Professional Heating & Plumbing Installer October 19

OCTOBER 2019

VEHICLE TESTS

THE NEXT GENERATION, TESTED!

IN REVERSE

DO THE RECENT VAT CHANGES AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?

DOMESTIC BOILERS SUPPLEMENT WE ROUND UP THE LATEST INNOVATIONS TO HIT THE MARKET

VISIT PHPIONLINE.CO.UK FOR REGULAR UPDATES AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

CONTENTS phpionline.co.uk

@phpi

@professionalplumber

OCTOBER 2019 VOL. 34 NO. 9 phpi@hamerville.co.uk

DOMESTIC BOILERS SUPPLEMENT

REGULARS 5

VIEWPOINT

7

NEWS & VIEWS

@phpimag

TECH TIPS, BEST-PRACTICE ADVICE AND MORE!

12 #INSTALLOFFAME 14 HORROR SHOW 18 BUSINESS ADVICE 20 IN PROFILE 33 VIDEO WATCH 34 #TRADESTALK CORNER 74 CIPHE UPDATE 76 TOOLFAIR PREVIEW

VEHICLES

80 NEW PRODUCTS

DOMESTIC BOILERS SUPPLEMENT

83 MY BRAIN HURTS

S1 WHEN’S BEST TO POWERFLUSH?

68 IS THE ELECTRIC REVOLUTION FINALLY HERE?

S5 WATCHING YOUR HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS

TOOLS & WORKWEAR

79 TWO MINUTES WITH… TIM WEST!

65 VEHICLE TEST: VAUXHALL VIVARO

S8 TWIN FLUE FLEXIBILITY 71 PRODUCT TEST: BOSCH X-LOCK ANGLE GRINDER S10 BEST PRACTICE REMINDERS

49-60 PLUMBING & BATHROOMS PHPI HEADS TO NORWAY

SPECIAL REPORTS 23 CONCERNS OVER PAS 2035 26 HOW SUSTAINABLE IS OUR INDUSTRY?

S11 RINNAI AND THE ART OF ZEN

72 PRODUCT TEST: SNICKERS ALL ROUND WORK JACKET

S13 PHPI ROUNDS UP THE LATEST BOILERS TO HIT THE MARKET

COMPETITIONS

PLUMBING & BATHROOMS

S15 WIN! A FERNOX TF1 SIGMA FILTER

51 SHOWER OF LOYALTY

77 WIN! A MIRA SPORT MAX SHOWER! 78 GIVEAWAYS!

52 PANEL TALK IN NORWAY 55 LIFTING SPIRITS ON LIGHT COMMERCIAL JOBS 57 ROGER BISBY’S KITCHENS & BATHROOMS ROUND UP 61 INVENTOR’S CORNER 62 PRODUCTS ROUND-UP

TRAINING 28 GETTING ON BOARD WITH HEAT PUMPS 30 TRAINING WITH MARIE 32 TRAINING ROUND-UP

26 A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE INDUSTRY? PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 3

VIEWPOINT

EDITOR JAMES MOORE phpi@hamerville.co.uk EDITORAL ASSISTANT ABBIE SMITH asmith@hamerville.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER ADRIAN STAPLETON astapleton@hamerville.co.uk MANAGING EDITOR TERRY SMITH DIGITAL GROUP MANAGER STUART DUFF DESIGNER GEMMA WATSON GROUP PRODUCTION MANAGER CAROL PADGETT PRODUCTION ASSISTANT STEPHANIE STAPLETON DISTRIBUTION MANAGER KARL CLARK PUBLISHER BRYAN SHANNON PRINTED BY WALSTEAD PETERBOROUGH LTD PUBLISHED BY HAMERVILLE MEDIA GROUP Regal House, Regal Way, Watford, Herts WD24 4YF. Tel: (01923) 237799 Fax: (01923) 246901 Copyright © 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER is a business journal for those involved in the installation, maintenance and repair of heating and plumbing systems. It is available to the trade at leading heating and plumbing merchants and specialist outlets throughout the UK. Subscriptions to PHPI are available for 1 year (11 issues) at the following rates: UK £30 post paid Airmail £80 post paid Europe £50 post paid

The future is bright Nights are drawing in, the weather is getting colder and we’re a little too far away from December to get into the Christmas spirit just yet – not that your local shops would have you believe it.

And, with surveys indicating the construction sector is set to face employment challenges in the coming months and the Brexit ‘deadline’ looming at the end of October, it wouldn’t be surprising if installers felt the immediate future looked a little gloomy.

But there’s always a bright side. Heating season is soon to kick off, meaning diaries should be filling up. While you may end up spending a little more time away from the pub (and family, we should add) due to a workload increase, keeping busy is vital for the thousands of self-employed amongst you. Plus, we know heating engineers love nothing better than taking apart a 15-year-old boiler and replacing it in a space where you could barely fit a small toolbox… right?

Joking aside, don’t forget to take a break or say ‘no’ once in a while. Finding time to spend away from the job with family and friends is vital to a healthy work-life balance and state of mind. It is, after all, the reason behind why we work at the end of the day. It’s an issue the APHC will surely be keen to address, as mental health becomes the focus for this year’s Quality Plumber Week, taking place from the 7-13 October.

For our part, we’ve got a useful Domestic Boilers supplement included in this very issue. As well as all the usual technical and best practice advice, in conjunction with heating season you’ll find a summary of some of the latest innovations to hit the market this year on pages S13 and S14.

And what about employment issues that organisations such as the FMB have recently highlighted? The Federation’s most up-to-date State of the Trade survey indicated that employment among construction SMEs had dropped for the first time in more than five years, as the industry prepares itself for a downturn. There’s also the concern that the UK’s ‘skills shortage’ – the very existence of which remains a subject of much debate – is about to get worse, as EU workers look to leave the UK due to the potential Brexit fallout.

Any concerns of a lack of skilled workers coming through the next generation may need to be put aside, however. Just recently, the UK’s top young apprentices returned home from the WorldSkills event held in Russia with some impressive results. 15 UK competitors won the coveted Medallions of Excellence, which means they are of “world-class standard”, with Thomas John Thomas, a Welsh-based Plumber included, amongst numerous other tradespeople.

Clearly then, the incoming generation has a lot to offer to tackle the employment concerns of the construction sector and with the introduction of ‘T Levels’ next September, there may be more around the corner. Designed to be an alternative to the ‘traditional’ academic route, students will be “offered a mixture of classroom and on the job training needed to open the door into skilled employment or a higher apprenticeship,” such as a trade. Like any new government scheme, we’ll not get over-excited about its potential success just yet, but we’ll certainly keep our fingers crossed for the future!

James Moore

EDITOR

69,709 (Certificate of Average Distribution for the 11 issues distributed between January 1st and December 31st 2018).

For the latest news, plus video reviews, competitions and exclusive content, log on to the PHPI website at WWW.PHPIONLINE.CO.UK PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 5

News NAPIT ACQUIRES STROMA INSTALLER CERTIFICATION NAPIT has announced the acquisition of Stroma’s Installer Certification Limited. The acquisition will result in NAPIT taking over and operating the Stroma Installer activities in the building services and building fabric sectors.

The transaction is set to strengthen NAPIT’s commitment to continuously raise standards and safety within the construction industry and Stroma’s aim to focus on its core areas of service around environmental management, building performance testing and building control.

NAPIT’s Group Chief Executive, Mike Andrews said: “NAPIT has always been committed to continuously raising standards within the sector. We are confident that the acquisition of the installer activities part of the Stroma Group will result in a stronger and more robust Registration and Certification Body for the industry. This opportunity will bring together the best of what both organisations have to offer, alongside our combined experience, which will enable us to take the business forward in new and exciting ways for both our members and employees.”

Over 3,500 existing Stroma Certification members will continue to be UKAS accredited under a new certification body named Stroma Installer Certification Limited.

Share your thoughts with us on the industry via Twitter (@PHPI), Facebook (@ProfessionalPlumber), or by emailing phpi@hamerville.co.uk

The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) has announced that this year’s Quality Plumber Week will aim to raise awareness of what poor mental health is and what can be done to improve and help safeguard the mental health and wellbeing of plumbing and heating contractors.

Quality Plumber Week, which was established by APHC in 2014, will run between 7 and 13 October and will aim to shine a spotlight on quality plumbing and heating contractors and provide industry suppliers and manufacturers with the opportunity to show their support.

Speaking about this year’s theme, John Thompson APHC CEO, commented: “Plumbing and heating contractors form part of the construction industry in which male site workers are three times more likely to take steps to end their life as compared with males in the general population.

“Whilst there have been mental health campaigns targeted towards the construction industry, the focus of these campaigns have predominately been towards large national employers. Quality Plumber Week aims to target small companies and sole traders within the plumbing and heating industry with specific advice for their working situation as many sole traders and owners of small companies face a wealth of pressure throughout the working day, which for many, continues into the evening.”

During Quality Plumber Week, APHC will be working with a national mental health charity to raise awareness. The Association will also be hosting a Twitter conversation on World Mental Health Day on Thursday 10 October 2019 using #QPW19 to encourage plumbers to ask questions and gain live advice.

APHC would like installers to get involved with Quality Plumber Week by joining the conversation at #QPW19 on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and by using the QPW19 logo as their social media profile image.

For more information, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI001

PLUMBER EARNINGS CONTINUE TO RISE Weekly earnings for self-employed plumbing contractors continued to grow this summer, according to figures released by Hudson Contract.

Analysis of July payroll data for more than 2,200 construction companies in England and Wales revealed a month-on-month rise of 0.6% to an average of £1,139.

This is equivalent to an annual salary of more than £59,000, putting plumbers into the top 6% of households by income. Plumbing remains the second-best paid of all 17 construction trades covered by Hudson Contract. Mechanical and engineering tradespeople took the top spot last month with average weekly earnings of £1,144.

Plumbers in the East Midlands saw the biggest increase in weekly earnings, rising 15.8% to £1,282, followed by London, up 5% to £1,014, and the West Midlands, up 3.6% to £1,073. The highest paid plumbing contractors can still be found in the East of England where they earned an average of £1,328.

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 7

ARE YOU PREPARED?

GROHE TO ‘CLEAN UP’ AT TOUGH MUDDER Grohe is teaming up with Tough Mudder for the rest of the year as its official shower partner, kicking-off with two major events this autumn.

Throughout the partnership, Grohe is aiming to reach the full extent of the Tough Mudder audience with its message that its products provide the ultimate #ShowerofChampions. Muddy participants can expect a shower selfie wall on-site, as well as a takeover of the Augustus Gloop obstacle on-course.

The company will assemble its own #ShowerSquad team for the events made up of enthusiastic staff, merchants and customers. Are you up to the challenge? Grohe will also be running giveaways for lucky followers and its #ShowerSquad to take on Tough Mudder, which included a competition with PHPI in September online. Follow #ShowerofChampions for updates.

INSTALLERS BUGGED

BY LOADING BAY FINES Van drivers in the UK have been hit with fines worth £1.7 million in the last three years for incorrectly parking or stopping in a loading bay, according to research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Councils have issued an average of 13,000 parking fines a year since 2015, with figures rising by 10% year-on-year – highlighting how the rules around loading bays are increasingly unclear for van drivers.

Legally, van drivers are allowed to stop at a loading bay to drop off or collect goods, but thousands don’t fully understand the rules. The majority of loading bays can be used to collect pre-ordered goods or unload goods that require a vehicle to transport them. If a vehicle is left unattended, it needs to be clear (through the use of hazards for example) that goods are being loaded and unloaded.

Additionally, drivers are not permitted to stop in a loading bay without loading or unloading or to use it to wait for parking. It is also always important to check the time restrictions within each loading bay as these vary from council to council. Loading bays cannot be used for collecting or dropping off passengers.

The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles research, obtained via a Freedom of Information request, revealed that drivers in Glasgow, Manchester and Haringey were the most affected.

8 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

With cases of Legionnaires’ disease on the rise, The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is urging installers to be vigilant when it comes to potential sources of Legionella bacteria.

With the Institute issuing warnings to consumers about the potentially fatal disease, Kevin Wellman, CEO, commented: “While those of us in the industry know that all man-made hot and cold water systems can provide an environment ripe for the Legionella bacteria to grow, the average consumer has no idea it can thrive in places such as hot tubs, whirlpool baths, compost heaps and even garden hoses.

“The growing popularity in domestic hot tubs and spa baths means that many families have a potential source of an outbreak within their homes and gardens. While the CIPHE is working to raise awareness that these appliances need to be correctly installed, maintained, cleaned and chlorinated, many members of the public are blissfully unaware of the dangers.

“Traditionally, outbreaks have hit commercial and industrial premises such as that associated with a Bournemouth Health Spa in June of this year. However, it is looking likely that our industry will find itself dealing with more and more domestic outbreaks like the recurring incidence at Dolphin Square, and we need to be prepared.”

Figures from Public Health England show a seasonal rise in cases from June to October. Crucially, last year saw an increase in reported/notified cases to 814, from which 532 were confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease. This represents an increase of some 20% on the previous year.

TELL TRADESTALK! You’ve heard of Dear Deidre, well now there is Tell TradesTalk! TradesTalk wants to hear from tradespeople for the TradesTalking podcast – whether you’re after advice for something you’re working on, just want to have a rant about a problem or you do a great Sean Connery impression, anything goes! Simply phone the new TradesTalk number – 07648 910641 – and leave the team a voicemail, or you can send a voice memo on WhatsApp – you can do it anonymously if you would prefer!

Favourite submissions will be included in the podcast, which now has five episodes available to listen to.

GO TO www.rdr.link/PI002 to download and listen!

NEWS IN BRIEF...

HAT-TRICK FOR VIESSMANN Viessmann has extended its sponsorship of Huddersfield Town Football Club. As a global partner to the club for the third year running, the manufacturer will continue as team sheet sponsor and exclusive title sponsor of ‘Club Town’, an exclusive area of 64 executive heated seats. The business will also continue its support of local community and charity projects associated with the club.

AUTUMN OFFERS FROM TESTO Three new promotions are on offer for heating engineers when purchasing Testo instruments up until 31 December 2019. The three tools included are the 300 and 327 flue gas analyser kits, and the 868 Thermal Imaging Camera, with different special offers associated with each.

BAXI 800 RANGE LAUNCHES WITH A BANG Baxi is offering hundreds of pounds in cashback and prizes.

For every three 800 or 600 boilers heating engineers install and register on Baxi Works up until 2 December 2019, Baxi will pay £300 straight into installers’ bank accounts. In addition, installers will receive £600 if they install six boilers, £900 for nine boilers, £1,200 for 12 boilers…and so on.

JOIN THE PUMP REVOLUTION! To celebrate the launch of the new Evosta 3 smart circulating pump, DAB Pumps is calling on installers to rise together and ‘Join The Pump Revolution’ – presenting industry professionals with the opportunity to win £3,000 in holiday vouchers or a ‘revolutionary’ t-shirt. To be in with a chance of winning these prizes, entrants should GO TO www.rdr.link/PI003 by the 30 November 2019.

Proud to support the profession al installer #InstallOfFame is designed to showcase some of the great work carried out by plumbers and heating engineers.

PHPI’s #InstallOfFame will feature on Twitter and Instagram to give installers the chance to show off their finest installations… and we’ll be highlighting some of the best submissions on our website and in print.

Honeywell Home is proud to support the professional installer and will be giving away a T6 Programmable thermostat each month to one lucky entrant! To check out the latest additions to the galleries, follow #InstallOfFame on Twitter or Instagram. If you’re not on social media and would like the opportunity to be included, please email your photos to phpi@hamerville.co.uk

Here are a few more examples:

b @acr_plum

@g_and_d_plumbing

@rosario_heating

@PringleChris: “It seems taking photos of your work isn’t just a social media thing. Even my dad was doing it back in the 80s!”

@richhorton & @AJGPlumbing

@mrplumber_pl

HONEYWELL HOME ASKS…What makes you proud to be a professional?

Ryan Mills: “You can always be proud of what you’ve done. You can put a smile on someone’s face by making something work at the end of the week, that wasn’t working at the start of the week.”

Welcome to the Gas App UK Horror Show, showcasing some of the ‘finest’ work that’s been spotted around the country. If you spot any masterpieces to rival these, please submit them to the good people at Gas App UK or email them to us at phpi@hamerville.co.uk

The app is available for both iOS and Android. Simply visit the stores and search for Gas App UK. Download the app now for a free seven-day trial. If you like it, it’s just £25 per year thereafter!

Do you use a Kane analyser? Sign up to the app now and you will recieve 15% off your Kane calibration!

BUSINESS ADVICE

REVE SE CHARGES T he introduction of the VAT domestic reverse charge for building and construction services is here. This is despite growing calls to delay the move so that the construction sector has longer to adequately prepare for this change. It is set to come into force on 1 October 2019, with HMRC reiterating that the measures are crucial to combat its perceived opinion that there is widespread fraud in the sector.

WHAT IS IT? The reverse charge is an anti-fraud mechanism that will affect the majority of businesses involved in a construction supply chain. It is a major change in how VAT will be paid to suppliers and accounted for by HMRC. The reverse charge does not apply – amongst other circumstances – to supplies that are zero rated for UK VAT and for supplies from non-VAT registered suppliers.

It is linked to the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), as it will apply where the customer is CIS registered, but does not apply to supplies to end users, intermediaries or employment bureaus who may also be CIS registered.

An end user is anyone who is not using the construction services to make an onward supply of construction services, this will mainly be property owners or businesses that use properties to gain rental income. An intermediary is someone who is a connected party to the end user. Where a supply is made to an end user or intermediaries, the supplier will continue to charge and be paid VAT on the supply to the customer and declare the VAT to HMRC.

Tamara Habberley, Consultant at The VAT People, looks at the new reverse VAT charges and what it may mean for installers.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Put simply, where a supplier is making supplies that are within the reverse charge, the supplier will still have to show the correct applicable VAT rate on a VAT invoice to the customer, but will not be paid the VAT by the customer.

Instead the burden of accounting for the VAT will fall on the customer, who will have to make what is termed a reverse charge.

The customer will account for the reverse charge by declaring output VAT at the rate applicable on the supply they have received from the supplier and then recovering it as input VAT, as per the normal VAT recovery rules on the return that they submit to HMRC.

POTENTIAL PITFALLS If you provide building services plus VAT to main contractors or other sub-contractors, and are accustomed to being paid the VAT you charge on your services, and using this money as part of your cash flow, then there are serious financial implications that you must consider immediately.

As of October 2019, you will lose this cashflow benefit, as you will no longer receive the VAT you have shown on your invoice.

Instead your customer will declare the output VAT to HMRC and recover it as input VAT. Another downside is the potential for

18 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

confusion over the status of the customer, and therefore who is liable for declaring and recovering the VAT payments. Supplies to end users who will use your services to make supplies other than building services are not subject to the reverse charge, so you might find that customers are claiming they are not end users in order to avoid paying a VAT charge. This would mean that the supplier risks being exposed to a VAT assessment, even if they thought they had no reason to declare and pay HMRC VAT, as they believed that their customer would account for VAT by making a reverse charge.

If the customer’s status changes during a project this could also cause problems. For example, the customer might initially be an end user who would be charged and pay VAT to the builder. If the customer sells the part-built site and agrees to complete the work, and invoice the new site owner for the construction work, the customer has now become a builder rather than an end user, and would no longer pay VAT to suppliers of building services, so instead the customer would account for VAT by making a reverse charge. In this scenario, it would mean that sub-contractors are no longer paid VAT by their customer, and face cash flow issues if the VAT that they expected to receive was part of their cash flow.

HOW TO PREPARE 1 I Know your VAT The first measure that any contractor should take to prepare for the new rules is to understand your VAT obligations as a whole. Do you know the difference between zero-rated supplies, reduced rate and standard rate for VAT supplies? Now is the perfect time to educate yourself on all of these, not just the new reverse charge rules.

2 I What is your customer?

Identify exactly what – or who – your customer is. Are they another sub-contractor or the main contractor on the project? If they fall into either category, the reverse charge applies and you will show VAT on your invoice, but your customer will not pay the VAT to your business and you will not declare it to HMRC. If the customer is the end user of the building services, such as a landowner or an intermediary, then the reverse charge will not apply and they will pay the VAT invoiced to them, and you will be the person liable to account for and pay the VAT to HMRC. Create a list of everyone involved in every project and identify their status and subsequent obligations.

3 I Will your contracts be affected?

Do you have any current contracts in place that will be affected by the reverse charge when it comes into force? If so, be clear on exactly who will account for and be paid VAT on the project and what rate will be applicable.

Make sure the contract terms for any new contracts clearly state who will account for the VAT. For example, if your customer is a main contractor the contract needs to be clear that the customer will declare the VAT on the reverse charge to HMRC. If the customer is, in fact, an end user or intermediary it will pay the VAT invoiced to it by your business, which you will declare and pay to HMRC. Contracts will also need to set out who pays any penalties and interest if the VAT is incorrectly accounted for.

4 I Is your IT up to scratch?

Consider whether the accounting system you have in place is geared up for accounting for VAT on a reverse charge. If it is not, find out exactly when the software is due to be updated.

5 I Prepare your cash flow If you rely heavily on VAT payments from your customers to support your cash flow before submitting and paying the VAT return to HMRC, think about how you would cope if these payments from your customers vanished. Could your cash flow survive? If not, you may well need to change your accounting periods to monthly VAT returns or consider gaining additional funding from other sources.

HMRC has said it will adopt a “light touch” approach to dealing with any errors made during the first six months of the new scheme, but you have to show that you have acted in good faith and at least tried to comply with the legislation. Start your preparations now to put yourself in the best possible position.

If you would like to discuss your VAT obligations, email Tamara on tamara.habberley@thevatpeople.com, or call the free VAT helpline on 0333 3637 898.

IN PROFILE

GEAREDUP PHPI goes on the road with Christina Birch, of Tina Tap Plumbing and Gas, to find out more about her role as a motor racing marshal, love of Watford FC and recent charity tower climb.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background in the industry?

I mainly held admin jobs previously, but one January I decided I was bored of doing a job that didn’t inspire me. I’ve always been interested in how things work and how to fix things and I found a ‘train around your current commitments’ plumbing course. It started with the very basics and took me all the way to going out to do my gas portfolio. It wasn’t a cheap way to do it by any means, but I’m glad I did it. Having passed my ACS I didn’t feel that I had all the experience I needed to go it alone, so I worked with a few local engineers (for free) until I felt confident in my own abilities.

I did some subcontracting which mainly involved landlord gas safety checks, I then ran a franchise for a while, which is how I met Paula. We realised we could run our own business and set up the partnership.

What are the main services your business offers?

We offer all aspects of domestic plumbing, heating and gas work. In the main we carry out service and repair work: boilers, taps, wastes… whatever is required! Recently we seem to have been fixing or replacing a lot of recessed showers, which I must admit is not my favourite thing to work on due to the lack of access.

Do you have any advice for fellow installers and apprentices looking to be successful in the industry?

NAME:

Christina Birch

COMPANY NAME: St.

Tina Tap Plumbing and Gas

Keep at it. There will be days when everything goes wrong and you wonder why you even went into plumbing. The thing to remember is that everyone has those days, even the most experienced plumber or installer. A friend of mine once said: “There is no such thing as bad days – just good days and learning days.”

I keep that in mind when things aren’t going quite to plan!

20 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a job?

Nothing really that strange has ever happened on a job. The only thing I can think of is when I was doing a gas safety certification. The tenant was out so I had the keys. It was all going well until I had the fright of my life – I glanced round and saw a human head on a shelf! Once I did the double take I realised it must be some kind of hairdressing practice head or something, but I was scared for a second.

So we understand you volunteer as a motor racing marshal… How did you get into that?

I’m a volunteer race marshal at Brands Hatch.

Basically you have a team of volunteers at strategic points around the track (mainly corners) and when the drivers run out of talent and come off the track we run on and assist. There’s a great sense of camaraderie and the social side of it is great. I’ve made loads of friends and you’ll find most marshals

IN PROFILE

in the bar at the end of the day regaling tales of the day’s excitement. You get to see the racing up close and you are also free to have a look around the pits in the morning before you go out on post, I’ve seen all sorts of race cars up close including BTCC touring cars.

I’ve also learned a lot, from fire extinguishers to first aid, it’s all good to know.

I got into it by doing a taster day at Brands through the BMMC (British Motorsport Marshal Club) and everyone is welcome so if you’re interested have a look at the website and give it a go. Motor racing is in my blood, my late father used to race a Ford Anglia before us kids came along. I only ever knew that car sat on a trailer in the garage; the engine was in the shed!

Tell us a little more about why you participated in a charity tower climb?

The idea behind the charity tower climb was to raise awareness of mental health issues within the construction industry. The stats for male suicide are shocking and this only gets worse when you look at tradesmen. Having suffered from anxiety and depression virtually my whole life, I know how debilitating it is. I want people to know that there is help out there and however bad it seems there is a way through it. Often when you begin to feel suicidal you believe that the people around you, such as your loved ones, would be better off without you – this couldn’t be further from the truth.

We raised £305 (£350 including gift aid) which will be split between Mates in Mind and The Rainy Day Trust.

Climbing the 875 steps of the Broadgate Tower in London was hard work, but I kept in mind the reason why we did it. It was an

“A friend of mine once said: ‘There is no such thing as bad days – just good days and learning days.’ I keep that in mind when things aren’t going quite to plan!” enjoyable day and we met some new friends at the top (firemen) who let me try on their gear. I don’t know how those guys do it but I take my hat off to them.

I’ve caught the tower run bug and my next one is going to be the Gherkin in London in October for the NSPCC. I will do the Broadgate Tower run next year, but this time I’m going to do the quarter vertical mile which is three climbs up the 875 stairs.

We’ve noticed you’re a Watford FC season ticket holder, who’s your favourite all time player and why? Thoughts on the FA Cup run last season?

It’s got to be Luther Blisset, the guy is a legend and he’s still involved with the club now. I went to the FA Cup final on an open top bus which left from Vicarage Road Stadium, Luther came along beforehand to see the fans and he’s just the nicest person.

The cup run was amazing, especially the semi-final, to come back from 2-0 down with 10 mins to go was more than I could have imagined.

Then the final, despite the result, it really showed what a dedicated, family club Watford really is and I’m proud of that and the work the club does in the community. All of which was started by the late, great Graham Taylor.

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 21

SPECIAL REPORT | Legislation

“PAS 2035 CONTAINS MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS” Following the launch of PAS 2035 and recent consultations to the ECO scheme, Stewart Clements, Director at the HHIC, responds.

H

eating professionals are highly accredited. Installers work hard to gain accreditation, and there are already many tools in place to indicate quality – Gas Safe Register, CIPHE, Benchmark and the Competent Persons Schemes to name just a few.

Of course, no industry is immune from the need to manage and monitor standards. This is why the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, HHIC, has long campaigned for more support and funding for enforcement of existing Building Regulations, to ensure that standards remain high and to make it harder for the ‘cowboys’ to trade.

Time to be concerned?

Commissioned in 2015, the Each Home Counts (or Bonfield) Review was launched to look at Consumer Advice, Protection, Standards and Enforcement for UK home energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. HHIC genuinely believed the EHC scheme was going to support consumers and help develop parts of the industry to provide the best value. Instead, industry believes it has been hi-jacked by groups with compromised objectives.

The lack of transparency within the implementation board, and the potential impacts of this are a concern of monumental proportion. The HHIC has been told countless times that the EHC is a scheme run for and by industry, but the lack of disclosure of minutes of meetings suggests otherwise.

The British Standards group responsible for PAS 2035 (a new standard created as an outcome of EHC) accept that the heating industry has been overlooked throughout the drafting process. Yet they offered no delay on publication dates whilst the industry feedback, meaning that once again industry has been ignored. In addition, it will not be until February 2021 before our concerns are even reviewed, let alone considered.

Criticism here is not about the scheme itself, but how it is being run, there are genuine issues raised in the EHC report. If government wants the desired outcomes to be achieved then industry must be heard.

In July, government launched a consultation on the Energy Company Obligation (ECO3) – a government energy efficiency scheme in Great Britain to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty. This consultation period is now over.

At present ECO installers must comply with PAS 2030 which has been deemed

“Once this standard makes its way into ECO it could then make its way into Building Regulations and Gas Safe.”

bureaucratic, expensive and time consuming for the vast majority of heating installers.

There are approximately 130,000 gas safe registered engineers in the UK and yet only a tiny handful have registered with either of these schemes.

The steering group that determined the new PAS 2035 did not have representation from the heating industry, despite claims that it was developed by the industry. Proper consultation and representation would have enabled industry to feedback on the current issues with PAS 2030. If we do not learn from history we are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past!

The heating industry is now faced with a system more complicated and burdensome than the current failed one. There are many areas that should cause huge concern for anyone operating within the sector.

For example, every ECO job will now need up to six ‘professionals’ for every installation (although there are loopholes which mean that they don’t have to actually be qualified); ● ● ● ● ● ●

Retrofit assessor Retrofit co-ordinator Retrofit designer Energy advisor PAS 2035 installer Compliance assessor

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 23

SPECIAL REPORT | Legislation

That’s potentially six separate people involved in every boiler installation. Industry knows that most boilers are purchased as a distress purchase, this bureaucratic delay could leave the most vulnerable (those eligible for fuel poverty measures are by definition vulnerable) without heat and hot water.

Also, some of these roles do not exist today. Interestingly, the person who wrote the standard which mandated a retrofit coordinator and helped develop a training course is the same person, who also happens to be involved in delivery of that training. We are concerned at this level of conflict of interest.

In addition, page 17 also states that the Government expects costs to increase for suppliers and industry. We estimate that this will equate to £41,000 a year per company.

This cost will be passed on to consumers in the form of increased costs per measure installed. The impact assessment on page 13 estimates that this will cost an additional £200m during the lifetime of ECO3 and recouped through consumers energy bills.

This will make the scheme more expensive to

Conclusions

run and may result in fewer measures being installed in fuel poor homes.

The impact assessment also admits on page 17 that this burden will disproportionately fall on small business. As they are forced out of the market by larger companies able to absorb the costs.

The 24 pages of the consultation and the 62 pages of PAS 2035 contain more questions than answers. In addition, the PAS 2035 document which is referenced in the consultation currently costs £195 to buy.

Putting the document behind a paywall is unacceptable. How can installers properly respond?

Some will say that there is no cause for concern as ECO work is not compulsory and they can simply choose not to engage, leaving the bureaucracy to those who choose to. We believe to adopt such a view would be naïve. One thing we cannot stress enough is that this policy is sliding in below the radar.

Once this standard makes its way into ECO it could then make its way into Building Regulations and Gas Safe.

This is potentially the most disruptive policy change to hit the heating industry in decades and if we allow it to filter in unchecked, it could radically transform how heating engineers not only carry out their day job but whether they can operate at all. This is not scaremongering, we urge industry to take the time to read the consultation and feedback to Government.

To read the full HHIC response, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI004

SPECIAL REPORT | Sustainability

N

ot so long ago, climate change protesters were often perceived to be on the more ‘extreme’ end of the eco-warrior scale, occasionally causing a brief furore in the media and ultimately garnering little attention for their actions. In 2019, this appears to have changed significantly. While not everyone is on the streets gluing themselves to banks and making powerful speeches in Washington, the impact our everyday actions are having on our planet is very much at the forefront of our minds.

The introduction of 5p plastic bags a few years ago was a good starting point, but now large organisations are going ever-further in their quests to appease customer concerns about their sustainable actions. Not long ago, Sainsbury’s became the “first supermarket” to dispose of plastic bags for fruit, vegetables and bakery items, while hotels are finally banning mini plastic toiletries, with reports suggesting that 200 million of them are dumped into landfills each year. And, with pleas from the likes of David Attenborough for everyone to take ownership and accept responsibility for their own sustainable practices, the issue is set to make its way into the working lives of installers, too.

With the likes of Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion gaining international attention this year, the focus on sustainable practices is very much in the spotlight. PHPI explores why the construction industry needs to lessen its carbon footprint, and asks manufacturers what they’re currently doing to combat excessive use of plastics and waste.

Constructive criticism To be blunt, this sector doesn’t have the best reputation with regards to sustainable practices. According to research from an industry retailer, the global construction industry produces 64 million tonnes of plastic a year, with a significant amount of these plastics taking nearly 1,000 years to decompose.

The same report indicated that 95% of tradespeople admit that the industry needs to reduce its plastic use. In a recent TradesTalk survey on the subject, nearly 90% of respondents agreed that sustainability in their work was important to them, while 100% said that manufacturers should use less wasteful packaging. Even if it doesn’t immediately affect your purchasing decisions, your customers may begin to ask questions about the sustainability credentials of the products they are having installed in their homes.

PHPI was recently approached regarding the issue by Plumber, James Elmy (@the24hourplumber), which coincided with

26 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

the growing concerns over plastic use in the plumbing and heating industry. We therefore set out to ask manufacturers how they are working to combat the issues. Products that naturally promote renewable practices aside (think heat pumps, solar and water-saving devices amongst others), single-use plastics, packaging and manufacturing processes all came into focus.

James Elmy highlighted:

“I’ve always been keen on recycling and I’ve been looking for ways to do it within my business. I’ve found that some products I buy come in plastic containers or bags that are not recyclable. Plastic is polluting the planet and we need to look at ways of changing things now, or we’re going to leave the next generation in a whole heap of mess!”

SPECIAL REPORT | Sustainability

process is as sustainable as possible, however.

Take Lakes Showering Spaces, recently certified as a ‘carbon neutral’ company, which has “significantly reduced” its packaging waste to make it 100% recyclable. The new boxes have been reduced in size, while the cardboard is better quality, meaning plastic banding and polystyrene “are no longer required”.

Other companies include Bristan, which has been able to “reduce the overall weight by 31.6 tonnes per year” due to a new partnership, while Conex Bänninger, Aqualisa, Salamander Pumps, Marley Plumbing & Drainage and Vaillant all highlighted their increased use of recyclable materials and reduced sizes of packaging in recent months.

Of course, all of this reduced packaging isn’t just good for the environment, but also makes it much easier for installers to transport and dispose of materials.

Packing light Product packaging is almost double the actual product size at times, frustrating installers and local bin collectors alike. Fortunately, it’s a bugbear that is now becoming a focus for companies looking to promote their sustainability credentials in every industry.

Single use plastic packaging is the scourge of the environment and companies such as Hilton Banks are now taking this on board.

The HB42 All-in-One Sealant and Adhesive, for instance, is now available in 400ml foil packs, rather than in a single use plastic cartridge, and is said to produce around 95% less waste. Similarly, Fernox has recently reformulated its Express range to be sold in “fully recyclable canisters”, ensuring that installers can “safely recycle the packaging”.

Of course, packaging is part and parcel (excuse the pun) of distributing products safely and effectively. There are various examples of organisations working hard to ensure the

Sustainable production Companies are also working hard during the manufacturing process to reduce their carbon footprint, it seems. While for some, this is nothing new – Viessmann committed to environmentally responsible manufacturing back in 1992 – there are more innovative technologies that can now assist in this process. The German manufacturer’s newest factory, for example, now operates with CO2-neutral provision of heating, cooling and power, with a photovoltaic system providing 60% of the overall required power.

Many others now regularly review the amount of harmful materials and oils that are used in the production processes, while most ensure a commitment to using as many recycled materials as possible. Wavin uses old double-glazing window frames and other waste assets to produce its pipes, old plastic bottles form part of Armacell’s load bearing segments

within ArmaFix pipe supports, while Polypipe’s new multi-layer core waste pipe has a minimum of 50% recycled material in its construction.

Of course, there is still much, much more to be done, but it is promising to see that manufacturers within this sector are keen to show a commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and use of plastics, in various guises. There are myriad other examples from companies we did not have room to mention here, and with promises of further efforts down the line – Triton Showers has set itself and its suppliers further commitments after achieving its “zero waste to landfill” goal two years early, for instance – the construction sector is clearly looking to step up its efforts.

Aside from a commitment to the planet, it makes sense for engineers to start taking an interest in sustainable trends. Growing legislative changes are surely abound, so it’s worth getting ahead of the game, while demonstrating your own commitment to the cause will only serve to increase your reputation as a professional installer. And, as consumers place ever greater importance on the topic, it may even help in winning you business further down the line.

To see more of the responses we received from manufacturers, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI005

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 27

TRAINING

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hanks to Theresa May’s parting gift to the UK, interest for renewables sources of energy is once again growing amongst British consumers. The heating sector looks set to be at the forefront of the ‘net zero’ emissions aim by 2050, with the Committee on Climate Change report also influencing the previous Chancellor to pledge that natural gas will be banned from new builds from 2025. While the majority of engineers will continue to work on gas boilers for the time being, and scepticism from previous initiatives such as the Green Deal remains, change is likely not far around the corner and installers will need to be prepared when it comes.

For some, change is already well underway. Predominantly known for its oil fired boiler products, Grant is an established brand, particularly for those engineers who work in the off-grid sector. The company is already raising its game in the heat pump sector, however, with two of its Aerona3 R32 heat pumps recently being awarded the Quiet Mark – an accolade that recognises some of the quietist, but high performing products in the market. In addition, Grant has invested in its training facilities to offer a two day Aerona3 course, covering the commissioning, installation and specification process of its air source heat pumps, as well as the Grant VortexAir Hybrid, combining a heat pump and oil boiler.

As consumer interest for renewable heating solutions grows, many installers are searching for ways to expand their knowledge of the sector. PHPI took a trip down to Wiltshire to report back from Grant’s Aerona3 heat pump course.

Paul Wakefield, Grant UK’s Managing Director, explains why: “Interest is steadily growing for heat pumps, particularly with the recent announcements and pledges made by the Government. From this, we’ve seen a renewed interest in the market from installers, which is being driven by customer enquiries.

Our training courses are designed for engineers with a range of experiences – some have never worked on heat pumps before, while others are simply looking for refresher best practice training.”

The course This was certainly true on the course we attended. Speaking to the installers around the

room, many had never worked on heat pump systems before, but highlighted the need to better their understanding so they could discuss options with customers. “Consumers are becoming a little wary of oil and non-renewable options, so I’ve definitely noticed more customers asking about heat pumps as alternatives,” commented one engineer.

Each two day course currently holds up to 10 participants, with the instructor detailing the workings of the Aerona3 unit. The first day covers mostly the installation, wiring and commissioning of the heat pump, alongside the use of the remote controller, while the second involves an explanation of system design, including heat loss calculations and

TRAINING

pipe sizing, and a written assessment.

Sitting in on the afternoon of the first day – we just missed the complimentary lunch, unfortunately – the instructor covered off how to use the remote controllers to assess how the heat pump was working for servicing and maintenance, as well as how to set specific parameters for different scenarios. After the theory, installers were given the opportunity to work on the heat pumps in Grant’s practical training room.

For Phil Stanley, Training Manager at Grant UK, the focus on system design for the second day is vital to the learning process: “We ensure there is a focus on design because this is necessary to be considered when specifying heat pumps and the emitters they will work with. There is a much lower flow temperature running through the system, and therefore radiators must often be larger to deliver the output. Heat loss calculations, pipe sizing and emitter sizing are all vital steps to ensuring an efficient system is installed.”

“Consumers are becoming a little wary of oil and non-renewable options, so I’ve definitely noticed more customers asking about heat pumps as alternatives.”

Every little helps The business doesn’t just offer training to support installers in the heat pump sector, either. MCS has long been a bugbear for smaller companies looking to get involved in the market – the paperwork side alone often requires a dedicated employee, confirmed by those we spoke to on the course. Grant’s G-CERT scheme aims to support engineers who wish to offer their end-users MCS compliant installations without having to

undertake MCS accreditation themselves.

Through the scheme, Grant can certify renewable installations by acting as the MCS accredited organisation, assisting competent installers to complete renewable installations which will be eligible for RHI payments. The company will assist throughout the entire process, from heat loss calculations through to completing the necessary registrations. In doing so, Grant takes the paperwork out of

installer’s hands, but allows them to offer customers peace of mind with MCS compliant installations.

The company now also offers package solutions with heat pumps, cylinders, fan convectors, radiators and underfloor heating – including its Uflex and Uflex MINI ranges – all tied up into one offering from merchants, once the appropriate calculations have been made.

Paul summarises: “Demand for heat pumps looks set to grow, and Grant is here to help support installers grow their businesses to ensure they can cater for this demand. We’d always recommend coming down to our training courses to get the most from our experienced training team and gain a better understanding of the market in general.”

To find out more about how to attend one of Grant’s air source heat pump training courses, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI006

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 29

- Training with Marie How’s the summer been Marie?

We catch up with Marie Barrett to find out how her summer at Sterling Assessments has been.

I have been doing lots of boiler services and carried out my first boiler install – under supervision of course! I stripped down the old boiler and decommissioned it. I felt quite pleased with myself, as I managed to strip the boiler down and cap off the gas without having to ask my mentor what to do, which helped my confidence. The new boiler was relocated, and I piped it up. We ran the flue, gas and condensate through the loft space and out of a side wall. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it.

The assessments are structured in a specific way and are designed to assess our level of understanding, not just for us to find the answers in the books. This is what makes the written assessments so hard. Filling in my portfolio is very challenging too. It takes up a lot of time to fill in, print evidence and log. It is hard to fit it in when you also have customers to ring, send estimates, invoices, book in etc. My classmates agree that the portfolio is the thorn in our sides! A lot of it seems to be duplicated.

Sounds like a job well done! What’s been the most challenging topic you’ve covered with Sterling over recent weeks?

You spoke about piping the recent boiler installation up? Have you got a favoured method of pipe connections?

The most challenging topic at the assessment centre recently was flueing/chimney standards. I think this was because we had three assessment papers all on the same day! I did the first paper, then straight after that we had the second paper and I had a bit of a wobble. It had been a really busy, stressful week. The assessors were great though, they made me go and have a cuppa and clear my mind and then I did the third paper with no problem. After lunch I revisited the second paper and passed it no trouble.

I prefer soldering for pipe connections, probably because it’s what I’ve always seen my mentor use. You can make it look really neat and polish it up so it’s nice and shiny, giving you pride in what you’ve installed.

Push fit never seems to be as neat or quite as reliable, from my experiences, at least. I have only had one demonstration of press fit so can’t comment too much. It does look impressive, though there is a bigger initial outlay for the tools that are required. Then again, it cuts down on labour time!

PHPI rounds up the latest training and professional development courses available for installers throughout the UK.

Stuart Turner Throughout 2019, Stuart Turner will once again be offering free training to installers who sign up via the Stuart Turner Academy portal.

There are three modules to choose from, including Solutions for Low Mains Water Pressure in Unvented Systems, which are covered by two product ranges, Aquaboost and Mainsboost. To better understand water boosting solutions for vented systems, the company offers a course covering its Monsoon and Showermate ranges, with waste water removal covered by the Wasteflo range.

The modules will look at sizing and selection for the products, installation best practice and basic fault diagnosis.

The training day also includes lunch, a quiz and live presentations about the benefits of the products, with product samples and demonstrations being shown.

Richard Ballard, Training and Business Development Manager said: “We’re very proud to offer comprehensive training free of charge to installers across the country.

“Following the successful completion of the training session, participants will also be added to the Stuart Turner website as an ‘Approved Installer’ – allowing visitors to the site to easily locate an installer confident in installing Stuart Turner products.”

Bureau Veritas To help businesses comply with electrical legislation including the new 18th Edition wiring regulations, Bureau Veritas has launched a new electrical safety awareness course for duty holders.

Introduced in January 2019, BS 7671 – IET Wiring Regulations 18th edition set out significant recommendations, both mandatory and optional, for new electrical installations. The changes are aimed at improving protection against fire and overvoltages, as well as providing clarity on special location installations, in a bid to raise safety standards in domestic, industrial and commercial premises.

The course is designed for business owners, senior and operational managers, team leaders and supervisors. Centred on best practice, the course will teach participants about the important aspects of the law around electrical safety including recent changes, such as the 18th edition, with guidance on how to apply this within a workplace environment and create an effective electrical compliance strategy.

Attendees will also learn more about how to demonstrate commitment to the duty holder role, through supervision and monitoring. The courses will run as one-day sessions, allowing 12 delegates per session.

For further information, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI008

For further information, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI007

Vokèra Vokèra by Riello has opened a new showroom in the training centre at its head office in London Colney. The addition to the existing training facility, which offers specialist training courses for installers and continuing professional development (CPD) training courses for specifiers, reflects the ongoing commitment to supporting its customer base, outlines the business.

“The showroom really enhances London Colney’s main product training centre for heating installers and specifiers,” commented Neil Mattock, Marketing Director and Head of Training. “Whether you are a local community or commercial installer, college, plumber’s merchant or domestic installer, you can visit the London Colney centre to see our latest products and talk to our experienced team about the issues that affect your business and the wider industry.”

For further information, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI009

PLAYTIME PHPI takes you straight to the heart of the action, as we round up the latest industry videos to keep your eyes busy.

Just type in the rdr.link codes listed to watch!

BAXI

New additions Lance, Training Officer at Baxi’s Warwick HQ, takes the viewer through the 600 range the company launched earlier this summer. The new line includes the 600 Heat and 600 System, and the company is set to introduce a series of videos to support installers with the maintenance and installation of the boilers.

To find out all the features of the boilers, check out www.rdr.link/PI057

GAS APP

PB PLUMBER

No, Gas App isn’t contributing to the BBC’s popular revision tool (a reference for the kids, that one), but rather demonstrating some of its most useful features for PHPI over the next couple of months. First up is the quoting tool, which you may have read about in September’s issue. Introduced to support those who aren’t always able to send a quote straight away to customers, the company’s founder, Ant Provan, explains how easy it is to use in a ‘bite size’ video.

Heating Engineer Peter Booth, otherwise known as @pbplumber, continues to offer his thoughts on some of the latest products to hit the market. This time, he’s been taking a look at the Velocity Progear Rogue 5.0 Backpack.

In typical style, Pete runs through how it looks, rummages through all the pockets and most importantly, what kind of tools you can expect to fit in it. Ideal for those on the move in busy cities or as a device for carrying around servicing equipment, it’s safe to say Pete was impressed.

Bite size

Back of the van reviews

See why here at www.rdr.link/PI059

Find out all about it at www.rdr.link/PI058

DUNLOP ADHESIVES Tech tips

Ensuring a wetroom, bathroom or shower is fully waterproof is a crucial part of any installation.

Unfortunately, as much as plumbers would like it to be the case, tiles and grout do not inherently protect against damage from water – and to your reputation after being called back to the property.

With recent changes to British Standards on the use of tanking kits, installers will be pleased to know Dunlop has produced a step-by-step video of how to use its handy Waterproofing Kit. To watch it, go to www.rdr.link/PI060

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 33

# CORNER Abbie Smith takes a look at the recent #TradesTalk conversation discussing the challenges and rewards of changing careers for one in the trade.

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hanging your career can be a frightening but exciting experience, no matter what industry you are looking to move into. We take a look at a recent discussion by the #TradesTalk community to see how others have made successful career changes, and any suggestions or guidance they can offer.

Firstly, the discussion asked: “Did you join the trades straight from school/college, or have you had a different route?” The answers varied greatly, with many people starting from a young age in a family business, finishing school and completing apprenticeships, and many leaving full time roles in unrelated industries to join their current trade. Karen Boom’s (@Shes_ElectricUK) response seemed to be representative of those who had moved into the trade a little later than others.

Next up, #TradesTalk asked: “What made you want to switch careers? And was it an easy thing to undertake?” A common response was that the switch was particularly difficult for those with financial responsibilities. However, it is also clear that many people see this initial difficulty as worth it, as they are now happy in the trade – always good to hear!

For those who have undergone a career switch, the general consensus was that most are enjoying the independence of self-employment. Many commented on the longer working hours or the shock of working outside, but it is encouraging to see so many tradespeople who have cited a general greater wellbeing as a result of their career change.

Opening up the discussion again to everyone, question four asked: “Can you imagine switching to a different career at a later date?” As you’d expect, the answers for this question were considerably more varied.

Some people welcomed the change, whilst others were confident in the knowledge that they wanted to stay in this career long term. Paul Fasham (@fash1985) commented on the physical toll on the body that tradespeople are likely to encounter could force a career shift in the future, and like many others he suggested a move to a teaching or assessor role within the industry.

The discussion concluded around the difficulties that ‘older’ people face (beyond just financial and familial responsibilities) when changing career. It is clear that most felt there are a lack of training opportunities for older people in the industry, which many put down to ‘age-ism’, with few apprenticeships being available for older trainees.

It was also mentioned that many people are unwilling to give up a comfortable wage for that of an apprentice.

As far as advice for those looking to switch careers goes, responses encouraged that people ‘just do it,’ and stop waiting, wheras others suggested taking the time to learn about the industry to feel more confident in the decision before the jump is made.

It is clear that the choice to change careers is a personal one, that comes with both risks and rewards. But if you’ve just started your career in the industry, the #TradesTalk community is full of helpful advice, and is keen to welcome all newcomers!

#TradesTalk can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching @TradesTalk

DOMESTIC BOILERS SUPPLEMENT OCTOBER 2019

DOMESTIC BOILERS

FLUSHED AWAY Keith MacBain, Managing Director at Kamco, offers insight into boiler longevity and knowing when to power flush.

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or any installer, ensuring a boiler’s lifespan is an essential part of a job. In order to be sure that a new boiler will last a substantial amount of time, especially with the extended warranties of five, seven and even 10 years, it is essential to know when a power flush is needed, or if a quick ‘gravity’ drain and fill flush will simply do the job.

Of course, a generous warranty is dependent on the system being clean before the new boiler goes into service. More than 80% of early life boiler service calls come as a result of contaminated systems with no, or inadequate, water treatment. So for an engineer, it is clear that if you don’t get things right at this stage, the boiler is likely to have a short and unhappy life. Modern boilers are very efficient, but it is crucial that clean water is passing through the smaller diameter waterways, compact heat exchangers and critical valves. In fact, longer term debris can reduce a boiler’s efficiency by more than 15%, with proportionate increases in fuel bills.

So when would a power flush be needed?

There is no simple answer to this. Whilst engineers can’t look inside a system, there are plenty of other signs that can alert them to the need to thoroughly clean a system (see Image 1).

These signs include: ● The system is slow to warm up. ● Some radiators are completely or partially cold when the system is operational.

Image 1: Symptoms indicating that a system needs a power flush

● The radiators are not getting really hot even

●

● ● ● ●

with the valves open to the maximum, but the pipe work running to the radiators is hot.

The radiators need frequent bleeding as a result of gas generation (hydrogen gas is a by-product of the corrosion process).

One or more radiators have failed with pinhole perforations.

There are ‘kettling’ and banging noises from the boiler.

The circulator pump is found to be heavily fouled and frequently needs replacing.

Water samples taken from radiators are dirty and discoloured. If there are black particles present in the water (see Image 2) these will be magnetite. As this is the final stage of corrosion, large deposits can be expected within the system.

However, when drawing conclusions it is important to know that a visual inspection of water drawn from the heating system can be deceptive. The sample may appear to be relatively clear and clean, but still be quite aggressive (see Image 3). This water was from a system which had experienced five perforated radiators yet showed no iron in the solution.

Use of simple drop test kits on site would reveal these problems, and at the very least the system water should be replaced with fresh clean water treated with corrosion inhibitor.

The decision of whether to Image 3 opt for a full power flush or just a gravity system flush and possibly a temporarily installed magnetic filter, is for the heating engineer to decide. For peace of mind – and the integrity of a long warranty – the engineer would be best advised to power flush. In any given circumstance, and especially with a heavily fouled system, it will always remove more debris from a system.

For best guidance on system water treatment and procedures, refer to BS7593:2019 or Image 2

GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI010

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 S1

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INSTALLING INTELLIGENT INNOVATION The team at Worcester Bosch explains how the manufacturer is putting the installer first with its new Greenstar Intelligent Filling System.

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ere at Worcester Bosch, the installer always comes first. We rely on and value installer feedback in everything we do, from our aftersales service, our technical support or even to rehauling our training programmes.

When we’re designing our new products, this is no different. Our most recent launch – the Greenstar 8000 Lifestyle – took years of research and development to become the innovative product it is today. But from the

very beginning we brought installers into the process. We wanted to know what changes could be made to our boilers that will benefit them as well as their customers.

Everything from ease of installation and commissioning, to controls, to the look and feel of the boilers was considered and run past hundreds of installers. After all, they will be the ones fitting them!

One example was moving the PRV to the front of the appliance to make it easier to

HOW TO USE THE GREENSTAR INTELLIGENT FILLING SYSTEM WITH THE STYLE BOILER INTERFACE The pioneering Greenstar 8000 Style interface has been specifically designed to give installers and homeowners complete control and visibility of the boiler and heating system. The unique control allows both to navigate through its simple, yet comprehensive menu structure, easily.

S2 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

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access, while another is extending the maximum flue length to help with installation.

But there is one regular piece of feedback we received from multiple installers that led us to develop an industry-first. A piece of technology that would save installers time and may even benefit them financially.

Introducing the Greenstar Intelligent Filling System One of the biggest call-outs for an installer, aside from the annual servicing, is topping up system pressure. Understandably the general public may not feel comfortable in doing so themselves. A boiler may look simple on the outside, but inside it is a complex beast – one that will likely seem confusing for homeowners.

On top of that, currently when the system pressure is low, the boiler has to be manually refilled via the Keyed or Keyless Filling Link. As engineers will know, there is an increased risk of air introduction to the system water with manual filling, as well as over-pressurising. Both of these can cause further issues down the line.

After hearing this, we went to the drawing board with the aim to design a solution that would reduce the number of callouts related to topping up system pressure. A solution that hopefully gives installers more time to focus on bigger, and more financially-rewarding jobs!

We fully believe we achieved this and we’re proud to introduce to the market the Greenstar Intelligent Filling System. It is an

All automatic filling systems can be accessed via the interface – here is how you access them:

ACTIVATING AND DEACTIVATING AUTOMATIC FILLING STEP 1 – Hold down the Central Heating and Domestic Hot Water icons until the installer menu shows STEP 2 – From the menu, scroll down to ‘Special function’ using the arrow keys and press ‘OK’

innovative accessory compatible with our new Greenstar 8000 Lifestyle range of boilers.

So, how does it work?

Once either the Life or Style appliance has been manually filled and the heating system has been vented, the Intelligent Filling System can be switched on within the appliance’s display menus.

From then on, if the system pressure becomes low, the internal filling valve automatically fills the heating system. Once optimum pressure has been reached, this function will automatically stop and close the integrated filling valve.

STEP 3 – Using the arrow keys, scroll down to ‘Autom. filling’ and press ‘OK’ twice STEP 4 – Select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ by using the arrow keys and touching ‘OK’ STEP 5 – To return to the automatic filling menu, press ‘return’

The intelligent system also prevents the boiler from over-filling, while counting the number of fills it carries out. It will also alert the homeowner if the heating system is losing too much pressure and can detect leaks.

In order to suit all types and sizes of sealed heating system installations, the filling parameters can be adjusted using the Greenstar 8000’s boiler display. A useful YouTube video explaining how to do so can be viewed by visiting www.rdr.link/PI011.

Another bonus for installers fitting Greenstar 8000 Style boilers is that information, including the number of re-fills, is available to access during annual servicing.

The aim is to ensure installers can easily keep the heating system’s chemical water treatment levels maintained.

Overall, the Greenstar Intelligent Filling System is aimed to bring both installers and homeowners peace of mind when it comes to system pressure, while hopefully solving an industry-wide issue in the process.

PROGRAMMING REFILLING INTERVALS STEP 1 – Scroll down to ‘Blocking time’ on the main menu and press ‘OK’.

STEP 2 – Adjust the block time controls using the arrow keys and press ‘OK’.

CHOOSING MAXIMUM REFILLING TIME

ADJUSTING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF REFILLS

STEP 1 – Scroll down to ‘Max. refill time’ from the main menu and press ‘OK’ STEP 2 – Adjust the maximum refilling time using the arrow keys and press ‘OK’

STEP 1 – Access maximum refills by scrolling down to ‘Max. refills’ and touching ‘OK’ STEP 2 – Use the arrow buttons to increase or decrease the amount

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 S3

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SHOW YOUR WORKINGS

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efore undertaking any heat loss calculation, it is vitally important that the information provided is accurate and will deliver the correct result for the project in which the calculation is required. For example, installers should collate all of the correct design data, which should include U values, design temperatures, air change rates and emitter flow and return temperatures.

The engineer then needs to select the best mean water temperature for the individual project, as in some cases certain heating solutions can operate at different flow and return rates. For instance, a product such as an LST radiator may operate on a 82ºC flow / 72ºC return system, as well as a 70ºC flow / 50ºC return system, but the surface temperature shall still remain at <43ºC, due to the differences in the flow and return temperatures. This still ensures it is safe enough for the user, while also complying with NHS Guidance Notes 1998.

Now, the property in question needs to be considered. Installers need to ensure they have all of the property data, which includes dimensions of each room, floor level, ceiling height, the age and construction of the

Utilising heat loss calculations to gain an understanding of the required heating output for each individual project is a must for any installer, as it ensures the most efficient heating solution is delivered.

Craig Ord, Product Manager for Myson, offers some advice. property, the size and number of windows, internal and external doors, insulation levels and required room temperatures. If the heating solution is only required for one room, the engineer will only have to include the calculations for this room, whereas if it is for the whole property, each individual room will need to be taken into consideration.

Once this information has been collated and checked for accuracy it is vitally important that any heat loss calculations are carried out in accordance with BS EN 12831 Energy Performance of Buildings – Method for Calculation of the Design Heat Load. This ensures correct guidelines and regulations are being followed.

Engineers should now be ready to calculate the heat loss for the project. To do this, we would always recommend using a recognised heat loss calculation programme, such as the Myson Heatloss Calculator. By doing so, all of the information can be collated on to one programme, which details each individual room, along with all of the design data.

Based on the information provided on the property, the mean water temperature, heat up factor and outside air temperature, heat loss is then calculated for each room listed within the property. Once the engineer has all of this information, they can begin to consider how best to deliver the heating solution.

A helping hand To aid these decisions and offer installers support when it comes to choosing the correct solution, the Myson Heatloss Calculator is equipped with software which lists suitable products. For example, the required heat loss is listed in both Watts and BTUs for each individual room, alongside a number of heating solution options. Each option is given a rating out of 100% to show how close they are to the required room output. This information is then collated into a summary page and the best matched heating solution(s) for each individual room are then listed with the product name, dimensions and order code.

The use of heat loss calculations, especially those which are carried out on software such as Myson’s calculator, enable installers to understand immediately what the required heating solution should be for each project. It also ensures correct guidelines are being followed, eliminating the chances of poor or inadequate heating solutions being installed.

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 S5

DOMESTIC BOILERS

Step by step – Myson’s Heatloss Calculator

STEP 1: Enter design data.

STEP 3: Enter all required information on the chosen room.

STEP 2: Select the room, enter required temperature and air change information.

STEP 4: Solutions which meet the heat loss requirements will be listed. Add the chosen solution.

“The use of heat loss calculations enable installers to understand immediately what the required heating solution should be for each project.”

STEP 5: A summary page will detail the solution required, alongside order codes and product information.

To access Myson’s Heatloss Calculator and test it out for yourself, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI012

DOMESTIC BOILERS

Twin peaks Boiler installations can present a number of challenges for installers, as not all are the same. There are many elements that need to be considered such as the boiler position, flue termination and regulations regarding the property.

Keston explains how its twin flue solutions can help.

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win flue boiler systems can offer a solution to installations that require a longer flue run. For example, Keston’s boilers are able to run their flues up to 27m, for greater flexibility on the boiler position. This added benefit allows for boilers that cannot be flued directly through an external wall, such as those in a basement room.

Flue termination has requirements set by BS 5440-1: 2008. This regulates the main function of flue termination, that the products of combustion are effectively discharged to the

outside air under all weather conditions.

Any openings need to be designed to prevent any debris getting into the system that could have an effect to the performance of it. Relevant details are outlined within the boiler manufacturers’ installation guides, which ensure the safe operation of the appliance and prevent the position of the flue causing detriment to others.

Flexible thinking The vast majority of domestic boilers are designed with a concentric flue system, where the air supply and flue gases are managed within one flue. They are designed with a duct within a duct, with the exhaust gases taken away through the inner duct and the combustion air drawn in through the outer duct.

Twin flue boiler systems will continue to perform the same task as concentric systems; however, they do allow for further flexibility in distance. Both systems have an air flue and a gas flue, but in a twin flue installation the flues do not run within one another, they run separately. This type of system offers a different way to install boilers.

For example, the twin flue runs are not restricted to run parallel, meaning that the air flue will not be limited to the same restrictions as the combustion flue. This added benefit means the combustion gas pipe can run further to the desired termination point, while the air pipe can run through the nearest external wall next to the boiler. The maximum length for both flues on a Keston boiler can run up to 27m in total. For example, the air flue can be terminated 3m away from the boiler, allowing the remaining 24m left for the combustion flue run.

S8 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

Boosts for installers Keston has recently increased its points on its loyalty scheme for engineers, who will now be able to benefit from higher points for each boiler they install on Installer Connect, Ideal Boilers’ customer loyalty scheme. Points for Keston boilers have been increased and categorised into bandings. The updated amounts for Keston Combi and System boilers start at 46 points (£15) in Bronze, moving on to 80 points (£26) in Silver and 107 points (£35) in Gold, while Keston Heat boilers are worth 100 points (£33) across both Bronze and Silver and 140 points (£46) for Gold.

Classic cases Historically, boilers were installed in kitchens across the UK when kitchens were situated within the basement of houses. As heating methods in the UK have developed, the position of the boiler in older properties often remains in the basement. These installations require a longer boiler flue to meet the requirements for flue termination. Rather than dealing with the additional work and cost of moving the boiler position, twin flues can be used to provide the extra length that is needed without any hassle.

There are also certain properties where twin flues could be used to benefit the installation,

DOMESTIC BOILERS

for instance ‘landlocked’ flats. These types of properties often lack sufficient external wall space for the flue termination to be placed; for example, there may be a balcony or windows near where the flue termination would normally be. This means a longer flue will be needed to extend towards the roof.

Properties may have additional legislation to consider regarding flue runs, such as listed buildings. There are over 500,000 such properties in the UK which are protected so that they are preserved for future generations.

Amongst many other regulations, there are some that would affect the flue run. Flues cannot be positioned in front of the property or any part that would be seen from a highway, meaning that a more flexible solution will be needed for installers to comply.

Doubling up There are a number of benefits to using twin flue – one of which would be the cost difference. Twin flue boiler installations require manufacturer approved, small diameter (50mm) muPVC (PVC-C) solvent weld pipes, one for the air duct and one for the combustion gases. Solvent weld pipe is sold at a fraction of the price when compared to concentric flues.

It is also advantageous to retrofit existing twin flue installations rather than moving a boiler to fit a concentric flue. If the original boiler position was within an area that did not

have straight access to an external wall, the consideration of moving the boiler, gas and water pipework and flue runs would not need to be taken into account if a direct replacement is fitted.

When using a twin flue system, there are additional measures that need to be considered, such as the Gas Safe technical bulletin TB200/TB008 regarding flues in voids. Where boilers are located away from an external wall, the flues are likely to run through the ceiling or wall voids. In these cases, inspection hatches are required to be installed along with the flue runs to ensure safety checks can be completed. The inspection hatches are intended to allow

visual inspection of the concealed system, rather than having full physical access. To ensure flues can be examined thoroughly, inspection hatches should be 300 by 300mm in size and no flue joint within the void should be more than 1.5m away from the edge of the nearest inspection hatch.

Making space for these hatches could mean additional remedial work would need to be done, such as added plastering after the hatches have been completed.

There are other elements that need to be considered outside of BS 5440-1: 2008, such as all flues needing to be adequately supported and all joints other than approved push-on or plastic compression connectors being made and sealed with solvent cement suitable for the manufacturer approved muPVC (PVC-C) flues and confirming to BS 6209.

British built since 2013, Keston Boilers offers heating solutions for both domestic and commercial installations, with twin flue capabilities that can provide a useful solution for installers, particularly in the cases mentioned above. Free training is available at the Training Centre of Excellence sites in Hull, Leeds and Reading.

To find out more about the twin flue solutions from Keston Boilers and its training offerings, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI013

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 S9

DOMESTIC BOILERS

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

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t’s stating the obvious as far as most heating engineers are concerned but, as the nights draw in and temperatures start to fall, installers know all too well that their services and expertise will increasingly be called upon. That's why we believe that now is the right time to recap three straightforward, yet imperative, areas of installation best practice.

1 I SYSTEM FILTERS We all know that central heating filters are used to reduce the number of contaminants that get trapped in the system.

An update to British Standard BS 7593:2019 was published on the 29 May 2019.

This is a code of practice for the preparation, commissioning and maintenance of domestic central heating and cooling water systems and replaces the previous 2006 edition.

In section 8 of this updated standard, reference is made to the use of in-line system filters. It states that in operation, a cleaned and commissioned system might have residual insoluble suspended particulate debris circulating in the system water. These circulating particulates have detrimental effects on boilers, pumps and valves. The standard then recommends that in order to keep system circuit water free from particulate debris, an in-line filter should be permanently installed within the system water circuit. This will maintain system cleanliness, thereby protecting its components and conserving efficiency and effectiveness.

Since we launched our Ideal System Filter in 2017, it's been exceptionally well-received.

It is high quality, easy to install, can be fitted on to horizontal and vertical pipework, and works at a 45˚ angle.

Ultimately, however, it’s the filter’s reliability that has gone down so well,

S10 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

With the winter months almost upon us, Lizzie Wilkinson, Head of Domestic Product Management at Ideal Boilers, outlines three key areas of best practice that installers must keep at the front of their minds.

especially since we launched our Logic Max and Vogue Max boilers in 2018, which come with 10 or 12 year warranties and an Ideal System Filter supplied in the box.

From an installer’s perspective, it’s always worth stressing to customers that – if properly serviced and maintained – installing a filter will keep their heating system working efficiently, reduce the damage caused by contaminants and mean their boiler costs less to run.

2 I CONDENSATE PIPES The past few winters have seen prolonged spells of sub-zero temperatures in Britain, dropping as low as minus 14⁰ during the record-breaking ‘Beast from the East’ of 2018.

Unsurprisingly, this resulted in a significant increase in the number of calls to boiler manufacturers and heating engineers from householders with frozen condensate discharge pipes, which caused their condensing boilers to shut down.

In the vast majority of cases, problems occur when the condensate discharge pipe is located on the outer part of a building for some or all of its length.

Industry specification and British Standard 6798 both provide advice on how condensate discharge pipes should be run either internally or externally. However, both state that “wherever possible, the condensate drainage pipe should be terminated at an internal foul water discharge point.”

Where there is no other option than to run the pipe externally, the pipe needs to be increased to at least a 30mm inside diameter and insulated to help prevent freezing. Detailed guidance should be given in the boiler’s installation instructions.

In addition, the HHIC has also published both an installer guide to condensate discharge pipe installation and a customer information booklet, which can be used by the installer to explain the risks and the remedial action required.

It's essential that installers also fit the condensate drain correctly. This will ensure that the boiler’s warranty is valid. The benchmark commissioning checklist supplied with the boiler and detailed in the manufacturer’s instructions should be followed during every installation.

3 I BOILER PLUS

READ

In April 2018, the Government For direct access introduced the Boiler Plus to th e HHIC installer gu scheme – designed to help ide to condensate improve energy efficiency in pipe installation, go people’s homes. Every gas to boiler now must have an www.rdr.link/ energy-efficiency rating of at least PI014 92%. At Ideal Boilers, all our products either meet or surpass this requirement.

In addition, all gas and oil boilers must be fitted with time and temperature control, and every replacement combi boiler installation must include at least one of the following additional energy efficiency measures: ● ● ● ●

A flue gas heat recovery system A weather compensation device A load compensation device A smart thermostat with automation and optimisation functions

Ideal Boilers supplies a range of controls and accessories to aid compliance with Boiler Plus, including Touch Combi RF with load compensation and smart thermostat Touch Connect.

Installers have an important role to play in improving the way people use energy in their homes. In an industry where customer satisfaction and recommendations are fundamental, adhering to best practice is the key to success.

To find out more,

GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI015

DOMESTIC BOILERS

THE ART OF ZEN PHPI finds out more about the new Zen and Zen Plus hot water and heating system from Rinnai.

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innai is introducing the Zen and Zen Plus home hot water & heating system, which is said to combine durability with new technologies to offer great energy efficiencies, user control and comfort levels.

“Our core expertise is the mass production of long-term reliable combustion products with advanced technologies... We have been researching and monitoring the UK domestic heating market for several years until we had a proven system. That time is now, and we are offering hot water heating units together with a superior performance combi boiler in 24, 29 and 35kW outputs,” says Chris Goggin, Head of Rinnai UK Operations.

“We are not launching into the mass UK boiler market… We are offering something very different. And we are aiming to serve a

market sector previously overlooked and almost ignored – the provision of luxury levels of hot water at affordable sums to the middle and top end of the marketplace.

“We are committed to working with installers as our route to market.

The installer is still the major player and, in our view, always will be.”

Some of the features of Zen & Zen Plus include: IOT controller as standard; Fast heating mode; DHW pre-heat function – saving wasted water; an energy monitor function; flue runs up to 30m; and constant temperature-accurate hot water delivery at continuous flow rates. The units also work in conjunction with the Rinnai boiler app for Android and IOS.

The Rinnai app connects to the controller in the property; the user can then control the boiler remotely adjusting temperature, setting weekly and daily programmes, receiving alarm functions, monitor energy usage and set limits. The Wi-Fi and boiler controller also allows for geolocation functionality.

Rinnai Zen & Zen Plus are both available for use with natural gas and LPG.

To find out more, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI016

BOILER ROUND UP

BOILER ROOM

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As part of this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Domestic Boilers supplement, PHPI takes a look at some of the latest innovations to heat up the market this year.

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í˘ł í˘ą 1 I FIREBIRD Low NOx Envirogreen With NOx emission levels reported to be lower than any other boiler on the market, Firebirdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Low NOx Envirogreen range is said to be simple to commission, install and service using a single Allen key.

The range has just two settings for pump and air pressure for ease of installation, and to ensure a high level of efficiency is achieved by the burner, the CO2 level is factory-set at optimum 12.5%.

The range also features multi-directional flue options for installer flexibility, an absence of â&#x20AC;&#x153;error-prone partsâ&#x20AC;? and includes models for internal and external applications in a variety of outputs. www.rdr.link/PI017

2 I INTERGAS Xtreme and Xclusive The Intergas Xtreme and Xclusive combi compact boilers feature a touch screen display, central flue, an expansion vessel incorporated within the boiler, a combined PRV and condensate connection, an integral filling loop and dual OpenTherm inputs. The Xclusive comes with a ten-year warranty and the Xtreme with a seven-year. Both are available as combis in 24, 30 and 36kW outputs, as well as vent and system boilers.

Both have a boiler modulation range of 1:9 for heating and domestic hot water to

maximise efficiency, and a flow rate which ranges from 11-15 l/min. The Xtreme, however, has a built-in passive flue gas heat recovery (PFGHR) unit to reclaim more heat from the waste gases than a conventional condensing boiler can achieve.

Both come fitted with an RF module which, when connected to the Intergas Comfort Touch system and app, gives installers access to the boilerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operation.

The range has only four moving parts and three plastic components, while the boilers are 90% recyclable. www.rdr.link/PI018

3 I FERROLI Bluehelix Tech RRT With a 10-year warranty as standard, Ferroliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bluehelix Tech RRT compact combi and system boiler is claimed to be one of the quietest boilers currently on the market. The combi model is available in 24, 28 and 34kW outputs and the system model in 18, 24 and 34kW. As well as its compact size ( just 250mm deep for the 24kw and 28kW models), a key feature is the stainless steel Thermobalance heat exchanger which is shaped to ensure increased water flow and improve efficiency, making it suitable for replacement installations that are more prone to producing sediment in the exchanger. www.rdr.link/PI019

4 I GLOW-WORM

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Easicom The updated Easicom range includes combi, system and regular models, features a low maintenance automotive grade aluminium silicate heat exchanger, and a four-sided cooling system to reduce the stress on the heat exchanger, which is said to deliver long-term reliability.

Compatible with the existing flue range for easy replacement of older boilers, the unit also comes with a choice of accessories, including a large aesthetic pipe cover panel and universal upward piping kit. Each boiler offers a DIN pipe layout to make boiler swaps quick and easy. It is also connected to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Energy installer scheme, which will initiate a five-year guarantee when the Easicom installation is registered. www.rdr.link/PI020

5 I MAIN Eco Compact Heat boiler With a 19.5kg lift weight and available in 15, 18, 24 and 30kW outputs, the Eco Compact range is compact enough to fit into cupboards up to 290mm deep. The line also contains an aluminium heat exchanger that has been designed with less thermal

BOILER ROUND UP

mass, removing the risk of boiling water and the need for a pump overrun. With no pump overrun using power when the boiler switches off, no permanent live is needed either, assures the company. The unit is reportedly very quiet and offers easy front and side access for servicing. It comes with a five-year warranty as standard. www.rdr.link/PI021

6 I BAXI 600 and 800 range Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a busy year at Baxi, with the expansion of the 600 range, as well as the recent introduction of the 800 portfolio. The 600 range includes the new 600 System, System LPG, and Heat boilers. Fully modulating and available in 15, 18 and 24kW outputs, the System reportedly uses the â&#x20AC;&#x153;idealâ&#x20AC;? amount of fuel to meet central heating temperatures. Its dedicated 24kW LPG model is also suitable for homes without mains gas. Because of its 28kg lift-weight and compact design suitable for installation in cupboards as small as 290mm deep, System models are easy to fit.

The 800 range has also been recently unveiled, including the 825 Combi, 830 Combi, 836 Combi, 818 System and the 824 System. Each boiler has a central flue design and comes with a 10-year parts and labour warranty, as well as an Adey Magnaclean Micro2 magnet system filter to protect the heating system as standard.

The 800 collection features an OpenTherm interface, while accessories available include a rear pipework kit, a range of flues, IFOS in-flue weather sensors and the uSense smart control. www.rdr.link/PI022

7 I VIESSMANN Vitodens 200-W series Designed for larger detached and semi-detached homes, Viessmann has launched the next-generation of its flagship domestic gas condensing boiler, the Vitodens 200-W. The series features three models: 200-W, a space-saving wall-mounted unit, 222-F, a compact unit with integrated 100-litre stainless-steel cylinder, and 242-F. As well as a height-adjustable colour touchscreen display for easy operation, the series has integrated WLAN for convenience and safety, allowing engineers to monitor the system using the Vitoguide digital service centre. This includes a traffic light-style predictive maintenance system, which automatically identifies components that need replacing and notifies the installer.

Another advantage is that now, for the installer to connect the additional controls (weather compensation etc.), the plug-in connections are on the bottom of the boiler. The range is said to be designed with ease for installers in mind, with 50% fewer spare parts and easy installation and commissioning which can be done via the integrated assistant within the touchscreen display, or by using the ViStart app on a smartphone or tablet. www.rdr.link/PI023

8 I WORCESTER BOSCH Greenstar 8000 Lifestyle A vastly different approach has been taken to the design of the boilers in the Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Lifestyle range. The range includes the Life, the future direct

replacement of the Greenstar CDi Classic, which keeps all the old features, while reportedly improving on key installer touchpoints for easier installation, servicing and maintenance. The Style makes up the second half of the portfolio; the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most powerful, modern and stylish to date, available in the industry-standard white, but also in black for those customers who are design-conscious.

Included is a wireless receiver, called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the Key,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; which slots in underneath the boiler, while the Bosch EasyControl can now be installed on the wall or placed on a new table stand. Available in combi, system and regular, the range features outputs between 30 and 50kW. It has a 1:10 burner modulation and an improved flow rate at the hot water tap. For example, with the 50kW at 35°C, the flow rate is at 20.3 litres a minute. www.rdr.link/PI024

9 I THE ELECTRIC HEATING COMPANY Fusion Astro Electric Combination Boiler Designed as an alternative for properties with no access to mains gas supply and homes which have gas boiler restrictions, the Fusion Astro Electric combi boiler is also said to be appropriate for wet central heating and underfloor heating.

The electric boiler outputs are 12 & 14.4kW Single Phase, and 18 & 24kW three phase. The control panel boasts an LED display â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the temperature outputs range from 30â °C-60â °C (hot water) and 30â °C-80â °C (heating). With volt free controls and no flue required, the boiler provides on-demand and instantaneous domestic hot water. www.rdr.link/PI025

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[CO MP ETI TIO N]

LIFT THE

LID Fernox is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a TF1 Sigma Filter – the company's latest innovation in lidless filter technology.

WIN!

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n order to comply with BS 7593:2019, it is recommended that an in-line filter be installed, to collect harmful debris and sludge and prevent build up. Fernox believes its TF1 Sigma Filter provides the ideal solution. Developed in response to extensive market research and customer feedback, the TF1 Sigma Filter is a composite polymer filter developed without a lid. The new, sealed design is supported with a 10-year warranty.

Made from engineering-grade polymer, the TF1 Sigma Filter is suited for both heating and cooling system applications, as it can withstand temperature extremes and pressure. The unit also incorporates double radial seals on the connection between the manifold and the main body of the filter, providing improved levels of reliability and design integrity.

The absence of a lid means that the Sigma is a factory sealed, watertight unit. These features can be maintained, even during the servicing process, as unlike conventional plastic filters there is no replacement ‘O’ ring required to maintain a tight seal on the lid. This eliminates any ongoing maintenance costs associated with traditional lidded filters.

A TF1 Sigma Filter !

The TF1 Sigma Filter utilises Hydronic Particle Separation (HPS) technology and magnetic filtration to collect all types of debris. HPS works by directing the water flow to hit a baffle (a device used to restrict the flow of fluid). When the water hits the baffle, its energy is reduced and any debris suspended within the water then drops to the bottom of the filter, where it is contained and later removed. In addition, the neodymium magnet is said to ensure a high capture rate of magnetite and a continued and consistent level of collection.

Designed for installers Available in both 22mm and 28mm versions, the TF1 Sigma Filter is supplied with valves or slip socket connection, offering installers greater choice. The filter can also be installed horizontally, vertically or in any orientation in both flow directions and at an angle up to 45° – making it ideal for challenging installation conditions.

To clean the TF1 Sigma Filter, simply remove the magnet from the sheath and open

S16 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

the drain valve. Water will then run through the filter, flushing out any debris captured.

The magnet can be easily placed back in the sheath and the drain valve closed. The cleaning process can be completed in less

HOW TO ENTER For a chance to win the TF1 Sigma Filter, simply GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI026

Deadline for entries is 30/11/19.

Terms and conditions apply.

PLUMBING & BATHROOMS

LOYAL FAMILY We put the questions to Sian Brink, Head of Channel Marketing at Aqualisa, to find out more about the company’s new Installer Club and how plumbers can benefit from signing up.

Can you tell us a little more about the new Installer Club?

The Aqualisa Installer Club is a free rewards programme tailored around installers. A complete redesign on the former community, the new and improved club offers many brand new functionalities and special features for an installer on the go.

It has exclusive membership benefits, such as: loyalty points for product purchases, voucher based points redemption scheme, giveaways of merchandise, a free online profile and personal account, priority technical support, advice and tips to help you grow your business, and priority access to free training.

Joining the club will also give installers the benefit of being added to our database of recommended installers, which is another avenue for gaining new customers.

How can installers be a part of it?

Signing up to the Aqualisa Installer Club is free and simple. Just head to Aqualisa.co.uk/Installerclub and earn 2,000 points just for coming on board. Earn points each time you install a shower from our qualified list of products and log them using our online portal. Use your points to reward yourself with perks that you choose and take advantage of the benefits of your hard work!

Why did you decide to set it up?

Our brand is centred on the belief that to have a great day, you need a great shower.

Over the past four decades, Aqualisa’s award-winning, patented technology has been integrated into its range of electric, digital and mixer showers and enjoyed by millions of people.

We are proud of our community of installers that represent the brand by fitting our showers and want to recognise them for their hard work. Fitting showers is part of their everyday job, so why not earn points and rewards at the same time?

Are there any quality checks installers need to go through to become a member, in order to prevent poor installations of your products?

In order to qualify for the installer club, the individual must hold a level 2 City and Guilds qualification in plumbing. Installers move through the tiers by successful installations of our products, so the tiers are directly related to experience with our products.

Any abuse of the programme, failure to meet the terms and conditions, or any unacceptable behaviour may result in membership being revoked. Aqualisa reviews these instances on an individual basis and reserves the right to revoke membership at any time.

“We are proud of our community of installers that represent the brand by fitting our showers and want to recognise them for their hard work. Fitting showers is part of their everyday job, so why not earn points and rewards at the same time?”

What are the current trends in the shower market?

The rise of smart tech for the home has meant that installers need to stay abreast of the new technologies available to keep up with demand.

As shower products evolve to encompass the range of new capabilities, installers will need to take advantage of development schemes such as Aqualisa’s free training sessions.

Booking a training session is one click away via the Installer Club member’s dashboard!

To find out more, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI027

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 51

PLUMBING & BATHROOMS

PHPI was recently invited on a trip to Fibo’s Norwegian HQ to visit its factory and learn more about the company.

Kelly Newstead reports.

Panel TALK

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estled in the Fjords of Norway (think Disney’s Frozen…), surrounded by rolling hills and glistening lakes which stretch on for miles, lies Fibo’s HQ. Located in the municipality of Lyngdal, southern Norway, it’s hard to believe that this picturesque backdrop could possibly be a place of work, being so far removed from the traditional industrial estate many in the UK are so familiar with.

Established in 1952, Fibo describes itself

Product development as the European market leader in wall panels.

Fibo champions wall panels as a real The company moved its HQ to its current alternative to tiles in terms of installation, location in 2007 and expanded the premises aesthetics and upkeep. In the UK, Fibo panels in 2016/17, investing €15 million in new now feature in 295 showrooms across the equipment and extending the factory. This country – up from 35 in 2016 – and has allowed the business to can be found in numerous introduce new systems and To access plumbing merchants. One of technologies to help improve Fibo’s key selling points is that the efficiency and quality of Fibo’s latest the panels don’t require its wall panels. brochure online, specialist skills to install. go to There’s no need for a tiler, and www.rdr.link/ as they can be fitted onto the existing substrate, you don’t PI028 have to re-plaster either, making them an ideal solution for plumbers.

Installer Nuwave, for example, uses wall panels as a selling point to promote full bathroom refurbishments across the South and West Wales: “We installed 126 bathrooms in one year, with just one fitting team. With Fibo panels, we can remove a bath, fit wall panels and install a walk-in shower in five to six hours!”

“A number of our installer customers only use panels, but it’s useful to compare the market to Norway and indeed to other countries on the continent,” commented Scott Beattie, Managing Director of Fibo UK. “Tiling and painting your bathroom is seen as being

52 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

“With Fibo panels, we can remove a bath, fit wall panels and install a walk-in shower in five to six hours!” somewhat old-fashioned. Bathrooms are often bigger, higher-spec and considered one of the most important rooms of the house, so on a larger scale, panels are much easier to fit and maintain than tiles. People can redecorate more often too and keep up with the latest trends.”

Those on the trip were to see a range of different products, as well as the new designs recently launched in the UK. The matt marble range, for instance, is new to the whole Fibo Group, while other options include solid colours in sea-greens and blues that have been introduced to the UK after selling well in Norway and elsewhere.

Scott explained: “The recent additions are included in our Scandinavian and Contemporary Tile Effect Collections, and in our Signature Collection. It’s important we support our customers with stand-out products and a wide range to help them sell. Our latest panel designs mean installers now have more choice and more opportunities to transform projects with stylish, durable panels.”

“Trips like this help build long-standing relationships. Customers get to see a different side to the suppliers they use – the substance behind the surface,” Scott added.

“Our factory expansion at our Norway HQ was a big moment for Fibo. We invested a significant amount in the new facilities, which increased capacity and improved manufacturing efficiency by over 50%. Taking customers to see it all was an opportunity to give them a first-hand insight in to how our products – the panels installers fit day-to-day – are manufactured, and the care we put in at each stage of the production process, through to supporting them with sales and training.”

To discover more about Fibo,

GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI029

L IF TING S PIRITS

PLUMBING & BATHROOMS

The compli 1200 is a duplex unit.

Jung Pumpen details the lifting solutions it can provide plumbers with when faced with challenges on light commercial projects.

When are lifting units used?

Lifting units are used when the gradient is not sufficient to dispose of the wastewater in the existing wastewater pipe. They are also needed if the wastewater pipe is far away from the point where the wastewater is produced, or to bridge long conveying distances.

Wastewater that accumulates below the backwater level (below the top of the road), such as in cellars or other basements, is pumped into the public sewer via lifting units.

If the systems are correctly installed via a backwater loop, they also provide backwater protection, meaning that water that accumulates when the public sewer becomes blocked or after heavy rainfall cannot be pushed back into the building.

This is where physics comes into play, because if the backflow loop is above the height of the top of the road, the water in the pipe cannot rise above this height and therefore cannot flow back. However, drainage during backwater is still possible as the lifting unit pushes the water out. This is the great advantage over backwater valves, where drainage is not possible during such situations.

Careful selection Depending on the quantity and type of wastewater, different systems may be appropriate.

“The decisive factor is which medium – condensate, hot water, water containing faeces or pure wastewater – is to be pumped, in which quantity, over which distance.”

1 I DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE CONTAINING FAECES

3 I DISPOSAL OF HOT WATER

Sewage lifting units are necessary if sewage from public sanitary facilities is produced in the basement. The wastewater flows into the tank and is pumped from there into the public sewer. In public buildings, it is important and also mandatory that the wastewater disposal system functions reliably. To ensure this, a duplex system should always be installed so that if one pump fails, the other takes over.

Jung Pumpen has a variety of suitable solutions, depending on the amount of wastewater produced.

These systems have to withstand high temperatures and are therefore made of heat-resistant materials.

The Hebefix H 100.

This applies to both the tank and the pump. Despite high water temperatures, the plastic container must not deform or leak, while for submersible pump options, the casing as well as the outlet pipe must be designed to withstand hot water.

2 I DISPOSAL OF WASTEWATER (WITHOUT FAECES) If wastewater accumulates, such as The Hebefix Plus is suited in tea kitchens, from for wastewater from coffee machines or sinks or coffee machines from washbasins, in from coffee shops. the basement and therefore cannot run off in a free gradient, then small lifting units provide the ideal solution. Compact systems can be easily accommodated in base units or pre-walls due to their small size. Once again, different pumps are used depending on the amount of wastewater produced.

Plug-and-play systems are complete systems that require relatively little installation effort and are therefore designed to be easy to fit.

As explained here, it is important to select the right lifting unit for the respective application.

The decisive factor is which medium – condensate, hot water, water containing faeces or pure wastewater – is to be pumped, in which quantity, over which distance.

Quality is ultimately decisive in all applications, because pump failures are expensive in the commercial sector. For installers, the more reliable and trouble-free the system, the less chance there is of potential callbacks and downtime for customers.

For more advice on commercial lifting units from Jung Pumpen, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PH030

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 55

PLUMBING & BATHROOMS

ROOM SERVICE Roger Bisby selects some potential kitchen and bathroom game changers.

I

have spent a great deal of my working life fitting kitchens and bathrooms. In a way you have to be something of a masochist to specialise in this sort of work because it is technically demanding, and the customer is usually putting you under pressure to get the

room back in some sort of working order.

Fast track products have helped, but no sooner do you find the solution to one problem than another challenge arises. Still, as the saying goes, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

UNDERFLOOR HEATING Pretty much every kitchen and bathroom I do these days needs (or wants) underfloor heating. If you aren’t lifting the floor, low build options are the way forward. The more insulation you can get under the pipes or cables the better but a lot of customers are determined to have a warm floor, even if it isn’t as efficient and economical as it could be.

Omnie Toron is a system I have used in a number of kitchens over the past few years. If you can get a clear run at the floor it is straightforward and can usually be done in a day. I don’t fit a great deal of electric underfloor heating in kitchens because it is more suitable for tile warm up rather than whole room heating. If you have a bathroom with a towel rail then electric underfloor heating is fine, but not if you are intending to use it as the sole source of heat. My favourite system is pipe in screed and that is what I recommend for extensions.

The most common question I get from customers is: “What if it leaks?” My answer is simple.

“It won’t leak.” The only way it will leak is if somebody drills through the pipe. With modern grab adhesives, it is rarely necessary to drill into a screed.

Omnie Nu-Heat Continental Underfloor Grant UK

GO TO GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI031 www.rdr.link/PI032 GO TO www.rdr.link/PI033 GO TO www.rdr.link/PI034

LASER LEVELS It is now hard to remember what we did before laser levels were invented. It wasn’t so much the invention but making them affordable that really moved them forward as a product. It is hard to imagine now but we were once happy and willing to spend £500 on a laser level, and very few of them were the self-levelling, all singing and dancing cross hair lasers we have now. Now you would only pay that for a green beam, and even those are coming down in price. However, as good as modern laser levels are, I can’t be the only person who still puts his six foot Stabila down on the units to check. Lasers can lose calibration, the same as anything, so it helps to lock the pendulum before you move it or put it back in the box.

Bosch Laser Levels GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI035

Imex Green Beam GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI036

KPROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 57

PLUMBING & BATHROOMS

POWER TOOLS

TILE BACKING BOARD

When you are fitting kitchen and bathrooms you are not necessarily looking for the most powerful drill on the market. The far more important thing is finding something small enough to get into those tight spaces. It also helps if you have a right angle and offset chuck. Milwaukee and Bosch both have 12V sets that fit this bill. I find they can tackle almost every job you throw at them. I draw the line at drilling into concrete but with the right bit, most brickwork is not a problem.

Back in the day when plumbers were still using plasterboard or marine plywood as a tileable surface we were singing the praises of specialist tile backing boards such as Wedi and Hardibacker.

Another invaluable cordless tool is a compact reciprocating saw. Milwaukee, Makita and DeWalt all have good tools in this category and if you are running one of these battery platforms you can pick up a naked, body only reciprocating saw for very little money.

Milwaukee Bosch Makita

GO TO GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI037 www.rdr.link/PI038 GO TO www.rdr.link/PI039

Now, at long last the industry has caught on, so much so that the latest British Standard now calls for wet areas such as showers and baths to be tanked. It is also no longer acceptable to use timber boards as a surface for vertical tiling.

Not surprisingly, the number of products now available for tiling onto has grown exponentially and with that the price has come tumbling down. One day tile backing board will be almost the same price as plasterboard. Then there will be no excuse.

FLOOR LAYING There are few areas of the building industry where preparation is as important as it is with floors. The key enemies are damp and movement. If you can eliminate both of those you have a fighting chance. If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, remedying them after the floor is laid can be costly or impossible.

Hardibacker GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI042

Wedi GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI043

Elements Board Fortunately, there is a lot of technical help out there from companies such as F Ball and Co, manufacturer of Setcrete.

Floor laying was once the preserve of specialist contractors and nothing slows a job down more than waiting on them. There is clearly a demand for plumber friendly products.

Karndean now has three good options, none of which require adhesive and all of them can be laid on underfloor heating.

F Ball and Co Karndean

GO TO GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI040 www.rdr.link/PI041

58 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI044

PLUMBING & BATHROOMS

FIX UP

PHPI finds out all about a new fixing system from its inventor, Ty Harnett.

Hi Ty, can you tell us a little more about Alfie?

Alfie – which stands for: Adaptive, Load bearing, Fit & forget, Interlocking, Exactitude – is an all in one wall fixing system to accompany a variety of wall mounted brassware fittings, designed to make installers’ lives much easier.

How did you come up with the idea? How will it help installers?

Current 1/2” fittings on the market are not very strong and can put too much stress on soldered joints, making them more susceptible to leaks, especially when

supporting heavy items – large fixed shower heads arms/drencher heads, wall mounted taps and bar shower valves, for instance.

Alfie helps installers as the design is totally fit and forget, requires no drilling of tiles with fast fix kits or needs depth planning of 1/2” fittings when using offset adaptors, which come with many taps and shower valves.

It also eliminates copper pipes ever needing to exit a wall, which as many plumbers will know to their frustration, often get knocked by passing trades and even damaged. Ultimately, Alfie is designed to speed up first fix and second fix, while guaranteeing no leaks in the wall.

How easy is Alfie to fit? What’s the process?

In short, very easy! It takes around half an hour to first fix and half an hour to second fix.

A brass manifold is mounted to a wall plate and a chrome tube protruded through the wall which can be cut. A unique dressing tool can then be used to put a flat face on the end of the tubes if they are cut.

What kind of applications will it be ideal for?

A number of different applications, with some of the key ones including: ● Fixed shower heads ● Shower hose wall fittings ● Wall mounted taps ● Bar shower valves ● Converts to copper pipe ● Converts to our luxury isolation valves (no hot works at all)

Equipment needed based on a typical timber stud wall when using two Alfie kits: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

BATTERY POWERED IMPACT DRIVER ADJUSTABLE SPANNER TAPE MEASURE SMALL SPIRIT LEVEL LOCTITE THREAD CORD 8 X WOOD SCREWS SILICONE SEALANT 2 X ALFIE KITS 2 X CHROME DECOR RINGS

Have you had any feedback from installers yet?

Yes, the feedback has been positive and echoed as a brilliant solution for bathrooms and wet rooms.

One of the challenges installers currently face onsite is being able to guarantee a 1/2” wall fitting finishing flush with a wall where the various substrates are unknown at first fix stage (dot and dab gauge, tile adhesive depth and tile thickness). The internal 1/2” thread solves this, but also provides a secondary seal and allows the installer to be fully in control of tightening the chrome wall fixture exactly where they want it.

To find out more about Alfie, email sales@coolag.co.uk

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 61

PLUMBING & BATHROOMS MORE INFO

To discover more of the latest product launches and hands-on tests from installers, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI045

GROHE Essence ceramics collection Pared back to its essentials to deliver a simplistic aesthetic, Grohe has launched its first complete and co-ordinated bathroom solution. The Essence ceramics collection is said to blend soft curves with a slim and sculptured profile. The range of toilets come equipped with technology to ensure hygiene in the bathroom is maintained to high standards. The range comprises three sizes of vanity basins, a selection of toilets and for the first time, a selection of bath tubs in three different styles: back to wall, built-in and freestanding. www.rdr.link/PI046

VILLEROY & BOCH Software Installers can now keep customers engaged with all aspects of their bathroom project, thanks to a suite of bathroom planning tools launched by Villeroy & Boch. The Style Finder generates a selection of the company’s collections which best suit the individual’s style, while the Bathroom Inspirator helps the installer co-ordinate bathroom furniture with products and accessories. The Augmented Reality App enables customers to see the finished project before making their purchase. www.rdr.link/PI047

HILTON BANKS 400ml Eco-Foils Removing the environmental problem of disposing of the single use plastic cartridge, Hilton Banks has launched its HB42 All-in-One Sealant and Adhesive in 400ml Eco-Foils.

According to the company, the 400 ml Eco-Foils produce 95% less waste than the single use tubes and users get 38% more sealant than in the 290ml plastic tube. The product seals, sticks and fills, can be over-painted and works in the wet. It is low in VOCs and reportedly bonds to almost anything; it is also food safe, fully curing in 24 hours. www.rdr.link/PI049

BLANCO Eclipse For instant boiling water, Blanco has released its 3-in-1 Tampera Hot. With a child-safe lever, the water is filtered, producing boiling, cold and warm water. The quality of the water is maintained with a BWT five-stage filtration system that is fitted as standard, and which also reduces limescale, balances the mineral content and softens the water before entering the boiler. The system includes a Flowmeter – a digital interface that displays the filter usage and alerts the user when it is time to change the cartridge and the batteries. The product comes with a two-year guarantee. www.rdr.link/PI048

CORAM Enclosure Collections Following an extensive refresh of its market offering of enclosures and panels, Coram has revealed three trend-focused collections. The ‘Premier 8’, ‘Optima 6’ and ‘GB 5’ collections incorporate modern styling combined with functionality.

The ‘Premier 8’ Collection offers a semi-frameless design with six door styles available. Featuring a corrosion resistant aluminium construction with a highly polished finish, each enclosure is reversible for left and right-hand installation, and a 10-year guarantee.

The ‘Optima 6’ and ‘GB 5’ collections incorporate the same design ethics and quality, providing a selection of products which are said to sit within any style of bathroom and adapt to any budget. www.rdr.link/PI050

MARLEY PLUMBING AND DRAINAGE Anthracite Grey Rainwater systems from Marley Plumbing and Drainage in anthracite grey now match Pantone colour 7016, allowing installers to create a uniform finish and ensure an exact colour match with other external fixtures and fittings, such as doors and window frames.

The anthracite shade is available in Marley’s Deepflow, Clipmaster, Flowline and Regency profiles, which offer classic and contemporary aesthetics. The chosen systems are suitable for a variety of property types, from residential buildings to large commercial properties. Marley’s rainwater systems also benefit from Life4 rainwater technology, ensuring that the products look better for longer. www.rdr.link/PI051

VEHICLES

VEHICLE TEST

MADE IN BRITAIN Vauxhall is now Britain’s largest indigenous van manufacturer, and with the launch of the new Vivaro at its Luton home, it is set to maintain that position. Lee Jones reviews the latest model.

I

t has been an avowed ambition of our business leaders in recent years to rebalance our economy in favour of manufacturing. Where once Britain was the workshop of the world, that sector’s share of the wider economy has been steadily shrinking, but there are those iconic stalwarts who have held firm on these shores. Vauxhall, for instance, has seen vehicles roll from its Luton production line from as far back as 1905, and that is a tradition that is continuing with the third generation of the Vivaro, now one of the few remaining light commercial vehicles that can genuinely wear the ‘Made in Britain’ motto. Indeed, with a multi-million pound investment in a new assembly line, including enough robots to double as a scene in the next Terminator movie, this is a site that looks set to remain secure for the foreseeable.

Whilst much has stayed the same there has also been great change, not least new owners, with this historic name in the UK automotive market now under the guardianship of PSA group. As a result, where previously the Vivaro shared a platform with Renault Trafic, today it finds its inspiration

from the already very successful Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert, and Toyota Proace.

The latest incarnation of a name that’s been steadily winning fans with van users since its initial launch in 2001 is actually slightly more compact than its predecessor, a feature that will no doubt find favour with tradespeople operating in our increasingly congested towns and cities. Vivaro is now available in two lengths, (L1H1 4.95m and L2H1 5.30m), three trims, while body styles include panel van, double cab for up to six occupants and a platform chassis.

It may be a leaner machine, but it still packs a punch in payload, with a maximum

“It may be a leaner machine, but it still packs a punch in payload, with a maximum capacity in the business end of the vehicle of 1,458kg – up 200kg on the outgoing model.”

capacity in the business end of the vehicle of 1,458kg – up 200kg on the outgoing model.

Similarly, towing weights have climbed 500kg to 2,500kg, whilst the factory-fitted tow bar option comes standard with Trailer Stability Control (TSC). TSC uses an electronic stability programme to dampen the vibrations of the trailer as necessary. If severe vibrations are detected – which indicates an unsafe and unstable driving condition – then the system will slow the vehicle to a critical pace. Access to the cab is made more convenient with twin doors on either side, and there’s increased space between the wheel arches. If you’re looking to open those doors, and happen to have a sheet of 8 by 4 about your person at the time, then fear not, because a rather convenient feature has been added. Simply move your foot towards the sensors on the vehicle and they will open automatically.

In their mission to achieve maximum cargo carrying capacity within a manageable footprint, manufacturers are increasingly looking to exploit every available space, and that’s just what Vivaro’s FlexCargo allows. If you happen to be carrying long items, such as pipes or lengths of guttering, for example, thanks to an optional flap under the front passenger seat objects up to 4.02m long can be stowed securely in the 5.30m version. Not only that, but the same system allows the back of the middle seat to fold down,

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 65

VEHICLES

transforming your cab into a mobile office, with a table for working on documents, a notebook or a tablet.

Anyone who can remember the days when electric windows on a commercial vehicle were a novelty will know that the levels of comfort in the cab, not to mention recent innovations in driver assistance technology, have transformed the end user experience.

Today, the market is demanding continuous improvement and that’s what Vivaro hopes to deliver with three trim levels providing an upward scale of sophistication.

The aforementioned dual side sliding doors, driver/passenger airbags and cruise control with speed-limiter are all available as standard for the first time, whilst Sportive includes body coloured mirrors, handles and body side moulds, alarm, auto lights and wipers, acoustic windscreen and thickened side glazing.

The top-of-the range Elite model features the latest safety technology as standard, including Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Information, Intelligent Speed Adaptation, Driver Attention Alert and Blind

PRICING AND SPECIFICATION ● Edition – From £22,020 excluding VAT ● Sportive – From £24,270 excluding VAT ● Elite – From £26,370 excluding VAT

Spot Detection. The Head Up Display, which provides information on speed limits without taking your eyes from the road, is a particularly useful function, and overall, with a ride and handling that few can rival, the Vivaro remains one of the best driving experiences in the medium panel van market.

Next year Vauxhall is promising the introduction of a purely electric powertrain, but it is clean and efficient diesel which presently holds sway, and there’s an array of

options under the Vivaro bonnet. In the entry level 1.5D (100PS) engine, torque has been improved to 270Nm, and is also available in a 120PS version. The 2.0D Turbo D is available in either 150PS or 180PS, the latter equipped with an eight speed auto, whilst all other engine sizes utilise a six-speed transmission.

The Vauxhall Vivaro is now the third most popular vehicle in its class and, with increased capacity at its Bedfordshire home, the ambition is to extend that market share still further.

What’s more, with a vehicle that will favourably compare with any in its sector, Vauxhall can still proudly sport that ‘Made in Britain’ emblem.

For further information on the Vauxhall Vivaro, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI052

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VEHICLES

T

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Ford appears set to meander its way towards an electric avenue in its vision for the future of commercial vehicles. Lee Jones reports from the manufacturer’s ‘Go Further’ event in Amsterdam on the forthcoming additions to the Transit range.

68 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

he automotive sector is now experiencing some of the most significant challenges in its history, and commercial vehicles are far from exempt.

Ever since Henry Ford opened the road for the common man with the launch of the Model T, the mechanisms behind vehicle power have seen little fundamental change, and, given that we have never been more mobile, it is technology that has served us well. The problem, of course, is how to balance our drive to move forward with the need to address issues of air pollution and global warming, and the way to do it is with alternative powertrains, and the smarter, more efficient use of our transport.

Of course, for a plumber or installer, the van is just another tool, and its size needs to be in synergy with the demands of their business, but those considerations now increasingly extend to what’s under the bonnet. For city drivers the potential additional costs of congestion charging and low emissions zones make clean diesel, hybrid or even electric solutions either imperative or highly advantageous to a company’s bottom line, whilst productivity in our increasingly crowded little island is critical.

What an industry as diverse as the plumbing and heating sector needs from vehicle manufacturers like Ford is a mix of solutions and in terms of propulsion choices, that’s just what is presented to its customers.

The Eco Boost petrol engines available on the Transit Courier, Connect and Fiesta van are tailored for lighter urban use, and clean Euro VI Diesel will continue to power the bulk of the trades, with the latest two tonne Transit models providing up to a 7% increase in fuel efficiency.

Going hybrid These established answers will shortly be joined by a first in the segment, with EcoBlue hybrid technology in the Transit and Transit Custom offering significant efficiency improvements. Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) represent a lower cost entry point to a purely electrified vehicle, with the ability to travel in and out of ULEZ urban areas on zero emissions battery power without the range anxiety often associated with a purely electric unit.

VEHICLES

Ford will, in fact, be the first volume van manufacturer to offer a hybrid in a one tonne unit, a vehicle that can travel on just electric power for up to 50km, with the one litre EcoBoost petrol engine extending that distance to 500km. There’s no compromise on payload either, and, through a series of London-based pilot schemes, featuring up to 20 prototypes at any one time, the vehicle has already found favour with end users. On the final production models drivers will benefit from four selectable modes, which means either electric or conventional power can be selected, for instance, maximising the efficiency of the combination of an internal combustion engine and battery.

Lithium-ion technology is advancing, its costs are decreasing whilst ranges are extending, and the ultimate aim is an all-electric Transit, which should connect with its customers at some point in 2021. In the meantime, the Transit PHEV will already be on the charge in the mission to provide lower emissions and fuel consumption, but other technologies can also make telling contributions to a reduced cost of ownership.

Making connections We are living in an increasingly inter-connected world and Ford is plugging into it with the introduction of on-board modems on all of its commercial vehicles from the end of this year, a feature already available on the Transit Connect. If you think that telematics systems are just for fleets then think again, because

Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) Partners The Transit already has hundreds of individual variants but plumbers can also access more specialist models through its expanding network of convertors. The Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) Partners have unique access to vehicle information and Ford collaborates with them to ensure that the end user is delivered the solution they need.

The number of QVMs is also set to double by 2020, and helping customers to choose exactly what they want is a crucial role for the network of Transit Centres.

the functionality of the Ford Pass app will deliver benefits right to an installer’s smartphone. Of course, the beauty of an app is that it can be continually updated and a whole host of new features have been added.

Parking locations can be filtered according to the height of the van, and a locator will find the nearest Transit Centre, whilst security concerns have also been addressed.

Given that a plumber’s van is parked up outside the job for much of the day it makes it vulnerable to the opportunistic thief, but Ford Pass is here again your friend, letting you know if your wheels are receiving unwanted attention and if the alarm has been activated. This existing app will shortly be joined by Ford Pass Pro, specifically designed for the owners of between one to five vehicles, with their location and health illustrated on a single screen, whilst alerts can be set up for servicing.

In 2018 alone the Detroit motor giant sold over 380,000 commercial vehicles in Europe, with the Transit ranking as the sixth most popular vehicle of any kind across the continent. What has driven the market for many years is the provision of a dizzying array of options, lengths and heights to suit every conceivable business, and, thanks to the makers of the Transit, it will now extend these to the method of propulsion.

For further information on Ford’s commercial vehicle range, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI053

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 69

TOOLS & WORKWEAR

Becky Bates puts the latest Bosch Professional X-Lock Angle Grinder through its paces.

I

’ve been looking forward to testing this Bosch X-Lock Angle Grinder out for a while.

It is, in fact, replacing my old Bosch grinder which has lasted about eight years (possibly more), so I had high hopes from the start.

Once I got my hands on it, first thoughts were that it’s a little weighty in comparison to my old grinder, but I put this down to the build quality. The power cable and plug, which can quite often be easily damaged, are particularly robust and I get the impression these will last well.

Being a new product with the unique quick-change chuck, this was a new experience for me. Fortunately, the X-Lock feature is brilliant! It didn’t feel at all fragile and was so easy to use, and made changing between disks a doddle – there’s no silly spanner to lose! All you need to do to remove a disc is flick a lever on the grinder, which is easy even when wearing gloves, and the tool does the rest. Putting one on was just as easy – you just have to press the accessory down until you hear a click.

ANGLES

PLAYING THE

Because it’s such a new system, I was a little limited to where I could purchase the disks, as I needed a diamond cutting disk for tiles, but I was able to get hold of them in the end. I’m sure they’ll be easier to find in the merchants once the tool has been out a little longer, though! I was testing it in July, and it only was only released in May. With the quick-change X-Lock chuck being so quick and easy, I did wonder if the quality of the cutting disks would live up to previous standards. Having used them on three different jobs, I’m pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed.

●

Job 1: I used the diamond cutting disk to chase into a brick wall for shower pipe work. It glided through that.

●

Job 2: I used a metal cutting disk to cut off some old steel brackets. No problem.

●

Job 3: I used the tile diamond cutting disk.

Performed brilliantly and left a nice clean cut.

I’m told you can also purchase carbide multi-wheels for cutting wood, plastics and other drywall materials.

The other great feature is the quick and easy way to rotate the guard. It has a quick release lever which enables you to rotate the guard in seconds to whatever position you need, which saves having to have a separate tool to undo the lock nut.

Where I created a lot of dust, the button did stiffen up after a while. The guard also got a little hard to rotate after a while, but a little clean and it was right as rain!

Becky’s verdict

Another solid bit of kit from Bosch and I would highly recommend this product.

There are six X-Lock angle grinders and numerous accessories currently available from Bosch Professional. To view the full range, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI054

PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER OCTOBER 2019 71

TOOLS & WORKWEAR

FIT FOR PURPOSE PHPI goes on the road to find out what the trade think of the latest work jacket from Snickers.

A

s we move into the colder months, you will probably find yourself in need of a lightweight jacket. This 8004 jacket All Round Work Jacket is made with 37.5 technology that helps maintain ideal body temperature. It can be used as a warm jacket under a windproof shell, but when the weather is mild you can wear it over a T-shirt, just to keep the chill off.

Part of the secret of the jacket is the breathable fabric, which releases the moisture caused by sweating so you remain dry even when exerting yourself. Dylan, our test pilot, says he particularly likes the high neck, which zips right up to the chin. He also likes the

zipped pockets for a phone and wallet.

So much for the functionality, but what about the looks? We polled a few people out on site and they all gave it the thumbs up. If you are a heating engineer or plumber that is in and out of customers’ houses a lot, this jacket is going to turn a few heads – in the right kind of way. Snickers also provides an embroidery service, so you can have your company name and logo stitched on the front.

We’re pretty sure this qualifies it as a company uniform!

To find out more, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI055

AllroundWork 37.5 Fleece Jacket Description Fleece jacket featuring 37.5 Technology for cooling comfort during the whole work day. Reflective details and brushed inside for extra comfort. Wear it as an outer layer in mild temperatures or as a warm jacket or windproof shell.

Features ● 37.5 Technology captures and releases

moisture vapor for cooling comfort ● Brushed inside offering excellent

warmth and comfort ● Reflective details for increased visibility ● Two front pockets and arm pocket

THE TRADESHOW BUILT FOR THE TRADE PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

TOOLFAIR 2019

POWER TOOLS

•

HAND TOOLS

•

BUILDING EQUIPMENT

All the latest tools, live demos, show specials – all under one roof!

NEXT SHOW Sandown Park, Surrey: Thursday 7th & Friday 8th November Featuring:

Register for free at www.toolfair.info

SERVE AND PROTECT T

There are an estimated 2.5 million fuel poor households in the UK, yet it remains on the periphery of conversations about plumbing and heating.

Kevin Wellman, CEO at the CIPHE, explains why the cost in lives and money is too great to ignore and details what installers can do to help.

he latest statistics on fuel poverty, from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, indicate that 11% of UK households are in fuel poverty. When you consider that an estimated 10,000 lives were lost in the winter of 2018 as a direct result, the lack of action being taken to address this issue is frightening.

Cycle of fuel poverty Fuel poverty prevents the most vulnerable in society from being able to afford the most basic requirements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; namely heating their home. Many, including pensioners, are already at risk of health complications relating to the cold and if they cannot afford to use energy for other activities, such as cooking, the risk is that their health will deteriorate rapidly.

The cost in human life is distressing, yet as a society we seem to have almost accepted this as a natural and unavoidable consequence of winter. The tragedy of fuel poverty is that it is highly preventable, but as with many issues that are brought to the attention of our government, funding is a perennial stumbling block in addressing the problem.

This argument however, falls down when you consider that the long-term, total cost of fuel poverty outweighs the financial

74 OCTOBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL HEATING & PLUMBING INSTALLER

implications of tackling the problem at the source. A briefing document, prepared by the Building Research Establishment, estimates that fuel poverty costs the NHS around ÂŁ1.4 billion a year. It may appear cynical to discuss money when there are people dying, but in the face of economic arguments, it stands true that prevention is far more cost-effective than cure. It is very much in-line with arguments that the CIPHE has made in relation to incidents of legionella and scalding, and by not addressing the issue itself, we end up paying more overall.

Failures in addressing the issue There have been attempts in the past to combat fuel poverty, not least the schemes rolled out by the Government in the past few years, such as The Green Deal. These have done little to stimulate genuine change, and the number of different schemes offered has only served to create confusion - amongst homeowners and installers alike.

There needs to be greater levels of communication between government and organisations such as the CIPHE to establish long-term strategies which will combat this fuel poverty epidemic. We saw this type of approach successfully implemented with the

boiler scrappage scheme, which generated buy-in from installers and the public, making a difference at a time when it was needed.

Another major obstacle has been the willingness to categorise fuel poverty as a housing issue. For too long now, the issue of people on low incomes who can’t afford their energy bills has been laid at the feet of the Housing Minister. While there is certainly a significant amount of work that needs to be done from this side, it doesn’t highlight the true level of danger to human life. It needs to be viewed as a health issue.

Moving forward One of the most important things we can do in the plumbing and heating industry is to be aware of how we can help, as installers are in a unique position to recognise instances of fuel poverty. They need to be alert to the signs, and inform the relevant authorities if they see someone who is suffering.

“One of the most important things we can do in the plumbing and heating industry is to be aware of how we can help, as installers are in a unique position to recognise instances of fuel poverty.”

Alongside recognising cases of fuel poverty, engineers are also in a position to help prevent it. By keeping up to date on the latest technologies and energy efficient appliances, installers can help to combat this pressing issue, ultimately easing the energy burden of those on the lowest incomes.

This is where training becomes absolutely crucial. The fuel poverty crisis that we are

rdr.link

facing is as a result of the skills shortage in our industry, and it is only going to get worse if we don’t take action. This necessitates greater provision of apprenticeships for those looking to enter the profession, and an engagement with ongoing learning for those already in it. The CIPHE offers a range of CPD to its members, and mandatory further training has to be seen as part of the solution.

The CIPHE is dedicated to safeguarding the most vulnerable in society, and that includes those living in fuel poverty. The Government must seek to protect these people, and we can only hope that the next budget helps those that need it most. Only by working together can we stop the unnecessary and highly preventable deaths caused by fuel poverty.

To find out the latest news and views from the CIPHE, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI056

Introducing rdr.link

A new digital service for our readers

With a wide array of online resources supporting the latest solutions – from videos to technical guides, PDFs to Podcasts – it can be a challenge to locate what you need.

To ensure you don’t miss out on these valuable resources, we are introducing rdr.link – a new, rapid service to transport you immediately to the online resources mentioned in our stories.

So, in articles you may now see things like: “To view an exclusive time-lapse video of the process use rdr.link/AB101”

Simply enter rdr.link/ with the unique 5 digit code into a browser and it will take you directly to the mentioned resource – in this case the video.

Or, on other pages, you may notice: “For more new products & solutions use rdr.link/AB101” Just type rdr.link/AB101 into your browser and be transported to the products section on our website, packed full of new solutions.

Designed to help busy professionals rapidly locate more information – look out for & use rdr.link

TOOLFAIR & ELEX 2019 SANDOWN PARK, SURREY – NOVEMBER 7TH AND 8TH

FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AS AN INDUSTRY FAVOURITE, THE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL TOOLFAIR AND ELEX TRADESHOWS TAKE PLACE AT SANDOWN PARK IN SURREY ON NOVEMBER 7TH AND 8TH .

TOOLFAIR Featuring all that is new in tools and equipment, Toolfair is the must-visit regional tradeshow brought to you

by Professional Heating & Plumbing Installer and our sister magazine Professional Builder. A host of major manufacturers will be at the shows to get your views on what you want from their products. You will be among the first to examine the very latest trade products and also be able to enjoy special exhibition discounts on the day.

ELEX Running alongside Toolfair will be the popular Elex show, which will also incorporate a number of exhibitors offering products and training for the heating and plumbing sector.

PLUMBEXPO RETURNS! PLUMBEXPO will be back with a bang in 2020! The popular plumbing and heating show, which runs alongside Toolfair, Elex and Pro Builder Live, will be taking place at the following: ●

DON’T MISS OUT!

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Just in case you need persuading, here are some of the key reasons to visit Toolfair and Elex:

1 LIVE DEMOS Don’t miss all the latest tools being put through their paces live at the show. Throughout the two days, tools will be demonstrated in a real life, ‘hands-on’ situation – so you can see whether they’ll be able to do the job for you.

2 FREE PHPI T-SHIRTS All pre-registered visitors will get a free PHPI T-shirt featuring an exclusive trade design from the number one magazine in the industry.

FEATURED EXHIBITORS ●

Energenie

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Makita

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Electrorad

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HiKOKI

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Plumbpal

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Knipex

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Netatmo

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Snickers

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Brian Hyde

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Carl

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Bosch

Kammerling

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Nest Stanley Bott Smartvan

3 FREE BACON ROLLS

If you pre-register, you’ll be sent a fast track entry badge to avoid queuing on the day.

Workwear

International

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Wera Tools

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Milwaukee

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DeWALT

IIf you work up an appetite trying out all the new products, we’ll give you a free bacon roll to keep you going.

4 FAST TRACK ENTRY

Alexandra Palace, London – 29th and 30th January Event City, Manchester – 12th and 13th March

Super Rod AND MANY MORE!

TO REGISTER FOR THE SHOW, CALL 01923 237799 OR VISIT WWW.TOOLFAIR.INFO

WATER SPORTS It’s your chance to win an award winning electric shower… so what are you waiting for?!

[CO MP ETI TIO N]

A

vailable in 9.0kW and 10.8kW models, the Mira Sport Max electric shower recently received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its design, as it uses Mira’s Airboost technology to increase water flow by up to 30%, without using any more water.

Additional technologies also feature in the Sport Max, including: Opti-flo technology, optimising flow throughout the year without the need to switch to half power, regardless of the weather; Clearscale technology, cutting limescale by up to 50%; and Sensi-flo technology, preventing scalding if the shower head or hose become blocked or the inlet pressure drops. The electric shower’s separate power and temperature controls allow users to set their ideal shower, says the manufacturer, and advanced pressure stabilised temperature controls keep their selected showering temperature consistent.

The unit’s large, four-spray showerhead offers greater coverage, with rub-clean nozzles for easy cleaning, while it features chrome detailing and shower fittings, designed to complement contemporary bathrooms. From an installation perspective, the Mira Sport Max has flexible fittings for easy installation and adjustment, which helps to cover over existing screw holes for the ultimate finish.

WIN! A Mira Sport Max!

HOW TO ENTER For a chance to win the Mira Sport Max, simply GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI061

Deadline for entries is 30/11/19.

Terms and conditions apply.

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3

GRANT UK MAG ONE Designed to protect system components and to prolong their lifespan, the Mag One from Grant is a 22/28mm universal magnetic central heating filter. Utilising a neodymium magnet, the Mag One filters both magnetic and non-ferrous particulate from a central heating system.

The filter is supplied with full bore flat face 28mm chrome isolation valves with 22mm reducers, a hose adaptor for remote draining and a handy release tool which helps with installation and maintenance.

TO FILTER OUT THE COMPETITION, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI063

All this month’s giveaways are now on one handy web page, meaning you only have to enter your details once! For more fantastic giveaways and competitions, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI062

5

WIRQUIN NEO Neo, the range of basin and sink traps boasting a zero-leak bottle trap continues to impress, says Wirquin. Thanks to bi-injection technology all washers are over-moulded onto the body, so there can be no loss of parts, giving total protection against leaks.

The Air system function is an option that replaces the traditional ventapipe air admittance valve, preventing noisy gurgling and bad smells. In addition, all Neo products have been designed to be quick and easy to fit thanks to the ‘quick safe’ function, a ¼ turn captive nut that ensures a quick and reliable installation and are easy to clean with a simple ¼ turn base.

TO TRAP THE PRIZE, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI064

20

HULTAFORS SNAP OFF KNIFE The SRP Snap-Off Knife is an ergonomic robust knife, ideal for cutting materials like plasterboard, insulation, aqua panels and wood. Designed with a rubberised grip to make it suitable for cutting materials that need more power, it’s also tapered for control and offers a better view of the cutting area.

It can hold a dispenser that takes three blades and is made of durable polycarbonate plastic with a steel core for added stability. There’s a 1mm thick blade rail for additional stability and its overall symmetric design makes it ideal for left or right-hand use. It also comes with a set of replacement blades.

TO SNAP UP ONE OF THESE GREAT PRIZES, GO TO www.rdr.link/PI065

…

H IT W S E T U IN M O TW WHO ARE YOU? NAME: TIM WEST AGE (YOU DON’T HAVE TO TELL US): 53

NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? NIGHT OWL ORGANISED VAN OR MESSY VAN? TIDY VAN (MOSTLY) COPPER OR PLASTIC? COPPER

PICK ONE . . .

COMPANY NAME: TIM WEST PLUMBING

HOLIDAY HOW LONG HAVE YOU

DESTINATION

BEEN INVOLVED IN HEATING

CORNWALL

AND PLUMBING? MEAL

SINCE I LEFT SCHOOL. I’VE BEEN

MIXED GRILL

SELF-EMPLOYED 15 YEARS.

MOVIE

IS THERE ONE INVENTION

LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS

YOU BELIEVE COULD CHANGE THE INDUSTRY FOREVER?

SUPERHERO TALENT

ONE SET OF RULES AND REGS,

INVISIBILITY

RUN BY INSTALLERS FOR INSTALLERS.

QUICKFIRE

CAR JAGUAR E-TYPE

TEA OR COFFEE?

DINNER GUEST

COFFEE (LATTE 2 SUGARS)

RICKY GERVAIS

WINTER OR SUMMER?

ACCENT

SUMMER – NOTHING WORSE THAN GOING TO WORK

I’LL PICK MY OWN ACCENT! SOUTH DERBYSHIRE

IN THE DARK AND COMING HOME IN THE DARK TWITTER OR FACEBOOK? TWITTER SWEET OR SAVOURY? SWEET! KETCHUP OR MAYO? KETCHUP BATH OR SHOWER? SHOWER CITY BREAK OR BEACH HOLIDAY? CITY BREAK

NEW PRODUCTS MORE INFO

To discover more of the latest product launches and hands-on tests from installers, GO TO

www.rdr.link/PI066

DRAYTON Wiser Designed to improve the efficiency of the heating system, Drayton has updated its Wiser OpenTherm module, including new 'Boost All' and 'Cancel All' features. The new module allows boilers to continuously adapt their system temperatures by forming a connection between the boiler and heating control, providing real time room temperature demand updates.

Once the heating control detects the room is reaching the desired set point room temperature, it will tell the linked boiler to lower the system temperature. These updates will be introduced across all existing Wiser systems, meaning customers will benefit from these new features by updating their app. www.rdr.link/PI067

DUNDERDON Fashion Workwear

MAKITA TCT Multipurpose Saw Blades Capable of cutting aluminium, MDF, PVC and laminated chipboard, Makita has launched a new range of Tungsten Carbide Tipped (TCT) Multipurpose Saw Blades.

The TCT Multipurpose Saw Blades are available in fifteen variations, from 160mm by 60T to 355mm by 100T. The new range contains options that are suitable for both circular saws and mitre saws, with bores ranging from 20 to 30mm. Blades are available with kerfs that range from 2.2 to 3.0mm and in a variety of thicknesses from 1.4 to 2.2mm. Regardless of size, each saw blade has a rake of 5°. www.rdr.link/PI068

For leisure and onsite use, Dunderdon has launched a range of fashion workwear. One of the latest jackets includes the J56 Vantage Jacket made of Vantage fabric, developed for tough work in rough conditions, as well as featuring lightweight padding.

For the winter months, the company has also released the S27 Polartec Jacket.

Made of Polartec Power Stretch Pro fabric, this mid-layer jacket delivers moisture management and four-way stretch. With front pockets and additional features such as the phone pouch and thumb openings at the sleeve ends, it’s available in black/brown and navy/orange colour combinations. The Dunderdon brand is owned by Hultafors Group, which also owns Snickers Workwear. www.rdr.link/PI069

DAB PUMPS Evosta 3 Designed to replace any existing pump thanks to its interchangeable power connector, DAB Pumps has launched the Evosta 3 smart circulating pump, with a new user interface, featuring an illuminated display. The pump utilises IPX5 Water Protection – preventing any moisture from infiltrating the pump’s electronic or mechanical components.

An airvent plug allows trapped air to be vented from a system, while an integrated inverter is said to absorb the exact amount of energy required. The product has an operating range of 0.4-4.2 m3/h with a maximum head of up to 8m, with a pumped liquid temperature range from -10 to +110°C. With a working pressure of 10 bar, Evosta 3 pumps are supplied with a 5-year warranty as standard. www.rdr.link/PI070

JCB TOOLS Power and hand tools JCB Tools is launching a range of tools and accessories with the cordless range including power tools featuring brushless motors. The power tools and accessory kits are available in kit bags and also in the JCB L-Boxx storage system made by Sortimo, and the Diamondtech range, including a programme of diamond-tipped hole saws used for accurately drilling delicate and costly materials.

Each product in the range comes with a three-year trade warranty, with the option to upgrade to five years. www.rdr.link/PI071

HYDE Bora Speedhorse Said to take just 1.6 seconds to set up, Hyde has introduced the Bora Speedhorse which has been designed to save time and provide flexibility on jobs. According to the company, Speedhorse is built to bear weight up to 680kg (1500lb). It also includes a longer beam for a wider support area and leg supports that can be flipped out to take the weight of boards, doors, plywood and other sheet material.

A pre-drilled beam enables a sacrificial surface timber to be easily secured, while the unit itself stands at 2.5ft. When the job is finished, simply pull the lever and fold the legs up. www.rdr.link/PI072

IDEAL BOILERS Halo Lite

GRANT UK Afinia Aluminium Radiators The third addition to the company’s heat emitter product line, Grant UK is set to unveil its Afinia Aluminium radiators, available in horizontal and vertical options. The range has a curved, rounded surface with an off-white colour finish.

Afinia radiators are supplied in finished size combinations of between six and 15 sections. The thermal conductivity of aluminium enables the emitters to heat up and cool down very quickly, asserts the company. The range includes horizontal models which are available in three standard heights – 430, 580 and 680mm, while two vertical models are available with heights of 1,842 or 2,042mm.

Specifically for the social housing sector, Ideal Boilers has announced the new programmable room thermostat (PRT), designed with input from tenants themselves. The Halo Lite OpenTherm Wired Combi is a wall mounted PRT that requires minimal maintenance and uses low voltage wiring, which eliminates the need for batteries. The unit also provides landlords with greater levels of control through PIN-protected settings, such as a service timer function and upper and lower temperature control.

The use of OpenTherm technology allows Halo Lite to function with Ideal Logic combi boilers and provides enhanced load compensation.

Snickers has added to its range of work trousers.

The Flexiwork 2.0 trousers are made of durable 4-way stretch fabric that offers both comfort and freedom of movement.

In addition, the ‘loose-fit’ AllroundWork stretch trousers with a classic Snickers Workwear look and feel have been introduced, alongside the new FlexiWork Denim Work Trousers. The final addition is the ALLroundWork womens stretch trousers, designed for optimal comfort. www.rdr.link/PI075

www.rdr.link/PI074

www.rdr.link/PI073

BOSCH PROFESSIONAL Direct Driven Random Orbit Sanders Equipped with 550 or 750 watt motors, Bosch is expanding its rage with two new direct driven random orbit sanders – GET 55-125 Professional and GET 75-150 Professional.

With one click, tradespeople can change from fine sanding to coarse sanding or polishing with the direct driven function, achieving three times faster material removal.

According to the company, both sanders are operated flexibly and comfortably in every application and position due to the ergonomically shaped palm rest with soft grip and narrow handle. The multi-hole pad and sanding net makes for virtually dust-free working for installers. www.rdr.link/PI076

SNICKERS Work Trouser

UNILITE Hexatec The Hexatec range from Unilite consists of three industrially tough hexagon shaped work lights that are built to excel in a plumber’s environment. Protection is provided by a tough aluminium and hardened rubber construction, which achieves IP65 dust & water resistance and IK07 shock resistance.

The SLR-1300 has a 1,300 Lumen output, the SLR-2500 has a 2,500 Lumen output and the largest unit, the SLR-4750, has a 4,750 Lumen output. These are all said to provide a wide spread of beam thanks to the COB LED. www.rdr.link/PI077

ADVERTISEMENT INDEX Alpha Heating Innovation .................... (gatefold to inside front cover)

Snickers Workwear ........................................................................ (page 4)

Bott .................................................................................................... (page 13)

Stelrad Radiators ........................................................................... (page 31)

Bristan ............................................................................................. (page 60)

Testo ................................................................................................. (page 19)

Dab Pumps .................................................................................... (page 56)

Toolfair Exhibition ......................................................................... (page 73)

Danfoss ........................................................................................... (page 53)

Vauxhall Motors ...................................................................... (pages 11, 12)

Freezemaster ................................................................................ (page 66)

Viessmann ...................................................................................... (page 15)

Ford .................................................................................................... (page 6)

Wilo .................................................................................................. (page 59)

Gas Logic ........................................................................................ (page 77)

Wiseman Industries ..................................................................... (page 24)

Google Nest ............................................................................ (pages 16, 17) Honeywell ...................................................................................... (page 70)

DOMESTIC BOILERS SUPPLEMENT

Honeywell Home ..................................................... (outside back cover)

Drayton Controls ..................................................................................... (S7)

Kamco ............................................................................................. (page 63)

Electric Combi Boilers .......................................................................... (S12)

LG Electronics ............................................................................... (page 63)

Firebird Products ................................................................................... (S13)

Myson .............................................................................................. (page 25)

Grant ............................................................................... (inside front cover)

Norstrom ......................................................................................... (page 54)

Grundfos Pumps ...................................................................................... (S4)

Nu-Heat .......................................................................................... (page 22)

Keston ......................................................................... (outside back cover)

OFTEC ............................................................................................. (page 30)

Snug Solutions ....................................................................................... (S12)

Pegler Yorkshire ........................................................................... (page 64)

The Electric Heating Company ........................................................... (S6)

Plumbexpo ..................................................................................... (page 67)

Vokera ....................................................................................................... (S11)

Pump Technology ........................................................................ (page 54)

Warmflow ...................................................................... (inside back cover)

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Offering access to all the best features from the magazine, the Professional Heating & Plumbing Installer website also has exclusive online articles, the latest product releases and up-to-date news stories from the industry.

In addition, installers can enter all our competitions and giveaways directly, gain access to step-by-step video guides, and sign up to the weekly newsletter.

Plumbers and heating engineers can also follow all the latest updates on PHPIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social media feeds.

On each platform, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find exclusive #InstallOfFame and Horror Show archives, as well as giveaways and competitions!

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Are you looking for a totally pointless way to waste a bit of your day? Well you’ve come to the right place.

By replacing one letter at a time, can you make it from the top to the bottom word in the number of steps provided?

SAME

COST

One solution is: Same, Came, Case, Cast, Cost

FACT FILE

SLIDE INTO SUNDAY

Sure to resonate with installers across the UK, here are five facts that you may not know about traffic!

With attendance at churches and similar local interest sites decreasing, Norwich Cathedral has introduced an interesting new feature to its plot – a 50ft helter skelter inside the cathedral nave. The slide consists of about 1,000 parts, and took a team of four more than 19 hours to erect as part of Norwich’s ‘Seeing It Differently’ campaign, which aims to encourage people to experience the city in new ways.

Rev. Canon Andy Bryant explained to the Eastern Daily Press newspaper: “When you get up there, you're going to be able to get closer to the roof bosses than you've ever been able to and enjoy what I would argue is one of the great gems of the city.”

Of course, the instalment has been met with some criticism, as some visitors have been displeased with sermons being conducted from the top of the installation.

Whether or not you agree with the spiralled addition to the cathedral, it is sure to make Sundays more exciting!

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NAME THAT CITY

Answer: Dubrovnik

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The average person will spend six months of their life waiting for red lights to turn green The word traffic originally meant "trade" and still technically does The very first traffic lights were installed in 1868 outside the Houses of Parliament in London. These were gas-powered and operated by hand!

An IKEA in the Netherlands had to cancel its €1 breakfast special because it attracted too many customers and caused traffic jams on the highway CEO of airline Ryanair and millionaire Michael O’Leary has his own taxicab company with just one cab, so that he can legally use the bus lanes and avoid traffic jams