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Saint-Gobain PAM UK has been awarded a major contract to supply more than 70km of its EN545 approved Natural ductile iron pipe range for a flagship project for Wessex Water.

The water company is constructing a number of schemes as part of its water supply grid project to help meet future demand without developing new sources. The project will allow Wessex Water to improve the security of supply for customers – even in the event of a catastrophic failure – and meet reductions in abstraction licences required by the Environment Agency to improve flows in some rivers and protect their ecology. It will also help deal with seasonal or occasional deteriorating raw water quality – particularly increasing concentrations of nitrates at some groundwater sources – as well as meeting future water supply demands. It includes the construction of a new water main to transfer water from the south of Wessex Water’s region, in Dorset, to Salisbury in Wiltshire via Blandford and Shaftesbury.

Due for completion by 2018, much of the pipeline route passes through the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has been designed to avoid environmentally sensitive areas.

The first order will see around 17km of DN350 pipe supplied for a twin main section between Sturminster Marshall and Snowsdown.

Wessex Water held a number of initial consultations with Saint-Gobain PAM UK to discuss the options for pipe materials. Ductile iron was ultimately selected by Wessex Water for the majority of the project for its strength. The design was able to achieve a bed and haunch to support the pipe, which has reduced the import and export of materials, lowering the impact on the environment. Ductile iron pipes also offer installation flexibility, with multiple pipes in a single trench, as well as a relatively short and discreet installation period, meaning trenches do not need to be left open for extended periods. With the native soils being primarily chalk, the ability to rapidly backfill trenches quickly is key, as chalk left at a trench side for long periods could be exposed to the effects of heavy rainfall, making it more difficult to reinstate.

The Natural range, available in diameters from DN350DN to DN600DN, offers strong corrosion resistance in soils with resistivity as low as 500ohm cm through its 400grm Zinc Aluminium alloy protection. The protective coating also eliminates the need to identify transition points between medium and low resistivity soils, where alternative systems may require a change from standard to supplementary protection.

Simon Cottingham, Director of Key Accounts and Major Projects at Saint-Gobain PAM UK, commented: “We worked closely with the Wessex Water team to define the scope of the project and recommend a solution which would allow the customer to benefit fully from the performance attributes offered by ductile iron pipes. We are very proud of taking part in this project and contributing to its success.”

Davin Eversett, Project Manager at Wessex Water commented: “Wessex Water’s project management team in conjunction with the internal design and procurement teams have worked with Saint-Gobain PAM UK in the development of this pipeline and concluded that ductile iron pipes will offer the lowest whole life cost as well as the flexibility to deliver what will be a challenging construction programme.”

Visit www.saint-gobain-pam.co.uk for more information on the products and services offered by Saint-Gobain PAM UK.

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Iron technology leader Saint-Gobain PAM UK, part of international materials company Saint-Gobain, has introduced new stainless steel grip collars into its acclaimed Ensign cast iron above ground drainage range.

The new grip collars, incorporating captive nut assembly, can be fitted over the ductile coupling either at the time of installation, or as an addition to existing stacks. The collar ensures the joint connection will perform up to 5 bar without the need for restraining brackets. This provides a more flexible and cost effective option to the installer, particularly in situations where space is limited and bracing becomes difficult.

Fully Kitemark accredited to BS EN 877, the Ensign system is easy to install with unrivalled strength and longevity, while boasting strong acoustic performance and fire resistance, as well as excellent sustainability credentials.

The stainless steel grip collars are available to suit 100, 150 and 200mm diameter pipes, with further diameter products to be introduced in 2014.

Mike Rawlings of Saint-Gobain PAM UK, said: “The Ensign range continues to grow through new innovations to simplify installation for today’s modern plumbers with speed of assembly and flexible solutions being key. With a 5 bar pressure capability, the new grip collars are the ideal solution for soil and rainwater stacks on tall buildings.”

For more information on the Ensign range, and other products and services offered by Saint-Gobain PAM UK, visit www.saint-gobain-pam.co.uk.

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In response to demand from installers for an even more versatile electric shower for the replacement market, Mira Showers – the UK’s leading manufacturer of showering products and accessories – has launched the next generation of Jump Multi-fit: its ultimately flexible electric shower which offers best in class features, great value for money and superb ‘installability’.

By enhancing not only the shower ‘engine’ design, but also the casing and layout, Mira has produced a shower that is jam-packed with easy-to-fit features for installers; yet remains stylish, compact and rammed with appeal for consumers.

Installers will more than appreciate the ease of installation now that the Jump Multi-fit has dual terminal blocks, accepts both left and right hand water and cable entry as standard; and has much more internal space in which to work. As a result it can be configured to replace – for most practical purposes – any electric shower currently installed because it offers a staggering total of three dozen permutations of cable and water entry installation points, whether left, right, top, bottom or rear!

The high aesthetic, seamless cover is moulded in a single piece with space for piping and can be cut to achieve the perfect flush fit to wall. Details such as the top fixing screw being positioned outside the seal, and three easily-reached slotted fixing holes also speed up installation, while the adjustable slide bar mountings can cover screw holes left by previous installations.

Not only is the new Jump Multi-fit perfect for retrofit installations, it is also a fully-featured shower in its own right, providing the installer or consumer the chance to upgrade the showering experience. For the customer, the benefits of the upgraded

Jump include an affordable shower that will outlast lesser competitive products and deliver a powerful, drenching shower while incorporating the latest in contemporary styling. Jump Multi-fit also incorporates patented Clearscale™ technology which reduces limescale by up to 50%, and so prolongs shower life well beyond that of any opposition. The principle behind this is that the water is heated by two elements rather than one. These elements are twisted into a spiral so which gives the water has more space in which to circulate and leaves a larger gap between the element coils. As a result it is much, much harder for particles of limescale to settle and build up.

The fascia has ‘Select & Forget’ controls with a push button start/stop, an Eco energy-saving power setting and comes complete with a four-mode full rub clean handset. Covered by a two year guarantee, the Jump Multi-fit electric shower is available in three power ratings: 8.5kW, 9.5kW and 10.8kW.

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In response to feedback from over 400 international architects, VMZINC has once again pioneered a new development with AZENGAR®, the first rolled zinc facade and roofing material to be engraved. Its subtle yet distinctive surface has a matt appearance which is unaffected by fingerprints and therefore ideal for both exterior and interior use. AZENGAR is pigment-free and manufactured in 0.7mm, 0.8mm and 1.0mm thicknesses using an entirely new process. It is the lightest shade of zinc available and unlike uniform, pre-weathered shades such as QUARTZ-ZINC® and PIGMENTO, its engraving causes delicate variations in light refraction.

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The luxury and award-winning spa hotel at Lancashire’s five-star Ribby Hall Village recently celebrated its first birthday, having served 2,500 afternoon teas, massaged over 7,000 backs, welcomed 15,000 guests and celebrities and manicured 91,250 nails over the past year – all lit, powered and connected with the help of electrical wiring accessories from Hamilton Litestat.

Hamilton, a decorative electrical wiring accessories specialist and lighting and audio control systems manufacturer, supplied a selection of its classic Cheriton accessory plates throughout the hotel. The plates were finished in satin steel with black inserts, giving the simple, elegant plate design a contemporary edge. Products included switch plates, card switches and sockets, all installed throughout the hotel’s 42 bedrooms for a co-ordinated look.

Hamilton’s expert team also designed and manufactured bespoke products for the hotel based on the company’s Sheer plate design. Created within Hamilton’s Savile Row service, the products included media plates for the rooms comprising four standard electrical sockets, two data points and a Teleadapt wireless internet unit; and junction box covers for the rooms and public areas to hide unsightly wiring and connections. The bespoke products were also finished in satin steel to complement the Cheriton accessories and the ultra slim profile of the Sheer plates meant it was easy to fit the plates flush to the wall so they don’t intrude on to the desk space.

“Often in hotels the number of specific requirements mean that standard products don’t meet all the needs, which is where our bespoke Savile Row service comes in,” said Andy Partington, UK specification manager at Hamilton. “In this case the client wanted to use both Cheriton and Sheer plates so we were able to create a seamless effect by using the same satin steel finish across all accessories. However we often create bespoke products using exactly the same plate design as the standard accessories – or sometimes the idea is that they look completely unique and original so we come up with a brand new design or finish. The main thing is that we deliver the functionality required without compromising on style, and we believe that’s exactly what we’ve done with all our products for Ribby Hall Village.”

Ribby Hall Village is set within more than 100 acres of beautiful Lancashire countryside and features a luxury self-catering holiday village as well as The Spa Hotel. The hotel itself boasts a spa with an indoor hydro pool and seven heat experience rooms, as well as 14 treatment rooms and a brasserie.

The Hamilton products were installed by PEI Delta Ltd electrical contractors and supplied via Edmundson Electrical, Blackpool.

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Timeguard has introduced more energy saving external PIR lights designed to take pin-fitting compact fluorescent low energy light bulbs.

he new additions include a dusk-to-dawn floodlight, giving 200W output from a 42W bulb and a modern pyramid bulkhead design, suitable for wall or ceiling mounting and giving 100W output from an 18W energy-saving bulb.

The range also includes a 13W traditional lantern design.

Available from wholesalers nationwide or find out more at www.timeguard.com

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Re-designed steel perimeter trunking solutions System 130 and System 170, from market-leader Marshall-Tufflex, now offer specifiers and installers greater in-use flexibility thanks to a new clip system allowing the trunking to be divided into multiple compartments on site.

On both systems the internal ‘C’ rail has been replaced with a multipurpose clip that slots quickly and easily into position. The clips can be used to hold dividing fillets, transforming the trunking from a single channel to two or three compartments. The clips also securely position power and data cables ensuring a 50mm distance between each and act as an additional lid support.

System 130 (130mm x 63mm) and System 170 (170mm x 63mm) are manufactured from pre-galvanised steel with a hard-wearing powder coat finish to RAL 9010. All earth bondings are ‘friction fit’ to eliminate the need for screw fixings. Both systems offer increased capacity for power and data, base units with two standard mounting holes every 500mm, multiple earthing and are simple to cut given the empty base with no rail. A wide range of fittings and accessories are available.

“Our compact, easy to install, steel trunking systems incorporate stylish clean lines with a functionality that provides greater mechanical strength combined with first class fire performance and excellent screening capability,” said Jeremy Dodge, Head of Marketing & Technical Services.

Full details of the updated range are contained in a new Marshall-Tufflex product brochure, Steel Trunking Systems, which details the systems’ basic components, fittings, bonding assemblies and accessories/boxes plus product order numbers and diagrams explaining the trunking, its features/benefits and technical data.

The brochure is available to download from the Marshall-Tufflex website (www.marshall-tufflex.com) or by calling its Customer Services Team on 01424 856600.

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NON-DOMESTIC RHI GIVES ‘FREE’ HEATING AND COOLING FOR 20 YEARS

Wherever there is a building, you’ll find pumps, taking the responsibility for moving water around that building. Quietly, usually inconspicuously, often tucked away neatly in the plant room, pumps are a major component of ensuring that buildings work well and efficiently. And the latest generation of pumps contribute to the energy savings being sought currently by all building owners – with modern pumps such as those supplied by Wilo UK, offering up to 90% energy saving over the old standard efficiency pumps that in the main have been outlawed by recent European legislation. So to be involved in the first non-domestic heating and cooling system in the UK to achieve RHI accreditation, is a major feather in the cap of leading pump manufacturer Wilo UK.

Charles Hurst Group, based in Belfast, Northern Ireland decided many years ago that its car dealerships needed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. With cars getting ever greener in their emissions levels in line with Government carbon reduction targets and legislation, it made sense that the buildings and premises the dealer owned reflected this green attitude wherever it could.

Heating and cooling for showrooms can be very expensive so it made sense to look for cost effective ways of providing them, in as green a way as possible – so they began to look carefully at renewables. The arrival of the non-domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) was a major boost to the option of using renewables as opposed to traditional fossil fuelled systems – with twenty years of financial contributions from Government to the renewable system output, a major attraction to the business.

The company called in BS Holdings, a Belfast-based renewables specialist to come up with their solution to the requirement they had for the first Ferrari Maserati dealership to be opened in Northern Ireland. BS Holdings came up with a solution that provided a heating and cooling system, utilising a modularised biomass system, pre-fabricated off site in a pre-packaged plant room that is then literally ‘craned’ onto a low loader, transported to the site and installed, with all connections made on site. The system, as with all systems manufactured by BS Holdings, incorporates components from tried and tested suppliers – including Wilo pumps.

This system incorporated pumps from Wilo to pump the primary and secondary heating systems and to boost the water pressure as required to provide the necessary water flow to all parts of the building.

“We are pleased to work alongside BS Holdings and to have been able to provide the full suite of pumping systems for the Charles Hurst Ferrari and Maserati dealership in Belfast,” says Wilo’s area sales manager Colin Mochan. “Our pumps are used in a host of applications where they rarely if ever get any praise for their reliability and performance, so it’s rewarding when they are used in high profile projects here in the Province – such as the Titanic development and the Giants Causeway Visitors Centre. When they are used in a project like this – it’s a joy to see the ‘green’ pumps from Wilo alongside the ‘Rosso’ red of Ferrari! It warms your heart when you see them doing the job here and getting some deserved credit!”

“We always use Wilo pumps in our pre-packaged plant room applications,” says BS Holdings Managing Director Brian Hood. “We have been in this business long enough to know that when you find component manufacturers that deliver on product and support, you stick with them, and we’ve always been more than impressed with the benefits we get from working alongside Wilo.”

So impressed have Charles Hurst been that they are planning similar installations in four more of their dealerships before the end of this year, all with Wilo pumps as integral parts of the package: “It’s been a major part of our plans for the future,” says Operations Director for Charles Hurst Group, Colin McNab. “It’s part of our green ethos as a business to make every effort to use energy efficient means to heat and cool our premises and these pre-packaged plant rooms, combined with biomass boilers and energy efficient pumps – all fit snugly into that approach. And the non-domestic RHI contributions for the next 20 years for every KWh of heat and cooling we use, makes huge business sense.”

More information about the wide range of energy saving pump options available from Wilo can be found at www.wilo.co.uk or by calling them on 01283 523000.

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Micronics the leading UK manufacturer of clamp-on metering products for building services has increased its product offering to provide complete metering solutions for building services engineers including a comprehensive range of traditional in-line meters to complement its established clamp-on range. Micronics clamp-on products have been specified on significant projects including BAA T5 and the ExCeL London exhibition and conference centre by some enlightened engineers who recognised the associated performance and cost benefits for critical and larger pipe applications.

Micronics now offers a comprehensive range of products for LPHW, Chilled water and Heat/Energy metering applications including standard in-line and cost-effective, clamp-on solutions for smaller pipe sizes! This new service will build on Micronics extensive expertise in building services with the addition of two individuals Andy Priscott and David Miller who join the Micronics team in June, bringing with them extensive experience in working within the building services market and delivering best value solutions. Andy will focus on the Midlands and North and David will develop Southern opportunities with a London focus.

The focus will be on delivering best value metering solutions using in-line or clamp-on products as appropriate and with an emphasis on service from pre-order design support enquiries and tender invitations through to installation support and a full commissioning service, as required and tailored to individual engineer and project requirements.

As you would expect Micronics will continue to be advocates of the benefits of ultrasonic clamp-on metering solutions and the technology is continually evolving with new products such as the U1000 offering significant cost and performance benefits for new build and major refurbishment installations. However, clamp-on is only part of the solution and Micronics has now added a comprehensive range of in-line meters to offer a complete solution and service for building services.

As part of this new initiative Micronics will step-up promotion of its CIBSE recognised CPD presentations, to develop a better understanding of the potential for wider application of clamp-on, liquid flow measurement as part of an overall metering solution. If you would like to take advantage of this service, or have a metering application you would like assistance with, large or small please call Micronics on 01628 810456, email sales@micronicsltd.co.uk or visit www.micronicsflowmeters.com.

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The quite wonderful Cotswold Wildlife Park (CWP) has become a champion of renewable energy utilising ground source heat pumps to provide cost effective, energy efficient warmth for its many animals that prefer the warmer climates they came from to the typical temperatures found on the Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire border!

The first part of the Park’s renewable journey saw a ground source heat pump being installed by local renewable experts Ecovision, based on the Highgrove Estate just outside Tetbury, to provide warmth for the resident giraffes at the Park and that was perceived as a major success. So it made sense to look at similar technology when it came to the Tropical House and the greenhouses used to winter tropical plants. So renewable energy now also turns the Park’s Tropical House into the tropical forests of South America so that a pair of Linnes Two-Toed Sloths feel at home – courtesy in no small part to the largest bank of Stelrad Compact K3 radiators you’ll probably ever see – or will you?

The back wall of the Tropical house is home to eighteen of Stelrad’s three panel, three fin energy efficient radiators, and there are four more strategically placed around the structure. But whether you will see them or not is open to question!

To blend in with their surroundings, in the normally steamy, misted environment created for the animals and birds in the Tropical House, the radiators have been firstly treated with an external corrosion inhibitor €“ to protect them in the environment created to make its occupants feel at home – that turned the white radiators into a sandy brown colour and then they have been painted in camouflage colours to blend in with the foliage and rocky back drop that makes the Tropical House seem authentic for animals and birds – and for human visitors. The radiators are ideal for operation with a lower temperature renewable ground source heat pump system. They are able to maximise the heat created from the radiator ‘footprint’ with three panels sharing the heat effectively so that the temperature in the Tropical House can be regulated easily to provide just the right environment required.

The Tropical House has to run at 17°C at night and between 20°-21°C during the day, and previously had been heated by three elderly and expensive to run oil boilers, at a cost of £20,000-£30,000 a year. The decision was taken to install a 75kW ground source heat pump system, again installed by Ecovision, at a cost of just over £90,000 plus ground work costs of £38,000. The ground works, carried out by the Park, were necessary to put 18 x 200M loops into the ground at a depth of around four feet, in a field on a site across a public road, to feed the heat pump.

To ensure the Tropical House was kept at the right temperature, the 22 camouflaged Stelrad Compact K3 radiators were installed along the back wall, bolted to a specially designed and constructed framework and have been painted so that they blend in with the tropical environment. In order to reduce the stress levels for the animals living in the Tropical House, work to install the radiators and additional pipes, took place around them in a ‘noise free’ zone with all the necessary work being carried out by hand – no electric power drills whatsoever! The Tropical House and two greenhouses were fully commissioned in the middle of October last year.

Energy efficient, but is it cost efficient?

The use of renewable technology sounds great and clearly meets the owner’s personal green agenda. But was it a good investment? Was it cost efficient too?

The overall cost of the ground source heat pump systems from Ecovision and the ground work, carried out by the Park itself, for both projects was in the region of £156,800.00.

The estimated annual Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments that will come back from Government on both projects is £10,690, which combined with the net saving (increased electricity costs but nil oil cost) means a payback of 8.6 years.

The total financial benefit over 20 years, as a result of energy cost savings and RHI, and using 3% inflation a year, amounts to just over £490,000. An impressive return by any standards. It’s easy to see why Cotswold Wildlife Park is often visited by representatives from other Parks and Zoos, to see just how efficiently it is using renewable energy, not only to cut operating costs but more importantly to keep its wonderful wild animals happy and on display for all to see.

“This is an innovative and rewarding use of our products,” says Stelrad’s managing director Mike Conlon. “It’s good to see our Compact K3s working so well with ground source heat pumps, confirming what we already know, that radiators can operate just as well alongside renewables as alongside traditional boiler driven heating systems. I don’t think we’ve ever been aware of our products being camouflaged before €“ that’s a first for us, but we’re delighted that our products are being used to make every day comfortable for two-toed sloths at the Cotswold Wildlife Park!”

For more details of the Cotswold Wildlife Park, near Burford just off the A40, go to http://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/ and to find out more about Stelrad Radiators, visit www.stelrad.com.

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