HEATING & HOT WATER
Plugging an HIU spare parts gap
Andy Wilkinson, chief executive of integrated heating, metering, billing & bureau specialist, WilSon Energy, talks to about identifying a costly supply issue with PM valves and finding a solution to plug a gap in the market
A
round two years ago, our engineers working on routine maintenance and servicing of heat networks started to fi nd it diffi cult to get hold
of PM controllers to manage heating and domestic hot water repairs in HIUs, particularly Kamo/KVM Energy units.
Supply issues
An integral part of mechanical heat interface units’ (HIU) structure, the PM valve is designed to divert all primary heat to the domestic hot water side of the system, providing the end user with a fast and effi cient hot water supply. Due to a range of diff erent issues, the manufacturer wasn’t able to produce or deliver PM valves to carry out service and repairs. After a period of 18 months or so, supplies of the parts dried up and caused a shortage in the market. With around 75,000 Kamo/KVM Energy units supplied to UK market since about 2004, this shortage had the potential to cause major issues to heat networks, maintenance and management of residential dwellings and commercial properties up and down the country. A poorly performing HIU which is not regularly serviced and maintained can also cost more to run and has a further knock-on eff ect of increasing end user energy costs.
Limited options for installers
Struggling to get the parts needed to complete repairs, planned and routine maintenance timescales were being impacted, as engineers were waiting for parts.
Installers were left with two options - they could either refurbish the faulty valve to keep the system running for a bit longer or replace the whole heat interface unit. Refurbing the valves got systems back up and running and fi xed a problem for an indefi nite period, but with no guarantee how long the fi x would last. This made repair and maintenance schedules more diffi cult to manage.
On the other hand, replacing the whole heating
interface unit, for the sake of an aging valve is a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut option. Where the valves couldn’t be swapped out, perfectly serviceable HIUs had to be replaced, often needing new pipework and reconfi guration. With supply and installation of a new HIU typically around £2,000-£2500 per unit, this was an expensive and unsustainable option for many heat networks.
Serviceable solution
Along with the rest of the sector, we experienced a growing frustration with the lack of product availability. As part of our wider HIU spare parts
Left: Andy Wilkinson, chief executive,at WilSon Energy
www.heatingandventilating.net
off er, we looked into fi nding a solution ourselves. This led us to working directly with a manufacturer to commission a hydraulic PM valve solution for HIU parts replacement and system maintenance. Designed by heating installers and engineers, aiming to provide improved ease of assembly and connectivity, we’ve come up with a new PM Controller – a single universal PM valve, in three diff erent variations, able to handle both heating and sanitary functions. It fi ts the majority of HIUs on the market, plus it will also be deployed in WilSon’s new own range of mechanical HIUs launching later in the year, together with an electronic version. All valves are manufactured using 100% lead free
brass and we’ve incorporated a rotatable heating sleeve for setting diff erent fl ow rates, as well as an integral 3-fold water-free ‘O’ ring seal which ensures separation of the sanitary and heating functions. It provides signifi cant improvements over previous options and is also available with a full range of fl ow restrictors.
Installer benefi ts
In stock and ready to go, the new PM valves help prevent service delays caused by low product availability. They eliminate the need to refurbish existing valves or replace entire HIUs, saving money and installation time. It also enables engineers and installers to
provide reliable and effi cient maintenance services to clients, maintain HIU servicing schedules and ultimately maximising energy effi ciency for end customers. Working directly with the manufacturer on the
valve’s design has given us the opportunity to include some additional technical features to bring the previous version up to date. We’re looking forward to meeting demand by providing installers with a modern and versatile product that will boost effi ciency and service, providing benefi ts to everyone.” The PM valves are available via WilSon Energy’s online shop.
12 April 2025
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