What do logging and plumbing have in common? Jon Hatch for one. After a friend told him about a plumbing apprenticeship opening 15 years ago, Jon Hatch made the jump to the plumbing industry. 

For the past 15 years, Steve Baker had a plan to start his own plumbing company. Last year, that dream was finally achieved with the opening of Gideon Plumbing in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada.

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.

After learning the trades during two tours in the Navy Seabees, Guy M. Cooper Sr. decided to start his own business — Guy M. Cooper Plumbing & Heating was founded in 1930. While the mechanical contracting firm has a long, storied history of providing high quality work and high quality jobs for all its employees, the third-generation owners Gary Cooper and Glenn Cooper decided it was time for a rebrand in 2021.

Edwards Plumbing & Heating, a third-generation contracting business, was founded back in 1948 by Charles W Edwards. Charles Edwards, a pipefitter by trade prior to WWII, became a Navy Seabee, building runways in the pacific.

It’s not often that a 27-year-old decides to start his own contracting company, but in the case of Ryan Osterkamp, that’s exactly what happened.

District systems, which have been around for centuries, provide buildings with a product created with technology beyond what an individual can either afford or apply. The primary advantage is the delivery of more cost-effective heating or cooling to the building.

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.

Integrated Dynamic Control (IDC) is a PC-based intelligent control system delivering optimized comfort and maximized efficiency by coordinating HVAC, IAQ and hydronic systems in one control.

REHAU’s EVERLOC+ R-20 manifold connectors for hydronic applications support leak-free reliability in a one-piece assembly including an EVERLOC+ insert with a pre-installed O-ring and swivel nut.

The new USB-Connect smartphone app streamlines installation, service and troubleshooting for condensing and combi-boilers.

Within the halls of our recent meetings, the RPA community witnessed a defining moment. Committees were not just formed; they were crafted as engines of change.

MrPEX’s Integrated Dynamic Control (IDC) is a PC-based intelligent control system which delivers optimized comfort and maximized efficiency.

A home in New Hampshire offers a glimpse of how the landscape might be changing within the next decade.

Viega’s Hydronic Mixing Block is a mixing device and boiler control with a built-in circulator and microcontroller.

When Jason Gaspard, owner and project manager at Select Mechanical Services, was looking to finish the basement of his Maple Grove, Minnesota-based home, he knew he wanted radiant heating in the space.

In 2024, the RPA held educational sessions at the ASHRAE/AHR Expo in Chicago, welcoming new members and setting goals to advance the radiant and hydronics industry.

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

In a radiant heating and cooling system, water circulates through PEX pipes in the concrete slab to control the slab's temperature for heating or cooling.

Matt Millard, owner of Performance Mechanical in Edgartown, Massachusetts, loves to experiment with new technologies. Recently, Millard wanted to step up to hydronic radiant heating for his own home addition using an air-to-water heat pump.

In 1988, Holland, Michigan’s downtown needed revitalization. Merchants were leaving for a nearby indoor mall. Local industrialist Ed Prince proposed installing a snow-melt system for the streets and sidewalks after seeing a similar system in Europe.

000
WTPZ64 KNHC 231124
TCUEP4

Hurricane Roslyn Tropical Cyclone Update
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL EP192022
520 AM MDT Sun Oct 23 2022

...ROSLYN MAKES LANDFALL IN WEST-CENTRAL MEXICO...

Satellite imagery indicates that Roslyn has made landfall in
west-central mainland Mexico near Santa Cruz in northern Nayarit
around 520 AM MDT (1120 UTC). The maximum sustained winds are
estimated to be 120 mph (195 km/h), and the minimum central pressure
is estimated to be 960 mb (28.35 inches).

SUMMARY OF 520 AM MDT...1120 UTC...INFORMATION
---------------------------------------------------
LOCATION...22.0N 105.6W
ABOUT 55 MI...90 KM NW OF TEPIC MEXICO
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...120 MPH...195 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 25 DEGREES AT 16 MPH...26 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...960 MB...28.35 INCHES

$$
Forecaster Bucci/Brown

The event’s more than 100 technical sessions will showcase on eight conference tracks will offer emerging approaches to building design, construction and operation.

Hiller announced a five-year partnership with The University of Alabama’s Athletic Department and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing.

Key actions at the plant in Hutchinson included focusing on electricity consumption, energy efficiency and the use of green electricity since 2021. These measures have reduced the site’s emissions by about 94% as compared to the baseline year 2019. 

Attendees gathered to learn and engage with the industry at PHCC CONNECT 2024.

Giglio is a dedicated member of PHCC of Louisiana’s leadership, currently serving as president-elect after more than a decade of work on the chapter’s Board of Directors

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

The donation, presented at WHVACR's 21st Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas, includes $50,000 to be awarded in 2024 and an additional $50,000 in 2025. 

 All entries are reviewed and selected by a panel of third-party judges made up of distinguished ASHRAE members. Evaluations are based on overall innovative design, creativity of the product or service offered, product or technology real-world application, as well as overall potential market impact.

Applicants must be plumbing or HVAC apprentices or trade school students, or college students pursuing studies directly related to the plumbing-heating-cooling industry.

Xylem, in conjunction with its Goulds Water Technology brand, is engaged in regular water well initiatives to provide secure water access to rural areas, striving to increase public awareness of the challenges surrounding lack of water access.

This year, High 5 pLUMBING ranked No. 7 in the small business category.

Initially, Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling & Plumbing was only offering plumbing services to homes as far north as Springboro from their Cincinnati office, but now they are hiring Dayton-based plumbers to serve the entire Miami Valley for water heater service, plumbing repairs, water softeners and water quality service, and more from their Dayton location. Initially, Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling & Plumbing was only offering plumbing services to homes as far north as Springboro from their Cincinnati office, but now they are hiring Dayton-based plumbers to serve the entire Miami Valley for water heater service, plumbing repairs, water softeners and water quality service, and more from their Dayton location. 

These changes will unify the Conformity Assessment Group, merging testing and certification services under one roof to provide consistent, gold standard- level customer service across all departments and all office locations.

The award is presented every two years to a nominee with attributes including technical mastery and a passion for hydronic technologies, demonstrated leadership as an educator and mentor, and an aptitude for cultivating fundraising opportunities for industry causes.

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

 The 71st Annual Meeting of the Membership will be held as part of the PMI25 Manufacturing Success Conference from Nov. 3-6, 2025, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. 

On Nov. 7, Fluidmaster acquired the assets of Haron International Pty Ltd based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Correctly set controls ensure proper boiler operation.

It’s important to always be mentally present at every service call.

My technical boiler books all use the “lessons learned” theme, and the following are the lessons I have learned about boiler water treatment.

When I look at any replacement hydronic boiler project, my tenet is always to assume the existing system is installed improperly. I like to pretend I am a famous detective, such as Sherlock Holmes, and my job is to uncover the hidden mistakes.

The owner asked for a bid to replace her 35-year-old cast iron boiler which was still operating. She had two requirements: Redundancy in the event of a boiler malfunction and lower fuel costs for the building.

When troubleshooting a hydronic system, the piping layout is often confusing. To understand the system, I sometimes sketch the piping to help me visualize the flow of water. 

Troubleshooting hydronic systems can be challenging, as the pipes are hidden behind walls. Your imagination has to help you “see” the routing of the piping. 

On the older hydronic systems, replacing the existing boiler with a new one was pretty straightforward. The installer connected the new boiler to the existing flue, piping and electric. The newer high-efficiency boilers are much different and require some additional planning.

The students in the dormitory started complaining of headaches and nausea. When the number of students with the same symptoms kept rising, the administration knew something was wrong. The maintenance department dispatched a service technician to investigate.

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