Plumbing and Mechanical

Two engineers are wearing orange safety vests and hard hats and are looking at a laptop at a locomotive service station.

Guest Editorial | Tara Denning

Aligning talent strategy with business strategy

A practical roadmap for mid-sized trade businesses.

February 16, 2026

Developing leaders creates leverage for the organization. It allows business owners to step back from day-to-day operations and focus on strategic growth.

An air-source heat pump is being installed on a home in North East England for sustainability. A female construction worker in a hard hat and reflective jacket points to the heat pump while speaking to a man holding papers and gesturing.

Heating Perceptions | Scott Secor

Why some boiler replacement jobs may not be the right fit

Multi-bid residential boiler replacements are changing the economics of estimating, and sometimes, it’s smarter to walk away.

Scott Secor

February 5, 2026

Every job isn't right for every contractor.

Air conditioner condenser unit sitting next to brick home with fence.

Hydronics Workshop | John Siegenthaler

What’s it capable of? (part 2)

Measuring net heat output and head loss in existing hydronic circuits.

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

February 4, 2026

In hydronic systems, the circuit usually passes through the boiler, which adds heat. When using a block heater and the boiler is off, it dissipates heat from the circuit. This heat loss must be considered when measuring the circuit's true "net" heating output.

Air Conditioner technician using a brazing torch to repair equipment.

Contractor's Corner | Dave Yates

Brazing safety in the A2L era

Explore how refrigerant chemistry, heavier-than-air gases, and real-world brazing hazards highlight critical safety practices for HVAC and mechanical contractor.

Dave Yates

February 2, 2026

We become comfortable with what we perceive to be best practices and believe they are also safe for all involved. Cupric oxide will always be a concern when brazing copper refrigerant line sets, so purging with nitrogen is the best way to keep your refrigerant lines clean and pristine during brazing.

Grundfos KPVS pump in a large data center.

Data centers: Why prefab fits

Speed, repeatability, and redundancy are redefining how plumbing and mechanical systems are delivered in high-uptime digital infrastructure.

Kristen R. Bayles

February 3, 2026

Data centers are moving faster than ever, and prefabrication is helping them keep up.

Details of central heating system in a boiler room.

The Glitch & The Fix: February 2026

Bewitched Btus: Understanding the hydraulic consequences of improper primary loop design

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

February 4, 2026

Figure 1 shows the piping layout for an actual installation. It uses two boilers, fired in stages, to supply three areas of a building. One of those areas is sub-divided into three zones. The other two areas are handled by individual zone circulators. The "primary circulator" operates whenever any load circuit is on. All circulators are fixed speed. There's a partially closed ball valve at the end of the "primary loop."

Commercial pipe support system installed on a wall.

Commercial pipe support best practices: applications, materials and code compliance explained

Commercial construction presents unique challenges that make pipe support more complex than in residential work.

Sean Comerford

February 13, 2026

Pipe support plays a foundational role in the performance, safety, and longevity of commercial plumbing and mechanical systems.

Feature image of a locker room with wooden lockers, a robe, hand towels in a basket and two showers in the back.

Designing out water stagnation in recreation plumbing systems

Smart flushing faucets and self-draining showers give plumbers new tools to manage water age and protect public health.

Greg Hunt

February 12, 2026

Stagnant water is a threat to public health in recreation facilities that are intermittently used.

A guide to rebates, including how to stack them

Rebates, without the headaches

Kristen R. Bayles

February 11, 2026

Presenting rebate amounts and net costs alongside energy savings over time can shift the conversation from “How much will it cost?” to “What’s this really worth?”

Giving apprentices a space to practice and make mistakes – and more importantly, learn from them – reduces the risk of errors on the job.

Creating the complete technician

A look into the internship program at Lutz Plumbing, Inc. in San Francisco.

Kristen R. Bayles

February 9, 2026

Their focus on culture-first training became the foundation for everything else: technical instruction, soft skills development and long-term career progression.