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There has been a lot of private equity activity in the service trades since the COVID-19 lockdowns. Suddenly, boring old businesses gained monetary sex appeal when they were declared essential and could continue making money while many other local businesses were effectively shuttered. This has led to a land rush for good service contracting businesses and many plumbers have grabbed the brass ring while the grabbing was seen as good.

I always seek out the Bradford White booth to see what’s new and visit with friends both old and new. It was fun catching up with Carlos Morales because we had worked closely together several years ago in the development of the company’s gas-fired tankless water heater line. Lois and I had the opportunity to beta-test a number of tankless models and report back on their performance. Stability of delivery temperature; showering while other hot water usages ran simultaneously or intermittently; and, of course, attempting to max out the full-flow capacity.

The most effective leaders understand that leadership is more than just giving orders and dictating how things should be done. It’s about understanding the unique needs of everyone in your company (or department) and finding a way to lead in a fair and compassionate manner.

Morris had me on the phone. It was 1974 and he was calling from Brooklyn, New York. I had a waxed handlebar mustache that year, and my workmates at the manufacturers’ rep were calling me Rollie Fingers because he was pitching for the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.

Last month, we discussed the role of buffer tanks in combination with air-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps that operate as “on/off” devices. The key concept was to turn the heat pump on and off based on changes in the buffer tank temperatures and not based on thermostats calling for heat.

Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it is proposing the first-ever national drinking water standard for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The proposal, if finalized, would regulate PFOA and PFOS as individual contaminants, and will regulate four other PFAS — PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX Chemicals — as a mixture.

Recent LinkedIn studies show that more than half of the workforce is open to exploring new employment opportunities. That means there is a good chance that as you read this article, you have people assessing their employment options in your company.

It was August 2019 when I was last published in PM magazine. I wrote about the failure of cast iron soil pipe, which now has customers often waiting two weeks or often longer for a plumber. As the plumbing instructor at Ultimate Technical Academy, the administration is adding classes to accommodate the need for plumbers as quickly as possible.

"According to the ASHRAE HVAC Applications Handbook, the estimated life of an air-to-air heat pump or a rooftop unit is 15 years while a boiler life expectancy is between 24-35 years, depending on the boiler type. So, you will install two heat pumps or rooftop units for every boiler. Where do you think those old units will end up?" I ask the class.

Scalding in the home or burns from hot liquids is dangerous to anyone, but is a particular concern to the youngest and oldest Americans. Plumbers are charged with protecting the health of the nation. Thus, plumbers can play a key role in reducing the risk, starting with homeowner education.