hydronics

The Ask Caleffi team is back with another insightful Coffee with Caleffi webinar, focusing on pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) and their role in plumbing systems. Cody Mack and Kevin Freidt will explore the various options PRVs offer to designers and installers, highlighting how these valves can assure reliable water pressure in a variety of plumbing applications. Join Read more

The Ask Caleffi team is back with another insightful Coffee with Caleffi webinar, focusing on pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) and their role in plumbing systems. Cody Mack and Kevin Freidt will explore the various options PRVs offer to designers and installers, highlighting how these valves can assure reliable water pressure in a variety of plumbing applications.


Join Kevin and Cody to discover how PRVs contribute to achieving peak performance in domestic water systems. They’ll dive into their benefits and provide practical tips for maximizing efficiency and minimizing water waste. Don’t miss this session packed with valuable insights for improving your plumbing systems.

→Can pressure-reducing valves help building owners control operating costs?
→How does a pressure-reducing valve work?
→How do you size a pressure-reducing valve?
→What symptoms will you see when they’re not sized correctly?
→What are the common signs that a pressure-reducing valve might be malfunctioning?

Cody is the National Training Manager at Caleffi North America.  He has nearly 20 years of experience in several roles, which include installation contractor, service technician, application engineer and product manager, across the plumbing and heating industry.

Kevin is the Director of Product Management and Technical Support at Caleffi North America. He has 40 years of engineering experience in the commercial HVAC, plumbing and heating industry.

https://vimeo.com/1006933600 Welcome to our exclusive weekly update where every Friday we bring you the lates industry news, products and what’s trending on social media Read more

Welcome to our exclusive weekly update where every Friday we bring you the lates industry news, products and what’s trending on social media.

Taco has announced the launch of its innovative Manager Development Program (MDP), a transformative global initiative designed to cultivate leadership and foster professional growth. Developed in partnership with DDI and DiSC, the program reflects Taco’s dedication to investing in the development and success of its people. “At Taco, our employees are at the heart of Read more

Taco has announced the launch of its innovative Manager Development Program (MDP), a transformative global initiative designed to cultivate leadership and foster professional growth. Developed in partnership with DDI and DiSC, the program reflects Taco’s dedication to investing in the development and success of its people.

“At Taco, our employees are at the heart of everything we do,” said Cheryl Merchant, CEO of Taco Family of Companies. “By nurturing our team’s talents and equipping them with essential tools, we not only unlock their full potential but also drive our collective success and growth as a global organization.”

The MDP is designed to meet the unique needs of managers while aligning with Taco’s strategic vision. With a focus on clarity and effective communication, the program ensures that content is accessible and actionable, thereby enhancing overall interactions and interpersonal skills.

“Taco is committed to advancing global employee development through cutting-edge programs and key alliances,” said Victoria McCoy, EVP of Global Human Resources at Taco. “Our collaboration with DDI and DiSC marks a significant shift from traditional learning and development practices to a more strategic approach that aligns with our organizational goals. Together, we’ve crafted a program that embodies Taco’s values, culture, and objectives, ensuring a unified leadership strategy worldwide,” concluded McCoy.

In essence, the MDP integrates modules that aim towards developing self, managing others and leading the organization. By providing a cohesive leadership framework across all regions, the program helps Taco forge meaningful connections and empowers its employees to reach new heights.

For additional information about the MDP or to explore career opportunities at Taco, please visit the Careers page at www.tacocomfort.com/careers.

Acquisition extends a long-term strategy for market growth and channel expansion. Atlanta—Rheem has announced its intent to acquire Nortek Global HVAC (NGH), a leading manufacturer of air conditioning products, from Madison Industries. NGH is based in O’Fallon, Missouri with manufacturing in Saltillo, Mexico, and a distribution center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. “Nortek Global HVAC has Read more

Acquisition extends a long-term strategy for market growth and channel expansion.
Atlanta—Rheem has announced its intent to acquire Nortek Global HVAC (NGH), a leading manufacturer of air conditioning products, from Madison Industries. NGH is based in O’Fallon, Missouri with manufacturing in Saltillo, Mexico, and a distribution center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
Rheem, Nortek Global HVAC, HVAC, plumbing, heating and cooling, water heaters, heat pumps, water heating, hydronics“Nortek Global HVAC has a history of delivering market leading innovations going back over 100 years. Like Rheem, NGH has a collaborative culture with an unwavering commitment to the customer,” said Mike Branson, President Global Air at Rheem. “NGH has a remarkable team that brings unique products, operational capabilities, and market channels to complement Rheem’s expanding Air and Water businesses.”
Upon the close of the acquisition—which is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals—NGH will join Rheem’s Global Air division.

With jobsite productivity and safety at the forefront of the construction industry, it’s important to know the innovations that are enabling faster, easier installs for contractors while providing end users with more efficient, sustainable systems. Check out a few of these solutions that can help make jobs easier and buildings more efficient. A first in Read more

With jobsite productivity and safety at the forefront of the construction industry, it’s important to know the innovations that are enabling faster, easier installs for contractors while providing end users with more efficient, sustainable systems.

Check out a few of these solutions that can help make jobs easier and buildings more efficient.

Uponor, Prefabricated Radiant Mats, hydronics, construction, Heat-Interface Units, Flexible Underground Pre-Insulated Piping Systems

Heat-Interface Units

A first in the North American market, these prefabricated, self-contained, heat-interface units (HIUs) convert a building’s hydronic heating supply to on-demand domestic hot water (DHW).

Ideal in multifamily structures, hospitality buildings, dormitories, assisted-living centers, and healthcare patient towers, these HIUs (sold under the brand name AquaPort™) feature a proportional control valve (PCV) and double-wall heat exchanger to create the DHW from the hydronic heating supply.

This solution removes the centralized DHW and recirculation piping to provide numerous benefits, including energy and water savings, improved water quality, installation efficiencies, reduced maintenance, and reduced risk. The PCV does not require any utility connections and eliminates the DHW heat source, supply piping, recirculation network, pumps, and storage tanks. It also optimizes efficiencies of the hydronic heating supply.

For energy efficiency, it returns the lowest water temperature possible, enabling boiler systems to reach their maximum-rated efficiency. It also provides a more centralized location in an individual unit of a building, which leads to faster hot-water delivery times and reduced water waste, helping to reduce the whole-life carbon for the building.

Compared to traditional pipe-routing methods, incorporating this solution can reduce hot-water energy use by up to 35%, eliminate up to 40% of unnecessary piping, mitigate microbial growth in the DHW system, and remove more than 50% of the total DHW volume in a building for greater sustainability and hygiene.

The compact, in-wall design is only 25.6″ tall by 14.5″ wide and 5.4″ deep to maximize overall square footage, and it is extremely lightweight at 47 lbs. for the 100K BTU/hr. version and 57 lbs. for the 180K BTU/hr. version, which makes it easy for one person to maneuver and install.

Uponor, Prefabricated Radiant Mats, hydronics, construction, Heat-Interface Units, Flexible Underground Pre-Insulated Piping Systems

Prefabricated Radiant Mats: Cleveland Health Education Clinic, Ohio | Radiant floor heating install with Radiant Rollout Mats

Introduced into the market about a decade ago, prefabricated radiant mats have become extremely popular in commercial radiant heating and cooling projects, helping to save up to 85% in installation time compared to traditional methods.

Ideal for radiant heating and cooling systems in large commercial spaces as well as turf conditioning, snow and ice melting, and permafrost prevention (cold storage) applications, these mats are customized, prefabricated, and pre-pressurized solutions that are designed and delivered to jobsites to speed commercial installs and maximize radiant system performance.

The mats feature oxygen-barrier PEX pipe, which is a flexible, durable material that protects ferrous components in a radiant heating and cooling system. Some manufacturers also include engineered polymer (EP) connections, which are approved for burial in a slab, that are included in a reverse-return header option. This design can help reduce required manifold ports by up to 80%, helping to save time and install costs.

Since the mats are customized to meet each individual project, the pipe sizes, loop lengths, and on-center spacing varies depending on the design. Once the mats arrive on the jobsite, installers simply move the mats into place, cut the zip ties, unroll the mats into place, and fasten.

The mats also can reduce fastening hardware by up to 40%, further increasing installation efficiencies and jobsite safety. Best of all, pre-pressurized piping and self-balancing circuits provide dependable commissioning and system startup for a seamless transition from installation to end use.

Uponor, Prefabricated Radiant Mats, hydronics, construction, Heat-Interface Units, Flexible Underground Pre-Insulated Piping Systems

Flexible Underground Pre-Insulated Piping Systems

When it comes to underground piping distribution for radiant heating and cooling, snow and ice melting, turf conditioning, or permafrost prevention (cold storage) applications, the industry is discovering the benefits of flexible, PEX-based, pre-insulated piping systems, and the solution is beginning to dominate over traditional copper or steel.

With pre-insulated PEX systems, there are typically one or two service pipes surrounded by insulation and covered by a jacket or casing. This type of system offers numerous advantages over rigid systems, such as lighter weights, fewer connections, and significant installation efficiencies.

 The lighter weight allows contractors to maneuver the piping around a jobsite much easier, faster, and more effectively with less impact on the body. The piping is also available in long, continuous coils (rather than straight, segmented pieces of rigid pipe), which eliminates the need to dig a straight or level trench (since the coils can curve around existing structures and obstacles). Additionally, longer coils mean fewer (or sometimes no) underground connections for faster installations.

Plus, because the insulation is already added to the pipe, it eliminates the two-step process of installing the pipe and then insulating after installation. All of these benefits add up to significant labor savings and maximum jobsite productivity.

Uponor, Prefabricated Radiant Mats, hydronics, construction, Heat-Interface Units, Flexible Underground Pre-Insulated Piping Systems

It is important to note that there are two types of PEX-based pre-insulated piping systems: bonded and slip. In a slip system, the PEX service pipe is covered by multilayer polyethylene-foam or PEX-foam insulation and covered by a corrugated HDPE jacket. This design is more flexible because the different layers can move independently. Additionally, if an installer needs to access the PEX service pipe, it’s a much simpler process of cutting away the foam insulation rather than scraping off the glue that adheres the insulation to the service pipe in a bonded design.

When deciding to install a PEX-based pre-insulated system, it is important to understand the thermal performance differences between a single-pipe system and a twin-pipe system. Some code jurisdictions do not allow twin-pipe configurations due to the reduction in insulation thicknesses, which can result in greater heat loss in heating applications. However, because twin-pipe configurations significantly reduce the amount of surface area exposed to the ground, it can have a positive effect on heat loss.

Kim Bliss is the technical and marketing content manager at Uponor. She can be reached at kim.bliss@uponor.com.