As I See It

Days of on-off control are fading

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:41:00 +0000

The heating system had been “upgraded” over the last 150 years to the point where it no longer functioned. Our story talks about how Rich Swatton, president of ModCon Service & Support Inc., Westford, Mass., and his cohorts fixed the home in Hanover, Mass. All of the old black iron pipe was ripped out and replaced with PEX with supply and return lines going to each heat emitter. The PEX was manifolded and fed by ECM variable-speed circulators. In the basement, a modulating condensing boiler with a 5:1 turndown ratio and outdoor reset supplies hot water.

As I See It

What are your economic indicators saying?

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:39:00 +0000

Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu is similarly enthusiastic about the commercial market. “Nonresidential construction activities in December appear to confirm the notion that the nation remains in recovery, despite news that gross domestic product turned negative during last year’s fourth quarter,” said Basu. “While the pace of nonresidential construction recovery remains moderate, there is little indication that the recovery has stalled altogether."

As I See It

Forecast shows 2013 inching along

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:42:00 +0000

A year ago at this time, I think Chris Peel was pretty much on the mark. Peel, chief operating officer for Rheem, said the common wisdom at the beginning of 2012 was that the plumbing and HVAC markets would be up 3%-6%, but he thought it would be more like 1%-3% on the commercial side. Residentially, he believed 2012 water heater sales would increase by 1%-2%, but the residential HVAC market would be flat.

As I See It

Lead-free sooner rather than later

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:30:00 +0000

The manufacturers we talked to at the American Society of Plumbing Engineers - Engineered Plumbing Exposition aren’t waiting to convert their products to lead-free. Why run the risk of being stuck with stock that you can’t sell at the beginning of 2014?

As I See It

Graywater appliance shows promise

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:40:00 +0000

Graywater recycling is not a new concept but doing it right and doing it economically remain challenging. Their idea is to make it an appliance.

As I See It

Rethinking commercial building energy sales

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:45:00 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Mark Jewell, president of the Energy Efficiency Funding Group, speak at the Mechanical Service Contractors of America conference in Carlsbad, Calif. He’s the consultant who helped the EPA write the specs for Energy Star for Commercial Real Estate. Jewell received his B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania, and he knows as much about financing energy efficiency improvements as anyone in the country. He says we’ve been doing it all wrong.

As I See It

Radiant heating and cooling industry is well served — twice

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:20:00 +0000

John Abularrage, Advanced Radiant Design Inc., is a perfect example of the collegiality that should exist between the two groups. One week he was in Providence serving on the advisory committee of the ACCA group and presenting a seminar on radiant heating and floor coverings. The next week he was at the RPA meeting winning a slew of System Showcase Awards.

As I See It

Rainwater capture next for plumbing contractors

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:25:00 +0000

According to the ARCSA’s website, www.arcsa.org, the Old Testament mentions cisterns at least 10 times, and rainwater harvesting systems in the Middle East date to 5,000 years ago. In the United States, Native Americans and early settlers relied on harvested rainwater for drinking, and in 19th century Texas, rainwater was collected and used when wells went dry or became contaminated.

As I See It

Plumbing contractors must go to Mechanical Systems Week to find the answers

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:04:00 +0000

This is the first time we've been included in the hugely popular Mechanical Systems WEEK, this year located in Chicago. There will be industry trade shows, seminars, big-gun consultants, vendors, the National Service Roundtable Meeting for all SRT members, and ending with the SNAP meeting (Service Nation Alliance, Plumbers) on Saturday. If you're a successful company, then I don't need to tell you why you should go. By now you realize that everything — and I do mean everything — changes in an instant. This rodeo will keep us on top of those changes. If you're a failing-to-mediocre company, then there's even more reason to go. Your ROI will be your thanks.

As I See It

American manufacturing is making a comeback

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 16:23:00 +0000

EMCOR Group CEO Anthony Guzzi has told us that for all intents and purposes it doesn’t cost any more to manufacture in the southeastern United States than it does in China after you add in transportation costs. The result is "re-shoring" by American manufacturers.

As I See It