Industry News

In celebration of International Data Center Day, Watts has announced the ‘Chill and Skill Data Center Cooling eLearning Challenge.’ This 6-week, eLearning campaign, running from March 20 to April 30, is specifically designed to educate industry professionals about Watts’ family of solutions designed for data center hydronic cooling systems. Participants will have free access to Read more

In celebration of International Data Center Day, Watts has announced the ‘Chill and Skill Data Center Cooling eLearning Challenge.’ This 6-week, eLearning campaign, running from March 20 to April 30, is specifically designed to educate industry professionals about Watts’ family of solutions designed for data center hydronic cooling systems.

Participants will have free access to a wide selection of eLearning modules, averaging just 8 minutes each, across seven key categories:

  • Hydronic Cooling
  • Fire Protection
  • Intelligent Monitoring
  • Plumbing, Hot Water, & HVAC
  • Drainage
  • Water Quality
  • Continuing Education

Upon completing modules, learners earn tokens and tickets. Tokens are accrued and redeemed for a wide variety of Free lifestyle merchandise through the Watts Learn & Earn program. Tickets serve as entries into the 150th Anniversary Sweepstake Drawings. As an extra bonus, upon completing 12 of the 147 available modules in this campaign, learners will receive a bonus: a 14 oz. 4-in-1 tumbler/cooler.

To participate, please register for your free Watts Works Online account at training.watts.com. Access is immediate and so are the benefits.

Strategic Investment Future-Proofs Manufacturing A long-awaited expansion to Taco’s Fall River, MA, plant is underway. The $20+ million project greatly enhances and expands the manufacturer’s ability to build larger tanks, heat exchangers and a wide range of other products – while also enabling them to add capacity and reduce lead times. Taco Comfort Solutions, based Read more

Strategic Investment Future-Proofs Manufacturing

A long-awaited expansion to Taco’s Fall River, MA, plant is underway. The $20+ million project greatly enhances and expands the manufacturer’s ability to build larger tanks, heat exchangers and a wide range of other products – while also enabling them to add capacity and reduce lead times.

Taco Comfort Solutions, based in Cranston, RI, began making plans for the plant expansion more than a decade ago. Groundbreaking began in early September ’23 and the project is expected to take about 18 months to complete.

“The expansion of Taco’s Fall River facility is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Taco team and our commitment to our customers,” said Cheryl Merchant, President and CEO, Taco Family of Companies. “The need for ASME certified fabricated products has grown tremendously as well as many facets of our market. When our customers asked us to increase our capacity to fulfill their demand, we said YES!  Our ability to innovate and grow with our customers and partners has been, and will continue to be, a key reason Taco has remained strong and innovative for 104 years,” noted Cheryl.

The Fall River plant’s previous footprint was 60,000 square feet. With the expansion, Taco is adding 52,000 square feet.

“After overcoming COVID and supply line setbacks, countless questions about details of the project, and through economic ups and downs, we determined that the time is right for this project,” said Anthony DeMoura, VP – Taco Fabricated Products Division & PIFA Foundry Operations. “The project is finally underway.”

For more than 100 years, Taco has been committed to designing and manufacturing innovative and dependable HVAC, plumbing and industrial solutions. Taco’s Fall River plant manufactures ASME Section VIII pressure vessels used in commercial and industrial heating and cooling systems.

“At Taco Fall River we design, fabricate and test both custom and standard plate heat exchangers, shell and tube heat exchangers, expansion tanks, air and dirt separators, hydraulic balancers and other specialized pressure vessels,” added DeMoura.

According to DeMoura, the plant was previously capable of constructing vessels up to capacities of 12,000 gallons (about 10’ w x 20’ h). Taco’s plant expansion will enable the fabrication of vessels up to 40,000 gallons, more than tripling current tank sizes. “We’ll have lifting capacity within the plant capable of lifting 60 tons. In many respects, we’re building the new facility around a massive crane system.”

World class custom engineering

Taco has grown to become a premier custom fabrication provider among global manufacturers. Their veteran team of engineers, welders, assemblers and customer support personnel carry an extensive wealth of industry knowledge, design logic and technical experience.

Customized variations of all standard designs are available. Some examples of custom projects include:

  • Flash tanks
  • Thermal energy storage tanks
  • De-aerator tanks
  • Clean steam generation
  • Fully custom ASME Section VIII rated pressure vessels

According to DeMoura, the expanded plant will offer these capabilities as well:

  • Plate rolling (up to 1 ¼” thick)
  • Steel cutting (up to 5” thick)
  • Stainless steel cutting (up to 2 ½” thick)
  • Robotic welding of tank heads up to 60” in diameter
  • Fabrication of vessels up to 12’ in diameter
  • Unmatched welding precision and quality with over 50 ASME certified pressure vessel welders

Engineering capabilities

The engineering capabilities of Taco’s ASME design team extend even further, fulfilling custom requests to meet unique requirements. All phases of fabrication are handled by Taco. Their skill and expertise stem from a culture of pride and close attention to detail, resulting in industry-leading quality and customer satisfaction.

With ASME certified welders, certified testers and a National Board Authorized Inspector in-house, Taco offers the team and equipment needed to provide fast, flexible lead times and the ability to accommodate quick turnaround and emergency requests.

“This is exciting. Our exceptional welders, fabricators, machinists, and assemblers build some impressive products already. When this project is completed, we will be able to build even bigger and more complicated products for the global marketplace, and we are doing it right here in Fall River, MA, with some of the best tradespeople in the industry,” concluded DeMoura.

Watts has announced “Designing Robust, Efficient Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Commercial Applications” an AIA and ASPE-accredited webinar worth 0.1 CEUs. On April 2nd, 2024, at 12 p.m. ET.‎, participants will take a deeper dive into the drainage, treatment, storage, and pumping/distribution strategies involved with designing an effective rainwater harvesting system that conserves water and manages Read more

Watts has announced “Designing Robust, Efficient Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Commercial Applications” an AIA and ASPE-accredited webinar worth 0.1 CEUs.

On April 2nd, 2024, at 12 p.m. ET.‎, participants will take a deeper dive into the drainage, treatment, storage, and pumping/distribution strategies involved with designing an effective rainwater harvesting system that conserves water and manages stormwater outflows all while lessening the building’s environmental footprint.

Rainwater harvesting systems are ideal for numerous building necessities including irrigation and agriculture, cooling tower makeup, toilet and urinal flushing, transportation and equipment wash-down and so much more.

The webinar will help you:

  • Identify the three primary elements of a Rainwater Harvesting System
  • Describe two methods for sizing a rainwater cistern
  • Analyze the role that pre-filtration plays in a rainwater system
  • Describe the differences between direct and indirect Rainwater pumping/treating strategies

To register, click visit watts.com/RainwaterHarvestingCEU.

Trusted manufacturers will present their high-efficiency, high-performing products at Canada’s top mechanical and plumbing event in Toronto March 22-24 Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, will showcase innovative products offered by its Bradford White Water Heaters and Laars® Heating Systems brands at the Canadian Mechanical and Plumbing Exposition (CMPX) in Toronto March 22-24. “Professionals Read more

Trusted manufacturers will present their high-efficiency, high-performing products at Canada’s top mechanical and plumbing event in Toronto March 22-24

Bradford White Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, will showcase innovative products offered by its Bradford White Water Heaters and Laars® Heating Systems brands at the Canadian Mechanical and Plumbing Exposition (CMPX) in Toronto March 22-24.

“Professionals in our rapidly evolving industry are looking for the kind of reliable, high-efficiency and high-performance solutions Bradford White is known for,” said Neal Heyman, director of marketing for Bradford White. “CMPX is one of Canada’s biggest and best events for plumbing and mechanical professionals, and we’re looking forward to connecting with them to share first-hand demonstrations of our proven and trusted products.”

Representatives from Bradford White Water Heaters and Laars Heating Systems will be available at Booth 517 during CMPX, along with the following products:

  • Bradford White AeroTherm® Series Heat Pump Water Heater: With 50-, 65- and 80-gallon capacity units available, the Bradford White Water Heaters ENERGY STAR®-certified AeroTherm® Series offers value, efficiency and versatility. AeroTherm® Series water heaters are easy to install and maintain and feature the AeroTherm® integrated smart control panel plus five operating modes (heat pump, hybrid, hybrid plus, electric and vacation).
  • Bradford White ElectriFLEX HD™: With available advanced features such as rugged Incoloy® low-watt density elements, field conversion kits to fit demanding application needs, Bradford White’s proprietary Vitraglas® lining with Microban® antimicrobial product protection, and a Hydrojet® sediment reduction system, ElectriFLEX HD™ water heaters are designed for heavy-duty commercial applications.
  • Bradford White Infiniti® GR Tankless Water Heaters: The ENERGY STAR®-certified Infiniti® GR tankless water heater offers energy efficiency, high performance and cutting-edge features, including a robust stainless steel heat exchanger, high temperature setting of 180 degrees, cascade rack installation and multiple venting options.
  • Bradford White eF Series® Ultra High Efficiency Commercial Gas Water Heater: The ENERGY STAR®-certified eF Series® Ultra High Efficiency Gas Water Heaters feature BMS integration, protective powered anodes, thermal efficiency up to 97%, ICON HD® controls, direct spark ignition, three-pass fire-tube heat-exchanger system, and an installed T&P relief valve.
  • Laars FT Series Floor Boiler and Combi: The Laars® FT Series floor standing condensing boiler comes in combi or heat only models. This powerhouse comes equipped with built-in low loss header, top connections, multiple access panels for easy install and a stainless-steel heat exchanger for ultra-high efficiency. The combi offers industry-leading 6-plus gallon first-minute DHW delivery.
  • Laars FT Series Commercial Wall Hung Boiler: FT Series commercial wall-hung boilers are available in 301 and 399 MBH sizes, have a stainless steel firetube heat exchanger, 10:1 turndown, and 95%-plus efficiency. These robust boilers can be wall-hung or floor mounted, common-vented and are BMS compatible.
  • Laars LT Series Tankless Water Heater: Ideal for residential or light commercial applications with a high temp output setting (185 degrees) and the ability to cascade up to 16 units. The newest member of Laars’ water heating lineup, the LT Series has 0.95 AFUE, a unique SS heat exchanger design with 15-year warranty, and gas-fired models that are capable of meeting Title 24 requirements.

CMPX is one of North America’s largest trade shows for the mechanical and plumbing industry. Attendees can source products, information, equipment and applications for industry professionals who want one-on-one access to the latest information and hands-on opportunities to come face-to-face with tomorrow’s trends.

For more information about CMPX, visit https://www.cmpxshow.com/.

For more information about Bradford White Water Heaters, visit https://www.bradfordwhite.com.

For more information about Laars Heating Systems, visit https://www.laars.com/.

New integration marks CallRail’s commitment to expanding investment across the home services category CallRail, the AI-powered lead intelligence platform, today announced an integration with Jobber, the leading provider of operations management software for home service businesses. With this integration, mutual customers—such as landscapers, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and painters—will get a better understanding of the performance of Read more

New integration marks CallRail’s commitment to expanding investment across the home services category

CallRail, the AI-powered lead intelligence platform, today announced an integration with Jobber, the leading provider of operations management software for home service businesses. With this integration, mutual customers—such as landscapers, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and painters—will get a better understanding of the performance of their acquisition channels and gain deeper insights into those leads to win more business without having to leave the Jobber platform.

By connecting to the CallRail app in the Jobber app marketplace, service pros will be able to see how potential leads discovered their business, the connection between the marketing sources and keywords that led to booked jobs, and view the communications history each lead had with their business.

“Teaming up with Jobber continues our longstanding commitment to supporting home service professionals as the only lead intelligence software directly integrated into technology that services pros are already using everyday,” Marc Ginsberg, CallRail CEO, said. “Our technology automatically surfaces actionable insights from calls and highlights the marketing activities that are bringing those leads. Now, these insights are available within the Jobber platform and connected with job-specific data to help service pros know what’s bringing their most profitable jobs.”

While the home service category continues to see a steady demand for services, advertising costs have increased significantly, causing many businesses to rely on lower cost lead generation services. The partnership will specifically enable mutual customers to easily access unprecedented details about customer journey, from lead to job, as well as unparalleled access to customer conversation data through CallRail’s Conversation Intelligence® platform. This will be especially important in 2024 as service pros will need to consider alternative ways to grow revenue and save on costs according to the latest Jobber Home Service Economic Report.

“Spending money on marketing can be intimidating for home service businesses, which often operate on tight budgets where every dollar counts,” said Sam Pillar, CEO and co-founder of Jobber. “These entrepreneurs want assurance that their hard-earned dollars are being invested efficiently. At Jobber, we want to take the guesswork out of running a successful home service business and provide the right tools for service pros to win work faster. This integration with CallRail is a great example of how we are doing that.”

“Marketing is critical to the success of our home services business, but wasting money on ads that don’t bring in leads can be detrimental,” said Branden Sewell, Owner of Seal Pro Painting. “Knowing where leads are coming from helps me know which marketing strategies are working effectively, and which ones need to be adjusted or scrapped. It saves time, money, and allows our business to focus on what matters most: booking jobs and getting paid.”

To learn more about how home service pros can make the most of this partnership, visit: https://callrail.com/blog/jobber-integration-easier-lead-management