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The new edition of Part G (Sanitation, hot water and water efficiency) of the Building Regulations for England and Wales, effective from April 2010, includes the requirement to fit a temperature regulation device for the bath in new home bathrooms, to prevent scalding. Similar regulations have been in place in Scotland since 2006.

To achieve compliance with the new regulations, safety valve specialist Reliance Water Controls offers a selection of high performance TMV2 approved thermostatic mixing valves to suit domestic systems: the Heatguard? TMV2-2, DC2, LS2 and BF2-2. These valves provide precise and stable temperature control, protecting the user from thermal shock if either the hot or cold supply fails. They are fully approved by WRAS and Buildcert to the TMV2 scheme for thermostatic mixing valves in domestic properties and meets the needs of the home bathroom.

A thermostatic mixing valve can be fitted easily near the outlet and provides the same level of anti-scald protection as a thermostatic tap or bath/shower mixer but at considerably lower cost, and it allows the choice of budget and style for the bath taps or fittings to remain flexible.

The Part G revisions also require that new domestic bathrooms are designed for water economy, based on a maximum usage of 125 litres of wholesome water per person per day. Reliance has long experience at the forefront of developing water control technology to ensure an efficient system, and their range includes devices to control flow or pressure, or to meter consumption which encourages economical water use.

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Story

The leading global designer and supplier of lighting systems, Havells Sylvania has enhanced its successful SYL:Fire range of fire-rated downlights with the introduction of a low energy compact fluorescent option.

The new Syl:Fire CFL features a Mini-Lynx 9W ES fast start lamp, which consumes up to 80% less energy, lasts six times longer than a standard incandescent lamp and delivers excellent lumen output.

Launched in 2007 the Syl:Fire range has quickly proved popular with installers, specifiers and consumers. In order to set a high standard, the Concord design team created a sleek design and maximum protection from fire and noise with ease of installation and low maintenance.

Like all Syl:Fire downlights, the CFL version is manufactured from steel and incorporates the highest quality intumescent materials, which will expand up to 15-times their normal size under heat and pressure – a reaction that seals the fixture and ceiling cut out to stop all heat, smoke and flames from spreading. Additionally, tough stainless steel springs guarantee that the fixture will be held in place in the event of fire.

From an installer’s point of view, the innovative easy-wire connector that is another feature of the SYL:Fire range makes connection easy.

The Syl:Fire range has been tested by the British Research Establishment in accordance with the following Building Regulations:

• Part B – fire safety – 30, 60, and 90 minute tests
• Part C – resistance to containments and moisture
• Part E – acoustic rating
• Part L – air tightness

John Mercer, Havells Sylvania’s Marketing Manager for Hotel, Leisure & Residential fixtures, comments: “Syl:Fire has fast become the industry standard. It is the most compact and easy to install fire-rated downlight currently available in the UK and the addition of the low energy CFL option will extend its already wide appeal.”

Syl:Fire downlights are available in Fixed, Tilt, IP65 Halogen and CFL versions and a choice of white, polished chrome and polished brass finishes.

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Story

The Saipa Shishe Company, located in Qazvin, Iran, produce specialist glass such as laminated and tempered automotive glass, safety glass, and bullet proof glass. In production, the Saipa Shishe Company relies on an autoclave, a machine that uses the three stage process of heating, holding and cooling to laminate glass. During production, the autoclave is loaded with the glass, and the internal temperature increased to 150oC and a pressure of 180psi for approximately 60 minutes. The heaters are then turned off, and cooling water is pumped through the coils in order to decrease the temperature to 50oC whilst the glass is still under full pressure. It is important the glass is not de-pressurized earlier. When the temperature reaches 50oC and the pressure is almost equal to the atmosphere’s pressure, the door is opened and the finished product removed.

However, due to the hardness of the water at the Saipa Shishe Company, limescale build up was a major problem, and the coils of the autoclave needed to be manually descaled every two months with the use of strong chemicals. This process was both time consuming and expensive, with each ‘clean’ meaning the autoclave was out of service for two days. The use of acid also caused damage to the heating elements of the system, reducing its life to only three or four washes.

As a result, the maintenance team at the Saipa Shishe Company looked into chemical free alternatives to prevent limescale, and decided to trial the AquaKlear P-100. The unit was installed on the pump’s outlet pipe in the pump room, and was found to be extremely effective at preventing and removing limescale. In the 16months since the P-100 was installed, the autoclave has been in constant use without any running problems.

Hydropath’s AquaKlear P-100 prevents the build up of all limescale deposits, including calcium carbonate, by emitting randomly varying electric fields throughout the system. The result is the production of nuclei throughout the water system. When the water is heated, the resulting precipitate that usually deposits on hot surfaces grows in suspension and develops as a crystal on the nuclei, which is then washed away in the flow. The fields treat the water both up and down stream and will be transmitted into the plumbing system to treat the primary water. The treated water is normally able to dissolve existing scale in just a few months.

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Story

Contractors using the Bluetooth® MFT1553 which downloads test results direct to 17th Edition certificates running in PowerSuite On-site on their laptop, PDA or smart-phone are saving hours making out certificates at the end of the day.

• The fast-track from inspection to invoice
• Complete the certificates as you go there on site
• Save hours transferring results to fair copy certificates

From test to certificate

Yes, the new MFT1553 multifunction installation tester from Megger completely eliminates the time consuming and error-prone chore of entering test results manually into certificates. Instead, the innovative new tester sends results via a Bluetooth wireless link straight to test certificates in computers, Pocket PCs, Palms PDAs or even Smart-phones that are running Megger PowerSuite On-site, a new addition to the Megger software range.

Flexibility when filling

There is no fixed sequence for testing provided the cursor is on the line of the certificate appropriate to the circuit, users can specify the location in the certificate they want a particular result to appear from the test instrument.

Bluetooth enabled

The Bluetooth-capable MFT1553, which is the latest addition to the UK’s best-selling family of multifunction testers, provides all of the advanced features offered by other models in the range, including automatic RCD testing, which dramatically reduces testing time by making it unnecessary for users to continually walk between the RCD and the tester while the tests are being carried out.

17th Edition ready

Supplied as standard with a full calibration certificate, MFT1500 series testers combine, in a single compact and robust instrument, all of the testing facilities needed to meet the requirements of the IEE Wiring Regulations both 17th Editions and Part P of the Building Regulations. They feature an ergonomic design that was developed in close consultation with electrical contractors and have colour-coded controls which make them easy to use, allowing tests to be performed rapidly with minimal risk of mistakes.

PowerSuite On-site software

Offering the only test management software package supports IET, NICEIC, ECA, SELECT, ELECSA and NAPIT certificates to BS7671:2008, the purchase of electronic certificates and the automatic posting of your building control notifications, PowerSuite On-site can take hours off your working day. What’s more by running the certificates on a mobile device you have the benefit of doing the certification in front of the customer, adding to your credibility.

There is the possibility of doing what some users are doing, printing the certificate and invoice on site, and leaving with a cheque to bank.

MFT1553 On-site wins 3 major awards

Megger has scooped yet another award to add to the two prestigious trophies it picked up at the Electrical Industry Awards 2007 in early October and the AECI best new product award taken earlier in the year.

The latest award was presented at the Select Electrotechnical awards 2007 in Glasgow. The MFT1553 On-site won the best new product category.

SELECT Electrotechnical Awards 2007

New Product of the Year was won by Megger MFT1553. Downloading test results from a tester to a laptop computer is nothing new – but the new MFT1553 On-site package takes this a step further. Now, it is no longer necessary to have a cabled connection between the tester and the computer and the certificate is filled out on-site.

Electrical Industry Awards 2007

Test and Measurement Product of the Year was won by Megger MFT1553. Instruments that transfer test results automatically to a laptop computer are nothing new – but the new MFT1553 On-site package takes this a step further. Now, it is no longer necessary to have a cabled connection between the test instrument and the computer. With the MFT1553 package, all data is transferred via a wireless Bluetooth connection.

The Awards were judged by a panel of independent experts from such respected bodies as the NICEIC, BEAMA and the ECA, as well as editorial representatives from Electrical Times magazine.

Association of Electrical Contractors (Ireland)

In May the MFT1553 On-site won the Best New Product Award at the AECI in Athlone.

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Story

If there is an impression that some councils are slow in reacting and getting to speed with some modern technologies: the accusation cannot be levelled at Gloucestershire County Council. Its Climate Change Champion Network is really getting to grips with the complex issues of reducing the council’s carbon footprint. The programme includes awareness training, encouraging behaviour change amongst colleagues, questioning the carbon credentials of suppliers amongst many other initiatives, such as dimming and part-night lighting street lights and the introduction of LED traffic lights.

To help in this mammoth task, the ‘eco talents’ of Mira Showers’ Christian Wagner’s knowledge was recently exploited. Using the extensive knowledge gained through 38 years managing training and development at Mira – combined with that from ‘self-building’ his own SAP A designed home and updating his current one to dramatically reduce running costs – Christian has delivered the council with a thought-provoking, interactive and dynamic set of materials entitled Are You Eco Solvent? The materials demonstrate the nature and benefits of incorporating sustainable and efficient materials and systems into the domestic environment.

These range from basic draught exclusion and dimmable low energy bulbs – costing only a few pounds – though to Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) and solar-heated DHW systems. Water saving is achieved by using the Mira Eco head, and harvested rainwater for WC flushing. A programmable two zone central heating thermostat is combined with radio controlled radiator valves and a condensing system boiler with climatic compensation to accurately and comfortably control the heating.

Cooking is done with an electric induction hob, running at an efficiency of around 84% compared with 40% for gas, and without the dangerous products of combustion. The increased use of the latest generation of LED lighting has reduced even further the power consumption of even low energy lighting. And the best of all, the house does not look like a test laboratory!

Christian commented on Are You Eco Solvent?, saying: “There is much talk about eco, but insufficient action. From conversations with GCC and others, it seems that this is not for a lack of enthusiasm but a want of practical knowledge on what can be achieved in the home”.

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