January/February 2013

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Hot Water Heating Issue

Higher costs?

Proposed efficiency requirements will change the face of DHW heating, say manufacturers INSIDE INSIDE ■ ■ Feds Feds cut cut red red tape tape for for immigrant immigrant workers workers ■ ■ Ont. Ont. HVAC HVAC Coalition Coalition braces braces for for utility utility battle battle ■ ■ Flaw Flaw found found in in high high efficiency efficiency boiler boiler test test ■ ■ Right-sizing Right-sizing your your business business

JAN/FEB 2013

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â– Contents

Hot Water Heating Issue

Departments Hot Seat .........................................5 The high cost of efficiency

Industry News ..............................6 Feds cut immigrant worker obstacles

People & Places ...........................34 MCAC meets in Maui

Coming Events.............................35 MCEE seminars announced

Shop Management......................37 Right-sizing your business

Products & Technologies Hot Water Heating ......................12 Heating ........................................18

Greener commercial buildings Outdoors retailer aims for maximum performance

Features

Refrigeration ...............................28 Plumbing ......................................31 Faucets & Fixtures .......................32 Tools & Instruments ....................33

More complexity, cost

12

Higher efficiencies proposed for water heaters

Cover: The way that Canadians heat DHW is going to change dramatically with higher efficiency requirements.

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The future of refrigerants Technology at a crossroads

28

Botched renovations

31

Winter brings out the worst in DIY repairs

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

3

■ Hot Seat

January/February 2013 Volume 23, Number 1 ISSN 1919-0395

Publisher Mark Vreugdenhil (416) 614-5819 mark@plumbingandhvac.ca

Why so cheap?

As you will read elsewhere in this issue, the push for higher water heater efficiencies is causing a great deal of concern in the industry because of the increased cost and complexity of the better equipment, which already makes up about five percent of the market.

But the question that keeps coming up in my mind is how is it that such an important home appliance is so inexpensive? No homeowner can do without hot water heating, but it must be considerable relief when such an important appliance that they haven’t given a thought to for about 15 years finally expires, it costs so little to replace it. That’s not so with other vital appliances like the furnace, air conditioner or refrigerator. Some homeowners spend more on a single faucet than their water heater.

As I write this I have just returned from the AHR Expo in Dallas where one manufacturer introduced a new hybrid water heater that combines a condensing tankless water heater with a 22-gallon storage tank, all in a package about the size of a conventional 40-gallon tank. It’s a nice piece of technology and seems to make sense as we move to higher efficiencies.

But the surprising thing to me was that this manufacturer planned to put this on the market for less than $1,000. And I again have to ask the question, why is the goal with water heaters always to sell them as inexpensively as possible?

I don’t think the average homeowner is going to be nearly as resistant to paying more for a high efficiency water heater as the industry believes. A thousand dollars

for such a critical home appliance is not a big expense when compared to other home repairs.

But the industry has two problems in making this transition. First, it has been selling on price for much too long and, secondly, it sells its products retail. A homeowner might not blink at $1000 for a replacement water heater, except that they can go to their local big box retailer and comparison shop. The reality that electric water heaters will remain relatively inexpensive while the gas versions are going to cost substantially more is going to be a significant problem.

It may end up being a bigger problem for the electrical utilities, many of which are already at the limit of their capacity, than it will be for storage tank water heater manufacturers that typically make both types anyway.

I think Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has to be very careful in how they move ahead with higher efficiency requirements so that they don’t skew the market, but at the same time I think the industry really has to rethink how it sells water heaters.

It’s a critical home appliance and its value is greater than a few hundred dollars. I don’t think many homeowners would dispute that.

Editor Simon Blake (416) 614-5820 simon@plumbingandhvac.ca Design and Production Tim Norton production@plumbingandhvac.ca Production Manager Lilianna Kantor (416) 614-5815 lily@newcom.ca Circulation Manager Pat Glionna Corporate Services Anthony Evangelista

PLUMBING & HVAC Magazine is published eight times annually by NEWCOM Business Media Inc. and is written for individuals who purchase/ specify/approve the selection of plumbing, piping, hot water heating, fire protection, warm air heating, air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, controls and related systems and products throughout Canada.

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■ Industry News

Feds cut red tape Foreign workers program welcomed by industry, but provides little relief to smaller contractors

By Simon Blake A new federal program designed to speed the immigration of foreign tradesmen to Canada will help mechanical contractors doing large projects, something industry officials say is long overdue.

“This is certainly welcome news,” remarked Richard McKeagan, president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada. “I think everybody would like to hire workers domestically, but the fact of the matter is that there’s not enough.”

I think they’ve recognized how important it is that we don’t have major projects delayed or cancelled because of concerns over a lack of workers.

titles into 500 occupational descriptions.

“The introduction of a dedicated and streamlined program for skilled trades addresses many of the shortcomings from the current Federal Skilled Worker Program,” said Michael Atkinson, president of the Canadian Construction Association. “The new program ensures greater consideration is given to the needs of industry when processing eligible immigration applications.”

And while the federal government’s efforts to cut red tape have been generally welcomed by the mechanical industry, the new program doesn’t do much to address manpower issues faced by small and medium sized contractors.

“It takes money and a project with a long duration to make this work,” said Del Pawliuk, president of R.F. Contracting in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. “We don’t have the resources,” he added, noting that large industrial contractors doing large projects are more readily able to absorb the cost of foreign recruiting.

Trying to keep up Mechanical contractors working in large industrial projects often see their best workers hired to maintain

that plant at the end of construction, reported Holmes.

“Every time we add a major industrial complex, it has to be maintained. So what is happening is that the maintenance and sustaining capital projects on those sites are demanding a bigger and bigger share of our construction workforce.”

And 2013 is expected to be a big year for shutdowns in Alberta. “Each time they have one of those they require a large workforce, mostly boiler makers, pipefitters, welders and instrument mechanics,” said Holmes. He expects 4,000 workers will be required on shutdowns scheduled this spring and that will mean bringing more workers into Alberta. Large sites like Syncrude in Fort McMurray require 2,000 skilled workers for maintenance on an ongoing basis.

“Those are huge demands and they are good jobs that are fairly long-term and they draw them out of the same pool that our construction trades come from.”

His organization predicts that the number of workers required for maintenance and projects at existing industrial complexes in Fort McMurray will be larger than the construction workforce going forward.

Bringing in foreign workers, primarily from the U.S., is one solution.

“Some people object to bringing foreign workers in because they say there are unemployed Canadians. But we need workers with particular skills and there aren’t a lot of people with those skills in Canada that are unemployed,” said Holmes.

“By giving us access to those foreign workers, it assures that the job will go ahead which will provide jobs for all Canadians.” ✚

It’s particularly welcome news in Alberta, where it gives contractors one more tool they can use to meet a perennial shortage of welders, pipe fitters, boilermakers and other trades employed in large industrial projects.

“The really positive thing is that the federal government has recognized that we have this issue here,” said Herb Holmes, northern manager for Construction Labour Relations – Alberta (CLRA), an association representing unionized construction companies. “I think they’ve recognized how important it is that we don’t have major projects delayed or cancelled because of concerns over a lack of workers.”

Focused on need Jason Kenney, minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, announced The Skilled Trades Stream program on Dec. 10. It began Jan. 2 and is designed to address specific and immediate skilled labour shortages.

The government will accept up to 3,000 applicants in the first year. To qualify, they must have either a firm job offer in Canada or already hold a certificate of qualification or journeyman ticket recognized by a province, they must be proficient in English or French, have a minimum of two years of recent trade experience and have the skills and experience that match the National Occupational Classification (NOC B) system – Human Resources and Development Canada’s (HRDC) system for organizing 40,000 job

6

Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2013

It was a busy three days at Construct Canada, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Nov. 28-30. By the time the doors closed, 24,800 visitors had viewed products from 1,050 exhibitors and heard some of the 450 speakers. Chris Makarewicz talks hydronic heating at the Jaga booth.

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Ont. HVAC coalition steps into high gear Fears electric utilities will take business from private contractors s governments push utilities to promote energy efficiency some are looking once again at the HVACR market, delegates to the annual meeting of the Ontario HVAC Coalition in Woodbridge, Ont. heard Nov. 27.

The organization was founded in the early 1990s when southern Ontario contractors Roger Grochmal and John Blair noticed that business was slow for most contractors, except those connected to gas utilities. It appeared that the utilities were using profits from the gas side of the business to subsidize the contracting side, said Grochmal, an Oakville, Ont. contractor (AtlasCare)

A

these Ontario electric utilities from the very same regulations that were implemented to restrict their ventures into competitive markets.

Strong year for industry It’s been a good year for the plumbing and HVACR industry, reports the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH). Although sales were down slightly (0.2 percent or $1 million) for November over the same month last year, total year-to-date sales were up 7.1 percent or $350.7 million compared to the same time period in 2011.

Sales in all regions are up, ranging from 4.4 percent growth in B.C. and 4.5 percent in Ontario to 12.8 percent in Alberta. Year-to-date, by product categories, pipes, valves and fittings are up 18.1 percent, HVACR is up 7.8 percent and plumbing is up 5.6 percent.

Bill agreement extended

Three years ago the OEB ordered Enbridge Gas Distribution to allow open access to its bill, meaning that any contractor could bill for services on the utility bill and include marketing materials for a fee. Previously, Direct Energy enjoyed exclusive access to this service.

After considerable negotiation with industry partners including the HVAC Coalition, the agreement has been extended for another year, with Enbridge revamping it to better police companies that employ misleading door-to-door sales tactics The contractor group has been and give the impression that they are connected to the utility. busy fighting utility encroachment into The Coalition worked out an agreement with Enbridge, approved by the OEB Nov. 27, the HVACR market ever since. to ensure the new agreement wouldn’t put undue restrictions on legitimate contractors, said Luymes. who was elected chairman of the HVAC Coalition this The only outstanding issue was a call for third party year. So they filed a complaint with the Ontario Energy verification of new rental water heater contracts, to Board (OEB), which eventually took action. ensure customers hadn’t been mislead. No agreement The contractor group has been busy fighting utility could be reached, however, so that discussion is on hold encroachment into the HVACR market ever since. And until the open bill arrangement is reviewed again in one while things were relatively quiet for the past year, the year.

HVAC Coalition is expecting that to change quickly.

In the past, the battle has typically been with gas A new threat utilities. In the coming year the HVAC Coalition expects Ontario HVAC contractors also found themselves under the primary threat to come from electric utilities, said threat this fall from an old friend. Union Gas Grochmal. implemented a pilot project called the Union Gas Home Retrofit Program. Similar to the federal government’s Utilities eye HVAC market now cancelled EcoEnergy Retrofit Program, it offered Problems with one small utility in southwestern Ontario, homeowners up to $5,000 to install high efficiency Norfolk Power, seemed to have been resolved, just in HVAC equipment, along with upgrading insulation, time for new concerns to surface with Brantford Hydro windows, siding, etc. (and several others), reported Martin Luymes, director The program could have been beneficial to HVAC of programs and relations for the Heating, Refrigeration contractors, except that Union Gas formed an exclusive and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI). partnership with Direct Energy. “We were told that it was Given that there are almost 80 such utilities in the ‘just a pilot’ and that Direct Energy was the only province, it’s expected that the problem may get worse. company that could provide all the services,” said A special hearing at the OEB to decide on the scope of Luymes. Contractors didn’t buy that explanation, so activities for electric utility affiliates engaged in streetHRAI decided to take action. lighting contracts with other municipalities is expected HRAI president Warren Heeley, along with Luymes, to have implications for all utilities, including the gas met with Union Gas on Dec. 3. The utility acknowledged companies. A decision on that is expected soon. the problem and re-stated its commitment to work with Meanwhile, the OEB is under pressure from the the industry, suspending any marketing of the program Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) to liberate to consumers until the issues have been resolved. ✚

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In Brief

Ont. oil tank restrictions New restrictions on steel oil tank installations in Ontario caught many in the industry by surprise.

On Nov. 6 the Technical Standards and Safety Authority of Ontario (TSSA) notified the Ontario chapter of the Canadian Oil Heat Association (COHA) that the CSA-B139ON-06 oil heating code would be amended effective Jan. 1 to require that: • All indoor or outdoor steel aboveground tanks must be installed with double walls, double bottom or secondary containment.

• There are also new requirements for leak detection of underground tanks and maintaining leak detection systems and…

• New and updated standards for equipment.

And while the chapter agrees in principal with these changes, the very short timeline is causing problems as wholesalers are unable to sell stocks of single-wall tanks and many contractors are unaware of the changes.

COHA Ontario has asked the TSSA to delay implementing the changes until April 1 to give everyone time to adapt.

Most efficient products The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the final criteria that HVAC products must meet to achieve Energy Star Most Efficient status, reports HRAI. Furnaces must be 97 percent AFUE or higher, gas boilers 95 AFUE or higher and oil boilers 90 AFUE or higher.

Central air conditioners must be 18 SEER and 12.5 EER for split CAC, 16 SEER and 12 EER for packaged CAC. Air source heat pumps must be 18 SEER, 12.5 EER and 9.6 HSPF for split systems and 16 SEER, 12 EER and 8 HSPF for packaged systems. Ductless air conditioners must be 20 SEER and 12.5 EER. Heat pump versions must also be 9.6 HSPF. Geothermal heat pumps must achieve Tier 3 requirements in the Energy Star program requirements. There are also control requirements for all systems except boilers.

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

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■ Industry News

Flaw found in boiler test Manufacturers of high efficiency equipment told to re test A flaw in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) testing procedure that determines the AFUE rating on residential high efficiency boilers and furnaces is causing considerable concern among manufacturers, many of whom face having their equipment re-tested.

In 2012 the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) sent a letter to boiler manufacturers saying that an internal audit of current DOE efficiency test procedures revealed a flaw that may result in an inaccurate reading for two-stage or modulating residential gas boilers, reported the Canadian Hydronics Council. The issue affects boilers with an AFUE rating between 90 and 95 percent.

The DOE test method along with CSA’s P2 Standard is based on the ASHRAE 103 Standard, noted David Terlizzi, technical coordinator for the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI). The test requires that the boiler go through a heat-up and cool-down mode, but that test can be omitted in certain cases.

Where the option exists, many manufacturers choose to omit the heat-up/cool-down test and just

insert ‘zero’ for that test in the software, which was designed to make the laborious test procedure easier.

AHRI contends that there is no alternative calculation provided in the software to account for this, so it uses default values. There is some dispute as to whether the problem is with the software or the original DOE

calculation, but the result is that the AFUE figures can be off by one to four percent, said Terlizzi.

As a result, AHRI will require heat-up and cooldown testing for all future boiler tests. And they are requiring manufacturers of existing boilers in this 9095 AFUE subcategory to drop the AFUE rating to 90 percent, discontinue the model or provide tests that include heat-up and cool-down tests that support the higher rating.

Only boiler manufacturers that use AHRI as a testing agency are affected, but that accounts for 85 to 90 percent of them. ✚

In Brief Ont. WSIB loophole closed The Ontario government has closed a loophole that allowed some contractors to avoid providing Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage for workers by making them independent contractors. Effective Jan. 1, all workers in the Ontario construction industry, including independent operators, sole proprietors, some executive officers and some partners in a construction company, will be required to have WSIB coverage, reported HRAI.

Gas fitter trades recognized Working with natural gas is now a Red Seal interprovincial trade. The Gas Fitter A and Gas Fitter B trades have been approved as Red Seal trades by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship.

However, before tradesmen can apply for Red Seal designation in these trades, the federal government – Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) – must conduct an analysis of each trade. It will be seeking “on-the-tools” journeymen as trades experts to attend Red Seal product development workshops in each participating jurisdiction.

Recognition for wetheads The Canadian Hydronics Council has created an Award of Merit to recognize individuals that have contributed to the advancement of the CHC and hydronic heating in Canada. For more information, visit the group’s website at www.ultimatecomfort.ca.

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January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

9

■ Letters

Gas regulator article timely Editor’s note: The following is one of a number of letters Roy Collver received on his article on gas regulators in the November/December issue.

Dear Roy: I was reading your article on gas pressure issues occurring with new hydronic equipment. We are currently seeing an increase in gas pressure issues with our pool heaters as a result of poor installation practices and a general lack of knowledge.

We are a young team of technicians and we always check gas pressure in our boiler rooms and on our pool heaters. However, we have digital manometers that are tested at every use and factory calibrated every year.

They are much easier to use than the old U-tube.

I wouldn’t go as far to say one is better than the other, but I do advocate every tech having one and knowing how to use it. I would rather get the younger generation using a manometer than not using it because they didn’t want to carry the U-tube around.

Our number one pressure issue is caused by overloading the system due to improper design and therefore flow. We need to stress proper pipe sizing requirements for each unit. Most importantly, the manufacturer has specific pipe sizes depending on run lengths that differ from code requirements. If the pipe is too small it doesn’t matter that your regulator is operating properly.

I would advocate more meter and regulator changes when new units are installed. A client will spend a large amount of money to replace their equipment but forget to upgrade the infrastructure needed to support it.

Anyways, it was good article and I enjoyed reading it.

Daniel M. Linkletter DHS Water Systems Toronto

Roy Responds: Hi Daniel, Thanks for the kind words. It is good to know I am not the only one seeing issues out there. I agree that digital manometers are just fine – I am a bit old fashioned in my

preference for the old U-tube and I do have a nifty little Testo digital that I use all the time.

Proper pipe sizing is a must, no question – but that can be checked with a tape measure and pressure drop chart.

What isn’t normally checked is the capacity and condition of the old regulator – which you have also seen. My next article (in this issue) will look at that, and a few other things as well.

Roy Collver

TSSA policy wrecks contractor/customer relationships Dear Editor: We have had some concerns with the procedures that the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) have in place to police the fuel supply in Ontario.

We completely believe, agree and follow all TSSA guidelines. Where the frustration comes into play is how well the guidelines are working.

Currently, as a TSSA certified contractor with certified employees, it is our job to market the business, gain the client as a customer, build a competitive relationship and then instruct, guide and police them. What in fact plays out is that we market the business, gain the client as a customer, build a competitive relationship, instruct, guide and police them, red tag them when required, then possibly loose them to another mechanical contractor who may or may not be TSSA-licensed.

We prefer to only bring up problems when we have solutions, but because of this, we have lost several accounts this heating season alone. Is it fair to put all the personal liability on the technician? I see the clear need for the technician to be responsible for their actions, but is this the solution?

Would it not be better for TSSA or the government to police the end user directly? Maybe there should be an awareness program delivered by the insurance

companies? After all, if anything was to go wrong, then that’s when everyone would become aware, especially if the insurance provider no longer covered a claim because an appliance wasn’t serviced as per codes.

It seemed to help when the insurance companies made their customers aware of the oil equipment codes, the possibility of delivery stopping and the loss of home insurance.

If we could govern all the end users equally, and through a third party that is not their service provider, then it would make it fair competition for the commercial end users. It is a real problem out there and the current plan doesn’t seem to be addressing the problem.

Oliver Owens, president Critical Air Mechanical Inc. Markham, Ont. Editor’s note: In Ontario HVAC contractors are required to be licensed by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). Their duties, as TSSA-licensed contractors, include policing HVAC system compliance. A customer may call the contractor to service the air conditioning, for example, but if there is a natural draft boiler in the home, the contractor is required to inspect it and may even red tag it. Customers get angry and this puts the contractor in an awkward position.

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Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2013

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■ Hot Water Heating

Proposed water heater efficiency requirements will drive up prices, say manufacturers

More

By Simon Blake

complexity,

more

cost T

The average Canadian homeowner doesn’t give much thought to their water heater. It does its job quietly, requires little or no maintenance and is relatively inexpensive to replace. However, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is looking to reduce the amount of energy used for heating water, something it estimates as high as 30 percent for some homes. That could have big consequences for homeowners, contractors, builders and manufacturers.

The days of the $400 water heater may soon disappear. Higher efficiency condensing, heat pump and tankless models already make up about five percent of the Canadian market. NRCan, just as it did with forced air furnaces, is pushing the entire market towards high efficiency units in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“With government policy pushing for higher and higher efficiencies, at some point you reach the point in manufacturing, design and technology where you have to drop old technologies and adopt new ones. We will be at that point sometime between now and 2020,” remarked Dave Hammond, general manager of A.O. Smith in Fergus, Ont. More efficiency means added complexity and more expensive materials. Meeting NRCan’s goal of reaching an energy factor of 0.80 by 2020 will push gas water heater prices over $1,000 per unit, said Claude Lesage, president of Giant Factories, Montreal. “They are expecting a condensing water heater to be around $400.

There’s no way we can make it for that.”

The additional cost can be absorbed into new homes, but not so easily by the average homeowner in the

12

Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2013

This is a typical gas water heater and forced air furnace installation in a modern Canadian home.

It’s a well-established formula that works well for the homeowner.

The quest for energy efficiency is pushing DHW and HVAC in new directions. This is also a forced air installation, but with a tankless water heater providing DHW with space heating through an air handler. replacement market that makes up 80 percent of water heater sales in Canada.

And while more efficient storage tank technology already exists, neither the marketplace nor the industry can get there as quickly as NRCan would like, said Hammond. “How do you do it in a measured manner that the industry can absorb? We could do it overnight…

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and what will happen is that there will be confusion and chaos because the marketplace would not be ready.”

Ambitious timeline NRCan’s timeline, published in the fall of 2011, was to see gas fired storage tanks with an input of less than 75,000 Btu/h meet an energy factor of 0.67 by Jan. 1, 2012, 0.75 by April 1, 2016, and 0.80 by Jan. 1, 2020. The numbers can be confusing, though. All figures are corrected for volume, meaning that the typical 0.67 EF water heater will actually read 0.62 on the label, so today’s average water heater actually meets NRCan’s initial 0.67 target.

None of this has been approved by Parliament yet.

NRCan reported, in a written response to questions from P&HVAC, that it expects to publish the proposed changes for public comment in 2013.

some pretty hefty investments in technology,” said Hammond. Even small differences in the final numbers – such as an energy factor of 0.78 versus 0.8 – can make a substantial difference.

Alternate technologies Manufacturers are worried that the proposed regulations favour one technology.

When NRCan made the minimum for forced air furnaces 90 percent AFUE, there was no substantially less expensive technology that home owners and builders could go to. Not so with water heaters. “The customer, who doesn’t have $1,000, will go to a store and see an electric water heater for $300. What do you think he will do?” asked Lesage.

No changes are planned to the current efficiency standard for residential electric water heaters of less than

Changing technologies Adopting condensing technology means changes to both the design of the water heater and installation practices.

More complex heat exchanger designs will draw more heat from the fuel. Different materials are required to withstand acidic condensate and lower flue temperatures. Condensate will have to be piped to a floor drain. Overall, how water heaters are specified, sold and installed today will need to change to adapt to the new products. This all adds up to more dollars and it requires training for contractors and their technicians.

“It’s going to impact everybody,” notes Hammond.

“You just have to deal with different operating conditions. You’re taking more heat out of the fuel and putting it into the water, which means you must change your design. That means a major investment and you only want to make those investments once.”

Industry response The Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH), along with its member water heater manufacturers, have worked diligently and cooperatively with NRCan to present a revised timeline and water heater transformation roadmap that is practical and acceptable to all key stakeholders, reported CIPH president Ralph Suppa. While the timeline remains unclear, CIPH looks forward to continuing the dialogue to find a winning solution for all parties, he added.

However, at this point, NRCan is sticking with its original agenda. “The timeline proposed for these regulations has not changed and is as published in the Regulatory Update Bulletin on the subject, issued November, 2011,” NRCan said in its written statement.

A key goal for CIPH is to have the efficiency standards for water heaters – and all plumbing products – harmonized across Canada and with the U.S. so that manufacturers don’t have to make multiple versions depending on the market.

B.C. has been particularly aggressive with its efficiency regulations, to the point that manufacturers would be unable to recoup the capital investment on one product before the next increase in efficiency was required.

“Right now, as manufacturers, we are waiting to see what the final numbers are going to be prior to making

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The U.S. looked at the global energy concept while Canada is simply looking at the appliance.

12 kW and 454 litres. If electric water heaters become the standard, the strain on electrical utilities will be considerable. And, depending on how the electricity is generated, it could actually increase greenhouse gas emissions.

NRCan has looked at this issue and told P&HVAC that: “The question of consumer choice for water heating is a complex one involving many factors such as the cost of equipment, the cost of the fuel, whether or not the application is a replacement or new and the water heating performance of the competing products. NRCan analysis indicates the standard is cost effective and will become even more so as condensing technology becomes more prevalent in the market and its cost is reduced.”

However, manufacturers say more complex design and more expensive materials will keep manufacturing costs considerably higher regardless of how many condensing water heaters are made.

The additional cost and the threat to the electrical grid prompted the U.S. to exempt residential DHW tanks under 55 gallons from its new efficiency standards in 2010. “The U.S. looked at the global energy concept while Canada is simply looking at the appliance,” noted Lesage.

Coal-fired power plants are about 50 percent efficient and natural gas-fired plants are about 65 percent efficient, while a gas water heater with a .67 EF is 78 to 80 percent efficient. As a result, if the increased cost of gas water heaters pushes everyone to electric, it could actually increase greenhouse gas emissions, he added.

There are manufacturing issues too. “(NRCan) has stepped it up over the U.S. standard, so we’re going to have two different rules, one for Canada and one for the U.S. That’s not good, but we can’t stop that train right

now,” remarked David McPherson, general manager for Rheem Canada Ltd., Brampton, Ont.

Added maintenance If residential customers aren’t happy about the higher initial cost, they probably won’t be too excited that the new high tech water heaters also require regular maintenance, unlike the traditional storage tank that quietly did its job for 10 to 15 years.

“The more sophisticated the technology, the more the maintenance requirements also increase,” said Hammond. This is not a bad thing for the contractor, who can now put their customers on a maintenance contract for water heaters as well as high efficiency furnaces or boilers.

Contractors are already seeing the changes, noted Hammond. There is already considerable discussion over different technologies – tankless versus tank type, condensing or non-condensing, etc. And there’s a lot of misinformation out there, he added, with people comparing newer technologies to the tank technologies of 20 years ago, failing to account for the efficiency boost required in 2004 and various other things that have been done to improve tank technology over the years.

But it’s like anything. “As new technology comes out, you have to be able to explain it to your customers,” he added.

The contractor who keeps up to date will do well. ✚

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January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

13

Engineering excellence. Applied.

The P-K name is back. Look for it as a symbol of quality.

With over 125 years of industrial heritage, the P-K name has a tradition of excellence and innovation as a market-leading producer of heat transfer equipment. Our commercial water heaters and boilers are used in facilities for virtually all applications. When your project requires reliable, innovative products with outstanding customer service... look for the P-K to ensure nothing less.

Learn more about P-K, contact pkmarketing@harsco.com or visit www.harscopk.com

■ Hot Water Heating Enhanced condensing boilers

The Q Premier boiler from Rinnai is designed as a one-appliance heating and water-heating solution by combining a Rinnai heating-only boiler with a 24-gallon indirect tank. It can deliver 211 gallons of DHW per hour, offers a compact installation, and comes fully assembled for zero-clearance installation.

Rinnai u www.rinnai.us

Self-balancing HRV/ERV The Reversomatic Deluxe Series self-balancing HRV/ERVs offer a number of installer-friendly features.

Automatic electronic air balancing means no balancing is needed at installation for these constant airflow units.

A unique tilted core design ensures maximum drainage.

The compact size makes them ideal for multi-family housing installations as well as homes up to 2000 sq. ft.

Reversomatic Manufacturing u www.reversomatic.com

ters

Water hea anadians built by C ians! for Canad

Taco updates FloPro Designer Taco’s enhanced FloPro design software is a free-ofcharge program and heat loss design suite that enables contractors to define building exterior and interior spaces, external influences, and to build and specify components for a host of hydronic, radiant heat, water heating and HVAC applications. With every change, the program dynamically changes calculations and their impact on other components. The designer simply draws the floor plan, drops in windows and doors and, in an instant, has accurate heating and cooling loads. It also performs system design for baseboard loops and radiant manifolds, sizes pipe of all types and variety, and specifies boiler, expansion tank and circulator models, providing a running tabulation of materials and system components.

Taco Canada u www.taco-hvac.com

Lochinvar has introduced an advanced version of its Crest condensing boiler with inputs up to five million Btu/h.

The line has also been expanded to include a dual fuel gas train. Additional product enhancements include lower firing input derate numbers in high altitude applications. These boilers offer advanced fire-tube technology integrated with Lochinvar’s Smart Touch operating control to offer thermal efficiencies as high as 99 percent.

Lochinvar u www.Lochinvar.com.

Electric tankless units The new Tronic 3000 and 5000 electric tankless water heaters from Bosch offer 99 and 97 percent efficiencies respectively.

The Tronic 3000 is available in five compact models from 3 kW/3gpm to 12kW/12 gpm for point-of-use installation. The larger 5000 series is designed for whole home DHW in 17 and 27 kW versions. Pulsing modulating elements ensure a constant output temperature.

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January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

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15

■ Hot Water Heating

LEED Gold facility designed to perform well for the long-term

High performance retail building

By Bruce Nagy The world’s top mountain climbers talk about three keys to reaching the summit: mental preparation, physical fitness and planning. The success of Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) sounds like a demonstration of these three fundamentals, especially when it comes to sustainable heating, cooling and plumbing in its stores.

The hydronic heating, ice pack cooling and double cistern rainwater technology at the Burlington, Ontario store represents a now proven set of systems that must have seemed a formidable ‘uphill climb’ when first proposed.

building is designated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold.

Today a holistic approach is routinely applied to building design and mechanical systems to ensure optimal energy usage. Although work on the Burlington facility begin in 2008, with help from Enermodal Engineering in Kitchener, MEC was already integrating then innovative technologies into a pragmatic whole, that achieved cost sustainability, customer comfort and climate harmony.

How the systems work Setting the goals Six mountain climbers, who decided early on that retail buildings would be as sustainable as possible, founded MEC. The 2500 square metre (26,910 sq. ft.) Burlington store was designed to use 68 percent less energy than a conventional building and use 82 percent less water.

During both the commissioning process and in the past couple of years of full operation, these savings have been verified as achieved and exceeded in practice. The

The building’s hydronic radiant heating system is unique in several respects. Very few modern retail stores provide 100 percent outdoor ventilation air because this practice has been seen as a waste of energy. Not so at MEC Burlington. The building provides this healthy fresh air while still achieving substantial energy efficiency gains using a four-ton Greenheck ERT 74 rooftop energy recovery ventilator to pre-condition incoming fresh air in winter.

Ventilation ducts are set into the radiantly heated floor.

Hot water pipes wrapped around underfloor ducts, which are set in the radiant heated floor, further warm the air. Air is then delivered through floor grills around the main floor and mezzanine retail area, providing comfortable displacement ventilation. Ventilation levels are determined by CO2 sensors, which the control system uses to estimate the number of occupants in each zone. Two modulating condensing natural gas boilers provide the primary heat.

For the upstairs offices, Mitsubishi City Multi-split variable flow heat pumps provide controlled zone heating and cooling, which makes it possible to simultaneously heat some rooms while cooling others.

Employee comfort

The Burlington, Ont. Mountain Equipment Coop received considerable attention for its energy saving features.

16

Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2013

Many retail outlets station the cashiers near the front doors, which allows cold air into the building when opened and forces employees to wear their winter coats on cold days. The Burlington MEC solved this problem by including overhead radiant heated panels and ceiling fans above the cash desks to improve comfort for both paying customers and employees.

In the summer three automated wall and roof louvers can be opened to naturally ventilate and cool the space. A supplementary 10,000 cfm fan can provide a boost.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

Ice storage for AC For hot summer days the air conditioning system consists of six innovative Ice Bear thermal storage units. The system creates and stores cooling energy at night when electricity costs are less expensive. It delivers the energy during the peak of the day to provide cooling to the building.

Each unit freezes 450 gallons of water in an insulated tank by pumping refrigerant through a configuration of copper coils inside. The surrounding water freezes. The condensing unit then turns off, and the ice remains stored until needed.

During the peak daytime cooling window, typically from noon to six pm, the unit takes the place of an energy intensive compressor to cool the hot refrigerant, which slowly melts the ice. A small, highly efficient pump pushes ice-cold refrigerant through a modified DX evaporator coil installed in the partner AC unit.

Daytime energy demand from air conditioning is typically 40-50 percent of a building’s electricity use. This is reduced an average of 12 kW of source equivalent peak demand for a minimum of six hours daily, shifting 72 kW-hours of on-peak energy to off-peak hours.

UP TO 99% EFFICIENCY UP TO 25:1 TURNDOWN 1.5 MILLION TO 5 MILLION BTU/HR 30 GPM TO 350 GPM FLOW RATES DIRECT-VENTING UP TO 100 FEET

An ice storage system provides air conditioning.

Two well-designed cisterns MEC Burlington has two rain cisterns. One, at 26,000 litres (6,850 U.S. gallons), collects storm water runoff from the parking lot for irrigation. The second cistern holds 21,000 litres (5,550 U.S. gallons), collecting rainwater from the roof for toilet flushing. Both overflow to an on-site storm water pond. The project thus achieves the target indoor water savings of 82 percent.

The cisterns feature an innovative filtering system. A significant energy use in most cistern systems is a series of filters to remove sediment from the water. Instead, the Burlington MEC rainwater passes through a vortex filter that uses the inertia of the falling water to spin out contaminates. The water is also brought into the building through a floating suction line rather than being drawn from near the bottom of the cistern where sediment collects.

WITH MODBUS PROTOCOL, CASCADING SEQUENCER AND FRONT-END LOADING CAPABILITY

From small beginnings In 1971 some of the founding climbers were being rained out at the foot of a glacier and had nothing to do but sit in their tents and talk about the problem of having to cross into the U.S. to buy climbing gear. They pooled their money and started MEC in B.C. with $65 in operating capital. There are now 16 MEC stores across Canada.

According to the web site, “In the 40 years that they’ve been co-op members, none of the six original contributors has extracted personal profit from the business, their original shares are still worth five dollars, no one has sued anyone Bruce Nagy is a Torontoelse, and they still get together based freelance writer that for annual slide shows and reports on green technolopotluck dinners.” gies and solutions. He can be As the French mountain reached at climber Gaston Rebuffat once bruce.nagy@rogers.com. said, “Climbing is, above all, a matter of integrity.” ✚

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

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January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

17

■ Heating

Under pressure II Gas regulators need more attention.

By Roy Collver My last article about gas regulation issues (Nov/Dec, 2012) leads us to examine what is different today; both in the way gas boilers are built and in the applications they find themselves in. It took me a while to recognize the importance of some of these differences.

In my past life as a Class “A” (Fitter One) industrial gas fitter, I was accustomed to working with equipment that had gas supply requirements that to me were normal; but would have been considered challenging to deal with in the residential and small commercial buildings I find myself looking at today.

A number of major factors have changed recently:

Are deteriorating gas pipelines sending particulate matter downstream? Is poor processing and filtration failing to remove the nasty stuff from the feedstock? Are lackadaisical tradesmen not properly cleaning and reaming pipe during installation? I really do think the authorities having jurisdiction should have a closer look at what the heck is coming down the gas pipes. In the meantime, it takes but a teeny little piece of junk to lodge between a regulator orifice and its seat to have an uncontrolled downstream pressure incident. Oh, did I mention such incidents could have serious consequences?

So, what do we do?

Here are a few ideas that might help. I welcome any other ideas from our readers.

Spread the load: Given the reasonable price of appliance regulators these days and the fact that many are approved as “ventless,” why try and do your final pressure cut with a single regulator when you have multiple appliances? Split the load and provide a less challenging turn-down environment for those regulators supplying/protecting your boiler plant when it has more than a 10:1 turn-down.

Room to relax – Don’t have your appliance regulator hard-up against the gas valve.

The closer you are, and the higher the pressure – the trickier it is to avoid pressure spikes. I talked to one regulator manufacturer who’s sole advice to solving a pressure inrush problem I was having was: “You gotta open the shut-off valve real slow – I mean Real, REAL slow.” Exact quote – I swear.

High turn-down boiler plants In the past, one or two boilers were the norm. Most boilers were two-stage or modulating and would, at MOST, be 3:1 turn-down. A one million Btu/h boiler would only go down as low as 333,333 Btu/h, so two of these units would mean a plant with 6:1, or 2,000,000 Divided by 6 = a throttle range of 333,333 to 2,000,000 Btu/h (333 to 2,000 Cfh natural gas).

Most regulators in the day could easily control a 6:1 turn-down. Today, however, multiple modulating boilers with 5:1 or more turn-down present a tougher challenge for a single regulator. Look at the replacement for our example boiler plant. With 5 x 370,000 Btu/h boilers (I know, that’s only 1,850,000 Btu/h, but I am assuming higher efficiency boilers will do the same job). On a single regulator; you are asking for a 25:1 turn-down – from a full fire of 1.85 million, down to a low fire of 74,000 Btu/h. This is well within the range of most regulators, but you are starting to push the envelope, and when you add some other factors – it’s not helpful.

Higher distribution line pressures Over the years, 2 Psig systems have become commonplace – 5 Psig systems were rare.

Now it can be common in many parts of the country to see engineers design for 2 Psig in residential houses and 5 Psig in smaller commercial buildings (check with local jurisdiction) – AND they are using ventless regulators to boot.

Given the newest development in distribution and appliance regulators – it works.

This innovation keeps the gas pipe size down (saves money), allows for greater capacity through the regulators… BUT – problems can arise if the newest equipment is not utilized properly. Again, pushing at the edges of the envelope requires caution.

No pilot bleed Most appliances in the past had a “standing” pilot burner that was always on. This little friend of the regulator covered many problems, as it provided appliance supply pressure stabilization both before and after main burner shut-down. If a regulator was a bit “lazy” or dirty, creating a high lock-up pressure spike – or if the regulator was a bit tired and worn and produced pressure “creep,” the pilot light pressure bleed effect tended to mask the problem until it got to be severe. Most appliances today have no pilot, so when they shut off that’s it – no more flow – nada. If the pressure locks up high, or creeps up high – it stays high.

Consider that most appliance gas valves have a maximum inlet pressure rating of ½ Psig - (“maximum” means the valve manufacturer can wash their hands of any liability or warranty claim if said pressure is exceeded). Consider that appliance regulator inlet pressures can now commonly be 2 to 5 Psig. Consider that the regulator might be a bit touchy, and allow line pressure to repeatedly whack the gas valve with high pressure. Oops!

Dirty gas?

This subject is a bit controversial. However, I don’t think I am alone in suggesting that the quality and purity of gas supply has seriously deteriorated in the last decade or two.

Who is to blame? Don’t know, not my job.

18

Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2013

Fig. 1: Monitor regulators can solve pressure problems. www.plumbingandhvac.ca

The photos show the job where we were having the problem. Each boiler had its own ventless regulator – 5 Psig inlet, 7” W.C. outlet. There is about five feet of ¾” black pipe to each gas valve. There was no way you could open the shut-off valve slowly enough to prevent line pressure from smacking the appliance.

The fix? We had the contractor install a single monitor regulator (a 10:1 boiler plant – the regulator was rated at 500:1 turn-down) and up-size the piping volume to the boiler so that the regulator would have a bit more time to dampen the pressure spike. (Fig. 1) After the change, I couldn’t make it go over-pressure! Good solution – I wish it had been piped that way before we had to replace two pooched $800 zero governor gas valves. Monitor regulators are kind of “belt and suspenders” devices, but they are quite reasonably priced these days and more readily available than they were in the past.

They work by having the monitor regulator keep an eye on the working regulator via a downstream pressure sensing line. If something goes awry with the working regulator

(increasing pressure to the setting on the monitor), the monitor takes over and controls at a higher, but still acceptable pressure. I really recommend them - especially for high inlet pressure systems.

If you suspect dirty gas, install an upstream gas line filter and keep the crud out of your regulator seat/orifice forever. It’s good for increasing your regular preventative maintenance income as well (to check and clean them as required).

One of my best and easy tricks is to install shut-off valves before and AFTER the regulator. Review the drawings at left. We want to try and avoid inrush pressure spikes to the appliance gas valve. These spikes are caused when the regulator cannot close off quickly enough after the appliance shut-off valve is opened. With the shut-off valve upstream of the regulator, the downstream pressure is zero, and the orifice/seat are wide open. When the shut-off is opened, full line pressure rushes through the orifice until it starts to back-pressure the regulator diaphragm. It takes some time for the regulator to catch up and respond. Short pipe = small volume versus high regulator inlet pressure and slow regulator response… a guaranteed pressure spike.

With a downstream shut-off valve, the regulator will lock-up, and the orifice/seat will be completely shut. If you then open the valve, the regulator has to go from closed to open and will be able to respond to the increasing downstream pressure almost instantly, eliminating the dreaded and damaging inrush spike. You still need the upstream shut-off valve to service the regulator, but they are really cheap compared to replacing a damaged appliance gas valve.

And finally, do you REALLY know what is happening inside those gas pipes? Install lots of pressure taps. You have a manometer – use it. Give yourself some easy and quick places (with their own shut-off valves) to hook your instrument onto Roy Collver is an author and so you can see what the pressure consultant on hydronic heating is doing as you open and close based in Peachland, B.C. valves, turn appliances on and He can be reached at off and throttle them up and hoth2o@shaw.ca down through their firing range.

Knowledge is power. ✚

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www.plumbingandhvac.ca

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

19

Kevin’s on the road, so you can keep on the job.

More parts. More brand names. More branches. More service.

PLUMBING • HVAC • HYDRONICS • INDUSTRIAL • FIRE PROTECTION • BUILDING MAINTENANCE Noble is known for having a great selection of stock-on-hand in our branches. Noble drivers like Kevin go the extra mile to get parts and equipment into the hands of customers at their businesses or on site.

We’re on the road to keep you on the job and on schedule. That’s the Noble Difference and you’ll find it in everything we do.

At Noble, we have a fleet of more than 150 trucks, we have more than 50 branches, we carry more than 70,000 SKUs and we’re committed to having more of the parts, equipment and products that our customers need as stock-on-hand. So, if you’re looking for more, try Noble.

You need it? We got it. www.noble.ca 1-800-529-9805 OR 905-760-6800 BARRIE BELLEVILLE BRAMPTON BROCKVILLE COQUITLAM CORNWALL GRAVENHURST GUELPH HAMILTON KINGSTON KITCHENER LANGLEY LAVAL LONDON LONGUEUIL MAPLE RIDGE MARKHAM MILTON MISSION MISSISSAUGA MONTRÉAL NEWMARKET OAKVILLE OSHAWA OTTAWA PETERBOROUGH SECHELT ST. CATHARINES TORONTO VANCOUVER WINDSOR

■ Heating

RADON FACT OR FICTION? What is it and what is the HVAC contractor’s role?

By Bob Bettles and Brian Guttormson In recent years the media have warned Canadians of the increasing levels of radon in their homes. At the same time, federal and provincial health departments have deemed radon the number two cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking! The next thought that comes to mind for the average person is: ‘what is radon?’ Wikipedia tells us the following:

determined by Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). One Becquerel is described as one atom decaying per second. Outdoor air may average 10 to 20 Bq/m3. Typical indoor levels may average 100 Bq/m3. Indoor air testing is recommended if levels exceed this value.

Air testing may be done by a homeowner with test kits available from some building centers or certified contractors in the area.

Testing may be done at any time of the year with cooler Radon has been venting months preferred. The average test duration will be at least a through the soils around and under month in length to determine radon levels within the building homes forever. We may have inadvertently envelope. Health Canada brought this problem on ourselves! doesn’t recommend test durations of less than one month; a minimum of three “Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn months is recommended and 12 months is and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, optimum. odourless, tasteless [1] noble gas, occurring naturally as an indirect decay product of uranium or thorium.

Codes updated for radon Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 Most provincial and national building codes have days. Radon is one of the densest substances that or are being revised to provide methods of venting remains as a gas under normal conditions. It is also radon to the outdoors. Below grade older block the only gas under normal conditions that only has basements or cracks in poured walls and floors may radioactive isotopes, and is considered a health also require sealing with specific products to limit hazard due to its radioactivity. Intense radioactivity radon infiltration. has also hindered chemical studies of radon and only Part 9 of the Ontario Building code section a few compounds are known.”

9.13.4.4 calls for “Providing a Rough-in” for a This gas migrates to the earth’s surface and when subfloor depressurization system consisting of a diluted into the atmosphere is not a serious pipe not less than 100 mm in diameter installed problem in the outdoors. Where the problem occurs is when this gas enters the home’s building envelope through cracks or voids in basement floors, walls, sump holes and support columns. Just when we thought we had everything under control, something else rears its head for attention!

Tighter homes at risk Today’s new home tight construction methods with taped, sealed vapour barriers and sill gaskets restrict the natural ventilation of these vapours to the outdoors.

Radon is measured in Becquerels (Bq) which is a measure of radioactivity. Concentration is

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

A typical passive radon detector.

Figure 1: The Ontario Building Code suggests this below slab rough-in to mitigate radon infiltration. through the floor at or near the center of the slab with an airtight cap for future use if later testing indicates a need for ventilation of the underside of the slab. (See Figure 1) Sump pump wells will also require a sealed top to prevent radon migration from the weeping tiles into the building envelope.

Health Canada has completed a two-year study across Canada in 121 health regions, fall and winter, (2009/2010 and 2010/2011). Within their findings, the provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and the Yukon had the highest percentages of homes that tested above the radon guidelines. Nunavut and Prince Edward Island had the lowest levels. These tests were based on an average of 9,000 test locations. Most areas tested had some levels of radon noted below the 200 Bq/m3 value. The complete report may be found at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/ radiation/survey-sondage/index-eng.php

Self-inflicted problem?

As we have noted, radon has been venting through the soils around and under homes forever. We may have inadvertently brought this problem on ourselves! First homes were built with minimal if any insulation or sealing. Wood fires in an open fireplace were the norm. Fresh air for the open fireplace drifted in through the cracks and joints of the structures.

We eventually added central heating and tightened up the building envelope with “storm” windows and doors. When the energy crunch hit us with increasing heating costs, our governments provided grants to seal up these older homes with

Please see ‘Should’ on page 25

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

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■ Heating

Should HRVs be mandatory?

Continued from page 23 insulation and window improvements. Most of us may remember the blown-in foam insulation of ureaformaldehyde, which was the best invention since sliced bread until the off-gassing of this product brought on another problem!

Our industry then came to the “rescue,” so to speak, with the invention of the heat recovery ventilator (HRV), which provided a basic air change approximately once every three hours to ventilate the fumes of the insulation encapsulated within the wall cavity.

Building codes further tightened up our homes to reduce the costs of heating. Our typical stick-built homes in the 50’s and 60’s consisted of 2”x 4” construction and R-7 insulation which later became 2” x 6” with R-20 insulation. The first vapour barriers of Kraft paper were now replaced with a six-mil plastic wrap. We now take this plastic wrap and tape all the joints. Wooden sills were sufficient originally, just nailed to the subfloor, but now we must add a foam gasket and caulk all of the joints.

A trip to the local department store sends us back with packaging labeled: “Caution, danger of suffocation, do not allow children to play with this material.” But our construction methods seal the plastic bag and then tell us to live in it! What are we missing here?

New housing developments are being built now in some areas on reclaimed swamps or, heaven forbid, older garbage dumps. Some high-density town homes may cover several hundred square feet of area with no path for the previous natural ventilation of these soil gases to the environment. Then, of course, the roads will be constructed of asphalt to further limit this natural ventilation to occur!

nothing to explain to the homeowner why or how they should use this fan. As such, we have the building envelope in a negative state for many hours of the day.

Floor drains, sump pump holes and the occasional door opening provide the only fresh air to the occupied space.

While the building envelope is in this negative state, the radon may be drawn into the structure more than if in a neutral state.

Another thought just passed through my feeble mind! The radon control exhaust system proposed in

the building code calls for 150 – 350 cfm of exhaust to the exterior of the dwelling. Where is this volume of air coming from? Will it migrate down the basement walls behind the dimpled membrane used for damp proofing in many developments on the exterior wall surface? Will we see frost damage to the footings below grade? How many times have we seen a frozen water pipe in an older home due to a draft at the sill plate on cold nights?

Perhaps it is time to require an HRV in every dwelling unit with an increase in the minimum ventilation rates to overcome these issues. But let’s put the soap box away for now! ✚

HRVs can provide solution Most local building departments are enforcing the requirement of an HRV in every new dwelling, but some locations have bent to the developer’s request to allow “Central Ventilation fans” in lieu of the more costly HRV system.

This results in a switch beside the central thermostat labeled as “Ventilation Fan” or different verbiage, but

Bob Bettles HVAC author and trainer Robert (Bob) Bettles is technical service adviser and product trainer for B&B Trade Distribution Centre.

He can be reached at bbettles@bandbtrade.com.

Brian Guttormson HVAC author and trainer Brian Guttormson is technical service advisor for Trent Metals Ltd. (Supply). He can be reached at techsupport@tmlsupply.com.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

25

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■ Innovation Showcase Commercial PEX plumbing

Water miser humidifier

Radon mitigation system

Uponor has introduced two additional engineered polymer (EP) multi-port Tees to its offering for the commercial market.

They both feature a one-inch ProPEX inlet with half-inch ProPEX branch outlets in seven or eight outlet configurations. They provide a parallelpiping solution, allowing header termination and water distribution to

The new Luxaire Acclimate Model 4000 WaterSaver humidifier from

Tjernlund Products has introduced a family of seven radon mitigation products for HVAC contractors. These include Radon Vac, a sidewall vent active sub-slab depressurization (ASD) system, P-Series high performance inline fans for roof terminated ASD systems, a 16-Watt four-inch in-line booster fan for roof terminated ASD systems, which improves the

Compact gas furnace One of the biggest challenges for residential heating contractors can be to design a system for a high performance tightly insulated home. Even units of 50,000 Btu/h can short cycle. Wolf Steel has introduced its Napoleon 9200 Series 30,000 Btu/h forced air 92 percent AFUE furnace for just such applications. The line also includes models up to 120,000 Btu/h. They are 32” high in four cabinet widths.

Wolf Steel u www.napoleon heatingandcooling.com

Efficient variable speed circulator

lavatories with one fitting and thus requiring substantially fewer connections.

Uponor Ltd. u www.uponor.ca

Versatile solar control The new SCU 345 solar system control from Viessmann combines powerful control features, advanced monitoring functions and user-friendly programming to achieve maximum performance in complex residential and commercial solar thermal systems.

Johnson Controls features a wicking water panel that uses a sponge-like action to move water from the bottom of the panel toward the top, ensuring all water in the unit is used during the evaporation process. Other features include electronic water level sensors and a small float chamber that eliminates the need for a reservoir.

Quick left-right bypass conversion and a reversible housing allow for easy installation.

Luxaire u www.joinluxaire.com.

performance of passive radon exhaust stacks easily and inexpensively, along with a number of other products.

Tjernlund u www.tjernlund.com.

Taco has introduced its next generation Bumble Bee high-efficiency variable speed circulator, the model HEC-2. This wet-rotor pump uses ECM permanent magnet motor technology for 85 percent less electricity use than a conventional pump while providing flow up to 15 gpm and head up to 15 feet. Factory preset to run in Delta-T mode, it can also be programmed for variable speed setpoint operation to maintain a fixed supply temperature, or dialed-in to one of four fixed speeds. A 360-degree swivel flange eases installation.

Taco Canada It features pre-configured layouts for one, two or three-load systems, four relay outputs and adjustable delta-T and time controlled thermostat functions. It also incorporates standard SCU series control features including variable speed pump control, east-west collector array logic, collector glycol cooling function, night time tank cooling, heat rejection loop control, energy metering and compatibility with VBus accessories.

Viessmann Manufacturing u www.viessmann.ca

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

27

■ Refrigeration

8 The

future of

refrigerants I

Flammable refrigerants, like R290 (propane) are being used more.

28

am often asked by technicians and equipment owners whether we are done with the seemingly constant change of refrigerants that has taken place over the last 15 years now that we have some well behaving and performing HFC refrigerants such as R507, R404a and R410a. No one really knows exactly what lies in the future for refrigerants but the answer to the question is ‘No we are not done changing.’

In North America, HFCs such as R507 will be around for quite a long time yet since there are no concrete plans to get rid of them. However, other parts of the world have already started down the road of yet another refrigerant phase-out and eventually we’ll follow suit.

Most of you will be familiar with the Montreal Protocol and the phase-out first of CFCs in the 1990s and now the phase out of HCFCs that is currently underway.

If it weren’t for a loophole that manufacturers are exploiting that allows them to sell ‘dry’ units designed for R22, we should have already eliminated the production of new equipment with HCFC refrigerants. The mandate of the Montreal Protocol was to eliminate the use of ozone depleting substances.

Unfortunately in many cases, the HFC refrigerants that were developed to eliminate the ODP (Ozone Depleting Potential) didn’t do much to lower the GWP (Global Warming Potential). Table 1 shows some of the ODP and GWP values of some common and some newer refrigerants. Be aware that GWP values vary widely from one source to another.

Recent activity at the Montreal Protocol meetings had numerous countries support the direct involvement of the Montreal Protocol in the phaseout of HFCs as well. What exactly this involvement will mean is unclear since HFCs were supposed to be dealt with in the climate agreements (Kyoto, Copenhagen etc.). There is already a lot of pressure in Europe to phase out or ban

Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2013

Constant change won’t end anytime soon

By Greg Scrivener

Refrigerant

ASHRAE Classification

ODP

GWP

R12

A1

0.82

10600

R502

A1

0.221

4500

R507A

A1

0

3900

R134A

A1

0

1300

R717

B2L

0

<1

R744

A1

0

1

R1234yf

A2L

0

4

R410A

A1

0

2000

R600a

A3

0

20

R290

A3

0

20

Table 1: This chart illustrates the global warming potential versus ozone depleting potential of different refrigerants.

HFCs in some sectors as soon as 2020.

Even though we don’t know the details yet, one thing is for certain, the refrigerants we are using today will not be allowed forever and more change is on the horizon.

R&D in overdrive Where does that leave us and what solutions have been developed? Suffice it to say there are a lot of companies interested in developing new environmentally safe refrigerants and there is an absolute ton of work going into research right now.

The most prominent refrigerant options for the future are natural refrigerants and HFOs. Natural refrigerants include CO2, Ammonia and Hydrocarbons (HC) such as propane and isobutane. HFO stands for Hydrofluoro-olefin and just like HFCs they are fluorine based synthetic refrigerants. There are also some HFO/HFC blends and HFC blends that achieve low GWPs. One interesting trend I’ve noticed is

that more and more countries are willing to accept the small amount of risk that flammable refrigerants bring in order to meet environmental goals. I recently read an article that was originally published in 2009 that claimed we would never see a significant amount of HC use in North America. I’m not so sure.

This might surprise some people, but more than 40 percent of domestic refrigerators worldwide use R600a (Isobutane). There is very prominent movement to use HCs in small appliances and in a number of countries they are by far the most common refrigerant in small appliances and even ductless split air conditioners. In Germany, for example, over 90 percent of refrigerators use R600a. I am not aware of any law in Canada preventing their use in small appliances and the CSA B52 code which does limit flammable refrigerant charge quantity is not actually a law unless it is referenced by legislation and most provinces reference it for the purpose of boiler and pressure vessel safety only.

In the United States, the EPA SNAP

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

program has recently approved HC use in a number of small appliances and the UL has recently listed appliances that use even larger quantities of flammable refrigerant.

Increased CO2 use Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve discussed using CO2 as a refrigerant in this magazine quite a lot lately so I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t regurgitate it now.

All I will say is that CO2 will continue to be used successfully in supermarket and small industrial applications; ultimately I believe CO2 will be the refrigerant of choice for many types of systems.

Ammonia (NH3) is also a natural refrigerant. There have been significant developments in hermetic ammonia compressors (using aluminum windings of course) and charge reduction using components such a plate exchangers and micro channel heat exchangers.

Due to Ammoniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toxicity its application seems limited but it also has the potential to be used in a lot more applications if we can successfully limit the charge.

HFO refrigerants Have you heard of R1225ye, R1234ze or R1234yf? These are HFO refrigerants. R1234yf is currently the only commercially available HFO and is being produced by DuPont and Honeywell in a joint venture. It was developed mainly in response to the regulations in Europe demanding a lower GWP in automotive air conditioners but, starting this year, automotive technicians will begin to see this refrigerant in some North American vehicles.

The GWP of R1234yf is only four compared to 1300 for R134a, but it is rated as an A2L refrigerant. If you are familiar with the ASHRAE refrigerant classification systems you will recall that the letter designation A, B, or C designated toxicity and the numbers 1, 2, or 3 designate flammability.

Most CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs that are in use have a classification of A1. Ammonia, for example is classified as B2 and it is moderately toxic and flammable.

In the most recent version on ASHRAE Standard 34a subset of the no.2 flammability rating was introduced and called 2L. The 2L classification is for refrigerants with very low burning velocity (less than 10cm/s). Because of this low burning velocity, these refrigerants are significantly safer and are extraordinarily difficult to ignite.

Standards under revision So where does that leave us on HFOs? Well, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know yet. It looks like they will make inroads in automotive use but the problem is that the refrigerant system safety standards (ASHRAE Standard 15 and CSA B52 in Canada) have not yet made any changes to reduce the restrictions for refrigerants with a 2L classification.

I can assure you that there is a tremendous amount of effort and work going into making these changes but until these standards are finalized we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what impact HFOs, and certain natural refrigerant blends that can achieve the low flammability, will have on standard air conditioning and refrigerant systems.

So, long story short, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a complicated mess of competing refrigerants and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The truth is that no one can tell you exactly where we are going to end up; all each of us can do is guess.

If you want my guess, I would put my money on CO2

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

and ammonia as the refrigerant of choice for medium/large commercial and industrial installations, perhaps even large air conditioning systems. HCs and CO2 will dominate small appliances such as reach-ins and chest freezers. The small/medium commercial equipment like walk-ins is anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guess. So is air conditioning.

I think eventually HCs will have a role, but it will take a while. Perhaps HFOs and low GWP HFCs can fill in the gap in these areas. One thing I will say is that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m constantly amazed that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think twice about all of the natural gas and propane lines running throughout our homes, but a propane air conditioning unit or an isobutane fridge can change our attitudes

quickly. HFCs are here for a while, so get used to them, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget as Bob Dylan once sang, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the times they are a changing.â&#x20AC;? Again. â&#x153;&#x161; Greg Scrivener is project and design manager for Polar Refrigeration Service Ltd. in Saskatoon. He is a journeyman refrigeration mechanic, a licensed gas fitter, holds RSES CMS designation in commercial refrigeration and is a mechanical engineer in training.

He can be reached at gscrivener@polarservices.ca.

Install the wrong bath waste system, and your beautiful bathroom could go down the drain.

Announcing the Watco Innovator CableÂŽ bath waste system: fully repairable from inside the tub.

Rarely does a Watco bath waste system need repair. But if it ever should, with our new Innovator CableÂŽ youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never have to cut through thousands of dollars of custom tile or install an unsightly access panel.

Aged Pewter (AP) Nickel Polished (NP)

Brushed Bronze (BB) Oil Rubbed Bronze (BZ)

Watcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Innovator CableÂŽ was created speciďŹ cally to complement the ďŹ nest baths. It operates smoothly and reliably. It drains ďŹ&#x201A;awlessly in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chrome Brushed (CB) deeper tubs. Its overďŹ&#x201A;ow drain rate exceeds all other cable drains.

And, with Watco QuickTrimÂŽ, you can change to special ďŹ nishes without removing the drainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strainer body.

With Watco behind the wall, bathrooms stay beautiful.

Polished Brass (PB)

Brushed Nickel (BN) White (WH)

Biscuit (BS) Chrome Plated (CP)

Watco Manufacturing Company A step ahead in bath waste systems Offered in several conďŹ gurations to adapt to virtually any tub or building environment.

1220 South Powell Road Independence, MO 64057-2724 TEL s FAX www.watcomfg.com

January/February 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Plumbing & HVAC

29

Freezeless AND Anti-Rupture? What’s the difference? A freezeless faucet has the shut off mechanism well within the heated portion of the home – but what if a garden hose or other device is inadvertently left connected to a faucet during freezing temperatures? Water in the tube fails to drain, this water then begins to freeze and pressure in the tube is increased as ice forms and tries to compress the water trapped in the tube. The tube ruptures and the next time the faucet is used the wall fill with water. Woodford Model 19 Freezeless Faucets have a patented pressure relief valve which allows for expansion during freezing temperatures, saving the faucet and preventing a costly repair or call back. With Woodford’s Model 19, you’re protected – even from other people’s mistakes!

WOODFORD’S MODEL 19 • Anti-Rupture • Anti-Siphon ASSE 1019 Freezeless Wall Faucets

Anti-Rupture

Mounting Sleeve

Toll Free (800) 621-6032 A Division Of WCM Industries, Inc.

www.WOODFORDMFG.com WOODFORD MANUFACTURING COMPANY

Represented in Canada by: Quebec – Agence Laverdure-Huppe Inc. 450-661-4238 Ontario – Armco Agencies Inc. 905-238-8448 Northern Ontario – Les Ventes Bergeron Sales 613-445-4170 British Columbia – Hy-Line Sales Ltd 604-856-5648

Alberta – Preferred Sales & Marketing 403-547-5237 Atlantic Providences – J. Wright Sales 506-459-5719 Saskatchewan – WestCan Mechanical Sales 306-347-2700

■ Plumbing

Freeze protection

Winter brings out the worst of botched do-it-yourself projects

By Mark P. Evans

Who needs a safety relief valve? Someone simply plugged the hole. Plumber Robert Szachury of Whistler, B.C. sent us a picture.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

T

are; un-drainable shower head risers for seasonal cottages and my personal favourite... “non-freeze” or “frost proof ” hose hydrants. They are only non-freeze if they are empty. So often they are improperly sloped and Mother Nature will not be fooled.

Ontario Plumbing Code reference 7.6.1.9.1. (a) states that “every pipe that passes through an outside wall be provided with a frost-proof hydrant with separate shutoff.” I suggest that an amendment be made that obliges the installer to slope the hydrant outward to permit drainage. However, if it’s not a plumber doing the work, there is little chance such an amendment would ever be adhered to.

here has never been a better time to be a service plumber. With all the home improvement shows on television and instructional videos on the internet, many projects that once required a The homeowner as contractor skilled professional are being poorly done by One of the worst cases of freeze damage that I know of home owners and handy-men. With a little knowledge occurred because the homeowner wanted to be the general and a lot of corporate encouragement, these do-itcontractor for his new mansion. His lack of experience yourselfers are ensuring job security for the service sector. severely slowed down the job and old man winter came Everything from power tools to gas fittings can be before the “general” provided temporary heat. bought without question at the local big box store (not Unfortunately the out-of-town hydronics contractor like those meddling wholesalers and their insistence on had already installed and tested the basement floor proof of certification before purchase). heating system with water but was not contacted before The sales pitch of one of the more expansion occurred and destroyed familiar stores should actually read: the whole floor. Damage was The sales pitch extensive because in the huge “You can’t do it ... and we can’t help,” but such is not the case. I have basement there was a two-lane of one of the more learned to use this to my advantage. bowling alley, elevator and I’ve even come up with my own swimming pool. I heard the familiar stores should slogan too... “I can do it and it’s an damage was estimated at close to actually read - “You extra $20 per hour if you help.” $100,000 in 1995.

Because of the surge in DIY Another incident, caused by mice can’t do it ... and we tunnelling installations, the ½-inch copper through the pink coupling has become the best insulation, occurred in a customer’s can’t help…” pound for pound money maker in crawlspace. Enough cold air was my kit. When construction typically directed right at the pipe to freeze slows down due to sub-zero and split it overnight. Stuffing every temperatures, I can usually count on some repair work nook and cranny with steel wool before re-insulating to fill in my week. solved the breach in the building envelope because those Cottages and renovated basements are two places that dirty little buggers won’t chew through that stuff. Spray a bag of couplings can earn a day’s pay when other work foam would have worked well to seal the opening, but I is unavailable. Finding the frozen, split pipe is usually have no knowledge of its vermin repellent qualities. easy because the immediate area is damaged and highly It is not my intention to disrespect the do-itvisible. I simply cut out the bad section, roughly six yourselfer; I’m sure there are many among us and I am inches, and replace it. one myself. However, I believe that some jobs are better left to those with certification and experience, especially Improper routing the Red Seal trades where devastating results can occur Improper routing and lack of protection often generates if done improperly. ✚ these service opportunities. There’s a good reason for plumbing code provisions that restrict piping in areas Mark P. Evans with a risk of freezing. Common sense alone should alert is a contractor, master plumber Canadian wanna-be trades people to the danger, but I’m and heating technician based content knowing I earn the same hourly rate soldering in Waterloo, Ont. half inch couplings as I do installing six-inch cast-iron He can be reached at rain water leaders atop three sections of scaffold. mark.evans@live.ca Some of the most common places for freeze damage

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

31

â&#x2013; Faucets & Fixtures Designer sinks from Sloan For commercial restrooms, the Designer Series from Sloan feature contemporary surface decks made of natural stone or Sloanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s durable SloanStone solid surface material. There are 25 colour options, standard and custom dimensions with up to three user stations, easy installation and easy-toclean services. Sloan products are distributed in Canada by Dobbin Sales. (www.dobbinsales.com) Sloan Valve Co. u www.sloanvalve.com.

Art Deco kitchen faucet The Addison kitchen faucet from Delta Faucet is designed to bring a touch of Art Deco to the kitchen with its delicate curves and it allows designers to create a cohesive look throughout the home where the owner has selected the Addison bath collection for the washroom. The Addison features Deltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Touch2O technology

where the user simply taps the faucet or handle anywhere to turn the water on and off. Available colours are chrome, along with Deltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arctic Stainless, Champagne Bronze and Venetian Bronze.

Delta Faucet u www.deltafaucet.ca.

Hands-free dual flush The new Selectronic hands-free dual flush valve from American Standard, when used with a typical commercial dual flush toilet, automatically achieves savings of 27.5 per cent when compared to a standard 1.3gpf (6L/f) toilet, reports the manufacturer. In operation, it delivers a light flush of .9gpf (4L/f) when the user is in front of the valve for 60 seconds or less, assuming liquid waste. Otherwise a 1.07gpf (4.8L/f) volume is delivered to flush solid waste.

American Standard u www.americanstandard.ca

showerhead around the handle with a push of a thumb pad. It also features a 30-inch (76 cm) vertical slide bar with handheld slider. Available colours are chrome, brushed nickel and oil rubbed bronze.

Moen Canada u www.moen.ca

Electronic commercial faucet The ChekPoint EC-3122 abovedeck electronic sensor faucet from T&S Brass includes water and energy-saving features such as a water shut-off delay, auto timeout, sensor range adjustability and auto flush. There is a manual mixing valve built into the faucet body, above-deck electronics, programmable controls and a vandal-resistant aerator that flows at a rate of 2.2 gpm. It comes standard with AC and DC power options and the ability to gang up to eight units.

T&S Brass u www.tsbrass.com

A new twist in showers The new Twist handheld shower from Moen allows users to effortlessly switch between the handheld showerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four spray patterns with one hand. They simply swivel the

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32

Plumbing & HVAC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January/February 2013

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

■ Tools & Instruments

Product Profile

The Servicell is geared towards plumbing and HVAC service contractors.

Easy access Van body manufacturer Unicell has introduced a new version of its streamlined Aerocell van body. The Servicell incorporates secure exterior compartments for tools and supplies into its one-piece molded fiberglass body.

Standard equipment includes a translucent leakproof skylight and twin LED ceiling lights with a built-in timer for interior lighting. Other features include an anodized aluminum rubrail, durable ¾” plywood floor, glossy white painted interior, exterior lighting, non-slip galvanized steel rear bumper and two rear entrance grab handles.

Options include a sliding door in the bulkhead, aluminum ladder rack, aluminum rear access ladder and an aluminum or steel diamond plate floor overlay.

As well, the unit can be further customized to suit the contractor’s needs.

Unicell u www.unicell.com

Data-logging thermometer The El-Enviropad-TC from Lascar Electronics is a thermometer for spot temperature readings with built-in data logging and graphing functionality that

takes and records temperature readings via a K-type probe supplied with the unit. In data logging mode, it can be set and left to take temperature readings at predetermined intervals for a desired length of time. It is capable of holding over 65,000 readings in CSV format downloadable to a PC via USB connection.

Lascar Electronics u www.lascarelectronics.com

Specialized saw blades Milwaukee has introduced two application specific Sawzall blades. The Ductwork blade has been engineered to address frustrations encountered when installing ductwork take-offs. A pierce point tip plunges easily into sheet metal and the tapered profile design allows the blade to make both radius and square cuts. The Drywall Access blade is only 21/2” long, reducing the chance of puncturing existing plumbing or wiring.

A multi-directional tooth design allows the user to cut in all directions.

Milwaukee Electric Tool u www.milwaukeetool.com

Lightweight soil pipe cutter The new RIDGID 238-P powered soil pipe cutter is designed to make it easier to quickly cut soil pipe in hard-to-reach spaces such as in the rafters of a building or below grade. It is lightweight (13.5 lbs.) and compact (11.5” long).

Designed for use with an impact driver, it incorporates a chain that can effortlessly cut no-hub cast iron, service weight cast iron and clay pipe up to eight inches and concrete pipe up to six inches in diameter.

The Ridge Tool Co. u www.RIDGID.com

Makes the competition look soft.

PEX-Flex may take a little more to put in the ground but the extra effort pays off in long lasting durability.

High system compressive properties keep the carrier pipe(s) centered under shallow buried live loads and along even the shortest radius turns. The smooth wall

Compact root machine

outer casing does not ‘catch’ obstacles or debris during

The compact Mini-Rooter XP from General Pipe Cleaners is designed to clear clogged drain lines from rooftop to basement, including kitchen, bath and laundry drains. It rolls easily but its rubber feet hold it solidly in position on the job. The handle folds to save space and locks to act as a lifting handle. A variable speed cable feed retrieves cable at up to 16 feet per minute, and is quickly adjustable for 1/2” or 3/8” cables.

General Pipe Cleaners u www.drainbrain.com

installation. The UV Stable PE Jacket, eco-friendly PUR

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

insulation and PEX pipe(s) are mechanically bonded creating a completely watertight system.

If you’re looking for a tough flexible pre-insulated pipe system – choose

PEX FLEX 1-866-PEX-COIL (739-2645) | pexflex.net

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

33

■ People & Places Stephen Schroeter, right, showed Heljar Hansen through Napoleon’s research and development lab.

Builder supports his local furnace maker A builder in Barrie, Ontario has decided to source all his furnaces locally, something he has been doing with fireplaces for 20 years.

Located in the same city, Napoleon is now also manufacturing high efficiency forced air furnaces, so the owners of Pratt Homes decided it would be good for business to support the local industry. And they like the furnaces!

Not shy about voicing his support for Napoleon, Pratt Homes’ Heliar

MCAC meets in Maui Gaetan Beaulieu, president of Beaulieu Plumbing and Mechanical Inc. in Edmundston, N.B. and vice chair, Eastern, of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, tries to get down to the serious business of the day amidst some, uh, distraction at the group’s annual conference held in Maui, Hawaii Nov. 12-15. Over 400 delegates attended the event, and the group did manage to adopt a new strategic plan between a beach party and other events.

Trust ... is dealing with HRAI member wholesalers that take environment stewardship responsibilities seriously and maintains high standards, safety, efficiency and customer service. They sustain strict compliance with all laws, regulations and ordinances pertaining to the HVACR industry and business operations prescribed by federal, provincial and municipal governments.

When dealing with HRAI Wholesalers, you can be confident that you are in good hands!

Look for your nearest HRAI wholesaler member today! www.hrai.ca/wholesalers

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada

HRAI... Setting the Standard

www.hrai.ca 1.800.267.2231

34

Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2013

The

People Zurn Industries, Erie, Pennsylvania, has announced the appointment of Jim Fessler as general manager, Zurn Industries Limited, Canada. Fessler Jim Fessler has been with Zurn for 25 years, holding a number of positions including Great Lakes regional manager, national sales manager and product manager.

Goodman Canada has named Simon Ducharme to the position of key accounts manager for Quebec.

Mike Miller has been Simon promoted to national Ducharme business development manager, Canada, for Uponor Ltd., Mississauga, Ont. The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), Mississauga, Ont., has welcomed Rawan Elalami to the role of membership sales.

Lochinvar, Lebanon, Tenn., has selected the first VIP winners of the 2012-13 heating season.

Jamie Whitehead of Cooper Plumbing & Heating in Calgary was named the October winner of the VIP Installation Showcase. Francois Pineau of Plomberie Chauffage Normand Inc. in Montreal was selected in the monthly VIP drawing. Both will be awarded a trip to Nashville.

Pro Kontrol, Montreal, has appointed Grace Moreland as sales representative for the greater Toronto area.

Hansen said: “Not only do we feel that Napoleon furnaces are by far the best product on the market, but we take great pride in the fact that these furnaces were manufactured here in Barrie by our neighbours.”

Pratt Homes’ staff recently toured the 750,000 sq. ft. Napoleon manufacturing facility. It employs 750 workers in this scenic city of 136,000 on the shores of Lake Simcoe, about an hour north of Toronto.

The

Companies Desco Plumbing and Heating Supply, Etobicoke, Ont., has acquired Western Plumbing and Industrial Supplies Ltd., London, Ont. The addition of Western’s London and Stratford locations brings the number of Desco branches to 16, reports Jon Leeson, Desco vice president and general manager.

Fairview Fittings & Mfg. Ltd., Toronto, has launched a new website at www.fairviewfittings.com. It includes a host of new features and functionality designed to improve customer service and enhance the over-all user experience.

ECCO Supply, Edmonton North, has moved to a new 12,000 sq. ft. location at 11415-184 Street. At double the size of the old location, the new facility includes an expanded custom sheet metal shop and more room for inventory.

Aquatherm Canada, Airdrie, Alta., has appointed Trilex, Repentigny, Que., as its agent in Quebec.

Reversomatic Manufacturing Limited, Woodbridge, Ont. has opened a new U.S. distribution facility in Sarasota, Florida.

Boshart Industries, Milverton, Ont., has announced the acquisition of Flomatic Corporation, Glens Falls, N.Y., in a share purchase transaction from Watts Water Technologies, Inc., North Andover Massachusetts.

Ecobee Inc., Toronto, has formed a strategic partnership with Austin Energy to launch the Texas utility’s 2013 Power Partner Thermostat Program Pilot, which offers homeowners an $85 rebate for each “smart” thermostat.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

■ Coming Events Events

Calendar MARCH 3-7: Canadian Construction Association 95th Annual Conference, Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, La Malbaie, Que. Visit www.cca-acc.com or call (613) 236-9455.

MARCH 6-8: Fifth Wastewater Management Conference and 48th Central Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, Sheraton Hotel, Hamilton, Ont. Call (613) 7470524 or visit www.cwwa.ca.

MARCH 12-16: ISH 2013, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Please visit www.ish.messefrankfurt.com.

APRIL 17-18: MCEE 2013, Place Bonaventure, Montreal. Call Elizabeth McCullough at 1-800-639-2474 or visit www.mcee.ca for more information.

Seminars announced for Quebec show A wide range of seminars has been announced for MCEE 2013 (formerly Mecanex), which returns to Place Bonaventure in Montreal April 17-18.

Plumbing and HVAC seminars sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) and the Corporation of Master Pipe Mechanics of Quebec (CMMTQ) include topics such as rainwater disposal systems, proposed plumbing code changes, building code energy efficiency requirements, and a look at steam system energy efficiency.

A third partner in the show, the Corporation des enterprises en traitement de l’air du froid (CETAF), will present sessions on avoiding noise problems in HVAC design, optimization of systems with wall

ventilators, social media – tools for a profitable digital strategy and zoned HVAC system regulation – the benefits of an integrated approach.

The fourth show partner – the Corporation of Master Electricians of Quebec (CMEQ) – will present a number of seminars on lighting and other electrical subjects. All seminars, unless specifically noted, are in French.

The show, which occurs every second year, typically features about 350 industry specific exhibitors from across North American and draws about 6,000 visitors during its two-day run.

For more information or to register, please visit www.mcee.ca.

HRAI’s Career Connections: the only job site dedicated to your industry.

APRIL 24-27: 68th Annual RSES Canada Educational Conference, Fallsview Hilton Hotel, Niagara Falls, Ont. Visit www.rsesCanada.com for more information.

www.plumbingandhvacrjobs.ca

INDEX to

ADVERTISERS Bradford White Canada .................................20, 21 Brant Radiant.......................................................27 Cash Acme ..........................................................25 General Pipe Cleaners ............................................8 Giant Inc..............................................................15 Harsco Industrial ..................................................14 HRAI ....................................................................34 Honeywell/Genetron Div. ....................................39 IPEX .....................................................................26 Jobs.ca.................................................................35 Judo Water Treatment..........................................10 Liberty Pumps ......................................................37 Lochinvar .............................................................17 Madok Mfg. ........................................................32 MCEE 2013 .........................................................36 Mitsubishi Electric ..................................................4 Mobilio ..................................................................5 Napoleon.............................................................24 Noble...................................................................22 Raptor Cutting Tools ............................................13 RIDGID.................................................................40 Taco Canada ..........................................................2 Uponor ................................................................11 Urecon.................................................................33 Victaulic...............................................................38 Viessmann .............................................................9 Watco Mfg. .........................................................29 Woodford Mfg. ...................................................30 Zurn Industries.....................................................19

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■ Shop Management

Right-sizing your business Adding sales volume without overhead is key in boosting profits

By Ron Coleman The reasons that small contractors cannot make I recently completed my 18th annual survey of Canadian HVAC contractors for the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI).

This year there were 56 contractors in the survey. These contractors are primarily residential and light commercial.

Nine of them had annual sales of under $1 million.

Of the nine, one company’s numbers were very mixed up and proved unreliable. Of the remaining eight, three made money, two broke even and three lost money. The three that made money also made money in the previous year. And, of course, the ninth one has no idea what is happening to their business. The average annual sales of those companies was $641,000.

The odds aren’t great when I consistently see these results. Small plumbing and HVAC contractors are not making money. I see this in each of the annual reports.

It is extremely difficult for a small contractor (sales under $1 million) to make money unless they are in a real “niche” market.

The odds of making money increase significantly when sales top the $1 million level provided the gross margins are maintained. Lowering prices to get more volume is a fool’s game.

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money are fairly easily identified. A contractor needs to have a certain level of overhead and a certain volume at a specific gross profit percent to cover the overhead and make a profit. With sales of under $1 million it is very difficult to get enough gross profit dollars to cover the overhead.

The average of the eight contractors looks like this. $,000 Sales 641 Materials 223 34.8% Labour 131 20.5% Other 12 1.9% Total job costs 367 57.3% GP 274 42.7% Overhead 284 44.3% Profit (10) -1.6% Gross profit is 42.7 percent – a markup on cost of 74 percent. Even with that markup we are not seeing success. It’s not the percentage that’s at fault, it is the dollar amount. (I have standardized the owner/manager’s salary at $100,000. There has to be some reward for running your own business.)

Add volume, not overhead What I generally find is that these businesses could do more volume without increasing their overhead. If these businesses did $1 million in sales at the same gross profit and overhead they would make a profit of $143,000.

That’s over 14 percent on sales. That’s pretty awesome.

Why don’t they do this? Primarily because the owner/manager is working on the tools, doing the estimating and managing the work and in his spare time he is doing the paperwork and invoicing. He has no time left for growing the business and even if he finds some time he is likely worn out.

Many contractors do make the successful transition and the rewards for those that do are exceptional.

I am not saying that you will definitely make money when sales top $1 million, but here are the results from the same study of contractors with sales between $1 and $2 million: $,000 Sales 1,570 Materials 549 35.0% Labour 344 21.9% Other 46 2.9% Total job costs 938 59.8% GP 633 40.3% Overhead 560 35.7% Profit 73 4.6%

Please see ‘Owner’ on page 38

January/February 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

37

■ Shop Management

Owner needs to give up the tools Continued from page 37

Finding the time

There were 20 contractors in this group. Eleven made money, five broke even and only four lost money.

Obviously four out of 20 losing money is better than three out of eight.

The labour and materials to sales are very consistent and so is the gross profit percent. The improvement is due to the lower overhead per dollar of sales.

The first thing the owner/manager needs to do is spend less time (preferably no time) on the tools. In order to do this he needs quality trades-people and systems. This is fundamental to your growth. Good checklists, proper estimating and people who can manage their jobs by themselves and are good at diagnostics are critical elements of your success.

One system that works well for residential contractors is flat rate pricing. Many residential contractors,

Precise Control

particularly in Ontario, use this very successfully. It increases profits and cash flow and makes invoicing a lot easier. These outcomes ease the pressure on the owner/manager.

Adding planned maintenance contracts is crucial to a contractor’s ongoing success. They provide control over scheduling labour in the shoulder seasons.

Having someone phoning past customers to remind them to have their equipment serviced also pays dividends. Again it can boost revenues during the shoulder seasons and is an opportunity to add planned maintenance programs.

There is no magic formula; always look at your business from the customers’ perspective. Find out what is important to your best customers and build your business around their needs. Get rid of the bad customers, the unreliable suppliers and the poor performing techs. Job cost every project and compare hours paid to hours billed for all service techs. You can’t afford to pay your techs for non-productive and nonbillable hours.

Right-sizing the business

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Plumbing & HVAC – January/February 2013

X

Eliminate fluctuations in temperature.

X

Eliminate occupant complaints and costly remedies.

X

Reduce energy costs.

My favourite size for a residential HVAC contractor is annual sales between $2 and $3 million. $,000 Sales 2,476 Materials 918 37.1% Labour 472 19.0% Other 145 5.8% Total job costs 1,534 61.9% GP 942 38.1% Overhead 720 29.1% Profit 223 9.0% The owner/manager can stay in control without getting too sophisticated. In the survey, nine of the 12 contractors with sales between $2 and $3 million made money. Three lost money. However the average profit was nine percent compared to 4.6 percent for the contractors with sales between $1 and $2 million and losses for the average contractor with sales under $1 million.

In fact, the nine profitable contractors in this group averaged 13 percent pre-tax profit.

Nine out of 12 making money is better than 11 out of 20 and is better than 3 out of 8.

Now that we are into the New Year and the hype has settled down maybe it’s time for you to make the New Year resolutions that will enhance your success. I hope I have given you some guidance in this regard and I wish you all a great 2013.

By the way, if you wish to participate in the 2013 survey of HVAC contractors, contact HRAI or me directly. ✚ Ronald Coleman is a Vancouverbased accountant, management consultant, author and educator specializing in the construction industry. He can be reached by e-mail at ronald@ronaldcoleman.ca.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

even exchange

Honeywell has solutions to replace R-22.

The pressure is on to phase out R-22. Now is the perfect time to switch to a Honeywell Genetron non-ozone-depleting alternative for your A/C or refrigeration application.

For A/C, consider Genetron ® 407C or 422D. For Refrigeration, consider Genetron ® Performax™ LT, Genetron 422D, 404A or 507. Talk to your Honeywell distributor today to understand your options and hand-pick the R-22 replacements that will work for you.

Brenntag Canada Inc. Exclusive distributor of Genetron® refrigerants in Canada Ontario & Western Canada: Tel. No. (416) 243-9615 Fax: (416) 243-9731 Quebec & Maritime Provinces: Tel. No. (514) 636-9230 Fax: (514) 636-8229 To learn more, visit www.genetron.com. © 2012 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.

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