november - plumbing engineer

HighSecuritywith LowImpact

Inside this issue• The BIM Report

• Getting into the Flow

• Designing for the Needs of an

Increasingly Challenged Population

Vacuum plumbing in Californiaprison provides viable solution

pe11_pgs_01_03rev_Layout 1 10/29/10 9:31 AM

Circle 1 on Reader Reply form on page 53


TM

Circle 2 on Reader Reply Form on page 53



COLUMNS

/Plumbing Engineer November 2010

Volume 38, Number 11, November 2010

FEATURES

�� ! ��

��" ��" �� " ��!��

Vacuum plumbing in Californiaprison provides viable solution.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

INDUSTRY NEWS &OTHER DEPARTMENTS

8 | South Dakota adopts newcodes

8 | One-stop shop for rainwaterharvesting products

8 | Honeywell to name lab at WPIfire protection engineering facility

8 | Danfoss receives award

8 | Downtown D.C. office toweramong top two percent nationwidein energy efficiency

10 | EMCOR Co. named MSCA StarContractor

12 | UA Green Trailer to debut at2011 AHR Expo

12 | SolarLogic, LLC awarded U.S.patent

28 | THE BIM REPORT

50 | PRODUCT APPLICATION

52 | CLASSIFIEDS

53 | AD INDEX

54 | NEW PRODUCTS

6 Editor’s Letter: Scald prevention education — don’t get burned16 Designer’s Guide: Rainman18 FPE Corner: Sprinklers and Sustainability20 Heating Help: Quite a Messe!24 Solar Solutions: Using two-stage thermostats for direct solar floor heat

30 High Security with Low Impact

40 Getting into the Flow

46 Designing for the Needs of an Increasingly Challenged Population

pe11_pgs_04_05rev_Layout 1 10/29/10 9:30 AM Page 4

Because the water companyis never going to have a sale.

Moen and the Crossed Water Drops device are registered trademarks of Moen Incorporated©2009 Moen Incorporated

Looking for a real world way to lower your water bills? Switch to Moen Commercial.We have green solutions to reduce

water consumption by up to 30 percent. That’s right, 30 percent. And we can help you earn valuable points toward

LEED® certification. From our electronic and metering faucets to our sensor-operated flush valves and other

low-flow solutions, every product is factory-tested for quality and backed by an industry-leading 5-year warranty.

Which means you can effortlessly save on maintenance and utility costs. Consider it a permanent water sale.

To learn more about how our products are built for the real world, visit www. moencommercial.com or call 800-BUY-MOEN.

Circle 4 on Reader Reply form on page 53


Last month, Plumbing Engineer closely examined the issue of scald preven-tion. Recently, the American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) hasreleased a white paper intended to bring attention to safety hazards associ-

ated with low-flow showerheads when used in conjunction with non-automaticcompensating type shower valves. “Scald Hazards Associated with Low-FlowShowerheads: A White Paper” was developed by the American Society of SanitaryEngineering Scald Awareness Task Group; a group comprised of 24 industry pro-fessionals who have dedicated their time and expertise to this potentially lifesav-ing awareness effort. The white paper discusses the increased risk of scalding andthermal shock associated low-flow showerheads used in conjunction with non-automatic compensating-type shower valves in older homes and buildings.

The white paper states that with non-automatic compensating-type shower ortub/shower valve, any change in incoming water pressure or temperature willresult in a sudden change in outlet water temperature from the showerhead. Theseverity of the change in the outlet water temperature is dependent on many sys-tem-related factors such as friction loss, pressure, incoming temperatures and

pipe size. The user of a non-automatic compensating-type shower valve could,without warning, be exposed to extreme variations in water temperatures, eitherhot or cold, when a low-flow showerhead is installed in the shower.

Additionally, sudden changes in pressure are often caused by water flowing froma nearby plumbing fixture, causing a pressure drop in the cold or hot water pipingbeing used during a shower — a change in temperature known as thermal shock.

Non-automatic compensating-type shower valves do not have the safety fea-tures that are commonly found on automatic compensating-type valves. Thesesafety features include automatic adjustment for changes in incoming pressureor temperature, check valves on the inlets to prevent crossover of flow (whenrequired) and adjustable temperature limit stops, which, when properly set, canlimit the maximum temperature of the water flowing from the showerhead.

For the white paper, http://www.asse-plumbing.org/ScaldHazards.pdf. n

Editorial, Advertising,Production, Accounting and

Administrative Offices

1838 Techny Ct.Northbrook, IL 60062

(847) 564-1127 • Fax: (847) 564-1264E-mail: [email protected]

OwnerTom M. Brown

Editorial & Production StaffJohn Mesenbrink, Editorial DirectorMarilyn Cunningham, Associate EditorCate C. Brown, Production ManagerMark Bruno, Art Director/Prepress

ContributorsTimothy Allinson, P.E., Designer’s Guide

Sam Dannaway, Fire ProtectionRon George, CPD, Code UpdateDan Holohan, Heating Help

Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr, Green SystemsBristol Stickney, Solar Solutions

Sales StaffBrad Burnside, Publisher East1838 Techny Court, Northbrook, IL60062 Phone: 847/564-1127 Cell: 224/659-3984Fax: 847/564-1264E-mail: [email protected]

David Schulte Midwest, South and E. Canada1838 Techny Court, Northbrook, IL 60062Phone: 847/564-1127 Cell: 847/420-4686Fax: 847/564-1264E-mail: [email protected]

Diane Spangler West, Texas and W. CanadaPO Box 9802, Fountain Valley, CA92728 Phone: 714/839-6700Fax: 714/839-6777E-mail: [email protected]

Scald prevention education — don’t get burned

Editor’s Letter


PLUMBING ENGINEER(USPS 567-950) ISSN 0192-1711

PLUMBING ENGINEER (USPS 567-950) ISSN 0192-1711 is published monthly by TMB Publishing Inc., 1838 TechnyCourt, Northbrook, IL 60062. Phone (847) 564-1127, Fax (847) 564-1264. Magazine is free to those who design and spec-ify plumbing/piping systems in commercial, industrial, institutional and governmental buildings; as well as government offi-cials and plumbing inspectors. Subscription rates for U.S. and Canada: $50 for one year, $90 for two years. Other coun-tries: $300 per year. Periodical postage paid at Northbrook, IL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Change ofaddress should be sent to Plumbing Engineer, 440 Quadrangle Dr., Suite E., Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Material and opin-ions contained in contributed articles are the responsibility of the authors, not of TMB Publishing Inc., Plumbing Engineermagazine or its Editorial Advisory Board. The publisher cannot assume responsibility for any claims made by advertisers.Copyright © 2010 TMB Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Volume 38, Number 11. Plumbing Engineer is microfilmed byUniversity Microfilms, Ann Arbor, MI, and indexed by Engineering Index Inc. Publications Mail Agreement No. 41499518.Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6

John Mesenbrink, editorial [email protected]


Something’s happening here

Leonard’s New Building Management System Interface Knows

Because you need real-time, accurate temperature monitoring to know whensomething is amiss…integrating Leonard’s newBuilding Management SystemInterface gives you everythingyou need. Providing you exactlywhat you want: real-timemonitoring of outputtemperature.

Through the use of an Ethernetconnection with integratedbuilding management software,BMSI gives real-time, accuratereadings to monitor temperedwater to the domestic hot watersystem. Integrate BMSI withinstalled mixing valves orintegrate with a complete watertemperature control system, for significant cost savings.

• Interface with buildingmanagement system

• Constant, real-time monitoringof output water temperature

• Simplifies maintenanceprotocol

• MODBUS TCP/IP protocol• Digital display

Leonard’s valves give “integratedcontrol” for all water temperingdesign needs. Before your next project, be sure to visitwww.leonardvalve.com or callour free technical support hotlineat 888-797-4456.

Integrated control with everyvalve from the leader intemperature valves, Leonard Valve.

NEW

Leonard...the right mix.




Industry News

PIerre, s.D. — the state of south Dakota has formallyadopted the 2009 edition of the Uniform PlumbingCode® (UPC), as well as the new IAPMo greenPlumbing and Mechanical Code supplement (gPMCs)— the first state to do so.

Updating from the 2003 edition of the UPC, southDakota’s first statewide adoption of IAPMo’s code, theprovisions of the 2009 UPC will govern the design,installation and maintenance of plumbing systemsthroughout the predominantly rural state and protect thehealth and safety of the more than 800,000 southDakotans who utilize them.

South Dakota adopts 2009 UPC, 2010 Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement

More Industry News on page 10

After receiving authority from the south Dakota leg-

islature and subsequent public hearings, the south

Dakota state Plumbing Commission adopted the 2009

UPC with state amendments, all of which became effec-

tive sept. 21, 2010. Part of the adoption process also

included the 2010 gPMCs; however, the supplement

was deemed to be a non-mandatory referenced standard

and is applicable only when plumbing systems or instal-

lation methods are not referenced in the 2009 UPC.

recognizing the gPMCs is a step toward allowing the

new technology in water reuse systems to be utilized

while maintaining public health and safety.

leading the world to safety and to protecting the public,firefighters and first responders globally by supplyingthem with the most technologically advanced fire alarmsystems, sensors and personal protective equipmentavailable.

Danfoss receives award

WAsHIngton — Danfoss, a leading manufacturer of elec-tronic and mechanical components and control systemsfor refrigeration and air conditioning, heating and powerelectronics, was recognized by the Alliance to saveenergy for its innovation and technology contributions tothe energy efficiency arena. robert Wilkins, president ofDanfoss north America, accepted the Innovative star ofenergy efficiency Award on behalf of Danfoss during theAlliance’s 18th annual evening with the stars of energyefficiency awards dinner on sept. 14 in Washington, D.C.

the black-tie gala, which recognized individuals andorganizations that have demonstrated an exemplary com-mitment to the advancement of energy efficiency, wasattended by more than 500 industry leaders, high-levelgovernment officials and federal agency staff, includingU.s. rep. Paul tonko (n.y.), sen. Jeanne shaheen(n.H.), as well as award recipients Cathy Zoi, assistantsecretary, office of energy efficiency & renewableenergy (eere), U.s. Department of energy, andrichard Fedrizzi, founding chairman, president andCeo, U.s. green Building Council (UsgBC).

Downtown D.C. office tower among top twopercent nationwide in energy efficiency

FAIrFAx, VA. — A major new downtown redevelopmentproject in Washington, D.C., has recently been awardedleeD® Platinum certification under the Core and shellrating system by the U.s. green Building Council. therenovation project is a 340,000-square-foot, 11-storyoffice building developed by Hines. located in D.C.’s

One-stop shop for rainwater harvesting products

MontgoMery, AlA. —Consumers seeking to findquick and easy ways tomake their homes more eco-friendly, in addition to sav-ing money on householdexpenses, now have a singlesource for products, solu-tions and tips: Montgomery,Alabama-based rainmondintroduces its new e-com-merce web site at www.rain-waterharvestingstore.com.

rainmond's online web-site is devoted entirely to residential rainwater harvestingfilters and accessories. the store allows customers notonly to order products but also to educate themselves onrainwater harvesting solutions. Featuring helpful videos,pictures, drawings, installation guides and case studies,the new site assists customers in finding the perfect appli-cation for any product, from downspout filters to storagetank components.

Honeywell to name lab at WPI fire protection engineering facility

WorCester, MAss. — Worcester Polytechnic Institute(WPI) announced the establishment of a new fire protectionengineering facility sponsored in part by Honeywell lifesafety, a division of Honeywell International. the state-of-the-art WPI Fire Protection engineering lab, a facility stillin the conceptual phase, is expected to house activities relat-ed to combustion and explosion, fire and materials, policyand risk, suppression, wildland-urban interface fires andengineering tools to support the fire service.

the Honeywell life safety Fundamentals lab will sup-port the leading-edge education and research of WPI’sworld-renowned fire protection engineering program.WPI and Honeywell life safety share a commitment to


Industry News


central Business district, 1200 nineteenth Street wasdesigned by SmithGroup with mechanical/ electrical engi-neering by Tolk, a dewberry company.

in addition to the leed certification, the project hasbeen recognized as designed to earn the eneRGYSTAR® with a design rating of 99 out of 100 points, plac-ing it among the top two percent of buildings nationwide in

terms of energyefficiency. ThedeeS program,established in2004, encouragesenergy-efficientdesign in commer-cial buildings.Sustainable engi-neering featuresinclude:• efficient air han-dling units thatmanage the tem-perature andhumidity of out-

side air entering the building and reduce energy loads;• Fresh-air ventilation rates designed to exceed the

required ASHRAe standards by at least 30 percent;• Advanced lighting controls that minimize light pollu-

tion; and More Industry News on page 12


Continued from page 8

• Highly efficient plumbing fixtures that will save94,000 gallons of potable water annually.

EMCOR Company named MSCA Star Contractor

Rockville, Md. — eMcoR Services combustioneer, aleading mechanical services provider in the Washington,d.c. area, has been named an MScA Star contractor bythe Mechanical Services contractors of America (MScA),recognizing the company amongst an elite group ofmechanical contractors within the country.

To achieve the MScA Star rating, firms must demon-strate a proven track record of excellence. MScA Starcontractors must verify that they uphold a strict code ofbusiness ethics, employ one of the best trained and mostqualified workforces in the industry, maintain a safetyrecord above the industry average, offer outstanding cus-tomer service and focus on continuing education andtraining for all employees.

UA ‘Green Trailer’ to debut at 2011 AHR EXPO

WeSTpoRT, conn. — The United Association (UA) will beshowcasing its Sustainable Technologies demonstrationTraining Trailer at the 2011 AHR expo in las vegas, January31 – February 2.

designed to highlight sustainable systems that could beincluded in a USGBc leed Green Building certificationSystem platinum Rated Building, the trailer is fully function-al and interactive soAHR expo attendeescan experience the sys-tems‘ proper installa-tion and operation.Green HvAcR,plumbing, fire preven-tion and energy sys-tems are all featured in the demo center.

The specific sustainable technologies that are demonstrat-ed within the trailer include:

• Solar energy production and storage• Solar water heating• Radiant floor heating system• Radiant ceiling heating & cooling system• Geo-thermal heat pump system• Heat pump water pre-heat system• Air purification system• desiccant low humidity system• package terminal air conditioner — zone cooling system• energy efficient appliances• High efficiency/low flow plumbing fixtures and faucets

— residential & commercial• Greywater system• Rainwater catchment system• Fire prevention mist system• Green building design display• High efficiency HvAc motor display.



tiple hardware controls that require individual program-ming and fine-tuning, often consisting of hundreds of hand-wired connections. The slIC replaces all conventionalcontrols, providing integration and streamlined wiring, andrequires no programming to operate a system efficientlyand reliably.

InSinkErator honors memory of longtime employee

RaCInE, WIs. — With deep sadness, InsinkErator announcesthe passing of friend and former colleague John Davis.

Davis passed away sept. 29. During his 36-year tenurewith InsinkErator, John achieved several professional mile-stones. In 2004, John garnered a “stars to the stars” awardgiven by the associated Builders and Owners of Greaternew York. He was recognized for his work with themayor's office, the new York Department of EnvironmentalProtection and the Department of sanitation to developenvironmentally sound solutions for new York City's solidwaste disposal challenges. Before his retirement fromInsinkErator in 2009, Davis served as northeast regionalmanager.

John was a member of the new York state association ofPlumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors; associatedBuilders & Owners of Greater new York; the new Yorkchapter of the society of Plumbing Engineers; and theamerican society of Plumbing Engineers. John made hishome in Coraopolis, Pa., moving to summerville, s.C.,after retirement. n

AFSA’s sprinklerECampus.com adds new course

Dallas — The american Fire sprinkler association(aFsa) announced the expansion of its online educationalofferings for the automatic fire sprinkler system layout tech-nician. adding to its applied sprinkler Technology series isaFsa's newest seminar, applied sprinkler Technology 104:layout Concepts, which is available online at Fire sprinklereCampus, www.sprinklerECampus.com/.

SolarLogic Awarded U.S. patent for solar heating controller

sanTa FE, n.M. — solarlogic, llC has been awarded apatent on its unique control system for heating and coolingsystems. The controller uses a software algorithm to com-bine different heating and cooling sources in a system withvaried heating needs, and utilize them based on their avail-ability, priority, cost, and environmental impacts.

solarlogic has developed its first product based on thispatent, the solarlogic Integrated Controller (slIC) forsolar heating systems. The slIC controls delivery of solarand backup heat for up to 10 heating zones, domestic hotwater, spa, pool, and ice-melt. Currently systems use mul-


Industry NewsContinued from page 10

(< 250 ºF)Tru-Balance 2550FS 25/50 Rated Rigid Foam Insulated Saddles

(> 300 ºF)Tru-Balance 1200E Calcium Silicate Insulated Saddles

2550FS 25/50 Rated Rigid Foam Inserts with

1200E Calcium Silicate Inserts with

Roundup Round Cornered Saddles

White Roundup Saddles Wraparoo Hanger Cover System


Global Offices and Laboratories: Atlanta, GA • Charlotte, NC • Chicago, IL • Cleveland, OH • Dallas,TX • Los Angeles, CANashville,TN • Edmonton, AB • Montreal, PQ • Toronto, ON • Vancouver, BC • Arnhem, the Netherlands • Bangalore, India Hong Kong, China • Guangzhou, China • Shanghai, China • Seoul, Republic of Korea • Tokyo, Japan

The CSA mark on plumbing products is all the assurance you need that those products meet U.S.and Canadian standards. You can specify, install, and accept products with confidence when yousee the CSA mark. Because no other testing laboratory can match the knowledge, experience, andqualifications of CSA International.

CSA International has earned accreditation and recognition from ANSI, HUD, IAS, NIST/NVLAP, OSHAand SCC. We test and certify plumbing products to applicable North American standards and codes,including those published by ANSI, ASSE, IAPMO, CSA, ASME, ASTM, and NSF. And we are knowledgeableand experienced with IPC and UPC requirements. No one is more knowledgeable of the standards,and no one is more experienced in testing and certifying plumbing products than CSA International.

The Mark of LeadershipCSA marks are found on products from the industry’s leading manufacturers – products found on theshelves of North America’s major retail chains and inventoried by product distributors coast to coast.But we define leadership more broadly than that. That’s why CSA International is also at the forefrontof important industry initiatives to simplify testing and certification, and make it easier for you to identifyproducts that meet standards for safety, performance, and health effects.

Learn More…Learn more about CSA International, certification services,CSA marks, and the products that display them. Visit us at www.csa-international.org for listings of products certified by CSA International. Or call toll free: 1-866-797-4272.

The One Mark You Want to See



�!��!" !�+,�)-�$",0��'%%�*�"�$��-��,+��'*��.�*0��0��(($"��,"'&+�

�(%"��+�,,��!�'��+��-��*.�%"-2�!�,�&��!"�� (��.��-,�-!��)+��++��!("��"'�.'"/�+,"-"�,� !(,)"-�%,��'��(+)(+�-��&).,�,��+(.'��-!��(.'-+2��(.��'��+"' �-!�-�,�&��%�/�%�(��*.�%"-2�5��/�+2��2�5�-(��%%�(��2(.+�)+(#��-,��-��'��(+��%��)+"��

��," '��,)��"4��%%2��(+��(&&�+�"�%�.,��(.+��.��-,��+��$��2�-!��"'�.,-+2�,�,-+(' �,-�0�++�'-"�,��%.,��(.+��.,-(&�+��'��-��!�,.))(+-��,�0�%%��,�&�'.��-.+"' ��+��+" !-�!�+��"'�-!��!�-�&�$�,�(.+�)+(�.�-,��,&�+-�"'/�,-&�'-��(+��%&(,-��'2��.,"'�,,�5��+(&�-!��'-",-3,�(�4��-(�-!��)�'��$��!(.,��

�'�"��0'-1*��$''#"& ��'*��'%%�*�"�$�)-�$",0��,��&��'*��$��(*"�� '�/",!�,!��'%(�&0�,!�,��*"& +�",��.�*0��0��'�/",!��!"�� '��-��,+�

��,�"$ ��2��+��$,!��*��2��+ � � �

��+"' �"-��/�+2��2�

��

� � � ��

� � � � �

��

��'�0��(+��%��()-"('��(+�-!��+�,-+((&��(&�"'�,�-!��.+��"%"-2�(�,(%"��+�,,�0"-!�-!��)�'��"%"-2�(��+�&"��&"1"' �/�%/��,2�-(�"',-�%%��'��&�"'-�"'��

��-.+�,��(/��$��%��-+('"�,��(+��)�'��%��()�+�-"('��,2�"',-�%%�-"('�'��&�"'-�'�'��%��(+�"',-�%%�-"(',0!�+��0�-�+��(',�+/�-"('��'��"&)+(/��!2 "�'��+��,"+��

��

�!� 0�%%��+��,)(.-�0"-!�"'-� +�%�)�"%�!(($��'��'��-&(,)!�+"��/��..&��+��$�+�&�$��-!",��.��-�"��%��(+�&(,-�#�'"-(+"�%�0(+$��+��,�

��

��

� � � � � ��

� ��

� � � � ��


� � � � � � �

� � � � � � � � � � � � � ��

� � �

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ��

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ��

� ��+,�-*�&,+��'+(",�$",0

� � � �

�

000��!"�� (��.��-,��(&��

�(+��'��/�+2��2��.�%"-2� +(�!.+��%%��(+��"+�%��-!��'.&��+�('�-!��+��+�,�+/"��+��

� ��

� � � � � ��

� � � � ��

� � �

� � ��

� � � ��

� � � � ��

� � � � ��

��.+��%��('��)"��,(%"��+�,,��(�2�(&�"'�,�0"-!��#.,-��%��&�-�+"' ).,!�!�'�%�,�-(�&�$��'�"��%��.��-�(+�!" !�-+��4��!" !�.,��%(��-"(',�

�'-�+�!�' ��%��(&)('�'-,�&�$� "-��,2�-(��"��+�'-�!�'�%�,��+-+"� �,�(+�,)(.-,�0"-!(.-�+�)%��"' �-!��'-"+��.��-��%��(+�).�%"��+�,-+((&,� �(��+((&,��'��1�&�+((&,�

��




Back in May I wrote a piece on domestic waterusage in which I calculated, based on a Web-basedwater footprint calculator, that I used, on average,

60,000 gallons of water in my home. Since then, I collect-ed my water bills for the past year and, in reality, myhousehold consumed 96,000 gallons — far more than thetheoretical calculation. That number surprised me, espe-cially considering that I have faux grass in my yard thatdoesn’t require irrigation, and that the average annualusage in the United States is supposedly 54,000 gallons

Even with my fake grass, we consumed 65 gallons perday per person for a household of four. That number doesinclude a moderate amount of landscaping irrigation

around the periphery of my yard, but it is still a lot of waterconsumption. I think I will have to replace the high-flowshowerhead in my wife’s shower with a low-flow unit.

Anyway, as a result of that May article, I got a call fromSteve Carr, a gentleman known by many in our industry.Steve is an outspoken individual, which is part of the rea-son many know his name. But he is also, unbeknownst tome, a water conservationist extraordinaire. Steve lives inthe Grant Park area of Atlanta, and he is “off the grid” ofthe local water utility. He exists solely by using the rain-water he collects from his roof — and only from a fractionof his roof at that.

Steve lives in an industrial building home conversionwith a 12,000-sq.-ft. roof, but he uses only 700 sq. ft. ofthat roof for rainwater harvesting. As you can see in Figure1, the water from that 700-sq.-ft. drains through a screeninto two tanks for a 1,000-gallon supply. In Steve’s ownwords, this represents a two-month supply, since he onlyuses five gallons per day for the toilet, 10 gallons in theshower and one gallon at the kitchen sink. Steve obvious-ly lives alone, or his consumption would be much greater.

The storage tanks are wrapped with heat tape and paintedblack to absorb solar heat and prevent freezing in coldermonths. They are also fitted with air filter screens to keepimpurities out of the water — a bit primitive, albeit effective.

The stored water is pumped by a small 1/3 HP pumpthrough a first (20-micron) filter up to a 60-gallon holdingtank in a mechanical loft above his bathroom. The equip-ment is entrained in a drip pan that drains to his shower inthe event of a leak (which has happened once). The 60-gallon tank has a level switch to activate the pump below.

From the 60-gallon tank the water is pumped throughtwo more filters of sequential reduction — 10 and 5microns respectively — and up to a 10-gallon “day tank”at the apex of his roof. This smaller tank also has a levelswitch to control the second pump.

From the upper tank the system flows by gravity througha UV filter and water heater to the bathroom and kitchen

fixtures below. Steve throws chlorine into the 60-gallon tank as required to maintain purity. I askedSteve how he knows whether the system is trulypotable, and he said, “If I get sick or die thatmeans it wasn’t.” So far that hasn’t happened.As much as I hate being unoriginal, I am not thefirst to write about Mr. Carr. Back in 2007,when Atlanta was having record drought, Stevegot his share of media attention for not being aslave to the water utility. The media had funwith Steve’s obsessive compulsive water con-servation habits, drawing attention to the factthat he shaves the edges of his beard dry, usesno water on his toothbrush and saves the coldwater dead-leg of his hot water supply as drink-ing water for his cats and dog. Steve’s water supply system did run dry once,back in the late ’90s, after 33 days of drought,

while his girlfriend was living with him, which obviouslyincreased his water usage significantly. During that timethey had to resort to “luxurious” showers at the local truckstop, in which Steve took guilty pleasure. But eventuallythe rain came, the girlfriend left and things returned tonormal for Steve’s water supply.

Steve collects more than just water. His industrial homelooks like just that — an industrial facility, much to hisneighbors’ chagrin. But he is consistent in his philosophyof conserve, reuse and recycle, even if it doesn’t help theappearance of his front yard. Many legal battles haveensued as a result, but Steve has not been beaten nordeterred in his habits.

For all its efficiency, sustainability and greenness, Steve’srainwater collection system is viable in his relatively wetregion of Atlanta, where it rains in excess of 50" per year,and a drought still delivers 36". For my own home it wouldnot be so practical, since Southern California averages just12" per year, with droughts reaping far less than that. Buteven though I don’t have a rainwater collection system, Ithink I will take a lesson from Mr. Carr and start living a bitmore frugally in my own water conservation habits. n

The Rainman

Designer’s GuideTimothy Allinson, P.E., Murray Co., Long Beach, Calif.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of theauthor and do not reflect those of Plumbing Engineer nor its pub-lisher, TMB Publishing.


are you saying that the speakman TP valve

protects from both scalding & Thermal shock?

and it’s certified to meet ASSE 1016

at 1.5 GPM!

...The Law Firm of Robbem, Cheatem, and Blindem is down in the dumps… Why?

THE NEW SPEAKMAN SENTINEL PRO™ TP SHOWER VALVE IS HERENO MORE EASY LEGAL SETTLEMENTS FOR HOSPITAL AND HOTEL SCALDING & FALLING PERSONAL INJURY LAWSUITS

DEFEND YOURSELFSpecify the new SENTINEL PRO™ TP SHOWER VALVE for maximum protection

CERTIFIED TO 1.5 GALLONS PER MINUTECall 800-537-2107 to learn more or visit us at www.SentinelProTPValve.com



Samuel S. Dannaway, PE,President, S.S. Dannaway Associates, Inc., Honolulu

FPE Corner

Sprinklers and sustainability

There has recently been a great deal published pro-moting the automatic fire sprinkler system as agreen building technology. Those of us in the indus-

try have known this for years, although we had notdescribed the benefits of sprinklers using the precise termsof the green movement. What is more sustainable than atechnology that reduces property loss due to fire? Firesprinklers have been successfully protecting property formore than one hundred years. There are also strong argu-ments for the sustainability of sprinklers in their ability toprotect life, mission continuity and cultural heritage.

The case for green sprinklers has been strengthened byresearch conducted through a partnership between theHome Fire Sprinkler Coalition and FM Global. The March2010 Research Technical Report, Environmental Impact ofAutomatic Fire Sprinklers, can be found athttp://www.fmglobal.com/page.aspx?id=04010300. Majorconclusions from this report include:

• In the event of a fire, the use of sprinklers . . .reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 97.8%.reduces water usage between 50 and 91%.reduces fire damage.• Of the 123 species of greenhouse gases and criteria

pollutants, volatile and semi-volatile organic and inorgan-ic compounds, heavy metals and particulate matter ana-lyzed, only 76 were detected in the air emissions fromeither the sprinklered or non-sprinklered tests.

• Of the 76 species detected, the ratio of non-sprinkleredto sprinklered levels for 24 of the species was in excess of10 to 1. Eleven species were in excess of 50 to 1, six ofwhich were at a ratio in excess of 100 to 1.

The weakness of this report is that it did not investigatethe total carbon footprint of an automatic sprinkler system.It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that,between a sprinklered or non-sprinklered building, themore environmentally friendly scenario is the sprinkleredbuilding.

Demonstrating the overall effect with respect to sustain-ability of the installation of many sprinkler systems, how-ever, is a little more difficult. Is the total carbon footprintof the materials, labor and energy used to install all of thosemany sprinkler systems, some of which may never experi-ence a fire, less than the carbon footprint created by theportion of unsprinklered buildings that will burn?

This question was answered by earlier research doneindependently by FM Global. In their March 2009Research Technical Report, The Influence of Risk Factorson Sustainable Development (available at the same URLnoted above), a number of loss prevention measures usedto mitigate hazards were analyzed. These measures includ-ed natural hazards, such as high wind, earthquake andflood and fire hazards. In addition to examining the carbonemissions from fires, the report also addresses the carbon


footprint of the material, labor and energy used to providea sprinkler system.

The report concludes that risk management strategiesplay a significant role in building sustainability, i.e., reduc-ing a building’s carbon footprint. The report further con-cludes that, with respect to fire risk, the presence of auto-matic sprinklers reduces the percentage of carbon emis-sions attributable to fire hazard. For the three scenariosexamined, a standard office building, an office buildingdesign with reduced emissions (green) and a high hazardfacility, the results were as follows:

The sprinklered condition reduces the fire risk carbonfootprint over the life of the building by at least an order of

magnitude. Put another way, for the case of the standardoffice building, sprinkler protection increases the carbonfootprint four kg of CO2/square meter of building area, twokg/sm of which are attributable to the sprinkler systemmaterials, and results in a net reduction of lifetime carbonemissions for the building of 30 to 40 kg/square meter.

Now the evidence is clear: SPRINKLERS WILL SAVETHE POLAR BEARS!

Currently, fire sprinkler advocates are referring to thisresearch in promotion of sprinklers. This is good, but moreis needed. What the industry must do (or may be doingunbeknownst to me) is lobby the U. S. Green BuildingCouncil to have automatic sprinklers recognized by theLEED green building certification program. The ability togain LEED points for sprinklers will improve the recogni-tion and acceptance of the truly sustainable role that sprin-klers play, while also protecting life and property. Alongwith the USGBC, sprinkler advocates should lobby theNational Association of Home Builders (remember ourfriends from the IRC?). It comes as no surprise that the2008 edition of the National Green Building Standard,which applies to residential construction, does not makemention of automatic fire sprinklers (at least I could notfind it). This standard was developed by the ICC in collab-oration with NAHB.

For the time being, though, one may not yet receiveLEED points for providing automatic fire sprinklers; wecan all sleep well knowing that there is a grateful polar bearout there. n

% Emissions Due to Fire Risk

Scenarios Non-Sprinklered Sprinklered Standard (ungreen)

Office Building 1 to 2% < 0.1%Green Office Building 4% 0.1%High Hazard Building 14% 0.4%

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author anddo not reflect those of Plumbing Engineer nor its publisher, TMB Publishing.



Next March a group of friends and I will travel toFrankfurt, Germany, to attend the big ISH fair atthe Messe Frankfurt. This show, in case you

haven’t heard, is flashier than Times Square and heavenon earth for anyone in this business. This will be myeleventh consecutive trip to this show of shows. I knowthat I won’t be bored because there will be more than200,000 people there, pushing and shoving in thatdelightful European and Asian way of theirs. I’ll work myway through some of the 1,300 booths and drool like asilly idiot over things that we’ll probably never have herein America. I’ll drink free beer, eat free sausages and pret-zels and stare at random naked people in a number of thebooths. In Europe, sex continues to sell.

Messe Frankfurt is the third-largest expo center in theworld. It has a total area of 6,221,540 square feet. (Let mehear you say, Yikes!) Its nine halls have a total of3,463,331 square feet of indoor exhibition space, andthere are an additional 1,034,175 square feet of outdoorspace where manufacturers can show their stuff. (Let mehear you say sore feet.)

In years past, I always got a kick out of the way theEuropeans smoked at ISH. They don’t allow this any-more, but back in the day, you could barely see from oneend of a hall to the other. It was just this blue tobaccohaze. The manufacturers would talk to me while blowingsmoke in my face, and their chosen topic was often indoorair quality. They are delightful people, these Smokin’Euros.

On my first visit to the show in March 1991, I was ask-ing a German engineer a question about his equipmentwhen he stopped me with a question of his own”

“You are from New York, ya?”“Ya,” I said.“I thought so. I recognize ze accent.”“Oh, and have you been to our fair city?” I asked.“Ya, I have,” he said. “Und you people are pigs!”“Pardon?” I said.“You people heat your buildings mit steam!” he

snarled.“True dat,” I said. “However, we have very old build-

ings in my city.”“You peoples don’t know vat olt is!” he said. “You

should get rid of the steam. It is nineteenth-century tech-nology. Pigs!”

“But you can’t just get rid of it,” I said.“You can if you have ze vill,” he said. “Ve got rid of

ours!”“Well, actually, we got rid of yours,” I reminded him.

“Your daddy may have mentioned that at some point dur-ing your upbringing. Remember?”

Ah, how I love making new friends in foreign lands.As I wandered through the Messe Frankfurt that year, I

was delighted to see the steam radiators in the stairwells.They (or we) apparently hadn’t gotten rid of all the steamheat. Nope, here were these steel-panel radiators with

thermostatic radiator valves and honest-to-goodnesssteam traps. I took pictures of them and then followed upon each of my subsequent visits to ISH to see if they werestill there. They always were.

Steam was living on in the stairwells of the MesseFrankfurt, even as the exhibitors condemned such anti-quated technology. The radiators were pounding out moreheat than a menopause convention and all of it was com-ing up from beneath the city streets. Frankfurt has anactive district-heating system, not as large as the one inNew York, but similar. Most of the big buildings convertthe steam to hot water, using plate-and-frame heatexchangers, but not the Messe Frankfurt.

I had that in mind when I came across an article aboutthe Frankfurt Book Fair, which is also at the MesseFrankfurt. The Book Fair draws more people than ISH,which proves that reading is more popular than plumbingand heating throughout the world. The article told me thatthey’ve made some green changes to the Messe Frankfurtthis year, and all of those changes made me smile.

For instance, they’re doing something about waterusage these days because, in much of the world, water isthe new oil. It’s suddenly precious. They use about 1.85million gallons of water during the Book Fair (probablyclose to that during ISH). Messe Frankfurt wants to set agood example, so they’re now using rainwater and recy-cled water wherever they can to flush the toilets, water theplants and supply water to the decorative fountains.They’ve also switched all their toilets over to the need-based variety, which is foreign to most Americans, butvery common in Europe. Euro-toilets have two buttons —a small one for a small pee flush, and a larger one forthose Big Country Dumps. This change alone is supposedto save nearly a half-million gallons of water during thetypical fair. Nice.

There are many “toiletens” at Messe Frankfurt andwhen you’re using one of them you will often be sur-prised by a cleaning woman. She will suddenly appear toswab at the urinal next to the one you’re using. And, yes,she does peek. She also expects a tip on your way out. Ittakes a bit of getting used to (the peeking, not the tip-ping), so my advice is to tip, but only if she’s not smirk-ing.

They’re also doing something good about waste mate-rials at Messe Frankfurt. Germany is huge on recycling,and you can see the bins for this on the streets. There’sone bin for paper, another for plastic and separate bins forgreen, brown and clear glass. People are very conscien-tious about this. The same now goes for those who visitthe Messe Frankfurt, so I wish them the best.

I was doing a seminar not long ago in a LEED-certifiedbuilding here in America. This place had separate bins inthe dining area for the trash, and everyone was very care-ful with where they put what.

This being a nighttime seminar, I got to hang out for a

Quite a Messe!

Heating HelpDan Holohan, www.heatinghelp.com

Continued on page 22


bit afterwards to chat with some of the folks. I was pack-ing up and shooting the breeze when the cleaning crewshowed up. They were from an outside company. One ofthe cleaning people took all the bins with all the careful-ly separated recyclables and dumped the whole worksinto one big plastic trash bag, which he then tossed intothe back of a van. I figured he was going to leave that onthe side of some major American interstate highway.

Old habits sure die hard, don’t they?

At Messe Frankfurt, they installed dimmable, energy-saving lights everywhere, and they upgraded the ventila-tion system. Too bad they couldn’t have done that back inthe days when everyone was smoking as if they wanted todie right then.

Hall 10, which is the building that hosts most of thecontrols manufacturers and the little-valve people, nowhas a photovoltaic plant that can make up to 300 kilowattsof electricity on its roof. They say that’s enough to powerall the booths in that hall. I suppose the sun has to be shin-ing, though, and I don’t recall that ever happening duringmy 10 trips to ISH, so you might want to bring some can-dles if you’re planning a visit (smokeless ones, of course).

As for the heating at Messe Frankfurt, they’ve madesome major changes to that as well, and I’m wondering ifanyone at next year’s ISH will notice. First, they switched


Heating HelpContinued from page 20



Precision Plumbing Products“Specify with Confi dence - Install with Pride”®

Precision Plumbing Products, your unprecedented leader in floor drain trap priming has developed and now offers a BATTERY OPERATED 12V Mini-Prime electronic floor drain trap priming manifold.

This trap primer is designed to prime one to four drains from one location. The battery operated primer will operate priming traps once a day for approximately one year at which time the battery pack, supplied by PPP is easily changed.

These products are listed by ETL/UL, ASSE, and UPC. Precision Plumbing Products is an ISO 9001 quality certified manufacturing company.

MADE IN U.S.A.We do not export jobs.

MINI-PRIME BATTERY OPERATED TRAP PRIMERMINI-PRIME BATTERY OPERATED TRAP PRIMER

Precision Plumbing ProductsDivision of JL Industries, Inc.6807 NE 79th Court, Suite E Portland, Oregon 97218 T(503) 256-4010 - F(503) 253-8165 - www.pppinc.net

MINI-PRIMEMP-500-12V

MINI-PRIME W/BOX MPB-500-12V

TRAP PRIMING GOES WIRELESS!

over to fast-rolling doors, which they say do just that.Everyone will have to move a lot quicker next March soas to keep in the heat. Scurry! They’ve also replaced theirold poorly insulated (by their standards) steam mains withnew vacuum-insulated steam mains. That’s about as high-tech as it gets when it comes to moving steam and, in thebuildings that had those steam radiators, they now havewarm-water radiators.

For me, it will never be the same.

I’m going to see if I can find my German engineerbuddy when I get back to Frankfurt. I want to congratu-late him on getting rid of the last bit of the steam — andthis time without our help. n

Dan Holohan began his love affair with the heatingindustry in 1970. Today, Dan writes a monthly column forPlumbing Engineer’s sister publication, Phc News. Hehas written a dozen popular books on subjects rangingfrom steam heating to teaching technicians. He is wellknown throughout the heating industry for his entertain-ing and anecdotal style of speaking.



Solar SolutionsBristol Stickney, technical director, Cedar Mountain Solar Systems, Santa Fe, N.M.

Throughout the world, it seems that solar hydronicheating systems are most commonly designed asif they are very large solar water heaters. Large

banks of solar collectors are connected to large heat-storage water tanks. The solar heat is first put into thewater tanks and then drawn out to meet the heatingloads in a building. Here in northern New Mexico wehave discovered that most (or all) of the large heat-stor-age water tanks can be eliminated when the heat distri-bution system consists of radiant-heated warm masonryfloors.

I have personally supervised the design and installa-tion of more than a hundred such heating systems overthe past four years and feel that the concept has beenwell proven. The key to success with this approach is tosubstitute more intelligent controls for water tanks. Ifdone effectively, this can actually lower the installationcost of a solar heating installation, while improving thesystem’s efficiency.

When using the thermal mass of the floors as yourprimary solar heat storage medium, the heat storagecontrols must monitor the temperature of the roomswhere the warm floors are installed. The easiest way todo this, especially in retrofits, is to replace each con-ventional single-stage room thermostat with a two-stageheating thermostat. As the room temperature drops andthe first stage calls for heat, it can be wired into the solarheat control so that it only delivers solar heat when solaris available. If the room temperature continues to drop,the second stage will then call for heat, which can thenallow the backup boiler to fire (along with solar pre-heating, if available).

A brief review

There are a number of other details and control func-tions that should be understood and implemented whenusing direct solar heated floors. These include

• a piping configuration that bypasses the hot watertank(s) when direct solar heating of the floor is enabled(such as a primary loop or flow center),

• heat limiting and dissipation strategies to preventsolar collectors from overheating when direct floor heatis not desired,

• a minimum of three wires for each room thermostatfor two-stage switching (wireless two-stage thermostatsare an alternative).

Many of these subjects and other important consider-ations have been discussed at some length in this col-umn in previous issues over the past two years. Checkout the archives online for a sample wiring diagram thatincludes two-stage room thermostats connected to asample solar control system using three wires. Backissues also include many discussions of a primary loop

flow center piping configuration that I introduced as“Combi-solar 101.” Discussion of alternative collectortilts, heat dissipation to multiple loads, as well as othermethods of overheat protection, can also be found inprevious columns. Solar thermal efficiency and otherterminology used here is also defined and explainedmore thoroughly.

Two-stage switching in detail

Let’s take a closer look at the inner workings of atwo-stage heating thermostat. A two-stage thermostat isone that contains two single-stage thermostat switchesin one unit, where the two setpoints are linked together.Two-stage room thermostats are virtually invisible tothe user, which allows any room occupant to operate thesystem without any special training. Room temperaturecan be turned up or down in the normal way, and theinternal setpoints and differentials take care of them-selves without any other user input.

The designer or installer, however, must choose athermostat that is compatible with the needs of both thesolar heat storage system (the mass floor) and the com-fort preferences of the occupants. Since this can varyfrom room to room and from person to person, we havecome to prefer using thermostats with programmableinternal “deadbands” and “setpoints.” Figure 1 shows anexample from the Venstar 1045 room thermostat. Wehave successfully installed this model many times inbuildings that use solar-direct floor heating. We have

also tried Honeywell, Prolifix and others with similarfeatures. Different manufacturers offer different levelsof internal adjustment; this one allows three adjustmentsby the installer above and beyond the “heat setpoint”available to the user.

In the example shown in Figure 28-1, the user has settheir “comfort target” at 70 F. The first “deadband” isadjustable from one to six degrees. In this example, it isset to 4 F, which means that the room temperature willbe allowed to drop four degrees, to 66 F, before the


Bristol’s Six Principles for Good Solar Hydronic DesignUsing two-stage thermostats for direct solar floor heat

Figure 1


Introducing our 2d and 3d CAD Library

Simplify your building modeling process. We have the industry

standard 2d and 3d CAD files you’re looking for including:

Revit, DWF, ACIS, STEP, DWG and more. Files are available for our

popular water safety & flow control, backflow prevention and drain-

age product lines with more becoming available every day.

Go to watts.com/CAD to download today. How’s that for simple!

Add Depth to Your Project

Introducing our 2d and 3d CAD Library

A Watts Water Technologies Company

Available in

at watts.com

Available in





Bristol Stickney has been designing, manufacturing,repairing and installing solar hydronic heating systems formore than 30 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science inMechanical Engineering and is a licensed MechanicalContractor in New Mexico. He is the Chief Technical Officerfor SolarLogic LLC in Santa Fe, N.M., where he is involved indevelopment of solar heating control systems and design toolsfor solar heating professionals. Visit www.solarlogicllc.comfor more information.

Stage 1 switch activates and calls for solar heat. Thesecond “deadband” in this model is fixed at twodegrees. When the room temperature continues to drop,the Stage 2 switch will activate at 64 F, calling for theboiler or other auxiliary heat to kick in. The auxiliaryheat will stop firing when the room reaches 66 F, and allheat will stop when the room reaches the “heat setpoint”of 70 F. If other rooms are calling for Stage 1 solar heat,the heat will be sent to the cooler rooms whenever it isavailable.

Using this thermostat, the user can be provided with atemperature swing in the room as small as three degreesand as great as eight degrees. The more the temperatureis allowed to swing, the more solar heat can be storedand released in the room without calling for the boiler.This model also has a manual switch that allows the userto lock out the auxiliary heat. In our applications, thisbecomes a “solar only” switch for that room.

Final notes

These articles are targeted toward residential andsmall commercial buildings smaller than 10,000 squarefeet. Brand names, organizations, suppliers and manu-facturers are mentioned in these articles only to provideexamples for illustration and discussion and do not con-stitute any recommendation or endorsement. n

Solar SolutionsContinued from page 24

In this series of articles, I have been making the case thatthe key ingredients for solar/hydronic design and installationcan be divided into six categories, listed below, roughly inorder of their importance.

1. RELIABILITY2. EFFECTIVENESS3. COMPATIBILITY 4. ELEGANCE5. SERVICEABILITY 6. EFFICIENCY

The success of any solar hydronic home heating installa-tion depends on the often-conflicting balance between any ofthese six principles. Finding the balance between themdefines the art of solar heating design.


3 inlets (toilet, shower/bath and sink)

Pre-assembled with check valves included

Pumping distance of up to 15’ vertically or 150’ horizontally

2-year warranty New Sanitop model also

available for half bathrooms

The original plumbing solution since 1958

1-800-571-8191 | www.saniflo.com

Cabanas

Under the stairs

Garages Install a complete bathroom anywhere you need!

Basements


Under the stairs

Basements

Under the stairs

Basements

¾” discharge pipe

The original plumbing solution since 1958The original plumbing solution since 1958




oklaHoMa CITy — last year, managers at oklahomaCity-based International Environmental Corp. (IEC), look-ing ahead, knew that they could offer an advantage to sys-tem design and specifying engineers by being the first fancoil manufacturer in the HVaC industry to provide a com-plete line of products in a Building Information Model(BIM) format using Revit® software from autodesk®.

IEC’s BIM models are available for fast and efficientdownload from autodesk seek® and IEC websites. Thisservice is a valuable tool for mechanical, electrical andplumbing (MEp) engineers who use Revit software as adesign tool.

“I’m very excited about the level of control and quickaccess to information I now have,” said norm Taylor, pE,

with seattle-basedmechanical design engi-neering firm, FsIConsulting services.“new software designtools have enabledmechanical systemdesigners and specifyingengineers to quickly andaccurately build andmake adjustments to

complex systems.” “We use Revit to easily specify and design-in IEC fan

coil units for a broad range of commercial, industrial andpublic projects,” added Taylor. “Revit has also been veryuseful for our work at Boeing. We’re now in the midst of aproject to design modular ventilation systems for corrosionprotection of several new jet models, including the 777.

“We like to say that the software gives us the ability toassemble it before we build it,” he continued. “Beforerecent software advancements, we essentially had to buildan element ourselves, but now we get model numbers,flow rates and electrical requirements; dimensional con-straints are available in 3d, and we also see, for instance,the maintenance zone around a specified machine.

david Roberts, BIM coordinator for Houston-based

smith, seckman, Reid, Inc., said that new software hasenabled efficiency, especially under tight time constraints.

“There are times when we may need to place VaVs, dif-fusers and fan coil units into a design as quickly as possi-ble for time-sensitive pricing,” said Roberts. “In the best ofworlds, we’re not under time pressure. But it happens oftenenough that, when we’re designing mechanical systems,new software — and now, more information from manu-facturers like IEC who list and avail product information inRevit — makes it possible for us to price systems accu-rately and quickly.” For info, www.iec-okc.com.

The Building

Information

Modeling

ReportSponsored by

ITT Bell & Gossett

Imag

e co

urtesy

of A

utodes

k

Designers look to IEC BIM offering

IndIanapolIs — Willoughby Industries, Inc. has intro-duced an ever expanding collection of Revit® models forits commercial grade stainless steel and aquasurf® solidsurface plumbing fixtures. These BIM-ready models havebeen designed to ensure architects, engineers, and otherindustry professionals have all of the product informationnecessary for specification and design. The following

product lines are being modeled and can be accessed atwww.willoughby-ind.com:

• Commercial: plumbing fixtures and accessories foreducational and industrial applications;

• Healthcare: plumbing fixtures and accessories thatredefine hospital sanitation; and

• security: plumbing fixtures and accessories designedfor correctional facilities. n

Willoughby introduces Revit® models


Superior effi ciency rules the water.

Think about ITT.

Powerful, intelligent and constantly in motion, not just adapting to their surroundings, but dominating them. Like sharks, e-SV pumps are tough, effi cient and built to last. Thanks to a unique combination of new hydraulic design and higher effi ciency motor, the e-SV delivers lower overall life-cycle costs and superior effi ciency compared to

most pumps available today.

• Optimized hydraulic design results in superior boosting performance, effi ciency and NPSHr levels.

• All stainless-steel construction permits NSF certifi cation.

• Expanded line of pump sizes for wide range of applications.

• Patented i-ALERT™ monitor continuously measures vibration to support optimum performance. Available on pumps 10HP and above.

• New design eliminates need to remove motor, reducing repair time by up to 50 percent.

Now there’s more than one way to rule the water.

Find out more at www.goulds.com

• Optimized hydraulic design results in superior boosting performance, effi ciency and NPSHr levels.

• All stainless-steel construction permits NSF certifi cation.

• Expanded line of pump sizes for wide range of applications.

• Patented i-ALERT™ monitor continuously measures vibration to support optimum performance. Available on pumps 10HP and above.

Introducing the Goulds Pumps

e-SVTM Series:energy effi cient, economical and easy-to-install stainless steel multi-stage pumps.




In a prison, the plumbing gets a lot of attention. Afterall, something as simple as a clogged toilet often endsup being the result of an inmate’s intentional act to cre-

ate a disturbance and compromise safety. Hidden contra-band, blockages and maintenance issues tax a facility’smanpower and budget. For these reasons, correctionalfacilities must take careful steps in planning and design-ing a plumbing system.

There is yet another challenge prisons are taking ontoday, especially in states such as California. Under theGovernor’s Executive Order #S-20-04, the design, con-struction and operation of all new state-owned facili-ties shall be certified under the Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design (LEED), beginning inJanuary 2011. This means that not only will facilitiesbe built to function at the highest levels of serviceand security but also that they will have the lowestimpact possible on the environment.

It was with this goal that the Salinas Valley StatePrison (SVSP) underwent construction on a new64-bed, 36,400-sq.-ft. mental health housing/treat-ment facility in Soledad, Calif. The facility housesmale inmates requiring inpatient mental healthcare at level IV security (the most violent). Theproject aimed to achieve the first LEED certifi-cation for the state’s prison system, ahead of the2011 mandate. To accomplish this, the newaddition to SVSP specified the AcornVacVacuum Plumbing System. AcornVac reduces impact onall of the facility’s resources’ time, cost, maintenance andprecious water and ultimately contributed to a SilverLEED certification.

“When the LEED Silver requirement was added to theproject, we proposed the vacuum plumbing system as away to achieve points associated with domestic water usereduction, wastewater reduction and an innovation pointfor the exemplary reduction of water,” said AnthonyColacchia, M.E., principal, Capital EngineeringConsultants Inc.

LEEDing the way

A toilet in a prison cell is used and abused in multipleways; it can be used to dispose of trash, to hide contrabandor to create distractions. A single inmate may flush his orher toilet more than an average household flushes in an

entire day. A correc-tional facility operating at full occupan-cy uses a lot of water and it generates a lot of waste. Inarid climates such as Soledad, Calif., water consumptionis important and so is the volume of wastewater generat-ed. Treatment costs for both are high.

Although the performance specification for the vacuumplumbing system did not specify a manufacturer, DeanBarchacky, correctional business manager, and plant man-ager at the time of construction, together with plant oper-ations and project stakeholders, felt that AcornVac bestmet the requirements, in addition to obtaining the LEEDpoints potential. AcornVac uses the combined energies ofatmosphere and vacuum pressure to move waste through a


How vacuum plumbing boosts

security and reduces water

use at a Silver LEED project

High securitywith low impact

PROJECT: Mental health facility/treatment center at the

Salinas Valley State PrisonLOCATION: Soledad, Calif.PROJECT OBJECTIVES:•Minimize water consumption in new construction's

arid location. •Minimize impact on location’s local wastewater

collection system.•Reduce the cost of both potable water and wastewater treatment.•Achieve Silver LEED certification status.

•Boost security and minimize contraband.•Reduce maintenance cost and effort.The project team included stakeholders from CDCR, pro-

gram manager Kitchell CEM, Nacht & Lewis Architects,

mechanical engineers from Capital Engineering, electrical

engineers from CB Engineering and the general contractor,

Roebbelen Contracting Incorporated. Green Building

Services assisted the project team with establishing the sus-

tainability objectives and the LEED certification process.

Benefits of the AcornVac vacuum plumbing system:

•No digging required•Design and construction flexibility•Health safety and security•Fewer line blockages•Lower maintenance and operational costs



small-diameter piping network. As a result, it requiresonly 0.5 gallon of water per flush to effectively removewaste, as opposed to the 1.6 gallons typically requiredwith a traditional gravity plumbing system.

Overall water consumption is thus reduced by as muchas 68 percent, far exceeding the 20 percent required underthe Executive Order for LEED credits on this project.Additionally, all buildings at the SVSP employ electronicvalve metering (Master-Trol) from Acorn Engineering tocontrol the number or duration between flushes and tocontrol how long a shower can run. When combined withAcornVac’s 0.5-gallon flush, this system further reduceswater consumption.

The fixtures were calibrated and confirmed at startuptesting to use only the required 0.5-gallons per flush, and,though the proof of water use reduction hasn’t been pre-

cisely metered, the incredible reduction of water use andwastewater was immediately evident in the lowered cost ofwater treatment. The CDCR pays the city of Soledad to


The Vacuum Center at the Salinas Valley State Prison.

Vacuum plumbingContinued from page 30

Vacuum sewage and plumbing systems

At the heart of a vacuum drainage system are the vacuum inter-

face components that allow waste to be efficiently introduced

into the vacuum waste piping network or conveyance system and

transported through the system for eventual discharge into sanitary

sewer lines or waste treatment equipment. These components

include a normally closed vacuum interface valve (Extraction

Valve) which separates the vacuum in the piping network from

atmospheric pressure surrounding the fixture, and a control device

(Controller) which operates the vacuum interface valve.

In the case of water closets, the Extraction Valve is connected to

the toilet waste outlet, effectively separating the toilet from the closed

vacuumized piping network. When the vacuum flush valve is activat-

ed, either by push button or sensor, a signal is received at the

Controller which opens the Extraction Valve, creating an interface

between atmospheric pressure at the toilet bowl and vacuum pressure

in the waste piping network. Air around and outside the fixture, rush-

es into the toilet bowl pushing the waste and water to the toilet waste

outlet, through the open Extraction Valve and into the vacuum waste

piping. Because air is used to transport wastewater from the toilet

bowl to the waste piping network, no water is required to initiate the

flush cycle. In coordination with opening the Extraction Valve, the

Controller also activates the flush water valve which provides both

rinse and re-fill of the bowl using less than ½ gallon of water. The

opening and closing of the Extraction Valve is precisely controlled so

that all waste is completely removed from the bowl before the

Extraction Valve is closed.

Due to the extremely low water volume required to achieve this

highly efficient flush, AcornVac toilets provide a significant reduc-

tion in water use and sewage output. Similar to conventional flush-

ing mechanisms, the vacuum flush valve assembly includes a water

supply valve, check stop and vacuum breaker along with the

Controller. However, since only ½ gallon of water per flush is

required, water supply line sizing can be significantly smaller than

the supply line required for 1.28 or 1.6 gallon flush valves. In addi-

tion, because the movement of waste water is achieved by the use of

differential pressures, atmospheric pressure entering the system is

carried through the system and conventional waste venting within

the waste piping network is not required.

In the case of urinals, flushing sinks and any other other non-

flushing plumbing fixture or equipment, the waste drainage

process is similar, but typically includes the use of an interme-

diate waste collection point, or Accumulator. As waste drains

via gravity from the fixture or equipment, it is temporarily col-

lected at the Accumulator. The Accumulator may be a “purpose

made” collection point, or simply an offset in the waste piping.

As waste fills the Accumulator, a signal is automatically gener-

ated, which allows the Controller to open the normally closed

Extraction Valve, creating an interface between atmospheric

pressure at the Accumulator and vacuum pressure within the

waste piping network. This pressure differential causes air to

enter the Accumulator, mixing with the waste, and transporting

the resultant emulsion into the piping network. The waste

removal cycle typically lasts between 2 and 4 seconds, or until

the collected or incoming waste has been cleared from the

accumulator and transported into the vacuum waste piping.

The vacuum waste piping or conveyance system is a closed

piping network that is typically maintained under a continu-

ous vacuum pressure of 16" – 18" Hg. (54 – 60 kPa) and is

generally fabricated out of standard pressure rated PVC, cop-

per, or other smooth bore, non-porous material. The piping network

consists of “risers” or “droppers” that transport the collected waste

vertically from the point of origin to horizontal mains and branches

leading to the Vacuum Center. Much like conventional waste pip-

ing, the mains and branches are typically installed with a slope of1/4" per foot toward the Vacuum Center allowing the movement of

waste to be assisted by gravity. However, unlike conventional waste

piping, continuous slope to the Vacuum Center does not need to be

maintained. The vacuum waste piping network can be offset to

recover grade, which allows the piping network to route horizontal-

ly over long distance in very shallow space. In addition, the vertical

or horizontal piping can be easily offset to route around obstacles in

it’s’ pathway toward the Vacuum Center. This feature can provide a

significant benefit to the designer and installer when mechanical

space is limited or when a conventional waste piping network can’t

be readily accommodated or installed.



treat its wastewater, and the new mental health facilitywould have sent a lot more waste to a treatment plantalready operating at full capacity. In addition, it’s necessaryto pump potable water from the ground to a reverse osmo-sis treatment plant, an expensive task in itself. “Pumpingcosts are down, wastewater is down. The initial installationcost might be a little more, but we feel that the benefits willoutweigh this with its payback,” said Barchacky.

As reported by the California Department ofCorrections, AcornVac, in combination with other conser-vation efforts throughout the new facility, contributes to areduction in potable water use by a remarkable 56 percentand lowered sewage conveyance by nearly 70 percent.

Customer service

The building at Salinas is one of the few prison facili-ties in the United States to use vacuum plumbing and thefirst in CDCR’s system. Two crews of supervisors andmaintenance staff assigned to the facility met with theexperts at AcornVac at the company’s headquarters inChino, Calif., for live training and hands-on experience.AcornVac coordinated with the manufacturer of a particu-lar system component to ensure the correct installationthat was required in the specifics of the SVSP project.They provided the SVSP’s maintenance staff with all thenecessary operations documentation that enabled them totroubleshoot any problems they may encounter with thesystem’s maintenance. So far, they haven’t needed it.

Low maintenance

The AcornVac system not only saves water but alsoproves to be very low maintenance, due in large part to its

design. The system efficiently isolates every cell from thewaste- piping network by means of a normally closedvalve separating the toilet in the cell from the rest of thetoilets in the facility. Leaks and mainline clogs are virtual-ly eliminated. Sam Ochoa, who assumed the role as plantmanager after Barchacky, said he’s pleased with fewermaintenance calls. “There have hardly been any problemsraised to my level of attention. I have no mainline block-ages to report, and I haven’t had to order any replacementparts so far,” he said. “It’s been a big benefit having thistype of system at our facility.” Barchacky says, “We havehad hardly any costs in maintenance. If something plugsup, it’s right there at the fixture, making it easy to isolateand fix. This is a big asset in a correctional environment.”

Enhanced security

A combination toilet and lavatory, or “combi,” is oftenone of the few items in a cell, and an inmate spends a lotof time with it. They flush anything they can use to clog afixture and create a flood and a dangerous distraction.

Gravity plumbing is an open network of pipes leadingdown to a central waste pipe that drains to the sewer sys-tem. With traditional toilets in a correctional facility, com-munication is possible between all toilets sharing the sameline. It is possible, for example, to speak or pass contrabandthrough the toilets. Inmates may tie a string to an item andflush it, so it can be hidden and retrieved later. When vacu-um plumbing is used, communication through the plumbingfixtures or waste network is eliminated, as the system’svalves are only open during a flush cycle. In comparison tovalve metering alone, “The vac system is even betterbecause everything must pass a valve, and once it does, itcan’t be retrieved at the fixture,” Barchacky pointed out.

At SVSP, all water waste, including greywater fromlavatories and mop sinks, is transported to a collectioncenter where it is macerated before leaving the facility.

Outside the new mental health facility, in facilities thatdo not use AcornVac, they must use bar screens to catchdebris that has been flushed and must employ prisoninmates at the to clean the screens. This is a problembecause those inmates will collect any flushed contrabandand keep it for themselves. With the vacuum plumbingsystem, this problem is resolved. “With gravity plumbing,we’ve seen t-shirts, plastic bags, blankets, all comethrough the plumbing. With AcornVac, there’s no debrisgoing to the main sewer line,” said Ochoa.

A long-term solution

Both Barchacky and Ochoa are optimistic about the


Vacuum plumbing equipped for a combination washbasin/toilet system.


A “combi” vacuum plumbing system at a state prison.




longevity of the vacuum plumbing system and point to thefact that there are very few movable parts in the systemthat would need replacing. Ochoa has worked at theCalifornia Department of Corrections for 20 years andsaid, “I’ve been involved in implementing water-savingtechnology in the past, and some of it risks becoming anti-quated. As long as the AcornVac system’s parts and com-ponents keep working as well as they have, I think it willperform well for a long time.” As for the CDCR’s plans tosave water in the future, Ochoa says, “As far as what I’veobserved so far at the Salinas Valley mental health facili-ty, I would recommend AcornVac for any new construc-tion built under the Governor’s Executive Order.” n

Acorn’s Benefits

• The 1/2-gallon flush efficiency and water savings. This

was the primary reason for the selection of the vacuum sys-

tem. There are great challenges for the institution both in

delivering domestic water and dealing with wastewater dis-

charges to the local treatment plant. The vacuum system

helped achieve LEED goals as well as satisfying the site’s

infrastructure needs.

• The layout of the system isolates blockages to an indi-

vidual toilet fixture rather than to a group of fixtures. This

was not a primary consideration at the time of the design

but was recognized as a potential benefit. As the system has

been in operation the institution is seeing the benefit of not

having blockages in mains or branches that can’t be attrib-

uted to a particular room for corrective action.

• Safety and security. Unlike a conventional waste piping

network, each toilet fixture is isolated from all others on the

system by means of a closed valve. This prevents the cell-

to-cell communication that is possible in an empty or even

partially filled gravity waste-piping network.

• Cost benefits. Fewer roof penetrations, smaller diame-

ter piping and water savings all contribute to lower installa-

tion and operational costs. Overall, the system resulted in

an installation cost increase but given the sustainability

benefits and operational cost benefits, the system is a suc-

cess for the institution.


This diagram depicts the combination vacuum plumbingsystem as designed for a prison.


TAP INTO OURRESOURCESIAPMO R&T offers certifi cation to every code and standard you need.

® ®)

® ®)

® ®)

® ®)

®



O

What “separates” us from the competition?Custom, jobsite-specific applications • 1 to 100,000 gallon capacities • “Automatic” What “separates” us from the competition?What “separates” us from the competition?Custom, jobsite-specific applications • 1 to 100,000 gallon capacities • “Automatic” models available

advantage in energy use. It’s not about a new pump impellerdesign, or high-tech pipe lining or pipe-joining technique.

It’s all about flow

Let’s admit: there is no more important, all-encompass-ing facet to the design, installation or retrofit of large,pumped water systems than to reduce flow to its essentialneed.

To move beyond the theoretical and into the practicalapplication of new influences to system flow, I turned totwo experts, both well-recognized in their fields: Taco’sBryan Payne, Southeast commercial regional manager, andWatts Radiant’s John Sweaney, hydronic product manager.

Speaking hydronically

Watts Radiant system designer John Sweaney, who’sstudied large system flow for nearly two decades, says that

Commercial hydronic and domestic water systems arebeing scrutinized by experts nationwide. Though theclose inspection of operation and efficiency likely

won’t inspire a “Mechanical Systems CSI” televisionseries, there’s certainly no lack of interest by commercialsystems experts.

It’s the sort of shake-up that invariably happens whenev-er new technology avails a better way of doing things. Inthis case, smart, variable speed pumping is the core of anexciting, burgeoning paradigm shift.

Why all the attention? Because the benefits are sonumerous for overall systems, components, operationalefficiency and performance. Some experts believe that whatwe’re seeing now is the broad introduction of technologywhose time has finally come.

What’s refreshing is the objectivity of the movement. It’snot about ECM motors that offer small, though cumulative

Getting Into the Flow By John Vastyan

Commercial system experts see flow as akey step to optimizing system efficiency


It’s a “green,” “clean” world out there. Tougher environmental standards and the rising costs of disposing of grease and grease-laden solids means that conventional interceptors simply aren’t good enough for an increasing number of applications.

Only Separator technology gives you the “Pure Performance” you need to prevent free-floating grease and grease-laden solids from causing serious – and expensive – problems downstream.

Only one company can give you 35 years of Separator experience, 26 varieties and over 200 sizes to choose from: Rockford Separators.

Save time, money and hassles with Pure Performance.

5159 28th Avenue, Rockford, IL 61109 • www.rkfdseparators.com

815.229.5077 • 800.747.5077 • Fax 815.229.5108

Download our White Paper today at

www.rkfdseparators.com

Download our

” models availableCustom, jobsite-specific applications • 1 to 100,000 gallon capacities • “Automatic” models available


like emergency room entries, hospital steps and helicopterlanding pads. Typically, we do not recommend a designcalling for a Delta T greater than 30 degrees, though forcritical areas, the required Delta T should be 20 degrees.”

When designing hydronic systems — whether radiant,snow melt, or for high-temperature fan coils or baseboards— there’s a direct relationship between the ΔT and flow.“Double the Delta T and cut the flow in half,” explainedSweaney.

The benefits of a reduced Delta T stretch beyond areduced need to burn fuel at the heat source. “It extends topumps of lesser size meeting the need; the down-sizing ofpiping, fittings, valves and other components,” addedSweaney.

“A change in Delta T for a snow melt system could meanthe ability to cut the flow rate from 40 gallons a minute to20 so that, now, instead of two-inch distribution copper, itcan now be reduced to 1.5,” he continued. “This could alsomean a reduction in the size of the distribution manifoldand smaller radiant tubing or, perhaps, a more frugal lay-out.”

Sweaney referred to two key trends:1. District heating and cooling with insulated PEX. “This

is one we’re seeing more of as the green revolution hastaken off,” began Sweaney. “Central, district heating appli-cations – more common than cooling – have grown sub-stantially over the past couple of years with the use ofsuper-insulated PEX distribution lines to carry the BTUsbetween a central plant and, say, living units. New militaryhousing developments have been using this technique agood bit.”

— whether it’s flow on the heat-source side, or flow on theload side, “There’s a huge focus on energy efficiency, andfluid-flow is at the center of the movement.

“Many things can be done to minimize flow, yet maintainor optimize comfort or performance – that’s the key,” saidSweaney.

“We often look at Delta-Ts [or “ΔT:” the temperature dif-ference between supply and return water temperatures]from a design standpoint, especially if it’s a commercialsystem like a shop, warehouse, or snowmelt system.Installations like these call for larger Delta Ts — 30 degreesor more — which will reduce system pumping require-ments.”

Cooler return water temperatures also play nicely intothe use of super-efficient heating systems, like modulating-condensing boilers which purposefully harvest BTUs fromcondensation that forms within the system, geothermal heatpumps, and water-sourced heat pumps.

Though ideal Delta Ts for many hydronic systems is acomfort/consistency issue, narrowing a focus on achieving10, 15 or 20-degree ΔTs, many larger systems can bedesigned to meet the very most basic comfort or perfor-mance requirement while conserving energy across theboard. “With many properly-designed commercial systemswe can ease-up on flow requirements to the point wherefuel use, and pump size and type are substantially influ-enced — all leading toward enhanced system efficiency.

“The only key exception is with snow melt systemswhere performance can’t be compromised,” addedSweaney. “I’m referring to systems that are installed toremove ice and snow in critical ASHRAE ”Class III” areas





payback. The benefits are so dramatic that there was quickresponse in the industry to make the improvements; thiswas the ‘low hanging fruit’.”

According to Payne, in the last eight years, two trendshave greatly impacted the adoption of VFDs into moreapplications. The first is that the cost of drives continues tocome down. Second and equally important is that drivescontinue to add features and functionality in a way thatreduces overall building construction costs.

“A variable speed drive on a pump offers many advan-tages,” added Payne. “So numerous, in fact, that we’re see-ing a new wave or surge in the use of VFDs as retrofits toconstant-speed pumps.”

The advantages include:• greater energy efficiency; • more precise flow control • soft-starting and stopping of motors to prolong pump

life; • the Integration of BMS communication; • better balancing with speed control versus imparting

“false” head, and; • installing the ability to easily adjust flow to rerate ener-

gy plants when system flow gets out of balance and suffersfrom low Delta T.

“Most people tend to relate the energy savings of drives

The use of insulated lines often accompanies the appli-cation of alternative energy sources such as biofuel, biogas,geothermal and solar at prisons, universities and apartmentcomplexes.

Another similar application is the use of insulated PEX,trenched underground, to carry injection loop BTUs toremote locations.

2. Variable-speed pumping to enable variable flow.Sweaney led us directly into this one, though we’ll turn toTaco’s Bryan Payne for insights into a burgeoning trend:the application of variable drives to all pumps, both con-stant and variable flow.

According to Payne, the application of variable frequen-cy drives (VFDs) to constant speed pumps is now thefastest growing segment of the commercial pumping indus-try, a trend that positively improves the performance andefficiency of both large domestic water and hydronic heat-ing and cooling systems.

Since ASHRAE 90.1 was adopted by many states as theirenergy code (early to mid-90s), the shift in the HVACindustry of applying drives to system distribution pumpshas been substantial.

“The pumps most commonly affected are typically oflarger horsepower in size and they serve a load that’s obvi-ously varying,” continued Payne. “On pumps like these,upgrading the electrical starters to VFDs has a very quick


System flowContinued from page 41



and pumps with variable speed system pumps,” addedPayne. “But there’s a key opportunity not as readily seen.It’s the savings that can be found by balancing constantspeed pumps with a drive as opposed to balancing by con-trolling flow with a discharge balancing valve.

“In very general terms, most pumps are designed with asafety factor of 10 to 20 percent. This is a legitimate, usefulpractice that allows for flexibility to accommodate a differ-ent mix of equipment to be installed other than what wasspecified, the allowance for jobsite coordination issues andfuture expansion,” continued Payne.

For instance, this might mean that a pump selected at1,750 rpm with a safety factor on the design head wasinstalled, started up, and typically over-pumped the systembecause it was designed with a “little extra” capacity. Atthis point the test and balance contractor would take the dis-charge balancing valve and throttle it back — or to “imposefalse head” — to move the pump back to design flow.

Pump affinity law

According to Payne, the newer “best industry practice”being adopted is to use a drive to balance the pump andonly use the discharge valve as a flow measuring point, nota throttling point.

Pump affinity laws help us to evaluate what the savingsare for most jobs. The laws say that the change in horse-power consumed is proportional to the cube of the changein speed.

To illustrate, Payne adds, “Let’s say that we can reducethe speed of most pumps by 10 to 20 percent based on safe-

ty factor. That means most pumps after start-up would onlyneed to run at 80 to 90 percent of their rated top speed.

“Doing the math shows us that 80 percent (0.80) cubedis .512 and 90 percent (.90) cubed is .729,” explainedPayne. “This means that a constant speed pump set up andbalanced with a drive consumes only 73 percent of designhorsepower if it has a 10 percent safety factor, and a pumpwith a safety factor of 20 percent only consumes 51.2 per-cent.

“That is significant energy savings,” said Payne. “Theother great benefits for constant speed pumps installed withdrives is that they are now running at reduced speed whichextends their life . . . and they are soft-started as a functionof the drive and this puts less wear and tear on the pumpcomponents and many system components. It’s truly a win-win for the equipment, the system and the building owner.”

“With the focus on first cost, green construction andenergy optimization, our industry is looking for strategiesand practices that meet these needs,” concluded Payne.“The decisions we make about design Delta T and flow bal-ancing can have a significant positive impact on systemperformance. While both topics may at first appear dissim-ilar, they both relate intrinsically to system flow, and in thisway provide very important facets of the equation.” n

John Vastyan is president of Common Ground, a tradecommunications firm based in Manheim, Pa. that special-izes in the hydronics, radiant heat, plumbing and mechani-cal and HVAC industries.

System flowContinued from page 42

Delta T system pumping

increases comfort & efficiency

With a ΔT variable speed pump, the pump varies itsspeed to maintain the designed-for ΔT. That

means the Delta T will always be 10 degrees — or what-ever it’s programmed for — even with a varying inter-nal load or outdoor temperature changes.

A pump changing its speed based on ΔP, however —whether the ΔP is programmed in based on estimatedsystem head loss or is automatically selected — willvary its speed to maintain a fixed system pressure dif-ferential. The system ΔT will fluctuate, often decreas-ing.

How’s a reduced ΔT affect the system? Consider theimpact on a modulating-condensing boiler. If the systemis designed for a 20°F ΔT, but gets only a 12-15°F ΔT,the amount of run-time the boiler spends below thepoint of flue gas condensation will be affected.

If the boiler is supplying heat to radiators, and theboiler’s reset control is telling it to fire to a high limit of142°F on a 20°F day, a ΔP circ programmed on an esti-mated system head loss may wind up sending 130°Fwater back to the boiler. That’s right at the condensingpoint, making the boiler work at, say, 86% AFUE.

But a pump programmed to deliver a 20°F ΔT willsend water back to the boiler at 122°F, creating morecondensate, allowing a boiler to hum along at 89%AFUE.

Do those three percentage points make a differencein fuel consumption? The Taco Delta T pump can gen-erate 15 to 19 times the electrical savings seen with a“more efficient” ECM ΔP circulator.

Taco’s Advantage 1900 Series pump with integral VFDis ideally suited to light commercial applicationsbecause system flow is precisely matched to heatingand cooling demand. The pump card in the drive can beprogrammed for differential temperature (T) control, dif-ferential pressure (P) control or single setpoint pres-sure control for domestic water booster systems.



While we may not like to admit it, we’re all gettinga little grayer — and bigger — than we’d like.The average lifespan has increased to the age of

76; and the average weight has increased to 191 pounds formen and 164 pounds for women. And these numbers con-tinue to grow by the minute; as do the physical limitationscaused by advancing age and expanding waistlines.

Americans with Limitations

A vast majority of older adults suffer from physical lim-itations. A recent report from the Federal InteragencyForum on Aging-Related Statistics shows 54 percent ofwomen and 43 percent of men ages 65 and older sufferfrom arthritis. The number of individuals in the same agegroup with a basic functional limitation — the inability tostoop or kneel, reach overhead, write, walk two to threeblocks or lift 10 pounds — is at 42 percent.

In addition to America’s growing number of aged anddisabled, an increasing number of individuals are restrict-ed by excess body weight. A recent study by the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds thatmore than a quarter of the nation’s population is obese,and more than one-third of the population is overweight,exacerbating mobility restrictions.

With the rising number of individuals suffering fromserious physical limitations, it is becoming increasinglyimportant for public and private facilities to be designedso that they are accessible for all.

Existing legislation

Recognizing the need for a more stringent set of regu-lations to protect disabled individuals in the U.S., theAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was implemented.The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability,defined as “a physical or mental impairment that substan-tially limits a major life activity.” The legislation also pro-vides very specific design standards for facilities in theprivate sector, in addition to state and local governmentfacilities.

The ADA lays out specific guidelines for those whoown, lease or operate places of public accommodation,such as educational facilities, dormitories, offices, restau-rants, stores, healthcare and convalescent facilities, enter-tainment venues, tourism facilities and lodging properties.These guidelines apply not only to new construction, butalso to existing structures, requiring buildings to removeall barriers to access.

Incorporating universal design

Many facilities are choosing to go beyond ADA legisla-tion, incorporating the principles of universal design.Instead of offering specialized products that segregateusers who may perform activities differently by accessiblefeatures that were more expensive and usually unattrac-tive, universal design allows individuals of all abilities touse the same product. But in addition to usability, con-sumers and designers want stylish products that blend andcomplement a variety of décors, instead of the institution-al-looking products from the past.

There are seven key principles of universal design,according to The Center for Universal Design:

By Kristin Meyers

Designing for the Needs of an Increasingly ChallengedPopulation



ADVANCED HYDRONIC SYSTEMSwww.taco-hvac.com

Chilled beam systems made

easy.

78% Peak Power

67% Peak Power

100% Peak Power (Cooling)

VAV System

Pumps

Fans

Air Transport Load

Other Chiller Loads

Chilled BeamHydronic System

LOFlo®LoadMatch®System

LOFl

® i je ti i

, ti d � t t d ll

. Th d i i g T o LO

OFl

LOFlo

M

softwa

use ou

TaTaco Loa

® injection pumping saves e

i i Bl ck delivers superior he

much as 40%. But th

ou Tar Taco Design Suite

are, and cut BIM time when yo

ur full Revit® �les. What’s more,

oadMatch® technology, an inte

78

100% Peak Powewer (Cooling)

Pumps

FaFans

Air TrTransport Load

nergy, ty, time, and �rst-cost dolla

eating and cooling comfort and s

he savings don’t stop there Yo. Yo

e

u

egral

% Peak Powewer

67% Peak Power

oad

ars. The award-winnin Tag Taco LO

d slashes energy consumption b

u’ll trim system design time us

OFlo

n by as

ing

part of a

quires h

and no c

been l

gy, a

f any Green Building design, re-

s half the pipe, no balancing val

o control valves. It all adds up t

ookin fog for. For more informati

VAVAVAV System

Other Chiller Loads

g

-

ves,

p to the hydronic radiant cooling a

on and videos, visit taco-hvac

oads

Chilled BeamHydydronic System

LOFlo®LoadMatch®System

g and chilled beam solution you

.com.

u’ve

ADVANC

CED HYDRONIC SYSTwww.taco-hvac.com

TEMS




• Equitable use — The design is useful and marketableto people with diverse abilities.

• Flexibility in use — It accommodates a wide rangeof preferences and abilities.

• Simple and intuitive — The design is easy-to-under-stand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge orskills.

• Perceptible information — Necessary informationis communicated effectively to the user, regardless of sen-sory limitations.

• Tolerance for error — The design minimizes haz-ards, accidents or unintended actions.

• Low physical effort — It can be used with minimaleffort.

• Size and space for approach and use — Regardlessof the user’s stature and mobility, the design is appropri-ate for approach, reach, manipulation and use.

Ensuring accessibility

What can you do to ensure safe and equal access for allindividuals? A great place to start your accessibility over-haul is in the place with the most danger zones — andlikely the most room for improvement: the lavatory. ADAregulations require that bathroom sinks be mounted nohigher than 34 inches above the floor, with knee clearancethat is 27 inches high, 30 inches wide and 19 inches deep.Clear floor space and insulated pipes are a must.

Bathroom faucets should be lever-operated, push-type,touch-type or the ideal option — electronically controlled;usable with one hand, without the need for tight grasping,pinching or twisting of the wrist, or for use of force greaterthan five pounds.

Moving into the stall, urinals should be stall-type orwall-hung with an elongated rim at a maximum of 17inches above the finish floor. Water closets must be 17 to19 inches, measured to the top of the toilet seat, with easy-to-reach toilet paper dispensers. Flush valves should, likefaucets, not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting ofthe wrist.

Grab bars are a great way to assist with movement with-in the bathroom. Grab bars should be at least 36 incheslong, with gripping surfaces of at least 11/4 inches, mount-ed at least 11/2 inches from the wall. They must be able towithstand at least 250 pounds of weight.

If your facility has a shower, it’s important to keep itsafe and usable for all, with shower controls that are easi-ly movable and a hose that’s at least 60 inches long.

Beyond the bathroom, many opportunities exist for mak-ing your facility more accessible. All areas should be cleanand uncluttered, with wheelchair passage width and turningspaces that are at least 60 inches wide. Hallways and walk-ways should provide at least 80 inches of clear head room.In new construction, elevators, ramps or wheelchair liftsshould be placed along accessible routes. Other provisions,like drinking fountains and water coolers, must provide aspout height of no more than 36 inches, with a spout at thefront of the unit and a parallel water flow.

ADA requirements dictate that doors open with mini-mal force and handles are easy to grasp with one hand.Doorways should be at least 32 inches wide with the door

open at 90 degrees. Entrances should be part of the build-ing’s accessible route.

Additional considerations to improve access for allinclude increasing lighting and noise levels; incorporatingobjects that are wider, longer and flatter to grasp, with asmooth range of motion; and providing adequate supportsystems and barriers.

Making these improvements to your facility will likelyrequire a significant amount of planning and preparation,but the reward of having a space that is compliant and canbe enjoyed by all is worth the effort.

For more information on what you can do to make yourfacility accessible for all — including those with physicallimitations — visit www.ada.gov. n

Kristin Myers is associate product manager, MoenIncorporated.

Commercial restrooms that feature Moen’s heavy-dutycenterset lavatory faucets, and urinals, which feature freehand flush valves, are compliant with ADA regulations.

Bathroom faucets should be lever-operated, push-type,touch-type or the ideal option — electronically controlled.

ADAContinued from page 46



When Bradford White Water Heaters introducedits new intelligent gas control, The BradfordWhite ICON System™, the control’s computer

processing technologies ushered in a new realm of possi-bilities in tank type water heating. One such possibility, aProgrammable Setback Control, would enable a user toprogram their water heater to automatically “set back” orlower the temperature of water stored within the tank forperiods of time when hot water demand was low, and raisethe temperature for periods of time when hot waterdemand was high. The theoretical advantage of such afeature would be significant savings in fuel usage.

Possibility turned to reality with Bradford White’sintroduction of a fully Programmable Setback Control.The new control works with the ICON gas control, andtogether the two devices “communicate” with each otherthrough an Accessory Module to automatically adjust theset point temperature up or down in accordance with theuser’s programmed usage patterns (4-period/day, 7-day/week). As previously mentioned, such a featurewould result in significant fuel savings due to the fact thatthe water heater would be doing most of its work duringperiods when hot water demand was high.

Prior to bringing the Programmable Setback Control tomarket, Bradford White conducted rigorous testing at thecompany’s state of the art research and development facil-ity in Middleville, Mich. to determine just how much fuel

savings would resultfrom the ProgrammableSetback Control. Over the course of sev-eral months, engineersconducted several side-by-side comparativeanalyses of water

heaters. Each analysis paired two water heaters on adja-cent test stations, one equipped with only the ICON gascontrol (the control group), the other equipped with boththe ICON control and the Programmable Setback Control(the experimental group).

The results of each study were consistent — waterheaters equipped with a Programmable Setback Controlsignificantly reduced fuel usage. The following are thetest procedures and results of one such analysis that wasindicative of the study overall.

Background

Bradford White engineers designed a test based uponinformation in ASHRAE Project Report #1172. A side-by-side comparative analysis was conducted on two BradfordWhite water heaters, each equipped with the BradfordWhite ICON System™ gas control. To test the probabili-ty of potential fuel savings, one of the units was equippedwith the new Programmable Setback Control, the otherwas not.

The products selected for the test were two BradfordWhite M-I-40T6FBN (Residential Upright Energy SaverNatural Gas) with an input rating of 40,000 BTU/hr. Bothwater heaters were vented atmospherically and were oper-ated on the same draw schedule over a two week timeperiod. The draw patterns, both duration and frequency,varied on a day-to-day basis.

Two test groups wereset up to analyze poten-tial fuel savings basedon varying demand.

Test group #1,“Typical Family” house-hold, simulated hotwater usage for a typical

Product ApplicationWater heater study reveals significant fuel savings from new Programmable Setback Control


Plumbing Engineer November 2010/


with programmed time periods. (See Figures A and B.) Throughout each test, measurements were taken on

both test stations, similar to that done in the Department ofEnergy’s Simulated Use Test. The following measure-ments were taken: inlet water temperature, outlet watertemperature, gallons of water used, cubic feet of gas used,barometric pressure, heating value of natural gas, andambient temperature. The readings were taken 15 secondsafter the start of each draw and every 5 seconds thereafter.The water and gas usage were measured with calibratedwater and gas meters, respectively.

After a two week interval, the water heater’s switchedtest stations and the tests were repeated. This was done toaccount for any differences in the test stations and theirinstrumentation. Once the second two week test was fin-ished, the results of the two tests were averaged for thefinal result.

Test results

The “Typical Family” test results revealed that thewater heater equipped with the Programmable SetbackControl consumed an average 1446.0 ft.3 of gas over thecourse of testing. The water heater without theProgrammable Setback Control consumed an average of1565.2 ft.3 over the course of testing. The resulting fuel


family of four with two working adults and two teenagechildren. Test group #2, “Low Demand Family” house-hold, simulated the hot water used by one, single adultperson.

Test set-up

The two water heaters were set up on adjacent test sta-tions. The cold water supplied to each water heater wasapproximately 58°F. The cold water supply was from thelocal water supply system and was hard, with more than20 grains of hardness. The control groups (water heatersnot equipped with the Programmable Setback Control),were set to maintain approximately 130°F tank tempera-tures. The experimental groups (water heaters equippedwith the Programmable Setback Control) were pro-grammed to raise and lower temperatures in accordance

Product Application



Classified Ads

RON GEORGE DESIGN &CONSULTING SERVICES

Plumbing, Piping, Fire Protection and

HVAC System Design; forensic inves-

tigations for mechanical system fail-

ures; litigation support; code and stan-

dard consulting; technical writing and

training seminars; and CAD services.

3525 N. Dixie Hwy., Monroe,

MI 48162

Phone: (734) 322-0225

E-mail:

[email protected]

Website:

www.rongeorgedesign.com


savings of the Programmable SetbackControl equipped water heater wasapproximately 7.6%. This savingswas attributed to the fact that thewater heater with the ProgrammableSetback Control automaticallydropped its setpoint temperaturedown to 85°F during standby periodswhen a user was away from home orasleep. In contrast, the unit withoutthe Programmable Setback Controlwas constantly maintaining the 130°Fwater temperature in the tank regard-less of demand and usage patterns.

The side-by-side comparativeanalyses of the “Low Demand Family”test group revealed more pronouncedfuel savings. The water heaterequipped with the ProgrammableSetback Control consumed an averageof 1106.4 ft.3 of gas, in comparison to1750.9 ft.3 of gas consumed by thewater heater not equipped with theProgrammable Setback Control — anapproximate average fuel savings of36.8%. As was the case with the“Typical Family” test group, the pro-gramming of lower temperature duringstandby periods was the reason for thefuel savings. However the “SinglePerson” or “Low Demand Family” testgroup savings were amplified due to

the longer standby periods duringwhich the unit’s temperature was pro-grammed at 85°F.

General summary

The testing showed that the use ofthe Programmable Setback Controlcan result in fuel savings for the cus-tomer. Homeowners that don’t use alot of hot water, or own vacationhomes, can see considerable fuel sav-ings of up to 36%. Even in a “TypicalFamily” installation, homeowners cansee fuel savings of 7% or greater, andmy maximizing the efficiency of theProgrammable Setback Controller,average families can reduce energyusage even further. n

Product AppContinued from page 51


Acorn Engineering Co...............................................11AHR Expo .................................................................33Bradley Corp. ............................................................31Buckaroos ..................................................................12CSA ...........................................................................13Calculated Industries ...................................................4Chicago Faucets ...................................................14-15Eemax ........................................................................36Gerber ........................................................................35Goulds........................................................................29Haws ..........................................................................27Holby .........................................................................10IAPMO ......................................................................37Josam ...........................................................................9Leonard Valve..............................................................7Liberty Pumps ...........................................................43Marathon Boilers .......................................................23

Mifab .........................................................................51Moen............................................................................5Navien ...............................................................IFC, 45Plumberex....................................................................3Powers .......................................................................49Precision Plumbing Products ....................................22Quietside....................................................................42Rockford...............................................................40-41Saniflo........................................................................26Smith Mfg. Co., Jay R...............................................19Speakman ...............................................Cover curl, 17Taco ...........................................................................47Uponor.......................................................................21Viega ....................................................................38-39Watts ..........................................................................25Weil-McLain ...........................................................IBCZurn Industries, LLC..................................Back Cover

Plumbing Engineer November 2010/

Advertiser Index

November2010

Please fill out this Reader

Reply form andfax it to us at630.739.9700 to receive the information youhave requested.

I wish to receive (continue receiving ) Plumbing Engineer for FREE

c Yes c No

I am engaged in plumbing engineering: c Yes c No

I am also engaged in the following kinds of engineering work:

c Piping (a) c HVAC (b) c Hydronics (c)

c Sprinkler/Fire Protection (d) c Plumbing (e)

I am employed by one of the following:

c Architectural/Engineer (a) c Mechanical Engineer (b) c Building

Owner/Engineer (c) c Consulting Engineer (d) c Contractor (e) c Design-

Construct Engineer (f) c Architect (g) c Manufacturer (h)

c Manufacturers Rep (i) c Government (j) c Other (x)

My title is: c Construction Manager (c) c Engineer (e) c Owner (o) c

President (p) c Specifier/Design (s) c Vice President (v)

c Other

Do you design and specify products? c Yes c No

I belong to the following professional organizations:

c ASPE (a) c ASSE (b) c ASHRAE (c) c NSPE (d) c Other (e)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Please circle the number that corresponds to the information you’ re interested in.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1718 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3233 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 4748 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 6263 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 7778 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 9293 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115116117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203

Name/Title

Company

Street Address Box No.

City State Zip

Telephone Fax

Email

Signature (required)

Please fill out this form, sign and date below8

Subscribe online atwww.plumbingengineer.com


Anystream® Massage showerThe Anystream Massage product fam-ily was designed to provide luxurious,full-body sprays from ergonomicallydesigned fixtures. By simply rotatingthe showerhead faceplate users can

transition effortlessly through gentlerain, full-flood and therapeutic, pulsat-ing massage sprays. Speakman.

Circle 104 on Reader ReplyForm on page 53


Zone Sentry™ valveThe Zone Sentry’s patented technology uses a microcircuit-based logic to con-trol a gear-driven electronically-actuated ball valve to control fluid flow. Theadvanced design uses 93% less energy than common zone valves while alsodelivering greater flow capacity, shutoff pressure rating, ease of installation anddiagnostics, and the number of valves (12) that can be used on a standard 40VAtransformer. Taco.


Drilles core tubes Each manufacturing cell is capable ofmachining its own specific range oftube diameters and lengths. Typicalcore tube materials include ABS,Polysulfone, Noryl, PVC, CPVC andstainless steel. These cells are very

efficient and generate cost effectiveproducts. Individual cell capacity canbe as high as 650,000 pieces annually.Marshall Manufacturing Co.


Buy American Act productMore than 5,000 products and partsare offered that meet the BuyAmerican Act (BAA), federal legisla-tion that requires the U.S. governmentto prefer American products in its pur-chases. T&S Brass products that are

BAA-compliant include: faucets andcomponents; spray valves and pre-rinse units; pot, kettle and glass fillers;and appliance connectors. These prod-ucts are available for order with 24-hour Quick Ship. T&S Brass.


M-Power dual flush valvesValves work automatically, usingadvanced electronics to ensure thatthe right amount of water is utilizedfor every flush. Dual flush valvesrely on the timing of the individual inthe stall to determine the strength ofthe flush in commercial water closetapplications, automatically reducingwater usage by up to 37 percent with-out sacrificing performance. Thesensor-operated valves allow theuser to be in range for up to 60 sec-onds for a reduced 1.0 gallon flush.After 60 seconds, a full 1.6 gallonflush is activated. Moen Inc.’s

Commercial Division.


Product NewsPlumbing Engineer’s Product of the Month


november - plumbing engineer

Documents