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. 

An electrician walked into the equipment room to diagnose and repair an electrical problem in the school. 

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.

"According to the ASHRAE HVAC Applications Handbook, the estimated life of an air-to-air heat pump or a rooftop unit is 15 years while a boiler life expectancy is between 24-35 years, depending on the boiler type. So, you will install two heat pumps or rooftop units for every boiler. Where do you think those old units will end up?" I ask the class.

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

SunTouch ConnectPlus WarmWire Kits makes for a simple electric floor warming installation. Provide heat to warm floors and help keep bathroom, kitchen and entryway floors dry and safe.

Introducing Caleffi's New Vacu-Stop™ Vacuum Relief Valve (VRV). Available in ½” and ¾” MNPT, the Vacu-Stop is suitable for use in water and low-pressure steam services.

Charlotte Pipe’s large diameter fittings include injection-molded and fabricated fittings produced by experienced fabricators with the latest technology available.

NIBCO expands its Wrot Racer push fittings to include new configurations such as reducing and repair tees and couplings, additional sizes of male and female thread adapters, thread elbows and caps with drains.

REHAU announces the addition of CPVC and copper press adapters to their proprietary EVERLOC+ compression-sleeve fitting system.

Targeted for buildings with high repeatable room types, Uponor Kitting Services provides all essential ProPEX fittings, rings, transitions, valves, stub outs, supports, and other components in individual kits labeled by room.

Wheatland Tube's new black steel pipe coating, Ultra Z-Coat, provides enhanced protection to shield against corrosion and rough handling during transit and installation.

The Moen 5-Series eToilet delivers a comfortable and complete clean with its powerful performance all with the push of a button.

The SANICOMPACT COMFORT is a self-contained dual-flush toilet system used to install a half-bathroom up to 9 feet below the sewer line or even up to 120 feet away from a soil stack.

The Laars NeoTherm XTR condensing natural gas boiler or volume water heater is available in several MBH sizes all with Laars Linc.

The Noritz NRCB residential combination boiler allows simultaneous hot water and space heating.

Rinnai's RCB SERIES Commercial Wall-Hung Boiler is a compact building heat source that delivers reliable, energy-saving performance.

The Vitocrossal 200 CI2 is the most advanced, compact floor-standing gas condensing boiler designed for large residential and commercial applications.

Armstrong introduces Design Envelope Permanent Magnet pumps (up to 60hp), delivering 20% lower operating costs and highly accurate flow metering (+/- 5%).

The Little Giant 16G Series 1 HP grinder pump is designed for tough wastewater applications. It has a silicon carbide mechanical seal for longer life and a 1 HP motor to prevent clogging.

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

Featuring built-in intelligence and a sustainable-forward, compact design, the e-1510X Smart Pump marries the proven efficiency of the e-1510 end-suction pump with Xylem’s innovative hydrovar X Smart Motor.

Fresh off a big win in the PR category at Cannes, Matt Neale joins the podcast to talk about award-winning work and more.

Finzel digs into his own experience at agencies of all kinds and as a political aide to discuss the biggest news stories of the past week.

Jeff Hahn joins the podcast to talk about his firm’s unique Austin, Texas-based culture, surviving his own crisis and much more.

Nearly all closed-loop hydronic heating and cooling systems are supposed to be filled with water or a mixture of water and antifreeze. The only intentional air in the system is that contained in the expansion tank.

The choice between ∆T and ∆P operation of a circulator has, at times, been the subject of rather “heated” debates. It’s almost as if a few Yankee fans are disputing superior pitching or batting performance with a few Red Sox fans. There appears to be some strong opinions involved.

Many legacy hydronic heating systems use a fossil fuel boiler to supply fin-tube baseboard heat emitters in some areas of a building and lower-temperature radiant panels in other areas. 

The overall objective was to create a complete HVAC system, rather than just a heating + cooling system. The system would provide space heating, cooling, domestic hot water, and fresh air ventilation.

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.

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

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.

I’ve written many PM columns discussing how air-to-water and geothermal water-to-water heat pumps can be combined with hydronic delivery systems to deliver efficiency AND superior comfort. This combination is a great solution for many consumers.

In rural upstate New York, residents harvest trees for firewood using chainsaws and hydraulic splitters. I burn about two face cords annually in my wood stove, enjoying its warmth during winter and relying on it during power outages caused by outdated utility lines.

Flow direction is crucial in hydronic systems. Most designs have a fixed flow direction, but there are situations where reversals can occur. It's important to address these proactively to ensure smooth operations.

I attended a conference hosted by the Building Performance Association and presented on air-to-water heat pump systems. Many professionals were interested in heat pumps, especially ductless air-to-air systems. One person mentioned the difficulty of finding qualified installers for air-to-water heat pumps and noted the higher cost compared to ductless air-to-air systems.

Air-to-water heat pumps and water-to-water geothermal heat pumps provide warm water for space heating, domestic water heating, and chilled water for cooling. Switching a hydronic heat pump system from space heating to cooling and vice versa seasonally is relatively simple. The system operating mode is changed at the thermostat or a dedicated system mode switch with heat, off, and cool settings.

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 pieces of news go viral within the plumbing industry. However, every now and then, something happens that reaches far outside of our industry bubble. This was certainly the case as the tributes remembering legendary businessman Herb Kohler circulated throughout national news outlets and social media everywhere.

Kohler Co. recently introduced Sprig, a new wellness brand that elevates daily routines into premium self-care rituals. With countless breakthroughs in plumbing and a history of creating award-winning spa destinations, Kohler has used water to create transformative experiences for generations.

Over the past decade, society has been evolving. It is constantly rethinking discrimination, with growing social awareness of gender identity, differently-abled individuals and sensory sensitivity. The public restroom is one area that has come under fire during this social evolution.

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.

How is the aging population changing product design? Builders and designers have been hearing from clients that homeowners now want to age-in-place, and they also want to renovate their existing homes to accommodate various generations living under one roof. The lack of housing stock and current mortgage and interest rates have contributed to this phenomenon. This shift in living has been a boon to the renovation industry, and it has given rise to innovations and building processes that elegantly combine technology and health benefits in the service of independence for elderly or anyone with physical challenges.

The new Market District Apartments in Ohio City will be located near the historic West Side Market, the oldest operating indoor/outdoor market space in Cleveland. Currently, the 13-story development is the largest sustainable, wood-constructed building in the country. Among other facilities, the new 385-unit structure encompasses a first-floor retail space, residential suites on floors two through seven and luxury penthouse suites on the ninth floor, as well as amenity space, including a large rental hall.

RainStick Shower co-founders Alisha McFetridge and Sean McFetridge share a longtime passion for water conservation. In 2019, the two began building the North American Market’s first water circulating shower. Supply House Times Chief Editor Natalie Forster sat down with Alisha McFetridge to dive into RainStick Shower’s backstory and plans for the future.

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.

The decision to build the first CO₂-neutral ceramic production facility in Canada is a significant investment for a sustainable future for the global brand and a vital step for climate neutrality by 2045.