Minnesota PHCC Contractor Mar/Apr 2018

MN PHCC 

Mar - Apr 

2018 

What’s New 

In The Cross 

Connection 

Industry? 

Trade Show Lollapalooza p. 14 

Anti-Microbial Option Reduces Risk p. 24

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Mar - Apr 2018 

FEATURES 

12 

14 

24 

WHAT’S NEW IN THE 

CROSS CONNECTION 

INDUSTRY? 

Minnesota Codes: Fire protection systems, 

heating boiler systems, lawn irrigation 

systems. 

TRADE SHOW 

LOLLAPALOOZA 

Highlights from KBIS, IBS, AHR Expo, and 

MN PHCC Annual Convention and Expo. 

ANTI-MICROBIAL OPTION 

REDUCES RISK OF 

LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE IN 

CHILLER/COOLING TOWER 

APPLICATIONS 

Cooling tower design and materials can be 

very significant in the prevention of pathogen 

growth. 

ASSOCIATION NEWS 

6 

8 

9 

Letter from the President, 

Jason Schrupp 

Update from the Executive 

Office 

Legislative Update from 

MN PHCC Regulatory 

Consultant, Jim Gander 

INDUSTRY NEWS 

10 

11 

27 

28 

HVAC Perspective: Training 

Essential in Combating 

Carbon Monoxide 

Message from the PHCC 

National EVP, Michael Copp 

Revised Refrigerant Rules 

for 2018 

Science Museum of 

Minnesota Honored with 

Energy Efficiency Leader 

Award from Trane 

PHCC CONNECTION 

29 

30 

33 

34 

35 

Your MN PHCC Leadership 

MN PHCC Contractor Members 

MN PHCC Membership 

Benefits 

MN PHCC Membership 

Application 

Advertiser Index 

Cover photo courtesy of Elkay 

5353 Wayzata Blvd., Ste 350 

Minneapolis, MN 55416 

P 952-564-3060 

F 952-252-8096 

info@mnphcc.org 

www.mnphcc.org 

MN PHCC MISSION STATEMENT 

Advancing member success through leadership, 

education, networking and advocacy for the Minnesota 

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, Manufacturers 

and Wholesalers while protecting public health and the 

environment. 

The Minnesota Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractor, published bimonthly, 

is the official publication of the MN Association of Plumbing- 

Heating-Cooling Contractors, only insofar as notices, bulletins, and 

reports are concerned. Editorial and personalized news stories reflect 

the opinions of the writers, and not necessarily that of the Association. 

Neither the Association nor this magazine accepts responsibility for 

statements or claims made by advertisers for their products or services. 

FOR INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING, CONTACT: 

Eric Johnson, Blue Water Publishers, LLC 

phone: 414.708.2059 • fax: 414.354.5317 

eric@bluewaterpublishers.com 

4 Mar - Apr 2018 | MN PHCC | www.mnphcc.org

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER 

A SUCCESSFUL 

2018 ANNUAL 

CONVENTION AND 

VENDOR SHOW 

Now that winter is almost over, we can start focusing on spring and 

the upcoming workload that comes with it. I hope that all of you 

have had a great winter, besides all the cold we have endured, 

and are looking forward to some warmer weather ahead as I 

certainly am! 

We wrapped up the 122nd Annual Convention and Vendor Show on Jan. 25. It 

was very nice to see those who attended and I hope you all enjoyed yourselves 

as much as I did. 

A highlight was the Vendor Show to see all of the new products that are 

becoming popular throughout our industry. It’s a great place to get together 

and network with new vendors/contractors and reconnect with old ones. 

Thank you to the vendors that attended and had a booth at the convention. It 

is a large time commitment, but hopefully worth it! 

By Jason Schrupp 

MN PHCC president 

He can be reached at 

jasonschrupp@hansonsplumbing.com. 

Congratulations to our award winners: Carlson Duluth Company, Contractor 

of the Year; Rep Rite Burk & Associates, Manufacturer’s Rep of the Year; and 

Goodin Company, Wholesaler of the Year. 

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone on the MN PHCC Board of 

Directors for all the time that was put into the event. Kelly Michel did a great 

job in organizing all of the speakers for us. We appreciated John Siegenthaler, 

P.E., author of the text, “Modern Hydronic Heating,” and Nick Giuffre, CEO 

of Bradford White, for joining us and demonstrating exceptional leadership 

within our industry. Another thank you goes out to Paul Ronnenberg of 

Ronny’s Plumbing & Heating for all his years of dedicated service to the 

MN PHCC Board of Directors. Last but certainly not least, I would like to 

acknowledge Vicky Olson and her team at IntrinXec for coordinating and 

being such an integral part of the Annual Convention. 

Thanks to all who attended and made the 122nd Annual Convention and 

Vendor Show a success. 

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UPDATE FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE 

The 122nd Annual Convention and Vendor Show took 

place in January this year, due to Super Bowl LII 

taking precedent and eating up all of the hotel space 

in early February. With that being said, we adjusted 

the best we could, and the convention went on. There was 

nothing but positive comments regarding the convention, 

speakers and networking opportunities that were available. 

This was our second year giving out awards to the companies 

that continue to go above and beyond, when it comes to 

promoting and supporting the industry. 

Special guest speaker, John Siegenthaler 

Contractor of the Year: Carlson Duluth Company 

Manufacturer’s Rep of the Year: Rep Rite Burk & Associates 

Wholesaler of the Year: Goodin Company 

Also, Paul Ronnenberg was recognized during the convention, 

as his term as director on the board has ended. We are so 

appreciative of Paul’s dedication and service throughout the 

years. 

MN PHCC is successful because of the commitment of our 

members, sponsors, exhibitors and volunteers. THANK YOU 

for continuing to support the p-h-c industry! 

It was so much fun planning this year’s convention; we have 

already started planning the 123rd Annual Convention and 

Jason Schrupp with Nick Giuffre, CEO of Bradford White 

Vendor Show, which is scheduled for Feb. 6-8, 2019. Mark 

your calendars! 

Lastly, we are making some positive changes this year 

regarding the Plumbing Continuing Education program and 

classes that will be offered by MN PHCC, so stay tuned for 

further details. 

Fun Fact: A typical American home wastes more than 

9,000 gallons of water running the faucet while waiting for 

the water to heat, which means that as much as 15 percent of 

your annual heating costs are wasted while you heat the extra 

9,000 gallons. 

SAVE THE DATE 

2018 LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE 

The 2018 PHCC Legislative Conference will take place May 22-23, in Washington, D.C. It will bring contractors and association 

executives from across the country together to convey a unified message regarding the need for tax reform, workforce development 

(reauthorization of Carl D. Perkins Act) and Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) reform. 

Hotel rates at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill for conference attendees is $285 (plus tax) until April 27. 


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 

BE AWARE OF THESE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES 

THAT CAN IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS 

In 2016, MN PHCC along with several industry partners 

led by the Minnesota Subcontractors Association, 

successfully passed legislation that lowered the retainage 

on all construction projects from 10 percent to 5 percent. 

The legislation that passed in 2016 also clarified remedies to 

address abusive non-payers as it related to the current prompt 

payment law. This partnership is not satisfied, and we are 

currently lobbying to pass more legislation regarding retainage. 

It has been a long-time practice, especially when working with 

public entities, to withhold retainage payments for up to a year 

after substantial completion or the issuance of a certificate of 

occupancy. A compromise among our partners has led us to 

the language below that will, if passed, require retainage to be 

released much earlier than what we have become used to on 

public projects. 

Statute does not separate collection of retainage from 

regular monthly draws. Therefore, current prompt payment 

law remedies can be exercised to collect not only monthly 

payments, but retainage as well. Essentially if the general 

contractor has been paid their retainage, he/she must turn it 

over to you within 10 days; disputed or not. 

DUTY TO DEFEND LEGISLATION 

Another piece of legislation (that has little promise to pass 

this year) is the Duty to Defend legislation. This law would 

make it illegal for a general contractor to contractually 

transfer responsibility to pay its legal bills to a subcontractor 

or supplier that is not involved in the dispute. 

Many larger general contractors often put this clause in their 

contracts with subs and suppliers. The Builders Association 

of Minnesota (BAM) and the Builders Association of the 

Twin Cites (BATC) stand firm on the belief that, should this 

law be passed, a home builder would not be able to afford the 

insurance necessary to insure itself. 

This author has difficulty with the position these associations 

are taking. First of all, the rank and file of both associations 

have long been a large part subs and suppliers. In fact, BAM’s 

membership has a higher non-builder membership than 

builders. Secondly, how can a subcontractor afford insurance 

to pay legal fees resulting from another subcontractor any 

easier than the general contractor can? And, third, it is simply 

fair business that everyone insures themselves, not others. 

As a mechanical contractor, I have never been asked my opinion 

of another sub or supplier for hire, but I have been asked 

several times to insure any potential legal battle should that sub 

or supplier fail to perform. Please review your contracts very 

carefully for this language and strike it when you see it! Recently 

the Irrigation Contractors Association introduced SF 2602 that 

will, if passed, allow irrigation contractors and others to install, 

repair, replace, maintain and rebuild backflow preventers. At 

the time of this writing there are no House authors and no 

companion bill, but we expect this will not move forward, and 

we are watching it on your behalf. 

REGULATORY CONCERNS 

If you go online to the Department of Labor’s plumbing unit 

website and go to the Plumbing Board area, you will see that 

there are two “requests for comments”—one dated 5-23- 

16 and another dated 10-30-17. In both cases the Plumbing 

Board is requesting comments for the draft language that has 

not been “compiled” or published. It is anticipated that there 

will be language that relates to unlicensed water condition 

contractors and continuing education for these individuals. 

MN PHCC will continue to monitor this as it develops. 

The adoption of the 2015 or 2018 UPC code continues to be 

a point of discussion. As stated many times before by this 

author, both during and after my tenure on the Plumbing 

Board, our industry should move toward seriously limiting 

the Minnesota amendments to just a few (or none). Our 

current code is a mutated UPC and the old Minnesota Code. 

Many of the evolutions of this mutation resulted in confusion 

and untested code language. 

It is this author’s opinion that we should trust the IAPMO 

committees to do what is best for the UPC. By adopting a 

more pure UPC we would encourage the valuable time and 

resources of both the Plumbing Unit at DLI and the Plumbing 

Board to be spent on other important concerns. Rather than 

try to “make their (IAPMO) code look more like ours” as one 

Plumbing Board member recently commented. 

The National Electric Code has been adopted in full without 

any Minnesota amendments for decades and it works. 

Electrical inspections statewide are done by electrical 

professionals with substantial consistency. Other things the 

Plumbing Board could address would include; statewide 

enforcement, review and audit of our municipal plan review 

agreements, better communication between those who 

inspect plumbing, so interpretation can be more consistent, 

training, and community awareness and safety as it relates to 

our water resources and pollution. 

Jim Gander is the business development manager at 

Superior Mechanical, in Rochester. He also serves on 

the MN PHCC Board of Directors and is the MN PHCC 

Regulatory Consultant. He can be reached at JGander@ 

superiormechanical.us. 

www.mnphcc.org | MN PHCC | Mar - Apr 2018 

9

INDUSTRY NEWS 

HVAC PERSPECTIVE 

TRAINING ESSENTIAL IN COMBATING 

CARBON MONOXIDE 

By Tom Johnson 

I 

don’t know if I am oversensitive to this, but it really 

makes me concerned whenever I read or hear about 

another carbon monoxide incident. 

As most people around Minnesota were either taking 

part in Super Bowl festivities or at least watching them 

every night on the news, there was a story that didn’t get a lot 

of press. The bakery that was making all of the baked goods for 

the “Taste of the NFL” nearly killed several of its employees. 

The Franklin Street Bakery had a carbon monoxide incident 

in which the whole facility had to be evacuated. 

In my own small town of Cambridge, we had a family that 

nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning a few weeks ago. 

Somehow the vent pipe for their furnace and water heater had 

come apart. A few years ago, when natural gas had come to 

their neighborhood, they had their furnace and water heater 

converted by a “professional” heating technician. When the 

fire department arrived at their home on a sub-zero January 

morning they found the furnace putting out over 10,000 parts 

per million carbon monoxide! 

This (so called) professional heating technician, instead of 

ordering the proper orifices and spring kit for the gas valve, 

hand drilled the orifices and never changed the regulator 

spring in either the furnace or the water heater! 

I hope stories like this scare those of us who truly want to be 

professionals in our industry. There is NO excuse for doing 

things like this that endanger people’s lives. 

I am, as are all of my technicians, certified in Carbon 

Monoxide and Combustion Safety. If you are not, I would 

suggest that you are part of the problem rather than the 

solution in our industry. This is nothing to be taken lightly! 

Daily, our technicians are out there in customers’ homes and 

businesses working on their gas and oil-fired equipment. If 

your technicians do not have a combustion analyzer and 

extensive training on how to use it, you will and should be held 

liable for the problems that those technicians are creating. 

Not to mention all of the fuel that your customers are wasting 

because their equipment is not set up properly. 

Get trained and get your technicians trained! The news reports 

about how devastating the flu is this year across the country. 

My experience and testing has proven that many of those 

who think they have the flu may very well be suffering from 

carbon monoxide poisoning instead. Are you responsible? 

Unfortunately, in some cases the answer is a resounding YES! 

In this day and age, with the information and training being 

readily available, there is no excuse for these incidents. 

Please contact me and I will direct you to how you can get 

trained and get your technicians trained to prevent these 

problems before they are created. As professionals, it is 

absolutely our responsibility and our obligation. 

Tom Johnson is a board member of MN PHCC. He is a longtime 

PHCC member and owns and operates T M Johnson 

Bros. Inc. in Cambridge. Reach him at 763-689-3141 or 

tom@tmjohnsonbros.com. 


MESSAGE FROM THE PHCC NATIONAL EVP 

STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: 

WHAT WE DIDN’T HEAR 

By Michael Copp 

PHCC—National Association Executive Vice President 

Vice President of Legislative Affairs Mark Riso 

pointed out in his recent social media posting that 

“When President Donald Trump addressed the 

nation … in the State of the Union, a few of the issues 

he touched on emphasized (in part) infrastructure spending, 

workforce development and immigration, elements of which 

impact PHCC members.” President Trump’s speech centered 

around a theme of “America First,” but what we didn’t hear was 

about how these three inexplicably connected initiatives will 

immediately address the needs of the p-h-c industry and PHCC 

contractors. There undoubtedly will be eventual collateral 

benefits to our industry from increased focus on some elements 

of these priorities, but short-term advantages are unclear as of 

now. 

• Infrastructure: PHCC continues to emphasize with the 

White House that infrastructure investment is as much 

about upgrading components below ground as it is about 

above ground (highways, roads, and bridges). According 

to the American Water Works Association, “upgrading 

existing water systems and meeting the drinking water 

infrastructure needs of a growing population will require at 

least $1 trillion.” Congress will soon consider appropriation 

legislation to fund large infrastructure projects including 

public/private partnerships and PHCC National will 

continue to engage Congress and the Administration about 

considering water and waste water infrastructure—which 

by the way is co-mingled with aviation, bridges, dams, 

energy, hazardous waste, inland waterways, levees, ports, 

public parks, rail, roads, schools, solid waste and transit. 

You can see there are many competing infrastructure 

priorities and the President’s proposed $1.5 trillion 

building program will certainly not be nearly enough. 

• Immigration: PHCC noted back in 2007 that the 

construction industry continues to face a critical shortage 

of skilled labor and that some of this insufficiency is 

being addressed by the immigrant workforce. However, 

PHCC also believed that immigration policies have to 

be strengthened to ensure that U.S. workers are not 

displaced by foreign workers. While these two needs 

appear to contradict each other, the distinction that PHCC 

promotes is its desire for a guest worker visa program for 

hardworking, taxpaying, undocumented workers versus 

those undocumented immigrants that are not employed, 

not actively pursuing employment, and engaging in illicit 

activity. The first approach that could achieve this is 

looking hard at the Deferred 

Action for Childhood Arrivals 

(DACA) program and the Development, Relief, and 

Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which did not 

pass, but whose acronym now carries a broader context. 

DACA and the DREAM Act are a primary area of the 

immigration reform debate that President Trump did 

not fully address. The DACA program gives work permits 

and protections from deportation to children of illegal 

immigrants already in the U.S., as opposed to the DREAM 

Act, which would have provided legal status to some 

undocumented immigrants who came to the United States 

as children and attended school. Instead, the president 

talked about extending an “open hand” by “giving 1.8 

million young immigrants a path to citizenship, creating 

a $25 billion trust fund to build a border wall, ending 

rules allowing legal immigrants to bring their families to 

the country, and shutting down a lottery program aimed 

at encouraging immigration from underrepresented 

countries.” 

Initially, if one ties the concept of a “path to citizenship” to 

“guest worker visa program,” then that could be the start of 

addressing PHCC’s desire to in part, permit hardworking, 

taxpaying, undocumented workers to earn legal status. 

Wages for legal guest workers should be determined by the 

most prevalent data available and comparable to wages for 

native employees performing the same or similar work. 

• Workforce Shortage: PHCC has advocated heavily 

on the need to bring vocational classes back to the high 

schools in order to develop a career pathway to the 

trades. However, President Trump’s “fiscal 2018 budget 

request proposed slashing federal spending on career and 

technical education by more than $1 billion.” Furthermore, 

schools represent only one of 16 infrastructure needs for 

which spending is required, but for which he has proposed 

only a $1.5 trillion building program for “gleaming new 

roads, bridges, highways, railways and waterways across 

our land.” Aside from this, PHCC continues to monitor 

the work of the U.S. Department of Labor Task Force on 

Apprenticeship Expansion, which is looking at “strategies 

and proposals to promote apprenticeships, especially in 

sectors where apprenticeship programs are insufficient.” 


11

FEATURE 

What’s New In The Cross 

Connection Industry? 

By Rich Davison 

There are substantial negative 

consequences when unprotected 

or under-protected cross 

connections to our safe drinking 

water are not remedied. 

Plumbing cross connections – 

which are defined as actual or 

potential connections between 

our safe potable water and 

nonpotable substances (such as 

unsafe liquids, gases, and solids) 

constitute a serious public health 

hazard. There are numerous, 

well-documented cases where 

cross connections have been 

responsible for contamination of drinking water and have resulted in the 

spread of disease. 

The problem is a dynamic one, because piping systems are continually being 

installed, altered, or extended. This is where the responsible, professional 

plumber can make a difference and help protect drinking water by installing 

the correct backflow prevention assemblies, devices or methods. Many cross 

connections are made because plumbing is frequently installed by persons 

who may be unaware of the inherent dangers. Cross connections can be made 

as a matter of convenience without regard to what is being created when 

pipe labeling is unclear or mismarked. In addition, reliance on inadequate 

protection such as a single mechanical check valve can lead to an unsafe 

condition. 

Wisconsin and Minnesota now have a lot more in common than just the 

Mississippi River we share – we both have substantial backflow prevention 

codes that are designed to help protect our safe drinking water supply. 

Wisconsin has the DSPS new plumbing code and the DNR 810.15 code for 

water suppliers. Minnesota has the new Department of Labor UPC code for 

plumbing and is backed by the Minnesota Department of Health to regulate 

the water suppliers of Minnesota. 

So what is new? New codes are now in effect in Minnesota! The adoption of 

the UPC (Uniform Plumbing Code) has had an impact. The type of backflow 

assemblies required has changed as well as the people who are qualified to 

test and repair them. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry 

plumbing code requires that testers must be ASSE 5110 certified, and backflow 

repairs must be done by an ASSE 5130 certified repairer. The updates to their 

credentials have given them new abilities and understanding of assemblies 

that have not been tested in the past in Minnesota, such as double check 

valves, pressure vacuum breakers and spill resistant vacuum breakers. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION … 

The Foundation for Cross Connection 

Control & Hydraulic Research/ 

University of California Engineering 

School 

This foundation has become the 

internationally recognized expert 

on approval of backflow prevention 

products. 

http://fccchr.usc.edu/ 

International Association of Plumbing 

and Mechanical Officials’ Backflow 

Prevention Institute 

Backflow prevention resources. 

www.iapmodwbp.org 

American Backflow Prevention 

Association 

Membership organization for backflow 

manufacturers, dealers, distributors, 

designers, consultants, engineers, 

contractors and end users. 

www.abpa.org 

American Society of Sanitary Engineers 

ASSE offers a certification to those 

standards that are recognized by the 

model plumbing codes in the U.S. 

www.asse-plumbing.org 

American Water Works Association 

International nonprofit and educational 

society and the largest and oldest 

organization of water professionals in 

the world. 

www.awwa.org 


Some of the major changes include: 

Fire protection systems: Now water-based pressurized 

systems are required to have a double check valve or double 

detector check valve assembly to protect the water supply or 

in the case of chemical systems an RP or RPDA is needed. 

Heating boiler systems: Now are required to have a 

double check assembly or RP assembly to protect the water 

system unless the city (in this case Minneapolis) has a lower 

protection requirement. 

Lawn irrigation systems: Now requires testing of 

pressure vacuum breaker assemblies. 

Wisconsin and Minnesota may disagree on who has the best 

football team - but they now have much in common with 

what backflow preventer to use and who can test and repair 

these important valves. 

We all need to play our part in protecting our safe drinking 

water supply! 

Rich Davison, Specified Market Development, Soderholm 

& Associates, is a backflow/cross-connection expert in 

Soderholm’s Wisconsin office. Soderholm also has an office 

in Ramsey, Minnesota. 

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13

FEATURE 

TRADE SHOW 

LOLLAPALOOZA 

January is trade show time! KBIS and IBS at 

Design Construction Week in Orlando and AHR 

Expo in Chicago. Hundreds and hundreds of 

products and technologies on display, education 

sessions, design seminars, fun social events, and 

good, old-fashioned networking opportunities 

were available to the thousands of attendees. 

KBIS 

KBIS continues to grow as the kitchen and bath industry’s premier annual event, welcoming more than 15,000 designers, builders, 

dealers and kitchen and bath showroom professionals along with more than 600 exhibitors to Orlando Jan. 9-11. On the show floor, 

programs for attendees to network, learn and connect with members of the industry extended throughout all three days. 

International Builders’ Show 

Running concurrent with KBIS at the Orlando Convention 

Center, the NAHB 2018 International Builders’ Show (IBS) 

saw industry professionals from across the globe checking 

out a variety of products and innovations. IBS had more than 

1,500 manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting. Registrants 

numbered 60,000, who also had access to the KBIS show. 

In addition to meeting suppliers and seeing product demos, 

more than 140 education sessions were available on a wide 

range of industry topics. 

AHR Expo 

Closing out the month was the monstrous AHR Expo at McCormack 

Place in Chicago featuring a record 2,100 exhibiting companies and 

72,000 registered attendees. 

The International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition 

(AHR Expo), which began 88 years ago as a heating and ventilation 

show, has now grown into one of the world’s largest HVAC/R events. 

The show provides a unique forum for the HVAC/R community to come 

together and share new products, technologies and ideas. The event 

is co-sponsored by ASHRAE and AHRI, and is held concurrently with 

ASHRAE’s Winter Conference. AHRI exhibited at the show, sharing 

information on its certification programs, standards and membership, 

as well as NATE certification and the Rees Scholarship Foundation. 


FEATURE 

IF YOU COULDN’T MAKE ANY OF THE SHOWS, HERE IS A 

BIRD’S –EYE VIEW OF SOME OF THE PRODUCTS SHOWCASED. 

AquaMotion Aqua-Flash 

Winner of the AHR EXPO Innovation Award for the most 

innovative plumbing product is the AquaMotion Aqua- 

Flash Recirculation product group. This all bronze recirculation 

by-pass valve installs under the sink in minutes. It does not require 

electricity or batteries. The pump with built-in timer installs on top 

of the water heater. This system delivers instant hot water comfort, 

prevents the waste of tempered water down the drain and saves 

the homeowner on utility bills. The Aqua-Flash ON-CALL is owner 

operated and equipped with a wireless Call Button that sends a signal 

to a receiver to turn on the pump. 

Spartan Bioscience Legionella 

Detection System 

Spartan Bioscience Legionella Detection System is the first on-site 

DNA test for Legionella and it can detect and quantify Legionella 

bacteria in 45 minutes. The system consists of a coffee-cup-sized 

portable DNA analyzer, called the Spartan Cube, and a single-use 

disposable test cartridge. The system is the winner of the 2018 AHR 

Expo Innovation Award for Indoor Air Quality. Globally, there are 

hundreds of thousands of office towers, hospitals, hotels, shopping 

malls and other large buildings at risk for infection by Legionella. 

Weekly testing with the Spartan system can detect Legionella bacterial 

growth early and allow cleaning and decontamination of the cooling 

tower before Legionella reaches dangerous levels to human health. 

Franklin Electric Inline 1100 SpecPAK Pressure Boosting System 

Inline 1100 SpecPAK Pressure Boosting System 

from Franklin Electric connects easily to nearly 

any plumbing configuration to provide an easyto-size 

water pressure boosting solution for 

numerous HVAC applications. Contractors 

simply determine how much water is required 

to be boosted to the desired constant pressure 

output and the system comes properly packaged. 

The pump itself, the Franklin Electric Inline 1100, 

is a quiet, all-in-one constant water pressure 

system that contains the pump, motor and drive in a compact package. As water volume needs 

increase, the pump instantly accelerates to the proper speed to ensure the water pressure stays 

constant throughout the application. 

Continued on page 16 >> 


15

FEATURE 

FEATURE 

ClearFire-CE Condensing 

Boiler 

ClearFire-CE is a 

high-mass firetube 

condensing boiler 

that achieves up 

to 99 percent 

efficiency due to its 

enhanced AluFer 

heat exchanger and 

dual temperature 

returns. It attains 

maximum operating efficiencies in many 

different system applications. There are no 

flow limitations to consider and no need to 

satisfy multiple-boiler design constraints, 

allowing for system engineering flexibility 

and maximum boiler efficiency. ClearFire- 

CE was named a finalist in the 2018 AHR 

Expo Innovation Awards. 

KALLISTA Grid Faucet – BEST IN SHOW 

KALLISTA’s Grid sink faucet took top 

honors at KBIS 2018, winning awards 

for Best in Show and Best of Bath. 

To create the Grid faucet, KALLISTA 

partnered with Indianapolis-based 

3rd Dimension, a 3D printing 

specialist and high quality production 

metal manufacturer. Through 3D 

printing, KALLISTA can achieve the 

Grid sink faucet’s open form and 

discreet interior channels that allow the water to flow easily through 

the base. The Grid sink faucet comes standard with the KALLISTA soft 

touch drain, is fitted with quarter-turn washerless ceramic disc valves for 

seamless operation, and provides an environmentally sound 1.2 gallon 

minimum/maximum water flow rate. The Grid sink faucet is paired with 

the graphic Cube handles, perfect open squares scaled to conform to the 

hand. 

The Grid Collection also includes a wall-hung console, lighting and 

accessories, and will be available beginning in summer 2018. 


Every 

Great Journey 

Requires 

a Plan 

FEDERATED LIFE ® 

No matter where you 

are on your journey, 

business succession 

planning can help. 

To learn more, contact 

your local marketing 

representative. 

Federated Mutual Insurance Company 

and its subsidiaries* 

federatedinsurance.com | *Not licensed in all states. 

18.02 Ed. 12/17 | © 2017 Federated Mutual Insurance Company 


17

Helping 

Turn Up Water Heater 

Sales 

Increase sales with natural gas 

water heater rebates. 

Residential offerings 

(For equipment installed in a personal residence or commercial 

setting with four or fewer individually metered units) 

Rebates up to $250 are available on tankless and 

tank water heaters, including power vent models. 

Get details and online rebate processing at: 

CenterPointEnergy.com/RebateScoop 

Residential contact: 

Kelly Chase, 612-321-4484 

Kelly.Chase@CenterPointEnergy.com 

Over a Century of Trusted Service

Learn more about the new 

Uniform Energy Factor ratings. 

For residential: 

CenterPointEnergy.com/RebateScoop 

For commercial: 

CenterPointEnergy.com/Commercial 

WaterHeating 

Commercial offerings 

Rebates of $250 for power vent tank water heaters; 

$75 for atmospheric tank water heaters and $200/100,000 

Btu input condensing water heaters. Pipe insulation rebates 

for retrofit installations are also available. 

Get details and fill-and-print rebate applications at: 

CenterPointEnergy.com/CommercialWaterHeating 

Commercial contact: 

David Poretti, 612-321-4386 

David.Poretti@CenterPointEnergy.com 

©2018 CenterPoint Energy 175739

FEATURE 

BUSINESS BUILDING 

SOLUTIONS 

Rheem ® tankless gas water heaters provide 

continuous hot water and repeat business with 

appealing features, smart design and engaging 

customer touchpoints. 

• Easy tank replacements – Rheem tankless 

solutions are compatible with 1/2" gas lines 

• Simplified installations – PVC venting and 

built-in condensate neutralizer 1 save you time 

and money 

• New recirculation options – built in options 

eliminate your need to install a separate pump 

• More service calls – automatic maintenance 

notifications prompt homeowners to call you 

for service 

New Built-in 

RECIRCULATION 

PUMP 

OPTIONS 

Visit Rheem.com/TanklessInnovation 

or see your distributor today. 

1 

Condensing models only.

FEATURE 

Seen at the 2018 

Annual Convention 

and Vendor Show 


FEATURE 


23

FEATURE 

By Jasmine Stanley 

ANTI-MICROBIAL OPTION 

REDUCES RISK OF LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE IN 

CHILLER/COOLING TOWER APPLICATIONS 

New cooling tower protects a hospital’s low infection rate 

A 

new Center for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC) study involving 196 cooling towers 

nationwide found that 84 percent contained 

Legionella DNA, indicating that the dangerous 

bacteria that causes a severe, even fatal type 

of pneumonia were present or had been at some point. 

This means the real question is not “if there will be another 

outbreak” but only “where and when” it will occur. 

“During 2000–2014, passive surveillance for legionellosis 

in the United States demonstrated a 286 percent increase 

in reported cases per 100,000 population,” states the CDC 

website. 

The CDC also estimates that about 5,000 cases of 

Legionnaires’ disease are now reported each year in the 

United States, and keeping Legionella out of water systems 

in buildings, with cooling towers a noted risk, is critical in 

preventing infection. 

In response, HVAC contractors now are pairing chillers 

and high performance plastic cooling towers with new antimicrobial 

options that significantly reduce the infection risk. 

Controlling Pathogen Growth 

Throughout the U.S. and most of the world, the mainstay 

of large cooling systems remains the traditional HVAC 

combination of chillers, air handlers and cooling towers. 

Cooling towers have a long history of effective use in expelling 

heat from the water used in many commercial and industrial 

applications that involve chillers. 

However, it is well established that, under typical operating 

conditions, cooling towers can propagate Legionella. The 

design of many cooling towers creates pockets where water 

may stagnate, a condition that can lead to microorganism 

development. 

This has recently led ANSI/ASHRAE to publish its “Standard 

188, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water 

Systems,” which documents new risk standards and 

requirements for the design of new buildings and the 

renovations to existing structures. 

“All facilities with HVAC or process cooling systems need to 

be aware of Legionnaires’ disease and handle any concerns 

about it,” said Rick Hill, facilities director at Arkansas Surgical 

Hospital, a physician-owned hospital specializing in joint and 

spine surgery in Central Arkansas. “There have to be good 

procedures in place to prevent or control it.” 

When it was time to replace an air cooled chiller at Arkansas 


FEATURE 

Surgical Hospital, Steve 

Keen, president of Powers of 

Arkansas, the HVAC contractor 

responsible for the hospital 

project, recommended and 

installed a water cooled chiller, 

paired with an advanced 

cooling tower with unique 

anti-microbial properties. 

“Legionella is always a concern 

for HVAC systems using a 

cooling tower and anywhere you have water exposed to the 

atmosphere,” Keen said. “The Delta Cooling Towers’ antimicrobial 

properties will help prevent that type of growth and 

exposure to patients and staff.” 

Delta Cooling Towers, which pioneered the HDPE (highdensity 

polyethylene) plastic cooling tower in the 1970s, 

recently introduced a line of towers constructed of antimicrobial 

resin, which is fully compounded into the base 

cooling tower structural material and casing. The cooling 

tower fill and drift eliminator are also made from antimicrobial 

PVC. 

The anti-microbial resin contains wide-spectrum additives 

that operate on a cellular level to continuously disrupt and 

prevent uncontrolled growth of microorganisms and biofilm 

within the cooling tower. Efficacy tests were performed by 

Special Pathogens Laboratory. 

Cooling tower design and materials can be very significant 

in the prevention of pathogen growth. To avoid problems 

of stagnant water leading to pathogen growth, experts 

recommend cooling tower designs feature a sloped basin and/ 

or basin sweeper system. 

While some cooling tower manufacturers now market a tower 

with an anti-microbial fill (the medium over which the hot 

water is distributed as it is being cooled), a superior option is 

to have a cooling tower featuring the fill, structural casing and 

sump all composed of anti-microbial material. 

“We decided that since we were replacing the air cooled 

chiller with a water cooled chiller, we wanted a cooling tower 

that aligned with our philosophy of protecting patient safety,” 

said Hill, who advocated for the anti-microbial technology 

and found support for it among his hospital’s leadership. “We 

want to maintain one of the lowest infection rates among 

hospitals in the country.” 

Arkansas Surgical Hospital already boasts a very low infection 

rate of under 0.3 percent, compared to a national average of 3 

percent among U.S. hospitals. 


WE KNOW 

PLUMBING. 

And we have the extensive 

product line to prove it. 

Whether bidding on future projects or providing 

solutions for an urgent plumbing issue today, 

it’s critical to know you have the right resources 

in place. That’s why T&S offers a vast selection 

of high-quality products that are easy to install 

and built to perform for years to come. And with 

a full assortment of in-stock items ready for 

same-day shipping, it’s no wonder contractors 

everywhere rely on T&S when it matters most. 

Visit tsbrass.com and learn more about how we’re 

partnering with contractors just like you. 

T&S plumbing products represented in Minnesota by: Hamel Associates, Inc. - 952-835-5570 

TSB_0592 2015 PHCC Pubs.indd 8 

12/18/14 10:45 AM 


25

FEATURE 

INDUSTRY NEWS 

REVISED REFRIGERANT 

RULES FOR 2018 

By Chuck White, PHCC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued 

changes to the Section 608 and 609 refrigerant rules with 

some specific language for technicians. One of these changes 

extends the current refrigerant handling procedures to 

substitute non-ozone depleting refrigerants. Effective Jan. 

1, 2018, substitute refrigerant sales are limited to certified 

technicians and certification exams are being expanded to 

cover these products as well. The new exam rules would 

require technicians to: 

• Pass a certification exam offered by an approved 

technician certification program in order to maintain, 

service, repair or dispose of appliances containing Ozone 

Depleting Substances or substitute refrigerants. The 

certification exam will be updated to reflect the new rules 

and new refrigerants prior to this date. 

• Keep a copy of their certificate at their place of business. 

• Maintain a copy of their certificate until three years after 

no longer operating as a technician. 

Existing certified technicians will maintain their status; no 

additional examination will be required. Technicians are now 

required additional recordkeeping duties for systems between 

five and 50 pounds of refrigerant: 

• The location, date of recovery and type of refrigerant 

recovered for each disposed appliance; 

Award-Winning 

Mechanical Estimating Software 

Fast On-Screen Takeoffs Easy to learn and use Unrivaled customer support 

• The quantity of refrigerant, by type, recovered from 

disposed appliances in each calendar month; and 

• The quantity of refrigerant, and type, transferred for 

reclamation or destruction, the person to whom it was 

transferred and the date of the transfer. 

The updated Section 608 regulations include new leak 

inspection and verification test requirements for owners/ 

operators that will affect technicians starting Jan. 1, 2019. 

Award-winning mechanical estimating software that can 

improve the speed, ease and efficiency of your estimating 

800-828-7108 fastest-inc.com 


27

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Science Museum of Minnesota Honored with 

Energy Efficiency Leader Award from Trane 

Trane, a leading global provider 

of indoor comfort systems and 

services and a brand of Ingersoll 

Rand, presented the Energy 

Efficiency Leader Award to the 

Science Museum of Minnesota in January. 

The award recognizes the museum’s longterm 

commitment to providing a learning 

atmosphere with minimal impact on the 

environment. 

The Science Museum of Minnesota, one 

of the most visited museums in the upper 

Midwest and a national leader in providing 

informal science, technology, engineering 

and mathematics (STEM) education, 

invested in a more sustainable solution 

after learning that building upgrades 

could save millions of dollars in energy 

costs by decreasing fossil fuels and highenergy 

sources coming from their building. 

Through a collaboration with Trane, the 

project exceeded expectations surpassing 75 percent of hot 

water heat savings since installation and decreasing the 

amount of energy supply used in the community. The smart 

design practices and energy efficient systems implemented 

will save the museum more than $300,000 in operating costs 

year-over-year. 

We are very proud to honor the Science 

Museum of Minnesota with the Ingersoll 

Rand Foundation grant and Energy 

Efficiency Leader award. 

“Our team was determined to reach its energy efficiency goals, 

to not only provide long-term environmental benefits to our 

local community, but to make our building a living laboratory 

that demonstrates energy and sustainable solutions,” said 

Alison Brown, president and CEO, Science Museum of 

Minnesota. “We want to inspire visitors that energy efficiency 

in large buildings is possible and feasible.” 

As a part of the ceremony, Mitchell Farrell, vice president, 

commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC), 

presented the grant and award to the museum’s leaders, 

including Alison Brown and Patrick Hamilton, director of 

global change initiatives at the Science Museum. 

The museum’s goals extend beyond the building, and they 

continue to invest in the community by partnering with 

the Ingersoll Rand Foundation for their 2018 Year of the 

Engineer campaign. This year-long initiative will showcase 

unique programs and experiences designed to inspire and 

celebrate engineering’s power to turn ideas into innovations. 

The Ingersoll Rand Foundation provided a $30,000 grant to 

invest in the museum educating kindergarten through 12th 

grade students on creating a more sustainable world. 

“We are very proud to honor the Science Museum of 

Minnesota with the Ingersoll Rand Foundation grant and 

Energy Efficiency Leader award,” said Farrell. “The museum 

exemplifies how partnerships can impact the sustainability 

efforts of an entire city, in this case St. Paul.” 

Prior to implementing the upgrades, the museum’s leadership 

completed an energy research project of the building to identify 

opportunity for improvements. Based on the results, Science 

Museum of Minnesota maximized energy conservation 

measures for the building. Selected upgrades included chillers 

designed to lower environmental impact. The project team 

also added a building automation system to control heating, 

ventilation and air conditioning as well as lighting systems to 

keep the machines running at an optimized condition every 

day. 


YOUR MN PHCC LEADERSHIP 

For information about the Minnesota Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, 

call the main office at 952-564-3060 or contact one of the following Board of Directors: 

STATE ASSOCIATION OFFICERS 

LOCAL ASSOCIATION OFFICERS 

JASON SCHRUPP 

President 

Hanson’s Plumbing & Heating Inc. 

P. O. Box 301 

Perham, MN 56573 

218-346-2422 

jasonschrupp@hansonsplumbing.com 

MITCHELL DIERS 

Sec./Treas. & Duluth PHCC Liaison 

Northern Mech./Plbg. Contrs. Assoc. 

802 Garfield Ave. 

Duluth, MN 55802 

218-727-6227 

diers04@yahoo.com 

JEREMY CARLSON 

Immediate Past President 

Carlson Duluth Co. & Randall’s Heating & 

Cooling 

2901 Helm St. 


218-727-0063 

jeremy@carlsonduluth.com 

JENI BLAYLOCK 

Director & Metro PHCC Liaison 

Blaylock Plumbing Co. 

7731 4th Ave. S. 

Richfield, MN 55423 

612-869-7531 

jeni@blaylockplumbing.com 

JEFF BURMAN 

Interim Director & Wholesalers Representative 

Goodin Company 

2700 North Second St. 


612-588-7811 

jeff.burman@goodinco.com 

JIM GANDER 

Director & Regulatory Consultant 

Superior Mechanical 

1244 60th Ave. N.W. 

Rochester, MN 55901 

507-289-0229 

jgander@superiormechanical.us 

TOM JOHNSON 

Director 

TM Johnson Bros. 

645 Emerson St. N. 

Cambridge, MN 55008 

763-689-3141 

tom@tmjohnsonbros.com 

SHEILA HINTZEN 

Interim Director 

Richfield Plumbing Co. 

8640 Harriet Ave S, #100 

Bloomington, MN 55420 

952-881-3355 

sheila@richfieldplumbing.com 

KELLY MICHEL 

Director & Manufacturers Representative 

Michel Sales Agency 

521 Phalen Blvd. 

St. Paul, MN 55130 

651-287-2640 

kelly@michelsales.com 

VICKY OLSON 

Executive Office 


5353 Wayzata Blvd, Ste 350 


952-564-3060 

volson@intrinxec.com 

DULUTH PHCC 

MITCHELL DIERS 

Executive Director 

Northern Mechanical/Plumbing 

Contractors Association 

Duluth, MN 

218-727-6227 

diers04@yahoo.com 

TOM CONRAD 

Sec./Treas. 

BendTec Inc. 

Duluth, MN 

218-722-0205 

tconrad@bendtec.com 

METRO PHCC 

JENI BLAYLOCK 

President 

Blaylock Plumbing Co. 

Richfield, MN 

612-869-7531 

jeni@blaylockplumbing.com 

LUKE WESTMAN 

Executive Director 

Aitkin, MN 

612-290-4742 

lukemnphcc@msn.com 


29

MN PHCC CONTRACTOR MEMBERS 

1ST CLASS PLUMBING & HEATING, 

INC. 

Paul Link 

855 38th St NW 

Rochester, MN 55901-6985 

507-280-5883 

paul@1stclassplumbingandheating.com 

1stclassplumbingandheating.com 

ABE ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS 

Garrett Niska 

4444 Airpark Blvd 


218-727-1767 

garrettn@uhlco.com 

B & D PLUMBING, HEATING & A/C, 

INC. 

Tracy Daleiden 

4145 MacKenzie Ct NE 

Saint Michael, MN 55376-4551 

763-497-2290 

tdaleiden@bdplumbers.com 

www.bdplumbers.com 

B&C PLUMBING, HEATING, AND AIR 

CONDITIONING 

Bob Arthur 

15 Monroe St SE 

Hutchinson, MN 55350 

320-234-6900 

bobarthur10@hotmail.com 

www.b-cplumbing.com 

BELKNAP PLUMBING & HEATING CO. 

Chris Scharte 

1414 Belknap St 

Superior, WI 54880 

715-394-7754 

cscharte@belknapsd.com 

BISBEE PLUMBING & HEATING 

Scott Williams 

604 N Highway 59 

Marshall, MN 56258-2764 

507-537-0596 

swilliams@bisbeeph.com 

www.bisbeeph.com 

BLAYLOCK PLUMBING CO. 

Dick Blaylock 

7731 4Th Ave S 

Richfield, MN 55423-4304 

612-869-7531 

dick@blaylockplumbing.com 

www.blaylockplumbing.com 

BUDGET PLUMBING, CORP. 

Tom Muralt 

855 Highway 169 N 

Plymouth, MN 55441-6404 

763-531-2000 

tomm@budgetplumbingcorp.com 

www.budgetplumbingcorp.com 

CARLSON BROS. PLUMBING & 

HEATING 

Richard Carlson 

2502 W Huron St, Ste 1 

Duluth, MN 55806-1828 

218-723-8351 

cbi@carlsonbros.com 

CARLSON DULUTH COMPANY 

Jeremy Carlson 

2901 Helm St 

Duluth, MN 55806-1710 

218-727-0063 

jeremy@carlsonduluth.com 

carlsonduluth.com 

CHEYENNE PLBG & HTG INC. 

David Cottrell 

25903 Rabbit St NW 

Zimmerman, MN 55398 

612-490-1028 

cheyenneplbg@aol.com 

www.cheyenneplbg.com 

DICK’S PLUMBING & HEATING OF 

BEMIDJI INC. 

Michael Gregg 

427 Mag Seven Ct SW 

Bemidji, MN 56601-4453 

218-751-4964 

mike@dicksplumbingandheating.com 

www.dicksplumbingandheating.com 

ESSER PLUMBING & HEATING 

Joe Esser 

542 W Main St 


218-346-3530 

joseph_esser@hotmail.com 

esserplumbingandheating.com 

HANSON’S PLUMBING & HEATING 

INC. 

Jason Schrupp 

646 3rd Ave SE, PO Box 301 


218-346-2422 

jasonschrupp@hansonsplumbing.com 

www.hansonsheating.com 

HAWLEY’S INC. 

Jon Hawley 

218 14th St S 

Benson, MN 56215-1798 

320-843-2222 

jon@hawleysinc.com 

hawleysinc.com 

HIMEC, INC. 

Greg Donley 

1400 7th St NW 


507-281-4000 

gdonley@hmcc.com 

HOVDE PLUMBING & HEATING, INC. 

Paul Hovde 

2222 Edgewood Ave S 

Minneapolis, MN 55426-2863 

952-545-8881 

paul@hovdeplumbingandheating.com 

www.hovdeplumbingandheating.com 

HOWARD’S PLUMBING, HEATING & 

A/C 

Buck Howard 

715 Norway Dr E 

Annandale, MN 55302 

320-274-8913 

howplbg@lakedalelink.net 

www.HowardsPlumbingInc.com 



JAVENS MECHANICAL CONTRACTING 

CO. 

Jean Javens 

59160 Madison Ave 

Mankato, MN 56001-8503 

507-388-7332 

JeanJ@javensmech.com 

www.javensmech.com 

JERRY’S PLUMBING 

Chad Hurkman 

4087 146th Lane NW 

Andover, MN 55304 

763-252-4268 

jerrysplumbing@comcast.net 

jerrysplumbinginc.com 

JIM & DUDES PLUMBING & HEATING 

& A/C 

Dennis Bergstrom 

724 W Clark St 

Albert Lea, MN 56007-1700 

507-373-6161 

dennis@jimanddudes.com 

www.jimanddudes.com 

JOHNSON CONTROLS 

Nathanael Opperud 

4627 Airpark Blvd 

Duluth, MN 55811-5798 

218-727-8996 

Nathanael.Opperud@JCI.com 

www.johnsoncontrols.com 

KLASSEN MECHANICAL INC. 

Wayne Klassen 

7 River St, PO Box 323 

New Ulm, MN 56073 

507-359-9616 

KRAMER MECHANICAL 

Rick Kramer 

7960 Fawn Lake Dr NE 

Stacy, MN 55079 

651-462-2194 

kramermechanical@yahoo.com 

KRG PLUMBING INC. 

Brent Johnson 

9220 Bass Lake Road, Ste 380 

New Hope, MN 55428 

612-282-5041 

brent@krgplumbing.com 

www.krgplumbing.com 

LEE PLUMBING & HEATING, INC. 

Derek Lee 

1430 Main Ave N 

Thief River Falls, MN 56701-1142 

218-681-1903 

derek@leeplumbingandheating.com 

www.leeplumbingandheating.com 

LEVAHN BROTHERS, INC. 

Loren LeVahn 

12700 Bass Lake Road 

Maple Grove, MN 55369 

763-551-8990 

loren@levahnbros.com 

www.levahnbros.com 

LUNDBERG PLUMBING & HEATING 

Kim Jones 

1075 2nd St NW 

Aitkin, MN 56431-1103 

218-927-3248 

kim@lundbergph.com 

www.lundbergph.com 

MOHR PLUMBING & HEATING OF 

MORRIS, INC. 

Philip Harpstead 

46400 E Highway 28 

Morris, MN 56267 

320-589-1006 

mohrph@mohrplumbing.com 

www.mohrplumbing.com 

NORTH COUNTRY HTG, COOLING & 

REFRIG. 

Brian Pazzelli 

118 N 15th Ave 

Virginia, MN 55792-3411 

218-741-1055 

nchcinfo@accessmn.com 

www.northcountryheatandcool.com 

NRH PLUMBING INC. 

Nicole Nelson 

8751 162nd Lane NW 

Ramsey, MN 55303 

612-900-7728 

nicole@nrhplumbing.com 

www.nrhplumbing.com 

P & D MECHANICAL CONTRACTING 

William A. Daugherty 

4629 41st Ave N 

Minneapolis, MN 55422-1873 

763-533-2218 

pandd@popp.net 

pdmechanical.net 

PALADIN PLUMBING 

Gerald Olson 

13963 45th Place NE 

St. Michael, MN 55376 

763-432-5260 

jerry@paladinplumbing.com 

PIKE PLUMBING & HEATING 

Benjamin Schoepf 

830 Brook St 

Brainerd, MN 56401-4409 

218-829-4332 

pikeplum@brainerd.net 

www.pikeplumbingandheating.com 

PLUMB RIGHT CORP. 

Dale Carter 

1216 82nd Ave N 

Brooklyn Park, MN 55444-1712 

763-561-3306 

dale@callplumbright.com 

www.callplumbright.com 

R. J. MEHRMAN & SONS, INC. 

Robert Mehrman 

5102 Dodge St 

Duluth, MN 55804-2435 

218-722-7663 

rjmehrman@aol.com 


31


RANDALL’S HEATING & COOLING 

Jeremy Carlson 

902 Olympic Dr 

Cloquet, MN 55720-2643 

218-879-4886 

jeremy@randallsheating.com 

randallsheating.com 

RASCHER PLUMBING & HEATING 

Joseph W. Rascher 

712 Smith Ave S 

St. Paul, MN 55107 

651-224-4759 

info@rascherplghtg.com 

www.rascherplghtg.com 

RENEXCON LLC DBA MINNESOTA 

PLUMBING AND HEATING 

Henk Swanepoel 

1420 3rd Ave W 

Shakopee, MN 55379-1036 

952-445-4444 

henk@mph.mn 

www.mph.mn 

RICHFIELD PLUMBING CO. 

David Adelmann 

8640 Harriet Ave S, Ste 100 

Bloomington, MN 55420-2763 

952-881-3355 

dave@richfieldplumbing.com 

www.richfieldplumbing.com 

RONNY’S PLUMBING & HEATING DBA 

MID-WEST MAINTENANCE 

Paul J. Ronnenberg 

23 4th St NW #7 

Byron, MN 55920-0279 

507-775-2334 

ronnysplbg@frontier.com 

RT MOORE CO., MN, INC. 

Elizabeth Moore 

PO Box 44610 

Eden Prairie, MN 55344 

952-736-3759 

emoore@rtmooremechanical.com 

SOWADA & BARNA PLUMBING 

John Sowada 

PO Box 188 

East Bethel, MN 55011-0188 

763-444-0292 

john@sowbarplumbing.com 

STACK BROS MECHANICAL 

CONTRACTORS, INC. 

William Stack 

3119 Hill Ave 


715-398-2964 

bill@stackbrosmechanical.com 

stackbrosmechanical.com 

START TO FINISH CONTRACTING, 

INC. 

Lynn Hovde 

5707 Excelsior Blvd 

St. Louis Park, MN 55416-2848 

952-259-1219 

lynn@ncmgi.com 

SUPERIOR MECHANICAL 

Jim Gander 

1244 60th Ave NW 


507-289-0229 

jgander@superiormechanical.us 

www.superiormechanical.us 

T M JOHNSON BROS. INC. 

Tom Johnson 

645 Emerson St N 

Cambridge, MN 55008 

763-689-3141 

tom@tmjohnsonbros.com 

www.tmjohnsonbros.com 

UGSTAD PLUMBING, INC. 

John Ugstad 

3209 E Fir Ave 

Fergus Falls, MN 56537 

218-736-4228 

ugstadph@prtel.com 

ugstadplumbingandheating.com 

UNITED PIPING, INC. 

Robert J. Schoneberger 

4510 Airport Rd 

Duluth, MN 55811-1523 

218-727-7676 

bob.schoneberger@unitedpiping.us 

www.unitedpiping.us 

VALOR MECHANICAL 

Ty Bestor 

416 South Broadway #2 


507-218-8400 

tbestor@valormech.com 

www.valormech.com 

VOSS PLUMBING & HEATING 

Dale Klein 

316 E Hoffman St 

Paynesville, MN 56362-1611 

320-243-3644 

dale@vossplumbing.com 

www.vossplumbing.com 

YOUNG PLUMBING & HEATING INC. 

Greg Young 

5223 Oakes Ave 


715-395-2929 

plumber1254@yahoo.com 

youngplumbingandheating.com 

ZIEMER PLUMBING & HEATING LLC 

Gregory Ziemer 

PO Box 236 

Hutchinson, MN 55350-0121 

320-587-2893 

ziemerph@hutchtel.net 

If you are interested in becoming a Contractor Member, and having your company information listed in future issues of 

the Contractor magazine, contact the MN PHCC Association office at 952-564-3060 or info@mnphcc.org. 



Membership Benefits 

The Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association is the oldest trade association in the 

construction industry—and the premiere organization for the p-h-c professional. Since 1883, 

PHCC has been the leader in promotion, advancement, education and training. 

Join today and begin receiving benefits that will keep you updated and relevant against 

your competitors. Membership is at the COMPANY level which means all of your 

employees take advantage of the benefits. 

HERE ARE THE TOP 10 REASONS TO JOIN MN PHCC: 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

One complimentary registration to MN PHCC’s Annual Convention (which 

includes 8 hours of plumbing CE) OR one complimentary registration to any 

other MN PHCC plumbing CE class. 

Discounted registration for all employees to all MN PHCC 

plumbing classes. 

Discounts through companies such as ExxonMobil Gas, Enterprise Fleet Management, 

Aramark, and many more! 

Company listing on MN PHCC and PHCC National’s online membership directory where the 

public can search for contractors to hire or equipment/service providers, based on location 

& services offered. 

Networking opportunities on local, state, and national levels. 

Exclusive access to FREE real-time and on-demand training webinars through PHCC National’s 

website. 

Dedicated Minnesota Lobbyist who provides a strong voice for our industry before the state legislature 

and plumbing board and provides regular updates to MN PHCC membership. 

Learn how to protect your business and your employees with PHCC Safety and Risk Management 

Resources. 

Complimentary subscription to Contractor magazine and exclusive access to historical issues. 

Assistance in managing your various bonds. 

For more information, call 952.564.3060 or email info@mnphcc.org 

Minnesota Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association (MN PHCC) 

952.564.3060 | www.mnphcc.org /membership 

Best People. Best Practices.®

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION 

Join online at www.mnphcc.org or complete the application below! 

Membership is at the company level and ALL employees receive the benefits! Complete details about the 

benefits can be found on our website at www.mnphcc.org. Company membership runs for one calendar 

year, from January 1 - December 31. 

20 

18 

1 

MEMBER INFORMATION 

Please provide your company information below as you would like it listed in the membership directory. 

Company Name:________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Primary Contact:________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Address:______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

City:______________________________________________________________________State:_______________Zip:_______________ 

Phone:__________________________________________________ Fax:__________________________________________________ 

Email: _________________________________________________Website: ________________________________________________ 

Is your company: o Union o Non-Union 

(This information will not be published but is used for us to track our membership demographics) 

Would you like your company information to be listed in the MN PHCC membership directory? o Yes o No 

(Please note that your information will be listed if an option is not selected) 

2 

PRODUCTS / 

SERVICES 

Please select which products /services your 

company provides: 

Plumbing 

o Contractor Installation/ 

Repair/Maintenance 

o Parts/Tools Wholesaler 

o Parts/Tools Manufacturer 

HVAC 





Mechanical 





o Business Service Provider for Contractors, 

i.e. utility, CPA services, etc. 

o OTHER: Please list the specific service(s) you 

offer:__________________________________ 

______________________________________ 

______________________________________ 

3 

ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES 

Please provide employee information for those that you want to 

receive PHCC communications regarding CE classes, events, lobbying 

updates, association updates, industry information, etc. Attach 

additional names if necessary. 

Name:_______________________________________________________________ 

Phone: ______________________________________________________________ 

Email: _______________________________________________________________ 

Name:_______________________________________________________________ 

Phone: ______________________________________________________________ 

Email: _______________________________________________________________ 

4 

MEMBERSHIP TYPE 

Please select your membership type below. 

o CONTRACTOR Company - $1,350 

$1,095 … over a 20% discount for first-time members! 

o ASSOCIATE Company - $500 

5 

PAYMENT INFORMATION 

o Visa o MasterCard o AMEX o Check #____________ (payable to MN PHCC) 

Card Number: __________________________________ Exp. Date: ___________ 

Name on Card: ______________________________________________________ 

Signature: __________________________________________________________ 

PLEASE SEND YOUR COMPLETED FORMS WITH FULL PAYMENT TO: 

MN PHCC - 5353 Wayzata Blvd, Ste 350, Minneapolis MN 55416 Phone: (952) 564-3060 | Fax: (952) 252-8096 | info@mnphcc.org 

Your MN PHCC membership will be conveniently renewed at the start of each calendar year using the credit card noted above. This will guarantee 

uninterrupted access to benefits, services and subscriptions. An email will be sent to you in December of each year as a reminder and will include the upcoming 

years’ membership fee. If you do not wish to proceed with automatic renewal for an upcoming membership year, you must opt out before the second week of 

December by emailing info@mnphcc.org. 

By providing your credit card number above, you authorize MN PHCC to annually renew your MN PHCC membership and charge the applicable membership fee. 

Send in your completed application and full payment right away to begin receiving benefits! 

PHCC membership dues are not deductible as a charitable contribution for U.S. Federal income tax purposes, but may be deductible as a business expense. 

For 2018, PHCC estimates that 5% constitutes lobbying expense.

ADVERTISER INDEX 

Auer Steel (auersteel.com)..........................................................13 

Bradford White (bwforthepro.com) ........................................... 7 

CenterPoint Energy (CenterPointEnergy.com).........................18-19 

DSG (dakotasupplygroup.com) ................................................26 

FastEst, Inc. (fastest-inc.com) ....................................................27 

Federated Insurance (federatedinsurance.com)....................17 

First Supply (1supply.com)........................................................... 5 

Goodin Company (goodinco.com)............................................. 2 

Kolbi Pipe Marker Co. (kolbipipemarkers.com)......................13 

Liberty Pumps (libertypumps.com).........................................36 

Minnesota Energy Resources (minnesotaenergyresources.com)....16 

Rheem (rheem.com/TanklessInnovation)...............................21 

Soderholm & Associates (soderholmrep.com).......................35 

T&S Brass (tsbrass.com)...............................................................25 

Taco Comfort Solutions (TacoComfort.com) ..........................35 

Warm Rain (warmrain.com).......................................................... 3 

Market Influence. Customer Value. 

7150 143rd Ave NW 

Ramsey, MN 55303 

W140N5086 Lilly Rd 

Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 

www.soderholmrep.com 

763.427.9635 

A plug for 

instant hot water. 

The SmartPlug Instant Hot Water Control® upgrades any corded hot 

water recirculation pump to a smart pump that’s up to 94% more efficient. 

The SmartPlug learns household water usage patterns and delivers hot 

water only when it’s needed. Instant comfort, instant savings! Installation 

is quick and easy: attach the included sensor to the hot water supply line, 

then plug the circulator into the SmartPlug, and the SmartPlug into a 

110v wall outlet. No programming, timers or aquastats are needed. 

The SmartPlug is just one more reason why more pros trust Taco for 

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Visit us at www.TacoComfort.com 

or join us in social media. 


35

Copyright © Liberty Pumps, Inc. 2018 All rights reserved. 

Locally Represented By : 

Northland Reps, Inc. 

952-854-3905 

www.northlandreps.com

Minnesota PHCC Contractor Mar/Apr 2018

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