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Getting the underfloor heating installation just right

Free design service for installers

Planning an underfloor heating propect is made easy with the free Thermolay design service.

Just call the Thermolay team with details of the project and they’ll recommend the best sytems and layout for the job.

This free Thermolay design service enables installers to specify the most economical and heat-efficient specification for each room.

The Thermolay system offers a choice of cable or mat systems, which are chosen depending on the size and shape of the room to be heated. The basic mat and Flexi Mat system are ideal for large or unobstructed floor areas, while the cables or stretchable Flexi-mats cater for smaller areas with obstructions such as alcoves or bathroom fittings.

A range of complementary controls, supplied complete with temperature probes, help homeowners to get the best out of their new installation and the Thermolay experts will be happy to recommend the best one for the job in hand.

The free Thermolay design service enables installers to specify the most economical and heat-efficient specification for each room.

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Caravell, the UK’s leading supplier of commercial refrigeration, was selected by Welcome Break in July 2007 to create a refrigeration unit in a retail outlet at one of their busiest service stations in the country, Newport Pagnell.

Caravell was tasked with helping Welcome Break increase sales of sandwiches in the WHSmith of the busy service station. The competition from the catering outlets on the site meant sandwiches were not selling as well in the WHSmith retail store; WH Smith was not the natural choice for purchasing sandwiches. What was needed was to improve the image and visibility of the sandwiches within the retail outlet.

Caravell designed an “island” consisting of a number of refrigeration units. By December 2007, within just two and a half months of installing the new units, sales of sandwiches had increased by an impressive 40%.

Welcome Break worked closely with Caravell’s shop fitting partners on design concepts, and eventually settled upon a bespoke island unit that was similar to an upmarket delicatessen cabinet in terms of design. This resulted in the sandwiches being presented within the unit as desirable quality premium food products. The unit had to have the ‘wow factor’ and be easy for busy consumers to access and walk around.

Four of Caravell’s top-of-the-range CPD cabinets were arranged two in a line, then back to back, with a CPD 600 unit at each end, to form the island. Wooden corners were added to give the opportunity to sell ambient associated products, making a one stop snack stop. The chiller cabinets were designed from scratch with glass sides and clinical, clean blue lighting to convey the fresh, healthy products within the cabinet. The ‘delicatessen’ look and feel was further conveyed through the placing of bespoke baskets on each corner of the unit, designed to display fruit and other healthy snacks which would reinforce the premium feel.

Welcome Break chose Caravell on the basis of their extensive experience within coffee shops and other retail outlets across the UK. They have been so pleased with the results that they are looking at introducing new table concepts and additional refrigeration units in other Welcome Breaks around the country.

John Lougher, CEO of Caravell, commented: “We are committed to delivering innovation and quality in every project that we work on – and this was a particularly successful project that has really paid dividends for Welcome Break in a very short space of time. We are looking forward to building upon the relationship, and coming up with contemporary concepts for islands in other large service stations around the country.”

One smaller unit has been trialled at the London Gateway petrol forecourt – which also achieved the aim of increasing sandwich sales. A similar trial at Corley has also been undertaken, and results are yet to be analysed.

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'Machinery Movers UK', the new monthly specialist magazine dedicated to the construction & quarry plant and equipment sector, is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a superb Case CX16B mini excavator.

Everyone taking out a new 12 issue subscription for 'Machinery Movers UK' (currently on offer at a special limited period introductory rate of £30), or 'Machinery Movers Ireland', until December 2008 will be entered into a free draw to win a Case mini excavator (Closing Date: 1st December 2008. Draw to take place December 2008. Terms & Conditions apply).

The 1645kg capacity Case CX16B is a compact, go-anywhere machine, suitable for many different applications from landscaping to general building work, as well as specialist interior demolition tasks perhaps inaccessible for larger machines.

Following its UK launch at the end of 2007 the 'Machinery Movers UK' edition has been extremely well received by both readers and advertisers alike – with enthusiastic response from major equipment manufacturers, plant hirers, construction & civil engineering contractors, quarries, dealers and others, as well as leading industry trade bodies.

The magazine also recently announced the appointment of ex 'Construction News' editor, Aaron Morby, to take over the editorial reins of the UK publication, whilst also contributing to its Ireland counterpart.

In addition, a UK advertising sales office through Birmingham-based Open Box Publishing has now been established.

Publisher Brian Coogan said, “With these and other continuing planned initiatives, we firmly expect the new UK publication to become as successful as 'Machinery Movers Ireland', which has already established itself as Ireland’s No1 dedicated construction & quarry equipment title”.

Readers and advertisers of both publications will have the opportunity to meet some of the 'Machinery Movers' team in person at the forthcoming SED 2008 event (The National Event For Construction, Rockingham Motor Speedway, Corby, Northants. 13th – 15th May 2008).

And, in addition, 'Machinery Movers Ireland' is planning a special Equipment Demonstration Day in September 2008 at a location near Dublin, where visitors will be able to see first-hand a range of construction plant & machinery in action from some of the leading manufacturers.

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Following a detailed market analysis in the summer of 2007 Apreco have launched a new range of Pressure Relief Vents specifically aimed at the Gas Fire Suppression Market.

The FSV range of vents have been designed and package to meet with the demands of Apreco’s customers, providing them with a quality product that will be delivered on time.

The FSV Range has been extensively tested, and utilises quality materials and manufacturing techniques for levels of consistently, assured high quality. All FSV units are assembled in-house by our trained technicians to ensure quality control.

Attention to detail is the hallmark of an Apreco product, the FSV range continues with this philosophy; being designed to allow controlled thermal expansion in the event of a fire.

The FSV Pressure Relief Vent has been successfully tested at the acclaimed Building Research Establishment (BRE), meeting the performance criteria for a 2 hour fire resistance test to EN1363-1.

Standard sizes are available for both internal and external wall installation. The units can be purchased as standalone units or in kit form.

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The latest revision of the BRE’s Green Rating guide which assesses the environmental impact of building materials is due any time now and the whole of the window industry is poised with baited breath.

Emotions are running high as the timber, PVC, aluminium, steel and even composite lobbies await the outcome and the impact it will have on their businesses.

There is no doubt that the guide does carry considerable weight with both window specifiers and end users of windows in environmental terms, but I would like to make the plea that it should be viewed only in the context of all the other relevant information which is presented.

Every successful business operates by making an educated choice from all the information and facts made available. From my perspective as a product design and development engineer, I gather information and facts all the time and when I am satisfied with the analysis, I make a choice. As an engineer, that’s what motivates me and I would encourage the rest of the industry to operate in the same way.

Of course, any choice can only be the right one if the facts provided are the right ones and the analysis is accurate and balanced.

The PVC sector, like its competitors, has provided what it sees as accurate facts to the BRE and to the market as a whole and is hoping for a fair rating as a result. REHAU is very confident that its products will come out favourably in the guide and certainly as one of Europe’s leading producers of renewable energy systems such as ground-air heat exchangers, ground source heating and rainwater management systems and a partner in the EU’s Green Building Programme, we definitely want to work with the environmental lobby and not against them.

It is probably fair to say that all of us believes in our own facts and sees the strength in our own argument and the weaknesses of others and probably also questions the priorities and severities of impact within the product assessments.

However, in the past year, both independently and as a member of the British Plastics Federation (BPF), REHAU has worked very hard to present the facts as it sees them as accurately, objectively and professionally as possible.

In the working groups and meetings at the BPF we have responded to many criticisms, myths and scare stories about PVC – particularly from the timber lobby. We have provided educational seminars to the industry, as well as accurate, informative bulletins and articles in the trade magazines and tried to present the facts in a disciplined and unemotional way so as to make educated choice possible.

Certainly, we are now starting to see the benefits of that. We have been able to open doors to PVC recently which used to be closed because of fear or misconception about the material. We have also begun to have discussions with specifiers and certain local authorities which previously would have been impossible because they had either been misinformed about PVC or had made wrong assumptions about its impact.

REHAU and the PVC lobby as a whole know that the material can and will help towards reducing the carbon footprint of buildings, not just because of its recycleability or whole life costings but also because of its thermal performance, repairability, weather resistance and low maintenance requirements. Whether this is going to be reflected or not in the new ratings we will now just have to wait and see.

One thing remains clear – everyone has a choice about which building materials to use and how to gather the information to make their choice. The BPF and REHAU websites (at www.bpf.co.uk and www.rehau.co.uk) contain all the relevant facts and we are very keen to share them.

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Fan coil units manufactured by Ability Projects Ltd, Wimborne, Dorset, are installed in the spectacular Stratford Eye complex, completed earlier this year and now dominating the skyline in the London Borough of Newham.

The innovative new development, constructed by Wates for the London & Quadrant Group Housing Trust, comprises a visually stunning 19 storey tower fitted with luxury modern apartments plus a lower level linear complex of commercial and mixed tenure residential accommodation.

Ability Projects has supplied a total of 98 ‘Trojan’ 2 pipe fan coil units fitted with electric heaters and delivering cooling capacities of 1 – 4kW and heating capacities of 1 – 2.5kW at NR38 noise level for installation by Rotary Southern Ltd, Ruislip, Middlesex.

The Trojan fan coil unit is based on simplified design concepts and has been developed by Ability Projects to provide the building services market with a cost effective, rapid delivery solution for competitive cost projects without compromising quality or performance. Considerable design flexibility is built into the unit, which is available with squared or mitred discharge plenums, inlet plenum options and practically any combination of spigots or blanks to suit site conditions. Trojan fan coil units for the Stratford Eye project are also fitted with ‘free issue’ Trend bms controls.

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Global polymer group REHAU will be exhibiting its range of renewable energy products at EcoBuild and highlighting its experience and expertise in this burgeoning sector.

The stand will feature REHAU’s AWADUKT Thermo ground-air heat exchanger, ground-source heating and cooling systems, RAURAIN and RAUSIKKO rainwater management systems and Biogas systems.

The products have all already been proven in use across Europe where the market for renewable energy systems has been established for many years allowing REHAU to quote real rather than predicted performance figures.

The AWADUKT Thermo ground-air heat exchanger is currently being installed in both domestic and commercial projects in the UK. It provides a constant source of fresh, filtered air which is drawn through a network of underground pipes to pre-warm it in winter or pre-cool it in summer.

The system can achieve a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 50 compared with a typical COP of 3-4 for a ground-source heat pump making it a very efficient source of renewable energy.

Alongside AWADUKT Thermo, REHAU is displaying its RAUGEO ground-source range which extracts energy from the ground via pipework used in conjunction with a heat-pump. It can be combined with the company’s low-flow temperature underfloor heating system to provide optimum efficiency.

The RAURAIN and RAUSIKKO rainwater management systems are REHAU’s response to the twin challenge facing the UK of conserving and reusing scarce water supplies whilst also managing storm water surges. Both products will be on display along with details of recent successful installations.

REHAU is proud of the polymer expertise which drives its ability to deliver such diverse solutions. At EcoBuild it will be focusing on the favourable whole life costings of its products thanks in part to the long term performance of the polymer materials used.

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ST ANDREWS SCORES A HOLE IN ONE – SIMULTANEOUS HEATING AND COOLING WITH HEAT RECOVERY FROM A SINGLE GROUND SOURCE

St Andrews, the home of golf – where the game evolved and where the spirit and traditions of golf have been safeguarded for over six centuries – is set to benefit from a clubhouse with an eco-friendly heating and cooling system from Mitsubishi Electric.

The St Andrews Links Trust is undergoing a sustainable heating and cooling project, with the assistance of Specialist Mechanical Services (SMS) who specified and designed the new heat pump system.

“One of the main benefits in having the system is that there will be a considerable heat rejection from the kitchen area which will be recovered through the system to provide heating in other areas of the building, either directly through the VRF system or indirectly through the ground loops. Running costs for the heating system should, therefore be very low,” said Graeme Fox, SMS Managing Director.

“We have built a strong relationship with St Andrews and understand the demands that its courses and clubhouses require, having worked together for nine years,” said Mr Fox. “The location is known for its natural beauty and everybody involved is dedicated to preserving this environment.”

The clubhouse is part of a new development – a brand new seventh ‘Castle Course’ being built on the outskirts of the town, of approximately 1,000 sq m. The facilities will include changing rooms, a restaurant, a shop and a caddie office. It is a circular construction overlooking Kinkell Ness and is built over the site of the original Kinkell Castle, which gives the course its name. Both the course and clubhouse are due to open in June 2008.

“We originally planned to fit a ground source heat pump feeding under-floor heating only. We visited Mitsubishi Electric’s Hatfield office to see the City Multi ground source units working, and decided that simultaneous heating and cooling, with heat recovery all supplied by ground source was the best option,” Mr Fox added.

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With a number of safety alerts already having been issued by the HSE in connection with quick hitches, and increasing concern in the construction industry, as well as with manufacturers and other organisations, it now appears certain that legislation will be tightened and new directives applied which could result in the banning of certain types of quick hitch.

The HSE's investigations have centred upon the failure, by the operator, to follow set operating procedures; more specifically the requirement to manually insert a safety pin when using semi-automatic hitches. Tragically, there have been four fatalities in the past year alone due to excavator buckets or other attachments becoming accidentally detached from quick hitch devices.

Ireland based Hill Engineering Ltd are confident that they can offer a potential solution to this problem. The advanced, market-leading design of their fully automatic 'Safety First' Auto-Loc quick hitch enables the operator to visually confirm from the excavator cab that the bucket or other attachment is securely locked in position – a vitally important and potentially life saving safety feature.

The Auto-Loc has been purpose-designed to put operator safety first and foremost, and is unique to Hill Engineering. In addition, it not only fully complies with existing safety standards but also meets imminent new European legislation – which, surprisingly, most other hitch manufacturers fall short of.

In particular the Auto-Loc conforms to the British Standard for Earthmoving Machinery Part 5, Paragraph 4.1.9 of BS EN 474.5:1996, which was a key factor in the design brief for the development of the 'Safety First' range.

This states that …”it shall be possible to verify the locked position of the attachment bracket and the attachment from the operator's position, or from the location where the locking control is operated.”

As the Hill Auto-Loc hitch is fully automatic in its operation, there is no requirement for the operator to leave the cab, to remove or insert safety pins, when changing from one attachment to another. This eliminates the risk of the safety pin being inserted incorrectly or not being inserted at all.

The Auto-Loc's innovative design goes beyond the BS Standard, in that it ensures that attachments can only be released when the boom is in a safe working position. Additional safety features include a check valve fitted to the ram and a certified lifting eye fitted as standard.

Delivering exceptional flexibility, the Auto-Loc offers the option to fit a non removable safety pin to provide an extra safety feature.

For the safety conscious operator all these built-in safety features help guarantee complete peace of mind.

Ian Hill, Managing Director of Hill Engineering said “With the Auto-Loc providing what I consider to be the safest and best engineered quick hitch on the market today, there’s no need for lives to be put at risk.”

Having been enthusiastically received by the industry, more than 6,000 'Safety First' hitches are already now in regular use, with continuing excellent feedback from users.

Hill Engineering also produces a range of excavator buckets fabricated from heavy duty steel and featuring a box beam for increased strength, enabling them to provide a complete hitches and buckets package for their customers. All Hill products are ISO 9001 and CE compliant.

Originally established in 1994, Hill Engineering moved to new £4.5 million, 85,000 sq.ft, purpose-designed, state-of-the-art premises in 2006, whilst retaining its original nearby premises in Newry, Co.Down, as a dedicated research & development facility.

In this highly competitive market, where outsourcing to lower cost labour zones has become the norm, Hill have looked for alternatives so that they can more closely monitor and control the overall quality, performance and safety standards of their products and are currently investing £2 million in the robotic automation of their entire bucket production line.

And, as a forward thinking company, Hill Engineering also continues to invest heavily in research & development in order to provide top quality, highly reliable, world-class attachments.

The company's products are now sold extensively in the UK and Ireland, as well as across Europe and the USA.

Customer focused and with a flexible approach Hill can tailor their equipment to meet individual customer requirements.

This flexibility, the drive to succeed and the mutual respect of customers has seen Hill Engineering positioned at the forefront of the attachments industry.

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