METUS' Cain White discusses commercial water heating trends.
January 26, 2023
As the United States moves to decarbonize commercial and residential building structures, all eyes turn to heat pumps as a way to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions for not only space heating but domestic hot water as well.
Prior to the 1980s, all restroom fixtures required manual operation — an aspect that we have since learned coincides with a high exposure to germs and bacteria. In fact, manual faucet and toilet handles harbor anywhere between 107 to 17,976 germs per 10 square centimeters.
Across commercial applications and in different climate zones, the combination of ambient air temperature, humidity and pipes’ surface temperature can have a big influence on the efficiency and economics of chilled water piping systems.
I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season and welcomed the new year with family and friends. I always love the blank slate a new year brings, and 2023 is chock-full of new opportunities in the plumbing and HVAC industry.
In the past two years, the PVF sector has faced a multitude of challenges, that, when combined, created what some call the perfect storm. Concerns among plumbing professionals included supply chain shortages and trade disruption, material price increases, freight inflation, fleet shortages and more.
The processes and systems in place for designing and installing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems have largely remained the same for decades. Sure, there have been many improvements, from CAD and Revit to press fittings, and hundreds of innovations and systemic improvements.
If you’re my age, you’ll remember Chubby Checker singing the Limbo song. If you’re wondering who and what that is, check out the link. I found myself thinking of that song and how low can you go when reviewing some flat panel radiator pictures.