My husband and I recently purchased a new refrigerator. This is how I know I’m getting old(er) — I get excited about new kitchen appliances. We opted to go with an LG Wi-Fi-enabled model. I can connect to the refrigerator through LG’s ThinkQ app.
Fresh water is an undeniably valuable and essential natural resource. But are plumbing engineers unintentionally putting building occupants are risk by implementing water conservation guidelines and equipment? What are the unseen consequences of water conservation?
It’s not unusual for folks to wax and wane during conversations about experiences that we have had or read about that push the limits of our experience. When I worked as a pump applications engineer, I used to pour over the catalogs and pump curves of all the various manufacturers and think about what each type of pump was capable of.
Recently, there was a discussion on the ASPE Open Forum regarding, “Plumbing Pipe Thermal Expansion and Expansion Fitting.” Generally, this topic would be found within your specifications under Section 22 05 16, “Expansion Fittings and Loops for Plumbing Piping;” this topic is under-discussed, and in many cases, poorly understood by many designers and engineers.
“Drain carry” is a catchy term for the more technical phrase “The Drainline Transport of Solid Waste in Buildings.” Plumbing contractors and drain-line specialists will understand the challenges associated with clogged drains better than anyone since they are the ones who get the calls and see what gets put down the drain.
As interest and incentives build to transition space heating and domestic water heating systems away from fossil fuels and toward electricity, a somewhat predictable but only marginally quantified problem is developing. Two words describe it: Peak demand.