WM.T. SPAEDER 814.456.7014 24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICES blog Holiday Plumbing Tips Even if it seems obvious, we all get busy over the holiday season with cooking, travel, guests and family which can lead us to forget the simple things. So here are a few gentle reminders for ways of avoiding clogged drains and other plumbing problems this Thanksgiving. Spaeder Team Updates: New Hires Spaeder welcomes three new hires to the workforce. We’re proud to have them a part of the Spaeder work family. Home Fire Safety Checklist It’s important to check over your home’s fire safety system to look for potential fire catalysts. We encourage you to go through this list and perform your own home evaluations. Company Newsletter Summer 2021 Check out the Wm. T. Spaeder Company Newsletter for the Summer of 2021. In this publication, we review the last half year in both the work and life of the company and employees. This time, our employee spotlight is Tim Devine, and the Customer Showcase is the EDDC in Erie, PA. Why Restaurant Grease Trap Cleaning is Essential Restaurant grease trap cleaning is one of the most essential tasks for any restaurant owner. Failing to clean a grease trap can result in clogs, fines, and odors. Fire Protection Service: Broken Water Main & Dry Pipe Value Replacement at Curtze Foods Recently, one of our long-standing customers, Curtze Foods, was having some difficulties with a jockey pump running due to a possible water main break. Our Fire Protection Foreman Abe Bretz went out to investigate. What is New with the Spaeder Team? Fire Protection Service Manager Rob Senger just completed his Bachelor’s in Project and Supply Chain Management from Penn State Behrend. He did this... When Do You Need HVAC Cooling Tower Maintenance? Cooling towers play an important role in a commercial HVAC system, and proper cooling tower maintenance can help ensure their efficiency and longevity. In this article, we’ll talk about when you should expect to have your cooling tower serviced by a professional, and we’ll mention a few things that can cause poor cooling tower function if left unmaintained. HVAC Maintenance: Why Indoor Air Quality is Important for Staff Health HVAC maintenance is one of the most important things you can do to support the health of your staff and employees. Good indoor air quality (IAQ) is important to both prevent negative health concerns and support a high-functioning workplace. Hospital HVAC Systems: What Makes Them Unique? In an office or home environment, the HVAC system provides occupants with fresh air, reduces carbon dioxide levels, and sets the temperature and humidity at comfortable levels. Hospital HVAC systems do those same things plus much more. 9 Tips to Lower HVAC Energy Consumption in Commercial Buildings HVAC energy consumption in a commercial building counts for a large portion of total annual costs. Find out what you can do to save on HVAC energy bills. Is it Time for a Commercial HVAC Upgrade? Commercial HVAC systems are designed to last for many years, but they don’t last forever. Choosing the right time to upgrade your commercial HVAC system can allow you to take advantage of new technologies that save you money. Project Showcase: Donjon Dry Dock At the Donjon Dry Dock in Erie, PA, we replaced the 20” and 48” discharge piping on four pumps as well as four valves. All of the piping was fabricated in the fab shop of the Wm. T. Spaeder Company. Project Showcase: Hospital Plumbing Part 4 Plumbing foreman Eric Bowman walks us through the finishing stages of a new patient care tower in Erie, PA. Cutting Massive Pipes with Wachs Cold Cutting Machine This video demonstrates how we are using the Wachs cold cutting machine, also called an “air cutter,” to cut 48″ pipes. The Wachs cutter produces clean, accurate cuts that are ideal for welding. Steamfitters Apprentice Eric Holcomb talks about the overall process. FARO Laser Scanner Streamlines BIM Workflow Wm. T. Spaeder Company used the FARO laser scanner to create point clouds which can be used for reference in the BIM modeling process. Laser scanning provides near perfect measurements and takes the guess work out of modeling. Company Newsletter August 2020 Check out the Wm. T. Spaeder Company Newsletter. In this publication, we do a brief recap of this past half year and provide you with some sneak peaks at future events and projects. Holiday Inn Plumbing Project Plumbing foreman, Josh Estes, speaks about the work we are doing at the new Holiday Inn on Peach Street in Erie. Podcast #6 – Safety, COVID-19 & Construction In this podcast, Kassie Koser, our Safety Director, discusses how COVID-19 has affected our work at Wm. T. Spaeder, talking about specific precautions we implemented to ensure the safety of both ourselves and our customers. A/C Energy Saving Tips Warm weather is finally here! Is your air conditioning system in tip-top shape? Here are some tips to get you’re A/C running to the best of its ability and, ultimately, save you some cash! Steamfitters Apprenticeship Program In the video above, we interview two Steamfitters apprentices working at Wm. T. Spaeder, Jared Szczesny and Mark Holcomb. Here they give us a firsthand look at both about the apprenticeship program as well as their goals for the future. Citizen’s Bank Renovation: Mechanical Design-Build Process In the video, we discuss a little about the design-build process for a third-floor office space renovation at Citizen’s Bank in Erie, PA. We were contracted to complete the HVAC and Fire Protection. Silica Safety – The Basics Although silica has been generated for years in construction and through that time has always been dangerous, only recently have studies been able to confirm that exposure to respirable silica is having effects on our workforce. The Plumbers Local Union No. 27 Apprenticeship Program The Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee of Plumbers Local Union No. 27 will be accepting applications for its Apprenticeship Training Program. Confined Spaces: What You Need to Know As this month’s safety stand-down dealt with confined spaces, we thought we would discuss a little more in depth about confined spaces and what working in them entails. Confined spaces can be found in a variety of industries, during many applications and they can even be created inadvertently during demolition activities if proper pre-planning isn’t performed. Learn what you can do to work safety in these types of environments. Project Showcase: Peters Township High School Fire Protection In this video, we walk you through the process of testing a fire pump. These tests are conducted annually for our clients to ensure they have properly functioning fire protection. Podcast #4 – EksoBionics Construction Exoskeletons In the latest Episode of Wm. T. Spaeder's “Leveling Up in Construction” Podcast, we interviewed Zach Haas, the head of business development at... Why Fire Pump Testing is Important In this video, we walk you through the process of testing a fire pump. These tests are conducted annually for our clients to ensure they have properly functioning fire protection. Prevent Frozen Pipes in Your Home The leaves may still be falling, but brings us closer to our old friend, Old Man Winter. The decreasing temperatures will lead to icy conditions outside. Sometimes, you may find that ice trying to sneak its way into your home and cause thousands of dollars of water damage. “Cutting” Edge Technology & Safety For the Wm. T. Spaeder, technology is a means of our present and our future. We pride ourselves in utilizing cutting edge technologies to develop and create complex, yet, seamless projects for our customers. This technology assists us in project layout, fabrication & pre-fabrication and, in turn, meeting our project budgets. Project Showcase: Hospital Plumbing Part II In Part II of this project showcase, we continue to follow foreman Eric Bowman as we move through the construction process of a large hospital project in Erie, PA. Podcast #3 – 3D Scanning in Construction Episode #3 focuses on how construction companies can use 3D Scanning to help save time and money as well as work more efficiently. 2019 Mid-Year Company Newsletter Check out the Wm. T. Spaeder Company Newsletter. In this publication, we do a brief recap of this past half year and provide you with some sneak peaks at future events and projects. Podcast #1 – A/R & M/R in Construction This is our flagship episode of the Wm. T. Spaeder podcast about advances in construction. Episode 101 focuses on how construction companies can use augmented and mixed reality on projects to save time and money as well as work more efficiently. Wm. T. Spaeder Golf Outing June 22nd was the perfect day for the Wm. T. Spaeder annual golf outing at Beechwood Golf Club. There was a fantastic turnout of both customers and employees enjoying the scenic views and friendly competition. Congratulations to all the winners that participated and we hope to see you next year! Wm. T. Spaeder Co. – Over One Hundred Years The Wm. T. Spaeder Company has been a family run business since the early 1900’s. From this time, we’ve seen many changes in the economy and innovations in construction technology. We’ve continued to grow and expand, adapting, learning and thriving on the challenges that come with all the turns and twists of the industry within which we work. Skid Design & Pre-Fabrication for Georgia Power Plant In late 2018, Wm.T. Spaeder was contracted by a water treatment design firm to design and fabricate thirteen (13) unique equipment skids for a large power plant in Georgia. This power plant was in the process of decommissioning their settling ponds and replacing them with a new wastewater treatment system to treat flue gas desulfurization (FGD) waste as mandated by new EPA regulations and these skids will become part of that complex treatment process. Wm. T. Spaeder & New Health Industry Expansions in Erie, PA With the upcoming health insurance split-up between Highmark and UPMC, both Allegheny Health Network and UPMC has taken steps to update their facilities. Our company was happy to contribute our services to the various plumbing, HVAC, and fire protection work at each facility including the Allegheny Health Network East Side Health & Wellness Pavilion, AHN St. Vincent Hospital and UPMC Hamot. Fire Protection Group Helps Sponsor Race Car One of the many things we enjoy doing as a company is sponsoring local businesses, events and people. One of these sponsorship activities this year involves Shawn Smith and his Wingless Sprint Car. Shawn travels all around the country “kicking up dirt” and doing what he loves, and in some ways, we’re right there with him. Helm at the Helm This last week I went to the MCAA annual conference and was able to see Brian Helm of The Helm Group/Mechanical Inc. take his place as president for the upcoming year. I think it would be obvious to anyone that has been reading my articles or knows me that I think that technology adoption and integration is the number one factor in deciding whether a company or even a group of companies, will be relevant in construction over the next decade. Wm. T. Spaeder Expands into Pittsburgh The Pittsburgh office opened on June 2018. The need for the Pittsburgh office arose from the increasing opportunities we were starting to receive in the Pittsburgh area. Debunking Home Sprinkler Myths While many of us may have thought about installing a home sprinkler system, there are some common misconceptions that make the prospect seem undesirable. Let’s examine the data and find out what is true and what is not. How to Prevent Pipes from Freezing in Erie, PA Protecting your pipes from cold conditions is the key to preventing a pipe freeze. Here are a few simple ways to ensure that your system ready for the change in weather. Fire Extinguishers: History, Types, and Uses Fire extinguishers are an important part of any fire suppression arsenal, so we thought we would go over a little about their history, classifications, and how you and/or your company can use these tools in safe guarding yourself and others from fire threats. Wm. T. Spaeder 2021 Golf Outing We would like to thank the guests and volunteers that made the 2021 golf outing possible, helping us to create a truly memorable experience for all. Have a Safe 4th of July! The 4th of July is a day of celebration, commemorating U.S. Independence from England. It’s a time for reflection about the things that make us proud of the red, white, and blue. Fireworks, at least in Pennsylvania, are always part of the festivities, but if not handled with care, accidents can happen. Taking safety precautions to avoid injuries helps to ensure everyone has a safe holiday. What is Hydro Jet Sewer Line Cleaning and When Should You Do It? Hydrojet sewer line cleaning is the best way to remove stubborn blockages from main sewer lines. Find out how it works and when you should use hydrojet cleaning. Project Showcase: Wayne Middle School Fire Protection Retrofit Sprinkler Fitter Foreman Erik Williams talks about retrofitting a fire protection system at Wayne Middle School in Erie, PA. The school was built in 1914 and is being renovated. From older building materials (brick and plaster) to lack of original drawings, there are many challenges with these types of retrofits. 5 Reasons to Install Touchless Faucets Automatic faucets deliver just the right amount of water at the right flow and temperature. Since they work by sensors and with pre-set water temperatures, you don’t have to worry about people scalding themselves or wasting water by leaving the tap on. In this article, we’ll talk a bit about how electronic taps work and go over five main benefits of using them. A Brief History of HVAC: Evolution of Modern Comfort The history of HVAC is full of innovation. From ancient heating systems to modern comfort cooling systems, there’s a lot to explore. Top 10 Commercial Plumbing Repairs and Issues From frozen pipes to tankless water heater issues, here are 10 common commercial plumbing repairs for business owners in the Northeast to know about. Company Newsletter January 2021 Check out the Wm. T. Spaeder Company Newsletter for January 2021. In this publication, we review the last half year in both the work and life of the company and employees. This time, our employee spotlight is Senior Project Manager Dave Ross, and the Customer Showcase is Haysite in Erie, PA. 6 Benefits of Good Ventilation in the Workplace We all spend 100% of our time breathing air. Indoor air quality usually isn’t the most pressing issue on everyone’s minds, but it plays a vital role in health, comfort, and productivity. Ventilation is one of the most important engineering controls in office and school environments, and good ventilation can save energy while improving indoor air quality. How to Reduce Airborne Contamination for Commercial Buildings While COVID-19 spreads mostly through close personal contact, some evidence suggests it can become airborne and travel long distances in certain situations. That means managing air purification in interior spaces is an important part of public health. Why Get an HVAC Inspection? Periodic HVAC inspections are essential for improving the longevity of your air conditioning and heating system as well as monitoring its energy efficiency. 3D Scans Expedite Complex Tasks for the New Erie Insurance Office Building The task of designing, fabricating, and installing the elaborate infrastructure for the new Erie Insurance Office Building fell to Wm. T. Spaeder Company, a family-owned and operated western Pennsylvania mechanical contractor. Fall Protection Stand-down Week 2020 Fall Protection Stand-down Week sponsored by OSHA gives us an important reminder to implement fall protection standards every day. Installing Central AC in Your Old House One of the questions we get as HVAC professionals is about installing central air conditioning in older houses. Many houses on the East Coast, and in Erie where our headquarters is located, were built 100+ years ago. It is entirely possible to successfully retrofit these historic structures without losing the integrity of the house, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Wm. T. Spaeder Featured in Revizto’s “Hard Hat Huddle” Sr. VDC Coordinator, Frankie Davis Jr., was invited to participate in Revizto’s “Hardhat Huddle” webinar series. In this webinar, Frankie discussed how Spaeder uses Revizto to help coordinate projects with different trades. Heat Stress Safety Week Early June is Heat Stress Focus Week at Wm. T. Spaeder. In this article, we discuss some of the issues we encounter when dealing with warmer weather and how being cognizant of these issues and taking the necessary precautions can protect us from needless incidences. Residential Fire Sprinklers: Safeguarding Your Home & Your Loved Ones Often when we think of fire protection, we think of sprinkler systems for commercial buildings. At the same time, one of the most important places we should consider is our homes – the place where ourselves and our loved ones reside. Our Response to COVID-19 At this time of unrest and new challenges, we wanted to take a minute to assure our employees, customers and the public that we are taking every precaution possible to respond appropriately to the COVID-19 pandemic while still adhering to our core values first and foremost. Legionella & Maintaining Healthy Water Systems If you own or manage a business property, it is vital to educate yourself on what Legionella is, how to test for it, and the best ways to control it. Wm. T. Spaeder’s Water Treatment department is equipped to help you take the proper steps to ensure your water systems are properly maintained and Legionella free. Kevin Hedges Helms New Special Projects Group We are pleased to announce that Kevin T. Hedges, P.E. has assumed the role of Special Projects Group Manager. This is a new position within Spaeder where Kevin will be utilizing his expertise to expand our presence in non-standard project markets that compliment Spaeder’s historical strengths. Company Newsletter January 2020 Check out the Wm. T. Spaeder Company Newsletter. In this publication, we do a brief recap of this past half year and provide you with some sneak peaks at future events and projects. WICU Channel 12 Interviews CEO Jay Spaeder Paul Wagner from WICU Channel 12 visited our offices last week to do a segment on the Wm. T. Spaeder Company for “Giving You the Business.” He conducted interviews with our CEO, Jay Spaeder, as well as Frankie Davis, our VDC Coordinator, and Jay Roehrig, our Fire Protection Fabrication Foreman. Augmented & Mixed Reality in Construction Eli Thompson (VDC Department) demonstrates an unvarnished look at using Augmented & Mixed Reality on an active construction site. Furnace Tips: Simple Cost Saving Solutions While many people know Wm. T. Spaeder for its commercial and industrial work, we also have an active Residential Service Department cognizant of home owner needs. We put together a quick list of tips that you can do over the winter months to help cut down on expenses and ensure that you have a “healthy” HVAC system. Congratulations, Tom Kaspick We are pleased to announce that Thomas E. Kaspick was promoted to Sales Manager. Tom will be expanding his technical water treatment duties, to include soliciting our customers and educating them about our other products and services that we have to offer. Tom will report to Steve Eastbourn, Pre-Construction Manager and Tom will have two employees reporting to him. 24/7 Mechanical Repair and Emergency Services Wm.T. Spaeder’s commitment to 24/7 mechanical repair and emergency services keeps your business running. Kicking off the 2019 NSC Congress & Expo with Mick Ebeling Every year the National Safety Council puts on a Congress and Expo for safety and related professions to attend and enhance their efforts in their current job roles. For anyone who works in safety, like any job, there are many pros and cons. For many of us, one of the biggest positives about being a safety professional is that it enables us to influence many lives and aspects of the business. A Safety Intern’s Perspective My journey with Wm. T. Spaeder began two years ago when I contacted former Safety Director, Lee Zeigler. I spoke with him about working as a safety professional. He provided insight to what kind of responsibilities one might have in the safety profession. After talking with Lee, I took some time to decide if I wanted to pursue a career in safety. I then made the decision to register for classes at Slippery Rock University in January of 2018 and began working on my degree in Safety Management. Podcast #2 – LINQ Jonathan Marsh interviews Kevin Soohoo about the LINQ, an innovative construction tool that makes everything in your project searchable. We're in... Is Your Tech Stack too Wicked to be Kind? First is that construction projects, and in particular the jobsite, are extremely difficult to standardize. Goals, procedures, materials, standards, and even building methodology tend to be very different from project to project. The contractor, and even more the specialty trades, are often not in the position to set standards and must adjust their practices and standards to match those imposed upon them by the project requirements. Project Showcase: Hospital Plumbing Part I We’re proud to be trusted to do the mechanical contracting for a number of large hospital projects. In this video, foreman Eric Bowman highlights some of what we are doing for a project in Erie, PA as we lay the groundwork during the initial stages of construction. Trench Safety Stand-Down In the U.S., more than 800 construction workers die every year while on the job. One of the most dangerous types of construction work is trenching. Wm. T. Spaeder Fab Shop Fly Through #1 Here is a quick fly through of our fabrication facility where you can view the basic layout and capabilities. We had a little fun with this:) Wm. T. Spaeder Participates in the National Safety Stand-Down After adding more than 50,000 jobs in January alone, the construction industry shows no signs of slowing down. As more people join the workforce, our commitment to worker safety is even more important. Although falls from heights decreased from 2016 to 2017 according to BLS data, falls are still the leading cause of death in the construction industry – they can and should be prevented. Are There Poison Pills In Your Tech Stack? As the industry embraces the position of Construction Technologists, they are becoming the people most responsible for building the technology infrastructure. This infrastructure, often called a technology stack, is the foundation that enables many of our most valuable processes. Selecting the right tech can be critical to our companies’ performance and ability to grow. The Binsky Kickoff and the Value of Questions This last week I went to the MCAA annual conference and was able to see Brian Helm of The Helm Group/Mechanical Inc. take his place as president for the upcoming year. I think it would be obvious to anyone that has been reading my articles or knows me that I think that technology adoption and integration is the number one factor in deciding whether a company or even a group of companies, will be relevant in construction over the next decade. The “Lean” Construction Technologist About a year ago I asked Jake Olsen of LINQ to recommend a book to give me a better idea of how tech startups work, knowing that Jake had a... quick links HOME PROJECTS 24/7 SERVICE REPAIR WATER TREATMENT RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE BLOG CAREER OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT – INDUSTRY SPECIALIST CONTACT – RESIDENTIAL WM. T. SPAEDER PITTSBURGH, PA SEAWOLVES PROMOTION SITEMAP why spaeder? ABOUT WM. T. SPAEDER LEAN CONSTRUCTION industries served HEALTHCARE INDUSTRIAL | REFINING | CHEMICAL POWER | ENERGY FABRICATION EDUCATIONAL | OFFICES | RETAIL WATER | WASTEWATER FOOD & BEVERAGE contact us 814.456.7014 FAX: 814.459.1178 1602 EAST 18TH STREET ERIE, PA 16510 141 ROCHESTER ROAD PITTSBURGH, PA 15229 350 ORCHARD PARK ROAD, SUITE #2 WEST SENECA, NY 14224 © 2021 Wm. T. Spaeder