Industry Blogs

For residential plumbers, there have been two schools of thought for plumbing a house: home run and trunk and branch. Both have their positives and negatives, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish with the plumbing system.

However, you may not know there’s a new (and smarter) way to design and install a residential plumbing system that installs faster, uses less materials, requires fewer connections, minimizes your liability and operates more efficiently.

It’s called Logic plumbing.

A Logic plumbing design can only be used with PEX piping, but since PEX is now used in more new-home construction than copper and CPVC combined, you’re most likely already using it. (And if you’re not, you need to check it out. PEX is highly durable, flexible and more cost-effective compared to copper and CPVC.)

The Logic approach leverages the flexibility of PEX pipe to minimize connections and reduce potential leak points while also incorporating multiport tees located near fixture groupings to both limit the amount of pipe and connections needed while also improving installation efficiencies and system performance.

What’s a multiport tee?

I’m sure right now you’re wondering, “What’s a multiport tee?” It’s essentially a bunch of tees all molded together to create one long tee with multiple outlets. This innovative product minimizes connections and is the heart and soul of a Logic design.

For example, six regular tees will have 18 connections, but a flow-through multiport tee with six outlets will only have eight connections (six connections for the ports, a main flow-through inlet and a main flow-through outlet). Think about how much faster you could install a system when you’re making half the number of connections.

And get this — while multiport tees may resemble a manifold, they have the benefit of being hidden behind walls without the need for an access panel. Yes, you heard that right. No need for an access panel, minimizing costs and labor to help keep your projects on schedule and on budget.

Multiport tees are made of engineered polymer (EP), a thermoplastic material that has been used in plumbing applications for more than 20 years. EP has superior mechanical, chemical and thermal properties that provide dimensional stability in demanding applications, including areas of high stress, heat and moisture.

And, like PEX, the EP material in multiport tees resists corrosion, pitting and scaling, so it creates a highly durable system that’s engineered to last. Best of all, multiport tees (as well as all EP fittings) are approved for direct burial in the soil or concrete slab, so they are ideal for in-slab plumbing applications.

The Logic layout

So what exactly is a Logic plumbing layout? It’s quite simple: a main line connects to a multiport tee with distribution lines going out from the tee. These individual lines extending from the single multiport tee provide water to all fixtures in a single or adjacent grouping.

This design uses significantly less pipe than a home-run layout, with just a few more connections. Plus, it requires considerably fewer connections compared to a trunk-and-branch installation.

For example, a 2,300-square-foot, two-story home using a Logic design requires only 637 feet of pipe while a home-run system uses 1,515 feet of pipe. That’s more than twice the amount of piping necessary.

In addition to the added costs required to install all that extra pipe, the system performance is also greatly reduced due to added pressure loss and longer wait times for hot water. Plus, all the extra pipe can lead to issues isolating hot and cold water lines. This increases heat transfer and energy inefficiencies within the plumbing system.

And, while it’s true a Logic installation uses slightly more connections than a home-run layout (59 vs. 48 in the 2,300-square-foot, two-story home example above), the amount of pipe savings is significantly more beneficial with the labor and material savings you get with less pipe to install (not to mention the efficiency of the system).

A Logic layout also installs much faster compared to a trunk-and-branch system due to the vast reduction in connections. With the two-story home example above, a Logic layout uses a mere 16 fittings and 59 connections compared to a whopping 96 fittings and 165 connections for trunk and branch. That’s six times the number of fittings and nearly three times the amount of connections!

All those added connections greatly increase your liability with more potential for leaks, plus it also limits the performance of the system with increased pressure loss.

So there you have it! Just a few “logical” reasons why you should consider a smarter approach to plumbing a home that will improve your installation times, limit your liability and offer an all-around better-performing system for the end user.

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

Four pro tips on how to cope with ever-growing consumer demands and better serve today’s digitally fluent customers

You don’t have to be a fan of HGTV’s hit show Fixer Upper to be familiar with hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines. These days, the husband-wife duo has become the face of the American DIY Dream to transform an unsightly space into something chic and beautiful. And while the experienced contractor might understand the projects featured in each 30-minute episode actually take eight weeks or more to complete, home makeover shows make it look fun, easy—and unrealistically quick.

Considering the huge popularity of HGTV and DIY networks, there’s a good chance your customers are familiar with – and have been inspired by – the Gaineses and other home makeover stars.

In addition to HGTV and DIY network, your customers are likely fans of services like Amazon Prime two-day delivery, on-demand ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft, and any number of other apps, websites and virtual services that have conditioned the average American to expect what they want when they want it.

This is the world in which we live and paint. In-person visits to a prospective customer’s house or business to spec out a project are being replaced by a growing number of mobile apps and web services like Paintzen, Houzz and Angie’s List that provide instant access to contractors, reviews, project estimates and design inspiration. This trend presents new challenges for the painting pro, but also new opportunities.

“Any time you can get people interested in what we do, we can add value by providing that service to them,” says Kevin Nolan, President and CEO of Nolan Painting in Havertown, PA. Nolan, who has nearly 40 years in the industry, says customers that look to platforms like Houzz and programs like Fixer Upper for design ideas are likely to have a more adventurous approach to their project and a clearer idea of what they’re after, not to mention a photo or video clip to help share their vision.

Tom VanDerkolk, 25-plus-year industry veteran and owner of VanDerkolk + Kooi Painting in Grand Rapids, MI, agrees, specifically citing how communication technology advancements have made his team more efficient. “Most projects are going to have questions, concerns or misunderstandings. We work to plan around those as much as possible, but simply knowing if our customer prefers a text, call or email allows us to solve an issue quickly.”

Here are four takeaways to help you stay relevant in the digital era and manage ever-growing customer expectations.

Get Social

If your business doesn’t have a Facebook or Instagram page, start there. Both platforms offer a free and easy way to showcase your handiwork. There’s a good chance your customers will share those project photos with their networks, which could lead to additional business. Or, you could pay to boost one or more of your posts to reach a larger network of potential customers. Both Facebook and Instagram allow you to choose your budget and target your posts to specific geographic regions and user interests; for even as little as $20, you can increase the probability of getting your craftsmanship in front of people most likely to need your services.

If you specialize in commercial work, sharing with photos, videos or behind-the-scenes tidbits about your work processes on LinkedIn might help you catch the eye of other local businesses.

Many of your prospective customers look to Pinterest for inspiration specifically for home painting projects. Having a Pinterest presence will show your customers that you are up to date with current trends and can be useful in helping your customer pinpoint the paint color or design scheme they are after.

Learn to Use a New Tool: Technology

While there are plenty of ways you can spend money to get noticed online, there are also a variety of free tools. For example, VanDerkolk says his team often uses Google Maps’ Streetview and Google Earth imagery to view a new job site – a simple practice that helps them prepare for the job. You can also review your business’ Facebook page insights (they’re free) to get a better understanding of your audience’s age, gender and location demographics – information that can be of use when designing a seasonal sales push, tailoring the tone of your social media content or deciding where to target an advertising campaign. And storing frequently used sales and marketing materials on cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox allows for quick and easy access out in the field. Some painting contractors take their use of technology one step further — Google AdWords campaigns (an inexpensive form of online advertising) can help generate new leads, for example.

Own Your Reviews

Nolan and VanDerkolk’s combined 67 years of experience hasn’t yielded a sure-fire way to avoid negative customer feedback, but it sure has taught them a thing or two in how best to deal with it. Both owners recommend taking the time to respond to any negative reviews that show up on Google, Facebook, and Yelp, an effort that at minimum demonstrates to anyone who may encounter the negative review that you are genuinely concerned about your customers’ satisfaction, and in the best-case scenario may even result in the dissatisfied customer amending the negative review (or removing it altogether) or giving you another shot at the business. Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask your satisfied customers to leave a positive review of your business online – having a high volume of good reviews on Google, for example, will help your business show up in search results.

Maintain Your Humanity

No amount of technology will replace the value of a human connection with your customer. So while some homeowners may opt for the ease of a website or app to get a project estimate, the reality is that many more will seek your business out because of your reputation or as the result of a recommendation from a friend or family member. VanDerkolk recommends going the extra mile with customers whenever possible; he’s been known to surprise families who are without use of their kitchen for a few days due to a renovation project with a gift card to a local restaurant or tickets to a sporting event. Similarly, Nolan recommends finding ways to give back to the community around you. Whether you are sponsoring a community event or doing pro bono work for a community organization, you are demonstrating your business’s character and culture in a way that no digital service can ever replace.

Diane Walsh is Vice President of Market Development and Sales Operations for ShurTech Brands, LLC, maker of FrogTape® brand painter’s tape. Diane also serves as director of the ShurTech Brands Professional Paint Advisory Board, working with leading contractors from across the country to explore industry trends and share innovations for the benefit of the entire trade. Diane was awarded 2018 PDCA Associate Member of the Year.

While we are still enjoying summer, fall will be here sooner than we wish and as we know in the industry, fall begins trade show season. This year marks the first time in ages that the ASPE Convention and Expo 2018 will not be occurring on or around Halloween. To get a better feel for the convention and expo, we chatted with Billy Smith, Executive Director/CEO of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE).

MH: Before we talk about the convention and expo, how is ASPE doing as an organization and what are some of the programs and industry resources you offer to plumbing contractors?

BS: First, I just want to express how exciting it is to be serving the ASPE membership and the plumbing industry as a whole as the Society Executive Director/CEO. Our Society’s Board of Directors and our talented staff are focused on our membership growth and improving the industry as a whole, and ASPE is continuing to advance those objectives with a positive outlook. Having had the opportunity to serve our Society on the Board of Directors for 10 years and then join the Society staff, serving as both the Executive Director/CEO and Sr. Director of Technical and Regulatory Affairs, gives me a different and effective perspective to assist our continued development and growth on a global basis. My goals and desires are to continue implementing the policies and procedures established by the ASPE Board of Directors in support of ASPE’s local Chapters and for all Society activities and programs.

ASPE would be proud to expand on the collaborative opportunities that would benefit contractors and our members alike. Most importantly, we have an entire track this year as part of our Technical Education Program specifically related to construction design, allowing for contractors to have an opportunity to address our members and vice versa. This is important to ASPE as to how we can better assist each other by discussing strategies to successfully work together in areas such as design/build and design/assist projects. Gaining a better understanding of each other’s demands would be a good collaboration. I’m sure there are other areas, and ASPE would be interested in developing additional relationship opportunities.

I feel that my role as an industry professional for well over three decades in different capacities can be an asset that brings perspective to all of our various membership groups and industry partners relating to joint venture opportunities. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to serve our Society by assuming a leadership role as a member of the Board of Directors as the Vice President, Affiliate, representing our manufacturers and representative agencies, which would connect with the contractors as well. ASPE would like to work with the contractor industry to increase educational opportunities. ASPE has a very successful webinar facility that we would gladly make available for joint opportunities.

As well, I will continue to build and maintain relationships with all of our industry partners to ensure that the public’s health and safety are kept at the forefront of legislation and regulations regarding plumbing system design, installation, inspection, and maintenance as we work as a team, particularly to ensure that the public’s health and safety are kept at the forefront of our respective collaborative efforts.

MH: In addition to how you’re doing, what are a few issues facing the plumbing industry and how is ASPE is taking a leadership role to address those issues and challenges?

BS: ASPE will always play an important role in addressing the largest concerns within our industry that are directly connected to our mission statement: “The American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) is the international organization for professionals skilled in the design, specification, and inspection of plumbing systems. ASPE is dedicated to the advancement of the science of plumbing engineering, to the professional growth and advancement of its members, and to the health, welfare, and safety of the public.” Just to name a few, some of the vital areas continue to be water and energy efficiency, Legionella/pathogens risk mitigation, Hunter’s curve improvements from the commercial side, legislation/regulatory/advocacy efforts, lead and copper, industry research, PERC (Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition), PILC (Plumbing Industry Leadership Coalition), and flush and flow reduction issues, while always keeping our eyes and ears open to new design trends in healthcare and medical gases.

MH: Now, let’s chat about the Convention & Expo…it’s less than 100 days away. Our readers probably don’t realize the amount of time that goes into producing a show if this size, so take us behind the scenes…what has the last year been like putting the show together and address why the dates were moved from the traditional Halloween timeframe?

BS: Actually, planning for our Convention & Expo, which is a biennial event, begins several years in advance with the city/location selection. We research several cities for consideration and present the available options to the Society Board of Directors for the final decision. Once that decision has been made, the preparations begin and never really stop. However, yes, the final year leading up to the actual event is like being in the eye of the storm, if you will. Things are always moving and changing, and we have learned to be extremely flexible to address our members’ needs to ensure that we provide the best member experience possible. This includes all of our member categories as we strive to bring the most benefit to our exhibitors, our industry partners, and in general anyone who takes the time to come join our events; we want them to continue returning for the next and the next. That is our focus: consistent benefit growth to our stakeholders.

MH: The Convention & Expo is in Atlanta this year, what makes Atlanta so attractive to ASPE, attendees and exhibitors?

BS: From an attendance and participation standpoint, Atlanta is an easy city to get to from anywhere really. Being a main hub for one of the world’s largest airlines is helpful. Having the largest portion of our membership base in the eastern portion of the U.S. connects well with Atlanta and the ease of arrival. As well, Atlanta has much to offer for those who may plan to come a litte early or remain afterward for some individual or family time.

MH: Technology and innovation are often overused buzzwords, but in the case with the Convention & Expo, you have several hundred exhibitors showcasing their newest products. Can you give us some information on the number of exhibitors and why it’s so valuable for a plumbing contractor to attend and walk the expo floor?

BS: By attending the free Expo on October 1–2, participants will have the ability to connect with more than 300 exhibiting manufacturers and suppliers and network with more than 4,000 industry professionals from around the world. In addition, they will have access to complimentary education sessions in the Innovation Theater in the ASPE Pavilion as well as our co-located ARCSA Pavilion exhibitors. In addition, we offer continuing education credits for every hour spent on the show floor. Expo-Only attendees just have to pay a minor fee to receive the credits.

MH: Beyond the expo, there are a number of technical sessions, leadership programming and special events, can you provide us with a quick overview of those?

BS: The 2018 ASPE Convention & Expo features 25 technical education sessions for those who pay the full registration fee. The sessions are designed to help plumbing industry professionals at all career levels learn new skills or refresh their design repertoire. Each session offers 0.125 CEUs that can be used for license and certification continuing education requirements. Tracks on System Design; Construction Design; Equipment Exploration; Design, Selection, & Beyond; and Latest Trends are available.

MH: What do you hope attendees will be able to extract from the Convention & Expo?

BS: New relationships, new and fresh ideas, and advanced education and skills play a vital role in moving each attendee forward in their respective career. Regardless of the attendee category, engineer, contractor, rep, architect, or manufacturer, we want to improve the experience for all and give benefit to ensure the next opportunity to participate is a can’t-miss or can’t-afford-not-to-attend moment.

MH: What tidbits can you add that would entice readers who might be undecided about attending this year’s show?

BS: We feel that our Convention & Expo is so valuable to those who attend that the biggest tidbit I would offer to end our discussion would be that those who have not registered to date should consider that they may miss the opportunity to gain important information/education needed to solve the most recent design, construction, application, and implementation issues for their current employer. In most cases, it may cost more to not attend than to attend

MH: Any other items you want to share about ASPE or the Convention & Expo?

BS: Our 2018 Convention & Expo in Atlanta will be one of the best ASPE events ever. Now, to ensure it is the best ever, your attendance is needed. With that, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Atlanta. Kick your shoes off and stay awhile.

Combining professional development sessions designed exclusively for plumbing industry professionals with the largest plumbing product trade show in the country, the 2018 ASPE Convention & Expo is the must-attend event of the year. Join thousands of industry professionals in Atlanta, September 28 – October 3, 2018.

William “Billy” M. Smith, FASPE, is the Executive Director/CEO of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE). Smith is responsible for the administration, management, and financial operations of the Society, as well as implementing the policies and procedures established by the ASPE Board of Directors

Smith has been a part of the plumbing industry since 1981, joined ASPE in 1993 as an Affiliate Member and is currently a Full Member of the Society. He assumed a leadership role in 2002 when he was appointed to the ASPE Board of Directors as Society Affiliate Liaison, and during his tenure the position evolved into Vice President, Affiliate. He was elected to ASPE’s College of Fellows in 2012 and received ASPE’s Distinguished Service Award that same year.

ASPE is the only professional organization devoted to the training and certification of plumbing engineers and designers. ASPE and its 6,000 worldwide members are dedicated to protecting the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the dissemination of technical data and information to expand the base of knowledge among plumbing engineers, designers, contractors, code officials, inspectors, and manufacturers.

Just a couple days ago I returned from an event that has me so excited about working in the trades and what it means to be “Made in the USA”.  The RIDGID Experience is only in it’s second year of existence but its clear to me that this will be an amazing annual event for years to come. Here’s how it works: All across their social media channels RIDGID invites anyone who uses their tools, any and all of the RIDGID tools to show off their pride in the work they do with those tools. There’s an official entry process and some hashtagging involved but its super simple and fun. Once entered RIDGID picks the winners of the contest and those winners are treated to a total first-class experience with factory & hands-on training center tours, an inside look at new upcoming products and tools, meals, lodging, airfare, limo, professional photo shoots,  a box suite at the Indians ball game and even a fishing trip on Lake Erie! Oh man, I gotta tell you it was a blast!

Of course factory tours are exciting, getting to see how our favorite tool is made and even meeting the people who make them daily leaves me with a higher level of respect for the brand and excitement for my work. That was definitely the case for me after the #RIDGIDExperience.

Unfortunately we don’t always get to take the camera’s along for every step of the tour but I’ve posted a few cool shots on our Facebook and Instagram along with some comments along the way. I’ve included a video of the final steps in the assembly of the iconic 300 below; its hard to believe that machine was ever so clean and shiny!

I’d like to thank the entire team at RIDGID and those involved who organized and pulled off a truly memorable experience for all of us “winners”. It’s clear the entire company knows and cares about who their customer is. Thank you, Eric Aune.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlLwrqWhEO3/?taken-by=mechanicalhub