As technology evolves in buildings, more systems are generating data about their own performance, and our knowledge of how to operate buildings more safely and sustainably continues to grow with it.

Nobody said 2026 would be easy.  The refrigerant transition that reshaped purchasing patterns last year did not simply resolve itself when the calendar turned.

In the HVAC industry, it’s easy to feel like everything is becoming more advanced and more complicated. Building automation systems (BASs) are more capable.

If you’ve spent any time around fire pump submittals or fire pump rooms, chances are you’ve probably run into this scenario. 

At the time of this writing, we are about one month removed from the 2026 Fab Forum hosted by The Hill Group in Franklin Park, Illinois. Hill is a full-service mechanical contractor that includes fire protection, testing/adjusting/balancing and an architectural group.

Every plumbing contractor knows what it’s like to have a technician who stands out from the crowd on day one, immediately demonstrating immense talent and limitless potential. 

If you search the Internet for the definition of the word “business,” you’ll find a version of this idea: “Business is an organization that provides goods and services to the community in exchange for money, with the goal of becoming profitable.”

Ask any facility manager or plumber, and they’ll tell you that identifying and fixing crossflow issues is one of the challenges that costs them significant time and effort on the job.

Some existing systems were never hydraulically calculated. Some were designed around pipe schedules. Some have little or no remaining safety margin. Add a backflow preventer without understanding the available water supply, system demand and device pressure loss, and a system that once appeared adequate may fail to deliver.

In hospitals and outpatient facilities, the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) is the standard basis for patient care and staff safety requirements for engineering and architectural firms to follow