As plumbing flow rates have declined since the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1991, the potential for Legionella growth in building plumbing systems has risen. Engineers must consider this — as well as scald risk and chemical eradication of the bacteria — when designing plumbing systems.

When it comes to arbitration in a contract dispute, it is important to remember to read the contract. Courts give parties wide latitude to structure their own arbitration agreement. Parties may agree on arbitration as a method of dispute resolution, the specific rules to be followed and the scope.

For a comprehensive understanding of the water supply for a fire sprinkler system, fire protection engineers should identify the water resources, understand large water users, research historical data and adjust for variability.

Design, installation and maintenance are all important for properly operating a building’s hot water system. Who an owner hires to maintain the building is critical. Most maintenance personnel may not know how to troubleshoot hot water issues properly. Ron George has provided a checklist for domestic hot water systems’ design, installation and commissioning.

Your training investment in your technicians will result in positive benefits beyond the financial impact. Trained techs exude confidence, impressing customers with their expertise — leading to fewer callbacks. Service managers can focus on their roles instead of being constant technical advisors, meaning increased job efficiency.

It’s perfectly normal to be nervous for your first few media interviews. It’s a new experience, and you want to make a good impression. However, don’t forget that you are the expert, not the reporter. Heather Ripley provides some preparation tips for a print or TV interview.

When discussing how to add quality workers to your plumbing and heating business, look outside those trades. Tom Soukup says to start with people with the right attitude and mindset, which is crucial to the home services business; the technical side can be taught. 

Unproductive inventory is a nice way to say you have captive dollars sitting on your shelves instead of being used to make customer-centric investments.

The retail shopping experience has grown consistently worse in 2023. 

Hot water temperature maintenance systems often contribute to scalding injuries and Legionnaires’ Disease cases through inoperable circulating pumps and problematic balancing valves. Read on for Ron George’s insight into these systems.