October 2017

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Volume 55 | Issue 10 | October 2017

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Volume V olume 55 | Issue o e9 | O October ctober 2017

Women W omen a and nd tthe he eelderly lderly quoted q uoted the the highest highest prices priices s

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A new new survey, sur vey y, widely widely reported reported in in tthe he n national ational p press, ress, s suggests uggests tthat hat p plumbers lumbers are are routinely routinely q quoting uoting women w omen a and nd p pensioners ensioners h higher igher p prices rices tthan han tthey hey d do o ffor or m middle-aged iddle-aged m men en tto o ccarry arr y o out ut tthe he s same ame jjob. ob.

New Anchor Pumps has Ne w research research ffrom rom A nchor P umps h as plumbers are charging women rrevealed evealed that that p lumbers a re c harging w omen and a nd the the elderly elderrly y more more than than they they would would charge charge exactly a working-aged work ing-aged man man for for e xact ly tthe he ssame ame The cases, jjob. ob. T he study st udy found found tthat hat iin n ssome ome c a s e s, ffemale emale customers customers were were quoted quoted up up to to 53% 53% more were quoted up m ore tthan han a man. man. Pensioners Pensioners w ere q uoted u p man tto o a third third more more tthan han a m an of of working working age. age.

To carry company gave T oc arr y out out tthe he sstudy, tudy, tthe he c ompany g ave a middle-aged middle-aged woman, woman, a middle-aged middle-aged man, man, and elderly a nd an an e lderly man man a list list of of 90 90 plumbers plumbers across English counties. a cross nine nine E nglish c ount ies. They They were w er e asked call plumbers obtain quote a sked tto oc all tthe he p lumbers tto oo btain a q uote fitting mixer kitchen, ffor or fi tt ing a m i xer ttap ap iin n ttheir heir k itchen, considered c onsidered to to be be a straightforward straightfor ward job. job.

On average, male caller was quoted £62, O na verage, tthe he m ale c aller w as q uoted £ 62, nearly female caller, who n early 15% 15% less less tthan han tthe he fe male c aller, w ho was w as told told £71, £71, and and 21% 21% less less tthan han the the elderly elderly caller, every c aller, who who was was quoted quoted £75. £75. IIn ne ver y ssingle ingle apart male caller rregion eg ion a par t from from one, one, tthe he m ale c aller was was quoted average price.

London was q uoted tthe he llowest owest a verage pr ice. L ondon w as exception, with caller tthe he only only e xcept ion, w it h tthe he ffemale emale c aller rreceiving eceiv ing a lower lower average average price pr ice by by just just £2. £ 2.

Commenting on findings C omment ing o n tthe he sstudy’s t udy’s fi ndings tto o Times’, ‘‘The The T imes’, Caroline Caroline Abrahams, Abrahams, Director Director of of

Age callers A ge UK, UK, said: said: “It “It is is unacceptable unacceptable ffor or c allers tto o be quoted different prices purely b eq uoted d ifferent pr ices ffor or a sservice ervice p urely because This b ecause of of their their age. age. T his iis s ttruly r uly sshocking hocking tto o hear, hear, and and blatant blatant discrimination.” discr iminat ion.”

Thompson, CEO off A APHC, JJohn ohn T hompson, C EO o PHC, ssays ays tthat hat are consumers can tthere here a re ssteps t ep s c onsumers c an take take to to protect out p pr otect tthemselves, hemselves, iincluding ncluding sseeking eek ing o ut who member off a pr professional a plumber plumber w ho iis sam ember o ofessional membership organisation can provide m embership o rganisation tthat hat c an pr ovide a complaints procedure disputes. c omplaints p rocedure tto o rresolve esolve d isputes. He detailed are unacceptable ssays: ays: ““The The sstatistics tattistics d etailed a re u nacceptable and as an a nd our our expectations expectations a sa n iindustry ndustry lleading eading body would be written quotations are b ody w ould b e tthat hat w r itten q uotations a re

provided non-discriminatory manner.” p rovided iin nan on-discriminator y m anner.”

Kevin Wellman, CEO off tthe CIPHE, admits K evin W ellman, C EO o he C IPHE, a dmits tthat hat the t he research research claims claims are are ‘unsettling’, ‘unsett ling’, but out: one-off b ut he he points points o ut: ““This This iis sao ne-off ssurvey ur vey off 90 nine counties, and o 90 firms fir ms across across n ine c ounties, a nd tthere her e e before we iis s a need need ffor or ffurther urther iinformation nformation b efore w e sstart tar t decrying decr y ing the t he entire ent ire industry indust r y for for age age and a nd gender gender discrimination.” discr iminat ion.”

Also urging caution drawing conclusions A lso u rging c aution iin nd rawing c onclusions iiss Hattie Hatttie Hasan, Hasan, founder founder of of Stopcocks Stopcocks Women Women Plumbers.

P lumbers. Speaking Speaking to to Yasmeen Yasmeen Khan Khan on on Talk Tallk Radio, majority R adio, sshe he ssaid: aid: “I “I wouldn’t wouldn’t say say tthe he m ajority off male plumbers are awful, but o male p lumbers a re a wful, b ut it it is is the the few few get news. know tthat hat g et in in tthe he n ews. I k now fantastic fantastic guys g uys who who wouldn’t dream off w ho are are plumbers plumbers w ho w ouldn’t d r ea m o doing because My d oing tthat, hat, b ecause tthey hey llove ove ttheir heir jjob. ob. M y advice customers find out how a dvice tto oc ustomers iis s tto o fi nd o ut h ow tthey hey feel about fe el a bout ttheir heir job, job, because because if if they they love love it, it, tthen hen tthey hey won’t won’t rrip ip you you off.” off.”

The T he study study also also revealed revealed a wide wide variation var iation iin n plumbing plumbing costs costs between bet ween regions. reg ions. The The northwest was cheapest area call n orthwest w as tthe he c heapest a rea tto oc all out out a plumber att £ £76.60 on average, while London, p lumber a 76.60 o n av verage, w hile L ondon, unsurprisingly, expensive att u nsur pr isingly, was was the the most most e xpensive a an a n average average cost cost of of £102. £102.

See page 16

The w The winner inner from fr om Wigan Wigan

Homeowners H omeowners failing failing to to g get et boiler boiler checks checks Over a quarter Over quarter ((27%) 27%) of of Brits Brits are are not not g getting etting ttheir heir boilers boilers serviced serviced at at least least once once a year, year, an an iinvestigation nvestigattion b by yW Worcester, orcester, B Bosch osch G Group roup h has as ffound. ound. F For or tthose hose w who ho d do o iinvest nvest in in servicing, ser vicing, 34% 3 4% ffail ail tto oa ask sk ttheir heir engineer eng ineer tto o sshow how ttheir heir Gas G as S Safe afe registration reg istrat ion c card. a rd .

The also highlighted T he rresearch esearch a lso h ighlighted ssignificant ignificant ffailures ailures tto oc carry arry o out ut c checks hecks o on n ssafety afety a alarms. larms.

Although A lthough many many homeowners homeowners were were found found to to iinspect nspect ttheir heir smoke smoke a alarms la r m s a att lleast east o once nce a year, y ear, over over a third third of of respondents respondents ((36%) 36%) w with ith alarm a carbon carbon monoxide monoxide a lar m fitted fitted admitted admitted not basis. tto on ot ttesting est ing it it on on a rregular eg u l a r b a s i s.

Martyn Bridges, Director off T Technical M ar t y n B r idges, D irector o echnical Communication C ommunication and and Product Product Management Management

att W Worcester, Group, a orcester, Bosch Bo sc h G roup, ssays: ays: ““When When iitt comes driving our cars, we wouldn’t c omes tto od riving o ur c ars, w ew ouldn’t rrisk isk not getting our brakes and checked n ot g ett ing o ur b r a ke s a nd llights ights c hecked once year, o nce a y ear, yet yet the the nation nation seemingly seemingly doesn’t doesn’t have quite attitude when comes h ave q uite tthe he ssame ame a ttitude w hen iitt c omes tto o heating heat ing appliances. appliances. ““By By not not carrying carrying out out these these simple simple checks, checks, homeowners can h omeow ners c an easily easily compromise compromise the t he off ttheir ssafety afety o heir boiler boiler and, and, in in the the worst worst case, case, tthis his could could result result in in the the appliance appliance breaking breaking down att a ttime when needed most. d ow n a ime w hen iit’s t’s n eeded m o st .

When you couple with W hen y ou c ouple tthis h is w it h tthe he ffact act tthat hat people across country are p eople a cross tthe he c ountr y a re sstill till ffailing ailing tto o rregularly egularlly test test their their smoke smoke and and CO CO alarms, alarms, it’s it’s worrying off tthe people are w orrying tto o tthink hink o he rrisk isk tthat hat p eople a re

putting p utting themselves, themselves, and and their their families, families, in.” in.”

The figures also highlighted off tthe T he fi g u re s a l so h ighlighted ssome ome o he key get k ey considerations considerations tthat hat tthose hose llooking ooking tto og et on property o n tthe he pr operty ladder ladder sshould hould keep keep in in mind, mind, ass 24% admitted not checking a 24% of of buyers buyers a dmitted tto on ot c hecking history off tthe boiler when purchasing tthe he h istor y o he b oiler w hen p urchasing property. a new new pr oper t y.

Martyn M ar t y n adds: adds: “Initiatives “Init iat ives such such as as Gas Ga s Safety have proven be great way S afet y Week Week h ave p roven tto ob eag reat w ay on dangers tto o educate educatte homeowners homeowners o n tthe he d angers they they by fface ace b y rremaining emaining indifferent indifferent to to annual annual By sservicing. ervicing. B y helping helping to to change change their their mindset mindset on provides heating engineers o n tthis his ttopic, opic, tthis his p rovides h eating e ngineers with opportunity ensure w it h tthe he o ppor t unit y tto oe nsure the t he ssafety afet y and off a h heating a nd efficiency ef ficienc y o eat ing ssystem.” ystem.”

Drew Styles, Drew St yles, ffrom rom W Wigan, igan, h has as b been een ccrowned rowned tthe he U UK K Plumber Plumber of of the the Year Year 2017 2017 iin n tthe he nationwide nationwide ccompetition ompetittion rrun un b y JJT, T, by Bristan B ristan and and Wolseley Wolseley P Plumb lumb Center.

Center.. “I’m “I’m rreally eally thrilled,” thrilled,” says says Drew.

Drew. ““I’ve I’ve h had ad a blast b last iin n tthe he competition competition a and nd II’m ’m rreally eally tthankful hankful to to all all the the people people w who ho v voted oted for for me. m e. I a always lw ways ttry ry tto om make ake sure sure the the service service deliver I d eliv ver is is the the highest highest quality, qualit y, and and to to rreceive eceive recognition recognition for for tthat hat iis sa amazing.” mazing.”

See S ee page page 6 for for more... more...

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October 2017

NEWS N EWS W R Review eview

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Report eport p points oin nts to to IInside nside this this issue issue R Editor’s E ditor’ss growth gr owth in demand demand Viewpoint V iewpoint Step by for wetrooms fo r w e t r o o m s Step

by C Chris hris JJones ones

We follow the insta We installation allation of Xpelair’ Xpelair’ss Natur Natural al Air 180 MVHR system m into a Peterborough g p prop property p perty y

See page 22

Gas Boilers The latest advance advances es in gas boiler technolo ogy and technology a look into the futu future ure of the industry

Starts page 31

Electric Heating Why improvement improvements ts in electric heating ap appliances ppliances presents p ese ts opportun oppo opportunities tunities for installers

Starts page 53

Tools T ools o & W orkwear o Workwear A review of the lat latest test Bosch hammer dri drill ill and a llook k att what’ what’s h t’s ne new ew iin workwear professional work wear

Starts page 61

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

Incorporating: Incorporating: Plumbing & Heating Ne News wss Plumbing & Heating Equipment Equippment News News

According to According to a new new report, repor t, d emand ffor or w et rooms demand wetrooms iin n tthe he U K h as iincreased ncreased UK has ssignificantly ignificantly iin n recent recent years, years, with w it h a g growing row ing n number u m b er o off ho useholders looking look ing to to householders d evote m ore sspace pace tto o ttheir heir devote more sshowering hower ing a area. rea e .

The complied by T he sstudy, t udy, c omplied b y AMA A M A Research, Research, says says that t hat tthe he value value of of the the market market has has iincreased ncreased b y1 0% b et ween by 10% between 2014-2016. growth 201 4-2016. Continued Continued g rowth expected iis se xpected to to continue continue over over tthe he next next fi five ve years, years, when when the the market m arket iis s fforecast orecast to to have have iincreased ncreased by by 18% 18% compared compared market 2017. tto o tthe he m arket ssize ize iin n2 017.

Floor and F loor fformers or mers a nd llevel e v el access dominate a ccess ttrays rays d ominate wetroom tthe he w et room market market iin n tterms er ms of of value, value e, ffollowed ollowed by by waterproof w ater proof tanking tank ing kits, k its, glass g lass wetroom wet room panels panels and and drainage products. d rainage pr oducts.

While W hile ttraditional rad dit ional sshower hower ttrays rays and and enclosures enclosures have have llost ost some some market market sshare, hare, tthe he 25mm access 2 5mm level level a ccess shower shower ttray ray tthat hat c can an b be e sset et fl flush u sh iinto nto tthe he wetroom wetroom floor floor is is in in g reater demand demand and and is is often often greater used u sed a as sa an n alternative alternattive tto o tthe he wetroom Glass w etroom floor floorr fformer. o ormer. G lass fframeless rameless w et room panels panels wetroom h ave a lso sseen een g ood growth. growth. have also good P r ices have have also also fallen, fallen, Prices making wetrooms m ak ing w etrooms a more more a ffordable c hoice tto o tthe he affordable choice mainstream m ainstream consumer. consumer.

Who can Who can ccustomers ust s omeers trust? trustt?

The rreport epor t suggests sug gests that t hat The the emerging emerging trend trend ttowards owards the multi-generational mult i-generat ional househouseholds will help holds w ill h elp tto o ssupport uppor t the the market. market. The The accessibility accessibility of of wetrooms wetrooms compared compared to traditional t radit ion na l b at hrooms to bathrooms for elderly for e lderly and and disabled disabled occupants key occupants represents represents a k ey driver dr iver of of growth. g r ow t h .

Wetrooms are also Wetrooms a re a lso one one of of the popular the most most p opular bathroom bathroom adaptations paid adaptat ions p aid for for by by a Disabled Facility Grant, Disabled F acilit y G rant, which double over which iis s sset ett tto o dou ble o v er the next years, and are the n ext ffew ew y ears, a nd a re proving be prov ing tto ob e iincreasingly ncreasingly popular buildings popular in in public public b uildings such such as as hotels hotels and and leisure leisure facilities. facilit ies.

The The rreport epor t ‘Wetroom ‘Wet room Market Report M a rk et R epor t – UK U K 201720172021 can be ordered 2021 Analysis’ Analysis’ c an b eo rdered online online by by visiting visiting the the wesbite: wesbite: www.amaresearch.co.uk www.amaresearch.co.uk

A rrecent ecent ssurvey urvey ssuggesting uggesting that thatt some some plumbers plumbers are are likely likely tto oc charge harge p pensioners ensioners a and nd w women omen a h higher igher rate rate than than other other c ustomers w as p icked u pb y sseveral everal n ewspapers ((see see tthis his customers was picked up by newspapers month’s m onth’s c cover over sstory). tor y). IIt’s t’s n not ot tthe he sort sort of of publicity publicit y that that well rreflects eflects w ell on on our our iindustry, ndustr y, but but it it would would be be something something off a surprise o sur pr p ise if if a study study of of car car mechanics mechanics or or other other male male dominated d ominated ttrades rades d didn’t idn’t pr produce oduce ssimilar imilar fi findings. ndings. S Sad ad but discrimination on basis off a age orr g gender tto o ssay, ay y, b ut d iscr imination o n tthe he b asis o ge o ender general and not rremains emains a problem problem ffor or ssociety ociet y iin n g eneral a nd iis s n ot necessarily prevalent n ecessar ily more more pr evalent in in the the plumbing plumbing industry industr y tthan han elsewhere. elsewhere. hoped IItt iis sh oped tthat hat ssuch uch sstories tories will will encourage encourage householders householders properly qualified tto o seek seek out out pr operly q ualified and and registered reg istered installers, installers, and ensure more one quote a nd also also e nsure tthat hat tthey hey rreceive eceive m ore tthan han o ne q uote but ffor or a jjob, ob, b ut some some might might also also conclude conclude tthat hat they’re they’re more get small but m ore llikely ikely tto og et an an honest honest response response from from a sm al l b ut visible part off tthe plumbing community iincreasingly ncreasingly v isible p ar t o he p lumbing c ommunit y – the the female female iinstaller. nstaller. Last Last month, month, a number number of of women women plumbers gathered London conference organised p lumberrs g athered iin nL ondon ffor or a c onfe erence o rganised by Women Plumbers b y Hattie Hattie e Hasan, Hasan, founder founder of of Stopcocks Stopcocks W omen P lumbers ((see see page page 11).

11). The The well well supported supported event event has has helped helped to to highlight h ighlight the the opportunities opportunities for for women women tto o succeed succeed in in the the heating and h eating a nd plumbing plumbing industry industr y – and and when when it it comes comes to to winning may well w inning the the trust trust of of customers, customers, iitt sseems eems tthey hey m ay w ell have h ave an an edge edge over over their their brothers brothers and and fathers. fathers.

Hattie great majority off h her customer H atttie has has said said tthat hat tthe he g reat m ajority o er c ustomer base are women and when you women are b ase a re w omen a nd w hen y ou tthink hink tthat hat w omen a re tthe he biggest biggest buying buying force force in in the the country, countr y, that’s that’s not not a bad base any business. an often b ad b ase ffor or a ny b usiness. IIn na n iindustry ndustr y tthat hat iis so ften blighted by we perhaps be b lighted b y sstereotypes, tereotypes, w e sshould hould p e haps b er e reluctant reluctant another one guise off tthe tto o promote promote a nother o ne iin n tthe he g uise o he ‘‘fairer’ fairer’ ssex ex – but helps b ut iiff iitt h elps to to encourage encourage more more women women to to take take up up the the has be viewed as positive. ttrade, rade, tthen hen tthat hat h as tto ob ev iewed a sap ositive.

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Viessmann has Viessmann has announced announced that that it it is is to to be be an an official official team team partner p ar t ner of of the t he Panasonic Panason ic Jaguar Jag uar racing rac ing team team in in the t he FIA FI A Formula F or mula E C Championship. hampionsh ip. T The he c company’s ompany ’s d distinctive i s t i nc t i v e llogo og o w ill b ed i s pl ay e d o n tthe he c ar s iin n ttime ime ffor or tthe he n ew will be displayed on cars new 2 017/18 sseason eason which wh ich starts st ar t s in in Hong Hong Kong Kong in in December.

December.

2017/18 Celebrating C elebrat ing its its centenary centenar y tthis h is y year, ear, V Viessmann iessm mann ssays ays tthat hat tthe he deal deal represents represent s an an embracement embracement of of a n new ew c century ent ur y and a nd the t he changes changes it it will w i l l bring. br ing. “Within “Wit h in a few few decades, d e c ad e s , we w e will w i l l finally final ly y say say goodbye goodbye to to the t he oil oi l age,” age,” ssays ay s D Director i r e c t or Maximilian M a x i m i l ian V Viessmann. iessmann. ““Formula For mula E iis s n not ot o only nly ab about out competing c ompet ing d drivers r ivers a and nd tthe he p power ower of of their their cars, cars, it it is is a race race ffor or e efficiency f fic ienc y a and nd tthe he b best e st e energy ne r g y m management. anagement. T These he s e are a re pr precisely ec isely the t he fields fields that t hat are are the t he driving dr iv ing force fo r c e b behind e h i nd V iessmann’s development.” development.”

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Installers team up Why Drew is a well deserved champion for Scout project

Viessmann and its ‘Heroes of Heat’ team of volunteer installers, together with other partners from around the industry, have installed a complete heating system for free at the new Wistaston Scout Centre, near Crewe in Cheshire.

Local businesses and parents had succeeded in raising £100,000 to build and equip a new hut for the 35th South West Cheshire Sout Group, but funds did not stretch to cover the heating and plumbing.

Viessmann stepped in with the offer of a free Vitodens

boiler, with QRL donating 12 radiators. Spirotech, M-Press Fittings, IMI Hydronic Engineering, Plumbase and Buildbase also supplied parts for free.

“This was our second Heroes of Heat installation and our enthusiasm for doing good for worthy community projects has doubled,” says Jonathan Hallam, trainer at Viessmann.

“We also used the event to carry out installer training, and on this occasion we even introduced some of the scouts to pipe-bending and other plumbing techniques!”

(Continued from front cover panel)... Along with his title as UK Plumber of the Year for 2017, Drew Styles won £10,000 worth of prizes, including JT, Bristan and Wolseley Plumb Center products, plus prizes from Proper Job Beer, Rothenberger, CK Tools, Salamander, Filplastic, First Stop and BigWipes.

Now in its third year, the 2017 competition saw a record number of entries. Initially, the official judging partner, WaterSafe, selected 15 plumbers from applications based on their skills, qualifications and experience in the industry.

The 15 then went head-tohead to win public votes,

L to R: Jamie Harris (Bristan), Chris Sneath OBE (Watersafe), Drew Styles, Richard Redfern (Plumb Centre) and John Schofield (JT)

from which the five with the most votes went through to the final stage.

The finalists were then subjected to a 30-minute grilling from the judging panel at Bristan HQ in

Tamworth, where Drew impressed with his love for the trade and his views on the future of the industry.

As a fourth-generation plumber, the judges said that his work ethic and the

quality of his services were at a very high standard, with his customer feedback showing his propensity to go the extra mile.

The four other finalists in this year’s competition were: Tom Jenkins from Treorchy, Paul Maguire from Glasgow, Thomas Foster from Dundee, and Gareth Lloyd from Hereford.

John Schofield, Sales and Marketing Director at JT, added: “We’d all like to congratulate Drew on his win – it was well deserved. The standard of the competition rises each year so he should be really proud of himself as all five of the finalists were extremely impressive.”

Oil boilers get a top review Consumer group ‘Which?’ has published the results of its 2017 boiler review, awarding a Best Buy accolade to all Grant oil fired condensing boilers – the only oil boiler manufacturer to

receive Best Buy status this year. Grant’s range, which consists of 63 boilers in total, includes Vortex and VortexBlue models, all of which were catagorised as a Best Buy. “These innovative boilers are a favoured choice amongst engineers, and this latest review reflects the confidence that both homeowners and installers have in the Grant brand,” says Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager

Anna Wakefield.

Launched in early 2016, the Grant VortexBlue range includes 15 internal, external and combi models with outputs up to 36kW and incorporates the latest Riello RDB BLU blue flame burner technology.

Last year, according to EUA statistics, the company’s oil boilers were the number one selling models in the UK.

Underfloor heating business expands

With the aim of improving air quality and helping UK homeowners look after their stoves, Woodsure – the wood fuel quality assurance scheme – has launched the ‘Ready to Burn’ initiative. The Government backed scheme is designed to help people identify quality wood fuel, and avoid poor quality wood that could lead to excess smoke and poor fuel economy.

“Today, modern heating appliances are highly engineered, efficient pieces of technology that do a fantastic job, but they can only do so much without quality wood fuel,” says Bruce Allen, Chairman of Woodsure.

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To support its ambitious growth plans, Warmafloor – the specialist provider of underfloor heating and cooling systems for commercial, public and residential buildings – has moved to new headquarters in Fareham, Hampshire.

Warmafloor has customised the space to include an interactive product wall to showcase the company’s range of UFH systems, as well as a demonstration area which will allow visitors to test its latest smart control system. The purpose-built office facility will also provide capacity for the team to more than double in size over the next few years.

Speaking about the investment, newly appointed Commercial Manager Neil Iacobucci comments: “Not only does it reflect the growth of the business, but it puts us in a much better position to move forward with our ambitious plans for the future.”

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October 2017

NEWS Review

8

New set of wheels CO study raises the alarm for latest recruits

National home assistance provider HomeSer ve is celebrating the graduation of 16 plumbing apprentices by providing them with keys to a new Mercedes van. The newly qualified plumbing and drainage engineers have completed a two year training programme with Walsall College to achieve a Level 2 plumbing qualification.

The successful graduates will be joining HomeServe’s network of over 1000 directly employed engineers across the UK and will be operating in the South and East Anglia.

Over 350 candidates originally applied for the programme when it launched in 2015, and the company plans to recruit a further 30 apprentices this year.

New research by the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) has revealed that 39% of households don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted in their homes, with another 34% having rooms that contain either a gas, oil or solid fuel burning appliance that doesn’t also have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted. The research, timed in support of Gas Safety Week in September, also found that 37% of householders didn’t know that it is advisable, and in some cases that it is a legal requirement, for a carbon monoxide alarm to be fitted in each room where there is a gas, oil or solid fuel burning appliance.

A separate study conducted by campaign group Project SHOUT has revealed that cases of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in

r 3FHJTUSBUJPO JT OPX open for the HVAC & 3FGSJHFSBUJPO 4IPX XIJDI is set to take place at ExCel London from 2325 January.

children are on the rise across the UK. The group has tracked the numbers of those attending A&E with suspected CO poisoning and says there has been an increase in the number incidents of under 18s since 2015, with more than 500 cases reported in the last year alone.

Children are thought to be particularly susceptible to the risks of carbon monoxide due to their less developed nervous system, and higher

frequency of breaths leading to an increased consumption of oxygen. The worst affected areas for children include East Anglia and the West Midlands.

Project SHOUT, launched two years ago, is a national campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of CO poisoning. The campaign not only focuses on the life threatening dangers of CO, but also the importance of regular maintenance of all fuel-burning appliances.Â

Fit a new boiler and Hospital donation Calor on then fill up the van the telly A new advertising campaign has been launched

by Calor, the LPG fuel provider, with the aim of helping to generate leads for rural installers. Using TV, radio, print and digital channels, the campaign will focus on oil users and will highlight the benefits of automatic top-up and underground storage.

As part of its installer incentive scheme, Calor also offers up to ÂŁ250 for every successful customer referral.

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Thanks to the generous donation of Gas App Uk members, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital has been presented with a cheque for ÂŁ1375. Jason Lock, founder of Sterling Training and Assessment Services, visited the hospital with Ant Provan of Gas App Uk to find out more about the hospital’s work. “Truly, the hospital is making an inexpressible difference to the lives of thousands of children and families when they need it most,â€? says Ant. Anyone who would like to support the cause are invited to email: support@gasapp.co.uk

News in brief

To celebrate the recent launch of its new evolve range of boilers, Vokèra is rewarding members of its loyalty scheme, Affinity, with a fuel card promotion.

3VOOJOH VOUJM UIF FOE PG UIF year, members will receive a fuel card worth £100 upon completion of their first installation registered with the company’s reward platform. A £50 fuel card will then be issued for each subsequent installation until 31st December.

Alongside the fuel cards, installers will also be able to offer an extended warranty on the evolve, taking it from a standard seven year warranty to 10 years, when installed XJUI B #F4."35 JOUFSOFU DPOOFDUFE UIFSNPTUBU BOE CPUI the products are registered on Vokèra Affinity.

For more details about the evolve range, see page 41 of this month’s Gas Boilers feature.

r Salamander Pumps has announced that it has achieved Quiet Mark status for the majority of its range of shower pumps and whole house pumps. r .PTUSB $POWFHOP UIF biennial exhibition dedicated to the heating and air conditioning sector, set to open its doors in Milan on 13 March 2018, says it has already registered over 1100 exhibitors. r Panasonic has completed the acquisition of Welywn Garden City based AMP Air Conditioning, one of the UK’s largest independent air conditioning distributors. r 1+) UIF TQFDJBMJTU supplier of bathrooms, kitchens and appliances, has opened a new depot near Glasgow Airport, which includes a new customer collections area. r An online refrigeration selector tool has been launched by Climate Center to help engineers specify the right products. r 0OMJOF WFOUJMBUJPO BOE ducting specialist, i-sells. co.uk, has confirmed a move into new office premises in Sidcup and the opening of a new showroom.

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October 2017

NEWS Review 11 Women plumbers Study highlights barriers to building address the issues The Federation of Master Builders’ latest yearly survey of its house builder members has found that lack of land and lending is blocking the construction of new homes. Key findings from the study include that over half of small house builders (54%) say accessing finance is a major barrier to their ability to build more homes.

In addition, a lack of available and viable land is the most commonly cited barrier (62%) to increasing output. 54% believe that the number of opportunities for small site development are decreasing.

Stopcocks Women Plumbers held its first conference in London in September, with female plumbers and heating engineers from across the UK in attendance.

Women Installers Together was organised by Hattie Hasan, founder of Stopcocks Women Plumbers, who is looking to end the isolation of women in the industry, encourage more to pursue careers in plumbing and heating, and celebrate those succeeding in it.

The conference featured a variety of speakers as well as a networking session and the opportunity to meet with the event’s sponsors.

Hattie Hasan, founder of Stopcocks Women Plumbers

With women accounting for just 7% of the sector’s workforce – 1% of all plumbers and just one in 300 gas engineers – the conference’s presenters addressed topics that could help anyone who is a minority in a professional community.

Jazz Jones, Training Officer at Polypipe, one of the conference’s sponsors, ran a two-hour workshop on conflict resolution, followed

by Katie Beesley from SLG Marketing who spoke about the power of branding.

A shortage of skilled workers is also presenting a problem for small house builders, with 42% of SME house builders saying this is a major barrier to building more new homes. This rises to 49% when asked to look ahead over the next three years. Of those that employ EU workers, one in three believe the end of free movement will be a major constraint on their ability to build.

Nearly half (49%) of SME builders view the planning system as a major constraint on their ability to grow, and ‘inadequate resourcing of planning

departments’ was rated as the most significant cause of delay in the planning application process.

Brian Berry, FMB Chief Executive, says: “The results of the FMB House Builders’ Survey suggest a slight worsening in the problems firms face in accessing the finance they need to build. Small house builders express generally positive views of some recent Government initiatives, but we clearly need to double down on these efforts to make sure that SMEs have access to the finance they need to build Britain out of its housing crisis.”

After lunch, Hattie Hasan delivered an inspirational address on how she overcame conflict and discrimination to achieve her place in the plumbing world.

Her main message was that women in the sector need to make themselves more visible, not only among potential customers, but also in the wider community and among other female installers. Hattie believes the key to bringing more women into plumbing lies in normalising the idea that it’s an acceptable career aspiration for them.

In a man’s world Hattie also spoke about her experiences in trying to find work at the beginning of her career. “I wrote to 500 plumbing companies in Leeds and not one of them wrote back to me.

So I phoned them up and, funnily enough, there wasn’t a single company in Leeds that needed a plumber. I realised I had to go selfemployed.”

She ended her address on a positive note, saying: “The world has changed, and we are able to collaborate with a number of organisations that want to see women in heating and plumbing.

This has been a sea-change that makes it possible for us to succeed in the trade.

It’s been very affirming that leading manufacturers have come to us with sponsorship offers to make this conference possible.”

The Women Installers Together conference was sponsored by Polypipe, Vaillant, Fernox, Roca, Spirotech, Bristan, Williams & Co, Moxie & Moss Workwear, John Lewis Home Solutions and James Hargreaves Plumbing Depot, with media partner Heating & Plumbing Monthly.

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October 2017

PEOPLE on the Move Bathroom solutions provider Ideal Standard has welcomed Stephen Ewer as Managing Director. Stephen will oversee the Group’s activities in the UK and Ireland, and will assume responsibility for the business development across the Armitage Shanks, Ideal Standard and Sottini brands. He brings strong commercial and strategic leadership experience from various B2B businesses and companies.

The new Regional Sales Manager for the South at Alpha Heating Innovation is Neil Saunders. Neil has extensive industry experience, including national roles within merchant organisations. He began his career at Alpha in 1998 before moving on to Plumbing Trade Supplies (PTS).

This latest move sees Neil returning to Alpha where he will oversee a team of six Technical Sales Managers.

Jim Canning has been named Northern Sales Manager by Fernox. Previously Area Sales Manager for the West Midlands at the company, Jim joined Fernox in 2016, bringing with him over 10 years industry experience in key account management after holding a variety of senior roles at Wolseley, Stelrad Radiators and Grundfos. In his role, Jim will manage the ASMs for the North, West Yorkshire, and Scotland.

Ventilation manufacturer Elta Group has strengthened two of its brands following two senior appointments.

Damain Buxton (pictured), formerly MD at Elta Fans, has been appointed as Chief Executive across the Fareham, Kingswinford and Colchester sites. In addition, John Bradley has been appointed as Head of Sales at Elta Group Building Services.

Andrews Water Heaters has announced the appointment of Dan Martindale (pictured) as its Sales Director, taking over from Chris Meir, who moved across to sister brand Remeha as its Sales Director earlier this year. Dan comes to the role with a wealth of experience and was most recently the Southern Sales Director for Vent-Axia’s commercial and industrial business for three years.

The specification team at Altecnic has been enhanced with the appointment of Simon Carpenter as its new Specification Manager in the South East. Having worked in the HVAC industry for over 20 years, both as designer and equipment supplier, Simon brings a wealth of experience within the specification market, including a good rapport and strong relationships with key clients.

Stelrad has welcomed Neil Jarman to the company to take up the position of Specification Manager covering the South West. Neil joins from Plumbase, where he was New Build Development Director in a national role working with national and regional developers. He was previously Sales Director at DeLonghi Radiators and Regional Sales Manager at Barlo Radiators covering the South West and South Wales.

The new UK Director of Sales at Multipipe Limited is David Johnson (pictured) who takes over from Brian Winter, who now has a business development role at the company. In addition to managing the day-to-day activities of the company’s internal and field based sales personnel, David will also be working closely with customers to build relationships and generate growth.

Potterton Commercial has appointed two new Area Sales Managers to its ranks. Simon Ockenden will cover the south east and south coast, whilst Adam Handyside (pictured) will look after customers in Greater London and immediate areas west of the capital. Both will be liaising closely with contractors, consultants and merchants to offer support with product selection, specification and procurement processes.

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O t b 2017 October

COMPETITION CO OMPET O MPET TITION ITION

YOUR YO OUR Vi Views ews ÂŁ100 ÂŁ 100 St Star ar Letter Letter

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Leading national Leading national independent independent plumbers plumbers m merchant erchant Plumbase Plumbase is is offering offering readers readers the the chance c hance to to win win a fantastic fantastic ÂŁ1000 ÂŁ1000 in in holiday holiday vouchers. vouchers. This This amazing amazing prize prize will will be be an an excellent e xcellent e excuse xcuse tto ob book ook a m much uch n needed eeded v vacation acation ffollowing ollowing tthe he b busy usy h heating eating a and nd sspares pares sseason eason tthis his w winter, inter, sso o tto o fi find nd o out ut m more ore a and nd h how ow y you ou c could ould w win, in, rread ead o on. n.

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S. C S oo per Cooper v ia e mai l via email

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The case The case for for a wood wood ban ban L a st y Last year ea r I w wrote rote to to PHAM PH A M News News arguing a rg u i n g against a gainst the the use use of of wood wood burning burning stoves, stoves, saying saying

a rea s with w it h tiny ti ny polluting pol luti n g particles, pa r ticles, some some of of areas which w h ich are a re carcinogenic, ca rci nogen ic, and a nd all a l l of of which wh ich contribute c ontribute to to poor poor air air quality. quality. Finally, Finally y, someone someone

u se to to be be curbed. cu rbed. Sadiq Sa d iq Khan K ha n is is absolutely absolutely use powers ban wood burning rright ight tto o sseek eek tthe he p owers tto ob an w ood b u rn i ng sstoves toves in i n some some parts pa r ts of of the t he capital. capita l. was off Iw a s sshocked hocked tto o llearn ea r n in i n the t he rreports epor ts o tthe he London London Mayor’s Mayor’s request request that t hat as a s much much

p ollution comes comes from from people people burning burning wood wood in in pollution ttheir heir homes homes – a totally totally unnecessary unnecessary exercise exercise when you w hen y ou have have gas gas or or electricity electricity to to do do the the same same jo bo e a t i n g. T he s e p a r ticles are a re expelled e x p e l le d job off h heating.

These particles ffrom rom tthe he chimney ch i m ney and a nd can ca n spread sprea d for for miles m i le s

m ost llikely i kely w i ll rreach each sschools chools a nd h ospita ls, most will and hospitals, whose w hose inhabitants i n habit a nts are a re most most vulnerable v u l nerable to to tthis h is ttype y pe of of a ir p ol lution. air pollution.

IIff people people want wa nt to to enjoy enjo j y that t hat cosy cosy feeling feel i n g

go forr a n nice g o fo ice gas gas stove? stove? It’s It’s cleaner clea ner burning, bu r n i n g , e a sier to to control, control, a nd c reates no no ashes a shes and a nd easier and creates ssoot oot to to dispose d ispose of. of.

RD Samuels R DS amuels v ia e mai l via email

Spotted Sp otted on Twitter Tw it itter Mike Jarvis @jarvisplumbing Just listened to a 2 min voicemail from a withheld number about her faulty boiler and a leak under her sink – forgot to ! ! ! !

Stuart @ Adams Gas @Stu_Adams Fill out a worksheet for EVERY job and detail everything, every reading, every fault you can "!! !! ! ! " P R Hull @PaulRHull Sometimes you need to get back to " " ! " " ! ! " " apprenticeship and we must never lose !

Barrett Heating @HeatingBarrett

! ! !! ! ! " Just had email – customer really wanted us but ! ! ! ! ! " ! ! !

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October 2017

18 ENERGY Matters Innovation must benefit everyone The transition to a clean, intelligent energy system must work for all UK consumers, including v ulnerable people and households in fuel poverty according to researchers at the technology and innovation centre, Energy Systems Catapult (ESC).

ESC’s ‘Fair Futures’ programme has been awarded funding to better understand how future energy systems can be better designed to meet the needs of consumers struggling with low household income and the high cost of energy.

Dr Rose Chard, Consumer Insight Specialist at the ESC, says: “Across the energy sector there are technological innovations and new business models being tested and trialled, so a robust understanding of the needs of all end-users, especially vulnerable households, can help to ensure the design and development of innovations

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Dr Rose Chard from Energy Systems Catapult

takes them into account. We don’t want vulnerable people to be negatively affected by technological innovation in the energy sector transition.”

This winter the ESC ‘Fair Futures’ programme is running an ‘Innovation Bootcamp’ funded by Innovate UK to explore how the experience of vulnerable energy consumers can inform how we think and design a future low carbon energy system.

Micro CHP system installed A housing association in Wales has installed a fuel cell combined heat and power system to cut energy bills and carbon emissions, and allow for electricity to be produced on site for use by tenants.

The new technology has been installed at Alltwen, an independent living scheme for people aged 55 and above, for the Newydd housing association. It features a

BlueGEN system supplied by iPower and installed by local company Ecofit Energy Systems.

Manufactured in Germany, the BlueGen microCHP system is claimed to generate electricity as efficiently as a large modern gas-fired power station but, unlike a power station, transmission losses are avoided and the heat

generated can also be used to create usable energy.

Jon Cape, MD of iPower, comments: “We were delighted to have worked with Newydd Housing Association and Ecofit on this project. Besides saving money, BlueGEN cuts carbon emissions and can also help cut local air pollution, which we know is an increasing public health concern.”

Carbon capture wins the popular vote A large proportion (50%) of the public would back the construction of new coal and gas fired power stations if there was an ability to capture and store any emissions produced, according to a new survey by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

The survey, which looks at public views on UK electricity generation, found that the public also seem to prioritise security of supply over

price, with 35% saying that Government’s first priority for generating electricity should be generating enough to meet all our domestic and industrial needs. More than 30% of respondents said that the priority should be generating electricity which has the least impact on our climate, but just 23% thought that the top priority should be generating electricity which is cheapest for the consumer.

In response to the findings, Dr Jenifer Baxter, Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, says: “Government has abandoned plans to support carbon capture and storage technology in any significant way, despite studies and many pathways showing that this technology is vital to meeting climate change targets.

“If the Government is serious about providing a

secure and diverse electricity system, it must focus on reducing energy demand, improving energy efficiency and introducing carbon capture and storage.

“It is also curious that despite much of the public and political debate over electricity centring on the issue of pricing, the public viewed this as a less important issue than security of supply or the impact on climate change.”

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October 2017

POINT Of View 19

Water heating that’s fit for purpose Health and fitness clubs are having to provide a good service to attract new members, and the hot water provision is a key part of that effort. Andrews Water Heaters’ Sales Director Dan Martindale is confident that the market is well equipped to cater for this demand.

W

e know from our customers that more people are using fitness facilities and we’ve seen a big increase in the number of gyms opening in the UK over the past few years. There has also been a rise in the number of requests from business owners who wish to provide on site showers for those who choose to cycle to work, or take a lunchtime gym class.

Dan Martindale, Sales Director A more active society is a positive thing. Healthy and fit employees tend to be more productive and have fewer sick days, so there is a compelling commercial argument for encouraging an active lifestyle. However, using more hot water can have an impact on a business’s bottom line if the heating system is incorrectly specified. Installing a higher output boiler would help to accommodate greater demand for hot water, but without additional space the boiler may be oversized for the overall system. This results in energy waste, as the level of insulation in modern buildings means less heat

water heater output. On top of this, since water is heated from a low mains temperature (at a supply temperature of around 10 to 60ºC), high levels of condensing can be achieved, contributing to further savings. The heating system can also be switched off during summer to reduce the electrical consumption from boilers, primary pumps and secondary pumps.

Becoming a healthier, fitter nation will require businesses to have a hot water system that is fit for purpose. Greater hot water delivery and energy efficiency may seem like contradictory concepts, but with a correctly sized and specified system, they are both achievable.

Brits looking to get healthier Fitness centres need reliable hot water to serve their members

is lost, so central heating can run at lower temperatures for a shorter time.

Practical solution One solution is to install a separate, dedicated water heater to cater for the hot water demand without wasting excess energy on heating. Separate space heating and hot water systems generally provide lower running costs, energy consumption and carbon emissions. This is because the hot water energy load can be more suitably matched to the

According to a report by market research provider Mintel, one in eight (12%) of Brits now use health and fitness clubs. Over half (54%) of users of fitness facilities say they have joined to improve general fitness and health, and 44% have done so to lose weight. 52% of current users visit three or more days a week, while 35% visit one to two days a week. In major cities, cycling to work has also seen considerable growth. The number of people living in London who cycle to work has more than doubled in recent years. www.andrewswaterheaters.co.uk

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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Sponsored column

Getting to know you Each month, PHAM News shines the spotlight on installers around the country to get a picture of what life is like for them at work and at play.

NAME: Malcolm Buxton COMPANY: MT Buxton Plumbing and Heating

In today’s age of fake news, no matter how good a product is, there’s always the odd misconception circulating about it. So PHAM News has teamed up with Geberit to separate fact from fiction regarding the company’s Mapress press fitting systems.

FROM: Nottingham

Myth:

The re-calibration of the tools can be tricky to understand.

Geberit Mapress fact: A sticker on the side of the tool indicates when the next recalibration is due.

A

As with any equipment that operates to set tolerances, calibration of pressing tools is very important to ensure consistent accuracy and quality.

Over time there is a tendency for results and accuracy to ‘drift’, so to be confident in the consistency of press there is an ongoing need to service and maintain the calibration of tools. This needs to happen at regular intervals throughout the lifetime of the equipment for reliable, accurate and repeatable joint quality.

A sticker on the side of the tool indicates when the next recalibration is due; this signifies the maximum length of time that the tool can be used before recalibrating. Ideally the tool should be serviced prior to calibration. All this work should be carried out by an authorised service agent. To ensure accuracy, the tools and the jaws should be recalibrated

20.indd 1

At play...

What time do you start working in the morning?

“I’m more of a morning person, so I tend to start work at half past seven and finish at about half past four.”

How much tea and coffee do you drink in a typical day?

“I usually have one coffee in the morning and that’s me done. I tend to run around for the rest of the day, which leaves little room for tea and coffee breaks.”

Have you ever attended a trade show?

“Many years ago, yes. It was fairly useful, but it didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know. These days, I don’t really go to any shows because I haven’t got the time. My suppliers and manufacturers keep me well informed on industry updates and new products anyway.”

Have you ever walked away from a job?

“I have, but not because I wasn’t capable of doing the job. It was a rather iffy situation, and I felt that the builders we were due to work with were particularly dodgy. I would never walk away from a job normally, but if I feel there could be a problem with payment or something like that, I would decline the work and have done in the past.”

Just like you would give your car a service each year to ensure it remains road-worthy, tool calibration reduces and controls errors or uncertainties within the jointing process to an acceptable level.

As with any equipment that is in regular use, Geberit pressing tools should be checked regularly for visible defects and damage that could affect safety, and be cleaned and lubricated at regular intervals.

Before each day’s use, installers should check that the jaw levers can move easily and the tool is generally safe to use.

At work...

Do you belong to any industry associations?

“Yes, the company belongs to both Gas Safe and OFTEC.”

together. If there is any doubt over the tool’s safety or accuracy then always get it recalibrated – there is no need to wait for the date on the sticker. The time it takes to recalibrate your pressing tools is insignificant compared to the peace of mind the process will provide that they are delivering the greatest level of accuracy possible.

If in doubt, please check your tool manuals and/or speak to your service agent.

Do you think smart controls help save energy?

“I do. As a matter of fact, I recently put one in my house. It has a home-presence detection capability and can turn the heating up or down, depending on whether or not you’re in the house. This keeps the heating bills down because you’re not heating your home unnecessarily. That’s why I installed it really – to save money – and that’s one of the main benefits of smart controls.”

Do you work with renewables?

“Yes, we cover all aspects really. My business essentially works with both the domestic and commercial market, and we’ve done work with renewables, boiler replacements and new builds.”

What’s the worst part of the job?

“I suppose it would be tackling awkward customers. I prefer the commercial side of the business because I deal primarily with professionals who know what they’re talking about and who are interesting to work with. There’s always more of a collaborative approach when dealing with customers in the commercial space.”

What’s your favourite takeaway?

“I’m partial to a bit of Chinese, but I always try to keep it varied and interesting every time I order.”

What’s the best thing on TV at the moment?

“I’d say Dragon’s Den or Countryfile – something like that. They’re both informative and cover many different subjects, which keeps them interesting.”

What’s the best film you saw last year?

“I’m not sure about last year, but I recently saw Going in Style with Michael Caine. It’s about three old fellas who decide to rob a bank. It came out not that long ago and I thought it was rather good!”

What do you listen to while driving?

“I listen to a bit of everything to be honest – rock, pop, whatever’s on.”

Who should be the next England football manager?

“I’m no expert and I don’t really follow football, but Jurgen Klinsmann has plenty of experience in international tournament football, particularly with Germany and the United States. I also think he has a winning mentality and an understanding of English football, including its good, bad and ugly sides.

For that reason, I think he would represent a giant leap forward in tactical terms.”

What have been your holiday plans for this year?

“I’ve already been to Madeira in Portugal early this year and have a holiday planned to Rome in November. It’s starting to get cold in the UK already, so hopefully Italy will have more sunshine to offer!”

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October 2017

22 Step by Step

Ease the installation process for MVHR Fitting a ventilation system in a small house or apartment doesn’t have to be complicated.

The Natural Air from Xpelair is compact enough to fit in a kitchen cupboard and is suitable for properties with a kitchen and up to three wetrooms. Here, we see a typical installation.

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hen installer Ahira Gordon from VentfiltersRus was asked to fit a Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) system into a two bedroomed property in Peterborough, he chose the new, easy-toinstall Natural Air 180 from Xpelair. Here we follow the step by step installation.

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Having researched the latest offering on the MVHR market, Ahira recommended the new Natural Air 180 because it is easy to install and also its compact design means it could easily fit into an airing cupboard for a neat, discreet finish – which was important to the homeowner.

Weighing in at just 19.5kg, the Natural Air 180 comes in two parts for easy handling.

It’s then time to prepare to fit the unit. Having checked that there are no buried pipes or cables, the wall can be drilled and wall plugs fitted.

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He then mounts the jacket on the wall, carefully using a spirit level to get it to the exact position. Alternatively Natural Air 180’s compact size means it is ideal for hiding away in a kitchen cupboard.

Ahira takes the metal lid from the unit to enable him to easily separate the two parts. He then carefully tilts the EPP body in order to remove it from the outer metal jacket.

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Ahira drills four screws in order to secure the unit back on the wall. With its lightweight body, this can be done easily.

Peace of mind

Next, Ahira refits the EPP body into place, removing the heat exchanger cube to install the required drain connection. Simple and hassle free.

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Now it’s time to refit the door and lid, putting them into place with the screws provided.

Last but not least, Ahira attaches the ducting and sets the airflow rate using a simple touse control panel. Alternatively, this can be achieved away from the unit via the remote operations kit ancillary.

Job done, Ahira can go home safe in the knowledge of a happy customer who will benefit from reduced energy costs and improved air quality for years to come. Also, easy front access means maintenance can be done easily within a few minutes.

The Natural Air 180 MVHR system boasts a compact size of just 552 x 609 x 285mm (WxHxD) and comes complete with a two year warranty.

For further information on the full range of Xpelair products and to download a copy of the latest brochure, visit the website below. www.xpelair.co.uk

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October 2017

24 TR TRAINING T AINING Update Update

Reaction R eaction to to apprenticeship apprenticeship levy levy The Government’s The Government’s a apprenticeship pprenticeship llevy ev y h has as b been een iin np place lace ffor or s six ix m months onths a and nd h has as h had ad a m mixed ixed rreception eception a among mong tthe he a affected ffect e ted b businesses. usinesses.

Here, Smith, MD off T Total Training, att tthe employers and gauges some off tthe H ere, JJohn ohn S mith, M Do otal T raining, llooks ooks a he iissues ssues cconfronting onfronting e mployers a nd g auges s ome o he iinitial nitial rreactions. eact c ions.

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he much he much anticipated ant icipated a pprent iceship levy lev y apprenticeship w as brought brought about about was due to to the t he G over nment’s due Government’s commitment to c r ate tthree re hree commitment create m i l l io n a p p r e n t ic e s h i p s million apprenticeships by 2020.

2020. It It was was designed desig ned by to provide prov ide employers employers w it h to with more c hoice and and flexibility flexibilit y more choice with tthe he schemes schemes they they were were with offering, promote promote tthe he u ptake offering, uptake of a pprent iceship sschemes, chemes, of apprenticeship while at at the t he same same time t ime while increasing opportunities oppor tunities for fo or increasing young people. people. e young John J ohn Smith, Smith, Total Total Training Training T he apprenticeship apprent iceship levy lev y The applies to to organisations organisat ions w it h a payroll pay roll bill bill of of more more than t ha n applies with £3m who who have have to to meet meet the the whole whole c o st o apprent iceships £3m cost off apprenticeships t hemselves, and and this t his currently cur rent ly applies applies to to around around 2% 2% of of themselves, companies. SMEs SMEs are are required required to to fund f und 10% 10% of of the t he cost cost of of companies. their schemes, schemes, while while the the Government Government will will pay pay the the remaining remaining their 90%. There There is is only only y one one exception, except ion, w hich rrelates elates tto o small small 90%. which employers w ith 5 0o wer staff, staff, where where 16 16 to to 18 18 year year olds olds employers with 50 orr fe fewer w ill be be fully f ully funded f unded b y tthe he G over nment. will by Government.

Avoiding A voiding debt debt de It iis, It s, o off c course, ourse, v very ery e early arly d days ay ys ffor or tthe he llevy evy a and nd iitt iis sg generally enerally hoped h oped tthat hat iitt w will ill iincrease ncrease tthe he q quality ualit y o off a apprenticeship ppr p ent iceship sschemes chemes w within ithin tthe he HVAC HVAC industry industry and and attract attract more more young young people p eople tto o ttake a ke a c closer loser look look at at the t he sector sector for for ttheir heir future f ut ure c areer. T his iis s particularly particularly ssignificant ignificant iin n llight ight o he rrecent ecent career.

This off tthe announcement a nnouncement ffrom rom tthe he IInstitute nstitute o off F Fiscal iscal S Studies tudie i s tthat hatt m most ost graduates g raduates will will be be around around £50,000 £50,000 in in debt debt upon upon completing completing au university niversit y d degree eg r e e c course. ourse. T This h is m makes a ke s u undertaking nder tak ing a an n a pprenticeship a much much m ore a ppealing prospect prospect for for young young apprenticeship more appealing people p eople sseeking eek ing a llucrative ucrat ive a and nd ffulfilling ulfilling c career. areer.

We W ea are re a att tthe he p point oint iin n tthe he c calendar alendar w when hen m many any y young oung p eople a re c onsider ing ttheir heir o pt ions o nw hat tto od on ow people are considering options on what do now tthat hat school school a and/or nd /or c college ollege iis so over ver a and nd tthe he e exam xam rresults esults are are iin. n. Some Some sschool chool lleavers eavers h have ave b been een sseeking eeking a an na alternative lter nat ive career c areer route route to to the the traditional traditional u university niversity course, course, and and instead instead tthe he o opportunity ppor t unit y to to ‘learn ‘lear n and and earn’ ear n’ at at the t he same same time t ime iis s sseen een a much much more more a attractive tt ract ive o option. pt ion.

Another A nother k key ey a advantage dv vantage o off a apprenticeships pprenticeships iis s tthat hat tthose hose w who ho have have undertaken under taken a scheme scheme a almost lmost iinvariably nvar iably find find tthemselves hemselves way way ahead ahead of of their t heir graduate g raduate contemporaries contemporar ies iin n many many ways. ways. This This iis sn not ot o only nly iin n tterms er m s o off ttheir heir practical pract ical experience, e xper ience, but but they t hey are are already already employed, employed, are are used used to to

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School School leavers leavers are are recognising recognising the the benefits benefits of of apprenticeships, apprenticeships, such such as as earning earning while while learning learning and and gaining gaining practical practical experience experience

being work environment and are often on by b eing iin naw ork e nv ironment a nd a re o ften ttaken aken o nb y tthe he company company they they have hav ve trained trained with. with. This This also also provides provides an an advantage employer who has had opportunity a dvantage ffor or tthe he e mployer w ho h as h ad tthe he o ppor tunit y get buy’. tto og et to to know know the t he trainee t rainee and and ‘try ‘tr y before before tthey hey b uy’.

Employer E mployer er concerns concerns However, with However, w it h the t he new new apprenticeship apprent iceship levy, lev y, tthere here a are re a number employers.

One off tthe main n umber of of concerns concer ns ffrom rom e mployers. O ne o he m ain worries w or r ies is is that t hat they t hey won’t won’t get get the t he money money b back ack tthat hat tthey hey have h ave p paid aid through t hrough the t he levy. lev y.

Many M any are are viewing v iew ing the t he levy lev y as as simply simply another anot her tax tax fforced orced upon upon them t hem by by the t he Government.

G over nment. In In the t he future, f ut ure, iitt iiss possible possible this t h is could could have have a detrimental det r iment al effect ef fect on on much years m uch of of the t he good good progress prog ress made made iin n recent recent y ear s in in the t he promotion pr omot i on o off a apprenticeship pprent icesh ip schemes. schemes. It It could could not not only only opportunities young people, but may end rreduce educe o pporr t un it ies ffor or y o u ng p e o pl e, b ut m ay e nd up widening gap UK and u p ffurther u r t he r w iden ing tthe he sskills k ills g ap iin n tthe he U Ka nd lleave e av e employers e mployers w without ithout a p pipeline ipeline o off o organically rganically g grown rown talent talent which w hich c can an de develop velop pw within ithin ttheir heir b businesses. usinesses. T The he p plumbing lumbing and a nd heating heat ing sector sector iis sc certainly er t a inly n not ot a alone lone iin n tthat hat iitt h has as been b een ssuffering uf fer ing from f rom a sskills k i l ls sshortage hor t age in in recent recent years, y ea r s, and hindering apprenticeship programmes not a nd h inder ing a pprent icesh ip pr og rammes iis sn ot llikely i kely tto o help help the t he situation sit uat ion improve. improve.

Uncertainty U ncertainty principle principle Even though Even t hough we we are are only only a few few months mont hs into into the t he new new programme, pr og ramme, there t here has has been been a certain cer tain amount amount of of goal g oa l post p ost moving mov ing from from the t he Government.

Gover nment. Companies Companies which which had h ad previously prev iously l been been approved approved to to provide prov ide apprenticeship apprent iceship ttraining raining are are now now having hav ing to to re-apply re-apply for for accreditation, accreditation, and and iin n some some areas areas of of business business apprentices apprent ices don’t don’t necessarily necessar ily have h ave to to study st udy y for for a recognised recog nised qualification qualificat ion at at the t he end end of of

ttheir heir schemes schemes – which which surely surely defeats defeats much much of of the the point point of of sstudying tudy ing ffor or a an na apprenticeship. pprent iceship. T This h is k kind ind o off m modification odificat ion only creates confusion and uncertainty and o nly c reates c onf usion a nd u ncer taint y iiff tthe he rrules ules a nd procedures are continually p rocedures ar ec ontinually being being ‘tweaked’ ‘t weaked’ and and changed. changed.

The will make nervous and T he rresult esult w ill m ake apprenticeship apprenticeship providers providers n ervous a nd always a lways waiting waiting for for the the next next amendment amendment to to be be announced, announced, which will w hich w ill iimpact mpact ttheir heir confidence confidence iin n tthe he ssystem. ystem.

Flexible F lexible s system ystem On a m On more ore positive positive note, note, the the levy levy does does mean mean that thatt employers employers across a cross a all ll ssectors ectors d do on not ot h have ave tto oc comply omply l w with ith a ttraditional raditional rrigid ig i d c college ol lege ssyllabus yl labus llike i ke they t hey used used to. to. T They he y c can an n now ow pick-and-mix p ick-and-mix and and tailor tailor their their training training requirements requirements with w ith a wide w ide rrange ange o ifferent providers prov iders sso o ttheir heir schemes schemes w ill off d different will be b ee even ven m more ore a appropriate ppropr iate ffor or ttheir heir iindividual ndiv idual b businesses. usinesses.

IItt c can an be be very v er y d daunting aunt ing ffor or a any ny b business u s i ne s s o owner w ne r w when hen new n ew rrules ules a and nd rregulations eg ulat ions c come ome iinto nto fforce, orce, a and nd tthey hey m may ay need n e ed h help elp with w it h finding finding and and delivering deliver ing the t he most most effective effect ive programme pr og ramme for for ttheir he i r n needs. eeds. IIn any n s t a nc e, w working ork ing n a ny iinstance, with w ith a an n expert exper t training training provider prov ider when when planning planning schemes schemes sshould hould a always lways save save time t ime and and effort effor t a and nd p provide rov ide the t he best b e st value v alue for for money. money.

Companies offering training under the new scheme have had to apply to be included on the new Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP), and Total Training is one of just 1500 providers included on the list. The company operates nationally, providing bespoke training for approved qualifications and apprenticeships throughout the UK. Find out more about Total Training by visiting www.total-training.uk.com

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Ant

Continuing with his regular column, Antony Provan – the man behind Gas App Uk – highlights the importance of being able to differentiate the good training centres from the bad.

Training centres – the good, the bad and the unbelievable Dodgy MOT centres have been around forever. And when you’re feeling strapped for cash, it can be tempting to take your van to the cheapest garage and hope that everything will be OK. Unfortunately, at best, these garages are probably not doing a great job. At worst, they might be trying to cheat the system, putting the public at risk by allowing what could be an unsafe vehicle onto the road.

My focus recently has been on the best gas engineering training centres, and I have been travelling around the country to do my due diligence.

Members within the app have said they want to train with credible, respectable centres. We are responding by getting them on board within the app. Antony Provan The current training problem is twofold. Some centres around the country are not providing enough hands-on experience or enough project work to give engineers the skillsets they need. They’re operating a kind of conveyor belt, pushing out candidates who don’t come up to the mark or have not completed sufficient portfolio evidence. But, still, they’re happy to take our money and run.

Secondly, it can be hard to differentiate the good from the bad. That’s where we come in, by only pairing up with centres that are doing the job properly. These places have a great training infrastructure in place, including high-tech appliances to train on, and excellent trainers.

We don’t need any dodgy MOT style training centres that are bad news for engineers, the public and the industry as a whole. Our members can feel confident that we only pair with centres that are genuinely enhancing engineers’ skillsets, giving them the qualifications and experience they need to do a great job.

Following new rules which came into force at the beginning of October, new entrants to the industry are now required to undergo a level of training to be able to access the ACS process. This could be through a managed learning program or other such robust process. The centres who deliver these courses are expected to be under tighter scrutiny by their certification bodies and third parties, which had not necessarily been the case prior to the 1st October deadline.

The changes will only affect new entrants to the gas industry so if you are currently on the Gas Safe Register, you will carry out your five yearly re-assessments as normal without any mandatory training requirements. In addition if you are requiring to extend your scope within the ACS scheme, training would be a recommendation, but not a mandatory requirement. These changes are designed to reduce the amount of short courses who allow non-mechanically qualified people becoming Gas Safe registered in as little as six weeks.

Gas App Uk helps to take the effort out of form filling Most of the engineers I know are notoriously bad at doing their paperwork.

Let’s face it, the last thing we want to do after completing a job is faff about with paperwork for another 10 minutes.

With this in mind, we have introduced a new Forms section to the app that is designed to take the effort out of form filling and be a bit of an admin lifesaver.

With access to Forms, engineers no longer need to buy and manually complete paper forms such as gas inspection records, landlord gas safety records, Legionnaire risk assessments, not-to-current-standards forms, service maintenance records, warning notices and job sheets. Now, all of these forms are digitised within the app.

Not only that but a lot of the

information on the forms can be autofilled. For example, a postcode lookup automatically finds and adds the customer’s address. Forms are also automatically date and time stamped and have unique serial numbers.

All of this makes life easier, is more environmentally friendly, and cuts down on the possibility of error. The section can also automatically alert you when a customer’s service is due and email out service reminders to customers themselves.

I’m always thinking about what will make life easier for engineers and responding to feedback, so I’d love to hear what you think about the new Forms section and any of the other new changes within the app.

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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October 2017

26 COMPANY Spotlight

Giving plumbers a helping hand With over 25 years experience in the plumbing and heating industry, Martin Jones believes he can help small installation companies grow their business and advise larger ones on how to operate more profitably. PHAM News recently met with the man behind TradeHelp.

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ith the rapid growth in online lead generators, finance advisors and app based business tools, heating and plumbing companies are not short on self-appointed experts telling them how they can run their affairs more efficiently. On the face of it, TradeHelp might look like just another online service that promises potential discounts and finance options to busy installers, but what makes this particular operation stand out from the crowd is that the brains behind it knows more than most about the pressures and pitfalls of running a plumbing business.

Martin Jones was a Director at family business PH Jones before it was sold to British Gas in a multi-million pound deal in 2011.

Over the preceding 20 years he had helped his father’s business to expand from a handful of employees operating from a portacabin to a nationwide group with 1200 workers on its books.

So whether addressing a small start up business or a major contractor, Martin is able to talk from personal experience.

“I’ve seen the whole range, from a small domestic installer to a large contracting business,” he explains. “I know how single minded you have to be and I understand the challenges.”

Based near Wrexham, PH Jones was set up by Martin’s father, Phil, in 1963. Targeting the small private market, the company was at the sharp end of the pioneering years of central heating. So there was plenty of work around through into the ‘70s and, once Martin was old

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got quite good at it. In fact, I think I learned more in my six months doing that than my whole time at university. One valuable lesson is that you first have to sell yourself, but if you can do that, you can usually sell a product.”

Buying power

Martin Jones, MD of TradeHelp

enough, lots of opportunities for the son to make himself useful during the school holidays.

“I spent much of my youth up and down ladders, putting gutters up and fitting flashing round chimneys. I also helped to put bathroom suites in,” Martin remembers. “I was a bit of a dogsbody, really, but it gave me a good grounding as to what the business was all about.”

Having gone to University and achieved a degree in engineering design, a return to hard labour for his father’s business was not high on Martin’s aspirations and, like many before him, he elected to see some of the world before settling into the world of work.

For a year and a half Martin was able to put off any major career decisions by enjoying life in New Zealand and Australia, but time spent ‘down under’ was not entirely unprofitable.

“I earned my way by selling paintings door to door. Being a door to door salesman doesn’t come naturally to many people, but I stuck with it and actually

On his return to the UK, Martin was persuaded to take up a role with the family business. Initially the idea was to earn some money while applying for other jobs, but it wasn’t long before his recently discovered selling and negotiating skills proved too valuable to lose.

“My Dad asked me to talk to his suppliers and negotiate better terms. I think he realised he was paying too much for some products, but he didn’t have the time to deal with it,” says Martin.

“It wasn’t hard to improve on what was on offer and within a few weeks I think I had effectively paid my salary for the year.”

It was an experience that not only immediately benefitted the business – and for years to come – but is also now a cornerstone of Martin’s latest venture.

“We can save small installation companies a lot of money by improving their buying power,” he explains. “Merchants and manufacturers will only give you what you ask for. If you don’t know what the bottom line is – or what’s the maximum you can ask for – you’re never going to get the most out of them. But they can’t say to us ‘we don’t give that’ because we know that they do.”

Martin’s early demonstration of his abilities to save the company

money, meant that his father had the confidence to give him free reign to invest in modernising the business and develop a new maintenance side to the operation. It wasn’t long before turnover grew impressively and by the late 1990s PH Jones was undertaking large contracts for house builders and tendering for work with local councils, first nearby and then further afield.

As the business grew, so did the working hours and Martin admits that it wasn’t always easy managing a rapidly expanding enterprise.

“We were working all hours, at least six days a week, but we never took much money out of the business. We weren’t on big salaries and we always reinvested. However, the industry we’re in can be pretty fickle. You can be doing really well one minute, but you only need one big contract to go bad and you could be in a pretty poor state.”

Not everything the company touched turned to gold. Further strains brought about by the creation of a home emergency division, operating on behalf of the AA, and investment in a facilities management business just as the recession started to take its toll in 2008 meant that offers from interested purchasers began to have some appeal. After some soul searching, the family took up a £30m offer from British Gas and the PH Jones brand now has no further ties with its original founders.

Although admitting to mixed feelings when he sees PH Jones vans on the road, Martin has no regrets about moving on.

“This business – TradeHelp – is really interesting, but it’s a lot less stressful because we haven’t got those cashflow and operational issues to deal with.

There’s nobody here asking: ‘where’s my job for tomorrow?’

That’s a massive pressure and that’s what small businesses have to deal with day in, day out.”

Joint effort Launched three years ago, a key objective of TradeHelp is to help small businesses compete with larger companies by taking advantage of Martin’s relationships developed over time and using the collective buying power of its installer network to negotiate discounts and support – crucially, at no cost to the installer.

“We can offer this service free of charge because our revenue comes from the manufacturers and merchants we negotiate with and who recognise the value of what we’re able to bring to the table,” says Martin.

The number of installation companies using the service currently stands at 730, but Martin is confident that will have increased to around 2000 by next summer. And of course, larger numbers can only lead to greater price leverage.

A recently launched mobile app enables users to take advantage of a useful quotation tool and also access interest free finance options for their customers.

Find out more Fore more details of what TradeHelp can do for your business, please visit the website: www.tradehelp.co.uk

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October 2017

28 BUSINESS Matters

Help customers spread the costs You might not always know it, but customers could be turning down your services because of a lack of finance options. Being able to provide a flexible payment facility could make all the difference to winning or losing business, says Austin Barcley, MD of Improveasy.

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o you have had the initial enquiry and made an appointment to visit the customer’s property. You complete your survey, make your recommendations and the customer seems impressed with both you and your company.

Back at the office you prepare the proposal and send it to the customer. You contact the customer to see what their thoughts are and whilst they are happy to use your company they consider the cost of the install and ask the question…

Customer: “Do you offer any finance options so we can spread the cost?”

You: “Sorry, unfortunately we don’t.”

Customer: “Okay no problem, we’ll have a chat and come back to you.”

You don’t hear back.

Sound familiar? Here’s why…

Most customers don’t want to disclose the fact that they would prefer to spread the costs of paying for their new installation, rather than paying for it in one lump sum. They actually may not even contact your company if they can’t see any flexible payment options for your services to suit their needs – and their ‘needs’ are usual financial ones.

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Austin Barcley, MD for Improveasy

So many people today just ‘Google it’ when they are looking for clothes, holidays – or even boilers! When it comes to home improvements most people would prefer to use a reputable local company, but unfortunately if that company doesn’t offer finance options then it may mean they just keep on surfing the web until they find a company that does.

This is a stark reality and part of modern society. Whether you are shopping for a new sofa or a new car you will nearly always be offered finance in one form or another.

So how can your business start offering finance? My company, Improveasy, provide

finance services and specialise in working with businesses who are not FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) authorised.

Any company that has looked into offering finance will know that it is not an easy thing to do. Not only do you have to become FCA authorised as a firm, but then you also need to find a lender that will provide you with a finance facility. Even if this can be achieved, you must then ensure your company remains compliant with the FCA regulations, which can often require additional resources. Our service means that installers don’t have to do this, allowing them to concentrate on their areas of professional expertise, leaving the finance and compliance to us.

Boost to business Companies that have started using our services have seen a significant increase in enquiries due to advertising flexible payment options such as interest free finance or affordable monthly repayments.

Your company could operate as either an appointed representative or an introducer. We could provide you with full training and all the tools you need to be able to start offering

finance in a compliant way. You will have a dedicated account manager and the support of an experienced team which will provide the perfect platform for your business to expand its payment options.

So, if you have ever thought about offering finance but have not been sure where to start, or you are looking for an out-sourced finance option, then we can help. One of our account managers will talk you through our simple process and explain how easy it is to use our online portal which provides you with finance calculators and instant credit decisions for your customers.

Over the last 18 months we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of installers benefiting from our service and using our finance solutions to win more business.

Using our service allows small installation businesses to compete against the more established national brands as they can now offer finance to the homeowner who, nine times out of ten, would rather choose an installer local to them to carry out their home improvements.

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Stepping on the gas to a greener future Despite the Government’s best efforts to promote renewables and increased competition from the oil market, gas remains the most popular heat source for the majority of the UK. Martyn Bridges from Worcester discusses the current market and looks ahead to what the future might have for gas boilers.

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mid what feels like an extremely buoyant time, it may surprise those in the industry to read that the market for gas boilers is actually down year-on-year for 2017. But before you throw away your Gas Safe ID card, it’s worth bearing in mind that the situation is perhaps not as grave as it sounds.

The decrease is not huge, with figures only around 4% lower than they were this time last year. Perhaps Martyn Bridges, Director of more significantly, there are Technical Communication a number of extenuating and Product Management at factors which could Worcester, Bosch Group have affected consumer confidence over the past 18 months, not least a second general election in two years and the beginning of the uncertain process of exiting the EU. In fact, despite this initial setback, the latest installation figures should give everyone in the gas heating industry cause for confidence. The English Housing Survey, published in July by the Department for Communities and Local Government, shows that two-thirds of homes are now equipped with a condensing boiler – a number which is growing by nearly 5% every year. What’s more, over 45% of homes own a condensing combi, with 1.2 million appliances being added to that total each year, amounting to a particularly healthy replacement market that installers can tap into.

One might even go so far as to say that overall, the ‘organic’ gas market for homeowners purchasing without using schemes and grants is in as strong a position now as it has ever been. Part of the reason for this is that energy price changes have been very favourable to households on the gas grid over the past five years. In that time, the cost of gas has fallen by just over 10%. Compare that to electricity, which has become around 25% more expensive, and it’s no wonder that the Government has had a tough time convincing people to welcome heat pumps with open arms.

Gas looks set to stay as the country’s most popular energy source – at least while those who have heated their homes on gas for years can continue to do so for a reasonable, and in recent times, decreasing price. But how does that fit into the Government’s plans of meeting ambitious energy targets, and what does the future look like for an energy source that will eventually run out?

With 1.2 million condensing combi boilers being fitted each year, and with such appliances providing heat for 45% of UK homes, installers should be able to benefit from a healthy replacement market for many years to come

There have been some recent investigations into biogas along these lines. This involves injecting the grid with methane, harvested from waste sources. There are two forms this can take: basic sewage can be used, and indeed is being used in certain places at present. Then there’s another form of biogas, termed loosely as ‘black bag gas’, which actually comes from refuse, or household rubbish.

Heating homes with gas sourced sustainably sounds almost utopian, and it doesn’t come without its issues.

For example, Siloxanes, which can be passed onto biogas from everyday toiletries such as shampoos, soaps and toothpastes, can start coating the internal components of a boiler in glass when found in high concentrations.

To combat these risks, any sustained use of biogas will probably bring about other requirements, such as mandatory annual servicing, to protect the boiler and its parts. I’m sure most installers will see this as no bad thing.

This is already happening in certain areas of the country under controlled conditions and is perhaps the simplest, quickest and cheapest way of making our gas more sustainable.

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Hydrogen project Another avenue you may have heard spoken about is hydrogen – either as an addition to, or as an outright replacement, for natural gas. The lesser of these two options is becoming more viable all the time. Worcester is one of several manufacturers currently experimenting with natural gas blends of up to 20% hydrogen in order to discern how their appliances will perform in terms of safety, efficiency and longevity.

Even more significantly, the Government has recently announced that £25 million in funding has been set aside to investigate the feasibility of using hydrogen as an alternative domestic heating source. Inevitably, there will be obstacles to overcome. For one thing, the overall cost of converting domestic gas pipes and adapting the technology within our appliances is estimated to be between £100-150 billion.

Nevertheless, the initial feeling is positive – if only because even a 100% hydrogen arrangement would allow the type of appliances we use (such as combi boilers and gas cookers) to remain more or less the same. Compare this to the fundamental lifestyle changes needed if we were to convert the whole country to electrical heating systems – including running the system 24 hours a day, cooking on electric or induction hobs, and finding room in our properties to install hot water storage cylinders – and the task begins to feel more manageable still.

Back to the future

Buying into bio The good news is that the powers that be are looking at ways to both lessen the environmental impact of the country’s most popular energy source, and make it more sustainable to keep our homes running as they do now.

Perhaps the easiest way of doing so would be to ‘green’ the grid: adapting the mains gas supply in some way to make it cleaner without the need for wholesale changes to the technologies we use in our homes.

For many households, a modern condensing gas boiler – such as the ‘A’ rated Worcester Greenstar range – represents the most efficient and reliable method of delivering heating and hot water to the home

Finding ways to reduce emission levels while continuing to use the existing gas grid may be the most cost effective and sustainable way to help the Government meet its ambitious energy targets

Despite a sluggish year for gas boiler sales so far, installers can take confidence from the fact that not only is the market still buoyant overall, but that there is so much happening behind the scenes to find more sustainable ways of delivering the instant heating and hot water the country’s homeowners are used to.

As a result, it seems that regardless of the route the Government takes to work toward ambitious climate change obligations, it is gas boilers – in some form or another – that look set to heat the country’s homes for years to come. www.worcester-bosch.co.uk

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Gaining access need no longer be a problem It’s a legal requirement for landlords to ensure that gas appliances are regularly serviced, but getting tenants to provide access to properties can sometimes be an issue. Bill Jones, Sales Director at Potterton, explains how modern boilers can help make this process easier.

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y law, all landlords and housing providers must arrange for a suitably qualified and registered engineer to visit their property once a year to inspect the gas appliances and issue a Gas Safety Inspection Certificate (CP12).

The engineer will check the safety of all pipework, appliances and flues and, if there is a problem, can fix it on the spot or make repair recommendations in the safety report if there’s a Bill Jones, Sales Director at more complex issue at hand. Potterton Often, when a landlord attempts to arrange access to the property for an engineer this can cause tension with the occupier. Many tenants don’t realise the importance of these checks and continue to deny gas engineers and landlords entry to their homes. This results in a huge financial burden for housing providers. In fact, the Gas Access Campaign calculates that every year £50 million in public money is wasted by housing providers who need to go to exceptional lengths to undertake annual gas safety checks. But most importantly, it means that some of society’s most vulnerable people are being put in danger.

Essential service With carbon monoxide poisoning from leaking boilers sending an estimated 4000 people to A&E each year, regular boiler servicing is essential, particularly when tenants are very young, elderly or have chronic health problems, as they are more susceptible to the effects of CO. This not only ensures that the system continues to run safely, it also allows it to run as efficiently as possible, reducing tenant’s fuel bills and preventing minor issues from developing into major ones – saving money for the landlord in the long run.

after 11 months, thereby encouraging problem tenants to contact their landlord, who can then carry out the service safety checks and return the boiler to full power. With safety always front of mind, this feature will only reduce the boiler to uncomfortable levels, just enough to prompt tenants to make the call without putting them at risk.

This helps gas engineers with those circumstances where gaining access to carry out mandatory service safety checks proves difficult, because if the tenant wants their boiler to continue running at full capacity they will make sure the engineer can enter the property in order to fix it.

Access all areas

Social housing providers in Glasgow learn how their feedback has helped to develop the new Potterton Assure range

Help is at hand, as modern boilers now feature technology that is designed to make the entire maintenance and servicing procedure easier and faster for both the registered gas engineer and tenant.

Our recently launched Assure range, for example, has been designed in partnership with over 50 local authorities, housing associations and contractors. The condensing boiler range has been created with the social housing sector in mind – specifically combatting the problems faced with maintenance checks.

One of its key features is an optional Safety Assist facility.

If installed, this module reduces the boiler’s performance

What’s more, other maintenance processes can be completed quickly too. With all components on the Assure range accessible and removable from the front, gas engineers can swiftly access the interior of the boiler, providing cost effective maintenance for the landlord and reducing disruption to the tenant. The boilers also feature an external gas test point for ease of access, further speeding up the maintenance process.

A dedicated boiler drain enables the boiler to be cleared for maintenance without draining the entire system. Again, this reduces the time spent servicing the boiler and in the tenant’s home, speeding up the whole process from start to finish.

When correctly maintained, modern boilers will continue working at optimum efficiency for a number of years.

However – much like a car – the individual components must be checked, cleaned or replaced as required. Gaining access to a tenant’s home for maintenance work, in particular boiler servicing, is never going to be a walk in the park.

However, with the latest developments in technology, this process can be made easier through clever boiler design.

Features like the Safety Assist facility will provide landlords, housing associations and gas engineers with peace of mind, knowing that if access does prove challenging at first, they will be able to gain entry from the tenant in the future. www.potterton.co.uk

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Winning the popular vote The consumer magazine ‘Which?’ has named Viessmann as a Best Buy gas boiler in its latest survey of the leading boiler brands in the UK. Viessmann is praised by the organisation as being ‘the most reliable’ of all brands and ‘well-liked by owners and respected by the professionals too’.

The positive assessment is the result of a survey conducted earlier this year which questioned nearly 10,000 boiler owners and over 200 Which? Trusted Traders heating engineers. The survey sought the views and experiences of consumers who actually own the boilers and obtained from engineers an in-depth picture of build-quality, availability of parts and spares, ease of repairing and servicing, and how likely they are to recommend a boiler from each brand.

Viessmann achieved a score of five stars for brand reliability and customer

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satisfaction, and four stars for build quality.

The company’s overall brand score – based on reliability, customers’ scores, and engineers’ views – was 84%

Top score The latest issue of Which? magazine reports: ‘Viessmann has been on the cusp of being a Best Buy boiler brand for the past few years, and 2017 sees it deservedly crack it. Its reliability score is the best of any brand. Twothirds of owners would definitely recommend their Viessmann boiler to a friend. Engineers are positive about Viessmann too’.

The survey found ‘there is a huge difference in reliability, customer satisfaction and what engineers make of the best and worst boiler brands.’ It concluded that buying a boiler on price alone is likely to be a false economy because customers could save £233 over

six years by opting for the most reliable brand over the least.

Which? advises: ‘The top three boiler brands in our survey do tend to cost a few hundred pounds more than the least reliable ones. We do think the extra cost is worth it though – particularly when you consider that the cost of a boiler tends to be only a small part of the overall installation cost’.

Graham Russell, MD of Viessmann in the UK, comments: “We’re proud to have received

this recognition of our Vitodens boilers’ high standards. Becoming one of only two gas boiler brands recommended by Which? will go a long way towards engendering trust with consumers who may not yet be familiar with the Viessmann name. We hope this will also encourage more engineers who haven’t yet worked with our products to give them a try.” www.viessmann.co.uk

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Giving installers what they want Marking its 30th anniversary this year, Ravenheat has established a reputation for producing well designed domestic gas boilers that are built to last. PHAM News recently met with MD and founder Louis Pickersgill to discuss the launch of the company’s latest model.

Ravenheat is a relatively small player in What can you tell us about the new boiler? a big market. Is it easy to compete with “We’ve listened to our installer customers some of the bigger brands? and produced a boiler that gives them what “We may be a small fish in a big pond, they’re looking for – and also added a few but over the years we’ve pulled off some enhancements of our own. Our customers big deals – and we’re still doing so today. said they wanted brass components and One of the advantages of having a small a stainless steel heat exchanger – we’ve management team is that we can make done that but also found ways to reduce quick decisions and respond to trends the weight of the boiler and minimise in the market faster than many of our noise levels. competitors. We started working on our “The HE98S is based on the proven latest boiler 18 months ago. With other technology and functionality of our companies a similar launch would probably existing HE98 boiler, but operates with a take two to three years.” stainless steel heat exchanger. The HE98 is ‘A’ rated under the ErP regulations and has What would you say is the perception of been designed with a more efficient pump Louis Pickersgill, founder the brand? and MD of Ravenheat and controls to ensure full modulation. If “We’ve got some installers who swear by you can run the boiler at lower outputs you can achieve our boilers, and others who haven’t got much of a clue of massive efficiencies which you wouldn’t be able to what we’re all about. If anyone comes here for training, or achieve with a boiler without OpenTherm technology.” just comes and looks at our products, they often go away with a completely different idea of what they thought How does OpenTherm improve efficiency levels?

“OpenTherm ensures that the boiler is always running before they arrived.

“We’ve always given value for money, but perhaps at optimum efficiency levels. The lower the power, the we could do better at promoting what we have to offer. greater the efficiency. If there’s a sudden drop in the room Ravenheat has always been technically driven. That’s temperature because a window is left open, the boiler what we’re good at. It’s been 30 years since we produced will kick back up and will run at high output, but it will our first boiler and there are some still out there chugging still be working at its most efficient level to achieve the away which were produced in the first year.” set temperature. The beauty for end users is that it’s all done for them without them thinking about it.

“Most consumers are really only interested in the room temperature that is set on the room stat. They’re not interested in the output of the boiler and how it delivers that temperature, but the great thing about OpenTherm is that it does everything automatically without them having to think about it.”

Ravenheat boilers have always been manufactured at your own factories in Italy. Any thoughts on manufacturing in the UK? “We did once think seriously about building a range here, but it is difficult to make an economical case for it. If you dissected the various boilers currently on the market, with hardly an exception, they’re all using components

Boilers that fit in almost anywhere With the aim of providing installers with more flexible installation options, the ecoFIT range of boilers from Vaillant includes the ecoFIT pure combi boiler which features an aluminium heat exchanger and a choice of rear and top flue options up to 10m.

Designed to fit in a standard kitchen cupboard, the ecoFIT pure comes in three output options (25, 30 and 35kW) and is Quiet Mark approved for low noise operation. The boiler also offers a standard DIN layout and a built-in filling loop to reduce labour time when carrying out a boiler replacement.

The aluminium heat exchanger features large water channels to reduce the risk of blockages, foursided cooling to ease stress on the heat exchanger and increase its life span, and sand casting to deliver better corrosion resistance.

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In addition to long life components, the ecoFIT pure incorporates a clear LED display to make installation and use in dimly lit areas even easier.

Removable side panels and recognisable Vaillant fault codes have also been incorporated into the design to assist with efficiency of maintenance.

The ecoFIT pure is also compatible with Vaillant’s

range of accessories and controls including the vSMART intelligent control and mobile app, which allows homeowners to control their home heating and hot water from their mobile or laptop. The control features the ability to store multiple heating profiles and adapt to users’ living habits.

As well as combination models, the ecoFIT pure is also available as a system version, in outputs from 12 to 30kW, and open vent available up to 35kW.

Future vision Other recent developments at Vaillant include the development of a new strategy – Vision 2020 – designed to refocus the business on the needs of its installers, with more emphasis on customer service and training.

Key changes include using new digital service

tools with a trend analysis function, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of installer and end user demands. The company is also actively investing in restructuring its call centres to ensure multi-skilled staff are better able to assist installers and customers.

Klaus Jesse, MD for UK & Ireland at Vaillant Group, says: “The Vision2020 strategy is a sustainable business plan that puts installers first, to create sustainable growth across the business. We are investing heavily across all departments to support this strategy and have already seen great results one year on. We look forward to continuing this strong progress, and to creating a robust future, not just for Vaillant, but for the industry as a whole.”

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The new HE98S Ravenheat’s new HE98S boiler follows the success of the company’s HE98 model. The boiler has the same high performance, but comes with the addition of a stainless steel main heat exchanger. It delivers 31kW to DHW, with a flow rate of 12 litres/min at a 35°C rise, and heat outputs of 3.7 to 26.4kW. A high-resolution backlit LCD control panel includes simple navigation so customers can set boiler temperature and central heating times. This display also makes life easier for the commissioning engineer, showing the flow and return temperatures, DHW temperature, the kW output and fan speeds.

OpenTherm compatibility comes as standard and, if fitted with smart controls, can increase the system’s

efficiency by 5%. Outside weather compensation can also be wired directly to the main PCB. The service engineer will find everything is accessible from the front of the appliance. If more access is required, then the side panels can be removed by simply sliding forwards.

from pretty much the same sources. And the costs of those components are much the same. So it is better to produce complete boilers in Italy than bring the bits and pieces over here. If you’re transporting individual components rather than a finished boiler, you have the same wagon but a lot more packaging.”

The company might not manufacture in the UK, but you’re still a British company. Do you think there’s any benefit in playing the Union Jack card when promoting products?

“I don’t think installers are too concerned where products come from, as long as they are good quality and are available at a reasonable price. You could argue that attitudes might change with Brexit, but in my view the parochial thing doesn’t hold water anymore.”

The gas boiler market has always been competitive in the UK, but is there room for more brands?

“I wouldn’t want to enter the UK market at this time, I would have thought it was near on impossible. Our market research suggests that whereas we’ve got a fight here on price, prices are much higher in the rest of Europe. We’re able to sell at a much better price in Europe than we would get in the UK. Their system doesn’t allow companies to drive price down like our system does, but you could argue that UK consumers benefit from the level of competition we’re used to in the home market.”

Would you accept that there’s likely to be a slow decline in the number of gas boilers sold in the UK? “In the long term it’s inevitable. But there’s no way there’s going to be a dramatic decline because we’re not close to finding an alternative to gas. We need more and more electricity to power appliances and cars and we haven’t got the infrastructure for that, so gas still has an important part to play.” www.ravenheat.co.uk

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Is it time for a boiler upgrade?

Condensing boilers are constantly evolving, with components becoming more reliable and robust than ever before. Alex Boweren, Product Manager at Ariston, explains the benefits of the latest boiler technology, as well as how to best optimise efficiency and reliability.

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s the temperature outside begins to drop, boilers up and down the country will be firing up as the heating season gets underway. However, while homeowners may be content with their current heating system (and reluctant to spend any money on it unless absolutely necessary), they will be keen to keep their fuel bills low as the colder weather kicks in. Installers should be aware of this economic aspect – and look to use it to their advantage when encouraging customers to invest in a system upgrade.

Heating accounts for approximately 60% of what end users spend in a year on energy bills, so an efficient boiler makes a big difference. But exactly how much could end users save by simply installing an efficient new boiler?

Although the exact amount varies depending on the type of property and age of the boiler being replaced, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) estimates that the average annual saving on energy bills per household could be as much as £350.

While all well-maintained boilers burn fuel efficiently, non-condensing models unavoidably lose some heat via the hot gases that escape up the flue. In contrast, condensing boilers benefit from larger heat exchangers, ensuring more heat is recovered, sending cooler gases up the flue and, subsequently, operating at greater efficiency. The statistics certainly back this up, with a typical non-condensing model being only around 75% efficient, compared to the latest condensing boilers, which offer superior efficiencies of 93%.

Key components There are many important parts inside a condensing boiler contributing to these exceptional efficiencies, but one of the most vital has to be the heat exchanger. Subjected to numerous thermal and mechanical stresses, while having to operate in a harsh environment, it also has to contend with the inconsistent quality of system water – which can contain dissolved oxygen and corrosive condensate.

The heat exchanger constantly comes into contact with the water passing through it, meaning the material it is made from plays a vital role.

Many modern heat exchangers are either made from stainless steel or aluminium. Stainless steel is used as it performs brilliantly in a wide range of pH values, offering a high level of resistance against corrosion – in turn reducing reliance on chemical water treatments. These improved levels of durability ensure higher levels of efficiency without the need for extensive preventative maintenance.

Boiler efficiency is maximised when paired with the latest heating controls, such as Ariston NET, which allows users to control their heating with an app on their smartphones

When the layout of the boiler is well designed, and components are not packed tightly together, installers will find it easier to access areas of the unit for commissioning, service and repair

Heat exchanger material can also affect the lifespan and running costs of a boiler. Although boiler manufacturers are happy to publicise the efficiency levels of their products, careful thought is required when considering overall lifetime efficiencies. This has led to extensive research and development to ensure stainless steel heat exchangers deliver consistent levels of heat, while keeping both emissions and energy bills to a minimum. If heat exchangers are designed and manufactured from one continuous coil, with wide waterways, they allow water to pass through quicker, more effectively and at a better flow rate – ensuring less risk of blockages from debris, enhancing reliability.

Complete Control

Design considerations Another factor to consider is the actual layout and construction of the boiler itself. While the latest models have been developed to deliver optimum levels of performance and efficiency, there is nothing more frustrating for installers if a boiler is too cumbersome to work on or difficult to lift. If components are crammed in too tightly together, it can restrict access to other – sometimes key – areas of the unit. As a result, it is best to utilise lightweight products, benefitting from a strong, durable chassis, with no sharp edges. Boilers with easy frontal access also aid commissioning, servicing and repair.

High performance boilers unveiled The ONE Series from Ariston is a range of high performance condensing gas boilers and controls comprising three ‘A’ rated boilers: the E-Combi ONE, Clas ONE and Clas Net ONE. Intelligent, robust and efficient, these are also the quietest units Ariston has ever produced.

These boilers have a patented stainless steel, continuous coil XtraTech heat exchanger. With 142% wider waterways than previous models, it allows water to pass through quicker and more effectively – ensuring less

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range of pH values, providing resistance to corrosion and prolonging the lifespan of the boiler. The XtraTech heat exchanger also benefits from an improved condensing surface and increased hydraulic performance, which combine to provide a better transfer of heat.

Perfect match

risk of blockages from debris.

The component is robust and operates well in a wide

ONE Series boilers are fully compatible with the Ariston NET smart heating control, while BusBridgeNet technology allows communication with other Ariston products.

A new suite of controls

has also been introduced to allow quick and easy access to Ariston NET. Both the Cube S NET wifi thermostat and Cube room sensor boast a number of functions, including energy management, internet weather monitoring and a weekly scheduler programme.

Lightweight and straightforward to install, the boilers feature easy frontal access to all components and more room inside the casing.

Fitting controls is facilitated by a colour coding system, which matches parts to a corresponding slot.

In addition, boilers can be supplemented by the latest heating controls, which will enhance efficiency and energy savings even further. Research conducted for the BEAMA Heating Controls Group revealed that energy consumption by the heating system can be reduced by up to 40% when the right controls are present. Yet the organisation also states around 11 million homes don’t have suitable heating controls (including thermostats!)

– with occupants turning their boilers on and off when they find themselves either too hot or too cold.

The latest heating controls, alongside the burgeoning Internet of Things (IoT), now have the capacity to work in an interconnecting manner, resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefits for installers’ customers. Smart heating controls – including our very own Ariston NET – allow boilers to communicate with other products in our portfolio, simplifying integration with a range of devices and energy sources, optimising energy consumption.

Such developments in controls not only allow end users to ‘remote control’ their heating systems over a secure wifi network via a mobile app, they also boast remote diagnostic functionality, which ensures any faults are immediately identified, as well as followed by precise remedial advice.

Advanced functions Furthermore, some controls offer even more advanced functions, such as energy management and bespoke weekly/ holiday modes. There are even devices capable of managing multiple heating zones, thanks to the latest wired and wireless zoning technology. Plus, in the future, features such as learning technology, GPS data gathering and online weather monitoring also look set to be introduced.

So, heating technology continues to advance, with boilers continuing to dominate the central heating market, comprising over 60% of a sector forecast to grow to £802million in value by 2018. With the latest products offering exceptional levels of quality, efficiency and controllability, installers should be encouraging their customers to take advantage of these benefits to ensure long term savings and peace of mind.

Find out more For more information on the boiler solutions available from Ariston, enter the number below on the reader enquiry and registration card inside this month’s issue, or visit the website.

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How long warranties benefit your business Extended warranties are now commonplace in the UK boiler market, but are they more than a marketing gimmick? John Moran, Sime National Sales Manager, explains how they not just benefit the consumer, but also represent valuable business opportunities for installers.

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oday’s boiler manufacturer warranties are similar to car warranties, with long warranty periods anywhere from two to ten and even as high as 15 years long.

Stepping back, one could question whether this is reflective of confidence in their products or just a clever sales and marketing gimmick. The reality is, it’s a bit of both. Most modern gas boilers are built to last and manufacturers are confident in the durability John Moran, Sime National Sales Manager of their products, otherwise it wouldn’t make sense to offer such long warranty periods.

Yet even the highest quality products only stand the test of time if they are well looked after. In the same way that you would need to service and MOT your car regularly to be road worthy, homeowners need to service their boiler annually to meet the terms and conditions of their warranty to be covered if something does go wrong.

Encouraging ongoing relationships between customers and manufacturers via warranties is essential, not only for the customer to ensure they are within the terms of their warranty, but also for installers. From an installer perspective, ‘within warranty’ work is guaranteed regular work, which can also lead to additional jobs within their customers’ homes.

Small but mighty The Murelle One HE 25kW combination boiler is Sime’s latest high efficiency wallhung 25kW model and is the most compact and energy efficient boiler in the company’s Murelle range.

Lightweight and easy to install, the Murelle One HE 25kW is made from premium quality components including Giannoni’s new condensing evolution stainless steel and alloy heat exchanger that incorporates larger diameter waterways. Compact in size (400 x 700 x 250mm), it is ideally suited for smaller dwellings such as flats and houses with limited space.

The boiler comes with a built-in service timer and LCD temperature and diagnostic display. It offers user adjustable control from 20°C to 80°C and connectivity to a weather compensation sensor. As well as being operationally energy efficient, the packaging and all parts of the boiler are 100% recyclable.

Sime’s Murelle Pro HE range also includes system and heat only models.

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For most installers, the majority of the time they are called back to a customer is when something goes wrong.

Other than installation and servicing, there really isn’t another time a customer wants or feels like they need to see them. Customers often think there’s nothing wrong, until it goes wrong. Furthermore, one of the biggest reasons for their reluctance to call on their installer has to be the financial and time cost. Let’s face it, if an error code shows or the system doesn’t seem quite right, the customer may avoid calling you out because one of the first thoughts they’re probably having is how much it’s likely to cost.

That changes, however, when products are under a warranty agreement. Having a lengthy warranty on a boiler takes the stress out of any unexpected issues that arise for the homeowner, because the work is likely to be covered under their warranty agreement, and so they are more likely to call you as soon as trouble strikes.

Installer benefits The long term benefits of manufacturer warranties for customers are obvious, but what about the benefits for the installer? It can be argued that manufacturer warranties are advantageous for the installer because warranties extend the customer-engineer relationship beyond merely when something goes wrong to a mutually beneficial long-term relationship. This provides installers with a reason to see that customer again and again, on an annual basis.

A customer with a boiler under a warranty agreement can be considered to be essentially a regular customer for the length of that warranty period. To meet the warranty terms and conditions, the boiler must be tested and serviced regularly, and for the installer, having a customer on a regular service plan for the life of a ten-year warranty equates to regular repeat business.

Replicate this across the majority of your core customer base and it represents a considerable chunk of guaranteed annual work, which essentially can be seen to make up your base profit for the year. Having a core band of customers on a regular service plan not only makes good business sense, it also makes planning and forecasting considerably easier, which when self-employed, is essential for futureproofing your business.

The advantages of extended manufacturer warranties for the installer go beyond representing regular and consistent repeat business, however in many cases additional work may arise as a result of the initial service call out. It sounds crude to call this a cross-sell opportunity, but it is. That is not to say installers should be recommending unnecessary work – rather, often problems or areas that need addressing are identified in the course of a routine service call out. Customers don’t often know that there is an underlying issue. When you are servicing a boiler, it gives you the opportunity to ask if everything seems to be working properly. The customer may then mention something that isn’t quite right that they hadn’t thought needed a call out.

Manufacturer warranties serve to enhance customerengineer relationships too. By managing the regular maintenance checks to fulfil the warranty agreement, the installer is also strengthening the relationship with that customer with every visit. It can therefore be said that customer loyalty is stronger as a result. Hand-in-hand with this goes customer satisfaction, and subsequently wordof-mouth-recommendations. Add these factors together

The Murelle Advanced HE boiler from Sime is available in both 30 and 40kW outputs and comes with a five year warranty, with an option to extend up to 10 years

and you have a winning formula for the expansion of your customer base.

Time to explain So how can installers maximise the business opportunities presented by extended manufacturer warranties? The key is education. Installers can play a more active role in not only encouraging customers to ensure they a) register for the warranty offered when they purchase a new boiler and b) take on the extended warranty option at the appropriate time, but also in educating homeowners on what repairs the warranty covers and how cost effective it can be long term.

Warranty terms and conditions terminology can be confusing to the uninitiated and customers often look to their engineer to play a consultative role in explaining the warranty to them. It comes down to your relationship and the customer service that you offer. Go the extra mile and take the time to explain to the customer how to stay within the terms of the warranty to make sure that any work that does need doing will be covered, and it will pay dividends.

If the time and the relationship allows, the installer can go one step further and ensure the customer not only understands all the paperwork but has completed and sent off all the necessary registration paperwork too, even going so far as to do it for the customer if necessary. Some installers even set reminders for customers that the boiler is due for a service. Indeed, setting the interval timer to the time frames stipulated in the warranty agreement is a good way of keeping things organised.

In summary, manufacturer and extended manufacturer warranties represent growth opportunities for installers that should be explored. From a business perspective, it makes long term financial sense to make the most of the advantages that manufacturer warranties can provide.

Warranties protect both the manufacturer’s reputation and the customer in the unfortunate event that something does go wrong with their boiler, and they also offer installers a valuable means of enhancing relationships with their existing customers by establishing a core base of repeat business.

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GAS Boilers

Show customers the importance of boiler upkeep Getting the service and maintenance message across to customers can sometimes be a challenge, but Alisdair Cumming, Research Development Manager at Baxi, believes he has the perfect analogy that will convince homeowners the importance of boiler care.

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t’s a familiar story.

Installers talk about the need for regular servicing and maintenance but the message doesn’t always result in the homeowner following through and arranging a service. Most people appreciate that they need to set aside a budget for maintenance to keep their vehicle working safely, reliably, efficiently and under warranty.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for domestic boilers.

It is tricky to explain how a complex piece of machinery such as a boiler works to the average consumer, and cash-strapped homeowners are often reluctant to spend money on their heating system until it is too late.

Common ground Having joined the heating sector from the automotive industry, I have come to draw many parallels between boilers and cars, and I believe the analogy could help heating engineers to put some important points across about boiler servicing – particularly around safety, efficiency, reliability and warranties.

A good comparison to start with is the fact that a car runs for roughly 400 hours a year (12,000 miles at an average of 30 miles per hour), whereas a boiler runs for around 2500 hours per year – over six times as long.

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engineer for any gas work – including servicing. The key difference, however, is Government legislation. It is critical that any gas work is completed by a Gas Safe registered professional, whereas there are no specific laws or ongoing t raining requirement s relating to car mechanics.

Card reader

Alisdair Cumming, Research Development Manager, Baxi

correctly and the boiler is operating at the correct gas pressure. Boiler parts should also be cleaned as required.

Indeed, many homeowners are also unaware that neglecting their boiler can put their family’s health and safety at risk. This is partly due to a lack of public knowledge around the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.

According to the NHS, around 50 people die each year from CO poisoning and another 200 are treated in hospital. Given that the most common sources of excessive CO in the home are faulty gas appliances, these figures demonstrate the necessity of annual servicing.

Under warranty A further comparison that can be made is the effect that missing a service can have on a warranty. Much like a car warranty or vehicle insurance, necessar y maintenance must be conducted to retain protection, and an annual service is generally a condition of a boiler warranty.

Much like they would only trust a qualified mechanic to work on their car, homeowners should also know the importance of only using a Gas Safe registered

It’s encouraged that all reputable heating engineers make a habit of showing their ID card before beginning work to educate homeowners on the importance of the scheme.

Not only does this assure the homeowner, it also means that their annual service is valid for warranty purposes. For a Baxi boiler to be eligible for a warranty it must be registered within 30 days of installation, and the Benchmark checklist must be completed.

Registration Once a new boiler is registered on our installer loyalty scheme, ‘Works’, we send out a yearly reminder so the customer knows it is time to contact their engineer to arrange a service.

Regular boiler servicing should be budgeted for, and can actually save the homeowner money in the long run. Explaining the positive impact that a service has on safety, performance and warranties – as is the case with a car – could make it easier to persuade customers to invest.

Find out more For more information on Baxi, enter the number below on the reader enquiry and registration card inside this month’s issue.

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October 2017

GAS Boilers Boiler technology is ever evolving The feature-rich ‘evolve’ family of boilers from Vokèra comprises both combi and system boilers with a variety of outputs to suit almost any domestic application.

The ‘A’ rated range delivers a space heating efficiency of 94% under the ErP Directive, and by adding Vokèra’s BeSMART internet connected thermostat to the system, a further 4% can be added to heating system efficiency (an A+ rating under ErP).

At the heart of evolve is the LCD user interface. The full text, menu-driven control enables both the installer and end user to quickly navigate through the parameters and settings, including programming the heating on and off times. Users can also benefit from an efficiency indicator on all the boilers.

This visual scrolling banner displays ‘high’ or ‘optimal’ efficiency, according to the return temperature.

A reduced height flue bend and a rear-flue option offer time and space saving advantages, and a pre-fixing jig is supplied as standard with a built-in filling loop.

As an added safety feature, the boilers incorporate an

excess CO alarm, which will fail-safe in the event of excessive CO being emitted.

The evolve range has recently been extended with the launch of a 42kW combi, which is capable of delivering a DHW flow rate of 17.2 litres/min.

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Extended peace of mind The established QuanTec range of condensing boilers from Johnson & Starley has now been given a free eight year guarantee, extending the five years previously available. This covers all parts and labour for every QuanTec model, adding a further three years of peace of mind for installers and users.

The range encompasses a wide choice of combi, system and heat only models, including the topof-the range QuanTec HR 28C (PFGHR). This 28kW combination condensing model is said to deliver exceptional eff iciency,

thanks to the integral passive flue gas heat recovery (PFGHR) function.

This integrated technology

provides potential extra energy savings of up to 26% over a typical water heater and achieves high DHW efficiency levels, while retaining the size of a standard combi (780 x 423 x 321mm).

QuanTec models also benefit from stainless steel heat exchangers, minimal pluming and low NOx levels. A lightweight design and a variety of flueing options, including the Johnson & Starley flexible flue, further add to the boiler’s installation flexibility.

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Combi has intuitive control The Navien NCB combi boiler, available in outputs from 24 to 40kW, features stainless steel and brass components for durability plus intuitive, easy-to-use controls to help end users get the best from their system.

The SEDBUK ‘A’ rated boilers can be installed with flue lengths of up to 110m and has a IPX5D rating for extra siting flexibility. An easy-to-use blue touchscreen provides the user with complete control of heating and hot water temperatures, while also enabling service engineers to access details of how efficiently the unit is performing. A self-diagnosis

and error feedback feature provides a quick trouble shooting guide.

All boilers in the range are fully modulating to maximise

energy efficiency, with the NCB-40LSWE model offering a turn down ratio of 10:1.

For extra water and energy savings, users can press the Eco button on the control panel.

The NCB comes OpenTherm ready to give instant access to the latest control technology and an optional weather compensation control will ensure that the boiler will automatically respond to any changes to outside temperatures.

All boilers in the range are suitable for natural gas or LPG straight out of the box.

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Providing a platform for growth Social media platforms can offer a free and easy way to promote your work to existing and potential customers. Stephen Zouch, MD at Intergas Heating, suggests how to make the business of boilers a growth business by accessing the latest communication tools.

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ust as many of the jobs which exist today will be shaped both by technology and social factors (such as our ageing population), the concept of a ‘job for life’ has become as outmoded as paying with cash. In the 21st century you have to be flexible and open to new ways of working to stay current and commercially viable.

But what does that mean for us working in the heating industry, especially installers?

Traditionally an installer earns a living from the straightforward transaction of selling and installing a boiler or heating system to a customer, but to ensure transactions are ongoing and profitable, you should add value.

‘Adding value’ almost sounds old-fashioned in

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goes beyond the transaction.

By recog nising t he importance of creating relationships with your customers, where t hey appreciate what you do and have found the experience bot h professional and reassuring, you’ve created the ideal environment for that transaction to become a platform for growth.

Happy customers Stephen Zouch, Managing Director at Intergas Heating

this tech-driven world, but installers who do this, who understand its long term benefits, are likely to have a loyal customer base, one that will provide testimonials and recommendations and put you on the list for bigger, more profitable projects. Why? Because you’ve created trust, a bond with your customer that

In my experience, the most important outcome of any transaction is that the customer has been delighted by the service.

And that delight starts from the minute you arrive, on time, to quote, through to a successful installation, with all the relevant paperwork (log book, boiler registration, etc) completed on time, or ahead of time. When customers

have a positive experience, they talk about it, and word of mouth is one of the best ways to build your reputation and your business.

But adding value goes way beyond the service itself – you need to work your relationships to realise a greater return, and this is where the ‘tech’ or social media comes in. You can’t expect all your customers to keep track of you, but when they’re looking for a new heating system, or they want to recommend a heating engineer, you need to be on their radar.

It’s easy enough to take advantage of the abundant social media channels to keep in touch with them for free. Although it will involve a degree of your free time – you’ll need to post interesting news, images and updates

that keep your company name current and reinforce the benefits of your service – what may seem like a chore to begin with will soon become second nature when you make a habit of it.

Snap to it If you’re already groaning at the very thought of using social media to keep your business current, it might help to know that Instagram, the Facebook-owned photosharing app which launched in 2010, is the fastest growing social media network in the world.

If you’re handy with the camera on your phone, can take great images of your installations – no one’s interested in out of focus or boring shots – and you’ve got your customer’s permission first, and can add some

interesting captions and hashtags, you’ll be creating visual case studies that promote your business every day, 24/7. Can’t face social media as part of your marketing armoury? A regular customer email could be another effective way of keeping in touch.

If you’re still a believer in that other outmoded concept of ‘fit and forget’, adding value and keeping in touch using social media may seem like alien concepts, but to be in contention for the profitable projects you need to understand the increasingly important role social media plays in all our lives. It should go hand-inhand with customer service excellence, but it should never eclipse it.

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GAS Boilers 43 Less components, more reliability

No secret to boiler success Claiming it to be one of the industry’s best kept secrets, Ideal has been running a campaign to promote its Vogue range of domestic boilers to installers.

The Hull based manufacturer has been following installers across the country to document their experiences when installing a Vogue, many fitting the boiler for the first time.

Video diaries featuring the installers were released on social media channels such as Twitter during August and September.

Andy Jamieson, from Energy Grant Scotland, said that installing the boiler saved him time because “it’s so simple and fast to fit”. He said he’d be happy to recommend it to any installer as it “makes fitting a new boiler more enjoyable as opposed to a hard day’s work.”

David Besson from Besson Plumbing in Grimsby said that Vogue helps him to build trust and confidence with his customers.

“I have lived round here all my life and my family name is on these vans, so trust and confidence mean everything,” said David.

“More so than ever now, with the 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, I can sleep at night. So if you’re thinking of fitting a boiler from a brand that you want to put your name on and you can

trust, I would recommend Ideal Boilers.”

Carrie Young, Ideal Boilers Head of Marketing, said of the campaign: “It has been fantastic spending time with installers and learning why they think the Vogue is the UK’s best kept secret. Here at Ideal we know it’s is a great boiler but who better to tell that story than installers themselves?”

Installer feedback The boiler has been designed based on the feedback of hundreds of installers at Ideal’s Research and Development Centre of Excellence in Hull. The range, which includes combi and system boilers, weighs as little as 30.7kg and can be installed as a single piece unit with one mounting bracket.

A backlit display and multifunction buttons help to ensure easy operation for householders, while a standard eight year warranty (extended to 10 when fitted

with an Ideal system filter) provides peace of mind.

The full range of installer testimonials released weekly, as well as detailed product information, can be seen on Ideal’s dedicated microsite (voguesecret.co.uk).

Visitors to the site can click on links on a map of the UK to watch the installer testimonial from that part of the country.

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Dutch manufacturer Intergas first set up in the UK in 2008, promising to provide the market with a reliable and efficient boiler that was built to last. Featuring a twoin-one heat exchanger that has never suffered a mechanical failure since its introduction over two decades ago, the company is confident that its boiler range won’t disappoint.

Intergas says that the two-in-one heat exchanger has been designed so that it removes the need for all the parts that leak, stick and could lead to a break down. With no requirement for a secondary hot water plate heat exchanger, diverter valve, valve motor or auto air vent, there are only 12 components in the Intergas boiler in total, and only four moving parts.

The boiler condenses 100%

of the time in both heating and hot water modes, with virtually no standby losses.

The company says it can reduce emissions by 20% and shave up to 5% off energy bills when compared to other condensing boilers. A built-in DHW eco mode/self-learning programme helps to further reduce energy use.

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Systems that can share the load The heating demands of a building can vary greatly depending on its size, layout and use. Here Justin Jearum, Commercial Product Engineer at Alpha Heating Innovation, discusses how a modular boiler system can provide the ideal solution in a range of situations.

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hen selecting a heating and hot water solution, each building must be individually assessed. One of the key considerations for commercial projects is to ensure the system not only fulfils the overall output requirement but is also able to adjust to fluctuations in demand. To achieve this it can be necessary to install more than one energy Justin Jearum, Commercial Product Engineer at Alpha source.

It is now recognised that efficiencies can be achieved by spreading the heating loads across multiple energy sources so even if in theory a single unit could fulfil the requirements it is often more efficient to utilise multiple boilers. This can be achieved by installing the boilers in a cascade configuration. A cascade system consists of two or more boilers linked together and works by bringing the individual modules into operation as the demand for heat increases – responding to the day’s activities.

The benefit of this is providing a large total output when needed while also efficiently operating when demand is at its lowest by using just one module. This makes this configuration ideal for a range of applications including schools, hotels, sports centres and office buildings where demand, especially for hot water, can vary significantly.

For example, in a school or college environment the demand for hot water will spike at certain times of the day and will require an instant response from the boiler.

The kitchen will require more hot water following lunch than at any other time of the day and demands on the system will also increase considerably when the changing room showers are in use. A modular cascaded system will enable a rapid warm-up in response to these multiple requests on the hot water.

Multiple choice While a cascade can be achieved by installing separate boilers and linking them together with a control, there are now a number of consolidated system options available that contain multiple modules within a single unit. A series of combustion chambers are able to fire up individually, each with its own fan, burner ignition and safety devices while sharing the same flue and controls. These self-contained units are often available in a number of different outputs

Cascaded boiler installations are ideal for commercial applications where demand fluctuates but peak demand is typically high

to meet the specific needs of the building. For example, our Ares Tec range includes nine options with outputs ranging from 200 to 900kW. Furthermore, to ensure that one module is not operating more frequently and running for longer than the others, the boiler cascade manager will be able to spread the workload evenly between the heat modules and alternate the ignition of the modules, typically every 24 hours. This is particularly important in situations where the demand will be low for extended periods of time – such as during school, college and university summer breaks.

This ability to rotate the load also provides a further benefit in terms of providing a reliable contingency plan for preventing system downtime. A cascaded system allows one of the modules to be taken out of operation for maintenance or repair without affecting the supply of heating or hot water.

In the frame For light commercial projects where the available floor space and level of output required do not justify a full commercial solution, larger output system boilers can be installed instead. These can either be fitted to a wall or mounted in purpose-made, freestanding frames. This commonly provides a cost effective heating solution for retail premises, large luxury domestic properties and community buildings.

Furthermore, this type of cascade system provides an additional opportunity for installers who focus on the domestic sector to expand their business to include light commercial projects. This type of heating solution would require both additional manufacturer and industry

training to be undertaken to ensure competence within the commercial gas sector. Manufacturers such as Alpha can help companies successfully make the move from domestic to commercial.

Mix and match Finally, cascade systems are also able to integrate with other technologies and systems to improve the efficiency of the system and level of control the end user will have.

Selecting a system that easily integrates with Building Management Systems (BMS) allows simple monitoring and management of the heating alongside the rest of the building’s services. This includes the ability to establish heating zones to help manage the varying needs across large spaces.

For buildings where reducing dependence on the mains gas grid is important, renewable energy technologies such as solar thermal can be incorporated. Using the sun’s energy to heat the water allows the workload to be reduced and, in the case of cascade systems, fewer modules to be used to meet the demand.

In commercial applications, it can often be a challenge to select and design a system that will meet the demands of the occupants, provide the most efficient and cost effective option, and fully comply with Building Regulations. For this reason it is always advisable to draw on a manufacturer’s expertise to ensure all factors have been considered.

Cascaded boiler systems are particularly effective for applications where demand fluctuates significantly but peak demand is still high. www.alpha-innovation.co.uk

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Impressive service at Sheffield hotel

One of two new R3401 boilers from Stokvis recently installed in the basement boiler room at the Novotel in Sheffield

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After nearly 30 years of solid service at a popular hotel located close to the centre of Sheffield, a pair of R18 Series Stokvis Econoflame boilers have been replaced with two new models from the same manufacturer.

The work to install the two new R3401 boilers at the Novotel in Sheffield was led by West Midlands based company Technical Assets Ltd. Engineering Director Martin Bulger project managed the boiler replacement. He comments:

“We decided to carry out this work last summer when the hotel heating and DHW loads would be reduced, which then enabled the boiler replacement work to be completed over a programmed three week period. We decided to make full use of the Stokvis ‘Boiler Dismantle and Re-Assembly’ service given that accessibility to the plant room was restricted.

“This had to be a seamless transition from start to finish, so we had our installation engineers stay in the hotel

overnight in the first week, just in case there was a problem.”

The two new Stokvis R3401 boilers are at the lower end of outputs within the premix commercial boiler range, offering high efficiency and low NOx emissions. Speed controlled fans enable the different units to modulate between 25% and 100% to suit demand, while control options allow for boiler sequencing, outside weather compensation and other demands.

Martin adds: “One of the

things I like with regards to working with Stokvis is that you can always get a solution and a quote immediately when you have a job to do.

Subsequently we also decided to replace the two existing plate heat exchangers with two new Stokvis Econoplate units. Consequently, the project became a full overhaul in the end, with everyone happy with the outcome – I cannot fault the service we get from Stokvis.”

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Small changes make a difference In a commercial environment, making small changes in the heating system can have a big impact on energy use, and upgrading the gas boiler is often the most effective way to achieve results. Stuart Turner, National Sales Manager at Hamworthy Heating, explains more.

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arbon reduct ion and energy savings are high up on everyone’s agenda, including the Government’s. The driving force behind the energy efficiency regime has been the introduction of legislation such as the Energ y-related Products Directive (ErP, which came into force in September 2015 for products that use energy). This legislation has had a massive impact on the commercial heating and hot Stuart Turner, National Sales water industry as it sets out Manager at Hamworthy minimum efficiency criteria for many products, including the gas boiler.

The drive to improve energy efficiency has effectively wiped out the use of atmospheric and non-condensing boilers for the sub 400kW market. Just recently (26 September), the second tier of even stricter seasonal space heating energy efficiency requirements came into force. This means boilers that could just about match the 2015 minimum energy efficiency levels are now being phased out.

2015 also saw the introduction of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) – a mandatory energy audit for large enterprises (non-SMEs). The audit highlighted how energy efficient the organisation is in the hope they will act on the data to make improvements.

Compact units save floor space The Upton is the latest modular commercial boiler from Hamworthy. Said to be one of the most compact units in its class, it is able to deliver 1MW output from under 1m² of floor space.

The 6bar rated f loor standing condensing boiler range is available in 18 different models with outputs ranging from 100 to 1050kW. A modulation of 5:1 per module allows closer control of the output, saving further on fuel bills and reducing emissions.

The vertically stackable design allows flexible options where space is a challenge, such as in city centres and packaged plant rooms. With less than 60dB(a) noise output, it also makes a good choice for plant rooms adjoining quiet areas such as hospitals, offices and classrooms.

To aid with design, the Upton boiler has water and gas connections in the same position across the range, regardless of output. This means that even if a project’s requirements change, models can easily be swapped with minimal effect to pipework and plant room design.

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Modular condensing boilers can match the heat load as close as possible without any energy waste

Modern controls can help to maximise potential energy savings, but at many sites controls often require user intervention

But why is the Government doing this? They recognise that lots can be done to improve the efficiencies of our existing buildings at a relatively low cost. This will lessen our impact on the environment and help meet the UK’s legally binding target of slashing current greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Heating and hot water is one area of a building’s services that can significantly contribute to this. Making small changes in the heating system can have a massive impact on energy use and we believe the gas boiler is one of the ways to do this.

temperatures to, say, 50/30°C, or widening the temperature differentials to offer a lower return temperature (80/50°C) can lead to significant efficiency gains. A lower return temperature provides greater opportunities for condensing boilers to actually condense.

Different strokes There is not a one size fits all approach when it comes to commercial heating design and each building needs to be reviewed in its own right. Renewable energy products such as biomass boilers and combined heat and power (CHP) are very effective for the right building and location. When it comes to biomass boilers, careful consideration needs to be given to the location. Extra space will be required for the fuel store and easy access for delivery of wood for fuel. CHP is ideal for district heating schemes because a large unit can supply several buildings with a proportion of their electrical demand as well as heating.

However, with most of these systems a gas boiler is also needed to support the renewable energy source at times of peak load, for security in case of failure, or when service and maintenance is required.

We know it is quite possible to achieve real, tangible savings right away by upgrading boilers to newer, more efficient condensing boilers. A ‘Review of Operational Productivity in NHS providers’ in 2015 saw some noticeable difference in the energy costs between two NHS providers.

The cause was excessive oil use due to the age and condition of the boiler, which the hospital was unaware of. Indeed, we have seen an example where a hospital could save over £1 million on their gas bills over the life of the boiler plant by changing from large output, single module, old boilers to smaller output condensing modular boilers. These are able to match the load as closely as possible without any wastage of energy.

Setting up Selecting the right product is just the start, and I believe this is one of the problems of ErP. It is forcing customers to buy an efficient product based on static data such as efficiencies, but it does not ensure the product is set up and operating correctly.

Condensing boilers installed in a system set at traditional operating temperatures of 80/60°C flow/return will only achieve marginally higher efficiencies than a high efficiency non-condensing boiler. However, reducing operating

Better control Many sites I have visited have had their controls set to ‘on hand’, which means they are on manual control requiring user intervention to make changes to the way the system operates. However, the benefits of newer condensing boilers will only ever be maximised if they are set up and controlled correctly. A sequence controller installed in a multiple boiler system enables the boilers to be operated in such a way that they modulate together to match the load. By firing the maximum number of boilers needed to match the load, with each operating at or near its minimum modulation, each boiler is operating in its most efficient state, i.e. part load.

This maintains very high system operating efficiency.

Splitting the heating system into zones allows for accurate control of different areas of a building. Combine this with weather compensation controls and the system will be able to provide the most comfortable conditions for the occupants of a building, adjusting accordingly to the outside temperatures and allowing boilers to condense whenever suitable system conditions permit.

A lot of this is about education and training on controls and control strategy. If heating systems are installed and set up to the manufacturer’s recommendations at the start, and the building owner or manager understands how the system operates, they can benefit from massive reductions in their energy use and, in turn, their gas bills.

Heart of things The boiler is very much still at the heart of the heating system, but just like the human body it needs efficient supporting equipment and regular maintenance to help it do its job effectively. The water in the system needs to be regularly cleaned as just a 1mm layer of limescale build up on the boiler heat exchanger can reduce efficiency by 7.5%. Pipework needs to be debris free to enable water to flow easily and efficiently. Intelligent controls are needed to manage the flow and make sure the right amount of heat is delivered at the right time without overshooting and causing wastage.

Plus, we cannot fit and forget – regular service and maintenance will help keep the heating system and boiler working at its optimum efficiency and ensure it has long life. www.hamworthy-heating.com

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Record breaking cascade system When a social housing provider’s 30-year-old plant room boilers were judged to be beyond economical repair, Surrey-based Robert Heath Heating came to the rescue by designing what is thought to be the world’s largest modular condensing system, made up of 18 boilers.

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urnt Ash Heights, a housing development in Bromley, Kent, comprises around 450 dwellings whose heating and hot water provision is supplied via a heat network with a central plant room.

The development’s existing plant room contained 30-yearold cast iron boilers which had been identified as being beyond economical repair.

With the cost of replacing the legacy boilers in the underground plant room estimated at roughly £350,000, it was in need of a costeffective solution which would cause minimum disruption to residents.

Robert Heath Heating proposed the design and build of a large commercial temporary modulating boiler plant. Having worked closely with Bosch on various other

The 18 GB162 boilers can deliver up to 1800kW of power

projects, the team decided to contact Bosch Commercial and Industrial to help make the idea a reality, with the unit’s design including 18 100kW GB162 gas boilers.

Robert Heath was asked to risk manage the existing plant room in order to keep it running while the modular condensing unit project commenced at the company’s

head office in Surrey.

Time pressure The build began in February last year, with pressure to complete the project as quickly and efficiently as possible. Robert Heath Heating welded every pipe whilst designing and building a control panel using Bosch sequencing units.

R40 EVOLUTION MODUPAK

Bosch supplied the 100kW GB162 condensing boilers for the unit, which were installed as a multi-boiler in-line cascade system. With the ability to automatically modulate down to as little as 20% of their total output in order to meet heating and hot water demand as accurately as possible, the condensing boilers also offer up to 110% net efficiency and are expected to significantly reduce fuel consumption.

What’s more, they can be sequenced to come in and out of operation when required to ensure even load matching, reducing the general wear and tear of each unit.

The shipping container needed to be positioned on site next to the property due to restricted space and maintenance access, making the compact dimensions of

Back to back

the GB162 condensing boilers ideal for the project.

Up and running In just four weeks, the container was transformed into a fully functioning plant room, with the ability to modulate between 20kW and 1800kW. The container was then transported from Surrey to the Bromley site and within six hours had replaced the existing plant room, following a successful de-commissioning.

Chris Vincent, Head of Commercial Gas at Robert Heath Heating, comments: “Thanks to the versatility of the boilers and a unique collaboration between ourselves, our gas consultants and Bosch, we were able to deliver a truly innovative solution with the ability to deliver much-needed savings

for a social housing provider and its residents.

“In terms of the future of the project, the Riverside Group has an asset which is set to function for around 15 years. The nature of the solution makes it extremely flexible, so that in future it can be fully transported to another development or alternatively, dismantled with each of the 18 condensing boilers distributed to other sites.”

With minimal disruption to residents and no faults reported since the installation, the project has been deemed a resounding success.

What’s more, due to the energy efficient heating technology chosen, the annual energy bill for the housing development is expected to drop by nearly 40%.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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Wall mounted

The multi boiler package for custom-made performance Combining the highest degree of material quality with intelligent technology.

• Allowing for substantially optimised transfer of heat • Setting new standards of efficiency • Corrosion-resistant stainless steel guarantees much less wear and tear • Can be quickly installed • Almost unlimited configurations of boiler size and number • Units can be located against a wall, free-standing or back-to-back • Modupak can be made up from a selection of any of the R40 Evolution boiler models • Up to eight boilers can be combined with one another in a cascade operation

Free standing

THE CONSULTANTS’ & CONTRACTORS’ CHOICE. For further information or to receive a technical guide tel: 0208 783 3050 or email: info@stokvisboilers.com

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October 2017

GAS Boilers 49 Step up to a higher output The Verve i50, a high power condensing system model, is the latest addition to Vokèra’s range of gas boilers.

With an output of 50kW, this heat only boiler features characteristics similar to a domestic appliance making, installation simple for domestic installers wishing to expand their scope of work into larger homes or small commercial premises.

Key features include a built-in expansion vessel and integral pump, as well as a Cuprinox bimetallic heat exchanger designed to optimise thermal transfer.

It also comes equipped with 80mm twin flue outlet. This allows the flue to run up to 25m but can easily be converted to a 60/100mm concentric flue or 80/125mm concentric flue.

Link up to suit any requirement

For ease of servicing, an isolating valve kit is supplied as standard, while an optional three port valve and motorised mixing valve kit enables the installer to configure different system circuits, including space heating, hot water and low temperature underf loor heating.

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Save energy with three of a kind Aiming at the commercial gas-fired market, Rinnai has introduced three condensing models. The new Infinity range is available for natural gas and LPG operation and includes weather compensation technology to help maximise energy savings.

The boilers are ‘A’ rated under the ErP directive and come in 50, 75 and 100kW versions. The appliances are accessed from the front and

require minimal space for installation, thus helping to

reduce cost and time required on site. Some of the units also feature a fully removable pivoting heat exchanger and burner for easy inspection and cleaning.

New combustion control technology also means that the boilers will selfcalibrate, so avoiding manual setting and automatically adapts to suit the gas quality.

Manufactured in Germany, the boilers also come with a

range of ancillary options including pressurisation units, manifold pipework assemblies and mounting frames, heating system separators, boiler and water heater combination packs, plus control options.

The smallest model, the CGB-50, measures 855 x 440 x 393mm, while the CGB-75 and CGB-100 measure 1020 x 565 x 548mm.

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The XL Series of gas boilers from ATAG Commercial offers an extensive choice of modular installation and cascade options to ensure that no matter how much space there is in a plant room, a suitable boiler configuration is always available.

The boilers can be wall mounted in-line, free standing in-line or fitted in back-to-back arrangements, in combinations of two to eight boilers.

An open system cascade sees the boilers’ combustion air taken from the ventilated plant room via a separate air filter, with the flue discharge connected together via a cascade header. Alternatively, a room sealed system cascade uses combustion air divided into the boilers

by a cascade header system.

A cascade arrangement of eight boilers can provide a combined total output of up to 960kW. With outputs of 70, 110 and 140kW, all boilers in the range feature a durable stainless steel heat exchanger with specially designed hydraulic chambers and smooth tubes to optimise heat transfer.

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50 PRODUCTS in Action

Powerful boilers Appealing rads in luxury home

Wentworth Place, an 11 bedroom private residence in Surrey, is benefitting from an installation of three Thision L Evo 120kW boilers on a cascade frame. The home needed a powerful and efficient heating and hot water system that could adapt to the changing demands of the property, including a high DHW load and the requirements of an outdoor swimming pool.

After careful consideration of the system profile and overall requirements, Thision L Evo boilers were specified, along with a low loss header and new combined flue

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arrangement. The boilers’ high turndown ratio and seasonal efficiencies were key contributing factors for their installation, with the units supplying the right balance of power and all year round performance.

The design of the cascade rig and the flue system allowed for rapid installation and minimal downtime.

To reduce heat losses, the cascade system was supplied with a full set of insulation panels to neatly cover the flow and return tubes, as well as the low loss header.

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The University of Cumbria has selected Stelrad’s Compact with Style radiators to provide the heat around a new teaching building on its Lancaster campus. The project was overseen by the university’s Capital Development team.

The building features 63 Compact with Style radiators in a variety of sizes, both horizontal and vertical, to provide comfort for students in a number of teaching rooms and an impressive new lecture theatre. The radiators also heat the communal areas, the corridors and the toilets in the building.

“This is a prestigious new building on our campus and we wanted something striking and perhaps a little different to a standard radiator,” says Dan Jones, the university’s M&E Projects Manager. “The Compact with Style does what the name suggests and adds a little extra style to the building, and we’re very pleased with the results now the building is finished and ready to use.” www.stelrad.com

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Heavenly filters St Cuthbert’s church in the town of Bedlington, Northumberland, has had its heating system completely revamped with the help of a BoilerMag XL commercial heating system filter installed

by Blaydon based Enright Environmental Ltd. The church’s heating system was over 30 years old and in need of an upgrade. Enright Environmental flushed the system out, including the radiators and underfloor heating, and then stripped the boiler room clean, effectively starting from scratch.

Heating engineer Adrian Mills says: “We always

recommend that our customers install a magnetic filter. They are a vital part of a heating system and can prolong the life of older systems as well. We fitted the BoilerMag XL on the return line to the new boilers.

“They are easy to install and maintain and it’s easy to see the results and prove how effective they are. Although the BoilerMag has only just been installed on this system, through experience with other applications we expect nothing but positive results in the future.”

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Ventilation part of Classroom comfort Passivhaus status Heathcott Road, a 13.2 acre affordable housing scheme in Leicester, has been granted full Passive House status.

Comprised of 68 new dwellings, all benefitting from a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) unit, including DV96 Adroit from Airflow Developments, the site is the largest housing scheme of its type in Europe to receive the status.

Passive House certified buildings are required to provide a high level of occupant comfort while using minimal energy for heating and cooling.

As such, the Heathcott Road dwellings have been designed for optimum thermal efficiency and exceptional air tightness.

Adroit MVHR units incorporate low energy EC fans and feature a triple filter system that prevents any airborne pollutants from entering the property. They also come with an intelligent inbuilt temperature and humidity sensor, plus an automatic 100% summer bypass facility and frost protection.

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Dunham-Bush has supplied a variety of heat emitters during the recent refurbishment at St Martins Primary School on the Island of Guernsey.

Bob Farrell of Channel Design Consultants approached Dunham-Bush because it offers a comprehensive range that allowed him to meet the specific requirements in different areas at the school.

Series AM 25 and AM 20 fan convectors combined with Finvector perimeter heating were selected as the most suitable solution in the classrooms. Series BM chassis units were installed within a wall void in the main hall area, where the only visible evidence of a heat emitter are the grilles fitted flush to the wall.

In a location where both wall and floor space was not a valid siting option and fast response heating was essential, a Series 600 fan convector was installed into a ceiling grid as an ‘over the door’ heater, which eliminated the cold ingress of external air by creating a warm air barrier. Completing the line-up of Dunham-Bush products were freely suspended Evo-lite radiant panels.

dunham-bush.co.uk

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Barn conversions breathing easy Nine Solitude constant flow decentralised mechanical extract ventilation (dMEV) units from Titon have been installed throughout two residential barns – collectively known as North End Barns – in Felsted, Essex.

Of the two North End Barns properties, the first – the two-storey Barn 2B – has five bedrooms and benefits from three Solitude units fitted on

its ground floor. Elsewhere, Barn 5 is a single floor property with six Solitude products installed.

James Hughes of Bates FMC, the M&E contractor on the project, says: “We’ve used Titon on previous

projects and have always been impressed by the quality of their products. In addition to offering exceptional levels of performance, the Solitude dMEV units also proved straightforward to install.”

All Titon dMEV fans comply with Part F of the Building Regulations and come with a 30-month guarantee.

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October 2017

ELECTRIC Heating 53

Time to replace outdated systems New energy saving technology in electric heating is presenting a host of benefits for homeowners and profitable business opportinities for installers who are able to upgrade outdated systems. Chris Stammers, Head of Insight for Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation, explains.

E

lectric heating has changed. Far from the static white boxes of years gone by, modern appliances are intelligent, efficient and stylish – which makes them a genuinely compelling offer for any electrically heated home. The latest innovative appliances give users greater control and lower running costs than ever before, with enhanced performance through intelligent controls which can adapt to their surroundings.

Bad legacy

Chris Stammers, Head of Insight for Glen Dimplex

Despite this, hundreds of thousands of homeowners and social housing tenants are still being hit in the pocket by a legacy of storage heaters which were installed in the 1970s and 1980s using technology that remained largely unchanged until this decade. For installers, there has never been a greater opportunity to drive business through the specification, upgrade and installation of electric heating systems.

The Quantum from Dimplex learns the user’s lifestyle and changing climate conditions to deliver efficient electric heating

Under control

However, there is another factor which is driving the enhanced efficiency of electric heating appliances. From January next year, all local space heaters manufactured for Efficiency gains sale into the EU must comply with a minimum efficiency Heating accounts for more than 60% of energy in the standard under Lot 20 of the EU’s Energy Efficiency home so it’s clear to see the importance – and the Directive. It is the latest product lot in the directive, aimed value – of an energy efficient system. From private at ruling out inefficient technologies and reducing the energy used in our homes – and is set to homeowners and social housing drive the biggest change in electric heating providers to housebuilders and even “Products are being for decades. the Government, everybody is focused redesigned to include The new legislation applies to appliances on energy usage and subsequent that use electricity, gaseous or liquid fuels running costs. more advanced and which provide heat to indoor spaces by You can visit your local merchant controls with smart generating heat in the location within which or distributor today and buy electric features” they are situated. This includes electric heaters that understand the user’s radiators, storage heaters, electric underfloor lifestyle and changing climate heating and electric fires, amongst others. conditions, that can tap into renewable energy sources, or that have the potential to link wirelessly Smarter future to a central hub. In fact, the Dimplex Quantum system In many cases, the answer lies in intelligent controls. can do all three.

All these features can aid the efficiency of such products, Products are being redesigned to include more advanced and thus reduce running costs without compromising controls with smart features such as temperature control on comfort or controllability – which remains the top via presence detection or open window detection, priority for most customers when they invest in a new distance control via an app, and even adaptive start control to suit the individual requirements of the user. heating system.

Entry level products will also have integral controls such as mechanical and electrical temperature/timer controls to meet the requirements of the new regulations.

The result will be a better standard of product for customers, and greater opportunities for installers. With more sophisticated controls, there will be a chance to add value to installations and spend more time with customers. Showcase your expertise, remind them of the benefits of Lot 20 from a product development point of view and explain the advantages of their new appliance with intelligent controls.

The introduction of new legislation will also facilitate opportunities to revisit old customers, of course, with a compelling reason to make contact and sell them the efficiency and cost-cutting benefits of The Dimplex Q-Rad includes an intuitive heating control that gives users greater control over when they want to heat and at what temperature modern, Lot 20-compliant products.

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With more efficient electric heating systems now available, installers have the opportunity to inform their customers of the savings that can be made with modern technology

Talking opportunities With all of this in mind, it is clear to see the opportunity that lies ahead for installers. Arm yourself with the knowledge, the understanding and the innovative heating technologies you need to take advantage. Speak to your manufacturer of choice, your wholesaler and your industry peers; immerse yourself in the technologies and understand the benefits to your customers. And if you get it right, the business could be yours for the taking.

Find out more For information on the range of electric heating solutions available from Dimplex, including the Quantum featuring electronic time and temperature control, enter the number below on the reader enquiry and registration card inside this issue, or visit the company’s website (www.dimplex. co.uk/product/quantum-heater). www.dimplex.co.uk

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54 ELECTRIC Heating

Why point of use hot water is so efficient With the rising consumer interest in water and energy saving products, Richard Braid, Redring’s Head of Showers and Water Heating, says that electric point of use hot water products offer a great opportunity for installers and their customers.

E

lectric instantaneous hot water products hold a bright future within the water heating sector. Whilst traditional centralised systems are still popular, there are numerous trends that indicate a growing market for electric point of use products, and installers are in a prime position to benefit.

Energy issues The average UK household energy bill has risen by a Richard Braid, Redring The Instant Hot Water Tap can plug into a domestic UK socket Redring’s Powerstream unvented instantaneous water heater staggering 268% in the past 10 years. This increase means more and Centralised systems development is the introduction of more householders, landlords, building instantaneous electric taps that deliver hot owners and local authorities are looking According to our estimates, 18 billion litres water on demand in any location where it’s for new ways of reducing energy use to try of clean water and 3400 terajoules of energy needed. The newest plug-in electric taps, are wasted every day in the western world, and counter these spiralling costs. such as our recently launched TAP1 Instant What’s more, the Energy-related Products with stored hot water and the movement Electric Hot Water Tap, provide effective (ErP) Directive is now two years old. The ErP of heated water being the main culprits. and highly efficient hand washing facilities, Whilst there are advantages to stored requires that stockists display a product’s with only a cold water and mains electricity rating, where instantaneous point of use water heating systems, heating and storing supply required. water heating products are often ‘A’ rated large volumes of water inevitably uses more Restricted access and more efficient than stored water options. energy, with householders only using the water at peak times, and hot water tanks Finally, point of use water heating is In addition to this, a WaterSafe survey have often also been criticised for taking increasingly being adopted for ensuite conducted earlier this year has found that up valuable space within a property. shower rooms with restricted access to 92% of installers regularly talk to customers The subsequent movement of hot water stored hot water. Electric showers such about products that can save water and from a stored water tank (or boiler) to a basin, as the new Redring Bright have long been reduce energy consumption. In line with shower or bath results in further energy and popular options, but unvented water heaters this, point of use water heating products are like our Powerstream range are also being water wastage.

Many users will run taps until much more energy efficient and therefore used to provide hot water on demand to the water reaches the desired temperature, a great opportunity to recommend to your dual basins or a basin and mixer shower draining off and wasting dormant or cooler customers. from one convenient and space-saving unit, water, and once the outlet is closed, any The three-in-one Reditap dispenses boiling residual heated water will sit stagnating water as well as conventional cold and hot water with no need for hot water cylinders or long pipe runs. within the pipework.

End-users will see advantages too, as Crucially, energy wastage also occurs when Cold is better hot water is forced to travel through long instantaneous point of use water heating pipe runs. A household can have the most is exceptionally convenient and fast, with The true strength of point of use water energy efficient boiler on the market, but hot water delivered immediately and on heating lies in the movement of cold, rather than hot water, which is fundamentally more this can be compromised when so much of demand. efficient. Add in the space-saving benefits, the energy saved by this unit is then wasted New options convenience and speed of hot water delivery due to the system’s centralised design.

Advances in water heating technology mean and it’s easy to see why point of use is there is a vast array of options available to becoming more widely adopted.

Point of use By recommending energy efficient ‘A’ rated Point of use electric water heating addresses suit a variety of applications.

One particular area of growth is instant water heating innovations from trusted many of these issues. Instantaneous point boiling water taps, which are increasingly brands, installers are well placed to take of use products will only heat the amount of advantage of this trend which is expected being used for preparing food and making water required and in as close proximity as to shape the future of water heating in the hot drinks in householders’ kitchens. possible to where the hot water is needed, dramatically reducing waste, delivering They deliver cold, hot and boiling water years ahead. significant energy and cost savings, and on demand from one neat tap. As well as Find out more often lowering the amount of plumbing offering energy and water savings they save valuable countertop space by eliminating Redring supplies an extensive range of work required. instantaneous point of use water heaters, There are advantages for taller buildings, the need for kettles and prevent the energy carrying the highest ‘A’ class energy efficiency where point of use water heating offers an waste that occurs when overfilled kettles rating. For more information on the company’s alternative to the gas-powered heating are boiled. Our most recent boiling water solutions, please enter the number below or systems that may be prohibited. Rental tap, the Reditap, offers a water tank with visit the website. properties can also benefit, as electric point higher capacity than kettles at two litres, of use water heating negates the need for gas which equates to six full mugs.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No. The Bright multi-connection electric shower 137 www.redring.co.uk safety certificates and annual gas checks.

Another interesting area of product features Redring’s ‘SmartFit’ technology

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ELECTRIC Heating 55 Smart slimline solution

Meeting the needs of little and large Available from EHC – the Electric Heating Company – is a range of electric boilers designed to cater for the needs of various applications, from small domestic properties to large commercial buildings. Domestic single phase boilers are available from 4 to 14.4kW and commercial 3-phase boilers come in 24, 36 and 48kW models. If the project requires a larger output, then the boilers can be installed in conjunction with each other on a low loss header setup.

The range includes the Comet Electric Combi Boiler (pictured left), designed to fit into a standard airing cupboard.

Enclosed within the case is a 140 litre indirect stainless steel hot water cylinder and an in-built magnetic filter. It is also supplied with an external tundish and DHW control valve and a fully programmable twin channel controller and room thermostat.

For applications where space is at a premium, the SlimJim boiler (pictured right) can be supplied as boiler only or complete with a choice of heat packs. It comes with a user-friendly control panel which provides heat mode and fault finding indicators, together with a power switch and temperature settings.

The boiler temperature range can be set between 30°C and 80°C, which means that it can be used with underfloor heating applications. www.electric-heatingcompany.co.uk

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Efficient, controllable and stylish electric radiator systems are the main offering of IntelliHeat. The company has also developed a range of control systems which include full retrofit smart home automation systems, and the latest in self-learning smart-radiator technology.

The product range includes the Needo Slimline Italian designer electric radiators.

The radiators feature an innovative two-phase heat transfer process that not only delivers a more rapid rise in temperature but also facilitates heat recovery of energy already produced, thereby lowering running costs. Every Needo product comes with a five year manufacturer warranty on the outer body and powder coated surface, and a two year warranty on the electrical components.

The radiators have been designed to optimise total heat transfer through the use of patented ACS (Advanced

Condensing System) technology. The system features an eco-friendly fluid which is embedded in the aluminium case of each radiator under controlled conditions during the manufacture process.

Smart control Available in three lines, five outputs and 10 colours, the slimline electric radiators can be set to operate with IntelliHeat’s smart home automation app. The Wireless Smart Home Automation App (WHAPP) enables the user to manage and individually

programme the hourly and daily settings from a smart phone or tablet.

Easy to use, it is designed to empower the user to take advantage of multizone programming and also provides full details of energy usage. As well as the heating system, the app can be used to provide a single source of home control, linking up with other home appliances, including lights, blinds, intruder alarms and electric gates.

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56 ELECTRIC Heating

A popular choice for consumers Electric radiators are fast becoming a number one choice for a growing number of UK homeowners. With new legislation set to further enhance control levels, Richard Brown, MD of Electrorad, explains why they represent a smart choice for installers too.

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ore homeowners are turning to electric heating as they seek an affordable and energy efficient solution that combines safety with versatility, comfort and control. The impact of EcoDesign Lot 20, which comes into effect in January next year, means that electric radiators will need to have more features than ever before to ensure they are energy efficient and easy to use.

This is a welcome development and presents an ideal opportunity for installers to increase their business.

So what are the main benefits for consumers?

Good looks: Less bulky than storage heaters, electric heaters are available in a variety of sizes and heat outputs. Designs range from vertical models, to small towel radiators for cloakrooms.

Heating capabilities and energy efficiency: Electric radiators produce both radiant and convection heat and use only the heat and energy

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The Vanguard range of aluminium electric radiators from Electrorad

required, converting 100% of electrical energy input to heat output.

Controls and comfort: Due to advances in electric radiator technology, accurate energy saving digital controls are now commonplace for both time and temperature flexibility, some being as precise as +/-0.1°C. Each radiator is individually thermostatically controlled so it can be left to run independently, or the whole system

can be connected together, linked to a central room controller and programmed to meet specific heating needs within each room.

Wireless radiators are also popular due to their fully programmable RF controls. These can be divided into zones to control separate floors or areas.

But the biggest change in controls is yet to come with the Lot 20 Directive stipulating that all electric radiators manufactured after 1st January 2018 must include features such as accurate room thermostat controls, 7 day/24 hour timing controls, virtual open window sensors, adaptive start control (learning when to turn on to achieve optimum comfort), and distance control – a wifi based app control to ensure compliance. Some manufacturers are even including additional technologies such as Alexa voice control that is capable of turning a radiator on/off and even change temperatures.

Safety and reliability: The elements are sealed within the radiators and can be encased in ceramic, fireclay, or within fluid.

As dust and objects can’t fall onto to these elements, it ensures no unsightly brown stains on walls, or dust burning smells when they heat up. Some radiators even offer guarantees of up to 30 years covering internal components, such as electric elements, thermal switches and wiring.

Ease of installation: Electric radiators are simple and fast to install and can be sited almost

Electrorad’s Aeroflow range has three thermostatic control options

anywhere in a property, with larger units capable of warming sizeable rooms with ease. They can be retrofitted independently from any existing hot water system, allowing easy compliance with part L of the Building Regulations, and removing the need for any additional pipework or a higher output replacement boiler.

They are also suitable for apartment blocks where gas is often not accessible or allowed.

And, if additional heating needs to be introduced at a later date, they can be added to the system accordingly. They’re a perfect replacement for storage heaters as they can utilise the existing wiring, causing minimum disruption at installation.

Let’s not forget that in addition to all these benefits, electric radiators require no annual maintenance or inspections.

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ELECTRIC Heating

Switching on to instant hot water Instantaneous hot water units, popular in many other parts of the world, could help to provide a cost effective solution for the growing number of apartments and city centre flats in the UK.

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ne of the largest manufacturers of Instantaneous Hot Water (IHW) systems is working with major property developers to promote the technology in the UK residential market. Stiebel Eltron, which has manufactured and supplied over 20 million instantaneous water heaters, predicts that the technology, already widely used in homes in Germany, Australia and Hong Kong, will soon be widely adopted in the UK. Mark McManus, Stiebel Eltron UK’s MD, says: “In the UK, IHW is a tried and trusted technology for commercial developments, factories and retail outlets, but, to date, it has only been selectively used in a domestic setting.

“However, our experience in countries such as Australia and Hong Kong, where much of the building regulations are based on British standards, shows the increasing adoption of IHW in thousands of homes every year, with huge benefits in environmental performance, costs savings and convenience.”

Apartment living Latest figures show that almost half of new build homes in the UK in 2017 are city centre flats and apartments, whether Private Rental Sector (PRS), homes for sale or student accommodation. Traditionally, hot water in such properties is provided by unvented cylinders heated by electric immersion heaters, but the range of benefits delivered by instantaneous hot water heaters, such as space savings, reduced running costs and maintenance-free operation, means developers are now seriously examining IHW in the UK. Whilst IHW is ubiquitous in Germany, where the necessary three-phase 400V supply necessary for IHW is fitted as standard to individual apartments, flats in the UK are each fed by a single phase 240V supply.

However, Mark McManus argues that with all new-build apartments having 400V supply provided direct to each floor in the riser pipe system before being split down into a phase per apartment, there is a simple and cost-effective way to install the 400V to each individual flat.

He explains: “Working with AT Green, one of our installer partners, we calculated the costs of installing 400V supply to an actual block of apartments in Salford, Manchester – 60 flats, with 12 flats per floor over five floors.

“The initial cost to each apartment to install 400V was approximately £300 more than a stored water solution, but when you factor in the cost of the overall product, installation and maintenance, IHW was around £330 cheaper.”

Key benefits There are a number of reasons why developers are examining IHW seriously, not least of which is that instantaneous hot water heaters can improve SAP ratings, making the difference between satisfying strict Building Regulations

IHW systems, such as Stiebel Eltron’s DHE range, provide fast hot water delivery, with a display that shows flow rate, energy consumption data and water temperature

and receiving planning approval, or rejection.

With new, slimline Stiebel Eltron IHW heaters being small enough to fit behind a vanity mirror, the space savings compared to a traditional hot water tank are another major attraction to developers.

Traditionally, unvented cylinders are positioned in an airing cupboard, but by removing the cylinder, householders can be given back additional storage space.

Alternatively, on larger developments, space can be reconfigured to provide another two apartments, realising hundreds of thousands of pounds of additional value for the developer.

Other key benefits include lower running costs for end users. An instantaneous hot water heater doesn’t incur standing heat loss in the same way as a cylinder does when the apartment is unoccupied, estimated at costing householders an extra £60 per annum.

It is also maintenance free, because unlike cylinder systems, there is no requirement for annual testing or review of the system, saving on manual labour costs and the potential issue of accessing an apartment when the tenant or homeowner is away.

Support service McManus adds: “Developers, consultants and architects are all looking for an edge in what is an increasingly competitive and crowded marketplace, and we are now offering developers a free design and support service, covering water heating and ventilation products, to tailor-make the design solution to their specific needs.

“There is certainly a growing demand, particularly within the aspirational market of new-build apartments, where young professionals expect quality appliances and facilities that meet their busy lifestyles.” www.stiebel-eltron.co.uk ENQUIRY No. 141 ENQUIRY

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58 ELECTRIC Heating

How to deliver high rise heat Residential high rise buildings are on the increase, which means that electric heating solutions are in ever greater demand.

Alan Clarke, Technical Support Manager at Heatrae Sadia, highlights the benefits of electric wet central heating boilers.

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n recent years, there has been an increase in the number of high rise buildings proposed and approved for construction in the UK. The UK development pipeline currently stands at around 500 buildings, of which 70% currently under construction or under consideration are primarily residential.

Where central boiler plants or individual gas boilers have been used to provide heating and hot water to high rise multi occupancy dwellings, anecdotal evidence suggests that more and more developers are choosing electric options.

From the perspective of the installer, electric units mean fewer restrictions, and no flueing, condensate drainage or plumbing issues to consider. If the properties are to be rented, the landlord benefits from simplified maintenance, as the need for annual gas boiler services – for

which gaining entry to individual dwellings is often problematic – is eliminated.

On demand Fortunately, the electric heating market has moved on from the inflexible, largely uncontrollable night storage heaters that it was once associated with. Heaters which store energy overnight and release it during the day (whether or not it’s needed) are not an appropriate solution for today’s consumer – and so innovative, sophisticated, controllable products that provide heating and hot water when the end user wants it have been developed.

One of the main advancements has been the introduction of electric wet central heating flow boilers. Compact, wall hung and efficient, electric wet central heating boilers are used in conjunction with conventional wet radiators or underfloor

heating systems, and provide central heating on demand, when it’s actually needed. They are controlled and operated by a programmer and thermostat, working in a similar way to a gas fired boiler. Our Amptec electric boiler (pictured, right) even modulates in the same way as a gas boiler, improving running efficiency.

To supply hot water to allelectric properties, electric boilers can be teamed with direct cylinders. High-performance unvented hot water cylinders, which are fed directly from the cold water mains, will provide the end user with powerful showers and fast filling baths.

Product selection Most end users will want an electric boiler to be as comparable to a gas boiler as possible, not only in terms of user benefits like controllability but also

operating life. There are various electric boilers on the market, but it’s important to remember that they differ in terms of cost, longevity and quality. Low-cost electric boilers will quickly prove to be a false economy, as after just a few years it’s likely they will either need to be repaired or replaced.

Some electric boilers can have an operating life similar to a traditional cast iron gas boiler (which can boast a lifespan of around 25 years). High quality products that last might cost more initially, but will save the property owner money in the long run, while also providing peace of mind.

To ensure that our Amptec boilers have a long operational life, several key features were designed into the product. For example, we use solid state technology for the switching of the heating elements to ensure

a much longer switching life compared to what is achievable using conventional electromechanical devices such as relays and contactors. We believe that only solid state technology is suitable for the typical switching life required for a long-lasting electric boiler.

In addition, the heating elements used in Amptec are designed to run at low watts density, which is essential to prolong the boiler’s life, and we chose copper sheathed elements, as in this particular application they last longer than other materials.

Whilst electric heating was historically considered to be lacking in choice and flexibility, a series of innovations over the last few years has provided a raft of products which offer a viable solution for many urban high rise developments. www.heatraesadia.com

ENQUIRY No.

Efficiency across the range | Since 1924, STIEBEL ELTRON has specialised in decentralised DHW heating, offering products geared towards maximum energy savings. No more high operating costs, thanks to innovative technology, reliable premium products and a first-class service from STIEBEL ELTRON. › Quality with a high level of innovation › Instantaneous water heaters for any application area › Convenience for kitchens, bathrooms and hand basins › Peace of mind with a 2 year on site parts and labour warranty DHE SLi | Instantaneous water heater DEL SLi | Instantaneous water heater

Hot water and space heating solutions the STIEBEL ELTRON way.

With a comprehensive range of electric space and water heating products we always have the right solution for your project.

Contact us directly for our free of charge design service.

STIEBEL ELTRON UK Ltd | Telephone: 0151 346 2300 | www.stiebel-eltron.co.uk ENQUIRY

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

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ELECTRIC Heating 59 Hot water from a space saving unit

Convenient and easy to integrate The Plug N Glow from Advance Appliances is a small electric stainless steel flow boiler suitable for a range of applications. It has a 2.7kW output and can be plugged into a household socket. The compact unit measures only 120 x 195mm, and the boiler can be used in a sealed or vented system.

It is capable of providing heating in a space up to 20m2.

Temperature can be adjusted from 30ºC to 80ºC on the front of the case by a calibrated dial, or it can be controlled by an off board thermostat.

The Plug N Glow can be programmed for up to 20 times a day, seven days a week, and can cater for a range of applications including conser vator y underfloor heating, defrosting greenhouses or heating for a caravan, narrowboat or motorhome.

Two panel solution It can be also be added as a boost to an existing heating system. A pump can be wired into the unit, ready to turn on when ever there is demand.

Also available from Advance Appliances is the eGlow electric flow boiler, which comes in 6, 9, and 12kW heating outputs for central heating at 80ºC and for underfloor heating at 60ºC. It is also fitted with an ‘A’ rated pump.

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Designed as a replacement for storage and panel heaters, Digi-Line electric radiators from Electrorad provide a number of energy saving features, including independent double panel control, in-built energy monitoring (on the TouchE3), and open window sensors.

The radiators are available with two heating panels which help to deliver more heat, but can also operate separately from each other to ensure the most efficient use of energy.

With the smart double panel control active, and when the room is within 1°C of the

desired temperature, only the front panel will operate, and with a smaller element than the rear panel, less energy is used. With the front panel only operating, more radiant heat will be produced, and as the back panel is cooler, it will act as an insulator and prevent heat loss when a radiator is on an outside wall.

In the event that the room becomes more than 1°C cooler than the set point, the more powerful back panel will activate to bring the room back to temperature.

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Described as compact, convenient and easy to install, the Andris Lux unvented electric water heater from Ariston will provide hot water on demand.

Available in three oversink and four undersink units, the units feature a distinctive prismatic shape to maximise capacity and save space. The 2 and 3kW under-sink models have capacities of 10 and 15 litres, while the 3kW over-sink units are available with capacities of 10, 15 and 30 litres.

All models feature a central regulation dial with a wide range of temperature settings, located above a heating action LED. There is also an ‘E’ economy setting, enabling optimisation of comfort alongside energy savings.

For added durability, Andris Lux boasts a robust four-bolt flange, nickel-free copper element and TBS rod thermostat.

Units also benefit from a waterproof structure and ELCB safety system to prevent electrical shock.

The maximum operating pressure of these units is 3.5 bar. Ariston points out that any in excess of this must be controlled via a pressure reducing valve, and adding this valve will mean that the addition of an expansion vessel is mandatory. www.ariston.co.uk

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Installer review of the Bosch hammer drill As the founder of Barnet-based HITGAS, master plumber Chris Teale has been plying his trade for more than two decades and has used all manner of power tools over the years.

Bosch Professional asked him to test out its latest cordless hammer drill and render a verdict.

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he Bosch brand is one I am well familiar with, from installing its boilers to using (and now testing!) its tools. To my mind, Bosch professional power tools lie in the mid to high end range of the market. Over the years, I have had occasion to use a wide selection of power tools – from your cheap and cheerful to top-of-the-range – and I’ve learned from experience that you really do get what you pay for. When I was asked to test Bosch’s new Rotary Hammer – GBH 18V 26F, I had high hopes Chris Teale, HITGAS based on past experience, and I was not disappointed by this powerful, robust and userfriendly cordless drill.

What’s in the box The tool arrived well packaged in Sortimo’s sturdy L-BOXX, which can be combined with other like models to create a stackable tool storage system. Inside, the drill is securely contained in a foam interior with hollowed out recesses where everything fits snugly in place so nothing moves about or is at risk of taking a knock or being damaged during transport.

In addition to the hammer drill itself, the box also included two 5.0Ah Lithium-ion batteries, an auxiliary handle, depth stop, a charger and a quick-change chuck. There is also a version of this drill with the fixed SDS chuck (GBH18V-26), but the changeable chuck is one of my favourite features on the tool, so I wouldn’t recommend getting the one without.

My initial impression of the drill itself was quite positive, feeling reassuringly heavy in the hand, giving the sense of a hardy, professional product without being too weighty to make using it burden. I’ve now been using the drill on a wide range of projects for more than two months, and my original impression has been justified. Bosch makes the claim that its cordless hammer drill is as powerful as a corded one, and it is hard to argue with that boast. It generates a maximum impact energy of 2.6 joules, which is about 50% more powerful than some corded versions. When I put it to the test in hard materials such as brick masonry, it punched right through with very little effort on my part.

I used the drill for projects such as hanging radiators, installing boiler flue supports on long flue runs, installing a bathroom suite, and once at home to hang a picture for the wife! I have used the drill on everything from plasterboard to masonry walls and wood, all with the same pleasing results. Most recently, I had to replace a gas meter box mounting on an external brick wall, and a cordless tool was ideal for this application, as I was working outside.

The cordless Rotary Hammer-GBH 18V 26F in an L-BOXX

Chris was impressed with the drill’s ‘super-fast’ recharge time

do a quick swap when needed and crack on with the job.

The batteries wore down quicker with heavier use, especially when used on masonry surfaces, which is to be expected. During the bathroom install, the drill was used on and off all day long on one single charge. On another job where we installed eight radiators and had to drill new mounting holes for each, we got through five charges, as every wall was brick. Maybe a corded drill would have been more suitable, but the portability of the cordless made it worth the battery swaps.

The batteries included with the kit also benefit from CoolPack technology, which makes sure that the heat generated by the tool is dissipated away from the core. Bosch says this will lengthen the life time of the battery by up to 100%, which, considering the cost of replacements, is a welcome perk.

Other features on the GBH 18V 26F that I really liked include the integrated LED light that illuminates the work area, as I more often than not find myself working in poorly lit circumstances. I also liked the KickBack Control – if the drill gets jammed, a sensor will shut off the motor in less than a second.

Final analysis I’ve got to say that the excellent battery recharge time and quick change chuck, which is very well designed, are reasons enough to invest in this drill. But with the other safety and convenience features, added to the fact that this cordless drill is as powerful as a corded one, you will be hard pressed to find a better all-rounder.

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Battery benefits The best thing about Bosch’s hammer drill is the super quick charge time. I haven’t had any cordless tool that charges in the time that this one does. Bosch says that it can recharge up to 80% capacity within 35 minutes, and on the whole I found this to be true. For me they were fully charged in around 45 to 50 minutes. Because the GBH 18V 26F comes with two batteries, you can wear one down while the other one is charging up, letting you ENQUIRY

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High tech fabric prevents sweat

Trousers just for women Hoydens is the name of a new workwear range designed specifically for women. Created by Annie Bowman, a painter and decorator who was fed up with working in ill-fitting, impractical and unflattering trousers, the Hoydens trousers are designed to help women feel comfortable all day while looking professional and smart.

While workwear for men has vastly improved over the last few years, and although there are alternatives for women, there can be issues such as not quite enough room in the hips and thighs, leading to tight, uncomfortable work and ripping at the seams.

Hoydens come in women’s sizes 8-18 and three leg lengths to make it easier to order the right size.

The work trousers are currently being trialled by tradeswomen in Sheffield and will be available via

One of the latest advancements in fabric is 37.5 Technology, which was originally developed for outdoors wear and athletic clothing to provide moisture-management garments. Snickers has introduced this fabric into select ranges of its workwear. Here, MD David Clark explains why the fabric is effective and why it’s ideal for work.

www.hoydens.co.uk towards the end of the year. Annie is launching a Kickstarter campaign in October/ November to help fund the first production run, which will offer discounts for early subscribers.

Hoydens will be asking everyone who buys the trousers for their feedback, as they want to make sure as many women as possible have a fit that is right for them. Future designs will

include different fits of trousers and more features.

Work tops and jackets to accommodate the bigger bust, and work shoes and boots for women’s feet, are planned too.

“I’m hoping that Hoydens will really help women feel so comfy that they can just get up, get dressed and get on with their work,” says Annie.

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s advancements in start to work. That’s too wearable technollate. A fabric that knows ogy and high-tech what your body needs in fabrics continue, Snickadvance is the solution. ers Workwear leads the Reducing risks way with the trial of its 37.5 Technology started Tracker-1 device and the in outdoor clothing, patented KneeGuard sysexpanded into lifestyle tem. We are also focused and sportswear, and on performance and comnow it’s embedded into fort and believe it is closely our workwear. The more linked to productivity. This comfortable users are, is why we have introduced the more productive they 37.5 Technology fabric. are likely to be, reducing The name 37.5 comes the risk of mistakes and from the ideal relative accidents. humidity of the microIt’s all about improving climate close to the comfort and enabling a skin – and the average better work experience. person’s ideal core You are most comfortable when the This technology suits body temperature. It’s microclimate next to your skin has a relative humidity close to 37.5% a technology that cools our workwear perfectly when it’s warm, but warms when it’s cold. with its superior absorption capabilities.

37.5’s developers discovered that embedding We tested several similar technologies activated carbon in fabrics speeds up the available on the market, but none of them conversion of liquid to vapour, cooling you were as responsive as 37.5. down when it is hot and warming you up Snickers performed both lab tests and when it is cold. Unlike conventional moisture- live user tests on 37.5 before including the management fabrics, 37.5 Technology is all technology in the product range. We have about preventing sweating in the first place. had very positive feedback from users, The problem with fabrics that absorb highlighting the improved comfort of the moisture is that they solve the problem fabric. after it has arisen. You sweat, and then they This ground-breaking technology fits nicely into our strategy of offering the best workwear on the market, aimed at improving the user’s efficiency, comfort and productivity. It has unique features, and it feels great to be the first workwear manufacturer to launch it in the UK.

Work comfortably The 37.5 active particle technology captures and releases moisture vapour to maintain the optimum relative humidity in your body’s microclimate.

Interweaving 37.5 Technology fabric into our latest LITEWork and AllRound garments means that you can wear clothes that excel at ventilation and moisture transportation to keep you working comfortably wherever you are on site.

There’s a new range of shirts, jackets, trousers and accessories to ensure a balanced work temperature for your wellbeing, efficiency and job safety.

So, to make sure you get the right protection, flexibility, durability and ventilation, check out the newest LITEWork and AllRound workwear for precisely the right garments to fit your workday.

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Base layers help keep you warm, and hightech fabrics also keep you dry and comfortable

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Raise standards to reduce costs It can be tempting to cut corners with the expectation that it will save time, but sometimes those simple cheats can prove to be a false economy. Here, Chris Matenaers, Digital Marketing Manager from Cromwell Tools, looks at ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality.

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set yourself back hours. This he most successful means you’ll fit less work t radespeople are into the day and fewer jobs just as talented at into the week, so you’ll have running a business as they to work more hours for the are working with their same pay. hands. Part of this comes Make sure you’ve got down to knowing how to everything you need to keep costs low without complete a job without affecting the quality of their interruption by writing out work and keep profits as high every task you’re going to as possible. perform the next day and To help you boost your the tools you’ll need to do bottom line when times them. Bring these together are tough as well as when the evening before the job work is streaming in, I’ve and, if necessary, plan a trip brought together the four Chris Matenaers, Digital to the supplier before you best ways to cut costs without Marketing Manager arrive on site so you can be compromising on quality as an independent tradesperson. Follow these sure you have absolutely everything you need to complete your work in the most tips and your finances are sure to flourish. efficient way possible.

Be prepared Of course, it’s important not to cut corners You should arrive to each job with every when it comes to your equipment. You rely bit of equipment you need to complete the on your tools to make a living, and secondwork ahead. If you realise you’ve left an rate equipment will lead to mediocre results essential bit of kit at home or you need to and unhappy customers and clients. What’s go out and buy new equipment, you could more, top quality kit will last you decades,

while sub-par tools may break on a job, meaning you might have to go out and replace them when you could be doing work.

Threat of theft Tool theft in the UK has risen by over 30% in the last twelve months, according to figures from Simply Business. If your tools are taken it could cost thousands to replace them, and you could lose out on business while you scramble to replace your equipment.

With this in mind, it’s important to properly protect yourself against the attentions of opportunistic thieves. Make sure to completely empty your van of equipment every day and either store it in your home or secure it on your business premises. If you can’t empty your van each day, make sure your tools are out of sight and you have a working alarm installed on your vehicle. It’s also well worth installing a CCTV camera outside your house to act as a deterrent and provide evidence if worse comes to worst.

Health and safety As an independent tradesperson with only yourself to answer to, it can be tempting to ignore health and safety regulations. However, if you suffer an injury in the workplace you can put yourself out of action and lose your source of income. By following the Government’s guidelines to a T, you’ll minimise the risk of suffering an injury on the job that could sideline you for months or even end your career.

To make sure you’re sticking to best

practice, get acquainted with the guidance on the Health and Safety Executive’s website, which has specific tips for every industry out there. They also have comprehensive guides to working with potentially dangerous substances like gas, asbestos, and lead that you should read if you know you’re going to be handling these materials. This will keep you as safe as possible and help keep you in work all year round.

Cut the waste The waste created on a job is not only bad for the planet — it’s bad for your bottom line as well. By focusing on reducing waste throughout your business, you could save money and reduce lead times.

Save money by calculating exactly how many supplies you need and only buying that much. When you do end up with leftover supplies, bring them along to similar jobs until you get the chance to use them. For example, if you’re a plumber you could reuse lengths of pipework leftover from previous jobs, but still charge for the parts and labour.

To make big savings in your business, recycle absolutely everything you can.

Find our more Cromwell Tools specialises in all types of tools, maintenance and repair and operations products. the company has 54 UK branches each offering a trade counter service and daily delivery. For more details...

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Stainless steel breakthrough Inspired by the principles of cryogenics as used by NASA and the European Space Agency to develop rocket fuel, Bahco’s designers and production engineers have achieved a technical advance in manufacturing stainless steel screwdrivers.

Stainless steel resists bad weather conditions and corrosion, making it suitable for use by plumbers and heating installers, especially when working on site.

Until now, stainless steel hard enough for industrial and trade applications has been too brittle for everyday use. Bahco has overcome this by using advanced cryogenic technology. Ice hardening cools and tempers the steel, preserving its flexibility while giving stainless steel screwdrivers superior hardness and durability.

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debris on stainless steel screws, causing them to corrode when exposed to oxygen in the atmosphere.

The solution is to drive them with stainless steel screwdrivers.

“This technical breakthrough is further evidence of our market leading innovation,” says Mark Haywood, who leads the Bahco team in the UK and Ireland. “The development of stainless steel screwdrivers

and torsion bits offers significant benefits to engineers and technicians working in environments where corrosion must be avoided.”

Bahco’s stainless steel screwdrivers and torsion bits are now available from trade suppliers across the UK and Ireland, with a wide choice of slotted, Phillips, Pozidriv and Torx heads available.

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Tools & Workwear 65

Don’t underestimate the value of dressing right When it comes to workwear, some are tempted into buying cheap and often, rather than investing in quality kit that lasts. Dexters explains why workwear should be both functional and comfortable.

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or something that’s with us every single day, our workwear is often overlooked. Sure, it’s easy to pick up some cheap trousers and be done with it, but why settle for something average when choosing great workwear can make a real difference? The workwear you buy can have an effect on everything from the customer’s first impression of you to the quality of your work. Investing in good workwear, even if it costs a little more up front, is vital.

Still not convinced? Here are four key reasons you should always invest in great quality workwear.

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Of course, safety on site is absolutely vital, and cheap workwear often isn’t up to the job. Workwear that’s cheaply made can often be lax on safety features, while frayed and shabby workwear can become caught in equipment or even become a trip hazard.

Good quality workwear will pack in features like rip stops , so you can avoid your workwear becoming a hazard, and will support different types of knee pad.

Everyone has a different preference, so being able to choose the pad that best suits you is important for both comfort and safety.

You’ll look professional

There’s nothing worse for a customer than hiring a plumber or heating engineer and having them turn up looking scruffy. You might be the most talented tradesperson they’ve ever employed, but if you don’t look it, they won’t be asking you back.

Investing in some smart workwear can set you apart in the eyes of a customer, and whether you’re self-employed or kitting out a team of engineers, it can make all the difference. Looking the part will change how the customer perceives you and even how much they trust you as a professional. After all, if you can’t even get your workwear right, how are you going to handle complicated plumbing and heating problems?

Safety is vital

Dexters trousers are designed to attach the pockets in three different positions

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You can save money

So good quality workwear might seem more expensive, but think about it for a second and you’ll realise, it’s actually cheaper. A pair of trousers that falls apart after two weeks is going to end up costing you more in the long run than a pair which lasts two years.

When it comes to quality and durability in workwear, you get what you pay for.

Cheap workwear wears down easily under the strain of the job, so don’t be seduced by a low price – poor workwear will end up costing you more in the long term.

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Raise quality of work

Good quality workwear should help you work faster and better. Everyone works differently, and each task requires specific tools and techniques, so your workwear should be able to adapt to the situation you’re in. The last thing you want is restrictive workwear that just gets in the way of the job. Great quality workwear should be a help, not a hindrance, letting you adapt to different tasks and ultimately produce better work.

Choosing workwear that can benefit how you work day to day is all about picking the kit that works for you.

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Dexter’s General Pocket holds small items like tape measures, screwdrivers and torches

COMPETITION Here’s your chance to win Dexters workwear that lasts, looks professional and gets the job done while saving you time and money on the job. PHAM News has teamed up with Dexter to offer readers the chance to win a Plumber’s Starter Pack worth £120. It includes the following:

Win!

2 x workman’s trousers 1 x plumber’s general pocket set 1 x t-shirt 1 x belt To enter, just visit the website: www.phamnews.co.uk/dexters

Inventor has novel idea for kneepads

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young entrepreneur from Gourock has reimagined the traditional kneepad design to launch a product aimed at tradespeople which reduces pressure on the knee.

Vicky Hamilton, 27, a product design engineering graduate from the University of Strathclyde, originally developed Recoil Kneepads as part of her final year project.

She was inspired to help her dad, Gordon Hamilton, who suffers from osteoarthritis, which he believes has been

Recoil kneepads can decrease pressure on the knees by 76%

caused by his lifelong career as a joiner.

The design incorporates a double layer system that absorbs impact and reduces pressure across the entire

The double layer system absorbs impact and reduces pressure

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knee joint, rather than focusing on one small area.

The result is Recoil Protective Kneepads, which she is now launching to the public.

Well supported Vicky found support and encouragement from entrepreneurial organisations including the Scottish Institute for Enterprise and the Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards, which helped her to turn Recoil into a reality and start her own business. In June 2015 she secured the necessary £65k to bring Recoil to life from the Scottish EDGE fund.

Vicky says: “The idea for Recoil came about one evening when I was listening to my dad complain about his sore knees at the dinner table.

None of the kneepads he had tried were helping and it suddenly clicked that I could create something that would improve life for him.

“A huge amount of research has gone into the development of Recoil Kneepads over the last four years to create a product that outperforms those already available on the market.”

The kneepads have been put through their paces at the University of Strathclyde, with tests finding they decrease pressure by 76%, making them more effective at reducing pain than the major competitor brands. The nearest competitor reduces pressure by 60.7%.

Vicky’s dad Gordon says: “I am extremely proud of what Vicky has achieved.

Vicky Hamilton, inventor of the Recoil, with her father, Gordon

She has certainly found a solution to a problem myself and many others in the trade suffer from. I find Recoil Kneepads extremely comfortable and they make prolonged kneeling a lot more bearable. I never thought my complaining would have resulted in such a fantastic product!”

Vicky adds: “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have the support of organisations with a wealth of entrepreneurial experience. Starting my own business has been rewarding and exciting, with

Recoil going from strength to strength. I urge others with a great idea up their sleeve to seek out professional guidance and discover what they can achieve.

“I want Recoil to have a positive impact within the UK business community. We manufacture the kneepads locally, in Edinburgh, and I plan to invest in job creation over the next year. I’m also very interested in connecting with potential stockists over the next few months.”

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Well dressed for a job well done

Showing up to a client’s property in smart workwear that fits well and is designed for comfort, utility and durability will set anyone up for a good day’s work. Here, James Whitaker, Marketing Director at Dickies, advises on the benefits of investing in professional workwear.

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Modern image

s a company first established in 1922, we’ve witnessed the progression of workwear over the past 95 years. Not only has new technology greatly advanced the market so that the quality of what’s available is better than ever, but there’s also been a real shift in what tradesmen demand from their clothing and footwear.

As tradesmen rely on workwear to support them in all kinds of environments, functionality, durability and affordability are naturally top priorities. However, today’s installers also demand workwear that helps them to cultivate a professional – and even fashionable – image.

Today’s workwear has undoubtedly been shaped by a shift in demand among tradesmen for clothing that looks both fashionable and professional. Installers care more about what their clients think and teams of plumbers are increasingly keen to wear items that are easy to coordinate in terms of colour and style, giving them the option of wearing the same ‘uniform’.

Similarly, tradesmen want outfits that can see them from site, to meeting a potential client, to the pub – or that simply don’t look out of place when walking down the high street.

As such, workwear manufacturers have had to up their game and now focus more on designing clothing and footwear that meets this demand, without compromising on the comfort and functionality that tradesmen expect.

There’s no need to compromise when it comes to workwear – functional, practical designs that make any job as easy and as safe as possible, while cultivating a professional style, is something you should demand whenever shopping for new clothing and footwear.

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Well equipped It’s often tempting for tradesmen to rely on standard casual wear to keep them comfortable while on the job, but investing in clothing that’s specifically designed to support them at work offers practical benefits, while helping to cultivate a modern, professional look.

For example, a particular item of clothing we’d always advise installers to invest in are trousers designed for workwear purposes rather than simply relying on jeans.

Workwear trousers should include features such as functional pockets designed to include specific items such as a ruler or smartphone, plus hammer loops. To enhance flexibility, trousers should feature elasticated waist bands and reinforced stitches, while premium products should also include built-in knee pads.

Lightweight footwear that’s flexible is key for tradesmen who are often required to kneel or bend, while also offering a high level of comfort for those who are on their feet all day. It’s important to look for a flexible sole and to make sure any shoes or boots are specifically designed for those working indoors (or outdoors if the job demands).

Cutting edge fabrics Workwear manufacturers are able to design products using fabrics that are more flexible and durable than ever before, with additional benefits such as UV protection, giving tradesmen an extra layer of defence from the sun when working outdoors.

Reciprocal saw speeds up the job Specific examples to look out for include Coolcore, which regulates moisture, and Cordura, which offers extra defence against wear and tear on elbow panels and knees, helping clothing last longer. Coolcore is a performance fabric technology that adapts to its environment and regulates temperature by managing heat and moisture. Cordura fabrics are known for their durability and resistance to abrasions, tears and scuffs.

The latest cordless reciprocal saw from Hitachi Power Tools is claimed to be tougher and faster than previous models, providing users with the opportunity to save time and be more productive.

The CR18DBL 18V cordless reciprocal saw with brushless motor delivers a faster cutting speed, which Hitachi says is 1.6 times faster than its previous model when cutting through steel pipe and 2.1 times faster through wood.

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features tool-less blade change and shoe adjustment, meaning there are no fiddly tools to carry around and even more time is saved to get work completed – users simply push a lever. A bright LED light helps you to see the job at hand and a convenient, large, pivoting hook allows you to hang up the saw on pipes and scaffolding.

A curved blade comes as standard, and the CR18DBL is available with two 5.0Ah Li-ion batteries or as an economical body only version.

The saw comes with a three year warranty, subject to it being registered online within four weeks of purchase.

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TOOLS & Workwear 67 Extended range to help you press on with the job The expanded range of XPress Press Power Tools from Pegler Yorkshire offers a variety of tooling to support press-fit installations from 12 to 168.3mm and sprinkler systems. In addition, the range includes the combined package of AC0203 with 15-35mm jaws in a single case.

The improved range of press tools provides better performance whilst being lighter and easier to handle. Incorporating an ‘X’ symbol, visible on the pressed fitting, the tools provide an instant visual aid to indicate the joint has been pressed. The range includes a number of kitted options enabling complete sets of tools, jaws and slings to be ordered under just one product code.

Power in hand The new 18V Brushless Impact Driver (DTD155) from Makita is both powerful and compact – equalling the size of Makita’s 10.8V machines.

Featuring a variable speed trigger, electric brake, and forward/reverse rotation selection, this model has low vibration, a 2-speed impact power selection, LED job light and soft grip handle. A new 18v LXT 2-piece brushless kit has also been introduced, which includes the existing DTS141 Oil Pulse Driver and the DTD170 Impact Driver.

Proper selection In addition, the new tooling brochure is designed to showcase all XPress tools and accessories in one comprehensive guide. It also includes a tool compatibility table to easily identify the best tool for the job requirements and a full installation guide for all sizes from 12 to 168.3mm.

Amy Sedgwick, Pegler Yorkshire’s Market Manager for Press Systems, says: “With over half the work carried out by heating engineers and contractors being on ‘live’ sites, press-fit jointing has become the preferred choice because of its safety credentials and ease of installation. With that in mind it was a natural progression to provide not

www.makitauk.com

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only the best press-fit fittings on the market but the full range of tools to complete the job too.”

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Material gains

How to get a grip Designed for use on siphons, tube fittings, connectors and filter cartridges up to 80mm diameter, the Knipex siphon and connector pliers are adjustable to 25 positions to reach the required size. Its box-joint design ensures diverse diameters can be tackled by the pliers.

While the tool is made for tightening and loosening siphon screw connections, it can also tighten and loosen plastic pipe fittings and round union nuts for connectors and couplings with a screw connection, such as Cannon circular connectors. The pliers are also good for gently loosening hoses on nozzles, and the gentle gripping of filter cartridges that are subject to cleaning or replacement. www.knipex.com

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The MM850 from Marcrist International is a multimaterial drill piece for use with materials which are predominantly drilled by fitters, plumbers, builders, tilers and electricians.

Said to have exceptional performance at a competitive price, the MM850 drill piece benefits from a self-centring tip to reduce any slippage on the material during drilling as well as producing a precision hole at speed.

Part of the Marcrist AkkuMAX range, the drill piece is designed for corded and cordless drills, with or without percussion, preventing the need to change not only drill pieces for different materials but also the machine. The double shank supports conventional chucks with

its rounded shank as well as a hex shank to reduce slipping in the chuck during drilling.

The MM850 is available now in a range of sizes from Ø5mm to Ø14mm and also available in a five-piece multipack.

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Improvements deliver more power Power tool manufacturer Fein has revamped its entire range of 12V and 18V drill/ drivers and impact wrench/ drivers for greater precision and power. One of the main improvements is the addition of detachable heads to switch rapidly between drilling, tapping and screw driving applications with the Fein QuickIN interface. In addition, the new accessories improve precision, as the tapping adapter prevents the thread drill from slipping.

Another development is the launch of Fein MultiVolt. The

MultiVolt helps users work for longer by enabling 18V tools to be operated with any Fein Li-ion battery between 12 and 18V – they’re also compatible with older batteries with a

lower capacity.

Fein’s top model in the new range of tools is the ASCM 18 QM drill/driver. As Fein’s most powerful drill/driver to date, the ASCM 18 QM has sufficient

torque and speed to drill up to 25mm holes in metal using a carbide hole saw.

The range also includes a 4-speed 12V drill/driver, the ASCM 12 QC and impact wrench/drivers that achieve torque levels up to 290Nm. Furthermore, not only are the torque levels adjustable with six settings on the new impact wrench/drivers, they will also achieve 10% more torque in reverse running to aid the loosening of extremely tight fittings.

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October 2017

WHAT’S W HAT’S Ne New w 69 New N ew heat heat pump pump generation generation From P anasonic c omes tthe he From Panasonic comes Generation All-In-One All-In-One H G eneration rrange ange of of air air to to water water heat heat pumps.

The p umps. T he rrange ange sspans pans six six capacities 16kW and c apacities ffrom rom 3 tto o1 6kW a nd delivers d elivers a heating heating operating operating off --20°C +35°C. rrange ange o 20°C tto o+ 35°C. Building B uilding on on the the company’s company’s Aquarea All-In-One unit, A quarea A ll-In-One u nit, tthe he H Generation Generation heating heatting and and hot hot water w ater solution solution iintegrates nte t g rates a hydro kit and 185 h ydro k it a nd 1 85 litre litre DHW DHW unit and ttank ank iinto nto a ssingle ingle u nit a nd eliminates need e liminates tthe he n eed ffor or a buffer The also b uffer tank. tank. T he ssystem ystem a lso ffeatures eattures a maintenance-free maintenance-frree sstainless tainless ssteel teel ttank an k w ith with high degree off tthermal a h igh d eg ree o hermal

insulation in s u l at ion to t o minimise m in im i s e energ y losses. losses. energy All A ll electrical electrical components components and and p piping iping connections connections are are located att tthe located a he front front and and are are accessible an easyaccessible tthrough hrou ugh a ne asyto-remove panel which, to-remove p anel w hich, says company, helps says tthe he c ompany, h elps tto o reduce costs and reduce iinstallation nstallation c osts a nd save up 50% on save iinstallers nstallers u p tto o5 0% o n installation installation ttime. ime.

Another A nother major major ffeature eature to to enhance enhance the the H Generation Generation is is its its compatibility compatibilit y with with Panasonic’s Aquarea Smart Panasonic’s A quarea S mart Cloud control More Cloud c ontrol ssystem. ystem. M ore than than a simple simple controller controller for for switching heating device switching a he ating de vice

on orr o off, Aquarea o n o ff, tthe he A quarea Smart Cloud provides S mart C lou ud p rovides an a n iintuitive ntuitive service ser vice for for rremotely emotely controlling controlling the the ffull ull range range of of heating heating and and water hot w ater ffunctions, unctions, iinncluding c luding m monitoring onitor ing e energy nerg y consumption. c onsumption.

The T he H Generation Generation iis s available a vailable iin n ssix ix ssizes izes – 3, 3, 5,, 7 7,, 9 9,, 1 12 and 16kW 5 2 a nd 1 6kW – tto o provide pr ovide a ssuitable uitable ssystem ystem ffor or most most applications. appllications. The The 3kW and 5kW 3 kW a nd 5 kW ssystems ystems meet September 2019 m eet S eptember 2 019 ERP ER P by rregulations eg ulations b y achieving achieving an an A+++ All A +++ rrating. ating. A ll rremaining emaining units an A++ u nits hold hold a n A ++ rrating ating

Meeting high Meeting high hot hot water wa ater de demand mand

both and medium ffor or b oth llow ow a nd m edium applications. ttemperature emperature a pplications.

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Discrete D iscrete d drainage rainage ffor or w wetrooms etrooms Described as Described as tthe he u ultimate ltimate lluxury uxury iin n sshower hower ssystems, ystems, tthe he new by On The n ew IInfinity nfinity II-Line -Line b yO nT he Level Level features features a ‘barely ‘barely there’ there’ channel c hannel tthat hat edges edges tthe he w wall all tto o create create a sseamless eamless fi finish nish tto oa wetroom w etroom floor. floor. It It means means that that there there is is no no need need for for a an nu unsightly nsightly sshower hower drain drain and and water water can can drain drain away aw way from from a sloped sloped floor. floor.

Manufactured M anufactured iin n tthe he U UK Ku using sing h high igh g grade rade sstainless tainless ssteel, teel, iitt has has both both left left and and right-hand right-hand configuration configuration options. options. There There are a re also also four four d different iffe erent sstock-size tock-size formers, formers, each each with with different diffe erent configurations, c onfigurations, which which means means it it can can be be installed installed with with almost almost any a ny type type of of floor. floor.

For F or extra extra large large projects, projects, there there is is a dual-outlet dual-outlet channel channel option, and company also offers o ption, a nd tthe he c ompany a lso o ffers a bespoke bespoke service service when when Formers can be manufactured sstandard tandard sizes sizes aren’t aren’t ssuitable. uitable. F ormers c an b em anufactured ffrom rom 600 600 up up to to 2000mm 2000mm in in length length and, and, if if required, required, produced produced with material up 30mm, coping with flow w ith a tthicker hicker m aterial u p tto o3 0mm, c oping w ith fl ow rrates ates off b between 34 and 50 per minute. o etween 3 4a nd 5 0 llitres itres p er m inute. www.onthelevel.co.uk w ww.onthelevel.co.uk

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Fire retardant Fire reetardant air air admittance a dmiittance valves valves First llaunched First aunched in in 2003, 2003, the the T ec-Vent fi re retardant retardant air air Tec-Vent fire admittance a dmittance valve vallve from from Studor Studor has h as now now been been u updated. pdated.

Manufactured Ma nufactured from from flame fl ame rretardant etardant material, m aterial, tthe he Tec-Vent T ec-Vent iiss sspecifically pecifically desig ned ffor or public public areas a reas such such ass sschools, a chools, air a irp ports, or t s, hospitals h o s p it a l s and a nd h high-rise igh-rise buildings, b uildings, as as well well ass in a in oil oil a and nd gas, gas, aviation av viation n and and other other ssettings ettings where where flame flame rretardance etardance is is a priority. pr ior it y. ““The The T ec-Vent iis s tthe he p erfect Tec-Vent perfect option o ption tto o u use se iinstead nstead o off extending e xtending e expensive xpensive fl flame ame rretardant etardant v vent ent p piping,” iping,” comments c omments S Studor’s tudorr’s UK UK MD MD Stephen St ephen T Taylor. aylor. ““It It o offers ffers considerable c onsiderable ssavings avings tto o penetrating p enetrating tthrough hrou ugh rroofs oofs orr walls, o walls, whilst whilst offering offer ing no no

compromise compromise tto o ssafety afet y o orr efficiency.” efficiency.”

Protecting P rotecting tthe he ttrap rap p sseals eals iin n the the drainage drainage system, system, the the TecTecVent a llows ffresh resh a ir tto oe nter Vent allows air enter and ensures a nd e nsures that that pressure tthe he p ressure within the w ithin th e drainage ssystem ystem is is properly pr o p e r ly balanced. balanced.

When Whe h n tthe he flo flow ow sstops, tops, iitt cl closes oses and and prevents prevents any a ny foul foul a air ir a and nd dangerous gases dangerous g ases from entering from e nter ing habitable habitable b space. space.

As As a specialist specialist manufacturer off air manufacturer o a ir admittance admittance valves, valves, Studor Studor has has more more than than one one million million products products installed installed each each year year and and operates operates a worldwide worldwide distribution distr ibution network ne etwork that that extends extends to m more ore tthan han 50 countries. countr ies.

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Water heating Water heating specialist specialist Fabdec Fabdec has has announced announced the the launch launch o ts WXI W XI Hi-Flo Hi-Flo u nvented w ater h eater. The The new new model model off iits unvented water heater. features fe at ures a 28mm 28mm inlet inlet and and outlet out let fitting fitt ing to to accommodate accommodate either 500 vessels, making particularly e ither 400 400 or or 5 00 llitre itre v essels, m aking iitt p articularly ssuited uited high-end domestic orr llight markets where ffor or h igh-end d omestic o ight commercial commercial m arkets w here orr m multiple-occupancy. tthere here is is a higher higher water water demand demand o ult iple-occupanc y.

Stuart Doggrell, S t ua r t D og g rell, Fabdec Fabdec General General Manager, Manager, comments: comments: ““The The W XI H i-Flo b uilds on on tthe he ssuccess uccess of of products products in in our our WXI Hi-Flo builds F abdec Excelsior Excelsior rrange ange but but has has been been specifically specifically y developed developed Fabdec tto o cater cater for for h higher igher throughput throughput volumes, volumes, using using our our unique unique 3S Technology.”

3 ST echno olog y.”

3S 3 S Technology Technolog y is is a self-sustaining self-sustaining internal inter nal expansion expansion ssystem, ystem, adopting adopting the the Venturi Venturi principle principle in in which which atmospheric attmospheric air drawn as water demanded upstream. a ir iis sd rawn iinto nto tthe he ssystem ystem a sw atter iis sd emanded u pstream.

Because water demand, B ecause this this occurs occurs in in accordance accordance with with hot hot w ater d emand, not cause any performance. also iitt does does n ot c ause a ny deterioration deter ioration iin np erformance. IItt a lso means m eans that that the the internal internal air air gap gap is is permanently permanently replenished, replenished, eradicating orr rregular e radicat ing the t he need need ffor or rrecharging echarg ing o eg ular sservicing. er v icing. g Stuart adds: S t ua r t a dds: ““This This llatest atest innovation innovat ion will w ill allow allow us us to to provide new markets, pr ov ide tthis his ttechnology echnolog y tto o ne wm arkets, iincluding ncluding lleisure, eisure, healthcare healthcare and and hospitality.

There h o s p it a l it y. T her e are no a re n o iinternal, nter nal, moving parts mov ing p ar ts iin n cylinder and tthe he c ylinder a nd once place, o nce iin n p lace, tthere here are parts a re no no additional addit ional p ar t s The absence off a an rrequired. equired. T he ab sence o n external expansion vessel ex ternal ex pansion v essel means can fitt iinto m eans tthe he ttank ank c an fi nto more compact mo re c ompact installation installation which makes sspaces, paces, w hich m akes it it everything iideal deal ffor or e ver y t hing ffrom rom small sm all guest guest houses houses right right up up hotels and tto o llarger arger h otels a nd lleisure eisure ffacilities. acilit ies. ““The The WXI W XI Hi-Flo Hi-Flo iis s a great our g reat demonstration demonstration of of o ur commitment ongoing c ommitment to to o ngoing product pr oduc ct research research and and development.” d evelopment.” www.fabdec.com www .fabdec.com

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Hip H ip to to be be square square Made ffrom Made rom D Duravit’s urav it’s o own wn cast c ast mineral mineral material, material, DuraDuraSolid, S olid, tthe he n new ew D DuraSquare uraSquare bathtub b athtub bh has as b been een d designed esigned tto o complement c omplement tthe he c company’s ompany’s Durarrecently ecent ly iintroduced nt roduced D uraCeram C eram ceramic ceramic washbasins. washbasins.

The T he bathtubs bathtubs a are re ssaid aid tto oo offer ffer a warm, warm, pleasant pleasant ffeel eel and and are are available a vailable as as built-in built-in a as sw well ell as ffreestanding reestanding v versions. ersions.

T he b uilt-in, back-to-wall back-to-wall The built-in, orr c o corner or ner version version o off tthe he bathtub b at ht ub ((measuring measur ing 1 1800 80 0

x 800mm) 80 0mm) is is available available with w it h a Quadroval Quadroval outlet out let w waste a st e and and overflow over flow fitting, fitt ing, each each in in c chrome. hrome. F For or additional addit ional comfort comfor t llevels, evels, tthere here iis sa an n optional opt ional a air ir w whirl hirl ssystem ystem with w it h Piezo Piezo button button control. control.

The The ffreestanding reestanding bath, bath, with with seamless p anel, measures measures a a seamless panel, generous generous 1 1850 850 x 850mm 850mm and and also also comes comes w with ith tthe he o optional ptional water water inlet inlet a and nd a air ir system. system.

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70 What’s New Affordable luxury in a landscape fire Shallower dig for rainwater harvest The Modenza range of landscape models from Valor is described as a premium gas fire without a premium price. Available in a choice of three colours, the range combines stylish looks and high heat output control from a burner assembly that slides completely out for easy installation, servicing and maintenance.

Customers can choose from black, brushed chrome and chrome models, with a vermiculite liner and log fuel bed to complete the look. With three settings from 1.8 to 3.8kW, these 75% efficiency landscape gas fires offer ample heat output to warm the living room and

come with Fireslide control for easy operation.

Jonathan Smith, Product Marketing Manager, says: “This is a unique product which fills a clear gap in

the market for a stylish, aspirational, landscape gas fire at a competitive price.

Our own research shows too many gas installers are still not making the most of

the business opportunities available with gas fires.

Now the launch of the Valor Modenza collection gives them a choice of three designs that will genuinely appeal to homeowners and create profitable installation opportunities.

“From the flame picture and heat output control to the finishing design touches, every consideration has been made to deliver a premium product that will create a wow factor in any living room.”

The Valor Modenza models are available for wall mounting or can be fitted within a suite.

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Designed for high end bathrooms Luxury bathroom product manufacturer, Imperial Bathrooms, has unveiled the Carlyon Roseland furniture portfolio. It is a collection of handcrafted wall-hung furniture in a choice of natural woods or subtle hand painted finishes to create a bespoke look.

Taking its inspiration from classic British styles, the Carlyon Roseland collection is available in four different natural wood finishes, or alternatively in

a choice of seven solid wood hand painted options. It is designed to offer a distinctive

alternative to fitted furniture, combining storage solutions with modern soft-close features.

Roseland is available as either a one or two drawer unit and comes with a choice of either a large Carlyon basin or Expression vessel bowl, allowing customers to create their own style.

Also available as part of the new collection is the stylish Anabelle mirror, which features matching curves and colour options.

Customers can choose from hand painted wood, wood finish, and oiled wood finish.

The new furniture range is handcrafted by Imperial at its UK manufacturing facility based in the West Midlands. All pieces within the range coordinate with the company’s handcrafted ceramic collections, baths, brassware and accessories to create a bespoke bathroom with distinctive products.

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Joining Kingspan’s portfolio of rainwater recycling solutions is the Gamma Rainwater range, a ‘shallow dig’ domestic rainwater system. Its profile requires less excavation than traditional rainwater harvesting systems as well as less backfill to secure it in place. It’s also suited to rocky strata conditions where deep digs are not possible.

Gamma is designed as a fit-and-forget system, providing homeowners with a seamless, automatic supply of harvested rainwater. It works by channelling rain from roof gutters, filtering out leaves and debris, and then storing the water in an underground tank. This water is then conveyed to appliances either direct, via a header tank, or is pumped direct from the main storage tank in applications where a tank is impractical.

Manufactured from tough polyethylene, the underground tank is robust and lightweight, making it easy to handle and install. Tank sizes range from 2350 to 4600 litres.

Gamma is fully compliant with all regulations and standards, having been tested in accordance with EN 12566 Part 1 and BS 8515:2009. www.kingspanenviro.com

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Smart toilet functions keep Easy lift salt bags users clean and comfortable In-Wash is the name of Roca’s WC with in-built technology for personal hygiene that provides complete cleaning, care and comfort. Its smart features, ease of use and attractive design are designed to bring wellbeing to the bathroom.

In-Wash requires only one water inlet which distributes water to the cistern or to the nozzle after filtering. The WC also

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works with a conventional power supply, meaning it can easily be installed as part of a bathroom refurbishment.

From its simple wiring connections through to the removable seat, the whole installation process should only take around two hours.

The wall-hung In-Wash model is compatible with Roca’s Duplo WC Smart installation frame, the recommended configuration.

The remote control is easy to set up and intuitive to

use. As a complement to the remote control, In-Wash also features a side panel to regulate the basic cleaning and drying functions.

The integrated nozzle cleans itself before and after each use, and the water flowing through it undergoes a filtering process that treats it before being used. Moreover, the tip of the nozzle is removable, allowing a manual cleaning.

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Customers with water softeners can benefit from Monarch Water’s new 5kg Ultimate tablet water softener salt. Designed with an ‘easy lift’ handle, the 5kg bag complements Monarch’s existing tablet, granular and block softener salt range, which are available in 25 and 8kg bag sizes.

MD Kevin Johnson says: “We’re excited at launching our new high quality 5kg

Ultimate tablet softener salt.

It fits nicely with our existing range of salt and offers an ‘Easy Lift’ carry handle so that anyone can pick it up.

“Everything we have done in terms of design, size and weight of the product has been to add more convenience, especially in today’s society, when we’re all so busy and just want to pick up our household shopping and go.”

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Finishing the job just right Professional tradespeople wanting to leave their mark where there’s an element of painting to be completed on the job can turn to new Crown Contract Super Covertex to create the right impression.

Sharon Smith, Crown’s Trade Communications Manager, says: “It’s very much geared up to the needs of the trade, such as plumbers, elec-

tricians, plasterers and builders, who find themselves in a situation on a project where

they need to carry out basic painting works.

“With this in mind we developed the Crown Contract range to offer easy-to-use, trade quality products in a compact range offering all the key items to give professionals the finish their job deserves.”

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October 2017

What’s New Mix of modern and traditional The Alterna collection from Graham Plumbers’ Merchant has been extended.

The latest options include three different ranges of modular and fitted furniture, which all have a ten-year guarantee.

The Alaska is an on-trend update of the previous Gem range. It is available in white for a clean and modern appearance, and is also moisture resistant with soft close hinges on all cabinets.

The Modern, Curve and Classic ranges are all modular pieces that have been added to the collection. Modern features neat square edges, and is available in cashmere, white and dark grey. Curve has curved edges and is available in two colours with a textured finish, light grey and dark grey. Classic is designed with a traditional look with a painted wood texture and colour-matched interior. It is available in two colours; mussel ash and stone grey. Soft close doors and drawers and solid cast handles are standard across these ranges with matching mirrors, tall units and bath panels available. www.grahamplumbersmerchant.co.uk

No.

COMPETITION

Win a Wiser prize from Four Drayton to be won

This month PHAM News has teamed up with heating controls specialist Drayton to give four lucky readers the chance to win a new WISER smart heating controls system.

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Shocks are put under arrest Chris Ramster says: “The WRAS-approved RoboShock represents another significant step forward by Altecnic in developing solutions for the rapidly evolving heating and plumbing industry. We know that installers are going to love the Robo-Shock so much that it will become a product of choice within a very short time.”

Part of the Caleffi group, Altecnic launches this new product as it celebrates 30 years of trading in the UK and southern Ireland.

New from Altecnic is an easy-to-fit compression shock arrester that is WRAS approved and saves time and money on installation.

The new RoboShock shock arrester features a 15mm compression connection that reduces installation times to a minimum and cuts costs since no additional threaded fitting is required.

The RoboShock helps protect appliances against water hammer and offers the installer a wider range of installation options than was previously available.

Trade Sales Director

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Return of an old favourite The original Décor radiator has been relaunched by Myson, with a number of new styles and types added to the range. The

new radiator family includes horizontal, vertical, plinth and compact models, all in a stylish flat tube design in a range of heights from 155

to 2000mm and lengths from 308 to 2200mm.

There are over 120 stocked sizes, and the decorative style is offered as an alternative to mainstream radiators with a modern style. The original Décor tube design is said to add the finishing touch to any domestic project and is designed to look great in a variety of different applications while providing excellent heat outputs. The compact model is made of thicker steel and can work to higher pressure levels, making it a suitable choice for large commercial projects.

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Allowing installers to work wiser, not harder, Drayton’s innovative new WISER range is set to offer the fastest install on the market, with a standard UK wallplate allowing WISER to be retrofitted in minutes.

The simple WISER app, available on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, puts heating control in the palm of the user’s hand. This means homeowners can control the temperature in individual rooms of their house, from wherever they are.

WISER is also compatible with internet connected voice control systems such as the Amazon Alexa, allowing for hands free heating control.

A unique feature of the WISER range is

the addition of smart radiator thermostats, which can be easily retrofitted onto existing radiators. With valve adaptors included, installation is as simple as unscrewing the existing radiator valve head and screwing on the new smart radiator thermostat.

Offering flexibility, the buildable system presents users with the option of individual room control in up to 16 rooms. Centering around the Heat Hub, there are three readymade thermostat kits as well as two multizone kits available with the option to add further room thermostats and radiator thermostats to expand the system over time.

How to enter To be in with a chance of winning the new smart heating control, 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 ‘Smarter’, you should write 101 on the card. The winner will be drawn from all the correct entries received before the closing date of 3rd November 2017. Only one entry per person.

What is Drayton’s new range called?

201 Smarter

202 Wiser

203 Cleverer

w w w.draytoncontrols.co.uk

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October 2017

72 WHAT’S New Join the Q for a smarter installation Solo can join with others in a group

‘Q’ – the new generation smart shower from Aqualisa – is now in stock. The innovative shower is based on the company’s original, precision Quartz technology that automatically checks temperature 100 times per second.

For ease of installation, the new Q controller has been designed to retrofit over existing exposed Quartz installations. For example, the mounting holes for the controller are positioned to use the holes already made in tiles for a Quartz controller.

To help installers further, all exposed products come with a fitting template that ensures that all holes are drilled in exactly the right position. Also, a new connection method is used

to connect the smart valve to the Q controller. This means that it is impossible to get the cable the wrong way round and it can be shortened if required.

Guides and warranty cards have been split up into a wallet for the installer and another for the homeowner. The installer will now find all

the information needed in one place and can present the customer with all the information they need.

Designed by the Aqualisa R&D team, special features of the new Q shower include a proximity sensor that reduces flow to save water, activates the power-on mode and even greets the user with a friendly ‘hello’.

The movement of the lever, used to navigate menus and profiles, is controlled by magnets for a seamless motion. All the touch points are metal or glass for a premium look and feel.

Training in smart mixer installation is offered free by Aqualisa at venues around the country.

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Safe and Control heat room by room effective fans

The Hush and Breeze ventilation ranges from HiB have been improved with the launch of two new SELV fans. Available in white or chrome, Hush and Breeze can be mounted on either the ceiling or the wall.

These fans offer extraction rates of 86m³/hr (Hush) and 77m³/hr (Breeze), exceeding the minimum requirement of 54m³/hr. The fans also operate at near silent noise levels of only 25dB and 32dB, respectively.

Steve Kaye, Marketing Director at HiB, says: “Hush and Breeze have proved a huge hit with homeowners so far – however, despite their IPX4 rating, we’ve noted a trend amongst installers for the enhanced protection of SELV. The extension of our existing ranges provides them with a product they feel entirely confident fitting.”

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A new device from Netatmo will enable people to make energy savings by controlling their heating on a room by room basis. The Netatmo Smart Radiator Valve is fitted on hot water radiators to regulate the temperature of the room. A heating schedule can be set for each room, adapted to the habits of the occupants. From the app, users can customise the temperature of each room in the house.

The valve has a number of smart features, including Open Window Detection.

This means the valve will sense when an window has been opened and will immediately stop heating the room. Smart Regulation is a function that allows the device to precisely analyse external elements in real

time, such as weather, to adjust the heating. There is also a manual boost function, allowing the user to temporarily increase the temperature of the room.

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

netatmo.com/en-GB/site

The Infinity Solo condensing and low NOx condensing water heater is the first Rinnai product for the UK to bring together the technology of its wall mounted continuous flow water heaters with a stainless steel storage cylinder in one compact footprint. The product can be manifolded for larger projects, and there is no restriction on the number of units that can be linked together.

Several of the 24 to 59.5kW Infinity Solo units are renewables compatible and supplied pre-fitted with a coil, ensuring the primary energy source will always be from renewable gains and the complementary Rinnai water heater will only apply the required amount of gas to boost the difference in temperature.

The Solo cylinder is stainless steel, reducing the weight compared to glass-lined models, which makes transportation and installation easier. The cylinders also boast low heat loss (as low as 1.41kW/h day), which means the customer

pays less to maintain the heat within the tank.

Rinnai’s new Solo range incorporates 35 and 54kW appliances, ensuring that even sites with a smaller gas meter can utilise its advanced technologies.

Integral controls on the units ensure optimum performance and efficiencies, whether locally or when integrated into a building management system. And there is also Legionella protection available.

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www.rinnaiuk.com

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Chillers have small footprint A new range of air-cooled inverter scroll chillers from LG come as heat pump and cooling-only options and are available in 60, 123 and 185kW (cooling capacity) models. The chillers offer an EER of 2.65/CoP 3.2/ESEER 4.79 and are suitable for applications where space is an issue, as it has a footprint of just 4.9m2. The units are also said to feature low noise, with just 68dB(A) and can offer reduced noise levels at night by adjusting the fan RPM. The inverter scroll compressor boasts high energy efficiency in overall operation range, especially in part-load, helping to reduce operation costs for the end user. The compressors include the use of LG’s own

patented HiPOR technology (High Pressure Oil Return) and vapour injection compressor return as seen in the company’s VRF systems.

The system effectively resolves the issue of compressor energy wastage, providing operational savings and a wide operating range of 15 – 125Hz. The simple design of the air-cooled system allows the user to effectively maximise space.

The chiller system can be easily extended if needed by modular design. A single unit of 185kW can be added up to a maximum of 925kW operating from one controller, or a combination of 10 units from a centralised control.

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Solid as a rock The Kinerock is a contemporary shower tray from Saniflo that features a durable mineral material that can be easily cut to measure. It is available in a variety of standard and large sizes, as well as a range of colours, and features an anti-slip surface that reduces the risk of falling in the shower.

The tray is made from a mineral filler and acrylic resin, which means it is light and easy to cut. The gelcoat surface ensures it is durable and highly resistant to scratches and damage. The Kinerock is described as being a comfortable, safe and versatile shower tray, as the textured material offers good grip, adding a feeling of security, and at just 40mm thick, the Kinerock offers easy access into a shower area. www.saniflo.co.uk

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October 2017

WHAT’S New 73 Classic British design for rural tastes Oval opulence The Dik Geurts collection of contemporary wood stoves available from DRU has been expanded to include the Aste, a rectangular stove with 4.9kW output and a large, clear viewing window made from heat-resistant glass.

It has a sturdy construction with classic splayed legs and a smooth anthracite finish. The flames and heat settings are adjusted by a slide control and there is a cool touch handle. Aste can be installed as freestanding

or inserted into an inglenook chimney. It has the option of an external air version

Eco Design ready with an A+ energy rating.

DRU UK General Manager Niall Deiraniya says: “We have had great success with the Dik Geurts Ivar wood stove collection, which has a clean, contemporary styling combined with excellent functionality. The Aste is based on the same concept but with a traditional British stove design more likely to appeal to rural homeowners as well as city dwellers.”

for clean burning and high efficiency. Just like all the Dik Geurts stoves, Aste is

PHAM NEWS ENQUIRY No.

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Adhesive gives time for adjustment Because there are some tiling jobs that require more fixing time, Dunlop has developed the Flexible Slowset Floor & Wall Tile Adhesive that sets slowly, giving you up to 20 minutes to fix and adjust the tiles.

Water and frost resistant, Dunlop Flexible Slowset can be used internally and externally

and is suitable for use with floor and wall tiles including porcelain, ceramic, mosaics, quarry tiles and brick slips.

Because tiles can be adjusted on the wall or floor so long after positioning, it makes this new adhesive good for fixing large format tiles or tiles which are difficult to set out.

A flexible C2TE adhesive, Dunlop Flexible Slowset is also suitable for underfloor heating or swimming pools, and because of its slowsetting formulation it has a pot life of four to five hours after mixing – meaning less mixes for larger jobs.

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Bringing the classic bath back to the modern bathroom, Kaldewei has unveiled the freestanding Meisterstück Classic Duo Oval. The bath is encased in seamless panelling using steel enamel and features a narrow lip around the rim.

Inside the tub, two backrests provide the user with extra comfort. This freestanding bath can be coordinated with Kaldewei’s round undercounter washbasin from the Classic family of products. The company says the Classic Duo Oval is the starter model of the Meisterstück Collection and represents excellent value for money.

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DIRECTORY Biomass Boilers

ECO ANGUS

Heating (Water)

ENQUIRY

01

Heating Controls

Now Available New Zen Brochure

See the Full Zen Range from Hyco with working models at Grand Designs Live Show NEC Birmingham 11-15th October

www.phamnews.co.uk hyco.co.uk

Controls

01924 225 200

HYCO

ENQUIRY

03

Underfloor Heating

01359 243 516 projects@gaia.co.uk www.gaia.co.uk HEATING CONTROLS ONLINE

ENQUIRY

05

GAIA

ENQUIRY

06

Safety Products

Temperature Sensors Expert technical advice and sales support from the UK market leaders in thermistor sensors and thermal components.

UÊ *ÈnÊ*À Lià UÊ >ÃÌ Àië ÃiÊ-i à Àà UÊ-ÕÀv>ViÊ-i à Àà UÊ* «i V «Ê-i à Àà ATC SEMITEC LTD Tel: 01606 871680 E-mail: sales@atcsemitec.co.uk Web: www.atcsemitec.co.uk

FOR THE BEST IN SENSOR DESIGN BANICO CONTROLS

ENQUIRY

02

ATC SEMITEC

ENQUIRY

04

GOTEC

ENQUIRY

07

73-75 Pham OCT17:Layout 1 03/10/2017 12:02 Page 74

October 2017

74 DIRECTORY Radiators

Training & Assessments

MR COMBI

Training & Assessments

ENQUIRY

11 STEVE WILLIS TRAINING

APOLLO RADIATORS

ENQUIRY

08

ENQUIRY

14

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

MIDLAND GAS ASSESSMENTS

ENQUIRY

12

Bromley Gas Training & Assessment Centre (BTAAC) Is your ACS about to expire?

THE RADIATOR FACTORY

ENQUIRY

09

further your ambitions, telephone 023 8066 8900 for information and application pack.

We Provide Quality Commercial & Domestic Gas Training, Assessment and Re-Assessment

www.idhee.org.uk Training & Assessments

KIWA

Call 0208 315 5678 or to view the range of courses we offer, competitive rates and special offers visit our website

www.bromleygastraining.co.uk

E: sarah.bygraves@bromleytraining.co.uk Unit 4, Ashgrove Industrial Estate, Ashgrove Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 4JW AQUALISA

SOUTH WEST PENINSULAR TRAINING LTD

ENQUIRY

10

BROMLEY GAS TRAINING

ENQUIRY

ENQUIRY

15

ENQUIRY

16

To find out more about highlighting your Training Courses to over 29,000* PHAM News readers, please contact Sharon classified@phamnews.co.uk 01889 577 222 *ABC Audited Circulation Jan-Dec 2016 29,032

13

73-75 Pham OCT17:Layout 1 03/10/2017 16:43 Page 75

October 2017

INFORMATION Centre 75 Danfoss & Honeywell Book of Wiring

‘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 Danfoss and Honeywell 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

371

To help meet the specific requirements of school and college environments Graham Plumbers’ Merchant has launched a dedicated product guide for those involved in the repair, planned maintenance or upgrade of plumbing and washroom facilities in educational facilities.

The Plumbing Solutions for Schools and Colleges guide divides Graham’s extensive range into clear and concise categories to make finding the right products simple, including everything needed to fully equip disabled access facilities.

Pick up a copy of the guide at your local branch, visit www.grahamplumbersmerchant.co.uk or enter the PHAM No. ENQUIRY

CIBSE DBSP

ENQUIRY

373

Snickers Next Generation Working Clothes Combine To Defy The Winter Weather

Graham’s New School and College Guide

GRAHAM

Please order from www.mrcombi.com or enter the PHAM No.

SNICKERS

ENQUIRY

375

Pegler Yorkshire Launches Handbook App

Dressing right and staying comfortable when it’s cold and wet on site requires more than your old windcheater, waterproofs and wellies.

The solution is Snickers’ very latest garments that deliver advanced ventilation and the ability to control and regulate the heat from your body. Snickers recommend dressing in 3 layers: base-layer, mid-layer and “outer shell”, great for both work and leisure activities.

For more information call the Snickers Helpline on 01484 854788, visit the website at www.snickersworkwear.co.uk or enter the PHAM No.

372

MR COMBI

ENQUIRY

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The new product handbook app contains the entire Pegler Yorkshire product catalogue in an easy to use format that also works offline, complete with notifications of periodic updates to ensure the data and pricing is completely up to date.

The app is available to download through Apple’s App Store, Google Play and Windows Phone There is also a hard copy of the product guide available.

Call 01302 560 560 email brochures@pegleryorkshire.co.uk. or enter the PHAM No. PEGLER YORKSHIRE

ENQUIRY

376

Dripstoppers stop your drips!

Dripstoppers is a great new innovative product.

A universal stepped rubber bung that will adopt the shape required when inserted.

SIMPLY PUSH IN & TWIST TO SEAL.

• No more drips over your clothes.

• No more (waste) easy to clean and easy on the eye!

• Silicone free and temperature rated -25°C to +90°C, • Sizes to suit each application: Large Dripstoppers – 13mm to 42mm I.D Standard Dripstoppers – 5mm to 22mm I.D • A simple easy-to-use tool for all size entrances and exits.

Boilers, Radiators, Cylinders, Tanks, all hoses and piping systems, iron pipe drip sizes up to 11/2”, emptying your drip tray.

• Designed to help stop the sludgy drips and mess.

• Easy to use when removing installed plumbing products to prevent them from damaging customers flooring and No more dirty black sludgy van!!!

www.plumbpal.co.uk are the sole UK distributors for @Dripstoppers - @hotun - @PipeSnugs facebook/plumbpal.com

@plumb_pal

For further information or to order email sophie@plumbpal.co.uk, ring 07769217912 or enter the PHAM No. Visit our new websites www.plumbpal.co.uk www.dripstoppers.co.uk

Run by Plumbers, for Plumbers, from a Bristol Plumbers merchant

PLUMBPAL

ENQUIRY

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New catalogue features best ever product range, exclusives and deals!

Plumbfix is opening a new counter at the rate of one per week and you can now stock up on its biggest and best range of new and innovative products in its much-anticipated catalogue available over the counter from one of Plumbfix’s 530 counters.

Full of tools, workwear and essentials, the latest catalogue features industryleading brands and trade favourites from the likes of DeWalt, Bosch and Titan.

All products ordered are available for next day delivery seven days a week, or via the convenient Click & Collect service, which allows products to be picked-up in as little as 1 minute after ordering.

For more information on Plumbfix new range of products, visit www.plumbfix.com, call 03330 112 999, or pick up a copy of the new free catalogue at one of their counters.

PLUMBFIX

ENQUIRY

378

Advertiser’s Index ACV UK Ltd Advance Appliances Ltd Anton Industrial Services Ltd Aqualisa Products Ltd Arctic Hayes Ltd Ariston Boilers Bahco Tools Bathroom Manufacturers Association Baxi Heating UK Ltd BES Ltd Robert Bosch Ltd (Bosch Power Tools) CMR Controls Ltd City Plumbing Supplies (Travis Perkins) Docherty Group The Electric Heating Company Ford Motor Company Geberit Sales Ltd Gledhill Building Products Ltd

56 12 61 51 66 35 62 68 42 3 63 26 21 5 59 17 20 25

Go Geothermal Ltd 18 Grant Engineeering (UK) Ltd 7 Grasslin UK 6 Grundfos Pumps Ltd 47 Heatrae Sadia Heating 55 Honeywell Control Systems Ltd 9 Ideal Commercial Boilers 49 Ideal Standard International (Armitage Shanks) 23 Improveasy 19 Intatec Ltd (Zilmet) 11 Intergas Heating Ltd 41 John Guest Speedfit Ltd Front Cover Wrap Johnson & Starley Ltd 39 Kamco Ltd 50 LG Electronics UK Ltd 52 MHS Radiators 8 M V Fluids Handling Ltd 69 Maincor Ltd 13 Makita 64 Nu-Heat UK Ltd 60

OFTEC Pegler Yorkshire Group Ltd Polypipe plc Protean Software Ltd Ravenheat Manufacturing Ltd Redring Xpelair Group Sentinel Performance Solutions Ltd Stiebel Eltron UK Ltd Stokvis Energy Systems Talon Manufacturing Ltd Testo Viega Ltd Viesmann Ltd Vokera Ltd Warmup Wolseley UK Ltd Worcester, Bosch Group Wunda Group plc

28 27 76 4 45 29 40 58 48 24 67 14, 15 43 37 57 30 33 10

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