PM Engineer articles from September 2003

PM Engineer archives from September 2003

Plastic pipe fire hazards.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Joseph Smaul's letter in the May 2003 issue of PM Engineer correctly states that there are toxic gases within the smoke of burning plastic pipe, but neglects to take a wider view of the overall hazard of toxic gases inherent in conflagrations....

Holohan's "A Hundred Years from Now".(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I just read the above-mentioned article from Dan Holohan in the May PME, and I am going to post it in on the wall in my office. Excellent! I know it will get under a few people's skins but it is time we professionals started acting that way!...

Sprinklering elevators.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I read the article, "Sprinklers and Elevators: Can They Coexist?" on the PME Web site at www.pmengineer.com. I thought the article was well written and explained the requirements in a simple, straightforward method. I was on the ASME task...

Wood pellet heat.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Just finished Dan Holohan's July PME article regarding his pilgrimage to ISH Frankfurt. A few years ago, during my stint of employment in Wyoming, our house was heated solely with a small pellet burning stove. Being a diehard wethead, the...

Can and should a plumbing inspector work with the tools? The answer to this question can be quite complicated.(Sound Off)(Column)
September 1, 2003... Editor's Note: We offer "Sound Off" as an open forum for industry professionals to express their opinions about industry issues, as well as to offer advice to our readers on how to manage their businesses. To submit material for this column,...

PME to co-sponsor I=B=R Schools.(News)(PM Engineer cosponsors hydronics seminars)
September 1, 2003... The venerable I=B=R Schools offered by the Hydronics Institute Division of GAMA for more than 50 years will now be managed by Business News Publishing (BNP) and co-sponsored by PME and its sister publication, Plumbing & Mechanical, starting...

Roy Wagner Jr. joins PME.(News)(PM Engineer appoints new salesperson)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Roy Wagner, Jr., a 20-year veteran of PHC trade magazine advertising sales, most recently with Plumbing Engineer magazine, has joined the sales staff of PME. He will also represent our sister publication, Supply House Times. Roy is the son of...

PMI hosts codes and standards workshop.(News)(Plumbing Manufacturers Institute workshop)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute held a workshop July 15 and 16 to "promote a better understanding of codes, standards, conformity assessment, certifications and more." Fifty-three PMI members and nonmembers from 26 plumbing manufacturers...

U.S. Navy to host Legionella course in San Diego.(News)
September 1, 2003... The Naval School of Health Sciences will host the Legionella Prevention Training Course November 5-6, 2003, at its state-of-the-art training facility in the heart of San Diego. The training center is less than five miles from the airport,...

Frost & Sullivan presented the 2003 Product Quality Leadership Award to the A.O. Smith Water Products Co. for its high product quality and excellent after-sales support to its residential and commercial water heating equipment customers.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Frost & Sullivan presented the 2003 Product Quality Leadership Award to the A.O. Smith Water Products Co. for its high product quality and excellent after-sales support to its residential and commercial water heating equipment customers. The...

Columbia Boiler (Pottstown, PA) is sponsoring a seminar presented by PME's hydronics columnist Dan Holohan on September 9, 2003, on "The Lost Art of Steam Heating.".
September 1, 2003... Columbia Boiler (Pottstown, PA) is sponsoring a seminar presented by PME's hydronics columnist Dan Holohan on September 9, 2003, on "The Lost Art of Steam Heating." The seminar will be held at the Sheraton Reading Hotel, 1741 Paper Mill Rd.,...

Viessmann heating technology company dedicated its new 38,000-square-foot facility in Warwick, RI, on May 14.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Viessmann heating technology company dedicated its new 38,000-square-foot facility in Warwick, RI, on May 14. The new facility features numerous offices, seminar and display rooms, and will serve to extend Viessmann's distribution network.

FlatPlate, Inc. has been named a Technology Company of the Year finalist by the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... FlatPlate, Inc. has been named a Technology Company of the Year finalist by the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania. Award recipients were recognized for "strategic use of technology for the betterment of company and industry."

Haws Corp.(Appointments)(John Guhin appointed to the Nevada District Export Council, Margo Mee appointed sales manager)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Haws Corp.'s international sales manager, John Guhin, has been appointed to the Nevada District Export Council, which helps Nevada businesses tap into the burgeoning global marketplace. The company also announced that Margo Mee has been named...

Fluidmaster, Inc.(Appointments)(Bill Axline appointed executive vice president/chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Fluidmaster, Inc., has appointed Bill Axline executive vice president/chief operating officer. Axline, a 33-year veteran of the hardware industry, joins Fluidmaster after serving as president and CEO for Distribution America, a hardware buying...

Grice Engineering.(Appointments)(Anna Joos appointed to A/E Specification Sales)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Grice Engineering has appointed Anna Joos to the position of A/E Specification Sales, representing the company's Soffi-Steel[TM] System.

Spirax Sarco, Inc.(Appointments)(Mark Vernon appointed president and general manager )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Mark Vernon has been named the new president and general manager of Spirax Sarco, Inc. He succeeds Tony Scrivin, who has returned to parent company Spirax-Sarco Engineering in the U.K. as the product director for controls and meters.

IAPMO.(Appointments)(International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials appoints Jay Peters as senior director of codes and education)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Jay Peters was recently named IAPMO's senior director of codes and education. He will oversee the entire code development process, the development of IAPMO's educational programs, and serve as the Standards Council secretary. Peters comes to...

Summer shock waves: big changes are on the way for the codes and standards development process and California's Building Standards Commission.(Codes)
September 1, 2003... Two major developments recently sent shock waves through the codes and standards profession--one in Washington, DC; the other in California. At the end of June, the United States Supreme Court refused to accept the appeal of Southern Building...

Protecting a landmark: a small Illinois town has come to realize the benefits of sprinklers after a devastating fire took its toll.(Fire Protection)
September 1, 2003... Effingham, IL, (pop. 12,000) is still a small town in many respects, but it was about half its present size on April 4, 1949, when the "horror of the night flames" shook the community. Seventy-seven people (including 12 newborns) perished in a...

One journey's end: John takes a look back at his time as a member of the U.K.'s Water Regulations Advisory Committee.(... thoughts from abroad)
September 1, 2003... On July 9, 2003, I chaired the final meeting of the Water Regulations Advisory Committee of Defra--the U.K. Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. I had taken up the post in July 1996 under a Conservative government in a...

Laboratory animal watering systems: here are the steps involved in designing a watering system for laboratories that house caged animals used in biological research.
September 1, 2003... Mad cow disease, West Nile virus, Anthrax, and now Monkey Pox, have all recently made news headlines. Consequently, many institutions and organizations are planning and building laboratories in order to secure research dollars to investigate...

Determining flow rates in parallel piping systems constructed of smooth tubing: here's what you need to know to analyze the flow rates and head losses in parallel distribution piping systems.
September 1, 2003... Over the years, I've noticed an innate tendency in people just learning about hydronic heating. When given a group of piping components such as valves, multiple heat emitters, pumps and so on, most folks want to connect them together in a...

Positive displacement vs. centrifugal fire pumps: positive displacement pumps and centrifugal pumps each offer benefits in fire protection applications, though each has its strong, and weak, points.
September 1, 2003... Positive displacement pumps have been used in fire protection for many years. In fact, they were the first pump type to be utilized for mobile fire truck applications, long before centrifugal pump designs were used for pumping fire water....

Bradford White ultra high efficiency water heaters.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... Bradford White Corp. has introduced a family of ultra high efficiency water heaters, the eF SERIES. These new water heaters boast thermal efficiencies of up to 99.1% and are capable of venting the equivalent of up to 120 feet using 3" or 170...

Bryan Indirect Water Heaters.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... Bryan Indirect Water Heaters are now available in sizes to 8,000,000 Btu/hr with water heating capacities to 16,000 gallons per hour (at 60[degrees] temperature rise). A single unit tan be used for domestic or commercial hot water and space...

Paloma Industries tankless gas water heater.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... Paloma Industries has introduced the Model PH-16FS, the first tankless gas water heater equipped with an oxygen depletion safety device. This model also features a film-type overheat limiter, computer control, digital display, self-diagnosis,...

State Ultra Force[TM] water heater.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... Just one of over 450 new State commercial water heaters for 2003, the Ultra Force[TM] (SUF) gas series delivers extra-high 94% thermal efficiency for more hot water with lower energy costs. Ultra-Force also offers the flexibility of powered...

Armstrong direct contact gas-fired water heater.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... Armstrong International, Inc.'s Flo-Direct line of gas-fired water heaters features a top-mounted gas burner that fires downward through a centrally located flame tube. This heats the falling water, which comes in contact with the bed of...

Lochinvar[R] commercial gas water heater/boiler.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... Lochinvar Corp. has introduced its next generation Copper-Fin II[R] commercial gas water heater/boiler, offering greater installation, flexibility and easier service access to valves and connections. With independent duel ignition systems, as...

Stiebel Eltron tankless electric water heater.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... The most recent additions to Stiebel Eltron's tankless electric water heater product line are the DHC-E 20 and DHC-E 30 "whole house" units. In comparison with a tank-type system, the new DHC-E 20 and DHC-E 30 units offer an unlimited supply of...

A.O. Smith Master-Fit[R] gas water heaters.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... A.O. Smith Master-Fit commercial gas water heaters are now equipped with the new Eliminator[TM] self-cleaning cold water inlet device. The Eliminator automatically helps reduce sediment buildup by creating self-cleaning turbulence in the tank....

ECR International electric water heater.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... The Wattersaver High Efficiency Electric Water Heater by ECR International is designed as a full "drop in" direct replacement for existing 50-gallon electric water heaters, but operates with an EF rating of 2.4, nearly three times as...

Rheem-Ruud PowerPack[TM] electric water heaters.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... PowerPack Small-Volume ASME Commercial Electric Water Heaters from Rheem-Ruud are intended for smaller applications for which an ASME-rated unit has been specified. The new series is ideal for both new-construction projects, such as schools,...

CEC tankless gas water heater.(Product Focus: Water Heaters)
September 1, 2003... Controlled Energy Corp. (CEC) has introduced the Pro Tankless by Bosch 635 ES gas water heater. The model's design combines tankless water heating with an elegant simplicity. The 635 ES incorporates direct vent room-sealed combustion...

Dilbert[R].(Take a Break)(Cartoon)
September 1, 2003... I HAD PLANNED TO HIRE ANOTHER ENGINEER. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AT THE LAST MINUTE I REMEMBERED I COULD JUST MAKE YOU WORK TWICE AS HARD. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAY BE YOU COULD NOMINATE ME FOR ONE OF THOSE COST-SAVING AWARDS....

You learn something new every day!(Take a Break)
September 1, 2003... * The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene. * Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th." * James Doohan, who...

Top 10 things engineering school didn't teach you.(Take a Break)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... 1. There are at least 10 types of capacitors. 2. Theory tells you how a circuit works, not why it does not work. 3. Not everything works according to the specs in the databook. 4. Anything practical you learn will be obsolete before...

Engineering revisited.(Take a Break)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... * Any circuit design must contain at least one part which is obsolete, two parts which are unobtainable and three parts which are still under development. * Nothing ever gets built on schedule or within budget. * A failure will not...

Seeing the light.(Take a Break)(engineering humor)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Q. How many first-year engineering students does it take to change a light bulb? A. None. That's a second-year subject. Q. How many second-year engineering students does it take to change a light bulb? A. One, but the rest of the...