Exclusively serving plumbing contractors and franchisees | plumbermag.

com

August 2016

Making the

CONNECTION
California plumbing company builds
trust with its commercial clients
Page 14

First Responders

LATE-NIGHT CALL SAVES

HOMEOWNER $10,000
Page 22

On the Road

INVENTORY SWAP-OUT
IMPROVES EFFICIENCY
Page 24

MONEY

MACHINE.

What are these guys watching?

Well, for one thing, theyre watching profits
go up. Theyre replacing a home sewer lateral
trenchlessly with a pipebursting system made by
TRIC Tools, Inc., the company that started it all.
For more info visit www.trictools.com or call 888.883.8742

August 2016

CONTENTS
Nick Kastanes, owner/general manager for Sac Val
Plumbing, began offering basic plumbing services to
residential customers in two communities, but after
about four years he found a rapidly growing
market in property management.

From the Editor:

Delivering More of What You Need

Be sure to visit plumbermag.com for daily

updates, product news and insider columns.
By Ed Wodalski

10

@plumbermag.com

12

Industry Insider:

Check out our exclusive online content.

Commercial Plumbing Work Brings Benefits

Cash flow and job volume offset need for
special tools and advanced training.
By Marian Bond

20

Smart Business:

Get the Most Out of Your

Employee Review Process
Avoid grades and numbers, save the salary
discussion for a follow-up meeting.
By Amanda Clark

22

14

Making the Connection

By Paul Nicolaus

24

Photography by Lezlie Sterling

On the Road:

Clean-Sweep Program

Tri-monthly inventory swap-out improves

efficiency and profitability for Wisconsin
plumbing company.
By Ken Wysocky

26

In the Shop:

Whats in Your Toolbox?

A sure-handling and durable hand tool is the

plumbers best friend. Look beyond country
of origin, weight and warranty when
choosing what goes in your box.
By Ed Wodalski

32

WWETT Spotlight:

A High-Flow Filter

PL-250 effluent filter from Polylok

can handle 3,000 gpd.

On the Cover

Ruslan Zavorotynskyy, an
owner and fleet supervisor of
Sac Val Plumbing, installs a piece
of non-rusting brass pipe to
repair an underground water
break at an apartment.

Late-Night Call Saves Homeowner $10,000

Nevada plumber rescues prized heirloom
from bathroom drain.

California plumbing company

builds trust with its commercial
clients.
By Marian Bond

First Responders:

By Craig Mandli

36

Product Focus:

Commercial Plumbing/
New Commercial Construction
By Craig Mandli

46

Case Studies:

Commercial Plumbing/
New Commercial Construction
By Craig Mandli

Coming Next Month

Industry Insider: Keep your fleet in tip-top shape
First Responders: Backed up and no where to go
On the Road: Vintage Chevy wows customers

52
54

Industry News
Product News

Weego jump starter powers trucks, cellphones

By Ed Wodalski

ADVERTISER INDEX
Your Equipment SUPERSTORE Since 1995

Amazing Machinery, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

American Jetter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Arthur Products Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Central Oklahoma Winnelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
CPI Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Duracable Manufacturing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Electric Eel Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
FastEST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
General Pipe Cleaners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
HammerHead Trenchless Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Hot Jet USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
IPS Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 57
Nu Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Perma-Liner Industries, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Pickup Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Picote Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Pipe Lining Supply, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Pipeline Renewal Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
PrimeLine Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
RCS II, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
RIDGID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
RootX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Simple Solutions Distributing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

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TRIC Tools, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
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Watts Water Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
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6

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FROM THE EDITOR

Ed Wodalski

Delivering More of What You Need

Be sure to visit Plumbermag.com for daily updates,
product news and insider columns

f youre new to Plumber or only receive our print

edition, heres an invitation to check us out
online at www.plumbermag.com. The World
Wide Web was actually the birthplace of Plumber,
which moved into print earlier this year.
Our online content provides another avenue to highlight the amazing ways plumbers make a difference in their
communities, like Todd and Gina Grundmeier, co-owners
of T N G Plumbing in Dexter, Minnesota, who have taken
thank you to another level after a fire destroyed their home
and possessions in 2010.
People they didnt know brought meals and clothing.
The company was later named Plumbing Business of the
Year by the Austin Chamber of Commerce and Best
Plumbing Company in Mower County by readers of the
Austin Daily Herald. Gina was overwhelmed.
After the Best Plumber award, I thought the most
appropriate thing was to reach out somehow and thank the
community for holding us in such high regard, she says.
Thats when I came up with the Pay It Forward Project.
For the past three years, Todd and Gina have been
making a difference in the lives of others one bathroom
at a time.
When a man paralyzed from the waist down
had difficulty squeezing his wheelchair through a narrow
bathroom door, Todd and Gina were there.
When a couple battling back after the loss of their
son and daughter to suicide from bullying and depression
sought relief from a broken water heater and shower
that dripped into the basement, Todd and Gina stepped in
to help.

This spring, when Becky Josephson, a woman waiting

on a kidney transplant, and her disabled husband were overrun by mold and mildew from leaky water pipes, Todd and
Gina were there for them, providing a $40,000 home
makeover.
Gina even offered a kidney if a donor couldnt be found,
and went through the first phase of testing.
In June, Becky underwent transplant surgery and is on
her way to recovery thanks to the kindness and generosity of a plumbing company in Minnesota.
We have so much to be thankful for, Gina says.
How do you make a difference in your community?
Wed like to share your story. Give me a call at 888/261-5141
or email edw@colepublishing.com For more on Todd and
Gina Grundmeier, check out their story Minnesota Plumbing Company Helps Rebuild Lives at Plumbermag.com.

JOIN

THE CONVERSATION.
THE CAMARADERIE.
THE COMMUNITY.

BOOTH

5255

Pressure Washers, Replacement Engines,

Pumps, Parts & Accessories
15J84 - Electric Jetter Package

15J27 - Jetter Base Model

- Honda GX 200
- Portable - Roll
Cage Protected
- General Triplex
Pump - 2.8GPM
- 3200PSI - 3+5+5
Manufacturers
M
Warranty
- Jetter/Pulse
W
Valve
Va On Demand
- 1150' x 3/8" Capacity
Hose
H Reel,
R Ball Valve, &
Jetter Nozzle

- Comm
Commercial
Industrial Grade
Industria
Motor 2.0 HP - 115
VVoltlt Si
l Ph
Single
Phase 18 Amp
- GFCI Protected - Hand Carry - General Triplex Plunger
Pump - 2.0GPM - 1500PSI - UPS shippable - 2+5+5 Year
Manufacturers Warranty - Jetter/Pulse Valve On Demand
(Not Shown) - Ball Valve - 150' x 1/4" 4000 PSI Red Jetter
Hose - 50' x 1/8" 4000 PSI Red Jetter
$
Hose - 4 Jetter Nozzles

999

Jetter Hose Sold Separately

17HJ39 - Jetter Package

15J41 - Jetter Package

- Honda GX 390 - Portable
Protected - EZ Series
- Roll Cage Prote
General Triplex
Pump - 4.0GPM
4200PSI - 3+5+5
- 42
Manufacturers
Man
Ma
Warranty
- Jetter/
W
a
ar
PPulse
Pu
lsse Valve on Demand
- 2250'
50 x 3/8" Capacity
50
M10-5
M
M1
10-55 HHose Reel, Ball
VValve
l - 2200
00 JJetter Hose
00
- 4 Jetter Nozzle Pack
Attachment Kits Sold Separately

1,479

1,099

- Honda GX 630 Electric Start

- 15
1 Gallon Fuel Tank
- Roll Cage Protected
- V-Belt Drive
- Triplex Plunger Pump
- 5.5GPM
- 3500PSI - 3+5+
5
Lifetime
LiLfe Manufacturers
Warranty
- Jetter/Pulse
War
Valve
Val
alve
v on Demand, 350' x
ve
3/8"
3//8"" Capacity
C itt Hose Reel, Ball Valve
& 4 Jetter Nozzles Included. 300 Jetter Hose - 50' Hose,
Trigger Gun, Wand, Chemical
$
Injector, & QC Nozzles

4,599

WaterCannon.com

15J91 - Electric Jetter Package

- Commercial
Industrial Grade
Comm
Motor 2.0
2 HP - 115 Volt Single
Phase 18 Amp - GFCI Protected
- Portable
Portabl with Rollcage
- General
Triplex Plunger
Ge
Pump - 2.0GPM
- 1500PSI - 2+5+5
2+5+ Year Manufacturers
Warranty - Jetter/Pulse Valve On
Demand - Ball Valve - Assembled in USA - 150' x 3/16"
4000 PSI Red Jetter Hose - 50' x 1/8" 4000 PSI Red Jetter
Hose - 4 Jetter Nozzles

1,399

16T52 - 2 Wheel Road Ready

Commercial Jetter Trailer
E
Electric
Rewind High Capacity,
5 x 3/8" or 350' x 1/2" Hose
500'
Reel - 200 Gallon Tank with
Float Valve - Poly Tool Box
- LLights,
i
Front Jack with Wheel,
SSafety
afe Chains, Aluminum Fenders
- Commercial High Pressure Jetter Vanguard 18 HP
Electric Start Engine - V-Belt Drive - Trailer Mounted Skid
- 15 Gallon Fuel Tank - Tank Feed Capable - General Triplex
Plunger Pump - 5.5GPM - 3500PSI - Pump Mounted
Jetter Pulse Valve - Foot Valve with 8' jumper Hoses
- 3 Jetter Nozzles, Penetrator, Flusher & De-Greaser/De-Icer
- 1 Year Manufacturers Warranty
Jetter Hose & Attachment
Kits Sold Separately

7,999

1.800.333.WASH

(9274)

YEARS OF
SERVICE

available from

a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Industry Trained Staff 8:30
weekdays E.S.T.

Water Cannon, Un contacto en Espanol: llama al: 1.800.917.9274

Orlando | Phoenix | Minneapolis | Hattiesburg | Melbourne | Toronto | Bogota

International: 1-321-800-5763

Water Cannon
is proud to be a

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@ plumbermag.com
Visit the site daily for new, exclusive content.
Read our blogs, find resources and get the most out of Plumber Magazine.

OVERHEARD ONLINE
When you try to be everything to everyone, you are going
to get yourself into trouble. Managing your business, your
schedule and your team becomes harder when you just hang
a shingle as a plumber and take every job that comes your
way. Learning to say no to a potential customer might be
the best thing for your business.
WHAT MAKES YOUR PLUMBING
BUSINESS UNIQUE?
plumbermag.com/featured

PEX 101

Everything You Need to Know

About Flexible Plastic Piping
Industry expert explains the three methods for
manufacturing PEX. With PEX-a, cross-linking reaches
approximately 85 percent, highest degree of all PEX
types. The degree of cross-linking for PEX-b is about 65
to 70 percent. This method is not as evenly cross-linked,
nor does it have the same degree of thermal memory.
The PEX-c method requires multiple passes under an
electronic beam to reach a 70 to 75 percent degree
of cross-linking. Side effects are discoloration and a
slightly stiffer product.
plumbermag.com/featured

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Join the Discussion

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THE NEED FOR SOFT SKILLS

Todays plumbing employees require more

than technical training to succeed
Sam Dowdy Sr. of S & D Plumbing says its important to
teach young people how to present themselves. Kids
arent being taught that like they were in my generation,
he says. Its a problem, but its also an opportunity for
us to refresh our memory on what its like to be a mentor what its like to take care of kids and teach them
the soft skills.
plumbermag.com/featured

All Trap Primers Fail

Choose the Alternative
WATER FLOWS DOWN, BUGS, ODORS, & SEWER GASES STAY OUT
Traditional floor drain technology poses a variety of problems in terms of maintenance
and safety, but the green drain solves these major problems! The Green Drains easy
to install, patented design allows for the flow of water while blocking gases, odors
and pests. The Green Drain is an eco-friendly solution that eliminates the need to
frequently pour primer and fresh water down the drain, resulting in a significant
savings of time, water, cost, and energy.

PMG 1312

Industry

INSIDER

On the

Smart

ROAD

BUSINESS

Commercial Plumbing Work Brings Benefits

Cash flow and job volume offset need
for special tools and advanced training
Product
ByFOCUS
Marian Bond

evin Grabill is the third-generation owner of Grabill Plumbing & Heating in Kansas City, Kansas.
Licensed in plumbing and hydronic heating, the
companys Product
commercial services include water treatment,
fire suppression,
medical gas, pressurized air systems,
NEWS
steam heating and underground sprinkler mains.

Q: What are the

advantages of
commercial
plumbing over
residential?

Case

A: Interesting question.

I would say the advantage would be cash flow

and also the volume of
work that takes place
in one location. However, we like to have a
good balance between
the two. It doesnt seem
like they are both down
Kevin Grabill
at the same time. In a
bad economy, one sector will come back earlier than the
other. Having both, we find, keeps things stable during
the ups and downs in the economy. The other interesting
thing is that they both have different types of competition.
Commercial calls for a higher range of expertise, but is
generally less competitive than housing. We benefit because
we get jobs in both venues.

STUDIES

Q: Are special tools required for

commercial plumbing work?
A: We do use some specialty tools in our commercial plumb-

ing business. For example, we use freeze machines on big

projects where we dont want to shut down an entire build-

12

ing. We freeze off a section to do our work. We use

ProPress tools and MegaPress systems by RIDGID when
working with gas.

Q: What kind of training do you offer

your technicians for commercial work?
A: We offer product-specific training with the manufacturers. Weve had our guys go through a process called
Aquatherm and a class on pipe fusion. Weve had training
with ProPress tools and MegaPress.
Q: What brand of pumps, gauges and thermostats
do you use and why?
A: We use Grundfos primarily, but we also use Paco Pumps
(also by Grundfos). Generally we will use one or the other
because there might be a gap in the product line. Usually
it is between those two.
Q: Are you seeing an increase in smart fixtures?
Any Wi-Fi water heaters?
A: Not so much the Wi-Fi. We are installing some heat

pump water heaters. We are using more and more smart

pumps, especially for re-circulating. Grundfos has a pump
with a sensor that logs water usage in a building and can
predict future usage.

Q: Is there a call for hydronic heating systems

in your area?
A: Yes, commercially in snow and ice melt. We see it required
on sidewalks, driveways and steep approaches to parking
garages. But we are selling this technology to both
markets.

Q: What systems do you use?

A: We use a lot of systems from Uponor. We use a lot of

NTI boilers.

Q: Describe a couple of your more elaborate

or challenging commercial projects.
A: Some years back we did a renovation on a boutique and

historical hotel, the Raphael Hotel in Kansas City. It was

challenging because they wanted to be operational throughout the project, and that is where we got started in freezing lines and using ProPress and isolating sections so the
hotel could continue to function. They were doing fullroom renovations and using custom plumbing fixtures
throughout. This was a significant project for our
company.

Q: What unique fixtures have you installed?

Any lighted or musical shower heads?
A: We install a lot of Neorest toilets. Its made by TOTO
and has all kinds of bidet functions and air purification,
heated seat the whole bit. It is more of a European-type
thing without going to the separate bidet.
Q: What advice do you have for other plumbers
considering commercial work?
A: You need to know what you are getting into. You
need to go through the bids with a fine-tooth comb, and

anticipate how you will react in a worst-case scenario.

There are always discrepancies in the specs, some anomaly on a commercial job. If you arent really detailed or
understand fully what you are getting into before you bid
the project, you may have an issue. That is why there are
such variances in the bids usually somebody will have
missed something.

Q: In your hiring practices, how do you find

plumbers who can fit into your company?
A: It can be a challenge, but it has been interesting as well.
Some plumbers we have hired tell us that our company is
unique, and when they started with us they felt like they
were in a new career. They fit comfortably in our company
culture. We have high expectations with our employees.
Often our plumbers will recommend someone they are
aware of with the qualifications we like to see. So we actually find plumbers in that way.
Q: What brings you the most satisfaction?
A: I enjoy the new challenges, and the variety we see.

I never get bored with my work. The money is an important component, but I frankly love what I do.

plumbermag.com | August 2016

13

Making the

CONNECTION
Sac Val Plumbing, Sacramento, California
OWNER/GM
EMPLOYEES
SERVICES

Nick Kastanes (employee-owned)

18
Pipe repair and replacement, drain cleaning and sewer
services, electronic leak detection and line location,
video camera pipe inspection

CUSTOMER BASE

14

Property management, commercial, retail

Members of the Sac Val Plumbing team with a company

service vehicle equipped with a Knapheide body (from left)
are Aaron Jones; Dmitry Chuguy; Will Hernandez; Dennis
Martinez; Ian OKeefe; Dennis Delight; Tabitha M.;
Nick Kastanes, owner/general manager; Julie Kastanes;
Alex Levtsenyuk, owner/eld supervisor; Ruslan Gidenko,
owner/project supervisor; Pam Handley; Richard Golladay,
co-founder and owner; Sergey Slabosnitskiy;
Ruslan Zavorotynskyy, owner/eet supervisor;
and Adam Eyster.

California plumbing company builds trust

with its commercial clients
By Marian Bond | Photos by Lezlie Sterling

hen an underground waterline springs a

leak, theres no time to waste.
Thats especially important when over
90 percent of your business comes from
serving property management companies
and commercial accounts in the seven-city Greater Sacramento, California, area and its 1.44 million residents.
Such was the case for Sac Val Plumbing when an underground waterline feeding a multi-unit apartment complex
stopped flowing. Locating the source of the break, Sac Val
used a 2-inch Romac coupling to join a piece of brass repair
pipe to the PVC supply line. Compared to glue, the mechan-

ical coupling saved hours on the repair, greatly reducing

service disruption to hundreds of residents.
Trust is very important with this particular clientele,
says Nick Kastanes, co-founder and general manager for
Sac Val.
You have to complete the job, and do it right, he says
of the commercial clientele he serves. You have to gain
the trust of your customer. That is the big factor in dealing with property management firms. If they trust you,
they give you the go-ahead. You have a green light to proceed. We have that before we go in because of our
relationship.
plumbermag.com | August 2016

15

A growing market
Founded in 1991, Sac Val began offering basic plumbing services to residential customers in two communities,
but after about four years Kastanes found a rapidly growing market in property management.
The companys menu of services ranges from repair
and replacement of household fixtures to water and sewer
line replacement and repair, drain cleaning and sewer services, electronic leak detection, line locating, CCTV and
hydrojetting.
Cameras are from RIDGID, Ratech Electronics and
MyTana Mfg. A Mongoose trailer jetter delivers 3,000 psi
and 15 gpm. Leak detection equipment is from Fisher Labs
with locating equipment from Ratech Electronics and
RIDGID.
Commercial clients include restaurants, retail stores,
municipal buildings, clinics, supermarkets and office buildings that often call for more hands-free faucets and toilets
than residential clients.
Usually theyre special order, Kastanes says of the
smart fixtures. Theyre not stocked on the trucks, but
are available on a same-day basis.

Trust is very important with this

particular clientele. You have to
complete the job, and do it right.
You have to gain the trust of your
customer. That is the big factor
in dealing with property
management firms.
Nick Kastanes

Commercial plumbing is also seeing an increase in the

use of PEX.
Sacramento just changed where they are allowing
plastic piping, says Kastanes, who adds that the difference between residential and commercial plumbing is like
day and night.
With the residential customer there needs to be a great
deal more communication. Even if you give a homeowner
half-price, they will not always be sure theyre getting full

Ruslan Zavorotynskyy (left), Ruslan Gidenko and service tech

Adam Eyster (right) cut off a section of brass pipe
to repair an underground waterline.

Ruslan Gidenko applies sealant

(pipe dope) to end threads
of a brass pipe to ensure
a leak-free connection.

value. We have a one-hour minimum, so if

we do a job in 45 minutes, they question
that. Depending on the person, it can be
emotional.
Commercial clients rely more on your reputation and past experience, he says.
Aga i n, t he big fac tor is t r ust a nd
reliability.
To build that trust, Kastanes assigns more
experienced journeyman plumbers to commercial accounts, but finding the perfect match isnt
always easy.
Ive been doing this for over 40 years and
it can be very challenging, he says of potential
hires who possess both the experience and the
proper attitude.
A person will generally have one or the
other. What we look for is somebody with the
great attitude, and the ability to gain the expertise we want. We have to weed them out. One
out of five will want a career and not just be
looking for a paycheck.
New employees serve a three-month probationary period with a review after six months
and again after one year. The company does not
have a formal apprenticeship program, but Kastanes plans to begin a training program for new
hires in the coming months.
In the beginning, Kastanes also offered
employees the opportunity to buy into the
business.

Employee ownership
I wanted to have this as an employee-owned
operation, he says. Early on I offered five employees the opportunity to buy into the company.
My main reason for this was I didnt want
an employee to become a competitor. We discovered that while someone is a qualified plumber
and a good employee, not everyone is a candidate
to be an owner with those additional responsibilities. Within a short period of time, I bought
out three who continued on with the company
as employees. There is a difference between an
owner and an employee. Over the years we have
offered part ownership to employees and we now
have five on our rolls.

A Romac 511 2-inch

ductile iron coupling is
used to connect a section of
brass repair pipe to a PVC
waterline. Compared to glue,
the mechanical coupling
saves hours on the repair,
greatly reducing service
disruption to customers.

plumbermag.com | August 2016

17

Field supervisor Alex Levtsenyuk has been with Sac

Val since 1992, and an owner since 1996. Ruslan Gidenko,
project supervisor and owner since 2005, has been with
Sac Val since 1999. Fleet supervisor Ruslan Zavorotynskyy
has been with the company since 2005, and an owner since
2012. Richard Golladay is a co-founder and owner from
the beginning.
Each of the owners has complete authority over their
area of expertise. As a group, they meet at least every other
month to review operations.
Sac Val Plumbing operates with a fleet of 10 service
vehicles, mostly Chevrolets ranging in age from 1997 to
2015. Vans are preferred for light-duty work, while larger
jobs require walk-in box trucks with roll-open or double
doors.
Serving a large area across Californias Central
Valley metropolitan area puts a priority on vehicle
maintenance.
You have to take care of your fleet, Kastanes says.
Its your bread and butter.
Especially when a waterline springs a leak.

I wanted to have this as an

employee-owned operation. Early
on I offered five employees the
opportunity to buy into the company.
My main reason for this was I didnt
want an employee to become a
competitor. We discovered that
while someone is a qualified plumber
and a good employee, not everyone
is a candidate to be an owner with
those additional responsibilities.
Nick Kastanes

Adam Eyster removes a tree root as he digs to expose a broken waterline.

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Nick Kastanes discusses a project with his wife,

Julie, the companys accounting manager.

Putting technology to work

In 2013, Julie Kastanes retired as IT project manager with the Sacramento County Sheriffs Ofce,
where she helped install a dispatch system. Upon
joining Sac Val Plumbing as accounting manager,
her goal was to bring the companys technology
into the 21st century.
We wanted to do this for a long time, but just
didnt have the time or expertise to get it done right,
says Nick Kastanes, the companys general manager. We had been operating almost 98 percent
as a paper company, and we knew that was not the
way forward. With the paper world, things get lost.
On the computer, its there unless you erase it.
Julie Kastanes says the company lacked a good
scheduling system, and although it had QuickBooks,
the company still required the services of an outside accountant.
My rst goal was to automate the scheduling
system so each job was properly entered and tractable, and we could see how many jobs we were
doing each day, and which were invoiced out to the
customer, and which needed to be invoiced.

The upgrades, such as the addition of GPS on

trucks, have generated signicant growth for Sac
Val, but not without resistance.
Whether its GPS on a plumbing van or on a
cops car, the rst notion is Oh no. Now Big Brother
is looking over me and they will see everywhere I
go, she says. But once they see the benets and
what it can do for the company, attitudes change.
If a plumber needs a particular part, GPS enables
him to quickly locate another vehicle that is in the
area and might have the needed tting, saving a
trip back to the shop or supply house.
They see how technology can help them work
as a team, she says. They began to realize the
benets, and that it can be a good thing.
Having GPS has also been a huge time-saver
responding to calls, eliminating back-and-forth
phone messages to locate drivers.
Whether your plumbing company has three
service vehicles or six, GPS is essential, Nick Kastanes says. Even the smallest rm will benet.

plumbermag.com | August 2016

19

Smart

BUSINESS

On the

ROAD

Amanda Clark

Product

FOCUS

Get the Most Out of Your

Employee Review Process
Avoid
grades and numbers, save the salary discussion
Product
NEWS
for
a follow-up meeting By Amanda Clark

ne of the secrets to keeping your plumbing employees engaged and productive is providing them with
regular feedback. Believe it or not, employees want
to know how theyre doing on the job to be affirmed in
their strengths and, yes, coached through areas of improveCase employee feedback is something you proment. Hopefully,
STUDIES
vide regularly,
casually, throughout the year. With that
said, it is also prudent to have a formal process in place for
employee reviews.
If you do not plan and execute your reviews properly
though, they can feel less than productive both for you
and for the employee. The question is, how do you get maximum value out of your employee review process?

Make it about more than money

Typically, employers hold annual reviews where they
go over an employees recent performance, but also
discuss possible pay increases and bonuses. This is a mistake, however, because it means the employee is likely only
going to be listening for dollar amounts not necessarily engaging with the more substantive aspects of the
performance review.
Get more engagement here by making the salary discussion and the performance review two separate events,
held on two separate days at different points in the year.

Have an honest conversation

Ultimately, if youre not honest in the appraisal you
give if you pull your punches to avoid confrontation
youre essentially just wasting everyones time. Tact and
diplomacy are critical, but so is candor.
With that said, you dont necessarily want to be lecturing your employees. Make it conversational. Allow your
employees to respond to potential criticisms, and keep
your mind open to their side of things.

20

More than anything else, you want to avoid making

the performance review about numbers or grades.
Keep it a conversation about real issues ways to build
on strengths and correct weaknesses. Simply telling the
employee she has a B in one area and a D in another area
is not a constructive way to facilitate conversation and
problem-solving.

Listen to the employee

Make sure youre not doing all the talking in the review.
In fact, it is often effective to ask the employee to review
his or her own performance, and to provide you with a
viewpoint you might not have considered.
You can also turn the tables by asking the employee
for any potential feedback on your management style and
on the direction of the company as a whole. The important thing here and sometimes the difficult one is to
be open to feedback. That doesnt mean you have to implement the suggestions your employee offers, but you do
need to hear them out without growing defensive.

Dont arrive unready

Above all else, though, be prepared. Dont show up to
the review without some notes, data (where applicable),
and a good idea of what you hope to accomplish during the
review. Show your employees that you are invested in the
review process and by extension, invested in them.

Amanda E. Clark is president and editor-in-chief of Grammar Chic Inc., a fullservice professional writing company. Contact her at www.grammarchic.net.

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First

RESPONDERS

Late-Night Call Saves Homeowner $10,000

Nevada plumber rescues
prized heirloom from bathroom drain
Industry
INSIDER
By Paul Nicolaus

e are a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week shop,

so we get some unusual calls, says Ira
Hansen, owner of Ira Hansen & Sons
Plumbing & Heating in Sparks, Nevada.
One late-night call stands out as particularly memorable, when a woman said she might have accidentally
washed a gold chain down the bathroom drain. Her tears
quickly revealed this wasnt any old piece of jewelry. This
one happened to be valued at about $10,000.
As I recall, it was a family heirloom, Hansen says.
I think she got it through her grandmother. So not only
was there a fi nancial value to it, but there was a family
value to it as well.

Sparks, Nevada
COMPANY
OWNER
LOCATION
YEAR FOUNDED
SPECIALTY

Ira Hansen & Sons

Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
Ira Hansen
Sparks, Nevada
1986
Light commercial and
service plumbing;
minor HVAC work

Above and beyond

We went out there and the first thing we did was try
to figure out which sink it might have been, Hansen says.
We pulled the trap off and shined a light down the drainpipe. It was actually in a second-story bathroom, and we
could see nothing.
At that point, the odds of finding jewelry that has been
washed down the drain arent good, Hansen says, noting
once you hit the sewer the larger volumes from all the other
piping kicks in and everything gets washed down to the
city main.
We were pretty skeptical that we were going to be able
to find it, but my guys gave it a good-faith effort, he says
of sons Jacob and Daniel. My guys couldve said, Look,
youre out of luck, lady. Its down the drain; its in the sewer
system. Sorry. Sayonara. But they went above and beyond
the call of duty, in my opinion, and just kept aggressively
pursuing it.
They went underneath the house, figured out which
vertical drainline dropped into the crawl space, and pulled
off the first clean-out. Shining a light, they did their best
to locate the chain. Although a camera would have been
helpful, they feared it might push the jewelry farther down
the line.

22

The Ira Hansen & Sons

Plumbing team includes
(from left) Taylor Echevarria, Adam Heil,
Ian Hansen, Ira
Hansen, Alexis Hansen, Tracy Cobb and
Steve Messmore. Ira
Hansen went into the
trades after graduating
from high school and has
been a plumber for 37
years. Ira and Alexis were
high school sweethearts
and are celebrating 36
years of marriage in
August. (Photo by
Tom R. Smedes)

It was probably one of our happiest, most satisfied

customers of all time. Its kind of rare when we
do a service call and save somebody $10,000.

Ira Hansen
Crawling along, they found another clean-out closer
to where the sewer leaves the building, pulled the cap off,
shined a light in, and there was the gold chain sitting within
reach. With the help of a coat hanger, Daniel was able to
fish out the chain.

Quick response pays off

She was absolutely delighted, thanked us profusely,
and said shed recommend our company to everybody,
Hansen says. I think she kind of thought it was a lost cause
to begin with, so when we were able to successfully retrieve
it, it made her that much happier and more surprised.
The timely response turned out to be beneficial, since
the house had all-smooth ABS piping. One or two flushes
of the toilet and its unlikely the chain would have
been found.
It was probably one of our happiest, most satisfied
customers of all time, Hansen says. Its kind of rare when
we do a service call and save somebody $10,000.

Call Toll-Free Nationwide 1-800-746-7464

plumbermag.com | August 2016

23

n the ROAD

Clean-Sweep Program
Tri-monthly inventory swap-out improves efficiency and profitability
for Wisconsin plumbing company By Ken Wysocky

an Callies can relate to those well-intended plumbers who, despite their best efforts, watch their
well-organized service trucks slowly fall victim
to misplaced and damaged parts, and failure to accurately
track inventory. After all, the president of Oak Creek Plumbing in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, has been there himself.
But realizing that mismanaging truck inventory has a
cost, Callies decided to do something about it. The solution: On a rotating, tri-monthly basis, each of the companys seven plumbing service trucks gets completely restocked,
somewhat akin to what retail store employees do periodically to capture an exact picture of inventory. Only this
companys process is far more extreme than just counting
items.
We bring one of our trucks into our warehouse on a
Thursday morning during our weekly tech meeting, says
Callies, whose company serves customers in southeastern
Wisconsin. During that meeting, our warehouse man-

Oak Creek, WI
COMPANY

Oak Creek Plumbing Inc.

LOCATION

Oak Creek, Wisconsin

OWNER
PROCESS

Complete truck restocking

every three months

BENEFITS

Better customer service,

improved profitability and
less wasted time

COST

WEBSITE
24

Dan Callies

About $5,000 for a

warehouse-based
mock-up of a truck
parts storage system
www.oakcreekplumbing.com

ager and an assistant remove all the parts bins off that
truck and swap in a new set of bins that are completely
stocked with the proper levels of inventory. By the time
the meeting is over, the truck is ready to go. It takes about
a half-hour its a pretty quick process.
The warehouse manager then restocks the bins that
were taken off the truck. That takes about two weeks,
because he does that in and around his other responsibilities. If the inventory in the bins removed from a truck is
more than 10 percent short of where it should be, that
throws up a red flag that something is wrong.
And if a technician is consistently off, then we bump
up the frequency of the restocking, Callies says. But we
generally aim for four times a year.
The key to this process aside from the commitment
to actually do it starts in the companys warehouse.
Inside its walls stands a complete mockup of the storage
system used in all the companys high-roof Dodge ProMaster service vans. (Oak Creek Plumbing uses aluminum rack/shelf-and-bin systems made by J&M Truck
Bodies.) Each truck is set up similarly and carries about
$8,000 worth of parts, along with a RIDGID sewer cleaning machine and a smaller RIDGID hand-held sink unit.
The storage system is fully stocked with an optimum
number of parts. Callies says he worked with Quality Service Contractors (www.qsc-phcc.org), a subsidiary of the
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (www.phccweb.org), to develop a customized materials list that fits the companys needs. The total cost of the
mock-up storage system was about $5,000, not including
a full complement of parts.
Callies came up with the concept after a hunch that
his technicians, despite decent inventory-control efforts,
still werent serving customers as well as they could. Technicians were already required to make a list of parts used
on a particular job, then take a picture of that list with a
smartphone and send it to the warehouse manager, who
orders parts for next-day restocking.
But as careful as we are, things still slip through the

only way to really provide the best

Thepossible
service to our clients is to be
as efficient as possible, which means
having the proper items for them when
we need them. And to do that, you need
a consistently organized system.
Dan Callies
cracks after several months, Callies says. We werent as
organized as I thought we were. I thought there had to be
a better way to take control and provide better service to
our clients. If the guys swinging the wrenches are doing
other things, too, like making unnecessary trips to supply
houses, theyre costing the company money.
Another reason for his concern: Adequate truck inventory is critical to optimizing the companys flat-rate pricing structure. So Callies implemented the clean-sweep
restocking concept, which he learned about at a plumbing
seminar in California.
Initially, technicians were wary of what some thought
was a Big-Brother-is-watching-you mentality.
They had a hard time with it at first they were a
little offended, Callies says. But they get used to it and
they now understand the efficiencies we gain. The daily
moaning about not having certain items they need has
basically gone away.
Why are so many plumbers unaware of the costs associated with disorganized trucks and inefficient inventory
management? Callies believes part of the disconnect stems
from the fact that when plumbers start their own
businesses, theyre usually great craftsmen but not great
businessmen. Moreover, its difficult to put a price on the
expenses linked to inefficiency things such as how

Dan Callies, president of Oak Creek Plumbing in Oak Creek,

Wisconsin, believes close inventory control increases efficiency
and improves customer service.

much time is wasted trying to find parts and tools in a

messy truck.
Or you find the faucet you need, but its damaged,
he says. Or you dont have a part, so you steal it off a new
faucet, then put the faucet back in its box and forget
about it until you open the box again on another job. Thats
all wasted time that you cant recoup.
Some people may find Callies approach a bit extreme.
And he admits its difficult to quantify how much it increased
profitability at Oak Creek Plumbing, which gets about half
its revenue from service work and the other half from bathroom and kitchen remodeling projects.
I dont know how it couldnt improve our profitability, but its hard to quantify how much it did, he says.
But one thing he is unequivocally sure of is the practice has improved customer service.
The only way to really provide the best possible service to our clients is to be as efficient as possible, which
means having the proper items for them when we need
them, he says. And to do that, you need a consistently
organized system.
In the end, its a value proposition for our clients, he
adds. You can always charge customers for your inefficiencies, but thats not the value proposition we want to
offer our clients.
Noting theres always room for improvement, Callies
says hes considering ways to fine-tune the restocking process, like training technicians to be more specific when
they list all the parts used on jobs. For example, a technicians parts list may include a toilet flapper, but the truck
might carry 20 different styles of toilet flappers, so more
specifics would be beneficial. But until then, Callies will
stick with the system he has and keep inventory under
control one truck full of parts at a time.
plumbermag.com | August 2016

25

In the SHOP

Whats in Your Toolbox?

A sure-handling and durable hand tool is the plumbers best friend.
Look beyond country of origin, weight and warranty when
choosing what goes in your box. By Ed Wodalski

heres something about the feel of a well-crafted

hand tool. Perhaps its the weight, the finish, the
design or just knowing you can depend on it
to get the job done time after time.
How do you know what brand and quality of tool is
right for you? That depends on how often you use it and
the job youre performing. You dont need a $100 hammer
to hang a picture, but you wouldnt want anything less
than the best possible wrench when wrestling with a bolt
in a confined engine compartment.
As any plumber who has spent a lot of time in the shop
knows, not all tools are created equal. For starters, hand
tools generally fall into three categories: professional, intermediate and consumer or DIY.

Everyday use
Professional-grade tools are made to be used every day
all day long. In short, theyre made to last. Snap-on is a
brand that often comes to mind. They are the personal
work tools of mechanics. These are the tools you dont want
to lend or leave laying around the shop primarily because
theyre not cheap.

A ratcheting crowfoot wrench can simplify the job

in tight locations. (Photo courtesy GearWrench)

26

Intermediate-grade tools are often shared by everyone

in the shop. While theyre good quality, theyre not on the
same level as professional-grade tools. As a result, they are
less costly to replace if lost or stolen. Keeping with the
Snap-on name, Blue Point is the companys mid-tier or
mid-grade automotive brand. The company also owns Williams, a mid-grade tool designed for industrial use. They
are not simply Snap-on tools rebranded.
Lastly are the retail or consumer-grade tools found in
many big-box stores. Theyre designed for infrequent use
the do-it-yourselfer or weekend warrior who needs a
functional, relatively inexpensive product.
Each level of tool has numerous brands to choose from.
But how do you know youre getting the best value for your
dollar?

Personal preference
Many old-schoolers point to weight and country of
origin. Others insist on service and availability. In the end
it comes down to personal preference: Do you like a soft
or hard grip?
If youre a professional mechanic and are happy with
your tool performance, selection and service, you probably have no reason to change. But if youre in charge of
buying tools for the shop or are an occasional mechanic,
you might be tempted to shop around.
Lets start with country of origin. For years, Made in
the USA was the gold standard. And many buyers still
rely on it for their decision-making. Snap-on makes all of
its flagship brand tools in the U.S., as does Armstrong
Industrial Tools, a member of the Apex Tool Group. But
that doesnt mean you cant find a good set of tools made
on foreign soil.
A lot of guys are very fervent; they want to buy products that are made in the USA, says Jim Stewart, brand
manager for GearWrench. Thats why our company, Apex
Tool Group, has brands like Armstrong that are made in
the USA. They deliver a good-quality, made-in-the-USA

Properly stored tools are easier to find and

lessen the chance of theft. (Photo courtesy Snap-on)

product if thats all they want to buy. However, I work for

GearWrench. We have our manufacturing done in Taiwan
and China.
Because we own the plant, we can develop the specs
of the product. If its an ASME spec, we can go 200 or 150
percent above that; we can determine how strong we want
to make it. Well test prototypes in our lab and do site testing. That means we end up with a well-designed product
that should meet all of our specifications, Stewart says.
On the manufacturing side, we can enforce quality control. Incoming materials get tested to make sure they meet
specifications, and when it comes to forging and machining, theres gauging to make sure the parts are to the size
they should be. You can do all those tests when you own
the plant, rather than buying from an unknown source.
In short, if you want to buy USA, buy Armstrong. But
if youre willing to go for a good-quality product from
overseas, then GearWrench is a brand that will fit that
requirement.

A weighty decision
As for weight, heavier is not necessarily better, says
John Ficcadenti, product manager, Snap-on Industrial.
There are old-school mechanics who love a heavy tool
because in their mind and in their experience, the heavier
a tool is, the more reliable, dependable or strong it is. But
when somebody has that tool in their hand for six, eight,
10 hours a day, you start dealing with the ergonomics
carpal tunnel, shoulder strain, wrist strain and elbow

strain. Customers are beginning to understand the benefits of a lighter-weight tool. It doesnt have to be heavy to
be strong. We work with metallurgists on a daily basis to
look at different materials that are lighter in weight but as
strong as steel.
A lifetime warranty can be another determining factor when buying tools. Think of it as insurance on your
investment.
Its there if you ever need it, Ficcadenti says. But you
dont really want to utilize it. You want that tool to stand
up to any and all conditions. Now, we know there are customers out there abusing tools and using them in ways
they were not designed. For example, guys will put a cheater
bar on the end of a ratchet to break a bolt loose. Theyre
really not supposed to be doing that. That not only compromises the safety of the individual using the tool but the
people around him.

Tool Tips
Whenever youre working with hand tools its a good
practice to wear safety glasses. Gloves are also recommended, but can be cumbersome in tight spaces. Whatever brand of tool you own, it will last longer if properly
stored and cared for. Here are a few tips to get the most
life from your tools:
On any job you do, you want to thoroughly inspect
your tools before and after use a broken tip on a
screwdriver, for example; a rounded edge on a socket,
says John Ficcadenti, product manager, Snap-on
Industrial.
You always want to wipe them down and store
them properly, he says. Put it back in its right place
in your toolbox or drawer so the next time youre ready
to use it its ready to be used. If theyre your tools and

youre not sharing them with anybody else, youre going

to know you put your tools away in the right place in
the proper order.
Most chrome tools can be cleaned with a rag: Wipe
them off and put them away. Ratchets can be greased
but shouldnt be cleaned in solvent; it sucks the grease
ou t, s a y s J im S tewar t, bran d m an a g e r f or
GearWrench.
Impact sockets and pry bars can develop rust spots.
Clean them with an oily rag or use a little WD-40, he
says.
In the case of a click-style torque wrench, loosen the
spring before you store it. Turn it down to its lowest possible setting.

plumbermag.com | August 2016

27

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GearWrenchs 120-tooth ratchet provides extra bite.

(Photo courtesy GearWrench)

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28

Stewart says when it comes to warranties, lifetime or

otherwise, its important to have a manufacturer that will
stand behind the product and allow you to replace it where
it was bought.
Ultimately, the most important qualifier when buying
a tool is how well it helps you do the job.
If youre working in tight quarters, a low-profile wrench
might be a better fit, or a multi-toothed drive might give
you more socket movement, Stewart says.
People used to be pretty happy with a 24- or a 36-tooth
count. But now the standard is way above that. GearWrench
had a 60-tooth until about three years ago and we upped
that to an 84-tooth. Thats kind of our baseline tooth count
now, he says. It gives you a much finer swing arch. And
it obviously gives you much better access in tight spaces.
We also have a 120XP ratchet, which has 120 positions. It
gives you the bite you need when youre in a really, really
tight space.
Thoroughly inspect your tools before and after use. When using
torque wrenches, be sure to loosen the spring to its lowest
setting before storing. (Photo courtesy Snap-on)

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For easy installation to prevent door frame damage, please limit to 400 pounds
Outer boom automatically rotates to prevent machine from hitting shelving
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ore info.

SEE EQUIPMENT IN ACTION AND DEMONSTRATED

BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND MANUFACTURERS!

EXHIBITOR LIST
Allan J. Coleman
Aries Industries, Inc.
CUES
Franklin Electric
GapVax, Inc.
Hammerhead Trenchless
Equipment
Hi-Vac Corporation
Imperial Industries, Inc.
IMS Robotics GmbH

Liberty Pumps
LMK Technologies
Milwaukee Rubber Products
Nozzteq, Inc.
Oceanquip Cables, LLC
Perma-Liner Industries, LLC
Picote Solutions
RODDIE, Inc.
SewerParts.com
Spartan Tool

Super Products, LLC

Transwest
TRIC Tools, Inc.
US Jetting
Vac-Con, Inc.
Vector Technologies, Ltd.
Wacker Neuson Corp.
Zoeller Pump Company

List current as of 7.15.16. Additional companies being added daily.

Check the website for updates.

800-257-7222 | WEQFAIR.COM

SPOTLIGHT

A High-Flow Filter
PL-250 effluent filter from Polylok can handle 3,000 gpd
By Craig Mandli

onstructing bigger homes is becoming the norm,

but many septic system components are not designed
to handle the increased wastewater flow that fourplus-bedroom homes typically have. Seeing that gap in the
industry, Polylok focused on the companys heavy-duty
PL-250 effluent filter at the 2016 Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport (WWETT) Show.
The PL-250 is designed to handle up to 3,000 gpd of
flow with 250 linear feet of filtration. According to Charlie
Brix, the companys vice president of development, the filter meets a growing need in the industry.
Its a filter thats going to handle your larger residential flows without any problem, he says. Its 250 feet of filtration media filters from the outside through, allowing it
to keep a lot of solids out of the system.
The filter was introduced to the market in spring 2015,
after a 1 1/2-year research and development period. According to Brix, the feedback the company has received from
installers using the filter has been overwhelmingly
positive.
Installers are telling us that the filter is handling large
flows in homes and even some light-commercial applications without any problem, he says. Id say it was a very
good first year for the PL-250.
The PL-250 is similar to the companys long-popular
PL-68 effluent filter. The biggest difference is capacity: The
PL-68 is designed to handle flows up to 800 gpd.
The PL-250 is basically the PL-68 on steroids, Brix
says. It is something we recommend for any larger home
or home that sends a high waste flow into the septic system.
You can never be too careful.
Like the companys other filters, installation is easy. The
filter can be removed with a quick twist. Because it locks in
place, there is little chance of the filter coming loose. The
housing is constructed of a durable polyethylene material
for a long service life.
This product allows for the biggest waste flow of anything in our product line, Brix says. It is very durable, and

intended to last a long time. It is built to the same standards

as our tried-and-true smaller effluent filters.
Polylok is a longtime exhibitor at the WWETT Show,
and it is the companys biggest show of the year.
Well be back with a few brand-new bells and whistles
for sure next year, he says. You have to grow to compete
in this industry, and were all about that. 877/765-9565;
www.polylok.com.

Betsy Chaffet, a sales associate with Polylok, points out the features
of the companys new PL-250 effluent filter to a 2016 WWETT Show
attendee. The filter is designed to handle up to 3,000 gpd of flow
with 250 linear feet of filtration, making it a fit for four-plus-bedroom
homes. (Photo by Craig Mandli)

32

WW

www.wwettshow.com

Water & Wastewater Equipment,

Treatment & Transport Show
Expo
The latest technology. The newest equipment.
The best ideas.

Learn

Education sessions led by the industrys top experts.

Network
This is where the industry gathers.

WWETT 2017 ad - 7x10.indd 1

The WWETT Show is the worlds largest

annual trade show for environmental
service professionals. Over 10,000
attendees will gather from across the U.S.
and beyond to see the latest in equipment
and technology in the expo hall, participate
in over 100 education sessions, and network
with professional colleagues.
Sign up today at www.wwettshow.com, and
well notify you when registration opens
this October.

6/21/16 5:13 PM

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Product

FOCUS

Commercial
Plumbing/
Product
New NEWS
Commercial Construction | By Craig Mandli
Boilers
Case

Amerec Steam AI Commercial

Steam Bath Boilers

AI Commercial Steam Bath

STUDIES
Boilers from Amerec Steam are

designed for large steam rooms

and ease of use. Each unit offers
easy on-site maintenance and
hands-off, automated operation.
Models are available for 240-volt/
one phase, 208-volt/three phase, 208-volt/one phase, 240volt/three phase and 480-volt/three phase electrical specifications. 800/331-0349; www.amerec.com.

Bosch Thermotechnology Corp.

Buderus SSB Series

The Buderus SSB Series boiler from

Bosch Thermotechnology Corp. is
made for small residential through large
commercial applications. The single-platform design makes installation
and commissioning easy, regardless of
the output required. Units achieve consistent combustion throughout the
length of the laser-perforated burner
tube. The boiler offers 96 percent efficiency, a 10-1 turndown ratio and onboard controls that
include weather compensation. In addition to Modbus connectivity, a two-wire cascades link, push terminal wiring
and various venting options, the boilers are CSD1 compliant, featuring built-in low-water cutoff and adjustable manual reset high limit. Available in eight models in four separate
cabinet sizes, the boilers have inputs from 85 up to 1,024
MBH. 800/283-3787; www.boschheatingandcooling.com.

Eclipse Tools North America Boilermag XL

The Boilermag XL easy-clean fi lter from Eclipse Tools

North America is designed to remove potentially damaging ferrous oxide from commercial heating systems. Featuring large collection capacity, the fi lter is designed for 1

36

1/2-inch connections and up to 87

psi for installations where small
domestic fi lters are not suitable and
large industrial systems are too bulky.
Its magnetic circuit ensures nearly
100 percent removal of ferrous contamination, protecting the system
against premature boiler, pump and
valve failure. The filter has a fine mesh
that prevents nonmagnetic scale from circulating. Stainless
steel construction enables the fi lters to be cleaned without
fully disconnecting it from the pipe work. 905/664-5585;
www.eclipsetoolsinc.com.

Laars NeoTherm

Laars commercial NeoTherm boilers have an easy-to-navigate color touch

screen for quick access to the controls
full functionality. The optional VARIPRIME variable-speed pump control
optimizes efficiency by matching input
modulation to pump flow. The fully
packaged, 95 percent efficient commercial line is available
in 285 through 1,200 MBH models. The direct-vent, sealed
combustion boiler or volume water heaters modulate with
a 5-1 turndown ratio (10-1 for 1,000 and 1,200 sizes). Zero
clearance to combustibles and consolidated connections
(horizontal or vertical direct vent) make it a fit for tight
installations. 800/900-9276; www.laars.com.

Slant Fin Corp. CHS-399

The CHS-399 modulating/

condensing boiler from Slant
Fin Corp. is available in eight
models six residential and
two commercial. The boilers
offer 95 percent thermal efficiency, 5-1 turndown ratio and up to 80 psi working pressure. Each model has the built-in capacity to cascade up to
eight total boilers with up to a 40-1 turndown ratio. Common venting of two or three commercial boilers is available. Cascading ensures the boilers operate at peak

performance with built-in backup for efficient and reliable

heat. The control includes outdoor reset or setpoint
water options that can be applied as a fully condensing
multiple boiler system or as a hybrid system combination
condensing/noncondensing system. 516/484-2600;
www.slantfin.com.

Fittings
Isenberg Model 100.4301

The Model 100.4301 three-output

thermostatic valve from Isenberg is
designed for bathrooms with specific
water control needs. It has three on
output positions that enable it to be
used in a three-system shower. It also
has three integrated off positions,
enabling the user to turn off and control the water flow for
each of the outputs, from a trickle to a maximum of 13 gpm
at 60 psi. The solid brass valve comes with matching trims
to coordinate with existing schemes and create a cohesive
look from the shower to the basin area. 972/522-8500;
www.isenbergfaucets.com.

Matco-Norca CPVC
x Stainless Steel

CPVC x Stainless Steel adapter fittings from Matco-Norca are available

in male and female versions for use in
residential and light commercial plumbing systems for both new and retrofit
installations. They are manufactured to the material and
dimensional requirements of ASTM D2846, with male and
female threads to ASME B 1.20.1. Available in 1/2- to 2-inch
sizes, they consist of a CPVC endpiece, an EDPM O-ring
and a stainless steel 304 body. A durable overmolded onepiece fitting with slip connection eliminates a union tailpiece connection and possible leak path. The fittings are
pressure-rated to 100 psi at 180 degrees F or 150 psi at 100
degrees F and comply with CPVC 4120, ASTM D2846, NSF/
ANSI 14 cUPC and CSA B137.6 standards. 800/431-2082;
www.matco-norca.com.

Fixtures

The faucet has a 12-inch swing

spout, quarter-turn ceramic
cartridge (stem) with an integral check valve, color-coded
double-set O-rings and a debris
guard. Other features include double O-rings on the spout,
color-coded handles and a commercial-grade, high-polished nickel chrome finish. A full line of replacement parts
is available. 888/310-4393; www.bk-resources.com.

Elkay Model LZS8WSLP ezH2O

The Model LZS8WSLP ezH2O

cooler/bottle fi lling station combo
from Elkay delivers easy access to
fresh, cool water. An LED light showcases the bottle fi lling area so users
know when the bottle is full. The integrated cooler/bottle fi lling station is
ADA-compliant and combines Green
Ticker and filter status lights to communicate how many bottles have been
saved from the landfi ll and to let users know their water is
being filtered. The unit has a 3,000-gallon-capacity WaterSentry Plus fi lter that removes lead, chlorine taste and odor,
and Class 1 particulate. A visual LED fi lter monitor indicates when the fi lter needs to be replaced. The fi lter status
light automatically resets itself when the fi lter is swapped.
630/574-8484; www.elkayusa.com.

Falcon Waterfree Technologies

Hybrid Urinal

The Hybrid Urinal from Falcon

Waterfree Technologies uses Jetrinse
Solution Technology to create supplemental water and automatically
inject it into the drainline, where calcite and struvite buildup cause the most problems. The water
injection is preprogrammed to automatically clean the housing and drain every 72 hours, eliminating the need to clean
the line, reducing water and sewage, while earning maximum LEED credits. Using an existing supply stop
and a familiar water connection, it allows for the
seamless replacement of flushing urinals. 800/982-5839;
www.falconwaterfree.com.
Continued

BK Resources BKF-12-G

The BKF-12-G 8-inch on-center splash-mount faucet

from BK Resources is part of the OptiFlow series. It is
lead-free-compliant, and NSF/ANSI- and CSA-certified.
plumbermag.com | August 2016

37

Product

FOCUS
Mansfield Plumbing
475HE Suburban

The 475HE Suburban highefficiency urinal from Mansfield

Product
has an integral trap
NEWS Plumbing
siphon jet. It uses 0.5 gallons per
f lush and complies with ADA
requirements for accessibility. It
comes with a 3/4-inch top spud and
works with a 1 gpf flushometer valve. It weighs about 35
pounds and measures 14 5/8 by 21 3/8 by 14 3/8 inches.
877/850-3060; www.mansfieldplumbing.com.

Powers, a Case
Watts Water Technologies Co.,
IntelliStation
STUDIES

The IntelliStation smart delivery system from Powers, a Watts

Water Technologies Co., enables
commercial and institutional facilities such as hospitals, hotels, universities and multifamily residences
to ensure safe and efficient tempered
water delivery. The ASSE 1017-listed
unit provides fast-response digital
temperature regulation of domestic water within plus-orminus 2 degrees F, even during low- and zero-demand periods. It is easily configurable in the field and does not require
factory programming or the use of a laptop computer and
proprietary soft ware. A smart controller with a 3.5-inch,
full-color touch-screen interface displays about 200 combinations of critical data, including mixed outlet temperature, and mixed and return flow, as well as energy consumption.
Sanitization mode allows for high-temperature system
purges to address bacteria and controls a recirculation pump
to optimize loop performance. The lead-free unit integrates
with building management systems for safe and consistent
deliver y of hot water on demand. 800/669-5430;
www.powerscontrols.com.

Ruvati Maestro RVF1225BN

The Maestro RVF1225BN

pullout spray faucet from Ruvati
is finished in shimmering stainless steel with a graceful higharched spout. Its flexible pullout
design and 360-degree swivel
make it functional in the busiest of kitchens. A contemporary lever-style handle is in
keeping with the faucets sleek lines and simple silhouette
for modern kitchens with a minimalist look. The faucet features solid brass construction for durability and is individ-

38

ually tested and inspected to ensure quality. It has a splash-free

aerated stream and drip-free Kerox ceramic disc cartridge.
The faucet can be installed in countertops up to 2 inches
thick with one- or three-hole installation options. It includes
hot and cold water connection lines and matching deckplate. 855/478-8284; www.ruvati.com.

T&S Brass & Bronze

Works ChekPoint

ChekPoint sensor faucets from

T&S Brass & Bronze Works save about
a gallon of water per hand wash, as well
as reduce the energy required to heat
the water. They can reduce the spread
of illness-causing germs by eliminating contact with faucet handles. The
above- and below-deck faucets come
with vandal-resistant outlets, adjustable water shut-off delay
and automatic timeout, indicator lights for low battery and
troubleshooting, and water-resistant control module to protect electronics. The faucets have multiple power options,
including an optional hydrogenerator that uses hydroelectric power and eliminates the need for batteries or transformers. 800/476-4103; www.tsbrass.com.

Pumps
Ashland Pump
effluent pumps
Heavy-duty effluent pumps
from Ashland Pump are available in multiple horsepower
sizes (3/10, 4/10, 1/2, 3/4, 1 and
1 1/2) and efficient, permanent
split-capacitor motors for various performance requirements. The oil-fi lled pumps have an upper and lower ball
bearing design and handle solids up to 3/4 inch. They
are made of heavy cast iron, with cast iron impellers and
equipped with a piggyback switch (20-foot standard cord)
o r i n m a nu a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n s . 8 55/2 81- 6 83 0 ;
www.ashlandpump.com.

Flygt - a Xylem Brand Experior

The Experior pump from Flygt a

Xylem Brand features state-of-the-art
hydraulics and premium efficiency
motors. Its N-technology and SmartRun
control provide optimal wastewater
pumping. Other features include adapt ive N-hyd rau lics for clog-f ree,

Continued

Product

FOCUS
energy-saving performance. Its self-cleaning functionality
operates independently of rotational speed. The pumps
SmartRun control is preprogrammed to meet specific wastewater requirements. 855/995-4261; www.xylem.com.

Product

NEWSFujitsu General America J-II

The J-II single-phase VRF heat

pump from Fujitsu General America is designed for ambient heating
and cooling applications in large residential and small commercial installations. It offers up to 19.8 SEER and
11.4 HSPF. Up to nine indoor units
can be connected to each condensCase
ing unit. With
over 11 types of indoor units, ranging in size
from 7 to 60STUDIES
kBtu, the pump meets a range of design requirements. VRF controls offer additional energy savings and
comfort features, including scheduling, sleep timer, economy operation and automatic season changeover. Several
units can be connected to central control, building management systems over BACnet, LonWorks or Modbus.
888/888-3424; www.fujitsugeneral.com.

Gorman-Rupp enginedriven trash pumps

Gorman-Rupp engined r iven t ra sh pu mps a re

designed for sewage bypass
operations, construction site
dewatering, hydraulic fracturing and other difficult pumping applications. Priming-assisted pumps have a positive priming and sealing system
that enables them to run dry indefi nitely. 419/755-1011;
www.grpumps.com.

Grundfos Pumps SCALA2

The intelligent and lownoise SCALA2 booster pump
from Grundfos Pumps offers
constant water pressure,
regardless of municipal inlet
pressure and multiple open
taps. It is designed to boost
water pressure from city mains, shallow wells and
storage tanks serving buildings with up to three floors
and eight taps. An intelligent pump control sensor
compares measured and desired water pressures,
adjusting pump speed accordingly and ensuring perfect
water pressure through the system. The plug-and-pump
solution has a user-friendly control panel to enable
manual pressure adjustments. It weighs 22 pounds and

has a water-cooled motor with a sound level of 47 dBA.

800/921-7867; us.grundfos.com.

Modine heat pump systems

Geotherma l and watersourced heat pump systems from
Modine offer an enhanced control platform. All systems have
the Modine Control System, providing quick startup, easy safety
device wiring, multiple inputs
and outputs, BACnet IP/Eth,
BACnet MSTP and LON capability. The ENERGY STAR-rated
residential and light commercial geothermal product line
includes water-to-water, water-to-air, and split unit/air-handling systems; all use R410A refrigerant. Standard features
include ECM fan motors, scroll compressors (dual speed
on most units), MERV 13 air fi lters and oversized heat
exchangers. Water-to-water residential and light commercial models are available in reversible and nonreversible
sizes from 3- to 12-ton sizes. Water-to-air models range in
size from 1.5- to 6-ton units in both vertical and horizontal configurations. Split system/air-handling systems, from
2 to 6 tons, are suited for new and retrofit applications.
800/828-4328; www.modinehvac.com.

Taco SFI suction pump

SFI f ra me-mou nted ,

end-suction pumps from Taco
have sealed-for-life bearings
that meet all industry requirements for a minimum bearing
life of 60,000 hours. The design
incorporates a sealing system
that prevents the migration of water into the bearing frame.
The pumps, with integrated VFDs, permit fast, accurate
balancing. They provide reliability and ease of installation
for heating, air conditioning, pressure boosting, cooling
water transfer and water supply applications. All pumps
meet the latest standards for hydraulic performance and
dimensional characteristics for quiet, dependable performance. Options include the SelfSensing variable-speed-control bypass. 401/942-8000; www.taco-hvac.com.

Webtrol Pumps V-Series

V-Series wastewater pumps from Webtrol Pumps have

a recessed, cast iron impeller that reduces the load on the
bearing and prevents clogging. The motors are air-filled and
offer continuous-duty ratings. They feature potted epoxy
cord seals as well as double silicon-carbide mechanical seals,
Continued

40

Roo

ROOTS DONT
STAND A CHANCE.
Wherever you need quick, safe and effective root control, RootX
has you covered. Because the same proven RootX formulation
trusted by scores of municipal sewer departments is also available
for plumbing professionals in easy-to-use shake and pour jars. So
whether youre treating miles of city pipe, or just a residential line,
RootX is the right solution, right now.

To purchase RootX, or to learn more,

visit www.RootX.com, or talk to your
RootX representative at 1-800-844-4974.

RootX_Combo_Plumber.indd 1

THE RIGHT SOLUTION.

RIGHT NOW.
6/15/16 9:31 AM

Product

FOCUS
providing defense against water intrusion. Constructed from stainless steel
and cast iron, the pumps are available
from 1/2 to 2 hp in 115- or 230-volt, sinProductgle- and three-phase models for residenNEWS
t ia l or commercia l applicat ions.
800/769-7867; www.webtrol.com.

Zoeller Company
solids-handling pumps
Solids-handling pumps
(up to 3-inch solids) from
Zoeller Company feature
two-vane or vortex impelCase
ler styles. Grinder pumps, available in progressing cavity
STUDIES
or centrifugal designs, have a star cutter with shearing action
that keeps surfaces clean and ensures clog-free pumping.
Finned castings, oil-fi lled housings and non-overloading
designs limit internal temperature rise in harsh conditions.
800/928-7867; www.zoellerengprod.com.

Tools
Clean-Fit Products,
a division of The
Mill-Rose Company,
Blue Monster

Blue Monster compression seal tape from

Clean-Fit Products, a
division of The Mill-Rose Company, seals leaks under pressure (up to 150 psi) on galvanized, cast iron, copper and all
types of plastics and rubber. The tape has self-fusing layers
that form a waterproof seal by compression, without the
use of adhesive. Pulling and wrapping the tape tightly around
problem leaks creates a chemical reaction that fuses the layers of tape into a mass of silicone. Once fused, the silicon
mass forms a heavy-duty bond on the leak or connection
that serves as the emergency or long-term repair. It is nontoxic, safe for drinking water applications, and effectively
seals up to 500 degrees F. 800/321-3598; www.cleanfit.com.

Milwaukee Tool M12

Drain Snake

The M12 Drain Snake

from Milwaukee Tool is
developed specifically for
the challenges plumbers,
maintenance technicians

42

and property managers encounter when cleaning fi xtures

and small drainlines. A fixed shield around the drum eliminates the potential for the drum to come in contact with the
fixture or user. The cordless setup frees users from wrestling
with cords, carrying extension cords or spending time looking for outlets. 800/729-3878; www.milwaukeetool.com.

RIDGID B-500 transportable pipe beveller

The RIDGID B-500

transportable pipe beveller is designed to replace
traditional bevelling methods such as grinding. It
can bevel 10-inch-diameter Schedule 40 pipe in 45 seconds without flames. The unit
mounts to the end of pipe 4 inches or greater in diameter,
with a maximum wall thickness of 1/2 inch, as well as on
flat plates up to a 1/2-inch thick. Interchangeable heads
allow bevels to be precisely cut at 30, 37 1/2 or 45 degrees.
The tool has speed monitoring with LED indicators that
assist the operator in keeping the beveller moving at an
optimal pace, ensuring a consistent machine-finished bevel
in a single pass. The compact design also enables a single
operator to create bevels in a range of applications.
800/769-7743; www.ridgid.com.

Water Heaters
Bradford White ElectriFLEX HD

ElectriFLEX HD field-convertible commercial electric water heaters

from Bradford White offer convertibility of voltage, phase and kW input.
With the appropriate kit, conversions
are easily made, enabling a single model
to solve multiple installation requirements. The water heaters are available
in 50-, 80- and 119-gallon capacities
with the Hydrojet Sediment Reduction System to ensure long-lasting
p e r f o r m a n c e . 215/6 41- 9 4 0 0 ;
www.bradfordwhite.com.
Continued

PPUSH
INSPECTION
USH CCAMERA
AMERA INSPECTION
-CHANGER
GGAME
AME-C
HANGER
THE
THEUNIVERSAL
UNIVERSALROLLER
ROLLERSKID
SKID
The
The
Universal
Universal
Roller
Roller
Skid
Skid
allows
allows
you
you
toto
use
use
your
your
push
push
camera
camera
in in
ways
ways
that
that
were
were
not
not
previously
previously
possible.
possible.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

o New
New
design.
design.
o ForFor
6 6
to to
1818
pipelines.
pipelines.
o Keeps
Keeps
camera
camera
centered.
centered.
o Maneuvers
Maneuvers
through
through
9090
corners.
corners.
o Increases
Increases
depth
depth
range.
range.
o Improves
Improves
vision
vision
& lighting.
& lighting.
o Faster
Faster
inspection.
inspection.
o Protects
Protects
push
push
camera.
camera.

THE
THETRAPMASTER
TRAPMASTER

o
o
o
o

o ForFor
4 4
to to
6 6
pipelines.
pipelines.
o Guides
Guides
camera
camera
through
through
p-traps.
p-traps.
o Works
Works
with
with
terracotta
terracotta
pipes.
pipes.
o Maneuvers
Maneuvers
through
through
multiple
multiple
corners.
corners.

THE
THEPRO
PROKIT
KIT

THE
THEMINI
MINIROLLER
ROLLERSKID
SKID

o
o
o
o

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Product

FOCUS

Product

NEWS

Niles Steel Tank

commercial vertical
electric power
water heater

Niles Steel Tank offers

150- to 1,000-gallon electric water heaters, from 12
to 162 kW, that have 150
psi ASME-code glass lining, ASME temperature
and PRV, internal fusing (above 120 amps) and magnesium
anode rods. Features include immersion thermostats, manual-reset high limit, hinged and locking door and channel
CaseOptions include BMS contacts, low-water
iron skid base.
STUDIES
cutoff, electric
step controller (for 36 kW and higher), lowand high-pressure switches, time clocks and lift ing lug
access. Applications include hospitals, apartments, dormitories, commercial laundry facilities and areas with low gas
availability. 269/683-1910; www.nilesst.com.

This is what it would look like if we printed PlumberMag.com

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44

Case

STUDIES

Commercial Plumbing/
New Commercial Construction
By Craig Mandli

Common vent kit helps country

club save cost and space

elbows and approximately 30 feet of vent pipe. The common vent kit is rated to 50 equivalent feet of venting from
the final tee of an installation.

Result: During peak demand periods, Hillendale frequently

serves between 500 and 600 guests, Yates says, including
plenty of weddings. This creates the need for a lot of hot
water in the kitchen, and the two manifold Cyclone units
are equal to the task. Conversely, during golfs off-season,
when business at the club slows down, the modulating feature ensures the two units continue to operate at up to 98
percent efficiency. 800/527-1953; www.hotwater.com.

Magnetic dirt separator helps boilers

operate more efficiently

Problem: The Hillendale Country Club in Phoenix, Mary-

land, has a mechanical room that is very small with not a

lot of headroom. When it came time to replace the aging
atmospheric water heaters, the board wanted to upgrade to
a higher-efficiency product that would lower operating costs.

Solution: A. O. Smith has a new common venting system

for its Cyclone MXi family of condensing water heaters that

reduces the number of wall penetrations contractors must
cut for intake air and exhaust, reduces the amount of vent
piping needed for each installation and saves floor space in
mechanical rooms. Installers can manifold two units for
an installation, but need to run only one intake and one
exhaust for sidewall venting. Two Cyclone BTH-250s have
been hard at work the last five months, providing abundant
hot water to the clubs kitchen, according to Jeff Yates, a
board member of the 500-member club. Yates, who spent
over two decades in the plumbing industry, recommended
the heaters. The installer, James A. Quick of nearby Forest
Hill, was creative with the venting, using two 45-degree

46

Problem: An old cast iron boiler system used for heating a

large church compound in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, was

retrofitted with high-efficiency condensing boilers and ECM
primary loop circulators. The secondary side of the system
was left intact, including the heat emitters, which included
VAVs, radiators and in-floor radiant. After startup and despite
the upgrades, the system experienced intermittent performance problems, including clogged low-water sensors and
lower than expected total system operating efficiency.

Solution: Accutemp Mechanical of Kenosha, Wisconsin,

discovered magnetite was present and likely existed through-

out the system. General manager Ben Rader had learned

about the Caleffi DIRTMAG magnetic dirt separator, providing high-performance magnetic particle separation. He
decided to install one on the primary loop return header,
with a plan to intermittently purge the separator as the various heating zones began calling with the approaching cold
weather.

Result: The first two purges conducted at weeks 2 and 4

resulted in significant iron oxide elimination. The system

was full of the highly abrasive, microscopic magnetic particles formed with iron and steel corrosion over time. This
restored efficient operating levels to expected targets, with a
substantial reduction in maintenance. The water looks good
enough for drinking, with tests coming back stable now,
requiring less chemical usage, which, for the prior system,
was used to combat the continual fluctuation in water quality. 414/238-2360; www.caleffi.us.

Pipe cutting system effective

on aluminum piping

The teeth of previous cutters generally became embedded

with aluminum particles after the first cut, resulting in the
need to continuously clean debris.

Solution: Exact Pipe Tools provided a demonstration of

its 280E PipeCut system. In addition to being light and easy

to use, the teeth didnt get clogged with aluminum particles during the cutting process.

Result: After such an impressive demonstration, we

did not hesitate to invest in this innovative portable
solution for cutting pipe material, which we would highly
recommend, says site supervisor Roger Chatterton.
844/392-2800; www.exacttools.com.

CPVC piping eliminates biofilm and

corrosion problems for hospital
potable water transport

Problem: When Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida,

decided to build a new wing, it sought a piping system for

potable water transport that would eliminate problems
experienced with copper piping such as biofilm buildup,
corrosion and high cost.

Problem: Cutting aluminum pipe material on site at the

Blackhillock Substation in northern Scotland presented

safety, efficiency and accuracy challenges. Finding a portable pipe cutting system that met those demands and was
capable of cutting a multitude of pipe sizes was difficult.

Solution: The hospital decided to install Corzan CPVC

Schedule 80 Piping from GF Piping Systems for the conveyance of hot and cold potable water. With sizes from 1/2
to 6 inches in diameter, the hospital was able to install Corzan for the entire system. The piping resists harmful bacteria and biofilm buildup to provide clean, safe drinking
water. The pipe and fittings are extruded/molded from CPVC
compounds and certified by NSF International for use with
potable water.
Result: The system is being installed and is expected to
outperform the copper piping that currently exists throughplumbermag.com | August 2016

47

Case

STUDIES
out the rest of the hospital structure in terms of purity and
cost. 800/854-4090; www.gfps.com.

Condensing boilers cut schools

heating costs in half

Fittings save plumber

time and money

Problem: When the administration at Loudon Elemen-

tary School, in Loudon, New Hampshire, needed to trim

budgets, attention turned to the boiler room. Five old oil
boilers were burning about $30,000 worth of fuel to heat
the 59,000-square-foot building each heating season. And
to make matters worse, old oil lines from the outdoor tank
needed to be replaced.

Problem: When a California homeowner needed to repipe

his entire home, he hired Dave Parra from Discount Plumbing, Heating and Air to tackle the task.

Solution: Recognizing that this was one of the most

time-consuming and demanding plumbing jobs a technician could come across, Parra installed John Guest Twist
& Lock Fittings in the 2,000-square-foot residence. It took
approximately half the time to complete the job versus soldering and joining pipe. To make one cold connection, it
took Parra less than three minutes versus 15 minutes for a
copper connection. Parra only needed 20 fittings, 100 feet
of PEX tubing and 6 feet of copper pipe for connection stubs,
which reduced the difficulty of work.

Solution: The accepted bid specified Burnham Alpine

condensing boilers from U.S. Boiler. Bow Plumbing and
Heating was hired to install four 500 MBH (thousands of
Btus per hour) condensing boilers that offer 95 percent thermal efficiency and a 5-1 turndown ratio, and are available
from 80 to 800 MBH. Because they can connect with a Cat
5 cable in a multiple-boiler application, the units provide a
20-1 turndown ratio while operating in a lead, lag and rotate
configuration. They were stacked two high in the mechanical room. A 3-inch primary loop was installed, along with
new circulators.
Result: The project avoided replacing the oil lines and cut

boiler maintenance costs by over $1,000 a year. Heating

costs fell by $15,000 the first year, and with a utility rebate
of $16,000, the retrofit yielded a 1 1/2-year payback.
717/397-4701; www.usboiler.net.
Continued

Result: Using Twist & Lock Fittings not only reduced

time on the job, but also complexity of installation and
cost. Parra says he was very happy with the fittings and
that it was a good system that keeps the job moving fast.
973/808-5600; www.johnguest.com.
48

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High-efficiency boilers heat
rehabilitation and skilled care center

Problem: A facility providing short-term skilled care and

long-term custodial and intermediate nursing care for veterans in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, found itself constantly running out of heat in 2015. Nine oil-fired boilers
had been used to heat the facility, but were failing to provide heat to residents as winter began to set in.

Solution: In mid-October, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts-based installing and specifying contractor Denommee Plumbing and Heating removed the nine boilers totaling
1.8 million Btu and installed three Weil-McLain Evergreen
399 boilers totaling 1.197 million Btu. Installation took two
days, with one boiler up and running the first day.
Result: The facility went from using nine boilers to three
Evergreen 399 boilers, and found a positive difference in
overall comfort. The boilers were easy to install, use and
maintain, and continue to live up to their design.
219/879-6561; www.weil-mclain.com.

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50

plumbermag.com | August 2016

51

INDUSTRY NEWS
LIXIL Water Technology names VP, director

municipal and industrial clients in northern Indiana and

southern Michigan while keeping an eye on employee
safety and training. Frame is an active member of the
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association
(PHCC) at the local, state and national level.

Ranger Design distributor named Master Upfitter

Scott Stockham

Mark Owens

Scott Stockham was named vice president of U.S. trade

sales, and Mark Owens was promoted to senior director,
key strategic accounts, for LIXIL Water Technology Americas. Stockham will lead the divisions commercial teams
and be responsible for all sales activities of the American
Standard, DXV and GROHE brands. Owens will be responsible for supporting sales efforts for the business units key
customer accounts.

Ranger Design distributor Kodiak Upfitters was named

Master Upfitter 2015-2016 by Daimler Vans/Mercedes-Benz
America. The designation recognizes Kodiak as an expert
in its field, and ensures that its work meets the highest
standards for upfitting and customization of Mercedes
Sprinter, Mercedes Metris and Freightliner Sprinter
cargo vans.

Caleffi Excellence winner travels to Italy

ServiceTitan offers infographic

S e r v i c eT i t a n ,
provider of cloudbased business management software for
residential HVAC,
plumbing and electrical service businesses, released a
ne w i n fog r aph ic
detailing how the
use of mobile technology can increase customer satisfaction and revenue for
home service businesses. The infographic, which can be
downloaded at info.servicetitan.com/mobile-tech, uses
statistics and engaging images to illustrate how mobile
technology can help service technicians deliver a dream
customer experience.

Bob Frame Plumbing Services owner elected

to insurance board

David P. Frame of South Bend, Indiana, was elected to

the board of directors of the Federated Insurance Companies at the Annual Meeting of Policyholders. Frame is
the owner of Bob Frame Plumbing Services, a fourth-generation, family-owned plumbing contractor business in
South Bend. The business serves residential, commercial,

52

Pictured (from left) are Michelle Hulett of Caleffi North America,

Bill Olschewski of Tip Top Plumbing and Ryan Bristow of Equipco Ltd.

The yearlong Caleffi Excellence contest, where designers and installers of hydronic or plumbing systems can
showcase their work and receive national recognition, sent
grand prize winner Bill Olschewski of Tip Top Plumbing
(Manitoba, Canada) to Italy, where he received a tour of
Caleffi World Headquarters (Fontaneto dAgogna) and
design facilities. Chosen from 12 monthly finalists, as
determined by most votes received from the Coffee with
Caleffi webinar series, Olschewskis mechanical room
upgrade featured five zones using Caleffi zone valves and
relay controls to simplify programming and wiring for a
homeowners combination heating/cooling and domestic
hot water system.

LMK names regional sales manager

L M K Te c h nolog ie s
named Pete Tortorici Central Midwest regional sales
manager. He will be responsible for providing sales,
product and technical support to clients, assisting with
project specification review,
developing a network of
licensed contractors to
install LMK products, and
educating the industry on
the need to address laterals
as part of their trenchless
rehabilitation programs.

Its your magazine.

Tell your story.
Pete Tortorici

At Plumber, were looking for plumbing

companies with an interesting story to tell.
If youd like to share your story, send us a

Send us your plumbing industry news: Email personnel, business acquisitions

and related plumbing news, photos and videos to edw@colepublishing.com

note to news@plumbermag.com.

plumbermag.com | August 2016

53

Product

NEWS

Product Spotlight
Pocket-size Weego Jump Starter powers
Case
diesel trucks,
vans and cellphones
STUDIES
By Ed Wodalski

he Weego Jump Starter Battery+ from Paris Corporation can start your vehicle, recharge your
cellphone or tablet, and fits in your pocket or
glove compartment.
Available in three sizes, the standard JS6 can start up
to 4.6L gasoline engines and 2.4L diesel engines. The heavyduty JS12 can start up to 6.4L gasoline engines and 3.2L
diesel engines. The JS18 professional model can start gasoline engines up to 9.6L and diesel engines up to 4.8L.
Our smallest model is about the size of a Samsung
S5, says Sharon Hennelly, director of sales and marketing. All are very lightweight and compact. The biggest is
less than 1 pound.
Powered by lithium-polymer batteries, the jump starter
features a built-in LED flashlight for low-light conditions
and strobe with SOS function for emergencies.
Our two smallest models have a fuse and diode on
the jumper cables, she says. On the diode side, if you
connect the cables backward, it prevents power from going
back into Weego. And on the fuse side, its going to protect against too much power coming out of Weego.
The professional model has a safety relay for spark-free
connection.
You can tap the clamps together and no power will
go through the unit until the clamps are put on the battery, Hennelly says. It can sense the battery, close the circuit and power will go through. Its an extra safety
feature.
Weego delivers up to 1,000 charging cycles (full charge
plus full discharge) and has an operating temperature from
minus 4 to 140 degrees F.
It can jump a battery that is frozen, she says. Like
your cellphone, you just dont want to leave it in extreme
temperatures.
Designed to start trucks, cars, boats, motorcycles and
ATVs, the jump starter can charge USB devices with the
three-in-one USB charging cord, and laptops with eight
popular-brand, PC-based laptop connectors.

54

Accessories include a 12-volt DC adapter and OBD-II

(onboard diagnostics) memory saver.
If you take the battery out of your vehicle, you plug
the memory saver into Weego and the OBD-II port to
provide power to the vehicles electronics, Hennelly
says. With the battery out, you dont lose the presets
for your radio stations and keyless entry. The 12-volt
DC adapter will power anything with a cigarette
lighter plug. We are also introducing tethers that stay
connected to the vehicles battery terminals, providing
easier access to the battery when jumping with Weego.
609/265-9200; www.myweego.com.

Geberit in-wall toilet system

The model 111.798.00.1 in-wall tank
and carrier system for wall-hung toilets
from Geberit replaces the previous 2x4
version and offers several installer-friendly improvements. The new
model, featuring a full range of actuator plates and remote controls, provides
a flexible choice for buildings with high
floor constructions. Geberit re-engineered the Sigma concealed tank for
this new system to fit within a standard
frame. The 2x4 system now fits the same dimensions as the
2x6 system, making it easy for the installer to prep the walls
for either system during the rough-in stage. The tank also
provides more space for removal of the fi ll and flush valves.
847/803-7777; www.us.geberit.com.

Caleffi leak detection

press fittings
Presscon press fittings
with leak detection from
Cale are designed to detect
leaks during system testing
if a press fitting is unpressed.
Sizes from 1/2 to 2 inches
copper are available on several air separators, dirt separators, hydronic separators,
magnetic separators, thermostatic mixing valves, balancing valves, press reducing
valves and more. The fittings have a working temperature
range of 0 to 250 degrees F for up to 50 percent glycol mixtures and up to 200 psi. Fittings meet low-lead law requirements for use in accordance with U.S. and Canadian plumbing
and mechanical codes. 414/238-2360; www.cale.com.

SkyBitz plug-and-play
fleet tracking software
SA2000 plug-and-play
GPS fleet tracking soft ware
from SkyBitz Local Fleets
provides an uninterrupted
flow of vehicle tracking data
including vehicle location,
speed, mileage and fuel usage. The system is designed to
insert into the OBD-II port of any light-duty vehicle, including pickup trucks, utility vans and service vehicles. SkyBitz Local Fleets oers various levels of SaaS packages to fit
the needs of different f leets of vehicles and assets.
888/760-4477; www.skybitz.com/localfleets.

Aquabrass freestanding bathtubs

Ibiza and Bali
free-standing bathtubs
from Aquabrass are made
of stone resin and feature
a glossy finish. The Ibiza
has smooth sculpted edges
in an oval shape, while the
Bali provides a modernized version of the classic footed tub. The Bali B1021 is 65
1/4 inches long, 32 5/8 inches wide and 22 1/16 inches tall.
It has a press pop-up drain, 1 1/2-inch drain connection
and built-in overflow. The 68-gallon tub weighs 165 pounds.
The Ibiza B1030 is 64 7/8 inches long, 31 1/2 inches wide
and 25 inches tall. The 74-gallon tub weighs 165 pounds.
855/943-2782; www.aquabrass.com.

General Pipe Cleaners

drain cleaner
The Speedrooter XL
drain cleaner from
General Pipe Cleaners
clears clogs in 3- to
10-inch lines up to 200
feet long. The drain
cleaner has a 3/4 hp
motor and interchangeable drums that hold
up to 100 feet Flexicore cable. Loosening three knobs enables
the user to switch between 3/4- or 5/8-inch cables in the
large drum or substitute the small drum with 100 feet of
1/2-inch cable. One person can easily load the Speedrooter
XL onto a truck. The machines frame slides smoothly from
the loading wheel to the handle, to stair climbers and finally
to the wheels. The adjustable-height, swept-back handle also
provides maximum maneuvering leverage. 800/245-6200;
www.drainbrain.com.

Pentair submersible
sump pumps
The Myers MSCI50
line of heavy-duty, cast
iron submersible sump
pumps from Pentair
Flow & Filtration Solutions delivers up to 30
percent increased flow at 10 feet of lift based on a national
average of residential sump pumps. The 1/3 and 1/2 hp
pumps are available with 10- to 50-foot cords, a variety of
plumbermag.com | August 2016

55

MARKETPLACE
MARKETPLACE

Product

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easy maintenance. 888/987-8677; www.pentair.com.

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Presby passive
wastewater
treatment system
Case
The EnviroFin pas-

sive onsiteSTUDIES
wastewater
treatment and dispersal
system from Presby Environmental is designed for
residential and commercial applications. The
product has no mechanical parts, does not need
chemicals or have energy
requirements. The product passed and exceeded the NSF
40 protocol at the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System
Test Center (MASSTC) in Sandwich, Massachusetts. Effluent leaves the septic tank and enters an EnviroFin unit, consisting of a center fin distribution unit and eight treatment
fins filled with randomly oriented green plastic fibers and
a perforated pipe acting as an air duct. The effluent fills the
FDU until it enters the treatment fin through perforations
around the FDU. 800/473-5298; www.presbyeco.com.

Send us your plumbing product news: Email new plumbing product news, photos,
and videos to edw@colepublishing.
Makers of the Wolverine Brand of Odor Control Solutions

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