Plumbing & Mechanical Contractor

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Eye candy would best describe many of the products on display at the great AHR Exposition recently held in Orlando Florida’s Convention Center.

From smarter water heaters and valves to AI-powered diagnostics and real-time energy optimization, the future of plumbing is here —and it’s connected.

As electrification reshapes the HVAC market, hydronic-based heating and cooling systems stand ready to offer many design and performance benefits. One of them is the potential for thermal storage. After all, water is one of the best materials on earth for storing sensible heat.

I suspect manufacturers have had annual price increases since they began producing the items we need. So far this week we have been informed by one of our suppliers that the condensing boiler we use most often is going up by six percent.

Jobs like yours are dangerous. You knew when you started your career that you and your crew would be at risk of injury most days. But you were willing to take the chance anyway because you love what you do. As a contractor, you also know that without proper safety training, everyone on your team is a sitting duck waiting for a life-changing injury.

Sustainable leadership in home services focuses on long-term success by investing in people and processes. Companies with this approach see 47% higher revenue growth and 36% greater profitability, while those offering professional development enjoy 94% higher employee retention.

This has been busier than normal heating season. I suppose this winter was colder than most in the last decade. For the first time in years, we had to make numerous repairs to frozen pipes. There were many late nights and weekends that required me or my men to work extra hours. I’m sure we were not alone.

As end users become more aware of and knowledgeable about the damaging effects of PFAS, microplastics, other chemicals, and hard water, plumbing professionals must be up-to-date with the latest water treatment and filtration technologies on the market. Plumbing & Mechanical sat down with Sara Krupa, category manager, filtration at Moen, to talk all things water filtration.

In the world of service contractors — where time, labor and oftentimes materials — are in limited supply, establishing a brand and marketing strategy aren’t always top of mind. For Texas-based plumbing contractor, Plumbing Outfitters, undergoing a rebrand was about much more than portraying an image.

The availability of heat pumps allows designers and installers of hydronic heating to include cooling. A simple method involves using a single air handler with a chilled water coil for a ducted distribution system, providing single zone cooling that can complement multi-zone hydronic heating in average houses.