Phyn Plus

With more and more homeowners looking to smart technologies to automate their homes, people can now automate almost anything — lights, garage doors, windows, blinds, appliances, clocks, speakers, door bells, surveillance cameras, home security systems, climate control systems, cleaning systems, sprinkler systems, lawnmowers — even food preparation.

Phyn Plus installed with Pro Squad installer

So, what about their plumbing systems? If you think about it, homeowners would love to be connected to their plumbing systems. What if a pipe bursts when they’re away? Or, there’s a tiny leak that’s been quietly wasting water (and money) for months (think: toilet flappers, dripping faucets or pinhole leaks in corroded metal plumbing systems). For those that only get their water bill on a quarterly basis, that little leak could add up to quite a big cost over time (not to mention a tragic waste of water, our precious natural resource).

And, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a leak. There are those forgetful homeowners (or their children) who leave a faucet running and leave the house with the water going continuously. I’ve even heard of pets (typically cats) that accidentally turn on faucets and leave them running for hours until the homeowner returns to find little Fluffy has just wasted hundreds of dollars down the drain. Certain smart water detection systems can even alert homeowners of abnormal water events such as these.

Water leaks and water misuse are real, and every homeowner has experienced a water incident at one time or another. If you’re still not convinced, here are some interesting stats that might make you think differently.

• According to the Insurance Information Institute, water damage accounts for almost half of all property damage claims.
• About one in 50 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing each year, and water damage ranks as the second most common home insurance claim.
• Of homeowners who have experienced a water leak claim in the past two years, 57% spent more than $5,000 on clean-up costs, and 15% spent $20,000 or more.
• 41% of homeowners say a device that alerts them to water leaks is highly

If you haven’t thought about it, now’s the time. Intelligent water is the next frontier in the connected home, and plumbers can benefit greatly from this new technology. Adding a smart water technology offering to your plumbing business is a great way to gain new business and offer a valuable new benefit to existing customers.

How do you get started? First, you need to do your research. Certain manufacturers now offer smart water systems that are designed specifically with the professional plumber in mind. The Phyn Plus smart water assistant + shutoff, for example, is a connected plumbing device that is installed by a plumber in the Pro Squad nationwide network.

It’s helpful if you’re familiar with the internet and have some tech savvy in your background. But, for products that are installed through a professional, exclusive network, you can get the training you need right from the manufacturer. All that’s required from you is a willingness to learn.

Think about it. Homeowners are craving new ways to get connected to the things in their homes, and they are willing to pay for it. They will pay you for it! Plus, when there is a leak detected in their home, guess who they’ll call?

These smart water technology systems are a wonderful revenue generator for anyone in the plumbing industry — from the established contractor to someone just breaking into the industry. They can apply to any type of application from new construction to remodels to re-pipes. Essentially anywhere there’s residential plumbing, these systems will work.

And think about how great it would be to have your customers calling you straight from their connected device’s app whenever they need service due to a leak. It takes the guesswork out of the equation for homeowners regarding the best professional to call for the job, and it ensures a faithful client base for you. Win-win.

So, if you’re ready to up the ante in your business to offer a smart water leak detection system, think about all the positives it can offer and how easy it can be to get trained and up and running on a technology that is going to be in demand in the very near future.

You could be one of the first in your area to offer it, opening doors to customers you might never have the opportunity to encounter otherwise.

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

#WeMeanProgress and #TheQuestforProgress were prominent hashtags and underlying themes at the this year’s Uponor Convention in Las Vegas. “I like the word ‘quest,’ because it represents a journey,” says Bill Gray, president, Uponor North America. “We are on a never-ending journey to bring solutions for everyday problems to our customers. Uponor is never going to stop striving to get better and better.”

Getting ready for the keynote.

The biennial show continues to get better, and impress. What began in March 2000 as a customer appreciation event for a couple of hundred radiant installers has grown into one of the industry’s largest networking, educational and advocacy events for professionals who install, design and specify PEX in the residential and commercial building markets. Uponor customers, including wholesale distributors, home builders, specifying engineers and plumbing and mechanical contractors, as well as Uponor personnel, independent sales agents and media from both the U.S. and Canada were in attendance.

Today, more than 1,200 participants learned, connected and were entertained. The framework of the show features a one-day, all-in educational experience to not only learn more about Uponor’s direction in North America and across the globe, but also features breakout sessions taught by some of the best in the industry.

A few of the educational break-outs I attended included Milwaukee Tools’ Increasing Productivity Through Innovation, where senior product manager, Alex Boll, showed off some of Milwaukee’s latest products and discussed advancements in batteries, motors and electronics, and how Milwaukee is revolutionizing the industry with innovative, trade-specific solutions.

Milwaukee Tool senior product manager, Alex Boll, discusses the latest product offerings from the company.

In addition, it is always a good listen to sit in on anything Robert Bean—the comfort guru—teaches. Bean, president of Indoor Climate Consultants Inc., teaches courses related to the business and engineering of buildings, indoor climates and radiant-based HVAC systems. He shares everything he knows at www.healthyheating.com. The breakout, “Designing with Distinction: Strategies for high-performing radiant systems,” was a welcome addition to this year’s Uponor Convention line-up.

In addition to educational seminars, Uponor features a “mini” trade show with industry partners, with Taco, Milwaukee Tools, Navien, Grundfos, Rinnai, Greyter Water Systems, Trimble, among others.

But front and center of the trade show floor was Uponor’s Phyn Plus, which protects your home from leaks the moment it is connected. It then begins to learn how your family uses water as you go about your routine. Over time it gets smarter, unlocking new capabilities and offering you insights. And in the future, it will help you understand and better manage your water.

https://youtu.be/4fvecIjHpSY

The convention was the site of the first official training session for an initial group of 100 professional plumbing installers who qualified to join the Uponor Pro Squad. More than 2,500 additional plumbers will participate in training in coming weeks via online and in-person sessions.

“This training was an exciting and important milestone in the launch of Phyn Plus,” said Dena Mayne, vice president, Marketing & Customer Experience, Uponor North America. “Not only did it mark the official commercialization of the device in North America, but the session also enabled us to help this network of professionals advance the plumbing industry into the digital era by using data and insights to change the way consumers think about the water in their homes.”

The Uponor Pro Squad

One of the newest participants in the Uponor Pro Squad network is plumbing and HVAC contractor Rich Trethewey, the plumbing and heating expert on the national home-improvement show “This Old House” and its two popular spinoffs, “Ask This Old House” and “Inside This Old House.” Trethewey, who attended the training session in Las Vegas, will feature the Phyn Plus device on a This Old House episode scheduled to air in the fall.

The Phyn Plus display at the Uponor Convention held at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas.

While spending most of the immersing myself in keynotes and breakout sessions, one thing was abundantly clear, the future is coming, and in many cases, it is already here.

Duh, the future is coming, no kidding! In any event, things like driverless cars to artificial intelligence and robotics to augmented and virtual reality are here already or not too far off in the distant future.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it,” said keynote speaker, Jack Uldrich, a leading global futurist, as he was quoting management consultant Peter Drucker. “The world can change quickly and we need to be aware of it,” continued Uldrich, addressing the convention crowd on the ever-evolving construction industry.

What will the future look like? “Predictably unpredictable,” says Uldrich. The key is embracing paradox, learn to unlearn, recognizing failure as a key to one’s success and understanding that an awareness of one’s experience is a key component to true wisdom. Experience doesn’t really mean a thing if you continue to work or view the workplace the same every day, suggests Uldrich. For example, “Reverse mentor someone with less experience than you to help you see the world differently.”

An attendee goes virtual during a demo at the trade show, donning VR glasses.

As leaders, says Uldrich, we need to be adaptable and be flexible to change, and it’s time to start thinking about the future. As professionals, we need to—what Uldrich calls—“jump the curve” to understand how the following trends are transforming the economy and altering our future:

• Artificial Intelligence: SmartVid.IO built out its technology which applies sophisticated algorithms to study video footage of construction sites, says Uldrich. For example, if a worker isn’t wearing a hard hat or a set of stairs doesn’t have a safety railing, the system alerts the site supervisor. “The technology is like having a job site inspector who never sleeps. Even if it prevents one accident, the technology more than pays for itself,” said Uldrich.

• Robotics: One innovative application comes from Built Robotics which uses its ability to excavate foundations. “Instead of using equipment operated by human drivers, why not employ a system that can work around the clock without sleeping or taking coffee breaks?” said Uldrich.

• Virtual Reality: “We need to leverage virtual reality to train the next generation of workers,” says Uldrich. Mortenson Construction is already employing Daqri Technologies’ “smart helmet” technology to allow construction workers to overlay digital information onto actual construction site locations. In a hands-free manner, the technology allows pipefitters, electricians, plumbers and other construction professionals to better understand how to most efficiently complete their jobs.

The ever-charismastic Wes Sisco, senior training manager for Uponor, engages with attendees.

• Prefabrication: Industry leaders are using innovative technology to inspire collaboration and design, says convention breakout speaker, James Benham, CEO, JBKNOWLEDGE. For instance, “Prefab is the future of construction,” says Benham.
Tom Palange, J.C. Cannistraro, has said, more and more projects have creative applications for prefabricated components, and the company is well-positioned to adapt as a result of years of training, planning and process improvements. “We’ve fully embraced the modular movement and have made significant investments in equipment and facilities to maximize our capacity to produce modular bathrooms, piping systems, mechanical rooms, hospital headwalls, pump skids, and more … the possibilities are endless,” says Palange

According to Uldrich, these examples are the not only ones revolutionizing the construction industry. 5G technology, social media, Internet of Things (IoT) and big data will continue to converge and, in the process, transform the construction industry.

The message was clear at this event: in terms of tool innovation, construction disruption and high-performance radiant and water systems, it’s time to start looking to the future and think about “jumping the curve.”

For a recap of the convention, check out this link to the video:
https://vimeo.com/265202186/ba1ec09f5c

The 2018 Uponor Convention was the site of the first official training session for an initial group of 100 professional plumbing installers who qualified to join the Uponor Pro Squad. More than 2,500 additional plumbers will participate in training in coming weeks via online and in-person sessions. The day-long training workshop, held Thursday, April 5, at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, was designed to enable the group to promote, sell, install and service the new Phyn Plus smart water assistant + shutoff. The device made its simultaneous debut in January at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla., and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

“This training was an exciting and important milestone in the launch of Phyn Plus,” said Dena Mayne, vice president, Marketing & Customer Experience, Uponor North America. “Not only did it mark the official commercialization of the device in North America, but the session also enabled us to help this network of professionals advance the plumbing industry into the digital era by using data and insights to change the way consumers think about the water in their homes.”

The Pro Squad members who attended the two-day Convention represented national coverage of the 30 initial target markets across the U.S. and Toronto. These markets are urban areas that the company has identified as having the highest prevalence of leaks, water usage and aggressive water conditions. Targeted cities include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Toronto, and Minneapolis, among others.

To date, more than 2,600 professional plumbers have joined the Pro Squad network since recruitment began in October 2017. For members who did not attend the Convention, Uponor will provide training online as well as in-person workshops hosted by company technical, sales and marketing subject-matter experts. Licensed plumbing professionals interested in joining the Uponor Pro Squad can apply via uponorprosquad.com.

One of the newest participants in the Uponor Pro Squad network is plumbing and HVAC contractor Rich Trethewey, the plumbing and heating expert on the national home-improvement show “This Old House” and its two popular spinoffs, “Ask This Old House” and “Inside This Old House.” Trethewey, who attended the training session in Las Vegas, will feature the Phyn Plus device on a This Old House episode scheduled to air in the fall.

“I am delighted to be a part of this Phyn Plus launch and really excited that this important technology will be delivered through the hands of plumbing professionals,” said Trethewey. “Water is the precious resource for life on our planet, and Phyn Plus can make a big difference to conserve it.”

The new Phyn Plus smart water assistant + shutoff is designed for the single-family residential market. The device is installed on a home’s main water line and automatically measures tiny changes in water pressure, 240 times per second. Its function is to: (1) identify and alert homeowners the moment a leak is detected via a smart phone app; (2) mitigate costly damage through an automatic shutoff; and (3) diagnose potential problems in plumbing systems before they become an issue.

Homeowners interested in obtaining a Phyn Plus device should visit www.phyn.com to find a local Pro Squad member. If there isn’t, yet, a Pro Squad member listed in their area, Uponor will work with the homeowner to find a local plumbing professional interested in joining.