After the past two years, the entire world — plumbing industry included — is waiting for things to return to normal. This past year gave us some normalcy with a return of in-person meetings and events; however, with this latest spike in COVID-19 cases and the continuing supply chain issues and rising material costs, normal may be a bit further away than we hope.

December has always been my favorite month of the year. And it’s not just because it’s my birthday month! It’s also not because of the holidays — though I do enjoy spending time celebrating with family and friends. 

I worked for a manufacturers’ rep when I was first learning about hydronics. A guy I worked with was 15 years older than me. He knew that I had absolutely no training as an engineer so he took a different tack with my education.

The baby boomer generation is reaching retirement age, and many are planning to age in place. As the body ages, the use of plumbing fixtures changes. The aging body no longer has the strength and flexibility of the younger body.

On New Year’s Eve, 2020, many plumbers toasted the end to the unpredictable year. Everyone looked forward to a return to normality in 2021. Uh, yeah. So, what about 2022? Here are 11 predictions for the next year.

Supply chain disruptions are ever present and show no signs of going away anytime in the near — or perhaps distant — future.

As you are well aware, our incredible industry has been experiencing massive growth for the last couple of years. We have been seeing contractors post record months for both sales and profitability at unprecedented levels. It seems there has finally even been a shift from how this industry is viewed from the outside.

A young guy who was about the size of Bruno Mars came to my seminar once, and we were chatting during a break. I asked him how long he had been in the business. It’s good to see young people getting involved.

I recently reviewed a project in which a municipal building was being connected to a district heating system supplied by pellet-fueled boilers.