If passed, the FMIA would require all federal buildings to complete an energy audit that includes mechanical insulation to ensure energy efficiency.
The bill recently gained a new supporter: Johns Manville, one of the leaders in producing insulation products.
Ielmini said the LMCT is hopeful the bill will be passed sometime in December. Until then, he will continue gathering co-sponsors in the U.S. House.
Then, AWF host Ed “Flash” Ferenc switched the topic and asked Ielmini about the trade show he recently attended.
Ielmini said the Labor Energy Workforce Development trade show requested all the booths to have some sort of interaction.
There was a tremendous amount of high-tech participation from the other crafts and I wasn’t sure how we could get mechanical insulation to compete, Ielmini said.
At the trade show, the LMCT used a thermal imaging camera to demonstrate how energy is lost on a hot pipe.
“We came up with something that was pretty neat and a little more successful than I thought it was going to be,” Ielmini said. “ We were able to put actual pipes on the table, fill them with water, have hot plates and heat up the pipes with the hot water. The pipes got up to 250 degrees.”
Then, the LMCT insulated part of the pipe and used a thermal imaging camera to show its different temperatures.
The uncovered pipe was 250 degrees and the insulated portion was 87 degrees.
“We did calculations to be able to prove that one foot of insulation is saving $147 a year, just by putting on that $5 worth of insulation,” Ielmini said.
Member Assistance Program
To wrap up the interview, Ielmini discussed the Insulators Member Assistance Program and how the holidays can be a stressful time of year for people.
The holiday season has the highest rate of suicide and depression because people feel pressure to have a great holiday season.
Ielmini encourages anyone who feels exceptionally depressed this holiday season to call 988 to receive immediate help.
The Insulators Member Assistance Program (IMAP) is a free resource Insulator union members can use to either talk to someone or read materials that will help them during their times of depression or suicidal thoughts.
Listen to the full interview: