Plumbing & Mechanical articles from November 2006

Plumbing & Mechanical archives from November 2006

Wright wrong.(Letters TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I just finished readingDanHolohan's column on Taliesin in the September issue ("Feeling Taliesin"). It brought back memories of when I was in private practice in Iowa a number of years ago. I had the opportunity to work on the heating system of...

Diverse country.(Letters TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... Ellen Rohr is to be commended for studying Spanish, which she mentions in her June column ("Down With Debt"). I did, in high school, long ago, and still remember a little, which at times comes in handy for communication and for simply being...

No free lunch.(Letters TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I read the article in the September issue on recirculation systems ("Why Wait For Water To Get Hot?"). I also happen to have installed one of these devices in my own home and it does work. But realistically, the savings in water may be offset...

Sensitive subject.(Letters TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I want to thank you for the article "Life After Katrina" (September 2006). The article [was] sensitive, comprehensive and amazingly accurate. Even though I've lived the recovery, I still learned a great deal from your work. It is an eye-opener...

California lead bill becomes law.(Around THE INDUSTRY)
November 1, 2006... California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law legislation that will reduce the amount of lead found in faucets, fittings, piping and other common plumbing parts installed and repaired throughout the state to just 0.25 percent, a...

EMCOR buys S.A. Comunale.(Around THE INDUSTRY)
November 1, 2006... EMCOR Group (Norwalk, Conn.) recently bought Akron, Ohio-based S.A. Comunale, a privately held fire protection and mechanical contracting company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. S.A. Comunale will become a subsidiary of EMCOR,...

New trade group to promote 'green' mechanical practices.(Around THE INDUSTRY)
November 1, 2006... The Green Mechanical Council was launched last month to promote energy-saving, sustainable practices in the mechanical room, an important area that's been largely ignored by the green movement. "The USGBC's LEED program is a great success,"...

ISH Frankfurt to feature renewable energies.(Around THE INDUSTRY)
November 1, 2006... ISH North America show organizer Messe Frankfurt held a press conference to talk about the upcoming ISH Frankfurt, which will open in Germany March 6-10 of next year. Iris Jeglitza-Moshage, Messe Frankfurt vice president of technical fairs,...

Marketing tactics for subcontractors: perseverance, deliberate strategies and plenty of communication are the closest friends of the subcontractor sales representative.(Fire PROTECTION)
November 1, 2006... Pricing, and the subsequent selling, of fire protection systems has no set form or style. Depending on the complexity of the project, the dollar amounts contained in estimates can be wildly erratic. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION...

Building wealth for retirement: you need an asset-building mentality in order to acquire the wealth you need to retire.(Business TIPS)
November 1, 2006... Last month's focus was on the need to build your retirement program. If you don't have a program in place, the time to begin is now. Setting up a retirement program involves proper planning and several decisions, but more importantly, you need...

Jacuzzi Brands sold to private equity firm.(Vendor & Supplier NEWS)
November 1, 2006... Affiliates of private equity firm Apollo Management L.P. will purchase Jacuzzi Brands for $12.50 per share in cash. The transaction will have a total value of $1.25 billion, which includes the assumption of nearly $260 million in outstanding...

Red-White opens new distribution center.(Vendor & Supplier NEWS)(Red-White Valve Corp.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Red-White Valve recently opened its new distribution center in Hermitage, Pa. The state-of-the-art warehouse will mirror the company's distribution center in Southern California. It will help reduce lead time and supply Red-White products in...

Uponor, Wrightsoft win software award.(Vendor & Supplier NEWS)
November 1, 2006... Wrightsoft, in partnership with Uponor, was selected by an independent panel of 45 contractors to receive a gold medal in the Dealer Design Awards for the innovative design of the Uponor System Design Software. Built upon Wrightsoft's...

Elkay.(On The Move)(Bill Blaine to resign)(Pat Mulvey promoted )(Mike Purcell promoted to a national account manager)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Bill Blaine, senior vice president of sales at Elkay, will retire Jan. 15, 2007, after 12 years with the company. He joined the company as vice president of sales in 1995. In other news, Elkay's Plumbing Products Division announced a new...

Moen.(On The Move)
November 1, 2006... Moen appointed David B. Lingafelter as president of its U.S. faucet businesses. He will assume responsibility for the company's residential and commercial faucet businesses. Most recently, he was vice president and general manager of Moen's...

Rheem Water Heating Division.(On The Move)
November 1, 2006... Craig Breese was named president of Rheem Water Heating Division, replacing Simon Parfitt, who has been promoted to vice president-finance for parent corporation Rheem Manufacturing Co. Breese had been serving as president of Maytag...

Heat Transfer Products.(On The Move)
November 1, 2006... David Martin was named president of Heat Transfer Products. He formerly worked 16 years with the Rheem Water Heating Division, most recently as vice president, marketing.

American Standard.(On The Move)(American Standard Co. appoints Dale Elliott, Donald Devine and Richard Ward)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... American Standard announced the appointments of Dale Elliott as president of its global Bath and Kitchen business and Donald Devine as president of the Americas region. In addition, Richard Ward, vice president and general manager of Bath and...

Uponor.(On The Move)(Uponor Group appoints Anders Tollsten and Joel Culp)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Uponor announced that Anders Tollsten will replace Jim Bjork as Uponor North America's executive vice president. Tollsten previously served as executive vice president of the Uponor Nordic region. Bjork resigned a few months ago. The company...

A.O. Smith Water Products Co.(On The Move)
November 1, 2006... A.O. Smith Water Products Co. named Paul Dana vice president-global product engineering. He was previously the plant manager of A.O. Smith's operations in Juarez, Mexico.

Chicago Faucets.(On The Move)
November 1, 2006... Matthew P. Hurley is Chicago Faucets' new vice president of commercial sales. He has 20 years of plumbing and HVAC experience, most recently with Anvil International and Watts Water Technologies.

Viega.(Vendor & Supplier NEWS)(Viega Pro-Press)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Viega's first North American Educational Facility recently opened in Nashua, N.H. Industry partners, city officials and Viega personnel gathered to celebrate the official opening of the 16,000-sq.-ft. building. It is equipped with a computer...

MCAA to introduce 'Green 101'.(Briefs)(Mechanical Contractors Association of America)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Mechanical Contractors Association of America will unveil its "Green 101" course at its annual conference, Feb. 25-March 1, 2007, in Orlando. The course is part of the National Education Initiative and will focus on the basics of what it...

Consumer demand growing for green building.(Briefs)
November 1, 2006... Green building programs are being launched all over the country as homebuyers look for ways to be energy-efficient and water-thrifty. Programs based on the National Association of Home Builders' Model Green Home Building Guidelines are going...

California to adopt IAPMO codes.(Briefs)(International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... California intends to adopt the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials' 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code and 2006 Uniform Mechanical Code. Government subcommittees are currently drafting state-specific amendments to the codes...

Money Masters: Nov. 17-18.(Briefs)
November 1, 2006... Nexstar's next Money Masters seminar is Nov. 17-18 in New Orleans. Part of the seminar will be a tour of service contractor Stuart Services, where attendees will have an opportunity to see how this company has grown, despite Hurricane Katrina....

Canada forms first mechanical contracting student chapter.(Briefs)
November 1, 2006... Canada's first student chapter was formed at the University of Ottawa--the Mechanical Engineering Contracting Chapter. It is sponsored by the MCA of Ottawa. Contact General Manager Bob Martel at mcaottwa@on.aibn.com for more information.

Basset Mechanical.(People On The Move)
November 1, 2006... Basset Mechanical (Kaukauna, Wis.) hired Mark Grassman as general manager of its fabrication department. Before joining Bassett, he held various engineering and project management positions.

Contractors Mechanical.(People On The Move)
November 1, 2006... Mike Lozier joined Contractors Mechanical (Richland, Mich.) as vice president of business development. He has a Master's License and more than 30 years of industry experience.

Nexstar.(People On The Move)
November 1, 2006... Nexstar appointed Jack Tester as business coach for the group's member companies. Tester was a founding executive director of Nexstar (then Contractors 2000) from 1992 to 1998. Most recently he was vice president of the American Residential...

National Environmental Balancing Bureau.(People On The Move)
November 1, 2006... Michelle Dupray joined the National Environmental Balancing Bureau as its new marketing and communications coordinator. Previously, she worked for a Tucson ad agency.

Hussung Mechanical awarded BBB Torch Award.(Briefs)(Hussung Mechanical Contractors)(Better Business Bureau 2006 Torch Award)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Hussung Mechanical Contractors of Louisville, Ky., received the Better Business Bureau 2006 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics (for a medium business). The BBB Torch Awards recognize companies and charities that are the foundation of free...

Have you ever refused a bid?(HEATINGHELP.COM)(managing a plumbing contracts)
November 1, 2006... Original inquiry: Ever refuse to bid a project? I just did. Mark H Replies: Been there, done that... on more than one occasion, Mark! There are a variety of reasons for "declining" to quote a job, none of which I'll go into, as they...

Fewer bridges to cross: alternatives to parallel primary loops.(Hydronics WORKSHOP)(primary/secondary piping)
November 1, 2006... Virtually everyone working in the North American hydronic heating industry has heard of primary/secondary (P/S) piping. Many now use it as a routine "backbone" for their system designs. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The most widely used form...

Plenty of capacity?(RADIANT & HYDRONICS E-NEWS)
November 1, 2006... Are You An Ace Troubleshooter? John Siegenthaler, P.E., has been challenging heating professionals to take a closer look at how radiant and hydronic systems should be designed to fit today's efficiency-minded world. His Web site,...

Radiant on display: a contractor designs a radiant showroom and gets results.(Harris-Dudley)
November 1, 2006... When Harris-Dudley Plumbing and Heating in Salt Lake City broke ground on its new 19,000-sq.-ft. headquarters, it was planned from the get-go with radiant in mind: Home base would now include the company's showroom. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Center of attention: getting quality service calls from the Internet is easy.
November 1, 2006... Most service plumbing companies today know they need to be on the Internet. How to get found is a different story. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The same phone book companies that tried to convince you that you have to stay in the phone book...

PM water heater survey: survey reveals buying habits and trends for delivering hot water.
November 1, 2006... How many tank water heaters do contractors install a year? What influences their purchasing decisions? And what's going on with tankless water heaters? Those were just a few of the questions on our minds when we sent an extensive survey...

Network '06, ISH North America: contractors, wholesalers, manufacturers converge on Chicago for education and product knowledge.(AN OVERVIEW)
November 1, 2006... With more than 550 exhibitors--about 180 first-timers--ISH North America got underway in Chicago Sept. 28-30. Nearly 11,000 registrants attended various seminars and cruised the show floor, which was broken up into HVAC/radiant,...

Challenges in commercial kitchens: commercial kitchens should be independently considered when it comes to drainage pipe sizing.(Plumbing PRIMER)
November 1, 2006... Commercial kitchens can have some of the most complex plumbing installations in a relatively small area. By the time a plumbing contractor has received the plans for a commercial kitchen, there has been a lot of discussion and coordination...

Threads: when things fit together, why do they sometimes leak?(Hydronic CONTROLS)(National Pipe Tapered)
November 1, 2006... How much have you thought about the threads on the controls you work with? I was in a test lab recently, and the engineer, Joe Beagen, was pointing out that there are NPT threads on an air eliminator. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Wait a...

When bigger is not better: there are many pitfalls when going after large dollar volume.(Managing YOUR BUSINESS)(Viewpoint essay)
November 1, 2006... I've known large companies that looked successful because they have loads of staff and a bunch of trucks. But if you looked behind the curtain, it might surprise you that many are not so big and powerful as they appear. [ILLUSTRATION...

Piecework: a nightmare or a dream come true? The negatives are really positives when it comes to offering piecework as an option.(Practical MANAGEMENT)
November 1, 2006... When I recommend using piecework to help with the skilled labor shortage, I'm always amazed at the number of reasons contractors claim it won't work: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Employees are in a hurry to get...

Penny-wise.(FIRST PLACE)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... Everyone hates pennies. That is, everyone but me. I have found a great use for the much-maligned penny. When I set a toilet on a tile floor, and the toilet doesn't sit solid after dry fit (which it never does), I use pennies as shims. I have...

Two tips.(tool tips)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... No 1: For those shower valve cartridges and faucets where the o-rings just don't want to stay in place till you get it in the valve, try a little toothpaste. I keep a small tube in my faucet kit. It's sticky, and will hold the o-rings in place...

Flushing water lines.(tool tips)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... You can save time and avoid damaged faucets by flushing water lines before the final start-up and testing of your installation. Simply make an adapter that fits into the compression outlet of the supply stop. Attach this adapter to a washing...

Send us your tool tips.(tool tips)
November 1, 2006... If you have an idea that has saved you time and money, Plumbing & Mechanical would like to share your tip with our readers. You can e-mail your idea directly to PM editor Steve Smith at smiths@bnpmedia.com, or mail it to him c/o PM, 1050 IL...

Sensor-Operated Faucet.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Sensor-Operated Faucet: Sloan Valve Co's Optima[R] Lino[TM] faucet is the latest in the company's line of sensor-operated, water-saving plumbing fixtures. The chrome-plated, die-cast metal faucets feature single-hole European styling and fit a...

Victorian Faucet.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Victorian Faucet: The KB716AL Victorian 8-inch High Arc kitchen faucet from Kingston Brass features solid brass waterway construction, 2.2 gpm at 60 psi, and quarter-turn washerless cartridges. Plastic side sprayer included. [ILLUSTRATION...

Transitional Styling.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Transitional Styling: Watermark Design makes faucet choices simple with its new transitional line of faucets and bathroom accessories. The versatile style incorporates elements from across the design spectrum into a single finished look,...

Looks Commercial.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Looks Commercial: Commercial-grade appliances and accessories continue to rave in U.S. homes. Danze has added a pre-rinse faucet to its kitchen offering. The Parma Single Handle Pre-Rinse Faucet stands 23 inches tall and is ideal for rinsing...

Hydronic Controls.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Hydronic Controls: Honeywell's new Aquatrol AQ2000 Series of hydronic controls is designed to significantly reduce installation time and simplify the control of hydronic heating systems. They come ready-to-use and preprogrammed with the most...

Water/Energy Saving Brochure.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Water/Energy Saving Brochure: Save water and energy--without sacrificing comfort. Using low-flow faucet aerators or reducing flow in showerheads are the most affordable components of a water conservation program for multiunit housing,...

Press Tool.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Press Tool: The new lightweight, cordless Pressliner model of the ROMAX Press Tool Line from Rothenberger is a leak-proof connector with a controlled, fully automatic pressing cycle. For use with copper and brass press fittings up to 2 inches...

Leak-Free Connection.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Leak-Free Connection: BrassCraft's SureConnect[TM] system for water supply connections adds speed, reliability and profits to plumbing with its preformed stub-out and proprietary end form. The patented lockable housing allows plumbers to see,...

Power-Vent Gas Water Heater.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Power-Vent Gas Water Heater: State Industries Inc. offers the new Select[R] Power-Vent gas water heater with C3 Technology[R]. The C3 (Corderite Combustion Containment) system is designed to meet the ANSI standard for FVIR. The units include...

Hands-free Activation.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Hands-free Activation: Moen Commercial's FreeHand[TM] electronic sensor faucets feature hands-free activation. Ideal for commercial settings and designed to offer hygienic and cost-effective faucet solutions. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Self-Righting Work Light.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Self-Righting Work Light: Wobble Light Jr.[TM] by Petersen Brands LLC is a more portable model of the popular Wobble Light[R] 360-degree, self-righting work light. Provides a safe and convenient answer for tradesmen seeking to replace more...

Air Eliminators.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Air Eliminators: Spirotherm manufactures air eliminators for vertical installation in light commercial and residential hydronic systems. A patented coalescing medium scrubs out 100 percent of the free air, 100 percent of the entrained air, and...

Replacement Flappers.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Replacement Flappers: Lavelle Industries' 3-inch replacement flappers and seals are made from Lavelle's premium red Chlorazone[R] rubber, the same material used in the company's best-selling Korky[R] Plus Flapper. Chlorazone rubber withstands...

Interactive Catalog.(PRODUCT FOCUS: FAUCETS)
November 1, 2006... Interactive Catalog: Ridge Tool Co. recently introduced its new, full-line product catalog, which includes new products and additional reader-friendly features to help customers choose product. The 208-page catalog includes a variety of new...

Those illegals we can't live without: mistakes don't just happen. They arise from communication breakdowns.(Editorial OPINION)
November 1, 2006... One viewpoint scorns them as illegal aliens mocking our national laws. The other side sees an indispensable workforce, 11 or 12 million strong. Both points of view are correct. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What a pickle. Immigration...