Oil Installer Winter 2012

Topical issues affecting the industry today in association with

www.oftec.org

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Editorial

Contents

Help us raise oil’s profile 4-7, 12-13 / Industry News

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As we approach the end of another year, it’s been a tough and challenging time for the oil heating & cooking industry.

Recognising the terrific contribution that many technicians and companies make to keep industry standards high, the OFTEC Awards for Excellence were held in Manchester last month. The awards followed the two-day Oil & Renewable Energy Show, which showed how oil can work with renewable technologies.

8-11 / The Oil & Renewable Energy Show 14-15 / OFTEC Awards for Excellence 16-17 / Irish Initiatives

From 28th January, 2013 – cashback available on an oil condensing boiler We’re very pleased that oil condensing boilers are included in the government’s Green Deal scheme. Customers will be eligible for a £310 cashback when they buy a new boiler, provided they invest in Green Deal measures within six months.

Technicians can now apply to OFTEC to extend their scope and become Green Deal registered installers.

Green Deal helps people make their homes more energy efficient. OFTEC is in discussion with Green Deal providers about how registered technicians can benefit from the additional work which will be generated.

Alongside these positive developments, we’re very disappointed that bioliquids will probably not be included in the government’s domestic Renewable Heat Incentive. This is an own goal because conversion to bioliquids represents an easy way for rural households to lower carbon emissions.

On the campaign trail Working closely with the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers, OFTEC is busy promoting the benefits of oil heating.

The new OilSave campaign highlights the cost and CO2 savings when installing a condensing boiler. Switching to renewable technologies can involve high installation costs and, in many of the older rural properties, such technologies may not work as effectively – customers need to be in a position to make an informed choice.

When servicing or repairing a customer’s boiler, please leave an OilSave leaflet and encourage them to find out more at www.oilsave.org.uk.

18-19 / In Conversation with Warmflow 20-28 / Boiler News 29-30 / Hot Technical Topics 31 / Installer Focus south west England 32-34 / Tank News 35-38 / Training 39-43 / Products & Services 44-45 / Renewables 46 / Gallery

Best wishes,

Jeremy Hawskley

Credits Ashley & Dumville Publishing Ltd Caledonian House, Tatton Street, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 9AB 6AG Tel: +44 (0)1565 653283; Fax: +44 (0)1565 755607 mail@andpublishing.co.uk The publishers gratefully acknowledge the support of those firms whose advertisements appear throughout this publication. As a reciprocal gesture we have pleasure in drawing the attention of our readers to their announcements. It is necessary however for it to be made clear that, whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication and the statements it contains, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies, or the products or services advertised.

Printed by Pelican Press, Manchester Tel: 0161 273 3434

Advertising Publishing manager: Jonathan Hibbert Media pack on request jonathan@oilinstaller.co.uk

News Desk Editor: Jane Hughes jane@oilinstaller.co.uk Autumn 2011 Volume 5 No 3 ISSN 1755-3490 Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 3

Industry News – possibilities, promotions and pondering Government U-turn no help for rural areas says OFTEC

Promoting the oil message – reliable, safe and established

Bioliquids will not be included in the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). According to OFTEC, the latest announcement by the government means that homes in rural areas will have very little incentive to switch to renewable fuels, so will continue to have very large CO2 footprints.

The U-turn comes after the government accepted B30K – a blend of biofuel and kerosene – as a potential candidate for RHI support in 2010 because it has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 28%. But now ministers say they will only give RHI support to biomass boilers, air or ground source heat pumps and solar thermal technologies.

“We’re very disappointed at this decision,” said OFTEC director general, Jeremy Hawksley. “We will continue to argue forcefully during the consultation period for bioliquids to have RHI support. Whilst extensive field trials have demonstrated that B30K works fine in existing boilers, it seems odd that government policy wants to make rural oil users rip out those perfectly good systems when they could just be converted to run on bioliquid.

“In contrast, recent trials of heat pumps have revealed the limitations of the technology in many homes, such as having to install oversized radiators to cope with the lower heat temperatures. The cost of running electricity driven heat pumps is similar to the running costs of an oil boiler, so it’s difficult to see the benefit to the consumer of changing their system. We hope that ministers will consider all these points during the consultation process.”

Around 1.4 million UK households use oil; OFTEC thinks many will find the RHI unworkable. RHI technologies proposed in the consultation have expensive up front capital costs, and many require home improvements before the property is considered eligible. Applicants will have to demonstrate that they have already installed certain measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation. In addition, the grants payable under RHI may change in future years, so there is no guarantee of payback.

OFTEC has joined forces with the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) to launch a joint consumer marketing and PR campaign to help protect the existing market share for oil heating and cooking.

The new initiative includes flyers, leaflets and webbased information with the www.oilsave.org.uk website now refocused and updated as a focal point for the campaign.

OFTEC’s marketing manager, Malcolm Farrow said: “Registered technicians and FPS delivery staff can play an important role in getting the message out to their oil heating customers. We hope that everyone supports the campaign to protect our industry’s market share.”

The campaign promotes oil – a reliable, safe and established choice – as the best option for rural users, and encourages upgrading to a condensing boiler which could save around 25% on fuel bills.

As well as being a cheaper fuel than LPG, users can benefit from changing supplier at any time, and getting cheaper prices by ordering in the summer months. www.oilsave.org.uk

Oilsave – advice, information and the best possible service for oil customers, enabling them to make informed choices for their future energy needs

On pages 44 and 45 of this issue, the Heat Pump Association provides a comparison between oil-fired heating and heat pumps in off-gas grid applications.

Now live!

News 4 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

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Features

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Opinions

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What is the future for oil heating?

A debate on the future of oil heating was held at last month’s Oil & Renewable Energy Show.

On the panel (pictured below) were OFTEC’s Jeremy Hawksley, Mark Askew from the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS), Brett Hale of Riello and Peter Carter from Atkinson Equipment.

Chairing the debate was Jane Hughes, editor of Oil Installer.

With a packed seminar theatre and several people keen to give their views, this debate could, and should, have lasted far longer.

Send your views on the future of oil heating to jane@ oilinstaller.co.uk

To be expected, the panel’s views on the future of oil heating were very diverse and in some cases, totally opposing.

Explored by both OFTEC and the FPS, current threats to oil include its price, its exclusion from new build properties under the Code for Sustainable Homes, bioliquids being ruled out of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), the possibility of an extra tax and the RHI subsidies.

Whilst Riello sees oil working in partnership with solar thermal and heat pumps, the company believes that without bioliquids, oil does not and will not have a green credential to fit into the future energy mix.

Whilst agreeing that our industry should work with renewables – particularly those unable to supply hot water all year round – Atkinson Equipment made a plea for our industry not to tinker with fuel and equipment that is tried, tested and trusted by its customers. Peter Carter argued that happy customers would give the industry greater leverage, should the government decide to ban oil heating altogether!

In 2001, kerosene sales were at 2639 kilotonne (kmt), last year this was down to 1973kmt reported Mark Askew. The government predicts that by 2020, 380,000 homes will have switched to alternative technologies aided by the RHI.

“One of oil’s problems is that it’s so damn good,” said Andy Townsend in Oil Installer summer 2012. Now also working with renewables, Andy pointed out that we ‘can’t just turn the oil tap off’.

But, the question the industry does need to ask now is, if more than a quarter of heating oil customers have stopped using kerosene by 2020, how long will a declining market remain attractive to refiners, wholesalers and fuel distributors?

Your views on the ability of the oil heating market to resist the threats are invited jane@oilinstaller.co.uk.

@OilInstaller

Products

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Training

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Events Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 5

Industry News – Green Deal and the need for energy to work more efficiently Shaken not stirred at 50 Managing directors past and present gathered to celebrate Worcester, Bosch Group’s 50th anniversary with a James Bond themed evening in September.

“Looking ahead, we’re confident that our core business of manufacturing high-efficiency condensing boilers still offers huge growth potential,” said current managing director, Carl Arntzen.

“In addition to this, we’ve have got a fantastic opportunity to expand our current product offering through diversification too. This will involve moving into new markets and product segments that we haven’t traditionally operated in before but are well placed to do so.” www.50yearsofwarmth.co.uk

New radiators to improve UK energy efficiency Simply replacing existing radiators will improve the energy efficiency of millions of homes across the UK A survey conducted on behalf of the Manufacturers’ Association of Radiators and Convectors (MARC) has shown that 20% of homeowners still have radiators in their homes which do not have convectors.

MARC chairman John Colling said: “While the Green Deal focuses on other product areas, radiators are still as efficient, if not more so, than other emitters on the market, and, with these products already installed in 23.6 million of the 26.3 million homes in the UK, changing them and making a difference to the environment couldn’t be easier, or cheaper.”

Reducing energy demand

Cecil Duckworth, Kevin Lee, Richard Soper CBE and current managing director, Carl Arntzen were joined by employees and industry partners from the last five decades

Oil theft – be more vigilant Full tanks and rising prices make heating oil a very attractive target at this time of the year Recent incidents have seen thieves target quiet rural communities, siphoning fuel from oil storage tanks outside people’s homes. One recent incident even saw the tank and its contents being totally removed. Most victims are completely unaware that anything is wrong until their heating stops working.

Help your customers to protect their fuel supply by recommending the following:

Check fuel levels regularly to make sure none has gone missing.

Fit a tank lock or a lockable filler cap Install automatic movement sensor security lighting around the tank Fit an alarm system to the tank to warn if oil levels drop suddenly If planting shrubs or using fence panels to hide the tank, ensure minimum separation distances are adhered to so they don’t cause a fire hazard

At last month’s Oil &Renewable Energy Show, Dunraven Systems launched a new range of tank alarms – see pages 32 and 33.

OFTEC Direct – www.oftecdirect.com – has a range of accessories to help prevent oil theft – see page 41.

6 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Initiated by the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE), the Renovate Europe Campaign is lobbying for an ambitious roadmap to be drawn up on how to triple the annual renovation rate of the EU building stock.

The campaign promotes using all available energy saving technologies, and aims for a renovation rate increase from 1% to 3% by 2020, leading to an 80% reduction of the energy demand of the building stock by 2050, as compared to 2005. www.renovate-europe.eu

More efficient products The main way to deliver energy efficiency is through a commitment from manufacturers to design more efficient products says the Green Alliance.

Its Cutting Britain’s Energy Bill report states that by 2020, 42% of energy cost reductions are expected to come from more efficient products, saving £158 off The power of negawatts – rewards the average energy bill. The report for reducing electricity also says that more should be done usage to make UK consumers aware of the benefits of energy efficiency.

The Green Alliance is also advocating an electricity efficiency feed in tariff as the ‘simplest and best way to reduce electricity demand by 40% by 2030’ with users rewarded for every unit of electricity, known as a negawatt, they save. www.green-alliance.org.uk

Energy Efficiency Installer

Installers ‘crucial’ to Green Deal Green Deal could fail if the government does not attempt to change how consumers respond to energy efficiency messages warns the Heating and Hot Water Industry Council (HHIC).

the installer will have a crucial role in determining …the extent to which the efficiency of the UK’s housing stock will be improved HHIC believes that the scheme, launched in October, will only succeed if potential users understand how their lives can be improved with the new technologies, and how to use them effectively.

Roger Webb, HHIC director, said: “It’s important to recognise that the installer has a huge influence over the consumer’s purchasing decisions. So in the end, the installer will have a crucial role in determining the level of Green Deal uptake and hence the extent to which the efficiency of the UK’s housing stock will be improved.”

Becoming a Green Deal installer Backed by significant government funding support, condensing oil boilers are eligible as an energy efficiency measure under Green Deal, providing an opportunity for registered installers to carry out the work OFTEC is an accredited Green Deal certification body for the installation of condensing oil boilers, heating controls and heating system insulation. Instead of an up-front payment, the cost of any work is paid for through a finance plan with an installment charge added to the customer’s energy bill.

To help registered technicians become Green Deal installers, OFTEC has published a guide at www.oftec.org.

To add Green Deal to its scope of registration, a business must employ a technician registered for OFT 105E (installation of combustion appliances and systems) PLUS either OFT 101 (single stage pressure jet servicing & commissioning) or OFT 201 (multi-stage pressure jet servicing & commissioning)

Meeting the needs of a developing market Energy efficiency is set to be a huge part of the future Providing expert opinion on latest technologies.

Keeping you up to date with changing legislation and policies. Explaining complex Green Deal structures and relationships and increasing the understanding of complimentary sectors. Insights into business issues such as finance, sales and partnerships.

For all advertising enquiries please contact Paul Smith on 01565 626 762 or Paulsmith@andpublishing.co.uk To request your personal copy of Energy Efficiency Installer contact Meryl Egan on 01565 653 283 or Meryl@andpublishing.co.uk

NB: If a business does not employ a technician with these scopes of registration, it will need to demonstrate, during an evaluation, how it controls the sub-contracting of this area.

Registered technicians can download a Green Deal installer application form from the OFTEC website along with an information sheet explaining associated business opportunities.

As part of the approval process an OFTEC inspector carries out a business audit. Once verified and accepted installers will be issued with a Green Deal registration certificate and ID badges, and be included on the Green Deal national register as an accredited installer.

Heating & Cooling

Microgeneration

Building Fabric

Water Heating

Lighting

Windows & Doors

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 7

The Oil & Renewable Energy Show took place at Manchester Central in mid October.

The following pages give a flavour of the show which tackled some of the hottest topics in energy – the future of oil heating, Green Deal, the Renewable Heat Incentive, integrating oil with renewables, energy performance certificates and much more – in a packed two-day seminar programme.

Harlequin tanks were displayed to perfection in the grandeur of Manchester Central’s architectural heritage

Providing up to 70% of a home’s hot water requirements, Kingspan’s Thermomax solar vacuum tube collectors catches a visitor’s eye

OFTEC was on hand to answer queries – seen here taking one from Richard Harper of British Gas! Making renewables more do able for installers in off gas areas was Parts Center/Plumb Center

Warmflow’s Phil Craggs introduces visitors to some of the company’s new renewable technologies

Brett Hale (r) of Riello chats with Jason Selkirk from Preston-based PGO Plumbing Gas & Oil

Oil Installer would like to thank the show’s sponsors pictured above for their support in a very tough market which was most appreciated.

8 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Oil installer editor, Jane Hughes interviews Chris Clancy on the Worcester stand – find out more on the new Oil Installer website –

www.oilinstaller. co.uk

The show offered opportunities to get up close and personal with a whole range of boilers and…. …. to check out safe solar installation on a mock roof (see below) and ….to seek advice from the staff at Heating World of Spares (right)

Vikki Smith, Carolyn Jarrett, and Angela Street from Oldham-based HSB Engineering Insurance chat with Sandra Curties (centre) from A&D Publishing

Mark Gibbs (far right) of Norwich-based Gibbs Heating & Plumbing Services questions the panel at the future of oil heating debate

Green Deal – what’s it all about?

Simon Allen, head of sustainability at Plumb Center, Lu Rahman, editor of Renewable Energy Installer and Cathy Debenham, director, YouGen were on hand to answer questions

Babek Daemi of Everlasting Marketing & PR demonstrates the ease of solar installation

Mark Askew, chief executive of the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers refers to the Oil Save campaign which was launched jointly with OFTEC earlier this month

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 9

Trevor Seed (r) of Preston-based tank manufacturer, J Seed & Co with daughter, Wendi Whittle and Ronnie Blake, from the Edinburgh-based, Blake Group

Speaking at the integrating oil with renewables seminar was Dave Hall, national sales manager, Grant UK

From Southern Energy Installations in West Sussex – regional sales manager, Matt Jones with Russell Hunt

OFTEC assists Tim and Emma Smith from KD Tank Supplies in Marlborough, Wiltshire

The Spira condensing wood pellet boiler from Grant

The 2010 oil cooker/stove installer of the year, Richard Thwaites of RT Thwaites in Cumbria with wife Susan and OFTEC’s Ollie

10 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Looking at Warmflow’s 2013 range with Mike Pryde (l) are Jason Wright and Stuart Harvey from Shropshire-based Green Energy Solutions. The new range includes a ground source heat pump.

See page 18 for full details

Stewart Binnie of EOGB announced that from November 2012, EOGB is offering the OFT102 vapourising course- see page 35

Coming to the show from mid Wales were Mark Lloyd, the Plumbline, Steve Smith, BPS renewable thermal products in Welshpool, David Darlington, The Plumbline and colleague Visitors get the training facts from UK Certification

On camera – Barry Finnegan, general manager for KingspanSensor talks about the company’s new App – find out more on www. oilinstaller.co.uk

Peter Carter of Atkinson Equipment with visitors

The Oil Installer and Renewable Energy Installer team look forward to welcoming readers to future events Back row: Meryl Egan, Nick Smith, Mark Green, Jonathan Hibbert, Liz Boardman and Linda Farrow. Front row: Hannah Curzon, Jane Hughes, Sandra Curties, Alex Porter and Louise Cwiklinski Dunraven launches new products – see pages 32 and 33

Thank you very much to those who attended the show. Your feedback is welcomed at jane@oilinstaller.co.uk

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 11

Industry News Support for sustainable bioenergy The Highlands and Islands of Scotland have become the UK’s first bioenergy region Led by the University of the Highlands and Islands – www. uhi.ac.uk – information on all aspects of sustainable energy is available to households, small businesses and communities on a freephone advice line – 0800 512 012.

Interest free loans Up to £10,000, with a repayment period of up to 8 years, for heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal Up to £2000, with a repayment period of up to four years, for solar PV, wind turbines and micro hydro “Sustainable bioenergy offers great potential for meeting the Scottish government’s heat and transport targets, reducing both fuel poverty and energy costs for businesses,” says Fergus Ewing, the Scottish government’s minister for energy, enterprise and tourism.

© Guillaume Piolle

New service highlights need for upgrade An on site inspection carried out by OFTEC’s newly launched consultancy service found that a landlord was at risk of an enforcement notice being served by the Environment Agency.

A single skin tank, sited within the garden of a single private dwelling, was in fact being used to convey oil to two separate residences. By taking a second oil supply pipe from the tank to serve a neighbouring property, the tank was no longer deemed to be one that serves a single home.

Non-domestic regulations applied, meaning that the tank falls under the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001, and requires secondary containment.

The tank’s owner was advised to obtain a quote from an OFTEC registered technician to either install a compliant oil storage/supply facility serving just one domestic property, or to upgrade the installation to comply with the above regulations.

The consultancy service can be contacted on 0845 65 85 080.

12 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Working hard for Scotland In his new role as OFTEC’s representative in Scotland, Sandy Pagan is busy raising consumer awareness of OFTEC and the work it does Having worked as a self-employed inspector for the past five years, Sandy, who previously ran his own boiler installation company, joined OFTEC full time in June, handing the reins of his business to son, Colin.

Fruitful meetings Dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of working with a registered, competent engineer, Sandy has already met with stakeholders such as the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Water and Building Standards to impress upon them the need for properly trained oil technicians.

A recent meeting with Scottish Gas – the largest single installer of oil heating systems in Scotland – was fruitful. Scottish Gas is keen to ensure that its own quality assurance procedures dovetail with OFTEC’s technical books. Sandy is also hopeful that the company will soon insist that their technicians install only bunded tanks, and that SEPA and Building Standards can also be persuaded to support the policy.

The drive for bunded tanks “Installing a bunded tank really does provide a safeguard to the environment,” said Sandy. “Although there’s an initial extra cost involved, the benefits are significant. Condensation is much reduced, decreasing the possibility of contamination of the stored oil. The inner tank is protected from variations in outside temperature, and from UV rays. Extreme cold not only affects the molecular structure of a plastic tank but also the oil’s density and fluidity. For the consumer, bunded tanks have a longer life span, and the outer layer can protect the environment from oil spillages.”

Another key aspect of Sandy’s role is the formation of a works notification system, similar to that in England and Wales.

Working hard for OFTEC in Scotland, Sandy is always available for registered technicians seeking advice. Call Sandy on 01506 844348 or 07540 502305, or email a.pagan@oftec.org

Clamping down on logo misuse OFTEC is clamping down on non-registered businesses using its trademark Three non-registered businesses were approached for the unauthorised use of the OFTEC logo in September. OFTEC is actively assisting two local authority Trading Standards departments in court proceedings against businesses falsely claiming OFTEC registration.

The tougher actions are designed to successfully enforce the rules of the competent persons’ registration scheme, and to protect the reputation of legitimately registered businesses. Also in September, 12 businesses had their registrations suspended for not complying with the rules and requirements of the scheme.

Full rules of registration (R100) can be downloaded at www.oftec.org.

AGA Rangemaster – confident of a bright future

New appointments at OFTEC

Recent news reported a decrease in profits for AGA Rangemaster, but when Oil Installer’s Alex Porter spoke to the company, a story of positivity emerged, with strong hopes for the future

Two new faces have joined the OFTEC inspection team, taking the number of inspectors out in the field to eleven.

Based in Southampton, Dean Wroe previously worked for a major boiler manufacturer, and has run his own oil and renewable heating company. Dean will carry out audits and inspections in south central England.

In the Republic of Ireland, Sean McBride has taken over responsibility for inspections. Sean previously worked as a freelance trainer running oil and plumbing courses at an OFTEC approved training centre.

At head office, Tracey Waite has joined as a registration administrator to process an increasing number of applications from businesses and technicians. Charlotte Bethel has joined as a part-time marketing assistant.

“We’re confident we have the right mix of products, so when the economy improves we can bounce back strongly,” said Nigel Morrison, marketing manager, Rayburn.

AGA has already reported growth in sales volume this year, and with Rayburn following a similar pattern to previously, this confidence does not seem misplaced.

Global expansion The company is expanding globally, with a focus on building business in China and the USA. “We’ve been working in the USA for a number of years, and the reaction there to new products is very positive. It’s very early days in our work in China, probably too early to say how successful we will be in that region, but we have high hopes for the market.”

Sustaining innovation in product development The continued release of new, innovative products has been of key importance to AGA Rangemaster’s strategic planning in a tough climate.

One of those new products has been Eco-Connect, which links multiple products together, and automatically uses the

“The future of oil lies in combining oil products with alternative technologies,” says Nigel Morrison, marketing manager, Rayburn

greenest energy source at all times without having to adjust any switches. “That’s been a slow starter. But it’s more about pushing a mix of renewables in combination with other products. We’re seeing a gradual uptake.”

Nigel is keen to stress that moving into the alternative market has been a long term vision, rather than a knee jerk reaction to recent sales figures.

“At the time we moved into the renewables market, there wasn’t the decrease in boiler sales that we’ve seen over the last 12 months. The company has been looking at that market for five years.”

As the government announces its proposals for the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive, Nigel remains unfazed by the potential impact. “It’s unlikely to affect AGA sales much at all. There have been constant delays, and a lack of commitment from the government to move towards renewables.

“The future of oil lies in combining oil products with alternative technologies,” adds Nigel. “But for AGA Rangemaster product development, the future is bright.”

Out in the field, Dean Wroe (l) and Sean McBride are spreading the OFTEC message

Heatingoil.co.uk Your legal obligation to notify work When registered with a competent persons’ scheme like OFTEC, it is a legal requirement to notify your local authority of any work deemed as a controlled service under the building regulations in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Notification must take place within 30 days of a job – such as a boiler being put into service – being completed.

Register the job within 21 days of completion using OFTEC’s system, and OFTEC will notify on your behalf.

If OFTEC does not notify, you must apply for a retrospective regularisation order from your local authority which will cost considerably more. Failure to notify jobs is a direct contravention of the building regulations and could result in prosecution.

Fuel distributor GB Oils has launched heatingoil.co.uk.

Online manager, Rhodri Andrews, said: “When autumn weather is mild, stocking up on oil for winter can be the last thing on a customer’s mind, but ordering well in advance is beneficial, especially with all fuel optimised for winter conditions, meaning it will not freeze or develop wax crystals in storage during cold snaps.” www.heatingoil.co.uk

Adding to a customer’s online choice of heating oil websites is heatingoil.co.uk

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 13

Introducing the winners of the Servicing & Commisioning Award Wonderful to win after 45 years in the job!

Having recently celebrated 20 years providing servicing & commissioning services in and around Worcestershire, Paul Shepherd of Shepherd Combustion Services in Tenbury Wells was delighted to take the title of service & commissioning engineer of the year. Paul, who also spent 25 years as a service Paul receives his award from Cheryl Phipps engineer with a major heating of Trade Direct., the award’s sponsor manufacturer, commented: “After 45 years of doing the job, I was over the moon that my work has been recognised– it was just wonderful.”

Really proud to be nominated Philip Shakespeare from Premium Heating Services in Swadlincote, Derbyshire was a runner up in the service & commissioning category.

Starting his company just seven years ago, Phillip has built up a good solid customer base in many Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire villages, based on word of mouth recommendations.

“I was quite moved to be nominated,” said Phillip. “It made me really proud that the standard of my work had been recognised on a national level.”

Runners-up in the servicing & commissioning sector Philip Shakespeare and Tony MartinCastano with Cheryl Phipps

Recognition for quality of work Known as Tony to his customers, Antonio Martin-Castano, whose business AMC Services started life in Leamington Spa 16 years ago, was also a runner-up in this category. “It was a bit of a shock to hear that I’d reached the finals of a national competition, but it was also a nice for the quality of my work to be recognised.”

Winning the training centre title was Grant UK. Philip Stanley, training manager, receives the award from Paul Sharp, national sales manager at Riello, sponsors of the award

Best Website Jane Hughes, editor of Oil Installer, the award’s sponsor, presents the best website award to Simon Veitch, marketing coordinator for Grant UK

Training Centre

Oil Tank Installer Brian McCann, managing director of Clarehill Plastics presents John Coffin of JMC Plumbing & Heating in Oswestry with a Clarehill sponsored oil tank installer runner-up award. The winner of this category was Weymouth-based Martin Sly

14 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Best Technical Support The award for best technical support went to Worcester Bosch Group. Colin Simpson (centre) and Alison Thould accept the award from Paul Rose, OFTEC technical director

Trainee of the Year

Innovative Product Awards With David Knipe, OFTEC’s training manager (far right) are, Louise Collins of Chestnut Plumbing Services in Kent and James Kelly from Clarehill Plastics, both runners up in the trainee of the year category

Daivd Knipe (r) congratulates the winner of the trainee of the year title, Declan Phelan from Uniheat in Laois, Ireland

Successful oil installers share top prize Graham Taylor and Adam John Smith were joint winners of the oil boiler installer award.

This year the innovative product prize was shared by Grant and Kingspan.

Kingspan’s award was for the FuelServ oil management solution, an innovative pay as you go option for oil heating for vulnerable households.

Grant’s winning product was CombiSOL, a simple, cost effective solution to integrate solar thermal with both new and existing heating systems.

Expanding their winning ways in oil to include renewable energy solutions Graham, who works for the family business WD Taylor Plumbing & Heating alongside his sister, twin brother and another heating engineer, said: “I was really pleased when my local OFTEC inspector put my name forward for the award.”

Started by Graham’s father in 1958, the Tunbridge Wells-based business provides oil & gas heating services, as well as renewable energy solutions including solar thermal and heat pumps.

Adam John Smith is one of 12 employees at Total Energy Services based at Sturminster Newton in Dorset. Working on oil & gas domestic and commercial plumbing/heating projects, the company has recently expanded into renewable energy installations. Adam said: ‘When my name was announced I was a bit nervous about having to go up and collect my award. But it was fantastic to win a national prize.’

Martyn Bridges (l) of Worcester Bosch Group presents the joint winners – Neil Sawers (above) of Grant UK and Philip Browne (below) of Kingspan Environmental – with the Worcester sponsored innovative product award

Oil Boiler Installer

Adam (l) and Graham (r) receive their awards from Dave Hall, Grant’s national sales manager

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 15

Irish Initiatives £12 million to replace boilers In Northern Ireland, the Department of Social Development is making £12m available for consumers to upgrade boilers over 15-years old.

Grants of up to £1000 are now available towards a new condensing boiler.

OFTEC Ireland has information flyers available for technicians to give to customers, just call 0845 6002105 for your copies.

More information can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/boiler-replacement-allowance.

Bioliquids under discussion The introduction of bioliquids into the Republic of Ireland market to help meet the country’s 2020 renewable energy targets has been discussed.

Along with Irish staff, Jeremy Hawksley, OFTEC director general met with a senior civil servant from the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources and officials from Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI).

OFTEC pressed for an oil competent persons’ scheme to be established in the Republic to protect the consumer, and to ensure that SEAl grant monies are not wasted through poor boiler installations.

A formal submission is also to be made to the department.

Oil heating promotions OFTEC Ireland has been busy promoting the installation of high efficiency condensing boilers throughout Ireland.

The first marketing flyers, which focus on the boiler scrappage subsidy available in the North (detailed above), and the SEAI grants given in the Republic for the installation of condensing oil boilers, are now being delivered to heating oil customers by fuel distributors.

The campaign promotes cost savings, best practice in installation and the use of OFTEC registered technicians. OFTEC members are encouraged to take part in promotional activity and local press coverage. Contact dblevings@oftec.org.

Introducing a new boiler passport A revised version of the boiler passport has been agreed. The new passport has a separate certificate for the installer and commissioning engineer. The new form should remove any confusion between installer and commissioning engineer on who was responsible for completion of the passport. The onus remains with the commissioning engineer to return the passport to the manufacturer.

Carbon monoxide awareness raised To promote Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, OFTEC teamed up with the Commission for Energy Regulation, Bord Gais and other utility providers in the Republic of Ireland.

The national media campaign included radio and TV interviews on how consumers can prevent the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. One of the key messages to consumers was to get their appliances serviced annually by a competent person, such as an OFTEC registered engineer.

16 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

OFTEC on show David Blevings with regional inspector, Norman Armstrong chats with OFTEC registered technicians Michael Gilpin and Elsworth Corkin of Newell Boiler Services at the Plumbing & Heating Trade Show held in Belfast in early October.

Dunraven scoops award Dunraven Systems, suppliers of Apollo tank telemetry equipment, won Dundalk’s Best High Growth SME award at the annual Louth County Business Awards.

Speaking about the company’s success in the awards, which are open to businesses that have demonstrated strategic growth, innovation and entrepreneurship, managing director, Gerry Jones said: “We’re delighted. It’s testimony to everyone’s hard work, effort and commitment, together with the loyalty of our customers.

Since Dunraven was established, we’ve sought to provide quality, innovative and best in class solutions, backed by world-class levels of service and product support.

“During the past 12 months, we’ve continued to develop through the introduction of new products in response to customer demand and in anticipation of future market demands.” www.dunravensystems.com

Celebrating their success managing director, Gerry Jones (centre) with members of the Dunraven team

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 17

In conversation with Warmflow

Three stages of success Over the past 40 years, Warmflow has invested in development, and now employs over 200 staff between its main manufacturing facility in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and the sales and distribution site in Telford, Shropshire

In 2006, the company invested over £2 million into Europe’s most automated oil boiler manufacturing plant, and today its oil boilers continue to be built to exacting standards and have some of the industry’s top efficiency ratings. Warmflow’s condensing oil-fired boiler has become one of the UK’s best selling ranges.

In 2010, the evolution continued when the company commissioned and installed one of the UK’s most modern

automated stainless steel cylinder manufacturing facilities, costing in the region of £1million. The site now produces a full range of direct, indirect, solar direct, single coil, twin coil and triple coil cylinders.

The story continues to unfold. A biomass pellet boiler, ground and air source heat pumps are set to roll off the production lines in March 2013.

This next stage of development is the result of over two years of research, with new renewable

products designed to have unique features for the UK market.

National sales manager, Phil Craggs commented: “Warmflow is very excited about the upcoming launch of these outstanding new products, and we believe that the brand will see a huge rise in sales during the next 12 months as installers realise how much more suitable our products are against the European competition.

“All our new products

Phil Craggs

are designed to suit typical UK installations and weather conditions. The research and development team have worked tirelessly over the past two years to enable us to offer a full portfolio of new generation heating products, which will push the boundaries beyond what is currently available.”

Biomass pellet boiler

Ground source heat pump

Manufactured specifically for the UK market, the biomass pellet boiler is fully self-contained and an extremely compact unit, measuring 650mm wide, 1100mm depth and 1050mm high. An external model which is also suitable for internal installation, the product has a 100kg internal hopper. The heat exchanger has an automatic self-clean operation allowing for extended ash pan cleaning. The boiler is fully modulating between 4 – 20kw.

The product has class-leading efficiency and emissions, has a low initial cost giving a short payback time, and is designed to be easy to install and maintain.

A compact size for a fully modulating unit, the product measures 600mm x 595mm x 850mm.

The heat pump is fully modulating, with output between 2kw and 16kw. It features a single phase supply and has ground breaking efficiencies.

Air source heat pump Warmflow has the patents pending on unique product features, including heat exchanger technology.

Capable of operating at external temperatures as low as -25 degrees, the pump has fully modulating heating circulators to guarantee maximum seasonal energy efficiency. It features a central microprocessor for control of the heating system, with time and temperature regulated by either external weather compensation or internal temperature.

The product also comes with the option of additional solar thermal control.

18 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Boiler News – the views of installers and manufacturers

Dealing with the downturn With boiler sales falling, Oil Installer spoke to installers across the country to see how they were faring, and to find out if perhaps there were other areas of their business they were actively trying to push

Some success amid the difficulties Kenneth Churcher of Dundee-based Blue Flame Heating Solutions told OI: “It’s going very badly. Certainly everyone in the business is struggling and no one has any money to spend. We’re still fitting new boilers, but only when it’s absolutely necessary.” Colin MacLeod of Deeside Gas Services agrees: “There’s definitely been a downturn and as a result fewer customers want prep and servicing.”

Mark Viccars of Oxfordshire’s Chestnut Plumbing commented that although he was very quiet at the moment, he felt sure that business would pick up as the weather became more autumnal. (Editor’s note: Hope falling leaves brought rising amounts of work)

I’m not doing as many installations as I was five years ago; I’m doing more servicing For Andy Holding, A J Holding Heating, Oxfordshire, the year has been quite mixed: “Economically it’s been difficult and the press negativity doesn’t help. I was busy until the Jubilee and then business noticeably slumped. Several colleagues have also remarked upon this. Thankfully things have picked up and I’m quite busy again.

I’m not doing as many installations as I was five years ago, but I’ve done one in the last month and I’m doing more servicing.” Andy puts this down to the fact that he works in an affluent area and that in general there is a skills shortage. “At 41 I’m one of the youngest installers in my area,” he laughed.

It is a very different story for Devonbased ARN Heating. Owner, Tony Norris explains: “There’s been no downturn here. I’ve been busier than ever on both installations and servicing. At the moment I’m installing an average of two boilers a week.”

20 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Jeremy Boers, of Worcestershire company, Sponners, raised a very interesting point: ”When quoting for an installation job recently, I found the customer could buy the boiler cheaper off the internet than I could from my merchant.

I think the internet has made making a profit more difficult.”

There’s been no downturn here. I’ve been busier than ever on both installations and servicing

Being in control With an overall drop in boiler sales, OI questioned whether installers were fitting more ancillary products, such as temperature controls and whether manufacturers were actively pushing their products. However, with customers’ finances already stretched, it appears that this is an area which is also suffering.

Alex Murchison of A. M Plumbing and Heating said: “I’ve been to many installations where there’s a lack of control over the heating system. I’ve fitted very few extra controls on existing systems as people are set in their ways. Even though I explain the benefits and increased efficiencies it doesn’t always persuade customers.

However on all new installations I do fit full controls which pull the maximum efficiency from the system.”

Colin MacLeod added: “I do talk to customers and advise them that these products could help increase efficiency, but no-one is interested at the moment for financial reasons. Neil Phillips of Plumbtec, Grimsby, is of the same opinion: “A lot of customers with oil boilers already have room thermostats and other temperature controlling devices, and those that don’t, aren’t particularly bothered or interested in the idea of saving money in the long term –

strange, I know!”

Whilst the majority of installers receive very little in the way of promotional material from ancillary product manufacturers, Kenneth Churcher said that he gets a huge amount of emails and calls from companies trying to push their products.

Alex Murchison agreed:” I regularly receive emails and newsletters relating to offers and new products for the oil industry.”

Andy Holding had some advice for manufacturers: “I can’t knock them as they do promote their products very well, but I would like to see more case studies, documenting the savings delivered by their products. They don’t do enough in this area and it would help to have something to hand to customers.”

I would like to see more case studies, documenting the savings delivered by manufacturers’ products

Looking at possible add ons For many, additives are the great unknown and only a couple of installers contacted

by OI were actively promoting them to customers. Andy Holding said that on new jobs he always does a flush out and uses additives. Many however, are reluctant to, as Alex Murchison explains: “So far I haven’t sold any additives but perhaps this is due to my lack of knowledge.” Tony Norris echoed this: “I leave well alone, nothing has been proven!”

Neil Phillips commented: “I usually find that in this area a lot of people are quite anti the idea of change, so additives or even biofuels become the devil incarnate.”

Is the downturn affecting your business?

Email liz@oilinstaller.co.uk

Oil boiler manufacturers back system upgrades Recent figures revealed that sales of oil boilers are at their lowest for 10 years.

Numbers supplied by OFTEC members to the Heating & Hotwater Industry Council saw sales during the first six months of 2012 at 23,254 compared with 26,590 in the first six months of 2011 “The last few years have seen a decline in oil-fired boiler sales,” said Anna Wakefield, marketing manager at Grant UK. “But whilst some installations in new build properties have been lost to alternative technologies, the main replacement market has slowed due to recession, and in Grant’s opinion, householders are currently repairing boilers, rather than replacing. This is evident by a significant increase in oil boiler spares sales.

“Over a million homes in the UK use heating oil as a primary fuel source; over 750,000 of these have a non-condensing oil-fired boiler. Upgrading to a modern condensing boiler would result in a dramatic decrease in fuel costs but whilst things remain tight, homeowners are choosing to

hold onto capital.”

Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support at Worcester Bosch, agreed. “Yet again, it’s been a disappointing year for oil boiler sales.

Previously, customers changed their boiler when it was beyond repair, very old or as home renovations took place. However, there are now compelling reasons to encourage homeowners to change ageing appliances – when compared to the cost of running a 20-year-old boiler, fuel savings on a condensing appliance can be significant.”

compelling reasons to change ageing boilers “Whilst the market’s down, Grant volumes have actually remained fairly consistent,” added Anna Wakefield. “Our market share has grown, which is testament to the Vortex brand’s strength among our growing band of loyal installers.

“In the future we see installations being more diverse with a possible mix of products being fitted. These could be bivalent systems – combining more than one heating source, or simply adding solar thermal into the mix with a cylinder upgrade.”

Grant is investing heavily in biomass and heat pumps. Also investing in renewables is Firebird: “We’ve concentrated on increasing our oil boiler market share, which has been quite successful but we’re also focusing on renewables that work alongside oil reducing dependency.”

Martyn Bridges added: “The future direction for both ourselves and the industry is to encourage boiler exchange to high efficiency condensing oil boilers, and then reduce oil usage by incorporating solar, or even hybrid technology such as an air to water heat pump, into the overall system.

With the Renewable Heat Incentive just around the corner, the combination of oil and the offer to pay for heat generated by renewable sources, is a very tempting thought for a lot of end-users.”

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 21

Boiler News

Greater service support UFH + an oil from Grant condensing boiler Grant UK has expanded its external service support team to help improve response times and customer satisfaction As the company moves further into new technologies, it is determined to match sales growth with adequately trained service personnel. Positioned around mainland UK, the team is fully trained on all new and existing Grant product ranges, including oil and wood pellet boilers, solar thermal, air source heat pumps and cylinders; and will carry first line spares to assist installers and third party service engineers in the field.

Neil Sawers, technical manager for Grant UK, commented: “Our customers expect a highly efficient service, not just highly efficient products. It is therefore imperative the company provides this, so we have pre-empted our installer and engineer needs for tomorrow by creating this support network today.” www.grantuk.com

Grant – investing in a larger service team to give customers and installers a highly efficient service

Comprehensive guides

Nu-Heat has launched a new underfloor heating (UFH) construction – ideal for householders looking to increase the efficiency of their heating system. A practical retrofit product, the LoPro10™ system offers potential for installers to increase revenue.

With the advent of the Green Deal, homeowners off the gas grid who decide to make insulation upgrades and install LoPro10™ are also likely to look at installing a new oil condensing boiler.

The efficiency of a warm water UFH system with an oil condensing boiler has major benefits over electrical UFH, particularly with regard to cost. A recent comparison showed costs of with oil at 6p per kWh, against electric UFH at 12/14p per kWh, meaning that warm water UFH costs at least half as much to run. Although the initial cost for a water-based system may be more than an electric system, the payback will be relatively quick as the system will be far less expensive to run.

Suitable for refurbishment properties with insulation upgrades to the required levels or most properties built within the last 10 years, the system has one third less thermal mass than a screed floor, allowing it to heat up and cool down rapidly, making it more economical to run in retrofit properties. The low thermal resistance and high-density properties provide a high thermal output compared to similar low height plywood and chipboard based systems.

The system can be installed quickly, and, with a height of just 15mm, it is perfect for retrofitting into properties able to accommodate build-up. Tiles can be fixed directly to the LoPro10™ panel, and carpet and underlay can also be laid directly on top, without the need for a ply deck. Engineered wood floors can be floated directly over the panel. www.nu-heat.co.uk

Firebird now has a new single volume guide with full details of its extended product range. A comprehensive guide to Firebird’s range of oil boilers, the guide also covers biomass wood burners and Enviropel wood pellet burners with technical drawings, full product details and specifications. A new price list details Firebird’s guarantees and warranties.

A new guide to solar thermal systems showcases three ranges of solar panels, including the newly introduced TZ58 heat pipe solar collectors. It aims to give the specifier and installer everything they need to know about the differences between systems, system design, panel sizing, schematics and installation. www.firebird.ie

LoPro10™ – a new UFH floor construction aimed at the refurbishment market has ‘major benefits’ with an oil condensing boiler

22 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Preventing frozen condensate Following the harsh temperatures experienced in the winter of 2010 -11, there have been several initiatives to help prevent external condensate pipes from freezing New from the Worcester, Bosch Group is CondenseSure which can be fitted with any condensing boiler, either at the time of installation or as a retrofit. It consists of a syphonic trap and insulation, which connects to the boiler’s condensate outlet pipe. It can then be attached to the heating flow pipe, and requires no electricity to function.

“After the UK experienced the coldest winter for 100 years, a plethora of anti-freeze type gadgets were introduced,” said Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support. “These included a variety of fans and electrical-based products, which prompted Worcester to introduce our own energy-free device.”

As the condensate discharge pipework

leaves the boiler, condensate is collected in the CondenseSure syphon. Condensate subsequently discharges automatically in 500ml quantities through the external pipework to drain outside. The majority of condensing boilers have internal syphons of around 100ml.

When running in full condensing mode, a typical condensing boiler can generate around two litres of condensate an hour. In these instances, the internal syphon can empty every three minutes, but with CondenseSure it is limited to once every 15 minutes, ensuring external pipework does not contain any condensate for long periods, making it less susceptible to freezing.

Intensive laboratory test work proved that an uninsulated 32mm diameter condensate discharge pipe would not freeze, even when subjected to -15°C for over 48 hours. www.worcester-bosch.co.uk

The energy-free CondenseSure – compatible with any condensing boiler on the market

Firebird’s pump action For properties with a large amount of external condensate dispersal pipework, Firebird recommends the use of a pump, to ensure flow is quick enough to prevent freezing.

The pump can be incorporated within the boiler casing, avoiding the need for expensive external pumps and unsightly add-ons.

The Firebird pump means condensate discharge can be carried out into waste pipework from a higher level in the house and at loft level into the rainwater drainage system, giving installers more options for siting the boiler.

“Choosing the correct boiler can help prevent condensate freezing,” says Firebird. “Where the condensate trap is located within the boiler casing, the temperature is kept higher. The trap should allow a suitable volume of liquid to build up before releasing.

“To prevent sagging, installers should ensure that clips on external pipework are fixed at a safe distance apart. After a service check, external pipework should be checked to ensure that no debris remains which could block the flow.” www.firebird.ie

Choosing the correct boiler can help prevent condensate freezing says Firebird

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 23

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Boiler News

Community servicing The growing trend of buying heating oil as a community rather than as an individual remains a hot topic. For some community buying groups, the group’s remit now extends beyond supplying members with cheaper priced heating oil; the offer now includes boiler servicing

A boiler service at a knock-down price?

Fred Hanbury, who runs WOPEC in Devon, has negotiated a cheaper boiler service for WOPEC members who following six months of free membership, have paid their annual fee. With his prices starting from £40 for an AGA or Rayburn service, and £50 for a new condensing boiler, Fred explained that some customers find it more cost effective to forgo their six month free membership and pay immediately, to get instant access to the boiler service.

“The quotes provided seem alarmingly cheap, even for non-OFTEC registered companies,” said Malcolm Farrow, marketing and communications manager at OFTEC.

Our boiler service can save members a considerable amount

“Without having a breakdown of what is included as part of each service, it’s difficult to know whether the prices are indeed a ‘good deal.’ Minus this detail, our concern is that the quotes suggest a boiler ‘clean’ rather than a full professional service. Does the service include checking the tank, oil supply and appliance or just the appliance?

In general, discounted prices mean a lower quality of service and a greater likelihood of a quick check over, rather than a detailed professional job.”

“This is a very popular service,” said Fred Hanbury. “With many companies charging considerably more – I suppose the average is about £80, although £100 is not uncommon, our boiler service can save members a considerable amount.”

26 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Offering a quality service Steve Blood, co-ordinator of Oxfordshire’s Merton Oil Buying Group (MOBG), believes the biggest benefit of using its boiler servicing scheme, is customer service.

“The scheme has been running for nearly two years now; I know it’s successful when speaking to the servicing companies involved. There’s a small saving to be had – between £10-20 – but I think the most important thing here is customer service and trust – there have been many accounts in the press regarding rip-off merchants and untrustworthy servicing technicians. This is the reason why I sought recommendations from members before I approached the servicing companies, and I needed three individual recommendations before I made the call.”

David Nicholas, of Yelvertoft Village Heating Oil Buying Group, said: “By talking to so many people over the years, we think we know who the reliable and good service engineers are and we speak to them to offer our heating oil buying members a group rate. It also helps everyone and can offer a considerable saving if boilers can be serviced during the summer months.”

Existing relationships Other groups contacted by Oil Installer did not consider it worthwhile to offer a boiler servicing scheme to members.

Richard Holland, co-ordinator of the Wellow Oil Group in Somerset, said: “There may be some demand but most of our 184 members already have a relationship with

Quotes provided seem alarmingly cheap, even for non-OFTEC registered companies

their own preferred and existing servicing company. However, if other companies wished to contact me with good terms I would be happy to promote them to the group, providing they had a good reputation in the local area.”

As a boiler is a very expensive thing to repair or replace I think quality is more important than price

Whilst some groups do not offer boiler servicing directly, they do recommend engineers to members.

Lisa Poole, owner of My Consortium, which covers areas in the south west and east Midlands, explained: “I recommend a heating engineer to my buying group. It’s not a hugely popular service and rather than offering cheap servicing I use an engineer from whom I can guarantee quality.”

Newslogs, based in Somerset has a different approach. Owner, Dave Smith, said: “We do not offer boiler servicing but we do have three installers within our group who offer their services to other members at discounted prices.”

With opinion split on the merits of community buying groups offering boiler servicing, Malcolm Farrow advised: “For anyone considering the offer of a cheaper service, we would recommend they find out exactly what is being offered first. Then compare this with what an OFTEC registered servicing technician recommends should be included.”

Oil Installer invites your views to liz@oilinstaller.co.uk

It’s good to know it’s a Grant From condensing oil and wood pellet boilers to air source heat pumps and solar thermal systems, Grant products lead the way in design, efficiency and value.

All of our technologies are designed to fit together, giving you the option to install a complete green home heating solution with ultimate performance and reliability in mind.

Spira condensing wood pellet boilers Vortex oil-fired condensing boilers Solar thermal water heating systems Aerona air source heat pumps Wave cylinders and thermal stores

g. n i r e e n i ng e t n a r G ing. k n i h t t a e r s. G t c u d o r p n e Gre For further information visit: www.grantuk.com or call our sales team: 01380 736920

Boiler News

Boilers – the virtues of a thorough cleanse A new video gives installers an ideal opportunity to emphasise the benefits of system cleansing to customers Available via Worcester, Bosch Group’s YouTube channel, the video features diagrams and metaphors making the benefits easier for installers to explain. As an educational tool, installers can remind customers that regular system treatment improves boiler performance and ultimately prolongs its lifespan.

A thorough cleanse of a homeowner’s heating system remains one of the best ways to maximise energy efficiency and keep heating bills to a minimum, as well as maintaining the manufacturer’s boiler warranty. However, it is often assumed that costs associated with the required labour time, are a barrier to the system flushing process.

Martyn Bridges, director of marketing and technical support, commented: “Our

ethos has always been to help our installers, whether this is through training or providing them with the tools needed to educate the homeowner, and this was the concept behind our YouTube channel. System cleansing is arguably an under-valued method for improving heating efficiency.

System cleansing is arguably an under-valued method for improving heating efficiency “By using the videos we believe installers can make customers aware of important issues, simplify the processes involved and help prevent any confusion surrounding the heating system within the

Worcester, Bosch YouTube channel aims to help installers educate their customers home.”

The video can be viewed at www. worcester-bosch.co.uk/systemcare or access the Worcester, Bosch Group YouTube channel at www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/videos.

A 50% energy saving!

Investing in diversity

A couple in Herefordshire have reduced their energy bills by up to 50%, thanks to the installation of a new oil-fired Rayburn 440K central heating range cooker in their period cottage.

Paul and Sandi Evans wanted to keep the benefits of traditional cast-iron range cooking, with flexible control to match their lifestyle. Replacing an ageing model, the new Rayburn 440K was able to provide both cooking and energy efficient central heating and hot water.

Although the required heating system load was well below the Rayburn’s maximum output of 12kW, there is no loss of efficiency thanks to the internal energy management system.

The new owners said: “We’ve been really impressed with the controllability of the new model and have been amazed by the reduction in oil consumption over the first year alone – it’s really made a difference to our utility costs. Plus, with far quicker oven response times it allows us to

Turkington Engineering has secured £500,000 worth of orders in the UK for its wood pellet boilers following support from Invest Northern Ireland

We’ve been amazed by the reduction in oil consumption over the first year alone 28 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

A new oil-fired Rayburn 440K central heating range cooker has ‘really made a difference to our utility costs’

use the Rayburn more often for cooking throughout the week – overall we couldn’t be happier with its performance.”

The appliance is available with a choice of conventional or balanced flues, making it suitable to stand against an internal or external wall. All user controls and access for servicing are located at the front of the Rayburn, allowing the cooker to be slot-fitted into standard kitchen units and worktops. www.rayburn-web.co.uk

Trading as Turco Boilers, the company is the first in Northern Ireland to manufacture biomass boilers. Two of its 150kW models were installed in the 2012 Olympic sailing village.

Ryan Turkington, Turco’s managing director said: “Invest NI offered £50,000, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, which has enabled us to capitalise on market demand for an efficient biomass heating system.

“The wood pellet range has efficiency levels of above 90% and is fully MCS approved, making users eligible for the Renewable Heat Incentive.”

“Turco has taken a structured approach to product diversification and process improvement in a bid to establish a competitive market position for its biomass boilers,” says Kevin McCann, Invest NI director. “Its export drive and focus on innovation has already produced impressive results and will continue to propel Turco on towards achieving its target of £2 million additional sales by 2014.”

Hot Technical Topics

Encouraging customers to buy oil earlier By the time you are reading this issue of Oil Installer, the country could already have experienced some low temperatures and maybe even some snow.

At this time of the year, OFTEC’s technical helpline is frequently busy with queries about the price and delivery of heating oil across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Inevitably, cold temperatures bring the usage of heating oil up significantly, increasing demand for refills and heightening the cost of fuel. With the on-set of severe weather, such as snow, oil delivery vehicles can be prevented from reaching some areas of the country, leaving a number of users without their normal means of heating and hot water.

Taking into consideration historical trends in fuel prices and consequences of snowfall, OFTEC joins the Department of Energy and Climate Change in asking technicians to always encourage their customers to buy heating oil during the summer when prices are normally lower and delivery can be better guaranteed.

This will help to avoid the winter premiums and guarantee a supply of oil during the coldest months in the calendar.

Tankers can and do get stuck in the snow – please encourage customers to order their heating oil before the onset of winter. This tanker had to be fitted with an AutoSock to help traction

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 29

Hot Technical Topics Internal oil tank installation

Looking after boilers in unheated spaces As winter approaches, another popular enquiry has concerned the requirements surrounding frost protection of heating systems together with ways to protect installations from frost damage. Boilers and associated pipework located in unheated areas, such as garages and external boiler rooms, do require frost protection.

Using frost and pipe thermostats Protection is generally achieved by a frost thermostat located as near to the boiler as possible. On external boiler models, this control is usually included – reference should always be made to the boiler manufacturer’s installation instructions.

Where a frost thermostat is used, consideration should be given to the ďŹ tment of a pipe thermostat in series on the primary return to prevent unnecessary boiler operation.

Additionally, the system water can also be dosed with an antifreeze agent to provide further protection. Frost protection arrangements can found in section 3.16.3 of OFTEC technical book 4.

Finally, primary circulation pipes for heating and hot water circuits should be insulated to comply with the Domestic Building Services Compliance Guide wherever they pass outside the heated envelope of a building, including voids which communicate with unheated spaces.

In the winter months, when trees and foliage are out of leaf and oil tanks become more exposed, homeowners often enquire about the possibility screening, disguising or moving their oil storage facility into an internal location for security and/or aesthetical reasons.

BS 5410-1, which covers domestic oil tanks up to 3500 litres capacity, allows installations within non-habitable areas of a building, so long as the tank is provided with secondary containment and enclosed in a 60-minute ďŹ re resistant chamber at the lowest possible level. Additionally, the chamber should be ventilated to the outside and provided with a ďŹ re resistant door, which is self-closing and openable from the inside with the use of a key. Further information can be found in Section 1.10 of OFTEC Technical Book 3.

Your duty of care – new warning & advice note – now available But what about existing, internally installed oil tanks, which do not comply with BS 5410-1? The aforementioned requirements are not retrospective but for safety and environmental protection, OFTEC would always advise that installations are brought up to standard at the earliest opportunity. Technicians not contracted to replace or relocate an existing non-compliant oil tank installation (e.g. service technicians) should advise the owner, in writing, of any associated faults, under their duty of care. The NEW OFTEC CD/14 Warning & Advice Notice form would be ideal for this purpose.

OFTEC technical books and control documents are available from OFTEC Direct. Visit www.oftecdirect.com to purchase online or call 0845 65 85 080 and select option 2.

MAKING MODERN LIVING POSSIBLE

News from Danfoss Burner Components Danfoss would like to introduce their new “credit card� USB stick containing all of their data sheets, nozzle calculator and even an animation showing the workings of a burner. They have also up-dated their Service Handbook for 2013.

Please use below contact details to obtain your copy.

Save time and money with easy-to-install burner components that fit in most common systems

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30 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

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Installer Focus

Busy, brisk and buoyant ….although there are a few cowboys out there In the first of a series of regional focuses, installers reveal what life is like in the south west

Cornwall 400 registered technicians 46,609 households use oil

Dorset 183 registered technicians 15,595 oil households use oil

Devon 385 registered technicians 41,190 households use oil

Somerset 114 registered technicians 47,778 households use oil

“The market is reasonably buoyant – we’ve a good customer base and four depots across the region to serve them,” said Gary Taylor, engineering manager at Dorset-based Ford Fuel Oils, which offers boiler servicing in addition to heating oil deliveries. The company has five engineers but may add more. “There’s more demand for servicing than repairs at the moment,” added Gary.

I rarely get a holiday John Stenner, of John Stenner Heating Services, agrees that servicing is very popular. “It’s hugely busy, I could do more but don’t want to! When calling people to remind them that their service is due, I’ve noticed that sometimes they haven’t booked for several years. Although our prices aren’t expensive, it could still be a cost issue and is probably just a sign of the times.”

Based in the far west of Cornwall, near Land’s End, John’s company deals with servicing, commissioning and breakdowns, and is now too busy to accept referrals for new business. “I’ve had lots of enquiries but I pass them onto two newly qualified OFTEC guys who often ring me for advice. I retain business through offering good customer service. “It’s very busy – I rarely get a holiday!”

Phil Blackler, of South Hams-based Oil Burner Service, said: “Very few customers actually plan to have their boiler or system upgraded – a VAT reduction would be great.

“Money is hard earned in this area. The majority of customers have a regular service, but fewer customers now consider upgrades

to equipment. New property buyers are spending to improve their heating/hot water, and oil tank replacement is brisk.

Servicing for us is all year round with about a dozen services a day completed by three service technicians.

“We’re also undertaking training and assessment for certain renewables which will work well within our operation.”

Phil added: “Good service and customer satisfaction, by way of skilled and knowledgeable staff, are the key.”

Working among the cowboys and the under-qualified Tony Norris, owner of ARN Heating in Cornwall, said business was going very well.

With his stepson in the business, Tony can slow down. “We now employ five people and have a brand new van.”

ARN’s been busy installing tanks, recently completing five in a three-week period. The company receives plenty of new business recommendations by word of mouth but sometimes finds it difficult to

keep on top of them.

When OI asked Tony about the biggest issue faced, he immediately said ‘unregistered technicians’. “They’re a bunch of cowboys and I’m sick to the back teeth of them. They just don’t go away.”

“Inferior works carried out by trained oil tank installers are the only issues I find,” said Bryan Paulley, of Dorset-based Bryan G Paulley. “Many don’t know regulatory distances for siting tanks, correct tank base requirements, or the correct fittings to use.

They price for cheap wooden fire walls to protect tanks from fire hazards, instead of concrete fire panels which are obviously more expensive making our quotes dearer.

There are now too many under-qualified installers who’ve managed to get OFTEC registration.”

The company works within a 150-mile radius of Stalbridge, installing new oil tanks for the public and farmers, as well as local councils, churches, housing associations, the MoD and the building industry.

Bryan spends a significant amount of money on advertising – local papers, telephone directories and on the internet – as well as receiving a lot of business through word of mouth from satisfied customers.

It’s obviously a successful strategy.

“Over the past six months we’ve been so busy that I’ve had to work from 7.00am to 10.00pm six days a week, and sometimes seven days a week!” added Bryan.

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 31

FUEL TANKS

Tank News

Nationwide tank distribution

DO YOU REMEMBER 1977?

AT CARBERY, WE REMEMBER IT WELL. Do you remember 1977?

Queen ruled the airwaves, the Raleigh Chopper was King of the Road, and Summer seemed to last forever.

Flares were hip (yes, really) and Björn Borg stood up to the plate at Wimbledon. The world said farewell to Elvis and said hello to punk. The Ford Cortina was a best seller and Apple launched its Series II computer.

1977 was also the year Carbery Plastics Limited manufactured its first product. Much has changed during the past 35 years, but Carbery products today are as good as they’ve ever been.

And they continue to be characterised by quality, reliability, strength and safety.

To find out more about tanks with a proven manufacturing pedigree, call us on +353(0)23 883 3531, click www.carberyplastics.com or e-mail info@carberyplastics.ie

Carbery Plastics Limited T: +353(0)23 883 3531 F: +353(0)23 883 4368 E: info@carberyplastics.ie

32 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Carbery Plastics has announced a new national distribution service for customers across Great Britain.

The company’s range of single skin and bunded heating oil tanks can be delivered direct to almost any location on the mainland in a maximum of five working days.

“The introduction of this new ‘Never miss out on a tank sale,’ says service is consistent with Carbery’s Carbery’s UK sales manager, Mark O’Connell commitment to provide customers in all markets with access to added-value products and services. In the event of a product not being held in a customer’s stock, we can arrange for it to be delivered quickly and directly to their customer.

This ensures they need never miss out on a sale again,” said UK sales manager, Mark O’Connell.

“The availability of a truly nationwide delivery service from John O’Groats to Land’s End, also allows Carbery customers to reduce carriage costs, eliminate unnecessary product handling and potentially reduce their stockholding requirements too.”

The service complement’s Carbery’s existing offering across Ireland.

Remote tank monitoring Dunraven Systems, suppliers of More options for remote tank storage tank telemetry solutions, monitoring has announced all-new GPRS and Broadband versions of its RMS remote tank monitoring system.

“Broadband is found in around 40% of UK homes; our new Broadband option conveniently plugs into existing consumer Broadband hubs,” says Dunraven’s managing director, Gerry Jones.

“The device can be fitted in seconds and offers transmission speeds of up to 80Mb, often at zero incremental cost to the fuel user or distributor.”

The company already offers an analogue option which ensures RMS is the optimum choice for oil heating installations in rural areas, beyond the reach of the mobile phone network.

A new GPRS option sees a tanktop sensor monitor the level of fuel inside the tank, relaying this information to the GPRS modem positioned inside the customers’ premises. The modem then relays this data periodically to the customer’s preferred fuel distributor. www.dunravensystems.com

Fuel theft – new tank alarms A new range of anti-theft alarms was unveiled at the recent Oil & Renewable Energy Show The range from Dunraven Systems, suppliers of Apollo ultrasonic oil level monitors, offers oil users a choice of four different antitheft technologies.

At the heart of each system is a tank mounted transmitter unit. The transmitter has been optimised to monitor variances in the level of fuel inside a tank. A long life, temperature resistant, lithium battery is supplied as standard, with an operational life of up to 10 years.

In the event of a theft event being detected, the transmitter unit sends an encrypted signal to a remote receiver unit. Dependent upon application, the receiver unit will activate one of several alarm options, alerting users that a theft is in progress.

Apollo Alert is ideal for heating oil users who are continually on the move. In the event of a fuel theft being detected, a text message will be despatched to the user’s mobile phone anywhere in the world.

Apollo Alarm also sends a text message plus an external alarm box is immediately activated – alerting those in the vicinity of the storage tank to the theft event.

Managing director, Gerry Jones said: “The issue of fuel theft has probably never been higher on the agenda.

Recognising that no two fuel storage installations are the same, we’ve launched no fewer than four ways of combating

New anti-theft alarms – offer ‘a choice of technologies and systems instead of a compromise,’ says Gerry Jones

fuel theft, providing the marketplace with a choice of technologies and systems instead of a compromise.”

As well as anti-theft protection, Dunraven appreciates many consumers have a requirement to monitor the contents of their tank on an ongoing basis.

Apollo Smart – the world’s first heating oil energy monitor – allows consumers to remotely monitor the level of fuel inside their tank, and to track fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and heating oil costs on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis. The latest version has an inbuilt fuel warning system as standard. Visual and audible alarms are activated as soon as theft is detected, 24 hours a day.

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 33

Tank News

Putting consumers in control

More online at Carbery

The launch of checkmytank.com is ‘set to put the customer back in control of their oil supply’ says developer Spillsure Solutions.

Alan Smith, managing director of Spillsure Solutions told Oil Installer: “Previously, tank monitoring services have only been available to a customer signing up to a supply arrangement with a single oil distributor. However, Check-my-tank. com allows the consumer to view the current level of oil in their tank from any internet connection, as well as volume usage trends and a price comparison from Check-my-tank.com allows the participating local oil suppliers. consumer to view the current “Distributors are provided with level of oil in their tank from any internet connection information regarding likely size and timing of potential orders in the area – free of charge.

“When we built the price comparison element of Check-my-tank, we were concerned that oil distributors might see it as a threat. But once they realise they don’t have to pay anything to list their prices or pay commission when they sell oil, they recognise it for what is, a cost free new distribution channel.” www.check-my-tank.com

Carbery Plastics has an all-new website. Designed and developed by Belfast web technology specialists Crafty Devil, the new site showcases storage tanks, recycling products, storage bunkers, agricultural equipment and construction products.

“The new website has been developed in response to customer demand for a site which is much more than simply an online brochure,” said Carbery’s John Switzer. The site has a comprehensive FAQ section with a wealth of information on installation and maintenance requirements in accordance with OFTEC guidelines and statutory requirements. Visitors can also catch up online with the latest industry news, courtesy of an exclusive syndication agreement with OilFiredUp.com.

“The inclusion of a click and buy option means visitors are no more than a click away from an approved Carbery reseller,” added John.

“Continued development of our online presence and internet technologies is at the heart of our marketing strategy,” explained John. “It allows us to drive sales to Carbery customers, increase brand awareness and helps us to deliver even higher levels of service and customer satisfaction.” www.carberyplastics.com

CK RA i-T

G IN GY UR OIL OLO AT NT HN D FE IGE EC R LL T DA TE NG N IN TORIS STA NI A MO

SAFE SECURE SOLID 34 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Protect Your Oil With a Harlequin iTank FEATURING

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Training Boilerserve goes commercial

In demand – a cast iron service

Boilerserve now offers the OFT 201 commercial course. A practical course designed for experienced operatives working on commissioning/servicing commercial pressure jet oil fired appliances such as commercial boilers and warm air units.

The OFT 101 commissioning and servicing unit qualification is a prerequisite and must already be held, or taken at the same time. www.boilerserve.com

“The parlous state of the economy is encouraging oil-firing businesses to expand their workscope by adding extra registrations,” says AGA training manager, Mike Kiddie.

“The longevity of cast-iron range cookers ensures that demand for service support will be there for years to AGA offers expert training – the longevity of come. As the major cast-iron range cookers ensures that demand for manufacturer of oil-fired, service support will be there for years to come vapourising cookers and stoves, where better to obtain expert training on actual appliances, not just bench-top rigs.” www.agarangemaster.co.uk

The burner

with a

New courses from EOGB From November 2012, EOGB is offering OFTEC 102 vapourising courses. The company also provides training and assessment in OFTEC 101, 105e and 600a, from its head office in St. Neots, Cambridgeshire. Full dates and availability can be found on the website. www.eogb.co.uk

Train in Bristol, Derby, North Yorkshire and Dublin Four new OFTEC approved training centres are now running courses – Gas Flare in Bristol, GTS in Derby and GTEC Training in North Yorkshire. Martin Hogan Energy Training is running courses in Dublin.

For details of your nearest approved training centre, visit www.oftec.org.

BRAIN When it comes to intelligent burner technology, look no further than

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improved performance levels and extensive diagnostic capabilities, the new unit is now integral to the MAX GAS and MAX OIL range of burners.

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Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 35

Training

OFTEC + renewables Yorkshire-based GTEC is now approved to run the full range of OFTEC courses.

Additionally, renewable courses are offered in photovoltaic, heat pumps and solar thermal plus BPEC biomass courses incorporating Grant’s Spira wood pellet boiler.

GTEC also provides a full range of electrical courses, including the 17th edition and the 2391. www.gtectraining.co.uk GTEC – one of a handful of training centres with an integrated plant room using several renewable technologies

More courses

Easy access

In addition to OFTEC oil, domestic and commercial gas and LPG, the Central Midlands Assessment and Training centre, provides training in domestic solar and unvented hot water systems, energy efficiency and water regulations. www.cmat-ltd.co.uk

Ireland’s METAC Training has added a separate assessment facility to give oil technicians easy access to five-year reassessments. www.metac.ie

NVQ success A group of plumbing apprentices at Steve Willis Training were among the first in the country to achieve the new City & Guilds 6189 level 2 NVQ diploma in plumbing & heating. Managing director, Steve Willis said: “Showing real commitment and enthusiasm, these apprentices have worked for local plumbers and attended our Burgess Hill centre one day a week for two years.”

The successful plumbing & heating apprentices can now progress to Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeship www.stevewillis.com

36 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

METAC – Ireland’s first training provider to offer OFT 201 commercial oil

EOGB Energy Products Ltd

BURNERS

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Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 37

Training

Save on multiple bookings Petroc offers training, assessment and revision sessions for the oil, gas, plumbing and renewable energy industries.

Although courses are priced individually, Petroc offers savings on multiple bookings.

Current courses include the ďŹ ve-day OFT 50, aimed at new entrants to the oil-ďŹ red industry. Also available – OFT 101 (pressure jet burner type appliances) and OFT 102 (vaporising burner type appliances) plus installation assessments OFT105e and 600a. www.petroc.ac.uk

Looking to upskill?

With many oil customers likely to consider a move to alternative or complementary forms of heating, Euroheat recommends installers look at upskilling to include wood biomass. “The average oil installer will already have a good grounding in the basic skills required to install a biomass system,� says Gordon White, training director for Euroheat.

To help installers move into wood heating, HETAS has introduced the H005 biomass course. Theoretical and practical, the course covers standard wood burning stoves through to log, pellet and chip boilers, from 5 – 100kWs. Perfect for existing oil-ďŹ red heating installers with OFT101

“The average oil installer already has a good grounding in the basic skills required to install a biomass system� says Gordon White

or OFT102 plus unvented hot water, the installer needs to undertake either HETAS H004 (solid fuel appliances with water heating) or the one-day HETAS H005-BR rules and regulations update.

On completion, of H005, installers will be able to carry out feasibility studies, professionally advise clients, consider fuel type/storage options and design systems. www.euroheat.co.uk/training

for safe storage

Get free and mobile with tank systems from CEMO. You save time and money!

How? • Free up storage space • Fill up anywhere • Have security, safety and peace of mind • Save time, save fuel, save money Let us give you the advantage of our know-how. !

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38 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Products & Services

In control of heating Anglo Nordic has formed a new partnership with Italian heating control equipment supplier, Fantini Cosmi.

Amongst the products offered are chronothermostats, programmable thermostats, room thermostats, frost stats, and switches that feature stainless steel diaphragms for pressures up to 28 bar. Plus a brand new range of bladed and diaphragm level controls suitable for use with grains, granules and dust.

Anglo Nordic will continue

A variety of tried and trusted accessories is available from Anglo Nordic

to supply equipment from the Fantini Technology Group (FTG) including single and double encased thermostats. For boiler applications, FTG offers boiler safety water pressure switches, as well as manometers and thermomanometers. See also page 42. www.anglonordic.co.uk

90 new products – free delivery* Hytek’s website has now been updated with over 90 new products, including a 200-litre storage tank, an AdBlue concentration checker, a mobile diesel dispenser and a high speed rotary hand pump.

An enhanced online ordering system makes sales swift and simple. Once an online account has been created and approved, Hytek’s

*Free delivery on online orders over £150 until 31st December!

entire catalogue of products is available to browse. Login is for trade accounts only, giving access to a wider range of information including prices. *Until 31st December 2012, Hytek is offering free UK next day delivery on all orders over £150 placed online. See also page 42. www.hytekgb.com

Chimcoat joins OFTEC Chimcoat is the latest company to become an OFTEC member. The Belfast-based business specialises in stove installations, chimney and flue construction and repairs, supplying and installing a wide range of flue and chimney products throughout Northern Ireland. www.chimcoat.com

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 39

Products & Services

An RDB evolution Based on the successful RDB oil burner, Riello has developed a multi-stage version of its popular model.

Retaining the ventilation Riello’s popular RDB oil burner now structure of the RDB, this product comes with added advantages has been developed with the added advantage of being able to operate at full and part load for overall improved efficiency, reduced fuel consumption and emissions.

Extra benefits include a new digital control box, CF and BF configuration and emissions Class 3, according to EN267. www.rielloburners.co.uk

Range cooker + condensing boiler Firebird has developed an oil-fired range cooker which incorporates a high efficiency condensing boiler.

Combining the heat generated to use for cooking, heating and domestic hot water provision gives significant savings on oil consumption, estimated at between 10% and 30% per annum compared to a conventional boiler.

Available in six colours with an attractive enamel finish, this ultra-quiet robust cast iron range cooker is 1020mm wide. It has a large main oven with even heat distribution, a separate warming oven and two cast iron lids for oven top cooking.

The condensing boiler is a SEDBUK A rated high efficiency balanced flue model available in 26kW or 35kW heat outputs, and is also biofuel compatible. It features a specially designed heat exchanger unit based on Firebird’s patented heat exchange as featured in the Enviromax and Silver oil boiler ranges.

A multi-fuel version is under development for those wishing to use wood or smokeless coal. www.firebird.ie

Well equipped tanks Browse and purchase Atkinson Equipment tank products at www.fueldump.co.uk.

Designed, developed and manufactured in the UK, the Tanktop offers everything a customer needs for their steel or plastic tank in one device – a floating suction line to take the cleanest fuel available, and a non-return valve to keep oil primed, a fully serviceable filter system, an anti-siphon valve as recommended by the Environment Agency and OFTEC, an easy prime button and a push fit pipe connection.

Also available to buy online – fire valves, tiger loops and filters.

Managing environmental hazards Vital in the containment of any pollution incident, Environmental Damage Management (EDM) can guarantee a rapid mobilisation to sites when required.

The company aims to provide a leading service in the remediation of oil pollution, contaminated soils and water, and makes full use of innovative technology such as the LineGuard to aid detection and elimination of spillages. Developed by Lorax Systems, the product contains minor spills before they become an environmental hazard.

EDM’s complete service offers support from identifying pollution through to restoration of the environment and disposal of any waste at licensed facilities with full traceability. www.edm-ni.com

Winning renewables

Significant savings on oil consumption with Firebird’s new oil-fired range cooker/ condensing boiler

40 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Liberty Energy took the title of Renewables Installer of the Year at this year’s Renewables Awards, receiving a cheque for £10,000 courtesy of Plumb Center. The company won a place in the final by scooping both the Biomass Installer and Commercial Installer prizes.

Other winners included TSG (Air Source Installer and Heat Efficient Installer), Evo Energy took the Solar Installer title and Dimplex Renewables picked up the Green Invention award for its innovative Air-Eau product.

The Renewables Awards returns to the Ricoh Arena on Thursday 12th September 2013. The opening date for entries is 1st March 2013. www.renewables-awards.co.uk

Formerly manufactured by

Thermostatic Fire Valve (TFV) If you take pride in your work, you’ll only want the best capillary fire valve available – the one that guarantees more safety, flexibility and reliability with less hassle. That fire valve is made by FuelStop.

• The FuelStop capillary fire valve complies with BS 5410 part 1

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• Suitable for up to 1.2 bar of incoming fuel pressure

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Call 0845 65 85 080 | www.oftecdirect.com Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 41

www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk SOLAR THERMAL SOLAR PV BIOMASS HEAT PUMPS WIND HYDRO

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For all advertising enquiries please contact the team 01565 626 762 paulsmith@andpublishing.co.uk

REMEMBER YOU CAN NOW GET UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS

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Products & Services

Reduced cleaning PD5 Boiler Boost is a fuel conditioner recently relaunched by Lisburn-based Fuel-Tec. Added at refuelling to mix thoroughly in a 1:2000 ratio, a 250ml bottle of Boiler Boost will treat 500 litres of fuel. Depending on quantities purchased, dosing costs from 3p per litre.

“PD5 Boiler Boost is completely harmless; it’s pH neutral, non-toxic with no odour. It works in all liquid Less smoke, less cleaning fossil fuels and biofuels including reclaimed oils,” says managing director, Karl Devlin. “You’ll see less smoke which means less cleaning and fewer call-outs.” www.pdfueltec.co.uk

New additions from Testo

New analysers Testo has two new flue gas analysers – the 310 and 320 – complementing its existing range.

The 310 combines easy operation with a high level of measurement accuracy and is suitable for all basic measurements on a domestic heating system. With four integrated measurement menus, the instrument offers easy handling, clear menu structure, backlit display, fast sensor zeroing and long battery running times.

The 320 provides a full range of flue gas analysis and diagnostic functionality. A graphical colour display gives clear results whilst its built-in memory and ability to connect to PC analysis software further enhances its diagnostic capability. www.testo.co.uk

Nu stat range A new and wider range of thermostats now meets the more sophisticated needs of NuHeat’s energy efficient heating systems.

Implemented after discussions with installers, each thermostat has a setback facility to help achieve greater levels of efficiency, whilst enabling more flexibility of control.

Various models, including dial and pushbutton versions with low voltage options, are offered.

The two new low voltage options can be networked, enabling the use of a central touchscreen console and/or a Smartphone App-enabled web-based system, Netmonitor+.

Netmonitor+ enables the heating system to be controlled remotely via the web or smartphone App with the iPhone App free from the Apple AppStore. www.nu-heat.co.uk

MCS approved Firebird has achieved Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation for its TZ58-1800 Heatpipe solar collectors and its Enviropel wood pellet and wood gasification boilers.

The TZ Heatpipe system has an extremely high efficiency, delivering an optimum performance to price ratio. As a dry pipe system, the solar fluid only flows directly across the manifold, with the heat transfer process occurring through a condenser head, located on top of the tube inside the manifold.

The Bio-Tec wood gasification boiler uses wood with a maximum humidity of 20% to deliver central heating/hot water to homes or small commercial premises. It achieves efficiencies of up to 91%, and has an easy to use controller which manages the complete combustion process and regulates supply to the heating/hot water storage tank.

Featuring a uniquely designed burner, the Enviropel wood pellet burner has an efficiency approaching 90% and is fully automatic in operation. www.firebird.ie

A range of Firebird products now have MCS accreditation

Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 43

Renewables

Replacing oil boilers with heat pumps Providing a comparison between oil-fired heating and heat pumps in off-gas grid applications is Graham Hazell, consultant to the Heat Pump Association, part of the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations In off-gas grid situations deciding whether to use conventional on site fossil fuels or a renewable heat alternative like heat pumps can be quite complex, not least because all of the parameters to consider can have massive variance. Table 1 below demonstrates this.

Oil

GSHP

ASHP

Cost of fuel (p/kWh)

5.7-7.0

12-14.5 (1)

12-14.5(1)

Efficiency (old to new)

70- 85%(3)

240-410%(2)

180-340 %(2)

Install/replace costs (4)

£0 - 6,000(4)

£9,000-17,000

£6,000-12,000

Notes: This should be the lower figure representing the marginal cost of the unit i.e. excludes standing charge because this will be charged just for having electricity which is normally required for lighting or small power; These figures range from Energy Saving Trust trials which showed the effect of the lack of quality standards through to current good practice typical figures, DECC figures based on RHI & Heat Emitter Guide, including best practice (e.g. RHPP results) and demonstrate the range possible when including old legacy installations pre-dating MCS Quality Standards; Figures range from old boilers to modern condensing boilers to SEDBUK standard 2009 – hence if replacing with an old oil-fired boiler the figure will be the lower of these for comparison purposes.

The capital/replacement cost comparison is very different between first install and replacement, hence whether new build or retrofit. Although £0 is shown to cover existing oil-fired systems when considering retrofitting, there is still likely to be some future replacement cost to be considered and offset unless the system is brand new, in which case it is unlikely to even consider replacing it!

The result of these figures if compounded in opposing directions (least favourable v most favourable) can produce very different outcomes. It is tempting for the oil & LPG industry to quote all the least favourable figures to paint a pretty poor picture for renewables. Of course the heat pump industry has a vested interest in doing the opposite. It is therefore very dangerous to make any comparison without considering the key factors that affect which figures should be used in any comparison. Such factors to include for a specific application are as follows – motivation: £ or CO2; efficiencies of the system; fuel costs; build type and government support.

1 Motivation CO2: With even moderately well designed and appropriately selected systems (e.g. low temperature heat emitters and/or proper controls), even in retrofit, reductions in CO2 will be made. Whether they meet whatever criteria laid down (e.g. Building regulation compliance) is another issue, but some saving is inevitable. £: However when it comes to saving money being the motivation, the comparison becomes both more important and more difficult. The difficulty is simply this adds another variable metric and it is essential that the comparison fuel is included.

2 Efficiencies Again when comparing options the efficiency of the system becomes very important but also quite complex as there 44 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

are many factors affecting efficiency.

Temperatures: Both the source and delivery temperature will have a significant effect on efficiency.

Source temperature for air source is clearly variable and dependant on geographical location. Fortunately the most often quoted source condition of 7oC is also very close to the average 24 hour winter temperature across the UK. The source temperature for a ground source heat pump (GSHP) system should be much more stable.

Delivery temperature will depend on design and heat emitter types chosen/ in existence and these can be limited if the application is retrofit (see 4 below).

However the golden rule is to keep delivery temperatures as low as possible through selection of emitters and using variable temperature controls.

Unit or system efficiency: Another conundrum is which efficiency metric is to be used? Clearly system efficiency is to be preferred over just the efficiency of the unit itself (CoP) but care must still be taken to ensure the comparison is just. For instance the circulation pumps and cylinder losses may or may not be included for either of the comparison systems. For air source heat pumps seasonal efficiency figures, taking into account the variance of source temperature over the season are to be preferred but the relevant standards are in their infancy and are just being widely adopted. For GSHP the final efficiency will be affected by the pumping energy consumed by the ground array pump and should be taken into account.

Figures from EST efficiency field trials should not be used as these were used to demonstrate what would happen in a situation where heat pumps were installed in dwellings without any quality standards, either for design, selection or application.

There was no guidance on sizing suitability and the buildings were largely pre-existing older properties not built to current standards, nor with heating systems suitable for heat pumps.

3 Fuel costs You would think this was easy for comparisons but not so.

Fluctuations: Firstly there can be tremendous price fluctuations on displaced fuel such as heating oil. Should you use an average or make allowance for future rises?

Marginal Cost: Then there is the electricity cost for heat pumps, should this be just the marginal unit price rather than including the standing charge, since a power supply will likely be required for other services anyway? How do you cost out all inclusive rates or peak demand rates? For the domestic user it should be the marginal unit cost excluding standing charge.

4 Build type When comparing systems whether it is new build or retrofit can affect the input figures and hence the outcome significantly for two reasons: Heat emitter temperatures: With new build heat emitters can be selected to optimise heat pump performance, whereas with retrofit it may not be practical to

New Build Total Life Cost 10KW system (exc. RHI)

New Build Total Life Cost 10KW system (inc. RHI)

Retrofit Total Life Cost 10KW system (inc. RHI)

Graph 1: New build life cycle cost excluding any government funding This graph shows that the average heat pump system will achieve a payback on new build against oil/LPG in approximately year 5, however it struggles against gas on purely financial comparison alone.

Graph 2: New build life cycle cost including forthcoming financial incentives This shows the dramatic effect of proposed government incentives, even when the lowest tariff and minimum qualifying energy output as contained in DECC consultation documents is included i.e. the least optimistic.

As discussed above, in retrofit the cost offset for depreciation/ replacement and the predicted efficiency of the system with possibly non-optimised heat emitters makes any comparison very general. However graph 3 below attempts this.

Graph 3: Retrofitting heat pumps: Total life cycle cost including proposed government RHI funding Because there are less costs to offset in comparison when retrofitting heat pumps the payback extends by circa two years.

change emitters but they may not be ideal for use with heat pumps. Although high temperature heat pumps are available ,the efficiency over the year is better the lower the supply temperature.

Offset costs: The full cost of incorporating a heat pump system will be offset in new build by the costs that would have been born installing an oil system.

With retrofit an allowance may be made for eventual replacement/refurbishment, but this will not be as much as for new build and will be very dependant on the life expectancy of the incumbent system. Thus it Base data for graphs

is extremely difficult to generalise between new build and retrofit and even within retrofit itself.

5 Government incentives The government has a number of incentives currently on offer and some in the pipeline.

Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP): For the domestic installation there are currently one-off payments of £850 per installation/dwelling for ASHP and £1250 per installation/dwelling for GSHP. There

are additional funds for social landlords and communities schemes. Recipients of RHPP are most likely to also qualify for future domestic renewable heat incentives.

In 2013 it is widely expected that RHPP will be replaced with Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments. These are likely to be payments based on the size of the system (i.e. predicted output) and spread over 7 years. The overall payment will be much greater than the current RHPP for all but the smallest of installations So after all these caveats we can produce some results.

Oil

GSHP

ASHP

Cost of fuel (p/kWh)

6.5

12 (1)

12 (1)

Efficiency (New build/Retrofit)

80% and 70% (3)

360% and 320% (2)

320% and 270% (2)

Installreplace costs (4)

£6,000 (4)

£15,000

£10,000

Efficiencies based on DECC approved Heat Emitter Guide with an in-use performance factor RHI is assumed to be kW rating x 1,300 FLE hours i.e. 1,300 kWhrs per kW, in this case 13,000 kWh and based on lowest figures in DECC 2012 consultation No 6456: 7p/kWh for ASHP 12.5p/kWh for GSHP Assume £250, £500 & £500 depreciation contribution offset for gas, oil & LPG respectively on retrofit Summary When deciding on the future energy source for heating there are a number of important factors to take into account. Because these factors can have quite a wide range of values depending on the specific circumstance there is no substitute for a fairly specific analysis. However, whilst the environmental benefits are always present the economics can vary considerably, but there is no doubt that the commitment of the UK government to reduce emissions and support such technologies makes low carbon technologies both environmentally attractive and financially feasible.

There may be a tendency to wait and see but this means an oil user could lose out on the RHPP payment and therefore just receive the forthcoming RHI as well missing out on immediate running cost savings.

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Winter 2012 Oil Installer | 45

Gallery 50 days of charity Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Worcester, Bosch Group has donated 50 days of manpower to local charities. Staff from the company’s headquarters and its Clay Cross plant in Derbyshire have painted the facilities of Sight Concern and the Acorns Children’s Hospice, helped build local wildlife areas and de-rusted and repainted at the Severn Valley Railway.

Send yo u jane@o r photographs ilinstall t er.co.u o k

Spotted at a conference Is this bund for beer or oil?

That’s the question asked by Jeremy Boers of Evesham-based Sponners. Sailing along on his father’s canal boat, Jeremy spotted this tank at a watering hole near Lapworth, Warwickshire when the pair stopped for a drink.

Working mostly in servicing and breakdowns, Jeremy does subcontract domestic and commercial work for Grant, Warmflow and Trianco, and is also a Rayburn Guild member and a Harlequin Tankmark installer.

Extras in the next Star Wars film?

Oil Installer invites your suggestions for a caption for this photograph of OFTEC’s Jeremy Hawksley and Jonathan Hibbert, A&D Publishing. Send your caption in not more than 20 words to jane@ oilinstaller.co.uk. A prize awaits the wittiest entry.

A boiler blast “I see lots of bad tanks,” said mid Wales-based Neil Jackman. “But I think this is the best flue I’ve seen yet!” When a customer complained that their boiler hadn’t been working properly for a few months, Neil explained to the customer that he was lucky to still have a house!

“I do many boiler and oil tank installations and I’m amazed that some customers think their boilers and tanks are ok. This boiler was about 15 years old and has now been replaced.

At the same house, the tank had a tree growing against it!”

46 | Oil Installer Winter 2012

Clive King (r), OFTEC regional inspector in the south west of England with wife Jane and Bracknell-based Richard Gamble, Heat Plant Services, at the Institute of Domestic Heating and Environmental Engineer’s conference which took place at Loughborough University earlier this year.

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