Plumbing & Mechanical and PM Engineer Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke sits down with Legionella expert Dr. Janet Stout, PhD, to discuss best practice strategies in the plumbing industry for implementing risk assessments and Water Management Programs.

The APEX Awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence. 

Appendix M of the IAPMO Uniform Plumbing Code, or the Water Demand Calculator, was integrated into the California Plumbing Code on July 1. It provides a new method for sizing water pipes in residential buildings. For Villara Corp., a leading plumbing and HVAC contractor in Northern California, it remains business as usual, having used the calculator for over five years to construct over 5,000 single-family homes.

The IDS Ultra qualifies for federal tax credits and state rebates as an Energy Star V6.1 Cold Climate-certified product.  

The improved ease of sizing these units makes it easier for customers to adopt commercial heat pump technology and allows them to take advantage of local HPWH rebates.

After working for a plumbing company who wouldn’t give him a day off, Levi Torres and his wife, Cassi Torres, decided to start their own plumbing business in 2012. The couple wanted a company that supported its employees and served every customer with professionalism and respect, and High 5 Plumbing was born.

Ever since the RPA was formed, members have taken advantage of the great benefits the alliance has to offer, such as codes and standards advocacy, a job center network, obtaining and creating valuable education, the annual Radiant Flooring Guide, newsletter subscription, discounts for IAPMO products and services, access to webinars and more. RPA members are professionals from all facets of the radiant profession, including manufacturers, installers, engineers, architects, students, apprentices and inspectors.

The luxurious Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York, was once a waterfront barrel and rope factory. This renovated structure now has 72 boutique guest rooms. As part of the update, it was important to retain the character of the original turn of the century building, which opened in 1901. In order to convert the cold, utilitarian factory space into comfortable rooms, a major mechanical update was required. By adding radiant floor heat, they were able to meet and exceed the comfort benchmark of a modern-day hotel while balancing for energy efficiency.

Smatrix Pulse is the industry’s first multizone wireless control system for both radiant heating as well as forced-air heating and cooling.

Circulating ground-temperature water in a Thermal Energy Network (TEN) provides efficient heating and cooling, reducing costs and mitigating climate change through decarbonization. The water must be kept within a specific temperature range, known as the performance zone.

Included in Interplay’s career development platform, SAM provides technicians with immediate guidance to help them gain skills faster and learn more efficiently in a more engaging manner. S

Paulozza and Desai will assume the new roles on Jan. 1, 2025.

The event also offered ASPE-accredited Continuing Education Units (CEUs), enhancing participants' knowledge and professional development.

What is the proper pressure setting for a comfort-heating steam boiler?

It was such a simple project; replace the old cast iron boiler with a new condensing boiler. You knocked it out in a few days. 

Taco Comfort Solutions has expanded its family of easy-to-use, high-efficiency ECM circulators with the addition of the 0026e.

Rheem’s ThermaForce Combi Boiler features a patented labyrinth heat exchanger.

Taco Comfort Solutions/Hydroflo VT Series vertical turbine submersible pumps provide excellent reliability and ease of installation.

Reid talks about her agency’s work as well as the 2024 presidential election.

As residential building codes and energy conservation standards continue to evolve, many are requiring proof of high quality air sealing.

 All boilers that burn hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas, propane, oil or wood produce water vapor as a byproduct of combustion.

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.

Although the market for solar thermal systems is a tiny fraction of what it once was, I still believe there are viable applications that could help in decarbonizing thermal energy systems.

Find out about piping options for retrofitting an air-to-water heat pump into an existing hydronic system.

In 1986, I installed a 1.5-ton geothermal heat pump in my home using two 500-foot horizontal HDPE earth loops. After digging a trench, I connected the loops to the pump and opted for a 2 HP swimming pool pump to fill and flush the system, as a garden hose couldn't provide the needed flow rate.

Many people look for ways to update their homes to provide a sense of comfort and connection to the outdoors. Outdoor projects are currently flourishing, as people extend their living spaces to feel closer to their natural surroundings.

As businesses and homeowners across the nation wrestle with inflation and stretching their dollars for maximum value, one area that can’t be overlooked is the heating system.

Watts Water Technologies held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April to celebrate the grand opening of its latest training center in Fort Worth, Texas. The new 250,000-square-foot facility is customized for training, administration and manufacturing, and joins five other Watts Works Learning Centers across North America.

In the United States, bidet sales have grown steadily at a year-over-year rate of 14% to 15%. According to Stephanie Ewing, director, Wholesale North America for Bemis Manufacturing Co., specifying bidets is “becoming a market need driven by market demand. The pandemic started the trend of increased consumer awareness that a solution other than toilet paper was available, as well as an increased focus on hygiene.”

A thriving plumbing business relies on a collaborative team spanning various functions. Facing challenges like labor shortages and limited resources, many contractors struggle to expand into new markets. Adding a franchise can accelerate growth, minimize risk, and unlock fresh opportunities by leveraging established systems and resources.

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

Water scarcity and quality are widespread issues in the US. Embracing sustainability is crucial to the evolution of plumbing, with tried-and-true fixtures and new advances making a healthier, more water-efficient reality possible.

Andreas Nowak dedicated 19 years of service to both Geberit and the Chicago Faucet Co., leaving a lasting impact through his visionary leadership.

Selected as one of 33 projects in the U.S., the funding will be matched by Kohler investment to support the Electric Boiler & Microgrid project at its manufacturing site in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Report says plastic substitution and environmentally friendly packaging trends should provide a tailwind for carton growth over the forecast period.

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.

Industry-wide competition celebrates greatest achievements and innovations at SuperCorrExpo.

Both attractive and sturdy, this eco-designed packaging offers robust protection while opening impactful visual possibilities. Its sleeve openings and high-quality printing area break the mold of the traditional format.

The upgrade comprises an extensive rebuild of paper machines PM2 and PM5, a new anaerobic treatment plant including an integrated cooling system, and upgrades to the pulp mill, the recycled fiber line and the energy recovery system.

It was still hot and sweaty in the midday sun just a couple of days after Labor Day in New York, and at first glance, you’d think we were out in the yard in the dead of winter.

With every new consulting client, I begin our work by asking the following: “How are you judging your staff’s performance?”

There’s an ancient proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The Keltech acquisition will also begin a new partnership between Bradford White and Bradley.

For years, environmental considerations and sustainability have influenced innovation in manufacturing, and in 2021, those factors became the driving force behind new product development.

As natural gas rates increase and the push for more sustainable energy sources intensifies, heat pump water heaters appear poised for massive growth. States such as California and Massachusetts already have regulations prohibiting or disincentivizing gas water heaters in new construction, and New York City recently enacted similar restrictions for new construction. So, are heat pump water heaters the future of the water heating market? Maybe or maybe not — but some industry experts certainly think so.

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As I write this month’s column, I’m attending Plumbing Manufacturer’s International annual Manufacturing Success conference in Louisville, Kentucky. PMI has done a great job with its programming content this year, especially with keynote presenter Andrew Winston, a corporate environmental strategist and author, who discussed how today’s companies are now expected to take a stand against the world’s social and environmental problems — and in doing so, earn a profit.

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.

Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it is proposing the first-ever national drinking water standard for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The proposal, if finalized, would regulate PFOA and PFOS as individual contaminants, and will regulate four other PFAS — PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX Chemicals — as a mixture.