January 31st, 2014 - The Plumbing News

January 31st, 2014
Issue 1 Volume 8
W ATER HEA
TER ISSUE
HEATER
16 Pages
Thomas Wilson and Cindy
Glaze Join Coburn’s
Supply in Memphis
Cindy Glaze and
Thomas Wilson
Coburn’s Supply announced the addition of Thomas Wilson to their Plumbing Inside Sales staff. Thomas has been with Coburn’s
for the past 8 months and
has 21 years industry experience. Thomas has been on
both sides of the counter as
a contractor and wholesaler.
Thomas has been married to
wife Megan for the past 6
years and has 8 children.
Carondalette – 23, Hannah
Kleine – 12, Thomas Jr. – 11,
Olivia – 8, Whisper – 6,
Desiree – 5, Tieranary – 3
and Brandon Joseph – 1.
Thomas stated that “I enjoy
coaching basketball and I
have enough children to field
my own team.”
Thomas played college
basketball for the University
of Missouri back in 1987, so
he knows a thing or two
about the sport. He also
knows about plumbing as
well, so if you have a question or problem, please give
CONTINUED on PAGE 3
Mechanical Contractors of
Chattanooga Host 1st MCA
Associate Member Meeting
The Mechanical Contractors of Chattanooga held
their first MCA Associate
Member meeting for 2014 on
Monday, February 10, 2014
at the Chattanoogan Broad
Street Grille.
We had a great turnout.
We were privileged to have
several candidates for
Judge in the Hamilton
County Courts. Those pic-
tured are: J.B. Bennett, Circuit Court Judge candidate,
Judy Gober, Executive Director of MCA, Judge Christy
Sells, Judge Gary Starnes
and Judge Lila Statum.
The Judges gave us an
overview of the court system
in Hamilton County. It was a
very educational and informative meeting. What a
CONTINUED on PAGE 3
THE PIPELINE
Jack Morgan
Editor and Publisher
Greetings plumbing pros!
Hope you all are well and
you had a wonderful New
Years with your family and
friends!
I would like to remind you
all of some upcoming events
that will be happening in our
industry. ASPE Atlanta will
be holding their Annual
Product Show March 27th in
Atlanta, NCPMA will be holding their 2014 Western Regional Connections Conference on April 10th, TAPHCC
117th Annual Trade Show and
Presidents Event will be held
May 2nd in Nashville, TN, and
PMA of Georgia will be hosting their 122nd Annual Conference June 26 th -29 th in
Jekyll Island, GA. Please remember to check our event
calendar which is located in
every edition of the Plumbing News.
The Plumbing News has
some exciting things happening in 2014 including a
“Limited Ad Buy Promotion”
CONTINUED on PAGE 3
Tennessee Plumbing News
5579-B Chamblee Dunwoody RD
Suite 157
Atlanta ,Ga 30338
American Standard Brands
Announces Nationwide
Distribution Partnership with
Ferguson Enterprises
A m e r i c a n St a n d a r d
Brands (“American Standard”), a leading North
American manufacturer of
a wide range of high quality kitchen and bath products, today announced a
major new distribution
agreement that will significantly increase its market
presence in the United
States. Ferguson Enterprises (“Ferguson”), the
largest wholesale distributor of residential and commercial plumbing supplies
and pipe, valves and fittings in the U.S., will become an authorized
American Standard wholesaler as of January 1,
2014. Ferguson will supply American Standard in
its showrooms and branch
locations, including sinks,
tubs, toilets, faucets and
other high-quality kitchen
and bath products in the
American Standard portfolio of brands.
Following closely on the
CONTINUED on PAGE 3
TN PHCC to Hold 117th Annual
Convention/Trade Show
The Tennessee Assoc. of
PHC Contractors is excited
to announce that on May 2nd,
2014 they will hold their 117th
Annual Convention and
Tradeshow in Nashville, TN.
The Tradeshow will be held
at LP Field-Titans StadiumConcourse from 11am to
4pm. Admission and parking are free and the event is
open to the public. The 2014
Trade Show will feature
many exhibitors and vendors
with the latest technologies,
new products and innovations for the PHC industries.
All PHC Contractors will
receive a free lunch at the
Trade Show until 2pm. The
theme this year will be, “Be
CONTINUED on PAGE 3
Central Pipe & Supply
Celebrates 15 Years in Business
On October 2 nd & 3 rd ,
2013, Central Pipe & Supply held a Customer Appreciation Breakfast, Golf
Tournament and Dinner to
thank their customers,
employees and vendors
CONTINUED on PAGE 3
Norton McMurray
Manufacturing / NORMAC
Celebrates 75 Years in Business
Chicago, circa 1938. Life
was different then... a new car
cost around $750, and a gallon of gas went for 10 cents.
For three pennies, you could
mail a first class letter. The
Cubs were National League
champions, FDR was president, and the world was teetering at the brink of another
war. That same year, Charles
E. Norton and Francis A.
McMurray joined forces to
become Norton McMurray —
a company that designed and
manufactured fittings to combat the corrosion problems
affecting the natural gas piping beneath the city of Chicago. The fittings were a huge
success, and NORMAC
quickly became a well-known
and trusted source for compression fittings used by the
city utilities.
CONTINUED on PAGE 3
PLUMBING • IRRIGATION • KITCHEN & BATH •UNDERGROUND • ASPE
Page 2
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
CONTINUED from PAGE 1
NORMAC
NORMAC has been making trusted FLEX-Risers
longer than anyone. In
1980, NORMAC worked with
one of our customers to design the NORMAC FLEXRiser, an anodeless gas
riser used for transitioning
polyethylene gas lines from
below ground to above
ground with no need for additional corrosion protection.
The design was a huge success,
providing
an
anodeless flexible alternative to rigid risers and simplifying underground gas
line installations.
NORMAC continues our
commitment to combat corrosion by routinely giving
educational presentations to
Inspector groups, and PHCC
chapters;sponsoring product
knowledge training at wholesale counters and contractor
offices to eliminate extra
joints and metal (specifically
metal pipe threads) from all
underground gas line installations.
Today, NORMAC is still
led by the McMurray family,
with operations in Geneva,
Illinois. We proudly continue
the 75-year tradition of providing quality products to
utilities, wholesalers and
distributors across the nation. As the company expands and utilizes cuttingedge Lean manufacturing
techniques, that same commitment to safety, quality,
and superior service lives
January 31st, 2014
ASPE Nashville President Message ----Calendar -------------------------------------Job Bulletin ----------------------------------TAPHCC President Message --------------
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Advertising Index
AB&I Foundry ------------------------------Bosch -----------------------------------------Bosch -----------------------------------------Bradford White -----------------------------Bradford White -----------------------------Ferguson Knoxville ------------------------HTP / Peacock Sales ----------------------KSM Delta -----------------------------------New Age Castings --------------------------Noland ----------------------------------------Steinhouse Supply --------------------------Taco -------------------------------------------TAPHCC --------------------------------------Tyler Pipe -------------------------------------
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TENNESSEE PLUMBING NEWS
5579-b Chamblee -Dunwoody RD
STE 157 Atlanata Ga. 30338
Phone: 770.378.1194 Fax: 770.395.7069
plbgnews@aol.com
Website: www.theplumbingnews.com
Find us on Facebook @ The Plumbing News
Twitter: http://twitter.com/plumbingnews
E-mail: plbgnews@aol.com
Publisher’s E-mail: plbgnews@aol.com
Advertising Department : 770.378.1194
Jack Morgan - Editor and Publisher
Shea Britt - Staff Writer
sheabritt85@yahoo.com
The Tennessee Plumbing News is a monthly publication of Morgan
Publishing Company. The publisher does not assume responsibility for
statements made by advertisers and reports opinions by dealers,
suppliers and manufacturers as quoted. The advertising and copy
deadline for the next issue is
March 1st, 2014. All contents are copyright 2014
Morgan Publishing Co.
Page 3
on. All of us at NORMAC
respect the years of hard
work and diligence that went
into earning the trust of the
industry... and just like our
founders in 1938, we’re
committed to earning that
trust today.
CONTINUED from PAGE 1
Ferguson
acquisition of American Standard by LIXIL Corp. in June,
this announcement marks
another important step in
American Standard’s strategic growth. The addition of
Ferguson will significantly
expand American Standard’s
penetration in the wholesale
market, including presence
in all 50 states, Puerto Rico,
the Caribbean and Mexico.
The partnership exemplifies
the Company’s holistic approach to serving the market, and will bring greater
choice to wholesale customers nationwide.
“This partnership is
key
to
American
Standard’s growth plan
for North America and is
an important element of
the global expansion
strategy of our new parent, LIXIL. Moreover, it
represents a terrific opportunity for both us and
CONTINUED from PAGE 1
Coburn
him a call or send him an
email. Phone: 901- 3721589 or email him at
twilson@coburns.com. Thomas is located at the
Coburns Branch at 4935
Covington Way, Memphis,
TN 38128.
Cindy Glaze was hired in
November of 2013 to the
Plumbing Inside Sales position. Cindy has 35 years industry experience and has
had experience on both
sides of the counter as well.
She spent time at Central
Supply, Noland and Faulk
Plumbing Supply before
joining the Coburn’s Supply team. Cindy has been
married for 17 years and
has two sons, Daniel – 28
and Nicholas – 25. Her hobbies include hunting, fishing, outdoor activities, running and hot rods. Cindy
can be reached by phone
at 901- 372-1589 or by
email
at
cglaze@coburns.com.
Cindy is also located at the
Coburns Branch at 4935
Covington Way, Memphis,
TN 38128.
Thomas and Cindy invite all area contractors to
visit them for the best customer service experience in
Memphis.
Ferguson that will bring
greater
efficiencies
through competition to
the wholesale marketplace,” said Jay Gould,
American
St a n d a r d
Brands President and
CEO. “The increased visibility of American Standard will benefit all of our
customers by driving traffic to showrooms and
counters across the country.”
This new partnership
complements American
Standard’s relationship
with Wolseley in Canada,
where the companies
have partnered for many
years. Ferguson and
Wolseley Canada are
both owned by Wolseley
plc.
A m e r i c a n St a n d a r d
products will begin arriving in Ferguson showrooms and counters in the
first quarter of 2014.
American Standard is a
leading manufacturer of
high-quality kitchen and
bath products that make
life healthier, safer and
more beautiful for customers in North America,
Canada and Mexico. The
company employs more
than 5, 000 people and
markets products under
the brand names of American Standard®, Jado®,
Porcher®, Safety Tubs®,
Crane Plumbing®, Eljer®,
Fiat® and Decorative
Panels International®.
For more information
about American Standard,
v i s i t : w w w. a m e r i c a n
standard.com.
CONTINUED from PAGE 1
MCA
great group of candidates.
Rob Chase is President
of the MCA of Chattanooga, Billy King, is Vice
President, Rick Pollard is
secretary-treasurer. Our
Board of Directors are:
John Raulston, Rick Pollard and Jim Bailey.
CONTINUED from PAGE 1
Convention
the Best You Can Be with
PHCC.” The show will feature many activities including exhibits & product demonstrations, door prizes all
day, and much more!
The TAPHCC would like
to thank all of their 2014
sponsors for their generosity in support of the
TAPHCC. For further information on TAPHCC convention/tradeshow please contact the TAPHCC at 865531-7422.
CONTINUED from PAGE 1
THE PIPELINE
that we are running now
through March 25 th, 2013.
Please contact me for details at 770-378-1194 or by
email
at
plbgnews@
aol.com. Also, I would like to
remind you all that this is
your last chance to place
your company information
in our 2014 Industry Source
Guide for Carolina and Tennessee, as we will be closing them out very soon.
Please be sure we have
your updated listing and
any ads you may want to
run.
I am excited to announce that The Plumbing
News has been receiving
80,000 hits per month on
our website, theplumbing
news.com, and our Twitter
and Facebook pages are
receiving 50,000 hits per
month, so please be sure
to check us out on the
web!
Please support our advertisers because without
them, we would not be able
to publish your industry
newspaper and as always,
I’ll see you down the
pipeline.
CONTINUED from PAGE 1
15 Years
for a wonderful 15 years in
business.
The Customer Appreciation Breakfast was held
at their new Atlanta location, located at 4335
Wendell Drive. Over 150
people attended and enjoyed a delicious breakfast
and were able to tour Central Pipe & Supply’s new
facility.
They continued the celebration by hosting a golf
tournament at West Pine
Golf Club and a dinner for
their customers, employees and vendors at the
Douglasville Convention
Center.
Lauren Turner of Central Pipe & Supply stated
“It was a great day to
showcase our new Atlanta
home not only to our Atlanta based customer, but
as well as customer from
our Mobile & Tampa locations. It is a blessing to be
in business 15 years, but
we couldn’t do it without
the dedication of our customer, the hard work of our
employees and the relationships we have with our
vendors.”
Congratulations to Central Pipe & Supply for 15
great years of service!!
Page 4
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
TN-PHCC
President’s Message
by Michael A. Vance
Brrr. What a way to bring
in the New Year!
I hope that everyone is
able to stay warm and safe
through the cold weather. It
is important to make sure
that people are prepared for
extreme temperatures. Now,
who’s ready for summer?
I don’t know if it’s a sign
of the year to come or just a
harsh winter’s surprise, but
negative temperatures have
received a lot of attention. I
heard early this winter that
it was going to be a bad one.
I put it aside and out of mind,
as I often do, but now I am
reminded of winters from my
childhood. I am now waiting
for some heavy snow and
power outages.
Being an ‘HVAC guy,’ one
big issue is back-up heat. It
surprises me how many
people don’t have an alter-
nate heat source for their
homes. Specifically, one that
is not dependent upon the
power board. The chance of
a power outage rises during
the cold due to increased
loads on the grid and the
power lines failing due to
snow and fallen trees. Another problem that arose this
past week was extremely low
temperatures. Most residential heat systems are not
designed to operate at these
temps. They are forced to
rely on auxiliary heat and
can drop below the comfort
set point.
Another big concern I
CONTINUED on PAGE 5
Resolving the Circulation Dilemma
in Multifamily Buildings
Much like a beating heart,
a circulation pump circulates
heated water throughout a
building for residents’ use and
back to its source. Some
single-family homes have circulation pumps, but for multifamily housing, a circulation
pump is an essential part of
the water-heating system,
and in some states it is required by the building code.
Homeowners don’t like the
idea of letting a pump run 24/
7 consuming electricity and
wasting natural gas, when
they need hot water only a few
times a day, so they often unplug the circulation pump installed in their hot-water distribution system. As for multifamily buildings, without some
kind of circulation pump, the
tenants will waste a substantial amount of water and time.
These are two sides of the circulation dilemma.
An efficient hot-water delivery system for a multifamily
(or single-family) building balances timely delivery and energy efficiency. Such a system
operates a pump only when
one of the residents needs it.
The rest of the time it pumps
less or not at all. This is how
a demand-controlled circulation pump works.
An electronically controlled system turns the circulation pump on only when it is
needed to deliver hot water
quickly; it works on demand.
The pump receives on-off signals from the system’s electronic controls, which monitor
hot-water demand continuously. The signal to turn the
pump on can be a user pushing a button or triggering a
motion sensor in the bathroom. Or the signal may
come, indirectly, from a flow
sensor.
The flow sensor signals to
the hot water distribution system that someone is using hot
water. The sensor is installed
on the cold-water supply.
When someone opens a hotwater tap, water exits the system, and the flow sensor
senses that cold water is coming into the system to replace
it. But this does not necessarily mean that the system will
turn the circulation pump on—
especially in a multifamily
building, where there are hundreds of hot water draws each
day. If hot water is already
available in the hot-water supply pipes near the user, the
circulation pump will remain
off. Turning it on will not do
anything except waste energy. In a multifamily building,
if anyone else in the building
is using hot water, then hot
water is probably available.
Normal water pressure, with
the pump off, will deliver it to
the new user’s hot-water tap.
So how does a demand-controlled pump determine
whether hot water is available? The system has a second sensor that measures
water temperature in the
pipes. It is installed at the
coolest point in the circulation
loop, on the return line coming back into the boiler room
CONTINUED on PAGE 5
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
Middle TN PHCC
Chapter Installs New
President- Chris Gray
Middle TN Chapter PHCC Leaders: Treasurer Fil Harris,
President Chris Gray, Past President Craig Wood
Effective January 1st,
Chris Gray has been installed as the Middle TN
PHCC Chapter President.
Chris is the owner of Griffin Mechanical in Dickson,
TN and has owned the
company for 3 1/2 years.
As a former US Army
Ranger, Chris brings a
unique perspective to his
new position with a focus
and emphasis on small
business.
Chris Gray Interview:
How did you get started
in your business?
After completing my Masters Degree in Business Administration, I purchased
Griffin Mechanical in 2010.
I enjoy mechanical contractCONTINUED from PAGE 4
President
have is the safety related to
extreme weather. Many
people don’t realize how
quickly they can become
hypothermic. Being out in
the cold without proper
gear, for too long or in
damp conditions can
quickly cause the body to
shut down or cause frost
bite. We need to take extra precautions when out
working, playing or even
driving to insure that we
are not left in the cold.
Well, although the cold
weather drives my business, I still look forward to
warm weather. I received
an email reminding me
about the PHCC Zone 2
meeting in Savannah, GA
next month and now I can’t
stop thinking about the
beach. I hope that everyone
can weather the cold in the
hope of the heat we’re sure
to get. Stay warm and safe
and I wish everyone a Happy
New Year.
ing and decided that would
be my career focus.
What do you enjoy most
about your business?
Page 5
Improvements and growing toward being considered
a high quality organization
by our customers.
What drives you to
achieve success?
Family and our employees. For our employees, it’s
making sure they have a
great place to work and a
stable work environment.
What advice would you
give someone just starting
in your industry?
Reach out to other companies and associates for
help and guidance. I attended CONNECT 2013 and
really learned a lot from contractors “who had been
there and done that” and
were more than willing to
share their information.
This past year you were
President-Elect for the
Chapter. What accomplishment are you most
proud of?
We gave major support
to the new Apprenticeship
Program. I also attended the
PHCCNA Convention in Las
Vegas and our Tennessee
Leadership Team won the
Connect Leadership Challenge for our state.
What would you like to
achieve with your involvement in PHCC?
To increase awareness at
the local level to encourage
more members. We will be
launching a new chapter
website and will have train-
ing or safety sessions on
alternate meeting months.
We started the year with
a survey to assess our
member’s needs.
What is your biggest
challenge for the coming
year as President?
To encourage younger
members and making the
association attractive to
businesses that have not
considered joining the association in the past.
CONTINUED from PAGE 4
Theoretically, a demandcontrolled pump sounds as if
it would provide the best balance between water and energy efficiency in multifamily
hot-water distribution. But utilities, governments, and property owners can’t rely on
theory to achieve their energy
reduction goals. In the case
of hot-water distribution, several engineering organizations have tackled the question of energy reduction within
CONTINUED on PAGE 7
Circulation
from the building. If at this point
the water is at a predetermined temperature (hot),
then the rest of the pipes will
be as hot or hotter. A hot water distribution system that
uses flow and temperature
sensors, properly located,
and an adjustable electronic
control, has the information
that it needs to run the pump
only when it is necessary.
Page 6
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
Event Calendar
Send all of your open house, continuing
education, seminar, and trade show information
to: THE TENNESSEE PLUMBING NEWS
CALENDAR P.O. Box 157, 5579-B Chamblee Dunwoody
RD, Atlanta, Ga 30338 plbggraphics@yahoo.com
2nd Tuesday of Every Month
North East Tennessee PHCC Meeting
LOCATION: Call for Details
CONTACT: 423-926-2665 (M. Vance)
2nd Thursday of Every Month
Memphis Area Plumbing Association
LOCATION: Call for Details
CONTACT: 901-763-3109
3rd Monday of Every Month
Nashville Chapter ASPE Meeting
LOCATION: 2995 Sidco Dr., Nashville
CONTACT: (615) 889-8900 (VP Membership)
3rd Tuesday of Every Month 12 PM
East Tennessee Chapter ASPE Meeting
LOCATION: Rothchilds Catering
CONTACT: www.easttmaspe.org
3rd Tuesday of Every Month 11:00 AM
Middle Tennessee PHCC Meeting
LOCATION: Hermitage House Smorgasboard
CONTACT: 615-224-1024
4th Monday of Every Month
Memphis Chapter ASPE Meeting
LOCATION: 969 Ridgeway Blvd., Memphis
CONTACT: (901) 795-0045 (VP Membership)
4th Monday of Every Month 11:45am
Knoxville PHCC Meeting
LOCATION: Bearden Banquet Hall
CONTACT: Pioneer Heating & Air
4th Tuesday of Every Month
Nashville Area Plumbing & Mechanical
Meeting
LOCATION: Piccadilly Cafeteria,
874 Murfreesboro, Nashville TN, 37217
CONTACT: 615-456-9136
May 2nd, 2014
TAPHCC 117th Annual Tradeshow
LOCATION: LP Field, Nashville
CONTACT: www.taphcc.com/
May 3rd, 2014
TAPHCC Spring Board Meeting
LOCATION: Hampton Inn Suites, Nashville
CONTACT: www.taphcc.com/
October 8-10th, 2014
PHCC Connect 2014
LOCATION: New Orleans, LA
CONTACT: www.phccweb.org
October 17th, 2014
TAPHCC 22nd Annual Golf Tournament
LOCATION: Meadoview, Marriot, Kingsport, TN
CONTACT: www.taphcc.com/
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
CONTINUED from PAGE 5
Circulation
the last five years. They have
done this by measuring the
energy used in central waterheating systems and figuring
out how to make them more
efficient.
The first important study of
multifamily hot-water distribution was conducted in 2006 by
the Heschong Mahone Group
(HMG) and funded by the
Public Interest Energy Research program, a California
Energy Commission program
that is ultimately funded by the
California ratepayers. HMG
studied three multifamily
buildings in the San Francisco
Bay area (one each in
Emeryville, Saint Helena, and
Oakland) in the spring and
early summer. The study modeled energy flow of a central
water-heating system to determine what measures could
be implemented to save energy. They studied systems
that ran the pumps continuously; as well as systems with
pumps that were controlled by
timers, temperature controls,
or demand controls. They
found that demand controls
outperformed them all. The
researchers found that hotwater distribution systems
were more variable and complex than they had supposed,
and that additional research
was needed. This resulted in
the creation of a second,
more comprehensive study .
This study was conducted
over many years and included
50 buildings with central hot
water distribution systems distribution systems. The results
of this second study were
published in the fall of 2011.
All the buildings were profiled
and then modeled for energy
flow of the water-heating system. A subset of the buildings,
roughly 30 of them, was
hooked up with field- monitoring equipment, and the actual
field data were then compared
to the energy models. The
field data and the energy
models matched up well,
which led the researchers to
draw three important conclusions. The most interesting
conclusion was this: Of all the
energy that is put into a multifamily central water-heating
system, only 35% is used in
the form of hot water coming
out of a tap. The remaining
65% of the energy is lost. Of
that 65%, 31% is lost at the
water heater—either from
combustion and heat transfer
inefficiencies or through the
standby heat losses of the
storage tank; and 34% is lost
in the distribution system (see
Figure 2 ). The researchers
were astonished to find out
how inefficient water-heating
systems are, especially since
water heating is the secondlargest use of residential energy in the United States.
These inefficient hot-water
delivery systems create a
multibillion-dollar savings opportunity.
The second major conclusion of the HMG long-term
study was that demand-controlled pumping can achieve
the highest efficiencies and
the quickest paybacks when
it comes to energy measures
for central water-heating systems. One graphic from a presentation on the study
showed that demand controls
could reduce the heat loss in
Page 7
the distribution system by over
50% (see Figure 3). This
translates to an average 15%
reduction in energy use for
the water-heating system.
The study estimated savings
at 1,000 therms and 800 kWh
for low-rise multifamily housing and 2,000 therms and
1,200 kWh for high-rise multifamily housing (see Table 1).
The third conclusion was
that the circulation loop can
be zoned to achieve higher
efficiencies, and that when
the zoned loop is paired with
a demand-controlled pump,
this saves the most energy for
multifamily hot-water distribution. The extreme heat losses
in the distribution are due to
the large surface area of the
pipes. These pipes are radiating away the heat being
pumped through them during
the excessive pump run time.
By zoning the circulation loop,
the surface area of the pipes
can be reduced, and the
pump run time can be lessened, because each zone has
its own demand-controlled circulation pump. The caveat is
that designing a zoned circulation loop is feasible only for
new construction projects.
Another important study was
funded through a Southern
California Gas Company program that has been providing
a rebate to multifamily building owners for demand-con-
trolled pumps within the company service territory. Program follow-up studies were
conducted to measure and
verify the savings. The program studied 35 multifamily
buildings that had received
rebated demand pumps starting in 2008. The results
showed an average of 1,500
therms and 1,200 kWh of savings per year per demand
pump among the study group,
which broke down to 34.7
therms of savings per year
per apartment unit. This study
represents the largest set of
field data on the efficacy of
demand-controlled pumps in
multifamily hot-water distribuCONTINUED on PAGE 11
Page 8
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
Page 9
Page 10
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
FREE SUBSCRIPTION FORM
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
CONTINUED from PAGE 7
Circulation
tion systems.
Two other important studies of central hot water distribution systems have been
conducted—one at a resort,
the Marriott Vacation Club
property in Palm Springs, and
the other in a dorm at
Pepperdine University. The
resort study is important because this site was field-monitored for the longest time, with
12 months of data and over
50 tracked data points (see
Figure 4). The results showed
a 12% reduction in waterheating energy, a 5% reduction in water use, and a 99%
reduction in The study also
showed that there was some
variation in hot water energy
use corresponding to the
change of the seasons, which
might explain the lower 12%
reduction due to the hot summer climate compared to the
15% reduction in the HMG
long-term study. The dorm
study found a reduction of
over 30% in water-heating
energy after demand pumps
were installed, but the interesting part of the study was
that some energy use was
tracked during winter break,
when the dorm was empty.
During this period, there
shouldn’t be any energy use,
but there was, because of
uncontrolled pumping and
heat losses. A demand-controlled pumping system in the
empty dorm yielded close to
a 50% reduction of energy
use. For this period, although
the circulation loop was automatically deactivated by the
demand controls, there was
still some energy use attributed to standby heat losses
in the hot-water storage tank,
or to occasional hot-water
use by maintenance staff during routine cleaning.
The multifamily hot-water
system studies have yielded
exciting results. The research
will continue and will be expanded beyond multifamily
buildings. There is an opportunity here for energy professionals to help build up the
data set on hot-water distribution systems in multifamily
buildings and larger commercial applications, and to take
part in cutting-edge research
into hot-water distribution.
The findings of this research
will eventually be reflected in
utility rebate and incentive
programs, as well as in building codes. Based on the research that has been conducted, there seems to be
great potential for improvement in the area of multifamily hot-water distribution. In the
multifamily application, de-
mand controls are just beginning to emerge. From an energy professional’s viewpoint,
the pros of a demand-pump
retrofit project are that it is
quick, easy, and cost-effective. The con is that there are
generally only one or two
pumps to upgrade per building, so these are mostly lowcost projects; thus it is more
profitable for the professional
to promote these projects to
potential customers with
enough buildings to make the
job worthwhile. In general, the
best applications are build-
Page 11
ings that use a lot of domestic hot water.
The first step is to make
sure that there is a circulation
pump. There will be a pump
only if the building has a central water-heating system, but
not all central water-heating
systems have a pump. The
next step is to see if there are
local utility programs that can
help subsidize the cost of the
retrofit. Most utilities do not
have a prescriptive rebate—
meaning a flat rebated dollar
amount—but that doesn’t
mean you can’t get some in-
centives from a local incentive
program. Often the utilities
offer a customized approach,
meaning that you would write
a short summary of the estimated savings with your calculations, and the utility will
evaluate it. If your calculations
are backed up with references
that support your savings estimate, the utility will approve
your project and let you know
how much of the cost it is willing to subsidize. The reports
that were mentioned in this
article are good references to
back up the calculations.
When you are doing an audit
or inspection, make sure to
get pictures of the existing
system and document anything that you can use in a
report to justify the savings.
A licensed plumbing contractor should install an ondemand circulation system in
a multifamily building, but this
is a simple procedure that
should take one to two hours.
Most of the time is spent cutting in and soldering a copper tee that houses the flow
sensor. Figure 1 shows a
CONTINUED on PAGE 12
Page 12
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
PHCC Educational
Foundation Scholarships
Now Available
Applications are now being accepted for scholarships awarded through the
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling
Contractors—National Association (PHCC) Educational
Foundation Scholarship Program. In 2014, up to 25
scholarships
totaling
$61,500 are available. The
scholarship awards are
sponsored by A. O. Smith,
Bradford White Corporation,
Delta Faucet Company,
RIDGID Tool Company, State
Water Heaters, the PHCC
Educational Foundation
Scholarship Fund, the
PHCC of Massachusetts and
PHCC of Texas Auxiliaries
and the PHCC Past National
Officers.
The scholarships available through the PHCC Educational Foundation are generally targeted at students
pursuing a course of study
directly related to the plumbing-heating-cooling industry.
Select awards are limited to
students enrolled in a plumbing or HVACR apprentice program; while others are reserved for students studying
at a community college, trade
school or an undergraduate
degree program at a fouryear college.
For complete information
and application forms, students
can
visit
phccfoundation.org/scholarships or call the PHCC Educational Foundation at (800)
533-7694. Applications and
supporting materials are due
no later than May 1, 2014.
About PHCC Educational Foundation
The PHCC Educational
Foundation, a partnership of
contractors, manufacturers,
and wholesalers, was
founded in 1987 to serve the
plumbing-heating-cooling
industry by preparing contractors and their employees
to meet the challenges of a
constantly changing marketplace. For more information,
contact a member of the
Foundation staff at 800-5337694 or visit http://
www.phccfoundation.org.
Rheem Acquires
HTPG
Atlanta-based Rheem
has acquired Heat Transfer
Products Group (HTPG) of
Scottsboro, Ala., from
Monomoy Capital Partners.
Rheem is a manufacturer of
heating, cooling, water heating and pool/spa heating
products for both residential
and commercial applications. HTPG is a manufacturer of commercial refrigeration equipment for the
foodservice, food retail and
other non-consumable markets.
“The acquisition is strategic for Rheem, and HTPG’s
employees and customers
will benefit from the partnership,” said JR Jones, president and CEO, Rheem.
“Heat transfer technology is
core to every product that
both companies manufacture. Rheem and HTPG
have the opportunity to combine an extensive knowledge of heat transfer technology to develop innovative
new products.”
One of Rheem’s immediate goals is to reinvigorate
the HTPG brand with significant product development.
Rheem has made a considerable investment in integrating advanced electronic
controls into its products,
ultimately driving more efficient and better performing
systems. The company will
engage its capability of electronic controls into the development of future HTPG
products.
In addition, Rheem has
an international business
presence in 13 countries,
and distributes its products
to 75 countries. Globally,
there’s a demand for
HTPG’s products, and—with
Rheem’s reach—the company is in a prime position
to export these U.S.-made
products to new customers
in international markets not
presently served by HTPG.
CONTINUED from PAGE 11
Circulation
typical installation.
To m e a s u r e t h e r e sults, get a motor run time
detector. I personally like
the one manufactured by
Dent Instruments that
costs $99. You can track
the run time of the pump.
In general, if a pump is
running approximately
one hour in a day, everything should be working
as intended, and you will
be helping to resolve the
circulation dilemma.
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
TENNESSEE
PLUMBING NEWS
CLASSIFIED ADS
Page 13
Ad Information
Name
Company
Help wanted ads are free for our readers.
All other ad listings are $2 a word (20 word
minimum) and $20 for a photograph.
Phone
You can fax your ad to 770.395.7069 or e-mail
them to plbgnews@aol.com
E-mail
ADVERTISE YOUR
TRUCK HERE!!!
Territory Salesman
The Plumbing News is
seeking a territory salesman
for the Tennessee area. A
Great opportunity for an individual with good organizational skills, E-mail resume to
plbgnews@ aol.com.
NEW! Counter Sales/
Warehouse/Delivery
Driver
Plumbing Distributors
Inc., a family owned distributor of Plumbing and Lighting
products, with 40 years of
experience successfully
serving contractors in the
Southeast, is excited to open
a new branch in Nashville,
TN. We are looking for a
Counter Sales Person/
Warehouse, and a Delivery
Driver to join our PDI family.
Positions require great customer service skills, good
computer knowledge, attention to detail and following
procedures. Candidate must
have experience in the
plumbing wholesale distribution business. Send resume
to mpuckett@plumbing
distributors.com or fax to
770-995-3135.
Plumber
As an Army National
Plumber, you will learn these
valuable job skills while getting up to a $20,000 enlistment bonus, earning a regular paycheck, and qualifying
for tuition assistance. Instead
of paying to learn these skills,
get paid to learn.Advanced
Plumbing Specialists take on
more challenging projects including training and supervising. The Army National Guard
has career opportunities in
every State and four U.S. Territories. The Web site for the
Army National Guard is
www.1-800-GO-GUARD.com
Fax
Page 14
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
Nashville President’s Message
I hope everyone had a good holiday season and have
been able to get in step with the new year. This month
Don Goggins from Powerez will be speaking about medical air and vacuum plant technologies.
I would like to say thank you to all of those that take
the time out of your day to attend, and I sincerely hope
that the topics that are being presented bring some type
of educational value to our members. Also, if there is a
topic of interest that you think is important to our industry
please let one of the board members know and we will
attempt to cover the topic in the future.
For those of you who have not attended a recent meeting please give some consideration to taking the time to
attend. This will at a minimum allow for some networking
and who knows, you may actually enjoy yourself and gain
some new knowledge.
Our meeting will be at the Wild Wing Café in Cool
Springs. I look forward to seeing each of you there.
Sincerely,
Tracey G. Curray
President- ASPE Nashville Chapter
PHCC Promotes EPA’s
“Fix a Leak Week”
March 17-23, 2014
The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National
Association (PHCC) is promoting Fix a Leak Week, part of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ongoing ‘We’re for Water’ campaign. This year’s observance,
sponsored by EPA’s WaterSense® program, will take place
March 17-23, 2014, and will encourage Americans to take
back the more than 1 trillion gallons of water that are wasted
from household leaks each year.
PHCC joins the EPA in promoting ways to find and fix
residential leaks in household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems. The organization encourages consumers to
consult with a trained water conservation professional, such
as a PHCC member contractor.
“Leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of
water in an average home every year—the amount of water it takes to wash 270 loads of laundry,” said PHCC President Steven Rivers. “As a WaterSense partner, we are encouraging consumers to find and fix leaks to save water in
our communities.”
To help conserve water for future generations, PHCC is
asking consumers to check, twist, and replace:
Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads,
sprinklers, and other fixtures. Also check for toilets with silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring into the
tank, waiting 10 minutes, and seeing if color appears in the
bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots too.
Twist and tighten hose and pipe connections. To save
water without a noticeable difference in flow in your bathroom, twist on a WaterSense-labeled faucet aerator.
Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSenselabeled models, which are independently certified to use
20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than
standard models.
In many cases, fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly and can be installed by local plumbing professionals. For information on how to hire a professional
contractor, click on PHCC’s Find a Contractor referral service. Or call our toll free number, 800-533-7694.
For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit
www.epa.gov/watersense.
Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014
Page 15
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Tennessee Plumbing News - January 31st, 2014