Regulatory

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. …

01.16.25

"Leadership is like going to the gym. It’s easy to status quo your way through." Leave it to a Navy commander to compare effective leadership to a physical workout, but Mary Kelly – who also is a best-selling author and was a keynoter at PHCC’s CONNECT conference in October – knows that, in today’s fast-paced environment, if you’re not actively improving and thinking bigger, you’re inadvertently …

12.20.24

With the 2024 election now in America’s rearview mirror, it’s normal for people to start looking forward to better understand what these results mean for our industry. To recap, Donald Trump will be moving back into the White House on Jan. 20, 2025, and he will be working with a Congress that is narrowly held by Republicans in both Congressional chambers. At the state level, little has changed …

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 …

10.16.24

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) recently hosted CONNECT 2024 from October 7-10, where forward-focused plumbing and HVAC contractors came together for an engaging experience. This year’s theme, “Authentic ...

09.26.24

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a piece of federal legislation that was signed into law by President Joe Biden over two years ago. While not necessarily indicated by its name, the IRA is touted by its supporters as the largest investment in clean energy in American history. As it relates to home appliances, one main program in the IRA that contractors and installers should know about is the …