ThermOmegaTech

Domestic Hot Water: Faster, Better & Cheaper

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From Green Lodging News

By Nick Tallos

“I turned on the water in the shower and waited for 10 minutes. Warm water finally started flowing, however, it never lasted more than a minute and alternated mostly with cool to cold water.”

Hotel shower hot water system

Image via Pexels.

That’s the exact quote extracted from an online review of a guest who rated a hotel in Pennsylvania on Tripadvisor.com. The reviewer gave the hotel a rating of two out of a possible five. The site is full of similar comments from guests complaining about how long it took them to get hot water when they wanted to take a shower or wash their hands.

In the hospitality industry, when a guest turns on the hot water in their room, most wait patiently for the water to run a while to the proper temperature. Guests do not like to wait too long for their hot water according to the International Hospitality Association.

In fact, they specifically address “the availability of hot water” as a factor for consideration in their quality standards and star rating systems that they set as the bar for multi-star ratings.

The cost to deliver domestic hot water to ensure customer satisfaction means the domestic hot water system must be balanced in a way that keeps the delivery time low. Until recently, that meant larger recirculating pumps, more recirculating flow, more wear and tear on your hot water system, and more cost.

Read more on Green Lodging News about domestic hot water systems.

In the News: The Importance of Showers, Eyewash Stations, and Tepid Water

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From ISHN Magazine

In December 2009, a well-known manufacturing plant experienced a safety incident in which an employee was severely burned. The employee was exposed to a caustic chemical that sprayed out of a spigot and came in contact with exposed parts of his neck, hands, and arms. He was rushed to the nearest safety shower and thrust under a deluge of bone-chillingly cold 40°F water. Due to the extremely frigid water, his body’s natural reaction was to leap out before being completely rinsed of the harmful irritant. He was then transported to the medical office where the combination of not being fully cleaned of the chemical and the length of travel time led to worse burns than there should have been.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z358.1-2009 is used to help plant managers and safety professionals comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations requiring employers to provide a safe workplace. This ANSI Standard establishes the universal minimum performance required for all eyewash and drench shower equipment used in plants. It states that all flushing equipment must be located in easy-to-reach areas, with the eyewash station or shower accessible within 10-seconds. This has become referred to as the 10 second rule.

Additionally, eyewash stations and showers must be installed in well-lit and marked areas with a minimum flow rate of .4 GPM at 30PSI and 20 GPM at 30PSI respectively. The ANSI Standard also includes other design and operational specifications to assure that the safety showers and eyewashes are easy to use even in the case of an emergency by a victim with compromised mobility. Such features include valves that are easy to activate and will stay open once activated without having to hold a valve or handle open. OSHA regulations that apply to safety shower eyewash stations expand on the ANSI Standard requirements in certain high risk operations. For example, if open vessels containing hazardous substances are present, OSHA requires specialized safety shower and eyewash equipment to address the higher risks.

In the News: Success Through Diversity

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Magnum GURU® Freeze Protection Railroad Valve - Success Through DiversityFrom the Bucks County Courier Times Success Through Diversity

“For 30 years, Warminster’s ThermOmegaTech® has been helping to protect locomotives with the smallest pieces of equipment — valves that keep water from freezing and damaging engines.

Today, under new ownership, the valve manufacturer is growing by diversifying its product line to include everything from commercial plumbing products to regulators for barbecue grills.

The company was founded in 1982 by Fred Pirkle — a “modern-day Edison” who held numerous patents, said Jim Logue, President, CEO.”

ThermOmegaTech® began by providing self-powered freeze-protection valves to railroad companies. Over the years, Pirkle and ThermOmegaTech® developed dozens of valve products. But railroads remain its biggest customer, and the company boasts of a 96 percent market penetration in the industry.

But it’s growing in other industries, as well, Logue said.

ThermOmegaTech®’s aptly named BBQ Guru division — which began as a side hobby for Pirkle — is now the company’s fastest-growing business, Logue said. BBQ Guru makes temperature gauges for barbecue grills, and fields an award-winning barbecue team.

“We’re a custom valve manufacturer,” Logue said. “We do valves for all sorts of uses.”

Its newest product is the Circuit Solver®, which saves water and electricity in large buildings like hotels and apartment complexes by allowing the almost instantaneous delivery of hot water. In other words, no more waiting for the shower to heat up. Therm-Omega-Tech already has about 20 projects either underway or in the pipeline that will use the valve.

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In the News: ThermOmegaTech Featured in Keystone Edge

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Keystone Edge recently profiled Jim Logue, President, CEO, for their “Innovation & Job News” section. Jim discusses ThermOmegaTech’s journey into Lean Manufacturing and the growth that we’ve seen with it.

From www.keystoneedge.com:
“A few years ago, when Jim Logue, President, CEO, joined ThermOmegaTech,  a Warminster valve maker, he found a solid, old-line manufacturer. Still, he recalls, the assembly shop and the machine shop were not clearly communicating, leading to inefficiencies and delays.

No more Since 2010, Therm has been “on a lean journey,” says Logue. Mentored by the Delaware Valley Industrial Resources Center, Therm has taken steps to eliminate waste in its manufacturing processes and, equally important, change the plant’s culture by sharing information and ensuring that all 60 employees understand the big picture.”

“We basically have empowered every employee to have a say in how to improve their work area, or what they see elsewhere,” says Logue. “It gives purpose to coming to work.”

Since adapting the principles of lean manufacturing, Logue says, people are working better and smarter and operations are more coordinated and efficient. The company has seen 70% growth in revenues in its top products and has grown jobs by 10%. Logue anticipates adding another three positions in the next six to 12 months.

Read more.

In the NewS: Circuit Solver Featured in HPAC Engineering and Contractor Magazine

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The Circuit Solver Balancing Valve was recently featured in both HPAC Engineering Magazine, as well as Contractor Magazine.

HPAC Engineering is the leading mechanical systems engineering publication and voice of leadership in the buildings industry.

Water-temperature-control valve

The Circuit Solver self-actuating temperature-control valve is designed to solve the problem of domestic hot water not being rapidly delivered to all parts of a building. When entering water temperature is below the valve’s set point, a thermal actuator begins to open the valve to establish a flow rate that will achieve set point.

If the water temperature exceeds the set point, the valve begins to throttle back to find the current equilibrium point. This constant, automatic response to water temperature enables each hot-water branch to quickly and consistently deliver the correct temperature to each connected fixture. The all-stainless-steel valve complies with California AB1953 and meets NSF-61 standards. —Therm-Omega-Tech


View the release here.

Contractor Magazine is the online resource for mechanical contracting.

THE CIRCUIT SOLVER VALVE for domestic hot water systems is easy to install and maintain. It responds to changing water temperature and automatically changes flow to keep temperatures evenly distributed. It is constructed of all stainless steel.

View the release here.

Circuit Solver Balancing Valve featured in HPAC Engineering and Contractor Magazine

Best Practices for Effective Safety Showers

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Best Practices for Effective Safety ShowersRecently, an employee at a chemical plant was accidentally exposed to a caustic solution that the plant was processing. He ran to the nearest safety shower in order to rinse the caustic off. Unfortunately, the safety shower was malfunctioning.

Instead of tepid water in the 85°F (29° C) range, he was doused in water under 60° F (15.5° C). His initial reaction was to jump out, but his fellow employees held him under the cold water to rinse off the chemical. As a result, he ended up with hypothermia from the cold water.

Continue reading →

In the News: CSEMag.com Product of the Year

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Drain Tempering Valve Product of the Year - CSEMag.com - ThermOmegaTech, Inc.ThermOmegaTech, Inc has been honored by having two of our valves nominated for Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine’s annual Product of the Year award. Both the CircuitSolver™ and the DTV are in the running to be the best Plumbing and Water Management product.

Please take a moment and visit CSEMag.com’s voting page here and select CircuitSolver or DTV as your vote for Product of the Year. You may vote as often as you like.

Continue reading →

The Importance of Return Temperatures

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We came across this article on return temperatures. It addresses some key issues in regards to domestic hot water balancing. Our new CircuitSolver™ can be a great way to fix, and even eliminate problems with hot water delivery.

The Importance of Return Temperatures

Delivery & Return Temperatures are the two most critical numbers; these are the temperatures available to the residents at the beginning and at the end of the hot water loop. Too hot is unsafe, too low is unacceptable for cleaning or comfort.

Low Return Temperature is commonly ignored because diagnosis can be tedious and it doesn’t seem like a dangerous problem. Wrong.

Do not ignore a Low Return Temperature Warning! A drop in temperature from delivery to return means that:

  1. Households are quietly suffering with low water temperature,
  2. Residents might be scalded by dangerous fluctuations in water temperature, and,
  3. You are wasting fuel through heat loss.

Return Temperature is like a canary in a coal mine: if there is anything wrong with the hot water system it is often the first alarm to go off. If your return temperature chart isn’t in the pink, your boilers are probably in fine order. But, if you’re seeing a lot of pink, it’s time to fix things before your residents start seeing red

More…

Special thanks to EDC Technologies, Inc. for letting us re-post this.

Regulate Water Temperature

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Avoid permanent injury, freeze damage and corrosion.

In brief:

  • Federal regulations require you to flush supply lines to emergency showers and eyewash stations weekly.
  • The water passing through these devices must be at a temperature between 60°F and 100°F.
  • The showers/eyewashes must be placed strategically, depending on the plant’s physical layout.

Regulations and standards are intended to help keep employees and processes safe. Water temperature can mean the difference between whether an employee incurs permanent injury in an accident, whether outdoor processing facilities avoid expensive freeze damage, and whether a plant can keep operating without extensive maintenance. These matters are critical to operating a safe, compliant, and efficient plant. Continue reading →

Remembering Fred Pirkle, 1945-2012

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Frederick (Fred) L. PirkleFrederick (Fred) L. Pirkle, owner of ThermOmegaTech, Inc., in Warminster, PA passed away March 9th at his home.

Fred was born on February 17, 1946 in San Antonio, TX to Charles Earl Pirkle and Zutella Bones Pirkle. He lived in San Antonio throughout his childhood and graduated from Harlandale High School in 1964.

In 1970 Fred received a B.S. from the Department of Industrial Technology at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX and in 1972 he received a Masters degree from the same university.

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Following Social Responsibility

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Social Responsibility Fred Pirkle

Social Responsibility

“Shotgun Fred’s Guru Crew” The Walk to Defeat ALS!!

Fred Pirkle, aka “Shotgun Fred”, founded ThermOmegaTech® in 1982.

Since then he has patented more than 20 products, including the first temperature control device for charcoal grills/cookers – hence “The BBQ Guru” was born in 2004.

In April 2011, Fred was diagnosed with ALS. As his friends and family are well aware, he is a fighter and continues to fight the disease every day. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

In Fred’s honor, and in an effort to help support patient service programs and ALS research, ThermOmegaTech® and The BBQ Guru have joined forces with the ALS Association.

We are a corporate sponsor of and have formed a team, “Shotgun Fred’s Guru Crew.” On Saturday, November 5th, we participated in our first Walk to Defeat ALS.

For more information about ALS, Social Responsibility, or this event please go to www.alsphiladelphia.org

Winter is Coming – Use Freeze Protection Valves to Keep Lines Flowing

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Winter is Coming - Use Freeze Protection Valves to Keep Lines Flowing - HAT/FP Freeze Protection ValveFreeze protection valves are effective in preventing freeze damage in process lines. Unlike steam or electric tracing, which require power and can cause water to overheat, freeze protection valves operate by simply draining or bleeding water as the temperature approaches freezing.

This prevents the formation of ice that can clog lines, shut off the flow, and cause pressure within the line to build, cracking pipes, valves, and fittings and damaging equipment. Damage due to ice formation can incur costs for replacement parts and labor and reduce productivity due to shutdowns.

Nonetheless, freeze protection valves do not necessarily completely prevent the formation of ice. In some cases, ice may still form as a layer on the inside of a pipe. This acts as a good insulator, reducing further heat loss to the cold outside air. Also, no damage will occur if the ice does not completely block the pipe or equipment flow area.

Damage due to freezing is caused when a pipe or flow passage in equipment is completely blocked. Then, as additional ice forms, the expansion associated with the ice formation compresses the water and causes a dramatic increase in the internal pressure in the line. When the pressure exceeds the pipe’s or housing’s strength, these will break.

Learn more about ThermOmegaTech Freeze Protection Valves

Valves vs. Tracing

When to Use Tracing

Tracing is required when the temperature to be maintained is above the resupply water temperature; that is when additional heat input is required. Use tracing if the complexity of the equipment layout makes it difficult or impossible to bleed or drain the system properly. Also, tracing should be used if the discharge from bleeder or drain valves presents a handling problem. This may be the case in plant areas where all discharges must be controlled or reported or where discharge treatment problems and expenses outweigh the benefits of bleeder/drain valves.

When to Use Valves

Valves are generally more economical to install and operate than tracing. Use valves in remote plant areas where steam or electricity are not available and the cost to provide them is high. Also, use valves when potential overheating from tracing is a problem. In critical applications, where power failures will cut off electric or steam tracing, select self-operating valves as the primary or backup freeze protection system.

Click to read more about how Freeze Protection Valves Keep Lines Flowing.

Frost Valve for Solar Thermal

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Frost Valve for Solar ThermalAustralia has the highest average amount of solar radiation of any continent, making it the perfect place for generating power or heating water with energy from the sun. Not surprisingly, the combination of generous rebates and sunny weather has given rise to solar thermal installations across the continent. Generally these installations are quite straightforward, but in the southern part of the continent, temperatures can drop below zero (Celsius), causing freezing problems for some thermal systems.

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OSHA Standard 1910.151(c)

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OSHA Standard 1910.151(c) Safety Showers and EyeWash StattionsOSHA Standard 1910.151(c)

Need a refresher on the OSHA standard for safety showers and eyewash stations?

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=9806&p_table=STANDARDS

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=24288

Will OSHA cite a facility for not following the recommendations as stated in ANSI standard Z358.1-1990? Specifically, will an OSHA inspector cite a facility for not supplying tempered water to an emergency eyewash and shower?

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=24119