Mechanical Business July/August 2015

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WET HEAT APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES

August 2015

A SOPPING WET SUPPLEMENT OF MECHANICAL BUSINESS

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Our continuing commitment to quality products may mean a change in specifications without notice. © 2015

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CONTENTS O F

F E A T U R E S 26PLUMBING Food disposers 101 Greg Dalgetty

88COVER FEATURE One of the newest Dragons joining CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den this fall, Manjit Minhas works enough to have several careers. But she relishes the work she does, so much so that she says it doesn’t even feel like work.

Adam Freill

32COMMERCIAL TRUCK ROUNDUP Changes g ongoing g g in p pickup p market Howard J Elmer Elm lmer er

WHAT www.mechanicalbusiness.com

WET HEAT APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES

August 2015

43Another serving of comfort for all our Wet

36HV HVAC AC Fi di th Finding the right i ht spott with ith it h unit it h heaters t Jamie Tuinstra

60FIND THE FIX A SOPPING WET SUPPLEMENT OF MECHANICAL BUSINESS

62ROAD WARRIOR: Terry Irwin 86CIPH ABC in pictures 90BAS Troubleshooting to optimize performance Sean Apsey and Leon Hawkins

Heads! Whether it’s circulators, baseboard, boilers or controls we’ve got another heaping serving of topics in the most popular hydronic supplement in the country, Wet Heat Applications & Technology (WHAT for short).

Check out all the new products, trends and installation and design advice from our list of esteemed contributors, all starting on page 43.

MB SPECIALISTS 18HVAC Targeting zero energy in homes Gorde Cooke

22REFRIGERATION Zeotropic refrigerant behaviour Phil Boudreau

95COHA CLEANER HEAT in pictures

42ASK ROGER

96PLUMBING

Finding the next leaders Roger Grochmal

Applications for commercial faucets Denise Deveau

102REFRIGERATION Application considerations for R744 Andre Patenaude

108PLUMBING PROJECT PROFILE From the ground up Greg Dalgetty

118TOOL TIP: Doing more with less

50HYDRONICS We got the lead out!

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

56BASEBOARD How much is too much?

Dan Holohan

83PLUMBING Tales from the Trap Fred Bretzke

116MARKETING Who do you think you’re talking to?

Doug MacMillan

PRODUCTS 30,112,114Plumbing 40,106HVAC/R 76-80Hydronics 119Stuff you need DEPARTMENTS 04From the editor’s desk 06News 16Profile: Siân Smith 118Crossword 120The Info Page 121Calendar 122By the Numbers CHECK US OUT ONLINE

mechanicalbusiness.com On the cover: One of the newest panelists joining Dragons’ Den this October, Calgary’s Manjit Minhas is the co-founder and co-owner of Minhas Breweries and Distillery. Photo: Photo courtesy of CBC

Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 Canada Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com July/August 2015 Issue Published 6 times per year.

Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com Associate Editor/Web Editor: Greg Dalgetty, ext. 225 greg.dalgetty@mechanicalbusiness.com National Accounts Manager: Jeff Superle, ext. 221 jeff.superle@mechanicalbusiness.com U.S. Key Accounts Manager: Roy Wagner (401) 737-7871 roy.wagner@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Office Administrator: Brooke Klintworth brooke.klintworth@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)

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FROM

THE

EDITOR’S

DESK

Growing through diversity I find it rather interesting that our cover person this issue is a strong, successful Canadian entrepreneur; someone who has put in the long hours and stepped out on the ledge to embrace the challenges that business owners right across this country understand, and she has been successful in sectors where females are not in the majority.

At the same time, for this issue’s profile column, we spent some time chatting with Siân Smith, the first female to chair CIPH and a high-level executive at one of the country’s largest wholesale firms. Here’s another driven, successful person who has taken calculated risks, and has risen to the top in an industry that is predominantly male.

What links the two?

Well, they are both very good at what they do; they both have a passion for what they do; they are willing to put in the hours; and they both go to great lengths to learn what’s needed within their companies to find pathways to success.

HVAC/R Career Connections For the HVAC/R industry to continue to have the best and brightest workers, employers must actively attract, recruit and train a new generation of skilled workers.

To help attract youth to the trades, HRAI launched an industry website with tools and tips to help. Visit www.hvacrcareers.ca to access information geared toward students, educators, parents and members of the industry.

When I dropped by the UA National Apprentice Competition last month, I was equally encouraged, and impressed, by the female pipefitters, welders and plumbers who were there to showcase their skills. The competition is a veritable best-of-thebest. You don’t get there unless your work speaks for you, and more and more we are seeing that it’s not just the guys who can compete at the upper end of the trades.

At a time when our industry is looking to attract good people with strong skills, it’s encouraging to see some companies and organizations reaching beyond traditional talent pools s, and finding success because they are finding people who want to be in the pools, industry, and who wh ho want the ind dus u try to be b successful. industry Finding, and attra attracting, people from this pool of potential nextgeneration trade de tradespeople takes effort though, and a willingness to emerge from o the comfort of the status quo.

Submissions: Copyright in material submitted to the magazine and accepted for publication remains with the author, but Mechanical Business and its licensees may freely reproduce it in print, electronic or other forms. 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 $90 plus taxes 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).

So S So,, as Siân did during the CIPH ABC, I encourage you to be open to expand your pool of potential future leaders the next time you are hi hiring or promoting someone at your company.

It’s not a matter about gender, it’s about finding someo someone who is willing to take ownership for their decis decisions, and who can show a passion for your bus business. Those are the qualities that will help gr grow a business, in any sector.

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.

Until next time,

© Copyright 2015. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher.

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

OS&B’s Ernst Receives CSA Award of Merit

UA Names National Champs

The CSA Group has awarded Kevin Ernst, who was recently profiled in Mechanical Business (January/ February 2015), an Award of Merit for his work in advancing plumbing standards. Ernst, general manager of OS&B, received the award at a ceremony held at the CSA Group’s Annual Conference in Niagara Falls, Ont., in June. In addition to serving as chair of the Plumbing Industry Advisory Council, and both the CSA B125 and CSA B1800 standards technical committees, Ernst has helped develop a number of product innovations for the plumbing industry. Pictured above: Ernst (left) with Brent Cornelissen, president of OS&B.

This year’s UA National Apprentice Competition was held at the UA Local 46 training facility in Toronto, Ont., from June 10 to 14. Winners included Alanna Markland of Local 488 (Outstanding Welder), Brandon Ness of-Local 787 (Outstanding HVACR), Lyle Beliveau of-Local 853 (Outstanding Sprinkler Fitter), Mike Malloy of Local 527 (Outstanding Steamfitter/Pipefitter), Cody Beck of Local 67 (Outstanding Plumber) and Matthew Vandevyvere of Local 254 (Winning Attitude Award). Pictured above: Mike Malloy prepares pipe.

csagroup.org osb.ca

uacanada.ca

New Building, Fire and Energy Codes in Alberta

Riobel Head Office Undergoes Expansion

The province of Alberta has adopted changes to its building, fire and energy codes. The changes feature a new building class for housing for seniors and people with disabilities. The fire code has been updated based on the upcoming national 2015 code to allow for construction and fire protection of six-storey wood buildings. There is also a requirement for protection against radon gas, as well as new energy efficiency requirements for housing and small buildings.

Each new code has a coming into force date as well as a six-month transition period. Further information and a full list of dates are available online.

Riobel’s head office in St-Jérôme, Que., is undergoing a 34,000-square-foot expansion, increasing the total floor space to over 100,000 square feet.

“We are constantly growing and innovating, and this extra space had become a necessity in order to continue offering effective and high-quality service to our growing customer base,” said Riobel president Mario Bélisle.

municipalaffairs.alberta.ca

riobel.ca

Follow Us on Twitter! It’s MB’s Twitter Roundup Caught the Twitter bug? We’ve got you covered with tweets about everything that matters to the mechanical trades in Canada. Follow us @mechbusiness.

UberFacts

The Verge

What the FFacts

HomeAdvisor

@UberFacts

@verge

@WhatTheFFacts

@HomeAdvisor

A 2013 study found that, since 1960, air conditioning has cut heat-related deaths by 80 per cent.

Chevy is making cars with a dedicated air conditioning vent to keep your phone battery cool.

Our fingers get wrinkly in water because wrinkled fingers would give us stronger grip on slippery objects underwater.

It’s too hot to not have an AC unit in your home. Get it fixed or installed before the hottest days of summer hit.

July 3, 2015

July 10, 2015

July 8, 2015

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July 6, 2015

Construction of Trades Facility Begins

ASPE Adds Ontario Chapter

Construction is underway for the Skilled Trades and Technology Centre (STTC) at Red River College in Winnipeg.

The $60 million, 100,000 square-foot facility is expected to train up to 1,000 students a year for careers in the HVAC, electrical and carpentry industries. The government-funded centre will work toward meeting Manitoba’s goal of increasing its skilled workforce by 75,000 in 2020. It is expected to increase Red River College’s skilled trades training by 30 per cent.

Construction began in May and is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

The American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) has officially chartered the Greater Toronto Area as the 61st chapter of its organization. Chapter organizers will work to integrate the interests of plumbing engineers, designers, contractors and journeymen in and around Toronto. aspe-gta.com

rrc.ca

Grundfos Holding 3rd Annual Walk Grundfos Canada is holding its 3rd annual Walk for Water fundraiser in partnership Water Missions International on September 19 at Lion’s Valley Park in Oakville, Ont. The event will raise money for impoverished communities in Africa and Latin America to build wells for clean drinking water.

Golf Tournament Raises $51,000 Wolseley Canada held its 10th annual Wolseley Classic Golf Tournament on June 3 at the Bel Acres Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg. The event raised $51,000 in support of the Special Olympics. Pictured from left to right: Special Olympian Danny Peaslee; Merle Anderson, the branch area manager for plumbing and HVAC/R in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario; and event MC Mitch Rosset of Global News Winnipeg. wolseleyinc.ca

Participants will walk a 5 km trail with a water bucket, fill it with water at the halfway mark, and continue walking with the filled bucket for the remaining 2.5 km to replicate the experience of what many have to do each day to survive. grundfos.com

Trane Wins Big at BOMA NL Awards Trane Atlantic was named Company of the Year and received a Pinnacle Award for customer service when the Building Owners and Managers Association of Newfoundland & Labrador (BOMA NL) announced the winners of its 2015 Industry Awards in May. The awards recognize excellence in commercial real estate. trane.com bomanl.com

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LG unveiled its air-cooled, region-specific VRF unit with voltage for the Canadian market on May 28 at Andrew Richard Designs in Toronto, Ont. Pictured from left to right are Thomas Yoon, president and CEO of LG Electronics Canada; Sonny Chong, senior product manager; and Simon Lee, vice-president of global sales & marketing, commercial air conditioning. lg-one.com

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LG Unveils CanadianVoltage VRF Unit

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APP ALERT Refrigerant Slider The Refrigerant Slider app from Danfoss is a pressure-totemperature refrigerant converter. It works with 69 different refrigerants and provides information on GWP and ODP. A technician enters a pressure or temperature reading, and the app gives a corresponding reading instantly. Users can change between metric and imperial temperature and pressure units. The app is available on iOS and Android platforms. danfoss.com

Plumbing Estimates The Plumbing Estimates app from Constantin Coutun allows plumbing contractors to create, save and send estimates, work orders and invoices via email. No internet connection is required to use the app. Contractors can choose plumbing services from a list and have their clients sign digital estimates. Estimates can then be emailed in jpeg format. The app is available on iOS and Android platforms. utilitymobileapps.com

McKeough Supports Camp Trillium McKeough Supply hosted its 17th annual charity golf tournament in June at Burford Golf Links in Burford, Ont. The event, held in memory of McKeough colleague Bill Porteous, raised $28,000 for Camp Trillium/ Rainbow Lake. Pictured from left to right are Andrew Porteous (McKeough), Chris Manzara (Deflecto), Carrie Arnold (Camp Trillium), Scott Waters (ICP), Luke Kilbourn (A.M.T.S), John Pallante (Venmar) and Jean-Guy Marchand (Venmar). mckeoughsupply.com

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Pure Performance.

The Emerson logo is a trademark and a service mark of Emerson Electric Co. The mounting collar configuration is a trademark of Emerson Electric Co. © 2015 InSinkErator, InSinkErator® is a business unit of Emerson Electric Co. All Rights Reserved.

Equipped with MultiGrind® technology to grind more kinds of food waste and SoundSeal® technology for quieter operation, nothing grinds more with less noise. The Evolution Series® provides the ultimate in performance and offers a convenient and environmentally-friendly alternative to transporting food scraps to landfills. Find out more at insinkerator.ca

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News www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Enercare Unveils New Branding Enercare Home Services revamped its branding in June with a new company logo and a new responsivee website. The changes follow Enercare’s acquisition of Direct Energy Marketing Limited’s home and small commercial services business in Ontario.

“The brand refresh is just one of many changes and improvements we’re making at Enercare, which will continue to roll out in the coming months,” said John Macdonald, company president and CEO. Enercare provides rental HVAC products to over 1.1 million customers in Ontario. enercare.ca

Emco Acquires Wolseley Industrial’s EPG Business Emco Corporation has acquired Wolseley Industrial Canada’s Engineered Pipe Group (EPG), which distributes high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, fittings and flanges.

Emco will welcome all EPG employees and Wolseley will keep the remainder of its industrial business.

“This acquisition adds a considerable knowledge base to our company and opens new opportunities for us to serve more customers nationwide,” said Kevin O’Reilly, vice-president and general manager of Westlund, Emco’s industrial division.

Bryn Murray, vice-president of Wolseley Industrial Canada, said the sale benefits both companies. “Given the long-term goals of each company, and Emco’s desire to grow its HDPE business, the transaction is beneficial for both parties and for EPG employees.”

Zurn Launches New Contractor Program Zurn has launched a new “Earn with Zurn” program that allows contractors to earn cash rewards for purchasing eligible Zurn products.

The program runs from July 1 to October 31, 2015. For program details and a full list of eligible products, visit earnwithzurn.com. zurn.com

emcoltd.com wolseleyindustrial.ca

Deflecto Celebrates 55 Years July marked Deflecto Air Distribution Products’ 55th year in business in North America.

“All of us at Deflecto appreciate the support of our customers throughout North America and the world during the past 55 years,” said Deflecto president John Williams. Deflecto manufactures sheet-metal air distribution products and ductwork, among other products. deflecto.com

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Movers & Shakers www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Morris Group Changes Reps Morris/Lee has been announced as the new manufacturer representative for Morris Group International. Based in Vaughan, Ont., Morris/Lee is a division of the Elmco Group, an organization of manufacturer representatives for commercial plumbing, mechanical and industrial products. Contact numbers are 905-832-0909, Fax. 905-832-0906. morrisleecan.com

Taco Unveils New w Branding Taco has rebranded itself as Taco o Comfort Solutions. The company has a new ne logo and website address. tacocomfortsolutions.com

Master Group Opens in Lévis The Master Group has opened a new branch in Lévis, Que. The 12,000 sq. ft. facility is located close to the Trans-Canada Highway and features a 4,000 sq. ft. showroom displaying a full range of HVAC/R products. The branch is located at 1984 5th Street, Unit 190. Contact numbers are 418-834-5565, Fax. 418-834-5562.

The Master Group has also purchased Frivent, a Québec-based supplier of ventilation and energysaving equipment. The distributor’s operations will continue at its current location on 161 Léger Street in Sherbrooke, Que. Contact numbers are 819-346-0707, Fax. 819-346-6725. master.ca

Koldwave Joins Mestek Line of Products Koldwave has joined Mestek’s Distributor Products Group of HVAC and hydronic companies. Koldwave is a manufacturer of portable cooling units and heat pumps. The company’s manufacturing will move to Mestek’s facility in Farmville, North Carolina. Sales and marketing will move to Mestek’s corporate campus in Westfield, Massachusetts. koldwave.com mestek.com

Integrity Sales Handling Watts Integrity Sales is now selling the following Watts products in northern Ontario: drains, water products, Powers, Brae, Orion and Blücher.

Contact Sean Clifford at 877-638-1919. integritysales.ca watts.ca

Wolseley Acquires QIP Equipment Ltd. Wolseley Canada announced the acquisition of industrial supply business QIP Equipment in June. QIP is a wholesale distributor of manual and actuated valves, fittings, and control and instrumentation products, and has three locations: one in New Brunswick, one in Ontario and one in Quebec.

Also at Wolseley, the company’s plumbing branch in Halifax, N.S., now carries the wholesaler’s full suite of HVAC/R products. The branch is located at 6300 Lady Hammond Rd. wolseleyinc.ca

New Name for Fidelity Pac Fidelity Pac Trade has officially changed its name to Fidelity Pac Metals. fidelitypac.ca

Longevity Acrylics Adds Agency

New Rep for Taylor Pipe Supports Taylor Pipe Supports has named Les Ventes Premium as its new rep in Quebec and the Ottawa region. They can be reached at 514-249-0846. taylorassociates.com vpremium.ca

Longevity Acrylics, a manufacturer of acrylic bathware, has named Kameen-Hilton-Wankling as its sales agency for Western Canada. They will carry Longevity Acrylics’ full line of products. Contact numbers are 204-4899384, Fax. 204-489-9729. longevityacrylics.com khwltd.ca

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People in the news www.mechanicalbusiness.com SHAWN DAVIDSON has joined Canature WaterGroup as the company’s regional sales manager in the Maritimes.

He will manage sales for all divisions in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Davidson has a wealth of experience in the pump and water treatment business, having worked in the industry since the late 1980s.

Rheem has welcomed KARL FERNANDES (left) as the company’s new product manager. Fernandes has worked in the manufacturing field for the past 15 years and brings experience in purchasing, materials management, product management and marketing. Rheem has also promoted RON VANHEVEL (right) to technical services manager. Vanhevel was an HVAC trainer and support technician prior to his current role.

Mestek, Inc. has announced three new vice-presidents: EMERSON HOBGOOD (top) , CHARLES PERRY JR. (middle), and KURT SHEA (bottom).

Hobgood started at Mestek in 1977 as a press-operator. Perry joined the company in 2010 as sales manager for Sterling HVAC, bringing more than 35 years of HVAC sales and marketing experience to the role. Shea joined the company in 2012 as Mestek’s Distributor Products Group director of engineering.

QUIN RANDOLPH has joined Goodman Canada as the regional manager for Western Canada. Randolph has over 25 years of experience in the industry. TANYA MOLNAR has been promoted to branch manager at Goodman Manufacturing’s Hamilton location. Molnar joined the company in May 2014 as a branch manager trainee.

Ontor Limited has welcomed NELSON MENEZES to its HVAC sales team where he will be working as a sales representative and hydronics specialist.

Menezes has over 20 years of national and international experience as a mechanical engineer in the residential and commercial HVAC industry.

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Wolseley Canada has appointed ANDY SCHOEPKE to the newly created role of director, strategic sourcing and product management.

Schoepke will lead strategic sourcing, procurement and vendor management activities for Wolseley’s network of branches. Before coming to Wolseley, he worked in senior roles at Molson Coors and Barrick Gold.

VITOR GREGORIO has been named the new North American regional president for Bosch Thermotechnology’s heating and cooling and domestic hot water product lines.

Gregorio started his career with Bosch Thermotechnology in Portugal in 1998 before moving on to a variety of senior positions with other Bosch divisions in Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

Hired someone lately?

Let the mechanical world know through the pages of Mechanical Business.

To have your company’s personnel announcements included, free of charge, in an upcoming edition of Mechanical Business, simply send a note and a few details, to greg.dalgetty@mechanicalbusiness.com.

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Profile Siân Smith: CIPH’s First Female Chair

A first happened during this year’s CIPH Annual Business Conference in Quebec City. Noble Corporation’s Siân Smith became the first female chair in the 82-year history of the national trade association. Of course for Smith, a former competitive swimmer, first is a spot she’s more than happy to find herself in.

As incoming chair, she plans to continue to build relationships with the organization’s regions, while also putting a focus on the need for harmonized standards in North America. Also on her radar are the

Q A

Q A

Q

How did you get started in the industry?

Pete and I were engaged to bee married and we were looking to live in his hometown of London, Ont. At the time, I knew very littlee about the plumbing and heating industry, ustry, but I was fortunate to find a role ole at the Emco Corporation head office that provided me with an amazing azing opportunity to learn the business ness from the ground up.

A

What do you do when you are not working? What’s What s your go-to stress break or hobby activity?

Given that I’m a fairly competitive person, I’m not sure that my athletic pursuits would be considered “stress breaks” but I always make time to hit the gym or go for a run or a swim – that’s a priority for me..

Q

As the incoming chair, what do you have planned for thee coming year?

Tell me about your role with Noble.

I joined the Noble team in November 2013 on the procurement side de of the business. I have since taken en on ecently, the pricing team and, more recently, our IT team. For me, I love variety and challenge, so I try not to pay too much heed to my job description ption and just dive in wherever I can add dd value.

What’s been a career highlight, ht, so far?

Looking back, Emco president nt Rick Fantham’s decision in 2007 to put me in a fairly high profile file role as vice-president, procurement. ement.

With few external industry connections and being relatively ely young, and female, I was certainly ainly not the obvious choice. Thanks ks to the tremendous support off the Emco leadership team, that was an important turning point in myy own personal confidence.

A

Mostly, I intend to work hard d to represent our industry and d association to the best of my ability. Along the way, I hopee to be able to inspire others to get involved.

Photo: David Chidley

Q A

evolving regulatory environment, difficulties in attracting and retaining youth, the embracement of new technologies, and a desire to see greater diversity among those who make a living within the mechanical trades.

“Each of us has the ability to make an immediate impact in this area by being more open-minded and actively seeking change in our hiring and coaching practices,” stated Siân during her inaugural speech as chair. “I am committed to doing my part and hope each of you will join me in this endeavor.”

BIO Name: Siân Elizabeth Smith Title: Senior Director of Procurement and Pricing Company: Noble Corporation Resides in: Oakville, Ont. Joined the industry: 1999 Degrees: UWO, BA (‘96), Wilfrid Laurier University, MBA (‘99) Hobbies: Swimming, Running, Reading Family: Husband Pete, and daughters Emily (12) and Rachel (9), and Cockapoo Frankie (2)

FAST FACTS 1. Siân is a “butterflyer”. For two weeks in 1998, she held a worldrecord as part of a 4x50 individual medley relay swim team.

2. She will be running her first full marathon this fall, in New York City.

3. Siân worked as a flight attendant for Air Canada as her summer job while attending university.

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What’s your output?

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•Lower installation costs for you. You can typically install a NPE-S in half the time of other tankless units — usually within 4 hours, with more flexibility and lower material costs.

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Compare the total costs and you’ll see why Navien is the leader in condensing technology.

To learn more visit www.CondensingSaves.com or www.Navien.com

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HIGH-PERFORMANCE HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC

B y Go r d C o o ke

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 airflow management in houses, and can be contacted at gcooke@airsolutions.ca.

TZero argeting Energy in Homes

A

little less than a year ago you may recall I wrote an article about the emerging trend of Net-Zero Energy homes, or what I consider an easier term for consumers to understand, Zero Energy homes. Well, I now have an opportunity to report on the HVAC system for the first of the nine homes, from five different builders, that we are excited to be a part of.

LOW LOADS I would encourage you to visit the model Zero Energy Home in Elora, Ont., built by Steve Wright of Wrighthaven Homes.

Wright has always embraced the Energy Star for New Homes program, and before that built many R-2000 homes. More recently, he was inspired by the concept of bringing a zero energy possibility to his clients.

This beautiful model home has 3,425 square feet of finished floor area, including four bedrooms and a finished basement (2,260 sq.ft of official usable space on the main and second floor).

The design heat loss is just 25,400 BTUH and the design heat gain is 19,600 BTUH. This is the first critical point when considering equipment choices, and if you are thinking these loads are unrealistically low you need to be aware that more and more homes will be achieving these kinds of low loads in the next three to five years.

The general insulation specifications are shown in Table 1.

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TABLE 1 Ceiling

R60 Blown cellulose

Above grade walls

R44 – cavity filled with spray-in-place foam plus R10 exterior insulation

Basement walls

R30 Spray-in-place foam

Under slab

R12 Spray-in-place foam

Windows

R5 – Triple glazed with low E coatings

Air tightness

0.68 Air changes per hour at 50 Pascal – twice as tight as an R-2000 home

• Low • Ex cl oi tai d n sg a•d P v al anyciensg p• er Th cen e in t ages flu en ce • Net o f bzer u ild o in m gech d esign an icals

PLAYING PERCENTAGES It is important to recognize that in low-load homes, intermittent loads, such as solar gain, occupant loads and even pick-up loads after opening doors, represent a bigger percentage of the total load. This can present challenges in ensuring comfort expectations with low capacity heating and cooling systems.

Distributing the small capacity of heating and cooling to the needed location is more important in low load houses, especially because the expectations are very high for the type

of clientele who are likely to buy into a Zero Energy home.

In the Wrighthaven home, the in-floor basement heating offers a simple zone control opportunity. Wright and his mechanical contractor complemented this with a two-zone air damper system for the other two floors.

BUILDING ON TODAY This is one of nine Zero Energy projects our office is working with at the moment. There are already lessons learned. Wright, for example, is reviewing the enclosure design specifications, specifically the exterior walls, to make them even more cost effective.

There are many alternatives that can be explored on the mechanical side as well.

The biggest challenge, in my mind, is that integration of equipment. The capacity of equipment needed is undoubtedly going to get smaller, but the controls, accessories and expertise to have them work smoothly together is going to get more challenging.

Thus Zero Energy homes offer a great opportunity to professional contractors that have the insight and enthusiasm to meet these challenges.

energy that is used for lights, appliances, hot water and the heat loss during the coldest nights of winter and the air conditioning for the hottest days of summer.

In most low-energy homes it is hard to dismiss the efficiency of heat pumps, either ground source or the new very efficient variable refrigerant, low ambient air source heat pumps.

The electrical draw of heat pumps seems to intuitively match the electrical generation of solar panels, using the community electrical grid effectively as a battery.

NET ZERO MECHANICALS The challenge is to design an HVAC system, respecting the very low loads, and yet meet the comfort and lifestyle expectations that are undoubtedly heightened when a house is advertised to be a high performance, Zero Energy home.

In zero energy homes there are inevitably solar panels to generate or make-up for the

In the Wrighthaven Elora home, however, the local electrical distributor, Hydro One, did not approve a micro fit application, so Wright made use of battery storage technology, only turning to Hydro One in the absence of solar power or the power stored in the home’s battery.

Building on the idea of energy independence, he has been using the slogan: “Never be in the dark again” in the marketing of the model home.

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As he says, “The idea of never being beholden to the electrical utility again, really resonates with visitors to the model home.”

The 8 kW capacity solar panels are coupled with a battery storage system that provides for up to two days of electrical storage (2,000 amp hours).

Wrighthaven realized they needed more protection for their clients, however, so they added a natural gas fuelled electrical generator. With natural gas in the mix, it was natural to take advantage of the ambience of a gas fireplace that doubles as a back-up heating source.

Now, the base system could be considered.

To really take advantage of the heat pump concept, a Daikin Altherma air to water heat pump system was chosen both for its efficiency and its flexibility. With a COP of up to 4.55, it rivals the efficiency of ground source heat pumps. The hot water production is used to heat the basement slab with in-floor hydronic heat, supply the heat source for a forced air hot water air handler and provide domestic hot water.

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REFRIGERATION

B y P h il J. B o u d r eau Phil Boudreau is the Ontario sales manager for Bitzer Canada Inc. and provides training and technical support for Bitzer’s clientele.

He can be contacted at pboudreau@bitzer.ca.

ZEOTROPIC REFRIGERANT BEHAVIOUR IN HEAT EXCHANGERS

Z

eotropic refrigerants are blends of two or more refrigerants which, despite being mixed together, may behave independently of each other due to their varying boiling points.

In the naming protocols, refrigerants of this type start with R4, as is the case with R407C. In contrast, azeotropic mixtures behave much like a single or pure fluid. There are also near-azeotropic refrigerants, such as R404A and R410A, which behave similar to azeotropes and pure fluids.

The ‘behaviour’ that I am referring to is the temperature glide. Temperature glide is the temperature gradient that the refrigerant mixture passes through as it changes state at constant pressure. For example, in the evaporator the temperature increases as the refrigerant boils. In the condenser, the temperature decreases as the refrigerant condenses.

To see what happens as R407C passes through the main heat exchangers of a refrigeration system, let’s take a look at an example.

For this example, we will ignore the pressure drop in the low and high sides of the system, and we will assume that we have a system that operates at the following conditions: 40°F SST dew point, 100°F SDT dew point, 5°F liquid subcooling, 10°F evaporator superheat.

DIDYOUKNOW? The saturated liquid is also referred to as the bubble point and that the saturated vapour is also referred to as the dew point.

Let’s take a look at R407C. This refrigerant is 23 per cent R32; 25 per cent R125; and 52 per cent R134a. These HFC constituents have very different pressure-temperature characteristics. After mixing these fluids together, they produce a blend where the saturated liquid and saturated vapour temperatures are not equal.

Since the dew point is also referred to as saturated vapour, points B and C represent the SST and SDT, respectively. However, note that points A and B do not represent the same temperature, as they would with a pure fluid such as R134a. Similarly, points C and D do not represent the same temperature.

continued on page 24

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continued on page 22

Glide in the Condenser

Flashing to Gas In our sample system, refrigerant leaving the metering device and entering the evaporator has a temperature of 31.2°F. At this point the refrigerant has flashed during the throttling process to cool itself to this initial evaporating temperature.

As the refrigerant absorbs latent heat, the temperature increases to 40°F. The full temperature glide of the refrigerant at 40°F dew point is actually 11.1°F. However, since the refrigerant does not enter the evaporator at the bubble point, the net temperature glide that takes place in the evaporator is actually 8.8°F. So in this case, our average evaporating temperature is approximately 35.6°F.

When specifying the liquid temperature for an evaporator selection, we must use the bubble point temperature less any subcooling present. In our example, the liquid temperature that will be fed to the expansion device will have a temperature of 90.7°F minus 5°F, or 85.7°F.

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At point D in our diagram on page 22, the refrigerant has reached its bubble point temperature of 90.7°F. Since our example indicates 5°F of subcooling, the final liquid temperature will be approximately 85.7°F.

PHIL’S TIPS Whenever checking the superheat of the suction vapour or discharge gas, remember to use dew point pressures. Whenever checking subcooling, be sure to use the bubble point pressure. Using the incorrect value will result in a value that differs by the amount of temperature glide present.

It is important to understand how glide affects the condenser selection. With refrigerants that have a significant amount of glide, we have to be sure that we are working with the correct temperatures during heat exchanger selection.

For example, the temperature of the condensing medium must, of course, be less than the liquid temperature after subcooling. So if we use the dew point temperature of 100°F as a reference and then reduce this value by the 5°F of subcooling, the resulting temperature of 95°F would be incorrect.

Therefore, when using information from compressor selections that use dew point as the reference temperature, be sure to consider the glide. Some compressor manufacturers conveniently list the final temperature based on the dew point entered, temperature glide of the refrigerant, and the subcooling entered by the user.

After reaching 40°F, the refrigerant is a saturated vapour and will then be superheated to 50°F by the evaporator. In order to ensure that the fluid entering the chiller can provide the heat required for superheating, it must enter the warm side of the heat exchanger at a temperature that is above 50°F. Interestingly, a real system will have some pressure drop in the evaporator.

This pressure drop tends to offset some of the glide as it reduces the final dew point temperature to a lower value.

However, remember that pressure drop also reduces compressor efficiency.

In the condenser, the refrigerant is desuperheated before reaching a dewpoint temperature of 100°F. Unlike the evaporator, the entire effect of the temperature glide will be realized in the condenser. As the refrigerant condenses, its temperature decreases.

Application Considerations Although near-azeotropic mixtures, such as R404A, have been used successfully in flooded systems, zeotropes that have significant glide should not be used in this type of application. When liquid and vapour exist simultaneously, the composition of the mixture, in terms of the percentage of each constituent, will vary greatly between vapour and liquid.

For example, consider a container of refrigerant that is at equilibrium based on a certain ambient temperature. Although the composition is correct in the liquid state, the composition in the vapour state is incorrect and should not be used. This is why R400 series refrigerants must be charged as a liquid.

In a flooded chiller, the composition of the saturated vapour above the liquid will also be incorrect and the system will not perform as intended as the compressor draws in a mixture that is at the incorrect composition.

As most of us are aware, some existing refrigerants, such as R404A and R507A, will be phased out due to their high global warming potentials (GWP). Some of the alternatives proposed to date have significant temperature glide.

Although we have learned to deal with temperature glide in higher temperature systems, it is important that we are aware of this temperature glide, whether engineering or servicing refrigeration equipment, because we will likely see more of these refrigerants also used on lower temperature systems.

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FOOD DISPOSERS

B y G r e g D a l get t y

101 In-sink waste disposers have been in North

American homes since the 1930s. Despite the occasional challenge by local regulators, they allow for a clean and more hygienic kitchen by reducing the amount of food scraps going into the garbage, which cuts down on kitchen odours and can help mitigate pest problems.

They also divert waste from landfills, which benefits the environment.

There are a number of things to consider before installing a food waste disposer, however. We spoke to Phil Demarte, the Canadian marketing manager for InSinkErator, for some expert advice.

Many disposers also have a knockout plug for connecting the unit to a dishwasher drain. If you’re connecting a unit to a dishwasher, make sure you don’t knock the plug into the disposer and leave it there.

“Essentially, you take a hammer and a screwdriver to knock out a plastic plug if you’re going to connect your dishwasher drain to the disposer. A common installation issue is when plumbers knock the plug out and leave it inside the disposer, and a customer would think there’s an issue with the disposer even though it’s just a hard piece of plastic being knocked around in there.”

MAINTENANCE SIZING A DISPOSER Food disposers come in a variety of sizes and horsepower options.

“As you step up to premium waste disposers you’ll notice that horsepower will go up, but most importantly, sound deadening and grind capabilities go up as well,” Demarte says. “A standard disposer will grind most of the things you can put down any drain, but if you get into more fibrous material, you’re going to want to limit the quantities you put down the drain. When you get up into a premium disposer, you don’t have to worry as much about what you put down there.”

As long as disposers are properly installed and operated, there should be little need for maintenance. But there are a few things to avoid to ensure that waste disposers continue functioning optimally.

“People will run into issues if they pour acid or petroleumbased chemicals down through the disposer,” Demarte says. “For example, drain and floor cleaners or a drywall compound when somebody’s doing a home reno.”

It’s also wise to limit the amount of waste being sent down the drain at any given time.

INSTALLATION Although the installation of a disposer is fairly straightforward—they don’t affect drain pipe sizing, hydraulic load or pipe design—there are a few potential issues to bear in mind.

“You need to have a robust connection with the mounting ring and the mounting assembly for the disposer,” Demarte says. “The mounting assembly has a gasket. If the assembly is not tightened securely or evenly, you won’t have a proper gasket seal underneath the sink, and that could cause a leak.”

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“Limit the load size—the amount you put down the disposer at one time. You can put chicken bones into a standard disposer, but obviously you don’t want to send 20 down at once.”

continues on page 28

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continued from page 26

WORKING ON LOCAL BYLAWS There’s a misconception that food disposers can clog up sewer systems, but few cities in Canada have actually banned their use.

Kevin Wong, manager of the Plumbing Industry Advisory Council of CIPH, has worked on educating municipalities about the beneďŹ ts of waste disposal units. “About six years ago, the Canadian Council of the Ministers of the Environment put out their model sewer-use bylaw,â€? Wong says. “If a municipality wanted to manage what was getting into their wastewater treatment plant, they could do it via bylaws. We had a few municipalities, like Winnipeg, that inadvertently banned foodwaste disposers. [Ed Note: Winnipeg has since rescinded the ban.]

We went back to them and asked them to take a look at what their wastewater treatment plants could do.�

In Ontario, York Region, Markham and Vaughan considered bans, but ultimately decided against them. The province of Quebec also considered a ban, but that got voted down as well. “What we’ve shown Quebec, and a few other provinces and municipalities, is that there are some good things about putting food scraps down the drain. It adds carbon, which helps at the treatment plant, and it helps with carry, so the whole clogging issue is a myth.�

But a ban remains in effect in Toronto—for now, at least. “Toronto’s holdout has been long-term, and they have some very technical challenges. They still have combined sewers, and they still have plants that need upgrading.�

FINGER MYTH DEBUNKED Some worry that food disposers pose a safety risk if your ďŹ ngers get too close to the drain.

Edward Chavez, president of Joneca Corporation, a supplier of food disposers, says that’s not the case. “One thing that surprises a lot of people is that there are no blades in disposers,� Chavez says. “All the food waste is cut through centrifugal force on the inner walls of the disposer where the grind ring is. There are impellers in there, and the purpose of the impellers is to push the food waste to the outside. If you put your hand down a disposer, it’ll get whacked, but they’re not blades.�

The risk of actually injuring yourself while using a food disposer is practically nonexistent. “You’re more likely to get injured putting your hand on a hot stove than you are a disposer. I’ve never seen an incident where somebody put their hand in a disposer and got hurt, contrary to what’s in the movies. Let me put it this way—I’ve never seen it in my 35 years of working with disposers. There was a study in England that said a guy was more likely to get injured by putting on his pants than by operating a disposer.�

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Proper Use of a Disposer

Unexpected Benefits

The key to ensuring the longevity of a waste disposer is making sure it’s used properly.

“We’ve been educating consumers on how to properly use a disposer,” Demarte says. “Essentially, you want to turn the water on first and turn the disposer on next. Slowly feed the food waste into the disposer.

Wait until you hear the grinding stop, and then run water after you turn the disposer off to clear the line as well.”

Experts advise leaving the water running for 15 to 25 seconds after grinding.

When operating a food disposer, homeowners should avoid using hot water.

“They should use cold water, not hot water,” Chavez says.

“If you use hot water, any grease or fat in the food waste will liquefy more and be more likely to coat the pipes going down. Then you have a cholesterol effect—over years, you’ll have a buildup of film, and that will collect more food waste.

So use cold water.”

With more and more municipalities moving to low-flow plumbing systems, sink-mounted food waste disposal could have surprising benefits.

“You might need the added hydraulic load to move what you already have going to the wastewater treatment plant,” says Kevin Wong. “At the end of the day, it’s all physics.”

What’s more, the organic matter that makes up food waste could be a big help to wastewater treatment facilities.

“The extra carbon going to the water-treatment plant helps with energy recovery and methane development and all the other good things that make wastewater treatment plants more energy efficient,” Wong says. “Every little bit counts in making sure the chemistry is just right getting to the plant.

Everything from putting in fat and grease interceptors at restaurants and having them properly maintained, to managing how much water goes down the drain as your community grows, to how you deal with solids and methane.”

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Water Mixing and Recirculation System The IntelliStation, available from Powers, offers digital water temperature regulation for commercial and institutional facilities with an accuracy of +/-2°F. It comes with a controller with a 3.5” touchscreen that displays almost 200 combinations of critical data, including mixed outlet temperature, mixed and return flow, and energy consumption. It also features a sanitization mode for use in high-temperature system purges.

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Trailer Jet General Pipe Cleaners’ Typhoon trailer jet is designed to clear pipe obstructions by dispensing 12 gallons of water a minute at 2,500 psi. It comes with a 2,000 gallon holding tank and has a jet hose reel with capacity for 400 ft. of 1/2" line and a water supply hose reel carrying 150 ft. of 3/4" hose. The unit also features a 690 cc (24 hp) engine with electric start, a 7-gallon fuel tank and a suspension rated at 3,500 lb. per axle.

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COMMERCIAL TRUCK ROUNDUP

B y Ho war d J. Elmer

Changes ongoing in pickup market

Howard J. Elmer is a PowerSports editor, writer and author, based in Brampton, Ont. He has a transportation, newspaper and radio background, and is a member of the Truck Writers of North America, the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada and the creator of the Canadian Truck King Challenge. www.canadiantruckkingchallenge.ca.

anadians love their trucks. The all-aluminum Ford F-150 is here and selling well while the Ram 1500 with the 3L EcoDiesel engine is now in its second year and has exceeded all sales projections.

C 2015 TOYOTA TUNDRA Last year saw Tundra go upmarket with the release of its “1794” trim package.

While there were no new engines, Toyota sales continue to be strong with the current 5.7L V8 and 4.6L V8 – both mated to the same sixspeed transmission. New standard features on the 2015 include a blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, a standard back-up camera and Bluetooth.

Also arriving later this year will be the first new Toyota Tacoma in nine years, which is currently being shown across the country. Technically a 2016 it will be here late this fall with a new 3.5L Atkinson-cycle V6 engine.

And not to be left out, Ford and Ram are again torque playing king-of-the-hill by pushing up the tor weight and an d to tow w we weig ght ratings on their HD pickups ffor model the th e 2016 mod del yyear. ear. Ram leads with an ea eye-popping ey yee po p pp ppin ing g 31 331,210 ,210 210 1 lb.

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Max. Towing Capacity:

10,800 lb.

Box Sizes:

5’, 6’5”, 8’

2015 FORD SUPERDUTY F250 TO F450 2015 is a carry-over year for SuperDuty, so Ford is already leaking changes to its 2016 trucks. Wh What’s t’ coming is a boosted power stroke diesel that will make 860 lb-ft of torque and 440 hp. The new top weight rating of 31,200 lb. (gooseneck towing) will be available in the F450. Other than that, a new option will be four-corner LED warning strobe lights.

Wheelbase:

137”, 142”, 156”, 158”, 172”

Cab Styles:

Regular, SuperCab, SuperCrew

Engine Sizes:

Wheelbase:

141”, 150”, 170”

Cab Styles:

Regular, Crew, Mega Cab

Engine Sizes: Power (hp/torque): Max. Payload: Max. Towing Capacity: Box Sizes:

6.2L V8, 6.7L turbo-diesel

Power (hp/torque): Max. Payload:

385/405 440/860 7,260 lb.

Max. Towing Capacity: Box Sizes:

Over at Nissan, the Titan re-launch is bringing a new niche to the truck market, a larger than ½-ton pickup with a new 5L Cummins diesel engine. It’s not likely to arrive before Christmas though.

31,200 lb.

5.7L V8 Hemi, 3.6L V6, 3.0L EcoDiesel 395/410,

305/269, 240/420 Varies by model.

3LEcoDiesel – 9,200 lb., 3.6L V6 – 7,450 lb., 5.7L V8 – 10,650 6’4”, 8’

2015 RAM 1500 Ram’s original estimate for 3L diesel sales in the Ram halfton was five per cent of its total. By the end of the first year it had hit 20 per cent, and this year has been no different.

Available features on the Ram include eightspeed transmission, front park assist, fourcorner air suspension, and a new Uconnect 8.4”touch screen display.

6’8”, 8”

continued on page 34

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THE FUTURE OF TRUCK. THE FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP. The all-new 2015 F-150 wasn’t engineered with a military-grade aluminum body** to simply reduce weight by up to 700 lbs.* It was done to deliver more for your business: best-in-class maximum towing of 12,200 lbs*** and maximum payload of 3,300 lbs,*** more fuel efficiency,^ more dent and corrosion resistance, and a higher power-to-weight ratio. These are some of the many reasons why it is AJAC’s Best New Pickup for 2015. Put these numbers to work for your business. Make Ford Fleet the team behind your team. Visit www.fleet.ford.ca or contact us at 1.800.668.5515

THE ALL-NEW 2015 F-150

Vehicles may be shown with optional features. *EPA curb weight, versus predecessor model. **Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs (3,856 kg) GVWR. ***When properly equipped. Max. towing of 12,200 lbs with 3.5L EcoBoost® V6 4x2 engine. Max. payloads of 3,300 lbs/3,270 lbs with 5.0L Ti-VCT V8/3.5L V6 EcoBoost® 4x2 engines. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs GVWR vs. 2015 competitors. ^Best-in-class fuel efficiency with 2015 F-150 4x2 equipped with the 2.7L V6 EcoBoost® and 6-Speed SelectShift® Automatic Transmission, estimated fuel consumption ratings are 12.2L/100km city, 9.2L/100km hwy, 10.9L/100km combined, based on Government of Canada–approved test methods. Actual fuel consumption will vary. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs (3,856 kg) excluding Diesel versus 2014 and 2015 competitors’ 5-cycle ratings. ©2015 Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved.

COMMERCIAL TRUCK ROUNDUP

continued from pag page agee 32 32

2015 RAM TRUCK HD 2500 AND 3500 2015 is a carry-over year for Ram HD. Like Ford they are already making noise about the 2016 models – currently claiming best-in-class towing to come.

However, this year what is offered is new air suspension on 2500 and 3500 models as well as a five-link coil rear suspension on the 2500 and a new integrated fifth-wheel/ gooseneck hitch available from the factory. The new 6.4L V8 Hemi is proving popular as a diesel alternative.

Wheelbase:

119” 133” 158”

Cab Styles:

Regular, Double Cab, Crew Cab

Engine Sizes:

EcoTec3 - 4.3L V6, 5.3L V8, 6.2L V8

Power (hp/torque):

285/305, 355/383, 420/460

Max. Payload:

2,270 lb.

Max. Towing Capacity: Wheelbase:

141”, 150”, 170”

Cab Styles:

Regular, Crew, Mega Cab

Engine Sizes:

Box Sizes:

383/400, 350/850, 410/429

Max. Payload:

Last year was the big generational change for Chevy and GMC – so again, 2015 is a carry-over year for half-tons.

New items included a trio of engines called EcoTec3. These are a 4.3L V6, a 5.3L V-8 and a 6.2L V-8. The trucks also got two-stage rear leaf springs; revised steering, quieter cabs, new brakes and new interiors. The box received a new integrated bumper-step with a handhold, new tiedowns, under-edge lighting and an EZ down tailgate.

A new addition this year is an eightspeed automatic transmission, which has been added to the 6.2L V-8. This boosts maximum trailering to 12,000 lb. Chevy is now also offering MyLink with text messaging alerts and Siri Eyes Free. Also available through OnStar is 4G LTE and built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. Also new, available up-level trailering mirrors with back-up lighting.

7,320 lb.

Max. Towing Capacity:

30,010 lb.

Box Sizes:

6’4”, 8’

2015 CHEVROLET SILVERADO HD 2500 - 3500 2015 is also a carry-over year for the HD GM trucks. They did the big update last year, so those changes are still fresh.

These included a new, quieter interior, new screens and electronics, as well as safety and stability that now combine ABS, traction control, sway control and cruise control into one system. The trucks also got new 6.5- and 8-foot boxes with standard CornerStep bumpers, EZ Lift & Lower tailgates, and inbox lighting.

Wheelbase: Whe Wh elbase elb lbbase ase::

133”, 133””, 144”, 133 144””, 154”, 144 14 154””, 167” 154 167” 167

Cab Styles:

Regular, Double Cab, Crew Cab

Engine Sizes:

6L V8, 6.6L turbo-diesel

Power (hp/torque):

360/380, 397/765

Max. Payload:

7,374 lb.

Max. Towing Capacity:

23,200 lb.

Box Sizes:

6’5”, 8’

Wheelbase: Cab Styles: Engine Sizes: Power (hp/torque): Max. Payload: Max. Towing Capacity: Box Sizes:

2015 FORD F150 Ford is selling every all-aluminum body F-150 it can build.

New this year is a 2.7L EcoBoost engine added to the lineup.

However, this success does not stop the blue oval from working on electronic offerings that will be rolled out in the next

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5’7”, 6’6”, 8’

2015 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

5.7L V8 Hemi, 6.7L turbo-diesel 6.4L V8 Hemi

Power (hp/torque):

12,000 lb.

B u s i n e s s

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122”, 141”, 145”, 157”, 163” Regular, SuperCab, SuperCrew 3.5L V6, 3.5L V6 (EcoBoost), 2.7L V6 (EcoBoost), 5.0L V8 282/253, 365/420, 325/375, 385/387 3,120 lb.

11,300 lb.

5’5”, 6’5”, 8’

few model years.

First is a new Nav/Entertainment and tech package that is coming from Ford’s partners in Silicon Valley. The next F-150 will also offer up to six cameras on its body, including ones that can see around corners.

Mobile apps will talk to your truck and if you have trouble backing up your trailer, Ford has also created a trailer back-up system that will do it for you.

Time for your company to put up some

big numbers.

1

best-in-class payload, up to 7,390 lb.

The 2015 Ram Heavy Duty doesn’t just take on a job, it takes over. With legendary strength pumping from its 6.7L Cummins® Turbo Diesel, Ram Heavy Duty is engineered to overachieve. That’s why it’s Canada’s Longest-Lasting and Best-Selling Line of Diesel Pickups.* And with Best-In-Class Towing1 up to 30,000 lb and a 24,000 km Oil Change Interval,2 it’s as strong as it is efficient. Talk to us about getting Ram Heavy Duty working for your company. And hit the mother load of payloads.

fleetchrysler.ca 1 800 463-3600 Based on 2500/250 and 3500/350 class pickups. *Longevity based on IHS Automotive: Polk Canadian Vehicles in Operation data as of July 1, 2013 for model years 1994 – 2013 for all large pickups sold and available in Canada over the last 20 years. Best-selling based on IHS Automotive: Polk Canadian New Vehicle Registrations through October 2013 for large diesel pickups under 14,000-lb GVW. 2Oil change intervals will vary based on excessive engine run times, operating conditions, maintenance schedules and driving habits. Excludes biodiesel fuel operation with the Cummins Turbo Diesel engine. See your retailer for full details.

1

HVAC

Finding the Right Spot with Unit Heaters

B y Jam ie Tuinstra

Unit heaters are ideal for garage and warehouse warming, as well as storage areas, greenhouses and other large, enclosed spaces, but there’s an art to their placement. Where to hang them and where not to, how best to apply the heat they provide, and how to size them for the task. Some applications are ideal for condensing systems while others aren’t.

When selecting unit heaters, consider the following: 1. Type of heating medium available: gas, electricity, fuel oil, steam or hot water 2. Type of unit (vertical, horizontal or power-throw) 3. Mounting height 4. Sound level 5. Size Quality heating must be properly piped, wired, suspended and vented. If any one of these areas is ignored, trouble will follow.

Sizing it right

To select size: A. Determine inside temperature to be maintained and the design temperature for the location. The difference between these two figures is the design temperature difference.

B. Calculate net areas in square feet of glass, wall, floor and roof exposed to outside temperature or to unheated spaces.

Calculate doors as all glass.

C. Choose heat transfer coefficients and compute heat transmission loss for each type of area in BTUH by multiplying each area by its coefficient times the temperature difference.

The overall coefficient of heat transfer is the U-factor. The steady state thermal resistance of something is known as its R-Value. Heat loss calculations use the U-factor; however, the U-factor can be calculated if the R-value is known.

D. Calculate room volume in cubic feet and multiply by the estimated number of air changes per hour due to infiltration (usually by one or two). Determine cubic feet per hour of air exhausted by ventilating fans or industrial processes.

Substitute the larger or these two figures in the formula to determine the heat required to raise the air from outside to room temperature.

BTUH =

When deciding on a unit heater, you must know how much heat is needed. Information about sizing a heater and estimating monthly energy costs can be found on manufacturer websites, or by consulting with a manufacturer’s rep.

A heater’s size must be chosen to offset the heat loss of the space, taking into account heat-throw or spread and piping arrangement.

(cu.ft. per hr.) (temp. difference) 55

E. Totals of BTU losses from C and D will give total heat to be supplied by unit heaters. Note – if processes performed in the room give off considerable heat, this may be determined as accurately as possible as heat gain and subtracted from the total.

F. Add 10% to heat loss figures for areas exposed to prevailing winds.

G. Match total BTUH heat loss to output of catalogue model number(s) of unit type(s).

Don’t take the ol’ guesswork shortcut. Oversized unit heaters cycle too frequently and waste energy. Undersized units add other sources of unhappiness into the mix.

continues on page 38

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WE HAVE ALL YOUR BASES COVERED

Join the big leagues.

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continued from page 36

Condensing vs. non-condensing An important consideration is whether or not to use condensing systems.

While they offer greater efficiency, they’re not always the perfect fit for every situation.

Condensing systems extract BTUs through the moisture that collects on stainless steel heat exchangers inside. But you must consider how to properly get rid of the (slightly acidic) condensate.

Condensate lines must be channeled into drain lines inside the building, or outside. And of course, unprotected lines outside won’t do well in midwinter temperatures. Also consider the use of condensation filtration or a “polishing” system to neutralize the moisture before it’s dumped.

If condensate isn’t properly taken care of, it can greatly affect the space that the unit heaters are in. Wood floors warp, puddles can be hazardous for people working in the area, anything electronic can be destroyed – and cause a potential danger, like shortages. And water can also damage anything that’s being stored.

Make sure condensate lines are clear of obstruction and flowing freely on a regular basis, and that the “P” trap has been primed and filled with water and condensate overflow switches are working properly. Some installers will even install a spare condensate line next to the old one. Plug the ends. Now there’s a quick answer to a “clogged line” call.

Location, Location, Location Improper mounting height is responsible for most heater installation problems. When unit heaters are installed at heights greater than recommended, improper heat distribution is the result. It’s just the opposite when unit heaters are installed too low. Excessive air movement is sure to cause discomfort.

Typically, to get the best heat circulation and distribution, unit heaters should be mounted on exterior walls, especially when the space calls for more than one unit. This creates a whirlpool effect as each unit throws heat down a different wall. That natural movement and cascading of warmed air can be predicted to the benefit of those working in the space.

Use as few unit heaters as possible to give proper heat coverage to the area to be heated. The number of units selected will depend on the heat throw or spread of the individual heaters.

If the space doesn’t have a need for more than one heater, mount the heater in a corner of two exterior walls and aim it at a 45° angle, pointing the louvers down. It will bounce the air in a circle around the room. Locating the thermostat away from the airflow is also critical to ensuring comfort throughout the space.

If more than one heater is called for, space them so that each supports the air stream from another heater. This sets up circulatory air movement to produce a blanket of warm air along the walls.

Yoga? Maybe not Temperature and humidity are important. Recently, a few yoga studio owners and their mechanical contractors learned that a gas-fired unit heater was not right for their needs. Bikram, or “hot yoga,” is a 90-minute yoga class in a studio that’s cranked to 104°F with a humidity of 50%. The unit heaters weren’t designed for a location with that degree of heat and humidity and, well, they stopped working.

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Another location factor to keep in mind: what’s going to be in the space that’s getting heated? Are there woodworking projects or spray finishes? Spaces that could have a potential fire danger should have a heater with a separate combustion chamber, burning fresh outside air instead of the dust- or paint-laden air inside a garage or workshop. Not only are there fire hazards, but the dust and paint particles will likely cause burner problems and unhappy customers.

The best option for spaces such as these is a blower type heater in a separate room with ducting to the dust-laden or potentially flammable space. On that note, don’t install atmospheric gas- or oil-fired units in areas where chlorinated, halogenated or acid vapours are present in the atmosphere.

C CP-16 C Condensate o Pump ble Relia nce rma Perfo Great at a e Pric

The DiversiTech CP-16 pump offers excellent performance at a great price. Loaded with g features, the CP-16 is ultra-reliable and a great value.

Vent it right A heating system is only as good as the venting system it’s connected to. A poor vent system will not only cause problems with proper combustion of the fuel being burned, but it can also lead to spillage or leakage of the products of combustion into the heated space.

Here are three rules to follow to assure proper venting: • Keep vent runs as straight as possible • Be sure that all vents terminate with proper vent caps • Making sure vent size is appropriate for the appliance

2y AR

ED

EXTEND

W

These apply to vertical and horizontal applications. Vertical vent systems must terminate vertically, and at a reasonable distance above the roof to prevent snow buildup from blocking the vent terminal. Horizontal vent systems must terminate horizontally – and not near air inlet openings to the structure, high enough or guarded to prevent accidental contact by people or equipment.

ear

R A N TY

Features • 16’ Lift • High Level Alarm • Anti-Vibration Rubber Feet

• Removable Check Valve

• Four Inlet Holes • Available in 120V

and 230V versions

Jamie Tuinstra is a Product Manager with Modine Manufacturing Company.

He can be reached at j.m.tuinstra@na.modine.com.

www.diversitech.com M e c h a n i c a l

B u s i n e s s

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39

HVAC/R Products P Digital Manifold Testo’s 577 digital manifold comes with a remote vacuum probe and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing technicians to read and log data for air conditioning and refrigeration systems using a mobile app.

The device’s battery life is 250 hours. Two NTC thermistor clamp probes provide real-time superheat and sub-cooling readings.

testo.com

Rooftop Units The Energence line of rooftop units from Lennox offer efficiencies of up to 18 SEER and sound levels as low as 81dBA. They are available in 3- to 50-ton models in 60Hz and 50Hz and come with a control system that offers 250 adjustable parameters for climate control. There is also an option for a factory-installed connection to integrate directly to solar power.

www. lennoxcommercial.com

Refrigerant

Ductless System

Forane R-427A refrigerant from Arkema can be used as a replacement for R-22 refrigerants, and is suitable for low- and medium-temperature refrigeration and air conditioning applications. It has similar performance to HCFC-22, although its discharge temperature can be as much as 40°F lower. No equipment change is necessary before installation.

The 19 series of single-split ductless residential systems from Daikin offers SEER capabilities of up to 19.0 and an HSPF of 9.0. Its drain pan is designed for operation in cold weather.

Systems range from 0.75- to 2.0-ton cooling capacities and are available in heat pump and cooling-only models.

daikinac.com

forane.com

Aluminum Elbows Deflecto’s aluminum elbows have been engineered for compliance with LEED requirements. They are fully adjustable from 0 to 90 degrees. Their light-gauge construction makes them suitable for bathroom venting.

Ducts are crimped on one end and availDuc ab able in 3” to 6” sizes.

deflecto.com

Fan Grille Delta Products’ GBR-DGL grille for GreenBuilder series fans is made of ABS material and measures 10.75” by 10.75”.

It connects directly to the fan housing using torsion springs and is available for the Delta Breez GBR50, GBR80, GBR80H and GBR100 ventilation fans.

Follow Us on Twitter @MechBusiness

deltabreez.com

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A whole new level of

whole home comfort.

Introducing Hyper-Heat Multi-Split systems from Mitsubishi Electric.

W I N N E R

M-Series | MXZ-H2i • Connect up to 8 indoor units • Available in 6 sizes

• Capacity range of 6,000 – 54,000 BTU/h • All systems are Energy Star rated

You can trust the leader in comfort innovation to help you deliver the best solutions to your customers. Our Multi-Split systems are now available with Hyper-Heat, providing more heat, more efficiently. Personalized comfort with less reliance on supplemental heating.

Now that’s a change for the better.

*When installed by an Authorized HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) Installer.

MseriesHVAC.ca

with Roger Grochmal

Finding the next leaders “What do you look for in the people you promote and hire into leadership positions? And what do you as a leader er do to ensure the team respects you and follows your lead?” Steve M., Vancouver, B.C.

Roger Grochmal is the CEO 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.

Finding different perspectives Many of our newest leaders come from outside the industry. I often get asked why that is.

First, it is often that we haven’t been able to find qualified management from within the sector pool – the waters just aren’t deep enough.

Second, when we hire from outside of the industry, we are getting a fresh perspective from people who look at challenges differently and suggest solutions we may not have thought of ourselves.

42

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T

here are as many books on the subject of leadership out there as any other topic in business. This is something I have thought about a lot lately as I worked through a transition plan to the next generation of leaders in my company.

People often confuse management with leadership. When I first hired a management team at AtlasCare, its role was to take responsibility for a functional area of the company. They had a group of people to supervise and were given budgets to achieve. They took some of the operations load off of me. Over time, however, that management team evolved to become my senior leadership team – a group of individuals I count on to help realize the company vision and mentor others along the way.

First and foremost, leaders must live our company culture. They must understand it, demonstrate it, hire for it and be prepared to discipline and terminate those who don’t live it. We employ an industrial psychologist to ensure our leaders meet this standard, have the emotional quotient to be effective in our organization and are compatible with the other members of the leadership team.

A good leader sets the strategy for the company and its divisions. Our leadership team recently developed a plan we will be following for the next two years. They have ownership of the end result.

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LIVING YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION A good leader leaves no one behind. Leaders must know all parts of the business; understand how we make money; and how they can add the most value to the company. At our company, we have a great onboarding program. New leaders must ride with techs, work the phones and go on sales calls so they truly experience every facet of the business.

I hold regular one-to-one meetings to coach and mentor my leadership team. I challenge them with targets and stretch goals, and I make sure that we pay them well for achieving company goals.

My job jo is to set the vision, to give everyone a reason to get out front and lead the way every reaso day. In the end, if someone isn’t providing the leadership we need, then it is my job to get them leade back on track or make a change. These are tough decisions but I have always taken the view that decis matter who is involved, I am responsible for no m the th e livelihood li of 90 other families who count on me and a the leadership team to get it right.

WHAT www.mechanicalbusiness.com

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WHAT F E A T U R E S 50HYDRONICS

t a e r g CONTENTS supple m e nt

62ROAD WARRIOR Adam Freill

0 8 . 1 5

Terry Irwin: Making things hum, in the boiler room

We Got the Lead Out! Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

52THERMAL STORAGE Hiding Heat in the PEX Jerry Leyte

PUMPS VS. VALVES 64ZONING Eric Riml

56BASEBOARD How Much Is Too Much?

Dan Holohan

72HYDRONIC I.Q. Hitting the Gridiron, n, Canadian-Style zko, Nick Pellegrino, Ron Dotzko, Warren Hyde, Dave Hughes, Sean W Hi iscock Hiscock

68CIRCULATORS John Barba

D E P A R T M E N T S 46From the Editor’s Desk 60Find the Fix 76-80Products

On the cover: Road Warrior Terry Irwin, start-up and optimization technician for Ecosystem, on the jobsite. Photo: Dave Chidley

WHAT

Content Media Group Inc. 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 Canada Tel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913 www.mechanicalbusiness.com August 2015 Issue Editor: Adam Freill, ext. 224 adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com

Associate Editor/Web Editor: Greg Dalgetty, ext. 225 greg.dalgetty@mechanicalbusiness.com National Accounts Manager: Jeff Superle, ext. 221 jeff.superle@mechanicalbusiness.com U.S. Key Accounts Manager: Roy Wagner (401) 737-7871 roy.wagner@mechanicalbusiness.com Controller: Liz Mills liz.mills@mechanicalbusiness.com Office Administrator: Brooke Klintworth brooke.klintworth@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 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Submissions: Copyright in material submitted to the magazine and accepted for publication remains with the author, but Mechanical Business and its licensees may freely reproduce it in print, electronic or other forms. 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 $90 plus taxes 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).

FROM

THE

EDITOR’S

We have a code, let’s use it!

A little while back I was chatting with a hydronics instructor from one of the colleges about some of the various codes, standards and regulations in play in the mechanical sector – all the rules of the road when it comes to ensuring that the systems that are being designed and installed are safe and reliable.

What started as general chat soon turned into a focused discussion about the fact that not everybody is aware of the presence of the CSA B214 Installation Code for Hydronic Heating Systems, let alone its status as a referenced standard in the National Building Code.

Council offers training programs and resources.

To learn more, email Matt

At the time, and even today, there were varying opinions about how systems can and should be built, what components to include, and where to include said parts, and the code goes a long way to help ensure that local inspectors agree (or disagree) with the way a system has been designed or installed.

It also helps provide answers when trying to build a system that will provide occupants in a safe and efficient manner. comfort to the building bu document, one that has been reviewed by Having a reference refere top minds in the sector, can help when you see some of the to those that we use as inspiration for our Find the systems like th (which is on page 60 this issue, by the way).

Fix puzzles (w That said, we still run into contractors, building officials and makers who are not aware of its presence, and policy m that’s where we can all do our part. The Canadian Hydronics Council offers training and resources Hyd ffor and about the standard, and it only takes a moment to direct someone to the resources that can help ensure a healthy future for hydronic systems throughout the country.

Proud members of:

Until next time,

A Adam Freill S u p p l e m e n t

The Canadian Hydronics

The standard, which was first published back in 2001, was developed to help bring consistency in quality, performance and design of the hydronic heating systems being installed from coast to coast.

© Copyright 2015. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the publisher.

W H A T

CHC: There to help

Wiesenfeld at Some of the confusion about whether it is m.wiesenfeld@ciph.com. subject to inspection and enforcement can likely be attributed to the road the document followed to gain acceptance at the code level, but it has been part of the NBC since 2010, and is one of the main documents that helps outline how to build an effective hydronic system for the Canadian market.

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.

46

DESK

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Burlington Firm Goes Plaid for Dad

WET

INK

Boilers in the News Rehau Wins Project of the Year Award The Building & Construction division of the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) has given Rehau its Project of the Year award.

The hydronic system component manufacturer received the award for its role in the construction of the Ecole Secondaire Jeunes sans Frontiers in Brampton, Ont. The building features a radiant slab heating and cooling system consisting of 104,700 feet of plastic 5/8” pipe and 42 manifolds.

PPI is a non-profit trade association promoting the use of plastics in pipe infrastructure systems. This is the third time Rehau has received this award.

Aqua-Tech employees donned plaid clothing on June 19 and raised $1,000 for Prostate Cancer Canada while doing their best Red Green and Al Borland impressions.

The event was part of Wear Plaid for Dad, a nationwide effort to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer, which affects one in eight Canadian men. Registered participants can wear any kind of plaid clothing they wish.

“We are all touched by family or friends who have struggled with cancer,” said Bill Palamar, president and CEO of Aqua-Tech. “We are committed to continue our fight against this terrible disease, as so many of our friends in our industry also do.”

Aqua-Tech is celebrating 35 years in business this year with its 35 Random Acts of Kindness campaign. The company is taking part in 35 charitable events and activities throughout the course of the year, with employees recently participating in the Rankin Cancer Run and the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer. aquatech-canada.com

rehau.com

Lochinvar VIPs Tour Nashville Area Jamie Whitehead of Cooper Plumbing & Heating in Calgary, Alta., was one of 16 VIP contractors selected to attend Lochinvar’s Nashville Experience in June.

Whitehead, who was previously featured in these pages as a Road Warrior, was selected for his work installing a snowmelt system at a custom home in Calgary. As a VIP, he received an all-expenses paid trip to the 2015 CMA Fest, which featured performances by Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood. He also visited Lochinvar’s headquarters in Lebanon, Tenn., where he toured the company’s manufacturing facility.

Whitehead and the other VIPs learned about Lochinvar’s latest technologies and had the opportunity to offer feedback on the company’s products.

“It’s an honour to welcome these valued partners to our hometown and headquarters and hear their opinions, while rewarding them for their hard work,” said Jennifer VanHook, marketing services manager for Lochinvar. lochinvar.com

Talking Pros of Radiant at ABC 2015 Guest speaker Ronald Gagnon brought frontline system experience to those attending the hydronics luncheon at this year’s CIPH ABC, held at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, Que., in June.

Gagnon, the vice-president of Plan Unique, a Montreal-based consulting firm specializing in building construction and maintenance, has been involved in more than 20 LEED Gold-certified projects. He spoke about the applications, benefits and drawbacks of radiant floor heating and cooling in commercial buildings, including the need to address humidity when incorporating hydronic cooling into a project.

He also spoke of the challenges of designing energyefficient buildings. “Being an agent of change is never easy,” he said. ciph.com

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System Design

W

ith low-leaded brass valves and components in the market, and some of these being used in hydronic systems (sometimes by design; sometimes because they are what’s available in a pinch) it might be worth examining our soldering practices, since lowlead fittings don’t always act the same way as the older components.

SOLDERING

BASICS Whether leaded or leadfree, every solder joint should be sanded and the fitting brushed. Copper tube may have oils on it.

Even the printing on the tube can sometimes upset the ability to solder the joint properly.

Do not over-flux; just apply a very thin coating. I know a plumber who uses a sponge to apply flux, as this prevents over-brushing it on or inside the fitting.

Of course, all copper tube that is cut with a displacement type tube cutter must have the end reamed to remove the burr.

Many production installers use a porta-band or chop saw to cut copper tube, eliminating the potential burr issue.

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Remember not too long ago we switched to water-soluble fluxes to protect drinking water quality. These fluxes had a burn point that was very close to the melting point of the mandated no-lead solders required on potable water systems. Care had to be taken as to not overheat the fittings since the flux can burn, which would cause the joint to not solder well, or at all.

One difference with low lead alloys is they expand at a different rate. They also have lower thermal conductivity and do not warm up as evenly as the older “leaded” brass products.

Typically, an installer would heat around the base of a fitting with the torch. The heat transfers through the brass fitting to heat the copper tube inside the hub or fitting. The solder draws into the hot point, and all is well.

The trick is to heat the fitting just enough to cause the solder to easily flow all around the fitting, and then remove the heat to prevent burning the flux. Avoid using a torch tip that overheats small areas of the joint.

With low-lead alloys better results may come by heating the copper tube outside the brass fitting first, as low-lead fittings often expand away from the tube and will not conduct heat to the copper tube in the fitting. If you just heat the fitting, the solder melts and flows on the fitting cup, but the copper tube inside may not be to the solder melting point.

Give it a try at your shop; larger diameter fittings are more sensitive to this anomaly. Compare a leaded brass fitting to a low-lead when you heat and solder.

Low-lead is a reality in our world, and both plumbers and hydronic installers are going to run into these on the job so it will be up to us to figure out a way to make it happen. Reminds me of an old Beatles tune, speaking words of wisdom, lead it be, lead it be.

S u p p l e m e n t

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by Bob ‘Hot Rod’ Rohr Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr has been a plumbing, radiant heat and solar contractor and installer for 30 years. A long-time columnist and trainer, he is manager of training and education with Caleffi North America. You can reach Hot Rod at bob.rohr@caleffi.com.

Filled WITH NO GAPS unless you cut open a joint and flatten

ADJUSTING TO A LEAD-FREE WORLD

it apart, it is impossible to know how

Every so many years, a new requirement or code change comes about that makes

well the solder filled the joint.

plumbers and HVAC techs scratch their heads, or pull their hair out in

Many years ago when I tested for

wonderment. Most remember the low flush toilet requirement as one of those

my mechanical licence we were

“What’s up with that?” moments.

required to solder several 1”

I’d like to think lawmakers have the best intentions when they mandate changes,

copper offsets.

but looking back at the early low-flush toilets that were mandated, I recall a lot

The course proctor cut open

of unhappy home and building owners who paid the price as less than adequate

two fittings to inspect. If the joint

products flooded the market.

Opinions vary on soldering challenges with low lead brass. Some installers have had problems, others not. Really,

had any areas that were not

The low lead requirement is another example of putting the cart in front of the horse, in my mind.

completely covered with solder,

Someone, somewhere, decided we were subjecting the public to levels of lead that were

points were deducted.

unacceptable. This alleged higher-than-acceptable lead level was, in part, determined to be leaching

Soldering a 100 per cent filled joint

from brass plumbing components, as brass is an alloy that contains an amount of lead, alloyed with

every time is not as easy as it looks.

copper. The amount of lead blended in brass depends on the alloy and its intended use.

Building a ridge layer around the

From a contractor’s and manufacturer’s perspective, one obvious and un-answered question is: Which

outside of the fitting is not the way to seal a solder joint.

products produc need to be low lead compliant? A good question, indeed, and there are still some grey areas.

For example, exa does a backflow preventer on a boiler fill valve need to be low lead? In theory the water only one direction through the backflow device, and does not allow fluid back to the potable only ttravels ra side. What W about a pressure reducing valve used in hydronics, if no backflow device is paired with it?

Of course, cou distributors want to know what to do with their existing “leaded” inventories, not to mention mentio the question of whether they should they stock two queues, one for plumbing and one for hydronics?

One low-lead and one standard brass for ball valves, for example? hydron Manufacturers Manufa need to know which products to convert, and also where to source low-lead alloys to build with. w o only a handful of manufacturers were producing the alloy, and it was not available in all the Early on, common commo sizes and shapes typically used in the mechanical industry.

And for fo companies making both lead-free and standard products, the waste from the machining needed to be kept separate and documented as to not blend the two alloys when recycling the chips

HELP IS JUST A WEBSITE AWAY Many of the brass manufacturers have produced soldering “how to” videos to help eliminate any

and over-burden ove from the machine process.

Perhaps Perhap the most appropriate question is why is leaded brass even a concern? Some industry experts suggest only very specific water quality conditions will even cause lead to leach from the alloy. Some suggested it might have been better to treat those rare water conditions instead of changing the alloy.

Regardless, we head down the low lead path, and installers adjust to both making appropriate product selections for the regulations in their jurisdictions, as well as changes to processes, like soldering, that have come up as a result of the changes.

frustration in the field with bad solder joints.

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51

Thermal Storage

By Jerry Leyte

HIDING HEAT IN THE

Ensuring top performance

PEX

When installing a system where PEX will provide thermal storage, consider whether the radiant loops should contain a glycol mix, to minimize any risk of freezing, and ensure that the loops are installed in a manner that will not cause any kinks to develop in the lines.

The system also needs to be free of any airlocks, and the loop lengths need to be properly sized and balanced for even flow within the system in order to optimize its performance.

And as you well know, PEX tubing also has a considerable history of use as piping to transport heating fluids to and from various types of radiators, fan coils, baseboards, and so forth in the form of hydronic distribution piping, and options are continuing to evolve, especially as the industry incorporates the larger 1” to 2” pipe sizes that are now available.

Perhaps a less commonly used application, but one that is garnering more and more attention, is the use of PEX tubing for thermal storage.

I

n previous articles for Mechanical Business I have written about or referenced many of the typical applications of PEX tubing as it is used for radiant applications. These heating and cooling applications often take place in the floors of a building, but walls and ceilings, as well as other structures in a building, could be used as the radiator or emitter just as easily.

When using PEX piping in thermal storage applications, the medium for maintaining the heat or cold is often a sand bed. This is typically located under the building.

The key advantage of this type of application is the minimal amount of disruption it has on the rest of the building space. This thermal storage bed is literally out of sight and out of mind.

A question of SPACE Typically, when one thinks of thermal storage for mechanical heating and cooling systems, we think of large water storage tanks. These large tanks are great for storing energy, but they also have a space requirement that needs to be considered.

Engineers and architects can be challenged with where to incorporate

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mechanical equipment into a building’s footprint, especially when pressured to maximize the usable square footage in a commercial project.

Thermal storage tanks can take up a lot of valuable real estate, so in some applications the tanks are incorporated into the property landscape or on the roof of the building, rather than in a

0 8 . 1 5

mechanical room, which is often at maximum capacity to begin with.

Another option is to go underground with the thermal storage, using a PEX piping system that is connected to the building’s heating and cooling systems. continues on page 54

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continued from page 52

Building a bank Thermal storage is like a battery for a heating and cooling system, and is most often used when trying to optimize the overall efficiency of the mechanical system.

For example, ice storage tanks can be used with chillers. These banks of frozen water – also known as ice – get charged at night when energy costs are typically lower due to off-peak rates and when there are lower demands for cooling from the chiller.

Throughout the day, when demands are higher, the ice bank in the tank helps cool the space until the ice is depleted, and the chiller repeats the process again the following night.

If you think about it, a domestic hot water tank is, in essence, a thermal storage tank as well. The water gets periodically heated and then held for use. Solar hot water systems are another great example of a thermal “battery” storage application.

Locating the

BANK

In a recent application that my company was involved with, the thermal storage area was selected because there was a section of the build site where an area of contaminated soil was discovered beneath the building during a renovation project.

Since the project now required the removal of contaminated soil, and for clean fill to be backfilled, it was decided to insulate the bottom and perimeter of the area with rigid insulation so that the space could be used for a thermal storage bed, which would be connected to the geothermal heat pump system.

Coils of PEX tubing were installed in long loops, much like a radiant floor installation, in multiple layers of sand and compacted.

The inclusion of this thermal storage area allowed the heat pumps to transfer any surplus heating or cooling energy into the sand bed, to be used at a later time when needed.

This sort of application can minimize the run times on the hea heat pumps, and may even reduce the number of total heat pumps or geothermal wells that would o b be needed for a project, thus cr creating cost savings for the overall mechanical system. ov

Illustration 1 shows another large commercial project that had thermal storage incorporated into its design. This was the plan right from the onset, so the entire area under the building’s slab-on-grade floor was covered in a single layer of PEX tubing within an insulated sand bed.

This system was also connected to a set of geothermal heat pumps, and the size and quantity of those heat pumps were optimized to make use of the benefits of the thermal storage bed.

And the use of a PEX-based thermal storage system is not only a possibility for commercial projects. The concept has been used in residential applications as well.

A site I am familiar with has its PEX and sand thermal storage bed in the area beneath a twocar garage.

During the construction process of this home, the builder simply had the foundation walls below the garage covered with two inches of rigid insulation, along with the floor of the opening down at the footing level, before backfilling the space with sand and layers of PEX piping.

The top of the bed was also insulated with rigid insulation and the garage floor was then poured.

In all of these applications, the PEX loops were connected back to traditional manifolds on the supply and return headers to control the flow of water within these loops within the thermal storage beds.

Jerry Leyte, P.Eng., MASc., is the sales manager for Central Canada at Uponor. He can be reached at jerry.leyte@uponor.com

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Baseboard Troubleshooting

By Dan Holohan

HOW MUCH IS

TOO MUCH? HARNESSING THE POWER OF LOW RETURNS If a house has too much baseboard – and most do – that could be good news for you

boiler at a lower temperature.

S

This opens the door to a modu-

“What have you been doing?” I ask.

lating/condensing unit.

“I’ve been purging it every day.”

when you’re selling a boiler because you’ll get to run that

We often turn our backs on

o this hefty gent comes up to me after a hot-water seminar and tells me about a problem he’s having with this copper fin-tube baseboard loop he installed in this big hall with a bunch of offices. “I can’t get the end hot,” he says.

“How’s that working for you?” I say.

mod-cons when there’s base-

“If it was working, would I be talking to you?”

board because we figure the

“What size is the fin-tube?”

flue gases won’t condense. If there’s beaucoup baseboard,

“It’s three-quarter inch. That’s all I use,” he says.

though, those gases may be

“And how many feet of element do you have?”

loving it because it’s similar to

“All in all, about three-hundred seventy-five feet,” he says.

those old systems that have high-volume radiators.

k.

“And you want to know why the end is cold?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

The other guy’s mistake just might work in your favour if you’re smart, but watch out for that maximum run of 70 feet on any one loop.

“You ran out of heat,” I say.

“How could that be? The pump is running.”

“Let’s try this,” I say. “Imagine a British thermal unit as a tiny man with a trench coat, a bowler hat, an umbrella and a briefcase. He’s British. He lives in the boiler, works in the baseboard and travels to work on a train that we’ll call ‘flow’.”

“I like that,” he says.

“Okay, you can only get so many of these guys on the train because the size of the train is limited by the size of the pipe. A three-quarter-inch pipe will carry a maximum of about four gallons per minute before the water starts to whistle. That’s why the baseboard manufacturer rates the output at 4 GPM, which is equal to 40,000 BTUH.” “Got it,” he says. continues on page 58

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continues from page 56

“So they all get on the train and head off to work. Each linear foot of baseboard is a train station. The train doesn’t stop; the BTUs just hop off.

They’re tough little guys.”

“How many get off?” he asks.

“Each foot, about 600 of them hop off. So when the train gets to the 70-foot mark, you’re basically out of guys. They all got off. Your loop runs on for another three-hundred and five feet. You could probably chill meat with what’s coming out the end.”

“You make that so easy to understand!” he says. “I can see it all in my mind.

It’s like a cartoon. Little guys going to work. I love it.”

“So you know what you have to do, right?” And here I figure he should think about how to pipe the shorter, individual loops.”

“Yeah,” he says. “I gotta get a bigger pump.”

BASEBOARD IN WET ENVIRONMENTS Standard baseboard may not be the best choice for bathrooms where there is moisture (of all sorts) flying through the air. Steel will rust and be unsightly, even though it’s factory-painted. Go with a non-ferrous type of cover if you are installing it in the loo.

“There’s nobody on the train,” I say, “and you want to get them there faster?”

“Yeah.”

I went at it again until he got annoyed with me because I was telling him something that went against the habit he had built like a brick wall years ago.

It’s convenient to run baseboard radiation from wall-to-wall, but when you step over that 70-foot limit, the tiny guys in the bowler hats will sit back and laugh at you as you purge your days away.

You can’t argue with physics.

Well, actually, you can, but you won’t win. Ever.

If you’re getting expansion and contraction noises, check those plastic runners under the elements, as well as the size of the holes where the pipes move between rooms.

Pipes grow wide as well as long when heated.

A LITTLE LONG ISLAND MATH

boiler, even though the heat loss of our house on the design day is a mere 40,000 BTUH.

Where I live we have what we call The Long Island Heat Loss Calculation. It works like this: If you have a 10-foot-long wall, it gets 10 feet of baseboard. If you have a 15-foot wall, it gets 15 feet of baseboard. If a 10-foot wall should meet a 15-foot wall in a corner (lots of corners around here), that room will get 25 feet of baseboard, regardless of the room’s actual heat loss.

I ask each salesman if he is sure about the number. He will always tell me that he’s been doing this for years, and that he is certain.

We put baseboard everywhere except where there are doors – mainly because baseboard manufacturers don’t make them with hinges.

Physics has nothing to do with any of this. It’s all about His Majesty, The Baseboard. Just can’t get enough of it.

In 1950, our house had a radiant floor, which lasted until 1970, and then 200 linear feet of baseboard arrived. It runs off to a vanishing point on the horizon.

Over the years, salesmen have called to give me a price on a new boiler. Each measured our baseboard, multiplied each foot by 600 BTUH, and then quoted me on a 120,000 BTUH

58

KEEPING IT QUIET

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“The boiler has to support the radiation, you know,” they say.

“Why is that?” I ask.

“Because it’s there,” they say.

“Oh.” “Would you like to sign here?” they ask.

“Nope.”

Dan Holohan is an author, speaker, steam heating expert, and founder of heatinghelp.com, a highly regarded industry site that shares information about heating systems old and new. He can be reached at dan@heatinghelp.com.

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Find the Fix

BOILERS X2 + FLOORS X2 It started out very simple. Remove two old boilers and piping, install two new boilers, and reconnect to the four existing supply and return lines. Add in four new thermostats and a pump relay to handle the zones, and this job is easy. Add in an indirect water heater for doing wash downs on each floor and all is good.

So you order up a pair of 400,000 BTUH, 85% efficient, two-stage low mass water tube boilers, along with a 119-gallon indirect, new piping and controls. Add in expansion tanks, the air separator, circulators, and a new feed valve with back flow. And then there’s new venting for the boilers as the air quality in the mechanical is not the best.

The old boiler piping was 2”, but doing the math you decide on 2-1/2” for the near boiler piping and 1-1/4” to each zone. You also valve it so that one boiler can run when working on the other.

2) The baseboard zones are 200,000 BTUH each. Based on a 20°F 6T, is the 1-1/4” supply and return piping the correct size?

A) Yes B) No 3) What 6T would ensure that, on design conditions, all 200,000 BTUH could be moved?

So, what went wrong, and is there an easy fix?

A) 20°F B) 30°F C) 15°F D) 25°F E) It’s so close that I wouldn’t worry about it. They always oversize the radiation.

1) Based on a total flow of 70 gpm and 4’ per second flow, the main boiler piping should be: A) 2-1/2” B) 3” C) 2” D) It is piped primary secondary, so the 2-1/2” is fine.

4) If the circulators and loads were balanced, what 6T could you run the boilers at to fit the existing 2-1/2” piping size?

A) 20°F B) 25°F C) 30°F D) 35°F

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S u p p l e m e n t

Email your answers to adam.freill@mechanicalbusiness.com.

Please include your name and daytime phone number.

Jeff House is an experienced industry professional and hydronics trainer. He handles the sales territory from the Niagara region to the Greater Toronto Area for Jess-Don Dunford, a manufacturers’ rep in Ontario. He can be reached at jhouse@jessdondunford.com.

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Road Warrior

By Adam Freill

Terry Irwin:

Name: Terry Irwin Age: 48 Lives in: Keswick, Ont. Family: Two daughters, a girlfriend and her two children Joined the mechanical industry in: 1999 Trade school: Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technologies Company: Ecosystem Job title: Start up and Optimization Technician

Making things hum, in the boiler room

G

Photos: David Chidley

etting the most out of a system often comes down to the deft touch of an expert tuner, and when it comes to optimizing a building’s control system, you’d be hard pressed to find a more dedicated tradesman than guitar-playing controls virtuoso Terry Irwin.

“I love being the guy who can help fix the problems that others haven’t been able to solve…not for the sake of my ego, but just to be able to overcome the challenge of identifying the actual problem and resolving it,” says the Ontario-based technician. “I really enjoy the satisfaction of seeing something work to the best of its potential.”

Like the obsessive mechanic looking for just the right adjustment that will make an engine purr, he’s always looking for ways to find the most efficient point of any boiler system.

“I want the programming to be exactly right and the setpoints to be just what are needed. These are the things that keep my left brain occupied,” he says, adding, “For the sake of my right brain I play guitar in my band, The Staff, which plays shows regularly around the Greater Toronto Area.” We recently caught up with him between the stage and the mechanical room to see what makes him tick.

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Service area: Southern Ontario Time behind the wheel per day: 1 to 6 hours Kilometres per day: 100 to 600 Any area you like to get dispatched to? Haliburton Latest jobsite: “Adding a boiler room to a client’s facility in Kingston, Ont., to remove their dependence on district steam.”

Fondest memory on the job: “Working on the start-up of my first project with Ecosystem in Haliburton.

Getting our system up and running with my then-new colleagues who have since become my good friends. It was great to see the designer’s vision become reality, but more so was the pleasure of working together to get it done.”

Most embarrassing jobsite tale: “I was working on a school and was provided with a set of keys. Unknown to me was the fact that the lock from the roof to the penthouse had been re-keyed. I discovered I had an older set of keys at around 4:45 on a Friday afternoon while trying to re-enter the building from the roof. I had to call my office to call the school to ask them to please let me back into the building from the roof. It’s funny now, but it was February at that time, so I was not laughing all that much at the time.”

Do you prefer new installations, or repair and retrofit work?

“It has to be retrofits. That’s our core business.”

Favourite website to browse during spare time: YouTube

Favourite tool in your toolbox: A laptop

Biggest pet peeves: Poor driving habits.

What radio station do you listen to during the day?

NewsTalk 1010

If you could be an animal, what would you be? A puma

Favourite band or performer: “So many to choose from…Hendrix if you make me pick, or maybe Danny Gatton.”

Best concert ever attended: ZZ Top at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1982

Ever been on TV? Yes, playing music.

Favourite place to vacation: Cuba, so far.

One place in the world you would like to visit: Europe Farthest place you ever travelled from home: Jamaica One word that describes you: Reasonable

Favourite movie: Get Shorty Favourite newsstand magazine: Guitar Player Magazine Favourite cartoon as a kid: The Flintstones

If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be? “Neil Peart…the drummer for Rush.”

If I was Prime Minister for a day, I would... “Outlaw partisan politics.”

My rule of thumb is...”There is no such word as can’t.”

Do you collect anything? Guitars and musical instruments

On the Job

Favourite sport: Hockey Favourite place to hang out: Home Favourite outdoor activity: Shovelling snow. “I live in the snowbelt so I might as well pretend I like it.”

Favourite local haunt for lunch: The George ’N’ Bay Restaurant in Keswick FFavourite food: Anything really, really sspicy. “The hotter the better.”

Favourite Beverage: Corona

“Ecosystem did a project in Haliburton, Ont., a few years ago that is easily my favourite project in my career to-date,” says Irwin. “This project involved ground-sourced geothermal, cascaded heat-recovery chillers and some fairly complicated controls sequences. I really loved helping this project grow from a set of drawings into a very successful project.”

Favourite car: 5.0 Litre Mustang Favourite business-related website: HVAC-Talk.com W H A T

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63

Eric Riml Eric Riml is a certified hydronic designer working in Calgary, Alta. He consulted with Rod Mitchell at Cronkhite Supply Calgary for additional input on this article. Eric can be reached at hydronichelp@gmail.com.

Zoning

PUMPS VS. VALVES A

lthough many hydronic contractors design zoned systems to make use of either pumps or valves based on their personal experience, the choice of flow control methodology shouldn’t really be driven simply by their individual preference. Several parameters should be weighed off against each other, and personal preference or bias should be low on the list of considerations. When facing a choice between the use of either pumps or valves to zone a hydronic system, it can pay to consider the following, and to allow the project to dictate which option offers the best approach.

Flow Concerns Water Hammer More and more, system noise is becoming a top complaint I hear from homeowners. Often, one’s professional reputation rides on not only providing a trouble-free system, but also one that is noise-free as well.

Water hammer, which occurs when flow suddenly starts or stops, can produce some rather strange noises.

This can be especially noticeable in any building with overnight accommodations. The noise may even point to system design problems that may be difficult to remedy once a system has been installed. Where you believe a system might have a risk of water hammer developing, it might be an idea to use soft-start pumps, or valves with a longer opening time, to help mitigate the sudden impact of the water within the pipes.

If you suspect that there’s a noiserelated reason to use a pump instead of a valve, or vice versa, it might be worth looking at a change in the design of the system.

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Ghost Flows When it comes to ghost flows, pumps are usually the culprits far more often than valves. Pumps manufactured with built-in check valves alleviate this problem somewhat, but there can still be flow in the direction of the pump.

While the solution can sometimes be to install a valve in-line with the pump, you can run into deadheading issues if the pump is wired to start up before the valve is fully open. And if you were going to install a valve anyway, maybe the pump wasn’t necessary.

Careful piping can prevent ghost flows, but it adds one more piece of complexity to the on-site install, and d it’s a complication that good pump versus valve choices can often take out of the equation.

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Balancing Flow Sometimes knowing the real flow conditions of a renovation is almost impossible. One advantage of designing for pumps is that you can guarantee that the flow through that one zone will be whatever the pump can provide. With three-speed and variable-speed pumps, it also means that many pumps can be adjusted after installation to match actual rather than theoretical load.

continues on page 66

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Over-pumping and Delta-T Even if you’ve decided to use pumps for zoning, some of your zones may be too small for a pump, or the size of pump you need is actually more expensive than a small valve.

If you insist on using a standard pump and simply “over-pump” the zone as compared to its design, what you’ll actually get is a much lower temperature differential than designed. This usually means less efficiency, but you could also get velocity wear.

If you’re typically someone who goes for a pump install rather than valves, you may want to add supply and return temperature gauges on some of your lines, and find out what your real delta-Ts are, so you can adjust for any over-pumping issue.

In many cases you may require a smaller pump than you thought, and for the cost of a few gauges, you can continually improve your designs from job to job.

While some of these things don’t benefit the contractor’s bottom line, they can help build or maintain a solid relationship with clients, not to mention a reputation for building efficient systems.

Heat Delivery Pumps are better in any situation where heat delivery shouldn’t have to wait for a valve to open, which is sometimes as much as a minute. Short, quick loads would fall into this category, and would include loads like entry force-flow heaters, or any area where immediate heat is required and the cycle is relatively short.

With the pumps being more expensive, some contractors worry about the additional expense of stocking parts.

However, in commercial applications it’s not that hard of a sell to get the building owner to stock a few parts. And that discussion is a good excuse for a follow-up call: “It’s been about five years since the initial installation, and the typical life of a pump is around five to seven years... would you consider stocking a spare to minimize future downtime?”

Electrical Costs It might seem like one more headache, but if you’re looking to differentiate yourself during slow times, you might want to add an electrical cost savings portion to your quotes.

It’s not that hard to do. Just look up the wattage used on the major pieces of equipment, take an educated guess at an average run time per month, and multiply by the going rate of electricity.

Not only will this open the door to more discussion with your customers about such things as more efficient pumps, but it may also open your eyes to the not-so-insignificant cost of electric power in modern hydronics installations. We’re used to thinking about the price of natural gas, and the savings that a new boiler can represent, but as I discovered in one recent application, electrical consumption for the zones can almost totally offset gas savings.

DID YOU KNOW? 66

Variable Speed Pumps Although they’ve been available for some time now, not all contractors have jumped into the use of electronically-controlled variable-speed pumps. Yes, they cost a bit more up-front, but savings come from not having to include a pressure bypass and balancing valves, plus the electrical cost to run this type of pump is lower, not to mention that the variable speed reduces the cycling of equipment, meaning less wear and tear over the lifespan of the boiler.

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Sound like a hard sell? You’d be surprised how many building owners appreciate both the follow up, and the eye on preventative maintenance. Building owners, more than anyone else, know the savings that can be had,, and the headaches that can be avoided, by ensurr ing that a heating system stays operational. onal.

Tie-Breaker: Installation Cost I’ve found that the cost of the typical wet-rotor circulator I tend to use for zoning has about the same installed cost to me as a one-inch zone valve.

Although wet rotor circulators are being made smaller and smaller, and are efficient even at smaller sizes, there always seems to be a “sweet spot” for the price of a pump, so if there doesn’t seem to be a design advantage from using one or the other, then use the installation cost as your tie-breaker.

Keep in mind, however, that pumps use a lot more power than valves, and constantly use that power once the line is flowing. Valves just need power to start or stop, so it still becomes beneficial to size and select the main circulator appropriately, to keep cycling to a minimum.

Very small decentralized micro-pumps are now being sold in Europe, allowing for control of heat within zones while considerably reducing the electricity used by each zone’s pump.

Unfortunately these have not made their way to North America as yet.

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Circulators

By John Barba

The

“Magic”

of Math M

ath is a really cool thing. And it helps make sense of this crazy thing we call hydronics, but there’s no such thing as “magic” in hydronics.

There are no magic boilers, controls or circulators that know what to do. If someone can’t explain to you exactly how a Delta-P or a Delta-T variable speed circulator works, and why, without using the word magic, or some derivative thereof, they either went to hydronics school at Hogwarts or they don’t really know.

How Delta-T variable speed pumping works

As Einstein once said, if you can’t explain it simply, then you don’t understand it well enough.

On an initial call for heat, the circulator will run at full speed for a certain amount of time to establish a temperature difference. It will continue until it establishes that 20-degree temperature difference between the supply and return.

In a 70,000 BTUH sample system, if all zones were calling at design temperature, the load would be 70,000 BTUH. In order to deliver the 70,000 BTUH and maintain that 20° Delta-T, the circulator would have to provide 7 gpm, presuming your heat loss is dead-on accurate (which it rarely is, but this is an example).

BECAUSE THE MATH SAYS SO. As zone valves close, common sense says the actual BTUH load of the system will be lower.

Since the system is taking less "heat" out of the fluid, the return sensor will pick up an increase in the return water temperature as the system's Delta-T starts to shrink. The logic written into the circulator control takes over and slows the circulator down in order to restore that 20° 6T. WHEN ZONE VALVES OPEN, IT DOES THE OPPOSITE. The same thing happens when the outdoor temperature changes. When it's colder out, the system takes more energy out of the fluid. To maintain the 20° 6T, the circulator will have to go faster. When it's warmer out, it's the opposite.

So let’s talk about what Delta-T and Delta-P variable speed circulators are, how they work, why they work, and a little about the applications that each is best suited to.

The P Side of CIRCULATORS Much like Delta-T circulators, Delta-P models also work on a differential, but rather than varying its speed based on changing temperatures, it counts on pressure differentials in a system, and was designed for TRV applications.

The “trigger” that tells a Delta-P circulator to speed up or slow down is resistance against the impeller. When there’s enough heat in a room a TRV will start to close, placing more resistance against the impeller.

The circulator senses that, and slows down.

So far, so good, right?

But again, common sense tells us there’s more than one radiator in a system, and more than one TRV. While one is closing, another may be opening, and another may be holding steady.

What’s a Delta-P circulator to do?

Same thing as Delta-T: react to the overall system-wide changes in pressure differential.

It varies its speed based on overall system pressure differential.

That’s all it knows.

continues on page 70

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continued from page 68

PICKING THE RIGHT PIECE

Meeting up at the

Delta-T It’s a very simple concept. When you design a hydronic system, you always calculate flow rate around a Delta-T, or temperature drop, between the supply and return. This little factoid is found in the age-old Universal Hydronics Formula, which states that:

GPM = BTUH ÷ (6T x 500) • BTUH is the heating load you’re trying to satisfy at a given point in time.

• 6T is the designed-for fluid temperature drop as it goes round the system.

• 500 is a constant when using 100% water.

Glycol changes things, but that’s a story for another time.

We tend to use a 20°F 6T when designing residential hydronics here in North America.

If we know the heating load, and we know the Delta-T we’re designing for, finding the required flow rate is simple math:

GPM = 70,000 ÷ (20 x 500) GPM = 70,000 ÷ 10,000 GPM = 7

AFUE

The installer/designer is the brains of this operation. If he selects a Delta-T variable speed circulator, he'll need to do three things, none of which are very difficult, but all of which are essential.

1 2 3 1

1. Make sure the circulator can handle the maximum flow and head requirements. If it's not 1 big enough, it's not big enough.

2. Make sure the circulator is programmed for the “designedfor” Delta-T. Some Delta-T circulators are factory set for a 20°F 6T, but it's generally easy to change if necessary, based on the application.

2

2 3 3

3. Install the supply and return temperature sensors in the appropriate locations.

So this says in order to deliver 70,000 BTUH to this structure at a 20°F 6T, I’ll need a flow rate of 7 gpm. That’s the real magic right there!

6.5OWN:RA1TIO

Knowing the flow rate, I can now calculate the head loss as best I can through the rest of the system. When I know the flow and head requirements, I can go about selecting a circulator that will deliver that flow and overcome that head loss.

TURN-D

ASME CERTIF IE Heat Exchange D r

Now please note, there’s not a circulator in the world that can be thrown blindly into a random application with the assumption that it will “figure it out.” No machine can – nor should – replace your experience and knowledge when it comes to accurately selecting a circulator.

Machines aren’t ready to take over the world just yet.

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All of the real or self-proclaimed industry experts out there have an "angle."

No matter whose comments you're seeing on message boards, whose webinars you're watching or whose columns you're reading, keep your BS shields up.

Usually the most bombastic, snarky, longwinded or big-word-loaded responses are coming from someone who has something to gain.

And you get I work for Taco, right?

That's my angle and I urge you to filter accordingly. Use your own smarts and rely on what makes sense and what is logical to you. And don't believe in "magic."

ntiboilers.com John Barba is the contractor training & trade program manager with Taco, Inc. He can be reached at johbar@taco-hvac.com.

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Answers on page 76

HITTING THE GRIDIRON,

Commissioned in 1909 by the Earl Grey,

CANADIAN-STYLE

then Canada’s governor general, the

The CFL season is off to one heck of a start – well, as long as you weren’t playing QB at the start of the season, but we digress. To honour another one of Canada’s games, the land of the 12th man, bigger end zones, an extra 10 yards to run for a touchdown, three downs, and the rouge, we thought we’d bring you a modified version of the game to test your knowledge of wet heat.

championship trophy. When the Allan

Grey Cup was originally intended to be the country’s senior amateur hockey Cup was donated for that purpose, the Grey Cup was made available to the national champion of Canadian football.

The first winner of the trophy was the University of

We are going to give you 2 questions per quarter. Get 3 in a row to go for a touchdown! So pick an opponent from your friends and colleagues,, strap on your shoulder pads and helmet, and let’s hit the gridiron!!

Toronto Varsity Blues, who won the cup four times. In 102 championship games there have been 101 Canadian winners. The only time a team from outside of Canada has w the cup was in 1995 when the Baltimore Stallions beat won the Calgary Stampeders 37–20 at Taylor Field in Regina.

First Quarter 1. The formula to calculate the flow rate in a hydronic system is:

Third Quarter Th

a) GPM = BTU/(6T x 500) b) GPM = BTU/6T + 500) c) GPM = BTU x 6T d) GPM = (BTU÷ 500) x 6T

5. The type of tubing arrangement best suited for a room where the heat loss is distributed over two walls would be:

2. What is the main operating component of a hydronic heating system: a) Flo-check valve b) A circulation pump c) The boiler d) An expansion tank

a) Single-wall serpentine b) Double-wall serpentine c) Triple-wall serpentine d) Counter flow

6. Which of the following heating systems is least effectively combined with a temperature set back controller?

Second Quarter 3. What is used to control the amount of heat leaving a baseboard enclosure? a) Perforated enclosure b) Reflective insulation c) Pivoting damper d) Location of internal baffles

a) Fan coil b) Baseboard rads c) Concrete infloor radiant panel d) Radiant ceiling panel

DID YOU KNOW?

4. What is needed to maintain ventilation when using a hydronic heating system? a) Kitchen exhaust system b) Air compressor system c) Nothing d) HRV or ERV system

The score of the 1915 Grey Cup was flown back to Hamilton by carrier pigeon since that was determined to be the fastest way to send the news from Toronto.

The Hamilton Tigers won 13-7 over the Toronto Rugby and Athletic Association.

continues on page 74

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Any way you add it up, the solution is 33.

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continues from page 72

Fourth Quarter

9

7. What is one major cause of cavitation in a circulation? a) InsufďŹ cient discharge pressure b) Suction head too low c) Discharge head too low d) Low velocities

Are you bound for Grey Cup glory?

8. When two identical circulators are connected in series what is the outcome in the system? a) The velocity is increased b) The pressure decreases c) The gpm decreases d) The head pressure doubles

9 out of 9 correct â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nice job! 7 points â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or did you pull a 2-point play out of your playbook?

8 correct â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Better check the holder. I think your kicker hit a ďŹ nger on the convert attempt. That might be another quarterback down.

6 or 7 correct â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll let you settle for a ďŹ eld goal.

5 or below â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Wide right! Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s okay. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Buffalo, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a single point.

Answers on Page 76

Bonus: Extra Point 9. What is the code for installing a hydronic heating system? a) B149-12 b) B175-12 c) B214-12 d) B69-12

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Radiant Floor Panels Heat-sheet 2’x4’ panels from Logix x simplify ing by the installation of radiant floor tubing providing preformed nodules through ugh which tubing can be threaded quickly kly and securely. Panels are available in a variety of sizes for slab-on-grade and under-slab applications, retrofit applications, plications, and snow-melt, garage and commercial ercial heated floors. No additional vapour barrierr is required.

www. heat-sheet.com Hydronic IQ (from pages 72 - 74): 1-A, 2-C, 3-C, 4-D, 5-B, 6-C, 7-B, 8-D, 9-C

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The E-series pump-less volute kit (PLV) from Armstrong Fluid Technology can upgrade, renew or Te replace all working parts in E-series rep circulators and are suitable for hydroncir ic and potable water applications.

They feature a permanently lubriTh cated mechanical seal that is easy cat to replace, a newly designed water slinger, a larger stainless steel shaft, slin permanently lubricated bearings and a pe bellows-style mechanical seal. be

ww www. armstrongfluidtechnology.com

Dirt Separator

Circulator Pumps The Magna3 circulator pumps from Grundfos come in a variety of sizes for industrial and residential applications and offer variable speed control.

They have maximum heads of 18 m and maximum flows of 70 m3/h, with port-to-port lengths ranging from 180 to 450 mm. The factory pump setting automatically finds the optimum temperature of the heating system and adjusts when needed. The pumps feature built-in differential pressure and temperature sensors.

The Dirtmag commercial dirt separator from Caleffi is designed to remove ferrous impurities from piping caused by oxidized iron or steel using a concentrated magnetic field. Particles are drawn to a brass sleeve beneath th the flow stream that houses neodymium m rare-earth magnets. It has a maximum mum working pressure of 150 psi and a working temperature range of 32° to 250°F. 50°F.

www. caleffi.us

Threading Machine The 5401TMSO threading machine from Reed has a 1/2 hp electric motor and a self-priming pump that floods a pipe with oil while threading. It has a 1/4” to 2” capacity for bolt threading and a 1/8” to 2” nominal capacity for pipe threading. There is 8 1/2” of carriage travel. The system comes with a foot pedal, legs, an R811 universal die head, one gallon of cutting oil and two sets of highspeed steel universal dies (1/2” to 3/4” and 1” to 2” NPT).

www. grundfos.com

www. reedmfgco.com

Polypropylene Vent Systems

Hydronic Pump Panel HPS Controls offers a primary/secondary control station for the Viessmann Vitodens 100 condensing boiler that is suitable for use up to 100,000 BTUH. Left and right boiler connections are available. The circuit board can access two temperatures, and individual zones can be configured to high- or low-temperature priorities in the field. The unit has isolation valves to make maintenance and air-purging easy, as well as tapping for feedwater and expansion tank connections.

www. hpscontrols.com

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Hydronic Products Condensing Boiler The Trinity fire tube condensing boiler from NTI is available in nine different models ranging from 60,000 to 399,000 BTUH. The boilers are made from corrosion-resistant 439 stainless steel and offer AFUE efficiency of up to 95%. Boiler vents can run up to 150’ with five vent termination options; 2” vents are available on some models.

www. ntiboilers.com

Boiler er Control The Heatronic 4000 boiler control from Bosch can monitor condensing and non-condensing commercial boilers with modulating, single-stage, two-stage and dual fuel burners. It can produce and maintain a set target temperature in up to four boilers. Compatible with BacNet and Modbus, the device works with all Bosch and Buderus condensing and non-condensing boilers with individual inputs from 215,000 to 5,443,000 BTUH.

www. bosch-thermotechnology.com

Balancing Valve The TA series 7CP P compact pressure independent balancing and d control valves from m Victaulic offer access ess ts, setto measuring points, tings, shut-off and actuator connections all on one side of the valve. They are avail1/4” sizes and are able in 1/2” to 1-1/4” rated to 58 psi.

Hydrostatic Test Pump Reed’s DPHTP500 drill-powered hydrostatic test pump comes with a 15-foot high-pressure hose that allows the unit to be placed at a convenient location. It uses a 1/2” chuck on an electric or cordless drill 18 V or higher, capable of 1,500 RPM. The unit is suitable for residential and commercial water systems.

www. victaulic.com

reedmfgco.com

When exposed to air, ethylene glycol will break down in approximately 10 days.

Radiant Floor Insulator NOFP’s BarrierX5 roll-out radiant floor insulator and vapour barrier is made from flexible, quarter-inch-thick EPS foam. It accommodates most building codes, reduces radiant heat loss and prevents the accumulation of moisture. The vapour barrier film has a 3” overlapped seaming flange and tubing layout marks to assist with installation. It comes in 4’ by 64’ rolls with an integrated edge taping system. The barrier can also be stapled during installation.

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Piping Systems PEX piping from Uponor is suitable for radiant systems using water or water/glycol solutions. Suspended piping is made possible using a PEX-a pipe support steel channel, allowing for hanger spacing similar to copper or steel pipe. Suspended piping assemblies using ProPEX connections and fittings are listed to ASTM E84 in plenum applications with or without the need for insulation and separation.

uponor.ca

ZoneTight™ zone valves set new standards for both pressure dependent and pressure independent zoning applications. The zero leakage ball valve design eliminates energy losses and is resistant to clogging. Flow is field adjustable, enabling you to meet design requirements. Using up to 95% less energy than conventional products, ZoneTight™ is the smallest pressure independent characterized ball valve on the market and comes with a 5-year warranty.

www.belimo.us VICTAULIC PLUMBING SOLUTIONS Available in copper, stainless steel or galvanized steel, Victaulic’s pipe joints come in ½” to 24” sizes for a variety of plumbing applications.

They are the fastest joining method available, installing almost twice as fast as welding, brazing or soldering and 20 per cent faster than press products. They also meet low-lead requirements with ANSI/NSF 61 and ANSI/NSF 372 certification.

www.victaulic.com HYDRONIC, HVAC/R AND PLUMBING CHEMICAL SPECIALISTS Hood Chemical is known across Canada as the “go to” source for hydronic, HVAC/R and plumbing chemical products, services and advice. We supply Dow Chemical glycol (propylene and ethylene) with inhibitors and offer a free analysis and written report covering the freezing point, PH, concentration of inhibitors and appearance. Look to us for complete treatment for all heating and cooling water circuits. Visit our website today for a complete list of the products and services.

www.hoodchemical.com NAVIEN HIGH-EFFICIENCY BOILER SERIES The Navien NHB (Navien Heating Boiler) series for residential and light commercial use comes in 4 sizes: NHB-55, NHB-80, NHB 110 and NHB-150, with turn-down ratios respectively of 7:1, 10:1, 11:1 and 15:1. With a number of smart control features and a noteworthy 15:1 TDR, the NHB offers an opportunity to achieve a true high-efficiency installation.

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Hydronic Products Mixing Block Circulator Taco’s VT2218 circulator is designed for delta-T or setpoint temperature applications and offers up to 22 feet of shut-off head and an 18 gpm maximum flow. The LCD screen allows users to choose between operating modes and view diagnostics.

www. tacocomfortsolutions.com

Viega’s hydronic mixing block combines mixing, control, air elimination and a circulator in a single unit. Installations are made with three connections and clearly marked ports and fittings. The controls are presented in a simple interface that does not use multiple menu screens.

The unit is rated for a maximum temperature of 203°F and a maximum working pressure of 45 psi. It weighs 10 lbs and measures 12.18” wide by 10” tall by 6.7” deep.

www. viega.us

Residential Condensing Boilers The Mascot LX series of condensing boilers from Laars comes in seven different sizes to accommodate small to large homes. Offering 95% AFUE efficiency, the wall-hung units are available in 50,000 to 220,000 BTUH sizes. They have stainless steel ASME heat exchangers and use natural or propane gas.

www. laars.com

Control Panels

The Netherlands was one of the first countries to adopt widespread use of condensing boilers.

WiFi Zoning System The ZON-0550 zone control from HBX Controls allows users to control multiple zones in hydronic systems remotely. It integrates with two-wire THM-0330 thermostats using a WiFi communication module. Each zone can be viewed and configured from a smartphone.

www. hbxcontrols.com

The ECO, V100, and CAD hydronic control panels from HeatLink are designed for use with Weil-McLain’s ECO, Viessmann’s Vitodens 100 and Lochinvar’s Cadet series of wall-mounted boilers. The panels come with a 24V AC plug-in transformer and require no assembly prior to installation.

www. heatlink.com

Uni-flange Ball Valves Isolator uni-flange ball valves from Webstone come with press connections compatible with a number of popular press tools. They are made of heavy-duty forged brass and are available in sizes from 3/4” to 2”. Designed to fit most circulators, they also feature a blowout-proof stem and slotted holes for high-velocity pumps.

www. webstonevalves.com

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CHECK RADIANT HEATERS

Tales from the Trap

with Fred Bretzke

F

ats, oils, and grease, or in short FOG, is something that exists in every commercial kitchen in the country. In the older 1995 national plumbing code it was recommended that most kitchens that could have grease should have a grease interceptor. In the 2010 national plumbing code, it was amended with a clause to say that if there is any FOG in a kitchen it will require a grease interceptor, more commonly known as a grease trap.

There are stinky, smelly jobs out there but very few can match the aroma of cleaning out a grease trap.

When I started out in the service industry back in the early ’80s, it was my job to clean around 100 restaurant grease traps in the city of Calgary.

After a while I had done so many different styles of traps and restaurants that I became kind of a trap connoisseur – an expert in the field, if you will.

Fried chicken restaurants usually had the most grease and biggest traps. Japanese restaurants had lots of rice and not a lot of grease as they served mainly raw fish. Chinese restaurants were loaded with grease. Pancake breakfast restaurant grease traps were typically full of batter. And traps at hamburger fast food places were usually full of sauces and grease.

Fred’s Top 3 Malodorous Traps 1. Blood trap - Used in morgues and hospitals.

Contents: coagulated blood and organs.

2. Plaster trap - Used in dental establishments for the making of false teeth.

Contents: bacteria and tooth residue, mixed with plaster.

3. Grease trap - Used in most commercial kitchens.

Contents: coagulated animal grease. continues on page 84

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continued from page 83

Keep it off the carpet In 1984 I began my plumbing service career by maintaining many restaurants’ grease traps in Calgary. Back then, however, we did not possess the same technical equipment we have now for the removal of grease.

I started out by driving around in my plumbing van with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner and several five-gallon pails for the removal and temporary storage of grease from these restaurants.

WHAT’S A TRAP?

I would start every morning very early, around 4 a.m., and visit as many restaurants as I could up to about 11 in the morning. After that, the smell was often too rancid when you opened up the grease interceptor lid and disturbed the foul-smelling grease.

A grease trap is basically a rectangular steel or plastic box that has several baffles or walls inside it that assist in slowing down the grease when it comes from a commercial sink.

As the the grease slows down, the solids gravitate to the bottom of the trap. Grease floats to the top and solidifies, while liquids pass on through to the drainage system. It’s basically like a miniature septic tank.

When I walked into the back of a restaurant kitchen the kitchen staff would quickly evacuate for the 15 or 20 minutes that I was there. I began to feel like no one liked me much.

Grease interceptors must be maintained so that FOG does not enter the drainage system and plug it.

After a while, however, I lost the ability to notice how rancid I smelled. It got so bad that I used to travel with three clean coveralls in my van and many kinds of cologne to disguise the smell.

Regular inspections required

Anyway, back then I had purchased a 1981 Chevy Vandura that had a shag rug on the floor. I left it there due to my bad knees as I thought it would be easier on them. That wasn’t necessarily the best thought out plan.

I was always trying to make a lot of money when I was younger, and I would get paid for one hour for each trap that I cleaned out – that was about 20 minutes of work. So, the more grease traps I cleaned, the more hours I would collect. And, the faster I drove, the more money I would make.

Grease interceptors should be cleaned at least monthly, especially in hamburger restaurants or fried chicken restaurants where there are great amounts of grease.

One should lift the lid and inspect them weekly by inserting a turkey baster to ensure there is no more than two inches of solid grease on the top layer.

That would soon prove to be a mistake.

I would bomb around the city with 20 five-gallon pails full of grease that were dripping and slightly spilling and oozing onto my shag rug in the back of the van. It got even worse after I cleaned out a couple of blood and plaster traps. They mixed in with the grease in the shag rug as well.

Making matters even worse was that when I got married in 1984 I traded in my brand-new Monte Carlo for that 1981 Chevy van, and the van was the vehicle that I used to drive my wife around in.

Needless to say she almost divorced me for that, as the smell was too disgusting.

DID YOU KNOW?

The animal grease that evaporates and settles in the container of a wash-down ventilation hood is slightly cleaner with fewer solids in it, so this grease is often taken to factories for use in the production of perfumes and colognes.

I finally had to rip out the shag rug, but the smell had permeated into the van. I remember spending hours every week trying to pressure clean the smell out of my van.

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Fred Bretzke is a full-time pipe trades instructor with SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary and the general manager of A&B Plumbing & Heating.

He can be reached at fred.bretzke@sait.ca.

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CIPH Elects First Female Chair Siân Smith, the senior director of procurement and pricing for Noble Corporation, was elected chair of CIPH during the organization’s 83rd Annual Business Conference at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City in June. Smith, the first female chair of CIPH, is also the youngest person to ever hold the position.

In her first speech as chair, Smith said she would work to bring harmony to an increasingly complex regulatory environment, and strive for greater gender equality in the industry. ciph.com

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1 Outgoing CIPH chair Paul McDonald, of Bradford White Canada. 2.

1.

A ASA chairman Rick Fantham, of Emco Corporation. 3. Speaker Ross SShafer explained how to get marketing ideas, often for free. 4. David Succurro of Reliance Worldwide Canada with Joanne Succurro at the opening night banquet. 5. Siân Smith delivers her inaugural speech as chair of CIPH. 6. Natalie Robinson of B.A. Robinson receives a golf prize from Deschenes’ Joe Senese. 7. Joe Howdle of Canplas Industries enjoys a magical evening. 8. Guest speaker Dirk Beveridge celebrates the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup victory. 9. Fernando Fernandez (right) of PMI presents CIPH president Ralph Suppa with “The Suppa Flush” toilet.

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CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER Manjit Minhas Calgary-born and raised, Manjit Minhas is the co-founder and co-owner of Minhas Breweries and Distillery. Though trained as a petroleum engineer, she has become a specialist in brand development, marketing, sales management and retail negotiations, having been recognized with several business industry awards.

Photos courtesy of CBC

Fifteen years ago, when Minhas was 19 years old, she and her brother Ravinder scraped together $10,000 to launch their first beer in Alberta. Today they run a group of companies that generated over $155-million in revenue last year.

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O

ne of the newest Dragons joining CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den this fall, Manjit Minhas works enough to have several careers. Between her beer and spirits business, her home building firm in Alberta, a print shop, glass blowing company, a television production firm, and several other companies in which she plays an active role, plus her home and family life, you might think that she has more than 24 hours in a day to divide among her roles. But she relishes the work she does, taking great pride in her accomplishments, and sharing her success with those around her. We managed to pull her away from shooting on the show to lend some insights into what she views as keys to success and what she looks for in the entrepreneurs she’ll be investing in this season on Dragons’ Den.

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Not seeing wor work rk as work worrk Manjit Minhas works hard, ard d, but she doesn’t see it as a stress, strain or burden o on n her life, perhaps because d ice that her parents cited dv she’s living up to the advice rowing up. so often when she was g growing y, ‘Love what you do, and “My parents used to say, rk,’” says the beer baroness it will never feel like work,’” To be successful in anything and newest Dragon. “To t, sleep and breathe it, you do, you have to eat, 6 and 18-hour days. And if and you have to work 16 gh life. But if you love it, it you hate it, that’s a tough doesn’t feel like work.” at sense of accomplishShe says she gets a great hich is always presenting ment from her work, which portunities for her to find new challenges and opportunities ork “You are not stretched ways to make things work ver-tired, because you love it, thin, and you are not over-tired, and it is not work.”

Transferrable ble skillss cin ng e ng gin inee eerr, Although Manjit Minhass is not a practic practicing engineer, cond darry st studies, s, she sees her choice of field for post-sec post-secondary of cconsiderable on o nsiidera abl ble e petroleum engineering,, as having been of benefit to her business success. re in m akak “You’d be surprised at the similarities there ar are makas p lant la n ,” nt ing beer in a beer plantt and making gas in a gas plant,” she says with a laugh.

“I did study engineering, and the plan was to work in the oil and gas industry. I believe that what I learned in engineering has helped me, whether that’s been understanding manufacturing processes, lots of things in industry parlay into other industries,” she says.

“When it comes to physics and chemistry, making a manufacturing plant, and bottling and production and logistics, those things are tried, tested and true. They are a science, so it is nice that I have that background that I can read blueprints, and I can do cost analyses, and efficiencies, and understand all of those things without having to take the class twice in it.”

And those efficiencies matter when you are running high volume, low margin products. “Every minute counts on the production line, for sure,” says Minhas. “We do 800 cans a minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Every hour that we are down costs money, so it is a matter of making sure that you are efficient.”

Of course, one the biggest skills gained through her studies, she says, is the ability to learn. “That’s something that you need for the rest of your life, no matter what career direction or path you take.”

To be 19 again didn’t exist, but even if it Fifteen years ago, Dragons’ Den d Minhas and her brother launch did it may not have helped Minh an empire with $10,000 and a dream.

“I think if someone came in into the Den with what I had at 19, I think I may ha have kicked them out,” she says with a laugh. “I wou would have been like, ‘Are you kidding me? Do we need another beer?’ But hey, that’s how some of the gr greatest companies are built. They take on the big boys. They come out with something new – in our ca case, it was high quality, fair priced product.”

That business philosophy, of h high quality and fair prices, is something that she br brings to all of her businesses. “It’s all about giving tthe greatest product and service, but charging a fair pr price.”

To deliver on that goal, she aims tto keep overhead low, and pump out volume.

“If I was facing the Dragons in the Den, I’m pretty sure I wo uld ul ld ha have ve walked away with noth would nothing. But hard work, passion, de d term te rmin minat na ion, and squeezing in when I’ve seen some determination, op pen e ings gs,, we w ll,, iit ll t’s been successfu openings, well, it’s successful for me.”

Knowin ing g th that a iitt w as passion that he Knowing was helped drive the growth of herr ow he o n co com mpa anyy d oes influence wh own company does what she’s looking for from fr om m tthe h en he ntrepreneurs pitching bus entrepreneurs business proposals on Dragons’ Drag gons’ D Den en. comes down to an entrepreneur who knows “II think think nk it it really re re his h hi is or or her her numbers, overhead costs, costs so they know how much they th ey make; and they know how much it costs to make that product,” she says. “If you do not have your finances fin in control, you can find yourself in the red very, very fast, and it doesn’t matter what a great idea and what a great product you have; if you can’t control the money portion of the business, you are sunk right away.”

Research your targets Marketing plays a major role in the success or failure in the beer and spirits business, so Minhas has immersed herself in that world, learning what works, and what does not, in reaching her customers.

“Marketing has changed so much over the last 15 years with the push of online and digital marketing. And conventional marketing is still part of the package as well, but it is important to mix in the digital portion of it,” she says. “We strongly believe in television and print. You can target an audience with print a little bit better than with some of the other mediums.”

While digital is important to her as well, she warns that digital can get lost. “Know who you are looking for because you could easily be spending a ton of money and be advertising to people in Korea.”

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BAS

By Se a n Aps e y a n d L e o n H a wkin s

TROUBLESHOOTING TO OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE

B

uilding automation systems (BAS) offer numerous benefits in commercial buildings, including improved facility performance and efficiency, easier day-to-day operation and control of building systems, and optimized occupant comfort.

With a BAS, users can integrate multiple building systems such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting and security, so they can be managed and adjusted by one single interface for greater efficiency and optimized performance.

The key to getting the most out of a BAS is to ensure it is optimized for a specific building and application — and that it continues to stay optimized after it is installed.

There are some common issues that can arise with building automation that, if not spotted and fixed, can result in reduced efficiency of the system, increased operating costs and occupant complaints.

Following a few tips and best practices can help mitigate these issues and keep a BAS optimized for efficient and effective performance.

Issue 1 Setpoint changes and system overrides Overrides that veer from the original setpoints and design intent of the building and systems are one of the most common problems that can hamper efficient building performance.

Users or building occupants may override a setpoint in the system (such as in an office environment, for example) and if it’s not returned to the original setting, it can be detrimental to other spaces in the building. This can also contribute to masking other problems in the building, such as a malfunctioning sensor.

Similar to a new car, a BAS that is optimized at installation can lose impact over time if it isn’t properly maintained. Issues stemming from overrides can be easy to remedy, but people may not realize the ramification one

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simple override can have on the entire system.

There are several fixes that can address this issue. Security measures, such as PIN control on user access to system changes, can help control overrides. Most BAS solutions also offer the ability to program setpoint “traps,” such as a range of 20 to 23 degrees Celsius for an area, to ensure that override changes do not go outside of set parameters.

Many systems also have a timed override feature that automatically returns to original settings after a temporary override period.

Issue 2 Mechanical problems in the building A BAS can provide information or alerts that show when there is a mechanical problem in the building, but it typically cannot fix a mechanical problem. Therefore, it’s important to monitor system performance and look for anomalies, as issues in a building can also mask each other.

For example, ductwork is often among the last things installed in a building, and it may not be optimized for airflow and delivery to the space.

A BAS may be programmed to do everything it can to efficiently get air to a certain space, but the ductwork design may hamper optimal airflow.

Information from the BAS may show that the space isn’t being cooled properly, for example, continues on page 92

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BAS

continues from page 90

but it may require a mechanical fix to correct the issue.

Many automation systems can run reports to look for overrides or other issues. If there is an alert or alarm from a piece of equipment, it’s important to look at all the original settings and any possible overrides on that equipment to help determine what might be causing the problem. Making sure the equipment is restored back to its optimal state helps determine if there is any additional issue keeping it from operating as it should.

A technician who has familiarity with the building and its systems — and how they should be performing — is also helpful in troubleshooting these issues.

Issue 3 Be aware of sensor wear

WATCH FOR

INDICATORS

Sensors can wear over time and eventually fail, so it’s important to monitor hot and cold complaints and compare those to the information the BAS is providing about the performance of the building and its systems. Be aware that this can sometimes be an issue, and that typically the best source of action is to replace a failing sensor.

Occupant complaints are often the first indicator that a sensor is failing. The BAS may say the area is 21°C, while occupants in the area state it feels much hotter. This can be due to a malfunctioning sensor that is reporting incorrect information to the BAS. In these situations, another sensor can be used to verify the temperature of the space to help determine if the first sensor is bad or malfunctioning.

KEEPING A BAS OPTIMIZED

In addition, there are many technologies and solutions available for building controls and energy management that can help keep BAS performance optimized over the life of the system.

Using wireless communication technology in building controls offers flexibility in installation and easier troubleshooting over the life of the system. When building or space needs change, wireless sensors can be easily moved to maintain aesthetics or sensing accuracy without the hassle and expense of running wires.

BAS technology also enables the use of energy management solutions, providing features such as real-time monitoring of M e c h a n i c a l

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Even one setpoint override that’s not returned to the original setting can impact the performance and efficiency of many other areas of the building.

Depending on the design and layout of the facility, one loaded conference room can take most of the airflow, and other spaces may suffer as a result.

Checking the original setpoints and any overrides is often a good first step in determining the cause of these types of issues.

energy-related data gathered in a building, energy analytics and automated fault detection. This provides a link to additional,, proactive intelligent services that make it easier to p monitor data and gain insights into building performance and usage that help drive improvement efforts.

A graphic depiction of a building’s energy usage over a set period of time, for example, can help in identifying exactly how and when energy is being used — and possibly wasted. This type of visualization of the information provides insights that can lead to improvement and greater efficiency.

Following best practices in installation and setup can help ensure continued optimized system performance. Not placing sensors near heat-generating equipment, for example, can help provide accurate temperature readings.

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High energy bills and increased occupant complaints about abnormal temperatures in building spaces are both good indicators to watch for in the ongoing effort to keep a BAS optimized.

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Building automation solutions offer many benefits and can result in easier, more efficient management of building systems. However, following best practices for managing and using the system play a role in achieving optimized performance.

Sean Apsey is a Trane service account manager with 10 years of experience in the HVAC and controls industry. Leon Hawkins is the automation and controls business leader for Trane Canada and has more than 18 years of experience in the building technology industry. For more on this subject, email Leon.Hawkins@trane.com.

HRAC graduates ready for hire.

The next generation of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics (313A) are being trained right now at Centennial College. Our Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship program is the only one of its kind in the province offering both apprenticeship training and a college diploma.

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MODELS

COHA talks tanks, insurance and competition Almost 200 oil heat industry professionals hit the harbour in Halifax in June for the 2015 edition of Cleaner Heat, the Canadian Oil Heat Association’s annual symposium. The event featured business management sessions aimed at helping contractors and fuel oil companies navigate such issues as leak remediation, insurance for customers and the ongoing challenge of losing customers to other fuel sources. The organization also presented an overview of the report compiled by its advisory council, which is working to target several of the key challenges the oil heat industry is facing in Canada. coha.ca

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1. Sean Hiscock of Nova Scotia Community College discusses training opportunities available to the mechanical sector. 2. Humber College’s Bernie Jackson. 3. Stephen Koch presents the COHA Cup to Brennan Ferguson. His team won the annual golf outing. 4. COHA executive director Stephen Koch recognizes Mario Bouchard of Granby for his company’s diamond-level support of the conference. 5. Sean Giberson of Taco and Sylvain Villeneuve of Vilco share a laugh. 6. Chris Guy (standing) gets feedback from a table of delegates. 7. Nancy Chaffee at the lobster dinner. 8. Bill Fligg (left) of Petro Buster discusses leak clean-up during the supplier showcase. 9. The COHA manufacturer’s roundtable discussed proper sizing of equipment, as well as controls and emerging technologies.

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COMMERCIAL FAUCETS

B y Den ise Deveau

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE APPLICATION

Sloan

C

hoosing the right commercial faucet is no longer just about sacrificing durability for an appealing design. Now you can have both.

But there’s a lot more to making faucet choices than meets the eye. To help you out, we’ve put together the top 10 things you need to know about the latest design and installation trends.

Number 3: Commercial doesn’t have to get ugly

Number 1: Low-flow still rules Everything has moved to very low-flow products, says Jason Boyd, marketing manager for Dobbin Sales, the Canadian master distributor for Sloan. “The standard has become 0.5 gpm. But there can be performance issues, especially in office buildings with tenants. So you have to strike the right balance between efficiency and functionality.”

The one exception is the healthcare sector, where higher flows are needed to meet regulatory requirements and prevent the spread of infection. To conserve water, a laminar design in which no air is introduced to the water is used instead of a true aerator.

Number 2: It’s all about keeping hands to themselves Boyd estimates that 80 per cent of commercial requests for Sloan are for sensor-operated faucets, largely because of hygiene and cleaning needs. “People don’t want to touch anything, which is why we’re seeing sensor-operated hand dryers, toilets and urinals as well.”

Choosing the right sensor location (at the base of the faucet or in the spout itself—or both) will depend on the type of application and risk of vandalism.

At one time all a faucet had to be was robust and vandal-resistant, which mean a lot of cast brass, 4” centre sets that left a lot to be desired on the style front. Nowadays architects and interior designers are paying a lot more attention to appealing design for their washroom space.

The good news for plumbing contractors is that budgets aren’t as strict as they were five to seven years ago, says Sean Chenard, product manager for Zurn’s commercial faucets. “Because of that we’re starting to see demand for more aesthetically pleasing faucets in commercial installations, especially on the sensor side.”

The more popular choices tend toward smoother, arching, lowerprofile, one-piece designs and polished ed chrome finishes.

As users become more hygieneconscious, designerss have also been looking toward integrating soap dispensers and even n hand dryers at the point of use.

continues on page 98

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Delta

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Dyson engineers have developed one of the world’s smallest 1400W motors. They’ve used it to build an ADA compliant hand dryer that protrudes just four inches from the wall. There’s even room for two HEPA filters, so it dries hands hygienically – in just 12 seconds.*

For more information or to set up a demo call 1-877-397-6622 or visit dysonairblade.ca *Dry time measured using Dyson test method 769 based on NSF P335 using a measurement of 0.1g residual moisture.

COMMERCIAL FAUCETS

continues from page 96

Number 4: You’re not always stuck with what you have Newer faucets are also being designed with retrofitting in mind, Chenard says. “If anyone wants to upgrade a few years down the road, they can interchange spouts without having to go through a full reinstallation because it’s all above deck. You can keep the same electronic platform and base.”

Number mber 6: re are There plenty nty of power wer options

Number 5: Installation isn’t the chore it used to be

There are a wide range of power options available for commercial sensor faucets, from hard wiring to battery operated. There are even some renewable power-based products, including solar and wind.

At one time, faucets were mounted and all the installation work was done below the counter. Now the faucets have a lot more built-in components so it’s simply a matter of connecting the water supply, Boyd says. “Installation options have gotten a lot easier – all you need to do is drop it in, connect it and away you go.”

Zurn

Boyd notes that a standard battery will need to be replaced every six months to two years depending on usage. Faucets using renewable sources will extend backup battery life up to 12 years. You can also swap out standard alkaline or lithium batteries for longer-life ones to extend battery life by up to 10 years without having to change anything in the electronics.

Manufacturers are also adding features to lower lifecycle costs, adds Chenard. Recent innovations include replaceable sensor lenses that can easily be changed in the field. “In the past, sensors in the base were fixed, so if anything happened you had to get a whole new spout.

Now it’s just a couple of dollars to repair.”

continues on page 100

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COMMERCIAL FAUCETS

continues from page 98

Number 7: Higher costs mean bigger paybacks for customers While sensor products can be three times the cost of conventional manual faucets, Chenard says there’s still a compelling business case for the investment. “If you have the tools and water saving calculators, you can show customers what the payback will be in water savings.”

There are also a lot of things that can be done to improve efficiency even more in the way of sensor types and controls (e.g., setting runtimes and programming time-out options).

Sloan

Number 8: To each his own Sensor products can be pre-set differently depending on the environment, Chenard explains. “If you have a save-water program you might want to program water to run for just a few seconds at a time. Healthcare and foodservice would require much longer runtimes for scrubbing and food-prep tasks.”

Where sanitation and health are critical concerns, Chenard recommends checking for a lime purge setting on sensor faucets. This will automatically turn the faucet on to run for two minutes every 12, 24 or 48 hours from the last time the faucet was used to help prevent the growth of bacteria.

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Number 9: You have to stick to the rules Legislation around water flows and temperatures gets more complicated as time goes by. Chenard notes that rules now dictate the installation of anti-scald devices in public areas that automatically shut down the faucet if they exceed certain temperatures. “Thermostatic mixing valves are also becoming mandatory in commercial plumbing codes.”

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For example, for areas prone to vandalism, Chenard recommends a 4” base versus a single-hole installation, or a single post paired with a 4” cover plate. If replacing hundreds of faucets isn’t an option and budgets are tight, a metering faucet might be best.

Moen

■

The key in determining what’s right for the job is the usage levels and who will be using it, Boyd advises. “If it’s a school with 1,000 students a day, an electronic or sensor-operated faucet may not be the best choice.

It’s all about designing the right products for the right space.”

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CO2 REFRIGERATION Andre Patenaude is the director of CO2 business development for Emerson. He can be reached at andre.patenaude@emerson.com.

By Andr e Pa t e n a u d e

Application Considerations for R744 T

his article is the third in a series on commercial R744 (CO2) refrigeration systems and introduces transcritical, cascade and secondary systems.

The properties of R744 affect how the refrigerant is applied. The high density of R744 compared to HFCs results in a requirement of less compressor displacement, typically one-fifth of that for R404A, however the motor size is similar since the work done is approximately the same. Smaller pipe diameters are another result, especially on the suction side of the system.

Because of the higher pressures of R744, all components require a higher maximum pressure rating.

The high discharge temperatures of R744 result in the need for two-stage compression for lowtemperature (LT) systems that reject heat to ambient air.

The low critical temperature of R744 results in differences in system design and control. In the retail sector this results in R744 being used mainly in the following types of systems: • Transcritical systems: Systems are called transcritical when heat rejection takes place above the critical point of the refrigerant (ambient temperatures above 25°C/77°F, assuming 6°C/10°F TD condenser/gas cooler design).

Retail Transcritical Systems With a simple single-stage transcritical system, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the gas cooler, where heat is removed.

The refrigerant does not condense here if it is above the critical point. Instead, it passes through a highpressure reducing valve and condenses in the receiver/ flash tank when its pressure drops below the critical point. Liquid is drawn off the bottom of the receiver to feed all of the evaporators.

Electronic expansion valves provide evaporator superheat controls. The superheated gas is drawn back into the compressor.

In Figure 1, the temperature of the refrigerant at the gas cooler exit depends on the Figure 1: Simple transcritical system for medium temperature size of the cooler, and the pressure of the refrigerant in the gas cooler depends on the quantity of refrigerant in the system and the ambient • Booster systems: Systems with two temperature levels (e.g. LT temperature.

-30°C/-22°F and MT -7°C/20°F evaporating temperature) and with low-stage and medium stage compressors.

The system’s capacity and efficiency vary

• Cascade systems: R744 is the low-stage refrigerant in a cascade system in which the R744 is always subcritical. Heat rejected by condensing R744 is absorbed by the evaporating high-stage refrigerant. The high-stage system is usually a conventional system using HFC, hydrocarbon (HC) or ammonia refrigerants, known as hybrid cascade. In some systems R744 is used in both the high and low stage.

• Secondary systems: R744 is used as a secondary fluid pumped through the heat exchangers. The CO2 partially evaporates and then is retuned to a heat exchanger to be fully condensed and chilled before returning to the evaporators.

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significantly with ambient temperature and the quantity of refrigerant in the system.

Three example systems are shown on the pressure enthalpy chart in Figure 2 (on next page). Each has identical evaporating conditions.

In a subcritical system the refrigerant would de-superheat and then condense, rejecting continues on page 104

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CO2 REFRIGERATIONcontinued from page 102 heat at a constant temperature. In a transcritical system the R744 does not condense; it rejects heat as a transcritical fluid, cooling during this process.

DIDYOUKNOW?

In each example, the R744 exits the gas cooler at a temperature of 40°C (104°F). This exit temperature is a function of the size of the gas cooler and the ambient temperature.

Transcritical operation is generally less efficient than subcritical operation, so system type selection is usually driven by the ambient temperature profile.

The cooling capacity of each system varies significantly. For pressures shown in Figure 2 the cooling capacity reduces as the pressure reduces.

This is the opposite of what happens in a subcritical system, where cooling capacity is greater at lower discharge pressures.

Subcritical Operation

The compressor power input of each system also varies.

Fig. 2: Pressure enthalpy chart showing transcritical operation The lower the pressure the lower the power input, however the variation in power input is not proportional to the variation in cooling capacity.

The ambient temperature profile determines the proportion of time a system runs in transcritical mode. For many regions, a proportion of the operation will be subcritical, typically when the ambient temperature is below 25°C/77°F, assuming 6°C/10°F TD condenser/gas cooler design. In this case, the gas cooler controller and valve usually controls to a user-defined subcooling set point.

Unlike subcritical systems, the maximum coefficient of performance (COP) does not occur at minimum condensing pressure. Optimum COP depends on evaporating conditions and gas cooler exit temperature, but is typically 90 to 100 bar (1,310 to 1,450 psi).

Two-stage compression is used for transcritical low-temperature applications because the discharge temperature of R744 is high and may result in lubricant breakdown.

In a retail transcritical system, gas cooler pressure is controlled to provide optimum capacity or optimum efficiency.

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In a two-stage booster system, the refrigerant from the low-temperature loads is drawn

into the low-stage compressors. The discharge from these compressors goes into the suction of the highstage compressors.

Retail Cascade Systems A cascade system comprises the low stage, which provides cooling for the load, uses R744 and is always subcritical; and the high stage, which absorbs heat from the condensing R744 at the cascade heat exchanger.

The refrigerant from the Within the cascade heat exchanger, the evaporating high-stage medium-temperature refrigerant absorbs heat rejected by the condensing R744. The (MT) loads is drawn condensing temperature is maintained below the critical point. The into the suction of the high stage is usually a simple, close-coupled system controlled by the high-stage compressors. pressure in the low-stage receiver.

The refrigerant from The high-stage refrigerant is usually an HFC or HC, or may be ammonia, the receiver pressurein which case the cascade is a hybrid system. In some systems, R744 is regulating valve is used in the high stage. It will be transcritical Fig. 3: Simple booster system also drawn into the at ambient temperatures above 25°C/77°F. without oil management suction of the highstage compressors. The flash gas from the receiver pressureregulating valve and the suction gas from the MT loads provide some In a simple secondary system, the high-stage system cools interstage cooling. the liquid R744 in the secondary circuit. The R744 is pumped This is usually enough to maintain the around the load. It is volatile, so unlike a conventional discharge temperature of the highsecondary fluid, such as glycol, it does not remain as a liquid. stage compressors below the level at Instead it partially evaporates, providing a significantly greater which the lubricant will deteriorate. cooling capacity. This reduces the pump power required and Additional interstage cooling can also the temperature difference needed at the heat exchanger. be provided if required.

Secondary Systems

Fig. 4: Simple cascade system

Re-Think Refrigeration.

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Modern refrigeration requires a new kind of OEM partner. An OEM who is as comfortable in a processing plant, as they are in the CAD room. An OEM who understands that “field work” trumps “lab work”. And an OEM who delivers turn-key solutions that have been designed, tested and field proven in the real world.

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HVAC/R Products P Wireless Control ProLon’s VC2000 zone controllers are made for variable air volume zoning systems. The units can supply information on the occupancy state of a building, and the demand for supply, when connected to a network.

The control sequences and outputs can be configured locally or remotely using free software. An on-board brushless actuator provides feedback on damper position.

Refrigerant Solstice N40 refrigerant from Honeywell is a non-flammable HFO suitable for low- and medium-temperature refrigeration equipment, such as supermarket display cases. It is designed to replace HCFC R22 and HFC R404A and its global warming potential is 66 per cent lower than R404A.

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Vibration Absorbers Goldstone HVACR vibration absorbers are designed to dampen compressor-generated vibrations in the piping of air conditioning and refrigeration units. The high-tensile, wire-braided absorbers are made of flexible corrugated tubing and are reinforced at both ends by ferrules connected to female copper tubing.

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Make Up Air B-wheel backward-curved fan modules from Rosenberg have 3.3 kW motors and a seven-blade design that allows for impeller efficiencies of up to 78 per cent.

Available in six sizes ranging from 355 mm to 630 mm, the modules are ideal for data-centre cooling and other applications requiring low noise and high efficiency.

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Cooling Units Tempmaster cooling units from Johnson Controls come in a variety of rooftop and split-system options, with cooling capacities ranging from 3 to 40 tons and SEER efficiencies as high as 18. Rooftop units are available to fit a variety of roof curbs.

tempmasterhvac.com 106

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Why are homeowners talking about Goodman?

Seems like lots of people are talking about the Goodman® brand these days. Nearly every day, comments and ratings from homeowners across North America are now being captured and placed on display. To find out how homeowners rate Goodman brand products simply visit or www.goodmanmfg.com/reviews.

Goodman Locations 1055 Cardiff Blvd., Mississauga, ON L5S 1P4 1161 Parisien Street, Ottawa, ON K1B 4W4 15700 Robins Hill Road, London, ON N5V 0A4 46 Zatonski Avenue, Brantford, ON N3T 5L8 8305 Jane Street, Unit 3, Vaughan, ON L4K 5Y3 963 Brock Road, Suite 1-5, Pickering, ON L1W 3A4 41 Brockley Dr, Unit #8, Hamilton, ON L8E 3C3 2640 Jacques Cartier-Est, Longueuil, QC J4N 1P8 4313 Autoroute Des Laurentides, Laval, QC H7L 5W5 6741 Cariboo Road, Unit 111, Burnaby, BC V3N 4A3 18043 111th Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5S 2P2 7007 54th Street SE, #141, Calgary, AB T2C 3C2 807 60th Street E, Saskatoon, SK S7K 5Z7 107 Mountianview Rd., Unit 1, Winnipeg, MB R3C 2E6

Spoiler Alert: Regardless of the type of Goodman brand product, the reviews are quite exceptional. When homeowners have their local dealer install a new Goodman brand heating or cooling system, it’s not unusual to get a review that reinforces the brand’s slogan, “Thank goodness for Goodman®”.

Review*

++++ 4.7

I purchased this equipment after researching the major brands and speaking to several HVAC installers. The equipment is well built and a m. The installer great value. Goodman has an excellent warranty program. uality. I noticed was professional and his workmanship is of the highest quality. m impressed at an immediate difference in the comfort of my home. I am how quiet the unit is. - smithke

*Goodman uses the industry leader in homeowner reviews, BazaarVoice, to administer and validate the reviews you see on the website. This means reviews are directly from homeowners, with checks to prevent fabrication, modification, or fraudulent activities. To see how Goodman authenticates reviews, please see BazaarVoice’s Authentication Policy at www.goodmanmfg.com

For more information about the complete high-efficiency value product line from Goodman, simply contact your local Goodman brand distributor or sales representative.

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PLUMBING PROJECT

A FAN OF FANS When building the bathroom, Manny Neves of Hardcore Renos included high-humidity moisturesensing exhaust fans. “We know that kids don’t turn on fans and adults can be lazy too, so we put in fans that are sensitive to motion and humidity that will turn on when they need to be turned on. We ran them with 6” lines because you can move that much more air. Instead of restricting airflow by putting in a 4” line, we thought we’d run a 6” line that was as short as possible with as few elbows as possible right to the exterior.”

B y G r e g Dalget t y

The bathroom also features two forced-air outlets—one in the water closet and one by the window—as well as an in-floor electric heating system.

E H T M O R F D N U GRO UP W es to hen it com travagant x e creating s, Manny washroom a know Paul Colett d an s e v e N ’re doing. what they t an 18’ cently buil The duo re home in a hroom at by 13’ was he project T to, Ont. n ro o T h rt no d started a new buil f o t ar p was Hardcore who runs

by Neves, knocked and his team e H s. o n e R oot 00-square-f down a 1,2 t a twoil u b ouse and h ar w st o p g 3,673 e measurin m o h y e re o st ,100 squar t (about 5 e fe e ar . u t) sq emen ing the bas feet includ fa the help o Turning to , Neves an tradesm al n io ss fe pro of Turbo y Coletta b d e in jo was lavish tackle this to g in b an m Plu res a Rom hich featu w , ry o o tw at , v la system al shower it ig d a , b tu closet. d a water vanities an

continues on page 110

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A better way to make ends meet.

Professionals who specify and install Uponor PEX plumbing and hydronic piping report faster installation times, savings on materials costs, fewer callbacks and greater peace of mind.

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PLUMBING PROJECT

All About the

continues from page 108

TUB

“From the get go, the client was talking about how she wanted a traditional bathroom,” Neves said. “I guess she spent a lot of time in the tub and that’s the reason she was so fixated on this bath and its placement.”

The tub, an 80-gallon model with an antique look, ended up being placed in the middle of the room at a 30-degree angle from the nearest wall, which dictated the layout of the rest of the room.

“My first thought was to park it where you would see it when you walked into the master bedroom, which had a direct sightline into the master bathroom,” Neves said. “We left enough space to walk around it to get into the shower and still be able to comfortably access the vanity that’s closest to it. It’s kind of like an island.

Subconsciously, we were creating something that was like a kitchen island, but we were using a tub.”

H HIGH-TEC SHOWERa also installed a

Colett Neves and . wer system digital sho interface ntrol panel “It has a co your water u control u that lets yo ich toy yo re and wh ead, h temperatu er e show ave on—th y,” ra want to h sp body ower, the so al the hand sh n ower ca id. The sh le, Coletta sa rent peop if d for six fe e in be pre-set m deter ch user to which e allowing ea id re and dec u at er p e m water te at what tim o off and g s d ea h d an shower lay music can even p ich h w , intervals. It re u erapy feat th o m . ro has a ch ured lights using colo s er h at b soothes st highre than ju wer is mo o sh e th t Bu es. and whistl tech bells water gallons of pump 17 em “You can at syst ,” through th ead is per minute age rain h . “An aver u’ll .

Neves said te minu Yo gallons per nk ta er about 2.5 at hot w 75-gallon r o n empty the ve out se there in ab l of a we put in have a hel l ’l u tes. Yo , but te u eight minu in m allons per g 7 1 at shower k out.” ty that tan you’ll emp

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Challenges Behind the WALLS “One of the main challenges we faced was finding a place to run the main 3” stack,” Coletta said.

“We wanted to avoid any bulkheads in the house, so we took a centre wall in the house and we stacked it out with an additional 2’ by 4’ wall,” Neves added.

“And just by doing that, we basically have a wall that’s probably about 15’ long and every single cavity in that wall is being used either by mechanical or plumbing. There are four mechanical 6” runs in six different cavities and Paul had two plumbing waste lines going through two of the cavities.”

All the plumbing was done with PEX piping.

“We ran dedicated ¾” water lines from every bathroom straight into the mechanical room and we built a manifold system,” Coletta said. “So no matter what you turned on in the house, it would not starve any washroom that was downstream or upstream from it. All the water comes from a central area. With a master we like to use ¾” dedicated lines, because most of the time there will be two people using it. One person could be showering and another person could be using a sink, so you want an abundance of water there.”

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When he reduced costs by 13% with a new RTU, he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just saving money.

He was setting a precedent.

Once your clients start seeing the benefits of our incentives for upgrading to high efficiency RTUs, they will want to look into making other parts of their building like ventilation, chiller and building automation systems more efficient too.

When they do, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be joining thousands of organizations across Ontario who are already enjoying the savings that our programs deliver.

Take a look at their stories and our incentives at

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Subject to additional terms and conditions found at saveonenergy.ca. Subject to change without notice.

OM Official Mark of the Independent Electricity System Operator.

PLUMBING

Products

Condensing Water Heater Ultra Series RUR tankless condensing water heaters from Rinnai can be used with either a dedicated return line or a crossover valve. Each unit comes with an integrated pump, internal bypass line and thermal bypass valve for installation without the use of a return line. They offer a 0.96 energy factor and come in 152,000, 180,000, and 199,000 BTUH H sizes.

www. rinnai.us

Sink Accessories Quatrus sink accessories from Blanco include an ash cutting board, a multi-level grid and a sink workstation. The cutting board and workstation can be fitted directly on top of the company’s Quatrus sinks, extending the counter space and providing additional storage space for cutlery.

www. blancocanada.com

Commercial Faucets The 620TP gooseneck faucet from Delta is suitable for healthcare, hospitality and public facility applications and is available in four flow rates (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.2 gpm laminar outlets). It features sensor technology that allows users to turn on the water by placing a hand anywhere near the faucet spout. The entire faucet acts as a sensor, without any optics or infrared windows.

Each unit can be programmed for specific run times and to run at set intervals in order to clear standing water. Faucets are available in chrome and stainless finishes.

More than 90% of the world’s fresh water is found in Antarctica.

THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE SHARKBITE

The Very Best in Push-Fit Plumbing Solutions

www. deltafaucet.ca

DZR BRASS 316 STAINLESS STEEL GRAB RING CHLORAMINE RESISTANT EPDM RUBBER O-RING LEAD FREE

THE LARGEST SELECTION OF PUSH-FIT PLUMBING FITTINGS LISTED WITH CSA What’s in your truck?

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H RT ES

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SHARKBITE FEATURES: Connects Copper, CPVC and PEX Pipe No soldering, clamps, unions or glue Certified to 200 psi and 200°F All fittings are LEAD FREE and made of DZR Brass Largest SKU selection in industry, sizes 1/4" - 2" Full line of PEX Pipe, Barb and Push-Fit Fittings Approved for burial

Plumbing Solutions

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M ee cc hha an ni ci ac l a Bl u Bs iun se isns e 1s 0s . 1008 . 1 5

Sink System The AER-DEC integrated sink system from Sloan features sink basins with soap dispensers, faucets and hand dryers that can all be used touch-free. Faucets run on AA batteries. Sink basins have optional LCD lighting. Soap dispensers emit 1.2 mL of foam soap when a hand is in range of the infrared detector. Hand dryers run on a 110 volt 12.5 amp circuit and need 500 watts or less for drying only and 1,500 watts or less for drying with heat.

www. sloanvalve.com

INTRODUCING THE FREEZELESS

UNDERCOVER WALL HYDRANT

TM

■ Drains automatically—even with hose attached ■ Replaceable 16 gauge stainless steel cover flips down for easy access ■ Tee key prevents unauthorized use ■ Sleek, streamlined, low profile design

WOODFORD MANUFACTURING COMPANY Excellence. Always.

800.621.6032 • www.woodfordmfg.com

Woodford Model 68

■ Model 68 freezeless wall hydrant protected by an integral cover

PLUMBING

Products

Stainless Steel Lineup OS&B commercial stainless steel tubular products are manufactured from 20 gauge T316 stainless steel to prevent corrosion during drainage. They are designed to be resistant to harsh cleaning agents used in hospitality, commercial and institutional settings. All traps are available in 1-1/2” and 1-1/4” sizes, with both standard and extended lengths options.

All lavatory drains are 1-1/4” and available in both straight and offset configurations.

Backflow Preventer Retrofit Watts’ backflow preventer retrofit spool solution is designed for use outside the shutoff valve, allowing for a variety of configuration options.

Made to order, the spool comes with optional connections, flush ports, branches, or tees and can be customized for different applications. Orders can be delivered fully assembled or in parts.

www. osb.ca

Drainage System Drain-Guard piping systems from IPEX provide a pipe-inpipe solution for transporting sanitary and storm drainage away from critical areas. The system is composed of a primary carrier pipe, available in 1-1/2” to 8” sizes, surrounded by a secondary containment pipe. Larger sizes are available upon request.

watts.ca

Drinking Water System y Novo’s Aqua Flo Platinum QCRO system has 10 interchangeable filters with various treatment options. Old cartridges twist off to be replaced with new cartridges. An Ultra Filtration option with no drain line is also available.

www. ipexinc.com

www. novowater.com

Complete Sink Systems Advocate all-in-one sink systems, available from Bradley, feature faucets, soap dispensers and hand dryers in a single unit. They come in one-, two- and three-sink models with hands-free 0.38 gpm faucets.

They also feature infrared dual-sided high-speed hand dryers and infrared soap dispensers that have LED low-level indicators.

Shower drain The ZS880 stainless steel linear shower drain from Zurn is suitable for barrier-free and curbless showers and comes in a variety of grates, finishes, lengths and outlet configurations. Each drain comes with anchoring feet and a built-in membrane flange. The drains feature an adjustable frame and grate to prevent water pooling.

www. zurn.com

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SPOTLIGHT PROFILES

CONCENTRATED HAND-DRYING TECHNOLOGY The Dyson Airblade V hand dryer has a Dyson digital motor V4 at its core.

Using one of the world’s smallest 1400W motors, engineers were able to build a hand dryer that’s just four inches deep. The slim profile seamlessly fits into any space and dries hands in 12 seconds with HEPA-filtered air.

dysonairblade.ca SANICUBIC 1 & 2 HEAVY-DUTY DUPLEX GRINDER PUMPS The Sanicubic 1 & 2 grinder pumps from Saniflo have powerful 1 HP motors and come with LED alarm systems for additional security. Pumping distance is up to 36’ vertically and 328’ horizontally. The pumps can handle the accidental flushing of sanitary items and are suitable for multiple waste fixtures in residential and commercial applications.

saniflo.ca PLASTIC PIPE FITTING REAMERS Money-saving reamers are designed to clean out the old or broken pipe and leftover solvent cement from a fitting so it can be reused. A new 11.5-inch extension shaft is available to reach into more places. Plastic Pipe Fitting Reamers fit into standard ½” drills and work great for vent lines, drain lines and water lines.

reedmfgco.com V3 STYLE TUBE HEATER The Series 3 redesign was made to improve operation and serviceability, while utilizing familiar controls on a production-friendly unit. The control box features include hinged side door access, three-compartment design and serviceability while in operation. Our V3 Style Tube Heaters are available in Single Stage (DX3) or Two-Stage (HL3).

Marketplace Ads

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

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Marketing with DOUG MACMILLAN

Who do you think you’re talking to?

S

ome folks will say there was once an easier time in HVAC and plumbing marketing. A time when contractors simply needed a decent-sized ad in the Yellow Pages, a few media spots to talk up spring and fall promotions, and trucks with a name and phone number plastered on the side.

Doug MacMillan is president of The Letter M Marketing in Guelph, Ont. To reach him, email doug@thelettermmarketing.com.

Let’s talk about it Completing a persona template with accuracy is an art as much as it is a science, but as with all things, a little research leads to a better product. I’d start with your sales and service team. After all, they interact with the market all the time.

Ask them how they would define the different customer/prospect categories. Pick their brains about what makes the folks in the categories tick. You can also go online to research the best marketing approaches for different personality types.

There are plenty of interesting papers and studies if you can spare the time climbing through the many rabbit holes the internet tends to take us down.

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Audience segmentation didn’t tend to be any more complicated than figuring out which neighbourhoods were ripe for a direct mail drop because the homes were of a certain age and likely in need of a furnace or air conditioner repair or change-out, or perhaps a kitchen or bath renovation before long.

A simpler time perhaps, but it’s hard to stand out when everyone is on the same playing field. It seemed a bit like a “spray and pray” method of marketing, with little opportunity to speak directly with primary audiences without booking a spot at the home show beside yet another hot tub company or hosting yet another seminar at the local Holiday Inn. In fact, one could argue that marketing now is more complicated, but also more effective. With dozens of fields to play in, the opportunity to aim your laser directly at carefully-targeted prospects greatly enhances the likelihood of converting them into customers. Why talk to a ballroom full of every possible customer imaginable when you can divide them into smaller rooms based on the type of customer they represent. That way, you can tell each group exactly what they need to hear.

It only makes sense then, that a key success factor will be how well we know the audiences we’re pursuing. What are their pain points?

For one group, it may be keeping costs low and making the equipment last as long as possible, while another prefers the assurance (and even the prestige) that they have a top-of-the-line, he-line, state-of-the-art system. For some, environmental considerationss are paramount. Others may just want to be sure their teenagers willl never run out of hot water.

And of course, how you reach thesee groups differs greatly.

Some appreciate interaction at home me shows or community events, while others are best engaged online using video and social ial media.

Still others wouldn’t dream of skipping ping their breakfast reading every word in thee daily newspaper – the actual paper version!

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Creating a persona template Our marketing agency has started spending a lot more time lately working with clients to create “personas”: one-page profiles of each major audience that capture the key defining features that will inform our marketing efforts.

We try to segment people into the type of personality they have (“learner” or “skeptic” or “community-minded”) rather than standard demographics such as age or income class. Typically, the template will include:

Top three messages: Your succinct story, no more than seven words per message.

Preferences: Do they prefer engagement with you, or to window shop without you?

Audience type: Personality type, such as skeptic.

How to reach them: Online or social media? Face-to-face? Local media?

Friends/referral?

Typical demographics: Older-skewing or younger? Educated?

New to the area?

Special notes: Your catch-all space for anything else about the audience that’s worth noting.

Pain points: What problem do you need to solve?

Sweet spots: What excites them? The promise of extra value, or something “sexy” like radiant floors?

SPOTLIGHT PROFILES HE-Z SERIES: ZONING CAPABLE AND ENERGY EFFICIENT RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX Energy Saving Products Ltd. presents the HE-Z Series of fan coils. This innovative product will feature the newly developed Pressure Sensing Board (PSB) motor controller. The PSB is pre-set for cooling, heating and recirculation, but is field programmable, providing an infinitely variable fan output. Zoning is simple as the VDC signal will vary dependent on system load, adjusting power input based on demand. Fitting where others don't, the HE-Z series will become your ultimate choice in a multi-functional fan coil. oiil.

TM

hi-velocity.com FLEX 924—NO MORE OFFSETS Watco’s Flex924 corrects misalignment between the bathtub overflow and the bathtub drain connection. Its flexible PVC tubing connects the overflow to the sanitary tee of the bathtub, bends to address misalignment and eliminates the need for offsets. It comes standard with a test membrane at the overflow and test plug for that drain (testable up to 5 floors). For more information, please contact Watco Manufacturing.

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Break Time

For this puzzle’s p solution,, visit mechanicalbusiness.com

Across 3. Could be hot out, or maybe we are soldering.

4. Often found in hotels.

7. Going beyond boiling.

9. Duct Face.

11. A watery thermostat.

13. Making connections, of all different sizes.

14. Keeping odours out with a curve.

Down 1. Difference.

2. Takes heat from liquids.

5. The heart of an air conditioning or heat pump system.

6. Carries water from the pump.

8. A tank can help handle this.

10. A bit of water in the air.

12. Not the main, riser or stack. Or part of a tree.

15. Used for drain, waste and vent lines.

Adding speed and productivity

TOOL TIPS

Doing more with less

W

e’re all being asked to do more nowadays, and our tools are not escaping this push for additional productivity.

Although multi-tools and screwdrivers with interchangeable bits have been around for quite some time, tool manufacturers are expanding the universe of hand tools that can handle more than one task, designing additional functionality into tools that may not have been thought of as having multiple personalities.

Take pliers, for example. Every trade uses them, and most tradespeople have several types that they carry, and they augment that arsenal with additional tools to round out the needs of the task.

Enter pliers that don’t just help with gripping and turning, but also offer the ability to ream pipe, strip and cut wires, cut bolts,

and so forth.

Now a single set of pliers can be carried

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Even tools that still have one basic function, like seamers for ductwork, are seeing addons for productivity. Some seamers include markings indicating the most common fold sizes, to reduce the need for extra steps during a task.

to handle the installation of an electrical component, rather than two or more tools.

On the screwdriver front, not only are there more options on bits to be found for those tried and true multi-function tools, but you might also find a wire stripper on the handle, or a variety of size options. A stubby ratcheting screwdriver is great for some of the tight spots found when servicing mechanical equipment.

Not only are innovations such as these simplifying tasks, but they are also helping to reduce weight in Sponsored by Milwaukee Electric Tool – a proud partner with Mechanical Business. Look for video the tool box, all while living up to tips, tools and reviews at multiple demands on the jobsite. www.milwaukeetool.com.

Be sure to visit mechanicalbusiness.com for your chance to win valuable Milwaukee products and merchandise!

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STUFF YOU NEED Jobsite Fan

Batteries DeWalt’s 2.0 amp (DCB203BT) and 4.0 amp (DCB204BT) lithium ion batteries are equipped with Bluetooth and can be paired with Android and iOS platforms using a free app, allowing users to turn batteries on and off and monitor charge levels and temperature remotely.

www. dewalt.com

Airflow Balancing Meter The ABM-100 airflow balancing g meter from Automatic Airflow one Balancing plugs into a smartphone or tablet to convert air speed to o airflow. With a downloaded app, p, a contractor enters the duct or grille ille dimensions and holds the meterr up irflow to a duct or grille opening for airflow readings in linear feet per minute, te, cubic feet per minute, cubic metres tres per hour or linear metres per sececond.

www. airflowbalancing.com

The M18 cordless jobsite fan from Milwaukee Tools circulates air over 40’ and provides up to 284 CFM. It features 3 speed settings, 9 stopping positions and a 120° adjustable head.

It can run for up to 17 hours on low using a battery (sold separately), and also comes with an AC adapter for extended operation. The fan can be hung in a variety of positions using four keyhole hangers or two hanging holes.

www. milwaukeetool.com

Mobile App The kmplete—pronounced “complete”—mobile app from KMP Designs allows service technicians to capture work order data and service histories on a mobile device, which can then be converted into invoices. No internet connection is required. Data can be stored on a mobile device until an internet connection is available. Invoice pricing is populated automatically.

www. kmpdesigns.com

Pricing System

Basin Wrench This basin wrench from Ridgid features a light to illuminate dark workspaces. The wrench’s removable T-handle pivots 180 degrees and can accommodate a 3/8” ratchet or breaker bar.

The ergonomic handle has a telescopic design, extending reach to 17 inches, and the jaw has a heavy-duty, rust-resistant spring.

The Online Repair Flat Rate Pricing System from Reliable Pricing Service allows service technicians to use a mobile device to create and access quotes for repairs. Labour rates and parts markup can be changed at any time, and each technician has a separate login and customizable preferences.

www. ridgid.com

www. reliablepricing.com

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OXFORD ENERGY SOLUTIONS INC.

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Tel: (800) 387-9630 www.mitsubishielectric.ca

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HRAI AGM August 26-28, 2015 Windsor, Ont. www.hrai.ca CIPHEX Roadshow October 15, 2015 Burnaby, B.C. October 20, 2015 Edmonton, Alta.

October 22, 2015 Regina, Sask.

October 28, 2015 Brandon, Man. November 18, 2015 St. John’s, Nfld. www.ciphexroadshow.ca RSES Canada AGM November 6-7, 2015 Toronto, Ont. www.rsescanada.com MCA Canada 2015 AGM November 16-19, 2015 Palm Springs, Calif. www.mcac.ca

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bythenumbers

Compiled by Mechanical Business

THINKING FRESH FIRST Have you ever wondered what matters most to Canadians when shopping for groceries?

32% SAY FRESHNESS 27% SAY PRICE 16% SAY TASTE 9% SAY NUTRITIONAL VALUE 1% SAY CALORIE COUNT

MMM… BEER There’s no better time than the dog days of summer to brush up on the best serving temperatures for beer.

5°C

Ideal for pale lagers and light ales.

8°C

Ideal for standard ales, ambers and dark lagers.

13°C

Ideal for bitters, stouts, porters and some IPAs.

WATER FOOTPRINTS OF FOOD It takes a lot of water to make some of our favourite foods and beverages. Here’s a list off some of the biggest—and smallest—water footprints of popular fare. ate 17,196 L/KG: Chocolate 15,415 L/KG: Beef 3,178 L/KG: Cheese 132 L/CUP: Coffee 74 L/GLASS: Beer

A GOOD INVESTMENT

84% of Canadians think owning a house or condo is a good investment.

WATER USAGE AROUND THE WORLD

A LOT OF LOONIES

11% MUNICIPAL

$3 BILLION

19% INDUSTRIAL 70% AGRICULTURAL BUYING LOCAL

- Approximate sales by HVAC manufacturers in Canada last year

$50 BILLION

71%

- Combined Canadian and U.S. HVAC sales

Canadians that are willing to pay more for locally grown or produced food.

PM# 41536047 Postmaster: Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to: Mechanical Business, 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2

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TECH SPEC 3783 Series Hooded Lavatory Drains Why settle for a Commercial looking open grid Lav Drain?

Introducing the OS&B® 3783 Series Hooded Lav Drain for Vessel Sinks with no overflow. Available finishes: enDUR™ Chrome, Brushed Nickel and Venetian Bronze.

Featuring a Euro style thread-in Hooded Dome for easy cleaning and continuous water flow. Ideal for residential Vessel sinks with its decorative Thread Shield and extra-long (3”) threaded body.

Available in Standard Straight or Offset configuration for Commercial applications.

CSA Certified.

Innovation that works...

3783V-ECP Vessel Model Shown

www.osb.ca

Drainage You Can Depend On

Our companies have been helping you manage & remove wastewater for 140 years. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the smart one-stop choice for a full range of complete drainage and water reuse solutions.

Learn more at Watts.ca/drainage