March 2014

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Care mechanical design on Careful the environmental e frontiers

SHOW ISSUE

INSIDE AH Expo sets record despite extreme weather Î AHR Ba continues against counterfeit refrigerants Î Battle Pil project aims to help harmonize standards Î Pilot De the right size for your business Î Determining

MARCH 2014

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

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Q Contents

Engineered Systems Issue

Departments Hot Seat .........................................5 Industry News ..............................7 AHR Expo biggest ever

Letters ..........................................11 Fireplaces offer extreme weather solution

People & Places ...........................65 Master Group acquires Eastern Refrigeration

Coming Events ............................67 Moncton gears up for MEET Show

Shop Management .....................69 Right-sizing your business

Products & Technologies Heating ........................................23

Wastewater heat recovery B.C. projects on the leading edge

Hot Water Heating......................28 Tools & Instruments ....................43 Refrigeration ...............................45

Features

Faucets & Fixtures .......................48 Plumbing......................................51 Trucks for the Trade....................62

Success by design

28

Doing the groundwork ensures successful installation

Cover: Over 16 kilometres of PEX ensured that students at Winkler, Manitoba’s new high school were comfortable. Please see our article on page 54. www.plumbingandhvac.ca

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Faulty condo towers Mechanical system failures drawing unwelcome attention

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Environmental nightmare provides solution

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Innovative heating system burns cheese plant’s own biogas March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-04 3:01 PM

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Q Hot Seat

March 2014 Volume 24, Number 2 ISSN 1919-0395

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

The importance of shows We are in what many in the industry call a “show year” for the mechanical contracting industry. In English Canada, three major shows that occur only once every two years will take place this year. Later this month, the Canadian Mechanicals and Plumbing Exposition (CMPX) takes place in Toronto. In early May, the industry travels to Moncton, N.B. for the Mechanical Electrical Electronic Technology Show (MEET). And in November, CIPHEX West, the major Western show, will take place in Calgary.

A few years ago there was a question around trade shows that I seem to be hearing less these days: In this age of the Internet and instant access to product information, photos, how-to videos, etc., are trade shows still relevant?

Attendance figures from recent shows provide an answer and it’s not what many people expected.

As the Internet has become more important in our day-to-day lives during the past 15 years or so, mechanical industry trade shows have enjoyed a steady increase in attendance too. The recent AHR Expo – North America’s largest HVAC/R exhibition – enjoyed record numbers despite a snowstorm on the first day and extremely cold weather when it occurred in New York City in January.

So why are trade shows not fading away as many predicted? There are a number of reasons, not least of which is the ability to use the Internet to get information about the show out to people. Show organizers have become much more savvy in using multiple medias to promote their events.

But that’s not the big reason. The most important factor is simply the nature of the mechanical industry itself. This

is an industry in which people design, build and repair plumbing and HVAC/R systems with their hands.

As a result, the ability to attend a show and pick up, probe and examine products along with the opportunity to speak directly to the manufacturer cannot be matched by any “virtual” experience. The Internet is useful for getting information quickly, but it seldom provides answers for tough questions. In fact, sometimes it’s difficult to find answers to simple questions, particularly for a technician in a bind at the jobsite.

Add to that educational seminars, manufacturer hosted social events and the opportunity to get together with other contractors and industry personnel – shows have a lot going for them.

One thing that we have been urging over the years is that contractors give their technicians an opportunity to attend. It’s not easy to take a tech off the job, but they will pick up ideas and information at the show that will help them do their jobs better.

If you live in the rural areas, bring the family and make a holiday of it – they will appreciate the opportunity to visit the big city.

So mark you calendars with these upcoming trade shows. It will be beneficial – you can’t help but pick up at least a few ideas that will boost your business.

And do drop by the Plumbing & HVAC booth and say hello!

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.

NEWCOM Business Media Inc. 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 5C4 Tel: (416) 614-2200 • Fax (416) 614-8861

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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. Copyright 2014. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

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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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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Industry News

Common Canadian/U.S. standards pilot project underway

E

fforts are continuing to develop harmonized Canadian and U.S. plumbing and HVAC/R product standards. The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) recently announced the selection of the balloon-type ball backwater valve as the product for a pilot project. These valves are used in drainage pipes where reversal of flow causes the valve to close off and prevent sewage from causing flood damage.

One of two pilot projects launched in July, the focus is on new or emerging product areas where neither standards nor regulations currently exist.

A selection panel of Canadian and U.S. industry representatives, including members of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH), evaluated project submissions and determined that a standard for these valves would benefit the greatest number of Canadian and American users.

“We have consulted with industry and our allied associations on both sides of the border and the consensus is that the balloon-type ball backwater valve pilot project will help industry in both countries to avoid inefficiencies and to contain potential development costs. Our ultimate goal is to improve speed towards harmonization, especially in new technology areas, with the end result being one standard, one mark, one test accepted in both Canada

and the U.S.A.,” said Ralph Suppa, president and general manager of CIPH. The SCC will solicit proposals from accredited standards development organizations to do the pilot project. When completed, the standard will be

submitted for approval to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and SCC. SCC is a Canadian Crown corporation and a division of Industry Canada. For more information, visit www.scc.ca.

Illegal refrigerants not as advertised A recent case involving illegal refrigerants in the Philippines illustrates the danger of buying refrigerants from questionable sources.

When 511 cylinders of counterfeit DuPont Suva R-134a were seized and tested, the contents of the cylinders proved to be more than 90 percent R-12.

Local police and U.S. Homeland Security officials raided the warehouse of T.A. Fresco after DuPont made an undercover purchase. Incorrect spellings and markings on the cylinders had drawn attention.

T.A. Fresco, in a settlement, took out a full-page ad in a Philippines newspaper to apologize, paid an undisclosed amount of cash and revealed its source – a company in China.

Counterfeit refrigerants continue to be a problem worldwide. Asked how common the problem is in Canada, DuPont’s Janet Smith noted that it is difficult

to get an exact figure because, obviously, there is no accurate way of recording illegal refrigerants often, but not always, sold through illegal channels.

However, DuPont recently surveyed its distributors around the world to get their views. The consensus in Canada was that less than 10 percent of refrigerants sold in this country are counterfeit. “Of course, even one experience with a counterfeit refrigerant has potential to create safety and financial risk,” said Smith.

Flammable hydrocarbon “do-it-yourself” air conditioner repair refrigerant kits sold through big box stores continue to be a problem in Canada, however.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) has had some success in its battle to have these removed from store shelves recently, particularly in Ontario, by soliciting help from fire marshals.

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Industry News

In Brief Slow start to year January sales by industry wholesalers were down in January compared to a year ago, according to wholesale figures released by the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH). Total product sales were down 2.3 percent or $9.1 million compared to the same month in 2013.

The unusual colder and snowy weather across the country most likely had an influence on sales, reported CIPH. And while the figures were down compared to 2013, they were actually up compared to 2011 and 2012. Of course, given the cold winter, perhaps it’s not surprising that HVAC sales were up two percent while hydronic heating was up 6.2 percent. All regions were down except for the Atlantic provinces, which enjoyed a slight increase.

Generic name for ECM motors

Visitors from Columbia watch a demonstration of large diameter pipe couplings at the Victaulic display.

AHR Expo breaks records Severe weather fails to slow stream of visitors A snowstorm that crippled New York City with 25 centimeters of snow on the first day of the AHR Expo failed to prevent the show from setting new records over its three-day run.

Held at the Javits Convention Center Jan. 21-23, this year’s event drew over 61,000 attendees (43,000 visitors and 18,000 exhibitor personnel) from 50 states and 130 countries to view the latest in HVAC/R technology from 1,900 exhibiting companies.

These figure are the highest ever for the show.

“We were obviously very concerned when the weather forecast predicted there would be a snow storm on opening day and arctic cold the last two days of the show,” remarked Clay Stevens, president of the International Exposition Company, which produces and manages the AHR Expo. “We were encouraged when we saw thousands of people pouring into the show as if the weather wasn’t even a factor.

“I’m sure we would have blown away the alltime attendance record even more if the weather hadn’t been so severe,” he added. The snow and cold did have a severe effect on the evening events hosted by manufacturers, some of which were poorly attended.

The 2014 event also broke the Northeast U.S. record for exhibit space reserved at 385,000 square feet. That total exceeded the old record by nearly six percent.

In the Innovation Awards, Emerson Climate Technologies won both the Cooling category and the 2014 AHR Expo Product of the Year its Next Generation Copeland Scroll variable speed compressor line, which can achieve cooling levels of 25+ SEER and heating efficiencies up to 13HSPF. The Product of the Year winner is selected from among the 10 Innovation Award winners in various categories. A complete listing along with many

I’m sure we would have blown away the all-time attendance record even more if the weather hadn’t been so severe,

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

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The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has amended the new 2012 Building Code, removing the term “equipped with an electronically commutated motor” and substituting “equipped with a brushless direct current motor” as a more generic description.

These high efficiency furnace motors will be mandatory for new construction after January 1, 2015. They include both the constant torque multi-speed motor (commonly known as ECM X13) and the variable torque type motors. More information is available at www.ontario.ca/ buildingcode.

Millwright review underway The Ontario College of Trades has launched a classification review to determine whether the construction millwright trade should be classified as a compulsory trade or remain voluntary. All skilled tradespeople and interested stakeholders are invited to submit a written submission, for or against, to the independent Review Panel.

The panel will consider things like how the reclassification will affect health and safety, the economic impact, classification of similar trades in other jurisdictions, supply and demand of journeymen in that trade, etc. The deadline for submissions is April 14 at 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.collegeoftrades.ca.

other products that were displayed can be found at www.ahrexpo.com.

The 2014 AHR Expo was co-sponsored by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the AirConditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). The Heating, Refrigeration and AirConditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) is an honorary sponsor.

The next AHR Expo will take place Jan. 26-28, 2015 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-05 12:02 PM

Q Letters

Fireplaces offer emergency backup heat Dear Editor: I read your recent editorial in the January/February issue of Plumbing & HVAC (‘Freezing in the dark’) and wanted to point out that anyone living in parts of Canada and the Northern United States where ice storms are a possibility need to have a backup heating system to protect both their homes and families in the event of such a catastrophe.

One of the simplest and certainly most attractive ways of providing a reliable solution would be the addition of a gas or wood-burning fireplace.

I, like you, remember the devastating effect the ice storm that struck Eastern Ontario and Quebec in January of 1998 had on many individuals. People were scrambling to get generators and I recall a huge demand on wood burning stoves and inserts as well as gas fireplaces (both natural gas and liquid propane), especially in the rural areas where power was out for many days.

At present I live in rural Ontario and would not even consider attempting to live through any power outage without

Water heaters built by Canadians for Canadians!

It amazes me as to how many people are still unaware of the fact that a fireplace is more than just a pretty face.

An ice storm that hit Toronto at Christmas brought down trees and power lines. (Peter Carter photo) a fireplace as an insurance policy to prevent damages to my home and to keep all inhabitants toasty.

Even with the demand for electronic ignition systems in gas fireplaces, manufacturers essentially all have battery backup systems that permit the fireplace to operate without electricity. While we

are not the only hearth manufacturer promoting the message to install our products for emergency heat source purposes, it amazes me as to how many people are still unaware of the fact that a fireplace is more than just a pretty face.

Perhaps you can use your magazine to help us get the message out so

Enhancing everyday living

homeowners don’t have to go through this again. Sound self-serving? Perhaps, but in this environment it is not a matter of if it will happen again, it is more of when.

Terry Hicks, National Sales Director – Canada Hearth Wolf Steel Ltd. (Napoleon) Barrie, Ont.

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Q Engineered Systems

Wastewater

The Trane heat pump for the South East False Creek project undergoes testing at the factory.

heat recovery

B.C. projects leading the world on the newest green tech frontier

his company, International Wastewater Systems of Burnaby, B.C., has completed a handful of installations and has about 30 projects under development in North America, the UK and Australia.

Wastewater heat recovery at the municipal level with large-scale district energy plants is also growing, as discussed later in this article.

By Bruce Nagy

Maintenance critical “Most people think of sewage as a turd on a beach blanket with a Mai Tai, floating down toward the treatment plant,” says Lynn Mueller. “I think of it as a tremendous opportunity.”

Mueller is an industry veteran, the former president of Waterfurnace Canada Inc., who has overseen more than one million feet of drilling on geothermal projects, from the Shangri La Hotel to heritage homes in downtown Vancouver. But he is now heading in a different direction. He’s decided that the future is in wastewater.

“People in North America each use an average of about 100 gallons of water a day for showers, cooking, cleaning, laundry and toilets,” says Mueller. “One day

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International Wastewater Systems’ Matt Warburton checks system performance at the 172-suite Sail Building at UBC. I started thinking about how I pay about $20 a day to heat water and then watch the energy swirl down the drain. That’s perfectly good heat. That’s when I decided to take the world sewage tour.”

In 2010 he sold his geothermal business and started travelling through France, Norway, Sweden, China and elsewhere, touring wastewater heat recapture facilities.

Afterwards, he designed his own recovery technology and opened a company to sell, install and service the “SHARC” system in some new markets. Since then

Mueller’s system uses direct heat exchange with filtered, but otherwise untreated, wastewater with a plate and frame heat exchanger. It employs a “clog proof” filtration system, described as trouble-free, but not maintenance free.

The company will only sell the system accompanied by a maintenance contract, because it needs to be checked quarterly and opened up annually for servicing.

It is building a network of certified dealers who must be properly trained and must commit to being associated with each installation for the life of the unit, of about 40 years.

“With geothermal I never knew for sure how well the entire system was performing and there was no one accountable for long-term operation supervision… Now

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Vancouver proved an excellent municipal partner, reported engineers Donald Hay, left and Cameron Lowry, right with Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

The plant was built to heat the Olympic Village in Vancouver.

we have a continuing flow of data. And there is a lot less costly digging,” says Mueller.

The control system monitors amperage, temperature and pressure; and notifies the dealer and the Building Management System if anything goes awry. In most cases a simple back flush can prevent downtime. The service plan for annual checkups is clever and efficient, with a hook on the ceiling to lift the top off the unit, a quick change-out of internal parts which can be refurbished, and a high speed fan to blow out odour during servicing, as part of the system package.

Municipal district heating

Hold your nose!

Except during service calls, there is no odour. It’s a closed loop system. Mueller knew that odour would be a concern in North America, despite the fact that it seemed less important with some of the overseas operations he reviewed.

The system is usually combined with natural gas boilers, but the recaptured heat provides an impressive share of the load and significant savings for the owner. In one project half the building heat is provided for 172 residential suites.

In another 65-suite townhouse project, two years of data showed that the heat pumps used an average of 81.03 kWh per day, pumps 10.08 kWh per day, and boiler top-up 114.64 kWh. By comparison, Stantec Engineering reported that a total of 829.86 kWh would be the average usage per day of domestic hot water heating if conventional 90 percent efficient equipment had been used. In other words, they are saving 75 percent. Mueller says the payback on a 300-unit condo development would be 4-7 years, depending on gas and electric rates. In a hospital it could be as low as 2-3 years.

For the smaller townhouse project mentioned, two FHP water-to-water heat pumps extract heat from the wastewater leaving the building, then preheat incoming DHW to 52°C (125°F) and store 480 gallons in storage tanks. This flows as needed into two booster tanks that are heated to 60°C (140°F) by natural gas. Meters and sensors monitor everything.

While Mueller’s system is being used in multi-unit residential projects, hospitals, and office buildings; wastewater heat recovery is also generating interest among municipal engineers.

In January, ASHRAE recognized the City of Vancouver and Cameron Lowry, engineer and industrial markets leader for Trane Canada, for an innovative district heating plant based on wastewater heat recovery, with the Milton W. Garland Commemorative Refrigeration Award for Project Excellence.

The South East False Creek (SEFC) Energy Centre was built to heat the Olympic Village in Vancouver and two other buildings, totaling about 140,000 square metres (1.5 million sq. ft.)

Please see ‘Keeping’ on page 15

This diagram illustrates a typical wastewater heat recovery system using a SHARC system.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Engineered Systems

Keeping the athletes warm Continued from page 13 “Since then we’ve expanded to 3.5 million square feet,” says Chris Baber, manager of the ‘Neighborhood Energy Unit.’ In 2012, a heat pump system measuring about 13x5 metres provided about one megawatt of power; equivalent to 78 percent of the annual space heating and domestic water heating needs of the SEFC neighborhood. It reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2000 tons. “We are forecasting a total of 7.2 million square feet by 2022 with the same plant,” he reported.

While this project was being completed, Plumbing & HVAC reported another Olympic wastewater energy recovery system built in Whistler for the training centre and an athletes’ village for 2,200 people. In that system wastewater heat recapture provides 80 percent of heating in winter.

Wastewater Systems’ Brett Stewart makes adjustments on the SHARC system.

“With sewage being 18 to 20°C it doesn’t make sense to burn natural gas for most of our heating load,” says Lowry. “Why not take advantage of what we already know. The plant is something like a big refrigerator…

Still, there were some challenges and we had to do some testing on-site.” Lowry and Trane custom-designed the project with help from Donald Hay of Tecnología en Sistemas de Refrigeración S.A. de C.V. in Mexico.

They used a positive displacement screw compressor, innovating for the extreme conditions demanded by the project, with a cast steel housing, to permit the rerating of the compressor to 500 PSIG instead of the standard 350 PSIG. They made several modifications to the balance piston, oil flow, and used additional heat exchangers to increase the design oil temperature from 54°C to 60°C. They also created a double contained oil system to eliminate the risk of cross contamination.

plant, wastewater energy recovery offers savings that are easy to prove, and established systems that are easy to install and maintain.

The future just might be in sewage!

jurisdictions in terms of installed systems and expertise.

Reporting on B.C. and other municipal systems, the website InformedInfrastructure.com said in 2012: “The technology is simple and proven…more than 500 wastewater heat pumps are in operation worldwide. Large scale implementation would not require any additional scientific research…the risk is minimal compared to other geospatial projects.”

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B.C. at the forefront “It’s great that ASHRAE also named Vancouver with the award because it required a bit of risk-taking and vision for everyone concerned,” says Lowry. “The City is a good partner with the resources to build, own, and operate the plant as a utility.”

Lowry, Baber and Mueller all told Plumbing & HVAC that wastewater recapture is being seriously reviewed worldwide for district plants and development projects providing space heating, DHW and cooling. They all agreed that British Columbia is among the leading

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 15

Bruce Nagy is a Toronto-based freelance writer that reports on green technologies and solutions. He can be reached at bruce.nagy@rogers. com.

For more information call 416-614-3610 or 1-800-567-5726 x 230 or visit us on the web at

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March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-04 2:54 PM

Q Engineered Systems

Expansion joints at this location had failed.

A

A few of us at my club were talking about Toronto’s extraordinary construction boom recently. There are at present more than a hundred condominium buildings under construction, ranging in size from a few stories with a couple of dozen suites to a contemplated project featuring 80-plus stories in the downtown area.

One of my friends is a lawyer who does a lot of insurance claims work and who, therefore, has an inside view of that industry. He surprised us all when he told us that condominium sales are likely to be affected seriously due to insurance industry concerns.

He told us that insurance companies are becoming less inclined to offer policies on condominium suites and the buildings themselves. That is sure to have a serious impact on insurance rates, availability of policies and ultimately on condominium sales as well.

Serious claims While some of my companions couldn’t understand the whys and wherefores of this, my past experiences in the forensic industry led me to believe that this was, doubtless, the result of some serious claims that had been made over the last several years as a result of failures of mechanical and, in some instances, structural systems.

Mechanical system failures drawing attention from insurance industry

By Michael McCartney This expansion joint was found to be in good shape.

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Figure 1: expansion joints come in a number of configurations.

Figure 2: piping loops offer a more durable, albeit more expensive, option.

Take, for example, a condo complex in mid-town where there have been several very costly claims that arose from broken heating/cooling risers at their expansion joints. When a riser breaks, all of the fluid therein finds its way out via the line of least resistance.

That means that if the fire stopping at the break point is relatively impermeable, water floods that suite, resulting in ruined carpeting or flooring, soaked drywall, and damage to wall hangings and furniture.

Because no fire stopping material is truly impermeable, though, that damage can extend downwards to several suites below. The resulting claims are usually in the $250,000-plus range, depending on the nature and extent of the damage.

The problem with the expansion joints arose from the use of bellows-type expansion compensators as opposed to piping loops. Fig. 1 shows several bellowstype devices, and Fig. 2 several pipe loops.

Bellows-type expansion devices must be anchored above and below, close to the connection point, as well as a few feet further up and down. If not anchored in such a manner, instead of the device shrinking or expanding to take up the movement axially, the pipe will bend sideways, creating stresses beyond what it has been designed for.

Fig. 3 shows the types of stresses that can be imposed on bellows.

That particular complex, a relatively new construct,

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 17

Figure 3: this illustrates proper (axial) and improper (lateral and angular) movement of a bellows-type expansion device.

has two towers, containing some 450 such expansion wall have come loose and fallen to the ground below, devices, and the claims have been ongoing since a couple illustrating the need to use adhesives suitable for our of years from project turnover. I think it is safe to say climate and lacking a tendency to harden, crack and fail. that at some point during construction someone forgot or neglected to carefully inspect the anchoring used to Regular maintenance critical hold the devices in place. That illustrates the need for Lastly, it must be remembered than in most careful project implementation and management on condominiums, the owners of each unit are responsible the part of the engineers. for upkeep of their equipment. If filters are kept clean That the bellows were improperly anchored was and regular maintenance carried out under some kind one factor, the other being the poor quality of the of blanket contract covering all units, this won’t cause bellows devices themselves. As can be seen in Figure 1, any issues. If, on the other hand, the maintenance in order to make such a device workers are lazy or neglectful, fit a particular size of piping, things won’t get done. caps with centered nipples are The effect of that will not be soldered in place at either end of felt for the first few years of a When a riser breaks, the bellows. It was determined building’s operation. However, that in some of the failed devices, all of the fluid therein finds if coils get clogged or fan not enough solder was used by wheels loaded with dust, their the manufacturer (an offshore its way out via the line performance will fall off. This company), thereby rendering will really be felt if the ERV’s of least resistance. the caps prone to loosening and that are being installed in newer the device failing even when not complexes clog, resulting in air subjected to improper stresses. conditioning systems that are designed to handle only sensible loads having to deal Failed recirculation lines with the hot, humid air that will come in summer.

Another condo complex has suffered numerous failures It is not difficult, given the above issues, to see why in recirculation lines. On examination, several segments insurance companies are beginning to balk at extending of piping were found to have been eroded to the point coverage to condominium unit owners and to the where they were punctured. Needless to say, a hole in complexes themselves. There are too many variables at a recirculation line anywhere in the building will result play; too many opportunities for poor workmanship in disaster. and the use of poor quality offshore manufactured As to why the erosion occurred, in some segments, materials that could create insurance claims of type M pipe had been used and, while this thin wall disastrous proportions. pipe may be suitable for some low-rise residential installations (frankly, I won’t allow it in any of my projects), its use in such projects as 30-storey highMichael (Mike) McCartney rises is, in my opinion, suicidal. Add type M’s thin wall is now working as an independent to the fact that a lot of the pipe materials coming in design engineer through M. E from offshore suppliers are of poor quality and it’s not McCartney Engineering Ltd., a surprising that failures have occurred. company he founded in 1992. He can Apart from mechanical issues, there have been be reached at MMcceng77@aol.com. instances where windows and sections of curtain

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

17

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Engineered Systems

Drilling gets underway on the Dartmouth waterfront.

Geothermal Halifax Harbour district cooling project breaks new ground

By Art Irwin

T Obviously, a project of this scale requires some very large pumps.

he Alderney 5 Energy Project is a $3.6 million energy efficiency retrofit of five municipal buildings on the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia waterfront. Its use of geothermal cold energy storage technology is highly innovative and is believed to be the first demonstration anywhere in the world of this technology.

The ability to harvest free renewable cold energy in the winter, store the cold harbour water underground for seven months and extract it without the use of heat pumps, or refrigerant based air conditioning, is a revolutionary geothermal energy application. The five buildings involved are Alderney Gate, Alderney Library, Alderney Landing, Dartmouth Ferry Terminal and the former Dartmouth City Hall (now used by the Halifax Regional School Board).

Seawater is drawn from the harbour adjacent to the project site and is passed through a heat exchanger before being returned to the harbour. A closed loop freshwater circuit, cooled in the heat exchanger, is then passed directly to the building’s own cooling distribution system. During the winter months, the freshwater is passed through a series of vertical boreholes, which serve to sufficiently chill the bedrock of the borehole field for extraction during the warmer summer months. The Alderney 5 Energy Project is able to successfully match the demand for “cold energy” with this supply at a very local level.

Underground storage field The underground thermal energy storage (UTES) basically consists of eighty holes, each 500 feet deep and coupled with a seawater cooling system. Cold energy is harvested during the winter months and stored underground in the rock mass via borehole heat exchangers. The geothermal borehole system uses a patented heat exchanger design that is designed to be 300

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 19

percent more efficient than traditional U-tube designs.

They use a co-axial (concentric) borehole design similar to a pipe within a pipe. The thermal resistance of this design is considerably less than the traditional U-tube design, which allows the power and energy transferring “cold” to be accomplished. The boreholes were drilled at 4-1/2 inches diameter, versus the standard six-inch hole. The smaller hole is more efficient and less costly to drill.

The drilling pattern of the field is quite unique with five rings of 80 holes. The holes are clustered more tightly closer to the centre of the field, some with a spacing of less than two metres. All of this was modelled using Earth Energy Designer (EED) design software.

Construction began in 2005. In collaboration with Environment Canada, the project team conducted preliminary site testing, a detailed feasibility study, and secured federal funding through the Technology Early Action Measures (TEAM) program. The partnership also included the Halifax Regional Municipality and Nova Scotia provincial government. The project team also collaborated with the International Energy Agency (IEA). The Alderney 5 project is a culmination of over ten years of research and development between local engineers, Environment Canada and the IEA. The system is saving $350,000 per year in energy costs and avoiding $800,000 in future replacement costs, with significantly reduced maintenance costs. The cooling system eliminates the need for supplementary cooling systems using compressors or cooling towers.

A construction hiccup Initially, the Dartmouth project was under the direction of High Performance Energy Systems (HPES). Problems arose and in August, 2007 the Halifax Regional

Please see ‘Construction’ on page 21

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

19

2014-03-04 2:38 PM

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Engineered Systems

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Construction challenges Continued from page 19 Municipality notified HPES that their contract was being terminated and work at the site came to a stop in February. Halifax Regional Municipality then acted as the general contractor and hired sub contractors as needed. It is expected the project will save over $2 million in cooling costs over twenty years.

The system went operational in February, 2010. This allowed only 1 1/2 months of winter charging in the first year, which was short. The starting background rock temperature was lower than the expected 10 degrees C. After the first charging cycle it was reduced to approximately 8°C. During the first summer, which was extremely hot and long, the project displaced about 85 percent of chiller cooling. The next charging began in December and finished in late April. The start temperature was 9.5°C, ending about 5°C. The project reached a milestone in the summer of 2011, achieving 100 percent of building cooling, including days in August where the storage system took the building load solely on its own. The past summer resulted in being on track with 90 percent of the cooling looked after. The goal is to do 100 percent of the cooling for three or four straight years to prove the system and avoid the cost of replacing the existing R-22 and CFC- 11 chillers.

A look inside the “geo vault” reveals the pumps and heat exchangers. have a highly qualified staff to carry out such projects as there is a risk involved. It is a good idea to partner with federal departments that have deeper technical resources.

Municipalities will be exposed to greater contractual and operating risks without good in-house capabilities.

Halifax Harbour has proven a natural choice for this system as it is capable of going down to very low temperatures. If the current results continue, it will be possible to eliminate the traditional cooling technology and the substantial financial and environmental costs associated with it.

Other approaches Cities with high air conditioning needs, expensive electricity and cold winters are ideal clients for similar ventures. Cold energy can be harvested from lakes, rivers and even cooling towers.

The borehole design can also be coupled with traditional geothermal heat pump designs, increasing the effectiveness of geothermal heating applications as well. It is of the utmost importance that the owners

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 21

Arthur A. Irwin operates Irwin Energy Consulting Services in Halifax. He can be reached at irwin.a@ns.sympatico.ca.

Engineered Excellence. 800-835-4429 www.duravent.com © 2014

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

21

2014-03-04 2:38 PM

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Heating

Furnace retrofit, PART II

AIR FILTERS;

the necessary evil

Achieving high airflow in a smaller space

By Bob Bettles and Brian Guttormson New filter cabinets that fit under the furnace not only allow enough space for an adequate filter, but also raise the furnace to a comfortable working height for the technician.

This chart from the ICP installation manual shows different pressure drops depending on filter construction.

Table 8

flow for our new high efficiency furnaces.

Most of today’s installation instructions will show furnace filter openings on two sides, one side and the bottom, or a single bottom opening. Some manufacturers will state that applications greater than 1600 cfm must use two filters in the combinations referenced above. This is nothing new. Installation manuals from the early 80s referenced the filter sizing in their spec pages, and in some instances a washable high velocity one-inch filter and filter rack were included with the furnace package.

Smaller equipment, higher flow Our new product lines have literally shrunken in vertical size from 54 inches high down to as low as 34 inches.

From this shrunken package we are seeing much higher efficiency levels with the required higher CFM air flows.

Please see ‘Sizing’ on page 25

Filter Media Pressure Drop (Clean) Versus Velocity - in. w.c. (Pa)

Face Velocity (m/s) FPM (1) 200 (1.5) 300 (2) 400 500 (2.5) (3) 600 (3.6) 700 *

As we reported last issue, older furnaces were designed with much lower airflows, higher temperature rises and cabinets large enough to allow the use of one or two one-inch disposable filters that were changed annually. In today’s high efficient product lines the furnace manufacturer expects the air filter assembly to be provided and sized by the installing contractor. In most retrofit upflow applications, the original filter assembly is reused without any consideration of the increased CFM of the new appliance.

Air filter ratings are based on several factors, from the lowly old standard fiberglass disposable, washable “cocoa mat” permanent products of the past, we are now seeing high efficient pleated fabric materials of various density and thickness. Something not generally considered by the installers and later by the homeowners is the fact these high efficiency filters will require a much larger surface area to pass sufficient

Factory-Accy Washable (1-in. / 2.5 cm) 0.04 (10) (14) 0.05 (17) 0.07 (21) 0.08 (23) 0.09 (26) 0.10

Fiberglass* (1-in. / 2.5 cm) 0.05 (13) 0.09 (22) 0.13 (32) 0.18 (44) 0.23 0.29 -

Representative After-Market Filter Media* Pleated* (2-in. / 5 cm) (1-in. / 2.5 cm) 0.08 (20) 0.18 (47) 0.13 (34) (75) 0.30 0.20 (50) (69) 0.27 -

(2-in. / 5 cm) 0.12 (31) 0.21 (52) 0.31 (78) -

Representative estimates from filter manufacturer data sheets.

See manufacturers’ specifications for pressure drop versus airflow data for specific filter media.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 23

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

23

2014-03-04 2:38 PM

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 24

2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Heating These numbers and values are relative to a 60,000 Btu/h 95 percent efficient gas furnace and three tons of cooling; the weak link in the system is the filter!

One more for consideration! An 80,000 Btu/h 95 percent gas furnace with a 50 degree Delta T requires ~ 1700 cfm: 1700 cfm / 500 fpm = 3.4 sq.’ or 1 – 20 x 25 high velocity filter. If spaced six to eight inches from the cabinet’s single 16 x 25 opening, air velocity will increase to about 600 fpm into the cabinet. This may create objectionable sound levels to the dwelling occupants.

Bigger filter cabinets

Obstructions in front of this filter mean the homeowner won’t be replacing it anytime soon.

Sizing the filter Continued from page 23 But in most cases we only see 14 to 16 inches of clear vertical open space on the return air section of the furnace cabinet!

Most HVAC manufacturers will recommend the filter resistance not exceed 0.2” water column (wc) while the best efficiency for airflow and electrical consumption will occur if the resistance across the filter does not exceed 0.1” wc.

Check with your filter suppliers for the actual resistance of their products when sizing your systems! Most of the one-

Air distribution systems must be designed for future add-ins to the system. inch filters readily available on the retail market will create a service call if used to replace the high velocity washable filter supplied on the original installation!

Disposable air filters are sized on airflow face velocity of 200 to 300 feet per minute (fpm) while high velocity washable filters may see up to 500 fpm with a minimal pressure drop through the media. Most savvy duct designers

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 25

Some filter manufacturers have come to the table with cabinets up to 16” in height designed to support the furnaces.

Within the cabinet a 5” thick pleated filter is provided. Depending on the cabinet airflows up to 2,000 cfm may be obtained with the added benefit of having the furnace elevated to an almost comfortable level for service and maintenance to be performed.

We as sales persons, installers and service technicians, need to get more involved in the continuing education

of the filters available in the market place. Air distribution systems must be designed for future add-ons to the system; so that these systems stay within the balance designs from the manufacturer’s specification sheets provided inside of each equipment manual that should remain with the product for continuing reference.

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.

will include in their system design for a filter resistance up to 0.10” to 0.15” wc maximum. This allows for some buildup of dust and debris between changes without seriously affecting system operation.

Determining the right size Now for the math and formulas to determine correct size for your projects: Filter Face Velocity = Airflow / Filter Area Minimum Filter Area = Rated System Airflow / Maximum Filter Face Velocity

If we take a 16 x 25 filter = 400 sq.in./144 = 2.75 sq. ft. 3 tons 1200 cfm / 2.75 = 436 FPM As an example: A one-inch high velocity filter would have a resistance of 0.07” wc.

A one-inch disposable filter would have a resistance of 0.14” wc.

A one-inch pleated filter is off the scale with a resistance of 0.29” wc at 800 cfm!!

The pleated filter in this example, while cleaning the air through the system, will also generate either a noheat call with limit faults or, in the summer, with frozen evaporator coils and no cooling.

Reworking the formula, if we use the 1200 cfm / 500 fpm = 2.4 sq.’ or 1 - 16 x 20 high velocity Or 1200 cfm / 200 fpm = 6 sq.’ or 16 x 54 or 2 - 16 x 25 x 1” disposables!

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

25

2014-03-05 12:14 PM

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Heating Product Profile Fujitsu expands Halcyon line Fujitsu General America reports that it now offers 56,259 combinations to achieve greater “mix-and-match” flexibility for its Halcyon light commercial multi-zone heat pump line. This equipment offers ultra-high efficiency – with ratings of up to 18 SEER and 9.5 HSPF – quiet, reliable operation and sleek design.

Contractors can select either 18,000, 24,000, 36,000 or 48,000 Btu/h outdoor units combined with wall-mounted, floor mounted, slim duct and compact cassette indoor units in 7,000, 9,000, 12,000, 15,000, 18,000, or 24,000 Btu/h, depending on indoor style selected.

New to the lineup are floor mount A wide array of indoor and units in 9,000, 12,000 and 15,000 Btu/h. outdoor units allows contracThese small (less than 24” high and tors to customize the system 30” wide) indoor units were developed for virtually any application. specifically for residential and light commercial retrofit applications, ideally to replace standing radiators or any space with limited upper wall space like a kitchen or sunroom.

Also new in 2014 is the addition of 7,000 Btu/h compact cassette and slim duct models to the multi-zone lineup. Mix-and-match flexibility of evaporator (air handler) type and capacity allows installers to choose the indoor unit that best fits the application.

Easy wiring The Two-Wire Kit from Venstar allows contractors to easily convert older, two-wire heaters and boilers to accept programmable thermostats. It supplies the additional 24-volt power wires for the new digital thermostat via a small plug-in wall transformer. The existing wires that were already in the wall are isolated from the new 24-volt transformer by a small isolation relay.

Venstar www.venstar.com

Exact fit rooftop units New Coleman Peak replacement rooftop units reduce installation costs with a footprint that fits directly on the footprints of other manufacturers’ units, eliminating the need for a curb adapter. Advanced control technology and an LCD display ensure easy installation and set-up and also delivers information on unit status, supply, return and outdoor air temperatures. These units are available from three to 12.5 tons with seasonal energy efficiency ratios (SEER) of 13 or 15.

Coleman Div./Johnson Controls www.coleman.com

New two-stage furnace The Energy Star qualified AirEase A952E 95 percent AFUE twostage gas furnace is designed to offer a “better” system for the “good/better/best” selling strategy. A “constant torque” ECM motor offers quiet efficient performance and is simple to set up and commission. Additional energy savings can be realized when the furnace is paired with a matched air conditioner or heat pump.

Allied Air www.alliedair.com

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PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 27

Commercial Heat Recovery Ventilators

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March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

27

2014-03-05 12:16 PM

Q Hot Water Heating Taking a course can help the design process. This tidy installation was photographed in a classroom at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton.

Success by

design

Mechanical Application

T S L

TRIANGLE SUPPLY LTD. 4620-62nd Street Red Deer, AB tel: (403)340-1650 fax:(403)340-8360

Job:

Jones Residence

Contractor:

ABC Hydronic Heating

10/02/2014

System Design by:

BRC

By Barry Cunningham

HF115

Taco 007F-IFC Taco 007F-IFC

1" 1"

Taco 0015MSF-IFC

PH12 VFC 15-150

1-1/4" 1-1/4"" Makeup Water

1" 1" TFP5x12-10

Dirt Separator

1"

1-1/4"

Copyright 2000

This is a typical design drawing prepared by a wholesaler.

28

Plumbing & HVAC – March 2014

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 28

Taco 0011F-IFC

Taco 0015MSF-IFC

1" MF200

Doing the pre-installation groundwork

Radiant Slab and Floor Warming Zones

A

nyone that knows me will probably say that I have strong opinions on some things. One way they might describe it is to say that “when I have a strong opinion I usually feel it necessary to explain my way of thinking in a forceful and uncompromising way.” Another way they might express it is to say “that sanctimonious, know-it-all SOB thinks the whole world should be run his way and that there are no options or worthy opinions other than his!” Personally I think that’s a little strong – accurate perhaps, but strong.

One of the things I have a strong opinion on is the need to do proper assessment of a job before you start the job. What I’m really talking about here from the standpoint of a hydronic system installation or retrofit is: get the design work done before you buy the parts. In fact, just get the design work done period.

It continues to amaze me the number of times we run into situations where decisions about pipe, pumps, boiler and heat terminal units are made without any

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Electrical Application

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The wholesaler will also prepare a corresponding electrical diagram. calculation whatsoever being done. The installer at some point (usually the point of no return) finds out that what he had in mind won’t work, so we get a call to try and advise them what to do.

ground. The building he was heating was 360 feet away.

That’s a 720 foot round trip for the loop, not including any above ground piping. Since the boiler was outside he was using 50 percent glycol mix (it was probably car antifreeze, but I didn’t ask) and I did a rough How not to do it calculation of the head loss in that loop based on say An example of this was a job I visited with an outdoor 20 gallons per minute (gpm) in the pipe. Now 20 gpm coal boiler that was being used to heat a large barn. I in one-inch PEX is about 10 or 11 ft/second velocity don’t recall how big the so I’m not advocating barn was but the boiler that, but I was trying to was rated at about three figure out how bad the What I’m really talking million Btu/h and, even situation was. allowing for burning It was bad. The pump about here from the standpoint of a would crappy, dirty coal, it was have to be over probably still capable of hydronic system installation or retrotwo horsepower and, two million and I figured even given the huge over the building would use fit is: get the design work done velocity and allowing a most of it.

40°F temperature drop, before you buy the parts.

Sticking out of the we would still only be ground beside the boiler able to deliver half the were four loops of oneboiler’s output. So I inch PEX; four supplies and four returns. “What’s asked him what he was thinking when he sized the that?” I said pointing to the PEX tubing. “That’s the pipe. That’s the size he always puts in, was the reply. piping to the building wings!” he says proudly, “all I wondered aloud why they make all those other sizes buried and insulated and ready to go. What size pump of pipe if one size fits all situations. He was wondering do I need?” Well, if you planned on putting two million the same thing.

Btu/h through those pipes, the pump you need will have “Anyway, ” he says, “that ain’t going to work. I to have Cummins written on the motor and you will be don’t have big enough wire to run a two horsepower exceeding the pipe’s flow velocity limits by a factor of pump here.”

10. Those are not inconsiderable design faults, in my He really didn’t get it. I think he wanted me to come opinion that is. This guy wound up digging the pipe up up with an alternate plan to the two horsepower pump. and installing bigger stuff. And he was mad at me.

Well, the two horsepower pump calculation wasn’t a In a similar situation at a different job, I once asked plan to start with. It was an expression of impossibility! an installer why he chose one-inch pipe. This boiler was only 800,000 Btu/h but it only had one pipe in the Please see ‘Don’t’ on page 31

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Q Hot Water Heating

Don’t give hydronics a bad name Continued from page 29 He needed to do this work before he got himself into this spot. I left. I’m not sure what ever did happen.

Hired an expert Now this might be funny if it wasn’t for the fact that there are real customers who think they hired an expert to put these systems in for them. They are going to get … er … screwed. And ultimately on a broader scale the whole industry loses some points with the public.

The story of the ill performing system will make its way through the community via the coffee shops and water coolers. The main lesson the customer will have learned is that hydronic heating is expensive and doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. At best the message will be that it’s not smart to choose hot water heating in your buildings because no one knows how to install these “complex” systems. We all pay for these errors in judgement that could have been so very simply avoided.

We call this system design, but it’s really just part of planning in advance.

These are just a couple of examples out of myriad experiences with bad planning I have had over the years. Granted they are somewhat extreme cases that I’ve used to demonstrate a point, but I see this in lesser circumstances almost daily.

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Strangely, boilers are almost always oversized as compared to undersized when they guess at them. Why is that? Well the answer I get is the installer wants to make sure it’s big enough so he doesn’t have to come back to fix a problem. That answer really puzzles me. If the objective is to not have trouble with the job, the first order of business should be to make sure everything is sized correctly and specified to work in concert with the building design and all of the other components in the system.

We all pay for these errors in judgement that could have been so very simply avoided.

Boilers too big, pipes too small, pumps not specified correctly and heat terminal units sized based on rules of thumb or price and availability are all reasons why the desired outcomes are often not realized or, in some cases, even possible. In a lot of cases, I see there is really good equipment that’s never going to perform to the customer’s expectations or the manufacturer’s intentions simply due to bad planning or implementation.

Starting on the right foot Do the design work before you start the project.

Plan for it and quote it with knowledge of what the outcomes will be. Be prepared. If you can’t do the design yourself, get someone to do it for you. In most cases it’s free or nearly free with the only expectation being that you will purchase the equipment from the company that does this work for you. That’s reasonable, I think, and it’s usually the guy you were going to buy it from anyway, right?

Certainly in the long run this will pay off with happy satisfied customers who will have you back, but not to complain about sub-standard performance or huge fuel bills. They will be calling you do more work for them, their families, neighbours and co-workers. You made money, you gained their confidence and you have more profitable work as a result. The whole industry makes a small gain in credibility. And it’s all because you did a little planning. At least, that’s my opinion anyway.

Barry Cunningham is general

manager of Triangle Supply in Red Deer, Alberta and a former chairman of the Canadian Hydronics Council.

He can be reached at BCunningham@TriangleSupply.com.

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Q Hot Water Heating Hydronic control components Viega has introduced a number of new products for hydronic and HVAC applications that allow for easy installation and system integration. These include: • 0-10V DC Powerhead that provides short response times and self-calibrates every 24 hours.

• 0-10V DC Actuator that provides short response times and improved control.

• Zone valve with ProPress and PEX Press adapters supplied. A thermal electric motor allows for easy wiring in two and four-wire applications.

• A thermostat with intuitive, menudriven programming. It integrates well with a variety of HVAC equipment and installs with easy color-coded wire connections.

Viega www.viega.us

Custom solutions

Building system controls

Lochinvar has expanded its custom design capabilities with pre-packaged systems, such as the carwash system pictured. Lochinvar recommends components based on the specifications supplied by the contractor and provides three-dimensional CAD drawings for customer approval. Packaged systems are completely assembled, wired and pressure tested before shipment in a steel frame for easy installation.

Lochinvar www.Lochinvar.com

Taco has expanded the capabilities of its iWorX commercial building control platform to provide dynamic graphical interface for remote monitoring of pump and system performance in real time, complete with fullyautomated BAS integration.

The iWorX SelfSensing ProView control works in concert with Taco’s SelfSensing ProBalance pumps.

The included OneTouch ProBalance feature permits automatic balancing of a pump (and by extension, the entire hydronic system) with one click of the mouse.

Taco www.taco-hvac.com

Efficient boiler The new MagnaTherm from Laars is a 95 percent AFUE modulating-condensing boiler or volume water heater available in two, three and four million Btu/h sizes. It offers a 5:1 turndown, small footprint, slim vertical design with removable top section, a stainless steel heat exchanger and multiple voltage options to easily match building service.

It features Laars’ advanced Vari-Prime pump control that seamlessly matches boiler firing rate to pump flow, reducing boiler pumping costs by up to 70 percent, reports the manufacturer.

Laars www.laars.com

Easy PEX installation Watts Radiant’s SmartTrac is a non-structural, modular panel system, designed to simplify radiant heating and cooling installations in subfloor, wall and ceiling applications. It is easy to configure and install, lightweight, low 16 mm (5/8”) profile and includes 92 percent recycled content.

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March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Hot Water Heating

Raising the bar – this tidy professional Navien/ SunTherm installation illustrates what the new requirements are designed to encourage.

Better combo systems New CSA standard, Energy Star requirements designed to provide accurate measurement of efficiency, performance

By Simon Blake

34

Plumbing & HVAC – March 2014

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 34

N

ew building technologies have allowed the creation of homes where the heat loss can be less than 30,000 Btu/h. With such a low requirement for heating and a lack of inexpensive equipment available in that size range, builders have made some unconventional choices. The result has been thousands of townhomes and similar structures that use an air handler for heating and air conditioning with some sort of domestic hot water (DHW) heater as a heat source.

“A lot of new homebuilders on the smaller, sub 1,000 square foot market are choosing water heaters for space and DHW heating because there are simply minimal smaller capacity furnaces,” remarked David Terlizzi, technical coordinator for the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI). Anecdotal reports from homeowners suggest that many are not happy with hybrid systems that use standard water heaters for dual-purpose space heating and DHW. The second part of the problem is that while there

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are standard performance tests and rating systems for water heaters, there is no such test when they are used in combination with an air handler. This, however, is changing.

A new CSA standard along with new Energy Star requirements should help builders, contractors and homeowners better select combo systems.

The CAN/CSA P.9-11 Standard establishes performance requirements and a test procedure for gas and oilďŹ red combination DHW/space heating systems. Water heaters and air handlers are tested together as a combination.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), in an effort to encourage the use of the better performing combination systems, will require that all combo systems must be tested to the CSA P.9-11 standard effective April 1 in order to qualify for the Energy Star for New Homes program.

Choosing a combination

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Anecdotal reports from homeowners suggest that many are not happy with hybrid systems that use standard water heaters‌

Different combinations Despite the difficulties, a number of on-demand water heater manufacturers have moved quickly to have their equipment certified with various air handlers prior to April 1.

Navien, headquartered in Irvine, California, has teamed up with NV Eco Vision Sales in Vaughan, Ont. to have their NPE-240A condensing tankless water heater tested with SunTherm’s MMVE air handling unit. That is just the beginning, said Brian Fenske, engineer and national channel sales manager for Navien. “Our intention is to offer a product that can be applied with anybody’s air handler.�

Redmond Williams Distributing, Mississauga, Ont. also moved quickly to get its RedZone air handler CSA P.9-11 rated with either the Rinnai RU80i or Bosch C 950 ES on-demand hot water heaters, reported Glenn Fowler.

By the time this magazine reaches the printer, it is likely that more combinations will have been tested and approved.

Sizing a combination system is similar to sizing a conventional heating system. But there are limitations. “Typically tankless water heaters and combi systems are limited to four gpm

through the water heater and with the typical air handler temperature rise of about 25 degrees (F), the limitation is about 50,000 Btu/h of heating,� said Fenske. As a result, these systems can make sense in a smaller tighter home, but the only way to add capacity is to add another tankless unit.

Controlling the system Typically, like any other residential HVAC system, a standard wall-mounted thermostat is used to control a combo heating/DHW system. DHW heaters designed for use in combo systems may incorporate controls that ensure DHW priority over heating, so that the homeowner doesn’t lose the hot water in the middle of their shower if there is a call for heat.

There has always been a strong energy efficiency argument for combination systems. Using one burner to run two appliances just seems to make sense.

The new CSA standard along with the Energy Star requirement can’t help but move the market forward.

If your flashing doesn't have a CSA listing, nHLther does your roof‌

Better equipment Using an on-demand water heater in combination with a fan coil for heating is not particularly new, reported Fenske.

In fact he had one in his own home as far back as 1989. But both the efďŹ ciency of the tankless water heaters and the understanding of how to make combo systems work have changed. “We’ve got a better understanding of expectations along with how to hook them up and how to instruct contractors how to pipe them and install them,â€?

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One problem for contractors is the lack of a listing of combo systems tested to CSA P.9-11.

Contractors need a system like that for air conditioning equipment, where they can check the Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) listing to determine which A-coils are certified with different outdoor units, etc., said Terlizzi.

However, NRCan has been discussing the issue and is expected to post a list on the NRCan website, he added.

At this point, only manufacturers and wholesalers can provide this

said Fenske. However, having only one gas line and one vent pipe simpliďŹ es the installation, noted Fowler.

Probably the biggest challenge for contractors is having technicians with the right skills, added Fenske. They need to do plumbing, gas ďŹ tting and ductwork.

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Redmond Williams has had its Red Zone air handler certiďŹ ed for combo use with Rinnai and Bosch on-demand heaters.

information for the units they stock.

The other problem is that there are so many possible combinations that it would be almost impossible to test them all. Varying input capacities and flow rates, along with different input water temperatures in different parts of the country, all make testing a challenge. And then there’s the cost to manufacturers and the need typically for two different manufacturers to work together on certiďŹ cation. “The problem is that most manufacturers do not make the water heater plus the air handler, â€? noted Terlizzi. As a result, there has been some debate about alternative certification paths through performance modeling, or perhaps creating a performance formula that could be added to the P.9-11 test.

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Q Hot Water Heating

Combo systems, Part II

Doing the

Asking the right questions critical in developing an effective combo heating/DHW system

groundwork

By Roy Collver

S

o far, I’ve reviewed the most common types of “combo” or “combi” systems we are seeing in the hydronic heating world today. Let’s dig deeper and see if we can point to the right ones for your particular application.

Thinking about this topic, I took a trip down memory lane, remembering all of the instances where I got myself in trouble, or I was asked to help bail out someone else in distress. Of the many ways to go astray, I think I’ve seen most of them. I pose the questions below – with the reasons for asking them – to help you decide what kind of system to design. BONUS – if you are having trouble with an existing system, some of this knowledge can help you “work the problem” to figure out what is wrong and fix it.

I just finished reading Chris Hadfield’s book An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth. It is a brilliant book, recommended reading for everyone – and it’s especially relevant to those of us in the mechanical business. There are three functions/methods he talks about of great interest to us hydronicians. I’ve learned to do them instinctively while developing my design and troubleshooting skills over the years: 1) Work the Problem 2) The Power of Negative Thought and 3) Let’s Pull on This. These are basically different ways to look for trouble. Keep these principles in mind always when working with any mechanical system and you will be much better at what you do.

Ask the customer Before going too far, you need to ask your customer about their DHW needs. The answers to these questions help point you in the right direction regarding equipment selection and system design.

Talk to the owner of the system and get as much information as you can.

How hot does your boiler have to get? Why do we ask? Some boiler and heater appliances are limited to a maximum water temperature. Heat emitter equipment sizing is driven by the maximum temperature available.

Indirect tanks and heat exchangers are often rated for 180°F boiler water in order to attain their rated recovery specifications. Check the boiler and heat emitter specifications against each other.

I have often seen designers run into trouble on this issue. For example, if the boiler is restricted to a maximum of 170°F but an air handler was chosen to operate at 180°F at design – you might have a problem.

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If you tell the customer the DHW tank will recover in half an hour and it takes two hours – you might have a problem. One or more of the components may have to be swapped out.

It’s much easier to do that on paper when you are designing than in copper after the installation. Having said that – if it happens to you, don’t panic right away.

Often equipment is over-sized “just in case” and you might get away with it. However, you won’t know for sure until the equipment is really put to the test, so it’s better to not make the mistake in the first place.

Look hard when retrofitting older systems that have existing radiators – often you will assume that they require higher temperature water than they really do.

Investigating this merits a separate article – someday.

Another consideration is that scald prevention devices may be required (if not already required by code) on the DHW system if the design might drive the DHW too hot. Really pay attention to the codes in your jurisdiction regarding DHW maximum temperatures, and heat emitter maximum surface temperatures – and nobody gets hurt.

Setting priorities Are you going to need to provide DHW and heating at the same time? Many systems can be configured to switch back and forth between space heating and DHW in an “either/or” control strategy. In some instances, however, your customer may require

DHW generation and space heating simultaneously.

Some boiler controls will only work that way. This requirement is, as you can guess, a big deal – having a major impact on your system design. As nifty as the on-demand three-way diverting valve type boiler/ heaters are – they won’t fit every system.

In a “priority” system, you will have to have enough storage capacity to draw DHW from while the boiler is satisfying the space heating load – OR – a space heating system that can live without heat long enough (think-high mass radiant floor), for the DHW load to be satisfied – OR – a big enough boiler and the necessary mixing valves and controls to be able to do both jobs at the same time. All three of these methods

Please see ‘Establishing’ on page 39

Caution The drawings accompanying this article are not intended as a guide to actual installations!

For clarity in illustrating the basic concepts, many necessary components may have been left out and are not shown. Always refer to equipment manufacturer’s installation instructions, requirements and restrictions.

Your design must also meet all of the code requirements of your jurisdiction.

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Hot Water Heating

Establishing the DHW needs Continued from page 37 work very well with the right system design. Pictured, are some examples of mechanical layouts. Which one (or variation thereof) you choose will depend on the customer’s needs and expectations.

Satisfying the DHW need How much hot water do you need, in what time frame, and how often do you need it? Okay, okay, three questions there – but this is the biggie and the answers are really going to drive the system design. They’ll point you toward either a storage-type “cylinder” system, or an “on-demand” instantaneous system.

If you need a MUCHO DHW for a

short time? – Storage If you need any amount of DHW for a long time? – on-demand. But, if the need is for MUCHO DHW for a long time, be prepared to install a big gas line and the either go for a serious commercial DHW boiler or gang up a whole bunch of smaller heaters.

Do you need DHW instantaneously?

Counter-intuitively, storage may be the correct answer. Even though many on-demand appliances claim to be “instantaneous,” many of them can have a noticeable lag-time between the tap being opened and the hot water coming out of the spout. And, on-demand systems really aren’t compatible with recirculation – so larger buildings

with long supply runs aren’t really a good choice (not to mention that large residential homes are likely to be occupied by people that are not used to having to wait for anything).

You only need short-draws of DHW once in awhile? – Definitely on-demand

Please see ‘Space’ on page 41

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zurn.com 905.405.8272

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 39

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

39

2014-03-05 12:24 PM

Viega MegaPress® System for Black Iron Pipe

With Viega MegaPress, installerrs can n ma ake secure black iron pipe connectio ons in n lesss than seven seconds with no hea avy eq quip pment or cutting oils. The Viega Smart Conn nect® feature helps installers identify unpresssed d connections easily during pressu ure te esting g.

The first carbon steel press fittiing appro oved d for both water and gas applicattions, Viega MegaPress helps save time and d labo or on the job site.

Viega MegaPress • Approved for more application ns tha an any other black iron press systtems • Flameless press technology redu uces installation time up to 60% • Provides consistent connections with no manual tightening • Patented Viega Smart Connect feature helps installers identify unpressed connections

www.viega.ca | 1-800-976-9819

Viega MegaPress system The only carbon steel press fitting for water and gas The global leader in plumbing, heating and pipe joining systems

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 40

2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Hot Water Heating

The Right Tools

For HVACR Professionals

Space heating too Continued from page 39 You need to supply both space heating and DHW simultaneously? – Either/or, see no. 2 above.

You only have limited boiler output available? – Storage w/priority operation.

How hard does the equipment have to work? What will stand-up to your application? There are many appliances today that are designed specifically for residential use. The warranty will likely be greatly restricted, or not even valid, if the appliance is used commercially.

As appliance manufacturers are pressured more and more to reduce the cost of their equipment, something has to give. As heat exchanger/pressure vessels are made with less material/surface area and cheaper components are used, appliance maintenance costs are going to increase, and longevity will suffer at the same time. Some larger residential systems might as well be commercial as far as hard service is concerned. The most robust equipment should be chosen in these cases. You get what you pay for.

Space heating The space heating needs should also be determined before going too far: How many Btu’s per hour of heat do you need? For smaller houses, the space-heating load will actually be less than the DHW load – these houses are good candidates for priority DHW operation. This strategy will allow you to stop space heating for a while and have enough boiler to easily recover any droop in space temperature. You might normally expect larger buildings to have higher heat loss than DHW load, but be careful. Some of the fancy “car wash” type showers these days can easily exceed the combined heat loss of the biggest homes.

What type of heat emitters are you going to be using? This answer will allow you to figure out how hot the water has to be, based on the requirements of the emitters. As well, how long can you interrupt the heating system before the space temperature gets too cold? Some low-mass heat emitters in high heat-loss spaces (think fin-tube baseboard or air handlers in glassed-in atriums) are just not good candidates for DHW priority.

And finally, the big question of the day – what is the budget? With hydronics, when all is said and done – you

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 41

can promise (and deliver) to the customer just about anything their hearts desire, but it will all boil down to their budget. Giving them all the bells and whistles (unlimited DHW, multi-temp space heating, spa heating, snow melting – on and on) will come at a cost.

If their budget is strained, there are some interesting options available these days. “Work the problem” and come up with some alternate suggestions. Let them know that they will have to give up something.

The Europeans have, for years, made really cool combi-units with boiler, thermal-mass DHW storage tanks, and a control package that are “all-in-one.”

Many of these things look just like a kitchen appliance to boot. They are being seen more and more in North America. Both imported and domestically manufactured equipment is now available. Triangle-Tube, Viessmann and HTP quickly come to mind as pioneer players in this sector. There are lots of others coming into the market with new combi-units – appliances that are low mass, on-demand, and “all-in-one” as well.

Most of these machines are relatively inexpensive choices and they can serve very well within the limited envelope in which they are designed to operate. I really like some of them, but beware – our average house is generally much larger than they are in Europe and we are serious domestic hot water junkies here.

It is important to study the limitations of any equipment and compare the available performance to each application. Invoking the “Power of Negative Thought” and then doing a “Let’s pull on this” exercise will help you determine the suitability of any given appliance – provided (for the last time today) you read the manufacturer’s specifications and then “work the problem.”

Explain to your customer exactly what kind of performance they can expect, and clearly outline the limitations. They may be okay with the limitations, or they may have no choice but to dig deeper and expand the budget. They get what they pay for.

Roy Collver is an author and consultant on hydronic heating based in Peachland, B.C. He can be reached at hoth2o@shaw.ca

SMAN4 SM MAN N4

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Dual Readout Thermometer

READS TEMPERATURES QUICKLY

COMPATIBLE WITH ANY hilmor MANIFOLD

Keep your cool in any climate with quick, easy calculations. hilmor’s Dual Readout Thermometer is the industry’s first to offer two digital readouts to simplify the calculation of superheat and subcool in seconds. And it attaches to any manifold.

MAKES CALCULATIONS EASIER

See all the innovations you can put to work at hilmor.com

© 2013 hilmor, Newell Rubbermaid. All rights reserved.

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Tools & Instruments Hybrid gauge The Hilmor Electronic Gauge with Vacuum Sensor is a hybrid gauge that features both analog and digital readouts so technicians have the response of a needle and clarity of an LCD display.

The outer displays show system pressure using the needle and LSAT/VSAT temperatures in the digital display. The inner LCD displays pressures, temperatures and calculates superheat and subcooling.

Hilmor www.hilmor.com

Easy locating The new Gen-Eye Hot Spot Transmitter from General Pipe Cleaners makes pipe and utility locating easy, reports the manufacturer. The fully loaded five-watt transmitter features four trace frequencies, and an LCD graphic display that indicates line resistance and current flow. Increased power provides a stronger signal and superior battery life keeps the unit operating for as long as 100 hours.

General Pipe Cleaners www.drainbrain.com

WATCO

Wireless drain camera The new Ratech Elite SD Wi-Fi allows the technician to record pipe inspections wirelessly to an iOS or Android device and take live video and digital still photos that can then be immediately uploaded to YouTube, without the need for SD cards, USB drives, etc. The new interface is available for any Ratech system. It is available with a sun-readable 10” LCD monitor and either a self-leveling camera, small ultra micro camera or a new pan and tilt push camera. Cable lengths are from 100 to 400 feet.

Ratech www.ratech-electronics.com

INTRODUCING The

Innovator Drain ®

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901N SSeries-White i Whit

Portable band saw The new 20V MAX band saw (DCS371) from DeWalt is ideal for cutting conduit, rigid pipe, Uni-Strut, threaded rod, or other materials up to 2 ½” in diameter on the jobsite. A balanced design, with battery and motor on opposite ends of the tool, allows the tool to do the work and aids the user in making a straight cut. And it’s lightweight and compact at 9.4 lbs. (with battery) and 15” long.

DeWalt Tools www.dewalt.com

Designer White Bathtub Drains!

• Quick, one-person installation; installs in minutes • Integrated strainer body/drain elbow eliminates one solvent weld joint; fewer joints = fewer problems • Standard high gloss designer white; biscuit and chrome also available • 12 other finishes available with Quick Trim® or Universal NuFit® • Corrosion resistant material • Overflow and drain come standard with test membranes; testable up to five floors (22 psi) • Available in ABS or PVC; Flex Series in PVC only.

ABS drain elbow is white • Removable/replaceable crossbars make drains easy to clean and maintain • Five year limited warranty

Walk-around CO testing The SCM4 Carbon Monoxide Detector from Fieldpiece Instruments includes a field replaceable smart sensor that’s fast enough for walk-around tests. Visual and audio alerts increase proportionally in frequency as the concentration of CO increases. CO levels are displayed from 0 to 1000 PPM. For added visibility, there is a bright blue backlight. The ergonomic shape and rubber boot make it easy to hold and tough enough for HVAC field service.

Fieldpiece www.fieldpiece.com

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 43

Watco Manufacturing Company

Always A Step Ahead

WATCO

Patented and Patents Pending See www.watcomfg.com for details ®

1220 South Powell Road Independence, MO 64057-2724 tel 816.796.3900 fax 816.796.0875 watcomfg.com

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

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

2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Refrigeration

Don’t let poor tools make things harder!

By Greg Scrivener

I

recall the days when the only resources available for field leak detection consisted of overpriced and hardly functional electronic detectors, halide leak detectors and soap; I haven’t been around that long. As with everything technology related, the options and types of electronic leak detectors have multiplied dramatically. Let’s take a bit of time and wade through some of the types and technologies available.

There are essentially four main types of electronic leak detectors available in the market today: Corona Discharge, Heated Diode, Infrared and Ultrasonic. Each has proponents and detractors. In fact, contrary to what one might think, some Internet chat forums on leak detectors can be quite entertaining.

Pictured are two common leak detectors – the H10 style heated diode detector with multiple calibration options and an infrared leak detector.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 45

Different detector types Corona Discharge leak detectors basically pull the refrigerant through an electric field made by a high voltage tip causing a change to the electric current which triggers an alarm. These were one of the first electronic leak detectors available and were initially very unreliable. They required frequent tip changes and often worked erratically. Progress was made on their design and some of the later models functioned significantly better but, while this technology is still available, they are usually not comparable to newer technologies as far as performance is concerned.

Heated diode sensors have also been around for quite a long time. They use a ceramic diode that heats up the refrigerant and breaks the molecule apart in order to detect fluorine or chlorine ions. These types of sensors have historically been subject to contamination by moisture and require relatively frequent replacement sensors. Their quality ranges from ‘hardly able to find a leak’ to the somewhat legendary leak finding abilities of the old GE H10. (The H10 and its relatives have been manufactured in a few different variations by different manufacturers since GE stopped producing them.)

When HFC refrigerants first began penetrating the market many technicians noticed a decrease in the performance of their heated diode leak detectors. Of

particular interest was the fact that many of them struggled to detect R410a with sufficient sensitivity. Since then, most manufacturers have either developed additional sensitivity settings and/or different sensors to obtain better performance with HFCs. To this day, it is important to check whether a heated diode type leak detector works for the refrigerants you need to work with.

Infrared sensors use infrared light to detect refrigerant by measuring changes to the amount of infrared radiation absorbed by the air and/or refrigerant passing through the sensor. Because these sensors only measure changes in refrigerant concentration and not the actual concentration (like the heated diode type sensors do), it is important to recognize how this affects operation.

If you turn on your leak detector in a room full of refrigerant it would not alarm until you move it to a place of higher concentration.

Each manufacturer’s detector behaves differently and it is very important that you understand how to use your particular detector. Because the refrigerant doesn’t come into contact with the sensor, these detectors rarely fail. As with heated diode type detectors, there is a lot of variation in the accuracy and sensitivity of infrared detectors but, generally speaking, they perform very well once you are used to them.

Ultrasonic sensors look for ultrasonic sounds made by the refrigerant escaping the piping (or air entering a pipe in a vacuum). For obvious reasons, these detectors work on any refrigerant or gas. They can be susceptible to interference from other noise sources and can be difficult to use in some applications. They have not become as common as the infrared or heated diode sensors but offer a number of benefits in that leak detection can occur in areas that are harder to reach, for example.

There are also a number of variations and types of leak detectors I haven’t mentioned. Some are variations on the heated diode, such as the heated pentode. There are also new, perhaps up and coming, types of leak detectors that use an electrochemical reaction that claim to work well with all types of HFC and HCs. You can even use infrared cameras to ascertain leak locations. As with any technology, progress is always continually happening and we need

Please see ‘New’ on page 47

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Refrigeration

New refrigerant presents challenge Continued from page 45 to do our best to keep up.

Specifications In looking at the different types of leak detectors we didn’t really talk about the different specifications and ratings of the detectors so that we can learn to pick an appropriate leak detector.

Obviously, first and foremost, the detector needs to be able to detect the refrigerant we are looking for.

The next most important thing is the sensitivity of the detector. Sensitivity in hand held leak detectors is measured in the size of the smallest leak it can find; leaks are measured in ounces/year.

Sensitivity ranges from 0.05oz/year to 0.5oz/year. As a professional, a leak detector with a minimum sensitivity of 0.5oz/year is not even worth considering and detectors with minimum sensitivities of 0.05oz/year are not too common (partly because there is a testing standard that some manufacturers follow that requires the detectors not to pick up leaks less than 0.07oz/year). Most detectors fall in either the 0.1oz/year or the 0.25oz/year category. I personally would not consider purchasing a leak detector not capable of detection in the 0.1oz/year range.

From there it is a simple choice of preference.

Some detectors have rechargeable batteries, some are replaceable and some even require 120V AC. Some have very few sensitivity adjustments and some are completely customizable with manual calibration options. As is often the case, the more expensive leak detectors tend to outperform the less expensive options.

off the discharge line. I brought out my leak detector and not a sound; the leak was gone. It took the expansion of the pipe when hot to cause a detectable leak.

The same thing can happen in evaporator coils in heat pumps and hot gas defrost systems. Conversely I have also seen pipes and seals leak only when they are cold. In the end, it’s often a test of patience and your ability to use your leak detector that will determine how well you can find leaks. Don’t let poor tools make things harder than they need to be.

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PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 47

9 models with input ranges from 67 to 530 MBH

Combine up to eight boilers in single prefabricated cascade system

*Based on a temperature rise of 70 °F (50 °F to 120 °F). Information subject to change.

Once you have selected the leak detector(s) you are going to use, it’s important that you familiarize yourself with their operation. Leak checking is an art and it can require great patience.

While not always possible, I find it very beneficial to leak check with the system operating at conditions in which the leak occurred. This was highlighted by an experience I had once when I was called to a grocery store that had a leak on a walk-in freezer.

I couldn’t find any significant leak and the system passed a 150psig nitrogen pressure test so I tightened access caps, evacuated, and recharged the system. I was back a week later and did the same thing except I pressure tested at 250psig. I was back a week later again and again a pressure test didn’t budge even though I left it on for six hours. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t find a leak anywhere.

I recharged the system and I was about to leave when I decided to check everything with an electronic leak detector one more time. The system had been operating for about 15 minutes and as I moved the wand over a clamp on the discharge line the detector beeped once. I removed the clamp and the detector beeped a couple more times. I left the unit running and 15 minutes later the detector wouldn’t stop going off where the clamp had rubbed the pipe. I finally had my leak. Curious as to why I hadn’t found it sooner, I grabbed a cool wet rag and cooled

Greg Scrivener is president of Cold Dynamics, Meadow Lake, Sask. and works in project and design management.

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

VITODENS 222-F

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www.viessmann.ca 1-800-387-7373

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Faucets & Fixtures High-end kitchen faucet

Contemporary design

The new Zoe kitchen faucet from KWC was designed in Germany and incorporates high end features such as a “Luminaqua” LED light ring in the pullout spray that illuminates both sink and water, a 1.8 gallons per minute (gpm) flow rate and two spray settings – an aerated jet and a needle spray. KWC Jetclean technology reduces lime deposits. Available finishes are chrome and stainless steel.

KWC www.kwc.us.com

The new Tilt pullout kitchen faucet from Moen creates a sleek, contemporary look at the sink that works well in even the smallest of kitchens.

An innovative pullout design and integrated swivel ball joint to make it easier for users to maneuver the wand in and around the sink, with a two-function water flow from aerated stream to spray. The single-hole installation fits cleanly against today’s popular countertops. Colour options are chrome or Moen’s Spot Resist Stainless.

Moen Canada www.moen.ca

Advanced showering system

Ultra high efficiency toilet

Kohler originally launched its DTV digital shower system, which seamlessly integrates water, audio, lighting and steam delivery, in 2006.

The company’s new DTV+ technology represents the next evolution that, while keeping the original features, uses the showering space to address personal wellness with truly spa-like experiences with unique pre-programmed orchestrated shower experiences that address these needs.

Kohler www.kohler.com

Toto’s ultra high-efficiency Neorest 700H and 550H toilets offer dual-flush, high-efficiency flushing and Toto’s eWater+ technology to keep the bowl clean. Features include an integrated “personal cleansing system” with warm, aerated water, warm air dryer, heated seat; auto open/close and auto flush; in-bowl catalytic deodorizer; along with energy- and water-saving features. The company’s Cyclone dual-flush technology consumes one U.S. gallon of water per flush (gpf) for the full flush and 0.8 gpf for the light flush.

TOTO www.totousa.com

48

Plumbing & HVAC – March 2014

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 48

One-piece shower unit This new one-piece residential shower unit from Fiat is available in two sizes and a choice of curtain rod or shower door. It is made in Canada from high-gloss acrylic reinforced with fiberglass. It features a centre drain and is equipped with an ABS drain and chrome strainer, non-slip textured base, plus moulded shelves, soap dish, towel bar and functional shelves. The 86 inch (218 cm) height makes it possible to have a higher than usual position for the showerhead. It is available in three colours – white, bone, or biscuit.

Fiat Products www.fiat.ca

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

2014-03-04 2:38 PM

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

GET REWARDED FOR BUYING JOHN WOOD WATER HEATERS John Wood is now a proud member of the Contractor Rewards Program. Earn points on John Wood Water heaters and redeem them for great rewards. contractorrewards.com

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Come visit us at the CMPX Show from March 19th-21st Ask us about winning a truck with our Drive Your Rewards Contest Visit www.johnwoodwaterheaters.com for more details.

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 50

2014-03-05 12:29 PM

Q Plumbing

Finding

This “Rube Goldberg” pipe-thawing device has saved the author’s bacon on several occasions.

solutions

Getting creative with plumbing techniques and equipment

By Mark P. Evans

W

orld Plumbing Day (March 11) is here again and I’d like to share a few stories that have added some variety to my work and kept my job interesting.

My favourite part of this business is that I get to invent solutions for supposedly un-solvable predicaments. Over the years I have developed some interesting techniques and equipment when all hope seems lost. The best is when others have already attempted to rectify the situation and have either failed or given up.

This is my time to really shine.

I have found that my shop vac and compressor are two of the most effective tools in my service arsenal. With creative use of positive and negative air pressures, I have cleared many a jam.

The tool I created for clearing frozen, inaccessible lines is what my father would have referred to as a “Rube Goldberg”. I got the idea for this unconventional tool when I worked up in the Bancroft area in Ontario, just south of Algonquin Park. It gets very cold there and

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PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 51

thawing pipes was a common service request. I was working for a local company at the time and the only tool they had to address the problem was a rented wallpaper steamer.

Besides being inadequate for the task, every plumber in the county wanted it at the same time so it was rarely available when I needed it.

Not to be without a solution to any problem, I made my own device. The main components of my de-icing machine were a 10-gallon electric water heater strapped to a fridge cart and my faithful air compressor. I fitted the heater with a hose bibb for filling and a 3/8-inch outlet for the spray nozzle at the bottom, with an inlet for compressed air at the top.

I used a high temperature element to “super heat” the customers’ already hot water and it made a big difference when cutting through hard ice. When I forced that hot water through the stiff 3/8” tube under 100 pounds of pressure, I could clear a one-inch poly water service as fast as I could push the tube into the line. Three and four-inch drain lines required slightly more time but were not a problem.

The plastic tubing was only good for about forty feet because it lost stiffness when heated and became too

Please see ‘Odd’ on page 53

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

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PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 52

2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Plumbing

Odd doesn’t necessarily mean good From page 51 “noodle like” to apply any force to. Of course, I installed a temperature and pressure relief valve in the tank and always wore protective clothing because I knew how dangerous this tool was on both ends.

Pressure relief The iconic plunger is an ever-present item at every blocked drain service call I go to. I don’t have the official data but I think it’s safe to say that every household in this country has at least one. It’s a great tool and can do wonders on a clog as long as the blockage is before the vent. If not, the pressure from plunging is lost up the vent before it can act on the problem. For those types of blockages, which are beyond the abilities of my power auger, I sometimes cap the branch vent pipe to allow positive and negative pressures to be used effectively.

to the drain opening it was hard to tell it was even there, but I got it out.

Just because it’s an odd tool doesn’t make it effective though. In the past I have bought items that are built for a specific purpose but don’t work at all.

One example is a fine looking tool that was supposed to be the ideal thing for pulling stubborn cartridges from single lever faucets. I have never gotten it to work and it wasn’t cheap. I think the screw that is supposed to engage the cartridge stem is too short

so it still looks brand new after many years attending service calls, but never actually doing anything.

Perhaps I could take a lesson. If I could find a way of doing that myself, I’d have it made. Happy World Plumbing Day!

Mark P. Evans is a contractor, master plumber and heating technician based in Waterloo, Ont. He can be reached at mark. evans@live.ca

Precise Control

As useful as it is, not every problem can be solved with the suck and blow technique.

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

Once I encountered a kitchen drain that I had to pressurize both up stream and down through a small opening in the basement ceiling to clear the line.

Normally I would have cut that section of pipe right out and replaced it, but it was inaccessible. I had no other option but to cut in mid-run and use my compressor to apply positive pressure. Downstream it blew the clog into a larger pipe where it was flushed away but upstairs it made quite a mess inside the cabinet when it let go.

This method works well on ABS pipe using a rubber coupling attached with gear clamps. A 1-1/2x1/2-inch threaded adapter allows me to make the connection from the pipe to the compressor.

Similar situations also had me using my shop-vac to pull the blockage out. I consider it to be the greatest pound-for-pound money making tool. Using the water’s adhesive properties to pull out a blockage like the kind found in basins and bathtub waste pipes saves me time and the customers’ money. It allows me to remove the hairball from the drain rather than try to force it further down the line.

X

Eliminate fluctuations in temperature.

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Unconventional tools As useful as it is, not every problem can be solved with the suck and blow technique. Other non-conventional equipment is sometimes just the ticket. One of the oddest repairs I made was to a dishwasher. The customer had run out of patience with the appliance store and their handy man because they couldn’t figure out why the unit wouldn’t drain.

I brought out my bag of tricks and used a tiny dentists’ tool to remove a cherry pit that was bleached white like the rest of the appliance and fit so perfectly in

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 53

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

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-04 2:38 PM

Q Building Green

Top

of the

Northlands Parkway Collegiate High School in Winkler, Man. features state-of-the-art mechanical systems.

class

Geothermal, chilled beams, radiant heat and rainwater recovery add up to LEED Gold for Manitoba school

By Dan Vastyan

Not far north of Manitoba’s border with the U.S. is a small city “Where people make the difference.”

Though the town’s demographics have changed in recent years, Winkler’s motto still rings true. A decade ago, Winkler saw the beginning of accelerated population growth. With over 10,000 residents today, the city is considered Manitoba’s second fastest growing population.

Expansion means more need for public infrastructure.

High on Winkler’s list was a new high school. With 180,000 LEED Gold-certified square feet, Northlands Parkway Collegiate High School (NPC) became Winkler’s second high school when it opened last September.

On the Northern Great Plains where winter nights can dip to -50°F (-45°C), construction of a sizeable building has an interesting twist. Mechanical systems need to be efficient and uncompromising. But that’s not breaking news for the engineers at Enermodal Engineering in Kitchener, Ont. “Here you have the classic Canadian challenge of designing for very harsh winters, and hot, humid summers,” said Richard Lay, senior mechanical design engineer. “Manitoba is really pushing to boost school energy efficiency.” For Lay, the news is good: his company designs systems exclusively for LEED Gold and Platinum facilities.

Project supervisor Dave Brown installs one of the Taco LoFlo circulators and double-tee assemblies that avoid balancing issues by mixing water temperature at each chilled beam.

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Plumbing & HVAC – March 2014

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Sustainable design Since the 1970s Enermodal has focused on sustainable energy and water use, mechanical and electrical design and energy modeling for new and existing structures.

On this project, Enermodal tapped the expertise of

Leo Vaillancourt and George Faust, the design team at Watts Radiant Canada.

“Often, engineers provide us with performance specifications and load requirements and we’ll help with the design,” said Vaillancourt. “With Northlands School, it was a year-long process.”

“Since 2009, the minimum provincial standard for any new school is LEED Silver, and Gold is our target,” said Ken Bergen, supervisor of operations at Garden Valley School Division. “We’re building sustainable green facilities and doing it to a certain standard.”

The cutting-edge facility is complete with groundsource heat pumps, hydronic cooling, in-floor radiant heat and a rainwater harvesting system. The latest comfort and high-efficiency technology is being used, like chilled beams from Twa Panel Systems in Edmonton that are served by a low-flow distribution system for a large Delta-T; a big plus for heat pumps and condensing boilers alike.

“An extensive geothermal exchange field serves three modular chillers, which supply hot and cold water to the building’s in-slab radiant tubing and active chilled beams,” said Lay. “A two-million Btu/h condensing boiler provides redundancy for peace of mind and supplemental heat to VAV boxes and baseboard radiators for the harshest winter days.”

Innovative cooling system Canadian schools aren’t typically equipped with full air conditioning, noted Lay, but NPC will be used yearround. Since efficiency was the main goal, chilled beams are used as primary cooling equipment. A variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system is the “next best” option in a few areas of the building that aren’t ideal for a chilled beam installation. The VRF system has heat recovery capability and – when in cooling mode – expels BTUs into the building’s domestic hot water supply.

A fully modulating dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) provides all ventilation in the school to meet the ASHRAE 62 standard. Delivered through the active chilled beams and VAV boxes, the amount of ventilation supplied depends on the occupation status of each room.

Several activity rooms are expected to produce higher humidity levels than the rest of the school. According to Lay, it’s possible that these rooms will require more air movement than the chilled beams can supply for latent

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2014-03-05 12:31 PM

Bison Mechanical workers laid 16 kilometres of PEX for radiant floor heating.

Bison’s Tom Lamerou works on one of the school’s three large ground-source chillers. cooling. As an alternative, the DOAS is used to supply air to displacement ventilation terminals at floor level.

Return air is collected at ceiling height.

The building’s envelope lives up to LEED Gold expectations. Exterior walls reach R23 insulation value, while the roof is a solid R32. Triple pane, tripleglazed, low-E windows help further.

the utilidor below, hollow-core, pre-cast concrete panels are used.

“Because of the insulated foundation, the utilidor is considered a semiconditioned space,” explained Lay. “It never drops below freezing, but doesn’t draw a great deal of heat away from the building above.”

On top of the concrete panels, wire mesh holds the 187 radiant loops in place, each 300 feet long. A three-inch concrete pour on top of the radiant tubing – polished to a shine – is the surface of the school’s first floor. The tubing is set on six-inch centers.

water through the cooling coil would be around 59°F (15°C), depending on where in the building the unit is.” The water temperature cascades as it makes its way around the building, so the flow rate for each chilled beam is slightly different.

“A chilled beam installation can pose a real balancing challenge because of the need to closely regulate the water temperature and flow rates through the beams,” explained Lay. “The temperature differential between the room and the

coil must be relatively small so that the beam doesn’t condense.”

“We took out a few birds with one stone by using Taco LoFlo circulators and double-tee assemblies to mix water temperature at each beam,” he continued.

“This resolves all balancing issues, and provides a higher delta-T for the heat pumps. We’ve specified this setup for almost all heat pump and condensing

Please see ‘Going’ on page 57

Controlling flow and heat

Smart pumps along with adjustable manifolds ensure even heat from 187 radiant loops.

Stepping up the hydronics “This school is Manitoba’s first with active chilled beams,” said Lay. The beams were also new to Bison Mechanical, the company that installed all the plumbing, HVAC and rainwater collection systems at the jobsite.

Bison’s 15 employees focus on the commercial sector, especially municipal work in the Winnipeg area. They know what works during severe Canadian winters, frequently favoring hydronic in-floor heating systems. Although NPC is their first chilled beam project, it wasn’t a stretch for their skill set.

On the first floor of the school, 16 linear kilometres of 5/8-inch PEX in the floor slab serve as the main source of heat.

The school is essentially built on stilts because of Manitoba’s poor-draining soil type. To insulate the building from

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The outdoor design temperature is -50°F (-45°C), noted Dave Brown, project supervisor for Bison Mechanical. In-floor fluid temperatures hang around 112°F (45°C); ideal for the large geothermal heat pumps.

Water temperatures fluctuate slightly depending on the exact load, and what the outdoor reset calls for.

Bison used Watts Radiant Flowmeter manifolds, which allow each port to be isolated to get the exact flow rates to individual loops.

Fin-tube baseboard is the primary heat for the second floor. Chilled beams in the classrooms trim the heat load.

Downstairs, the beams act in the same way, only in conjunction with the infloor, instead of the baseboard radiators.

During the summer months, the beams are in their element, providing primary cooling to both levels of the building. The air circulated through the beam comes from the DOAS system, pre-cooled slightly.

“If it’s an 82°F (28°C) day outside and the room’s target is 75°F (24°C), the DOAS will be providing 66°F (19°C) degree air to the beam,” said Lay. “Supply

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2014-03-04 2:39 PM

Q Building Green

Going big with geothermal DHW supply before it reaches two 100 gallon gasfired condensing water heaters. Although the triple tank system supplies DHW to many bathrooms, locker rooms and kitchen, there are a few outlying sections of the school that need some extra help.

“For the long runs to the east and west sides of the school, we installed electric Bradford White point-of-use tanks,” explained Brown. “On either side of the building, one tank serves three bathrooms and a custodial room.”

In the kitchen, a tankless water heater boosts temperatures coming from the large tanks in the main mechanical room.

Subfloor claustrophobia Bison’s Matt Penner pipes a Bradford White indirect tank used in conjunction with the building’s VRF system to pre-heat domestic hot water.

Continued from page 55 boiler systems we’ve designed in the past five or six years.”

Most of the downstairs office spaces aren’t equipped with chilled beams. Instead, five Daikin-McQuay HRV air handlers provide cooling there, along with a library, workshops and a theatre room with ceilings too high for chilled beams.

“Lack of ceiling space has been the biggest hurdle,” said Brown. “In most cases the ceilings have been dropped or extra coordination has taken place just to get all the systems under one roof.”

There’s no room to spare in the 28 inches between the drop ceiling and the underside of the second story floor.

The crowded space contains a well-planned grouping of essentials: the insulated, four-pipe hydronic system, loop water running from the chillers to the kitchen, gas lines, domestic water piping, fire suppression system, minor ductwork, cable tray, electrical boxes, system controls and stick-ups for light fixtures.

Rainwater recycling “We haven’t designed a facility in over 15 years that hasn’t incorporated a rainwater system,” said Lay. “It’s just part of what we do. Brown deserves a medal for fishing a 15inch rainwater main through the building,” said Lay. The big cast iron pipe carries water from the flat roof to the underground 5,300-gallon (20,000 litre) fiberglass cistern. Collected water is used to flush toilets and urinals, and to supply outside hose bibs.

“This project has been in queue for about 10 years,” explained Bergen. “So far, we’ve added 20 portable classrooms to the current high school, plus another 34 portables to other schools in the division, as a stop gap measure. NPC will open with 650 students, but is constructed for 800. Infrastructure is provided for 1,000, since we expect a future addition of up to eight classrooms,” he added.

Dan Vastyan is an account manager and writer for Common Ground, a trade communications firm based in Manheim, Pennsylvania. He can be reached at cground2@ptd.net.

Geothermal system To meet the school’s 1.9 million Btu/h heat load, McQuay supplied two 70-ton and one 30-ton water-sourced modular chillers. The big ClimaCool geothermal units draw fluid from 13 kilometers of geothermal exchange tubing buried adjacent to the facility.

Over the course of two weeks, Accurate HD Ltd., a horizontal boring contractor based in Manitoba, created the exchange field. Using directional bore machines, they ran two layers of HDPE tubing to create the big, rectangular geo-exchange field. The first layer is at a depth of 12 feet. The second layer, directly under the first, lies 18 feet below the surface. A 25 percent propanediol antifreeze mixture protects the exchange field from the unlikely event of a freeze.

In addition to space heating, the three chillers cool the building’s walk-in freezers and refrigerators. The school has a large culinary arts kitchen, which would have been a sizeable energy drain, but the ground loop handles the cooling load from kitchen’s cooling appliances.

“Supply water into the first floor slab varies slightly depending on what the outdoor reset calls for, but typically it’s 120°F (49°C),” said Lay. A two million Btu/h Aerco Benchmark modulating boiler provides full-system redundancy. The big boiler also supplies high-temp water to the building’s fan coil units and baseboard. The efficiency of the ground-source chillers can’t be beat with a natural gas unit, but they aren’t capable of producing the 170°F (77°C) water that the offices and second floor call for.

As the VRF pulls heat out of the building during cooling operation, it dumps the heat into a 60-gallon Bradford White indirect tank. This preheats the

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Q Building Green technology for Canada. There were differences in pressures, housing materials, and pumps. The final digester is innovative, the first in the world to utilize a three-phase separator to ensure uniform velocity, which increases efficiency and mitigates bacterial contamination. A 10-inch header is used, plus control valves with electromagnetic flow meters to automatically equalize flow of the lines.

Process drain water and whey are pumped into two-day storage tanks. A dissolved air flotation system separates the fat before it is injected into a 160 cubic metre digester fluid bed that is continuously recirculated up to two metres per hour while bacteria chomp away on the organic matter. The temperature is kept at about 30°C (86°F), producing biogas that’s 60 percent methane and 40 percent carbon dioxide.

This is burned in an adapted Viessmann atmospheric water boiler to a maximum water temperature of 98°C (208F). A key benefit is that as cheese production increases (which it is), biogas production outpaces energy inputs, so more biogas is being produced and less heating oil is used.

Cheese production at Fromagerie des Basques is split among several buildings.

A central mechanical system serves all buildings.

Environmental nightmare provides HVAC solution Innovative cheese plant heating system burns self-generated biogas

By Bruce Nagy One night in 2011 engineer Gheorghe Mihalache was having a nightmare. He dreamed he was in a steamy, smelly room and a client was talking. “We’re no longer compliant with pollution standards because our cheese plant produces whey and whitewater that is harmful to the environment. The pork plant that previously accepted it has closed and our volume is too large for the ministry. Also we have negative pressure in a food processing area, which violates CFIA regulations, and we have no control system to monitor the situation,” lamented the client.

“Our energy costs are out of control. We have HVAC equipment in the production area making maintenance difficult and creating contamination issues. Sometimes cooling breaks down in our cheese aging rooms and we have to quickly move all our stock from one to another.

Demand for our products continues to grow, but these problems have turned into big threats. We need to upgrade, but we can’t afford to, and our local mechanical contractor doesn’t want to try anything new.”

Mihalache, engineering director for Atis

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Complete mechanical revamp Working with local Trois Pistoles contractor Plomberie Pierre Rioux Inc., Mihalache adapted a warehouse so that all the heating and refrigeration is now produced

Please see ‘Indoor’ on page 61

Technologies in Montreal, could hardly wait to wake up from the horrible nightmare, until he suddenly realized he wasn’t sleeping. This was very real!

However, by 2012 the cheese plant had been completely made over with an innovative system that both recaptures heat from refrigeration equipment and creates biogas from the whey, which can then be burned instead of heating oil.

There had been a 64 percent reduction in oil costs for the same cheese production, but with considerably more space being heated. When adjusted for the added space, the saving was 73 percent. Pressure was now positive, as confirmed by a state-of-the-art control system.

A separate mechanical room and new effluent treatment plant had been built, avoiding non-compliance and eliminating the shipping out of process water. About two thirds of the capital cost of the upgrade had been covered by the government. The local contractors had learned about new technologies and Mihalache would later receive an industry award for the project.

Dealing with waste The single biggest challenge was that solutions for waste byproducts from Fromagerie des Basques in TroisPistoles, Quebec had hit a wall of pollution rules, cost, and a lack of partners to accept sterilization and process drain water and whey from five million litres of milk per year.

Mihalache and Atis worked with Valbio épuration et énergie in Toulouse, France to adapt bio digester

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Building Green

What a difference! Clean, tidy and energy efficient – heating costs were substantially reduced by using the plant’s own biogas.

In addition to the heating upgrade, a sophisticated effluent control system does more than simply comply with environmental requirements.

Indoor air quality improved too Continued from page 59 in one mechanical room in a dedicated separate building and supplied by underground liquid loops to the cheese plant, effluent treatment plant, administrative building, and owner’s residence. Piping is all insulated, stainless steel for hot water and PVC/ PEX for glycol.

Refrigeration is delivered by a -5°C to -2°C glycol loop; and the heating by two more loops, one at about 32°C and the other between 65°C and 90°C. Lower temperature heat is generated by the chiller condenser and higher temps by the 115kW biogas boiler or the 300 kW oil boiler. Heated water from the boiler accumulates in two 35 cubic metre tanks.

A central 80-ton, four-stage, and two independent R410A chillers replaced all small refrigeration units.

Previously, operators manually and

continuously adjusted cheese processor temperatures and agitator speeds.

Now a sophisticated unitary control system allows the entire operation to be monitored and controlled in real time from any laptop. Operators input production data and the system calculates the necessary energy for daily production, adjusting set points and other variables.

The touch screen offers 10 timetemperature/agitation templates. This means cheese production is now more uniform, minimizing production losses and improving operator productivity.

Heat recapture Rejected heat from the condenser accumulates in a 25 cubic metre tank at temperatures up to 38°C. From this tank, a lower temperature loop pre-heats potable water for production, for the fresh air ventilation unit, and preheats the 4°C milk to 29°C (It is then pasteurized

This schematic provides a basic overview of the mechanical system.

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PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 61

at 74°C and later cooled again to 32°C).

Only in summer is the chiller heat partly released outside. As well, 10,000 cubic metres of 65°C water per year are needed for sterilizing equipment.

The cooling glycol loop supplies all cold rooms, brines, a cheese aging room, food display cabinets in the plant store, and the ventilation unit in summer.

Ventilation and IAQ Previously, controlled fresh air was not supplied to the interior of the building; temperatures in the production area were managed using direct expansion evaporators attached to local compressors mounted on the roof. The coils were a potential contamination source.

Small individual air-cooled chillers supplied the cold rooms. If any of the compressors were down more than 12 hours, the cheese would be moved.

With more than ten small refrigeration compressors, maintenance often caused production interruptions.

The new ventilation plan provides 100 percent HEPA filtered fresh air for the production area, ensuring positive pressure, no contamination, and optimal 23 to 25°C temperatures for people and cheese. The air is heated on the coldest days with just a 30°C glycol loop at a low flow rate. The 2500 CFM unit draws from the “free energy” water tank, and supplies more than two air changes per hour.

During production, 10-15 people

work on a 4000 square foot floor, translating to at least .5 CFM/ft2, exceeding the ASHRAE 62.1 standard.

And the volume of new dry air helps control humidity during frequent washing operations.

Controlling effluent After making biogas, the white water and whey must still be treated before distribution in the absorption field, all of which is now done on-site. After the digester, it goes to a buffer tank, which regulates the flow at about 30 cubic metres per day into an aerobic treatment tank.

After the bacteria digests some of the biological waste, a decanter separates remaining solids from liquids, sending solids to a sludge tank which is removed to landfill at the rate of about one cubic metre per day. The remaining liquid can then be filtered into another buffer tank and fed into the absorption fields.

Gheorghe Mihalache turned a nightmare into a practical solution and was awarded first place in the Existing Industrial Facilities category of the ASHRAE Technology Awards in 2013.

Everyone reading this article will likely agree, it was well deserved.

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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Q Trucks for the Trade

New Ford F150 drops 320 kg Special materials used to build lighter, more efďŹ cient pickup

I

t takes guts to completely redesign the most popular pickup truck in North America. But Ford has done just that with its F150. And the redesign for the 2015 model goes far beyond anything the company has done before with a new body and box made entirely of aluminum.

And lest anyone worries that the aluminum structure might not stand up in day-to-day use, Ford uses phrases like â&#x20AC;&#x153;high strengthâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;military gradeâ&#x20AC;? to describe the stiff aluminum structure.

It sits on what looks like a fairly conventional, but

The F150 has undergone much more than the typical redesign.

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again completely redesigned, “high strength” steel frame. Using better quality steel and a new design allowed Ford to reduce frame weight by 27 kilograms (60 lbs.)

The 320 kg (700 lbs.) lower weight should result in better fuel mileage, something that Ford needed to address after General Motors pushed fuel efficiency to 23 mpg (about 10 km per litre) for its 2014 Silverado and GMC Sierra.

However, Ford hasn’t listed the weight for the new truck, but based on figures for the 2014 models, the new truck should weigh from 1,800 kg (4,000 lbs.) to 2,360 kg (5,200 lbs.), depending on wheelbase, cab configuration and engine. Or in other words, it’s light – for a truck.

burned out bulbs, etc.

There are a number of new safety features including “Curve Control,” which automatically provides more aggressive braking if the truck gets into a curve too fast.

High wattage power outlets (400 watts, 110 volts) in the cab allow easy charging of cordless tools.

For those who work in rural/remote areas, the optional FX4 off-road package can be added to most four-wheel-drive models, improving trail capability with an electronic locking rear axle, skid plates and offroad shocks.

The new F150 is expected in Ford dealerships this fall.

The steel chassis looks conventional but incorporates high-strength materials.

-

Extreme testing Ford reports that the new F150 is the most tested pickup in the company’s history. It will have undergone over 16 million kilometres in testing before it goes on sale. It crisscrossed North America hauling trailers and heavy loads in everything from extreme cold and snow to scorching hot deserts.

It endured salt spays and acid sprays to test for corrosion. One concern was the possibility of corrosion where the aluminum body meets the steel frame.

After simulating six years of driving in six weeks, Ford engineers tore down the truck and developed new ways to prevent scratching of the corrosion protection on the frame and eliminated any spots where water could settle.

“We put the truck through some of our testing longer and further than we have ever done before,” said Ford development manager Peter Frantzeskakis. “All this extra testing proved we were on the right track with our designs and materials.”

Engine options There are four engine options for the 2015 F150 including a new 2.7 litre EcoBoost engine with Ford’s Auto Start-Stop technology, which shuts off the engine when the vehicle is stationary to save fuel and then restarts it instantly when the brake is released. This engine is designed to provide similar power and driving characteristics to the typical mid-range V-8.

There is also a new 3.5 litre V-6 with variable cam timing along with the existing 3.5 litre EcoBoost V-6.

The big engine is the 5.0 litre (302 cu. in.) Ti-VCT V-8.

The transmission is a six-speed automatic.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel efficiency figures were unavailable at press time, but one has to assume that Ford’s goal is to exceed the GM figures.

Special features While the new aluminum body grabs attention, the new Ford F150 introduces a number of other innovations.

These include 360-degree cameras to help with parking, integrated loading ramps for ATVs and equipment, Ford’s “BoxLink” system for securing cargo and remote controlled tailgate lock. LED lighting in the box makes it easy to find stuff at night.

For hauling a trailer, a camera helps line up the trailer hitch and a “smart trailer tow module” alerts the driver to any issues with the trailer, such as

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2014-03-04 2:39 PM

Q People & Places

Master Group expands in Ontario On Feb. 13 The Master Group of Boucherville, Quebec announced the conclusion of an agreement to acquire the distribution assets of Eastern Refrigeration Supply, headquartered in Markham, Ont. The transaction will take effect on March 31.

This agreement include the Ontario distributors’ headquarters, distribution centre and Markham branch. The acquisition began with three branches of Eastern Refrigeration in 2011.

All Eastern employees will stay in place. Doug Merkel will also remain in position and his role will be to facilitate the transition and ensure liaison with customers.

The move supports the Master Group’s strategy to become a national leader in the HVAC-R industry, reported Michel Ringuet, Master Group CEO. “It allows us to reach a critical point in our progression into new geographic territories and opens new avenues towards a national platform,” he added.

The addition of a distribution centre based in the greater Toronto area will allow the company to better serve existing customers and help it expand into the West, while freeing up capacity at the Boucherville distribution centre for expansion projects in the East.

The Master Group is planning a number of new initiatives in 2014, including the opening of a new branch in Mississauga, Ont. this spring.

Eastern Refrigeration Supply Co. Ltd. is a family business that started in 1963 in Markham. George Merkel and David Merkel will continue the company’s operations at a new location, to be announced. Its activities will now focus on redistribution operations to wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers.

The Master Group L.P. has served the air conditioning, refrigeration and heating sectors for 60 years and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2010. It employs 560 people in 21 branches and three distribution centres.

The

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Bosch Thermotechnology Corp., Londonderry, New Hampshire, announces that its plant Aveiro, Portugal, passed the 20 million mark in production of gas-fired water heaters this past fall.

Employees gathered for a photo to mark the occasion.

Contractors support CO awareness ClimateCare, a co-operative of 35 heating & air conditioning companies across Ontario, has launched several initiatives to promote carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning awareness and monitoring.

On Jan. 22 the group made a $500 donation to the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation to raise awareness of CO dangers, and promote CO monitors in all homes, which are now mandatory in Ontario.

Receiving the cheque at the group’s head office in Burlington, Ont. was John Gignac, founder of the Foundation and uncle of Laurie Hawkins, who lost her life along with her husband and two small children to carbon monoxide poisoning in Woodstock, Ont. in 2008.

ClimateCare also made a subsequent $500 donation to the Fire Marshall’s Safety Council.

NEXT Plumbing Hydronics, Vaughan, Ont. has announced the appointment of an outside sales team made up of plumbing industry veterans, all with 10-20 years experience in the trade and in wholesale supply.

Mike Panzarino, Fab Iafano, Frank Iafano and Scott Boucher have been named outside sales reps.

Steve Goldie and Peter Zandberg will serve as hydronic heating specialists.

ProLon, Laval, Que., has welcomed Angie Jarvis as its new U.S. territory sales representative. She spent the last 10 years with Functional Devices, Russiaville, Indiana, and local controls distributors.

Angie Jarvis ECCO Heating Products Ltd., Edmonton, announces the retirement of Fred Wakulich, executive vice-president and chief financial officer, after 50 years of service. He started with the company when it had 12 employees and was instrumental in its growth to become one of the largest

John Gignac, left, and ClimateCare past president Dave Murtland (D&B ClimateCare, Simcoe, Ont.) display the CO detectors that they will install in customers’ homes.

Members also used the occasion to announce the launch of ClimateCare’s free carbon monoxide (CO) monitor program in which homeowners receive a CO detector when they sign up for a ClimateCare WeCare Maintenance Plan with a member contractor. wholesaler/manufacturers in North America with over 650 employees, 14 sales branches, two manufacturing plants and three distribution centres. Bryan Schultz, corporate controller, will assume Wakulich’s responsibilities.

The

Companies Shel-B Sales, Calgary, has moved to a new office and warehouse at No.154, 5255 McCall Way NE, announces company president Sheldon Schiffner. He can be reached at 403-770-9322.

NEXT Plumbing Hydronics, Vaughan, Ont., has announced the opening of its fifth warehouse at 5777 Coopers Avenue in Mississauga. The 21,000 square foot warehouse includes an indoor pipe yard and ample front parking. The company expects to add more locations in 2014.

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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2014-03-04 2:39 PM

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PHVAC_Mar2014.indd 66

2014-03-04 2:39 PM

Q Coming Events

MEET Show seminars announced Industry dinner, new technologies will highlight Moncton event

A

tlantic Canada’s favorite industry trade show is returning to the Moncton Coliseum May 7-8 and it promises to be a busy time. In addition to the latest technologies from over 400 exhibitors, organizers have announced a number of industry specific seminars.

And on the first evening, the popular Industry Dinner will take place once again at the Delta Beausejour Hotel.

Seminars Seminars at the Mechanical Electrical Electronic Technology Show – more commonly known as the MEET Show – will cover both the mechanical and electrical sectors, along with topics of interest to both.

A good example of the latter will be a session titled ‘Integrated Building Design’ by ASHRAE distinguished lecturer Dennis Knight on May 7, presented by the ASHRAE N.B./P.E.I. Chapter.

Knight will present a second session May 8 titled ‘Developing an Integrated Personal Management System to help Get Things Done.’ For engineers, some of the MEET seminars can count as informal education for professional credits.

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating will present a session on ‘Rainwater and Greywater Challenges,’ with Edward Van Giesen of Watts Water Technologies as speaker.

On the electrical side, a panel discussion by the Maritime Electrical Inspectors on the Canadian Electrical Code may also be of interest to mechanical contractors.

Gathering of the clan Exhibitors from all over the world will display the latest in equipment for the mechanical and electrical industries at the New Brunswick event, which has become a “gathering of the clan” for Atlantic Canada’s mechanical industry over the years.

Nowhere is that more evident than at the Industry Dinner, which usually draws about 800 contractors and other industry personnel for a night of conversation, entertainment and a wonderful meal.

Matthew DiSero has been announced as the comedian at this year’s event. He is a comedian, writer and magician known across North America for his Comedy Magic show.

Matthew Back at the trade show, DiSero manufacturers will compete for

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

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Busy times at MEET 2012, as contractors took advantage of a rare opportunity to speak directly to the manufacturers about their products. the third biennial Meet Innovations Awards, which recognize new ideas and advanced product technologies, as judged by a committee of industry experts.

The New Brunswick Division of Skills Canada will once again hold its Skills competitions for apprentices in the plumbing, electrical, refrigeration and air conditioning trades during the event. The winners will represent New Brunswick at the national Skills Canada

Events

Calendar MARCH 8-14: Canadian Construction Association 96th Annual Conference, Westin Playa Bonita Panama, Panama City, Panama. Call (613) 236-9455 or visit www.cca-acc.com for more information.

MARCH 19-21: Canadian Mechanicals and Plumbing Exposition (CMPX), Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto. Visit www.cmpxshow.com or call 1-800-282-0003.

competition in Toronto in June.

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating, the ASHRAE N.B./P.E.I. Chapter, the Electro-Federation of Canada and the Maritime Sections of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America sponsor the MEET Show.

Please visit the show website at www.meetshow.ca for more details.

MAY 7-8: MEET Show 2014, Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, N.B. Call 1-888-454-7469 or visit www.meetshow.ca.

MAY 7-8: Solar Ontario 2014 Conference and Trade Show, Ottawa Convention Centre, Ottawa.

Call 1-866-522-6742 or visit www.solarontarioconference.ca.

JUNE 22-24: ABC 2014, CIPH Annual Business Conference, Delta Grand Okanagan Hotel, Kelowna, B.C. Call 1-800-639-2474 or visit www.ciph.com.

APRIL 1-3: CMCEF Construction Middle Management Education Conference, Hilton Garden Inn, Saskatoon, Sask.

Call (613) 232-5169 or visit www.cmcef.org.

AUG. 20-23: HRAI Annual Meeting, Montreal. Call 1-800-267-2231 or visit www.hrai.ca.

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Shop Management

{

{or small?}

}

Establishing the ideal size for your business can be difficult

By Ron Coleman

I am often asked the question “what’s the right size for my business?” Well, the answer may surprise you because there isn’t a “one size fits all”. There are several factors that will help you determine what’s the best size for your business and, when it comes to plumbing and HVAC, determining this is most critical.

In the annual HRAI Contractor Benchmark Program I have reviewed approximately 900 sets of financial statements over the past 17 years. I have also interviewed many of the owner/managers. Add this to the other 1,500 sets of financials that I have reviewed for other mechanical trades and you will see that this topic is very close to my heart.

First of all, I know I’ve said this many times before, but being too small means you have bought yourself a job, not a business. If your annual sales are under $800,000 it is almost impossible to earn a good wage and make a profit, unless you work 70 to 80 hours per week and no one should have to do that. So, if you want to take a vacation and have the opportunity of selling your business at some point, you need to grow beyond that. Some very specialized segments of the industry are successful with sales of under $800,000, but they are rare.

The typical company Most owners of plumbing or HVAC companies are not real entrepreneurs.

They usually have a solid technical background and the more successful ones have a good dose of common sense.

These companies tend to be most successful when doing $2 to $3 million in annual sales. This is because the owner/manager’s skill and knowledge of estimating and managing the work are sufficient to be successful. The successful owner/managers of these sized companies tend to be very hands-on and stay in control of all the facets of their business.

As companies grow beyond $3 million per year the owner manager needs to delegate more responsibility; you can only juggle so much. Many delegate and lose control and these companies tend to make less money than before.

Growing and staying in control is difficult for many owner/managers. Without the right systems and key performance indicators to monitor and a competent management team, they are unlikely to succeed. There’s a big difference between “delegation” and “abdication.”

One of my Ontario contractors (union commercial HVAC) does $3 million in annual sales and, before his salary and depreciation ,the company consistently makes over $600,000 in profit. He doesn’t want to grow the company because of his fear of losing control and making less money. We are in the process of selling that company, but potential buyers are nervous because he is perceived as an integral part of the ongoing operations. The question is how will the business thrive without his everyday presence.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

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The right people

The companies that do grow successfully do so because the owner/manager has a strong entrepreneurial bent and is good at picking, motivating and leading his management team. These companies have a vision and a plan of action to implement the vision.

There are two residential HVAC companies in Ontario that I know and they are both very successful, but with different business models. One has built up a solid service base; the other, a solid retrofit market. Both companies do under $1.5 million in annual sales. Both average around $350,000 to $400,000 in average profit before depreciation and owner salaries every single year. What do they both have in common? The owners are very hands-on and are passionate about their businesses. Now they are ready for their exit strategies and that is going to be an interesting process. It is difficult to separate them from the business.

The right size What’s the right size for your business?

See if you can answer the question “how much additional work could I do without adding overhead?” You need to get to around 90 percent capacity. So if you could add another service truck or retrofit crew without adding overhead (dispatch, estimator, project manager, office staff), then put a plan in place to fill that void. Approximately fifty percent of the overhead of a typical plumbing/HVAC business is salary related.

On the other hand, if you are at maximum capacity, put your prices up and level out the workload to fit your capacity, then you can decide on the next step.

Adding overhead, which usually means taking on another person (dispatch, estimator, project manager, office staff) is expensive. As a rule of thumb you need to do about eight times that person’s cost in additional sales to justify the investment or you have to generate efficiencies within your operation that will offset the cost: • Assume the cost of the new overhead person is $80,000 and you generate additional sales of eight times that cost (8 x $80,000). You will generate $640,000 in additional sales.

• If your job costs (Materials/subs/labour) on that work will be 65 percent, then 65 percent of the additional sales will be paid out as direct job costs (65% of $640,000), leaving 35 percent gross profit to cover overhead and net profit (35% of $640,000), which is $224,000. Because your new overhead person has increased your overhead by $80,000, you now have $144,000 ($224,000 $80,000) left to cover any extra overhead required to do the additional $640,000 in sales and to reward yourself for taking the risk of investing in this new

Please see ‘Creating’ on page 70

March 2014 – Plumbing & HVAC

69

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Q Shop Management

Creating a plan Continued from page 69 person. If you don’t generate the new business, this would be a bad investment. If your gross profit is below 35 percent, then the level of sales required to justify the decision would be higher. Do the exercise for your company and see what it takes to justify increasing overhead: New overhead person

$80,000

Additional sales factor

8X

Additional sales

$640,000

Direct cost

65%

$416,000

Gross profit

35%

$224,000

You use the gross profit to pay New person

$80,000

Additional profit

$144,000

Many contractors don’t really understand the difference between overhead and direct cost. Here’s a simple test that most people (including bookkeepers

fail): Is WISB/WCB an overhead or a direct cost? If you choose one of those answers you got it wrong. It needs to be allocated in relation to the portion of wages (direct cost) and salaries (overhead). This also applies to employer payroll burden. Simply Accounting (Sage 50) and Quick Books do not allow you to do that without generating journals. (e-mail me at ronald@ ronaldcoleman.ca if you need clarity on this; no charge).

Laying the groundwork A surprisingly large number of contractors have very poorly laid out financial information and are therefore unable to get the information they need to become more successful. You need to build your business on a solid foundation. Start with laying out your financial statements properly and do job costing. Then develop your key performance indicators and ensure that you measure your workload capacity and your labour productivity as two prime indicators.

There are two reasons for being in business – to make money and to have fun. Most of us need to spend more time focusing on our lifestyles and how our businesses can benefit us. There’s an old saying “it’s okay to love your job ,but your job won’t love you”.

So, focus, focus, focus. I know you focus on the work you do, but most contractors fail to focus on their business. Have you ever heard the phrase “work ON your business as well as work IN your business”?

Identify what outcomes you really want from your

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business and how are you going to achieve them.

Use the ideas in this article to build your foundation.

Because, no matter where you want to take your business, you can’t do it without a solid foundation. You can’t start yesterday and don’t leave it until tomorrow!

Ronald Coleman is a Vancouverbased accountant, management consultant, author and educator specializing in the construction industry. He can be reached by e-mail at ronald@ronaldcoleman.ca.

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