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Truck of the Month: A dream realized

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.




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Truck of the Month: Air high fives for the win

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.




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Truck of the Month: A modern facelift

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.




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Truck of the Month: The American dream

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.




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Truck of the Month: Bright, colorful and memorable

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.




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Retrofitting radiant in residential

With homes now doing dual duty as both a residence and a workplace, many people are spending double the time in the same space. This lifestyle shift has launched a home-renovation trend for people who are looking to change their current living spaces to better align with the needs of life and work in one place.




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Hugo Aguilar: What's on the horizon for the Radiant Professionals Alliance

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.




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Radiant retrofit transforms factory into luxury hotel

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.




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REHAU manifold connectors

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.




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SunTouch electric floor warming kits

SunTouch ConnectPlus WarmWire Kits provide heat to warm floors and help keep bathroom, kitchen and entry way floors dry and safe.




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Steering clear of snow

The first snowflakes hit the ground in Park City, Utah, in late October, before a single peanut butter cup hit the bottom of the Halloween bag. The first snow of the 2022 season dumped 10 inches of fresh powder on the town on Oct. 23, giving skiers and winter sports enthusiasts an early start to their activities.




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The underground movement toward radiant cooling and future-proof building

Radiant heating and cooling systems are not new to the North American market, but there’s a strong trend toward incorporating both, especially for tightly controlled environments such as commercial spaces.




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A radiant revolution: Innovations illuminating the future of hydronics

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.




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Contractor gains multiple benefits installing radiant in his own home

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.




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MrPEX announces radiant foam panels

Save time and money with easy-to-install panels that seamlessly integrate into any radiant flooring system.




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Uponor announces multizone wireless control system for radiant heating and cooling

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




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Ecowarm announces insulated radiant floor panels

Ecowarm RadiantBoard EPS Premium Ply Panels are integrated with EPS foam and available in standard R-2.7 or R-5.6 models for use over concrete and over under-insulated subfloors.




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Thermal Energy Networks for HVAC&W

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.




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Eastern Pacific Hurricane Roslyn Tropical Cyclone Update


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





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2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference Technical Program to feature AI, IoT, Climate Technology and more

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




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Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical partners with University of Alabama as the official plumbing & HVAC provider of the Crimson Tide

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




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Plumbing industry rallies to help following recent hurricane disasters

The East Coast has suffered severe damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, leading to extensive destruction, fatalities, and power outages. These hurricanes highlight the impact of climate change on storm severity, driven by warmer Atlantic waters. This situation underscores the urgent need for the PHCP-PVF industry to adapt to the challenges of increasingly intense storms.






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GF Building Flow Solutions reaches carbon neutrality in Minnesota and Germany

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. 




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PHCC’s CONNECT delivers a successful conference experience in Birmingham

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




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PHCC awards its highest honor to Keith Bienvenu of Louisiana




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PHCC names Plumbing, HVAC Apprentices of the Year

Andrew Wilson and Alex Phrommany were honored as the 2024 Plumbing Apprentice of the Year and HVAC Apprentice of the Year, respectively. 




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NSF opens advanced Water Testing Laboratory in Germany

This facility marks NSF's first laboratory within continental Europe, offering in-house certification testing for NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 (Drinking Water Chemicals – Health Effects) and NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 (Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects) standards.




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PHCC’s Plumbing Contractor of the Year Awarded to Vincent “Trey” Giglio III of Louisiana

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




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IACET names Interplay Learning’s AI-powered mentor for skilled trades a Top Tech Innovation of 2024

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




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Michael Carter of Virginia named PHCC’s Plumbing Instructor of the Year

For the past five years, Carter has been fulfilling his dream as an instructor at Gar-Field and currently has 80 students enrolled as first- and second-year students. 




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55 students awarded $129,000 in scholarships through the PHCC Educational Foundation

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




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Arizona family receives new water well and pump courtesy of HometownH2O collaboration

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.




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High 5 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric honored as one of Denver’s fast-growing businesses

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




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ICC-ES strengthens organizational structure to unify leadership of Testing and Certification Services

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.




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Viega appoints a new leader for Canada

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




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Caleffi to host Carlson-Holohan Industry Award of Excellence presentation at 2025 AHR Expo

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.




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Watts, Bradley co-sponsor Harry Warren networking and educational event for engineers in Orlando

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




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Neoperl's Belinda Wise elected president of Plumbing Manufacturers International’s 2025 Board of Directors

 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. 




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Fluidmaster acquires Australia-based Haron International

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




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RectorSeal acquires PF WaterWorks

n addition to supporting established customer partnerships in retail channels, RectorSeal will add the PF WaterWorks product line to its plumbing wholesale channel, building on its brand-preferred retail presence. 




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Why is the relief valve leaking?

Not maintaining this valve could destroy the heating system.




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Ray Wohlfarth: Understanding boiler controls

Correctly set controls ensure proper boiler operation.




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Ray Wohlfarth: Farewell, Bill

Saying goodbye to an industry legend.




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Ray Wohlfarth: A dangerous situation

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




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Ray Wohlfarth: 6 lessons learned about boiler water treatment

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




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Ray Wohlfarth: The case for 2 psig

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




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Ray Wohlfarth: Troubleshooting hydronics

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.




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Ray Wohlfarth: Consider a hybrid heating system

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.




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Ray Wholfarth: Boiler room detective

Sherlock Holmes has always been one of my favorite fictional characters. I envied how he would notice each detail and use every one of his senses to solve the crime. 




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Ray Wohlfarth: Troubleshooting hydronic systems

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.