One of the most misunderstood portions of the commercial heating system is the gas train. The gas train is a series of components that safely feed natural or propane gas into the burner.
Without question, this winter is the most brutal I’ve experienced
February 27, 2014
Greetings. I’m coming to you from my well-heated bunker, better known as my condominium on the North Side of Chicago. Without question, this winter is the most brutal I’ve experienced.
New Jersey’s Gov. Chris Christie made national headlines when it was reported by major news organizations that a member of his administration allegedly created a major traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, N.J. because the town’s mayor didn’t endorse Christie during the last governor’s election.
I like working with the control techs in our industry. They have such a passion for their craft. If left alone, they will control or monitor everything that moves, slides, shakes or switches. However, I do rein them in a bit when controlling a hydronic heating system. Several hard limits and a couple danger zones should be heeded. Of course, these should be verified with the boiler manufacturer.
Welcome to 2014. I certainly hope you had an amazing holiday season filled with quality family time. Despite a hectic travel schedule thanks to my family spread throughout the nation, I had a wonderful end of 2013. My holiday season included stops to Washington D.C., southern New Jersey, Milwaukee and a visit from our Michigan-based family.
While much of America’s future economic dynamism has been riveted on the overdue upgrading of the nation’s infrastructure (pipelines, bridges, dams, railroads and highways), little has been heard lately regarding commercial and industrial construction.
One of the questions I have been fielding for the last few months is: How will the new federal no-lead law impact me as the engineer? Technically, it won’t impact you. But practically, you need to change the way you specify. Let me explain. As of Jan. 4, the law prohibits any product introduced into commerce for potable water to contain more than 0.25% lead. This is what has been identified as no-lead, lead-free or low-lead.
I was fortunate to grow up in a family where both of my parents lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s. Surviving during that period of American history established strong traits in both my mother and father. Neither was very keen on throwing away anything but absolute garbage.
One of the companies we represent was owned by Russ Geaslen. He changed the boiler industry as we know it by designing and patenting the primary/secondary piping of modular boilers in 1964 (Patent No. US3329343A). Russ was half genius and half mad scientist. Unfortunately, he passed on to the big boiler room in the sky in 1996. I still miss him.
Last summer, when we were roasting in that July heat wave, Ron Friedman, Ph.D, wrote a brilliant article for Psychology Today magazine. He titled it, “Want More Productive Workers? Adjust Your Thermostat.” This grabbed me by the lapels and gave me a good shake, of course.