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Contractor Pro, the new computerised estimating and invoicing system from Luckins, has been selected as an Electrical Industry Awards 2008 finalist in the Innovative Software Product of the Year Category.

The awards will be presented at the Electrical Banquet gala dinner to be held at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square on 29 October, hosted by Electrical Times magazine.

Contractor Pro is designed for smaller contractors working on domestic or light commercial or industrial installation and maintenance jobs and enables busy contractors to compile accurate, professionally presented estimates and invoices at the touch of a few keys. Contractor Pro users will be able to: win more work by responding quickly to every enquiry; improve profit margins by basing their quotations on accurate cost information; spend less time on tedious paperwork and more time on site; boost cash flow by invoicing promptly as soon as the job is complete.

The system is designed to be easy to use. Trials have shown that a new user familiar with any of the standard Microsoft Office products will be estimating in a matter of minutes.

Contractor Pro contains a selection from the Luckins product database (as used by most of the UK’s national wholesalers, distributors and contractors) and contains up-to-date trade prices and industry standard installation times for literally thousands of products. Discount data can be easily imported and the new related items feature, made possible through Luckins’ close relationship with manufacturers and suppliers, ensures that nothing is omitted when pricing each job.

Luckins’ Managing Director Donna Ward commented: “We are very proud that Contractor Pro has been selected as a finalist in the Electrical Industry Awards 2008. With more entrants in the awards than ever this represents a real achievement and is recognition of both Contractor Pro’s and Luckins’ unique position in the market. With the addition of Contractor Pro to our range, Luckins have a software solution suitable for every size of contractor and small contractors will now be able to achieve benefits previously out of their reach.”

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Wherever water, dust, and electrical lighting are combined, and especially in the presence of certain chemical vapours, dependable ?proof? lighting is essential. And that?s why Thorn has introduced a completely new range of general purpose water and corrosion resistant fluorescent luminaires – the AquaForce II series.

Lightweight and low-maintenance, the AquaForce II range is designed to do a tough job – and to do it well. Innovative production methods and advanced features make this the range that all others have to match. A seamless gasket set into a deeper channel within the canopy ensures a better IP65 seal. In addition to more light output, a sturdier all polycarbonate construction and the option of tamper resistant stainless steel toggles there is a choice of switchstart, high frequency and emergency gear.

Installation is delightfully easy for the contractor using the quick-fix brackets and wiring knockouts supplied, while the gear tray – which holds the circuitry – simply clips into position in the canopy. Optional extras include ?Connect? versions for rapid electrical connection and numerous suspension and through wiring kits.

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History

This Grade I listed structure has a labyrinth of unused basement areas. With space as a premium the courts looked at converting the brick basements to habitable space.

Methodology

The Newton System 500 LATH cavity drain system was designed and installed by our Newton Specialist Basement Contractor. The membraine system was mechanically fixed with Nuseal fixing plug, and thus created an air gap for water ingress to be guided to perimeter drainage conduits, which chanelled any water to natural drainage. The water management system installed negated the need for expensive surface preparation and was easily molded to the original building contours. In addition the system is deemed as removable (if required) in accordance with Listed building requirements.

Result

The vaults are now used as a luxury bar and rest area to Environmental Grade 3 (BS8102-1990). The photographs feature illustrate the first phase of this ongoing scheme.

The Benefits

The Victorian Bird Beak Arches were waterproofed without compromising the original features of this historic property.

The completed system was very well received by the clients and is in line with The British Standards and National Heritage guidelines.

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Montague L. Meyer, a trading brand of MLM Distribution Ltd, the market leader in wood-panels, has won a top industry award for a third year. Montague L. Meyer, Barking Depot, was awarded the prestigious 2008 TTJ Plywood Trader of the Year Award at the Award Ceremony held at the Park Lane Hotel, London, on 18th September, 2008.

These awards are made as a result of votes cast by readers of the TTJ (Timber Trades Journal). Consequently the awards are a true reflection of customer satisfaction. The award was presented to Mr David Siggins, Depot Manager for the Barking Depot, by Rt Hon Charles Kennedy M.P.

William T Eden, another brand operated by MLM Distribution Ltd, was awarded 2008 TTJ Panels Trader of the Year – a double win for the Montague L. Meyer Limited Group.

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Fort Dunlop, Birmingham’s iconic listed building, visible to the thousands of commuters as they journey along the M6, has been transformed into modern offices and contemporary retail space; all of which will be benefiting from the latest heating and cooling technology from environmental controls system manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric.

The landmark building, historically the location of the construction of spitfire planes during World War 2, was transformed by award winning property developer, Urban Splash, who had the challenge of bringing the building up to modern standards of comfort and technology without compromising the existing features and unique architecture.

The specification included over 120 Mitsubishi Electric water cooled WR2 systems making it the largest in the UK. Installed by Skyline Air Conditioning Ltd, the WR2 units meet the heating and cooling demands of the building utilising multi port BC controllers which enable the building to benefit from heat recovery, using waste energy generated from one part of the building during cooling, to be used to heat another area.

To keep the internal air fresh without wasting energy, the project also includes over 120 Lossnay heat recovery units, which recoup energy from outgoing air to heat or cool incoming fresh air.

Skyline Air Conditioning, which is a strategic Mitsubishi Electric Business Solutions Partner, was engaged in the complete air conditioning installation throughout the entire building, providing controls and remote zone controllers for each floor.

The WR2 condensing units are ‘housed’ in internal plant rooms, of which there are four per floor, providing heating and cooling to each floor via a total of over 700 Mitsubishi Electric ducted fan coils.

“To preserve the integrity of the original architecture, the internal floor was raised and we used the void below as a pathway for concealing all of the air conditioning system’s distribution, electrical power and control cables,” explained said John Bradshaw of Skyline, who led the project. “The combination ensures the highest total building efficiencies, as well as lower running costs and excellent CO2 emissions reductions.

“Lossnay ventilation units working in conjunction with the water cooled systems provide effective ventilation and total heat recovery, ensuring a comfortable air temperature within each room,” he added.

With large numbers of air conditioning units, control is paramount in a building of this complexity and size and Skyline Air Conditioning installed 24 Mitsubishi Electric G50A centralised controllers per floor in addition to 180 wired remote zone controllers.

This allows Urban Splash and their tenants to closely monitor and control each individual unit within the system to match separate room requirements.

With the installation of what is the country’s largest installation of WR2 systems, Skyline Air Conditioning have helped Urban Splash convert Fort Dunlop into a building fit for modern use and ensure that this prestigious building remains a central part of Birmingham’s heritage for years to come.

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BonaKemi has just issued an updated version of its product catalogue, featuring the complete Bona range of products for wood flooring contractors. The catalogue includes finishes for wooden floors, stains and fillers, abrasives and the complete range of Bona sanding machines, including the unique Dust Care vacuum system for contractors working in highly dust sensitive areas. Maintenance products for commercial and domestic use complete the catalogue.

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A family home of Mr and Mrs Fox in the small Wiltshire village of Collingbourne Ducis, Marlborough, is setting the standard for eco-friendly housing.

Mrs Fox estimates that by converting to Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan system, the family should save around £500 a year on fuel bills, and reduce CO2 emissions from their house by 50%.

“We decided to look for an environmentally friendly alternative to our oil-heating system because it was proving costly, and as our village doesn’t have gas, we looked at alternatives such as wood, solar power and biomass-based systems, but many of these proved difficult to operate,” she explained.

“We are an environmentally aware family and try to do our bit, recycling as much as possible and insulating the house to the highest standards to preserve energy; so when we found Ecodan it made environmental sense, promising energy savings and lowering our carbon footprint.

“The Ecodan unit that is kept outside the house is a similar size to an old-style boiler, but it’s much quieter than our old oil-fired one and doesn’t blow out foul-smelling fumes,” said Mrs Fox.

“Since converting, we have a much more even temperature throughout the house and no longer suffer from drafts. The heat seems to be much gentler and there are copious amounts of hot water – even for my two teenage children who seem to live in the shower!”

By using free energy from the outside air to provide space heating and hot water, Mitsubishi Electric’s Ecodan, the easy to install, low carbon alternative to a traditional gas or oil boiler, can dramatically reduce home running costs and CO2 emissions.

With a conventional gas boiler, one kilowatt of energy delivers less than one kilowatt of heat to a building. With an Ecodan heat pump boiler, one kilowatt of energy delivers a heat output in excess of 3 kilowatts – that’s a 300 per cent increase in energy efficiency – and that is set to grow as the technology develops.

The Ecodan unit runs off a normal domestic electric circuit and is easy to install, although Mitsubishi Electric stresses the need for modern levels of building insulation within the property to ensure the greatest efficiency, which is one of the reasons why the Fox household has worked so well.

The unit was installed by Wiltshire-based Ayres Plumbing and Heating who were one of the first to achieve Accredited Ecodan Installer status.

“Replacing our 15 year-old heating system with an Ecodan system meant that we were able to get rid of all the old water tanks and pipes in the loft, which also freed up a lot of space.

“To aid the system, we fitted large radiators throughout the house and have found that we haven’t needed to top our heating up with log fires as we would previously have done. We changed to Ecodan around five months ago and are expecting it to halve our bills.

“Our new system has created a lot of fascination and intrigue in the village as the majority of residents rely on oil-fired central heating systems which are proving more and more costly with fuel prices ever rising. I think it is highly likely that other houseowners will convert in the next few years,” Mrs Fox concluded.

The average UK household produces over five tonnes of CO2 per year with space and water heating accounting for more than 73% of this – Ecodan can cut these emissions by up to 50%. However, this energy that surrounds us – a key sustainable resource – doesn’t currently factor into many people’s thinking.

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Installation of a four pipe fan coil system at Royex House in the City of London included the use of 900 pre-fabricated valve sets, supplied to Axima Building Services by Marflow Hydronics. The valve sets were Marflow’s innovative Xterminator units, which combine a Filtermate isolation valve and Universal Xtra fitting with the company’s versatile Terminator commissioning valve.

Constructed for Scottish Widows as a speculative development, Royex House is a new 16 storey, 35,500m2 building in Aldermanbury Square, comprising predominantly office space with food and drink retail outlets at ground level.

In order to maximise onsite productivity, M&E contractor Axima Building Services decided to have the valve sets for the fan coil system fabricated off-site.

“Adopting a pre-fabrication approach enabled us to make optimum use of onsite staff and save a considerable amount of time on the installation of the fan coil system,” explained Axima’s Mark McManus. “As well as providing excellent value for money, Marflow worked closely with us and the other suppliers, providing expert advice and ensuring that deliveries were on time,” he added.

Pre-fabricated copper bends were supplied to Marflow’s production facility, where the Xterminator units and chilled and heating valve sets were mounted in tandem on a single bracket. The assemblies were then supplied to the fan coil manufacturer complete with a 2-port control valve and copper tails for direct connection to the fan coil units.

A further benefit of using Marflow’s Terminator Commissioning valve derives from its exclusive inter-changeable venturi system. This facilitates any future changes that may be made to the system, thus adding value for the end user.

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