One of the advantages of being a plumber is the independence that comes with the job. While you may have maintenance visits set to a regular schedule, more often it’s a job of emergency calls and unexpected situations. This type of job keeps away the monotony of a more structured career but also can leave plumbers in a pinch when an emergency call means an unexpected purchase of an expensive part.

One of the first things we learn in the plumbing profession is the allowable water pressure for a water distribution system. A maximum pressure of 80 psi was beat into my head at an early age. Some area of the country with high-rise buildings will allow up to 100 psi, while in other areas the pressure was lowered to 60 psi in an effort to conserve water.

In past columns, we’ve discussed geothermal water-to-water heat pumps and air-to-water heat pumps via hydronic heat sources. Both can be a great match to low-temperature hydronic distribution systems.

The approaching New Year is always a great time to stop the craziness long enough to reflect on what went right last year, what went wrong last year and what you want or need to do in the coming year to make things better.

I like working with the control techs in our industry. They have such a passion for their craft. If left alone, they will control or monitor everything that moves, slides, shakes or switches.

When I first began writing about the plumbing and heating industry in 1998, succession planning was an issue because many owners of contracting businesses weren’t looking ahead to retirement, especially those who owned smaller shops.

Whoa — is the end of this year really around the corner? Maybe, maybe not. As Winston Churchill once said: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” I’m sure that explained everything very well.

Last summer, when we were roasting in that July heat wave, Ron Friedman, Ph.D, wrote a brilliant article for Psychology Today magazine. He titled it, “Want More Productive Workers? Adjust Your Thermostat.” This grabbed me by the lapels and gave me a good shake, of course.

When we reach this time of year, it seems that everyone is talking about resolutions and how the next 12 months can be the greatest year yet. Conversations tend to focus on budgets and goals; we revisit mission statements and the values that our companies represent.

As mentioned in previous columns, commercial building loans and their supporting activity are edging toward pre-recession levels. As of mid-year 2013, U.S. banks had issued just short of one trillion dollars in commercial real-estate loans, up almost 4% from a year earlier, according to official sources.