Also, the C 1050 ES, along with three other Therm models; C 1210 ESC, C 1210 ES and the new C 950 ES, meet the new, stricter, Low NOx requirement passed by utility regulatory agencies in California and Vermont. Effective 2012, the new regulations require water heating units to limit NOx emissions to 14 nanograms per Joule (ng/J) or 20 parts per million (ppm).

Therm units from Bosch include a unique design using a wide flame pattern and secondary dilution air that results in a lower flame temperature during the heating process. Combined with condensing technology, which utilizes a secondary heat exchanger to capture more heat from the exhaust for preheating incoming cold water, these models offer an attractive tankless water heating option that meets future code requirements today while offering optimal efficiency.

The complete Therm line from Bosch features models with updated software that delivers performance-enhancing features including a minimum activation flow rate of 0.5 gallons per minute and the ability on many models to cascade up-to-24 units for larger commercial applications. The Therm line includes ENERGY STAR® rated models, powered by natural gas or propane, which have an industry-best 15-year warranty.

With less than a week to go, Build London Live 2012 has already attracted more than 20 teams made up of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals all over the world. As the world’s premier Collaborative Building Information Modelling (BIM) event, design professionals and experts will join together online on May 21st to 23rd, to create the most elegant solutions based on a time-constrained design brief.

The participants so far represent 15 countries, including the UK, Ireland, the USA, Australia, Singapore, Chile, India, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Portugal, Greece, Norway, Hungary, and the Philippines.

Lars Christensen, Build London Live 2012 judge and senior advisor for Virtual Design, Construction and FM at multiBIM, offers this advice to all AEC professionals and participants:

“If you are a serious player in the AEC industry, Build London Live 2012 is the global BIM arena for you to showcase your performance. I really hope the innovative owners and architectural design and construction companies take the challenge. If you have ambitions but not much experience with BIM projects, this is a superb opportunity where you and your team can learn a lot and test your abilities with the best.”

Each team will be allocated a unique plot in a common design context with 48 hours to contribute to an ambitious master plan for a site in the heart of London. Teams will be asked to develop an outline proposal by midday on the Tuesday based on a brief for a significant multi-use development for the London site which will be announced on May 21st. All the key information will be published in interoperable formats. Teams will be free to use any interoperable technology and to add updates to an online public cloud collaboration site. Viewers will be free to add comments.

The event will conclude Wednesday midday ahead of the buildingSMART International executive briefing in London where the winners will be announced via a live webinar feed. Previous winners include BIM Vikings (Norway), BIM Japan, Super Team Singapore, Ryder Architecture (UK), 3D Blueprint (India), Southern Axis (Chile), University of Nebraska – Lincoln (USA), Teams BIM Education (USA) and Food for Thot (USA).

Awards for Build London Live 2012 include:

•               The openBIM BUILD LONDON LIVE 2012 Award (Sponsored by Graphisoft)
•               Best use of BIM for Design, Drama and Excitement (Sponsored by Tekla)
•               Best Multi-disciplinary BIM and use of Interoperability (Sponsored by Vectorworks)
•               Best use of BIM for Sustainability or Constructability (Sponsored by Synchro)
•               Judges Discretionary Awards

Following on from the global success of Build London Live 2008 and 2009, organisers Asite and AEC3 will bring together BIM practitioners across the globe in a showcase of their collaborative design and engineering talent and collaborative BIM capabilities.

Register for free as a participant or observer at buildlondonlive.com/index.php/login2012

To encourage likes and content submission to the page, T&S is also launching a monthly Facebook contest series. Customers, end-users and industry professionals are encouraged to submit photos of their T&S installations. A winner will be chosen each month from all those who submitted content to receive a $50 Visa gift certificate. More details, including official rules, can be found on the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/tsbrass.

The new Facebook page comes as a complement to the company’s other social media outlets, including Twitter (@tsbrass), LinkedIn and a YouTube channel. It will focus heavily on the needs and interests of customers, highlight the company’s thought leadership, educate the market, and demonstrate what it’s like to work with T&S, while showcasing the company’s personality and lighter side.

The site will also serve as a platform through which T&S can help promote issues core to its corporate values, such as sustainability and water conservation, LEED, and improved cleaning power and hygiene.

“T&S has always been committed to our deep ties and commitment to serving our customers and engaging the industry,” said Eva Marie Fox, vice president of marketing, T&S Brass and Bronze Works. “We are proud to have this new means for customers and prospects and industry professionals to connect and communicate with us, and we encourage frequent interaction and candid feedback.”

“We are thrilled by the response from so many companies so far in advance of the Show,” said Clay Stevens, President of International Exposition Company, which produces and manages the AHR Expo. “Many of our long-time exhibitors are expanding the size of their current booths and nearly three dozen new companies have already reserved several thousand sq. ft. of floor space.”

Stevens attributes this increased demand to several factors – an improving economy, the need for information about new energy-efficient products and technologies, a return to the Dallas area, the need for industry education, and the desire to participate in the HVACR industry’s leading event.

With several months remaining before the Show, more than 1,400 companies have already reserved space, putting it on track to surpass the last Dallas expo that set several Southwest records in 2007. ASHRAE’s Winter Conference is held concurrently with the AHR Expo each year.

The 2013 AHR Expo is endorsed by 35 of the leading HVACR industry associations and is co-sponsored by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). The Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) is an honorary sponsor.

For more information visit the Show’s website at www.ahrexpo.com.

The new online Water Savings Calculator is located at chicagofaucets.com/calculator.  Users can access the calculator to get a quick estimate of how much water they can save by switching from a 2.2 GPM faucet to a 1.5 GPM or a 0.5 GPM faucet. The calculator has a user-friendly interface and provides estimated water and sewer costs from major cities across the United States in a drop-down menu. In just three easy steps users can see how upgrading Chicago Faucets can also provide a significant cost savings.

Chicago Faucets has also developed two kits designed to update – rather than replace – manual and electronic faucets that are already installed in a facility. The manual faucet Water Conserving Retrofit Kit allows facility managers to convert a Chicago Faucets standard 2-handle faucet to a low-flow, metering faucet. This easy conversion helps the end user dramatically reduce water usage and clearly demonstrates the advantages of the company’s unique commitment to component interchangeability.

Reducing electricity consumption is easy with Chicago Faucets’ new Green Power Retrofit Kit. Add a Chicago Faucets Self Sustaining Power System to existing HyTronic® or E-Tronic® 40 faucet installations, and the kit will allow each faucet to generate its own power.

The company has countless water conserving products for any facility in any industry including:

• The new 3500 Series delivers a whole new level of style, convenience and affordability. The time-tested MVP£ cartridge gives precise water flow and shuts off automatically; a 0.5 GPM outlet delivers significant water savings.
• The HyTronic® and E-Tronic® 40 electronic faucets combine low-flow outlets with precise electronic metering.
• The Commander£ hand-held programming unit delivers unsurpassed control.
• Low-flow showerheads combine commercial quality with a water-conserving 1.5 GPM spray. Choose from a selection of showerheads for both commercial and institutional applications.
• The 90 Series offers a wide selection of products for food service applications, including a 1.0 GPM @ 60 psi pre-rinse spray. The 90 Series can help save water and reduce gas bills.
• ECAST is the line of durable, high-quality brass faucets and fixtures that are designed and manufactured with one-quarter of one percent (.25%) or less total lead content by weighted average. Chicago Faucets’ wide range of ECAST products is intended for installation in locations, such as California, where state laws and local codes mandate lead content levels or wherever lead content is a concern.

Chicago Faucets was the first company to offer a complete line of products to support the new California Green Building Code (CALGreen). CALGreen-compliant faucets feature low flow rates from .35 GPM to 1.5 GPM and are part of the ECAST® line, so they also meet the latest California laws regarding lead content.

Chicago Faucets has earned ISO 14001certification. This designation recognizes Chicago Faucets’ systematic approach to all of its environmental management systems. For more information, download the Chicago Faucets Sustainability brochure at http://www.chicagofaucet.com/pdf/CF2019.pdf.

On April 2, Gov. Dave Heineman signed Legislative Bill 42 (LB 42) amending sections of “Reissue Revised Statutes ofNebraska; to update references to the 2009 Uniform Plumbing Code for counties, cities, and villages.” The changes
go into effect on July 1.

State Sen. Amanda McGill, chairwoman of the Urban Affairs Committee, Dave Wagoner, plumbing contractor from Kearney, Neb., and IAPMO Region 4 Manager Bill Schweitzer worked closely with State Sen. Galen Hadley and his Legislative Aide Berri Balka on the drafting of LB 42.

Bob Siemsen, chief plumbing inspector for Lincoln, Neb., Mick Gage, contractor from Iowa, Stacy Grewek, director of the PHCC of Nebraska, Pete Leddy, business agent for United Association Local 16, and Jim Wonder, chief plumbing inspector for Omaha, Neb., all offered testimony and support during an Urban Affairs Committee meeting debating LB 42. Following that meeting, the committee recommended adoption of LB 42 and sent it to the Senate floor, where it was passed and sent to Gov. Heineman’s desk.

“I want to thank Sen. McGill for her assistance in organizing meetings and Sen. Hadley and his office for their stewardship of this bill, as well as all of those who came forward to speak in support of the Uniform Plumbing Code,” Schweitzer said. “The provisions of the UPC truly strengthen Nebraska’s ability to protect the health and safety of its citizens through the assurance of sound plumbing practices and properly functioning drinking water and sanitation systems.”

IAPMO’s Uniform Codes (UPC, Uniform Mechanical Code®, Uniform Solar Energy Code®, Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code®) are true voluntary consensus standards developed through the IAPMO code development process, which incorporates all elements of the American National Standard Institute’s (ANSI) Essential Requirements. This process brings together volunteers representing a variety of viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on plumbing and mechanical practices.

The codes are designed to provide consumers with safe and sanitary plumbing and mechanical systems while, at the same time, allowing latitude for innovation and new technologies. The public at large is encouraged and invited to participate in IAPMO’s open consensus code development process. A code development timeline and other relevant information are available at IAPMO’s Website, www.iapmo.org.

“We were very pleased with the results of this conference,” said PHCC President Keith Bienvenu.  “Not only were the meetings with legislators very beneficial, we have also received requests to be involved in new small business groups that are being formed.  This is a true reflection of the year-long time, energy, passion and commitment that PHCC members invest in building relationships with those who decide policy that impacts our industry.”

Prior to the Capitol Hill appointments, participants heard from a mix of political analysts, national lawmakers and federal agency officials during an opening session, breakfast and evening events, including a Col. George D. Scott reception recognizing PHCC’s 130th anniversary.  Highlights of the conference appear below.

House Small Business Committee Chair Addresses PHCC Legislative Breakfast

The chairman of the powerful House Small Business Committee, Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), addressed PHCC members at the legislative breakfast.  Graves discussed several issues of importance to PHCC and offered keen insight into how PHCC can continue to be effective on small business issues on Capitol Hill.  He updated PHCC on issues like estate tax repeal, the regulatory process, more funding for education and new opportunities for small business to enter the federal procurement process.  In his committee leadership position, Rep. Graves is the leading advocate for small business in the U.S. House of Representatives.  As a result of the legislative conference, Rep. Graves has invited PHCC to join the House Small Business Committee industry working group.  The working group is a body of industry and Capitol Hill leaders who engage, discuss and work on issues with the intent of solving problems and seeking opportunities for small business.

Renowned Political Analyst Assesses Presidential/Congressional Races

Conference opening speaker Mort Kondracke has been on the Washington, D.C., scene for more than 40 years and has covered and reported on every facet of American politics.  During his remarks to PHCC, the political pundit provided insight on where we are – and why we are where we are—as a nation.  He also addressed how the national election year and other political issues are impairing progress on Capitol Hill in important areas like the national debt, energy and environmental policies, immigration and educational policies, etc.  Regarding the presidential election, he predicted that it will be “very, very close, loud and nasty.”   He added that, “unless something unforeseen happens, the next president will have a divided government again.”   In the House and Senate, he said there is a chance that Republicans will win the United States Senate and Republicans will continue to hold the U.S. House of Representatives (but will lose some seats).

Small Business Administration Chief Offers Direct Voice for PHCC

Dr. Winslow Sargeant, Chief Counsel of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration, met with PHCC members to offer his thoughts and ideas into how his department can help and offer assistance to small business.  Sargeant is the “watch dog” for small business within the Administration and often advocates on behalf of small business on Capitol Hill.  “We’re here to amplify your voice,” he said.  Sargeant pointed to recent small business victories of interest to PHCC, including repeal of the three percent withholding rule and efforts to make the EPA’s Lead Renovation and Repair Ruling more flexible.  He conveyed his desires to form a business roundtable with PHCC that is structured in a way in which PHCC members can have a direct voice with SBA.

PHCC Members Bid Farewell to a True Friend of the Industry

At the close of the conference, PHCC members said goodbye to retiring U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona.  Sen. Kyl has been a true friend to PHCC and his closing message was simple yet direct….”get to know your lawmakers while they are in your district and state….if you wait until your Members of Congress are in Washington, D.C., you’ve missed the opportunity to have a voice.”

“We are truly excited about this joint effort. Finding greater uniformity, public safety and sustainability in the solar thermal industry is the goal. With our shared vision and synergies we can further develop standards, best practices, support materials and training that utilize each organization’s unique expertise,” said Eileen Prado, SRCC executive director.

Signing the MOU were Prado, and Jay Peters, executive director, ICC Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas. On hand was lead SRCC technical director, Jim Huggins, along with Shawn Martin, ICC-PMG director of industry relations.

With a national network of more than 10,000 independent contractors, the American Home Shield program rates and rewards contractors according to customer feedback.

“Our contractors understand the importance of customer satisfaction. They work hard and do a great job delivering quality service,” said Dave Crawford, president of American Home Shield.

The company relies on its contractor network to diagnose and repair system and appliance problems for its 1.4 million customers across the nation.

“Customers in the Visalia area told us they would recommend Superior Drain Cleaning to their family and friends, which is an incredible testimony to the quality service the company provides,” said Crawford. “This bonus is our way of recognizing and rewarding the exceptional effort Superior Drain Cleaning provides our customers day in and day out.”

According to owner Brian and Tami Shirer, the company earned such high regard by making sure the first interaction with every customer is a lasting impression.

“We have a service to provide to our customers and we go into every job with the mindset of providing them with the best service we can,” said Shirer. “It is important to stay connected and positive, and make sure they understand the steps necessary to complete the job. To be recognized as the best in the nation, based on responses from customers we serve, lets us know we are providing quality service and an overall positive experience.”

Shirer indicated that the company’s keys to success include staying in contact with the customer keeping a positive attitude and making sure the customer is comfortable with the service provided.

In all, six contractors from across the country each earned a $25,000 bonus from American Home Shield, one from each of the following trade categories: heating and air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, garage door, pool and spa and appliance. In addition, 164 contractors earned quality bonuses ranging from $2,500 – $15,000. A full list of award winners can be viewed online at AHSBigScore.com.

American Home Shield has expanded its Contractor Quality Bonus program in 2012 to give contractors even more opportunities to earn a share of the $1.2 million available in bonuses. Complete information about the 2012 American Home Shield Contractor Quality Bonus program, as well as details on how to join the company’s contractor network, are also available online at AHSBigScore.com.