Industry Blogs

Just when the “us versus them” controversy regarding flat plat or evac tube collectors has subsided, along comes another option. Eventually, if you crunch the numbers and talk to system owners, the difference between tubes and plate-style collectors is clear. The evac tubes do not magically “create” more heat energy as some of the early sales and marketing claims eluded. Agreed, the tube-style collector, when manufactured and operated properly, does have an edge in colder ambient conditions, and it provides higher operating temperatures. It does this by providing a better insulation valve between the absorber and the ambient temperature. Limit that loss and more energy is delivered to the load. Simple enough. And, most agree to that difference being the main difference.

Reliability and longevity is also important and the collector should provide 20 years or more of performance. The ability to check and confirm the performance over the next few years may help determine which style of collector is the better buy for the system owner. Stay tuned for that data, or ask around the industry for first-hand experience and acquired data.

Recently, there has been talk about a much different approach to SDHW production. The concept involves a PV collector tied direct to a resistance element in a tank-style heater. A controller is included to allow the electrical energy to flow directly to the heater. No additional heat exchangers are required, no fluids to freeze or maintain. Seems simple and trouble-free, and possibly a means to get systems on the roof at the lowest possible cost. A patent search shows these systems dating back to the early 1980s. Lower cost PV modules and simple installation procedures may drive the acceptance of this system.

Consider this type of PV power also could be applied to a heat pump-style water heater, providing a COP of 2 or more. This would add the additional cost of the heat pump component along with the service, maintenance, repair and eventual replacement of a more complicated piece of equipment. Remember, the energy the heat pump-style (HP) water heaters shuffle from the space to the water in the tank comes from somewhere. Energy isn’t created or destroyed; we just transfer it. So in the winter months, for example, the heat energy that is being “moved” into the HP water heater tank is coming from your homes heating system. A dollar value should be accessed to the portion of the operating cost; it’s not exactly “free” heat. Proper location and installation of a HP-style tank WH will be crucial to performance and life expectancy.

So there you have it: a quick overview of solar water heating, the choices and concerns from my humble opinion. There are always trade-offs when you consider the wide range of products and technologies available to heat domestic water. In the end, we are all chasing a reliable, cost effective, and energy efficient product for our customers. Consider them all, remember to get appropriate training and apply them correctly and safely.

Let me know your thoughts on the choices and future direction of DHW production, with the sun’s energy in the mix, of course.

Partnering in heat transfer.

Sincerely, hot rod

The Radiant Professionals Alliance, which was once the Radiant Panel Association, mysteriously left the stage for a while and then came dancing back as a part of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials group. Around the same time, Air Conditioning Contractors of America kicked off its Radiant Hydronics Council, the purpose of which is to expose the huge ACCA membership to the joys of hydronic heating and cooling, particularly of the radiant variety.

I sat back and watched as that happened and it made me wonder. The old RPA had withered due to a general lack of interest on the part of its members, or at least it seemed that way to me. What if you throw a convention and nobody comes? The group had never seemed to be able to find a focus and then came the Great Recession. With IAPMO now behind it, the new focus seems to be on coming up with codes and standards for doing jobs hydronically in a way that makes sense nationally (or internationally?). But I wonder if this is realistic or even, considering our political climate, even possible. Each contractor has his or her way of doing things, based on experience and habit. Most will find fault with a hydronic code on principle alone. Not so the equipment manufacturers, of course, and I have a feeling IAPMO will have better luck attracting manufacturers (and their money) into their new RPA than they will in getting contractors to sign up. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

ACCA’s group (Disclosure: I am on their advisory board), on the other hand, is totally geared toward contractors and the sharing of their experience. That’s what attracted me to them. They seem to be closer to the way the business really works. ACCA has a strong and growing mainly contractor membership, and they’re in the delightful position of being able to offer something new to that 89 percent of American contractors who focus mainly on the air side of the business. As the economy improves, I think these contractors will look more closely at hydronic heating and cooling as a great addition to their HVAC mix, and that’s why I’m betting that the ACCA group will be more successful than the IAPMO group.

Will there be room for two radiant groups? I guess we’ll find out.

*Dan Holohan has authored numerous books on the topic of hydronic heating systems and operates the wildly successful website heatinghelp.com. His numerous appearances throughout the country have him hosting seminars on topics such as “Dead Men’s Steam School”, “Classic Hydronics”, “Marketing By Example” and “The World of Green Heating”.  He has the style and expertise not soon forgotten and has won over audiences for decades with his ability to teach by example and respect his contractor friends.

The views of this blogger do not necessarily reflect the views of Mechanical-Hub. Our goal is to bring news and information that is relevant to the industry. You are encouraged to continue the conversation by adding your comment below. As always, please be respectful of the author and their viewpoint of the subject at hand.

~Thank You, Mechanical-Hub

Welcome to Mechanical-hub.com! I would first like to sincerely thank you for stopping in. John Mesenbrink and I hope to supply you with information that will help you run your business more successfully.

Let me start by introducing myself. I am the owner and operator of Aune Plumbing, LLC. I have been in business for approximately 10 years and work out of my home. As the business name suggests, I am a plumbing contractor but I specialize in boiler installation/repair and hydronic heating systems. I have written, on occasion, for Contractor Magazine and Phc News. I have had the fortune of meeting some very key people throughout our industry along the way. Many of whom you know well and will hear from or read about on this site. One very key friendship I have made along the way is that of John Mesenbrink. John is the former [long-time] Editor of Phc News. John has built lasting friendships throughout the industry over the last 10 years. Friendships that have already played a large role in helping us get this site off and running. With John’s vision and my technical know-how, combined with our passion of the plumbing, mechanical and heating industry, together we think we can provide a wealth of industry information for the today’s busy contractor right here online. Get up to the minute breaking industry news, videos, features, and new product and tool info, updated every day! As the name implies, we want to be your “hub” to the industry. We’ll get that information for you and we’ll direct you to where to go to find what you need — manufacturers’ sites, rep info, multi-media information, associations and industry pubs. We’ll provide it for you because we understand that you need info, and you need it fast!

Our goal, however gigantic and demanding, is to provide daily news updates, features, videos, etc. relevant to the mechanical, plumbing and HVAC contractor. Added to that will be insights, right here, in the form of blog posts by various people throughout the industry. We already have a long list of people we have asked to contribute blog posts over the coming months. Both John and I are passionate about hearing from people that we already know in the industry, as well as those less familiar to us. Let’s face it, there are a lot of conversations being left on the table and never really heard on a platform as large as this. We hope that offering a place to spark those flames, such as here on this site, will help each and every one of us.

As you peruse the site be sure to check out the featured articles for more in-depth information about such topics as new technologies, industry trends, jobsite showcases and much more.  But wait, there’s more! We have been visiting places throughout this great country over the last few months gathering video footage of events and people in the industry, and have included them on our site.

Our mission is to connect you, the contractor, to the manufacturer and their representatives, supply links to pertinent information such as installation manuals, manufacturer’s sites and product information and spec guides. Construction is already underway to build a state-of-the-art studio for video production focusing new product installations such as boilers, water heaters and much more. Add to those non-bias reviews/comparisons of new tools on the market first look opportunities for new products and testimonials from contractors throughout the United States.

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