ISH-NA Shows Plenty of Innovation

Dec. 1, 2004
Special to CONTRACTOR BOSTON Visitors at this years ISH North America Show in October here had much to see. In addition to the products featured in CONTRACTORs November issue (pg. 1), here are a dozen more. Amtrol presented a couple products designed to improve well-water systems. Its Odor Oxidizer hydrogen sulfide removal system removes sulfur odors from water without using regenerates or chemicals.

Special to CONTRACTOR

BOSTON — Visitors at this year’s ISH North America Show in October here had much to see. In addition to the products featured in CONTRACTOR’s November issue (pg. 1), here are a dozen more.

Amtrol presented a couple products designed to improve well-water systems. Its Odor Oxidizer hydrogen sulfide removal system removes sulfur odors from water without using regenerates or chemicals. The system uses filtered ambient oxygen to convert hydrogen sulfide into water and precipitated elemental sulfur.

Similarly, Amtrol’s Armor-Trol iron treatment system uses “pressurized oxidation” with ambient oxygen to precipitate large quantities of iron out of the water, which is then filtered out with Amtrol’s media filters. The iron treatment unit is packaged, pre-wired and pre-piped.

Zoeller Pump introduced the Oil Smart System, a cast-iron pump for commercial dewatering applications that provides that answer to a problem facing commercial/industrial facilities managers. Hydraulic oil that stays on the bottom of an elevator shaft or transformer vault is OK. As soon as it is pumped into the sewers, it becomes an environmental hazard. Controls on the Oil Smart pump can differentiate between oil and water and it stops pumping as soon as it detects oil. It will sound an alarm if it detects a high water or high oil condition.

Uponor Wirsbo trotted out its D’MAND hot water recirculating system, designed to fit in with its AquaPEX plumbing system. D’MAND features a pump, activated by either a button or a motion sensor located near the plumbing fixtures. Once the pump is activated, hot water reaches the fixture in seconds, the company said. A temperature sensor at the fixture detects the hot water and turns off the pump so energy and water are not wasted.

OmegaFlex, makers of TracPipe corrugated stainless steel gas piping, came out with CounterStrike gas pipe that’s designed to resist damage from lightning strikes. The new pipe uses a coating on the outside of the pipe to dissipate the energy over a larger area.

TrueBro showed its Lav Shield protective enclosures. In addition to being ADA compliant, the shields cover items under a sink — piping, electronic faucet connections, mixing valves, trap primers or instantaneous water heaters. The shields are available with vandal-resistant fasteners.

ProTech Systems presented its FasNSeal stainless direct-vent system for wall-mounted water heaters and boilers. The advantage, ProTech noted, is that the AL29-4C vent is adjustable both vertically and horizontally to make it easier to install. One vent kit can handle up to 70% of common installations. The vent is UL listed for 1-in. clearance to combustibles with a venting temperature up to 480° F.

Nu Flow Technologies introduced an alternative to digging up drain and sewer lines. The trenchless drain lining system includes a patented cutting system that cleans out roots, calcite, mortar and cement with cutting blades that spin at 28,000 rpm. The technician can view the cleaning on video. The pipe is lined with a plastic-like material that is cured, typically with hot water. The result looks and functions like a new CPVC drain pipe.

Danfoss showed the Enviro Check, which it said is the industry’s first unleaded bronze backflow preventer that meets the stringent lead-leaching requirements of California Proposition 65. The Flomatic RPZE devices prevent both backflow and back-siphonage. The company also has complementary double check valves and pressure vacuum breakers.

A small firm called ECR Technologies exhibited its EarthLinked direct expansion geothermal heat pump system that uses refrigerant piping buried in the ground. The company also has perfected a system for diagonally drilling 2-in. boreholes, compared with 6-in. boreholes for conventional geothermal systems. According to ECR, its system costs less to install than conventional geothermal heat pumps. The company boasts energy efficiency ratios for cooling from 15.9 to 17.7 and coefficients of performance for heating of 3.7-4.0.

Safer radiator

Myson displayed its Décor Radiator that’s an alternative to traditional baseboards with European styling. The radiators are available in five styles and 68 different sizes. They come in white or many other contemporary colors. Myson also presented its LST Radiators for institutional applications when safety is essential. The radiators maintain a surface temperature of less than 110° F to prevent burns in nurseries, retirement homes or hospitals. They can put out as much as 5,600 Btuh.

Gerber introduced its new Maxwell faucet line, an entry-level line of lavatory and kitchen facuets, tub and shower valves and tub fillers. The faucets are brass with copper waterways and ceramic cartridges. The bathing valves come with anti-scald temperature limits and are temperature adjustable. Gerber also presented its Maxwell line of fixtures, including toilets and pedestal and self-rimming lavatories.

Danze showed some of its more than 1,000 faucets and fittings but featured its Bannockburn Collection in a new finish called brushed brass. The company says Bannockburn is a “transitional” style, meaning it can’t be tagged with either a traditional or contemporary style label. The faucets all come with a PVD coating to protect the finish.

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