News


NEWS IN BRIEF Ecoflam relocates


Ecoflam, the manufacturer of high quality burners, has moved from Pershore to tailored office facilities on Blackpole Road in Worcester.


http://bit.ly/1gwEqJT


Call for more accessible controls According to a new study by the Research Institute for Consumer Affairs (Rica) and sight loss char- ity Thomas Pocklington Trust, many people with sight loss are unable to control their heating or cut their fuel bills because heat- ing dials and switches are too difficult to use. http://bit.ly/1jtVYJk


Distribution agreement Navitron, a leading supplier of renewable energy and environ- mental technologies, is now the sole distributor of Fairland’s latest range of air source heat pumps. http://bit.ly/1o0F3ya


Celebrating 25 years Independent air conditioning distributor, AMP, is celebrating its silver jubilee year and has unveiled expansion plans. http://bit.ly/1hpyV0b


Website aims to help installers Ideal Boilers has redesigned its website at www.Idealboilers.com and says it now offers installers a range of features to help with their working day. http://bit.ly/1gwFpJW


Investors in People achieved Baxi Commercial has been awarded a bronze Investors in People award, acknowledging the high standard of motivation, sup- port and development it provides to staff at its Erdington site. http://bit.ly/1gwFI7E


New HETAS guide published The 2014 version of the HETAS guide to approved products and appliances has been published. The annual guide is an essential reference tool for anyone working in the solid fuel and biomass industry.


http://bit.ly/1pjl94S


Specialist contractors optimistic A survey by the National Specialist Contractors Council found that 60% of respondents expect workloads to increase in the year ahead. http://bit.ly/1hl3xkX


B&ES trade survey shows signs of further recovery at end of 2013


Research carried out among mem- bers of the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES) has revealed that market conditions con- tinued to improve in the second half of 2013.


More firms acknowledged an increase in orders and enquiries com- pared with six months ago, while half reported a rise in their turnover levels. Member optimism regarding future prospects was also seen to have con- solidated - while the number of firms recruiting apprentices and trainees rose modestly but significantly during the period. There were indications that the


recovering commercial environment meant that margins had ceased to fall - although increases in labour and materials costs were becoming a cause for concern for 33% and 63% of respondents respectively. In addition, the research revealed that levels of both direct employment


and the use of agency labour had risen - the former for the first time in the lifetime of the survey - and that these trends were likely to continue during the next six-month period. Only in the domestic heating sub-sector were market conditions reported to have worsened, with a decline indicated in both order books and enquiries. B&ES chief executive Roderick


Pettigrew pointed out that this was the second successive B&ES survey to have painted a relatively bright picture of prospects across building engineer- ing services and, by implication, the construction industry as a whole. He said: “Encouragingly, our find- ings appear to be in line with those of other surveys carried out recently in adjacent sectors, which taken together provide evidence of a sustained, if still modest, process of recovery.” Although issues surrounding late payment and poor margins continued


to have an adverse effect on some businesses, Mr Pettigrew said it is sig- nificant that members were becoming less concerned about client and main contractor insolvency.


He added that the collection


of market statistics was of key importance to industry as it enabled individual firms to benchmark their performance against the sector as a whole - and that the findings of the B&ES survey would be used by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in respect of its own pan-indus- try research. The fourth B&ES survey, covering the period from July to December 2013, was undertaken in January by independent consultant Lychgate Projects. A full report on its findings can be found on the B&ES website at www.b-es.org. The fifth B&ES state of trade sur-


vey - covering January to June 2014 - will be conducted online in July.


BRE publishes guidance on BEMS


BRE has published two papers to help non-technical clients and building occupiers to specify building controls to provide a comfortable climate with the lowest possible energy consumption. Information Paper 1/14: Understanding the Choices for Building Controls has been produced by BRE with the help of the Energy Services Technology Association (ESTA) and Siemens Building Technologies.


Many building controls specifications


are currently focused on providing the minimum controls requirements rather than innovative, energy saving controls solutions. BRE says this is because cutting-edge controls technologies are perceived to be overly technical and complex to operate. The 16-page document aims to over- come these issues by helping clients and building occupiers to choose the most


appropriate controls strategy and tech- nologies for a building to help reduce its carbon footprint and provide a better environment for the occupants. The paper provides simple explana-


tions of the different control systems available, offers guidance as to where and why each system can, and should, be used, along with advice on how to apply a technology to get an effective solution in practice. The second paper 2/14: Operating BEMS: A practical guide to building energy management systems has been produced with the support of Schneider Electric and ESTA. It aims to help the many building users who have a poor under- standing of the operation of a building energy management system and so fail to realise potential energy savings. The situation is often compounded by a user’s failure to properly maintain


the BEMS and to update it to reflect changes in building layout and variations in use. It provides users with practical instructions on how to effectively oper- ate a BEMS to realise potential energy savings. It also outlines the risks that should be considered and provides an overview of strategic issues that will impact on the operation of the BEMS. ESTA’s former executive director, Alan Aldridge, said: “The control of energy in buildings is generally poor, despite the availability of a range of tried and tested systems incorporating both mature and innovative technolo- gies. These papers will help clients and occupiers better understand controls solutions and help them select an appro- priate controls strategy that will save energy”. For copies of the new papers visit www.brebookshop.com


Plumber pleads guilty to illegal gas work


A Suffolk plumber has been given a suspended prison sentence after car- rying out illegal and dangerous gas work at a home in Lowestoft. Barry Goodge attempted to repair a faulty boiler at a home on 28 June last year, despite not being registered with Gas Safe. He did not com- plete the work, claiming a necessary replacement part was unobtainable


6 | March 2014 | HVR


and left the boiler without a key component. On 19 February Lowestoft Magistrates’ Court heard that the householder then contacted a regis- tered gas fitter, who discovered a gas pipe had not been capped off. He immediately made this pipe safe and sourced the correct replacement part to repair the boiler. The fitter then


contacted Gas Safe Register which informed the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Mr Goodge was given a 36 week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay costs of £599 and £80 victim surcharge after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.


Daily news update at www.heatingandventilating.net


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44