Each year, Plumbing & Mechanical Engineer editors receive thousands of product releases from industry manufacturers. The 20 products highlighted here have earned the distinction of being PM’s Top Products of 2021 based on the number of page views on pmengineer.com Congratulations to those products on this year’s list.
No. 20
GF Piping Systems’ potable water safety
GF Piping Systems’ Hycleen automation system is an automated balancing and flushing solution for improving potable water safety in premise plumbing. In large hot water distribution systems, stagnation, rough surfaces and temperatures below 122° F can promote the formation of biofilms and the proliferation of Legionella bacteria. The Hycleen system provides hydraulic temperature balancing and water flushing with a preventive maintenance feature to avoid these problems, GF notes. The new system is particularly suited for buildings with larger hot water distribution systems found in hospitals, schools, offices, hotels and skilled nursing homes.
GF Piping Systems. www.gfps.com
No. 19
Bell & Gossett centrifugal pump
Bell & Gossett, a Xylem brand, launches the Series e-82 twin vertical in-line centrifugal pump, expanding its offering of energy-efficient pumping solutions. The Series e-82 line delivers about a 40% space savings for parallel pumping installations, and provides energy-efficient pumping for commercial HVAC and plumbing applications, making it ideal for parallel staging or backup capacity, Bell & Gossett points out. The Series e-82 provides a wide hydraulic range with 22 models — 11 split-coupled and close-coupled models each. The pumps can handle flows up to 1,600 gpm with head up to 130 TDH and 175 psi standard.
Bell & Gossett. bellgossett.com
No. 18
Panasonic energy recovery ventilator
The new Intelli-Balance 200 Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) is designed to increase airflow in tightly built homes with both exhaust and supply air. The Intelli-Balance 200 allows builders and homeowners alike to better design and meet ASHRAE 62.2 requirements, improving indoor air quality and reducing ventilation costs. With its two electronically commutated brushless motors with built-in SmartFlow technology, the ERV offers precision ventilation with low power consumption. The device’s multi-speed selector (60 to 200 cfm) provides customizable airflow to create balanced, positive or negative air pressure within the home.
Panasonic. na.panasonic.com/us
No. 17
Franklin Electric Little Giant grinder pumps
Franklin Electric Co. announces the launch of its new Little Giant 16G series, a heavy-duty 1-HP grinder pump designed to deliver serious power as a new or replacement pump for the most challenging residential and light commercial wastewater applications, the company states. The new pump is available in both 115V and 230V models and delivers trusted Little Giant performance and versatile features that set it apart from the competition, Franklin Electric adds. The cutting mechanism produces more than 745,000 cuts per minute. Installers can choose to use the 1 1/4" discharge or utilize the 2” adapter pre-assembled to the pump. This versatile option makes the 16G series the ideal drop-in replacement for any effluent or sewage pump struggling with clogs and binding, regardless of discharge size, the company explains.
Franklin Electric. www.littlegiant.com
No. 16
Armstrong Fluid Technology pump manager
Armstrong announced new features for calculating and tracking energy-savings are now available with its pump manager asset management solution. The new features include determining cumulative energy savings of a Design Envelope pump since it was commissioned, access to local utility rates for accurate calculations of financial savings, seeing operating savings in the preferred local currency and using CO2 index values to calculate carbon emission reductions based on state or national figures for CO2 index.
Armstrong Fluid Technology. armstrongfluidtechnology.com
No. 15
Viega PorPress Copper line
Viega’s ProPress Copper line offers more than 400 different fitting configurations and is approved for more applications than any other copper press fitting system. It is available in sizes ½" to 4". Three different sealing elements are available to use in ProPress systems to perform in hundreds of applications: EPDM, FKM and HNBR. ProPress also has Smart Connect technology which helps identify unpressed connections.
Viega. www.viega.us
No. 14
Canature Water Group filtration system
95MTS series water filtration products from Canature filter from a few gallons per minute, up to a few hundred gallons per minute from a single controller. Control up to 16 smaller tanks to provide flexibility in tank placement within a room, and avoid the installation expense of specialized equipment to move heavier tanks, the company explains.
Canature Water Group. www.canaturewg.com
No. 13
Charlotte Pipe cast iron plumbing system
Charlotte Pipe has a new cast-iron plumbing system for aggressive DWV applications — Edge HP Iron. The high-performance pipe and fittings are specially coated for applications that may need enhanced protection, such as hospitals, commercial kitchens and casinos. The full line includes 2” through 15” NH and SV pipe in 10’ lengths, and more than 560 SKUs of 2” through 15” NH, SV and XH fittings.
Charlotte Pipe. www.charlottepipe.com
No. 12
RIFENG PEX system
Manufactured with the cross-linked polyethylene, RIFENG PEX pipes boost more elaborated polyethylene performances without losing the excellent properties of thermoplastics, the company explains. Offering excellent corrosion resistance, incredible flexibility and unusual toughness, RIFENG’s PEX pipes allow for the fastest and easiest pipe installations, it adds.
RIFENG. www.rifeng.com
No. 11
Lochinvar commercial boiler
Lochinvar’s next generation of the KNIGHT XL commercial boiler product family is available in five models, ranging from 399,000 to 1 million Btu/h. The advanced units feature a 97% thermal efficiency, a 10:1 turndown ratio and an updated heat exchanger, the company notes. C9mes standard with CON·X·US remote connectivity and SMART TOUCH operating control technology.
Lochinvar. www.lochinvar.com
No. 10
Oatey drain seal
Oatey’s updated Drain Seal blocks unwanted odors, sewer gases and insects from entering a building through a drain. The enhanced design won’t restrict water flow or sacrifice drain performance, Oatey adds. The seal is engineered with a drainage system that not only prevents water from evaporating in the P-trap, but also allows for continuous water flow, which simultaneously inhibits ponding or pooling around a drain, the manufacturer explains. Available in 2” or 3” sizes and is compatible with most popular floor and shower drains.
Oatey. www.oatey.com
No. 9
Lochinvar condensing boiler
CREST condensing boilers are known for heating the water in commercial facilities and providing industry-leading efficiency and reliability, Lochinvar says. Available in 12 inputs from 750,000 to 6 million Btu/h, with a turndown ratio up to 25:1, CREST boilers achieve a 96.2% thermal efficiency. For on-the-go monitoring and adjustments, CREST units feature CON·X·US Remote Connectivity and SmartTouch operating control.
Lochinvar. www.lochinvar.com
No. 8
Grundfos booster pump
The Grundfos CMBE booster is designed for residential and commercial water supply, pressure boosting, irrigation and dewatering applications. The CMBE series is available in both 1x110-120V and 1x200-240V variants and uses energy-efficient, permanent magnet motor technology, which provides unmatched reliability, quiet operation and energy savings, the company says.
Grundfos. www.grundfos.com
No. 7
Weil-McLain stainless steel commercial boiler
Weil-McLain offers the stainless steel vertical firetube (SVF) commercial boiler line featuring thermal efficiencies up to 97.1%. Available in 750-1100 and 1500-3000 MBH models, the high-efficiency SVF line features a clover-shaped stainless steel fire tube heat exchanger for corrosion resistance and the intuitive and user-friendly Unity control system for simple installation and maintenance, the company explains.
Weil-McLain. www.weil-mclain.com
No. 6
Vesta residential and commercial tankless water heaters
Vesta DS’ premium condensing tankless water heaters are CSA, AHRI and NSF certified, feature a 0.95 UEF, low NOx and are lead-free. Vesta Smart Technology VRP models include a built-in Grundfos pump and a 1/2-gal. buffer tank for internal or external loop recirculation (Title 24 compliant with an optional controller). VST models are designed for North America for use in single residential or in multiple commercial applications. Cascade up to 40 units (7,500k Btu/h).
Vesta DS. www.vestahws.com
No. 5
Laars combi-boilers
Laars Heating Systems’ ultra-high-efficiency floor-standing FT series combination boiler and water heater is the only residential combi-boiler that simultaneously supplies abundant home heat and endless hot water without interruption, the company states. The FT series includes a unique integrated domestic hot water mini-indirect tank that delivers stable hot water on demand, Laars adds. Advanced smart technology coordinates uninterrupted space heating with domestic hot water demand and ensures continuing hot water supply for multiple heating events, the company explains.
Laars. www.laars.com
No. 4
Navien NPE-2 condensing tankless water heater
Navien’s NPE-2 condensing tankless water heaters include a turndown ratio up to 15:1, an advanced EZNav multi-line control panel with Setup Wizard, and 2” PVC venting up to 75’. The NPE-2 continues to offer dual stainless steel heat exchangers, half-inch gas pipe capability up to 24’ and a patented ComfortFlow recirculation system with built-in pump and buffer tank (NPE-A2).
Navien. www.navieninc.com
No. 3
Grundfos UPS circulator pump
The Grundfos UPS circulator pump with 3-speed motor gives users the flexibility to choose the correct speed for their specific application, the company states. Features include lower inventory, easy installation, reliable starts, maintenance-free operation and performance with the quiet wet-rotor design.
Grundfos. www.grundfos.com
No. 2
Bradford White Commander series
Bradford White’s Commander series of commercial gas water heaters allows owners to integrate the water heater into a Building Management System network, which monitors essential functions in large or multi-unit structures. Real-time monitoring of heater performance meets the needs of modern owners and managers with quick, efficient response for maintenance and troubleshooting, the company says.
Bradford White. www.bradfordwhite.com
No. 1
A.O. Smith Cyclone XL commercial water heater
The Cyclone XL commercial water heater doubles the Cyclone series heating capacity to 1 million Btu/h in a comparable footprint, the company says. It features a dual stainless-steel heat exchange system, providing a two-step heat transfer process that delivers thermal efficiencies of 97%. It also adjusts the firing rate to meet demand, further increasing efficiency and savings.
A.O. Smith. www.hotwater.com
