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The Official Publication of the

OCT 2010

American Society of
Plumbing Engineers

P l u m b i n g S y s t e m s a n d D e s i g n

LAB VAC
How to Achieve the Perfect Vacuum
for Research Needs

P LU S
What is fluid comfort, and why should
plumbing engineers take charge?
Learn how to design a
water-efficient irrigation system
How sustainable are your designs?

PSDMAGAZINE.ORG
The magazine for plumbing engineers, designers, specifiers, code officials, contractors, manufacturers, master plumbers, and plumbing professionals

Simplicity 101
The Brain, the worlds first digital recirculating valve,
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Mechanical thermostatic mixing valves were not designed to mix hot water with hot water. Yet in a
pumped recirculated hot-water system under zero fixture demand, thats exactly what theyre asked
to do. And it can get complicated. To get it right, you have to add an assortment of compensating
system components. Simplify your hot-water system with the new Brain DRV80 digital recirculating
valve, engineered exclusively for recirculating hot-water systems. The DRV80 delivers stability, accuracy
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Digital stability means temperature control within 2 F, with flow capacities from 0 to 150 gpm.
Digital connectivity allows The Brain to talk to you and the building through an onboard status display,
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You get all this and more in one self-contained digital mixing valve for about the price of a
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Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #301

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shower experience. It also improves water efficiency by 40%,
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And now, more than half of Deltas bath collections
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P l u m b i n g S y ste m s a n d Des i g n

CONTENTS
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 8 OCTOBER 2010

GETTING TECHNICAL
6 Designers Notebook

20

What a Plumbing Designer Needs to


Know About Designing Irrigation
Systems

32

12 The Green Column

How to Make Existing Buildings


More Efficient

Convention
& Expo
Supplement

What Are You Doing About


Sustainability?

18 Hydronics for Plumbing


Engineers
Why Hydronics?

FEATURES
20 Plumbing Engineers and Space Comfort

Part 1: Why Plumbing Engineers Should Take Charge!

The unfortunate division of piping systems and space heating and cooling systems into two separate
disciplines in the United States has had a profound impact on the resulting energy use of U.S. buildings
and the failure to adopt more efficient technologies. This article is the first of a series re-introducing
the idea of fluid comfort and serves as an open call for plumbing engineers to take a leadership role in
engineering energy-efficient space comfort systems based on hydronics and associated technologies.

Steve Clark, PE, CEM

32

16 Lessons Learned

LAB VAC

Laboratory vacuum has become a necessity for virtually all laboratory research buildings, but everadvancing research technologies and methodologies have rendered many existing laboratories inefficient.
To design an effective lab vac system, the plumbing engineer first must know how much vacuum is
required and then must select the appropriate pump and size the system. This article discusses the types
of pumps available and their applications, explains how to size the system accurately, and includes several
helpful calculations and tables to help achieve the required amount of vacuum.

Richard Ryan III, CPD

Special Supplement!
2010 ASPE Engineered Plumbing Exposition Show Guide
With every October 2010 issue of Plumbing Systems & Design sent through the mail comes a copy of the
2010 ASPE EPE Show Guide, a vital tool for attendees to the 2010 ASPE Convention. Included are lists of
the exhibitors broken down by name, booth number, and product category, as well as a map of the show
floor to help attendees navigate the show. Also included are the contact information and website for each
exhibitor, so attendees can research their products and services before and after the show.

PERSPECTIVES
4
From the Publisher

Welcome to the Show!

CONTINUING EDUCATION
Acoustics in Plumbing Systems
42 Continuing Education Questions
43 Continuing Education Answer Sheet
and Application Form

ASPE REPOR T
44 From the Presidents Pen
45 Society News
46 From the Executives Desk
47 New Members
READER SER VICES
48 Classifieds
48 Advertisers Index

Cover image courtesy Pattons Medical


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www.psdmagazine.org
E-mail: info@psdmagazine.org
The Official
Publication of the
American Society
OF Plumbing
Engineers

PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF
Stanley Wolfson | aspeExec@aspe.org

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER
David R. Jern | DJern@aspe.org

MANAGING EDITOR
Gretchen Pienta | GPienta@aspe.org

GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Rachel Boger | RBoger@aspe.org

TECHNICAL EDITORS
Karl Atteberry, PE, LEED AP
Thomas J. Breu, PE, CPD, LEED AP
Esteban Cabello, PE, CPD, FASPE
Dale J. Cagwin, PE, CFEI
John DeLeo, CPD
Paul DiGiovanni, PE
Richard Ellis, CPD, CET

Daniel Fagan, PE, CPD


Doug Page, PE, LEED AP
Jeffrey Ruthstrom, CPD
Mark Tanner, CPD
Patrick Whitworth, CPD, FASPE
James Zebrowski, PE, CPD
Stephen Ziga, CPD, SET

Plumbing Systems & Design is published by the American Society of


Plumbing Engineers, Inc., 2980 S. River Road, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018,
847-296-0002, fax 847-296-2963, e-mail: psdmagazine@aspe.org, www.
aspe.org. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual
rate for subscriptions to nonqualifying individuals outside North America:
$175.00 USD. POSTMASTER: Change of address should be sent to Plumbing
Systems & Design, 2980 S. River Road, Des Plaines, Illinois 60018. Plumbing
Systems & Design is an official publication of the American Society of
Plumbing Engineers. Statements of fact, material, and opinion contained
in contributed articles are the responsibility of the authors alone and do
not imply an opinion or official position by the officers, staff, or members
of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. 2010, American Society
of Plumbing Engineers. All data and other information are provided with
the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal,
consulting, engineering, or other professional services. All rights reserved;
material may not be reproduced without written permission.

ISSN 1548-5897

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Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #1501

FROMTHEPUBLISHER

By Stanley M. Wolfson

Welcome to the Show!


Even with the economic malaise that has hit commercial
construction in particular, the early registration numbers
for the 2010 ASPE Convention are keeping pace with those
for 2008. However, since we are holding the event in the
middle of ASPE member country, when we originally
planned the Convention, we had expected to increase
attendance over 2008 by 30 percent or more.
Can that happen? From what we are hearing, we should
expect a significant increase in the number of attendees from
the Northeast coming to the Exposition. However, the Convention will not experience a large jump in attendance. Members
are saying that they cannot afford to pay the registration fee as
well as travel and hotel costs. Many employers, who are also in
an economic bind, are not providing any of the costs to attend
the Convention. In fact, some employees are lucky that their
employers still pay ASPE membership dues.
So, look for an attendance number close to the 2008 Convention, which, by the way, missed making a record by just
a teeny-tiny bit. You also can expect a very nicely crowded
Exposition floor. Remember, almost 40 laptop computers will
be given away over the two days of the EPE, along with up
to eight grand prizes of the approximate value of a 60-inch
television awarded as a Best Buy gift certificate.

bring Your Coin!


Everyone who registered for the Convention has received
a confirmation letter, which contains a Convention commemorative coin. Each coin has its own serial number.
Remember to bring that coin to the Convention registration desk in Philadelphia. If your coin has the right serial
number, you will immediately win a $50 registration discount rebate and extra tickets to both the laptop and grand
prize drawings. Dont miss out! The winning coins are only
in the hands of those who pre-registered for the Convention. Extra coins will be available at registration; however,
those coins are not eligible to win.

The Exposition Show Guide, the Sponsors,


the Patrons, and You
With this issue of PS&D comes the EPE Show Guide. In this
guide is a map of the Exposition floor showing the locations
and numbers of all of the booths, along with listings of all of
the exhibitors, by booth number, alphabetically, and by product category. These listings note which exhibitors were kind
enough to provide a sponsorship or become a patron this year.
Please be sure to stop by every sponsor and patron booth
and thank them for their extra support of the EPE. Without
them, we would not be able to give away prizes or provide
lunch, drinks, and snacks on the Exposition floor. Without
them, we could not put on the excellent Sunday Welcome
4 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

Party. Without them, the Convention and EPE would be a


shadow of what we have come to expect.

ASPE Poker
You should stop by every sponsor and patron booth for a
few other reasons, starting with ASPE Poker. Every sponsor
and patron will have complimentary poker cards that you
can add to your stash. The cards have a scratch-off surface,
and until you are ready to play the game, dont scratch off
the coating. If you do, the card is immediately voided. You
can scratch off the coatings only at the redemption desks
located throughout the Exposition floor. Here you will
choose your best six cards by mental telepathy, scratch off
the cards, and make the best poker hand possible.
Winning poker hands will be valued from $5 to $1,000, but
everyone will win something. Instant-winner cards will be
mixed with the playing cards. If you have one of those, you
can choose whether you want the instant winnings or, if you
have a great poker hand, the higher amount.

The ASPE Almanac


This year, we also are offering an ASPE Almanac, which is
filled with the logos of the sponsors and patrons. As you
visit their booths, they will give you a logo sticker to put in
the proper place in the book. Fill up your book and take it
to the redemption desk, and you will receive extra tickets
to the laptop and grand prize drawings. Your odds to win
keep increasing!
You can play ASPE Poker and fill in an Almanac on both
Monday and Tuesday. However, you may play each game
only once each day.

What The Convention and EPE are all


about
As much as the Society tries to make your experience at the
Convention and EPE as enjoyable as possible with games,
free food on the Exposition floor, and a fantastic Sunday
night party at the National Constitution Center, those
extras are not what the Convention and EPE are all about.
The Convention is held every two years and is the largest
offering of technical program sessions to help plumbing
engineers, designers, and contractors keep up with the latest
technologies, learn about product usage, and maintain a
professional edge. This year, more than 50 program sessions
will be offered.
The EPE also is held only every two years. It is the worlds
largest gathering of products and services for plumbing engineers, designers, and contractors. Yes, our exhibitors take part
in other shows, but it is at the ASPE EPE where they count on
meeting the all-important engineers, designers, specifiers,

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

and users of their products. Unlike at other shows, where a


salesperson greets you as soon as you enter the booth, ASPE
doesnt allow selling on the show floor. In fact, we ask each
manufacturer to bring at least one of their research and technical product engineers so our attendees can talk the talk with
someone who walks the walk.

A Special Welcome
This year, the Society has partnered with the International
Code Council and the World Toilet Organization to provide
a unique and expanded experience in both the technical
programming and the diversity of attendees. Id like to offer
a special welcome to the 2010 ASPE Convention and EPE to
the ICC and their members and to the WTO and those who
help provide sanitation to those difficult-to-reach underdeveloped areas of the world. Be sure to stop our ICC and WTO
guests and welcome them to the show as well.

ASPE thanks the following sponsors of the 2010 Convention and EPE.
Their support helps make the Convention an exciting and innovative
event for all attendees.

Diamond
Viega

Platinum

Bradford White
Copper Development
Association
Moen Commercial

Gold

Charlotte Pipe
Zurn

Bronze

BeaconMedaes
McGuire
Manufacturing Co.
Mueller Industries
Sloan
SyncroFlo
T&S Brass and Bronze
Works

Patrons

AB&I Foundry
Advanced Mechanical
Technologies
Aquatherm Inc.
ARCOM-MasterSpec
Specifications
Bradley Corporation
Chicago Faucets
The Cope Company
Salt

Copper Development
Association
Crane Pumps and
Systems
Dekker Vacuum
Technologies Inc.
Delany Products
Delta Faucet Company
Eemax Inc.
Elkhart Brass Mfg.
Froet Industries
GF Piping Systems
Grand Hall USA
Green Turtle Americas
Ltd.
HOLDRITE
Hubbell Electric Heater
Co.
International Code
Council
Intersan
Isimet
ITT
Jay R. Smith
Manufacturing
Judo Water Treatment
Kohler Co.
Kusel Equipment Co.
MAPA Products
Masco Bath/Delta
Branded

McGuire
Manufacturing Co.
Inc.
Metcraft Industries Inc.
Metraflex Company
MIFAB Inc.
Moen Inc.
OmegaFlex Inc.
Park Environmental
Equipment Ltd.
Patterson Pump
Company
Pattons Medical
PF Waterworks
Precision Plumbing
Products
Prier Products Inc.
QuantumFlo
See Water Inc.
Sioux Chief
Manufacturing
Sloan Valve Company
Stern-Williams Co.
SyncroFlo
Town and Country
Plastics Inc.
Tramco Pump
Company
Weil Pump Co. Inc.
Woodford Mfg. Co.

Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #1625


OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 5

DESIGNERS NOTEBOOK

By JOSEPH V. MESSINA, CPD

What a Plumbing
Designer Needs to
Know About Designing
Irrigation Systems

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that lawns, shrubbery, and flower
beds are the largest users of irrigation. The
water used to irrigate this type of landscaping typically comes from the municipalitys
potable water supply, so it can be the most
expensive water available. Since designing
and installing commercial landscaping can
be costly, it is very important to be able to
keep the grass and plants alive and green,
which entails knowing how much water is
required for adequate irrigation.
Unfortunately, plumbing designers often
do not design the irrigation systems for the
buildings for which they are designing the
plumbing systems. It can be a performance
specification given to an irrigation contractor, or a landscape architect does the design.
In my experience, a landscape architect does
the performance specification, and a landscape contractor produces the submittal and
shop drawings showing the sprinkler types
and layout. Not to insult landscape architects, but this type of specifying can cause
problems, such as the system not connected
to a water line with the required pressure or
the specs not showing a water line to connect to, leaving it up to the landscape contractor to find a line and possibly connect to
the wrong supply. This is usually when the
plumbing designer gets involved because
he knows the building and the building site.
Therefore, plumbing designers should know
how to design and lay out irrigation systems,
and this article will give you some insight on
how to do this type of design.
6 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

SYSTEM COMPONENTS
A complete irrigation system is made up
of a series of piping located in a trench
with valves, sprinkler heads, electrical
controls, timers, wiring, a water meter,
and a backflow preventer. Since water
conservation is important, you should
include an automatic shutoff that stops the
system when it detects rainfall. Nothing is
more aggravating than seeing an irrigation
system running when it is raining. What a
waste of water!
It is very important to separate the irrigation water meter from the building water
meter because the building owner is charged
for any water going down the building sewerage drain. When the irrigation system has
a separate meter, the building owner will not
be charged for the water used for irrigation
on the sewerage bill because it does not go
down the building drain.
Sprinkler Heads
Sprinkler heads are considered the most
important part of an irrigation system.
Many different sprinkler heads currently
are manufactured for a variety of irrigation
system applications. It is very important to
become very familiar with all of these types
because each has different characteristics,
and the application rate and operating pressure must be similar to each system circuit.
Following are a few of the different types
of sprinkler heads.
Surface-type spray and pop-up spray
sprinkler heads (see Figure 1) produce a

single stream of water that covers a small


area, approximately a 10- to 20-foot
radius. These heads can operate at a low
pressure range of 15 to 35 pounds per
square inch (psi), and they can deliver a
high application rate of 1 to 2 inches per
hour. They are perfect for small grassy
areas or shrubbery, as well as oddly
shaped areas.
Impact heads (see Figure 2) usually are
installed in a permanent manner or in
a movable installation with a quickdisconnect adapter (see Figure 3). These
are common in athletic fields and even
golf courses because the actual quickdisconnect valve is installed below grade to
prevent injury to athletes. The number of
heads required can be limited to just a few,
which is a cost savings and a maintenance
issue. These types of sprinkler heads have
an adjustable, revolving water stream, and
they can operate at a high pressure (25 to
100 psi) and cover a large area (40 to 100
feet) with a low water rate of 0.2 to 0.5
inch per hour. Pop-up rotary heads (see
Figure 4) also are considered impact heads
and are very suitable for use where freestanding heads are not desired because
these nozzles rise above grade only when
water is delivered to the devices.
Shrub heads include bubblers (see Figure
5), flat-spray heads, and stream heads.
These types of heads can be mounted on
risers to put them in a position to spray
over shrubs. They also can be placed on
short risers so the spray can be directed

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DESIGNERS NOTEBOOK
under the plant. Flat-spray heads are best
for applications underneath plants.
Trickle irrigation heads commonly are
used in vineyards and orchards, routed
through tubing with a special emittertype head installed at each plant location.
These emitters often are provided with
flexible orifices, which may allow for
adding fertilizer. These types of systems
have a low-volume usage and are not
installed in conjunction with conventional
irrigation systems.

the installer to either save the grass that


has been removed or plant more grass.
However, machines are available that can
lay the piping and wiring in the ground
without completely destroying the lawn.
They split the ground open and lay the
piping in the crevice, allowing the grass to
be pushed back down into place. The only
indication that an irrigation system was
installed in the lawn is where the sprinkler
heads are located, but these holes are just
large enough to install the head.

Valves
Another component to an irrigation system
is the valves. Three types of valves are used:
electric, hydraulic, and thermal hydraulic.
Electrically operated valves receive a signal
from the controller, which then opens a
solenoid valve.
Hydraulic control valves are operated by
water pressure. Water is delivered to the
valve though tubing from the controller.
Thermal-hydraulic valves receive an electrical signal from the controller, which
heats components of the valve so they
can open and allow water to flow.
All of these valves should be installed in a
valve box for maintenance. Where manual
control valves are used for each zone, they
usually are installed in vaults or pits to be
operated with a T-handle wrench.
Some consider the installation of a
pressure-reducing valve where the street
pressure is very high. However, systems do
not need a device to reduce the pressure as
long as the street pressure does not exceed
the working pressure of the sprinkler heads,
piping, and valves.

SYSTEM DESIGN

Backflow Prevention
An atmospheric vacuum breaker should
be installed after the connection to the
city main or building main to protect these
systems from contamination. You should
consult the local plumbing code official to
verify the type of vacuum breaker required.

TRENCHING
Trenches are dug to install all of the piping
and sometimes the wiring from the zone
valves to the controller. Trenching often is
not given much thought, but if an irrigation
system is being installed in an established
lawn, the owner usually does not want the
lawn completely torn up and would like
8 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

To reduce the time spent designing an


irrigation system, a progression should be
followed.
1. Determine the source, location, pressure,
and quality of the water that is supplying
the irrigation system.
2. Review the local code and permit requirements such as water meters and backflow preventers.
3. Verify the requirements for the type of
piping used.
4. Determine the location of the controller
and valves boxes for control of the different piping zones.
5. Divide the site into zones as necessary to
adequately cover the landscaped areas.
6. Calculate the water flow rates for the
total system, including all zones, and size
the piping.
A good method of calculating the water
pressure is to use the building flow test after
you have selected the water source. Determine the residual pressure at that source.
(An acceptable method is to reduce the
static pressure by about 15 psi if the residual
pressure is not known.) List the components
connected to the system such as meters and
backflow preventers and find the preliminary pressure losses through these devices.
Add other pressure losses through the piping
from the main to the connection point of the
irrigation system. Then subtract these losses
from the residual pressure. The result is the
pressure in the main line at the connection
point for the system.
Even though this is a standard method, in
some cases the city main pressure may be
very high (110 psi or more), and this pressure is used to supply the irrigation system.
If this is the case, I would not worry about
a pressure loss calculation. Just verify that
the pressure is not too high for the working

Figure 1 Pop-up spray heads

Figure 2 Impact sprinkler head

Figure 3 Quick-coupling valve

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DESIGNERS NOTEBOOK
pressure of the piping and fittings. In such
a case, you may want to provide a pressurereducing valve at the point of connection.

CONSIDERATIONS
Before you start your design, review the
local codes for any restrictions on the use
of potable water. Many cities have restrictions regarding what day and time of day
an irrigation system can be operated. This
is where a timer comes in handy.
A determination of the location, pressure,
and availability of the water must be made.
If the pressure is not adequate, a pump must
be provided and located in an appropriate
place on the site so it will not be too obvious.
Determining the water source is important
because if the water source is from a private
well, river, or other nonpotable source,
the water should be tested and the results
discussed with the landscape architect.
Reclaimed rainwater has proven to be a great
source for an irrigation system. Several state
and city agencies have created standards for
reclaimed water to be used for irrigation.

Do not start your design unless you have


an up-to-date site plan. The site plan must be
accurate and include the proposed location
and designation of various types of plants, as
well as topographical elevations to develop
the slope of the site.

REFERENCES
1.

2.

Plumbing Engineering Design Handbook, Volume 3: Special Plumbing


Systems, Chapter 4: Irrigation Systems,
American Society of Plumbing Engineers.
Frankel, Michael, Facility Piping Systems
Handbook, Second Edition, Chapter 7:
Turf Irrigation Systems.

Joseph V. Messina, CPD, is the discipline


director of plumbing engineering for
CUH2A Inc., Architecture, Engineering,
Planning in Atlanta. He has more than
30 years experience specializing in
plumbing and fire protection design
of instructional, research, and medical
facilities. For more information or
to comment on this article, e-mail
articles@psdmagazine.org.

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Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #333

Figure 4 Pop-up rotary heads

Figure 5 Shrub heads

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Used by some of the top research labs in the country.
And you can bet they did their research.
Our ChemDrain CPVC chemical waste drain pipe and fittings system has quickly earned an outstanding reputation in the
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Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #949

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 11

THE GREEN COLUMN

By winston huff, cpd, leed ap

How to Make Existing


Buildings More Efficient
In the Bathroom
Shut off the water faucet while brushing your teeth or
washing your hands and face.
Use a cup of water to rinse your toothbrush and mouth
instead of running water.
Use the first cold water from the faucet and dont wait
for it to get warm.
Shower only every two or three days and make them
short showers.
Take a military shower: Turn the water on to pre-rinse,
turn the water off while soaping and shampooing, and
then turn the water back on to rinse.
Use environmentally friendly soaps and shampoos and
place buckets or open containers in the shower to collect
runoff water, which can be used for irrigation or other
outdoor uses.
Place a -gallon jug of water or a brick in the toilet tank
to reduce the water used per flush. (Be careful to not
block the flush valve and make sure the brick is not crumbling.)
Allow two uses of the toilet for liquid waste before flushing.
Many people think that LEED and other sustainable rating
systems apply only to new construction or major building
renovations, but what about existing buildings? Can they
also operate efficiently to save water and energy? Luckily,
homeowners, operators, building owners, contractors,
plumbing engineers, and architects can take steps in existing structures to help them operate more efficiently.

EMERGENCY PRACTICES
You can save water and energy without purchasing new
products. You just need to look at the way you do everyday
things and determine if they are the most efficient way
to operate a home or building. Sometimes, people find
themselves in situations that force them to conserve or do
without.
For instance, I live in Nashville, and we still are recovering
from massive flooding last summer. At the time, our home
was a virtual island, with all roads impassable, no landline
phone, no power, and reduced water supplies. The floods
had damaged waste and water treatment facilities, and all
residents were encouraged to reduce water usage. For a city
that averages 160 gallons of water per person, how could we
cut our water consumption in half?
Following are some ways to reduce water usage in an
emergency situation.
12 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

In the Kitchen
Switch to biodegradable paper plates, bowls, and glasses
to decrease the need for washing dishes.
Use the dishwasher rarely and only with completely full
loads.
If hand-washing dishes, use a pail of water for rinsing
instead of running water.
Rinse fresh foods in a bowl of water instead of running
water.
Postpone all nonessential cleaning.
In the Laundry Room
Postpone all nonessential clothes washing.
If you must wash clothes, wash only full loads with the
lowest water setting.
Use environmentally friendly detergents and collect the
rinse water for use in irrigation and outdoor cleaning.
In the Yard
Turn off all irrigation systems.
Postpone all watering of plants.
Do not wash cars at home or in commercial car washes.
Do not use water to wash sidewalks or driveways.
Use the water from a dehumidifier or air-conditioner condensate to water plants.

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

EVERYDAY PRACTICES

DIY Graywater
Keep buckets or other containers in bathrooms, kitchens,
and laundry areas to collect:
Water discharged when you are waiting for the water to
warm in the shower or sink
Rinse water from washing, cleaning fruits and vegetables,
brushing teeth, or shaving (use environmentally friendly
products)
Laundry machine discharge
This water can be used for irrigation and outdoor washing.
Be Energy Smart
You can lower your energy bill and help your community
use less clean energy by how you schedule your peak
energy usage. How? The local electric utility has peak times
of energy demand during the day, month, and year. During
these peak demand times, the utility may buy electrical
power from less environmentally friendly and more expensive providers, such as coal-fired and natural gas-powered
generation facilities. Sometimes electrical power is transmitted over long distances. Such power can be 30 cents or
more per kilowatt-hour. Here are some things you can do to
reduce this demand charge.
Wash clothes at off-peak times, usually at night or early in
the morning.
Wash dishes or run the dishwasher at off-peak times.
Shower at off peak-times.

REPLACEMENT
Operating a home or building is not free of cost or effort.
Maintenance costs are necessary and can be frustrating,
and it always seems that something breaks at the time you
can least afford to fix it. Unfortunately, this is part of the
cost of maintaining a building.
If an appliance must be replaced, you can purchase a more
energy-efficient model, and sometimes rebates are available
for these pieces of equipment. To find out more about equipment that qualifies for rebates, go to energysavers.gov.
You must be aware of the available options when plumbing equipment must be fixed or replaced. Here are some
things you can do when you replace items in a facility.
In some facilities, up to 10 percent of the water usage
is from leaks. Replace all valves with high-quality valves
made of quality material that will not leak or stick open a
short time after installation.
Install dual-flush valves on toilets. These valves allow the
user to choose a reduced amount of water to flush liquids
or a full flush for solids. Some very good quality dual-flush
valves are now on the market.

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While many of the items listed above can be incorporated


into your regular routines, others may not be practical. For
example, many parents do not want to discourage their
teenagers from taking showers. Here are some ideas for
making small changes to everyday practices.

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Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #823

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Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #1817


OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 13

THE GREEN COLUMN


When rebuilding or replacing leaking faucets and shower
valves, install low-flow aerators to reduce the flow of
water through the fixture.
When replacing a tank-type electric water heater with
another tank type, Energy Star recommends one with an
Energy Factor greater than 0.82. Many water heaters with
Energy Factors of 0.95 are on the market.
When replacing a tank-type gas water heater with another
tank-type heater, look for an Energy Star-listed heater. (Visit
energysavers.gov for a list of such water heaters.)
Replace a tank-type water heater with an instantaneous
heater. However, these require gas piping and flue piping
upgrades, which can add costs. They may not be right for
every building.
Replace a water heater with one with an efficiency rating
of 90 percent or more. These also can add gas and flue
piping front-end cost increases.
Solar water heaters are becoming more common, and
they may qualify for energy rebate programs.
When replacing clothes washers and dishwashers, look for
those that have a Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE)
rating of Tier 3. (Visit cee1.org for more information.)
As you can see, many repairs or replacements can be
done with little extra investment, and they save water and
energy costs. These changes can make a big difference in the
amount of water and energy you and your community use.

For example, a large food service company discovered that


its icemakers peak load occurred during the peak operation
time in the kitchen. This added an energy load when the
icemakers were making ice, and the heat from the icemakers
added to the air-conditioning space load. The owner needed
to replace the icemakers anyway, and he realized that he
could buy icemakers with a larger storage capacity, so the ice
could be made at night during off-peak energy load and offpeak operation times.

LIGHT RENOVATIONS
Many interior upgrades and small renovation projects are
not essential or required. For example, most of the profit
for a small town paint store is not from people painting
because they need to paint to protect a structure. Most of
the profit is generated from people wanting to change the
color or look of a space.
Real-world operations budgets need to include funds for
light renovations of spaces. Sometimes these renovations
are driven by efficiency, so here are some things that can be
done to reduce water and energy usage in light renovations.
Upgrade to a low-flow showerhead or shower system. 1.5
gallons per minute is usually the least amount of water
you need to use.
Replace the flush valves in water closets with dual-flush
valves.

Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #1139

14 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

Install a rain barrel or other


type of rainwater harvesting
system.
Enlist a Water Sense-certified
contractor to upgrade the
irrigation system.
Install a graywater system to
collect water from showers
and washing machines.
Install a continuous energy
and water monitor that
records and displays energy
and water use in real time.
Studies have shown that
having such a device helps
reduce energy consumption.

Energyefficiency
Resources
Energy Savers: energysavers.gov

SMART METERS

WaterSense: epa.gov/WaterSense

Smart meters can help reduce


Energy Star: energystar.gov
energy and water use in existConsortium for Energy Efficiency:
ing buildings and homes. Two
cee1.org
types of energy meters are
Low Impact Development Strategies
available. One type records
and Practices: epa.gov/owow/
the amount of energy used for
nps/lid/costs07
a particular amount of time,
Me Green You Green:
usually a month. Another type
megreenyougreen.com
is a demand meter, which
monitors the amount of energy used during a peak time,
usually within a 15-minute window. It can report the time
of day when demand is the highest.
Lets look at how that saves energy and water. As stated
earlier, peak demands on the power grid may force utilities to
buy power from other systems or use a less environmentally
friendly generation method such as coal. Smart meters can
monitor the power grid to determine when the grid is at
peak-load operations. These meters then communicate with
the major appliances in a building and delay when they turn
on to reduce the load on the power grid.
As a plumbing engineer, business owner, or homeowner,
you need to learn about these systems and find ways to
reduce energy consumption in your house or facility.
Develop plans, and know what equipment you will purchase
when the time comes for replacement. Better yet, know the
life expectancy of your equipment and set up a replacement plan and budget before a failure on a holiday weekend
causes a major disaster.

Visit Us at ASPEs EPE Show


in Philadelphia Booth #1133

Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #823

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Winston Huff, CPD, LEED AP, is a project manager, plumbing

fire protection designer, and sustainable coordinator with


Smith Seckman Reid Consulting Engineers in Nashville, Tenn.
He is on the U.S. Green Building Councils Water Efficiency
(WE) Technical Advisory Group (TAG). He was the founding
editor of Life Support and Biosphere Science and has served
as its editor-in-chief. He is editor of Me Green You Green
(megreenyougreen.com), a LEED credit data bank. For more
information or to comment on this article, e-mail articles@
psdmagazine.org.

ZZZVLRX[FKLHIFRP  3HFXOLDU0LVVRXUL

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 15

By j. joe scott ii, cpD, faspe

LESSONS LEARNED

What Are You Doing


About Sustainability?
What have you done lately to learn more
about sustainability? This question seems
to be on the mind of everyone in our industry. The rapid development of sustainable
products that has occurred during the last
five years is affecting the way we think about
designing our projects. I remember way
back in junior high school when we talked
about ecology and the environment and why
we need to be more environmentally conscience, but it seemed that while we talked a
good story, we didnt actually do much about
it. However, the changes that are occurring
today are causing us to rethink how we
design buildings to lessen their effect on the
environment.
At my company, I cannot think of one
project for which we are not implementing
sustainable concepts in some portion of the
design. One of the more interesting components that is getting attention is solar hot
water heating. A number of new technologies
are making solar hot water heating a viable
alternative to the conventional systems used
to heat water. The selection of a solar technology depends on a projects location, as you
can utilize the suns energy in several different
ways. The interesting aspect of solar hot water
heating is how widely this technology is used
across the world and how little it is used in the
United States. Some areas of the world utilize
solar water-heating systems as their primary
source of hot water and do not use a secondary energy source of any significance.
As we begin all of our projects, we review
the potential for alternative energy sources
for several of our building systems, with
the intention of reducing energy consumption from nonrenewable sources. Often
this requires close collaboration with the
entire design team to provide a coordinated
approach to the design of the building, so all
of the components work together to provide
an economical, yet sophisticated, design solution. The amount of effort we put into reviewing the various options can be substantial, but
the amount of energy that we can save also
can be substantial.
16 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

The 2030 Challenge (see sidebar) has


caused building designers to completely
rethink strategies in building performance
issues. The architects in my firm are taking
many more options into account and are
exploring new ways to design spaces and
building skins to take advantage of these new
strategies.
The real question is: What are you doing?
The use of solar energy and the reuse of water
can go a long way toward making us more
sustainable and move us farther along the
path to carbon neutrality, but we often have to
wait for products to be developed that we can
use to make our projects more sustainable.
However, sustainability goes beyond products. It starts with how we look at and design
buildings and the methods we utilize to
document those designs. What would happen
if we actually went paperless? Can you imagine a time when we ceased to use paper? It
probably wont happen in my lifetime, but I
can foresee a time when we document our
designs in an electronic medium and the contractors build from that electronic medium.
We are starting to see the use of building
information modeling in the system coordination process. This is a dramatic change
from the conventional development of coordination drawings by the contractor and is a
much more interactive process. While BIM is
just starting to be used, it has great potential.
I have participated in projects using BIM,
and I am convinced that it is the way buildings need to be coordinated. It starts with
designers using the software to design their
systems and then incorporates the contractors detailed modeling of the systems so that
our drawings become true three-dimensional
representations of what is actually built.
So how sustainable are you? I am very
pleased that my firm is advancing sustainability and developing not only system designs,
but also potentially other methods that will
be used in the performance of our building
systems to save resources and make our
carbon footprints smaller. Are you up to that
challenge?

THE 2030
CHALLENGE
Architecture 2030, a nonprofit, nonpartisan,
and independent organization, was established in response to the global-warming
crisis with the mission to rapidly transform
the U.S. and global building sector from a
significant contributor of greenhouse gas
emissions to a central part of the solution to
the global-warming crisis.
To accomplish this, Architecture 2030 has
issued The 2030 Challenge, asking the architecture and building community to adopt
the following targets:

All new buildings, developments, and


major renovations shall be designed
to meet a fossil fuel, greenhouse gasemitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50 percent of the
regional (or country) average for that
building type.

At a minimum, an equal amount of


existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel,
greenhouse gas-emitting, energy
consumption performance standard of
50 percent of the regional (or country)
average for that building type.

The fossil fuel reduction standard for


all new buildings and major renovations shall be increased to 70 percent
in 2015, 80 percent in 2020, 90 percent
in 2025, and carbon-neutral in 2030
(using no fossil fuel greenhouse gasemitting energy to operate).

For more information, visit


architecture2030.org.
Joe Scott is senior plumbing designer
for Cannon Design in St. Louis.
To comment on this article or for
more information, e-mail articles@
psdmagazine.org.

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

Suggestifications [suh g-jest-uh-fi-kay-shuns]:

n. vague descriptions or loose assessments of what a job may


or may not need. The engineer suggestifications stated cast iron
pipe so they chose plastic.

Dont redefine the engineer assessment. Remember, theyre called specifications for a reason.
When an engineer specifies cast iron pipe for a specific job, its because they believe its the right material needed to get
the job done correctly and efficiently. Engineers know that using cast iron instead of plastic for specific jobs eliminates
costly extra steps for things like fire-stopping, noise reduction and thermal expansion. And they know that even after the
extra steps are taken to make plastic comparable to cast iron, plastic is still outperformed because its just the wrong
material for the job. Simply put, theres a time for plastic and a time for cast iron. The time for cast iron being when
the engineer specifies it. Because if you think about it, they dont call them specifications for nothing.
Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #949

1.800.438.6091 / www.charlottepipe.com

HYDRONICS for PLUMBING ENGINEERS

BY ROY C.E. AHLGREN

Why Hydronics?
You might ask why the official magazine of the American
Society of Plumbing Engineers [my emphasis] includes a
column on hydronic HVAC systems.
Some answers to that include:
ASPE members are curious about and interested in building systems in general.
Plumbing engineers sometimes are responsible for
designing both plumbing and HVAC systems.
Engineers who deal only with plumbing systems often
work in companies that also have an HVAC division, and
they work on the same projects.
Hydronic and plumbing systems have many similar components and design objectives.
In the next couple of columns Ill discuss some of the similarities and the important differences between plumbing
and hydronic systems.

The design objectives in hydronic heating


systems are virtually identical to those
of plumbing systems, with one very
important difference.
THE Fundamental DESIGN DIFFERENCE
Chapter 6 of Plumbing Engineering Design Handbook,
Volume 2 lists five design objectives for hot water distribution systems. They must:
1. Provide adequate amounts of water at the prescribed
temperature to all fixtures.
2. Perform safely.
3. Use an economical heat source.
4. Be cost-effective and durable.
5. Be economical, with reasonable maintenance.
The design objectives in hydronic heating systems are
virtually identical, with one very important difference. In a
plumbing system, the adequate amount is determined by
the number and nature of all of the plumbing fixtures, as well
as the type of building and the expected variations in usage.
In hydronic systems, the adequate amount is based on the
amount of heat the water can carry to provide a comfortable
environment for the occupants. A hydronic system is a heat
transfer system, not a water delivery system.
The fundamental question then becomes: How much
heat does the system have to transfer to provide comfort?
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Airconditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has developed tools to
help define comfort and calculate the heat-transfer rate
required to achieve it. These standards and computations
are used in a load calculation at the beginning of the building design process to answer that question.
18 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

Open Versus Closed Systems


Both plumbing and hydronic systems might use the same
source of heatoften a boiler. The name might be a little
misleading since neither system requires the water to
actually boil. The boiler simply provides an economical
and safe way to transfer heat to the water. The temperature
required in a hot water distribution system is often limited
or tempered to prevent injury at the plumbing fixture. The
temperature in a hydronic system might be considerably
higher because the water never leaves the system. It simply
cools as it delivers heat and then returns to the boiler.
Higher water supply temperatures at a heating device can
significantly increase its heat output. For example, the upper
temperature limit for low-temperature heating systems is
250F. Therefore, a hydronic system operating above 212F
must be pressurized to keep the water from boiling. This
leads to another important difference between the systems:
A hot water distribution system is an open system in normal
operation, while a hydronic system operating under pressure
must be a closed system.
Pumps are applied differently in open and closed systems.
A plumbing system may not need a pump. Water coming
from the citys supply system may have enough pressure to
overcome elevation differences from the bottom to the topmost fixture, as well as overcome friction losses in the heater,
piping, and fittings, and still have enough residual pressure
to allow the plumbing fixture to operate properly. If the city
supply pressure isnt adequate, then a pressure booster
pump must be used to deliver water in that open system.
On the other hand, modern hydronic systems always use a
pump, but the pump in a closed system only has to overcome
friction loss. Elevation differences in a closed system are
irrelevant in determining the amount of work the pump must
apply to the water.

Water Quality
A last, very important difference between plumbing and
hydronic systems is the nature of the water. Domestic hot
and cold water plumbing systems must deliver high-quality
water. The health and safety of each building occupant
depend on good-quality water. On the other hand, the
water in a hydronic system often contains suspended particles of rust or dirt. It even may contain antifreeze agents
that would be completely unacceptable in a domestic
plumbing system.
We have a long way to go before we finish this discussion
of similarities and differences. I welcome any comments or
questions you might have on the topic.
Roy Ahlgren is a consultant to the hydronics industry. He

served as chair of the ASHRAE Technical Committee on


Hydronic and Steam Systems and was the director of the Bell
& Gossett Little Red Schoolhouse. For more information or to
comment on this article, e-mail articles@psdmagazine.org.

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

Were the Talk of the Industry. Heres a Sampling of Contractor Reviews


The largest portion of our
tanks installed are Bradford
White natural draft, we
like the FVIR system
We service
Bradford White and
have thousands of
dollars (worth) of
their parts and
never use them

(They) have a
great engineering
department

Not sold retail


Bradford is
just all around
(a) better heater
and company

Water Heater with the


best gas control valve
on the market

Support
of PHCC
Fit and finish
of their product
is first class

Solid, long
lasting and easy
to repair

American Made
And the
number one
response
Quality

My
dealer and
Bradford
White could
not be any
better than
they are

For the Fourth Consecutive Year, Bradford White remains the tank water heater brand most purchased
by Plumbing and Heating Contractors. We are also, again, the most recommended brand.
The comments above are just a few taken from the 2009 CLEAReport* by Clear Seas Research.
We wanted to let your industry colleagues speak for us. They prove that our commitment to the trade
and our pledge to provide a premium product at the best possible price is the way to do business.
Thank you for your continued support. Well keep striving, innovating, and working hard every day
to be the water heater brand of choice for all plumbing and heating professionals. Remember, if your
wholesaler doesnt carry Bradford White, ask why!

www.bradfordwhite.com

Built to be the Best

To Find A Wholesaler Call

800.523.2931

*Ranking is based on the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 CLEAReports by Clear Seas Research. Please visit www.clearseasresearch.com for additional information. 2010, Bradford White Corporation. All rights reserved.

Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #501

Plumbing
Engineers
and
Space Comfort

Part 1: Why Plumbing Engineers Should Take Charge!


By STEVE CLARK, PE, CEM

In North America, we do not heat or cool


buildings; we heat or air-condition them.
Is the temperature too cold? Crank up
the heat. Is it too hot? Crank up the airconditioning. This method of temperature
control is ingrained in our language and in
the names of our systems, our companies,
and our organizations. It is ingrained in our
thought process. Few in the United States
can even conceive of ways to make interior
spaces comfortable other than blasting
them with refrigerated air. When a client
asks us to engineer a comfortable space,
we automatically give him a forced-air airconditioning system.
20 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

Heating in the United States is treated as


an afterthoughtfor instance, variable air
volume with perimeter heat and packaged
terminal air-conditioning with electric heat.
Similarly, ventilation is always lumped with
heating and cooling. This seems strange,
since ventilation is a health issue, while
heating and cooling are primarily comfort
issues. The flow of fresh air into a space really
shouldnt depend on the spaces thermal
requirements, but again, this is how things
historically have been done.
Thus, we call engineered building systems
related to space comfort HVAC engineering
instead of heating, cooling, and ventilation.

The remaining mechanical design tasks


concerning piping systems are lumped
under the title of plumbing engineering. This
has led us to divide the engineering tasks of
designing mechanical systems into separate
disciplines: HVAC engineering and plumbing engineering. This unfortunate division
has had a profound impact on the resulting
energy use of U.S. buildings and our failure
to adopt more efficient technologies.
This article is the first of a series reintroducing the idea of fluid comfort, or
hydronics, and serves as an open call for
plumbing engineers to take a leadership
role in engineering energy-efficient space

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

comfort systems based on hydronics and


associated technologies. I also invite HVAC
engineers to join this movement and expand
their expertise to become comfort engineers.
(About one-half of the comfort level in a
space is determined by the radiant effects
around you, and the other half is from the
temperature, humidity, and motion of the
air, so why shouldnt we all learn to be
comfort engineers and not just plumbing or
HVAC engineers?)

THE BLANK STARE


When told statistics such as 60 percent of
new construction in Germany uses radiant cooling, North Americans tend to stare
blankly, sort of how the Grinch looked when
he discovered that Christmas was still being
celebrated despite his efforts to destroy
it. Radiant cooling has been dismissed as
impractical in the United States because of
high humidity levels in many parts of the
country. Also, Americans are accustomed
to using cold blasts of air to cool interior
spaces. The blank stare also results when
we learn that European ventilation systems
operate independently of the heating and
cooling systems and that they use water to
distribute comfort instead of air.
One could assume that the Europeans just
dont get it, except that in our industry, most
of the latest innovations come from Europe.

Consider condensing boilers, dual-flush


toilets, PEX and PP-R piping systems, and
in-floor radiant heating. Clearly they get it,
and they are good engineers.
Why are Americans so slow on the uptake?
In the human brain, certain chemicals must
be present to feed the transfer of information. Without these chemicals, there is no
communication. For engineered systems,
this function is performed by engineering
societies, such as the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning
Engineers for HVAC system design.

THIS is A PLUMBING
ENGINEERING ISSUE
What society represents hydronics or
radiant cooling? It is unreasonable to
expect an HVAC society to promote these
technologies, so years ago, manufacturers teamed up to form the Radiant Panel
Association. While useful and successful,
this is not an engineering society. These
functions should and do fall under plumbing engineering.
How much difference is there between
heating water and piping it to a faucet and
heating water and piping it to a radiant panel?
We have to shake off the false notion that
if something has to do with making people
comfortable, then plumbing engineers cant
touch it. On the contrary, there are many

GLOSSARY
Active solar The use of a mechanical system
to actively capture and convert solar
energy into a usable form of energy
ASHRAE An association of professionals
working in the fields of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration,
including indoor air quality, building
design and operation, and environmental
control for food processing and industry
(ashrae.org)
ASPE The international organization for professionals skilled in the design, specification, and inspection of plumbing systems
(aspe.org)
Biomass energy The energy embodied in
organic matter that is released when
chemical bonds are broken by microbial
digestion, combustion, or decomposition
British thermal unit A unit of heat equal
to the amount of heat required to raise
1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit at
sea level
Chiller A piece of equipment that utilizes
a refrigeration cycle to produce cold
(chilled) water
Cogeneration The simultaneous generation
of both electric power and heat
Dedicated outside air system (DOAS) A
fresh-air delivery system (ventilation) that
is engineered and operated independently of the space heating and cooling
system, often incorporating heat recovery from the exhaust air system
Fan coil An indoor component of a hydronic
system used in place of a furnace/airconditioning unit to provide heating and
cooling at a room level
Geothermal energy Power extracted from
the heat stored in the Earth
Ground coil An array of pipes that transfers
geothermal energy to a fluid
Heat pump A device that transfers heat
from one medium (often cooler) to
another medium (often warmer) for
heating or conversely for cooling
Air-source heat pump A device that
transfer thermal energy between outdoor air and a hydronic loop
Air-to-air heat pump A device that
directs thermal transfer between outdoor
and indoor air
Ground-source heat pump A special
type of water-source heat pump that is
connected to a ground coil

A fluid comfort system at work in a Montana residence.

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 21

Plumbing Engineers and Space Comfort

important reasons why plumbing engineers


(and their engineering society) need to
address space comfort head on. Lets look at
these reasons on many different levels.
Global Reason #1: Energy Savings
It takes more than 10 times the amount of
energy to move 1 British thermal unit of
heat 1 foot using air versus using water.
Global Reason #2: Energy Options
Hydronics can easily tie into thermal
sources such as geothermal, solar thermal,
cogeneration, trigeneration, thermal storage, waste heat recovery, district heating
and cooling, and other efficient options.
National Reason #1: Energy Efficiency
The United States consumes more than 40
percent of the worlds energy, U.S. buildings consume more than 40 percent of the
nations total energy, and HVAC systems
consume more than 40 percent of U.S.
building energy. This makes U.S. building
HVAC systems the prime candidate for
energy efficiency for environmental, economic, and national security issues.

National Reason #2: Jobs


Hydronic systems mean local engineering
and contracting jobs, while packaged airconditioning units can potentially send
jobs abroad.
Company Reason #1: Being a Leader
Your firm needs to position itself in the new
era as a leader in sustainable design.
Company Reason #2: More Work
Your firm is more flexible when its engineers have more capabilities.
Personal Reason #1: More Exposure
You become a key player in introducing
energy-efficient technology.
Personal Reason #2: Better
Opportunities
You expand your worth and career options.

SKILLS NEEDED TO ENGINEER


FLUID COMFORT SYSTEMS
As a plumbing engineer, you already have
half of the practical knowledge needed. You
are already the expert on pipes, pumps,

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Covering a range of sizes from OD 5/16 to
15/16, NEOPERL pressure compensating
flow regulators are easy to insert into your
application device and maintain a constant
flow (flow rates from 0.1 to 30 gpm).

=4>?4A;8]R~FPcTaQdah2C
CT[!"&$%''( ~5Pg!"&$#$'%'~X]U^@]T^_Ta[R^\

www.neoperl.com

Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #515

22 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

Water-source heat pump A device


that transfers thermal energy between
a hydronic loop and indoor air, with the
hydronic loop often supplemented by a
boiler and/or cooling tower
Water-to-water heat pump A device
that transfers thermal energy between
two hydronic loops
Hydronics (fluid comfort) The use of
water as the heat-transfer medium in heating and cooling systems
International Ground Source Heat Pump
Association A member-driven organization established to advance geothermal
heat pump technology on local, state,
national, and international levels
(igshpa.okstate.edu)
John Siegenthaler, PE Author of Modern
Hydronic Heating, Radiant Architecture,
and Radiant Basics
Radiant cooling Removing sensible heat
from a space by absorbing the heat into
lower-temperature surfaces, primarily by
radiant heat transfer
Radiant heating Adding sensible heat to
a space by radiating heat from warmer
surfaces primarily by radiant heat transfer, trending toward large-area, lowtemperature radiant surfaces (like in floor
heat) versus the historic systems, which
had high temperatures and small surface
areas (like cast iron steam radiators)
Radiant Panel Association An association
of manufacturers, distributors, designers,
dealers, and installers of radiant panel
heating and cooling systems and components (radiantpanelassociation.org)
Sensible cooling A process in which only
the sensible heat of a space is removed
to reduce its temperature without
changing the airs moisture content
Solar thermal A system that captures
solar energy to heat a fluid to generate
electric power for space heating or for
domestic hot water
Thermal storage A technology that stores
heat, usually from active solar collectors
or waste heat recovery, in an insulated
repository for later use in space heating,
domestic or process hot water, or to generate electricity
Trigeneration The simultaneous production
of mechanical power, heat, and cooling
from a single heat source such as fuel or
solar energy
Ventilation The intentional movement of
fresh air from outside a building to the
inside
Waste heat recovery Recovering heat discharged as a byproduct of one process to provide
heat needed by a second process

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Plumbing Engineers and Space Comfort

Plumbing lines (green pipes) and fluid comfort piping (blue pipes) typically run side by side and often are installed by the same contractor.

Visit us at EPE Booth #234

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4VCTDSJCFUPPVSFNBJMOFXTMFUUFSUPMFBSOUIFBEWBOUBHFT
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506$)4&/4035&$)/0-0(*&4 --$
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24 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

fluid flow, water heating, distribution, and storage systems.


You may need to learn how to calculate heating and cooling
loads in British thermal units and convert that to gallons per
minute. You may need more background in selecting fan
coils, heat pumps, and chillers and sizing radiant panels,
solar panels, and geothermal ground coils. Studying John
Siegenthalers books on hydronics and radiant heating and
cooling will get you a long way. Radiant cooling literature in
North America is still in its infancy, but it is growing. These
are areas where plumbing engineers and a society such as
the American Society of Plumbing Engineers could deliver a
much-needed service.
One area in which I think plumbing engineers should
develop an expertise is dedicated outside air systems (DOAS).
These relatively simple systems go hand in hand with fluid
comfort systems and make tremendous sense from both an
energy and indoor air quality standpoint. (I will address the
simple design steps for DOAS in a future article.) While ventilation is not considered an aspect of plumbing engineering,
it has always been part of heating and cooling. Addressing
ventilation properly is an integral part of any successful radiant or hydronic system since it provides both fresh air and
humidity control. It should not take any engineer out of his or
her comfort zone.

HOW CAN PLUMBING ENGINEERS GET INVOLVED?


Adding focus on hydronic, radiant, and DOAS systems is
also not a large leap for plumbing engineering as a whole.

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

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Zurn has a 100-year tradition of developing

quality engineered products to meet the growing needs of


water conservation, water safety, water control and water comfort.
Our product offering combines both value and performance to
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The HydroVantage Flush Valve is the latest edition to Zurns EcoVantage


breakthrough product offering designed for new and retrofit installations.
A patented hydro generator turbine creates energy during each flush,
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Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #533

Plumbing Engineers and Space Comfort

Many of the lines that traditionally separated disciplines are fading, and we are
moving to more holistic building systems.
For example, the move in the fire sprinkler
industry to residential systems includes a
shift toward combined domestic cold water
and fire sprinkler systems.
We also have seen an increase in the
popularity of combination domestic hot
water and space heating systems. The need
for wiser use of resources has forced us
to take a broader view of what it means
to serve our customers. The core group of
manufacturing companies that traditionally
supports plumbing, such as pipe, pump,
water heating, flow, and control companies,

will see more demand for their expertise.


The industry also will be able to expand to
include providers of many of todays newer
technologies, such as active solar, cogeneration and trigeneration, geothermal energy,
biomass energy, thermal storage, and airsource chillers and heat pumps.
In the United States, designing a geothermal heat exchanger currently falls under
the expertise of the International Ground
Source Heat Pump Association, while tying
this energy source to a radiant panel would
be guided by the Radiant Panel Association. Wouldnt it be great if one industry
could bring these systems together under
one tent? If a projects best energy options

are to be served by a combination of solar


and geothermal energy, using hydronics to
transport this energy to radiant panels, highefficiency fan coils, and domestic hot water,
one national engineering society could be
the definitive information source.
I am not a believer in change just for the
sake of change. I do believe in recognizing
when something is broken and devising a
plan to fix it. I believe in learning from others
in terms of what works and what does not
work, and I believe that by working together
we can create buildings that are healthy,
comfortable, and energy efficient. I believe
that plumbing engineers can be instrumental in making this happen.
I think we need to stop relying on history
and shift to what the future should look
like. Some might argue that two engineering societies claiming expertise in comfort
and energy will cause confusion. I say that
having two strong voices in this critical arena
can only improve matters. Lastly, I am saying
we need to act now!

COMING UP
In my next article, I will go into more
design detail regarding fluid comfort
systems, including heating, cooling, and
ventilation requirements; how to design a
space comfort system using fluids; and how
hydronics can help us on the road to net
zero.

Another manufacturers
modulating boiler that
approaches 99%
at its lowest firing rate is
not equivalent to
TURBOPOWER 99.
Settling for that
could cost thousands of
dollars every year in fuel.

Steve Clark has worked as a


Professional Engineer in the United
States, Canada, and the UK. He
has worked as a development and
applications engineer for the Trane
Company and as an HVAC and energy
engineer for consulting engineering
companies, including his own firms,
with an emphasis on building energy efficiency. His building
system designs have won energy-efficiency awards, including
First Place for Commercial Buildings from ASHRAE. He holds
several international patents on HVAC and piping systems.
Steves 30 years of experience in building energy optimization
have led him to believe that hydronic systems are a key
component to efficient building design and that selecting the
right pipes is key to an efficient and reliable piping system
design. To help fill this need in North America, he now serves
as President for North America for the German-made plastic
piping manufacturer Aquatherm. For more information or to
comment on this article, e-mail articles@psdmagazine.org.

Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #625


R

26 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

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H H H H H H H H

2010 ASPE Convention and Engineered Plumbing Exposition


October 30November 3, 2010 |Philadelphia,Pennsylvania
E d u ca t i o n P r o f ess i o n a l De v e l o p m e n t
Ne t w o r k i n g E x p o s i t i o n F u n Fo o d Be v e r ag es
M u s i c Recep t i o n s
Ba n q u e t T o u r s
w w w . aspe . o r g / 2 0 1 0 c o n v e n t i o n a n d epe

D i scover

Challen g e

OCTOBER 2010
B
u i ld

Plumbing Systems & Design 27

w w w. aspe .o r g/ 20 1 0 co nven ti o nan d epe

ASPEs
Engineered
Plumbing
Exposition
The Largest Plumbing
Industry Exposition
Under One Roof
The 2010 ASPE Convention and
Engineered Plumbing Exposition is the
worlds largest gathering of plumbing
industry products, equipment, and
services for plumbing engineers,
designers, and contractors under one
roof. More than 300 manufacturers,
suppliers, and consultants will have
technical exhibits featuring everything
from pipes to pumps to fixtures,
from compressors to computers to
consulting services. This year look for
the international exhibitors.

Fi r s t Ti m e i n th e U n ited S tates!

2010 World Toilet Summit

Philadelphia, October 30November 3, 2010


In partnership with the 2010 ASPE Convention

Ever wonder why 2.6 billion people around the world still live without proper drinking
water and sanitation? ASPE is proud to partner with the ICC and the World Toilet Organization to bring the World Toilet Summit to the United States, to educate Americans
on global plumbing practices and problems. The WTS offers tremendous opportunities
to meet with and learn from your international peers, as well as the chance to attend a
special international track of educational sessions (see the education item for details).
PLUS: WTO founder Jack Sim will be making a special keynote speech on
Monday, Nov. 1, to further educate attendees about potable water and sanitation needs around the world.

Ring in the Future of ASPE


The theme of this years Convention is Ring in the Future of ASPE. Why? 2010 is indeed
ringing in ASPEs future, with the election and induction of a new board of directors,
including a brand-new president of ASPE, as well as the introduction of ASPEs next executive director, who will build on the current executive directors success to bring ASPE into
the forefront of the international plumbing engineering industry.
To assist in that effort, this year the Society is partnering with the International Code
Council and the World Toilet Organization to combine the ASPE Convention, the Mechanical, Plumbing, and Fuel Gas Code meeting, and the World Toilet Summit into one event.
The ability to meet and mingle with so many professionals from so many different aspect
of the international plumbing community make this years Convention second to none. You
cant miss it!

ASPE thanks the following sponsors


of the 2010 Convention and EPE. Their
support helps make the Convention an
exciting and innovative event for all attendees.

Diamond

Viega
P l at i n u m

Bradford White
Copper Development Association
Moen Commercial
Gold

Charlotte Pipe
Zurn
Bronze

BeaconMedaes
McGuire Manufacturing Co.
Mueller Industries
Sloan
SyncroFlo
T&S Brass and Bronze Works
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, call 703.683.8500, ext. 207.

28 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

Exclusive Access to the


National Constitution Center
On Sunday night, October 31, 2010, ASPE has reserved the entire National Constitution
Center exclusively for attendees to the ASPE Convention and Engineered Plumbing
Exposition. Attendees will be able to walk the Center and see all the exhibitions at their
leisure. Enjoy an evening of fun, food, dancing, and music while you mingle with the
countrys founding fathers. There also will be special additional shows of the 17-minute
multimedia and live action presentation called Freedom Rising, combining film, a live
actor, and video projection on a 360-degree screen. REMINDER: Sponsors and Patrons of
the 2010 ASPE Convention and EPE receive complimentary tickets to this event based on
the level of their sponsorship. Extra tickets will be available for an additional cost.
WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

Enhance Your Career


with Education

Prizes, Prizes, and


More Prizes!
All Convention and EPE Attendees receive prize-drawing tickets for both the grand prizes and the floor prizes.
Grand prizes: Eight 65-in LCD HD TVs
Floor prizes: Laptops every 15 minutes

ASPE has put together a spectacular educational program for the 2010
Convention, including sessions for anyone involved in the plumbing
industryfrom engineers and designers to code officials and inspectors
to master plumbers. Six time blocks offer attendees almost 50 technical
programs from which to chose, including numerous sessions on
international and green topics. Special tracks presented by the ICC and
the WTO will broaden your career horizons as you learn about plumbing
practices around the world.

ASPE Poker
Play ASPE Poker on the show floor for the chance to win
up to $1,000 cash instantly!

T h e A S P E A l m a n ac
Want to earn more prize-drawing tickets? Fill the ASPE
Almanac with stickers from the Sponsors and Patrons
and turn the completed book in for extra grand-prize
and floor-prize tickets!

Every technical program offers continuing education units (CEUs) or


professional development hours (PDHs). If you take full advantage of the
educational program, you can earn more than seven hours of continuing
education for recertification purposes.
Practical Engineering Track
Booster Pump Sizing
Philadelphia Single Stack
FOG Harvest: How, When, and Why
NSF 61 and Booster Systems
Variable-speed Fire Pumps
Fire Sprinkler Shop Drawing Review
High-performance Hot Water Systems
Fire Protection 101
Foam Extinguishing Systems

Green Systems Track


Solar Engineering by the Numbers
Green Opportunities in Medal Gases
Federal Leadership in
High-performance and
Sustainable Buildings
ICC Green Construction Code and the
IAPMO Green Supplement
Rainwater Harvesting
Graywater System Design

ICC Technical Track


Innovative Green Provisions of the
2009 IPC and IGCC
Protecting the Water Supply
Irrigation: A Sustainable Approach
Residential Fire Sprinklers
Optimizing Plumbing Plan Review

Social and Legal Track


Social Networking: Is It for You?
Potty Parity: Whats the Issue?
How Do You Known if You Have an
Enforceable Contract?
The Plumbing Engineer Goes to
Arbitration

WTO International Track


Practical Toilet Design on
a Global Level
2.6 Billion People Want Your Products
Toilet Design for Many Uses
Bottom of the PyramidPotential in
the Billions Toilet Economics and
Marketing to
Toilet Economic and Marketing to
the Poor
Sanitation and Creative Capitalism
Channels that Advocate Sanitation
Professional Janitorial Services 101
Advocacy and Potty Parity
Cleaning and Personal Care Services

Pa r t y w i t h t h e E P E E x h i b i to r s
Monday night, November 1, 2010, is Exhibitor Hospitality night. As you
make the rounds of the exhibits at the EPE, ask the exhibitors booth
personnel the time and location of their private party, reception, or
dinner. There are literally dozens and dozens of hospitality suites and
special parties and receptions, so dont be shy!

D i n e a n d Da n ce at t h e A S P E Ba n q u e t
On Tuesday night, November 2, 2010, is the closing banquet. Be sure to
attend, enjoy the food, drink, and festivities, and help honor your peers
as the highest honors and awards the Society can bestow are announced,
and members are welcomed into the Kenneth Wentink College of Fellows.
This is a fun and relaxing opportunity to see old friends and continue to
network. At the banquet, the ASPE 20102012 board of directors will be
introduced and sworn in, followed by an evening of relaxation, entertainment, music, and dancing.

Advanced and Emerging


Technologies Track
Globalization in Construction
Designing Plumbing Systems for
High-rise Buildings
Roof Drain Technologies
Life Cycle Assessment
Radiant Cooling
Water Qualitys Effects on Energyand Water-efficient Devices
Fluid Comfort: Back to the Future

Special Keynote Speaker:


Vince Papale
Walk-on Philadelphia Eagles Special Teams Member
and Subject of the Movie Invincible
Going from being called a loser with no
pedigree and no college football experience to
captain of an NFL team is the stuff from which
dreams and movies are made. Using video clips
from Invincible, Disney, and ESPN, Vince, a
tremendous storyteller, shares his tips on seizing
opportunities, overcoming odds, fulfilling potential, and taking it to
the highest level. His energy, passion, and humor will keep you on the
edge of your seat. He made second effort a part of his personality and
got the ultimate last laugh on those who doubted him. He will bring
you from tears of sadness to tears of joy and bring you to your feet as
you feel his journey is your trip as well.
Come hear Vince Papales keynote address at the 2010 ASPE
Convention, Monday, November 1, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.
OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 29

w w w. aspe . o r g/ 2 0 1 0 c o n v e n t i o n a n d epe

The 2010 ASPE Convention and Engineered Plumbing


Exposition will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October
30 through November 3. Philadelphia offers spectacular
historical sites at every turn, entertainment options that will
boggle the mind, eatery choices that will boggle the stomach,
thousands of shopping opportunities, museums, galleries, and
artisans for every palate, and educational institutions that rival
the worlds best.

Drinks, Schmoozing, and


Car Racing: The Perfect Saturday
Evening
After the delegates meeting on Saturday, Oct. 30, a wine and cheese
reception will be held so you can get up close and personal with the
candidates running for the 20102012 ASPE board of directors. Then,
get ready to cheer on your Chapter at the How Fast Can It Go? chapter-to-chapter grand prix, where ASPE chapters compete to design
and build a plumbing-related vehicle and then to see what it can do on
the race track. Be sure to make time to cheer on your fellow chapter
members as they compete, while savoring some drinks and snacks
before hitting the town for dinner.

Discover Philadelphia
with Our Special Tours
ASPE has arranged numerous adventurous and exciting tours
throughout the convention that will allow you to enjoy and share the
widest possible charm and magic of the city and its vistas. There is
also a special post-convention to the Big Apple. Tours include:
Colonial Philadelphia Experience
The Philadelphia Experience
The Simple Life: Pennsylvanias Amish Country
Philadelphia Unique Mural Arts Tour
Brandywine Valley, Longwood Gardens, and Winterthur
Big Apple Tour (after the Convention)

30 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

Travel Discounts!
F ly i n g to P h i l a d e l p h i a?
American Airlines is providing those attending the
ASPE 2010 Convention and Engineered Plumbing
Exposition with a special additional 5% discount off
their airline reservation. After making your reservation
through the American Airlines online reservation site
(aa.com), just before or when you get to payment, there
will be a place for a discount code. For ASPE, use the
code 79H0AT.
D r i v i n g to P h i l a d e l p h i a o r
Nee d a C a r W h e n Yo u A r e i n To w n ?
Avis Rental Cars has provided a discount code for
ASPE attendees to the 2010 Convention and Engineered Plumbing Exposition. For ASPE attendees, the
AVIS code is G027999. Depending on when you make
your reservation and the type of car you decide to rent,
the discount will range from a low of 5% all the way up
to a high of 25%.
C a r p o o l a n d S av e !
For all full paid registrants to the 2010 Convention
who are also registered at the Marriott Downtown
headquarters hotel for a minimum three nights (if
individuals are staying at one of the other Convention
hotels, a special percentage reduction of the total will
be applied), the Society is offering the following travel
stipend offsets:

1. $150 per vehicle toward gas for those driving their own
vehicle carrying no less than 4 people from their area.
2. $200 per vehicle toward gas for those driving their own
vehicle carrying no less than 6 people from their area.
3. $300 per vehicle toward gas for those driving their own
vehicle carrying 10 or more people from their area.
4. Up to $500 toward a vehicle rental that must be able to
hold 6 persons or more, plus $300 per vehicle toward gas
for those who carry a minimum of 6 people from their area.
5. Up to $1,000 toward a vehicle rental that must be able to
hold 10 persons or more, plus $300 per vehicle toward gas
for those who carry 10 people or more from their area.
6. Up to $1.00 per mile (one-way) for a chartered bus that
must be able to hold 20 persons or more, plus $500 per
vehicle toward gas for those who carry 15 or more from
their area.

w w w. aspe . o r g/ 2 0 1 0 c o n v e n t i o n a n d epe

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

EPE Reg

Lab Vac

Learn how to select and size systems to achieve the


desired vacuum for laboratory applications.
by Richard Ryan III, CPD

32 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

aboratory vacuum, commonly known


as lab vac, has become a necessity for
virtually all research buildings. The
vacuum system provides a primary tool for
the lab technician and is used frequently
throughout many research procedures.
However, ever-advancing research technologies and methodologies have rendered many
existing laboratories inefficient, and laboratories must be prepared to adapt to changing
market trends and technologies while overcoming the limitations imposed by financial
constraints. Incorporating new technologies
can substantially alter the demands placed
on the laboratory environment, and altering
the physical aspects of any laboratory often
means modifying utilities to accommodate
these new technologies.
Whether you are designing a new biological or pharmaceutical research building
or retrofitting a small vacuum system for
a university laboratory, the design criteria remain the same. Todays research
laboratories are being designed with an eye
toward flexibility, future room expansion,
and utility-rich environments. As research
laboratories continue to change to meet all
future demands of their inherent processes,
the basic utilities (water, purified water,
compressed air, lab vac, special gases, and
high-purity gases) remain the fundamental
building blocks.

What Is a Laboratory
Vacuum System?
Laboratory vacuum is associated with
several types of laboratory equipment and
processes that generally operate at lessthan-atmospheric pressure. These include:
General use at benches, fume hoods, and
biosafety cabinets
Solvent degassing
Filtration
Freeze dryers
Vacuum concentrators
Rotary evaporators
No codes are directly applicable to laboratory vacuum system design. National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) standards
applying to healthcare facilities typically
are adopted as the standard. The National
Institutes of Health Design Requirements
Manual for Biomedical Laboratories and
Animal Research Facilities guidelines also

are acceptable and are a good baseline for


the design of laboratory vacuum systems.
In practical terms, vacuum is merely
space that is essentially empty of matter.
Achieving the desired vacuum for an application can be done with the correct vacuum-producing equipment, which typically
is comprised of the following components
(see Figure 1):
Vacuum pump skid package with a
built-in vacuum receiver and control
panel
Pump exhaust system with silencer (muffler) and exhaust filtration
Vapor liquid separator (knockout pot)
System pump operation controls and
alarms
System maintenance valves and safety
pressure-relief devices

Why Create a Vacuum?


Creating a vacuum in a laboratory experiment or process is necessary to remove a
certain quantity of molecules from a container or chamber, and lab vac has become
a common laboratory utility and a requisite
part of carrying out laboratory processes.
The physical properties of the gases used
within a process may either aid or inhibit
the process, and lab vac is used to neutralize their effect on the experiment.
Laboratory building standard operating
procedures generally require, as part of the
laboratory process, the laboratory technician to utilize appropriate vacuum traps or
aspiration systems to remove highly toxic
or volatile materials before connecting
directly to the vacuum outlet. However,
this procedure is not always effective, and
hazardous materials do make their way
into the vacuum system. Foreign materials
such as solvent vapors, corrosive waste,
and water-based liquids can lead to rusting
and oxidizing of the pumping chamber,
resulting in premature pump failure. To
prevent pump failure due to corrosive
materials, its important to choose the correct type of pumping package incorporating materials that meet the specific criteria
for the application.

Choosing the Right Pump


The need to operate under vacuum is evident throughout the biopharmaceutical

industry. In many process applications,


the prime consideration is the amount of
vacuum required, and choosing a vacuum
pump that best meets the design requirements depends on the application.
The available varieties of pumps are both
confusing and overwhelming. Following are
the pumps commonly used when designing
central laboratory vacuum systems. However, many other types of vacuum pumps
can be considered. Of the three types listed
here, aside from their vacuum-producing
ability, each has its own set of attributes,
limitations, and application requirements.
The three general types of pumps used to
produce central laboratory vacuum are:
1. Water-sealed, liquid-ring pump
2. Oil-lubricated, rotary-vane pump
3. Dry-running, non-contacting operation
pump
Pumps can be broadly categorized
according to three pumping techniques:
1. Positive displacement
2. Momentum transfer
3. Entrapment
When choosing a pump, you first need to
decide the following: application vacuum
requirement (gas vapors, water, solvents,
etc.), system flow capacity, and pump
diversity. Before picking the style of pump
that best meets the system criteria, you
should proceed with caution and research
the vacuum systems usage intent with the
client. The following description of each of
the three pump types will help you determine each pumps attributes.

Water-sealed, Liquid-ring Pump


The water-sealed, liquid-ring pump is an
example of a positive-displacement pump
best used when the material or gas being
transferred back to the pump contains liquids, soft solids, or gas vapors. The pumps
internal construction makes the device
ideal for pumping saturated materials
without concern of damaging the integrity
of the pump. Saturated materials under
vacuum will allow this style of pump to
handle heavy loads when needed. Liquidring vacuum pumps rely on the physical
properties in the sealant to help determine
the maximum vacuum level. This is one of
the pumps finer qualities.
The water-sealed, liquid-ring vacuum
pump is best used in laboratories and hospitals; however, it is not recommended in a

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 33

Lab Vac |

Virtually eliminates
building drain clogs.
Significantly decreases the amount
of sediment entering grease traps


High pressure programmable water
feature removes debris.
Great in kettle lines!

Self-Washing Model


Stops leaks from above grade floor trough
installations! Unique seepage flange clamps
down on a waterproof membrane, creating a
watertight seal. Weep holes allow liquids to
flow into your building drain line.
Fits Sani-Floor
Trough Systems.

Figure 2
Conversion from
scfm to acfm
Standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) is
measured at standard conditions (68F,
29.92 inches mercury/14.7 pounds per
square inch absolute), while actual cubic
feet per minute (acfm) is measured at actual
inlet conditions.
Conversion from scfm to acfm and vice versa
is derived from the gas laws, specifically
Boyles law.
Boyles law states that the volume and pressure of gas will change in inverse proportion to one another, i.e., if the pressure in
a system decreases (higher vacuum), then
the volume the gas occupies will increase
proportionally according to the following
formula:
P1V1 = P2V2
Note: When using this formula, the values
must be in absolute terms (e.g., inches of
mercury absolute or torr).

Example
Convert 20 scfm of air to acfm at a vacuum
level of 25 inches of mercury at sea level.
First convert 25 inches of mercury gauge to
inches of mercury absolute:

SANI-FLOOR, LLC.
phone 866.895.7264
e-mail info@sanifloor.com

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34 Plumbing Systems & Design

Figure 1 Typical vacuum pump equipment schematic layout

OCTOBER 2010

P2 = 29.92 25 = 4.92 inches of mercury


absolute or 125 torr
Use the above formula and fill in the numbers:
29.92 x 20 scfm = 4.92 x V2 acfm
V2 = (29.92 4.92) x 20 = 121.6 acfm

biological laboratory due to the pumps recirculation water providing a potential environment for biological growth. This could pose
a significant safety hazard to maintenance
personnel.

Oil-lubricated, Rotary-vane Pump


The oil-lubricated, rotary-vane vacuum
pump, a positive-displacement style of
pump, can be installed as a single- or dualstage pump incorporating an integrated
oil recirculation system. This style of pump
can be either air cooled or water cooled. The
pump design is based on an air- or watercooled cylinder that houses an off-center
carbon steel rotor with vane slots. A thin
film of oil is fed to the rotor and vanes to
provide lubrication, cooling, and corrosion
protection. The oil is exhausted with the
gas and passes through a filter (coalescing,
centrifugal, combination, or other) that
removes most to all of the oil from the gas
stream. The oil then is returned to the oil
reservoir where it passes through a filter,
and the process repeats itself. The oil in the
pump must be maintained and changed
regularly to keep the pump in operation.
This style of pump is manufactured to
handle large capacities for applications
demanding heavy volumes. The oil-lubricated,
rotary-vane pump is best suited for laboratories, biotechnology, and hospital applications.

Dry-running, Non-contact Pump


The dry-running, non-contact vacuum pump
is also a positive-displacement pump and
may be designed as a rotary screw or rotary

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| Lab Vac
Table 1 Pressure and vacuum equivalents

vane. The rotary-screw pump operation is


based on two internal screws that are noncontacting. The screws are assembled in an
oil-free chamber where there is no risk of
contact with the process vapors. The rotaryscrew vacuum pump has a broad range of
industry applications, and the pump can
produce vacuum levels at a maximum
vacuum pressure of 29.3 inches of mercury at the pump inlet. This type of pump
eliminates the need for oil changes and most
importantly the chance of oil vapor contaminating the building work environment.
This pump also is manufactured for large
capacities for applications demanding large
volumes. It is ideal for biotechnology and
pharmaceutical applications; however,
caution should be used if the process gases
contain moisture, droplets, or solids.
An example of momentum-transfer
pumps as categorized by two main types
are diffusion pumps and turbo-molecular
pumps. Both types of pumps blow out
gas molecules that diffuse into the pump
by imparting momentum to the gas molecules. (Objects in motion are said to have
a momentum.) Momentum-transfer pumps
are used in conjunction with one or two
positive-displacement pumps to achieve
high vacuum (10-3 to 10-7 torr).
Entrapment pumps capture gases in a
solid or absorbed state. A style of entrapment pump known as a cryo-pump uses cold
temperatures to condense gases to a solid or
absorbed state. Other styles of entrapment
pumps include chemical pumps and ionization pumps. Entrapment pumps are used
when ultra-high vacuum is required (more
than 10-7 torr).

Sizing Vacuum Pumps


Manufacturers generally size vacuum
pumps based on actual cubic feet per
minute (acfm). The vacuum system flow
rate is calculated in standard cubic feet per
minute (scfm), which needs to be converted
to acfm for pump selection. See Figure 2 for
the conversion calculation.

How Much Vacuum


Is Required?
Before you determine how much vacuum
pressure is required in a laboratory
vacuum system, you first must understand

vacuum pressure and how it relates and


measures up to positive pressure and
atmospheric pressure.
The Earths atmosphere surrounds us
constantly with a pressure, known as atmospheric or barometric pressure. Barometric
pressure is expressed in a few different ways.
At sea level, absolute barometric pressure is
usually 14.7 pounds per square inch absolute
(psia) or 29.92 inches of mercury (760 millimeters of mercury) absolute. Barometric
pressure can vary, so the sea level barometric pressure of 14.7 psia usually is used as a
reference point. Pressures measured above
barometric pressure are considered positive and are expressed as gauge pressure.
Pressures below barometric are considered
negative and are expressed as absolute
pressure. Absolute pressure is zero when
referenced against a perfect vacuum, and it
can be defined as the sum of the gauge pressure plus the atmosphere pressure. Absolute
pressure is expressed as a pressure from 0
millimeters of mercury absolute, 0 psia, or 0
inches of mercury.
The American Vacuum Societys Dictionary
of Terms for Vacuum Science and Technology
defines a vacuum as the condition of a gaseous environment in which the gas pressure is
below atmospheric pressure. Thus, if the pressure in a process system is less than the ambient barometric pressure, that process would
operate under vacuum, and vacuum would
exist in the system. Vacuum is the opposite of
gauge, or positive, pressure, and so is vacuum
terminology. High vacuum is referred to
as low pressure, a pressure that is close to
absolute zero. Low vacuum is referred to as
high pressure, which is close to barometric, or
atmospheric, pressure.
Utilizing the principles mentioned above
will help you understand the vacuum pressure used in a lab vac system. As an industry
standard and generally accepted by the client,
the laboratory vacuum system serving a biological or pharmaceutical research building
typically would be expected to incorporate a
vacuum working pressure of 24 to 28 inches
of mercury at the pump inlet. The building
distribution inlets pressure typically would
have an end-user pressure of 19 inches of
mercury. In cases where a reduced pressure
(higher vacuum) is required, a separate lab
vac system would be installed to operate at a
standard vacuum working pressure of 15 to

Torr

Millibar

psia

in. Hg A

in. Hg V

760

1013

14.696

29.92

0.00

700

933

13.536

27.55

2.36

600

800

11.602

23.62

6.29

506

675

9.786

19.84

10.00

400

533

7.735

15.75

14.17

380

507

7.348

14.95

14.96

200

267

3.867

7.87

22.04

150

200

2.901

5.90

24.01

125

166

2.406

4.90

25.01

100

133

1.934

3.97

25.98

70

93

1.354

2.76

27.16

50

67

0.967

1.97

27.95

40

53

0.773

1.57

28.35

30

40

0.580

1.18

28.64

25.4

34

0.491

1.00

28.92

10

13

0.193

0.394

29.53

1.33

0.019

0.039

29.88

0.50

0.66

0.009

0.019

29.90

Source: International Vacuum

20 inches of mercury. At this vacuum pressure, the end-user inlet pressure would be
expected to be approximately 10 to 15 inches
of mercury. Refer to Table 1 for a comparison
of pressure and vacuum equivalent values.

How Many Pumps


Are Needed?
Installing multiple vacuum pumps affords
the buildings central system a level of
redundancy, thereby decreasing the probability of a complete system shutdown.
Providing two or more vacuum pumps in a
central system effectively increases the reliability of the system through backup or failsafe measures. Installing multiple pumps
not only increases reliability, but it also
reduces operating costs, provides flexibility,
and in some cases uses less energy.
Before determining the number of pumps
in a system, you first need to consult with the
client and discuss the pump system redundancy, also known as pump diversity. The
client should be consulted on overall system
capacity and the diversity of each pump.
Once this information is in place, the client
should understand how much diversity can
be taken on each pump and the capacity

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 35

Lab Vac |
Table 2 Laboratory vacuum inlet simultaneous use factors
(diversity factors), 1 scfm per inlet
Number of Inlets

Use Factor, % (diversity)

Minimum scfm

14

100

6 12

80

13 33

60

10

34 80

50

21

81 150

40

40

151 315

35

61

316 565

30

111

566 1,000

25

171

1,001 2,175

20

251

2,176 4,670

15

436

4,671 and above

10

701

Table 3 Effect of pipe fittings and valves


Feet Added to the Measured Run of Straight Pipe
Pipe Size

90-degree
Elbow

Tee (branch)

Tee (run)

Gate Valve
(full open)

Globe Valve
(full open)

18

24

30

46

10

59

12

70

15

87

10

20

114

12

25

143

15

30

10

172

20

40

13

226

Source: Gardner Denver Nash Products Inc.

FIGURE 3 Vacuum Flow Chart

Source: Gardner Denver Nash Products Inc.

36 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

required to be handled by the remaining


pump or pumps while the lead or primary
pump is out of service. You also could design
the vacuum system without excess capacity
built into it or to include 100 percent redundancy. These options also must be presented
to and discussed with the client.
Once the client understands overall system
capacity, pump diversity, and the accepted
capacity handled by one pump during an
emergency or maintenance shutdown, you
now can determine how many pumps will
be included in the central system. A typical
starting point is a duplex pump package,
with each pump sized for 67 percent of the
overall system capacity. Its also common to
see systems with 50 percent diversity, but 50
percent diversity does not provide any excess
in the system and meets only minimal operational capacities with one pump in operation.
Clients often specify a need for excess capacity built into the vacuum system, which not
only offers a pump package that will meet the
overall building load demand, but also means
that with one pump down, the remaining
pump(s) will be sized to handle a large portion of the building capacity.
As an alternative to a duplex vacuum
pump package, three pumps (triplex pump
set) or four pumps (quadraplex pump set)
can be installed. The diversity for each pump
or percentage of capacity handled by each
pump can be expressed in several different
combinations. For example, a triplex pump
set can include three pumps each rated for
33 percent of the overall system capacity,
which provides no excess built into the
overall building operational load. Other
combinations offered in a triplex pump set
include each pump sized at 50, 60, or even
as high as 75 percent. Quadraplex pump sets
can be sized for each pump to handle 25 or
33 percent of the system capacity.
It is recommended that the manufacturer
be consulted when designing a triplex or
quadraplex pump set. The manufacturer
and client both should agree to the capacity percentage of each pump and how the
pumps will be set up to run, including the
rated capacity handled by each pump. The
sequence of operation and controls also
should be conveyed to the client. Typically
the manufacturer sets up the specification for
the sequence of operation and the vacuum
control set points for all pump operation.

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Standard Air
Flow,
cfm (L/min)
1 (28.3)
2 (56.6)
3 (85.0)
4 (113.3)
5 (141.6)
6 (169.9)
7 (198.2)
8 (226.6)
9 (254.9)
10 (283.2)
15 (424.8)
20 (566.4)
25 (708.0)
30 (849.6)
35 (991.2)
40 (1132.8)
45 (1274.4)
50 (1416.0)
60 (1699.2)
70 (1982.4)
80 (2265.6)
90 (2548.8)
100 (2832.0)
125 (3540.0)
150 (4248.0)
175 (4956.0)
200 (5664.0)

TABLE 4 Pressure Loss Data for Sizing Vacuum Pipe, Low Pressure Vacuum System
Pressure Drop per 100 ft (30 m) of Pipe, in. Hg (kPa)
Nominal Pipe Size, in. (DN)
(20)
1 (25)
1 (32)
1 (40)
2 (50)
2 (65)
3 (80)
0.15 (0.5)
0.39 (1.3)
0.10 (0.3)
0.77 (2.6)
0.19 (0.6)
1.24 (4.2)
0.31 (1.1)
0.10 (0.3)
1.78 (6.0)
0.44 (1.5)
0.14 (0.5)
2.40 (8.1)
0.60 (2.0)
0.19 (0.6)
0.77 (2.6)
0.24 (0.8)
0.12 (0.4)
0.95 (3.2)
0.31 (1.1)
0.15 (0.5)
1.17 (4.0)
0.38 (1.3)
0.18 (0.6)
1.38 (4.7)
0.45 (1.5)
0.22 (0.7)
2.80 (9.5)
0.88 (3.0)
0.44 (1.5)
0.12 (0.4)
1.46 (4.9)
0.72 (2.4)
0.19 (0.6)
2.20 (7.4)
1.09 (3.7)
0.29 (1.0)
1.52 (5.1)
0.41 (1.4)
0.14 (0.5)
2.00 (6.8)
0.54 (1.8)
0.18 (0.6)
2.50 (8.4)
0.67 (2.3)
0.22 (0.7)
0.10 (0.3)
0.81 (2.7)
0.27 (0.9)
0.12 (0.4)
0.99 (3.3)
0.33 (1.1)
0.14 (0.5)
1.34 (4.5)
0.45 (1.5)
0.19 (0.6)
1.79 (6.1)
0.60 (2.0)
0.26 (0.9)
2.30 (7.8)
0.77 (2.6)
0.32 (1.1)
0.96 (3.2)
0.41 (1.4)
1.17 (4.0)
0.50 (1.7)
1.71 (5.8)
0.74 (2.5)
2.30 (7.8)
0.99 (3.3)
1.28 (4.3)
1.61 (5.4)

4 (100)

0.07 (0.2)
0.09 (0.3)
0.11 (0.4)
0.14 (0.5)
0.20 (0.7)
0.27 (0.9)
0.35 (1.2)
0.44 (1.5)

Source: Courtesy of Ohmeda.


Note: Based on copper pipe type L, ASTM B88.

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OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 37

Lab Vac |
Sizing the System
System capacity does not need to be
calculated based on simultaneous use of
all outlets in all rooms or special areas
utilizing vacuum service. Its important
to understand that vacuum will not be
required everywhere at one time and that
diversities exist and are applied from room
to room and across the entire system. Locations and the number of vacuum outlets are
determined by room programming criteria
and any equipment used in each room.
When these considerations have been
satisfied, the engineering aspects of the
system can be pieced together.
When determining nominal flow capacities for general laboratory outlets, typically
1 scfm per outlet is calculated. In some
cases, 0.5 scfm per outlet can be used, but
this should be confirmed with the owners
building standards. The flow rate of 1 scfm is
based on an industry standard used by both
vacuum pump manufacturer sizing criteria
and successful historical data. However,
using 1 scfm per lab outlet is acceptable only
when actual equipment usage or consumption data is not available. When calculating

the diversified system capacity, you must


add all of the building lab vac outlets and
multiply the total by the corresponding
diversity factor shown in Table 2.
For example, say a system has 125 outlets,
and the corresponding diversity factor is 40
percent. Therefore, 125 outlets x 0.4 (40%) =
50 outlets (diversified load).
To determine the system flow capacity
(scfm) based on the simultaneous use factor
or diversity, the diversified system load shall
be multiplied by 1 scfm. Thus, 50 outlets x 1
scfm = 50 scfm. This is the diversified system
capacity, which is the value used to size the
pumps, vacuum pipe mains, and main distribution branches.
The applied diversities in Table 2 are
based on the probability that the sum of
the building vacuum outlets will be utilized
at one time during the peak load, known
as the adjusted simultaneous use factor or
diversified system capacity. The data contained in Table 2 may differ from the values
shown in the manufacturers sizing criteria,
but in my experience, using one over the
other has proven to be insignificant with
respect to pipe and pump size. However, the

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38 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

applied diversities in Table 2 should be used


with some caution, since these values must
be adjusted when special conditions must
be satisfied.

Acceptable System Piping Pressure Loss


Before you can determine the total system
pressure drop, the equivalent length of run
must be calculated. The equivalent length of
run is simply the systems longest length of
pipe run from the pump inlet to the furthest
inlet in the vacuum system plus an additional number of feet to allow for valves and
fittings. Once you have established and laid
out the vacuum system piping, the longest
length of pipe or longest system run can be
determined.
To determine the actual equivalent feet
for valves and fittings, refer to Table 3. Count
the fittings (tees and elbows) and valves in
the run and calculate their pressure drop
expressed as added feet.
For example, a 2-inch 90-degree elbow is
expressed as 5.25 equivalent length of feet.
If the system incorporates ten (10) 2-inch
90-degree elbows, then the following will apply:
10 elbows x 5.25 feet = 52.50 equivalent length
of feet.
Add all of the equivalent length of feet
from the fittings and valves to the calculated
longest length of pipe in the system. This
value will be known as the vacuum systems
equivalent length of run.
When determining the acceptable vacuum
system pressure drop, two governing factors
must be in place: total equivalent pipe length
and diversified system flow rate (scfm).
The maximum allowable pressure drop in
the entire pipe system should not exceed 5
inches of mercury. However its common to
use a system pressure drop ranging from a
low of 3 inches of mercury up to a maximum
of 5 inches of mercury depending on the systems size. Its recommended that you keep
pressure drops below 1 inch of mercury per
100 feet of equivalent length. The maximum
velocity in the system should not exceed
5,000 feet per minute (fpm). If system noise
is an issue or is a concern to the owner due to
sensitive building areas, reduce velocities in
the system to 4,000 fpm.
Generally you do not want to size vacuum
piping for greater than a 1-inch-of-mercury
pressure drop per 100 feet. Many designers
use this as a system design starting point or
guide. It is a reasonable rule of thumb, and if

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Table 5 Vacuum pump exhaust pipe sizing
Equivalent Pipe Length, feet

Total Vacuum Plant


Capacity with All
Pumps, scfm

50

10

50

2.5

100

150

200

100

150

200

300

400

500

300

400

500

Pipe Size, inches

Source: ASPE Plumbing Engineering Design Handbook, Volume 2

your systems developed length is less than 500 feet, it should work and keep the total system
pressure drop to the maximum stated value of 5 inches of mercury. If the system is expected
to be more than 500 feet in developed length, which is very easy to achieve in a modern
research building,then the pressure drop would need to be less than 1 inch of mercury per
100 feet.
To determine the buildings overall design pressure drop for the piping, the following calculation should be used:
Pressure drop (in. Hg per 100 feet of pipe) =

5 inches of mercury
(System developed length 100)

Typically, pressure-drop tables and charts are based on 100 unit feet of pipe.
The maximum allowable system pressure drop (3 to 5 inches of mercury typically) divided
by the equivalent length of the pipe run yields an equivalent unit pressure drop per 100 linear
feet of pipe.
For example, a system with 500 feet of linear pipe and an additional allowance of 200 feet
for valves and fittings would yield a total developed length of 700 feet. Therefore, the resulting
calculation for an allowable pressure drop of 5 inches of mercury would be:
5 in. Hg
(700 feet 100)

= 0.7143 in. Hg per 100 feet of pipe

For an allowable pressure drop of 3 inches of mercury, the resulting calculation would be:
3 in. Hg
(700 feet 100)

= 0.428 in. Hg per 100 feet of pipe

Therefore, sizing between these two pressure drop ranges will provide a properly sized
vacuum distribution system for this example.
When determining pipe sizes through the smaller individual risers or takeoffs and minor
branch pipes, the diversity factors in Table 2 do not apply. However, pressure drop through
the smaller pipe sizes is critical, and velocities should be limited to 4,000 to 5,000 fpm.
When sizing the buildings vacuum mains and all major branches, the simultaneous use
factor (diversity factor) should be used.

System Network Sizing


When sizing the piping network, its important to have both the diversified system flow
(scfm) and equivalent length of pipe run. With the diversified system flow (scfm) and equivalent length of pipe run, use the vacuum flow chart in Figure 3 to determine the pressure drop
in the pipe size selected for each run. As noted earlier, the system pressure drop should not
exceed 1 inch of mercury per 100 feet. This pressure drop typically is used throughout the

industry, but its not uncommon to use a


pressure drop between 0.1 and 0.4 inch
of mercury per 100 feet of equivalent pipe
length. However, using a lower pressure
drop across the system will increase the
pipe size and should be used with caution.
When sizing the system at a lower pressure
drop, its good design practice to compare
the selected system design pressure drop
pipe sizes in Figure 3 to the corresponding
pipe sizes and pressure drops in Table 4.
Table 4 should be used for sizing pipe and
determining pressure drops on standard
vacuum pressure systems. Sizing the
vacuum system on a lower pressure drop
will provide the system with a built-in safety
factor for both system flow and system pressure drop and will prevent system choking
during peak demand periods.
The vacuum piping branches and mains
should be sized on the scfm flow of each pipe
run. The pressure drop used to determine
the pipe size shall be equal to or less than the
equivalent unit pressure drop per 100 linear
feet as described in the previous section.
Using Figure 3 and Table 4, the pipe size can
be determined by selecting the pressure drop
less than or equal to the equivalent unit pressure drop per 100 linear feet for the required
scfm flow for that segment of pipe. Sequential segments of pipe in the longest branch of
the system must be added, maintaining the
appropriate diversities found in Figure 3 for
the increasing flow in each segment.

General System
Equipment Layout
When installing vacuum-generation
equipment in mechanical rooms and
penthouses, its important to provide the
required clearances around the equipment
for accessibility and maintenance. The
general clear dimensions around equipment usually are prescribed by the pump
manufacturer and the owners building
standards. When locating the vacuum
pump, sufficient room should be provided
for the following: pump removal, general
pump maintenance, vacuum receiver
maintenance, and vapor liquid separator (inlet knockout pot) maintenance. Its
important that the system incorporates
cleanouts at system low points since heavy
liquids and entrained solids will collect at
these points.

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 39

Lab Vac |
The vacuum pump exhaust always should
be designed to terminate through the roof to
atmosphere. The design of the exhaust piping
shall be as straight and direct as possible with
minimal system bends. The location of the
rooftop exhaust piping should be engineered
so that it is located within the code-prescribed
distances from air-handler fresh-air intakes,
wall-mounted HVAC louvers, building openings, and maintenance personnel walkways.
When sizing and laying out the exhaust piping,
its important to consult with the pump manufacturer for the exhaust pressure drop and
total exhausted cubic feet per minute (cfm).
The exhaust piping sizing criteria is primarily
based on total vacuum pump capacity (scfm),

which would include the capacity of all pumps


operating simultaneously and the exhaust
equivalent length of run. Refer to Table 5 to
determine vacuum pump exhaust pipe size.
The exhaust piping should be designed to
slope back toward the pump prior to connecting to the pumps exhaust manifold. A vertical
drip leg with a valve should be installed. (Refer
back to Figure 1.)
Installing inline exhaust filters is recommended since these devices eliminate smoke
and vapors and prevent foreign pathogens
from escaping to the atmosphere. The sizing
of exhaust filters is critical due to the effects
of pressure drop on the vacuum pump
exhaust rate, expressed in total cfm. When

sizing the exhaust filters, the pump manufacturer should be consulted with respect
to filter micron removal rating, rated flow
capacity, material compatibility, housing
design, and final specifications.
Installing a vapor liquid separator (inlet
knockout pot) prior to the vacuum pump
receiver will prevent entrained droplets, liquids, and particles from reaching the vacuum
pump. It is recommended that all vacuum
receivers and liquid separators be equipped
with ASME-rated safety relief valves to protect
the vessel and building environment from
vessel over-pressurization due to extreme
heat, fire, and internal vapors.

Conclusions
With the need for utility-rich system designs
coupled with system reliability, the performance of the laboratory vacuum system is
nothing less than critical and thus should
receive the proper attention during the
design phase of any project. When designing
a lab vac system, you must consider all of the
system design criteria to design a reliable,
safe, and maintainable system.

Resources
1. Design Requirements Manual for
Biomedical Laboratories and Animal
Research Facilities, National Institutes of
Health, 2008.
2. Dictionary of Terms for Vacuum Science
and Technology, American Vacuum
Society, 2009.
3. Engineered Medical Systems and
Equipment: emse.com
4. Gardner Denver Nash: gdnash.com
5. Dekker Vacuum Technologies:
dekkervacuum.com
6. International Vacuum:
internationalvacuum.com

Acknowledgement
The author thanks Henry Pinto, PE, senior
mechanical engineer at KlingStubbins A/E
and Michael Moses Bates of KlingStubbins
A/E for their technical review of this article
and Lisa Ryan for her stellar patience.
Rich Ryan, CPD, is a Senior Process Plumbing Designer

with KlingStubbins A/E in Philadelphia. He has 25 years of


experience in the field of plumbing and processing specialty
systems. For more information or to comment on this article,
e-mail articles@psdmagazine.org.

40 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

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OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 41

CONTINUING EDUCATION: Acoustics in Plumbing

Continuing Education from Plumbing Systems & Design

Now Online!

The technical article you must read to complete the exam is located at
www.psdmagazine.org. Just click on Plumbing Systems & Design Continuing Education Article and Exam at the top of the page. The following
exam and application form also may be downloaded from the website.
Reading the article and completing the form will allow you to apply to
ASPE for CEU credit. If you earn a grade of 90 percent or higher on the
test, you will be notified that you have logged 0.1 CEU, which can be
applied toward CPD renewal or numerous regulatory-agency CE programs.
(Please note that it is your responsibility to determine the acceptance policy
of a particular agency.) CEU information will be kept on file at the ASPE
office for three years.
Note: In determining your answers to the CE questions, use only the material pre-

About This Issues Article


The October 2010 continuing education article is
Acoustics in Plumbing Systems, Chapter 10 of Plumbing
Engineering Design Handbook, Volume 2.
Plumbing noise is one of the most intrusive and difficult
sounds to mitigate. This chapter addresses this issue and
related solutions, including why plumbing system noise is
difficult to remedy; identification of common sources of
plumbing system noise; a review of common attempts to
mitigate plumbing system noise; proven acoustical materials, techniques, and resources; and steps the engineer can
take to ensure success on the job.
You may locate this article at www.psdmagazine.org.
Read the article, complete the following exam, and submit
your answer sheet to the ASPE office to potentially receive
0.1 CEU.

sented in the corresponding continuing education article. Using information from


other materials may result in a wrong answer.

CE Questions Acoustics in Plumbing (PSD 171)

SD 171

Do you find it difficult to obtain continuing education units (CEUs)?


Through this special section in every issue of PS&D, ASPE can help you
accumulate the CEUs required for maintaining your Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) status.

1. Which of the following is an example of impact noise?


a. scraping furniture
b. plumbing noise
c. loud music vibrations
d. all of the above

7. Which of the following fixture materials absorbs sound?


a. enameled steel
b. vitreous china
c. cast iron
d. both b and c

2. ________ and ________ pipe wall construction leads to quieter


performance.
a. thinner; more brittle
b. thicker; more dense
c. lighter; thinner
d. heavier; more dense

8. ________ are quieter than flushometer valve toilets.


a. waterless toilets
b. flush tank toilets
c. dual-flush toilets
d. none of the above

3. CPVC tubing expands and contracts at nearly _______ the rate of


copper tubing.
a. three times
b. four times
c. five times
d. none of the above
4. Which of the following contributes to the noise emitted from
valves?
a. pressure
b. friction
c. turbulence
d. both b and c
5. Which of the following affects the noise in water-distribution
systems?
a. water pressure
b. water velocity
c. number and type of fittings
d. all of the above
6. Chilled, condenser, domestic, and hot water equipment should
be isolated from _______.
a. all piping in the equipment room
b. all piping outside the equipment room within 55 feet of the
connected pump
c. all piping more than 2 inches in diameter
d. all of the above

42 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

9. _______ are typically the quietest valves.


a. full-way ball valves
b. full-way gate valves
c. globe valves
d. both a and b

10. What type of vibration-control device is used where deflections


of 0.3 inch or less are required?
a. air springs
b. steel springs
c. rubber isolators
d. isolation hangers
11. What type of vibration-control device can be applied with
concrete bases?
a. rubber vibration isolators
b. spring isolators
c. neoprene pads
d. all of the above

12. The _______ establishes the submittal requirements, procedures,


acoustical materials, and methods required for a project.
a. plumbing noise and vibration specification
b. acoustical test
c. acoustical engineer
d. plumbing installation detail drawing

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

Plumbing Systems & Design Continuing Education Application Form


This form is valid up to one year from date of publication. The PS&D Continuing Education program is approved by ASPE for up to one
contact hour (0.1 CEU) of credit per article. Participants who earn a passing score (90 percent) on the CE questions will receive a letter
or certification within 30 days of ASPEs receipt of the application form. (No special certificates will be issued.) Participants who fail and
wish to retake the test should resubmit the form along with an additional fee (if required).
1. Photocopy this form or download it from www.psdmagazine.org.
2. Print or type your name and address. Be sure to place your ASPE membership number in the appropriate space.
3. Answer the multiple-choice continuing education (CE) questions based on the corresponding article found on
www.psdmagazine.org and the appraisal questions on this form.
4. Submit this form with payment ($35 for nonmembers of ASPE) if required by check or money order made payable to ASPE or credit
card via mail (ASPE Education Credit, 2980 S. River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018) or fax (847-296-2963).
Please print or type; this information will be used to process your credits.
Name_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title __________________________________________________ ASPE Membership No._____________________________________
Organization___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Billing Address_ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
City_ _________________________________________ State/Province_________________________ Zip_______________________
Country_______________________________________________ E-mail_ _________________________________________________
Daytime telephone_ ____________________________________ Fax_____________________________________________________
PE State _ _____________________________________________ PE No._ _________________________________________________

I am applying for the following continuing education credits:


I certify that I have read the article indicated above.

ASPE Member
Each examination: $25

Nonmember
Each examination: $35

Limited Time: No Cost to ASPE Member

Payment: Personal Check (payable to ASPE) $


Business or government check $
DiscoverCard VISA MasterCard AMEX $

Signature
Expiration date: Continuing education credit will be given
for this examination through October 31, 2011.

If rebilling of a credit card charge is necessary, a $25 processing fee will be charged.

ASPE is hereby authorized to charge my CE examination fee to my


credit card

Applications received after that date will not be processed.

PS&D Continuing Education Answer Sheet


Acoustics in Plumbing (PSD 171)

Questions appear on page 42. Circle the answer to each question.

Q 1.
Q 2.
Q 3.
Q 4.
Q 5.
Q 6.
Q 7.
Q 8.
Q 9.
Q 10.
Q 11.
Q 12.

A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A

B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B

C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C

D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D

Account Number
Signature

Expiration date
Cardholders name (Please print)

Appraisal Questions

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Acoustics in Plumbing (PSD 171)

Was the material new information for you? Yes No


Was the material presented clearly? Yes No
Was the material adequately covered? Yes No
Did the content help you achieve the stated objectives? Yes No
Did the CE questions help you identify specific ways to use ideas presented in
the article? Yes No
6. How much time did you need to complete the CE offering (i.e., to read the
article and answer the post-test questions)?

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 43

From the Presidents Pen

Who Are You Mentoring?

ASPE REPORT

JULIUS BALLANCO, PE, FASPE, 2008-2010 ASPE PRESIDENT

A few months ago, a colleague passed away. I remember


him vividly as one of my mentors in the codes and standards profession. When I was a young plumbing engineer,
he took me under his wing. As I got older, we remained
wonderful friends. However, this friend wasnt my only
mentor. I can think of a number of other engineers who
helped me along the way.
When speaking to a friend about the passing of one of my
mentors, I asked if he was mentoring any young engineers.
His response was, This is a different generation. They dont
want mentoring; they only want a paycheck. Then they want
to go home and play video games.
I will agree and disagree with that statement. I agree that it
is a different generation. I started in college with a slide rule.
There were no calculators until the end of my sophomore
year. This generation started college with computers. That
certainly makes it different.
However, I disagree with the statement that they basically
dont care. I find that todays young generation cares as
much as I did when I was a young engineer.
I have enjoyed being a mentor to younger engineers. Yes,
I will admit that I am in the second half of my career as a
plumbing engineer. I like to seek out those in the first half of
their careers and help them in any way I can. So, I would ask
all of you: Are you doing your job as a mentor? We all have
a responsibility to mentor the young. It is our responsibility to find someone to replace us. We are not going to live
forever.
Some younger engineers may be saying, How can I be a
mentor? I need the mentoring. You are correct that you need
us old guys to mentor you, but you still have a responsibility
to mentor those behind you, especially those who are still in
engineering school. Did you ever think about going back to
your school and talking to the students about life as a plumbing engineer? That is mentoring. That is something you
should consider doing. I also have been working with Boy

Scouts for the past 45 years. Yes, you are mentoring in Boy
Scouts, as well as in other volunteer organizations.
This past week, I was talking to the CEO of a plumbing
product manufacturing company. We were discussing the
people he hires, and he told me that he doesnt look for the
highest grades, although he doesnt discount good grades.
He looks for someone who has been continuously involved
because he finds them to be better employees. This company
has many employees with years of service, and he claims that
he doesnt want a revolving door. Then he mentioned how
well the older guys mentor the younger guys to help them
move up in the company.
I also think back to 1978 when I was newly married,
attending a meeting in New Orleans. I met a gentleman by
the name of Don Dickerson. I knew he would be at the same
meeting, and I was really looking forward to introducing
myself to him. I was a young, 25-year-old plumbing engineer.
Don probably will deny it to this day, but he took me under
his wing and told me I would be a good plumbing engineer.
He always encouraged me to do what was right. He always
checked up on me. If he thought I had screwed up, which I
have done more than once, Don would call me.
Even now, Don contacts me all the time. I enjoy receiving
his phone calls and always enjoy talking to him. Don is still
mentoring me. Don, I thank you for that, and I thank you for
mentoring so many other plumbing engineers.
This is my final column as president of ASPE. I would
like to invite all of you to attend the Biennial Convention in
Philadelphia to see the passing of the torch. As one of my
fellow Chicago Chapter members says, You have to attend
an ASPE Convention at least once. However, be forewarned:
Once you attend one, you will keep coming back.
Be sure to come say hello and give me an opportunity to
be a mentor like the great ones before me. Finally, thank you
for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to be your Society
president for the past four years.

The Original

www.aspe.org

Hunter Pa ers

The Foundation of Plumbing Engineering

Dont miss your chance to add three exact


replicas of a vital piece of plumbing engineering
history to your professional library!

44 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

Do Not Miss Your Chance to


Enhance Your Career at the 2010
ASPE Convention and EPE
In these continuing tough economic times, we all need
to take advantage of every opportunity that will help us
advance in our careers. The 2010 ASPE Convention and
Engineered Plumbing Exposition offers engineers and
designers numerous chances to network, learn, and grow
in their industryall for an extremely competitive price
compared to similar events.
Where else can you find thousands of your professional
peers and more than 300 manufacturers and suppliers of
plumbing and HVAC products all under one roof? What
other event provides more than 50 technical educational
sessions on the most innovative topics? In just a few days,
you can mingle with and learn from the most experienced
leaders in the plumbing industryas well as earn continuing
education units for your license and designation recertification requirements.
Thanks to our partnership with the International Code
Council and the World Toilet Organization, this years Convention is representing all aspects of the plumbing industry,
with a unique international perspective. Professionals
involved in the design, engineering, specification, inspection, and installation of plumbing, mechanical, and civil
projects will be attendingwhich furthers your chances of
expanding your professional horizons.
How exactly can the 2010 ASPE Convention and EPE help
you advance in your career? At this eventwhich happens
only once every two yearsyou can:
Network with thousands of plumbing industry professionals from around the world
Asses the overall economic health of the plumbing industry and tap into growing markets
Find out how the products you specify work from the
engineers who design them
Discover how to enhance your designs with the newest,
most innovative products
Learn how to make your designs more sustainable to help
clients save money
Show your dedication to the plumbing engineering profession and meet industry leaders
Expand your knowledge to stand out from the crowd
The 2010 ASPE Convention provides a relaxed, social
atmosphere in which you can meet todays movers and
shakers from all over the country and around the world.
Grab a beer and some pretzels as ASPE members compete
in the How Fast Can It Go? Chapter-to-Chapter Grand Prix
on Saturday evening. Explore our countrys history at the
Sunday Night Welcome Party at the National Constitution
Center. Chat with new and old friends in the Host Chapter

Hospitality Room on Monday and Tuesday before playing


with all of the latest plumbing products at the Engineered
Plumbing Exposition.
If you havent already registered, go online right now to
learn all about the networking and educational opportunities at the 2010 ASPE Convention and EPE and then make
your travel plans to Philadelphia. You can register online
until October 22 or bring your form to the registration desk
at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
You do not want to miss this fantastic chance to enhance
your career opportunities now and into the future.

2010 ASPE Convention and Engineered Plumbing


Exposition
October 30November 3, 2010
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Register online at
www.aspe.org/2010ConventionAndEPE

Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in


Philadelphia - Booth #1235

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 45

From the Executives Desk

How a Little Slipup Caused Major


Misunderstandings

ASPE REPORT

stanley wolfson, aspe executive director

www.aspe.org

Oh my, I am about to start a brouhaha. An article by a


worker bee for IAPMO recently spelled out what supposedly happened regarding a certain Memorandum of
Understanding that was not sent in a timely manner to that
organization. I must take full responsibility for that. Yes, I
was late in sending it.
Let me explain. Earlier this year, the ASPE board of
directors thought that it was time to make agreements,
operational or otherwise, with both of the major code
organizations, ICC and IAPMO. A director at ICC liked the
idea so much that he immediately drafted a very innocuous MOU between ASPE and ICC. After some review and
modification, the final draft was given to the ASPE board
to decide if it was what they wanted to do. It was, and I was
directed to immediately send the exact same MOU to both
ICC and IAPMO, with the necessary organizational wording changes.
Oops. I slipped up. Since I happened to be working with
the ICC on some other things at the same time, I sent them
the approved MOU for agreement and signing. Before you
could boil an egg, the ICC signed it, and so did ASPE. Uh-oh.
The ICC was so proud of the MOU that they immediately
made a lot of PR noise, which would have been okay, except
that I hadnt yet sent the MOU to IAPMO.
As soon as the muck hit the fan, so to speak, I sent the
MOU to IAPMO. However, it was too little, too late. They were
not happy campers. IAPMO asked if they could modify the
MOU more to their liking, and the modified version was put
before the ASPE board, which said, wait, we approved one
that we agreed was for both. IAPMO did not like that answer,
but they have since worked something out that just slightly
modifies the MOU to be more in keeping with their organization. I expect to have it for the board to review at their
October meeting.

Meanwhile
While all of this was happening, two other things occurred.
First, I wrote my article for the Annual Report for the
Region Chapter Presidents Meetings in June, and in it I
said that I think the Society should support only one code
in the United States and that I think ICC is the right way to
go. Oops again. Im still lucky to have my head given the
response from the West Coast as to how dare I, the executive director, make such a pronouncement and that the
Uniform Plumbing Code is as good as or even better than
the International Plumbing Code.
Second, we were in the middle of planning the Convention
and EPE, and I had a brilliant idea: How about we invite the
United Association to bring their demonstration trailers to
the Exposition floor so our attendees could get a better idea

46 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

of what plumbers learn and get up close and personal with


the actual tools and products.
Wow. Everyone liked that idea. The UA thought it was a
great idea, especially since I would, in the spirit of friendship, provide the Exposition floor space at no cost. We
shortly received an e-mail from the UA saying it was a go.
Wait for it Shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from
a very irate individual who claimed to be the UA official who
scheduled the trailers and who also just happened to be on
the IAPMO board. Who did we think we were not having an
MOU with IAPMO? I again explained that it was my fault,
I was late, it was being sent, etc., etc. Too bad. He made it
very clear that unless we had a signed MOU with IAPMO by
Monday (this was on Friday), he was not going to send the
trailers to the ASPE EPE. Oh my.
Since then, the ASPE president and the UA have made
nice, and they said they would be glad to send their trailers.
Of course, without any early promotion, just having them
show up is of no matter. Its like a major speaker. The idea
to hire them in advance is for the promotion you get when
you market the event. The whole idea of marketing the
Convention is the promotion of what will be happening to
excite attendees.
As an aside, while all of this was going on, we were still
selling the Exposition floor, and space was getting very tight.
Through intermediaries, I said that if the UA wanted to bring
their trailers, they could, but they would have to pay for the
floor space, which would be approximately 1,000 square feet.
The same space I initially offered for free was, and still is,
worth about $30,000.

My Lumps
So now I have to take my lumps and try to do everything I
can so the Society is not seen as unfriendly. A few months
after the Convention, I will officially retire from ASPE. I
know many are looking forward to that day. Me too, sort
of. Im looking forward to my new job and work schedule.
However, I will miss ASPE very much.

Were Going Green


By now, everyone should have heard that the Society would
like to be as green as possible at the Convention and EPE.
Initially, we thought about providing all Convention documents on e-books. Although we tried and tried, we were
unable to find a device inexpensive enough to give to all
Convention attendees without raising the registration fee
dramatically.
Yet we still intend to go green. First and foremost, very
little printed material will be given to the delegates. In fact,
virtually nothing on paper will be handed out at the Busi-

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

ness Meeting. Each delegate will be responsible for deciding


how he or she wants to bring the material to the Business
Meetingwhether that means printing it out or downloading
it to their laptop, e-book, or netbook. (Obviously, printing
the material negates the greenness for which we are striving.) Whatever they decide, we hope it will help us stay a bit
greener at the Convention.
So, be aware. Each delegate will be responsible for bringing the delegate material to the meeting on their own!
In an additional attempt to be green, no paper handouts
will be available at any of the program sessions. All handouts
will be in digital form on a USB thumb drive or perhaps a
memory card.
Some things we absolutely must print, but we will try to
use recycled paper and provide recycling bins in the Convention Center. The Exposition Show Guide will be continued in
its magazine format. Also, the Convention Program Book will
be provided in its easy-to-use pocket size.

Finally, a Random Thought About PEs and CPDs

an engineering degree course at a university and are probably a mechanical or civil engineer who has learned it all.
So why now bother to become a CPD?
This is a good question, especially since it seems that many
PEs look down on the CPD. All too many, our own members
included, are not very good supporters of the CPD and especially of the recertification that is required. After all, many
PEs, once they have passed the exam in certain states, dont
have to do much to recertify their PE, except pay a fee.
Thankfully, that is finally changing. Many states now are
requiring PEs to get continuing education credits to recertify.
There doesnt seem to be any real standard, but many states
require 24 to 36 credit hours in coursework directly related to
engineering.
Now, with all of that continuing education, you would
think that a PE would be able to pass the CPD Examination
with no trouble and probably, according to many, no real
studying. The Society would like more PEs to become CPDs
for a very simple reason: to show that the CPD is important to
the profession and really means something.

Should a PE bother to take the CPD examination? After all,


they are Professional Engineers who have graduated from

New ASPE Members


Welcome to all new Society members. When you choose a chapter affiliation, you have twice the advantage. Not only can you
be involved at the national level, you also can participate in chapter functions and programs. To all members, old and new, this
is your Society. Your involvement enhances the plumbing engineering field as well as ASPE. Suggestions about how to make
your Society more beneficial to both fellow members and all involved in the industry are welcome.

Atlanta Chapter

Michael R. Barksdale

Boston Chapter

John Apostolopoulos, GE
Akindele Ogunbodede, GE

British Columbia Chapter


Olesya Gorodivska, GE

Central Florida Chapter


Zhijun Wei

Central Indiana Chapter


Tim Dale Brown

Central Ohio Chapter

Joshua Lynn Moran, GE

Central Texas Chapter

Jennifer Carol Doyle, PE

Chicago Chapter

Harry Bloom
Michael F. Hanney

Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapter


Chad Hartung

Eastern Michigan Chapter


Dana Keith Boykin

Houston Chapter

Cole Marshburn

Kansas City Chapter


Michael Kerr, PE

Los Angeles Chapter

Yuridiana Y. Castellon
Uriel Luevano
Andrew P. Luevano
Joven-Cid Dolor Parco

Member at Large

Phoenix Chapter

Matthew Kenji Takita

Robert S. Haines
Matthew Klem

Miami Chapter

Peter M. Dominguez

Portland Chapter

Aaron Lee Anspach

Nashville Chapter

Christopher Loftis

Quebec Chapter

Bruno Pare, GE

New York City Chapter


Adam M. Hersh

Richmond Chapter

Istvan Godri Martis, GE

Overseas Chapter

Hassan El Mogy, GE

Wisconsin Chapter
Mark Dahl, GE

Philadelphia Chapter

Mike Bilotta
Raymond Armond Foisy
Lawrence P. Matesich

OCTOBER 2010

Plumbing Systems & Design 47

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Liberty Pumps................................................ 14
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Moen Commercial........................................... 41
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Neoperl......................................................... 22
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ProVent Systems............................................. 15
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PVI................................................................ 26
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Sani-Floor...................................................... 34
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Schott.............................................................9
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SeeWater....................................................... 40
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Sioux Chief.......................................... 13,15,38
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Tsurumi Pump..................................................5
www.tsurumipump.com
TouchSensor................................................... 24
www.levelguardproducts.com
Zoeller.............................................................7
www.zoeller.com
Zurn.............................................................. 25
www.zurn.com

Good only Oct. 30Nov. 3, 2010, at the ASPE Pavilion in the


Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Coupon may not be reproduced.

48 Plumbing Systems & Design

OCTOBER 2010

WWW.PSDMAGAZINE.ORG

YOUR
PIPELINE
to Whats NEW!
)NTERNATIONAL!IR #ONDITIONINGs(EATINGs2EFRIGERATING%XPOSITION
Co-sponsors:

January 31 - February 2, 2011

Honorary Sponsor:

Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

SEE, LEARN and


ACCOMPLISH
More for the
HVAC Side of
Your Business

N Demo the Newest Products from Manufacturers showcasing Hydronic

and RadiANT(EATING3YSTEMSs"OILERSs(OT7ATER(EATERSs0IPINGs6ALVES
s0UMPSs&ITTINGSs#ONTROLS)NTEGRATED"UILDING!UTOMATONsANDOTHER
0LUMBING%QUIPMENT 4OOLSAND3UPPLIES
N Explore the Latest Technologies PROMOTING3USTAINABLE"UILDINGS
!LTERNATIVE%NERGY/PTIONSINCLUDING3OLARAND'EOTHERMAL 3TATE OF THE ART
7ATER3OLUTIONSFOR4REATMENT #ONSERVATION ANDMORE
N Learn Best-practices and Growth Opportunities TODEVELOPNEW
0LUMBING(6!#2EVENUE3OURCESINOVER.EW0RODUCT4ECHNOLOGY
0RESENTATIONS 7ORKSHOPSAND3EMINARSnMany free to all Attendees!

FREE Show Registration, Hotel & Travel Discounts


and Show Information: www.ahrexpo.com
Produced and managed by:

AHR Expo Plumbing ad 7x10.indd 1

Phone:   s E-mail: info@ahrexpo.com

7/8/10 12:59:43 PM

Always look for the CISPI mark because its never this easy to spot noncompliant pipe.
You can always trust the

mark on cast iron pipe and fittings. Members earn the right to put that mark on their products

by submitting to frequent inspections to determine that they conform in design, material, dimensions and markings
to ASTM and CISPI standards. Its a decades-old program thats been approved by NSF. Spotting noncompliant pipe in
the field is never easy. But it is easy to tell when youre buying a product thats been put through a rigorous quality control program,
not just by the manufacturer, but also by CISPI and NSF. Simply look for the

Visit us at ASPEs EPE Show in Philadelphia - Booth #855

mark.

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