The Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating Exposition (CIPHEX) West will return to Calgary, AB, on November 7 and 8, 2018. The trade show features more than 250 global exhibitors. It will focus on plumbing, hydronics, HVAC/R and water treatment.…
One of the biggest thieves of efficiency in boiler operations is the accumulation of soot and/or scale on heat exchanger surfaces. It does not take long for soot to start causing significant loss of energy efficiency. In a matter of…
Over time the hydronic industry has changed the approach to system piping designs and temperature control as equipment efficiency and technology has evolved. In the late 1960s and early 1970s out-door air reset was utilized. This allowed for better temperature…
It is not uncommon for contractors, and sometimes consumers, to call me to complain about the performance of a hydronic system. Many of these times, if it is not system settings related, it is because the consumer is expecting different…
There is currently a lot of attention being devoted to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings. One of the primary methods that governments are using to meet their goals is to tighten up building codes to require super-insulated and…
Many hydronic heating professionals like to promote that the modern boilers they install are capable of operating with thermal efficiencies in the range of 95 +/- per cent. Professionals who install geothermal heat pumps often boast that their equipment is…
Sound complaints are the number one indoor environmental quality problem in buildings today, surpassing thermal comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ) and lighting quality in the hierarchy of occupant discomfort. Objections can be anything from chatter in offices, to the neighbour’s…
The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) is hosting a webinar on hydronic snow and ice melting systems, intended for mechanical engineers, designers, contractors, building owners, facility managers and architects. Held in conjunction with its education partner RedVector, the first webinar…
ASHRAE has announced a call for papers for its 2019 annual conference Abstract submissions are due August 21, 2018. If accepted, final papers will be due November 30, 2018. Technical papers – 30-pages maximum, to be published in ASHRAE Transactions…
Etobicoke, ON-based Desco Plumbing and Heating Supply is the latest distributor for Aquatherm polypropylene-radom pipe. Desco, part of Deschênes Group, is a wholesale distributor of plumbing, hydronic and HVAC Products with 17 locations in central and southwestern Ontario. “We are…
Noble held its 25th Anniversary customer appreciation BBQ and tradeshow June 22 at its head office on Jane Street in Toronto, ON. The event attracted about 1000 contractors and other Noble customers. Jim Anderson, Noble’s general manager, along with local…
Canadian Institute of Heating and Plumbing (CIPH) members from Calgary, AB and Edmonton, AB, along with members of the Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) of Alberta, have outlined a course of action to tackle the impact of “intense insulation requirements” on…
Heat pumps are destined to carve out an increasing percentage of future residential and light commercial HVAC market. This trend is based on the convergence of market drivers such as increasing electrical generation by utility scale photovoltaics and wind turbines,…
Are thermostatic mixing valves for plumbing or hydronic heating? Well it turns out they are for both. The same valve can be found in the domestic hot water supply system, as well as the control valve for a hydronic heating…
I believe a good chunk of the architectural, building and HVAC industry is unaware that a few years ago California’s Center for the Built Environment (CBE, UC Berkeley) got a big cheque to carry out extensive research on radiant cooling…
The Ampex Insulated PEX Panel is designed for a cost-effective installation of hydronic radiant in-floor heating systems. The panel is a combination of EPS molded to a high impact polystyrene film resulting in a stronger, resilient interlocking panel. It is…
As noted in Part I and Part II of this series (see HPAC February and March 2018), control systems are often blamed when something is not operating as expected. More often than not, if control systems do not perform as…
Equipment change out impacted by space, venting and timing issues. Friends of mine were recently faced with a decision when their combination boiler/DHW heater refused to provide either. Now this should not have come as a complete surprise as the…
Over the course of your career you have probably used a number of strategies to compete for projects. Maybe your choice de jour was to do battle using a lowest price model. Maybe you got tired of dealing with headaches…
As it was noted in Part I of this series (see HPAC February 2018), control systems are often blamed when something is not operating as expected. More often than not, if control systems do not perform as needed, something…
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What characteristic do solar thermal collectors, hydronic heat pumps and thermal storage tanks supplied by biomass boilers have in common? Answer: They all perform best when coupled to distribution systems that operate at low supply water temperatures. But that is…
Controls are often blamed when hydronic systems are not operating properly. While that may sometimes be the case, always look at what else may be influencing performance. While control systems are not flawless, consider that they are developed in a…
In Lowering the bar–part I, we discussed how to size supplemental heat emitters that allow the supply water temperature to an existing distribution system to be reduced. The next step is to pipe those supplemental heat emitters into the existing…
Stop by HPAC’s booth at the top of the escalator on March 21 (opening day) for your chance to win Viega’s flameless press technology system. It reduces installation time and enables installers to make press connections in difficult-to-reach areas and…
AMPEX Insulated Pex Panel by Amvic is designed for cost effective installation of hydronic radiant in-floor heating systems. The panel is a combination of expanded polystyrene molded to a high impact polystyrene film for slab-on-grade and below-grade hydronic heating applications.…
A grand prizewinner has been chosen for the Caleffi Excellence contest by attendees of the company’s webinar, Coffee with Caleffi. Patrick Driscoll, CEO of Ironclad Mechanical Plumbing and Heating in Edmonton, AB, was selected out of six monthly finalists. “We…
The 2018 ASHRAE Winter Conference takes place January 20-24 at the Palmer House Chicago with the co-sponsored AHR Expo being held January 22-24 at McCormick Place. The AHR Expo seminar program features over 120 sessions, including over 70 free one-…
Historically, steam has been a powerful resource for space heating in homes and commercial buildings. Steam has proven extremely effective at providing controlled, consistent heat to distribute throughout a building without the need for pumps by simply using a durable…
Nearly all closed loop hydronic heating and cooling systems are supposed to be filled with water, or a mixture of water and antifreeze. The only intentional air in the system is contained in the expansion tank. The only exception to…
