December 1, 2008
Articles
75-year-old mini-Tudor gets inverter technology
High efficiency ductless system helps mini-Tudor home save on energy bills...
Obama lauds mechanical contractor McKinstry's energy leadership
In an interview with columnist Joe Klein of Time magazine, President-Elect Barack Obama lauded mechanical giant McKinstry Co. for its innovative leadership in helping to move the country closer to a green, new energy economy. ...
EPA refines WaterSense for Homes spec
Washington The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a draft WaterSense specification for water-efficient, single family new homes in May 2008....
UA provides training, jobs to Iraq vets
The United Association of Plumbers, Pipe-fitters and Sprinklerfitters has created a program to help returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans find jobs. ...
Grundfos expands operations and training center
Allentown, Pa. — Grundfos held a grand opening ceremony in mid-October to debut its new $4.5-million dollar warehouse, pump assembly and training center expansion here. ...
Mechanical, plumbing products make green Top 10
Boston — BuildingGreen LLC, publisher of the GreenSpec Directory and Environmental Building News, announced the 2008 Top 10 Green Building Products. The seventh annual award was announced at the U.S. Green Building Council's GreenBuild Conference here. ...
Plumbing franchisees prepare for success
Washington Despite the economic downturn of the past few months, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, One-Hour Heating & Air Conditioning and Mister Sparky franchise...
GE plunges into solar water heater market
GE Consumer & Industrial, which claims it is the first U.S. company to meet newly established Energy Star standards for residential water heaters, announced that it is developing a line of solar water heaters that are designed to meet the 2009 Energy Star guidelines. ...
Contractor Magazine News Briefs - December 2008
This past November, Urban Outreach found itself 40 turkeys short of its goal of providing 200 Thanksgiving meal packages to residents of southeast Washington,...
District court puts brakes on N.M. energy law
A federal district court in New Mexico granted a preliminary injunction to stop the city of Albuquerque, N.M., from enforcing new ordinances that would increase the cost of heating and cooling equipment for consumers seeking to upgrade to efficient systems. ...
Consumers can finance boilers
Greenwood Technologies is making clean, high efficiency biomass central heat affordable for more people. Homeowners can apply for 9.9% financing on Greenwood home heating furnaces and boilers. With financing, the monthly payment for the outdoor wood boilers could be $140 a month with the first three months free. ...
Plumbers build Extreme Makeover house
Charlotte, N.C. - In July, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and more than 6,000 volunteers, including plumbers from Price Brothers Inc. and a Charlotte...
LaGrange College earns Energy Star status
Two years ago, Linc Mechanical installed a package of energy conservation services, bundled energy solutions (BES), to facilities at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Ga., to maximize energy efficiency and lower operation costs. The BES package included an upgrade to the heating, air conditioning and control units for on-campus facilities. LaGrange College is now the first college in the state to have three Energy Star dormitories on its campus. ...
NATE launches consumer site
North American Technician Excellence announced criteria changes to the Consumer Contractor Connection (C3), a contractor referral service, which will be launched in January 2009....
Mississippi technician wins NATE competition
Arlington, Va. - Gary Hodges, service manager at Carthage Heating & Cooling in Carthage, Miss., took first-place as the nation's top home comfort technician...
Moen earns design award
Moen received an International Design Excellence Award in a competition cosponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America and BusinessWeek magazine. The company was named a Bronze IDEA Award winner in the Home Living category for its single-handle, hot-cold outdoor sill faucet. ...
The time for the tankless?
The construction business, especially the plumbing/HVAC industries in particular, is a very challenging industry to be in right about now. The guys who are still standing after the dust settles will be the guys who prove to be the most agile in adapting to economic market forces and trends in technology and customer demands. ...
Be cautious about HETs in applications
There are two primary concerns related to the proper operation of toilet fixtures flushing performance and drain line carry. While it is fairly easy to...
EMCOR installs mechanical systems at Harvard University
EMCOR Services Northeast will replace two main indoor air handler units located in Robinson Hall at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. The hall, which was built in 1900, is one of the central buildings at Harvard. ...
Solar Goes Mainstream
The extension of tax credits and the focus of the new administration on renewable energy give solar energy stability...
Here we go again
Remember when gasoline was $5 a gallon everyone was screaming bloody murder SUV sales fell off a cliff, fuel oil was just under $5 a gallon, crippling...
Shaw wins university contract
Orlando, Fla. Shaw Mechanical Services LLC has been awarded a contract to renovate and work on additions to five fraternity houses on Stetson University's...
The largest, greenest job I've ever done, Part 2
The residential system is laid out as 22 individual zones of heating and cooling, which is a record for our company for the most zones of heating and...
Horizon receives award
The Nexstar Community Service award was given to Horizon Services, New Castle, Del., for establishing the Warm the Heart Foundation. The Nexstar Community Service award acknowledges a member company that has given back to communities. A $1,000 donation from Nexstar was also given to the foundation. ...
Three productivity-enhancing solutions
Interfacing seamlessly, Quickduct CAD and Quickduct CAM (www.shopdata.com) streamline the drawing of sheet metal duct layouts and the lay out and cutting of metal ductwork based on drawings. By sharing information, these two programs can boost productivity dramatically and substantially minimize waste of sheet metal. ...
Change order myths demystified
I have often thought that without changes and change orders, I would never had developed a law practice concentrating on construction. The general belief...
Schmidt's offers training
Monticello, N.Y. - Schmidt's Wholesale announced it is stocking the Buderus Solar Heating Systems line. The wholesaler also trained more than 60 customers...
Do you want your business to continue?
Most successful business owners (Joe, the business owner from Kansas, will be our example) have two loves in their life: their family and their business....
How to start a commercial estimating department
In my September column, I outlined what not to do when trying to set up a commercial HVAC/plumbing estimating department. Using the worst remembered anecdotes...
CES wins space center project
Orlando, Fla. - Comprehensive Energy Services Inc. was awarded the Artifacts Storage Facility project located here at the Kennedy Space Center. This new construction project consists of a chilled-water HVAC system, air conveyance and compressed air piping systems, steam piping, controls and plumbing, consisting of both sanitary and domestic water systems...
Marketing lessons from a tailless neutered cat
We have many contractors call here for marketing help saying, “We need the leads,” “We want to boost our image” or “We're losing too many customers.” We counsel them to make sure they're ready for this change within the other systems. Here are the four business systems that every owner needs to check...
What to expect during an asbestos lawsuit
Contractors must be especially careful of asbestos exposure when working in older buildings, particularly those built before the 1980s. Depending on the...
Survey reports small businesses are in jeopardy
Park Ridge, Ill. A survey was conducted regarding the concerns of small business owners throughout the United States by George S. May Intl., a management...
Sprinkler course available through AFSA
The third part of AFSA's Fire Sprinkler Systems Hydraulic Calculations program, a two-hour interactive online course, is now available. The online course is accessible through AFSA's e-learning courseware portal eCampus....
First Service joins Unified Group
The Unified Group has announced the addition of First Service Air Conditioning Contractors Inc. to its group of elite contractors. ...
Haberberger receives MCA awards
Haberberger Inc. was recognized by the Mechanical Contractors Association of eastern Missouri for its outstanding process piping and mechanical installation work on projects for Maritz Inc., Fenton, Mo.; The City of Kirkwood, Mo.; Duckett Creek Sanitary District, O'Fallon, Mo.; and AmerenUE, Festus, Mo. ...
Viega helps rebuild Greensburg
To further solidify Viega's commitment to rebuilding Greensburg, Kan., Viega representatives gave a hands-on MANABLOC presentation on Oct. 8, 2008, to the plumbers and contractors that are helping rebuild the Kansas town. ...
New Products in Mechanical Contracting - 12/08
editor's choice THIS CORDLESS 3-PIECE COMBO KIT features a new 10.8V flashlight, as well as a 10.8V lithium-ion driver-drill and a 10.8V lithium-ion impact...
GreenBuild show settles down to business
This year's GreenBuild show in Boston seemed a bit more business-like than last year's version in Chicago. Perhaps it was the recession forcing attendees to focus on the practical. ...
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Green Products
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Phoenix Evolution Combined Hydronic ApplianceThe Phoenix Evolution Combined Hydronic applicance melds hydronic space heating and domestic hot water in a single, 96% efficient package.... |
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Baystone Faucet CollectionThe Baystone Faucet Collection has a water flow of 1.5 GPM and is certified to meet the EPA's WaterSense criteria.... |
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Condensing Tankless Water HeaterThis condensing tankless water heater is able to deliver 8.0 GPM of heated water.... |
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Neotherm Line of High-Efficiency BoilersThe Neotherm Line of High-Efficiency Boilers has been expanded with commercial and residential models, ranging from 80 MBH all the way to 850 MBH.... |
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