PM Engineer articles from December 2008

PM Engineer archives from December 2008

The year in reward.
December 1, 2008... What have we done for each other in the past year? So glad you asked... In January, we met at the AHR Expo in New York City, where you were part of an all-time attendance record of 39,000+ registered visitors (excluding exhibitors) for...

Way to go, ICC.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... Congratulations are in order for the building officials and Julius Ballanco for his excellent review [October 2008], which was very clear regarding the issues and how local levels will receive and adopt this new requirement in the new...

How not to insulate a pipe.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... On page 22 of the July 2008 issue ("Designing 'Green' Hot Water Distribution Systems") there is an excellent example of how not to insulate a pipe. The type of tie shown should never be used on a pipe insulation because it reduces the...

Loves solar column.(PME Letters)(Letter to the editor)(Column)
December 1, 2008... Just a quick note for John Siegenthaler, P.E. The columns that you have been writing on solar panels are very informative. We've been waiting for some third party evaluations of these products for some time. John J. Christiano, P.E. ...

Design excellence, delayed reaction.(PME Letters)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... Recently I came across last year's "Excellence In Design Awards" issue and cover story (Nov. 2007). The article on the award-winning system at GWCES contained tables that disclosed "before" and "after" energy costs and environmental impact....

He cares that CA ignores Feds.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... I just finished re-reading your column (Feb. 2008) about the State of California ignoring Federal law by signing into CA law AB715 and couldn't agree with you more. I personally believe that they should be held to task by the Federal...

How green is drinking toilet water?(PME Letters)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... This letter is in reference to an article posted on PMEngineer.com called, "It's time to Drink Toilet Water." The article is great, but your headline turns me green, as in sea sick. Your headline reads, "Going Green Can Mean Drinking Toilet...

Can Federal buildings meet energy reduction targets?(PME News)
December 1, 2008... A new report suggests that Federal agencies may have to make significant process changes to meet the Energy Independence and Security Act's (EISA) mandated 30% energy reduction in federal buildings by 2015. The report was produced by attendees...

AFSA names Hazelton Sprinkler Advocate of Year.(PME News)(American Fire Sprinkler Association)(Ron Hazelton)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Ron Hazelton, television personality and spokesperson of the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC), has received the American Fire Sprinkler Association's (AFSA) 2008 Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year award for his efforts to help...

GreenMech partners with Veterans Green-Jobs Alliance, Bioliberty.(The Green Corner)(Green Mechanical Council)(Veterans Green-Jobs Alliance)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The Green Mechanical Council has announced its partnership with the Veterans Green-Jobs Alliance and Bioliberty to launch the first of three national pilot projects in Louisiana to develop "green" education and training programs for U.S....

NIBCO unveils Green micro site.(The Green Corner)
December 1, 2008... NIBCO Inc. recently added a "Green" link to its Web site to make it easier for end-users to specify and install NIBCO products in green construction projects. Visitors have access to a central repository of resources and tools to keep them...

UA lovefest at IAPMO annual meeting: these two organizations work closely together. So what's the problem?(Codes)
December 1, 2008... For many years, I have been asked about the close relationship between IAPMO and the UA (plumbers union). Everyone wants to know whether the UA controls the Uniform Plumbing Code. My response has always been, "No." However, it has...

Hotter than you think ... what happens when a solar collector stagnates?(SOLAR DESIGN NOTEBOOK)
December 1, 2008... A solar collector is supposed to warm up when the sun shines on it. The next step is to transfer that warmth to a fluid passing through the collector, which carries the heat to a load or into a storage tank for later use. In the August...

Keeping the heat out of the kitchen: study after study shows that this room is where fire accidents are just waiting to happen.(Fire Protection)
December 1, 2008... The NFPA reported a total of 3,430 fatalities in the United States in 2007 resulting from fire. Of those, a whopping 2,895 (that's 84%) occurred in residential occupancies. When we begin to look at the residential fire problem, we must start...

Anatomy of a plumbing project: part 2.
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Every plumbing project is somewhat akin to a human body. Trying to cut off an "unimportant" part will cause the body to suffer--or even die. In Part 1 of this article, I addressed three critical topics:...

Trade name listings.(Directory)
December 1, 2008... "Reps" Pipe Extractors--The Walton Co. [R]Floodmaster[TM] Shut Off Valve w/alarms for water heaters--Flood Master Inc. [R]Speedy Valve[TM] 1/4 Turn Ball Valve--Flood Master Inc. 204/304 Series--Parker Fluid Control Division ...

Manufacturers alphabetical listings.(Directory)
December 1, 2008... 1-800-Plumbing Inc. P.O. Box 8025, Surprise, AZ 85374 (800) 758-6298 Fax: (623) 584-2751 sales@800plumbing.com www.800plumbing.com Alan D. Cline, Pres./C.E.O. 1-800-PLUMBING is a simple and cost effective tool to help...

Manufacturers representatives.(Directory)
December 1, 2008... ALABAMA Coleman-Russell & Associates P.O. Box 100217 Biringham, AL 35210 (205) 833-0700 Fax: (205) 836-6528 Morris "Bull" Kay STATES SERVED: AL, FL panhandle, TN, MS, ARK, LA Available upon request The...

Water-conservation products brochure.(PME Products)
December 1, 2008... T&S Brass now offers a guide to its many water-conservation products. Topics covered in the brochure include: conserving water through innovation; setting the standard for manufacturing;T&S and LEED; leaders in conservation and the company's...

Guidelines for installing bendable piping.(PME Products)
December 1, 2008... This literature from The Lubrizol Corp. provides photos and stepby-step instructions on how to install FlowGuard Bendable piping in underslab applications.The new brochure also includes performance information on the product, which combines the...

ASSE 1070 thermostatic tempering device.(PME Products)
December 1, 2008... Symmons' new Max Line ASSE 1070 thermostatic tempering device is a cost-efficient solution for controlling and limiting water temperature to fittings for fixtures such as sinks, lavatories or bathtubs. The ASSE 1070 features the latest in...

Sustainable design.(PME Products)
December 1, 2008... Autodesk offers a new brochure that discusses the company's approach to sustainable design in both building and manufacturing.Concerning building, the literature lists four areas of company concern: reduced material waste and associated costs,...

Battery backup for sump pumps.(PME Products)
December 1, 2008... Electro-Matic Products Co. offers the Drytrol II, a one-piece unit that supplies reliable, 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,...

Suite of product group catalogs.(PME Products)
December 1, 2008... After four years of some major product improvements and additions, Schier Products is pleased to announce the arrival of its 2008 suite of product group catalogs. The suite includes specific different catalogs for the company's grease...

"Green" fuel burner.(PME Products)
December 1, 2008... Pro-Fire V is the newest addition to the Pro-Fire series of burners by Cleaver Brooks.This burner offers facilities up to 10:1 turndown on natural gas, as well as the option for sub-30 ppm operation throughout the firing range. The Pro-Fire...

Valve set for tankless water heaters.(PME Products)
December 1, 2008... With the rising popularity of tankless water heaters, Cimberio Valve offers CimKIT, a valve set for the installation of all tankless water heaters. The CimKIT includes a pressure relief valve and two supply valves that combine the functions of...