May 2021 by PHAM News

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MAY 2021 | VOLUME 59 | ISSUE 4

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Report highlights urgent need to refurbish school heating systems A new white paper produced by Baxi NāÖŶĢłė ĞÖŭ ĢùāłŶĢƩ āù the need to instigate a major programme aimed at improving the āƧ óĢāłóƘ ŋĕ āƗĢŭŶĢłė heating systems in the educational sector The ‘Refurbishment of School Heating Systems’ white paper highlights the need to reduce the costs – both to the environment and educational budgets – of running some of the ageing school heating systems. The report states that many heating and hot water systems have seen better days, with a high proportion (˟˞%) of school buildings built before ˚ˢˠ˟. The government has recognised

the issues with a ten-year school rebuilding programme. It has also included schools in the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to help them install energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures. But schools embarking on a heating refurbishment programme often face a range of challenges – from poor insulation to overheating – that make use of some alternative technologies very difficult.

Andy Green, technical director at Baxi Heating, who contributed to the report, comments: “We have numerous years of experience supporting project teams to achieve the best possible results in schools projects. For many schools, switching from ageing noncondensing boilers to low carbon technologies in one leap simply won’t be a technically or financially viable option at present. “However, it’s evident that if we are to achieve our emissions reduction target, we must take every possible action now. In schools like these, taking a phased approach to refurbishment will help bring the building up to code and set it on the path to net zero.” The white paper reveals that ˞ˠ% of England’s schools have faulty boilers or heaters that add an unnecessary financial burden for this sector. The Carbon Trust Whole School Approach to Energy Savings

Support for low carbon commitment

anticipated Heat and Buildings Strategy aligns with this new announcement in order to help us reach various other targets such as ˟˙˙̇˙˙˙ heat pump units in ˛˙˛ˡ,” says Mark Wilkins, director of technologies and training at Vaillant. “In the UK we know that ˜˚% of household emissions comes from central heating, so as a leading manufacturer of heating and hot water solutions, we need to take action now for a more sustainable future.” While backing the rollout of heat pumps in reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, Daikin has highlighted the urgent need to address industry skill levels. Ian Bevan, the company’s commercial

manager, comments: “We must be ĿĢłùĕŽķ ŶĞÖŶ ŶĞāũā Ģŭ Ö ŭĢėłĢƩ óÖłŶ job still to do in supporting professionals within the sector to meet the demands of scaling up the installation of renewable heating systems. “For the heat pump market alone, we estimate around ˚ˠ̇˙˙˙ new installers are required to meet the expected demand within the next ten years, so providing high quality training opportunities is essential. A highly skilled workforce will be vital in supporting the government’s plans.” Baxi Heating points out that a lack of consumer acceptance is another potential barrier to

The UK government’s recent announcement that it will accept the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee and set a target of cutting carbon emissions by ˠˡ% (by ˛˙˜˞ compared to ˚ˢˢ˙ levels) has been broadly welcomed by industry stakeholders, but there are calls to back the pledge with a serious plan of action. “It is crucial that the government ensures the eagerly

report estimates that UK schools could save £˟˙m annually through improved energy management, including upgraded heating and hot water systems – often the main energy users in school buildings. Andy Green adds: “We mustn’t neglect the affordable and achievable opportunities to reduce energy costs and emissions. Replacing old heating plant with modern energy efficient condensing boiler technology, for example, can drive down energy consumption significantly – and will provide an immediate solution for schools that face inadequate heating and hot water provision.” The report aims to reduce operational costs through a focus on systems thinking, from design to installation, arguing that the early engagement of consultants, specifiers, contractors and manufacturers will help to overcome typical refurbishment challenges. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˙˜

achieving the government’s ambitions. Jeff House, Baxi’s head of āƗŶāũłÖķ ÖƦ ÖĢũŭ̇ ŭÖƘŭ̆ ̦!ŋłŭŽĿāũ engagement should start now, to help increase understanding of the need for low carbon technology and the role it will inevitably play in meeting these goals. Change is inevitable, and we have to help people to understand that their heating systems and the way they use them will change – just as they will have to change the kind of car they drive. “The commitment demonstrated by the government to be a worldleader in reducing emissions now needs to be backed up by future policy and investment.”

Inside this issue 1łāũėƘ mÖŶŶāũŭ The predicted cost of hydrogen See page ˚ˢ

ũŋùŽóŶ pāƒŭ New heat pumps and more See page ˜˞

COMPETITION Win ˚˙ ùĢƦ āũāłŶ ŶÖťŭ ĕũŋĿ ũĢŭŶÖł̉ See page ˜ˠ

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Inside this issue 5 MAY 2021 VOLUME 59 ISSUE 4

Editor’s Viewpoint by Chris Jones

Injecting some optimism The latest ﬁgures suggest that the construction industry is starting to gain some momentum with housebuilding and civil engineering pro ects en oying the fastest growth since 201 . With 2020 being such a dire year comparing numbers with preceding months is a fairly pointless e ercise but there’s no doubt that anyone who has a business in the building sector and related trades is probably feeling a spring in their step. There’s certainly some pent-up demand in the system with pro ects that were previously put on hold now given the green light. There are also a good number of homeowners who are happy to redirect money to home improvement pro ects that might previously have been spent on foreign holidays. This month’s front cover story highlights another sector that is predicted to generate a lot of future activity. With many of the nation’s schools under-funded in recent years the government has instigated a rebuilding programme that should include a ma or refurbishment of some ageing heating systems. The report put together by a i identiﬁes a number of drivers not least of which is the need to raise energy e ciency levels and reduce carbon emissions. If all goes to plan there’s a real opportunity for manufacturers suppliers and contractors to help deliver the improvements that so many educational establishments so badly need. If recent events have taught us anything though it’s not to take anything for granted. While the relative success of the country’s vaccine rollout programme has meant that there are good grounds for hoping we’ve seen the last of any lockdowns the pandemic continues to create havoc in other parts of the world and perhaps it’s a little too early to assume that plc is back on track. ut after so much recent gloom the prospect of some summer sun and the rela ing of Covid-imposed restrictions are certainly helping to in ect a bit of optimism.

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PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

News Review

āťŋũŶ ŭÖƘŭ ŋłķƘ ķĢĿĢŶāù ŭóŋťā ĕŋũ ĞāÖŶ ťŽĿťŭ A new report published by the Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA) concludes that heat pumps alone will not solve the question of UK domestic heat decarbonisation, and therefore must be supported by other heating solutions, including a hydrogen gas network, if the UK is to deliver on its net zero ambitions. ‘Decarbonising heat in buildings: putting consumers first’ takes a deep dive into UK housing stock, old and new. The report explores the challenges of retro-fitting various low carbon heating technologies into dwellings

Decarbonising heat in buildings PUT TING CONSUMERS FIRS T A P R I L 2 0 21

vastly differing in size, age and construction, as well as customer acceptance of these solutions. It also highlights that although energy āƧóĢāłóƘ ƒĢķķ ðā óũŽóĢÖķ Ŷŋ łāŶ ơāũŋ targets, some measures supporting heat pump rollout will be intrusive to

install, and less acceptable to people. The report recommends further analysis should be undertaken to consider the internal system changes needed for heat pumps and hydrogen boilers. This includes the suitability of radiators for the low carbon transition, and changes to hot water cylinders should combi boilers be replaced with heat pumps. Although some ˚˙ million homes are technically amenable to a heat pump installation, the report says that the associated costs and disruption, plus lack of space, rule them out as a practical matter. Analysis finds that for eight to ˚˜million homes, i.e. ˜ˠͮ to ˞˝ͮ ŋĕ the ˛˛̍ˠmillion homes using gas, lack of exterior space and suitable building fabric mean a heat pump is not capable of meeting the space requirement, or can only do so through disruptive measures such as solid wall insulation. It is recommended that their use must be

supported by a decarbonised gas network carrying a gas such as hydrogen. In welcoming the report, Mike Foster, CEO of the EUA, says: “Heat pumps will play a key role in the future of heat, however it’s important to recognise that for them Ŷŋ ƒŋũĴ āƦāóŶĢƑāķƘ Öŭ ŶĞā ŭŋķā ĞāÖŶĢłė source, the building needs to be ŶĞāũĿÖķķƘ āƧóĢāłŶ̇ Öłù ŶĞāƘ ũāŨŽĢũā internal and external space as well as changes to internal systems such as radiators. “Levels of disruption to people in their homes and associated costs mean heat pumps will be a solution for a minority of properties only. This analysis shows a house-by-house heating solution is needed, and any thoughts to carve up the UK and force regional solutions upon consumers will be doomed to fail.” Download the EUA’s report using the link below. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˙˝

FũÖłŶ ŭóĞāĿā óŋłŶũĢðŽŶāŭ Ŷŋ ũĢŭā Ģł ÖťťũāłŶĢóāŭ Dm óÖķķŭ ĕŋũ ėũāāłāũ ėũŋƒŶĞ The UK construction sector expanded at its fastest rate in more than six years in March, according to IHS Markit/CIPS PMI data. Adjusted for ŭāÖŭŋłÖķ ĢłƪŽāłóāŭ̇ ŶĞā RN mÖũĴĢŶ̓ CIPS UK Construction Total Activity Index registered ˟˚̍ˠ in March, up sharply from ˞˜̍˜ in February. The latest reading signals the strongest rate of construction output growth since September ˛˙˚˝. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has responded to the new data with a call for government to back a ķŋłė ŶāũĿ łÖŶĢŋłÖķ ũāŶũŋƩŶ ŭŶũÖŶāėƘ̍ Brian Berry, CEO of the FMB, says: “It’s welcome news to see construction activity recovering.

Unfortunately, the premature closure of the Green Homes Grant Scheme has left many small builders out of pocket. If the government is serious about achieving net zero carbon emissions by ˛˙˞˙, a longterm National Retrofit Strategy is needed that can support green measures, while also stimulating local economies and creating jobs. “The construction skills shortage must be addressed if we are to build back better and greener. Training is ĴāƘ Ŷŋ ŶĞĢŭ āƦŋũŶ ðŽŶ ŶĞā ėŋƑāũłĿāłŶ must bring forward their proposals for local skills plans and college business centres, so that builders are supported to train.”

Apprentice numbers in Scotland have been boosted by plumbing employers taking advantage of the Apprentice Employer Grant (AEG). By the end of the grant deadline (˛˞ March), the Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) had submitted a total of ˚˚˞ grant applications, all of which were approved. The AEG scheme, worth up to ͎˞˙˙˙ depending on age Öłù óĞÖũÖóŶāũĢŭŶĢóŭ̇ ƒÖŭ ŋƦāũāù to employers who either took on a new apprentice or upskilled an existing employee through an apprenticeship. ˜˙ of the new intake started college in December last year, but the remaining ˡ˞ applications were for brand new apprentices who will be taking their college places this summer.

ķāƗ FŽŶĞũĢā̇ pR 1D ŶũÖĢłĢłė Öłù m ŋƧóāũ

Alex Guthrie, training and QMS ŋƧóāũ ÖŶ pR 1Ḋ ŭÖƘŭ̆ ̦ pR 1D Training Services alerted all its members to the opportunity that this grant presented and we expected there to be at least a few interested parties. We were quite overwhelmed when our outreach resulted in more than ˚˙˙ applications. “The response from the sector has been very heartening. The AEG grants will contribute hugely to the cost of individuals’ learning and help them work towards their ŨŽÖķĢƩóÖŶĢŋł̧̍

Rogue gas ƩŶŶāũ ĞÖù łŋŶ ŶũÖĢłāù ŭĢłóā ŶĞā ˚ˢˠ˙s Self-employed plumber, Jeffrey Lewis, has been sentenced by the North Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court after carrying out illegal and unsafe gas work. In April ˛˙˚ˡ, Lewis incorrectly installed a new boiler in a domestic property in Stoke-on-Trent. He was not, nor had ever been, Gas Safe Registered. He also issued an invalid ėÖŭ ŭÖĕāŶƘ óāũŶĢƩóÖŶā Ŷŋ ŶĞā ŋóóŽťĢāũ using a false Gas Safe registration number. A Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Lewis had not undertaken any appropriate training in gas work since the ˚ˢˠ˙s. By carrying out this gas work, he was also in breach of a Prohibition Notice issued to him by the HSE in ˛˙˚˞̍ ¦Ğā łŋŶĢóā ťũŋĞĢðĢŶāù `āƦũāƘ Lewis from carrying out gas work until he was competent to do so and had become registered with the Gas Safe Register. Jeffrey Alan Lewis of Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations ˚ˢˢˡ and breaching section ˜˜ of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act ˚ˢˠ˝. He received a one year custodial sentence suspended for ˚8 months, a four month curfew (ˠpm-˟am), was ordered to carry out ˛˙ rehabilitation activity days, and pay costs of ͎˚˙˙˙.

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PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

News Review

WRAS separates its water services The Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) has separated its subscriptions and approvals activities into two separate businesses – Water Regs UK and the Water Regulations Approval Scheme (WRAS). The move is designed to provide more clarity of the services provided by the water body, which was set up by the UK’s water supply companies in ˛˙˙ˢ. Water Regs UK will focus on promoting compliance with the Water Fitting Regulations and Byelaws across the UK, and will also be responsible for running the Water Industry Approved Plumber Scheme (WIAPS) on behalf of ˚˝ water suppliers in England and Wales. The new business is primarily funded by water

company subscribers and facilitates water company collaboration and the sharing of industry learning, experience, and good practice. It also acts as a hub to relay information about the water regulations. The new Water Regulations Approval Scheme business is funded by manufacturers Öłù ÖťťķĢóÖłŶŭ Öłù ĢŶ ĞÖŭ Ö ŭťāóĢƩ ó responsibility for approving plumbing products and materials. WRAS’s responsibilities include maintaining a directory of more than ˢ˙˙˙ products and ˜˙˙˙ materials.

Sentinel sold to Dutch company Water treatment specialist Sentinel has been acquired by Dutch company, Aalberts N.V. This acquisition will see the Sentinel business joining the ĞƘùũŋłĢó ƪ ŋƒ óŋłŶũŋķ ðŽŭĢłāŭŭ cluster of Aalberts, with Sentinel joining other wellknown businesses in this sector owned by Aalberts, including Flamco and Comap. Sentinel, based in Warrington, will continue to be led by the existing management team. Commenting on the acquisition, CEO David Barrett says: “We are delighted to be joining the Aalberts family, which offers significant opportunity for Sentinel as we continue our growth, focused on improving the energy efficiency of heating systems and meeting the needs of our growing customer base.”

Boiler break downs up by ˚˛ per cent National boiler, heating and home cover specialist, Hometree, has reported that the increased use of home heating has resulted in a ˚˛% increase in year-on-year boiler breakdowns over the winter. With many people on furlough or working from home, and a large number of householders keeping their heating on throughout the day, boilers have been put to the test in recent months. “With the boiler being crucial to ensuring homes are kept comfortable in the coldest months, the additional usage whilst working from home has meant increased wear and tear,” says Kemley Sellars from Hometree. “It really highlights the importance of having your boiler serviced in the coming months, ensuring that it’s working for next winter where many may have transitioned post-Covid to working from home more often.” To prepare boilers for next winter, NŋĿāŶũāā ŭÖƘŭ ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ ŭĞŋŽķù ŋƦ āũ their clients the following advice: • Check the radiators. To begin,

Starring role for heat pumps

Continuing its ‘Why Wait’ homeowner awareness campaign, Vaillant’s latest TV adverts will promote heat pumps as a sustainable heating technology. The second instalment of the campaign puts the company’s aroTHERM plus heat pump in the starring role.

switch on heating as normal. Once the home is fully heated, start to check each radiator for cold spots. Bleed trapped air where necessary. • Service the boiler annually by a Gas Safe engineer. • Insulate pipes to prevent them from freezing. It’s important to use the months outside of winter to ensure all pipework is insulated. • Check boiler pressure. A boiler’s pressure should always stay within the green zone on its pressure gauge once the system is switched on. To avoid a pressure drop, it’s recommended to check and use the filling link/loop, and bleed radiators if the pressure is too high.

Set to reach more than ˛.˝million homeowners, in addition to the ˛˜̍˞ million reached since its initial launch in September, this latest ad will air via on-demand platforms All ˝ and Sky AdSmart. It aims to raise consumer awareness of how a heat pump can help ĞāÖŶ ĞŋĿāŭ āƧ óĢāłŶķƘ Öłù āƦ āóŶĢƑāķƘ̇ as an existing and proven technology. Marketing director Alice Woolley says: “With a clear direction towards a low carbon future for our industry, we remain committed to supporting installers through our range of sustainable heating solutions, whether ŶĞÖŶ̪ŭ Öł āłāũėƘ āƧ óĢāłŶ ðŋĢķāũ ŋũ ĞāÖŶ pump. Our ‘Why Wait’ campaign, covers social, TV, radio and online media. As part of this long-term strategy, our latest TV advert is focused on raising homeowner awareness of heat pumps as one of the solutions which help in reducing household carbon emissions.”

Additional incentives Wiser Approved installers can now collect more free rewards from Drayton by registering installations through its loyalty programme. Approved Installers will receive a free Wiser Multi-Zone kit, worth over ͎˛˙˙, for every ˚˙ Wiser kit registrations completed on the ˢ° Network. When ˜˙ Wiser installations have been registered via the network, installers will be entitled to their exclusive Wiser product bundle including a multi zone kit, four radiator thermostats, and plug, plus an Amazon voucher worth £˞˙. The combination of products included in the incentive scheme focuses on multi-ơŋłā ĞāÖŶĢłė óŋłŶũŋķ̇ ĞāķťĢłė ĞāÖŶĢłė āłėĢłāāũŭ ŋƦ āũ ŶĞāĢũ óŽŭŶŋĿāũŭ Ö Ŀŋũā āƧ óĢāłŶ ŭĿÖũŶ ĞāÖŶĢłė ŭƘŭŶāĿ̍ Trade marketing manager Clare Weller says: “The scheme is available to Wiser Approved installers, so if you’re not already one of our professional installers, there’s no better time to become one. We’re offering approved installers the opportunity to purchase six kits at a discount of ˝˙% throughout the promotional period.” Find out more by using the online link below. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˙˞

Full production Following a £˟˞˙̇˙˙˙ investment last year, Kudos is ũāÖťĢłė ŶĞā ðāłāƩ Ŷŭ ŋĕ āƗŶũÖ ťũŋùŽóŶĢŋł óÖťÖóĢŶƘ ÖŶ ĢŶŭ Elmsfield Park, Cumbria facility. The expansion means it has seen the installation of a new shower tray production facility to supplement the existing tray manufacturing unit in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. The Cumbrian factory is now largely producing the company’s new SR premium shower tray collection.

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PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

News Review Guide to designing healthy apartments

Rethink on ventilation As the UK emerges from lockdown, Elta Group is accelerating calls for a clearer deﬁnition of fresh air’ in order to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in public buildings. Elta’s group product manager David Millward says: “Simply defining fresh air’ as allowing outside air to circulate inside does not go far enough, as the quality is not always sufficient, nor is it immediately controllable. This can be particularly problematic in urban areas, where high levels of pollution mean that natural ventilation, such as opening a window, can bring harmful pollutants into the building.”

The latest regulations for Parts L and F of the Building Regulations detail a change in emphasis towards air uality with speciﬁc guidance on monitoring IAQ in offices. Ideally, ventilation systems should measure CO2 and other air quality indicators, which helps to ensure that the fresh’ air being brought in from outside is suitably healthy. There is also specific guidance on how to ventilate certain types of buildings, or rooms in which particular activities are taking place. For example, where there is singing, exercise, or large numbers gathering, an increase in ventilation rates is likely to be required.

A new report from Rehau esigning Healthy Apartments’, suggests that the wellbeing of occupants of multi-residential properties is not prioritised throughout the entire building process. The survey of 20 M&E contractors and architects showed % of respondents believe wellbeing is being value engineered’ out of a project later on in the build. This despite 1% also identifying human health as a key concern when specifying pipe ﬁttings. Rehau’s new report explores the intrinsic link between health and sustainability when designing buildings, and solutions that are available to tackle this. It suggests that mounting pressure on construction professionals to deliver futureproof buildings has been further exacerbated by increased demand for inner-city living. In order to deliver multi-

PLUMBERS IN THE NEWS

residential developments in line with expectations of occupants, the report demonstrates that health and comfort must be designed and built into the environment just as much as sustainability. The importance of hygiene has also climbed the public agenda in light of Covid-1 . The report explores building services’ role in achieving optimal hygiene for residents, as well as the impact of sealed buildings on air quality. To read Rehau’s esigning Healthy Apartments’ please visit: ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

What the Romans did for plumbing

Installers and contractors can now book project consultation calls or site visits with Bosch Commercial through its new online booking system. Developed in response to the country moving to home working due to Covid restrictions, a short online form allows new and existing customers to input the relevant information and swiftly book a call or visit without the hassle of phoning or emailing. Tim Davies, director of Bosch Commercial, says: “As we continue to focus on changing customer needs, we have invested time and resource in setting up our new online system and are excited to be revealing it now. The commercial sector we operate in is undergoing a move towards digitalisation and we have seen firsthand the advantage of moving online, which is a beneﬁt we want to share with our customers. Our aim is to continue offering more services like this in the future.” To request a site visit or book a project consultation call, visit the website below. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

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New research from Checkatrade reveals that % of people don’t know that the Romans were instrumental in developing trades like plumbing, so the company produced a short video to explain it. Written and presented by Sir Tony Robinson, the video shows him taking plumber Danny on a journey through time, visiting Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex to show him how the skills he uses today were also used by Roman builders thousands of years ago. The poll of 2000 adults found that one in ﬁve 1 %) thought UFH was created in the 20th c. and only 3 % correctly identiﬁed that the Romans had brought plumbing to ritain. Sir Tony says: “I love using my passion for history to shine a light on little-known facts, with three quarters of us unaware that the

Romans used many of the building techniques we take for granted now. It’s fascinating to highlight the Roman innovations that are still popular amongst homeowners

and tradespeople so many centuries later.” View the video on PHAM’s website using the link below. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/ 7

annual services and value-adding treatments like inhibitor top-ups and full system ushes.

ADEY provides this example: If an engineer does 100 annual services per year and implements a £20 surcharge for water testing, they could make £2000 in additional revenue for just over eight hours’ work. On-site testing also allows engineers to have more productive conversations with their customers about the benefits of treatments, such as cleansing the system with an ADEY MagnaCleanse. To illustrate the benefits available to both installers and their customers, ADEY has created an infographic showing nine reasons to perform routine water quality checks. The infographic can be seen in full on PHAM’s website using the link below. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

Quick checks can mean more business According to industry feedback gathered by ADEY, gas engineers can enjoy growth opportunities by offering customers routine water quality checks, which will in turn help to ensure their heating systems are performing well. With on-site testing, engineers can undertake remedial actions while on the job to ensure better protection for the heating system. They can also boost the profitability of jobs to the tune of several thousand pounds every year, by adding a surcharge to

◼ Jason Thomas, a plumber from Ferryside, Carmarthenshire, is almost 1000 out of pocket after ytipping waste material from a bathroom refurb at the gates of a local scrap dealer. Thomas claimed he regularly leaves waste with the yard’s owner per an agreement with him, but accepted responsibility on this occasion and was ordered to pay a ﬁne and costs. ◼ Nor t h w e st Plu mbi ng Supplier Ltd and its contractor, Daniel Georghiou, ended up in the dock at Burnely Magistrates Court after a section of its shop collapsed. Georghiou had been carr y ing out construction work on the premises which he was un u iﬁe to o e ing to the collapse. He was given a suspended six-month prison term. Northwest Plumbing Supplier was fined £75 and ordered to pay costs of over £1 . ◼ The Courier is reporting that Angus-based plumber Philip Forfar, who crashed his work van into four parked cars, may lose his livelihood. The incident occurred while he was drink driving in the sight of police officers, who witnessed the collision. The self-employed plumber now fears he will lose his business as a result of the driving ban handed down at undee Sheriff Court. ◼ Waterworx Plumbing and Heating Services in St Ives helped to spread some Easter joy with a huge delivery of over 8 chocolate eggs to Peterborough Women’s Aid. Kym Moussi, director of Waterworx, said: “As a local business we believe it’s really important to support our community, local businesses and local charities.” ◼ Self-employed plumber and gas engineer Leon Stobbs and his wife have just celebrated their son’s first birthday. Baby Theo was born three months early and then contracted Covid after leaving hospital. Despite catching the virus, Theo suffered no more than a slight cough, and his mother only lost her sense of taste and smell for a time. Today, he’s a happy and healthy baby.

28/04/2021 09:53

PHAM FEB21 NAVIEN v2:Layout 1 20/01/2021 09:45 Page 2

NEW APPOINTMENTS

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

People on the Move

The new UK business director for Spirotech is Rob Jacques, who was formerly its national key account and technical sales manager. Rob has been with the company for 10 years, but has worked in the mechanical and industrial engineering industry for more than 21 years.

Following the acquisition by WCS Group, Guardian Water Treatment has asked Toby Hunt (pictured) to head the company. Toby will retain a strong working relationship with former MD, Stephen Booth, who has been promoted to Water & Air MD of WCS. Guardian has also appointed Steve Dawson as head of key accounts.

Toolstream has appointed James Whitaker and aura ansfield as marketing director and head of workwear, respectively. Both join from Dickies Workwear, where they supported the company’s brand, Timberland PRO. James will oversee Toolstream’s portfolio of brands, while Laura will focus on brand growth and new product creation for the Scruffs brand.

Kitchen products specialist Franke has announced the appointment of Steven Fowler and Natasha Quick as its new business development managers for the South and North of England, respectively. They will be responsible for strengthening new and existing customer relationships in the projects market and to continue to drive sales in their regions.

The Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) has announced the appointment of James Verlaque as technical manager for the Alliance. James will oversee and support all technical matters and functions of the SIA, supporting the chair, secretary general and all SIA members. He will also liaise with government departments and other trade organisations.

The newest area sales manager at ATAG Commercial is Calum MacKinnon, who will cover Scotland for the company. Calum has over 28 years’ sales experience, having previously worked for a number of different companies in the HVAC sector. As part of his sales work, he will be seeking to promote the features and beneﬁts of the company’s products across Scotland.

The Research and Product Tech team at Fernox has welcomed Amy Witzmann as research and development chemist. With an MS in chemistry from the University of Southampton, Amy will perform accelerated corrosion testing and contribute to the ongoing chemistry R&D projects at the company. She will be based at the company’s HQ in Woking.

Commercial Maintenance Services has appointed Craig Mclachlan to lead its newly launched air conditioning division. Craig will use his more than 30 years experience in the sector to manage a dedicated team of engineers specialising in the installation, repair, and maintenance of commercial air conditioning systems.

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28/04/2021 16:35

PHAM MAY21 VIESSMANN fp v2:Layout 1 29/04/2021 12:36 Page 1

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Gadgets & Tools

When you need extra power from a cordless

Star letter Share your views and you could win £100 for writing the star letter

Makita has expanded its high performance 0VMax XGT range with the launch of new tools, including the company’s ﬁrst twin 0V a 0VMax) machines. All feature brushless motors. Among the new launches is the new XGT Brushless rotary demolition hammer with variable speed control and two operating modes rotary hammer and hammer only. It is compatible with SDSMAX chisels, drill bits up to 2mm and core bits up to 1 0mm. The XGT Brushless Demolition Hammer features a compact design, variable speed control and a slide lever for trigger lock-on or lock-off. Also new is the lighter class HM001G 0VMax Brushless Demolition Hammer T which offers the same features. A brushless combi drill, brushless brad nailer and two brushless circular saws are other extensions to the range.

The HP002GZ 0VMax XGT brushless combi drill has a mechanical 2-speed control, variable speed trigger and 21 torque settings. The new 0VMax XGT brushless brad nailer 1 Ga has a slim nose for improved access when ﬁ ing in restricted areas. The new RS001GZ and RS002GZ are 0VMax Brushless Circular Saws with 1 mm and 2 0mm blades respectively. oth offer a comparable performance to the equivalent corded tool, and the rear handle design is said to make them ideal for ripping down sheet materials. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/1

New from Testo comes two smart probes for temperature and vacuum, plus a new multifunction app. The Smart Probe testo 1 i offers wireless temperature measurement. With its wide range of plug-in probes available and also options to adapt to use any standard K-type thermocouple, the 1 i offers a e ible and simple way to measure temperature changes in many applications. Thanks to the Smart Probe testo 2i, vacuum measurement in refrigeration and air conditioning service work can also be measured quickly and precisely. This Smart Probe operates completely wirelessly, and even without connection hoses. It can be connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone or tablet, over a range of up to 100m. The testo Smart App enables all measurement values to be read on a smartphone or tablet, while practical measurement menus and reports can quickly be created and sent by email. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/11

Sealant tool kit provides an easy way to get a professional finish

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The Tweet Spot

Recent tweets that caught our attention Follow us on @PHAMnews

Microwave boilers not an improvement on electric ones

Smart probes, wireless measurements

The Vitrex Silicon Remover & Finisher Kit is an all-in-one sealant remover and profiler kit for a professional looking finish to silicone grout sealants and fillers. The tool has a choice of five easy-change finishing profiles 3R R 10R 13R and 1 R). The silicon remover has a small cleaning tip for detailed and precision work, removing old sealant quickly and easily. ach of the five guides to be used with the profiler is made to precisely guide your work for the finish you want to achieve. The handle also has a neat cutter that can be used for opening tubes of sealant and cutting the end off the no le. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/12

Your Views

The proﬁler guides the application

The remover tool scrapes out old ﬁllers

Referring to the news item in the April edition titled ‘Microwave boiler could be launched in four years’ I get it that this country is supposed to move down the track towards electriﬁcation of heating, and new ideas are necessary to propel us along, but the thought that a microwave boiler is a viable option really boggles the mind. The article compares the microwave boiler to the microwave appliance in everyone’s kitchen. OK, let’s think about that. If you want to heat water for the morning brew, is the microwave what you think of? Of course not. The kettle is going to be the fastest and most e cient way. It uses a resistance heater and it’s about as close to 100 e cient as you can get. A microwave oven, on the other hand, will do the same job at about 0 e ciency with much of the energy lost in converting the electricity to microwaves. The company making the microwave boiler claims it is e cient but this can be bumped up to % using their so-called ‘turbo charge’ technology, which sounds unnecessarily complicated. The problem with energy is that when it’s converted from one form to another, it’s going to lose something in the process. That’s a key difference between a microwave boiler and a conventional electric boiler. An electric boiler directly heats the water, putting you closer to 100% e ciency. A microwave boiler adds in an extra step to the conversion chain - that is, it converts the electricity to microwaves which then go on to heat the water. That extra step sacriﬁces e ciency. If you have to give up gas and go with electric heating - and a heat pump is out of the question - a conventional electric boiler will be the better bet.

B. Johnson Milton Keynes

Prompt payments I read a story on your website the other day that said plumbers suffered more from customer payment disputes than any other trade. Well, I don’t know whether I’ve just got lucky, but I’ve been operating for 16 years and I’ve never had a problem. I think that if you treat customers with respect, keep them informed about any potential issues with the job in hand, then they tend to treat you with respect back. That said, there have been a couple of instances where I’ve declined to take on some work offered or at least made out I was too busy. I’m sure there are just as many crooked homeowners as there are cowboy tradespeople, but it’s about keeping your ear to the ground and trusting your own instincts. I’m not saying I’m anything special, but perhaps we get the customers we deserve.

J. Carter Leeds

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

29/04/2021 12:34

Join the energy revolution and become a certified heat pump installer

ith the transition towards low carbon technologies now underway, renewable heating systems are inevitably part of the future. By 202 , new build properties will no longer be heated with gas boilers and the UK government has recently announced, as part of its Ten Point Plan, a target of 00 000 heat pump installations per annum by 202 . As heat pumps are clearly set to play a key role in the decarbonisation of heat in the UK, getting to grips with heat pump technology as soon as possible will ensure that you and your customers are involved in the journey to Net Zero and are aware of the benefits heat pumps have to offer. NIBE Pro is an installer partnership scheme designed to guide and assist you and your team towards making this change. By providing a streamlined, personalised route for plumbing and heating installers to become an CS Certified heat pump installer I Pro gives you an industry recognised mark of quality, giving your customers confidence and enabling them to apply for schemes such as the Renewable Heat Incentive. Training costs towards becoming a NIBE Pro are fully redeemable through the NIBE Pro voucher scheme.

Full support Joining NIBE Pro not only sets you apart from the competition by working with one of the largest names in renewable climate solutions but also provides vital business, technical and digital support for your business.

Start your NIBE Pro journey today! Visit www.nibe.co.uk Or call us on 0330 311 2201

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29/04/2021 14:51

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Training Update

How to correctly size a heat pump

Virtual courses set to continue Targeting professionals installing energy e cient heating and hot water products for residential new build developments a i is highlighting the availability of its bespoke virtual learning modules. Throughout the pandemic the company has supported housing providers developers and their contractors with virtual training opportunities. This approach has allowed for training to continue that covers the installation commissioning and maintenance of the a i Assure complete home service range of boilers hot water cylinders air source heat pumps energy saving accessories and controls. Re ecting the success of the virtual training programme a i says that it will continue to offer it as an option even when nationwide training centres re-open later in the year following government guidelines. Tom urray speciﬁcation director commercial and residential at a i Heating says With the energy transition to a net-

Continuing his new regular column eil Hope from I nergy Systems e plains that heat pumps are no different to other heating systems in needing to be designed correctly.

ero future at the forefront of the residential speciﬁcation marketplace being able to train customers on new technologies and products that will aid the industry to meet the carbon challenge is really important. or the residential new build market this will mean a greater emphasis on the importance of technologies such as air source heat pumps. However our training covers the complete range of our products including gas and electric boilers hot water cylinders and energy saving accessories including the SHR HR and heating controls. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/1

CPD covers toilets and urinals A new CPD module which focuses on the speciﬁcation of urinals and toilets is now available from luidmaster. Said to be ideal for anyone involved in the design planning or installation of washrooms bathrooms or public conveniences the CP investigates themes such as product choice sustainable water management public health regulations and legislation. It e plores the importance of correct water management and system speciﬁcation e amines the different types of cisterns valves and controls available and the associated impact on the e ciency of buildings occupant comfort and the

lifecycle of the solution. There is also a discussion on the impact of e cient and sustainable solutions in relation to the importance of achieving a net ero carbon emission target. Adrian Hibbert specification manager comments When we consider that toilets are the second biggest residential water user with appro 30 of water used in the home going to ush the toilet it’s easy to see why effective toilet specification ushing and filling could make a huge difference to overall consumption. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/1

Guide to low carbon solutions The latest CP from Stelrad offers a guide to heating a home with heat emitters on low temperature systems and has been fully accredited by CI S and RI A. The company has added a number of new radiators to its portfolio specifically to prepare for the increased needs of radiators fitted on renewable systems catering for the lower circulating temperatures associated with renewable solutions in particular heat pump driven systems. This latest CP addresses the issues related to radiators and low temperature renewable heating systems says Stelrad’s

16.indd 1

Planning for the Future

Chris Harvey. We know that there has been a tendency to oversi e radiators rather than calculating what was needed in homes for a long while seeing many radiators never actually achieving the heat output they are capable of. We are suggesting that after taking this latest CP it will be clear that correct si ing is valuable not simply to ensure the radiators are the right si e for each room but as importantly you don’t spend more on a radiator than you need to. To find out more about Stelrad’s CP seminars please email info stelrad.com

eat pumps need to be designed correctly to perform as they should but that simply means that they re uire attention to detail. This is considered best practice across all heating systems and is something every good installer already adheres to. ut if you’re new to the world of heat pumps you have probably got a uestion or two about what aspects of heat pump design are most critical and why. One of the key things to know is that accurately si ing the heat pump is of paramount importance to ensure that the systems work as they are designed to. Of course this is the case for all heating technologies but it’s especially important to ma imise the energy performance potential of heat pumps given that an e cient system can deliver higher carbon emissions savings and lower energy demand. So here are a few pointers for you to keep in mind Heat pumps should be selected as closely as possible to the design demands This is a crucial part of the process and there is only a small margin for error. If the heat pump is too big for a property it will fre uently short cycle and put unnecessary strain on the system. If it is too small the heat pump like any undersi ed heating appliance will not heat the property su ciently on its own and may need to rely on a backup heater to meet demand. Accurately si ing the heat pump so that the output rating suits the demands of the home will ensure that the system performs as cost effectively and as e ciently as possible. Various factors need to be considered when accurately sizing a heat pump Heat pump si es range from around to 1 kW on a typical domestic single phase electricity supply with the larger systems typically re uired in bigger homes although other factors such as the level of insulation si e of heating emitters seasonal outdoor temperatures and hot water re uirements also come into play. Air source heat pump outputs are usually uoted at industry standard temperatures of °C/3 C which essentially means that if the air temperature is C and the indoor ow temperature is 3 C a 10kW heat pump will deliver 10kW of heat to the home. It is important to check using the manufacturer’s data that the selected heat pump will deliver the re uired output at design conditions which in the range between an outdoor temperature of 0 C and C.

Neil Hope

Head of installer development at NIBE Heating emitters must be selected to suit the building’s needs This is another important part of the design process. Heat emitters such as radiators may need to be upgraded so that they are appropriately si ed and positioned within the property to work with lower ow temperatures. Heat emitters with larger surface areas are great partners for heat pumps. nder oor heating also complements the system brilliantly and radiators can also be upgraded so that they are large enough to deliver the same heat output. A simple way to see how a heating system that is currently connected to a gas or oil boiler would perform with a heat pump is to reduce the ow temperature to C. It is important to note that this lower temperature means the system is more e cient and affordable to run. Full heat loss calculations are necessary with all heat pump installations Heat loss calculations for the ﬁnal design and selection purposes of heat pumps should be conducted on an elemental basis meaning that the heat loss of walls roof windows and oor should each be calculated and aggregated together. ull room-by-room calculations are essential to ensure that the amount of space that needs heating is accurately measured while considering the building’s materials and their abilities to reduce heat loss. It’s also important that all the building fabric ’ values are assessed to provide an accurate understanding of the rate at which they conduct heat. A huge part of my role is to ensure that installers are supported and encouraged throughout their heat pump journey. Our new training course, ro, o ers a streamlined training route for anyone looking to add new skills to their belt and become an ertified nstaller

Start your journey today by visiting: www.nibe.co.uk

27/04/2021 15:21

PHAM MAY21 CONTINAL:Layout 1 22/04/2021 14:43 Page 1

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Company Spotlight

Making up for lost time Like many other businesses the last 12 months have presented a number of challenges, but icholls Clarke is conﬁdent that any temporary dip in turnover will uickly be remedied by a return to steady growth. Company director Keith Hall tells PHAM News about his reasons for optimism and the recent launch of a ma or new shower collection.

ith a history dating back over 1 years, the Nicholls & Clarke Group has evolved from a local builders merchant based in the heart of London into a national distributor, manufacturer and retailer of building products, with separate divisions specialising in glass, tiles, bathrooms and healthcare solutions. In recent years the company has been a pioneer in providing independent living solutions under its Phlexicare brand and has also broadened its range of products for multi-generational bathrooms providing different product options for any budget. Appointed a group director some 18 months ago, Keith Hall’s career at Nicholls & Clarke has taken a few leaps forward since he ﬁrst oined the company as a school leaver supporting sales staff with a ready supply of teas and coffees. Helping to establish the company’s Phlexicare brand in the early ‘ 0s, Keith has played a big part in the success of the company’s ever-expanding bathroom and sanitaryware collections now a ma or part of the Group’s diverse product portfolio. With the joint challenges of the Covid pandemic and Brexit, clearly it’s not been an easy time to be running a company, but how bad has it been? KH I would think we’ve faired better than most, because we’ve been operational the whole time in virtually all areas of the business, whether that’s manufacturing, distribution, or merchanting. Our retail sites were affected of course but our tile and bathroom sites have trade collect facilities so we were still getting customers through the door, despite the displays and showrooms being cordoned off. We had to adapt very quickly, put all the social distancing policies in place, but I think it’s driven us down the route of product development much quicker than perhaps we’d anticipated before all this came along. We’ve launched a whole raft of new products over the past three months that we’d been working on during the second half of 2020. We’ve invested in re uvenating a lot of our showroom portfolio as well. For example, we’ve had a lot of work going on at our Southampton site, which is a distribution centre as well as a retail showroom. We had limited showroom displays initially, but we’ve now got the ability to display 3 bathroom sets, together with tiles. It will probably be the biggest retail site in the region. Brexit has also had a massive impact. I don’t think people truly appreciate the effect that re it has had on the construction industry. It certainly caused some supply chain di culties. I would say that goods have been taking seven to ten days longer to ow through the system from Europe, than they did prior to Brexit. And of course there’s a cost implication because every customs clearance in the UK comes with a cost for business. So have there been any delays in getting products to customers? KH I don’t think so, because we’ve been able to provide exceptional stock availability throughout the UK, on bathroom products, healthcare products and also our tile and adhesive products. That doesn’t mean that there haven’t been challenges,

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there have, but I think where we are probably more fortunate than most is that we don’t have a massive exposure to the Far East. We used to source a lot of products from the ar ast but five or si years ago we saw that there really wasn’t any advantage in doing that anymore – not when you’re looking at 12 week lead times, and you’re often paying up front for the product. You never know what shipping delays you’re going to encounter, with the recent incident in Suez being a classic example. So we resourced a lot of product back to either manufacture in the UK or from close European partners, and indeed our own factory in Europe. So that’s been a big advantage in the recent period. Product development has been core to the recent success of the business. Can you tell us something about the latest products? KH We launched a brand new shower collection at the beginning of this year that is all manufactured in the UK. We’re one of the biggest independent glass merchants in the UK – so we’ve been able to put together some fabulous shower enclosure collections for entry level, mid-market and highend. In many of the collections we’ve married together our healthcare brand, Phlexicare, with products that future-proof bathrooms. So, for instance there are low profile shower trays with anti-slip surfaces and near barrier free entry shower enclosures within those collections. We’re probably the number one specialist in the UK for wetrooms, because we manufacture the whole system. We bring our Phlexicare brand together with our Nicobond tile brand to create fabulous wetrooms, but we’ve now added shower enclosures, wetroom screens, grating and gullies for waste, shower valves, taps, mixers, accessories and even bathtubs and freestanding bathtubs. I think our new shower tray collection has come along at exactly the right time. It’s been a challenging time for some manufacturers because of raw material price increases and lack of availability, but we’ve got this fantastic collection of low profile anti-slip trays readily available off the shelf. Do you see the healthcare and bathroom sectors growing in importance for the business? KH Absolutely, and demographics has a lot to do with that. For example, there’s £2billion being spent providing more elderly village accommodation in 0 different locations over the coming months to two years, which is perfect for our world. And then there’s housing associations and local authorities who put part of their budget every year into level access showering adaptations. There’s a huge amount of pent-up demand because of the Covid situation, so we’re likely to have a good ow of constantly increasing business for the next few years. The Phlexicare brand has always been one of the forerunners in the industry. People don’t realise, but we invented the world’s first comfort height toilet pan. Every manufacturer you can think of today has a comfort height toilet pan, but back then it was N&C Phlexicare that invented the idea and the concept. We also invented carer screens for assisted showering. Many others have now come into our industry, but competition is good because it drives you forward.

Keith Hall, director at Nicholls & Clarke

British manufacturing obviously has a number of benefits from a logistics point of view, but do you think there is also some added benefits in terms of people wanting to deal with a UK manufacturer? KH I think so, because many customers are definitely now more interested in ritish manufactured products and want to support the UK. We have a long working relationship with Thomas Dudley, which goes back many years. They produce all of our cistern fittings for us and I know installers like the British manufactured element of the internal working parts of the toilet, because they’re the bits that can go wrong and they’re the bits that you need replacement parts for. They also like to know that they’re dealing with a company that’s working to UK regulations and all the approvals are in place for when they install them. Are catalogues still important to the business? KH Customers still prefer to walk away with a piece of literature that they can thumb through. And I don’t see that changing. I always thought surely at some point we’d go paperless and everything would be digital and online, but many people would still rather ick through a catalogue and have a look at the pictures in print. And I have to say that some of the material that our marketing people produce for us is absolutely fabulous. Online business must have grown quite a bit though, particularly over the last 12 months. KH Yes, we’ve seen a really positive growth curve throughout the period. It’s funny, though, as soon as the showrooms opened again, you could see that it tailed off a little bit because so many people want to touch and feel the bathroom products. So you’re pretty optimistic about the next few years and the way the business is going? KH Absolutely. Covid has brought terrible times for everybody, but it’s driven us to a real acceleration that is coming to fruition now. We’re very positive about the outlook. If you look back in history, whenever there’s been a crisis in our country we’ve built our way out of it and we will do the same again. So I can only see growth curves and I think there’s already a good amount of work coming through the system. C is well placed to benefit from any growth in demand because our product portfolio is so vast from tiles adhesives sanitaryware ooring healthcare products – we’ve become the one-stop shop, and everyone wants their life made easier at the moment.

◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/15

28/04/2021 18:03

PHAM MAY21:Layout 1 29/04/2021 09:56 Page 19

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

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Hydrogen ťũŋùŽóŶĢŋł óŋŭŶŭ Ŷŋ ĕÖķķ

Battery powered in London ¦Ğā ƩũŭŶ ˛ˠ Ŷŋłłā óŽũŶÖĢł-side ÖŶŶāũƘ 1ķāóŶũĢó ÁāĞĢóķā ̛ 1Á̜ Ģŭ łŋƒ Ģł ŋťāũÖŶĢŋł ĕŋũ !!Ḋ ŶĞā ùĢŭŶũĢðŽŶŋũ ŋĕ ĢłŶāũĢŋũ ðŽĢķùĢłė ťũŋùŽóŶŭ̇ ťÖũŶ ŋĕ ŶĞā ¦ũÖƑĢŭ āũĴĢłŭ FũŋŽť̍ ¦Ğā 1Á̇ ƒĢŶĞ ˛ˡˠĴÂĞ ŶũÖóŶĢŋł ðÖŶŶāũĢāŭ̇ Ģŭ ŶĞā ƩũŭŶ ŋĕ ĢŶŭ ŭĢơā Öłù ŶƘťā Ģł ŶĞā b Öłù Ģŭ ŶĞā ťũŋùŽóŶ ŋĕ ŶĞũāā ƘāÖũŭ ŋĕ ùāƑāķŋťĿāłŶ̍ ¦Ğā ƑāĞĢóķā ĞÖŭ ðāāł ĿÖłŽĕÖóŶŽũāù Öłù ŭŽťťķĢāù ŶĞũŋŽėĞ 1ķāóŶũÖ̇ Ģł

ŋũùāũ Ŷŋ óŋĿťķāŶā ơāũŋ āĿĢŭŭĢŋł óŽŭŶŋĿāũ ùāķĢƑāũĢāŭ ĕũŋĿ !!D̪ŭ NÖũĿŋłùŭƒŋũŶĞ ðũÖłóĞ̇ Öóũŋŭŭ ÂāŭŶ Öłù !āłŶũÖķ dŋłùŋł̍ ÂĢŶĞ Ö óĞÖũėā ŶĢĿā ŋĕ Žť Ŷŋ ŭāƑāł ĞŋŽũŭ̇ ŶĞā ƑāĞĢóķā ĞÖŭ ŶĞā óÖťÖóĢŶƘ Ŷŋ óŋƑāũ Žť Ŷŋ ˚˛˙ ĿĢķāŭ ŋł Ö ĕŽķķ óĞÖũėā̍ !ÖŶĞāũĢłā FĢðŭŋł̇ ĿÖłÖėĢłė ùĢũāóŶŋũ ŋĕ !!Ḋ ŭÖƘŭ̆ ̦ ŭ Ö ðŽŭĢłāŭŭ ƒā Öũā ÖķƒÖƘŭ ŭŶũĢƑĢłė Ŷŋ ũÖĢŭā ŶĞā ðÖũ ŋĕ ŋŽũ ŭāũƑĢóā ťũŋťŋŭĢŶĢŋł̍ āĢłė Öŭ ŭŽŭŶÖĢłÖðķā Öŭ ťŋŭŭĢðķā Öłù ĢłƑāŭŶĢłė Ģł ŶĞĢŭ ƑāĞĢóķā Ģŭ łŋŶ ŋłķƘ ĢłŭŶũŽĿāłŶÖķ Ŷŋ !!D̪ŭ ùāķĢƑāũƘ ŋťāũÖŶĢŋłŭ Öóũŋŭŭ dŋłùŋł̇ ðŽŶ ƒĢķķ Öķŭŋ Ğāķť Ŷŋ ũāùŽóā ĞÖũĿĕŽķ āĿĢŭŭĢŋłŭ ƒĞĢķā óŋłŶũĢðŽŶĢłė Ŷŋ ŶĞā b̪ŭ ÖĿðĢŶĢŋŽŭ ŭŽŭŶÖĢłÖðĢķĢŶƘ ŶÖũėāŶŭ Öłù ıŋŽũłāƘ Ŷŋ łāŶ ơāũŋ̧̍

łāƒ ũāťŋũŶ ĕũŋĿ ķŋŋĿðāũė p1D ťũāùĢóŶŭ ŶĞÖŶ ŶĞā óŋŭŶ ŋĕ ̨ėũāāł̪ ĞƘùũŋėāł óŋŽķù ðāóŋĿā óĞāÖťāũ ŶĞÖł łÖŶŽũÖķ ėÖŭ ðƘ ˛˙˞˙̍ Green hydrogen is derived ĕũŋĿ ũāłāƒÖðķāŭ̇ ƒĞĢķā ŭŋ-óÖķķāù ðķŽā ĞƘùũŋėāł óŋĿāŭ ĕũŋĿ ĕŋŭŭĢķ ĕŽāķŭ̍ !ŽũũāłŶķƘ ðķŽā ƑāũŭĢŋłŭ Öũā óĞāÖťāũ ŶĞÖł ėũāāł̇ ðŽŶ ŶĞā ũāťŋũŶ shows that hydrogen made from ũāłāƒÖðķā āķāóŶũĢóĢŶƘ Ģŭ ŭāŶ Ŷŋ ĕÖķķ ĕÖŭŶāũ ŶĞÖł ťũāƑĢŋŽŭķƘ āŭŶĢĿÖŶāù̍ ¦Ğā óŋŭŶŭ ŋĕ ťũŋùŽóĢłė ėũāāł ĞƘùũŋėāł ĕũŋĿ ũāłāƒÖðķā āķāóŶũĢóĢŶƘ ŭĞŋŽķù ĕÖķķ ðƘ Žť Ŷŋ ˗˞%

to ˛˙˞˙̇ ķāÖùĢłė Ŷŋ óŋŭŶŭ ðāķŋƒ ̿˚/ Ĵė̍ DÖķķĢłė óŋŭŶŭ ŋĕ ŭŋķÖũ Á Öũā ŶĞā ĴāƘ ùũĢƑāũ ðāĞĢłù ŶĞā ũāùŽóŶĢŋł̍ ¦Ğā ũāťŋũŶ̪ŭ ÖŽŶĞŋũŭ ðāķĢāƑā ŶĞÖŶ Á āķāóŶũĢóĢŶƘ ƒĢķķ ðā ˝˙ͮ óĞāÖťāũ in ˛˙˞˙̇ ùũĢƑāł ðƘ Ŀŋũā ÖŽŶŋĿÖŶĢó ĿÖłŽĕÖóŶŽũĢłė̇ ķāŭŭ ŭĢķĢóŋł Öłù ŭĢķƑāũ Žŭā̇ Öłù ðāŶŶāũ Á āƧóĢāłóƘ̍ mÖũŶĢł ¦āłėķāũ̇ ķāÖù ĞƘùũŋėāł

ÖłÖķƘŭŶ ÖŶ ķŋŋĿðāũėp1Ḋ ŭÖƘŭ̆ ̦ ŽóĞ ķŋƒ ũāłāƒÖðķā ĞƘùũŋėāł óŋŭŶŭ óŋŽķù óŋĿťķāŶāķƘ ũāƒũĢŶā ŶĞā āłāũėƘ ĿÖť̍ RŶ ŭĞŋƒŭ ŶĞÖŶ Ģł ĕŽŶŽũā̇ ÖŶ ķāÖŭŶ ˜˜% of the world āóŋłŋĿƘ óŋŽķù ðā ťŋƒāũāù ðƘ óķāÖł āłāũėƘ ĕŋũ łŋŶ Ö óāłŶ Ŀŋũā ŶĞÖł ĢŶ ťÖƘŭ ĕŋũ ĕŋŭŭĢķ ĕŽāķŭ̧̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˚˟

pāƒ ðŽĢķù 1 !ŭ ùũĢƑĢłė Žť āƧóĢāłóƘ ũÖŶĢłėŭ The majority of new homes in England are in the most energy āƧóĢāłŶ ðÖłùŭ̇ ÖóóŋũùĢłė Ŷŋ ķÖŶāŭŶ ėŋƑāũłĿāłŶ ƩėŽũāŭ̍ Rł ŶĞā ķÖŭŶ ŨŽÖũŶāũ̇ ˡ˝% of new homes were ėĢƑāł Öł āłāũėƘ ũÖŶĢłė ŋĕ ̨ ̪ ŋũ ̨ ̪̇ óŋĿťÖũāù Ŷŋ ˠˢͮ Ģł ŶĞā ťũāƑĢŋŽŭ ŨŽÖũŶāũ̍ ŶÖŶĢŭŶĢóŭ Öķŭŋ ŭĞŋƒ ˜ˢ˛̇˙˙˙ ùŋĿāŭŶĢó 1łāũėƘ āũĕŋũĿÖłóā !āũŶĢƩóÖŶāŭ ̛1 !ŭ̜ ƒāũā ķŋùėāù Ģł

1łėķÖłù̇ Öł ĢłóũāÖŭā ŋĕ ˚˙% from ŶĞā ŭÖĿā ŨŽÖũŶāũ Ģł ˛˙˚ˢ̍ 1 !ŭ Öũā ĿÖłùÖŶŋũƘ ĕŋũ Öķķ ùŋĿāŭŶĢó ðŽĢķùĢłėŭ Öłù ťũŋƑĢùā łāƒ ĞŋĿāŋƒłāũŭ ƒĢŶĞ Öł ĢłùĢóÖŶŋũ ŋł Ğŋƒ āłāũėƘ āƧóĢāłŶ ŶĞāĢũ ťũŋťāũŶƘ Ģŭ Öłù Ğŋƒ ŶĞāƘ óÖł ŭÖƑā ŋł óŋŭŶŭ̍ !ŋĿĿāłŶĢłė ŋł ŶĞĢŭ łāƒŭ̇ pĢóŋ ƑÖł ùāũ māũƒā̇ Á ŋĕ ĞŋĿā Öłù ùĢŭŶũĢðŽŶĢŋł ÖŶ óĞłāĢùāũ 1ķāóŶũĢó̇ ŭÖƘŭ̆ ̦dÖŶāŭŶ ėŋƑāũłĿāłŶ

ƩėŽũāŭ ŭĞŋƒ ƒā̪ũā ŋł ŶĞā ũĢėĞŶ ŶũÖóĴ Ŷŋ ÖóĞĢāƑĢłė ŋŽũ łāŶ ơāũŋ ŶÖũėāŶŭ̵̍ÂĢŶĞ āƑĢùāłóā ŶĞÖŶ ťāŋťķā łŋƒ ƒÖłŶ Ŷŋ ťũĢŋũĢŶĢŭā āłāũėƘ āƧóĢāłŶ ĞŋĿāŭ̇ ŶĞā ŋŽŶķŋŋĴ Ģŭ ķŋŋĴĢłė Ŀŋũā ťŋŭĢŶĢƑā̍ ¦āóĞłŋķŋėƘ ŶĞÖŶ ŋƦāũŭ āÖŭƘ-to-ŽłùāũŭŶÖłù ĢłŭĢėĞŶŭ Ŷŋ ėŽĢùā Žŭ ŶŋƒÖũùŭ ĿÖĴĢłė ùāóĢŭĢŋłŭ ƒĢķķ ðā ĴāƘ Ŷŋ ŶĞā łāƗŶ ŭŶÖėā ŋĕ ŭŽŭŶÖĢłÖðķā ùāƑāķŋťĿāłŶ ÖŶ ĞŋĿā̧̍

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Pipes, Fittings & Valves

Press to connect thick-walled tubing Thick-walled steel tube has traditionally been used for certain heating, cooling and gas applications due to its strength and durability, however the usual joining methods present an array of challenges to the installer. Glen Peters from Viega looks at how press connection technology transforms installation offering enhanced speed safety convenience and versatility.

hick-walled steel tube is often the preferred material where a longer system life expectancy or greater resistance to accidental impacts is required. However, its installation has traditionally been more challenging and time consuming compared with other materials, and the common methods such as threading, grooving or welding each have their own challenges. Press connection for thick-walled steel eliminates many of the issues and provides a reliable alternative that is faster, safer and cleaner. Innovations in recent years mean that it is now possible to press connect tube from of an inch up to in in diameter.

Safety issues

Glen Peters

Technical support manager at Viega

CUT TO THE CHASE

Quick time A key advantage of press connections is speed of installation, and this is particularly true for thickwalled steel. In contrast to other methods, press connections require minimal preparation and the connection itself is completed in a matter of seconds. Installers simply need to cut the pipe to size, deburr the cut surface, slide the press ﬁtting onto the pipe and press the connection. Independent laboratory testing with the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) compared threading, grooving, welding and Viega Megapress press connections as an installation method for thick-walled steel tube in ½ to in diameters. The study, which involved each method being used to create a large identical pipework assembly, showed that Megapress delivers a % time saving compared with welding, a 0% saving compared with threading and a 3 % reduction compared with grooving. In real terms this

Press connections require minimal preparation and the connection itself is completed in a matter of seconds



20.indd 1

means that the assembly that was completed in 2 hours minutes using welding took just hours 3 minutes to complete with press connections.

 It is possible to press connect thick-walled steel tube from ³⁄8 to 4in in diameter  Press connections can be used for heating and chilled water, potable water, natural gas and LPG, and ﬁre suppression systems  Modern products will include features that reliably reveal inadvertently unpressed connections at the testing phase

Press connections offer improved safety compared with the alternatives. One of the main issues for welding is the hazard that the hot works pose to both the installer and the surrounding area. For certain applications, the use of hot works is heavily restricted. There are instances where it is even banned completely, such as many listed or heritage buildings where the cultural and financial value of the building and its contents means that any risk is unacceptable. Furthermore, the safety benefits of press connections are made clearer in light of growing evidence of the harmful effects of e posure to welding fumes, which have recently been reclassified as a human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found that welding fumes from metals including mild, stainless and galvanised steel can cause lung cancer and may also be linked to kidney cancer. As a result, the Health and Safety Executive has released new guidance on safe working

practices, which states there is no safe level of exposure to the fumes. This means anyone welding or in the area of welding needs to be fully protected regardless of the duration, and suitable engineering controls, such as local extract ventilation, must be implemented. Where the engineering controls do not adequately control exposure, this must be supplemented with respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Also, RPE must now be used when welding outside. In light of this, switching to press connections makes the work safer, simpler and faster.

Cleaning up Press connections also result in a cleaner installation. Unlike threading, there is no need to use lubricating oil, or any other chemicals, as part of the process and therefore there is no need to clean the pipe during or after installation. This reduces the level of ushing re uired to remove contaminants before the system is made operational. There are now products designed for a wide range of applications, allowing the same installation method to be used across an entire building and on different types of pro ects. Press connections can be utilised for heating and chilled water, potable water, natural gas and P technical gases and ﬁre suppression systems, as well as at a range of temperatures and pressures. There are products speciﬁcally designed for different applications with, for example, different sealing elements. EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is primarily used for drinking water and heating

 Speed of installation is a key beneﬁt of using press connections with thickwalled steel piping

installations, HNBR (hydrated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber) for gas, heating oil and diesel pipes and uoroelastomer used to meet higher temperature range requirements. Leading manufacturers can offer technical support and guidance on the products most suited to the application in question.

Useful features However, as with all components and materials, it is important to consider the choice of press connection products carefully. High quality, modern products will include features that reliably reveal unpressed connections at the testing phase. For example, the SC-Contur technology included in Viega products, including the Megapress, is proven to deliver a 100% positive leak during dry or wet leakage testing if the fitting has not been pressed. The traditional methods for connecting thick-walled steel tube have always had weaknesses. However, with continual developments in press connection technology, there is now an alternative that offers significant benefits especially with the increased focus on fire safety and the health impacts of the working environment. At Viega we offer a range of products for all applications and requirements. Our technical team is also on hand to offer pro ectspecific support and product training. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/17

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PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Pipes, Fittings & Valves

Use the right sealant ĕŋũ ťķÖŭŶĢó Ʃ ŶŶĢłėŭ ķÖŭŶĢó ťķŽĿðĢłė Ʃ ŶŶĢłėŭ óÖł ŋƦ āũ Ö ŨŽĢóĴ Öłù āÖŭƘ ƒÖƘ Ŷŋ óŋĿťķāŶā Ö ƒĢùā ũÖłėā ŋĕ ťķŽĿðĢłė ıŋðŭ̇ ðŽŶ ŶĞā ĢłŶāėũĢŶƘ ŋĕ ŶĞā ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł óŋŽķù ðā ıāŋťÖũùĢŭāù Ģĕ ŶĞā ƒũŋłė ŶƘťā ŋĕ ŭāÖķÖłŶ Ģŭ Žŭāù̍ Dũāù FÖũùłāũ ĕũŋĿ mó ķťĢłā ķŽĿðĢłė ũŋùŽóŶŭ ŋƦ āũŭ ŭŋĿā Ŷŋť ŶĢťŭ Ŷŋ Ĵāāť ƘŋŽũ ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł ķāÖĴ-free.

rom plastic traps and WC connectors to multi-Ʃ Ŷ ƒÖŭŶā Ʃ ŶŶĢłėŭ Öłù ÖĢũ ÖùĿĢŶŶÖłóā ƑÖķƑāŭ̇ ťķÖŭŶĢó ťķŽĿðĢłė products are popular because ŋĕ ŶĞā ƑÖŭŶ ũÖłėā ŋĕ ÖťťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ ŶĞāƘ óÖł ðā Žŭāù ĕŋũ̍ ŽÖķĢŶƘ ťķÖŭŶĢó Ʃ ŶŶĢłėŭ ĿÖĴā ķĢĕā āÖŭĢāũ ĕŋũ ťķŽĿðĢłė Öłù ĞāÖŶĢłė āłėĢłāāũŭ Öłù ťķÖƘ Ö óũŽóĢÖķ ťÖũŶ Ģł ŭŶŋťťĢłė łŋƗĢŋŽŭ Öłù ŶŋƗĢó ėÖŭāŭ āłŶāũĢłė Ö ĞŋĿā ŋũ ðŽĢķùĢłė̍ ķÖŭŶĢó Ʃ ŶŶĢłėŭ ŭĞŋŽķù ķÖŭŶ ĕŋũ ƘāÖũŭ Öłù ƘāÖũŭ̇ ðŽŶ ŽŭĢłė ŶĞā ƒũŋłė ŶƘťā of sealant and adhesive on them can ĞÖƑā Ö ŭāũĢŋŽŭ āƦ āóŶ ŋł ŶĞā ĢłŶāėũĢŶƘ ŋĕ ŶĞā ťũŋùŽóŶŭ Öłù ƘŋŽũ ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł̍ ķŶĞŋŽėĞ ŶĞā ťũŋùŽóŶŭ ĿÖƘ ðā ťũŋùŽóāù Ŷŋ ŭŶũĢłėāłŶ ŨŽÖķĢŶƘ ŭŶÖłùÖũùŭ̇ ĢŶ Ģŭ important that certain chemicals are not Žŭāù ŋł ťķÖŭŶĢó Ʃ ŶŶĢłėŭ ̞ Ģł ťÖũŶĢóŽķÖũ óāũŶÖĢł ÖóĢùŭ ƒĞĢóĞ óÖł óÖŽŭā ũāÖķ ťũŋðķāĿŭ ĕŋũ ťķÖŭŶĢó̍ ŽŶ ĢŶ̪ŭ āÖŭƘ Ŷŋ óĞāóĴ ƘŋŽũ ŭāÖķÖłŶ ƒŋł̪Ŷ ùÖĿÖėā ƘŋŽũ installation: here are some simple tips to ŭāÖķĢłė ŭŽóóāŭŭ̍

˚. Use the smell test

¦Ğā łÖĿā ̨ÖóāŶŋƗƘ̪ óŋĿāŭ ĕũŋĿ the fact that the compound releases ÖóāŶĢó ÖóĢù̍ ÈŋŽ̪ķķ Ĵłŋƒ ĢŶ ĕũŋĿ ŶĞā ŭŶũŋłė ƑĢłāėÖũ-ķĢĴā ŭĿāķķ ƒĞĢķā óŽũĢłė̍ ÂĞāł ÖóāŶŋƗƘ ŭĢķĢóŋłā Ģŭ Žŭāù ƒĢŶĞ Ö Ʃ ŶŶĢłė̇ ĢŶ óÖŽŭāŭ Ö ùāėũÖùÖŶĢŋł Ģł ŶĞā ťķÖŭŶĢó ƒĞĢóĞ ķāÖùŭ Ŷŋ ŭťķĢłŶāũĢłė Öłù ðũāÖĴÖėā̍ Rł ŭĢĿťķā ŶāũĿŭ̇ ĢŶ̪ŭ ťķÖŭŶĢó ùāóÖƘ̍ ¦ĞĢŭ ðũāÖĴùŋƒł Öłù ŶĞā ŭŽðŭāŨŽāłŶ ŭŶũāŭŭ óũÖóĴĢłė ķāÖùŭ Ŷŋ ķāÖĴŭ̇ ƒĞĢóĞ óÖł óÖŽŭā ĿÖıŋũ ĢŭŭŽāŭ ĕŋũ tradespeople and callbacks are almost óāũŶÖĢł̍ ŋ̇ ƒÖŶóĞ ŋŽŶ ĕŋũ ŶĞÖŶ ƑĢłāėÖũ smell! Choose a sealant and adhesive ƒĞĢóĞ ĞÖŭ Ö ķŋƒ ŋùŋŽũ Öłù Ģŭ łŋŶ ÖóāŶŋƗƘ̍

for ‘Tested and ˛. Check Approved’

We test McAlpine products to ùāŭŶũŽóŶĢŋł Öłù ŶĞā óŋĿťÖłƘ Ģŭ ĕÖĿŋŽŭ for its ‘no compromise’ stance on ŨŽÖķĢŶƘ̍ ÂĞāł ƒā ĢłƑāŭŶĢėÖŶāù ŶĞā use of sealants and adhesives on our ťũŋùŽóŶŭ Ŷŋ ŭāā ƒĞÖŶ ƒŋŽķù ƒŋũĴ ðāŭŶ ƒĢŶĞ ŋŽũ ũÖłėā̇ ƒā ƒāũā łŋŶ ŭÖŶĢŭƩ āù ŭŋ ƒā ùāóĢùāù Ŷŋ ĢłƑāŭŶ Ģł ŋŽũ ŋƒł Öłù óũāÖŶāù m !Ç 1 d̍ RŶ Ģŭ ŶĞā ŋłķƘ ŭāÖķÖłŶ and adhesive tested and approved for Žŭā ŋł ŋŽũ ťũŋùŽóŶŭ̍ RŶ ðŋłùŭ̇ óŽũāŭ̇ Öłù

Fred Gardner Technical sales manager for McAlpine Plumbing Products

ŭāÖķŭ ŨŽĢóĴķƘ Öłù ĞÖŭ Ö ĞĢėĞ ŭŶũāłėŶĞ ėũÖð̍ RŶ Ģŭ ũāŭĢŭŶÖłŶ Ŷŋ Á ũÖùĢÖŶĢŋł Öłù ėāłāũÖķ ƒāÖŶĞāũĢłė ̞ Öłù ĢĿťŋũŶÖłŶķƘ̇ ĢŶ ƒŋł̪Ŷ óŋĿťũŋĿĢŭā ŶĞā ŨŽÖķĢŶƘ ŋĕ ƘŋŽũ installation either.

time with multi˜. Save purpose sealants

Multi-use sealants or adhesives can ŭÖƑā ƘŋŽ ŶĢĿā Öłù ĿŋłāƘ̍ m !Ç 1 ḋ for instance, is suitable for timber, ĿāŶÖķ Öłù ĕŋũ ŭāÖķĢłė āƗťÖłŭĢŋł Öłù óŋłŭŶũŽóŶĢŋł ıŋĢłŶŭ̍ RŶ Ģŭ Öķŭŋ ŭŽĢŶÖðķā ĕŋũ ŭāÖķĢłė ðÖŶĞŭ̇ ŭĢłĴŭ̇ ƑÖłĢŶƘ ŽłĢŶŭ Öłù ŶŋĢķāŶŭ̇ ŶĢķāŭ̇ ĿĢũũŋũŭ̇ ĿāŶÖķŭ̇ ƒŋŋù̇ stone, concrete, marble, and brick. ÈŋŽ óÖł āƑāł Žŭā ĢŶ ŋł ƒāŶ ŭŽũĕÖóāŭ̇ Öłù ĢŶ óŋłŶÖĢłŭ Ö ĕŽłėĢóĢùā Ŷŋ óŋĿðÖŶ ĿŋŽķù Öłù ðÖóŶāũĢÖ ėũŋƒŶĞ̍ ƑÖĢķÖðķā in Brilliant White and Super Clear, it ƒĢķķ łŋŶ ŶŽũł Ƙāķķŋƒ āĢŶĞāũ̍ ¦Ğāũā̪ŭ łŋ āŭóÖťĢłė ĢŶ ̞ ĿŽķŶĢ-use sealants and ÖùĞāŭĢƑāŭ ŭÖƑā ƘŋŽ ŶĢĿā̇ ĿŋłāƘ Öłù hassle.

˝. Check it is safe to use

!ĞāóĴ ƘŋŽũ ŭāÖķÖłŶ Ģŭ ŭÖĕā Ŷŋ Žŭā Öłù óŋłŶÖĢłŭ łŋ ŭŋķƑāłŶŭ ŋũ ĢŭŋóƘÖłÖŶāŭ ƒĞĢóĞ óÖł óÖŽŭā ŭĴĢł ĢũũĢŶÖŶĢŋł Öłù ðũāÖŶĞĢłė ùĢƧ óŽķŶĢāŭ̍ ķŭŋ̇ ĿÖĴā sure that once the sealant has cured ĢŶ ĞÖŭ ėŋŋù ÖðũÖŭĢŋł̇ ŋĢķ̇ Öłù ŭŋķƑāłŶ resistance.

a brand you can ˞. Choose trust

There are lots of sealant and adhesive ðũÖłùŭ ŋł ŶĞā ĿÖũĴāŶ̇ ðŽŶ ùŋł̪Ŷ ıŽŭŶ ťĢóĴ ŶĞā óĞāÖťāŭŶ̇ ťĢóĴ ŶĞā ŋłā ƘŋŽ óÖł ŶũŽŭŶ̍ mó ķťĢłā ƒÖŭ ĕŋũĿāù Ģł ˚ˢ˙ˠ ðƘ `ÖĿāŭ mó ķťĢłā Öłù ũāĿÖĢłŭ Ö ĕÖĿĢķƘ-run ðŽŭĢłāŭŭ ŶŋùÖƘ̍ mó ķťĢłā ķŽĿðĢłė ũŋùŽóŶŭ Öũā Ŷŋť ŨŽÖķĢŶƘ Öłù m !Ç 1 d ťāũĕāóŶķƘ óŋĿťķāĿāłŶŭ ŶĞā ũÖłėā ̞ ƒĞāł Žŭāù óŋũũāóŶķƘ̇ ĢŶ óÖł ťāũĕŋũĿ ĕŋũ more than ˛˙ ƘāÖũŭ̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˚ˡ

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Pipes, Fittings & Valves

ress fit the direct route to saving time and money It’s never been more important for installers to work smarter and uicker and that means embracing new ways of working. Antony Corbett from eberit takes a look at press ﬁt piping systems and the installation beneﬁts these systems can offer.

ur working lives have all been affected in some way over the last 12 months with many plumbers and heating installers forced to adapt their working practices as a result. And while some of these changes were inevitable like masks or social distancing others may be more strategic as tradespeople look to adopt leaner processes and protect their revenues. or e ample take pipe ﬁtting one area in which installers have been given the opportunity to make time and cost savings through product development. Traditional ointing methods such as soldering and screwed pipe can be cumbersome and sometimes impractical. Site conditions and safety regulations can make soldering an impossibility even before you consider the cooling down period re uired for hot works not conducive with more e cient working practices in competitive markets. Press ﬁtting on the other hand can deliver a more cost-effective and time-e cient ob while also improving safety. These systems in the past have been used more for commercial applications. However as more tradespeople become keen to streamline their obs and work smarter

press ﬁtting is becoming an increasingly popular choice.

Ease of installation

Antony Corbett

Product applications engineer at Geberit

ipe ﬁtting is one re in i installers have been given the opportunity to make time and ost s ings

The ointing process is simple. Installers simply cut the pipe to si e deburr the inside and outside mark the socket insertion depth on the pipe push the pipe into the socket of the fitting then press the oint and connecting pipe using the pressing tool. Coloured pressing indicators cover each end offering easy identification of both the material and any unpressed oints during the installation process. The fitting should only be pressed once the pipe has been inserted to the re uired insertion depth giving a visual check which ensures a safe dependable and long-lasting connection. The fittings will leak unless pressed to show unfinished oints during inspection and pressure testing. There is no re uirement to drain the system to complete these oints as it can be fi ed wet.

ien ies

The biggest time saving when compared with soldering is that there is no re uirement for a cooling down period. This clearly makes it a uicker and safer ob but there are a host of other time-

saving beneﬁts too. y its very nature the simple ointing method removes the most time-consuming process of traditional methods such as threading soldering or welding. Components can also be prefabricated on or off site before installation particularly useful when working at height. Press ﬁtting also does not re uire any consumable items like sealants cleaning uid or tapes.

which combines best practice methods with the speciﬁc product knowledge re uired to ma imise the uality speed and integrity of every installation. Such courses also cover the tools re uired as well as the maintenance and calibration re uirements to make sure those tools remain ﬁt for purpose.

The right tools

espite its simplicity it is important to get the right training to fully understand the nuances of press ﬁtting and deliver the best possible results. At eberit we offer free training both online sessions and at our Warwick and ublin training centres

etting the right tools for the ob is a key part of any successful installation. eberit is the only manufacturer to offer tooling pipes and fittings under the same brand providing complete confidence in compatibility when installing a apress system. Our pressing aws pressing collars and adaptors are easy to use compact and lightweight. When we consider ust what press fit systems have to offer it’s not surprising that they are seeing a surge in growth. The benefits of being clean reliable and easy to use this technology can really improve e ciency and productivity for installers. With product development constantly evolving any forward-thinking installers should always be on the lookout for more cost effective ways of working. ◼p ne s o uk/521/1

aincor metal press ﬁttings can be used to create permanent non-demountable systems from si es 1 - 3mm with a patented ’ ring construction for a secure plumbing connection. Also available are aincor Impress composite press ﬁttings which offer a simple and cost effective method of ointing CP in both domestic and commercial pro ects. Available

in si es ranging from 1 -32mm this connection method can be used in both hot and cold water plumbing systems and heating applications. ade from polyphenylsulfone PPS the ﬁttings are claimed to offer e ceptional stability and a toughness superior to other high-temperature engineering resins. ◼ p ne s o uk/521/21

t bout ost

It is important to consider the whole pro ect cost and to get your customers to do the same. With press ﬁt there are fewer additional materials so you can get the ob done uicker enabling you to save on labour and ensuring a cleaner tidier less disruptive ob. In virtually all cases the overall ob cost beneﬁts will outweigh the additional material costs and sometimes even the tools too.

Free training

ressing on with both metal and composite uts pipes in their place Correctly orientating and aligning 1 mm pipes ready for a mi er installation can be time consuming. It can also be frustrating to return after the plastering and tiling to ﬁnd the pipes out of line. The 1 0 InWall Only irst i was invented by low e to eliminate these problems. The 1 0 creates a secure platform for installers to prepare and e pose 1 mm pipe

26.indd 1

1 0mm apart fed from any direction before ﬁnal works when installing a mi er bar or other bathroom ﬁ tures. The 1 0 is manufactured in a strong plastic which gives strength and a secure support when e posing the pipework. It sits ush to the wall and can be attached to stud walls plasterboard wood as well as brickwork. ◼ p ne s o uk/521/2

Helping to reduce warranty costs for installers aincor press fittings are designed to leak if the fitting is not pressed so there is less chance of work being covered over before the leak is discovered. The fitting also features one large O-ring which means it is much harder to dislodge or damage as the pipe goes into the fitting smoothly and uickly. Other benefits include a larger internal bore which allows for significantly increased ow and viewing windows that enable the installer to check the pipe is inserted correctly reducing the chance of oint assembly errors occurring.

29/04/2021 08:53

PHAM MAY21:Layout 1 29/04/2021 09:56 Page 25

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Pipes, Fittings & Valves 25

Why it’s a good time to switch to MLCP mÖłƘ ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ ĞÖƑā ŋĕŶāł ŶĞŋŽėĞŶ ÖðŋŽŶ ĿÖĴĢłė ŶĞā ŭƒĢŶóĞ Ŷŋ ĿŽķŶĢ-layer óŋĿťŋŭĢŶā ťĢťāŭ ̛md! ̜̇ ðŽŶ̇ ĕŋũ ŋłā ũāÖŭŋł ŋũ ÖłŋŶĞāũ̇ ĞÖƑā ťŽŶ ŋƦ ŶĞā decision. However, with the steep rise in copper prices over the past year, ťāũĞÖťŭ ĢŶ̪ŭ ŶĢĿā Ŷŋ ƩłÖķķƘ ĿÖĴā ŶĞÖŶ ŭƒĢŶóĞ̍ mÖŶŶ 'āłŭĞÖĿ̇ ŭÖķāŭ ùĢũāóŶŋũ ÖŶ FräłĴĢŭóĞā ḃ ÖũėŽāŭ ŶĞÖŶ óŋŭŶ-ŭÖƑĢłėŭ Öũā ıŽŭŶ ŋłā ŋĕ ŶĞā ĿÖłƘ ÖùƑÖłŶÖėāŭ ŋĕ ŽŭĢłė md! ŋƑāũ ťķÖŭŶĢó Öłù ĿāŶÖķ ÖķŶāũłÖŶĢƑāŭ̍

combining the advantages of both plastic and metal pipes, installers have been enjoying ŶĞā ðāłāƩŶŭ ŋĕ ĿŽķŶĢ-layer composite pipes (MLCP) for decades, yet copper pipes and plastic pipes are still the most commonly installed pipe in the UK by far. However, one major disadvantage of metal pipes at the ĿŋĿāłŶ Ģŭ ŶĞāĢũ ƒĢķù ťũĢóā ƪŽóŶŽÖŶĢŋłŭ̍ mÖłŽĕÖóŶŽũāũŭ and merchants seem to be increasing their prices on an ÖķĿŋŭŶ ƒāāĴķƘ ðÖŭĢŭ̇ ŋĕŶāł ĿĢũũŋũĢłė ŶĞā āŨŽÖķķƘ ùũÖĿÖŶĢó increases in the price of copper (which has risen almost ˚˙˙% in the past ˚˛ ĿŋłŶĞŭ Öķŋłā̜̍ ¦ĞĢŭ óŋŽķù ĿÖĴā ƘŋŽ less competitive than someone who is pricing the job ðÖŭāù ŋł ŽŭĢłė md! ̇ ðŽŶ ŶĞā ũāÖķ ĢŭŭŽā Ģŭ ŶĞÖŶ ƘŋŽ óÖłłŋŶ óŋłƩùāłŶķƘ Ŷāłùāũ ĕŋũ Ö ıŋð ĴłŋƒĢłė ŶĞÖŶ ŶĞā ĿÖŶāũĢÖķ ťũĢóā óŋŽķù ũāÖķĢŭŶĢóÖķķƘ ðā ˛˙% higher next month. This ƒĢķķ āĢŶĞāũ ùāŭŶũŋƘ ƘŋŽũ ĿÖũėĢł ŋũ ĿÖĴā ƘŋŽũ ťũĢóĢłė ŽłóŋĿťāŶĢŶĢƑā ̞ ŋũ ťŋŭŭĢðķƘ ðŋŶĞ̉ Rł óŋĿťÖũĢŭŋł̇ ÖŶ Fränkische UK, we have had one price increase of ˛̍˞% Ģł ŶĞā ťÖŭŶ ĕŋŽũ ƘāÖũŭ Öłù łŋ ťũĢóā ĢłóũāÖŭāŭ ŋł ŋŽũ ťķÖŭŶĢó ťũāŭŭ ƩŶŶĢłėŭ̍

Best of both mŽķŶĢ-layer composite pipes are made of a ˚˙˙% oxygen ŶĢėĞŶ ÖķŽĿĢłĢŽĿ óŋũā ŶĞÖŶ Ģŭ ŭÖłùƒĢóĞāù ðāŶƒāāł Ŷƒŋ layers of plastic. By combining these two materials ƘŋŽ óũāÖŶā Ö óŋĿťŋŭĢŶā ťĢťā ŶĞÖŶ Ģŭ ťāũĕāóŶ ĕŋũ ŶĞā ƑÖŭŶ ĿÖıŋũĢŶƘ ŋĕ ťķŽĿðĢłė Öłù ĞāÖŶĢłė ÖťťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ̇ ĢłóķŽùĢłė ŭāóŋłùÖũƘ ĞŋŶ ƒÖŶāũ ũāŶŽũł óĢũóŽĢŶŭ̍ ¦Ğā ŭĿŋŋŶĞ ĞƘėĢāłĢó Ģłłāũ ťķÖŭŶĢó ķÖƘāũ āłŭŽũāŭ ŶĞÖŶ ĢłóũŽŭŶÖŶĢŋł ðŽĢķù-Žť Öłù limescale are a thing of the past, even in hard water areas. The plastic layer also makes the pipes worthless at the ŭóũÖť ƘÖũù̇ ĿāÖłĢłė ŶĞÖŶ ƘŋŽ óÖł óŋłƩùāłŶķƘ óŋĿťķāŶā ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋłŭ ŋł ŽłŭāóŽũāù ðŽĢķùĢłė ŭĢŶāŭ ƒĢŶĞŋŽŶ ũĢŭĴ ŋĕ ĿāŶÖķ ŶĞĢāƑāŭ ̞ Ö ťũŋðķāĿ ŶĞÖŶ Ģŭ ŋłķƘ ķĢĴāķƘ Ŷŋ ƒŋũŭāł Öŭ ŶĞā ťũĢóā ŋĕ ĿāŶÖķŭ óŋłŶĢłŽāŭ Ŷŋ ŭĴƘũŋóĴāŶ̍ ¦Ğā ÖķŽĿĢłĢŽĿ óŋũā ŭāũƑāŭ Ŷŋ āłŭŽũā ŶĞā ťĢťā ũāĿÖĢłŭ ˚˙˙ͮ ŋƗƘėāł ŶĢėĞŶ̇ āƑāł ÖŶ óŋłŶĢłŽŋŽŭ ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũāŭ of ˢ˞΅! ÖŶ Ö ťũāŭŭŽũā ŋĕ ˚˙ bar. Thermal expansion is ŭĢėłĢƩóÖłŶķƘ ķŋƒāũāù Ŷŋŋ̇ ÖķĿŋŭŶ ŶĞā ŭÖĿā Öŭ óŋťťāũ pipe, which cannot be said of plastic pipes. Thermal āƗťÖłŭĢŋł óÖł ðā Ö ũāÖķ ĢŭŭŽā ƒĞāł ŽłŭāóŽũā ťŽŭĞƩŶŶĢłėŭ Öũā Žŭāù̍ Whilst MLC can be easily bent, all dimensions from ˚˟ˠ˞ĿĿ Öũā ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā Ģł ũĢėĢù ŭŶũÖĢėĞŶ ķāłėŶĞŭ̍ ¦ĞĢŭ ũāŭŽķŶŭ in plant room installations looking very neat and tidy, ŭŋĿāŶĞĢłė ŶĞÖŶ ÖėÖĢł óÖłłŋŶ ðā ŭÖĢù ÖðŋŽŶ ťķÖŭŶĢó ťĢťāŭ̍ ¦ĞĢŭ ĿĢėĞŶ ŭāāĿ ķĢĴā Ö ŶũĢƑĢÖķ ťŋĢłŶ̇ ðŽŶ R ŶĞĢłĴ ŶĞÖŶ ĿŋŭŶ ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ ķĢĴā Ŷŋ ŶÖĴā ťũĢùā Ģł ŶĞāĢũ ƒŋũĴ̍ ùĿĢŶŶāùķƘ̇ R ĿŽŭŶ óŋłóāùā ŶĞÖŶ Ö ĕũāŭĞķƘ ĢłŭŶÖķķāù ťŋķĢŭĞāù óŋťťāũ installation can look like a work of art, especially with a łĢóā RłŭŶÖėũÖĿ ƩķŶāũ̉ NŋƒāƑāũ̇ Ģł ŶĞā ũāÖķ ƒŋũķù̇ ŶĞāŭā ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋłŭ ƒĢķķ Öķķ ðā ķÖėėāù ƒĢŶĞ ĢłŭŽķÖŶĢŋł Öłù ĞĢùùāł from view. This is probably a good time to mention that coils of MLCP (˚˟-˜˛ĿĿ̜ óÖł ðā ŭŽťťķĢāù ťũā-ĢłŭŽķÖŶāù ƒĢŶĞ ƑÖũƘĢłė ŶĞĢóĴłāŭŭāŭ ŋĕ ĢłŭŽķÖŶĢŋł̍ zĕ óŋŽũŭā̇ ŶĞāũā ĿÖƘ ðā ŋóóÖŭĢŋłŭ ƒĞāł ƘŋŽ ƒĢķķ łāāù Ŷŋ ŶũÖłŭĢŶĢŋł ðÖóĴ Ŷŋ ŽŭĢłė ĿāŶÖķ̇ ðŽŶ łŋƒ Ģŭ ŶĞā ťāũĕāóŶ ŶĢĿā Ŷŋ óĞÖłėā̍ !Öł ƘŋŽũ ðŽŭĢłāŭŭ ũāÖķķƘ ÖƦŋũù Ŷŋ ťŋŭŶťŋłā ŶĞā switch to MLCP any longer? ͻ phamnews.co.uk̓˞˛˚̓˛˛

PHAM MAY21:Layout 1 29/04/2021 09:56 Page 26

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Pipes, Fittings & Valves

How to minimise the ũĢŭĴ ŋĕ ðÖóĴƪŋƒ ÖóĴƪŋƒ ťũāŭāłŶŭ óĞÖķķāłėāŭ Öłù ũĢŭĴŭ ĕŋũ óŋĿĿāũóĢÖķ Öłù ťŽðķĢó Žŭā ðŽĢķùĢłėŭ̇ ðŽŶ ũāùŽóāù ťũāŭŭŽũā ơŋłā ̛ Ñ̜ ƑÖķƑāŭ ťũŋƑĢùā Öł āÖŭƘ Öłù ũāķĢÖðķā ŭŋķŽŶĢŋł̍ Nāũā̇ ĢóĞÖũù ÖŶāĿÖł ĕũŋĿ Â! ķŋŋĴŭ ÖŶ ũāėŽķÖŶĢŋłŭ Öłù ŶĞā ŶāóĞłŋķŋėƘ̍

s all plumbers know, ðÖóĴƪŋƒ Ģŭ ƒĞāł ŭŶÖėłÖłŶ ŋũ óŋłŶÖĿĢłÖŶāù ƒÖŶāũ ėāŶŭ ŭŽóĴāù ðÖóĴ ĢłŶŋ ŶĞā ĿÖĢłŭ ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķƘ̍ ¦Ğāũā Öũā Ŷƒŋ ĿÖĢł óÖŽŭāŭ̆ ðÖóĴ-ťũāŭŭŽũā̇ ƒĞĢóĞ ŋóóŽũŭ ƒĞāł ƒÖŶāũ Ģŭ ťŽŭĞāù Ģł ŶĞā ŋťťŋŭĢŶā ùĢũāóŶĢŋł Ŷŋ ĢŶŭ ŭŶÖłùÖũù ƪŋƒ̇ Öłù ðÖóĴ ŭĢťĞŋłÖėā̇ ƒĞĢóĞ óÖł ŋóóŽũ Ģĕ ŶĞāũā Ģŭ Ö ŭŽùùāł ùũŋť Ģł ťũāŭŭŽũā ŽťŭŶũāÖĿ ŋĕ Öł ŋŽŶķāŶ̍ Rł ŶĞā āƑāłŶ Öł ŋŽŶķāŶ Ģŭ ŋťāł ƒĞāł ðÖóĴ ŭĢťĞŋłÖėā ŋóóŽũŭ̇ ĞÖũĿĕŽķ óŋłŶÖĿĢłÖłŶŭ óŋŽķù ðā ťŽķķāù ðÖóĴ ĢłŶŋ ŶĞā ťŋŶÖðķā ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķƘ̍ ¦Ğāũā Öũā ĿÖłƘ ÖťťķĢÖłóāŭ̇ ĕŋũ āƗÖĿťķā ðÖŶĞŭ̇ ŭĞŋƒāũŭ̇ ƒÖŭĞĢłė ĿÖóĞĢłāŭ̇ Öłù āƑāł ŭƒĢĿĿĢłė ťŋŋķŭ̇ ŶĞÖŶ Öũā ťŋŶāłŶĢÖķķƘ Ö ðÖóĴƪŋƒ ŋũ ðÖóĴ ŭĢťĞŋłÖėā ũĢŭĴ̍ 1łŭŽũĢłė ŶĞā óŋũũāóŶ ķāƑāķ ŋĕ ťũāƑāłŶĢŋł ŋũ ťũŋŶāóŶĢŋł Ģŭ Ģł ťķÖóā Ģŭ ĴāƘ̍

Rules and regulations ¦Ğā ťũāŭāłóā ŋĕ óŋłŶÖĿĢłÖłŶŭ Ģł óķāÖł ƒÖŶāũ ťũāŭāłŶŭ Ö ũāÖķ Öłù ĢĿĿāùĢÖŶā ũĢŭĴ Ŷŋ ĞāÖķŶĞ̍ ¦ĞĢŭ Ģŭ łāƑāũ ėŋŋù ĕŋũ ÖłƘ ðŽĢķùĢłė̇ ðŽŶ ĢŶ̪ŭ āŭťāóĢÖķķƘ óŋłóāũłĢłė Ģł ĞŋŶāķŭ̇ ŭóĞŋŋķŭ̇ ĞŋŭťĢŶÖķŭ Öłù ĞāÖķŶĞóÖũā ĕÖóĢķĢŶĢāŭ̍ ¦Ğāũā̪ŭ Öķŭŋ ŶĞā ťŋŶāłŶĢÖķ ĕŋũ ŶĞĢŭ ðÖóĴƪŋƒ Ŷŋ āłŶāũ ŶĞā ĿÖĢłŭ ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķƘ̇ ťŋŭĢłė Ö ƒĢùāũ ťŽðķĢó ĞāÖķŶĞ ũĢŭĴ Ŷŋ łāĢėĞðŋŽũĢłė ĞŋĿāŭ Öłù óŋĿĿŽłĢŶĢāŭ̍ Rł āƗŶũāĿā óÖŭāŭ̇ ðŽĢķùĢłė ŋƒłāũŭ óÖł ĕÖóā ťũŋŭāóŽŶĢŋł̍ mŋũāŋƑāũ̇ ŶĞā ťũŋóāŭŭ ŋĕ ùũÖĢłĢłė Öłù óķāÖłĢłė ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķĢāŭ ũāŭŽķŶŭ Ģł ŭĢėłĢƩóÖłŶ ùĢŭũŽťŶĢŋł Öłù ƒÖŶāũ ƒÖŭŶā̇ ƒĢŶĞ Öķķ ŶĞā ŭŽŭŶÖĢłÖðĢķĢŶƘ ĢĿťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ ŶĞÖŶ ðũĢłėŭ̍ ¦Ğā ĴāƘ Ŷŋ łÖƑĢėÖŶĢłė ðÖóĴƪŋƒ ũāėŽķÖŶĢŋłŭ Ģŭ ŽłùāũŭŶÖłùĢłė ŶĞā āƗťāóŶāù ķāƑāķ ŋĕ ƪŽĢù ũĢŭĴ ĕŋũ ŶĞā ðŽĢķùĢłė Ģł ŨŽāŭŶĢŋł̇ Öłù ƒĞÖŶ ķāƑāķ ŋĕ ťũŋŶāóŶĢŋł ƒĢķķ ðā łāāùāù̍ ¦ŋ Ğāķť ŶÖóĴķā ŶĞā ťũŋðķāĿ ŋĕ ðÖóĴƪŋƒ̇ ŶĞā ÂÖŶāũ ŽťťķƘ ̛ÂÖŶāũ DĢŶŶĢłėŭ̜ āėŽķÖŶĢŋłŭ ̛˚ˢˢˢ̜ ĕŋũ 1łėķÖłù Öłù ÂÖķāŭ ̛ ƘāķÖƒŭ Ģł óŋŶķÖłù̜ ĞÖƑā ĢùāłŶĢƩāù ƩƑā ƪŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũĢāŭ̇ āÖóĞ ũāťũāŭāłŶĢłė Ö ĞĢėĞāũ ùāėũāā ŋĕ ũĢŭĴ̆

Fluid category ˚ and ˛ DķŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũƘ ˚ ̞ ̨ƒĞŋķāŭŋĿā ƒÖŶāũ̪ ũāŨŽĢũāŭ łŋ ŭťāóĢƩó óŋŽłŶāũĿāÖŭŽũāŭ ŋũ ÖóŶĢŋł̍ DķŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũƘ ˛ óŋƑāũŭ ƒÖŶāũ ƒĞĢóĞ ĞÖŭ ÖķŶāũāù Ģł āĢŶĞāũ ÖťťāÖũÖłóā ŋũ ŶÖŭŶā̇ ƒĢŶĞ ķĢĴāķƘ óÖŽŭāŭ ðāĢłė āĢŶĞāũ Ö ŶāĿťāũÖŶŽũā óĞÖłėā ŋũ ŶĞā ťũāŭāłóā ŋĕ ĿĢóũŋ-ŋũėÖłĢŭĿŭ ŋũ ŋŶĞāũ ŭŽðŭŶÖłóāŭ̍ Nāũā̇ Ö ŭĢłėķā óĞāóĴ ƑÖķƑā ƒĢķķ ŭŽƧóā̍ ł āƗÖĿťķā ŋĕ ŶĞĢŭ Ģŭ Ö ðÖŭĢł ĿĢƗāũ ŶÖť̇ ƒĞāũā ĞŋŶ ƒÖŶāũ óÖł ŭŋĿāŶĢĿāŭ ťÖŭŭ ðÖóĴ ĢłŶŋ ŶĞā óŋķù ŭŽťťķƘ ̞ ĢłŭŶÖķķĢłė Ö ŭĢłėķā óĞāóĴ ƑÖķƑā Ŷŋ ŶĞā óŋķù ťĢťā ĕāāùĢłė ŶĞā ŶÖť ƒŋŽķù ťũāƑāłŶ óũŋŭŭ-ƪŋƒ ĕũŋĿ ŋóóŽũũĢłė̍

Fluid category ˜ DķŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũƘ ˜ ũāťũāŭāłŶŭ ƒÖŶāũ ƒĢŶĞ ķŋƒ ķāƑāķŭ ŋĕ ŶŋƗĢóĢŶƘ ƒĞĢóĞ łāƑāũŶĞāķāŭŭ ťũāŭāłŶ Ö ŭķĢėĞŶ ĞāÖķŶĞ ĞÖơÖũù̍ Rł ŶĞāŭā óÖŭāŭ̇ ùŋŽðķā óĞāóĴ ƑÖķƑāŭ ĿŽŭŶ ðā ĢłŭŶÖķķāù̍ złā ĢłŭŶÖłóā ŋĕ ŶĞĢŭ ƒŋŽķù ðā Ö ŭŽťťķƘ Ŷŋ Öł ŋŽŶŭĢùā ŶÖť ̞ Žłķāŭŭ ŶĞĢŭ ŭŽťťķƘ Ģŭ ĕāāùĢłė Ö ŭťũĢłĴķāũ ŭƘŭŶāĿ ŶĞÖŶ Žŭāŭ ťāŭŶĢóĢùāŭ̍

¦Ğā ƑÖķƑā ƘŋŽ óĞŋŋŭā ĿŽŭŶ ðā óŋĿťķĢÖłŶ ƒĢŶĞ ŶĞā ÂÖŶāũ ŽťťķƘ āėŽķÖŶĢŋłŭ ˚ˢˢˢ̍ ÖũŶ ŋĕ Â!̪ŭ ĕÖĿĢķƘ ŋĕ ðũÖłùŭ̇ ŶĞā `F ťāāùƩŶ ũÖłėā ŋĕ ťķÖŭŶĢó ťŽŭĞ-ƩŶ ƩŶŶĢłėŭ ŋƦāũŭ Ö ùŋŽðķā óĞāóĴ ƑÖķƑā ƒĢŶĞ Ö ŭŶŋť ƑÖķƑā̍ ¦Ğā ŭŶŋť ƑÖķƑā ĢŭŋķÖŶāŭ ŶĞā ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķƘ Ŷŋ ŶĞā ŋŽŶķāŶ ŭŋ ĢłŭŶÖķķāũŭ óÖł āÖŭĢķƘ ŭāũƑĢóā ŶĞā ŋŽŶķāŶ ŶĞÖŶ ŶĞā ƑÖķƑā Ģŭ óŋłłāóŶāù Ŷŋ ĢłŭŶāÖù ŋĕ łāāùĢłė Ŷŋ ŭĞŽŶ ŋƦ ŶĞā ƒĞŋķā ðŽĢķùĢłė̪ŭ ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķƘ̍

Fluid category ˝ ¦Ğā Ŀŋũā ŭĢėłĢƩóÖłŶ ĞāÖķŶĞ ĞÖơÖũùŭ ðāėĢł ƒĢŶĞ ƪŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũƘ ˝̇ ƒĞĢóĞ Ģŭ ƒÖŶāũ ƒĢŶĞ ĞÖũĿĕŽķ óŋłóāłŶũÖŶĢŋłŭ ŋĕ ŶŋƗĢó ŭŽðŭŶÖłóāŭ̍ ŽĢŶÖðķā ðÖóĴƪŋƒ ťũāƑāłŶĢŋł ùāƑĢóāŭ Öũā ũāŨŽĢũāù Ģł ŶĞāŭā ŭĢŶŽÖŶĢŋłŭ̇ ŭŽóĞ Öŭ Ñ ƑÖķƑāŭ̍ āķĢÖłóā ÁÖķƑāŭ̪ ũāùŽóāù ťũāŭŭŽũā ơŋłā ̛ Ñ̜ ƑÖķƑā̇ ĕŋũ āƗÖĿťķā̇ Ģŭ ŋłā ŋĕ ŶĞā ŭÖĕāŭŶ Öłù ĿŋŭŶ ũāķĢÖðķā ðÖóĴƪŋƒ ťũāƑāłŶāũŭ ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā ĕŋũ óŋĿĿāũóĢÖķ ̛ƪŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũƘ ˝ ũĢŭĴ̜ ÖťťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ̍ Rł ŶĞā āƑāłŶ ŋĕ Ö ùũŋť Ģł ťũāŭŭŽũā ŋũ ðÖóĴ ŭĢťĞŋłÖėā ŋóóŽũũĢłė̇ ŶĞā ĿÖĢłŭ ƒÖŶāũ ŭŽťťķƘ Ģŭ ťũŋŶāóŶāù ðƘ ùĢƑāũŶĢłė ŶĞā ðÖóĴ-ĕāù ƒÖŶāũ ĕũŋĿ Ö ťũŋťāũŶƘ ŋŽŶ Ŷŋ Ö ƒÖŭŶā ťĢťā̇ ŶĞāũāĕŋũā ùĢƑāũŶĢłė ĢŶ ĕũŋĿ ŶĞā ĿÖĢł ŭŽťťķƘ Öłù ùũĢłĴĢłė łāŶƒŋũĴ Öłù ķĢĿĢŶĢłė ŶĞā ũĢŭĴ ŋĕ óŋłŶÖĿĢłÖŶĢŋł̍ ťťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ ĢłóķŽùā óŋĿĿāũóĢÖķ ùĢŭĞƒÖŭĞāũŭ Öłù óķāÖłĢłė ÖťťķĢÖłóāŭ̇ óŋĿĿāũóĢÖķ ĞāÖŶĢłė ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ Öłù Ʃũā ŭťũĢłĴķāũ ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ̍

Fluid category ˞ ¦Ğā ĞĢėĞāŭŶ ũĢŭĴ ķāƑāķ ŋĕ Öķķ ̞ ƪŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũƘ ˞ ̞ ũāťũāŭāłŶŭ ŶĞā ĿŋŭŶ ŭāũĢŋŽŭ ĞāÖķŶĞ ĞÖơÖũù ðāóÖŽŭā ŋĕ ŶĞā ťũāŭāłóā ŋĕ ťÖŶĞŋėāłŭ Öłù ũÖùĢŋÖóŶĢƑā ŋũ ƑāũƘ ŶŋƗĢó ŭŽðŭŶÖłóāŭ̍ DķŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũƘ ˞ Ģŭ Ö ĞĢėĞķƘ ŭťāóĢÖķĢŭŶ ÖũāÖ óÖķķĢłė ĕŋũ Ö !ķÖŭŭ ˞ ðÖóĴƪŋƒ ťũāƑāłŶĢŋł ùāƑĢóā̇ ĢłóŋũťŋũÖŶĢłė Ö ¦Ƙťā ÖĢũ ėÖť ŋũ āŨŽĢƑÖķāłŶ̍ ÂĞāł ƒā ĿŋƑā ĢłŶŋ ŶĞā ĞĢėĞ ũĢŭĴ ƪŽĢù óÖŶāėŋũĢāŭ̇ Ģ̍ā̍ óÖŶāėŋũĢāŭ ˝ Öłù ˞, ĿÖĢłŶāłÖłóā ðāóŋĿāŭ óũĢŶĢóÖķ Ŷŋ āłŭŽũā ŶĞāƘ ƒŋũĴ óŋũũāóŶķƘ̍ ÂĞĢķā Ñ ƑÖķƑāŭ Öũā ĞĢėĞķƘ āƦāóŶĢƑā̇ ŶĞāƘ łāāù Ŷŋ ðā ĢłŭŶÖķķāù̇ óŋĿĿĢŭŭĢŋłāù Öłù ŶāŭŶāù ðƘ Öł ÖťťũŋƑāù Ñ ƑÖķƑā ŶāŭŶāũ̇ ƒĞŋ ĿŽŭŶ łŋŶĢĕƘ ŶĞā ƒÖŶāũ ÖŽŶĞŋũĢŶĢāŭ ŋĕ ŶĞā ŭŶÖŶŽŭ ŋĕ Öķķ ƒŋũĴŭ̍ RŶ Ģŭ Ö ķāėÖķ ũāŨŽĢũāĿāłŶ ŶĞÖŶ ŶāŭŶŭ Öũā óŋłùŽóŶāù āƑāũƘ ˚˛ ĿŋłŶĞŭ Ŷŋ āłŭŽũā ŶĞÖŶ ŶĞāŭā ƑÖķƑāŭ Öũā ŋťāũÖŶĢłė óŋũũāóŶķƘ̍ ¦Ğā āƗÖóŶ ŭóĞāùŽķāŭ ƒĢķķ ƑÖũƘ Öóũŋŭŭ ķŋóÖķ ƒÖŶāũ ŽłùāũŶÖĴāũŭ̇ ðŽŶ ĕŽķķ ėŽĢùÖłóā óÖł ðā ĕŋŽłù ŋł ŶĞāĢũ ƒāðŭĢŶāŭ̍

Technical support !ķāÖũķƘ̇ ðÖóĴƪŋƒ ťũāŭāłŶŭ ŭĢėłĢƩóÖłŶ ũĢŭĴ̍ NŋƒāƑāũ̇ ŶĞāũā Öũā āÖŭƘ Öłù āƧóĢāłŶ ƒÖƘŭ Ŷŋ ťũāƑāłŶ ĢŶ ĕũŋĿ ĞÖťťāłĢłė̇ Öłù Ŷŋ āłŭŽũā Öł ŽłĢłŶāũũŽťŶāù ŭŽťťķƘ ŋĕ ŭÖĕā óķāÖł ƒÖŶāũ̍ ¦Ğāŭā ŭŋķŽŶĢŋłŭ Öũā ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā ĕũŋĿ Â!̪ŭ āķĢÖłóā ƑÖķƑāŭ ũÖłėā̇ ŶŋėāŶĞāũ ƒĢŶĞ ŶĞā ŭŽťťŋũŶ ŋĕ Öł āƗťāũĢāłóāù ŶāóĞłĢóÖķ ŶāÖĿ ŶĞÖŶ̪ŭ Öðķā Ŷŋ ŋƦāũ ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł ÖùƑĢóā Öłù ðāŭŶ ťũÖóŶĢóā ėŽĢùÖłóā̍ ÂĢŶĞ ðÖóĴƪŋƒ̇ ƒā ũāÖķķƘ ùŋ ĞÖƑā ƘŋŽũ ðÖóĴ̍ ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˛˜

PHAM MAY21:Layout 1 29/04/2021 09:57 Page 27

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Pipes, Fittings & Valves 27 Historical hotel brought ðÖóĴ Ŷŋ ķĢĕā ƒĢŶĞ RłŭŶÖƪ āƗ Piping systems from Georg Fischer have been used in the restoration of a Grade I listed spa, dating from the ˚ˠˡ˙s, to meet the commercial, technical and environmental challenges at the Buxton Crescent Hotel in Derbyshire. The hotel had stood empty for many years before funding by the council, heritage funding and other bodies provided the means for its revival. The M&E contractors were responsible for works on the hotel’s heating, hot and cold water services, and air conditioning for the 8˚ bedrooms and ˛˚ treatment

ũŋŋĿŭ ÖŶ ŶĞā Ʃ Ƒā-star spa complex, as well as the harvesting of heat energy from the natural thermal springs under the hotel, to feed a ground source heat pump. The company’s PVC-C and RłŭŶÖƪ āƗ ŭƘŭŶāĿŭ ƒāũā ŭāķāóŶāù to overcome the property’s challenges, including the pronounced curve of the main service corridor. Easily bent to ĿÖŶóĞ ŶĞā óŽũƑā̇ RłŭŶÖƪ āƗ ũŽłŭ throughout the service corridor in sizes from ˚˟ to ˚˙ˡmm, carrying all the hot and cold water. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˛˝

¦ĢĿā ŭÖƑĢłė Ʃ ŶŶĢłė ŭŋķŽŶĢŋł ĕŋũ Áŭ Designed to save on installation time and provide a neat, low cost solution for pressure relief termination, the Pipe Cowl from RJW Engineering avoids any unnecessary pipework and requires just one soldered joint. Fully compliant with all current regulations, it is NHBC approved, as well as tried and tested by British Gas,

and can be used with any standard or condensing combi boiler. The Pipe Cowl is available in ˚˞ or ˛˛mm and simply connects to the copper tube that comes from the pressure relief valve on the boiler, expelling any water from the relief valve safely against an outside wall. As no fabrication is required, it is particularly useful for high level installations. phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˛˞

DķāƗĢðķā ťĢťā ùŋāŭ ŶĞā ıŋð

The Smartpress range from Viega has been installed at the Royal Warwick Square apartment complex, a new build development by Berkeley St. Edward. The multilayer composite pipework was selected ĕŋũ ĢŶŭ ŭťāāù Öłù ŭĢĿťķĢóĢŶƘ ŋĕ ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł̍ DŽũŶĞāũĿŋũā̇ ĢŶŭ ƪ āƗĢðĢķĢŶƘ helped to reduce the number of joints required on the project by as much as ˡ˙% - minimising the risk of leaks. Positioned in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Royal ÂÖũƒĢóĴ ŨŽÖũā ŋƦ āũŭ ˜ˠ˞ one, two, and three-bedroom luxury apartments and penthouses. Viega’s Smartpress system in various sizes from ˚6 to ˝˙mm was used throughout the development on the potable, boosted cold, and heating system pipework. The simplicity of the cold-applied Viega Smartpress multilayer piping system means it does not require the use of an O-ring, taking away the need for complex calibration, and cutting installation time by as much as ˜˙%. RŶ Öķŭŋ ťũŋƑĢùāŭ ĢłŭŶÖķķÖŶĢŋł ƪ āƗĢðĢķĢŶƘ ðƘ ÖķķŋƒĢłė āÖŭƘ ŭĞÖťĢłė ŋĕ ŶĞā ťĢťā for corners and around wall details on site. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˛˟

PHAM MAYJUNE20 TELFORD:Layout 1 02/06/2020 09:31 Page 1

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Water Heating & Cylinders 29

How to ensure heat pumps will meet hot water demand As heat pumps become part of the mainstream, how can you ensure that they deliver on e ciency levels while meeting your customer’s e pectations for hot water delivery? Isaac Occhipinti from the Hot Water Association explains.

he length of time householders are prepared to wait for hot water following a large draw-off from a cylinder e.g. ﬁlling a bath) is now far shorter than it used to be. This has an impact on the recommended domestic hot water (DHW) cylinder volume, particularly when the cylinder is being reheated by a relatively low power heating device such as a heat pump. The overall system e ciency of a central heating system is in uenced by the hot water cylinder. For heat pumps, this is a particularly important issue because they can be less e cient when operating at the temperatures required to produce DHW. For this reason, it is particularly important to investigate how hot water cylinders work under different operational regimes, and how these heat losses may be minimised.

Growing market

Over the last number of years heat pumps have continued to increase their market penetration, to provide space and water heating to dwellings and commercial properties of various sizes and applications. With the focus on discontinuing the use of fossil fuels in the UK, the future of the heat pump market represents an exciting opportunity for the hot water industry. The general consensus is that technology, the industry and the installer base have reached reliable levels of technology deployment. The UK is clearly on a trajectory where heat pumps will be part of the heat generation mix of the future. Heat pumps use energy contained in generally low temperature ambient sources such as the ground, the air or water, and transfer it to useful temperature levels for space and water heating. The heat distribution system can be based on water or air for heat transfer purposes. A wide variety of heat pump models, types and operation modes are available, but for the purpose of the considerations in this article only system heat

29.indd 1

Isaac Occhipinti

ead of e ternal affairs for the ot ater ssociation

The output rating of the heat pump i e tt e time in which attainable hot water temperatures are achieved and therefore comfort levels and running costs CUT TO THE CHASE  Heat pumps can be less e cient when operatin at the temperatures re uired to produce  he production of hot water is likel to represent a lar er proportion of total ener demand as buildin insulation le els impro e  t can be a challen e for a heat pump to pro ide space heatin and simultaneousl heat a hot water c linder  ne wa to achie e o erall s stem compatibilit is to ﬁt complete s stem packa es

pumps using the ground and the air as energy source with water as heat transfer medium are being considered. Within legislation, standards and certiﬁcation schemes a lot of effort has been made to ensure the deployment of heat pumps for space heating applications is completed correctly and e ciently because in the majority of the existing housing stock, space heating requires considerably more energy than water heating. However, with ever tightening Building Regulations with regards to the conservation of fuel and power, the water heating energy demand becomes a bigger proportion, and due consideration should be given to the effectiveness of the provision of hot water using heat pump technology.

Varied output

Both ground and air source heat pumps vary their output depending on the source temperature. The issues arising from this output variation can, in space heating applications, be mitigated against by the introduction of a suitably sized buffer vessel and by the fact that high ambient temperatures may revoke the need for space heating. In stored hot water systems, however, the output rating of the heat pump does affect the time in which attainable hot water temperatures in the cylinder are achieved and therefore affects directly the comfort level of the user or running costs should other heat sources, such as direct acting immersion elements, be used to top up the hot water to comfortable temperatures. In particular, the output temperature of air source heat pumps and their e ciency can vary considerably with source temperature. In most cases, the units will have been speciﬁed for the heating design temperature of the dwelling, i.e. -2°C, which means that at low external ambient temperatures the heat pump has more workload placed upon it and the ability to heat both the house and the hot water cylinder simultaneously is testing.

Contrary to fossil fuel ﬁred systems, from a thermodynamic point of view, heat pumps do not work independently of the load connected. The operation parameters of the refrigeration circuit internal to the heat pump are affected by the e ternal load connected to the condenser of the heat pump. It was therefore correctly recognised in SAP that the heat exchangers used in hot water cylinders have to be designed accordingly to ensure correct system operation. They also have to be placed in suitable hot water volumes, with the temperature control and safety devices positioned correctly.

Inverter driven

Whereas the correlation between heat pump output and cylinder heat exchanger requirement is reasonably straightforward for ﬁ ed speed compressor heat pumps, they have become much less transparent for inverter driven heat pumps. Depending on the control algorithm developed, the control strategy of providing hot water can vary considerably. Inverter driven heat pumps can, similar to other heating appliances, modulate the output from the heat pump with the load on the system. For DHW preparation, this means that the closer the temperature gets to the hot water temperature set point, the lower the output from the heat pump. This allows

the heat pump to edge’ its way to the set point without tripping out and the hot water temperature set point can be within a few degrees of the ma imum heat pump ow temperature, thus eliminating the need for the use of auxiliary heating systems to top up the hot water temperatures.

Meeting expectations

Although heat pump technology has been ready to go mainstream for some time, the above considerations show that certain knowledge is required to ensure that the systems operate e ciently. It also important that end user expectations are being met both in respect to comfort and running costs, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions are actually realised. Compatibility of products is of utmost importance when designing any DHW system. One way of achieving overall system compatibility is to utilise complete system packages. In these cases individual component characteristics are fully understood and combined in the most e cient and all round beneﬁcial way. As ever, HWA members will be pleased to offer advice on best practice. We are at present working on a HWA heat pump cylinder speciﬁcation guide to aid installers when specifying cylinders. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/27

28/04/2021 11:16

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Water Heating & Cylinders

The rise of sustainable hot water cylinder technology Recent advances in demand side response (DSR) and solar PV technology has the potential to improve the energy management of hot water storage cylinders. George Linder from Heatrae Sadia explains more about the latest thinking.

eating and hot water systems continue to become more e cient as advancements in manufacturing keep happening. It is not only the build quality of a system that is supporting e ciency however, but also the ways in which hot water cylinders can be installed alongside renewables such as solar PV panels to lower energy bills. What’s more, the use of smart controls to manage heating hot water cylinders to take advantage of lower cost energy, such as overnight Economy tariffs is another way a household can save money while enjoying plentiful hot water the next day. What might not be as well known however, is how the role of demand side response (DSR) is

George Linder

Heatrae Sadia product manager

increasingly being investigated as a way to heat hot water when there is low-cost electricity available. DSR is a more intelligent way of using the electricity available on the grid, by monitoring peaks and troughs in demand. During quieter periods, the DSR technology will maximise the use of energy when it is more affordable saving money by allowing hot water to be generated at the most cost-effective times throughout the day should it be needed. In fact, as wholesale electricity prices can sometimes drop as low as zero or even negative values, this means that in some cases homeowners could be paid to use electricity.

USER project

An initiative called the Ubiquitous Storage Empowering Response (USER) project has been at the forefront of DSR testing capabilities. The project was set up in 201 to trial how new and existing hot water cylinders could be connected to the grid with a smart interface unit, enabling the hot water store to become a grid interactive storage heater, making the most of peaks and dips in energy usage. uring the pro ect ega o co cylinders were provided to help facilitate trials and test DSR. Hundreds of British households who were part of the trials had smart hubs installed and connected to their hot water cylinder’s immersion heater, in order to sync with the smart grid. With no need for any complicated switchover, or requirement for the homeowners to collect data, the project has so far proved successful. At the moment, DSR in relation to hot water cylinders is still being tested, however more details of the USER trials and how this data could be used to facilitate wider adoption of the technology is expected to be revealed later this year.

CUT TO THE CHASE  DSR is increasingly being investigated as a way to heat hot water when there is low-cost electricity available  The USER project, set up in 2018, has been at the forefront of testing the capabilities of DSR  A power diverter can monitor and divert excess energy generated from solar PV panels to heat water  PV ready systems from Heatrae Sadia come with specialist controls to help users track their home energy status  There are currently nine million hot water cylinders installed in the UK

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 e eg o o o r Ready indirect cylinder from Heatrae Sadia

Solar PV

While DSR trials are still underway, this is not to say that installers and homeowners cannot investigate other ways of improving e ciency and lowering hot water energy bills. To this end, solar PV panels for the roof when installed alongside a power diverter, otherwise known as a solar PV optimiser, can monitor and divert any excess energy of solar electricity being produced. These devices ensure this excess energy is used to heat the water inside the cylinder, bringing heating bills down and helping the environment. Our ega o co Solar PV Ready is an unvented cylinder that has been designed to be used in conjunction with any PV array, existing or new. This is a great option for guaranteed PV compatibility, in addition to the fact that PV ready systems from Heatrae Sadia also come with specialist controls, the iBoost and Buddy, designed to help building occupants track their home energy status, whether importing from the grid or producing spare generation. With around nine million hot water cylinders currently in use throughout the UK, there is a clear opportunity for installers and their customers to ma imise the beneﬁts of hot water cylinders. Thanks to developments in this area, such as cylinder compatibility with solar PV and the potential for DSR to balance the grid and save on hot water bills, a more sustainable and ﬁnancially economical future is on the hori on. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/2

27/04/2021 16:10

PHAM MAY21:Layout 1 28/04/2021 08:30 Page 31

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Water Heating & Cylinders 31 Cylinders to meet demand

cylinders operate at a quiet level of ˚˞ ùāóĢðāķŭ Öłù ŋƦāũ ũÖťĢù ũāĞāÖŶ times with impressive levels of heat retention. For extra peace of ĿĢłù̇ ŶĞāƘ óŋĿā ƒĢŶĞ Ö ƩƑā-year guarantee on the components and A new range of cylinders has been ˛˞ year guarantee on the outer unveiled by Worcester Bosch. The casing. Green Storage WB Range consists of Martyn Bridges, director of seven variants of unvented cylinders, ranging from ˢ˙ to ˜˙˙ litres, as well as technical communication and unvented solar cylinders consisting of product management, says: “With an ever-evolving market, it is our four variants from ˚ˡ˙ to ˜˙˙ litres. ÖĢù Ŷŋ ŋƦāũ Öł ÖƦŋũùÖðķā ŭŋķŽŶĢŋł aim to provide our customers with for all types of installations where the right solutions that meet the stored hot water is the preference, the demands of a heating technologyagnostic future.” ͻ phamnews.co.uk̓˞˛˚̓˛ˢ

Two coils for a faster response 'āŭĢėłāù Ŷŋ ŋƦāũ ðāŶŶāũ ĞŋŶ ƒÖŶāũ ťāũĕŋũĿÖłóā Öłù ŭƘŭŶāĿ ŭāóŽũĢŶƘ ĕŋũ ķÖũėā ùāĿÖłù ťũāĿĢŭāŭ̇ Ö łāƒ ŶƒĢł óŋĢķ Öłù ƩƑā ÖùùĢŶĢŋłÖķ ŭŶŋũÖėā ŶÖłĴŭ ĞÖƑā ðāāł Öùùāù Ŷŋ NÖĿƒŋũŶĞƘ̪ŭ ũÖłėā ŋĕ ŭŶÖĢłķāŭŭ ŭŶāāķ óÖķŋũĢƩāũŭ̍ ¦Ğā Ŷƒŋ óŋĢķŭ Ģł ŶĞā łāƒ ƑāũŭĢŋłŭ ŋĕ ŶĞā NÖķŭŶŋóĴ óÖķŋũĢƩāũ óÖł ðā óŋłłāóŶāù Ģł ŭāũĢāŭ Ŷŋ improve hot water performance as there is a larger surface area for faster heat-up times and ĞĢėĞāũ óŋłŶĢłŽŋŽŭ ŋŽŶťŽŶ ƪŋƒŭ ̞ Žť Ŷŋ ˛˚˙˟ L/h from the largest model. Alternatively, the óÖķŋũĢƩāũŭ óÖł ðā óŋłłāóŶāù Ŷŋ Ŷƒŋ ùĢƦāũāłŶ ĞāÖŶ ŭŋŽũóāŭ ŭŽóĞ Öŭ Ö ŭŋķÖũ óŋķķāóŶŋũ ÖũũÖƘ Öłù Ö ėÖŭ ðŋĢķāũ̍ ¦Ğā NÖķŭŶŋóĴ ŭŶÖĢłķāŭŭ ŭŶāāķ óÖķŋũĢƩāũ ĕāÖŶŽũāŭ Ö ùŽũÖðķā̇ óŋũũŋŭĢŋł-resistant, Acerinox duplex stainless steel tank and coil, for low maintenance and a long life (backed up ðƘ Ö ƩƑā-ƘāÖũ óƘķĢłùāũ ƒÖũũÖłŶƘ̜̍ zŶĞāũ ðāłāƩŶŭ ĢłóķŽùā Ö óŋũũŽėÖŶāù óŋĢķ ùāŭĢėł ĕŋũ maximum heat transfer and a generous layer of CFC-free polyurethane tank insulation. To complement the range and provide additional storage, and therefore system security ĕŋũ ĞĢėĞ ùāĿÖłù ĞŋŶ ƒÖŶāũ ÖťťķĢóÖŶĢŋłŭ̇ ƩƑā ðŽƦāũ Ƒāŭŭāķŭ̓ŭŶŋũÖėā ŶÖłĴŭ ĞÖƑā Öķŭŋ ðāāł added. These also range from ˜˙˙-ˢ˟˞ litre capacity. ͻ phamnews.co.uk̓˞˛˚̓˜˙

Easy thermal store swap Many apartments in the UK, especially in urban areas, have electric thermal stores installed. However, some of these original installations – often originally manufactured in copper with complicated PCB controls– are now reaching the end of their operational life. Advance ETS (Electric Thermal Ŷŋũā̜ Ģŭ ŭÖĢù Ŷŋ ŋƦāũ Ö ťāũĕāóŶ simple replacement for worn out stores. It utilises the same technology – thermal store with two ˜kW immersion heaters – but without unnecessary complex control systems. It is designed to provide one shower plus one bath ƒĢŶĞ ŋłā ŋƑāũłĢėĞŶ ŋƦ-peak charge and an easy replacement installation. The thermal store is low maintenance, and made from stainless steel for long life, backed with a ten-year guarantee. Each cylinder can be registered with Advance so installers are reminded every year of the need for a service. Rĕ łŋ ŋƑāũƪŋƒ ĕÖóĢķĢŶƘ Ģŭ ÖƑÖĢķÖðķā̇ ŶĞā 1¦ óÖł ðā ĕÖóŶŋũƘ ƩŶŶāù ƒĢŶĞ Öł ĢŭŋķÖŶĢŋł ĴĢŶ Ŷŋ āłÖðķā ŭĞŽŶ ŋƦ ŋĕ ŶĞā ĢłóŋĿĢłė ŭŽťťķƘ Ģł case of emergency. The kit is pre-plumbed and pre-wired to the basic model and operates with a standard ˞ amp supply. Two sizes are available, a ˚˟˙ litre for single bathroom properties and a ˛˚˙ litre for twin bathroom or with an occupancy of higher than two per property. ͻ phamnews.co.uk/˞˛˚̓˜˚

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

32.indd 1

Products in Action

Renewable heat package for large new build homes

Heat pump system reaps the financial rewards

A development of three detached ﬁve-bedroom homes in the market town of Raunds in orthamptonshire is utilising renewable heat packages featuring air source heat pumps delivered by whole house systems specialist O I part of the Ridgespear roup. The solution for Tophaven makes use of uiet running heat pumps positioned at the rear of each home with O I ’s Staple under oor heating system installed over Cellecta Tectris insulation on the ground oor slabs and the manufacturer’s ow oard panels and pipework serving the bedroom levels. All of the installation has been carried out by the developer’s in-house team with O I completing the commissioning work. The founder of Tophaven Ian Johnson, comments: “We hadn’t made use of whole house under oor heating systems before because we were mainly building smaller houses but

The latest WPL-2 heat pump system from Stiebel Eltron has been installed at a ﬁve-bedroom property in Boston, Lincolnshire, to provide a renewable heating system and bring the home up to modern sustainability standards. Installers co nergy retroﬁtted the renewable system at the home replacing the

with larger properties like these and the general move towards more sustainable and low carbon heating systems we got back in touch with O I to consider their heat pumps solutions. I feel that taking a complete package is deﬁnitely the best where you get everything si ed correctly for the building’s re uirements based on the heat pump’s output. We are not only pleased with the outcome here we’re ust starting another pro ect with a similar set up. phamnews.co.uk/521/ 2

e isting legacy heating system that was powered by oil. It’s estimated that the heat pump will save the homeowners 00 a year by removing the need for oil while also helping them to earn around 10 00 from the Renewable Heat Incentive.

The WPL-2 was considered the ideal option for this residential pro ect as it’s small and uiet. The heat pump is tailored for uick installation and its high output levels mean it’s capable of ow temperatures of up to 6 °C. phamnews.co.uk/521/

Oil solution picks up the slack of wood chip boilers Hounsﬁeld oilers has come to the rescue of a landlord in Suffolk whose wood chip burning system was proving inconsistent due to the demands of a substantial hot water and H system. Orwell View arns a collection of short let cottages and a barn conversion in Suffolk has a total of 1 bedrooms, so an unreliable heating system was a real issue for landlord Richard Wrinch. Richard says: “The 120kW wood chip system was only 10 years old but was suffering from wood chip blockages which resulted in heating issues to the tenants. We discussed possible solutions with our engineer ick rimwood and we opted for two oil ﬁred boilers which could work together to support the woodchip burner. ow when sensors pick up a drop in water temperature the oil boilers kick in to ensure a constant supply of heat. phamnews.co.uk/521/

28/04/2021 09:39

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Pumps & Heating Spares 33

Disappointing water pressure? How to give the system a boost In many parts of the UK, householders are having to put up with low water pressure, with the existing water supply struggling to cope with increased demand from ensuites and multiple showers. Duncan Lewis from Dutypoint explains how installers can best come to their customers’ aid.

ow water pressure has been a frustration in a number of households for many years and the problem does not seem to be going away. The symptoms we hear reported are typically around poor ow rates and uctuating water pressure as well as not being able to use more than two outlets effectively at the same time. Combi boilers can also struggle to ﬁre up on demand. Other challenges can include water supply pipes not being sized correctly, particularly in older properties where pipes are partially blocked, therefore further reducing the throughput of water. Simply looking at these issues and installing an individual solution, such as a shower pump and accumulator vessel, may not be su cient to resolve the problem – especially in larger properties or multiple dwellings, where a more powerful system is required to boost the whole system rather than individual outlets.

Under pressure

Unfortunately, low water pressure is not an uncommon problem in the UK, with water companies - themselves under ﬁnancial obligations to reduce leakage rates - having to reduce pressure in their water systems which in turn exacerbates the

Duncan Lewis

Dutypoint head of sales

There is certainly a need for a solution that works to combat the varying demands of a modern home, but avoiding the costly installation of a new larger mains supply

situation for the domestic user and beyond. Under the Ofwat Regulation: Low Pressure (GSS Regulation 10) stipulates that “the company must maintain a minimum pressure in the communication pipe of seven metres static head (0. bar)” at the boundary of the property. Providing the water company is supplying more than this pressure, there is no legal obligation for them to do anything to increase the supply pressure to residential properties. Regrettably, 0. bar is not su cient to e ciently run most combi boilers which require at least 1.3 bar to work effectively and with uctuating demand on the water supply pipe, this serves to intensify the problem. Consumers usually ﬁnd the issue at certain times of the day when the demand is high – typically early morning or around dinner time – when you need good pressure to work the washing machine, two showers and make a cup of tea. Over the last decade or so, we have seen trends in housing developments and home improvements change, meaning there has been a huge uplift in additional bathrooms, shower rooms and ensuites. However, very often these are added without careful consideration of how the existing water supply will cope.

Break tanks

The other challenge is that you cannot simply connect a pump straight into the mains water when the ow rate needed is above 12 L/min (except on very rare occasions, and with special permission from the water undertaker). Typically, you will need a pressure booster pump set that is separated from the water mains by a break tank. Break tanks have an air break between where the water comes in and where the level stops. This prevents water from owing back into the mains and potentially contaminating down the line. The break tank is used as a reservoir of water that the pump draws from to provide whatever ow rate is required to satisfy the system’s requirements.

Which booster?

To get the best product it is necessary to assess the following points which will assist in deciding which booster set is needed: • Decide the pressure needed to come out of the shower or tap. There are standard and high ow shower heads but a nice powerful shower needs around 2 bar. • Consider the height of the building, from where the pump is located to the highest shower. • Sum up all the appliances in the house and calculate the draw-off ow-rates; published guidance can be found in BS EN 0 (Part 3) with a complimentary guide BS . • Calculate the friction losses, based upon pipe diameter and peak ow-rate.

Best solution The GRP insulated ScubaTANK features integral WRAS approved submersible pumps mounted inside the tank. Capacities range from 175 to 225 litres, with smaller models esigne to ﬁt through a standard door

33.indd 1

Today, there is certainly a need for a solution that works to combat the varying demands of a modern house, but avoiding the costly installation of a new larger mains supply, redecorating, overcoming regulated shower/tap usage and reduction in noise levels during operation. With the above information it is possible to select the correct pump set and associated tank.

There is a legal requirement to comply with The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1 in England & Wales, 200 Northern Ireland and 201 Byelaws Scotland. These regulations cover the design, installation, operation and maintenance of water fittings systems and appliances. The water undertaker retains absolute discretion in assessing whether a product complies with the regulations, although the most widely accepted method of demonstrating compliance is an approval certificate from an accredited laboratory, such as WRAS or Kiwa UK (KUKreg ). This proves that the product has passed a set of stringent tests to ensure that it is suitable and safe to convey wholesome (potable) water. It is important to check the details of any certificate provided to ensure that the approval covers the product as a whole rather than separate components and that the specific model to be installed is covered.

Meeting demand

With many types of design on the market ranging from a single pump with pressure switch control, pump and accumulator through to multiple pumps and variable speed controls all offer the consumer a different solution. One market leading solution is an integrated pump and tank, such as a Dutypoint ScubaTANK which has been designed to have pump/s installed in a reservoir of stored water. The tank is sized to cope with maximum demand and is able to supply instant pressure and automatically vary its output dependent upon the usage of water within the building. With full WRAS and KUK reg approvals, the ScubaTA also offers the added advantages of a reduced footprint energy e ciency easy installation and quiet operation plus the beneﬁt of at least a decade of reﬁnements. It’s one solution that is helping to provide a boost for a growing number of properties. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/ 5

28/04/2021 09:28

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Pumps & Heating Spares

Kick out knock-o s with genuine parts What does it really mean to choose a non-genuine spare part over a manufacturer approved spare and how could this affect the installer making that decision? Helen Dolby from Baxi explores the tell-tale signs and risks associated with modiﬁed and copy part gas boiler spares.

espite advancements in quality and longevity of modern boilers, there may come a time when components will need to be replaced. While it is a simple and safe process to source genuine spare parts direct from o cial boiler manufacturer stockists, problems can arise when refurbished, reconditioned, modiﬁed or copy parts are considered.

What are you buying?

Spares that have been ‘refurbished’, ‘reconditioned’, or modified’ might have once been genuine, but as soon as any work has been done to alter the spare, it can no longer be claimed as an original manufactured product. Any business selling the parts must inform you that it is not the original manufactured product and must remove all original markings. Some companies may advertise that altered spares are as good and reliable as a genuine spare, but it’s impossible to know exactly what has been done to the part during the modification process. As a result, the safety and quality of the components used to modify it cannot be proven. While modified spares may start out as a genuine spare, a ‘copy part’ has absolutely no connection to the original manufacturer and all responsibility for the component is taken by the business producing it. Both modified and copy part spares can come with risks because

ase of installation at the heart of the range The new Pulse range from Stuart Turner features high e ciency rP compliant pumps in a variety of sizes – with both single and twin head options for Rp 1½ to DN80. The range also contains secondary hot water circulators of brass construction.

34.indd 1

Helen Dolby

Baxi Genuine Parts - product lifecycle manager at Baxi Heating

CUT TO THE CHASE  Original parts that have been modiﬁed can no lon er be considered ‘genuine’  Modified and copy part spares come with risks that expose installers to liability  Genuine spares are subjected to strict certification  Tell-tale signs that a part is fake include poor welding, scorch marks, and a damaged ‘warranty void’ sticker  nstallers can conﬁrm the providence of spare parts by checking with the manufacturer

Pulse circulators come loaded with energy saving features that can provide installers and specifiers with versatile options. The pumps are driven by high e ciency permanent magnet motors with EEI ratings as low as <0.20 and are self-modulating so that they only deliver what ow is re uired based on demand. This operating mode is said to offer energy savings of up to 0% compared to old style fi ed speed pumps. Other operating modes include fi ed speed constant pressure, night

if anything goes wrong, both the business who sold the spare and the tradesperson who installed it risk damaging their reputation, and both could be liable in the event of a prosecution enuine unmodified manufacturer-approved components are subjected to the same strict certification testing as their corresponding boilers. Testing to strict British or European standards involves imitating demanding situations such as varying gas pressure and mains voltage, and passing these tests shows customers and Registered Gas engineers that the boiler can operate safely. Using non-genuine parts could be deemed to invalidate the existing safety-critical certifications that are required under the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations. This means the boiler could be unreliable and dangerous, and, at the very least, could invalidate the boiler’s warranty.

Side-by-side comparison

When compared, a genuine and non-genuine part could visually look very similar. The truth, however, is that this is where most comparable likeness stops. Sometimes there are a few tell-tale signs that show how the quality is lacking, yet it is important to remember that these signs aren’t always visually apparent. Poor welding of ﬁ ings is a big giveaway that the spare is non-genuine and could be dangerous. For instance, when

mode, and fully automatic mode. Dimensionally they compare with products already in the market, adopting industry standard port-

looking at a heat exchanger it is crucial that all connections and fi ings are correctly specified and that the welding is done properly. Poorly welded fi ings could easily break when put under too much tension and incorrect connections and fi ings could lead to leaks causing damage to the boiler or homeowner’s property.

Looking for clues

Be careful to check for scorch marks or a damaged ‘warranty void’ sticker, both of which are major warning signs that the spare is not safe. A scorched PCB board, for example, indicates poor workmanship which could lead to overheating and eventual failure. If the sticker has been tampered with, the component should not be installed. Carefully check for missing components, as a non-genuine spare could be lacking essential parts. For instance, there have been cases of boiler fans with a missing thermal cut-out. Without this, the motor could severely overheat, shortening the life of the product and in a worst-case scenario result in a ﬁre. Another easy way to determine if the product is legitimate is to assess the rotor motion. Refurbished fans can be unbalanced and noisy, and are far more likely to fail quicker.

to-port connections meaning that, in most cases, Pulse will act as a quick and easy replacement with no pipework modiﬁcation re uired. They feature a simple electrical connection with no need to remove any terminal box. The range is set to build on the success of Stuart Turner’s existing ST range of domestic circulators, offering solutions for single dwelling premises all the way up to larger commercial properties. “Having demonstrated a successful entry to

Maker’s mark

Baxi Genuine Parts carry the correct certiﬁcation for use as replacements in Baxi boilers and are tested rigorously to meet tough quality standards. All Baxi Genuine Parts will be Baxi branded with the manufacturer’s details, date and batch number embossed on the component. This guarantees that it is traceable in the case of a fault and can be claimed under warranty. Installers need to keep in mind that they are responsible for the boiler they are servicing and repairing, both during and after the remedial work. If the boiler were to break down or an accident happened because nonapproved parts were used, they could, therefore, be held liable. It is evident that the risk some non-genuine parts pose to customer safety and the installer’s professional reputation clearly outweighs any initial savings.

Check it out

You can use our online database to help you identify the part you need and if in doubt of the authenticity of a spare part, you can contact Baxi via email on bewareofthespare@baxi.co.uk. Alternatively, use the online link below to ﬁnd out more. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

the market with our ST range of domestic circulators, we continue to grow our product portfolio into more commercial applications, this time within the HVAC arena,” says global sales director Kevin Moore. “Development of the Pulse range centred around the requirements of the installer and the building operator. Ease of installation while maintaining excellent electrical e ciency and reliability were the guiding principles of the project. I’m really excited about the new range and look forward to seeing them appear in installations very soon.” ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/ 7

27/04/2021 16:44

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Product News 35 uiet, e cient, and space saving monobloc solution escribed as an all-in-one heat pump system the Altherma 3 onobloc air-to-water heat pump is aikin’s smallest unit to date. It’s offered as a compact and versatile solution for homes of all si es. esigned to fit seamlessly to the outside of a wide range of housing types and re uiring no indoor unit the Altherma 3 onobloc is suitable for any property where space is at a premium. The new unit ma imises space in the home while also offering significant savings over traditional heating systems due to its high e ciency and low running costs. aikin claims that the average household can save up to 3 on heating bills each year compared with a gas boiler. The outdoor unit is specifically designed to improve air ow cutting down on unwanted noise. Its concealed high performance single fan blade makes the unit much uieter than conventional double fan heat pumps at ust 2d A. Homeowners can monitor energy consumption and control the performance of their onobloc using the aikin Residential Controller app and through oogle Assistant or Ama on Ale a. The single unit makes for fast and simple installation which doesn’t re uire -gas

ualiﬁcations to install and is designed for installers looking to increase the range of space-e cient solutions they can offer. As there is no indoor unit or -gas connection to be completed the monobloc system installation can be uicker and easier when compared to a multi-unit system. The unit comes in four capacity ranges 11 1 and 1 class which are suitable for homes from a twobedroom terraced to a four-bedroom detached home. The heat pump system uses a new R32 refrigerant which re uires 30 less refrigerant charge than a R 10A e uivalent unit and achieves lower CO2 emissions than previous monobloc units lowering its environmental impact. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

Any Dream will do in thermostatic portfolio A total of 12 different models make up the new ream range of thermostatic mi er showers from A ualisa. ach one features concealed valves which are installed in the wall space behind attractive wall plates. They also include choices of ad ustable handsets fi ed head drenchers and bath fill outlets. The valve is based on A ualisa’s ian brass onepiece valve. This new range of mi er showers focuses on core and premier mi er solutions. It is said to feature the most attractive and professional mi er shower options minimalist design with ush-to-the-wall easy-to-use controls and multiple outlets giving families the ma imum number of showering options. or installers the new range is available as a one bo ’ offering through the usual merchant outlets and comes with all the necessary fi ing options including mortar guards and all connections. It’s push-fit wall plate makes it fully serviceable from the front of the unit and it comes with a full five-year guarantee for complete peace of mind. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

variants handrinse basins and above-counter basins. All the toilets come with rimless technology and can be ordered with the antibacterial Hygiene la e ceramic gla e achieving effective ushing results with ust . litres of water. The - eo series also offers a matching bidet. A further highlight in this price segment is the free-standing uraSolid bathtub with a style reminiscent of the oval above-counter basins. uilt-in bathtubs are made from sanitary acrylic with a sloping backrest and are available in ﬁve si es ranging from 1 00 0mm to 1 00 00mm. They also come in a whirl version with si air no les arranged in the side walls. The - eo furniture has three new wood-look d cors bringing the total number of ﬁnishes to 13. Added to this mirrors and mirror cabinets are available with edging lighting at the top to illuminate the washing area. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

Complete bathroom range The - eo range from uravit is presented as an attractive entry-level range of bathroom components from washbasins and bathtubs to furniture and accessories. The range has been created to outlast shortlived trends and offers a wide range of choice and variations. or e ample washbasins include built-in

Now in LPG versions

MEV systems contribute to better IAQ Ventilation systems manufacturer nviroVent has launched its new V 1 0 and V 300 units. They are described as versatile compact high performance mechanical ventilation systems for houses apartments and other communal residences such as care homes and student accommodation. The V 1 0 and V 300 are designed to signiﬁcantly enhance indoor air uality with multiple e tract points to simultaneously draw moisture-laden air from the wet rooms while minimising the migration of humidity to other rooms. They have air ow rates up to l s for the V 1 0 and 111 l s for the V 300 and can achieve

35.indd 1

e tremely low Specific an Powers down to 0.1 W l s suitable for applications with a kitchen plus si wet rooms. These systems have a low profile of 1 cm and can be wall oor or ceiling mounted hori ontally or vertically with ust four fi ing points. The V 1 0 and 300 have also been designed to connect to either standard 12 mm rigid ducting or mm 0mm ast Track range of ducting as an option. nviroVent’s ast Track ucting range is said to enable rapid installation up to twice the speed of traditional screw and glue and provides a sustainable airtight connection. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/ 1

ONLINE For further information about any of the products featured on this page, simply visit phamnews. co.uk/521/ followed by the relevant enquiry number.

The reenstar 2000 range from Worcester is now available in P with outputs of 2 kW and 30kW. This offers varied options for caravans static homes and holiday parks as well as homes off the gas grid. The reenstar 2000 range carries a Which est uy’ endorsement and has also benefitted from installer feedback which led to Worcester introducing a number of installer-friendly features including pipe tails and push-fit PRV removable side panels for easily accessible internal components ma imum ue lengths of m hori ontally and 12m vertically C heat e changer ability to modulate down to as little as . kW and uick tap watersaving function. The P variant of the reenstar 2000 comes with a five-year guarantee as standard and a si -year guarantee when installed with a reenstar System ilter. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/ 2

27/04/2021 16:59

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Product News Regular boiler for big properties

Breaking barriers with eco-friendly heat pumps Described as its most eco-friendly air source heat pump to date, Stiebel Eltron has unveiled the WPL-A Premium range, comprising the WPL-A 0 and A 0 Premium, for both heating and cooling in domestic buildings. The WPL-A 0 Premium model has a seasonal coe cient of performance (SCOP) rating of up to .21 at °C. oth models can achieve ow temperatures of °C, which means the end user is not required to use a separate electric element to run regular hot cycles in their hot water tanks to remove bacterial growth. The WPL-A Premium range uses Stiebel Eltron’s eco-friendly R C refrigerant, which has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of less than 1 0. ark c anus managing director at Stiebel ltron says “We’re always looking at how we can improve our product ranges and their performance – whether that’s by improving our existing models or developing new ones. The demand for heat pumps has grown enormously and a recent survey from the Heat Pump Association found that sales will continue to double over the next year alone. We therefore want to make sure we’re at the forefront of innovation and can offer the most effective and e cient products on the market. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

The ONE Series range by Ariston has been enhanced with the addition of the new Clas ONE R regular boiler. It is ideal for larger properties with a storage cylinder to supply volumes of hot water to many outlets. Available as the Clas ONE R 2 , this new boiler has a number of advanced features, such as patented stainless steel, continuous coil proprietary XtraTech heat

Rationalised range for simple selection

Additional colour rads available in stock The number of coloured radiators held in stock by Stelrad at its National Distribution Centre – available within 24 hours of order – is set to be extended. The company’s new Silhouette Concept radiator, available within both the Vita and Softline Series will be offered in the option of Anthracite Grey. “It’s clear that radiators are being seen by many as part of the décor in a home rather than simply as a heating appliance says Chris Harvey head of marketing. We are seeing far higher sales of the decorative and designer radiators we manufacture here in the and alongside this, we’re seeing the trend for coloured radiators very much on the rise. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

Complete collection for the bathroom The eautiful athrooms collection from A W is a stylish selection of products that includes everything needed, from taps to showers, ceramics to tiles, and lighting and under oor heating. The end result is a versatile collection that offers speciﬁers installers and end users alike everything needed to create beautiful, contemporary yet durable bathrooms. Many of the products come with ‘made for life’ guarantees and the collection has been developed to offer tasteful cost-effective products that will look beautiful in any home, no matter its size or budget. There are a variety of anti-slip steel and enamel baths, as well as extruded PVC and acrylic bath side and end panels available, and all have lifetime guarantees. The bath shower screen range includes options of 300mm ﬁ ed s uare and curved top bath screens and

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exchanger, complete with 0% wider waterways, alongside low NOx ratings ( 3mg/kWh). The boilers are also ‘A’ ErP rated for optimum energy e ciency and, for added peace of mind, are supplied with an eight-year manufacturer’s warranty. The wider waterways of the XtraTech heat exchanger allow water to pass through quicker and more effectively ensuring less risk of blockages from debris. Every XtraTech heat exchanger also beneﬁts from an improved condensing surface and increased hydraulic performance, which combine to provide a better transfer of heat. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

00and 1000mm hinged curved and s uare versions. The brassware offers something to suit any taste while a range of bathroom furniture options and countertops is also available, as well as a selection of tiles wall panel ﬁnishes wall and under oor heating options lighting and watertight ooring. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/ 7

The Trade Mate range has been relaunched by Geocel with new packaging to make it easier to select the right product for the job in hand. With an extensive portfolio of sealants and adhesives, the Trade Mate range is designed to provide a solution for almost any project, including plumbing and heating applications. The range includes Plumber Flue, Plumber Joint, Plumber Thread, Plumber Grease, Sanitary Seal and Mirror Fix products. Plumber Flue, for e ample is suitable for sealing gas ues while Sanitary Seal silicone sealant is a fast curing, acetoxy sealant suitable for sealing all types of common sanitaryware. Mirror Fix silicone adhesive is ideal for ﬁ ing mirrors coated glass and metal panels to walls. Non-corrosive, odourless and high strength, the adhesive is easy to apply and mirror-back safe. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/ 5

Thermostat is compatible with smart devices Developers can now upgrade heating systems across new build projects thanks to Smarther with Netatmo, a new ush mounted smart thermostat from Legrand. Compatible with Legrand’s smart radiator valves, Smarther with etatmo is a thermostat which can be ush or wall mounted. Flush mounting the system - using a backbox - allows the thermostat to protrude by just 12. mm from the surface of the wall. Offering complete control through egrand’s Home Control app it is compatible with oogle Assistant Apple Home it and Ale a allowing users to have complete control of the heating through voice activation. Unlike some other smart thermostats available, Smarther with Netatmo is a wired device so batteries are not required. Smarther with Netatmo allows users to set weekly schedules based on daily routines, while a new boost setting can turn the boiler on for 30 0 or 0 minutes for immediate comfort. The thermostat is programmed to understand both how the home heats and the e ciency of the boiler. This means that it gathers an understanding as to how long the boiler requires before reaching optimum temperatures and, therefore, knows when to switch on to achieve the required levels of heating in a room. The results are presented in graphs, thanks to the energy consumption monitoring function of the app, to easily explain the impact of the heating system. Replacing traditional thermostats, Smarther with Netatmo’s compatibility with other smart home devices, such as smart radiator valves means that end users can beneﬁt from a number of energy saving settings. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

28/04/2021 13:01

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Product News

COMPETITION

Win 10 Bristan Taps!

Rainwater calculations made simple A new rainwater calculator from Aliaxis has been designed to help installers quickly and easily estimate the number of brackets unions downpipes and fittings that are re uired for a specific building. It is available for the company’s Hunter Plastics and Marley Plumbing & Drainage customers. All they need to do is select the chosen gutter and downpipe profile input the length of gutter required, the number of angles and outlets, plus the height of the building, and the Rainwater Calculator will do the rest. This can subsequently save valuable time, with the automated calculations improving the e ciency of placing an order and also minimising the potential for confusion. This in turn reduces the likelihood of project delays caused by an insu cient number of brackets or fittings on site. The tool can also automatically calculate the individual product and total costs of

liminator fits the small spaces Expanding on its Eliminator Vortex system filter range Sentinel has launched the ultra-compact magnetic system filter the liminator Vorte 2 0. It is a horizontal, front-facing filter that can be fitted in restricted spaces. The unit incorporates features such as an integrated isolation valve, avoiding the need for a strip down service, and a front-facing magnet, ensuring that where space is at a premium, no further space is required, as the magnet can simply be

1 winner 10 different taps an order and has the ability to easily apply a discount across all products – a feature that could prove useful for merchants or stockists of Hunter Plastics and Marley Plumbing & rainage systems. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/

removed at the front. Whether fitting above or below a boiler, optimum protection is ensured by the powerful 000 Gauss magnet assembly and the leak-free design supported by dual seals, sitting within a RP body. ade with a forged brass T-piece Sentinel claims that this sturdy and reliable filter should be suitable for virtually all situations. UK commercial director Dan Wilson says: “The innovative design of the filter as well as its ultracompact size combined with optimised debris capture, supported by a powerful magnet, mean this filter is a great option for many situations. ◼ phamnews. co.uk/521/5

To mark the new extended 10-year guarantee on its core range of kitchen and bathroom taps, Bristan has teamed up with PHAM News to offer one lucky reader a chance to win 10 different taps. Bristan, the UK’s number one tap and shower brand, is improving guarantees on kitchen and bathroom taps from ﬁ e to ears he new tap uarantee update is part of Bristan’s ongoing commitment to ualit t has been made possible b comprehensi e lifec cle testin and the introduction of enhanced components, which includes a large-scale investment into new cartridges, developed in conjunction with leading global cartridge manufacturer, edal om astall, head of product management at Bristan, sa s ur taps are tested to hundreds of thousands of c cles within our accredited in-house facilit , and are en ineered to all water re ulation standards ow we are rubber stampin our conﬁdence in ualit with a new - ear uarantee

Java Basin Mixer

The Prize ne luck PHAM News reader will receive all ten of the following taps from Bristan • • • • •

Urban features in furniture range Bathroom specialist Hudson Reed has launched Urban, a modular furniture range that blends together a minimalist handleless door design with a sleek satin ﬁnish. The range includes a comprehensive choice of wall-hung and oorstanding units in numerous conﬁgurations and all with plenty of storage space. The design-led collection is suitable for modern spaces, as it has a minimalist look while retaining a sophisticated feel. The range also features luxurious softclosing doors, hard-wearing drawers and is supplied rigid for quality and ease of installation. Practical storage comes in the form of basin cabinets with either two deep drawers, two doors or a mixture of both, as well as a coordinating 00mm tall unit and 00mm WC unit. The basin cabinets are available in three widths – 00 00 00mm – and include a choice of three integrated ceramic

37.indd 1

Cobalt Basin Mixer Orta Basin Mixer Java Basin Mixer 1901 Basin Mixer Blitz Basin Mixer

• • • • •

Jute Basin Mixer Prism Basin Mixer Clio Basin Mixer Regency Basin Tap Renaissance Basin Mixer

HOW TO ENTER: o be in with a chance of winnin the clutch of taps from Bristan simpl answer the uestion below and send it in to the editor ll correct entries recei ed before the closin date will be entered into a pri e draw nl one entr will be allowed per person

Please email your entry before the closing date of 4th June 2021

How many years are Bristan’s taps now guaranteed for? A. 7 years B. 10 years C 5 years

mail our answer to editor@phamnewsedit.co.uk with ‘Bristan competition’ in the sub ect line Please make sure ou include the followin

basins with varying proﬁle heights of 1 0 0mm. There is also an option for a countertop vessel basin in round, oval, square and rectangular white ceramic models that can sit on a worktop. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/521/51

our name our compan s name ontact telephone number Please t pe ‘YES’ or 'NO' after our answer to indicate if ou would like to oin ristans n ap installer communit so ou can be the ﬁrst to hear about the latest product news and e clusi e i eawa s

www.bristan.com

28/04/2021 14:52

Pham Dir training Info MAY21:Layout 1 28/04/2021 12:15 Page 38

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Directory Radiators

Boilers

Safety Products

INDUSTRIAL BOILER SPECIALISTS The UK’s largest supplier of Industrial Steam & Hot Water boiler plant. Fast, efficient Nationwide service for planned or emergency cover, R&D projects or extra capacity. • Hot water boilers 30-8,000kw/hr • Steam boilers 150-15,880kg/hr • Pressures from 7-17 bar • Oil, gas or dual fuel • Long or short term hire • Full commissioning service • 24/7 support • Nationwide Sales & Hire

phamnews.co.uk/521/106

The Copper King phamnews.co.uk/521/104

NATIONWIDE SALES & HIRE Quote PHAM03

Call +44 (0)1992 451629 www.kingsboilerhire.com

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Controls phamnews.co.uk/521/107

Water Heaters

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Next Day Delivery Available on 100s of Controls Thermostats, Programmers, TRVs,Underfloor

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To highlight your Company, Products and Services to 28,468 regular PHAM News readers please ring Sharon www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk

on 01889 577 222 or email classified@phamnews.co.uk

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Plumbpal Products

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Pham Dir training Info MAY21:Layout 1 29/04/2021 18:21 Page 39

PHAM NEWS | MAY 2021

Training & Assessments Training & Assessments

Information Centre 39

Training & Assessments

Information Centre

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

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Snickers Workwear Summer Stretch Shorts

Brand NEW Men’s and Women’s Work Shorts for the flexible working environment. Combining 4-way stretch fabric that delivers working comfort all day with street-smart, slim-fit designs these lightweight garments feature a body-mapping design and are made from a self-ventilating stretch fabric with CORDURA® reinforcements for durability all-round mobility when you need it most. They’re a must for those who want the ultimate in cool comfort this summer. Checkout the website and download a digital catalogue www.snickersworkwear.co.uk or enter the code shown below.

phamnews.co.uk/521/151 phamnews.co.uk/521/110

‘Designer heating made easy’ with Vogue (UK) New Brochure Vogue (UK), a UK manufacturer of high quality designer radiators and towel warmers has launched their new 2021 Brochure. Now available in-store or by online request, this inspirational brochure catalogues the latest colours, shapes and styles in heating design. It’s so easy to customise your choice of Vogue towel warmer or designer radiator and specialists can even work from any design specification for a special project. To request your copy of the New Vogue (UK) Brochure visit www.vogueuk.co.uk/index.php/request-a-brochure-menu Or enter the code shown below.

phamnews.co.uk/521/152

phamnews.co.uk/521/113

Advertiser’s Index Continal Underfloor Heating

Omegaflex Ltd (Tracpipe)

Domus Ventilation

Pegler Yorkshire Group Ltd

Polypipe Building Products

Ford Motor Company Ltd Frankische UK Ltd

RJW Engineering

Geberit Sales Ltd

Screwfix

JG Speedfit (Reliance Worldwide Corporation (UK) Ltd)

Spirotech UK Ltd

Kamco Ltd MV Fluids Handling Ltd Navien UK NIBE Energy Systems Ltd

25 2, 3 1

Stiebel Eltron UK Ltd

Telford Copper Cylinders Ltd

4, 11 15

Vaillant Ltd Viessmann Ltd

7 13

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PHAM MAY21 RWC JG SPEEDFIT:Layout 1 22/04/2021 14:58 Page 1