PM Engineer articles from August 2004

PM Engineer archives from August 2004

Booster systems and hydro-pneumatic tanks.(PME Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... I read Ryan Stickney's article, "Under Pressure," in the March issue with great interest. Though the article presented some very good application-related considerations, I would like to clarify a few points on the application of hydro-pneumatic...

Grease duct airflow velocities corrected.(PME Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Editor's Note: Mark Bromann received several letters regarding an error in his June article on grease ducts. Here is one example, along with Mark's response. The article in the June 2004 issue of PM Engineer titled, "For the Sake of Flame...

Importance of communication skills.(PME Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... I always enjoy Dan Holohan's column (some more than others); especially when he's relating his hydronics experiences or a solution to a technical problem. "Honeywell Number One" is still my favorite. However, his Oct. 2002 column impressed me...

Correctional facilities plumbing article left out triangulation.(PME Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... I just got around to reading Julius Ballanco's Feb. 2004 PME article on prison (correctional facility) drainage. The article was just okay, but he did not mention that there must be access behind the comby fixtures. As a mechanical...

UL, CSA expand MOU, begin phase 2 of component acceptance agreement.(PME News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) and CSA International (CSA) announced the further expansion of a 1996 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing the free exchange and acceptance of data between the two product testing organizations. UL...

Eleven I=B=R Schools announced for fall.(PME News)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2004... The I=B=R Hydronic Heating Schools will take place in 11 cities this fall during a 10-week period. The two-day sessions teach basic hydronic heating installation and design using a combination of two textbooks, slides, and in-class instruction...

CSI releases new MasterFormat[TM] section numbers, titles.(PME News)(Construction Specifications Institute.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) has released the section numbers and titles for the upcoming 2004 edition of MasterFormat[TM], the specifications-writing standard for most nonresidential building design and construction projects...

Bell & Gossett[R] Little Red Schoolhouse[R] celebrates 50th anniversary.(PME News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Bell & Gossett[R] announced the 50th anniversary of its Little Red Schoolhouse[R] training center in Morton Grove, IL. Since 1954, the HVAC educational facility has trained more than 50,000 students in Morton Grove and over 125,000 worldwide...

PME wins APEX honors; Johnson named editor.(PME News)
August 1, 2004... PM Engineer is proud to announce that it has again garnered two Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX Awards) for the fourth consecutive year. PME won an award for technical writing for the article, "Sizing Diaphragm-Type Expansion for...

The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI).(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI) has announced that its Fall Meeting will be held Sept. 19-22 at the Capital Hilton Hotel, Washington, DC. PMI also announced a "Managing Inventory Across the Entire Supply Chain Seminar" to be held...

The Arizona Senate.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The Arizona Senate has passed House Bill 2276 requiring waterfree urinals to be installed in all state buildings in an effort to conserve water in the state that is consistently plagued by drought conditions. Effective Jan. 1, 2005, the bill...

The National Fire Protection Association.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The National Fire Protection Association has moved its 2005 World Safety Conference and Exposition from Indianapolis to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas in response to a survey showing exhibitors' preference for first-tier...

3M[TM] announced that its Novec[TM] 1230 Fire Protection Fluid.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... 3M[TM] announced that its Novec[TM] 1230 Fire Protection Fluid, a clean extinguishing agent, is now globally available through leading fire suppression original equipment manufacturers. Leading oems and their entities/affiliates and brands that...

A coalition of engineering and construction organizations condemned a study recently released by the minority staff of the House Government Reform Committee and the Senate Democratic Policy Committee which criticized the Iraq reconstruction effort.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... A coalition of engineering and construction organizations condemned a study recently released by the minority staff of the House Government Reform Committee and the Senate Democratic Policy Committee which criticized the Iraq reconstruction...

The International Firestop Council (IFC).(Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... The International Firestop Council (IFC) has announced the appointment of the following new executive officers: president, Steven Tyler, Tremco, Inc.; vice president, Jim Park, The Rectorseal Co.; and secretary/treasurer, Brian Becker, Fire...

Grohe.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Grohe President Bob Atkins announced his retirement, effective July 1. Replacing him is Jeffrey Noll, who had been serving as Grohe general manager and vice president/sales. In addition, David Haines is to become the new chairman of the...

Lochinvar.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Lochinvar has opened a new distribution facility in Orlando, FL, and the facility manager is James Williams. The company also appointed Rich Grimes as direct sales representative of the central Florida market. He had been serving as district...

Armstrong Pumps.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Armstrong Pumps has appointed Gordon Reel as sales manager--Western Region Wholesale Parts Div. Gordon previously served as Western regional sales manager of Conbraco Industries. Armstrong also named Joseph Tibando as field services...

Mike Dennis.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Mike Dennis, president of Moen's Canadian operation, was elected 2004-2005 president of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) at the 72nd Annual General Meeting held in Kelowna, BC, July 19-21.

Strange results at IPC hearings: at the final hearing on IPC code changes, the resulting votes were strange to say the least.(Codes)(International Plumbing Code)(Plumbing Code Committee)
August 1, 2004... This was the first experience the ICC had with scheduling a final hearing on the code changes during the mid-year meeting, as opposed to the annual convention. Questions were raised as to whether there would be enough members in attendance to...

Hot news topics: fire-related news flashes in 2004.(Fire Protection)
August 1, 2004... Brooklyn, NY -- An intense six-alarm fire that occurred on July 5 has been declared New York's largest of the year. It necessitated the evacuation of dozens of nearby residents during the blaze, which started shortly after 3 p.m., when a...

Lead in water: an old enemy gets new press; Due to recent reports concerning lead levels in drinking water in Washington, DC, this plumbing system-related enemy is once again in the news.(Water Treatment)
August 1, 2004... Most of the U.S. public is well educated about the effects of lead on the human body--particularly its effects on young children. With the ongoing Washington, DC, lead saga continually in our nation's news, it is only appropriate to discuss...

How will the new ADA Accessibility Guidelines affect restroom design? Proposed ADA Accessibility Guideline changes are currently being considered, and designers need to be aware of what's in store.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... Restrooms designed for public use must provide accessibility for people with physical disabilities, and while most plumbing manufacturers offer products designed with accessibility in mind, there is much more to achieving Americans with...

Hydronic fundamentals: Part 2; Selecting a circulator for a hydronic piping circuit can be like matching a car engine with a body and transmission.
August 1, 2004... In the Jan, 2004 issue of PM Engineer, we discussed the analytical methods involved in designing a hydronic piping circuit. If you didn't read the article, you can find it in the editorial archives at www.pmengineer.com. The essential...

Design considerations for pressure reducing valve stations in domestic water systems: here are the steps to follow when designing pressure reducing valve stations to control delivery pressure and water flow in tall buildings.
August 1, 2004... Providing equipment selection and pipe sizes that deliver adequate domestic water flow within useable pressure ranges to plumbing fixtures and equipment in tall buildings is an important design task of the plumbing design professional. The...

Symmons Ultra-Sense[R] electronic faucets selected for St. Louis County Justice Center.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Project: The St. Louis County Justice Center, a maximum security facility in St. Louis, MO. The Challenge: When the prison opened just four years ago, it was a state-of-the-art, 500,000-sq.-ft. facility with 1,250 beds, and a plumbing...

Texas sprinkler contractor profitably retrofits five schools in record time.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Golden Triangle Fire Protection of Denton, TX, had a big opportunity and a big problem: The good news? They landed a contract to retrofit 4,375 center-of-tile heads in five different schools in Plano. The bad news? They had only a month from...

University student housing project employs Taco's LoadMatch system.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Taco's single-pipe LoadMatch[TM] hydronic system will soon provide heating and cooling for 15 new buildings now under construction at the University of Cincinnati. The private development project, called Stratford Heights Student Housing, will...

Today's lesson: Spirovents improve system performance!(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Pat Apel has been the physical plant director at Maryville University in St. Louis since 1984. It didn't take long for him to realize that something at one of the residence halls wasn't quite right. "I was receiving several calls a day from the...

Halsey Taylor Puritan[TM] Coolers help alleviate drinking water concerns.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... The quality of a facility's incoming water supply can sometimes be a major concern. This is especially true for schools, recreation centers and other buildings that provide drinking water for children. Halsey Taylor addresses this concern with...

Plumbing contractor finds new Lav Guard 2 better than original.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... It was a familiar scenario. Plumbing contractor Brian Hany was finishing up a large commercial plumbing project when it was discovered that multiple lavatory sinks did not meet ADA-mandated guidelines. Exposed undersink waste and water supply...

It's game time for tankless.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... In the world of spectator sports, ticket-holders--especially those in luxury suites--expect, among other things, to have an endless supply of comfortably hot water in their private lavatory. For two contractors facing stadium renovation...

The king is "alive and well"!(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Well, maybe Elvis is not, but the "King" of Residential Sprinklers is alive and well, and the future looks great. Manufacturing sprinklers specifically designed and tested to save lives in residential occupancies is a major part of The Reliable...

Liberty Pumps ... leaders in pre-assembled sewage systems.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Liberty Pumps has been innovating pump designs for almost 40 years. The family-owned domestic manufacturer of sump, effluent and sewage pumps located in rural upstate New York provides some of the industry's leading pump designs. ...

Roth Bros. uses larger-sized ProPress[R] system at prison.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Construction of the high-security, $120 million McCreary County USP/FPC federal penitentiary in Pine Knot, KY, gained a reputation for speed and efficiency. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Located on 123 acres, the 17-building complex houses...

Ambassador heaters provide big savings to NJ management company.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... With energy prices soaring higher and higher, a New Jersey property management company recognized that it needed to do something to offset the high cost of fuel. At a key project, they realized they could significantly reduce operating costs by...

Beauty is way more than skin deep.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... The best-looking drinking fountains are also the most technically advanced! Attractive, state-of-the-art designs catch the eye, and that's a good thing. But, sometimes an ultra-attractive product can fall short on delivering a satisfying...

Field Museum's laboratories rely on Orion fittings' Kynar[R] PVDF piping systems.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Although the famous Chicago Field Museum of Natural History already contained more than a million square feet of display space for its priceless collection of 22 million artifacts, reportedly the fourth largest collection of its kind in the...

Ultracept[R] oil-water separator for wash down area.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Problem: A branch manager for a power equipment rental house in College Station, TX, needed a solution to oily wastewater from extensive wash downs of returned rental equipment to make it available for use by new customers. The wash down...

A single source for pipe and fittings can simplify your life.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... You've seen it before. A joint in the plumbing system failed, causing a leak. The subsequent damage and construction delays can be costly. The pipe manufacturer blames it on the fitting maker, and the fitting maker blames it on the pipe...

Stand-alone and integrated control systems.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... tekmar Control Systems offers you two options for controlling hydronic heating systems. The systems can be controlled using either stand-alone controls or integrated controls. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a stand-alone control system,...

Hospital, contractor discover long-term solution for grease and waste systems.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... In a kitchen that serves more than 2,000 meals a day, one thing that has to function well is the drainage system serving the drains and equipment in the kitchen. The kitchen that serves Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, a regional hospital in...

TMP Associates gives PowerStation[TM] high marks at Haslett High School.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... When Dave Cheshire, CIPE, CPD, mechanical engineer for TMP Associates, Inc. in Bloomfield Hills, MI, needed to provide safe, tempered water to locker room showers and lavatories, he turned to Powers and its all-in-one tempering and...

New Apollo ball & check valves install in seconds with popular ProPress system.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... The newest Apollo[R] valves are also the fastest, in terms of installation time. New 77C-AO bronze ball valves and 61-600-AO check valves are built especially for use with the Viega ProPress[R] crimping system. Conbraco manufactures both...

RBI boilers, water heaters available with optional stainless steel jackets.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... RBI now offers selected boilers and water heaters--Futera[R] II Series, Dominator[R] Series and Spectrum[R] Series--with an optional, corrosion-resistant, brushed stainless steel jacket. The visually appealing stainless steel jacket provides a...

New 28HE boilers provide increased thermal and combustion efficiency.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Smith Cast Iron Boilers, Westfield, MA, introduces the 28HE Series high-efficiency boiler to complement its broad line of cast iron commercial boilers. The 28HE Series offers the highest combustion and thermal efficiencies possible with...

ABS pumps in New Orleans: the largest new dry dock in the United States.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... On the Mississippi River in New Orleans, the largest new dry dock in the United States is being built by Conrad Dry Dock. ABS pumps will be used in the operation to flood and empty the dock. The pumps will reduce the time to raise and lower...

Incentives for installing Wirsbo AQUASAFE[R] systems.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Uponor Wirsbo responds to the need for affordable and reliable home fire protection with AQUASAFE[R]--a patented combination plumbing and fire sprinkler system. The dual-purpose system feeds both the sprinklers and the cold-water plumbing...

How F.J. Bero & Company and one source took the Leonard Valve Megatron[R] to school.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... In the spring of 2002, the Illinois Community Unit School District #300 was building a two-story, 68,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art elementary school. District administrators had very specific water temperature control requirements. They...

The Soffi-Steel[R] System saves time at residence hall fire sprinkler retrofit.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... When the University of Illinois-Chicago was planning on retrofitting a 17-story Single Student Residence Hall with a fire suppression system during the summers of 2004 and 2005, they knew that there were going to be challenges. One of those...

Potter Roemer Company profile.(Case History)(Company Profile)
August 1, 2004... About Our Company Potter Roemer was founded in 1937 as a manufacturer's representative agency by Glea K. Potter and Ray H. Roemer. Like many small companies, it was started with modest capitalization. Growth in the early years was slow,...

Elkay Swirlflo[R] cooler boasts award-winning design.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... The award-winning Elkay SwirlFlo[R] architectural series cooler boasts a dramatic design, splash-resistant basin and universal mounting system. A new tubular arm supports and accentuates the splash-minimizing basin and contains a...

Energy efficiency and code standards key in Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower installation and expansion.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... It takes something extraordinary to get noticed on the strip in Las Vegas, NV. The Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower has a 12-story "pod" atop a 1,149-foot needle-like structure. A revolving restaurant and the world's highest roller coaster are...

Little Red Schoolhouse celebrates 50th anniversary.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... The year 1954 was one of many life altering "firsts." The first kidney transplant took place, segregation was declared unconstitutional, the first atomic submarine was launched, and Bell & Gossett opened the doors to the Little Red...

Put your water pressure on cruise control.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Does your home or business have consistent water pressure? When you turn on more than one faucet or showerhead, does your water pressure drop to an unacceptable level? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If so, you are not alone. More than half of...

PowerGuard & FloGuard II set the new standard in dual containment.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Searching for answers to your critical piping system concerns? Consider the advantages of Flo Safe PowerGuard or FloGuard II dual containment piping systems. Like being designed for installation with full pressure integrity for the secondary...

The original Lowe Engineering automatic grease interceptor.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Lowe Engineering has provided grease removal and recovery equipment to every major casino in Atlantic City, and now, the entire East Coast. Lowe Engineering has large volume automatic grease interceptors--some of which are over 24 years...

Learning life-cycle costs can help steer radiation selection.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Bob Karas never intended to be a teacher. His job as a manufacturer's representative suits him just fine. But a growing number of engineers, contractors and building owners in his upstate New York territory are crediting Karas for teaching them...

T & S Brass new Easy-Install cuts install time by 66%.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... T & S Brass and Bronze Works' new patented* Easy Install[TM] pre-rinse unit is now on the market. The changes made to the unit significantly reduce the steps and time involved in installation. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Compared to other...

A new degree in fire protection.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... When choosing the right college, few prospective students factor in fire protection as a key requirement to their higher education decision. Recently, the University of Delaware, with the help of Tyco Fire & Building Products, made sure that...

Geberit In-Wall Pressure Assist Toilet offers high performance with low consumption.(Case History)
August 1, 2004... Over the years, the water closet has gone through several significant changes. In the early days, when water supplies were considered limitless and the cost for water and sewage were very low, toilets used up to seven gallons per flush (gpf)....

Take a break.
August 1, 2004... The Year's Best [Actual] Headlines of 2003 * Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says * Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers * Iraqi Head Seeks Arms * Is There a Ring of Debris Around Uranus? * Prostitutes...

Industry experts make the difference.
August 1, 2004... Each month, PMENGINEER brings you practical know-how from the industry's most experienced columnists. Dan Holohan on Hydronics: Practical tips and ideas from one of hydronic heating's most creative minds. See Dan's keynote address at ISH...