Ask the experts in the installer group

The Drayton Community Facebook group is planning to host a number of industry experts in the upcoming months to discuss topics ranging from low temperature systems, heat pumps and hybrid systems, and best practice to achieve greater efficiency from heating systems.

During each live session, the audience will be able to submit their questions, which will be answered throughout by the panellists. The first live Facebook session of 2023 took place last month, where Richard Burrows, Kimbo Betty and Rob Berridge joined Clare@Drayton to cover pumps, including everything installers need to know about best practice for the most efficient heating systems.

Clare Weller, trade marketing manager, says: “We’re excited to be continuing the investment in The Drayton Community this year with our live expert panels. We have a great line - up of guest speakers joining us throughout the year who will be sharing their valuable insights and knowledge with Drayton installers. The wide range of topics planned will help installers to further develop their skills and offer their customers even more efficient heating.”

◼ phamnews.co.uk/423/09

◼ Tradespeople signing up for a Checkatrade membership will be eligible to claim a Toolstation gift card of up to £200 to spend in store, online or on the app. To be eligible for the gift card, tradespeople must meet Checkatrade’s member criteria which includes passing a bespoke vetting process and possessing valid public liability insurance.

◼ Wavin has announced the launch of environmental product declarations (EPDs) for its suite of products sold in the UK and Irish markets. Based on third-party verified life cycle assessments, EPDs transparently map production processes to resource impacts. Providing details on the environmental impact across the entire life cycle, EPDs enable building designers, planners, contractors and developers to choose more sustainable products and solutions.

Free net zero guide for social housing

Social housing providers are being advised to start planning a phased approach to heat decarbonisation across their building stock, in a new guide from Baxi.

‘Decarbonisation and affordability of heat – a phased approach’ is a free downloadable guide that aims to provide social housing providers with a framework for achieving net zero, particularly in harder-todecarbonise social homes.

Baxi states that with many residents struggling with fuel bills, social housing providers face the dual challenge of solving fuel poverty while achieving their own environmental targets. The guide recognises that only a comprehensive mix of technologies, implemented at scale within suitably prepared housing stock, will be able to face up to the netzero challenge, while maintaining maximum comfort and minimum disruption for residents. The four-phase approach encourages social housing providers to take a fabric-first approach within harder-to-heat homes to ensure that the buildings are as efficient as possible and suitable for the low-temperature heating prescribed by Part L of Building Regulations. As a next step, housing providers are being urged to consider accessories which will improve the energy rating of existing systems, before planning larger scale investments such as air source heat pumps and heat networks or longer-term solutions such as hydrogen boilers.

David Cook, sales and specification director, residential, says: “Feedback from our customers indicates that a number of constraints can make certain social homes hard to decarbonise. In buildings like these, full decarbonisation could take some time to achieve. With that in mind, we’ve set out to support housing providers with a guide to the typical steps involved in decarbonising heat to help our customers plot their pathway to improved energy efficiency and net zero. Our goal is to provide social housing providers with the right heating solution at the right time to improve the comfort of residents while making significant carbon savings.”

◼ phamnews.co.uk/423/10

Money for Pink Ribbon charity

Wall panel brand Showerwall has announced that its recent collaboration with The Pink Ribbon Foundation has succeeded in raising £1170 for the charity.

To mark Breast Cancer Awareness month, which took place last October, Showerwall pledged its support by donating money from every sale of its acrylic panels which featured the colour pink. The campaign took place over a three -month period, finishing at the end of December 2022.

As part of the collaboration, Showerwall also helped to educate people about the importance of regular ‘self-checks’ in the shower, via a social media campaign that was supported by Instagram influencers who shared their experiences of being impacted by breast cancer. Product manager Steph Harris comments: “We’re proud to have worked with a charity that supports all those affected by breast cancer, and we’re looking forward to collaborating again in the future.”

Sharp rise in pipe insulation sales

He adds that the growth in sales of foam products could also be partly attributed to an increase in the number of properties switching to ground source heat pumps.

“Heat pumps work at lower temperatures than a traditional heating system, therefore good insulation is key to getting the most out of the system,” comments Eray. “Without good all-round insulation, including loft insulation, wall insulation and double glazing, some people will find heat pumps do not produce enough energy to keep the building a comfortable temperature.”

Insulating pipes has additional benefits beyond reducing energy consumption, including condensation control, frost protection and noise reduction.

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As energy prices continue to rise and people look for ways to reduce their heating bills, a supplier of HVAC equipment is reporting a big rise in sales of pipe insulation.

TG Lynes says it has seen sales of Armacell pipe insulation double in the last 12 months.

Eray Guleryuz, commercial team lead at TG Lynes, says: “People are more aware than ever of the measures that can be taken to reduce energy bills. Some estimates suggest that up to 25% of all heat produced escapes through the pipes before it reaches the final destination.”

Jamie Bomber, national sales manager at Armacell, comments: “Increasing energy efficiency, thus reducing costs, has become one of the main drivers in the specification of our products for the built environment, both in the domestic and commercial HVAC building sectors. Whether the heating and cooling sources are heat pumps or conventional equipment, system performance, system longevity and the working and living environments are significantly enhanced with the inclusion of ArmaFlex insulation materials fitted to pipework, ductwork and within the building fabric.”