Government planners, taking their queues from politicians and advocacy organizations, have steered the future of energy supply away from fossil fuels and toward renewably-sourced electricity. It’s happening on every level from the feds right down to local city councils.

More and more hydronic heating and cooling systems are being designed around air-to-water and water-to-water (geothermal) heat pumps. When the heating distribution system is extensively zoned, a buffer tank is typically installed between the heat pump and that distribution system.

Last month, we discussed the role of buffer tanks in combination with air-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps that operate as “on/off” devices. The key concept was to turn the heat pump on and off based on changes in the buffer tank temperatures and not based on thermostats calling for heat.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity of visiting the Mostra Convegno Expocomfort show in Milan, Italy. It ranks right up there with the famous ISH show in Frankfurt, Germany, as a “bucket list” event for those who are passionate about hydronic heating and plumbing.

The basics of relays and switches - part one.

Hydronic-based heating and cooling systems stand ready to offer plenty of design and performance benefits. One of them is the potential for thermal storage.

There is a growing interest in adding air-to-water heat pumps to existing hydronic heating systems. While I support their use, I do not recommend replacing a perfectly good cast-iron boiler that still has a long service life.

In 2024, the North American air-to-water heat pump market saw significant expansion, with nine new offerings introduced at the January AHR show by companies new to this category. By year's end, at least 18 companies either have or plan to offer these pumps in the U.S. Read the list of these companies as of mid-2024.

A little water conservation can go a long way.

And as the second-most visited space in commercial buildings — just behind the lobby — the restroom and its water-saving fixtures can help lead the way when it comes to cutting back consumption.

Have you remodeled a bathroom recently? If so, maybe you’ve noticed problems with the toilet.
To get more specific: Is it rocking noisily when the homeowner takes a seat? Or maybe they've noticed water pooling at the base. Perhaps the flooring surrounding the toilet feels soft. Or water spots have appeared on the ceiling located directly below the toilet.

Multiple generations living together under one roof, has challenged traditional ideas about space utilization and functionality.

Joseph Cariola, a licensed plumber and operations manager at Feddon Mechanical, converted his garage into an in-law suite with a bedroom and bathroom to accommodate up to three people.

Hands-on training supported over 2,200 students in The Philippines, Mexico and Thailand.

Right-sized, on-demand packaging solutions empower companies to optimize their processes, reducing waste and minimizing their carbon footprint.

In 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration obtained commitments from manufacturers to cease sales for food contact use of grease-proofing substances that contain certain types of PFAS.

Planning ahead helps ensure you get the most out of the events you attend.

What does getting employees to “released” mean?

Everything in business is important! Not everything in business is urgent — thank heavens!

You may think you are too small to have a fleet manager, or so big you need a full-time fleet manager, and neither of those things is necessarily true.

For decades, Janet Armstrong and Lloyd Davies have lived and breathed the sustainable lifestyle. Their way of life has ties to the example set by Janet’s father, who built the first solar house in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, way back in 1978.

Time savings, cleanliness and ease of installation — there were many advantages to CRW Mechanical’s use of Viega MegaPressG recently on a large project in Virginia.

According to a Gallup study, only one in three workers in the U.S. strongly agree that they received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days. At any given company, it's not uncommon for employees to feel that their best efforts are routinely ignored.

As the water receded from Lake Mead this past year, all the major news headlines focused on the human remains it revealed. Very rarely did any mention the ecosystem in crisis as trees, fish and other aquatic creatures, birds and other species are dying out as they are left out to dry.

Many of us have heard the term, ‘The Great Resignation,’ in describing the massive amount of employee turnover the last few years. In 2021, federal data shows nearly 50 million workers left their jobs for various reasons — higher pay, new career opportunities and more. With an already strained job market in the skilled trades, employee retention is more important than ever.

Plumbing and HVAC contractors need to market themselves to potential employees just like they market to their customers.

There is a growing trend in the skilled trades, with more people turning away from the traditional four-year college path.

Who can be nominated? Any professional working in any aspect of the plumbing industry, including plumbers and pipefitters, contracting business owners, professional engineers and plumbing designers, wholesalers, manufacturers and manufacturers reps.

A ‘differentiation standard’ can help you stand out from the rest as a top contractor.

You’ve already paid for the lead, so why not extract its full value?

Sometimes, love isn’t all you need.

According to a white paper authored by venture capital firm ARD Ventures, each fleet vehicle, on average, receives between 30,000 -70,000 impressions daily. 

How’s that for a title? I’ll give you the answer right up front: Everyone!  And the best part is you don’t have to know what you’re doing; you just have to show up.

I have heating (plumbing, fire suppression, etc.) shops in New York and New Jersey. This is very much steam country, and we repair and replace steam boilers and systems all week long and have been for decades. All that is fine, but what I find incredibly odd is the polarized perception of the automatic water feeder.

Not long ago, Ray asked the Wallies who post daily on The Wall at HeatingHelp.com what advice they would give someone just starting out in this business. Here’s some of what they had to say. There’s a lot of street-smart experience here.

This article is really about putting all of the concepts in the previous articles together to come up with what will hopefully be the most significant change in thinking so far.

As we recognize the evolving landscape of employee engagement, it's clear that well-being initiatives play a crucial role in fostering this engagement. 

Confined space work is not limited to descending into compact areas, so it’s important to be prepared for safety both above and below ground.

In 2016, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) empowered miners with a new wearable device according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NIOSH researchers have documented that a continual personal dust monitor has created a 90% decrease in dangerous levels of dust for miners reducing pneumoconiosis (black lung).

From wearable safety devices to machine learning to Big Data, companies now have more tools than ever to help push safety incidents down to zero.

OXEA, part of the Oman Oil Company, is a leading chemicals manufacturer with operations around the globe. Its specialist products go towards making high-quality coatings, lubricants, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, printing inks and plastics.

Compared to 10-15 years ago, companies are safer. Whether it’s tighter regulations, more awareness, enhanced experience, technology improvements or other factors, companies are doing a better job keeping their employees safe at the workplace. However, that number has plateaued over the last couple of years—the total incident rate per 100 workers has not changed significantly since 2017.

Garney Construction trialed a new continuous monitoring smart PPE system, comprised of sensors worn on the arm of its workers and technology that collects data to signal when the worker may be headed for trouble while working in the heat.

“Let families decide” is the only reform of the DOL chapter in Project 2025 - a controversial Republican blueprint - specifically referencing job safety. This article is about youth safety, not politics. What do you think?

Exhibitor applications for A+A 2021, International Trade Fair with Congress for Safety, Security and Health at Work, are now available online at www.aplusa-online.com. The deadline for reserving exhibit space at A+A 2021 is December 1, 2020. The event will be held from October 26 – 29, 2021at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Every year, AdvisorSmith researches the most dangerous jobs in the United States based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. The list doesn’t usually vary by too much, but there are some statistics worth a second look in the current list, which uses data from 2014-2018.

Through cross-industry partnership, Blackline Collective empowers leaders with a forum to share experiences, best practices and strategies that improve worker safety, efficiency and quality

For six days, a massive ship called the Ever Given captivated the world as it remained stuck in the Suez Canal. The resulting congestion cost as much as $10 billion a day, slowing global maritime trade.

Workers are frequently the first to be exposed to the effects of climate change, and they are exposed for longer periods of time and at higher intensities than the broader population. Given this, when it comes to climate change adverse effects on workers, such as disease or injury, may be among the first indicators of the health effects of climate change on the general public. 

Whether you agree or not with the increasing ESG scrutiny on companies, your business and bottom line are in jeopardy if you are not as attentive to ESG as you are ensuring your workers and contractors are safe.