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FIA, Inc. 7 Sixth Road, Woburn, MA 01801
FIA, Inc. 450 Smith Street, Middletown, CT 06457
FIA, Inc. 781-938-8900
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"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."

- Henry Ford

FIA offers numerous educational programs for the hydronic and steam market. Our training programs focus on the PHCC contractors, the Oil Heat technicians, the engineering community, the wholesale distributor personnel and the facilities management personnel.

All of our programs have a “systems approach” theme, allowing the participants to gain valuable knowledge on the systems they are designing, installing, selling and/or servicing.

Experience has consistently shown that knowledge can be the difference between success and failure. This is why we believe education is a key component to the value we bring to our customers.

Training Courses - Heat Pumps

REVIEW THE REFRIGERATION CYCLE

  • Vapor Compression Cycle
  • Evaporators, Condensers, Expansion Valves, Compressors

HOW DO HEAT PUMPS DO WHAT THEY DO?

  • The Reversing Valve
  • Extracting Heat/Energy from cold outdoor temperatures…How?

MINI-SPLITS

  • Single Zone & Multi Zone applications for heating and cooling

HEAT PUMPS FOR DOMESTIC HOT WATER

  • Residential Heat Pump Water Heaters
  • Sizing and Applications
  • Commercial HPWH for Apartment Buildings, Multi-Families, etc…
  • Sizing and Applications

WHOLE HOME DUCTED HEAT PUMPS & MINI SPLITS

  • Inverter Heat Pump combined with Air Handling Unit or A-Coil for ducted heating/cooling systems
  • Single Zone or Multi Zone applications for heating and cooling

Training Courses - Boilers & Venting

Centrotherm Venting Topics:

  • Centrotherm Inno Flu polypropylene venting system
  • Quick and easy installation method of the Gasketed Push-fit connection system
  • The importance of UL1738 listing
  • Approved by your trusted appliance manufacturers
  • Flexible venting products for retrofit applications using chimneys or B-vent
  • Best installation techniques

Venting DO's & DON'T Topics:

  • Venting the correct way
  • Proper termination locations and methods
  • Understanding venting lengths
  • Safe venting methods
  • Local codes and standards

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • Installation Recommendations
  • Sequence of Operation
  • Maximizing Operation & Efficiency
  • Combustion Adjustments
  • Annual Maintenance Recommendations

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • Installation Recommendations
  • Sequence of Operation
  • Maximizing Operation & Efficiency
  • Combustion Adjustments
  • Annual Maintenance Recommendations

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • Installation Recommendations
  • Sequence of Operation
  • Maximizing Operation & Efficiency
  • The Ins & Outs of the CREST Gas Train
  • Combustion Adjustments
  • Annual Maintenance Recommendations

In This Seminar You Will Learn About The Following:

  • Overview
  • Sizing considerations
  • Installation

Crest Gas Train and Overview Topics:

  • What is a Zero-governor system?
  • How does it comply with 248 CMR 7
  • Proper regulator sizing
  • How does it operate with low gas pressure
  • Low excess O2 across all modulation points

Domestic Hot Water Considerations Topics:

  • Overview of Tank-less, Direct fired & Indirect
  • Sizing considerations
  • Potential pitfalls
  • Water Chemistry

Training Courses - Hydronics & Steam

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • How to successfully install a New Steam Boiler into an Old System.
  • The Proper techniques to remove air from a One Pipe System efficiently.
  • Steam traps- How they work, Why they fail and What happens to the System’s Operation when they do.
  • Flooding Boilers, Short Cycling Boilers- the Cause and the Cure.
  • Condensate Pumps, Boiler Feed Pumps – the Difference between them and when to use each one.

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • How to use B&G’s System Syzer calculator…no more confusion about flow rates, temperature drops or pipe sizes.
  • How to properly select circulators for any application.
  • The “Point of No Pressure Change” and how it can impact the system’s operation.
  • Applying Proper Air Management techniques to design “Trouble Free” hydronic systems.
  • Expansion Tanks…Steel, Diaphragm and Bladder tanks, we will discuss proper sizing and use of all three styles.

In this seminary out will learn the following:

  • A Brief history on how B&G developed this effective pumping technique.
  • The Fundamentals of how this Pumping Concept works.
  • A Detailed discussion on several Applications that benefit from Primary/Secondary Pumping.
  • How to Apply this Pumping Strategy on your next job.

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • What an Electronically Commutated Magnetic pump is and how it differs from traditional pumps.
  • The benefits of using ECM pumps on Modulating/Condensing Boilers.
  • The onboard Microprocessor provides numerous hydraulic performance ranges within each pump model.
  • Understand how to take advantage of Electric Utility incentive rebates for high efficiency ECM pumps.

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • How new Steam Boilers can create havoc in old Steam Systems.
  • The Importance of how proper venting can improve operation of a One Pipe Steam System.
  • Why Steam Traps need to be maintained to prevent Cold Rooms, High Fuel Bills and Unhappy Customers.
  • Banging Pipes? Spitting Vents? We will discuss the importance of Near-Boiler Piping on these New Steam Boilers.

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • How to calculate the required flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM).
  • Proper use of the calculator to select the proper size pipe for the required GPM.
  • Accurate calculation of the frictional resistance for any flow rate and pipe size.
  • How to calculate the proper velocity in a piping system to provide quiet and efficient operation.

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • Circulators – Learn how a circulator “pumps” water through the system, how to properly size them and where to locate them in the system.
  • Zone Valves – Why use a zone valve instead of a circulator? We will discuss the design considerations…
  • Flo Control Valves – What they do and what happens to the system when they aren’t working properly?
  • Pressure Reducing Valves – what do they do and how are they properly set?
  • Expansion Tanks – Why every system needs one, how they work and how to size them correctly.

Class 1 - System Overview

  • Hydronic System Components
  • Understanding a Pump Curve and The System Curve
  • Bell & Gossett’s System Syzer (Both the Calculator Wheel & Mobile App)

Class 2 – Pumping Concepts

  • Re-cap of Class 1
  • Variable Speed Pumping
  • Pump Affinity Laws
  • ECM Pumping Selection & Application
  • PLEV – Part Load Efficiency Values

Class 3 – System Design Strategies

  • Air Management
  • Expansion Tank Sizing
  • Point of No Pressure Change (Proper Pump Location)
  • Primary/Secondary Piping
  • Variable Primary Flow Systems

Class 4 – Heat Transfer

  • Heat Exchangers
  • Different Types and Their Applications
  • Sizing Examples
  • Heat Pumps
  • Domestic Hot Water Heat Pumps
  • Heat Pumps & Fossil Fuel Back-up (Hybrid Application)

  • Industry “Rules of Thumb” that will help you…
  • Calculate the right GPM (gallons per minute)
  • Select the proper pipe size for the flow rate
  • Establish the Pump Head needed to circulate the required Flow Rate
  • Proper Pump location and Why…
  • How to properly set a PRV(fill valve) and charge the Expansion Tank.

Training Courses - Controls

Key benefits of outdoor reset:

  • Easy installation and wiring
  • Operate the boiler at the lowest possible temperature to improve efficiency
  • Minimize ticking expansion noises in baseboards by preventing large temperature swings
  • Improve the comfort of occupants by better matching the heat requirements based on outdoor temperature
  • Expand boiler life cycle with the Automatic Boiler Differential feature to minimize boiler short cycling

tekmar’s new WiFi thermostats:

  • Only two wires? Tekmar’s 2 wire Invita WiFi stat is the answer. Works with all HVAC systems.
  • Floor sensor option for radiant systems
  • Mobile app for iOS and Android
  • Heat pump systems with a backup furnace or hydronic coil are called Dual Fuel or Hybrid systems.
  • The Invita 564 can operate the heat pump or the backup system based upon the balance point/outdoor temperature.
  • The Heat pump is turned off whenever the backup system is on, preventing the heat pump’s compressor from locking out.

Zoning Relay and Zone Valve Boxes:

  • Connect ANY brand of low voltage thermostat
  • End switch for use with on/off boiler or heat pump
  • RoomResponse feature works with boilers that accept 0-10V (dc) or 4-20 mA
  • Priority, priority override, exercising, post purge
  • Domestic Hot Water options

In this seminar you will learn the following:

  • Indoor/Outdoor Reset and the Unmatched Comfort it provides.
  • Controls Automatically adjusts the System Water Temperature to match the Home’s needs.
  • Zone Synchronization Coordinates the zone operation, Reducing Boiler Short Cycling and Improving Efficiency.
  • Two Wire Communicating Thermostats make system upgrades simple.

The Controls are all WiFi Compatible for remote access with a Tekmar Gateway.

In this class you will learn about the following:

  • Boiler Reset Controls for single boiler applications
  • Boiler Staging Controls for multiple boiler applications
  • Mixing Reset Controls for Radiant Heating applications.
  • Setpoint Controls for DHW tank operation and Hot tub operation using pulse width modulation or on/off differential control

Lochinvar Training

Bell & Gossett Training

Recorded Webinars

Want to get caught up on other seminars you may have missed check out FIA’s YouTube channel

Recorded Webinars

tekmar Training