The Sofitel Quiberon resort in France offers thalassotherapy treatments using the power of the ocean to heal, with the help of sophisticated technology and corrosion-free valves from GF Piping Systems.

When property owners need restroom or kitchen facilities in areas without existing plumbing, they often face the challenge of expensive and disruptive work to create below-floor drainage that usually requires breaking through concrete, which is messy, noisy, and costly. This high cost may lead clients to reconsider their projects altogether. For trade professionals, navigating concrete obstacles is just another day at the office. Yet, for others, it might be less welcome.

Every now and then I talk with a plumber who gripes about manufacturer ads in the trade press. Usually, the plumber believes the money could be better spent elsewhere, such as consumer advertising to make it easier for the plumber to sell the manufacturer’s products. Here are seven reasons why manufacturers advertise in the trade press.

Scalding remains a hidden danger lurking in homes across the United States, particularly impacting the vulnerable. The plumber can avoid the unintended consequences of simply lowering water temperatures.

The IAPMO Water Demand Calculator has faced challenges due to exclusions from its documentation and calculations, causing difficulties for engineers in luxury apartment buildings.

We all know about pricing, right? Hopefully, we know the difference between markup and margin. We know how to calculate break even. Here are eight things you should know about the psychology of pricing.

In order to achieve a more environmentally friendly footprint for its new education and research campus in Narre Warren, Australia, IAPMO and the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) chose one technology rooted quite literally in the earth.

An installer is asked to pipe up two larger commercial air handlers supplied by a dual boiler setup. 

A heating designer is asked to create a three zone radiant floor heating system using a 5-ton (60,000 Btu/h) geothermal heat pump as the primary heat source, and a mod/con boiler as the auxiliary heat source. 

An installer recently read about the benefits of piping a buffer tank in a “2-pipe” configuration.  

Figure 1 shows the piping layout for an actual installation. It uses two boilers, fired in stages, to supply three areas of a building. 

An installer is asked to connect a single speed geothermal water-to-water heat pump to a highly-zoned low temperature hydronic distribution system.

According to the United Nations, 2019 was the second warmest year on record at the end of the warmest decade (2010-2019) ever recorded.

There’s a saying in the environmental health and safety industry: “There are no accidents.” Basically, the idea is this that all accidents can be avoided.

Water is the life-blood of hydronic systems. Just as we strive to maintain the health of our own circulatory systems, it’s important to maintain the health of the water-based solutions that circulate through the hydronic systems we construct and maintain.

The age-old question of function versus form has confounded experts in every field for countless decades.

Jeff Sweenor, president and CEO of Sweenor Builders in Wakefield, Rhode Island, looks at it differently. He asks, why not both? Function certainly comes first, but when the dust settles, his projects look as good as they work.

Business lessons are everywhere. I’ve long been a student of the game of life, and one of my biggest curriculums of education is business. Due to the rapid changing landscape and structures of the plumbing and mechanical industries, we all have a lot to learn. The lessons exist regardless of the size, location or current structure of your business. 

At the end of the day, if you want your business to be truly successful, you need to look after your people — that means giving them the tools to succeed, the resources they need to perform and a clear vision of where they’re going.

For business leaders in the plumbing contracting industry, it is crucial to understand that problems always hold solutions. Instead of shying away from them or seeking ways to avoid bumpy roads and obstacles, we should embrace challenges.

The challenge for most of us can be identifying how we foster an abundance mindset—a key ingredient to achieving success—in our daily lives and workplace cultures.

By diligently delineating well-structured goals and objectives for the upcoming year, you can guide your enterprise toward a path of unmatched growth and prosperity.

Regardless of how long you’ve been in the trades, I’m sure you know how important learning is to your journey. Let’s take a deeper look.

The skilled trades industry is booming, and a new generation of passionate individuals is eager to join the workforce. Let's support and guide them to become the leaders of tomorrow. With my optimism and ideas, we can pave the way to their success. So, let's dive in and explore these ideas together!

Succession is a crucial phase for leaders. Proper planning and strategy can make it the best decision for the company.

Processes are the third component of our success strategy — organizational charts, scorecards, and processes. Two months ago, I began a three-part series to focus on each of them. This month, we are going to bring that strategy full circle by discussing processes.

As I write this, I cannot believe next week is Thanksgiving, and after that, just a few short weeks left until Christmas. 

Check out the ways in which these companies are getting involved, making changes and learn how you can too.

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.

Education enhanced my earning potential. I became a more skilled technician, gained knowledge about new and emerging technologies, and became a much more valuable asset to my employers. Throughout my journey, I met numerous mentors in various aspects of the PHVAC trades and established insider contacts that proved to be invaluable.

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

Darrell Jones found himself in quite a pickle back in 1986. At the time, Jones was working for close friend and mentor Louie Garner at Garner’s contracting business.

Stuart’s Plumbing has been a family business for more than 28 years. The company was established in 1990 by the late Stuart Baldick Jr. But after 10 years of owning the franchise, he decided to branch out and establish his own brand.

Maloney Plumbing was founded by William “Duke” Maloney and his wife, Mary Maloney, in May 1964 after the couple gave up farming in Idaho to move to Phoenix.

When Brooklyn, New York, native Yuda Best turned 28, he moved to Miami and opened his own plumbing business. Now, two years later, Oasis Plumbing going strong.

“Don’t call the average Joe, call NixCo.”

After returning from Vietnam, Paul A. Campione Jr., a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, came home to his wife and worked many odd jobs until he got into the plumbing industry.

U.S. Navy Veteran Brian Beltz got his start in the trades during his service as an interior communications electrician stationed on the destroyer, the USS John Hancock.

David Sparling started working for his father’s plumbing company in 1979. By the time Sparling took over the small family business, known as Sparling Plumbing, he decided he needed to start fresh. So he folded Sparling Plumbing and founded Safari Plumbing in 2006.

As a third generation plumber, Eric Carter has been around the plumbing industry his entire life.

Founded in 1961, Herman’s Plumbing has the distinction of being a thriving third-generation family-run business. 

Growing up around the plumbing industry and watching their father, Bob Ray as he worked endless hours diligently growing his business, made the opportunity to purchase Atlas Plumbing for brother and sister, Rod and Sunshine Ray even more special. 

Ricci Hancock helps manage and run his father’s plumbing, heating and AC full service and repair business.

Named after a local mountain and using the colors of the state’s only four year university, Aspen Mountain Plumbing’s trucks remind all the locals of home. 

A third generation plumber, Mitch Kenney started out working at his father’s company in Colorado, then branched out and tried a couple different entrepreneurial opportunities. 

Being an avid surfer in a community that revolves around the beach and ocean, Josh Martin, president and owner, knew “Seaside Plumbing” would be the perfect name for his company.

“Anything worth doing is worth doing right.”

That’s the slogan of Pataskala, Ohio-based Crawford Mechanical Services (CMS). 

People join the trades for many reasons, family business, a desire for little to no school debt, etc. 

At age 62, Paul Cleary has been in the trades for 44 years. He went to vocational school in Connecticut and then joined the union after high school. 

Patrick Jorge Besinga, president/CEO of Works Plumbing, and his wife, Margaret Besinga, vice president/COO, grew up in the Philippines, and both hold a college degree in business and marketing.