January/February 2010

JAN/FEB 2010$6.95

PM

#41536047

www.mechanicalbusiness.com

Also in this issue

PAP Registration No. 11116

When it comes to the Trinity Lx, making the right choice was never easier. FEATURING:• Unparalleled qualities• Superior effi ciency• Easy serviceability• Environmentally-friendly practices

www.nythermal.com

Flip this page to fi nd out more!

NTI_Ad_MB_Spread_Pg1_SB_.indd 1 1/22/10 11:08:30 AM

COLOUR TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY

• Summary page displays all operational data in easy-to-read format• Control has numerous features to provide unmatched levels of sophistication and controllability• Modbus communication for connection to security or building management systems• Installer parameters are password protected• Outstanding variety of software features, such as outdoor temperature reset, indirect water heater management and compatibility with programmable thermostats• Extensive diagnostic and troubleshooting functions

EFFICIENCY AND TECHNOLOGY

• Alarm contact• Innovative fl oor or wall-mount confi guration provides exceptional access to all components • Factory-installed condensate trap with no moving parts • Spark ignition with dual electrodes using a high-output transformer for unparalleled ignitions • No clearance required on the back, bottom or right side• Three confi gurable pump outputs

Luxury features and quality – with superior effi ciencies

Making the right choice on home heating equipment is key

SAVE THE PLANET – The Trinity Lx can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 50%, and lead to a reduction of 2.5 tons of GHGs, equivalent to two acres or 280 trees.

SAVE MONEY – The Trinity Lx can result in savings of up to 25% on heating bills due to its superior effi ciency.

NTI is committed to clean and resource-friendly practices, which is a result of years of research and testing to determine effective and effi cient means of heating and cooling that reduce resource dependency and GHG emissions.

• The Trinity Lx features industry-leading modulation rates of up to 8:1, state-of-the-art touchscreen display and unmatched levels of software features and combustion.

• The Trinity Lx uses a patented 316L stainless heat exchanger and has effi ciencies of up to 98% steady state and 97% AFUE.

• The Trinity Lx 200 and 400 are the only certifi ed boilers that can be used as either a boiler or a potable instantaneous hot water heater for commercial applications.

• The Trinity Lx can reduce GHG emissions by up to 50% and lead to a reduction of 2.5 tons of GHGs, which is the equivalent to two acres or 280 trees.

• The Trinity Lx features a removable door and hinged display panel, as well as two vents conveniently located at the top of the unit for ultimate access and serviceability.

www.nythermal.com

C O N T E N T ST A B L E O F

P E R S O N A L I T I E S

20 HVAC/RBringing Controls into the 21st Century Gord Cooke

36 HYDRONICSPicking the Point to Place thePump Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr

46 ASK ROGERSurveys, and What to do WithThem Roger Grochmal

60 MARKETINGDo You Have the “Write”Stuff? Doug MacMillan

69 REFRIGERATION Reclaiming Heat FromSystems Phil Boudreau

78 PLUMBING Staying Out of Hot WaterRoger Uuemae

91 WORLD VIEW Scrapping Inefficiency in the U.K. Jeff Patchell

P R O D U C T S

62 Hydronics

77,84 HVAC/R

80 Plumbing

90 Stuff you need

D E P A R T M E N T S06 From the editor’s desk

09 News

16 Profile: Ed Seaward

88 The Info Page

89 Calendar

92 By the numbers

M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 0

www .me c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c om

On the cover: A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Craig Simpson most recently continued his winning ways when he laced ‘em up forthe CBC’s Battle of the Blades. Photo: Insight Productions

29 Canada’s hydronics publication returns towhet the appetites of “Wet Heads.” Checkout the first WHAT edition of 2010 in thisissue of Mechanical Business.

RIGHT TOOLRIGHT CL Gfor the

the

24 SPECIAL INSERTRefrigerant Management Canada: The Changing Landscape

18 PLUMBINGThe right tool forthe job – matchingequipment toblockage type Marty Silverman

F E A T U R E S

72 COVER FEATURE What it takes to win

Battle of the Blades –on and under the ice

Dave Bowden

74 HVAC/R The evolvingnature of IAQ Michael Dobbs

82 OLYMPICS Reared with refrigerant:The Whistler SlidingCentre Dave Bowden

Content Media Group Inc.19 – 1525 Cornwall Road

Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 CANADATel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913


Jan/Feb 2010 IssuePublished 6 times per year.

Editor:Adam Freill, ext. 224

[email protected]

US Sales Manager:David Gerchen (314) 878-3939

[email protected]

Controller:Liz Mills, ext. 221

[email protected]

Assistant Editor:Dave Bowden, ext. 225

[email protected]

Art Direction:JJM Graphic Ltd.

[email protected]

Circulation Manager:Shila Naik (905) 272-4175

[email protected]:

Bruce Meacock, ext. [email protected]

PM:41536047ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print)

ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online)

Postmaster – Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to:

Mechanical Business, 19 – 1525 CornwallRoad, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canadathrough the Publications Assistance Program of the Department of

Canadian Heritage towards our mailing costs.

Submissions: Copyright in material submitted to the magazine andaccepted for publication remains with the author, but Mechanical Businessand its licensees may freely reproduce it in print, electronic or other forms.Mechanical Business also reserves the right to edit said submittedmaterials to suit the editorial needs and mandate of the publication.

Notice: Mechanical Business is published for owners, managers anddecision makers with mechanical contracting firms and the sector's supplychain partners in Canada. While every effort is made to ensure theaccuracy of the information, Mechanical Business, Content Media GroupInc., its staff, directors, officers and shareholders (‘The Publisher’) assumeno liability, obligation or responsibility for advertised claims, for errorsand/or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of thisinformation. Manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over publishededitorial. The publisher reserves the right to publish a printed correction in a subsequent issue for editorial errors, omissions and oversights.Subscriptions are available for $94.50 in Canada and the U.S. Singlecopies are $15.00. Outside Canada and the U.S., the rates are$150.00 (annual) and $25.00 (single copy).

From time to time, Content Media Group Inc. makes subscribers’ namesavailable to reputable companies whose products or services may be ofinterest to readers. If you would like your name excluded from thesemailings, please notify the publisher.

© Copyright 2010. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in anymanner without prior written permission of the publisher.

Proud members of:

F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K

So, here we find ourselves at the start of a new year, and what a year to beemerging out of, eh? 2009 will go down as one of the more interestingrollercoaster rides in recorded history, and yet, most everyone has survived.

Are we out of the woods yet? Well, the jury is still out on that one. But theredoes seem to be a renewed sense of optimism, which was long overdue, especiallyconsidering how well the Canadian marketplace has been poised, both going intothe recession, and now, as we cautiously emerge.

Of course, now the real work begins. Looking back at what has transpired overthe past year-and-a-half is necessary, and likely beneficial, but we cannot afford toget mired in what has passed. Pick off the best of the lessons learned, dustyourself off, and take a good hard look forward. It is time to figure out where youand your company stand right now, decide where you want to be, and to create aplan or path to get there.

Here at Mechanical Business, we set a goal of being the premier book in thebusiness, and we went about carving our place as a leader in the market in justthree short years. But I am reminded of the old adage, “That’s nice, but what haveyou done for me lately?”

Well, we’ve set a few goals that will help us provide you with even more of whatyou’ve come to expect from Mechanical Business, so keep an eye on themagazine, your in-box and our website, www.mechanicalbusiness.com, as we rollout our plans throughout 2010.

And to help get your plans for 2010 in motion, we have a special offer that’slimited to the first 1,000 Mechanical Business readers who respond. Canada’slargest mechanicals tradeshow event is coming to Toronto in March, and we wantto see you in the aisles. So, we’ve purchased 1,000 entrance feesfor you, our readers. To secure your free admission to the show,just visit www.mechanicalbusiness.com, follow the link, and fillout a registration form and use coupon code MBFREE. It’s that easy.

See you at the show!

Adam Freill, Editor

Helping you with your plans

6 M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 0

Time for change, time for Napoleon®

95% Effecient2 Stage

Napoleon® is one of North America’s most established and trusted

names in the fireplace and grill business. Napoleon® continually evolves

to anticipate customer’s needs and satisfaction. With over 30 years of

manufacturing home comfort products, Napoleon® entered its 4th year

with a full residential HVAC product offering along with 30 years of

expertise. Built on established practices, traditions and customs with

cutting–edge technologies, Napoleon® combines the strength of the past

with the resources of the future.

We offer flexible payment plans, local support and training, expedited

shipments, up-front payment value, advertising packages including

co-op, one of the best warranties in the industry and

technician-friendly products all to make your job easier

than ever and so much more!

Are you looking to distinguish your business,

generate higher profits and provide lasting

total comfort to your customers?

To become a Napoleon® HVAC dealer call:

1-800-461-5581

To discover the full line of profit-making HVAC products, visit napoleonheatingandair.com

Wolf Steel Corporate Offices Wolf Steel USA

02.10

Newsw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

9M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 0

Deschenes Group purchasesMueller Flow ControlMontreal-basedDeschenesGroup Inc.recentlyannounced thepurchase ofMueller Flow Control (MFC), a division of Mueller Canada Ltd. thatwas previously known as ITT Grinnel. Deschenes Group expects theacquisition to increase its presence in Quebec and Ontario, and helpthe company expand into British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba,Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. MFC will continue with its currentoperational structure and staff, with Kevin Fullan, vice-president andgeneral manager of MFC reporting to Deschenes vice-president ofoperations Joe Senese.

groupedeschenes.com

B.A. Robinson rebrands B.A. Robinson recently rebranded its six wholesale

B.C. Plumbing Supplies branches in British Columbia,bringing them under the Robinson banner. While the

six branches have maintained the B.C. PlumbingSupplies name since Robinson purchased them in1994, the company said the rebranding will better

align the six British Columbia outlets with its other12 Western Canada wholesale branches, which

already use the B.A. Robinson name.

barobinson.com

JULY/AUGUST 2008$6.95

w w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

PM #41536047

JULY/AUGUST 2009

$6.95

PM

#41536047

www.mechanica lbus iness .com

Also in this issue

MARCH/APRIL 2008$6.95

PM #41536047

Want more MB? Visit us online atmechanicalbusiness.com

AtlasCare teams with charityAtlasCare recently hosted its thirdannual Comfort Drive, collectingwinter apparel in support of Outof the Cold, a Toronto-areaprogram that provides thehomeless with meals and shelter.“We understand how veryfortunate we are,” said AtlasCarepresident and Mechanical Business columnist Roger Grochmal.“Being able to help those in our community who need it most,especially at this time of year, is the least we can do.”

In other AtlasCare news, Comfort Zone 21 Degrees recentlyannounced that AtlasCare will take over its residential clientsfollowing president Stewart Paterson’s decision to focusexclusively on the commercial HVAC sector.

ootc.caatlascare.ca

Two-stage direct expansion CO2-based refrigeration system

The Ontario Joint Training and ApprenticeshipCommittee, in partnership with Cimco Refrigeration and

Emerson Technologies’ Copeland Division, recentlydemonstrated the first Canadian two-stage direct

expansion CO2 refrigerant-based refrigeration system. Thefirst stage of the system consists of R-410A and uses aCopeland digital scroll compressor. The second, low

temperature stage consists of a sub-critical R-744 (CO 2)system and uses a Copeland CO 2 scroll compressor.

Designed and developed in Canada, the system is meant toserve as an example of how CO 2 can be used as a modern,

safe and efficient replacement for existing refrigerants.

jtac787.orgcimcorefrigeration.com

emersonclimate.com

02.10


New Saskatoon training facilityThe Mechanical ContractorsAssociation of Saskatchewan(MCAS) has partnered withSaskEnergy to develop theSaskEnergy TechnicalTraining Centre in Saskatoon.The new training facilityincludes a technical training lab and classrooms, and exposesstudents to all mechanical equipment used for heating,ventilation and cooling. “A laboratory with innovativetechnical equipment suitable to all users will help to meetthe demographic training challenges our industry faces inSaskatchewan,” said Allan Awrey, president of MCAS, whichprovided heating & mechanical equipment, mechanicalcontracting services and consultation during the facility’sdevelopment. The facility also features video-conferencingcapability, allowing students to hear from speakers andpresenters across the country.

mca-sask.com

Newsw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

Prowse joins BIM council Al Prowse, president of H. Griffiths Company

Ltd., has been appointed to the Canada BuildingInformation Modelling (BIM) Council Board of

Directors. Currently a member of MCAC, hebrings more than 20 years experience in the

mechanical trades to the council, which provides aself-regulating BIM authority to the architectural,

engineering and construction industries.

canbim.com

Watts announces name change To better align itself with its parent company,

Watts Industries (Canada) Inc. recently changed its name to Watts Water Technologies (Canada) Inc.

wattscanada.ca

Innovation winners honoured Nine companies won Innovation Awards at the recent AHR Expo inOrlando, Fl. Winning products include: AIC Wireless’ WBT900Wireless Device in the building automation category; Delphi’s MicroChannel Evaporator for cooling; Danfoss’ Performer VSD in thegreen building category; the VRV III – C Heat Pump System fromDaikin AC (Americas) in the heating category; Samsung Electronics’SPi Bacteria Eradication Technology in the IAQ category; MuellerIndustries Australia’s 3C Condenser in refrigeration; AEC DesignGroup’s ArtrA O&M in software; LA-CO Industries Inc.’s Cool Gel-Heat Barrier Spray in tools; and DuraSystems Barriers’ DuraDuctHP Blast Duct System for ventilation.

ahrexpo.com

Decision on HFC phasedown delayed

Parties to the Montreal Protocol decided in earlyNovember to delay a decision on including a phase-down of HFCs in the protocol until sometime later

this year. In September 2009, Canada, the UnitedStates and Mexico proposed bringing HFCs under

the protocol and commencing a phase-down in2013, but that decision will now be deferred until

parties to the Montreal Protocol meet again inOctober 2010.

ozone.unep.org

New title in NATE preparation seriesRSES recently announced the release of AirDistribution, the newest title in its Preparing for theNATE Exam series. The series of manuals is designed

to help heating, ventilation, airconditioning and refrigeration

technicians and installersunderstand the keyconcepts required topass the NorthAmerican TechnicianExcellence (NATE)examinations.

rses.org


Johnson Controls marks LEED milestoneJohnson Controls Inc. recently announced that 500 of its employees inNorth America achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) professionalaccreditation. In addition,more than 100 employeesachieved LEED GreenAssociate status, thenewest credential forgreen buildingprofessionals that denotesbasic knowledge of green design, construction and operations.

johnsoncontrols.com

HVI elects officers and directors

The Home Ventilating Instituterecently elected a new slate of officersand directors. Peter Grinbergs of AiriaBrands Inc. in London, Ont., will nowserves as immediate past-chairman, as

Jim Boldt of Broan-NuTone, LLC inHartford, Wis., was elected to a two-year term as chairman of the board.

Daniel Forest of Venmar Ventilation,Inc. in Drummondville, Que., was

elected to a one-year term as director,as was Mario Lavoie of Imperial Air

Technologies in Dieppe, N.B.

hvi.org

Mechanical Business checks out Uponor and Construct CanadaUponor general manager Bill Gray (far right), vice-president of marketingand offerings Joel Culp (last row, centre) and central region salesmanager Denis Montour (far left) flank the winning team from the RoyalBank of Canada at Uponor’s sustainable building contest. Using materialprovided by the company, teams competed to build a self-sustainedstructure. For the second straight year, RBC took home the grand prize, a$2,500 charitable donation, which Uponor made on the bank’s behalf tothe Weekend to End Breast Cancer. The competition took place atConstruct Canada, the 21st edition of the country’s largest conferencefor the building design, construction and renovation industries. Thisyear’s event featured more than 450 speakers, 1,050 exhibits and 23,000visitors.

constructcanada.comuponor.com

Belimo swings into spring Serge Baribeau, HVAC purchasing manager with

Edmonton’s Amre Supply Co. Ltd., left, poseswith Belimo regional sales manager Ron Dooley

and the golf bag he earned as a winner inBelimo’s Swing Into Spring promotion.

belimo.ca

02.10

Movers and Shakersw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m


All New Website!User-friendly tools, charts

and downloads. Visit today!

C.R.N. Approved www.madok.com

SEE US AT CMX/CIPHEX BOOTH #1821

• Water/Glycol Heating and Cooling Coils • Steam Coils • Heat Reclaim Coils• Evaporator Coils • Condenser Coils

We are Canada's coil experts. We knowcoils. We know contractors. We understandthat, when you need a coil, you need it fast. You need it accurate. And you needdelivery you can depend on. You cancount on Madok to deliver.

Don Park Oshawa relocatesEffective March 1,Don Park willmove its Oshawa,Ont., facility to anew location,which will include an open-concept showroom,among other changes. “We’re growing andexpanding,” said marketing manager Michelle Barta.“We’ve got deck-level doors that will help withshipping. It’s just a much cleaner, updated layout.”The new store will be found at 380 Marwood Dr. inOshawa. Contact number is Tel.: 905-619-6517.

donpark.com

Viega names regional reps

Viega recently announced a number ofnew wholesalers as it continues to

launch its ProRadiant and PureFlowlines in Canada. Tom Beggs Agencies

will represent the lines in Manitoba, while Wesmech Technical Salesand JF Taylor Enterprises Ltd. will do the same in Ontario and

Atlantic Canada, respectively.

viega.com

New Goodman location Goodman Canada has opened a newbranch in Laval, Que. The new branchcan be found at 4313 Autoroute desLaurentide. Contact info is Tel.: 1-877-698-1809 and Fax: 450-681-5879.

goodmanmfg.com

SMART LIVES HERE.

Now that’s smart. So many intelligent innovations.

Packed into one beautiful faucet. Leave it to Delta®

to bring such a high level of functionality and ingenuity

to its faucets. It’s just the kind of innovative thinking

homeowners are looking for to enhance the routines

of everyday life. Learn more about these and other

smart features at our user-friendly deltafaucet.com.

Smart technology. Another way that Delta is more

than just a faucet.

deltafaucet.com

© 2

009

Mas

co C

orpo

ratio

n of

Ind

iana

And here.DIAMOND™ Seal

Technology

And here.Touch2O

™ Technology

And here.Touch-Clean® Technology

And here.MagnaTite™ Docking

Technology

02.10

Movers and Shakersw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

Maritime adjustments for Watts linesHydro Mechanical Sales recently added to its roster of Watts products in NewBrunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In addition to its current Wattsplumbing and heating lines, the sales firm will now provide support for Watts Drainage, Powers Thermostatics, PowersPlumbing Brass (formerly Crane) and Watts Water Quality businesses. Bell & Bell Sales will continue to represent Watts Radiant and WaterPEX brands.

wattscanada.ca


Williams expands Gordon R. Williams Corporation has moved to

a larger location in Mississauga. “We weregrowing and needed to serve our customers

better,” said accounts manager Chris Pascary.The new office is located at 3770B Laird Rd.,

Unit 10, in Mississauga, Ont. Contact numbersare Tel.: 905-820-1400 and Fax: 905-820-1435.

williamshvac.com

Zurn names regionaldistributorsZurn recently announced anumber of new regionaldistributors. AncamnaSales will represent Zurnproducts in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia andPrince Edward Island; Par Four PlumbingProducts will represent the manufacturer inNewfoundland; and Cardinal Sales will representthe company in the Greater Toronto Area

zurn.com

Dobbin Sales moves Dobbin Sales Ltd. has expanded, moving from a

facility on Wildcat Road in Toronto to a newlocation in Vaughan, Ont. “We needed a bigger

warehouse facility,” says marketing manager JasonBoyd. “Dobbin had been in the same location for 25

to 30 years, so it was time for a change.” The newoffice can be found at 51 Terecar Dr., Unit 2, in

Vaughan. Contact info is Tel: 905-264-5465 andFax: 905-264-8445.

dobbinsales.com

Mechanical Businessrecently welcomedDAVE BOWDEN tothe team as assistanteditor. He previouslyworked as a reporterfor The National Postafter completing abachelor’s degree atQueen’s Universityand journalismschool at CentennialCollege. In additionto attending industryevents, his

responsibilities will include writing news, productannouncements and features. Please help uswelcome him to the industry.

JOE DRAGO ofBradford White-Canadahas been named to thenewly created position ofsales representative forthe Greater Toronto Area.Since joining thecompany in 2003, he hasserved as purchasingmanager and sales administrator. His new duties willinclude sales development within the Toronto region,in addition to sales with utility and rental entities inthe Ontario market.

Wolseley Canada recentlyappointed RICKELLIOTT to the positionof Southwest regionalmanager. In addition to 30years of industryexperience, he has beeninvolved in CIPH for morethan a decade, previouslyserving as chair.

RICK LITTLE was recently promoted to branch manager ofJohnson Controls. Previously serving as controller and seniorfinancial manager, he has been with the company since 1994.He will be responsible for York’s commercial and residentialbrands in Ontario, and the Coleman, Luxaire and Fraser-Johnston brands in Ontario and Manitoba west.

Wilo Canada recentlypromoted FARID BAHIOUto national sales manager,Canadian HVAC products. Hefirst joined Wilo in June 2005as regional sales manager forEastern Canada.

WADE PETERSON recentlyjoined Heatlink Group Inc. asvice-president of sales andmarketing for North America.He brings more than 20 yearsof experience in the radiantheating and plumbing industryto the position.

JERRY LEYTE recently joined Uponor as the company’scommercial sales engineer. Leyte’s responsibilities willinclude conducting training and sales sessions withengineers, architects and contractors.

MIKE PERONE has joinedGoodman Canada as itsregional sales manager.Responsible for all salesactivities across Canada, hebrings nearly 30 years ofindustry experience to theposition. He is an activemember of industryassociations, including BILD(the Greater Toronto HomeBuilders Association) andthe Toronto Residential AirHandlers Group.

GRADY TAYLORhas beenappointed national salesmanager at G.F. Thompson.He was promoted after 10months as key accountmanager and was formerly anational account managerwith the company.

InSinkErator hasappointed WENDYJOHANNSON tothe newly createdposition of nationalwholesale salesmanager. She bringsmore than 15 years ofexperience to the roleand will work closelywith InSinkErator’ssales agencies tofurther develop the wholesale, builder and plumbingtrade channels of the business.


People in the newsw w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

02.10

02.10

Profilew w w . m e c h a n i c a l b u s i n e s s . c o m

Harnessing a Passion for DiscoveryA man with his ear to the ground looking for new technologies, and how they can be integrated into the energy marketplace, EdSeaward knows the value of a strong trade show. Perhaps that’s what motivated him to get involved in the CMX/CIPHEX show. You can catch up with Ed at the show this March. It runs at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from the 25th to the 27th.


QWhat brought you to the gas andheating business?

A I actually started with an oil andgasoline company, Sterling Fuels, adivision of Ultramar. I worked in theirgasoline division and then moved intoequipment sales in their homecomfort division.

QHow long have you been in theindustry?

A About 28 years. After three or fouryears in the HVAC business, I joinedthe sales department at Union Gas inLondon in 1986. After Union Gasseparated the retail sales, rental andfinancing business in 1999, I stayedwith the utility and became themarketing manager. Last year I tookon an entirely different role – abusiness development role focusedmore on renewable energy.

QWhat do you enjoy most about theindustry?

A Two things. First, it is alwayschallenging. The business evolves andkeeps you interested and motivated.Second, with most of my career spentin channel relationships and accountmanagement, it is dealing withpeople.

QWhat brought you to join HRAI, andwhy did you decide to take an activerole in the association?

A Well, Union Gas has been anassociate member since the foundingof HRAI. For me, HRAI has alwaysbeen an important partner since mostof my roles have had me focused oncontractors and manufacturers.

QTell me about your role with theCMX/CIPHEX show.

A I was asked to join the showcommittee for the 2004 CMX show.I really enjoyed becoming involvedbecause it was at that show that weestablished the Learning Forumwhich I think is key. I was asked to bethe chair for the 2006CMX/CIPHEX show, a position Icontinued with in 2008 and nowwith this show.

QHow has CMX/CIPHEX expandedover the years?

A The fact that this show addresses theentire mechanicals industry in Canada makes the trade floor acomplete experience for anyone inthe business, no matter how focusedor diversified their business is.

QWhy is it important for employers togive their staff time to attend this,and other events like this?

A If there has been one consistentmessage delivered in today’s changingbusiness world it is that employersneed to invest in their employees’skills and knowledge. In terms of bangfor your buck, there is an incredibleamount of knowledge available foremployees, all under one roof.

Name: Ed SeawardTitle: Manager, Market Opportunity Development, Union Gas Ltd.Chair, CMX/CIPHEX ShowAge: 53Born & Raised in: London, Ont.Resides in: Georgetown, Ont.Family: Wife Barb, son MikeEducation: University of Western Ontario, Political Science Hobbies: Reading, golf, travel and movies

Bio

•After graduating from university, Ed wrote three or four screenplays –and not one dealt with the energy industry!

FAST FACT

Keep it cool with quality – Keep it cool with Honeywell

Genetron® Refrigerants. Offering a broad line of refrigerants

and experienced technical customer support, Honeywell is

able to meet individual contractor needs and lead the

refrigerant market.

Many of our products were born from Honeywell innovation

to achieve the ultimate efficiency in all types of cooling

systems. Providing your customers with our products will give you the peace of

mind that comes along with Honeywell’s safety, consistency and leadership.

©2006 Honeywell International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Learn more about the entire line of Honeywell Genetron® refrigerants at

www.honeywell.com/genetron

www.410A.com

the colours of cool

Brenntag Canada Inc.Exclusive distributor of Genetron refrigerants in Canada

Ontario & Western Canada: Tel. No. (416) 243-9615 Fax: (416) 243-9731Quebec & Marime Provinces: Tel. No. (514) 636-9230 Fax: (514) 636-8229

You are a professional plumbingcontractor. You know that the besttool to clear a clogged kitchen sink is

very different than the right tool to clear amain drain. But did you know that eventhough one tool could be used to clear asink, bathtub, and toilet, the best tool isdifferent in each case?

And while many contractors use the samedrain cleaning tool to clear a line clogged bydebris and by grease, they really should beusing two different tools. If you are usingthe same tool for both jobs, read on, andfind out why using the best tool for eachjob will save you time and money.

To determine the proper drain cleaning toolfor your application, you must first locatethe source of the problem. If the clog is in asmall drain line, like the sink, basin, orlaundry tub, then a hand-held machine orsmall floor model drain cleaner is theappropriate tool to use. If several drains areaffected, the blockage is probably in thelarger line common to those drains. If this isthe case, a larger floor model drain cleaningmachine is the right tool for the job.


RIGHT TOOL

DRAIN CLEANING by Marty Si lverman

RIGHT CL Gfor the

the

Drum-Type Cable Application Chart

CABLE SIZEDRAIN LINE SIZETYPICAL APPLICATIONS

1/4” 1-1/4” to 2” Small lines, tub, and shower drains

5/16” 1-1/2” to 2” Sinks, basins, and small drains

3/8” 2” to 3” Stacks, laundry lines, and small drains

1/2” 3” to 4” Roof stacks and small floor drains (no roots)

5/8” 3” to 6” Floor drains, cleanouts, and tree roots

3/4” 4” to 10” Large drains, long runs, and tree roots

Matchingthe

Machineto the

Task

Sinks, Laundry Tubs, Roof Vents If you are clearing small diameter drain lines(1-1/4” to 3”), you can use machines that usesmaller diameter cables. Hand-held models

that carry 1/4”, 5/16” or 3/8” cables arebest suited for this application, as the smalldiameter cables are flexible enough to getaround the tight bends. And remember, it iseasier on the cables ifyou remove the P-trapunder the sink ratherthan wrestle your waypast it with a snake.

What type of

DRAIN is it?

GreaseFor restaurants, factories andinstitutions where grease clogs

are a constant problem, water jets arethe tool to use. Cable machines can havea hard time clearing soft stoppages. Jetsuse a stream of high-pressure water thathits the stoppage and flushes it away.

The thrust of thenozzle drives the hosedown the line andgives you wall-to-wallcleaning action.

In order to choose the righttool for the job, it is importantto know what stoppage youare up against. Both cablemachines and high-pressure

water jets provide the power needed toclear a stoppage, whether it is grease, sand,ice, or heavy stoppages like tree roots, butsometimes one is preferable to the other.


• What type of drain is i t? • What type of stoppage is i t?

Bathtubs and Showers The best tool for clearing a clogged or slow-draining tub is a water ram. Tubs often drain

through drum traps that are very difficult to get throughwith a cable. The water ram uses a burst of compressed airto create a shock wave that follows the path of the waterand isn’t affected by tight bends and narrow lines. It travelsdown the line and knocks out the stoppage withoutharming the pipes.

What typeof

STOPPAGEis it?

Toilets and Urinals

The best tool for clearing a clogged toilet is the closet auger.No other tool in your arsenal will go through the bowl as

quickly and easily. The spring is flexible enough to get through thetight bends in the bowl. Some come with a down head that

helps guide the cable around tight bends in olderbowls. Most low-flow bowls are easier to get throughwith a regular spring head.

Consider a telescoping auger. If you’ve ever hadto remove a bowl because the

stoppage was just beyond it, you’llknow why. The telescoping augershide extra cable in the handle.

Tree RootsCable machines, bothdrum-type and sectional,

are the ideal tools to cut and cleartree roots and other difficultobstructions.Use a larger diameter cable that has the torque to cut tree roots.

Foreign ObjectsTo retrieve objects, rags, children’s toys, broken cables,etc., cable machines are the best tool to use. Begin by

choosing the size of your drain line to find the right cable machinefor your application. Closet augers work well retrieving diapersfrom the toilet. In other lines, there are a variety of retrieving toolsavailable to attach to the end of the cable for this purpose.

Sand, Mud and DebrisWater jets are ideal forclearing sand, mud, anddebris choked lines, as

well as grease, ice, and other softstoppages from drain lines. Water jetsuse a stream of high-pressure water thathits the stoppage and flushes it away.Debris blockages can range from hair,soap, and scale in smaller lines, to treeroots, clippings and gravel in largerdrain lines. Cable drain cleaners arerequired to clear debris-choked lines.Two types of machines are available –drum-type and sectional.

Floor Drains, Clean-Outs and Main LinesFor clearing 2” to 4” drain lines, but not treeroots, you can use a 3/8” or 1/2” cable. Thereare many machines available in this range.Some feature variable speed power cablefeeds to make the job faster. Others offerwheels and folding handles to get to andfrom the job easier. Choose one that has

enough cable capacity for most of the jobsyou’ll encounter.

Heavy duty machines with large-diameter,durable cables are needed to clear tough

stoppages and tree roots. A smaller diametercable does not have the torque needed to cut throughroots. Two types of machines are available - drum-type

and sectional. Each has advantages.

Marty Silverman is the vice-president of marketing with

General Pipe Cleaners. For more information about drain cleaning

equipment, e-mail [email protected].

Coming Next Issue: Marty looks at drain cleaning equipment that can make lifeeasier for drain cleaning pros!


We recently relocated our

office to a larger space. Much

to my surprise the new

location has a high-efficiency gas furnace,

but a traditional mercury-bulb slide-switch

thermostat. Not surprisingly, the ’stat was

covered with the classic clear plastic lockable

cover – a clear indication to me that previous

tenants suffered with comfort complaints and

tinkering of settings.

Seeing that ’stat piqued my curiosity as to how many

offices, and how much commercial HVAC equipment, is still

controlled by outdated technology, and what resulting

opportunities are available to contractors. If a contractor is able

to identify and demonstrate at least a few of the most cost-

effective applications of control options that are now available

to the HVAC industry, well, there’s an opportunity there.

It is time to go back to commercial clients and demonstrate

how the comparatively moderate cost of controls, such as new

thermostats or CO 2 sensors, offer a great investment that can

improve comfort, air quality and overall building performance.

Not only that, but it’s a tremendous opportunity for service

work that can be done during slower months, and you can start

with your existing roster of clients, targeting small business

owners who can appreciate the value of energy savings.

continued on page 22

BRINGING CONTROLS21st Centuryinto the

SOLVING THE COMFORT QUANDARYLet’s start with the typical office scenario, occupied 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., leaving thepotential for 15 hours of energy saving downtime. I am hoping contractors don’tneed to be reminded of how reducing the difference in temperature betweenoutside and inside through setback thermostats reduces the heat loss in winter andheat gain in summer over the unoccupied period.

Don’t allow your clients to be confused by the old argument that the energyneeded to warm up the building in the morning negates any savings. This is justnot true, since the energy saved during the cooling down period roughly equals theenergy needed to reheat. The real savings come from the extended lower-temperature differential during the set-back period (see sidebar, Quick Math).

Let’s also not get distracted or discouraged by previous client experiences with

the first generation of digital setback thermostats. Thesecould be difficult to read, program and maintain over longperiods of time. Leading controls companies like White-Rodgers and Honeywell have introduced models with greatfeatures that overcome previous shortcomings.

For optimal control and comfort, be sure to use thehigher-end thermostats that can guarantee an accuracy of+/-10ºF. This level of accuracy,resulting from better sensorand anticipation technology,eliminates many of thetemperature swings that leadto tampering of settings andcomfort complaints, and alsoensures optimal energy use.

Managing the comfortexpectations of a wide range ofoccupants in an office can befurther enhanced by featuressuch as adding a secondremote temperature sensor.This allows averaging and/orweighting of temperaturesacross different spaces.

Quick Math - Heat transferacross a building enclosureis a direct function of thetemperature differenceacross the walls, windowsand ceiling assemblies. Ifthe winter temperature is -20ºC and the indoorsetting is at 20ºC duringthe day but 15ºC at night,heat flow throughout theunoccupied period will bereduced by 5/40 or 12.5%.Prorated over a 24 hourperiod would mean aheating energy saving ofalmost 8% over this coldday and even a higherpercentage saving onmilder days.

HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC by Gord Cooke

• Maximize the Thermostat • Demand Control led Venti lat ion


Gord Cooke is a professional engineer who has

spent 20 years helping builders and HVAC

contractors implement innovative technologies into

high-performance homes. He has particular

expertise in IAQ and air flow management in houses,

and can be contacted at [email protected].

Another great feature, especially for commercial applications,is enhanced lockout selections and adjustable temperature limitranges that allow occupants some measure of control whilemaintaining the integrity of pre-programmed set-points.

This type of security, combined with better, more intuitive,touch-screen displays, offer a much better alternative in this ageof increased energy awareness and higher comfort expectations.

SOLVING THE COMFORT QUANDARY

Demand ControlledVentilationAnother excellent control opportunity is in

existing buildings with high, but variable,

occupancy levels, such as schools, offices,

fitness clubs and entertainment facilities. In

these types of buildings, poorly controlled

HVAC systems providing the ventilation rates

required for proper air quality control will

dominate the total heating and cooling loads.

Ideally, ventilation would be provided through

an energy recovery ventilation system.

However, the capital cost and complexity of

adding an ERV to an existing building may be

prohibitive.

A more manageable strategy would be to

apply an occupancy-based sensor control, such

as a carbon dioxide control. Carbon dioxide

levels are an excellent indicator of ventilation

needs for people. The new generation of CO2sensor technology avoids the need for

annual calibration and can provide a

stable output signal proportional to

carbon dioxide levels detected.

This signal can be linked to variable-

speed fan motors, or to damper

controls within the fresh air intakes

or economizer sections of existing

rooftop HVAC equipment. This arrangement

would result in a reduction in energy required

to reheat or pre-cool fresh air during low

occupancy periods, while still allowing for

optimal air quality control during peak periods.

Demand controlled ventilation (DCV) can be

applied cost effectively in many applications

with the addition of the control and

modifications to fan and damper controls.

MAXIMIZE THE THERMOSTATThe new generation of thermostats offer many enhanced features. Many of them havethe ability to control fans, fresh air dampers, compressor run times and otheraccessories, all from one location. While this may require running additional wires, itdoes allow for optimization of energy use, indoor air quality control and comfort.

PRACTICINGWHAT I PREACH In my own office, I wentwith one of the newestgeneration commercialthermostats and even inour modest office itpromises to return ussomewhere from $60 to$75 a year. With aninstalled cost in the vicinityof $600, that is a quick andeasy ROI of 10 to 12 percent, and any businessowner should appreciatethat is a great use ofmoney.

cont’d

www.refrigerantmanagement.ca

What contribution to environmental protection will you make?

Support this

award-winning program

today and help us safely

destroy environmentally

damaging ODS refrigerants.

To date, we’ve collected and

destroyed over

1.6 million kilograms!

Contractors –Reduce Your Environmental Footprint Today!

How?Contact your wholesaler or ask RMC for details

Destruction of ODS refrigerants is

easy, and free!

For more information:

Over the past 25 years, the international community hastaken steps to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, theamount of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) released

into the atmosphere. Under the Montreal Protocol,the production and consumption of ODS includ-

ing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlo-rofluorocarbons (HCFCs) will be phased out inindustrialized countries over the next threedecades. The global environmental move-ment has had specific implications for theHVACindustry, in which CFCs and HCFCswere (and still are) commonly found in refrigeration and air conditioning applications.

The challenge for Canada is to eliminate theuse of CFCs and eventually HCFCs

and to ensure that the current inventory is safely recap-tured and disposed of in an environmentally safe way.Refrigerant Management Canada (RMC) was created inresponse to this challenge. Today, thanks to the supportof our stakeholders, we are the leading organization ofour kind, putting Canada at the forefront of ODS collec-tion and destruction.

Established by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) and champi-oned by the Canadian Stationary refrigeration andair conditioning industry, the RMC program has been one of the most successful responses to this global environ-mental initiative. In 2007, the program received international recognition when it was awarded the Best-of-the-Best Stratospheric Ozone Protection Awardfrom the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Our mission, established over a decade ago, continuesto be to provide an environmentally responsible program in partnership with government and the Canadian public that:

• Manages the environmentally responsible disposal of Canada’s stocks of surplus ODS refrigerants for theCanadian refrigeration and air conditioning industries;

• Meets the objective of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to minimize and avoid the ultimate release of these substances to the environment; and

• Ensures that all surplus ODS refrigerants will be managed in the most environmentally responsiblemanner to minimize the depletion of the ozone layer.

Since its inception in 2001, the program’s capacity tocollect and destroy ODS refrigerants has steadilyincreased. To date, the program has safely collectedover 1.8 million kg and destroyed more than 1.6 millionkg of ODS. These accomplishments are a testament tothe dedication of our stakeholders, and our ongoingefforts to continually expand and enhance the program.Moving forward, we continue to lobby the governmentto regulate HFCs. This would allow us to levy andaccept HFCs into the program and further enhance ourability to protect the ozone layer.

Dennis Larson, Chair

a letter from the chair

protecting the environment is good businessOzone depletion is a global environmental concern and traditional refrigerants continue to be a cause ofthis problem. By joining RMC, you’ve become part of the solution.

Your commitment to RMC is also a savvy business decision – helping you grow your enterprise. Businessaction on environmental issues is growing. Supply chainsare being ‘greened’. With a little time and attentionyour environmental leadership will help you win andretain customers.

By participating in the RMC program, you’ll be doing“good” and doing “well” at the same time.

Benefits to human and animal health. The ozone layerprotects our world from too much solar radiation. Thisatmospheric shield absorbs ultraviolet radiation from thesun. Without this protection, excess ultraviolet energyreaches us on Earth and can lead to serious problemssuch as:

• Increased rates of skin cancer;

• Changes to ecology on land and in our oceans; and

• Damage to materials like nylon that are important tous economically and socially.

Your work, through RMC, is reducing these risks.

Ecological and biodiversity benefits. Plant developmentand physiology are adversely affected by increased UV-B from ozone-depletion that causes direct and indirect damage to the plants. Protection against further ecological damage – and turning back the clock on damage already done – is part of your value proposition.

HOW RMC WORKS

ContractorsRecover refrigerant from equipment ownersin standard recovery cylinders and drumsand transport them to wholesalers.

Wholesalers Transport refrigerant to collection serviceproviders where they are stored andbulked in ISO tanks.

Collection service providers Ship refrigerant to disposal serviceproviders where it is safely destroyed.

Did you know?Environment Canada created the UV Index inMay 1992 and it is now used in over 26countries.

Did you know?RMC has reduced green house

emission gas by 5.1 mega tonnes.

Protection against climate change. Global warming is a top-of-mind environ-mental issue and ozone depleting refrigerants are a contributor.Your involve-ment in the RMC program, and your environmental value proposition, helpprotect and repair the global climate.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Sustainability. Many of your end-users will have an interest in environmental protection because of their com-mitment to either CSRs or sustainability. Your participation in RMC helps themadvance their CSR/sustainability agenda.

RMC onlineRefrigerant Management Canada is re-launching its online home this March. The new site has been modernized, with improved navigation and user-friendliness. On the site, you’ll find detailsabout the RMC training program, refrigerant disposal, statistics, facts, figures and more. Authorized wholesalers will have exclusive access to detailed RMC statistical reports, media kits and licensing agreements.

Be sure to check out www.refrigerantmanagement.ca, and to add the site to your favourites list on your browser!

Did you know?To-date, RMC has destroyed 1.6 millionkilograms of environ-mentally damagingrefrigerant waste.

Thou

sand

s (kg

)

RMC leading with trainingThis spring, RMC will launch a training program that is designedto educate wholesaler representa-tives. The program will provide asolid understanding of RMC and itsapplicable regulation and guide-lines, and aims to have at least twocounter personnel at each branchtrained in the handling of surplusODS refrigerants for the program.

The online training program will beoffered to wholesalers free ofcharge. Upon completion of train-ing (with passing grades, ofcourse), the participating employeewill be issued a certificate. This certificate will include the companyname and the person’s name.

RMC will further recognize top performers in the training programby entering perfect test scores in agrand prize draw. Be sure toinclude RMC training in the trainingplans and programs for your count-er staff this year.

RMC participantsLevy contributorsThe following manufacturer, import, and reclaim compa-nies have made a commitment to the RMC program andremit a levy to RMC on all sales of HCFC refrigerants:

– Alltemp Products Ltd.– Arkema Canada Inc.– DuPont Canada– Fielding Chemical Technologies Inc.– Honeywell Genetron– Ineos Fluor Canada– Linde Canada Inc.– Refrigerant Services Inc.

RMC collection service providers– Fielding Chemical Technologies Inc.– Linde Canada Inc.– Refrigerant Services Inc.

Refrigerant Management Canada2800 Skymark AvenueBuilding 1, Suite 201

Mississauga, Ontario L4W 5A6

www.refrigerantmanagement.caTelephone: (905) 361-1165 or 1-866-622-0209

Fax: (905) 602-1197 e-mail: [email protected]

Did you know?The RMC program has the endorsement of the Environmental Choice Program – the EcoLogo.

Did you know?RMC has reduced ODS emissions

by approximately 700 ODP tonnes, results above and beyond the

requirements of the Montreal Protocol.

Refrigerant Management Canada(RMC) is a not-for-profit corporation established and administered by the leading industry association, the Heating,Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada(HRAI), for the purpose of responsible disposal of surplusozone depleting refrigerants from the stationary refrigerationand air conditioning industry.

For details about the program, visit www.refrigerantmanagement.ca, or call RMC at (905) 361-1165.

WOODFORD MANUFACTURING COMPANY

Zero or even below, the Woodford 65/67 seriescommercial wall hydrants will tolerate anytemperatures without freezing. All drainautomatically, even with a hose attached. The 67models include an ASSE Standard 1052 approvedbackflow preventer connection…and all come withWoodford quality, durability, and the ability totolerate anything Mother Nature can throw at them.

Model 67 Freezeless Wall Hydrantwith backflow preventionThe ASSE 1052 approved doublecheck is field testable. Designed tocomplement modern architecture.The Model 65 offers the samefeatures with an ASSE 1019 vacuum breaker.

B67 Freezeless Wall Hydrant withdouble check backflow protectionA rectangular version of our RB67,with backflow prevention. Alsooffered as the B65.

Choose from backflow prevention (67 series) or anti-siphon vacuum

breaker (65 series) hose connections.

RB67 Round BoxFreezeless Wall HydrantFits through standard 6"

diameter cored hole.Supplied with a ASSE

1052 approved doublecheck backflow

preventer that is fieldtestable. Designed

especially for tilt-upwall construction. Also

available as the RB65with ASSE 1019

approved vacuum breaker.

2121 Waynoka RoadColorado Springs, CO 80915800.621.6032www.woodfordmfg.com

WOODFORD 65/67 SERIES FREEZELESS WALL HYDRANTS

THE HEART IS BUILT

WITH PERFORMANCE

IN MINDLike the heart, the ALPHA™ always delivers the flow that’s required.

Easy-to-use interfaces and a range of unique features make

it simple to install and operate.

Grundfos helps you keep in touch with the future

Our new website is also Powered by the Impossible. Here

you’ll find all the information, downloads, marketing

materials and tips you need. The web site explains energy

saving with E-circulators in your applications.

Find out how Grundfos just keeps getting better at:

poweredby.grundfos.ca

Unique ALPHA Plug

Nut capture A one button, easy-

to-use interface

Large display shows

current energy con-

sumption in Watts

Compact design

Large display shows

current flow in gal-

lons per minute

Integrated

check-valve

Visit grundfos.ca/handbook to order a FREE copy of

the Grundfos Handbook. Use Promo Code: 47132KL

C O N T E N T Sw h a ts u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

On the cover: James Derksen’s Winnipeg-based Derksen Plumbing & Heating Ltd. recently installed the mechanical systems, includinga million square feet of in-floor heating, at Manitoba Hydro Place, the head office of Manitoba Hydro. Photo: John Woods

P R O D U C T S

62 Hydronics

D E P A R T M E N T S

32 Welcome

49 Road Warrior: Gary Ball

66 Find the Fix

42 CASE STUDY Allan Black

36 PUMPSBob “Hot Rod” Rohr

great

34 GUEST COLUMN James Derksen

Picking the Point to Place the Pump

In the Zonewith Controls

F E A T U R E S

38 VARIABLE SPEED CIRCULATION Fixing the Delta TJohn Vastyan

40 QUIZ Test your Hydronics IQ David Hughes

44 SYSTEM DESIGNThe Benefits of Pre-built Mike Breault

46 ASK ROGER Surveys, and What to do With ThemRoger Grochmal

50 HYDRODYNAMICSWater, Water Everywhere Rod Brandon

52 PIPING Accounting for Expansion Rick Leniuk

56 CONTROLS Adjusting for Efficiency Gary Burger

60 MARKETING Do You Have the “Write” Stuff?Doug MacMillan

32

F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

Green Carrots and Other Incentives

No one word fully captures the essence ofa radiator by Runtal. After all, how do you

say meticulous welds, precision engineering,energy-efficient or easy-to-install in just

one word? Simply put, you can’t. Andwhile that’s a stuggle we’ve had for over 50years since we invented panel radiators, it’s

a struggle we’re proud of.

1-888-829-4901www.runtalradiators.com

You can rely on Runtal for inspired vision, in-stock standards and engineered solutions. Specify and install Runtal radiators today.

Content Media Group Inc.19 – 1525 Cornwall Road

Oakville, Ontario L6J 0B2 CANADATel: 905.465.2919 Fax: 905.465.2913


Editor: Adam Freill, ext. [email protected]

US Sales Manager:David Gerchen (314) 878-3939

[email protected]

Controller: Liz Mills, ext. [email protected]

Assistant Editor: Dave Bowden, ext. [email protected]

Art Direction: JJM Graphic [email protected]

Circulation Manager:Shila Naik (905) 272-4175

[email protected]

Publisher: Bruce Meacock, ext. [email protected]

PM:41536047ISSN 1916-0674 MB (Print)

ISSN 1906-0682 MB (Online) .Notice: Mechanical Business is published for owners, managers anddecision makers with mechanical contracting firms and the sector's supplychain partners in Canada. While every effort is made to ensure theaccuracy of the information, Mechanical Business, Content Media GroupInc., its staff, directors, officers and shareholders (‘The Publisher’) assumeno liability, obligation or responsibility for advertised claims, for errorsand/or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of thisinformation. Manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over publishededitorial. The publisher reserves the right to publish a printed correction in a subsequent issue for editorial errors, omissions and oversights.

© Copyright 2010. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in anymanner without prior written permission of the publisher.

With many of the incentives that have been driving home improvements scheduledto come to an end in the not-so-distant future, it is more important than ever toensure that your company is well prepared to handle selling without the carrot ofincentive money to dangle in front of your customers.

So what carrots are there to dangle?

Well, there’s the obvious incentive of comfort. Ensuring that your staff has thetraining and the resources to deliver top-notch systems that are easy to operate is agreat first step. Comfort sells, as does convenience. And comfort and conveniencesell at any price, not just the bottom rung.

What about Green Carrots? The environment is still top-of-mind for manyCanadians, and there are tons of hydronic products that reduce energy use withoutsacrificing performance. Tell that tale to your customers.

And if you need to learn about these, and the many other carrots in the bunch, whynot schedule a trip to downtown Toronto at the end of March for theCMX/CIPHEX show? Mechanical Business is providing free entry to the first 1,000readers who visit our website (www.mechanicalbusiness.com). Follow the link to theCMX/CIPHEX registration page, just remember to use pass code MBFREE.

See you at the show!

Adam Freill, Editor

Hydronic Zone Valves for the Professional Mechanical Contractor.

In this business, reputation is everything. That’s why choosing the right zone valveshouldn’t be taken lightly.

White-Rodgers is introducing a redesigned series of hydronic zone valves that willexceed your expectations for solid construction, durability and ease of installation.Whether it’s the Z-Series, Z-Series E-Z Top, or the 1300 Series 2-wire and 3-wirefor zoning systems up to 50 PSI, White-Rodgers has the right zone valve for theright application.

White-Rodgers invites you to take a good look at how this zone valve series isdesigned. Contact your White-Rodgers Sales Representative for full specificationsor email [email protected]

The

Emer

son

logo

is a

trad

emar

k an

d se

rvic

e m

ark

of E

mer

son

Elec

tric

Co.

20

10W

hite

-Rod

gers

. Whi

te-R

odge

rs is

a d

ivis

ion

of E

mer

son

Elec

tric

Co.

All

Righ

ts R

eser

ved.

Think solid. We did.

34

Iam a strong believer in training, and that is whyDerksen Plumbing & Heating is a strong supporterof training organizations like the Canadian Me-

chanical Contracting Education Foundation, and I person-ally make sure that training and education is one of the

goals in all of my employees’ performance appraisals.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to convince an employeethat he or she needs more training.

Everyone thinks they know the best way of doing things, and thoughtheir methods may work, they are not always the ways that are recom-

mended, or the ways that the company ownership wishes its employeesto conduct business. When things are perceived to work, it can be very

difficult to see the benefit of a training course. Rest assured though, an em-ployee who wants to be trained, and who is open to training, is an invaluableasset to your team.

Beyond reluctance, the other barrier to training that is often brought up isthe cost.

The financial output for most courses is not usually an issue. Where the costdiscussion comes into play is the cost associated with time. Does the businessowner expect his employee to go and do this training on their own time?And does the employee feel that he or she should be paid while in training?

Often this is based on views of whether the training benefits the employer oremployee. In reality, it is benefiting both parties.

The employer gets a better trained and knowledgeable person who can makethem more money, and the employee receives training that will improve theirworth (both personal and financial) in the workplace. Both parties come outahead, so I cannot understand why an agreement on making time for train-ing can be so difficult to establish.

One other excuse made by some is that they cannot find the training. I findthat hard to believe. With all the courses that our mechanical associations puton, along with all the manufacturers, and the construction associations, andthe local colleges, and the unions, and online training, how can anyone saythey cannot find a course that will help them or their business?

So check out your local chapters, ask your associations about their trainingfacilities, talk to manufacturers and wholesalers at trade shows – if you ask,some manufacturers will even pay some of the costs associated with attend-ing one of their training sessions.

In the end, training should never be looked at as a cost. It’s a revenue-gener-ating proposition that can only help your company and your employees be-come even better than they already are.

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

Tip: A lot of courseshave train-the-trainer

programs, whichallow a company to

send one person whowill be trained so thatthey can train a multi-tude of employees for

years to come.

James Derksen is the manager of DerksenPlumbing & Heating (1984) Ltd. in Winnipeg.His company recently installed the mechani-

cal systems, including a million square feetof in-floor heating, at Manitoba Hydro Place,

the head office of Manitoba Hydro. Watchfor a profile of that project in an upcoming

edition of Mechanical Business.

Make an investment in training

Phot

o: J

ohn

Woo

ds

GREAT NEWSIF YOU’RE REPLACING A PUMP.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO.

System Design

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 036

Selecting the ideal location for the circulators on today’s modern hydronic systems takes some carefulthought. Consider how our heat generators, or boilers havechanged over the years. Notice also how the distributionsystems have changed.

Circulator pumps have allowed designersto create more comfort options, suchas zoning. By designing around a forcedflow, it became possible to install

multiple zones regulated by smallelectric zone valves.

Early circulator pumps were designedwith a flat pump curve to match wellwith multi-zoned hot water baseboard

systems, for example. The flat curvecirculator was designed to minimize thedifferential pressure in the system asvarious zone valves opened and closed.

The boilers common back in the earlyhydronic days were fairly wide-open vessels with little pressure drop. Whencirculators first started showing up in designs and in actual installations, they wereoften installed on the return side of the boiler.

Boiler manufacturers themselves positioned the pumps on the return side whenthey assembled “packaged” boilers. Packaged boilers were shipped with thecirculator mounted, along with some of the other components. These boilers werecrated with the insulation, jacketing and some of the trim components factory-installed. This was a step towards the plug-and-play systems we now see in thehydronic and solar industry. Today we see this concept in pre-plumbed and pre-wired pump and mixing stations, for example.

Gil Carlson was the director of technical services with Bell and Gossett, and wasone of the first to realize the problems that were occurring with pumps on thereturn side under certain conditions.

He determined that when the pump was placed on the return,specifically pumping towards the expansion tank, systemproblems would arise.

The pump could pull the system below atmospheric pressureand actually pull air into the system through auto air vents. Giland many of his protégés, including my gaggle of mentors,continued to teach the benefits of pumping away from the

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickling peppers; but how about...

Picking the Point to Place the Pump

HIGHER TEMPS,SMALLER RADS

As I understand it,the early pump sealswere not dependableat the high operatingtemperatures the sys-tems were designed tooperate around. Installerslooking to cut costs dis-covered that higher oper-ating temperaturesallowed them to use lessfootage of emitters andsmaller tube sizes. Locatingthe circulator on the returnside would allow the pumpto operate in a cooler fluidstream.

LOOKING BACK

In the early days of hydronicsystems, engineers designed

systems to circulate via gravity.Careful planning and large di-ameter piping was required toensure these systems operated

properly. Somewhere in the1940s, circulator pumps startedfinding their way into hydronic

systems. As the circulator pumpwas developed, piping systemschanged to accommodate the

pumped flows.

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr has been aplumbing, radiant heat and solarcontractor and installer for 30 years.A long-time RPA member and columnist, he is manager of trainingand education with Caleffi NorthAmerica. You can reach Hot Rod [email protected].

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0 37

expansion tank, and on the supply side of the boiler(or heat source).

I was a fool for improper pump placement for a period– I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Until I met with a distinguished group of gurus who became mymentors, my hydronic horizons were limited. Information washard to come by in the ’60s and ’70s when I started doing

hydronics for a living. Without a coveted invite to the hallowed hallsof the Little Red Schoolhouse, you were on your own to ferret out new or

best piping methods. Boy has that changed with the world wide web! But too muchinformation can confuse the knowledge seeker, too. Which “best practice” really is…best?

A game changer in the hydronics business was the introduction of radiant floor heat. Theearly systems on the market used a small diameter rubber or EPDM tube. These smalldiameter tube systems required high head circulators to overcome the pressure drop andallow long circuit lengths.

The use of a high-head circulator, improperly placed inrelationship to the expansion tank, would really show air,noise and purge issues. In those systems we had thedouble whammy – the tube was allowing oxygen ingressdue to the lack of an adequate oxygen barrier, and thenyou had the potential for those high-head circs to pull airinto the system through the auto air vents if the pump-to-expansion tank relationship was incorrect.

Needless to say these systems suffered serious corrosionissues, often within the first few years of operation.

DID YOU KNOWThe circulator pumps we useon today’s systems are con-sidered centrifugalpumps. They cause thefluid in the system tomove by creating a pres-sure difference betweenthe suction and discharge sideof the pump. Designers and in-stallers learned the finer points of locat-ing a circulator and all was fine.

MY READINGROOMDo you have a copy ofPumping Away, by DanHolohan (one of mymentors)? Mine is dog-earedfrom frequent refer-ence. Dan uses greatmetaphors – ferriswheels, soda bot-tles! – to make basichydronic concepts easyto understand.

by Bob ‘Hot Rod’ Rohr

ENTER THE MOD/CON About 10 years ago, mod/con boilers started appearing on themarket. Many, but not all, have small diameter tube heatexchangers. In a way, we took that high pressure drop tubing out ofthe equation and put the same challenge inside the boiler!

So now we are back to the high head circulator requirement andprecautions required to keep it happy and healthy.

It is important that adequate pressure be maintained on these heatexchangers to keep them from flashing to steam. The circulatorchoice is critical to provide adequate flow through the “tight” heatexchangers.

Manufacturers of these boilers suggested installing the circulator onthe return side, pumping towards the boiler so the heat exchangerwould see that pressure increase when the pump started.

Now we have a quandary in the industry. For the past 50 years or sowe have been realizing the benefits of pumping away from the

boiler, and now the plan has changed again,but only in some cases.

The installer needs to base his pump location decision on the typeof equipment and the manufacturer’s recommended location. Mostof the boiler installation and piping manuals are quite clear on theneed to use primary secondary piping, or a hydro separator, anddetermining the correct circulator for the application is a must.

Many of the tube type heat exchanger boilers require, or ship with,a high-head circulator to ensure they get sufficient flow. But thedistribution side of the system may be able to operate just fine witha lower head circulator.

The important point is that the installer needs to learn the dynamicsof forced-circulation hydronics. By determining where – and why –the circulator is mounted in the piping it becomes possible to designquiet, trouble-free, long-lasting hydronic systems.

Pick the ‘propriate pump and place it properly…for pleasantlyperfect performance!

Variable Speed Circulation

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 038

“Let’s say we have a house with a heat loss of 75,000 BTUH with an outdoor design temp of 0°F,” saysGiberson. “We need three zones of fin-tube baseboard, and each zone has a 25,000 BTUH heating level.Each zone will be designed to a 20-degree ΔT.”

Plugging the numbers into the formula, GPM = 75,000 ÷ [20 x 500], this equals a flow rate of 7.5 gallonsper minute. “So each zone has a heating load of 25,000 BTUH,” explains Giberson. “If we plug thisinformation into our formula, we would divide the load, 25,000, by 20 times 500 [25,000/20 x 500], fora flow rate per zone of 2.5 gallons per minute.”

Knowing this, Giberson can size the pipe. Our pipe sizing is based on minimum flow velocity of two feetper second (FPS) and a maximum of four FPS. If the maximum of four FPS is exceeded, flow velocitynoise will occur.

“This hydronic recipe calls for one-inch pipe and 7.5 gallons per minute,” says Robinson, hydronicscomfort advisor for Oakville, Ont. -based AtlasCare, and an admitted hydronics junkie. “At the header, I’dbranch off into 3/4" lines for each baseboard zone.”

Next up, says Giberson, is to estimate the head loss of the piping system so that circulator(s) can beselected. To do this, measure the longest zone from the discharge side of the circulator all the way around

Fixing the Delta T

Our 3-Zone Sample Project

THE UNIVERSAL HYDRONICS FORMULA

The purpose of a variable speedcirculator is to automatically adjustits speed based on heating loaddemands, or how many BTUs areneeded in a structure. To under-stand how it does that we use theuniversal hydronics formula, whichstates that GPM is equal to BTUHdivided by delta T multiplied by500.

Let's define the terms.

GPM (gallons per minute) - That'sthe flow rate needed to deliver therequired amount of BTUs.

BTUH or BTUs per hour - That isthe required amount of heat for ahouse, or zone, at any given pointin time.

Delta T (ΔT) - The designedtemperature drop across the pipingcircuit. In a baseboard zone, thedesign ΔT is usually best at 20 de-grees. In most residential radiantfloor heating systems however, thedesign ΔT is usually about 10 de-grees.

500 - That's a shortcut that repre-sents the weight of one gallon ofwater (8.33 pounds) multiplied by60 minutes in an hour, again multi-plied by a specific heat characteris-tic of the fluid, which is “1” for 100per cent water.

�

The topic of variable speed hydronic circulation has been something of a mystery for me, but I’vecome to learn a lot more about the technology lately, and I’ve asked hydronics pro Sean Gibersonand professional contractor Ron Robinson (above) of AtlasCare (www.atlascares.ca) to help explainwhen it’s best to apply the technology, where you'd use it, and what the key benefits are.

GPM= BTUHΔT x 500

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0 39

the system, through the boiler, and back to the suction sideof the circ. For arguments sake, let's just say that for thisapplication the longest run is going to be 150 feet of pipe,including the baseboard element.

To estimate head loss, says Robinson, we take the length ofthe longest run (150 feet) and multiply it by 1.5. This willallow for the additional pressure drop through the fittings,the valves and all the other stuff that gets in the way. Thistotals an equivalent length of 225 feet. To figure out the headloss, he multiplies that number by 0.04, to account for fourfeet of head loss per 100 feet of straight, properly-sized pipe,based on the maximum flow velocity of four feet per second.

“So,” says Giberson, “the circulator must be sized to provide7.5 GPM while overcoming a head loss of nine feet.”

According to Giberson, we already know how tolocate two points on the system curve. At 7.5 GPMwe have a head loss of nine feet and, for clarity, at 0GPM we have a head loss of 0 feet of head.

“Using a formula, we can calculate other head-losspoints at other flow rates, and then plot them on thepump curve graph against a pump performancecurve,” he says. “Once we do that, we can see that theactual operating point of the system will be where thesystem curve intersects a pump curve.”

But the system only requires 7.5 GPM when all zonesare calling, and only when it's zero degrees outside.This works for the system design day, but what abouton an average day?

“The building will need fewer BTUs when the zonevalves begin to close,” explains Robinson. “If just twozones are calling, we drop to 50,000 BTUs. If onlyone zone calls, we’re down to a need for only 25,000BTUs – meaning progressively higher flow than wewant or need.”

Through experience, many of you know this soontranslates to boiler short-cycling, possibly even in thedead of winter – and this will substantially impactoverall system efficiency.

THE PERFECT HYDRONICSTORM: DROPPINGDELTA Ts

Another concern ispressure differentialwithin the system.As zone valvesclose, the systemcurve intersects thepump curve at higherand higher pressuredifferentials. Thisgreater pressure dif-ferential can causehigher flow velocities within the system,and that can quickly lead to velocity noise.It’s the perfect hydronic storm: With afixed-speed circulator it’s easy to have poorheat transfer and inefficient, noisy opera-tion all at once.

One way to deal with the noise would be toinstall a pressure differential bypass valve,which prevents flow when all of the heatingzones are calling. A better solution fornoise, however, would be to use a mid-flow,low head, flat-curve circulator. But if the jobhas higher head requirements than thattype of pump can deliver, a variable speedpump may be the solution.

In our sample system, with all of the zonescalling, we know that ΔT = 75,000 ÷ 9 ÷500. “So, we find that the actual systemdelta T at this point may be closer to 16 de-grees, not the 20 we designed for,” saysGiberson. That may not sound like much,but it does equate to about a 20 per centdifference. With two zones calling, the deltaT drops to about 15 degrees (a 25 per centdifference), and with only one zone calling,the delta T drops again to 12 degrees, or awhopping 40 per cent difference.

“Solve the dilemma of dropping delta Ts byusing a fixed ΔT, variable-speed circ,” saysGiberson.

Looking back at the universal hydronics for-mula, we know that if we fix the ΔT at 20,and divided the total load of 75,000 by 20times 500 or 10,000, we find that the flowrate has to be 7.5 GPM. With two zonescalling, a load of 50,000 BTUs, and a fixed20-degree ΔT, we find that the flow ratehas to be five gallons per minute. And withone zone calling, the flow rate has to be 2.5 GPM.

With a fixed ΔT, flow will vary automaticallyto the zones. In a variable speed circulator,the ΔT control is built in.

by John Vastyan

Listening to the System Curve

John Vastyan is president of Common Ground, Uncommon Communications, LLC.He works with companies like Taco and specializes in communications for the

hydronics, radiant heat, geothermal, plumbing and HVAC industries. He can be reached at [email protected].

40 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

When the world’s best compete in Vancouver andWhistler this month, it will not only represent a convergence of top international talent, but also the culmination of a five-year push by the Canadian OlympicCommittee to “Own the Podium” in 2010. Thousands of hours and millions of dollars have been invested with a singular goal: dominance on home turf. Not to be out done, we here at Mechanical Businessinsist on helping Canada’s contractors achieve theirbest. Refine your knowledge with this simple hydronicstest, and who knows? Maybe you’ll ace it and takehome the gold. The answers can be found on page 64.Do you believe?

1. If no clips other than transfer plates were used on a staple-up installation of PEX-AL-PEX, what would the maximum space between the plates have to be to correctly support the tube?

A.44"B.40"C.36"D.32"

2. What feature is different between a compression tank and diaphragm tank?

A.Diaphragm tanks are installed at the highest point in the systemB.Compression tanks do not have a barrier between the air and waterC.Diaphragm tanks do not have a barrier between the air and waterD.Compression tanks are installed anywhere in the system

3. What unit is used to measure resistance?

A.AmpereB.VoltC.OhmD.G.P.M.

4. With a flow rate of 9.6 U.S. g.p.m. and a delta T of 20°, how many BTU's will be transferred?

A.96,000 BTUHB.94,000 BTUHC.92,000 BTUHD.98,000 BTUH

5. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a low-mass boiler?

A.High velocities in the heat exchangerB.Quick recovery rateC.May be compatible with domestic hot waterD.Little or no pressure drop across the heat exchanger

CHALLENGE QUESTIONS

With thanks to Dave Hughes, chair of thePlumber and Gasfitter Programs at the

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.www.nait.ca

6. What are the three methods of moving heat?

A. Pressure reducing valveB. Pressure relief valveC.Pressure by-pass valveD.Pressure injection valve

7. Which of the following terms best describes galvanic corrosion?

A. A reaction between oxygen and ironB. A reaction between copper and ironC. A reaction between bacteria and ironD. A reaction between water and iron

8.The purpose of an end switch is best described by which one of the following?

A.Operate the thermostatB.Send a signal to another deviceC.Opens the valveD.Closes the valve

9. Calculate the resistance in a circuit if the voltage is 24 volts and the current flow is two amps.

A.24 OhmsB.12 OhmsC.6 OhmsD.0.0833 Ohms

10.Which statement below best describes the difference between a "dry" and "wet" type circulator?

A.The "dry" type circulator features a lubrication-free pump and motor

B.The "wet" type circulator utilizes an oil bath for lubricationC.The "wet" type circulator utilizes a mechanical couplerD.The "wet" type circulator allows the flow of water between

the rotor and stator

Test Your Hydronics IQ

So, how did you do? 0 to 4 correct: Looks like it’s back to the qualifying rounds.

5 to 6correct: Bronze medal – Good effort.7 to 8 correct:Silver medal – Hit those books a little

harder and you’ll be top tech in no time.9 or more:Gold medal – Way to own that podium!

Payment By Mail: Make cheques payable to CMX·CIPHEX and mail to: CONEXSYS Registration, PO Box 283, Malton, CSC Mississauga, ON L4T 3B6 or By Fax: 905-405-9870 Total $ ______ ( ) VISA ( ) MasterCard ( ) AMEX - Card # ________________________________ Expiry: _____ /____Name of Card Holder ____________________________________________ Signature ___________________________________

Easy Online Registration www.cmxciphexshow.com or Register by Fax or Mail Below

Visitor Registration $10 in Advance, $20 At the Door. Deadline For Advance Registration: March 18 @ 6:00 p.m.

Please Print Clearly

Company ___________________________ Name_________________________ Address _________________________City________________________________ Prov/State _____________________ Code/Zip ________________________Email ______________________________ Phone ________________________ Fax ____________________________

www.cmxciphexshow.com

Save 50%! Register Now! www.cmxciphexshow.com

One Lucky Show

Visitor Will Win a

Contractor-Ready

New 2010

Nissan Titan

Decked Out and

Ready to Go!

Don’t miss the Learning Forum - the hot topics, the best advice and the real know-how from the pro’s who know.

What Best Describes Your Company's Business?Choose One Only( ) Contractor( ) Architect( ) Building/Construction( ) Building Management( ) Consulting( ) Consulting Engineering( ) Manufacturer/Manufacturer's Agent( ) Service/Maintenance( ) Home Builder( ) Government( ) Wholesaler( ) Other (specify) _______________________

Which Best Describes Your Job Function? Choose One Only( ) Owner/Partner�� ( ) General Manager( ) Project Manager( ) Service/ Maintenance Manager( ) Service Technician( ) Apprentice Plumber, Gas Fitter, Electrician( ) Purchasing( ) Sales/Marketing( ) Other (specify) _____________________

Check One( ) Please send my completed badge via mail( ) Hold my badge for pick-up at the show

Be Part of Three Days of Industry Action That Set the Pace For Your Business.

This Show Has it All…

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building

Circle These Dates

March 25, 26 & 27, 2010

CANADIAN INSTITUTE OFPLUMBING & HEATING

Case Study

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 042

The owners of this exclusive 16,000 sq. ft. home wanted a controlsystem that was seamless and invisible. They wanted access to temperatureonly. The maintenance contractor would access all other parameters.

In the Zonewith ControlsProject: The Bayview Project

Goal:

The contractor wanted a systemthat didn’t depend on proprietary software. The preference was for a con-trols interface that could be intuitively programmed without having to payothers for updates or service calls.

Additional Considerations:

• Enable 28 in-floor heating zones; • Enable three boilers with I/O reset, DHW and five snowmelt zones;• Modulate and I/O reset three three-way secondary mixing valves;• Enable three heat/cool fan coils and a high velocity system;• Enable four chillers;• Manage heating for two swimming pools and a hot tub;• Enable a dehumidifier for an indoor pool;• Enable two commercial kitchen exhausters, plus air make-up;• Set the system up with internet access for the homeowner; and• Do it all without placing thermostats everywhere.

The Controls Challenge:

This large home is located in an upscale area of Toronto. It features 25 rooms within-floor heating, on three levels. It houses oversized living and entertaining areas,atriums, bedrooms, guestrooms, and a pair of kitchens. The radiant floor heatingoperates year-round for winter heating, and during the summer to avoidcondensation from forming on the polished stone flooring. Because they havecommercial range hoods, both kitchens use hydronically-heated and cooled make-up air.

Several of the larger bedrooms, the main entertaining areas, andthe library include gas-burning fireplaces, and there is a largetheater with in-floor heating in the lower level. Indoors, there isa sauna/spa with a swimming pool tempered by adehumidifier/heating system, and there is another full-sized pooloutdoors.

Built in is a six-car garage equipped with two hydronic unitheaters. Five of the outdoor walkways, patios, and driveways areoutfitted with snowmelt.

To support all of this, there are two mechanical rooms in thebasement. One contains three boilers, a domestic hot water tank,a cooling storage tank fed by four chillers, an HRV, a four-way

The Home and Systems

SYSTEMSAFEGUARDS

Even if connection to the commandtouch screen is lost, the controlmodules will continue to operate inthe occupied mode until connectionis re-established. In the event of apower failure, all settings are storedin the controller’s memory. Oncepower is re-established, everythingis automatically up and running.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

Noble Trade Plumbing and Heating Wholesale asked Comfort Con-trol Solutions Inc. (CCSi) to supply a system, and to commission thejob by teaming up with Network Mechanical to make it work.

Figuring out a control strategy to integrate all of the mechanicalequipment and still meet the goals of all parties presented real chal-lenges for CCSi, who turned to iWorX controls (iWorX was recentlypurchased by Taco Electronic Solutions Inc.).

The three boilers supply heat for all of the mechanical systems, in-cluding both swimming pools. The boilers came equipped with reset

Allan Black is president of Comfort Control Solutions Inc. Hecan be reached at [email protected].

House Controls 400-402Energy saving control of four zones, one on-off or modulating boiler & DHWPre-programmed for common applications

•

•

Thermostats 527-530Outdoor temperature displayHeat, heat /cool, fl oor warming Easy temperature adjustmentIdeal for 2-wire retrofi ts

••••

User Switch 479Set back temperatures throughout the system at the touch of a button

•

Simple, Cost Effective Solution for Single Boiler Radiant Systems

Condensing Boiler? House Controls calculate the lowest functional water temperature for your system, ensuring more effi cient boiler operation.

Communicating Control Solutions

Easy to install & even easier to use, House Control Systems provide a superior level of comfort, convenience & effi ciency for residential installations.

Wiring Centers 313-314Flexible zone expansionFour pumps or zone valvesCompact enclosure for remote manifold locations

•••For more information,

contact your local tekmar representative or download the P523

& P531 brochures from tekmarcontrols.com

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0 43

electronic mixing valvefor the in-floor zones,and all the requisitepiping and pumps.

The second mechanicalroom houses three offour heat/cool fan coilsystems (a fourth high-velocity system is inthe attic), a steamhumidifier, another HRV, various zone pumps, more piping, andtwo more electronic four-way mixing valves (one for snowmelt andanother for the remaining in-floor zones).

by Allan Black

and rotation controls which were integratedthrough iWorX for enabling and monitoring. Itwas the same strategy for the chillers.

All of the in-floor, snowmelt, garage and poolsin the system are treated as individual heatingzones. All sensors are brought back to the in-puts of the electronic controller network mod-ules. The outputs of the network modules areconnected to the inputs of the zone panels.The outputs of the zone panels are termi-nated at the various thermal zone actuatorson manifolds, along with all pumps.

The entire iWorX control network is monitored over two wires, which routeback to a central touch screen. The touch screen uses Windows software tohandle nearly every kind of HVAC, hydronic and lighting load.

Electronic zone modules, fan coil modules, and mixing modules are com-bined into a Lonworks network. Entries for each zone or piece of equipment,along with occupancy schedules, are much the same as programming a ther-mostat (except all inputs are now at one location).

The touch screen houses a built-in modem, and a router connects it to the in-ternet, allowing the owners, installer and maintenance contractor to access,monitor, change settings and receive alerts using their browser.

System Design

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 044

In this day and age, people are looking for the best bang for thebuck. Whether you are the one buying an item or service, or theone providing it, we all want to maximize our return on

investment.

For a purchaser making a major investment in a hydronic heatingsystem, I would suspect that he or she would want a quiet, efficientsystem, professionally installed as quickly and neatly as possible.

As an installer, well, we all want to be in and out as fast as possible.Less time installing means more jobs can be done, and if we quoteeight hours for an installation, and can do it in four, then we still makethe same profit. But we can do two jobs a day, literally doubling theprofits.

Let’s face it, times have changed. Most residential systems in the pastwere simple one-zone, one-temperature baseboard loops with bang-on, bang-off non-programmable thermostats. Zoning,computer-operated building management systems and multipletemperatures were strictly commercial/industrial projects.

Not so today. Technology has drastically altered the landscape of theresidential heating market. A friend of mine was demonstrating to mehow he could operate any light, or plug, as well as his heating andcooling system, all from his iPhone. With a touch, he can open the“House App” and turn the lights on, change the temperature, andeven close the garage door if he forgot. (He receivesa text that tells him if he left it open.)

The information age, microelectronicsand wireless technologies havechanged what customers want.What was once a commercialhigh-end system is now in reachof your everyday residentialapplication. As such, homeswith multiple zones,temperatures and integratedbuilding management systems arebecoming the norm, rather thanthe exception.

Enter the world of hydronic panels.

The BenefitsofPre-Built

GOING BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

Let’s not forget the expectations of the purchaser. They want a clean, neat, professional-looking installa-tion – and by professional, I don’t mean you simplyhold a license. The work cannot look like a science ex-periment, and “neat” means more than not leaving amess on the floor.

The boiler room should be a showroom for you. It is(another) opportunity to show that you are a true pro-fessional, and that you take pride in your work.

A clean, neat-looking installation can get you referrals,so a good reputation will prove priceless. If you makethe mechanicals look like a first-year apprentice waspracticing their soldering skills, you will find yourselfhard-pressed to stay in business.

An installation that looks professional instills a feelingof value to the customer. They will see your level ofcare and pride and feel like they got what they paidfor. Good grief, even my wife will complain if a repair Ido doesn’t look good and neat, and she is getting thatfor free! (Well, almost…)

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0 45

TIME IS MONEYMost contractors base their

estimates on time and materialsfor installation, and usually the

time is based on experience, buthow do they account for the un-

expected?

You know how it happens, you fill thesystem and suddenly that one jointdrips – and it is usually the worst one toget at. There goes some profit. (Mur-phy is the apprentice of the day.)

And if you didn’t spend that 40 or 50bucks in extra isolation valves, well, youmay have to drain the whole system.There’s a bit more profit leaking out.

Time is money, and when you start run-ning into problems you can watch yourmoney flying out the window. Pre-as-sembled panels can help here too.

Multiple tees, pump flanges, isolationvalves, check valves, drain cocks, purgevalves, etc., all have joints that can leak.It is likely that the system has well overa dozen solder joints per circuit. Threecircuits and you are looking at over 36potential leaks.

Pre-assembled panels have all theproper piping and are pressure testedto ensure a leak-free installation. Theyare built to have all the isolation valvesyou could want for future service work,and best of all, they have a manufac-turer’s guarantee.

There may still be some wiring to do,but it is usually plug and play, and in apinch, you can usually call a technicalsupport hotline to walk you throughthe rough spots.

by Michael Breault

Michael Breault is the product manager for theRadiant and Hydronic Specialties Division of

Watts Water Technologies (Canada) Inc. He canbe reached at [email protected].

PRE-MANUFACTURED TO THE RESCUE!

The design and installation of the newest generation of multi-ple-temperature, multiple-zone systems can be intimidating.Pre-manufactured boiler stations and hydronic panels ad-dress these needs very nicely, and depending on your ex-pertise, you can have them made to be as simple or as

complete as you desire.

Hate wiring? You canorder a three-zone,three-temperature systemwith motorized mixing valves, allsensors and wiring connected. All

that is left to do is hang it on thewall and connect it to the system.

Voila, instant boiler room!

With pre-assembled systems, youcan save man-hours in the installa-tion, allowing your team to go anddo more jobs. You also get a thor-oughly professional looking boilerroom or distribution panel. This in-cludes clean solder joints, neatly

strapped wiring, leak-free joints, allon a painted, and/or finished surface

and based on solid hydronic engineer-ing. It’s like having a multi-million dollar

company as your sub.

OH WHAT A FEELING

Pre-built boiler stations andhydronic panels are simplyan extension of other itemsthat have become “pre-as-sembled” over the years.Think about it: at one time,boilers were assembled onsite. So were manifold as-semblies. Now we buythese items pre-assembled.

Why?

Because it allows you to have a neat, professional installation and save time.

Remember, the client is not interested in the pieces, how-to’s, and what-for’s.All they want is the hydronic heating system they have heard or read about –you know, the one that will exceed their expectations of comfort. They wantneat, clean and professional, sure, but most of all, they want to feel the comfort,and to know they are “getting what they paid for.”

with Roger Grochmal

Surveys, and what to do with them

Tom C., Burnaby, B.C.

Do customer surveys really generate useful information orsimply provide a platform for complaints?

The most important thing we do in our business is talk to our cus-tomers. It is the only way I know of that allows me to determine ifwe are staying “on brand.” Since the definition of a brand is what customers think of you, it’s important to know their thoughts and perceptions.

It all begins with me, the owner.I’m not as close to the day-to-dayaction as I once was. So I inviteour customers to phone, write ore-mail to tell me what they thinkof us in every customer communi-cation. Sometimes they have abone to pick about the way a par-ticular individual treated them,but more often than not they justdon’t like the way we handledtheir particular situation. Not allfeedback is bad. In fact, most of itis positive. In either event, youneed to have a process for captur-ing the information. We collectboth complaints and kudos, andpost both on bulletin boards soeveryone in the company can seehow we are doing in the eyes ofour customers.

It’s important to understand that when acustomer complains, it’s rarely intendedto be a personal attack. The realmessage is that they don’t want togo looking for another serviceprovider, but just want you toaddress their problem in a way thatmakes you a better company – andmakes them happy! Customers don’t care how much you know untilthey know how much you care. Once you have shown them youcare, that customer has the potential tobecome a customer for life.

Sometimes I feel weonly survey our cus-tomers so we can saywe’re listening but don’treally have an idea ofwhat’s next. What doyou do with the infor-mation you gather?

We report on each divisionof our business every monthwith a customer satisfactionscore. Our managers go over the surveys with a fine-toothed comb to extract every bit of useful information, and we adjust our servicesaccordingly.

A recent example concerned our ductcleaning operation. We were getting

complaints from customers that wewere leaving dirt around ventsafter the ducts were cleaned. Weoutfitted our trucks withportable vacuum cleaners andnow have our employees vacu-um the house after the job is

complete. It has added 15 minutes toa duct cleaning, but our cus-

tomer satisfaction scores went from 80 percent to 95 per cent. This now allows us to providea service that clearly has more value added.

46 W h a t S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

Roger Grochmal is the president of AtlasCare in Oakville, Ont. To submit a question about your company, business practices, or theindustry in general, send an e-mail to Mechanical BusinessMagazine’s editor, Adam Freill, [email protected].

?

Arnold T., Montreal, Que.

The 3 purposes ofsurvey analysisWe use our survey informationto do three things:

•Firstly, we want to recognize the staff members whose work generates praise.

•Secondly, we look for ways to improve our processes.

•Lastly, we tailor training for our staff based on customer feedback.

Mark S., Regina, Sask.

Start theConversationSurvey customers to get the

conversation started. For

large transactions, we ask

every customer to give us

feedback. For our high-vol-

ume service transactions we

take a sample every month.

Surveys tend to get respons-

es from those who have had

a really good or a really bad

experience. Make sure to

sample enough customers to

get an accurate measure of

how you are doing.

ROAD WARRIOR by Dave BowdenPh

oto:

Sco

tt M

cInt

yre

How did you get start-ed in the business?“Originally I went totrade school throughthe steel plant. Therewas no school here inSydney. It was put onthrough the steel plant.”

And what brought youto the plumbing andheating trade?“It was a trade that I feltthat I would have workwith. There’s a need.”

What’s your favouritething about the job?“Being on the road.Time goes by fast and Ienjoy meeting people.”

How much time doyou spend behind thewheel?“In an average week,around 48 hours,something like that.”

What service area doyou cover?“We cover most ofCape Breton in general.We’ve been every-where in Cape Bretonat one time or another.”

What’s your latest jobsite?“It was an apartmentbuilding. We put in aseven-section Odyssey.”

What’s your fondestmemory on the job?“I have good memoriesof most days. I’m just ahappy, easy-going per-son.”

Do you have a leastfond memory?“Well, crawl spaces arethe worst. A coupleweeks ago we were inGlace Bay, in a three-foot crawl space, put-ting in a warm-air fur-nace. That’s one of yourtougher jobs.”

Favourite tool in yourtoolbox: “Multipurposescrew driver.”

Favourite hobby: “I’mjust on the computerquite a bit. I’ve gotWindows 7 on therenow and I actuallyenjoy it. It’s not a mem-ory hog like Vista.”

Favourite website: “I’mjust on canada.commost of the time, reading the news.”

Favourite sport: “I’mnot too into sports, butmy favourite sport towatch is hockey.”

Favourite cartoon:Bugs Bunny

Favourite local haunt:“The Bradorview. I likethe pizza with every-thing on it. A goodpizza is my favouritedish.”

Favourite place to hangout: Dooley’s Pool Hall“I’ve been in pool hallssince I was 18. I don’tshoot a lot now, but Ican hold my own.”

Favourite ice cream:“Just vanilla. I’m fairlyplain in that category.Vanilla ice cream’s theonly kind I like.”

Favourite musicalinstrument: “I have nomusical talent. Myfather was a profession-al pianist, but I have notalent whatsoever inthat category. I had achoice to go into Cubs

or to play the piano,and I took Cubs. Iwas a lost causewhen it came to

music.”

Favourite car:’69 or ’70 Mustang

Name: Gary Ball Company: AAA Plumbing and Heating Title: Journeyman technicianBorn in: Glace Bay, Nova ScotiaLives in: Sydney, Nova Scotia Age: 54Family:Wife, Norma, and daughter, Jennifer (27) Pets: Three dogs – Patches, a border collie; Buddy, a poodle; and Kate, a golden retriever/shepherd mixIn the mechanical industry for: 20 years.

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 048

www.bradfordwhite.com | Built to be the Best™ | To Find A Wholesaler Call 866.690.0961

*All atmospheric Vent and Direct Vent Residential and Light Duty Models except High Performance and Mobile Home Models.

©2009, Bradford White Corporation. All rights reserved.

If you buy, sell or install gas water

heaters…this is a game changer!

The New Bradford White ICON System™

is much more than a gas control valve.

It’s an installation, operation and

diagnostic dream come true.

The Bradford White ICON System™ provides

many energy and time– saving benefits to

the homeowner, contractor and wholesaler.

And, it’s available as standard equipment on

Bradford White Residential and Light Duty

Commercial products* at no extra cost!

The Bradford White ICON System™ requires

no external electricity (millivolt powered)

and offers an advanced temperature control

system, exclusive performance software,

intelligent diagnostics, pilot-on-indication,

a separate immersed thermowell, an

integrated piezo igniter and universal

replacement capability. With over 150,000

units already in the field, it’s a technology

that’s proven durable, reliable and simple.

We urge you to go to

www.bradfordwhite.com

for full details. You’ll see how the

Bradford White ICON System™ can

change your business for the better.

50 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

Hydrodynamics

Could there be a more beautiful medium for transporting thermal energythan simple, pure, clean water?

Not by a long shot!

Water has numerous qualities that make it an ideal medium for deliver-ing BTUs throughout a building. Covering more than two-thirds of the

earth’s surface, it is readily available just about everywhere, with the excep-tion of remote arid geographic locations. Because humans need to continu-

ously consume water for hydration, anywhere there are people who need to bewarmed or cooled, water will most likely be available in quantity.

Being highly viscous, water can be easily and continually deformed in physicalshape. This property allows it to be easily moved through piping, and consume lit-tle energy for transport throughout a building.

On the safety front, a compressible gas or liquid can decompress, which canmake for a dangerous situation if not controlled. Thankfully, pressurized water is vir-tually incompressible, and will not explode should a system component or pipe rup-ture. The same cannot be said for gas or steam.

Any pressure applied to water is distributed evenly throughout the medium in alldirections, enabling pressure to be applied from a central mechanical room pump,wherever it is needed throughout the building.

And keep in mind that heat capacity is the product of specific heat and density. Arelatively small amount of water can store a lot of thermal energy.

So, in the most sophisticated commercial heating and cooling systemsever developed, the primary heat transfer fluid is simple, everyday, beau-tiful, tap water. Just beware that due to treatment chemicals, anti-freezeand contaminants, it is best to heed those words of the Ancient Mariner,“Nor any drop to drink.”

Pro Tip Prior to initial system commissioning or after

significant service work, flush the system thoroughly with

clean water or commercially available

hydronic system flush solution to pre-

serve hydronic fluid properties and

avoid contamination.

Water has a specificheat of one BTU/lb-°F.For one pound ofwater, it takes oneBTU of thermal energy to raise thetemperature one degree Fahrenheit.

Other Benefits of Hydronic Heating/Cooling:

• Room and zone temperature control is fairly standard

• The system can perform double-duty, seeing to domestic

water heating needs as well

• Clean, dust–free distribution to space

• Low noise generation by the distribution system

• Smaller mechanical room footprint

H E A T C A P A C I T Y

WaterAir

62.4 BTU/ft3/ºF0.018 BTU/ft 3/ºF

Water, Water Everywhere…

Fluid PrecautionsThe following fluids should be avoided or used with extreme caution:

WELL WATERWell water may include unknown substances and large particles, such as coarse sand and grit,which can abrade and plug system components in short order.

PURE AND ULTRAPURE WATER Care should be exercised when using water that has been distilled, demineralized, deionized,produced by reverse osmosis, or any other purification method that may cause resistivity to begreater than one mohm-cm. More highly purified water (especially with high flow velocity) may absorb essential minerals from the polymers and metal alloys of system components, causing premature weakening and failure, such as the dezincification of standard brass alloys.

METHANOL OR ETHANOL SOLUTIONS These materials are flammable, highly toxic (methanol), and may be corrosive or solvent to polymers.

CALCIUM OR SODIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS These materials are highly corrosive to many metals.

ORGANIC COMPOUNDS Petroleum-based products may attack polymers such as EPDM.

SILICONE COMPOUNDS Substantially reduce fluid viscosity resulting in greater risk of leaks.

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0 51

by Rod Brandon

Rod Brandon is a technical marketing specialist with

S.A.Armstrong Limited, a global sup-plier of HVAC and fluid flow

equipment and solutions for residen-tial, commercial and industrial appli-

cations. He can be reached [email protected].

Recommended Hydronic Fluid Properties

The following guidelines should meet most HVAC system require-ments. Always ensure that the hydronic fluid used meets all compo-nent manufacturers’ recommendations. Failure to do so may result inpremature component failure resulting in equipment damage, prop-erty damage, and unscheduled total system shut-down.

The hydronic fluid should consist of clean water, or a 30/70 to 50/50ethylene glycol or propylene glycol solution. If using a glycol solution,ensure that it has been formulated specifically for hydronic system use.Well water and automotive type anti-freeze are generally not recom-mended, and may void manufacturers’ warranties.

Ethylene/Propylene Glycol Solutions Glycols should include corrosion inhibitors, to compensate the higher level of alkalinity. Otherwise, these solutions should have the same properties as clean water (see chart above), with the following exceptions:

Clean Water Specifications

PropertyValueUnits

pH6.5 - 8.5(dimensionless)

Hardness10 Max.Grains/Gallon

Total Alkalinity (as CaCO3)20 Max.Mg/L

Sulfate30 Max.PPM

Chloride10 Max.PPM

Silica10 Max.PPM

Calcium40 Max.PPM

Magnesium20 Max.PPM

Total Undissolved Solids200 Max.PPM

Total Dissolved Solids400 Max.PPM

Ethylene/Propylene Glycol Specifications

PropertyValueUnits

pH8.0 - 10.5(dimensionless)

Total Dissolved Solid2000 Max.PPM

Heat CapacityWhy is the heat capacity of a thermal energy distribution medium so important?

Consider an eight-inch-by-14-inch duct in a forced-air heatingsystem. The same amount of thermal energy can be distributedfrom source to occupied space in a 3/4-inch water pipe. Air ductsconsume a significant amount of usable space within a building,whereas pipes can be easily routed out-of-sight through walls andflooring. The higher the heating or cooling design-day load of abuilding, the less practical a forced air system is.

Thermal Energy Transfer = 40,000 BTUH

8” x 14” Duct Forced Air

3/4” Copper PipeHydronic Fluid

Piping


ACCOUNTINGFOR EXPANSION

by Rick Leniuk

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 052

Cross-linked polyethylene tubing (PEX) has made considerable inroads in the heating andplumbing sectors, but as much as mod-ern plastics have made some thingseasier in the field, we cannot affordto forget about proper piping tech-niques, including the need to accountfor the expansion and contractionthat happens as pipes heat up or cooldown as fluids move through them.

Expansion joints are especially neces-sary to accommodate the expansion andcontraction of cross-linked polyethylenetubing caused by temperature changes.When working with PEX, an expansionjoint is recommended for every 50 feet ofnon-anchored tubing, or any run longerthan 20 feet when using engineered plastic(EP) fittings inline.

The construction of a PEX expansion jointfrom scratch on a building site does involve a bit ofmathematics, and can involve some 13 individual components, includinglengths of tubing, elbows and rings to make all of the connections. It is nottoo daunting though. To make the expansion joint, an installer needs to usethe right formulas, cut three lengths of tubing, and make eight connections.To make things a bit easier, expansion joint kits have been introduced to themarketplace. These include pre-formed tubing loops and the applicable con-nectors, and are designed to save both time and money – and possibly a littlebit of frustration – along the way.

A flexible expansion arm needs to be long enough to prevent damage,and support clamps must be far enough from the wall to allow for longitudinal thermal expansion.

Use the formula on page 54 LB = C x√(DxΔL) to calculate the minimumlength of the expansion arm.

Fast Fact - Copper vs. PEXUnlike PEX, an increase in temperature of

60°C will increase the length of a copper

pipe by one millimetre for every metre

of pipe. Where long straight pipe

runs exceeding 10 metres are

encountered, allowance for

expansion is

recommended.

EXPANSION ARMS

The Calculations Expansion joints should be installed for every 50 linear

feet of PEX tubing in horizontal or vertical runs. The

ideal placement of the joint is at the midpoint of two

fixed points. When using engineered plastic fittings

inline, an expansion joint is required at the midpoint

of any run longer than 20 feet.

An expansion joint may not be required for installa-

tions where the tubing does not penetrate a fire-rated

assembly (which constrains movement of the tubing),

or where there are no restraining devices, but consult

your local building codes for the specifics that are ap-

plicable in your area.

Consider a system where the tubing runs the length

of a hallway, without inline tees, and turns a corner at

the end. In this case, the tubing is not fixed; it can ex-

pand without restriction. We can use the expansion

arm formula to calculate the minimum distance to

the next fixed point. In this same application using in-

line tees, it may be necessary to install an expansion

joint to minimize the movement of the tees.

Let’s jump to$1.75 Million

The Canadian Institute of

Plumbing & Heating – L’institut

canadien de plomberie et de chauffage,

Invites you to attend the

CIPH Gala Evening insupport of Habitat for

Humanity Canada

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

At the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto

Featuring

RonJames

54

Rick Leniuk is the

Design and Techni-

cal Services Man-

ager with Uponor.

He can be reached

at Rick.Leniuk@up-

onor.com.

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

LB = C x√(DxΔL) Formula

Key

LB = Length of the flexible arm in inches

C = Material constant (for PEX, this is 12)

D = Outside diameter of the tubing

ΔL = Thermal expansion length in inches

“L” is the total distance of tubing run from a fixed point to a cor-ner, or in the case of an expansion joint, from a fixed point toanother fixed point.

Keep in mind that the thermal expansion rate of PEX tubing is1.1 inches per 100 feet per 10°F (12.2°C) temperature rise. Thefollowing is an example of an expansion arm calculation using 2"PEX tubing.

Parameters

Tubing type: 2" PEX

Tubing OD: 2.125"

Tubing length: 50 feet

Supply fluid temperature: 160°F (71.1°C)

Ambient temperature: 60°F (15.6°C)

Calculations

LB = C x √(DxΔL)

LB = 12 x √2.125 x [(1.1 x 10) ÷ (100 ÷ 50)]

LB = 12 x √2.125 x 5.5

LB = 12 x √11.6875

LB = 12 x 3.419

LB = 41.03 inches

So, for this example, the required arm length is 41" to preventexcessive stress on the fittings and support clamps.

The same equation applies for an expansion joint, however the arm length(LB) must be divided into three sections (L1 and L2, see Figure 1) using thefollowing formulas. For demonstration purposes, we will use the LB valuefrom the previous example.

L 1 = LB ÷ 5

L1 = 41 ÷ 5

L1 = 8.2 inches

L2 = L1 x 2

L2 = 8.2 x 2

L2 = 16.4 inches

What the math tells us is, in this case,our expansion joint will have two16.4” lengths of PEX, and another8.2” length.

EXPANSION JOINTS

What about copper lines?

Copper tube, like all piping materials, expands and contracts with tem-

perature changes. In the case of copper tube used for domestic hot

water delivery, or for heating installations, the bends and offsets that

generally occur in the pipe assembly will usually accommodate the ex-

pansion without the need to address the issue. Where long straight pipe

runs exceeding 10 metres are encountered, the line can buckle or bend

if the expan-

sion is not com-

pensated for in the piping

layout. Severe stresses on joints may also occur. To prevent these prob-

lems expansion joints, offsets, “U” bends, coil loops and other such

measures should be included in the pipe assembly.

I N N O V A T I O N I S E L E C T I O N I S U P P O R T

www.flirthermography.ca

www.extech.com 1-800-430-6754

Distributed by:

Download the NEW 2009 Extech Catalog Today!

www.extech.com/catalog

Controls

ADJUSTING FOREFFICIENCY

by Gary Burger

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 056

Experts in the energy conservationfield usually recommend that thehighest efficiency you can hope toachieve comes when the boiler pro-duces continuously what the loaddemands, changing slightly tomatch each slight change in theload. This requires flame modula-tion, and is why your controls de-serve a closer look.

Most medium to large steam boilerswill have modulation control, aswell as on/off controls. Under nor-mal operation, the boiler will shutdown at 115 psi and restart at 100psi. This is controlled by the pro-grammer, which initiates the start-up cycle at 100 psi. The modulationcontrol will be at high-fire at 103psi, and at low-fire at 112 psi.

This setup is great for the installerbecause it will show that all thecontrols operate at their minimumand maximum settings, but it doesmean that we are employing a one-size-fits-all option. From an energy savings perspective, this can leave a lot to desire, so it could be well worth ourwhile to re-examine those settings.

When the pressure in the boiler drops to100 psi, the programmer initiates the start-up cycle. While there may be some variancein exact figures – based on the equipmentyou are installing or maintaining – here’show a typical cycle happens with standardcontrol settings.

The pre-purge sequence starts as the burnerdamper is moved to the full-open or high-fire position. This usually lasts about 30 sec-onds. Next, there is a purge hold for

another 30 seconds. At the end of the holdthere is another 30 seconds as the burnerdamper moves to the low-fire position.

Once the damper proves it is at the low-fireposition, the pilot solenoid is energized andthe pilot is lit. Normally, this is followed by a10-second pilot trial. Then the main burnergas valves open up and the main flame is lit.It too has a trial period of 10 seconds. Theprogrammer hits run, and the main flame isreleased to start modulating.

Steam

psig Existing Control Settings

v

125 BLOWS Safety Valve Setting

124

123

122 SEATS

121

120 OFF High Limit Pressure Cut Out

119

118 ON

117

116

115 OFF Operating Pressure Control - turns burner off

114

113

112 LOW

111

109 1/4 Modulation

108

107 1/2 Controller

106

105 3/4

104

103 HIGH

102

101

100 ON Operating Pressure Control - turns programmer on

99 P Prepurge

98 LOW R Damper to high fire position

97 LOAD O Prepurge hold

96 G Damper to low fire position

95 R Low fire position proved

94 A Pilot ignition

93 HIGH M Pilot trial

92 M Main burner ignition

91 E Main burner trial

90 R Main burner released to Modulate

89 LOAD Damper to high fire - pressure rises

88 C

87 Y

86 C 110 seconds cycle time

85 L

84 E

83

82

The Problem with StandardWith the standard boiler setup, there is barelyenough time in the cycle to establish internalboiler circulation before the burner is off. Internalboiler circulation, once established, is importantas it aids in the removal of energy out of the hotflue gas and into the boiler water. That tends tolower the stack temperature.

High stack temperature, possibly 200°F hotterthan the steam produced, usually indicates con-siderable energy loss. This heat goes right pastthe heat exchange surfaces and up the stackwhere it is lost to the environment.

Under light or heavy loads this performancechanges very little. Under a light load, the over-shoot almost trips the high limit. Under a heavyload, the boiler pressure may get extremely lowbefore the programmer’s lighting sequence re-leases the main burner and allows modulation.The boiler pressure curves are far from thatsteady ideal.

EXISTING SETTINGS

HOW A BOILER ACTUALLY OPERATES


��

� ��

��

��You already know Zuba-Central as the ground-breaking Canadian innovation in year-round residential HVAC. This year, the evolution continues with impressive improvements, including Energy Star compliance and a new user-friendly digital thermostat. So make the intelligent choice. Give your customers the advanced level of comfort and dramatic savings that only Zuba-Central can provide.

Get all the details at www.RethinkHVAC.ca

SAVES UP TO 70% IN YEARLY HEATING COSTS†

�� !�

† Mitsubishi Electric Canada provides these figures without including obligation or liability. Figures may vary depending on application and energy provider. For complete details visit www.mitsubishielectric.ca/powerful_savings.html

��

58

Gary Burger is the vice-president of HVACR Heritage Centre Canada, and

is the retired chief engineer of Stevenson Memorial Hospital in

Alliston, Ont. He can be reached at [email protected].

Many boiler manufacturersoffer an upgrade packageto give your older boiler a

higher turndown ratio. Itmay be worth your while to

look at that improvement.

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

QUICK TIP

By now, after the necessary 110 seconds ofprogrammer time, the boiler pressure is below100 psi and the modulation control is wellbelow the high-fire setting, so the burnerdamper opens up wide. As the boiler starts,the steam pressure starts its climb, and thestack temperature is already considerably hot-ter than the steam it is producing.

At 103 psi, the modulation control starts tomove the damper motor to turn down thefire. In about 30 seconds it will reach its low-fire position but the heat and pressure is way

ahead of the damper’s movement. It over-shoots and shuts down the boiler. Pressurecontinues to rise to 118 psi.

By now, the programmer is well into its post-purge and modulation is headed back to itshigh-fire position, never really seeing the low-fire position as it shuts off.

Once the burner is fully shut down, the pres-sure starts to drop again and this same cyclewill repeat itself.

A few changes to the “standard” settings can result in aworld of difference. Keep the safety valve at 125 psi, thehigh limit at 120 psi, and the burner-off point at 115 psi,but readjust the burner-on point to as close as you can getto the burner-off setting.

If the boiler has an inexpensive pressure control, one with-out a very close differential, you might have to replace thecontrol with one that has a separate adjustable differentialscrew – I recommend using one with a minimum two orthree psi setting. This will put our burner-on setting ataround 113 psi.

The modulation control may have to be readjusted a bit toget it to function in the proper place, but with the new set-tings, the boiler will respond a bit more efficiently. Let’s havea look at our previously discussed system.

The operating control will start the programmer at 113 psi.The damper moves to high-fire for 30 seconds, holds at highfor 30 seconds, and then moves to low-fire for 30 seconds.

The low-fire switch makes, the pilot is lit and goes throughits 10-second pilot trial, followed by the main flame and an-other 10-second trial. The programmer goes to run and themain flame is released to modulate.

On light loads, expect the modulation to be on low- or quar-ter-fire with a continuous flame. On heavy loads, the pres-sure will drop faster, to a half- or three-quarter-fire positioninitially – still with a continuous flame. Only on cold start-upwill you see modulation at high-fire for very long.

The boiler has now achieved the steady state of load matching theexperts say produces the most economical fuel use.

FINDING MODULATIONSteam

psig New Control Settings

v

125 BLOWS Safety Valve Setting

124

123

122 SEATS

121

120 OFF High Limit Pressure Cut Out

119

118 ON High Limit - Manually Reset

117

116

115 OFF Operating Pressure Control - turns burner off

114

113 ON Operating Pressure Control - turns programmer on

112 P Prepurge

111 LOW R Damper to high fire position

109 LOAD O Prepurge hold

108 LOW G Damper to low fire position

107 R Low fire position proved

106 1/4 Modulation HIGH A Pilot ignition

105 M Pilot trial

104 1/2 Controller LOAD M Main burner ignition

103 E Main burner trial

102 3/4 R Main burner released to Modulate

101 Damper to high fire - pressure rises

100 HIGH C

99 Y 110 seconds cycle time

98 C

97 L

96 E

95

94

93

92

91

90

89

NEW SETTINGS

TURNDOWN RATIOSThe burners of older boilers were only capable of a 3:1 turndown ratio. At full-or high-fire, the boiler will operate at the name plate rating of BTUH input oroutput. With a 3:1 turndown ratio, the boiler is capable of operating at one-third of the name plate rating. So a 6 million BTUH boiler will operate downas low as 2 million BTUH on low-fire before it cycles on and off.

Late model burners have been designed to operate at a 5:1 turndown ratio,or better. At a 5:1 ratio, our 6 million BTUH boiler can now operate down tothe 1.2 million BTUH level on low-fire with a continuous flame.

Establish your key messages. Every company should havea platform of messages they use to communicate to their vari-ous audiences. Ideally, these should be no more than three suc-

cinct points that define your company and represent what you wantpeople to know about you. By limiting the list to three, your mes-sages are easy to memorize and remain consistent across multipleplatforms. In whatever media your story is being told, your keymessages should be reflected to build your brand and ensure

your communication goals are being met.

Be prepared. Condense your key messages formultiple uses and be sure to create your 20-secondelevator speech. (Or in today’s techno-world, maybe

we should consider the 140-character Tweet!) A shortenedversion of your basic corporate story is great to havetucked away so when asked what you do, you can com-

municate it succinctly and effectively. By keeping it shortand sweet, you keep them engaged and interested in

learning more about you.

Don’t push it. This is where the“slime factor” can be an issue. Ifyou’re going to tell a story, make sure

there is actually one to tell. Readers are smartand will quickly see through a buried sales pitch.

When you are invested so emotionally in somethinglike your business, it’s hard to be objective. Sure, you

think the new dispatch software you recently imple-

Doug MacMillan is president of MacMillan Marketing Group in Guelph, Ont. To reach him, e-mail [email protected].

by Doug MacMillan

You know your company insideand out right? You know what youdo well, what differentiates you fromthe competition, and how to treat your staffand customers. But what you might not know is how toeffectively tell your story in a way that ensures people will listen –and care.

One of the challenges of creating a compelling company story is beinggenuine – not forced or “salesperson slimy.” After all, people know apitch when they read one and if they sense you’re trying too hard,you’ll lose them, and your credibility.

There are a few key considerations when drafting a story about yourcompany – whether it’s for a news release, direct-mail piece, anupdate for your website, a blog post or an advertorial.

60 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

mented is the bees’ knees, but your customersmight not be so keen unless you can relate it to atangible benefit they will care about. As an industry,we tend to rely heavily on promoting our productsand services. What sometimes gets lost are the sto-ries about people who make your company a suc-cess – the team that organizes fundraisers and fooddrives, that service tech who spends the wee hoursof Saturday mornings coaching hockey, the salesrep who volunteers his time at the local hospital –these are all compelling stories that say a lot aboutyour company and the people who work there.

Let others say it for you. Nothing cre-ates instant credibility like testimonials fromsatisfied customers and corporate partners.

Building a library of case studies, success storiesand quotes to use in various applications is greatfor promotional purposes and also creates naturalopportunities to start meaningful and valuable con-versations with current and potential customers.

1.

2.

3. 4.

Broken record alert:Proofread! Proofread!

Nothing diminishes credibility like glaringspelling and grammar mistakes. There are afew tips and tricks to get your story outthere error-free. Most importantly, havesomeone ELSE read it. An outsider’s per-spective can help gauge the effectivenessof the writing style and also identify spellingand grammar issues that may have slippedunder your radar. Reading backwardsallows you to focus on the words and dou-ble check “little words” like “or,” “of,” “it,”and “is,” as they are often interchanged.Also watch your possessives – “it’s vs. its,”and “theirs vs. there’s” are classic examples.

61

SPECFICATIONSCATALOGUE

Your best source for Lifebreathproduct information, the2009/2010 SpecificationsCatalogue covers the full line:HRVs, Clean Air Furnaces (CAF),Air Handlers (AH), TFP HEPA AirCleaners and a full complementof accessories. The cataloguealso includes all the data youneed to properly specify theright HRV for residential andcommercial applications. To viewonline, visit our website.

CATALOGUE

Setting a new standardfor energy efficient, clean air homes

Manufacturer reserves the right to change specifications without notice.

Visit us at www.lifebreath.com

w w w . l i f e b r e a t h . c o m

BOILER TECH SUPPORT

Topog-E® Gasket Company formu-lates and mixes its own rubber, andmanufactures superior moldedrubber handhole and manholegaskets for steam, hot water boil-ers, water heaters, softeners,deaerators, make-up tanks, andother selected pressure vessels.Topog-E® Gaskets seal quickly,completely, preventing seepage,corrosion and pitting. Contact usfor a free Technical Specification &Usage Guide for information aboutboiler maintenance safety.

w w w . t o p o g - e . c o m

RETHINK CENTRALHEATING & COOLING

Think Zuba-Central. Rethink every-thing you know about whole-home, year-round comfort. Madefor Canada only, Zuba-Centralreplaces traditional furnace & airconditioning units with one quiet,lightweight, highly efficient ductedheat pump system that can saveyour customers space and signifi-cant annual energy costs. Andthanks to features like H²i technol-ogy, Zuba-Central can heat downto -30°C and beyond.

w w w . z u b a - c e n t r a l . c a

INFRA-RED HEATING:RE-VERBER-RAY TECHNOLOGY

Independent testing has highlighted the increased energysavings, improved comfort leveland extended product life withRe-Verber-Ray two-stage technology. “Low-fire” for moderately cold days and “high-fire” for only those reallycold winter days. Contact us today at 1-800-387-4778 or visit brantradiant.com

w w w . b r a n t r a d i a n t . c o m

Literature Web Reviews&

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

Watch your tone, Mister. Readers today are usedto a more relaxed, conversational writing style where it’sokay to start a sentence with ‘and’ (gasp!) and throw in

a cultural reference or two. However, it’s important to chooseyour tone wisely. If you’re writing a technical story/case study,keep in mind a more formal tone is required; however if thepurpose is more casual, allow yourself the freedom to write in astyle that fits the application and your brand. Keep your writingactive rather than in the past tense to seem more timely andengaging.

Inspire confidence. Regardless of what you’re writingabout or where the piece might appear, readers shouldwalk away with a feeling of confidence in you and your

company. Whether you position yourself as knowledge leaders,family-friendly employers, top technical trainers, or good corpo-rate social citizens, the story you tell should reflect those mes-sages to help define and differentiate your brand.

Spread the word. Your story is polished and you’reready to get it out there. But where? The good thingabout a solid company story is that it can be repackaged

and used for a multitude of applications. Distribute them aspress releases to your local media, make them a part of yourregular website update schedule, use them as part of customercommunications strategies, blog posts, e-blasts, etc. In today’sdigital world information is instantly accessible. Continuallyupdating your customer base keeps them engaged and inter-ested in what you do.

5.

6.

7.

62 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

Ball zone valves

Ultra Commercial Boilers fromWeil-McLain are up to 94.7%efficient and come in twomodel sizes, 550,000 and750,000 BTUH. The boilersfeature direct vent or directexhaust options, with 20 to100 per cent modulation, 11pre-set applications, fully inte-grated multiple boiler controland real text LCD display.

weil-mclain.ca

Commercial boilers

Designed for use as a low water cut-off, feed watercontrol, and alarm for boilers, vessels and tanks, the Se-

ries 1575 low water cut-off/steam boiler pump con-troller from McDonnell & Miller includes a one

horsepower pump relay, and adjustable burner andpump settings. The unit also features adjustable 60-second burner-off time delays, a probe chamber with

three probes and gauge glass tappings.

mcdonnellmiller.com

Pump controller

The Bisque Hot Hoop radiator fromRuntal has a 19.6-inch diameter and

9.5-inch depth. At 82ºC (180ºF) ithas an output of 2,567 BTUH and

can be installed in a bathroom towarm and dry towels. It is available

in three finishes, including a stainlesssteel version that can be used with

an open loop domestic hot watersystem.

runtalnorthamerica.com

Radiator

The Ultra Hydronic geothermal heatpump from Econar uses R-410A and fea-tures a Copeland scroll compressor. It hasan operating coefficient of performance(COP) of four to six and can be used forcommercial applications with fluid tem-

peratures between 1.7ºC and 46ºC.

econar.com

Geothermal heat pump

Designed to provide zone control for applicationsthat require flow rates of up to 13 Cv and close-offpressures up to 150 psi, 644 Series motorized ball

zone valves from Caleffi feature a 24-volt, three-wireactuator and have a temperature range of -5 to 110ºC.

They are available in 1/2”, 3/4”, and one inch sizeswith NPT or sweat union connections.

caleffi.com

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0 63

White-Rodgers’ Z-series line of zonevalves is designed for 2-way straight

through positioning and features a one-piece, solid brass body with a raised ballseat and stainless steel return spring. Italso sports a plastic cover to protect

against moisture and a rotating ball valvefor even wear of ball surface.

white-rodgers.com

Zone valves

Watts’ ThermalPro boiler stationscome complete with supply and

return connections, circulatorpumps, check valves, shut off

valves, supply and return tempera-ture gauges, and pressure bypass

valves. The mixed temperatureboiler stations also include 24-volt

activated three-way modulatingmixing valves ready to hook up to

an outdoor reset controller.

wattscanada.com

Boiler stations

The CPU-0500 from HBX Con-trols is a standalone control de-signed for boiler applications, aswell as solar and geothermal in-stallations. It features single dial

operation, DHW and boiler pumpcapabilities, and modulating mix-ing. In geothermal installations, it

manages applications using heatpumps, chillers and compressors. Italso handles the reversing valve, up

to two heat pumps, hot tank andcold tank, or a single hot/cold tank.

hbxcontrols.com

Hydronic control

Suitable for altitude levels of up to10,000 feet, the Vitodens 100 WB1Bgas-fired wall-mounted condensingboiler from Viessmann features a 95.2%efficiency rating and vent length of up to200 ft. The 95 lb. unit is 15-3/4” wide,28-1/2” tall and 14-1/8” deep, and rangesin input from 37 to 118,000 BTUH.

viessmann.ca

Wall-mounted condensing boiler

Armstrong CR model circuit bal-ancing valves are designed to en-

able the measurement of hydronicfluid flow and the regulation re-

quired for system balance. Rangingin size from 1/2” to 2”, the valvesare dezincification resistant. The

1/2” and 3/4” low-flow models aredesigned to enable line-size instal-lation for systems with flow veloci-

ties below 0.7 m/sec (2 ft./sec).

armstrongpumps.com

Circuit balancing valves

64

The Alpine boiler fromBurnham is a 95% effi-

cient gas-fired condens-ing boiler that is offered

in seven sizes between80 and 500,000 BTUH.

It features a stainlesssteel heat exchanger andis designed for use with

propane or natural gas ataltitude levels of up to

10,200 ft.

burnham.com

Gas-fired condensing boiler

The GreenFlame wood pellet-fired boilerfrom Kerr Energy Systems outputs up to100,000 BTUH and features a low heatingefficiency value of 89.1%, a high value of82.9% and an EPA 28 LHV testmethod value of 93.3%. The unitholds 84.4 L of water and has a pellet storage system capacity ranging from 400 to 7,000 lb.

kerrenergysystems.com

Wood pellet boiler

The Futera III series of near condensingcopper boilers and water heaters fromRBI range from 500,000 BTUH to1,999,000 BTUH with a 4:1 continu-ous turndown ratio. The units featurefour-pass heat exchangers with bronzeheaders and fitters, industrial gradecopper-finned tubes and a 160 WP psimaximum.

rbiwaterheaters.com

Near condensing units

HE-RV forced-draft gas-fired boilers fromBryan Steam are available in eight models,with inputs ranging from 3.5 million to 8million BTUH. They feature seven squarefeet of heating surface per boiler horse-power and the company’s “flexible watertube,” designed to provide fast circulation

and maximize heat transfer and operat-ing efficiency.

bryanboilers.com

Gas-fired boilers

Ans

wer

s fro

m p

age

40 1

b,2b

,3c,

4a,5

d,6b

,7b,

8b,9

b,10

d

W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

The Watts RBFF from Watts Canada is a one-piece brass service and isolation valve that

combines a three-way ball valve, drain port,pressure gauge, and standard 1/2” NPT con-nections. It has a maximum inlet tempera-

ture rating of 250ºF and a maximum workingpressure of 125 psi.

wattscanada.ca

Residential boiler fill fitting

It takes 15 minutes for the sun toradiate as much energy onto theglobe as humans use during anentire year.

Gerty, the Goddess of the nasal whistle, is our telemarketer. Technically speaking, her job is to talk to you to update yourfree yearly subscription (our auditors require an update from you every 12 months). Realistically, however,

Gerty just likes to talk. And talk. And talk. Oh, she eventually gets around to renewing your free subscription, but it sometimes just takes a while. You see, she has somuch to share – her latest needlepoint project, Mrs. Muffles adventures at the Vets, her television ‘stories’ – and so muchmore. While she’d love to talk to you, we understand that you just might not have as much time. That’s why we include a

handy tear-out subscription renewal card in every issue and provide an easy-to-use online form atwww.mechanicalbusiness.com.

Renew Today: Online. Mail. Gerty.It’s your choice.


Gerty’s Got Her Eye On You! (well, at least her good eye).

66 W H A T S u p p l e m e n t 0 2 . 1 0

THE NOV/DEC FIXRETROFIT CONFLICT RESOLVED

Here’s how our quizmaster, Jeff House, would set things up:Although heat could be delivered to all three zones and theDHW, the conflict was already waiting for a cold winter’s daywhen all three zones would be needed.

Since the mod/con boiler had its own internal high-head cir-culator, and no hydraulic separation was present, flow couldnot be guaranteed to the zones – or to the boiler for thatmatter. No flow to the boiler could cause major damage bykettling or flashing to steam. Eventually the zones wouldheat, but the system efficiency would be non-existent.

Most manufacturers’ instructions of mod/con boilers showthe boiler as a secondary load feeding the primary/secondarypiping system. A low loss header or hydraulic separator guar-antees flow (when sized properly).

To further improve system efficiency, delta T circulators couldbe used for the zones and the DHW tank. Delta T circulatorsuse variable speed control to maintain the temperature drop(20°F) on the system. A single delta T pump could have beenused with zone valves to keep the cost down (see Alternate 1).

Watch for the corrections in the nextedition of Mechanical Business. Can’twait that long? Then check out the

answer key on our website, www.mechanicalbusiness.com. The fix will go online March 15th.

Jeff House is an experienced industry professional and hydronics trainer, and handlesthe Golden Horseshoe territory for Jess-Don Dunford, a manufacturers’ rep in Ontario.

He can be reached at [email protected].

Control DisagreementTHE PROBLEM INSTALLATION

The owners and builder of this custom home overlooking the city de-cided that some hydronic upgrades would be used. Along with thetwo-zone high-efficient gas furnace and A/C system, a mod/conboiler would provide the domestic hot water, five zones of basementfloor heating and one zone of garage heating using glycol.

Although the boiler would provide basement heating, there weretimes when the DHW was not keeping up even though the relaypanel was wired to provide this. Adding to the frustration was thatthe garage zone was not being heated even when the zone was call-ing and the pump was running.

A frustrated contractor and builder put a call into the rep for the con-trol panels. Maybe the panels were defective. Eight hours later, thewiring had been sorted out, but now there were new problems tocontend with. Sometimes the original problem leads to new ones.

What other conflicts are there?

Send us your solution by March 14 for your chance to win a $50 Tim Card.

Up for a quick pick up? Send in your solutionto this edition’s challenge and you could findyourself with a $50 Tim Hortons Tim Card,just like Adrian Seician of Petrin Mechanical(Alberta) Ltd. Next month the coffee could beon Mechanical Business!

iSeriesMixing Valves

ProFit Parts

Radiant Mixing Blocks

SoftwareHot Water on D’MAND®

Air Eliminators

Circulators FloProTutorialsFl P

eLearning

ElectronicControls

TACO CANADA LTD.8450 Lawson Road, Milton, ON L9T 0J8Tel. 905-564-9422 Fax. 905-564-9436www.floproteam.com

Join the team that builds your business, grows new skills and adds more customers.

Taco offers this unique contractor growth and professional development program to benefit your

hydronic business. We’ll teach you how to best sell systems and upgrades for excellent profitability.

You’ll have access to factory tech support and the highly informative FloPro Team website

- with industry leading eLearning tutorials. Plus you’ll receive a host of bulletins,

guides and specialized information designed to keep you at the leading edge.

We’re taking our Factory Training on the road. Sign-up for details.

Get with the program!

Join today to learn, grow

and profit!

www.floproteam.com

Smart.Simple.

Tomorrow’s Choice...Today

SIME.

Murelle HE is a versatile and eco-friendly boiler. It’s also very smart. Every Murelle HE features a built-ininterface that dedicates one eight-button keyboard to intuitive end-user input,and a second four-button keypad to system operating parameters. The latteralso features a PC data acquisition port thast ensures speedy diagnostics forservicing technicians. Add in a range of intelligent remote controllers, and theMurelle HE redefines customer satisfaction

One of Europe’s most established and trusted names in the boiler

business is now in North America. Sime, the 8th largest boiler

manufacturer in the world (yes, the world), is now available across

Canada. Sime boilers and systems are built to the exacting stan-

dards of European craftsmanship and are foremost designed with

efficiency and the environment in mind.

When you install Sime, you install confidence. Every one of Sime’s

extensive range of intelligent boilers leaves the factory fire-tested,

component checked and ready to meet even the most stringent

environmental regulations.

For more information on our complete line, contact us or visit us

online at: www.simenorthamerica.com

D I S T R I B U T O R O P P O R T U N I T I E S A VA I L A B L E !

North American Distribution by:

S U P P L Y L T D.

101 Sharer Road, Woodbridge,Ontario L4L 8Z3Tel: (905) 265-1527 Fax: (905) 265-9739www.thermalhydronics.com

M

ADE IN ITALY

- DHW on demand & central heating in one unit

- Condensing design with up to 97% efficiency

- Sophisticated pre-mix system- World-class stainless steel

heat exchangers- Built-in circulator, expansion

tank and air eliminator- Intelligent pcp board is

"Solar Ready"

Murelle HE The Intelligent Combi

Control Panel

Service Keypad& Data Port

Intuitive End-UserKeypad

N O R T H A M E R I C A

®

NowAvailabl

e!

Refrigeration is the process of removingheat from an area where it is notwanted and rejecting this heat to an

area where it is either wanted orunobjectionable. When heat reclaim or heatrecovery is incorporated, heat is rejected to anarea where it can be reused.

When a performance audit is performed fora given cycle, the useful output of the system iscompared to the power input to the system.

By employing heat reclaim techniques, theuseful output of the system is increased.

By reusing some of the excess heat froma system, we are able to reduce energy

consumption in the building. Application of heat reclaimoptions may be limited, however. (See sidebarControlling the Heat Reclaim Process.)

RECLAIMINGSYSTEMS

DID YOU KNOW?

HEAT FROM

REFRIGERATION by Phil J . Boudreau

Phil Boudreau provides sales, training and

technical support for Bitzer Canada Inc., and is

the instructor of a refrigeration course at Humber

College in Toronto. He can be contacted at

[email protected].

In the reclaim coil, heat is removed from the refrigerant as itis desuperheated. After the refrigerant leaves the reclaim

coil, it travels to the condenser. Again, the refrigerant usually leavesthe reheat coil in a vapour state.

Depending on the application, it may be necessary to insulate thedischarge line to the coil to minimize the loss of heat. This will ensuremaximum heat at the coil as it enters at a higher temperature andenthalpy. It may also be necessary to insulate the line between thereclaim outlet and condenser inlet to avoid condensation.

Heat Exchangers for Heat Reclaim – Non-Condensing

Dehumidificationand Booster CoilsMechanical refrigeration isoften used to lower thedew point of air. Because

this method ofdehumidification cannot beperformed without dropping thetemperature of the air passing through theevaporator, the air must be reheated to the

desired conditions. This is yet anothervery useful application for heatreclaim.

The arrangement of components inthis type of system is very similar

to the reheat system often found insupermarkets. A heat reclaim coil isplaced in the air stream after theevaporator. Reheat coils that are usedin this application may also be referredto as booster coils.

The addition of heat reclaim to a system canplace the compressor and other components

at risk if a control system is not properlyplanned and applied. }



Where to use itThe use of heat reclaim has manyapplications. A low-temperature system, forexample, requires heat for defrost. All heatabsorbed in the low side of the system is

usually released by an air-cooled or water-cooledcondenser. The release of this heat usually results in awaste of energy. By reserving some of this heat for adefrost cycle, we are recovering the heat which wouldotherwise be rejected from the system, sending it toan area where it is useful.

Equipment manufacturers have employed a variety ofheat reclaim designs over the years. For example, the"ThermobanK" system was designed and applied bythe former Kramer-Trenton company. This uniqueconcept used a storage vessel for glycol, or similarheat-sinking fluid, which absorbed some of the heatfrom the discharge line. During the defrost period,refrigerant in the suction line absorbs heat from thefluid. This heat would evaporate the liquid comingfrom the defrosting evaporator so that it does notreach the compressor.

Another useful application for heat recovery is theheating of air. During the colder months, heat from therefrigeration system may be used to heat a building.Depending on the capacity of the refrigerationequipment, it is possible to heat an entire spacethrough heat reclaim.

In other applications, a reclaim coil installed in thespace may offer supplementary heat to the building.When a thermostat calls for heat, the hot gas entersthe reclaim coil and the fan starts. As the refrigerantgives up heat, its superheat decreases. At the pointwhere the refrigerant leaves the coil, it has usuallybeen desuperheated to within a few degrees or so ofthe saturation temperature.

Heat from the system may also be used to preheatwater for the building, or for an industrial process.Prior to entering the condenser, the discharge gaspasses through coils in a heat recovery tank. Similar toother heat reclaim techniques, the refrigerant usuallyleaves the tank in a vapour state.

Perhaps the most importantfactors concerning heatreclamation are the sizing of thereclaim heat exchanger and thesetting of controls.

Whenever heat reclaim isapplied to a system, it isimportant that the normalrefrigeration cycle is notdisturbed. For example,depending on the design of thesystem, it may not be desirableto permit the formation of liquidrefrigerant in the reclaim coil.The reason for this is that properliquid flow in the high side maybe impaired. This is especiallytrue of systems where thereclaim coil is at a lowerelevation than the condenser.

In other designs, the reclaim coilis sized to permit thoroughcondensation of the refrigerant.The advantage here is thatthe designer can takeadvantage of the largeamount of latent heatthat is available. Whereoverall systemperformance is notsacrificed, this method could beused. Furthermore, the properapplication of head pressurecontrols will be necessary for thesystem to operate correctly.

Controlling the Heat Reclaim ProcessAnother important point toconsider when using heatreclaim is the elevated headpressure that the system mustoperate at during the winter. Inclimates where the winters arecold, a form of head pressurecontrol will be necessary. Thelower condensation limit formost HFC compressors isapproximately 70°F, dependingon the application. Withreciprocating compressors, it isimportant to maintain asufficient high to low sidepressure differential in order topermit proper operation of thereed valves. Of course, thecapacity of the metering devicemust also be considered.

On the other hand, highercompression ratios allow forhigher discharge temperatures,which may be desirable in some

applications.

As mentioned previously, head pressure control must be used on heatreclaim systems to ensure proper operation. By maintaining sufficienthead pressure, quality hot gas will be available at the reclaim coil inlet.Fan cycling, variable speed fans and refrigerant regulating controls arecommon methods that are used to maintain proper high side pressure.

Flooding head pressure controls maintain a minimum dischargepressure by 'holding back' liquid in the condenser. This effectivelyreduces the amount of surface available for condensing. Dischargepressure rises as the condenser floods. In order to maintain sufficientliquid pressure at the expansion valve inlet(s), hot gas bypasses thecondenser and enters the receiver. The receiver increases as this takesplace. The pressure at which the hot gas begins bypassing depends onthe particular control system used and how they are set up.

continued from page 69


• Control l ing the heat reclaim process


The temporarily refurbished Maple Leaf Gardens played a supporting role in thesuccess of the CBC’s Battle of the Blades, but getting the old rink back into gameshape took more than stage lights and set designers. The task of restoring ice to the Gardens fell to Patrick Seltsam, project managerwith Ice Rink Events, which rented a 400-ton chiller to power its IceMat 2 refrigera-tion system. Seltsam’s team laid down 45 kilometres of 5/8” tubing, which circulat-ed approximately 11,356 litres (3,000 US gallons) of propylene glycol.After an initial flood, Seltsam laid about 1/8” of sand over the primary sheet of ice,to protect the tubing. Above the sand, he added another one-inch layer of ice.

A key component of the Edmonton Oilers’ dynasty in the late 1980s, CraigSimpson recorded a 56-goal season in the late ‘80s, en route to two Stanley

Cups he’d win as an Oiler. From 2003 to 2007, he returned to the team as anassistant coach, a stint that included the club’s run to the Cup finals in2006.

By 2008, Simpson had joined the broadcast team on CBC television’sHockey Night in Canada. And in 2009, he did what any Stanley Cup-winning hockey player and successful broadcaster would do next.

He laced up figure skates.

Simpson recently joined seven other former hockey players to participate in Battle of the Blades, a reality show that saw

ex-NHLers pair with world class figure skaters to compete in anationally televised figure-skating competition.

“I think the biggest (challenge) was just trying to feel com-fortable in trying something that could potentially beembarrassing,” he says of his decision to join the show.“Tackling that was probably the first hurdle.”

Simpson proved more adept than his colleagues at jump-ing that hurdle. He and his partner, Olympic gold medal-list Jamie Salé, won the contest in a temporarily rejuve-nated Maple Leaf Gardens (see sidebar), a feat he attrib-utes to his early diligence.

“From the beginning I said that if I’m going to beinvolved in this, the challenge is really to step into theirworld and learn how to skate on the figure skates,” herecalls.

“That was probably really the biggest challenge, rethink-ing how you skate and the technique you use and to try not

to think too much about the toe picks. I had a lot of hard fallsearly on, but those are good lessons learned.”

Cover Story

Once that froze, he did everything he could to crack it. “Before anyone steps on the ice, and before it’s even painted, a very impor-tant step in our process is to go out and fracture that ice,” he explains.“Each time you go over a piece of ice, you fracture it a little bit. Any timeyou break something, it always forms up a little bit more solidly. It’s a reallyimportant piece in making a sheet of ice.” After fracturing, Seltsam added two more inches of ice, leaving the skaterswith a three-inch strong layer for the competition.

While Simpson adjusted histechnique on the ice, techni-cians adjusted the ice itself. Anentirely new sheet of ice waslaid on top of the Gardens’existing concrete floor, whichhasn’t hosted an NHL gamesince February 13, 1999.

“The ice at the old Garden wasalways average ice, it wasn’t spec-tacular by any means,” Simpsonrecalled.

“The ice (for the show), the feelingof it early, it gets pretty hollow atfirst, it takes awhile for it to really digin and get skated on and get settleddown. I thought by the end though,the ice conditions were good.”

With two Stanley Cup rings and aprominent role on the country’smost iconic hockey broadcast, thequestion had to be asked: How doeswinning a figure skating competitionstack up?

“You can’t compare the two. In thesense that the journey in trying towin a Stanley Cup is so long andhard, and involves so many people,it’s an incredible accomplishment,”he said.

“But I’ll tell ya, finishing the last per-formance and having it go off withouta hitch and doing such a good job of it,Jamie and I both said we won for eachother that night.

“It felt great to be a part of.”

GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBOURS

Battle of the Blades has Tom Lynn, president ofCalifornia-based company Noise Control, to thankfor maintaining its reputation locally.

“If I was going to identify one major challenge, itwas noise reduc-tion,” recalls PatrickSeltsam.

The 400-ton chillingunit used for theshow was installedon the exterior wallof the Gardens,which backed ontoa downtown Toronto street shared by high-riseapartment buildings.

Lynn’s company erected sound-dampening blan-kets made of PVC vinyl around the unit installed forthe show. Each 13-foot-tall side was covered in twolayers of blankets, one that absorbed the soundand one that deflected it back toward the unit,with each layer separated by four inches of space.On top of the unit, Lynn angled a blanket 45degrees inward, to redirect sound toward thebuilding while allowing heat to escape.

From 30 feet away, the chiller originally produced78 decibels of sound. After Lynn installed his blan-kets, he reduced that number to 55 decibels.

KEEPING THEIR COOL

While maintaining ice in a hockey arena might notsound like a daunting task, Brian Van Sickle foundhis greatest challenge to be the show’s greatestfans. When the show runners received complaintsfrom the audience – and even some of the cam-era crew – about the Gardens being too cold,they turned on the building’s heating system.

“What it does is put a frost on our ice,” explainedVan Sickle, the president of IceCo AdvancedArena Products, the company tasked with theupkeep. “So we would have to flood just beforethe show went to telecast, and then after thatwe’d just keep on flooding. We used to floodevery hour for the skaters.”

As an added precaution, Van Sickle enlisted thebuilding’s security team to insert a probe into theice near the zamboni entrance and measure itssurface temperature every hour, around the clock.The team made sure the ice maintained a surfacetemperature between -4 and -3 degrees Celsius(24 to 26 degrees Fahrenheit) at all times, whichVan Sickle described as the ideal temperature forthe competition.


Did you know? An official NHL ice sur-

face measures 26metres (85 feet) wide

by 61 metres (200 feet)long. The Battle of theBlades skating surface

used regulation length,but only measured

approximately 21metres (69 feet) wide.

By Dave Bowden

mould spores, fungus, dander,mites, etc. Chemical contaminantswe are exposed to include thoseproduced by combustion and

tailpipe emissions, outgassing from everydaymaterials such as carpet and pressed wood – andvirtually every industrial process in the country.

Finally, what we do about what we know ischanging too. There has been a discernablechange in how managers of ICI buildings makedecisions regarding indoor air quality. Much ofthe credit for this goes to contractors who havetransitioned from a business model of sellingequipment and service, to one of consultativeselling, where concerns about life cycle cost,sustainable practices and reducing waste andenergy use create a dynamic that becomes a“triple win” – for the customer, the contractorand the environment.

Many of these enlightened contractorsspecialize in new construction contracting –where sustainability practices and energy costcontainment now factor heavily in all majorprojects. But that too is changing, and more

IAQis the most changeable field acontractor works with today. Every

factor related to indoor air quality is incontinuous flux. What we know aboutpollutants, and especially particulate pollution,increases every year. Not only can we identifypollutants and pollutant concentrations withgreater accuracy than even five years ago, wecontinue to learn more about their consequencesfor health and productivity, and their impact onchronic problems such as asthma and respiratoryconditions.

Also changing is the nature and breadth ofcontaminants – both chemical and biological. Inthe past year, H1N1 was added to a biologicalroster that also includes seasonal flu, bacteria,


FILTRATION FOR IAQ ANDEFFICIENCY

HVAC by Michael Dobbs

Start with Good Design

If you are the owner (or contractor) for a new facility, you have the luxury of a blank slate.Architects all value aesthetics first, and will often specify intake louvers where they’re out ofview. Some of these louvers end up near loading docks, where idling diesel trucks anddumpsters full of rotting waste contribute unnecessarily to poor IAQ.

Positioning intakes near washroom exhausts is another error, because these create a path fore-coli to enter the air handling system. Other unfortunate but common placements for intakelouvers include roofs adjacent to kitchen exhausts, and, in parking garages, which have the

very highest concentrations of submicron particles.

Building owners will substantially improve their long-term IAQsituation if they fully understand the origins of their fresh airsupply. Where the facility already exists, however, there are bettertools to help quantify them, and better products to remedy IAQissues, including filters that can remove both particulate andmolecular matter.

According to The Canadian Allergy,Asthma, and ImmunologyFoundation, allergic rhinitis affects20 to 25 per cent of Canadians.Asthma affects between 15 and 20per cent of Canadians and is theleading cause of hospitaladmissions in children. Particulatepollution is a major trigger forasthma events, and the primarycause of respiratory allergies.

contractors who focus on HVAC service nowunderstand that the greatest success will comethrough being part of customers’ long-termsolutions to these concerns.

One of the things that has made this newmodel possible is the ability, through newmonitoring and analysis tools, to conclusively linkwhat is done in terms of air quality – the type offiltration chosen – with the real costs involved insystem maintenance, and the amount of energyused by the air handling system overall.

Where previously there was only anecdotalevidence of how a particular filter could affectmaintenance or energy costs, we can now replaceanecdotes with science. Two specific tools thatmake this possible are life cycle cost (LCC)software, and energy monitoring and analysisprograms.

As with all purchasing decisions, dollars reallyare the driver, and all companies are aggressivelyseeking ways to lower their costs. Educatingcustomers about the total cost of ownership(“TCO”), rather than simply the initial filterprice, is driving forward-thinking contractors.


Life Cycle Costing

Life cycle cost is a modelling tool that generatesobjective comparisons of filters from all manufacturers.Its job is to identify the best possible filtration option foreach operating condition or area within a facility.

The LCC software allows facility managers to optimizetheir filtration selection by evaluating the number offilters used in a given time frame, the cost of energyrequired to move the airthrough the filters, the directlabour costs to maintain thisselection, and any relatedcleaning costs (coils andductwork). LCC is anexcellent tool for lowering afacility’s carbon footprint byhelping them reduce theirenergy consumption andreduce the amount of solidwaste generated.

Monitoring Energy Use

Another useful tool is an energymonitoring and analysis program.The one our company uses tracksthe history of all air handling units ina facility, provides filter certificationfor cleanrooms and similar “elite”requirements, and manages filteruse and replacement. It also has aweb tool that includes a databaseof the site’s history. This can beaccessed online, with passwordprotection.

Limited

UnitReplacement

Warranty

$ $ $ $ENERGY EFFICIENCY

GRANTS

edLimit

antyarrraWWaement ReplactinU

$ $ $ $$ $ $ $

GRANTS

$ $ $ $ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Coil MaintenanceConsiderationsSubmicron particles, if notfiltered properly, dirty thecoils. This is a hugeproblem because in allcases, energy costs riseunnecessarily. There can beno efficient transfer ofheating or cooling withcontaminated coils. Blowers,and the entire distribution system,are equally vulnerable, as is ducting,where particulate contamination presentsthe added problem of microorganismgrowth.

Duct cleaning is expensive, necessitatesshut-down of the air handling system, andmust be done robotically in most cases.And while it was a major revenue source forcontractors in the past, it is now oftenviewed as stemming from inadequate airfiltration – which can be addressed by aknowledgeable contractor.

Optimizing Filter SelectionThe increasing inclusion of variable frequency drives on air handlingunits was probably the first step the industry took in the quest tosave energy. Now, customers want to do much more.

The cost of energy to operate the filtration systems is typically threeto six times more than the air filters themselves. With the LCCSoftware, contractors can document that a better filter will produce

savings of $27 in energy, per filter, per year, for each 0.1” w.g. saved.That’s huge. And that’s assuming a kilowatt hour cost of $0.085/kWh. In

many provinces and states, the cost exceeds ten cents per kilowatt hour.

Energy savings makes great math, and loyal customers. Contractors can doeven better for customers by optimizing the selection of both the prefilter and

the secondary filter. It is possible to produce savings in excess of $100 per year, perprefilter-secondary filter combination, in energy savings alone. And with the right tools,you can show your customer where those savings are coming from.

Large customers use thousands of prefilters, and change them, on average, four timesper year. A contractor who truly wants to be “part of the solution” can make excellent(and lucrative) use of the analytical tools that are available. Best of all, some of thesetools are available at no cost to the contractor. All they have to do is ask their suppliersfor them.

HVAC • Coil Maintenance • Optimizing Fi l ter Select ion


Michael Dobbs is vice-president of Camfil Farr Canada. For more information

about filtration and IAQ, visit www.camfilfarr.com.

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI)

For more information call today:1-800-267-2231 or online at: www.hrai.ca

Max

New Technologies

Got You Stumped?

Max

Join HRAI!Keeping up with the latest in

new products, technologies and methods is easy through HRAI. Whether it’s the newest codes or

the latest trends and practices, our extensive offerings of communications,

training programs, meetings and shows ensure that our members are the first to know. It pays to be an HRAI Member!

Isn't it time you joined?

M e c h a n i c a l B u s i n e s s 0 2 . 1 0 77

The Hockey Puck solid state relayfrom Dwyer features a terminalcover, optically coupled circuitryand an LED status indicator.Available in 10- and 25-amp mod-els, it has an operating and load

voltage range between 24 and 280VAC (volts alternating current) and tem-

perature limits between -40ºC and 80ºC.

dwyer-inst.com

Solid state relay

Compact heat recovery ventilator The VHR704R compact heat recovery ventilator fromFantech consumes 40 watts of power and provides 70 CFMat 0.3 sp. The 30-lb. unit features a 5” oval duct connec-tions, two motors and a preset defrost sequence that is acti-vated at an outdoor temperature of -5ºC (23ºF).

fantech.net

Energy recovery ventilator

Condensing furnace The Paradigm high-efficiency, condensing oil-fired furnace

from Kerr performs at an AFUE rating of 95.4% and has steady-state efficiencies up to 97%. The unit measures 47-1/2” in depth,

23” in height and is 36” wide. Output ranges from 66,500 to98,000 BTUH.

kerrenergysystems.com

The Smart ERV energy recovery ventilation unit fromSmart Air and Energy Solutions features two standard 10”

x 20” x 1” pleated filters, a ventilation capacity rangebetween 50 and 250 CFM and an efficiency range

between 70 and 80 per cent. It has an electrical rating of120 VAC at six amps and a net weight of 90 lb.

smartairandenergy.com

Spring return actuators Belimo’s AFB/AFX series of

direct-coupled springreturn actuators can be

used with controldampers that have a 45sq. ft. maximum, whileits NFB/NFX actuators

can be used with controldampers with a 22 sq.

ft. maximum. TheAFB/AFX series features

180 in-lb. of torque,while the NFB/NFX

series has 90 in-lb. Bothseries operate in tem-

peratures ranging from -30 ºC to 50 ºC

(-22ºF to 122ºF).

belimo.ca

The National Plumbing Code (NPC) hasissued an interim change to the 2005regulation to address water temperaturecontrol. It regulates water deliverytemperatures to showers and bathtubs to lessthan 49°C, but has not included other fixtures.It has also not limited the temperature controlrequirements to residential occupancies.

The NPC also states that the waterdischarging into a bathtub shall not exceed49°C. For example, the fill valve for a soaker

The number 1 deficiency on finalinspection of a residential plumbingsystem is the failure to install a

thermostatic mixing valve. The purpose ofthis valve is to control the maximumtemperature on a domestic hot watersystem that is supplied to plumbingfixtures in a residential occupancy. Attimes there seems to be some confusionas to its use – especially in a renovationenvironment.

When the temperature of the hotwater in a storage tank is between 35°Cand 46°C (95°F and 115°F), the idealtemperature range for the growth ofLegionella bacteria may be created. Therisk is that water dispensed from ashowerhead or faucet could containLegionella, which can be inhaled, causingillness.

The solution is to raise the temperatureof the hot water to levels that will kill thebacteria. Hot water at 60°C (140°F)causes Legionella to die instantly.However, raising the temperature of thehot water to that level can cause severeburns to unprotected skin.

Most jurisdictions in Canada haveadopted the use of thermostatic mixingvalves, but not all have identical rules, sobe sure to check the rules for the area inwhich you are working.


HOT WATER

PLUMBING by Roger Uuemae

INSPECTION NOTES

While most authoritiesagree on the maximumtemperature (49°C), thereare differences as towhere and when it isrequired. Here are someof the rules that I enforceduring my inspections inOntario under the OntarioBuilding Code (OBC).Please note that theregulations in your part ofthe country may differfrom these, and that theOBC rules outlined hereonly apply to residentialoccupancies.

The maximumtemperature of hot watershall not exceed 49°C(120°F) to fittingssupplying fixtures.

Dishwashers and clotheswashers are exempt.

Thermostatic mixingvalves must conform toCSA B125/ASSE 1017.

Point-of-use mixing valvesmust conform to CSAB125/ASSE 1016 F.

SCALDS HAPPEN QUICKLY

Water at 66°C (150°F) can cause third degreeburns to an adult in two seconds. Water at60°C (140°F) can cause burns in six seconds.Even water at 49°C (120°F) can cause burnswith a five minute exposure time. There aremany documented cases where childrenunder the supervision of adults have beenscalded with hot water.

STAYINGOUT OF

BY DEFINITION

What constitutes aresidential occupancy?Residential occupancymeans the occupancy oruse of a building, or partof a building, by personsfor whom sleepingaccommodation isprovided but who are notharboured or detainedthere to receive medicalcare or treatment, or whoare not involuntarilydetained there.

tub would need to have a temperature control despitenot having a showerhead as part of the installation.

The national code also requires that an electricservice hot water heater have the thermostats set at60°C, which would kill any Legionella bacteria. Youneed to check the regulation where you are working tomake sure your installation conforms.


CHECK YOUR PERMIT

If a permit is issued forplumbing that is beinginstalled, changed oraltered, the rules for athermostatic mixing valvewould apply. For example ifyour permit is for theaddition of one kitchen sinkyou would need to comply.

Available options forcompliance include puttinga thermostatic mixing valveon the hot water tankpiping. This would give youconformance, since thekitchen sink would becontrolled, as would therest of the plumbingfixtures in the house.

Another option is to installa point-of-use mixing valveat the additional kitchensink only. The remainder ofthe existing plumbingfixtures that are not part ofthe new work under thepermit would not need tobe controlled. In bothcases, you haveconformance.

TANKLESS OPTIONS

With tankless domestic hot water heaters coming online,there are differences of opinion as to whether mixingvalves are required. These water heaters are equippedwith multiple sensors to control the temperature of thewater. And all units that I have seen in the Canadian

marketplace can be set at 49°C. So, ifthey are set at 49°C, they do appear tolive up to the regulations.

You may get differing opinions frominspectors, with the concern being that the settings canbe changed after inspection. This is true, but thermostaticmixing valves can also be removed if someone reallywanted to.

You cannot control what happens after you leave – unlessthere is a re-inspection program in place or a complaint islodged. Regulations may change down the road toaddress this concern, but until they do, we can onlyweigh in on what we observe at the time of inspection.

INSTITUTIONAL PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

Occupancies for group homes, hospitals, residence fordevelopmentally handicapped adults and homes forspecial care must have a domestic hot water temperaturecontrol to a maximum of 49°C.

This setup would require one or more temperature gaugesand controls that only staff could access, monitor and

control. Since these areas are not consideredresidential occupancies they have different rules

regarding the installation, but the maximumtemperature of 49°C is the same.

Roger Uuemae is a licensed plumber, an instructor with

the Ontario Plumbing Inspector’s Association, and has

been employed as a plumbing inspector with the City of

Mississauga for the past 20 years. www.opia.info


Flush valve

Delta’s 81T series line of flushvalves uses the company’sH2Optics sensor technology forhands-free flushing and features abattery-life indicator. All modelsin the line have dual flush capa-bilities and the ability to selecteither a full, six-litre flush or areduced, 4.2-litre flush based ona combination of distance andtiming.

deltacommercialproducts.com

Fixtures

The Enso suite series of fixtures from MansfieldPlumbing features an elongated, dual-flush toilet that

uses 4.2 or 6.1 litres (1.1 or 1.6 gallons) per flush. Thetoilet has a 2-1/8” glazed trapway. Also in this seriesare a drop-in lavatory that can be used with wall-

mounted, single-hole and four- or eight-inch faucets; a34-1/2” pedestal lavatory; and a drop-in oval tub.

mansfieldplumbing.com

The Aquatherm Advanced piping systemconsists of polypropylene pipe and areflective insulation wrap with an insu-lating R-value up to 1.5 (depending onpipe size and SDR). It ranges in diameterfrom 5/16” to 5/8”.

aquathermpipe.com

Polypropylene piping

Digital adaptor

The Ridgid See Snake digi-tal adaptor from Ridge

Tool is an accessoryfor the microExplorerdigital inspectioncamera. It providesthe ability to digitallyrecord and can be usedon any video-outenabled monitor, whichallows the user to adddigital recording capa-

bilities and a secondaryplayback screen to anexisting camera system.

ridgid.com

The 350 XL double-check backflow assembly and375XL reduced pressure principle backflowassembly from Wilkins featureremovable flow housing and topaccess to test cocks, shutoff valvesand check assemblies. The350XL ranges in size from 2”to 4”, while the 375XLcomes in 8” and 10” sizes.

zurn.com

Backflow assemblies


Power-vent water heater

Rheem PDV waterheaters feature an

Energy Factor (EF) of0.67, and are offered in

151- and 189-litre sizes,with both standard

inputs and high inputs(40,000 to 65,000

BTUH). The units drawcombustion air from

outside through pipingavailable in 2”, 3” and 4”

diameter sizes.

canada.rheem.com

The ZO10 three-piece deck mount faucet from Riobel fea-tures a jet hand shower with a maximum flow rate of 33lpm (8.7 gpm) and 60 psi. The solid brass faucet also fea-tures a 1/2” male inlet NPT and ceramic cartridge.

riobel.ca

Faucet set

Chilled water tank The InSinkErator chilled water tankfrom Emerson is a stainless steelstorage tank with 1/4” OD stainlesssteel water tube connections thatcan be installed under the kitchensink. The recommended supplypressure is 20 to 120 psi, and theunit has a cooling capacity of 3.8litres per hour and an adjustablethermostat range of 0.6ºC-6.7ºC. Itrequires 115 volts, 135 watts and1.3 amps of power, and dispenseswater at a temperature of 3.3ºC.

insinkerator.ca

Special patent pending PVC flexible tubing. Eliminates four field joints.

Innovator overflow parts assemble by hand. No screws. Approved by IAPMO.It’s green. You’ll get used to seeing it.

Just ask your wholesaler

New WatcoFlexTM Bath Waste...installs faster/easier

WATCO MANUFACTURING COMPANY1220 South Powell Road,

Independence, MO 64057-2724Phone 816-796-3900 • FAX 816-796-0875

www.watcomfg.comA Division of WCM Industries, Inc.

JoinThe Green Scene

®

WATCO

The Bath Drain Company


Being a brakeman on an Olympic-calibrebobsleigh team is a bit like being the run-ner-up on Canadian Idol. You might workjust as hard as the winner, but when thecompetition’s over, it’s not your namepeople will remember. Calgary’s Kaillie Humphries learned thislesson all too well when she went to theTorino Olympics in 2006 as a brakeman,only to be named an alternate before the race and miss out on the chance to compete. “Right after that, I became a pilot,”she recalls. The 24-year-old Olympian has been in the

driver’s seat ever since. In the four yearssince she made the transition to the

front of the sled, she’s racked up animpressive resumé, including a

World Cup win on the Whistlertrack last March. With anothergold medal win in Germanyin late December,Humphries seems to bepeaking at just the righttime, a feat she attributes tothe experience she gained atthe back of the sled. “I had been a brakeman forthree years before,” she said.“So when I transitioned topilot I was able to focusjust on the driving aspectof it, which I think has

definitely gotten me as far as I am today.Experience plays a big role.”The Canadian bobsleigh team is countingon it. By the end of the Olympics,Humphries estimates that the team willhave driven the Whistler track between150 and 200 times, while their competi-tors’ experience will be limited to a WorldCup event hosted there last year. “The speed makes it very technical, and themore runs you have on it the better,” sheexplains. “Because it’s newer, the more timesyou can get down on it and make mistakesand figure each corner out, you’ll knowexactly what to do when you’re entering aninch more to the left or the right, or how toget out of sticky situations, or how to havethe perfect line.”Of course, lofty goals bring lofty expecta-tions. While the entire world casts its eyeson the Olympics, no country will bewatching its athletes – and its medal count– as closely as this year’s host. For her part,Humphries says she isn’t sweating theextra attention. “I think every athlete dreams of being able tocompete at a home Olympics,” she said. “Yes, it could be construed as a negative, anddefinitely more pressure, but I personally amgoing to use it as a positive and show mycountry, and the rest of the world, whatCanada’s all about.”

KAILLIE HUMPHRIES:ON THE RIGHT TRACK

WHISTLER SLIDING CENTRE: BY THE NUMBERS $104.9 million: Cost of construction, funded jointly by federaland provincial governments

12,000: Seating capacity

1,450 metres: Length (bobsleigh and skeleton)

1,374 metres: Length (men’s luge)

1,198 metres: Length (doubles and women’s luge)

938 metres: Elevation at top of track (men’s luge start)

786 metres: Elevation at low point of track

152 metres: Vertical drop

16: Number of corners

13: Days of Olympic sliding competition

8: Gold medals up for grabs

7: Track access points

by Dave Bowden

THE ICE MEISTERIt will take less than two minutes for Olympicbobsledders to plummet down the track at theWhistler Sliding Centre, but the ice they’llcarve beneath them was nearly five months inthe making.

“We start making ice in late September orearly October,” explains track chief Tracy Seitz.“Ambient temperatures can be around 15 to20 degrees Celsius here, so we start by send-ing the refrigerant out to the track, cooling theconcrete, the ice surface. Then we spraymaybe a millimetre at a time until we haveabout two inches.”

Seitz is no stranger to the process. The 2010Games mark his third time creating Olympicsliding ice, after handling the responsibilities atthe 2002 and 2006 editions in Salt Lake City,Utah, and Torino, Italy, respectively. Hisprowess has earned him the nickname “TheIce Meister” among athletes and organizers.

The Whistler track uses NH3 anhydrous ammo-nia, which runs up the track through pipes witha one-inch inside diameter that were built intothe track during construction.

“Depending on the size of the curve, youcould have 50 one-inch pipes or you couldhave 100 or 25, depending on the surface areaof the piece of track,” he says. “(NH3) is proba-bly the best refrigerant you can get in an out-door direct refrigerant system.”

While both the system and its technician aretop notch, Seitz found a formidable foe in theunique British Columbia conditions.

“Here at Whistler we have quite a humid cli-mate. It’s a rain forest, it is much more humidthan what you get in say Park City, Utah,” hesays. “For good conditions, humidity poses aproblem.”

And that problem is easy to describe: Frost.Should the temperature of the track dip dra-matically below the dew point, frost quicklyaccumulates on the ice. This creates a layer ofsnow that can significantly slow down sledsand affect race outcomes.

“If we put water on top of the frost, we createan insulating layer between the surface andthe base layer of ice, and that can lead to a lotof problems, like ice breaking up and notbeing able to get really good refrigeration tothe surface,” he says.

Seitz would prefer to keep the track aroundminus-five degrees Celsius, but to combat thefrost, he adjusts the refrigerant to bring thetemperature as close to the dew point as pos-sible while still maintaining a solid sheet of ice.

In its storied history, the Olympic flamehas only gone out once during theGames. In Montreal, on July 27, 1976,rain extinguished the torch for a minute ortwo, until a plumber named PierreBouchard rekindled it with a cigarettelighter and a rolled up newspaper.Olympic officials later relit the torch a sec-ond time in a more official fashion.

We are theFIRST AND ONLY

program of its kindin North America

For more informationwww.refrigerantmanagement.ca

1-866-622-0209

RMC is the first program in North America to collect and destroy

ozone depleting refrigerants in an environmentally responsible

manner.

To date, we've collected and

destroyed over 1.6 million kilograms of refrigerants.

Reduce your environmental footprint today by joining this

award winning program.

Administered by



Trusted experienceand expertise.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada

Tel: 905-602-4700 Toll-Free: 1-800-267-2231

hrai.ca

HRAI Wholesaler Members are dedicated to ensuring quality HVACR products are efficiently and cost-effectively made available to contractors. Top 5 reasons to choose an HRAI Wholesaler Member1. Targeted resources – Regionally-established business centres to address local market needs.2. Complete solutions – On-site warehousing and inventory, up-to-date technology, training, credit terms and prompt delivery.3. Solid relationships – Manufacturer & supplier relationships ensure the needs of contractors are met.4. Top-quality products – Meet the unique performance requirements of each HVACR system.5. Industry strength – Support trade-qualified contractors and HRAI contractor members. Not an HRAI Wholesaler Member?There are great benefits to joining our knowledgeable, expert and successful HVACR wholesaler leaders: access to ongoing technical training, industry statistics, association discounts, networking opportunities, industry updates, marketing support and more.

Your committed wholesaler.

Designed for retrofit and new construction, the Raupanel radiant heating systemfrom Rehau accepts 3/8” barrier pipe, measures 6” x 72” x 5/8”, and weighs 1.6lb./sq. ft. It features six inch return bends that are 8” x 48” x 5/8”, and eight inchbends that are 9” x 48” x 5/8”. With six inch spacing, it outputs 30 BTUH per sq.ft. with 1/4” plywood covering; with 8” spacing, its output is 28 BTUH per sq. ft.

rehau.com

Radiant heating system

The tN4 Gateway 483 from tekmar allowsusers to remotely adjust tekmarNet HVACsystems using any web browser. Through alocal area connection or an internet web

browser, users can monitor and adjust systemtemperatures between 33ºF and 122ºF.

tekmarcontrols.com

Online climate control

The Desert Spring DS-PFT flow-throughhumidifier, distributed in Canada exclusively

by Wolseley, features an electronic waterflow control designed to reduce the demand

for water. The water solenoid pulses forapproximately two to four seconds, whichsufficiently soaks the evaporator pad. Thevalve closes for approximately 30 seconds,allowing the water to adequately disperseover the pad without the waste of excess

water down the drain.

wolseleyinc.ca

Flow-through humidifier


The York LX-9V multi-position 33” gasfurnace features an AFUE rating of 96%.The two-stage furnace uses a variable-

speed ECM, and employs an induced com-bustion, reliable hot surface ignition and ahigh heat transfer aluminized tubular heatexchanger. It is available in six sizes, rang-

ing from 60,000 to 120,000 BTUH.

york.com

Multi-position gas furnace

Suitable for temperaturesranging from -18ºC to 71ºC,

TFD flange mount blowersfrom Aeroflo are designed forOEM applications. The blowersfeature backward curved airfoilimpellers, a cast aluminumimpeller hub, single- or three-phase TEFC motors and capaci-ties of up to 4,500 cfm.

continentalfan.com

Flange mount blowers

The CM25 self-contained, ceil-ing-mounted air conditionerfrom MovinCool has a totalcooling capacity of 25,000BTUH and a high sensiblecooling capacity of 18,900BTUH. The 20” unit is specificallydesigned for server rooms and other spaces withdense heat loads. It has a seasonal energy effi-ciency ratio of 14 and uses R-410A refrigerant.

movincool.com

Ceiling-mounted air conditioner

Radiant heating systemThe Premier VS-VH radiant-heating sys-

tem from Superior Radiant Products isavailable in six models ranging from

20,000 to 120,000 BTUH. It operates ata minimum gas inlet pressure of 5 inW.C. and draws no more than 0.2A,

120VAC, 60Hz. The system works inconjunction with the company’s Premier

VS vacuum system.

superiorradiant.com


Designed for retrofitting existing push through systems, PTS/PTUseries tube heaters from Space-Ray are available in more than 100

configurations and in capacities ranging from 40,000 to200,000 BTUH. Minimum mounting heights range from

10 to 18 ft. The heaters come in natural or propanegas, with a choice of one-stage or two-stage

modulating input controls.

spaceray.com

Tube heaters

Two stage gas furnaceThe RGRM 95% AFUE gas furnacefrom Rheem operates at 70 per centcapacity on its low heat setting andfull capacity on its high heat setting.The 34” unit ranges in output from45,000 to 120,000 BTUH, is com-patible with single or two-stagethermostats and features a variablespeed motor that ranges between1/2 and one horsepower.

canada.rheem.com

Selkirk’s DCC double wall stove pipehas a UL 103 HT and ULC S-641 listingfor six-inch clearance in all diameters,and in all installation configurations. Thepiping features stainless steel inner lin-ings and comes in 12”, 18”, 24”, 36”, and48” lengths.

selkirkcorp.com

Water-source heat pump The Tranquility Large Vertical (TLV) series

from ClimateMaster is available in sizesranging from seven to 25 tons and uses

R-410A. Units up to 12.5 tons are single-stage, single compressor units. Larger sizes

offer twin compressors and two-stageoperation. All units are designed to be fieldconvertible to front or back return and top,

front or back discharge.

climatemaster.com

Double wall stove pipe


Residential zoning Hart & Cooley’s Smart Home Zoning system features self-diag-nostics, uses up to four separate thermostats and can be combinedwith the company’s existing air-intake, delivery, and diffusionproducts. The system works in conjunction with the company’s

ZDCP configurable, microprocessor-based zone control panels,

which are suitable for usewith gas/electric, oil, electric,conventional, and dual-fuel

heat pumps with two stages ofcooling.

hartandcooley.com

The Frigidaire iQ Drive mod-ulating furnace can modulatebetween 15 and 100 per cent

of capacity and re-evaluatethe heating load every 60 sec-

onds. Rated at 97% AFUE, itis designed for optimal use

when paired with the company’s20 SEER/10.0 HSPF iQ Drive heat pump, which is available

in two, three and four-ton capacities.

frigidaire.net

Modulating furnace

Danfoss’ Reflect heat distribution plates are designed for installa-tion underneath wood flooring and are meant to eliminate the

need to embed heating cables in amud base. They consist of 1/2” poly-

styrene insulation covered with a1/32” aluminium plate with a spe-cial profile and can be adjusted to

curves and angles using a jigsaw.

lx.danfoss.com

Electric heat distribution plates

Gas furnaceThe 96% AFUE WGFM28 series fur-

naces from Whirlpool have a two-stage, variable-speed motor. They

range in output from 46,000 to115,000 BTUH in both stages, and

from 32,000 to 80,000 BTUH in thefirst stage. They feature a two-stagegas valve system and are equipped

with a self-diagnostic control board.

goodmanmfg.com

Coleman HVAC products, with a full lineup including:

Echelon FurnaceHighest Efficient Gas Furnace inCanada with up to 98% efficiency:

• Fully modulating in 100 stages for the ultimate in home comfort

• Multi position for any application • Only 33" high

LX Air Conditioner• TCJF Model available up to

15 SEER depending on coil matchup

• MicroChannel coil technology for smaller footprint size

• Attractive new louvered design looks great and lasts

LX FurnaceThe TM9X Furnace is a singlestage gas furnace which:

• Qualifies for ecoENERGY rebates with its high efficiency X-13 motor

• Has 95.5% efficiency rating • Matches up with the LX Series

Air Conditioner for a cost effective high quality system

Visit us at CMX-CIPHEX,booth #1031

ALSO NOW AVAILABLE

Please visit us at www.colemanac.com, or call Toll Free:

1-800-668-2389 ext. 5486

Every Moment Deserves Coleman Comfort!

Tel: (800) 639-2474www.ciph.com

Tel: (877) 273-7246www.drainbrain.com

Tel: (800) 668-2389www.colemanac.com

Tel: (416) 781-5286www.cozyheaters.com

Tel: (800) 644-9599www.grundfos.ca

Tel: (416) 444-5225www.cmxciphexshow.com

TM

Tel: (877) 314-6040www.osb.ca

Tel: (866) 690-0961www.bradfordwhite.com

Tel: (800) 387-4778www.brantradiant.com

Tel: (905) 564-9422www.taco-hvac.com

Tel: (519) 756-5760www.madok.com

Tel: (250) 545-7749www.tekmarcontrols.com

Tel: (905) 712-3030www.deltafaucet.com

Tel: (888) 325-3336www.edenenergy.com

Tel: (800) 387-9630www.mitsubishielectric.ca

Find suppliers in thisissue and sourcewebsites and phonenumbers at-a-glance. 1 Using the Tear-Out

Card, you can start orrenew your FREEsubscription.2 Visit us online at

www.mechanicalbusiness.com.3Tel: (714) 634-1844www.fieldpiece.com

THE INFO PAGE

Tel: (800) 464-6372www.goinfrared.com

Tel: (800) 688-2575www.nythermal.com

Tel: (800) 267-2231www.hrai.ca

Tel: (866) 622-0209 www.refrigerantmanagement.ca

Tel: (866) 999-2653 www.rscool.com

Tel: (800) 461-5581www.napoleonheatingandair.com

Tel: (800) 661-1795 www.novanni.ca

Tel: (888) 829-4901www.runtalnorthamerica.com

Tel: (888) 735-5475www.selkirkcorp.com

Tel: (877) 836-7772www.simenorthamerica.com

Tel: (519) 457-1904www.lifebreath.com

Tel: (416) 755-2291www.armstrongpumps.com

Tel: (800) 222-8243www.accubid.com

Tel: (800) 553-9749www.410A.com

PAGE #

79

PAGE #

61

PAGE #

49

PAGE #

61

PAGE #

53

PAGE #

41

PAGE #

87

PAGE #

76

PAGE #

13

PAGE #

47

PAGE #

86

PAGE #

55

PAGE #

7

PAGE #

30

PAGE #

17

PAGE #

76

PAGE #

12

PAGE #

8

PAGE #

14

PAGE #

93

PAGE #

71

PAGE #

32

PAGE #

35

PAGE #

85

PAGE #

68

PAGE #

67

PAGE #

43

P #

94

P #

84

PAGE #

23P #

83

PAGE #

57P #

61

PAGE #

2

Tel: (877) 780-3316www.whirlpoolcomfort.comwww.goodmanmfg.com

Tel: (866) 945-6236www.wilo-na.com

(918) 587-6649 www.topog-e.com

®

WATCO

(816) 796-3900 www.watcomfg.com

(888) 678-8711 www.thermopan.com

Tel: (800) 305-6953www.white-rodgers.com

CIPH GalaMarch 24, 2010Toronto, Ont.www.ciph.com

CMX/CIPHEXMarch 25-27, 2010Toronto, Ont.www.cmxciphexshow.com

UMRA RSES ConferenceMarch 25-28, 2010Omaha, Neb.www.rses-umra.net

K/BISApril 16-18, 2010Chicago, Ill. www.kbis.com

MEET May 5-6, 2010Moncton, N.B.www.masterpromotions.ca

RPA Annual ConferenceMay 5-8, 2010Reno, Nev.www.radiantpanelassociation.org

ORAC AGMMay 5-9, 2010Nassau, Bahamas www.orac.ca

CIPH Ontario RegionalConferenceMay 14-15, 2010Niagara Falls, Ont. www.ciph.com

CAF 2010 June 6-8, 2010 St. John’s, N.L. www.caf-fca.org

COHA Oilheat 2010 June 16-18, 2010 Charlottetown, P.E.I. www.coha.ca

Canadian Water Summit June 17, 2010 Toronto, Ont. www.watersummit.ca

CIPH ABCJune 27-30, 2010St. John’s,N.L.www.ciph.com

HRAI AGMAugust 19-21, 2010Kananaskis, Alta.www.hrai.ca

Plumbing + Hydronics ExpoSeptember 15-17, 2010Baltimore, Md. www.phexpo.com

MCAC Annual ConferenceSeptember 22-25, 2010Halifax, N.S.www.mcac.ca

14th Canadian NationalConference on DrinkingWaterOct. 30-Nov. 2, 2010Saskatoon, Sask. www.cwwa.ca

CIPHEX WestNovember 3-4, 2010Calgary, Alta.www.ciphexwest.ca

Construct CanadaDecember 1-3, 2010 Toronto, Ont. www.constructcanada.com

E V E N T SC A L E N D A R O F

2 0 1 0


If your organization has a conference, trade showor other event coming up, let Canada’s mechanical

community know about it through MechanicalBusiness’s FREE event listings. Simply send details

to [email protected],

and remember to go online towww.mechanicalbusiness.com for more

descriptive event details.

GOT AN EVENT? SPREAD THE WORD!

Tel: (719) 574-1101www.woodfordmfg.com

Tel: (905) 332-4090www.wattscanada.ca

PAGE #

21

PAGE #

61

PAGE #

81

PAGE #

33

PAGE #

59

PAGE #

28

PAGE #

96

PAGE #

75

Ratcheting adjustable wrenchMeant to combine ratchetingfunctionality with adjustability,the FatMAx Xtreme ratchetingadjustable wrench from Stanley isavailable in 8”, 10” and 12” sizes.The wrench features a chromevanadium body and a ratchetingjaw that’s laser-etched with SAEand metric scales.

stanleyworks.com

Multimeter with detachable display


The Fluke 233 remote display digital multi-meter will measure up to 1,000 volts ACand DC and up to 10A. It uses a 2.4 GHzISM band wireless transmitter to immedi-

ately send measurements to a detached dis-play, allowing the user to place the meter inthe best position to measure while viewingthe display from up to 10 metres away. It

also features a 10,000 µF capacitance range,measures frequencies to 50 kHz, and

captures min/max and average readingsautomatically.

ca.fluke.com

Using a USB receiver with a 10-metre range, the EX540 digitalmultimeter from Extech offerswireless data streaming to a lap-top or PC for datalogging orreal-time monitoring. It trans-mits over a 433 or 914 MHzfrequency and reads voltage,current, resistance, capacitance,frequency, duty cycle, continu-ity, diode testing (2.8V), andtemperature. The unit isdesigned to be waterproof andsurvive a six-foot drop.

extech.com

Multimeter

The Hot-Shot 300 from General PipeCleaners generates 325 amps of thawingpower to thaw up to 100 feet of 1-1/2" pipe.It can be pluggedinto a 115-voltreceptacle,and isequippedwith a 20-amp circuitbreaker and ther-mal overload protection.

drainbrain.com

Pipe Thawing Machine

Enterprise BidWinner Plus (Commercial Edition) andEnterprise Pro (Light Industrial Edition) softwareproducts from Accubid are designed to automate theprocess of estimating project costs for mechanical con-tractors. The programs support digitized and on-screentakeoffs. The software shares estimating data with suchpopular accounting programs as Timberline, Forefront,QuickBooks, and ComputerEase, and comes preloadedwith commercial and industrial specifications.

accubid.com

Estimating software

W RLDVIEWJeff Patchell

Our plumbing colleagues in theU.K. have been successful in call-ing on their government to intro-duce a scrappage scheme for oldboilers. The intent is to encouragethe replacement of inefficientunits with more efficient models.At the same time, the scheme is awelcome boost in the currenteconomic climate and will helpthe environment.

A petition to support the boilerscrappage scheme was set up by aproactive plumbing merchant andwas signed by thousands of Britsin the months that it was up. Itasked the government to developan incentive program for boilers,much like some of the automo-tive incentive programs thaturged consumers to replace theirolder, inefficient vehicles withnew, more efficient models.

I’m sure you will agree that one of the greatest challenges for thisindustry over the next decade is to change-over inefficient equip-ment from the installed base, so I think there is something in thisU.K. effort that the rest of the plumbing industry around theglobe can learn from and consider for its local market.

Jeff Patchell is managing directorof Connection Magazines PtyLtd. He has recently launchedwww.worldplumbinginfo.com, an online plumbing industryknowledge bank.

91

Scrapping inefficiency in the U.K.

You Canadians are really something. I’m sitting here (in Oz) about to write this tedious technical columnas Christmas Eve approaches. As luck would have it, this morning acourier guy drops off a parcel containing a Canadian hockey teamjersey for the forthcoming Winter Olympics. It has made its wayacross the Pacific from the guys of this respected industry journal,which you are reading right now.But am I really expected to pass up the loyalty for my Australian Winter Olympicteam for the sake of a hockey top? Well, as you can see in this picture, bribery works.Yes, we’re rather newcomers to these cool climate sports; in fact we don’t yet boast ahockey team for Winter Olympic purposes, but we are working on it – just like thebobsled guys from Jamaica.In spite of that, we are developing our own winter sports folklore in a somewhatimprovised way. There’s now a well known saying here: “He’s done a Bradbury!” At the Winter Olympics of 2002, our famed (and only recognized) speed skaterSteven Bradbury “deliberately” chose to hang out at the back of the field in hisevent, until everyone else had fallen over and he found himself with the gold. He pulled a Bradbury!

U.K. Boiler Ratings

Finding fans all over

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme

Target:Least efficient type of boiler (G-rated)

Solution:Offer £400 (approx. $670 Cdn) incentive tohomeowners to replace G-rated appliances with high-effi-ciency A-rated appliances

Details: Up to 125,000 households in England withworking boilers with the lowest "G" rating can apply forincentive vouchers worth £400. These can be redeemedonce the homeowner has an A-rated boiler or a renewableheating system, such as a biomass boiler or heat pump,installed. Proof of installation is required.Energy suppliers British Gas and npower have both saidthey will match the £400 rebate with an additional £400,and other energy companies may also offer additionalincentives as the scrappage scheme gains momentum.The average cost of a boiler and its installation in the U.K.is estimated to be around £2,500 ($4,200 Cdn.), accordingto industry figures.

As with the AFUE ratings used in North America, the U.K.has a boiler efficiency rating procedure based on the per-centage of fuel converted to heat. This rating is calledSEDBUK, Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in theU.K., and represents the average annual efficiencyachieved in that part of the world. SEDBUK ratings arefrom A to G, with A-rated boilers being more than 90%efficient. G-rated boilers have SEDBUK ratings of less than70% efficiency.


18 Hours per week spent online by average Canadian

50% Amount of those hours spent on social-networking

PM# 41536047Postmaster: Please send all address changes or undeliverable copies to:

Mechanical Business, 19 – 1525 Cornwall Road, Oakville, ON L6J 0B2

SOCIAL SURFING:

OPTIMISTICOUTLOOKS With a rocky 2009 behind us, a new poll from Ipsos revealsthat Canadians have a brighter business outlook for 2010.

333 Average number of squares

on a roll of toilet paper

72,000 Acres of woodland

used daily to manufacture toilet paper

GOING GREEN FOR PRODUCTIVITY

A recent study by the University of San Diego'sBurnham-Moores Center for Real Estate and CB

Richard Ellis found that people worked moreproductively after moving to green buildings.

Here’s how the results break down:

BYTHENUMBERSCompiled by Dave Bowden

$30.46 Average sale charged to Visa/Mastercard slips in 1977

$112.80 Average sale charged to Visa/Mastercard slips in 2008

270% Increase over a 31-year span

TOILET TOTALS:

FOR EVERYTHING ELSE, THERE’S A 270% INCREASE

73% People who are “optimistic” that 2010 will be a good year for creating jobs and getting back to work

67% Agree that their personal economic outlook is bright for 2010

92% Reported they were more

productive in green buildings

2.88 Fewer sick days per year

$20.82 Net increase in productivity,

per square foot occupied

THE HEART

ALWAYS USES

ENERGY

EFFICIENTLYThe heart never uses more energy

than necessary

Fighting climate change

It’s no secret that reducing energy consumption is an important step in

reducing the CO2 emissions responsible for global warming. And lower

energy consumption means lower energy bills. Choosing an ALPHA™ in

domestic applications or a MAGNA in commercial buildings saves the

earth and money at the same time.

The energy-optimized ALPHA™ is so efficient, it can operate on as little as

5 Watts. This amazingly low power consumption is always visible on the

easy-to-read real-time display, showing customers just how much energy

they are saving.

To find out just how much energy Grundfos energy-efficient circulators

could really save your customers, you can both visit us at:

poweredby.grundfos.ca

up to80%energy savings

when you use

Visit grundfos.ca/handbook to order a FREE copy of

the Grundfos Handbook. Use Promo Code: 47132K

Dynamic duo simplifies valve specification – increases valve system performance.Take the work out of valve specification with Powers’ new online valve configuration software. Log on today to configure our new HydroGuard® XP master mixing and hi/lo tempering valves – you may win a new GPS unit.

Easily configure new HydroGuard ® XP valve systems

Quickly go from design to 2D and 3D drawing downloads

Draft, revise, print, share and securely archive plans

New valves are ASSE 1017 listed and CSA B125 certified

Valves regulate outlet temperature at flows down to 1 gpm

Control at approach temperatures as low as 5°F

Sign up now for FREE use of the Configurator and your chance to win a new GPS unit!

Visit www.powerscontrols.ca

A Watts Water Technologies Company

Finally, valve configuration online!

Documents

January/February 2010