Donate demo models, extra inventory, tools and building materials during the month of August in support of Greater Cleveland’s Habitat for Humanity.

Sonnhalter, a communications firm marketing to the professional tradesman in construction, industrial and MRO markets, will be hosting its Annual Tool Drive. This year marks its sixteenth year in partnering with Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. Since 2010, Sonnhalter has raised $567,000—more than half a million in donations for this cause.

Sonnhalter’s Annual Tool Drive runs Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 31. All organizations, businesses and manufacturers are encouraged to donate demo models, extra inventory, tools and building materials to the Tool Drive. Donations will benefit Greater Cleveland Habitat’s mission of building homes and empowering families with safe and affordable home ownership.

“Each year, we are incredibly impressed by the remarkable generosity of Northeast Ohio and the trades community. It is a powerful testament to what can be accomplished in the name of a greater cause such as supporting Habitat for Humanity,” said Matt Sonnhalter, vision architect at Sonnhalter. “With the annual outpouring of donations and commitment to the Tool Drive, we have been able to donate more than $567,000 to this shared purpose. With continued support and momentum, we are setting our sights even higher this year!”

The Sonnhalter Tool Drive encourages those within the trade industry to look through their warehouses for extra inventory and overstocked tools or items that they would be willing to donate.  

Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 300 Habitat homeowners, including over 1,000 children, have a safe and decent place to live. The donated items will be used for Habitat for Humanity projects or will be sold at one of the organization’s three ReStores, discount home improvement stores that serve Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties. Proceeds from ReStore sales are used to help Habitat build and rehabilitate homes for those in need.

“This partnership is a testament to Sonnhalter’s deep commitment to both the community they serve and the environment through the items they help divert from landfills,” said Laura Potter-Sadowski, director of ReStores at Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. “Their Annual Tool Drive is something we look forward to every year. It’s a meaningful way to engage with supporters beyond the walls of the ReStore.”

To watch the Sonnhalter Annual Tool Drive video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC79aXUTD1A

For information on how you can participate in the Sonnhalter Tool Drive, or to coordinate larger shipments, i.e., pallet size, please contact Rosemarie Ascherl-Lenhard from Sonnhalter at 216.242.0420 x130 or rascherl@sonnhalter.com. To make a monetary donation, please make checks payable to “Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity.”

For more information on the Tool Drive, visit: www.Sonnhalter.com/tooldrive.

On this Weekly Update, we talk about the plumbing industry’s image problem, Dunwoody giving back, and a cutaway tankless water heater, and our freshly baked podcasts.

Plumbing Perception

Does the industry have an image problem? Do we need to change the plumbing lexicon?

Dunwoody College

Dunwoody College of Technology recently completed the largest fundraising campaign in its history, raising $80 million to expand access to technical education and support student success in the skilled trades. For more, https://dunwoody.edu

Tankless Cutaway

Eric takes a look at the Adapt+ Premium Condensing Tankless Water Heater 

Podcasts

AFC — Robert O’Brien, Director of Education, NORA

MTGA — Buying American Made?

Sign up for our newsletter: https://mechanical-hub.com/enewsletter/

“I’m paying attention to the specifications of the planet,” said Bryan Uhler, second-generation builder, YouTuber and Instagram influencer.

Long-term quality and conservation within the building trade are calling cards for Pioneer Builders Inc., which Bryan’s father, Tim Sr., founded in Port Orchard, Wash., nearly 50 years ago. Today, Bryan serves as vice president of the company. His brother, Tim Jr., is lead carpenter.

Their father remains involved as an advisor, and the third generation is beginning to take shape. Bryan’s son, Ethan, helps with digital content production.

In addition to handling land acquisitions, project development, permitting, sales, job costing, and payroll, Bryan emphasizes constructing homes with a strong emphasis on conservation.

While the company constructs spec homes almost exclusively, it has also built all variety of custom and pre-sale homes. Over the years, Pioneer’s emphasis on efficiency and green building technologies has outpaced Washington state’s stringent energy code, which is one of the strictest in the nation.

Taking the Next Step

“In 2024, we made a commitment to construct Zero Energy Ready homes,” said Uhler. “This is a certification through the Department of Energy (DOE) for homes built to a rigorous set of requirements, providing high levels of energy conservation, comfort, health and durability. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, homes built to this standard can qualify for the 45L tax credit worth $5,000.”

The goal behind Zero Energy Ready homes is to provide residences that are so efficient, a renewable energy source could offset the home’s power consumption. All of Pioneer’s spec homes are also ENERGY STAR certified.

As important as energy conservation is, the recent fires in southern California are the latest reminder that water conservation may soon be the nation’s greatest challenges.

Concentrating on Water Conservation

“Conserving water is as big an environmental concern as reducing energy consumption,” said Bryan. “If you curb domestic hot water use, you achieve both.”
For years, Pioneer Builders has specified water-conserving fixtures. They use Gerber’s line of faucets, toilets and shower heads.

“With properly designed equipment, the homeowner can reduce household water consumption without sacrificing comfort or even being aware of the fact that they’ve reduced water use,” said Bryan.

This principle is carried into the mechanical room, where Pioneer Builders partners with Herdman Plumbing. Heat pump water heaters are used in all Pioneer’s homes. While this provides energy savings and eliminates on-site fossil fuel consumption, it does present one challenge.

“Our homes feature domestic hot water circulation, which saves a great deal of potable water, not to mention increasing the comfort level,” said Bryan. “The issue is that heat pump water heaters and conventional DHW recirculation systems don’t play well together. I’m willing to admit that we’ve done everything wrong at least once, and this is no exception.”

The number one issue when pairing these two technologies is that a DHW recirculation system that runs continuously tends to disrupt stratification within the water heater. Recirculation lines, even when properly insulated, also shed heat while circulating, causing the heater to recover when the cooler water returns to the tank.

This often causes the heater to operate when there isn’t a call for DHW or switch the unit from heat pump mode to electric resistance backup. Not all recirculation pumps are created equally. Some pumps – specifically those that don’t feature ECM motors – are inefficient, and this raises the HERS rating. That’s a bad thing for an energy conscious contractor.

“I didn’t know there was a solution until Eric Aune from Mechanical-Hub suggested I look at Taco’s SmartPlus-e recirculation system,” said Bryan. “He explained that the system paired a small ECM circulator with a smart control, eliminating the problems caused by constant circulation. That’s a winning combination.”

The SmartPlus-e includes two components, a 006e3 circulator and a SmartPlug control, which can be paired with any recirculation pump. The SmartPlug can operate in Pulse mode, which continuously cycles the pump on and off, or Smart mode. In Smart mode, the control records hot water use patterns in the home and only operates the pump according to those patterns.

“We’ve found that the SmartPlus-e system helps us hit some of the benchmarks needed to achieve ENERGY STAR certification,” Bryan shared. “Our projects range from around 2,500-4,000 square feet with about the bathrooms. With the water heater in the garage, the potential to save water and energy with a recirculation system is considerable.”

A Holistic Approach

Bryan makes it evident that creating a durable, healthy, energy efficient home can’t be achieved by selecting one or two energy-efficient products and adding a bit more insulation. It’s a holistic approach that begins in the design phase and continues through to educating the homeowner during the final walk-through.

One of the biggest changes Pioneer has made over the past decade, especially with the use of air-to-air heat pumps, is to bring the ductwork into the conditioned space. This saves a great deal of energy being lost to the attic.

Another improvement is the careful selection of building materials in the interest of indoor air quality. Natural materials like hardwood flooring and rockwool insulation reduce the VOCs in newly constructed homes.

“We insist that each of our homes provides comfort while actively contributing to the health of its occupants and the preservation of our environment,” said Bryan. “That typically means making a lot of little improvements to the built environment, rather than one big change.”

Check out Pioneer Builders at pioneerbuildersonline.com.

Welcome to Tech Transformation, a new feature showcasing the evolution of a technology or product over time. We start with Milwaukee Tool’s SAWZALL. Over the past 20 years, Milwaukee Tool has significantly advanced the SAWZALL®, a product that has set industry standards since its invention nearly 75 years ago. At the turn of the millennium, Milwaukee® introduced the world’s first cordless SAWZALL® that could compete with its legendary corded counterpart, allowing professionals to cut the cord for the first time. Powering the 0719 model was the 28 Volt LITHIUM-ION battery pack, exclusively from Milwaukee, which marked a revolutionary leap in cordless tool technology at the time.

Milwaukee set out to change the lives of users introducing the M18™ cordless system and made a commitment that they continue to deliver on to this day: Milwaukee would continue to invest in new technology without the need for users to change platforms. This innovation paved the way for the game-changing M18 FUEL™ SAWZALL®.

Since then, Milwaukee has continued to push the boundaries of performance and reliability. The current M18 FUEL™ SAWZALL® Recip Saw w/ ONE-KEY™ (2822-22) now boasts fastest cutting in class, improved durability, and lightweight designs for reduced fatigue. Leveraging a POWERSTATE™ Brushless Motor, this newest generation provides 3,000 SPM and a 1-¼” stroke length for faster material.

The gear-protecting clutch further enhances durability by safeguarding against impact, upholding the legendary SAWZALL® reputation. Additionally, the introduction of ONE KEY™ tracking technology and slider crank mechanism upgrades ensure that the SAWZALL® remains a leader in the industry, continually meeting the evolving needs of professionals.

For more information, www.milwaukeetool.com