February - Plumbing Engineer

February 2009

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■■ WaterSense: A consensus-based,WaterSense: A consensus-based,common sense approach forcommon sense approach forhigh-efficiency showerheadshigh-efficiency showerheads

■■ The mission: The mission:Water where water isn'tWater where water isn't

■■ Energy-efficient plumbing fixtures Energy-efficient plumbing fixtureshealthy for environment and wallethealthy for environment and wallet

■■ ‘Americanizing’ solar thermal: ‘Americanizing’ solar thermal:Settling on products and practicesSettling on products and practices

for ‘the big push’for ‘the big push’

Water ConservationWater ConservationISSUEISSUE

THETHE

Circle 1 on Reader Reply Card


Volume 37, Number 2February 2009

FEATURES46 WaterSense: A common sense approach

to high-efficiency showerheads50 Energy-efficient plumbing fixtures healthy for wallet52 The mission: Water where water isn’t56 ‘Americanizing’ solar for ‘big push’

February 2009

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fforr ‘‘‘‘tthhhhhhe bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbiiiiiggg pppppppppppppppppppppppuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

■■ WaterSense: A consensus-based,WaterSense: A consensus-based,common sense approach forcommon sense approach forhigh-efficiency showerheadshigh-efficiency showerheads

■■ The mission: The mission:Water where water isn'tWater where water isn't

■■ Energy-efficient plumbing fixtures Energy-efficient plumbing fixtureshealthy for environment and wallethealthy for environment and wallet

■■ ‘Americanizing’ solar thermal: ‘Americanizing’ solar thermal:Settling on products and practicesSettling on products and practices

for ‘the big push’for ‘the big push’

Water ConservationWater ConservationISSUEISSUE

THETHE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

INDUSTRY NEWS &OTHER DEPARTMENTS

8 | Water Efficiency Coalition gains traction

8 | Code Council to reduce fire deaths

10 | NIBCO expands PEX operations

10 | Taco makes acquisition

10 | Armstrong partners with Amerex

10 | CPVC turns 50

11 | INDUSTRY MOVERS

58 | PRODUCT APP: Falcon Waterfree

59 | PRODUCT APP: Moen Commercial

60 | NEW PRODUCTS

62 | LITERATURE NEWS

66 | Noritz tankless earn Energy Star rating, qualify for tax credit

64-65 | Classifieds

65 | Ad Index

COLUMNS6 Editor’s Letter: Waste not, want not makes ‘Sense’14 Designer’s Guide: You are what you drink18 Code Update: 2009 Uniform Codes set for release24 Fire Protection: The NIST WTC 7 investigation report32 Green Systems: Banking on solar — a trip back 30 years36 Modern Hydronics: Get acquainted with loop layout40 Solar Solutions: Solar heat with two-stage thermostats

/Plumbing Engineer February 2009

Function. Style. Durability.Sloan proudly offers the newSloanStone® Selections.

Make the “institutional” look a thing of the past.

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If you haven’t noticed by now, I despise wastefulness — wasteful energy con-sumption, wasteful spending and wasteful time management. I always amamazed at how much people waste, in general.

For example, let’s take NASCAR — of which I am a fan. Sometimes the fanin me takes a backseat when I see the enormous waste of resources that goes intoguiding 43 cars to run circles for 500 miles. I get it, the sport makes money andit is bought and paid for. But is that the answer for wasting fuel and rubber, forinstance? I mean, I am astonished at the reasoning behind general wastefulness:“I can use as much water in my home, or gas/oil to heat my house and fuel myvehicles, well, because I paid for it.” Does it make much sense to view our lim-ited natural resources with such flippant notions?

Recently I was glad to see that our industry stalwarts are stepping up to theplate for water conservation. The newly formed Water Efficiency Coalition,which will be governed by the Alliance for Water Efficiency. A consortium ofthe best plumbing minds in the U.S., including the International Code Council’s(ICC) Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas (PMG) group, the Alliance for WaterEfficiency (AWE), the International Association of Plumbing and MechanicalOfficials (IAPMO), the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI) and thePlumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association (PHCC) havesigned on to collaboratively develop solutions for continued worldwideimprovement of water efficiency and conservation efforts across the plumbingindustry. The coalition will support research projects that will aid or assistin the development of more water efficient and sustainable plumbing prod-ucts, systems and practices.

Let’s also give props to WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which seeks to protect the future ofour nation’s water supply by promoting water efficiency and transforming themarket for water-efficient products, services and practices. According toWaterSense, between 1950 and 2000, the U.S. population nearly doubled.However, in that same period, public demand for water more than tripled.Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water each day. This increaseddemand has put additional stress on water supplies and distribution systems,threatening both human health and the environment. And, a recent governmentsurvey showed at least 36 states are anticipating local, regional or statewide watershortages by 2013. As a result, more and more plumbing fixture manufacturers areturning this way.

And let’s not forget about LEED, a nationally recognized benchmark devel-oped by the U.S. Green Building Council for the design, construction and oper-ation of high performance green buildings. Plumbing fixtures and fittings can-not be LEED certified, but they can contribute to the credits needed to receivecertification. A variety of plumbing products available from manufacturers canhelp contribute to two of the five categories of performance under the LEED rat-ing system — Water Efficiency and Materials and Resources.

Throughout the pages of this issue of Plumbing Engineer you will find exam-ples of water conservation and water efficiency. To reiterate, it’s about beingbetter stewards of the environment.

I welcome your comments. You can reach me at [email protected].

John Mesenbrink, Editorial Director

Editorial, Advertising, Production,Accounting and Administrative Offices

1838 Techny Ct.Northbrook, IL 60062

(847) 564-1127 • Fax: (847) 564-1264E-mail: [email protected]

OwnerTom M. Brown

Editorial & Production StaffJohn Mesenbrink, Editorial DirectorMarilyn Cunningham, Assistant EditorCate C. Brown, Production ManagerMark Bruno, Art Director/Prepress

ContributorsTimothy Allinson, P.E., Designer’s Guide

Richard Schulte, Fire ProtectionRon George, CIPE, CPD, Code UpdateBob “Hot Rod” Rohr, Green SystemsPaul Rohrs, Modern HydronicsBristol Stickney, Solar Solutions

Sales StaffBrad Burnside, Publisher East1838 Techny Court, Northbrook, IL60062 Phone: 847/564-1127 Cell:224/659-3984Fax: 847/564-1264E-mail: [email protected]

David Schulte Midwest, South and E. Canada1838 Techny Court, Northbrook, IL 60062Phone: 847/564-1127 Cell: 847/420-4686Fax: 847/564-1264E-mail: [email protected]

Diane Spangler West, Texas and W. CanadaPO Box 9802, Fountain Valley, CA92728 Phone: 714/839-6700Fax: 714/839-6777E-mail: [email protected]

PLUMBING ENGINEER (USPS 567-950) ISSN 0192-1711PLUMBING ENGINEER (USPS 567-950) ISSN 0192-1711 is published monthly by TMB Publishing Inc., 1838 Techny Court, Northbrook, IL 60062. Phone (847) 564-1127, Fax (847) 564-1264. Magazine is free to those who design and specify plumbing/piping systems in commercial, industrial, institutional and governmental buildings; as well as government officials and plumb-ing inspectors. Subscription rates for U.S. and Canada: $50 for one year, $90 for two years. Other countries: $300 per year. Periodical postage paid at Northbrook, IL, and additional mailingoffices. POSTMASTER: Change of address should be sent to Plumbing Engineer, 519 E. Briarcliff Rd, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Material and opinions contained in contributed articles are theresponsibility of the authors, not of TMB Publishing Inc., Plumbing Engineermagazine or its Editorial Advisory Board. The publisher cannot assume responsibility for any claims made by adver-tisers. Copyright © 2008 TMB Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Volume 37, Number 2. Plumbing Engineer is microfilmed by University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, MI, and indexed by EngineeringIndex Inc. Publications Mail Agreement No. 41499518. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6

Waste not, want not makes perfect ‘Sense’

Editor’s Letter


mailto:[email protected]





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Industry News

Washington — the newly formed Water EfficiencyCoalition, which will be governed by the alliance forWater Efficiency, is gaining momentum and members.Recently, the international Code Council’s (iCC)Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel gas (PMg) group, thealliance for Water Efficiency (aWE), the internationalassociation of Plumbing and Mechanical officials(iaPMo), the Plumbing Manufacturers institute (PMi)and the Plumbing-heating-Cooling Contractors —national association (PhCC) have signed on.

the iCC joined with a consortium of the best plumbingminds in the U.s. to collaboratively develop solutions forcontinued worldwide improvement of water efficiencyand conservation efforts across the plumbing industry. toadvance these goals, a historic Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) was signed to form the WaterEfficiency Research Coalition. the MoU was signed inthe offices of U.s. EPa administrator stephen Johnson,who pledged to partner with these plumbing organizationsto coordinate water efficiency research.

Representatives from the iCC and four other organiza-tions will jointly develop and implement research pro-grams to further improve water efficiency and sustainableplumbing products, applications and processes.

the coalition will support research projects that willaid or assist in the development of more water efficientand sustainable plumbing products, systems and prac-tices. sample potential research topics include: drain-line carry research on high-efficiency toilets; water re-use systems and safe applications for re-use water;non-water consuming urinals and sizing of water-effi-cient plumbing systems. the coalition will seek gov-ernment grants and private party financing to fund theresearch projects.

PMi executive committee member Jack Krecek ofElkay Manufacturing Company represented PMi at theevent. “it was an honor to represent the PlumbingManufacturers institute at the signing of the MoU,” Mr.Krecek said. “Entering into this collaboration with suchproactive and important organizations is an important andnecessary step. PMi and its member companies becomepart of a process that promises to ensure sustainability ofa precious and scarce natural resource, while maintainingthe safety of the products we manufacture and ensuringconsumer choices for plumbing product features and pricepoints. having the signing at the office of the EPa and inthe presence of the EPa administrator underscored that thefederal government fully acknowledges and understandsthe commitment of the signatories of this document to theefficient use of water.”

according to the MoU, the coalition seeks “to providea mechanism for voluntary cooperation on plumbing-related research projects that pertain to water efficiency.”it initiates a spirit of cooperation between charter andfuture coalition members “to find common ground toshare technical, scientific, legislative and regulatory infor-mation that will result in an organized and systematicapproach towards the development of comprehensive

Water Efficiency Coalition gains traction

Continued on page 10

research programs.” the goal of such research would bethe advancement of water efficient and sustainable plumb-ing products, systems and practices.

“We, like the other organizations represented heretoday, recognize that plumbing systems are complex,”said Pete DeMarco, iaPMo director of special programs.“to keep these systems working properly, decisions onfurther reductions in the amounts of water that we cur-rently use must be based on good science if we are toavoid problems that could tarnish and jeopardize theentire water efficiency movement.”

Code Council joins national effort to reduce fire deaths

Washington — the international Code Council (iCC)stood with fellow fire safety advocates near the U.s.Capitol to bring attention to several recent fire fatalitiesand to encourage usage of early detection and early sup-pression tools.

senior vice president sara Yerkes represented the CodeCouncil. other participating organizations included theU.s. Fire administration (UsFa), the internationalassociation of Fire Chiefs, the national association ofFire Marshals, the national Volunteer Fire Council, thehome safety Council, the Congressional Fire servicesinstitute, the national Fallen Firefighters Foundation, thenational Fire Protection association and the americanFire sprinkler association. Families of fire death victimsand Washington, D.C., area fire departments were intro-duced as well.

several of the participants endorsed the iCC’s activitiesas essential to fire safety and promoted the adoption of thelatest building and fire safety codes. the Code Councilwill soon release its 2009 international Codes and urgesjurisdictions to adopt and administer building and firesafety codes to provide maximum public safety. in theevent of a fire, properly installed and maintained firedetection and suppression systems can save lives.

The best plumbing minds in the U.S. met to collaborative-ly develop solutions for continued worldwide improvementof water efficiency and conservation.

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United states Fire administrator greg Cade declaredthe national effort as a result of one of the deadliest hol-iday seasons in recent memory and of several significantfires in the first days of 2009. according to Cade, sincethanksgiving 2008 there have been more than 158 fatalfires in the United states, resulting in more than 200 firefatalities. “the 2008 holiday season and the start of 2009may be recorded as one of the deadliest for residentialfires in the recent memory of the fire service,” said Cade,during a news conference held at a Washington, D.C.,fire station.

NIBCO expands its PEX operations

ELKhaRt, inD. — niBCo has combined its PEX extru-sion operation and post-processing/distribution opera-tions into a new facility in Lebanon, ohio. the 130,000-square-foot facility has ample room for expansion ofmanufacturing and distribution operations. this locationwill make niBCo’s DURa-PEX manufacturing opera-tions more efficient.

“the move was made in anticipation of niBCo’s futuregrowth in the PEX market,” said Randy Doering, niBCogeneral manager — PEX piping systems. “niBCo hasbuilt its success in the PEX business by leveraging thesynergies between niBCo’s strong brand recognition andcommitment to high service levels and the acquisition of a Industry News continued on page 12


Industry NewsContinued from page 8


plumbing products company with strong core manufactur-ing capabilities.”

in May 2006, niBCo announced that it acquired the assetsof Consolidated Plumbing industries (CPi), a manufacturer ofcross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing. the acquisition wasa strategic move in expanding niBCo’s presence in the PEXwater distribution and radiant heating markets.

Taco Inc. makes acquisition

CRanston, R.i. — taco inc. announced that it hasacquired the assets of innovex technologies, a Lewiston,Me.-based manufacturer of intelligent Building systemsproducts (iBs) that include stand alone control devicesand accessories that offer a complete control solution forboth residential and commercial buildings.

announcement of the acquisition was made by tacopresident and CEo, John hazen White Jr. Mr. White said,“the addition of the innovex technologies product line isconsistent with taco’s strategy to expand its electronicsproduct offering and our continued focus on system sell-ing. this is another way in which taco will create valuefor our customers, further diversify the taco product lineand continue to move away from the industry’s tendencyof simply selling cast iron by the pound.

“this acquisition will provide taco with a technologyplatform that will incorporate our existing line of pumps,hydronic controls and electronic control products alongwith our unique LoadMatch single pipe heating and cool-ing system into a networked controls solution that pro-vides comfort in an energy efficient and environmentallyfriendly manner. this is a huge opportunity for taco, itsemployees and the industry as a whole.”

Armstrong Services partners with Amerex Energy Services

stUaRt, FLa. — armstrong services inc. (asi), a globalleader in utility system optimization, has joined forceswith one of the nation’s premier energy consulting com-panies, amerex Energy services, to provide a full-serviceenergy offering designed to reduce all aspects of customerenergy costs, in both physical usage and the actual price ofthe energy commodity itself.

the alliance between the two industry leaders will givecustomers the ability to gain control over the financial sideof energy via an effective, customer specific acquisitionprogram from amerex, while realizing a cost savingsthrough the elimination of excessive energy waste throughasi’s state-of-the-art energy management program.

CPVC turns 50

CLEVELanD — a look at the history, the developments andthe reasons why CPVC pipe and fittings are the product ofchoice for so many engineers and contractors begins 50years ago.

1959: a year with many notable firsts and milestoneevents. Mattel introduced the first Barbie doll. TheTwilight Zone premiered on CBs. Women were intro-

Plumbing Engineer February 2009/

Bradford White promotesMcKenney

aMBLER, Pa. — Bradford White haspromoted Robert g. McKenney to theposition of region sales manager.McKenney will oversee the company'ssales efforts throughout the Mid-atlantic region. he will report to direc-tor of sales Jim Mcgoldrick.

Jahnke elected to Elkay board of directors

oaK BRooK, iLL. —Ronald C. Katz,executive chairman of ElkayManufacturing Company announcedthat timothy Jahnke, Elkay's presidentand CEo, has been elected to serve onthe company’s board of directors.

Engineered Software names new leaders

LaCEY, Wash. — Engineered softwareinc. has namedMichael Blondinchief operating offi-cer and ChristyBermensolo vicepresident of engineer-ing. Former vice pres-ident of engineering, Ray hardee, P.E.,will now be Engineered software’schief executive officer.

Zoeller Company VP of marketing retires

LoUisViLLE, KY. — Zoeller Companyannounced that Mike Babrowski, vicepresident of marketing will retire, effec-tive February 20, 2009, after 26 yearswith the company. During Babrowski’stenure, Zoeller Pump Company becamean acknowledged leader in the sumpand sewage market in the United states.Babrowski was an active member of theVendor Member Division and theamerican supply association, as wellas of other business and professionalorganizations in Louisville.

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Rob Bolin earns ASHRAE certification

ChiCago — Rob Bolin, P.E., a senior vice president atsyska hennessy group, a global leader in consulting,engineering, technology and construction, has earned a

high-Performance Building DesignProfessional certification from theamerican society of heating,Refrigerating and air-ConditioningEngineers. Bolin is a LEED® accredited pro-fessional, with more than 20 yearsof consulting mechanical engineer-ing experience. his specialty is col-laborating to develop integrated,high performance buildings, utiliz-ing passive low energy systems.

During his years at syska hennessy, he has led teamsworking on such projects as the LEED® Platinum naturalResources Defense Council headquarters in santaMonica, Calif.; the LEED® gold santa Monica Library

duced to pantyhose. Fidel Castro overthrew the Cubangovernment. hawaii became a state. nasa named thefirst seven astronauts. and … engineers created the firstCPVC plumbing system, revolutionizing the industry.

Developed 50 years ago, specifically for plumbingapplications, CPVC is a rigid thermoplastic that offersmany advantages over copper pipe. it’s easier and safer toinstall, because it does not require soldering. CPVCplumbing systems, such as Flowguard gold® and Corzanpipe and fittings, join easily via a one-step solvent cementjoining process that does not involve an open flame.CPVC pipe also cuts easily with inexpensive, readilyavailable tools. the result is a straight professionalappearance without the hassle or safety risks associatedwith a torch.

over the years, thanks to these benefits, the use ofCPVC pipe has expanded beyond plumbing and water dis-tribution systems to fire sprinkler systems, such asBlazeMaster® fire sprinkler systems. BlazeMaster®CPVC pipe and fittings are specifically designed for firesprinkler systems and have more than 20 years of proven,reliable system performance in the field.

to look to the future, one must first look back at thepast and assess the successes achieved. For 50 years,CPVC plumbing systems have provided the plumbing,homebuilding, commercial and industrial segments withreliable, corrosion-resistant and easy-to-install piping sys-tems. Research and development continues to make these


More Industry News on page 66


Bolin


Back in July 2003 I wrote an article on water soften-ing. It addressed the two conventional methods ofwater softening, lime-soda ash and ion exchange

softening. Since then, several alternative water treatmentsystems have been developed to address the issue of waterquality and to make tap water more desirable.

The first of these that I heard about was a product calledLifeSource Water, a whole-house water treatment systemthat is maintenance free for 16 to 25 years (1.6 million gal-lons for the smallest unit). Wow, how can that be? I inves-tigated LifeSource and learned that it uses activated car-bon filtration, coupled with a Beotron water treatmentunit. “What’s that?” I asked, “How does it work?” Theycouldn’t tell me. It’s proprietary technology. Hmmm. …Sounds a little fishy.

An associate in the water treatment industry purchasedone of these units and tore it apart. The Beotron unit is aPVC tube capped at both ends and filled with sand and acopper wire running down the center. The water does not

flow through the tube, and none of the water comes intocontact with the sand and copper. As such, the Beotronunit cannot be said to have any significant impact on thewater quality, so the LifeSource unit is essentially a car-bon filter. That’s not a bad thing — carbon filtration is avery good means of improving water quality — but it doesnot soften water, so it does little to prevent the scale build-up associated with hard water.

Next, I heard about a product called OneFlow, which isa maintenance-free anti-scale system. OneFlow is a divi-sion of Watts. Their product is based on template assistedcrystallization (TAC), a process developed by NextFiltration Technologies Inc. as “Next-ScaleStop,” apatented scale prevention system. The process uses resinbeads covered with “templates” — atomic nucleation sitesthat attract the dissolved minerals. Once each templategrows to a micro-crystal of hardness minerals (whichtakes about five seconds) it breaks off the bead and flowsfreely through the plumbing system as a “soft” scale par-

Designer’s GuideTimothy Allinson, P.E., Murray Co., Long Beach, Calif.

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improvement will continue for some time; there hasalready been a considerable improvement in the scale vis-ible in the dishwasher.

OneFlow water is not soft water. It does not have theslippery feel of soft water and does not have the dramaticeffect on detergents that 0-grain water has. Nor does itprovide a spot-free rinse. However, it also does not havethe elevated levels of sodium created by ion-exchangesofteners, and it does not rob the water of calcium andmagnesium, which are beneficial minerals when con-sumed in drinking water. So there are obvious pros andcons for the OneFlow unit, compared to conventionalwater softening.

The other night I was having a beer with my dad,toasting his 88th birthday. I told him about the OneFlowunit and, having a natural thirst for knowledge, he wasfascinated. We also spoke about the fact that he does notdrink enough water and about the effect this has on hisdigestion. A fellow then came over to introduce himselfand asked if we had heard of Kangen water: I had, butknew little about it. He happened to have a sample ofwater in a bottle, and the water was blue. He said, “Thisis Kangen water with pH drops in it. The blue colorreveals the fact that Kangen water is alkaline. There aregreat health benefits in the ionic alkaline minerals of


ticle that will not produce scale buildup.Because the templates eventually diminish, the

OneFlow product is not entirely maintenance free. Thecompany recommends that the beads be replaced everythree years, even though preliminary data suggests thatthey may last much longer. Actual bead life is a functionof water usage and quality.

“Does it work?” I wondered. I was so curious (and havesuch hard water at home) that, out of desperation, I hadone of these units installed in my house.

Here in So Cal we have had a very dry year; as a result,the water is harder than usual. This is because an increasedpercentage of hard Colorado River water and local hardgroundwater have been added to the domestic supply. Ihaven’t seen any printed data as of yet, but I would guessthat in recent months the water has probably been about30 grains per gallon. That’s hard — 10 times harder thanquality 3-grain water — so hard that the glassware in mydishwasher turns foggy and plastic spatulas are coatedwith a white powder residue.

The OneFlow unit has only been installed for threeweeks at the time of this writing. The unfortunate firsteffect of its installation is that, initially, it makes the waterhardness problem worse, as the treated water scours thescale off the pipes and water heater. After a few weeks theproblem begins to improve. I hope and expect the Continued on page 16

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Kangen water.”He said, “I have a five-gallon jug in the car. We can test

it here if you want.” The fellow, whom I initially consid-ered a crackpot, pulled a pH test drop bottle out of hispocket. I suggested we test the bar’s water. I asked the bar-tender for a glass of water, which she poured from thesoda gun. The drops turned the water light orange.

“That means it’s acidic — acidic water is not gooddrinking water,” Crackpot said.

We then realized that the water from the soda gun wastreated, as is all water from soda dispensers, and it picksup residual CO2 from the soda lines, causing it to readacidic. I asked for a glass of tap water. We tested that andit turned blue (alkaline) but not as blue as the Kangenwater. I was intrigued. The guy let me keep the pH drops,gave my dad a five-gallon jug of Kangen water as a birth-day gift, and I went home to conduct a little ad hoc chem-istry experiment.

At home I lined up six glasses. In the first (picturedright to left) I put water from a hose bib upstream of thenew OneFlow unit. In the second I put tap water that hadpassed through the OneFlow unit. In the third I put tapwater that had been through a Brita water filter. In thefourth I put Kirkland drinking water from Costco. In thefifth I put Arrowhead spring water. And in the sixth I putArrowhead distilled water. Then I added the drops andcreated a rainbow of colors, to my son‘s delight. You cansee the results in the photo below.

The tap water samples from before and after theOneFlow unit were both light blue (slightly alkaline). Thisis not surprising, as the OneFlow unit does not affect pHand, since the water is hard, the calcium carbonate miner-als make it slightly basic.

The Brita water, to my surprise and delight, turnedgreen, which means it was pH neutral, and the filter Ispend money on was actually doing something. TheKirkland water was also a shade of green. The Arrowheadspring water was the same blue color as the tap water,revealing that it has the same pH — a quality that proba-bly varies depending on the source of the spring. And thedistilled water turned orange, meaning it was acidic. Thisis because pure water absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere,causing it to read acidic.

If you believe the plethora of literature out there,acidic water is bad for the body, while alkaline water isgood. The reason? Many are given, but the crux of theargument is that our bodies are slightly basic, with a pHof 7.3. Things we eat and drink tend to reduce the pH,such as distilled, CO2-rich water in carbonated bever-ages, acidic fruits and so on. Alkaline water is good atreturning the body’s pH to its normal alkaline state.There are, however, many counter arguments to thistheory.

After the test I did some follow-up research on Kangenwater. Kangen is not a brand but a type of water that hasbeen produced and consumed in Japan for more than 30years. It is the registered trademark of Enagic USA Inc.,but they are not the only producers of Kangen-style waterionizers. Most of these units are designed to sit on thecounter by your kitchen sink and divert water from the

faucet outlet to a filter and ionizer. The ionizer splits theflow into two streams, one that has OH ions (the alkalinedrinking water) and one with H+ ions (acidic wastewater).The wastewater is either discharged to the sink, or it canbe saved and used for washing vegetables and other usesappropriate for acidic water.

The OH-rich Kangen water is said to increase bloodoxygen by stabilizing free radicals. It is also claimed tohave “micro-clusters” — water molecule clusters of fiveor six molecules per cluster, versus 10 to 13 molecules percluster in tap water, allowing the water to be absorbedmore readily by the body. Further, it is supposed to have ahigh negative oxidation-reduction potential, making it apowerful antioxidant.

I’m not sure how much legitimacy there is to all ofthese claims, as I have found no hard data to support them.Kangen water can’t even be found in Wikipedia, and I wasunder the growing impression that everything existedthere. But that does not mean that there may not be greatvalue to be had from this water. It may be smoke and mir-rors, or it may have magical potency, like Chinese teas. Ofcourse, there is the possibility that it could be bad for youor for certain people. The bottom line? I plan to continuedrinking my slightly alkaline tap water, augmented withthe Brita filtered water and a little beer and wine, just forgood measure. ■

Timothy Allinson is a senior professional engineerwith Murray Co., Mechanical Contractors, in LongBeach, Calif. He holds a BsMe from Tufts University andan MBa from New York University. He is a professionalengineer licensed in both mechanical and fire protectionengineering in various states, and is a Leed accreditedProfessional. allinson is a past-president of asPe, boththe New York and Orange County Chapters.

Designer’s GuideContinued from page 15

The views and opinions expressed in this column arethose of the author and do not reflect those of PlumbingEngineer nor its publisher, TMB Publishing.

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The 2009 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code(UPC) and the Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC),published by the International Association of

Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), have beententatively scheduled for release on March 1, completinga three-year consensus development cycle accredited bythe American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Significant changes to the Uniform Plumbing Codeinclude the following:

• New requirements for the installation of nonwaterurinals;

• Specific prescriptive requirements for the installationof temperature limiting devices for various fixtures;

• New requirements for the distribution of hot water forbathing, washing, laundry, cooking, dishwashing, etc.;

• Updates and revises the identification of potable andnonpotable water systems;

• New requirements for sizing hydromechanical greaseinterceptors and gravity grease interceptors;

• Complete modification and new requirements for graywater and reclaimed water systems; and

• Three new tables for ease of use, including approvedmaterials, devices and their respective referenced stan-dards for water supply and distribution piping and drain,waste and vent piping and backflow prevention devices,assemblies and methods.

Significant changes to the UMC include the following:.• New requirements for outdoor air ventilation, updated

in accordance with ASHRAE 62.1-2007;• New requirements for the protection of mechanical

equipment against flood damage;• 69 new refrigerants added to Table 11-1, Refrigerants

Groups, Properties and Allowable Quantities;• For hydronics systems, three approved referenced

standards for piping materials and installation;• New joining method for fuel gas tubing utilizing

press-connect fittings in accordance with CSA LC-4; and• New prescriptive and performance-based require-

ments for listed and unlisted open flame decorativeappliances

The Uniform Codes are developed using ANSI’s con-sensus development procedures. This process bringstogether volunteers representing a variety of viewpointsand interests to achieve consensus on plumbing andmechanical practices.

The codes are designed to provide consumers with safeand sanitary plumbing and mechanical systems while, atthe same time, allowing latitude for innovation and newtechnologies. The public at large is encouraged and invit-ed to participate in IAPMO’s open consensus code devel-opment process. A code development timeline for the2012 edition of the code and other relevant informationare available at IAPMO’s Website, www.iapmo.org.

For more information on code development, contactLynne Simnick, director of code development forIAPMO, at 909/472-4110.

Plumbing industry groups to work together on water

efficiency research

Five national organizations are joining forces in a his-toric partnership to do further research into water efficien-cy in plumbing. These organizations with expertise inwater efficiency and plumbing will develop research pro-grams to assist in the development and use of water effi-cient plumbing. The research will cover efficient and sus-tainable products, systems and practices. The five groupsthat are part of the agreement are:

• Alliance for Water Efficiency• International Code Council (ICC)• International Association of Plumbing and

Mechanical Officials (IAPMO)• Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Contractors

Association (PHCC)• Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI)“By joining forces, the organizations can better use their

resources to advance water efficiency research in areaswhere there is a common interest and need,” said Mary AnnDickinson, executive director of the Alliance for WaterEfficiency, the organization leading the partnership. “Initialprojects being considered for research are high efficiencytoilet drainage, water re-use systems, nonwater consumingurinals and sizing of water efficient plumbing systems. Wewant to make sure that, as we move forward with changesin water efficiency requirements, those changes are basedon solid research in the field.” The Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) signed by all parties formalizes theagreement reached on conducting the research projects, andtook more than a year to negotiate.

The historic MoU formed the Water EfficiencyResearch Coalition and was signed on Tuesday, January 6,in the offices of U.S. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson.Johnson pledged to partner with the coalition to coordi-nate water efficiency research. The coalition, conceivedby the IAPMO Green Technical Group, initiates a spirit ofcooperation between charter and future coalition members“to find common ground to share technical, scientific, leg-islative and regulatory information that will result in anorganized and systematic approach towards the develop-ment of comprehensive research programs.” The goal ofsuch research would be the advancement of water efficientand sustainable plumbing products, systems and practices.

Sample projects that might be undertaken include:drainline carry research on high efficiency toilets, non-water using urinals, reduced pipe sizing for water efficientplumbing systems and safe applications for reuse of water.

2009 Uniform Codes slated for release on March 1

Code UpdateBy Ron George, CIPE, CPDPresident, Ron George Design & Consulting Services

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Funds for worthy projects will be sought from governmentagencies, foundations, and other interested parties. TheMoU does not commit any funds at this time.

The non-binding memorandum of understanding will bereviewed at least once a year in order to determine whether itshould be continued, modified or terminated. It is also hopedthat other plumbing organizations will join in the alliance.

Pete DeMarco, IAPMO director of special programssaid, “We, like the other organizations represented heretoday, recognize that plumbing systems are complex. Tokeep these systems working properly, decisions on furtherreductions in the amounts of water that we currently usetoday must be based on good science if we are to avoidproblems that could tarnish and jeopardize the entire waterefficiency movement.” DeMarco explained that therecomes a point when plumbing systems will fail due to lackof water in the system and that the research conducted bythe coalition “will be structured to ensure that we do notunintentionally create performance problems as we seek toimprove efficiency.”

Russ Chaney of IAPMO said “By pooling our resources,we believe that we can generate a much better, more bene-ficial research program. Aligning industry efforts for thefirst time gets everybody pulling in the same direction and

that direction is the path to the most efficient, yet safe andhealthy plumbing systems possible.”

Coalition members will share technical, scientific, leg-islative and regulatory information to develop comprehen-sive research projects. The common goal of all programswill be to improve water efficiency, while always beingmindful of public health and safety. Actionable outcomesfrom these programs will be shared with the entire plumb-ing industry to ensure water saving measures are properlyimplemented.

On Friday, January 9, IAPMO’s Green Technical com-mittee, headed by Pete Demarco held a conference call tobegin the first in a series of meetings to look at revisingHunter’s curve to allow for water pipe size reductions forlow flow fixtures. Those wishing to assist in the effort,please contact Pete Demarco or Dave Viola at IAPMO.

Dwight Perkins and Don Swords named

to IAPMO field services positions

Dwight Perkins has been named director of field opera-tions and Don Swords Region 8 field manager forIAPMO, filling the two positions held concurrently byformer director of field services Linden Raimer and vacat-ed by his Dec. 31 retirement. Perkins will continue toserve as field manager of Region 1, comprised of the sixwesternmost United States, including Alaska and Hawaii,a post he’s held since Jan. 1, 2002.

As director of field operations, Perkins will orchestratethe code adoption efforts of 11 other IAPMO field serviceregions. As field manager of Region 8, Swords will repre-sent IAPMO’s interests in seven southeastern states:Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina,Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The field managers will beworking to promote the new IAPMO codes and to gaintheir adoption throughout the country to ensure a smoothtransition from earlier editions or from other codes.

Linden Raimer’s retirement culminated a 45-year careerin the plumbing trades, the last eight of which were spentwith IAPMO. Prior to that, Mr. Raimer served St. TammanyParish, La., as chief plumbing inspector, building official

Continued from page 18

Code Update


A sad loss for theplumbing industry

The plumbing and mechanical industry mourns theuntimely death of Roscoe King, who passed away aftersuffering a heart attack on January 12, 2009. Roscoeheld both plumbing and contractor licenses and was amember of several vital committees representing theCity and County of Los Angeles. He was very activewith IAPMO and health and safety codes and standardsin Southern California.

Roscoe was one of the plumbing code instructors forthe annual IAPMO Educational Seminar series. I hadthe good fortune of playing on his foursome in a recentplumbing industry golf outing, and I attended many ofthe plumbing code classes he presided over at IAPMOmeetings. I came to know him well and respect him.Roscoe shared his experience in the classroom,instructing engineers, building officials, field inspec-tors and office managers on code changes and teachingcourses for the plumbing, heating and cooling contrac-tors of the Greater Los Angeles area.

With the County of Los Angeles Building & SafetyDivision, Roscoe developed and implemented plumb-ing and mechanical code training for all county combi-nation building inspectors and provided technical sup-port for field inspectors on plumbing and mechanicalissues. He recently won the “IAPMO GovernmentPerson of the Year Award” at the IAPMO fall confer-ence in Atlanta, and he guided IAPMO’s SouthernCalifornia chapter for five years. He was a good friendand an invaluable part of the industry. I would like toextend my condolences to his family. He will be missedby all that knew him.

(L to R) Administrator Stephen Johnson, EPA; Mary AnnDickinson, AWE; Ike Casey, PHCC; Allen Inlow, IAPMO;Jack Krecek, PMI; Sarah Yerkes, ICC. Photo of SigningCeremony courtesy of International Code Council.

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and director of permits and regulatory from 1988 -2000.

Key changes to the 2009

International Residential Code

The 2009 edition of the International Residential Code(IRC), available in March, includes new requirements forsprinklers and energy efficiency. It also includes new stan-dards for building homes in high wind regions and forconstructing community and residential storm shelters.

Jurisdictions that adopt the 2009 IRC will apply themost modern, scientific and comprehensive building safe-ty provisions available to save lives and protect property.The IRC, developed and published by the InternationalCode Council, is adopted at the state or local level in 48states and Washington, D.C. The IRC combines all build-ing, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electricalprovisions for one- and two-family residences and town-houses into one comprehensive code that is compatiblewith all International Codes.

New safety features in the 2009 IRC include:• Fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family resi-

dences, beginning Jan. 1, 2011; • Fire sprinklers in all new townhomes; • Carbon monoxide alarms in new construction

dwelling units with fuel-fired appliances and in existinghomes where interior alterations include fuel-fired appli-

ance replacements or attached garages; • New guidelines for the design and construction of

homes in high wind regions, based on the InternationalCode Council’s Standard for Residential Construction inHigh Wind Regions, ICC 600; and

• New guidelines for the design and construction ofstorm shelters, based on the new International CodeCouncil/National Storm Shelter Association (NSSA)Standard for the Design and Construction of StormShelters, ICC 500-2008.

Energy-efficient upgrades in the 2009 IRC include:• Programmable thermostats in new homes and build-

ings with forced air furnaces; • High-efficiency light bulbs in at least 50% of perma-

nent lighting fixtures in new homes; • Maximum fenestration U-factors are lowered in

warmer climates to reduce the amount of heat loss or gainthrough windows and doors to lower energy costs duringcooling periods; and

• An increase in insulation R-values for walls, floorsand basements in cold climates to achieve heating andcooling savings. ■

Ron George is president of Ron George Design &Consulting Services. He is currently Chairman of theInternational Residential Plumbing & Mechanical CodeCommittee and he serves on the International Association ofPlumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Code interpreta-tion Answers and Analysis Committee and the IAPMOStandards Council. He is active in Plumbing Code andPlumbing Product Standard development and consulting. Hiscompany specializes in plumbing, piping, fire protection andHVAC system design. He also provides plumbing andmechanical code consulting, plumbing product standard con-sulting and forensic investigations and litigation support forplumbing and mechanical system failures. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.rongeorgedesign.com.


Code Update


(L to R): Carole Baker, AWE; Pete DeMarco, IAPMO; SarahYerkes, ICC; Allen Inlow, IAPMO; Mary Ann Dickinson, AWE;Jack Krecek, PMI; administrator Stephen Johnson, EPA;Kevin Tindall, PHCC member; assistant administrator BenGrumbles, EPA; and Ike Casey, PHCC. Photo courtesy of AWE.

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Fire ProtectionRichard Schulte, Schulte & Associates, Evanston, IL


The following report by Richard Schulte is broken into atwo-part column. Part 2 of this report will be published inMarch’s Fire Protection section of Plumbing Engineer.

In November 2008, The National Institute of Standardsand Technology (NIST) issued the final report on itsinvestigation into the collapse of the WTC 7 building on

the afternoon of September 11, 2001. While the reasons whythe WTC 1 and WTC 2 buildings, the World Trade Centertowers, collapsed on the morning of September 11 wererather obvious buildings are not designed for the high-speedimpact of large commercial aircraft, combined with theeffects of the fire that will occur after the impact — the rea-sons for the collapse of WTC 7 have been the subject ofmuch conjecture. Hence, the NIST report on the collapse ofWTC 7 is actually of more interest to those in the fire pro-tection field than the NIST report on the collapse of theWTC towers.

Following are excerpts from NIST’s final report on theinvestigation of the collapse of WTC 7, referred to asNCSTAR 1A:

“At the time of this publication, this effort has resulted intwenty-three changes being adopted into the InternationalBuilding Code and fifteen introduced into the NFPA 5000Building Code, NFPA 1 Fire Code and NFPA 101 Life SafetyCode. … All of these steps will lead to improved safety andsecurity of buildings, building occupants and emergencyresponders.” (page xxxi)

“This is the final report of the National Institute ofStandards and Technology (NIST) investigation into the col-lapse of WTC 7, conducted under the National ConstructionSafety Team Act. The report is the result of an extensive, state-of-the-art reconstruction of the events that affected WTC 7and eventually led to its collapse. Numerous facts and datawere obtained then combined with validated computer mod-eling to produce an account that captures the key features ofwhat actually occurred. However, the reader should keep inmind that the building and the records kept within the build-ing were destroyed, and the remains of all the WTC buildingswere disposed of before congressional action and funding wasavailable for this Investigation to begin. As a result, there aresome facts that could not be discerned and, thus, there areuncertainties in this accounting. Nonetheless, NIST was ableto gather sufficient evidence and documentation to conduct afull investigation upon which to reach firm findings and rec-ommendations.” (page xxxv)

“WTC 7 was a 47-story office building located immediate-ly north of the main WTC complex. … On September 11, 2001,WTC 7 endured fires for almost 7 hours, from the time of col-lapse of the north WTC tower (WTC 1) at 10:28:22 a.m. until5:20:52 p.m., when it collapsed. This was the first knowninstance of the total collapse of a tall building primarily due tofires.” (page xxxv)

“WTC 7 was unlike the WTC towers in many respects. Itwas a more typical tall building in the design of its structuralsystems. It was not struck by an airplane. The fires in WTC 7were quite different from those in the towers. Since WTC 7was not doused with thousands of gallons of jet fuel, largeareas of any floor were not ignited simultaneously. Instead,the fires in WTC 7 were similar to those that have occurred inseveral tall buildings where the automatic sprinklers did notfunction or were not present. These other buildings did notcollapse, while WTC 7 succumbed to its fires.” (page xxxv)

“The fires in WTC 7 were ignited as a result of the impactof debris from the collapse of WTC 1, which was approxi-mately 110 m (350 ft) to the south. The debris also causedstructural damage to the southwest exterior of WTC 7, pri-marily between Floors 7 and 17. The fires were ignited on atleast 10 floors; however, only the fires on Floors 7 through 9and 11 through 13 grew and lasted until the time of the build-ing collapse. These uncontrolled fires had characteristics sim-ilar to those that have occurred previously in tall buildings.Their growth and spread were consistent with ordinary build-ing contents fires. Had a water supply for the automatic sprin-kler system been available and had the sprinkler system oper-ated as designed, it is likely that fires in WTC 7 would havebeen controlled and the collapse prevented. However, the col-lapse of WTC 7 highlights the importance of designing fire-resistant structures for situations where sprinklers are not pre-sent, do not function (e.g., due to disconnected or impairedwater supply), or are overwhelmed.” (page xxxvi)

“There were no serious injuries or fatalities, because theestimated 4,000 occupants of WTC 7 reacted to the airplaneimpacts on the two WTC towers and began evacuating beforethere was significant damage to WTC 7. The occupants wereable to use both the elevators and the stairs, which were as yetnot damaged, obstructed, or smoke-filled. Evacuation of thebuilding took just over an hour. … The decision not to contin-ue evaluating the building and not to fight the fires was madehours before the building collapsed, so no emergency respon-ders were in or near the building when the collapseoccurred.” (page xxxvii)

“The stairwells were narrower than those required by theNYCBC, but, combined with the elevators, were adequate fora timely evacuation on September 11, 2001, since the numberof building occupants was only about half that expected dur-ing normal business hours.” (page xxxvii)

“The collapse of WTC 7 could not have been preventedwithout controlling the fires before most of the combustiblebuilding contents were consumed.” (page xxxvii)

“The partial or total collapse of a building due to fire is aninfrequent event. This is particularly true for buildings with areliably operating active fire protection system such as anautomatic sprinkler system. A properly designed and operat-ing sprinkler system will contain fires while they are smalland, in most instances, prevent them from growing and


The NIST WTC 7 investigation report: A critique

Richard Schulte, Schulte & Associates, Evanston, Ill.Fire Protection

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spreading to threaten structural integri-ty.” (page xxxviii)

“The intent of current practice,based upon prescriptive standards andcodes, is to achieve life safety, not col-lapse prevention. However, the keypremise of NIST’s recommendations isthat buildings should not collapse ininfrequent (worst-case) fires that may

occur when active fire protection sys-tems are rendered ineffective, e.g. whensprinklers do not exist, are not function-al, or are overwhelmed by the fire, orwhere the water supply is impaired.”(page xxxviii)

“WTC 7 was an irregular trapezoid,approximately 100 m (329 ft) long onthe north face and 75 m (247 ft) long on

the south face, 44 m (144 ft) wide, and186 m (610 ft) tall. The 47-story build-ing contained approximately 200,000m2 (2 million ft2) of floor area. A typi-cal floor was the size of a football field.The gross floor area was 75 percent ofthat contained in the Empire StateBuilding.” (page 5)

“WTC 7 contained a three-zone sys-tem of sprinklers and standpipes.”(page 7)

“These fire protection measuresaddressed the conventional approachesto preserving life safety. However, in theU.S., neither architectural nor structuralengineering practice explicitly required(then or currently) an evaluation of thestructural system response to heating(fires) as part of the building design.”(page 8)

“The combustible fuel load for theseopen landscaped floors was dominatedby workstations. The architecturaldrawings showed the densities of work-stations similar to those on most of thefire floors in the WTC towers. The esti-mated fuel loads for these floors wasabout 20 kg/m2 (4 lb/ft2). Simulationsof the fires with a higher combusted fuelload (NIST NCSTAR 1 - 9, Chapter 9)resulted in poor agreement withobserved fire spread rates.” (page 10)

“Shortly before 9:00 a.m. onTuesday, September 11, 2001, about4,000 people were at work in WTC 7.This was about half of the roughly 8,000people who worked there.” (page 15)

“At 8:46:30 a.m. EDT, five highjack-ers flew American Airlines Flight 11(AA 11), a Boeing 767-200ER aircraftwith 11 crew and 76 passengers onboard, over the top of WTC 7 and intothe north face of WTC 1. Moving atabout 710 km/h (440 mph), the nose hitthe exterior wall of the tower at the96th floor. The aircraft cut a gash thatwas over half of the width of the build-ing and extended from the 93rd to the99th floor. At 9:02:59 a.m., 16 1/2 min-utes after the first impact, five otherhighjackers flew United Airlines Flight175, a Boeing 767-200ER with 9 crewand 51 passengers on board into thesouth face of WTC 2 at about 870ken/hr (540 mph), about 160 km/hr(100 mph) faster than AA 11. The cen-ter of the nose of the plane struck at the81st floor slab. This entry woundstretched over nine floors, from Floors77 to 85 (NIST NCSTAR 1).” (page 15)


Fire ProtectionContinued from page 24


gin on an [a] given floor.” (page 18) “Between 12:10 and 1:00 p.m., there

were fires at the southwest corners of the19th, 22nd, 29th and 30th floors. Thesefires grew large enough to break glassfrom nearby windows but did not spreadfar before dying out. These fires mighthave also burned along the south sidesof the floors, where they would not have

been seen, due to limited visibility fromsmoke obscuration. It is possible that thefires on the 22nd, 29th and 30th floorswere limited by automatic sprinklers,whose water [supply] came from thestorage tanks on the 47th floor. At anyrate, after about 1:00 p.m., there was no

“The elevators alone could haveevacuated the building in about 20 min.The stairwells, although somewhat nar-row for the maximum possible 14,000possible occupants (estimated using theformula in the NYCBC), were more thanadequate to evacuate roughly one-thirdof that number in the building thatmorning (NIST NCSTAR 1 - 9, Chapter7).” (page 15)

“Pieces of WTC 1 hit WTC 7, sever-ing six columns on Floors 7 through 17on the south face and one column on thewest face near the southwest corner.The debris also caused structural dam-age between Floor 44 and the roof.”(page 16)

“The emergency responders quicklyrecognized that WTC 7 had been dam-aged by the collapse of WTC 1. A num-ber of fire teams entered WTC 7 toexamine the damage, locate fires andpossibly extinguish them, and search foroccupants.” (page 18)

“As early as 11:30 a.m., FDNY foundthat there was no water supplied by thehydrant system to fight fires that werevisible. With the collapse of the towersfresh in their minds, there was a con-cern that WTC 7 too might collapse,risking the lives of additional fire fight-ers. Within the next two hours, seriousdiscussions were underway regardingthe cessation of any efforts to save WTC7, and the final order to cease was givenat about 2:30 p.m. The Con Edison sub-station was shut down at 4:33 p.m.(NIST NCSTAR 1-9, Chapter 6).” (page18)

“Most likely, the WTC 7 fires beganas a result of burning debris from thecollapse of WTC 1 at about 10:28:22a.m. Soon after that, there were numer-ous vehicles around WTC 7 that wereon fire, presumably ignited by burningdebris from the tower. It is likely thatnascent fires were also growing withinWTC 7 around the same time, althoughvisual evidence of the fires in the build-ing was not available until aroundnoon. From the fire spread patterns, it islikely that the fires began around thewestern half of the south face.” (page18)

“Fires broke out on at least 10 floorsof WTC 7, near the damaged southwestcorner of the building (NIST NCSTAR 1- 9, Chapter 5). They were typicallyobserved as single floor fires, andobservations supported a local fire ori-



evidence of fires on these floors on the east, north, or west facesof the building.” (page 19)

“There were no indications of fire on the 9th floor untilshortly before 4 p.m., when a small fire appeared on the westside of the north face.” (page 20)

“As the fires progressed, some of the structural steel beganto heat. According to the generally accepted test standard,ASTM E-119, one of the criteria for establishing the fire resis-tance rating for a steel column or floor beam is derived fromthe time at which, during a standard fire exposure, the aver-age column temperature exceeds 538°C (1000°F) or theaverage floor beam temperature exceeds 593°C (1100°F).These are temperatures at which there is significant loss ofsteel strength and stiffness. Due to the effectiveness of theSFRM [sprayed fire resistive material], the highest columntemperatures in WTC 7 only reached an estimated 300°C(570°F) and only on the east side of the building did the floorbeams reach about 600°C (1100°F). The heat from theseuncontrolled fires caused thermal expansion of the steelbeams on the lower floors of the east side of WTC 7, primar-ily at or below 400°C (750°F), damaging the floor framingon multiple floors.” (page 21)

“The initiating local failure that began the probable WTC7 collapse sequence was the buckling of Column 79. Thisbuckling arose from a process that occurred at temperaturesat or below approximately 400°C (750°F), which are wellbelow the temperatures considered in current practice fordetermining fire resistance ratings associated with significantloss of steel strength. When steel (or any other metal) is heat-ed, it expands. If thermal expansion in steel beams is resistedby columns or other steel members, forces develop in thestructural members that can result in buckling of beams orfailures of connections.” (page 21)

“Fire-induced thermal expansion of the floor system sur-rounding Column 79 led to the collapse of Floor 13, whichtriggered a cascade of failures. In this case, the floor beamson the east side of the building expanded enough that theypushed the girder spanning between Columns 79 and 44 to thewest on the 13th floor. … This movement was enough for thegirder to walk off of its support at Column 79.” (page 22)

“The unsupported girder and other local fire-induced dam-age caused Floor 13 to collapse, beginning a cascade of floorfailures down to the 5th floor (which as noted in Section 1.2.3,was much thicker and stronger). Many of these floors hadalready been at least partially weakened by the fires in thevicinity of Column 79. This left Column 79 with insufficientlateral support, and as a consequence, the column buckledeastward, becoming the initial local failure for collapse initi-ation.” (page 22)

“As with the WTC towers, much of the information specif-ic to the WTC 7 construction was lost with the destruction ofthe WTC site. Nonetheless, copious information was obtainedfrom drawings and specifications, reports and availablerecords from The Port Authority, Silverstein Properties, and anumber of contractors that worked on the design, construc-tion, or modification of WTC 7. The documents included theerection and fabrication shop drawings of the building, whichprovided detailed information about the floor and columnconnections.” (page 25)

“Considerable effort was expended to compile evidence

and to determine whether intentionally set explosive materialmight have caused the collapse of WTC 7 (NIST NCSTAR 1-9, Appendix D). As a minimum, the explosive material wouldhave had to cause sufficient damage to a critical column ortruss that it became unable to carry its service load or that alateral deflection would cause it to buckle.” (page 26)

“Preparations for a blast scenario would have been impos-sible to carry out on any floor in the building without detection.Preparations would have included removal of column enclo-sures or walls, weld[ing] torches to cut column sections, andplacement of wires for detonation. Occupants, support staff,and visitors would have noticed such activities, particularlysince they likely would have occurred around more than onecolumn.” (page 27)

“Similar to the analyses conducted for the WTC towers,the analyses of WTC 7 continued to advance the current stateof the art and tested the limits of computational capabilities.The unprecedented complexity and sophistication of theseanalyses required the use of various strategies for computa-tional demands while adequately capturing the physics of theproblem.” (page 28)

“The visual evidence indicated that only fires of significantduration and intensity were on Floors 7 through 9 and 11through 13.” (page 29)

“Based on these analyses and review of numerous inter-view transcripts, NIST concluded that it was highly unlikelythat any fires on the 5th or 6th floors contributed to the col-lapse of WTC 7.” (page 32)

“NIST concluded that the only fires that could have led tostructural weakening of WTC 7 were those on the 7th through9th and 11 through 13th floors.” (page 32)

“Once simulation of the global collapse of WTC 7 wasunderway, there was a great increase in the uncertainty in theprogression of the collapse sequence, due to the randomnature of the interaction, break up, disintegration, and fallingdebris. … and the details of the progression of the horizontalfailure and final global collapse were increasingly less pre-cise.” (page 44)

“While NIST was not able to compile complete documen-tation of the history of WTC 7, due to loss of records over timeand due to the collapses, the investigators were able toacquire information adequate to arrive at and firmly supportthe findings and recommendations compiled in this chapterand the next [chapter].” (page 47)

“The collapse of WTC 7 represents the first knowninstance of total collapse of a tall building primarily due tofires. The collapse could not have been prevented withoutcontrolling the fires before most of the combustible buildingcontents were consumed.” (page 47)

“There was no evidence to suggest that there was damageto the SFRM that was applied to the steel columns, girders,and beams, except in the vicinity of the structural damagefrom the collapse of WTC 1, which was near the west side ofthe south face of the building.” (page 48)

“Even without the initial structural damage caused bydebris impact from the collapse of WTC 1, WTC 7 would havecollapsed from fires having the same characteristics as thoseexperienced on September 11, 2001.” (page 48)

“Diesel fuel fires did not play a role in the collapse of



Fire ProtectionContinued from page 27

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WTC 7. The worst-case scenarios associated with fires beingfed by ruptured fuel lines (a) could not have been sustainedlong enough, or could not have generated sufficient heat, toraise the temperature of a critical column (i.e., Column 79)to the point of significant loss of strength or stiffness, or (b)would have produced large amounts of visible smoke whichwould have emanated from exhaust louvers. No such smokedischarge was observed.” (page 49)

“Blast events did not play a role in the collapse of WTC 7.Based upon visual and audio evidence and the use of special-ized computer modeling to simulate hypothetical blast events,NIST concluded that blast events did not occur, and found noevidence whose explanation required invocation of a blastevent. Blast from the smallest charge capable of failing a crit-ical column (i.e., Column 79) would have resulted in a soundlevel of 130 dB to 140 dB at a distance of at least one-half amile if unobstructed by surrounding buildings (such as alongGreenwich Street or West Broadway). This sound level is con-sistent with standing next to a jet engine and more than 10times louder than being in front of the speakers at a rock con-cert. There were no witness reports of such a loud noise, norwas such a noise heard on audio tracks of video recordings ofthe WTC 7 collapse.” (page 49)

“Due to the focus on rescuing people trapped in the debrisfield, providing aid to the injured, and the loss of water in thehydrant system, FDNY was not able to consider the possibili-

ty of fighting the fires in WTC 7 until approximately 1:00 p.m.At approximately 2:30 p.m., FDNY gave the order to foregofirefighting activity and for personnel to withdraw to a safedistance from the building.” (page 57)

“The vertical (gravity) load resisting system comprised


Fire Protection

With a cursory review of the NIST final report on the investigation into the collapse of the WTC 7, one can't help but be impressed with the depth of the analysis done by NIST. However, after a more in-depth review of the report, flaws in the NIST report begin to become moreapparent. In a "nutshell," the NIST report can be best described as advancing a

hypothesis on how and why WTC 7 collapsed.


structural systems, e.g., the effect of thermal expansion or sag-ging of floor beams on girders, connections, and/or columns.The thermal expansion of the WTC 7 floor beams that initiat-ed the probable collapse sequence occurred primarily at tem-peratures below approximately 400°C (750°F). Thus, to theextent that thermal expansion, rather than loss of structuralstrength, precipitates an unsafe condition, thermal expansioneffects need to be evaluated. The current fire resistance ratingsystem, which does not include thermal expansion effects, isnot conservative.” (page 59)

The second part of this report — and Richard Schulte’s dis-cussions and closing thoughts — can be found in the nextissue of Plumbing Engineer (March). ■

Richard Schulte is a graduate of the Fire ProtectionEngineering Program at the Illinois Institute of Technology.He formed Schulte & Assoc. in 1988. His consulting experi-ence includes work on the Sears Tower and many othernotable structures. He also has acted as an expert witness inthe litigation involving the fire at the New OrleansDistribution Center.

of core columns and exterior columns, which received grav-ity loads from the floor framing. Of particular note were thethree core columns on the east side of the building(Columns 79, 80, and 81), which supported large span floorareas with approximately 15 m (50 ft) spans on at least oneside.” (page 58)

“NIST simulations showed that, for the heaviest columnsin WTC 7, when properly insulated, it would have taken anexposure of about 7 h [hours] at post-flashover upper layergas temperatures to raise the steel temperature 600°C(1100°F), the point at which the steel strength would havebeen reduced by half. A similar calculation indicated that itwould have taken about 4 h [hours] to reach this tempera-ture for an insulated lighter column. These times are both farlonger than the time over which post-flashover gas temper-atures were sustained in the computed WTC 7 fires. Forcomparison, this steel temperature would have been reachedin under one-half hour if the insulation were not applied.”(pages 59 and 60)

“It is unlikely that the collapse of WTC 7 would have beenprevented had the insulation thickness on the floor beamsbeen increased from 13 mm (1/2 in) to 19 mm (3/4). NISTcalculations indicated that the time to reach steel tempera-tures of 649°C (1200°F) would have increased by about 10min to 20 min.” (page 59)

“The ASTM E119 test does not capture critical behavior of


For some unknown reason, I managed to hold on tosome 30-year-old solar data. It has managed to sur-vive four moves, and has crossed state lines several

times.In 1978, Popular Science magazinepublished Solar Energy Handbook1978. I paid $1.95 for a copy.

Solar’s roots

The style of clothing has changed(though several items are stillhanging in my closet) but many ofthe basics of solar energy remainunchanged.In 1870, Swedish inventor John

Ericsson built a steam engine that was powered by directinput of solar radiation. Ericsson went on to design thefamous war vessel, the Monitor.

Aubrey G. Eneas pumped well water for his ostrichfarm with a steam- powered pump. He used more than1,700 small mirrors to focus solar radiation on a steamgenerator.

Tinker/inventor O.W. Wood of New Jersey offered hiscollector plans to DIYers for $25.00. The frame was ply-wood edged with pine. It sported 1" thick Styrofoam edgeinsulation and four 60 ft coils of copper, installed andpitched to drain down. O.W. took heat enhancement tonew levels by adding two 80-pound bags of Sakrete™ tothe collector and painting the whole enchilada black. Toreduce cost, he bypassed expensive glass and insteadchose a piece of 5-mil vinyl as the covering. Four of thesecollectors, ground mounted of course, were providingabout 100 Btu/hr per square foot. O.W. spent $5.00 persquare foot for materials. He also detailed a wood stoveheat exchanger tie-in to the 350-gallon vinyl lined ply-wood storage tank. Groovy!

The “SunFloor solar collector” was built in Montana bynone other than Larry Drake, of RPA fame. He, along withDrake’s production manager, John Fantuzzi, and JimChauncy, built a clever drain back collector with rear con-

nections and specif-ic mounting hard-ware. The collectorsflashed nicely toblend into the roofrather than standproud on mountinglegs. They wereinstalled with the“Sunterra Home”™package to provideDHW and radiantfloor heat on these

unique homes. Large commercial applications were alsoinstalled, like this one pictured in Billings, Montana.

Here are some names you may recognize:Lennox Industries partnered with Honeywell to offer a

complete solar-heating package through its Lennox 6000dealers. The DHW package had an installed cost of$1,500. A dealer-training program covered the design,installation and service of the systems. I helped a home-owner install some Lennox collectors just a few yearsback. He found a bunch of never-used collectors some-where here in Missouri.

ITT Fluid Handling Division offered pumps, valves andheat exchangers for solar heating, as well as design man-uals for contractors and engineers.

Westinghouse Solar Heating and Cooling divisionoffered a solar-assisted air-to-air heat pump. These sys-tems used an air type collector built by SunWorks™.

General Motors’ Harrison Radiator division developedSDHW systems around 1978. Perhaps GM could revivethis division and lower the balance on the taxpayer fund-ed bailout.

Grumman Aerospace’s Sunstream™ division startedmarketing their collectors in late 1975. The curved surfaceFinplank™ was a copper tube aluminum absorber 27-square- footer that sold for 300 bucks. Grumman was apopular, high quality collector. I still come across thesefrom time to time.

Revere Copper and Brass was known to be one of theoldest and largest solar energy companies. TheSunPride™ was a “tube in strip” design. These wereclosed loop glycol systems. A two-panel system with tanksold for $950. Our friend and hydronics wiz JohnSiegenthaler worked for Revere after he graduated fromcollege. I believe Revere collectors are still providingSDHW and heat to his upstate New York home. Radiantfloor heat is provided via a copper tube staple up in hishome’s system.

Universities across the country had solar research pro-jects in the works. NASA got involved in the testing ofcollectors. A lot of energy and brainpower was directedtoward solar in these years.

Solar builders were also appearing on the scene.California-based Blue Skies Radiant Homes sold out itsfirst solar subdivision, with homes in the $37,000 -$46,000 range.

Business boomed, with 400 or more U.S. companies inthe solar game. Collector production totaled 136,000square feet in 1974. Four million square feet rolled offassembly lines in 1977.

Solar cooling was also installed in the ’70s. Owens-Corning offered the Sunpak™ evacuated tube collector.Collector manufacturers for solar window glass had

Banking on solar — a trip back 30 years


By Bob “hot rod” Rohr

Green Systems — Solar


The SunFloor solar collector wasbuilt by RPA’s Larry Drake.

Green Systems — SolarContinued from page 32

approached inventor Y.K. Pei. While O.C. didn’t producewindow glass, they were versed in glass container manu-facturing. The evacuated tube concept was moved forwardfrom an early version of 15 years prior, which had a prob-lematic metal-to-glass bond. Pei came up with the glass-in-glass concept to address the thermal expansion prob-lems that plagued the earlier designs.

Honeywell took the solar cooling idea to a higher level bybuilding an 18-wheeler demo truck. With a grant from theNational Science Foundation, they built the truck with 750square feet of collector surface. Inside the van, both Rankin-cycle and absorption- powered AC units were operated.

Sunpak™ tubeswere installed onwhat was billedas the “world’smost advancedsolar home” onLong Island,N.Y. 384 tubesprovided inexcess of 50% ofthe homes heat-ing requirements.The 450-square-foot, roof-mount-

ed array stood up to Hurricane Belle. The solar controlmodule, the size of a large refrigerator, included theplumbing, electronics and a minicomputer to operate thesystem and log data. Phone lines to “mission control”transmitted the data from the roof-mounted minicomputer.

The back pages of this informative handbook include atemplate to build the “Popular Science Sun Locator”device, load calculators, radiation data and a list of avail-able tax credits and incentives from various state programs.

How about that? All the stuff we are talking about todayhas been with us since the ’70s, ’60s … even the ’50s.Perhaps now we can bring this fringe movement main-stream. Break out the tie-dye. What was once old is brandnew … and needed now more than ever before. ■

Bob “hot rod” Rohr has been a plumbing, radiant heatand solar contractor and installer for 30 years. Hot rodalso is a columnist for PHC News and MechanicalBusiness magazines, and has been a longtime RPA mem-ber. Rohr has since joined Caleffi North America as man-ager of training and education.




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Modern HydronicsBy Paul Rohrs, Radiant Expert, Biggerstaff Radiant Solutions, Lincoln, Neb.

Arite of passage in the radiant floor heat industry isgetting your hands on tubing for the first time andattaching it in a manner to accommodate the

requested zoning and heat loss for that zone. Whether it is

residential in-floor, commercial in-floor or a snowmeltsystem, a tubing layout must be determined before startingthe work. In this article, I will discuss software programsthat accommodate designing the layout as well as compa-nies that provide this service for you.

Some contractors say that they don’t need a pictorial

view of a tubing layout for a project, but the more zones,loops or details that are introduced into a project thegreater the need for a physical loop layout diagram. Thereare several methods of developing such a diagram. For

instance, if a contractor is installing tubing ina 50' � 50' building with one zone, loop lay-out and design should be pretty straightfor-ward. In a large residential application, wherezoning is completed on a loop-by-loop basisand controlled by MVAs, telestats or thermalactuators, completing the loop layout success-fully is a critical aspect of a tubing install.

One mindset for contractors is, “If my cus-tomer wants this type of artwork, let them payfor it.” Or, “I typically don’t insist on a visu-al loop layout for my jobs.” These are validbusiness decisions; these diagrams can bogdown a job or can be considered an unneces-sary expense. Some radiant contractors arevery successful just installing tubing with azone chart and heat loss. Other projects canrequire the drawings, which are usually nec-essary on commercial bid and spec projects.

You can design the layout yourself withpen and paper (blueprint), you can find theright software and learn to do it on the com-puter, or you can hire the project out to a

company. I know that I really don’t want to hand overmany aspects of my company to someone else, butdrawing out the loops for each job is one facet of mybusiness that I would not mind turning over to compa-nies that can provide this service to me. Keep in mindthat investing in these types of drawings can save you

time and money once on the job siteand that the “greener” the rookie onthe job, the more valuable the draw-ings may become.AstraCAD is a company that I became

acquainted with at the 2008 REX showin Chicago. This company, currentlybased in India and the UK and soon tohave a branch in the U.S., can providecomplete calculations, CAD design andmaterial lists for all types of radiantsystems. AstraCAD will take yourprint, digitize it, follow your guidelinesfor heat loss, zoning and tube size ande-mail you the loop layout for your pro-ject in DWG, DXF, or PDF formats.(See Figure 1.)

AstraCAD can also provide somepretty snazzy 3-D ducting designs forthe HVAC industry. Uponor is another

Get acquainted with loop layout programs


Figure 1. AstraCAD can provide complete calculations, CAD design andmaterial lists for all types of radiant systems.

Figure 2. This illustration from LoopCAD shows how detailed you can make yourloop drawings.

There is new soft-ware out fromTaco and,although it is nota specific looplayout program, itdoes have somefeatures that Ithink are notable;features that Ihaven’t seen inother software.The Taco FloProSystem Designerperforms a real-time heat loss andheat gain analysisas fast as you can

draw the structure. You can actuallylay out the entire hydronic system,from boiler room to heat emitters.While it doesn’t actually draw thetubing layout, it will design and sizeeverything from the boiler room toyour manifolds. It will size andspecify the circulators, as well assize the boiler main supply andreturn piping. It will also provideyou with a materials list and, ifyou’re ambitious and input yourmaterials costs and labor estimates,a job cost estimate. You can also useit to draw a boiler piping schematicwith a cast iron boiler or a mod-conboiler. (See Figure 3.)

Hopefully, this article has givenyou the information you need to helpyou decide whether you would like topurchase the software yourself so thatyou can draw and accommodatechanges in projects quickly and “in-house.” Having the loop layoutdrawn for you by outside vendors isanother way to provide drawingswithout investing the time and moneyneeded for proprietary software.Whichever avenue you choose, yourcompany will benefit when suchdrawings are needed. �

Paul Rohrs welcomes your com-ments. Contact Paul at [email protected].

company that can provide detaileddrawings of loops, manifolds andzoning. You can expect companiesto charge a flat fee or, more com-monly, to charge by the amount ofsquare footage being designedaround.

Loop drawing capabilities canadd another facet to your business.This is a potential “value added ser-vice” that you can add to your list,further differentiating you fromyour competitors. You may considerbuying a software package like thisso that you can produce your owndrawings, which can be modified ifthere are changes or additions as ajob progresses.

LoopCAD is one such softwarepackage that will let you replicateyour blueprint into individual roomsor zones and then, based on heatloss, let you adjust tubing centers tomeet the requested Btu load. Themost recent release of this softwareallows you to perform integratedheat loss calculations with flow,head loss and temperature. Thissoftware has a snowmelt designmodule, as well as a dynamic 3-DCAD view and allows more flexibil-ity in drawing walls and rooms. (SeeFigure 2.)

LoopCAD now allows you toimport custom add-ons from equip-ment and system manufacturers thatcan generate a material list for you. Anice thing about the LoopCAD soft-ware is that it comes in Standard andProfessional versions. You can seewhich software package fits yourneeds.Circle 27 on Reader Reply Card


The views and opinions expressedin this column are those of theauthor and do not reflect those ofPlumbing Engineer nor its publisher,TMB Publishing.

Modern HydronicsContinued from page 36

Figure 3.The new FloPro Design Software from Taco can pro-vide a mechanical room drawing, as well as a material list.

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Solar SolutionsBristol Stickney, technical director, Cedar Mountain Solar Systems, Santa Fe, N.M.

In previous articles, I have been making the case thatthe key ingredients for solar/hydronic design andinstallation can be divided into six categories, listed

below, roughly in order of their importance. 1. RELIABILITY2. EFFECTIVENESS3. COMPATIBILITY 4. ELEGANCE5. SERVICEABILITY 6. EFFICIENCY The success of any solar hydronic home heating instal-

lation depends on the often-conflicting balance betweenany of these six principles. Finding the balance betweenthem defines the art of solar heating design.

Good solar heating design requires effective and reli-able control of the solar heat. Even the earliest active solarheating systems that used thermostats relied upon sometype of two-stage control. Let’s take a closer look at two-stage thermostats and some of the finer points related todifferential control.

What is a two-stage thermostat?In its simplest form, a thermostat is a switch that acti-

vates at a certain temperature. The temperature (setpoint)is usually adjustable, and, for heating, the switch contactstypically close as the local temperature drops (a.k.a. “openon rise”). A closed switch is the most common signal usedas the “call for heat” in any heating control system. Anordinary thermostat with one setpoint (and one switch)may also be called a single-stage thermostat. A two-stagethermostat is one that contains two single-stage ther-mostats in one unit, where the two setpoints are linkedtogether.

Differential and dead bandEvery common thermostat has a differential built into

it. Most people assume that their thermostat turns on andoff at the setpoint temperature that they choose. This is notexactly true. The setpoint temperature establishes a targetfor the heating system. The thermostat then turns on andoff, cycling the heating system above and below the targettemperature. It is not unusual for a common room ther-mostat to allow the room temperature to fluctuate aboveand below the setpoint by one or two degrees (F). Thistotal fluctuation (e.g., 2 to 4 degrees F) is known as thedifferential, defined as the difference between the highestand lowest temperature allowed by the thermostat as it isseeking its target.

Two-stage and other multi purpose thermostats alsomay have a “dead band” built into them. This is a range oftemperature where literally nothing happens. There is nocall for heating (or cooling) because the local temperature

is between the chosen setpoints and outside of the range ofthe differentials.

The most common two-stage thermostats have fewadjustments and provide a factory-set differential. If youshop around and compare features, you can find ther-mostats with not only the high limit and low limit set-points adjustable but also the high and low differential anddead band (if included) may be adjustable, too. Theadjustable models are more easily adaptable to direct-solarheat storage requirements, as I will explain below.

Solar differential heat controlThe most common solar control is the solar differential

thermostat, which is most often used to control the heatstored in a tank of hot water. A differential is a differencebetween two temperatures. As I mentioned above, for aroom thermostat the differential is the difference betweenthe lower temperature at which the heating system turnson and the higher temperature at which the heat turns off.A solar differential is typically the difference between thehot solar supply temperature and the cooler heating load

(e.g., the hot water tank). So, a solar differential controlalways has a minimum of two temperature sensors, a wayof comparing them and a switch that activates only whenthe hot (solar) sensor is positively hotter than the cool(storage) sensor.

In the early days of active solar controls, this was donewith capillary tube sensors and thermo-mechanicalswitches. These days, virtually all solar differential con-trollers are built around integrated circuits using thermis-tor sensors and include other useful functions, such ashigh limit control. This is an important feature that can beused to prevent a solar heated tank or other heat storagesystem from getting too hot when the solar heat is notbeing consumed. It can also be used to activate a coolingmechanism to remove heat from a storage system that hasbecome too hot (before the P&T valve blows off).

A solar differential control with a high limit control isanother version of a two-stage thermostat. It turns on andoff in response to low limit conditions in the storage tank,defined by the programming of the two temperature sen-

Bristol’s six principles of good solar hydronic design

Part 8: Solar heat control with two-stage thermostats

Most people assume that their thermostatturns on and off at the setpoint temperaturethat they choose. This is not exactly true.

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sors. The low limit setpoint is a moving target, changingas the difference between the two temperature sensorschanges. The high limit control provides a second stagethat activates cooling or, at a minimum, provides a heatingdead band when things are getting too hot.

Solar heat storage massMany common materials can be used to store solar heat,

simply by raising their temperature. In the solar heatingworld, this is commonly referred to as thermal mass.Water is the most common solar heat storage material,storing one Btu per pound of water for every degree (F) oftemperature rise. In fact, this is the definition of the Btu(British thermal unit). Concrete (and any high densitymasonry material) can also be used to store solar heat,although it absorbs less than half of the heat that waterdoes, given the same volume at the same temperatures.Still, there is a large volume of concrete in every warmconcrete floor that can be used as solar heat storage fromday to day, and we have found this abundant source ofthermal mass to be very useful.

Two-stage heat controlIn our region, over the past decade or so, we have been

installing increasing numbers of active solar heating sys-tems that are solar-direct hydronic radiant-heated massfloors. A solar-direct system allows the solar heat to flowdirectly from the solar collector into the mass floor. It isnot diverted or delayed in a water storage tank or otherindirect heat storage system on its way to the mass floor.In this way, we eliminate the heat loss and temperaturedrop associated with time spent in remote storage, deliv-ering more heat per square foot of solar collector to theheating load. Since the mass floor is within the comfortzone of the living space, it is important to control the tem-perature of the floor to allow for solar heat storage with-out overheating that zone of the house. We have beenusing two-stage room thermostats for this purpose.

These thermostats are often called heat pump ther-mostats, because they are typically used to control air-source heat pump heating systems. Air-source heat pumpsoperate most effectively when the outdoor air is wellabove freezing. When the heat pump cannot keep up withthe heating load during freezing weather, an electric resis-tance heating system makes up the difference. So, a two-stage thermostat is used to maintain the room temperatureat a slightly higher setpoint with the heat pump, and, as theroom temperature drops one or two degrees, a secondstage fires up the electric resistance heat.

Solar-direct two-stage heat distributionAlthough our climate in Santa Fe is too cold in winter

for air-source heat pumps, we use the same principle tocontrol solar-direct heat. The low limit setpoint is used toboost the room temperature to a minimum comfort tem-perature using a hydronic backup boiler if the solar heatcannot keep up. The high limit setpoint is then wired to asolar control (typically a solar differential) and waits untilsolar heat is available. It then delivers solar heat to the

thermal mass of the floor until the room temperaturereaches the limit of the upper differential temperaturerange. By raising the temperature of the mass floor justone degree (F), we have stored thousands of Btu in thethermal mass, which will radiate out into the room over aperiod of many hours, delaying the boiler from turning on.

In this way we are putting the “thermal flywheel” effectof the mass floor to good use by prolonging the deliveryof solar heat well into the evening. The backup boiler willnot fire until the room thermostat drops all the waythrough its high-limit differential range. This is why it isgood to have programmable room thermostats that allowyou to change the high limit differential. The more youallow the room temperature to fluctuate above and belowthe high limit setpoint, the more solar heat you can storeand release in the thermal mass of the floor.

The final settings depend entirely on the comfort pref-erences of the occupants. I have found most people canaccept a four to six degree (F) gradual room temperaturefluctuation without complaint, especially when they knowthat the warmer temperatures are provided by solar heat.In larger houses with ample thermal mass in the floors, weonly allow the rooms to fluctuate by two to three degreesso that the warmer rooms will reach their high limit soon-er, allowing the cooler rooms to get more of the solar heatdistribution. In this way, solar heat is dispersed around thehouse evenly into all the floors, controlled by the highlimit setpoint on each room thermostat. Since two-stageroom thermostats are invisible to the user, owners canoperate the system without any special training. They turnthe room temperature up and down in the normal way, andthe internal setpoints and differentials take care of them-selves after the installer programs them.

Control systems are evolvingThis article describes some of the simplest thermostat

switches that are in common use in existing heat control sys-tems. Newer control systems are beginning to move awayfrom simple switches and more into thermistor sensors, dig-ital logic, variable temperature response capabilities andeven remote network accessibility. The design principles ofRELIABILITY, COMPATIBILITY and ELEGANCEremind us that, in some applications, maybe all you need isa switch. If so, simpler is better. At Cedar Mountain Solar weare always working on that fine balance between providingbetter controls while keeping them as simple to use as pos-sible. Our control systems will be incorporating new tech-nologies and control strategies as they evolve and provethemselves worthy of the Six Principles. ■

Bristol Stickney, partner and technical director atCedar Mountain Solar Systems in Santa Fe, N.M., hasbeen designing, manufacturing, engineering, repairingand installing solar hydronic heating systems for morethan 30 years.


Solar SolutionsContinued from page 40

Caroma Smart Technology for Water ConservationDual flush toilets: Easy maintenance, easy water savings

2009Plumbing Engineer’s

ManufacturerSpotlight

The Caroma Smart™ Technology is leading-edge. It

has been developed and mastered over the last decade,

delivering the ultimate of design, water savings, and

performance in bathroom fixtures.

With Caroma’s high efficiency (HET) dual flush toilets,

you don’t need to trade flushing performance for water sav-

ings. It’s not simply a matter of taking an existing toilet and

reducing the amount of water used. Caroma’s toilets are

designed to work together as a complete flushing system that

takes into consideration waste removal as well as proper

drainline carry out.

Using gravity forced “washdown,” this system delivers

more energy from less water and pushes (rather than siphons)

waste out of the bowl, quite simply making the water work

harder and more efficiently.

All 41 Caroma floor-mount toilets are WaterSense labeled,

meaning they use at least 20% less water than the current

federal standard while still providing equal or superior per-

formance. The water savings chart below for a family of four

shows that by simply replacing an older, water-consuming

toilet with an HET, they could save 10,000-30,000 gallons of

water in one year alone.

It’s a simple two button flushing system. The reduced flush

button releases 0.8 gallons per flush (gpf) for liquid and paper

waste. The full flush button releases 1.28-1.6 gallons per flush

for solid waste. This can save up to 40% more water than the

standard 1.6 gpf single flush toilet and up to 74% more water

than a 3.5 gpf single flush toilet.

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Installation examples

The Hilton Palacio del Rio hotel in San Antonio

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During the first eight months after the toilet instal-

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Potential water savings using dual flush HETs.

Benefits of washdown technology.

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answer any remaining questions and seeks input on thedevelopment of performance evaluation methods. EPA alsoevaluates and attempts to resolve any unintended or nega-tive impacts that the product could have on its system or thehealth and safety of consumers.

• Draft specification. EPA releases the draft specificationfor public comment only after it has received input fromindustry and other interested parties on the outstandingtechnical issues and is confident that its data needs can befulfilled. At this point, evaluation methods are clearlydefined and stakeholder input focuses on fine tuning theperformance requirements and establishing appropriate per-formance levels.

EPA’s objectives through this open specification devel-opment process are to ensure that it considers the issues thatare important to a variety of stakeholders, that specifica-tions are vetted technically and that the final specificationcriteria are transparent.

Water-efficient showerheads

EPA initiated research on showerheads in 2006. At thesame time, the American Society of MechanicalEngineers (ASME) and the Canadian StandardsAssociation (CSA) established a Joint HarmonizationTask Force to evaluate showerhead efficiency and perfor-mance, with the intent of developing new performancestandards. This task force is open to public participationand comprises showerhead manufacturers, water andenergy utilities, testing laboratories, consultants and otherwater-efficiency and conservation specialists. It is theforce behind North American plumbing standards relatedto showerheads, and its representatives possess years ofexperience related to showerhead performance, waterefficiency and health and safety issues.

WaterSense became actively involved with the taskforce in early 2007 and has agreed to collaborate on the



WaterSense:A consensus-

based, commonsense approach

for high-efficiencyshowerheads

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored bythe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), seeks to protect the future of our nation’s

water supply by promoting water efficiency and transform-ing the market for water-efficient products, services andpractices.

Raising consumer awareness about the need for high-efficiency showerheads and helping transform the market-place for such products are high priorities for EPA. Studieshave shown that showers accounts for approximately 17percent of indoor water use — third overall behind clotheswashers and toilets. Even a modest increase in efficiencyhas the potential to save billions of gallons of water eachyear. Once a specification is finalized, showerheads willround out the suite of WaterSense-labeled residential bath-room plumbing fixtures.

WaterSense specification development

To earn the WaterSense label, a product must not onlysave water but also perform its intended functions — with-in its intended system — as well as, or better than, the aver-age products on the market. Showerheads will be no excep-tion. The difficulty often lies, however, in developing spec-ification criteria that can be used to effectively evaluate aproduct’s water savings and performance. For this reason,EPA relies on industry and other interested parties that havedirect experience with the manufacture, installation, main-tenance or use of the product to help define the importantperformance attributes and the test methods for evaluatingthose attributes.

EPA’s WaterSense specification development processoffers multiple opportunities to gain this input. This processinvolves the following:

• Technical analysis and market research. EPA carefullyevaluates a product’s water savings potential, performanceattributes, potential system impacts, environmental and eco-nomic impacts, available performance evaluation methodsand any data gaps that may exist.

• Notice of intent to develop a specification (NOI). At thisstage, EPA relays the outstanding technical issues to indus-try and other interested parties, requests data or research to

By Stephanie Tanner & Sally Remedios


specification development process for showerheads. Withthis collaboration, WaterSense seeks to engage a variety ofindustry experts and to work through the existing consen-sus-based process established in the United States fordeveloping standards and specifications for plumbing fix-tures and fittings.

EPA published its NOI to develop a specification forhigh-efficiency showerheads in August 2007. In its notice,WaterSense identifies its goal with respect to water efficien-cy to label products that are about 20 percent more water-efficient than average comparable products on the market.The benchmark for showerheads, as specified in the EnergyPolicy Act of 1992, is a maximum water use of 2.5 gallonsper minute (gpm) when measured at a flowing pressure of80 pounds per square inch (psi), as determined through test-ing in accordance with the ASME A112.18.1 standard1.

To achieve its water efficiency goal, EPA intends to spec-ify a new lower maximum flow rate for high-efficiencyshowerheads. A showerhead’s efficiency cannot be speci-fied, however, without carefully consideringpotential impacts on consumer satisfaction orperformance, including potential healthand safety issues, once it is installed inthe plumbing system.

Health and safety concerns

Of particular concern is thepotential for increasing the risk ofthermal shock or scalding as showerflow rates are reduced. Thermalshock or scalding can be causedwhen a hot or cold water-usingdevice is activated while the shower isrunning. Water is diverted away fromthe shower, causing a pressure drop ineither the hot or cold water supply line tothe shower. As a consequence, the balance ofhot and cold water is shifted either to a hotter orcolder temperature mix. This sudden change in temperaturecan either cause a user to have an abrupt physical reactionthat could result in an injury or fall or, if the temperatureincrease is severe enough, scalding can occur. Because moreefficient fittings use lower volumes of water than standardfittings, they are more sensitive to changes in water pres-sure. As a consequence, temperature change may be ampli-fied when the same amount of water is diverted from theshower.

To mitigate the risks of temperature-related showerinjuries, most U.S. plumbing codes require showers to beoutfitted with individual automatic-compensating valvesthat comply with either the American Society of SanitaryEngineers (ASSE) 10162 or ASME A112.18.1/CSA B125.1standards. An automatic-compensating mixing valve is adevice that is installed as part of the shower’s flow control(not as part of the showerhead) that helps to regulate watertemperature, either through balancing the incoming hot andcold water pressures or through controlling the mixed outlettemperature with a thermostatic element that can maintainwater temperature to within +/- 3.6o F.

Despite advances in plumbing codes and mixing valve

technology, there are at least two scenarios under which thethermal shock and scalding risks must still be carefully eval-uated. First, automatic-compensating mixing valves are cur-rently only required to be tested and certified at a flow rateof 2.5 gpm. When these devices are outfitted in conjunctionwith a showerhead that has a lower flow rate, there may notbe adequate assurance that the valve is sensitive enough toprovide the required protection. Second, not all homes areequipped with an automatic-compensating mixing valve.This is of particular concern for showerhead retrofits inhomes built prior to the mid-1990s.

As a part of the development of criteria for high-efficien-cy showerheads, WaterSense and the task force are activelyevaluating the link between flow rate and temperature devi-ations associated with pressure and temperature changes.The task force has gathered and presented data to comparethe temperature profiles that result from a drop in hot andcold water pressure for both conventional and high-efficien-cy showerheads under two scenarios: 1) installation with

various types of auto-compensating mixingvalves (thermostatic, pressure balancing or

combination) designed for a flow rate of2.5 gpm and 2) installation without the

protection of an auto-compensatingmixing valve. The task force willfully evaluate the data before itrecommends a maximum flowrate designation for high-efficien-cy showerheads. In addition to relying on theexpertise of the task force to fully

understand and assess the impactof showerhead flow rate on con-

sumer health and safety issues, EPAwould like to work with the Joint

Harmonization Task Force, comprisingmembers of ASME, ASSE, and CSA, that is

considering updates to address the performanceof automatic-compensating mixing valves with high-effi-ciency showerheads. Such updates could alleviate potentialrisks associated with the installation of high-efficiencyshowerheads in new construction or in retrofit installationswhen mixing valves are also replaced with a device with thesame flow rating as the showerhead.

Performance is critical

Establishing performance-based criteria for WaterSenselabeled showerheads is critical to ensuring user satisfactionand maintaining the integrity of the WaterSense label.However, there are currently no universally agreed-upontesting protocols for performance or measures that ade-quately define user satisfaction. EPA’s research and initialdiscussions with the task force identified a number of poten-tial attributes that can be used to define a showerhead’s per-formance, including: the ability to remove soap and sham-poo, comfort of the shower spray, distribution of water overthe body, temperature drop as the distance from the shower-head increases, noise and variation of flow rate withchanges in water pressure.

The challenge is translating these, or any other perfor-

WaterSenseContinued from page 46


mance attributes, into meaningful specification criteria; thisinvolves filling two major data gaps. First, the attributes mustbe converted into measurable parameters that can be tested ina laboratory under reproducible test conditions that will yieldrepeatable results. Second, the attributes must be correlatedwith user satisfaction. These two factors are inextricablylinked and are further complicated for showerheads becausethe criteria must be delicately balanced so that it is robustenough to weed out poor performing products but expansiveenough to satisfy a broad range of consumer preferences.

With the laboratory testing and user satisfaction in mind,the task force has narrowed the list of recommended keyperformance attributes to the following:

• Pressure compensation;• Spray pattern (or water distribution); and• Effectiveness (or showerhead force and wetting

capabilities)Work is already under way to develop test protocols to

verify these performance attributes in the laboratory, and theresults are encouraging. Once the test protocols are fullydeveloped, the next step is to conduct a series of compara-tive tests with the same set of showerheads at multiple man-ufacturers’ laboratories. This evaluation will test the repro-ducibility of the methods and the repeatability of the results.

Simultaneously, select members of the task force are alsoconducting consumer testing to determine whether there isa uniform preference or — more importantly — a uniformdislike of certain showerhead attributes and to determinewhether the performance attributes identified above ade-

quately encapsulate and define user satisfaction. If the con-sumer testing provides conclusive results, the task forceplans to correlate these attributes against the test protocolsand utilize the output values to establish performance levelsin a specification.

Common sense makes WaterSense

For all product specifications, EPA’s intent is to estab-lish an open process that facilitates the involvement ofindustry and other interested parties and fosters the devel-opment of technically sound and transparent specificationcriteria. EPA also must carefully balance its water effi-ciency goals with considerations of the impact of the prod-uct both on consumer satisfaction and on the system inwhich the product is ultimately installed. Collaboratingwith the ASME/CSA Joint Harmonization Task Force onshowerheads serves both of these objectives for theWaterSense program.

As a result of this cooperative relationship, industry isvested in the WaterSense specification development processand has taken the lead on the development of showerheadefficiency and performance criteria, test protocols and eval-uation of health and safety issues. EPA, in turn, is confidentthat this process will result in a widely accepted specifica-tion that meets the WaterSense water efficiency and perfor-mance goals. This common sense, consensus-based specifi-cation development process for showerheads is vital to thedevelopment of a quality specification and may serve as amodel for working with future industries to ensure con-sumer confidence in WaterSense labeled products. ■

Stephanie Tanner is the product development coordinatorfor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’sWaterSense® program. She is responsible for all technicalaspects of the development of labeled products, includingsetting efficiency and performance criteria as well as man-aging the certification process. Prior to EPA, she manageda water-efficiency program for federal facilities and wrote anumber of guides to water efficiency for federal facilities.Ms. Tanner holds a B.S. in Marine Engineering from theMerchant Marine Academy and a Master of EngineeringManagement from the George Washington University.

Sally Remedios joined Delta Faucet Co. in 1995. She waspreviously employed by the Canadian StandardsAssociation (CSA) with roles in its standards, certificationand quality programs. Remedios’s responsibilities includestandards development, with positions on the ASME andCSA standards committees for plumbing products. Thereshe has been involved in harmonizing the national consen-sus standards between the United States and Canada.Remedios is a registered professional engineer in theprovince of Ontario, Canada. She can be reached [email protected].

1 Since updated as ASME A112.18.1/CSA B125.1 -Plumbing Supply Fittings

2 ASSE 1016 - Performance Requirements for AutomaticCompensating Valves for Individual Shower andTub/Shower Combinations

Studies have shown that showers accounts for approximately17 percent of indoor water use. Image courtesy of Delta Faucet Co.



is spent annually for energy costs to run drinking waterand wastewater utilities. If the sector could reduce energyuse by just 10% through cost-effective investments inenergy efficiency, collectively it would save about $400million annually.”

Simply put, wasted water equals wasted energy.Because of rising energy costs, environmental conserva-tion and sustainability have become more important thanever for the building and renovation industry. To savemoney and improve plumbing energy-efficiency, theeasiest thing to do is reduce the amount of water used.This results in lower energy cost, because less waterneeds to be heated. Lower energy consumption equalsgreater cost savings for the user and a smaller carbonfootprint on the earth.

A variety of water/energy conserving productsThere are thousands of plumbing fixtures and fittings

that can help save water, energy, and money, i.e., aerators,metering and electronic faucets and pre-rinse sprayvalves. When selecting energy efficient equipment, it isimportant to find quality products that meet conservationrequirements without compromising performance. Theproduct should deliver the consistent flow required, whilemaintaining the water and energy savings the industrydemands.

• Low flow pre-rinse spray valves. Used widely as afoodservice application in grocery stores, hotels, restau-rants, schools, hospitals and institutions, efficient pre-

As environmental concerns and energy costs contin-ue to rise, so does the need for water and energyconservation among businesses, governments and

households. The federal government has and will contin-ue to create legislation to promote energy-efficient prod-ucts, including plumbing fixtures and fittings. Two majorenergy initiatives existing today are Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design (LEED) and the Energy PolicyAct of 2005 (EPAct 2005).

LEED and EPAct 2005LEED is a nationally recognized benchmark developed

by the U.S. Green Building Council for the design, con-struction and operation of high performance green build-ings. Although plumbing fixtures and fittings cannot beLEED certified, they can contribute to the credits neededto receive the esteemed building certification. A variety ofplumbing products available from manufacturers can helpcontribute to two of the five categories of performanceunder the LEED rating system — Water Efficiency andMaterials and Resources.

Widely supported by several federal agencies, includ-ing the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Policy Actof 2005 (EPAct 2005) was signed into law to promoteenergy-efficiency by offering consumers and businessesfederal tax credits for purchasing energy efficient prod-ucts and appliances.

The EPA Energy Star program states, “About $4 billion

Energy-efficient plumbing fixtureshealthy for environment and wallet

By Jeff Baldwin


rinse spray valves are used for the rinsingof cooking utensils, pots, pans, soakingdishes and cleaning. They are designedwith automatic shut-off valves integral tothe unit to supply water only when need-ed. Efficient models supply from 1.2 gpmto 1.6 gpm at 60 psi. These types ofsprayers are designed to meet the rigor-ous demands of foodservice operations,where continuous use and periodic abuseis the norm rather than the exception.

• Electronic faucets. The electronicfaucet is an easy way to save energy.Although it is more costly than a tradi-tional faucet, this product will pay for

itself in water and energy savings in a short amount oftime. The sensor feature prevents the faucet from beingleft on and from excess dripping. According toEnergyStar.gov, “hot water leaking at a rate of one drip persecond from a single faucet can waste up to 1,661 gallonsof water over the course of a year, and up to $35 in elec-tricity or $35 in natural gas.” Consider a larger facility,such as a school or hospital, and a leaky faucet can add upfast.

An electronic faucet should come equipped with sever-al standard features, including the choice of electric plug-in (AC) and battery (DC) battery power options. Forexample,

• Metering faucets and aerators. Manual meteringfaucets have been around much longer than electronicfaucets, but they remain popular because of their savingscapability. Less expensive than electronic faucets, meter-ing faucets can deliver similar energy-saving results. Themanual push feature prevents faucets from being left onafter use and prevents unnecessary waste while scrub-bing hands. The typical metering faucet’s cycle time canbe adjusted to deliver the desired amount of water perminute.

Aerators, one of the most common faucet accessories,add air into the water stream to increase the feeling offlow. Capable of controlling the flow to less than 1.5 gpm,aerators are a simple and inexpensive low flow/energysolution. They come in a variety of models to provide theexact flow that complies with your local plumbing codes.

Test results prove water and energy conservation Several tests have been run by government agencies

and companies to show that water and energy-efficientproducts can save big.

Low flow spray valves, electronic and metering faucetsand aerators are just some of the plumbing products thatcan contribute to energy and water savings. As energyconcerns grow and new initiatives are signed into law,plumbing manufacturers must be committed to providingthe industry with innovative, quality products that savemoney and the environment. ■

By Jeff Baldwin, design engineering manager, T&S Brass.

Product Application

Spray valvesMore than 20 years ago, T&S Brass introduced the

energy efficient B-0107-C low-flow spray valve, a firstin the industry. Since then, thousands of product mod-els that contribute to water and energy conservationhave been manufactured.

Electronic faucetsThe T&S Brass ChekPoint electronic faucet pro-

vides various adjustment features, including sensorrange, auto time-out and water shutoff delay. Eachelectronic faucet also comes equipped with a tempera-ture control mixing valve, low battery indicator lightand power saving mode. These features all add up toenergy savings and are critical when selecting an elec-tronic faucet.

Test resultsAt T&S Brass, extensive tests were performed to

prove that our products would, in fact, save customersmoney. When testing the B-0107-C spray valve, theresults showed savings of between $297 to $586 a year,depending on the heat source (assuming the inlet is at65 degrees and the outlet is at 140 degrees).

For more information about T&S Brass and energyefficient products, visit www.tsbrass.com.

http://www.tsbrass.com

“We shall not defeat AIDS, tuberculosis,malaria or any other infectious diseasesthat plague the developing world until

we win the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation andbasic health care,” said Kofi Anan, United Nations sec-retary general at a U.N. gathering in New York in 2001.

Now, eight years later, Mr. Anan’s words are a pre-diction borne out. There’s little debate any more thataccess to safe drinking water has become a global con-cern, more so than access to any other natural resource.We can live without oil, coal, steel and copper. Water isessential to life.

Water Missions International (WMI) is a nonprofit,Christian engineering organization serving the waterand sanitation needs of impoverished people in devel-oping countries and disaster areas. WMI uses alterna-tive energy and low-maintenance water technologiesfor drinking water treatment and distribution, waste-water management and storm water control.

WMI’s mission is to provide sustainable access tosafe water and an opportunity to hear the “living water”message in developing countries and disaster areas.The organization’s vision is that no person should per-ish for want of safe drinking water and, in this mission,WMI has brought relief and hope to more than a mil-lion people across the globe.

“Worldwide, more than a billion people lack accessto clean water,” explained Brad Reed, WMI presidentand CEO. “More than two billion do not have adequatesanitation. Every day, an estimated 25,000 people diefrom the lack of safe water and sanitation.

“The lack of safe water affects one-sixth of theworld’s population. It prevents children from attendingschool. It forces women and girls to spend manyexhausting hours each day fetching and carrying heavybuckets of [usually dirty] water. A lack of water con-tributes to the poverty cycle that prevents people inpoor countries from attaining a better standard of liv-ing.”

Living water treatment system

In 1998, South Carolina-based General EngineeringLaboratories, an environmental engineering firm andone of the top ten environmental testing laboratories inthe U.S., responded to the devastation in Hondurascaused by Hurricane Mitch. The firm, led by ownersGeorge and Molly Greene, built and delivered six 10-gpm drinking water treatment units. A few weeks afterthe storm’s landfall, 16 volunteers from the companywere setting up these water treatment units — nowreferred to as the “Living Water Treatment System”



Their mission:Water wherewater isn’t

Better for the environment. Safer for drinking water.

Navigator Thermostatic Mixing Valves comply with

all new lead-free requirements while maintaining

the quality you have come to expect from Bradley.

The Navigator unique single valve design, ease of

installation and reliability haven’t changed, Bradley

just got the lead out. Get the lead out of your projects,

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Water MissionsContinued from page 52


(LWTS) — in remote locations of Honduras. Over the next three years, the design of the LWTS

was modified to eliminate replaceable components, tomake it more reliable to operate over extended periodsof time and to reduce operating costs. Additional sys-tems were placed in rural communities in EasternEurope, Africa and Central America, some in responseto natural disasters and some in support of ongoingdevelopment projects.

During this time, the Greenes developed a growingawareness of the overwhelming need for safe drinkingwater throughout the developing countries of the world.They sold their firm in 2001 and used a substantial por-tion of the proceeds of that sale to found WaterMissions International.

Solar powered submersible pumps

According to Reed, in 2007 WMI began to use

Grundfos SQ Flex solar-powered submersible pumps tobring water into off-grid, third-world communities.“We now have six of them in use: two in Uganda, twoin Honduras and two in Sierra Leone. They’re provingto be a good, viable alternative to labor- and supply-intensive generators.

“The key factor driving the use of solar powered sub-mersible pump technology is the need for consistent,sustainable power to operate the pumps for the watertreatment systems,” added Reed. “No power, no pumpand no safe water. Generators are at a higher risk offailure, either mechanically, due to plugged injectorswith poor quality fuel, or simply due to the fact thatdeveloping countries may not apply their limited fundsto purchase fuel to keep the generators operating.”

When WMI teams require the assistance of drillingrigs, they partner with other, in-country organizationsto drill water wells, with holes that vary in depth from100 to 1,000 feet.

“We began to use the SQ Flex pumps after a success-ful pilot installation in Charleston, S.C.,” continuedReed. “The system ran flawlessly for nine months, sowe felt confident enough to send them out into the

field.” According to Reed, the SQFlex solar pumps canprovide clean water for tens of thousands of people if awell taps a deep, high capacity aquifer or if there is suf-ficient surface water to treat.

Surface water and improperly placed wells are com-monly contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasitesand protozoan cysts, which are suspended solids.“These contaminants represent easily 95-plus percentof the known health hazards leading to waterborne ill-nesses in developing countries and are handled bymixed media filtration followed by chlorination. Ourcurrent systems are not designed to handle dissolvedsolid contaminants, such as salts, fertilizer, toxic metalsand arsenic,” said Greene.

The SQFlex sophisticated electronics enable thepump to shift between various power sources and oper-ate optimally, regardless of where that power comesfrom. Equally cost-effective and easy to install, theSQFlex Wind is particularly suitable for open fields,valleys and landscapes where the wind blows consis-tently. And of great value in areas where there’s a con-stant need for water supply, the company’s “combo”system permits the use of either solar or wind power:solar for when the sun is shining and a wind turbine forwhen the wind provides sufficient speeds.

WMI’s first solar-powered water system in SierraLeone (See sidebar.) required twelve 70-watt solar pan-els. The system supplied water for a 200-foot pipelinefeeding a 12-foot fiberglass stock tank. This systemnow serves 3,000 people.

A typical Living Water Treatment System consists ofseveral solar panels, an SQFlex pump to lift water froma well or pond and filtration equipment. “Our filtrationunits are very similar to what’s used for pools,”explained George Greene IV, P.E., VP of international

programs. “We have two multimedia depth filters thatuse anthracite and three different grades of garnet toachieve effective filtration. As the filters remove dirtfrom the raw water, they clog over time and are regen-

The difference is pretty clear — clear water, that is. A typi-cal Living Water Treatment System consists of severalsolar panels, an SQFlex pump to lift water from a well orpond and filtration equipment.

A viable option to labor- and supply-intensive generators,WMI began to use solar-powered submersible pumps.



erated through backwashing. The final step in the treat-ment process is chlorination.

“The primary option for power in off-grid applica-tions is a diesel generator,” added Greene. “Even witha generator, the cost to produce safe water is low —about $3.00 for 1,000 gallons. But by using renewablesources and eliminating the need for diesel fuel, oil andfuel filter replacements, operating cost drops to $.23 for1,000 gallons of clean water. The more we can removefrom the operating cost, the higher the likelihood ofsustainability.”

The SQFlex pump has the ability to operate from anypower source providing 30 - 300 VDC or 90 - 240 VAC,allowing the use of solar panels, wind turbines, ACgenerators or batteries for power. The integrated elec-tronics automatically sense the incoming voltage andadjust accordingly, allowing for simple installation,without the need for matching voltages or complicatedwiring. AC and DC capabilities permit a generator to beused as a backup power supply when solar or wind isinadequate. So, if conditions are really poor, a farmer

WMI in Sierra Leone

One of WMI’s most recent water treatment installa-tions is in the remote village of Kenema, Sierra Leone,located on the west coast of Africa. “The people thereare desperately poor, and the need for clean water wasurgent,” explained George Greene IV, P.E., VP ofinternational programs for the organization.

Just before the delivery of the water pump and treat-ment equipment, Johon Neitsch, WMI’s Uganda coun-try director and Felix Masasa, WMI technician, trav-eled from their base in Uganda to supervise digging ofa well for the water. Nietsch recalls great skepticism.On a Friday, the people of the village dug 30 feetstraight down. It was a long and arduous day. Thelocals said, despondently, “This is a waste of time.”

The next day, as the digging got more difficult anddangerous, Nietsch and Masasa encouraged the work-ers to go further. They dug the well another 10 feet,digging entirely by hand — but still, no water.

Though there was much resistance, the people of thevillage dug the hole just a few feet further the follow-ing day, finally hitting water at 45 feet. “They had todig another eight feet down to create a pool at theend,” said Greene.” This is where the digging becametoo dangerous to continue.”

This is the first time that the people of Kenema havehad a ready source of fresh water. Once the water andtreatment systems are running, WMI works with thelocals to establish a “safe water committee” that setsaffordable pricing for the water so that the service isself-sustaining. For the very poor, water is free.

Typically, water availability at, say, five gallons aday, may be priced at $.050 per month. It is alwaysstipulated, however, that no one can be denied accessto safe water from the system because they can’tafford it.

can plug the system into a portable generator to makewater all night long. The motor also features built-inprotection against over-temperature, overload, over-and under-voltage, and dry running.

The system can accommodate a wide variety ofapplications, with 10 different pump models offered.The deepest setting model is able to generate heads ashigh as 650 feet, and the highest flowing model canproduce up to 60 gpm. All models are designed for opti-mum efficiency in their specified range, so total systemcosts are competitive with comparable remote watersupply options, such as windmills and generator sys-tems.

In addition to pumps and motors, the entire system,including solar panels and wind turbines with all nec-essary equipment such as tower kits, wiring, etc., canbe provided. Pre-matched components ensure simpleand quick installation as well as minimal maintenancerequirements.

“Our key goal is to empower the people,” concludedGreene. “We want them to take responsibility for thewater. The solar-powered systems simplify the technol-ogy so much that this goal has become achievable ineven the most impoverished communities. Yet the needremains for so many more of these systems to be inplace. And that’s what we’re here to do.” ■

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materials they were familiar with. Soon, copper mani-folds, standardized American fittings, zoning by manifoldrather than by loop and balancing by using digital ther-mometers instead of flow meters became common. All ofthese changes reduced costs and made radiant heating sys-tems available in a variety of price ranges.

Sometimes these changes from European practice wenttoo far and, combined with the lack of specific producttraining, could and did produce some really bad systems.Many of us recognized this as a threat to the growth ofradiant floor heating. Those of us who were early membersof the Radiant Panel Association stepped in and produced“Standard Guidelines for the Design and Installation ofRadiant Heating Systems.” I was the chairman of the RPAStandards Committee that produced this document.

It is logical that solar thermal will go through a similarevolution here in North America. I am an inventor andproduct designer for a company that builds modularhydronic products, primarily for the residential market. Itry to strike a workable balance between adapting to, andinfluencing, American practice with the products Idesign. Here are some thoughts on the near future of thisevolution:

1. There will be many more solar pump stations tochoose from, many of them made in North America. Theywill have North American threads, fittings, piping andcomponents.

2. In the use of evacuated tubes, a complex competitionis developing between U-tube and heat pipe-baseddesigns. U-tubes are simple and inexpensive to produce,but they are difficult to drain back. This means that they

Solar thermal, with a likely big push from the newObama administration, has a huge opportunityahead. Now that energy dependence is an obvious

national security issue, many of us believe that this is thetime for the big push for solar thermal and, along with it,integrated hydronics. The challenge is to “do it right” or tosuffer the consequences of squandering this epic opportu-nity. As solar thermal products go through an inevitableevolution to the North American market, products, prac-tices and price points will change. Products are evolvingvery rapidly. This has happened before; radiant floor heat-ing went through a similar evolution.

I have been in the hydronic heating industry since themid-1980s, first as a hydronic contractor, later as presi-dent of a national distributor of hydronic radiant heatingand now as a product designer and inventor. I have sharedin the excitement as waves of new products and methodswere introduced into the North American market.Typically, high quality, expensive products from Europethat are introduced into North America are based on themethods and practice that work in the European market.When American contractors get these products they needto be adapted to our practices, methods and pricing.

The first wave of hydronic radiant floor heating fromEurope included: European threads on the ends of mani-folds, brass manifolds with adjustable flow meters, mani-fold mounted actuators on every loop, and Euro-style fit-tings with an insert, split ring and nut. These products arestill used and are very high quality, but this way of doingthings can be expensive. Many American contractors andsuppliers looked around for other ways to do things, using

‘Americanizing’solarthermal, settling on products and

practice for ‘the big push’By Hoyt Corbett



should be designed to closely match the load and shouldhave a mechanism to “dump” extra heat, since they can’tbe easily drained back to turn off the production of hot flu-ids. Typical strategies involve running some fin tube in acrawl space or under the collectors, with a changeovervalve that is temperature activated. Future U-tubes willlikely have heat dump capabilities built into them or willhave self-regulating adaptive coatings. These will makethem extremely easy to use.

Evacuated tubes using heat pipes are more complexthan the U-tube design. The top of each heat pipe is usu-ally fitted into a copper “well,” which serves as a recepta-cle that is built into the manifold. The fit between the heatpipe and the well must be maintained over time or effi-ciency declines. Some products do this better than othersdo. Many good and proven products exist. Most heat pipedesigns allow for the use of drainback systems.

Think about how practices should and will settle outbetween these two evacuated tube technologies if we getthe “big push.” Think about thousands of new installers.These will not be the knowledgeable, “artisanal” installerswe have today for high-end custom homes. They will bevolume installers. They will want predictable, repeatable,get-in-get-out fast and profitable products. Is it more fool-proof to rely on installers doing a heat pipe drainback sys-tem with the correct slope and installation components ora U-tube system with a correctly operating heat dump?Which way will result in the fewest failures? Will eco-nomics drive one over the other? Will it be driven byregion or by who has the most convincing training? Thoseof us who really care about the future of this industry willhave to speak up.

3. For hydronic heating to take advantage of this willrequire components that easily assemble into a system thatintegrates with solar thermal. This means that pump sta-tions will work as solar pump stations, while also servingas the connection point for backup heat, for injecting solarheated fluids directly into the heating system, for distrib-uting heat to heating zones and for distributing to or draw-ing from solar storage, as necessary. These forms of com-bined hydronic heating and solar thermal systems havebeen variously called SDI, solar direct injection or, inrecent excellent articles, Bristol Stickney referred to themas direct active solar heating.

As an inventor, I have been happily working on cen-tralized products to solve this problem. I am sure that oth-ers are also. In order to optimize efficiency, we are goingto need inexpensive but sophisticated controls that candirect the thermal traffic of all these many choices. So, forexample, we need a control that can predict which use isbest at which time of day and that prioritizes the differentcomponents to achieve this. If the control can predict thatforegoing backup heat might only result in a small tem-perature drop, many people might choose to save thisenergy. A number of controls currently do a lot of thesethings. The good news is that a lot of smart people areworking on it and that programmable devices have comedown in cost. Each of us needs to think through the choic-es such a control should be able to make and to demand

controls that make those choices from the manufacturers.If manufacturers don’t respond, contractors may resort toopen source programmable IP-based controls and switch-es with widely varying results that may not be good for theindustry.

4. Finally, for this “big push” to be successful, we needto eradicate the certification delays that are barriers toadopting the best products and practices. The long back-logs for testing and certifying solar thermal products needto be rectified. Solar thermal manufacturers are innovatingat a faster rate than can be certified. ■

Hoyt Corbett is an inventor andconsultant. He has designed newsolar pump stations for PrecisionHydronic Products of Portland, Ore.He may be contacted at [email protected].

* Editor’s note: We would encourage installers anddesigners to review all the products available and basetheir decision on what is best for their client and application.






can coincide with being good for business.”The water savings due to the Falcon Waterfree urinals in

Watt Plaza would fill 489 tanker trucks; operating cost sav-ings are expected to be $10,000 per year. greenhouse gasemissions are reduced, due to lower demand for energy that

is normally required for water transport and treatment, par-ticularly in high-rise buildings that rely on lift pumps to pro-vide water service to upper levels. The water savings at WattPlaza is projected to reduce Co2 emissions by 39,600pounds per year, according to the Pacific Institute Water-to-Air Model, which correlates water and energy demands tocalculate Co2 emissions.

According to Cameron Benson, general manager for WattPlaza, the decision to install Falcon Waterfree in the 23-storypair of office towers initially grew out of concerns over recentwater restrictions and rising water rates. “This easy upgradegreatly reduces our building’s total water use, something thatanyone in drought stricken areas can appreciate,” statedBenson.

The waterfree urinals connect to the building’s existingdrain lines but, other than the absence of flush valves andwater, they appear and operate the same as traditional urinals.The $10,000 per year savings is a combination of water andsewer cost savings plus reduced maintenance costs, becausethere are no flush valves to malfunction or break. ■

Los AngeLes — The twin office towers of Watt Plaza inCentury City are the first Class A commercial high rise inLos Angeles to undergo a 100% retrofit with FalconWaterfree urinals. The resulting 2.2 million-gallon peryear water savings at this single building provides wel-come relief for the drought stricken area and exemplifiesthe success of comprehensive planning by local officials.

This retrofit of Watt Plaza’s urinals comes as Los AngelesMayor Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles Department of Waterand Power (LADWP) and the Metropolitan Water District(MWD) are implementing a comprehensive plan, introducedin May 2008, to secure an adequate water supply for the city.As part of this plan, the LADWP offered a package of incen-tives for business and citizens to conserve water.

More than 13,000 Falcon Waterfree urinals have been putinto action in the greater Los Angeles area, saving an estimat-ed 528.7 million gallons of water each year. Local organiza-

tions that have led the waterfree urinal charge include staplesCenter, Hollywood Bowl, Dodger stadium, nokia Theaterand the Rose Bowl stadium. Area school systems includingPlacentia-Yorba Linda and Corona norco have also adoptedFalcon Waterfree urinals to achieve water conservation goalsand reduce operating costs.

“Falcon’s technology, track record and impact on the envi-ronment speak for themselves,” stated James Krug, chiefexecutive officer of Falcon Waterfree. “Without great leader-ship, however, great technology never makes it to the fore-front. The real heroes are Mayor Villaraigosa and the citycouncil, the Metropolitan Water District and the L.A.Department of Water and Power. These leaders had the visionand foresight to provide a platform for Falcon and other con-servation trailblazers to assist the city, as L.A. continues on itsexemplary and necessary water conservation program.Together, we’re proving that being good to the environment

Water conservation reaches new heights with replacement of water-flushing urinals in Watt Plaza with Falcon Waterfree

Product Application

Waterfree urinals were installed throughout Watt Plaza toreplace water-flush urinals, eliminating 100 percent of theusual water and sewer costs.

Watt Plaza is a 23-story pair of office towers with a total of920,000 square feet of space, providing workspace for3,500 workers of several prominent businesses. This is thefirst Class A high-rise in Los Angeles to be completelyretrofitted with waterfree urinals.

required specs: they’re top quality, reliable to the pointof being maintenance-free, cost-effective and easy toinstall. the above-deck design of the faucets also makesthem hassle-free and readily accessible, if need be. thenew electronic Free-Hand™ line offers a hygienic solu-tion in preventing the spread of germs and bacteria, agreat feature for stadium visitors. on a more technicalperspective, built-in motion sensors control the flow ofwater at 1.9l/minute, automatically reducing volumeused, sewage bills and hot water consumption.”

all of Moen Commercial’s electronic products saveenergy and are backed by a five-year warranty againstmaterial or manufacturing defects. Should there be aneed for replacement parts, Moen products are distrib-uted nation-wide, making them the most easily acquiredparts in the industry.

“While more than 265,000 people have used thefacilities so far, not one single service call had to bemade,” concluded Ierfino. “In the long run, this meanssubstantial savings for the owners and speaks eloquent-ly of Moen’s commitment to quality and sustainabledevelopment.” ■

Montreal — When more than 13,000 fans filledSaputo Stadium on Inauguration night last May, MoenCanada also was on site to make sure everything wasflowing smoothly — literally. the latest in MoenCommercial electronic faucets and flush valves had justbeen installed in every public- and player-area wash-room of the brand-new, ultra-modern soccer complex.the 1.6 million-square-foot stadium was built on theformer practice track and field site on the grounds of the1976 Summer olympics at a cost of $14.1 million ofprivate funds.

“Just as the Montreal Impact players were excited toplay, we at Moen were looking forward to showing how

great our commercial products are,” said Moen Canadaeastern regional manager Sylvain Fournier. “With thePurolator Distribution Centre project completed at theend of last year, this is one of the largest the Moen teamhas been involved with in Montreal. this contract wasexciting, because it called for nothing but the best, andthat includes some 225 Moen electronic lavatoryfaucets and flush valves.”

Moen Commercial products were chosen becausethey offer the best solution for the conservation of waterand energy, as well as a good return on investment.“the builders were looking for commercial productsthat promoted environmentally responsible buildingand design,” explained Saputo Stadium director ofoperations Éric Girouard, “and specific instructionswere given to all our contractors: Products must notonly meet all design specs and have style but they mustalso be heavy-duty and vandal-resistant.”

When Plomberie Domier’s president, Joe Ierfino,looked at the required specs of the design-built contract,he knew instantly what he was going to use. “I quicklyrealized that Moen Commercial products exceeded the

Moen Commercial goes green, scores at Montreal’s new stadium

Product Application

The latest in Moen Commercial electronic faucets andflush valves had just been installed in every public- andplayer- area washroom of the brand-new, ultra-modernsoccer complex.






Tug SpoutCreated to provide a vastly superiorinstallation than traditional slip fit tubspouts. Benefits include: provides aconvenient, secure method forinstalling slip fit spouts; the Tug Spoutfits the stub out tightly to the wall,eliminating the need for unsightlycaulk; tightening action helps com-press O-ring seal at stub out for leakfree installation; installs directly onto½" copper stub out with only a #2Phillips screwdriver; and complimen-tary dry Seal Pipe Collar included inevery package. Tug Spout is the onlyslip fit tub spout that tightens flush tothe wall and requires no caulk to finisharound the spout. Sioux Chief.


Siphonic roof drainage systemThe Loro-Josam siphonic roofdrainage system includes a full line of“Push-Fit” galvanized pipes and fit-tings, a complete range of siphonicroof drains and full support and soft-

ware for properly calculating thesiphonic sizing requirements forevery project. The Loro-Josam sys-tem offers facility owners, plumbingengineers and mechanical contractorsa single source for a proven siphonicroof drainage solution that they canrely on. Loro-Josam, A division of

Josam Company.


FlowGuard Glow solvent cementThe Lubrizol Corp., maker ofFlowGuard Gold® CPVC pipe andfittings compounds, has partneredwith the IPS Corporation to introduceFlowGuard® Glow, a new solventcement product designed with aunique identifying system to helpinspect solvent welded joints. This flu-orescent, one-step solvent cement pro-vides added confidence in the reliabil-ity of CPVC joints. Lubrizol Corp.


Pressure-balanced mixing valveThermostatic and pressure-balancedmixing valves are designed for showerand bath applications in healthcare, edu-cational, penal, industrial, recreationaland other commercial/institutionalapplications. The Showermaster 7600concealed models provide dependablecontrol of water temperature for show-ers or baths. Leonard Valve Co.


ProPress butterfly valvesThree new butterfly valves added to theProPress line have semi-lug bodies withePdM liners, stainless steel disc and

stem, with a10-pos i t ionhandle; avail-able in 21/2",3" and 4" sizes.Complementsthe existing550 bronzeand copperProPress fit-

tings offered in the line. Compatiblewith ProPress adapter flanges used incopper joining systems for heating andpotable water applications. Viega.


Low water cutoff controlsThe LTA-2 and the LF LWCO’s aredesigned to prevent a boiler from

operating if thewater leveldips below theminimum safeoperating level,since in a lowwater conditionheat can rapid-ly accumulate

causing signifi-cant damage to the

boiler and pose a potential externalsafety hazard. Taco.


Product News


Thermostatic mixing valvesAqua-Gard series of thermostatic mix-ing valves prevent scalding injuries bymaintaining a reduced delivered tem-perature of water at the tap while allow-ing the hot water heater storage temper-ature to remain high enough to inhibitthe growth of harmful bacteria. WilkinsTMVs have a high degree of accuracythrough superior wax thermal motortechnology that provides the most reli-able and precise means of maintainingoutlet water temperature. The Aqua-Gard series is simple to install and ser-vice with choice of multiple union con-nections, which allow convenientaccess for the maintenance of the inte-gral strainers and integral check valves.Wilkins, a Zurn Company.


THE SHARKBITE® LINE KEEPS GETTING DEEPER.

The industry’s only Total Rough-In SolutionTM is all about offering more depth. A lot more. That’s why SharkBite is deep into PEX, with our own 3/8" to 1" PEX tubing. Deep into

push-� ttings, with a full line from 3/8" to 1". And deep into a wide range of valves, with integral SharkBite connections.

Just insert the PEX and the stainless steel teeth bite down tight while an

O-ring creates a perfect seal. Need to change a � tting or � x a mistake? The simple disconnect tool makes it just as fast and easy. The SharkBite Total Rough-In Solution. It’s worth a deep look.


ProRadiant line’s Climate MatNew pre-fabricated Climate Mat sys-tem is a roll-up assembly consisting oftandem supply and return headers and½" tubing. Manufactured in two sepa-rate 5' sections, Climate Mats may beunrolled one at a time or simultane-ously. Only Viega enables installers tolay 20,000 square-feet of evenlyspaced tubing for radiant heating orcooling in merely eight hours. Viega.


The FlowGuard Gold ConnectionNewsletter provides plumbing pro-fessionals valuable plumbing tips,technical guidance and a look intosuccessful, real-life CPVC plumbingsystem installations. The newsletteris published quarterly for its FBCBuilding Solutions products, as aninformation resource to the plumbingindustry. The Lubrizol Corp.


Sensor-operated faucetsNew 16-page, 4-color brochuretitled “The Universe of ElectronicFaucets,” covers company’s hard-wire, battery-powered and solar-powered faucets for all types ofcommercial, industrial and institu-tional applications. The brochurehighlights select models within eachfaucet category and gives anoverview of available options.Faucets include both deck- and wall-mount models for installation flexi-bility. Sloan Valve Co.


Rainwater harvesting productsTechnology is simple to install, operate,and maintain. Provides water at thepoint of consumption and operatingcosts are negligible. Water collectedfrom the roof catchment is available foruse in non-potable apps such as toiletsand urinal flushing, laundries, mechan-ical systems, custodial uses and siteirrigation. Rainwater harvesting hasfew negative environmental impactscompared to other water supply projecttechnologies. Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.


Smart water delivery for greener homeAs a WaterSense® partner, Delta iscommitted to encouraging efficientuse of water resources. Most Deltalavatory faucets flow at a maximumof 1.5 gpm, resulting in up to a 32%water savings.* Select the Dryden™Bath Collection and other water-effi-cient products. Delta.

*Based on comparison of faucets that have a

flow rate of 2.2 gpm under ASME A112.18.1.


Caroma products brochureA leader in dual flush technology,Caroma provides high efficiency dualflush toilets, high efficiency and water-less urinals and stylish bathroom sinks.Brochure contains a listing and photo ofall products available, the water savingspotential compared to other toilets andan explanation of siphonic versus wash-down technology. All 41 floor-mounttoilets are WaterSense labeled, conserv-ing at least 20% more water than thecurrent federal standard. Caroma.


Literature News


• Heavy cast iron construction.

• Quick-disconnect power cord for easy field service. (25' length standard.)

• Dual shaft seals.

• Each pump supplied with dual sized discharge in 1-1/2" and 2".

• Available in single phase and 3 phase power.

• Maximum total heads to 132 feet.

• Maximum flows to 130 GPM.

• 2 year warranty

Liberty introduces the new line

of large effluent pumps.

EFFLUENT

Available in 1 hp, 1.5 hp, and 2 hp.

One of Americas fastest growing,privately owned companies.

800-543-2550www.libertypumps.com

Copyright © Liberty Pumps, Inc. 2008 All rights reserved.

Dual SizedDischarge 1-1/2" or 2"


http://www.libertypumps.com


RON GEORGE DESIGN & CONSULTING SERVICES

Plumbing, Piping, Fire Protection and HVAC SystemDesign; forensic investigations for mechanical systemfailures; litigation support; code and standard consulting;technical writing and training seminars; and CAD ser-vices.

3525 N. Dixie Hwy., Monroe, MI 48162 Phone: (734) 322-0225

E-mail: [email protected] www.rongeorgedesign.com

WESTERN REGIONAL SALESMANAGER

National company seeking highly motivated, disci-plined Regional Sales Manager in the Western UnitedStates with proven track record. If you live in the west-ern region of the U.S., have a strong technical back-ground, at least five years in sales, excellent communi-cation skills, a B.A. and are proficient in MicrosoftOffice, we want to hear from you. Send your resumewith cover letter and salary required to:

[email protected], or mail to: AIM, INC., 553 N.NorthCourt, Suite 110, Palatine, Illinois 60067. Visitwww.a-i-m.com/regional for additional information onthis important position.

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Manufacturer White Papersare online now! Visit our web siteat www.plumbingengineer.com andstart downloading today! For FREE! Showcased as an authoritative report, white papers are used toeducate customers and to help people make decisions aboutspecific products and services.

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Letters to the Editor

Dear editor:

I am writing to comment on the article entitled “The Greening

of America and the World Chicken Crisis” by Timothy Allinson

published in the May 2008 Plumbing Engineer. While I have no

comment on Mr. Allinson’s position on the inherent harmfulness

of population growth on the environment, I did want to point out

an error associated with his comments on LEED.

In the latter part of his article, Mr. Allinson stated that “…

copper pipe is made from 80% recycled material, and that as

such it can contribute to the LEED recycled material credit.” I

wish that statement were true. Unfortunately, both LEED NC 2.2

and the draft LEED 2009 documents exclude plumbing compo-

nents from Credits 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2 for recycled content.

Only LEED for Commercial Interiors permits the inclusion of

plumbing products in recycled content calculations.

I agree with the underlying premise, though, that the plumb-

ing industry has a great track record and story to tell when it

comes to material reuse. Our industry recognized early on both

the environmental benefit and the good business sense of reusing

materials like copper, cast iron and steel. My hope is that the

USGBC will come to recognize these efforts and, in the future,

to allow recycled content credits to include plumbing products

with significant recycled content.

Best regards,

Shawn Martin, technical director

Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI)

Thanks for the correction, Shawn. This is the disadvantage of

having taken the LEED exam under version 2.0. Keep on reading!

Best regards,

Tim Allinson

Dear editor:

Your article “Catching Raindrops” in the November issue of

Plumbing Engineer regarding rainwater catchment caught my

attention.

We are a PME consulting engineering firm in North Carolina.

Over the past several years we have designed and have in opera-

tion several rainwater reuse systems for the Chapel Hill, N.C.

Schools System. We collect rainwater in 10,000-gallon under-

ground fiberglass tanks for distribution in a separate non-potable

water system in the schools to flush water closets and urinals.

These systems save 1,500 to 1,800 gallons a day in a typical 700-

student school.

We also have in operation several systems at the Chapel Hill

Town Operations Center (maintenance facility for their bus and

truck fleets). In addition to toilet and urinal use, they also use the

rainwater for truck washing. Our current project in that area is

for irrigation on one of UNC’s ballfields. The Chapel Hill area

has, for years, been short on water and was willing to pay a pre-

mium for these rainwater reuse systems.

We also have a job under construction in Boone N.C., at

Watauga High School. Pictures of typical underground tank

installation can be seen on our Web site. www.RNM

-Engineers.com.

Bill McElrath, P.E.

RNM Engineers

Waynesville, N.C.


http://www.rongeorgedesign.com


http://www.a-i-m.com/regional

http://www.plumbingengineer.com

http://www.plumbingengineer

http://www.plumbingengineer.com

http://www.RNM


SOFTWARE

SS Floor Drains

Trenches & TanksFor more information visit:www.CustomDrains.com

Call 888-244-3417

Advertiser IndexAcorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Applied Systems . . . . . . . . . . .26, 27

Bell & Gossett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Bradford White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Bradley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Buderus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Cash Acme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Caleffi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Caroma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44, 45

Delta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Entran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Halsey Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Haws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Heat-Flo Products . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Holby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Hydrotek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Josam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13, 43

Lawler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14, 15

Liberty Pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Leonard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Mifab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39, 66

Murdock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Navien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Presion Hydronic Plumbing . . . . . .34

Rockford Sanitary Systems . . .30-31

Sioux Chief . . . . . . . . . . . .55, 57, 59

Sloan Valve Company . . . . . . . . .4, 9

Smtih Mfg. Co., Jay R. . . . . . . . .23

Stiebel Eltron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Viega . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Watts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Webstone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Weil-Mclain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Wilkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

PlumbingDesigner/Engineer

Bridgers & Paxton, a 100-personengineering firm seeks a PlumbingDesigner for our Albuquerque,NM office, with min. 5 years exp.in plumbing systems design forcommercial, industrial, medical,and educational facilities.Candidates should be proficientwith AutoCAD 2008 and/or Revit.Must be a team player. Submitcover letter and resume to:

Employee ServicesBridgers & Paxton Consulting

Engineers, Inc.,4600-C Montgomery Blvd. NE,

Albuquerque, NM [email protected].

Visit our website atwww.bpce.com.

EOE

http://www.CustomDrains.com


http://www.bpce.com


United States and in 26 other nations. Persons interestedin earning the certification must meet certain eligibilityrequirements and submit a completed application.

For information, www.ashrae.org/certification.

Twenty Noritz tankless models receive EnergyStar Rating, qualify for tax credit

FoUnTAIn VALLEy, CALIF. — noritz America Corporation,one of the world’s leading manufacturers of tankless waterheaters and the official tankless water heater of Brad Pitt’sMake It Right project in new orleans and of TV’s Extreme

Makeover: Home Edition for 2008-09, has partnered withEnergy Star. Twenty of its models have earned the presti-gious Energy Star rating from the U.S. Department ofEnergy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

“noritz’s commitment to environmental awarenessprompted the drive to produce more energy efficiencyproducts and, in turn, we now offer the greatest number oftankless water heaters in the industry that have receivedthe much sought-after Energy Star rating,” said yoshiAsano, noritz America senior marketing manager. “Plus,all of noritz’s Energy Star products qualify for the $300federal tax credit for 2009.” ■

and the LEED® Gold GSA Environmental ProtectionAgency, Region 8 headquarters in Denver.

Bolin is a GSA Design Excellence national peer, a pastboard member of the U.S. Green Building Council and anadjunct research professor for the School of Architectureat the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is also a pub-lished author of many articles and a contributor to pastASHRAE standards.

ASHRAE’s certification program identifies individualswho have demonstrated that they have the necessary train-ing and tools for the design of high-performance buildingsthat live up to their performance capability.

“An ASHRAE certification benefits building owners,employers and individuals,” said ASHRAE president BillHarrison. “Firms who employ ASHRAE-certified engi-neers are better able to promote their services, and indi-viduals who are certified approach their design responsi-bilities with greater confidence.”

The certification exam includes sustainability concepts,HVAC and sustainable processes and environmentalimprovement programs and rating systems; energy analy-sis; indoor environment; controls and monitoring; bench-marking with performance metrics; water conservation;commissioning in sustainable construction and operationand maintenance of high-performance buildings.

The exam is offered at testing facilities across the



http://www.ashrae.org/certification

February - Plumbing Engineer

Documents

Transcript of February - Plumbing Engineer