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You may be the best technical plumber in town, but you will earn poor reviews and bad word-of-mouth if you cannot communicate well. Here are nine simple steps you can take to improve your communication skills. Almost all of them are non-verbal.

In my January column, I began a series focused on chemical and non-chemical additives or technologies that I treat as “must consider” for plumbing engineers in their design practices to reduce the risk of legionella bacteria developing in the domestic water system.

Each week, the BNP Media Plumbing Group delivers five of the PHCP-PVF industry’s latest headlines in five minutes or less in its Plumbing Group Pipeline news recap.

Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!
For older folks, that’s a serious consideration, and falls can break bones and cause lifelong debilitating injuries, while ice and snow present numerous dangers.

In terms of civic engagement, younger generations have been voting and volunteering at higher rates than previous generations. Regardless of one’s political beliefs, I think we can all agree that politics has become a much bigger portion of daily life. Whether on social media or at our local coffee shop, we all are spending more energy talking about the bigger picture.

Are you struggling to move on from past mistakes? Many leaders in the trades find themselves in this position at some point in their careers. It can be difficult to let go of what's happened and focus on the future, but it's essential for your continued success. This month, I’m sharing some tips on how to move forward despite past mistakes.

Building and safety codes are near and dear to my heart as they, undoubtedly, have a significant impact on public health, safety and welfare. Buildings in every jurisdiction in the United States use some version of building and safety codes. In addition, building and safety codes cover most products manufactured for the building and construction industries.

People who knew Capt. Montgomery C. Meigs said he was occasionally pompous, but when the job was done to his satisfaction, he said, “This was the most difficult piece of engineering and construction that I have yet to undertake.”

Government planners, taking their queues from politicians and advocacy organizations, have steered the future of energy supply away from fossil fuels and toward renewably-sourced electricity. It’s happening on every level from the feds right down to local city councils.

A recent inquiry involved a heating system for a school in which two electric boilers were being added to supplement the output of a gas-fired cast-iron boiler, and take advantage of low “off-peak” electrical rates.