By Jill Nagy<\/p>\n
“The trade I learned is no longer around,” said
\nChris Cocozzo, co-owner of Boyce and Drake
\nPlumbing in Saratoga Springs. Plastic pipe has
\nreplaced lead, brass and copper and everything
\nseems to have a computer imbedded in it.<\/p>\n
Roy Lance of Lance Plumbing, also in
\nSaratoga Springs, agreed. He also pointed to
\nthe demand for tankless water heaters as a
\nmajor recent change in his business. These
\ndevices heat water only when someone turns
\non a hot water faucet, rather than storing hot
\nwater in a tank, thereby saving both water and
\nthe energy used to heat it. He estimates the
\nsavings in gas at 50 percent.<\/p>\n
The plastic piping, referred to as PEX water
\nlines, is light, durable and easy to work with.
\nIt doesn’t corrode and has enough “give” in it
\nto expand without breaking if the water inside
\nfreezes. Most significantly, it avoids the danger
\nof lead getting into drinking water.
\n In addition,
\nthe piping is color-coded, red for hot water and
\nblue, for cold. it has become fairly standard,
\naccording to both plumbers.<\/p>\n
Cocozzo noted that all plumbing is required
\nto be lead-free within six months. People are
\nconverting to brass, copper and, increasingly,
\nplastic. Both material and labor costs are lower
\nwith plastic, he pointed out, estimating that
\nit takes about four hours to install 100 feet of
\ncopper pipe but only one hour to install 100
\nfeet of plastic.<\/p>\n
The PEX installation tool resemble a cordless
\ndrill with a device at the end to crimp
\nthe pipe. Gone are the days of soldering irons,
\nwelding torches, and heavy pipe wrenches.<\/p>\n
“It has taken some of the craftsmanship
\nout of the plumbing industry,” Cocozzo said,
\nand reduced the time needed to learn the
\ntechniques of plumbing. “Once you have the
\nrequired tools and learn to use them, anyone
\nwho can drill a hole can run a pipe. if you can
\ndo the old-fashioned style of plumbing, you can
\nlearn the new systems pretty quickly.”<\/p>\n
Despite the relative ease with which someone
\ncan learn to use the new material and tools,
\nCocozzo cautioned, there is more than that to
\nbecoming a successful plumber. When his company
\nhires a new plumbing technician–they
\nnow have one apprentice–he looks for someone
\n“well-versed in multiple trades” and places
\ntremendous emphasis on “customer service.” He
\ninsists that his employees be able to “carry on a
\ngood professional conversation” with customers,
\na skill tan apprentice develops by accompanying
\na well-spoken journeyman plumber on jobs.<\/p>\n
At the same time, devices like water heaters,
\nboilers and furnaces are becoming more
\nefficient. The heat exchangers have been redesigned
\nand “everything has become electronic”
\nwith embedded computers. The new “NEST”
\nthermostats that “learn” and adapt to a homeowner’s
\nhabits are increasingly popular, he
\nsaid. He noted that one customer has remote
\naccess to his NEST system and can monitor the
\ntemperatures in his Saratoga home from his
\nwinter residence in Florida–and alert Cocozzo
\nwhen he detects a problem.<\/p>\n
“We are always learning and training as
\nsystems change,” said Cocozzo. computer programming
\nhas become a new plumbers’ skill.
\nEverything that consumes energy will have
\nupgraded smart boards for greater efficiency.
\n“For a lot of us, the learning curve is huge.”<\/p>\n
Boyce and Drake have nine technicians on
\nstaff, including his partner and co-owner, Jay
\nKelsey. Someone is on call at all times because
\n“nothing breaks between 8 o’clock and 4:30.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Jill Nagy “The trade I learned is no longer around,” said Chris Cocozzo, co-owner of Boyce and Drake Plumbing in Saratoga Springs. Plastic pipe has replaced lead, brass and copper and everything seems to have a computer imbedded in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[57,115],"class_list":["post-15347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-reports","tag-business-news","tag-saratoga-springs"],"yoast_head":"\r\n