Easy grips from the Red Line

New Malco RedLine tools feature a unique handle designed to make using these tools faster, easier, and more comfortable. There is a one-hand operation latch, meaning that you can open, control, and close these tools with one hand, leaving the other hand free to get your work done faster. The handles are ergonomically contoured with non-slip grip to assure comfortable use every time.

RedLine Tools can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Do not over oil a pump

If you over-oil the bearing assembly on your Series 100 pump, the excess oil will simply overflow through the bearing assembly’s weep-hole. The weep-hole is important, and you should never plug it. If it is not open, any dirt or sediment in the oil will find its way into the bearings which will shorten the life of your pump.

Bell and Gossett pumps can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Thermostat wiring

The number of wires coming out of your wall will tell you how many wires you need your thermostat to have. If there are 2 wires, you need at least a 2 wire thermostat. Having extra wires is fine; if you have 2 wires in your wall and purchase a 4 wire thermostat, you can leave two of the ports in the thermostat empty and it will still work properly. Having not enough wires is not OK; if you have 4 wires in your wall and purchase a 2 wire thermostat, it will not work. Play it safe, count your wires before you buy a new thermostat.

Thermostats can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Pump replacement

Looking to replace a Taco 00R-MSF1-IFC? Try the Grundfos 59896341 (Grundfos part number UPS15-58FC) as an alternative. These pumps have the same pump curve and specifications, so the Grundfos will work the same way that your old Taco pump did.

Taco pumps and Grundfos pumps can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Measuring fuel spend from BTU's

See what you're paying in fuel with your boiler. Another fuel type might save you money. If you can do either natural gas, oil, propane, or electric, you can compare the fuel costs and see how much fuel you will use with the BTU's in your boiler.

Natural Gas is measured by therm where 1 therm = 100,000 BTU's
Home Heat Oil (#2) is measured in gallons, where 1 Gal = 138,500 BTU's
Liquid Propane is also meausured in gallons where 1 Gal L.P. = 91,500 BTU's
Electric is measured in kilowatts where 1KW = 3,413 BTU's

You can then take the cost per therm, gallon, or kilowatt to find out how much you will spend with each energy source.

Boilers and other heating supplies can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Hot water where you want it

A tankless water heater allows you to put your hot water source right where you will call for that hot water. You can get a point-of-use tankless water heater for a single sink, and when you turn on the hot water tap, the water will be heated right there, instantly. These point-of-use heaters are also incredibly efficient. Instead of having your hot water travel from your boiler room and lose heat along the way, it will heat up right where you need it.

Tankless water heaters can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Clean water in your faucet

RO Faucets, or Reverse Osmosis Faucets, use reverse osmosis to remove impurities from your water before allowing it to leave the faucet. These faucets are an incredibly easy and convenient way to clean all of the water that you use for cooking, drinking, washing your hands, and anything else. While there are purification systems that are able to remove smaller particles, a reverse osmosis membrane is able to remove impurities and particles larger than .001 microns.

Tomlinson RO Faucets can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Radiant Heat in no time

Electric Radiant Heat can be installed in a bathroom in less than a day! Electric radiant heat kits are available and include the radiant heat mat, thermostat, installation monitor, double sided tape, an installation manual, and an installation DVD; everything you need to complete an installation and chosen based on the square footage of your room. Radiant heat is made easy with electric radiant.

Electric radiant heat mats and electric radiant heat kits can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

An outdoor unit for cooling?

Mini split air conditioning systems require both an indoor AND an outdoor component. The outdoor unit is called the compressor while the indoor unit is called the evaporator. The compressor switches on when the thermostat senses that the room is warmer than the set temperature and begins to circulate refrigerant. The evaporator then pressure reduces the refrigerant and uses its fan to draw the warm air in (sending it to cool in the compressor) while simultaneously blowing the cooled air out. The compressor and evaporator work together so your mini split system needs both units to work properly.

Mini split air conditioners can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Taco 007 Rule of Thumb

The 10-6 rule for the Taco 007 circulator pump means that it can support 10 gallons per minute at 6 feet of head, or 6 gallons per minute at 10 feet of head. This rule of thumb comes from the fact that the Taco 007 has a relatively even pump curve.

The Taco 007-F5 and other Taco products can be found at www.supplyhouse.com.

Make sure your backflow passes the test

Backflow preventers are the main way that it is guaranteed that any public water that enters your home does not return back to the public water supply to go to someone else's home. This is to make sure that all of the water that enters your home (and everyone else's home) is fresh and has been nowhere else. Your backflow preventer must be tested every year by a certified tester to assure that they are working properly.

Backflow preventers and backflow prevention test kits are available from www.supplyhouse.com

Cyclone Heaters

AO Smith Cyclone Commercial Water Heaters are 96% efficient. These energy saving heaters are perfect for commercial applications like mid-sized restaurants and hotels and can even be linked together through manifolds to heat larger spaces. Cyclone Heaters are designed to fit into tight spaces but have tons of storage space. You'll be surprised at how much water these units can hold.

AO Smith Cyclone Heaters can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Thermostat Display

Honeywell VisionPro thermostats such as the TH8110U1003 feature a 10 second backlight display. This means that after you touch anything on the thermostat, it will light up and stay lit for 10 seconds before going back to normal. The bright green light will stay lit long enough for you to do all of your programming, and then turn off, allowing the unit to draw less attention on the wall.

Thermostats and Honeywell thermostats can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Do I need a fill valve?

Depending on local code, your backflow preventer might require a fill valve (also known as a pressure valve). You will need to check your local codes to be sure. The fill valve is a valve that fills the boiler with water from your source (most likely the public water source). Most fill valves are pre-set to 30 psi, and to make installation easier, you can even get a combination of a backflow preventer and fill valve.

Backflow preventers and pressure valves can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Voltage of a zone valve

The vast majority (about 96%) of zone valves are 24 volts. Installing the wiring of a zone valve can be tricky, so it's recommended to hire a professional for installation. Zone valves are fully closed valves, meaning that no water passes through them and you will not need to install a check valve with them.

Zone valves and zone valve controls can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Don't pour grease down your sink

Even with a grease trap, it's never a good idea to pour straight grease down your sink. If it's separated out, let it cool and throw it in the garbage. Grease traps are designed to remove the grease that's mixed in with the water that goes down your sink. These units can handle a lot of grease going down and will capture and store that grease making sure that it does not clog your pipes, but it's always best to be smart about it and to try to minimize the amount of grease that goes down your pipes.

Grease traps can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Do I need a Junior air eliminator?

The "Jr" in the Spirovent Jr Air Eliminators means that these units are designed for residential or light commercial jobs. There is nothing junior about its power, or its quality. Spirovent Juniors come with a 20 year warranty and are made of solid brass and are able to remove up to 99.6% of the free air within your system.

Air eliminators and Spirotherm air eliminators can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Boiler Maintenance

Your boiler is easy to take advantage of when everything works. You just turn on a tap and get hot water. But when it's not working, you know right away. Regular maintenance to your boiler will keep it working and keep problems to a minimum. Every year, you should call a professional to take a look at your heating system. All of the belts and filters will be checked, cleaned, and replaced if necessary. If there are any potential problems, you will find out right away instead of being surprised by something breaking suddenly.

Boilers can be found at www.supplyhouse.com

Replacing a shower head

If you're going from one Kohler shower head to another, the replacement could not be easier. You simply unscrew your existing shower head, and then screw the new showerhead into place.

A new showerhead can also help with water pressure. If you currently have low water pressure and want it to be higher, try replacing the showerhead. Sometimes, this little part can make a big difference.

Shower heads can be found at www.supplyhouse.com