Prevent Mechanical Ltd.

Since 2002, Prevent Mechanical has been providing exceptional mechanical maintenance service, primarily to the Calgary Condominium market. Our experienced technicians are among the best in Calgary for hydronic heating system maintenance, trouble-shooting and repair. We also offer friendly in-suite services to unit owners for heating and plumbing issues.

We are looking for an experienced Journeyman Service Plumber with strong technical skills to join our growing team. We offer excellent wages and benefits, a respect driven workplace, and opportunities to continue your learning and growth in the trades.

Candidates should:
- Be self-motivated
- Be detail oriented
- Have strong organization skills
- Have a Journeyman Plumbing ticket -or- be a 3rd or 4th year apprentice
- Be a team player with a positive attitude
- Hold a clean and valid Alberta Driver's license
- Enjoy satisfaction in a job well done and in helping deliver peace of mind to customers through honesty, respect and quality service!

We all know that water can be one of the most powerful forces on earth. With time and patience, the oceans can grind mountains into sand.

What's less obvious, and harder to imagine, is that same powerful force at work within the heating and mechanical systems we rely on in our modern buildings.

The images attached are of a new brass pump impeller and a similar impeller that has been completely eroded by the forces of cavitation in turbulent water.

Saving Your Zone Valves

It's summer time. Most condominium residents have turned their thermostats all the way down to prevent unwanted heat from warming up their units.

But in many condominiums the boilers have been turned off to save money on energy. In other condominiums, the boilers will be switching themselves off most days as their controllers trigger a "Warm Weather Shut Down" process.

In other words... there is no hot water in those pipes. As a condominium resident, you should take advantage of that fact and "exercise" your zone valves.

Zone valves that are left closed for months on end (during the summer) can sometimes stick in the closed position. When the heating season returns, they refuse to open and that generates a service call. A call that many plumbing companies are happy to get.

At prevent mechanical, we think a little bit differently. We'd like to save you from unnecessary repair bills if we can.

The best way to avoid having your zone valve stick is to cycle it through it's opening and closing actions periodically. Once every couple of weeks or so, turn your thermostat all the way up and leave it there. Turn it off the week after.

If you live in a condominium that has to keep the boilers firing (i.e. the heating boilers also supply heat to your domestic hot water); just turn the thermostat up long enough that you can feel heat in the radiator, then turn it down again.

This will keep your zone valves opening and closing freely, it will help you avoid service calls and it may extend the life of your zone valve by years.

How can we stop corrosion from eating away our hydronic heating (or cooling) system?

The short answer is, we add a chemical to the boiler water to prevent it from corroding the metallic components of the system.

Back in the day, the most common approach to corrosion treatment was to ad sodium sulfite to the system. Sulfites would seek out stray Oxygen in the system and bond with it, preventing that Oxygen from bonding with (oxidizing) the metal in the system.

While this can be effective at preventing corrosion, it comes at a cost... Sodium Sulfite combines with Oxygen to make Sodium Sulfate which contributes to the amount of dissolved solids in the system. The dissolved solids are abrasive and wear out vulnerable components (valve trim, impellers, bearings) faster. Left unchecked, they'd form a sludge which must be consistently removed from the system to prevent clogging of the boiler tubes and pipes. This is accomplished by draining off the boiler water. This means that more water must be added to the system to replenish what's been drained out.

Fresh new water brings with it more dissolved oxygen which requires the addition of more Sodium Sulfite. And repeat.

While this treatment cycle is effective it must be constantly monitored and managed, typically by a ticketed building operator employing a number of subtrades; as such it's more suitable to a very large operation with permanent custodial staff. For an 80-unit condo building it's not the best solution.

But don't despair... there are a couple of solutions that are both cost effective and require a reasonable, practical and affordable level of intervention.

We'll tell you about that next time but, if you want to speak to us about it sooner... just call 403.271.8821