September 2016

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FALL HEATING Combo challenges; smart opportunities

INSIDE Q Plumbing industry meets in Banff Q Quebec moves forward on prompt payment Q Flammable refrigerants gaining ground Q Troubleshooting your own business

SEPTEMBER 2016

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Q Contents

Fall Heating Departments Hot Seat .........................................5 Problem solved, or maybe not

Industry News ..............................7 Plumbing industry meets in Banff

People & Places ...........................62 Dectron acquired by U.S. firm

Shop Management .....................65 Troubleshooting your business

Coming Events ............................69 CIPHEX West returns to Vancouver

Products & Technologies Heating ........................................14 Ventilation ...................................29 Hot Water Heating ......................35 Air Conditioning .........................41 Geothermal Heating ...................46 Pipes, Valves & Fittings ...............51

Simultaneous heating/cooling Absorption chillers offer an energy efficient option

Features

Faucets & Fixtures .......................53 Refrigeration ...............................54 Tools & Instruments ....................61 Smart opportunities

18

Contractors play key role in connected home

Cover: A Quebec school board and an engineering firm teamed up for an energy efficient overhaul of mechanical systems.

Please see our article on page 46.

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Slow progress

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Combo manufacturers struggle to get standard recognized

Primary/secondary piping

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Q Hot Seat

September 2016 Volume 26, Number 6 ISSN 1919-0395

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

Problem solved, or so we thought It’s frustrating when a problem is identified, a solution is found, and it’s not adopted.

Such is the case with combo heating systems that use an air handler in conjunction with a hot water heater to provide space heating, domestic hot water and, in some cases, air conditioning.

Thousands of these systems have been installed in new homes over the past 20 years or so. In many cases, they failed to perform up to the expectations of the homeowner.

This resulted in numerous consumer complaints to provincial governments.

A big part of the problem is that the air handler was often paired with the cheapest builder grade water heater; in Ontario it was often a rental unit. It quickly became apparent that if these systems were to work a lot more thought was needed in their design.

The water heater had to have the capacity to cover both space heating and DHW. Some manufacturers began offering water heaters that were designed and approved for these dual roles, but they were more expensive and few builders went that route.

As well, considerable thought was required to ensure the heat source and the air handler worked together. Just combining any water heater with any air handler wasn’t working.

So the Canadian Standards Association came up with a solution – the CSA P.9-11 Standard that established a test and rating method that looked at the heat source and air handler together.

Since 2011, numerous systems have been tested and the test scores posted on the

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NRCan Office of Energy Efficiency web site.

Air handler and water heater manufacturers have worked together and combo system technology has taken a significant leap forward, both in efficiency and comfort.

But provinces have been very slow to reference the P.9-11 (revised 2015) Standard in building codes and problems persist with substandard combo systems. Only B.C. has adopted it. Ontario will reference it in its next SB-12 supplementary standard (Energy Efficiency for Housing), but only as an option. Some provinces reference it in their Energy Star for New Homes programs.

Why hasn’t the P.9-11 standard been adopted as the minimum standard for combo systems in all provincial building codes? This would ensure, at the very least, that these systems function as intended, thus putting an end to consumer problems and complaints.

It would also allow the provinces to set a minimum P.9-11 score to further their energy efficiency goals.

Yes, it will add cost. Some builders – the ones that always specify the least expensive HVAC system – will not like it. But it will solve a myriad of problems, not least of which is that poor performing combo systems have damaged the reputation of the entire HVAC industry. To the consumer, a “furnace” is a furnace – they don’t generally differentiate.

Editor Simon Blake (416) 614-5820 simon@plumbingandhvac.ca National Sales Manager Mark Mierkalns (416) 614-5832 markm@plumbingandhvac.ca Design and Production Tim Norton/Janet Popadiuk production@plumbingandhvac.ca Circulation Manager Dorothy Lai

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.

Marked Business Media Inc. 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 5C4 Tel: (416) 614-2200 • Fax (416) 614-8861 POSTMASTER: Send all address changes and circulation inquiries to: Plumbing & HVAC Magazine, 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M9W 5C4. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 43029513. 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 2016. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

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

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

Member

Canadian Business Press

Q Industry News Siân Smith, with husband Peter, left, passed the chairman’s gavel to Bill Palamar.

Plumbing industry gathers in Banff Cautious optimism expressed for Canadian economy

By Simon Blake An economist had reassuring advice for the older delegates attending the Annual Business Conference of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating.

“If you’re 57 or older, you aren’t going to be in business the next time a recession comes,” remarked Brian Beaulieu, CEO of ITR Economics, Manchester, New Hampshire.

“Brexit notwithstanding, the world is generally getting better,” he reported to over 260 delegates and companions at the conference, held at the beautiful Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alta. June 26-28.

He noted that, in Canada, industrial production is up, employment is up and oil prices are gradually increasing and will likely be in the $55-57 a barrel range in 2017.

He noted that Ontario retail sales are up 7.7 percent in the past year while Alberta is still hurting. “Ontario is one of the places to be in all of Canada right now.”

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However, at the same time he remarked that Canada, and especially Ontario, is being “hollowed out” as “manufacturing is drifting away from Canada and going to Mexico.” New labour and environmental laws aren’t helping, he said.

The best way to test new ideas is simply to ‘launch and learn.’

He advised CIPH members that today is a good time to invest in their own businesses while interest rates remain low.

Keep it simple If there was a common theme among a strong speaker lineup, it was to keep things simple.

“Get over ‘go big or go home!’ Take small steps,” advised Calgary-based high performance coach Michelle Cederberg. “Ten minutes of doing is a lot better than an hour of thinking about it,” she added.

John Rossman, a technology strategist with Alvarez & Marsal in Seattle, suggested one of the biggest concerns for businesses is that they become too big and morph into a bureaucracy. He offered “the two-pizza rule” which states that any team within a business that cannot be fed with two pizzas is too big.

Staying with the lunch theme, he added that often the best way to test new ideas is simply to “launch and learn.” Or in other words, don’t overthink it – just put it out there and see how things work out.

Buying groups on board The CIPH Annual Meeting usually passes without controversy as the accomplishments of the past year and plans for the future are detailed. However, this year, a proposal to create a new membership category for wholesaler buying groups created a stir.

Members voted in favour of adding buying groups as non-voting associate members.

To be eligible, a significant number of their members must be CIPH member wholesalers and the buying group must have been in Please see ‘Code’ on page 9

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Industry News

Code harmonization a priority Continued from page 7

business in Canada for a reasonable period of time, as determined by the board of directors.

In essence it is the administrator of the buying group that is eligible to apply and join and become the member. The individual members of the buying group will not derive benefits of CIPH. The topic has been under discussion for about 10 years and has undergone a number of modifications, noted chairman Siân Smith, senior director of strategic procurement at Noble Corp., Concord, Ont. Members also voted to add another manufacturers agent to serve on the board of directors. Currently there is one with Andrew Dyck of Barclay Sales serving in this capacity.

Key priorities for CIPH include the harmonization of plumbing codes and standards across Canada and North America. In fact, the plumbing councils are urging governments to automatically adopt the National Plumbing Code each time an updated version is published, which is every five years, reported CIPH president Ralph Suppa. Currently, some provinces tend to be slow to adopt changes.

Bringing young people into the industry continues to be a priority. Over 3,000 students were introduced to the CIPH Career Tap program at career fairs in the past year.

Habitat for Humanity Canada has long been the primary charity supported by CIPH members. The most recent two-year campaign raised $2.2 million in cash and products for the organization.

After six months Hagedorn convinced Palamar that he should go into business with his own sales agency. Tallying up the results at the end of the first year, Palamar figured he was doing pretty good with $22,000 in sales.

That was until he looked at his expenses and realized he’d spent $30,000. The following year he broke even. “From that point on I managed to do okay in this industry,” he laughed.

Joe Senese, vice-president operations, Ontario, for Groupe Deschênes was elected first vice chairman. Allen Taylor, president and CEO of Taylor Pipe Supports, Burlington, Ont., became second vice chairman. Smith moves into the past chairman’s role and was also elected treasurer.

CIPH will hold its 2017 Annual Business Conference in Ottawa as Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary. It will take place at the Delta Ottawa City Centre Hotel June 25-27.

For more information, visit www.ciph.com.

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New executive elected The meeting also saw Smith, the first ever female chairman of CIPH, complete her term and hand the reins over to Bill Palamar, president, Weil-McLain Canada Sales Inc., Burlington, Ont. Palamar, the 69th CIPH chairman, joined the industry in 1979 at age 22. Fresh out of university, he went to work for industry veteran (and CIPH chairman in 1990-91) Charlie Hagedorn as a junior salesman in Toronto. The first few years weren’t easy.

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Q Industry News

Quebec plans prompt payment legislation by spring Quebec expects to introduce prompt payment legislation for public building construction within a year.

In April, addressing a public accounts committee meeting, Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitao, chair of the Treasury Board, said the province would be introducing new prompt payment rules by the spring of 2017.

Leitao said he was responding to recommendation number 15 in the report of Quebec’s Charbonneau Commission on corruption in the construction industry.

As reported in the Januar y issue of P&HVAC, the Commission listed four reasons that slow payment draws organized crime into construction. Firstly, site supervisors must approve progress

payments, giving them considerable power to intimidate contractors.

Secondly, it restricts competition because contractors that don’t have the cash flow to pay their employees and suppliers while waiting for payment can’t bid on projects where they know payment is going to be slow.

In 2013 over three-quarters of contractors refused to bid on a tender because they feared payment problems, reported the Commission.

And it penalizes smaller contractors that don’t have easy access to credit.

That leads to the third problem for the Commission. Contractors end up seeking funding from non-traditional sources, which can bring organized crime into construction projects. Fourth, contractors

include these higher borrowing costs in their bids, which causes a significant problem for government in that, among other things, it drives up the cost of public projects.

The commitment applies only to public sector projects. The Quebec Coalition Against Payment Delays has also been fighting for prompt payment in private sector contracts. However, it’s complicated. Private contracts come under civil law and different government ministries.

Correction The president of the Canadian Oil Heat Association is Stephen Koch, not Michael Koch as reported in our July/ August issue. Also, Steve Wilson is director of Wilson Fuel. We apologize for any embarrassment or confusion caused by our error.

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Q Letters

Working with the web Dear Editor, I enjoyed your column, “The Social Media Conundrum� (July/Aug., 2016). We must come to terms with the transition to online and mobile communications, even for us “mature, mechanically-minded� professionals in the HVAC industry.

Not every business requires a website; however it’s imperative that small business owners pay attention to online searches and marketing their services to millennial homeowners who are increasingly turning to the “web� to search for and validate contractors with online review sites. They want to know what their peers think on social media when engaging qualified professionals.

It’s especially important to encourage satisfied customers to post reviews, photos and acknowledgement of quality service on your social media pages (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.). There are many online resources available to learn more, and to monitor what your competitors are doing to determine what works for your business.

Contractors who do not maintain a formal website may use their social media sites to post “before� and “after� installation photos, com-

ments from satisfied customers, notices of special events in their neighborhood, all to gain exposure and encourage new and repeat business.

Even a dissatisfied customer offers an opportunity to quickly reach out (within 24-48 hours) and offer to make things right.

This may not only turn around a disgruntled customer, it shows new customers that you

Wholesaler relationships fading Dear Editor, Ron Coleman’s article “Working with suppliers; building relationships for mutual benefit� (May/June, 2016), while I could not agree more, the practice is non-existent!

This is the way it used to be, not the way it is! Now, if you are telling me that it is

are responsive and care about your quality.

You don’t have to use all the social media tools – just focus on doing one well. So hang up your wall phone, discard that five-year-old printed dog-eared phone book and get your business online!

Craig Lazinsky Marketing program manager Bosch Thermotechnology Corp.

Londonderry, New Hampshire

returning, I welcome your optimism but will not be holding my breath. There is not one supplier who calls on us. Rather, we have manufacturers who call on us because even they understand that the suppliers are not doing the job they once did.

Suppliers do not get it and if we treated our clients with the same disregard as our suppliers treat us we would be unemployed.

D. Brian Baker, president Custom Vac Limited, Winnipeg

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Toilet surface area critical Dear editor, I liked your article on toilets (“Today’s low flush toilets, May/June, 2016). I am a professional engineer (engaged primarily with IAQ) and a member of  ASHRAE. For the last few years, my work has involved toilets. (Don’t ask how these two fields became linked.)

There is a specification for toilets that rarely gets discussed, but  in my view is one of the most important when considering the flushing  performance. It is called “water surface area�. Most manufacturers  omit this from their literature.

(If the surface area is too small), the trouble is that when the user goes, it normally sticks to the bowl surface above the water level.

The flushing action is inadequate to cleanse the bowl, so poop remains (which must be immediately  wiped away by the user).

Don MacMillan, Ottawa

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Q Heating

SLOW progress Combo manufacturers struggle to get CSA standard referenced in building codes

By Simon Blake

C

ombination space heating “They’ve done all the work, but they are and hot water equipment competing against stuff that is inefficient and has improved dramatically doesn’t meet the performance standards in since the launch of a new the manufacturer’s own brochures,” remarked CSA standard five years ago.

HVAC designer Dara Bowser, owner of But manufacturers are wondering why the Bowser Technical Inc., Brantford, Ont. Every provinces have been so slow to incorporate it other heating device – furnaces, boilers, water into their building codes. heaters, etc. – have to meet strict performance “Why do we have to fight and go to the standards, so why not combo systems? There government and say: ‘please put this in your have been many problems with these systems. b u i l d i n g c o d e ? ’” Thousands have been remarked Ramzi Why do we have installed and there Handal, president have been so many to fight and go of Tempco Heating consumer complaints and Sheet Metal Inc., t h a t C T V ’s W 5 Scarborough, Ont., to the government and say: program did a special a wholesaler, and ‘please put this in feature on the issue. founder of air handler “The problem is manufacturer iFLOW your building code?’ that when you put HVAC Inc. two systems together CAN/CSA-P.9-11 (R2015) – Test method – an air handler and a regular water heater for determining the performance of – they perform differently than they do combined space and water heating systems individually. People didn’t understand and (combos) – created a third party test method did not have enough information on what for determining the efficiency of combination happens when you put them together,” said systems that combine a condensing water Handal. heater with an air handler to provide space “Since the P.9 standard came manufacturers heating and DHW. Since it was first published invested a lot of money to improve their in 2011, numerous manufacturers have had product (so that it would pass the test). I don’t their products tested and the result has been think it should be allowed to go to waste (by a dramatic increase in both the performance failure to incorporate the P.9 Standard in and efficiency of these units. building codes),” he added.

14

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

B.C. leads the way While the standard is referenced in the National Building Code (Clause 9.36.3.10), only B.C. has added it to its provincial building code to date. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) requires that integrated mechanical systems be tested to the P.9 Standard under its Energy Star for New Homes program (Sect.

4.3.2) and some provinces have picked up on that, remarked Chris Jakobson, product manager for RedZone, Mississauga, Ont., an air handler manufacturer.

“Other provinces seem to be starting to harness the idea of P.9 testing. Even though they may not request high scores, they are at least stating that a minimum must be met.

That keeps a lot of the ‘me-too’ manufacturers out – those that put any old heat generator and air handler together and say they’ve got a combo system.”

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The sloped-top design of these Enerzone Hi-V air handlers dramatically reduces blower noise while improving airflow.

He added that a number of municipalities in B.C. are requiring a thermal performance factor (TPF) of not less than 0.65. “That forces manufacturers to get their products tested and rated so that they can play in the game.”

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has been publishing P.9.11 test results on the Office of Energy Efficiency web site (http:// oee.nrcan.gc.ca), adding considerably more detail since April, so that it is now relatively easy for heating designers to compare the test results of different units. Prior to that, designers just didn’t have enough information to make a sound decision, noted Bowser.

Ontario makes concession Bowser, with backing from a number of manufacturers, has been urging the Ontario government to reference the P.9 Standard in Supplementary Standard SB-12 of the Ontario

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Building Code, which covers energy efficiency. The proposal also has the support of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), which wrote a letter to the minister of housing.

On July 7 manufacturers won a small victory when the province published an amendment to SB-12, section 3.1.1.2, Energy Efficiency for Buildings Located in Zone 1 that lists the CSA P.9 standard as an alternate compliance path for builders. But it’s only an option, not a minimum standard, remarked Jakobson. “It’s been referenced, but nothing more to it than that. It recognizes its existence, but it just doesn’t feel like it’s being embraced.”

The first SB-12 compliance path allows a water heater with a minimum energy factor

In this RedZone installation, a forced air furnace and water tank were replaced with a combo system to free up space.

(EF) of 0.80, an AFUE of 90 percent “or of the condensing type.” However, a water heater with a 0.80 EF is typically a non-condensing unit. “There is almost four scenarios that can be met here to justify the use of a system,” said Jakobson. “It still seems like it’s an easy way out, Please see ‘New’ on page 17

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

15

Q Heating

New technologies driving efficiency There are numerous options for zoning, either with hydronics, with a separate air handler for each zone or with zoning dampers in the air handler.

Of course, cost is always a factor. If building codes don’t require this level of sophistication, the builders won’t install it. In a retrofit, some homeowners will appreciate the comfort, efficiency and space savings.

The industry needs support from governments. Incorporating the P.9.11 standard into provincial building codes would change the market substantially

Continued from page 15

to get that combo system in without a P.9 score.”

The vague wording will cause problems, agreed Bowser. “The use of the term “condensing type” to denote a minimum efficiency is indefinite and not referenced by any test standard, rating method or any accepted industry definition.”

There is still hope, however. “The ministry plans to conduct extensive public and technical consultations on any changes to the 2012 Ontario Building Code,” commented Ont. Ministr y of Municipal Affairs spokesperson Conrad Spezowka in an e-mail.

He added that details of the previous round of consultations, which closed Nov. 30, would be released shortly.

“Ministry staff continue to engage with stakeholders in regard to the implementation of Supplementary Standard SB-12 and the government’s energy efficiency objectives and climate change action plan and are available to meet with groups who may have information concerning the CAN/CSA P.9 Standard and its implementation.”

Tighter homes driving changes Tighter homes are among the factors driving the move to combo systems. “These systems are going to get more and more popular. For a thousand square foot house today, you need maybe less than 20,000 Btu/h for heating,” remarked Handal. At the same time, there is considerable space savings with the small size of the air handler and the small high velocity ducts that can be concealed within walls.

New partnerships Much has changed since combo systems started appearing on the market 20 or so years ago. In the past, combo system manufacturers were primarily air handler manufacturers. It was up to the designer or contractor to figure out what to use for a heat source.

The P.9 test has driven partnerships between air handler and water heater manufacturers. “The P.9 process has allowed us to bridge the communications gap and the

16

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

Space saving was a factor in this Ecologix installation too. The entire mechanical room – heating, AC and DHW – is located in a closet. research and development between not only the air handler, but the heat generator,” said Jakobson.

RedZone, for example, has been working with Bosch. “They’ve enhanced their product to cater to our air handler… at the end of the day there’s only so much that can be done with the fan and the box.”

Sophisticated electronic controls, some with outdoor reset, and ECM motors are driving efficiencies like never before. In the new combo systems, as in other heating systems, the ability to match firing rates to demand is resulting in substantial energy savings. iFLOW will soon introduce an air handler with full modulation of both the pump and the blower motor.

This high efficiency iFLOW combo system features a modulating pump and blower motor. because it would weed out the inadequate systems, giving the provinces an easy way to put an end to the numerous consumer complaints about combo systems, said Bowser.

“Everybody has known about this for 20 years and nobody has done anything about it. It’s time to do something. If the minister(s) want it to change, it will happen.”

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C O N D E N S I N G

T E C H N O L O G Y

Q Heating

Smart thermostats offer

OPPORTUNITIES The new smart thermostats can tie the HVAC to other systems like security and carbon monoxide detectors.

Contractors will play a key role in the connected home

By Bruce Nagy It’s just a thermostat. Or maybe it’s something more. Could it be that the popularity of the newest generation of smart thermostats will usher in an exciting new era, not just for modern HVAC, but at long last, for the connected smart home too?

18

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

A few years ago the world’s most successful companies, Apple and Google, decided to get into the thermostat business; or really, to leverage themselves into the smart home business. They made some questionable early decisions, but their large budgets and commitment is now being felt in world wide sales results.

During 2015, global sales of smart thermostats exploded, expanding to 730,000 in November and 818,000 in December, compared with 343,000 and 335,000 a year

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Occupants can monitor and adjust their connected home system from their phone.

earlier. Several recent market research reports predict significant future growth of the industry, from about $585 million in 2014 to more than $5 billion by 2020. Seventy percent of the market is in North America.

The residential customer “We started selling Nest thermostats in 2012 and we were receiving about 10 inquires per week at that point. Now we are installing between 50 and 100 every week. It’s crazy,” reported Kirill Tatarinov of Simply Comfort, a mechanical contractor in Toronto.

“Most of our customer base pays for a new furnace via monthly installments, so we routinely offer a service and maintenance package with this and we bundle the Nest into it…They love the idea of this very modern smart home element. They like the design and look of it. They like that they can control it with their phone and they like that it does their

A do-it-yourself homeowner might be able to swap a thermostat, but a contractor would know how to wire the diagnostics. energy thinking for them. On top of that, our local gas utility (Enbridge) gives the customer a $100 rebate on the thermostat. About 90 percent of them decide to get it,” he added.

How it works The Nest thermostat uses a combination of motion detectors, geofencing (GPS location) among phone-owning occupants and a learning algorithm to determine when a dwelling is empty and when occupants are

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likely to return. It then programs the cooling and heating schedule to optimize energy use and comfort according to daily load patterns Most of the other ‘smart’ thermostats from Honeywell, Venstar and a handful of others are less automated. They feature contemporary touch screens, integration with other smart home devices, user-friendly schedule programming, voice control and remote control via the internet; but they generally provide energy alerts, monitoring and reports, rather than making energy decisions automatically (which not everyone wants – it can be disabled on the Nest).

Whether the customer does their own programming or not, numerous pilot studies done by independent research outfits or gas utilities indicate that smart thermostats save about eight to 15 percent on energy and, in exceptional cases, more. This means that, in general, the extra cost for the device pays back in about two years.

Commercial applications Smart thermostats have created a new landscape in non-residential channels too.

In southern California, a chain of highly rated casual dining restaurants has built its reputation on baking pizza in a 900ºF fourton stone-bed pizza oven. The big challenge is to prevent employees and customers from cooking too. Employees tended to over-

compensate by turning cooling equipment way up and leaving it.

Venstar smart thermostats brought the situation under control, keeping customers and employees comfortable while saving 10 percent on the energy bill. Management can remotely monitor and compare HVAC patterns at different locations, and monitor the run time of each piece of HVAC equipment. They evaluate energy use history to predict future use and optimize the run schedule for each HVAC unit. The thermostat also monitors maintenance requirements, which also helps reduce costs.

The company has also been swapping out thermostats in hundreds of school classrooms, which are required in some jurisdictions to comply with regulations requiring thermostats that can communicate with local utilities, accommodating demandresponse programs.

“They love the colour touchscreens and the energy education features,” said Tony Albers, west coast regional sales manager for Venstar, Chatsworth, California. “School boards waste energy if they use a standard seven-day program because there are so many irregular school holidays and extra-curricular activities. Even daylight saving time can create schedule mistakes. With a large number of classrooms, little things add up fast.”

Fault detection Speaking of which, “the most exciting advancements are now coming in the areas of fault detection and diagnostics,” said Albers.

“You can monitor the economizer. You can receive an alert if the temperature is not 55 after running for 15 minutes. You can figure out pretty quickly if something is stuck wide open…This is one of the reasons that Venstar has supported trade-only selling through distributors. A do-it-yourself homeowner might be able to swap a thermostat, but a Please see ‘Market’ on page 21

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

19

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Q Heating

Market shifting to trades

Manufacturers offer training to help contractors optimize the installation – this is the Nest thermostat ‘kit’.

Continued from page 19

The smart thermostat can provide a lot of information when needed.

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contractor would know how to wire the diagnostics.”

As consumer oriented companies, Nest (Alphabet/Google) and Ecobee (Apple) initially focused on the do-it-yourself (DIY) market, exploiting tech-oriented early adopters who shop online, or at large DIY retailers like Home Depot and Lowes. More recently they have been developing trade channel distribution networks; realizing that the mainstream market will seek professional installation assistance, especially as related smart home products are introduced and everything – HVAC, security, safety, entertainment and automation – will have to work together.

“We have distributors all over North America with attractive pricing for contractors,” says Albers. “And we’re offering evening training classes on topics related to the connected home. You might be a great HVAC installer but maybe you’re not as comfortable with Wi-Fi or voice command.

We want to help.”

“We were getting a lot of calls from people who bought a Nest online and wanted us to come and install it,” says Tatarinov. “They get a five-year warranty if we install it, instead of a two-year warranty.”

Opportunity for contractors “Nobody owns the connected home space yet, but HVAC probably has the best leg up because the thermostat seems to be a key element,” says Gene Lanois, head of the professional channel, North America for Nest, in Palo Alto, California.

“Here is this great growth opportunity and it’s currently being shared by electrical contractors, system integrators, security installers and HVAC contractors. But nobody has stepped up to say ‘we own it.’ Someone should… We’re growing more than 50 percent year over year.”

His division has been working overtime to develop training and add distribution, and now claims 2400 locations where tradespeople can buy its products with protected pricing.

He talks about a future when phone-oriented, tech-savvy millennials will be buying homes and expecting everything to be automated. He also describes numerous other opportunities beyond residential (generally under 15-tons) including retail stores, salons, doctors offices, car dealers, churches, and so on.

Now that more smart thermostats, security cameras, carbon monoxide detectors and the like are Wi-Fi connected and more user friendly, they are becoming even more popular.

“Smart thermostats have become a huge asset for us, along with the other new connected home products,” says Tatarinov.

“Now we’re creating a Nest & Protect package that includes the new carbon monoxide safety module. It’s a big boost for HVAC. It’s like creating that new car excitement. We’re on the cutting edge in a business that hasn’t really been very innovative.”

It seems like an easy decision for a contractor to get involved with the connected home. “The smart and connected home is growing really fast and it’s not a fad,” says Lanois. It’s only going to get bigger.” And that is going to be very good for the HVAC industry.

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

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

21

Q Heating

These ten-ton units feature economizers. The upper port is the fresh air intake and the lower port provides barometric relief.

Rooftop

tune-up

Keep your customer’s mechanical systems humming

By Bob Bettles and Brian Guttormson

22

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

Maintenance on rooftop equipment is not much different than taking care of the small residential systems. There are components that vary, but the heating sections do somewhat resemble the old mid-efficiency home furnaces. Most existing units are not condensing products, up to about 81 percent AFUE. In recent years, high efficiency products have been added. These 90 percent-plus rooftops create condensate; this moisture is protected from freezing within the interior cabinet body and is directed back into the interior space and further drained off to local drain systems.

Maintenance contracts on rooftop equipment are quite normal; they’re sold to

the owner or tenants based on the required service and cleaning, typically in three-month periods. The most important services occur at the beginning of the heating season and the start of the cooling season.

The basic check-up A complete visual inspection of the unit is a must before starting any maintenance, followed by checking for voltage imbalances on three-phase systems. Relays and contacts must be checked for burnt contacts and, to maintain integrity of the inner and outer cabinetry, screws must be tightened and stripped ones replaced.

Condenser coils must be cleaned for improved heat transfer and efficiency. Other steps include cleaning of the evaporator coil to maintain airflow and air conditioning performance along with replacement or washing of air filters.

In the AC season, test the sub-cooling and super heat, test for and repair any refrigerant leaks, look for excess oil residue near caps and tighten Schrader cores. Confirm condenser motor amps. Check condensate traps and flush out for blockages and check for cracks in the drain pans.

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Inspect pulleys for wear, clean and change out any damaged belts in the blower section, make alignment adjustments, and lube any oil ports. Retest and confirm electrical connections and amperages. Remove and clean burners, clean heat exchanger sections

the outdoor temperature is below the set point on the control and cooling is required, an actuator motor opens a damper to allow the filtered outdoor air to enter into the return air stream to mix and continue into the supply ducts, providing cooling.

Service technicians will miss out on repairs if they do not understand the economizer’s operation; this is always the most neglected section of the rooftop. and inspect for visual issues, replace or clean pilot assemblies and flame sensors, look at pressure switch tubes for cracks and leaks and test end switches.

Test all safeties to confirm inlet and manifold gas pressures, test temperature rise and compare to rating plates, perform gas analyzer test and carbon monoxide in flue.

Print out the test for the customer report card and keep copies on file.

Issues with this simple system are that, when bringing in cold air to condition the space, it can bring too much humidity and make the space uncomfortable.

Different systems Single enthalpy economizer systems use a sensor to determine if the outdoor air has a low enough humidity level, pre-set on the

controller, and that the air is cool enough to bring it into the building. (The ASHRAE Psychometric Chart # 1 defines enthalpy as ‘Btu per pound of dry air.’ This formula is based on the actual wet bulb temperature versus the humidity level of the air.) Some of these systems have a history of failure over years in service due to outdoor elements or they lose precision and become ill handling.

Other economizer styles use two sensors to control the economizer; one to monitor the return air enthalpy and the second to monitor the outdoor enthalpy. The differential creates precision control to open and modulate dampers to reach optimum performance; the lowest enthalpy is used for cooling.

Integrated differential enthalpy economizers are the same as the differential types, but the controls communicate with the indoor multi-stage thermostat on calls for cooling. If the temperature and enthalpy of the outdoor Please see ‘Economizer’ on page 24

The economizer solution Many do not know what economizers are for or readily know what they do. They are sometimes mistaken as a luxury and an added expense to a job and a pain to service.

However, economizers provide a large savings for those that pay the hydro bills.

How do they work? Economizers use outdoor air drawn through air filters into the building for cooling purposes. They are set up to work below pre-set temperatures and humidity levels. They are referred to and sold as “free cooling” because the compressor or compressors are not running when this type of cooling is utilized. This add-on system is retrofitted into the cabinet, with newer models pre-wired with easy plug-in installation.

Different types of economizers are available. Dry bulb designs use a sensor to find settings. If the outdoor air is at or below the pre-set temperature outdoor air is introduced, most being adjusted to 55ºF. Further, when

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Panels are removed for a maintenance check.

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

23

Q Heating

Economizer knowledge boosts sales Continued from page 22

air are not cool enough for the space, then second-stage cooling is called upon, starting the compressor section up to complete the cooling cycle.

Economizers can be used to provide ventilation into the building by demand. A demand system used with a carbon dioxide sensor located in the building space energizes a start-up if the carbon dioxide levels increase to an unacceptable level as more people enter into the space and the levels build.

Opening up the economizer more brings in more fresh air to

reduce the level.

When bringing in outdoor air, a barometric relief opening is required to prevent pressurizing the building’s envelope.

Economizer maintenance Selling the idea of regular economizer maintenance to the customer is easy because it is necessary if the building owner is going to continue to save on operating costs incurred by not having to run compressors in the spring and fall seasons. Limited operation of the compressors day-to-day will extend their operating life while hydro costs will be reduced.

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Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

Failure to protect this on-grade mounted unit from accumulated moisture is causing serious corrosion and other issues.

However, service technicians will miss out on repairs if they do not understand the economizer’s operation; this is always the most neglected section of the rooftop.

Sometimes service calls are the result of dampers jammed open with wood and/or wired shut, depending on the season. Sometimes building owners don’t know about the issues due to the type of maintenance contracts in place, so the condition of their equipment is not

known until it’s too late and costly repairs are required.

Those in the know as to how and what repairs are needed are the winners; retrofit installation kits and controls with sensors are available to perform repairs to fix and update older economizers.

Updating an older dry bulb system to an enthalpy driven package will create operating savings at a reasonable cost to the building owner.

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.

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Q Heating Larger rooftop units

Reduced installation time

The Rebel line of commercial packaged rooftop systems from Daikin now includes units from three to 28-tons, enabling building owners to right-size the units for their buildings and reduce the need to use multiple units, reducing overall installation costs. These units provide precise comfort control and are among the most energy efficient rooftop units on the market, reports the manufacturer.

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The TEC3000 Series thermostat controllers from Johnson Controls are direct hardware replacements for TEC2000 Series thermostats that reduce installation time by loading all configuration files and parameters at once, using a USB stick. The thermostats also offer rapid-speed commissioning by using the USB stick to commission multiple TEC3000s of the same model. They support both N2 and BACnet MS/TP protocols.

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Q Ventilation

Avoid sooting with correct sizing for combustion air and furnace room ventilation

By Art Irwin

Fig. 1: Recommended sizing chart Opening size shall have a total free area of 4.4 cm²/KW (1 in ²/5000 Btu/h) of the total input rating of all oil-fired appliances.

BTU Total Input Rating Of All Appliances Within The Enclosure 25,000 - 50,000 50,000 - 75,000 75,000 - 100,000 100,000 - 125,000 125,000 - 140,000 140,000 - 160,000 160,000 - 200,000

The provision of combustion air for furnace rooms probably sounds like a simple subject, but it must be addressed as a very important issue. I have seen sooting problems in new structures, which were very difficult to identify because the problems arose intermittently.

In today’s airtight housing, if the bathroom fan and the heat recovery ventilator are operating at the same time, this can cause the burner to backdraft, creating considerable sooting and possible development of

Total Free Unobstructed Area.

CM² (Square Inches) 65 cm² 97 cm² 129 cm² 161 cm² 181 cm² 206 cm² 258 cm²

(10.0) (15.0) (20.0) (25.0) (28.0) (32.0) (40.0)

Equivalent Area In Round Pipe.

(Inside Smooth Surface) Diameter In mm (Inches) 101 mm 127 mm 152 mm 152 mm 152 mm 178 mm 203 mm

(4) (5) (6) (6) (6) (7) (8)

Note: For solid fuel, dual or add on appliance applications, refer to CAN/CSA B365 -10 (R2015) Installation code for Solid - Fuel - Burning Appliances and Equipment.

carbon monoxide.

Traditionally, the rule of thumb was one square foot of opening for each gallon of fuel burned. Simply put, if the burner had a onegallon nozzle, the opening through the wall or the inlet grille must have one square foot of free, unobstructed opening. In many cases, in commercial applications, the grille became as large as a barn door!

Many builders are sensitive to that awful array of vent openings on the exterior of buildings. At one time, one vent opening for the bathroom fan was all that was required.

Today, we have the bathroom fan, two vents for the heat recovery ventilator, a discharge vent for the vacuum system, a vent for combustion air and one for ventilation for the furnace room. I receive many calls from both builders and heating contractors who want my interpretation for a specific part of the code pertaining to combustion air sizing.

“What size hole?” is the common question.

One would assume the builder would be best equipped to install vents of any type. If installed by other trades, heating included, the opening will no doubt be very rough and not always level. A smart heating con-

(Conforming to CAN/CSA B139-15, January 2015, Installation Code For Oil Burning Equipment 9.2.3)

Please see ‘Tighter’ on page 31

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September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Ventilation

Tighter homes, better equipment Continued from page 29

tractor should make arrangements with the builder to install any devices in the exterior walls. Maintaining the air barrier or the vapour barrier is critical. Proper sealing should be carried out by people experienced in that field.

In the code, several sizing options are given which are based on the assumed air tightness of the building envelope. Many older buildings have been professionally retrofitted and the energy performance upgraded and could compare with that of a new structure.

High efficiency equipment For many years, the majority of residential heating appliances have been fired at 1.15 to 1.85 U.S. gallons per hour (USGPH). Because of improved efficiency, we have fine-tuned the

Contractors should keep in mind that multiple vents poorly placed disfigure the building’s appearance. Steps should be taken to avoid this. energy input for many appliances and firing rates of .50 USGPH are common.

Sizing vents for the residential sector or lower firing rates, means we must provide one square inch of free, unobstructed opening for every 5,000 Btu/h input. For commercial sizing or higher firing rates, we must provide one square inch of free unobstructed opening

for every 14,000 Btu/h. The intent of the CSA B139 oil heating code is to address all possible types of installations.

I have prepared the chart in Fig. 1 for simplicity, I am providing a variety of heating input ratings with sizes in square inches and metric and imperial for round pipe.

The B139 code states that when an appliance is located in an unconfined space in a building having insufficient infiltration, air for combustion and additional ventilation shall be obtained from the outdoors or from spaces freely communicating with the indoors. Under these conditions, permanent openings to the outdoors shall be provided and have a total free-flow area of 4.4 cm²/ kW (1 in²/5000 Btu/h) of the total input rating of all oil-fired appliances.

Code requirements must be regarded as minimum standards. Refer to the code in its entirety for other existing conditions.

Please see ‘B139’ on page 33

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Q Ventilation

B139 code is a minimum standard Continued from page 31

Following the code The installing contractor needs to pay particular attention to the following sections of the CSA-B-139 oil heating code as well: Section 9: Air for combustion and venting 9.3: Louvers and grilles: In calculating free area as specified in Clauses 9.2.3 to 9.2.7, consideration shall be given to the blocking effect of louvers, grilles, or screens that protect openings. Screens shall not be smaller than 6 mm (1/4 inch) mesh and shall be readily accessible for cleaning. If the free flow area through a design of louver or grille is known, it shall be used in calculating the

In today’s airtight housing, if the bathroom fan and the heat recovery ventilator are operating at the same time, this can cause the burner to backdraft… size opening required to provide the free area specified. If the design and free area are not known, it shall be assumed that wood louvers have 20 – 25 percent free area and metal louvers and grilles have 60 – 75 percent free area. Use open hood type (non louvered) vent for protection against the elements, preferably of metal. Plastic or PVC Arthur A. Irwin operates Irwin Energy Consulting Services in Halifax. He can be reached at irwin.a@ns.sympatico.ca.

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materials have a tendency to deteriorate because of UV exposure.

9.1.8: When a damper is provided in any opening intended to admit combustion air into the room in which an oil-burning appliance is installed, the damper must be interlocked to prevent any burner from starting before the damper is fully open.

11.2.1: Outdoor air shall be introduced

to the space or service room in which the appliance is located. A combustion air duct used for drawing air from the outdoors may be directly connected to the burner if the appliance is so certified.

Should an abnormal installation arise, the installer should communicate with the local ‘authority having jurisdiction’ for guidance and direction.

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September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Hot Water Heating

zoning complicates hydraulics in a carefully balanced single pump hydronic system.

Balancing flows

This multi-boiler primary/secondary system under construction will serve a school.

Engineers and installers are far more rigorous and expend far more effort to balance and prove flow rates in commercial hydronic systems than do many people involved in most residential small commercial systems.

Often, there is no disciplined attempt made to balance flows at all in smaller systems. Many have no true balancing devices.

When called upon to troubleshoot problem systems, I have spent many tedious hours trying to adjust circuit temperature drops by “tweaking” ball valves whilst feeling the pipes to establish some semblance of flow balance – there was no other way to do it short of adding metered balancing valves to every circuit. I believe that’s one reason that many embraced primary secondary piping and pumping in smaller systems – follow me on this.

Primary/secondary piping revisited Well-designed systems provide comfort and efficiency

By Roy Collver

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

Thirty years ago, the practice of using primary/secondary (P/S) piping and multiple pumps was rare in anything other than larger commercial hydronics systems.

Pumps were relatively expensive, required regular maintenance, and residential and light commercial systems were fairly simple affairs. There were usually very few, if any, zone control valves to complicate calculations and it was pretty standard to see the single circulator controlled by a simple wall switch wired in series with a boiler pump aquastat (the boiler would fire when the room thermostat called for heat).

Not having to account for wide flow variations made engineering and pump selection pretty simple. Controls were sparse, basic and intuitive. There is much to be said for simple and intuitive, but many of us in the industry realized back in the day that these older systems were energy hogs.

At the same time, homeowners were also asking for more comfort and fancy options. An early solution was to start adding zones, but

The shift to P/S piping When smaller, flat curve, wet rotor fractional horsepower pumps first came to the market, we were adding more zones to systems for various reasons: • Newer heat emitters were coming out and they all seemed to have different pressure drops; • Multi-temperature / multi-load systems started to become popular; • Renewables and other alternate heat sources were being added to the mix; • DHW priority using indirect water heaters became commonplace; Please see ‘Widespread’ on page 36

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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This simple primary/secondary system uses Aquatherm polypropylene (PP-R) piping.

Widespread adoption Continued from page 35

• High efficiency boilers with higher pressure drops became commonplace and • Installers and designers became more comfortable with controls and wiring.

tees and other specialty fittings. The latest innovation was the low loss header.

Boiler manufacturers stepped up and developed modular boiler packages and controls that are a snap to install and set up by using P/S piping, allowing smaller contracting firms to get into the light commercial market.

And then hydronic “panel” manufacturers

How did the industry respond?

Pump manufacturers came out with a wide variety of pumps and pump curves and then continued to improve them by providing many with three speeds (pick your curve), added built-in check valves to some, made them more efficient, developed variable speed options, and made them easier to install. Oh, by the way, as this was all happening, the prices dropped dramatically, the reliability went way up and the maintenance required went way down.

Control manufacturers, in turn, came up with all kinds of nifty controls to make it easier to design, install and set up multi-zone, multi-load, multi-temperature systems using these pumps.

In order to make it easier to put complex systems together, piping component and tool manufacturers responded with useful items like tee-drills, pump flange-ball valves, P/S

Many of us in the industry realized back in the day that these older systems were energy hogs. started to put all of this stuff together into convenient pre-wired, pre-piped “appliances” for plug-and-play, easy design and installation, reducing the “science experiment” look of many more complex systems.

Pro and con camps So now we have primary/secondary systems Please see ‘Manageable’ on page 39

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G L O B A L

L E A D E R

I N

P L U M B I N G ,

H E A T I N G

A N D

P I P E

J O I N I N G

S Y S T E M S

Q Hot Water Heating

Manageable systems Continued from page 36

going in everywhere. There are still pro and anti-P/S “camps� out there.

The “against� side complain that it’s wasteful of electricity to have all of those pumps humming away 24/7 when the same thing could be accomplished with a control valve using mere watts of electricity.

They add up the current draw of every little pump and rate the electrical consumption of the system as the total. However, in a properly controlled system, only as many little pumps as needed will run based on demand.

The “for� side, on the other hand, complains that the big honkin’ pump on the other guy’s system never slows down or shuts off and parasitic bypass valves are needed just to protect said big pump from self destruction when there’s no load. They fail to mention that the better big pump systems use variable frequency drives that self-adjust to load conditions. In reality, proper control technology optimizes energy consumption for either method.

Key advantages What are the main advantages of P/S piping then? Here are my top three in no particular order: Easier engineering and balancing is a biggie. On the boiler secondary side of things, each boiler is treated as a hydraulically isolated entity with its own system curve. What happens out in the system flow-wise won’t much affect the boiler flow.

Figure out what you want for Hydronic panels like this HeatLink a heat rise through the boiler, unit dramatically speed installation match the corresponding flow and make it look good. rate to the proper pump curve and, bingo, you’ve nailed it. All the information you need is in the various manufacturers’ technical data sheets.

On the system secondary side, you get to divvy-up your total system into more manageable chunks. You can take a complex and variable big system curve and split it into simpler, less variable little system curves.

Pick the smaller and simpler pump that will be most efficient for each system “chunk� and move on.

Of course, there is much more to it – I started with the word ‘easier,’ not simple. You have to know how to do the right things with your piping and controls, but there are all kinds of resources available now to help you in the pursuit of an efficient system. With the advent of the low loss header, you might not even need a primary pump (as we’ve

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

known it) at all – but you still have to do the engineering in order to figure these things out.

Redundancy is one of my favourites, especially on the boiler side of things. Multiple boilers and multiple pumps help turn what might normally be an emergency into a mere annoyance. If one of many pumps or boilers goes down, it can be much easier to “MacGyver� things to get you through a long cold night.

Another advantage is readily available, off-the-shelf components.

Not only are the big pumps expensive – they can be weeks if not months away from delivery. Most good service shops on the other hand will have the standard wet rotor fractional horsepower pumps sitting in their shop, if not on the service trucks.

Primary/secondary systems are not a one-size-fits-all solution, but they are incredibly flexible and have many advantages. There are really good reasons why single and large pump systems will continue to be used in hydronics for the foreseeable future, Roy Collver is an author especially given the and consultant on hydronic ongoing developments heating based in Qualicum in ECM motors and Beach, B.C. He can be variable speed drives, reached at and we can talk about hoth2o@shaw.ca that another time.

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39

Q Hot Water Heating Thirty years of Power-Fin

Hydronic air handler

Lochinvar is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Power-Fin commercial water heater and boiler.

Introduced in 1986 with four original models ranging from 250,000 to 1,000,000 Btu/hr., it offered a variety of new technologies and features including: • Direct vent sealed combustion • Self-diagnostic, removable panel • Multiple venting options • Copper-finned, vertical heat exchanger • Low-mass with a small footprint • Compact size: could fit through a 36-inch door The small footprint allowed installation in an area where traditional gas appliances may not be installed due to space constraints. It was the first to commercialize fan-assisted technology and still influences the way engineers think about venting, gas pressure and volume, reports the manufacturer.

The Power-Fin line revolutionized Lochinvar as a company and remains one of its best-selling products. It continues to evolve, with expanded burner modulation and the company’s advanced “Smart System” operating control.

Lochinvar www.lochinvar.com

Bosch has introduced its own line of hydronic air handlers for use with the company’s Greentherm tankless water heaters. Designed as an alternative to a forced air furnace, they produce “efficient heat and virtually endless hot water,” reports the manufacturer. Setup requires a single gas line and venting system for the tankless unit. An integrated control connects to the home’s thermostat. Air conditioning can be added.

Bosch Thermotechnology www.boschheatingandcooling.com

Boiler fill valve The new Watts BD1156 dial set boiler fill valve provides boiler installers and end users a faster, easier and safer way to fill hydronic heating systems. It combines a boiler fill valve and a backflow preventer. The push-button fast fill provides a fill rate of 25 gpm, which speeds system start-up and saves time. A built-in auto-stop feature prevents the fast fill from over-pressurizing the system above 25 psi. It eliminates the need for a pressure gauge downstream. An easy-to-adjust 8- to 21-psi dial is visible from the top or front. A stainless steel strainer protects the valve disc from fouling. Multiple connection options are available.

Watts www.watts.com

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Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

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Q Air Conditioning A technician does a combustion check during commissioning.

SIMULTANEOUS

heating/ cooling coo Absorption chillers offer an energy efficient option

By Michael McCartney

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

When I started out in this industry it was typical to find centrifugal heat pump chillers incorporated into designs for HVAC systems in large commercial offices. These would generate chilled water for the core areas where, due to lights and occupants, there was typically a year-round demand for cooling.

At the same time, using heat rejected by the condensers, warm or hot water at 110ºF or higher could be sent to the perimeter radiation or old-fashioned induction units to deal with the skin heat losses in winter.

Economizers can handle interior cooling loads using far less energy than would a chiller so many newer complexes, and I’m

talking about commercial office towers, use them instead of heat pump chillers.

Absorption chillers Where a simultaneous need for heating and cooling exists, there is another type of equipment now on the market that will provide both hot and chilled water streams at a fraction of the operating cost of an electrically-driven chiller.

Ammonia-based, gas-fired absorption chillers which, when configured as a four-pipe Please see ‘Water’ on page 43

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

41

Q Air Conditioning

THE ABSORP TION CHILLER The following schematic shows how an absorption chiller works:

the cycle thanks to an internal energy exchange between hot liquid ammonia (from the condenser) and cold vapour of ammonia (from the evaporator).

1. Burner: The combustion of the natural gas (or LPG) starts the “chemical engine” of the absorption cycle.

2. Generator: Thanks to the thermal input of the burner, ammonia evaporates and parts from the water.

3. Leveling chamber: The vapour of ammonia is dried up.

Condensate water goes back to the generator.

4. Reversing valve: To reverse the cycle from heating to cooling mode and vice versa.

5. Ammonia-water heat exchanger: Condenser absorber in heating mode, evaporator in cooling mode. It is where the heating or cooling energy is transferred to the water of the hydraulic loop.

6. Pipe-in pipe heat exchanger: Used to boost the efficiency of

7. Pre-absorber: It is where the absorption process starts. Vapour of ammonia coming from the evaporator is absorbed into the water coming from the generator. The energy produced by absorption process pre-heats the solution that goes back to the generator and dramatically increases the efficiency of the system. This process is completed into the condenser absorber.

8. Fin coil air heat exchanger: Condenser absorber in cooling mode, evaporator in heating mode when renewable free energy is recovered from the outdoor air.

9. Solution pump: The water-ammonia solution is pumped back into the generator.

10. Defrosting valve: When required during the cold season, hot ammonia vapour is by-passed into the fin coil to melt the ice layer.

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Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

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Multiple chillers can be coupled – in this case two five-ton units – to meet the required capacity.

Water and ammonia Continued from page 41

unit, will provide the two streams. They are outdoor-mounted units, similar in aspect to residential condensing units, only somewhat larger in size.

How it works Ammonia in its liquid form is highly hygroscopic, which means it’s a waterabsorber. It mixes well with water, as anyone who uses it as a cleaning agent will tell you.

Leave the windows open!

When a body of water is exposed in a closed container to a mass of liquid ammonia, rapid evaporation will occur, resulting in the cooling off of the water. The ammonia sucks water off the surface of the pool. This is similar to the cooling effect found in standard cooling towers. This effect can be used to generate a stream of chilled water by means of a heat exchanger located within the vessel.

In order to boil off the water once an optimal concentration has been reached within the ammonia, the mixture must be exposed to a heat source. Natural gas is the heat source in the units with which we are familiar.

Once heated, the hot ammonia gas gets Please see ‘Cooling’ on page 45

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Q Air Conditioning

Cooling, radiant heating and refrigeration Continued from page 43

passed into an external heat exchanger that looks like a condenser coil, equipped with a fan, in cooling-only applications. For simultaneous heating/cooling, another heat exchanger is used to transfer heat to a hot water stream.

Successful installations These units are finding wider acceptance with consulting engineers. Several installations have proven to be effective in the heat/cool

There is another type of equipment now on the market that will provide both hot and chilled water streams at a fraction of the operating cost of an electricallydriven chiller. mode. For example, a large convenience store in Huntsville, Ont. has had a unit providing hot water for in-floor heating with chilled water keeping walk-in coolers at a suitable temperature while also providing chilled water for air handlers for comfort cooling.

Energy consumption figures are being worked out by the owners to give costs per square foot for the premises and they Michael (Mike) McCartney is an independent design engineer through M. E McCartney Engineering Ltd., a company he founded in 1992 He can be reached at MMcceng77@aol.com.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

are proving to be far lower than would be expected for standard electrically-driven cooling and gas-fired heating equipment.

David Bulley of DB Cooling systems in Barrie, Ont. reports that the systems he supplied for the project have been performing well throughout their first full year of operation.

The equipment is solid, well- made and

stands to take its place wherever operating costs take precedence over first costs in the marketplace.

What with the Ontario government having presented their new, far-reaching and, in my opinion, far-fetched, environmental plan, systems incorporating equipment of a similar fashion will doubtless become more and more in vogue in future.

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45

Q Geothermal Heating Ecosystem’s training and awareness coordinator Olivier Matte, left, with Michel Morin of the Samares School Board.

Energy efficiency

RETROFIT

in Quebec schools Geothermal, electric thermal storage results in substantial savings

By Bruce Nagy

46

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

A Quebec City design-build company has been recognized by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) for its energy saving retrofits in a number of Quebec schools. Ecosystem guaranteed and realized about $18 million in annual energy savings for the Samares School Board, headquartered in Rawdon, Quebec, about 60 kilometers north of Montreal.

In 2004 the board heated about 52 of its 90 schools with oil and the rest with natural gas.

“Now none of our schools use oil and we’ve reduced natural gas from 2.5 million cubic metres to 250,000 (per year),” said energy and maintenance coordinator Michel Morin.

“Samares is the most energy efficient school board in the province,” he added. He should know. He is an energy guru, the chair of the energy committee for Quebec school boards, and holds other key energy posts.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

He walks us through the mechanical room of the 35,000 square-metre Thérèse-Martin School. “For this size building they wanted more than 50 geothermal wells, but we only drilled 12 because we are doing a lot of heat recovery.”

The borehole field is under the parking lot.

Two 80-ton heat pumps, equipped with highly efficient Danfoss Turbocor compressors with magnetic bearings, deliver more cooling per kW consumed.

Electric thermal storage Ecosystem also installed three highly efficient 480 kW electric thermal storage units. Each contains a mass of high-density ceramic bricks. During off-peak or low-demand hours electric elements heat the bricks to a maximum storage temperature of 900°C, Please see ‘Photovoltaic’ on page 49

The clean and spacious mechanical room at Thérèse-Martin School includes two 80ton heat pumps and three 480 kW electric thermal storage units.

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47

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Gastite, leading brand of flexible gas piping, saves time and money routing easily around obstacles. Thermaflex leads the industry in widest range of “Code Compliant” quality flexible ducting products offered for residential and commercial applications. We offer a wide range of system components, world-class customer service, and expert technical support. Our solutions make your installations superior. Contact us today.

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Q Geothermal Heating

Photovoltaic added to the mix Continued from page 47

depending on conditions and heating needs.

During peak periods, heating elements automatically shut off while the unit continues to meet system demand. Stored heat is released into a water/glycol heat transfer system at up to 85°C. Called ThermElect, it was developed by Hydro-Québec in partnership with the manufacturer, Steffes Corporation in Dickinson, North Dakota. Morin works closely with engineers at Hydro-Québec.

Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan school, about 35 km north of Montreal, is equipped with direct exchange geothermal plus a 32 kW

solar photovoltaic (PV) system and four of the ThermElect units. As well, the school board is pilot testing solar thermal, a vertical wind turbine, and special window film for heat retention at this school.

Now none of our schools use oil and we’ve reduced natural gas from 2.5 million cubic metres to 250,000 (per year).”

These heat pumps are part of a direct exchange geothermal system.

Morin explains that the school’s Delta control system is among the most advanced anywhere because weather forecast data is linked automatically to mechanical system operations. It monitors water use levels and can activate an emergency shut-off valve if

a leak is detected on a weekend. Mechanical rooms at all 80 schools can be monitored and controlled from Morin’s school board office in Rawdon.

(Editor’s note: Bruce Nagy previously reported on Ecosystem’s ASHRAE award winning energy efficiency retrofit of the Montreal Biodome in the Nov./Dec. 2015 issue.)

When it comes to heating and hot water, Bradford White is proud to offer the specifier, engineer, mechanical contractor, building manager, and professional installer the perfect commercial solution. With gas and electric tank-type models up to 725,000 BTU/Hr. and 81 kW and boilers and volume water heaters up to 4 million BTU/Hr., Bradford White has the products and technology ready for your largest demands.

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49

...You decide!

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Q Pipes, Valves & Fittings Multi-voltage zone valves

Floor drain backup protection

Taco has added a new Multi-Volt Zone Sentry zone valve for use in hydronic heating and other HVAC systems such as those with fan coils and air handlers. The new mechanical valve allows one actuator to accept input voltages between 120 and 277VAC 50/60HZ, effectively replacing approximately seven standard zone valves. Like the 24VAC version, it provides energy efficient characteristics for both heating and cooling applications. These valves are available in a normally closed or normally open configuration.

Taco www.taco-hvac.com

The SureSeal Plus waterless in-floor drain trap seal from RectorSeal includes an added check valve to protect against property-damaging water back-ups.

Available in two and three-inch diameter sizes, the EPDM plastic construction and water-blocking check valve flapper and housing is designed to withstand up to five-feet of head pressure. The waterless trap seal technology also blocks toxic sewer gas and insects from infiltrating occupied areas.

RectorSeal www.rectorseal.com

Viega design software solutions

Pump quality verified

Viega solutions are now included in Revit and on AutoCAD MEP software. AutoCAD MEP is used to design systems prior to installation and generate material lists. Among other purposes, Revit can be used to complete 3-D building designs for piping, ducts and other materials or building performance renderings for sales presentations. These programs are a part of Viega’s CAD and BIM download library and provide free drawings and models for a number of applications. Viega’s own Technical Services Department offers training, technical support and design services for nearly any type of plumbing, radiant and fire protection project.

Viega www.viega.us

In June Grundfos announced that all of its Hydro Booster Pump systems will contain copies of individual product functionality reports, helping to ensure top quality performance in the field. All Hydro systems (Hydro MPC BoosterpaQ, Hydro Multi-E and Hydro Multi-B) will ship with documented performance testing. The quality control report will include a complete system hydrostatic test, a no-flow detection function test, a water shortage alarm function test and a two-point setpoint performance curve test.

Grundfos ca.grundfos.com

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September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

51

Q Faucets & Fixtures Made in Italy

Classic and modern

Spectrum Brands will introduce the high end Italian Fortis kitchen and bathroom faucets to plumbing showrooms across Canada this fall.

Lines include the elegant San Marco Collection and the sleek modern Scala Collection. Fortis began in 1954 as a small artisan company with roots in Pogno, Italy, taking design inspiration from nearby fashion capital Milan.

Fortis www.fortisfaucet.com

The new Composed faucet collection from Kohler embodies classic and modern design with a simple, streamlined faucet that comes in two finishes, chrome and Kohler’s new ‘Vibrant Titanium.’ It is available with a single handle, dual lever handles or dual cross handles. The Composed collection includes a complete line of faucets, showering trim and accessories.

Kohler www.kohler.ca

Clean design

Water saving pre-rinse faucet

The new Blaze Suite from Gerber features a beautifully designed pedestal sink and matching toilet. The sink is a clean rectangular shape giving the piece a bit of personality with deck space for soap and lotion. The coordinating 4.8-litre flush twopiece toilet is available in white and biscuit color options. It features the company’s Fluidmaster fill valve, a quick acting 3” flush valve, as well as a fully glazed trapway for complete waste removal and bowl cleaning.

Gerber www.gerberonline.ca

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Chicago Faucets’ new 99-ASAB pre-rinse spray valve is specifically designed for superior water conservation while providing ultra-high performance, reducing both energy use and cleaning time. It features all stainless steel operating parts and offers an infinite choice of spray patterns, a self-closing cartridge and a low-flow, high-efficiency nozzle system. It operates at 1.25 GPM and 60 PSI and is available on a variety of wall- or deck-mounted Chicago Faucets fittings. Dobbin Sales, Toronto, distributes Chicago Faucets products in Canada.

Chicago Faucets www.chicagofaucets.com

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September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

53

Q Refrigeration

FLAMMABLE REFRIGERANTS Environmental concerns will likely make them commonplace

By Greg Scrivener

Daiken has published a white paper promoting the use of R32, which is an A2L refrigerant.

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Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

As some of you may be aware, there has quirements it is given a ‘2’ classification: (This been a lot of movement lately in the world of information has been paraphrased and abbreflammable refrigerants. A number of years viated from ASHRAE 34 – please refer to the ago, ASHRAE Standard 34 introduced a new standard for the exact wording and additional flammability sub-classification called ‘2L’ and information regarding refrigerant blends.) it looks like these ‘2L’ refrigerants are going to • There is flame propagation shown at 60°C be a part of everyday life AND It truly looks relatively soon.

• The lower flammaRecall that the method bility limit (LFL) is like “slightly” used to give refrigerants greater than 0.1kg/m3. a safety classification flammable refrigerants will This LFL is the miniconsists of a letter (A or mum concentration of B) followed by a number be on your wholesaler’s the refrigerant in an (1 through 3). The A or air mixture required shelves in the not B denotes toxicity, with for the substance to be A being less toxic and too distant future. flammable.

B being more toxic. The AND numbers 1 through 3 • The heat of represent a refrigerant’s flammability with 1 combustion is less than 19,000kJ/kg being least flammable and 3 being the most • Finally, the refrigerant is classified with a ‘3’ flammable. Most of the refrigerants we work flammability class if: with today have a safety group classification • There is flame propagation shown at 60°C of A1; this means they have a low toxicity and AND a low flammability.

• The lower flammability limit (LFL) is less Without getting into too many details, the than 0.1kg/m3. actual requirement for a refrigerant to receive OR a ‘1’ flammability rating is that it doesn’t show • The heat of combustion is more than flame propagation in air at a temperature of 19,000kJ/kg 60°C. If the refrigerant meets the following reSo now you probably wonder what the

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R290 is currently used for specialized applications and very small equipment in Canada. R290 is refrigerant grade propane.

category you can see that R507 has a GWP of 3980. As you move down the list you see the GWP values decreasing. R134 has a GWP of 1430, R32 is 675, R1234yf is 4, etc.

Also indicated beside the GWP values is the refrigerant’s toxicity and flammability classification. I’m pretty sure you picked up on the trend: In order to achieve lower GWP values it appears as if we are going to have to tolerate some flammability. Intuitively at a basic and much simplified level this makes some sense. The less stable (i.e. the more flammable) a molecule is the quicker it will break down in the atmosphere.

Please see ‘New’ on page 57

problem might be. These definitions have been around for a long time and have worked fine up until now. So what does ‘2L’ mean and why is it needed?

Environmental driven First the easy question – A 2L refrigerant is a refrigerant that meets all of the requirements of a ‘2’ classification but has a burning velocity of less than 10cm/second. Basically, the

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refrigerant is flammable but it doesn’t burn that fast. I am not sure of the exact reason that 10cm/second was chosen as the cut-off, but that is what we have to work with. Now the slightly more difficult question. Why do we even need it?

To understand why, take a look at Figure 1.

In this chart, a number of popular refrigerants are shown with their corresponding global warming potential (GWP). In the “High”

Figure 1: The GWP of a number of refrigerants shown with their corresponding safety classification.

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Refrigeration

New flammable refrigerant classification Continued from page 55

Notice also the only low GWP refrigerant in common use that achieves an A1 safety classification is CO2. As we have discussed before, CO2 makes a very good refrigerant in some applications but it is not always suitable.

New classification created In order to provide the safety codes (ASHRAE 15, CSA B52) with a framework to create new safety rules that would allow the use of flammable refrigerants in places where it is not currently allowed, the 2L classification was born.

What has happened since then? On the surface, not much

applications for 2L refrigerants.

At the same time, UL is well into including 2L refrigerants into equipment that they are listing. A listing by a recognized laboratory is one of the key methods that is used to ensure some sort of safety and quality c ont rol i n m anu f a c tu re d products. It will take some time for these changes to percolate through into the building, fire and mechanical codes, but it truly looks like “slightly” flammable refrigerants will be on your wholesaler’s shelves in the not too distant future.

Significant research underway Another significant step in this progress is the recent funding

substantial code and safety implications for Canada when the final form of these changes works its way into CSA standards, assuming of course that they do.

Most of the issues arise out of compliance and enforcement.

There are some pretty serious loopholes in our legislation and in our safety standards that should be addressed before this equipment becomes prevalent in the marketplace.

And let’s be honest, even if the loopholes are closed, there is next to no enforcement of CSA B52 in air conditioning applications.

Even in large refrigeration plants, the vast majority of the standard is not enforced or inspected in most jurisdictions. There will continue to be changes, some faster than others, over the next few years in regards to our appetite for these refrigerants and what role they end up taking, but at the moment it sure looks like we will be seeing a lot of them.

Greg Scrivener is a refrigeration consultant for Cold Dynamics in Edmonton. He is a professional engineer, journeyman refrigeration mechanic and holds RSES CMS designation in commercial refrigeration. He can be reached at greg.scrivener@colddynamics.com

There are some pretty serious loopholes in our legislation and in our safety standards that should be addressed before this equipment becomes prevalent in the marketplace. in North America. But there has and continues to be an enormous amount of work going on behind the scenes to try to generate acceptable rules for these refrigerants with the goal of allowing them in as many applications as is safe.

At I write this, there is an ASHRAE 15 addendum out for public review that will allow 2L refrigerants to be used in most air conditioning applications for human comfort.

This addendum will likely be followed by additional addenda that will continue to expand the

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announcement by ASHRAE, AHRI and the U.S. Department of Energy to spend $5.2 million dollars researching scenarios based around the flammability of the 2L refrigerants. If you ask me, this research should have been started years ago, but better late than never I suppose.

As a point of interest, the automotive industry started dealing with this first and you have been able to buy vehicles in North America that have 2L refrigerants as their factory AC charge for a number of years already.

T h e re are s om e f ai r ly

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Q Refrigeration

Product Profile U.S. initiative driving compressor development A new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative – the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) – is driving compressor companies to update their equipment to meet the new rules, which are designed to reduce global warming.

The refrigeration industry is taking an even closer look at both CO2 (R-744) and propane (R-290) due to their low global warming potentials. Copeland, for example, has released several compressors that utilize these natural alternatives, including: • Semi-hermetic transcritical CO2 compressors (pictured) • Scroll compressors for subcritical CO2 applications • Hermetic compressors for R-290 to be used in small reach-in systems where the

CO2 compressors are seen as part of the solution for new U.S. environmental rules. refrigerant charge is less than 150g.

The majority of Copeland compressor platforms have also been validated for use with A1, hydrofluoroolefin blends, such

as R-448A and R-449A. This includes both the Copeland Scroll and Copeland Discus semi-hermetic compressor lines. Later this year Emerson expects to validate its line of Copeland hermetic compressors for use with these blends as well.

Emerson has also invested in compressor evaluations using A2L (mildly flammable) refrigerants such as HFO-1234yf and HFO1234ze. While the EPA has not yet listed A2Ls as an acceptable substitute, Emerson is preparing for their likely introduction into commercial refrigeration applications.

“It’s important to note that from a refrigerant perspective we’re not changing our core technology to achieve compatibility.

We are continually improving our designs to optimize new refrigerant alternatives,” said Kurt Knapke, vice president, engineering and electronics.

Emerson/Copeland Div. www.emerson.com

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At John Wood we support all our products the same way, with expert knowledge wledge and training training, great customer service, and in-stock inventory you can count on. You can expect all those great qualities from our tankless water heaters too. In addition to being ENERGY STAR® qualified, our tankless models are easy to install and easy to service.

To find out more visit www.johnwoodwaterheaters.com

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Q Tools & Instruments

Product Profile Milwaukee launches ultra-high demand battery

work per charge and more work over the life of the pack than any other power tool on the market regardless of voltage. Because it runs significantly cooler than other lithium ion battery packs, users will be able to push their cordless tools harder and longer than ever before.

The High Demand 9.0 Battery Pack will be sold as an accessory to the M18 System and in select M18 Fuel kits.

Milwaukee Tool www.milwaukeetool.com

The new battery is a game changer for the job site, says Paul Fry.

Milwaukee’s new High Demand 9.0 battery offers substantially longer run time, more power and cooler operation.

In September Milwaukee Tools will launch a new battery that represents a huge step towards the cordless job site. The M18 Red Lithium High Demand 9.0 battery pack is designed to deliver up to five times more run time, 35 percent more power and run 60 percent cooler than conventional lithium ion batteries.

It is optimized for the company’s high draw M18 Fuel tools that need an extensive amount of sustained power and run-time for applications such as high demand drilling, chipping, cutting and grinding.

“We’re taking the extreme performance of M18 Fuel and bringing up to two times the performance of our industry-leading 5.0 XC battery to everything in this system. And because this new solution is fully compatible with the M18 system our users have come to know and love, they won’t experience a loss of productivity,” said Paul Fry, Milwaukee Tool vice president of product marketing. “This is a leap in lithium-ion technology that completely changes the perception and expectations of what cordless tools are capable of.”

Workers will immediately notice a significant performance improvement when they install the new battery in their existing M18 tools. It is designed to deliver more

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q People & Places

Dectron acquired by U.S. manufacturer Specified Air Solutions of Buffalo, N.Y. has acquired Dectron Inc. of Montreal.

“We’re enthused to become part of Specified Air Solutions. Not only does this union enhance our capabilities, but it also improves our ability to provide high performance, efficient and cost effective solutions to our customers,” said Ness Lakdawala, Dectron Internationale CEO. “Dectron has over 40 years’ experience in indoor pool dehumidification, making it a powerful leader in this market. As such, it is a

natural fit with Specified Air’s broad portfolio of leadership products that address many unique HVAC applications,” added Charley Brown, president and CEO of Specified Air Solutions.

The company is a manufacturer of semicustom commercial and industrial HVAC equipment while Dectron is a global provider of highly-engineered custom and semicustom indoor air quality and HVAC systems for residential, commercial, institutional and industrial applications.

Specified Air Solutions’ product offering

The

People V i e g a , Wichita, Kansas, has promoted Mark Evans to director of North American sales. He will continue to work out of Vancouver.

Bruce Passmore is now region manager, Ontario H VA C / R , for Mark Evans Emco Corporation, London, Ont. The National Association of Wholesalers, Washington, D.C., has appointed Ralph Suppa, president and general manager of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH), as vice chairman of its Institute for Distribution Excellence board of directors.

CIPH has appointed Robert Waters as technical consultant for codes and standards. He joins CIPH with 30 years experience in the hot water heating industry.

Centrotherm Eco Systems, Albany, N.Y., has appointed Katie Mullarkey to the position of east coast inside sales, which includes eastern Canada and the U.S. Matthew Pryce has been appointed to west coast inside sales, responsible for Western Canada and the U.S. Pryce will retain his marketing duties.

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Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

Wolseley Canada, Burlington, Ont. has named Rob Burdett, left, to the position of director, supply chain planning and strategic analytics and Jon Ratnasamy to the role of director, logistics and network modeling.

Ecco Manufacturing, Langley, B.C., has appointed Sterling Hicks as operations manager at the company’s Kent, Washington distribution Sterling Hicks centre.

The

Companies Weil-McLain Canada, Burlington, Ont. will take 20 lucky contractors to the AHR Expo in Las Vegas in January. Contractors can win a trip by purchasing select Weil-McLain products between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1. For more information, visit www.weil-mclain.ca.

Federal Signal, Oak Brook, Illinois, announced the acquisition of Joe Johnson

includes many well-known HVAC brands such as Addison, Rapid, Weather-Rite, Bananza, Phoenix Air Systems, Combat and they are the makers of CoRayVac and Roberts-Gordon infrared equipment.

Formerly Roberts Gordon LLC, Specified Air Solutions was acquired by The Sterling Group, a private equity firm based in Houston, Texas, in July 2014. The acquisition of Dectron is consistent with The Sterling Group’s plans for additional investment in complementary HVAC products and companies, say company officials.

Equipment (JJE), Barrie, Ont., distributor of Spartan drain cleaning equipment in Canada (among other things), on June 6.

On July 8 Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada members raised over $15,000 for the group’s Construction Education Council at the 11th annual CEC Golf Tournament, held at the Grey Silo Golf Course in Waterloo, Ont. On July 24 members of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (MCANL) participated in the Tely 10 Mile Road Race (run) in St. John’s. They raised, with matching funds, $24,000 for Operation Eyesight to drill drinking water wells in Zambia. Operation Eyesight, the national charity of MCAC since 2010, helps provide safe drinking water and sanitation to communities in underdeveloped countries.

ASHRAE, Atlanta, Georgia, has reached its highest membership in 14 years with 56,105 members worldwide. Seventy-nine percent are based in the U.S or Canada.

Bryan Steam, Peru, Indiana, is celebrating 100 years in business. It began in 2016 as the Harvester Company, producing Bryan steam cars and steam-powered tractors. In 1922, the company stopped such production after the rise of the gasoline engine, moving into the HVAC world with the bent water tube boiler and becoming Bryan Steam. Today it offers a broad range of boilers including gas, oil and gas/oil fired boilers, as well as electric, condensing, low NOx and knockdown boilers.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

Roth expands U.S. plant On July 14 Roth Industries Inc., Waterdown, N.Y., broke ground on a $6-million expansion at its Watertown facility. “Watertown is very important to us. After having started our production in Watertown just ten years ago, we are now entering into our next phase of the expansion”, remarked Manfred Roth, chairman and CEO of the company, who was in town from Germany for the event.

The project will include a 27,000 sq. ft. expansion, the installation of a new blow molding machine, and the creation of at least twelve new jobs—six upon completion of the project, with the balance added as business grows over the next several years.

The new machine will add the capacity to produce additional product lines at the

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Roth officials and local politicians break ground on the plant expansion.

Watertown plant that are in prototype development now.

The facility produces the company’s double-wall oil storage tanks, blow-molded

construction/traffic barriers, manifolds and tubing for in-floor radiant heating systems. It currently encompasses 42,000 square feet and employs 24 people.

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Shop Management

Business diagnostics Struggling? Perhaps it’s time to troubleshoot your own operation

By Ron Coleman When a mechanical system fails and the contractor is asked to rectify the issue they will likely achieve the best outcome for both the business and the customer when they follow these steps: • Diagnose the problem • Recommend a solution • Get the customers approval • Quickly restore the system to working order The customer gets the work done on time, on budget and to the expected standard and retains his confidence in the contractor. The contractor completes a job as above, makes money and enhances their relationship with the client.

I don’t know anything about diagnosing problems in mechanical systems. I do know that technicians are trained in the process and have special tools to assist them and, of course, there are detailed drawings and diagrams of the equipment available. I am not saying that it is simple or that mistakes don’t occur, but what I am saying is that there is a

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process and that process has a lot of support.

However, when I talk to business owners about the areas of their business that fail we move into a whole new world. There are no drawings or diagrams, no specialty tools and no one trained in how to diagnose the problem, never mind fix it.

In order to be successful in business we need to start by improving our business diagnostic ability. Where is the pain and what specifically is causing it?

Improving profitability I was recently asked by a HVAC contractor to help him improve profitability. He is fairly typical of this type of contractor. He does new construction, retrofit and service and maintenance work. As he didn’t have a specific issue in mind other than “we need to improve profitability” I wasn’t sure where to start. This is the equivalent of the customer who phones and says “no heat”.

Often a technician who is experienced in dealing with diagnostic issues will know what the most likely cause of the failure is and will start checking out that part of the equipment first. Most of the time he is right and can quickly recommend a solution.

In the case of my contractor I made a judgement call. I didn’t want to spend hours analyzing his financial information because, unlike the diagram for the mechanical equipment, the financials would not be a complete map of the business.

Rarely does a contractor have a complete set of diagrams to show how their business works. They have bits of the system in a variety of places. The accounting system is comprehensive but rarely accurate or detailed enough to assist in a correct diagnosis.

Accounting systems are usually designed for compliance. That means when the Canada Please see ‘Performing on page 67

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Shop Management

Performing a check-up Continued from page 65

Revenue Agency wants information from the company it can be provided. Likewise if your bank or bonding company want information it will be available from your accounting records. But the management information is usually lacking.

It’s like giving a customer a brochure about a specific piece of equipment. It highlights certain points but lacks detail.

Setting a focus Like the experienced diagnostic technician I decided to focus on one key area. From my many years of working with HVAC contractors, I had a fairly good idea of where I would find the problem and the solution.

Most contractors could increase their charge-out rate by $10 per hour and lose very little business.

I told the client that I believed I could help him get an additional $10 per hour for every hour he bills out on an hourly rate. I asked him to calculate how many hours he bills out in a month and multiply that by $10. I said that will be our solution. It will have a huge impact on his profitability. And, if I can only get him an additional $7 per hour, well, it will still be wow.

Getting the right outcome is what is important.

The owner of the mechanical system has no interest in your diagnostic process. He wants an outcome – how much it will cost and when will it be operational. In business, profit is not an activity. It is an outcome, a result of a variety of activities.

Looking for improvement This is the initial approach I took. I needed this information in order to diagnose where there are potentials for improvement:

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• What hourly rates do you use? (Please explain if there is more than one rate.) Include minimum rate; travel time allowance, truck charge.

• Discounts to special customers or situations.

• Include sample invoices for the different types of work.

• Do you track hours paid to hours billed?

• Do you know how many unbilled hours you pay for with each payroll?

• How do you track hours for payroll and for billing?

• How do you monitor and record warranty work?

• Do you do any menu pricing or flat rate pricing for service or planned maintenance work?

The reasons why getting this diagnostic information is critical are that you can only manage what you measure and, if you don’t know how you are doing now, how will you know if it gets better? Making small improvements to all the variables will have a huge impact on profits.

My diagnostic process included: • How much the company can likely increase its charge-out rate • Where and when it can charge more per hour • How to minimize non-billable hours • What other elements can be added to an invoice to make more profit • How increasing the amount of menu pricing or flat rate pricing can improve the hourly recovery rate.

I recall Ontario contractor (and management specialist) Gearld Inch telling me that when he reviewed service invoices that they were often understated by 25 percent.

Keeping track Using technology based tracking systems that are linked to payroll can easily increase billable time by 15 minutes per day per tech.

Consider this: an employee starts five minutes late, finishes five minutes early and takes an extra five minutes for lunch and coffee breaks. That’s a total of 15 billable minutes lost per day per man or $25 revenue per day.

Spread over 7.5 hours per day, this equates to

an additional recovery of $3.34 per hour.

Do you charge for consumables and supplies?

If you charged only $10 on a two-hour service call (or increased your current charge by this) you would recover an additional $5 per hour.

If you could improve your scheduling by reducing travel time by 15 minutes per day, that would be another $3.34 per hour.

If you ensure that you charge all the items you should on an invoice you could easily pick up $10 per hour. This would include vacuum pumps and other specialty tools and equipment that are not standard on all jobs.

Let’s sum up: Managing payroll hours ................. $3.34 Recovery for consumables .............. $5.00 Reduced travel time ....................... $3.34 Correctly invoicing ....................... $10.00 That’s a total of an additional $21.68 per hour and you haven’t even increased your charge-out rate. Most contractors could increase their charge-out rate by $10 per hour and lose very little business. They would, in fact, make more money doing less work.

I started off telling my client he could get an additional $10 per hour and now I am telling him it is closer to an additional $30 per hour.

In this article I have not addressed other opportunities such as menu pricing, flat rate pricing, higher pricing for specialty work, higher diagnostic rates, building in a warranty labour provision and several other elements that would allow you to make more money without upsetting your clients.

So, multiply the service hours you bill in a month by $31.68 and see how quickly you will make some serious money and become one of the top 10 percent of HVAC contractors in Canada.

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.

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

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Q Coming Events speaker David Hill (Eneready Products Ltd.); • Modern Pump Selection for System Efficiency, presented by Larry Konopacz (Bell & Gossett); and • Building a Plan for Success, featuring trainer Stephen Hnatko (Trainwest Management and Consulting Inc.).

Please see ‘Hydronics’ on page 70

Events

Calendar OCT. 13-14: National Design-Build Conference, Canadian Design-Build Institute, The Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel, Winnipeg.

Please visit www.cdbi.org or call (613) 236-9455.

Trade shows offer an opportunity to speak directly to manufacturers. Alberta Custom Tee’s Peter Haas, left, talks about hydronic headers at CIPHEX West 2014.

CIPHEX West returns to Vancouver Seminar program expanded for 2016 event The CIPHEX West trade show for the mechanical industry is returning to the Vancouver Convention Centre this fall with a significantly expanded education component.

Scheduled for Nov. 2-3, it is the largest event for the HVACR, hydronics, plumbing and water treatment industry in Western Canada with over 200 exhibitors displaying and, in some cases demonstrating, thousands of industry specific products.

CIPHEX West also features an extensive line-up of HVAC/R, plumbing and water treatment seminars and workshops “We’ve done a much expanded program to provide comprehensive education and it’s targeted,” remarked show manager Elizabeth McCullough. The Design Forum is aimed at engineers and designers while the general sessions target contractors, general contractors, wholesalers, renovators, small business owners, etc. “Anybody can go to

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any of the sessions, but we’ve designed them with the help of organizations like ASHRAE, ASPE, etc.,” she added.

Plumbing & HVAC/R seminar program The plumbing & HVACR s eminar program provides ideas and practical tips that visitors can use right away to build their business. Sessions include: • Domestic Hot Water Recirculation with panelists Tim Main (Xylem Applied Water Systems Canada), Rod Parker (Grundfos Canada Inc.) and Sean Giberson (Taco Comfort Systems); • Let’s Talk Lead with panelists Nikki Gilmore (Village of Pemberton), Jill Brooksbank (Village of Pemberton), Robert Szachury (Turbo Plumbing) and Kevin Wong (Canadian Water Quality Association); • Ventilation for People in 2016, led by

NOV. 2-3: CIPHEX West Trade Show, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver. Call Elizabeth McCullough at 1-800-639-2474 or visit www.ciphexwest.ca.

NOV. 14-17: Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada 75th National Conference, Yacht and Beach Club Resort, Disney World, Orlando, Florida. Call (613) 232-0492 or visit www.mcac.ca.

NOV. 30-DEC. 2: Construct Canada (The Buildings Show), Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, South Building. Visit www. constructcanada.com or call 416-512-0203.

JAN. 28-FEB. 1: ASHRAE Winter Conference, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

Visit www.ashrae.org or call 1-404-636-8400.

September 2016 – Plumbing & HVAC

69

Q Coming Events

Hydronics conference at CIPHEX Continued from page 69

Design Forum The HVAC/R & Plumbing Design Forum is designed to provide advanced training for engineers, designers, estimators, general contractors and plumbing and HVAC/R contractors. Sessions include: • ASHRAE 90.1 (Code Compliance and Energy Efficiency) featuring Stephen Kooiman, P. Eng, (Prism Engineering); • Let’s Talk Lead, as above, is repeated in the Design Forum.

• Modern Pump Selection for System Efficiency,

by LarryKonopacz (Bell & Gossett); • Impact of Plumbing Code and Design on Legionnaire’s Disease Outbreaks led by Tim Keane (Legionella Risk Management); and • Guide to PEX Piping System and its Conformance to Commercial Applications, presented by Haemi Pollett, (Uponor Ltd.).

Continuing education (CEU) credits will be available for many of the sessions.

INDEX to ADVERTISERS AHR Expo ........................................... 66 Air Heat* ............................................ 64 Allied Air............................................. 31 A.O. Smith .......................................... 60 Bibby Ste. Croix .................................. 37 Bradford White ................................... 49 Brant Radiant ...................................... 39 CaleffiHydronic Systems ..................... 32 Camus Hydronics Ltd. ......................... 43 Cash Acme ......................................... 44 Chrysler .............................................. 25 CIPHEX West ...................................... 68 Coldmax ............................................. 45 Conbraco.............................................. 2 Daikin ................................................. 30 Danfoss .............................................. 10 EcoKing .............................................. 59 Fieldpiece............................................ 36 Flir Systems ......................................... 48 Ford ...................................................... 8 Franklin Electric ................................... 50 Gastite ................................................ 48 General Pipe Cleaners ........................... 6 Giant Inc. ............................................ 11 HBX Control Systems .......................... 63 HeatLink ............................................. 12 Holdrite .............................................. 51 Honeywell Genetron ........................... 71

70

Plumbing & HVAC – September 2016

Canadian Hydronics Conference The Canadian Hydronics Conference will also take place during CIPHEX West. Presented by the Canadian Hydronics Council (www. canadianhydronicscouncil.com), a number of North America’s leading hydronics educators will present sessions, which include:

We’ve done a much expanded program to provide comprehensive education and it’s targeted.

• Hydronic Systems Using Low-Ambient Air-To-Water Heat Pumps by hydronics author and engineer John Siegenthaler (Appropriate Designs); • System Efficiencies and Comfort: Water (Hydronics) versus VAV and VRF, by Greg

IBC Boilers ............................................ 4 ICP Canada ......................................... 27 IOREX ................................................. 42 IPEX .................................................... 47 Liberty Pumps ..................................... 59 Mitsubishi Electric ............................... 28 McLellan Prof. Wear ............................ 57 Napoleon ............................................ 20 Navien ................................................ 17 Noritz ................................................. 53 NTI...................................................... 34 Noritz ................................................. 15 P&HVAC + .......................................... 64 RedZone ............................................. 26 RIDGID................................................ 72 Redzone ............................................. 28 Riobel ................................................. 11 Selkirk................................................. 24 Stelpro ................................................ 61 Taco .................................................... 56 Thermaflex.......................................... 48 Thermolec........................................... 52 Utica Boilers .......................................... 9 Victaulic .............................................. 33 Viega .................................................. 38 Viessmann .......................................... 58 Zoeller Pumps ..................................... 40 Zonefirst ............................................. 13 * Ontario only

+ outside Ontario

Cunniff (Taco, Inc.); • Heat Up Your Hydronic Sales - Tips to Grow Your Business by Dave Hughes (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and CHC chair); and • Hydronics for High Efficiency / Low Emission Biomass Boilers by John Siegenthaler.

Water treatment workshop The Canadian Water Quality Association will present a half-day workshop covering the fundamentals of water treatment. With drinking water treatment systems now included in the 2015 National Plumbing code, released March 2016, this course is a good introduction to water treatment or as a refresher.

CWQA education chair Ric Harry (Culligan International Company) will present Water Treatment - What You Need To Know.

New product competition The New Product Showcase returns and CIPH has already received entries from over 50 manufacturers wishing to display and compete with their latest products and technologies. These will be on display throughout the two-day show and will be judged by a panel of experts, with the winners in each category announced on the second day.

One of the biggest advantages of attending a major trade show is the ability to speak directly to the manufacturer about their products. On Nov. 3, the BUILDEX Express builder/renovator show will also take place at the Convention Centre, with free admission for CIPHEX visitors.

For those worried about getting downtown to the Vancouver Convention Centre, show organizers will once again offer free parking at the Pacific National Exhibition grounds, parking lot 9B off Bridgeway St., and a free shuttle to the show.

Registration for CIPHEX West is open at www.ciphexwest.ca and free with promo code CIPHEX754. Those registering for seminars and workshops will also receive free admission to CIPHEX West 2016.

CIPHEX West is organized by the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating.

www.plumbingandhvac.ca

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