Plumbing Mechanical Engineer February 2012

> Solving remote Alaska’s clean water woes February 2012

www.pmengineer.com

PM Engineer - The must-read resource for engineering excellence

> 2012 AHR Expo New Products Facilities Resource Group Director of Engineering Ben Wirick

Come and get it Restaurants benefit from creative water heating solution

Scan with your smartphone to access pmengineer.com.

Get the free mobile app at

http:/ / gettag.mobi

W With itth iits ts uunique nique ppatented atented VV-Slice -Slicce® ccutter utter ttechnology, echnoloogy, tthe he O mnivore® Omnivore itera lyy ddevastates evastates aanything nything literally uunfortunate nfortunate eenough nough ttoo eenter nter iinto nto its ts vvicious icioous vvortex. ortex.

Over 50,000 units installed and still hungry.

U S. Pa U.S Paate tent No te No. N o 711559 598 9806 06 Copyright © Liberty Pumps, Inc. 2012 All rights reserved.

pme February 2012 • Vol. 18, Num. 2

Contents FEATURES

14

pme Profile ICC’s Shawn Martin

16

Come and get it Turnkey tankless rack system keeps hot water flowing at restaurants across the country.

COLUMNS 4 From the Publisher:

Bob Miodonski Strong turnout at AHR Expo reflects industry recovery.

22 > Solving remote

The must-read

www.pmengineer.com

g excellence resource for engineerin

> 2012 AHR Expo New Products

Facilities Resource Group Director of Engineering Ben Wirick

Come and get it from Restaurants benefit solution creative water heating

Scan with your smartphone to access pmengineer.com.

Get the free mobile

app at

http:/ / gettag.mo

Going the extra mile Health consortium provides solutions to bring clean water to remote Alaska villages.

OUR COVER THIS MONTH

water woes Alaska’s clean

February 2012

PM Engineer -

6 Julius Ballanco on Codes

bi

Hot water is an essential part of a restaurant’s day-to-day function, thus the disruption of hot water can create big problems for restaurant owners and operators. Our cover story this month explores a Michigan company’s development of a tankless water heating racking assembly and its use in a variety of chain restaurants throughout the country. Pictured on the cover is Facilities Resource Group Director of Engineering Ben Wirick outside the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Grandville, Mich. Photo by Kevin Bewsick, People, Places & Things Photographics. Cover story Massachusetts-based photos by Frank Monkiewicz Photography.

Visit the Newly Redesigned www.pmengineer.com Download the Latest Digital Edition! The digital age has arrived for pme magazine — so make the most of it. Visit www.pmengineer.com daily and check out its “Industry News” box (at the top of the homepage) to stay informed of the latest industry events and news. More importantly, read the current issue of pme in a digital format, also located on the homepage. You can even download it to your PC. Just click on the Digital Edition promo box, then Options in the right hand corner and select Save To Your Desktop. Now more than ever, start your day right — with a visit to the pme Web site.

2

02.12

ICC Green Code hearings thoughts.

8 John Siegenthaler’s

Solar Design Notebook Evolution of a solar combisystem.

DEPARTMENTS 26 2012 AHR Expo Products 29 Product Focus: Commercial Faucets and Sinks 32 Ad Index

Introducing the Vitocrossal 200, CM2: a brand new face with familiar features

Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc. · 45 Access Road · Warwick, RI 02886 USA Tel. (401) 732-0667 · Fax (401) 732-0590 · Email: [email protected]

C

i m o

n

oo S g

n

Meet the Vitocrossal 200, CM2 gas-fired condensing boiler – featuring the Viessmann technology you know and the performance and value you expect. „Your ideal choice for large residential or commercial applications with inputs of up to 1112 MBH „Quality you can count on! Maximum heat extraction with proven stainless-steel Inox-Crossal heat exchanger „Extremely low NOx emissions and quiet operation from fully-modulating pre-mix Viessmann cylinder burner „Seamless integration of powerful Viessmann control technology and building management systems „Multiple venting possibilities with optional air intake kit for direct or chimney venting (PP(s) or stainless steel) „Gas fuel flexibility (NG/LPG/LNG) with simple electronic conversion „Low inlet gas pressure requirement (NG) as low as 4 in. of water column „Large water content extends burner run time and reduces cycling „No dedicated boiler pump required due to extremely low pressure drop through heat exchanger „Generous heat transfer surface/heat input ratio for extended lifespan „Easy service and installation with all piping connections accessible from top panel „Suitable for high altitude operation up to 10,000 ft. A global product portfolio of efficient heating solutions for all fuel types and applications.

Product may not be exactly as illustrated.

www.viessmann.us/CM2preview

publisher’s note

A

t last month’s AHR Expo, I spoke with several manufacturers who took the show’s strong turnout as a good sign the economy finally is coming to life. While I wouldn’t go so far as to base an economic forecast on the first two days at one trade show, I was encouraged to see so many people clogging the aisles of Chicago’s McCormick Place. Unscientific though it may be, equating the show’s attendance with industry growth supports the forecast found in consultant FMI’s “2012 U.S. Markets Construction Overview.” Along with identifying trends that will affect engineering and design firms – which we discussed last month – FMI predicts beginnings of a recovery in certain market sectors. Overall, FMI expects the construction industry to grow 6% in 2012. If your glass is half full, this outlook is rosy compared with the 2% growth FMI projected for 2011. If your glass is half empty, this forecast falls short of the 10% to 12% increases you grew accustomed to seeing until a few years ago. FMI breaks down its 2012 nonresidential construction forecast into sectors. These include: Education. Construction is expected to increase 4% after a 13% drop in 2010 and 2% dip last year. Much could depend on whether Congress passes the American Jobs Act or the

A record-breaking crowd turned out for the 2012 AHR Expo in Chicago.

education part of it. Up to $30 billion could be available for modernizing public schools ($25 billion) and community colleges ($5 billion). Greener schools that use energy and water more efficiently will continue to be a strong trend with more universities committed to building only LEED-certified facilities. Health care. While the 3% growth forecast for this year seems small, the health care construction sector remains at a historically high level. A large percentage of the activity taking place is for renovating and modernizing existing facilities. Helping to shape these projects are the country’s aging population, new technologies and increased demand for single-bed hospital rooms. Some expansion plans are being delayed by uncertainty about the health care reform act.

Publishing/Editorial and Advertising/Sales Staff Plumbing Group Brand Leader Bob Miodonski 847-405-4007 [email protected]

Integrated Content Manager Mike Miazga 847-405-4056 Fax 248-502-9001 [email protected]

Codes Editor Julius Ballanco, P.E., CPD, F-ASPE 847-405-4000 [email protected]

Production Manager Lisa Rahimpour 248-620-4180 Fax 248-244-3910 [email protected]

Hydronics Editor John Siegenthaler, P.E. 315-865-8903 [email protected]

Web Content and Engagement Manager Suzette Rubio 630-962-0086 [email protected]

Fire Protection Editor Christine Swanson, P.E., FPE, CFPS 757-213-6059 [email protected]

Art Director Stephanie Armstrong 919-449-0676 [email protected]

Integrated Media Specialist Scott Franz Water Heaters/Fire Protection/Tools/PVF 937-748-9975, DF: 248-502-2083 [email protected]

Integrated Media Specialist Roy Wagner, Jr. Radiant & Hydronics/Waterworks 401-737-7871, Fax: 401-738-0086 [email protected]

Integrated Media Specialist Jean Eslick Bath & Kitchen/Software 773-710-9971, DF: 248-786-1386 [email protected]

Classifieds Mike O'Connor 610-354-9552 [email protected]

Reprints Jill DeVries 248-244-1726 [email protected] Administrative Assistant Brittnie Wilson 248-244-1290 [email protected]

Financing and declining revenue sources present other obstacles to greater growth. Sewage and waste disposal. Construction is expected to increase at a faster pace than the overall economy through 2015 after a drop of 2% last year. Government mandates will drive much of this work. The nation needs to replace or upgrade 16,000 wastewater systems that discharge more than 850 billion gallons of untreated sewage into surface waters each year. Water supply. After a 2% dip in 2011, construction is predicted to rise 4% this year. The emphasis on green buildings and water efficiency will continue, but attention also must be given to systems that provide clean water. These two issues are not mutually exclusive. Government failure to replace old systems causes us to lose 7 billion gallons of clean drinking water to leaking pipes each day. Green building practices, such as controlling storm water runoff to increase ground water supplies, will become the norm in new construction. While recovery this year will be slower than anyone would like, construction activity in these sectors indicates we’re moving in the right direction. The crowds in the aisles at the AHR Expo represent one more positive sign.

Circulation and BNP Media Staff For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Tel. (847) 763-9534 or Fax (847) 763-9538 or e-mail [email protected] Audience Development Coordinator Megan Masson List Rental POSTAL: List Manager Kevin Collopy 800-223-2194, ext. 684 [email protected] EMAIL: Account Manager Michael Costantino 800-223-2194, ext. 748 [email protected]

pme - PM Engineer (ISSN 1080-353X) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media, 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317.No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $115.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $149.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $165.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2012, by BNP Media. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: PM ENGINEER, P.O. Box 2145, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to PM ENGINEER, P.O. Box 2145, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected].

4

02.12

Photo by Oscar Einzig

Strong turnout at AHR Expo ZMÆMK\[QVL][\ZaZMKW^MZa

Corporate Directors Publishing John R. Schrei Corporate Strategy Rita M. Foumia Production Vincent M. Miconi Finance Lisa L. Paulus Creative Michael T. Powell Marketing Ariane Claire Directories Nikki Smith Human Resources Marlene J. Witthoft Clear Seas Research Beth A. Surowiec

BNP Media Helps People Succeed in Business with Superior Information

I rely on T&S Brass because I know my clients will be pleased with the installation. It’s reassuring to know that T&S products always work – no question. I also really appreciate how T&S is always up-to-date on the latest codes and standards, helping me make informed specifying decisions. And their range of water-conserving products are a

a

great help meeting LEED certfication. I know I can specify quality T&S products and rely on them to last just about forever.

John Neal,

Senior Plumbing Designer Design Strategies

For more than 60 years, T&S Brass has been leading the industry with highquality foodservice and plumbing products. For reliable products and reliable advice, T&S is the best choice. EXPERT TIP

1.800.476.4103 . www.tsbrass.com . twitter: @TSBrass

In addition to Water Efficiency credits for LEED, T&S products can also help you earn points in Innovation in Design and Regional Priority. For more information visit www.tsbrass.com.

codes Julius Ballanco, P.E., CPD, F-ASPE

Green confusion and conclusion Water conservation is a hot topic at the ICC Green Code hearings.

S

dently. So, rather than discussing the single public comment first, ICC moved the comment to the end of the agenda to discuss all the other public comments first. Mind you, all the individual public comments had proposals that were included in the single public comment. When the dust finally settled, approximately 90% of the single public comment proposals were accepted on an individual basis. The final 10% also should have been accepted but were not. When the single public comment was addressed at the end of the hearing, it was soundly defeated in favor of all the individual changes to the Green Code.

Water conservation

The biggest plumbing change at the final code hearing is the mandate of water conservation. The maximum flush volume permitted for a water closet is 1.28 gpf.

Both the plumbing and mechanical sections had a single public comment that addressed all the issues for updating the Green Code. The single public comment was developed by a group of concerned professionals highly respected in the green code initiative. The single public comment contained modification to the code that included every green provision discussed during the initial hearings. All of the changes were compiled into a single public comment. Frankly, when reviewing the public comment, one would think: “Why bother having all this discussion? You approve this change and you are done with it.” That is how simple it could have been. Unfortunately, the voting membership viewed the single public comment as having all the green issues shoved down their throats without the opportunity to discuss each issue indepen-

The biggest change at the hearing that impacts plumbing is the mandate of water conservation. The previous edition of the ICC Green Code had performance requirements for calculating how much water you would save in a building. The change mandates fixtures using lower volumes of water. The maximum flush volume permitted for a water closet is 1.28 gpf. Similar to IAPMO, the Alliance for Water Efficiency added a requirement to exclude remote public water closets. For remote public water closets, the flush volume remains 1.6 gpf. Remote is defined as being more than 30 ft. from a main drain line. Showers were lowered to a single showerhead flowing at a maximum of 2 gpm. When the shower compartment is larger than 2,600 sq. in., two showerheads are permitted — only two. The assumption is multiple people will be in the shower when it is larger than 2,600 sq. in. This finally responds to the issue of multiple showerheads. The entire purpose of water conservation is to limit the water used to take a shower. Adding showerheads is nothing more than cheating the system.

Note: The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily represent pme or BNP Media.

6

02.12

Photo courtesy of American Standard Brands

itting through the ICC Green Code hearings in Phoenix was completely different than the IAPMO Green Supplement hearings. IAPMO utilizes a consensus committee. ICC’s final voting is done by the organization’s code-enforcement members. Another difference between the two organizations is the ICC Green Code covers everything — building, energy, mechanical and plumbing. Having sat through many ICC code hearings, I now have a good sense of the voting membership. Typically after hearing testimony I can predict, within 90% accuracy, how the vote is going to turn out. The same was not true for the Green Code hearings. It was almost impossible to figure out the voting pattern. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to how people voted. Of course, with the normal codes, the goal is protection of public health, safety and welfare. With the Green Code, there is no similar mantra. It is whatever you think is green — whatever that means. One of the best lines came during the discussion on the energy provisions of the code. As you can imagine, this section of the Green Code had the most discussion. A green advocate testified that a building cannot be green unless it generates some of its own energy. Wow! What a statement to make. All I thought about were all the buildings that have been classified as green that don’t generate any of their own energy. Are they no longer green? Many of us listening to this testimony envisioned every green building having either solar panels, wind turbines, co-generation plants or a nuclear power generator. I wondered if the use of ground water for heating or cooling would qualify. That never seemed to be answered since most of the discussion revolved around solar energy.

The urinal flush volume is 0.5 gpf. Kitchen sinks have a maximum flow rate of 2.2 gpm, while pre-rinse sprayers are limited to 1.3 gpm. Even drinking fountains have a maximum flow rate of 0.7 gpm.

Perhaps the most complex change approved involves the design of a hot water distribution system. Municipal reclaimed water is required for flushing water closets and urinals, as well as protecting floor drain trap seals whenever reclaimed water is located within 150% of the distance to the potable water supply. The code added requirements for on-site reclaimed water systems. Reference is made to NSF 350 regarding the water quality for on-site systems. This standard gears more to large systems, vs. the small systems used under a lavatory to flush the water closet.

Getting in hot water Perhaps the most complex change approved involves the design of a hot water distribution system. A new table was added to the code identifying how far a fixture is permitted to be located from a hot water supply loop. The loop is considered the part of the hot water distribution system that is re-circulated. The distance to the loop is based on either the length of the pipe or the volume of the piping system. Coupled with the hot water requirements is a requirement regarding when a recirculating pump can activate to circulate the water. A continuous operating pump is not permitted under the Green Code. Issues that ICC membership ignored included food waste. The membership added no requirements for food waste disposers or composting. Of course, like all green codes, ICC does not address the greenness of plumbing material. One of the arguing points is whether one material is greener than another. That will remain a marketing concept for manufacturers to argue. Julius Ballanco, P.E., CPD, F-ASPE, is the president of J.B. Engineering and Code Consulting, P.C. in Munster, Ind. Ballanco is a former ASPE president and is a member of both ICC and the IAPMO. He can be reached at [email protected].

6700 Best Friend Road Norcross, GA 30071 Tel: (770) 447-4443 www.syncroflo.com

CERTIFIED NSF 61 COMPLIANT

ISO 9001-2008 CERTIFIED

Pumping System Solutions Pumpi

pmengineer.com

7

Solar Design Notebook *OHN3IEGENTHALER 0%

Evolution of a solar combisystem How my own system has morphed over the years. > Figure 1.

3/4" copper, minimum of 1/4" per foot slope

6, Revere 35"x77" Sun-Aid collectors cold water

DHW

water level
sight glass

heating
element

two, 60 ft coils of 1/2" copper tubing
in parallel
DHW heat
exchanger

collector
circualtors

350 gallon
12 ft tall
storage tank
(30 psi rated)

line voltage
thermostat

30 gal DHW tank

mixing valve 3/8" copper radiant -$$&
&)('
with balancing valves

M

y wife, Joyce, and I built our house in 1980. It was a long process because we did much of the work ourselves. Anyone who has ever lived in a house as it is being constructed can tell you it makes for some challenging experiences. You get used to living with dust, rain tarps, temporary lighting, and the smell of various adhesives and paint. You learn how to wash dishes in the bathroom sink, because it’s the only source of running water at the time. Joyce envisioned our house as a nest in which to raise children, decorate with curtains and cook great meals. I saw it as my personal laboratory for experiments in home energy systems, including superinsulation, air-to-air heat recovery, wood burning, solar and wind energy harvesting and waste heat recovery. Being the gracious and supportive wife she is, Joyce indulged me through many years of such experiments. She would call me when she heard a “funny noise” coming from the mechanical room, and occasionally reminded me to write a manual on how the system operates in case we ever sold the house. That manual still is on the to-do list.

The starting point Although our primary means of heating the house has changed many times over the last 30 years, the fundamental objectives of energy conservation, gathering “free” energy and using hydronic heat delivery have always been part of the mix. Our original means of heating the home in the snowy, 8,000°-day climate of upstate New York, included three subsystems: s 0ASSIVE SOLAR GAIN THROUGH  SQ FT OF south-facing windows; s  SQ FT OF 2EVERE FLAT PLATE SOLAR COLLECtors; and s!NAIRTIGHTWOODSTOVE

Note: The views expressed here are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily represent pme or BNP Media.

8

02.12

Solar Design Notebook > Figure 2.

My system was designed as a closed-loop drainback design. I felt this approach held many advantages at the time, and still believe it’s the best approach for solar combisystems that provide space heating and domestic hot WATER 4WO  HORSEPOWER CIRCULATORS BOLTed flange-to-flange (series configuration) provide sufficient lift to push water up through the collector array. When they turn off, the water drains back to the tank in about 30 seconds. This system has been through many winter NIGHTSWITHTEMPERATURESOFnŽ&ORLOWER AND the drainback operation has never failed me. > Figure 3. 3/4" copper headers, minimum of 1/4" per foot slope

6, Revere 35"x77" Sun-Aid collectors 1/2" steel plate removable cover air inlet tee &(!0&%*#
!)*(!+*&(
*
*&
$!%*!%
*%"
)*(*!1*!&%

cold water

DHW

heating
element

3/8" copper
(!%*
2&&(
!(+!*)
with balancing valves

mixing valve

rigid foam insulation 15 psi rated pressure relief valve

evaporator

thermal
expansion
valve

compressor

reversing
valve

condenser

1(#))
!%)+#*!&%

350 gallon
12 ft tall
storage tank
(30 psi rated)

line voltage
thermostat

30 gal DHW tank

two, 60 ft coils of 1/2" copper tubing
in parallel
DHW heat
exchanger

collector
circualtors
(close-coupled in series)

The last was for “supplemental” heat, just in case the sun didn’t shine as brightly as I expected it would as soon as that solar hardware was installed. A schematic of our 1980 vintage solar “combisystem” is shown in Figure 1. During this time, I worked as a technical SUPPORTENGINEERFOR2EVERE3OLAR!RCHITECTURAL0RODUCTSIN2OME .9)TWENTWITHOUTSAYING that our house would have some of the collecTORS2EVEREPRODUCED)SETTLEDONSIX IN BY 77-in. Sun-Aid collectors with specially sloped internal headers. They were installed in a recessed area formed using special roof trusses. I figured this mounting would help shelter the collectors from the prevailing northwesterly winds and thus reduce their thermal losses. The collectors face directly south, and are sloped ŽFROMTHEHORIZONTAL&IGURESHOWSWHAT they look like about halfway through a typical upstate New York winter. 4HE COLLECTORS SEND HEAT TO A  FT TALL  GALLON STORAGE TANK ) HAD THIS TANK CUStom-made for the project. Its height would encourage temperature stratification (e.g. hottest water collects at top, while cool water settles to bottom). This is always desirable in solar thermal systems. It allows the coolest water to be supplied to the collectors for the best possible thermal efficiency. )TQUICKLYBECAMEAPPARENTTHATA FT TALL tank is not the easiest thing to install in a house with 8-ft. ceilings. We had to build a part of the house around the tank. I’ve concluded that it’s the next generation’s responsibility to figure out how to remove this tank if ever necessary. It was definitely not the best planning on my part. Fortunately, nature has been kind so far. The tank continues to serve as the system’s anchor component without issues.

two, 500 foot x 1"
HDPE horizontal
earth loops at
4 ft and 6ft depths

water-to-water
heat pump
(shown in heating mode) -) #
'&#/'(&'/#%
(!
1#*( backdraft damper cooled exhaust
to outside

exhaust from
bathroom air handler w/
drip pan exhaust from
clothes dryer

pmengineer.com

9

Solar Design Notebook > Figure 4.

3/4" copper headers, minimum of 1/4" per foot slope

6, Revere 35"x77" Sun-Aid collectors 1/2" steel plate removable cover air inlet tee &(!0&%*#
!)*(!+*&(
*
*&
$!%*!%
*%"
)*(*!1*!&%

cold water

DHW

water level
sight glass

heating
element

30 gal DHW tank

3/8" copper
(!%*
2&&(
!(+!*)
with balancing valves

mixing valve

summer/
winter
changeover
valves

15 psi rated pressure relief valve

evaporator

thermal
expansion
valve

compressor

reversing
valve

condenser

rigid foam insulation

ceiling mounted
chilled water air handler
with drip pan

insulated chilled water piping

1(#))
!%)+#*!&%

collector
circualtors
(close-coupled in series)

two, 60 ft coils of 1/2" copper tubing
in parallel
DHW heat
exchanger

350 gallon
12 ft tall
storage tank
(30 psi rated)

line voltage
thermostat

two, 500 foot x 1"
HDPE horizontal
earth loops at
4 ft and 6ft depths

water-to-water
heat pump
(shown in heating mode) -) #
'&#/'(&'/#%
(!
1#*( backdraft damper cooled exhaust
to outside

exhaust from
bathroom air handler w/
drip pan exhaust from
clothes dryer

The air space at the top of the tank provides a drainback reservoir and serves as the expansion volume for the entire system. 7E SUSPENDED TWO  FT COILS OF ³ IN copper tubing, piped in parallel, from the access plate that bolts to the opening at the top of the tank. These coils heat domestic water whenever hot water is drawn from a fixture. Over the years I’ve been very pleased with the performance of this homemade heat exchanger. I’ve never had to pull the plate off the top of the tank and don’t plan to as long as these suspended coils keep working. When the tank is warm, space heating is provided by circulating water through copper tubing embedded in a thin masonry layer

10

02.12

installed over the standard subfloor. At the time, we could buy 100-ft. coils of 3/8-in. type L copper water tube, which we used to fashion THE FLOOR CIRCUITS 0%8 TUBING WAS STILL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POND AT THIS TIME %VERYTHING was soldered together, and still is. We installed a manually adjusted mixing valve in case the water in the tank was too warm to go directly to the floor circuits.

Living with the results During out first winter in the house, we WOULDWAKEUPTOŽ&INSIDEAIRTEMPERATURES FOLLOWING A SUB ZERO NIGHT )F THE DAY LOOKED cloudy, we kindled the wood stove and waited a couple hours for things to warm up. On clear

winter days, we would just wait for the sun to work its magic. By mid-afternoon the inside TEMPERATURE WOULD CLIMB TO AROUND Ž& 7E would start our day wearing multiple sweaters, and by afternoon be down to T-shirts. Back then, when asked about the performance of our solar house, I was inclined to say it maintained an “average” interior temperature OF Ž& ON A CLEAR AND COLD WINTER DAY 4HIS WAS A MATHEMATICALLY TRUE STATEMENT Ž& IN MORNING AND Ž& IN THE AFTERNOON  (OWEVER I now admit that statement was a bit misleading in terms of inferred comfort. Today, I would describe those early winters as a ride on a temperature roller coaster that few occupants other than solar diehards would tolerate. By the late 1980s Joyce and I were ready to add an automatic heat source to the system. At that time, our local utility was offering very enticing rebates to seed the market for geothermal heat pump systems. We took advantage of this program, and in 1987 I installed a small 18,000 Btu/hr.-rated water-to-water geothermal heat pump. Because the heat pump involved flow of both warm and cool water, I decided it also was a good opportunity for further experimentation. The system was modified to the status shown in Figure 3. The solar portion of the system remained essentially unchanged. The water-to-water heat pump was piped to the existing solar storage tank connection points (we didn’t have the option of punching new holes in the tank FOR MORE CONNECTIONS  (EATED WATER LEAVING the heat pump went to the top of the tank, while cool water was drawn from the bottom. This helped preserve temperature stratification within the tank. I used a simple capillary-tube setpoint controller to turn the heat pump on and off as necessary to maintain the temperature at THETOPOFTHETANKABOUTŽ&

Heat recovery ventilation Water leaving the heat pump’s evaporator WOULDDROPDOWNTOABOUTŽ&BYLATEWINTER 4HATS COLD ENOUGH TO SUCK HEAT OUT OF QUITE A few things including an air stream on its way out of the house. To recover some heat from this AIR )ADDEDASMALL "TUHR RATEDAIRHANdler with a drip pan, and shunted some of the chilled water leaving the heat pump through its coil (see Figure 3). Air entering this air handler came from two sources: the clothes dryer and a high wall

PURE WATER Ultra selection. Ultra support. UltraPure Valves. When a job calls for lead-free* compliance in a potable system, new UltraPure valves from Milwaukee Valve help you meet the new standards … everywhere. UltraPure valves offer the largest variety of lead-free valves on the market that meet or exceed the requirements of California’s new law, AB 1953. The new line includes: s2-Piece and 3-Piece Ball Valves – Standard or Full Port. sGate Valves – Rising and Non-Rising Stems, rated for 200 and 300 lb. WOG. sGlobe Valves – rated for 300 lb. WOG. sSwing Check Valves, rated for 200 and 300 lb. WOG. sLift Check Valves, rated for 200 lb. WOG. Download our new white paper – “Ten Tips for No-Lead Compliance” at www.UltraPureNoLeadValves.com to learn more about today’s potable systems standards. While there, you’ll find UltraPure specs and features, downloadable product literature, and contact information for your Milwaukee Valve representative to help you determine when, where and how to use no-lead valves – everything you need to make any job easier.

Milwaukee Valve Co. 16550 West Stratton Drive New Berlin, WI 53151 Phone 262-432-2800 ‡ Fax 262-432-2701 www.MilwaukeeValve.com ‡ www.UltraPureNoLeadValves.com

* Lead content less than 0.25%, defined as lead-free by California AB 1953. © 2010, Milwaukee Valve Company

UltraPure For Purer Water.

Solar Design Notebook > Figure 5.

3/4" copper headers, minimum of 1/4" per foot slope

exhaust in the bathroom. Both exhaust streams contained sensible and latent heat. When run past the air handler coil, they transferred some of this heat to the chilled water headed back to the earth loop. The heat exchange was such that I never had to add antifreeze to the earth loop. We installed a polypropylene grid filter upstream of the air handler to keep lint from the dryer exhaust from collecting on the coil. It did a great job and got cleaned weekly. The heat recovery ventilation system was set to run whenever the heat pump operated or when a humidistat in the house called for ventilation.

6, Revere 35"x77" Sun-Aid collectors 1/2" steel plate removable cover air inlet tee !(*"1(',%
"+,*"-,(*
,
,(
&"',"'
,'$
+,*,"2,"('

cold water

water level
sight glass

heating
element

line voltage
thermostat

3/8" copper
*"',
3((*
"*-",+
with balancing valves mixing valve

2* %++
"'+-%,"('

collector
circualtors
(close-coupled in series)

350 gallon
12 ft tall
storage tank
(30 psi rated)

What’s next? future
expansion

VS injection
pump

VS injection
pump

rigid foam insulation 15 psi rated pressure relief valve

("%2*
cast-iron boiler

ceiling mounted
chilled water air handler
with drip pan

thermal
expansion
valve

compressor condenser

evaporator

reversing
valve

water-to-water
heat pump
(shown in cooling mode)

02.12

Occasionally it gets uncomfortably warm and humid in upstate New York. Where we live, this only happens five to 10 days each summer. Knowing that the heat pump could produce chilled water, I just couldn’t resist expanding the system for chilled water cooling. This time we added a small ceiling-mounted cabinet-style air handler as seen in Figure 4. This setup did a great job of keeping us comfortable ON THOSE STICKY DAYS 7ITH Ž& WATER PASSING THROUGH A three-row coil, the air handler was phenomenal at reducINGHUMIDITY7ITHACOOLINGCAPACITYOFABOUT "TU hr., the unit ran almost continually on hot days. That’s good from the standpoint of minimal compressor cycling and lots of air recirculation through the coil for moisture removal.

30 gal DHW tank

two, 60 ft coils of 1/2" copper tubing
in parallel
DHW heat
exchanger

12

Time to chill out

DHW

two, 500 foot x 1"
HDPE horizontal
earth loops at
4 ft and 6ft depths

garage
3((*
heating

About 11 years ago we finally got around to insulating and finishing our garage. Snow and ice get dragged into this garage almost every time the cars come back from a winter outing. Tired of getting into ice-cold cars covered with layers of dirty snow, we decided to partially heat the GARAGE)MSURETHISWOULDHAVEBEENOUTOFTHEQUESTION based on my 1980 philosophy of energy conservation, but age, ice choppers and ankle-deep slush as you step out of the car tend to “mellow” one’s convictions over time. We jack-hammered out the old slab, installed floor heating circuits and poured a new slab. The only remaining issue was where the additional heat for the garage was going to come from. The heat pump only had enough capacity to heat the house. !T THE TIME .O  FUEL OIL COST ABOUT  PER GALLON !T that price, the heat produced by a standard oil-fired boiler would cost us less than that provided by the ground source heat pump. This tipped the scales in favor of installing an oil-fired cast-iron boiler to heat the garage, the house and PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTAL HEAT FOR $(7 4HE HEAT PUMP WAS moved to accommodate the boiler, but it was reconnected to the original chilled water air handler and still works fine for summer cooling. The ventilation air handler eventually succumbed to corrosion and was not designed so that the drip pan could be

continued on page 31

By Mike Miazga [email protected]

pme profile

Providing the tools to succeed Shawn Martin, International Code Council

pme: What impact is the PMG Listing Program having in the industry? SM: The program has experienced its most successful year in its history in 2011, with a threefold increase in business. Notably, the program received accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada and is now recognized by the city of Los Angeles, extending recognition of the PMG certification across North America. The impact of this resurgent listing program is that it provides much-needed competition in the marketplace to drive even greater cost-effectiveness, quality, speed and customer service. pme: What have been some of the biggest advancements in the International Plumbing Code in recent years? SM: We’re very excited about the creation of new features called Code Action Committees. These industry-specific committees deal with complex technical issues well ahead of the code-development process, identify emerging issues and draft proposed code changes of importance to the membership. In 2011, the PMG Code Action Committee worked to create 115 new code-change proposals for the 2015 PMG codes. pme: What are some of the hot-button/ emerging plumbing technologies out there that have generated a lot of discussion recently?

SM: High-efficiency toilets remain an area of discussion, especially in commercial applications where drain-line carry concerns remain. Our hope is upcoming research will allow HETs to be more widely employed with confidence in commercial applications. Rainwater harvesting, an old practice, has enjoyed resurgence with new technologies and as water supplies become limited. The challenge is adapting this practice into the mainstream codes and standards. To meet that need, the International Green Construction Code provides a robust rainwater section that has already been adopted in places such as North Carolina.

pme: Where is ICC headed in the immediate future? SM: ICC recognizes our greatest asset is our members. We are renewing our commitment to represent and serve them by declaring 2012 The Year of the Member. We have put that into action with the development of the Code Action Committees and new industry-specific communities called Membership Councils. To date 130 ICC members have joined the group. The council welcomes all ICC members. The group is led by a governing council comprised of code officials from around the country and industry leaders from organizations such as ASPE, Air Conditioning Contractors of America, Association of Pool and Spa Professionals, American Backflow Prevention Association, National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors, and Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association. We’re looking forward to them playing a greater role in the industry this year. pme: Are there any other new initiatives on the horizon for ICC in terms of plumbing/ green plumbing-related topics?

Shawn Martin

SM: Absolutely. In 2012, code development for the 2015 IPC will take place. Quite a few code proposals inspired by the IgCC have been proposed for inclusion in the IPC, so the code development hearing to be held in May in Dallas will be both interesting and exciting. ICC has created an extract version of the IgCC called the Water Efficiency Extract. It takes the indoor and outdoor water-related provisions in the IgCC and extracts them verbatim and places them in a separate document. By adopting the IgCC Water-Efficiency Provisions, jurisdictions can address water issues quickly and in a way that works with ICC’s other codes such as the IBC, IPC and IECC. The PMG Membership Council also will be getting up to speed, so stay tuned for even more initiatives there.

pme: Where do you see water quality/ conservation/treatment headed? SM: There is a lot of work to do and there probably always will be. Supplies are constrained and in some cases being depleted, so it is imperative we take this issue seriously. Not only that, there is a substantial amount of energy that goes into treating potable water and disposing of wastewater. In order to make a serious difference, we need to address the whole problem – indoor use and outdoor use, supply and demand. On the supply side, we need to get serious about non-potable use. Right now, we have laws and regulations regarding nonpotable water use that widely vary across the country. A concerted effort to harmonize these requirements is sorely needed.

For more pme Profiles, visit www.pmengineer.com. 14

02.12

Photo courtesy of ICC.

S

hawn Martin is director of industry relations for the International Code Council’s Plumbing and Mechanical and Fuel Gas division, which supports plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas initiatives for ICC’s 50,000 members. Martin, previously technical director for Plumbing Manufacturers International, took time recently to talk to pme about ICC’s PMG Listing Program, sustainability and the latest developments in ICC’s codes.

HYDRONICS

99

$

KNOW HOW II

+shipping free

$79 EACH FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE!

BY JOHN SIEGENTHALER AND BNP MEDIA

NOW UPDATED WITH OVER

200 ARTICLES The Hydronics Know How II CD contains all the columns and articles John Siegenthaler has written for Plumbing & Mechanical and PM Engineer, from the very first in July 1996 through December 2008. That’s over 200 articles and columns covering everything from heat loss to hydraulic separation.

THREE WAYS TO ORDER 1 // COMPLETE ORDER FORM BELOW and mail or fax to: Fax: 248/786.1404 Mail: BNP Media, Attn: Katie Zarrilli, 2401 W. Big Beaver, Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084 2 // ONLINE at www.AECStore.com 3 // CALL Katie at 248/244.1275

ORDER FORM

This digital collection is a virtual encyclopedia on modern hydronic systems. No more cutting up magazines – This CD makes it easy to access all of “siggy’s” articles and columns. Better yet, all the information is searchable. Just type in a key word or phase and Adobe Acrobat ® will instantly search all the columns and articles for you. Good designers know that it never hurts to go back and review what you thought you completely understood a few years ago. Sometimes a small bit of new information can yield major benefits when applied repeatedly in future systems. The information on this CD will help you transform hundreds of individual components into smoothly operating hydronic systems. Systems that consistently deliver what their owners expect. In addition to the columns and articles, the Hydronics Know How II CD contains the latest information on products, design and installation methods from several leading manufacturers.

INDICATE QUANTITY ORDERING ____________________________

We are confident you’ll find details that will further enhance the systems you design and install. If you don’t, we will refund you in full.

NAME: ______________________________________________

SPONSORED BY:

COMPANY: ___________________________________________

PLATINUM

GOLD

BRONZE

ADDRESS: ___________________________________________ CITY: _______________________________________________ STATE: ___________________ ZIP: _______________________ EMAIL: ______________________________________________ PHONE: _____________________________________________ CREDIT CARD: Visa ____ MC ____ AMEX ____ NAME ON CARD: _______________________________________ CREDIT CARD NUMBER: __________________________________ EXPIRATION DATE: _____________________________________ SIGNATURE: __________________________________________

CD will operate on Windows operating systems. Windows systems require Intel® Pentium® III 1GHz or faster processor with at least 512MB of RAM. Supported versions of Windows are: Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise including 64 bit editions, Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SP2 and SP3, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows 2003 Server.

VISIT AECSTORE.COM TO PLACE YOUR ORDER OR TO VIEW OUR ENTIRE SELECTION OF TECHNICAL RESOURCES. CALL KATIE @ 248/244.1275 WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

By Jason Corey

>

Come and get it Turnkey tankless rack system keeps hot water flowing at restaurants across the country.

Facilities Resource Group’s tankless water heater rack assemblies are designed and fabricated at the company’s Grandville, Mich., headquarters and then driven to restaurants for installation.

16

02.12

This Chili’s restaurant in West Aubu rn, Mass., features a rack assembly of four tankless water heat ers. More than 100 Chili’s in 10 Northeastern states employ the tankless rack technology.

Photos by Frank Monkiewicz Photography and Kevin Bewick, People, Places & Things Photographics

H

ot water is the lifeblood of any restaurant kitchen operation. Lacking a sufficient and ready supply at the correct temperatures, as prescribed by local health authorities, facility management usually has no choice but to lock the doors until the problem is fixed. Despite the vital importance of hot water, delivering the right quantities to the right outlets at the right temperatures – especially during operational peaks – is an anxious, uphill battle for many managers. Whether the culprit is undersized equipment, poor installation or inadequate maintenance, many restaurants routinely endure a tense can’t-live-with/can’t-live-without relationship with their commercial water heaters. But an innovative approach to restaurant water heating that melds all the necessary components into a single, prefabricated, ready-to-install package is achieving positive results for a growing number of proprietors who have experienced improved system performance and longevity, as well as energy savings. Grandville, Mich.-based Facilities Resource Group engineers a rack system that combines one to six Noritz America condensing tankless water heaters (Energy Factor of 0.93) with isolation valves, system and pump controllers, surge protectors, and even recirculation pumps and expansion tanks as needed – all mounted to a mobile aluminum frame and finished off with insulated copper tubing. The true breakthrough was FRG’s decision to leverage the inherent advantages of multiple tankless water heaters into a turnkey service program catering

Members of a local plumbing crew put the finishing touches on a rack assembly in a restaurant mechanical room. Beyond the tankless rack installation, FRG makes sure every hot water usage point in a restaurant operates properly.

specifically to the rigorous demands of quick-service and casual-dining restaurant chains. FRG designs and fabricates the racks, ships them in FRG trucks, personally participates in the installation (with a qualified local contractor) and coordinates postinstallation service work. The rationale for this turnkey package is based on the key role hot water plays in a restaurant’s daily operation and the impact it can have on the establishment’s longterm viability. “I have seen restaurant chains spend thousands of dollars to ship cooking equipment cross-country overnight just to prevent any loss of business on an upcoming busy day,” FRG Director of Engineering Ben Wirick states. “These operators are concerned about not just the lost dollars and cents they can count, but also the lesstangible losses. If they must shut down for

even a half day, will disappointed customers opt for a restaurant down the street and never come back? They don’t want to take that chance.” In addition to affecting operations in the back of the restaurant, a lack of hot water is a health concern for customers. “Not having the ability to be sanitary is a critical violation,” Wirick says. It’s not only for employees in the back of the house, but the guests in the front of the house that use the restrooms. There have been Norovirus outbreaks that have closed restaurants and made a bunch of people sick with some nasty stuff. It connects back to people not washing their hands and going back into the restaurant.” Since launching its comprehensive service in 2008, FRG has designed, built and installed approximately 800 tankless water heater rack systems in 200 corporate and franchised restaurants nationwide. Its most prominent accounts include Texas Roadhouse (35 new installations and 160 retrofits), Cracker Barrel and Pepper Dining Inc., which owns and operates 106 Chili’s locations in 10 Northeastern states (38 retrofits). Scott Amerault, PDI’s director of facilities, turned to FRG for help in February 2010. Amerault is responsible for keeping hot water flowing at all PDI facilities. “I handled everything from finding the product and hiring the installer to coordinating the installation with our local restaurant team,” he explains of his pre-FRG relationship responsibilities. Amerault also had the unenviable task of summoning the installer back to the restaurant if there was a problem. “In some cases, it was a nightmare of chasing people down and dealing with a lot of finger-pointing,” he says. “With FRG, I make one phone call and they go to work with my local team to solve our problems. Working with FRG, I have never needed to close a restaurant equipped with a tankless water heater.”

How they do it Wirick, a licensed master plumber and mechanical contractor, and his team developed the one-, two-, four- and six-tankless unit prototype designs FRG adapts and tweaks to meet specific restaurant needs.

It’s not unusual for Wirick’s team to begin a project by viewing digital photographs of the mechanical room provided by the local restaurant. “Most store managers have a smartphone,” he explains. “If I can’t get an FRG professional on-site to inspect the space because the time frame is too tight, I’ll request a dozen or so photos to give us a better handle on how our rack will fit into the room.” Once assembled, the tankless rack is equipped with wheels and rolled onto one of two trailers FRG uses to travel to jobs across the nation. PVC piping, copper tubing, black iron for gas distribution along with other valves, fittings and materials are on board as well – and usually for more than one project, sometimes up to four. FRG uses Grundfos pumps, Viega pipe fittings, Caleffi mixing valves and Johnson Controls among the many technologies that comprise the rack system. The project manager, who built the racks, then drives the system to its destination and oversees the installation. A project manager can spend two or three weeks on the road at a time. “Having the project managers do both the prefab and the installations short-circuits the blame game if something goes wrong on the job,” Wirick explains. “All of our project managers are licensed plumbers, so they know how to modify a system when the mechanical room proves more of a technical challenge than we anticipated.” Wirick estimates roughly one in five jobs, because of mechanical-room dimensions, involves disassembling the prefabbed racks and mounting the tankless units to the wall.

Tankless success Before 2008, FRG had been supplying high-efficiency, storage tank-type water heaters to its restaurant clientele. At that point, most customers were still inclined to stick with traditional tank technology, even if they found themselves without hot water and in need of new units with increasing frequency. “Restaurants put a heavy load on waterheating equipment, especially when they’re super-busy,” Wirick states.

continued on page 20 pmengineer.com

17

Director’s Update An advertorial section sponsored by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials.

IAPMO, Partners Chart Bold Course for Codes in 2012 GP Russ Chaney IAPMO CEO As the year 2011 came to a close, several projects were initiated that will certainly carry on through 2012 and beyond. Probably the best news that IAPMO received late last year was the announcement from ANSI (the American National Standards Institute) that IAPMO was awarded Audited Designator status. This status, given to only six of ANSI’s 225 standards developing organizations, allows IAPMO to self-designate its Uniform Codes upon their completion. IAPMO has already taken advantage of this important status with the 2012 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code® (UPC) and Uniform Mechanical Code® (UMC).

Russ Chaney

After the Standards Council held its meeting in early November, its members proceeded to issue the 2012 editions of the UPC and UMC. Prior to achieving this status, the codes would then have needed to be provided to ANSI’s Board of Standards Review along with a voluminous amount of paperwork illustrating that the proper and necessary steps were taken to develop the codes. This step has traditionally taken a few months, as there is quite a bit of information to review with a three-year code development process. However, as an Audited Designator, in this cycle the 2012 editions of the UPC and UMC were self-designated as American National Standards by IAPMO and will be printed and available by early February 2012.

By the third quarter of this year, the 2012 editions of the Uniform Solar Energy Code® (USEC) and Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tube Code® (USPC) will complete their development cycle and, at the end of the process, be self-designated as American National Standards. For those of you who were present at my report in San Antonio and who viewed the live Webcast, you heard me discuss how this is a great accomplishment for IAPMO and one that could not have been possible without the excellent work of the many volunteer committee members and excellent staff. A job well done to all of you! Further on the subject of codes, the latter part of 2011 introduced new adoptions of the Uniform Codes in various U.S. territories. The U.S. Virgin Islands announced that it will replace the International Mechanical Code with the UMC and is researching the USEC, as well. Throughout 2012, IAPMO will work with the U.S. Virgin Islands, Falls City and Cibolo to finalize these adoptions. Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between IAPMO and Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) in October 2011, IAPMO will continue to coordinate with PMI to jointly advance and promote mutual industry interests as related to education, training and advocacy. I look forward to working with Barb Higgens and exploring the

various ways in which our organizations can work closer together, especially with regard to education. Another project already underway is the Green Plumbing Design program. Resulting from the November 2011 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between IAPMO and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), the two organizations will work together to train, test and certify qualified plumbing engineers and designers in the United States to perform green plumbing design work, to design systems that conserve and protect water supplies and reduce energy consumption in the delivery and use of water. Under the direction of Jim Kendzel, executive director/CEO of ASPE, the organization has already come a long way. I am so pleased that the two organizations have found yet another way to work together in assisting industry personnel with additional tools to further their profession. In closing, I would like to recognize one of the newest staff members to join The IAPMO Group — Richard Beck. Bringing with him more than 30 years experience in the construction industry, Richard understands all aspects of building codes, including the evaluation of products. Richard is the new Director of IAPMO ES, joining Amir Zamanian and staff of IAPMO Evaluation Services. I am pleased to welcome Richard both to Southern California and to The IAPMO Group.

Serving Government and Industry Worldwide Since 1926

Safer. Smarter. Greener. Get Current with America’s Greenest Model Codes, the 2012 American National Standard Uniform Codes Q Developed by the industry for the industry, the UPC includes specific: • Expanded provisions for gray water and reclaimed (recycled) water systems and new comprehensive provisions for rainwater catchment (Chapters 16, 17) based upon IAPMO’s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement • New Appendix L (Efficient hot water system design requirements and enhanced water efficiency measures) • New minimum plumbing facilities table (Chapter 4) • Water supply and drainage joint connection requirements (Chapters 6, 7) The UMC includes specific: • New requirements for piping, tubing, balancing, louvers, protection of piping, mechanical systems and ductwork (Chapter 3) • New provisions for Evaporative Cooling Systems (Chapter 9) • Refrigeration port protection requirement (Chapter 11) • New requirements for piping, tubing and fittings used in Hydronic Systems (Chapter 12) • Added Appendices A (Residential Plan Examiner Review Form for HVAC System Design), E (Green Mechanical Code Supplement), F (Examples of Venting System Sizing) and G (Example for the Calculation of Outdoor Air Rate) Q Reduced personal liability from code change omissions — protect yourself and your clients by getting completely up to date Q Build your foundation on more than 80 years experience in the plumbing/mechanical field

Code Supporters:

W W W. I A P M O . O R G • 1 - 8 0 0 - 8 5 - I A P M O

Come and get it continued from page 17 In addition, the drive to maximize sales-persquare-foot can result in a mechanical room that simply is too small to house the amount of hot-water storage the restaurant needs during its busiest times. “Without the need for storage, we can pack a lot more Btu into the same small footprint,” Wirick says. “This enables the restaurant to manage its peak loads more easily at a lower operating cost.” Meanwhile, that total Btu capacity is typically split among four, five or six water heaters, which deliver two more important advantages: load-matching to cut energy costs and, even more paramount, the peace of mind that comes from unit redundancy. The ability to gear energy consumption to present demand delivers substantial savings and efficiency. The Nortiz units have an input range of 11,000 to 199,900 Btu/hr. If a single hand-sink faucet turns on, only one of the tankless units in the rack activates. The modulating burner inside the unit fires at the lower end of the Btu input range to meet the isolated need. Why use 199,990 Btu when 11,000 Btu will do? “But a conventional commercial water heater whose burner does not modulate will immediately ramp up to its full Btu capacity to deliver hot water to that one hand sink,” Wirick says. “This not only wastes energy, but also stresses the equipment.” Amerault conducted an informal survey of the first PDI installation in June 2010 and determined he was saving roughly $1,800 per year. “But I haven’t done a formal, detailed energy analysis because efficiency is not the driving force behind my company’s decision to go tankless,” he says. “We are even more enthusiastic about the reliability gained through multiple redundancies.” With four tankless water heaters, if one shuts down, Amerault’s operation still has nearly 600,000 Btu (199,900 x 3 units) at its disposal. Plus, fixing or replacing the down unit is less expensive. “If a tank-type heater fails on a Friday night, I’m hiring a plumber to work at double time to replace that tank immediately,” he says. “If I lose a tankless heater on a Friday night, I just operate with the other three. I can wait until Monday for service, and it’s only one guy carrying a new unit in on his shoulder and working straight time for 90 minutes.”

20

02.12

An informal survey of the first rack installation at a PDI Chili’s property in 2010 reveals the restaurant saved roughly $1,800 per year in energy costs.

Above and beyond Rick Frazine, a project manager at FRG since November 2010, recently completed a retrofit conversion at one of Amerault’s restaurants in West Auburn, Mass. Work immediately commenced after the Chili’s facility closed at 11 p.m. and once all the dishwashing was completed. All the work, including final inspection, was done by 7 the next morning, several hours before the staff returned. In addition to setting the rack, the team installed a new circulator and expansion tank in the system’s 140°F recirculation loop, as well as a mini-mixer beneath each of the 10 hand sinks to temper the water to 110°F to comply with local code. FRG also ensures water is delivered at 140°F to prep sinks and 180°F to dishwashing machines. A maintenance monitor pad in the manager’s office provides on-off control and tracks system water temperatures, while a flashing light indicates a maintenance issue. “When FRG does a conversion, it also checks every usage point for hot water in the building, making sure my dishwasher and every faucet is running at an optimum level,” Amerault says. “They really take ownership of the entire hotwater system.”

Wirick adds: “Every restaurant is a system with the water-heating equipment at its heart. If the vessels and other components – the veins, if you will – are not properly connected to one another and to the heart, the restaurant simply won’t function.” That breakdown and dysfunction are what so often create problems for water heater manufacturers, Wirick says, and their equipment winds up being blamed for what is a systemic problem. FRG maintains electronic records on all service calls by local technicians it recruits, and it doesn’t hesitate to note when a restaurant staff has neglected proper procedures, such as putting salt into the water conditioner. “We are the eyes and ears of our customers, and we own their water-heating system from cradle to grave,” Wirick says. “We’re confident enough to say that any restaurant operator who has seen the FRG approach to installing and servicing water heaters will never go back to their old ways again.” Jason Corey, a five-year tankless water heating veteran, is the Midwest branch manager for Noritz America, based at the company’s suburban Chicago location. Contact him at [email protected].

TRUST IN RESEARCH

www.clearseasresearch.com

By Monty Betts

>

Going the extra mile Health consortium provides solutions to bring clean water to remote Alaska villages.

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Environmental Health and Engineering Division has improved water infrastructure in more than 100 remote villages over the last 15 years.

Photos courtesy of Viega and D. Whittington

A

22

laska, the largest of the 50 states, ranks second-to-last in population with its 710,000 residents spread out over more than half-a-million square miles. Many Alaska Natives live in remote villages without basic infrastructure that most people take for granted. About 25% of the state’s residents do not have access to clean, treated drinking water. The result is poor health and more trips to difficultto-reach hospitals. “Some use honey buckets and put their liquid and paper waste in a hole in the ground,” states D. Whittington, the construction manager for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Environmen02.12

tal Health and Engineering Division. “In the summer, the smell gets quite bad. Kids play next to the waste. When an ATV or snow machine comes through there is a lot of splashing. Sanitary conditions are not the best when things thaw out Getting materials to some of the remote villages can be a challenge both from logistic and eco in the summer. It’s a difficult situanomic standpoints. tion. It creates a lot of illness. “Keep in mind, America has more Nicaragua or places hit with disasters.” than 200 years of infrastructure with buildThe ANTHC, owned and managed by ing things such as highways. Alaska has Alaska Natives through their tribal governbeen a state for just over 50 years. We have 50 years of infrastructure and most of that ments, is fast at work changing those condiis within the last 20 years. Going into some tions. For the past 15 years, ANTHC’s Environmental Health and Engineering Division of these communities to develop sewer and has been building health clinics, water treatwater systems is like going into Haiti or

Water quality is a major issue in some remote Alaska villages due to high pH factors. The Consortium uses stainless-steel pipe to combat water acidity.

ment plants and sewage treatment facilities for rural Alaskan villages. “The goal is to improve health and sanitation conditions for native Alaskans,” states Whittington, an Atlanta transplant. “We do that by ensuring that the villages’ water and sewage are properly treated. Some of these people have never had running water in their homes. Our organization builds water and sewer treatment plants out in the wilds of Alaska. The projects are not that large. Most villages have between 50 and 1,000 people. We build fairly small treatment plants.” The Consortium also installs washaterias, which are facilities in the villages that contain laundries, bathrooms and showers. “Washing laundry can cost $7 a load in some places,” points out Seinor Engineering Project Manager Rebecca Pollis, a Maine native. “Anywhere else in the country, people would be up in arms about that. Here, people are thrilled because they didn’t have to buy a $300 plane ticket to Bethel or a neighboring community to wash clothes.”

Water behaving badly Water quality is a major concern in remote Alaska villages. Because of glacial runoff, melting snow and a variety of different soil compositions, Alaska’s water often has a high pH factor. Water acidity is one of the reasons ANTHC uses stainless-steel pipe rather than copper. “A lot of times, water with a high pH will cause pitting or holes in copper pipe,” Whittington states. “Stainless-steel is a little more forgiving in that respect.” Using stainless on the projects also is preferable to PVC pipe. “Most villages have a water storage tank on the hillside above the village,” Whittington notes. “PVC pipe can have too high a head pressure in it and end up failing. After we found some PVC failures, we switched to welded steel and stainless pipe.” Water conditions in the state also can change, resulting in retrofits to the treatment plants. “We’ll build a plant under one set of specifications, then a heavy glacial silt runoff might change the turbidity or

The Consortium makes sure to specify products that can withstand the harsh Alaska winter conditions.

the acidity of the water,” Whittington states. “We may end up having to come back and add more equipment or filtering processes.” The use of Viega’s ProPress system for stainless to connect pipe at the water and sewage treatment facilities has been a major help. The system, comprised of stainless-steel pipe, valves and fittings, creates a significantly quicker installation time compared to welding or threading. “The Viega system makes it real easy,” says Whittington, who explains that 1,500 ft. of stainless-steel pipe typically is used on each project along with about 200 different fittings (1/2 in. up to 4 in.). “We come in, shut off some parts of the system, take valves off and then add new pieces of equipment without having to shut down the whole plant. On almost every plant we’ve built, we’ve made changes within the first year because the water changes.” Creating easier and more efficient construction and maintenance solutions is critical given the Consortium uses local labor to help build and maintain the plants. “We typically bring in our own plumbing crew, but once somebody else is trained on the process, they can do the plant maintenance,” pmengineer.com

23

Going the extra mile Whittington states. “When we leave, the locals become the plant’s staff, operating and maintaining the facility themselves. Our Tribal Utility Support Division works with the villages to keep things running smoothly.”

Rough terrain Building the water treatment plants is the easy part. Getting supplies and manpower to the remote locales can be a different story. “Most of these villages do not have roads,” Whittington says. “The Delta area in western Alaska is real marshy. The infrastructure between the houses and tribal offices is built on boardwalks. You have to use ATVs and snow machines to get around; otherwise you have to wear chest waders and walk through the muck.” Some villages rely on barges for delivery of needed materials. Whittington points out a late-summer/early-winter barge headed to Nome last year did not make it due to extreme icing conditions. Flying supplies into Little Diomede Island in northwest Alaska also can be tricky with Russian airspace close by. “Alaska has nine numbered roads and all are in the extreme eastern-third of the state,” says Whittington, whose division covers an area twice the size of Texas. “There are only three long-distance roads. Once you get west of Anchorage and Fairbanks and north, it’s either barge, airplane, floatplane, snow machine, ATV or dogsleds. It’s a logis-

Paying the price Because of the remoteness, the cost of living in some Alaska villages is quite high. ANTHC’s D. Whittington and Rebecca Pollis have observed the following: sFORAGALLONOFUNLEADEDGASIN.OME sTOFORAGALLONOFHEATINGFUEL sFORAGALLONOFMILK sFORA LBCANOFCOFFEEAND sFORA OZSTEAKINALOCALVILLAGESTORE Whittington also tells the story of two of his workers paying $200 for two cases of bottled water. Whittington later shipped the crew 10 cases. The water cost $40 at a local Costco (10 cases at $4 each). The total bill, including shipping came to $800. The $200 water bill now seems like a bargain.

tical challenge trying to get a million dollars of material out of the lower 48 states and into a village. I’m usually working one to two seasons ahead to get supplies up there.” Whittington makes sure to specify products that can withstand the harsh Alaskan conditions. The Consortium uses the likes of Grundfos and Armstrong pumps, Toyotomi oil-fired heaters, Weil-McLain and Burnham boilers, Amtrol pressure tanks, Doucette and FlatPlate heat exchangers, and Wessels and Axiom glycol heat exchangers on its projects. “Our engineers are looking to get tried-and-true products that can take the ruggedness of Alaska and sustain temperatures up to -50° F,” he says. “We look for products we feel will not require a lot of maintenance. It can cost $1,000 to $1,500 to fly in a tech and then $800 to $1,000 more a day to keep someone on the ground. You want the service calls as close to zero as you can. We work to train the local people to help us build the plants and clinics so they are familiar with the parts and pieces. They can take a picture of a leak and we can look at it and diagnose it and walk them through the repairs, if need be.”

Viega’s ProPress system for stainless has resulted in quicker installations and reduced maintenance calls to the villages.

24

02.12

An Alaska village’s before and after water test. The Consortium’s work is helping reduce illnesses in those villages. Gastrointestinal viruses are down more than 50% in recent years.

The future Whittington says five projects are underway and several more are in the design stage. He will soon build a sewage treatment plant in a village plagued by flooding problems. “In the spring, the river overflows and floods the sewage lagoon,” he states. “The water washes through the village and the waste ends up all over the place. It’s very unsanitary. We’re trying to improve living conditions for the people there.” Whittington adds the Consortium’s goal is to improve the infrastructure for 322 villages in the state. “We’ve probably done 120 over the last 15 years. It all depends on the funding we get. Hopefully, the economy will get better and we will get more money.” By installing lower-cost, sustainable and low-maintenance solutions, some of the financial burden is lifted from the Consortium. “The idea is if we can come in and do a plant cheaper and faster, that gives us extra money for other villages,” he says. “It helps us bring back money into the pool that will help the native population have cleaner and healthier water and upgraded infrastructure for the villages.” The inroads the Consortium have made in helping improve the life quality of the villagers in those remote locations has been significant. Whittington notes in the last three or four years, gastrointestinal viruses have decreased by more than 50%. “Our numbers show that when children get clean water from a treated system, respiratory illnesses, skin diseases and intestinal problems drop dramatically,” he says. “It’s a lot cheaper to put in a clinic and get the residents clean water. They stay a lot healthier and are not getting diseases and having to be transferred by Medi-Vac from a remote area to a hospital. By a kid not playing in sewage, respiratory and hepatitis cases come down. Doing what we do is all about helping the kids in the villages. It’s really a neat thing seeing the impact we have on the people.” Pollis says the finished product is well worth all the planning and logistical challenges that come with projects of this nature. “I love working with the people in these communities,” she states. “When we complete a project in a village there is such an appreciation for what we’ve given them. Most people don’t wake up and think about where they are going to get water, where they are going to brush their teeth or having to take a pail and dump it in a bin filled with human waste. The joy they express is the biggest reward there is and it’s the reason I keep doing what I do.” Monty Betts is associate product manager at Viega. Betts joined Viega in 2007 as an engineering technician before being promoted to his current position. pmengineer.com

25

2012 AHR Expo Products Water-source heat pump WaterFurnace’s new Versatec Base combines high efficiency and an impressive list of value-added features in a compact water-source heat pump for water loop and geothermal applications. The Versatec Base exceeds ASHRAE 90.1 efficiencies while utilizing environmentally friendly R410A refrigerant. Available in a wide selection of capabilities (018-070 MBtuh output), the heat pump offers application flexibility in both retrofit and new construction projects. Units feature a reciprocating single-capacity compressor paired with a PSC blower motor to provide high efficiency while ensuring quiet operation and a wide range of airflow selections. WaterFurnace. www.waterfurnace.com

Variable-speed circulator Taco’s second-generation BumbleBee variable-speed, wetrotor circulator features a high-efficiency ECM motor requiring only 9 to 42 watts, depending on the load. The pump operates in three modes: Delta-T (6T) differential temperature mode for fixed settings from 5°F to 50°F difference between supply and return sensors; fixed speed for a specific gpm; and set point mode to meet a desired temperature (65°F to 220°F). The Bumblebee features a brushless DC permanent magnet motor with the option of 115-230v, 50/60 Hz input power. The programmable pump offers new plug-in remote temperature sensors and a digital display that reveals real-time watt usage and gpm flow. Taco. www.taco-hvac.com

Commercial water heater Lochinvar’s new ARMOR X2 commercial condensing water heater combines stainless-steel heat exchanger technology with modulating/condensing combustion to deliver thermal efficiencies as high as 96%. Available in models with 1.0, 1.3 and 1.5 million Btu/hr. inputs, ARMOR X2 offers an efficient, advanced solution for a wide range of commercial applications. The unit is equipped with two independent combustion systems consisting of two 316L stainless-steel heat exchangers, gas valves and combustion blowers designed to work in unison. Featuring a turndown ratio of 10:1, the ARMOR X2 delivers the precise amount of heat to match demand. The combustion system can fire as low as 10% of the maximum water heater input and modulate up to 100% as demand increases. The unit also features Lochinvar’s exclusive SMART TOUCH operating control. Lochinvar. www.lochinvar.com

26

02.12

700-ton chiller McQuay International’s new 700-ton Daikin McQuay Magnitude centrifugal chiller is ideal for use in universities, hospitals, manufacturing facilities and data centers. The chiller helps owners reduce energy and operating costs, create a comfortable environment and meet requirements for sustainable design, such as LEED certification criteria. An oilfree design prevents refrigerant contamination and degradation of system efficiency. McQuay International. www.mcquay.com

Electronic expansion valves Danfoss announces the addition of the ETS 6 to the ETS series of electrically operated expansion valves. Designed to control liquid injection into evaporators, the new valve regulates refrigerant flow by offering a total of 480 steps from fully closed to fully open and ensures precise resolution for better control of superheat, even at low flow rates. With the ability to adapt to a system’s exact capacity demands, the ETS 6 improves energy efficiency in refrigeration, heat pumps and air-conditioning systems. Danfoss. www.danfoss.com.

2012 AHR Expo Products

Large diameter PP-R pipe Aquatherm’s polypropylene-random, a green, highly engineered pressure pipe, is now available in North America for large-scale piping applications including high-rise buildings, large chilled water systems, district energy and water mains. To meet rising demand for use in larger, more ambitious projects, Aquatherm has extended its Greenpipe line up to 18” diameter and the Climatherm line up to 24” diameter. Climatherm standard dimension ratio 17.6, designed for HVAC applications, is available in sizes ranging from 6” diameter to 24” diameter. Greenpipe, specifically engineered for potable water, is available in SDR 11 from 1/2” diameter to 18” diameter. Greenpipe SDR 7.4 will still be available from 1/2” diameter to 10” diameter. Aquatherm PP-R pipe systems are constructed via heat fusion, which turns the pipe and fitting into a single material. Aquatherm. www.aquatherm.com

Fan-coil radiator Jaga Climate Systems calls its new Briza the world’s thinnest radiator. Measuring only 4.5” deep, it provides optimal heating power, generating as much heat as traditional fan coils. In the summer, Briza provides even and efficient cooling by dispensing cold air to provide ideal indoor climates. Because of the unit’s thinness, architects and engineers can use Briza to significantly reduce slab-to-slab heights and ceiling plenum space, providing enough extra space to potentially add an additional floor to the building. Jaga Climate Systems. www.jaga-usa.com

Integrated air and water system Rheem’s H2AC Rooftop Unit featuring eSync Integration Technology unites a restaurant’s HVAC and water-heating systems to achieve significant efficiencies. The unit works by using heat removed from the restaurant by the HVAC system — which normally would be ejected into the atmosphere — as an efficient source for heating water. When a restaurant has a demand for air conditioning and hot water, this integrated solution switches over from a refrigerant-to-air system, to a refrigerant-towater system, creating an energy-efficient option due to the heat of the refrigerant being transferred to the water instead of being ejected outside in a normal air-conditioning cycle. Rheem. www.rheem.com

Groove system Victaulic’s line of patented Advanced Groove System couplings, fittings and accessories, originally available for 14” to 24” pipe, has been expanded to a line of large-diameter pipe couplings and fittings for systems up to 60” diameter. AGS couplings feature two-piece housing segments and offer unprecedented speed of assembly over couplings featuring multi-segment housings. The couplings easily assemble in less than an hour without the added risk of fire hazards. For engineers, the couplings feature a patented wedge-shaped groove that handles higher-end loads and a higher pressure rating up to 350 psi/2400 kPa, depending on pipe size and wall thickness. Victaulic. www.victaulic.com

System monitoring Synex Controls’ newly released inSite for ModSync tool provides a private portal for remote Web-based access to a facility’s boiler room controls. Used in conjunction with the Synex ModSync sequencing system, the inSite for ModSync interface provides realtime boiler system status using any traditional Web browser, including a Web-enabled cell phone. Users can access real-time system status, make adjustments, monitor maintenance schedules, receive email and text-message alerts and review system reports, all via a user-friendly, full-color icon-based interface. Synex Controls. www.modsync.com

pmengineer.com

27

2012 AHR Expo Products Water-to-water series ClimateMaster introduces the Tranquility Modular Water-to-Water Series in 360 (30 tons) and 600 (50 tons) sizes. This water-to-water series offers high efficiency with advanced features and application flexibility at competitive prices. As ClimateMaster’s most adaptable EarthPure HFC401A refrigerant units, the TMW series can be used for radiant floor heating, snow/ice melt, chilled water for fan coils, hot/chilled water for makeup air and many other types of HVAC applications. The TMW 360-600 has advanced digital controls for BAS interface, four LEDs for unit status and compressor isolation switches. ClimateMaster. www.climatemaster.com

Gas heat pump NextAire’s multi-zone gas heat pump features a programmable thermostat that controls the operation of the indoor unit. Desired occupied and unoccupied heating and cooling set points are programmed via the thermostat. Fan operation is determined by the position of the “On-Auto” switch, as well as by the mode of occupancy. The NextAire VRF outdoor unit heating or cooling mode is determined by the needs of the individual zones. If more zones (indoor units) are in need of cooling rather than heating, the outdoor unit operates in a cooling mode and modulates refrigerant flow in order to deliver the appropriate amount of cooling to the indoor units. If more zones (indoor units) are in need of heating, the VRF outdoor unit operates in a heating mode and modulates the refrigerant flow in order to deliver the appropriate amount of heating to the indoor units. NextAire. www.nextaire.com

High-efficiency boiler Laars’ new NeoTherm LC condensing boiler is a fully packaged, 1 million Btu, space-saving hydronic solution that offers 94% thermal efficiency. NeoTherm LC is a direct-vent, sealed combustion boiler that modulates with a 10:1 turndown. Zero clearance to combustibles with all piping and wiring from the back makes it a good choice for tight installations. The natural gas or LP-fired boiler features an ASME stainless-steel heat exchanger, diagnostic information and low 10-ppm NOx emissions. Features include a large color touchscreen display, pullout electric panel, indoor or outdoor installation and a variable-speed pump controls system. The boiler includes Laars’ Integrated Control System with PID logic that governs ignition, outlet water temperature, indirect water heater functions, outdoor reset, stages up to four boilers with the standard control, and easily integrates with other controls for multiple boiler sequencing and building automation systems. Laars. www.laars.com

28

02.12

Indoor comfort management The REHAU Smart Controls system, designed for mid-range commercial buildings, addresses energy savings goals by facilitating intelligent integration and optimization of a building’s HVAC system components. The Smart Controls system streamlines the typical mechanical room with a control panel that integrates all HVAC hardware with a dedicated on-site computer. The system configures to the building owner’s unique lifestyle, comfort and energy efficiency requirements and continues to support the owner in analyzing and fine-tuning system performance through an ongoing service relationship. REHAU. www.na.rehau.com

Balancing valve Bell & Gossett’s new Circuit Sentry Flo-Setter balancing valve maintains the set flow rate within +/- 5%, regardless of pressure fluctuation in the system. The valve features a new easy-to-set gpm dial that requires no adjustments once set, even if the system is changed. The valve is easy to install and maintains a set flow rate even when installed next to a pipe bend or fitting. The easyto-read gpm scale on the lockable handle ensures the flow setting is simple and userfriendly, while the integral P/T plugs allow verification of required differential pressure. Bell & Gossett. www.bit.ly/flo-setter

Product Focus: Commercial Faucets and Sinks Sensor technology Encore’s Sidekick eliminates the need to keep hands beneath the faucet to keep water running. The faucet features water- and energy-saving wave-on/waveoff technology with an automatic timeout feature to prevent accidental sink overflow. The hygienic faucet is ideal for food service, institutional and medical hand sink applications. The side-mounted sensor reduces soap residue interference for improved reliability. The Sidekick is available in AC and DC models for new construction or retrofit applications. Encore. www.encoreplumbing.com

Sensor-operated faucets Moen Commercial’s easy-to-use M•Power sensoroperated faucets feature a unique motion sensor that starts and stops the flow of water, automatically reducing daily gallons used, limiting hot water consumption, saving energy and preventing the risk of accidental overflow. The hands-free activation also provides a hygienic solution to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Each ADA-approved faucet is equipped with a water-conserving, vandal-resistant aerator and is backed by a five-year warranty. Moen. www.moen.com/commercial

Undermount faucets Chicago Faucets’ new line of concealed undermount faucets provides installers easier installation and greater application flexibility than ever before. While using the same interchangeable handles, spouts, outlets and cartridges Chicago Faucets’ customers already are familiar with, a one-piece, cast-brass body delivers unsurpassed durability and strength. Fewer parts and more preassembled components save time for quicker installation. New on the faucets is a retrofittable restrictedswing spout option that keeps water off the deck and in the sink. For installation where state laws and local codes mandate lead content levels, or wherever lead content is a concern, many ECAST models are available. Chicago Faucets. www.chicagofaucets.com

Vitreous lavatories Zurn Industries offers a full line of vitreous lavatories and brass sensor faucets for commercial buildings, including health care and education facilities. The lavatories use the highest-quality materials to ensure the finished product will endure years of use. The design and heavy-duty components of Zurn’s sensor faucets provide reliable service with little to no annual maintenance. Combined together, the Zurn One lavatories paired performance systems offer engineers and architects a simpler way to specify products by utilizing an online system builder. Zurn. www.zurn.com

Solid-surface sinks SloanStone EW Series lavatories provide exceptional ease of installation and maintenance. The Easy Access Head offers access to all serviceable components from the top, keeping maintenance professionals off their knees and backs. SloanStone solid surfacing stands up to tough wear and tear in public restrooms. Plus, it has other vandal-resistant features, including industrial-strength latches on the Easy Access Head, no visible fasteners and infrared sensors recess-mounted in a stainless-steel plate behind the aerator spray head. The faucets operate at a water-efficient 0.5-gpm flow rate. Different sink configurations, colors and soap-dispensing options are available. Sloan Valve. www.sloanvalve.com

pmengineer.com

29

Product Focus: Commercial Faucets and Sinks Durable lavatory system Bradley Corp. introduces its Verge Lavatory System in a new design made expressly for individual users. Made with Bradley’s new Evero natural quartz material — the only molded natural quartz material available —Verge is characterized by its graceful curves, soft radius edges and sleek design. Evero, composed of a bio-based resin, adds to Verge’s durability, eco-friendliness and low-maintenance features. While its sculpted, elongated basin with a hidden drain conveys upscale sophistication, the single-station Verge provides a seamless and easy way to maintain personal hand-washing space. Bradley Corp. www.bradleycorp.com/verge

Vandal-resistant faucet Specifically developed for the school market to meet the challenge of vandalism, Speakman Co.’s vandal-resistant S-9010 faucet is used in K-12 schools, universities, public facilities and stadium applications. All components of the S-9010 are contained above the counter, providing maximum vandal protection and ease of maintenance. The faucet can operate by battery power, using two 3-volt lithium batteries. A low battery warning light appears with 10% battery life remaining. The faucet also comes as an AC-powered device (S-9020). The S-9010 faucet is available to meet lead-free regulations. In addition to no-lead availability, the S-9010 features aerators yielding a standard 0.5-gpm flow rate. Speakman Co. www.speakmancompany.com

Time to boost your sales? Place your classified advertisement today! 1 column x 1” only $155 per month!

1 column x 3” only $395 per month! 1 column x 2” only $263 per month!

30

02.12

ALSO: 2 columns x 2” only $527 per month!

Contact Mike O’Connor at 610.354.9552 or [email protected].

Solar Design Notebook continued from page 12 replaced. Without the heat pump operating during winter, the potential for heat recovery was greatly reduced, so I decided to remove this part of the system. The ventilation air and dryer exhaust now go straight outside. Watching steam from the dryer exhaust dissipate into cold winter AIR PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DRIVEN ME CRAZY  years ago. Now I view it as an acceptable compromise and hope the “green police” will go easy on me when they spot it. &IGURE  ON 0AGE  SHOWS HOW OUR HEAT ing/cooling system was modified about 11 years ago. At the time, injection mixing and primary/ secondary piping were the cutting-edge technologies, so naturally they had to be worked into the mix. You’ll notice there’s an extra set of closely spaced tees on the primary loop waiting for some future experiments. 4HIS BRINGS US UP TO THE SUMMER OF  4HOSE 2EVERE COLLECTORS HAD REACHED A RIPE OLD age of 30 years. They lasted a full 10 years longer than their anticipated design life. Although they still were working this past summer, I could tell they just didn’t produce like they used to.

Retirement party It just so happened that Caleffi North America was looking for a first installation site for its new patent-pending StarMax V drainable flat-plate COLLECTORS &IGURE  SHOWS HOW THIS COLLECTOR IS designed. > Figure 6.

Courtesy of Caleffi North America

Its absorber plate has slightly sloping internal headers that form a very shallow V shape. Both ends of the upper and lower headers terminate JUST OUTSIDE THE ANODIZED ALUMINUM ENCLOSURE with union-type piping connections. These are the connections one would use if connecting the COLLECTORS FOR A STANDARD ANTIFREEZE TYPE SYSTEM 4HE UNIQUE FEATURE IS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM CEN ter of the collector. The low point of the bottom

> Figure 7.

header is configured as a tee to allow all fluid to drain out of the absorber plate. Thus, when used in a drainback system, these collectors would have an external lower header in combination with an internal upper header. )TSASIMPLEANDUNIQUEIDEATHATELIMINATESTHE need to side-slope the collectors and perfect for the retrofit situation I had. Knowing my interest in these collectors, my good friend Bob “Hot Rod” Rohr, Caleffi’s director of training and the inventor of this colLECTOR MADEMEAGREATOFFER(EWOULDPERSON ally come out and help me install the new collectors. That was an offer I couldn’t pass up. So LAST*UNE WITHHELPFROM(OT2ODAND*OYCE WE performed a collector transplant. The trusty but TIRED 2EVERE 3UN !IDS CAME DOWN AND THOSE sparkling StarMax V’s took their place. They fit beautifully within the same recessed roof cavity as seen in Figure 7. The new collectors increased the area of the OVERALLARRAYBY ANDSOFARTHEYHAVEPER FORMEDEVERYBITASGOODASTHE2EVERECOLLECTORS did in their youth. We’ve seen storage tank temPERATURESNEARŽ&ONSUNNYFALLDAYS At present the system is still controlled by THE ORIGINAL )NDEPENDENT %NERGY #  SOLAR controller. That controller is still functioning despite a power surge that cooked its innards and forced me to grab a soldering iron for a transformer transplant. The original radiant floor is still working well. I wish I could say the same about our original refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, well pump and range. Few

APPLIANCES CAN EVER HOPE TO OUTLAST A QUALITY hydronic heating system. Would I do things differently given the chance to start from scratch? Absolutely! Was the evolution of this system a great learning experience that improves what I do on other designs? Without a doubt. In a professional sense, nothING BEATS hQUALITY TIMEv WATCHING FEELING AND listening to a system operate. This experience is guaranteed to teach you things you won’t find in any textbook or installation manual. The lessons I learned from my own system proved invaluable for future design work and even some occasional writing assignments. %VERY DESIGNER OF SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS should have the opportunity to live with a system he can modify over time to test new ideas and verify how they work before incorporating them into other systems. I was especially fortunate to have my experimental platform right at home. I also was fortunate to have a wife who supported me through the evolution of our system. Now if I could just get started on that system OPERATINGMANUALSHEREQUESTED

John Siegenthaler, P.E., is the principal of Appropriate Designs, a consulting engineering firm in Holland Patent, N.Y., and the hydronics editor for Plumbing & Mechanical and pme. Contact him at john@ hydronicpros.com. pmengineer.com

31

Ad Index Name

32

Phone

Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute

(423) 892-0137

IAPMO

Website

Page

www.cispi.org

BC

(800) 85-IAPMO

www.iapmo.org

18-19

Liberty Pumps Inc.

(800) 543-2550

www.libertypumps.com

IFC

Milwaukee Valve

(262) 432-2800

www.milwaukeevalve.com

11

Navien America

(800) 519-8794

www.navienamerica.com

25

Neoperl

(203) 756-8891

www.neoperl.com

24

Syncroflo

(770) 447-4443

www.syncroflo.com

7

T&S Brass

(864) 834-4102

www.tsbrass.com

5

Viessmann Mfg.

(401) 732-0667

www.viessmann.us

3

Watts

(978) 688-1811

www.watts.com

1,13

Woodford Mfg. Co.

(800) 621-6032

www.woodfordmfg.com

IBC

02.12

Think of it as a 50-story hose. Get a conve convenient e and reliable rooftop water source the Woodford RHY2-MS roof hydrant. when you specify sp

Engineered for fo o quality and durability, the Woodford RHY2-MS is perfect for washing down cooling towers, cleaning condenser coils or do o providing water for windo window o washers and other types of roof equipment. The hydrant support al allows for installation flexibility, while its unique l mounting system secures secure e above and below the roof deck, providing exceptional strength and d security. It also comes with a 2-degree shim for Featuring ASSE 1052 backflow prevention and f r pitch adjustment. Fe fo e Woodford’s the RHY2-MS makes getting water on Woodford’s freezeless technology, tec c the roof easier than ever before. b For more informa information, visit WoodfordMfg.com. a

The choice of professionals.

ANYONE CAN

SAY THEIR CAST IRON

IS GREEN.

BUT ONLY CISPI HAS PROOF . Proud to be the first in plumbing to achieve ICC-ES Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation™

T IRO

IP

IT

SOIL P

UTE

AS

N

C

Only cast iron from CISPI-member companies has been confirmed by third-party verification that it complies with requirements for green construction. So it’s never been easier to tell if your cast iron meets sustainability targets defined by today’s codes, standards and green rating systems. Just look for the CISPI mark.

E INST

cispi.org/News.aspx