Kirk Nagus of Axiom answers questions at his booth.
Delegates had the opportunity to see the latest hydronic technologies.
The Fluid Forward 2016 hydronics conference and tradeshow was held June 2 in Kitchener, ON. Organized by Jess-Don Dunford, the full-day event featured guest presentations and offered over 150 attendees the chance to network and learn about some of the latest technologies the hydronics industry has to offer.
Jeff House, sales engineering and training manager at Jess-Don Dunford, kicked off the presentations by discussing boiler piping for profitability. He talked about pre-engineered piping systems and different materials for piping installations.
Delegates had the opportunity to speak directly to industry experts. Tom Gervais (r) was a speaker at the event.
His presentation was followed by Tom Gervais, international sales manager, Laars Heating Systems, who walked the audience through his top seven no call-back habits of boiler installation. “Right off the bat, leave some space around the unit,” he said, explaining that many boiler installations are too tight and make maintenance difficult. Additionally, he reminded contractors to create a checklist when installing, which includes: combustion, venting, gas supply, hydraulic piping, water flow, control and maintenance.
Maintenance was also a focus for Kirk Nagus, general manager at Axiom Industries Ltd. He insisted that the upkeep of condensing boilers is critical to maintaining high water quality. After discussing the negative effects of corrosion, he explained some ways to reduce corrosion in boiler applications. “The solution is to use demineralized water, this is widely recognized in Europe and is even required by code there,” he said, as it can help extend the life of the hydronics system.
Staying away from over complicating systems was the key to
Sean Giberson of Taco Canada encouraged attendees to keep systems simple.
Sean Giberson’s presentation. Giberson, who is Taco Canada’s Canadian sales manager, wholesale products, talked about the controls and strategies for multi-zone designs, and encouraged moving toward simplifying installations. Simplification makes for an easier installation and user experience, noted Giberson.
Kevin Viera of HBX Controls discussed enhancing the user’s HVAC/R experience through the internet of things (IOT). Though IoT has the potential to save energy, money and time and increase comfort, Viera explained that there are drawbacks. These include consumer adoption of IoT, power supply, environmental impact and privacy.
The event also featured an offsite engineer workshop, presented by HPAC columnist Mike Miller. Miller, who is director of commercial sales with Taco Canada, talked to delegates about variable speed pumps, VFD Drives and building automation.
The evening offered attendees the chance to connect with others in the industry, and featured a special networking session accompanied by the live music. House said that he hopes to have another Fluid Forward event in the future.
There were several draws during the event. The winners were:
55″ Flat Screen T.V.
Brian Schweitzer, McKeough Supply
Milwaukee Combo Drill package:
Dave Harvey, Konkle Plumbing & Heating
Toolbox/Drillbits:
Jeff Hunter, Redmond/Williams
Hydromatic SK50-1 Pump:
Brandon Neville, A Village Fireplace Shop
Hydromatic VA-1 Pump
Nick Reggi, 1071860 Ont Inc.
