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Leading humidification specialist, Condair, has extended its range of electric steam humidifiers to include new IP55 rated models suitable for outdoor installation. The robust enclosures on the Condair RS resistive steam and Condair EL electrode boiler steam humidifiers enable the units to be located on rooftops and exposed to the elements.

Rather than simply installing the standard humidifiers inside a protective housing on a rooftop, the new outdoor humidifiers from Condair have purpose-built IP55-rated casings. This means they take up much less room on a rooftop and are easier to install. Condair’s new outdoor humidifiers are the most compact in the industry with the smallest footprint and incorporate lifting handles to make on-site transportation easier.

The enclosures incorporate a thermostat-controlled heater and fan unit to maintain the internal temperature at an optimum level with outside ambient conditions ranging from -20° to 40°C. An anti-freeze valve will ensure the humidifier completely drains should the unit experience temperatures of less than 6°C during periods of in-operation.

The new Condair outdoor humidifiers can be wall-mounted, allowing them to be attached to an AHU, or free-standing. Lockable doors are removable for easy access and optional internal lighting improves visibility for servicing and maintenance.

Alongside these new enhanced “outdoor” features, the Condair RS and Condair EL steam humidifiers inside the robust outer casing still offer all the innovative features that make these resistive and electrode humidifiers market-leaders. The latest touch-screen control panel gives intuitive control over operation and reporting, and a USB connection allows software to be updated and historic operational information downloaded into Excel.

The Condair RS resistive steam humidifier has an innovative scale-management system that sees limescale detach from the heating elements and fall into a scale-collector tank. This can be occasionally emptied to remove scale from the system without the need for major maintenance downtime. The Condair EL electrode boiler humidifier has advanced water quality management that precisely maintains the mineral content of the boiling cylinder. This avoids the need for excessive flushing of hot water to drain and minimises limescale formation.

The Condair Group is the world’s leading specialist in humidification and evaporative cooling, with energy efficient, hygienic and innovative technologies for commercial, industrial and heritage applications. Condair is represented in the UK by Condair plc, which offers system design, manufacture, supply, installation, commissioning, maintenance and spares. You can find out more by visiting the company’s website at www.condair.co.uk.

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Story

Armourcoat’s new Acoustic Plaster System has been granted the Quiet Mark Award – the international mark of approval from the Noise Abatement Society Charitable Foundation.

Quiet Mark is the international award programme and system of support for brands and consumers. Through its pioneering acoustic tests, the organisation awards its distinctive Purple Q Mark to products and services that show excellence in low-noise and high-performance.

Designed to optimize the acoustics of interior spaces, the Armourcoat Acoustic plaster system offers a clean and smooth mineral surface that can be applied seamlessly over large expanses to both flat and curved surfaces. Comprising of a special mineral wool composite panel that is bonded onto the substrate and finished with a seamless layer, the system presents an elegant marble-based plaster finish while allowing sound energy to pass through the surface.

The Armourcoat system includes a high percentage of pre and post-consumer recycled material, zero VOCs, is class ‘0’ fire-rated, and achieves a class ‘A’ Noise Reduction Coefficient rating for the 50mm system.

Poppy Szkiler, Founder and Managing Director, Quiet Mark, comments: “We welcome Armourcoat to the growing family of global organisations that are prioritising investment in acoustic research to create quieter solutions, as recognised by the Quiet Mark award. Armourcoat’s innovative acoustic plaster system performs to the highest building standards and incorporates special wool composite. This delivers excellent noise reduction properties and minimises the unnecessary intrusion of unwanted sound into our buildings, allowing the creation of a peaceful and supportive aural environment in our homes and places of work.”

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Story

Saniflo is pleased to announce the appointment of Fahim Karim as Specification Sales Manager for the South. This new role will focus predominantly on the Kinedo range of cubicles, enclosure and trays.

Having graduated from Brunel University in Uxbridge with Masters in Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research, Fahim was subsequently attracted to a career in sales and has since spent over 7 years in Specifications.

With experience in selling furniture, bespoke flooring and windows for new build and refurbishment projects he has excellent experience in dealing with architects, designers, developers, contractors and house builders; precisely the professional contacts required in this newly created role.
Outside work Fahim is an avid traveller and has explored the Middle East, Eastern Europe and America in the last few years. He is also a football and basketball fan.

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Story

Consumer units are often much more about what goes into them than what is already built in. This product information feature from Crabtree, one of Electrium’s leading brands in circuit protection, is a guide to choosing the right consumer unit and what to put in it.

When they say ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’, they may not be talking about consumer units… but the analogy certainly fits!

A correctly selected and installed consumer unit plays a vital role in the safe use of electricity in the home. Its devices protect the installation and more importantly, the users, from faults and risks such as fire, and electrical shock.

Starbreaker consumer units have been designed to be easier, safer and faster to install, whether it’s a first-time installation, a re-fit or an upgrade, the range has been designed to be both backwards compatible as well as future-proofed.

Nothing demonstrates this better than the latest development in the circuit protection market.

New Regulations in the 18th Edition

With the release of the 18th Edition of the wiring regulations, which was published on 1st July 2018, a new type of circuit protection device was included under regulation 421.1.7 regarding AFDDs which stands for Arc Fault Detection Device. Starbreaker consumer units are the only consumer units that can accept AFDDs without the need for special busbars or assemblies, or on site adjustments.

Furthermore, because the busbar hasn’t changed since its launch AFDDs can be instantly fitted to any Starbreaker consumer unit, regardless of its age.

Starbreaker consumer units use an innovative instant self connection system by employing a unique busbar system that devices simply plug into for instant push fit connections that give guaranteed factory quality connections.

This makes the installation of devices easier, safer and faster. AFDDs can be simply plugged into the fully insulated plug in busbar system for an easy installation that meet 18th Edition standards for additional protection against electrically ignited fires.

30mA RCD Protection Extended

Today’s typical domestic installation will have 30mA RCD protection on every circuit, especially as another new regulation in the 18th Edition (regulation 411.3.4) has extended the use of 30mA RCDs to include all lighting circuits in dwellings.

All of which means that each circuit in a consumer unit needs to have several types of protection against a variety of potential faults.

By combining Crabtree AFDDs (Arc Fault Detection Devices) with the new Miniature RCBO (Residual current Circuit Breaker with Overcurrent protection) Crabtree have created a single device, capable of providing protection against all the fault conditions as necessary.

This device includes MCB technology, RCD technology and AFDD technology, providing protection against overcurrent, short circuit, earth leakage and arc fault conditions, all in one DIN mounted plug in 2 pole device that also switches the neutral for even higher levels of safety. They also help designers and installers comply with the 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations.

It’s important that installers understand that AFDDs detect the types of arc faults that cannot be detected by RCDs or MCBs. These new devices use digital technology to provide additional protection against fires caused by arcs in AC 230V final circuits.

The 30% “Rule”

To help to avoid unwanted tripping of RCDs from PE currents (non fault leakage) the total PE current must be less than 30% of the RCD rating i.e. 30% of 30mA – see regulation 531.3.2.
Designers and installers will have to take account of PE currents when dividing the installation into the necessary number of circuits. Alternatively installers could simply use an individual RCBO on each circuit.

Only Use Manufacturer Approved Parts

Another new regulation, 536.4.203, refers to devices and components that are used in low voltage assemblies, such as consumer units, must only be those that have been declared suitable for that purpose by the manufacturer of the assembly.

Or put another way. Only use manufacturer approved parts, don’t mix brands of devices, or control items. Using unapproved parts will invalidate manufacturer guarantees and may result in an unsafe installation.

Meter Tails

The 18th Edition also includes regulation 522.8.5 which requires every cable to be installed in a way that avoids any mechanical strain and makes sure that there is no strain on the conductors and connections.

Consumer unit meter tails are included in this requirement. This is in addition to any other requirements to provide protection to tails at the point of entry into metal consumer unit enclosures etc.

Health and Safety

Regulation 462.1.201 requires a means of isolation (a main linked switch or circuit breaker) at the origin of every installation and in situations where this will be operated by ordinary persons, e.g. on a consumer unit in a domestic household, the main switch must interrupt both live conductors (L and N) of a single phase supply.

Starbreaker Mini RCBOs and AFDDs  provide this same safety protocol to individual circuits too because they include switched neutral as standard.

Periodic Inspections

The 18th Edition recommends periodic testing and inspection (regulation 135.1).
Testing can be a time consuming and costly activity, but Starbreaker Miniature RCBOs allow IR testing to be carried out without disconnecting and reconnecting circuit cables because they include two pole isolation as standard. Just switch off and test. Easier, safer, faster.

So, whether it’s a brand new installation, an addition or upgrade, Crabtrees’ Starbreaker consumer units and devices (Miniature RCBOs and AFDDs) can be simply plugged into the fully insulated plug self-connecting busbar system.

Providing an easy installation that now includes additional protection against electrically ignited fires.

Get more on the 18th Edition

Be clued up on the 18th Edition and the changes that are coming through by visiting our 18th Edition Area.

We’ll be talking more about AFDDs, Surge Protection, RCD and more.

For more information go to www.electrium.co.uk/18th-edition

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