Darrell Jones found himself in quite a pickle back in 1986. At the time, Jones was working for close friend and mentor Louie Garner at Garner’s contracting business.

Harnessing the power, performance and runtime delivered by its M18 FUEL technology, Milwaukee Tool has developed the industry’s first cordless pipe threader.

RIDGID’s Press-In branch connector tool kit quickly makes 3/4” branch connections on black steel pipe. Significantly faster when compared to traditional welding, it is ideal for adding gauges or 3/4” pipe in chilled water, compressed air, industrial gas and low-pressure steam system applications, the company notes.

Viega’s MegaPress technology now is available for stainless steel pipe up to 4”. MegaPress Stainless XL fittings for 2 1/2”, 3” and 4” pipe now are available and join the current MegaPress Stainless offerings of 1/2”, 3/4”, 1”, 1 1/2” and 2” sizes to create a comprehensive lineup for a broad variety of applications, including maintenance and repair.

General Pipe Cleaners’ Hot-Shot 320 and Hot-Shot 400 pipe-thawing machines thaw pipes in minutes — without tearing up floors, breaking through walls or digging around pipes in frozen ground, the company explains.

He assumes the role from Douglas Brossman who, after seven years as president and CEO, will retain his role as chief executive officer. Drew will begin his new role on April 29 at Burnham Holdings’ annual meeting.

In the December print issue, I highlighted five key ways contractors can reduce installation hassles and increase revenue on tank water heater jobs. Now here are some important tips for tankless units:

Plumbing systems are one of the most critical components of a home; they are responsible for delivering clean, safe water to families and a plumbing mishap can have devastating impacts, FlowGuard says.

GROHE Sense is a smart water sensor placed in the home wherever there is the risk of a leak, such as the basement, laundry room, bathroom or kitchen.

There are four remaining state-written plumbing codes used in the United States. You could say that the remaining four states are just stubborn. Maybe they think they do it better than the model plumbing codes, but they don’t.