2022 December

Nicole Krawcke: Technology and trends to watch in 2023

Don’t miss out on these opportunities to position your business for success in the new year.

December 12, 2022

Does anybody else feel like 2022 just flew right by, or is it just me? It seems too early for Christmas decorations and music — just a few short weeks ago, Michigan was still having 70-degree weather! But ‘tis the season!

Brad Williams: An unprecedented year for M&A

Challenges buyers face and what they should keep in mind.

Brad Williams

December 9, 2022

No Comments

This past year has been an unprecedented year for the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) space, hitting $5 trillion in volume in 2021 through over 40,000 transactions. The number of transactions in the distribution and manufacturing space has caused owners to take a closer look at their options regarding selling and/or acquisition options.

Michael Copp: U.S. student math, reading scores will impact the trades

Decreasing scores could exacerbate ongoing workforce shortages.

Michael Copp

December 8, 2022

No Comments

The National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) reported in what’s referred to as the "nation’s report card" in September 2022 that recent long-term reading and mathematics assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that “average scores for age 9 students in 2022 declined five points in reading and seven points in mathematics compared to 2020.

Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning technician

Codes Corner: Upcoming changes to I-Codes on new lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) A2L refrigerants

Prepare to adapt

Jim Cika

December 7, 2022

No Comments

A2L refrigerants are the latest refrigerants recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) as substitutes in residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems.

Matt Michel: The aging-in-place opportunity

Tips and tricks to help plumbing contractors meet an increasing demand.

Matt Michel

December 6, 2022

One Comment

Ninety percent of seniors would rather remain in their own homes than move to assisted living, according to AginginPlace.org. Given the costs of assisted living, aging-in-place makes financial sense as well. Yet, many homes are not ready, which presents an opportunity for plumbing contractors.

Dave Yates: Air-to-water heat pumps

New heat pump products pave the way for the shove to all things electric.

Dave Yates

December 5, 2022

No Comments

Taco Comfort Solutions wins the AHR 2023 Innovation award for Sustainable Solutions with its System M. I fully expect to see a virtual explosion in the number of air-to-water heat pumps on display at the upcoming AHR Expo in February.

Kenny Chapman: Motivation is not about carrots or sticks

It’s time to move beyond these old approaches.

Kenny Chapman

December 2, 2022

No Comments

Motivation. It’s something we all need and want, but that’s where the commonality ends. Each of us needs different things to motivate us to get things done. That means that when you talk about motivation, you need to know what kind of motivation your specific team member is interested in and what they will best respond to.

Dan Holohan: The geography of auto-feeders on steam

Auto-feeders — yay or nay?

Dan Holohan

December 1, 2022

One Comment

I have heating (plumbing, fire suppression, etc.) shops in New York and New Jersey. This is very much steam country, and we repair and replace steam boilers and systems all week long and have been for decades. All that is fine, but what I find incredibly odd is the polarized perception of the automatic water feeder.

John Siegenthaler: Geothermal pipe passages

Bringing earth loop piping through poured concrete.

John Siegenthaler, P.E.

November 30, 2022

One Comment

Water-to-water heat pumps, supplied from geothermal earth loops, represent a growing sector of the hydronic heat source market. Most current-generation models can produce water temperatures up to about 125° F, perhaps a little higher if you’re willing to push the compressor operating envelope.

PHVAC industry experts remain cautiously optimistic for 2023

Rising material costs, inflation and labor shortages will continue to challenge contracting businesses in the new year.

Nicole Krawcke

December 13, 2022

No Comments

The home services industry began 2022 with strong growth due to the home renovation trends from the previous year; however, factors such as rising material costs, labor shortages and inflation resulted in a slight decline in new work being scheduled in Q2 and Q3, according to Jobber’s Q3 Home Service Economic Report.

The Glitch + The Fix: Plethora of problems

December 26, 2022

One Comment

Can you spot at least 5 causes for concern among these three photos? If so, what would you do to correct them?

PHCC Educational Foundation contest materials donated to Habitat for Humanity

November 8, 2022

No Comments

This year, the Foundation was able to provide contest materials to the Charlotte Region Habitat for Humanity organization.

Joan Robinson of My Plumber Plus honored with Call Handler Award for Customer Service Excellence

November 11, 2022

No Comments

The Call Handler Award program recognizes outstanding call handlers in the CallSource Nexstar Cubeside Coaching program.

IAPMO Crowns International Plumbing Champions at Conclusion of WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition

November 14, 2022

No Comments

The competition showcased national champions from 20 WorldSkills member countries.

Variety, convenience increases technical training success

Online training streamlines access to education.

Charles Phillips

December 23, 2022

No Comments

Training has always provided an effective way to stay on top of the latest industry products and trends, but with the wave of younger plumbing and HVAC technicians entering the field, it has become even more critical to success.

Pump standards make the word go ‘round

Experts laud the most influential guidance advancing pump system design.

Peter Gaydon Timothy Paulus Steve Fehniger

December 21, 2022

No Comments

It is in the interest of regulators, engineers, contractors, architects and system owners to find the most efficient paths to pump system solutions. The rising tide of standards plays a significant role in elevating the performance, reliability and quality of pump systems — minimizing the trial and error it often takes to arrive at the solutions best suited for the application. However, some standards stand out for the magnitude of their impact.

Brewers cook up a new batch at Ironshield

CASE STUDY

Proper drainage system helps steer brewery to success

Georgia’s Ironshield Brewing takes dedication to craft to new levels.

Dan Vastyan

December 19, 2022

No Comments

It’s quite an understatement to say that managers of Ironshield Brewing near Atlanta, take customer satisfaction seriously. Or, that brewing is a passion there.