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Warming up for the Fall
Just as the young plumber's fancy turns to baseball in the spring, that same young plumber wistfully daydreams about modulating/condensing boilers in the autumn.
OK, so maybe they're actually thinking about football.
Residential boilers, though, the segment of the industry we examine in this month's issue of the
Reeves
Journal E-Newsletter, have come a long, long way since the days of yore when giant inefficient machines crouched in the basement of a home or office building, gulping fuel like there was no tomorrow and pumping out relatively little heat in exchange.
Today's units are compact, easy to install, precisely controlled via precision electronics, and boast efficiency numbers that, in some cases, surpass 90 percent. That's a pretty good return-on-investment for your customers' domestic hot water and/or heating dollar, yes?
As always, we invite you to spend a few minutes of your day with us here in the E-Newsletter and to make sure you pay a quick visit to our Web site. And also make sure to browse over to our new corporate WWW site for Reeves', and all of our sister publications, at
www.MyPlumbingPortal.com and see what everybody is up to.
In the meantime, feel free to
give us a call at (949) 830-0881 or shoot over an e-mail
to let us know what you're thinking. We're looking forward to
hearing from
you.
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What’s so hot about the new heaters?
As contractors and homeowners look for new ways to save energy, new technologies comply. The new modulating condensing boilers are the latest industry darling for their high efficiency, energy-saving, multi-applicating, environmental code-meeting, feel-good resulting qualities. Where cast iron boilers used to only have to heat a home, new modulating condensing versions can heat it, cool it and make hot water. Now if they could just get them to put on the coffee. Despite this deficiency, the new mod/cons are nothing to sneeze at, and their benefits are many. “They’re smaller, they have less water, they usually have a different kind of burner
that will be able to modulate up and down,” said Bill Root, vice president of heating systems for Laars, whose Mascot mod/con is manufactured in Rochester, N.H.
Even the venting is different. “In the mod/con boiler, your vent temperatures are very low because you’ve extracted so much heat from the flue gases before they leave the house," Root said. "They’re so low, you can usually vent with a plastic pipe and that can save cost in the installation.” Root explained how it beats the 84-percent efficiency rating of a regular boiler. “It is able to extract the latent heat out of the flue gases, and that forms condensation. That makes about 7- to 10 percent difference in efficiency.” Then there’s the modulation, which enables the boiler to adjust its firing rate. “They
call it ‘turndown ratio’. You can turn the boiler down on a typical 5 to 1 ratio, which means it will go down from 100 percent fire to 20 percent.” Such heat loading means less gas is burned.
“It inherently is more efficient to have a long burn,” offered Morgan Muir, president of Hydronic Specialties in Oakland, Calif.
, maker of the Munchkin mod/con. "The big difference is that you don’t cycle, turning the boilers on and off, wearing them out.” Muir said in the last eight years there’s been a wholesale movement over to modulating systems. “Most of that technology for hydronics lies with high efficiency stainless steel and aluminum products.” The reason for their popularity has to do with corrosion. “Condensation would attack certain kinds of metals very quickly, particularly cast iron,”
Root warned. “The heat exchangers are so efficient that this water vapor called condensation can precipitate out but it really is mildly acidic so the boiler has to be able to tolerate the effect of acidic condensation.”
Mod/cons carry a common caveat. They’re not your father’s boiler. Advanced technology calls for advanced training. “It’s not complicated but you’ve got to pay attention to it,” advised Muir. “And there’s a whole group of plumbers out there who don’t want to pay attention and there are the better mechanical contractors and plumbers who do take the time to learn about it and get it right." Muir said it’s happening throughout the industry. “Efficiency goes up and there’s forced draft and condensing—contractors have to learn how to pipe them properly and set them up properly. It’s incumbent upon the
contractors to get their training.”
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Mod/Con Motivation
The drive to conserve
Two things seem to be fueling demand for higher efficiency appliances. One of them is the government. The requirements of Title 24, California
’s energy compliance standards, are continually being amended, forcing manufacturers to keep products up to code. “Whether it’s a furnace or water heater, there’s tremendous pressure to have higher efficiency equipment right now,” according to Morgan Muir, president of Hydronic Specialities, a boiler distributor in Oakland, Calif. Muir cited it as one of the reasons for the mod/con’s current popularity. “We have the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the low NOx requirements and everybody had to redo their boilers and water heaters to make sure they were low nitrous oxide emissions."
Such code-driven efficiency has resulted in continual innovations. Title 24 offers calculations that help with sizing. “That’s one nice by-product,” said Muir. “They give an aggregate heat loss for a building right on the report.” And the options keep growing. Mod/con boilers begat mod/con water heaters which begat “co-gen,” or combined heat and power systems. Hybrid systems can heat a home in one zone and cool it in another. Combined hydronics can kill two efficiency requirements with one flame, making for an especially attractive package. Muir said, “You’re getting credit for both loads so the Title 24 people love it. It makes
problems go away!”
That appeal has reached the radar of environmentally conscious consumers. Muir said energy efficiency is one of the first things they consider now. “So that immediately starts to bring on discussion of, ‘Well, how are we going to get it? Are we going to use a high efficiency furnace? Are we going to do radiant heating? If we do radiant heating, we’re most likely going to use something high efficiency to meet the code.’” Muir believes people are trying harder to use green products. Bill Root, vice president heating systems for Laars, headquartered in Rochester, N.H., agreed the consumer-driven market is strong. “We’re seeing mod/con boilers,
for example, go in because the homeowner wants it even though it may not be legislated by a particularly strong state standard on efficiencies or national standard-for-efficiency rating. People just want this stuff.” He likened it to the reason people buy hybrid cars. “They may not really save an awful lot of money on the mileage they’re getting … but it’s just the right thing to do.”
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PEOPLE
 The
American Supply Association has found its new executive vice president. Michael M. Adelizzi was appointed following a seven-month search
of 75 candidates. Adelizzi’s most recent experience was as Executive Director/CEO of the Mason Contractors Association of
America, where he spent the past 16 years building the association’s size,
scope and influence in that industry.
 The
International Association of
Plumbing and Mechanical Officials has added two to its rolls. Pete DeMarco, left, has been chosen as director of special
programs, and Dave
Viola is the new special services director.
 Uponor North America has brought
on Gregory J. Lawler as vice president of supply chain and as a member
of the Senior Management Committee. Lawler will provide strategic leadership to
supply chain and materials management in North America, with specific responsibilities
in inventory control, warehousing, transportation, purchasing and logistics.
 The Plumbing
Manufacturers Institute has named Shawn Martin its new technical
director. Martin will be responsible for managing and administering
technical activities and programs for the member companies, including
participation in a range of green building and water efficiency programs.
 Mr. Rooter has promoted a finance systems manager to vice
president of operations. In his new role, Jeff Moody will manage business development, lead the
brand in system compliance and work closely with the franchise systems managers
in the coaching and development of the franchisees.
 Thermadyne Industries, Inc., announced the appointment of
Terry
A. Moody as its executive vice president of global operations. Moody was
formerly employed by Videocon Industries, a privately held manufacturer of
high-end digital products, where he served as the chief operating officer and
senior vice president of Europe.
 Nextstar Inc. has chosen the first manager of its coaching
department, which provides professional coaches to Nexstar’s independent member
companies for help with managing and growing their businesses. Jack Tester
will be responsible for increasing the business services offered and ensuring
coaching uniformity within the department.
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Residential Boilers
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT |
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 Wall-Mounted
The
Lochinvar
Knight is now available in new wall-mounted models for space-saving installation versatility. For traditional hydronic space heating or radiant floor heating applications, the Knight features a fully modulating 5:1 turndown burner that allows it to keep fuel use to an absolute minimum by adjusting heat output according to demand.
Mighty Mascot
The Mascot from Laars
is a high-efficiency gas-fired residential and commercial wall-mounted boiler available in three BTU sizes--126, 167, and 242 MBTU. The 126 MBTU boilers are considered residential and they are available both as "heating only" boilers (model HT 1.330) and as "combi" boilers with both hydronic heating and domestic hot water (model HT 330). The Mascot 167 & 242 MBTU boilers (HT 1.450 & HT 1.650) are packaged differently for potential commercial applications using either single or multiple boiler installations.
Ultra-Gas
Weil-McLain's Ultra Gas boiler series--models: UG-80, UG-105, UG-155, UG-230, and UG-310--feature cast aluminum heat exchangers, and their venturi mixing body mixes air
and gas providing higher efficiency. Designed to operate in low temperature condensing applications, they feature outdoor reset and domestic hot water priority as standard features, and an electronic control module automatically adjusts blower speed and gas flow rate in response to environmental changes.
Raytherm
The
compact Raytherm
copper fin tube residential boilers by Raypak
are low-mass and have high recovery
rates. Available in five sizes ranging between 42,000- 180,000
BTU/H, the Raytherm units operate at 105 degrees return water
temperature without condensing, making them suitable for radiant
heating applications. Additionally they feature non-ferrous waterways
as an option, which can drastically reduce boiler oxygen permeation
problems associated with non-barrier radiant tubing. |
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Bi-Annual ISH North America Show Adds Staff
With just 12 months before the next edition of ISH North America, two key staff members have been added to manage the event, which takes place Oct. 1-3, 2008, in Atlanta.
ISH NA will again include broad partner participation by the American Supply Association, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors--National Association, the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, and the Radiant Panel Association. Messe Frankfurt, Inc. manages the show.
Jimmy Mouton brings extensive knowledge of trade events to his role as show manager. Prior to joining MFI, Mouton worked for UP Media's Tradeshow Group, Shepard Exposition Services, Stormont Trice Hotels, and The Georgia World Congress Center. Scott Easton has been a trade show specialist for MFI since 2005 and previously worked for VNU's trade show group and Skyline Exhibits. He is managing the sales of exhibit booths for ISH NA.
To learn more about ISH North America, visit
www.ish-na.com. Registration for attendees will open in the spring of 2008. To reserve booth space or become a sponsor, contact Scott Easton at 678-732-2433 or
scott.easton@usa.messefrankfurt.com.
For all other inquiries, contact Jimmy Mouton at 678-732-2413 or
jimmy.mouton@usa.messefrankfurt.com.
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| PVF e-News PVF e-News is a new, twice-monthly newsletter edited by
Supply House Times editor Jim Olsztynski. Contact him with any requests, complaints, compliments or information you think might be worth reportage in PVF e-News.
1050 IL Rte. 83, Suite 200
Bensenville, IL 60106
(630) 694-4006
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The Reeves Journal E-Newsletter is brought to you by Reeves Journal magazine.
Newsletter content is compiled by the Reeves Journal editorial staff. To submit material for consideration for inclusion in future E-Newsletters, send to Jack sweet via e-mail at jack@reevesjournal.com
, or Wendy Levine via e-mail at |
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