious incentive of comfort. Ensuring that your staff has the training and the resources to deliver top-notch systems that are easy to operate is a great first step. Comfort sells, as does convenience. And comfort and convenience sell at any price, not just the bottom rung.

What about Green Carrots? The environment is still top-of-mind for many Canadians, and there are tons of hydronic products that reduce energy use without sacrificing performance. Tell that tale to your customers.

And if you need to learn about these, and the many other carrots in the bunch, why not schedule a trip to downtown Toronto at the end of March for the CMX/CIPHEX show? Mechanical Business is providing free entry to the first 1,000 readers who visit our website (www.mechanicalbusiness.com). Follow the link to the CMX/CIPHEX registration page, just remember to use pass code MBFREE. See you at the show!

© Copyright 2010. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher.

Adam Freill, Editor

No one word fully captures the essence of a radiator by Runtal. After all, how do you say meticulous welds, precision engineering, energy-efficient or easy-to-install in just one word? Simply put, you can’t. And while that’s a stuggle we’ve had for over 50 years since we invented panel radiators, it’s a struggle we’re proud of.

You can rely on Runtal for inspired vision, in-stock standards and engineered solutions. Specify and install Runtal radiators today.

1-888-829-4901 www.runtalradiators.com

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The Emerson logo is a trademark and service mark of Emerson Electric Co. 2010 White-Rodgers. White-Rodgers is a division of Emerson Electric Co. All Rights Reserved.

Think solid. We did.

Hydronic Zone Valves for the Professional Mechanical Contractor.

In this business, reputation is everything. That’s why choosing the right zone valve shouldn’t be taken lightly.

White-Rodgers is introducing a redesigned series of hydronic zone valves that will exceed your expectations for solid construction, durability and ease of installation.

Whether it’s the Z-Series, Z-Series E-Z Top, or the 1300 Series 2-wire and 3-wire for zoning systems up to 50 PSI, White-Rodgers has the right zone valve for the right application.

White-Rodgers invites you to take a good look at how this zone valve series is designed. Contact your White-Rodgers Sales Representative for full specifications or email WRSales.Canada@Emerson.com

Photo: John Woods

Make an investment in training I

am a strong believer in training, and that is why Derksen Plumbing & Heating is a strong supporter of training organizations like the Canadian Mechanical Contracting Education Foundation, and I personally make sure that training and education is one of the goals in all of my employees’ performance appraisals.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to convince an employee that he or she needs more training.

Everyone thinks they know the best way of doing things, and though their methods may work, they are not always the ways that are recommended, or the ways that the company ownership wishes its employees to conduct business. When things are perceived to work, it can be very difficult to see the benefit of a training course. Rest assured though, an employee who wants to be trained, and who is open to training, is an invaluable asset to your team.

Beyond reluctance, the other barrier to training that is often brought up is the cost.

Tip: A lot of courses have train-the-trainer programs, which allow a company to send one person who will be trained so that they can train a multitude of employees for years to come.

The financial output for most courses is not usually an issue. Where the cost discussion comes into play is the cost associated with time. Does the business owner expect his employee to go and do this training on their own time?

And does the employee feel that he or she should be paid while in training?

Often this is based on views of whether the training benefits the employer or employee. In reality, it is benefiting both parties.

The employer gets a better trained and knowledgeable person who can make them more money, and the employee receives training that will improve their worth (both personal and financial) in the workplace. Both parties come out ahead, so I cannot understand why an agreement on making time for training can be so difficult to establish.

One other excuse made by some is that they cannot find the training. I find that hard to believe. With all the courses that our mechanical associations put on, along with all the manufacturers, and the construction associations, and the local colleges, and the unions, and online training, how can anyone say they cannot find a course that will help them or their business?

James Derksen is the manager of Derksen Plumbing & Heating (1984) Ltd. in Winnipeg.

His company recently installed the mechanical systems, including a million square feet of in-floor heating, at Manitoba Hydro Place, the head office of Manitoba Hydro. Watch for a profile of that project in an upcoming edition of Mechanical Business.

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So check out your local chapters, ask your associations about their training facilities, talk to manufacturers and wholesalers at trade shows – if you ask, some manufacturers will even pay some of the costs associated with attending one of their training sessions.

In the end, training should never be looked at as a cost. It’s a revenue-generating proposition that can only help your company and your employees become even better than they already are.

GREAT NEWS

IF YOU’RE REPLACING A PUMP. YOU DON’T HAVE TO.

System Design Peter Piper picked a peck of pickling peppers; but how about...

Picking the Point to Place the Pump

Selecting the ideal location for the circulators on today’s modern hydronic systems takes some careful thought. Consider how our heat generators, or boilers have changed over the years. Notice also how the distribution LOOKING BACK systems have changed.

Circulator pumps have allowed designers to create more comfort options, such as zoning. By designing around a forced flow, it became possible to install multiple zones regulated by small electric zone valves.

HIGHER TEMPS, SMALLER RADS

Early circulator pumps were designed with a flat pump curve to match well with multi-zoned hot water baseboard systems, for example. The flat curve circulator was designed to minimize the differential pressure in the system as various zone valves opened and closed.

As I understand it, the early pump seals were not dependable at the high operating temperatures the systems were designed to operate around. Installers looking to cut costs discovered that higher operating temperatures allowed them to use less footage of emitters and smaller tube sizes. Locating the circulator on the return side would allow the pump to operate in a cooler fluid stream.

In the early days of hydronic systems, engineers designed systems to circulate via gravity.

Careful planning and large diameter piping was required to ensure these systems operated properly. Somewhere in the 1940s, circulator pumps started finding their way into hydronic systems. As the circulator pump was developed, piping systems changed to accommodate the pumped flows.

The boilers common back in the early hydronic days were fairly wide-open vessels with little pressure drop. When circulators first started showing up in designs and in actual installations, they were often installed on the return side of the boiler.

Boiler manufacturers themselves positioned the pumps on the return side when they assembled “packaged” boilers. Packaged boilers were shipped with the circulator mounted, along with some of the other components. These boilers were crated with the insulation, jacketing and some of the trim components factoryinstalled. This was a step towards the plug-and-play systems we now see in the hydronic and solar industry. Today we see this concept in pre-plumbed and prewired pump and mixing stations, for example.

Gil Carlson was the director of technical services with Bell and Gossett, and was one of the first to realize the problems that were occurring with pumps on the return side under certain conditions.

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr has been a plumbing, radiant heat and solar contractor and installer for 30 years.

A long-time RPA member and columnist, he is manager of training and education with Caleffi North America. You can reach Hot Rod at bob.rohr@caleffi.com.

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He determined that when the pump was placed on the return, specifically pumping towards the expansion tank, system problems would arise.

The pump could pull the system below atmospheric pressure and actually pull air into the system through auto air vents. Gil and many of his protégés, including my gaggle of mentors, continued to teach the benefits of pumping away from the

by Bob ‘Hot Rod’ Rohr

expansion tank, and on the supply side of the boiler (or heat source).

I was a fool for improper pump placement for a period – I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Until I met with a distinguished group of gurus who became my mentors, my hydronic horizons were limited. Information was hard to come by in the ’60s and ’70s when I started doing hydronics for a living. Without a coveted invite to the hallowed halls of the Little Red Schoolhouse, you were on your own to ferret out new or best piping methods. Boy has that changed with the world wide web! But too much information can confuse the knowledge seeker, too. Which “best practice” really is…best?

A game changer in the hydronics business was the introduction of radiant floor heat. The early systems on the market used a small diameter rubber or EPDM tube. These small diameter tube systems required high head circulators to overcome the pressure drop and allow long circuit lengths.

The use of a high-head circulator, improperly placed in relationship to the expansion tank, would really show air, noise and purge issues. In those systems we had the double whammy – the tube was allowing oxygen ingress due to the lack of an adequate oxygen barrier, and then you had the potential for those high-head circs to pull air into the system through the auto air vents if the pumpto-expansion tank relationship was incorrect.

DID YOU KNOW The circulator pumps we use on today’s systems are considered centrifugal pumps. They cause the fluid in the system to move by creating a pressure difference between the suction and discharge side of the pump. Designers and installers learned the finer points of locating a circulator and all was fine.

MY READING ROOM Do you have a copy of Pumping Away, by Dan Holohan (one of my mentors)?

Mine is dog-eared from frequent reference. Dan uses great metaphors – ferris wheels, soda bottles! – to make basic hydronic concepts easy to understand.

Needless to say these systems suffered serious corrosion issues, often within the first few years of operation.

ENTER THE MOD/CON About 10 years ago, mod/con boilers started appearing on the market. Many, but not all, have small diameter tube heat exchangers. In a way, we took that high pressure drop tubing out of the equation and put the same challenge inside the boiler!

So now we are back to the high head circulator requirement and precautions required to keep it happy and healthy.

It is important that adequate pressure be maintained on these heat exchangers to keep them from flashing to steam. The circulator choice is critical to provide adequate flow through the “tight” heat exchangers.

Manufacturers of these boilers suggested installing the circulator on the return side, pumping towards the boiler so the heat exchanger would see that pressure increase when the pump started.

Now we have a quandary in the industry. For the past 50 years or so we have been realizing the benefits of pumping away from the

boiler, and now the plan has changed again, but only in some cases.

The installer needs to base his pump location decision on the type of equipment and the manufacturer’s recommended location. Most of the boiler installation and piping manuals are quite clear on the need to use primary secondary piping, or a hydro separator, and determining the correct circulator for the application is a must.

Many of the tube type heat exchanger boilers require, or ship with, a high-head circulator to ensure they get sufficient flow. But the distribution side of the system may be able to operate just fine with a lower head circulator.

The important point is that the installer needs to learn the dynamics of forced-circulation hydronics. By determining where – and why – the circulator is mounted in the piping it becomes possible to design quiet, trouble-free, long-lasting hydronic systems.

Pick the ‘propriate pump and place it properly…for pleasantly perfect performance!

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Variable Speed Circulation

䉭

Fixing the THE UNIVERSAL HYDRONICS FORMULA

Delta T

GPM= BTUH ΔT x 500 The purpose of a variable speed circulator is to automatically adjust its speed based on heating load demands, or how many BTUs are needed in a structure. To understand how it does that we use the universal hydronics formula, which states that GPM is equal to BTUH divided by delta T multiplied by 500.

Let's define the terms.

GPM (gallons per minute) - That's the flow rate needed to deliver the required amount of BTUs. BTUH or BTUs per hour - That is the required amount of heat for a house, or zone, at any given point in time.

Delta T (ΔT) - The designed temperature drop across the piping circuit. In a baseboard zone, the design ΔT is usually best at 20 degrees. In most residential radiant floor heating systems however, the design ΔT is usually about 10 degrees.

500 - That's a shortcut that represents the weight of one gallon of water (8.33 pounds) multiplied by 60 minutes in an hour, again multiplied by a specific heat characteristic of the fluid, which is “1” for 100 per cent water.

The topic of variable speed hydronic circulation has been something of a mystery for me, but I’ve come to learn a lot more about the technology lately, and I’ve asked hydronics pro Sean Giberson and professional contractor Ron Robinson (above) of AtlasCare (www.atlascares.ca) to help explain when it’s best to apply the technology, where you'd use it, and what the key benefits are.

Our 3-Zone Sample Project “Let’s say we have a house with a heat loss of 75,000 BTUH with an outdoor design temp of 0°F,” says Giberson. “We need three zones of fin-tube baseboard, and each zone has a 25,000 BTUH heating level.

Each zone will be designed to a 20-degree ΔT.” Plugging the numbers into the formula, GPM = 75,000 ÷ [20 x 500], this equals a flow rate of 7.5 gallons per minute. “So each zone has a heating load of 25,000 BTUH,” explains Giberson. “If we plug this information into our formula, we would divide the load, 25,000, by 20 times 500 [25,000/20 x 500], for a flow rate per zone of 2.5 gallons per minute.”

Knowing this, Giberson can size the pipe. Our pipe sizing is based on minimum flow velocity of two feet per second (FPS) and a maximum of four FPS. If the maximum of four FPS is exceeded, flow velocity noise will occur.

“This hydronic recipe calls for one-inch pipe and 7.5 gallons per minute,” says Robinson, hydronics comfort advisor for Oakville, Ont.-based AtlasCare, and an admitted hydronics junkie. “At the header, I’d branch off into 3/4" lines for each baseboard zone.”

Next up, says Giberson, is to estimate the head loss of the piping system so that circulator(s) can be selected. To do this, measure the longest zone from the discharge side of the circulator all the way around

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the system, through the boiler, and back to the suction side of the circ. For arguments sake, let's just say that for this application the longest run is going to be 150 feet of pipe, including the baseboard element.

To estimate head loss, says Robinson, we take the length of the longest run (150 feet) and multiply it by 1.5. This will allow for the additional pressure drop through the fittings, the valves and all the other stuff that gets in the way. This totals an equivalent length of 225 feet. To figure out the head loss, he multiplies that number by 0.04, to account for four feet of head loss per 100 feet of straight, properly-sized pipe, based on the maximum flow velocity of four feet per second.

“So,” says Giberson, “the circulator must be sized to provide 7.5 GPM while overcoming a head loss of nine feet.”

Listening to the System Curve

THE PERFECT HYDRONIC STORM: DROPPING DELTA Ts Another concern is pressure differential within the system.

As zone valves close, the system curve intersects the pump curve at higher and higher pressure differentials. This greater pressure differential can cause higher flow velocities within the system, and that can quickly lead to velocity noise.

It’s the perfect hydronic storm: With a fixed-speed circulator it’s easy to have poor heat transfer and inefficient, noisy operation all at once.

One way to deal with the noise would be to install a pressure differential bypass valve, which prevents flow when all of the heating zones are calling. A better solution for noise, however, would be to use a mid-flow, low head, flat-curve circulator. But if the job has higher head requirements than that type of pump can deliver, a variable speed pump may be the solution.

According to Giberson, we already know how to locate two points on the system curve. At 7.5 GPM we have a head loss of nine feet and, for clarity, at 0 GPM we have a head loss of 0 feet of head.

“Using a formula, we can calculate other head-loss points at other flow rates, and then plot them on the pump curve graph against a pump performance curve,” he says. “Once we do that, we can see that the actual operating point of the system will be where the system curve intersects a pump curve.”

In our sample system, with all of the zones calling, we know that ΔT = 75,000 ÷ 9 ÷ 500. “So, we find that the actual system delta T at this point may be closer to 16 degrees, not the 20 we designed for,” says Giberson. That may not sound like much, but it does equate to about a 20 per cent difference. With two zones calling, the delta T drops to about 15 degrees (a 25 per cent difference), and with only one zone calling, the delta T drops again to 12 degrees, or a whopping 40 per cent difference.

But the system only requires 7.5 GPM when all zones are calling, and only when it's zero degrees outside.

This works for the system design day, but what about on an average day?

“The building will need fewer BTUs when the zone valves begin to close,” explains Robinson. “If just two zones are calling, we drop to 50,000 BTUs. If only one zone calls, we’re down to a need for only 25,000 BTUs – meaning progressively higher flow than we want or need.”

“Solve the dilemma of dropping delta Ts by using a fixed ΔT, variable-speed circ,” says Giberson.

Looking back at the universal hydronics formula, we know that if we fix the ΔT at 20, and divided the total load of 75,000 by 20 times 500 or 10,000, we find that the flow rate has to be 7.5 GPM. With two zones calling, a load of 50,000 BTUs, and a fixed 20-degree ΔT, we find that the flow rate has to be five gallons per minute. And with one zone calling, the flow rate has to be 2.5 GPM.

Through experience, many of you know this soon translates to boiler short-cycling, possibly even in the dead of winter – and this will substantially impact overall system efficiency.

John Vastyan is president of Common Ground, Uncommon Communications, LLC. He works with companies like Taco and specializes in communications for the hydronics, radiant heat, geothermal, plumbing and HVAC industries.

He can be reached at cground@ptd.net.

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With a fixed ΔT, flow will vary automatically to the zones. In a variable speed circulator, the ΔT control is built in.

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Test Your Hydronics IQ When the world’s best compete in Vancouver and Whistler this month, it will not only represent a convergence of top international talent, but also the culmination of a five-year push by the Canadian Olympic Committee to “Own the Podium” in 2010.

Thousands of hours and millions of dollars have been invested with a singular goal: dominance on home turf.

Not to be out done, we here at Mechanical Business insist on helping Canada’s contractors achieve their best. Refine your knowledge with this simple hydronics test, and who knows? Maybe you’ll ace it and take home the gold. The answers can be found on page 64.

Do you believe?

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS 1. If no clips other than transfer plates were used on a staple-up installation of PEX-AL-PEX, what would the maximum space between the plates have to be to correctly support the tube?

A.44" B.40" C.36" D.32"

A. Pressure reducing valve B. Pressure relief valve C.Pressure by-pass valve D.Pressure injection valve 7. Which of the following terms best describes galvanic corrosion?

A. A reaction between oxygen and iron B. A reaction between copper and iron C. A reaction between bacteria and iron D. A reaction between water and iron 8.The purpose of an end switch is best described by which one of the following?

A.Operate the thermostat B.Send a signal to another device C.Opens the valve D.Closes the valve

2. What feature is different between a compression tank and diaphragm tank?

A.Diaphragm tanks are installed at the highest point in the system B.Compression tanks do not have a barrier between the air and water C.Diaphragm tanks do not have a barrier between the air and water D.Compression tanks are installed anywhere in the system 3. What unit is used to measure resistance?

A.Ampere B.Volt C.Ohm D.G.P.M. 4. With a flow rate of 9.6 U.S. g.p.m. and a delta T of 20°, how many BTU's will be transferred?

A.96,000 BTUH B.94,000 BTUH C.92,000 BTUH D.98,000 BTUH 5. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a low-mass boiler?

A.High velocities in the heat exchanger B.Quick recovery rate C.May be compatible with domestic hot water D.Little or no pressure drop across the heat exchanger

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6. What are the three methods of moving heat?

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9. Calculate the resistance in a circuit if the voltage is 24 volts and the current flow is two amps.

A.24 Ohms B.12 Ohms C.6 Ohms D.0.0833 Ohms 10.Which statement below best describes the difference between a "dry" and "wet" type circulator?

A.The "dry" type circulator features a lubrication-free pump and motor B.The "wet" type circulator utilizes an oil bath for lubrication C.The "wet" type circulator utilizes a mechanical coupler D.The "wet" type circulator allows the flow of water between the rotor and stator So, how did you do?

0 to 4 correct: Looks like it’s back to the qualifying rounds.

5 to 6correct: Bronze medal – Good effort.

7 to 8 correct:Silver medal – Hit those books a little harder and you’ll be top tech in no time.

9 or more:Gold medal – Way to own that podium!

With thanks to Dave Hughes, chair of the Plumber and Gasfitter Programs at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. www.nait.ca

Circle These Dates

March 25, 26 & 27, 2010

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Be Part of Three Days of Industry Action That Set the Pace For Your Business.

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Save 50%! Register Now! www.cmxciphexshow.com Easy Online Registration www.cmxciphexshow.com or Register by Fax or Mail Below Visitor Registration $10 in Advance, $20 At the Door. Deadline For Advance Registration: March 18 @ 6:00 p.m.

One Lucky Show Visitor Will Win a Contractor-Ready New 2010 Nissan Titan Decked Out and Ready to Go!

What Best Describes Your Company's Business?

Choose One Only ( ) Contractor ( ) Architect ( ) Building/Construction ( ) Building Management ( ) Consulting ( ) Consulting Engineering ( ) Manufacturer/Manufacturer's Agent ( ) Service/Maintenance ( ) Home Builder ( ) Government ( ) Wholesaler ( ) Other (specify) _______________________

Which Best Describes Your Job Function?

Choose One Only ( ) Owner/Partner

( ) General Manager ( ) Project Manager ( ) Service/ Maintenance Manager ( ) Service Technician ( ) Apprentice Plumber, Gas Fitter, Electrician ( ) Purchasing ( ) Sales/Marketing ( ) Other (specify) _____________________

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CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF PLUMBING & HEATING

Case Study

In the Zone with Controls Project: The Bayview Project Goal:

The owners of this exclusive 16,000 sq. ft. home wanted a control system that was seamless and invisible. They wanted access to temperature only. The maintenance contractor would access all other parameters.

Additional Considerations:

The contractor wanted a system that didn’t depend on proprietary software. The preference was for a controls interface that could be intuitively programmed without having to pay others for updates or service calls.

The Controls Challenge: • • • • • • • • • •

Enable 28 in-floor heating zones; Enable three boilers with I/O reset, DHW and five snowmelt zones; Modulate and I/O reset three three-way secondary mixing valves; Enable three heat/cool fan coils and a high velocity system; Enable four chillers; Manage heating for two swimming pools and a hot tub; Enable a dehumidifier for an indoor pool; Enable two commercial kitchen exhausters, plus air make-up; Set the system up with internet access for the homeowner; and Do it all without placing thermostats everywhere.

The Home and Systems This large home is located in an upscale area of Toronto. It features 25 rooms with in-floor heating, on three levels. It houses oversized living and entertaining areas, atriums, bedrooms, guestrooms, and a pair of kitchens. The radiant floor heating operates year-round for winter heating, and during the summer to avoid condensation from forming on the polished stone flooring. Because they have commercial range hoods, both kitchens use hydronically-heated and cooled makeup air.

Several of the larger bedrooms, the main entertaining areas, and the library include gas-burning fireplaces, and there is a large theater with in-floor heating in the lower level. Indoors, there is a sauna/spa with a swimming pool tempered by a dehumidifier/heating system, and there is another full-sized pool outdoors.

SYSTEM SAFEGUARDS Even if connection to the command touch screen is lost, the control modules will continue to operate in the occupied mode until connection is re-established. In the event of a power failure, all settings are stored in the controller’s memory. Once power is re-established, everything is automatically up and running.

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Built in is a six-car garage equipped with two hydronic unit heaters. Five of the outdoor walkways, patios, and driveways are outfitted with snowmelt.

To support all of this, there are two mechanical rooms in the basement. One contains three boilers, a domestic hot water tank, a cooling storage tank fed by four chillers, an HRV, a four-way 0 2.10

by Allan Black electronic mixing valve for the in-floor zones, and all the requisite piping and pumps.

Allan Black is president of Comfort Control Solutions Inc. He can be reached at allan.black@sympatico.ca.

The second mechanical room houses three of four heat/cool fan coil systems (a fourth highvelocity system is in the attic), a steam humidifier, another HRV, various zone pumps, more piping, and two more electronic four-way mixing valves (one for snowmelt and another for the remaining in-floor zones).

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER Noble Trade Plumbing and Heating Wholesale asked Comfort Control Solutions Inc. (CCSi) to supply a system, and to commission the job by teaming up with Network Mechanical to make it work.

Figuring out a control strategy to integrate all of the mechanical equipment and still meet the goals of all parties presented real challenges for CCSi, who turned to iWorX controls (iWorX was recently purchased by Taco Electronic Solutions Inc.).

The three boilers supply heat for all of the mechanical systems, including both swimming pools. The boilers came equipped with reset

and rotation controls which were integrated through iWorX for enabling and monitoring. It was the same strategy for the chillers.

All of the in-floor, snowmelt, garage and pools in the system are treated as individual heating zones. All sensors are brought back to the inputs of the electronic controller network modules. The outputs of the network modules are connected to the inputs of the zone panels.

The outputs of the zone panels are terminated at the various thermal zone actuators on manifolds, along with all pumps.

The entire iWorX control network is monitored over two wires, which route back to a central touch screen. The touch screen uses Windows software to handle nearly every kind of HVAC, hydronic and lighting load.

Electronic zone modules, fan coil modules, and mixing modules are combined into a Lonworks network. Entries for each zone or piece of equipment, along with occupancy schedules, are much the same as programming a thermostat (except all inputs are now at one location).

The touch screen houses a built-in modem, and a router connects it to the internet, allowing the owners, installer and maintenance contractor to access, monitor, change settings and receive alerts using their browser.

Communicating Control Solutions

Simple, Cost Effective Solution for Single Boiler Radiant Systems

House Controls 400-402 • Energy saving control of four zones, one on-off or modulating boiler & DHW • Pre-programmed for common applications

Easy to install & even easier to use, House Control Systems provide a superior level of comfort, convenience & effi ciency for residential installations.

Thermostats 527-530 • Outdoor temperature display • Heat, heat /cool, floor warming • Easy temperature adjustment • Ideal for 2-wire retrofits

Condensing Boiler? House Controls calculate the lowest functional water temperature for your system, ensuring more effi cient boiler operation.

For more information, contact your local tekmar representative or download the P523 & P531 brochures from tekmarcontrols.com

Wiring Centers 313-314 • Flexible zone expansion • Four pumps or zone valves • Compact enclosure for remote manifold locations

User Switch 479 • Set back temperatures throughout the system at the touch of a button

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System Design

The Benefitsof Pre-Built I

n this day and age, people are looking for the best bang for the buck. Whether you are the one buying an item or service, or the one providing it, we all want to maximize our return on investment.

For a purchaser making a major investment in a hydronic heating system, I would suspect that he or she would want a quiet, efficient system, professionally installed as quickly and neatly as possible.

As an installer, well, we all want to be in and out as fast as possible.

Less time installing means more jobs can be done, and if we quote eight hours for an installation, and can do it in four, then we still make the same profit. But we can do two jobs a day, literally doubling the profits.

Let’s face it, times have changed. Most residential systems in the past were simple one-zone, one-temperature baseboard loops with bangon, bang-off non-programmable thermostats. Zoning, computer-operated building management systems and multiple temperatures were strictly commercial/industrial projects.

Not so today. Technology has drastically altered the landscape of the residential heating market. A friend of mine was demonstrating to me how he could operate any light, or plug, as well as his heating and cooling system, all from his iPhone. With a touch, he can open the “House App” and turn the lights on, change the temperature, and even close the garage door if he forgot. (He receives a text that tells him if he left it open.)

The information age, microelectronics and wireless technologies have changed what customers want.

What was once a commercial high-end system is now in reach of your everyday residential application. As such, homes with multiple zones, temperatures and integrated building management systems are becoming the norm, rather than the exception.

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Let’s not forget the expectations of the purchaser.

They want a clean, neat, professional-looking installation – and by professional, I don’t mean you simply hold a license. The work cannot look like a science experiment, and “neat” means more than not leaving a mess on the floor.

The boiler room should be a showroom for you. It is (another) opportunity to show that you are a true professional, and that you take pride in your work.

A clean, neat-looking installation can get you referrals, so a good reputation will prove priceless. If you make the mechanicals look like a first-year apprentice was practicing their soldering skills, you will find yourself hard-pressed to stay in business.

An installation that looks professional instills a feeling of value to the customer. They will see your level of care and pride and feel like they got what they paid for. Good grief, even my wife will complain if a repair I do doesn’t look good and neat, and she is getting that for free! (Well, almost…)

Enter the world of hydronic panels.

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PRE-MANUFACTURED TO THE RESCUE! TIME IS MONEY

The design and installation of the newest generation of multiple-temperature, multiple-zone systems can be intimidating.

Pre-manufactured boiler stations and hydronic panels address these needs very nicely, and depending on your expertise, you can have them made to be as simple or as complete as you desire.

Most contractors base their estimates on time and materials for installation, and usually the time is based on experience, but how do they account for the unexpected?

Hate wiring? You can order a three-zone, three-temperature system with motorized mixing valves, all sensors and wiring connected. All that is left to do is hang it on the wall and connect it to the system.

Voila, instant boiler room!

With pre-assembled systems, you can save man-hours in the installation, allowing your team to go and do more jobs. You also get a thoroughly professional looking boiler room or distribution panel. This includes clean solder joints, neatly strapped wiring, leak-free joints, all on a painted, and/or finished surface and based on solid hydronic engineering. It’s like having a multi-million dollar company as your sub.

You know how it happens, you fill the system and suddenly that one joint drips – and it is usually the worst one to get at. There goes some profit. (Murphy is the apprentice of the day.)

And if you didn’t spend that 40 or 50 bucks in extra isolation valves, well, you may have to drain the whole system.

There’s a bit more profit leaking out.

Time is money, and when you start running into problems you can watch your money flying out the window. Pre-assembled panels can help here too.

Multiple tees, pump flanges, isolation valves, check valves, drain cocks, purge valves, etc., all have joints that can leak.

It is likely that the system has well over a dozen solder joints per circuit. Three circuits and you are looking at over 36 potential leaks.

Pre-assembled panels have all the proper piping and are pressure tested to ensure a leak-free installation. They are built to have all the isolation valves you could want for future service work, and best of all, they have a manufacturer’s guarantee.

OH WHAT A FEELING Pre-built boiler stations and hydronic panels are simply an extension of other items that have become “pre-assembled” over the years.

Think about it: at one time, boilers were assembled on site. So were manifold assemblies. Now we buy these items pre-assembled.

There may still be some wiring to do, but it is usually plug and play, and in a pinch, you can usually call a technical support hotline to walk you through the rough spots.

Why? Because it allows you to have a neat, professional installation and save time.

Remember, the client is not interested in the pieces, how-to’s, and what-for’s.

All they want is the hydronic heating system they have heard or read about – you know, the one that will exceed their expectations of comfort. They want neat, clean and professional, sure, but most of all, they want to feel the comfort, and to know they are “getting what they paid for.”

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Michael Breault is the product manager for the Radiant and Hydronic Specialties Division of Watts Water Technologies (Canada) Inc. He can be reached at mbreault@wattscanada.ca.

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with Roger Grochmal

Surveys, and what to do with them Do customer surveys really generate useful information or simply provide a platform for complaints?

Mark S., Regina, Sask.

Arnold T., Montreal, Que.

The most important thing we do in our business is talk to our customers. It is the only way I know of that allows me to determine if we are staying “on brand.” Since the definition of a brand is what customers think of you, it’s important to know their thoughts and perceptions.

It all begins with me, the owner.

I’m not as close to the day-to-day action as I once was. So I invite our customers to phone, write or e-mail to tell me what they think of us in every customer communication. Sometimes they have a bone to pick about the way a particular individual treated them, but more often than not they just don’t like the way we handled their particular situation. Not all feedback is bad. In fact, most of it is positive. In either event, you need to have a process for capturing the information. We collect both complaints and kudos, and post both on bulletin boards so everyone in the company can see how we are doing in the eyes of our customers.

Start the Conversation Survey customers to get the conversation started. For large transactions, we ask every customer to give us feedback. For our high-volume service transactions we take a sample every month.

Surveys tend to get responses from those who have had a really good or a really bad experience. Make sure to sample enough customers to get an accurate measure of how you are doing.

The 3 purposes of survey analysis Sometimes I feel we only survey our customers so we can say we’re listening but don’t really have an idea of what’s next. What do you do with the information you gather?

Tom C., Burnaby, B.C.

We use our survey information to do three things: •Firstly, we want to recognize the staff members whose work generates praise.

•Secondly, we look for ways to improve our processes.

•Lastly, we tailor training for our staff based on customer feedback.

We report on each division of our business every month with a customer satisfaction score. Our managers go over the surveys with a fine-toothed comb to extract every bit of useful information, and we adjust our services accordingly.

A recent example concerned our duct cleaning operation. We were getting complaints from customers that we were leaving dirt around vents after the ducts were cleaned. We outfitted our trucks with portable vacuum cleaners and now have our employees vacuum the house after the job is complete. It has added 15 minutes to a duct cleaning, but our customer satisfaction scores went from 80 per cent to 95 per cent. This now allows us to provide a service that clearly has more value added.

It’s important to understand that when a customer complains, it’s rarely intended to be a personal attack. The real message is that they don’t want to go looking for another service provider, but just want you to address their problem in a way that makes you a better company – and makes them happy! Customers don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Once you have shown them you care, that customer has the potential to become a customer for life.

Roger Grochmal is the president of AtlasCare in Oakville, Ont. To submit a question about your company, business practices, or the industry in general, send an e-mail to Mechanical Business Magazine’s editor, Adam Freill, adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com.

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ROAD WARRIOR

by Dave Bowden How did you get started in the business?

“Originally I went to trade school through the steel plant. There was no school here in Sydney. It was put on through the steel plant.”

And what brought you to the plumbing and heating trade?

“It was a trade that I felt that I would have work with. There’s a need.”

What’s your favourite thing about the job?

“Being on the road.

Time goes by fast and I enjoy meeting people.”

Photo: Scott McIntyre

How much time do you spend behind the wheel?

“In an average week, around 48 hours, something like that.”

What service area do you cover?

“We cover most of Cape Breton in general.

We’ve been everywhere in Cape Breton at one time or another.”

What’s your latest job site?

“It was an apartment building. We put in a seven-section Odyssey.”

What’s your fondest memory on the job?

“I have good memories of most days. I’m just a happy, easy-going person.”

Do you have a least fond memory?

“Well, crawl spaces are the worst. A couple weeks ago we were in Glace Bay, in a threefoot crawl space, putting in a warm-air furnace. That’s one of your tougher jobs.”

Favourite tool in your toolbox: “Multipurpose screw driver.”

Favourite hobby: “I’m just on the computer quite a bit. I’ve got Windows 7 on there now and I actually enjoy it. It’s not a memory hog like Vista.”

Favourite website: “I’m just on canada.com most of the time, reading the news.”

Favourite sport: “I’m not too into sports, but my favourite sport to watch is hockey.”

Favourite cartoon: Bugs Bunny Favourite local haunt: “The Bradorview. I like the pizza with everything on it. A good pizza is my favourite dish.”

Favourite place to hang out: Dooley’s Pool Hall “I’ve been in pool halls since I was 18. I don’t shoot a lot now, but I can hold my own.”

Favourite ice cream: “Just vanilla. I’m fairly plain in that category.

Vanilla ice cream’s the only kind I like.”

Favourite musical instrument: “I have no musical talent. My father was a professional pianist, but I have no talent whatsoever in that category. I had a choice to go into Cubs or to play the piano, and I took Cubs. I was a lost cause when it came to music.”

Name: Gary Ball Company: AAA Plumbing and Heating Title: Journeyman technician Born in: Glace Bay, Nova Scotia Favourite car: Lives in: Sydney, Nova Scotia ’69 or ’70 Mustang Age: 54 Family: Wife, Norma, and daughter, Jennifer (27) Pets: Three dogs – Patches, a border collie; Buddy, a poodle; and Kate, a golden retriever/shepherd mix In the mechanical industry for: 20 years.

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If you buy, sell or install gas water heaters…this is a game changer!

The New Bradford White ICON System™

The Bradford White ICON System™ requires

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Hydrodynamics Pro Tip Prior to initial system commissioning or after

Water, Water Everywhere…

significant service work, flush the system thoroughly with clean water or commercially available hydronic system flush solution to preserve hydronic fluid properties and avoid contamination.

C

ould there be a more beautiful medium for transporting thermal energy than simple, pure, clean water?

Not by a long shot!

Water has numerous qualities that make it an ideal medium for delivering BTUs throughout a building. Covering more than two-thirds of the earth’s surface, it is readily available just about everywhere, with the exception of remote arid geographic locations. Because humans need to continuously consume water for hydration, anywhere there are people who need to be warmed or cooled, water will most likely be available in quantity.

Being highly viscous, water can be easily and continually deformed in physical shape. This property allows it to be easily moved through piping, and consume little energy for transport throughout a building.

On the safety front, a compressible gas or liquid can decompress, which can make for a dangerous situation if not controlled. Thankfully, pressurized water is virtually incompressible, and will not explode should a system component or pipe rupture. The same cannot be said for gas or steam.

Water has a specific heat of one BTU/lb-°F. For one pound of water, it takes one BTU of thermal energy to raise the temperature one degree Fahrenheit.

Any pressure applied to water is distributed evenly throughout the medium in all directions, enabling pressure to be applied from a central mechanical room pump, wherever it is needed throughout the building.

And keep in mind that heat capacity is the product of specific heat and density. A relatively small amount of water can store a lot of thermal energy.

Other Benefits of Hydronic Heating/Cooling:

HEAT CAPACITY WaterAir 62.4 BTU/ft3/ºF0.018 BTU/ft

/ºF

3

• Room and zone temperature control is fairly standard • The system can perform double-duty, seeing to domestic water heating needs as well • Clean, dust–free distribution to space • Low noise generation by the distribution system • Smaller mechanical room footprint

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So, in the most sophisticated commercial heating and cooling systems ever developed, the primary heat transfer fluid is simple, everyday, beautiful, tap water. Just beware that due to treatment chemicals, anti-freeze and contaminants, it is best to heed those words of the Ancient Mariner, “Nor any drop to drink.”

by Rod Brandon

Fluid Precautions The following fluids should be avoided or used with extreme caution: WELL WATER Well water may include unknown substances and large particles, such as coarse sand and grit, which can abrade and plug system components in short order.

Rod Brandon is a technical marketing specialist with S.A.Armstrong Limited, a global supplier of HVAC and fluid flow equipment and solutions for residential, commercial and industrial applications. He can be reached at rbrandon@armlink.com.

PURE AND ULTRAPURE WATER Care should be exercised when using water that has been distilled, demineralized, deionized, produced by reverse osmosis, or any other purification method that may cause resistivity to be greater than one mohm-cm. More highly purified water (especially with high flow velocity) may absorb essential minerals from the polymers and metal alloys of system components, causing premature weakening and failure, such as the dezincification of standard brass alloys.

The following guidelines should meet most HVAC system requireMETHANOL OR ETHANOL SOLUTIONS ments. Always ensure that the hydronic fluid used meets all compoThese materials are flammable, highly toxic (methanol), nent manufacturers’ recommendations. Failure to do so may result in and may be corrosive or solvent to polymers. premature component failure resulting in equipment damage, property damage, and unscheduled total system shut-down.

CALCIUM OR SODIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS

Recommended Hydronic Fluid Properties

These materials are highly corrosive to many metals.

ORGANIC COMPOUNDS Petroleum-based products may attack polymers such as EPDM. SILICONE COMPOUNDS Substantially reduce fluid viscosity resulting in greater risk of leaks.

The hydronic fluid should consist of clean water, or a 30/70 to 50/50 ethylene glycol or propylene glycol solution. If using a glycol solution, ensure that it has been formulated specifically for hydronic system use.

Well water and automotive type anti-freeze are generally not recommended, and may void manufacturers’ warranties.

Clean Water Specifications PropertyValueUnits pH6.5 - 8.5(dimensionless)

Thermal Energy Transfer = 40,000 BTUH

Hardness10 Max.Grains/Gallon Total Alkalinity (as CaCO3)20 Max.Mg/L Sulfate30 Max.PPM Chloride10 Max.PPM Silica10 Max.PPM

8” x 14” Duct Forced Air

3/4” Copper Pipe Hydronic Fluid

Heat Capacity Why is the heat capacity of a thermal energy distribution medium so important?

Consider an eight-inch-by-14-inch duct in a forced-air heating system. The same amount of thermal energy can be distributed from source to occupied space in a 3/4-inch water pipe. Air ducts consume a significant amount of usable space within a building, whereas pipes can be easily routed out-of-sight through walls and flooring. The higher the heating or cooling design-day load of a building, the less practical a forced air system is.

Calcium40 Max.PPM Magnesium20 Max.PPM Total Undissolved Solids200 Max.PPM Total Dissolved Solids400 Max.PPM

Ethylene/Propylene Glycol Solutions Glycols should include corrosion inhibitors, to compensate the higher level of alkalinity. Otherwise, these solutions should have the same properties as clean water (see chart above), with the following exceptions: Ethylene/Propylene Glycol Specifications PropertyValueUnits pH8.0 - 10.5(dimensionless) Total Dissolved Solid2000 Max.PPM

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Piping

by Rick Leniuk

ACCOUNTING FOR EXPANSION Fast Fact - Copper vs. PEX

Cross-linked polyethylene tubing (PEX) has made considerable inroads in the heating and plumbing sectors, but as much as modern plastics have made some things easier in the field, we cannot afford to forget about proper piping techniques, including the need to account for the expansion and contraction that happens as pipes heat up or cool down as fluids move through them.

Unlike PEX, an increase in temperature of 60°C will increase the length of a copper pipe by one millimetre for every metre of pipe. Where long straight pipe runs exceeding 10 metres are encountered, allowance for expansion is recommended.

Expansion joints are especially necessary to accommodate the expansion and contraction of cross-linked polyethylene tubing caused by temperature changes.

When working with PEX, an expansion joint is recommended for every 50 feet of non-anchored tubing, or any run longer than 20 feet when using engineered plastic (EP) fittings inline.

The construction of a PEX expansion joint from scratch on a building site does involve a bit of mathematics, and can involve some 13 individual components, including lengths of tubing, elbows and rings to make all of the connections. It is not too daunting though. To make the expansion joint, an installer needs to use the right formulas, cut three lengths of tubing, and make eight connections.

To make things a bit easier, expansion joint kits have been introduced to the marketplace. These include pre-formed tubing loops and the applicable connectors, and are designed to save both time and money – and possibly a little bit of frustration – along the way.

The Calculations Expansion joints should be installed for every 50 linear feet of PEX tubing in horizontal or vertical runs. The ideal placement of the joint is at the midpoint of two fixed points. When using engineered plastic fittings inline, an expansion joint is required at the midpoint of any run longer than 20 feet.

An expansion joint may not be required for installations where the tubing does not penetrate a fire-rated assembly (which constrains movement of the tubing), or where there are no restraining devices, but consult your local building codes for the specifics that are ap-

EXPANSION ARMS

plicable in your area.

A flexible expansion arm needs to be long enough to prevent damage, and support clamps must be far enough from the wall to allow for longitudinal thermal expansion.

Use the formula on page 54 LB = C x√(DxΔL) to calculate the minimum length of the expansion arm. continued on page 54

Consider a system where the tubing runs the length of a hallway, without inline tees, and turns a corner at the end. In this case, the tubing is not fixed; it can expand without restriction. We can use the expansion arm formula to calculate the minimum distance to the next fixed point. In this same application using inline tees, it may be necessary to install an expansion joint to minimize the movement of the tees.

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The Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating – L’institut canadien de plomberie et de chauffage, Invites you to attend the

CIPH Gala Evening in support of Habitat for Humanity Canada Wednesday, March 24, 2010 At the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto Featuring

Ron James

Let’s jump to

$1.75 Million

LB = C x√(DxΔL) Formula Key LB = Length of the flexible arm in inches C = Material constant (for PEX, this is 12) D = Outside diameter of the tubing ΔL = Thermal expansion length in inches

Rick Leniuk is the Design and Technical Services Manager with Uponor.

He can be reached at Rick.Leniuk@uponor.com.

“L” is the total distance of tubing run from a fixed point to a corner, or in the case of an expansion joint, from a fixed point to another fixed point.

Keep in mind that the thermal expansion rate of PEX tubing is 1.1 inches per 100 feet per 10°F (12.2°C) temperature rise. The following is an example of an expansion arm calculation using 2" PEX tubing.

EXPANSION JOINTS The same equation applies for an expansion joint, however the arm length (LB) must be divided into three sections (L1 and L2, see Figure 1) using the following formulas. For demonstration purposes, we will use the LB value from the previous example.

Parameters Tubing type: 2" PEX Tubing OD: 2.125" Tubing length: 50 feet

L 1 = LB ÷ 5

Supply fluid temperature: 160°F (71.1°C)

L1 = 41 ÷ 5

Ambient temperature: 60°F (15.6°C)

L1 = 8.2 inches L2 = L1 x 2

Calculations

L2 = 8.2 x 2

LB = C x √(DxΔL)

L2 = 16.4 inches

LB = 12 x √2.125 x [(1.1 x 10) ÷ (100 ÷ 50)]

What the math tells us is, in this case, our expansion joint will have two 16.4” lengths of PEX, and another 8.2” length.

LB = 12 x √2.125 x 5.5 LB = 12 x √11.6875 LB = 12 x 3.419 LB = 41.03 inches So, for this example, the required arm length is 41" to prevent excessive stress on the fittings and support clamps.

What about copper lines?

Copper tube, like all piping materials, expands and contracts with tem-

if the expan-

perature changes. In the case of copper tube used for domestic hot

sion is not com-

water delivery, or for heating installations, the bends and offsets that

pensated for in the piping

generally occur in the pipe assembly will usually accommodate the ex-

layout. Severe stresses on joints may also occur. To prevent these prob-

pansion without the need to address the issue. Where long straight pipe

lems expansion joints, offsets, “U” bends, coil loops and other such

runs exceeding 10 metres are encountered, the line can buckle or bend

measures should be included in the pipe assembly.

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Controls

by Gary Burger

ADJUSTING FOR EFFICIENCY Experts in the energy conservation field usually recommend that the highest efficiency you can hope to achieve comes when the boiler produces continuously what the load demands, changing slightly to match each slight change in the load. This requires flame modulation, and is why your controls deserve a closer look.

Most medium to large steam boilers will have modulation control, as well as on/off controls. Under normal operation, the boiler will shut down at 115 psi and restart at 100 psi. This is controlled by the programmer, which initiates the startup cycle at 100 psi. The modulation control will be at high-fire at 103 psi, and at low-fire at 112 psi.

EXISTING SETTINGS Steam psig Existing Control Settings v 125 124 123 122 121 120 119 118 117 116 115 114 113 112 111 109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82

BLOWS Safety Valve Setting

SEATS OFF

High Limit Pressure Cut Out

ON

OFF

Operating Pressure Control - turns burner off

LOW 1/4

Modulation

1/2

Controller

The Problem with Standard With the standard boiler setup, there is barely enough time in the cycle to establish internal boiler circulation before the burner is off. Internal boiler circulation, once established, is important as it aids in the removal of energy out of the hot flue gas and into the boiler water. That tends to lower the stack temperature.

High stack temperature, possibly 200°F hotter than the steam produced, usually indicates considerable energy loss. This heat goes right past the heat exchange surfaces and up the stack where it is lost to the environment.

Under light or heavy loads this performance changes very little. Under a light load, the overshoot almost trips the high limit. Under a heavy load, the boiler pressure may get extremely low before the programmer’s lighting sequence releases the main burner and allows modulation.

The boiler pressure curves are far from that steady ideal.

3/4 HIGH

ON

Operating Pressure Control - turns programmer on P Prepurge LOW R Damper to high fire position LOAD O Prepurge hold G Damper to low fire position R Low fire position proved A Pilot ignition HIGH M Pilot trial M Main burner ignition E Main burner trial R Main burner released to Modulate LOAD Damper to high fire - pressure rises C Y C 110 seconds cycle time L E

This setup is great for the installer because it will show that all the controls operate at their minimum and maximum settings, but it does mean that we are employing a onesize-fits-all option. From an energy savings perspective, this can leave a lot to desire, so it could be well worth our while to re-examine those settings.

HOW A BOILER ACTUALLY OPERATES When the pressure in the boiler drops to 100 psi, the programmer initiates the startup cycle. While there may be some variance in exact figures – based on the equipment you are installing or maintaining – here’s how a typical cycle happens with standard control settings.

The pre-purge sequence starts as the burner damper is moved to the full-open or highfire position. This usually lasts about 30 seconds. Next, there is a purge hold for

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another 30 seconds. At the end of the hold there is another 30 seconds as the burner damper moves to the low-fire position.

Once the damper proves it is at the low-fire position, the pilot solenoid is energized and the pilot is lit. Normally, this is followed by a 10-second pilot trial. Then the main burner gas valves open up and the main flame is lit.

It too has a trial period of 10 seconds. The programmer hits run, and the main flame is released to start modulating.

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continued on page 58

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30

By now, after the necessary 110 seconds of programmer time, the boiler pressure is below 100 psi and the modulation control is well below the high-fire setting, so the burner damper opens up wide. As the boiler starts, the steam pressure starts its climb, and the stack temperature is already considerably hotter than the steam it is producing.

ahead of the damper’s movement. It overshoots and shuts down the boiler. Pressure continues to rise to 118 psi.

At 103 psi, the modulation control starts to move the damper motor to turn down the fire. In about 30 seconds it will reach its lowfire position but the heat and pressure is way

Once the burner is fully shut down, the pressure starts to drop again and this same cycle will repeat itself.

By now, the programmer is well into its postpurge and modulation is headed back to its high-fire position, never really seeing the lowfire position as it shuts off.

FINDING MODULATION

If the boiler has an inexpensive pressure control, one without a very close differential, you might have to replace the control with one that has a separate adjustable differential screw – I recommend using one with a minimum two or three psi setting. This will put our burner-on setting at around 113 psi.

The modulation control may have to be readjusted a bit to get it to function in the proper place, but with the new settings, the boiler will respond a bit more efficiently. Let’s have a look at our previously discussed system.

The operating control will start the programmer at 113 psi.

The damper moves to high-fire for 30 seconds, holds at high for 30 seconds, and then moves to low-fire for 30 seconds.

The low-fire switch makes, the pilot is lit and goes through its 10-second pilot trial, followed by the main flame and another 10-second trial. The programmer goes to run and the main flame is released to modulate.

On light loads, expect the modulation to be on low- or quarter-fire with a continuous flame. On heavy loads, the pressure will drop faster, to a half- or three-quarter-fire position initially – still with a continuous flame. Only on cold start-up will you see modulation at high-fire for very long.

The boiler has now achieved the steady state of load matching the experts say produces the most economical fuel use.

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Many boiler manufacturers offer an upgrade package to give your older boiler a higher turndown ratio. It may be worth your while to look at that improvement.

Steam psig New Control Settings v

A few changes to the “standard” settings can result in a world of difference. Keep the safety valve at 125 psi, the high limit at 120 psi, and the burner-off point at 115 psi, but readjust the burner-on point to as close as you can get to the burner-off setting.

58

QUICK TIP

125 124 123 122 121 120 119 118 117 116 115 114 113 112 111 109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89

BLOWS Safety Valve Setting

NEW SETTINGS

SEATS OFF

High Limit Pressure Cut Out

ON

High Limit - Manually Reset

OFF

Operating Pressure Control - turns burner off

ON

Operating Pressure Control - turns programmer on P Prepurge LOW R Damper to high fire position LOAD O Prepurge hold G Damper to low fire position R Low fire position proved Modulation HIGH A Pilot ignition M Pilot trial Controller LOAD M Main burner ignition E Main burner trial R Main burner released to Modulate Damper to high fire - pressure rises C Y 110 seconds cycle time C L E

LOW 1/4 1/2 3/4 HIGH

TURNDOWN RATIOS

The burners of older boilers were only capable of a 3:1 turndown ratio. At fullor high-fire, the boiler will operate at the name plate rating of BTUH input or output. With a 3:1 turndown ratio, the boiler is capable of operating at onethird of the name plate rating. So a 6 million BTUH boiler will operate down as low as 2 million BTUH on low-fire before it cycles on and off.

Late model burners have been designed to operate at a 5:1 turndown ratio, or better. At a 5:1 ratio, our 6 million BTUH boiler can now operate down to the 1.2 million BTUH level on low-fire with a continuous flame.

Gary Burger is the vice-president of HVACR Heritage Centre Canada, and is the retired chief engineer of Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston, Ont. He can be reached at burgergary@hotmail.com.

by Doug MacMillan

You know your company inside and out right? You know what you do well, what differentiates you from the competition, and how to treat your staff and customers. But what you might not know is how to effectively tell your story in a way that ensures people will listen – and care.

One of the challenges of creating a compelling company story is being genuine – not forced or “salesperson slimy.” After all, people know a pitch when they read one and if they sense you’re trying too hard, you’ll lose them, and your credibility.

There are a few key considerations when drafting a story about your company – whether it’s for a news release, direct-mail piece, an update for your website, a blog post or an advertorial.

1.

Establish your key messages. Every company should have a platform of messages they use to communicate to their various audiences. Ideally, these should be no more than three succinct points that define your company and represent what you want people to know about you. By limiting the list to three, your messages are easy to memorize and remain consistent across multiple platforms. In whatever media your story is being told, your key messages should be reflected to build your brand and ensure your communication goals are being met.

2.

Be prepared. Condense your key messages for

multiple uses and be sure to create your 20-second elevator speech. (Or in today’s techno-world, maybe we should consider the 140-character Tweet!) A shortened version of your basic corporate story is great to have tucked away so when asked what you do, you can communicate it succinctly and effectively. By keeping it short and sweet, you keep them engaged and interested in learning more about you.

3.

Don’t push it. This is where the

“slime factor” can be an issue. If you’re going to tell a story, make sure there is actually one to tell. Readers are smart and will quickly see through a buried sales pitch.

When you are invested so emotionally in something like your business, it’s hard to be objective. Sure, you think the new dispatch software you recently imple-

Doug MacMillan is president of MacMillan Marketing Group in Guelph, Ont. To reach him, e-mail dmac@macmillanmarketing.com.

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Broken record alert: Proofread! Proofread!

Nothing diminishes credibility like glaring spelling and grammar mistakes. There are a few tips and tricks to get your story out there error-free. Most importantly, have someone ELSE read it. An outsider’s perspective can help gauge the effectiveness of the writing style and also identify spelling and grammar issues that may have slipped under your radar. Reading backwards allows you to focus on the words and double check “little words” like “or,” “of,” “it,” and “is,” as they are often interchanged.

Also watch your possessives – “it’s vs. its,” and “theirs vs. there’s” are classic examples.

mented is the bees’ knees, but your customers might not be so keen unless you can relate it to a tangible benefit they will care about. As an industry, we tend to rely heavily on promoting our products and services. What sometimes gets lost are the stories about people who make your company a success – the team that organizes fundraisers and food drives, that service tech who spends the wee hours of Saturday mornings coaching hockey, the sales rep who volunteers his time at the local hospital – these are all compelling stories that say a lot about your company and the people who work there.

4.

Let others say it for you. Nothing cre-

ates instant credibility like testimonials from satisfied customers and corporate partners.

Building a library of case studies, success stories and quotes to use in various applications is great for promotional purposes and also creates natural opportunities to start meaningful and valuable conversations with current and potential customers.

&

Literature

Web Reviews

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5.

www.zuba-central.ca BOILER TECH SUPPORT

Watch your tone, Mister. Readers today are used

to a more relaxed, conversational writing style where it’s okay to start a sentence with ‘and’ (gasp!) and throw in a cultural reference or two. However, it’s important to choose your tone wisely. If you’re writing a technical story/case study, keep in mind a more formal tone is required; however if the purpose is more casual, allow yourself the freedom to write in a style that fits the application and your brand. Keep your writing active rather than in the past tense to seem more timely and engaging.

6.

Topog-E® Gasket Company formulates and mixes its own rubber, and manufactures superior molded rubber handhole and manhole gaskets for steam, hot water boilers, water heaters, softeners, deaerators, make-up tanks, and other selected pressure vessels.

Topog-E® Gaskets seal quickly, completely, preventing seepage, corrosion and pitting. Contact us for a free Technical Specification & Usage Guide for information about boiler maintenance safety.

Inspire confidence. Regardless of what you’re writing

about or where the piece might appear, readers should walk away with a feeling of confidence in you and your company. Whether you position yourself as knowledge leaders, family-friendly employers, top technical trainers, or good corporate social citizens, the story you tell should reflect those messages to help define and differentiate your brand.

7.

Spread the word. Your story is polished and you’re

www.topog-e.com SPECFICATIONS CATALOGUE CATALOGUE

ready to get it out there. But where? The good thing about a solid company story is that it can be repackaged and used for a multitude of applications. Distribute them as press releases to your local media, make them a part of your regular website update schedule, use them as part of customer communications strategies, blog posts, e-blasts, etc. In today’s digital world information is instantly accessible. Continually updating your customer base keeps them engaged and interested in what you do.

Setting a new standard for energy efficient, clean air homes

Visit us at www.lifebreath.com Manufacturer reserves the right to change specifications without notice.

Your best source for Lifebreath product information, the 2009/2010 Specifications Catalogue covers the full line: HRVs, Clean Air Furnaces (CAF), Air Handlers (AH), TFP HEPA Air Cleaners and a full complement of accessories. The catalogue also includes all the data you need to properly specify the right HRV for residential and commercial applications. To view online, visit our website.

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Commercial boilers Ultra Commercial Boilers from Weil-McLain are up to 94.7% efficient and come in two model sizes, 550,000 and 750,000 BTUH. The boilers feature direct vent or direct exhaust options, with 20 to 100 per cent modulation, 11 pre-set applications, fully integrated multiple boiler control and real text LCD display.

weil-mclain.ca

Ball zone valves Designed to provide zone control for applications that require flow rates of up to 13 Cv and close-off pressures up to 150 psi, 644 Series motorized ball zone valves from Caleffi feature a 24-volt, three-wire actuator and have a temperature range of -5 to 110ºC. They are available in 1/2”, 3/4”, and one inch sizes with NPT or sweat union connections.

caleffi.com

Radiator The Bisque Hot Hoop radiator from Runtal has a 19.6-inch diameter and 9.5-inch depth. At 82ºC (180ºF) it has an output of 2,567 BTUH and can be installed in a bathroom to warm and dry towels. It is available in three finishes, including a stainless steel version that can be used with an open loop domestic hot water system.

runtalnorthamerica.com

Geothermal heat pump

62

Pump controller

The Ultra Hydronic geothermal heat pump from Econar uses R-410A and features a Copeland scroll compressor. It has an operating coefficient of performance (COP) of four to six and can be used for commercial applications with fluid temperatures between 1.7ºC and 46ºC.

Designed for use as a low water cut-off, feed water control, and alarm for boilers, vessels and tanks, the Series 1575 low water cut-off/steam boiler pump controller from McDonnell & Miller includes a one horsepower pump relay, and adjustable burner and pump settings. The unit also features adjustable 60second burner-off time delays, a probe chamber with three probes and gauge glass tappings.

econar.com

mcdonnellmiller.com

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Hydronic control

Zone valves White-Rodgers’ Z-series line of zone valves is designed for 2-way straight through positioning and features a onepiece, solid brass body with a raised ball seat and stainless steel return spring. It also sports a plastic cover to protect against moisture and a rotating ball valve for even wear of ball surface.

white-rodgers.com

The CPU-0500 from HBX Controls is a standalone control designed for boiler applications, as well as solar and geothermal installations. It features single dial operation, DHW and boiler pump capabilities, and modulating mixing. In geothermal installations, it manages applications using heat pumps, chillers and compressors. It also handles the reversing valve, up to two heat pumps, hot tank and cold tank, or a single hot/cold tank.

hbxcontrols.com

Wall-mounted condensing boiler Suitable for altitude levels of up to 10,000 feet, the Vitodens 100 WB1B gas-fired wall-mounted condensing boiler from Viessmann features a 95.2% efficiency rating and vent length of up to 200 ft. The 95 lb. unit is 15-3/4” wide, 28-1/2” tall and 14-1/8” deep, and ranges in input from 37 to 118,000 BTUH.

viessmann.ca

Circuit balancing valves Armstrong CR model circuit balancing valves are designed to enable the measurement of hydronic fluid flow and the regulation required for system balance. Ranging in size from 1/2” to 2”, the valves are dezincification resistant. The 1/2” and 3/4” low-flow models are designed to enable line-size installation for systems with flow velocities below 0.7 m/sec (2 ft./sec).

armstrongpumps.com

Boiler stations Watts’ ThermalPro boiler stations come complete with supply and return connections, circulator pumps, check valves, shut off valves, supply and return temperature gauges, and pressure bypass valves. The mixed temperature boiler stations also include 24-volt activated three-way modulating mixing valves ready to hook up to an outdoor reset controller.

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Wood pellet boiler The GreenFlame wood pellet-fired boiler from Kerr Energy Systems outputs up to 100,000 BTUH and features a low heating efficiency value of 89.1%, a high value of 82.9% and an EPA 28 LHV test method value of 93.3%. The unit holds 84.4 L of water and has a pellet storage system capacity ranging from 400 to 7,000 lb.

The Alpine boiler from Burnham is a 95% efficient gas-fired condensing boiler that is offered in seven sizes between 80 and 500,000 BTUH. It features a stainless steel heat exchanger and is designed for use with propane or natural gas at altitude levels of up to 10,200 ft.

Answers from page 40 1b,2b,3c,4a,5d,6b,7b,8b,9b,10d

Gas-fired condensing boiler

burnham.com

kerrenergysystems.com

It takes 15 minutes for the sun to radiate as much energy onto the globe as humans use during an entire year.

Near condensing units The Futera III series of near condensing copper boilers and water heaters from RBI range from 500,000 BTUH to 1,999,000 BTUH with a 4:1 continuous turndown ratio. The units feature four-pass heat exchangers with bronze headers and fitters, industrial grade copper-finned tubes and a 160 WP psi maximum.

rbiwaterheaters.com

Gas-fired boilers HE-RV forced-draft gas-fired boilers from Bryan Steam are available in eight models, with inputs ranging from 3.5 million to 8 million BTUH. They feature seven square feet of heating surface per boiler horsepower and the company’s “flexible water tube,” designed to provide fast circulation and maximize heat transfer and operating efficiency.

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Residential boiler fill fitting The Watts RBFF from Watts Canada is a onepiece brass service and isolation valve that combines a three-way ball valve, drain port, pressure gauge, and standard 1/2” NPT connections. It has a maximum inlet temperature rating of 250ºF and a maximum working pressure of 125 psi.

wattscanada.ca

Renew Today: Online. Mail. Gerty.

It’s your choice.

www.mechanicalbusiness.com Gerty, the Goddess of the nasal whistle, is our telemarketer. Technically speaking, her job is to talk to you to update your free yearly subscription (our auditors require an update from you every 12 months). Realistically, however,

Gerty just likes to talk. And talk. And talk.

Oh, she eventually gets around to renewing your free subscription, but it sometimes just takes a while. You see, she has so much to share – her latest needlepoint project, Mrs. Muffles adventures at the Vets, her television ‘stories’ – and so much more. While she’d love to talk to you, we understand that you just might not have as much time. That’s why we include a handy tear-out subscription renewal card in every issue and provide an easy-to-use online form at www.mechanicalbusiness.com.

Gerty’s Got Her Eye On You! (well, at least her good eye).

Control Disagreement THE PROBLEM INSTALLATION The owners and builder of this custom home overlooking the city decided that some hydronic upgrades would be used. Along with the two-zone high-efficient gas furnace and A/C system, a mod/con boiler would provide the domestic hot water, five zones of basement floor heating and one zone of garage heating using glycol.

Although the boiler would provide basement heating, there were times when the DHW was not keeping up even though the relay panel was wired to provide this. Adding to the frustration was that the garage zone was not being heated even when the zone was calling and the pump was running.

A frustrated contractor and builder put a call into the rep for the control panels. Maybe the panels were defective. Eight hours later, the wiring had been sorted out, but now there were new problems to contend with. Sometimes the original problem leads to new ones.

What other conflicts are there?

Send us your solution by March 14 for your chance to win a $50 Tim Card.

Watch for the corrections in the next edition of Mechanical Business. Can’t wait that long? Then check out the answer key on our website, www.mechanicalbusiness.com.

The fix will go online March 15th.

Up for a quick pick up? Send in your solution to this edition’s challenge and you could find yourself with a $50 Tim Hortons Tim Card, just like Adrian Seician of Petrin Mechanical (Alberta) Ltd. Next month the coffee could be on Mechanical Business!

THE NOV/DEC FIX RETROFIT CONFLICT RESOLVED Here’s how our quizmaster, Jeff House, would set things up: Although heat could be delivered to all three zones and the DHW, the conflict was already waiting for a cold winter’s day when all three zones would be needed.

Since the mod/con boiler had its own internal high-head circulator, and no hydraulic separation was present, flow could not be guaranteed to the zones – or to the boiler for that matter. No flow to the boiler could cause major damage by kettling or flashing to steam. Eventually the zones would heat, but the system efficiency would be non-existent.

Most manufacturers’ instructions of mod/con boilers show the boiler as a secondary load feeding the primary/secondary piping system. A low loss header or hydraulic separator guarantees flow (when sized properly).

To further improve system efficiency, delta T circulators could be used for the zones and the DHW tank. Delta T circulators use variable speed control to maintain the temperature drop (20°F) on the system. A single delta T pump could have been used with zone valves to keep the cost down (see Alternate 1).

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Jeff House is an experienced industry professional and hydronics trainer, and handles the Golden Horseshoe territory for Jess-Don Dunford, a manufacturers’ rep in Ontario.

He can be reached at jhouse@jessdondunford.com.

Get with the program!

Join today to learn, grow and profit! www.floproteam.com Join the team that builds your business, grows new skills and adds more customers.

Taco offers this unique contractor growth and professional development program to benefit your hydronic business. We’ll teach you how to best sell systems and upgrades for excellent profitability.

You’ll have access to factory tech support and the highly informative FloPro Team website - with industry leading eLearning tutorials. Plus you’ll receive a host of bulletins, guides and specialized information designed to keep you at the leading edge.

We’re taking our Factory Training on the road. Sign-up for details.

TACO CANADA LTD. 8450 Lawson Road, Milton, ON L9T 0J8 Tel. 905-564-9422 Fax. 905-564-9436 www.floproteam.com

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One of Europe’s most established and trusted names in the boiler business is now in North America. Sime, the 8th largest boiler manufacturer in the world (yes, the world), is now available across Canada. Sime boilers and systems are built to the exacting standards of European craftsmanship and are foremost designed with efficiency and the environment in mind.

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REFRIGERATION

b y P h il J. B o u d r eau

DID YOU KNOW? The addition of heat reclaim to a system can place the compressor and other components at risk if a control system is not properly planned and applied.

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RECLAIMING SYSTEMS HEAT FROM

R

Dehumidification and Booster Coils Mechanical refrigeration is often used to lower the dew point of air. Because this method of dehumidification cannot be performed without dropping the temperature of the air passing through the evaporator, the air must be reheated to the desired conditions. This is yet another very useful application for heat reclaim.

The arrangement of components in this type of system is very similar to the reheat system often found in supermarkets. A heat reclaim coil is placed in the air stream after the evaporator. Reheat coils that are used in this application may also be referred to as booster coils.

Phil Boudreau provides sales, training and technical support for Bitzer Canada Inc., and is the instructor of a refrigeration course at Humber College in Toronto. He can be contacted at pboudreau@bitzer.ca.

efrigeration is the process of removing heat from an area where it is not wanted and rejecting this heat to an area where it is either wanted or unobjectionable. When heat reclaim or heat recovery is incorporated, heat is rejected to an area where it can be reused.

When a performance audit is performed for a given cycle, the useful output of the system is compared to the power input to the system.

By employing heat reclaim techniques, the useful output of the system is increased.

By reusing some of the excess heat from a system, we are able to reduce energy consumption in the building. Application of heat reclaim options may be limited, however. (See sidebar Controlling the Heat Reclaim Process.)

Heat Exchangers for Heat Reclaim – Non-Condensing In the reclaim coil, heat is removed from the refrigerant as it is desuperheated. After the refrigerant leaves the reclaim coil, it travels to the condenser. Again, the refrigerant usually leaves the reheat coil in a vapour state.

Depending on the application, it may be necessary to insulate the discharge line to the coil to minimize the loss of heat. This will ensure maximum heat at the coil as it enters at a higher temperature and enthalpy. It may also be necessary to insulate the line between the reclaim outlet and condenser inlet to avoid condensation. continued on page 70

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• C o n t r o l l i ng t h e h eat r eclaim p r o cess

Controlling the Heat Reclaim Process Perhaps the most important factors concerning heat reclamation are the sizing of the reclaim heat exchanger and the setting of controls.

Whenever heat reclaim is applied to a system, it is important that the normal refrigeration cycle is not disturbed. For example, depending on the design of the system, it may not be desirable to permit the formation of liquid refrigerant in the reclaim coil.

The reason for this is that proper liquid flow in the high side may be impaired. This is especially true of systems where the reclaim coil is at a lower elevation than the condenser.

In other designs, the reclaim coil is sized to permit thorough condensation of the refrigerant.

The advantage here is that the designer can take advantage of the large amount of latent heat that is available. Where overall system performance is not sacrificed, this method could be used. Furthermore, the proper application of head pressure controls will be necessary for the system to operate correctly.

Another important point to consider when using heat reclaim is the elevated head pressure that the system must operate at during the winter. In climates where the winters are cold, a form of head pressure control will be necessary. The lower condensation limit for most HFC compressors is approximately 70°F, depending on the application. With reciprocating compressors, it is important to maintain a sufficient high to low side pressure differential in order to permit proper operation of the reed valves. Of course, the capacity of the metering device must also be considered.

On the other hand, higher compression ratios allow for higher discharge temperatures, which may be desirable in some applications.

As mentioned previously, head pressure control must be used on heat reclaim systems to ensure proper operation. By maintaining sufficient head pressure, quality hot gas will be available at the reclaim coil inlet.

Fan cycling, variable speed fans and refrigerant regulating controls are common methods that are used to maintain proper high side pressure.

Flooding head pressure controls maintain a minimum discharge pressure by 'holding back' liquid in the condenser. This effectively reduces the amount of surface available for condensing. Discharge pressure rises as the condenser floods. In order to maintain sufficient liquid pressure at the expansion valve inlet(s), hot gas bypasses the condenser and enters the receiver. The receiver increases as this takes place. The pressure at which the hot gas begins bypassing depends on the particular control system used and how they are set up.

M e c h a n i c a l

The use of heat reclaim has many applications. A low-temperature system, for example, requires heat for defrost. All heat absorbed in the low side of the system is usually released by an air-cooled or water-cooled condenser. The release of this heat usually results in a waste of energy. By reserving some of this heat for a defrost cycle, we are recovering the heat which would otherwise be rejected from the system, sending it to an area where it is useful.

Equipment manufacturers have employed a variety of heat reclaim designs over the years. For example, the "ThermobanK" system was designed and applied by the former Kramer-Trenton company. This unique concept used a storage vessel for glycol, or similar heat-sinking fluid, which absorbed some of the heat from the discharge line. During the defrost period, refrigerant in the suction line absorbs heat from the fluid. This heat would evaporate the liquid coming from the defrosting evaporator so that it does not reach the compressor.

Another useful application for heat recovery is the heating of air. During the colder months, heat from the refrigeration system may be used to heat a building.

Depending on the capacity of the refrigeration equipment, it is possible to heat an entire space through heat reclaim.

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In other applications, a reclaim coil installed in the space may offer supplementary heat to the building.

When a thermostat calls for heat, the hot gas enters the reclaim coil and the fan starts. As the refrigerant gives up heat, its superheat decreases. At the point where the refrigerant leaves the coil, it has usually been desuperheated to within a few degrees or so of the saturation temperature.

Heat from the system may also be used to preheat water for the building, or for an industrial process.

Prior to entering the condenser, the discharge gas passes through coils in a heat recovery tank. Similar to other heat reclaim techniques, the refrigerant usually leaves the tank in a vapour state.

Cover Story

A key component of the Edmonton Oilers’ dynasty in the late 1980s, Craig Simpson recorded a 56-goal season in the late ‘80s, en route to two Stanley Cups he’d win as an Oiler. From 2003 to 2007, he returned to the team as an assistant coach, a stint that included the club’s run to the Cup finals in 2006.

By 2008, Simpson had joined the broadcast team on CBC television’s Hockey Night in Canada. And in 2009, he did what any Stanley Cupwinning hockey player and successful broadcaster would do next.

He laced up figure skates.

Simpson recently joined seven other former hockey players to participate in Battle of the Blades, a reality show that saw ex-NHLers pair with world class figure skaters to compete in a nationally televised figure-skating competition.

“I think the biggest (challenge) was just trying to feel comfortable in trying something that could potentially be embarrassing,” he says of his decision to join the show.

“Tackling that was probably the first hurdle.”

Simpson proved more adept than his colleagues at jumping that hurdle. He and his partner, Olympic gold medallist Jamie Salé, won the contest in a temporarily rejuvenated Maple Leaf Gardens (see sidebar), a feat he attributes to his early diligence.

“From the beginning I said that if I’m going to be involved in this, the challenge is really to step into their world and learn how to skate on the figure skates,” he recalls.

“That was probably really the biggest challenge, rethinking how you skate and the technique you use and to try not to think too much about the toe picks. I had a lot of hard falls early on, but those are good lessons learned.”

The temporarily refurbished Maple Leaf Gardens played a supporting role in the success of the CBC’s Battle of the Blades, but getting the old rink back into game shape took more than stage lights and set designers.

The task of restoring ice to the Gardens fell to Patrick Seltsam, project manager with Ice Rink Events, which rented a 400-ton chiller to power its IceMat 2 refrigeration system. Seltsam’s team laid down 45 kilometres of 5/8” tubing, which circulated approximately 11,356 litres (3,000 US gallons) of propylene glycol.

After an initial flood, Seltsam laid about 1/8” of sand over the primary sheet of ice, to protect the tubing. Above the sand, he added another one-inch layer of ice.

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GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBOURS

By Dave Bowden

Battle of the Blades has Tom Lynn, president of California-based company Noise Control, to thank for maintaining its reputation locally.

“If I was going to identify one major challenge, it was noise reduction,” recalls Patrick Seltsam.

While Simpson adjusted his technique on the ice, technicians adjusted the ice itself. An entirely new sheet of ice was laid on top of the Gardens’ existing concrete floor, which hasn’t hosted an NHL game since February 13, 1999.

The 400-ton chilling unit used for the show was installed on the exterior wall of the Gardens, which backed onto a downtown Toronto street shared by high-rise apartment buildings.

“The ice at the old Garden was always average ice, it wasn’t spectacular by any means,” Simpson recalled.

“The ice (for the show), the feeling of it early, it gets pretty hollow at first, it takes awhile for it to really dig in and get skated on and get settled down. I thought by the end though, the ice conditions were good.”

With two Stanley Cup rings and a prominent role on the country’s most iconic hockey broadcast, the question had to be asked: How does winning a figure skating competition stack up?

“You can’t compare the two. In the sense that the journey in trying to win a Stanley Cup is so long and hard, and involves so many people, it’s an incredible accomplishment,” he said.

Did you know?

An official NHL ice surface measures 26 metres (85 feet) wide by 61 metres (200 feet) long. The Battle of the Blades skating surface used regulation length, but only measured approximately 21 metres (69 feet) wide.

“But I’ll tell ya, finishing the last performance and having it go off without a hitch and doing such a good job of it, Jamie and I both said we won for each other that night.

“It felt great to be a part of.”

Once that froze, he did everything he could to crack it.

“Before anyone steps on the ice, and before it’s even painted, a very important step in our process is to go out and fracture that ice,” he explains.

“Each time you go over a piece of ice, you fracture it a little bit. Any time you break something, it always forms up a little bit more solidly. It’s a really important piece in making a sheet of ice.”

After fracturing, Seltsam added two more inches of ice, leaving the skaters with a three-inch strong layer for the competition.

M e c h a n i c a l

Lynn’s company erected sound-dampening blankets made of PVC vinyl around the unit installed for the show. Each 13-foot-tall side was covered in two layers of blankets, one that absorbed the sound and one that deflected it back toward the unit, with each layer separated by four inches of space.

On top of the unit, Lynn angled a blanket 45 degrees inward, to redirect sound toward the building while allowing heat to escape.

From 30 feet away, the chiller originally produced 78 decibels of sound. After Lynn installed his blankets, he reduced that number to 55 decibels.

KEEPING THEIR COOL While maintaining ice in a hockey arena might not sound like a daunting task, Brian Van Sickle found his greatest challenge to be the show’s greatest fans. When the show runners received complaints from the audience – and even some of the camera crew – about the Gardens being too cold, they turned on the building’s heating system.

“What it does is put a frost on our ice,” explained Van Sickle, the president of IceCo Advanced Arena Products, the company tasked with the upkeep. “So we would have to flood just before the show went to telecast, and then after that we’d just keep on flooding. We used to flood every hour for the skaters.”

As an added precaution, Van Sickle enlisted the building’s security team to insert a probe into the ice near the zamboni entrance and measure its surface temperature every hour, around the clock.

The team made sure the ice maintained a surface temperature between -4 and -3 degrees Celsius (24 to 26 degrees Fahrenheit) at all times, which Van Sickle described as the ideal temperature for the competition.

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HVAC

b y M ich ael Do b b s Start with Good Design If you are the owner (or contractor) for a new facility, you have the luxury of a blank slate.

Architects all value aesthetics first, and will often specify intake louvers where they’re out of view. Some of these louvers end up near loading docks, where idling diesel trucks and dumpsters full of rotting waste contribute unnecessarily to poor IAQ. Positioning intakes near washroom exhausts is another error, because these create a path for e-coli to enter the air handling system. Other unfortunate but common placements for intake louvers include roofs adjacent to kitchen exhausts, and, in parking garages, which have the very highest concentrations of submicron particles.

According to The Canadian Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Foundation, allergic rhinitis affects 20 to 25 per cent of Canadians.

Asthma affects between 15 and 20 per cent of Canadians and is the leading cause of hospital admissions in children. Particulate pollution is a major trigger for asthma events, and the primary cause of respiratory allergies.

Building owners will substantially improve their long-term IAQ situation if they fully understand the origins of their fresh air supply. Where the facility already exists, however, there are better tools to help quantify them, and better products to remedy IAQ issues, including filters that can remove both particulate and molecular matter.

FILTRATION FOR IAQ AND EFFICIENCY IAQ

is the most changeable field a contractor works with today. Every factor related to indoor air quality is in continuous flux. What we know about pollutants, and especially particulate pollution, increases every year. Not only can we identify pollutants and pollutant concentrations with greater accuracy than even five years ago, we continue to learn more about their consequences for health and productivity, and their impact on chronic problems such as asthma and respiratory conditions.

Also changing is the nature and breadth of contaminants – both chemical and biological. In the past year, H1N1 was added to a biological roster that also includes seasonal flu, bacteria,

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mould spores, fungus, dander, mites, etc. Chemical contaminants we are exposed to include those produced by combustion and tailpipe emissions, outgassing from everyday materials such as carpet and pressed wood – and virtually every industrial process in the country.

Finally, what we do about what we know is changing too. There has been a discernable change in how managers of ICI buildings make decisions regarding indoor air quality. Much of the credit for this goes to contractors who have transitioned from a business model of selling equipment and service, to one of consultative selling, where concerns about life cycle cost, sustainable practices and reducing waste and energy use create a dynamic that becomes a “triple win” – for the customer, the contractor and the environment.

Many of these enlightened contractors specialize in new construction contracting – where sustainability practices and energy cost containment now factor heavily in all major projects. But that too is changing, and more

contractors who focus on HVAC service now understand that the greatest success will come through being part of customers’ long-term solutions to these concerns.

One of the things that has made this new model possible is the ability, through new monitoring and analysis tools, to conclusively link what is done in terms of air quality – the type of filtration chosen – with the real costs involved in system maintenance, and the amount of energy used by the air handling system overall.

Where previously there was only anecdotal evidence of how a particular filter could affect maintenance or energy costs, we can now replace anecdotes with science. Two specific tools that make this possible are life cycle cost (LCC) software, and energy monitoring and analysis programs.

As with all purchasing decisions, dollars really are the driver, and all companies are aggressively seeking ways to lower their costs. Educating customers about the total cost of ownership (“TCO”), rather than simply the initial filter price, is driving forward-thinking contractors.

Life Cycle Costing Life cycle cost is a modelling tool that generates objective comparisons of filters from all manufacturers.

Its job is to identify the best possible filtration option for each operating condition or area within a facility.

The LCC software allows facility managers to optimize their filtration selection by evaluating the number of filters used in a given time frame, the cost of energy required to move the air Monitoring Energy Use through the filters, the direct Another useful tool is an energy labour costs to maintain this monitoring and analysis program. selection, and any related The one our company uses tracks cleaning costs (coils and the history of all air handling units in ductwork). LCC is an a facility, provides filter certification excellent tool for lowering a for cleanrooms and similar “elite” facility’s carbon footprint by requirements, and manages filter helping them reduce their use and replacement. It also has a energy consumption and web tool that includes a database reduce the amount of solid of the site’s history. This can be waste generated. accessed online, with password protection.

Limit Limited ed

U Unit nit

Replacement Replacement Warranty W a arrra anty

$$$$ ENERGY EFFICIENCY GRANTS

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• C o i l M ain t en an ce • Op t im izin g Filt er S election

Coil Maintenance Considerations

Optimizing Filter Selection

Submicron particles, if not filtered properly, dirty the coils. This is a huge problem because in all cases, energy costs rise unnecessarily. There can be no efficient transfer of heating or cooling with contaminated coils. Blowers, and the entire distribution system, are equally vulnerable, as is ducting, where particulate contamination presents the added problem of microorganism growth.

Duct cleaning is expensive, necessitates shut-down of the air handling system, and must be done robotically in most cases.

And while it was a major revenue source for contractors in the past, it is now often viewed as stemming from inadequate air filtration – which can be addressed by a knowledgeable contractor.

The increasing inclusion of variable frequency drives on air handling units was probably the first step the industry took in the quest to save energy. Now, customers want to do much more.

The cost of energy to operate the filtration systems is typically three to six times more than the air filters themselves. With the LCC Software, contractors can document that a better filter will produce savings of $27 in energy, per filter, per year, for each 0.1” w.g. saved.

That’s huge. And that’s assuming a kilowatt hour cost of $0.085/kWh. In many provinces and states, the cost exceeds ten cents per kilowatt hour.

Energy savings makes great math, and loyal customers. Contractors can do even better for customers by optimizing the selection of both the prefilter and the secondary filter. It is possible to produce savings in excess of $100 per year, per prefilter-secondary filter combination, in energy savings alone. And with the right tools, you can show your customer where those savings are coming from.

Large customers use thousands of prefilters, and change them, on average, four times per year. A contractor who truly wants to be “part of the solution” can make excellent (and lucrative) use of the analytical tools that are available. Best of all, some of these tools are available at no cost to the contractor. All they have to do is ask their suppliers for them.

Michael Dobbs is vice-president of Camfil Farr Canada. For more information about filtration and IAQ, visit www.camfilfarr.com.

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Join HRAI!

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Keeping up with the latest in new products, technologies and methods is easy through HRAI. Whether it’s the newest codes or the latest trends and practices, our extensive offerings of communications, training programs, meetings and shows ensure that our members are the first to know. It pays to be an HRAI Member!

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For more information call today: 1-800-267-2231 or online at: www.hrai.ca Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI)

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Solid state relay The Hockey Puck solid state relay from Dwyer features a terminal cover, optically coupled circuitry and an LED status indicator.

Available in 10- and 25-amp models, it has an operating and load voltage range between 24 and 280 VAC (volts alternating current) and temperature limits between -40ºC and 80ºC.

dwyer-inst.com

Energy recovery ventilator The Smart ERV energy recovery ventilation unit from Smart Air and Energy Solutions features two standard 10” x 20” x 1” pleated filters, a ventilation capacity range between 50 and 250 CFM and an efficiency range between 70 and 80 per cent. It has an electrical rating of 120 VAC at six amps and a net weight of 90 lb.

smartairandenergy.com

Spring return actuators

Compact heat recovery ventilator The VHR704R compact heat recovery ventilator from Fantech consumes 40 watts of power and provides 70 CFM at 0.3 sp. The 30-lb. unit features a 5” oval duct connections, two motors and a preset defrost sequence that is activated at an outdoor temperature of -5ºC (23ºF).

fantech.net

Belimo’s AFB/AFX series of direct-coupled spring return actuators can be used with control dampers that have a 45 sq. ft. maximum, while its NFB/NFX actuators can be used with control dampers with a 22 sq. ft. maximum. The AFB/AFX series features 180 in-lb. of torque, while the NFB/NFX series has 90 in-lb. Both series operate in temperatures ranging from -30 ºC to 50 ºC (-22ºF to 122ºF).

belimo.ca

Condensing furnace The Paradigm high-efficiency, condensing oil-fired furnace from Kerr performs at an AFUE rating of 95.4% and has steadystate efficiencies up to 97%. The unit measures 47-1/2” in depth, 23” in height and is 36” wide. Output ranges from 66,500 to 98,000 BTUH.

kerrenergysystems.com M e c h a n i c a l

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PLUMBING

b y R o ger U u em ae

SCALDS HAPPEN QUICKLY

STAYING OUT OF

Water at 66°C (150°F) can cause third degree burns to an adult in two seconds. Water at 60°C (140°F) can cause burns in six seconds.

Even water at 49°C (120°F) can cause burns with a five minute exposure time. There are many documented cases where children under the supervision of adults have been scalded with hot water.

HOT WATER

INSPECTION NOTES While most authorities agree on the maximum temperature (49°C), there are differences as to where and when it is required. Here are some of the rules that I enforce during my inspections in Ontario under the Ontario Building Code (OBC).

Please note that the regulations in your part of the country may differ from these, and that the OBC rules outlined here only apply to residential occupancies.

The maximum temperature of hot water shall not exceed 49°C (120°F) to fittings supplying fixtures.

Dishwashers and clothes washers are exempt.

Thermostatic mixing valves must conform to CSA B125/ASSE 1017.

Point-of-use mixing valves must conform to CSA B125/ASSE 1016 F.

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T

he number 1 deficiency on final inspection of a residential plumbing system is the failure to install a thermostatic mixing valve. The purpose of this valve is to control the maximum temperature on a domestic hot water system that is supplied to plumbing fixtures in a residential occupancy. At times there seems to be some confusion as to its use – especially in a renovation environment.

When the temperature of the hot water in a storage tank is between 35°C and 46°C (95°F and 115°F), the ideal temperature range for the growth of Legionella bacteria may be created. The risk is that water dispensed from a showerhead or faucet could contain Legionella, which can be inhaled, causing illness.

The solution is to raise the temperature of the hot water to levels that will kill the bacteria. Hot water at 60°C (140°F) causes Legionella to die instantly.

However, raising the temperature of the hot water to that level can cause severe burns to unprotected skin.

Most jurisdictions in Canada have adopted the use of thermostatic mixing valves, but not all have identical rules, so be sure to check the rules for the area in which you are working.

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BY DEFINITION What constitutes a residential occupancy?

Residential occupancy means the occupancy or use of a building, or part of a building, by persons for whom sleeping accommodation is provided but who are not harboured or detained there to receive medical care or treatment, or who are not involuntarily detained there.

The National Plumbing Code (NPC) has issued an interim change to the 2005 regulation to address water temperature control. It regulates water delivery temperatures to showers and bathtubs to less than 49°C, but has not included other fixtures.

It has also not limited the temperature control requirements to residential occupancies.

The NPC also states that the water discharging into a bathtub shall not exceed 49°C. For example, the fill valve for a soaker

INSTITUTIONAL PROJECT REQUIREMENTS Occupancies for group homes, hospitals, residence for developmentally handicapped adults and homes for special care must have a domestic hot water temperature control to a maximum of 49°C. This setup would require one or more temperature gauges and controls that only staff could access, monitor and control. Since these areas are not considered residential occupancies they have different rules regarding the installation, but the maximum temperature of 49°C is the same.

CHECK YOUR PERMIT

TANKLESS OPTIONS With tankless domestic hot water heaters coming online, there are differences of opinion as to whether mixing valves are required. These water heaters are equipped with multiple sensors to control the temperature of the water. And all units that I have seen in the Canadian marketplace can be set at 49°C. So, if they are set at 49°C, they do appear to live up to the regulations.

You may get differing opinions from inspectors, with the concern being that the settings can be changed after inspection. This is true, but thermostatic mixing valves can also be removed if someone really wanted to.

You cannot control what happens after you leave – unless there is a re-inspection program in place or a complaint is lodged. Regulations may change down the road to address this concern, but until they do, we can only weigh in on what we observe at the time of inspection.

tub would need to have a temperature control despite not having a showerhead as part of the installation.

The national code also requires that an electric service hot water heater have the thermostats set at 60°C, which would kill any Legionella bacteria. You need to check the regulation where you are working to make sure your installation conforms.

If a permit is issued for plumbing that is being installed, changed or altered, the rules for a thermostatic mixing valve would apply. For example if your permit is for the addition of one kitchen sink you would need to comply.

Available options for compliance include putting a thermostatic mixing valve on the hot water tank piping. This would give you conformance, since the kitchen sink would be controlled, as would the rest of the plumbing fixtures in the house.

Another option is to install a point-of-use mixing valve at the additional kitchen sink only. The remainder of the existing plumbing fixtures that are not part of the new work under the permit would not need to be controlled. In both cases, you have conformance.

Roger Uuemae is a licensed plumber, an instructor with the Ontario Plumbing Inspector’s Association, and has been employed as a plumbing inspector with the City of Mississauga for the past 20 years. www.opia.info M e c h a n i c a l

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Digital adaptor The Ridgid See Snake digital adaptor from Ridge Tool is an accessory for the microExplorer digital inspection camera. It provides the ability to digitally record and can be used on any video-out enabled monitor, which allows the user to add digital recording capabilities and a secondary playback screen to an existing camera system.

ridgid.com

Fixtures The Enso suite series of fixtures from Mansfield Plumbing features an elongated, dual-flush toilet that uses 4.2 or 6.1 litres (1.1 or 1.6 gallons) per flush. The toilet has a 2-1/8” glazed trapway. Also in this series are a drop-in lavatory that can be used with wallmounted, single-hole and four- or eight-inch faucets; a 34-1/2” pedestal lavatory; and a drop-in oval tub.

mansfieldplumbing.com

Backflow assemblies The 350 XL double-check backflow assembly and 375XL reduced pressure principle backflow assembly from Wilkins feature removable flow housing and top access to test cocks, shutoff valves and check assemblies. The 350XL ranges in size from 2” to 4”, while the 375XL comes in 8” and 10” sizes.

zurn.com

Flush valve Delta’s 81T series line of flush valves uses the company’s H2Optics sensor technology for hands-free flushing and features a battery-life indicator. All models in the line have dual flush capabilities and the ability to select either a full, six-litre flush or a reduced, 4.2-litre flush based on a combination of distance and timing.

Polypropylene piping The Aquatherm Advanced piping system consists of polypropylene pipe and a reflective insulation wrap with an insulating R-value up to 1.5 (depending on pipe size and SDR). It ranges in diameter from 5/16” to 5/8”.

deltacommercialproducts.com

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Chilled water tank The InSinkErator chilled water tank from Emerson is a stainless steel storage tank with 1/4” OD stainless steel water tube connections that can be installed under the kitchen sink. The recommended supply pressure is 20 to 120 psi, and the unit has a cooling capacity of 3.8 litres per hour and an adjustable thermostat range of 0.6ºC-6.7ºC. It requires 115 volts, 135 watts and 1.3 amps of power, and dispenses water at a temperature of 3.3ºC.

insinkerator.ca

Join The Green Scene

Power-vent water heater Rheem PDV water heaters feature an Energy Factor (EF) of 0.67, and are offered in 151- and 189-litre sizes, with both standard inputs and high inputs (40,000 to 65,000 BTUH). The units draw combustion air from outside through piping available in 2”, 3” and 4” diameter sizes.

canada.rheem.com

New WatcoFlex Bath Waste ...installs faster/easier TM

Special patent pending PVC flexible tubing. Eliminates four field joints.

Innovator overflow parts assemble by hand. No screws. Approved by IAPMO. It’s green. You’ll get used to seeing it.

Just ask your wholesaler

WATCO Faucet set ®

The ZO10 three-piece deck mount faucet from Riobel features a jet hand shower with a maximum flow rate of 33 lpm (8.7 gpm) and 60 psi. The solid brass faucet also features a 1/2” male inlet NPT and ceramic cartridge.

The Bath Drain Company WATCO MANUFACTURING COMPANY 1220 South Powell Road, Independence, MO 64057-2724 Phone 816-796-3900 • FAX 816-796-0875 www.watcomfg.com

riobel.ca

A Division of WCM Industries, Inc.

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KAILLIE HUMPHRIES:

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

by Dave Bowden

Being a brakeman on an Olympic-calibre bobsleigh team is a bit like being the runner-up on Canadian Idol. You might work just as hard as the winner, but when the competition’s over, it’s not your name people will remember.

Calgary’s Kaillie Humphries learned this lesson all too well when she went to the Torino Olympics in 2006 as a brakeman, only to be named an alternate before the race and miss out on the chance to compete.

“Right after that, I became a pilot,” she recalls.

The 24-year-old Olympian has been in the driver’s seat ever since. In the four years since she made the transition to the front of the sled, she’s racked up an impressive resumé, including a World Cup win on the Whistler track last March. With another gold medal win in Germany in late December, Humphries seems to be peaking at just the right time, a feat she attributes to the experience she gained at the back of the sled.

“I had been a brakeman for three years before,” she said.

“So when I transitioned to pilot I was able to focus WHISTLER SLIDING CENTRE: BY THE NUMBERS just on the driving aspect $104.9 million: Cost of construction, funded jointly by federal of it, which I think has and provincial governments 12,000: Seating capacity 1,450 metres: Length (bobsleigh and skeleton) 1,374 metres: Length (men’s luge) 1,198 metres: Length (doubles and women’s luge) 938 metres: Elevation at top of track (men’s luge start) 786 metres: Elevation at low point of track 152 metres: Vertical drop 16: Number of corners 13: Days of Olympic sliding competition 8: Gold medals up for grabs 7: Track access points

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definitely gotten me as far as I am today.

Experience plays a big role.”

The Canadian bobsleigh team is counting on it. By the end of the Olympics, Humphries estimates that the team will have driven the Whistler track between 150 and 200 times, while their competitors’ experience will be limited to a World Cup event hosted there last year.

“The speed makes it very technical, and the more runs you have on it the better,” she explains. “Because it’s newer, the more times you can get down on it and make mistakes and figure each corner out, you’ll know exactly what to do when you’re entering an inch more to the left or the right, or how to get out of sticky situations, or how to have the perfect line.”

Of course, lofty goals bring lofty expectations. While the entire world casts its eyes on the Olympics, no country will be watching its athletes – and its medal count – as closely as this year’s host. For her part, Humphries says she isn’t sweating the extra attention.

“I think every athlete dreams of being able to compete at a home Olympics,” she said.

“Yes, it could be construed as a negative, and definitely more pressure, but I personally am going to use it as a positive and show my country, and the rest of the world, what Canada’s all about.”

THE ICE MEISTER It will take less than two minutes for Olympic bobsledders to plummet down the track at the Whistler Sliding Centre, but the ice they’ll carve beneath them was nearly five months in the making.

“We start making ice in late September or early October,” explains track chief Tracy Seitz.

“Ambient temperatures can be around 15 to 20 degrees Celsius here, so we start by sending the refrigerant out to the track, cooling the concrete, the ice surface. Then we spray maybe a millimetre at a time until we have about two inches.”

Seitz is no stranger to the process. The 2010 Games mark his third time creating Olympic sliding ice, after handling the responsibilities at the 2002 and 2006 editions in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Torino, Italy, respectively. His prowess has earned him the nickname “The Ice Meister” among athletes and organizers.

The Whistler track uses NH3 anhydrous ammonia, which runs up the track through pipes with a one-inch inside diameter that were built into the track during construction.

In its storied history, the Olympic flame has only gone out once during the Games. In Montreal, on July 27, 1976, rain extinguished the torch for a minute or two, until a plumber named Pierre Bouchard rekindled it with a cigarette lighter and a rolled up newspaper.

Olympic officials later relit the torch a second time in a more official fashion.

“Depending on the size of the curve, you could have 50 one-inch pipes or you could have 100 or 25, depending on the surface area of the piece of track,” he says. “(NH3) is probably the best refrigerant you can get in an outdoor direct refrigerant system.”

While both the system and its technician are top notch, Seitz found a formidable foe in the unique British Columbia conditions.

“Here at Whistler we have quite a humid climate. It’s a rain forest, it is much more humid than what you get in say Park City, Utah,” he says. “For good conditions, humidity poses a problem.”

We are the

FIRST AND ONLY program of its kind in North America

And that problem is easy to describe: Frost.

Should the temperature of the track dip dramatically below the dew point, frost quickly accumulates on the ice. This creates a layer of snow that can significantly slow down sleds and affect race outcomes.

“If we put water on top of the frost, we create an insulating layer between the surface and the base layer of ice, and that can lead to a lot of problems, like ice breaking up and not being able to get really good refrigeration to the surface,” he says.

Seitz would prefer to keep the track around minus-five degrees Celsius, but to combat the frost, he adjusts the refrigerant to bring the temperature as close to the dew point as possible while still maintaining a solid sheet of ice.

RMC is the first program in North America to collect and destroy ozone depleting refrigerants in an environmentally responsible manner.

To date, we've collected and destroyed over 1.6 million kilograms of refrigerants.

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For more information www.refrigerantmanagement.ca 1-866-622-0209 Administered by

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Radiant heating system Designed for retrofit and new construction, the Raupanel radiant heating system from Rehau accepts 3/8” barrier pipe, measures 6” x 72” x 5/8”, and weighs 1.6 lb./sq. ft. It features six inch return bends that are 8” x 48” x 5/8”, and eight inch bends that are 9” x 48” x 5/8”. With six inch spacing, it outputs 30 BTUH per sq. ft. with 1/4” plywood covering; with 8” spacing, its output is 28 BTUH per sq. ft.

rehau.com

Trusted experience and expertise.

Your committed wholesaler.

HRAI Wholesaler Members are dedicated to ensuring quality HVACR products are efficiently and cost-effectively made available to contractors.

Top 5 reasons to choose an HRAI Wholesaler Member 1. Targeted resources – Regionally-established business centres to address local market needs.

2. Complete solutions – On-site warehousing and inventory, up-to-date technology, training, credit terms and prompt delivery.

3. Solid relationships – Manufacturer & supplier relationships ensure the needs of contractors are met.

4. Top-quality products – Meet the unique performance requirements of each HVACR system.

5. Industry strength – Support trade-qualified contractors and HRAI contractor members.

Online climate control The tN4 Gateway 483 from tekmar allows users to remotely adjust tekmarNet HVAC systems using any web browser. Through a local area connection or an internet web browser, users can monitor and adjust system temperatures between 33ºF and 122ºF.

tekmarcontrols.com

Not an HRAI Wholesaler Member?

There are great benefits to joining our knowledgeable, expert and successful HVACR wholesaler leaders: access to ongoing technical training, industry statistics, association discounts, networking opportunities, industry updates, marketing support and more.

Flow-through humidifier The Desert Spring DS-PFT flow-through humidifier, distributed in Canada exclusively

by Wolseley, features an electronic water flow control designed to reduce the demand for water. The water solenoid pulses for approximately two to four seconds, which sufficiently soaks the evaporator pad. The valve closes for approximately 30 seconds, allowing the water to adequately disperse over the pad without the waste of excess water down the drain.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada Tel: 905-602-4700 Toll-Free: 1-800-267-2231

hrai.ca

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Flange mount blowers Suitable for temperatures ranging from -18ºC to 71ºC, TFD flange mount blowers from Aeroflo are designed for OEM applications. The blowers feature backward curved airfoil impellers, a cast aluminum impeller hub, single- or threephase TEFC motors and capacities of up to 4,500 cfm.

Radiant heating system

continentalfan.com

The Premier VS-VH radiant-heating system from Superior Radiant Products is available in six models ranging from 20,000 to 120,000 BTUH. It operates at a minimum gas inlet pressure of 5 in W.C. and draws no more than 0.2A, 120VAC, 60Hz. The system works in conjunction with the company’s Premier VS vacuum system.

Ceiling-mounted air conditioner The CM25 self-contained, ceiling-mounted air conditioner from MovinCool has a total cooling capacity of 25,000 BTUH and a high sensible cooling capacity of 18,900 BTUH. The 20” unit is specifically designed for server rooms and other spaces with dense heat loads. It has a seasonal energy efficiency ratio of 14 and uses R-410A refrigerant.

movincool.com

superiorradiant.com

heatfab

®

SGV/DGV

NEW 4X3

TM

STAINLESS STEEL

Special Gas Vent

Multi-position gas furnace The York LX-9V multi-position 33” gas furnace features an AFUE rating of 96%.

The two-stage furnace uses a variablespeed ECM, and employs an induced combustion, reliable hot surface ignition and a high heat transfer aluminized tubular heat exchanger. It is available in six sizes, ranging from 60,000 to 120,000 BTUH.

york.com

The industry leader in Special Gas Vent introduces new alternative alloy SGV/DGV Special Gas Vent Systems.

Available in both Single Wall and Double Wall designs, SGV/DGV features a proprietary stainless steel alloy - 4X3™ that offers superior corrosion resistance at an economical price point. These new systems feature installer-friendly connections and built-in silicone seals, so field applied RTV is not required.

• 3 & 4 inch sizes for residential applications • Single Wall / Double Wall Systems • Listed to UL1738 and ULC S-636 5030 Corporate Exchange Blvd.

Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Toll Free: 1.800.433.6341

heatfab

®

www.heatfab.com

M e c h a n i c a l

P.O. Box 526, Depot 1 Hamilton, ON L8L 7X6 Toll Free: 1.888.SELKIRK (735.5475)

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Tube heaters Designed for retrofitting existing push through systems, PTS/PTU series tube heaters from Space-Ray are available in more than 100 configurations and in capacities ranging from 40,000 to 200,000 BTUH. Minimum mounting heights range from 10 to 18 ft. The heaters come in natural or propane gas, with a choice of one-stage or two-stage modulating input controls.

spaceray.com

Two stage gas furnace The RGRM 95% AFUE gas furnace from Rheem operates at 70 per cent capacity on its low heat setting and full capacity on its high heat setting.

The 34” unit ranges in output from 45,000 to 120,000 BTUH, is compatible with single or two-stage thermostats and features a variable speed motor that ranges between 1/2 and one horsepower.

canada.rheem.com

Water-source heat pump The Tranquility Large Vertical (TLV) series from ClimateMaster is available in sizes ranging from seven to 25 tons and uses R-410A. Units up to 12.5 tons are singlestage, single compressor units. Larger sizes offer twin compressors and two-stage operation. All units are designed to be field convertible to front or back return and top, front or back discharge.

climatemaster.com

Double wall stove pipe Selkirk’s DCC double wall stove pipe has a UL 103 HT and ULC S-641 listing for six-inch clearance in all diameters, and in all installation configurations. The piping features stainless steel inner linings and comes in 12”, 18”, 24”, 36”, and 48” lengths.

selkirkcorp.com

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Every Moment Deserves Coleman Comfort!

Modulating furnace The Frigidaire iQ Drive modulating furnace can modulate between 15 and 100 per cent of capacity and re-evaluate the heating load every 60 seconds. Rated at 97% AFUE, it is designed for optimal use when paired with the company’s 20 SEER/10.0 HSPF iQ Drive heat pump, which is available in two, three and four-ton capacities.

Coleman HVAC products, with a full lineup including:

Echelon Furnace

frigidaire.net

Highest Efficient Gas Furnace in Canada with up to 98% efficiency:

Electric heat distribution plates

• Fully modulating in 100 stages for

Danfoss’ Reflect heat distribution plates are designed for installation underneath wood flooring and are meant to eliminate the need to embed heating cables in a mud base. They consist of 1/2” polystyrene insulation covered with a 1/32” aluminium plate with a special profile and can be adjusted to curves and angles using a jigsaw.

lx.danfoss.com

the ultimate in home comfort

• Multi position for any application • Only 33" high

LX Air Conditioner

Visit us at CMX-CIPHEX, booth #1031

• TCJF Model available up to

Residential zoning Hart & Cooley’s Smart Home Zoning system features self-diagnostics, uses up to four separate thermostats and can be combined with the company’s existing air-intake, delivery, and diffusion products. The system works in conjunction with the company’s ZDCP configurable, microprocessorbased zone control panels, which are suitable for use with gas/electric, oil, electric, conventional, and dual-fuel heat pumps with two stages of cooling.

15 SEER depending on coil matchup • MicroChannel coil technology for smaller footprint size • Attractive new louvered design looks great and lasts

ALSO NOW AVAILABLE

LX Furnace The TM9X Furnace is a single stage gas furnace which:

hartandcooley.com

• Qualifies for ecoENERGY rebates with its high efficiency X-13 motor • Has 95.5% efficiency rating • Matches up with the LX Series Air Conditioner for a cost effective high quality system

Gas furnace The 96% AFUE WGFM28 series furnaces from Whirlpool have a twostage, variable-speed motor. They range in output from 46,000 to 115,000 BTUH in both stages, and from 32,000 to 80,000 BTUH in the first stage. They feature a two-stage gas valve system and are equipped with a self-diagnostic control board.

goodmanmfg.com

Please visit us at www.colemanac.com, or call Toll Free:

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

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C A L E ND A R 2 0 1 0 CIPH Gala March 24, 2010 Toronto, Ont. www.ciph.com CMX/CIPHEX March 25-27, 2010 Toronto, Ont. www.cmxciphexshow.com UMRA RSES Conference March 25-28, 2010 Omaha, Neb. www.rses-umra.net K/BIS April 16-18, 2010 Chicago, Ill. www.kbis.com MEET May 5-6, 2010 Moncton, N.B. www.masterpromotions.ca RPA Annual Conference May 5-8, 2010 Reno, Nev. www.radiantpanelassociation.org

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

O F

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

E V E NT S

ORAC AGM May 5-9, 2010 Nassau, Bahamas www.orac.ca

HRAI AGM August 19-21, 2010 Kananaskis, Alta. www.hrai.ca

CIPH Ontario Regional Conference May 14-15, 2010 Niagara Falls, Ont. www.ciph.com

Plumbing + Hydronics Expo September 15-17, 2010 Baltimore, Md. www.phexpo.com

CAF 2010 June 6-8, 2010 St. John’s, N.L. www.caf-fca.org

MCAC Annual Conference September 22-25, 2010 Halifax, N.S. www.mcac.ca

COHA Oilheat 2010 June 16-18, 2010 Charlottetown, P.E.I. www.coha.ca Canadian Water Summit June 17, 2010 Toronto, Ont. www.watersummit.ca CIPH ABC June 27-30, 2010 St. John’s,N.L. www.ciph.com

14th Canadian National Conference on Drinking Water Oct. 30-Nov. 2, 2010 Saskatoon, Sask. www.cwwa.ca CIPHEX West November 3-4, 2010 Calgary, Alta. www.ciphexwest.ca Construct Canada December 1-3, 2010 Toronto, Ont. www.constructcanada.com

GOT AN EVENT? SPREAD THE WORD! If your organization has a conference, trade show or other event coming up, let Canada’s mechanical community know about it through Mechanical Business’s FREE event listings. Simply send details to adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com, and remember to go online to www.mechanicalbusiness.com for more descriptive event details.

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Ratcheting adjustable wrench Meant to combine ratcheting functionality with adjustability, the FatMAx Xtreme ratcheting adjustable wrench from Stanley is available in 8”, 10” and 12” sizes.

The wrench features a chrome vanadium body and a ratcheting jaw that’s laser-etched with SAE and metric scales.

stanleyworks.com

Pipe Thawing Machine The Hot-Shot 300 from General Pipe Cleaners generates 325 amps of thawing power to thaw up to 100 feet of 1-1/2" pipe.

It can be plugged into a 115-volt receptacle, and is equipped with a 20amp circuit breaker and thermal overload protection.

Multimeter with detachable display The Fluke 233 remote display digital multimeter will measure up to 1,000 volts AC and DC and up to 10A. It uses a 2.4 GHz ISM band wireless transmitter to immediately send measurements to a detached display, allowing the user to place the meter in the best position to measure while viewing the display from up to 10 metres away. It also features a 10,000 µF capacitance range, measures frequencies to 50 kHz, and captures min/max and average readings automatically.

ca.fluke.com

drainbrain.com

Multimeter Using a USB receiver with a 10metre range, the EX540 digital multimeter from Extech offers wireless data streaming to a laptop or PC for datalogging or real-time monitoring. It transmits over a 433 or 914 MHz frequency and reads voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, frequency, duty cycle, continuity, diode testing (2.8V), and temperature. The unit is designed to be waterproof and survive a six-foot drop.

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Estimating software Enterprise BidWinner Plus (Commercial Edition) and Enterprise Pro (Light Industrial Edition) software products from Accubid are designed to automate the process of estimating project costs for mechanical contractors. The programs support digitized and on-screen takeoffs. The software shares estimating data with such popular accounting programs as Timberline, Forefront, QuickBooks, and ComputerEase, and comes preloaded with commercial and industrial specifications.

accubid.com

W

RLDVIEW Jeff Patchell

Scrapping inefficiency in the U.K. Our plumbing colleagues in the U.K. have been successful in calling on their government to introduce a scrappage scheme for old boilers. The intent is to encourage the replacement of inefficient units with more efficient models.

At the same time, the scheme is a welcome boost in the current economic climate and will help the environment.

A petition to support the boiler scrappage scheme was set up by a proactive plumbing merchant and was signed by thousands of Brits in the months that it was up. It asked the government to develop an incentive program for boilers, much like some of the automotive incentive programs that urged consumers to replace their older, inefficient vehicles with new, more efficient models.

I’m sure you will agree that one of the greatest challenges for this industry over the next decade is to change-over inefficient equipment from the installed base, so I think there is something in this U.K. effort that the rest of the plumbing industry around the globe can learn from and consider for its local market.

Finding fans all over

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme Target: Least efficient type of boiler (G-rated) Solution: Offer £400 (approx. $670 Cdn) incentive to homeowners to replace G-rated appliances with high-efficiency A-rated appliances Details: Up to 125,000 households in England with working boilers with the lowest "G" rating can apply for incentive vouchers worth £400. These can be redeemed once the homeowner has an A-rated boiler or a renewable heating system, such as a biomass boiler or heat pump, installed. Proof of installation is required.

Energy suppliers British Gas and npower have both said they will match the £400 rebate with an additional £400, and other energy companies may also offer additional incentives as the scrappage scheme gains momentum.

The average cost of a boiler and its installation in the U.K. is estimated to be around £2,500 ($4,200 Cdn.), according to industry figures.

U.K. Boiler Ratings As with the AFUE ratings used in North America, the U.K. has a boiler efficiency rating procedure based on the percentage of fuel converted to heat. This rating is called SEDBUK, Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the U.K., and represents the average annual efficiency achieved in that part of the world. SEDBUK ratings are from A to G, with A-rated boilers being more than 90% efficient. G-rated boilers have SEDBUK ratings of less than 70% efficiency.

You Canadians are really something.

I’m sitting here (in Oz) about to write this tedious technical column as Christmas Eve approaches. As luck would have it, this morning a courier guy drops off a parcel containing a Canadian hockey team jersey for the forthcoming Winter Olympics. It has made its way across the Pacific from the guys of this respected industry journal, which you are reading right now.

But am I really expected to pass up the loyalty for my Australian Winter Olympic team for the sake of a hockey top? Well, as you can see in this picture, bribery works.

Yes, we’re rather newcomers to these cool climate sports; in fact we don’t yet boast a hockey team for Winter Olympic purposes, but we are working on it – just like the bobsled guys from Jamaica.

In spite of that, we are developing our own winter sports folklore in a somewhat improvised way. There’s now a well known saying here: “He’s done a Bradbury!”

At the Winter Olympics of 2002, our famed (and only recognized) speed skater Steven Bradbury “deliberately” chose to hang out at the back of the field in his event, until everyone else had fallen over and he found himself with the gold.

He pulled a Bradbury!

Jeff Patchell is managing director of Connection Magazines Pty Ltd. He has recently launched www.worldplumbinginfo.com, an online plumbing industry knowledge bank.

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BY THE NUMBERS Compiled by Dave Bowden

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People who are “optimistic” that 2010 will be a good year for creating jobs and getting back to work Agree that their personal economic outlook is bright for 2010

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