November 2020 | PM Magazine

The November 2020 issue of Plumbing & Mechanical features High-tech safety features that help contractors reduce liability risk. This issue also looks at Top sink and faucet trends for 2021, and much more!

Not your father’s work truck

High-tech safety features help contractors reduce liability risk.

Nicole Krawcke

November 2, 2020

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Perhaps one of the most critical parts of a plumbing and heating contractor’s business is its fleet.

Top sink and faucet trends for 2021

Homeowners are looking to upgrade and renovate now more than ever.

Rhyan White

November 10, 2020

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According to Houzz’s 2020 home renovations survey, the most popular room to remodel is the kitchen, with 26% of homeowners surveyed saying they remodeled their kitchen last year.

PM Profile: Nexstar Network's Julian Scadden

New president and CEO aims to help members achieve their goals.

Nicole Krawcke

November 11, 2020

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In August, Nexstar Network announced Julian Scadden would replace Jack Tester as president and CEO, effective Nov. 1. Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke recently chatted with Scadden about his background and leadership goals for the organization.

Cogeneration puts New York college on the leading edge of sustainability

The project has saved the school more than $17,000 in annual electricity costs.

Eric Morrow

November 9, 2020

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Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) has served upstate New York for more than 50 years.

The changing landscape of fire protection

NFPA 770 is the first standard on hybrid fire extinguishing systems.

Bob Ballard

November 3, 2020

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The world is changing quickly, and transformative technologies are introducing new requirements for safety.

4 reasons hydronic radiant heating promotes sustainability and indoor environmental quality

Radiant systems provide numerous benefits for homeowners.

Kim Bliss

November 4, 2020

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With remote work becoming the standard for many employees across the U.S. and homeowners spending even more time indoors as a result of the pandemic, a new focus is emerging on the need for sustainability and indoor environmental quality in homes.

Explaining the advantages of tankless water heaters to customers

Educate your customers on the many benefits tankless systems.

Alan Smith

October 29, 2020

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As plumbing contractors, we know about the many benefits of upgrading to a tankless water heater.

How fleet solutions benefit the plumbing and mechanical industry

Fleet management is cost-effective and easy to implement for businesses of all sizes.

Kimberly Green-Kerr

October 28, 2020

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When you own or manage a field service business, you rely on a mobile workforce to generate revenue.

Matt Michel: 6 service vehicle mistakes

The most common mistakes made by plumbing contractors.

Matt Michel

October 27, 2020

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The biggest capital expense for most plumbing companies is the fleet of service vehicles.

Nicole Krawcke: Plumbers protect the health of the nation

Ensure your employees are inspecting your customers’ entire plumbing system.

Nicole Krawcke

October 20, 2020

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A few weeks ago, I came across a heartbreaking news story about a 6-year-old boy from Texas who died after contracting a rare amoeba called Naegleria fowleri from the local water supply.

Kenny Chapman: The overlooked key to your company’s growth

If your company isn’t growing at the rate you desire, ask yourself how you can personally grow more.

Kenny Chapman

October 23, 2020

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Based on my years of operating, coaching and training in the in-home service industry, if I had to name the top five struggles contractors face, one of them would be failure to grow at the desired speed.

Dave Yates: Dead wrong

It never hurts to perform your own inspections.

Dave Yates

October 26, 2020

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I was revisiting a boiler bid with customers for whom we've done other work in the past, and we were going over the two-year-old bid to replace their aging beast in the basement.

John Siegenthaler: Back to basics: Thoughtful zoning

Things to consider before planning your piping layout.

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

October 21, 2020

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A zone is any area of a building for which indoor air temperature is controlled by a single thermostat (or other type of temperature controller).

Dan Holohan: What I learned about steam traps

Lessons learned in the field.

Dan Holohan

October 22, 2020

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Most of this, I had to learn the hard way. Perhaps you’ve done the same, but in case you haven’t, please allow me to save you some heartache.

Al Levi: How are you judging your staff’s performance?

Evaluate your employees on objective standards.

Al Levi

October 20, 2020

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With every new consulting client, I begin our work by asking the following: “How are you judging your staff’s performance?”

Tool Tips: Setting toilet bowls

November 16, 2020

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I have been reading a lot of tips about setting toilet bowls.

The Glitch & The Fix: Share, and share alike

November 18, 2020

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An installer is asked to pipe up two larger commercial air handlers supplied by a dual boiler setup.

SharkBite: Flexible water heater connectors

November 10, 2020

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Created with SharkBite push-to-connect ends, SharkBite water heater connectors enable quick installation, the company notes.

Jomar Valve: Thermal expansion relief valve

November 9, 2020

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The JF-100RVG is a combination isolation and pressure relief valve.

NEOPERL: Hidden aerators

November 5, 2020

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Cache’ hidden aerators eliminate the need for conventional metal housings by threading directly into the faucet spout, rendering it invisible, NEOPERL points out.

Dovetail Workwear: Women's flannel work shirt

November 6, 2020

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The Givens stretch flannel work shirt by Dovetail Workwear is made of a custom brushed cotton flannel.

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America: Commercial truck

November 4, 2020

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The 2020i Isuzu NPR-HD Gas vehicle features a new GMPT Gen V L8T V8 gasoline engine that operates at 350 HP at 4500 RPM, and features 425 lb.-ft. of torque at 3800 RPM.

Ram Commercial: ProMaster van

November 3, 2020

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Engineered and designed for extreme daily work and to be upfitter friendly, Ram Commercial vehicles are built for an unrelenting duty cycle with direct customer input, the manufacturer notes.