January 2018

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Volume V olume o 56 | Issue 1 | J January anuary 2018

New N ew limit limit p proposed roposed o on n llandlord andlord energy energy upgrades upgrades There are There are fears fears that that tenants tenants could could miss miss out out on on much much needed needed energy energy saving saving measures measures following following Government G overnment p plans lans tto o cap cap the the a amount mount tthat hat llandlords andlords n need eed tto os spend pend tto o bring bring p properties roperties u up p tto os scratch. cratch.

From 1st From 1 st April, April, private private landlords landlords in in England England and Wales Wales will w ill be be prohibited prrohibited from from letting lett ing and proper t ies w it h a n e nerg y p er for mance properties with an energy performance certificate below, certificate of of ‘F’ ‘F’ or or b elow, but but the the Department Department for Business, Energy for B usiness, E nerg y & IIndustrial ndust r ial Strategy St rateg y (BEIS) (BEIS) has has launched launched a c consultation onsultation on on how how much money money landlords landlords should should be be required required to to much spend order ensure spend iin no rder tto oe nsure tthat hat their their properties properties reach tthe he required required standard. standard. reach The would need The money money tthat hat llandlords andlords w ould ne ed to an energy to sspend pend on on a ne nerg y efficiency efficiency upgrade upg rade was was originally or ig inally sset et at at a cost cost limit limit of of £5000, £5000, but be but it it is is now now proposed proposed tthat hat tthis h is b e rreduced educed to half amount.

The cost-cap means to h alf tthat hat a mount. T he c ost-cap m eans domestic pr operties tthat hat c annot b eb rought domestic properties cannot be brought up tto om inimum e nerg y e fficiency sstandards tandards up minimum energy efficiency (MEES) (MEES) with with a £2500 £2500 investment investment may may entitle entitle landlords landlords to to apply apply for for an an exemption. exemption.

It estimated are 280,000 It iis se stimated tthat hat tthere here a re ssome ome 2 80,000 properties England and Wales with EPC properties iin nE ngland a nd W ales w ith E PC ratings off ‘‘F’ and However, according ratings o F’ a nd ‘‘G’.

G’. H owever, a ccording tto o the Government’s Government’s o wn impact impact assessment, assessment, the own limiting limiting the the cost-cap cost-cap to to £2500 £2500 would would see see only only

30% 30% of of these these brought brought up up to to the the legal legal minimum minimum standard by 2020. minimum coststan ndard b y2 020. In In contrast, contrast, a m inimum c ostcap cap of of £5000, £5000, originally originally mooted mooted last last August, August, would 42% homes uplifted. would ssee ee 4 2% of of h omes u plifted.

The The Government Government devised devised the the idea idea of of a costcostcap off iits Green cap after after the the demise demise o ts G reen Deal, Deal, which which would would have have enabled enabled llandlords andlords tto o iimprove mprove tthe he efficiency off ttheir properties without any up efficiency o heir pr operties w ithout a ny u p front cost front c ost to to themselves. themselves.

Campaigners Campaigners and and industry industry groups groups have have

accused Government off w watering down accused tthe he G overnment o atering d own plans protect vulnerable and cut plans tto o pr otect v ulnerable ttenants enants a nd c ut carbon emissions.

Max Wakefield 10:10 carbon e missions. M ax W akefield ffrom rom 1 0:10 Climate cost-cap and Climate Action Action ssays ays tthe he c ost-cap iis s ttoo oo llow ow a nd shows shows that that the the Government Government is is prioritising prioritising the the interests off llandlords. interests o andlords. ““Hundreds Hundreds of of thousands thousands of when, of renters renters will will now now be be left left wondering wondering w hen, if if ever, ever, they they can can expect expect to to live live in in a decent decent home,” he home,” h e ssays. ays.

Joanne Wade, Chief Executive off tthe Joanne W ade, C hief E xecut ive o he Association Conservation off E Energy, Association ffor or tthe he C onser vation o nerg y, adds: alternative off a £ £5000 cap adds: ““The The a lternative o 5000 c ap would would double average energy bill double tthe he a verage e nerg y b ill ssavings av ing s ffor or tenants and 35,000 more homes tenants a nd enable enable 3 5,0 000 m ore h omes tto o be be brought brought up up to to the t he minimum minimum standard.” standard.”

Many Many llandlord andlord groups g roups have have welcomed welcomed the the decision decision tto o rreduce educe the the cost-cap. cost-cap. Richard Richard Jones, consultant att the Jones, a c onsultant a t he Residential Resident ial Landlords Landlords Association, Association, believes believes the the higher higher £5000 would have £50 0 0 llimit imit w ould h ave ttranslated ranslated into into higher higher rent rent rises rises for for tenants. tenants. He says: says: “This “This is is welcome welcome news news for for tenants, tenants, as as it it will will mean mean costs costs being being kept kept down.” dow n.”

Connection C onnection b between etween CO CO and and fuel fuel poverty poverty New research New research has has found found that t hat fuel f uel poor poor h ouseholds a re a l so a reater rrisk isk ffrom rom households are also att g greater carbon c arbon monoxide monoxide ((CO) CO) p poisoning. oisoning. C Carried ar r ied out o ut b by y fuel fuel poverty poverty charity charity National National Energy Energ y Action A ction ((NEA), NEA), the the research research recorded recorded elevated elevated CO C O levels levels greater g reater than t ha n 1 10ppm 0ppm in in 35% 35% of of monitored m onitored homes. homes. Above Above this t his threshold, t hreshold, pr olonged e x p o su r e c an h ave n egat ive prolonged exposure can have negative health h ealt h effects. effects.

Low L ow income income h households ouseholds iin n tthe he sstudy tudy w were ere more m ore llikely ikely tto ob be e rreliant eliant on on gas gas fires fires to to keep keep w arm. These These appliances appliances were were generally generally older older warm. and a nd unmaintained. unmaintained. In In one one example, example, fuel f uel p oor private pr ivate renters renters in in Leeds Leeds recorded recorded 361 361 poor h igher C O readings reading s over over a period per iod of of only only higher CO ttwo wo m months. onths. T The he o occupants ccupants w were ere u using sing ttheir heir g as fire fire for for h eating b ecause tthey hey c ould n ot gas heating because could not

afford tto afford o rrun un tthe he c central ent ral h heating. eat ing. No C CO O alarm a la r m h had ad b been een fi fitted tted iin n ttheir heir h homes. omes.

Some S ome people people lliving iving iin np poor oor quality quality housing housing are a re a also l so u using sing ttheir heir gas gas cookers cookers for for rroom oom h eat ing. In In one one example, example, a p ensioner o v er heating. pensioner over 75 7 5 and and living living alone alone w was as ssuffering uffer ing from from b bad ad headaches h eadaches u until nt il h her er g gas as w wall all h heater eater was was iidentified dent ified a as s a ssource ource of of CO CO poisoning poisoning and and condemned. c ondemned. U Unable nable tto oa afford fford a replacement, rep e lacement, sshe he now now uses uses her her gas gas oven oven for for warmth. war mt h.

JJuliette uliette B Burroughs, urroughs, P Policy olicy A Analyst nalyst a att N NEA EA and and tthe he report’s report’s author, author, comments: comments: “It “It is is hugely hugely concerning c oncerning that that the the most most vulnerable vulnerable members members off our o our ssociety ociety a are re living living in in cold cold homes homes that that tthey hey are are attempting attempting to to heat heat using using old old and and unsafe u nsafe appliances appliances w which hich c can an iincrease ncrease C CO O rrisk. isk. ““NEA NEA calls calls on on policymakers policymakers and and industry industry to to

d o more, more, including including joining joining up up fuel fue u l poverty poverty and and do C O safety safety initiatives, initiat atives, supporting supporting households households CO o n tthe he llowest owest incomes incomes to to replace replace old old and and on rrisky isky heating heatting appliances, appliances, and and promoting promoting gas gas ssuppliers’ uppliers’ Priority Pr ior it y Services Ser vices Registers Reg isters as as a pathway gas checks.” p athway to to free free g as ssafety afet y c hecks.”

C Chris hr is B Bielby, ielby, C Chair ha i r o off tthe he G Gas as S Safety afet y T Trust, r ust, which which funded f unded tthe he rresearch, esearch, ssays: ays: ““The The llatest atest iindustry ndust r y data data on on domestic domest ic CO CO iincidents ncidents sshows hows ffour our d eat hs ffrom rom a cute deaths acute C CO Op poisoning, oisoning, all all caused caused by by a lack lack of of gas g as appliance poor orr a ppliance sservicing, er v icing, p oor ventilation vent ilat ion o where w here flues flues have hav ve become become blocked. blocked. All All of of the the v victims ictims w were ere over over 60.

60. We We support support the the report’s report’s and rrecommendations ecommendations a nd call call on on Government Government and Ofgem work with gas a nd O fgem tto ow ork w it h tthe he g as iindustry ndust r y tto o join join u p action act ion o n ffuel uel p o v er t y a nd C O.” up on poverty and CO.”

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Water Wa ater world world

Communitie Communities es iin n need need are are benefitting benefitting from from Xylem’s X ylem’s W Waterdrop aterdrop s scheme, chem me, designed designed to o iinvolve nvolve trade trade customers custo omers s iin nw ork ccarried arried work o ut tto o br ing s afe w ate err rresources esourcces to o out bring safe water people p eople a around ro ound the the world. world. As As a member member off tthe o he W Waterdrop aterdrop s scheme, cheme, installers installers ccan an ccollect olle ect p points, oin nts, o orr ‘‘drops’, drops’, b by y llearning earn ning a about, bout, s electing or or specifying specifying X yle e ’s p em roducts o selecting Xylem’s products orr s erv vices for for ccommercial ommerccial building building s erv vices services services applications. a ppliiccatiio ons. F For or e every ve erry dr drop rop ccollected, ollle ected, 1USD 1USD will w ill be be donated donated towards towards the the cconstruction onstruction off w o water ater e ttowers owers s in n communities. communities. E Each ach d drop rop also a lso enters en nte errs customers customerrs in into nto a d draw raw tto ob become ecome part p art of of tthe he v volunteer olunteer team team that that builds builds and and iinstalls nstalls these these towers towers around around the th he world. world.

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January 2018

NEWS N EWS SR Review eview

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Survey urvey highlights highlights E IInside nside this this issue issue S Editor’s ditor’s sstruggle truggle to o recruit reccruit We report on the fina We final al of the annual competitio on competition that highlights g g the sk kills of skills plumbing students

See page 14

Underfloor Underfloor Heating Why warm water UF UFH H systems could be a vi viable iable proposition iti for f many y refurbishment projec cts projects

Starts page 21

Heating Controls How installers can respond to the growin growing ng interest in smart devi ices devices around the home

Starts page 31

Training T raining r & Education A new training provi provider ider believes it can provid provide de both a better service to bot th learners and employe employers ers

Starts page 39

The Technical The Technical M Magazine agazine for for the the Plumbing, Plumbing, Heating Air Movement H eating & A ir M ovement IIndustry ndustr y

Incorporating: Incorporating: Plumbing & Heating Ne News ws Plumbing & Heating Equipment Equipmen nt News News

Many of Many of the the UK’s UK’s professional p ofessional pr are optimistic ttradespeople radespeople a re op timistic about with 82% ab out tthe he ffuture, ut ure, w it h 8 2% expecting business activity e xpecting b usiness a ctivit y tto o remain remain at at the the same same level level orr g o grow r ow o over ver tthe he n next ex t 1 12 2 months.

However, m onths. H owever, research research conducted by c onducted b y Screwfix, Screw fix, the the umbrella u mbrella organisation organisat ion of of Plumbfix, has ttrade rade rretailer etailer P lumbfix, h as majority rrevealed evealed tthe he m ajor it y ((57%) 57%) are difficulties a re rreporting epor t ing d ifficult ies iin n rrecruiting ecr uit ing staff staff to to support suppor t tthem. hem.

For who F or tthose hose w ho sstruggle tr uggle tto o rrecruit ecr uit skilled sk illed employees, employees, more one m ore tthan ha n o ne tthird h i rd ((37%) 37%) believe believe it it is is because because apprenticeships are not a pprent iceships a re n ot given off g iven tthe he same same llevel e v el o rrespect espect as as a university universit y education.

Furthermore, e ducattion. F urthermore, 31% 31% ssay ay poor poor public public perception percept ion off a career o career in in the t he trade t rade means are m eans school school lleavers eavers a re not pursuing n ot iinterested nterested iin np ursuing a future f ut ure in in construction. const r uct ion.

The T he research, research, conducted conducted ass p part off S Screwfix Trade a ar t o crew fi x T r ad e Pulse, P ulse, a monthly mont hly index i nde x off m more 500 UK o ore tthan ha n 5 00 U K also ttradespeople, radespeople, a lso rrevealed evealed sstrong t rong work work levels levels across ac r o s s att tthe moment, tthe he trade t r ad e a he m oment, as nearly fifth off a sn early one one fi f t h ((18%) 18%) o rrespondents espondents ssaid aid d tthat hat tthey hey had more work h ad m or e w ork tthan han tthey he y could and 40% c ould handle h a nd le a nd 4 0% are a re quoting more q uot ing for fo r m ore jjobs obs tthan ha n 12 ago.

1 2 months mont hs a go.

Nearly Ne arly all all (94%) (94%) tradestradespeople p eople ssaid aid tthey hey would would

UK tradespeople tradespeople struggle strug t gle to to recruit recruitt the ne the next xt g generation eneration ooff tr trade ade

believe it is believe is because because ap prenticeships ar apprenticeships aree no nott gi ven the the same level level of of given rrespect espect as university university education education

%

sstruggle truggle ttoo ffind ind

skilled & qualified labour

sayy poor public sa public perception perception ooff a career career in tthe he tr ade iss de terring sschool chool leavers leavers trade deterring

bettter er voc vocaatio tionnal al eduucat cation iion in i sch schoool olls

Greater Greater focus fo cus

What W hat can w wee do?

87

57

31%

30%

on the the opportunities opportunities ooff a career career in the the trade trade are are needed to to attract attract more more apprentices. apprentices.

%

of tr of tradespeople adespeople think think mor moree ccould ould be done ttoo attract attract people people to to trade rretrain etrain for for a new new career career in tthe he tr ade

Nearly N early one fifth fifth

61%

believe greater believe greaater k knowledge nowledge on the the support support aavailable vailable to to rretrain etrain in the the trade trade is is crucial

say red say red tape taape needs too be b reduced reduced to to encourage encourage moree employers mor employers to to hire hire an apprentice apprentice

Theree is so much opportunity Ther opportunity

82 %

SkillPLUMB Final

ooff tradespeople tradeespeo s ople believe belieeve business businesss stay the the will stay improve same or improve next 12 months montths in next

40% are quo are quoting otting ffor or mor ork tthan h han moree w work months 12 mont ths ago

1 in 4

have more have more work wor ork than than tthey hey can handle hand ndle

45%

aree busier ar busierr tthan han las lastt yyear ear

career rrecommend ecommend a c areer iin n tthe he and off the ttrade rade a nd o the reasons reasons why, why, 85% 8 5% say say they t hey have have a strong strong ssense ense of of achievement achievement when when and 80% enjoy a job job is is done, done, a nd 8 0% e njoy sseeing eeing the t he results results of of their t heir hard h ard work. work.

Apprenticeships A pprenticeships More tthan More han h half alf ((57%) 57%) o off tthose hose ssurveyed ur veyed ssaid aid tthey hey started star ted a s a pprent ices a nd, w hen as apprentices and, when iitt comes comes tto o increasing increasing the t he numbers n umbers undertaking underrtaking trade trade apprenticeships, a pprenticeships, more more tthan han one o ne tthird hird ((35%) 35%) b believe elieve g reater ffocus ocus iis sn eeded o n greater needed on vocational v ocat ional education educat ion in in sschools. chools.

M More ore than t han one one q quarter u a r t er ((26%) 26%) believe believe improved improved awareness about a wareness ab out tthe he opportunities offered by o ppor t unit ies o ffered b ya c areer in in the t he trade t rade w ould career would drive d r iv e g greater reater uptake uptake of of apprenticeships, a pprent iceships, with w it h 19% 19 % ssaying ay ing tthat hat rreducing educing rred ed employers ttape ape for for e mployers llooking ook ing hire an apprentice tto oh ire a na pprentice sshould hould be considered. b e co nsidered.

Beating B eating tthe he fr freeze eeze

Viewpoint V iewpoint

by Chris Chris JJones ones

Playing P la layi y ng a positive p osit i ive part part The The turn turn of of another another year year inevitably inevitab bly leads leads people people to to ponder ponder on past and prospects, and good on p ast achievements achievements a nd ffuture uture p rospects, a nd iit’s t’s g ood to number off ttrade professionals appear to know know tthat hat a ffair air n umber o rade p rofessionals a ppear tto o be greeting greeting the the new new year year w ith c onfidence. Despite Despite c oncerns be with confidence. concerns about about recruitment recruitment levels, levels, the the great great majority majority of of respondents respondents to Screwfix an upturn business to the the latest latest S crewfix ssurvey urvey rreport eport a nu ptturn iin nb usiness and will and are are optimistic opttimistic tthat hat ttheir heir order order books books w ill rremain emain ffull ull over over the the coming coming months months (see (see story, story, opposite). opposite). It’s It’s equally equally good an 94% would good to to know know tthat hat a n iimpressive mpressive 9 4% w ould rrecommend ecommend that youngsters and are that y oungsters sshould hould ffollow ollow iin n ttheir heir ffootsteps ootsteps a nd a re clearly clearly fulfilled fulfilled in in the the work work that that they they do. do.

Maintaining Maintaining a positive positive theme, theme, a llook ook tthrough hrough tthis h is month’s are number off w ways month’s iissue ssue ssuggests uggests tthere here a re a n umber o ay ys tthat hat plumbing and heating engineers can play big part plumbing a nd h eating e ng ineers c an p lay a b ig p art iin n helping The helping to to improve improve people’s people’s llives. ives. T he rrapid apid growth g rowth in in smart smart controls controls technology technolog y has has opened opened up up opportunities opportunities for promote heating for iinstallers nstallerrs tto o pr omote tthe he llatest atest iin n iinteractive nter e active h eating programmers prog rammers which which can can both both enhance enhance comfort comfort levels levels and on energy page 31).

Likewise, underfloor and ssave av ve o ne nerg y ((see see p age 3 1). L ikewise, u nder floor heating popular concept with consumers and heatting rremains emains a p opular c oncept w ith c onsumers a nd is another off tthe predicted is a nother sector sector o he iindustry ndustr y tthat hat iis s pr edicted tto o increase page increase in in value value (our (our feature feature starts starts on on p age 21).

21).

There There is is also also increasing increasing awareness awareness about about the the potential potential damage public health poor air quality, damage tto op ublic h ealth ffrom rom p oor iindoor ndoor a ir q uality, and ventilation continue product and v entilation sspecialists pecialists c ontinue tto o iinvest nvest iin np roduct development will enable offer development tthat hat w ill e nable iinstallers nstallers tto oo ffer ttheir heir customers customers a cost-effective cost-efffective solution solution (see (see page page 46).

46). On On the the subject highlighting subject of of health, health, the the CIPHE CIPHE is is currently currently h ighlighting the the safety safety rrisks isks of of employing employing unqualified unqualified installers installers (see (see page The core argument poor plumbing as page 16).

16). T he c ore a rgument iis s tthat hat p oor p lumbing iis sa s life as any gas why would life tthreatening hreatening a sa ny g as iinstallation, nstallation, sso ow hy w ould you not employ professional?

Let’s hope you n ot llook ook tto oe mploy a pr ofessional? L et’s h ope iit’s t’s a message gets 2018. message tthat hat ffinally i nally g ets tthrough hrough iin n2 018.

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Ar iston iis Ariston s llooking ooking tto o rrecruit ecr uit three three intrepid intrepid installers installers to to participate p ar ticipate in in a once-in-a-lifetime once-in-a-lifetime o opportunity ppor tunit y – but but only only tthe he most most adventurous adventurous individuals individuals need need apply! apply y! The The Ariston Ariston Comfort C omfort C Challenge hallenge iis sa an n iinternational nternational ssearch earch ffor or v volunteers olunteers tto o ttravel ravel tto o G Greenland reenland a and nd h help elp iinstall nstall a an n A Ariston r iston O ONE NE Series S er ies boiler boiler at at a purpose-built pur pose-built environmental env ironmental research research post. p ost. T This his iinitiative nitiative a aims ims tto ob bring r ing c comfort omfor t tto oo one ne o off tthe he most m ost iinhospitable nhospitab ble p places laces o on nE Earth ar t h – w while hile m maintaining aintaining a sstrong trong focus focus on on the the environment. env ironment. Installers Installers who who c consider onsider tthemselves hemselves b brave rave e enough nough ffor or tthe he c challenge hallenge sshould hould llog og o on n tto ow www.aristoncomfortchallenge.com w w.ar istoncomfor tchallenge.com b before effore 2 28 8 JJanuary anuar y and a nd enter enter their their details, details, prior prior to to completing completing an an online online v video ideo q uestionnaire (a (a webcam webcam is is required). required). questionnaire

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January 2018

NEWS N EWS Review Revi v ew

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Wider Wider llessons essons tto ob be e llearnt earnt iin n ffatality atality G Gas as Safe Safe rreview eview llooks ooks b back ack 1 10 0y years ears

The C hartered IInstitute nstitute o lumbing & The Chartered off P Plumbing Heating Engineering Engineering ((CIPHE) CIPHE) h as iissued ssued Heating has ar ning ab out tthe he g rowing n umber aw warning about growing number of cases cases of of Legionnaires’ Legionnaires’ disease disease in in the the of wake of of the t he death deat h of of Elaine Elaine Brown, Brow n, wake 69-year-old g randmot her o ur a 69-year-old grandmother off fo four from Liverpool.

Liver pool. Mrs Mrs Brown, Brow n, a retired ret ired from health a nd ssafety afety o fficer, d ied iin nA ugust health and officer, died August follow ing a fatal fatal stroke stroke triggered t r ig gered following by Legionnaires’ disease.

She had

by L eg ionnaires’ d isease. S he h ad contracted tthe he iillness llness w hile sstaying tay ing contracted while at a h otel in in Shropshire.

Shropshire. at hotel CEO Kevin Kev in Wellman Wellman says: says: “Our “Our CEO t houghts a re w it h tthe he ffamily amily o n tthe he thoughts are with on tragic p assing o rs B rown. T hose o s tragic passing off M Mrs Brown.

Those off u us

in the the industry industry know know that thatt Legionnaires’ Legionnaires’ in disease is is a risk r isk that that can can be be managed managed disease effectively by by qualified qualified and and competent competent effectively plumbing pr ofessionals w ork ing tto o plumbing professionals working industr y st andards and and R eg ulations.” industry standards Regulations.”

The CIPHE CIPHE says says it it is is alarmed alar med that t hat The cases of of Legionnaires’ Leg ionnaires’ d i s ea s e a re o n cases disease are on

tthe he iincrease. ncrease. Government Government fi gures sshow how figures tthat hat iin n2 016 there t here were were 496 49 4 6 reported repor ted 2016 cases, however year has c a s e s, h owever tthis h is y ea r h as sseen een a with 522 cases rrise, ise, w it h 5 22 rreported epor ted c ases already already b by y October October 2017.

2017.

Kevin K ev in continues: cont inues: “Annual “Annual deaths deat hs c aused b y p oor p lumbing now now caused by poor plumbing o utnumber tthose hose c aused b y c arbon outnumber caused by carbon m onoxide related related incidents, incidents, but but still st i l l monoxide tthere here iiss no no formal for mal regulation reg ulation of of those those w ho can can call call themselves themselves a plumber. plumber. We We who all off tthose sstrongly trongly advise advise tthat hat a ll o hose in in the the iindustry ndustr y iincrease ncrease ttheir heir k nowledge o n knowledge on managing m anag ing Legionella Leg ionella to to help help reverse r e v er s e tthis h is u pward trend.” t rend.” upward

Installer Installer preview preview day day for for the the Compact Compact Rural R ural e energy nerg y p provider rovide er C Calor alor rrecently ecently gave gave members members of of iits ts iinstaller nstaller c ommunity a n community an exclusive e xclusive preview preview of of its its new new Compact C ompact storage storage solution, solution, including in cluding ttraining raining and and a hands-on demo.

The Compact h ands-on d emo. T he C om mpact iiss a four-pack four-pack of of cylinders cylinders h oused within within a single single unit, unit, housed providing advantages off pr oviding tthe he a dvantages o ssecure ecure storage storag ge and and auto auto top-up top-up ttechnology. echnology. It It iiss also also a solution solution ffor or p roperties w here sspace pace is is properties where m inimal. minimal.

T he visiting visiting installers installers The were w ere able able tto o give give Calor Calor some some on Compact ffeedback eedback o n tthe he C ompact after getting an overview off a fter g etting a no verview o and chance iinstallation nstallation a nd tthe he c hance

tto o build build a unit unit themselves. themselves.

Matt Masters, Ma tt Ma sters, IInnovation nnovation Manager M anager of of Calor, Calor, says: say ys: ““We We were were e xcited to to give give excited iinstallers nstallers fi rsthand iinsight nsight firsthand

into Calor Compact, and into tthe he C alor C ompact, ct a nd as part part of of the the trial triall collect collect their their as valuable feedback feedback that that will will valuable help c ontinue to to improve improve the the help continue product ahead ahead of of a national nattional product rollout. A large large focus focus of of the the rollout. day y was was also also understanding understanding day the p otential b usiness the potential business opportunities for fo or iinstallers. nstallers. opportunities We’re encouraging encouraging installers installers We’re to b ecome a member member of of our our to become Calor IInstaller nstaller C ommunit y Calor Community to b e tthe he fi rst to to hear hear ab out to be first about any more more C ompact n ews.” any Compact news.”

Free F ree flue f lue promo pr omo

As iitt nears nearrs its its 10th 10th anniversary anniversary As of being being the the official official registry registry of body for for g as e ngineers, tthe he G as body gas engineers, Gas Safe Register Register has has published published a Safe ‘Decade Review’ ‘Decade R eview’ rreport. eport. The The report report gives gives a voice voice to to those those who gas who work work iin n tthe he g as iindustry ndustry and covers number off ttopics and c overs a n umber o opics that that affect affect everyone ever e yone from from sole sole traders bodies, traders to to training training b odies, manufacturers and manufacturers a nd llarge arge energy aims energ y ssuppliers. uppliers. IItt a ims tto o address off tthe changes address ssome ome o he c hanges that have over that h ave ttaken aken place place o verr tthe he last current last decade, decade, tthe he c urrent sstate tatte of of the the industry, industry, and and what what the the future future has has in in store. store.

Gas Safe Gas S afe Register Register enlisted enlisted an an iindependent ndependent rresearch esearch agency agency tto o host host multiple multiple focus focus groups, groups, share share an an online online survey, survey, carry carry out out in-depth in-depth telephone and telephone iinterviews, nterviews, s a nd then then analyse analyse the the findings. findings.

Information Information iin n tthe he rreport eport was was provided provided by by an an online online survey survey of of 2690 2690 registered registered gas gas engineers, as well engineers, a sw ell as as in-depth in-depth interviews with interviews w ith stakeholders stakeholders

representing different aspects representing d iffe erent a spects of of the the gas gas industry. industry.

Key an Key findings findings include include a n agreement agreement amongst amongst many many of of the the respondents respondents that that the the last last decade has been decade h as b een characterised charracterised by by iimprovements mprovements iin n ssafety afety and advances. and technological techno ological a dvances.

However, However, there there is is concern concern that that the the industry industry is is becoming becoming fragmented and fragmented a nd tthat hat ttraining raining standards standards are are not not adequate. adequate.

Jonathan Samuel, Chief Jonathan S amuel, C hie i f Executive off G Gas Safe Register, Executive o as S afe R egister, says: UK’s say ys: “The “The U K’s gas gas industry industry has has sseen een many many changes changes over over the the past past decade: decade: more more registered registered engineers, engineers, tougher tougher penalties health and penalties for for h eallth a nd ssafety afety offences, new offences, n ew ttechnologies, echnologies, and are all helping and innovation innovattion a re a ll h elping to keep to k eep the the public public ssafe afe and and warm.

The Decade Review warm. T he D ecade R eview sets out answer and sets o ut tto oa nswer tthese hese a nd many more questions.” many m ore q uestions.”

A copy Review copy of of tthe he Decade Decade R evie ew can Gas can be be accessed accessed on on tthe he G as Safe Safe Register Register website: website: www. www. gassaferegister.co.uk gassafer e egister.co.uk

Hands-on Ha nds-on UK UK tour to our u A free free flue flue is is on on offer offfer to to tthose hose p purchasing urchas a ing ffrom rom Warmflow’s W armflow’s new new range ra ange of of Titanium T ittanium oil oil boilers. boilers. The The offer o ffer is is good good ffor or a llimited imited ttime ime iin n JJanuary anuar y and and February, F ebruar y, and and installers installers ccan an a also lso give give their their ccustomers ustomers a n iincreased ncreased an ccustomer usto omer w warranty arranty of of five fiv ve y ears, up up from from two. t wo. years, T he T itanium rrange ange The Titanium also a lso has has the the benefit benefit off being o being an an AA A A rated rated ccombi ombi oil oil b boiler oiler a and nd features fe ature es a 5mm 5mm steel steel heat heat exchanger. e xchanger.

For F or more more information info ormation about a bout th the he n new ew W Warmflow armflow Titanium T itanium rrange ange of of oil oil b oilers a nd the the ffree ree fl ue boilers and flue promotion, please p romotion, p lease visit: v isit: www.warmflow.co.uk w w w.warmflow.co.uk ENQUIRY

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Power tool Power tool accessories accessories and and hand h and ttool ool manufacturer, manufacturer, Starrett, S tarrett, is is preparing p eparing pr tto o take take its its product p oduct pr demonstration d emonstration v van an n on o n a another nother ttour our off d o distributors, istributtors, wholesalers w holesalers and and apprenticeship a pp r e nt i c e sh s ip providers p roviders a across cross tthe he U UK K this this year. year.

The T he demo demo v van an h has as been been ttouring ouring ssince ince 2 004 to to exhibit exhibit 2004 iits ts p power ower tool tool accessories. accessor ies.

A ttechnical echnical team team provides provides p roduct demonstrations product demonstrations and a nd staff staff training training on on tthe he company’s c ompany’s llarge arge range range of of hole hole ssaws, aws, jigsaw jigsaw blades blades a and nd o other ther power p ower tool tool accessories. accessor ies.

Graham G raham Munro, Mun u ro, Technical Technical Support S upport Team Team Leader, Leader, ssays: ays: “Our “O ur d distributor istr ibutor trade trade days days and a nd demo demo v van an visits visits provide provide a hands-on hands-on opportunity opportunit y

ffor or c customers ustomers tto o ttest est o out ut o ur e quipment a nd ask ask our equipment and any a ny questions. questions. F For or u us, s, it it ensures e nsures customers customers are are m aking tthe he m ost o heir ttool ool making most off ttheir iinvestments nvestments and and choosing choosing tthe he right right equipment equipment for for ttheir heir a pplication n.” application.”

U pcoming demo demo van Upcoming v isits c an b e a ccessed on on visits can be accessed tthe he Starrett Star rett website: website: www. w w w. sstarrett.co.uk/exhibitions/ tar ret t.co. o uk /ex hibit ions/ d emo_van demo_van

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NEWS N EWS Review Revi v ew

Warm W arm welcome welc e ome at at IItalian talian exhibition exhibition

A void rain rain damage damage tto ob oilers Ne Avoid boilers ws News iin n brief b ief br r As p r As part ar t o off IIdeal deal C Comommercial Boilers’ new m ercial B oilers’ ne w ffree ree commissioning c ommissioning offer, offer, all all Evomax, Xtra, E vomax, IImax max X tra, IImax max Xtra X tra EL EL and and E Evomod vomod b boiloilers e r s installed i n s t a l l e d from f r o m the t he be eligible 1 January Januar y will w ill b ee lig ible deal. ffor or tthe he d ea l .

This y ear s ees tthe he rreturn eturn o ostrra aC onvegno E xpocomfortt in n This year sees off M Mostra Convegno Expocomfort Fiera 13 16 March.

Fiera Milano, Milla ano, Italy, Italy y, from from 1 3 tto o1 6M arch. This This s biennial biiennial exhibition exhib biition for for rresidential esidential and and industrial ind n ustrial installations, installatio ons, air air conditioning cond n ittioning and all and renewable ren e ewable energy, energ gy, welcomes welccomes visitors visitors from from a ll over ove er the the world and has off o over 1600 exhibitors. world a nd h as a rregistered egistered attendance attendance o ver 1 600 e xhibi bitors s.

The expo will alongside Biomass The 2018 2018 e xpo w ill rrun un a lo ongside BIE BIE – B iomass Innovation Innovation Expo, which which is is dedicated dedic icate ted to to wood-fuelled wood-fuelled heating heating systems. syste tems.

Expo, A wide wide range range of of products products and and new new features features are are in in store store e that that will will span span all all iindustry ndustry sectors sectors s iincluding ncluding heating, heating, tools, tools, air refrigeration, ventilation, water air cconditioning, onditio oning, re efrigeration, v entilation, w ater ttreatment, reatment, renewables, re enewables, and and home home and and building build ding automation. automation. For For more more information, go online: www.mcexpocomfort.it/en info ormatio on, g oo nline n :w ww.mcexpocomfo ort.itt/en Heavy rrain Heavy ain c can an be be as as d amaging tto o a co c ndensing damaging condensing boiler cold b oiler as as extreme extrem me c old iiff tthe he proper proper precautions precautions are are not according n ot ttaken, aken, a ccording tto o Worcester’s W orcester’s Martyn Martyn Bridges.

Bridges.

The boiler T he damage damage done done tto oab oiler tthrough hrough rrainwater ainwater m ay y b e may be and can iirreparable rreparable a nd c an also also void void boiler b oiler guarantees. guarantees. s bursts off rrain ““Heavy Heav y b u r st s o ain place greater on p lace g reater sstrain t rain o n tthe he domestic drainage do mest ic d rainage ssystem, ystem, w hich c an lead lead tto o water water which can being b eing diverted diver ted back back into into tthe he internal internal pipework pipework of of the the house,” Martyn. h ouse,” ssays ays M a r t y n.

Condensing boilers can be C ondensing b oilers c an b e off fl flooding. att a particular particular rrisk isk o ooding.

C ondensate pipes pipes can can terterCondensate minate att tthe m inate a he rrain ain water water downpipe, d ownpipe, providing providing the the pipe pipe waste tterminates erminates tto o tthe he ffoul oul w aste water w aterr ssystem. ystem. If If this this becomes becomes blocked orr o overflows, blo cked o verflows, there there iis s a sstrong trong c hance of of w ater chance water backfilling b ackfilling into into the the condensate condensate pipe p ipe and and boiler. boiler. ““The The damage d a m ag e done done to to boiler a condensing c o n d e n s i ng b oi ler is is and iirreparable rreparab ble a nd a replacement replacement w i l l usually u su a l ly be b e required,” r e qu i r e d ,” will a dd s M a r t y n . ““With W it h this t his adds Martyn. off ttermination, ttype y pe o er m i n at ion , iit’s t ’s

vital you fitt a an external v ital tthat hat y ou fi ne xternal air break a ir b reak into into the the pipework pipework before enters vertical b efore iitt e nters tthe he v ertical rrain ain water water pipework. pipework. This This sseparates eparates the the condensate condensate outlet off tthe boiler ou tlet o he b oiler ffrom rom tthe he drain pipe which d rain p ipe connection, connection, w hich means m eans that that water water won’t won’t flow flow back b ack into into the the h condensate condensate pipe, downpipe p ipe, even even iiff tthe he d ownpipe becomes b ecomes blocked. blocked. ““It’s It’s a simple simple solution solution tto oa potentially big and p otentially b ig problem, problem, a nd will w ill help help to to protect p otect heating pr heating and hot water a nd h ot w ater ssystems ystems rright ight tthe he w ay tthrough hrough tthe he w inter way winter m ont hs.” months.”

B ig n ame in a ir conditioning conditioning Big name air Introducing a new Introducing new name name to to the the U K air air conditioning conditioning m arket, UK market, d istributor FG E urope h as distributor Europe has o pened up up two two UK UK offices offices – opened o ne in in London London a nd another another one and iin n Ne wcastle – to to promote p omote tthe pr he Newcastle Midea M idea b brand. rand.

Midea M idea is is a well well established established g lobal player player from from China, China, global with w ith automated automated factories factories in in 12 1 2c countries ountries a and nd a an ne export xport business b usiness that that produces produces over over 12m 1 2m air air conditioning conditioning ssystems ystems every e very year. year.

T he UK UK operation operation w ill b e The will be headed h eaded up up by by ex-Fujitsu ex-Fujitsu and and Hitachi H itachi General General Manager Manager

Martin Martin R Richards. ichards. Speaking Speaking at at tthe he llaunch, aunch, M Martin artin ssaid aid that that h he ew was as iimpressed mpressed w with ith the quality quality o he pr oducts on on the off tthe products offer, offer, w which hich w will ill b be eb backed acked b by y a promotional promotional c campaign ampaign a and nd

Br ing ing iits Bringing ts U UK K He Heating, at ing, C Cooling ooling a and nd D Drives r ives d divisions iv isions under u nder o one ne rroof, oof, D Danfoss anfoss h has as u unveiled nveiled iits ts rrevamped evamped ffacility acilit y at at Denham, Denham, near near London London He at hrow. The The Heathrow. rrefurbished efurbished ssite ite c creates reates a n new ew C Customer ustomer S Service er vice C Centre entre and a nd T Technical echnical Support Suppor t Department Depar tment serving ser v ing the t he three t h ree business b usiness segments. seg ments. H Having av ing a u united nited team team serving ser v ing all all UK U Kc customers ustomers iis sp part art o off tthe he c company’s ompany’s a aim im tto ob becoming ecoming ‘‘One One D Danfoss’ anfoss’ iin n tthe he U UK K tto ob build uild a more more c collaborative ollaborat ive a nd customer-centric customer-cent r ic organisation. organisat ion. and The The Danfoss Danfoss site site in in Bedford Bedford will w ill continue continue e to to operate operate ass the a the production production facility facilit y for for the the company’s company’s electronic electronic heating controls, programmers and h eat ing c ontrols, iincluding ncluding ttimers, imers, pr og rammers a nd electronic valves. e l ctronic le i tthermostatic h r mostat ic he i rradiator adiator v a lv e s .

Dan Dan S Scott, cott, S Sales ales Director Director He Heating ating U UK, K, ssays: ay ys: ““We We ssee ee tthis his a an opportunity opportunity for for c loser w orking b etween business business ass an closer working between ssegments egments a and nd tthe he ssharing haring o off k knowledge nowledge a and nd rresources, esources, which will bring w hich w ill b ring significant significant benefits benefits for for our our customers.” customers.”

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)JUBDIJ "JS $POEJUJPOrr )JUBDIJ "JS $POEJUJPOEurope has iing ng E u r op e h a s ssigned ig ne d an a n agreement ag r e ement with w it h Surrey-based S u r rey-b a s ed P Pure u re A Air ir Distribution offer D istr ibut ion tto oo ffer tthe he off Hitachi ffull ull range range o Hitach i AC AC products pr o duc t s nationwide. n at i o n w i d e . off heating rr Installers Installers o heating a nd cooling cooling p roducts and products Panasonic ffrom rom P anasonic ccan an now n ow benefit benefit from from a new new Warranty W arrant y Scheme, Scheme, with with Standard, S t a nd a rd d , Extended E x t end e d and a nd Extended+ Extend e ed+ options options available. a vailable. #BYJ (FOVJOF 1BSUT rr # BYJ ( FOVJOF 1 B S U T Baxi’s parts busiB axi’s sspare pa r e p ar t s b usiness, has won cusn e s s, h as w on ffour our c u sttomer omer service ser v ice a ccolades accolades Top 50 Compaffrom rom tthe he T op 5 0C ompanies awards and has been n ies a wards a nd h as b een placed within p laced w ithin tthe he ttop op tten en companies excellent c ompanie es for for e xcellent customer c ustomer sservice. er v ice.

Danfoss a Danfoss adopts dopts united u nite ed approach approa ach

ENQUIRY

Two rT wo directors dire recto ors of Welsh Wel e sh Grace Electrics ccompany om mpany yAG race E lectriics Ltd L td d iin n Abertillery Abertiillery y have have been fined more b een fi ned m ore e tthan han £12,000 £ 12,000 for for ffalsely alsely cclaimlaimiing ng to to be be NICEIC NICEIC registered register ered and a nd using using the the logo logo on on a v ehiccle a n a nd d. vehicle and ad.

a 10-year 10-year warranty warranty scheme. scheme.

“We’ve worked “We’ve w orked ttirelessly irelessly iin n rresearching esearching a sstrategy trategy that that we we believe will winning one b elieve w ill be be a w inning o ne our customers and we can’t ffor or o ur c ustomers a nd w ec an n’t w ait to to get get going,” going,” said said Martin.

Martin. wait

solutions r Ventilation Ventilation s olutions provider Hargreaves Ductp rovide err H argre eaves D uctwork Ltd has announced w ork L td h as a nnounced name change become a nam e ch hange tto ob ecome MW M W Hargreaves, Hargreaves, and and has has welcomed Andy Sneyd as w elc e omed A ndy yS neyd a s n ew M D. new MD.

College C ollege donation donattion Colleges can Colleges can benefit benefit from from F luxuator’s T rial D onation Fluxuator’s Trial Donation Scheme, Sch eme, which which sees sees the the company c ompany offering offe ering its its tools tools for for demonstration d emonstration a and nd d use use within within tthe he learning learning environment. environment.

Speaking S peaking o on nb behalf ehalf o off tthe he ffamily-owned amily-owned business, business, D Deborah eborah F owls says: says: “We “We also also like like to to Fowls v isit our our p artic i ipating colleges colleges visit participating where w here p h possible ossible a and nd m meet eet tthe he students students tto o give give them them a tteam eam d demonstration. emonstration. A And nd w we e offer o ffer students students tthe he c chance hance to to p urchase our our tools tools or or refills refills purchase att a rreduced a educed pr price ice iiff o ordered rdered tthrough hrough their their p participating articipating learning le arning institution.” institution.”

To p participate articipate in in the the Trial Trial Scheme Scheme o orr ffor or ffurther urther d details, etails, pl ease e mail C arli: c arli4dazcom@gmail.co om please email Carli: carli4dazcom@gmail.com

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NEWS Review Facility streamlines business Comfort at heart of new ad campaign

With the aim of making gas boiler registration quicker and cheaper for installers, Intergas Heating has launched the MiREG app. Intergas estimates that MiREG will cut 15 minutes off the essential admin associated with each domestic boiler installation and will automatically pay the Building Regulation notification fee (£2.20 + VAT).

Stephen Zouch, Intergas MD, says: “No one likes admin, but the documentation is important as it ensures compliance. By making the whole process safe, simple and free, we hope that more businesses will get involved and get the app.”

For more information on how the app works, visit: myintergasregistration.co.uk

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Wantage, Oxfordshire is the site of Fernox’s new chemical water treatment manufacturing facility.

Bringing employment opportunities to the local area and supply chain benefits, the new facility has increased production capacity and flexibility. It has also improved production efficiency, resulting in shorter ordering times and a more reliable service.

The facility manufactures the company’s complete chemical water treatment

range, including Protector F1 and the inhibitor and active dispersant package, Filter Fluid+ Protector.

Commenting on the opening of the plant, Ernie McDonald, Global Director at Fernox,

says: “The new 24 hour production facility has a workforce of 240 employees that allows us to offer the highest quality service levels and be responsive to individual customer needs.”

Boilers that give back in fuel More free fuel is on offer as Vokèra extends its evolve promotion until the end of March. When installing an evolve system or combi boiler, Vokèra Affinity members will receive a fuel card worth £100 upon completion of their first installation registered via the Vokèra Affinity programme.

A £50 fuel card will then be

issued for each subsequent installation.

Installers can also offer

an extended warranty on the evolve, taking it from a standard 7-year warranty to ten years when installed with a BeSMART internet connected thermostat and both the evolve and BeSMART registered on Vokèra Affinity.

Visit the Affinity website to sign up to the programme (www.vokeraaffinity.co.uk).

Comfort Zone is the name of Vaillant’s biggest ever UK multi-media marketing campaign, intended to raise awareness of the brand and drive homeowner demand to Vaillant Advance installers.

The campaign includes social media and online advertising, as well as a TV advert, which was broadcast over the holidays on ITV, Sky Sports, Film 4 and Sky 1. The multi-media strategy will continue until mid-March.

Alice Woolley, Marketing Director at Vaillant, comments: “We have created the Comfort Zone campaign to support our loyal installers. We encourage installers to become part of the Vaillant Advance loyalty programme in order to gain access to campaign assets that will help their businesses reap the rewards and drive consumer demand for our products in the marketplace.”

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January 2018

10 NEWS Review Radiator company Racing sponsorship rolls out a classic To celebrate 50 years of manufacturing radiators, QRL Radiator Group has announced it will roll out the Barlo brand across its whole product portfolio in Great Britain.

The move, which comes half a century after Aidan Barlow founded the original Barlo Company in 1967, honours the business’s heritage as a manufacturer of British-made panel and design radiators.

Lee Kenney, MD Commercial at QRL Radiator Group, explains: “The last few months have seen some exciting changes at QRL, and we’re immensely proud that we’re now in a position to reveal all to our valued customers. We know that Barlo is a trusted name in radiators, so bringing the brand back to coincide with its 50th anniversary felt like a natural next step as the company enters a new chapter.

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Sanitary solutions expert Multikwik is sponsoring Formula Vee driver Jamie Harrison who has won the British Formula Vee Championship in his class B category.The funding he’s received has been vital to his success so far and has allowed him to drive ahead in the competition.

The 22-year-old from Kent started participating at the age of 14 and would now like to pursue the sport as a long term career: “I see the sponsorship from Multikwik as more of a

Lee Kenney, QRL Radiator Group’s MD – Commercial

“Our customers – and the desire to exceed their expectations – remain at the heart of everything we do, and subsequently our dedication to investing in the best people, products and processes is stronger than ever.”

While QRL Radiator Group will remain the company’s official umbrella name, customers will start to see the Barlo branding roll out gradually through merchants and retailers.

partnership. The money that has been given to me means that I now have an advantage on the track and can get behind the wheel to train regularly. I can now also afford to have a team behind me before and during races, which in turn helps me to place better in competitions.”

Samantha Park, Marketing Manager at Multikwik, adds: “We’re really pleased to see how much our support has meant to Jamie and how much he’s developed over the season.”

Scheme launch on 30th anniversary In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Megaflo, Heatrae Sadia has launched Megaflo Rewards, a pointsbased installer loyalty scheme. Members will be able to earn rewards and access business tools via a dedicated website.

Every Megaflo cylinder registered earns points, which can be built up and cashed in through the

website. Users will be able to claim prizes from the latest gadgets to holiday vouchers and experience days. Megaflo Rewards will offer cashback opportunities as well.

The website enables quick and easy warranty registration and access to Megaflo resources such as brochures, images and logos.

Members will also be given priority next-day engineer

call-outs from Baxi Customer Support and immediate connection to the technical helpline.

As a further advantage, the scheme can provide free annual service alerts for two years on each cylinder registered.

Neil Thompson, Sales Director at Heatrae Sadia, says: “We truly value our loyal installers, and in

the 30th year of Megaflo, it seemed only right to introduce a raft of new benefits which demonstrate this.

“Megaflo Rewards has been created from start to finish with installers in mind.

We are delighted to be able to offer this new loyalty scheme, and look forward to rewarding our valued Megaflo installers.”

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January 2018

PEOPLE on the Move The new UK Sales Director for the Danfoss Heating Segment is Dan Scott. With 22 years of experience in high-tech industries, Dan has a track record in developing successful sales and marketing teams. As Sales Director, Dan will be responsible for developing the sales team and maximising the customer experience through a range of sales management strategies.

Andrew Glaister has been promoted by Fernox to the position of National Accounts Manager. Andy joined Fernox in 2004 as a university graduate and since then has undertaken a number of key positions, including Internal Sales Manager and most recently Area Sales Manager for the South Central region. In his new role, Andy will be responsible for the merchant division across the UK. Three major appointments have been made by Stiebel Eltron UK during a period of record growth: Andrew Probert, Andrew Buttree (pictured) and Amber Larkin.

Andrew Probert has joined as a Service Manager for the South while Andrew Buttree is the new Key Accounts Manager for a business development role. Amber will provide technical support on the technical desk.

Sunderland-based Salamander Pumps has appointed Adam Brand as National Sales Manager following two years with the business in a National Account Manager role. Adam has more than 20 years of experience in the bathroom and plumbing sector, managing major accounts for manufacturers such as Ideal Standard, Armitage Shanks and Grohe.

As part of changes to its aftersales structure, Baxi Heating has appointed Marketing Director Andrew Keating to the combined role of UK Aftersales and Marketing Director.

Andrew will now assume leadership of Baxi Customer Support and Baxi Genuine Parts alongside his existing marketing responsibilities. Baxi says that the aim is to bring together its service, spares and digital marketing activities.

Hamworthy Heating has welcomed back Noel Lally to fill the role of Sales Manager for Oxford, Milton Keynes and parts of the Home Counties. Noel previously worked for the company in the late 90s as a Field Sales Engineer. He has 37 years experience, including a decade as Field Sales Manager for British Gas Commercial Services. Most recently, Noel served as Product Consultant at Mikrofill.

Independent boiler manufacturer Ravenheat has named Michael Hills as its new Area Sales Manager for the south of the UK. With over 30 years experience in the domestic gas industry, Michael will work with merchants and installers across the south to share advice and information about Ravenheat’s range of boilers, as well as organise and host training days for local heating engineers.

Heating and cooling equipment manufacturer DunhamBush has named David Taylor as Regional Sales Manager for its Heating Division. David will be primarily responsible for developing sales of trench and perimeter heating systems. He brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent over 21 years at Jaga Heating, most recently as a Major Projects Manager.

A new Sales & Marketing Manager has been appointed at Lakes Bathrooms. Mike Tattam takes on the role for the Gloucestershire based manufacturer and supplier of shower enclosures, having worked as a heavyside supplier to merchants over the last 30 years. Mike was most recently Sales & Marketing Manager at Timbet, a manufacturer of timber and panel products.

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12 YOUR Views 0 £10 tter Le

Too many plumbing students?

A recent article was published in the plumbing and heating trade media which sparked a bit of an outcry on social media. I was involved in this. The article stated that the industry needs to encourage more young people into the trade, otherwise we face a skills shortage of unprecedented consequences.

This seems to be a common notion. I recently attended the Homes 2017 event at Olympia London where I listened to a talk given by Kier Group who also take the position we need to encourage more young people to choose trades rather than university.

At first glance this all seems a reasonable proposition. Why not encourage young people to learn a trade? Well the truth is that already in colleges up and down the country hundreds of thousands of young people are already doing just this and learning trades. Most of them, however, never enter into the industry they are studying.

Who are these vast numbers of young people? They are called full-time students and they dramatically outnumber the apprentices who also go to college.

Both apprentices and full-time students learn the same theory and undertake the same practical tasks. At the end of the academic year most full-time students will pass their course (currently they have been allowed to take their exams as many times as they want) but when they leave college they never enter the industry. Why? Well, for a start they are not sufficiently

qualified. Even though they have some lovely new certificates (which effectively you as the tax payer have paid for) they only have a diploma; they do not have an NVQ. To be qualified in most of the construction trades you need an NVQ and this, of course, is what their counterparts, the apprentices, receive.

a full-time student. He is now well-known in the industry on social media and is one of the Heroes of Heat (@Heroes_of_Heat) team.

The real shortage is not young people wanting to learn a trade – we have hundreds of thousands of them – the real shortage is job opportunities and employers willing to take an apprentice on.

Liam Bielby (@BielbyLiam) is another young person well known on the plumbing social media circuit and is using this medium, as well as others, to try and obtain an apprenticeship. Despite being an awardwinning student he is still trying to find an employer and exemplifies just how difficult it is for these young people on plumbing courses.

Jacob spent an incredible amount of effort in securing an apprenticeship and knows full well how hard it is for other full-time students, such as Liam, to do this.

So why do I and other duel professionals (those of us involved in a trade and in education) get so frustrated when we keep hearing this relentless call to train more people?

So please, before building companies and industry bodies beat the drum of a shortage of young people choosing to consider construction and building services trades, have a thought for all them thousands of young people that you have funded to be trained at colleges who will never enter industry.

Well I am the one who has to deal with the disheartened, dispirited full-time students (and their parents) when they realise the likelihood of them ever managing to compete with all the other thousands of full-time students and find an employer willing to take them on as an apprentice is very slim.

In fact, go on the government apprentice website right now type in ‘plumbing’, your post code, and a 40 mile radius and you will see the lack of apprenticeships being offered.

Of course the real winner is the company getting paid to issue all these hundreds of thousands of certificates – perhaps that’s the real reason for the cry of a skills shortage.

Awarding Bodies have some fantastic people working for them, but as an entity maybe it is time for these certification bodies to take stock and wonder if they have actually created the problem they try to solve.

Some full-time students go to great lengths to try and find an employer for an apprenticeship. To me, this proves just how willing and resilient some young people truly are. One such person is Jacob Hoyes (@HoyesJacob). Jacob started college on the Level 1 City and Guilds plumbing course and worked his way up through level 2 and 3 as

Nathan Gambling Plumbing & Heating Installer/Lecturer Ipswich @betateach on Twitter

Still not clear on regs for boiler water taps

I read the response by Redring to your star letter about boiling water taps in Nov/Dec edition. In the guidance to ADG under the heading ‘Prevention of excessive temperatures’, it says:

‘3.64 Where the operating temperature of domestic hot water in the storage vessel in a dwelling is capable of exceeding 80°C under normal operating conditions (a situation that may occur in vessels used as heat stores and those connected to solar heat collectors or solid fuel boilers that do not have intervening controls between the boiler and the vessel containing the hot water) the outlet from the storage vessel should be fitted with a device, such as an in-line hot water supply tempering valve in accordance with BS EN 15092:2008 Building Valves. In-line hot water tempering

valves, to ensure that the temperature supplied to the domestic hot water distribution system does not exceed 60°C.’

It could be argued that the tap itself is part of the hot water distribution system – hot, cold and boiling water can come out of the tap by design, and therefore the temperature should be limited to 60°C. This requirement seems to also apply to the pipe(s) supplying the tap under the sink, not just to the insulated spout and the water coming out of it.

I would be interested to hear Redring’s view on this.

Also, reading Kamco’s Keith MacBain’s article about debunking powerflushing myths in the same edition, he mentions that to heat up the water during a powerflush it might be necessary to reverse the flow through a

Spotted on Twitter

Liam K @Liamk84 “If I pay cash will you knock the VAT off?” Yeah mate, no worries, I’ll risk prison to save you some money.

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Barrett Heating @HeatingBarrett So new lad started yesterday on w/board side and hasn’t turned up today. His excuse? He didn’t realise there would be so much digging and he’s tired & he’ll be in tomorrow. Unbelievable. No wonder the country’s in the toilet.

Seal Plumbers @seal_plumbers Just got this email. This is what social housing is getting in London – can the job be done properly on this money? Quote: “It’s an ongoing contract paying £20.00 per service. You will be given between 12-15 jobs a day and are expected to complete a minimum of 10. @PHAMNews

combi boiler. This could be bad advice. As far as I know, the temperature sensors which are used to modulate the burner are fitted on the flow side of the heat exchanger. On reversal of flow, the boiler will ‘see’ the temperature of the actual return water and will ramp up the gas. This could cause steam to be produced.

I know that the flow would be faster from a powerflush pump, and that it would be under supervision, but if radiators are shut down individually while doing the flushing, there could be times of little or no flow. Having the boiler firing with no modulation happening seems a bit dangerous to me. Otherwise an excellent article, and having attended one of Kamco’s training days, although some time ago now, I heartily recommend them.

Rob Peck London

Poetry for plumbers

The President of the Gas Analysis and Sensing Group (GASG) sent us a poem to start the new year off on a creative note. If any other readers feel the urge to express themselves with flair, we’d love to hear from you!

The Pretend Engineer A poet in me reposes and usually supposes that science is what I profess, though technology I suppress because to be an engineer is really quite small beer in a country that thinks a mechanic or a plumber, though rather tragic, is an engineering man because it says so on his van.

Why is a plumber so ashamed to be correctly named as a tradesman, properly skilled, registered and drilled?

Our country, where I fear a trade is smaller beer, is without a law to bend, so a plumber may pretend to be an engineering man if it says so on his van...

Dr. J Watson GASG President Swansea

Scalding questions

The letter by Rob Chambers (November/December 2017 issue) that highlights the possibility of inadvertently and criminally contravening Water Regulations illustrates how confusing the Regulations can be. It raises another concern I have.

We have taken a long time to ensure that mixers restrict the possibility of scalds to vulnerable people, and yet here we are fitting a tap that can, by accidental operation by the confused or children, scald the user. Is this wise?

I am very uneasy about this and have now taken a view that I would be failing in my duty of care to specify or recommend the use of such an apparatus, in view of the potential for injury. It could be difficult to defend.

What do others think?

Roger Hill Via email

Let us know what you think...

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).

Please address your letters to: The Editor, PHAM News, 1b Station Square, Flitwick, Bedfordshire, MK45 1DP

or email to: editor@phamnewsedit.co.uk

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14 SKILLPLUMB Final

Young plumbers put their skills to the test Some of the country’s most skilled plumbing students recently had the opportunity to show what they can do at SkillPLUMB, the annual competition designed to reward the talents of the industry’s apprentices. So who came out on top?

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ould you stand the heat of competing to become the UK SkillPLUMB champion? Organised by BPEC and with the Copper Initiative as its premier sponsor, SkillPLUMB is an annual competition designed to promote plumbing standards and skills by rewarding the talent and dedication of enthusiastic apprentices, with the aim of encouraging more people to enter the plumbing industry.

To win means staying calm and focused, and facing competition from other young plumbers. That was the task for the seven contenders who recently battled it out to be named UK champion at the national SkillPLUMB competition, held at The Skills Show at the Birmingham NEC in November. This three-day show is the UK’s largest skills and careers event, attracting over 80,000 visitors.

Under pressure Undertaking a series of plumbing skills with thousands of eyes watching their every bend and joint would make even the most experienced of plumbers hot under the collar. The young contenders had to keep their cool while completing a complex task that involved the installation of a central heating system and hot/cold water system, incorporating a combi boiler and expansion vessel, pump, associated pipework and bespoke designed copper radiators and towel rails.

The task had to be completed within 14 hours and was marked against tough criteria including dimensional accuracy, bend angles, plumb and level, quality of joints, functionality, and adherence to the specification. The

Bronze medal winner Matthew Barton shows off his work

BPEC’s Neil Collishaw with gold medals winner Jordan Picot

Jordan shows what he can do with a pipe bender

installation was subsequently air tested to ensure it was leak free.

Prior to the final, each competitor was given a comprehensive ‘Tools to Success’ manual with tips garnered from previous competitions and techniques to help them prepare for what laid ahead. For the judges, it was encouraging to see how this guidance was taken on board.

do well – especially as my family is looking forward to a holiday in Russia if I make it to WorldSkills!”

Fellow competitor, Jordan Picot from GoGreen Engineering and Exeter College, effused confidence: “There is more work involved than at the regionals, with a bigger crowd, but that doesn’t phase me. I am getting lots of supportive texts with people cheering me on. It’s hard to tell how well I am doing, as everyone is at a high standard, and I think it will be down to marginal gains as to who wins.”

Precision work Neil Collishaw of BPEC, who kept a close eye on the contestants to monitor their progress, was impressed with the standard of work produced: “The trickiest aspect of the installation is the intricate bends and joints required in the copper piping as these required dexterity and precision.

The contestants have clearly made the effort to practice this, which is essential in meeting the strict timeframe, especially under competition pressure.

“We expect the contest to be very tight this year in terms of skillsets, with only one or two marks separating the top three. It’s the contenders who can deal with the pressure by thinking clearly, keeping a cool head and making accurate decisions who will be successful.”

Many of the competitors also spoke of the intense pressure and how they dealt with it. Matthew Barton, who is employed by W E Barton Plumbing & Heating and attends Kendal College, was nervous to start with: “I feel more relaxed now compared to the regionals, more in the zone. I am aware of the audience but crack on regardless.

I think I am doing okay. I feel very positive and hope to

Medal winners After three demanding days, the competitors were relieved to finally hear the results. Jordan’s confidence and skills led to his winning the gold medal. Taking second place and a silver medal was Russell Scott of Moray College.

Third place and the bronze medal went to Matthew Barton.

In recognition of their excellent performance, Jordan, Russell and Matthew were also selected for the Team UK squad along with fellow competitor Thomas Thomas, with the chance to represent their country in the forthcoming WorldSkills 2019 event in Kazan, Russia.

Prizes for the finalists included tools, BPEC training manuals, CIPHE membership and technical manuals, goody bags from Worcester Bosch and the APHC, workwear, cash, and vouchers. As the overall winner, Jordan also won an angle grinder donated by Worcester Bosch.

Speaking of his success, Jordan said: “It feels amazing to win, I never thought I’d get this far and my heart was pounding when they announced the winner! I’m also pleased to have the chance to compete internationally – it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Back home, and back to their day jobs, each competitor can pride themselves with the knowledge that they can compete and produce excellent work even at extremely high pressure. For future apprentices who want to hone their skills and demonstrate what they are capable of, SkillPLUMB provides the perfect platform.

“We have been so impressed with the standard of work,” says Neil Collishaw. “All competitors were really professional and are excellent role models for the thousands of young people who visited the show.”

This year’s event With the clock ticking, the seven finalists had to demonstrate their pipework skills and eye for accuracy when under pressure

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For more information on the SkillPLUMB competition and details on the 2018 event please visit www.bpec. org.uk/skillplumb

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January 2018

GADGETS & Tools 15 Portable floodlight folds neatly away When you find yourself in a low (or no) light setting, a portable work light is just the answer to a dark situation. This model from TIME LED delivers 10 watts (600 lumens) of light in a 6000K cool white, and when you are finished with it, just fold it away for easy storage in the van.

Available in a choice of

green, red or yellow, the folding flood lamp features a compact, slimline design

that folds to a flat 25mm for storage. The adjustable 360 degree fold allows the user to get just the right angle, no assembly needed. The soft touch handle allows for

Precision toolkit Get started in electronics repair with all the bits and precision tools to handle your most urgent screen breaks and battery swaps.

The Essential Electronics Toolkit from iFixit gives you all the basic tools you need to repair a phone, tablet or other electronic device.

Inside this compact case is a tool for everything from opening cases and lifting screens to changing batteries. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as it can help around the house on endless repair tasks, such as tightening the screws on glasses to fixing that dodgy doorknob.

The kit contains a raft of devices, including: magnetised driver handle, angled precision tweezers, spudger, jimmy, a set of six iFixit opening picks, and sixteen 4mm precision screwdriver bits.

All this is contained in a magnetised case with a lid that has a built-in sorting tray. See the full list of tools in the kit online at eustore.ifixit.com, where it sells for just under £18.

easy handling and movement. Suitable for commercial and domestic use, the light offers up to five hours of light and can be recharged using mains or in-car charger as supplied.

It comes with 20,000 hours lifetime and a two-year warranty.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

www.timeled.co.uk

Kit contains a duo of powerful drills

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The latest Makita two-piece DLX2221J kit features two powerful 18V brushless motor machines: the DHP483 combi drill and the DTD155 impact driver. Both machines are the same compact size as the equivalent 10.8V models.

The combi drill is compact, with a body length of just 176mm. This 13mm 2-speed combi will deliver 40Nm of torque with 20 drive settings plus drilling mode.

The impact driver with ¼in hex drive will drive home M8

machine screws, M12 high strength bolts and 90mm coarse thread screws. It also features the Assist mode for greater machine control, initially driving at low speed which allows the fixing to start, before full power drives the fixing home.

The kit is supplied with two 3.0Ah Li-ion batteries and a DC18RC fast charger, and is packed in a Makpac Type 3 hard shell case.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

www.makitauk.com

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January 2018

16 CIPHE Viewpoint

The cost of poor workmanship

Poor workmanship will often cost more than just the money required to rectify it, says Richard Soper, Director of Development for the CIPHE. Here, Richard explains the problems rogue traders cause and how reputable professionals can help to stop it.

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or all the amazing professional plumbing and heating engineers out there, an unfortunate number of unqualified individuals also exist who perform unsafe installations. The actions of these types of dangerous people have a huge impact on the lives of the homeowners they manage to trick into paying them for unsafe work, both financially and emotionally.

Simultaneously, they also damage the overall reputation of the plumbing and heating trade.

For example, the Gas Safe Register reported in 2016 that around 1.1 million gas jobs are carried out every year by illegal fitters who aren’t properly qualified. It isn’t just gas work that is the problem – water safety is also an area which needs vast improvement. Unfortunately, water safety is made harder to regulate given the fact that this type of work isn’t subject to the same robust training criteria.

The plumbing and heating

The total cost for ‘unblocking’ the toilet came to ÂŁ5642.

I know for those performing legal and sensibly priced work it is very frustrating to read horror stories in the news or to hear about it from customers, who may have been a past victim of this type of fraud.

However, this anger and frustration needs to be used constructively if the situation is to change for the better.

Richard Soper, CIPHE Director

industry is also measured by customer service and fair pricing.

The CIPHE has made a point of reporting and commenting on cases of unfair pricing for work, which hit the pockets of vulnerable consumers. One recent example is when two men charged a staggering ÂŁ672 per hour to unblock a toilet.

They then returned the following day to do non-emergency work on a soil pipe at the property, where an emergency rate was again charged.

Get registered One of the most important things a qualified professional plumbing and heating installer can do is to become registered.

Those involved with gas work and installations should belong to the Gas Safe Register, which is of course mandatory. Aside from this, what else can be done? The reality is that there are organisations, such as the CIPHE, which can offer qualified professionals the chance to show their commitment to professionalism. By being a CIPHE

member a Code of Professional Standards must be abided to, and this helps to assure customers that they will receive a professional service.

Importantly, once you have been accepted, shout about your membership and ask others in your professional network to do the same if they are members.

The more consumers are aware of the professional bodies out there designed to protect them and represent qualified installers, the more likely it is consumers will only employ those who have proof of maintaining professional standards.

Gaining trust While we know that overcharging is an issue, undercharging is another way unscrupulous con-artists can get away with convincing homeowners to part with their hard earned cash. Being open and transparent about your rates and explaining the cost of any parts and labour, while at the same

time making a point of showing off your credentials, should go a long way to winning the trust of your customers.

Another way to help safeguard the consumer is to encourage planned maintenance. This way, they are less likely to have an emergency. In an emergency situation consumers may have less time to think about who they are employing and get caught off guard.

These are just a few considerations to be aware of when thinking about how you can promote yourself and your business as being reputable, while highlighting how there are real dangers out there to your customer base should they choose not to ask for proof of professionalism.

For more about the CIPHE or if you would like to become a member, please contact Tim Sainty via email (tims@ciphe.org.uk) or call 01708 472 791

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DCE | Compact instantaneous water heater DEM | Mini instantaneous water heater

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January 2018

ENERGY Matters 17 Electrification by Design report Electrification of the UK energy system needs market integration and collaboration at a regional level – so says BEAMA, which has released a report, ‘Electrification by Design’. The report says the lack of linked relationships or delivery mechanisms is working against the progress of electrification.

While electrification is deemed a national need, BEAMA says optimised, flexible energy systems will be better delivered by regions and zones empowered to identify the best way forward.

BEAMA Deputy CEO Kelly Butler comments: “We first published our thoughts on ‘zone’ approaches back in 2013, because markets will need to build around levels of ambition that will galvanize the supply chain to invest in network infrastructure, building skills capacity, and coordinated propositions to the customer.

Kelly Butler, BEAMA

“Innovation is required in the market models we use to build a market for electrification, and this is best delivered by energy service providers at a regional level.”

The report calls for more ambitious Building Regulations to ensure readiness for an electric future, better design of financial incentives such as ECO and the RHI, and the creation of suitable regional structures to set targeted ambitions for electrification.

District heating delivers satisfaction A government survey of 5000 heat network consumers has shown that heat network customers pay less for their energy than those using traditional gas systems.

The survey respondents also reported general satisfaction with their heating systems.

“This is a positive sign that community and district energy schemes are meeting the needs of customers,” says Kirsty Lambert, Director of community heating specialist Switch2 Energy.

“However, the survey shows

that there is significant variation in pricing across the UK, so there is an important task of ensuring greater consistency.

“The Government has signalled its support for heat network expansion through its recent Clean Growth Strategy and investment

in the sector,” continues Kirsty. “Community and district heating can deliver affordable, low carbon, reliable heat – helping to address fuel poverty and increase energy efficiency in our towns and cities.

“Customer needs must be placed at the heart of the design, development and operation of heat networks, and we welcome the joint efforts underway to deliver better customer protection and further improve service delivery.”

Funding needed for electric upgrades Upgrading static electric storage heaters in half a million electrically heated homes could help to close a combined fuel poverty gap of £160million every year, were they not excluded from energy efficiency improvement programmes.

This is according to a new report by Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation.

Around 15% of fuel poor households – almost 500,000 – use electricity to heat their homes and pay over the odds for their heating, often due to using

electric storage heaters and incorrect specification. Despite this, government incentive schemes are failing to fund heating system upgrades in electrically heated homes with modern, smart appliances that can cut heating bills.

The Dimplex report also highlights the potential of modern, smart electric heating appliances, including directacting electric panel heaters and high heat retention heaters, which draw energy during off-peak periods to

deliver heat at any time. Both can include intelligent controls which react to changes in climatic conditions and occupant behaviour for enhanced efficiency.

Chris Stammers, Head of Insight for Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation, says: “If we can facilitate more heating upgrades in these homes, we can make significant progress in reducing the fuel poverty gap – but more support must be provided to enable that to happen.”

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January 2018

18 BUSINESS Matters

10 steps to grow your business In the first of a series of six articles, Martin Jones, MD of TradeHelp, provides 10 tips on how to grow a business. With over 25 years within the industry, beginning with family company PH Jones, Martin offers PHAM News readers the benefit of his experience.

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rowing a business is a challenge, especially when you take into account all of the tasks you have to complete day-today just to keep a business running. And developing a business in the domestic or commercial plumbing and heating sector is tougher still, because fundamentally it is a mature market, which makes it difficult to come up with new innovations.

When I joined my family company PH Jones Martin Jones, TradeHelp MD in 1992, we had sales of approximately £400k per annum. We knew we wanted to grow the business but we were not sure how to do it.

Fast-forward 19 years to 2011, we had achieved sales of £90 million per annum and sold our business to British Gas – so we must have got something right! However, it was very much by trial and error. Here are some of the things we learnt along the way:

1 Deliver a great service and customer experience

If you want to grow a business you have to start with providing a level of customer service and quality that, as a minimum, is in the top 20% of the industry and is delivered more efficiently than your competitors. In order to allow you to focus on your customers, you need to invest in technology and systems that make the day-to-day business tasks more efficient and streamlined.

2 Identify markets with recurring revenue streams

One of the key actions we carried out early on at PH Jones was identifying some longer term contracts, such as social housing or new build clients, which would support our private, able-to-pay customers during the quiet months.

Whilst the profit margin for this work was much lower than our private customers, it allowed us flexibility with our labour and we could move our resources around depending on the time of year. Signing our private customers up on annual servicing and maintenance contracts also allowed us some flexibility in the summer months.

3 Employ the best people you can

Sales at PH Jones jumped from £25m to £50m over a period of two years after I hired an exceptional Business Development

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Manager. She had no experience in the sector, and I didn’t have a role in mind for her at the time I hired her, but someone I respected said to me: “I don’t know what you are going to do with her, but you need to get her into your business because she is talented!”

I decided to take a chance, hire her and create a new role in business development – which she took to another level within six months. On top of that, she eventually created a team that she managed and motivated. It is important that, with a little guidance, you let talented people make their own decisions and do things their own way.

4 Create

systems that will allow you to operate from multiple locations At PH Jones we tendered for one or two small social housing contracts outside of our area of operation and comfort zone (and winning at low or zero margin!). This forced us to come up with solutions to problems encountered in growth, such as choosing effective IT systems, staff and recruitment, supply chain relationships and general infrastructure to operate efficiently away from our main base of operations.

Through investing in these small low risk contracts, we designed an operating model that we replicated and refined in future years, allowing us to expand.

5 Diversify the services offered

We ensured that we had an array of services on offer to cater for the different client bases. We created six different divisions in the company, which were complementary to each other, where we could flex and share labour resource during different times of the year. The new structure allowed us to develop specialist knowledge and services for each of our customer sectors.

6 Manage your cash and costs

I quickly realised that you need to have systems and processes that allow you to send invoices swiftly and help you to chase down overdue cash promptly. If you are a growing business, having enough cash flow is always a challenge.

Therefore, you should have an effective job costing system that will allow you to identify where you are making money – and where you are not. This needs to be set up so that it is an easy and standard process within your business. If you have office staff and overheads, set a budget at the start of the year to help you manage these costs. This is especially important if you are growing, as you are adding overhead and costs constantly, so you need to be in control.

7 Learn to delegate

When you have a lot of things going on, it’s generally easier to do it yourself rather than to ask someone else. But this can be a major factor in holding your business growth back. To truly develop your business you need an effective team around you that you can trust. By delegating tasks and letting employees make mistakes, they will learn and improve. Whilst this may take up more of your time in the short term, in the long term it will let you concentrate on growing your business.

8 Have the ability to adapt

Changes in the marketplace, such as new legislation, create opportunities. Businesses must be alive to these opportunities and be able to adapt quickly to make the most of them.

At PH Jones we saw the Affordable Warmth investment from the Government (through Eaga Partnership) early in 1999/2000 and were one of the very first companies to take part. This brought huge opportunities, as there was a lack of capacity to deliver the requirements, meaning that it was lucrative in the early years.

9 Plan ahead

Whilst being adaptable is great, it’s also essential to plan ahead and anticipate changes and potential opportunities.

It’s important to give proper consideration to investment requirements in the business and not leave it to chance.

Part of planning is also documenting and mitigating key risks to your business that may arise.

10 Invest in your business

If you are serious about growth, you will need to re-invest a large proportion of the money earned in the business. At PH Jones, shareholders took virtually no dividends out of the business, as we needed the cash to continue to grow.

This paid off in the end as we sold the company, but it meant backing the business by re-investing profits over a number of years when it was sometimes tempting to take cash out.

In next month’s issue Martin will explain how to successfully recruit employees and apprentices.

About TradeHelp For more information about TradeHelp or to learn more about its new app, which provides members with a range of time and money-saving benefits at the touch of a button, please visit the website: www.tradehelp.co.uk

January 2018

Ant

Business Matters Employment status question Companies that miscategorise workers as self-employed could be liable for holiday pay, according to APHC, which is reminding plumbing and heating firms to check the legal status of the working relationship they have with individuals.

The advice comes following a legal case in which a window company has been taken to court for £27,000 in holiday pay by a man who had his status changed by a tribunal following his dismissal.

John Thompson, CEO of APHC, says: “My understanding of the ruling means that employers who have miscategorised workers as self-employed could now be liable for back holiday pay when a worker’s employment is terminated. This could be very pertinent to the plumbing and heating industry as the decision could mean that companies which routinely use staff on self-employed

contracts could face liabilities if that employment status is later challenged.

“It is important to understand that HMRC may regard someone as self-employed for tax purposes even if they have a different status in employment law. This means that employers should check if a worker is self-employed in tax law to understand whether they’re exempt from PAYE and in employment law to see whether they have any employee rights.”

HMRC has an Employment Status Indicator tool which can be found on: www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-statusindicator. The tool will give HMRC’s view on whether a worker is employed or selfemployed for tax purposes.

For more details on this news item, please visit the PHAM News website (www. phamnews.co.uk/employment-status-andholiday-pay).

More out of online platform A new partnership between online lead generators Plentific and Web.com means installers signing up to either one can enjoy the features provided by both companies. As well as lead generation and domain creation with Web.com, users will also have access to Plentific’s centralised and ever-evolving platform, allowing them to message customers, send quotes and collect payments in one secure location.

Plentific provides a

marketplace that makes it simple for tradespeople to manage their work and find new leads. All jobs booked on Plentific are covered by the Plentific Guarantee, a policy that can cover a customer’s project and give them much more confidence in hiring a tradesman.

Verified Pros can also offer two year insurance-backed protection for their jobs.

“Plentific and Web.com share the goal of making it much easier for everyday tradespeople to manage

their businesses online,” says Plentific’s Director of Business Development Kevin North.

“This partnership will allow us to add real value to our product offering by giving tradespeople more of a presence in an increasingly competitive online world. With this, they will be able to find the work they need while also building trust in the services that they offer.”

For more information, please visit plentific.com/pro or web.com

Retentions with third parties An upcoming parliamentary bill on retentions, to be introduced by Peter Aldous MP, is being backed by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and the electrotechnical and engineering services body ECA. The Ten Minute Rule Bill will seek to amend the 1996 Construction Act and ensure that retentions within construction are held in a third party trust scheme. A key aim will be to help protect companies in the construction supply chain from insolvency and payment uncertainly.

The first reading of the Bill in Parliament will be held on 9th January.

Both bodies jointly endorse the Bill and will fully support it through

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its progress in Parliament.

In addition, ECA and the BESA anticipate significant additional political and industry support for the bill.

Recent research by Pye Tait on retentions has shown that over £700m worth of retention money has been lost due to upstream insolvency in the past three years and that on average £27,500 is held

in retention per contractor.

In an industry of 280,000 SMEs, 44% of contractors have suffered non-payment through upstream insolvency in the last three years.

The Bill will be introduced while the Government consults over reforming the current retentions model. The government consultation runs until 19 January.

Continuing his regular column, Ant Provan – the man behind Gas App Uk – highlights how a new finance package could benefit both your customers and your business.

New finance offer for your customers In my days on the tools, I saw a lot of customers struggling to pay for a new boiler. They simply hadn’t anticipated their old boiler breaking down, were living to their means, and didn’t have any savings. Replacing their boiler was therefore a ‘distress’ purchase and had to be done using a credit card or a loan, if they could get their hands on either. It was generally only those of retirement age, in the habit of saving, who could comfortably make the purchase.

Customers would often ask me if they could pay for the job using a credit card. So I took to using a credit card Ant Provan merchant facility with World Pay, which helped us both.

However, it was sometimes the case that I lost a customer to another provider because I simply had nowhere to point them to finance the deal. In fact, I lost out on quite a bit of business to the mainstream corporates with deep pockets because I couldn’t offer a finance facility. And it wasn’t just me. I know a lot of independent engineers doing an amazing job who are losing business due to this financing issue, when they shouldn’t have to.

That’s why I have spent the last six months at Gas App Uk trying to solve this issue for our members. I have been in meetings up and down the country with independent finance houses, their brokers and their compliance people.

At the end of all that, I’m chuffed to announce that, from the end of January, we are now able to offer independent finance to all Gas App Uk members. This is going to change things massively for independent engineers.

From within the app, engineers will get an instant decision to determine whether their customer is eligible for finance. If so, the engineer can complete the sale, secure the money and, within 48 hours, get paid on the completed job. Having access to this feature will help independent engineers to win more work, or crucially, not lose work to the bigger companies simply because their customer can’t finance the boiler purchase.

This is groundbreaking within our industry – no one else is offering it!

But not only that, we are offering access to finance that is 100% independent.

This means that engineers have the freedom of choice to buy whatever boiler they want to fit for their customer. They are not tied to buying a particular brand.

So the customer gets the finance they need, and the engineer gets to work with the boilers they know and trust. The only catch, if you can call it that, is that engineers must be members of Gas App Uk to get access to this bespoke offering.

This is good news for independent engineers. And personally, I feel quite proud because I think it heralds a shift from independent engineers being at the mercy of the bigger corporates.

On the shortlist for two top industry awards!

All in all, it has been a good start to the year at Gas App Uk HQ. Not only are we able to now offer financing, but we have recently been shortlisted for not one but two prestigious H&V News awards: HVAC Initiative of the Year 2018 and Smart Installer of the Year.

Although we were also nominated for Initiative of the Year last year, we have moved the app on considerably since then, adding key new sections and expanding our community and offering. In one year, our membership has grown from 14,000 to 23,000, an increase of 9000 members.

More than 350,000 manuals have been downloaded since launching, and we average between 180 to 215 users per hour.

We have also made some additions in the last year that have proven extraordinarily

popular and useful. The new Fault-Finding section gives members immediate access to a community of engineers working together to help each other. A live News Feed section allows engineers to keep up to date with the latest newsroom content from key publications. And the new Forms section saves engineers from having to buy and manually complete paper forms such as gas inspection records, landlord gas safety records and legionnaire risk assessments.

I don’t want to spend too long going on about Gas App, although you probably get a sense of how proud I am of it and all the work that has gone into it. But, at the end of the day, the most important thing is that we are arming engineers with the features they need to do a first-class job.

To join the Gas App community simply visit the Apple or Google store and search for Gas App Uk and get a 7-day free trial.

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Five reasons you should retrofit Underfloor heating may not be the first thought when renovating a period property, but for many homeowners it could provide the best option. Heather Oliver, Product Development Manager at Nu-Heat, provides five reasons why it might be easier than you think.

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hen renovating an e x i s t i ng property that has radiators, the temptation can be to simply replace like with like. Before you do, stop and ask yourself whet her war m water underfloor heating could be better for both the property and your business.

Retrofitting UFH into a property is quicker and easier than you might think – and far more Heather Oliver, Nu-Heat Prostraightforward than in- duct Development Manager stalling a radiator system.

No more soldering or pipe bending to drive you up the wall.

Offering complete interior design freedom and low running costs, it’s easy to see why homeowner demand for warm water UFH is high. With thousands of homes undergoing renovation work, the ‘don’t move, improve’ trend offers a huge opportunity for you to grow your business by joining the underfloor heating movement.

Retrofit UFH options are suitable for properties of all sizes, offering efficient, high-quality heating with precise control – clearly a great option for the homeowner, but what’s in it for you?

Here are five compelling reasons to recommend installing UFH for your customer’s renovation project: 1

No need to dig up the floor

Put the shovel away – there’s no need to dig up the floor.

Thankfully the myth of having to dig up the floor before installing underfloor heating is just that, a myth.

Most retrofit UFH systems can be fitted directly over the existing floor, avoiding the mess and disruption – not to mention the impact on installation schedule – of excavating and rebuilding the floor deck. As everything is above floor level, it’s also far easier than taming the spaghetti junction of pipework back to the boiler in a conventional radiator system.

Flexible tubing is easy to unroll and fix to the castellated panel

2

No vertical challenge

Every property brings its own challenges, one of the most common being maintaining ceiling height. Luckily, most retrofit UFH systems are slim to avoid additional height build-up – easier for you to install and an attractive option for the homeowner.

The lowest profile option on the market involves prerouted gypsum boards that are laid over the floor in a set pattern. The UFH tube is laid into the grooves in the panels, and floor finishes can be fitted directly over the top.

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A castellated panel fitted directly over the existing floor gives the homeowner a clean finish and comfortable warmth

Quick to install, these systems offer good heat outputs insulation levels are difficult to improve (perhaps in older that are perfectly suited to properties with low to medium or listed properties). In the past, these properties might have been considered unsuitable for UFH, but thanks to heat losses.

When comparing UFH systems, keep an eye out for the technological advances, UFH can now provide an efficient total height build-up of the UFH, including any structural and effective heating solution for buildings of all shapes decks that may need to be laid over the top of the UFH and sizes.

Where insulation levels are difficult to improve, choose before the floor coverings can be fitted. Some retrofit UFH systems can add as little as 15mm (the size of a 5p coin) a retrofit UFH system which combines castellated panels with a specialist self-levelling compound to boost the heat to the overall floor height.

If you are installing UFH for the first time this might output as well as creating a super-smooth surface for your seem like a lot to take in, but there’s no floor finishes. Your UFH supplier will need for you to get bogged down with the be able to advise which UFH system “Retrofitting underfloor best matches the property’s heating details. A good UFH supplier will work requirements. with you to assess the best option for heating into a property the project, and provide detailed layout 5 No awkward corners is quicker and easier drawings and step-by-step instructions There are very few properties that are than you might think” so that you know exactly what to do. perfectly square, without any alcoves, 3 No hold ups built-in structures or awkward angles to Good retrofit UFH systems are designed to be easy to contend with. Thankfully, selecting a flexible UFH system install and are backed by free technical support should means that you can lay UFH tube across the entire floor you get stuck. Whether you opt for a pre-routed board or area, fitting the shape of each and every room and not castellated panel UFH system, installation consists of just leaving any tricky spots out in the cold.

If you need to fit the UFH around fixed objects or in three simple steps: rooms that are a slightly quirky shape, opt for a system that • Prepare the floor – ensure the floor is level and any uses castellated panels to hold the UFH tube. Castellated gaps are filled, fitting any isolation and expansion strips panels can be easily cut to fit even the most awkward of as advised by your supplier. room shapes, and your design drawings will show you • Lay the board or panels and install the UFH tube – exactly how to do this. follow the design drawings to lay the board or panels, then install the flexible UFH tube and connect it to the manifold.

• Commission the system – follow your supplier’s instructions to fill, flush and pressure test the system. If your UFH system includes a self-levelling compound, leave the system under pressure as the compound is poured.

Floor coverings can be fitted once the compound is dry.

4

No cold spots

There should be no chilly spots or no-go zones with retrofit UFH. Impressive heat outputs and fast heat up times make retrofit UFH systems well-suited to areas with large amounts of glazing (such as bi-fold doors), high heat losses or where

The right supplier

Choosing the right UFH system starts with selecting the right supplier. A good supplier will be able to advise which UFH system will work best in the property to provide an efficient, controllable heat, and support you through the installation process.

Nu-Heat has designed and supplied over 70,000 underfloor systems.

For more information on the company’s range of products and services, simply enter the number below on the reader enquiry and registration card in this issue, or visit the website below. www.ufhmovement.co.uk

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22 UNDERFLOOR Heating

The ideal solution for more open interiors Whether planning the heating system for a new build or an established property, underfloor heating is the first choice in many more applications, thanks to advances in installation methods. Michelle Taylor, Product Manager for Myson Underfloor Heating, explains more.

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pen living spaces are frequently central to new build projects, but they are also increasingly being created in major refurbishments by removing walls, extending and blending existing rooms into each other. In more open spaces, you naturally have less wall space, but this isn’t a problem if you opt for underfloor heating. In multifunctional spaces especially, but also in private dwellings, underfloor is gaining in popularity because it frees Myson provides a range of underfloor heating solutions, including a TouchScreen thermostat, to meet the needs of both commercial and domestic properties up wall space while delivering a consistent, even warmth installed straight over the top of existing floors, even solid heating in larger open plan ground floor areas such as throughout the room. ones. As it is only 18mm deep, it barely changes the height hospital wards, schools and sports halls. In private homes Underfloor heating appeals greatly to architects and of the floor and now allows us to install underfloor heating we are increasingly seeing underfloor heating being used interior designers as it gives them maximum freedom to almost anywhere, in new or established properties alike. on the ground floor for combined kitchen/dining/living interpret their design concepts and allows end users to areas, with radiators in the bedrooms upstairs. Around Pack it in move furniture and alter the use of each space as required, 30% of the project enquiries that the Myson support without needing to factor in where the heating is situated. To make life even easier, or if you are just looking to add team now receive involve the use of underfloor heating It used to be thought that you could only lay underfloor underfloor heating to a single area, handy underfloor heating in combination with other technologies such as radiators, heating in a new build property because it had to be laid room packs have been created which contain all that you and this is growing. within a new screeded floor. But while this is still very need to install heating in a single room. These are available If the customer does decide to combine underfloor heating popular and effective, it is by no means the only method of in 20m² and 40m² and are a cost-effective way of creating with radiators and towel warmers, you should be careful to installation and it is perfectly possible to install underfloor a warm space in single areas around the home. source all your products from a single manufacturer and There is also an increase in the use of electric underfloor follow the manufacturer’s instructions, as this is really heating in older properties and on upper floors.

If the property has a joisted floor, aluminium diffuser heating, especially when updating a bathroom or cloakroom the only way to ensure consistently high quality, and to plates can be used. These are essentially sheets of aluminium in an existing property. Electric systems come in the form be confident that they will work effectively together. As with preformed grooves which carry the hydronic pipework. of a woven mat carrying electrical wires which can be cut well as getting a full system guarantee, it also means They are installed on the wooden floor joists, so can be to fit and laid over an existing solid floor. Another bonus you will be able to access technical support and design used upstairs as well as at ground floor level. of electric underfloor heating, of course, is that it can be assistance, helping to make a highly efficient underfloor An innovative new low-profile sheet material called used when the rest of the heating is turned off. system a viable option on almost any project.

Microboard has made retrofitting underfloor heating simpler.

Underfloor heating doesn’t have to be used in isolation – PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No. www.myson.co.uk Manufactured with preformed grooves, Microboard is many more applications now feature the use of underfloor 107

Ready to meet growth in demand Underfloor heating specialist Roth UK, part of Roth North Europe (a subsidiary of Roth Industries GmbH), has announced the opening of a new UK head office and distribution centre, based in Worcester, close to the M5.

The integrated offices and warehouse facility represents a significant investment for the company, but General Manager Graham Moore believes it is an ideal time to look to expand the business. “ Unde r f lo or he at i ng currently accounts for 6.5% of the UK heating market and over the coming years it is set to be the fastest growing product group in the UK

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heating sector,” he explains. “ D r i v en b y c h a ng e s in lifestyle, living space a nd f lo or i ng de s ig n , environmental awareness and the resulting economic benefits in combination

with renewable technology, underf loor heating is becoming the system of choice. The domestic new build sector still represents the major percentage of the market for traditional screed installations. Innovation in low profile systems for the retrofit / DIY market and the growing investment in modular / pod construction underpins a very positive future for domestic underfloor heating.

“Let us also not forget the commercial potential for hospitals, schools, warehouses, agricultural and livestock sheds, to name but a few who benefit from

a healthier and safer lower temperature energy efficient heating system.”

So why choose Roth? “In today’s growing market there are many suppliers, including an increasing online trade, offering underfloor components that come from a variety of suppliers with variable quality standards,” says Graham. “Roth is a total systems manufacturer from PE-RT pipe to app based controls. Our European reputation and success is based on being a supplier of high quality, innovative industry approved products and services supported by years of technical know-how.

“The recent launch in the UK of our RothCalc and QuickCalc tools have enabled us to provide consultants, developers and installers a complete systems solutions and design service for all types of building and floor specifications.

“To complete the enhanced

service offering to our clients, the new warehouse and our partnership with Stop Start logistic will allow us to offer extended order cut off times until 4pm, plus access to a fleet of 30 vehicles for next day delivery.”

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24 UNDERFLOOR Heating

Delivering more than just heat As temperatures drop, underfloor heating can provide much needed warmth and comfort – but the benefits don’t end there. Jonathan Moran, Business Development Manager at Warmafloor, lists some of the reasons why UFH systems continue to grow in popularity.

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ecent reports show that arctic warming may be causing colder winters across large parts of the Northern hemisphere. In fact, this winter is predicted to be the coldest winter on record since the Great Freeze of 2010, which saw heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures across the UK. With forecasts of heavy snow and high speed winds (up to 90 mph) currently dominating the UK news agenda, it has never Jonathan Moran, Warmafloor been more important to ensure that buildings are heated efficiently to ensure optimum human comfort and good health.

Heating and its associated running costs are ever-growing concerns for anyone involved in the specification process.

As one of the coldest winters on record continues, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest underfloor heating technologies.

Growth industry The UFH market represents the fastest growing sector within the UK heating industry and is predicted to increase by 15% by 2020 in value terms. Among the key factors driving the fast growth of the UFH market are: general automation in industrial, commercial and residential sectors, and the increasing awareness about benefits of underfloor heating systems.

There are numerous benefits associated with underfloor heating. However, one of the most major, but often not well known, is that UFH offers great energy efficiency.

Underfloor heating products also deliver aesthetic benefits. Traditional radiator systems can be large, bulky and unsightly. They also take up much needed room space.

Underfloor heating systems in contrast are completely hidden out of sight, providing more room space for objects that improve aesthetic value. The installation of UFH will also provide architects and designers with much greater freedom when arranging furniture and other items in a room.

Health benefits

UFH systems can help free up much needed space

It has been found to be 15 to 20% more energy efficient than traditional heating systems. Essentially, this means that rooms can be heated to a comfortable level without consuming as much energy as a conventional radiator.

This helps to lower utility bills and the property’s overall environmental footprint.

Thermal comfort Additionally, UFH offers enhanced thermal comfort compared with standard heating. For example, radiators heat up rooms through convection and rely on room air to transfer the heat, meaning that heat is distributed unevenly. UFH systems, in contrast, incorporate a network of pipes embedded under the floor that carry warm water to heat the floor surface area, distributing heat by natural radiation. This results in an even temperature across the room. Ultimately this means the heating can be set to a lower temperature without impacting human comfort whilst also reducing the cost of energy bills.

Not only are UFH systems energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing, they also help to create a healthier living environment. A warm floor inhibits the growth of fungi and dust mites – lowering their quantities by up to 80%.

A reduction in house dust mites significantly lowers the risk of room users from developing respiratory issues, such as asthma.

Radiators often need replacing at least twice throughout the lifetime of a building and require manual operations such as bleeding or painting, which can lead to further expenditure, on top of running costs. In contrast UFH provides longevity, lasting the entire lifetime of a building, and are completely hassle free, requiring no maintenance.

Speedier installation A common misconception is that UFH can be difficult to install. However, the process can be up to 40% shorter than traditional heating system installation periods.

At Warmafloor we can also ensure that the right system is selected for the project in question. We have the resources to manage a project end-to-end, or can act purely in a consultancy role to a design a system, or design and supply.

Furthermore, our pipes are guaranteed for a century – ten times longer than steel/copper radiator pipes. www.warmafloor.co.uk

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UFH solutions designed with the installer in mind With a range of new underfloor heating products designed to meet the rising demand for single room and extension projects, Polypipe is confident that it can help heating engineers grow their business. Andy Coy, UFH Product Manager, highlights some key developments.

Developing a range of products that give heating engineers as many options as possible when on a job has been a driving factor for our development team in the last 12 months. Research shows that as more homeowners are deciding to renovate and extend their existing homes over making a move, there has been a growing demand for products that can help to maximise once neglected rooms, or new extensions.

Heating solutions are a key part of any renovation project and homeowners are anxious to get value for money – not to mention being assured that their chosen heating system has longevity and stability.

With this in mind, Polypipe has introduced the Single Zone Electric Boiler.

This new compact boiler

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Andy Coy from Polypipe

removes the need for single room underfloor heating applications to be plumbed into the existing home heating system, providing an easier way for installers to fit UFH systems into new extensions or conversions. The boiler is ideal for smaller standalone projects where it would be

impractical and inadvisable to plumb into the main heating system.

The unit is designed to provide a completely selfsufficient solution for a range of projects such as bathroom conversions, kitchens and extensions, through to more unusual uses such as garden buildings, log cabins, or loft conversions.

The boiler can supply the hot water to service underfloor heating systems installed in an area of up to 38m2 (based on a requirement of 80W/m2) with a temperature range of between 24° and 56°, offering improved efficiency over an equivalent radiator system.

We are always looking at ways to solve problems for installers and homeowners, and this one-box solution includes all the components

to run underfloor heating over a significant floor area and offers a solution when it is impossible or undesirable to connect to the home’s existing heating system.

We specifically chose a 3kW output, as this means the unit can still be powered from a domestic socket, removing the expense and time of electrical alterations.

Time saver In the spirit of ease of installation, our new Smart Plus Stainless Steel Manifold, with patented self-balancing technology, allows the heating engineer to precisely control the flow of water through a heating system by setting a constant litres-per-hour flow rate. This is an excellent time saver that will leave the completed system ready for

the homeowner to use as soon as the flow rate is set.

The new manifold is compatible with all our current pump packs featuring the PolyMax push-fit fitting and comes complete with a wall mounting bracket, a drain and air vent assembly, and a demountable fit aid tool.

Installer support This year Polypipe will be announcing new initiatives that will appeal to heating specialists at every level of business experience and technical skill.

We have assessed our Registered Installer network and will be communicating some new ways in which we will be supporting our existing members while looking to attract new

specialists and heating engineers to our fold.

These measures have been developed to encourage a partnership approach between trusted installers and their preferred product supplier. We believe that there is a new generation of independent engineers and specialists who will benefit from assistance from an industry leading company with the widest range of systems available on the market.

The key is more flexibility for all. We know that heating engineers are respected by their customers as trusted technicians, so we want to ensure we are doing all we can to help them grow their business in 2018.

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Providing a hot and cold solution Underfloor heating is a bit of a misnomer, as it can also be installed in walls and ceilings and deliver cooling too! James Griffiths, Head of Special Projects at Uponor, provides more details.

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here are a number of misconceptions surrounding underfloor heating and it’s hardly surprising when even the commonly-used name of this versatile technology is misleading. What most people – across the design, installation and end user communities – know as underfloor heating needn’t necessarily be installed under the floor.

Nor is it always used exclusively for heating.

Indeed, in some thermally efficient commercial buildings it may not need to be used for heating at all! So let’s start this discussion by calling underfloor heating by its more accurate name of radiant heating and cooling.

Heat source The pipework involved – whether installed in the floor, the walls, the ceilings, or a combination of those locations – is not the emitting heat source but simply the carrier of energy. The heat emitter is the heat conductive material that lies between the energy source in the pipework and the indoor environment, i.e. the screed, dry screed board, concrete, etc.

It is thanks to the thermally conductive materials in the building fabric that radiant heating and cooling solutions provide a low energy technology for ambient indoor temperatures because it is these surfaces that emit stored heat or cooling.

As a result, in a residential dwelling where the homeowner wants to finish the floors with carpets or rugs, underfloor heating may not provide a desirable solution because the carpet will not work with the thermally conductive concrete or screed used in the floor, it will simply impede the radiant heat. That’s not to say, however, that carpet and radiant heating and cooling are mutually exclusive. Let’s ENQUIRY

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energy source and location of the pipework, it also needs to focus on the building fabric.

Both low mass building design – such as timber frame houses with screed board – and high mass building design – such as concrete frame and slab construction – are suitable for radiant heating and cooling.

Bigger picture James Griffiths, Uponor’s Head of Special Projects

remember that the pipework can also be installed in the wall or ceiling, using these surfaces instead to emit heat and/or cooling.

Retro fitting Nor does a radiant heating and cooling solution need to be specified when a home or commercial building is constructed. The pipework required can be retrofitted into a property and, where taking up the floors is too onerous in terms of cost or disruption, opting for an installation in the walls, ceilings or soffits instead could be the solution to improved comfort and reduced energy costs.

The secret to driving energy costs down is to minimise the temperature range required from the energy source to achieve the required indoor environment. While a conventional heating and cooling system might require a wide temperature range between around 60ºC and 70ºC, for example, a radiant heating and cooling installation with a renewable energy source – typically a heat pump – reduces this difference in temperature requirements to a range between around 15ºC and 35ºC.

Building fabric To achieve the reduction in energy consumption, however, specification not only needs to consider the

However, a holistic approach to the building fabric is always required. Not only does this include the use of natural finishes such as ceramic tiles, limestone and suitable laminates to store and emit heat and/or cooling, it also requires a high performance insulated and air tight structure designed to minimise solar gain and heat loss.

Historically, both homes and commercial buildings have been poorly insulated and draughty, resulting in a focus on heating rather than cooling. As the thermal performance of our built environment improves, we must evolve this culture to leverage the full benefits of radiant heating and cooling across both residential and light commercial settings.

Huge potential There is huge potential to increase the use of this technology in both new build and retrofit p r oj e c t s , p a r t i c u l a rl y t ho s e c on s t r uc t e d t o deliver high standards of thermal performance, providing an opportunity for improved comfort, reduced energy bills and an end to unsightly radiators and air con units.

Find out more For more information on the design services available from Uponor, please enter the number below on the freepost reader and registration card inside this issue or visit the website.

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28 UNDERFLOOR Heating

Promoting the benefits of UFH Underfloor heating is still one of the most frequently requested types of heating from UK homeowners. Chris Johnson, Category Manager for Underfloor Heating at Plumbase, explains why it’s therefore worth getting up to speed with the latest developments.

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or many, the chance to free up space in their home, which might otherwise be used by bulky radiators, and to get that luxurious underfoot feel which only underfloor heating can create, is reason enough to ask installers about getting a system installed. However, its popularity is growing for more than just this one reason.

More installers and homeowners are becoming aware that installing UFH isn’t a massively time consuming job. In lots of instances, especially when choosing systems which can be fitted over the pre-existing floor deck, installation can be done in a matter of hours.

One of the lesser known benefits of UFH is the improvement in air quality of homes it is fitted in, which is especially important for allergy sufferers. Behind radiators is a common place for dust to collect, and because radiators primarily use convection heating when the radiator is in use, that dust is circulated around the room.

For these reasons and more, UFH is at the forefront of homeowners’ heating aspirations, but your knowledge and expertise can help your customers to choose the system that’s right for them.

Water or electric Whether to choose a water or electric UFH system is one of the first decisions to be made on the customer’s UFH journey, and it is an opportunity for the installer to add value as a trusted advisor.

As a simple comparison, electric systems are often cheaper to purchase and quicker to install than water-based systems but are then more expensive to run and come with a much shorter warranty.

It is also a misconception that water-based systems can only be built into brand new floors when actually there are a number of retrofit systems available that can be fitted between joists or over existing floors.

There isn’t a one size fits all approach, so taking the

Warming to easy to fit foil mats

Plumbase has teamed up with Polypipe to offer a training programme for installers to upskill and confidently fit UFH systems

time to speak to your customer about the pros and cons of both systems will ensure the homeowner is satisfied with the end result.

Ease of Use With the advancements in water-based UFH in recent years, it is now possible to use these systems as the primary home heating source, without the need for supplemental heat sources such as radiators. These systems are also compatible with a range of thermostats, from basic dial thermostats through to internet enabled smart controls, so the homeowner can choose the level of control they want.

One of the added benefits of UFH is the option to create zones within a home, which is worth mentioning to homeowners who may wish, for example, to heat the living room and kitchen at different times and temperatures.

Bust the myths Awareness of UFH has grown considerably over the past 20 to 30 years, but there are still some misconceptions out there that your customers may wish to discuss. The most common include whether the UFH system will be safe for pets and children, and since UFH never heats the floor surface above body temperature, it’s absolutely safe for everyone in the home, even those more vulnerable to hot and cold.

For those choosing a water-based UFH system, the question of whether it is likely to leak and cause damage in the future is also frequently asked. With no joints within the floor there are no natural places for it to leak, and once the pipes are safe beneath the floor covering there is minimal risk of the pipes being damaged after installation is complete – unlike inside the walls, where homeowners have been known to drill and cause devastating damage to pipework.

The valves themselves are located underneath the manifold which is above ground level, so you can reassure homeowners that in event of an issue, they remain easy to access. In most cases, if there is a problem it is more likely to be at the manifold than anything underneath the floor.

Homeowners are also often confused about the types of floor covering they can use. This is where you can inform your customers that UFH can be used with almost any floor covering of their choice, from laminate to carpet to engineered timber.

Get qualified The business potential for qualified plumbers and heating engineers who have been trained to fit UFH is exceptional.

This is why Plumbase has teamed up with Polypipe to offer a training programme for installers to upskill and fit UFH confidently and to an agreed specification.

The training takes place at one of Polypipe’s specialist training facilities. Participants will leave with a nationally recognised BPEC qualification in warm water underfloor heating, practical experience of fitting a range of water based UFH systems, and a site tour to give confidence in the manufacturing quality behind Polypipe’s 50 year warranty.

Members completing the course will also be recognised as part of the Polypipe Registered Installer Network.

If you are interested in undertaking this training, please contact your local Plumbase branch for more information and kick start your career with underfloor heating today.

Find out more To find your local branch please visit www.plumbase.co.uk/ storefinder. You can also find Plumbase on Facebook.com/ plumbaseuk and Twitter @plumbaseuk.

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Actuator and regulator combined in one Saving precious space, especially in small rooms, the AmberDry underfloor heating Foil Mat features an aluminium dissipation layer for a reliable and even heat.

Suited to floating laminate and engineered wood floor finishes, the easy to install system removes any requirement for a latex layer, which means it can be inserted directly under wood floors.

To create an effective heating solution, the Foil

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Mat must be fitted onto the Amber-XPS 6mm insulation boards, and topped with a 500 gauge polythene layer.

Each lightweight board is 1200 x 600mm and a pack of eight will cover an area of 5.76m2.

With a power output of 140W/m2, the Foil Mats will deliver a maximum temperature of 80°C and come with a 10-year warranty.

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With the launch of its Auto Balancing Actuator, Salus offers a device designed to balance the flow of water through an underfloor heating circuit to help eradicate hot and cold spots and improve home comfort and heating efficiency.

Unlike conventional actuators, the new Auto Balancing Actuator performs the function of both thermal actuator and flow regulator, resulting in two functions in one unit. Complete with two remote sensors that are placed on the flow and return pipes from the manifold, the actuator constantly monitors the temperatures and will adjust the flow rate to maintain a delta of 7º for the UFH circuit to balance and optimise system performance.

With power consumption of just 0.5W, Salus’s device uses less energy than conventional actuators that typically use 2-3W or more. With an opening and closing action of typically 30 seconds, this model is also faster than conventional thermal actuators that can take three

minutes or longer to open or close.

The Auto Balancing Actuator brings several benefits. For the installer, it makes system balancing a simple and quick operation. This is particularly so when it comes to retrofit installations where the actuator will automatically calculate the flow and return rate even when the pipe length is unknown, thereby saving time and simplifying the job. The homeowner benefits from a correctly balanced system that eliminates hot and cold spots, ensuring maximum comfort and efficiency, whilst the UFH supplier will experience less service calls and complaints.

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MERCHANT & Distributor News 29 BES says good service is delivering results Having enjoyed double digit growth last year, plumbing and heating products supplier BES is confident that 2018 will be another good year for the business. We recently caught up with MD Sarah Meredith to get up to speed with developments at the company.

Your new website was launched in January last year. What was the thinking behind the revamp?

“Our aim was to improve the overall online shopping experience and make sure customers could easily find products and purchase them quickly. We spent quite some time researching and understanding our customers’ needs, so rather than the website being a replication of the catalogue it was designed to be more convenient to use with a better mobile experience. Traditionally we always used line drawings for product images, so there was also a shift to add photographic imagery across our range and offer customers the choice to see both, which has proven popular.”

Has the new website helped to generate an increase in sales?

“It certainly has. After ironing

out one or two minor teething problems and re-indexation of our pages in the first two months, we really started to reap the benefits, and sales from our website are now significantly higher.”

Despite the success of the website, do most customers still use the catalogue?

“The majority of our sales still come from the catalogue so it’s remained a cornerstone for the business. A lot of our customers land on the website via their mobile to do their research and then go back home and order it later either online, by email, over the phone or, believe it or not, by fax too! We know that customers like to use the catalogue because of the large amount of helpful technical information that’s in there as well.”

Have there been any other changes to how the business operates?

“We’ve invested in greater business intelligence tools and implemented a CRM (customer relationship management) system.

This has enabled us to analyse our customers’ purchases more accurately and understand when

we’re losing sales from a particular customer or from a particular range so we can proactively call customers at the right time, which helps eliminate making badlytimed sales calls.

“We’ve also extended our returns policy – we now offer free returns for products ordered in error by the customer as long as they make a return within 30 days and in the same condition we sent the product out in – and introduced a UPS collection point facility. This means customers don’t have to wait in for their orders and can pick them up from handier locations.”

Are there any products that have been particularly good for you over the last 12 months?

“One of our biggest growth areas has been the introduction of a new range of Pressfit fittings for both gas and water applications, the Pegler XPress range, and it’s sold extremely well. BES has always been known for selling a wide variety of fittings, from 4 to 63mm, but we extended this to include even larger sizes of fittings and ball valves. Customers have been really receptive to this.”

If a product’s not selling, does it come off the catalogue?

“Historically, a slow moving product or range might have been removed from the catalogue.

However, these products are now kept on the website so customers can find and order them online.

“We are well-known for fast delivery and keeping full ranges of products in stock for the convenience of the customer, with the vast majority of advertised products stocked in our warehouse.

It might even be a product that we only sell once or twice a year, but it’s about providing the service our customers need. This extends to getting the product to the customer, where we have a 99.97% success rate for next day delivery of orders that come in before 7pm, something we have worked hard to achieve.”

2017 clearly saw a lot of pressure on prices. How has that had an impact on the business?

“The drop in value of the pound has presented some challenges and on top of that we saw a large increase in the price of copper.

However it has been the same

BES MD Sarah Meredith

for our competitors and I think we were probably one of the last suppliers to pass on these increases, whilst still remaining very competitive with our prices.

For example, we reduced the cost of 15 and 22mm fittings and many other fast moving core products and have maintained these lower prices over the last two years. But retaining a customer is also about delivering a consistently reliable service with strong technical backup. I firmly believe this is why BES has done so well in the past and will continue to grow in the future.”

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Why UK homes will get smarter in 2018 The consumer adoption of interactive devices is on the rise and installers are increasingly being asked to fit smart thermostats and other products that can be integrated into a customer’s smart home system. Andy Mansfield, Marketing Communications Manager at Honeywell, highlights some of the trends that installers need to be alert to.

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hile the thermostat largely remained unchanged for decades, it has come a long way over the past few years.

With advanced scheduling options and intuitive digital displays, smart thermostats are quickly becoming a key feature of a fully connected home. This vision brings together devices which monitor, or change, the state of our homes – whether that’s turning on or off lighting, managing heating levels, or monitoring home security. Andy Mansfield, Marketing Suddenly, the hype Communications Manager around home automation is beginning to meet the reality, and the market has experienced significant growth since 2010. It is estimated that revenue in the smart home market will reach $1.9 billion in 2017, and that annual growth rates will be 23.6%, resulting in a market volume of $5.5 billion by 2022. Furthermore, household penetration is at 14.9% in 2017 and is expected to hit 39% by 2022.

Mass market With so much momentum driving consumer adoption, is 2018 set to become the breakthrough year in which home automation devices truly hit the mainstream? Smart thermostats are among the most popular devices on the market, and they are, in many cases, often the first smart home device consumers have ever owned. This provides an opportunity for installers to provide valuable expertise to homeowners looking to navigate the smart home market.

The rapid rise of smartphones has undoubtedly had an impact on how we view technology as being integral to our daily lives. Our mobile phones now do much more than make calls – they play the role of lifestyle companion and numerous studies have highlighted how users have become addicted to their devices. The wide range of apps we download can now control everything from our calendar to what we eat, so it’s a natural extension that we’d increasingly want to control our homes.

Making advances Whereas smart technology was once the preserve of high end luxury homes, advanced wireless technology is bringing down the costs of products such as connected TVs, smart home assistants and wireless security.

A greater range of smart home products has made the market more accessible and consumers more knowledgeable.

A recent study found that 93% of consumers had heard of smart home technology, but 55% added that they did not fully understand it. The good

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While voice interaction is still in its early days, in a relatively short space of time the digital assistant market has boomed. Consumers are embracing the technology for convenience and to save time, and a recent report revealed that 71% think voice will be used for one or more daily tasks in 10 years’ time.

Sales opportunity

Installers have the opportunity to tell their customers about the benefits of fitting connected home systems

So how will these trends affect how installers serve their customer base? Voice services are important to installers because they are rapidly becoming the preferred means of control for consumers. Many users currently interact with the hubs for tasks such as finding out the weather forecast, playing music and reading out news headlines, but we can expect increasing integration with smart home devices such as light bulbs, power points and, of course, heating.

This creates more opportunities for installers to upsell related smart products and there will be an increased demand for install professionals who are capable of putting together cohesive connected home systems. For example, the Honeywell Lyric family offers heating control, water leak detection as well as security – all of which can be controlled remotely using the Lyric app.

Looking to the future, device integration is going to be key to the success of home automation. As systems differ between manufacturers, it can be a challenge to get everything out of the box, installed, and up-and-running the way it’s supposed to be. That’s why installers are going to be even more important in 2018 and beyond, as the industry continues to evolve and push into new frontiers.

thing about smart heating controls is that they are easy to operate and there’s a range of features to choose from depending on user needs.

For example, consumers who want complete control over their home heating can now opts for wifi connected thermostats that give users the power to control their heating remotely. Using dedicated apps, homeowners can adjust their heating at any time of the day or night, from wherever they are in the world.

Alternatively, users who want more automated features might choose intelligent programmable thermostats. These devices use technology, such as OpenTherm and TPI, to Further innovation ensure the boiler is fired just long enough to achieve the As technology becomes ever-more entwined in our daydesired temperature. to-day lives, the smart home is now Both these systems make it simpler a reality for millions of consumers and easier to control home heating who had previously thought it “Device integration while also aiming to help save money was out of reach. And with new is going to be key to and, as a result, consumers are innovations taking the market by the success of home increasingly realising the benefits. storm, the modern installer needs Adoption is rising across all age to be up to speed with the all the automation” groups, not just the early adopters, latest developments. However it is and certainly this is the feedback we’ve understandable that with technology been hearing from our installer network members. advancing so fast, it can be difficult to keep up.

Expect more innovations in the smart heating market Hub wars in 2018, particularly around advanced heating set-ups Alongside smart thermostats, one of the most such as multi-zoning controls. These heating systems are popular smart home devices is artificial becoming more sophisticated and programmable, giving intelligence-powered, voice-controlled smart customers better individual control of heating zones in hubs such as the Amazon Echo and Google their home as well as their hot water system and helping Home. These digital assistants enable them to manage their comfort level and heating costs. users to control various parts of their The installation of multiple temperature sensing devices home and digital life via simple and around the property also means that existing pipework intuitive voice commands. does not need to be disrupted, preventing damage to décor The devices have helped to or fixtures and fittings. propel smart home technology As we look forward to the turn of the year, new innovations into the mainstream in the last are changing the way we all think about smart home gadgets. year – over a third of consumers Seizing on the opportunities offered by these technologies in the US and the UK use digital will undoubtedly pay dividends for installers as demand assistants weekly and this is set for smart thermostats continue to fuel wider smart home to grow even further. Globally, device growth. The challenge is to ensure that they stay Ovum forecasts the native digital one step ahead of competitors by providing the knowledge assistant installed base to grow and advice customers need to create their smart home of from 3.6 billion in 2016 to 7.5 billion the future, today. www.honeywelluk.com ENQUIRY No. 115 active devices by 2021.

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Working together for the future Modern controls systems can play a key part in ensuring that different technologies can work together to reduce carbon levels and deliver energy savings for the end user. Alister Maclachlan, Product Director at Vokèra, argues that successful integration is the key.

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ver the last few II: A low carbon roadmap for years manufacturers domestic heat report. have been working This mix of technologies hard to make boilers as will include electric heat energy efficient as possible pumps (air source and ground whilst ensuring they run source heat pumps); hybrid air effectively and work with source and gas absorption heat the homeowner’s lifestyle. pumps; district heating; micro Through this evolution, boiler combined heat and power; and controls have also developed biomass boilers. and become increasingly Mixed technology more sophisticated. They The biggest issue in making can now have a significant renewables work with impact on how much energy Alister Maclachlan existing boiler technology is and money homeowners can save. Controls are not just about savings, ensuring they work together seamlessly. because they can also make the lives of A hybrid heating system will do just that; homeowners easier and allows them to take they combine a modern gas boiler with a greater control over their heating systems. renewable heat source such as an air-toThis is great for all involved, but there’s water heat pump to provide an extremely more to come in terms of efficiency and efficient and carbon friendly solution. convenience – it is all about integration.

Hybrid systems bring the boiler and renewable technology together, allowing What’s next? them to adjust the operating conditions The inner workings of a boiler and its according to internal and external combustion capabilities have virtually temperatures. For example, on a mild day reached the zenith of efficiency, so where the heat pump can provide the required do we go from here? The future is about space heating, but on cold winter days the incorporating further elements to a heating boiler may also operate in order to meet system to increase its efficiency and take the required demand. To do this the boiler us away from our reliance on carbon. and heat pump need to talk to each other.

The Climate Change Act commits the UK Manufacturers have been using heating Government to reducing greenhouse gas protocols such as OpenTherm for many emissions by at least 80% of 1990 levels years. by 2050. Last year, the UK Government set As the name suggests, OpenTherm is a target of reducing carbon emissions by an open, non-manufacturer dependant 57% by 2030 based on 1990 levels in its fifth communication protocol that enables carbon budget. These may be ambitious interaction between modulating HVAC targets but France has gone further saying heating appliances and room thermostats. it will be carbon neutral by 2050.

OpenTherm is a multi-point communication The Heating & Hotwater Industry Council protocol that simply requires a basic (HHIC) believes that “there will need to be connection, such as a 2-wire low voltage a transformation in the mix of technologies and polarity-free connection, or alternatively used to heat our homes to decarbonise it can be used wirelessly. domestic heat, and diversification from Over time, it’s not uncommon for the gas boiler-dominated market we have manufacturers to make incremental changes today”, as outlined in the HHIC Pathways to their products which make them more and

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more closed to any notion of interoperability.

This is where OpenTherm is different. As it is a common and open protocol, manufacturers of both boilers and controllers can bring their products together and they can easily operate in partnership. This gives freedom back to installers and allows them to be much more flexible on projects.

Better communication There is now new technology being introduced that allows the boiler to interface with other protocols such as Modbus, making it easier for renewable technology to integrate with traditional gas appliances.

Again, Modbus is an open protocol and available to all manufacturers to integrate into their equipment.

It has been commonly used in commercial and industrial applications, relaying information to a Building Management System (BMS). Its ability to measure and relay information on a number of variables makes it the ideal choice as a heating communication protocol.

By utilising these control protocols, the boiler and renewable solution can automatically change their operating conditions according to the current performance of say the heat pump or the heat demand within the home.

However, fundamental to their adoption is how easy hybrid systems are to use. In the past, installers and homeowners have been required to use multiple controllers and take on complex operating settings.

However, this is changing. For example, our new evolve boiler range is hybrid ready and at its heart is the REC10 liquid crystal display user interface. The full text menu driven control enables installers and homeowners to

quickly navigate through evolve’s parameters and settings, including programming the heating on and off times as desired.

When used as a master controller for the heating system, users can choose settings for the boiler as well as any other technology connected to the heating system such as a heat pump and/or solar panel, through this one simple screen.

The display will also provide excellent diagnostics in the event of a fault. It is a sophisticated system, which remains easy, simple and intuitive for installers and homeowners to use.

No silver bullet It’s abundantly clear that there is no ‘silver bullet’ alternative to the flexibility and adaptability of the gas boiler, so an integration approach that matches the right type of renewable technology, gas boiler, and a central controller to a specific application is just one way in which we can reduce carbon emissions yet maintain comfort and ease of use for our customers.

This is new technology and a step forward for the boiler industry but at the same time it can be daunting for installers.

The heating system is fully integrated, which means installers need to learn more about all the elements within it and how they will work together. It is a leap from the current heating system to using an integrated or hybrid configuration and it will take time for everyone to get up to speed. This is an exciting time for the industry, and hybrid systems are definitely ones to watch for the future. www.vokera.co.uk

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Boiler Plus puts efficiency first Effective use of domestic heating controls is headlining new Government standards to minimise energy consumption. Gareth Ash, Marketing Manager at Danfoss, considers key proposals in the Boiler Plus policy, currently scheduled to come into force in April.

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ince changes to the Building Regulations in 2005 mandated the use of condensing boilers in the UK residential market, both government and industry have been searching for ways to further improve energy efficiency in this sector. In December 2016 the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched its Heat in Buildings consultation document, also known as Boiler Plus. One of the prime objectives is Gareth Ash, Danfoss to drive up heating system performance and so bring down heating bills through better use of heating controls.

Boiler Plus recognises the energy saving advantages that smart controls, such as the Danfoss TPOne Wi-Fi, can deliver

Guide (the document that supports Part L of Building Regulations) is rather vague, so greater clarity is very welcome. Under the new proposals, all gas and oil boilers Under control will need to be installed with time and temperature controls Setting new performance standards for boiler replacement in place. This will either be in the form of a time clock / back in 2005 was very successful in boosting sales of high programmer and room thermostat, or a programmable efficiency condensing boilers, thereby helping to reduce room thermostat. household heating costs and cut carbon emissions. Today, There will also be a requirement for an additional 99% of all new boilers sold are condensing models and, energy saving measure to be incorporated within the according to the Heating and system. At this stage, the Hotwater Industry Council, options include a flue gas “All gas and oil boilers will need to be heat recovery unit (FGHRU), there are around 10 million installed with time and temperature installed in UK homes. smart controls (which must have some level of automation More than a decade on, the controls in place.” and optimisation), weather Government’s new policy compensating controls, and document reflects the need to promote the use of modern heating products and load compensating controls. standards and their advanced technical capabilities.

Stat smarts Major manufacturers of heating products, as well as trade associations, heating engineers and installers, have The consultation included the use of smart controls, which all taken part in the Heat in Buildings consultation and offer the convenience and energy saving potential of assessment. Needless to say, as a leading manufacturer automation and optimisation functions. Smart thermostats, of heating controls, Danfoss has played a proactive role like the Danfoss TPOne Wi-Fi for example, let consumers in this important process. So what are the key proposals? control their heating remotely via a smartphone or similar device. According to industry research there has been a Boiler efficiency growing market for such controls over the last few years, Firstly, the policy is suggesting an increase in boiler efficiency with almost 400,000 new customers in 2016. The consultation recognised that smart thermostats levels. The minimum required can be more expensive than basic efficiency of a gas boiler will load compensators or weather be raised from SEDBUK ‘A’ compensators but states that they rated (88%) to ErP ‘A’ Rated are likely to pay for themselves (92%), while boilers which run through reduced heating bills faster on oil will need to be at least than any other technology in the 89% efficient. Secondly, it will new standards. seek to ensure the installation of products, such as time and Calculus temperature controls, as a Load compensation control for minimum standard. At Danfoss, room thermostats is included in the we see this as a landmark new standards. It enables a heating initiative for the industry as system to perform more efficiently it gives official recognition and, therefore, economically. to the energy saving benefits It does this by calculating how of modern heating controls. long the heating needs to stay Installed and used correctly, on to achieve optimum comfort these devices are proven to and boiler efficiency. Proven in improve a system’s efficiency, real-world tests conducted by enabling householders to lower energy consumption and costs, Danfoss and other leading control without compromising comfort. manufacturers, load compensation Currently, the requirement control can result in a potential 10% for heating controls in the The efficiency of a condensing boiler is enhanced reduction in energy consumption Domestic Services Compliance by using modern heating controls properly by the heating system compared

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Smart control technology has advanced so that users can control individual TRVs with an app on their phone

with a slower reacting mechanical thermostat. Indeed, Danfoss sees this as such a major benefit to efficiency that all our room thermostats, even basic models, now offer load compensation control.

Widely deployed Whilst Boiler Plus acknowledges that TRVs can have a significant impact on heating efficiency, it proposes not to mandate installation (except when installing a new heating system or radiator) because it is believed that they are already widely deployed. Industry figures put UK sales of TRVs at nearly 6 million a year, and growing.

Danfoss agrees with the Government’s call for concerted efforts to improve consumer awareness of how to get the best from their TRVs. Although the new standards, as they stand, do not mandate TRVs in connection with a system upgrade, in view of the evidence we would always encourage installers to recommend their use to customers to achieve optimum heating control and efficiency.

Next steps With a number of so-called flagship energy schemes either cut or axed in recent times, from solar feed-in tariffs to the Green Deal, it is good to see that the UK Government remains committed to improving energy efficiency in the residential heating sector. Despite a few omissions, Boiler Plus must still be seen as a welcome step towards keeping UK homes comfortably and affordably warm. When they come into force, these new measures will put modern heating controls at the heart of heating system efficiency, helping to transform the way people use energy in their homes.

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HEATING H EATING C Controls ontrols 35 Making aking sense sense eo off iimproved mproved heating heating Al ides covered covered M Alll ssides w itth the th he ‘Cubes’ ‘Cubes’ with To c omplement To complement its ONE ONE S Series er ies its boilers, b oilers, A Ariston r iston has ha s iintroduced nt roduced a ssuite uite off h o heating eat ing c controls ontrols which allow quick w hich a llow q uick and a nd easy easy access access tto o tthe he A Ariston r iston N NET ET ssystem ystem a and nd a app. pp. B Both oth Cube NET Wi-Fi tthe he C ube S N ET W i-Fi and Cube tthermostat hermostatt a nd C ube RF offer R F rroom oom ssensor ensor o ffe er end users energy e nd u s er s e nerg y management m anagemen nt ttips ips a and nd ttechnical echnical support. suppor t.

Ariston has created own A riston h as c reated iits ts o wn embedded e mbedded communication communicat ion protocol, p r ot o c ol , BusBridgeNet, Bu s Br i d g e N e t , which ensures Cube w hich e nsures tthe he C ub e NET Wi-Fi always S N ET W i-Fi iis s a lways connected boiler c onnected tto o tthe he b oiler and Ariston NET app. a nd tthe he A r iston N ET a pp.

The control uses T he c ont rol u ses tthe he llatest atest modulating while m odulatting ttechnology echnology w hile offering o ffer ing options opt ions ssuch uch as as energy management en ergy m anagement rreports, eports, iinternet nternet weather weatther monitoring monitor o ing and weekly a nd a w eekly scheduler scheduler programme.

There are also pr og ramme. T here a re a l so holiday and override hol iday ya nd o verride modes. modes.

The Cube RF The C ube R F rroom oom ssensor ensor also connects a l so c onnects ONE ONE Series Ser ies boilers with Ariston boilers w it h tthe he A r iston NET NET app app to to ensure ensure complete complete comfort control. comfor t c ontrol. Thanks Thanks to to wired and w i red a nd wireless w ireless zone zone management kits, also management k its, iitt iis sa l so possible manage up possible tto om anage u p tto o ssix ix direct heating with d i rec t h eat ing zones zones w it h these t hese controls. controls. Plus, Plus, when when used used iin n conjunction conjunct ion with w it h

For For the the first first time, time, B Baxi axi has has introduced introduced its its own own smart smart control, control, uSense. uSense. Compatible Compatible with all combi boilers using 230V with a ll c ombi b oilers u sing tthe he 2 30V switch also connects via switch live, live, iitt a lso c onnects v ia OpenTherm OpenTherm for for additional additional ffeatures, eatures, such such as as boiler boiler fault fault diagnosis. diag nosis.

The uSense has own T he u Sense h as iits ts o wn downloadable downloadab ble app householder’s heating can app sso o tthe he h ouseholder’s h eating c an be controlled by orr ttablet be c ontrolled b y a smartphone sm martphone o ab blet from anywhere. from a ny where.

Central C entral heating heating can can be be scheduled scheduled to on when to come come o nw hen it’s it’s needed. needed. Holiday Holiday mode while mode rreduces educes tthe he ttemperature emperature w hile the and the householder householder is is away away aw ya nd returns returns to to normal when come Energy normal w hen tthey hey c ome home. home. E nergy

use use and and costs costs can can be be monitored, monitored, so so optimum can optimum ssettings ettings c an be be worked worked out. out.

For convenience, automatic For added added c onvenience, tthe he au utomatic summer/winter clock summer/winter time time changes changes the the c lock

to Daylight Savings Time doesn’t to D aylight S avings T ime sso o iitt d oesn’t have be There also presence have tto ob e rreset. eset. T here iis sa lso a pr esence detection detection that that allows allows the the unit unit to to light light up when approaches up w hen ssomeone omeone a pproaches iit. t.

Phillips, Head off P Product JJon on P hillips, He ad o roduct Management att B Baxi, comments: Management a axi, c omments: “uSense “uSense iis s ffor or iinstallers nstallers llooking ooking tto o improve improve upon upon a customer’s customer’s heating heating system. system. Users Users can can even even monitor monitor ttheir heir energy use and costs, energ y u se a nd c osts, so so optimum optimum money-saving can be calculated. money-saving ssettings ettings c an b ec allculated.

It’s It’s a real real win-win win-win for for tthe he iinstaller nstaller and and homeowner alike.” homeowner a like.”

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an outdoor a n o utdoor ssensor, ensor, tthese hese devices boiler de vices will will enable enable tthe he b oiler tto o modulate modulate as as efficiently efficie ently as as possible. p ossible.

Alex Product A lex Boweren, Boweren, P roduct Manager M anager at at Ariston, A r iston, says: says: ““The The new new Cube Cube range range complements c omplements our our new ne ew ONE ONE Series boilers perfectly, S eries b oilers p erfectly y, while while tthe he plug-and-play plug-and-play design desig n ensures e nsures each each device device is is ssimple imple tto o install install and and connect. connect.

“We “We have have worked worked tiret i rellessly essly on on creating creat ing our ou r BusBridgeNet B usBr idgeNet proprietary proprr iet ar y protocol pr otocol to to allow al low all al l our ou r boilers and controls b oi le r s a nd c ont rols tto o communicate c ommun icate effectively ef fect ively with NET app. w it h the t he Ariston A r i s t on N ET a pp.

This ensures users and T h is e nsures end end u sers a nd always iinstallers n s t a l le r s a lway s have h av e a comprehensive c omprehensive method met hod of of managing and m anag ing a nd monitoring mon itor ing heating h eat ing ssystems.” y stems.”

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Smart Cloud Smart Cloud for for multiple m ultiple ssites ites To enable To enable businesses businesses tto o centralise cent ralise control cont rol o Panasonic heating heating off Panasonic a nd cooling cooling ssystems, ystems, and tthe he company company h has as unveiled u nveiled tthe he iinternternet based AC Smart n et b a sed A CS ma r t C loud, w hich a llows Cloud, which allows mon itor ing a c ro s s monitoring across multiple m ult iple locations locat ions w it hout tthe he n eed ffor or sspecialist pecialist ssoftware. oft ware. without need This T his new new technology technolog y is is designed designed to to help help businesses businesses track track energy consumption and ultimately money. e nerg y c onsumption a nd u ltimately ssave ave m oney. IItt iis s ffully ully sscalable calable to to the t he needs needs and and requirements requirements of of the t he business, business, whether w hether iit’s t’s a c chain hain o off sshops hops o orr a llarge arge ffacilities acilities c company. ompany.

The T he ssystem ystem iis sq quick uick a and nd e easy asy tto o sset et u up pa and nd c can an b be e llinked inked tto o both bot h new new a nd existing exist ing installations. installat ions. A Cloud Cloud Adaptor, Adaptor, and w hich iis sc onnected to to the the Panasonic Panasonic heating heat ing and and cooling cooling which connected iinstallations nstallat ions at at e ach pr p emises, feeds feeds information infor mat ion v ia a each premises, via c entral c loud p or tal d irect ly tto o tthe he u ser, pr ov iding rrealealcentral cloud portal directly user, providing ttime ime d data. ata.

T h is p lug-and-play sservice er v ice iis s pr ov ided b yP anasonic tto o This plug-and-play provided by Panasonic all users across Europe. a ll u s er s a c ro s s E urope.

ENQUIRY ENQUIRY No. No. www.panasonic.com/global w ww.panasonic.com/global 119 1 19 ENQUIRY

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January 2018

36 PRODUCTS in Action

Complete heating Synergy at work in the energy centre and hot water

ACV has worked with Virgin Limited Edition to provide a heating and hot water solution for the Roof Gardens and Babylon Restaurant in Kensington, London. ACV specified a HeatMaster TC as the perfect solution to meet the heating and high volume hot water demand with the added challenge of housing the boilers within a small rooftop plant room.

Since the completion of the installation, Virgin Limited Edition has reported that it is pleased with the performance of the system. The HeatMaster TC offers heating and hot

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water production from one combination unit, which can also be used as a direct-fired water heater to deliver high and continuous volumes of hot water.

“When it comes to performance, energy saving and space saving, the benefits of our tank-in-tank system outperforms a traditional coil calorifier installation on almost every occasion,” says Stephen Wilson, ACV MD. “It’s a simple but effective concept that delivers outstanding and reliable performance.”

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Housing developer Sandrock has made its new West Sussex development more energy efficient by enlisting the help of The Gas Saving Company to design a new Home energy centre incorporating Alpha Heating Innovation’s FlowSmart. This has yielded a high performing, energy saving heating and hot water system.

Alpha’s FlowSmart offers the energy efficient benefits usually associated with a combi boiler while maintaining a high performance capability. FlowSmart works by sending cold mains water to the GasSaver, which is pre-heated using reclaimed flue gases, before diverting it to the heat exchanger in the thermal store. This is then further heated by the

surrounding hot water from the primary system, before a blending valve brings the water down to 30ºC before it enters the boiler. This mechanism allows the boiler to satisfy heavy water demand, without impacting the flow rate.

Chris Farrell, inventor of GasSaver and owner of The Gas Saving Company, comments: “One of the benefits of the Home energy centre is that for new build developments it provides the highest SAP rating, so I needed a boiler that could work seamlessly with the system, and Alpha’s FlowSmart offers that capability.”

Adam Barker, MD of Sandrock, adds: “The Alpha FlowSmart and Home energy centre provided above and beyond our expectations. The SAP report showed we were under the required Target Emission Rate, which was a great achievement.” alpha-innovation.co.uk ENQUIRY No. 122

Pump takes the waste from basement Saniflo has helped turn a big dream of a Grand Designs tiny house into reality. The 38m² plot required an innovative solution to maximise the space to convert it into a two bedroom, two-bathroom property, which involved digging down to form a basement and building six half floors.

One bathroom sits half a floor down from street level and uses a pump to take the waste to the discharge point. The industrial design wetroom features a shower, basin and WC, each feeding into a Saniflo Sanicubic Pro 2 macerating pump situated directly beneath the wall hung WC in the basement. The pump also takes waste from a washing machine sited in the basement and has additional outlets for the connection of future appliances. The property was featured on TV programme Grand Designs in the autumn last year.

www.saniflo.co.uk

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38 PRODUCT Spotlight

Latest cylinders will meet all requirements Stored hot water and cylinders are a key element of the heating mix and now, following recent changes to the ErP legislation, they are required to be even more energy efficient.

Gledhill’s Production Director, Chris Gledhill, explains more.

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hen it comes to home heating and hot water provision, the question as to whether to fit a combi or a hot water storage system very much depends on the size and type of property and the number of people living in it.

But as cylinders become more efficient thanks to improved insulation, energy efficient pumps and other technology such as sophisticated PCB software Chris Gledhill, Production Director at Gledhill and flow sensors, they have, once again, become a key part of the heating mix.

Moving forward At Gledhill, we’ve been making cylinders since 1926 and have been constantly innovating over the decades. We were the first UK cylinder manufacturer to introduce foam insulation as well as the first to launch all-weld lightweight cylinders. These cylinders were the forerunner of today’s EnviroFoam Stainless vented cylinder range and the StainlessLite unvented range, which is the lightest on the market.

The StainlessLite range includes the StainlessLite Plus for domestic and light commercial projects; the StainlessLite Pro for contractors; and the StainlessLite Pre-Plumbed, offering a plug-and-play solution for the new build market

be man enough for the job. But add a 2 bedroom 2 en-suite loft conversion, leading to much higher hot water usage coupled with simultaneous requirements, and the system is very likely to require an upgrade to include hot water storage.

Different strokes Another factor to consider when recommending the right system for a household is lifestyle. For example, more and more people are renting for longer as they struggle to get on the property ladder. To accommodate this, larger properties are being converted, turning living space into The use of high performance showers has increased demand bedrooms and the addition of bedrooms, en-suites and for cylinders that can deliver large volumes of hot water bathrooms in the loft space. People from all walks of life Most recently, with the need to make cylinders more are sharing and that puts high demands on the hot water energy efficient to comply with ErP, the EU directive system. The requirement for simultaneous hot water is affecting space and water heaters introduced in 2015, our even greater, which is where a hot water storage system team of research and development engineers have been comes in to its own. working hard to ensure they have a fully compliant range When it comes to selecting the right system for the of indirect and direct products. property and the number of people, one other factor to Tier 2, the latest phase of ErP, came into force in September, consider is the ageing population. Single occupancy large but the team wanted to be properties might currently sure they were ready well have a very low hot water “A great advantage of a hot water system ahead of the deadline so requirement. So, if the boiler is that the cylinder can be future ready” have spent the last two needs replacing it could years re-designing and be tempting to suggest a testing products to ensure they were fully ErP compliant. combi as a cost efficient alternative to a system with a In fact, the majority of our cylinder ranges, designed in- cylinder, but it’s important to consider the implications for house by our technical team in Blackpool, have been fully the property in the future. compliant for some time, with the StainlessLite direct and Under pressure indirect cylinders now A-C rated across the range.

The latest design features a wider flat base for increased No longer confined to the exclusive luxury hotel spa, high performance showers can now be found in homes stability and a flat top, which allows for 20% more insulation. large and small. These showers, often sporting a large This has improved the ErP ratings for StainlessLite models shower head, powerful jets, plus mist and steam across the range. options, need mains water pressure to deliver the Our range of thermal stores is also fully ErP compliant amount of hot water required to ensure the showering with energy efficient pumps, sophisticated PCB software experience is not compromised. Hot water storage and flow sensor technology significantly reducing the really performs when managing the demands of an response time of the delivery of hot water by up to 75%. experience shower.

Size matters

Welding a StainlessLite cylinder at Gledhill’s production facility in Blackpool

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As a result of these improvements in efficiency, a cylinder is the perfect hot water solution for many property scenarios.

In larger properties with more than one bathroom and a greater number of people, the demand for hot water is usually high. With a hot water storage system, hot water can be called off as required, feeding showers and baths simultaneously at peak times of the day, with mains pressure flow rates maintained.

In properties that are undergoing work to add an extension or loft conversion, an assessment of the suitability of existing heating and hot water systems within the property will be necessary. A combi boiler in a two bedroom terrace with a single bathroom will certainly

Looking ahead When it comes to looking ahead, a great advantage of a hot water storage system is that the cylinder installed can be future ready so that should the householder wish to add renewable products such as solar thermal or solar PV, a heat pump, or even a wood-burner they don’t have to upgrade the cylinder.

If solar thermal might be an option going forward, a twin coil cylinder would be required and, for heat pumps, due to the lower temperatures at which they operate, a larger single coil cylinder, which has a greater surface area, is required. With solar PV a cylinder with an immersion can heat water during daylight hours for evening use. www.gledhill.net

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January 2018

TRAINING & Education 39

Focus on talent and less on targets Co-founder of the recently opened Octillion Training Academy, Lee Elgy, talks to PHAM News about why he is disillusioned with the training provided by FE Colleges and believes that his new company will better meet the needs of employers and the wider industry.

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So would you turn people away aving established his own if you didn’t think they had the plumbing business and with more than 10 years right attitude or ability? experience of teaching in further “Totally. Of course we’re a business education (FE) colleges, Lee Elgy and we want to make money, but decided the time was right to launch our whole ethos is that we’re his own training facility. Based in training people to be ready for Uxbridge, west London, Octillion industry and to gain from industry Training Academy opened its experience. A college will enrol a doors in August last year and is the learner for three years, knowing inspiration of Lee and fellow trainer that when they leave they will Farooq Essa. It aims to provide probably not get employment an environment where learners as a plumber. Now, for me that’s Lee Elgy, Director at Octillion Training Academy can access tailored courses which disgusting. You should be able to will provide them with the necessary skills and on-site be honest and say I don’t think plumbing is for you. Why experience that should enable them to gain employment in string them along for three years? I don’t think that’s fair the industry. Lee is confident that the Academy will address at all. a number of issues which he believes has led to a decline in “We might get someone who is motivated, but they just training standards in recent years. don’t have the ability. Of course, you try and get everyone Why do you think that FE colleges are failing to provide through the course, but there are some who lack the ability to do it. People think that plumbing is just doing a the level of training that the plumbing industry needs?

“Education has become a target driven system, where it’s lot of stuff with your hands, but the amount of theory you all to do with attendance and achievement. The colleges need to know is huge.” get funded that way. It got to the stage where everyone Is it not possible to get to a stage where you’re able to would pass. After a while, the learners knew that we pass everyone because you’ve selected the right people wouldn’t fail them and we wouldn’t throw them off the to do the course and you’ve trained them well? course. So the classroom was almost like a crèche. You “Yes, but there will always be a candidtate who might would just end up managing people rather than teaching struggle. Nobody wants someone to fail, but if you’re them and it would take five times longer to get through doing a gas course and you think that person is unsafe, the material than it should have done.” how can you pass them? We won’t be scared to fail people Do you think that the calibre of young people entering the industry has therefore declined?

“Yes, I’m sorry to say it has. The industry is suffering and the economy is suffering. We’re not classed as a skilled workforce anymore, and that’s pretty sad, really. It’s not just the plumbing sector, because it’s about all the trades. At Octillion Training Academy we want to get back to training people properly again, but if we don’t think plumbing is going to be right for an applicant we will try and help them work out what they should be doing.”

Up and running The recently opened Octillion Training Academy offers a range of courses aimed at new entrants to the industry and experienced installers, with flexible programmes and payment plans that are designed to fit Lee (left) outside the Uxbridge around individual training facility with business circumstances. The partner Farooq Essa majority of courses are accredited by BPEC and, as an NVQ assessment centre, Octillion also provides plumbing NVQ qualifications at Levels 2 and 3. With two classrooms, each equipped with interactive white boards, and newly constructed practical areas providing the opportunity to train on the latest heating and plumbing products, the Academy is looking forward to a busy 2018.

For more details about the Octillion Training Academy or to sign up to a course, please visit the website: www.octillionacademy.co.uk

if we have to, but we would give them all the support and encouragement they need.”

Have you received much support for the Academy from within the industry?

“Over the years of working at colleges I’ve developed some strong links with manufacturers and when I approached them about what we were doing, they were all very supportive and positive. They all said that this is what the industry needs. A number of companies have been very supportive in giving us products at some very good rates.

I think having the manufacturers involved in the training side of things is very important because there will always be new inventions and new ways of doing things, and you can only keep up to speed by inviting manufacturers to come and talk to the students.”

put in, but I do think that renewable technologies will have a massive part to play in the future.”

How do you see Octillion developing over the next few years?

“We view this as just the start and we plan to open more branches in time. The great thing about having the new unit in Uxbridge is that we can start off small. If it gets to the point that it’s too much for myself and Farooq to manage and teach, then we’ve got resources we can pull from. We’ve met a lot of people over the years of doing what we’re doing and there’s a lot of people who have the same mindset as us.

“We can be very targeted on what we do and how we do it and then build on our reputation and our ethos.

What we want is for that to build and then people come to us because of that reputation. We want to get to a stage where people will ask where someone has been trained and when they say Octillion, they’d say, wow, you must really know your stuff.”

So are you confident that you can achieve your ambitions?

“There are easier ways to make money than what we’re doing, but we’ve gone into this with our eyes open. We know what we want to do and we know there’s a market for it. We’ve got a number of leading manufacturers involved and we’re doing everything that we can to address all the stuff we’ve been though over the years.

We’ve got all the relevant qualifications and we just want to do things properly now.

“If our learners come here with no experience and get a job at the end of it then we’ve done our job – that’ll make me very happy. And that’s really what we’re all about.

We’re a business, but we’re a business with some morals.”

Octillion would like to thank the following manufacturers for their help in setting up the Academy: Anton, Copper Initiative, Intergas, Mira, Nest, OSO Hotwater, Pegler Yorkshire, REMS, Rothenberger, Stuart Turner, Talon, Thomas Dudley and Vokèra.

The Academy has received accreditation to deliver courses from BPEC. Is that another important relationship?

“Absolutely. I must say that BPEC have been a breath of fresh air. They’re a charity, so the money goes back into the industry. Without mentioning names, there are one or two other awarding bodies out there which have a bit of a monopoly and the level of support is not there. You ring them up and you might get a response in two weeks time. With BPEC, you email them and three people will reply within the hour.”

Is diversity something you want to address at the Academy?

“We are lucky in that where we are at the moment is a very diverse area. I love the fact that you’ve got a diverse class, because you get different views, different opinions.

I also think more should be done to try and get more females into plumbing. Diversity and inclusion is a big part of education. No one should feel excluded.”

Any thoughts on expanding into renewable technologies?

“Yes, definitely. We have spoken about that already and if things do turn out the way we want them to, then we would look at doing a centre where it was just renewables.

I know the renewable side has had a big wobble and a lot of the colleges invested millions into having solar panels ENQUIRY

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40 TRAINING & Education

Getting deeper into heat pumps Hitachi Heating is offering experienced installers a Yutaki product training course, running weekly at its aircademy on the campus of its UK headquarters in Maidenhead. Carol Hitchcock recently joined a group to find out what installers will get out of the day.

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ast year the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) introduced new regulations for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) in an effort to make the scheme fit for purpose and to give consumers the confidence they need to invest in renewables. A key element in the reforms was an uplift in the tariff for three technologies: biomass, ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps. The largest subsidy increase went to air source heat pumps, giving this category a bump of 2.55p/kWh to a more attractive 10.18p/kWh. This news was a fillip to the industry, for both manufacturers and the heating engineers installing the equipment.

By the time the reforms for the RHI were implemented in late 2016, Hitachi Heating was ahead of the game, having been running its own Yutaki heat pump product training course for a year. In that time alone, some 700 trainees had passed through Hitachi’s aircademy doors in Maidenhead, a testament to the course’s popularity.

The aircademy is housed in an old country manor, but the training room features the latest in modern electronics and fully functioning heat pumps

attendance – seven others were coming from Ireland but had to pull out at the last minute.

Even so, this didn’t stop instructor Andy Henson from delivering the full force of the course content. As the company’s Technical Engineer and Training Manager, Andy brings nearly 20 years of industry experience, most of it hands-on, to his role of instructor.

“I’ve been in this business since I left school as an apprentice in air conditioning and refrigeration,” Andy told me. “I fulfilled a number of engineering roles over the years, and most recently I was working for a company that specialised in ground source heat pumps. This experience means I know what they’re going to come up against, and it is useful in helping them get to grips with the range of heat pumps Hitachi offers.”

The course is one day long, usually starting at 10am and concluding around 3:30pm to give everyone the chance to beat the worst of the traffic on the way home. We were welcomed into the modern and spacious training room that also contained a full suite

of Yutaki equipment, all plumbed in and fully operational. Tea, coffee and biscuits were provided to make us comfortable till the day’s proceedings began.

Intensive day

Business started with Andy telling us that the course used to be run over two consecutive This course is designed for experienced heat days, but it had been condensed into one to make it easier for busy installers to attend. He pump installers who already have a good warned us that the day would be intensive, but understanding of how heat pump technology we were in good hands as Andy began with works. The aim is to give them the knowledge a concise overview of what we would cover. of how to best install any of the Yutaki systems.

The course is dedicated to Hitachi’s range At minimum, you should have the G3 unvented of Yutaki air source heat pumps, and Andy is qualification, as all the Yutaki equipment is able to show them off as he simultaneously for use on an unvented system. Experienced works through a Power Point slide show. gas engineers are welcome, but it would be “I prefer to do more hands-on than onhelpful to read up on the subject before you screen,” Andy explains. “That’s the advantage get here, as there will be talk on elements such of having all the kit in the same room. If as compressors, evaporators and condensers, something isn’t working on a slide, we can which may not be familiar to those working get up and talk about that particular point in traditional fuels. over the relevant machine.”

The session I joined had fewer trainees than This approach to instruction keeps us up the usual seven to 12, with three people in and down most of the morning, so there is no chance of drifting off due to too much conversation and not enough action.

Because this is a product course, Andy begins with a look at the Yutaki M, a monobloc machine that doesn’t require any F-gas qualifications. We are told that it’s by far the most popular air source heat pump in the range, partly because it’s so easy to install. Andy highlights the special features of Hitachi’s version of the monobloc, but he also provides a raft of technical information that can be transferred to other brands.

It may be a product course we are attending, but it’s enhanced with knowledge that can be more widely applied.

We also learn about the other options in the Yutaki range, including the Yutaki-S (split), Yutaki-S Combi (an all in one heating and hot water Getting hands-on with Hitachi’s heat pump range: the Yutaki-M monobloc (left), the Yutaki-S split system solution), the Yutaki-S80 (a high temperature heat pump) as well (top right) and the Yutaki HT high temperature unit (lower right)

Who’s it for?

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as a heat pump water heater. As we make our way through the slides and the heat pumps themselves, Andy emphasises a key part of the curriculum – the controller.

“We spend a good part of the day on the control, because it’s vital to getting the installation right,” insists Andy. “It’s also the part that some people may struggle with, so we get straight into the training room where everyone has a go.”

In control The controller, given the catchy designation of PCARFHE, is unique to Hitachi so it’s important to have a good understanding of how to use it. The device is fundamental to setting up the heat pump and ensuring it works optimally. Everyone gets the chance to try out the PCARFHE on live equipment, and Andy is on hand to answer any questions.

When lunchtime comes around, we make our way to the Inspire Cafe, Hitachi’s inhouse restaurant, which is free for attendees.

With a choice of everything from gourmet sandwiches to a hot meal from the buffet and a dessert bar, there is enough to satisfy everyone’s taste and fuel us up for the afternoon session.

After we’ve eaten, we go back to the training room for the hands-on portion of the day.

All the heat pumps are fully functional, so it gives us the chance to hear how quietly they perform and how well they work. Andy removes the white panelling on each appliance for a detailed look at the inner workings.

The day concludes with an introduction to the online Hi-ToolKit design software that enables the installer to find and plan the right Hitachi heat pump for a specific application.

Andy also gives us a link that provides access to exhaustive technical data, such as controller settings, product data sheets, service manuals and technical catalogues.

“My aim as a trainer is to replicate here what the guys are going to do in real life,” concludes Andy. “When they walk away at the end of the day, I want them to have everything they need to competently install any of the Yutakis here. What I hope is that I’ve given them a good idea of what they will encounter in the field, and how to handle it.” www.hitachiaircon.com

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January 2018

TRAINING & Education 41

Helping new recruits succeed in the sector The UK is facing a skills shortage in the heating and plumbing industry, says Steve Owen, National Training Manager at Baxi. He argues that a combination of partnerships with colleges and regular hands-on training can help close the skills gap.

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ccording to the Government’s Employer Skills Survey, there is a 43% shortage in the trade industries, with over a third of vacancies for gas engineers, plumbers, electricians and construction workers termed as ‘skill shortage vacancies’.

Engineering is an enjoyable and profitable career, but still there is a lack of young people entering these roles, and this is something we need to change.

A BSRIA report on the skills Steve Owen, Baxi’s National shortage said some of the Training Manager key factors include schools not informing students about engineering early on and poor linkage between schools and further education through technical colleges and apprenticeships. Manufacturers need to get involved in educating young people about the opportunities the heating and plumbing sector can provide and offer training to help kick-start their career.

Practical partnerships One of the ways Baxi is contributing is through our partnerships with eight higher education facilities across the UK, including Exeter College, Coleg Gwent in Newport and Leeds College of Building. We’ve set up training centres at these colleges where students can interact with the most up-to-date commissioned boilers and dummy boilers. Once a boiler has come to the end of its use, it goes to the college workshop, where students can take it apart.

Learn from the experts A key element of engaging with aspiring heating Second year apprenticeship students at Preston’s College engineers is practical training. A good example of this receive a full day with a Baxi training officer to explore the is Preston’s College where, in addition to regular hands- variety of boilers under the supervision of an expert on sessions provided by the course tutors, second year established installers looking to widen their remit into apprenticeship students also receive a full day with a new areas. Legislation updates are often covered too.

Baxi training officer. Throughout the day, students see a variety of different boiler models, which they can interact Bespoke options with under the supervision of an expert. Questions can It’s not just the variety of training courses that has be answered by the training officer in a comfortable and changed. Tailored options are becoming more accessible, helping to ensure that any heating engineer can find a relatively informal environment.

As the only UK boiler manufacturer with its own course that meets their requirements. Manufacturers foundry, we also provide factory tours so students can have come a long way in recognising that courses have witness boiler production from start to finish. The tour, to fit around heating engineers’ needs, so tailored doesn’t which lasts a full day, covers every have to be expensive either. area of the factory, and gives students At Baxi we run a range of practical “With Boiler Plus the chance to ask highly experienced training, including accredited legislation coming into craftsmen about each stage of the courses, across 16 centres nationwide. manufacturing process.

We work with existing engineers on force in April, now’s As important as it is to provide course content to ensure training a good time to take meets their requirements. For knowledge and training to inspire young additional training” example, we have just launched a people to enter our industry, it’s also new course for our Baxi Approved crucial for manufacturers to provide regular and up-to-date training for existing engineers. With Installers (BAIs) that focuses on fault finding using a new energy performance requirements and Boiler Plus multimeter – as electrical is one area that they felt they legislation mandating the use of controls both coming into could benefit from training on.

The skills gap may be widening, but there are a whole force in April, now is as good a time as any to take additional training – especially as it can lead to becoming skilled in host of opportunities available to both new and existing engineers. There are many benefits to becoming properly more areas and therefore being able to take on more jobs.

Training courses are now designed to cover an trained, and the right course can be instrumental in increasingly wide variety of topics – from sharpening helping an engineer to sell more services or products to up on the basics like how a combi works, through to their customers.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No. trade.baxi.co.uk 126 more specialist subjects designed for experienced and

Tour brings wetroom skills to you Now entering its third year, the ‘We Are Wetrooms’ installation training tour will visit nine sporting venues, giving plumbers, bathroom installers and tilers the opportunity to develop or refresh their wetroom fitting expertise. The tour provides informative, hands-on wetroom installation training.

The 2018 tour kicks off in March and incorporates extensive training on all Impey’s wetroom solutions, including the EasyFit floor former. Also covered is the installation of the Waterguard tanking solution, and the AquaGrade

and AquaGrade Linear screed template.

The course runs from 9.30am to around 3pm, and includes a buffet lunch.

There are a maximum of 25 places available each day, and there is a oneoff registration fee of £15 to secure a place on the training tour.

The first scheduled event will be at Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, on Wednesday 21 March and the last at Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol, on Wednesday 31 October. Visit the website for all dates and venues, and to sign up: www. impeyshowers.com/wearewetrooms

Easy access to more pump knowledge The Grundfos Ecademy is an internet based learning tool that is designed to improve knowledge on pumps, applications and their theory. The aim of this digital training and information platform is to help keep everyone with an

interest in pumps and pump solutions informed and up to date on products, plus a range of industry related themes.

New topics are added on a regular basis. Recent subjects have included the new SCALA2, a fully

integrated, variable speed water booster pump that is designed and built to deliver perfect water pressure to wherever it is needed in the home.

Another new topic looks at shower pumps, which is broken down into two

modules – an introduction to shower booster pumps and Grundfos shower pump solutions.

The Ecademy can be accessed online. Register for the Grundfos Ecademy by visiting: www.grundfos. co.uk/ecademy ENQUIRY

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January 2018

42 TRAINING & Education

Economic case for growing skills With an aging workforce and too little investment in the building services industry, the UK is facing an increasing lack of skilled talent.

Here, Mark Krull, Director of Logic4training, says it’s time for plumbing and heating firms to get more involved in training.

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creates a significant shortritain is facing its biggest skills fall, but with an increased shortage for a demand for housing as well, generation. From plumbers we’re looking at a critical to builders and engineers, situation. there are talent gaps that Underinvestment threaten to derail attempts Years of underinvestment to re-energise the economy. in our workforce has There’s real demand out exacerbated the problem. there so those who aren’t Arcadis, a global design and prepared to face up to the consultancy firm for natural challenges of bringing on the and built assets based in the tradespeople of tomorrow or Netherlands, has written a developing talents in their report on the problem the existing staff are missing Mark Krull, Logic4training UK faces in meeting the a trick.

The impending skills crisis is down to demands of construction needs of the three factors, which combine to create a 21st century. They state that a ‘systematic perfect storm: increased demand for homes underinvestment in the national workforce and infrastructure, an aging workforce, and and a failure to heed the warning signs long term underinvestment in the workforce have contributed to a slip in productivity The Construction Industry Training Board that currently sees the UK languish behind (CITB) tell us that around a quarter of those a host of other world economies’. In order to employed in the current construction deliver current housing and infrastructure industry are over the age of 50, and 400,000 targets, they warn that Britain needs to of those over the age of 55 are planning to recruit over 400,000 people a year in the retire in the next decade. On its own, this construction industry.

For too long now, a university degree has been seen as the path to a successful career, but this narrow view lets down a swathe of school leavers with practical skills and doesn’t reflect the reality of the British labour market.

To simplify the process of vocational training in England and raise standards so that 16 to 19 year-olds come out ‘workfit’ in a number of key industries, the Government launched the new T-Level technical qualification. The Chancellor has pledged to put in an extra £20m to support these new qualifications, phased in between 2018 and 2022.

know has the ability and the attitude to take on more responsibility and help grow your business – someone who fits your company culture and would be motivated to work even harder with some investment from you.

Up-skilling and cross-skilling people may be viewed as time and cost intensive, but it can pay dividends, ultimately costing less than recruiting someone entirely new. By committing to your team you are more likely to retain valued employees, and if your company is seen as the sort of place that looks after the future of its staff, you’re more likely to attract better job applicants when you need them.

Many companies these days find it beneficial More apprenticeships to offer their customers a range of services, There has also been a renewed commitment tapping into a variety of work across the to increase the number of apprenticeships. sector. If you are thinking of diversifying By introducing a levy, the your services, training up Government plans to fund your staff to be competent “We have a role to 3 million apprenticeships in a range complementary play in highlighting by 2020. Apprenticeships skills is a good idea, but have been re-modelled over you need to make sure that how rewarding a the last few years in an they have the appropriate career in building effort to make them more qualifications. Just as you services can be” attractive. The training might train your plumber offered is more relevant to become a gas engineer, and they are practical options for those under plumbers or gas engineers might take up 24, for whom funding is available. training in domestic electrics so that they Studies have shown that apprenticeships can offer a wider ranging skill-set and take offer benefits to business too. The National on more aspects of a job.

Apprenticeship Service’s ‘Employer Guide The Arcadis report acknowledges the to Apprenticeships’ states that the average well-earned reputation of British talent and apprentice increases productivity by £214 I thoroughly agree with this. Maintaining this per week, and according to a BEIS survey reputation requires input across the board and of employers in 2015, 83% of those who had we have a valuable role to play in highlighting taken on an apprentice would recommend how rewarding a career in building services the scheme to others. An employment model can be.

Like any investment, training needs to be more weighted towards apprenticeships is mutually beneficial, helping businesses save part of your company development plan. on costs and producing a generation of young Addressing short-falls and drawing up a employees better suited to the world of work training programme in line with your aims for the future will help sustained growth, than many of their graduate counterparts. attract the best potential talent and give Staff development something back to the sector.

Addressing the skills gap isn’t just about new entrants. Keeping existing staff Find out more motivated and training them to take on Logic4training has published a range of more and varied work could re-energise training guides offering practical advice your business. Businesses looking to move for those looking to train themselves or forward should think about investing in their staff. They can be downloaded for free the talents of existing staff. It’s quite likely from our website.

ENQUIRY No. 127 www.logic4training.co.uk that you already employ someone who you

Course is CIBSE certified The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has certified a continuing professional development (CPD) presentation for sealed heating systems from Altecnic.

The CPD certification is valid until May 2019.

Altecnic’s Robokit sealed system solutions are designed to make life easier ENQUIRY

329

for installers by eliminating the feed and expansion tank and associated pipework, which also reduces any risk of corrosion and noise in the system.

Gary Perry, Altecnic’s OEM Sales & Technical Director, says: “We are delighted to extend our range of CPD presentations certified by CIBSE. This

underlines the standards that we operate to when developing and supplying sealed heating systems.

From a simple renovation to a full heating system upgrade to new-build commercial projects, our products are tried, tested and trusted by installers.”

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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TRAINING & Education 43 Specialising in boiler breakdown repair CPD for polymer pipe plumbing Mr Combi Training has been providing a breakdown, fault finding and multimeter course for 15 years. Led by George Staszak, Mr Combi himself, the course includes proper use of a multimeter as well as testing sensors, stats, PCBs, expansion vessels, etc, as well as other parts of the heating system.

Mr Combi will help engineers learn how to be a breakdown engineer who

can spot incorrectly installed systems, poor pipework, and a room stat not wired

correctly. Other issues to look out for is the boiler in the loft (expect higher gas

and water bills), no auto bypass, gate valves on the cylinder not flushing, and fitting the correct magnetic filter. Mr Combi shows how to test any system and find faults in minutes.

Engineers can also take advantage of the wiring course, where you can spend over three hours wiring Danfoss and Honeywell rigs.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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Expanding building controls skills Building controls professionals can access new and improved courses from the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA).

The BCM01-06 courses cover a wide range of topics which incorporate the latest technical information from the building controls sector.

All of the six courses now run over two days, ensuring there is minimal disruption to work schedules.

Those starting out in the controls industry or looking to develop knowledge can take Fundamentals of HVAC & Building Technology (BCM01).

This course looks at the systems and technologies used in the HVAC industry and includes the use of building controls and building management systems.

Engineers and technicians with more than one year’s

experience, and have already completed BCM01, can book onto BCM02 and BCM03 and learn more about measuring and control technology and hydraulics in building services. The Technical Certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of BCM01-BCM03.

For professionals who are looking to expand their knowledge further, the BCIA offers BCM04-BCM06 which

covers topics including control function in heating plants, control of ventilation and air conditioning, and control of cooling systems.

The Advanced Technical Certificate will be awarded to those who pass each course within BCM04-BCM06.

To book a place, contact Hayley Hopkins: hayley@ keystonecomms.co.uk PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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Professionals from the building services industry are invited to register for a CPD from the refreshed 2017/2018 Rehau CPD programme. The latest addition, a course on polymer pipe for heating and plumbing, is accredited by CIBSE. This seminar covers how polymer pipes can be used in different installations, using the example of Rehau’s new Rautitan pipe.

The CPD offering also includes seminars on district heating and heat networks, an introduction to renewable heat, ground source heating, ground-air heat exchangers, an introduction to subsurface heating and cooling, thermally activated building structures, chilled ceiling systems, and polypropylene sewer pipe and chambers. All of the courses are free for attendees and can be hosted at the customer’s premises.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No. www.rehau.uk/hub 131

The quick, clean and efficient way to flux pipes

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ENQUIRY

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January 2018

44 Training & Education

Success comes from partnerships A positive relationship between the apprentice, employer and training provider – a partnership which lasts beyond the duration of the course – can make all the difference to the success of an apprenticeship, argues Steve Willis, MD and founder of Steve Willis Training.

T

here has been rather a negative feel to the latest press coverage of apprenticeships in the UK. From talk of skills shortages to concerns about the impact of funding reform, it has been widely reported that the Government is unlikely to hit its own target of 3 million apprenticeships by 2020. In fact, since the reforms came into effect in May last year, there has been a significant decline Steve Willis in numbers starting courses compared to the same period in previous years.

However, at Steve Willis Training Centres we’re proud to be bucking this perceived trend, with more apprentices starting in September 2017 than ever before, and courses oversubscribed. Achievement rates and learner satisfaction are high in comparison to nationally published rates, and we’re working with a growing number of employers who are also very happy with the service (100% of employers asked would recommend Steve Willis Training Centres according to the last survey).

A successful apprenticeship is a partnership between the apprentice, employer and training provider, which lasts from before they start training, through the duration of their course and beyond.

Right match In the beginning, it is the relationship with the employer that is key as they find the apprentice that’s right for them.

For this reason, we have a specialist recruitment team who really understand what the employer needs. We hold robust initial assessments including aptitude tests, maths and English assessments, and course interviews which are all carried out face to face. This ensures that before an applicant even goes to see a prospective employer they have been vetted to make sure they’ll be a good fit.

Once the apprentice has started their course, we deliver their full training programme – the 46 days per academic year that make up their 20% off-the-job learning – on behalf of the employer. The majority of our customers

Apprentices benefit from training in small groups

Graduation evening for the latest batch of apprentices

are small businesses who simply don’t have the luxury of their own HR or training departments, and we do it for them. Employers can receive their apprentice’s progress reviews in person or by phone or email, whichever suits them best. And with the new standards comes the new pre-End Point Assessment meeting which will look at the progress reviews and allow everybody – apprentice, employer and training provider – to decide when the apprentice is ready to go for their final assessment.

apprenticeships. Employers taking short courses can provide opportunities for apprentices who then return to take short courses in a cycle that lasts a lifetime.

It’s fantastic to see the second generation starting to come through as former apprentices bring their own apprentices to train at the centres.

I cannot describe how satisfying it is to see one of our former apprentices returning to Steve Willis Training as the employer of a new apprentice. This shows that we’re doing all we can to ensure that there is a plentiful supply of well trained and experienced engineers entering the industry. It’s also nice to know that we’re helping our customers to grow their businesses if they decide to take an apprentice. From our point of view, the apprenticeship story is still worth telling.

Mutual respect Of equal importance of course is the relationship between training provider and apprentice. Working in small groups during their learning sessions at the centre, the apprentices soon form strong connections both with their trainers and each other, which are based on respect and trust. This plays a vital part in the effectiveness of their learning journey, which in turn prepares them for a successful career.

When the apprentice has completed their training, we celebrate by inviting employers, family and friends to join them at the annual graduation celebration.

Post completion, the partnership continues as we offer ongoing training and CPD. Gas engineers and plumbers come back to take additional categories and courses, and electricians return for their BS7671 edition updates – 18th edition coming soon!

The partnership is strengthened by the way that our short course provision operates alongside the

44.indd 1

emissions from domestic oilfired boilers, which will not be able to exceed 120mg/kWh. In addition to gaining useful information on new burner technology, visitors will also be able to receive advice on how accessing Eco Funding could benefit their own business.

The company’s new UK headquarters in Plymouth also provides an opportunity to view Firebird’s product showroom and gain firsthand knowledge of the recently launched Enviroair Air Source Heat Pump.

David Hall, UK Director of

In addition to apprenticeships, Steve Willis Training Centres run a full range of gas, plumbing, oil and electrical short courses for existing engineers and new entrants to the industry. Courses run at Burgess Hill, West Sussex and Portchester, near Portsmouth.

Both centres offer high quality training with a full range of the latest equipment in the workshops, modern classrooms and specialist trainers and assessors with a breadth of industry experience. For more information visit www.stevewillis.com

Virtual reality CPD training

Up to speed with burner technology Installers and heating engineers are invited by Firebird to take advantage of an opportunity to learn more about developments in burner technology and how these changes can be adopted to meet future legislative requirements.

Through a series of presentations and technical demonstrations, guidance will be given on how compliance with the second phase of the Ecodesign Directive can be met. Coming into effect from September 2018, new requirements will be introduced on flue gas

Full range of courses

Firebird Products, says: “As we have been involved in the development of Blue Flame technology with German partners MHG for a number of years, we are well positioned to guide the industry through this significant period of change.”

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In partnership with a number of manufacturers, the CIPHE is launching a series of new 3D virtual reality (VR) continuing professional development (CPD) resources. The new techtalkVR and techtalkCPD content will cover a wide variety of topics including training on S-plan and Y-plan wiring, augmented gas boiler servicing and more.

The initiative is also supported by CIPHE member and independent consultant, Mike Lee, who has helped to create a legionella risk management VR course as part of the series. Upon completion, CIPHE members

will have the ability to achieve accredited CPD points and digital badges for validation.

Paul Harmer, Technical Director for the CIPHE, comments: “The beauty of VR technology is that it can be accessed anywhere and

at any time, so time-pressed installers can learn from the comfort of their own home, or when sitting in their van in-between jobs.”

For further updates or to register your interest in techtalkVR and techtalkCPD, email: paulh@ciphe.org.uk

05/01/2018 11:37

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TRAINING & Education 45 Installers can smarten up on showers Free-to-attend professional installer top-up training courses are organised throughout the year by shower specialist Aqualisa.

The Kent based manufacturer says that these sessions are specifically designed for professional installers and are jam-packed with product information, install advice and practical hints and tips.

“Whether installers are new to the industry or have a wealth of experience already, our hands-on Smart Mixer training seminars will ensure installers’ product and installation knowledge of Aqualisa Smart Mixers is bang up to date,” says Technical Training Manager David May. “We appreciate how hard it is for installers to take time

registration card inside this month’s issue.

Join the club

out of their business which is why we offer this training totally free of charge.”

As an added incentive, any installer that attends one of the training days will also receive an exclusive ‘deal of the day’.

To find out more about available courses, dates and venues, and to book a place, visit the company’s website (w w w.aqualisa. co.uk/training) or enter the number below on the freepost reader enquiry and

Every installer who takes part in training will also automatically gain Level 2 membership to the company’s exclusive Installer Club. Benefits of becoming a member include: r "DDFTT UP UIF '*5 &"3/ award scheme to use for online sales r " QFSTPOBMJTFE POMJOF profile that can be revised at anytime r %FUBJMT NBEF BWBJMBCMF on the ‘Find an Installer’ listing on Aqualisa’s website 3FHJTUSBUJPO JT FBTZ TJNQMZ complete the online form at: aqualisa.co.uk/installerclub PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

www.aqualisa.co.uk

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1st TRAINING LTD ASSESSMENT & TRAINING CENTRE Domestic and Commercial, ACS, NG, LPG and appliances, Un-vented hot water TEL: Huntingdon (01480) 450 872 www.1st-training.co.uk 1st Training Ltd info@1st-training.co.uk

Training & Assessments

Training & Assessments

AQUALISA

Training & Assessments

1ST TRAINING

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GRE ENERGY TRAINING

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MIDLANDS GAS ASSESSMENTS

Unit 1, Mainstream Way, Nechells, BIRMINGHAM B7 4SN email: mgabrum@tiscali.co.uk www.mgabrum.co.uk Domestic Natural Gas & LPG Changeover, Energy Efficiency and Water Regulations.

Un-vented, Part P Electrics, Training & Assessments.

0121 333 3903

MR COMBI

SOUTH WEST PENINSULAR TRAINING LTD

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KIWA

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MIDLAND GAS ASSESSMENTS

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January 2018

46 W WHAT’S HAT’S New N w Ne New N ew compact comp o act filter filter c ollects mo ore d ebris collects more debris The T he ne new wS Sentinel entinel E Eliminator liminator Vortex300 V ortex300 Filter Filter has has been been designed collect more de signed tto o c ollect m ore magnetic debris m agnetic de bris and and is is also also be ssaid aid tto ob e tthe he company’s compan ny’s most most compact c ompact a and nd e easy asy tto o iinstall nstall and filter date. a nd service service fi lter tto od ate.

Standing 202mm S tanding jjust ust 2 02mm tall tall and filter a nd 70mm 70mm wide, wide, tthe he fi lter has and can h as a sslim lim profile profile a nd c an be fitted ttherefore herefore b e fi tted a sshort hort distance d istance from from pipework. pipework. A 360° makes 3 60° rotating rotating T-piece T-piece m akes easier and, when iinstallation nstallation e asier a nd, w hen iitt comes c omes tto o sservicing, ervicing, iinstallers nstallers have h ave the the flexibility flexibility to to either either flush unit orr w wipe clean. fl ush tthe he u nit o ipe iitt c lean.

The T he Eliminator Eliminator Vortex300 Vor ortex300 also a lso boasts boasts a lleak-free eak-free design design

Protection a gainst pollution pollution Protection against

and dual which a nd llifetime ifetime d ual sseals eals w hich are pressure-tested a re p ressure-tested on on every every unit. u nit. So So confident confident is is Sentinel Sentinel iin n tthe he rreliability eliability o off tthe he fi filter lter comes with 10-year tthat hatt iitt c omes w ith a 1 0-year warranty w arranty as as standard. standard. filter based on ““The The fi lter iis s b ased o n extensive with ex tensive rresearch esearch c w ith iinstallers, nstallers, who who reported reporrted leaks leak ks and a nd installation installlattion and and d servicing servicing be biggest sspace pace tto ob e tthe he b iggest iissues ssues with other brand tthey hey face face w ith o ther b rand filters,” fi lters,” explains explains UK UK Trade Trade Marketing M arketing Manager Manager Daniel Daniel Cheung. overcome all C heung. ““We’ve We’ve o vercome a ll off these with o these problems problems w ith tthe he Eliminator Vortex, which also E liminator V ortex, w hich a lso offers debris o ffers market-leading market-leading de bris collection.” c ollection.”

Less L ess wall wall space space PHAM P H A M NEWS NEWS ENQUIRY ENQUIRY No. No.

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IIAQ-VALVE AQ-VALVE is is the the name name of of a new new carbon carbon filter filter Nuaire which makes easier ssystem ystem ffrom rom N uaire w hich m akes iitt e asier tto o keep Combining k eep air air pollution pollution out out of of the the home. home. C ombining a sstandard tandard MVHR MVHR supply supply air air valve valve with with carbon filter, provides discrete ac arbon fi lter, iitt pr ovides a d iscrete ventilation as v entilation ssolution, olution, a s tthere here is is no no need an access hatch and n eed ffor or a n a ccess h atch a nd all all homeowner will white tthe he h omeowner w ill ssee ee iis saw hite ceiling valve. c eiling v alve.

Described as small but powerful, D escribed a s sm all b ut p owerful, carbon filter valve capable tthe he c arbon fi lter v alve iis sc apable off c capturing up 91% off NO NO2 and o apturing u p tto o9 1% o 2a nd other harmful o ther h armful pollutants. pollutants. The The carbon media held c arbon m edia h eld iinside nside tthe he cartridge and has c artridge is is microporous microporous a nd h as much am uch larger larger surface surface area area than than iits ts external externall dimensions dimensions suggest. suggest.

Through process known T hrough a pr ocess k nown as as ‘‘adsorption’, adsorption’, tthe he pollutants pollutants are a re attracted attracted and and held held on on the the ssurface urface of of the the carbon, carbon, trapping trapping before enter tthem hem b efore tthey hey e nter tthe he home. h ome.

IIAQ-VALVE AQ-VALVE works works as as part part of of a complete c omplete system system with with Nuaire’s Nuaire’s low-energy low-energ y MVHR Eco Polluted air passed M VHR E co rrange. ange. P olluted ai ir iis sp assed tthrough hrough filters MVHR tthe he G3 G3 fi lters iinside nside tthe he M VHR system, system, where where particulates, p articulates, pollen pollen and and dust dust are are removed. removed.

T his a ir iis s tthen hen p assed tthrough hrough tthe he c arbon This air passed carbon

filter valve on off tthe ducting. fi lter v alve o n tthe he ssupply-leg upply-leg o he d ucting.

IImproving mproving indoor indoor air air quality quality is is a driving driving factor factor design off n new products. iin n tthe he d esign o ew pr oduc u ts.

T he valve valve is is fully fully y adjustable adjustable for for The commissioning and c ommissioning purposes purposes a nd iis s lockable once commissioned, lo ckable once commissioned, even when cartridge sso o e ven w hen tthe he c artridge iis s valve rreplaced, eplaced, tthe he v alv ve rreturns eturns to to the the locked, lo cked, commissioned commissioned position position for for guaranteed guaranteed system syste em performance. performance.

For For deeper deeper ceiling ceiling voids, voids, the the valve valve can can be be ducted ducted vertically vertically using using rigid rigid duct, after duct, with with the the valve valv l e added added a fter tthe he ceilings around ceilings are are plastered plastered a round tthe he duct For duct opening. opening. F or llower ower ceiling ceiling voids down 180mm, can be voids d own tto o1 80mm, iitt c an b e using first-fix plenum, iinstalled nstalled u sing a fi rst-fix p lenum, making connection m aking c on nnection ssimple. imple.

Maintenance Maintenance is is equally equally y straightforward. straightforward. IIAQ-VALVE AQ-VALVE has h as a simple simple ‘twist-and‘twist-andclip’ c lip’ bayonet bay yonet n fixture fixture which which enables quick easy e nab bles q uic ck rrelease elease ffor or e asy maintenance can be carried m aintenance tthat hatt c an b ec arried out by homeowner o ut b y tthe he h omeowner without without the the need need ffor or tools. to ols. Nuaire Nuaire recommends recommends replacement replacement of of cartridge every years and offers tthe he c artridge e very ttwo wo y ears a nd o ffers a ffree-return rree-return recycling recycling service. service. www.nuaire.co.uk w ww.nuaire.co.uk PHAM PH A M N NEWS EW S E ENQUIRY NQUIRY N No. o. 1 136 36

Commercial C omm mercial boiler boiler ticks ticks all all the the boxes boxes A fa fan-assisted n-assiste ed radiator radiator that that works works with with either eitther traditional trraditio onal o enewable heating heating systems systems iis s tthe he llatest atest a ddition tto o orr rrenewable addition Mitsubishi product said deliver tthe he M ittsubishi Electric Electric p roduct rrange. ange. IItt iis ss aid to od eliver a faster faster h heat-up eat--up ttime ime a and nd llower ower running running costs costs than t han tthe he equivalent equivalent output output double double panel, panel, double double convector convector and att 7 737 579mm half rradiator adiator a nd a 37 x 5 79mm is is almost almost h alf the the size size off tthe equivalent flow o he e quivalent llow ow fl ow temperature temperature steel steel radiator. radiator..

The T he ii-LIFE -LIFE 2 2Slim Slim iis sa available vailable iin n1a and nd 2 2kW kW m models odels and wall a nd offers offers a high high heat heat output output from from 50% 50% less less w all space space ((based based on on 45ºC 45ºC fl ow). M itsubishi s ays tthat hat p airing tthe he flow).

Mitsubishi says pairing rradiator adiator with with a renewable ren newable heating heating system, system, such such as an an Ecodan pump, will also potentially E codan heat heat p ump, w ill a lso p otentially iincrease ncrease tthe he payments RHI. p ayments homeowners homeowners ccan an rreceive eceive from from tthe he R HI . ““These These are are class-leading class-leading models models for for price price and and output output and both a nd we we are are expecting expecting a lot lot of of interest interest from from b oth ttradiradittional ional a nd rrenewable enewable h eating iinstallers,” nstallers,” says says Product Product and heating M anager Max Max Halliwell.

Halliwell.

Manager http://library.mitsubishielectric.co.uk h ttp://library.mitsubishielectric.co.uk

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ENQUIRY ENQUIRY No. No.

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Elco Heating Elco Heating Solutions Solutions has has llaunched aunched the the new new THISION THISION L E ECO CO to to bolster bolster its its light light commercial c ommercial range range of of wall wall mounted mo unted gas gas condensing condensing b oilers. T he c ompany ssays ays boilers.

The company model has tthat hatt tthe he new new m ode d lh as been been iintroduced ntroduced with with the the needs needs off the o the contractor contractor in in mind mind by b y iincluding ncluding h high igh quality quality components c omponents ffor or llong ong tterm erm d urability, simple simple installation installlation durability, and maintenance, as well as a nd m aintenance, a sw ell a sa competitive price point. c ompetitive pr ice p oint.

The T he boiler boiler is is available available iin n tthree hree outputs outputs from from 66 66 to to 1 30kW. A rrobust obust stainless stainless 130kW. ssteel teel heat heat exchanger exchanger has has been been designed d esigned to to ensure ensure long long term term performance p erformance a and nd efficiency, efficiency,

while while a flue flue non-return non-return valve, vallve, built-in built-in modulating modulating pump pump and and on-board cascade controls on-board c ascade c ontrols mean tthat hat tthe he T HISION L mean THISION ECO ECO is is a practical practical fit fit for for a wide off commercial wide rrange ange o commercial applications. applicattions.

T he h eat e xchanger The heat exchanger ffeatures eat ures a HEX HEX geometry, geometr y, combined with flatbed c ombined w it h a fl atbed burner, b ur ner, which which allows allows it it tto o operate operate at at maximum maximum e f ficienc y w hile k eeping efficiency while keeping NOx NO x and and CO CO emissions emissions

to a m inimum. F or rrapid apid to minimum.

For servicing ser vicing and and maintenance, maintenance, a specially specially designed designed internal internal configuration easy configuration provides provides ea sy access key components, access tto ok ey c omponents, as as w well el l a as sa allowing llow ing simple simple removal o he b ur ner. removal off tthe burner.

Commenting C omment ing on on the t he new new range, range, M MD D IIan an B Bradley radley ssays: ays: “We’ve “We’ve introduced introduced this this new new boiler particular need boiler for for a p ar t icular n eed identified in in the the marketplace, marketplace, identified where w here contractors contractors want want a high quality and unit high q uality a nd durable durable u nit at at a competitive compet it ive price pr ice ffor or their projects. t heir commercial commercial pr ojects.

The The T THISION HISION L ECO ECO ticks ticks all al l t he b oxes.” the boxes.”

PHAM P HAM N NEWS EWS ENQUIRY ENQUIRY No. No.

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January 2018

WHAT’S New 47 Many options to complete the design Products from the Alterna range are now available in packs from Graham Plumbers’ Merchants. Installers can choose from a selection of sanitaryware or bath packs and then customise the packs to meet the needs of the project.

A Bathroom Packs leaflet is available in branch and online, offering 24 pages of different options, including baths, sanitaryware, taps and wastes to help simplify the process of fitting a new or replacement bathroom.

There are three easy steps to customising the packs.

The first is to select the sanitaryware and the second

is to choose a bath. Finally, installers have the option to upgrade or add to their pack for a greater choice of styles. For example, it gives

the opportunity to choose from a number of modern or traditional taps as well as steel or acrylic bath options.

The products in the packs

are in the ‘Always Available’ range, meaning installers can be assured that projects are completed on time. Graham is so confident that the packs will be in stock that it offers a £10 voucher to use on your next purchase if it isn’t.

Lucy Barriball, Category Manager for Bathrooms at Graham, says: “The new bathroom packs leaflet contains a variety of options for both the installer and their end customer, making it simple. No matter what the design or budget requirements the client has, we have something to suit everyone.”

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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Appreciate the fire from both sides The Maestro collection of contemporary gas fires from DRU now includes a ‘see-through’ fire that can be installed into false chimneys, room dividing walls and other architectural features. The Maestro 75 Tunnel can act as a room divider so the fire can be appreciated from both sides.

It features the DRU Dynamic Flame Burner system, which generates high and dense flames. It can be controlled with the Eco Wave app to adjust flame pattern and gas consumption from a tablet or smartphone. Clear View non-reflective glass renders the glass almost invisible.

The balanced flue system allows the Maestro 75 Tunnel to be vented through an outside facing wall or through the roof. The addition of the DRU PowerVent extended and motorised flue system also means that it can be installed in inaccessible locations, such as high-rise apartments.

www.drufire.com

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Complete package heat pump solution

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New heat pump packs are now available to purchase from Grant UK. The packs consist of the Aerona³ air source heat pumps and their key accessories. These packs are available for all three sizes of the Aerona³ and are designed to make life easier for installers.

Alongside the heat pump, each pack contains accessories, including buffer tank, flexi foot kit, Mag One filter, domestic hot water booster kit, sealed system kit and through-wall insulation kit.

Installers will be able to source all of these items using one code when ordering products through their merchant – a heat pump and its six essential accessories all included in one pack code.

Grant says that ordering these packs will deliver cost savings to engineers as well.

Compared to buying the products individually, each of these heat pump packs can help installers make a saving of over £140.

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www.grantuk.com

Tectite comes in new configurations

Showers designed for every bathroom The Kinesmart is the latest addition to the Kinedo range from Saniflo. These showers address a variety of modern-day bathroom design needs and can be fitted with or without a profile. Described as swift and easy to install, the Kinesmart offers seven different options so there is a configuration to suit every bathroom. The door and hinge options include: a single panel enclosure for an open shower area; a pivot door or fixed panel and pivot door option for larger spaces; a sliding door; a pivot door and side panel enclosure; a bi-fold door with fixed glass side panel for corner installations; a quadrant design with pivot doors, also for corner showers; and a quadrant with sliding doors. www.saniflo.co.uk

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The Tectite range from Pegler Yorkshire has been enhanced with additional valve configurations featuring push-fit technology.

There are six new additions including a 2 and 3 port manifold, service valve, straight tap connector 15 and 22mm, and elbow tap connector. They all form part of Pegler’s Classic range and are recommended for hot and cold water services,

low temperature hot water and heating applications.

Tectite now also has the BSI Kitemark standard across the entire range, including Classic, Pro and Sprint from 15 to 54mm.

Tectite comes with useful

features such as grip first grab rings which prevent any risk of full bore blow offs, pre-lubricated seals for reduced insertion force, and copper, DZR brass or stainless bodies.

The range is suitable for jointing with a wide range of tube materials including copper, flexible metal, PEX and PB, plus a variety of steel including stainless and carbon.

Additional features include

non-demountable and demountable options.

Furthermore, Tectite offers speed of installation which may provide installed cost saving. The technology eliminates the need for a hot works permit.

Because the Tectite system is intrinsically clean, there is no need for adhesive curing or long flushing times.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

www.pegleryorkshire.co.uk

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All in one basin waste and trap device The Macdee Wirquin Nano 6.7 all in one basin waste and trap is said to be quick and easy to fit and offers a compact solution at just 67mm in height, freeing up space under the basin. The Nano 6.7 is also quick to assemble and allows cleaning from the top once installed.

This all in one basin waste and trap offers a quick and reliable installation, which can be done without any tools. The waste body swivels through 360° horizontally and tilts to an angle of 4° vertically, compensating

for alignment faults in the pipework and reducing pressure on the pipes.

Nano also incorporates a clip system securing the body of the waste into place, which can be done blind and using only one hand, a helpful feature when working in confined, hard to reach areas.

The Nano 6.7 is a full range of basin waste and trap combinations offering four options: Quick Clac, Free Flow, Quick Clac 100mm and Quick Clac with overflow.

ENQUIRY No. www.wirquin.co.uk 144

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January 2018

48 What’s New For fans of quiet, dry bathrooms

Small cylinder, fast install Aimed at the new build housing sector is the Megaflo Compact, an unvented hot water cylinder from Heatrae Sadia. Its performance is said to ensure the delivery of hot water throughout the home, even when space is at a premium.

The Megaflo Compact range provides a greater volume of water from a smaller cylinder, saving space on installation.

Featuring a temperature and pressure relief valve for tidier and faster installations, the cylinder is a solution for projects that need to be completed

quickly, efficiently and on schedule.

This range includes Indirect, Direct, SystemFit and SystemReady models, with each benefitting from an internal expansion. Every version of the cylinder will also feature a non-adjustable thermostatic mixing valve as standard, helping to ensure increased delivery of hot water in small spaces.

All Megaflo Compact cylinders come with the added assurance of a 25year warranty on the inner cylinder, and a two-year warranty on all component parts.

Towel rail adds warmth and style The Sofia from MHS Radiators is a new steel towel rail which is available in central heating and electric options.

Boasting a bold cylindrical frame, adorned with flat rectangular tubes, this stylish heat emitter is complemented by a combination of high heat outputs and a plethora of finishes – allowing it to effortlessly dry and warm numerous towels.

The Sofia is also reversible, so the vertical tubes can be either on the left or right side.

The new rail can be selected in three heights (1312, 1536 and 1760mm) with widths spanning from 500 to 600mm.

Central heating versions yield impressive outputs, varying from 563 to 875W, while electric counterparts range from 600 to 900W – offering scope to easily heat up larger bathrooms.

The Sofia range comes in a range of finishes, with ‘Quartz Dust’ a standout example with its fine textured coating harmonising well with all bathroom styles.

Other stocked finishes include matt white, sparkling grey, and sparkling black.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

www.mhsradiators.co.uk

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Get panel smart Electric radiator specialist Electrorad has launched Smartpanel, a new range that bears all the looks of conventional radiators but at panel heater prices.

Smartpanel is one of the first panel heaters to be fully

compliant with EcoDesign Lot 20, the impending legislation which dictates that all local space heaters must feature both intelligent timers and controls in order to comply with minimum efficiency.

The heaters feature Virtual Open Window Sensors, which sense a draft and stop heating until the window is closed, and also Adaptive Start Control, which learns when to switch the heaters on in order to achieve optimum household comfort and reduce energy consumption.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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Commercial Director Steve Rickards at Heatrae Sadia says: “The Megaflo Compact has been designed to make life easy for developers. It is simple to fit, yet comes with the quality you would expect from Megaflo, a brand that has become synonymous with high quality water cylinders over the last 30 years.

“Crucially, the Megaflo Compact delivers even when space is tight, guaranteeing consistent, powerful hot water throughout the home all year round.”

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

www.heatraesadia.com

Combining high performance with quiet running, the IPX5 Quiet Fan from Manrose offers an extraction rate of 75m³/ hr while maintaining just 27dB(A), over 60% quieter than a standard 4in (100mm) domestic fan. It is designed for wall and ceiling mounting.

“The IPX5 Quiet Fan should prove popular with households and installers alike thanks to installation flexibility, quiet operation, high extraction rate, and a 3-year warranty,” says Clive Britton, Sales Director at Manrose. “Add to this a low energy motor, a low Specific Fan Power (SFP) and compliance with both Part F and Part L of the Building Regulations, and you have an impressive fan.”

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‘Kool’ combination Colour change and more colour choice A partnership between Durapipe UK and Kingspan Industrial Insulation has led to a solution for insulating plastic pipework for water applications across building services and industrial sectors. It combines Durapipe’s chilled water pipework system SuperFLO ABS with Kingspan’s Kooltherm FM Pipe Insulation to provide an alternative to preinsulated options.

With a Class 0 fire rating, Kooltherm is suitable for all internal pipework applications and is available in a range of different thicknesses to

meet a variety of individual performance specifications and building regulations.

Installing SuperFLO ABS with Kooltherm FM Pipe Insulation is said to give an installed cost saving of up to 25%, when compared with a pre-insulated system.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

www.durapipe.co.uk

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Responding to customer demand, Dunham-Bush has changed the standard colour from grey to white on its Series ASM, CM, UH, Ocelot and Finvector ranges of fan convectors.

The new white (RAL 9010 semi-matt) finish will replace the current grey (BS 10 1 03), which will still be available as one of the company’s preferred colours. Grilles, back plates and similar accessories will continue to be supplied in black.

In addition to the standard and preferred colour ranges, Dunham-Bush fan convectors will be available in any BS or RAL colours to give customers the widest possible choice, with prices available on application. dunham-bush.co.uk

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Heat pump pushes the CoP limits The latest generation of the Estía 5 series air-to-water heat pump from Toshiba is said to deliver best in class CoP ratings in a broad range that covers splits (4-16kW) and monoblocs (16-21kW).

The heat pump is designed to bring highly efficient and lowcost space heating, hot water and summertime cooling to new homes, renovations and small commercial properties.

Estía can replace or complement traditional boilers and will work with all types of heating emitters, delivering hot water temperatures up to 55°C. A twin-rotary compressor and Intelligent Power Drive Unit (IPDU) inverter help to maintain heating and cooling capacity

with high energy efficiency at all times, especially at part load use, and ensure long term reliability.

The new 4.5kW outdoor unit for the Estía Split is

claimed to deliver outstanding performances in a compact chassis. It has an energy efficiency of A++ ratings in space and combination heating, with a maximum CoP

of 4.90 at an air temperature of +7ºC and 3.01 at -7°C. Comprising an outside unit, hydro module and water tank, the compact outdoor unit can be located on any convenient exterior wall thanks to extensive piping options.

The Split solution is equally suited to new installations or as economic upgrades to replace existing systems.

It can also work alongside traditional boilers as part of hybrid systems that optimise energy use. All types of heating and cooling emitters are accommodated, including existing low temperature radiators, UFH and fan coil units.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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January 2018

What’s New Compact filter goes anywhere Intaklean Compact from Inta is a central heating filter specially designed with a smaller installation footprint. The device fits directly underneath the boiler and can be installed in almost limitless orientations, whilst providing an effective level of system protection against magnetic system sludge and non-ferrous debris.

The Intaklean Compact features a high power, bidirectional 11,000 gauss magnet that attracts and retains all magnetic debris circulating in the system

fluid, preventing it from clogging the plate heat exchanger. Meanwhile, the stainless steel dual-action mesh filter helps to break up and retain all non-ferrous debris before it enters the boiler.

Stuart Gizzi, Director at Inta, says: “We are always looking for new ways to develop our products, and this latest addition to our Intaklean range is the ideal solution for installers who need a filter that can be easily fitted into smaller spaces.”

Servicing the Intaklean Compact is straightforward thanks to its large bore drain plug and a magnet that is housed in a protective sheath, so any magnetite can be easily removed.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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Greater efficiency in AC Efficient performance is the main characteristic of Panasonic’s PACi and ECOi 90x90 indoor cassette units. The SCOP and SEER values have increased by 15% over the previous generation, making these units more efficient than ever before.

When operating at 10kW, the unit has an A++ SEER value of 7.60, and an A++ SCOP rating of 4.80.

The intelligent EcoNavi sensor technology is a key feature of the new 90x90 cassette, as it enables the unit to save energy and provide a healthier environment. The EcoNavi system includes two sensors, one focusing on movement, and the other targeting

floor temperatures. A new humidity sensor monitors and controls the amount of moisture in the environment.

The Nanoe purification system within the cassette ensures that the air from the unit is clean and fresh. The Nanoe system can work simultaneously with the heating and cooling operation of the system to remove bacteria and other airborne particles from the air before they enter a room.

With its more advanced energy saving capabilities, sophisticated air-filtration technology, flexibility of control, and low noise levels, the Panasonic 90x90 cassette unit aimed at the hotel, commercial and retail market. www.aircon.panasonic.eu ENQUIRY No. 153

An alternative to silicone New from shower brand Insignia is a fixing and sealing product that is said to be simpler to use than silicone and is capable of cementing items to the wall and floor. RubberGum is designed primarily as a fixing and watertight seal for toilets, basins and shower cubicles.

Available on a roll, RubberGum has a Blu-tack consistency and can be moulded in any shape or direction. Under pressure, the product will press out any imperfections and potential holes that ordinarily would cause a leak. This does not happen with silicone, as once it is applied and begins to cure, any imperfections or minute holes may remain

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COMPETITION Win a spa weekend in Cornwall!

We’ve teamed up with Nuaire to offer readers the chance to win a fantastic weekend break for two at a luxury hotel in Cornwall.

Breathe easy with Nuaire With air pollution exceeding legal levels in 37 of 43 zones across the UK, effective air filtration products are becoming a planning condition in the design of new homes and apartments. Nuaire’s new IAQ-VALVE is a powerful carbon filter and MVHR supply air valve, all in one. By removing up to 91% of harmful nitrogen dioxide from the supply air, IAQ-VALVE helps create a healthy, pollution-free indoor environment.

IAQ-VALVE works as part of a complete system with Nuaire’s MVHR Eco range.

It can be ducted vertically for ceiling voids of 200mm or more, or installed with a first-fix plenum for spaces down to 180mm. With no access hatch needed, all the homeowner will see from below is a sleek, white air valve. And the homeowner can carry out the filter change every two years, thanks to a simple bayonet fixture that enables tool-free replacement.

See page 46 for more product information.

Luxury spa hotel Another way to ensure fresh air in your lungs is to escape the cities and head down to the coast! We have a luxury weekend break worth £800 to give away at the sustainable Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall. The Scarlet is Cornwall’s ideal escape for adults who want to recharge their batteries and get away from the everyday. This adult-only spa hotel offers sea-view bedrooms, cliff-top hot tubs, beautiful food and a luxurious spa. Located in Mawgan Porth, the Scarlet does everything it can to minimise its impact on the environment with the thoughtful employment of a biomass boiler, grey water recycling, rainwater harvesting and sea thrift-planted roofs.

How to enter To be in with a chance of winning, read the question below and write your answer on the freepost reader enquiry and registration card inside this month’s issue. So, for example, if you think the answer is ‘Polenta’, you should write 101 on the card. One winner will be drawn from all the correct entries received before the closing date of 5th February 2018. Only one entry per person.

RubberGum can be repositioned several times, whilst always remaining fresh on the roll and it can be trimmed easily to leave a neat finish. Unlike silicone where you have to wait for it to cure for up to 24 hours,

RubberGum is instant and does not require any curing time.

The RubberGum pack contains a 1680x15mm strip and has an RRP of £9.95.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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What delicacy is usually associated with Cornwall?

101

102

103

Polenta

Pasta

Pasties

www.nuaire.co.uk

05/01/2018 11:38

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January 2018

50 DIRECTORY Business App

Radiators

Temperature Sensors

ATC SEMITIC

ENQUIRY

16

ENQUIRY

17

Water Heating & Chilling Elegance E legance & S Style t yle 2017 2017 www.apolloradiators.co.uk

made m ade in the UK and urope urrope o

APOLLO RADIATORS

ENQUIRY

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Safety Products

HYCO POWERED NOW

ENQUIRY

09

Advertiser’s Index

Controls

GOTEC

ENQUIRY

Heating Controls

BANICO CONTROLS

ENQUIRY

13

Underfloor Heating

10

IDHEE further your ambitions, telephone 023 8066 8900 for information and application pack.

01359 243 516 projects@gaia.co.uk www.gaia.co.uk

www.idhee.org.uk IDHEE

ENQUIRY

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HEATING CONTROLS ONLINE

ENQUIRY

14

GAIA

ENQUIRY

15

ACV UK Ltd BES Ltd CMR Controls Ltd Danfoss Ltd Draper Tools EG Training Services Ltd ELCO Esi Controls Ltd The Electric Heating Company Fernox Fluxuator Gledhill Building Products Ltd HVAC & Refrigeration Show 2018 Heatrae Sadia Heating Ltd Hitachi Kamco Ltd Logic 4 Training MV Fluids Handling Ltd Maincor Ltd Mostra 2018 NuAire (Part of Polypipe Group) Nu-Heat UK Ltd Pegler Yorkshire Group Ltd Plumbase Polypipe plc Practical Refrigeration Training Centre Ltd Roth UK Ltd Stiebel Eltron UK Ltd Tacotherm (UK ) Ltd Warmup Wolseley UK Ltd Wunda Group plc Xylem Water Solutions UK Ltd

10 1 46 11 6 42 15 32 8 2 43 4 18 29 17 36 41 3 9 30 5, 37 25 33 52 23 39 20 16 35 26 13 27 7

Plumbing Products

PLUMBPAL

ENQUIRY

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January 2018

INFORMATION Centre 51 Central Heating Wiring & Controls Book

‘Central Heating fault finding & repair’

For years electricians and heating engineers have commented that wiring heating controls is a difficult subject to learn, existing diagrams are not always easy to follow.

Mr Combi® Training has developed a fantastic set of easy to follow coloured wiring diagrams for central heating wiring and controls, 2 / 3 port systems, Faults, Frost stats, testing components, everything you need in one handy A5 book.

This 200 page book written by John Reginald, is designed to help the reader understand central heating and hot water systems. Offering a stepby-step guide to the fault finding and repair process of systems and components enabling the reader to achieve professional solutions to professional standards.

Priced at £26 this Industry leading book is available from all High Street and Online Book Stores COPPER JOB

ENQUIRY

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Abode launch matt black Harmonie bathroom taps

Abode launch Matt Black, an exciting new on trend ‘interior designer look’ finish to its ever popular Harmonie range of bathroom taps and showers offering across the range solutions, enabling the consumer to have that fully co-ordinated bathroom look.

The full range features a simple minimalist conical design with pencil slim lifting handles and organic shaped spouts. The design lines of Harmonie creates a series of stunning range options for all bathroom interiors .

For more information visit the website www.abode.eu or enter the PHAM No. ABODE

ENQUIRY

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Please order from www.mrcombi.com or enter the PHAM No. CIBSE DBSP

ENQUIRY

374

MR COMBI

ENQUIRY

376

SANHA

ENQUIRY

377

Snickers NEW ALLROUND 37.5® Insulator Jacket Sharp, stylish looks and market-leading 37.5® fabric technology make this jacket a must for winter on site or outdoor leisurewear.

With a water-repellent fabric, it can be worn on its own or combined with other Next Generation working clothes such as Base Layer fleeces and shirts or Outer Layer waterproof Shell Jackets.

For more information, visit the website at www.snickersworkwear.co.uk call the Snickers Helpline on 01484 854788 or enter the PHAM No. SNICKERS

ENQUIRY

375

Consort Claudgen launches SL single-zone controllers Consort Claudgen have introduced three new wireless controllers which can be connected to one or multiple SL heaters to form an SL heating system.

All controllers have comfort and setback temperature settings.

The SLPB and SLVT controllers have a control button with status indicators and a 4-stage run-back timer. Additionally, the SLVT have temperature control buttons and a digital display to show the set temperature. The SLTI features a 7-day timer with three heating periods per day with an electronic lock to prevent tampering with controls.

For details, visit www.consortepl.com or call Sales at 01646 692172.

Or enter the Pham No. CONSORT CLAUDGEN

ENQUIRY

373

hotun – not just a tundish hotun - for small unvented cylinders 12 litres/min flow*

hotun hiflo - the tundish evolved, for large unvented cylinders & boilers 18 litres/min flow*

hotun and hotun hiflo by RA Tech UK Ltd are patented, dry trap tundishes, that allow a safe and visible means of discharge from a sealed system boiler or unvented water heater’s Temperature/Pressure Relief Valve to be compliantly connected to an internal waste or soil pipe without allowing foul odours back into the building. These award-winning products are now available in over 1400 outlets in the UK.

hotun shield for boilers hotun hiflo is the only dry trap tundish available on the market that has been accepted for use by Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Ideal, Ariston and Navien, accepting PRV discharge and condensate below the tundish and is the hottest solution in the marketplace.

For further product information please visit www.hotun.co.uk * steady state flow HOTUN

UK Sole Distributor PlumbPal Products visit www.plumbpal.co.uk Tel: 0117 9807430 Email: info@plumbpal.co.uk or enter the Pham no.

New pushfit additions to the range are coming soon, further details to be announced!

ENQUIRY

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