ECR does not intend to close any manufacturing plants or lay off personnel, and products will continue to be sold under the ECR family of brands.

School is in session.

In early September, Viessmann celebrated 25 years of business in the United States at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Warwick, R.I.

The grab bars of old were clunky and institutional-looking. Today, Delta and American Standard have dual-purpose grab bars built into toilet tissue holders, towel bars and corner shelves in the bath/shower. Although not ADA-compliant, they are rated to handle more weight while looking like fixtures already found in the home.

Walking through the six halls of the trade show, I saw a lot of tankless water heaters and wall-hung boilers.

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.