The April 2022 issue of Plumbing & Mechanical highlights how water filtration systems have grown post-pandemic, embracing smart home plumbing technology and so much more.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the world drastically changed as businesses shut down and employees moved to work-from-home settings. Once used mostly by the tech industry, video chat software companies such as Zoom, Go To Meeting and Microsoft Teams saw huge increases in demand as people began using these services for work, school and even to stay in touch with family members. Even doctor’s visits became virtual.
Let’s be honest. The trades are the inventors of 'remote work.' For decades, we’ve been dispatching remotely while technicians are awarded company vehicles to drive home each evening. They begin their mornings from the comfort of their own homes by receiving their work log for the day through walkie-talkie, text, email, slack, pager… remember those? Shoot, we’re awesome — others should take note!
It’s no secret that efficient fleet vehicles are a vital component of any successful plumbing or mechanical business. Field service vehicles not only increase new business through brand exposure while on the road; they serve the primary purpose of getting technicians and their equipment to and from job locations.
We’ve all been taught that the most important things we can do in business are taking the best possible care of our customers and running the business operations as efficiently as possible, right?
There’s no doubt about it, concern over water quality is becoming more prevalent. One just had to walk the trade show floor during the 2022 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) to see plenty of new water filtration and management systems, some even dispensing sparkling water by user preference.
During the show, Power Selling Pros Head of MarketingZac Garside listens to customer service calls and discusses how the CSR could have improved the experience.
REHAU Group announced is has suspended operations in Russia, due to the development of the crisis and the suffering of the people in Ukraine. REHAU said its priority is the safety of its colleagues and their families in Ukraine and those that are leaving the country. The company began preparing possible contingency plans some time ago.
Bradford White and PHCC announced the renewal of their exclusive strategic partnership agreement and confirm their joint commitment to promoting and strengthening the plumbing and HVACR industries. The continuing partnership between two of the PCHP industry’s most trusted organizations reflects their shared mission to support professional contractors and their teams through investments in training, education, recruiting and advocacy resources.
The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), owned by the National Kitchen and Bath Association, wrapped it’s first in-person show in two years. The combined strengths of the NKBA and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), continuing their nine-year partnership to produce Design and Construction Week (DCW), brought forth the first and one of the largest in-person events since the beginning of the pandemic.
The age-old question of function versus form has confounded experts in every field for countless decades.
Jeff Sweenor, president and CEO of Sweenor Builders in Wakefield, Rhode Island, looks at it differently. He asks, why not both? Function certainly comes first, but when the dust settles, his projects look as good as they work.
Heat pumps offer attractive solutions to energy-efficient heating and cooling, and the market is growing. According to a November 2021 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), nearly 180 million heat pumps were used for heating in 2020, as the global stock increased nearly 10% per year over the past five years.
Scald protection valves are the last line of defense in protecting occupants from dangerously hot water in plumbing systems. Point-of-use mixing valves keep building occupants safe and enable a variety of important domestic hot water recirculation applications. How are designers using scald protection mixing valves to advance the broader topic of DHW recirculation?
The National Kitchen & Bath Association and John Burns Real Estate Consulting’s Kitchen and Bath Market Index Report released last fall shows continued demand for residential remodel services, despite the challenges facing the supply chain and ongoing price increases. In fact, the report shows that 89% of customers are shifting toward pricier items and high-end finishes. Among these increasingly popular higher-end products lies the growing customer desire for smart plumbing — Wi-Fi-connected, voice-activated and/or touchless — products.
The TTS Synergy Series features a turndown ratio of 66:1 that will provide more than 1,600 gallons of hot water per hour, yet is compact enough to fit through a standard mechanical room doorway, the company says.
The Gen-Ear LE can pinpoint water leaks in residential and commercial water lines — including problems in walls and under concrete slabs, swimming pools and hot tubs, the company says.
Isuzu’s 2023 gasoline-powered N-Series Class 3 and 4 models receive many enhancements, including four-wheel disc brakes as part of a new Vacuum + Power Assist Brake System with anti-locking braking (ABS).
The Mikrofill 3 hydronic system pressurization unit is the most advanced, “direct-type” pressurization unit available for sealed, low-pressure hot-water (LPHW) and chilled-water (CHW) commercial and multifamily residential applications, the company says.
Maintain constant flow and 100% valve authority over a wide range of differential pressures with the Cocon Q Pressure Independent Control Valve, the company says.
WarmlyYours’ new Crystal Towel Warmer accents are crystal-capped collars that are placed on the compatible towel warmer’s legs, so they remain visible even when the device has towels on it.
Wayne, a Scott Fetzer Consumer Brand and maker of water management solutions, developed and released its latest IoT product, the Wayne Basement Guardian HALO smart sump pump.
The In-Out head, with exclusive Integrated Bypass, utilizes industry standard threaded fitting kit connections to simplify installation by plumbers and water treatment dealers and streamlines field-installation inventory requirements, the company says.
CircuitSolver’s Cold Water Balancing Valve is designed to automatically balance cold water recirculation systems, effectively mitigating the risk of Legionella bacteria growth in a domestic cold-water system by continuously monitoring water temperatures and modulating flow to maintain a set temperature at the end of each branch or riser.
The Navigator digital mixing valve is engineered with advanced technology to deliver and maintain water temperatures within +/- 3º F, even during low and zero demand periods, the digital valve maximizes safety and efficiency for domestic hot water systems, the company says.
Anvil Lok-Shield locks in place with easily bent tabs that wrap around the clevis hanger’s side and hold the insulation shield firmly in place during installation.
Grundfos’ CR 255 features a new hydraulic design improves everything from impeller to guide vanes to inlet, discharge port, sleeve, and diffuser, taking current energy efficiency and performance standards for vertical multi-stage inline pumps to the next level
Engineers have a safe and reliable solution for wastewater transfer with the NCX series of explosion-proof submersible non-clog pumps from FPS, a brand of Franklin Electric.