On the Road

2012 AHR EXPO Show Preview

Plumbing and hydronic contractors looking for the latest products, technologies and educational opportunities all in one location need look no further than the 2012 AHR Expo in Chicago on January 23-25. ... >> More

'Aqua' changes Chicago skyline

Chicago's high-rise skyline is forever changed. Under construction for four years, the 82-story, 1.9 million-square-foot Aqua building in Chicago's downtown area is now one of the city's most prominent jewels. ... >> More

Advanced Boiler Control

In a few short years, boiler control technology has made dramatic advancements. Boiler controls have become smarter, leaping out of the dark ages and into an era of complex boiler operation. In fact, ... >> More

Reaching the Energy-efficiency Conscious Consumer

Residential water heating represents the second largest consumption of energy in the home, just behind heating and cooling. In January 2009, the ENERGY STAR(R) program for residential water ... >> More

Radiant forecast for 2012

Although hydronic radiant systems have been around since Roman times, radiant has remained in a small, niche market, a "luxury" item reserved mainly for the upper classes. However, with the onset of ... >> More

Now That is One Smart Pump

Now more than ever energy efficient products are critical when trying to lower a building's carbon footprint. And when it comes to water efficiency, pumps are the backbone of the building's ... >> More

New Technology Solves Age-old Problems at Fort Sill

Built during the Indian Wars, Fort Sill served as the base of operations against Cheyenne, Comanche and Kiowa Indians. After decades of warring with "native hostiles," it was there, on February 17, 1909, ... >> More

Highway robbery

Last October I wrote a column titled "Confessions of a water waster" in which I described my local water utility's new tiered water billing program. The program, I originally thought, was intended to penalize ... >> More

Green codes and water conservation

The International Code Council (ICC) has finalized its International Green Construction Code and is readying it for publication by the spring of 2012. The code is being coordinated with other international ... >> More

NFPA 101, 2012 edition changes affecting fire suppression ...

In October, the 2012 edition of NFPA 101, The Life Safety Code(R) was published. Let's look at a few of the changes in this document that involve fire suppression systems. ...  >> More

Example project: Combi 101 retrofit in Canoncito, N.M.

Existing hydronic (hot water) home heating systems represent a largely untapped market for solar heating installation. Solar retrofits are especially attractive for the following reasons: ... >> More