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Service Experts is proud to announce their partnership with Military Makeover with Montel® on Lifetime TV. Military Makeover, a home improvement series, celebrates military families through home makeovers across the country.

“We are grateful to play a small part in the meaningful work being completed by the Military Makeover team,” said Service Experts Chief Operating Officer Cary Reed. “Many of our Service Experts employees are veterans themselves, and we are committed to supporting the military community through our ongoing partnerships with programs like Hiring Our Heroes. Being a part of the Military Makeover mission gives us another way to serve this community.”

Military Makeover is led by talk show legend and military advocate Montel Williams, a veteran of both the Military Makeover with Montel. The show enlists conscientious designers, contractors, landscapers and other home improvement professionals to transform the homes and lives of military families across the country.

“We are thankful for the partnership of Service Experts and look forward to working with them to provide comfortable and safe homes,” said EVP of Programming, Jack Schwartz. “Their wide array of offerings will allow us to make these deserving families feel right at home.”

“For our part in the makeovers, we will be providing the families with anything they need to transform their home into a haven of comfort, well-being and energy efficiency,” said Reed. Service Experts, which has over with 98 locations across the country, is the leading provider of total home comfort in the U.S. HVAC installation and repair, plumbing, connected home automations and solar energy solutions are just a few of the services the company provides. “Our team will address each family’s individual needs to determine how we can help transform their home,” said Reed. “We look forward to giving this gift of total home comfort to these deserving families.”

Military Makeover with Montel® will premiere later this year on Lifetime TV.

By Thomas Renner

Any couple will tell you an enduring relationship depends on effective communication. So, too, do some home heating systems.

Jeff Potvin came across this scenario in a project at a six-bedroom, 6-bath house in Andover, Mass. Potvin, the owner of Jeff Potvin Plumbing & Heating in Methuen, replaced two 150k BTU boilers and a 75-gallon natural gas water heater. He chose two HTP Elite Ultra high efficiency condensing boilers as the alternative.

“The two new boilers will communicate with each other and increase efficiency, which will save the homeowner on his heating bill,’’ Potvin said.

No Ordinary Home

The residence where Potvin installed the boilers is no ordinary home. Built in 1954, the home is located in one of the state’s most historic towns just 20 miles north of Boston. The structure sits on 1.4 acres and extends across more than 7,800 square feet, including a sunroom, multiple fireplaces and is a mile away from Phillips Academy, a prestigious private high school. The school’s graduates include 2 former Presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Lemmon and Bill Belichick, among others.

The challenge Potvin faced in the project was establishing communication between an outdoor sensor and the aquastat that were on air handlers to help reach the correct temperature.  Aquastats are used in hydronic systems and adjust the temperature of the water in the boiler based on the outdoor temperature.

“We needed to move a few dip switches on the board to get it to work properly,’’ Potvin said.

The setup will increase efficiency and save the homeowner money on monthly heating bills. It will also heat domestic hot water and keep the home at a better temperature.

Project scope

The units provide hot water and heat for the home. Potvin said it is unusual, however, to replace three heating elements and get the same firepower with just two.

“It is unusual to change a water heater to a storage tank,’’ he said. “We completed the job during the summer, so no heat was needed.”

But the homeowner should realize some important benefits, according to Potvin.

“The two new boilers communicate with each other and increase efficiency,’’ Potvin said. “That will save the homeowner with the heating bill. The boilers have a larger BTU and will heat up faster and more efficiently. It will heat domestic hot water and keep the home at a better temperature.”

An Elite Solution

Potvin chose the HTP Elite Ultra boilers for other projects and knew it would be a good fit for this application.

The calling card for the Elite Ultra is a proprietary heat exchanger. The XtraTech Durable Stainless Steel Heating Technology exchanger ensures maximum quality at the heart of the boiler and resists corrosion to guarantee reliability for years.

The design provides increase in water flow, which creates more internal turbulence, scrubs the internal walls and reduces heat exchanger deposits to ensure a longer life span for the boiler.

Deposit buildup is a major problem in boiler operation. Scale and sludge deposits in boilers impede heat transfer, which leads to higher energy costs and can cause a loss of equipment operation and premature failure.

Boiler deposits can include calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, aluminum and others. Water treatment options can help reduce scale buildup, but those annual expenses can reach between $1,000-$2,000.  Annual maintenance on the boiler will also help, but service calls can also reach more than $600.

The pipe surface on the Elite Ultra is up to 150 percent larger than conventional designs and ensures extremely low pressure water pressure drop. “The heat exchanger guards against corrosion and guarantees a long lifetime for the boiler with less maintenance,’’ Potvin said.

The boiler has a 10:1 turndown ratio that limits short cycling and provides more efficient energy consumption. The boilers rated thermal efficiency is among the highest in the industry at 96%. Adding the outdoor sensor provides the opportunity to increase that efficiency by reducing the delivered water temperatures to match the load based on outdoor temperature. This feature allows homeowners to save even more money on their monthly energy bills.

Two HTP Elite Ultra high efficiency boilers were installed in a Massachusetts home by Jeff Potvin Plumbing & Heating. The boilers replaced two 150K BTU boilers and a 75-gallon natural gas water heater.

Additional Advantages

The boiler also offers whisper-quite operation and an HTP Link that lets the homeowner control boiler operation from anywhere. With the link, homeowners can view boiler parameters and status, receive boiler text and e-mail updates, and access the unit and troubleshoot issues without having to be onsite, as long as the unit is connected to Wi-Fi and registered.

“We have used these HTP products in the past found it to be a great product,’’ Potvin said. “We also found tech support to be very good.”

Home and hot water heating can be especially challenging in Massachusetts, where temperatures fluctuate wildly from season to season, and sometimes daily during transitional periods. Having an efficient system on a large residence will generate considerable savings for the homeowner.

“Projects such as this can be challenging to find the proper solution,’’ Potvin said. “We think the homeowner will be quite satisfied with this product for years to come.”

Thomas Renner writes on building, construction, engineering and other trade industry topics for publications throughout the United States and Canada.

Electrode boilers are ideal for quickly, efficiently supplying auxiliary steam and hot water to meet surges in demand

In industry, fossil fuel-fired boilers are commonly used to produce steam or hot water for space and process heating. However, traditional boilers may not be flexible enough to respond quickly to demand surges during peak periods.

To compensate, processors and manufacturers often keep more than the required number of boilers running – usually at less than full capacity. When more steam or heat is required, the units are already in operation and so require less time to increase output. Even if burning at 75% however, fossil fuel boilers take time to heat up internally.

Using electrode boilers as an auxiliary system minimizes the number of gas-burning boilers on standby, provides greater operational flexibility, and reduces operating and maintenance costs.

“If you want to use a gas-fired boiler as an auxiliary, you’d better know in advance when you will need it since it takes time for the heat to rise and disperse before reaching the target output [of steam or hot water]. If you have gas-fired boilers run at 75% capacity and there is an increase in demand, you cannot quickly reach 100% capacity, says Robert Presser, Vice President of Acme Engineering, a manufacturer of industrial and commercial boilers with operations in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Today, a much more efficient and cost-effective approach is available: auxiliary electrode boilers. These modern electrode boilers can almost immediately provide supplemental steam or hot water as required. The approach minimizes the number of gas-burning boilers on standby, provides greater operational flexibility, and reduces operating and maintenance costs.

The components of these auxiliary high-voltage electrical systems – boilers, superheaters, secondary pressure vessels, and associated control systems – are readily available from experienced suppliers and can be customized to specific industrial needs.

“A gas-fired boiler cannot go from zero to 100% capacity in less than two minutes – but an electrode boiler can,” says Presser. He points out that modern electrode boilers are designed so temperature, pressure, and output can quickly rise or fall as needed with no “flywheel effect.”

Electrode boilers have existed in various forms for many decades. However, recent design improvements have closed the output gap while surpassing conventional units not only in terms of efficiency and simplicity but also responsiveness and safety.

Electrode boilers like those from Acme Engineering are ideal for quickly and efficiently supplying auxiliary steam and hot water to meet surges in demand.

Modern electrode boilers utilize the conductive and resistive properties of water to carry electric current and generate steam. In a jet boiler, water jets flow from a central column to electrodes of each phase, using chemicals in the water to create resistance and generate heat and steam as the water passes from ground to phase. More steam is produced as the water flows from the electrode to the counter electrode placed below the electrode box, before the water returns to the reservoir at the bottom of the vessel.

“The more current [amps] that flows, the more heat [BTUs] is generated and the more steam produced. Nearly 100% of the electrical energy is converted into heat with no exhaust stack or heat transfer losses,” says Presser.

As an example, in the CEJS High Voltage Jet Type Steam Boiler from Acme Engineering, the electrodes are vertically mounted around the inside of the pressure vessel, which enables the unit to produce maximum amounts of steam in a minimum amount of floor space.

The electrode boilers operate at existing distribution voltages, 4.16 to 25 KV with exceptional efficiency – up to 99.9% efficient at converting energy into heat. The boilers can produce steam in capacities up to 270,000 pounds per hour, with pressure ratings from 75 psig to 500 PSIG. All CEJS boilers are designed to ASME Code or EU Pressure Vessels Directive and are certified, registered pressure vessels. Electrical standards meet CSA, UL, or CE requirements.

The advanced steam boilers have a 100% turndown ratio, the ratio between a boiler’s maximum and minimum output. Most gas boilers have a 10:1 or 5:1 ratio.

Modern electrode boilers can go from zero to 100% capacity in less than two minutes, almost immediately providing supplemental steam or hot water as required.

“The turndown means you can leave the boiler in standby at low pressure and, when needed, bring it to full capacity in about 90 seconds, which no other boiler type can achieve today,” says Presser. “With the electric boilers, the energy input and adjustment are very precise and virtually immediate.”

The ability to rapidly increase or decrease boiler capacity “on demand” can save industrial processors and manufacturers a substantial amount in operational and maintenance costs.

“Instead of running five gas-fired boilers on moderate capacity, you can run three or four boilers at full capacity, which maximizes their efficiency, and have an electrode boiler on standby. The electrode boiler can be used in short bursts only when you need peak performance. This is less expensive than running more gas-fired boilers,” says Presser.

The economics of using auxiliary electrode boilers further improve when utilizing discounted off-peak electricity at night when demand is low.

Electrode boilers also lower the costs of installation, operation, and maintenance. Gas-fired boilers require fuel lines, storage and handling equipment, economizers, and emission control equipment. Advanced jet type electrode boilers have a minimal number of components and electrical controls, with fewer parts. Under normal operation, the absence of excessive temperatures and electrode burnout assures long operating life.

Advanced jet type electrode boilers have a minimal number of components and electrical controls, with fewer parts, resulting in the absence of excessive temperatures and electrode burnout.

The units further lower operating costs with automatic controls that reduce the need for operating personnel.

Presser points out that the most advanced types of these boilers, such as Acme’s CEJS, also operate more safely than traditional fuel burning models.

“With the jet type electrode boilers, there are no combustion hazards because there are no flames, fumes, fuel lines, storage tanks, or hazardous emissions. There are no problems with heat buildup or electrode burnout even if scaling should occur, and thermal shock is eliminated. There is also no ‘low water’ danger since the current cannot flow without water,” says Presser.

With all the advantages of high-output auxiliary electrode boilers, industrial processors and manufacturers that utilize them will have a competitive advantage over rivals relying on gas-fired boilers alone.

The flexibility, precision, and responsiveness of electrode boilers will allow cost-effective “on demand” steam and process heating, eliminating the need for extra traditional units to be continually kept online at low capacity, ready to be “fired up” during peak periods. This approach will minimize operating costs including energy, labor, and maintenance.

For more info, contact Robert Presser at Acme Engineering via e-mail: rpresser@acmeprod.com; phone: (888) 880-5323 or (514) 342-5656; or web: https://www.acmeprod.com/jet-type-steam-boiler .

With energy costs up more than 50% over the past year and a half and forecasters expecting those numbers to remain high through 2024, commercial building owners and engineers are seeking alternatives to effectively condition large spaces in a more energy-efficient manner.

This challenge has opened the doors for a new cooling-panel technology that significantly decreases energy consumption and demand charges associated with cooling to maximize sustainability for higher-performing buildings.

The patented radiative cooling system essentially works opposite a solar panel system. Instead of harnessing energy from the sun, the cooling panels feature a multilayer film that reflects sunlight and emits infrared heat to the atmosphere, keeping the panels extremely cool — up to 15°F below the ambient temperature. A closed-loop hydronic piping system circulates a water/glycol mixture that brings warm water to the panels for cooling and then returns the cooled fluid back to the building’s existing HVAC system.

Installers insulate and jacket straight lengths of Wirsbo hePEX pipe to protect it from UV exposure.

“The system has the potential to yield up to 40 percent energy efficiency when added onto existing air conditioning and refrigeration systems, and the typical project is saving about 1,000 kilowatt hours per panel per year,” says Eli Goldstein, co-founder and CEO of SkyCool Systems, the company behind these radiative cooling panels.

The distribution piping system that connects to the panels consists of an oxygen-barrier crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) pipe called Wirsbo hePEX™, which is extremely flexible and durable to provide the proper medium needed to transport the water/glycol fluid. The piping system includes ProPEX^® engineered polymer (EP) fittings as well as ProPEX copper sweat adapters for connections.

“We needed a pipe with an oxygen barrier to protect the aluminum panels from corrosion, and we also needed a product that was quick to install,” says Goldstein. “After talking with plumbing contractors, we learned PEX was far superior due to its installation speed.”

SkyCool Systems uses oxygen-barrier Wirsbo hePEX pipe and ProPEX fittings for the distribution piping.

After deciding on the pipe type, Goldstein says the next important decision was finding the right connection system that was efficient, dependable, and reliable.

“We chose to standardize the system with ProPEX expansion fittings to make sure we don’t have leaks,” he says. “We tried other fitting systems, but found they weren’t as reliable or as easy to install.”

Since these cooling-panel systems are being installed in various locations all over North America — and even in some foreign countries — SkyCool contracts the installation with local plumbing and heating contractors.

“We typically work with installers that have solar experience,” he says. “We provide the tools. We have a bunch of Milwaukee^® ProPEX expansion tools in a job box that travels from site to site.”

With about a dozen projects complete by the end of 2022 and 40 to 50 projects slated for 2023, this cooling-panel trend is really beginning to take off in the commercial building industry.

The distribution piping system features Wirsbo hePEX pipe along with ProPEX fittings and ProPEX ball valves.

From data centers to grocery stores to refrigeration warehouses, this technology is proving to be a great value to large commercial buildings that require constant cooling in an efficient manner.

“We anticipate most customers will get a return on their investment in three to five years,” he says. “Which, for commercial buildings, is relatively quick.”

With the incredible energy cost savings, the only question Goldstein typically receives from potential customers is the system longevity.

“The film on the panels has a projected life expectancy of around 15 years,” he says. “So, depending on where the system is located, the film will most likely need to be replaced after 15 years, give or take a couple years.”

He goes on to state that the rest of the system, including the aluminum panels, the racking system, and the piping system, have a much longer lifespan. PEX piping, depending on the manufacturer, typically has a life expectancy of around 50 years. So, the distribution piping is designed and manufactured to last for several decades.

“We’re insulating and jacketing the piping system, so it’s not exposed to UV,” he says. “That is one question we typically get when talking to customers. There is usually a concern about PEX and UV, but we make sure all the exposed piping is insulated to help ensure maximum longevity for the system.”

Here is the final installation with the supply and returning piping that includes the complete jacketing for UV protection.

As for future opportunities with this technology, Goldstein is working with partners all over the globe to find ways this innovation can help make cooling more sustainable.

“The opportunities are endless as to where we can use this reflective film to keep any outdoor surface cool,” he says. “From semitrucks to manufactured homes to outdoor electronics, it can be used to keep all different kinds of surfaces cooler than the outdoor air temperature.”

Kim Bliss is the technical and marketing content manager at Uponor. She can be reached at kim.bliss@uponor.com.