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It's Time to Renew Your Magazine Subscription(s)!
If you receive Supply House Times, PM and/or
pme magazine each month, it's time for your annual renewal. Note: regardless of when you last renewed or when you first started receiving your free subscription, you must confirm that you wish to continue.
Don't receive the magazine(s) but want to? Same deal.
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 A Builder's Net-Zero Energy Gamble
My first thought after reading about this subdivision filled with net-zero energy homes
was to applaud the developer. Yet, I can't shake nagging doubts about the project succeeding. The moribund housing market alone makes spec home building incredibly risky, and asking buyers to pay a hefty premium on top of it seems a killer.
But maybe I'm wrong about today's consumers. You folks who deal with them day after day are in a better position to say whether there's a sufficient green mentality to make projects like this pay off. Please share your thoughts with me and, in a future edition, with fellow R&H subscribers by taking just a few seconds to respond to the simple survey below. -- Jim Olsztynski
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Alliance Formed To Promote Energy Retrofits
Building Media Inc. (BMI), a DuPont subsidiary, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will lead one of 15 research and deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes ? the Building America Retrofit Alliance (BARA). The 15 teams, appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will receive a total of up to $30 million for the initial 18 months to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to the residential market and address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach of all Americans.
Plumbing Added To ASHRAE Innovation Awards
Reflecting its growing presence at the industry's leading HVACR event, 'Plumbing' has been added as a new category to the 2011 AHR Expo Innovation Awards. The Innovation Awards recognize the most innovative and useful products among the thousands on display at the AHR Expo (www.ahrexpo.com). About 150 entries submitted by exhibitors each year are judged on the basis of design, unique performance, market impact, and value to the HVACR industry. For complete rules as well as the Innovation Award Exhibitor Entry form, visit
www.ahrexpo.com/innovation. All entries are due by September 15, 2010. The 2011 AHR Expo will take place January 31- February 2, at the Las Vegas Convention.
 Solar Power Expo Expands Exhibit Area
Solar Power International 2010 (SPI '10), which has sold out in recent years, has expanded to three exhibit halls now offering additional exhibit space in a prime location within the Los Angeles Convention Center. Kentia Hall has been opened on a first-come, first-served basis at www.SolarPowerInternational.com.
 NAOHSM Awards 12 Scholarships
During their recent annual Conference and Trade Show, NAOHSM honored various industry professionals for their service, topped by a Lifetime Achievement Award to Bob Craig. The association also presented $2,000 Dave Nelson Scholarships to 12 students interested in furthering their education within the industry. Another highlight of the event was the appearance of U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), recruited by Taco President John White. Reed is shown in the photo speaking at the NAOHSM event, with White looking on.
RPA To Hold Open House Sept. 29
The Radiant Panel Association will celebrate the grand opening of its new office with an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at 8512 Oswego Road, Suite 180, Baldwinsville, NY. The RPA officially opened the doors April 1 after relocating from Loveland, CO. The 2,200-square-foot facility is designed as a showcase to support the use of radiant applications in both heating and cooling. It is equipped with products donated by RPA members such as radiant floors, hardwood floor covering, manifolds, tubing and a chilled ceiling, which is the first of its type installed in North America. Attendees can RSVP to Grace White by calling 315-303-4735 or sending an e-mail to
gwhite@rpa-info.com.
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B&G Announces 4Q Schoolhouse Schedule
Bell & Gossett has announced its training course schedule for the fourth quarter of 2010. The free training seminars are offered at the Bell & Gossett Little Red Schoolhouse Education Center in Morton Grove, IL, a suburb of Chicago and are open to engineers, contractors and facility maintenance professionals. Visit http://schoolhouse.itt.com.
 
Triangle Hires Two VPs
Triangle Tube announced the appointment of Gerry Clisham (left) as Director of Marketing and Dr. Lou Vorsteveld (right) as Vice President of Engineering and QC. Clisham has more than 20 years of experience in the mechanical components industry and was previously employed as the Global Products Director for SOUTHCO Inc. Vorsteveld has more than 20 years of experience in the boiler industry and was previously employed as President and CEO of Buderus/Bosch in Londonderry, NH.
Slant/Fin Slates Factory Expo
Slant/Fin will host its 2nd Factory Expo on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010, in Greenvale, NY. The show is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - rain or shine. This free event will feature exhibits and seminars and is open to current wholesalers and all interested contractors.
Tour & Andersson Hires Hydronics Trainer
Tour & Andersson announced that Mark Hegberg has joined the TA Hydronic College, North America, as Hydronic Training Manager. Hegberg has over 30 years of hydronic system design and commissioning experience, and is a long-standing member of ASHRAE Technical Committees TC 6.1 Hydronic & Steam System Design and TC 7.7 Testing and Balancing.
HOLDRITE Now Called Just That
The plumbing/piping components manufacturer formerly known as Hubbard Enterprises/HOLDRITE will now be known as HOLDRITE. HOLDRITE has launched a newly redesigned website featuring more than 650 products in categories such as pipe and equipment support systems, acoustical plumbing solutions, water heater accessories, and water and firestop sleeving systems.
Armstrong International Gets New President
Armstrong International announced that Patrick Armstrong has been named its corporate president and CEO. He succeeds David Armstrong who passed away on July 15, 2010. Armstrong has more than 25 years experience in engineering and manufacturing, and most recently served the company as its vice president of engineering and manufacturing. He is the fifth generation of the family-owned company.
Chronomite Launches New Website
Chronomite Laboratories has re-designed its website making it easier for its customers to find the information they need about the company's tankless water heaters for commercial applications. Among the features is a configurator that helps select the appropriate required breaker size for the water heater based on amperage and voltage requirements.
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The search for a rep just got a lot easier.
The 2010 Rep Locator, brought to you by the publishers of Supply House Times, PM Engineer and Plumbing & Mechanical Magazines in partnership with AIM/R, provides a comprehensive database of manufacturers' reps in the plumbing market.
Year-Round Reference
- Published in print in the June issues of Supply House Times, PM Engineer and Plumbing & Mechanical
- Fully searchable online at www.locatearep.com year-round (launching June 2010)
- Key information all in one source, complete contact info, lines represented, states and territories served and much more.
- Online extras like company brochures and line cards, live web and email links, Google-based keyword search, and more, right at the fingertips of manufacturers, plumbing contractors, engineers and wholesalers to locate products and representatives.
Reps who wish to stand out from the crowd may purchase print ads, listing enhancements and online upgrades. Pricing and packages are available for every budget. AIM/R members receive special discounts and exclusive options.
Contact Deborah Reda at redad@bnpmedia.com or 630-694-4389.
If you have listed your rep firm in AIM/R's printed Locator in the past, your account is already set up. For new listings, changes or inquiries contact Breanne Rozek at rozekb@bnpmedia.com, or 248-244-6259.
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 Digital 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide Now Available
Are you at a client's home and forgot to bring a copy of the 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide? Or are you at a convention and need some quick information about using cork flooring over a radiant heating system?
Open your Internet browser, key in this address - http://tinyurl.com/rfg-digitalmag-2010 - and browse through the pages at your convenience. The Table of Contents contains links to take you directly to the article you want to read. Or you can browse through page by page as you would with the printed version.
Ads are linked to advertisers' web sites to provide more information on products or services readers are interested in.
The 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide is an indispensable tool for architects, heating contractors, mechanical contractors, floor covering retailers and installers, builders, wholesalers, radiant system specifiers and homeowners. It provides all the information for making proper choices on flooring over radiant heating systems, including an updated directory of radiant floor product manufacturers.
To purchase printed copies of the 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide for $15, contact Stephanie Weingartz at weingartzs@bnpmedia.com, phone 248-244-1275, or visit www.AECstore.com.
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Quotes To Live
(Or Die) By
"Man must
cease attributing his problems to his environment and learn again to exercise
his will -- his personal responsibility." --Albert Schweitzer
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The Glitch & The Fix - August 2010
©2010, J. Siegenthaler - all rights reserved
Click here to access a full-size PDF version.
Homemade Solar Thermal System
The Glitch
Joe's Plumbing gets a call to install solar water heating for a long-time customer. Rather than use one of several pre-engineered systems currently on the market, Joe decides to assemble his own system using most of the same hardware he installs for other hydronic systems.
The system he assembles is shown below. Can you spot a few "minor" details that should be changed before the sun shines on this installation?
 The Fix
1. All closed-loop piping circuits with a heat source must contain a pressure-relief valve and an expansion tank. Without them, you're going to have a mess when the weakest piping component in the circuit lets go with superheated glycol ready to blast out.
2. The collector circuit must include a check valve to prevent nocturnal cooling caused by cool glycol in the collectors descending down the supply pipe as warm glycol from the heat exchanger rises up the return. Trust me, this can dump an entire tank's worth of heat back to the atmosphere in a few short hours.
Note:
The check valve has been mounted between a pair of purging valves on the fix schematic. Add glycol solution to the circuit using the left side valve and remove purging flow through the right side valve. The differential pressure associated with purging keeps the swing check back-seated and eliminates the need of installing a ball valve. Also note that the position of the check valve allows the collector to empty from both directions should a vapor flash occur under stagnation conditions.
3. The PONPC (Point Of No Pressure Change) still applied in solar circuits. Mount the circulator to pump away from the expansion tank location.
4. Although the glitch system may operate, it's not going to perform well with the collector temperature sensor mounted on the inlet rather than the outlet of the collector. This sensor should be as close as possible to the collector outlet. Mount it tight and be sure it's wrapped with insulation.
Also be sure that no moisture can get into the wiring splice between the collector sensor and the cable back to the controller. Moisture leads to corrosion, corrosion leads to resistance change, and resistance change in a thermistor sensor circuit leads to inaccurate temperature information and poor control.
5. Never
install a solar domestic water heating system without an anti-scald-rated thermostatic tempering valve between it and the plumbing fixtures.
6. I would also recommend a microbubble air separator in the collector circuit and an expansion tank sized specifically to absorb the liquid volume of the collectors (during stagnation), plus the expansion volume of the remaining fluid at the maximum anticipated system operating temperature.
7.
Finally, install a good quality float-type air vent, one that's rated for "solar duty," at the top of the system. Set it on top of a ball valve that can be closed after the system is deareated. This latter protects the vent mechanism from potentially high temperatures (350+ degrees F) and high pressure when the collectors stagnate.
Visit www.hydronicpros.com
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Grundfos Expands SuperBrute XL Line: Grundfos Pumps recently unveiled a third option in its growing line of SuperBrute XL circulators: Model UPS50-60, complementing the previously introduced UPS26-150 and UPS43-100. Intended for residential and commercial applications, the maintenance-free SuperBruteXL features the proven 3-speed wet-rotor design and is available in both cast iron and stainless steel material options.
www.grundfos.us.
 Tankless Connection Kits: Dormont Manufacturing introduces a family of tankless water heater water and gas connection kits. Each kit consists of service valves designed specifically for tankless water heaters, and a high BTU gas connector (for gas applications) and (2) water connectors.
www.dormont.com.
 Radiant Rollout Mat:
A custom-designed, prefabricated, pre-pressurized network of Uponor crosslinked polyethylene (PEX-a) tubing, the Uponor Radiant Rollout™ Mat saves up to 85% in installation time for large commercial radiant heating and cooling applications. The mat consists of Wirsbo hePEX™ (oxygen barrier) or Uponor AquaPEX® (non-barrier) PEX-a tubing connected with ProPEX® engineered plastic (EP) fittings, which are safe for burial in the slab and offer fast onsite customization when necessary.
www.uponorpro.com.
Alternative Energy Surge Protection: The new Surge Protection™ line from Thomas & Betts provides premium protection for alternative energy sources from the damaging effects of electrical power surges. T&B Surge Protection™ products are available with optional EMI and RFI filters to protect sensitive control systems from interference caused by variable frequency equipment. Available surge ratings are 400kA, 240kA, 160kA and 100kA per phase.
www.tnb.com.
 Two New Peerless Boilers:
Peerless Boilers recently added two new models to their extensive boiler line. The new gas-fired, high efficiency Peerless® Combi 160 and Cast 92 boilers are ENERGY STAR® rated and eligible for the federal tax credit. The 93% efficient Peerless® Combi 160 condensing boiler uses pre-mixed burner technology for optimal combustion. The Cast 92 cast iron condensing boiler (photo) has a 92.7% AFUE and can be used with either natural or LP gas (no additional parts required for conversion, just reset the combustion settings and add a new label to the boiler).
www.peerlessboilers.com
 New Eternal Condensing Hybrid Water Heater:
Grand Hall unveils the new GU195M for the Eternal Condensing Hybrid Water Heater line. The GU195M encompasses the impressive 98+ percent efficiency while allowing multiple water heating units to be linked and common vented, with a maximum of eight units per group. Ideal for heavy commercial use that needs redundancy, the GU195M controls enable a single unit to automatically shut down in case of a failure while the others continue to operate with no cold water bleed-through.
http://eternalwaterheater.com/
 Concentric-Vented Tankless Water Heater:
The NR83-DVC, the newest addition to the Noritz line of whole-home residential tankless water heaters, will be available in early September. The new concentric-vented NR83-DVC has inputs ranging from 18,000 BTU per hour to 180,000 BTU/h and flow rates from 0.5 gallons per minute to 8.3 gpm, the NR83-DVC is designed specifically for one-bathroom homes in the Northeast, the Midwest and Canada, as well as two-bath residences in the Southeast and Southwest.
www.noritz.com.
 Cased Air Coil For Geothermal Systems
ClimateMaster now offers new Tranquility® (TAC) Cased Air Coil Series with sizes 026, 038, 049 and 064 for use with Tranquility indoor and outdoor geothermal split systems. Using EarthPure® HFC-410A refrigerant, the TAC exceeds federal requirements for the 30% tax credit on installation costs when paired with a ClimateMaster Tranquility split unit. This series is available in vertical up flow or down flow, and horizontal left or right airflow. The TAC easily connects to an existing fossil fuel furnace and has large removable access panels for serviceability.
www.climatemaster.com.
 Forged Brass Manifold:
Hydro-Core ™ is a patent pending, fully fabricated forged brass manifold that combines precision crafted closely spaced tees with Webstone's Isolator® w/ Rotating Flange & Drain™. It's designed specifically for hydraulic separation, pump isolation, and purging the near boiler piping or secondary circuit loops. www.webstonevalves.com
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AEC Store Corner
Featured product of the month!
 Geothermal and Radiant Heating DVD - $51.95
Not only is a ground source heat pump an ideal solar thermal collector, when coupled with a radiant heat distribution system, it is both highly energy-efficient and comfortable. Get the technical details on the design and installation of geothermal systems(35 minutes).
Follow this link to purchase this item.
Visit AECStore.com to view all of our products for the Radiant & Hydronics Pro.
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Getting Industry News Has Never Been Easier!
This edition of Radiant & Hydronics e-News was sent especially to you
because of your interest in the radiant and hydronic industries.
Never miss your newsletters!
Add radiantandhydronics@enews.bnpmedia.com to your address book.
Can't view html e-mail? See it online by clicking the "View as a Web Page" link
at the top of this e-newsletter.
Also, tell us how we did! We'd love to get your feedback.
If you have any comments or questions about this e-mail,
please write our editors and let them know
especially if you have suggestions how we can better serve your interests.
www.RadiantandHydronics.com |
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BNP Media
2401 W. Big Beaver Road, Ste. 700
Troy, Michigan, 48084-3333
U.S.A. |
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Radiant & Hydronics e-News is a twice-monthly newsletter compiled by the editorial staff of PM, Supply House Times and PMEngineer magazines. For questions, comments or requests of information, contact Editor Jim Olsztynski at olsztynskij@bnpmedia.com.
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Check out 
Along with BNP Construction Division head Tim Fausch, whose recent visit to Nashville inspired
PM On The Road: DeWalt's 12-Volt Line
