Codes and Standards

04.10.25

Plumbing and HVAC contractors are invited to register for CONNECT 2025, taking place from October 27-30, 2025. FALLS CHURCH, Va. – April 2025 – Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors--National Association (PHCC), encourages plumbing and HVAC contractors to make plans now to ...

03.26.25

Signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1975, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) has been a cornerstone for the federal government in setting energy policy for the past half-century. The law was the United States’ response to the 1973 oil crisis that saw energy supplies become largely unavailable, causing prices to soar for American consumers and businesses. Among the many …

02.27.25

After years of consideration, DOE announced on January 17, 2025, that they would be withdrawing their proposed rule to increase the minimum energy efficiency performance standards for residential boilers. As it related to gas-fired hot water boilers, the Department had previously proposed, in August 2023, that these products meet or exceed an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 95%. …

02.20.25

Economic forecasting is essential for p-h-c contracting businesses as it allows them to plan for market fluctuations, manage costs, and make informed strategic decisions. By analyzing economic trends such as inflation, interest rates, and construction activity, businesses can anticipate demand for new installations, retrofits, and maintenance services, and determine when to invest in expansion, …

01.23.25

On December 26, 2024, DOE published a Final Rule in the Federal Register setting more stringent minimum efficiency standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters, which will apply to any such product manufactured on or after December 26, 2029. In this action the Department maintains their initial proposal from July 2023 that will require all these products to utilize condensing technology. …

11.27.24

Naylor Association Solutions, PHCC’s magazine publisher, sent out a press release celebrating all of its partners recognized in the annual MarCom Awards. PHCC was one of those partners, with the Summer 2024 PHCC Solutions Magazine receiving an honorable mention for its creative and impactful media contributions. You can read the full release at the link below: Naylor Association Solutions …

11.25.24

With the dust finally settled on the 2024 presidential elections, PHCC’s team in Washington has a legislative strategy in place and ready to execute going into the 119th Congress next year. We expect many new opportunities, as well as a few challenges, for our policy priorities: Energy Policy PHCC has made clear prior to November 5 that a Republican administration and Congress would bode well …

11.25.24

While much of the regulatory focus in the water heater industry has been appropriately focused on the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) energy conservation standards’ final rules for commercial and residential water heaters, there are still significant rules impacting our industry that are scheduled by the Department to be finalized in the coming weeks. The first is somewhat related to …

11.14.24

CONTRACTOR magazine recently published a recap from John Mesenbrink summarizing the CONNECT 2024 event in Birmingham, Alabama, last month. Read the full article on CONTRACTOR's website to hear what John had to say: PHCC CONNECT 2024: ‘Authentic Connections’ | CONTRACTOR ...

10.21.24

On July 23, 2024, the Vancouver City Council approved a directive that would allow for new homes to once again utilize natural gas for heating and hot water. This action significantly retreats from a more aggressive building electrification policy that the same council approved years earlier that required all new, low-rise residential buildings in the city to utilize only electric HVAC and water …