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For the past 30 years, Triton’s T80 electric showers have been the number one choice for installers faced with a new, problematic or retrofit installation. Now with the launch of the fifth-generation T80z collection, this best selling electric shower makes new and retro-fit installations even easier and quicker – meaning installers can simply ‘fit and forget’ and move on to the next job.

All four of the new T80z models – White and Chrome, Chrome, Satin/Chrome and a highly topical Eco model – incorporate innovative, easy fit benefits designed using feedback from installers to ensure they tackle the installation problems met on a daily basis, particularly when replacing an existing electric shower.

Eliminating the nuisance of existing water or electric connections being on the wrong side or perhaps the chosen new shower not covering the original fixing holes, the new range includes features such as a unique ‘reversible’ water inlet and the choice of five water and six electric entry points to easily accommodate countless cable and pipe layouts.

An installation template allows all water, electric and fixing points to be marked out before any work starts and there is generous ‘working’ room for installers to make the necessary connections and fixings whilst carrying out the installation. Removable pipe entry trims further reduce the need for cutting on water and cable entry points

Z Uni-Fit Kit

For installations where existing wiring is too short, the addition of the innovative Z Uni-fit kit option makes it simple to extend wiring without compromising the professional finish of the shower. BEAB approved, the Z Uni-fit kit can save up to four hours on a difficult installation, widening the replacement scope of this shower range even further.

Green Credentials

For installers looking for a shower for environmentally friendly customers through to Housing Association or new home projects, the T80z Eco provides an equally straightforward solution. Offering a maximum flow of 6 litres per minute, rather than an average flow which is often seen, the T80z Eco makes a big difference when it comes to satisfying the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Lorna Fellowes, Triton’s managing director comments:

“The T80 range has been loved by installers for the past three decades, namely for its cost effective, problem solving ability. The latest T80z models certainly continue this trend and in fact take ease of installation to the next level. We have incorporated many features across these five flexible options that are most requested by installers, with the aim of providing a flexible showering range that is simple to install, appeals to the end user and all with the quality finish you’d expect from Triton.”

Big Brand Benefits

Particularly in the current climate, it is important for installers to have products that can ensure a first class service that customers can really feel the benefit from. Using known names such as Triton brings reliability firmly into the mix. The T80z not only benefits from the involvement of Triton’s in-house research and development team but also from the company’s expert technical advice, quality and customer service.

The complete range of T80z models has a 2 year guarantee and, if ordered before 5pm, forms part of the rapid replenishment service for delivery the following day.

Whatever finish is chosen, this newest T80z continues the trend for offering innovative design, performance, value and ease of installation – and over 1 million homeowners agree, with a T80 variant installed in their home.

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It’s all very well testing electrical installations in line with the IEE Wiring Regulations, but how can you be sure that the test results are accurate? Unless you check your instruments regularly, the answer is that you can’t.

Accuracy should be checked regularly

Unless there’s an obvious problem, few contractors give a thought to the accuracy of the instruments they’re using. But they should – inaccurate test results are worse than no test results at all because they can create the impression that an installation is safe when it isn’t. This is recognised in the guidance notes that accompany the IEE Wiring Regulations, which make it absolutely clear that the accuracy of test equipment must be checked regularly.

It would be easy to think that annual calibration would satisfy this requirement, but that’s not necessarily true. A lot can happen to an instrument over the course of a year and, although modern instruments are remarkably resilient, there’s no doubt that accidents can and do occur which adversely affect calibration.

Impractical to calibrate more than once a year

What’s needed is a way of checking the performance of instruments much more regularly. Returning them to the supplier several times a year for calibration would, however, be both inconvenient and costly.

To solve this problem, Megger has introduced the MTB7671. Unlike some of the other test boxes currently available, the MTB7671 genuinely looks at all key aspects of instrument performance, rather than just focusing on a single aspect of each test.

Loop testers test up to 3000 ohms not 1 ohm

For example, lets look at loop testing. Many test boxes are arranged to allow the instrument that’s being checked to measure the loop impedance of a circuit chosen by the user. Then a 1 ohm resistor is added to the circuit, and the measured result should, of course, show a 1 ohm increase.

This is fine, except that many loop testers can read up to around 3 kilohms! Testing the accuracy right at the bottom of this range provides little information about accuracy at the higher readings. With the MTB7671, this issue doesn’t arise, as the test box checks the accuracy of the instrument at multiple points.

If anyone thinks that accuracy only matters at the low end of a loop tester’s measuring range, they should remember that, in TT systems, acceptable loop impedance values in excess of 100 ohms are sometimes found.

This is just one example of how Megger’s MTB7671 sets a new industry benchmark in testing the testers.

Won’t trip RCD protected supplies

Other examples include RCD testing, where the problem here is not so much with the validity of the results provided by the test box, but with the inconvenience of getting those results.

When used to verify the performance of an RCD tester, all currently available test boxes will trip any RCD protecting the circuit from which they are powered. One solution is to power the test box from a circuit that’s not RCD protected, but often that’s not convenient. Once again, the MTB7671 has addressed this problem, and checks loop testers without any risk of RCD tripping.

Instrument test boxes have an important role to play in guaranteeing the reliable test results needed to ensure the safety of electrical installations. However, not all test boxes are the same. In particular, Megger’s MTB7671 looks at all key aspects performance of insulation test, continuity test, loop test and RCD test instruments. Only an instrument that does this provides users with complete assurance that their test equipment is compliant with all regulations.

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Steve Greaves, Managing Director of roofing manufacturer Flag-Soprema UK Ltd, will be making a 10 day trek through the Annapurna range of the Himalayas in November to raise funds for 'Help for Heroes'.

Departing initially for Kathmandu, the trek climbs thousands of feet via Pokhara, Tallokot and Ghalegeon through the foothills of central Nepal. For his efforts, Steve will be rewarded by the sight of some of the most magnificent panoramas in the world as he passes glaciers and snow clad peaks.

Steve, who has been getting in some much needed training in Snowdonia, was himself in the army for a number of years. He commented, “While serving, I spent 26 months under the care of the nurses and doctors of The Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital and its rehabilitation unit in Chessington. This followed a serious motorbike accident, so I know how important the right care is, both from a physical and mental perspective. When I heard about how I could raise money for Help for Heroes, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity.”

Help for Heroes was founded by Bryn and Emma Parry in October 2007 out of a desire to help the wounded servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. It provides direct, practical support to those injured in the current conflicts.

If you would like to help Steve to raise money for this much respected charity, please go to www.justgiving.com/steve-greaves or you can mail Steve at Flag-Soprema UK Ltd., Unit 640, The Hub, Avenue West, Skyline 120, Great Notley, Essex CM77 7AA

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Hamilton Litestat’s new slimline Linea CFX Collection has incorporated a new range of trailing edge push on/off resistive dimmers to provide the market with enhanced performance.

These Trailing Edge Dimmers have been designed to overcome many of the problems that are associated with leading edge dimmers, in that they are virtually noise free and compatible with most electronic transformers. They also offer the additional advantages of thermal protection and built-in overload protection, which prevents them from being damaged in an overload situation. At the same time, they feature unidirectional current detection which enables the dimmer to protect itself whenever a lamp blows and causes a high in rush current.

To prolong lamp life, these dimmers have incorporated a soft-start system which produces a slow fade out that is designed to help prevent lamp damage. Being a Trailing Edge Dimmer, it will work to its maximum without having to be de-rated. This capability enables it to dim 1000w when mounted four up on a double gang plate.

The new slimline Linea CFX plates incorporate split finishes and Hamilton’s registered concealed fixing system avoiding the requirement for ugly screws. This, along with the other features of the system, provide a truly unique solution for wiring applications thereby achieving a very high quality option that can complement the high specification demands of top-end interior projects.

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Daikin Europe N.V. has introduced a new EWWD-FZ range of centrifugal chillers that incorporate oil free compressors with magnetic bearings. This compressor technology not only eliminates the need for oil as a lubricant and associated maintenance and reliability issues, it also contributes to making this range one of the most energy efficient on the market.

Broad range of industrial applications

The new chillers are designed for a broad spectrum of industrial applications and come in 6 sizes (single circuit, 1 or 2 compressors) with cooling capacities from 320 to 1,050 kW. All units include onboard monitoring and diagnostics, can be easily integrated with external control systems such as building management systems and sequencing panels and are available with a wide variety of options.

Oil free operation improves reliability and efficiency

Oil free magnetic bearings contribute to simplified design and increased reliability. Friction is eliminated, as is the need for additional equipment such as oil pumps, resulting in reduced maintenance and greater reliability. Vibration and sound levels are also reduced significantly, allowing the units to be installed in sound sensitive environments.

The magnetic bearing system and other technologies present in the oil free compressor make it one of the most efficient compressors on the market today. Moreover, the compressor’s integrated variable frequency drive plus a flooded type evaporator, provide outstanding partial load efficiency and significant energy savings (EER up to 6.0 and ESEER up to 9.60). Integrated soft start functionality also greatly reduces start-up current requirements.

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Triton’s new RIBA approved CPD seminar, ‘New Build Basement Waterproofing’, focuses on the specific requirements of waterproofing in new build, below ground structures. Incorporating the requirements of the recently revised Code of Practice BS 8102 (2009) it covers pre-build design considerations , and how each type of waterproofing protection works and the benefits and disadvantages of each.  Triton’s original CPD seminar – ‘Waterproofing Existing Basements’ has also been updated and covers the use of similar methods of waterproofing and how they should be specified in refurbishment works.  More information and registration via www.triton-chemicals.com
There is a particular focus on Type C drained systems which are suited for use in historic or conservation projects as little substrate preparation is required and the system can be easily stripped out.  Drained systems work by continuing to allow the water to enter the building, and then controlling it behind a membrane from where it is diverted to a suitable drainage point.
Triton’s training programme also includes courses on the specification and installation of cavity drained systems, concrete waterproofing systems and damp proofing and timber preservation.
For more information and registration forms please visit www.triton-chemicals.com

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A unique combined busbar tap-off unit and fused cut-out distribution board has been developed by Eaton engineers to provide power for dwellings in high-rise apartment blocks. It has been designed in collaboration with engineers from a London Borough for a refurbishment programme Each tap-off unit incorporates the supply authority’s cut-out fuses for up to 21 flats.

Special sliding joints have also been developed so that the in-line tap-off units can be removed easily from the riser if necessary for maintenance or upgrading at some future date.

Traditionally, specifiers call for separate enclosures incorporating R-Type fuses as service cut-out units. These are then connected via multiple cable runs from the ground floor or from busbar risers. By combining the tap-off unit and supply authority’s fuse distribution board into a single unit, installation time is reduced and less space is required.

The approach also means that the cut-out fuses are located outside the flats in a secure enclosure, accessible to authorised persons only. The enclosures are fully shrouded and sealable, and are themselves housed in locked riser cubicles.

The cut-out units were developed initially for 1960s apartment blocks comprising more than 90 flats spread over more than 20 floors. Four Eaton 400A Mempower MP busbar risers, two at each end of the building, distribute power throughout each block. Tap-off units are located at every third floor, providing supplies to that floor and the floors immediately above and below.

To meet supply authority requirements, the enclosures incorporate terminal shrouds and sealing facilities at two points. A common 350mm wide enclosure will house varying options from three to 12 ways while 500mm wide enclosures will house from 15 to 21 ways. The fuse bases are rated for 100A and fitted with 100A BS 1361 30mm diameter RL-Type fuses. The enclosures have removable gland plates top and bottom and are IP54 rated.

The success of the new units has led to further orders from the same authority and interest has been shown by other local authorities and private developers.

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The owners of the UK’s first R22 replacement system are still benefiting from lower energy bills nearly five years after the installation of the unique Mitsubishi Electric system.

When the owners of the small office block in Daventry were originally looking to replace their cooling-only air conditioning, they considered a number of options including an upgrade of their boiler and heating plant.

However, after a discussion with Chillaire Limited of Nuneaton and Mitsubishi Electric wholesaler Kooltech Ltd, the owners, St Clements Services Ltd, chose instead to replace the old air conditioning with a heating / cooling City Multi Y Series, using what was then, ground-breaking Replace Technology.

“We were delighted to be a part of what we knew at the time, was the very earliest stages of R22 replacement technology,” explains Chillaire’s Gary Fowler, who led the project for the installer. “The technical support from both Mitsubishi and Kooltech allowed our engineers to keep disruption to a minimum for St Clements who are one of our most respected customers.”

The Replace Multi system allowed Chillaire to keep the existing pipework and wiring and update the indoor and outdoor units, whilst removing the old, environmentally unfriendly R22 refrigerant.

Using the existing pipework significantly reduced the time it took to get the system up and running and allowed the new air conditioning to be installed in days instead of weeks. St Clements also benefit from increased performance and efficiency from the Replace system.

“The speed of installation was a key factor in our decision but increased operational efficiency and excellent core reliability were also needed,” commented Chris Wright, Chief Executive of St Clements.

“The system has met our expectations in full and we have continued to benefit as a result of the efficiency of the system operating in an age of rising electricity prices,” he added.

St Clements have remained a service contract customer for Chillaire since the installation and Gary Fowler has been delighted with the system’s performance. “There have been no issues with this replacement system since we installed it almost five years ago, which just goes to show its reliability,” he added.

Mitsubishi Electric has developed an entire range of R22 replacement solutions since launching its Replace technology in 2005. These can also be used to replace the R22 systems of many other manufacturers.

To help convince system owners of the benefits of upgrading from R22 air conditioning, the company has also developed a unique Audit Tool which compares the running costs and COP levels of today’s, modern systems with old, fixed-speed R22 units. This readily highlights the reduction in monthly energy bills that can be achieved with advanced modern systems.

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Triton approved contractors, Midlands based Dampco, used cavity drain membranes from Triton to waterproof the basement beneath a detached Victorian double bay property. There was already a basement beneath 60% of the property and Dampco was contracted to excavate and extend it over a further 30m². There were no existing lightwells and the Dampco team installed five, with the excavated earth being removed via the new ones at the front of the property.

Large areas of underpinning were involved with the earth taken down to achieve a 2.5m head height.   Two internal partition walls were built and some existing internal walls removed to suit the new internal layout.

Dampco used Platon P5 cavity drain membrane on the walls and heavy duty P20 membrane on the floor.  Cavity drain membranes work on the principle of allowing water to continue to penetrate the structure but control it in the air gap and divert it to a suitable drainage point. They do not allow pressure to build up against the internal construction and the air gap behind the membrane allows the structure to breathe. Once the membrane has been fitted, wall surfaces can be dry lined or plastered directly and floors can be screeded or a floating dry board system installed.

Drainage gullies were created on the floor slab beneath the P20 membrane to direct any water ingress to the three drainage system sumps, each containing an Aqua Pump. Any water directed to the sumps will be pumped to rainwater gullies/surface gullies. The walls were battened and boarded and chipboard was laid on the floor with hatches created to access the sumps. A wood floor was then installed again with recessed hatches over the sumps.

As part of the project, Dampco also had to remove the original brick stairs down to the basement and installed a new oak staircase to match the design of other stairways in the property. The new basement has provided a new space to accommodate a TV lounge/games room complete with table tennis table, a music room large enough for a drum kit and a utility room for freezer storage etc.  To create an impression of unity with the rest of the property, the door and door frame at the top of the stairs down to the new basement were removed.

The Dampco team also removed all garden plants from where the new lightwells were built, potted them up and then returned them to the garden when the project was completed!

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