Industry News

We would like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to this month's sponsor -- American Standard. American Standard provides the style and performance that fit perfectly in your customers’ lives. With options ranging from exquisite luxury to everyday style for the budget-conscious, American Standard’s exclusive technologies and innovative designs deliver ingenuity, quality and efficiency. American Standard is, quite simply, style that works better.

 

Visit www.americanstandard-us.com/waterefficiency for further information.

 

To find out more about special e-newsletter advertising opportunities, please contact your Plumbing Engineer sales rep by visiting www.plumbingengineer.com.

 

---

Renew Your Subscription to Plumbing Engineer today!

It's that time of the year folks! We need you to renew your free subscription to Plumbing Engineer. If you receive an email or fax to renew, please do not discard it. Take a moment and send it back. Alternately, you can renews your subscription online at www.plumbingengineer.com/signup.php

 

Code organization testifies before Congress

 

One of the nation’s leader in building code development, the International Code Council, told Congress that it is committed to helping communities construct energy efficient buildings that are safe, sustainable and green.

 

Testifying before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, Code Council CEO Rick Weiland said the Council supports increasing energy efficiency in the built environment. The Code Council is committed to help lead the way in making that happen, he told the Committee.

 

“We are always ready to work with the Federal agencies,” Weiland said. “We are now coordinating our SMARTcode efforts to automate code checking, including the energy code, through Building Information Modeling. This new technology will help agencies to better and more efficiently meet their own energy and environmental mandates from the Congress and the President.”

 

Weiland cited the Code Council’s development of the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) as another way the organization is supporting energy efficiency. Developed in partnership with the National Association of Home Builders, the NGBS provides guidelines for builders and homeowners to construct safe and affordable residences that are also energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

 

Sioux Chief hosts emerging plumbers

 

Sioux Chief Mfg Co., Inc., recently hosted more than 80 plumbing students and their teachers to their facilities south of Kansas City, Missouri. The SkillsUSA participants were able to experience first hand, the manufacturing capabilities and capacities that produce many of the top-quality products they install.

 

The 44th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) was held again this year in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. SkillsUSA is a national organization serving teachers and students from high school and college, who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations, including plumbing occupations.

 

At the annual national-level SkillsUSA Championships, more than 5,000 students competed in 93 occupational and leadership skill areas. Their are currently 13,750 teachers and school administrators serving as professional SkillsUSA members and instructors.

 

MEP releases salary survey results

 

Results from the first comprehensive salary survey for mechanical, electrical and plumbing professionals were released by MEP Jobs, the industry’s leading job board and resume bank. The survey represents the answers of more than 2,000 participants throughout North America.

 

The average respondent earned $52,000. Despite a decrease in the residential housing market, sixty percent of employers indicated that they plan to increase staffing levels during the coming year. Engineering and management positions brought in the top salaries. Following are some examples:

 

• Mechanical engineer, $72,000
• Plumbing project manager, $73,400
• Electrical construction superintendent, $66,560
• HVAC project manager, $65,750
  

 

“Thousands of mechanical, electrical and plumbing job seekers visit our Web site each month looking for employment opportunities,” noted John von Harz, president of MEP Jobs. “Reliable information about wages throughout the industry is extremely useful. Both job seekers and employers have asked for this type of title-specific wage information.”

 

The full salary survey is available for download at www.mepjobs.com/salary2008. MEP Jobs also provides an interactive salary survey tool that allows users to enter job title and location and to see the range of wages reported.

New Products

 

Sleek FloWise Dual-Flush HET www.americanstandard-us.com The new Dual-Flush FloWise Two-Piece High-Efficiency Toilet from American Standard reduces water usage in a sleek striking profile that attractively conceals the snaking trapway under the bowl. Independent testing has confirmed that the WaterSense-listed Dual-Flush FloWise performs in the best category for bulk waste removal. American Standard.

Suspended equipment platform www.holdrite.com Ten different models of the QUICK STAND Suspended Equipment Platform have been manufactured, including four new Wall Mount solutions and six existing Ceiling Mount solutions. Ideal for supporting water heaters, fan coil units, remote chillers, and water source heat pumps, these water-tight, galvanized steel platforms eliminate the need for an additional drain pan. Strong 4-corner attachment points accept Contractor’s standard 3/8" or 1/2" all-thread rods for Ceiling Mount or manufacturer’s included Wall Mount kit for concrete or wood/metal stud walls. Hubbard Enterprises/HOLDRITE

Fire suppression system www.tyco.com The AQUASONIC water-atomizing system utilizes non-toxic and readily available extinguishing media (water and nitrogen). Its patented atomizer nozzle uses supersonic technology to break down water particles into trillions of smaller droplets that are uniform in size. As these droplets reach their target they extract heat from the fire and suppress it. Produces a higher volume of smaller water droplets than traditional water-mist solutions and projects them farther across the combustion zone. Tyco Fire Suppression & Building Products.

Movers & Shakers

Harvel names Patrick Foose COO Patrick M. Foose has been appointed chief operating officer by Harvel Plastics, Inc., a leading U.S. manufacturer of high-quality PVC and CPVC industrial piping, duct systems, and other thermoplastic extrusions. Foose had previously served the company as vice president of sales and marketing.