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The style is becoming a regular feature of contemporary interiors in period homes where space is limited. Many are available to co-ordinate with the premium paint brand, Farrow and Ball, for a fully coordinated look.
At present, copper is a highly fashionable choice for interior fixtures and fittings as the neutral finish adds a sophisticated and contemporary touch. Whether it’s polished brass, brushed brass or polished copper, warm metallic finishes combine fashion and functionality and provide an attractive contrast against the ever-popular darker shades of blue and green. All of which are available in radiators and towel warmers from Wolseley Plumb and Parts.
Calculating heat loss
It’s crucial that installers carefully consider the size of the room and radiator to ensure no energy is wasted. If the radiator is too big for the room, the high levels of energy that are required to conduct heat will outweigh what’s needed, so efficiency will fall. A BTU calculator is a handy tool when picking the correct radiator size. Free on the Wolseley website, installers can add information such as room size, external walls, glazing type and more, in order to calculate the required BTU.
Balancing the system
Balancing radiators is one of the most effective ways to keep the system efficient and should be done whenever a new radiator is installed. Unless they’re dual fuel or electric, they will work as an eco-system, each operating in unison with radiators in other rooms. It essentially means checking that each radiator, large or small, produces the appropriate output.
Balancing a radiator circuit doesn’t need to be complicated. A well-balanced circuit is one where all radiators heat up to roughly the same temperature at roughly the same time. This can be achieved by turning the system off and letting it cool. Then energise the radiator circuit and monitor which radiators heat up quickly and which heat up slowly. Those that heat quickly need to have their lockshield valves closed to increase hydraulic resistance whilst those that heat slowly need to have their lockshield valves opened to reduce hydraulic resistance. Repeat this procedure until all radiators heat uniformly.
A more accurate method would be to invest in a digital thermometer and measure the flow/return temperature difference across the radiators whilst the system is operating and simply adjust the lockshield valves accordingly to ensure all radiators have similar flow/return temperatures.
Replacing the inhibitor
Up to 30 per cent of a radiators’ fuel consumption is wasted without correct water treatment measures. So once installed, in line with Part L of the UK Building Regulations for England and Wales, the system must be flushed with system cleaner or sludge remover before adding a chemical inhibitor. Chemical inhibitors will help prevent any damage and loss of efficiency to the whole heating system caused by corrosion. During the radiator and towel warmer replacement process, any corrosion inhibitor in the system is eventually lost, meaning that the build-up of sludge will occur over the course of time.
TRVs
Adhering to Building Regulations is a legal requirement, which is why TRVs must be fitted to each radiator system to increase energy saving, with the exception of the radiator in the room where the thermostat is installed.
While TRVs work by controlling the flow of water to a radiator, homeowners can turn the TRV up and down when necessary. When installing, installers must use TELL (Thermostatic Energy Labelling) graded products and ensure each valve is certified to EN215 standards. Once installed, the user can then control each radiator independently by adjusting the valve settings.
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oday, we are living in the age of COVID-19, yet ongoing education continues to be vital for those in the plumbing and heating industry to keep up with new products, technologies, and techniques. John Thompson, chief executive of the Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) discusses how remote learning has taken on new importance.
The plumbing and heating industry is constantly evolving and investment in training and professional development is crucial to not only acquire new skills and enhance existing ones, but also to keep up-to-date with the latest legislation and technologies. All of which can provide opportunities for growth. As the industry’s leading trade body for plumbing and heating companies in England and Wales, we have adapted to the shift in climate by offering high quality cost-effective online training courses, which are open to both members and non-members. These include: Legionella Cold Water Risk Assessment & Disinfection Course, Domestic Hot Water Storage Systems (Unvented) Course and our Sanitary & Above Ground Drainage Course. To maximise the effectiveness of how we deliver each course, we decided to run them over five days in two-hour segments. This has the added advantage for installers of not having to take a whole day off from trading as appointments can be scheduled around the two-hour time slots. These have been designed to assist with keeping plumbing and heating contractors up-to-date, to develop their skills, and gain new skills allowing them to access new markets, all while remaining safe and socially distanced. That said, we certainly see online training as a solid addition to our offering down the road too. For instance, while installers recognise the importance of training, for many, justifying travel costs and taking time out of their working day is potentially harmful to their business. This is why a blended approach to training in the future will offer a simpler, smarter and innovative way of learning. So while stay-at-home orders have forced organisations to quickly move to remote learning, we see it as a method that will continue in popularity in a post-pandemic world.
To further assist with education opportunities within the industry, alongside our registered charity, APHC Training Ltd., we run a training reward scheme. With this scheme plumbing and heating companies can claim up to £150 towards the cost of a certificated course for one of their operatives with a recognised training provider such as ourselves, BPEC, City & Guilds and all UKAS approved ACS providers. In total, we have 100 rewards to giveaway in 2021. In order to receive the reward, companies are required to apply before completing the course and upon completion, they need to send a copy of the invoice along with the successful course completion certificate to us. We will then pay for the cost of the course, up to £150, direct into the employer’s business bank account. Further information on APHC’s training programme and training reward can be found at
aphc.co.uk/training-courses.
www.heatingandventilating.net
February 2021
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