P&H Engineering / Q3 2022 by James Pembroke Media

2022/THREEQUARTERENGINEERINGHEATINGANDPLUMBINGOFINSTITUTECHARTEREDTHEFORMAGAZINETHE THINKINGFORWARD The importance of insurance DEVELOPMENTSNEW Improving sanitary systems HARD TARGET Optimising energy e ciency with water softeners READY ACTIONFOR HOW HYDROGEN LOOKS SET HELP IN THE RACE TO NET ZERO

Editor Sarah Welsh Project manager Michelle Royle Head of design Christina Richmond Publisher James Houston Published by James Pembroke Media, 90 Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BG Tel 01225 337777 Advertising sales executive Elly elly.kiss@jamespembrokemedia.co.ukKiss, Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) 64 Station Lane, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 6NB Tel 01708 472791 Membership Founded in 1906, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is the professional body for the UK plumbing and heating industry. Membership is made up of consultants, speciﬁ ers, designers, public health engineers, lecturers, trainers, trainees and practitioners. The CIPHE has a membership of 7,500, including over 150 manufacturers and distributors. The majority of members live in the UK, although over 1,000 are residents in Hong Kong. The CIPHE is a member of the Construction Industry Council and a licensed member of the Engineering Council. Subscriptions P&H Engineering is the magazine for the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, containing technical articles, latest industry news and environmental and educational updates. It is published four times a year and sent free to members. Annual subscription for non-member £120 Annual subscription for overseas non-member £145 To join CIPHE, email tims@ciphe.org.uk

Copyright notice and disclaimer P&H Engineering is published quarterly by the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. All material is copyright of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering and may not be reproduced without written permission. The publishers do not accept responsibility for errors or omissions. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Institute and publication of an advertisement or article does not necessarily mean the Institute endorses those products, materials or techniques.

WITH THE CURRENT political and economic landscape in turmoil, the industry must not allow the focus to be taken from important issues such as fuel poverty and the need to reduce homes’ carbon emissions. In this issue look at how the Hy4Heat hydrogen trials went and the role the programme has played in changing views towards a hydrogen future. We also cover the impact hydrogen could have on the plumbing and heating industry moving forward. (p18) Recent reports of poliovirus in sewers has highlighted a need to revisit the e ectiveness of current sanitary system design. John Turner at Stormﬂow explains how self-closing, waterless valves can provide a simple and safer alternative to traditional water traps. (p28) As energy prices continue to soar, we look at how water softeners can improve homes’ e ciency, cut costs for consumers and add a lucrative line of revenue for installers. (p30)

Welcome Contents FEATURES 18 Hydrogen update Overview of the trials and industry impact 24 Health and hygiene How cruise ships deal with water and waste 28 Alternative sanitary systems An insight into waterless, self-closing valves 30 Water treatment The benefits of water softeners REGULARS 5 From the CEO Kevin Wellman addresses the Building Safety Bill gaining Royal Assent 6 Frontline CIPHE remembers Ray Cantwell. Also, raising prices, split opinions and water efficiency 16 Meet the member Alan Marshall discusses his 50 years in the industry 34 Training A review of Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician (P&DHT) Level 3 Standard 38 Protecting intellectual property The importance of product innovation 42 The fix Installing an automatic flush 46 Your membership The importance of continuing professional development 48 International outlook How to avoid corrosion of immersed water pumps 50 Wellbeing Why insurance is important for installers 341630 WELCOME / CONTENTS ONLINE!WE’RE Visit pandhengineering.co.uk for regular updates and archived features

SARAH WELSH Editorpandhengineering@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk

• Regulate the Building Control profession

It is estimated that more than 30 pieces of secondary legislation will be needed and it is anticipated to take until 2024 to implement. I think this is an ambitious timescale, particularly with a general election due in a few years.

The Building Safety Act will fundamentally change how we design, build and manage properties, but with hundreds of clauses there are still items that need clariﬁcation through secondary legislation. It is a very large and complex Act of six parts over 265 pages. More than 300 amendments were accepted into the legislation during its passage through Parliament and so the Act is very di erent to the initial Bill.

CIPHE’S RECENTLY UPDATED manifesto has a summary of all the main issues we are involved with at the moment. There is no doubt that a key issue for us all is the increasing fuel costs that are causing more fuel poverty. Press releases issued during the year have been well received, especially the top tips on how to save money on your energy bills. Feel free to promote this to family, friends, colleagues and customers. If you have any tips for saving on energy costs or observations on the manifesto, please write to me at kevinw@ciphe.org.uk

CIPHE’S ACTIVITIES WITH membership, technical and education are increasing all the time and I am most grateful to all volunteers who support our working groups and committees. If you have some spare time and would like to put something back into the industry and help inﬂuence our future activities, please contact Tim Sainty at tims@ciphe.org.uk

• Set up a new Building Safety Regulator

CIPHE’s top tips for saving money on energy bills can be found here: https://tinyurl. com/4962u2wn

THE BUILDING SAFETY BILL has gained Royal Assent, which is a positive step forward in resolving the building safety crisis. It will provide greater protections for leaseholders and deliver a new building safety regime. However, it is fair to say the Act may not deliver what everyone had hoped for.

“ThelegislationBuilding Safety Act may not deliver what everyone had hoped for”

• Amend the Fire Safety Order

New government rules still need clariﬁ cation from secondary

• Create a new regime designed to protect residents

FROM

KEVIN WELLMAN Chief executive kevinw@ciphe.org.ukofficer

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 5

THE CIPHE CEO BUILD YOUR SKILLS To enrol for the new qualiﬁ cation, informationCallyourandtrainingMembers•••ﬁlclawards.co.uk/learner-zone/visitnd-a-centre-near-you/EnteryourpostcodeSelectRenewablesSectorSelectLCLAwardsLevel3AwardinLowTemperatureHeatingandHotWaterSystemsinDwellingsgettheaccompanyingguideatadiscountedpriceavoucherforareductioninnextmembershiprenewal.01708463116formore

• Cover remediation of certain existing defects, including the right of prohibition for prescribed persons

• Introduce the new regulatory regime of higher risk buildings (but it impacts upon a much wider spectrum of buildings)

• Set up the New Homes Ombudsman scheme

• Amend the Architects Act

The headline issues are that the Act will:

• Set up new requirements for construction products

SUSTAINABILITY

Karen Boswell, managing director of Baxi UK and Ireland, said: “Installers will play an important role as we decarbonise the nation’s heating and it will be vital that the government and industry support them with the right information, incentives and training.

• Training costs – 39% said they would be more likely to install heat pumps if they received help with training costs.

Grant UK has released new heat pump videos for homeowners called ‘Living with your Aerona³ Heat Pump’, which are available to watch via its YouTube channel. Six videos provide new heat pump owners with additional support during the handover to their new heating system. They include an overview of the product, highlighting some of the main di erences owners may notice between their previous gas or oil boiler and their new low-temperature heatingTheresystem.isavideo that explains the useful dos and don’ts of heat pump ownership to help homeowners keep their system operating e ciently, while another looks at how consumers can set the comfort settings.

“They will need to be advocates for low-carbon sources of heat and recommend to the nation’s homeowners that they should make the leap to a heat pump. To achieve this, we will need to address their concerns, support them with training and explain more clearly the financial and non-financial benefits.”

The main ﬁndings in the report highlight the need for the government and industry to address the issues of training costs, customer demand and reducing paperwork.

MyGrantUKwww.youtube.com/

ACCORDING TO A RECENT report from Baxi (Heating Installers: Taking the Leap to a Low Carbon Future), installers are divided on whether they will undertake heat pump installations. A third of UK heating engineers are prepared to embrace heat pump technology in the near future, whereas around 30% say they are extremely unlikely to install them.

“Our new ‘Living with your Aerona³ Heat Pump’ YouTube playlist will be an incredibly useful resource for new heat pump owners,” explains Kevin Ellis, renewables sales manager at Grant UK. “A heat pump system is di erent to a traditional fossil fuel heating system, so it is important that homeowners are given the support they need to understand how their new Aerona³ heat pump operates.”

The Baxi report shows issues still need to be addressed to encourage heat pump installation

Industry split on heat pump installation

• Customer demand – 56% of installers said customer demand needed to be addressed and 38% of installers are concerned about lack of government support for the market.

Heat videospump

• Paperwork – 44% wanted support to reduce the burden of paperwork, for example, in applying for government assistance schemes.

6 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FRONTLINE ALL THAT’S HAPPENING IN PLUMBING AND HEATING

Ray Cantwell (left), CIPHE standardsprofessionalinspector

The company has been able to install heat pumps and the associated infrastructure for less than the cost of an air source heat pump.

EUA has questioned whether the subsidy would be better spent towards energy e ciency measures in the home. According to the Energy Saving Trust, £450 million would provide 849,000 lofts with insulation, saving households £216.5 million a year on bills, while reducing carbon emissions by 509,400 tonnes.Foster concluded: “Is now the time for taxpayers to pay a middle-class bung to ﬁt a heat pump, when there are better ways of reducing bills for more people and cutting greater levels of carbon?”

This split-ownership funding of low-carbon heating is intended to break down the barriers to net zero and make clean, reliable heating a ordable for more households.

The Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA) has questioned whether subsidising heat pump installations is the best use of taxpayer’s cash. The government is currently subsidising a ﬁrst wave of 90,000 heat pumps, with a taxpayer subsidy of £5,000 that is costing £450 million.

HeatSUSTAINABILITYpump project breaks groundHeattheStreets

Kensa Utilities will retain ownership of the ground array, charging a ﬁxed annual fee to households for its use.

FRONTLINE 8 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK

SUSTAINABILITY Doubts upgradeoverscheme

Lisa Treseder, Kensa Utilities’ senior project manager, commented: “To achieve net zero by 2050, we need to transform the way people heat their homes. This project demonstrates how we can decarbonise home heating in a way that creates great value for money while minimising capital investments. We also need to lower the barrier of upfront costs to encourage the adoption of ground source heat pumps.”

OBITUARY CIPHE remembers Ray Cantwell Ray Cantwell, former CIPHE rightJane,“HeandtreasurerMCIPHE,years,”illnessbravelyCrematorium,Memorialtodaydied.branchandstandardsprofessionalinspectorNorfolkandSuffolksecretary,has“ItwasaverysadwesaidgoodbyeRayattheWaveneyParkandafterbattlinghisforthepasttwosaidJackBaker,secretary/oftheNorfolkSuffolkBranch.leaveshiswife,whowasalsohishandassecretary, as well as very many andattendingthefriends.“RayrepresentedCIPHEveryloyally,theAGMsregionalmeetings, and organising many CPD evenings and committee meetings. He was the go-to man for boiler problems and will be sadly missed.”

In response, EUA Chief Executive Mike Foster said: “Consumers can’t a ord heat pumps. Put bluntly, most can’t a ord to pay the bills. They have no savings and yet the government’s strategy is still to ask them to ﬁt a heat pump they won’t be able to a ord.”

– Kensa Utilities’ ambitious ERDFfunded sustainable heating project – has broken ground at two new construction sites in Cornwall. Work has begun on low-carbon heating installations in Carlyon Bay and Harlyn Bay. Drilling has started for boreholes that will form shared ground loop arrays to be connected to Kensa ground source heat pumps. In a similar setup to a traditional gas framework, the heat pumps will supply the homeowners with 100% of their heat and hot water all year round.

Stay informed and get the most out of your membership by heading to our website, www.ciphe.org.uk Advice inclues: Members' benefits and o ers CIPHE 'Find a plumber or heating engineer' business directory and AndforAdviceTrainingIndustryCampaignsCPDCareersTheverifimembercationserviceslatestadviceinformationresourcesknowledgedirectoryandinformationyourcustomersmuchmore... You’ll find a range of services, advice and members-only content online at www.ciphe.org.uk WEBSITE NEWWEBSITECIPHE

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), working with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has found poliovirus in sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage TreatmentInvestigationsWorks.are underway after closely related viruses were found in samples taken between February and May. The virus has continued to evolve and is now classiﬁed as a ‘vaccine-derived’ poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2), which can cause serious illness, such as paralysis, in those not fully vaccinated. While no associated cases of paralysis have been reported, investigations will aim to establish if any community transmission is occurring.

PUBLIC HEALTH

For more information, www.plumberscompany.org.ukvisit Industry

Master of the WCoP, Nicholas Jones, and Richard Soper CBE, Chair of the WCoP’s Education and Technical Committee, presented a number of certiﬁcates to several winners of last year’s Installer Merit Awards, BPEC 2021 Awards for Excellence, as well as the HIP Learner of the Year 2022 and recipients of this year’s WCoP Bursary Awards –sponsored by Monument Tools and City & FocusingGuilds.on

Dr. Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Vaccine-derived poliovirus is rare and the risk to the public overall is extremely low.”

10 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FRONTLINE

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY of Plumbers (WCoP) launched its Certiﬁcate of Excellence initiative at the Installer Show. The initiative recognises young people undertaking apprenticeships and professionals who have gone above and beyond to support local communities and vulnerable people.

Polio found in wastewater

Apprenticeships for the Future, involving recognising and developing the next generation of plumbing and heating professionals, the WCoP was further supported at the exhibition by trade bodies and organisations, including: APHC, BESA, BPEC, City & Guilds, CIPHE, JIB, SNIPEF and WRAS. Richard Soper said: “We were delighted to recognise the tremendous e ort made by so many students, apprentices and qualiﬁed installers over the past 12 Themonths.”WCoP’s tools and equipment Bursary scheme helps students working towards Level 3 MES (Plumbing) or equivalent to purchase essential kit that can otherwise prove costly alongside studies. The Company usually considers Bursaries of up to £1,000 for plumbing students, which is awarded in the form of vouchers for equipment. To be considered for a ﬁnancial award, students are encouraged to apply direct to the WCoP, but must have a reference from their lecturer or employer. Professional bodies are also encouraged to support students who, in their opinion, meet the criteria and would therefore merit consideration as a possible recipient of a Bursary.

Jane Clegg, chief nurse for the NHS in London, added: “The majority of Londoners are fully protected against polio and won’t need to take any further action, but the NHS will begin reaching out to parents of children aged under ﬁve in London, who are not up to date with their polio vaccinations, to invite them to get protected.”

excellenceNicholasJones, Richard Soper and Jamie Fisher (Sales Director at Monument Tools), present ‘Certiﬁcates of Excellence’ to apprentices/WCoP Bursary Award recipients and plumbing professionals at this year’s Installer show.

BUSINESS

Justina Miltienyte, head of policy at Uswitch.com, said: “At a time when customers are paying close attention to their bills, it is more important than ever that the processes setting the direct debit levels are robust.”

Reminder to

BUSINESS £15m investment Wolseley is investing over £15 million in its commercial ﬂeet, with more than 200 new vehicles equipped with industry-leading features, such as the latest camera, weighing technology, plus driver behaviour tracking. The new vehicles, which are being introduced over the next 12 months, also provide better fuel consumption, helping to reduce carbon emissions. They will be used to deliver stock to Wolseley branches across the UK.

Becoming an approved contractor brings a number of beneﬁts to catering installers, including a direct link to their water company, and exemption from the legal requirement to notify the water company of some types of plumbing work.

Approved contractors can also be listed on the WaterSafe website, and their customers have the reassurance that the installer is qualiﬁed and approved, subject to the terms and conditions of WaterSafe being met.

New catering installer e ciency can have a direct impact on bills, but it’s not just households with meters that need to be mindful. We all should be thinking about the amount of energy used to heat it as well.

strainwaterehigh,reacheduse“TheWatermanagingadviceprovideremindingWaterqualiﬁcationSUSTAINABILITYRegsUKisinstallerstowater-savingtocustomers.JulieSpinks,directorofRegsUK,said,costofenergytoandheatwaterhasanall-timesothemorecientlywemanageuse,thelessofaitputsonbills.“Water

FRONTLINE 12 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK

“When installers and plumbers are providing advice about water ﬁttings, we suggest talking people through all options,water-savingnotjust those most relevant to the work you’re discussing.

“Property owners will welcome recommendationsany to help ease the pressure. Our data shows people are still not in the know about how to manage their water usage, so it’s highly likely they’ll welcome your support.” advise on water e ciency

AFFORDABILITY

Installers looking to undertake the new qualiﬁcation can ﬁnd more information by contacting the WIAPS team at Water Regs UK on 01495 983 010 or by www.waterregsuk.co.ukvisiting

Soaring costs Energy regulator, Ofgem, has announced an increase of 80% in the price cap from 1st Oct 2022 meaning that dual fuel bills increase to £3,549 for the average British household. Kevin Wellman, CIPHE CEO, has called for urgent government support to prevent catastrophic outcomes for households and businesses across the UK.

Accurate predictions

WATER REGS UK and the Catering DistributorsEquipmentAssociation (CEDA) have created an updated water regulations qualiﬁcation for catering installers to become approvedInstallerscontractors.whocomplete the Water Regs UK qualiﬁcation will be eligible to join an approved contractor scheme that runs a sector for catering installers, provided other scheme requirements are also met.

Following Ofgem’s announcement that it requires improvements from energy suppliers on customer direct debits, Uswitch.com has commented that suppliers have a responsibility to make sure direct debits accurately reﬂect customers’ energy use.

TRAININGqualiﬁcation

Catering installers will become approved contractors with the updated

Award-winner John Cruickshank, of Cruickshank Plumbing & Heating, has been crowned as National Heating Installer 2022. John impressed the judges and the public with his high level of technicality, outstanding professionalism and commitment to the industry and his customers. John said: “I am delighted to have been recognised as the best heating installer, 2022. This is the ﬁrst time I have entered the competition and it has been an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience, not to mention the beneﬁts it has had for my business.”

“Hopefully prices will begin to fall before too long, but in the meantime, reducing mileage and increasing fuel e ciency will help to slightly soften the blow.”

AWARDSwww.ciphe.org.uktwitter.com/CIPHEFacebook/CIPHE

ACCORDINGFRONTLINETOASURVEY of 500 tradespeople by IronmongeryDirect, the record fuel costs, which have risen to £2 per litre in some areas, has had a huge impact on UK tradespeople.

Tradespeople increasing prices following fuel

BUSINESS

Some trades are increasing prices more than others, with sca olders planning the most signiﬁcant hike, up 39%, compared to 22% increases amongDominickplumbers.Sandford, managing director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “The fuel crisis is a ecting all of society, but people who drive regularly as part of their job, like most tradespeople, are being hit particularly hard.

For expert advice on how to reduce your fuel costs, and how much rising prices could a ect your business proﬁts

Almosthikeshalfoftradespeoplesaidtheirproﬁtshadbeenaectedbythefuelcrisis

14 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK

FUNDRAISING Charity run Nick Blount, MCIPHE, is entering the London Marathon on the 2 October 2022 to support the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association.Hesaid:“I have taken this challenge up for a 10 year-old daughter of a friend, called Bella, who was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome. This worthy charity looks after the needs of people who su er from this dreadful disability.”

reduce-their-van-fuel-costs blog/how-tradespeople-can-www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/visit

“Worryingly, it’s independent traders who will feel the most impact, as their proﬁt margins are likely far narrower than larger corporations, who may be able to ride out the wave.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS Read all the latest news, updates, and member benefits

You can support Nick by visiting his fundraising page nick-blount-c7380.tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/here:

Almost every respondent (96%) said that their livelihood is reliant on their vehicle, and workers drive over 5,000 miles a year for jobs, on average. This annual mileage will now cost almost £500 more for diesel vehicles, and over £450 for petrol users, than it did this time 12 months ago.

Almost half said their proﬁts had been a ected by the fuel crisis, and a third said their company is struggling to cope. Nine in 10 participants revealed they have been forced to increase their prices to stay in business. Some tradespeople plan to stop driving altogether, and one in seven (14%) say that they are now using public transport to get to jobs, because they can’t a ord the fuel.

16 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK MEET THE MEMBER | ALAN MARSHALL

GROWING UP IN The Potteries in Stoke-on-Trent, Alan Marshall was destined to follow in his mother’s footsteps and go into the ceramics industry. However, when he left school at 15, he instead opted to start a plumbing apprenticeship.“Iwasintending on going into the pottery industry, but there weren’t any vacant positions at the time,” recalls Alan. “However, my brother went to work for the West Midlands Gas Board, so I decided to go down the plumbing route instead. I’m glad I did, as a lot of potteries folded in the following years.”

Alan left school in 1962 and became one of two indentured apprentices for Oswald Coupe Limited – the third biggest plumbing company in Britain, Alan Marshall has been a plumber for over 50 years and, at the age of 75, is still contributing to the industry employing around 350 plumbers and 85 apprentices. He attended Stoke-on-Trent Building College three evenings and one day a week, achieving a City & Guilds qualiﬁ cation in Ordinary and Advanced Craft Level, Plumbing and Sanitary Engineering.“Iﬁnished my apprenticeship in 1967 – the era when central heating had only been out a few years,” says Alan. “I went to work for a small company as an assistant central heating manager, but it folded shortly after, when the chair of the company died. It was at this point that I decided to go self-employed.”

MARSHALLALAN EngTech Hon MCIPHE lecturerplumberself-employedRP,and Alan also volunteered as a special constable for 33 years, becoming a chief inspector before he retired

Branching out In 1968, at just 21 years old, Alan established his own heating and plumbing business, which started o as a one-man band and gradually expanded over the years to include employees and subcontractors.Alan’sfatherwas a bricklayer and had contacts in the building and pottery industries, which secured him regular work. This continued until the late 80s, when he lost both of his parents within a short time of each other and made the decision to come o the“Intools.1989, my wife Jennifer and I decided to purchase a small plumbers’ merchants, which we ran until 2005, when she became seriously ill,” recalls Alan. “We sold the business the same year and I took some time o .” I work for customers”generationsfourof

lecturer.“Iwas still in great demand from customers for plumbing work, so I have continued taking on private jobs,” explains Alan. “I have worked for most of my customers for decades. In fact, I work for four generations of customers.” Double life In addition to his work within the heating and plumbing industry, Alan also volunteered as a special constable for Sta ordshire and Stoke-on-Trent police. “When I was 21, a friend told me he was going to join the police, so I went along with him,” recalls Alan. “While I was there, I got chatting to one of the police o cers and he encouraged me to join the Constabulary.”SpecialAlanwasamember of the Special Constabulary for 33 years, from 1966 to 1999, covering six towns in Stoke-on-Trent. He retired in 1999 as a chief inspector in charge of hundreds of people. During this time he racked up 15 years’ worth of hours. Joining forces It was in 1976, at the age of 29, that Alan became a member of the Institute of Plumbing and has served on the Institute’s local, regional and national committees over the years. Alan served on the Institute’s National Technical Council, Registration Council and General Council. He was also honorary branch secretary and branch chairman in Hanley for a number of years. “I worked hard to raise membership at the branch and within months I had succeeded,” says Alan. “I secured a venue at a local hotel for trade evenings, with presentations from manufacturers, distributors and colleges. We went from 30 to 350 members within two years and formed a management committee.”

“The government should be doing more to provide apprenticeships”

Above: Alan has given back to the community, working as a special constable alongside careersuccessfulhisplumbing

His aptitude for attracting new members helped his branch win the Jimmy Haig National Cup for Recruitment in 1980. Soon after, Alan was asked to join the North West Regional Committee in Manchester, the National Registration Council and National Technical Council. He was local president of APHC for North Sta ordshire Master Plumbers Association in 1990 and attended all the national AGMs, conferences and exhibitions representing the Institute. In 1988, Alan was awarded the Copper Development Association Plumber of the Year National Award. Well aware of current issues with recruitment in the industry, Alan believes the government should be doing more to encourage people into heating and plumbing. “In my day there were thousands of jobs for apprentices and now it’s the total opposite,” says Alan. “Without doubt, the government should be doing more to provide more apprenticeships. What is going to happen if we don’t have decent apprenticeships and the right courses? Changes must be carried out in our industry by all involved now and moving forward.”

GET IN TOUCH Would you like to share your story? Contact the editor on jamespembrokemedia.co.ukpandhengineering@ Alan became the Copper Development Association’s Plumber of the Year in 1988

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 17 ALAN MARSHALL | MEET THE MEMBER

New recruit After deciding to go back to installing in 2005, Alan was approached by the Construction Skills College to teach plumbing and central heating to City & Guilds level at the Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton campuses. Accepting the position, he worked part time at the college and continued plumbing.Heremained teaching at the Construction Skills College until 2015, when he moved positions to teach part time at Walsall College of Further Education for a few months to cover for another

18 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FEATURE | HYDROGEN GaleAdamIllustrations:

Hydrogen looks set to take a pivotal role in the race to net zero, but the industry says the government needs to act fast

One option that the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is considering as a way to de-carbonise heat is replacing methane with hydrogen.

FUTURETHEISNOW

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 19 HYDROGEN | FEATURE

The department committed £25 million of its £505 million Energy Innovation Programme funding to Hy4Heat, an initiative launched in 2017 that aimed to provide the technical, performance, usability and safety evidence to de-risk the use of hydrogen and establish the foundations for a community trial. Central to achieving this would be the development of a ordable hydrogen appliances, ready for use in homes and businesses.“Witharound 24 million homes using gas to heat their properties, and 17 million of those with a combi boiler, gas is the dominant fuel in the UK,” points out Martyn Bridges, director of technical services at Worcester Bosch. “It is very di cult and quite expensive to change a combi boiler to a heat pump system. A replacement boiler is on average around £2,500 and a heat pump installation on average over £10,000.” Championing change The Hy4Heat programme has played an important part in changing views towards a hydrogen future, putting the UK at

A third of the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions are generated from heating and cooling homes. Currently, approximately 80% of UK homes are heated with natural gas (methane), producing carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change, and steam. As the UK moves closer to 2050, the industry is working hard to ﬁnd alternative ways to heat UK homes more sustainably.

Worcester Bosch was a partner in two work packages of Hy4Heat; WP4 (domestic appliance development) and WP5b (commercial appliance development). Under WP4, the brand developed the Greenstar 8000 Hydrogen-Ready, gas-condensing boiler. Under WP5b, it developed and demonstrated the Regular appliance as a cascade solution, supporting commercial applications up to 480kW. Within the WP4, Greenstar 8000 Hydrogen-Ready package, Bosch developed two 30kW boilers; the Combi

According to the Hy4Heat Final Progress Report, the programme has proved to be critical for the government’s 2021 Hydrogen Strategy and its Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, which includes hydrogen neighbourhood and village trials by the middle of the decade.

Mobilising manufacturers The programme was the catalyst for the development of like-for-like ‘hydrogenready’ products that will replace existing appliances. New product development included cooker hobs with burners that allow the pale blue, generally barely visible, hydrogen flame to be easily seen by the naked eye. The aim of these products was to create alternatives that were as convenient and easy to use in order to encourage consumer uptake if hydrogen does become one of the cleaner technologies to help de-carbonise heat.

“It’s vital that the government engages with us and creates a realistic and workable strategy now ”

The Hydrogen Homes, near Gateshead, andhydrogen-poweredfeatureheatingcookingappliances

20 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FEATURE | HYDROGEN the forefront of international attempts to develop safe and high-performing hydrogen technology for heating homes.

Much of the health and safety regulations are still being drafted. Currently the trials are all working to a special temporary standard: PAS 4444. The first holistic safety assessment shows the use of 100% hydrogen for heating and cooking can be made as safe as the use of natural gas in the most common domestic buildings (detached, semi-detached and terraced houses). This safety assessment is informing continuing work. Health and safety fully working prototypes within a constrained time frame and lay the foundations of an entirely new customerfocused hydrogen appliance market. In a short time, the programme has moved UK hydrogen heating technology from a position of academic knowledge and understanding, to one of commercial market-readiness.’“TheHy4Heatprogramme made a great deal of progress in just a few years: from establishing hydrogen standards and a training framework for installers, through to the significant milestones of the safety assessment and the development of prototype hydrogen appliances, meters and components,” says Mark Neller, Hy4Heat programme director and UKIMEA energy leader at Arup. “The studies into commercial and industrial appliances and the market research into consumers’ likely response to community trials are all foundation stones for the planned hydrogen community trials and potential future town pilot.”

The report states: ‘Hy4Heat has achieved the technical, performance, usability and safety evidence to demonstrate that hydrogen can be used for heat in some buildings. However, the outcomes and benefits of the study are broader and more significant than expected at the start of the programme.‘Witharelatively small budget, the programme has unlocked hydrogen innovation across the gas industry. Consortia were encouraged to develop

According to the report: ‘Hy4Heat has mobilised manufacturers, supply chains and academic partners to collaborate on developing the boilers, meters, cookers, heaters and other appliances that will be central to a community-level trial –which will be essential for evaluating the practicalities of a potential conversion to hydrogen.‘Unforeseen positive outcomes have arisen, too, in that emissions of NOx (Nitrogen Oxides – greenhouse gases) from burning hydrogen can be significantly lower than from methane, with well optimised burner designs.’

Hy4Heat • £25m study • Three-year programme • 10 interrelated work packages Project summary

“The indicatesassessmenttheuse of 100% hydrogen can be made as safe as natural gas”

“All of the trials are monitored remotely to track performance metrics and the like with very encouraging outcomes to date,” says Jeff House, head of external affairs at Baxi. “We have also had some great (which produces instantaneous hot water) and the Regular (intended to support a hot water cylinder). The boilers are direct like-for-like replacements for existing natural gas boilers and provide heating and hot water in exactly the same way as their natural gas counterparts.

Positive reception Although the Hy4Heat programme has now ended, the Hydrogen Homes, in Low Thornley, near Gateshead, which feature hydrogen-powered heating and cooking

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QU ARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 21 HYDROGEN | FEATURE appliances, remain open to the public. This programme served as the first critical step towards establishing whether it is technically possible, safe and convenient to replace natural gas with hydrogen in the gas network for residential and commercial buildings, and gas appliances.

“The trials will increase to 300 homes at Levenmouth in Scotland and then to a 2,000-home trial at one of two sites; Ellesmere Port or Redcar,” explains Bridges.

One vital part of the programme was to assess the preparation required for a community trial of hydrogen. The Hy4Heat programme has helped to lay the groundwork for a village and neighbourhood trial of hydrogen as part of the government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the subsequent Hydrogen Strategy, with consumers in the H100 Fife neighbourhood set to be using hydrogen for heating and cooking from as early as next year.

As a result of the BEIS-backed Hy4Heat programme there are several trials currently active across the UK – the most prominent one being the Hydrogen Homes.

“Both sites are undertaking stringent technical surveys and, when complete, BEIS will select one of the sites to progress and be up and running by 2025.”

Tell us what you think about a hydrogen future. Emailjamespembrokemedia.pandhengineering@co.uk

Homes with existing boilers are also potentially hydrogen ready as they can be used with a blend of hydrogen and existing gas supplies. Trials have taken place at Keele University, where around 150 existing natural gas appliances were run on a 20% hydrogen blend, and one is still in progress at Winlaton near Gateshead, with around 670 homes running on a 20% blend and no issues“Thereported.endgoal is using pure hydrogen to fuel parts of transport, industry and heat in order to achieve mandated national netzero emissions targets,” explains House. “To get there we need to grow and develop clean hydrogen-generation infrastructure over time. As an interim step, work is ongoing to deploy blended hydrogen, up to 20% by volume, into the gas grid. This

stakeholder engagement on site, with the ability to show people the appliances in action. Demonstrating the relatively low disruption that hydrogen offers as a net zero heating option, and the familiarity that the technology will offer, has resulted in positive feedback.”

“I believe that a collaborative approach has been critical in achieving our aims and am very grateful for the expert advice and support that has been given to the team by so many people. This kind of agility bodes well for the industry, as it will need to adapt and change in order to ensure there is a cleaner, greener energy system to help the UK meet net zero targets.”

The Hy4Heat programme and the government’s Hydrogen Strategy have put the UK at the forefront of the race to develop low-carbon heating. The Hydrogen Advisory Council and BEIS are working together with industry to identify and promote ‘actions to enable lowcarbon hydrogen use at scale across the whole energy system’. The Hy4Heat report highlights the fact that the UK is well placed to draw on its experience in gas-based manufacturing and consultancy to begin exporting products and expertise, as well as stimulate economic growth.

“While all the work packages are important, HSE independently reviewing the Hy4Heat safety assessment and providing a letter of assistance has been a significant milestone,” says Mark Taylor, deputy director for energy innovation, science and innovation, for climate and energy at BEIS. “The assessment indicates that the use of 100% hydrogen can be made as safe as natural gas in the limited range of scenarios described within the Annex, where the additional risk control measures specified in the Annex are in place. This includes when used for heating and cooking in certain types of houses – the kind of detached, semi-detached and terraced houses that populate large swathes of the UK. This safety assessment provides an important foundation that the gas distribution network operators will use when planning community trials using hydrogen as a heating source.

YOURSHAREVIEWS

Hydrogen ready According to the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC), a hydrogen-ready boiler is: ‘a boiler of any type (regular, system or combination) that ‘out of the box’ is ready to be connected to the natural gas network and, following a conversion and re-commissioning process in situ, can then operate safely and efficiently, maintaining equivalent comfort levels and providing a sufficient supply of heating and hot water using“Theyhydrogen.’workexactly the same way as a natural gas boiler,” explains Bridges. “In fact, 95% of a hydrogen ready-boiler is derived from a natural gas-fired boiler. They are installed the same way, with the same flue systems, pipework connections and operating temperatures. The major differences are all within the combustion chamber, particularly the way the flame is sensed, otherwise they are very much business as usual for a consumer.”

22 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FEATURE | HYDROGEN

“We anticipate a consultation from government shortly”

Ready to rollA prototype of a hydrogenready utility room, as part of ongoing trials

It is hoped that the success of the hydrogen trials will alter the government’s proposed ban on gas-fired boiler replacements by 2035. With government agreement, the industry may still be able to continue installing gas-fired appliances beyond this date with a view to them using hydrogen in the“Outsidefuture. of the forthcoming larger-scale trials, which will be closely managed projects, installers are more likely to work with hydrogen-ready boilers in the short to medium term,” predicts House. “This will mean no difference, as they will operate on natural gas out of the box and are expected to be installed under the same competent persons framework as a standard boiler.”

Worcester Bosch will be starting installer training in a couple of years’ time. We don’t envisage this to be onerous, as the boiler is virtually the same as a natural gas boiler. The training is likely to be similar to LPG Training – this is just a third gas, so perhaps a day or so in duration extra to the ACS training installers take today.”

“There are training courses available, but only for the contractors on the field trials.

“This is still very early days of trials –there are no hydrogen-ready boilers on the market that you can buy,” says Bridges.

Clear strategy In order to progress the widespread use of hydrogen as a low-carbon heat source the government needs to ensure all boilers placed on the market are hydrogen ready.

“We anticipate a consultation from government shortly, which could propose that all boiler sales from a certain date are hydrogen ready,” says House. “This would mean that, over time, millions of UK homes are prepared for the future and regional network conversion could be faster and simpler as a result.”

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QU ARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 23 HYDROGEN | FEATURE

Industry impact

“95% of a hydrogenready boiler is derived from a natural gas-fired boiler” will help with development of the upstream sector together with delivering immediate carbon savings. Crucially, blending is achievable without changes to appliances.”

The Hy4Heat programme has supported the development of technical standards, certification guidance and a hydrogen competency framework for training, and has conducted market research studies on industrial and commercial appliances.

From an industry perspective, the government needs to come up with a strategy to ensure that the plumbing and heating industry is fully trained, with enough skilled people to meet consumer demand.“Although the issue of infrastructure is currently being worked on, there isn’t an official strategy for the industry,” says Peter Thom, FCIPHE and managing director of Green Heat. “The industry has been burned by previous failed green government initiatives, so it is hard to have faith. Until we get the official green light we can’t move forward. We, as an industry, understand the general public, so it’s vital that the government engages with us and creates a realistic and workable strategy now.”

Hydrogen-ready boilers allow consumers to install green technology ahead of gas network conversion to hydrogen. Hydrogen-ready boilers are designed for hydrogen, but can initially be configured to run on natural gas. They can be installed as direct replacements for existing natural gas boilers, and can be converted to hydrogen at the time of network switchover by changing a minimum number of components – taking no longer than an hour, according to Worcester Bosch.

24 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK Ship Shape Millions of people go on cruises every year, so the ships need sophisticated equipment on board to safely deal with water and waste SHIPCRUISEWORK You’ll be required by law to have STCW basic safety training certificates and a valid passport. shorturl.at/aikns

What’s rarely considered is the water on board and how it’s kept clean and ﬁt for human consumption while out at sea.

With some cruise ships accommodating up to 9,000 passengers and crew members, keeping them supplied with fresh and clean water is critical. The average cruise ship gets through around a million gallons of water every day, so ensuring the health and safety of passengers and crew on board means that the plumbing and water storage systems need to be well designed and meticulously maintained.

Cruise ships have a water treatment regime that engineers carry out on board, taking samples from everywhere around the ship to culture legionella. When cruise ships are running, there are ﬂushing regimes to help keep the water ﬂowing, which housekeeping sta help with in cabins, and other sta members deal with in health clubs and spas.

Cruise ships have equipment on board that enable sea water to be transformed into drinking water. There are two methods of desalination that can be used: steam evaporation and reverse osmosis. Steam desalination (or ﬂash evaporation) is the process of using steam and heat from the ship’s engines to boil seawater.

Hidden danger Given the volume of water stored on cruise ships, the miles of pipes transporting it and the warm temperatures of the countries they visit, Legionnaires’ Disease and other waterborne diseases pose a serious threat. Legionella bacteria can be found in natural water systems, like rivers and ponds, but it’s rare for people to contract the disease from these sources. Outbreaks of the illness are far more likely from exposure to legionella growing in purpose-built systems, such as hot- and cold-water systems, and spa pools, where the temperatures encourage growth.

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 25 WATER & WASTE ON CRUISE SHIPS | FEATURE C

When it comes to water, the lower the flow (stagnation) the less stressed the microorganisms are, which means they multiply faster. However, when water flows quickly it is more di cult for bacteria to attach to surfaces, release nutrients and build biofilms. Therefore, avoiding stagnation is essential in minimising the risk of microbial contamination.

Topping up Despite the vast quantities of water cruise ships can hold, more is often needed, so vessels make the most of the sea water around them to top up the stores. To take on sea water for this purpose, ships need to be 20 nautical miles o shore.

HARPERDAVID is a disease.Legionnaires’safetywaterborneauthorityinternationalleadingonand He has pathogens.otherLegionellaexperienceofmoretheinvestigationssupportedaroundworld,acquiringthan50yearsknowledgeandwithspp.andwaterborne

Super store Cruise ships need to store extraordinary quantities of water on board to service bathrooms, kitchens, health club facilities and pools. How and where this water is stored is especially important to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.

Legionella bacteria can cause a range of illnesses, such as Legionnaires’ disease – which can be fatal – Pontiac fever and Lochgoilhead fever. The risk increases with age, but people with certain health conditions are more susceptible. Good housekeeping Water stagnation creates the perfect conditions for bacterial proliferation. Bacteria multiply faster when not stressed by temperatures, chemicals, toxic metals, lack of nutrients and a high water ﬂow.

When ships bunker in the dock, they take drinking water from pipes at the port, pumping it on board and disinfecting it before it reaches the freshwater tanks. The water is separated into tanks for drinking and technical water (used for swimming pools and other water features).

ruise ships have become a popular holiday option for many people, as they o er excellent value for money, premium dining options and the ability to visit numerous destinations.

With up to 9,000 people on board some cruise ships, water safety is paramount

“Post pandemic, cruise ships are back in operation and have undertaken a huge programme to ensure water safety,” says David Harper, senior engineering director at Harper Water Management Group.

The hot water needs to be as hot as possible, between 50-60°C, and cold water should ideally be below 20°C. Water on board cruise ships is also commonly biocide treated, following Ship Sanitation Regulations under the Maritime Standards.

“Although it varies from ship to ship, holding tanks on board cruise liners have capacities going up to millions of tonnes,” reveals Harper. “At full capacity, they can easily get through a million gallons a day.”

The distillate produced by an MSF has a very low salt content (conductivity <4 µS/ cm) and the quality and quantity are not impacted by the seawater temperature. The MSF is therefore a reliable source for freshwater on board ships and o shore platforms. It can also be used for many land-based applications.

| WATER & WASTE ON CRUISE SHIPS

The numbers 25,000

The MSF can produce up to 1,500 tonnes of distillate per day and is one of the most reliable thermal seawater desalination plants in the world. It is the only evaporator technology that strictly separates heat transfer and evaporation, minimizing the risk of scaling and greatly reducing maintenance costs.

“Holding tanks on board cruise liners have capacities going up to millions of tonnes”

FEATURE Multi-Stage Flash

Clean exit Sustainability has become an increasingly critical issue and, in 2009, regulations were put in place preventing sewage pollution from ships over 400 gross tonnes (GT) in weight – or those less than 400GT that are certified to carry more than 15 people – from dumping sewage in the sea. This law applies to UK flagged ships that leave the UK on international voyages, in addition to ships that are not UK flagged, but are in UK waters. Raw sewage from cruise ships contains bacteria and viruses that are hazardous to human health. It can also reduce oxygen levels in the sea water, preventing light reaching the seabed, which is essential for coral growth. Additionally, it can introduce harmful levels of nutrients into the water, which could result in toxic algal blooms.

The ﬁnal process moves the remaining liquid into the disinfection chamber, where pathogens are exposed to UV radiation. This is transferred to a storage tank to be discharged when possible.

Most cruise ships now have an onboard water treatment system, which deals with grey water, black water and bilge water. Grey water comes from sinks, laundries and drains; black water is made up of waste from galleys and toilets; and bilge refers to the oils released from equipment in engine compartments that collect at the bottom of the vessel. After entering the integrated treatment system, sewage (black water) passes into a bioreactor aeration chamber, which is ﬁlled with bacteria that break down organic contaminants dissolved in the wastewater. It then goes through a ﬁltration process, passing through a membrane to remove further impurities.

Grey water requires minimal treatment, rarely containing harmful bacteria, but may only be discharged at sea in certain areas.

A typical ship carrying around 2,000 passengers and 900 crew will produce around 25,000 gallons of human waste a day.

The water evaporates, leaving the salt as a by-product, and is then condensed back into distilled purified water. The second way seawater can be made fit for human consumption is through reverse osmosis. Instead of using heat, this utilises an even lower-energy method to push saltwater through microscopic membranes. In some cases, water is mineralised to improve its flavour.

Once in the settlement chamber, dense substances sink to the bottom and water is left at the top. The residue left at the bottom of the chamber is repeatedly reprocessed, with the ﬁnal material disposed of in low-emission incinerators.

(MSF): how it works

ONE MILLION A cruise ship with over 7,000 passengers and crew can generate 210,000 gallons of black water and one million gallons of grey water during a one-week cruise.

“Shipping companies are extremely responsible when it comes to water and sewage treatment on board their cruise ships,” asserts Harper. “They recognise hygiene and safety are vitally important, which is why robust processes are in place to ensure the safety of all on board.”

Steam Ejector SeawaterSeawaterDistillateBrineSeawater Freshwater Brine CirculationJacketCondensatepumpwater Brine top temperature BTT StagedenserCon-No. 1 Last stage misterDe- condensableNon- gases -400 mbar a -80 mbar a 1 2 26 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK

Wärtsilä’s Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) evaporator is used for producing distillate (fresh water) from sea, well or industrial water. An advantage of the technology is that the heat consumption – or thermal e ciency – can continuously be adjusted to the set requirements of each application.

There are lots of resources available from the CIPHE to help you with your DevelopmentProfessionalContinuing(CPD)

Keep reading P&H Engineering Every issue, we include technical articles with accompanying CPD assessments. These cover a range of topics from underﬂoor heating design to making sure you meet Water Regulations, and you can add to your CPD by simply cutting out your assessment form, completing and returning it, or by emailing your answers in.

Using our online CPD facility, available in the members’ area of ciphe.org.uk, you can upload certiﬁcates of attendance at training events, upload completed CPD assessments from P&H Engineering, and track progress to achieving additional qualiﬁcations or awards such as registration with the Engineering Council

Visit engineering.co.ukpandh

TRAININGFormoreinformationaboutyourCPD,visitwww.ciphe.org.uk

Use mycareerpath

Visit our technical advice section to see a full archive of detailed TechTalk pieces from back issues of P&H Engineering, going back to autumn 2018. Whether or not you complete the assessments, these archived pieces provide a useful reference library on a whole range of plumbing and heating topics.

28 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK

Breaking the code

Turner of Stormflow. “However, it becomes unacceptable not to follow it in the 21st century. It’s vital that the industry embraces new knowledge, supported by years of research by the likes of Lillywhite, Wise and Webster, and more recently, the late Professor John Swa eld and team at Herriot-Watt University, who studied the impact of transient air flow calculation in drainage design. For the first time, this provides an opportunity to engineer a design based on researched and proven formulae applied to system performance.”

Making history Water seal (U-bend) traps have been used for centuries in sanitation safety. However, they need protecting by extensive and elaborate vent pipe

Waterless valves open during use and allow wastewater to ﬂow, but close once it drains through JOHN TURNER of Stormflow is a local ASEAN agent and distributor of plumbing products from UK and EU manufacturers. In the industry since 1963, John has been a member of the Registered Plumbers Association, Member/Fellow of IOP, Hanley DC and Manchester DC committee member, national president in 1986, national committee member, FCIPHE member, and worked as a consultant and in product sales in the Philippines and SEA for the past 10 years.

Health and performance of sanitary systems could be improved with waterless, self-closing waste valves, says John Turner FCIPHE RP of Stormﬂow Self-closing waste valves can be ﬁtted vertically or horizontally

T he water trap or U-bend was introduced into sanitary system design some 200 years ago to prevent the transfer of gases taking place between sanitary and sewer pipework, and buildings. However, with recent public health scares, such as outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease, SARS, MERS, Covid-19 and, more recently, poliovirus appearing in sewers, it is right to look at alternative approaches.

Over the years, the National Plumbing Codes have incorporated various techniques to protect the water seals in sanitaryware and soil and waste pipe systems. This resulted in a number of code rules, with many people taking a general rule of thumb approach.

FEATURE | WATERLESS VALVES

ERA?ENDOFAN

“They didn’t have the tools for monitoring and measurement that are now available, so following the science wasn’t an option,” says John

There is now a better understanding of how infected aerosols, however they are generated, are inhaled into our lungs once released into living spaces, with risks increased for people with health conditions or those of a certain age.

to seal or “U” bend section Wind direction Water flow in multi storey stack direction Suds zone causedetergentBacking-upoffoamingcandepletionofwaterseal Water poured at high

Often employing a type of flexible selfsealing membrane, waterless valves open during use and allow wastewater to flow, but close once it drains through. This self-sealing action prevents foul sewer gases from entering the building.

Strand of material or hair hanging over trap weir draws water seal out of trap by actioncapillary Atmosphericpressure

Water flowing from appliances Water etc. of seal depth to movement of damage speed at foot of

“There is no stagnant, smelly, infected water in the valves” systems, yet can still lose their seals due to evaporation, mechanical damage, siphonic action, wavering out, back pressure, momentum and movement if in motor homes or similar. They clog easily as debris settles in the trap and, under the right conditions, can create a biofilm growth along with viral loads.

“All you need to do in most situations is exchange the existing water trap for waterless connections,” explains Turner. “As these valves also allow air into branch lines, when there is a negative pressure event there is no further requirement for traditional horizontal vents or AAVs.

“The simplest complete low-cost safe system is a single combined soil and waste stack, with the waterless fittings and an AAV at the top of the stack for individual stack venting.”

stack Water seal sucked out of trap Water outsuckedsealoftrap1. Self Siphonage 4. Evaporation8.Capillary Action 9. Leakage 10. Movement 5. Wind Effect (wavering out) 6. Foaming / Suds 7. Momentum Zone 3. Compression2. Induced Siphonage Negativepressurezone “Plug” flowingofwater

mobile facilitiesLeaking trap caused by

“There is no stagnant, smelly, infected water in the valves and they can also act as non-return valves, limiting the damage from blocked pipes. Maintenance is also made easier, as access is at the point of use and not in the ceiling below.

Loss

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QU ARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 29 WATERLESS VALVES | FEATURE

AtmosphericpressureEvaporation

John Turner and Freddy Pierets, in partnership with McAlpine Plumbing Products, have developed a range of silicone elastomer self-closing waste valves and air admittance valves (AAVs) called ASICon (Anti Smell Infection Control) TP Solution. This combination has numerous advantages, including increased health and safety; reduction of incidence of infected aerosol generation and dispersion, and sewer gas entry into buildings; design flexibility, resulting in huge cost savings; and improved performance and reliability, lowering operation and maintenance costs, as well as reducing plastics by 50%.

discharging fromWateraboveblownappliancesinto Negativepressurezone LossdepthsealofLossdepthsealof Lossdepthsealof Leak Motor caravans, boats, trains,

The 10 most common failures affecting health and performance in traditional sanitary plumbing

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“Self-closing valves have also been extensively used worldwide since their introduction over 20 years ago with the HepVo 1 1/2-inch (40mm) and 1 1/4-inch (32mm) waterless trap innovations,” says Turner. “More recently, McAlpine Plumbing invested in developing an extensive range of self-closing waste valve options.”

Average UK seal loss 2.5mm per week

due

Quality matters

Hard times Once hard water is heated in people’s homes it can calcify to form limescale inside pipes and on heating elements, a ecting equipment like boilers, showers, dishwashers and washing machines.

Geographical location has a huge impact on the hardness of water. For example, limestone and chalk-rich regions, like the south and east of England, have the hardest water due to the high mineral content in the rocks. It’s estimated that 13 million UK homes are in hard water areas. Although many Water softeners can help lower homes’ carbon emissions and energy bills, while creating a lucrative line of revenue for installers people receiving a hard water supply will be familiar with tide marks on baths, scale build-up on taps and shower heads, and scum-covered draining boards, very few realise the extent of the damage that limescale could be doing out of sight.

Salt blocks are used in water softeners to maintain e ciency and reduce maintenance

One area that is often overlooked when it comes to a homes’ e ciency is water quality. Well over half of the UK (60%) receives a hard water supply, which can cause no end of problems for homeowners.

Although rainwater is naturally soft, once it touches the ground it ﬁlters through the rocks and picks up minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, along the way.

30 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FEATURE | WATER TREATMENT

ith homes costing increasingly more to run and energy prices set to rise again this autumn, it has never been more important for UK households to ensure theirs is running as e ciently as possible.

Eco

According to British Water, just 1.6mm of scale build-up on heating elements makes them use 12% more energy, as they ﬁrst have to heat the scale before they can heat the water. This ﬁgure increases to 24% with 3mm of scale build-up.

Sustainableimpactsofteningsoftening

In terms of environmental impact, water softeners have a positive e ect, as they can help reduce a household’s energy consumption by eliminating limescale build-up on heating elements. In addition, they minimise the need for harsh cleaning chemicals and reduce the volume of toiletries and detergents required, which is also more ecologically sound.

“When it comes to the actual water softeners, it’s important that installers choose sustainable units that use minimal water and salt,” advises Dario Palumbo, marketing manager at Monarch Water. “The latest generation of high-e ciency water softeners featuring Opti-Brining® technology only regenerate when needed, using 32% less water than previous models, making them arguably the most sustainable solution to tackling hard water.”

Given the recent 54% hike in energy

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 31 WATER TREATMENT | FEATURE Water softeners can result in softer hair and are believed to help alleviate some skin conditions

Testing a household’s water is a simple process and is tangible proof for customers that the quality could be much better. Kits can be bought for very little and are a great way to highlight the issue with customers.

“High-efficiency water softeners are the ultimate solution to dealing with hard water in homes,” adds Palumbo. “Not only will they prevent any new build-up, they will also remove any existing deposits, ensuring that equipment can run at optimum efficiency, saving homeowners money on their energy bills.

What do installers need to consider before installation? Always observe water regulations and Identifybyelawsthe position for the rising main Locate close to incoming water supply, ideally on an outside wall for the overflow, with access to the drain Allow enough space for refilling salt and Carrymaintenanceoutapressure test. If daytime static water pressure exceeds 3.5 bar, a 5 bar (70psi) pressure limiter should be fitted Minimum dynamic pressure must exceed 1.4 bar Always leave a drinking water supply

“It’s all about education,” says Dario Palumbo, marketing manager at Monarch Water. “Installers are in the perfect position to inform their customers about the issues affecting their homes and how to resolve them. With households under greater strain than ever before, installers have a great responsibility to ensure their customers’ homes are as energy efficient as possible and water quality plays an integral role in this.”

Sustainable solution High-efficiency water softeners are the ideal solution for homes receiving a hard water supply. They are also compatible with any boiler, so any hard water home is a potential customer. Water softeners work by passing incoming hard water through a sealed container (called a resin vessel), which contains thousands of small ion-exchange resin beads. These beads attract and retain the minerals in the water that can cause scale and scum, preventing it from entering the supply within the building. Once the beads become saturated with the mineral residue, they are cleaned in a process referred to as regeneration. Water softeners automatically carry out this process by rinsing the beads with aInstalling a water softener is hugely beneficial for homes with hard water and they can work with any boiler

Carolyn Akinyemi, founder of the Eczema Academy, which has partnered with Monarch Water, says: “Softening and filtration solutions are key components in the effective protocols for the relief of eczema.”

Wise words Installers are in the ideal position to help customers protect their homes and reduce their energy bills by simply explaining about the damage that limescale causes and the benefits that installing a water softener offers.

“Some customers will undoubtedly be cautious about any additional outlay for their homes, but when there are estimated savings of up to £550 a year, in terms of reduced energy costs and minimal need for cleaning chemicals, the payback time for water softeners is relatively quick.”

Water softeners also offer many other benefits, including better results from dishwashers and washing machines, softer hair, more supple skin and less cleaning products needed to tackle scale deposits around the home. In fact, softened water is also believed to help alleviate skin conditions, such as eczema.

32 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FEATURE | WATER TREATMENT costs, and the average UK family living in a hard water area of 300 ppm, using water containing 70kg of limescale every year, the financial and lifestyle impacts of hard water could be significant. Hard water also impacts wash results from dishwashers and washing machines,

“Installers have a great responsibility to ensure their customers’ homes are as energy efficient as possible” leaving spotting on glassware and dull cutlery, while skin is left dry and hair brittle.

Scottish Byelaws. These regulations require that a water ﬁtting should not cause waste, misuse, undue consumption or contamination of the water supply and must be of an appropriate quality and standard.”Sizematters when it comes to water softeners, so ensure you have a unit that’s up to the job. Under or over specifying equipment could lead to inadequate softening for the customer. Merchants should be able to o er advice as to which unit is best. When calculating how many people live in a home, it’s always best to include any potential guests or possible future inhabitants as part of the estimate to ensure the best results.

Reduce buildings’ energy consumption

Better

“Anysoftener.opportunity to save energy and water is to be applauded and the fact water softeners can help to reduce carbon emissions is also welcome,” says Kevin Wellman, CEO of the CIPHE. “Although consumers’ disposable income may be limited, payback periods are always something that should be explored.

There are models on the market that come complete with a rapid-ﬁt bypass kit as standard, which makes ﬁtting quicker and easier for engineers, as it removes 80% of equipment needed to install the

Quick Savingspaybackondetergents, chemicals and Softertoiletrieshair and skin results from dishwashers and washing machines water

installers

Remove existing limescale 24-hour protection for homes

Compatible with any boiler Compact for easy siting and installation

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 33 WATER TREATMENT | FEATURE

Selling tips for

“For installers, these kinds of products can help strengthen relationships with customers by providing a professional service and helping them to reduce their bills.”With environmental issues an important consideration and ﬁnances stretched to the limit, plumbing and heating engineers can make a real impact on both fronts. By educating customers about the problems hard water can cause around the home and the sustainable solutions that o er relatively quick payback times, engineers can really make a di erence.

“Aside from the obvious beneﬁts of additional installation fees for introducing water treatment systems to their customers, installers will be able to demonstrate their abilities and competence as tradespeople that are informed about the latest technologies on the market,” points out Palumbo. “Not only that, it can also help to strengthen relationships with their customers, creating loyalty and repeat business.” Decision time There is a wide range of products currently on the market, so it’s important that installers choose wisely. From selecting a unit from a reputable company to the availability of spare parts and reliable aftersales service, it’s important to do some research before recommending a product to “Lookcustomers.forproducts with approval from WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) – an independent UK certiﬁcation body for plumbing products and materials, helping businesses and consumers choose compliant products that keep water safe,” says Palumbo. “It is responsible for preventing the contamination of public water supplies and encouraging the e cient use of water by promoting and facilitating compliance with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations or Hard water can lead to a build-up of limescale, which could be causing damage out of sight

“The payback time for water softeners is relatively quick” weak solution of brine (salt and water). The waste brine and residue is then automatically ﬂushed away. At no time does the salt enter the water supply.

Prolong equipment’s working life

• Completed fabric heat loss • Heating pipework sizing • Hot and pipeworkcold-watersizing • Final layout plans • Materials list • Merchant order • A

qualiﬁcation

34 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK EDUCATION VIEWS, NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING NEW RECRUITS TO OUR INDUSTRY

All change he P&DHT Standard has been subjected to a lot of revision over the past 12 months or so and I have had the privilege of being part of the employer group working with the APHC, which has led the consultations.

Content The

IfATE gave direction for what changes can and cannot be made through its strict criteria and now we have an outline of the proposal. One thing that stands out is why a review of the Standard was instructed without data to justify change, given so few cohorts had even completed the original version.

Core 1 –

APPRENTICESHIP

Jerry Whiteley reviews the Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician (P&DHT) Level 3 Standard, including the changes to content and assessment criteria

• Design

The review has now put to bed the request for a level 2 and proceeds as a level 3 apprenticeship over a four-year period. The CIPHE fully supports raising standards to a minimum level 3, which is suitable for tomorrow’s and engineers, and subsequent professional registration with the Engineering Council. curriculum is changing slightly, including subjects around systems. changes Assessment Assessment methods

For example: • Boosted water systems • Health and safety • Processes • Science • Combustion science • Renewables awareness • Size, select, plan, install, test, commission, fault ﬁnd, repair, service and maintain plumbing and heating within: hot water, cold water, central heating, above ground drainage and rainwater thisawardingwillExams/assessmentpipeworkcontentbere-workedbytheorganisationslateryearbeforeitsre-launch. Assessment

The assessment consists of two components: A practical planning project, which might be from the following list: criteria work programme addition, there is a risk assessment and method statement (from a given scenario). A practical competence test. Pass or fail grades.

heating

plumbing

methods A 60-question multi-choice paper/110 minutes time allowance. Core 2 –

ﬁnally

The gas assessment will now be part of the EPA. It will include a professional interview supported by a portfolio. It requires a Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme for Gas Fitting Operatives Assessment Categories CCN1 and CENWAT. Pass or fail grades.

Option 2 – Domestic Air Source Heat Pumps and Solar Thermal Systems

This new route ought to bring in many more candidates from industry and better support for the breadth of work achieved by apprentices. At present, the content in the standard is solely domestic.

HotwillSystemsHeatOptionrequirements.theHeatingSystemsOptionAssessment)TAQAqualification,anHolddevelopmentcontinuingShowindustrialpost-qualificationexperienceevidenceofprofessionalorbeworkingtowardsindependentassessorforexample(TrainingandQualityIndependentassessorsfor1:DomesticGasandHotWaterAppliancespathwayofEPAwillmeetcurrentACSIndependentassessorsfor2:DomesticAirSourcePumpsandSolarThermalpathwayoftheEPAalsohaveSolarThermalWaterSystemsandHeat

1. Will it exclude learners or raise the standard of a plumbing and heating apprentice to level 3?

The non-domestic plumbing route will allow those to gain evidence from larger sites/ commercial work. Or, to put it another way, 28mm copper and above, and larger sanitary systems.Thisunit will be assessed by a professional interview supported by a portfolio, a multi-choice test paper and practical assessment. The practical task might be a pipe frame built using a range of pipe sizes and materials/ jointing techniques, followed by a practical application test. Pass or fail grades.

Option 1 – Domestic Gas Systems and Hot Water Heating Appliances

The P&DHT apprenticeship will proceed at level 3 over a four-year period Pump Systems or Heat Pump Technology Air Source Systems Certification (where not included in the original qualifications mentioned above).Independent assessors for Option 3: Non-Domestic Plumbing Systems pathway of the EPA will, in addition, have Legionella Risk Assessment and Water Systems Disinfection STANDARDS Points to consider

3. Should fuel and renewables be options after you gain a plumbing and heating qualification? Therefore, should it be plumbing and heating only?

for Mechanical Services Certification.Thenextphase is to allow time to amend documentation and online assessments through the awarding bodies, and give training providers/ EPAOs chance to implement their changes and provide staff training. There is also a need to review the funding due to these changes.

The candidate is assessed on-site on one source and simulated on the other at their training provider’s facility. Both must be achieved; the option is which one you do at work. Again, a professional discussion is supported with a portfolio, and practical and theory papers are done in line with MCS accreditation and Building distinction.anddetermineoptionremovedPassCompetentRegulationsPersonSchemes.orfailgrades.Oilandsolidfuelareandbecomeanoutsideofthestandard.PerformanceintheEPAwilltheoverallstandardgradeoffail,pass,meritor

5. Will the new non-domestic plumbing route provide enough opportunities without conflicting with BSE pathways? These are some examples of questions being raised. Let me know your thoughts on the changes by writing to me at jerryw@ciphe.org.uk.

Option 3 – Non-Domestic Plumbing Systems (a new pathway – not gas or heating)

2. Should gas still be at the forefront of the Standard when we have a gas apprenticeship, with more funding for less time?

“The CIPHE fully supports raising standards to a minimum level 3, which is suitable for subsequent professional registration.”

4. Why have changes been made when only a handful of apprentices had gone through the whole process? How will these changes affect your centre?

End-point assessment

EDUCATION CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QU ARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 35

IQA notes Independent assessors will: Have a minimum of a Level 3 NVQ in Plumbing and Domestic Heating (or Haveequivalent)aminimum of five years

JTL, the work-based learning provider in England and Wales, has announced the winners of its 2022 Employer Recognition Awards.

FIND OUT MORE The WS7 course can be booked online now at www.developtraining.co.uk, with the price starting at £536 (+£21 certification) +VAT.

“Every employer who received a nomination should be proud of the way they have welcomed apprentices into their businesses, but we would like to wish a special congratulations to the six winners. With that, we extend our deepest gratitude for their work and their clear and consistent dedication to our apprentices.”

The annual awards process recognises employers who have shown remarkable levels of support and commitment towards their JTL apprentices. The winners are: Northern Ameon Ltd (Building Services Engineering) Western Whitehead Building Services Ltd (Building Services) Eastern E J Parker Technical Services (Technical Services) Southern R S Birch & Partners Ltd (Electrical Contractors) Gilbert & Stamper Ltd (Electrical Contractors) National Redrow Homes Limited (Construction Services)

P rovider of compliance, technical and safety training

36 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK EDUCATION

JTL RecognitionEmployerAwards

AWARDS

The entirety of the qualiﬁcation can be completed at Develop Training centres across the UK, o -site and virtually.DanSutherland, senior water systems lecturer at Develop Training, says: “This practical course is unlike any other that we o er in Water Systems (WS). Its utility is invaluable and the course materials are more modern than all delivered under the WS banner to date.

“It also includes more practical areas of delivery than any other WS course and competently equips delegates of any ability with the practical toolset necessary to conduct legionella risk assessments of hot and cold-water systems.”Delegates who complete the WS7 course will also qualify to complete the WS7B course – an advanced version of the WS7 – when it becomes available later this year. Those with su cient experience in legionella risk assessments may join straight on to the WS7B course.

Focusing on Legionnaires’ disease, the training will provide delegates with su cient knowledge to begin conducting the required risk assessments concerning legionella and Legionnaires’ disease for water systems.Thecourse, which has no pre-requisites to enter, takes just two days to complete and covers a number of topics, including a comprehensive overview of the risks, identiﬁcation of low and high-risk situations, completion of an example risk assessment, and inspection of storage vessels and the monitoring systems required for legionella control.

For more information about JTL, visit www.jtltraining.com.

Develop Training has released a new comprehensive course designed for learners who are new to dealing with legionella risk assessments.

DevelopCOURSE Training reveals introductory WS7 course

Judi Wheeler, national delivery director at JTL, says: “Our award season is a treasured time for us, and the Employer Recognition Awards are particularly important as they give us the chance to shine a light on our employers as much as our apprentices. Without them we simply would not be able to offer apprenticeship opportunities to our learners.

38 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FEATURE | PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Paul Harmer discusses the importance of innovation in the heating and plumbing sector ADVICE INTELLECTUALPROTECTINGONPROPERTY Patents play an important role in protecting your product idea

HARMERPAUL

Getting started With a commercial goal in mind, early consideration should be given to patents, which are extremely valuable commercial tools. They protect technical developments, such as the way in which something works, what it is made of, how it is made, or even how it isPatentsused. have the primary purpose of preventing others from selling, making or importing an invention without the owner’s permission. They can be used as leverage in business negotiations; can be advantageous when seeking investment or applying for funding such as grants, subsidies or loans; and can be used to generate income, for example through licensing.

successfully get the product to market. I am passionate about helping those who embark on such a challenging, but rewarding journey.

“With a commercial goal in mind, considerationearlyshould be given to patents” Paul is projectsheatingplumbinghigh-profileandhasengineercharteredawhoconsultedledonmanyandindustry

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 39 PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY | FEATURE

Patentstechnical/espacenet)(epo.org/searching-for-patents/esp@cenetandGoogle(patents.google.com).Itisestimatedthataround80%ofcurrenttechnicalknowledgecanonlybefoundinpatentdocuments.Theinformationisalsogenerallyavailablequickly,owingtothepublicationofpatentapplications18monthsaftertheirfirstfilingandthefactthatanypatentapplicationmustbefiledinadvanceoftherespectiveinventionbeingpubliclydisclosed.Itisnotuncommonforpatentapplicationstobepublishedwithinmonthsofanewproductbeingreleased,oreveninadvanceofproductrelease.

• Start developing your idea Give consideration to how your invention may look and work, and consider any possible variations or alternatives. Consider developing a prototype, however crude, to help privately test your invention.

• Consult a patent attorney A consultation with a patent attorney can help to establish whether your invention is likely to be patentable (at least in principle) and can aid in formulating a development/protection strategy. A consultation before any disclosure (even under non-disclosure agreement) is the best practice.

Early considerations • Keep your idea secret Crucially, for an invention to be patentable it must be new. An invention is only new if it has not been publicly disclosed (in any way) before a patent application covering the invention is ﬁ led. Accordingly, if you have an idea, you should keep it secret at least until you have investigated the possibility of securing patent protection. Although not advised, in the event a disclosure is unavoidable (other than to a patent attorney) it must only occur under a suitable non-disclosure agreement.

To obtain patent protection for an invention it is necessary to prepare and T he CIPHE is not only a professional body that leads industry and sets technical standards, it regularly supports its installer membership through various means, such as the technical helpline. One enquiry that seems to be on the increase is grass roots innovation and how someone can protect their potential product idea. There has never been a better time for installers to look at inventing their own products, given the wealth of resources available to them. The CIPHE is also well placed to help point you in the right direction in the early stages. I took on this innovation journey myself over 12 years ago. I had to learn on my feet and experienced many challenges. However, with some grit and determination, I managed to

• Do some initial research

It has long been said that necessity is the mother of invention. On numerous occasions a successful invention has come from someone solving a problem, such as developing a tool to suit a task where no adequate tool exists. In such a case, others confronted with the same problem will often be happy to pay for the solution. This raises the question, what steps should be taken by anyone hoping to proﬁt from an invention?

Some early research can aid in consideration of the possible commercial appeal of your invention. It can also help in reviewing both the risk of infringing third party patent rights and the chances of obtaining a patent.Searches can be conducted via search engines in addition to free patent databases, such as

Obtaining patent protection

A carpenter by trade, Scott Rampling had always taken a keen interest in hand tools. Using them daily, and observing other trades, he felt they could be significantly improved. With limited experience of prototyping, Scott made crude versions on his first projects, with plastic pipes, rivets and solvent weld glue, though he maintains these basic methods are still often the best way to initially prove a concept. When it comes to cutting plastic plumbing pipe, the marketplace has (more recently) become flooded with single-size cutters. It had long been said that a similar size and style of device for cutting multi-diameter pipes was unachievable. During the recent Covid lockdown, Scott set out to prove otherwise. At first, he had a degree of success, but realised that his initial design had too manyThecomponents.objectiveinmost designs (particularly of this nature) is to keep things simple – so less can go wrong during use, while also facilitating a competitive retail price. Stripping the design back completely, and striking a delicate balance between lateral rigidity and perimeter flexibility was the key to solving this problem. Creating further crude prototypes using other cutters that had been deconstructed and modified, Scott was able to transfer thoughts into action and test different designs very quickly.

40 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK FEATURE | PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Case study: Scott Rampling

• Most importantly, keep your idea secret and consult a patent attorney early on in the process. Lack of design experience or contacts in the industry don’t need to be barriers. If you have a good idea, you can make it happen. Patent attorneys are quite often in a position to help with the next steps, such as suggesting trusted partners or advising on licensing and starting your own business. If you have an idea and are unsure about where to start, contact the CIPHE technical helpline where we can signpost you to various industrial associates, such as Rupert Knights at Forresters (forresters-ip.com), who can offer some initial free advice.

“Allow yourself to change course if you feel your design could be bettered”

Scott developed a range of multi-diameter FLEX cutters for OX Tools

• Don’t be afraid to produce crude prototypes at first, and take advantage of home 3D printing if you can. Professional 3D print can be very expensive, but is useful at the stage of approaching potential customers or clients.

With improved cutting ability and a squarer cut, these new FLEX devices reduce the number of tools necessary for everyday plumbing tasks, which is great for the plumber, and the planet.

The next stage was to use relatively cheap in-house 3D printing facilities to nail down the final designs. This eventually resulted in a slick new range of multi-diameter FLEX cutters for OX Tools (as pictured), which roll out in the coming weeks. The UK patent for the cutters has recently been granted, and corresponding patent applications are pending in a number of countries.

• If you think you have a good idea, follow up with research to understand the target sales market.

• Be determined, but avoid tunnel vision. Allow yourself to change course if you feel your initial design could be bettered with a different approach.

Tips for getting started Having success as well as some failures, Scott maintains there are some very important aspects to note when embarking on a new design project:

• Keep your ideas as simple as you can – where possible.

Helpfully, further patent applications, outside the UK, can be delayed. Any applications filed within 12 months of the UK application can take the UK filing as their effective date. Furthermore, strategies can be adopted to limit application costs at the 12-month stage, whilst keeping options for increased geographical coverage open.

Looking beyond the UK, since patents are territorial, it is necessary to obtain a patent in each country of interest.

The cost for obtaining patent protection in the UK will vary depending on the complexity of both the invention and the prior art. However, it would generally be reasonable to budget between £3,000 and £4,500+VAT for initial filing costs, with total costs through to patent grant (including the filing costs) of between £5,000 and £7,500+VAT. Costs beyond the initial filing amount will be spread out through the application process.

Importantly, once a patent application has been filed for an invention, the invention can be freely disclosed without risk of invalidating the application (or any planned later overseas applications). This means the invention can be publicised as needed to try to develop it as a commercial product. For example, by disclosure to any potential partners/ licensees, by demonstrations at trade shows or otherwise. The market can be developed as far as possible within the 12 months following filing for a patent, before considering whether wider protection may be warranted.

“There has never been a better time for installers to look at inventing their own products”

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QU ARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 41 PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY | FEATURE file a patent application. A patent application comprises a complex legal document, which provides a detailed description of the invention and ends in a series of statements, called claims, that specify the critical features of the invention and define the legal monopoly sought. It is always recommended to use a patent attorney for preparing and filing patent applications. The application must be filed at the patent office in the territory in which protection is sought. In the UK, this is the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The application process in the UK typically takes four to six years, but can be as short as nine to 12 months when steps are taken to accelerate proceedings. Following the filing of an application, a search is conducted to look for prior disclosures relevant to the invention. As noted, for an invention to be patentable, it must be new. The search looks for relevant disclosures, primarily in the form of earlier published patent applications. The application is then subject to examination by the IPO, where the claims are scrutinised against any relevant earlier disclosures (prior art) noted in the search. During this phase, it is typically necessary to modify the scope of the claims to suitably distinguish them from any prior art found during the search. Once the IPO is satisfied that the invention, as defined by the claims, is suitably distinguished from the prior art, a patent is granted.

The path to profit

JERRY WHITELEY CIPHE technical manager Jerry has worked as a self-employed installer and also has experience teaching. He advises on technical issues and compliance jerryw@ciphe.org.uk

The final touch: installing an automatic flush I am probably a typical plumber – the jobs at home are always the last ones to get done. However, I recently decided to sort out the downstairs toilet, which had an issue with flushing. The drop valve had become harder to push down and the family was saying, “Don’t we have a plumber?” I bet we’ve all heard that one. The Roca EM1 touchless flush seemed like the ideal solution for an upgrade. The advantage of installing an automatic flush valve and sensor flush is that the integrated infrared sensor on the flush button detects the movement of your hand and flushes without contact.These types of automatic sensors are becoming ever more popular because they also help avoid bacteria growth and spreading viruses. Many manufacturers are now making taps and other components suitable for the domestic market as demand grows. automatic

With health and hygiene a key concern for consumers, automatic ﬂushes are becoming increasingly popular, says Jerry Whiteley

42 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK THE FIX ADVICE ON INSTALLING A TOUCHLESS FLUSH

An automatic ﬂush uses a sensor for touchlesscompletelyﬂushing

The usual plastic push rod underneath needed cutting to length to allow a manual ﬂush operation, should it be necessary. The water usage of the ﬂush can be adjusted from 6/4, 4.5/3 or 4/2 litres accordingly, which can help save on annual household water usage.

I know that not all cistern removals are simple, as access can be awkward, water might not completely turn o , ﬂoat valves can be easily cross threaded and screws or bolts heavily corroded. Experienced plumbers will know to go prepared with spares and deal with potential problems.

To get started, I turned o the water supply to the cistern – via its service valve –disconnected the pipe and removed the lid and screws holding back the cistern. I had used non-rusting screws, which made this process much easier. Removing the cistern via the coupling bolts was simple as they hadn’t corroded. I then emptied out the remaining water and used an old towel to protect the toilet seat, placing the cistern on its back, ready to remove the existing drop valve.

4 Job done

The whole job took me around 45 minutes.

Changing over the drop valve for the new one was straightforward. Once the old one was out, I cleaned the surfaces of any grit etc. then cleaned o the metal clamping plate. Always be careful not to over tighten the locking nut when ﬁtting the drop valve and clamping plate. Like any plastic nut, it strips the thread and has to be thrown away and replaced with a new part. I replaced the seal ring because you tend to ﬁnd the old one has either lost its compression, become split or perished. If you don’t, then you might well be taking the cistern o again to do it sooner than you imagined.

3 Final fix Re-assembling the cistern back on to the pan and connecting the water back on, ready for testing with a manual flush, helps to check for those minor drips that might not show up on the first flush or two, as the sealing ring compresses from being bolted together in between the pan and cistern.

Preparation

I removed the existing chrome push button from the cistern lid, which needed to be a 40mm hole to match up with the new one. The battery pack, found at the top of the overﬂow tube, holds four AAA batteries and should work for at least 40,000 ﬂushes.

I then inserted the batteries and connected the two cables (red and black), simply pushing/screwing them into their corresponding connections at the top of the new valve. The button still retains the ability to ﬂush manually in case the batteries fail.

“You can adjust the water usage of the ﬂush, which can help save on your annual household water usage.”

2 All change

CIPHE.ORG.UK

2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 43 TOUCHLESS FLUSH | THE FIX 1

44 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK THE FIX | CPD ASSESSMENT 1 The guidance G11.1 from the Water Regulations covers which part of a WC installation? a The float valve b The siphon c The overflow d The flush volume 2 A watertight seal in-between the cistern and toilet bowl is formed using which component? a Boss White b Mastic c Doughnut washer d Fibre washer 3The Roca EM1 valve can do at least how many flushes from its battery-powered button? a 1,000 b 2,000 c 10,000 d 40,000 4 What is the correct method of fixing a cistern back to a tiled wall? a Steel screws b Adhesive c Non-rusting screws d Not required 5 What is the minimum water flush from the EM1 valve? a 6 L b 4.5 L c 4 L d 2 L 6Identify the advantages of using a touchless flushing valve compared to a standard push-button drop valve. a Spreading viruses b Easier for people with arthritic joints c Stop bacteria growth d Flushes can be adjusted to water saving settings 7 The EM1 requires what size hole in a cistern lid to be compatible? a 30 mm b 40 mm c 50 mm d 75 mm 8 When installing the new EM1 drop valve, care must be taken with which parts of the task? a Tightening in the valve b Protecting the toilet seat c Spilling water d Tightening the cistern back on YOUR CPD CIPHE members are expected to complete 30 hours of CPD each year. Completion of these assessments can count towards this requirement. WHAT TO DO Answer the questions (using an additional A4 sheet if necessary) and return by scanning and emailing or posting to the address below. YOUR DETAILS Please complete this form YOUR NAME: CIPHE MEMBERSHIP NUMBER: EMAIL: RETURN TO: CPD Assessment, CIPHE, 64 Station www.ciphe.org.uk/cpdareaOrinfo@ciphe.org.ukEssexHornchurch,Lane,RM126NBvisitthemembers-onlyoftheCIPHEwebsite: KEEPING UP YOUR CPD? For all the 2021 answers go to www.pandhengineering.co.uk Automatic flush valves

pumpsHEATING

HEATING

Next-generation heat

THE FIX

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 45

Reducing pressure Wolseley has launched a new range of jet pressure-reducing valves, approved by Kiwa Watertec, which means they are compliant to UK Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations for both hot and cold applications. The valves have passed stringent testing by the independent UK body, and the KUKreg4 certificate issued by Kiwa, a global top 20 testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) organisation, is equivalent to a WRAS certificate. www.wolseley.co.uk degradation.

VALVESFLUSHES

BATHROOMS VIESSMANN HAS LAUNCHED two new-generation monobloc air source heat pumps – the Vitocal 150-A and 151-A. Ideal for replacing boilers in the UK’s existing housing stock, they are easy to install and available with outputs of 10, 13 and 16 kW. Both the wall-mounted Vitocal 150-A and the floor-standing Vitocal 151-A have a high maximum flow temperature of 70°C (at a minimum outside temperature of -10°C), meaning in most cases they can use existing radiators and do not require underfloor heating. Both use the same control platform as Viessmann’s boilers, so that they are compatible with the rest of Viessmann’s product range. Both integrate previously separate system elements in the indoor unit (IDU), reducing installation time by two hours. www.viessmann.co.uk Spa-style bath Kaldewei Whirl systems combine bathroomstate-of-the-artdesignwiththe joy of a luxurious private spa. From a vigorous sports-style massage through to a gentle caress, there are four massage systems available. It can also be switched to silent mode to ensure the atmosphere of well-being is not disturbed. www.kaldewei.com

GET IN TOUCH Would you like to see your product featured here? Contact pandhengineering@jamespembrokemedia.co.uk THE FIX | PRODUCT NEWS

No more leaks

Cistermiser has launched the EasyflushEVO range – a sensor-activated siphon dual flush for non-touch and leak-free flushing. The patented siphon flush design means there is no flush seal below the waterline, so, unlike traditional flush valves, it will not leak due to debris, scale or seal degradation. co.ukwww.cistermiser.

Wireless control Grant UK has added the NeoAir V2-M wireless programmable room thermostat to its range of Uflex NeoStat V2 and Edge controls, all of which are compatible with the Grant Uflex and Uflex MINI underfloor heating systems. The NeoAir V2-M is a battery-powered programmable room thermostat that has wireless RF connectivity. It can either be used as a thermostat, a time clock or as both a thermostat and hot water timer, so it o ers installers and their customers flexibility when it comes to installation. www.grantuk.com/products/underfloor-heating

46 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK MEMBERSHIP YOUR KEY MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS AND HOW YOU CAN GET MORE INVOLVED WITH THE CIPHE C hange is micro-SMEsofchangingsuccessfulequippedlearningcommitimportantcome.moreemissionspathwayindustryplumbingunderwayalreadyintheandheatingandthelong-termtonetzerocarbonmeansthatmanychangesarestilltoWiththisinmind,it’sthatmemberstocontinuedtoensuretheyaretomaintaincareersinthelandscape.Withsuchahighvolumesoletradersandoperatinginthe plumbing and heating industry, fi nding the time for CPD can feel particularly challenging. However, e ective participation can have the most easily identifi able benefi ts. All CIPHE members agree to adhere to our Code of Professional Standards, which includes a commitment to ‘broaden, improve and maintain skills, knowledge and personal qualities. To keep up-to-date with developments in the plumbing mechanical TIM SAINTY CIPHE membership director Tim looks after the growing CIPHE membership, enhancing services for members and improving communications +44tims@ciphe.org.uk(0)1708463102 “It’s important that landscape”incommitmemberstoCPDthechanging engineering services industry by attending, recording and refl ecting on Continuing relevantDevelopmentProfessionalandothertrainingactivities’. CIPHE WANTS TO SUPPORT YOU One of the •••CPDSo,supportmembershipwherelackissampling.prooffeelstatusprofessionallysomebodyfordisappointingmostexperiencesstahereiswhenlosestheirregisteredbecausetheydonotabletocompleteaofCPDreturnduringForsome,thereafearoftheprocessorofresources.ThisisyourCIPHEcanbethatnetworkyouneed.ifyouareaskedforyourrecord,remember:CIPHEcanhelpputyourCPDrecordtogetherYoualreadyhaveaccesstoCIPHEonlinetoolstohelpyourecordCPDReflectiveCPDcanbeahugeadvantageforyouandyourbusiness CPD Staying ahead Why your continuing professional development (CPD) is so important

The names of individuals removed due to non-compliance with a CPD sample will be made available to the other PEIs.

• Professional activity Getting involved in the activities of a professional body, such as the CIPHE, presenting to others or contributing to committees and technical groups.

Around 15% of CIPHE members are registered as Engineering Technicians, Incorporated Engineers or as Chartered Engineers with the Engineering Council, which has a very clear CPD policy. Members agree to maintain their competence through CPD, and make a further commitment to keeping an up-to-date record of their CPD.

Engineering Council CPD Policy

RECORDSMeeting

• Formal education Attending courses, such as the CIPHE and LCL Awards qualiﬁ cation in Low Temperature Heating and Hot Water Systems in Dwellings.

CPD can focus on di erent areas at di erent times and take a variety of forms. Individual registrants are best placed to determine their needs and how to meet them. At its heart is informal learning through working life and interaction with others. But this may be supplemented by structured activities –courses, distance learning, private study, mentoring, preparation of papers and presentations, involvement in professional activities, or voluntary work. Whatever its purpose or nature, learning through CPD should relate to speciﬁ c objectives, even if these are only to maintain professional engineering competence. UK-SPEC and the ICTTech standard may serve as a framework for setting development objectives. Doing this will help registrants to determine their future needs. It will also encourage an outcome-based approach that is more appropriate to professional learning than relying solely on quantitative measures, such as hours or points.

• Self-directed learning Making use of professional resources like magazines, publications, guides and manuals, and identifying relevant content to help with your professional development. What counts as CPD?

Sampling registrants’ CPD records

requirements

CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 47 MEMBERSHIP

One of the main functions of a professional body is promoting and supporting the development of its members. The professional engineering institutions (PEIs) licensed by the Engineering Council advise and support their members on CPD in a number of ways, such as providing guidance, resources and mentoring programmes. The PEIs also undertake annual random samples of professionally active registrants’ CPD records, as described in the Engineering Council’s Registration Code of Practice. The intention is not to police registrants, but to encourage a culture in which members will take ownership of their development. Planning this in a more conscious way beneﬁts them, their employers and society.

• Workplace activities This can be reﬂecting on the work you have been involved in or a project you have managed, and how you might approach a similar task in the future; considering and responding to feedback from your customers; or supporting and helping to develop colleagues, such as apprentices, in the workplace.

Much of your CPD is already done without you even realising, but the trick is to add reﬂection to aid with its future direction. Your CIPHE membership can help with CPD in a number of ways. Through your member account at ciphe.org.uk you can set goals, and track and reﬂect upon your progress towards them via our mycareerpath™ online tool. We will be launching an online academy to help you complete CPD at a time that is convenient for you. CIPHE will continue to provide information regarding the future of the industry that will help you identify the skills you want to There’spursue.along list of things that can be considered as CPD when you place them in the right context, which include:

Professionally active registrants who persistently do not respond to requests for CPD records from a Licensed Member risk removal from the Engineering Council Register.

The value of noncorrosive water pumps Corrosion of immersed water pumps is a common problem that leads to equipment failure. The CIPHE Hong Kong Branch discusses innovations to prevent damage occurring

W hen dealing with chemically aggressive and abrasive waste water, it’s important that pumps are made with resilient components. A common problem that occurs when pumping this type of waste water is that the shaft seal and cable inlet are attacked and destroyed by the ﬂuids. This enables the corrosive liquid to enter the motor housing, which can reduce the performance, cause permanent defects or lead to total failure of the pump.

To combat this issue, HOMA

FINDMOREOUT Stay

To ensure continuous pumping, individual components, such as the motor housing, impeller and pump housing, are made of stainless steel 1.4408. The motor shaft is manufactured with stainless steel 1.4462, while the various mechanical connecting parts also use stainless steel 1.4408. The mechanical seal is available as an encapsulated version, so that the spring

The highly resistant investment cast stainless steel makes the series resilient against aggressive ﬂuids. In addition, contaminated water containing solids, such as sand and sludge, can also be pumped. The pumps can handle ﬂuid with solid size starting from 10mm up to 150mm. Due to its compact and robust design, this stainless steel unit is versatile and can be installed and operated on either a stationary or mobile basis, making it ideal for use in the chemical industry and for the disposal of abrasive waste water.

Pumpenfabrik GmbH has developed a comprehensive range of stainless steel, submersible pumps. The individual series CH, CTP, MXS, CV, CVX and KX are equipped with discharge connectors from 2-inch to DN 400. The units are made of resistant, investment cast stainless steel, which means vibrations are absorbed more e ectively. This results in less stress on the bearing and mechanical seal, which increases its service life and considerably reduces the frequency of maintenance required. in touch with what’s happening at CIPHE-HKB – visit ciphe.org.hk

TECHTALK | HONG KONG 48 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022 CIPHE.ORG.UK

Preventing transmission

The HK Branch, along with HKIE-BSD, CIBSE HK Branch and BSOMES, has organized the Leaky Drain Busters programme, which will take an engineering approach to focus on how to prevent the virus spreading from residential drainage systems.

“There is an increasingly high demand for stainless steel submersible pumps in infrastructure projects”

developmentProfessional

Although the initial cost is high compared to cast iron pumps, companies are willing to use the stainless steel submersible pump due to its high corrosion resistance, enhanced service lifetime and trouble-free operation, which results in a reliable pumping system.

HOMA Pumpenfabrik GmbH has developed a comprehensive range of stainless steel, submersible pumps

EDUCATION

Lau Hing Cheong, also known as Emil, has over 20 years’ experience in design, construction and project management within building services. He has carried out a wide variety of projects, covering government buildings, education institutions, hospitals, industrial buildings, commercial buildings and residential buildings in Hong Kong. He also has experience in administrative and supervisory work as a senior project manager at a contractor company, and is registered as a Chartered Engineer of the Engineering Council and a Licensed Plumber (HK).Emil is actively involved in education and professional development: “Education is at the heart of the CIPHE-HKB,” he says. “We are always looking for new blood and it is important to attract trainees and the next generation into the CIPHE-HKB, especially as trainees bring energy and a new vision. If anybody is interested in getting involved, I’d be very happy to talk to them.” of the seal does not come into contact with the pumped medium. This eliminates the need for bellows, which tend to be a fragile component. Liquids can be transported at temperatures of up to 40°C and levels of 60°C can also be sustained for brief periods. In addition, the submersible pumps are available in an explosion-proof design, in line with the ATEX Directive II 2G Ex c d IIB ThereT4(T3).isan increasingly high demand for using stainless steel submersible pumps in infrastructure projects, such as the Airport Authority (Third Runway project), MTRC (Shatin to Central Link) and some private developers of residential housing in Hong Kong.

For details of CPD, events and to register with the Engineering Council from Hong Kong, contact info@ciphe.org.uk

HONG KONG | TECHTALK CIPHE.ORG.UK 2022 | QUARTER THREE | P&H ENGINEERING 49

The onset of Covid-19 reminded the public of their experience during the SARS outbreak in 2003. As a result, they learned the importance of building drainage pipes and maintaining ventilation.

In addition to the government’s e ort to limit the spread of the virus, it is our responsibility to provide advice to the public to combat the surge of infection.

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Financial backup

The conditions covered by critical illness insurance will vary from one provider to another, so it’s important that you read the small print to ensure you know exactly what is included.

Illness can strike at any time, so it’s important to be prepared

Critical illness cover Critical illness cover is a type of insurance that o ers ﬁnancial protection in the event of you unexpectedly falling seriously“Criticalill.illness cover is likely to be helpful if you don’t have enough money saved to fall back on in the event that you become ill unexpectedly, or if your employer doesn’t o er an employment beneﬁts package to cover periods of unemployment due to sickness,” explains Navdeep Dusanjh, senior account executive at United Insurance Brokers.

Insurance policies will not pay like for like, so expect to receive around half to two thirds of your earnings before you stopped working. This is because you will be able to claim state beneﬁts. However, the income you receive from the policy will be tax free.

Income protection insurance Income protection insurance guarantees you a regular income if you are unable to work due to sickness or disability and will continue until you return to paid work or

N o one likes to think about getting sick, but it’s something that happens to everyone at one stage or another. Whether you’re self-employed or are on the payroll, it’s worth considering investing in some insurance to help ease the ﬁnancial burden should you ever become seriously ill and therefore unable to work.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), three core conditions covered by all critical illness insurance policies are cancer, heart attack and stroke. In addition to these core conditions, critical illness policies can cover a wide variety of other conditions, or just a few. Some insurance companies include more than 60 ailments, conditions and injuries. Although your condition may be on the list, whether you get a pay-out could all depend on how severe or permanent it is. Some types of cancer are not covered by critical illness insurance, as they are not deemed as a threat and are easily treatable. Additionally, some companies do not pay out for a cancer claim unless it has reached a speciﬁc stage. Other conditions, such as mild strokes and heart attacks, could be excluded based on severity, so it’s important to know what’s covered.

“Thisretire.type of insurance can be very important for anyone who relies on a pay check to cover their living costs, but it’s especially important if you’re self-employed or own a small business, where your employment and income is a bit less stable,” says Dusanjh.

“Insurance can be very important for anyone who relies on a pay check”

Before getting income protection insurance it is important to check that you don’t already qualify for help through your employer or have cover as part of your mortgage agreement. You may have what you deem to be adequate savings, but think carefully if you want to rely on them and whether they will be enough to cover a period of long or permanent ill health. If you’re not sure which type of illness insurance would be best for you, or whether it’s even necessary in your situation, seek help from an independent ﬁnancial adviser that’s registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) at register.fca.org.uk/s

Is it necessary?

WELLBEING | INSURANCE 50 P&H ENGINEERING | QUARTER THREE | 2022

UIB provides services for CIPHE members. For more information, visitciphe-member/uibdirect.co.uk/

Upon diagnosis of a serious illness, disability or medical condition, critical illness payouts happen relatively quickly. The lump sum is tax exempt, so you can spend it however you see ﬁt – whether that is clearing debt, private medical bills or adapting your home to meet your needs. What’s covered?

It makes good sense to consider the beneﬁts of illness insurance and thoroughly research the kind of cover you may need