NEW Gen-Pack™ Battery Adapter. (Battery not included)
Now you can inspect drain lines far from a power source. The Gen-Pack battery adapter allows up to 12 hours of remote operation with limited access to power. The Gen-Pack is also sold separately.
But wait, there’s more. You can now record onto a flash drive or send the recording to your customers with the built-in Wi-Fi transmitter. Also, you can track just how far the camera has traveled down the line with the on-screen distance counter.
For more information, visit www.drainbrain.com/XPodPlus, or call the Drain Brains ® at 800-245-6200
Tothekeenobserver,youmightnoticethatfor this issue of the magazine, I have decided to changemyheadshotforthiseditorialcolumn.
At the recent annual general meeting for the Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) in Ottawa, I had two readers come up to me and ask to take a photo together. And I wanted to celebrate our fantastic readership.
Inrecent,Ihaveevenhadconversationswith family friends that I have known since I wasn’t even crawling yet regarding this magazine.
A few weeks ago, at the Canadian Hydronics Conference in Saskatoon, I had several readers come up to me to discuss the work completed here at Plumbing & HVAC magazine.
I even had one gentleman that works for a manufacturer in the industry ask me what I thought regarding heat pump technology here in Canada. I responded that I find it very interesting that there appears to be a growing interest in this type of technology; but also, that it makes sense with the current political climate and the push in the industry to go electric. It gets even more fascinating when I hear about solutions that will utilize both fossil fuel systems in tandem with some kind
of electric heat pump.
Everyone loves to say that this industry is slow to adopt change, which can be true at times. But it’s interesting to see how quickly the tone of the discussion around heat pumps has shifted in just the last couple of years alone. It soon might be said that this industry isn’t that slow to adopt change when needed. There just needs to be the right incentives set in place.
These are the types of interactions that were missed so dearly over those two long years of lockdowns and social distancing.
It felt like so much of the time during the pandemic, we ended up sitting behind our laptops without engaging with our readership as much as we would have liked. But now that in-person events are picking back up again, we are finally able to interact again.
That being said, I want to stress to our readers how much we appreciate it when you write in to discuss the hot topics of the day. Or even to just tell us how much you love our work because everyone loves a little ego boost once in a while.
October 2022
Volume 32, Number 7 ISSN 1919-0395
Publisher
Mark Vreugdenhil (289) 638-2133 ext.1 Cell: (416) 996-1031 mark@plumbingandhvac.ca
Editor
Leah Den Hartogh
(289) 638-2133 ext. 2 Cell: (289) 830-1217 leah@plumbingandhvac.ca
Assistant Editor
Francesco Lo Presti (289) 638-2133 ext. 3 francesco@plumbingandhvac.ca
Contributing Writers
Roy Collver, Ron Coleman, Mark P. Evans, Bill Hooper, Glenn Mellors, Bruce Nagy, Greg Scrivener
Design and Production Tim Norton/Janet Popadiuk production@plumbingandhvac.ca
All articles and photos by Plumbing & HVAC staff unless noted.
PLUMBING & HVAC Magazine is published eight times annually by Marked Business Media Inc. and is written for individuals who purchase/ specify/approve the selection of plumbing, piping, hot water heating, fire protection, warm air heating, air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, controls and related systems and products throughout Canada.
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A member of:
• Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating
• Mechanical Contractors Association 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
By Leah Den Hartogh
To ensure a successful transition to a decarbonized built environment, the industry will be required to focus on the “journey” towards electrification rather than attempting to sprint to the finish line. Along with the ongoing labour shortage, this was the main theme of the Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada’s (HRAI) annual conference, which was held at the Westin in Ottawa from Sept. 18 to 20.
The event kicked off with a networking event at the Westin’s Twenty-Two facility. Attendees were able to interact and have a cocktail or two, while several speeches were made by the association.
Over the next two days of the conference, attendees participated in a jam-packed schedule of fun-filled activities, such as a brewery tour, bike tour, and aerial park. Although the rain and some confusion regarding Queen Elizabeth’s celebration of life event resulted in some cancellations.
The conference held several panel discussions, which kicked off the event. Titled “Climate Change Panel,” attendees heard from several industry leaders regarding the current global view on climate change, the realities of this issue on the Canadian economy, and how the HVAC/R sector is positioned to assist in reaching global goals. “Climate issue for us is definitely going to be more of a journey rather than a destination,” explained Terry Duguid, member of parliament for the Winnipeg South constituency.
Oftentimes when people get into the electrification conversation, they focus on
Over the two-day conference, attendees were able to sit in on several panel discussions that focused on topics such as climate change and electrification.
the concerns. “Concern in Ontario is if we overload the grid, then we might see more natural gas technology and that’s something we are trying to avoid,” explained Janice Ashworth, project manager at the City of Ottawa’s climate change unit. “Ground source heat pumps are more stable, and this might be something pushed more in the future.”
Another concern for the industry relies on whether or not there are enough deep retrofit contractors required to perform all these energy-efficiency retrofits.
Throughout the conference, whenever a particularly intriguing topic was about to be brought up, the moderator would refer to the "elephant in the room," or, with a more Canadian twist, the "buffalo in the room." This was always followed by a low chuckle from attendees.
The first one mentioned was whether or not the net zero goals, or targets, will actually be attainable. “If we plan as if we are going to reach them, then we are more likely to attain them,” stated Ashworth.
For the climate change panel, Sandy
MacLeod, president and CEO of HRAI, prepared four pages of questions but wasn’t able to get past the first page because of the complicated nature of the topics at hand.
At every annual general meeting, there is a reading of the financial statement to allow members to transparently see the work being done by the association. Most of the time during these questioning periods, there is littletobereported.Butthisyear’ssessionwas a bit more lively.
According to Frank Diecidue, director of finance and operations for HRAI, who presented the audited financial statement to the crowd, the association’s goal for this year and the next two is to grow membership by 10 per cent each year. They are also hoping to receive funding from the government to run programs related to training.
One audience member asked for a more detailed account on how they were spending funds when it came to federal versus provincial government. There has been quite an increase in how much the association spends on government relations. Back in 2017-2018, the association annually would spend around $200,000. Now, they are annually spending around $800,000 and suspect this number will increase to close to a million dollars, reported MacLeod.
There were two speakers as part of the refrigeration panel discussions. The first was Michel Gauvin, head of ozone layer protection programs for the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). He explained to the audience how, through the Paris Agreement, Canada vowed to reduce its annual consumption of hydrofluorocarbon, orratherHFCs,by85 percentby2036.Whenaskedwhetherornot thistimelinewillchange,
Chris Higgins accepted to award on behalf of the City of Vancouver for winning this year’s President’s Award.
he said that unless it changes between all the countries that have signed this agreement, then this timeline remains the goal.
The next reduction date to remember is Jan. 1, 2024, when the reduction target is 40 per cent from the baseline. “This is a significant step in the journey to 85 per cent reductions,” explains Gauvin.
Pushpinder Rana, senior manager and industry relations for the HVAC division at Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada Inc, gave the second presentation. He focused more on A2L refrigerants and explained that the updated code for next year is expected to include content related to A2L refrigerants. Additionally, updated references to CSA B52 are expected to be published in 2023.
“ This means new refrigerant tables and safety guidelines,” explained Rana.
The final keynote presentation was given on the last day of the conference by Bruce Lourie, president of the Ivey Foundation. He stressed the importance of educating Canadians on why there need to be more changes coming to the built environment, “We need to make sure that people understand why they are making changes to their living spaces,” said Lourie. “Mother nature has its own HVAC system and it’s getting a bit out of control.”
At the 54th annual conference, several awards were handed out. This included the Merit Award to Bruce Passmore, region manager of HVAC/R, Canada East, at Emco, which is given in recognition of the outstanding contribution by an industry representative to the development and progress of the Institute and the Canadian HVAC/R industry.
The Warren Heeley Environmental Award was given to Jim Bolger, owner and president of Waterloo Energy Products, in recognition of a significant contribution to environmental services.
This year’s President’s Award recipients were Francis Belle, president at FM Residential, and the City of Vancouver (accepted by Chris Higgins, senior green building planner at the City of Vancouver), which is given in recognition of a significant contribution to HRAI and the industry. The president determines the recipients of the award each year.
The Life Member Award was given to Peter Steffes, owner of Ideal Heating & Cooling Ltd, which is given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to HRAI and the industry for 20 years or more.
The date and location for the 55th annual conference has yet to be announced.
Over the last two years, the world has had to battle the ramifications of a global pandemic. Adjustments to new change have had to be made, and yet while things have been moving in a relatively positive direction, there are still things to be concerned about.
“The demand for goods and services at home is running ahead of the economy’s ability to supply them,” reports Tiff Macklem, governor of the Bank of Canada, as part of a speech to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 6. “Businesses are having a hard time finding enough workers. And what started as higher prices and delays for many internationally produced goods has broadened to many services.”
Goods price inflation was about 4.5 per cent by the middle of 2021.
This makes it difficult for the contractor when larges increases to the cost of labour and equipment occur between winning the bid and actually starting the project, “Some builders are notorious for putting out bids early, just to get a better price, and that bid for the project may not start for two years,” explains Joe Pagliuca, co-owner and president of DMG Mechanical Inc. “Now in between the time of winning the bid and the start of the project, prices for labour and equipment can increase, which you need to account for in your bids.”
The good news for Canada is that inflation peaked at 8.1 per cent in June and has been on the decline for two months. “That’s welcome news, but inflation will not fade away by itself. To get back to more normal levels, we need to slow spending in the economy so supply can catch up with demand. This will help relieve price pressures here in Canada.”
In Sept, there was an increase in interest rates for the fifth consecutive time since March, “We indicated that interest rates will likely need to go higher still to bring inflation down to the two per cent target,” explains Macklem.
“Historical experience has taught us that supply disturbances typically have a temporary effect on inflation, so we tend to look through them. A year ago, we expected production to ramp up and investment in global supply chain logistics to pick up. In hindsight, that turned out to be overly optimistic,” explained Macklem.
As previously stated, inflation in Canada has been on a downward trajectory. Currently, it sits at seven per cent. “These signs of improving global supply chains are encouraging, but we can’t count on easing pressure on global prices to lower inflation in Canada,” said Macklem. “At a minimum, improving global factors will take time to filter through to Canadian inflation. And the recent depreciation of the Canadian dollar in the face of US-dollar strength will offset some of this global improvement by making US goods and vacations more expensive for Canadians.”
According to Carolyn Rogers, senior deputy governor at the Bank of Canada, inflation won’t come down overnight. “Given the lag between changes to interest rates and their impact on inflation—and the considerable uncertainty surrounding the outlook— getting inflation all the way back to two per cent will take some time. We also know there could be bumps along the way.” She said this
during a speech to the Calgary Economic Development on Sept. 8. “We have a careful eye on many different things—we have a lot of work ahead of us, and we will not rest easy until we can get inflation back to target,” said Rogers.
Spiralling upwards
“The longer high inflation persists and the more pervasive it becomes, the greater the risk that high inflation becomes entrenched. In particular, if high inflation pushes wages up and higher labour costs then push inflation up further, inflation expectations can become unmoored and high inflation can become self-fulfilling. We can’t let that happen because if it does, it will be much more costly to return inflation to target,” explains Macklem.
If a wage-price spiral occurs, “The spiral prompts inflation expectations, wages, and prices to ratchet upward. With de-anchored expectations, inflation stays higher than it would have been with easing demand and flat or declining commodity prices. To break the vicious circle, monetary policy works to re-anchor long-term inflation expectations to the two per cent target. This is done by setting monetary policy much tighter than in the base case and creating additional excess supply.”
The end goal will be to have an economy where no one has to guess where inflation is headed. Although it can probably be expected that there will be more interest rates in our futures, “Labour markets remain tight, the economy is in excess demand, and we have yet to see clear evidence that underlying inflation has come down. When combined with still elevated near-term inflation expectations, the clear implication is that further interest rate increases are warranted,” stated Macklem. “Simply put, there is more to be done. We will need additional information before we consider moving to a more finely balanced decision-by-decision approach.”
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“We see so many industries evolving but not enough in hydronics,” explained Gord Cooke, president at Building Knowledge Canada and partner at Construction Instruction. This was just one point made during his presentation on “Managing Homeowners Expectations,” which was part of the bi-annual Canadian Hydronics Conference (CHC). This year, the event was held at the World Trade Center at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon, Sask, from Sept. 28 to 29.
In addition to the beautiful weather (some parts of the province even broke temperature high records on the last day of the conference), guests were treated to fully catered breakfasts and lunches, a tradeshow floor with around 40 exhibitors, and prizes that included an iPad and gift cards.
At this year’s conference, there were two days full of seminars for attendees to choose from. Within each time slot, people were able
to choose from three different presentation topics. On the first day, attendees were able to enjoy seminars on “Air-to-Water Heat Pumps,” presented by Mike Miller, Taco Comfort Solutions, “Chemical and Non-Chemical Water Treatment Options,” presented by Kirk Nagus, Axiom Industries, “Keep It Simple for Hydronics,” presented by Alex Miller, Big Block Construction, “Snow Melt Systems,” presented by Jean-Claude Rémy, Uponor Ltd, “Managing Homeowner Expectations,” presented by Gord Cooke, Building Knowledge Canada, “Solar Thermal for Hydronics,” presented by Scott Boutilier, Viessmann Manufacturing, “Smart Technologies in Hydronics,” presented by Jim Erhardt, Watts Water Technologies, and lastly, “Variable Speed Circulators,” presented by Steffen Werner, Wilo.
On the second day, there was some
repetition regarding topics, so in addition to that, attendees also were able to listen in on “Current Risks and Rewards for the Industry and Its Business Owners,” presented by Robert Bean, Indoor Climate Consultants, “Mechanical Rooms: Back to Basic,” presented by Jean-Claude Rémy, Uponor Ltd, “Air-toWater Heat Pumps,” presented by Rick Mayo, Taco Comfort Solutions, “CSA B214 Update, presented by Tom Gervais,” Bradford White Canada Inc, and lastly, “Promoting Building Hygiene with Hydronic Heating & Cooling Systems,” presented by Robert Bean, Indoor Climate Consultants.
Gord Cooke, Building Knowledge Canada, gave a quick-paced presentation on managing homeowners’ expectations. During the 50-minute session, Cooke called on the
industry to work together rather than against each other as competitors.
One of the repeated topics during this conference surrounded heat pumps. As Cooke puts it, “Heat pumps are the new imperative.” But selling them to the homeowner can be complicated. This might mean not necessarily having to sell the technology on energy savings. Energy efficiency doesn’t equate to comfort, “We have to be careful in how we sell this,” explains Cooke.
It’s no secret that electrification and the race to net zero would be significant talking points in most seminars held during the conference. Robert Bean of Indoor Climate Consultants held the conference’s keynote presentation, covering electrification and net zero in the industry. During his seminar, Bean highlighted how the net zero goal was brought to the industry’s attention 30 years ago, “The term net zero is not new. It’s been around, and people in the industry have known about it for some time.” He references how back in the 1990s, the Twin River Buildings in Edmonton utilized an electrification system.
Regarding Canada’s path to being net zero by 2050, Bean highlighted how Canada can do better at using wasted energy and how the country can optimize the potential of its energy usage. Bean stated, “There are huge opportunities for this industry because as the world moves towards these net zero, green sustainability goals, there’s a huge opportunity to fix the buildings that we have.”
As part of Mike Miller’s presentation on air-to-water heat pumps, he further explained how the hydronics industry could provide clean and efficient solutions for homes across Canada. His presentation focused mostly on how efficient heat pumps can be in residential applications. Miller mentioned that back in 2017, the global market saw 2.6 million airto-water heat pumps sold, with 70 per cent of them being split systems. Supplemental heating is often required for areas that find temperatures dropping below -5C.
It would be rather silly if we didn’t talk about the main highlight of the conference.
Numerous seminars focused on the mechanics of hydronics as a packaged system and the many offerings that can be made, if only with a little bit of creativity. These seminars ranged from simplifying hydronic installations, smart technologies, snowmelt systems, and promoting building hygiene with hydronic heating and cooling. While all the seminars should be discussed at length, the last seminar provided some interesting talking points.
Bean was back on stage presenting the promoting building hygiene seminar. It focused on the restoration process for buildings affected by natural disasters. While various disasters could occur, like excess winds and fires, a good portion of the seminar discussed the issue of moisture in a building as, “It is one of the number one failures when it comes to buildings,” explained Bean.
To help combat moisture issues, Bean mentioned how using natural materials can help restore building resiliency and are easy to heat and cool when used in radiant heating and cooling, and ventilation system combination. For example, Bean discussed how a radiant floor heating system could provide wonders in the restoration process, as the system would raise the floor’s temperature,
which then would release moisture/vapour into the air, which an air ventilation system would then catch. Bean also highlighted how if people are not prepared to assess and manage moisture, they should leave the industry as poor moisture management causes water damage to buildings. This is not the same for radiant cooling, as some would claim.
The end of the conference featured a local theme of presentations by various Saskatchewan government and energy officials. These presentations highlighted updates to the national plumbing code, SaskEnergy incentive opportunities, and building code issues for the province. Additionally, Paul Stevenson, formerly of Emco, was presented with the Award of Merit. The CHC is hosted by the Canadian Hydronics Council, a council within the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (CIPH). The council mentioned how going forward, it would focus its efforts on government regulations, industry training and educating the public. The council also mentioned that the theme is visibility and understanding.
association and its annual national conference. Shortly prior to the conference, Nova Scotia was blasted by hurricane Fiona. As such, the MCAC and its provincial partners announced more than $100,000 to hurricane Fiona relief through the Canadian Red Cross. “Extreme weather events such as Hurricane Fiona will have a significant impact on our infrastructure and those affected for years to come,” said Wayne Davidson, president and
chair of MCAC. “Our industry has stepped up in the past to help our fellow Canadians, and it was particularly important to us as we hold our annual conference in the maritime region.” An online portal has been set-up for members wishing to donate to the relief fund.
The next MCAC national conference will be held Oct. 18 to 22 at the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, California. For more information, visit www.mcac.ca.
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCA Canada) gathered in Halifax from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1 at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel. The theme of this year’s conference was “Reconnect 22,” after gathering for the first time since 2019.
Notable sessions included cybersecurity and technology solutions for mechanical contractors. Additionally, the conference held a panel discussion regarding recruitment and retention of the next generation of tradespeople.
A very special moment occurred when Brent Cornelissen of OS&B was presented with the Doug Crawford Award by his son, Brad Cornelissen. The award is given to someone whose significant contribution to MCA Canada through long-standing voluntary participation, leadership, and commitment to ensuring the success of the associate members. Mike Miller of Taco Comfort Solutions was awarded the Gary Greig Memorial Award, which is presented to an individual for their outstanding support of the
By
It’s that time of the year again. Summer is gone and children are back to school. The weather is getting cooler. Pumpkin spice lattes are everywhere. The cooler months are in front of us; whether it’s getting your seasonal decorations out or planning your winter holiday, everyone is preparing for the colder months.
As most people know, colder weather can cause severe problems for a home. More specifically, your home’s piping system, “All
Continued on page “17”
A home’s piping system is under extreme stress during the colder months, but a good installation can set the system up for success.
Francesco Lo Presti
Colder weather makes plumbing systems work extremely hard, which then leaves the home more susceptible to clogs, leaks, frozen pipes, and other problems.
Continued from page “15”
piping materials expand and contract with temperature changes. The more heat is applied, the more materials tend to expand and soften. The colder the conditions, the more materials tend to contract and harden,” said Jorge Solorio, sales enablement manager at the Lubrizol Corporation.
A home’s plumbing system and water pipes can be put under extreme stress during the colder months. When talking about a plumbing system, it’s important to understand the different parts of your system that can be affected by cold climates. As said by Daymon Tang, inside sales representative atNextSupply,“For plumbingsystems,there’syour two parts — drains and water lines. In extreme cold weather cases, your water lines or drain traps can freeze and once they do, they expand and potentially split pipes and fittings.”
Vince Baggetta, a senior representative with Next Supply, further explains the importance of knowing which water pipes are
susceptible to freezing. “All external hose bibs should be isolated and drained. Any water pipes exposed to the elements must be purged of water with compressed air if they do not naturally drain,” said Baggetta.
when it comes to cold climates, even in the early days of construction, and “In the case of piping systems, we are most concerned with linear expansion and contraction, which affects both metallic and thermoplastic piping materials,” said Solorio.
To ensure that the plumbing system is properly equipped to handle cold climates, they must be installed correctly. “If a drain is going to be outside, the trap must be below the frost line, which is based on the area of installation,” explains Tang.
A home’s piping system is constantly at risk
Making sure the job is done correctly, regardless of weather conditions, is a critical first step in ensuring a home is prepared for all situations. Additionally, “When designing a piping system, architects and contractors must correctly account for thermal expansion and contraction. The most important factor to account for is temperature differential, which is the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures the piping system will be exposed to during its life,” said Solorio. “While expansion and contraction are unavoidable, resultant issues can be easily circumvented with the proper design considerations. Specifically, by employing one of the following deflection mechanisms: expansion loops, expansion offsets, changes of direction, and expansion joints.”
Continued on page “19”
When designing a piping system, architects and contractors must correctly account for thermal expansion and contraction.
As mentioned previously, expansion joints can be crucial in mitigating the effects of cold temperatures. As Oatey, a manufacturer of products for the residential and commercial plumbing industries, stated in a blog post regarding solvent welding pipe joints in cold weather, “Solvent weather in a cold environment presents challenges that must be counterbalanced. Why? Pipe and fittings take longer to soften in colder weather. The pipe is also more resistant to solvent attack, so softening it with an aggressive primer is important during cold weather.”
As a result, Oatey’s blog post gave additional tips for solvent welding in cold weather. This included prefabricating as much of the piping system as possible in a warm environment, storing cement and primers in warmer areas and vigorously
shaking or stirring cement before use, removing moisture from the ends of pipes and surfaces, allowing for a longer cure time before testing or using the system, and following all ASTM standards and steps.
Tang also referenced how critical it is to have your tools, products and personnel ready for working in the cold, stating, “Invest in a heater. People, tools, and products don’t always cooperate in freezing temperatures.” Baggetta adds that all contractors should, “follow the manufacturer's installation instructions and use all the proper primers and solvents for the proper installation of the product in freezing temperature.”
with Rehau, explains, “Water or other fluids in pipes transfer their heat to pipe walls via conduction, since they are in contact. Heat also conducts from interior to exterior pipe walls, or vice-versa. A less conductive pipe material slows down this portion of heat transfer.”
Even though a pipe may be more resistant to cold weather, its connecting joints and fittings may not.
Having the right set of tools makes any job more manageable. Being prepared and doing your due diligence also allows a job to be done correctly. While there are tips and practices for working in cold climates, at the end of the day, the material of pipe you install can be considered the most significant factor. As Dale Hanscomb, former regional sales manager
When discussing which types of pipe materials are less conductive, Hanscomb states that, “PEX pipes are much less conductive than a metallic pipe like copper. If you had a copper pipe beside a PEX pipe in the same scenario, that PEX would generally not freeze.” Hanscomb adds that PEX pipes may have a better chance of not freezing due to the fact that the material is so flexible that it can stretch enough to accommodate the freezing water inside of it.
However, some materials may have differing characteristics, “When it comes to mother nature, nothing really wins. If it’s cold enough, it will freeze. So, there isn’t any perfect one fight. Even if a pipe is resistant, the fittings may not be since they are made of a different composition. So, you have to consider which materials you are using for connecting pipe to the rest of the plumbing system,” said Tang. :
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American Standard, Mississauga, Ont, unveils its Estate bathtub faucet. The faucet installs with a flash rough valve platform and features washerless 1/4 turn ceramic disc valve cartridges and a durable brass spout. In addition, the faucet comes available in four tarnish- and scratch-resistant finishes. American Standard www.americanstandard.ca
Nibco, Elkhart, Indiana, launches its Pro-Pal water heater service valve kits to market. The valve kits allow contractors to simplify traditional tank-style water heater installations. Kits come available with a choice of connection solutions to accommodate different installation requirements. Additionally, kits include optional expansion tank service compatible with 3/4-inch MIP expansion tanks up to five gallons, tank support hardware, and tank isolation valve with hi-flow hose drain.
Nibco www.nibco.com
Mueller, Atlanta, Georgia, introduces its Hymax Pro. This line of dedicated couplings is ideal for new construction projects. Applicable to the water and wastewater, irrigation, and industrial markets, the Hymax Pro is available from sizes four-inches to 24-inches. The four-inch to 10-inch sizes feature a two-bold, stab-fit construction.
Hymax www.hymaxusa.com
Grohe, Mississauga, Ont, presents its Blue Chilled and Sparkling 2.0 system, which provides still or sparkling water in any kitchen. The system can provide chilled, medium or sparkling water and features a filter that uses a five-step filtration process to remove impurities from the water. The system comes available in two styles of faucets, an L and a C-shaped spout. Both spouts come with a pull-down spray. Grohe www.grohe.ca
Adey, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, debuts the MagnaClean Professional 2XP, its latest protection product for boilers and heat pumps. The MagnaClean is designed to be used on a brand-new system or as a retrofit. It comes with one-inch copper and oneand-a-quarter-inch NPT iron pipework, ideal for protecting 150,000 to 300,000 BTU boiler ranges. In addition, the MagnaClean comes equipped with a magnetic filter, which features a magnetic core and two non-magnetic capture zones for capturing both magnetic and non-magnetic debris. Adey www.adey.com
Saniflo Canada, Cambridge, Ont, presents its Sanicompact, a self-contained dual-flush toilet system ideal for installations of a half-bathroom up to nine ft. below the sewer line or up to 120 ft. away from a soil stack. The Sanicompact incorporates a macerating system that can handle human waste and toilet paper in residential applications and features a blade made of hardened stainless steel material.
The standard dual flush version uses 4.8 LPF and 3.8 LPF.
Saniflo Canada www.saniflo.ca
DXV, Mississauga, Ont, releases its newest kitchen collection, Etre. The Etre kitchen collection is comprised of a pull-down kitchen faucet, pulldown bar faucet, single and double bowl apron-front sinks in various sizes, and a soap dispenser. DXV www.dxv.com
If you were at Eden Energy’s recent hydronic heat pump seminar in Guelph this past September, you would have had an opportunity to see the latest in hydronic heat pump technology. The biggest takeaway from that training seminar was that there is a need for heat pumps in this industry and, most importantly, a hybrid approach. Many intelligent people in the industry right now are focused on heat pumps and see it
as an all or nothing approach. I see it as an opportunity to adopt the best of both worlds while still delivering energy savings and a positive impact on the environment.
With the increase in popularity of heat pumps, the dialogue has focused on replacing furnaces and boilers with electric heat pumps. The reality is that the future of electrification in Canada and the United States will rely on a hybrid approach where we use both electricity and gas. Most importantly, electricity first and backed up by fossil fuels or another source of energy. Even our national and local utilities are getting in on the game of helping to build an approach that will ensure early adoption of heat pumps without disrupting our economy or adding undue burden on Canadians who need to upgrade.
According to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan),therearearound700,000 heatpumps installed in Canada; compare that to over five million fuel furnaces. Of those five million furnacesand/orboilers, howmanyhaveactually
The reality of electrification will likely be that both electricity and natural gas need to work in tandem to heat/cool Canadian homes.Gradient SyncFurnace can replace a furnace and water heater, freeing up valuable real estate. Photo by Ocean Mechanical
reached the end of life? If you thought inflation wasbadnow,imagineifweoutrightbannedgas furnaces today and made everyone buy a heat pumpwithoutanactualplan.Havingseenmany rounds of incentives in Canada, incentives can cause three things when poorly executed. They cancauseanunnaturalspikeinthereplacement business, drive up equipment and installation costs,andcauseaperiodofdeflationafterwards as contractors do five years of business in one year.
Worse yet, most homeowners have no clue whataheatpumpisorhowtogoaboutbuying onefromareputableinstaller.This can lead to shoddy installs and premature failure. It takes moderate skill to install a heat pump, but it takes a professional to install it in such a way that it is actually working effectively.
InasurveybyBCHydro,theyfoundthat over30 per cent of Canadians don’t understand how a heat pump works and would be less inclined to upgrade to a heat pump versus a traditional fossil fuel furnace.
With five million gas heating appliances installed in Canada, we are not going to just rip them out and throw them away. A more viable approach is a hybrid system where the heat pump is the principal source of heating/ cooling, and the fuel appliance is the backup
for the times when we are hit by Canada’s iconic stubborn cold weather a few weeks out of the year.
In my own home, I have a Gradient SyncFurnace installed, which is a Canadianmade product that replaces a traditional
Heat pump equipment efficiency courtesy of Enertech comparing airsource, geothermal and airto-water. Geothermal will always win as the outdoor temperature drops over airsource because of its ground loop and its stable yearround temperature.
furnace and water heater with an engineered furnace. The real beauty in this product is that it is installed just like a furnace, allowing for traditional HVAC contractors to do the work with ease and very little learning curve.
I am in the process of installing an air-towater heat pump in my home because my air conditioner has finally run its course. The unit will sit outside where my A/C used to live, and
the only difference is that the heat pump will not only condition my home in the summer, but it will be my principal heat source in the wintertime.
My five-ton fully modulating vapour injected air-to-water heat pump is sized to carry the heating load during the more moderate winter months. The remainder of the heating during the few very cold days are made up by my Gradient SyncFurnace.
The hybrid approach means we are not throwing away heating equipment that may still have 15 years of life left in it. In a pilot project east of Ottawa, research engineer Jeremy Sager for NRCan noted the merits of this proven system, “During one particularly cold day, there were 7.58 kilograms of CO2 emissions reduced while the heat pump ran from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m,” explains Sager.
Currently, the Achilles heel of a heat pump hybrid system that uses traditional fossil fuels is a lack of off the shelf controls that can properly control the system. Fortunately, there are some highly invested players on the utility and manufacturing sides working quickly to develop such controls. The controls, believe it or not, are not the hardest part. Ensuring the heat pump is the first stage in the heating operation is just as equally difficult.
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I see it as an opportunity to adopt the best of both worlds while still delivering energy savings and a positive impact on the environment.
The controls should be smart enough to know the time of day, the outdoor temperature and also how to drop out the various equipment stages, heat pump or fossil fuel based on the noted conditions. The heat pump must always be the first stage on. This also means the heat pump coil must be in the equipment return and not the supply. If this happens, we know from the work of Sager that we can save up to 7.58 kilograms of CO2 emissions in a sixhour window.
Additionally, extra care has to be put into the installation of traditional thermostat controls to avoid sabotaging your control strategy. Specifically, thermostats with adjustable cycle rates and offsets between stages. The key point here is if you bought a $20,000 heat pump system, don’t run it with a $10 control or you will quickly add $500 to $1,000 a month in operating costs due to negligence.
In my own home, I am piloting an air-towater heat pump. The Gradient SyncFurnace that currently resides in my home is a triedand-true technology, but what we are testing is the integration of a heat pump and the heat pump control operations. Gradient Thermal has manufactured a coil stand which sits under the unit and allows the heat pump to be my first stage.
units. These convectors also produce high amounts of usable heat with low water temperatures.
In the city where I live, the outside design temperature is 2C and I have sized my equipment to maximize the usage of the heat pump. At 2C, my air-to-water heat pump gives me a COP of 2.8 versus my Gradient SyncFurnace of 95 per cent. With my control strategy, the heat pump is on first and, when it is not able to keep up during March Madness cold, my Gradient SyncFurnace will come on to supplement my heat pump maximizing my system performance while delivering comfort. :
The hybrid approach means not throwing away heating equipment that has some life still left in it.
A few of you at this point could be wondering why I chose an air-to-water for a forced air application. This is for two reasons. I own a pool and my pool heater is reaching the end of its life. The second reason is because I am moving away from forced air in my home.
This fall, I will be fixing a large portion of my home that doesn’t heat or cool properly due to duct issues by installing Jaga Briza
Ridler is a technical services manager at Eden Energy Equipment.
He started out working for a Ont-based HVAC company and now focuses on providing field support and technical training to contractors, engineers, and builders on heat pumps, boilers, and all things hydronics. He can be reached at edenenergymike@gmail.com
Bell and Gossett, Morton Grove, Illinois, launches its new ecocirc 20-18 variable speed ECM smart circulator. It can be used for heating, cooling and/or potable water applications. The ecocirc can replace more than 70 pumps and comes equipped with 70W maximum power, a maximum of 20 ft. of head or 18 GPM, complete integrated system protection, and an automatic air purge to remove trapped air in the pump.
Bell and Gossett www.xylem.com
Franklin Electric, Fort Wayne, Indiana, announces the launch of its next generation of Little Giant 5-MSP compact submersible utility pump. The new 5-MSP will be the same size but will feature a new motor, which has been designed to boost the pump’s overall performance and efficiency. The new permanent split capacitor (PSC) motor operates without oil. The pump also features a stainless-steel motor shaft and an epoxy powder-coated aluminum body.
Franklin Electric www.franklin-electric.com
Taco Comfort Solutions, Milton, Ont, debuts its new and improved fully-integrated domestic water booster pump package systems. Each system comes with an integral controller, a grooved pipe coupling between the pump, and an electrical mechanical disconnect. The systems also come available in simplex, duplex, triplex or quadraplex configurations, offering capacities between 125 to 2,000 GPM.
Taco Comfort Solutions www.tacocomfort.com
Liberty Pumps, Bergen, New York, unveils its PC 441-10A-Series sump pump combo series. The new PC 441-10A-Series features a pre-assembled primary pump and battery backup system. Primary pumps come available in 1/3 or 1/2 hp, has a maximum fluid temperature of 140F, and are drop-in-the-pit-ready, fitting in 15-inch wide by 18-inch depth minimum sump basins. It also features a 12V DC submersible pump, up to 1,260 GPH at 10 ft. In addition, the system includes separate check valves for both primary and backup pumps.
Liberty Pumps www.libertypumps.com
Multi-application pumps
Wilo, Thomasville, Georgia, presents its Stratos Maxo pump to the market. The Stratos Maxo can be used in hot water heating, air conditioning, closed cooling, and industrial circulation systems. It has a max flow of 280 GPM, a temperature range of -10C to 110C, and features a grey cast iron with a cataphoretic coating and a stainless steel shaft.
Wilo www.wilo.com
Armstrong, Toronto, Ont, introduces a new size range of design envelope permanent magnet pumps. The new pumps are available with motors ranging from 15 hp to 50 hp. Additionally, Armstrong’s Parallel Sensorless Control stages multiple pumps and regulated output for best efficiency. Its constant-flow function allows for the pump to maintain the desired flow rate in recirculation applications.
Armstrong www.armstrongfluidtechnology.com
Making new “past” customers sounds a bit like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? No different than saying you want to grow your business but we only service what has already been sold. Good luck growing the business!
Every time I ask a contractor how they plan on growing their business, I get a blank stare followed by, “I guess we will have to spend more money advertising.” When asked what they would advertise, normally you’ll hear something along the lines of, “Well, furnaces
Developing maintenance plans will allow for your business to tap into customers already familiar with your company.
and air conditioners, I guess.”
I will tell you this; most companies don’t have access to the capital required to acquire new customers in great abundance. The average cost of acquiring a new customer is in the range of $600 to $1,000 each. That is not good advice today!
If you were asked who your business comes from, the answer is consistent. Almost all of your business comes from past customers. Sound familiar? Then it only makes sense to increase the number of past customers equivalent to the increase in business you are projecting. Hence the term, “new past customers.”
Creating “new” past customers is easier than you might think. We need to create a low-cost, low-risk product or service that consumers could benefit from any time of the year, regardless of heat or cold. A product, when properly promoted, has a needs score of over 50 per cent. This is the percentage of consumers that will see, hear, or consume it on social media, and could use the product within the next seven days.
You might be wondering what type of product would foot this bill. It’s yearly maintenance of course. It is the lowest cost, lowest consumer risk, and yet a highly valued product/service that everyone benefits from at any point within the calendar year.
When it comes to annual maintenance, not all are equal and not all provide value to the customer; create a plan that wows the customer. Sit down with your team and create the physical attributes of what furnace maintenance could and should look
like. Do the same for air conditioners, heat pumps, boilers, fireplaces, HRVs, ERVs, HEPA filters, humidifiers, and any other product you may handle that could benefit from an annual cleaning. Look at add-on items as well, such as filters and replacement
provide an average of $800 in annual revenue or $8,000 over a 10-year lifespan. Now, place your monetary value on the service and try to remain in the market value pricing. Now you have a plan and a price point.
media. Your goal is to create a service that, in most cases, can be performed in just under an hour.
Once you have made your confirmed lists, the time allotment is just under sixty minutes and then place a value on it.
When determining your fair market price remember a couple of key items. Number one, remember the acquisition of a new past customer is between $600 and $1,000. Number two, the customer is paying you to come in and introduce yourself and your company. Number three, consider this a first date and act accordingly. It means having the customer join you in the basement. And finally, number four, new past customers can
Now that we have created our task list that can be completed in just under an hour, let’s add thirty minutes to the appointment when scheduling your technicians. Remember, we have been invited into the home to educate consumers on their current system. We may want to run a risk assessment to determine the number of years of useful life left.
This approach allows the technician to explain what they are doing to extend the life of the system and when to start budgeting for a replacement without selling a system— let your sales department look after that end. Use the extra time to answer
We have been invited into the home to educate consumers on their current system. We may want to run a risk assessment to determine the number of years of useful life left on the system.
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any questions the consumer has, and talk about new products and market trends. If there are government rebates and incentive programs, now is a good time to educate them.
And should they wish to move forward on any of the products or services discussed, book an appointment with someone else to come out to sell them. Our goal is to make a memorable impression without pushing or trying to sell something other than what we are there for. If you find yourself in a small company, play off the other technicians to come in and sell so this visit can conclude with a separate visit.
There is an old saying that goes — “Consumers love to buy, but they hate being sold to.” Your first impression is not to sell; that will come later in the relationship.
Shout it out loud!
An additional approach to keep the homeowner informed and coming back for more service work is as simple as a company sticker. By applying one to the product, it can let the consumer know when maintenance was performed and when to schedule their next appointment.
Tell everyone what you are doing and target social media. Small-town newspapers, flyers, sports clubs, and door hangers are just a few examples. Every service visit becomes an opportunity to conduct maintenance. Cleaning could be a free add-on to all new installations for the first year.
Once your phone starts ringing, the rubber will hit the road. Think about ways to convert the call into action. If a customer calls and asks how much for a maintenance check and we respond with $150 bucks, we lose! If we reply with, “Have you ever done business with us before? No, great! Thank you for reaching out. When we come out to perform a maintenance check, the technician will invite you to the basement with them and they will perform a 20-step inspection,
which will include cleaning all areas in and around the unit. They will provide you with a written report on any findings and, based on your satisfaction, will book next year’s visit. For that, we charge a fee of $X. Would morning or afternoon work best for you?”
And we have a new and satisfied customer. Congratulations!
Following this step-by-step, albeit a condensed version, you will be well on your way to creating new past customers. For the next issue, we will take a look at the next step. :
Glenn Mellors was born into a plumbing family and started in the industry in 1973. He entered the HVAC side of the business in the 80s, working in wholesale, and then joined Lennox in 1992. In 2008 he joined the ClimateCare Cooperative Corporation, an Ontario contractor group, where he is director of training and implementation. Glenn can be reached at gmellors@climatecare.com.
HeatLink, Calgary, Alta, presents its 5/8 inch 400 ft O2 Barrier UV stabilized PEX-a tubing to market. The PEX tubing has a minimum bending radius of six times the diameter at 68F and has a maximum operating temperature of 180F at 100 PSI. In addition, the PEX tubing resists scaling and corrosion and is also freeze and chemical-resistant.
HeatLink www.heatlink.com
Powers, a Watts Brand, North Andover, Massachusetts, announces the addition of cold expansion fitting tailpiece connections (PEX F1960) for the LFLM495 and LFLM490 mixing valve series. The addition of PEX F1960 union tailpieces allows Powers to continue to offer a wide range of tailpiece options for this point-of-use and point-of-source thermostatic mixing valves, which also include threaded, sweat, PEX, CPVC, press, and push-to-connect options. Connections are available in 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch.
Watts www.watts.com
Uponor, Mississauga, Ont, unveils the AquaPort, a self-contained unit that converts a building’s hydronic heating supply to ondemand domestic hot water. The AquaPort can reduce hot water energy use by up to 35 per cent, and remove more than 50 per cent of the total DHW volume in a building. The AquaPort is ideal for multifamily or hospitality low-rise, mid-rise, or high-rise applications.
Uponor www.uponor.com
The author sits on both the ASHRAE 15 committee and the CSA B52 committee. The opinions in this article are solely those of the author and do not represent those of either committee.
By Greg ScrivenerI can’t help feeling like there is something of a paradox, or at the very least, some sort of incongruity between how long it takes to develop codes and rules compared to how often it feels those same regulations are changing.
Code and safety regulation development usually feels like a mind-numbingly slow process. The industry is changing quickly, and updates to new refrigerants are very frequent. The next phase of the transition to newer lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants is well underway and we are starting to see changes that have been in the works for over a decade come into effect
the path is less clear in Canada, it will catch up in the phase-down here as well. Because it has been very difficult to find replacement refrigerants with low GWPs that are not flammable, it has become necessary for the industry to transition to A2L refrigerants. This means new safety rules are necessary to accommodate their use.
ASHRAE 15 is the base standard that determines the installation requirements for most refrigeration and air conditioning systems in the U.S. It’s not adopted directly in many places, but its content is referred to by the UMC and IMC model codes throughout the U.S. Additionally, it is also referenced
quickly. There are plenty of high-level safety code updates and changes to the refrigerants themselves that are ultimately driving this change since we previously discussed this topic in July 2021.
The GWP of R-410A is 2,088. This means that it is being phased-down in current F-Gas regulations in Europe and, although
in installation product listings. ASHRAE 15 has been working on rule changes to accommodate A2L refrigerants for over a decade and they continue to publish changes. ASHRAE 15 is republished every three years with the most recent edition published in 2019.
Since the 2019 publication, there have been a whopping 21 addenda! Compare that to seven for the 2016 edition, five for the
Lower GWP refrigerants are coming at an incredibly fast pace and the industry needs to prepare themselves.
I understand the frustration that comes with change and what seems like a never-ending rainbow of refrigerant tanks in the trucks, I think the environmental progress is something we should be proud of.
2013 and 2010 editions, and four for the 2007 edition. I think you get the point. A lot of that change has been made to accommodate A2Ls. A new edition of ASHRAE 15 is being published this year and, while the pace of addenda may slow down, there are already several in the works.
In my opinion, there are several challenges associated with the changes in ASHRAE 15 and how they treat A2L refrigerants. Fundamentally, the standard is relying on product listings such as UL 60335-2-40/CSA C22.2 No. 60335-2-40 to provide the safe design of the equipment and any associated leak detection equipment. Additionally, the primary focus has been on air conditioning applications for human comfort and chillers in machine rooms. This leaves out a lot of different applications this equipment could be used for. It also becomes challenging to rely on product listings for field built-up systems since they are often (and necessarily) one of a kind and can’t comply with a listing the way a factory product can. There is much discussion going on about these issues and I would expect more changes over the coming years.
CSA B52 relies on ASHRAE 15 for some of its technical content, even with the standards diverging somewhat over the years. The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and ASHRAE have completed a huge amount of research into the safe application of these flammable refrigerants, and I would expect that CSA B52 will rely on the published changes in ASHRAE and the results of this research to develop changes for the safety standard used throughout Canada. CSA B52 is also on a planned publication cycle and will see a new version published in 2023. I expect there will
be a lot of changes there to accommodate A2Ls as well.
Ultimately, because of the 3kg exemption and the lack of clarity on how B52 applies to residential installations, the equipment is likely going to precede the regulation changes here since it has become available in the U.S. This year saw the first R32 ductless
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A warning label on a new residential refrigerator. Starting in 2025, all residential refrigerators have to use refrigerant with a GWP less than 150 like isobutane.
Solstice N40 (R-448A) offers 5-10% lower energy consumption, a 68% reduction in global-warming-potential and lower environmental impact on the planet. Solstice N40 is approved for use by all major compressor and component manufacturers, and is a near-drop-in replacement for R-404A, allowing for easier installations and conversions. Talk to us today to find out more.
For more information visit: https:www.honeywell-refrigerants.com or Call 800-631-8138
split installed in North America and several others have been installed since. I do not keep up with state level regulations in the U.S, but I’m confident that several states have adopted recent regulations that allow the use of A2Ls and I’m sure more will follow as the code cycle progresses. The smaller packaged equipment has been available for a long time in Canada.
In case you haven’t kept up, A2L is a relatively new classification of refrigerants. The “A” means that it is low toxicity and the “2L” means it has a low flammability. For flammability, the old classification has only “1”, “2”, and “3” classifications which were based on whether the refrigerant propagates flame, and if it does, its required ignition energy and its heat of combustion.
In other words, if it’s easy to light on fire and there is a lot of energy released when it burns, it is a “3” (e.g., propane, isobutane). If it’s flammable but doesn’t meet the requirements of a “3”, its a “2” (e.g., R-512A, R-465A), and if it doesn’t propagate flame, it’s a “1” (e.g., most common refrigerants in use today).
The addition of 2L added a class of refrigerants that would have previously been classified as a “2” but whose flame speed was less than 10 cm/s and reclassified them to “2L” (e.g., ammonia, R-1234yf, R-32). This was necessary so that rules could be developed that would allow the use of safer versions of flammable refrigerants in systems that would not have previously been allowed to use them; all of this is being done to lower the GWP of the refrigerant.
Changes are coming in a lot of other ways as well. Unless there are rules developed to retrofit from A1 refrigerants to an A2L refrigerant, the transition from R-410a to A2Ls will necessitate A1 drop-in refrigerants to replace R-410A. Currently, two manufacturers have introduced A1 replacements with a lower GWP than R-410A. Honeywell introduced R-466A several years ago for use in new equipment. There may be
This unit operates with R-410A but these types of ductless split or VRF style systems are the first available using R-32 in North America.
some material compatibility issues and so far, the refrigerant has not been used widely in new equipment. R-470A was announced by Refrigerant Service Inc. (ComStar in the U.S.) as an A1 drop-in replacement in 2020 and has become commercially available in the U.S. as of this year; it was added to ASHRAE 34—the standard that designates refrigerants in both Canada and the U.S—in addendum “e” to the 2019 edition. It may interest you to know that R-470A is a six-component blend that contains none other than 10 per cent CO2. I expect there will be more drop-ins developed as the need for them draws closer.
Having been in the refrigeration industry from the tail end of the R-12 phase-out until now has been incredibly fascinating; while
I understand the frustration that comes with change and what seems like a neverending rainbow of refrigerant tanks in the trucks, I think the environmental progress is something we should be proud of. :
Greg Scrivener is the lead refrigeration engineer and a partner at Laporte Consultants, Calgary, and works throughout Canada and the U.S. He is a professional engineer and journeyperson refrigeration mechanic. He can be reached at GScrivener@laporteconsultants.com
Fieldpiece Instruments, Orange, California, launches its new wireless refrigerant scale, Model SR47, which will replace Model SRS3. The SR47 is ideal for residential or commercial HVAC/R technicians that need to charge and recover refrigerant quickly and move on to the next job. The SR47’s 252-pound maximum load capacity accommodates any charge or recovery requirement, while its 13-inch platform design is engineered to fit any refrigerant tank.
Fieldpiece Instruments www.fieldpiece.com
Kane, Richmond, BC, debuts its latest residential and commercial combustion analyzer. The new analyzer measures CO (10,000 ppm H2 compensated), CO2, differential pressure, and flue and inlet temperature. It also comes equipped with wireless flow and return probes, over-range protection pump, NOx filtered CO sensor and low flow detection.
Kane www.kanetest.ca
Ridgid, Elyria, Ohio, introduces its pipe patching system, which can be used on trenchless repairs. The new system comes equipped with a durable fibreglass patch. It offers all the consumables and equipment needed for a one-time patch in twoto six-inch broken pipes up to six ft. in length and can be used on all sections of pipes.
Ridgid www.ridgid.com
Teledyne Flir, Wilsonville, Oregon, announces the Extech RH600 dew point meter. The product is ideal to prevent problems associated with water vapour in compressed air systems. It can provide measurement down to -50C with an accuracy of plus or minus 2C over the entire range of pressure, up to 20 bar. Users can directly insert the probe sensor into the compressed air system through a G half-inch thread. Users can monitor the dew point on the built-in display.
Teledyne Flir www.flir.com
General Pipe Cleaners’, McKee Rocks, Pennsylvania, Micro-Scope 3 video inspection system has received some enhancements. The MicroScope 3 now features stronger pushrod permits inspections in one-and-a-half inch to fourinch drain lines up to 100 ft. long. A sonde on the end of the pushrod makes camera location easier with General’s Hot Spot locator. Its Wi-Fi capability lets users view and record inspections on smartphones or tablets. General Pipe Cleaners www.drainbrain.com
By Leah Den Hartogh and Simon Blake
send-off and recognition for the hard work he has put into his articles.
It was back in the 1990s that, alongside people like Barry Cunningham and Robert Bean, people tried to figure out a way to educate the industry on hydronics, “How do you get that information into a form that makes it more digestible to the tradesperson?” asked Roy.
During this time, it was known as “the new hydronics” or “modern hydronics” and it was coming to the forefront in the residential and small commercial hot water heating market.
In-slab floor heating with PEX piping, modern boilers and controls and better pumps were replacing the “old hydronics” — gravity systems with cast iron radiators, which were and still are quite common in older communities, albeit with updated boilers.
“If you’re part of an industry you should give back,” remarked Roy Collver, site inspector and construction administrator at SMcN Consulting and a contributing writer for Plumbing & HVAC magazine since around 1997.
“It’s the thing that attracted me a lot to this industry. It was the fact that there are so many people that are willing to pitch in and just make things better.”
And we believe that Roy has done just that, which is why we have chosen to highlight him for our Industry Champions segment. He has written for this magazine since 1997 and has recently made the decision to retire from writing. We wanted to give him the proper
A number of contractors and building owners embraced these new systems. But there was a problem, “Things were getting screwed up. People were doing things wrong, installing things incorrectly. They needed training and that’s what we did,” explained Roy. Those involved in hydronics — manufacturers, wholesalers and contractors — quickly realized that education was going to be critical if the industry was to be successful.
In the West, this resulted in the creation of the
Continued on page “45”
Foothills Hydronics Conference. People paid to attend and hear the best hot water heating experts from across North America. It was run on a bi-annual schedule, initially developed in Calgary, it soon began to rotate between Calgary and Edmonton. Manufacturers were invited to display products, but it was a small
and long-time editor, Ron Shuker, invited Roy to write a regular column on hydronic heating advice for the magazine, then called Mechanical Buyer & Specifier. It is doubtful that either Ron or Roy realized at the time what a long and successful partnership this would be.
Roy started by explaining the basics to contractors adding hydronic heating to their offerings, many for the first time. He covered things like loop sizing and spacing, boiler sizing, controls and all the things that made up the new hydronic systems. He talked a lot about the new materials and technologies. And he talked about design because it was critical that the installing contractor understood how the system was supposed to work.
part of the event. One of the organizers and speakers in the early days was our friend Roy Collver.
The editor prior to Simon Blake, founding
As time went on, Roy got into increasingly more complex designs and also went beyond residential to institutional, commercial and industrial systems. One project report that always stands out was the sawmill way up North in which Roy introduced readers to injection mixing systems.
For every issue, about a month before the
Roy, right, received the Award of Merit from the Canadian Hydronics Council in 2014 for educating the hydronics industry via the many articles he has written for Plumbing & HVAC magazine.
due date, Roy and Simon would chat on the phone about his upcoming article, with the conversation often straying to a bunch of other things. Around 2015 or so, after Roy had been writing his column for almost 20 years, they realized that there was a whole new generation of contractors and technicians involved in hydronic heating and that Roy really needed to go back and revisit some of the basic topics from the early days. For a writer, this is a difficult thing to do because, typically, the day an article is published it becomes “old news.” But Roy managed to fit that in every now and again between articles on new and future hydronic technology.
As an editor of the magazine, Roy was a godsend because in all those years he seldom, if ever, missed a deadline. And as he always said to Simon, “when you retire, I retire.” He is a few years behind, but we are so very glad that he stayed for those extra few years.
When asked if there was anything else he’d like to say to his readers that might have kept up with his work for more than two decades, he said, “I would say to keep reading. There’s lots of really good writers out there doing technical stuff… Just keep reading, keep looking at all the different articles, ask questions, and write in.” :
Things were getting screwed up. People were doing things wrong, installing things incorrectly. They needed training and that’s what we did.
Oatey announced two promotions within the company, Michelle Newland and Brian DiVincenzo will be taking on new roles within the company. Newland will serve as executive vice president and chief international business officer, focusing on growing Oatey’s international business. DiVincenzo will assume the role of executive vice president and chief commercial officer, responsible for all U.S sales and marketing. Both positions will become effective on Jan.1, 2023.
Danfoss revealed that Sheila Lenss will join the company as vice president and head of Danfoss’ America’s drives business. Starting her role on Sept.12, Lenss has more than 20 years of executive business leadership experience. Lenss replaces Ian Barrie, who retired after 28 years at Danfoss.
Bartle & Gibson has promoted Joseph Meier to senior vice president of operations. Meier started his career with Bartle and Gibson in 2007 as a purchasing agent, then purchasing manager, and then corporate purchasing manager. Most recently, Meier served as vice president of supply chain and logistics.
Bosch Thermotechnology announced that Alexander Wuthnow will act as the company’s new North American president and CEO. Wuthnow has represented the Bosch Group and has driven growth and expansion for Bosch across five countries and two continents over the last 16 years.
Derek Monk has been promoted to head of sales for the Motion business area in Canada for ABB Motion Canada. Monk will lead the ABB Motion Canada sales team and will support the efforts of the sales and marketing team for the motors, drives and services divisions.
Carlos Castro has joined the Navac team as its new sales manager for the Western region, including California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Idaho. Castro will oversee several important sales partner companies and will also have a key role in expanding market share in Latin America.
The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada (MCAC) elected Derek Ermen, president of Ermen Plumbing and Heating in Moncton, New Brunswick, as president and chair of the MCAC board of directors for 2022-2023. The announcement was made at the 2022 annual general meeting in Halifax, N.S, from Sept. 28 until Oct. 1. He is preceded by Wayne Davidson of Burnaby, B.C.
Fernox and Equipco have entered into a strategic partnership. Through its partnership, Equipco will now represent Fernox, a manufacturer of water treatment chemical products, central heating system filters, plumbing consumables and diagnostic testing services.
Lixil Canada Inc. will supply products for the Princess Margaret Home Lottery Fall 2022 grand prize Oakville show home. Lixil brands American Standard , Grohe and DXV provided all the kitchen and bath fixtures for the home. The 7,753 sq. ft. Georgian red brick home is located in Oakville and features five bedrooms and four and a half baths.
Fujitsu General America, Inc. is embarking on a global rebrand for its VRF and mini-split heat pump product lines. From Oct. 3 onwards, all existing and future VRF and mini-split lines will be labelled as Fujitsu branded Airstage products. Leading with a new, modern teal logo symbolizing innovation, opportunity and sustainability, the rebrand will provide a fresh look for its most well-known products, reports the company.
Ecoer has announced that it now offers an “out-of-the-box” tenyear warranty on parts and labour for its flagship line of heat pumps at no charge to the end user. In addition, Ecoer is also renaming its heat pump product line as the ESi Decades series.
Bartle & Gibson announced a new regional partnership with Laufen, a Swiss bath products manufacturer. Across Western Canada, Laufen’s premium product categories will be offered through Bartle & Gibson and Bartle & Gibson showrooms. It will include washbasins, toilets, bidets, urinals, faucets, installation systems, and more.
Mercedes-Benz and Rivian have signed a memorandum of understanding to initiate a strategic partnership. The partnership will enable the companies to cooperate on producing electric vans.
Navien announced its officially incorporating its Canadian business by rebranding under the name Navien Canada, Inc. As a result of the rebrand, Navien opened its first Canadian distribution center in Surrey, BC, and launched a new Canadian website. With this change, the American territories will operate under Navien Inc, Canadian territories will operate under Navien Canada, Inc, and Mexico will operate as Navien Mexico, S.A. de C. V.
Saniflo Canada has partnered with Wearth to plant over 2,000 trees
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in Canada. In 2022, Wearth planted 2,223 trees in Saskatchewan on behalf of Saniflo. The 2,223 trees equate to around 5,992 sq. m. of new forest, equivalent to three NHL rinks or one FIFA soccer field.
Johnson Controls acquires Rescue Air Systems to enhance its fire suppression portfolio. Rescue Air Systems, based in San Francisco, California, is a provider of firefighter air replenishment systems. This acquisition will allow Johnson Controls to design, sell and install firefighter air replenishment systems in the market.
Danfoss celebrates its 70th year anniversary of its first Canadian office on Sept.14. Danfoss initially opened its Canadian office in Toronto, Ont, with as many as 150 employees. In late 2020, Danfoss relocated its office to Oakville, Ont, which now hosts a 40-person team. The celebration included a luncheon that included video messages from Danfoss CEO Kim Fausing and former chairman Jorgen Clausen recognizing the
accomplishments of the Canadian team over the years.
Mtl Cool has been acquired by Due North, the newly created operating company of QBD and Minus Forty . Mtl Cool is an
open air commercial refrigerated showcases company. They produce inline horizontal open-air coolers, horizontal sliding glass lid coolers and freezers, vertical open-air coolers and endcap solutions.
Our mission? Offer safe products, manufactured in Canada, that stand out in the market by their outstanding performance, their sustainability and their components increasingly more environmentally friendly. Our automated plants enable us to revolutionize the industry with competitive products that meet your daily hot water needs!
For more information, contact your local representative.
It’s been a busy few months for the Plumbing and HVAC team after having been out on the road travelling to industry events again. Here are a few that we attended including a trip out to Eden Energy’s Equipment training day, Mits-Air’s customer appreciation luncheon, and a facility tour of Honeywell’s research and development facility.
Guests of the Eden Energy event were treated to seminars, snacks, a BBQ lunch, networking opportunities, and prizes.
To celebrate 40 years in business, Eden Energy Equipment held its annual fullday training event on Sept. 22 at its headquarters in Guelph, Ont. The event was filled with technical training seminars that included topics like advanced hydronics pipe training by John Siegenthaler, selling hydronic systems to builders by Robert
Bean, and builders and heat pumps; the future is now by Gord Cooke. Additionally, Lance MacNevin provided code updates and industry trends, and Ralph Suppa moderated a hydronics panel discussion. Guests were also treated to prizes donated by Milwaukee Tool and Taco Comfort Solutions, a catered BBQ lunch, and networking opportunities.
During the tour of Honeywell’s R&D facility, we were able to see how quickly its foam insulation is ready to be used.
A group of industry and local media were invited to take a walking tour through Honeywell’s research and development facility in Buffalo, New York. The tour brought the group through several of Honeywell’s different areas of production and testing, including its heat pump testing room, aerosol refrigerant development area, foam insulation testing, and pilot project facility. “Because this is an R&D facility, the big celebration doesn’t surround sales but patents,” explained Ryan Hulse, director of R&D at Honeywell Advanced Materials.
Held at its Mississauga, Ont location, MitsAir held its customer appreciation BBQ event on Sept. 22. Lunch was provided for guests, who were also able to attend
the manufacturer centre, walk through a hydronics showroom, and network with industry members. There were easily more than a hundred people that attended the event over the span of the day.
One of the proudest moments that one of their patent lawyers had joked about was that they had to defend their patent in five contents and were only missing the Antarctic and Africa. Although they suspect it’s been probably challenged there too.
During the event, we met with several principal R&D engineers/scientists, including Mary Bogdan, Dimitrios Papanastasiou, Davis Smith, Kaimi Goo, and Jim Ling.
When it comes to the bidding process, there are several options when it comes to getting projects. There is the invited/select bid process, the design-build process, or the negotiated process. Here in British Columbia, we used to have a “Division 15” bid depository, but it went the way of the dodo years back.
Relying on the open bid process means that there are often many contractors bidding on the job, and some don’t have the qualifications to complete the work, or to even complete a solid bid. One issue is often the specifications and drawings. They are not very complete because the engineers have not been paid sufficiently to prepare comprehensive bid documents.
The contractor who makes the most mistakes is the loser who becomes the winner by getting the job at a poor price. Their options then are to work very efficiently, cut corners, or be aggressive with change orders or a combination of all three so that he can make a profit.
If you are being awarded 10 per cent of the jobs you’re bidding, that means that all the cost of you bidding on 10 jobs has to be recovered on the one job that you have been awarded. This is a no-win situation for the client and the contractor. I would recommend you reduce the number of open bids that you quote.
Getting on an invited/select bid list is far better as the specifications are usually clearer and the
competition has been pre-qualified to ensure they can do the work. Usually, there are no more than four bidders so your chances of success and making a profit is far better.
If you ask one of the major general contractors how much work they bid, you’ll be surprised to find that the answer is virtually none. They tend to collaborate with owners or owners’ representatives and then go out to tender to the trades. As a mechanical contractor, if you can become a contractor of choice for these general contractors and get involved in the design-build process then your chances of making a profit are significantly improved.
Most of the value-added changes that could be made to a contract are made before the bid documents are issued. Getting in on the ground floor is a huge advantage. Often the bids only consider the construction costs rather than the life-cycle costs. Adding value and eliminating activities that add no value saves time and money.
Another option for mechanical contractors is to negotiate with an owner. This happens more often in retrofit projects such as boiler refits and other major mechanical replacement work. This requires great relationships with the client and the technical expertise to design
the project to ensure that life cycle costs are included. I would consider this a very effective way of sustaining a profitable contracting business. Usually, to get such a project, you have to have the service contract, as this is where you build the client relationship.
The Canadian Construction Association released an official guide, titled “CCDC 23
There are three main approaches to bidding for the job — invited/select bidding, design-build, or the negotiated route.
2018 A Guide to Calling Bids and Awarding Contracts.”
When valuing a contracting business, it is generally accepted that the more open-bid work you do, the less valuable your business is.
With average pre-tax profits running around five per cent for mechanical contractors, we can’t afford to waste timing bidding jobs that are high risk or low reward. The following guidelines should help you cull the jobs that you are less likely to be awarded or make a profit on.
Firstly, if the job size or type is not within your level of expertise, now is not the time to experiment. Forecasting timelines is critical for ensuring you have the resources to complete the job in a profitable and timely manner. If there are more than four or five bidders, do you really want to bid on the job?
Staying within your geographical area reduces risk significantly. It can be difficult to get rewarded for “out-of-town” work as there are many unseen variables.
Additionally, working for the right client is
important. Some clients have very rigorous procedures that they will have to follow. Make sure you are aware of that before you bid. Also, ensure that the customer is looking for a reputable contractor. Don’t bid against the crazy guys. “Know your client” is the mantra. This will reduce risk significantly.
Make sure you complete a comprehensive bid from good tender specifications and get a fair reward for the risk.
Jobs that are more labour intensive are higher risk and use higher overhead than those with a higher rate of materials or subcontractors. This is why general contractors work on small margins as they take very little risk.
FMIcorp.com wrote an excellent program on dual overhead recovery, which I covered in one of my 10 Gold Seal programs that I wrote for MCA Canada. It went into mathematical formulas for determining mark-ups for labour and materials depending on job size and labour to materials ratios.
No matter which bidding process you are involved in you need to ensure that you are not increasing your risk by taking on labourintensive jobs without getting a higher profit reward and ensuring that you are recovering a higher level of overhead. Overhead is not a factor of sales so much as a factor of the amount of labour you have to manage. A boiler is a boiler every hour of the day. Labour is not so constant. Most of your management time is spent managing labour.
Kerry O’Brien, a Toronto-based engineer (now retired), wrote a great book covering “On-Site Productivity.” He makes the following claims that by all parties working together on a project you can improve outcomes as follows.
Ask yourself, which job has the least risk and which job are you likely to be awarded?
If the type of work you do is fairly consistent, then the percentage of labourto-sales should also be consistent. If your percentage of labour is increasing, it usually means that you are not marking up your labour sufficiently or marking up your other elements of direct cost (materials, equipment, and subs) too high. You need to get your markups in balance.
Look at the last five years of your financial statements and divide labour into materials and subs. What is the trend? If you are showing an increase in the labour ratio, it means you are not pricing your jobs accurately.
Your plan of action should include twenty per cent of the completed work generating around 80 per cent of your profit. If you focus on that 20 per cent, you are in the business of making money. Make that your focus. :
Ronald Coleman is a Vancouver-based accountant, management consultant, author and educator specializing in the construction industry.
He can be reached by e-mail at ronald@ronaldcoleman.ca.
The industry is just 55 days away from attending the 2022 Buildings Show, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. The Building Show is comprised of Construct Canada, PM Expo, HomeBuilder and Renovator Expo and World of Concrete Toronto Pavilion, and has run for over 30 years. It aims at providing seminars, informative panels, educational credits and industry networking, and exhibitor booths.
The Buildings Show states that 93 per cent of visitors who attended last year’s show plan on attending the show in 2022. It is estimated that there will be over 500 exhibiting companies split up between 43 countries.
The Buildings Show adds that pre-pandemic attendance was over 25,000 and that 90 per cent of visitors who attended the show were there to source new products.
The show hosts around 100 speakers, all of which will cover a wide variety of industry
topics. Seminars will also be broken up into various categories that include apartment and condominium management, smart buildings/ technologies and innovations, optimizing building performance and enhancing net asset value, professional skills/strategy and leadership, project design/planning/delivery/ management and best practices, legal regulatory and risk management, design concepts/health/ wellness and interiors, building envelope solutions, sustainable design/environment and higher performance buildings, and lastly, urban planning and strategies.
All but one session will be in-person. The “Going Electric: EV Charging Infrastructure and Incentives” session by Alan Czechowski, business development manager at Flo, will be held online on Nov. 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Sessions vary in price; some require payment, while others are free.
Participants attending the show and seminars can also leave the show with additional credits. The following associations will provide credits for attending sessions, ARIDO Professional Development, BOMI Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Designation, BSS Continuing Education, Canadian Association of Home, and Property Inspectors (CAHPI), and OAA ConEd Learning Hours. Each association has differing credits that will be handed out.
Nov. 1 – 3, 2022:
International Conference and Expo, Moscone Center, San Francisco, California. For more information, please visit www.informaconnect.com/ greenbuild.
Nov. 3 – 5: 2022 NEBB Annual Conference, Charleston Place, Charleston, South Carolina. For more information, please visit www.nebb.org.
Feb. 6 – 9, 2023: AHR Expo 2023, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit www.ahrexpo.com.
