PM Engineer articles from February 2005

PM Engineer archives from February 2005

Ambiguity in vent stack code.(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... Regarding Julius Ballanco's Dec. 2004 column, I am the plumbing inspector who asked for the formal interpretation from ICC on the requirement for a vent stack on a waste stack system. I thought you would like to have a little background...

California ruling overturns PEX inclusion in plumbing code.(Cross-linked Polyethylene )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The status of PEX in California is confused, due to a California appeals court ruling in Nov. 2004 that overturned its inclusion in the state's 2001 plumbing code without an environmental review. Dick Church, executive director of the Plastic...

Subscribe to PME's new e-newsletter!(PME News)
February 1, 2005... The inaugural issue of PM Engineer's new e-newsletter was delivered by e-mail in January. The e-newsletter is an exciting new way for PME to deliver up-to-date information about the plumbing, hydronic heating, piping and fire protection...

I=B=R School offers hydronic heating training.(PME News)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... The dates and locations for the spring sessions of the I=B=R School have been announced. The two-day seminar, developed by the Hydronic Institute Division of the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and administered by BNP Media,...

PE & FM show focuses on industrial facility maintenance.(PME News)(Calendar)
February 1, 2005... The 2005 National Plant Engineering & Facilities Management Show will take place March 7-10 in Chicago in conjunction with National Manufacturing Week. The PE & FM show will feature the latest products and solutions for plant engineering...

Permabond.(Permabond International gets ISO 9001:2000 certification )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Permabond, a leading manufacturer of adhesives and sealants, announced that its U.S. operations were awarded ISO 9001:2000 certification by TUV America. TUV has offices worldwide and is an accredited third party quality system registrar.

Danfoss.(News Briefs)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Danfoss has received the 2005 AHR Expo Refrigeration Innovation Award. The award, for development of a new industrial refrigeration control valve platform Danfoss calls the ICV, was announced by a panel of judges from the American Society of...

ICC spurns ASPE: ICC's code change committees aren't as removed from politics as some might believe.(International Code Council, American Society of Plumbing Engineers )
February 1, 2005... The ICC made a change to remove politics from the code change process. That boneheaded move placed them right into a political firestorm when they refused to appoint representatives of major engineering organizations, including ASPE, to the...

A hot time in the old town: Chicago's fire history provides evidence of the need to put sprinklers in high-rise buildings.(Fire Protection)
February 1, 2005... You have to understand Chicago and its historical connection to the brutal legacy of fire. The Great Chicago Fire of Oct. 8, 1871, left 100,000 homeless and nearly 300 dead. The fire actually jumped the south branch of the Chicago River and...

Understanding reverse osmosis: RO produces some of the highest purity water and is a workhorse technology for drinking water applications.(Water Treatment)
February 1, 2005... Many people have heard of reverse osmosis and know that it can be used to treat water to a high degree of purity, but their understanding of the technology ends there. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] To understand...

7 things you were too, scared to, ask about venting: here are seven typical violations of the National Fuel Gas Code that need to be addressed when designing common vented multiple hydronic heating systems.(Cover Story)
February 1, 2005... The National Fuel Gas Code is the result of the American Gas Association, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the National Fire Protection Association joining together to combine various standards into a single entity. The code...

Fire protection piping: how PME readers do it; When it comes to fire protection systems, our readers have definite opinions on materials selection, joining methods, and installation.
February 1, 2005... PME wanted to find out what our readers think about the specifics of piping used in fire protection applications. So we sent out a survey to a random group, and received responses from 18% of you. Thank you for your support. Here's what we...

PMI helps clear barriers across countries and states.(Plumbing Manufacturers Institute)
February 1, 2005... As the world market continues to grow, so do the challenges of selling products into various countries around the world. As part of its multipronged value to members, the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute is actively engaged with the Department...

PMI's 'Focus Five' drives group's activities.(Focus on Plumbing Manufacturers Institute)
February 1, 2005... Just as the nature of business, manufacturing and world trade has changed over the years, so too has the role of trade associations. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Once organized primarily around social functions, trade associations today must...

"Green" municipal building uses single pipe hydronic system: a municipal building in Oregon is full of "green" features, including an energy-efficient single pipe heating system.
February 1, 2005... A recently completed municipal office building in Oregon was designed and built to the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED[TM]) silver standard and relies on an energy-efficient LoadMatch[R] single...

ProSet systems: the Fire Guard Washer Box.(Product of the Month)
February 1, 2005... At last, a sturdy, Hi-Temp PVC, Fire-Rated Utility Box designed for appliances such as washing machines, icemakers, etc. No more jury-rigging, stuffing with fire-resistant material and caulking to satisfy building code requirements. You can now...

Powerstream has gone Pro!(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... Powerstream Pro is Controlled Energy Corp.'s (CEC) new professional electric tankless product line. When space matters and you need a whole-house electric tankless water heater or point-of-use heater, think Powerstream Pro! These heaters are...

Very high-strength baseboard.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... Slant/Fin's HD Series high-output baseboard has exceptional strength, making it ideal for installation in schools, institutions, public housing and sites where rugged treatment is anticipated. Pre-assembled with 16-gauge front cover, welded...

New sealed combustion gas boiler.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... With AFUE to 86.1 percent, Slant/Fin's new value-priced Victory VSPH sealed combustion gas boiler promises fuel savings for homeowners. All models are Energy Star-rated. Contractors will appreciate its installer-friendly features and economy...

Bryan Electric Indirect Water Heaters.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... With a long-life indirect heat exchanger and Incoloy-sheathed electric heating elements, Bryan Electric Indirect Water Heaters provide economical, scale-free and corrosion-resistant operation. Available with inputs from 30 to 330 KW, outputs...

Uponor Wirsbo's mechanical room solution.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... The Wirsbo proPANEL is a mechanical room in a box. Fully assembled, fully wired and fully piped, the Wirsbo proPANEL comfort management system is designed around the functions and capabilities of the Wirsbo pro Series controls. The controls and...

Stiebel Eltron introduces TEMPRA[TM] water heaters.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... Stiebel Eltron has introduced the TEMPRA[TM] line of tankless electric water heaters for whole-house applications. This new line consists of five different models, ranging from 12 kW all the way to 36 kW. The TEMPRA units replace traditional...

McGuire's Convertible[TM] quarter-turn ball valves.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... McGuire's Convertible[TM] provides specifiers with a commercial quality quarter-turn ball valve that's easy to specify. Simply use the prefix BV in front of McGuire's traditional stop valve, lavatory supply or closet supply part numbers for...

Drainage products by Quendal.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... The Quendal[TM] line of high-quality drainage products includes floor drains, floor sinks, cleanouts, kettle drains and trench drains featuring heavy-duty, type 304 or 316 stainless-steel construction and sanitary corrosion-resistant finish....

Anvil announces interactive catalog on CD.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... Anvil International, Inc. offers a complete CD package that includes an interactive full-product Gruvlok[R] catalog, along with Gruvlok submittal packages for fire protection and water and wastewater products; interactive pipe hanger catalog...

ProTech offers FasNSeal[R] water heater Vent kit.(Information Showcase)
February 1, 2005... ProTech's FasNSeal[R] AL29-4C Wall Mount Vent kit for instantaneous water heaters has a telescoping 90-degree elbow allowing both horizontal and vertical adjustability. With its patented internal gasket and locking band, adjustable elbow and...