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May 2026 Newsletter
Chapter President Report
We're finally hitting those summer temperatures! Thank you to all of those who came out to our last meeting. We had a great turnout! As discussed in our previous meeting, we will be voting on chapter board positions this meeting (May 19th, 2026). So far, only one position is changing and that is chapter treasurer. Will Swaim will be taking over that roll from Dan Couchenour. We appreciate Dan for all the hard work he has done for the chapter.
The ASPE Oklahoma City Convention is coming up October 8 - 14. If you are planning to attend, please let me or Les Scott know. We are looking for delegates for the society business meeting. Registration is open for the convention as well as hotel booking. You can do all that through this website: https://expo.aspe.org/?_gl=1%2A1uubnj7%2A_ga%2AMTY1NjM4MDA0Ni4xNzc0OTYyMDYw%2A_ga_F3FFZNK5J9%2AczE3NzkxMTE3ODIkbzckZzAkdDE3NzkxMTE3ODIkajYwJGwwJGgw%2A_gcl_au%2AMjk3NzA0NTU2LjE3NzQ5NjIwNjA.
See below for a few ASPE education opportunities. If one of your manufacturers has an education opportunity that you would like to share with the members please send those to me. As a reminder, attending the monthly meetings gets you CEU's!
See below for some ASPE National education opportunities:
- Green Plumbing Design (GPD) Workshop (Chicago) - May 28 - 29 (You can also do this online at anytime)
- MedGas Workshop (Chicago) June 11-14
ASPE National and the chapter have several events coming up and we've updated our calendar for your convivence. If you need any information about those events or want to get involved please reach out to me and I'll get you in touch with the right people. Also, if you have suggestions for future technical programs topics, please reach out to myself and/or Les Scott.
Our chapter meeting will be located at:
Hoffman Hydronics
Steve Cannon
Chapter Technical Report
Thank you to Conrad Jahrling of Nexa for walking us through domestic water monitoring systems.
This month we have Lance Casey with Leonard Valve who will be discussing:
Plumbing Standards and Mixing Valves:
Lance Casey is a graduate of the University of Georgia and brings over 38 years of experience in the plumbing industry. His career spans hands-on field plumbing, wholesale distribution, and manufacturing roles.
He has worked with Vega, Rinnai, and currently Leonard Valve. Lance is the Southern US Regional manager covering 18 states for Leonard Valve the past five years.
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, April 19th, 2026, at 11:30 pm
Thank you Matt Farrell of H&H Reps for the topic coordination this month.
Les Scott, CPD, GPD
Chapter Legislative Report
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) minimum efficiency standards taking effect on October 6, 2026, primarily target commercial gas water heaters and high-input residential units. The federal mandate effectively phases out traditional, non-condensing gas units by requiring advanced condensing technology for all newly manufactured models.
The DOE has issued a temporary enforcement policy. It waives civil penalty violations for units manufactured before October 6, 2027, giving installers a one-year buffer period. Existing, non-compliant warehouse stock manufactured before the 2026 cutoff can still legally be sold and installed.
New Efficiency Metrics By Product Category
The regulation forces a massive leap in minimum Thermal Efficiency (TE) and Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) standards:
- Commercial Gas Storage Tanks: Minimum TE jumps from 80% up to 95%. It also introduces stricter caps on standby heat losses.
- Commercial Gas Instantaneous (Tankless): Minimum TE increases from 80% up to 96%.
- Residential-Duty Commercial Gas Storage: These specific "light-duty" units must achieve a minimum UEF of 0.9297.
- High-Input Residential Cross-Over: High-output gas water heaters used in large homes with inputs greater than 75,000 BTU/Hr can no longer be manufactured unless they adopt condensing technology.
(Note: Standard residential storage water heaters under 75,000 BTU/Hr are unaffected by this specific 2026 rule; their separate heat-pump mandate takes effect in May 2029).
Installation Impact
Transitioning an older building from a non-condensing unit to a 2026-compliant condensing water heater introduces critical code and structural changes:
- Mandatory Venting Upgrades: Non-condensing units exhaust high-temperature gases through cheap, atmospheric B-vent metal pipes. High-efficiency condensing units extract so much heat that the exhaust cools down and liquefies. You must replace metal venting with PVC, CPVC, or polypropylene lines.
- Condensate Drainage and Neutralization: Condensing water heaters generate highly acidic liquid runoff. Installers must now run a dedicated drainage line to a floor drain or hub. In Charlotte, acid neutralizer cartridges are often required before this water enters the domestic drainage system to prevent cast-iron pipe corrosion.
- Physical Footprint Adjustments: Condensing units feature secondary heat exchangers, which make the tanks wider and heavier. Mechanical closets or platforms may require structural modifications to fit the new dimensions safely.
