Plumbing and Mechanical

For those not directly connected to the field service industry, it might be surprising to learn that many technicians in this space do not have the tools or information available to make quotes on the spot and still struggle with finding transparent solutions for scheduling — resulting in delays and lost business.

I was lucky enough to be able to take a week off from work at the beginning of July. Though we attended so many family functions and get-togethers, I almost felt I needed another vacation to recover from my first vacation. Ever had one of those?

During JP Morgan’s investor day, investors heard optimistic tones coming from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who referred to our situation as “Strong economy, big storm clouds,” and went on to explain “I’m calling it storm clouds because they’re storm clouds. They may dissipate.” Dimon, who is known for his keen eye on the market, added that a recession is possible, but it would be unlike past downturns because of the unique mix of economic conditions we see ourselves in today.

You would never send your plumbers into the field without training and tools, right? What about the necessary sales training? Here is a simple 8-step approach that you can weave into your weekly service meetings to boost your team’s effectiveness in promoting add-ons.

All of my employees and I were sitting in our trucks eating lunch when the OSHA inspectors arrived on the commercial job site, which was a two-story addition to a nursing home. Talk about fear — the other trades and general contractor’s employees about had a coronary!

At the end of the day, if you want your business to be truly successful, you need to look after your people — that means giving them the tools to succeed, the resources they need to perform and a clear vision of where they’re going.

Some years ago, a wholesaler hired me to do a seminar in a New England hotel for about 100 of his contractor customers. After the seminar, the owner of the company invited me and a bunch of his employees out for a nice dinner. There were about 15 of us.

As building codes and programs such as Energy Star and Passive House require higher degrees of air sealing in new construction, the use of heat recovery ventilation (HRV) is increasing.

Just about every company claims to have a family culture, but not every company truly works hard to make it a fact. Harrell-Fish Inc. (HFI) is one of the good ones. With its vision statement, “We will relentlessly grow, develop and build our people, company and communities for a better future,” it’s clear HFI puts its employees first.

It’s not often that a 27-year-old decides to start his own contracting company, but in the case of Ryan Osterkamp, that’s exactly what happened.

During the workshop, girls of 6-14 years of age learned about the design and engineering elements of plumbing and designed their own showerheads using modeling clay. 

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company has announced that effective July 13, the company has purchased Neenah Enterprises, headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin.

Changes found in this seventh edition were primarily made to clarify and standardize the procedures within the booklet and ensure that the procedures mirror the steps found in the ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI Series 5000-2022, "Cross-Connection Control Professional Qualifications Standard."

On any given day inside a former K-6 schoolhouse in Elyria, Ohio, trade professionals can be found learning about the latest tools from RIDGID and how best to use them on the job site.

Best practices for designing and installing PEX to leverage the benefits of installation efficiencies, job-site safety and profitability potential.

The commercial water heating market has options for building owners and facility managers when it comes to selecting equipment for their facilities — tank or tankless, gas models or electric — even heat pump water heaters are seeing growth in this space. So which is the most popular? Well, it all depends on who you ask.

CPVC has been used for residential plumbing in the U.S. for more than 60 years and is unique among today’s plumbing materials. CPVC was specifically designed to be compatible with American drinking water and is impervious to chlorine. As a result, virtually all CPVC failures can be traced back to improper installation or servicing practices.

For installation into grooved piping systems, get hip to Milwaukee Valve’s grooved-end butterfly valve line — a fab addition to its existing high-performance and resilient-seated butterfly valve family, the company says.

The HYMAX Pro Dedicated Size Coupling, also known as flexible couplings, is engineered for new construction projects to provide an easy and safe means of joining same-size plain end pipes without the need for welding and/or special pipe fittings.

The NIBCO 585HP, designed for commercial and industrial applications, allows for easier installation, adjustability and long service life, the company says.

The re-SOLVER is a high performance, self-acting, adjustable thermostatic recirculation valve that automatically and continuously controls water flow on an individual loop.

The new LOKX System Ductile Iron Fitting from GF Piping Systems features an internal self-restraining gasket that eliminates pipe-to-pipe and pipe-to-fitting separation, even at high pressures. 

Bee Valve Push-in fittings feature FDA/NSF compliance, are quick and easy to use and re-use, and are resistant to inorganic chemicals, oils, fats and synthetic detergents, the company says.

The FlowGuard MultiPort is a 1” x 1/2” 3-port manifold that can be placed on a main or hot water recirculating line. 

The new 225TV Tapping Valve is available in sizes 4"-12". This resilient wedge valve, with a 250 psi-rated water working pressure, has interior and exterior fusion bonded epoxy coating to AWWA C550 standards.