PM Engineer articles from April 2009

PM Engineer archives from April 2009

Fun at the new drawing board.(editor's note)
April 1, 2009... Spring is a time of new beginnings, we are told, and I'm one to agree with this concept. Nothing brings this idea home to me better than the month of April and the start of the major league baseball season, where every team starts with a clean...

Ask the expert: drainback vs. glycol.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... Overall, I see a solar drainback system as being superior to a glycol system. Yet it seems a lot of installers prefer glycol systems. I wonder if John Siegenthaler, Solar Design Notebook columnist, can give me his opinion on why that is? ...

Wrong acronym?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... In reading the Codes column by Julius Ballanco in the Feb. 2009 edition of pine, I was amazed to find a new engineering organization with the familiar ASPE acronym: the American Society of Professional Engineers. The Web site listed was...

Valves for design problems.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... I have had an interest in control valves for a long time and enjoy articles on this topic. I recently re-read "Selecting Valves to Solve Unusual Design Problems" (Jan. 2008) and feel it's necessary to make some comments on this article. ...

Plumbing products get greener: low-lead and lead-free items grab spotlight.(The Green Corner)
April 1, 2009... In recent weeks, the issue of low-lead and lead-free plumbing products has gained both industry and public notice. First, NSF Intl. announced that it had certified Kohler, Moan and Price Pfister as faucet companies that meet the new lead...

Stiebel Eltron.(appointment of Doug Belden and Glenn Issac )(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Stiebel Eltron has announced that Doug Belden is the company's western regional sales manager and Glenn Issac is eastern regional sales manager. Belden was formerly with Ferguson Enterprises and has more than 15 years' experience in the...

PERC to research drain line transport.(Industry News)(Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... The Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition, comprised of five plumbing trade groups, will make dram line transport its first research project. Since the advent of 1.6-gpf toilets in 1992, many plumbing professionals have voiced concern on...

Shoot the messenger once again: despite one company's claims, all manufacturers of trap and rise tube protective covers meet the requirements of all the major building codes.(codes)(Viewpoint essay)
April 1, 2009... A little more than a year ago, I received a phone call from my good friend Mike McRoberts, the president of McGuire Mfg. Over the years, Mike has retained me to assist on some issues related to their products. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Expansion tank sizing for solar collector circuits: as with hydronic heating systems, the conservative approach is good "insurance" against the system requiring servicing following a stagnation condition.(solar design notebook)
April 1, 2009... In the Dec. 2008 Solar Design Notebook column, we calculated the temperature that the absorber plate in a solar collector could reach under stagnation conditions. If stagnation occurs on a hot/bright summer afternoon, that temperature could...

Cause and effect in our civilized world: people can be good, bad and careless. As these stories attest, provisions for fire safety need your continued support.(fire protection)
April 1, 2009... Medical Facility Requirements in the 2009 International Fire Code Among the plethora of new provisions unveiled for the 2009 IFC is this safety premium: All new and existing non-sprinklered hospitals, nursing homes, and other Group I-2...

Old tricks for new dogs: offering engineers a simple alternate system to use when performing domestic hot water temperature maintenance in high-rise buildings.(Cover story)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hot water recirculation for high-rise buildings has been problematic since high-rise construction began, and it has become more complicated as buildings get taller. The basic systems referred to in the codes, text...

Point Counterpoint: single-stack systems for high-rise buildings: why select the Sovent single stack.
April 1, 2009... Created in 1957, the single stack Sovent system works by utilizing two unique fittings: aerators and deaerators (see drawing on page 24). All other pipe and fittings and connections to these fittings are standard and consistent with...

Point Counterpoint: single-stack systems for high-rise buildings: why select the Philadelphia single stack.
April 1, 2009... While researching the Philadelphia Single Stack system for this article, I frequently came upon the name of Joseph Smaul, P.E. Who was Joseph Smaul? In the ASPE Chapter/Philadelphia engineering world, Joe was the "Philly Single Stack" guy. He...

Perks for high-rise building automatic sprinklers in the 2006 IBC: spend some quality reading time with this latest edition, and you will be able to help your clients save money while ensuring them their building will be a fire-safe haven for its future occupants.
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Back in their 1981 editions, two (BOCA and UBC) of the three legacy building codes (BOCA, UBC and SBC), began requiring sprinklers in new high-rise office and residential buildings. By comparison, the NFPA 10I (Life...

Robert Benazzi, P.E., CVE.(pme Profile)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... Do you have an area of specialty at your firm? In 1980, I became head of the plumbing and fire protection department at JB&B and continued in that capacity until my retirement from the partnership in early 2008. Before that, I performed...

Commercial water heaters.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A. O. Smith introduces the Cyclone Xi, a part of the Cyclone XHE product family of technologically advanced commercial water heaters. The innovative design takes the units' performance to a higher level with up to...

3. Vertical multistage centrifugal pumps.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... The extensive CR range of vertical multistage centrifugal pumps from Grundfos feature high efficiency and offer excellent reliability. The CR units run on less power than other units, potentially saving thousands of kilowatts annually....

4. Bariatric toilet.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Willoughby Industries introduces a new bariatric toilet (B 1490 series), designed specifically for use in the bariatric units of a hospital environment. Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment...

5. Seismic expansion joint for fire sprinklers.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... The Fireloop seismic expansion loop from Metraflex is now available to compensate for even greater pipe movements in fire sprinkler systems, including [+ or -] 4, [+ or -] 8 and [+ or -] 24 inches. The Fireloop meets all NFPA 13 guidelines for...

6. Battery backup for sump pumps.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Electro-Matic Products Co. offers the Drytrol II, a one-piece unit that supplies uninterrupted AC power to primary or secondary 120VAC sump pumps during a power outage. It can be used with any standard AC sump pump rated up to 1/3 hp, 8 amps....

7. Hose station brochures.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Leonard Valve now has separate brochures for two series of hose stations. One brochure describes the company's 3800 line of hose stations with automatic safety shutdown. The other brochure describes the ST/CT stainless steel hose stations....

8. Fire protection inspection software.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Tyco Fire & Building Products' SprinkCAD group has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Asurio Inspection Systems to provide its fire protection inspection software. The software is a mobile system designed for fire sprinkler, alarm...

9. Rubber disc swing check valves.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Danfoss Flomatic Corp. has added two models to its FloFlex family of rubber disc swing check valves. One valve, the new Model 745BF, features a back flush device used to manually operate the valve in the field. Banfoss Flomatic Corp. Circle 9.

10. Indirect water heater.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... The Energy Saver Indirect Water Heater from Lochinvar Corp. saves money and protects the environment, and offers excellent energy efficiency by using the same energy to hydronically provide hot water for potable use. Lochinvar Corp. Circle 10.

11. Line of luxury faucets.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Symmons offers pull-out kitchen faucets for the home. Featuring five new styles [the Andora, Fiano, Forza, Moscato and Vella] the Elements Kitchen Line compliments the company's existing custom-manufactured Elements Line for bathrooms. Symmons....

12. pH neutralizing system for boilers.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... JJM Boiler Works' condensate-neutralizing tubes are designed to raise the pH level of discharged condensate produced by high-efficiency commercial and residential boilers. The neutralizing tubes safely discharge condensate without damaging...

13. Catalog features laboratory products.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Chicago Faucets recently introduced a new catalog that features the company's extensive line of laboratory products. Products presented include: fittings, turrets, flanges, valves and components for laboratory applications. Chicago Faucets....

14. Water-conservation products brochure.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... T&S Brass now offers a guide to its many water-conservation products. Topics covered include: conserving water through innovation; leaders in conservation; and the company's water-saving products for the foodservice and plumbing industries. T&S...

15. Sustainable Design.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Autodesk offers a new brochure that discusses the company's approach to sustainable design in both building and manufacturing, The literature lists four areas of company concern, including reduced material waste and associated costs. Autodesk....

16. Indirectly fired water heaters.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... All Stiebel Eltron SB/SBB series water heaters can also be used as high-capacity indirectly fired water heaters in conjunction with any type of heating boiler. The water heaters come equipped with either one or two heat exchangers. Stiebel...

17. Software designs fire sprinkler systems.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Designed as an overlay program for AutoCAD, HydraCAD by Hydratec Inc. is a fully integrated software package specialized toward the design of fire sprinkler systems. This software has been used by engineers worldwide for more than 20 years....

18. High-efficiency boilers.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Bryan Steam's HE-AB Series of forced-draft, gas-fired "Flexible Water Tube" water boilers feature a guaranteed efficiency of 85%. The high-combustion efficiency results from a uniquely designed integrated, extended surface heat extractor. Bryan...

19. Tankless water heater valve kit.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... The Tankless Water Heater Valve Kit from Jomar includes two forged brass valves. Each valve is quarter-turn operation, standard port with color-coded hot and cold lever handles. A pressure relief valve is included with each kit. Jomar. Circle...

20. Guidelines for installing bendable piping.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... This literature from The Lubrizol Corp provides photos and step-by-step instructions on how to install FlowGuard Bendable piping in underslab applications. The new brochure also includes performance information on the product. The Lubrizol...

21. Odorless toilet.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... The VIP Odorless Toilet from Smith Innovations assures private and public bathrooms remain smelling fresh and clean immediately after being used. The VIP features a whisperquiet, patented odor removal system. Smith Innovations. Circle 21.

22. Wall-hung toilet system.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... The one-piece, wall-hung SANISTAR Macerating Toilet System from SFA Saniflo Inc. lets users create a powder room wherever they need one, while saving both space and water. Water saving results from its 1.1 gpf, instead of the standard 1.6 gpf....

23. Fire extinguishing systems.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Tomco Fire Systems offers two water mist fire extinguishing systems. The FOGEX high-pressure system is very effective in extinguishing Class A, B & C fires. MISTEX is the low and intermediate pressure system with pressures of 87 to 290 psi....

24. Solid-surface lavatory systems.(Top Products of 2008: The Co-Winners)
April 1, 2009... Sloan Valve Co. announces its new 7000 Series SloanStone solid-surface lavatory systems. These new models feature reliable and durable hardwire electronics, able and the sensor faucets" optional 0.5-gpm aerators offer water conservation. Sloan...