Plumbing & Mechanical Top Stories

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In the third edition of the Bath & Kitchen Pro eBook you’ll find both residential and commercial product and design trends, showroom display trends, economic indicators and more!

In the United States, bidet sales have grown steadily at a year-over-year rate of 14% to 15%. According to Stephanie Ewing, director, Wholesale North America for Bemis Manufacturing Co., specifying bidets is “becoming a market need driven by market demand. The pandemic started the trend of increased consumer awareness that a solution other than toilet paper was available, as well as an increased focus on hygiene.”

Watts Water Technologies held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April to celebrate the grand opening of its latest training center in Fort Worth, Texas. The new 250,000-square-foot facility is customized for training, administration and manufacturing, and joins five other Watts Works Learning Centers across North America.

Historically specified and installed as radiant heating and cooling or snow- and ice-melting systems pipe, PEX is now trending as a viable hydronic distribution pipe for heating hot water and chilled water applications.

Canadian wildfires heavily impacted air quality throughout the United States. Jon Douglas, director of Johnson Controls’ Healthy Building Services and Solutions, offers advice everyone can use to protect indoor air quality (IAQ) when outdoor conditions become extreme.

The demand for tankless water heaters is increasing as the plumbing industry and federal and state governments strive toward energy efficiency. According to a report form Grandview Research, the tankless water heater market is projected to reach USD 6.8 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7% during the next seven years.

The plumbing industry has seen lots of fast-paced changes in recent years. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, material price increases and the vast consolidations in the mergers and acquisitions markets, those who can’t keep up and stay relevant, fall behind.

A few weeks back I was having a conversation with a plumbing and HVAC contracting business owner. During the beginning of our discussion, he abruptly told me, “I just use ChatGPT to do your job.”

I never started my business with the intention of selling it. In 2005, I started Hornback Plumbing with three employees, and I started the business because I loved plumbing. I have a son who works with me, and I’ve always wanted to pass the baton to him.

I once had someone tell me “I don’t care where water comes from as long as it comes out of that faucet when I turn it on.”