April 2020 by PHAM News

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APRIL 2020 | VOLUME 58 | ISSUE 4

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Industry seeks more clarity as coronavirus confusion continues With many heating and plumbing engineers confused about how they should operate during the ongoing pandemic, industry bodies have called for further clarity on major issues such as key worker status, gas safety inspections, and ƩłÖłóĢÖķ ŭŽťťŋũŶ ĕŋũ businesses. With the UK placed on lockdown and people unable to leave their homes for work unless they are classed as key workers or performing essential services, many tradespeople have been left Ŷŋ ƩėŽũā ŋŽŶ ƒĞÖŶ ŶƘťā ŋĕ ƒŋũĴ should be considered ‘essential’. According to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), some workers have been facing social media shaming for travelling to work, despite the government’s instruction that essential sites should remain open – and many are supporting critical building and infrastructure projects. The APHC has also called for greater clarity on key worker status, arguing that plumbing and heating engineers play a vital role in maintaining public safety. CEO John Thompson says: “If plumbers and heating engineers weren’t allowed into properties ŋũ Ŷŋ ÖŶŶāłù ŭĢŶāŭ Ŷŋ ƩƗ ðũāÖĴÖėāŭ̇ this could lead to there being

dangerous heating systems and unsafe drinking-water and sanitation facilities.” Despite the clear risks to any relaxation of gas safety rules, the restrictions caused by social isolation and safe distancing has inevitably caused some issues, and housing associations have been pushing the government Ŷŋ āƗŶāłù ėÖŭ ŭÖĕāŶƘ óāũŶĢƩóÖŶāŭ from ˚˛ to ˚ˡ months. Meanwhile, the Gas Safe Register is currently only operating a limited service and ĞÖŭ óķŋŭāù ĢŶŭ ĿÖĢł ŋƧóā̍ F says that its inspectors will only investigate high risk scenarios and that these will be determined on a case-by-case basis with the HSE. All other inspections will be held and prioritised to be scheduled once the restrictions are lifted, but while routine inspections have been suspended it says that some alternatives to attending an event in person are being looked into.

The Government’s pledge to support businesses and the selfemployed during the crisis has been broadly welcomed, but BESA reports that some banks are demanding personal guarantees for the business interruption loans announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. The government is supporting interest-free loans of up to £˞m for ˚˛ months, with banks covered for up to 80% of the losses if the businesses are unable to repay. However, BESA says that some members have had their banks looking to charge interest on the loans and requesting personal guarantees from business owners. BESA advises members not to give personal guarantees that could put their assets at risk, while the government has clearly stated that banks are not allowed to use someone’s main residence as security. The CIPHE has backed the ƩłÖłóĢÖķ ťÖóĴÖėā ŋł ŋƦāũ Ŷŋ ŶĞā

self-employed, but has expressed concerns about how measures will be policed and if installers will have to pay back some of the grant. Kevin Wellman, CEO of the CIPHE, comments: “While we wholly welcome the Chancellor’s announcements, we do need to see further clarification on the financial package available, along with firm timescales for payments. We are working around the clock to get relevant information out to our members and give recommendations to Government. These announcements are good for the industry, but there is still much work to be done.” The level of uncertainty is also causing concerns in the wider building industry. Members of the National Federation of Builders (NFB) have voiced fears that the lack of clarity from government is causing the construction industry to close down. Richard Beresford, NFB chief executive, comments: “Members are reporting that they are unable to get materials and deliveries from builders’ merchants, many of which have closed after struggling to get hold of stock. This is a major concern, as it will cause breaches of contract, permanent supply chain loss and ongoing costs, without revenue to pay for them. “Remobilising sites is expensive, as is mothballing them, which is why so many businesses want to continue operating, but with lower productivity to ensure social distancing.” The NFB has called for increased sector clarity, with more references to specific industries in both the government’s daily briefings and guidance.

Inside this issue Coronavirus What do installers need to know? See page 10

Product Spotlight Protection for condensate pipes See page ˛ˢ

COMPETITION Win a Mira digital shower! See page 44

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Inside this issue 3 APRIL 2020 VOLUME 58 ISSUE 4

Editor’s Viewpoint by Chris Jones

Lives or livelihoods? It’s not often that anyone would want to express much sympathy for those in privileged positions of power, but who would want to be a Cabinet Minister with some of the decisions that the government has had to make as it seeks to grapple with the impact of COVID-19? Do you wreck the country’s economic prospects or do you let thousands of families suffer from the untimely death of loved ones? There might be some truth in talk of the cure being worse than the disease, but faced with expert advisors predicting 250,000 fatalities, or a fraction of that number if the country goes into lockdown, then perhaps there isn’t really any choice to be made. If given the option of giving up our life or our livelihood, then the answer seems all the more obvious (for most of us, anyway!), but that doesn’t alter the fact that many businesses – and this sector is by no means immune – are going to face an uncertain future. The government has not been slow to offer ﬁnancial support where it can, but reduced incomes and slumps in investments, savings and pension values are unlikely to get consumers set on a spending spree anytime soon. On a brighter note, along with our widely admired staff, many plumbers and heating engineers have been putting their own wellbeing at risk by ensuring that family homes and care facilities can continue to rely on their essential services. And we hope that they have been earning the respect that they deserve. Public health might be under immediate threat from one obvious source, but it should be remembered that faulty gas appliances and poor sanitation can have equally devastating consequences. Here’s to happier times!

Special Features

Energy Products

Products that can help consumers to save money and maximise the energy efficiency of their heating systems

Showers & Enclosures

The latest advances in shower technology and the potential growth of the digital showers market

Test & Measuring Instruments

How investing in the latest detective equipment can help you to identify hidden problems

Regulars 04 News Review 11 People on the Move

38 Vans & Racking

29 Product Spotlight 30 Products in Action

12 Letters

38 Vans & Racking

16 Horror Show

43 Product News

16 Energy Matters

44 Competition

17 Gadgets & Tools

46 Directory

18 Product Spotlight

47 Information Centre

19 Training Update 20 Business Matters

Van drivers are still taking risks with mobile use while driving

47 Training Directory

Contributors Richard Harvey

Elisa Paratore

Jon Bawden

nergy cient roducts

How a radiator upgrade can both improve energy e ciency and enhance a home.

howers

nclosures

est easuring nstruments

Why low level, non-slip shower trays offer an ideal solution for multigenerational households.

ow VA test instruments and ﬂue gas analysers continue to evolve to meet the needs of heating engineers.

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

News Review

Upskilling ˚˙˙̇˙˙˙ installers needed to meet net-zero target mŋũā ĢłƑāŭŶĿāłŶ ƒĢķķ ĞÖƑā Ŷŋ ðā ťŽŶ into training if the industry is to ĿāāŶ ŶĞā āłāũėƘ āƧóĢāłóƘ ťŋķĢóĢāŭ set out in the Budget ˛˙˛˙, according to the Chartered Institute ŋĕ ķŽĿ ð Ģłė Ö łù NāÖ ŶĢłė 1łėĢłāāũĢłė ̛!R N1̜̍ Tim Sainty, acting CEO and ĿāĿðāũŭĞĢť ùĢũāóŶŋũ ÖŶ ŶĞā !R N1̇ explains that heating engineers will need to upskill to ensure a neat ŶũÖłŭĢŶĢŋł Ŷŋ Ö ķŋƒ óÖũðŋł āóŋłŋĿƘ̍ Alongside this, apprenticeships ĿŽŭŶ Öķŭŋ ðā ťũĢŋũĢŶĢŭāù Ģł ŋũùāũ Ŷŋ future-proof skills. “We are delighted to see that the Budget supports net-zero and ŭŽŭŶÖĢłÖðĢķĢŶƘ ŶÖũėāŶŭ̇ ƒĞĢķā promising to reduce emissions from homes and to help keep household energy costs low,” says ¦ĢĿ ÖĢłŶƘ̍ ̦¦Ğāũā Ģŭ łŋ ùŋŽðŶ ŶĞāũāĕŋũā ŶĞÖŶ ŶĞā ťķŽĿðĢłė Öłù heating sector is central to ũāÖķĢŭĢłė ŶĞāŭā ťķāùėāŭ̇ ðŽŶ Ŷŋ ėāŶ there approximately ˚˙˙̇˙˙˙ heating engineers will need to upskill over the lifetime of this parliament.” The Institute says that the skills

Guidance to prevent leaks

ėÖť łāāùŭ Ŷŋ ðā Öùùũāŭŭāù ðāóÖŽŭā much of the work towards creating a greener economy will come to fruition over the next 30 years. It argues that the primary way to do this is to focus on providing highquality apprenticeships that encourage more young people to start their careers in this way and more employers to realise the ðāłāĕĢŶ ŋĕ ŶĞāĢũ ĢłƑāŭŶĿāłŶ Ģł providing career opportunities.

Chance to win cash prize Boiler manufacturer Worcester Bosch has launched a new competition where one lucky installer can win up to ͎˞˙˙˙ in cash. In addition to the prize money, the company will also donate an additional ͎˚˙˙˙ to a charity of their choice. The promotion started on ˚˟th March, and to ðā Ģł ƒĢŶĞ Ö óĞÖłóā ŋĕ ƒĢłłĢłė ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ ŭĢĿťķƘ łāāù Ŷŋ ťŽũóĞÖŭā ÖłƘ ÂŋũóāŭŶāũ ŋŭóĞ ėÖŭ ðŋĢķāũ ðāŶƒāāł ŶĞāł Öłù ŶĞā āłù ŋĕ ťũĢķ̍ The competition is open to all existing and new sign-ups to ÂŋũóāŭŶāũ̪ŭ āƒÖũùŭ ŋũ Â R ŭóĞāĿā̇ Öłù āƑāũƘ ðŋĢķāũ ũāėĢŭŶāũāù ƒĢķķ ÖŽŶŋĿÖŶĢóÖķķƘ ðā āłŶāũāù̍ RłŭŶÖķķāũŭ ƒĞŋ Öũāł̪Ŷ óŽũũāłŶķƘ ĿāĿðāũŭ ƒĢķķ łāāù Ŷŋ ŭĢėł Žť ŋłķĢłā ðāĕŋũā ũāėĢŭŶāũĢłė ŶĞā product, and the same entry rules will apply. With ˛˞ runners-up all receiving ͎˜˙˙ each, this competition Öķķŋƒŭ Ö łŽĿðāũ ŋĕ ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ Ŷŋ ðā Ģł ƒĢŶĞ Ö óĞÖłóā ŋĕ ƒĢłłĢłė̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˙˛

“It is now time for the Government to maximise the expertise of installer organisations, ĿÖłŽĕÖóŶŽũāũŭ Öłù ĢłùŽŭŶũƘ ðŋùĢāŭ to tackle the timescales and practicalities of transitioning,” adds Tim Sainty. “At the CIPHE, we are dedicated to supporting our ťũŋĕāŭŭĢŋłÖķ ĿāĿðāũŭ ðƘ ƒŋũĴĢłė with our approved training centres and industrial associates to provide quality training and support.”

ťÖũŶłāũŭĞĢť ðāŶƒāāł ÂÖŶāũ Öĕā ̟ ŶĞā ÖťťũŋƑāù ťķŽĿðāũŭ ũāėĢŭŶāũ ̟ Öłù ŶĞā NŋĿā ŽĢķùāũŭ DāùāũÖŶĢŋł ĞÖŭ ťŽðķĢŭĞāù ÖùƑĢóā ĕŋũ ùāƑāķŋťāũŭ Öłù łāƒ ĞŋĿāŋƒłāũŭ Ŷŋ ťũāƑāłŶ ķāÖĴŭ Ģł ťķŽĿðĢłė ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ̍ ¦Ğā ķāÖƪāŶŭ ŋŽŶķĢłā ėŋŋù ťũÖóŶĢóā Ŷŋ ÖƑŋĢù ķāÖĴŭ Ģł łāƒ ðŽĢķùŭ Öłù ÖùƑĢŭāŭ ĞŋĿāŋƒłāũŭ Ğŋƒ Ŷŋ keep their properties watertight. ¦Ğā óŋķķÖðŋũÖŶĢŋł Ģŭ ŭŽťťŋũŶĢłė ƒÖŶāũ ĢłùŽŭŶũƘ ŶÖũėāŶŭ Ŷŋ ũāùŽóā ƒÖŶāũ ķāÖĴŭ ðƘ ˞˙ͮ ðƘ ˛˙˞˙ and achieve net-ơāũŋ óÖũðŋł āĿĢŭŭĢŋłŭ ðƘ ˛˙˜˙ – as ũāùŽóĢłė ķāÖĴŭ Öķŭŋ ŭÖƑāŭ ŋł ŶĞā āłāũėƘ łāāùāù Ŷŋ ÖðŭŶũÖóŶ̇ ŶũāÖŶ Öłù ŭŽťťķƘ ƒÖŶāũ Ģł ŶĞā ƩũŭŶ ťķÖóā̍ ¦Ğā ķāÖƪāŶ ĕŋũ ùāƑāķŋťāũŭ ėĢƑāŭ ÖùƑĢóā ŋł ŶĞā ƒÖŶāũ industry code of practice for laying water pipes as well as using approved ťũŋùŽóŶŭ Öłù ÂÖŶāũ Öĕā ÖťťũŋƑāù ťķŽĿðāũŭ Öłù ėũŋŽłùƒŋũĴāũŭ̍ ¦ĞĢŭ ƒĢķķ Ğāķť āłŭŽũā ťķŽĿðĢłė óŋĿťķĢāŭ ƒĢŶĞ ŶĞā ÂÖŶāũ ŽťťķƘ ̛ÂÖŶāũ DĢŶŶĢłėŭ̜ Regulations, designed to keep drinking water healthy and prevent waste. ŭ ƒāķķ Öŭ ÖùƑĢóā ĕŋũ ùāƑāķŋťāũŭ̇ Ö ķāÖƪāŶ ĞÖŭ Öķŭŋ ðāāł óũāÖŶāù ĕŋũ ŶĞā ðŽƘāũŭ ŋĕ łāƒ ĞŋĿāŭ̍ ¦Ğā ĢłĕŋũĿÖŶĢŋł Ğāķťŭ ŶĞāĿ ŭťŋŶ Öłù ùāÖķ ƒĢŶĞ ÖłƘ ĕŽŶŽũā ķāÖĴŭ ƒĢŶĞĢł ŶĞā ðŋŽłùÖũƘ ŋĕ ŶĞāĢũ ĞŋĿā ̞ ĕũŋĿ ŽłùāũėũŋŽłù ŭŽťťķƘ ťĢťāŭ Ŷŋ Ö ķāÖĴƘ ķŋŋ̍ ŋŶĞ ķāÖĕķāŶŭ óÖł ðā ĕũāāķƘ ùŋƒłķŋÖùāù ðƘ visiting: watersafe.org.uk/developers

Extended controls guarantee Installers on Vaillant’s Advance ķŋƘÖķŶƘ ŭóĞāĿā óÖł łŋƒ ŋƦāũ ŶĞāĢũ customers extended guarantees ƒĞāł ŶĞāƘ ƩŶ Ö ðŋĢķāũ Öķŋłė ƒĢŶĞ ŋłā of the company’s controls. All Vaillant controls, including the wired and wireless VRCˠ˙˙, VRT˜˞˙ or vSMART, will now receive a guarantee which matches ŶĞÖŶ ŋĕ ŶĞā ÁÖĢķķÖłŶ ðŋĢķāũ ĢŶ̪ŭ installed with, meaning some ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ óŋŽķù ðā óŋƑāũāù ĕŋũ Žť Ŷŋ ˚˙ years as a result.

ÁÖĢķķÖłŶ Ģŭ Öķŭŋ ŋƦāũĢłė ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ ĕĢŶŶĢłė ŶĞā 1óŋDR¦ Žũā ðāĕŋũā ŶĞā end of this month an extended ˚˙-year guarantee. Both offers are āƗóķŽŭĢƑāķƘ ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā Ŷŋ ĿāĿðāũŭ ŋĕ the Vaillant Advance loyalty scheme. Steve Keeton, technologies director at Vaillant, comments: ̦¦Ğā ƒÖƘ ƒā ùāŭĢėł̇ ŶāŭŶ Öłù ðŽĢķù ŋŽũ ðŋĢķāũŭ Öłù óŋłŶũŋķŭ ĿāÖłŭ ŶĞÖŶ ŋŽũ ťũŋùŽóŶŭ Öũā Ŀŋũā ũāķĢÖðķā ŶĞÖł āƑāũ ðāĕŋũā̍ ŭ Ö ũāŭŽķŶ̇ ƒā Öũā Öðķā

Ŷŋ ŋƦāũ āłù Žŭāũŭ ŶĞā ťāÖóā ŋĕ ĿĢłù of an industry-leading guarantee, making it even easier for installers Ŷŋ ŭāóŽũā łāƒ ðŽŭĢłāŭŭ̧̍ While the extended controls ėŽÖũÖłŶāā ƒĢķķ ũŽł ĢłùāƩłĢŶāķƘ̇ ŶĞā ˚˙-year ecoFIT Pure guarantee runs until the ˜˙th April ˛˙˛˙. ¦ŋ ŭĢėł Žť Ŷŋ ðāóŋĿā Öł ùƑÖłóā installer with Vaillant, visit the ƒāðŭĢŶā ĕŋũ Ŀŋũā ùāŶÖĢķŭ̆ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˙˜

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

News Review

¦Ğā ĿŋŭŶ ĕÖƑŋŽũāù ŨŽÖķĢŶĢāŭ Ģł ťķŽĿðāũŭ

Ģė ƒĢł ĕŋũ ķƩā ÖŶ ũĢŶĢŭĞ ÖƒÖũùŭ ŭĞŋƒ

A new survey from WaterSafe, the plumber approval register, has found the top qualities homeowners are looking for when choosing a plumber. ˛˙˙˙ UK householders were asked to pick the top three qualities they most valued, with ˡ˜% choosing ‘qualified in plumbing’ as the most important. ˠˢ% also want their plumbers to be ‘trustworthy’, and ˝˜% want them to have ‘knowledge on keeping your water safe’. The survey also revealed that almost a quarter of respondents valued ‘punctuality’ as one of the important qualities. ‘Neat and tidy’ took ˚˞% of the votes while ‘friendly’ won ˚˝%. Other factors respondents rated were cost and how soon the plumber could do the job. However, only ˠ% of respondents said age

was important when looking for a plumber. Importantly for WaterSafe, ˠ˛% of homeowners felt more confident about using a plumber who was on a list promoted by their local water company. Julie Spinks, director of WaterSafe, says: “Our latest survey shows the public are increasingly aware of the importance of using a ťķŽĿðāũ ƒĞŋ Ģŭ łŋŶ ŋłķƘ ŨŽÖķĢƩāù̇ but also trained in the regulations that help keep drinking water ŭÖĕā̧̍

Connect for ŶĞā ðāłāƩŶŭ To support its new Agentis oil boiler and Zeno air source product launches, ÂÖũĿƪŋƒ ĞÖŭ ŽłƑāĢķāù Ö łāƒ ĢłŭŶÖķķāũ scheme. Warmflow Connect is open to installers who purchase, install and register any Warmflow product, giving them access to a members-only ũāƒÖũù ťũŋėũÖĿĿā̍ ¦Ğā ŭóĞāĿā ŋƦāũŭ the chance to collect points for every purchase made to redeem against great prizes, including power tools, test analysers, and boilers. Registered ĿāĿðāũŭ ƒĢķķ Öķŭŋ ðā Öðķā Ŷŋ ðāłāƩŶ ĕũŋĿ technical advice and lead generation, as ƒāķķ Öŭ āƗŶāłùāù ƒÖũũÖłŶĢāŭ̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˙˞

An innovative product featured in the October ˛˙˚ˢ edition of PHAM News has won two awards at the British Invention Show (BIS). The Alfie, available within the Coolag product range, is a new wall mounting device for bar shower valves and other brassware. It was invented by installer Ty Harnett to speed up the process of achieving a secure and ŽťũĢėĞŶ ƩƗ ĕŋũ ŶÖťŭ Öłù ŭĞŋƒāũ ƩŶŶĢłėŭ̍ `Žùėāŭ ùāóĢùāù Ŷŋ ũāóŋėłĢŭā ŶĞā ķƩā ŭƘŭŶāĿ Ģł ðŋŶĞ the British Invention (Consumer) and International Invention (Consumer) categories, with Ty receiving ŶĞā Ŷƒŋ ÖƒÖũùŭ ĕũŋĿ ĕŋũĿāũ ĞāÖƑƘƒāĢėĞŶ ðŋƗĢłė champion, David Haye. Oliver Pirret, sales and marketing manager for !ŋŋķÖė̇ óŋĿĿāłŶŭ̆ ̦Âā ƒāũā óŋłƩùāłŶ Ģł ťŽŶŶĢłė Alfie forward for the BIS awards because of the work that has gone into making the product the perfect answer for achieving an accurate and stable ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł ƒĢŶĞĢł ùĢƦāũāłŶ ƒÖķķ ŶƘťāŭ̇ ƒĞĢóĞ Ģŭ ˠ˞% quicker than conventional methods and prevents

`ŋðŭ āƗťÖłŭĢŋł NŋĿā ĞāÖŶĢłė āƗťāũŶ ŋĢķāũ ķÖł ƒĢķķ óũāÖŶā ˝˙ łāƒŭ ıŋðŭ ŋƑāũ ŶĞā łāƗŶ ˚˛ months as part of a long-term growth strategy to achieve a £˜˙million turnover. The Northumberland based company is looking to create the new jobs within its digital, engineering and installation teams. It has Žłùāũėŋłā Ö ťāũĢŋù ŋĕ ũÖťĢù āƗťÖłŭĢŋł Öłù łŋƒ covers almost ˠ˙% of the UK. The company was founded by heating engineer Ian Henderson to provide payment plans for homeowners who may struggle to pay for boiler ũāťķÖóāĿāłŶŭ̍ RŶ ĞÖŭ Ö óŋũā ŭŶÖƦ ŋĕ ˟˛ together with Ö łÖŶĢŋłÖķ łāŶƒŋũĴ ŋĕ ŨŽÖķĢƩāù ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ Öłù FÖŭ Safe registered engineers across seven regions.

mŋũā ŭŽŭŶÖĢłÖðķā Triton Showers has committed to a number of new goals to improve its sustainability credentials in ˛˙˛˙. The targets include a further reduction in gas and electricity use by ˞% as well as a ˛˙% reduction in packaging. It also aims to reduce water usage by ˠͮ ðƘ ŶĞā āłù ŋĕ ŶĞā ŶÖƗ ƘāÖũ̍ DŽũŶĞāũ ùāƑāķŋťĿāłŶŭ to maintain its zero-ƒÖŭŶā Ŷŋ ķÖłùƩķķ ŭŶÖŶŽŭ ĢłóķŽùāŭ a new shrink wrap machine that has already led to a ˜˚ˡ˙kg reduction in material used, thanks to the āŨŽĢťĿāłŶ ðāĢłė Öðķā Ŷŋ ŭŶũāŶóĞ ŶĞā āƗĢŭŶĢłė ŭĞũĢłĴ ƩķĿ Ŷƒŋ Öłù Ö ĞÖķĕ ŶĢĿāŭ Ŀŋũā ŶĞÖł ŶĞā ŋũĢėĢłÖķ̍

damaging leaks from occurring. In addition, it has been very well received by both professionals and property owners. We believe Alfie offers all the benefits to become the plumbing and bathroom ŭāóŶŋũŭ̪ ťũāĕāũũāù ŭŋķŽŶĢŋł ĕŋũ ƩŶŶĢłė ðũÖŭŭƒÖũā̧̍ Dŋũ Ŀŋũā ĢłĕŋũĿÖŶĢŋł ŋł ŶĞā ķƩā̇ ťķāÖŭā Žŭā ŶĞā enquiry link below. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˙˝

dŋłėāũ ėŽÖũÖłŶāā ŋł ÖĢũ ŭŋŽũóā

G˚ scheme members who are accredited to fit Grant heat pumps can now access longer guarantees on the Aerona³ heat pumps that they purchase, install and register through the G1 Scheme. Aerona³ units which are installed by a G˚ air source heat pump installer are now eligible for a seven-ƘāÖũ ėŽÖũÖłŶāā̇ Žť ŋł ŶĞā ƩƑāyear guarantee previously available. Eligible installers must have completed the Grant air source heat pump product training course. Those who are listed to install other Grant technologies, such as ŋĢķ ðŋĢķāũŭ̇ óÖł ŋłķƘ āƗŶāłù ŶĞāĢũ óĞāĿā ÖóóũāùĢŶÖŶĢŋł into heat pumps if they have completed the necessary training requirements for this technology. Once an ĢłŭŶÖķķāũ ðāóŋĿāŭ ÖóóũāùĢŶāù Ŷŋ ƩŶ FũÖłŶ ĞāÖŶ ťŽĿťŭ on the G˚ óĞāĿā̇ ŶĞāƘ ƒĢķķ ŶĞāł ðā Öðķā Ŷŋ ŋƦāũ ŶĞāĢũ customers the seven-year guarantee. Find out more about the scheme by visiting the following link: ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˙˟

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

News Review Wiser reaches out

Expanded distribution Domestic boiler manufacturer ATAG has expanded its distribution network to include plumbing and heating merchants. Previously, the business only sold its boilers directly to ATAG select partners. But in a bid to give wider, sameday availability, ATAG’s domestic boilers are now stocked in more than ˜˙ independent merchants, amounting to over ˚˙˙ branches around the UK, with plans to reach out to more merchants in the next ˚˛ months. MD Trevor Jones says: “We have listened to installers about how to make life easier and we know that

for some, it’s more convenient to nip into their local merchant to pick up an ATAG boiler. “It’s been essential that we found merchant partners who shared our values of only selling to Gas Safe registered professionals and this is how we will look to grow the distribution network further in future. “With this approach everyone wins – convenience for installers, great commercial terms for merchants, and homeowners can be confident that they are getting a great boiler, installed by a legally ŨŽÖķĢƩāù āłėĢłāāũ̧̍

Drayton has invested over half a million pounds in a number of marketing initiatives as it seeks to increase consumer awareness of its controls products. During the peak heating season, its Wiser range of products was one of seven brands highlighted at the Amazon Home of Imagination Ģł ÂāŭŶƩāķù dŋłùŋł̍ RŶ ƒÖŭ Öķŭŋ ĕāÖŶŽũāù ŋł āÖŭƘ`āŶ boarding passes and in the on-board magazine. Remi Volpe, MD at Drayton, says: “At a time when there is more choice than ever for homeowners, we know how important it is to get Wiser in front of those who might be looking to upgrade their heating system. By investing in these awareness initiatives, homeowners are in a prime position to contact their local installer and ask for Wiser, or they can use the ̨DĢłù Öł RłŭŶÖķķāũ̪ ĕŽłóŶĢŋł ŋł ŶĞā ƒāðŭĢŶā̧̍

Factory gears up to deliver Hathersage, Derbyshire, is the site of a new manufacturing facility for Condensate Pro. The factory has been fully kitted ŋŽŶ Ŷŋ ĕŽķƩķ ŶĞā ŋũùāũŭ ĕŋũ ŶĞā Condensate Pro kit, which helps installers to quickly and easily protect condensate pipes from freezing.

ÖłĢƪŋ ĞÖŭ ŽťùÖŶāù ĢŶŭ ðũÖłù ĢùāłŶĢŶƘ Ŷŋ ÖķĢėł ƒĢŶĞ French parent company, SFA, which is unifying the branding of all its subsidiaries around the world. In ŶĞā ḃ ŶĞā ÖłĢƪŋ łÖĿā ĞÖŭ ðāāł ũāŶÖĢłāù ùŽā Ŷŋ ĢŶŭ recognition among plumbers for its macerator and pump products. ŭ ƒāķķ Öŭ ũāƩłĢłė ŶĞā ĕŋłŶ Öłù ŶƒāÖĴĢłė ŶĞā óŋķŋŽũ̇ Ŷƒŋ ŶāÖũùũŋť ŭĞÖťāŭ ĞÖƑā ðāāł Öùùāù Ŷŋ ũāƪāóŶ ŶĞā movement of water, and the SFA Group branding has been added to the overall logo. The company believes that the result is a modern, sleek logo that retains the pedigree of the Saniflo name. It is currently being implemented across all promotional resources and has gone live on the website.

“I am delighted that we have expanded into this new, bigger factory which gives us the potential to grow as more and more installers choose to do the right thing and insulate condensate pipe quickly and ťũŋĕāŭŭĢŋłÖķķƘ̧̇ ŭÖƘŭ m' 'ÖƑā Smith. “The new facility allows us to meet demand, make sure product goes out to the merchants in time, and we can show visitors just how much design, care and attention has ėŋłā ĢłŶŋ ŶĞā ťũŋùŽóŶ̧̍ See page 29 for more on Condensate Pro.

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

News Report

Coronavirus – what you need to know The rapid spread of COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on all our lives. Government and industry institutions have had to respond to fast evolving events, but it’s not always easy to keep up to speed with information and advice. So what are the key things installers need to know?

ith the outbreak of the coronavirus and the subsequent disruption to jobs and economic activity in the UK, many installers are still trying to evaluate what the implications are for them and their businesses. There has been some debate about the classiﬁcation of key worker’ status, but the vital nature of the work this sector does to keep heating systems, drinking water and sanitation facilities safe and operational means that some services cannot be put on hold. Inevitably, there have been widespread cancellations of nonessential services and, based on an uncertain future, there are likely to be fewer bookings for things like new bathroom installations and other discretionary work. But boiler breakdowns and plumbing emergencies will occur regardless of the pandemic, and installers will need to be prepared to operate in this new reality.

Choosing to work

Installers who can continue working in people’s homes and businesses are advised to take a risk assessment of the circumstances ﬁrst. The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) emphasises that you are perfectly entitled to choose to not work in a particular environment if you feel that it is unsafe. Sole traders can decline work on this basis, while employees can raise concerns with the employer. In all cases, it’s best to assume that the premises you are working in, and the system you are working on, contain the virus. It’s just as important to avoid contracting the virus as it is to avoid spreading it around, particularly to more vulnerable clients, so you need to prepare yourself appropriately. If you have work already scheduled and are receiving enquiries, it would be best to let them know in advance that you will adhere to guidance from government and that you will keep them informed of any changes to your work scheduling. Customers may request to cancel work, so check up on your terms and conditions of business and adhere to them. However

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KEY POINTS  ollow o cial guidance on social distancing and proper hand washing  nstallers have a right to avoid wor ing in a situation that may put them at ris of contracting the virus  se where appropriate favouring disposable items if possible  here is evidence that sanitary systems may be capable of transmitting the virus  andlords still have a legal duty to ensure that gas appliances are safely repaired and maintained  s can get a full refund for statutory sic pay in cases involving days sic leave due to  nstallers are advised to chec all their insurance policies to see if they are entitled to claim for any losses  he elf- mployed ncome upport cheme will provide direct cash grants of of proﬁts up to for at least three months

try to be ﬂe ible in terms of rescheduling work should a customer request it.

Personal protection

The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) points out that there isn’t any o cial guidance for working in the homes and properties of customers, but common sense measures will help to minimise risks. The general guidance of not shaking hands, keeping a distance and regularly washing hands with hot water and soap will help protect everyone. It may also be wise to speak to the customer over the phone prior to each appointment to ascertain the health conditions of occupants and whether they have coughs or a fever. The CIPHE advises its members to increase use of personal protective equipment

(PPE) wherever reasonably possible. This includes items you may already possess, such as safety glasses, gloves and face masks. If at all possible, use disposable items so you can wear a new set of PPE on the next job. If you can’t use disposable items, keep your PPE clean according to manufacturer instructions. Let your clients know of any additional costs these precautionary measures entail and make it clear that you are taking these steps for their safety as well as your own. Good workplace and tool cleaning practices are also advised. Avoid sharing tools with co-workers if possible, and when choosing cleaning chemicals, look for products that act against viral pathogens. If you can’t ﬁnd commercial cleaners, use soap and water and dry tools thoroughly after use. The CIPHE also advises that installers change their clothes immediately when returning home and wash them right away.

Sanitary systems

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical O cials issued advice on orld Plumbing Day (11 March) – the same day the World Health Organisation announced that the outbreak ualiﬁes as a pandemic – that plumbers working with sanitary systems should take extra care. Pointing to a case in Hong Kong where an outbreak occurred in a high rise building via the sanitary drainage system, the Association says that it is likely’ that OVI -19 can be spread in this way. Therefore, for as long as the pandemic is still active it should be assumed by anyone working on a sanitary drainage system that the virus is present. Considering the potential to come into contact with water and aerosols that contain the coronavirus when working these systems, it is highly recommended that plumbers wear proper PPE, including a full face shield and gloves.

Expiring documentation

During the current crisis, it is inevitable that some customers will need checks such as legionella risk assessments and

as afety certificates, but if they are self-isolating, this will present barriers. In the event that tenants are in self-isolation, government guidance may be raised as a means of trying to mitigate why you are unable to attend a premises for inspection/ certification. owever, the current obligations remain legally enforceable. The Health and Safety E ecutive ( E) has confirmed that the duty of care that landlords have to their tenants remains in place, and this includes a legal duty to repair and maintain gas pipework, flues and appliances in a safe condition, to ensure an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue, and to keep a record of each safety check. Landlords have been advised that if they are unable to engage a registered gas engineer to carry out the work due to a shortage of available engineers, they will need to demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to comply with the law. This should include records of communication with the tenant and details of the engineer’s attempts to gain access.

Sick pay

The government has advised that if a person or someone in their household has coronavirus symptoms, they should selfisolate for 14 days. Those who follow this advice will be eligible for statutory sick pay (SSP) from the ﬁrst day of their absence from work. If an employee is diagnosed with coronavirus, they should be dealt with in exactly the same way as any other sick leave. The APHC points out that businesses with fewer than 250 employees can get a refund in full on statutory sick pay in cases involving 14 days sick leave due to COVID-19. As an employer, if you decide to send an individual home as a precautionary measure because you are worried about exposure to coronavirus, this will be on full

pay. In this case, the employee is following the reasonable instruction of their employer and should get their normal pay.

Insurance

With regards to public liability insurance,the CIPHE advises that nothing related to the coronavirus pandemic will adversely affect the coverage provided. For that reason, you should continue to perform your role as professionally and diligently as you would at any other time. It would be wise to check all of your insurances (personal ill health/sickness and commercial) to claim for any losses that may be covered by this pandemic.

Government support

To help protect the income of the self-employed, the Government has introduced the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme which will provide direct cash grants of 80 of profits, up to £2500 per month, for at least three months. The scheme is open to those with a trading profit of less than £50,000 in 2018-19 or an average trading profit of less than £50,000 from 2016 17, 2017 18 and 2018 19. To qualify, more than half of your income in those periods must have come from self-employment. With the aim of preventing fraud, only those who are already in self-employment and meet the above conditions are assured that they will qualify. HMRC says that it will identify eligible taxpayers and contact them directly with guidance on how to apply. The income support scheme will cover the three months to May and grants will be paid in a single lump sum at the beginning of June to cover all three months. Full guidance on the SelfEmployed Income Support Scheme can be found by using the link below: ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/0

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

People on the Move

Merriott has announced the appointment of Mark Prentice as sales director. Mark comes to the role with considerable experience, having started his career in ŭťāóĢƩóÖŶĢŋł ŭÖķāŭ ƒĢŶĞ z ĿĢŶĞ ðāĕŋũā moving to Gilberts and then Zehnder, where Ğā ùāƑāķŋťāù ŶĞā b ŭťāóĢƩóÖŶĢŋł ŶāÖĿ Ģł regional and national roles.

The sales team at Samsung has been enhanced with the addition of two new sales managers. Joseph O’Connor (pictured) will cover London and the Southeast while Matthew Westwood will act as consultant sales manager for the Midlands. Both come to the roles with considerable experience in climate solutions.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

Philip Treacy has been appointed operations director Ireland and Scotland ÖŶ ÁāũŭÖŶĢķā FũŋŽť̇ Öł āłėĢłāāũĢłė ƩũĿ that will work closely with Zehnder Group to build its brand presence in Scotland. Philip will focus on expanding Versatile’s distribution of Zehnder products for óŋĿĿāũóĢÖķ̵ÖťťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ̍

Hot water storage specialist, Telford Copper & Stainless Cylinders, has welcomed David Hall as sales director. Bringing with him a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, David will be responsible for spearheading the company’s growth in the UK. The company has recently expanded its range to include renewable heating & hot water packages.

The Brand Specialists team at Stelrad has welcomed Kelly Stocker who will look after merchant branches and their customers across West London. Kelly, who has a degree from London College of Music, says she is looking forward to ĿāāŶĢłė ťāŋťķā Ģł ŶĞā Ʃāķù Öłù ŶāķķĢłė them about Stelrad’s product range.

Hamworthy Heating has welcomed Vincent Ng to its sales team to cover central London. Vincent joins the company with expertise in heating controls and plans to use his knowledge to support Hamworthy’s strategy to underline the importance of correctly setting boiler controls to conserve energy.

Domus Ventilation, part of the Polypipe Group, has appointed Paul Williams as product manager for the UK & Ireland. Paul brings with him ˛˜ years experience in the residential ventilation ŭāóŶŋũ̇ ŋƦāũĢłė ŶĞā óŋĿťÖłƘ Ö ðũāÖùŶĞ of experience and in-depth knowledge of this market.

Chiller and air handling manufacturer Aermec UK has expanded its sales team with the appointment of David Evans as general sales manager. David will work closely with Aermec’s sales team and build on the company’s base to grow sales across all markets including the commercial and residential markets.

ONLINE For further information about any of the stories featured in this issue, simply enter phamnews. co.uk/420/ followed by the relevant enquiry number.

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Your Views

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If there is any kind of silver lining to the COVID-19 catastrophe, it might be that the ‘low value’ workers we heard so much talk about just a matter of weeks ago are suddenly being appreciated. The supermarket clerks, the lorry drivers, and tradespeople are getting some well deserved credit now. That said, many of us are watching our business dry up as cancellations and postponements come in. There isn’t much clarity on what work can or can’t be done in the current circumstances, but it’s pretty clear to me (and my customers) that a new bathroom is something that can wait till this thing has passed. So far I’ve had just one person call me with a genuine, though minor, emergency, and they kept well away from me while I made good the problem. There’s been some talk of a tra c light poster that people can put in their windows to alert visitors as to whether it’s safe to come inside or not, but I don’t see how that could beneﬁt people carrying out a service. We spend time and money to travel to a house, so in my opinion a frank telephone conversation that covers the right questions on health and safety will make sure we all behave responsibly when I show up. They say a crisis brings out people’s true character, and I’m glad to say that, at least in the world of work, I’ve seen some great examples of that over the last couple of weeks.

Gas safety will continue to matter Gas safety is one of the many things that can’t be put on hold during a crisis. The virus pays no mind to whether a boiler is operating properly and safely, and that means gas engineers have to get out there to ﬁ problems that could place lives at risk. The DVLA has given a six month grace for MOTs, but can we do something similar on boilers? I’ve noticed a number of boiler manufacturers saying that their warranties will not be invalidated if a boiler check is not carried out by its due date – at least for the duration of the lockdown – and for the majority of customers, they can probably get away with postponing. But there will always be that one exception that makes you think if the coronavirus doesn’t get them, a faulty boiler will. In the best of circumstances, the general public is less than reliable when it comes to getting an annual boiler check. Let’s hope that letting them off the hook because of the virus won’t seed the thought that servicing really isn’t all that important after all. P. Taylor, via email

A.G. Bowman, via email

Lord of the O-rings

Let us know what you think...

I feel I must respond to the comments by Intergas’s David Stanley (March 202O issue) regarding Barry Matthews’ concern over the failed O-rings on the fans. Quite surreal when the missus asks you to sort your clothes drawer out and you’re folding up workwear and putting it away. How long?

I felt the tone of his response was bombastic. I’m not au fait with the part in discussion because I have never ﬁtted or come across an Intergas Boiler. I think it’s fair to say I never will in view of his response. It is obvious that the O-ring is easily replaced at little cost, and to start citing that a new fan should be ﬁtted without doubt would be at great e pense to the customer.

The editor welcomes letters from readers on all aspects of the industry. Letters can be sent by email or post but must have a return name, phone number and address (not for publication).

We have long lived with manufacturers milking us with the cost of spares, which if all the cost of spares were added together a new boiler should probably cost in the region of £2500. I would have thought that a decent manufacturer would make ‘approved spares’ such as O-rings available at a reasonable cost rather than criticising industry colleagues.

Please address your letters to: The Editor, PHAM News 1b Station Square Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1DP or email to: editor@phamnewsedit.co.uk

Alan G. Sowden Director, Sowden Heating Ltd West Yorkshire

NEW WAY TO ACCESS FURTHER INFORMATION

PHAM NEWS | OCTOBER 2019

Product News 67 Tougher former with octagonal plate Hydraulic drainage system saves cost

The Tuff Form8 wetroom former from AKW combines the benefits of the company’s existing Tuff Form product but with a new octagonal fitting plate. This allows for up to 15 different waste positions and ensures an easier installation. The new former is made from high strength sheet moulding compound, giving it a weight capacity of 381kg (60 stone). This suits it for heavier wheelchair users and their carers. In addition, pre-formed fixing points and octagonal waste plate mean that all obstructing joists can be quickly navigated. Available in nine sizes, the Tuff Form8 former can be tiled or covered with safety flooring and it can also be used to create complete level access solutions on both timber and concrete floors. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/1019/73

Nuie, formerly known as Premier Bathrooms, has added a royal grey woodgrain textured finish to its York collection of furniture. The new finish complements the existing white ash and stone grey varieties. Three sizes of vanity unit (600, 800 and 1000mm) add versatility to the range, which is accompanied by matching mirrors, WC unit and toilet seat for a fully coordinated look. Made in Britain, with a fiveyear guarantee, the York furniture range is supplied rigid and features soft-close doors and is available with design-matching ceramic basin and front and side bath panels. Three handle choices are available: square strap, round strap and art deco, for further individuality and character. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/1019/75

Aimed at the commercial market, Stiebel Eltron’s WPE-I inverter-driven heat pump system bolsters the company’s offering of renewable energy systems. The new range utilises inverter technology, which allows heat output to be adjusted to suit the requirements of bespoke projects. This boosts energy efficiency, helping businesses reduce energy costs. The product also allows businesses to maximise return on investment from the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive, with running hours attracting tier-one tariffs. Space-saving unit design also streamlines the installation process. Preparatory groundworks can be sized to the building, rather than the nearest heat pump model itself, saving clients time and money. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/1019/74

Hydraulic drainage system saves cost

New ball valve looks to the future Waterproofing system for showers The Shower Waterproofing Kit from Dunlop has been specially designed to include everything required to waterproof a shower area, wetroom or walk-in shower area as required by new British Standards. Suitable for any internal intermittent area where continued exposure to water may cause damage, the kit fully waterproofs the background behind a tiled surface to prevent water penetration up to 1.5m high in a two-walled shower unit or 1m high in a three-walled shower unit. As a result, the kit prevents water saturating the whole area, reducing the risk of unsightly black mould forming, and also reducing the risk of more serious issues such as floor collapse and other surfaces vulnerable to corrosion. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/1019/76

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Furniture gets the royal treatment

Inverter technology inside heat pumps

GF Piping Systems has introduced the Ball Valve 546 Pro to help specifiers and building services contractors future-proof installations across different sectors. The new-generation modular design of the 546 Pro ensures future technical or digital demands can now be enabled, reducing the need for servicing or retro-fitting costs while enhancing efficiency in use from the outset. The all-plastic construction of the ball valve includes a range of accessories such as the spring-loaded, ergonomically designed lockable handle incorporating a ‘dead-man’ self-closing facility, compact double sensor accessories, as well as pneumatic or electric actuators to fit the entire range of sizes which runs from 16-110mm diameter. The smooth curving casing and double stem seals contribute to an IP67 rating, while a reinforced security break point in the stem helps to prevent leaks due to wear or the use of excessive force. All units are tested to a pressure of 16 bar and suitable for applications from hot or cold water services to pressurised or chilled water, chemical processes and other industrial uses. The 546 Pro is ready out-of-the-box to be installed or retro-fitted for wireless connectivity. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/1019/77

ONLINE For further information about any of the products featured on this page, simply enter phamnews. co.uk/1019/ followed by the relevant enquiry number.

New to the UK market, Geberit’s SuperTube flowoptimised hydraulic drainage system for highrise buildings is said to offer simple planning and installation while saving around 35% of the space allocated for a parallel vented dual stack system. The system combines the existing 12 litres/sec flow-optimised HDPE Geberit Sovent (d110) with two new bends – BottomTurn and BackFlip - which remove the need for a vent pipe by generating a constant air stream through intelligent design. The combined single stack system enables pipework with a smaller, consistent diameter of d110 and a maximum discharge capacity of 12 litres/sec. It also allows horizontal pipelines of up to 6m without slopes, thanks to the design of the BottomTurn bend, which reduces impulse losses during transition from the vertical to horizontal. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/1019/78

We’ve introduced a new non-paper based PHAM News en uiry service or a uic and easy way to find out more about the products and services that interest you, the new online enquiry service is designed to take you directly to the information you require. At the end of most articles and items on our editorial pages there will now be a web address with a uni ue five or si digit code Simply enter phamnews.co.uk and the appropriate numbers and the relevant website page should appear directly on your computer, tablet or smartphone without you having to use a browser or navigate through various website pages. e hope you will find this new service a useful and convenient way to access the information you need.

◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/ 0

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Energy Matters ONLINE For further information about any of the stories featured in this issue, simply enter phamnews. co.uk/420/ followed by the relevant enquiry number.

Installation work that will make you shiver! Gas App Uk members have unburied some of the latest horriﬁc e idence o shoc in installation work. Seen some terri in installation si hts of your own? Share your snaps with Gas App Uk!

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The BBC recently reported that nearly two thirds of UK homes fail to meet the government’s long term e ciency targets, with more than 12 million homes falling below ‘C’ on the Energy erformance ertiﬁcate (E s) scale of A-G. The National Federation of Builders ( B) has responded to the report with a statement that retroﬁtting, and a future homes revolution, is re uired to provide a nationwide uplift in e ciency levels, but this cannot be achieved without coordinated action among key stakeholders. Richard Beresford, chief e ecutive of the B, says “Industry needs to work together to ensure we have the mechanisms, knowledge and expertise to achieve change. We need a call to arms led by the government and industry. By bringing together technical e perts to identify opportunities, we can achieve an energy e ciency revolution in housing. Energy assessors Elmhurst Energy has called for more

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The government must provide support and incentives to business as it peruses its aims of decarbonising commercial heating systems – so says Nic mith, M of ommercial Maintenance ervices ( M ) based in Gateshead. He has called on Business Secretary Alok Sharma to give assurances that any government deadline will be realistic, practical and affordable’. The plea comes in light of news that the government might opt for a ban on gas heating in domestic homes in the near future. M , which installs, maintains and repairs commercial heating systems, predicts that a similar ban on commercial gas heating may also be on the agenda. The economy could be seriously harmed, claims ick, if businesses are left to shoulder the huge capital costs and responsibility of installing alternative technologies on a mass scale. Instead, he urges the Business Secretary to adopt a planned and measured approach to business when it comes to the introduction of carbon neutral heating systems. ic argues that, while most accept the need to reduce carbon emissions to zero, it is unwise to impose a deadline for the ban without major government support or detailed strategy in place.

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government policy in this area and believes the introduction of the new PAS 2035 standards will give consumers conﬁdence in the industry to stimulate demand for correctly installed energy e ciency measures. M Martyn Reed comments “More policy needs to be introduced to encourage the increased uptake of energy e ciency improvements. If the government wishes to achieve its target of net-zero carbon by 2050, 500,000 homes will need to be retroﬁtted per year until that date the uestion is what will encourage homeowners and landlords to do so ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/0

Nic Smith, MD of Commercial Maintenance Services

e says I would urge the Business Secretary to consider realistic options before imposing any similar gas boiler ban on businesses. Modern gas boilers are e tremely e cient and will have an important role to play in the necessary transition period that will allow for the development of alternative technologies. “CMS champions low carbon and carbon neutral heating sources, but we recognise such a step change in policy is unachievable in the short term without major government incentives and support. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/0

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Gadgets & Tools 17 Smart mobile copes ƒĢŶĞ ŶŋŽėĞ ŶũāÖŶĿāłŶ

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óŋĿðĢłāù ƒĢŶĞ ŶĞā ÖùĞāŭĢƑā̇ ĢŶ ÖóóāķāũÖŶāŭ ŶĞā óŽũā ŭťāāù ŋĕ ŶĞā ŭŽťāũ ėķŽā ŋł ƒŋŋù ĿĢŶũā ıŋĢłŶŭ Öłù ùĢƧ óŽķŶ-to-ðŋłù ŭŽũĕÖóāŭ̍ ¦Ğā ÖóŶĢƑÖŶŋũ óũāÖŶāŭ Öł ĢłŭŶÖłŶ ðŋłù ŋł ĿÖłƘ ŭŽðŭŶũÖŶāŭ Öłù óŽũāŭ ũÖťĢùķƘ̍ RŶ ƒĢķķ ŭŶĢóĴ Ŷŋ ťŋķƘŽũāŶĞÖłā̇ ėũÖłĢŶā Öłù ĿÖũðķā̇ ƒŋŋù Ŷŋ ÖķŽĿĢłĢŽĿ̇ ÖóũƘķĢó Ŷŋ ėũÖłĢŶā Öłù ũŽððāũ Ŷŋ óāũÖĿĢó̍ ¦Ğā ĴĢŶ óÖł ðā Žŭāù ŋł ƒŋŋùāł ĿĢŶũā ıŋĢłŶŭ Öŭ ƒāķķ Öŭ ťŋũŋŽŭ Öłù ÖóĢùĢó ŭŽũĕÖóāŭ ĢłóķŽùĢłė m'Ḋ ÖóũƘķĢó̇ Á!̇ ƒŋŋù̇ ŭŶāāķ̇ ķāÖŶĞāũ̇ ũŽððāũ̇ óāũÖĿĢóŭ Öłù ÖķŽĿĢłĢŽĿ̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk̓˝˛˙̓˚˚

ŭ Ö ĿÖłŽĕÖóŶŽũāũ ŋĕ ũŽėėāù ĿŋðĢķā ùāƑĢóāŭ̇ ŽėFāÖũ ĞÖŭ ķÖŽłóĞāù ŶĞā F˚ˠ˙̇ Ö ˝F ŭĿÖũŶ ĕāÖŶŽũā ťĞŋłā ùāŭĢėłāù ĕŋũ ťũŋĕāŭŭĢŋłÖķ Žŭā Ģł āƗŶũāĿā ƒŋũĴĢłė óŋłùĢŶĢŋłŭ̍ ÖĢù Ŷŋ ðā āÖŭƘ Ŷŋ ŋťāũÖŶā̇ ĢŶ ĞÖŭ Öł āƗŶũÖ-ķÖũėā ĴāƘðŋÖũù ŶĞÖŶ óÖł ðā Žŭāù ƒĢŶĞ ùĢũŶƘ ĞÖłùŭ ŋũ ėķŋƑāŭ̍ RŶ Öķŭŋ ŋƦ āũŭ Ö ˛m óÖĿāũÖ Öłù Ö ťŋƒāũĕŽķ d1' ƪ ÖŭĞķĢėĞŶ ĕŋũ Žŭā Ģł ķŋƒ ķĢėĞŶ óŋłùĢŶĢŋłŭ̍ Rĕ Žŭāù Ģł ũāĿŋŶā ķŋóÖŶĢŋłŭ̇ ŶĞā ťĞŋłā Ģŭ ũāÖùƘ Ŷŋ Žŭā ŶĞÖłĴŭ Ŷŋ ŭŽťťŋũŶ ĕŋũ ˝F óŋłłāóŶĢƑĢŶƘ̇ ÂĢDĢ̇ Öłù āŭŭāłŶĢÖķ ĢłùŽŭŶũĢÖķ ÖťťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ ŭŽóĞ Öŭ ũÖùĢŋ ĕŽłóŶĢŋł ̛ ¦¦̜̇ z ̇ Öłù ķŋłā ƒŋũĴāũ ťũŋŶāóŶĢŋł̍ ¦Ğā F˚ˠ˙ Žŭāŭ łùũŋĢù zũāŋ Fz Öŭ ĢŶŭ ŋťāũÖŶĢłė ŭƘŭŶāĿ Öłù Ģŭ Öðķā Ŷŋ ťāũĕŋũĿ ŶÖŭĴŭ ŨŽĢóĴķƘ̍ māÖŭŽũĢłė ˚˜˞̍˞ Ɨ ˟˚ Ɨ ˛˚̍˞ĿĿ Öłù ƒāĢėĞĢłė Ģł ÖŶ ˚ˢˠ ėũÖĿŭ̇ ŶĞā F˚ˠ˙ ŭĢŶŭ óŋĿĕŋũŶÖðķƘ Ģł ŶĞā ĞÖłù Öłù Ģŭ āÖŭƘ Ŷŋ ŭŶŋũā̇ ðŽŶ ĢŶ Öķŭŋ óŋĿāŭ ƒĢŶĞ Ö ũŋðŽŭŶ ðāķŶ óķĢť ĕŋũ ĞÖłùŭ-ĕũāā Žŭā̍ ŭ Ö ̨ťŽŭĞ-to-ŶÖķĴ̪ ùāƑĢóā̇ ŶĞā ĿŋðĢķā āłÖðķāŭ ŶĞā Žŭāũ Ŷŋ ŭāłù Ö ƑŋĢóā ĿāŭŭÖėā Ŷŋ ŋłā ŋũ Ŀŋũā ũāóĢťĢāłŶŭ ƒĢŶĞ ıŽŭŶ ŋłā ĴāƘŭŶũŋĴā̍ ͻ phamnews. co.uk̓˝˛˙̓˚˛

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Product Spotlight

Introducing Baxi’s winning line-up of domestic boilers With its complete line-up of 200, 400, 600 and 800 boilers, Baxi is conﬁdent that it is able to provide installers with a solution to meet almost any home heating requirement.

et’s face it, boiler naming conventions can be confusing. Without delving into the technical speciﬁcation of each and every boiler, how do you know whether you want the starter model or the all-singing and all-dancing elite one? Wouldn’t it be great if the boiler range was standardised, so you knew exactly what you were getting? Well, Baxi has looked to keep things simple by providing installers with everything they asked for in its complete boiler line-up. The company’s 200, 400, 600 and 800 range of boilers has been designed to provide the market with the perfect solution offering a range of price, outputs and warranty terms depending on requirements.

with the opportunity to operate the boiler via their smart device. For those seeking a heat-only option, the 400 is also available in 15, 18 and 24kW outputs, providing top or rear ﬂue options for ease of installation. Future service visits have also been considered, thanks to the addition of both front and side access points, making the process much quicker and simpler than ever before. Baxi

Combi

Baxi 200 The Baxi 200 Combi value offer packs the latest boiler technology into a compact and lightweight design. It comes in either a 24 or 28kW output, featuring a simple hanging bracket and optional stand-off frame. The range is compatible with the Baxi uSense smart control, making it simple to adjust, even via a smart device, and therefore helping customers to save money. For added peace of mind, the Baxi 200 Combi comes with a three-year parts and labour warranty.

Baxi

Combi

Baxi

System

Baxi 400 Moving up a gear is the extremely quiet, compact and lightweight Baxi 400 Combi, which can be installed virtually anywhere within the home thanks to its small dimensions. Offering a ﬁve-year parts and labour warranty, it is available in 24 and 28kW outputs and also a 28kW LPG model, which is perfect for the majority of off gas hot water requirements. Being compatible with the Baxi uSense Smart control, the Baxi 400 Combi range is highly e cient, providing consumers

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Baxi

Combi

Baxi 600 For larger properties and those demanding a more powerful yet compact solution, there is the Baxi 600 range, with a Combi, System or Heat-only offering. The Combi models range from 24 to 36kW. There are also a number of additional benefits to the range. ith a compact cupboard fit and a 29.5kg lift weight, the 600 Combi comes with a simple hanging bracket and an in-built stand-off frame to neatly run pipes behind the appliance. It comes in 24, 30 and 36kW outputs and includes an easy-fill permanent filling link, which enables self-top up of central heating pressure, saving time, hassle and money. It also comes with a seven-year warranty, providing peace of mind for installers and consumers alike. Fully modulating and available in 15, 18 and 24kW outputs, the Baxi 600 System model intelligently uses the right amount of fuel to meet central heating temperatures, saving money on fuel bills and ensuring high levels of e ciency. Another interesting development is the addition of front access to all components, saving time when servicing and allowing for ease of maintenance and repairs. Completing the 600 range is the Heat-only option, which offers a range of outputs from 13 to 30kW, requires no pump overrun and, with a rear flue option, makes for a quick installation and neat finish. It is also compatible with the

market-leading Megaflo Eco cylinder. Very quiet in operation, the Baxi 600 eat offers minimal disturbance during use. It also features the same top and rear flue options as the 400 Heat for ease of installation and can be serviced quickly due to front and side access to all components. The Baxi 600 Combi also welcomes a 36kW LPG model to its range, providing a 24-36kW output and featuring all the major benefits of the 600 range. The Baxi 600 complete range of Combi, System and Heat all come with a seven-year parts and labour warranty

Baxi 800 Completing the line-up is the Baxi 800. Straightforward to install, reliable and easy to maintain, it has been designed with installers in mind. Encompassing ombi and System models, the latest additions to the range provide the installer with a level of fle ibility to enable them to provide the perfect solution for each and every homeowner. Ranging from a 25 to a 36kW output, the Baxi 800 Combi is designed to be installed in a standard kitchen cupboard standing at just 700mm high, 390mm wide and 285mm deep. The Baxi 800 System boiler is available in both an 18 and 24kW output and each comes with a ten-year parts and labour warranty for added peace of mind. Additional features include brass hydraulics, and both the Combi and System boiler comes with an Adey magnetic system filter to protect the heating system and boiler already in the box. The Combi also comes complete with an easy-fill permanent filling link, like the 600 range, making it much simpler for the householder to top-up their system if required. Improving e ciencies even further, the range also benefits from an OpenTherm interface so it can be controlled using

a smartphone or tablet. In addition, there are a whole host of many accessories available to complement the range of 200, 400, 600 and 800, including a rear pipework kit, extensive range of flues and accessories for versatile siting, IFOS influe weather sensors for easy compliance with Boiler Plus and, of course, the uSense smart control. Also, by popular demand, Ba i has announced that it will soon be adding the Baxi 800 Heat model to its portfolio. Set to be available from May this year, the latest addition to the range will include a ten-year parts and labour warranty, plus an Adey Micro2 filter in the bo .

Full line-up David Cook, residential sales director UK and Ireland at Baxi Heating, comments: “We’ve had a great response from industry around the launch of the 2, 4, 6, 8 portfolios. With a wide range of lightweight, compact boilers, we are conﬁdent installers will turn to us for solutions whatever the householder’s requirements. We do now have a solution to meet the vast majority of needs within the home and the complete line-up is proof of that. “We will continue to work with installers, to learn what more we can do to help enhance their working lives, and this covers everything from business advice and support right through to ensuring our products are right for the market and meet customer needs. “We want to make things easier, hence the new naming convention – ensuring everyone knows what they’re getting and helping to make the speciﬁcation process as simple as is feasibly possible. “Times are changing but we believe we’re in exactly the right place to keep providing the market with quality products and solutions that will deliver time and time again.” phamnews.co.uk/420/4

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Training Update 19 Preparation for entering a trade `¦d ĞÖŭ ıŋĢłāù ĕŋũóāŭ ƒĢŶĞ ũāėĢŋłÖķ training provider PHX Training to introduce traineeships designed to Ğāķť ƘŋŽłė ÖùŽķŶŭ Ģł !ŽĿðũĢÖ ėāŶ ŶĞāĢũ ƩũŭŶ ŶÖŭŶā ŋĕ ƒŋũĴ̍ This ˚˛-ƒāāĴ óŋŽũŭā̇ ŋũėÖłĢŭāù ðƘ NÇ̇ ƒĢķķ ŭŽťťŋũŶ ƘŋŽłė ťāŋťķā aged ˚˟-˛˝ ƘāÖũŭ Ŷŋ ÖóŨŽĢũā ŶĞā ĕŽłóŶĢŋłÖķ ŭĴĢķķŭ łāāùāù Ŷŋ ŭŽóóāāù Ģł ŶĞā ƒŋũĴťķÖóā̍ RŶ Ģŭ Öķŭŋ ùāŭĢėłāù Ŷŋ ùāƑāķŋť ŶĞāĢũ 1łėķĢŭĞ Öłù ĿÖŶĞŭ̇ Öŭ ƒāķķ Öŭ āłĞÖłóĢłė ðÖŭĢó āĿťķŋƘÖðĢķĢŶƘ ŭĴĢķķŭ̇ ĢłóķŽùĢłė !Á ƒũĢŶĢłė̇ ĢłŶāũƑĢāƒ ŶāóĞłĢŨŽāŭ̇

Short course for thermal imaging Flir has announced a new ŶũÖĢłĢłė óŋŽũŭā ĕŋũ ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ new to thermal imaging. The ĞŋũŶ !ŋŽũŭā RłŶũŋùŽóŶĢŋł Ŷŋ ¦ĞāũĿŋėũÖťĞƘ Ģŭ Ö ŋłā-ùÖƘ

Emergency services MLP

ŶĢĿāĴāāťĢłė Öłù ŶāÖĿƒŋũĴ̍ PHX will deliver classroomðÖŭāù ÖóŶĢƑĢŶƘ ƒĞĢķā `¦d ƒĢķķ provide practical sessions. PHX will also support learners to acquire ĕŋŽũ-ƒāāĴ ƒŋũĴ ťķÖóāĿāłŶŭ̇ ƒĞĢóĞ

will ensure the traineeships provide learners with a varied ťũŋėũÖĿĿā ŋĕ ĞĢėĞ ŨŽÖķĢŶƘ ƒŋũĴ-ðÖŭāù ķāÖũłĢłė Öłù ŋł-theıŋð āƗťāũĢāłóā̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˚˜

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ŶāóĞłĢŨŽāŭ Öłù̇ ĿŋŭŶ ĢĿťŋũŶÖłŶķƘ̇ ŶĞā ĢùāłŶĢƩóÖŶĢŋł ŋĕ āũũŋũ ŭŋŽũóāŭ ŭŽóĞ Öŭ ũāƪāóŶĢƑā ŭŽũĕÖóāŭ Öłù ŭŽłķĢėĞŶ̍ ¦Ğāũā ƒĢķķ Öķŭŋ ðā Ö ĞÖłùŭ-on ŭāŭŭĢŋł̇ ķŋŋĴĢłė ÖŶ Ğŋƒ Ŷŋ ĢłŶāũťũāŶ ŶĞā ũāŭŽķŶŭ ĕũŋĿ ùĢƦāũāłŶ ĿÖŶāũĢÖķŭ ̞ ťĢťāŭ̇ ƪŋŋũŭ Öłù ƒÖķķŭ̇ ĕŋũ āƗÖĿťķā ̞ Öłù ŶĞāł Öł ŋƑāũƑĢāƒ ŋĕ ũāťŋũŶ ƒũĢŶĢłė ŭŋĕŶƒÖũā̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk̓˝˛˙̓˚˝

LCL Awards and Develop Training Ltd (DTL) have developed a mÖłÖėāù dāÖũłĢłė ũŋėũÖĿĿā ̛md ̜ ŭťāóĢƩóÖķķƘ ĕŋũ ŶĞā āĿāũėāłóƘ ŭāũƑĢóāŭ̍ ¦Ğā ŶũÖĢłĢłė ũāŨŽĢũāĿāłŶŭ ĕŋũ ėÖŭ ŋťāũÖŶĢƑāŭ Ŷŋ ùāÖķ ƒĢŶĞ ėÖŭ āĿāũėāłóĢāŭ ĞÖù łŋŶ ťũāƑĢŋŽŭķƘ ðāāł ĿāŶ ðƘ ÖłƘ ÖƒÖũùĢłė ðŋùƘ̇ ÖóóŋũùĢłė Ŷŋ d!d ƒÖũùŭ̍ ¦Ğā md ƒÖŭ ÖťťũŋƑāù ðƘ RF1m Ģł pŋƑāĿðāũ Öłù ŶĞā ƩũŭŶ ÖťťũāłŶĢóāŭ Öũā ùŽā Ŷŋ ƩłĢŭĞ ŶũÖĢłĢłė ƒĢŶĞ '¦d Ģł 'āóāĿðāũ ˛˙˛˙̵̍ ŶāƑā mŽķƑÖłƘ̇ d!d ƒÖũùŭ ùĢũāóŶŋũ ŋĕ ŋťāũÖŶĢŋłŭ̇ óŋĿĿāłŶŭ̵̦̆zł ÖóĞĢāƑĢłė ŶĞāĢũ md ̇ ķāÖũłāũŭ Öũā Öðķā Ŷŋ ŽłùāũŶÖĴā ŶĞāĢũ ! ̛āĿāũėāłóƘ ŭāũƑĢóāŭ ťũŋƑĢùāũ ÖŭŭāŭŭĿāłŶ̜ Öłù ũāėĢŭŶāũ ƒĢŶĞ FÖŭ Öĕā āėĢŭŶāũ̍ ¦ĞĢŭ Ģŭ Ö ĴāƘ ũāŨŽĢũāĿāłŶ ŋĕ ŶĞā ÖťťũāłŶĢóāŭĞĢť ŭŶÖłùÖũù Öłù ĕŋũĿŭ ťÖũŶ ŋĕ ŶĞā āłù ťŋĢłŶ ÖŭŭāŭŭĿāłŶ̧̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk̓˝˛˙̓˚˞

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Business Matters

Looking after your mental wellbeing This month sees the start of a new series of columns from Vaillant, taking highlights from its heating industry podcasts ÖĢĿāù ÖŶ ŭŽťťŋũŶĢłė ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ Öłù ŶĞāĢũ ƒŋũĴĢłė ķĢƑāŭ̍ ¦Ğā ƩũŭŶ podcast raises the issue of mental health and how to balance a successful career with mental wellbeing.

s a manufacturer, our commitment to proudly supporting installers stretches far beyond product and technical support. It’s about how we can empower installers across all areas of their professional lives on issues that really matter to them. With ongoing disruption and uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s more important than ever to be open about mental health issues and seek help when needed. Rł ŶĞā ƩũŭŶ āťĢŭŋùā ŋĕ ¦Ğā ÁÖĢķķÖłŶ Podcast, installer Gary Bedford and psychologist Lauretta Wilson share their stories and give practical tips on dealing with mental health for installers who may be struggling or have concerns about a friend, family member, or colleague.

Spotting the signs If you’re worried about your own mental health or that of a friend or loved one, Lauretta says there are some key signs and symptoms to watch out for: “The kinds of things we look for are sleep issues, so perhaps not being able to get to sleep as easily or waking up early. Is your appetite changing? Perhaps you’re eating too much or too little, taking alcohol or drugs to medicate ƘŋŽũŭāķĕ̍ ¦Ğāũā Öũā ķŋŶŭ ŋĕ ùĢƦāũāłŶ symptoms depending on what you’re going through. Any signs of looking or feeling a little bit less motivated – a lack of interest in hobbies that you used to have, for example. They’re all things that can happen when you’re starting to go through something like that.”

Looking after yourself Rĕ ƘŋŽ̪ũā ŭŽƦāũĢłė ĕũŋĿ ĿāłŶÖķ ĞāÖķŶĞ issues, what can you do? For Gary, a key part of his recovery was opening up and talking to a therapist. He says: ̦R ĞÖù ĿƘ ƩũŭŶ ťũŋťāũ ŶĞāũÖťƘ ŭāŭŭĢŋł ŭāƑāũÖķ ƘāÖũŭ Öėŋ̇ ƒĞāł R ƒÖŭ ŭĢėłāù ŋƦ work for a few months. Then when I was ėŋĢłė ŶĞũŋŽėĞ Ö ùĢƧóŽķŶ ťāũĢŋù ķÖŭŶ ƘāÖũ̇ R went back to the same therapist and said, ķŋŋĴ̇ R̪Ŀ ŭŶũŽėėķĢłė ÖėÖĢł̍ RŶ̪ŭ ùĢƦāũāłŶ ŶĞĢłėŭ̇ Ö ùĢƦāũāłŶ ŶĢĿā Ģł ĿƘ ķĢĕā̍ R̪Ŀ łŋƒ in regular contact with her and she’s really helped me to regain control of my mental health.” Lauretta explains how good therapy should work: “It’s important that you can dip in and out. I think a lot of therapists work like that now where you don’t have to commit to a dozen plus sessions. You can have two or three, see how you feel and go back if you need to. That’s good,

āƦāóŶĢƑā ŶĞāũÖťƘ̍ ¦ĞāũÖťƘ ŶĞÖŶ ƒŋũĴŭ Ģŭ therapy that puts you in control.” Another important issue covered is the link between physical and mental health. Gary speaks about how taking time to prepare meals helps to ease his stress levels on a busy day: “I usually try to be organised. I try to take something with me or, if I’m on the ėŋ̇ ŶĞāł R Ʃłù Ö ĞāÖķŶĞƘ ÖķŶāũłÖŶĢƑā̍ R̪Ŀ a machine, I need to eat. And if I don’t, I can’t function. Before, I’d have just gone straight into the next job, get even more het up and then I’d go on to the next job, Öłù ĢŶ ƒŋŽķù ıŽŭŶ ðā Ö óŋłóāũŶĢłÖ āƦāóŶ ŽłŶĢķ̇ ƩłÖķķƘ̇ R ƒŋŽķù óũÖŭĞ ðāóÖŽŭā R ĞÖù no energy, mentally or physically.”

Looking after others The podcast also addresses how to broach the subject of mental health with a friend, if you think they’re struggling. Lauretta’s main advice was just to keep it simple: “Listen, listen and listen. Don’t judge. R ƒŋŽķùł̪Ŷ ŋƦāũ ÖłƘ ÖùƑĢóā ÖŶ ŶĞÖŶ ťŋĢłŶ̍ I would just listen to what’s going on for them. Depending on how worried you are, perhaps a GP might be an answer, but just sit and listen without any judgment.” Gary agrees: “Yeah, that’s it. But ũāĿāĿðāũ̇ āƑāũƘŋłā̪ŭ ùĢƦāũāłŶ̍ ŋ̇ ŭŋĿā people will be really open speaking, some ťāŋťķā ƒŋł̪Ŷ̍ ŋĿā ťāŋťķā ƒĢķķ ťũāĕāũ Ŷŋ text, others would prefer a phone call.” Whatever your preferred method of communication, the key is to talk, talk and talk some more. As Lauretta says, “mental health problems are nothing to be ashamed of”, and by bringing the topic into the open we can help to remove the stigma and encourage more people to seek help.

The Vaillant Podcast For more information or to listen to The Vaillant Podcast, visit: www.buzzsprout.com/840097

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Products 21

e e efi o rol

With the government committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050, the industry faces a big challenge in ﬁnding more sustainable heating solutions. While policymakers consider the best possible alternatives, Natalie Wathan from Drayton discusses how heating controls can contribute to better e ciencies in the meantime.

s we move towards a new age of heating our homes, it is important to look at what can be done right now to help reduce carbon emissions. With boilers now more e cient than ever, heating engineers must look for other ways to make improvements. One solution is by opting for a heating control with additional beneﬁts that can improve the performance of the heating system.

Remote control While some systems, like our Wiser products, provide users with the ability to create a schedule via the app, most smart controls also offer the ﬂe ibility to adjust these settings remotely. This feature is ideal for customers with unpredictable lifestyles and can help reduce energy usage. Wiser users can activate the ‘away mode’ in the app, or by using IFTTT to automatically activate it when the house is empty for e ample, hen the last person leaves the house, turn on away mode’.

Smart modes Functions such as optimum stop, as well as load and weather compensation, can contribute to

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energy reductions while keeping homeowners comfortable. Optimum stop monitors environmental conditions in order to adjust heating schedules while maintaining desired temperatures. or e ample, Wiser’s eco mode combines optimum stop and weather compensation to ensure the heating system is delivering both comfort and e ciency by turning off earlier where possible.

Natalie Wathan

Product manager at Drayton

CUT TO THE CHASE  App control puts users in charge of energy e ciency  Optimum Stop adjusts heating schedules based on environmental conditions while maintaining a comfortable temperature  OpenTherm technology links the heating controls with the boiler to better regulate room temperatures  Smart radiator thermostats provide room-by-room and zonal control

Open systems OpenTherm is established technology that communicates information between heating controls and the boiler in order to better regulate the temperature ﬂow through the heating system. OpenTherm boilers ensure that the heating system will reach and stay at the desired set-point room temperature in a more energy e cient way by controlling the temperature of water leaving the boiler. Once the heating control detects the home or individual room is reaching the desired set point room temperature, it will tell the OpenTherm boiler to lower the system temperature to ensure ma imum e ciency. Found in many heating controls available on the market, OpenTherm helps deliver ma imum energy e ciency

The Wiser system enables users to control multiple components, such as a thermostat and a TRV, via an app

whilst maintaining the desired set-point temperature.

On time Multi-zone heating controls allow users to set time and temperature schedules in individual rooms, rather than heating the whole property to the same temperature, therefore using less energy. or e ample, a multi-zoned smart heating system in a 3-bedroom semidetached house could save up to 20% more energy over a smart thermostat system alone. Systems like Wiser are able to use smart radiator thermostats to control the temperature on a room-by-room basis, allowing for up to 32 devices to be paired, creating up to 16 individual zones. The Wiser radiator thermostats can be uickly retroﬁtted onto most e isting radiator valves using the handy adapters supplied, and more radiator thermostats can be added later down the line if needed.

Extra information Some heating controls available on the market have been designed to give users access to detailed energy saving information, helping homeowners understand how their heating system is performing and how they can make small changes to improve its e ciency. or e ample, iser’s Insights feature allows users to see how much energy they have saved by using the control system’s smart eco and away modes. The percentage of energy saved is a calculation based on the overall heating hours saved due to the activation of the mode. By combining the use of these innovative smart heating control features, homeowners can reap the beneﬁts of an e cient heating system that not only helps reduce their carbon emissions, but also their monthly energy bills. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/

26/03/2020 11:29

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Making the most of style and technology As customers consider ways of making their heating system more e cient, installers have the opportunity to recommend replacing old radiators with more modern designs and other more environmentally-friendly alternatives. Richard Harvey from Wolseley explains.

adiator technology has improved significantly in recent years, making homes much more energy e cient than they were previously. However, while many customers looking to make e ciency improvements will consider replacing boilers, windows or floor coverings as a matter of course, radiators are often thought of as a fit-once purchase, only to be replaced if something fails or a major system upgrade is planned.

Know your options It is worth letting your customers know about the range of options out there and the potential of newer models to improve heating e ciency and reduce costs. Modern radiators are now more e cient than their predecessors and smaller radiators are now su cient to deliver the same outputs. They are also more e ciently and elegantly designed, with better internal water channelling which heats up more of the metal using less water. The additional option of thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) and smart TRVs can further improve e ciency, with lower settings

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reducing the ﬂow of water and using less energy. If you are working on a boiler replacement, its potential impact on heating bills will not be realised if your customer still has old, dirty and ine cient radiators. Take the time to explain to your customers and arm them with the information they need to make a decision - help them to understand that it is often worth the extra short term investment to ensure maximum long term impact.

Richard Harvey

Category director for heating and plumbing at Wolseley

CUT TO THE CHASE  Modern radiators are smaller and more e cient than their predecessors  Replacing radiators not only offers a new look but also a more e cient heat emitter that will save on bills  Dual fuel towel rails ensure warm towels throughout the year, even when the central heating is not in use

Radiator trends E ciency isn’t the only reason that replacing radiators with other heating systems might be an attractive proposition. For some, it will be a matter of form over function - with so many alternatives to traditional compact radiators, many customers may be looking for something that better compliments their design. Starting with the basics, even a standard, modern, white compact radiator is far better designed than its predecessors, with rounded corners, a high quality, maintenance-free finish and a vast range of sizes. For those looking to maximise space, many manufacturers offer a range of stylish vertical radiators, while those renovating a period property can now easily get period-style column radiators that will complement their decor. Of course, radiator designers have taken the idea of the radiator as a focal point to the next level, with anything from mirror to stone finishes and a range of options in between. Get out there, explore the options and be ready to advise customers on how radiators could improve their energy e ciency, save them money and improve the look of their home. Of course, the humble radiator takes a different form in the bathroom, with chrome heated towel rails a firm favourite. However, even when it comes to towel rails, the choices are endless, with fashionable colours and unusual shapes now gaining popularity. Consider recommending an upgrade to a dual fuel towel rail which connects to the central heating system, but

can also be powered by electricity to provide warm towels during the summer months.

The underfloor heating market has grown in recent years, currently representing one of the fastest growing trends in the heating industry. Many people may still see this as a more specialist heating choice, but environmental and cost concerns make this a good option for discussion with customers. nderfloor heating systems have come on leaps and bounds, with both water-based and electric systems now available in low profile. This allows the systems to fit over e isting flooring, reducing the need to pull up previously laid floors speeding up installation time, simplifying fitting and minimising disruption. A lot like underfloor heating, in-wall heating operates at a lower temperature than radiators, saving energy and reducing fuel costs. However, when working with customers who are contemplating their heating options, try to get a feel for any concerns they might have about their current system. In-wall heating, for example, can help to prevent mould in rooms which are susceptible to damp and circulate less dust than a convector radiator – making it a great option for people with respiratory issues such as asthma.

The benefits to your customer – for both in-wall and underfloor heating – include an even spread of heat, better use of energy and, with no radiators taking up wall space, more fle ibility in terms of interior design.

As said, one of the main incentives for replacing heating systems is energy e ciency. irect any customers who are driven by environmental concerns to the government’s Renewable eat Incentive (RHI) technologies, which offer ﬁnancial assistance to those investing in renewable heat technology such as solar, heat pumps and biomass.

Realistically, many customers simply won’t want to replace their radiators. Even so, there is still an opportunity to share your expertise and improve the e ciency of their system. Offer to treat problematic radiators with a system clean to remove sludge and acidic residues from the system. ollow this with ﬁtting a system ﬁlter and an annual top-up of a chemical inhibitor. This is a great reason to keep in touch with the customer on a regular basis and keep your business front of mind when the customer is ready to take the next step towards upgrading their system. ◼ /420/

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

1łāũėƘ 1ƧóĢāłŶ ũŋùŽóŶŭ 23 Warm feet, cool head ¦Ğā ÂŽłùÖŶĞāũĿ Žłùāũƪŋŋũ ĞāÖŶĢłė ŭƘŭŶāĿ ĕũŋĿ ÂŽłùÖ FũŋŽť óÖł ũŽł ÖŶ ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũāŭ Öŭ ķŋƒ as ˜˞Ƭ!̇ ŭŽĢŶĢłė ĢŶ ĕŋũ ũāłāƒÖðķā ŭŋŽũóāŭ ķĢĴā ĞāÖŶ ťŽĿťŭ̍ ¦Ğā ķĢėĞŶƒāĢėĞŶ̇ ķŋƒ ťũŋƩķā ðŋÖũùŭ Öũā ıŽŭŶ ˚˕ ŋũ ˛˙ĿĿ ŶĞĢóĴ̇ ĞāÖŶ Žť Ģł ĿĢłŽŶāŭ Öłù Öũā ŭŽĢŶÖðķā ĕŋũ Ö ũÖłėā ŋĕ ƪŋŋũ ƩłĢŭĞāŭ̇ ĢłóķŽùĢłė óÖũťāŶ̇ ƑĢłƘķ̇ ƒŋŋù̇ óāũÖĿĢó Öłù ŭŶŋłā ŶĢķāŭ̍ ¦Ğā ŭƘŭŶāĿ óŋłŭĢŭŶŭ ŋĕ ťũāĕŋũĿāù ÖķŽĿĢłĢŽĿ óŋÖŶāù ðŋÖũùŭ ŶĞÖŶ ùāķĢƑāũ ũÖťĢù ũāŭťŋłŭā ĞāÖŶĢłė Öłù ðŋłù Ŷŋ ŶĞā ƪŋŋũ ƒĢŶĞ

Multiple fuel inputs for more options

Single room manifold ¦Ğā 1óŋ-Minishunt is a high āƧóĢāłóƘ ĿĢƗĢłė ĿŋùŽķā ƒāŶ Žłùāũƪŋŋũ ĞāÖŶĢłė ĿÖłĢĕŋķù ĕũŋĿ NŽłŶĢłėùŋł ŽĿťŭ̍ RŶ Ģŭ ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā Ģł Ŷƒŋ Ŀŋùāŭ ŋĕ ŋťāũÖŶĢŋł̆ ũāĿŋŶā óÖťĢķķÖũƘ ŶĞāũĿŋŭŶÖŶ ̛ťĢóŶŽũāù̜̇ ŋũ āķāóŶũĢó ÖóŶŽÖŶŋũ ĕŋũ ũŋŋĿ ŭŶÖŶ̍ ŋƒāũāù ðƘ Öł ĢłŶāėũÖŶāù̇ āłāũėƘ āƧóĢāłŶ 1!m ťŽĿť ÖŶ ŋłķƘ ˚˛Â óŋłŭŽĿťŶĢŋł ÖŶ ˛˜˙Á ˞˙Nơ̇ ĢŶ

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ŭťũÖƘ ÖùĞāŭĢƑā̍ złóā Ģł ťķÖóā̇ ĞĢėĞ ŋŽŶťŽŶ ˚˕ĿĿ ƪŋŋũ ĞāÖŶĢłė ťĢťā Ģŭ ķÖĢù ĢłŶŋ ŶĞā ťũā-ĕŋũĿāù ėũŋŋƑāŭ Ģł ŶĞā ðŋÖũùŭ̇ ķŋŋťĢłė ÖũŋŽłù Ŷŋ Ö ĞāÖŶĢłė ĿÖłĢĕŋķù̇ ƒĢŶĞ Žť Ŷŋ ˚˞˙m2 ŶÖĴĢłė Ŷƒŋ ťāŋťķā ıŽŭŶ Ŷƒŋ ùÖƘŭ Ŷŋ ĢłŭŶÖķķ̍

ĢłóŋũťŋũÖŶāŭ Öł ŋƑāũ-ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũā ťũŋŶāóŶĢŋł ùāƑĢóā ŭāŶ ÖŶ ˞˞Ƭ! ĕŋũ Öł Žłùāũƪŋŋũ óĢũóŽĢŶ̇ ÖĢũ ƑāłŶ̇ Öłù ðƘťÖŭŭ ĕŋũ ŭĢłėķā ťĢťā ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ̍

¦Ğā 1óŋ-mĢłĢŭĞŽłŶ Ģŭ ŭŽĢŶÖðķā ĕŋũ ŭĢłėķā ũŋŋĿ ÖťťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ Žť Ŷŋ ˝˙m˛ Ģł Ö ŭĢłėķā ŋũ ùŋŽðķā ķŋŋť óĢũóŽĢŶ̇ ŽŶĢķĢŭĢłė ĞāÖŶ ĕũŋĿ āƗĢŭŶĢłė ũÖùĢÖŶŋũ ĞāÖŶĢłė ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ̍ 'āŭóũĢðāù Öŭ āóŋłŋĿĢóÖķ Ŷŋ ũŽł̇ ŶĞĢŭ óŋĿťÖóŶ ŽłĢŶ Ģŭ ĿŋŽłŶāù ŋł Ö ũāƑāũŭĢðķā ðũÖóĴāŶ ĕŋũ ķāĕŶ- ŋũ right-ĞÖłù ĿŋŽłŶĢłė̍ RŶ Ģŭ ŭŽťťķĢāù Öŭ Ö ĿÖłĢĕŋķù Öłù ùũĢƑā ŭƘŭŶāĿ ŋłķƘ ŭŋ ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ óÖł óĞŋŋŭā ŶĞāĢũ ŋƒł ťĢťāŭ Öłù ƩŶŶĢłėŭ Ŷŋ ŭŽĢŶ ŶĞā ÖťťķĢóÖŶĢŋł Öłù ũŋŋĿ ķÖƘŋŽŶ̍ ͻ ťĞÖĿłāƒŭ̍óŋ̍ŽĴ̓˝˛˙̓˛˙

ŽĢŶÖðķā ĕŋũ Žŭā ƒĢŶĞ ĞƘðũĢù ĞāÖŶĢłė ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ̇ ŶĞā ùƑÖłóā D¦ ̛ ŋķĢù DŽāķ łĢƑāũŭÖķ ¦ĞāũĿÖķ Ŷŋũā̜ ĕũŋĿ ùƑÖłóā ťťķĢÖłóāŭ ĢłóŋũťŋũÖŶāŭ ÖùùĢŶĢŋłÖķ ĢłťŽŶŭ ĕŋũ Ö ƒŋŋù ðŽũłāũ Öłù ŋŶĞāũ ÖťťķĢÖłóāŭ ŭŽóĞ Öŭ ŭŋķÖũ ŶĞāũĿÖķ ŋũ Á̇ ŋƦ-ťāÖĴ āķāóŶũĢóĢŶƘ ŋũ ŋŶĞāũ ĢłťŽŶŭ ĕŋũ ŭāÖķāù ŭƘŭŶāĿ óāłŶũÖķ ĞāÖŶĢłė Öłù ĿÖĢłŭ ťũāŭŭŽũā ĞŋŶ ƒÖŶāũ̍ ÂĢŶĞ Öķķ ŶĞā ťķŽĿðĢłė̇ óŋłŶũŋķŭ Öłù ƒĢũĢłė ťũā̟ĢłŭŶÖķķāù̇ ŶĞā ŽłĢŶ Ģŭ ŭÖĢù Ŷŋ ðā āÖŭƘ Ŷŋ ĢłŭŶÖķķ Ģł ÖłƘ ĿŽķŶĢ ĕŽāķ ŭƘŭŶāĿ̍ 1ÖóĞ ĢłťŽŶ ĞÖŭ Ö ŶĞāũĿŋŭŶÖŶ óŋłŶũŋķ ťũā-ƒĢũāù Ŷŋ Ö ıŽłóŶĢŋł ðŋƗ Ŷŋ óŋłŶũŋķ Öķķ ĢłťŽŶŭ̍ ŋķÖũ ŶĞāũĿÖķ Ģŭ łŋŶ ťũā-ƩėŽũāù ðāóÖŽŭā ťÖłāķ ŭŽťťķĢāũŭ ŽŭŽÖķķƘ ŭŽťťķƘ Ö óŋłŶũŋķ ťÖóĴÖėā̍ ¦Ğā D¦ ŽłĢŶ óÖł ðā ŭťāóĢƩāù Ģł ŶĞũāā ùŋĿāŭŶĢó ŭĢơāŭ ̞ ˛˚˙̇ ˛˞˙ and ˜˙˙ ķĢŶũā óÖťÖóĢŶƘ ̞ Öłù óÖł ðā ŭŽťťķĢāù Öŭ ŭŽĢŶÖðķā ĕŋũ ŭāÖķāù ĞāÖŶĢłė ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ ŭŋ Žłùāũƪŋŋũ ĞāÖŶĢłė Öłù Ŀŋùāũł ŭāÖķāù ŭƘŭŶāĿ ðŋĢķāũŭ óÖł ðā ĢłóŋũťŋũÖŶāù̍ ¦Ğā

ŭāÖķāù ŭƘŭŶāĿ ŽłĢŶ ĿāāŶŭ F˜ safety ũāŨŽĢũāĿāłŶŭ ƒĢŶĞ ŶĞũāā ķāƑāķŭ ŋĕ ŭÖĕāŶƘ ŭŋ ƒŋŋù ðŽũłāũŭ óÖł ðā ŭÖĕāķƘ ĢłŭŶÖķķāù ŋł Ö ťŽĿťāù óĢũóŽĢŶ̍ ¦Ğā ŽłĢŶ Ģŭ !1 ĿÖũĴāù Öŭ ƒāķķ Öŭ ðāĢłė ķĢŭŶāù ðƘ N1¦ ̍ ͻ ťĞÖĿłāƒŭ̍óŋ̍ŽĴ̓˝˛˙̓˛˚

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Products

The small steps that a ea ere e With increasing pressure for us all to reduce our energy usage, installers are well placed to advise their customers on the small steps they can take to improve their energy e ciency. Martyn Bridges from orcester Bosch highlights some of the latest control options available.

ith so much of the conversation, not only in the heating industry but across the UK, focused on tackling climate change and ensuring we reach our net zero goals, it is more important than ever to ensure that we are all taking steps to be as energy e cient as possible. We all need to take the matter of saving energy and reaching targets into our own hands. Here at Worcester Bosch, we are working towards low-carbon and carbon free solutions alongside our energy e cient products already on the market, such as smart controls and smart thermostats. So what more can installers do to ensure that their customers are able to ma imise the e ciency of their heating systems? Fitting the latest interactive heating controls is one way to help householders to both improve comfort levels and reduce their heating bills.

Smart controls Firstly, smart meters are a great tool to accurately manage and monitor a home’s gas and energy usage. The government’s ambition is for everyone in England, Scotland and Wales to be offered one at no upfront cost over the ne t few years. hile there have been issues with establishing an agreed protocol for smart meters and also some di culty with switching suppliers, the concept of a smart meter certainly can inﬂuence a behavioural change when energy usage is under observation. The Easy ontrol is the smart connected heating and hot water thermostat from us at Bosch, which aims to give homeowners complete control over their boiler usage. It’s important that smart devices keep up with modern, stylish home designs, so we’ve made the Easy ontrol available with both black and white screens, as well as wall-mounted or table stand options.  The Bosch app-controlled smart radiator thermostat continuously monitors room temperature to keep it at the desired level

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Martyn Bridges

Director of technical communications at Worcester Bosch

CUT TO THE CHASE  Smart meters can help to save energy by in uencing consumer behaviour

Smart controls can be voice activated and also turn the heating down when no presence is detected in a property 

Smart TRVs can be programmed to achieve precise time and temperature control in individual rooms 

It’s also now integrated with Alexa by Amazon, which means that customers can control the heating of their homes from anywhere in the property without having to raise a finger just their voice E isting Easy ontrols can easily be updated by homeowners without the need to call out an installer. In order to update the system, a simple update to the app will be available through either a push notification or manual updating. The Easy ontrol must then be synced to the homeowner’s Ale a. For customers, smart controls offer a number of benefits. By linking with smart thermostatic radiator valves (of which more below) homeowners can control heating in each individual room. urthermore, the Easy ontrol thermostat has ‘home presence detection’, which means that it can be set to automatically turn the heating down if people are no longer in the house, and turn it up when they return home. The in-home display’ also communicates wirelessly with the smart meter, displaying gas and electricity costs in real time, helping homeowners to keep an eye on usage and costs.

 The Bosch EasyControl features an ambient colour display to keep the householder informed

There are also various added bonuses built into the Easy ontrol • The installer’s details can be added into the control • The guarantee matches the length of the Worcester Bosch boiler that it is installed with, so you can offer up to 10 years • It wirelessly communicates to the 8000 boiler with the RF key • The smart meter should send usage directly to the supplier, meaning no more estimates for energy usage • Homeowners can book their annual boiler service through the app • The ambient colour display is designed to keep homeowners informed as to what the Easy ontrol is getting up to. A variety of fading coloured lights will notify them when the control is changing modes or settings • It is available to purchase with a pack of three smart TRVs included to get you started on full home energy e ciency.

Smart TRVs mart TRVs are smart thermostatic radiator valves, which, in combination with a smart control, allow homeowners to control the heating in each individual room to provide maximum comfort when and where they want it. This means that homeowners can programme precise temperature control in each room via the Easy ontrol unit and app when used alongside the Easy ontrol mart Thermostat. An integrated sensor is built into the device which continuously monitors the room temperature to keep it at their desired level. urrently, up to 19 mart TRVs can be linked to a single Easy ontrol, and it’s also possible to install a child lock setting on the TRVs to ensure the room temperature can’t be meddled with by children.

Find out more

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

1łāũėƘ 1ƧóĢāłŶ ũŋùŽóŶŭ 27 No need for the kettle with hot water on tap

Driving further savings in energy 'ŋĿāŭŶĢó ĞāÖŶĢłė óĢũóŽķÖŶŋũŭ ĞÖƑā seen a leap in energy saving technology in recent years and ÇƘķāĿ ÖĢĿŭ Ŷŋ ťŽŭĞ ŶĞā ðŋŽłùÖũĢāŭ āƑāł ĕŽũŶĞāũ ƒĢŶĞ ŶĞā ķÖŽłóĞ ŋĕ ĢŶŭ ķÖŶāŭŶ Lowara Ecocirc óĢũóŽķÖŶŋũ̍ The Ecocirc 'ŋĿāŭŶĢó ũÖłėā ŋƦāũŭ Ŀŋùāũł̇ electronically controlled high āƧóĢāłóƘ ťŽĿťŭ which pay for themselves within a short period of ŶĢĿā ĕũŋĿ ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł̍ !ŋĿťÖũāù Ŷŋ ŋķù̇ ŭŶÖłùÖũù óĢũóŽķÖŶŋũŭ̇ ŶĞā ĞĢėĞ āƧóĢāłóƘ ťŽĿťŭ ŭÖƑā Žť Ŷŋ ˢ˙% on electricity costs. ¦Ğā pāƒ 1óŋóĢũó p ťŽĿť ĞŋŽŭĢłė Ģŭ ĿÖùā ŋĕ ŭŶÖĢłķāŭŭ ŭŶāāķ Ŷŋ ĿÖĴā ŶĞā ťŽĿť óŋĿťķĢÖłŶ ĕŋũ Žŭā Ģł domestic hot water systems. The simple shaftless spherical motor design has only one single selfÖķĢėłĢłė ðāÖũĢłė̇ ƒĞĢóĞ ŭĢėłĢƩóÖłŶķƘ ũāùŽóāŭ ŶĞā łŽĿðāũ ŋĕ óŋŭŶķƘ Öłù óŋĿťķĢóÖŶāù ťÖũŶŭ̍ ¦Ğā 1óŋóĢũó͖ ĕāÖŶŽũāŭ Ö ùĢėĢŶÖķ ùĢŭťķÖƘ Öłù ÖùùĢŶĢŋłÖķ ŋťāũÖŶĢłė Ŀŋùāŭ̇ ķĢĴā pĢėĞŶ mŋùā Öłù ā ùÖťŶ̇ ÖŽŶŋĿÖŶĢóÖķķƘ ÖłÖķƘŭĢłė Öłù ÖùÖťŶĢłė ĢŶŭāķĕ Ŷŋ ĿĢłĢĿĢŭā ťŋƒāũ óŋłŭŽĿťŶĢŋł̍ ͻ ťĞÖĿłāƒŭ̍óŋ̍ŽĴ̓˝˛˙̓˛˜

Improving radiator performance The SpeedComfort is a radiator fan claimed to improve āłāũėƘ āƧóĢāłóƘ ðƘ Žť Ŷŋ ˛˛%. The device is made Žť ŋĕ ŭĿÖķķ̇ ŭĢķāłŶ ĕÖłŭ ŶĞÖŶ ÖŶŶÖóĞ Ŷŋ ŶĞā ðÖŭā ŋĕ Ö ũÖùĢÖŶŋũ̇ ŶĞāũāðƘ ŭťāāùĢłė Žť óŋłƑāóŶĢŋł Ŷŋ ùāķĢƑāũ Ö łŽĿðāũ ŋĕ ðāłāƩŶŭ̍ ¦Ğā 'ŽŶóĞ ĿÖłŽĕÖóŶŽũāũ ŭÖƘŭ ŶĞā ťāāù!ŋĿĕŋũŶ óÖł ĢĿťũŋƑā ũÖùĢÖŶŋũ ĞāÖŶĢłė ťŋƒāũ ðƘ ˛˙% and increase space warm-Žť ŭťāāù ðƘ ˞˙%. It also ŭÖƘŭ Žŭāũŭ óÖł ũāùŽóā ŶĞāĢũ āłāũėƘ ðĢķķŭ ðƘ ˛˛%. Ƙ ĢĿťũŋƑĢłė ŶĞā óŋłƑāóŶĢŋł ťÖŶŶāũł̇ ŶĞā ùāƑĢóā ťũāƑāłŶŭ ĞāÖŶ ĕũŋĿ ũĢŭĢłė Žť ŶŋƒÖũùŭ ŶĞā óāĢķĢłė̍ RłŭŶāÖù̇ ĢŶ ùĢŭŶũĢðŽŶāŭ ĞāÖŶ ÖƒÖƘ ĕũŋĿ ŶĞā ũÖùĢÖŶŋũ Öłù ŭťũāÖùŭ ĢŶ ÖũŋŽłù ŶĞā ũŋŋĿ Öłù ĢłŶŋ ŶĞā ķĢƑĢłė ơŋłā̍ ¦āŭŶŭ ŭĞŋƒ ŶĞÖŶ ŶĞĢŭ ĞÖŭ ĢĿťũŋƑāù ŋŽŶťŽŶ ðƘ ˚̍˛΅!̍ ÂĢŶĞ Ö ðāŶŶāũ ĞāÖŶ ťũŋƩķā Ģł ŶĞā ũŋŋĿ̇ ĢŶ Ģŭ óķÖĢĿāù ŶĞÖŶ ĿŋŭŶ ťāāù!ŋĿĕŋũŶ Žŭāũŭ ķŋƒāũ ŶĞāĢũ ũŋŋĿ ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũā ŭāŶŶĢłėŭ ŋł ŶĞāĢũ ŶĞāũĿŋŭŶÖŶŭ ̛ðƘ ķŋƒāũĢłė Ö ŶĞāũĿŋŭŶÖŶ ðƘ ˚΅!̇ Žŭāũŭ óÖł̵ŭÖƑā ðāŶƒāāł ˟% to ˠͮ ŋł ėÖŭ óŋłŭŽĿťŶĢŋł̜̍ ͻ ťĞÖĿłāƒŭ̍óŋ̍ŽĴ̓˝˛˙̓˛˝

The Grohe Red hot water tap is said to deliver cost savings and āłāũėƘ āƧóĢāłóƘ̇ ťũŋƑĢùĢłė water at ˢˢƬ! ŋł ùāĿÖłù̇ eliminating the need for a kettle. ¦Ğā ťũŋùŽóŶ Ģŭ ũÖŶāù ̨ ̪ ĕŋũ ĢŶŭ āłāũėƘ āƧóĢāłóƘ Öłù Öķŭŋ ĞÖŭ Ö ŶĢŶÖłĢŽĿ ðŋĢķāũ ƒĞĢóĞ ŋƦāũŭ ŶĞā łāóāŭŭÖũƘ ĢłŭŽķÖŶĢŋł̍ RŶ Ģŭ ŭÖĢù Ŷŋ Žŭā minimal energy to keep the ƒÖŶāũ ÖŶ ŶĞā ũāŨŽĢũāù ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũā̍ ¦Ğā ŶĢŶÖłĢŽĿ ðŋĢķāũ Öķŭŋ ĿĢłĢĿĢŭāŭ ķĢĿāŭóÖķā ðŽĢķù-Žť and is prevented from ðŽĢķùĢłė Žť Ģł óŋũłāũŭ ŶĞÖłĴŭ to its cylindrical shape. For ŶĞŋŭā óŽŭŶŋĿāũŭ ƒĞŋ Öũā eco-óŋłŭóĢŋŽŭ ŋũ Öũā ĕũāŨŽāłŶķƘ ÖƒÖƘ ĕũŋĿ ŶĞāĢũ ĞŋĿāŭ ŋł ðŽŭĢłāŭŭ ŋũ ĞŋķĢùÖƘ̇ the Red also has a Holiday mŋùā ĕāÖŶŽũā ƒĞĢóĞ ķĢĿĢŶŭ ŶĞā ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũā Ŷŋ ˟˙΅!̇ ŋƦāũĢłė ĕŽũŶĞāũ āłāũėƘ ŭÖƑĢłėŭ̍ Dŋũ óŽŭŶŋĿāũŭ ƒĞŋ ŋłķƘ ĞÖƑā óŋķù ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķĢāŭ ŋũ

ķŋłė ùĢŭŶÖłóāŭ ðāŶƒāāł ŶĞā ĞŋŶ ƒÖŶāũ óƘķĢłùāũ Öłù ŶĞā ŶÖť̇ Ö ĿĢƗĢłė ƑÖķƑā óÖł ðā Žŭāù Ģł tandem with the Grohe Red to provide a hot and a kettle-hot ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķƘ̇ ÖùıŽŭŶÖðķā ðāŶƒāāł ˜˞°C to ˠ˞°C. The mixing valve óÖł ŭĢĿťķƘ ðā óŋłłāóŶāù Ŷŋ ðŋŶĞ ŶĞā FũŋĞā āù ŶĢŶÖłĢŽĿ ðŋĢķāũ and the mains cold water. ͻ ťĞÖĿłāƒŭ̍óŋ̍ŽĴ̓˝˛˙̓˛˞

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Home economics Installer and eco-warrior Ross McKenzie believes in practicing what he preaches and has designed an energy saving heating system in his own home. The Scottish installer is also an Intergas service engineer and e plains the e ciency beneﬁts of using an -Plan wiring system.

ven when Ross McKenzie was a 17-year-old apprentice, he was always interested in the eco side of the heating and ventilating industry. Little did he know how crucial to his business (Ross McKenzie Plumbing & Heating Ltd) and the environment his natural curiosity would become. In 2015 he designed a state of the art heating system for his new house in Aberdeenshire, which he also designed and built himself. Solar thermal panels heat the water; one side of the house is glass to benefit from thermal gain the 14kW in-room wood burner with digital direct air controllers send water into the thermal store where the underfloor heating manifold is located; the mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system keeps the indoor air fresh without wasting any heat and, if there’s a particularly cold snap, the LPG back-up boiler can be configured to kick in to support the wood burner via the Honeywell Evo home controller. The net result of Ross’s forethought is an annual energy bill of only £300 and a much lower carbon footprint for his 180m2 home. Admittedly, Ross buys three-years-worth of logs at one go and chops them himself, but the energy conserving measures built into the fabric of his home is the reason his bill is so incredibly and consistently low. is energy e ciency ethos is also one of the reasons Intergas was delighted to welcome him on board as a service engineer last year, and his enthusiasm for

its boiler range was key to his decision to become one. Everyone acknowledges the pressure is on to reduce fossil fuels for domestic heating and hot water, but as 85% of homes in the UK currently use gas, Intergas and its engineers know that they need to ensure the resulting emissions are as low as possible. “The Intergas boiler has been designed with energy e ciency at its heart,” says Ross. “From the OpenTherm compliance to the modulation rate, from the low O treme and clusive boilers to the bithermic heat exchanger in every boiler. And they’re so ﬂe ible you can conﬁgure every boiler in so many ways by simple changes to the parameter settings. And now, with -Plan, these boilers are even more economical.”

X-Plan explained o, what e actly is lan It’s a simple way of setting up the Intergas boiler (less wiring complexity compared to S and Y Plan) to enable it to provide two distinct ﬂow temperatures, one for space heating, the other for water heating, without one 

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-in-

- -

4kW wood burner

impacting on the other. But this is just the start of a raft of features that will give customers a more e cient and effective heating and hot water system. During a hot water demand from the cylinder NTC sensor, for example, the boiler would ramp up to full load, as set up in the parameters to match the cylinder coil input size, and the pre-set target temperature of, say, 70°C. This heats the water in the fastest possible time (a 175 litre unvented cylinder with a 30kW rated coil can recover the cylinder from 10 to 60°C in around 12 minutes). With recovery that fast, your customer can opt for a smaller cylinder, saving space and energy. Like a combination boiler, the heating is not operational during hot water demand to help facilitate the rapid recovery of the cylinder. For maximum e ciency, the space heating should be controlled through an OpenTherm-compliant device and, when the boiler switches from water heating to space heating, no excess heat can enter the space heating and room temperatures can’t overshoot. Standard TPI controls can also be used via the 230V switching facility incorporated within the PCB. If the boiler is being replaced and the system upgraded from S to -Plan, then it’s a very simple wiring exercise, but the heating zone must be replaced with a 22mm ‘normally open’ type valve.

sing -Plan you can upgrade the Intergas treme, clusive, Eco RF and HRE system boilers (see Intergas website for wiring diagrams), and customers beneﬁt from the immediate convenience of super-fast hot water ine pensively. But the beneﬁts don’t end with -Plan.

Many boilers don’t always achieve condensing mode for long periods due to poorly designed heat exchangers or heating system, but the Intergas boiler is different because its bithermic heat exchanger has a very large surface area and increased waterways, speciﬁcally designed to cool the ﬂue gas temperatures down prior to exiting the boiler, therefore using the latent heat within them to reduce the energy used in recovering the cylinder or warming the heating system. When an Intergas appliance is used as a combination boiler it can condense virtually all the time it is producing domestic hot water. o matter how e cient a boiler is, it cannot operate effectively if it’s been incorrectly sized for the property or the OpenTherm controls have not been set up correctly, or used at all,” says Ross. “It’s down to us, the installers, to help our customers keep emissions down and use less energy… and everybody gains from that.” ◼ /420/26

26/03/2020 17:51

PHAM APR20 EDIT:Layout 1 27/03/2020 13:48 Page 29

PHAM NEWS APRIL 2020

Product Spotlight 29 many installers are not fully complying with industry guidance despite frozen condensate pipes accounting for a substantial amount of boiler breakdowns in colder months. I believe this is mostly down to quality installers not having the materials and tools that help them install or upgrade the many pipes that require protection. Again, the current guidance cannot be carried out without major work, and consequently both customers and installers will feel it is not required. The heating systems being currently talked about as we head towards a net zero carbon future will also need protecting. Boilers running hydrogen or a hydrogen mix will condense much more than a current gas condensing boiler and its pipes will also need insulating properly, so too the pipes connected to air source heat pumps.

Condensate pipe – I’ve got it covered Complying with industry guidance on insulating external condensate pipes could be a challenge for installers if they don’t have the right materials. That’s why Dave Smith, inventor of the Condensate Pro, developed a solution he says is quick and easy.

s a plumbing and heating engineer, I am passionate about the industry and its reputation, particularly when quality, professional installers are criticised unfairly. Insulating external condensate pipe is a subject that continues to cause the industry a reputational problem. The ‘Beast from the East’ struck in ˛˙˚ˡ Öłù ĞÖù Ö ŶāũũĢðķā āƦāóŶ ŋł óŋłùāłŭÖŶā pipes, which led to boiler breakdowns. This was reported across the national press and the heating industry was targeted for criticism. Traditionally insulating pipes has also posed a problem for quality professionals because the materials ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā ĞÖƑā łŋŶ ðāāł ƩŶ ĕŋũ ŶĞā ıŋð and are a pain to install, don’t look ƑāũƘ łĢóā Öłù Öũā ùĢƧóŽķŶ Ŷŋ ĿÖĢłŶÖĢł̍ ¦Ğāũā Öũā ĿĢķķĢŋłŭ ŋĕ ðŋĢķāũŭ ƩŶŶāù ƒĢŶĞ substandard external condensate pipe protection with pipes that freeze easily and cause boiler breakdown.

W Dave Smith, inventor of Condensate Pro and founder of the company

guidance, a common installation standard applicable across all boiler manufacturers, which includes insulating condensate pipes, would be helpful.

Standardisation

Real world application In my view, the subsequent industry guidance regarding protecting condensate pipes, which was issued after this criticism in the press, is ŭķĢėĞŶķƘ ƪÖƒāù̍ RŶ Ģŭ ƑāũƘ ùĢƧóŽķŶ Ŷŋ achieve practically on site - mainly in terms of the product availability, joining, sealing and the size of the holes that have to be drilled through walls – sometimes into a customer’s ķŋƑāķƘ ƩłĢŭĞāù ƒÖķķŭ ĢłŭĢùā̉ RŶ Öķŭŋ Öùùŭ ŭĢėłĢƩóÖłŶ ŶĢĿā ŋłŶŋ Öł ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł̇ can be quite intrusive to the fabric of Ö ĞŋĿā Öłù Ģŭ ùĢƧóŽķŶ Ŷŋ āƗťķÖĢł Ŷŋ Ö homeowner when you have to make a large hole and then make good. As well as revision to this

S The Condensate Pro provides a neat and simple way to insulate the external pipe

Many installers are not fully complying with industry guidance despite frozen condensate pipes accounting for a substantial number of boiler breakdowns

Having a standard installation guide from all boiler manufacturers would help not just professional installers, but also new ones coming into the industry. ¦Ğāũā Öũā ŭŋĿā ĿĢłŋũ ùĢƦāũāłóāŭ between boilers, but most of the processes are the same, so let’s have a set standard for all boilers and then a section in each boiler instructions for the unique changes to that particular boiler. Condensate protection is the same for every boiler and with research and testing over the last seven years, we can help provide a set standard for all boilers. A recent poll we carried out has shown that a large percentage of the trade is still not proactively protecting condensate pipes from freezing. ˟˙% of ˚˟˙ poll respondents said they never or ‘only sometimes’ protect condensate pipes. The poll shows that

Simple solution These common problems of insulating condensate pipe led me to develop a solution that is quick and easy to install, looks professional and lasts. I wanted a product that allows installers and their organisations to increase long term customer satisfaction and boost productivity, save time on installation and limit wasted resources on unnecessary call-outs. I wanted to make sure we had all the pain points covered, and I talked to the installers I knew through several designs and carried out on-site tests. After research, investment, and ŭāóŽũĢłė ŶĞā ťÖŶāłŶŭ̇ R ÖĿ óŋłƩùāłŶ ŶĞÖŶ not only does Condensate Pro protect pipes but the tools I have designed helps installers reduce the time needed to complete a professional condensate pipe installation in any weather and can be maintained throughout the life of the boiler.

Full protection Above all, Condensate Pro protects the installer, their customers and the boilers. For customers on service plans, these products and tools make for a quick upgrade solution to prevent future unnecessary call-outs, saving time and resources. I’m a pro installer and I’ve designed this product for other pro installers. Finally we have a product that insulates properly, is quick and easy to install, and looks great. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙/˛ˠ

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Products in Action

o el ea An independent and family run hotel situated in beautiful countryside just outside the village of Beamish, in County Durham, is the latest hotel to protect its heating system and new boilers with a BoilerMag XL. With 42 rooms, the Beamish Park Hotel is adjacent to a golf academy which includes a 9 hole golf course, practice greens and bunkers, and a 20 bay floodlit golf driving range. As part of an upgrade to the hotel’s heating system, Blaydon based commercial and industrial heating engineering firm Enright Environmental Ltd installed a new boiler complete with a BoilerMag L filter. The hotel had its current boilers for approximately 15 years and they were previously unprotected from contamination. After

a e ro

replacing the boiler, Enright Environmental then installed the commercial boiler ﬁlter to protect the heating system and new boiler from contamination. The BoilerMag L commercial

Thick wall steel pipe used with heat- ree pre fi As a manufacturer of integrated piping systems, Pegler has supplied its VSH PowerPress system for use at the Holy Family National School in Swords, County Dublin. The project called for a thick wall steel pipe and press ﬁtting range. Amara Engineering was tasked with installing services to the six-classroom extension at the 1400 pupil school, which replaced ageing temporary accommodation. The heat free, speedy installation offered by V PowerPress ensured a timely install that also ensured complete safety of the site, as there was considerable timber used in the construction. Furthermore, the change from a threaded and welded joints system that would

have historically been speciﬁed has shown the reliability and ease of installation offered by V PowerPress. phamnews.co.uk/420/30

e el er the extra output Omnie has supplied its Foilboard Floating underfloor heating system for the conversion of a Georgian property to create two Airbnb lets in Bath. The specification has helped deliver su cient output to combat the heat loss through the building’s envelope, which had to remain uninsulated due to its Grade 1 listing. The redevelopment was carried out by Sohrab Rustomjee, the principal of Bath-based SR Architects, who designed and project managed the work. e says e had used Omnie underfloor heating systems on a number of our residential and commercial projects in the past, having always been impressed by the level of support the company offers from the early stages. alculations proved that we could counter the heat loss through the poorly insulated fabric by installing the FoilBoard panels across the entire basement/garden level floor and this has resulted in achieving incredible levels of comfort within a building such as this.” phamnews.co.uk/420/32

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heating system ﬁlter is a cost effective option for heating e ciency and boiler protection in commercial, retail, or large residential properties. phamnews.co.uk/420/2

Keep

Domus Ventilation – part of the Polypipe Group – has had its HRXD mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems installed in the prestigious Bow River Village development in East London. Bow River Village is a new residential quarter south of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. The apartments that make up the new development have been designed with modern and e cient living in mind and are marketed with ‘eco-features to keep energy bills to the minimum’. 112 Domus Ventilation HRXD wall mounted MVHRs, along with Domus ducting and sound attenuators, were installed during Phase 2 of the development.

e o r e or a pro e Wavin has supplied all the plumbing and drainage products used on Birmingham’s Sherborne Wharf development. As a plastic pipe manufacturer, Wavin provided a full portfolio of solutions, alongside technical support and training, to enable smooth plumbing installation. The waterside redevelopment at Sherborne Wharf will eventually see over 80 blocks of residential buildings. art of this project is ﬁve blocks comprising 203 one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Due to the extensive nature of the project, the installers – Stewarts Plumbing & Heating Ltd – wanted to streamline the installation process with the help of Wavin as a ‘one stop shop’. phamnews.co.uk/420/2

oor a r war

The MVHR units are a key eco-feature as they provide homeowners with substantial savings on energy bills and improved indoor air quality. They work on the principle

re of extracting moisture-laden air from wet rooms whilst capturing up to 87% of the heat, which would otherwise be wasted, and using it to temper the ﬁltered air which is simultaneously distributed around the home. The Domus Ventilation HRXD is a wall mounted MVHR unit which intelligently matches ventilation rates to the internal environment and occupants’ requirements, for maximum homeowner comfort. This is achieved through advanced AMIE (air management for indoor environments) technology including features such as digital humidity control, automated summer bypass and accurate system balancing. phamnews.co.uk/420/3

ar o o e o re r era Nursing and care home supplier Acticare is now able to provide heating, comfort cooling, and fresh air ventilation to employees with the installation of modern air conditioning from Mitsubishi Electric. The new build, two-ﬂoor facility in Hereford comprises open-plan spaces, satellite o ces and meeting rooms, and the company was looking for a system which delivered a fresh, temperate working environment for its o ce staff. The solution was R32 Hybrid VRF air conditioning working

in tandem with a Lossnay heat recovery ventilation system to deliver perfect levels of comfort and fresh air e ciently. The Hybrid VRF system differs from traditional VR as it uses water throughout the majority of its pipework instead of refrigerant but is still able to simultaneously heat and cool different rooms. phamnews.co.uk/420/33

27/03/2020 09:22

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

From digital to smart, showers are changing Manufacturers have worked to improve on the traditional mixer shower to give us digital showers and, now, smart digital showers. PHAM News looks at the latest developments in showering technology.

mart technology is proving to be an important driver in the heating and plumbing market. Its biggest impact can be seen in heating controls, with all the major manufacturers now offering some form of connected technology in key products. The bathroom is no less susceptible to this trend, and the latest advances here can be found in digital showers. In 2001 Aqualisa launched the first digital showers into the market, providing users with precise thermostatic control at the touch of a button. Nearly 20 years later, the digital shower is well established in a number of manufacturers’ portfolios, some of which now include smart versions. By incorporating WiFi connectivity into digital showers, people can use an app to fine tune the showering experience, adjusting elements such as flow, temperature, duration, warm-up modes, timers, and more. Aqualisa has even made it possible to ask your Alexa to turn on the shower, ensuring that it is at your ideal temperature when you step under the water (see page 34).

A recent report from AMA Research found that demand for digital showers has shown good growth in recent years, driven in no small part by the increasing use of smart technology in UK homes. It says that ﬂe ibility, durability and ease of use will be key inﬂuences in a shift’ towards

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products like digital showers. The report forecasts that this sector will continue to take share from other shower control products, particularly mixer showers and power showers. Colin Sinclair, senior channel marketing manager at Aqualisa, says: “While the digital shower category is set to grow at a steady rate, the greater use of smart technology in the home is now expected to create a new Smart category that has the potential to grow even faster. Growth will come from both new shower installations and bathroom refurbishments, when a shower upgrade is part of the package.” With around 90% of UK homes having at least one shower in the household, there is a trend for higher value products and contemporary styles. Digital showers, along with the latest smart versions, fulﬁl this aspiration.

“Digital bathroom products allow consumers to configure and personalise their shower experience through a digital interface or app,” says Suzannah Hallam, digital product manager at Mira Showers. “Our research shows that this is something that consumers are becoming a lot more interested in. “Digital innovations and advanced technology are benefiting every aspect of our daily lives, so it’s unsurprising we are seeing this trend within showering, and many consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of digital technology in the bathroom.”

Cost of convenience

The luxury and convenience of digital showering places it at the mid to upper end of the market, but manufacturers are managing to drive prices down as popularity increases. Brands now offer a range of price points that suit different budgets, and some entry-level digital models are comparable to a built-in mixer. Commenting on the cost of digital showers, Colin Sinclair says: “At mid-range, you might pay around £500-600, and you

can pay a lot less for more basic models. However, digital and smart showers are affordable and represent great value for the quality of performance and experience they deliver.”

While customers will like the performance of digital showers, plumbers may appreciate their ease of installation. The digital unit can be sited in the loft or under the bath, reducing or eliminating the need to disrupt tiles and decor. The quickest to install are single outlet, surface mounted models that use the slider rail to contain both the water supply and the cable connection. In this scenario, the plumber may need to do little more than drill a hole for the connections concealed in the slider rail and complete the plumbing, significantly reducing time on the job. “There are no special skills required and there is no bulky metal valve to fit either on or behind the wall,” explains Colin Sinclair. “A professional plumber will master the installation quickly, with push-fit connections and plug-and-play electronics.” Richard Gough, senior category manager for bathrooms at Wolseley, explains that the plumbing is the same whether it’s a digital or traditional shower. The only difference is knowledge of how to then connect the shower to the customer’s voice assistant, wall control, or smartphone once the installation is complete.” There are plenty of resources for installers if they get stuck. Mira offers step-by-step videos on YouTube, and Aqualisa runs training courses for plumbers looking for more insight into the technology. The apps associated with smart digital showers come with built-in troubleshooting features to smooth out any snags.

igital showers also offer the installation advantage of being suitable for most types of systems. Suzannah Hallam comments: “They are compatible with all types of heated water systems. A high-pressure option is best suited to mains pressure unvented systems and combi boilers, whereas a pumped option is appropriate for low-pressure gravity systems. So, whether it’s ceiling or rear-fed, single or dual outlet, there is a digital shower to suit the customer.” Another consideration in speciﬁcation is choosing a wired or wireless digital shower. The wired versions involve connecting a data cable between the controller and the processor. Wireless versions offer more ﬂe ibility in locating the control in relation to the processor. As long as they are within a 10m range, the two components can ‘talk’ to each other with wireless technology.

So what type of customer is most likely to be interested in digital shower technology? While younger consumers are more likely to be tech savvy, there is still a market for older consumers too, as Richard Gough suggests: “This demographic tend to have more money to spend and are seeking a quality product, with ease of temperature control, while avoiding excess water usage. The rising trend of the smart home and increasing need among consumers to control and monitor everything can only beneﬁt the digital shower market.”

Mira Showers is giving PHAM News readers a chance to win its new smart shower, the Mira Mode Maxim. For details on how to enter, turn to page 44.

30/03/2020 14:36

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

The shower tray solution for the sandwich generation With a growing number of UK households consisting of multi-generational families, it’s important for installers to be able to provide products that meet a range of needs. Elisa Paratore from Mira Showers highlights the safety beneﬁts of the company’s low level, non-slip shower tray.

s the UK population continues to grow, a new phrase that we’re seeing more and more is the ‘sandwich generation,’ where parents are caring for their own children while simultaneously providing some, or a similar amount of, care for their parents or in-laws. There has been a noticeable increase in three or more generations living under the same roof – three in 10 homeowners are now living in intergenerational homes, based on a recent survey by Barclays Mortgages. And this has been influenced by the fact that it is estimated that, by 2050, one in four people in the UK will be aged 65 years and over – an increase from almost one in five in 2018. However, for these multigenerational households there are some modifications that often need to be considered to make the living space functional for all ages – and one of these is providing a showering solution which can be used by all the family. Taking this into account, together with the growing popularity of wetroom adaptations thanks to their functional benefits twinned with stylish aesthetics, we have adapted one of our key products to tick all the right boxes for this ‘sandwich generation’.

Elisa Paratore

Marketing Manager – Consumer for Mira Showers



The latest offering in our shower tray solutions is the Mira Flight Level tray. It offers users all the strength of the capped acrylic Flight technology, but has a profile height of just 25mm. The tray has been designed so that it can be installed to suit the conditions specific to each bathroom. It can be fitted straight onto the finished floor surface, to provide a minimal 25mm step-over and easy access to the shower area. Alternatively, for tastes and installation conditions which allow, the tray can be installed recessed into the finished floor surface which gives all the benefits of a level access floor, without the added expense and complication which typical wet floor installations entail – something which most

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CUT TO THE CHASE  Three in 10 homeowners are now living in intergenerational homes  The Mira Flight Level shower tray has a proﬁle height of just 25mm  It meets NHBC requirements, so is suitable for both new build and refurbishment projects  An integral anti-slip coating achieves a superior level of slip protection  The addition of BioCote technology helps to prevent bacteria and mould growth

installers will be only too familiar with. Other key beneﬁts include a removable waste trap, which makes cleaning easier and catches stray hairs, helping to prevent blockages. It’s also the only waste in the 25mm tray market which meets NHBC requirements and is therefore suitable for new builds, making inclusive bathrooms even more accessible for all homeowners. The consumer’s decision to choose a product like the Mira Flight Level may be driven by the desire to create an inclusive bathroom. However, the overall look and feel doesn’t need to be compromised, which is why the shower tray is available in either white or slate effect ensuring the customer is given a choice to complement their bathroom design.

For installations where slips or falls might also be a concern, the shower tray is available as a Mira Flight Level Safe variant, which comes with built-in anti-slip technology that exceeds industry standards. This provides extra peace of mind and independence for any member of a multigenerational household, and also helps to improve the inclusivity of the bathroom. Previously, non-slip shower trays were made by manually applying a coating. However, this wasn’t the complete solution because the coating was liable to wear away over time. It also only covered a portion of the surface, and the rough texture of the coating attracted dirt. As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation, we have engineered a process to allow integration of the anti-slip surface, without distorting the product during manufacture. The new Safe surface achieves a superior level of slip protection – Class C – that ensures the ultimate safety for all users, but particularly for younger or older generations who may be prone to slipping more easily in the shower.

The Mira Flight Safe surface also comes complete with BioCote technology, an innovative surface that reduces bacteria and mould growth by up to 99.9 , making cleaning easier. With the right level of awareness of the product choices available for both installers and consumers, we believe that multigenerational households shouldn’t be restricted in their choices, from both an aesthetic point of view, as well as the all-important safety features these products provide. ◼ /420/3

29/03/2020 08:37

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Showers & Enclosures

Styles and designs for any bathroom

Available from UK manufacturer Aqata is a wide range of shower solutions, including walk-ins, curved shower panels, sliding doors, bath screens and bi-folds all with a choice of colour finishes and glass options. The company also provides a made-to-measure service, providing a bespoke solution to accommodate almost any bathroom shape or size. ighlights of the range include the 402 (pictured), a wetroom panel with te tured reeded glass and the option of an add-on towel rail to complement the chose colour finish. hen space is limited, the 506 is described as an ideal way to introduce the essence of a boutique hotel into a bijou bathroom. This continuous flowing curve can be used with a shower tray or a wetroom. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/36

Showers that make the most of smart technology hower manufacturer A ualisa has unveiled the latest evolution of its mart uartz ollection, designed to establish Wi- i connection, app technology and voice activation as an integral part of the showering e perience. The range consists of the new uartz Blue, described as the introduction to the smart showering revolution for the new ollection, uartz lassic, a proven best seller now with added smart technology and the top of the range uartz Touch, delivering the most personal showering e perience. uartz Blue (pictured), is available as a single or dual outlet option, with an adjustable head featuring four spray patterns and an optional 200mm fi ed drencher head. uartz lassic (controller pictured top right) is also available as a single or dual outlet option, with the choice of an adjustable handset featuring four spray patterns and an optional 230mm fi ed drencher head. The shower can divert to a programmed bath fill function, but is also available as a control for bath fill only. uartz Touch offers the same options as the lassic, but with the addition of being able to offer a selection of individual pre-set showering e periences.

Personal touch

Every member of a household can activate their own personal shower requirement – created and saved on the App. App technology enables the homeowner to control the smart digital shower via i- i, connecting through residential i- i networks to

track costs and energy e ciency with the intuitive app it is possible to monitor the duration, water usage and cost of a shower from a tablet or smartphone. or ease of installation, all showers include push ﬁt connections and isolations valves, while the Aqualisa mart Valve the brains of the new smart collection – can be located up to 10 metres away from the shower itself.

Voice command

the A ualisa mart Valve (A V) using safe and secure best practice for IoT/ onnected devices. Wi-fi connection means that the user can start their shower remotely from anywhere in or away from the home, confident that the shower is at their specified temperature and ready to step into. A clear LE display indicates when the shower is ready – so there’s no need to lean in and test the water. onnectivity also enables users to

Ale a turn my shower on’ will uickly become a familiar command in homes with a new A ualisa mart uartz ollection shower, says A ualisa EO, olin ykes. espite the advent of the smart home and the arrival of a myriad of smart products, the suggestion, even ﬁve years ago, that showers would take this huge step into the world of smart technology would have been di cult to imagine. Thanks to A ualisa, this is now a reality. It seems the most natural development for them to take, but we’re delighted it’s us introducing this technology. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/3

Smooth operator ombining ease of installation with ease of use, Mira Ascend shower enclosures can be fitted without any need to drill the frame and feature an easy-glide, low friction door that avoids the need for roller operation. lass can be secured thanks to a seal which is rolled into the wall profile with the seal roller supplied. A clever hinge design also allows the door height to be adjusted by a single person. Other features include concealed fi ings which help to reduce dirt traps; a quick-release mechanism for easy cleaning a super-thin lintel for a minimalist frame design and Mira lean oat technology, which helps keep the enclosure streak-free. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/3

Keep a low profile To save time on installation, Kaldewei low-profile shower trays come preassembled with shower surface, tray support and central support ready to be fitted directly onto a suitably prepared floor, whether tiled, concrete or wooden floor. They are designed to be anti-slip and are manufactured from a long-lasting, recyclable, steel enamel material, Thanks to the low built height, aldewei trays can be virtually installed at floor level and a floor recess is only re uired for the waste fitting. or standard-compliant sealing, the company recommends the le sealing kit that can be integrated into the surrounding bathroom sealing. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/3

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Frameless door and so much more ew additions to the Merlyn range, unveiled at the recent BB e hibition, include The Arysto a virtually frameless, sliding door (pictured above) and the new revo designer rail and storage solution. The company has also launched its new Arysto olour range, as well as frameless shower walls from the Merlyn Black Range, said to offer a stylish alternative to traditional chrome. Other new products include Meryln's new lip Resistant Level25 and Touchstone shower trays. These are complemented by Truestone colour shower trays, available in a variety sizes, said to provide the perfect accompaniment to any Merlyn enclosure. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/40

29/03/2020 08:48

PHAM APR20 MIRA v2 rhp:Layout 1 30/03/2020 16:36 Page 1

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Showers & Enclosures

Black grid delivers bold statement

Looking to reﬂect the growing trend for industrial chic, Roman has launched its black grid hinged door as part of its Liberty Black collection. ith 10mm glass thickness, it features a silicone free matt black wall proﬁle and ceramic printed glass. or more of a minimalist design, there is also the option of clear glass with matt black hardware which can be coordinated with

brassware across the bathroom. This Black rid esign is designed to stand out as a bold bathroom centrepiece, and when used with matt black brassware it can create an elegant effect. This design is bold but it can work together with different interior styles – from industrial to minimalist and from contemporary to traditional. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/4

Drencher head without the waste Combining water saving features with premium performance is the new Rainshower 310 Mono from rohe. The shower is said to offer an affordable way to upgrade existing showers without negatively impacting on water consumption. E uipped with rohe’s Eco oy technology, the water ﬂow is limited to 9.5 litres per minute (compared to the standard 12 litres per minute), delivering a comfortable yet cost-effective, water-saving e perience. or ease of installation, the shower head can be mounted onto most shower arms with no need for complex tools or extensive behind-the-wall work. The 310mm diameter head can be swivelled in all directions, while several range variants enable the user to select the model that most suits their bathroom design – from ceilingmounted to wall-mounted, round of s uare designs and white or chrome spray faces. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/42

Frameless design in silver and black

Smart shower has it all worked out

Cavalier Bathrooms has enhanced its Rolla 8 range, sold under the A uadart brand, with the launch of a matt black frameless sliding door. Rolla 8 has been designed to combine the aesthetics of a wet room with the functionality of a shower enclosure. The anodised matt black model sits alongside a silver version to complement contemporary bathroom styles. or increased durability, the matt black is integrated with the product at manufacturing stage, rather than being applied to the surface. Rob arrison, M at avalier Bathrooms, says The Rolla 8 product has been incredibly popular with customers since its launch. The mechanics are sleek and the 8mm toughened safety glass, 2000mm height, concealed ﬁ ings, and clear seals have made it a ﬂe ible bathroom solution. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/43

Even more choice in decorative panels The panelling range from howerwall has been enhanced with 26 new design-led d cors reﬂecting the latest bathroom and interiors trends. The full collection now offers an e tensive choice of 84 designs. ith a focus on of-the-moment design and texture, highlights of the expansive new Showerwall collection include 14 new HPL designs including four new synchronised options, which replicate the look and feel of real marble – Ocean Marble, Shell Marble, Apollo Marble, and Athena Marble – plus three fashionable terrazzo colourways of ositano Blue Terrazzo (pictured), ositano rey Terrazzo and tone Terrazzo. The lightweight panels are available in sizes of 600, 900, 1200 and 1220 x 2440mm, in a choice of s uare edge or seamless roclick installation. Ideal for use in shower enclosures, around baths, behind basins, the panels are said to be fast and simple to install, even over e isting tiles. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/44

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New from Roca is the Smart Shower which features a simple interface that enables up to three users within the same household to pre-set their desired settings: shower duration, ma imum temperature, and ﬂow rate. or ease of use, the interface features a colour LCD display and touch sensitive controls with soft turn dials. The digital shower can also be controlled via an app, allowing users to activate the warm-up function with their smartphone or tablet. The mart hower solution is e uipped with a child safety mode and also includes a Legionella cleaning programme to eliminate bacteria without the use of chemical products, plus a cleaning programme to clean stains from limescale and impurities. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/4

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Showers & Enclosures Luxury level features in self contained shower cubicle bŋóŋŋł Ģŭ ŶĞā łÖĿā ŋĕ ŶĞā ķÖŶāŭŶ ŭāķĕóŋłŶÖĢłāù ŭĞŋƒāũ óŽðĢóķā ĕũŋĿ ŶĞā bĢłāùŋ ũÖłėā ðƘ ÖłĢƪ ŋ̍ RŶ óŋĿðĢłāŭ ķŽƗŽũƘ ŭĞŋƒāũ ƒÖķķŭ ƒĢŶĞ Ö óĞũŋĿā ĕũÖĿā̇ ķŋƒ ķāƑāķ ŭĞŋƒāũ ŶũÖƘ Öłù ŋƑāũĞāÖù ũÖĢł ŭĞŋƒāũ̇ ĞÖłùŭāŶ̇ Öłù ƑÖķƑā Ģł ŋłā ťÖóĴÖėā̍ RŶ Ģŭ ŭŽĢŶÖðķā ĕŋũ ùŋĿāŭŶĢó óŽŭŶŋĿāũŭ̇ ÖóóŋĿĿŋùÖŶĢŋł ťũŋƑĢùāũŭ ŋũ ĿÖłŽĕÖóŶŽũāũŭ ŋĕ ĿŋùŽķÖũ ðŽĢķùĢłėŭ̍ ¦Ğā óŽðĢóķā ŋƦ āũŭ Ö óĞŋĢóā ŋĕ ŶĞũāā óŋķŋŽũāù ŭĞŋƒāũ ƒÖķķ ŋťŶĢŋłŭ̇ ĢłóķŽùĢłė Ö ŶĢķā ťÖŶŶāũł ̛ťĢóŶŽũāù̜̍ ¦Ğā ķŋƒ ķāƑāķ ŭĞŋƒāũ ŶũÖƘŭ Öũā ŶāƗŶŽũāù ĕŋũ ŭÖĕā ŭĞŋƒāũĢłė Öłù ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā Ģł āĢŶĞāũ ƒĞĢŶā ŋũ ŶÖŽťā̍ ł ŽķŶũÖ-ŶĞĢł ũÖĢłŭĞŋƒāũ ĞāÖù Ģŭ ŭŽťťķĢāù Öŭ ťÖũŶ ŋĕ ŶĞā ťÖóĴÖėā̍ ¦Ğā ŭŨŽÖũā ĞāÖù Ģŭ ĿÖłŽĕÖóŶŽũāù ĕũŋĿ ŭŶÖĢłķāŭŭ ŭŶāāķ Öłù óŋĿðĢłāŭ ƒĢŶĞ Öł āƗťŋŭāù ŶĞāũĿŋŭŶÖŶĢó ƑÖķƑā ƒĢŶĞ ĿĢƗāũ ĞÖłùķāŭ Öłù Öł ĢłŶāėũÖŶāù ĞÖłùŭāŶ Öłù Ğŋŭā̍ ł ÖłŶĢ-ŶƒĢŭŶ Ğŋŭā ĕāÖŶŽũāŭ ŋł ŶĞā ĞÖłùŭāŶ ĕŋũ āÖŭā ŋĕ Žŭā̇ ƒĞĢķā ŶĞā ƑÖķƑā ùŋŽðķāŭ Žť Öŭ Ö ĞÖłùƘ ŭĞāķĕ ĕŋũ āÖŭƘ ŭŶŋũÖėā̍

¦Ğā ƑāũŭÖŶĢķā bŋóŋŋł Ģŭ ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā Ģł ĿŽķŶĢťķā ŭĢơāŭ Öłù óŋłƩ ėŽũÖŶĢŋłŭ ĕũŋĿ ˚˙˙˙ Ŷŋ ˚ˠ˙˙ĿĿ ĕŋũ óŋũłāũ Öłù ũāóāŭŭ ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋłŭ̇ Öłù āĢŶĞāũ ũĢėĞŶ ŋũ ķāĕŶ ĞÖłù Ʃ ŶŶĢłė̍ Ģơāŭ ĢłóķŽùā ðÖŶĞ ũāťķÖóāĿāłŶ Ŀŋùāķŭ ƒĞĢóĞ óÖł ðā Ʃ ŶŶāù Ģł ŶĞā āƗÖóŶ ťķÖóā ŋĕ Ö ŭŶÖłùÖũù b ŭĢơāù ðÖŶĞ̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˝˟

Range enhancements óũāƒƩ Ɨ ĞÖŭ āƗťÖłùāù ĢŶŭ ũÖłėā ŋĕ ðÖŶĞũŋŋĿ ťũŋùŽóŶŭ̇ ƒĢŶĞ Öł āƗŶāłŭĢƑā ĢłóũāÖŭā Ģł Ŷŋť-ŋĕ-ŶĞā-ũÖłėā ŭĞŋƒāũ Öłù Ʃ ŶŶĢłėŭ ĢŶāĿŭ̍ RłóķŽùāù Ģł ŶĞā łāƒ ķÖŽłóĞāŭ Ģŭ mĢũÖ̑ŭ 'āóŋũ āķāóŶũĢó ŭĞŋƒāũ̇ ƒĞĢóĞ āłÖðķāŭ Ʃ łā-ŶŽłĢłė ŋĕ ŭĞŋƒāũ ťũāĕāũāłóāŭ ŭāťÖũÖŶā ƪ ŋƒ Öłù ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũā óŋłŶũŋķŭ̍ Dŋũ Ö ùĢėĢŶÖķ ŋťŶĢŋł̇ ŨŽÖķĢŭÖ ŋƦ āũŭ ĢŶŭ ŽÖũŶơ ėũÖƑĢŶƘ-ťŽĿťāù óāĢķĢłė-ĕāù ŶĞāũĿŋŭŶÖŶĢó ĿĢƗāũ ŭĞŋƒāũ ̛ťĢóŶŽũāù ũĢėĞŶ̜̍ RŶ ĕāÖŶŽũāŭ Ö ŋłā-ŶŋŽóĞ ŭŶÖũŶ̓ŭŶŋť óŋłŶũŋķ Öłù d1' ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũā ùĢŭťķÖƘ̍ 'āķĢƑāũĢłė ˚˛ ķĢŶũā̓ĿĢł ÖŶ ˙̍˚ðÖũ̇ ŶĞā ŽÖũŶơ ŭĞŋƒāũ ĞÖŭ Ö ˝-ŭťũÖƘ ťÖŶŶāũł ŭĞŋƒāũ ĞāÖù Öłù ĢłóķŽùāŭ ŋŶĞāũ ĕāÖŶŽũāŭ ŭŽóĞ Öŭ óŋŋķ ŶŋŽóĞ̇ Ö ðŋŋŭŶ ðŽŶŶŋł ĕŋũ āłĞÖłóāù ƪ ŋƒ̇ Öłù Öł āóŋ-ŭťũÖƘ ŋťŶĢŋł̍ Dŋũ Öł āÖŭƘ ŭĞŋƒāũ ĞāÖù ũāťķÖóāĿāłŶ ŭŋķŽŶĢŋł̇ óũāƒƩ Ɨ ŋƦ āũŭ ¦ũĢŶŋł̑ŭ ŭĞŋƒāũ ĞāÖù ̛ťĢóŶŽũāù ðāķŋƒ̜̇ ƒĞĢóĞ ĕāÖŶŽũāŭ Ö óķÖŭŭĢó ùāŭĢėł Öłù ˞-ŭťũÖƘ ťÖŶŶāũłŭ̍ ÂĢŶĞ Ö ŭťāóĢÖķ ũŽð-óķāÖł ĕŽłóŶĢŋł̇ ŶĞĢŭ ŭĞŋƒāũ ĞāÖù Ģŭ ŭŽĢŶÖðķā ĕŋũ Öķķ ùŋĿāŭŶĢó ĞŋŶ Öłù óŋķù ƒÖŶāũ ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ̍ ķŭŋ ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā Ģŭ Öł āÖŭƘ-Ʃ Ɨ ðÖũ ƑÖķƑā ĕũŋĿ !ÖŭŭāķķĢā̍ ÂĢŶĞ ðũÖŭŭ óŋłŭŶũŽóŶĢŋł Öłù óĞũŋĿā Ʃ łĢŭĞ̇ ŶĞĢŭ ƒÖķķ-ĿŋŽłŶ Ʃ ƗĢłė ĴĢŶ ĕāÖŶŽũāŭ Öł ÖŽŶŋ ŭĞŽŶ-ŋƦ ŭĞŋƒāũ ƑÖķƑā̇ ùāŭĢėłāù Ŷŋ ùāķĢƑāũ ùũƘ Öłù ĕÖŭŶ ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł ƒĢŶĞŋŽŶ ùĢŭũŽťŶĢŋł Ŷŋ ŶĞā ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķƘ̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˝ˠ

Everything needed for tanking ¦Ğā ŭĞŋƒāũ ƒÖŶāũťũŋŋƩ łė ĴĢŶ ĕũŋĿ 'Žłķŋť Ģŭ Ö ŭŋķŽŶĢŋł ĕŋũ ŶÖłĴĢłė ƒāŶ ÖũāÖŭ ŶĞÖŶ ĿāāŶŭ ŶĞā ũāóāłŶ óĞÖłėāŭ Ŷŋ ũĢŶĢŭĞ ŶÖłùÖũùŭ ŶĞÖŶ ũāŨŽĢũā óŋĿĿāũóĢÖķ Öłù ùŋĿāŭŶĢó ƒāŶ ÖũāÖŭ ðā ŶÖłĴāù ƒĢŶĞ Ö ƒÖŶāũťũŋŋƩ łė ŭƘŭŶāĿ ťũĢŋũ Ŷŋ ŶĢķĢłė̵̍ ¦Ğā ĴĢŶ Ģŭ ŭťāóĢÖķķƘ ùāŭĢėłāù Ŷŋ ĢłóķŽùā āƑāũƘŶĞĢłė ũāŨŽĢũāù Ŷŋ ƒÖŶāũťũŋŋĕ Ö ŭĞŋƒāũ ÖũāÖ̇ ƒāŶũŋŋĿ ŋũ ƒÖķĴ-Ģł ŭĞŋƒāũ ÖũāÖ̍ !ŋłŶÖĢłāù Ģł ŶĞā ĴĢŶ Ģŭ Ö ťũĢĿāũ̇ ũāÖùƘ̟ĿĢƗāù ŶÖłĴĢłė ťÖŭŶā̇ óŋũłāũ ŶÖťā Öłù ĿÖŶŶĢłė̍ ̵ āÖùƘ Ŷŋ ŶĢķā Ģł ˑ˓ ĞŋŽũŭ̇ ŶĞā ĴĢŶ ťũāƑāłŶŭ ƒÖŶāũ ŭÖŶŽũÖŶĢłė ŶĞā ƒĞŋķā ÖũāÖ̇ ũāùŽóĢłė ŶĞā ũĢŭĴ ŋĕ ŽłŭĢėĞŶķƘ ðķÖóĴ ĿŋŽķù ĕŋũĿĢłė̇ Öłù ũāùŽóĢłė ŶĞā ũĢŭĴ ŋĕ Ŀŋũā ŭāũĢŋŽŭ ĢŭŭŽāŭ ŭŽóĞ Öŭ ƪ ŋŋũ óŋķķÖťŭā Öłù ťũŋŶāóŶĢłė ŋŶĞāũ ŭŽũĕÖóāŭ ƑŽķłāũÖðķā Ŷŋ óŋũũŋŭĢŋł̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˝ˡ

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Vans & Racking

Drivers not adhering to hands-free mobile use on the go A recent study from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has shown that less than half of van drivers use handsfree or Bluetooth technology while driving, putting them at risk of a 200 ﬁne and si penalty points for making calls on the go. The latest research showed that the average worker makes seven calls a day while driving, spending an average of 37 minutes on the phone for work each day. Despite this, only 41% frequently use hands free

Bluetooth technology, while Scottish van drivers are twice as likely to give handsfree a miss compared to any other region.

Clamp down

and Bluetooth technology. 23% of drivers don’t even have a handsfree kit in their van. Even more worrying, it was found that 17% of drivers admit to sending and receiving te ts,

checking e-mails or posting on social media while driving. The research also revealed van drivers in London, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North East are most likely to dial using

The news comes three years after tougher laws were introduced to clamp down on mobile phone use behind the wheel. The legislation includes not only making calls, but also te ting, taking selfies or posting on social media. Since March 2017, drivers have faced a fine of 200 and a si penalty points, meaning being caught twice is enough to get a licence revoked. laire English, head of fleet at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, says: “Mobile phone use behind the wheel is a topic that we’ve been monitoring for the past couple of years and the recent statistics show it is still a huge safety problem on UK roads. Despite carrying a hefty

punishment, it lacks the taboo of other offences, such as drinkdriving, and this needs to change. “As part of our ‘Working With You’ promise, we’re committed to improving safety on UK roads for both our customers and other road users, always ensuring we provide the right equipment for the job, including offering a handsfree kit as standard across the range.”

On board

VW’s Bluetooth hands-free kit comes as standard on all its vans, and for complete convenience, the brand’s vehicles also offer App Connect (wireless on the recently launched Transporter 6.1) which allows access to certain apps on the move and includes the facility to dictate and listen to te ts or hatsApp messages without taking their eyes off the road. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/

Improve organisation with labeling system

Be an ace behind the wheel with compact van The new Proace City marks Toyota’s entry into the compact van segment, with a five-model line-up featuring two equipment grades (Active and Icon) and two body lengths. With a 1000kg payload, both the short and long versions have a cargo area that’s big enough to accommodate two Europallets. The City can also tow a trailer of up to 1.5 tonnes. A choice of two 1.5-litre diesel units – badged 75hp and 100hp offer claimed economy of around 50 miles per gallon. Both engines are matched to a five-speed manual transmission. Maintenance schedules are up to 25,000 miles/two years, and the vans are covered by a five-year/100,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty. The Proace City is available with either two individual front seats or a driver’s seat and twoseat bench, the latter with the Smart Cargo option which uses a

38.indd 1

folding outer passenger seat and a hatch in the bulkhead to gain an e tra 0.4m3 of load space. It also increases ma imum load length by 1.3m so that ladders and piping can be carried internally. The passenger seatback closest to the driver can also be folded over to form a desktop.

Comfort features

The e uipment speciﬁcation for the Active models includes air conditioning, automatic headlights, heated door mirrors and DAB audio with USB port and Bluetooth. The higher spec Icon adds features such as a multimedia system with eight-inch touchscreen, smartphone integration, the Smart Cargo system, electronic parking brake, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, power-folding door mirrors, and cruise control with speed limiter. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/ 2

To enhance the organisation in vehicles and decrease searching times, Sortimo has launched a label service for its SR5 racking systems. The company says a labeling system on individual SR5 components, such as standard shelves, drawers, cases and BOXXes, makes the back of the van more organised and distinctly structured. A labeling system may greatly reduce time used searching for tools, and improves the reﬁll process. If all labels are created together with the SR5 van racking system, the vehicle will be delivered and ready for use – meaning completely equipped and labeled, ensuring

that the installer and the service technician can instantly approach their customers giving a professional impression. ustomers with e isting R5 racking can also beneﬁt from the labeling service. All they have to do is go to the online mySortimo conﬁgurator and follow the

instructions. After completing the conﬁguration and the order process, the created labels will be saved in the customer’s mySortimo Account, designed to make re-ordering in the future quick and easy. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/ 3

Black edition that looks the business Renault Pro+ has launched a striking Black Edition of its award-winning ew Traﬁc commercial vehicle featuring e clusive design touches and the

latest convenience technologies as standard. Available in panel van and crew van versions, the new edition features black alloy

wheels, ‘Black Edition’ badging and graphics, piano black grille surround, piano black styling blade in lower grille, and bodycolour side mouldings. The Black Edition is also available in a selection of e terior colours including Urban Grey, Mercury, Glacier White and Jet Black. A rear parking camera makes it easier for the driver when attempting to manoeuvre the Traﬁc in tight situations and means they don’t have to rely solely on the rear parking sensors and wing mirrors. The climate control settings ensure the cabin is always at the right temperature. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/ 4

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Test & Measuring Instruments 39

Detection made easy Moisture detection and thermal imaging can help to identify both the symptom and the cause of issues that don’t always show up to the naked eye. Andy Baker ĕũŋĿ DdR ƘŭŶāĿŭ āƗťķÖĢłŭ Ğŋƒ ŶĞā ũĢėĞŶ ĢłŭŶũŽĿāłŶ óÖł ťŽŶ ƘŋŽ Ģł ŶĞā ťĢóŶŽũā̍

hermal imaging has become a game changer for most contractors and others in the building trades. It helps them identify and document energy loss and other problems they could łŋŶ ŋŶĞāũƒĢŭā āÖŭĢķƘ Ʃ łù̍ ¦ĞĢŭ ŭÖƑāŭ time and money for the homeowner Öłù ŽķŶĢĿÖŶāķƘ ðāłāƩ Ŷŭ ðŽŭĢłāŭŭ owners too. Most recently, the trade has also ðāėŽł Ŷŋ ũāÖķĢŭā ŶĞā ðāłāƩ Ŷŭ ŋĕ ťÖĢũĢłė thermal imaging with moisture detection and it is a combination that can be particularly helpful to those in plumbing and HVAC. Finding the source of a water leak or moisture ingress is not always ŭĢĿťķā ŋũ ŋðƑĢŋŽŭ̍ ¦Ğā ùÖĿÖėā ĿÖƘ ðā āƑĢùāłŶ ŋł Ö óāĢķĢłė̇ ðŽŶ ŶĞā ŭŋŽũóā ŋĕ ŶĞā ťũŋðķāĿ óŋŽķù ðā Ģł Ö ùĢƦ āũāłŶ ũŋŋĿ ŋũ ÖłŋŶĞāũ ƪ ŋŋũ ŋĕ ŶĞā ðŽĢķùĢłė̍ This is where the bigger picture is needed and the twin technology ÖťťũŋÖóĞ Ģŭ ťÖũŶĢóŽķÖũķƘ āƦ āóŶĢƑā̍

Detective work Thermal imaging, on its own, can identify that there is an issue, but cannot distinguish between cold temperatures and moisture. Both show up as a dark blue image, so contractors cannot tell if the problem is caused by energy loss and cold air, or moisture intrusion. mŋĢŭŶŽũā ĿāŶāũŭ óÖł ŋłķƘ ėĢƑā ŭťŋŶ data on easily accessible surfaces, ŭŋ ĢŶ Ģŭ ùĢƧ óŽķŶ Ŷŋ Öŭŭāŭŭ ŶĞā āƗŶāłŶ of moisture damage using this method alone. Often the only answer is to tear down structures, such as ƒÖķķŭ ŋũ óāĢķĢłėŭ̇ Ŷŋ ĢłƑāŭŶĢėÖŶā ŶĞā ťũŋðķāĿ̍ ¦ĞĢŭ Ģŭ ðŋŶĞ ùĢŭũŽťŶĢƑā Ŷŋ the customer and increases the cost, as ultimately the damage must be ũāóŶĢƩ āù̍ Putting the two technologies ŶŋėāŶĞāũ ėĢƑāŭ óŋłŶũÖóŶŋũŭ Ö óŋĿťāŶĢŶĢƑā āùėā̍ ŭĢłė ŶĞāũĿÖķ ĢĿÖėĢłė Ŷŋ Ʃ łù ŶĞā ĢŭŭŽā Öłù ŶĞā ĿŋĢŭŶŽũā ĿāŶāũ Ŷŋ ƑāũĢĕƘ ĢŶ ŭÖƑāŭ ŶĢĿā Öłù ŽłłāóāŭŭÖũĢķƘ ĢłƑÖŭĢƑā troubleshooting. The thermal camera guides the moisture meter to the area

of concern so the user can isolate the problem and quickly determine its ŭāũĢŋŽŭłāŭŭ Öłù āƗŶāłŶ̍ ¦Ğā ŋłėŋĢłė ùāƑāķŋťĿāłŶ ŋĕ ðŋŶĞ ŶāóĞłŋķŋėĢāŭ ėĢƑāŭ ťķŽĿðāũŭ Öłù NÁ ! āłėĢłāāũŭ ùĢƦ āũāłŶ ƒÖƘŭ Ŷŋ ÖóĞĢāƑā ŶĞĢŭ óŋĿðĢłÖŶĢŋł Ŷŋ ĿāāŶ ŶĞā needs of the job and keep within a modest budget. You can now choose from an increasingly sophisticated range of low cost thermal imaging cameras and pair them with moisture ĿāŶāũŭ ŋũ āƑāł óĞŋŋŭā Öł ĢłŭŶũŽĿāłŶ which combines both technologies in a single unit.

Andy Baker

Separate devices

Sales director North Europe for FLIR Systems

¦Ğā óĞŋĢóā ŋĕ āłŶũƘ ķāƑāķ ŶĞāũĿÖķ ĢĿÖėĢłė óÖĿāũÖŭ ĞÖŭ łāƑāũ ðāāł greater for plumbing and HVAC applications, starting with thermal imaging units that can connect with your mobile phone to become the ƑĢāƒāũ̍ ¦Ğāŭā ŽłĢŶŭ ŋťāũÖŶā ƒĢŶĞ Ģz Öłù łùũŋĢù ùāƑĢóāŭ Öłù ÖŶŶÖóĞ āÖŭĢķƘ to the smartphone without needing to ũāĿŋƑā ŶĞā ťĞŋłā óÖŭā̍ Professional features include multiple spot temperature meters and one-touch reporting capabilities to interpret and share results quickly. At the higher end of the range you ƒĢķķ Ʃ łù ŭŶÖłùÖũù ĕāÖŶŽũāŭ ŶĞÖŶ include sophisticated technology like multispectral dynamic imaging. ¦ĞĢŭ ĢłłŋƑÖŶĢŋł̇ ƒĞĢóĞ Ģŭ ðũÖłù ŭťāóĢƩ ó̇ ŋƑāũķÖƘŭ Ö ƑĢŭŽÖķ ĢĿÖėā ŋłŶŋ ĢŶŭ ŶĞāũĿÖķ óŋŽłŶāũťÖũŶ Ŷŋ ťũŋƑĢùā ŶĞā user with as much detail as possible to make problem diagnosis more āƧ óĢāłŶ̍ RŶ Ģŭ Öł āƗÖĿťķā ŋĕ Ğŋƒ ùāƑāķŋťĿāłŶŭ Ģł ĞĢėĞ-end camera ŶāóĞłŋķŋėƘ ĞÖƑā ðāāł ũŋķķāù ùŋƒł ŭŋ ŶĞā ŶũÖùāŭ óÖł ðāłāƩ Ŷ Ŷŋŋ̍ Many contractors are now ĿŋƑĢłė Žť ĕũŋĿ ŶĞāĢũ ÖùÖťŶāù smartphone to a slim, dedicated óÖĿāũÖ ŶĞÖŶ Ʃ Ŷŭ óŋĿĕŋũŶÖðķƘ ĢłŶŋ Ö ťŋóĴāŶ ŭŋ ĢŶ Ģŭ ĢłŭŶÖłŶķƘ ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā ĕŋũ ŶũŋŽðķāŭĞŋŋŶĢłė̍ RŶ óÖł ðā Žŭāù Ŷŋ Ʃ łù hidden hotspots, energy waste, water damage, clogged pipes, sinks and toilets and many HVAC issues. Again, dependent on the make and model, these cameras can Öķŭŋ ĢłóķŽùā ÂĢDĢ óŋłłāóŶĢƑĢŶƘ Öŭ Ö standard feature to streamline image ŶũÖłŭĕāũ Ŷŋ Ö ĿŋðĢķā ùāƑĢóā ŋũ !̍ Heading up the range of both thermal imaging cameras and moisture meters, wireless óŋłłāóŶĢƑĢŶƘ ťũŋƑĢùāŭ ÖłŋŶĞāũ combination option. Some models of pin and pinless moisture meters communicate directly with compatible thermal imaging cameras so that moisture readings become directly embedded in the radiometric infrared image. This

Using thermal ĢĿÖėĢłė Ŷŋ Ʃłù ŶĞā issue and the moisture meter to verify it saves time and unnecessarily invasive troubleshooting

W A thermal imaging camera is a quick way to identify missing insulation in a ceiling

The FLIR MR˛ˠˠ with external pin probes helps to quickly find moisture, air leaks, and insulation voids

ťũŋƑĢùāŭ óŋłŶũÖóŶŋũŭ ƒĢŶĞ Öķķ the information they need to determine the true nature of the problem before remedial action is taken.

Combined technologies The latest option is a moisture meter with built-in thermal imaging capability. It shows ŶĞā Žŭāũ āƗÖóŶķƘ ƒĞāũā to focus their attention, ťũŋƑĢùĢłė Öķķ ŶĞā ĿāÖŭŽũāĿāłŶ capabilities needed for fast troubleshooting. It allows ŶĞā Žŭāũ Ŷŋ ŭāā ĢłƑĢŭĢðķā cold temperature patterns associated with moisture āƑÖťŋũÖŶĢŋł Öłù ėŽĢùāŭ them to the precise spot that needs further testing and ĢłƑāŭŶĢėÖŶĢŋł̍

ŽóĞ Ö ùāƑĢóā Ģŭ Öķŭŋ Ö ƑÖķŽÖðķā ÖŭŭāŶ ùŽũĢłė ŶĞā drying process. A quick thermal scan with the instrument will ŭĞŋƒ ƒĞāũā ŶĞā āƑÖťŋũÖŶĢŋł process is not up to speed. Quick adjustments to the blower and ùāĞŽĿĢùĢƩ óÖŶĢŋł āŨŽĢťĿāłŶ can then be made to get the drying process back on track.

Best choice In summary, choosing the best way of pairing moisture detection and thermal imaging largely depends on the scope of the job. At FLIR ƘŭŶāĿŭ ƒā ŋƦ āũ Ö ƒĢùā óĞŋĢóā of instruments. For further information on the range, please use the link below. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˞˙

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Test & Measuring Instruments

The evolution of measuring technology The way we heat our homes and businesses continues to evolve, but engineers can be assured that test and measuring instruments will continue to meet their needs says on Bawden from Testo

e live in an ever-changing world, and even within the sphere of HVAC test instruments there have been several evolutions in recent times. Some engineers will remember times when electronic flue gas analysers were only just coming onto the market, and with the potential for significant changes in the way that domestic and commercial properties will be heated in the future, many engineers will be keeping one eye on future trends and how that might dictate which test e uipment they invest in. One heating system appliance that has certainly been in the news recently is the heat pump – with the UK government committing itself to the ambitious target set by the CCC (Committee for Climate hange). One of the first steps proposed towards the eventual net-zero carbon target is that all new homes built from 2025 will have to look to alternatives to the traditional gas boiler for heating, as the homes will not

Jon Bawden

Product manager HVACR, Testo UK

Modern measuring technology has today’s smart and digitally networked world

be connected to any e isting gas infrastructure. This will mean that a focus will be put onto heat pumps as a readily available and proven technology for supplying heating, and many installers will need both training and new test equipment.

Testo, as a world-wide manufacturer of HVAC test and measurement equipment, is uni uely placed to provide for this inﬂu of engineers as we have been supplying our digital refrigeration manifolds and other heat pump service instruments for many years already, albeit to a smaller market than is e pected in the future. Our 550 and 557 digital manifolds help heat pump engineers to uickly assess the

 The testo 300 features an easy to read display and can transmit data directly to a smartphone

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pressures/temperatures around the low-pressure and highpressure sides of a heat pump system and evaluate if these readings are within the required parameters. There are other changes within the world of air conditioning, with moves towards the use of refrigerant gases with a lower GWP (global warming potential), but again we can assist engineers with products to ensure that any regassing of systems is effective and correct. One major beneﬁt of our 550 or 557 digital manifolds is that, unlike traditional analogue’ type manifold gauges, they can easily be updated for future refrigerants as they become available.

Another area where significant changes are taking place in the test equipment market is with connectivity at the heart of new technology are apps which can turn your smartphone or tablet into one of your most important tools. This fundamentally changes not only the measurements themselves, but also the documentation and processing of the data. With products such as our 300 smart’ analyser, you are seeing the merging of smartphone and measuring device this flue gas analyser for both domestic or commercial applications brings the ease of use we have all become used to with smartphones straight to the heart of a flue gas analyser. All measurement data can be conveniently transmitted direct from the analyser via a i i

 The testo digital manifold helps engineers to quickly assess heat pump performance

hotspot as an email to the o ce or to the customer, and then archived without paper.

Hydrogen trials e may be seeing further changes to the flue gas analyser in coming years as one area currently seeing significant development is in the area of hydrogen as a long-term replacement for natural gas, as this will fully assist in the move to net-zero carbon within the heating sector. urrently there are ongoing trials to both look at an initial move to blend an addition of hydrogen into the e isting gas infrastructure and appliances with very little change required to both, however an end move to a 100% hydrogen heating supply will see many changes in both the design of appliances and also the flue gas analysers re uired to install and service them. So, to sum up: modern measuring technology has finally arrived in today’s smart and digitally networked world and is making your smartphone tablet just as helpful and indispensable in everyday working life as it is in private life. Mobile use, intuitive operation, and simple data transmission means savings in both time and money, enabling you to impress your customers with lean processes and fast response times, however the picture for test instruments is continuously evolving to match changing demands. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/

27/03/2020 11:40

PHAM APR20 EDIT:Layout 1 27/03/2020 13:48 Page 41

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Test & Measuring Instruments 41 Quick and convenient thermal vision 'āŶāóŶĢłė ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũāŭ ƒĢŶĞĢł a range of -˚˙C° to +˝˙˙C°, the Bosch GTC ˝˙˙ ! ŋƦ āũŭ four convenient measurement functions: Automatic (for automated temperature ranges), Manual mode (which allows temperature ķĢĿĢŶŭ ĕŋũ ùĢƦ āũāłŶ scenarios), Cold 'āŶāóŶŋũ ̛ŭĞŋƒĢłė only cold spots in an intuitive grayscale display for easy readability) and Heat 'āŶāóŶŋũ ̛ĞĢėĞķĢėĞŶĢłė ŶĞā hottest areas on screen). The built-in visual camera is automatically activated when the device is switched on. The intuitive display presents temperature

ùĢƦ āũāłóāŭ ƒĢŶĞĢł ŶĞā óÖĿāũÖ̪ŭ Ʃ āķù ŋĕ ƑĢāƒ ƒĞāł ŭóÖłłĢłė Ö room, displaying the hottest and coldest areas. This enables the user to draw clear conclusions about the temperature distributions and locate their causes. While having a large internal storage of up to ˞˙˙ thermal measurements, there is also the option to transfer and store measurements either by downloading the images onto a device through its WiFi hotspot or connecting the GTC to a computer via a micro USB cable. To import images onto a device, the user will

need to download the free Bosch Measuring Master app. Once connected, all images that have been stored within the device can be quickly transferred onto the Žŭāũ̪ŭ ŭĿÖũŶťĞŋłā ŋũ ŶÖðķāŶ̍ ¦ĞāƘ can then be edited on the app for further analysis.

Freeze and save A freeze and save process allows thermal images to be explained and saved. To activate this function, simply aim the GTC at the point of interest then freeze the image using the red trigger positioned on the back of the tool. The image can then be saved in the Ŷŋŋķ̪ŭ ĢĿÖėā ŭŶŋũÖėā̍ The tool boasts a large ˜.˞in. colour display enhancing user readability, while the ˚˟˙ x ˚˛˙ infrared sensor resolution

Handheld air meter instruments A new range of high accuracy handheld measuring instruments has been launched by Sensing Precision. The Compact Air Meter (CAM) range includes four standalone handheld instruments: Ŷƒŋ ùĢƦ āũāłŶĢÖķ ťũāŭŭŽũā ĢłŭŶũŽĿāłŶŭ̆ ' ˙˛ (˙-±˞˙˙ Ö̜ Öłù ŶĞā ' ˚˙ (˙-±˛˞˙˙Pa); and two ambient conditions instruments: BP˜˛ Barometer (including thermohygrometer to measure temperature and humidity) and TH˟˙ (temperature and humidity). Each of the CAM instruments is supplied with UKAS traceable calibration and a complementary clam shell protective case. They can be operated on a single ˢV PP˜ battery for over ˞˙ hours or can be powered directly from the USB port. Each instrument is equipped with a memory chip for high volume data logging, and data logs can be ũāÖù ùĢũāóŶ Ŷŋ ŶĞā d!' Öłù ŋŽŶťŽŶ ƑĢÖ ŶĞā ̍

Easy way to take a temperature

The Thermapen IR from ETI is an infrared thermometer that combines the technology of two products – the RayTemp ˛ Plus infrared thermometer and the Thermapen Professional digital probe. The device features a max/min temperature function accessed via the mode button (IR only). The distance-to-target ratio is ˞̆˚, therefore the thermometer should be positioned as close to the target as possible. The default emissivity is ˙̍ˢ˞ but can be adjusted between ˙̍˚ and ˚̍˙ if required via the mode button. It is also possible to take liquid temperatures using the reduced tip, stainless steel penetration probe (Ø˜̍˜ x ˚˚˙ mm). ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˞˞

“These compact high accuracy handheld instruments are an exciting new addition to our ũÖłėā̧̇ ŭÖƘŭ m' łùũāƒ NÖĿŭĞāũā̍ ̦¦ĞāƘ ƒĢķķ Ʃ ķķ Ö ėÖť Ģł ŶĞā ĿÖũĴāŶ ĕŋũ ťŋũŶÖðķā ÖóóŽũÖŶā handheld meters for engineers to carry out reliable measurements.” ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˞˜

provides the ability to quickly detect temperature variances. ¦Ğā F¦! ŋƦ āũŭ ÖŽŶŋ ŭóÖķā Öłù Ʃ Ɨāù ŭóÖķā ŋťŶĢŋłŭ Öłù̇ ŶĞÖłĴŭ Ŷŋ high thermal sensitivity, even the ŭĿÖķķāŭŶ ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũā ùĢƦ āũāłóāŭ can be displayed. The user has to simply set the temperature scale to their preferred range, which

will result in only the relevant temperatures being displayed. The device can be powered by both ˚˙̍ˡ V and ˚˛ V Li-ion battery packs, while also providing the option of being powered by four AA batteries using the Bosch AA˚ battery adaptor. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˞˛

Performing under pressure Said to be suitable for any domestic pressure testing, the APM ˚˝˞ 'ĢƦ āũāłŶĢÖķ ũāŭŭŽũā māŶāũ from Anton features infrared and wireless data transfer. Tests include: timed let-by/stabilisation and tightness test; working pressure test; operating pressure ŶāŭŶ Öłù ƪ Žā ùũÖŽėĞŶ ŶāŭŶ̍ The device will save logs and print test results to a printer with your company name and number, or wireless transfer to the Sprint Mobile app to create a professional

and personalised customer report. Easy to use, it features a large, high resolution colour display and comes complete with rubber boot, magnet, tilt stand and hanging hook. A pressure hose and protective hard carry pouch are available as optional extras. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˝˛˙̓˞˝

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Test & Measuring Instruments

How new technology can take better care Making the best use of technology with your Flue Gas Analyser saves you time and money, reduces downtime, makes you look professional and reduces your liability in case of an accident – Peter Philpott from TPI Europe explains more.

he cost of not being able to complete a job can prove to be expensive and causes many frustrations for you and your customer. The cost could even be higher when it comes to your liability in case of an accident. Combustion analysis is vital to the safety and performance of heating equipment and gas appliances. Modern working practices and an increasingly competitive marketplace require an analyser to do more than sample gas. Given this increased level of complexity, the FGA/ECGA has become an essential piece of equipment for installations, commissioning, servicing, and maintenance of a gas appliance.

Peter Philpott

Sales & marketing director at TPI

Reliable service Ensuring the highest level of operational reliability comes with product specification and design. Having introduced a system over eight years ago, at TPI we continue to use this proven method of avoiding water and dust ingress, with a pump protection filter and a water-stop disc filter in the lid of the FGA’s robust water-trap housing. Even during the design stage, when re-imagining the Flue Gas Anaylser itself, we have ensured that they will reduce downtime and any risk of incorrect readings. Technology helps here by alerting the user if the flow rate is compromised, shutting off the pump and only allowing the user to restart the pump once the blockage is clear. In fact, this can all be done remotely, via Bluetooth, with the TPI View app and our DC710 instrument. It is equally as important to look for FGAs that have ‘calibration countdown clocks’ which will alert the user one month prior to the next calibration due date. Better still, the TPI View app colour  The DC 0 Flue Gas Analyser can be used with a range of Smart Bluetooth Probes

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 The DC 0 will alert the user to any high levels of CO which may cause damage to the sensor

codes the next calibration due date, alerting the user when calibration is nearing and then preventing the user from accessing the ﬂue gas analysis section when calibration is overdue. It also goes one step further in allowing the user to book in the return of the DC710 through the app, making the whole process easy and less time consuming. As well as using technology to keep your FGA running on a day-to-day basis, there are many advantages to the engineer which can help streamline their businesses by providing some, or in the case of the TPI DC710 and the accompanying TPI View app, all of the following features:

 Colour codes make it easier for the engineer to be alerted to any issues that might need attention

 TPI’s DC 0 uses Bluetooth technology to link the instrument to a smartphone or tablet

• Colour coded, green, amber, red readings, such as ‘in-spec’ ratio etc… making it easier to identify any issues

However, where using this type of technology really protects the engineer is that each and every report created is not only time and date stamped but also has a GPS location. This provides the user with unequivocal proof that the readings taken were done so using a working, in-calibration FGA, and records the exact time, date and location where the tasks were performed.

• Eliminate human error by auto populating sets of readings directly into a Landlord Gas Safety Record • Name sets of readings for ‘high’ or ‘low’ rate tests

• Organise these sets of readings into an easy-tonavigate job management tool • Add results and/or tests from other sources such as let-by/tightness tests, ambient CO2 temperature readings • Allow each job to have an • Allow each job to be completed

• Email completed jobs to multiple recipients, which is invaluable when submitting proof of sub-contract work, or for multinational organisations taking liability for assigned works

Integrated tool Moving forward, with new technology it will become easier to integrate FGAs into existing systems, such as what we have already achieved with the E pert Trades O ce app, making them an even more essential tool, but one that the engineer feels is adding more than just readings to his portfolio. In short, making the best use of modern technology can help to reduce costs, make an engineer’s workload lighter and keep the FGA running from day to day. It also streamlines the annual recalibration and provides security for the contractor/organisation and the engineer, and – most importantly – overall protection for the customer. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/ 6

29/03/2020 09:00

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Product News 43 Upgrades to a key range The QR Series of boilers from ATAG Commercial boasts a stainless steel heat exchanger and features a new burner control unit with LCD display, built-in pump, and an integrated zone management system for up to three central heating zones. This new range replaces the existing Q Series. Each boiler benefits from multiple cascade configurations as well as numerous flue options for a wide range of applications. There are four models of system boiler in the new QR Series range, beginning with the Q25SR, which offers outputs of 4.4 25kW. The Q38SR has outputs of 6.1 38kW, while the Q51SR is capable of 8.8-51kW. Finally, the Q60SR can achieve outputs of 8.8 60kW. For light commercial applications, system models can be fitted in cascade, with up to eight units on a

rig, combining to offer an output up to 500kW. Complementing these units are three combi boilers, with the Q25 R offering outputs of 6.1 25kW for central heating and DHW. The Q38CR achieves 6.1 38kW for heating and hot water, while the range is completed by the Q51CR, which boasts outputs of 8.8-51kW. The introduction of the built-in LMS controller removes the need for an additional external control. Another innovation sees the non-return valve now built into every unit as standard, so it no longer has to be added to the ﬂue. In addition, a wide range of accessories are

ONLINE For further information about any of the products featured on this page, simply visit phamnews. co.uk/420/ followed by the relevant enquiry number.

available, including low loss headers, hydraulic separation units, ﬂoor standing frames, pressurisation units, and expansion vessels. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/

Detector delivers an early warning The company behind the Hotun dry-trap tundish – a product that safely and compliantly routes relief valve discharge to drain – has now unveiled the Hotun Detect. The new device from RA Tech builds on its predecessor by offering a proactive warning for boilers and unvented cylinders. The Hotun Detect has an electronic sensor which detects both the flow and temperature of water present in the drytrap tundish. It then provides a visual and audible indicator as a simple identifier for homeowners. The design allows precise siting of the sensor, avoiding false alarms while still providing an alert, even in a trickle flow scenario. Its clip-on design also means it can be fitted in seconds

Best of both join up in shower WC Roca has combined the best bits of two of its shower WCs - In-Tank and the In- ash Inspira to offer the new In-Wash with In-Tank WC. The In-Wash Inspira incorporates smart technology for personal hygiene that provides complete cleaning and comfort with built-in bidet facilities. The In-Tank does not require the installation of a separation cistern since it is actually integrated into the bowl. These two products have now come together to deliver an easy-to-use, simple-to-install WC. “We are truly excited to be launching the In-Wash with In-Tank,” comments Claire Gay, marketing manager at Roca. “These two products stand out in their own right, but by bringing them together, we’ve taken a huge step forward in terms of technology, design and functionality. The features and beneﬁts the In-Wash with In-Tank offers are miles ahead of anything else available on the market. We know our customers are going to love this new product as much as we do.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/

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and is retroﬁttable onto all previously installed Hotun dry-trap tundishes. “The Hotun dry-trap tundish not only made it easier to route the relief valve discharge to drain, it also made diagnosing that the valve had discharged simpler too,” explains Russell Armstrong, MD at RA Tech. “The Hotun Detect takes this a step further by audibly and visually alerting a homeowner or installer that there may be an issue with a system, if the relief valve is activated. By enabling this step change from passive to active warning, remedial work can be carried out before a breakdown or other serious problem, saving time and money for installers and their customers.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/

Pre-wall bathroom solution Prevista is the name of Viega’s new pre-wall bathroom technology, featuring a newly redesigned pre-wall element engineered to deliver easier, fle ible installation and simple maintenance. It incorporates a new cistern that builds on the merits of the previous Viega pre-wall systems. Prevista is compatible with all Viega Visign flush plates. The frames and flush plates can be installed and configured uickly and easily with minimal tools required. All manually installed or adjusted components are coloured yellow for easy identification. The frame is height adjustable as standard to allow up to a 60mm adjustment. It also features a universal shower toilet connection, providing simple compatibility with this increasingly popular choice of WC. Prevista has three standard types: Dry for wall installation, Dry Plus for rail mounting, and Pure for wet construction. Within these broad types are options for WCs, wash basins and urinals as well as low-height WC systems for where vertical wall space is limited. “Prevista marks a huge step forward for pre-wall systems,” says Scott James, director at Viega. “The product is the result of years of experience in the prewall sector and continual research and development. The newly redesigned and reengineered cistern, combined with an award-winning range of flush plates, allows unrivalled fle ibility, choice and performance. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/60

Lightweight system manages stormwater The Flowloc system, recently relaunched by Marley Plumbing & Drainage, is designed to work in conjunction with a stormwater attenuation tank to help manage the rate at which stored water is released into natural water courses or sewer systems during a heavy rainfall. The product is able to accommodate flow rates ranging from 2.5 to 18 litres/sec and comprises a vorte flow control unit and pre fitted inlet filter, all supplied within the chamber base. The system is also available with an extensive range of orifice plates, enabling housebuilders to provide tailored control over the water discharge rate. Available as a pre-packaged ‘drop-in’ solution, with the polyethylene chamber containing the riser kit, heavy duty aluminium flow control unit, inlet filter and overflow pipe, lowloc is said to provide housebuilders with a more cost-effective, lightweight, and e cient means of installation compared to alternative concrete solutions. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/6

27/03/2020 12:14

COMPETITION

WIN A DIGITAL SHOWER WITH MIRA!

PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Product News New aluminium radiator designs

We've teamed up with MIRA SHOWERS to offer one lucky reader the new Mira Mode Maxim digital shower. THE PRIZE The app-enabled MIRA MODE MAXIM digital shower provides an immersive showering experience from a luxurious 300mm deluge showerhead. It features Mira's CloudCoreTM spray technology, which is a removable central mist core with optional secondary spray for hard water installations. The handshower has a choice of four different sprays: saturate, soak, stimulate and soothe. Users can switch the Mira Mode Maxim digital shower on and off with the Mira Mode app, plus set the temperature and duration of the shower. The competition winner will receive a High-Pressure Dual Outlet Mira Mode Maxim.

The recycled aluminium designer radiator collection from Vasco is said to offer both excellent heat conduction and eyecatching designs. Models include Oni and Beams Mono (pictured), both available in 'plug & play' electronic versions (EL). Oni remains Vasco’s thinnest radiator with a depth of just 8mm, while Beams Mono features sleek vertical profiles in a width of just 150 mm. Beams Mono-EL can be displayed as a single profile or up to three vertical profile installations. The profiles have been fitted with additional fins to increase the heat output. The Oni-EL models provide a heat output of 750W at 1400mm height or 1000W at 1800mm height and the Beams Mono-EL delivers 950W per 150mm wide profile. All models in the range are available in 56 contemporary colours, including new Noble colours: pink, silver, pearl beige, cold curry and bronze. Optional towel rails are also available in a variety of colours and styles to further enhance the functionality of the radiators.

To aid customer choice the new VascoInspiration app uses Augmented Reality to make it possible to visualise how different styles and colours might bring individual interior design visions to life. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/62

Compact handwash units Two new handwash units have been unveiled by Triton to provide an improved offering for commercial environments working to enhanced hygiene needs within space constraints. Both the Instaﬂow T30iR and the T30i are said to be ideal for cloakrooms and utility rooms, along with businesses such as workshops or garages, with no hot water supply.

The T30iR model provides the additional beneﬁt of infrared motion sensors, allowing users to access water without touching the unit. This handsfree operation helps to prevent the spread of germs, and a timed shut down, plus a seasonal temperature adjustment feature, minimises wastage. The Triton T30i (pictured) is a compact unit for ﬁtting into small areas needing a source of instant hot water, whether adjacent to a toilet or within a simple store room. This manual handwash includes a new nozzle designed to eliminate splashback, along with a 100 or 200mm swivel arm accessory, adjusting to any basin size. The new models will be available from May this year. To register early interest and for more information, please use the link below. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/63

Steaming tap chills out HOW TO ENTER For a chance to win a Mira Mode Maxim digital shower, just answer the following question:

What is the name of Mira Mode Maxim's spray technology? A. CloudBurst

B. CloudCore

C. CloudCover

Email your answer to editor@phamnewsedit.co.uk with ‘Maxim’ in the subject line. Please make sure you include the following:

* Your name * Your company’s name * Contact telephone number * Please type ‘YES’ in the body of your email if you are happy to be contacted by MIRA for marketing purposes All correct answers received before the closing date of 30th April 2020 will be entered into the prize draw. Only one entry per person will be allowed.

www.mirashowers.co.uk 44.indd 1

Now available as an add-on for InSinkErator’s range of 4N1 Touch taps is the NeoChiller, which dispenses filtered, chilled water at the touch of a button. With a 2-litre capacity, the NeoChiller dispenses up to 7 litres of chilled water per hour. Featuring the latest ice-bank cooling technology, the NeoChiller dispenses refrigerated water between 3°C and 10°C. It also connects easily to the in-line InSinkErator water filter to reduce chlorine and remove limescale and other impurities, as well as improving the overall taste of the water. When connected to the NeoChiller, the InSinkErator 4N1 Touch tap instantly provides a stream of refrigerated, filtered water. The combination tap also safely dispenses filtered steaming hot water, alongside regular hot and cold water, removing the need for multiple kitchen taps, kettles and water filter jugs. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/64

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Product News 45 Hot water taps combine style with safety A contemporary collection of hot water taps has been launched by PJH. The Prima+ 3-in-1 Hot Taps are available in four finishes brushed copper (above right), matt black, (below right), chrome, and bushed steel. Offering a choice of instantly boiled water (at a ma imum temperature of 98 ) and normal hot or cold filtered water, the 3-in-1 Hot Tap comes supplied with a 2.4 litre hot tap tank as well as a UK-manufactured water filter. ith a

Furniture range has curves in all the right places Bathroom specialist Hudson Reed has launched a new modular furniture range, Sarenna, as a re-style on the modular range previously featured in its bathroom collection. The selection of wall hung vanity units are available in three satin finishes Moon hite, ove rey and Mineral Blue (pictured). These units are available in 1000mm and 700mm widths and feature a white, slim polymarble basin with two spacious drawers. The 1000mm model incorporates an extra side cupboard. The range also includes a wall hung 350mm tall unit, a wall hung 300mm side unit, and a floor-standing 550mm WC unit – all available in the three contemporary colour finishes. Hudson Reed says the Sarenna range has been designed and manufactured to exacting quality standards, making it extremely hardwearing and easy to maintain. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/6

Drift away in luxurious freestanding bath The rift reestanding Bath from ater Baths of Ashbourne has been created to elevate a daily ritual to a moment of escape and indulgence. Modernity combines with sweeping curves thanks to the use of a single piece of 100% recyclable Lucite acrylic, creating this elegant statement bath. ith strength and softness, the rift’s white glossy surface is warm to the touch while harmonising with all other sanitaryware to ensure continuity within the bathroom. The rift reestanding Bath will be available to purchase from May this year. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/6

Towel warmer slips into small spaces Even the smallest of bathrooms can benefit from towel warmers, with Aestus offering its contemporary S70 model. Slimline, wall-mounted and designed for either vertical or horizontal installation, the S70 is manufactured from stainless steel and is available in two finishes polished or brushed stainless steel. Robe hooks can also be specified at point of order, adding greater convenience in the bathroom coupled with the opportunity to tailor the S70 to specific needs. e are finding that ergonomic heating will be a key trend for 2020,” says sales director Steve Birch. “I believe that space-saving designs that are fle ible in terms of style and installation will become hugely beneficial when needing to heat the modern home.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/6

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lever handle for ease of use, these stylish Prima+ kitchen taps boast a tubular, square swivel spout with dual quarter turn operation. A pressureless safety design includes a child safety lock, an anti-scald safety mechanism, and a ‘dry burn’ protection sensor. PJH says durability and performance are ensured due to the tap’s solid brass body construction and high- uality ﬁnish. lus they are backed up by a ten-year guarantee (two-year guarantee on the tank). The 2.4 litre water tank can ﬁt discreetly into the base unit and offers seven temperature options from 75 to 98 . Requiring an operating water pressure of between 1.5 and 5 bar, Prima’s designerinspired 3-in-1 Hot Tap has an overall height of 343mm and a spout reach of 210mm. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/66

Astute choice for the bathroom Astute is the name of the latest towel warmer from Vogue. Made of aluminium, the lightweight model is suitable for installation on both stud and solid walls, and the high output offers a rapid heat-up to ensure warm, dry towels. The contemporary design suits it for modern bathrooms and it is available with 10 cross bars in a 3 3 4 layout. Each formation is ergonomically designed with a subtle camber to provide secure towel drying and a more compelling proﬁle. The Astute is available in two ﬁnishes, either anthracite (pictured) or white, and offers a heat output of 778W for a cosy bathroom environment. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/6

Neoclassical aesthetic

The New Classic bathroom collection by Laufen includes washstands, washbasin bowls, toilets, a bidet and bathtub, faucets, mirrors and accessories, as well as furniture. The contemporary range uses SaphirKeramik, a super-strong ceramic material that allows itself to be fashioned along minimalist lines. The breadth of products in the New Classic range includes washstand countertop washbasins with an integral shelf, coming in widths of 600, 800 and 1200mm. A 500mm-wide hand washbasin and a 550mm-wide washbasin bowl cater for a variety of scenarios. The collection’s bathtub has generous dimensions of 1900 x 900 x 580mm. There are also wall hung bidets, and the WC options encompass wall-hung, ﬂoor-standing, and close-coupled. Finally, there are vanity units for both the countertop and vanity washbasins and the washbasin bowls, as well as a tall cabinet for keeping the bathroom tidy. A comprehensive collection of premium taps puts the ﬁnishing touch to the ew lassic bathroom. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/420/ 0

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Directory Controls

Radiators

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Heaters (Water) phamnews.co.uk/420/105

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Why not order your Radiators online today

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Safety Products

Heating Controls Next day delivery available on 100s of controls

www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk phamnews.co.uk/420/103

Temperature Sensors

phamnews.co.uk/420/108

The Copper King

phamnews.co.uk/420/104

phamnews.co.uk/420/106

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Plumbing Products

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PHAM NEWS | APRIL 2020

Training & Assessments

Information Centre 47 Approved Training Courses in Gas, Electric, Plumbing & Heating & Renewable Energy

Established in 1997 Basildon, Essex SS13 1EU

Small relaxed and friendly classes

For more information visit www.gas-training-and-assessment.co.uk Telephone 01268 727797 or Email gastraining@btconnect.com phamnews.co.uk/420/113 phamnews.co.uk/420/150

Snickers LITEWork Working Clothes The innovative new quick-drying fabrics in this lightweight workwear make them a must for the summer months. The ergonomic, body-mapping Trousers, Shirts, Shorts, mid-layer Jackets and Windproofers have all the comfort and functionality of other Snickers Workwear stretch garments but give extra freedom of movement. Make sure you get the right protection, flexibility, durability and ventilation. Checkout the website and download a digital catalogue at www.snickersworkwear.co.uk or enter the code shown below.

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Advertiser’s Index Aqualisa Products Ltd BES Ltd

CMR Controls Ltd

Conex Universal Ltd

Delabie UK Ltd

Domus Ventilation

Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd

Gas App Uk Ltd

Glow-worm Kamco Ltd

1, 3, 5 6

Kensa Heat Pumps Ltd

Kohler Mira

Navien UK Nest Google

7, 9 14, 15

Pegler Yorkshire Group Ltd

Spirotech UK Ltd

Stiebel Eltron UK Ltd

TPI Europe Ltd

Vaillant Ltd Valsir Wirquin Ltd Worcester Bosch Group phamnews.co.uk/420/112

24, 25 11 20 2

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New Catalogue from Martindale Electrics

Martindale’s latest catalogue includes many new products and useful guides to finding the best tools and accessories for electrical safety, fault finding and certifying installations. It’s the essential reference for all electricians and maintenance personnel working on electrical equipment and installations with simple solutions to stay safe and work smarter. For further information or to obtain your free copy of the latest catalogue, please contact Martindale Electric on 01923 441717 Email sales@martindale-electric.co.uk visit: www.martindale-electric.co.uk or enter the code shown below.

phamnews.co.uk/420/152

Knee and Body Protection from Redbacks Cushioning

The Redbacks Pocket Kneepad is specifically designed to fit work trousers and features the award winning flexible ‘Leaf Spring’ cushioning held within a thermoplastic honeycomb matrix which unlike foam or gel ensures a high compression rate and 100% recovery to its original shape. This combination and the inherent ‘memory’ aspect gives unique controlled weight distribution protecting both the knees and body. For more information or to become a supplier visit: www.redbackscushioning.com email: sales@redbackscushioning.com Telephone: 01327 702104 or enter the code shown below.

phamnews.co.uk/420/153

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