More than 40 years after its discovery, it shocks me to say that the number of reported cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in the United States has been rising since 2003. 

The final joint selection for commercial plumbing, heating and air system design is critical to system effectiveness and efficiency; it directly impacts construction, commissioning and maintenance processes. Part 2 continues the pipe-joining discussion with threaded, brazed/soldered or compression joints.

One of the most common plumbing system issues I’m brought into near punch list time or shortly after occupancy is inadequate water temperature at a fixture or in a general area. 

In-wall water closets include concealed tanks inside the wall, resulting in a clean aesthetic for office, hospitality and other commercial restrooms. Plumbing engineers and designers are responsible for configuring the proper venting and waste removal for these buildings using a variety of fittings and innovative installation techniques.

The second part of this series discusses ventilation options, zoning with thermally activated building systems and high-mass radiant floor cooling, the relationship of heat transfer to radiant cooling, and thermal storage with geothermal heat pumps.

Thermal disinfection or short-term chemical disinfection may kill Legionella bacteria on the surface of the biofilm, but it does not kill bacteria under it. Bacteria can go into a cyst form, encapsulating it inside an amoeba and deep within layers of buildup on a pipe wall covered with biofilm.

Properly calculating the water requirements for expansive medical grounds and supporting buildings is vital to the facility’s infrastructure plan. Here, John Gregory uses square footage and employee counts as part of a systematic approach to determine the gallons per day needed. 

As we continue this domestic hot water series, Ron George discusses the best circumstances to include temperature-actuated balancing valves or pressure-reducing valves in your plumbing design of high-rises and mega-tall buildings.