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The next generation of Hep₂O is about to hit the market – providing professional installers with a technologically advanced range of white push-fit fittings which give unparalleled security for any plumbing job.

Following several years of research with professional plumbers which highlighted the key issues they face, the revolutionary new range features a hidden advantage – a unique and patented system called In4Sure™ joint recognition technology. This means the installer now knows for certain when the pipe is fully inserted. The profiled end of the re-designed SmartSleeve™ interacts with the castellations inside the Hep2O fitting – enabling the user to simply push the pipe in, twist and feel the ‘rumble’ to make a fully secure connection.

Another design feature of the next generation Hep₂O range is the ease with which pipes can be released. The new demounting system uses a HepKey™ to make releasing quicker and easier. There are two types of HepKey™ available – the HepKey Plus™ clips onto the fitting, depresses the inner sleeve and holds the grab ring open while the smaller pocket size HepKey™ clips around the pipe to release the system with minimum effort. HeyKeys™ will be included in all pipe coils and packs of popular fittings to ensure the installer always has one to hand.

“Next generation Hep₂O meets the criteria set out by installers during our research and development phase,” explains Gareth Samuel, Product Manager. “During our research, installers told us that if there was a way they could easily tell that a secure joint has been made, it would be a real benefit. We wanted to develop a system that would give installers total confidence, and we believe next generation Hep2O offers this and much more.

“In4Sure™ is the hidden advantage. It’s been designed so installers have no doubt when the pipe has been inserted correctly. The system allows installers to actually feel when the joint has been made so that on busy and often noisy sites, fitting the product is intuitive. It’s very simple to use but ingenious at the same time. The clever HepKey™ demounting system helps to prevent any accidental release or tampering with the system, giving further peace of mind.

“We also received feedback from plumbers that a slimmer, white range would be more attractive in areas that are highly visible. By listening to what they wanted and providing solutions to their common problems, we feel confident installers will see next generation Hep₂O as a major step forward in plumbing. Our confidence in the product is further illustrated by our industry leading 50-year guarantee.”

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The new £60 million flagship operations centre of Severn Trent Water, built by BAM Construct UK, has recently been opened for business in St. Johns Street, Coventry. The prestigious 170,000 ft2 complex, which features air conditioning fan coil units manufactured by Ability Projects Ltd, will eventually house around 1700 staff.

Ability Projects supplied a variety of 2 pipe cooling only horizontal ceiling recessed EC-DC VE”70 and vertical EVOVERT fan coil units to the general office accommodation areas with capacities between 1.68 and 6.3kWat an NR35 operational noise environment of 35 Pascals resistance. The vertical units, installed in a number of meeting rooms, are all fitted with special rectangular spigots and some also have special split access panels for easy maintenance. EC-DC Evolution fan coils are state of the art units offering reductions in electrical input of 75% and above compared to similar capacity AC driven equivalents plus infinite speed control and minimal heat generation.

Considered to be one of the most significant commercial projects in the region, the highly energy efficient building features a range of advanced technologies including thermal adaptive cooling, biomass boilers, photovoltaic panels, solar panels, underfloor displacement ventilation and rainwater harvesting. Designed to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standards, the centre will enable Severn Trent Water to close a number of its less carbon and cost efficient buildings. The 38 metre high unit in fact, is said to possess one of the lowest carbon footprints for any UK commercial office building. Contractors for the project were Balfour Beatty Engineering Services.

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Marshall-Tufflex’s new ‘Trunking for Education Environments’ brochure provides a one-stop-shop cable management information source for all those involved in delivering the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

As the UK’s largest manufacturer of cable management products, Marshall-Tufflex has been supplying its perimeter trunking and underfloor systems to educational facilities for more than 30 years, giving it unrivalled knowledge and understanding of the sector.

Its new clear and concise literature explains the benefits and technical details of different trunking profiles (from Compact 2 Trunking where installation space maybe an issue to Odyssey, the only all-curved profiled trunking system on the market). The brochure also discusses which systems are available in aluminium and steel as well as PVC-U, and those that offer Part M and Cat 6 compliance.

“Trunking for Education Environments is aimed at design teams and architects, plus main and electrical contractors, all of whom are tasked with delivering projects to the required functionality,” said Chris Scott, Marshall-Tufflex product manager. “We have 30 years of experience in this field and a range of tried and tested products and systems that meet these needs. Importantly, we can also cater for bespoke requests, for example long sections of curved trunking or multi port data and power modules for computer suites, laboratories and design technology facilities, or creating one-off designs in order to meet more imaginative architectural aspirations.”

As well as a comprehensive range of systems available in PVC-U, steel and aluminium, Marshall-Tufflex also offers the latest technology in plug-and-play power connection to reduce installation time on site through its MT32 system, a rapid-fit power distribution system for underfloor, perimeter containment, dry wall installations and lighting layouts. It is ideal for projects that have limited timescales as MT32 minimises ‘on site’ installation time.

In addition, the company has developed Bio Trunking Solutions which have an antimicrobial solution integrated into the PVC-U during manufacture to prevent 99.9% of harmful bacteria growth on the cable management system. Bio Trunking has been tested to ISO 22196:2007, is compliant with the European Biocidal Products Directive and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.

The new schools brochure contains technical details, dimensions and cable capacities, standards and approvals, compliance with Part M and Cat 6, together with exploded drawings and details of the systems’ many features and benefits, compatibility with the MT32 Power Connection System and Marshall-Tufflex’s commitment to environmental excellence.

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In terms of security a product has to be tested to virtual destruction to determine whether it truly performs. Even so, the ultimate proof is a real life situation and in the case of FAKRO’s topSafe® system the results of an attempted burglary speak for themselves.** 3 FTP-V windows in conservation style were targeted because views of the roof were obscured from the ground. The burglars were doubtless aware of the ease with which many well known roof windows can be opened but attempts in this case met with total failure despite the evident use of a crowbar. Though the damage was clearly significant, repair was possible as FAKRO’s windows are all designed to be broken down for ultimate recycling.

The patented, topSafe® system is not used by any other manufacturer and provides the highest standard of security and safety currently available as standard (Class 3 – EN 13049). It employs a combination of additional steel reinforcement built into the lower part of the sash, improved lock security and longer screws driven in at an angle to prevent hinges being ruptured. U.K. Sales Director Phil Adams commented, “topSafe enables the window sash to withstand even the weight of an individual jumping on it. As a result, a number of FAKRO windows achieve EN13049 Class 4 when many competitors’ products barely meet basic standards of lock security”.

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U1000 – Permanent/fixed clamp-on flow metering solution

Sub-metering of hot and chilled water services to monitor, control and manage water and energy consumption is an area of growing demand in building services and energy management. But the installation process including system drain down, pipe cutting etc has always been a significant cost and barrier to wider application of sub-metering. At last a solution from the longest established manufacturer of clamp-on, ultrasonic meters has arrived, the U1000 from Micronics. Building on their many years of experience and success in this area, Micronics has now developed a cost-engineered, factory configured water flow measurement solution to facilitate the wider use of water sub-metering and flow measurement for energy monitoring.

The U1000 is a simple out of the box, onto the pipe meter or flow measurement solution with no programming or specialist engineering required! Simply tell Micronics your pipe size and they will send you a factory configured meter, ready to clamp-on and produce flow information in minutes. All you have to do is clamp the unit to the pipe, release the sensor clamps, connect power and enter the pipe size. Yes it really is that simple because Micronics have listened and simple installation is a key design feature. Another cost-effective alternative to expensive in-line meter installation from Micronics, plus dry servicing, providing minimum downtime and maximum availability!

The U1000 is a transit time ultrasonic flow meter designed to work with clamp-on transducers, to provide accurate measurement of liquid flowing within a closed pipe, without the need for any mechanical parts to be inserted through the pipe wall or to protrude into the flow system. It takes just a few minutes to install and there is no need to shut down flow or drain the system!

So if you need a stand-alone water meter or sub-metering of hot and chilled water services as part of your aM&T or BEM’s system the U1000 should be a must consider solution.

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REHAU will shortly become the first manufacturer to extrude pre-insulated polymer pipework in the UK for use in biomass and district heating applications.

Production of REHAU’s RAUVITHERM pipework will start at REHAU’s factory in Blaenau, North Wales in May and will offer UK based contractors and specifiers a local source of pipe with a lower carbon footprint and improved lead times.

Martin Hitchin, REHAU’s Chief Executive, commented on the move: “We have invested in new manufacturing technology at our largest UK factory in order to meet growing demand from the market for a UK produced pipe.

“It will be produced to exactly the same specification and quality as the RAUVITHERM pipework which we currently supply from our factory in Germany but will have a much lower carbon footprint.”

This is the latest positive indication of REHAU’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions across the entire supply chain and will start to have an impact almost immediately. The carbon savings will be ongoing and are expected to increase significantly as demand for the product continues to surge in the UK.

Steve Richmond, Business Team Leader for REHAU’s Renewable Energy products, added: “In the past year, REHAU has seen sales of RAUVITHERM increase by 100%. This is being driven by the booming UK biomass and district heating markets and, more recently, by the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme launched in November 2011.

“By transferring production to the UK, we will have greater flexibility to meet this growing demand and will be able to offer customers shorter lead times.”

RAUVITHERM is a pre-insulated PE-Xa pipe constructed with layers of cross linked PE insulation and a robust HDPE outer jacket which is longitudinally watertight. It is popular in the UK market because of the high degree of flexibility it offers which simplifies and speeds up installation and because it uses REHAU’s renowned EVERLOC compression sleeve jointing system – proven millions of times in heating and plumbing applications to deliver a permanent leak free joint.

REHAU provides design support for RAUVITHERM installations, assisting specifiers and contractors with pipe sizing, heat loss calculations and drawing up bill of materials from heat network drawings.

RAUVITHERM is part of REHAU’s package of solutions for the district heating market which also includes closed cell RAUTHERMEX pre-insulated pipework, RAUGEO ground source energy solutions and underfloor heating systems.

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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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