Industry News
We would like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to this month's sponsor -- Taco Inc. Headquartered in Cranston, R.I., Taco, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of hydronic-based HVAC equipment and accessories for use in residential, commercial and institutional buildings worldwide. The company, privately owned and in business since 1920, manufactures a wide range of pumps and circulators, valves, tanks, heat exchangers, electronic controls, accessories and systems. Manufacturing facilities are located in Cranston, R.I. and Fall River, Mass., with a Canadian distribution and sales facility in Mississauga, Ontario. Taco sells through wholesale distributors and also provides select OEMs with product. Visit www.taco-hvac.com for more information.
To find out more about special e-newsletter advertising opportunities, please contact your Phc News sales rep by visiting www.phcnews.com.
WIN A $1,600 STANLEY PRESSING TOOL!
Northbrook, Ill. — Phc News and Stanley Tools have joined forces to bring you this unique opportunity for a chance to win this beautiful pressing tool.
Visit www.phcnews.com and click on the banner just below the Industry News and enter the Press Your Luck contest for a chance to win a Stanley M20+ pressing tool. All you have to do is briefly describe how pressing technology has changed the way you do business, and how you work more efficiently on the job site.
In addition to winning the tool, the winner will be featured in an upcoming edition of Phc News!
Just click on the Press Your Luck banner on www.phcnews.com!
PHCC CONNECT 2009 seminars to help contractors build business
Falls Church, Va. — The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association will present several thought-provoking sessions on emerging markets and cutting-edge business strategies that increase profits during the Oct. 21-23 annual convention, CONNECT 2009, in New Orleans.
The educational programs are geared toward helping p-h-c contractors learn the newest trends and practices essential to building business today and in the future. The latest green practices will be covered during several sessions, including GreenPlumbers® workshops on inspection report services and solar hot water and separate seminars on selling “green” to commercial and residential customers. A timely residential fire sprinkler design and installation seminar will be offered to help contractors evaluate this emerging market, which has been sparked by an International Residential Code requirement for residential fire sprinklers. Expert insight into what the future holds on the economic, political and home comfort fronts will be provided by featured speakers Stuart Varney, business and financial journalist for FOX News, and Richard Trethewey of “This Old House.” A diverse range of seminars will be offered on topics like: • Is Fabrication for You? • How to Get the Net Profit You Desire • Industry Panel: Determining Roles for Success • Selling in a Down Economy • Year-end Tax Planning. Many other up-and-coming trends and opportunities for new work will be revealed during a Product and Technology Showcase when contractors can learn about new products, technologies and advancements. Manufacturer-sponsored Learning Labs will delve into the latest trends affecting the industry. For example, InSinkErator will present important information about the beneficial impacts of food waste disposers.
For more information, www.phcc web.org/convention.
Chicago Faucets launches reward program ‘geared’ to contractors
Des Plaines, Ill. — Contractors can earn dollars that turn into tools by participating in Chicago Faucets Gear Up! Program, which offers rewards for purchasing specified products from a local Chicago Faucets distributor.
“We’re excited about rewarding contractors for their loyalty to Chicago Faucets,” says John Fitzgerald, Director of Marketing at Chicago Faucets. “Contractors accumulate cash-points between August 17 and November 30, 2009, and then turn those points into a gift certificate to Berland’s House of Tools – one of America’s finest tool stores.”
Qualifying Chicago Faucets’ products in the program include:
• E-Tronic™ 40 Faucets — the company’s newest electronic lavatory faucet. Available in both AC and DC versions, the E-Tronic™ 40 incorporates advanced technology for dependability and convenience. With hermetically sealed, above-deck electronics for easy maintenance and long-term reliability, the E-Tronic™ 40 is a great new option for commercial lavatory applications.
• 420-CP Faucets — the company’s popular Deck Mounted — Single Control lavatory faucet with 4-5/8″ C-C Integral Spout, a 1.5 GPM (5.7 L/min) Pressure Compensating Laminar Flow Outlet and metal lever handle. • Repair Parts — with the largest installed base of faucets in the country, Chicago Faucets offers support for its products through national distribution. Parts are readily available through the distribution channel for most of the company’s product line since it began in the commercial faucets market more than 100 years ago.
Cooper B-Line sponsors University of Arizona Solar Decathlon Team
Highland, Ill. — Cooper B-Line, a global provider of innovative, labor saving support systems and enclosure solutions for engineered facility subsystem applications, has sponsored a student-led team from the University of Arizona in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. The sponsorship includes a donation of over 1,500 sq. ft. of Cooper B-Line Traction Tread™ plank grating, and carries a retail value of over $10,000.
The Solar Decathlon competition showcases the work of 20 international teams that design, build and operate an 800 square foot solar-powered home. The students’ work will be on display October 9th-18th of this year, on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Over 200,000 people are expected to tour the environmentally-friendly homes.
“As docents of the Sonoran desert, we are very conscious of the ground we are covering. As a result, we sought these specific Cooper B-Line products because they offered us a permeable decking space that allowed rainfall to move through the decking and drain to the earth,” said Matt Gindlesparger, Project Manager for the 2009 University of Arizona Solar Decathlon Team (UASDT). “Traction Tread also offers spanability like no other decking material, thus allowing the team to minimize the necessary structural framing, resulting in a lighter assembly which is ideal for transportation.”
Cooper B-Line Traction Tread™ Flooring features a surface with hundreds of perforated buttons that provide slip-resistance in all directions, making it a practical choice for industrial applications. Traction Tread is also appropriate for commercial applications where pedestrian traffic is a consideration, perfectly suited for ADA-compliant requirements. Traction Tread is easily adapted for a multitude of applications, offering a safe walking-working surface for walkways, ramps, stair treads and equipment platforms. In addition, Traction Tread is ideal for the manufacture of special and fabricated products, and is often used as a reconditioning material over existing surfaces that do not provide slip-resistance.
New Products
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Hydro separator: primary-secondary solution Hydraulic separator line offers one of the most effective means of accomplishing primary-secondary piping for residential and commercial hydronic systems, typically, those with multiple zones. By creating a low pressure zone, the units enable the connected primary and secondary loops to be hydronically independent of each other. The flow in one circuit does not create flow in another. Newest in the line-up is the residential-sized “Hydro Sep ™,” a unit with seamless copper body, an automatic air vent to discharge air within the circuits, and a drain valve for removing system sediment accumulated in the bottom of the unit. The Hydro-Sep can be connected to 1" and 11/4" lines, permitting a maximum flow of 11 to 15 gpm and insuring proper flow through a boiler as it eliminates the potential for boiler flash. Taco. |
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Water line installation solutions The EZ Quick family installs new appliances to existing water supply lines, consists of three quick-connect valve sizes for ice machines, refrigerators, humidifiers, under- cabinet water filters and evaporative coolers. Certified to nsf/ansi 61. Available in complete kits or in individual valves. Dormont Mfg. |
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Heat pump water heaters The Accelera® 300 reduces hot water costs up to 80% by putting excess heat from the heat pump into and 80-gallon tank of water. Greatly reduces energy consumption compared to a conventional electric tank type water heater. Its compressor and fan consume only 1kWh of electricity to generate the heat equivalent of 3 – 5kWh. Stiebel Eltron. |
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Pre-insulated piping system R-flex flexible, pre-insulated piping system consists of single or dual pex carrier pipe surrounded by a thick layer of cross-linked pex foam insulation, protected by a thick, double-wall corrugated outer shell. Maintains tighter bends for easier handling, faster installations. Offers low water vapor absorption, enhanced R-value, and excellent resistance to extreme temperatures. Longer coil lengths for fewer connections in the field, decreased risk of leaks. No special tools required to install R-flex. Watts Radiant. |
Movers & Shakers
Bradley Corp. has promoted Erik Mullett to vice president of Division 10 Sales. Previously, Mullett was regional sales manager for Division 10 Products. In his new role, his responsibilities have expanded to develop the traditional sales channel operations for Bradley’s Accessory, Mills Partitions and Lenox Locker product lines.
Triangle Tube is pleased to announce the hiring of Rick Mayo as its Western regional sales manager. Rick joins Triangle Tube with more than 30 years experience in the heating industry and has a solid background in hydronic systems, including system design, start-up, consultation and troubleshooting. He is also an accomplished technical trainer. |