In April 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy issued new efficiency standards for residential storage water heaters — gas-fired, oil-fired and electric — and gas-fired tankless water heaters. These efficiency standards become effective in April 2015.

The Radiant Professionals Alliance hired Mark Eatherton, a 36-year veteran of the radiant/hydronics industry, as its technical director.

During the ICC hearings this spring in Dallas, the Plumbing Code hearing (discussed in last month’s column) was straddled by the Fuel Gas and Mechanical Code hearings. The first hearing was on the Fuel Gas Code.

Thanks to the new process, the ICC code hearings for the plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas codes are only held once every three years. So the last week of April and first week of May was it for next three years.