Featured Stories - Articles - Page 288

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Contractor Profit Advantage

Intangible Business Items Come With a Cost

All PHC service contractors incur callbacks and must deal with customer relations and the expenses related to the two.

July 1, 2024

Callbacks are an unavoidable part of a PHC service contractor’s business. They may be legitimate concerns such as technician error or manufacturer defect.

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Feature

Innovation is More than Technology

Sometimes, what is old is new again.

July 1, 2024

After decades of devaluing career and technical education, high schools are reintroducing these programs, signaling a shift in how we view education and career preparation. One program, SMACNA’s Heavy Metal Summer Experience, is designed to give students a taste of working in the construction industry.

Feature

Firefighters’ Air Replenishment Systems in Commercial Buildings

Readily available breathing air protects frontline firefighters by reducing smoke and toxin exposure that may have long-term consequences.

July 1, 2024

Are you familiar with firefighters’ air replenishment systems (FARS)? While this technology is not new, its adoption is rapidly growing.

Feature

New Mexico’s Radiant Renaissance

Education is the key to radiant heat’s future in the Land of Enchantment.

July 1, 2024

Dan Vastyan

This is a tale of two radiant heating professionals in New Mexico: the first a radiant pioneer, and the second a radiant perfectionist.

CONTRACTOR STORIES

Getting Technical: Antifreeze in Hydronic Systems

Creating a functional, long-lasting antifreeze system starts in the design phase and relies on diligent maintenance.

July 1, 2024

Tom Soukup

When designing a long-lasting antifreeze system for a customer’s hydronic system, you must consider that propylene glycol has a lower BTU carry capacity and is more viscous, than water. Also, regular maintenance is critical for optimal performance of the antifreeze.

Legal Perspective

Are Noncompete Clauses No Longer Enforceable?

It all depends on who the parties are, the purpose or circumstances of the clause, and the outcome of pending legal challenges to the FTC’s final rule.

July 1, 2024

Daniel Beederman

Since April 23, when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its final rule regarding noncompete clauses, I have received numerous calls and emails asking if such clauses are no longer binding and effective.

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Sales and PVF Perspective

Why Trade Shows?

I am keenly interested in seeing who attends trade shows and why, looking for trends and new ideas, and meeting new people.

July 1, 2024

As an industry consultant, my clients are mostly manufacturers marketing their products through electrical, plumbing, HVAC and PVF wholesale distributors.

PMI Perspective

Experts Predict Housing Recovery in Late 2024 through 2025

Population increases, job growth, and cooling inflation deliver good news for construction-related wholesalers, manufacturers and tradespeople serving the housing industry.

July 1, 2024

Kerry Stackpole

Economic and real estate experts have forecasted a housing recovery in late 2024 through 2025, delivering good news to plumbing manufacturers, distributors and construction-related trades that serve the housing industry.

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Feature

Crashing the Legionella Party: Plumbing Design Meets Infection Control

The key to preventing outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease is good management of building water systems.

July 1, 2024

More than 40 years after its discovery, it shocks me to say that the number of reported cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in the United States has been rising since 2003.