September 2013

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FALL FURNACE MAINTENANCE Extreme weather boosts need for pre-season checkup

Effective project management A little discipline goes a long way INSIDE ■ Ont. prompt payment legislation looms ■ The case for preventative maintenance contracts ■ Working through family issues in business ■ Wholesale veterans launch new venture

SEPTEMBER 2013

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■ Contents

Fall Heating

Departments Hot Seat .........................................4 Chasing payment

Industry News ..............................6 Prompt payment legislation in Ontario

People & Places............................51 Wholesale veterans return to the stage

Shop Management......................52 The business case for preventative maintenance

Coming Events.............................54 Trade shows across Canada

Products & Technologies Heating ........................................18 Pipes, Valves & Fittings ...............27 Ventilation ...................................31 Refrigeration ...............................33

Successful project management

A little military discipline goes a long way

Features

Faucets & Fixtures .......................43 Tools & Instruments ....................45

Gas gets boost in N.S.

23

Rebates offered to encourage conversions

Cover: Fall brings cooler weather and, hopefully, a boost in business for Canada’s HVAC contractors. Please see our fall heating coverage beginning on page 18.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

Fall furnace maintenance

18

Extreme weather makes checkup more critical

Controlling pressure

33

Critical controls in a refrigeration system

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

3

■ Hot Seat

September 2013 Volume 23, Number 6 ISSN 1919-0395

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

Chasing payment I was talking to a contractor the other day and he mentioned that once again he was spending time chasing a customer for payment when he had a lot of other things he needed to do.

And he commented that this is nothing new in his world of primarily small commercial projects. His father, also in the plumbing business, spent a lot of time and money collecting bills too, he remembers.

In the end, the bills usually get paid, but in some cases the contractor has to take the client to court to get the money. It’s a big hassle and causes all kinds of problems due to the interruption of cash flow.

One of the problems with mechanical systems is that once they are installed they become the property of the building owner. Never mind that the contractor paid for the equipment and supplied the labour. If the client doesn’t pay, the contractor can’t repossess the HVAC or plumbing. The best they can do is put a lien against the building.

So what’s the solution? Our own shop management expert Ron Coleman tells contractors to “fire their worst customers.” Word of mouth should help. Doesn’t everyone know who the shady operators are? Just don’t work for them, the experts say.

It’s not usually that simple. For one thing, delaying payment for as long as possible has been a way of doing business for as long as anyone can remember. It’s not just a few unscrupulous individuals.

Some developers change company names and addresses almost as often as they change their clothes.

The contractor thinks they are working for one individual and then, once they’re into the job, they find that there’s somebody else behind it. And in some cases the contractor may be a little wary, but he needs the work so he takes the job.

So what’s the solution? The Canadian Construction Association has come up with standard construction documents and that should certainly help.

Unfortunately, few use standard documents, or if they do they make so many changes that they become virtually useless.

However, there is hope. Most countries in the developed world have prompt payment legislation for the construction industry. Now Ontario is expected to put similar legislation in place by the end of the year.

And despite the political turmoil going on between that province’s three major parties, it has a good chance of succeeding because all three support it. Other provinces are looking at adopting similar legislation.

No other business struggles with payment like the construction industry. It’s been going on for a long time.

One would wish that everyone would just get along and pay their bills. But that isn’t going to happen. Hopefully, prompt payment legislation will provide the big stick that contractors need to survive in this difficult world.

NEWCOM Business Media Inc. 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 5C4 Tel: (416) 242-8088 • Fax (416) 614-8861 POSTMASTER: Send all address changes and circulation inquiries to: Plumbing & HVAC Product News magazine, 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 5C4. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40063170. Postage paid at Toronto, ON. Annual Subscription Canada: $40.00 plus applicable taxes, single copy $5.00 plus applicable taxes. Annual Subscription United States: $60.00 U.S. Annual Subscription foreign: $90.00 U.S.

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

A member of: Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating Canadian Circulation Audit Board Mechanical Contractors Assoc. of Canada Ontario Plumbing Inspectors Association American Society of Heating Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada Refrigeration Service Engineers Society of Canada

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■ Industry News

Getting paid Ontario prompt payment legislation expected by year’s end

By Simon Blake onstruction industry officials expect that prompt payment legislation will be a reality in Ontario by the end of the year and that other provinces will likely follow. It can’t happen a moment too soon for many mechanical contractors who for years have struggled to get paid at the end of the job.

“We’ve always had the same problem collecting money at the end of a job. There’s always a bunch of lawsuits,” remarked Claudio Favrin of Blueline Mechanical, a small commercial contractor in Toronto.

Like many others that sub-contract for large mechanicals and developers, he finds himself spending a lot of time chasing payment. “You waste a lot of energy during the day trying to collect money and they keep stringing you along.”

And he sees holdback monies – 10 percent in Ontario – being held indefinitely. “You’ve basically paid off your suppliers and your employees and now you are waiting for your due, and it doesn’t come in.” And, he adds, “If you have 10 of these jobs going you can get buried very easily.”

The (Ontario) Construction Lien Act doesn’t help much, he adds. “There’s a lot of loopholes that these big contractors can go through.” For example, they can post a bond against the lien and keep on working. “They’ll bury a small contractor like me.”

“You do a very small job for $30,000, and they hold back $3,000 for a year. That’s ridiculous. The people have moved in. They’re using the facilities. It’s been approved. There’s no liens on the property. Pay your bill.”

The big problem is not simply a case of a few unscrupulous developers or contractors. It’s the way of doing business in the construction industry, he adds. “It’s a bigger problem than most people realize.”

C

Taking action If Favrin and others need a sympathetic ear, they might talk to Richard McKeagan, president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC).

6

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2013

“It’s been a problem, since construction started perhaps,” he says. “We’ve seen companies go bankrupt as a result. We’ve seen people become unemployed as a result.”

MCAC has tried to address the problem for years. The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) introduced standard construction documents that should have helped too. But, as McKeagan points out, “Standard documents are great, if everybody uses them.”

Unfortunately, numerous amendments often render standard documents useless.

Contractors have had enough and “unfortunately the only way to fix it is through legislation,” he added.

The big problem is not simply a case of a few unscrupulous developers or contractors. It’s the way of doing business in the construction industry.

The National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC), which includes various Canadian trade associations including MCAC and the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), has urged provinces to adopt prompt payment legislation. In Ontario, a private members bill passed second reading on May 16 with the support of all parties.

It also has support from the Ontario General Contractors Association. The NTCCC hopes to see it passed into law before the end of the year. That would set a precedent for other provinces, said McKeagan, who noted that most of them are also looking at prompt payment legislation.

“We’re one of the last countries in the developed world that doesn’t have this sort of legislation.”

Setting conditions The draft legislation in Ontario contains a number of things that will help: The owner has to divulge the financial information for the project to ensure that he can pay for it. That is already part of the CCA standard contract, noted McKeagan, “but probably one of the first things that owners strike out.”

Progress payments must be made as scheduled in the contract and, even if no schedule is specified, they must be made at least once a month. Contractors can suspend work or terminate the contract if those payments are not made.

The only holdbacks allowed are those required by the Construction Lien Act and they are due one day after the prescribed holdback period (45 days in Ontario) providing there are no liens.

Where the general contactor isn’t paid because the building owner has gone bankrupt, for example, he has to notify the subcontractors in writing and put formal procedures in place – do his due diligence – to ensure that he has taken every possible step to get paid. At that point, the general can negotiate a delay in payment with the sub-contractors.

Favrin would like to see something done at the municipal level as well, with the municipality not releasing a building for occupancy until the sub-trades have been paid.

There is one exception to the current practice of withholding payment as long as possible, he notes. That occurs when working for a school board or some other agency that requires that all contractors be bonded. “If you’re not getting paid, you can always make a phone call to their bonding company and that usually raises a whole bunch of eyebrows very quickly.”

While prompt payment legislation won’t cure everything – there are always going to be crooks – it will set rules that most companies will follow and that will go a long way to ensuring that smaller contractors get paid in a timely manner.

For more information, visit www.ntccc.ca. ✚

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â– Industry News

In Brief Ontario OEB eyes changes The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) is reviewing its practice of allowing outside intervention in utility hearings. The review has two phases; the first will determine whether changes are needed to the existing process; the second will determine if a different process is needed. Currently, numerous associations, environmental groups and other parties intervene in utility hearings with, in many cases, their legal and other costs covered by the OEB. In 2012-2013 the OEB paid over $5.5 million to 38 interveners.

The Ontario HVAC Coalition, for example, has had considerable success in preventing utilities from encroaching into HVAC contractors’ business through such intervention. The OEB invited written comments by Sept. 27 and oral presentations at its stakeholder conference on Oct. 8 in Toronto For more information, visit www.ontarioenergyboard.ca.

Ontario goes lead-free Ontario has amended its building code to require lead-free plumbing fittings for potable water systems effective Jan. 1.

However, there will be a six-month transition period for projects where the building permit has been applied for prior to that date as long as construction begins within six months. The move is part of a nationwide effort to harmonize Canadian and U.S. regulations to prevent dumping of leaded product into Canada when new U.S. leadfree rules take effect Jan. 1.

Sales lag behind 2012 Industry sales figures released by the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) show that July was a good month but sales for the year are lagging behind 2012 figures. July total product sales were up 5.8 percent or $29.8 million compared to July 2012. However, total year-to-date sales were at $3,177 billion, down $18.4 million (0.6 percent) compared to the same period a year ago. Alberta led the way followed by Quebec, Atlantic Canada and Ontario. For more information, visit www.ciph.com.

CIPH meets in Halifax The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH) held a successful annual conference titled ABC 2013: “Pathways to Relevance� in Halifax June 16-18. More than 240 delegates and companions from across North America saw Robert Whitty, right, president and CEO of Bartle & Gibson in Edmonton, elected chairman. His predecessor, John Hammill, vice president, wholesale sales, for Moen Canada, Oakville, Ont. passes over the gavel. Next year’s annual CIPH conference will take place in Kelowna, B.C.

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■ Letters

The “wife” responds

have more experience with the business than many techs themselves out there and possibly you too.

I deal with this “men-only” attitude Dear Editor: bookkeeping and administration as the many times a day, that a woman in this My husband and I are co-owners of a husband does in the technical aspect. industry doesn’t really know what she is mechanical business, albeit small but Yes, I am that “wife” that you wrote talking about or doing and should just nonetheless created from many hours of about. However I do possess a business be the secretary. It gets rather tiring. hard work. Recently, I was I am writing this email for all reading the article by Ron the “wives” of techs out Coleman regarding DIY there who have taken on the Your article generally painted business owners – husband stress of running their own and wife teams – and these types of partnership businesses as business, hoping there’s enough honestly, was a bit offended as business to generate income to to your painting of these doomed from the get-go… pay the bills, feed the kids, pay small business owners as the mortgage until the business “explosive.” (“An explosive is able to sustain itself on it’s business situation”, P&HVAC, own two feet PLUS run her July/Aug.) degree and am more than capable of household so that everyone can continue Your article generally painted these managing a small business, regardless of to live a normal life. types of partnership businesses as what type of trade or industry. I’ve been I understand where you’re coming doomed from the get-go and that in this trade since my husband from as an accountant. I just don’t think unfortunately the “wife” often doesn’t registered as an apprentice at the age of it’s fair that you paint us all like that. have the same number of years in 19 and, almost 30 years later, probably Sometimes life skills are just as if not more important and applicable than the technical skills.

Lead-free message unclear Dear Editor: Dahl Brothers Canada Limited is concerned with the lack of a clear message to the trades regarding the requirement for lead-free brass plumbing products in Canada.

The drivers of change in our industry are typically standards and codes, in that order. Here is we know as of Sept. 5: CSA has modified the B-125 standard so that manufacturers may only produce lead-free brass plumbing products after Dec. 31, 2013.

The extent to which existing inventories of regular brass products may or may not be installed in 2014 will be determined at the provincial level. Some provinces are now beginning to adopt the new CSA standard into their codes. The Plumbing Industry Advisory Council (PIAC) outline of anticipated provincial lead-free adoption can be found on the Internet at http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/f ile/1111812885691-596/lead.pdf.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

It is important to note that some provinces may be on the brink of announcing changes, so be sure to check for updates regularly. The Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH), The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC), your local plumbing inspectors’ association and your provincial government are good resources for the latest updates your local building code and/or plumbing code changes.

Even if your province has not indicated or finalized a date to incorporate the new lead-free requirements into the codes, it is important to note that lead-free plumbing products will soon be the only thing available because of the changes to the CSA B-125 standard for the manufacturers.

Wendy Franck Erie Mechanical Services St. Catharines, Ont.

Ron Coleman responds: Dear Mrs. Franck: I do very much appreciate your comments. Based on your remarks I think the point I was trying to make was not clear enough. I know many husband and wife teams who are very successful. It seems as if I was too sweeping in my comments.

The tragedy of many of the trade businesses is that the “wife” is expected to have these skills without getting the requisite training. I have too many clients where the level of record keeping is very poor because nobody has taken the time and trouble to set it up properly. It is not fair to expect any “wife” to handle accounting, administration or management without the training. I do believe that not enough people realize the level of skill and knowledge it takes to administer a business.

Ron Coleman Vancouver, B.C.

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■ Building Green

Sea-water heating and cooling Innovative Newfoundland project demonstrates energy savings for seaside developments

Sea-water will provide primary heating and cooling for this St. John’s office complex.

By Bruce Nagy

The concept is simple; execution was anything but.

The hydronic side of the system is relatively straightforward.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

With a projected gross domestic product (GDP) increase of about 3.4 percent, employment, industry, tourism, hotel rooms, arts and culture are all growing quickly in Newfoundland and its capital, St. John’s, accompanied by a number of new downtown buildings in the harbour area.

These include an innovative sea-water cooling-heating project on Water Street that resulted from collaboration between increasingly visible progressive companies that are gaining momentum in the city.

The province’s booming economy is fuelled mostly by oil and gas exports, but in the near future electricity will come mostly from renewables, including hydro from new initiatives like the Lower Churchill project, and from offshore wind.

The main source of cooling and heating energy at Three Fifty One (351 Water Street) will also be renewable, as described by engineer Tony Costello of Stantec Inc., a key designer of the system.

It includes modern techniques that expand deep-water cooling possibilities beyond fresh water, and hold promise for seaside buildings all over the world.

The project is about 150,330 square metres (165,000 sq. ft.) of premium office space on six stories. Below these are six more stories of parking and a retail plaza at street level. Modern glazing and envelope practices will contribute to energy savings and the building is expected to be LEED Gold certified.

torpedo pumps and stainless steel piping that limit corrosion in high saline conditions. Shop-welded stainless steel pipe (thin walled) is actually used more than usual through the building because it is now seen as competing well on cost with mild carbon steel for heating/cooling applications; and for plumbing duty as compared with plastic, copper and cast iron.

Perhaps more important, a new innovation for raw water filtering was used below the parking structure. This method was tried by Stantec on smaller projects and tested for applicability in St. John’s. It helps reduce suspended solids and improves performance of the energy exchangers.

It involved drilling a large hole about 11 metres deep with a casing, then inserting a smaller pipe with a well screen, and then filling the annular space with an engineered pea stone. The outer sleeve is then partly pulled up. Engineers say the system tests positively to 500 U.S. GPM and the water is very clear.

“The idea of using St. John’s harbor as a pumped source sink would not be feasible if not for the recent harbor clean-up and sewage treatment projects by the municipality,” says Costello.

Even still, if not for the special filter it would have remained risky “due to the fouling potential with harbor water.”

Two wide mouth plate and frame heat exchangers isolate the chiller/heat pump water from the raw water. The entire system is charged with 35 percent propylene glycol.

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The building is located on low-lying man-made land, so three wells that were drilled essentially straight down take advantage of sea water as a heat sink or source of heat energy.

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At the heart of the system are seven 50ton modular Trane/ Multistack heat pump units. They generate heating water at 140ºF and chilled water as well. Energy is recycled through the refrigeration loop

Please see ‘Superior’ on page 15

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

13

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■ Building Green

Superior air quality Continued from page 13 and rejected or collected as required from a third loop; the source loop, connected to the harbor through the three wells. Costello notes that harbour tidal action avoids thermocline extremes and may keep temperatures predictable. Water is discharged into an abandoned storm sewer.

Heat is provided throughout by low temperature baseboard hydronics, with unit and cabinet heaters scattered as required. Conventional fin tube encircles each floor in architectural enclosures with linear grilles on top of the post-formed stools.

There is also a central exhaust air-handling unit equipped with a coil to recover energy from the exhaust streams. Fresh air is provided through a dedicated outdoor air unit which is complete with a “cooling” coil for free airside cooling of the glycol loop and a heating coil to preheat air to 5ºC before it is introduced into the compartmental units.

Each floor is equipped with two compartmental units, one serving the perimeter zones and the other for the interior. It is hoped the supply air temperature can be reset on the interior zones to increase ventilation effectiveness.

All thermal zones have individual variable air volume (VAV) boxes and the top and bottom floors have reheat coils in these boxes. The compartmental units have cooling coils only. Humidification is provided at the central unit with conventional electric resistance bottles—all small in size.

The system also makes it easy for excess heat energy from tenant data centres to be collected and recycled through the heat pumps. In addition there is an opportunity to do free water-side cooling when conditions permit and when only minimal heating is required.

Two 400-kilowatt electric boilers can top up the temperature if required during the cold, windy St. John’s winters; although St. John’s actually has one of the mildest climates in the country after Victoria and Vancouver. There are also two dry fluid coolers installed on the roof to provide 100 percent heat rejection in the event the harbor interface is out of service.

Sound economics The system is designed so that any two of the three wells can manage heating and cooling load. Sizing was based on a net present worth analysis, so 40 percent of the plant can provide for 90 percent of the bin temperature hours.

This satisfied the developers, East Port Properties, which seeks sound economics, undertakes enhanced commissioning for energy optimization, and has long pushed for superior indoor air quality in its projects.

“We are investing people’s pension money and we do it responsibly,” says East Port president John Lindsay.

Asked if green buildings attract tenants more quickly, he responds: “Yes, tenants prefer healthy and sustainable buildings. But good indoor air quality isn’t something you should say you are proud of. It should be something you just do, and that’s why we were the first builders in Atlantic Canada to do full air quality assessments. We believe in them.” Tenancies are finalized for most of the Water Street project, which will open this winter and be occupied soon afterwards.

As seems typical in Atlantic Canada, Lindsay, Costello and Flynn all remain low key, modest and speak frankly about challenges and achievements alike. They describe unexpected city demands and slowdowns due to extra care required with caisson work below ground in the harbor. They soft peddle the many impressive efficiencies in a system that truly represents the state-ofthe-art in sea-water cooling and heating.

It’s appropriate that this landmark project would emerge during the good times in Newfoundland.

Residents have a saying: “Wait a fair wind, and you’ll get one.” It looks like Newfoundland finally got their welldeserved fair wind. ✚

Bruce Nagy is a Toronto-based freelance writer that reports on green technologies and solutions.

He can be reached at bruce.nagy@rogers.com.

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■ ICI Mechanical

Successful project MANAGEMENT A little military discipline goes a long way

By Michael McCartney, P.Eng

I

Bringing in a crane is expensive. Careful planning ensures it’s not on the jobsite any longer than needed.

t was when I started to work as a design-build mechanical contractor at my former company, Techaire Systems, Brampton, Ont., that I learned to apply some basic leadership lessons learned when I served some time in the Canadian Armed Forces.

There, for issuing mission orders, one is taught to follow a system called S.M.E.A.C., which is an acronym for: ‘SITUATION, MISSION, EXECUTION, ADMINISTRATION, COMMUNICATION.’ When applied in a project management setting this system can and will lead to smoother operations in the field.

The first thing to do when you’ve designed and sold a project is to hold a meeting with EVERYONE involved in carrying out the work. That means gathering your key employees, sub-trade foremen, and the owner’s representative and any other design professionals whose input is of immediate relevance.

Once convened, you can start by explaining to them the project’s SITUATION. This can involve a number of things. For example, if it is a renovation project, a bit of background information is essential. Why is the job going ahead? What does the owner hope to accomplish through the changes to his/her facility? A new groundsup project can involve similar considerations. In all cases, especially in renovation projects, I try to include some essential background information, for example archived drawings from the municipality that show existing as-built conditions, especially the location of buried services such as gas, storm and sanitary lines.

The MISSION is what the personnel have to accomplish. Simply put, it’s what we have to do and in what sort of time frame.

Getting the job done EXECUTION encompasses details on what has to take

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Plumbing & HVAC – September 2013

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On this job, time and money was saved because new rooftop units could be brought up by elevator and carried up the final two flights of stairs.

place and under what circumstances, such as: Is it to be a regular time or after-hours job; what’s the timeline for certain activities such as hoisting and setting equipment; delivery schedules from the manufacturers and, in some cases, detail items such as the types of fittings, i.e. tee-versus S-cleated ducts, or mechanical

Never tell a man what to do. Tell him what has to be done and he will surprise you with his ingenuity. versus screwed or welded pipe connections are to be mentioned if included in the project specifications.

One thing I try to keep in mind is what famous U.S. Second World War general George Patton once said: “Never tell a man what to do. Tell him what has to be done and he will surprise you with his ingenuity.”

In other words, try not to micro-manage the staff ’s activities. Remember, we are, in most circumstances, dealing with highly educated skilled tradesmen who know their jobs. Let them carry out the work as they see fit and, almost without exception, you’ll be fine with the outcome.

Above all else, and in my opinion of paramount importance, is taking time to stress on-site safety issues and briefings on any out of the ordinary hazards likely to be encountered, as well as a means of overcoming those difficulties in a safe manner. No project is worth carrying out if someone will be injured or, God forbid, killed because of a failure on

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the part of the project’s management to bring safety to mind at the onset.

On a personal level, I try to never ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t do myself. That means going on site to oversee hoisting a chiller up 30 stories, for example, and taking on the role of ‘responsible person in charge.’

Managing the details Effective ADMINISTRATION of a project is an essential element if things are to go as smoothly as possible. Good administration starts at ground zero, with workers logging their hours accurately and including, in their time sheets, detailed activity records. This will give the project management an idea as to what has been done and what the next steps are, and leave no doubt as to what items of equipment have been installed and run-tested. Management should check to see that job specifications are being followed by forwarding, to all parties, equipment shop drawings after having scanned them for accuracy.

On larger projects, the old saying, ‘Look after the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves’ comes into play, through effective purchasing and hard negotiations over buying and selling major items. I have always found administrative duties to be onerous, time consuming and somewhat boring, but any time I have neglected to follow these precepts, the result has been less than satisfactory, to say the least!

Effective communication Lastly, effective COMMUNICATION is needed at all times during the course of construction. Field personnel should never be left hanging when there is a decision to be made in regard to some aspect of the job. For example, should a rooftop air conditioning

unit be allowed to be rotated 180 degrees from what was shown on the drawings? I had such an instance, where somebody didn’t ask that question, the result being our having to spend an extra $1,500 to re- work a return air duct. Only through being able to reach a decision maker such as the designer can such an issue be resolved.

All persons whether on site or in the office should talk at least once or twice a day to make sure that nothing goes unnoticed. Therefore, all persons involved on a project should have a list of staff, cell phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses.

Time is money, and this applies especially on a construction site where labour and material costs, and especially material handling time, can escalate if there are delays caused by a lack of proper instruction at the onset followed by poor communication or logistical backing.

By following the S.M.E.A.C. rule you will reduce the incidence of time-wasting delays in execution and help to bring the project in within the time frame and budget the estimators had allowed for. Time spent up front, in the meeting room or office, will result in less time spent on a job site and a less costly project. ✚

Mike McCartney is a mechanical engineer and project manager. After 28 years with Techaire and E.S.Fox Ltd., Mike has now accepted a position with MCW Consultants as consulting engineer/project manager at their Toronto office.

He can be reached at MMcceng77@aol.com.

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

17

■ Fall Heating

Fall furnace

maintenance

Extreme weather boosts need for pre-season checks

by Bob Bettles and Brian Guttormson

T

his has been a year to remember, 2013! With should be noted and corrected. Plastic type venting a slow start to the air conditioning season, materials should not be supported by the ductwork; the Mother Nature sure did give us a beating! venting should also be checked for sags or leaks and Chilly nights and cool brought up to code specs within days to start didn’t your local code area, with possible help new sales or maintenance replacement.

If you are in and work, then a few weeks of ‘normal’ Many home owners seem to temperatures followed by a spike of think that black gas pipe through out in 20 minutes and on humidity and heat woke up the the basement is an endless hanger industry for a while. to the next call, all you are system for winter/summer storage!

Those units that had their preThis use is not part of the pipe season checks continued on with doing is padding your hook’s original design parameters! no problems, but then many Did the previous service tech others failed when they were pay cheque and instilling leave any notes or history with the needed! Mother Nature then had a false sense of confidence equipment of the last service or to throw in a few rain showers original start-up numbers? If not, into the mix with severe flooding in your customer! in every installation manual the in many areas. And to add to our equipment manufacturer will have misery, a few tornados across to a page with blanks to document the country as well! the start of the product as a base line for future If our winter follows with the same fury we had best reference. Now is the time; most Technical Standards be looking at the furnaces out there to insure a and Safety Authority inspectors (in Ontario) will ask dependable winter of comfort and confidence in the for it if an audit is being done. systems. Fall maintenance checks are not just a “D & C” Following are the standard checks for a forced air (dust and clean) as many techs (?) seem to think. If you furnace: are in and out in 20 minutes and on to the next call, all you are doing is padding your pay cheque and instilling Burner compartment: a false sense of confidence in your customer!

Check burners for proper ignition operation. Is it smooth and even or delayed? Ribbon burners may A thorough examination have to be removed and cleaned of any corrosion that A typical fall maintenance call, depending on the may affect the flame. Cross lighters (runners) between condition of the equipment, its type and previous the burners may require cleaning as well. maintenance, or lack of it, may take an hour or three!

Pilot assembly condition must also be cleaned and A visual check of the supply system is a must, from checked. Is the flame stable or lifting and fluttering? If the gas meter or oil tank to the furnace for deficiencies it is a standing pilot, is the thermocouple clean or burnt? and code conflicts, if any. Hangers missed or removed Hot surface ignitors can be very fragile, so take care

Oil tanks should be checked. This one doesn’t look good.

•

• • •

18

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2013

•

when handling or cleaning near them. A white spot on the ceramic may indicate a weak spot or crack which, when cold, will allow a short glow of the ignitor but may open if the warm-up time is excessive.

Flame rods must be clean and secured. Check the mounting for securement; any build-up on the rod may be cleaned gently with soft wire wool. (Note: flame rods should not be sanded with emery cloth because it will remove the manufacturer’s self cleaning agents, causing faster build-up. Some chemicals are approved for this purpose.)

Control wiring should be checked for security and condition.

Blower compartment:

air filter should be replaced as specified by the • The manufacturer.

• Check the blower wheel for dirt build-up in the

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Vent clearances need to be checked. These are a little on the low side.

• • •

blades; it may require a bath in the laundry tub if excessive.

Remove the blower housing to inspect the inlet side of the condensing coil if this is a high efficiency product.

Check all electrical connections for securement and clearance from the moving parts Older belt driven furnaces may require a replacement fan belt; check the pulleys for proper alignment and tighten the setscrews of the motor and fan pulley.

Condensate Drain

efficiency furnace condensate drain tubing must • High be checked for cracks or kinks. the drain trap assembly and all drain tubing in • Flush the system. and flush the condensate pump and tank if • Clean used, and then verify operation. the drain tube runs to a floor drain or sump it • Ifshould have a slope of ¼” per foot of run. This gravity drain must have a vent tee at the furnace to prevent a double trap of the drain system.

Exhaust venting

inspect the exhaust tubing for proper slope • Visually and suspension to the termination point. This, as with

• •

the condensate, must have the ¼” per foot slope back to the appliance.

Check the termination on the outside wall for proper clearances. Many homeowners will build decks, flowerbeds, etc. around, over or under the vent terminal, which may result in problems in the heating season.

Does the material used confirm to current code requirements? (There may still be some Cat. III High Temp plastic out there!)

System operation check Check to see if the manufacturer’s manuals are with or around the unit. If not, ask the resident or building

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This gas line needs to be rehung properly.

•

are in place, confirm their operation and confirm wiring is complete and in place correctly.

Check propane tank inlet pressures, adjust if necessary.

Oil furnaces Condensate traps need to be flushed out. maintenance person for it; they are required to be with the product. System operation checks should include: Incoming gas pressure to the unit in operation. This should be done with ALL appliances connected in operation.

Manifold pressure on high fire and low fire, if this is a two-stage unit.

Temperature rise on low and high fire operation.

System static pressures within the duct system on high fire heating speed.

Verify blower fan on and off timings as provided in the furnace manuals.

Check thermostat operation in all modes. Check cycle rate or heat anticipator has been selected for proper operation.

Check operation of the high limit safety control(s).

Most manufacturers will recommend restricting the return air filter opening to simulate a blocked filter or motor failure.

With system operating at its steady state, run a flue gas analysis to ensure combustion operation. If your analyzer has a printer option, print the results and leave with the equipment.

• • • • • • • •

Propane furnaces Propane forced air furnaces require the same maintenance as natural gas ones do with added checks of gaskets. On 90-plus AFUE models look for gasket breakdown and hose failures behind venter motor assemblies.

If safety pressure switches for low fuel tank detection

On oil systems, the oil filter and nozzle must be changed as well. Check the storage tank for age and condition.

Most locations in Canada have a time limit on an oil tank’s life expectancy. Make sure the oil product being serviced and cleaned has been installed as per its requirements from the manufacturer’s original manuals.

When all of your checks have been completed and recorded, return the system operation to its normal mode when you arrived. Pick up your mess and debris.

Leave the area cleaner than you found it!

Explain to the occupant what you have done, the results of the testing and any suggestions for improvements to their system.

It never hurts to leave your phone numbers stickered on the products. When homeowners are in an emergency, they look at the product before the phone book. ✚

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.

•

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

19

Artfully Engineered.

The P-K MACH® Boiler. Designed to fit where space is a premium.

Our beautifully redesigned line of smaller P-K MACH® boilers, ranging from 300 to 500 MBTU/hr, are CSA certified at 92% plus efficiency and are small and light enough to be carried down steps, around corners, and easily hung during a wall installation. The top and front panels of the boilers are fully removable to allow for easy access to key components and zero clearance to combustibles reduce the space required when multiple boilers are installed.

Be part of the “fit-in” crowd by installing a the new P-K MACH®...a true masterpiece.

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

■ Fall Heating

Product Profile

Rated most efficient The Coleman Echelon CP9C modulating gas-fired furnace line from Johnson Controls has earned the Energy Star Most Efficient of 2013 designation.

The designation recognizes the most efficient products among those that qualify for Energy Star.

To be rated “most efficient,” products must feature: • Performance levels of 97 AFUE or higher • Two-way communications with the system controller • Fault code transmission to the indoor controller • Automated configuration • Thermostat or other control device with a user interface that can be located in the conditioned space In addition, The Echelon CP9C models provide diagnostic and setup information in plain text as

Direct vent fireplace Napoleon’s new HD4 fireplace is available as a see-thru or three-sided peninsula and features various firebox/burner options including a log and linear glass burner or a designer fire cradle featuring topaz glass embers to match any room in the home. It puts out up to 30,000 Btu/h, includes a massive 1,000 sq. in. viewing area, multiple firebox configurations and electronic ignition with battery back-up.

Napoleon u www.NapoleonFireplaces.com

Smart thermostat The new VisionPRO 8000 from Honeywell is a redesigned and enhanced version of Honeywell’s original VisionPRO, which has sold in the millions since its launch in 2004. Compatible with virtually every heating and cooling system, the thermostat is highly customizable with accessories to meet individual needs.

Honeywell u www.honeywell.com

High-Efficiency Appliance Venting

well as access to outside temperature data.

These furnaces are compact units that employ induced combustion, hot surface ignition and high heat transfer aluminized The Coleman CP9C tubular heat exchangers. furnaces achieved a They are designed for 97 percent-plus upflow or horizontal efficiency rating. applications and may be converted for downflow applications.

They also feature an ECM variable speed motor turning a large quiet blower mounted in a slide-out assembly for easy service.

Designed and certified as Category IV furnaces, these CP9C models may be installed as direct vent systems through sidewall or roof applications using approved plastic combustion air and vent materials.

Coleman u www.colemanhvacdealer.com

percent, reports the manufacturer. Robust design means no restrictions on return water temperature, water flow or temperature rise through the boiler. Designed for ease of access and maintenance, it also features dual return water connections for higher efficiency gains.

Bosch u www.boschheating andcooling.com

PolyPro ®

Most Versatile System For Venting Boiler and Tankless Water Heater Appliances Fast Lightweight and designed for quick and easy assembly.

Safe No sharp metal edges.

Clean No corrosion of metals or chlorides.

No messy solvents or glues.

Sustainable Corrosive condensate resistant and 100% recyclable.

Listed System See our appliance approval list online.

Combo unit The new Q Premier boiler system from Rinnai offers a one-appliance solution for residential heating and water heating needs. It combines a Rinnai solo boiler with a 24-gallon hot-water storage vessel. The system comes fully assembled for a faster, easier install with multiple plumbing and venting options. With the introduction of the new Q Premier Boiler, Rinnai now offers a floor-standing model with the same high efficiency as a wallmounted boiler.

Rinnai u www.rinnai.ca

Efficient rooftop unit The new Reznor Model RHH pre-engineered rooftop air handler is rated at 91 percent efficiency and is available

Commercial condensing boilers The new Buderus SB Series of commercial condensing boilers from Bosch Thermotechnology Corp. are available in two stainless steel models. The SB Series can be used with natural gas, propane or heating oil and can attain a maximum efficiency of 98

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in four sizes from 130 Mbh to 350 Mbh. Suitable for use with natural gas or propane, it is capable of handling up to 100 percent outside air.

Reznor u www.RezSpec.com

800-835-4429 www.duravent.com © 2013

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

21

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■ Fall Heating

This relatively new boiler was a prime candidate for conversion.

After the conversion – the province has only approved one conversion burner to date.

Scotia Utility and Review Board of its intention to surrender the franchise after investing $35 million. There were a number of reasons. Among them, they were not permitted to install gas mains along the highways and the cost of natural gas tripled, making it difficult to source new customer commitments.

In June, 2003, the natural gas franchise was awarded to Heritage Gas Limited. Its plan was somewhat less ambitious, with a goal of establishing a natural gas delivery system wherever it was economically feasible to do so. The company has overcome many hurdles, including the installation of a submerged pipeline under Halifax Harbour. Drilling took place from both sides of the harbour and the two were joined. They have carried out many installations to date and continue to attract new customers. The latest marketing strategy is as follows:

Boiler conversions offered

Rebates smooth road for

natural gas in Nova Scotia

By Art Irwin

Province approves conversion burners for boilers

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

The delivery of natural gas to Nova Scotia has followed a roadway of many bumps. In 1999, Sempra Atlantic Gas Company, a division of Sempra Energy of San Diego, was awarded the 25-year rights to distribute natural gas to 78 percent of the 350,000 households in all 18 counties in Nova Scotia. Sempra announced a $700 million investment over seven years.

However, after just two years, in 2001, Sempra Energy notified the Nova Scotia government and the Nova

Residential customers with oil-fired hot water heating systems are being given a break in the cost of converting.

Generally speaking, the cost of replacing an oil-fired boiler with a gas boiler runs in the vicinity of $10,000 to $15,000, or even slightly higher. There are a number of potential customers with a gas main in their street that have been holding off because of the high conversion cost.

However, the province has approved a new arrangement that will permit the installation of a conversion gas burner in specific types of hot water heating boilers at a cost in the vicinity of $4,000 to $5,000. At current natural gas and heating oil prices, the payback on the conversion is roughly three to four years.

Only one burner, the Model EZ-Gas power gas burner, manufactured by Carlin Combustion Technology Inc., is being accepted for the conversion. It’s a well-proven unit with over 140,000 installed in the New England marketplace.

This burner has an input rating of 50,000 to 275,000 Btu/h. A diffuser spreads the flame, giving similar

Please see ‘Heritage’ on page 25

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

23

The Evolution of High EfďŹ ciency Condensing Boilers High efďŹ ciency stainless steel boiler Hr Models from 46,000 to 151,000 BTU/Hr Available in a combi version Fully modulating with 5:1 turndown Advanced outdoor reset control Low NOx operation Venting to 150' 2" venting on all models up to 100'

■ Fall Heating

Patrick Marshall, left, and John Goodbody of Metro Burner Services, Halifax, have been busy converting oil boilers to gas.

Heritage extends pipeline Continued from page 23 characteristics to that of an oil burning flame which will maintain an efficiency within one percent of an oil-fired flame.

The burner comes with a microprocessor combustion control and gas fuel train and has solid-state electronic ignition. It is distributed in Nova Scotia by Mechanical Business Solutions.

Generally, if a boiler is five to ten years old, it will be accepted for conversion. In each case, Intertek of Montreal must carry out an inspection. At this point, only two heating contractors have completed a three-day Carlin training course and been certified to carry out this particular type of conversion. It is expected more will participate in the future.

Rebates available A rebate program – The Residential and Commercial Natural Gas Equipment Rebate Program 2013-2014 – began April 1 and continues to March 31, 2014., with a deadline for filing applications of May 14.

This program is funded by the province through the Natural Gas Market Development Fund and is administered by Heritage Gas. It is designed to encourage Nova Scotians to convert to natural gas using the highest efficiency equipment available.

Residential customers owning singlefamily dwellings, duplexes and townhouses with individual addresses must install an Energy Star rated heating system to receive the base rebate and a

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domestic hot water system to receive the efficiency component of the rebate.

These appliances must be connected at the same time.

Commercial businesses are defined as those that own, manage or lease buildings in sectors such as retail, hospitality, office and multi-unit residential. Public institutions such as educational health care, non-profit, municipal and provincial government buildings are also included. New construction does not qualify.

Eligible costs include equipment and installation (materials and labour) of natural gas space heating, water heating and process equipment and professional fees (engineering or architectural) associated directly with the conversion.

Purchased or “lease to own” equipment will qualify.

All installations will be eligible for up to 25 percent of the approved costs of the conversion.

So, for example, let’s look at a building with an estimated annual natural gas consumption of 800 GJ and a conversion cost of $18,000 before taxes. Including an Energy Star rated appliance at 90 percent efficiency will qualify for a base rebate of $3,000 plus $1,000 for an efficiency rebate for a total of $4,000. That is less than 25 percent of the total installation cost, so the building would be eligible for the full $4,000.

kilometers from Salt Springs, through Alma and into Abercrombie Point to the Northern Pulp paper mill in Pictou County by the end of the year.

Northern Pulp expects to save $7 million per year on their energy bill. The

province will lend Northern Pulp $3.6 million and provide a capitol equipment incentive of $900,000 to help it convert to natural gas.

The province is contributing $2.5 million to help with the start-up of the new pipeline, which will be refunded as more businesses join the system.

Eventually, the gas will extend to the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow plus a number of businesses in that area.

In July Heritage Gas announced the delivery of compressed natural gas by truck as early as next year to areas that will not have a gas pipeline. Larger customers in the Annapolis Valley will be served in this manner.

Heritage Gas currently reaches more than 3,600 homes and businesses across Nova Scotia. AltaGas Utility Group Inc., headquartered in Calgary, owns Heritage Gas. ✚ Arthur A. Irwin operates Irwin Energy Consulting Services in Halifax.

He can be reached at irwin.a@ns. sympatico.ca.

Further expansion Heritage Gas Limited is also investing $15.3 million to extend its pipeline 19

September – Plumbing & HVAC

25

What One Canadian University Learned About Zuba-Central.

And how this new study can lead to more satisfied customers.

Every HVAC system claims to be energy efficient. But how many of these claims are backed by science? Ours is.

An independent study*conducted by Ryerson University in Toronto proves that Zuba-Central: SAVES ENERGY With a COP ranging from 1.4 to 3.19, Zuba-Central delivers energy savings of up to 60% annually over conventional heating and cooling systems.

OPERATES EFFICIENTLY AT LOW TEMPERATURES Our advanced system design and innovative compressor technology ensures effective and efficient operation in temperatures as low as -30°C. IS MORE AFFORDABLE THAN GEOTHERMAL Zuba-Central delivers similar energy efficiency at a fraction of the installed cost of a geothermal system.

Get the facts for yourself and see why Zuba-Central by Mitsubishi Electric is the proven choice for energy efficiency and cost savings. *Study conducted by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Ryerson University: Performance Assessment of a Variable Capacity Air Source Heat Pump and a Horizontal Loop Coupled Ground Source Heat Pump System

*When installed by an authorized HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) installer. Certain conditions, restrictions and/or limitations apply. See warranty terms and conditions for complete details.

ZubaHome.ca

photo courtesy of TRCA

â– Pipes, Valves & Fittings

Product Profile Easy system balancing The Taco SelfSensing Series with the company’s “ProBalance� technology integrates Taco KV or KS pumps with a variable frequency drive.

These pumps allow the installer to accomplish easy do-it-yourself system balancing for both constant flow central plant applications and variable flow building distribution applications. The system greatly reduces balancing contractor costs at commissioning or start-up.

Pump performance curves are embedded in the memory of the speed controller. During operation, pump power and speed are monitored, enabling the controller to establish the hydraulic performance and position in the pump’s head-flow characteristic. This enables the pump to continuously identify required head and flow at any point, providing

These pumps are designed to offer easy system balancing.

accurate pressure control without the need for external sensor feedback.

These pumps can be run in constant flow mode for chiller/boiler pumps (primary), system curve mode for variable flow pumps (secondary), and constant pressure mode for booster pumps. All three modes reduce energy consumption.

Taco’s SelfSensing SKV pumps are available in sizes from1.5 hp to 10 hp and the SKS line is available from 1.5 hp to 60 hp. Models up to 600 hp will be available next year, reports the company.

Taco Canada u www.taco-hvac.com

Potable water fittings

Available in Canada

Sump pump backup

HeatLink’s new family of multiport tees is designed for use with potable water systems. Part of the company’s High Performance Polymer (HPP) fitting system, these offer outstanding resistance to hot chlorinated water, superior long-term hydrostatic strength, excellent thermal stability, high resistance to mineral acids, alkali, and salt solutions, higher resistance to polar solvents and stress cracking, impact strength and exceptional hydrolytic stability, reports the manufacturer.

HeatLink u www.heatlink.com

The Viega MegaPress system for installing Schedule 5 to Schedule 40 black iron pipe in sizes 1/2� to 2� is now available in Canada. The system uses modern cold press connections for pipe installation, with each connection taking about seven seconds. Viega also offers MegaPressG fittings suitable for natural gas applications.

More than 200 fittings are available in sizes from 1/2� to 2� including elbows, couplings, reducers, tees, reducing tees, threaded adapters and unions.

Viega u www.viega.com.

The Wayne Sump Minder is a new microprocessor controlled backup sump pump that notifies the homeowner – or contractor – by telephone if there’s a problem. It combines self-testing and continuous battery checks with an auto-dial feature connected to a standard phone line. The unit’s 12V pump handles 3,300 gallons per hour at 0 feet. The system’s special charging technology keeps the 12V deep cycle battery at optimal charge levels and eliminates false battery charge readouts.

Wayne Water Technologies u www.waynepumps.com

Perfect Match in perfect form Flex100H™ & ECO-Touch™ Heat Recovery Ventilator; Programmable Touch Screen Wall Control Flex HRVs are speciďŹ cally designed for small applications such as homes, condominiums and apartment buildings. It is truly a perfect match for the ECO-Touch wall control.

The ECO-Touch is a complete Touch Screen Control providing the contractors and homeowners with a higher level of control over indoor air quality. That’s simply better™.

XXX GBOUFDI OFU t

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

27

We’ve Delivered: OUR POPULAR SYSTEM 15® & SYSTEM XFR® NOW INCLUDES MJ GREYTM MECHANICAL COUPLINGS FOR 8", 10" & 12"

ROGER PHANEUF, Estimator and Project Manager,

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using mechanical couplings with PVC DWV. We didn’t have to be as exact and were able to easily make

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adjustments to the joint as needed.

For the full case study story visit www.ipexinc.com/mjgrey PVC Drain, Waste & Vent for Non-Combustible Applications Product manufactured by/for IPEX Inc. System 15®, System XFR® and MJ GreyTM are trademarks of IPEX Branding Inc.

Call 1-866-473-9462 or visit www.ipexinc.com

■ Ventilation Low pressure mixed flow

Fresh air intake system The “Fresh Air In-Forcer” from Tjernlund is a residential fresh makeup air solution consisting of a fan and exterior hood that can be installed through a four-inch round exterior wall opening. Operating control options include manual operation by plugging into a 115 VAC switched outlet, plug-in timer operation for a desired schedule or dehumidistat control operation. The 90 CFM fan consumes 18 watts. Tjernlund products are distributed in Canada by Canadian General Filters.

Canadian General Filters u www.cgfproducts.com

The Model QEI-L inline mixed flow fan from Greenheck is designed for low pressure applications. It is available in 11 sizes for wheel diameters 12 through 36 with a performance range up to 40,000 cfm. A flanged connection is standard with companion flanges available for slip fit connections. AMCA certified for sound and air performance, it is recommended for low pressure ventilation applications requiring low sound levels and high fan efficiency including office buildings, concert halls, educational facilities, libraries and parking garages.

Greenheck u www.greenheck.com

Compact low profile fans The Broan LP80 and NuTone LPN80 ventilation fans are especially designed for installations where conventional ventilation simply won’t fit. This unit is narrow enough to be installed in a wall between 2” x 4” studs. And yet the LoProfile fans are Energy Star approved, providing 80 CFM of ventilation and at a sound level as low as of 1.1 sones. In retrofit applications, they can often fit without having to move plumbing or electrical obstructions found behind the drywall.

Broan Nutone Canada u www.Broan.ca

Duct hanging solution Erico has expanded its range of specialty end fittings for its Caddy Speed Link universal support system with six new end fittings for greater flexibility and time savings when installing ductwork and conduit. It offers an alternative to using threaded rod, strut and strut nuts, and it installs without drilling into the building structure. A selection of locking devices is available for different applications and load requirements.

Erico u www.erico.com.

Geothermal IAQ accessories A new line of IAQ accessories from Bosch Thermotechnology Corp. is designed to work with Greensource geothermal heat pumps or any other HVAC system. The line consists of a humidifier, photocatalytic oxidizer, carbon and potassium-permanganate filters, smoke detector, fresh air dampers and touchscreen thermostats. All are designed to improve indoor air quality while also helping to save energy.

Bosch u www.bosch.ca

)LQLVK ƂUVW HYHU\ KHDWLQJ VHDVRQ ZLWK

Inline belt-driven fans The new CTB Tubular Inline Belt Driven fans from S&P Canada Ventilation Products are designed to offer one of the widest ranges of sizes, horsepower and performance in the industry and are ideal where space is limited. They can handle static pressures up to 2” w.g. and provide air performances up to 20,000 cfm. Features include continuously welded and epoxy painted steel housing, aluminum centrifugal wheel, extended lubrication lines and a two-year fan housing warranty.

S&P Canada u www.solerpalaucanada.com.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

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September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

31

Compact Bender

Brains and brawn. The new hilmor Compact Bender is quite the catch. Intelligent design allows for a quick and easy 90-degree bend in any environment. Now, you no longer need big pipes to bend them.

ONE-HANDED OPERATION Spring-loaded ratcheting lever allows for onehanded bends.

SUPERIOR VERSATILITY Universal crossbar and color-coded mandrels add simplicity.

RUGGED + DURABLE Quick-release button to easily free the tube without damage.

See all the innovations you can put to work at hilmor.com. Š 2013 hilmor, Newell Rubbermaid. All rights reserved.

■ Refrigeration Setting up the control correctly is critical for safe, reliable and efficient operation.

CONTROLLING P R E S S UR E A look at the critical controls in a refrigeration system

By Greg Scrivener If you had to pick the most important type of control in a refrigeration system it would have to be the pressure control. Pressure controls can act as safeties or as operating controls and they are used for numerous different types of operations. They are also misunderstood and set up incorrectly a lot. Over the next couple of issues we are going to focus on the plain and simple low and high-pressure controls that are used on almost every single commercial refrigeration system installed today.

I am not really going to distinguish between the newer electronic controls and the standard electromechanical ones; the newer electronic pressure controls have more features and options and seem more accurate at tighter differentials, but ultimately they serve the exact same purpose. The article today will focus on high-pressure safety controls, but before we tackle that we’ll go through a quick refresher on terminology. You may have learnt something different, but for these articles the terminology convention is as follows:

Different pressure controls There are two main types of pressure controls we use frequently in refrigeration, excluding the differential based oil failure pressure controls: open-on-rise (close on fall) and open-on-fall (close-on-rise).

The open-on-fall is a typical low-pressure control and the open-onrise pressure control is a typical high-pressure control, most commonly

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used as a high-pressure safety.

The descriptors ‘open’ and ‘closed’ describe the action of the electrical switch that the pressure controls actuate. For example, the electrical contacts of a typical low-pressure control open (stop the flow of electricity) on a fall in pressure.

Each pressure control must also have a differential setting. This setting is the difference between when the control opens and when it closes again. Some controls have an adjustable differential and some are fixed. The nuance in the terminology between open-on-rise and close-on-fall is usually determined by which side of the set-point the differential is on. For example, a typical low-pressure control (openon-fall) would have the differential above the control set-point and an alternative low-pressure control (close-on-rise) would have the differential below the control set-point.

So to set a close-on-rise pressure control to cut out at 30 psig with a differential of eight psi, you would have to have the set-point set to 38 psig and the differential to eight psi. For low-pressure controls, both types are common and in use throughout the industry today.

High pressure High-pressure safety controls are typically open-on-rise controls that must shut down the compressor if the discharge pressure reaches the set-point. The controls then enable the compressor, once the pressure has fallen by the amount of the differential set-point on the control, to restart. High-pressure controls often have fairly large fixed differentials to protect short cycling the compressor.

The other main option available on high-pressure controls is a

Please see ‘Settings’ on page 35

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

33

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■ Refrigeration

Settings often misunderstood Continued from page 33 manual reset. Manual reset means that a button must be physically pushed to reset the control. As far as equipment protection is concerned, these are the best type of highpressure safety controls to use because actual human interaction with the system is required for the system to restart, which theoretically gives a technician an opportunity to determine if there is a problem.

Manual reset pressure controls are absolutely essential on water-cooled equipment because when the water is shut off the condenser has no way to dissipate heat and the compressor can cycle on the high-pressure safety very quickly, which results in overheating of the compressor windings and starting components.

If I had my way, most high-pressure safeties on air-cooled equipment would be manual reset as well because they trip most often due to extremely hot ambient temperatures or plugged condensers. Both of these conditions are bad for the longevity of the equipment and should be addressed. Unfortunately, unless the equipment owner explicitly requests manual reset controls, most air-cooled equipment uses automatic controls.

Keeping the system safe The truth of the matter is that the main purpose of a high-pressure safety isn’t actually equipment protection; they exist for safety purposes, mainly to prevent the pressures in the system from becoming high enough to rupture or unseat the relief valves. This leads into one of the most misunderstood components of high-pressure safeties: the proper setting.

There is no minimum setting for high-pressure safeties. The recommended procedure would be to make the setting as low as possible while avoiding nuisance trips.

There is a maximum allowed setting and some significant code requirements.

In Canada we use the CSA B52 standard to determine the maximum allowable setting. The requirement for pressurelimiting devices, which is what the B52 calls The truth of high pressure safeties, is found in Section the matter is that the 7.2 of the code. Without going through all of the detail, the code requires that all main purpose of a systems except factory sealed and listed (i.e.

UL) equipment containing less than 22 lbs. high-pressure safety of refrigerant must have a high-pressure isn’t actually equipsafety control. The proper setting on the safety control is then determined by the ment protection… refrigerant and whether or not the system has a pressure relief valve.

Some systems with a very small receiver (less than six inches in diameter and an internal volume of less than three cubic feet) or no receiver at all are not required to have a fusible plug or pressure relief valve. In these cases, the code reads “the maximum setting of an adjustable pressure-limiting device shall not exceed the system high-side design pressure.”

This requirement can be confusing at first glance; it means that on these types of systems it is a violation of the B52 code to install a high pressure safety on which it is possible to have a setting higher than the design pressure of the system. The design pressure of a system is not a fixed value and is supposed to be determined during the design of the system based on actual operating conditions and parameters.

The more common situation in refrigeration systems is when the receivers and other pressure vessels have either fusible plugs or pressure relief devices. In this situation there is no limit to the range of the pressure control, but the actual setting cannot be higher than 90 percent of the system’s design pressure unless you are using a non-positive displacement compressor.

Using the R404a example from above, this would mean that the pressure control could not be set higher than 300 psig. Since 300 psig equates to about 117°F condensing it is easy to see that in certain climates, even with clean condensers, nuisance trips are possible on really hot days. In these cases you would have to choose a design pressure higher than the minimum outlined in the B52 code and make sure that all the components of you system meet the higher design pressure. I couldn’t even begin to count the number of times this code requirement is not met.

The bottom line, though, is that these requirements exist to prevent pressure related accidents and are adopted solely for the safety of the public. Even though I know that code officials almost never focus on high pressure control settings, I think that our industry should do the best we can to follow the safety rules that have been adopted and we even get the bonus of helping owners take better care of their equipment. ✚ Greg Scrivener is a Saskatchewan-based refrigeration consultant specializing in education and energy analysis.

He is a journeyman refrigeration mechanic, holds RSES CMS designation in commercial refrigeration and is a mechanical engineer in training. He can be reached at greg.scrivener@colddynamics.com

Setting the control In practice, a lot of manufacturers of small and medium refrigeration equipment only test their equipment to the minimum design pressure requirements given in the B52 code or something very close to it. If the design pressure is unknown, it is best to use these values to set the pressure control.

For R404a the minimum high side design pressure is 333 psig for an air-cooled condenser. On a field piped R404a refrigeration system that has a small enough receiver and no pressure relief valve it is not legal to put on a pressure control with a possible high pressure safety setting of higher than 333 psig. In case anyone is wondering, 333 psig is equivalent to 125°F condensing.

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September – Plumbing & HVAC

35

Transforming the workplace through innovation and design.

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■ Refrigeration Compact scroll compressor

Better sealing rings Sealing refrigerants and other low viscosity liquids has been a difficult problem for seal manufactures for many years, but low viscosity liquids such as Freon refrigerants, liquid oxygen, liquid carbon dioxide, propane, ethylene, and acetone are now being successfully sealed using mechanical seals with Metcar Grade M-444, antimony impregnated, carbon-graphite primary seal rings. Information on the Metallized Carbon Corp. website makes for interesting reading.

Metcar u www.metcar.com

The new Danfoss LLZ scroll compressors are designed to provide enhanced efficiency in a compact size. The range provides a cooling capacity from 13k – 24k Btu/h (4 – 7.5 HP) as standard and from 19k – 34k Btu/h with the economizer kit – vapor injection with R404A refrigerant. LLZ compressors are an excellent option for refrigeration applications in low temperatures for cold rooms, ice makers and cold storage spaces in mini-markets/supermarkets, restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations.

Danfoss u www.danfoss.com

Enhanced air conditioner The new Armstrong Air 4SCU13LB air conditioner and 4SHP13LB heat pump offer enhanced features including horizontal louvers for better coil protection, easier to remove panels for faster service and maintenance and a filter drier that ships loose for easy installation. They offer a 13 SEER efficiency rating; the heat pump also offers an HSPF rating of 7.7.

Both units use Armstrong’s MHT heat transfer system.

Allied Air Enterprises u www.alliedair.com

Precise Control Victaulic provides a complete line of balancing products that accurately control building temperature while optimizing energy efficiency.

CO2 secondary coolant valves The new XSP Series CO2 secondary coolant solenoid valves from the Sporlan division of Parker Hannifin are hermetic, direct acting valves with no gaskets, which eliminates a potential source of external leaks. Advantages include tighter seating at lower pressure differentials, and extended copper connections for easier installation.

Parker/Sporlan u www.sporlanonline.com

X

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Secure refrigerant caps Novent locking caps from RectorSeal are designed to prevent the tampering or the theft of refrigerant from air conditioning and refrigeration systems. They can be unlocked only with a unique key available to licensed air-conditioning and refrigeration contractors through HVAC/R wholesalers. RectorSeal also offers its keyless GasGuard, which can be removed only with a proprietary socket tool.

RectorSeal u www.rectorseal.com

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Balancing Valves*

Differential Pressure Controllers*

Koil-Kit™ Coil Packs

Victaulic is the exclusive North American representative for Tour and Andersson products. To learn more about the product line, visit:

www.victaulic.com/balancing

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

37

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

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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

■ Drain Tech

rooting

EFFECTIVE On fine “spiderweb” roots, a blade type cutter can be effective.

Choosing the right cutting head gets the job done quicker

By Simon Blake

If there’s one area that few drain cleaning contractors will agree on, it’s the best cutting head to use with a cable type drain cleaning machine. New machines typically come with a kit of basic cutters. From there, if the contractor runs into difficulty, there are hundreds of cutters available, some very specialized for particular applications.

“Each contractor you talk to has a different idea of what they want to use. Like fishing lures, everyone has their favorite,” says Marty Silverman, marketing manager for General Pipe Cleaners, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.

Nevertheless, manufacturers are always working on new designs or refining their existing cutters. And as cutting heads evolve, the technology is getting closer to developing the single universal cutting head that will do everything well.

Root cutting Clearing a clogged drain is just like drilling a hole in a board. The technician typically starts with a small cutters and works up to a larger one so that the cutter doesn’t get hung up. Cutting through roots that invade drain lines is one of the most common applications and it’s one where cable machines excel.

Most root cutting heads involve some form of spinning “sawtooth” blade, which, as the name suggests, saw Sawtooth through the obstruction. When the cutters are effective on blade hits the obstruction it will get caught momentarily, allowing the roots.

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machine to build up torque in the cable and spin the cutter at high speed when it lets go. Some sawtooth cutters have teeth on both sides of the blade so that they saw and scour their way in and out of the drain. The main downside to sawtooth blades is that they can get hung up on obstructions.

The “old school” approach When cable machines were the only machines available, contractors found ways to clear things like fine roots, sand and grease. Today, jetters do those sorts of things much better. But if the technician arrives at the job site and all he has on the truck is a cable machine, a little “old school” ingenuity can get the water flowing.

One of the biggest challenges is “spiderweb” roots.

“Those can be very, very difficult,” remarked Joe Schaeper, global marketing manager for the Ridge Tool Co. in Elyria, Ohio.

However, a cable machine with knife blade or U-type cutter can work.

“Two-inch U-cutters are popular. “It can punch a A claw-type auger is hole in a stoppage and it’s a also effective on roots, good finishing tool too,” remarked Silverman. grabbing them and A claw-type cutter, like ripping them out.

Please see ‘Hammering’ on page 41

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

39

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■ Drain Tech

Hammering through tough blockages Continued from page 39 General’s Root Ripper, can also be used. It, as its name suggests, grabs the roots and rips them out.

Grease and sand are better cleared with a water jetter. But, again, if the only available machine is a cable machine, it can work. “Grease is really difficult because you can put the cable through it and then as soon as you pull the cable out it will close up again,” said Schaeper.

A spade cutter is usually a good one to start with, he added. It will punch a hole through A spade auger works the blockage and get the well to quickly punch a water running. Ridgid’s four-blade cutter also hole in a blockage to works well on grease. get the water flowing.

“They do work. It’s not going to be real quick. You just have to keep working at it. Once you get the water flowing it really helps get the grease out.”

And sand can be even more difficult. A cable machine can knock a hole through the sand, but there is no easy way to remove it.

General offers a five-blade fan type digger which pulls the sand back towards the machine. It was popular before jetters Fan-type cutters are used to were invented, noted move sand and debris out of Silverman.

Of course, clogs the drain. result from the buildup of many different things. It might have started with roots, but then it got further clogged with toilet paper, baby wipes and all sorts of unmentionables. A bulb or funnel auger works well in those situations, says Schaeper. As the auger digs through, the materials get tangled into the auger, allowing the technician to pull them out.

Difficult jobs Contractors are sometimes called to retrieve rings and other objects from a drain, not to mention broken cables. This is pretty much impossible without a drain camera, but once located a retrieval auger can be used. It is wound in the opposite direction from the rotation of the machine and draws the object into itself. Once the object is captured, the technician stops the cable from

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spinning and pulls the cable very carefully out, hopefully with the object still attached.

One of the most difficult things that contractors run into is concrete. A new floor is being poured and concrete slurry finds it’s way into the drain and solidifies.

Ridgid used to make concrete bits but stopped due to poor sales, reports Schaeper. It’s one of those things that the contractor doesn’t need often, but when it’s needed, it’s really needed.

However, a “chain knocker” can be used to chip away at the concrete. Schaeper recalls one contractor who was asked to open a 10-foot section of drain that had been plugged with concrete. “It took him all day, but he used a chain knocker and he was finally able to get all of it out.”

Manufacturers also offer down heads to get around tight bends. A A down-head adapter number of heads also have springs between the can be used with any head and the connector. cutter to get around Where extreme flexibility tight bends. is needed, flexible leaders that go between the cutting head and the cable are available.

“The thing to remember with a flexible leader is that because it’s so flexible it’s not as durable. It’s not going to handle torque to cut roots, but it will get you through a trap you couldn’t get through before to clear a line,” said Silverman.

There are also adjustable and/or expanding cutters for different pipe sizes. Most cutting heads are interchangeable between drum and sectional machines.

Sometimes an adapter is required.

metal walls of the pipe,” said Silverman. The round shape also makes it easy to get around bends and to retrieve.

And it works well on things like crystalized urine and for scouring the inside of a drain in preparation for lining, something that would usually be done with a water jetter, or cleaning the flashing off the inside of piping in new construction.

However, at the end of the day, while a plumber or maintenance worker who does only occasional drain cleaning might own just a cable machine, if a contractor is serious about adding drain cleaning to his business the basic “kit” for today’s professional includes a cable machine, a water jetter, a drain camera and a locator.

Renting might be a good option in some cases. But the important thing is to show up at the jobsite with the right tools. ✚

Automatic

Pipe Threading Machines Japanese Technology at Work B25 ( ½"-1"-Cap.)

Asada

Automatic Die Head

Asada Threader Features t ½"-2" Ridgid® Style Dies t Light Weight t Automatic Die Head t Built In Reamer t Through Head Oiling t Built in Pipe Cutter t 2 Year Warranty Roll Grooving Attachment

Design evolution As cutting head design evolves, it may reach the point where contractors do not need to carry so many different cutting heads. Bulb-type cutters have become almost a universal cutting head in that they are effective on many things and don’t get caught on obstructions.

General’s “Clog Chopper,” for example, looks like a pumpkin with six blades machined into it. “There’s nothing sticking out that can get caught but it can really General’s bulb-style auger – grind into a stoppage and as it spins it selfthe Clog Chopper – grinds sharpens against the it’s way through blockages.

B50 ( ½"-2"-Cap.)

Internal Nipple Chucks Model B100 (½"- 4" Cap.) Model B80 (½"- 3" Cap.)

Pipe & HVAC Tools Contact us for a wholesaler near you.

Raptor Cutting Tools Inc. 1-877-727-2888 Email: sales@raptorcutting.com Web: www.raptorcutting.com Western Sales:Delaney & Associates Tel: 403-589-6565

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

41

“Thanks. I needed these...”

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■ Faucets & Fixtures

Product Profile

Tailor-made A new concept from Hansgrohe will help designers and plumbers better tailor the bathroom to their customer’s needs.

The company calls its new concept “ComfortZone,” which it defines as “the usable area under the faucet and overall ease of product use in the bath.” Up to five faucet height options are available in each of the new ComfortZone Metris and Focus lines, providing more individual freedom under the faucet.

There is a fit for every sink style, shape and size.

To aid in planning, Hansgrohe has developed proprietary online configurators that allow users to virtually see different faucet/sink pairings at the click of a mouse.

The same concept has been brought into the shower with the company’s Raindance Select Showerpipe with integrated handshower. The ComfortZone Select function allows

The Hansgrohe Metris line offers many options for the customer.

the user to easily switch between three spray modes at the touch of a button.

The Metris faucet line is defined by striking contours and modern design. Conical, tapered, slender bodies, precise edges and soft curves characterize the pieces in the line. The handle’s large surface area allows easy operation.

There are five Metris faucet models in various configurations and baseplates are offered for retrofits. All offer a low-flow rate of 1.5 GPM. The complete line includes bidet faucets, 3 and 4hole Roman tub sets and matching trims for the shower. It is available in chrome and brushed nickel.

Hansgrohe is a division of Masco Canada.

Hansgrohe u www.hansgrohe.ca

Easy installation

Electronic retrofit

Moen’s new Duralock quick-connect system is designed to assure quick, secure and hassle-free installation for Moen kitchen and bath faucets. It uses a one-step, quick push-connect that gives an audible “click” when the connection is made. It can only be installed one way and can be disconnected if necessary.

Moen Canada u www.moen.ca

The new Dual-Flush Side Mount from Sloan is a battery-powered retrofit flushometer product that allows commercial facilities to quickly and easily upgrade to water-efficient, dual-flush operation. An infrared sensor automatically initiates a reduced, 1.1 gpf flush when the restroom user is in range for less than 60 seconds.

A companion Single-Flush Side Mount retrofit product is also available. Suitable for both water closets and urinals, they install in minutes onto existing manual flush valves.

Dobbin Sales Ltd. u www.dobbinsales.com

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

Call us at 1-866-594-0767 or look us up at www.aquatech.ws.

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September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

43

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■ Tools & Instruments Digital recording monitor

Pipe freezing kit

The Ridgid SeeSnake CS6 Digital Recording Monitor is the company’s first handheld monitor designed with the durability and recording functionality of a traditional camera mounted monitor. It is designed for fast and efficient field work and equipped with SeeSnake HQ software. It captures still images and video clips and allows users to quickly and easily edit, archive and deliver reports direct to customers through USB thumb drives or via print, DVD and online.

RIDGID u www.ridgid.com

The Cold-Shot pipe freezing kit from General Pipe Cleaners lets plumbers repair an operating water system – without draining the lines. It uses carbon dioxide (CO2) in dip-tube cylinders to freeze liquids in steel, copper, cast iron, aluminum or plastic pipes, 1/8” through 2” in diameter. The plumber simply places the freeze head around the pipe, attaches the hose and opens the CO2 cylinder valve. Liquid CO2 flows into the freeze head, forming an ice pack capable of withstanding 7000 psi.

General Pipe Cleaners u www.drainbrain.com

Inspection camera The Rocam 3 multimedia inspection camera from Rothenberger USA is designed for inspection, locating and documentation of obstructions or damages in pipes ranging from two to 12 inches in diameter. It comes with a removable 10.4inch display unit and control panel with an on-screen distance counter along with 100 feet of cable. The 40 mm (1.6 inch) selfleveling colour camera head has an integrated transmitter for precise locating. All information can be recorded on a flash drive.

Rothenberger USA u www.rothenberger-usa.com

Easy pipe installation The Reed Solutions Kit for plastic pipe contains the tools required to smoothly install joints every time.

The kit includes a Reed Quick Release tubing cutter and two DEB deburr/chamfer tools for plastic pipe. It works for Schedule 40 & 80 PVC, CPVC and PE. The tubing cutter produces a square cut so the pipe bottoms out for maximum strength. Deburr/chamfer tools allow even distribution of glue around the fitting.

Reed Manufacturing u www.reedmfgco.com

Visual infrared thermometer The Fluke VT02 Visual IR Thermometer is a troubleshooting camera with an infrared heat map. It combines the convenience of a single-spot IR thermometer with the visual insight of an infrared camera to optimize HVAC/R systems. The thermal heat map quickly detects the exact location of potential problem areas. It displays and saves images as full visual, infrared, or in blended modes to a micro SD card.

Fluke u www.flukecanada.ca

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September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

45

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■ Plumbing

When their father retired, brothers Steve, left, and Rick decided to bring their three operations together.

Family matters Plumbing business consolidates under new generation

By Simon Blake

I

t’s not easy running a family business. Fathers and siblings often don’t see eye-to-eye. Things get complicated. Just ask Steve and Rick Harris.

Both started their plumbing careers in their father’s business. Both eventually left and started their own companies. But now father Ray has retired and the brothers have merged their companies along with their father’s in a new 3,000 sq. ft. location in Barrie, Ont., about an hour north of Toronto.

The two brothers have very different personalities and different interests. But along the way they have learned to make it work. “We’ve just about figured out what Steve can do that I can’t,” says Rick.

Learning to work together, collaborate and communicate on the day-to-day operations has been a key challenge. “You’ve got to keep the ego out of it,” says Steve. “You’re working towards the common goal of having a profit at the end of the year,” adds Rick.

Getting started Ray Harris started Harris Plumbing in 1974 in Richmond Hill, Ont. and moved the business up the road to Aurora, Ont., in 1980. Steve, now 53 and Rick, 50, both joined the company about that time. At one time the company had as many as ten plumbers serving Toronto and York

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Region, including a third brother, Greg.

Thirteen years ago Steve opened his own plumbing contracting business – Harris Plumbing North – in Barrie, eventually expanding to run five plumbing service trucks. Six years ago Rick also decided to go it alone with Harris Bath and Kitchen Renovations.

Home renovation The original company built its reputation on being a plumbing company that does much more. The company started offering complete bathroom design, construction and renovation services because their customers were asking for it. But they had difficulty with unreliable sub-contractors, so they started doing the work themselves. Those early renovations “weren’t that good,” admits Steve.

However, they quickly improved to the point that bathroom renovation and new construction was a major part of the business. Steve always preferred the plumbing and service side and was happy to leave working with designers on finished bathrooms to brother Rick, who excelled at renovation and continues to operate that part of the business from the company’s “south” shop in Aurora, Ont. Six years ago Steve’s plumbing business faced a crisis when the Yellow Pages inadvertently failed to include its listing. But that turned into a silver lining when Harris took on a Drain Rescue franchise. That company had a marketing program that was drawing customers in the

Please see ‘Careful’ on page 48

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

47

■ Plumbing

truck. “We’re looking to get to the point where we can manage the numbers on a call-by-call basis,” said Rick.

Today, all of the company’s technicians carry smart phones and one “guinea pig” carries a tablet computer. Point-of-sale machines process credit card payments.

This requires a great deal of training, not to mention monthly fees for these services.

The right people

From left, Thomas Pearson, Adam Zantingh, Chris Cook, Steve Harris, Ryan Martin, Scott Martin, Stephen Corkill, Jef Walton, Andrew Henderson, Mike Parker, Matt Stickwood, Jamie Zweep and Rick Harris are the frontline staff. Those with green shirts work for Harris Plumbing North, while the blue shirts represent Harris Plumbing South.

Careful hiring critical Continued from page 47 region but no one to do the work.

“It saved us that year,” he remembers. It also brought in a new customer base.

Changing landscape Today’s industry is very different from the way it was in 1974. There were no big box stores.

Manufacturers marketed their product through the contractors. And there was no internet. Today’s customers use Google to find a contractor and expect them to be there immediately. “People don’t wait. It’s a foot race,” says Steve.

Technology has changed dramatically as well with things like drain cameras, PEX piping, reciprocating saws and computers. There’s new communication technology to supervise workers. And on it goes.

Like many contractors, the Harris brothers found that getting off the tools and focusing on the business was a critical step. Steve made the transition about four years ago; for Rick it has only been six months.

“You have to rely on the guys that work for you and focus on becoming more of a business person,” says Rick. “That’s been really difficult. Before, I didn’t understand the difference between working and managing.”

About the same time he put the tools down, Steve joined an industry mentoring group, which helped considerably. In recent years the brothers have brought in outside help to work with them on putting systems in place. Probably the biggest change was to abandon time and materials billing and go to flat rate on the service side.

Recent major steps include the consolidation of

48

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2013

all office and dispatch functions into the larger Barrie office. The importance of marketing, advertising and business development has grown exponentially over the years as computer-based things like search engine optimization (SEO) and social marketing has changed the face of companies to their potential customers. Paddy Wright, who was hired as the only dispatcher in Barrie four years ago, is now, with the hiring of three new dispatchers into the call center, responsible a common brand for all three companies.

Bringing in Alex Cefis as controller was another major step. The company developed systems for tracking revenue from each employee and each

Careful hiring is critical for any company that deals with the public. “One bad employee can destroy the whole company,” Rick notes. In some cases Harris Plumbing has gone outside the industry to find people that are open to new ideas and systems. “We try to hire good people first. We can train them in plumbing,” says Steve. In fact two of their plumbers have degrees in information technology (IT). The shop has a dedicated training room and employees typically do two hours of training per week.

“My goal is to get this company running like a machine,” says Rick. Part of that is being open with employees. Six years ago, in his own company, Steve threw the balance sheet on the table. When employees understand the financials they have a vested interest in making the business work, he says.

In fact they take it to the point where they believe each employee should know how to run the business.

A key part of that is to train them how to calculate margins so that they have the confidence to offer the customer a price on the spot – a price that is profitable for Harris Plumbing. “We are not doing any work that we don’t make money on,” says Steve.

They work hard to make Harris Plumbing a good place to work. “People quit on a boss. They won’t quit on a friend,” noted Rick. It can be difficult for a small company to provide benefits, but it’s something that they’ve worked at. A matching dollars pension plan means that an employee who starts at age 20 can retire a millionaire, through a matching contribution of $20 per paycheck. A performance bonus also helps motivate employees.

“You want it to work out for these guys,” says Rick.

Setting goals

The office staff at Harris Plumbing work behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly. In front, from left, are Ashley Hurst and Paddy Wright. Behind are Leanda Ianniello, Tasha Lucas and Alex Cefis.

Right now the company has 12 technicians and 10 trucks on the plumbing side along with three employees plus sub-contractors on the renovation side. Their busy service area extends south almost to Toronto and north into cottage country.

The Harris brothers are still working through the merger of the three companies. The biggest goal is to be profitable and the mission is to provide excellent customer service and develop life-time relationships.

Today, Rick and Steve feel they have the right processes and people in place to achieve this in the newly amalgamated Harris Plumbing. ✚

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■ People & Places

Wholesaler veterans launch new venture The two plumbing executives that launched Noble and built in into a national brand before selling it to Rona in 1997 have now started a new wholesale business in the greater Toronto area.

Michael Storfer and Brahm Swirsky announced the creation of NEXT Supply in July. Focused on plumbing and hydronic heating, the new company plans to establish a series of ‘local warehouses’ across the GTA, each with a full complement of inventory and strong delivery capabilities. The concept is designed to help contractors overcome the challenges of working in a fast growing and traffic-laden city.

“Brahm and I kept talking about how much the city has changed in the last couple of years and what a challenge it was for contractors. We realized there was a gap in the market and figured we could help – after all this was the business we knew best,” says Storfer.

The company has opened a warehouse to service the downtown core in the docks area at 17 Polson Street. They also have a warehouse in Leaside at 55 Research Road, following the acquisition of hydronic specialist Fulford Supply, and were scheduled to open a 60,000 sq. foot distribution centre in Vaughan late July. An Etobicoke location is expected in September, followed by Mississauga,

Brampton, Scarborough and mid-town Toronto over the next nine months. Lines include American Standard, Moen, Delta, Ipex, Watts, Uponor, Rehau and HTP. Lifelong friends Storfer and Swirsky founded Noble Trade (later Noble) in 1997 when they merged their two wholesale companies, Trade Plumbing Supply and Noble Plumbing Supply. They built that into a national wholesaler by focusing on keeping a large inventory and customer service at a time when the trend was towards minimal stock and just-in-time delivery. In 2007 they sold Noble to Rona, although both continued to work in the company.

For more information, visit www.nextsupply.ca.

Wolseley, TOTO announce partnership On Sept. 9 Wolseley Canada and TOTO U.S.A. announced a partnership that will see the Burlington, Ont. wholesaler carrying the full line of products by the Japanese faucet and fixture giant at its 144 plumbing branches and showrooms across Canada.

The Japanese faucet and fixture giant is headquartered in Kitakyushu, Japan with its North American headquarters in Morrow, Georgia.

Wolseley is the first company to distribute the full TOTO line across the country.

The line includes faucets, accessories, showers, flush valves, lavatories, toilets, baths and urinals.

The two companies have had a relationship in Western Canada for over 10 years. TOTO’s products are an important addition to Wolseley’s national offering, remarked Paul Kennedy, Wolseley Canada vice president, plumbing.

“The expansion of our very successful existing Wolseley/TOTO relationship in

The

People Wolseley Canada, Burlington, Ont. announces the appointment of Akbar Makalai to the role of vice-president, Akbar Plumbing & HVAC/R. Makalai Paul Kennedy, the current VP, Plumbing, will return to the U.S. in November as planned to rejoin Ferguson, Wolseley’s U.S. company.

The Canadian Oil Heat Association (COHA) has appointed Michelle Romanuk to the position of association administrator.

Watts Water Technologies, North Andover, Massachusetts, has appointed Suellen TorreSuellen grosa as president, Torregrosa Americas.

In October, Viega LLC, Wichita, Kansas, will welcome vice president of sales Dave Garlow as the Dave new CEO and president.

Dan Schmierer, who has Garlow led the company since its founding in 1999, will retire in December.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

Mike Wilbur

Western Canada provides our customers access to the entire TOTO line nationally through our market-leading network of branches coast-to-coast.”

“The Canadian market has been a high priority for TOTO for several years. Our ability to cover the country, coast-to-coast, with a partner like Wolseley who is highly knowledgeable about the brand and our products is a particularly significant event,” added David Krakoff, president, Americas sales division, TOTO U.S.A. He added that the two companies share core values including “technology and innovation in products that respect the environment while meeting people’s needs for comfort, beauty, performance, and design…”

TOTO products offered by Wolseley can also be seen on Wolseley Express, the company’s e-commerce website, at www.wolseleyexpress.com, as well as in all the company’s showrooms including TAPS, Vague & Vogue and Kitchen & Bath Classics.

KNIPEX Tools LP, Arlington Heights, Illinois, has named Mike Wilbur as sales manager for the western United States and Canada.

INTRODUCING… CANADIAN

MAGAZINE

The

Companies Morden National Sales, Wallaceburg, Ont. has appointed A.M. Agencies, Calgary, to represent its product lines in Southern Alberta.

A supplement of Plumbing & HVAC magazine in cooperation with the Canadian Water Quality Association Endorsed by the Canadian Water Quality Association!

It’s a great opportunity for our members.

It opens up the whole plumbing supply chain which is where our members need to go to grow. It extends the voice of CWQA and gives us the opportunity to educate the whole industry on the importance of water quality.

Kevin Wong, CAE, Executive Director, CWQA

Walter Surface Technologies, Montreal, welcomed over 300 guests to the inauguration of its 92,000 sq. ft. international campus at Pointe-Claire, Que. The $30 million campus encompasses corporate management, research and development, laboratories, product management, test centers, marketing, sales, warehousing, distribution, and after sales service.

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September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

51

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■ Shop Management

The business case for

planned maintenance

By Roy Collver t’s mid-August as I write this and most contractors in the plumbing and HVAC industry will have settled down from the annual gush of air conditioning emergencies. They may now be troubled, trying to figure out how to keep busy until heating emergencies and construction completions hit us in a month or so. It’s time to get busy on that big stack of planned maintenance contracts you’ve been signing up all year. You do have a big stack of planned maintenance (PM) contracts to work through – don’t you?

Building up a large stable of customers on annual contract should be a big priority for every plumbing and HVAC company. For those of you that are in the service and the “service what you sell” business, regular maintenance contracts are a big win-win. And it’s never been easier.

These days, there are many tools on many levels to card or direct deposit, or get them to pay in advance – help you put an excellent program together, really add wow. Just make sure you have enough discipline to keep profit, and help you build your business. One the money where it belongs, in your corporate bank example? Look to those smart thermostats that remind account (suppress the urge to buy that new boat you so your customer (and you) when richly deserve). it is time to get service done.

You enhance customer relaOn page 41 of our July/August tions. Customers should identify issue you can see some of the Wiwith you as “their” heating comIt may seem a Fi devices now available to help pany. You gain customer loyalty, manage your customer base, and stronger communication, cusbit like gambling, but more are on the way. You must tomer referrals, and future rewith these programs you check this technology out. Look placement business – all good. with particular interest at the You have happier service techs. are now an insurContractor Portal at They have steadier work, get to www.ecobee.com/contractors to know the customers better, and ance company and see some of the potential. have a chance to earn some commission for every contract when you get it right the Improved workflow they sign up. They gain confidence benefits are many.

For residential and light dealing with repeat customers who commercial contractors, PM trust them, and thus can more activities can be slotted in during easily sell “new and improved” the slower times of the year, giving you benefit number equipment and system enhancements. The increased one – improved workflow when the phones are quiet. billable hours with less night calls doesn’t hurt either.

Other benefits?

You create a more valuable business when it comes Your cash flow improves. This is a biggie. If you can time to sell it. A well organized stack of service have your customers make monthly payments via credit agreements with a solid customer-base can add a lot of

I

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value to your company. It is a tangible asset just as important as bricks and mortar.

Getting started How to get started? A computer and a simple database to help keep track of your customers is a good first step.

Then add a scheduling program, appointment program, billing program and a time management program – see where I’m going with this? This is not expensive stuff to put together in this day and age, but you do need someone in your company to organize it and run it as a system, or get some expert help from someone who has already put together a system.

In starting to research this topic, I called Marty Bruin, general manager at Bruin’s Plumbing & Heating in Red Deer, Alberta. I knew they had a successful program in place and wanted help to fill in some details.

The Bruin family has been in business for over 50 years, but when it came to making their existing scheduled maintenance program even better, they looked to an expert.

Marty explained how their program worked and what they did to promote it, and suggested I call a fellow in Ontario, which is how I connected with Darrel

Please see ‘Establishing’ on page 54

September 2013 – Plumbing & HVAC

53

■ Shop Management

Establishing a PM program Continued from page 53 Yashinsky, one of the most enthusiastic boosters for HVAC Protection Plans I have ever talked to. He is a business coach for the HVAC industry and an HVAC contractor himself. I don’t know where he finds the time to sleep! He can be reached at – dyashin@yoursgi.ca.

There are other experts out there, and you should shop around as there may be someone right next door.

However I was impressed with Yashinsky’s laser-sharp focus on PM programs – he is passionate about them.

His most valuable axiom is: “The owner and service techs all have to believe in the program.”

This is huge for a number of reasons.

Most importantly, the technicians are your number one resource for promoting and signing up customers for PM programs.

Selling opportunities Many homeowners think about their boiler, furnace or air conditioner only when something goes wrong. The first personal contact they will likely have with your firm is when your technician knocks on their door in response to a trouble call.

Enter the perfect opportunity to sell a PM contract. The customer has been sweltering, or freezing, or not able to have a shower. They are anxious and

worried, and there you are to save the day. Your techs must be professional, well trained, clean and neat in appearance, honest, and civil.

Step one – they locate the problem and get it fixed. Nothing gives a customer more relief than hearing their furnace or boiler kick back in after being off for many hours. Step two – they explain to the customer what was wrong, what still has to be done, pointing out other obvious deficiencies (dirty filter, plugged fan, overflowing condensate trap, etc.)

Step three – they tell them how much the service call and parts will cost, and estimate how much it will cost to finish bringing everything up to good condition. Step four – they tell them they could likely have avoided today’s service call if they had gotten the equipment checked over before the heating season.

Be honest though. If the problem was something that would not have been picked up on a PM check, be up front about it. Explain however, that they would have gotten a discount for the parts and labour on the PM check and a higher priority for today’s service call. Since all of the other cleaning work would have been done during the PM, today’s call would be a much less costly surprise.

Training the staff It is important to work with your technicians and your front-line phone answering staff to teach them how to sell

INDEX to

ADVERTISERS Aqua-Tech....................................43 Bosch Thermotechnolgoy .............12 Bradford White Canada..........28, 29 Brant Radiant ...............................25 Cash Acme...................................13 CIPH Road Show ..........................52 CMPX Show.................................50 Cash Acme...................................45 Duravent ......................................21 Eco King.......................................11 Fantech ........................................27 Fujitsu ..........................................55 General Pipe Cleaners ....................8 Harsco Industrial...........................20 Hilmor .........................................32 Honeywell/Genetron Div. .............34 IBC Boilers......................................7 ICP/Keeprite Div............................15 Imagewear ...................................36 Ingersoll Rand ................................5

Insulation Solutions ......................35 IPEX .................................10, 30, 42 Mitsubishi Electric.........................26 Mobilio ..........................................4 Napoleon .....................................22 Noble ...........................................46 NTI ...............................................24 *Ontario Power Generation..........49 Plumbing & HVAC Magazine ........49 RaptorCutting Tools......................41 *Redmond Williams .....................52 RIDGID .........................................56 Rinnai...........................................40 Saniflo..........................................44 Taco Canada ..................................2 Testo Inc.......................................31 Uponor ........................................14 Victaulic .......................................37 WatcoMfg......................................9 Woodford Mfg. ............................38

Events

PM contracts (features/benefits, real-life stories, etc.). This is one area where a good business coach can be invaluable, helping to teach salesmanship and getting everyone to believe in the program.

PM programs come in many flavours, from comprehensive to simple discounted maintenance. If we look at the simplest form, you can offer an annual check for a discount as mentioned above. It gets a bit more complicated when you start to offer things like extended warranties, and free parts and labour – so be careful and work with an expert on this.

These can be very valuable programs to your company, but how much you charge, and what to you offer to do for the fee is strictly based on actuarial analysis – a fancy term for figuring out what might go wrong in a given year with a given number of heating systems, and how much it will cost you to fix them.

It may seem a bit like gambling, but with these programs you are now an insurance company and when you get it right the benefits are many. A larger customer base and better analysis can net you some big profits.

Jim Snair, sales and installation manager at Wilsons in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, told me that among other programs, they offer an all-inclusive “Total Protection Plan” to their oil and propane customers. This program includes annual cleaning and tune-up, 24-7 emergency service, total parts replacement and labour – the whole deal. This company has a large customer-base, but you smaller contractors can still get into programs like this without risk by working with appliance manufacturers who can sell you extended warranties and insurance programs, especially on newer equipment.

In the next issue we will cover the nuts and bolts of what you should be doing for a PM check on hydronic heating systems of different types (I’ll leave the air and plumbing to experts in those fields). If you do this right, you can offer real value to your customers and gain valuable references from them to further help build your business. ✚ Roy Collver is an author and consultant on hydronic heating based in Peachland, B.C. He can be reached at hoth2o@shaw.ca

Calendar SEPT. 25-28: MCAC Annual Conference, Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel, Winnipeg.

Call (613) 232-0492 or visit www.mcac.ca for more information.

OCT. 1: CIPHEX Road Show, Cunard Centre, Halifax.

Call 1-888-275-2474 or visit www.ciphexroadshow.ca for more information.

OCT. 3: CIPHEX Road Show, Expocité, Quebec City.

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OCT. 8: CIPHEX Road Show, Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg.

Call 1-888-275-2474 or visit www.ciphexroadshow.ca for more information.

OCT. 10: CIPHEX Road Show, Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre, Edmonton.

Call 1-888-275-2474 or visit www.ciphexroadshow.ca for more information.

OCT. 16-18: Canadian Energy and Water Efficiency Conference, The Westin Hotel, Calgary. Call (613) 7470524 or visit www.cwwa.ca.

DEC. 4-6: Construct Canada, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building, Toronto. Visit www.constructcanada.com for more information.

*Ontario only

54

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2013

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