Articles Tagged with ''plumbers and pipefitters''

An installer is asked to pipe up two larger commercial air handlers supplied by a dual boiler sub-system. The building owner wants to make it possible to supply either air handler from either boiler. Can you spot some shortcomings and suggest a better way to accomplish the same objectives?

The U.S. EPA's "Fix A Leak Week" runs March 18-24.

The installer is tasked with setting up a three-zone radiant floor heating system using a 5-ton geothermal heat pump and a mod/con boiler, connected through a primary-secondary system with closely spaced tees. The system includes 4 earth loops of 1” HDPE tubing, each 500 feet long, supplying the heat pump, and features underfloor tubing with aluminum plates.

When a plumbing contracting company wants to grow, it can expand its geographic area by opening a new location, adding a new trade, or buying out another business.

A hydronics newbie decides that he can eliminate the temperature drop effect by putting all three supply-side tees upstream of all three return-side tees. If you don’t think it will work, what would you do to change it?

An installer inspects a system where an aging steam boiler supplies several cast-iron radiators. He proposes to convert the system from steam to hot water and replace the old boiler with a mod/con boiler. Can you spot some potential problems and suggest some improvements?

I recently received the following email: Advice needed on thermal expansion control. The homeowner has done his research and makes valid points regarding the conflicts within the UPC that was adopted by his local AHJ.

An installer is asked to replace two aging cast-iron boilers with two mod/con boilers, but reuse as much of the existing distribution system as possible. Can you spot several details, omissions or other quirks that will lead to problems over the life of this system?

Skilled trades offer an excellent opportunity for veterans to build a successful and fulfilling career enabling them to transition to civilian life.

Can you diagnose why this glitch is happening, and suggest alternate methods for constructing this portion of the system?