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RJREEVESJOURNAL

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WESTERN TRENDSSURVEY RESULTS

The Western Authority on Plumbing, HVAC and Piping

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> Water-Efficient Fixtures> Geothermal & Solar

VOLUME 99, NO. 2 MARCH 2018

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RJ 2.0 | EBOOK | MARCH 2018 WWW.REEVESJOURNAL.COM

At Bradford White, we know the best way to ensure quality is with professional installation. And you’re on the front line with contractors and installers every day. That’s why your success is critical to our success. You can rely on Bradford White to not only provide top quality water heaters, tanks and boilers - but to also stand behind them and you every step of the way. We’ll always be here to give you the technical and sales support you need to make your clients happy and keep your business successful. Our business is being there for your business. See more at our website dedicated to pros like you- bwforthepro.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE .......................................................................................... 4

NEWS ........................................................................................................... 6

VIDEO ......................................................................................................... 12

WESTERN TRENDS SURVEY ...................................................................... 13

WATER-EFFICIENT PLUMBING .................................................................. 28

GEOTHERMAL ........................................................................................... 36

CRACK THE CODE .................................................................................... 42

PRODUCTS ................................................................................................. 48

>> CONTENTS <<


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IF YOU’VE ALREADY SEEN our first quarterly print edition of RJ 2.0, welcome to the other half of the show. If this eBook is your first experience with the new Reeves Journal, make sure to check out the quar-terly print product making the rounds of the indus-try right now. Both of these new products contain different and exclusive content, so if you’re not read-ing both you’re only getting half of the picture.

The thing about making major changes to a pub-lication is that it takes an awful lot of people doing an awful lot of things to make it happen. Schedules need to be changed; content needs to be planned and sourced and so on and so forth. Fortunately, the team here at BNP Media’s Plumbing Group is a wonderful bunch to share the transformational chores with.

Speaking of our group, our BNP Media Plumbing Group, under the guidance of brand-new Senior Group Publisher Darrell Dal Pozzo, churned out ideas and schedules and content so fast your eyes would smoke from just watching them.

On behalf of all the editors in our Plumbing Group, I hope you really enjoy the new Reeves Journal 2.0 and you find our new products as vital to your business as it ever was when it was just plain old-fashioned “Reeves Journal.”

So, enjoy and until next time, keep your solder on the spool and your sweated joints fluxed.

Jack Sweet

>> EDITOR’S NOTE

OUR OTHER HALF…

A NOTE FROM OUR PUBLISHER➤

A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR➤

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SEVEN CITIES LIKELY TO RUN OUT OF WATER BY 2028The western region of the U.S. may be in on-again, off-again drought conditions, but none of our cities are at risk of full-on running out of water, according to the United Nations. Reporting via www.waterless.com, the UN reports more than a billion people lack access to fresh, drinkable water. Also, nearly three billion peo-ple have no access to water at least one month per year.

The UN estimates global demand for water will ex-ceed supply in 2030, meaning more cities will mirror Cape Town, South Africa, which has essentially run out of water. The following is a list of the seven cities likely to run out of water by 2030:1. Sao Paulo: With 21.5 million people and a 2015

drought that lowered water reservoirs below 4% of capacity, many experts doubt the city could survive another severe drought.

2. Beijing: The country has 20% of the world’s popula-tion, but only 7% of the earth’s fresh water. Water re-

serves are declining, and in 2015, it was determined that about half of the city’s water is so polluted, it can’t be used for drinking, agriculture or even indus-trial use anymore.

3. Moscow: Pollution issues make up to 60% of its wa-ter unfit for drinking.

>> IN THE NEWS <<





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>> NEWS

4. Cairo: The Nile provides the country with nearly all of its water, but the river is becoming polluted and more fresh water is used for agriculture. The UN believes Cairo may run out of water in 2025.

5. Mexico City: The city’s 21 million people only have access to water for a few hours per week. Much of the city’s water is imported, but as much as 40% of that water is lost because of leaking infrastructure.

6. London: The city receives plenty of rainfall, but most of its drinking water comes from rivers that can’t keep up with demand. The UN expects London to have wa-ter supply issues by 2025 and severe problems by 2040.

7. Miami: The region’s Biscayne Aquifer is the main source of fresh water, but is becoming filled with un-drinkable sea water.

2018 NATIONAL STANDARD PLUMBING CODE ILLUSTRATED NOW AVAILABLEThe International Association of Plumbing and Me-chanical Officials said recently it has released the 2018 edition of the National Standard Plumbing Code Il-lustrated. The newly updated edition of the code, the

first to be published by IAPMO, can be purchased via the IAPMO web store at goo.gl/5h65w3.

“The NSPC Committee has kept the code up to date with the changes in the plumbing industry regard-ing new products, installation procedures, and public health and safety,” NSPC code committee chair Dick Wagner said.

The 2018 NSPC provides information about com-mon materials, fixtures, devices, and equipment sys-tems used or installed in plumbing systems. It is being printed only in the popular illustrated format, with comments and illustrations clearly shown as supple-mental material. Appendix G, intended to promote sustainable plumbing practices, has been updated with revised excerpts from the 2015 IAPMO Green Plumbing and Mechanical Supplement.






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>> NEWS

ASHRAE LEARNING INSTITUTE RELEASES 2018 ONLINE COURSE SCHEDULEASHRAE Learning Institute has added three new courses to the 23 offerings in its 2018 online instruc-tor-led course schedule.

The course “Latest in High-Performance Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems,” taking place March 20, covers the latest in DOAS application, design, and control for this very popular means to providing ventilation for a building, particular for low-energy, max-tech and zero-energy buildings. This course supplements material presented in the ASHRAE Design Guide for Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems.

“Save 30% while complying with ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2013,” to be held on May 8, provides guidance on the use of ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1, which is used by many state and local jurisdictions. Key updates for each of the major building systems are presented, in-cluding HVAC system, lighting system, building en-velope, service water heating and power.

The course “Understanding and Designing Chilled-Beam Systems,” to be held on May 15 and

Nov. 8, provides a review of HVAC fundamentals as they relate to chilled-beam system design and how to properly identify and control equipment and components that optimize design. Chilled-beam systems save on cooling and transport ener-gy by decoupling most or all of the space-sensible loads from the air-distribution system and remov-ing them with water and a more efficient heat trans-fer medium in some applications.

Through the instructor-led online courses, indus-try experts present three-hour sessions on such other HVAC&R topics areas as commissioning, energy ef-ficiency, HVAC applications and specialized HVAC environments. Participants will receive access to a re-corded version of the courses for which they are reg-istered for continuing reference.

To register, visit www.ashrae.org/onlinecourses. The following is the full 2018 course schedule:

CommissioningCommissioning Process in New & Existing Buildings - Two-Part Course, April 23 and April 30






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>> NEWS

Energy Efficiency• IT Equipment Design Evolution and Data Center

Operation Optimization, March 22• Designing Toward Net-Zero Energy Commercial

Buildings, April 5• Building Demand Response and the Coming Smart

Grid, July 9• Humidity Control I: Design Tips and Traps, Aug. 21• Humidity Control II: Real-World Problems and

Solutions, Aug. 28• Energy Modeling Best Practices and Applications -

Two-Part Course, Oct. 2 and Oct. 4

HVAC Applications• Latest in High-Performance Dedicated Outdoor Air

Systems (DOAS), March 20• Air-to-Air Energy Recovery Applications: Best

Practices, April 10• Understanding and Designing Chilled-Beam Sys-

tems, May 15 and Nov. 8• Design of Affordable and Efficient Ground Source

Heat Pump Systems, June 12

• Optimizing Indoor Environment: Increasing Build-ing Value - Two-Part Course, June 18 and June 19

• Variable Refrigerant Flow System: Design and Ap-plications, July 18 and Nov. 28

• Designing and Operating High-Performing Health-care HVAC Systems, Sep. 18

• High-Performance Building Design: Applications and Future Trends, Oct. 29

• Variable Refrigerant Flow System: Design and Ap-plications, Nov. 28

Standards and Guidelines

• Save 30% while Complying with ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2013, May 8 and Nov. 6

• Complying with ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2016: Appendix G, May 10

• Fundamental and Application of ASHRAE Stan-dard 55, May 23

• Successfully Managing the Risk of Legionellosis Using ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Sept. 12

• Fundamental Requirements of Standard 62.1-2013, Dec. 18






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>> NEWS

DANIELS ASSUMES IWSH FOUNDATION CHAIRDan Daniels, retired chief plumbing inspector for Pueblo, Colorado, and a former IAPMO president (2010-11), has taken over as chairman of the Internation-al Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation, a regis-tered 501(c) 3 organization whose mission is to work to improve on the human condition by fostering the basic human right of safe access to clean water and sanitation.

“It is an honor to serve as IWSH chairman,” Daniels said. “I want to thank the Board of Trustees members for their continued service and dedication to IWSH and ex-tend my gratitude to all those who have donated to keep the important work of the foundation moving forward.”

A 40-year veteran of the plumbing trade, Daniels re-tired from the city of Pueblo after 26 years, 19 of those as chief plumbing inspector, but has remained active in the industry via his work with IAPMO committees and the IWSH Board of Trustees, of which he is a charter mem-ber. He succeeds inaugural chairman Tom Gugino.

“Serving as IWSH chairman gave me a chance to continue helping bring a basic form of sanitation to those countries where sewer systems and treatment

Daniels






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>> NEWS

plants are too costly to build,” Gugino said. “I will never forget the happiness I witnessed from those people we have been able to help. Together we can change lives. It has been a great honor to serve as the first chairman.

“Dan Daniels has served IAPMO on numer-ous committees and on the Board of Directors before becoming the vice president and presi-dent. He has served IAPMO with great distinc-tion and will bring a wealth of knowledge to the IWSH Foundation as our new chairman.”

In November, IWSH completed the Com-munity Plumbing Challenge 2017, which improved the drinking water and sanitation facilities at a public elementary school in Indonesia. A continuation of that work, fea-turing an expanded team of local appren-tices renovating toilets in a second build-ing at the school, will constitute a CPC2017 “legacy” project.

Did you know a

pull-in-place piping

system's liner is one of

the only piping systems

designed to be installed

while full of holes and cuts?

Check out our pipe lining video on page 12.

Fast Fact:






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>> VIDEO

One of the exciting features of an eBook is the ability to mix traditional print content with whatever multimedia strikes our collective fancy. We know there are many contractors out there in the west who use one method of

pipe lining or another. We say, one method or another” because, as you may or may not

know, there are four ways of lining the inside of a leaky or cracked pipe. The first is simply blasting the inside of the pipes with an abra-sive like aluminum oxide, then spraying the inside of the pipe in question with an epoxy coating which dries and seals the pipes from the inside.

The second method is called “pipe bursting.” This repair is for severely damaged pipes or larger sections of the sewer line. Installers place a bursting head on one end of the pipe and use hydraulics to drag the head through the pipe. As the head goes through the old pipe, it breaks it up while dragging a new seamless pipe through it to make the repair.

The third method is called “cured in place” and it’s commonly used to line a section of pipe underground without having to dig an ex-pensive and landscape-destroying trench to access the culprit.

Finally, there’s the pull-in-place method used by Nu Flow in San Diego. The individual pipe in question is isolated at both ends. And epoxy-saturated liner is pulled into the old pipe and then inflated with compressed air to provide a good, tight fit inside the pipe.

We hope the video presentation you’re about to see answers any questions you might have about the pull-in-place method of pipe lining and that it gets your management team thinking about adding pipe lining to your company’s list of services.

PIPE LINING VIDEO

SEE IT FIRST-HAND➤







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2017 WESTERN TRENDS SURVEYCONTRACTORS TELL US ABOUT BUSINESS LAST YEAR AND MORE.

The streak may be slowly coming to an end. Last year’s RJ Western Trends Survey saw some of the preceding years’ optimism throttled back as a few of our

categories posted slight downturns. This year the main idea is that “No News Was Good News” in the Western Plumbing industry during 2017.

WHO THEY BE?The mean age of respondents has again risen, per-haps echoing the continued graying of the indus-try-at-large. [Of course, younger plumbers may still be at the point in their careers at which titles such as owner/partner, manager or president/officer — the titles from which the lion’s share of responses come from — are still in the future. — Ed.] Respondents’ median age in last year’s survey was 58. This year it’s 61 years old. Females represent 6% of this year’s re-

By The Reeves Journal Staff






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>> WESTERN TRENDS SURVEY

spondents, compared to the 2% last year. 13% of this year’s crop of respondents claim being a signatory to a union, down slightly from the 16% who responded last year.

Even considering it’s generally the older people in contracting businesses with survey-appropriate job titles, it’s startling to note the number of respondents this year who report being between 60 and 69 years old is 54%, compared to 41% a year ago and 31% in 2015. The number of respondents who say they are between 40 and 49 years old at survey time is 8%, compared to the 16% of respondents to last year’s survey who claimed to be in that age group. There are no survey respondents in the 18- to 29-year-old age group for the fourth year running. This year’s 70-years-old and up crowd opened up its member-ship rolls (19%) compared to last year’s group (9%).

As part of a long-running trend, the number of re-spondents this year (33%) who strongly agree that recruiting qualified labor has been difficult for them in the past is down sharply from last year (57%). But still,

respondents say, there are fewer people going into the trades because they’re not perceived as an exciting field. As one respondent put it, “We can’t find any-body that can pass a drug test or a background check and nobody wants to do this kind of work.”

RESIDENTIAL TRENDSDuring the past 12 months, the majority of respon-dents have seen an increase in residential construc-tion, on average by 28%, at par with the 26% growth reported in the previous year. Some 69% of this year’s respondents report “significantly increased” or “increased” residential construction over the past year. This compares to 66% of last year’s respon-dents who answered this way. So, steady as she goes, right?

Only 31% say residential construction has either “remained the same” (27%) or “decreased” (4%) during 2016. For the fourth straight year none of the 2017 survey respondents say residential construction “significantly decreased” in their area during the year.






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Reasons given for observed increases in residential work during 2016 remain similar to comments re-ceived year-over-year, including, “Better economy,” “Better jobs and better pay” and “Low vacancy rate in apartments.”

COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL/INSTITUTIONAL TRENDSFor the fourth year in a row respondents to the Western Trends Survey report C/I/I construction activity has increased during the past 12 months by an average of 28%, similar to the growth trend seen last year (27%).

59% of this year’s respondents say C/I/I construc-tion in their areas either “significantly increased” (19%) or “increased” (40%) during 2017. By extension, the rest of this year’s respondents say C/I/I construc-tion has either “remained the same” (35%) or “de-creased” (4%), more or less the same figures reported last year. 2% this year’s C/I/I respondents say C/I/I construction “significantly decreased” during 2017.

Respondents’ reasons for the uptick in C/I/I con-

struction were as wide-ranging as those brought up on the residential side, some being almost verbatim comments (“Low real-estate prices”), while others cite sources from unexpected quarters: (“Legal can-nabis products manufacturing”).

WHAT’S NEXT?Construction, in general, is expected to increase fur-ther during 2018. Respondents this year anticipate a larger 2018 rise in residential construction than in commercial/industrial/institutional construction. Asked to prognosticate the upcoming market con-ditions for 2018, 62% of this year’s respondents say they expect residential construction to “significantly increase (6%) or “increase” (56%). This is up from the 45% of last year’s respondents who predicted a resi-dential increase.

On the commercial side, 54% of respondents say they anticipate a “significant increase” (4%) or an “in-crease” (50%) in C/I/I work next year. Construction of single-family homes has increased (60% this year versus 45% last year).






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2017 SURVEY DETAILSThe target audience for the survey was 2,737 active Reeves Journal sub-scribers who self-identified as cor-porate/executive management or general management of a contracting firm. A $5 incentive was given to each qualified participant and one $50 gift card was given to one randomly se-lected participant. The survey was conducted online from Oct. 24 to Nov. 7, 2016. Of the 2,737 original surveys, 119 were undeliverable or opt-out, leaving a usable base of 2,618 surveys.

To get your own copy of the complete survey results, contact Doris Wu at [email protected].

You buy a drill to make a holeSpeaking your customers’ language will boost sales like nobody’s business

Nobody buys a drill just to have an extra tool laying around their home. They buy the drill to create holes.

Nobody buys a set of pots and pans because they need more stuff in their cupboards. They buy them to prepare

meals (or to pretend to be that gourmet chef they see on TV!).Nobody buys a ticket to a concert just to sit in the seat. They buy

the ticket to experience the music and the artist’s performance. Or perhaps they want to create a memory with a loved one.

So then why do you, as a contractor, continue to provide options to homeowners by telling them that they need [insert product here], without any consideration into what the real benefit is to them and their families?

Specifically, why do you speak in tech-terms, using words like capacitor, contactor, thermocouple, temperature drop, amper-

age, and ohms, when consumers speak in terms of being hot, cold, comfortable, and cozy? Let’s face it – the average person doesn’t speak the language of plumbing, HVAC, and electrical.

What Your Employees Should DoWhen your CSRs and dispatchers are looking for reasons why customers aren’t responding to their efforts – when they can’t seem to break through and have good conversations with the people on the other end of the phone – this may be a great place to start your problem-solving process.

When your HVAC technicians, plumbers, or electricians are returning day-after-day with zero-dollar tickets, it would serve you well to evaluate the types of questions they’re asking and conversations they’re having.

What is your Inside Sales Representative talking to customers about? Are they discussing the readings that technicians put on service tickets or the dimensions of water heaters? If so, they’re missing the boat…and probably the sale.

Your employees are speaking a foreign language that your customers may not understand.

A great exercise to work through with all of your employ-ees is to have them create a list of equipment, products, and services that you provide. Then, for each, have them list what they think the benefits are, and cross them out. Finally, have them list the benefits that customers are looking for. This will take some time to complete, because oftentimes we don’t think about the world from our customer’s perspective. Here are some examples:

COACH’S CORNER By Lucas McAlpin | Nexstar Network

MARCH 2018 | RJ 2.030

EQUIPMENT/PRODUCT/SERVICE BENEFIT TO CUSTOMERS Humidifier Moist air Fewer nose bleeds Less dry skin Hardwood floors don’t crack Fan Motor A/C will run Sleep better when it is cool Family will stop complaining about having to turn the TV up every time the air comes on Thermocouple Water heater will work Wife will be happier with hot showers Hard to wash the car with cold water Service Agreement Consistent work for technicians Peace of mind that there won’t be an unexpected breakdown Extends the life of equipment

SERVICE SENSE

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Owners salaryAmazingly, many company owners do not pay themselves a regular salary, they simply take money out when needed. Well guess what, if you don’t build rent, utilities, insurance, etc. into your customers pricing it won’t get covered. Likewise, if you don’t build your salary into your cost of doing business it won’t get covered either. Put a family budget together to determine what salary you need to earn and build it into your cost of doing business as indirect labor.

Setting ratesWe have now covered the basic costs of doing business from a cash flow perspective. Now let’s looks at the simplified steps of setting profitable hourly rates.

Step 1: Calculate the company’s total annual Equipment Replacement Costs by listing all vehicles and equipment more than $1,000 in value. This will become one of your fixed over-head costs a bit later.

Step 2: Total all indirect labor cost and be sure to include your costs of matching taxes (matching social security, Federal Unem-ployment Tax and Your unique State Unemployment Rate).

Step 3: Do three things when it comes to direct labor in the field:• Determine the cost of non-billable time which will become an

overhead cost;• Determine the actual number of billable hour to the customer

(total hours the company pays for less non-billable hours); and• Determine the weighted average hourly rate of all direct labor

personnel.Step 4: Total the real cost of doing business including fixed

and variable overhead, direct and indirect labor, cost of non-bill-able time, full amount of loan payments, equipment replacement costs and matching taxes.

Step 5: Project how much gross profit will be generated through the sale of materials and equipment over the coming year.

Step 6: Calculate the overhead rate per hour. Take the total cost of doing business calculated in Step 4 and subtract the pro-jected gross profit calculated in Step 5 then divide the remain-ing number by the BILLABLE hours determined in Step 3. For example, let’s say your overhead rate is $48.78/hour.

Step 7: Determine the breakeven hourly rate. This is the rate you would need to cover all the companies’ costs of doing business but would NOT generate a net profit. The breakeven rate is the combina-tion of the overhead rate per hour in Step 6, which was $48.78/hour, and the average hourly rate of the direct labor people. If the average rate were perhaps $16.53 the breakeven rate would be $65.31.

Step 8: The final rate is determined by adding profit to the equation. If we wanted to generate a 10% net profit we would divide the breakeven rate by .9. Let’s assume the company wants a 15% net profit. The needed hourly rate would then be:

= $65.31 / .85= $76.83/hourIn its simplest form, that is the process. If you need a bit of

help check out our website at www.grandyassociates.com. RJ

Is your company growing, but making less and less money? If so, it might be time to have a two-day, on-site, Company Overview performed. Over the two days we will model your company, by department, on our labor pricing software. By the end of the two days your

Financial Business Plan will tell you what you need to charge per hour and you will have created month-by-month, department-by-department cash flow budgets to track your progress. Proper main-tenance agreement and job pricing will also be determined.

For more details, contact Tom Grandy. We are also offering Reeves Journal readers a $500 discount so be sure to mention you read this article.

WORK THE PLANYou planned the work, now...

By joining ADVANTAGE, you will have access to exclusive, members-only content in addition to the “best of ” Grandy & Associates programs, tools, workshops and resources. The caveat? You must be committed to growing your profits!

www.grandyassociates.com

CRACKING THE CODE


and the water heater is located eight feet away. Houston, we have a problem!

I’m pointing these things out so you are aware of potential code violations.

Moving on. From time to time I used to get calls from someone who had just purchased a gas dryer (seems it was always Saturday mornings) but had no existing gas outlet to connect it to. Their idea was, “just put a tee where gas is supplied to the water heater and ya know, just extend a gas line up over the door to the dryer location.” Sound familiar?

When I got those calls I knew I was going to get hung up on or told I was trying to rip them off when I explained you can’t just arbitrarily add a demand to an existing gas system. I hope that is not a new concept for you, but if it is, refer to 2015 UPC Section 507.18 Adequate Capacity of Piping:

Where additional appliances are being connected to a gas piping system, the existing piping shall be checked to determine where it has adequate capacity. Where inadequate, the existing system shall be enlarged as necessary, or separate gas piping of adequate capacity shall be run from the point of delivery to the appliance. [NFPA 54:9.1.16] (Note: gas piping systems are regu-lated by UPC Chapter 12 and the 2015 UPC Section 1208.1.1 has the exact same prohibition)

When I told them the work would also require a permit, they’d argue that it was just a little job and the handyman they found in the Pennysaver (yesteryears’ analog Craigslist) never told them any of that. One person told me I was nothing more than Jesse James with a pencil, which I thought was clever but didn’t change the facts.

Then I came across 2015 UPC Section 1203.4 Inspection Waived:

In cases where the work authorized by the permit consists of a minor installation of additional piping to piping already connected to a gas meter, the foregoing inspections shall be permitted to be waived at the discretion of the Authority Hav-ing Jurisdiction. In this event, the Authority Having Jurisdic-tion shall make such inspection as deemed advisable in order to be assured that the work has been performed in accordance with the intent of this code.

I thought, finally a solution to these nasty phone calls. So I called my local Authority Having Jurisdiction (a former stu-dent), explained the problem and what I saw as at least a par-tial solution to these Saturday morning buzzkills. His response, “No can do, we have to look at these before we waive ‘em.” I asked how I could contact him on Saturday mornings. He actu-

ally laughed at me. So now these people are going to either try to do it themselves or call a handyman to extend the gas line. So much for a safe installation.

More in July… RJ

Doug Kirk, a former plumbing contractor with more than 40 years in the trade, is now the Direc-tor of Green Plumbing Curriculum for Green-Plumbers Training and Accreditation, a business unit of The IAPMO Group. The mission is to pro-

vide plumbers and contractors with the practical knowledge they need to implement “green” products, services and techniques. Visit GreenPlumbers Training and Accreditation on the web at www.greenplumberstraining.org.


CONTRACTOR AT LARGE

• Accurate BTU Load Calculation. It’s critical you perform an accurate BTU load calculation to ensure proper operation of the added load on the gas system. The added BTU may be up to four- or five times that of the tank style water heater being removed. If your calculations reveal you’re going to have to upsize the gas line and/or the gas meter. That said, you may be able to satisfy the additional BTU load by simply relocating the water heater. For example, if climate allows, you may be able to install the unit outside near the gas meter.

• Accurate Water Flow Calculation. You must get an accu-rate total count of fixtures that will be serviced by the heater, and calculate the total demand in gallons per minute. This demand calculation is crucial to correctly sizing the tankless water heater.

• Water Quality Assessment. Before you proceed with a tank-less heater installation, make sure you check your client’s water supply quality. If the water has excessive hardness or sediment concentration, it can reduce heater efficiency while shortening service life and drive up maintenance expenses.

The client must be made aware of this prior to installation. If necessary, outline water softening and/or filtrations alterna-tives to your client.

• Yearly Maintenance. Even if the water supply is of high qual-ity, you can still expect sediments and scale to build up inside the heater over time. This can compromise performance if not addressed. For this reason, a yearly maintenance plan where you flush the unit using the isolation valves is crucial. Also, make sure to remove any buildup inside the unit’s coil using manufacturer-recommended methods. RJ

Don is the founder of Jon Wayne Service Company, a leading San Antonio plumber. Jon Wayne is also the largest heating and air conditioning company in San Antonio. Don started the company in 2001 and is a regular guest on KENS5’s Great Day SA and MiCasa Makeover programs. Recent awards

for Jon Wayne include Bryant Dealer of the Year and a national award recognizing Jon Wayne as the Best Contractor to Work For in the South.

SMOOTH INSIDE AND OUT

DEB200 DEBURRING TOOL

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• Deburr inner and outer diameters with one tool.

• Used for water service, plumbing, heating and gas lines.

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10 JANUARY 2017 | REEVES JOURNAL

Eliminate holiday bonuses Discover the surprising benefits of profit sharing instead

It was the day of the employee Christmas party. That after-noon a business owner was trying to determine the Christ-mas bonus for each employee. They did not have a good year. However, the employees expected a check at the holi-

day party. To make matters worse, the employee who had been there the longest and got the biggest check last year, expected at least that much this year. Unfortunately, we determined that he had actually cost the company money this year.

There was no standard method to determine the holiday bonus. The employees felt entitled to the check. They didn’t care that the company didn’t have a profitable year. It was a tradition — a holiday gift they received in good years and bad.

Dollars given during holiday times are gifts. And, like this owner, they are generally determined, “by a throw of a dart” rather than some systematic process.

If your company has a profitable year, you should share a piece of the profits with employees who helped generate the profits. If your company had a loss, then no profit sharing is earned and no holiday bonus is earned, either.

When employees understand a method to determine profit sharing and how their job impacts the bottom line, they are much more willing to help generate those prof-its. When you keep them informed monthly or quarterly, they will know what the company profits are for that time period. They are not surprised at a small or large profit at the end of the year.

Distribute profit sharing after your year is closed. This usually means January or February. There are no checks dis-tributed at a holiday event. Of course, the first year that you implement this program, you have to remind employees that the profit sharing checks are distributed after the year is closed and not to expect a holiday check.

Here is my profit sharing formula:1. Determine the percentage of yearly profits that will be dis-

tributed to employees. My philosophy is not to distribute more than 25% to 30% of the profits. The remaining 75% need to be retained in the company for future growth, additional wages, other expenses, and, of course, your share as the owner.

2. To calculate each employee’s share: multiply their compen-sation by the number of years they have been employed by your company. You reward longevity.

3. Add the totals for all employees. That is the denominator of the equation.

4. To calculate a specific employee’s percentage, take his total and divide it into the total for the entire company.

Assume that your 2015 profits will be $100,000. You distribute 25% of the profits or $25,000 through the profit sharing plan.

Sue receives 150,000/520,000 or 28.8%. Her bonus is 28.8% of $25,000 or $7,200.

A question that contractors often ask me is, “Do I still need to give a bonus to a person who has been screwing up and in my opinion doesn’t deserve it?” The answer is yes. This structure is for everyone.

I’ve found that when you use this profit sharing plan year after year, by the third or fourth year you won’t have to fire non-productive people. Your employees will do it for you by making that person’s life so miserable that he or she quits. They under-stand that this person is affecting their profit sharing bonus negatively and want that person gone.

MARKETING MECHANICS By Ruth King | Marketing Guru

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Rolling into 2018, we took the opportunity to review the past year and consider what challenges may come in the next 12 months. One question that popped up was the status

of “Green plumbing”. Reeves Journal talked to a sam-pling of manufacturers to get their insights.

Reeves Journal: Is green plumbing still a separate entity, or has it become integral to plumbing manu-facturing companies? Will contractor and consumer education continue to be important goals?

“The need for sustainable plumbing solutions is needed now more than ever,” says Patrick Boyle, director of sustainability at Sloan. “As the global population continues to grow, the strain on our water resources continues to increase. While gal-lons per flush have continued to be driven lower,

THE FUTURE OF GREENENERGY AND WATER SAVINGS STILL MATTERBy Allison Deerr

Anthony Tosco, owner of Avanti Plumbing and Heating, installs a TacoGenie hot water recirculator. Taco photo.






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the need to consume less potable water for flushing needs to be implemented. We also need to continue pushing for product transparency. How our product impacts the environment is just as important as the amount of potable water flowing through them.”

Sloan has taken sustainable plumbing fixtures and fittings beyond just water conservation and has invest-ed into the company’s Environmental Product Declara-tions and Health Product Declarations, Boyle explains. “We’re looking at how we manufacture our products, the materials utilized to make them and how the life cycle of these products impacts our environment. We’ve even taken the data from our EPD’s and have gone the extra step to offset the embedded carbon in most of our high-efficient products.”

“Yes, green plumbing is still a separate ‘thing,’ but also a growing movement which is driving manufacturers to produce more eco-friendly products,” says Sammy Alvarado, marketing assistant at Noritz. “Today, many government and state agencies are incentivizing the adoption of greener products. These incentives come in the form of tax breaks and rebates and catch the eye of

new customers looking for a long-lasting green product. They help make green solutions more attractive and affordable for the average consumer.”

“At Uponor, green plumbing is not a separate ‘thing.’ Green, or sustainability, is very much integrat-ed into our business both from the way we operate in-ternally, as well as how we interface with our custom-

Bob Lemons, owner of Mr. Tankless, prepares to enter a residential jobsite. Taco photo.

>> WATER-EFFICIENT PLUMBING






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ers, community and stakeholders,” says Dale Stroud, a senior business advisor and co-founder of Uponor’s Sustainability Team.

“It has long been part of our curriculum to encour-age sustainability by teaching engineers and plumb-ers how to design and install long-lasting and reliable plumbing systems that can both conserve and reli-ably deliver water, thus providing benefits to both the end-user and the water purveyor.”

A focus on green is integral for vitreous china man-ufacturing, says Lovin Saini, senior product manager for Gerber. “An estimated 30% of the U.S. population lives in municipalities that mandate WaterSense stan-dards as code. New York and Oregon just made the switch as of Nov. 1, 2017, and other states are review-ing their plumbing codes, particularly in the West, to further conserve resources.

“We expect these code changes to increase in the future and thus, our manufacturing and technology needs are driven by this to make our products more high-performing in a lower water usage world,” Saini adds. “We also expect that sometime in the next 10

years, municipalities will begin to lower flush codes as far as 1.0-gpf maximum, so next-level investments are being made to ensure we are ready for that tech-nology shift and that we do our part to not repeat the problems of the ‘90s, post the 1994 mandate from 3.5 to 1.6 gpf.”

“In our view, hot water recirculation is the very essence of green plumbing. The benefits include, but aren’t limited to, substantial reduction in the use of water and energy. Of course, the technology also greatly improves home comfort, and convenience,” says Mark Chaffee, vice president of government affairs and sustainability, Taco Comfort Solutions.

“Whether installed in large commercial buildings with public restrooms, an athletic facility with large

“Yes, green plumbing is still a separate ‘thing,’ but also a growing movement which is driving manufacturers to produce more eco-friendly products.” — Sammy Alvarado, Noritz.






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and variable shower loads, or your own home, Taco has a host of products and control solutions to optimize the ef-ficient distribution of domestic hot water. A highlight for Taco was winning the 2017 AHR Innovation Award for the SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control.”

RJ: Is there still work to do to educate plumbers and/or consum-ers on the importance of green products and sustainability?

“Education is, and will always be necessary, whether it is on new product information, evolving green building codes or continuing education credits for professional accreditations,” Sloan’s Boyle says. “As subject matter experts, we need to en-sure we pass along product, compliance and/or sustainabil-ity information to architects, designers, engineers, building owners, plumbers and even the end user.”

“We need to increase awareness with society in general, not just plumbers, that safe, clean water is a very valuable — and increas-ingly scarce — resource,” Uponor’s Stroud adds. “At the present time, and in most areas of North America, we take access to drink-able water for granted. However, if we don’t manage this resource carefully, we will someday be faced with serious water shortages.

Bob Lemons, owner of Mr. Tankless, with a TacoGenie hot water recirculator. Taco photo.






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“We must remember that sustainability is a journey, not a destination; thus, education about the future of access to water is essential. And, even more impor-tantly, we must all take action to assure that we will have an ongoing ample supply of clean water.”

“This is our major focus,” Saini asserts. “As water- saving measures increase over time we have to contin-ue to educate plumbers that lower flow doesn’t mean lower performance. We have to clearly differentiate how newer products will maintain and/or exceed performance from their current favorite choices using 1.6 gpf.

“As the plumber base is highly fragmented nation-ally, we will be making significant investments to ensure we scale that message across the estimated 200,000 plumbers that need to be able to understand our products and educate their customers as to why lower flow is not lower performance.”

Yes, educating the plumbing community is a nev-er-ending endeavor, “due primarily to new product releases and improvements and ever-changing in-dustry concepts and standard practices,” Noritz’s

Alvarado says. “Plumbing is an art and skill that takes many years to develop. Many green products, such as tankless water heaters, are designed to help plumbers better harness their abilities.

“Consumers are also seeking to learn basic plumb-ing skills more than ever thanks to venues such as Reddit and YouTube, which help DIY-savvy viewers educate themselves on the newest plumbing con-cepts. Consumers are becoming more educated on the ‘plumbing know how’ to better understand the products they invest in and ensure that their invest-ment goes the distance. “

ONE EXAMPLE FROM TEXASTaco offers several hot water recirculation solutions – ideal for retrofit uses, or for new installations where a dedicated return water line can be used to com-plete the supply-return loop, Taco’s Chaffee says.

“Few consumers know that a hot water recirculating system can save homeowners a significant amount of water. But continuously running circulators and im-properly programmed timers can waste energy by op-







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erating the circulator and water heater at times when hot water isn’t needed,” he notes.

“So, the patented SmartPlug upgrades a hot water recirculation system to a ‘smart’ system. Smart-Plug technology makes any corded circulator up to 94% more energy efficient by learning hot water usage patterns and delivering hot water when it’s needed. This increases hot water comfort, reduces energy use and helps to extend the life of the wa-ter heater. The technology is so easy to implement: just plug it in. Yet, it can have a large impact. It’s something everyone can do today in their own home to make a difference.”

Chaffee gives an example of a mother of four girls in Texas, and what she did recently because she grew increasingly concerned about how depleted the local aquifers had become. Her search for a solution to long waits at the shower took her to Bob Lemons, own-er of Austin-based Mr. Tankless. With Lemons, she explored hot water recirc solutions. Lemons recom-mended TacoGenie, as it can be retrofitted to existing

plumbing, eliminating the need for a new hot water return pipe.

The device is a silent pump that attaches to the hot and cold water lines in the cabinet under the most remote kitchen or bath fixture in the home. When the pump is activated, the cool water that normally es-capes down the drain is recirculated back to the water heater through the cold water line.

When this consumer learned about the effective-ness of hot water recirculation, she readily told others about it. She says, “Think of it. When simple, inex-pensive technology can save 12,000 gallons of water a year for an average household of four, there’s good reason to champion the cause.”

“Water, resources, dollars and time. All can be affec-tively saved with simple technology, easily installed affordably – and yet profitably, too. In my opinion – there’s no downside to that,” Chaffee says.

Allison Deerr is a longtime and popular contributor to Reeves Journal. She’s based in Anaheim, California.







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WHAT’S UP WITH THE SOLAR & GEOTHERMAL INDUSTRIES?FOSSIL FUEL PRICES AND DISAPPEARING TAX CREDITS RESULT IN A LEVELING OFF.

Twenty one percent of respondents to the Reeves Journal 2017 Western Trends Survey report that they were involved with recommending or installing solar projects, down from 30% in 2016. [For complete

Western Trends Survey results, make sure to check out page 13. – Ed.] Sixty percent of projects for those respondents were handling domestic water heating only and 33% of those en-compassed both solar water heating and space heating. A re-ported 15% of respondents were involved in recommending or installing geothermal with a breakdown of 53% offering space and water heating, 32% water heating only, and 15% space heating only.

By Allison Deerr

Caleffi says a decline in fossil fuel prices have flattened the solar industry. Caleffi photo.






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>> GEOTHERMAL AND SOLAR INDUSTRIES REVIEW

SOLAR: HERE COMES THE SUNSolar energy system installations seem to have leveled off. If this is so, to what accounts for the slowed growth in this arena? Is the end of re-bates/incentives an issue?

Ever since fossil fuel prices began to drop in about 2009, the number of solar thermal installa-tions followed suit with a decline in demand, says Woody Dickinson, marketing technical manager for Caleffi North America. “This is true for both commercial and residential sectors and simply re-flects that the relative payback period for a solar system compared to a traditional heating system has stretched out. The renewable energy feder-al tax credit of 30% is still in effect and hasn’t played much of a role.”

A new hurdle for attracting the consumer for solar water and space heating is a seeming dip in the market, Dickinson says. “With the drop in demand, builders, contractors and designers of solar thermal systems are less engaged with the technology than

say six years ago. They are an important conduit in explaining the technology and benefits to a prospec-tive consumer or business owner,” he notes.

Solar should be used to heat domestic water, Dick-inson says. “It’s usually very difficult to justify the cost of an investment in solar if space heating is the primary intent. If there is any excessive heat pro-duced beyond domestic demand, there should be a means to harness it rather than dump it; space heat-ing or pool heating, for example.” Beyond that, he suggests that there are too many variables to define an ideal setup; for example, flat panel versus evacu-ated tube, or drain-back versus pumped glycol.

“In the commercial sector, we still see demand with facilities, which like residences, have a sizable and steady domestic hot water load. Occasionally, there are businesses that require hot process water on a consistent basis, such as a brewery.”

Along with solar panels and pumps, contrac-tors need to be aware that a key component is the solar controller, Dickinson says. “There are simple






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differential temperature controllers, but also more sophisticated controllers needed to control com-bi-systems, for example, or to data log. Hot water storage tanks are also important. Some have no internal heat exchangers, some have one or more heat exchangers.”

The cost of solar installation may not play a huge role in going solar for some consumers. Contractors need to be aware that like other purchases, some buyers are simply less interested in the economics of a solar system, Dickinson says. “These consumers are more interested in other benefits, such as being envi-ronmentally conscious. As a result, even if fuel prices drop further, there may still be prospects reaching out to you. Also, availability of solar equipment is not as widespread as several manufacturers have reduced their focus on solar in recent years. Some do still re-main committed to serving the sector.”

GEOTHERMAL: A STABLE HEAT SOURCEWhat’s happening in the geothermal world? “With the removal of the federal tax credit on the

residential side, we didn’t necessarily expect to see this market growing,” says Lyndal Moore, national residential sales manager for Bosch Ther-motechnology. “That happened just a year ago. However, we do not see nearly the sharp decline that we expected; in fact, we’ve seen a slight up-ward tick.”

The other wild card in the equation is the growth of the renewable sector, such as solar and wind, Moore says. “From my standpoint, I see that growth continuing on, and I see geothermal as the missing piece to that technological shift. Both of those technologies generate a lot of elec-tricity and geothermal helps make the most of that. Geothermal is more an efficiency multipli-er. We can make the most of any renewal energy that is being generated.”

Again, solar and wind are generating electricity, and we are making the most of it. With geothermal, we only have to add a minimum amount of outside energy and electricity,” Moore adds. “The more geothermal systems out there, the fewer wind and







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solar energy plants we would have to build. That’s why we work hand in hand with them.” He cited a recent study in mid-America by a large utility that predicted that if they converted 20% of its customers over to geothermal, it would equal the output of its largest power plant.

There’s a lot of neat technology out there, but it’s not retrofitable, Moore says. “That’s the advantage with a geothermal system. It can go into homes because we’ve been producing the same kind of equipment since the 1950s; it just has some add-ons that have to be dealt with. You’re utilizing the same ductwork for space heating and the same piping for water heating. Geothermal probably is even more viable for commercial projects, where one geother-mal system can do an entire building.”

The premise behind geothermal is that the Earth is about six feet into the ground and stays at about 55 to 60° F all the time, he explains. “The ground is a stable heat source. So, what we do is drill holes in the ground and put in plastic loops. As we run wa-ter through the piping, that ground temperature is


Commercial facilities, like this fire station, that need a constant supply of hot water, are keeping the solar industry afloat. Caleffi photo.






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transferred to the water. Then we bring the water up out into our heat pump equipment and that’s where we make our phase change.”

It’s all based on refrigeration technology, Moore adds. “The way air-conditioning or heating works is based on the principle of using Freon gas and making it go through a phase change. The phase change is a chemical reaction that is highly pre-dictable. Once we send it through a small orifice, you can make it produce cold; when we send it the other way, we can make it produce heat. We can do that over and over again without wearing anything out.”

The reason why geothermal is so popular on the residential side is because the equipment is 70 to 80% comparable to standard, traditional HVAC equipment, Moore says. “If we run the refrigeration one way, it creates heat; if we run it the other way, it cools. For domestic water heating, we can heat up water in that same cycle, sometimes for free. Let’s say we’re using the geothermal system for cooling; we can use that removed heat to heat water.

On residential applications most projects are a combination of space and water heating. If you are going to use just straight radiant for space heating, we have what we call water-to-water units which work on the same principle, and is used to heat or cool water.”

Geothermal is suited for a wide size range of proj-ects. Options include both open-loop and closed-loop systems. “For instance, if you have a lake, you don’t need to drill wells. If you can sink some loops deep enough into your lake, you can use that,” Moore says.

“Or, in areas where the water table is only 16 feet deep, they can pull directly out of wells. That’s a lot less expensive than installing a full-loop system. We’ve done some condos and very small houses in those areas. If you are on acre-age where kilowatt rates are high or they have to be on propane or you have a high heat load, then geothermal makes sense. In other areas, for closed-loop, you drill down and bury the piping.”

Allison Deerr is a longtime RJ contributor based in Anaheim.







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THE POINT OF NO PRESSURE CHANGEONE LITTLE DETAIL THAT CAN HELP PROPER SYSTEM OPERATION AND ELIMINATE PUMP CAVITATION.

The point of no pressure change is the point in a closed-loop system where there is no change in pressure. For a closed-loop hy-dronic system, the point of no pressure

change is an important factor that should be taken into consideration for proper hydronic system oper-ation and efficiency. It can prevent pump cavitation, air binding, and even keep the system from reaching vacuum pressures.

The location of the point of no pressure change in a closed-loop system is where the expansion tank con-nects to the system. For this reason, Section 1214.4 of the 2018 Uniform Mechanical Code and Section 411.4 of the 2018 Uniform Solar Energy & Hydronics Code requires that, “Where an automatic makeup fluid supply fill device is used to maintain the water

content of the heat-source unit, or any closed loop in the system, the makeup supply shall be located at the expansion tank connection or other approved location…” A makeup water supply fill device is typ-ically used to compensate for minor fluid losses and to maintain a fixed static pressure.

Unlike the 2015 edition of the UMC and USEHC, the code allows the makeup supply to be located at an approved location; meaning that the location must be approved by the authority having jurisdic-tion. This was added since there can be other loca-tions where a makeup water supply fill device can be installed, but this requires careful design consider-ations of the system.

Liquids are incompressible and expand when heat-ed. This thermal expansion is unavoidable as the

By Hugo Aguilar, P.E., IAPMO

>> CRACKING THE CODE






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The silver tank to the right of the buffer tank is the expansion tank, a.k.a. “point of no pressure change.” The buffer tank serves as a hydraulic separator, dirt separator, and air eliminator. Photos courtesy of Cardinal Heating and Air Conditioning/Keith Ouimette






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molecules in the liquid occupy more space at higher temperatures. The volume occupied by the fluid can increase but its mass will remain constant. To accom-modate for the additional volume, all hydronic sys-tems must be installed with a thermal expansion tank. Newer expansion tanks consist of pressurized air or a captive volume of air that acts on the tank’s inner shell and, in some cases, on the diaphragm. The pressurized air in the expansion tank remains relatively constant once the system is filled with fluid.

Upon activation of the circulator, there will be an immediate pressure differential between the inlet and outlet ports of the circulator. From the circulator out-let port, the residual dynamic pressure throughout the piping system will start to decrease due to friction loss within the piping. However, the pressure at the ex-pansion tank will always remain the same (hence, the point of no pressure change), and it is equal to the sys-tem static pressure. The static pressure is the pressure at any point in the circuit while the fluid is at rest; it is created by the weight of the fluid and any external pressure applied to the system. The dynamic pressure

is the velocity pressure created from the circulation of the fluid; it is dependent on the temperature, density and velocity of the fluid as well as the pipe size and pipe roughness.

The reason why the pressure remains relatively con-stant is due to Boyle’s Law. Boyle’s Law tells us that the pressure exerted by a gas held at a constant tempera-ture varies inversely with the volume of the gas. For example, if you decrease the volume, then the pressure will increase; and if the volume is increased, then the pressure will decrease. In other words, to change the pressure in the expansion tank you must add more mass (fluid), but in a closed system the mass is con-stant. Therefore, pressure in the tank or the piping con-necting the tank to the system cannot change.

The location of the expansion tanks is crucial for operation and efficiency of the hydronic system. The expansion tanks should be installed upstream of the circulator or pumping away from the point of no pres-sure change, and the pipe length between the expan-sion tank and circulator should be as short as possible to minimize the pressure drop. When the expansion







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tank is installed upstream of the circulator, the sys-tem’s differential pressure between the static pressure and the dynamic pressure will increase nearly in all points in the system, which is ideal for air removal and to avoid negative pressures in the system. When pumping away from the point of no pressure change, the circulator has no option but to add its pressure differential to the static pressure of the system.

For example, consider a hydronic closed-loop circuit pressurized to 12 psig (static pressure) and the expan-sion tank is located upstream of the circulator. Upon startup of the system, the dynamic pressure increases to its maximum pressure at the circulator outlet. The dynamic pressure will then start to decrease linearly, due to friction loss, until it reaches its minimum dy-namic pressure at the circulator inlet port. However, the dynamic pressure at the expansion tank will al-ways be 12 psig (static pressure) as it is the point of no pressure change; which is dependent on the pres-surized air that is within the expansion tank.

If the expansion tank were to be located down-stream of the circulator, it will cause the dynamic

pressure to decrease from the point of no pressure change. In other words, if the circulator is pumping toward the point of no pressure change, the circula-tor will deduct its pressure differential from the static pressure of the system. This scenario will reduce the ability of the system to remove air and potentially cause cavitation or air binding in the circulator.

The lower the static pressure of the system, the high-er the chance there is for the system to reach vacuum prior to entering the circulator. If the system pressure is low enough, air can be introduced into the system from the atmosphere. The introduction of air into the system along with high temperatures can seriously damage the system and cause cavitation or air bind-ing in the circulator.

Boyle’s Law tells us that the pressure exerted by a gas held at a constant temperature varies inversely with the volume of the gas.








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It should be noted that throughout history it was common to have the point of no pressure change downstream of the circulator, typically connected to the boiler, but such practice has become antiquated. Initially, when circulators had rag seals, circulators were installed on the system return because it ex-tended the life expectancy of the seal due to the low-er temperatures. It was also an ideal place for boiler manufacturers to mount the circulators, which were shipped with the boilers. Some of these older hydron-ics systems experience problems from day one and others later on, and some of the systems experience no issues at all. It was determined that with rigorous calculations and factors such as temperatures, pres-sure drops, or system height that it is possible to ar-range a system with the point of no pressure change downstream of the circulators. However, having the point of no pressure change downstream of the circulator is antiquated and issues can be avoided, especially in systems with low static pressures and high-pressure drops within the piping circuit.

Most applications that were trouble-free were origi-

nally gravity circulated and the circulators were applied at a later date. Due to the low pressure drops created during flow, the potential of drawing air was minimal at best; and with the use of standing column radiators, the air that was introduced into the system was con-tained within the cavernous volume of the radiators and did not create cavitation or binding problems asso-ciated with systems with higher pressure drops.

It has been stated many times by experienced con-tractors that once they started placing the expansion tank (point of no pressure change) upstream of the circulator the incidents of noisy air in solution, steam hammer, air bound systems, and many other prob-lems associated with older hydronic heating systems became a thing of the past. Having the point of no pressure change upstream of the circulator will pro-vide greater air removal in the system, prevent cav-itation, prevent negative pressures, and allow the makeup of water during pump operation.

Hugo Aguilar, P.E., is IAPMO’s vice president of codes and

standards. He can be reached at: [email protected].




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>> PRODUCTS <<

CHANGE SPRAY WITH A TOUCHAmerican Standard’s Spectra+ Touch and Spectra+ eTouch showerheads feature technology that allows the user to change spray patterns with the simple touch of a finger on the outside ring of the fixture. For added ease-of-use, the Spectra+ eTouch showerhead comes with a remote that can be mounted on nearly any shower wall to offer convenient control over the spray patterns for bathers with limitations due to height or mobility. These oversized, 7” showerheads offer a choice of four spray patterns and are offered in a standard 2.5 gpm model or a water-saving 1.8 gpm option that is WaterSense-certified and CalGreen-compli-ant. American Standard. www.americanstandard.com.

TANKLESS WITH INTEGRATED RECIRCULATING PUMPA. O. Smith’s 540P Series Condensing Tankless with Integrated Recirculating Pump provides instant hot water while being environmentally friendly with a UEF of up to 0.95. The pump is easily controlled with a simple user interface and multiple pump settings, which allow for customized operation to both meet hot water needs and maximize efficiency. As part of the condensing tankless family, it uses up to 199,000 Btu per hour and can be paired with a recirculating system. The product is ENERGY STAR qualified and built with commercial-grade mate-rials like marine-grade 316L stainless steel, giving it an industry-leading 15-year limited warranty. A. O. Smith. www.hotwater.com.





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>> PRODUCTS

CONTROL FROM ANYWHEREBosch Thermotechnology’s Bosch Connected Control (BCC100) Thermostat is a full-color, 5” touch-screen thermostat that brings convenience and functionality to the home with Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing remote monitoring and control of home HVAC systems. The thermostat saves energy and money by automatically turning the heating and cooling on and off to maintain temperature while home-owners are away. Its intuitive scheduling menu helps maintain the most comfort-able environment, with a dedicated terminal for humidifying or dehumidifying functions. The thermostat is compatible with the majority of HVAC systems on the market. Bosch Thermotechnology. www.bosch-climate.us.

INTERCHANGEABLE APRON FRONTElkay’s Stainless Steel Sink with Interchangeable Apron Front gives homeown-ers the option to change the apron look, color and material without having to remove or reinstall the sink itself. It offers the durability of stainless steel and the apron is available in three different material choices: quartz, fireclay and stain-less, in a variety of colors. Changing out the apron can give the kitchen a new look in minutes without the major expense of a full kitchen remodel. Elkay. www.elkay.com.






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COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHTGeneral Pipe Cleaners’ compact, lightweight JM-1000 Mini-Jet quickly clears grease, sand and ice clogs. Unclog small lines, sinks and laundry drains from 1 ½” to 3” with 1500 psi of cleaning power. The powerful little water jet hits stop-pages with high-pressure, wall-to-wall water spray and flushes them away. Pulse helps slide the hose around tight bends and down lines. The portable, 23-lb pack-age measures 24” x 11” x 11”. A rugged, diamond plate metal case safely contains the pump and motor assembly. If water stops flowing though the pump, a sensor automatically stops the motor. General Pipe Cleaners. www.drainbrain.com.

PUSH-AND-TURN SHOWER CONTROL GROHE is expanding its line of intuitive, push-and-turn SmartControl shower controls with the new concealed GrohTherm SmartControl trim, which provides the option of having up to three shower outlets running through a single wall plate. Powering the trim behind the wall is the Rapido SmartBox, which offers features that make installation simple and easy. Water supply inlets are posi-tioned at the bottom of the valve, eliminating the need for additional adapters. The valve also adds no additional depth to the wall trim with its slim design, maximizing room in the shower for user comfort. Grohe. www.grohe.us.






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>> PRODUCTS

FULL-FLOW FITTINGSJohn Guest’s JG ProLock range of Twist-to-Lock fittings features an audible click and visible alignment arrows to assure plumbers with a leak-proof connection. Fittings are rated at 100 psi and 180° F. Manufactured from high quality engi-neered plastic with EPDM O-Rings, the range is offered in 3/8” to 1” CTS sizes for traditional plumbing and commercial applications. They can be used with any combination of copper, PEX or CPVC pipe, require no tools and are UV resis-tant for outdoor use. The fittings are also code-approved, approved for behind-the-wall use and come with a 25-year warranty. John Guest USA. www.jgprolock.com.

PE-RT & PEX CONNECTION SYSTEMLegend’s SmartClick is a fast and reliable PE-RT and PEX connection system. In-sert the tube into the connector until a click is heard. The audible click tells users that the spring steel clamp inside the connector has been actuated and a perma-nent connection has been made. It is for use in potable water plumbing systems utilizing PE-RT (ASTM F 2769) or PEX (ASTM 876/877). The fittings are third party certified by IAPMO and are ANSI/NSF 61, ANSI/NSF 14 and ASSE 1061 compliant. SmartClick is patented. Legend Valve & Fitting. www.legendvalve.com.






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>> PRODUCTS

TOUCHLESS TECHNOLOGYMoen’s MotionSense Wave technology is ideal for when hands are too messy or too full to turn on the faucet. It is available on the Arbor pulldown kitchen fau-cet, and allows users to easily start and stop the flow of water with the wave of a hand. A single-sensor touchless activation helps minimize the spread of dirt and germs, as there’s no need to touch the faucet. Power Clean spray technology pro-vides greater spray force with less splash. The faucet offers easy installation with the Quick Connect System and has a flow rate of 1.5 gpm. Moen. www.moen.com.

RESIDENTIAL COMBINATION BOILERNoritz’s Residential Combination Boiler allows for simultaneous residential domestic hot water and space heating. The unit’s simultaneous capabilities are easy to control and especially beneficial for applications that do not store or de-liver heat energy efficiently. Performing at a 95% AFUE, the unit is EPA ENERGY STAR certified. Its 316L copper primary and secondary heat exchangers have high corrosion resistance, and the unit can adjust to either PP or CPVC venting without the installer needing to make any programming changes. The venting can also easily be reconfigured to use room air. Noritz. www.noritz.com.






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>> PRODUCTS

SNAP-OFF BLADEOLFA’s X-Design Pro Series Utility Knives feature its Ultra-Sharp Black Premium blades which are double-honed to a 59° edge angle to be 25% sharper than stan-dard silver blades. This precise angle and sharpness delivers users a super clean and smooth cut for almost any application. The company offers three blade sizes to accommodate a wide variety of jobs, including the Standard-Duty 9 mm blade for quick work on high-precision applications, the Heavy-Duty 18 mm blade for all-around multi-purpose cutting and Super Heavy-Duty 25 mm blades for dense cutting applications. OLFA. www.olfa.com.

NEWS CONNECTION

14 NOVEMBER 2017 | REEVES JOURNAL

VISIT RJ AT

100,000 HOUSTON AIR CONDITIONERS MAY BE AT RISK OF FAILURE Houston-area homeowners and businesses with properties

damaged by the recent historical flooding caused by Hur-

ricane Harvey are potentially facing looming problems with

their climate control systems that may not be obvious to the

untrained eye.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute, a

trade association representing the heating, ventilating and air

conditioning warns standing water associated with flooding

can result in system failure well after the water has receded.

“Standing water in a yard or house can damage a home’s heat-

ing and cooling system in ways that are not always readily appar-

ent,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO of AHRI. “We advise

homeowners to play it safe and replace, rather than repair, flood-

damaged heating, cooling, and water heating equipment.”

More than 134,500 residences in the ten-county Houston

area have been damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey,

according to a report from the Texas Division of Emergency

Management. Any air conditioning unit that has taken on

water is potentially damaged. Most water-damaged units may

need to be replaced, according to AHRI. A flooded home com-

fort system is similar to a flooded car. It may appear to operate

normally, but may be prone to suffer serious problems due to

the long-term impact of the water damage.

While AHRI recommends replacing a water-damaged

HVAC system, the timing of when to replace is important,

according to Houston-area dealers: “The vast majority of

damaged homes and businesses are having drywall work

done plus hardwood floors sanded,” said Corey Boyer,

owner of Air Aide, a Houston HVAC service company.

“In these cases consider whether it is best to wait to run

the new system until the drywall work and floors are fin-

ished because you don’t want to circulate dust and debris

through a new system. It will likely contaminate it.”

A.O. SMITH AWARDS FIVE SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS PURSUING TRADE CAREERS A. O. Smith, a manufacturer of hot water systems for homes and businesses, has

partnered with the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Educational Foun-

dation to award scholarships to five outstanding students in pursuit of careers as

plumbing and mechanical professionals.

The Charlie Wallace Service Scholarship and A. O. Smith Scholarship are $2,500

individual awards given to top-performing students enrolled in a plumbing-heating-

cooling related course of study. This is the second year A. O. Smith and PHCC have

partnered to fund the Charlie Wallace Service scholarships, named after the former

COO of PHCC Quality Service Contractors who served as a prominent leader in the

industry for 17 years. This year’s winners are Grace Brekke of Oakland and Elpidio

Arroyo of Santa Ana.

Brekke is studying construction management at California Polytech State Uni-

versity, San Luis Obsipo. She plans to use the PHCC scholarship to become a

project manager at a construction company. Arroyo is studying plumbing instal-

lation and repair at PHCC Orange County/San Bernardino Apprentice School.

He plans to use his education to become up-to-date with the laws, regulations,

codes and technology affiliated with the plumbing trade.

In addition, Californians lead A. O. Smith Scholarship Awards in this, the 14th

year for the awards. This year’s award winners are Travis Durkee of Poway, Calif.,

Isaia Ferarita of Riverside, Calif. and Ronald Butkus of Wausau, Wis.

Durkee is studying plumbing installation, service and repair at the PHCC

San Diego. He intends to become a master plumber and transition into a

management position. Ferarita is studying plumbing installation, service and

repair at PHCC Orange County/San Bernardino Apprentice School. With the

PHCC scholarship, he plans to become certified as a plumber and become a

city inspector. Butkus is studying plumbing installation, service and repair at

North Central Technical College in Wausau. After the program, he plans to

pursue a journeyman plumber certification and open an independent plumb-

ing and mechanical business.

“It is truly an honor to work with such intelligent, driven and ambitious students,”

said David Chisolm, vice president of marketing at A. O. Smith. “We are proud to

sponsor a scholarship that strengthens the industry by supporting highly qualified

students entering a career in the trades.” RJ

VISIT RJ ATWWW.FACEBOOK.COM/REEVESJOURNAL

012-014 news.indd 14 10/30/17 2:15 PM






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