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“The disturbing news that a major manufacturer has needed to issue a safety recall on all its packaged air to water heat pumps, the majority of which have been installed in residential applications, highlights a number of important issues that should have been addressed much sooner and that we have warned industry about in the past.” Claimed Neil Afram, Managing Director of Space Air Solutions Ltd., the domestic air to water heat pump division of Space Airconditioning plc.

“For this manufacturer, a recall may be the only practicable option given that, in many cases, the original installers may not have the legally required minimum qualifications to carry out repair work or replace faulty components. Space Air has always maintained that to provide complete peace of mind and customer confidence in any burgeoning technology, particularly in the residential sector, the establishment of a comprehensive, pre and after- sales product support infrastructure must take priority over volume sales.” Said Mr Afram.

“Of course, it is essential that you start with a high quality product, one that is designed, manufactured and tested to rigorous standards.” Continued Mr Afram, whose company has been distributing Daikin products in the UK since 1980. “But even if you have that advantage it is vital to ensure this is matched with the highest standards of application expertise, installation and maintenance, in an infrastructure that includes well trained and qualified installers who understand the technology involved. Space Air goes even further by insisting that we, or one of our appointed specialists, commissions each installation as a final check that everything is in order and that an appropriate maintenance programme is in place.” Said Afram.

Mark Houghton, Commercial Director at Space Air Solutions commented, “This incident must not be interpreted as a general cause for concern regarding the safety or reliability of air to water heat pumps. However, it was a mistake to market the type of heat pump involved in this case to be a simple “connect up and switch on” unit, suitable to be supplied to or installed by those who have only limited knowledge of heat pumps and are not qualified to carry out maintenance and repair works.Despite claims that the rather dramatic ‘explosion’ was an isolated occurrence, we believe the comprehensive recall and cancellation of sales, confirms a failure to put product support and customer care before volume sales and profits. “We want to assure our customers and those considering air to water heat pump installations in the future, that there are no safety or reliability issues with the Daikin “Altherma” range.” Houghton continued “Space Air, with 30 years experience as a Daikin Distributor has been at the forefront of developing the residential market for Daikin air to water heat pumps and offers unique support services for both the installation contractor and the end-user, designed to instil complete confidence in what is a relatively new concept in the UK.” “We are in no doubt that air to water heat pumps, particularly those manufactured by Daikin and supplied by Space Air Solutions are a safe, reliable and efficient alternative to fossil fuel central heating systems.” Concluded Houghton.

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Crittal steel windows have been instrumental in the restoration of the iconic and landmark Tooting Library in London. A two year programme to restore the building was completed at the beginning of this year, at a cost of over £3 million.

The Edwardian structure was originally built in 1902, funded by the generous outgoing mayor of Wandsworth, and today, it attracts over half a million visitors a year. Both the interior and the exterior of the library were in need of an upgrade, and designs were submitted by architects, NPS London Ltd. to bring the facility up to date and in keeping with contemporary, modern energy requirements.

Externally W20 profiles from the Crittall range were specified to replace the existing steel windows. Slimline and unobtrusive, the profiles provide strength and security, without detracting from the visual appearance of the building. Crittall was also tasked with replicating certain familiar features. According to project architect, John Miller, the aim was to retain as much of the original architectural style as possible. “Not only were the profiles replicated by Crittall to match, but the company also became heavily involved in the replicated design of the art nouveau-style, floral-patterned leaded lights to a number of the windows on the ground floor,” he explained. This unusual design feature was retained as it was seen as key in retaining the charm and character of the building.

Similarly, the full height bay window which is a major eye-catching element of the design, involved Crittall’s expertise, with glazing supplied in a wide plate of colours to create a visually striking effect both inside and out.

Crittall also were responsible for the manufacture of exact copies of the original window fittings which were required to add further to the aesthetic goal of the project.

“The result is exactly as we, and the client, wanted,” concluded Mr Miller. “The windows have been replaced – and some new ones added to the new extension that we have built onto the existing structure – all in keeping with the architectural style of the original.“ Crispin & Borst, (now part of Vinci Construction) acted as main contractor on the project.

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The Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham, also known as Cranfield University, has long been considered a centre of academic excellence, offering the expertise of both Academia and Officers of the British Armed Forces in the teaching of Defence Management, Science and Technology.

The Royal Military College's Centre for Defence Chemistry has an extensive range of well-equipped laboratories offering facilities for all aspects of teaching and research into the chemical sciences.

A regular supply of distilled water is essential in all chemistry laboratories, and the Royal Military College is no exception, with the chemistry lab producing its own distilled water from domestic water using electrically heated 10litre stills. Being in a hard water area, the scientists at the Royal Military College found that limescale deposits were building up rapidly on the stills, resulting in them becoming less effective.

To combat the limescale problem, the stills were regularly dismantled, and acid was used to remove the scale from the glass vessels and heating elements. However, repeated acid cleaning was causing damage to the outer metal surface of each element, making it less effective and reducing its life.

Therefore, the scientists at the Royal Military College turned to non-chemical alternatives to treat the hard water, and finding none they had tested to work effectively, the Hydroflow HS38 unit was recommended. The Shrivenham team decided to carry out comparative performance tests, so the Hydroflow HS38 was installed on a limescale free still and observations made over a 6 week period. The still was then cleaned, re-used for a second 6 week period without the Hydroflow HS38, and fresh measurements taken.

The tests confirmed that calcium carbonate crystals formed quickly on heating elements as the water contained more dissolved material than could be held, meaning it was at the point of super-saturation. In comparison, when the Hydroflow HS38 was in operation, crystals grew larger and more quickly, but crystallized onto the floating 'Hydroflow Crystals' and remained in suspension as opposed to adhering to the heating element or glass. Furthermore, whilst the HS38 was in use, the water was maintained at saturation point.

Hydropath's HS38 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 central heating system to treat the primary water. The treated water is normally able to dissolve existing scale in just a few months.

Since the Hydroflow HS38 eliminated the need for acid cleaning and the still no longer needs to be dismantled, it saves a lot of time for the team at the Royal Military College. Hydroflow HS38 units have now been permanently fitted to all their laboratory stills.

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In a stunning design by Dexter Moren Architects & Designers, striking bespoke shades from Chelsom hover effortlessly over candy striped seating in the vibrant restaurant of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal.

Stretched tightly over a sturdy steel drum frame, the soft crimson fabric is lined in gold two-toned patterned silk to provide a rich amber glow throughout the lobby.

Comments Managing Director Robert Chelsom, “Bespoke shades have become a firm favourite with interior specifiers. They give instant impact to any scheme, are extremely cost effective, and are infinitely versatile which gives creative designers the scope to conceive inspired combinations of shape, size and fabrics”.

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Polypipe extends Elegance range with release of Ogee Notched profile and soil and vent products

Polypipe Building Products has launched its enhanced and extended Elegance cast iron effect uPVC rainwater system with the addition of the revolutionary notched gutter concept for its new Ogee profile to add to the original and already popular half round profile. The Elegance range has been designed in such a way that each profile in the range utilises a common downpipe, making installation and ordering very simple. In addition it has launched a new range of soil and vent products in a matching cast iron effect finish.

The new notched Ogee profile guttering provides a secure fit and counters the problem of gutters becoming dislodged from their retaining clips during warm weather due to heat expansion, making leaky joints a thing of the past. The leading edge of the gutter is notched and the system uses a flexible band clip to secure the gutter. The lugs on the gutter are simply matched to the band clip and snapped into place.

In addition to the notches, Polypipe has included grooves midway between the notches which act as cutting markers when cutting the lengths of guttering. These benefits, in addition to the lightweight construction of the new guttering system, makes handling, assembly and installation as simple as possible for installers.

Simon Green is Polypipe’s Product Marketing Manager for the drainage and water management side of the business: “We’re excited to be able to extend the Elegance range with the new Ogee profile which closely resembles the profile found on original cast iron installations,” he says. “This will make it easy to preserve the traditional look of a period home when replacing the original guttering, but with the knowledge that it will give a more secure fit, be simpler to install and far lighter than the original.”

The new soil and vent range is based on the Polypipe 110mm soil pipe, supplied in 3 metre lengths with a selection of sockets, bends and a vent terminal. The range uses Polypipe’s popular push-fit system, again for quick and easy installation.

Full details of the new extended Elegance rainwater, soil and vent range can be found on its own dedicated web site at www.polypipe.com/elegance and the new system is available from merchants now. Alternatively you can call 01709 770 000 quoting reference “ElegancePRA” and request information, a product leaflet and price list.

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If only electricians were able to go to a job, and then just work through until it was done, just like all the other skills on site. But oh no, life’s not like that. First there’s the wiring to do – from circuit protection to outlet back boxes. Then, and usually several days later, when the plasterers and decorators have finished, then and only then, can you return to finish the work by fitting all the electrical accessories and other devices. But all this is about to change with the introduction of a brand new product idea from one of the most established and trusted names in the industry, Electrium, and this new innovation for the electrical industry is called Safety Shield.

By using a Safety Shield on each of the wiring accessories, an installer can do both the first and the second fixes at the same time, or put another way, get rid of the 2nd fix altogether. The Safety Shield simply fits between the back box and the accessory to provide a temporary finished surface that the accessory fixes against in the same way that it would fix against the finished wall.

It elevates the accessory from the wall surface providing working space for plaster patching and decorating, so that the accessories themselves do not need to be removed. It also provides a frame for plaster patching that guarantees a neat finish without the back box ever being clogged up with plaster. It prevents accidental tiling over the fixing lugs as well, eliminating the problem of having to retro-trim tiles in order to fix the accessory in place. It also forms a trim border for wallpaper and a “cutting in edge” for paintwork. And when all other work is complete, the builder can simply loosen the retaining screws, tear Safety Shield away along its pre-formed break points, and retighten the screws.

And if doing away with the second fix isn’t useful enough, it’s the ideal solution for refurbishment and re-wire contracts where it’s necessary to get the power back on and keep the installation fully functional while waiting for other trades to complete their part of the job. For example, the refurbishment of a kitchen usually requires the first fix electrical installation to be undertaken some time before the plaster is repaired and the finishing touches of tiling etc are applied. So, what will the customer do for power and lighting in the meantime? The conventional solution is very labour intensive if continuity of power supply is essential. With Safety Shield, however, it’s simple to keep the power on between trades, doing away with the need for numerous return visits to site to fit and re-fit, and to energise and de-energise circuits, and that means the installer saves time and money while the customer is less disturbed by the process. Electrical safety tests can be carried out and the power can be left on, especially useful on the cooker and the freezer circuits but equally important on lighting and general power.

Safety Shield brings numerous benefits to the all trades working in the refurbishment industry. Connaught Construction has already taken full advantage of the benefits of this amazing innovation. Their Health and Safety offices have approved Safety Shield for use on all ‘Decent Homes’ contracts. These contracts often involve refurbishment of large numbers of social housing units. As part of this service, each home must have power available for the tenants throughout the whole of the 21-day refurbishment timescale, and that power must be provided in a manner that is safe for everyone, including the tenants and the tradesmen working on the property.
Jonathan Lewis, Site Manager of Bullock Construction Ltd says: “Since using these brilliant, well constructed, bright yellow boxes on all our rewires, I have personally seen a vast improvement to both safety and quality of work. The boxes are instantly noticeable and cover the full area around both light switches and sockets, this means there is no access for fingers to accidentally touch live wires behind the fronts of the
sockets (and we all know how inquisitive children are). There is also a much better finish by the plasterer as they have something solid to work to on all four sides of the socket or switch”

The average saving from using safety shield is estimated at around £132 per dwelling, so if you’re looking for a business opportunity to give you an advantage in these troubled economic times, then by eliminating the 2nd fix, you can make your jobs both more profitable and more competitive all in one go. And then you can laugh all the way to the bank – well if there are any of them left by the time you read this!

For further information about Safety Shield contact Electrium Sales on 01543 455000.

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Hydropath Holdings has provided training to assist in the education of British Gas engineers. Hydropath, who produce a range of domestic and commercial chemical free water conditioning products, have been involved with British Gas since 1992. Senior members of Hydropath provided a series of training events round the country to British Gas Training Managers. They will, in turn, provide training and information to field engineers, of which British Gas employ over 6,900. The organiser of the training commented, “All the engineers found the training very informative. How physical water conditioners function is a very complex area and there is some scepticism within the industry because the efficacy of some of them is limited at best. Hydropath’s ‘HS38’ unit is the only unit that we would recommend as we have empirical evidence that it actually works. The HS38 is very simple to install to protect a central heating system from limescale, but it has to be placed in the correct location and it was interesting to see a demonstration of exactly why that is.”

British Gas has a number of engineering academies across the country which train engineers in installing, diagnosing and repairing household appliances and central heating systems. An important part of this is educating customers on the importance of avoiding central heating breakdowns. Many parts of the U.K. experience hard water, which can result in scale build up in pipes, reducing the efficiency of the domestic heating system. Limescale compromises the life of the system, increases running costs due to wasted energy, and could lead to a costly repair bill when the boiler breaks down.

British Gas has recommended Hydropath’s domestic HS38 water conditioning unit to its customers for a number of years to improve the efficiency of the domestic boiler with savings on energy bills and preventing expensive breakdowns. The HS38 patented water conditioning system by Hydropath removes limescale by transmitting randomly varying electric fields into the water and the entire plumbing 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 treated water is normally able to dissolve existing scale in a few weeks. The HS38 is suitable for use in most domestic applications including open vented combination boilers, mains pressurised unvented and direct fired water heaters, and all domestic appliances throughout the house.

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When you stand in your kitchen and look at a one kilo bag of frozen peas or petit pois, you realise that 40,000 tonnes of peas is an awful lot of peas by anyone’s standards, but that’s the quantity of the little round green chaps that flood through Birds Eye’s pea processing plant on the banks of the River Humber, within a stone’s throw of the quite beautiful Humber Bridge, just outside Hull.

Grown predominantly on the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire Wolds and transported to Hull for processing and packing, the whole ‘pea’ process demands huge quantities of water – from one of the hardest water areas in the UK, and in order for the processing machinery to run smoothly, without the problems associated with limescale build up, they need a little help from technology.

One of the bits of technology the have turned to, to achieve this is Watermatic’s KalGuard + system. Watermatic is part of the Sentinel Group, and is increasingly offering many large businesses a way of reducing their energy consumption by reducing limescale build up in their plant and systems. Untreated limescale in hard water areas of the country – that’s more than 60% of the UK – results in a need to use far more electricity than should be required for clean, scale free plant and hot water systems and in Birds Eye’s case even more problems associated with the freezing technology they utilise at their plant.

The Birds Eye pea line operates for just 6-8 weeks every year when the peas are picked and processed as rapidly as possible to capture the freshness of the newly picked peas. All the water coming into the factory comes through the KalGuard + unit before heading on down the line for secondary treatment at the plant’s massive commercial water softener installation, before heading off to the refrigeration and boiler plant in the factory.

Straightforward to install, KalGuard ‘+’ is an in-line powered electrolytic water treatment device that manages limescale within a system. The unit incorporates a simple to use, yet sophisticated controller to match the level of treatment to suit the systems water hardness conditions producing a measurable “residual” effect throughout the system, and as a result in independent testing at Cranfield University, has been shown to reduce limescale formation on heat transfer surfaces by up to 80 percent.

Kalguard + doesn’t soften the water – it simply alters the nature of the water to contribute to the reduction in limescale ‘fall out’ from the water onto heated surfaces – in a process known as retro-precipitation. Amongst other businesses that have already installed KalGuard ‘+’ equipment to protect their systems and reduce their energy consumption are well known names such as BMW, Whitbread and KrispyCreme Doughnuts!

Watermatic’s KalGuard ‘+’ units are proving hugely beneficial around the UK to hotels, nursing homes, leisure centres, food processing businesses, offices and retail outlets and finding a warm welcome across the globe – in places such as Cyprus which has horrendously hard water and in the Middle East which also suffers the problems of hard water on a major scale.

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At the newly built, £30 million Abbeywood Community School in Filton, Laidlaw Solutions worked with architects Alec French and BAM Construction to produce a doorset specification which involved the installation of a proximity system using Mifare smart card technology. The architect designed the school to RIBA Stage D+ and was retained as client’s supervisor through to completion. The mixture of both online and offline control units lent itself to the way the school wished to run its security, the online readers giving updates and system changes to each card presented. Hard-wired, online units were connected to the building’s network together with offline, stand alone units which utilised wall readers and magnetic locking. Online wall readers and controllers were interfaced with the automatic entrance doors at reception, which unlock and open when a card is presented to the reader. Over 160 battery powered electronic handle sets were also fitted to classrooms, offices and staff rooms.

Students were heavily involved in how their new school buildings would look and worked with architects and builders as part of their studies. The graffiti style glazing and doorsets in bold, primary colours are a clear result of their involvement. The 920 pupil school has since been granted Specialist School status in Humanities, with English, Geography and Drama being the specialist subjects.

The shift in favour of closer cooperation between manufacturer, specifier, contractor and client has undoubtedly ensured that issues of durability and promises of like-for-like performance are put to closer scrutiny. Speaking of his experience of the project BAM Construction’s Project Manager Andy Syddall said, “Laidlaw scheduled the supply and installation of an access control system for doors throughout the school. While still a relatively new concept for schools, the support Laidlaw provided throughout demonstrated their experience of managing projects of such a scale”.

The school was chosen by South Gloucestershire Council as the first to receive funding from the Department for Children, Schools, and Families as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme. It is just one of a long list education projects for which Laidlaw access control, doorset and handrail systems have been chosen.

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