PM Engineer articles from September 2008

PM Engineer archives from September 2008

Emerging technology will emphasize systems.(Publisher's Note)(International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials)(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... When IAPMO asked me to moderate a symposium on "emerging technology," I couldn't help but recall the story of a former director of the U.S. Patent Office. In 1899, the story goes, he recommended that the office be closed. His reason was that...

Success story ... sort of.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Last summer Mark Bromann wrote in one of his columns that sprinkler success stories receive little press. Well, not too long ago, one appeared on the front cover of the Star Democrat in Easton, MD. It reported that one sprinkler activated and...

Real cost of water.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Something is very wrong with a news story on EPA WaterSense that ran in an older issue of PME (Nov. 2007). Rather than EPA claiming that 60 billion gallons of water costs $300 billion, it would make more sense if it cost $300 million, or about...

Green hot water distribution systems.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I am a mechanical engineer and have reviewed Figure 3 in your July 2008 article, "Designing Green Hot Water Distribution Systems," which is about flow rates, pipe sizes and delivery time. I am surprised by the delivery time difference between...

Sewage pump switches.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I found Ryan Stickney's article on "Sump and Sewage Ejector Systems" (Feb. 2008) very interesting and informative, but there is one part that I would like to see our industry re-think. All the literature I have read in the last 44 years of my...

WTSE commemorates international year of sanitation.(News)(World Toilet Summit & Expo )(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Organized by the World Toilet Organization, the World Toilet Summit & Expo (WTSE) will be held November 4-6 in Macau at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. The 2008 WTSE will commemorate the International Year of Sanitation as declared by the...

Charlotte Pipe hosts refresher class for plumbing engineers.(News)
September 1, 2008... Charlotte Pipe and Foundry hosted its first "College of Plumbing Knowledge" class for plumbing engineers in June. Held at Charlotte Pipe's new, state-of-the-art 9,000-sq.-ft. training facility, the class offered a refresher course on the basics...

First part of LCA for plastic plumbing pipe released.(News)
September 1, 2008... The Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association has released North America's first life cycle inventory (LCI) for the manufacture of plastic plumbing pipe, says Richard Church, PPFA's Executive Director. The LCI (a component of a life cycle analysis)...

Increasingly, cities require green standards.(The Green Corner)
September 1, 2008... A new study, "Local Leaders in Sustainability," from the American Institute of Architects reveals that 14% of U.S. cities with a population of at least 50,000 have begun mandating green standards for new commercial buildings. According to...

USGBC to modify LEED standards.(The Green Corner)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... A new version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, called LEED 2009, will debut in January and change its certification process for green buildings, reports the USGBC. Since the program was introduced in 2000, more than...

Color ISH North America 'Green'.(ISH North America Preview)(Editorial)(Calendar)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Green will be the color of choice during ISH North America, Oct. 1-3, Atlanta, as the industry's hottest topic wraps around educational seminars and other events throughout the show's three-day run. Green...

ICC final action this month: residential sprinklers lead the agenda--which includes a review of more than 50 comments to various code changes.(Codes)(International Code Council)
September 1, 2008... From Sept. 17 through Sept. 23, the International Code Council (ICC) will hold their final code change hearing for the development of the 2009 International Codes. The final vote is cast by the public official members of ICC. The ICC...

Women in plumbing engineering (Part 1): in the first installment of an exclusive roundtable series, these women explain how they came to the profession and the daily fulfillment it offers them.(Cover story)(Discussion)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the Web site www.engineeringwomen.org, there's a section titled, "Extraordinary Women Engineers." Many specialties (including architectural, building, civil, mechanical, construction) are represented, but not...

Fire protection for big box retailers: large K-factor sprinklers help designers meet the challenge of safeguarding these environments with ceiling-only protection.(Statistical data)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In-rack sprinklers can be a burden in warehouse operations, even with trained personnel that are aware of the risks and damage by impact. Mix in seasonal items, constant movement of rack levels of storage, the...

An overview of pipe insulation for plumbing designers: specifying engineers have lots of choices--and just as many challenges to match the proper product to the application at hand.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many long years ago, I put myself through college (B.S. in mechanical engineering) by installing pipe insulation. I spent several years with insulation manufacturers doing pipe insulation testing, product development...

Fire extinguishing systems.(Products)
September 1, 2008... 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. FOGEX is a 1450-psi system with spray flux densities approximating 0.08-0.10 liter/min...

Software designs fire sprinkler systems.(Products)
September 1, 2008... 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 and contractors worldwide for more...

Prevents tripping of sprinkler system.(Products)
September 1, 2008... Designed to replace the old drum drip, the Metraflex NeverTrip auxiliary drain valve assembly prevents accidental system trips--saving users thousands of dollars to reset the fire sprinkler system. The assembly conforms to NPFA 13 and requires...

Water mist fire protection.(Products)
September 1, 2008... Originally developed by Marioff Corp. for use on passenger ships, HI-FOG water mist fire protection is used for an increasing range of land-based applications. HI-FOG utilizes high pressure to produce a fine water mist with average drop size of...

Indirectly fired water heaters.(Products)
September 1, 2008... 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, which are...

Odorless toilet.(Products)
September 1, 2008... The VIP Odorless Toilet from Smith Innovations offers an affordable alternative that assures private and public bathrooms remain smelling fresh and clean immediately after being used. The VIP features a whisper-quiet, patented odor removal...

Fire protection inspection software.(Products)
September 1, 2008... 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 Asurio software is a mobile system designed for fire...

Pre-Sloped Trench Drain System.(Products)
September 1, 2008... Watts Regulator Co. introduces the Dead Level Pre-Sloped Trench Drain System, which offers surface drainage innovation and is uniquely engineered. Dead Level's frame-loaded design absorbs dynamic traffic loads through the structural frame,...

NSF creates new certification program for geothermal heating and cooling applications: third-party program ensures product quality and safety for pipes and fittings used in these systems.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since long before the Roman Empire, people have used the earth's natural heat for their benefit. Long after the Roman Empire fell, in 1904, a prince in Italy tested the world's first geothermal generator. Today, more...

NSF plumbing standard updated with new lead requirements: revised NSF/ANSI Standard 61 begins in 2012, but California and Vermont laws for plumbing products take effect in 2010.
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components--Health Effects has been updated to further protect the public from exposure to lead. The changes include a reduction in the standard's total allowable...

Creating a greener future: the importance of WaterSense and NSF's protocols for sustainable products.
September 1, 2008... As companies are becoming more environmentally conscious, they are finding more ways to become "green." Toilets have gone low-flow, and faucets now have maximum flow rates. Manufacturers continue to find new ways to reduce and reuse our...

NSF standards require stringent testing for PEX piping: the extensive process includes formulation review, production facility inspection and testing for health effects, performance, long term hydrostatic, chlorine resistance and quality control.(National Science Foundation)
September 1, 2008... NSF certifies potable water plastic piping to the American National Standard, NSF/ ANSI Standard 14--Plastic Piping System Components and Related Materials in addition to other required U.S. and Canadian standards. NSF/ANSI Standard 14 provides...