Spotlight
Leading the way in HIU efficiency
Altecnic is celebrating 30 years of trading this year, so it’s a perfect opportunity find out what is at the heart of this heating and plumbing components specialist
Who is Altecnic?
Founded in 1987, the company is celebrating 30 years of trading, much of which is down to the ability to maintain high levels of technical expertise with some of the most knowledgeable and longest serving staff in the sector. Although firmly UK-based, Altecnic works closely with its Italian parent company, Caleffi SpA, to continually develop a diverse, high quality, precision heating and plumbing product range that is always evolving in anticipation of new regulations and market trends. Caleffi has a world-wide €300m turnover and its R&D expertise is among the best in the world.
What is your product range and typical customer?
Altecnic’s products and services are chosen by trade merchants, original equipment manufacturers, plumbing and heating engineers and specifiers throughout the UK. The range includes market-leading heating and plumbing products, such as pressure reducing valves, thermostatic mixing valves, thermostatic radiator valves, and dirt/air separators used in heating and cooling systems to remove magnetic and, just as importantly, non-magnetic particles. For original equipment manufacturers, Altecnic
provides a bespoke range of solutions to their problems and enables them to meet the needs of their customers easily and cost-effectively. A large proportion of Altecnic’s growth has been down to working with major boiler manufacturers over the last 30 years. This has been based on the design and technical expertise to work with them to create the right products to solve their specific needs. Altecnic also specialises in commercial valves, such as differential pressure control valves and pressure independent control valves, as well as heat interface units (HIUs) used with centralised boilers in district heating networks. Altecnic has grown rapidly, with Caleffi expertise, to become a market leader in mass-market HIU efficiency and the company is continually developing new
10 July 2017
as low as possible and to reduce the CO2 footprint of projects.
As well as being able to offer a range of money saving products into this demanding market, any supplier of heating and plumbing components and systems has to provide long-term peace of mind. For example, Altecnic’s range of Reflex expansion vessels carry a market-leading five-year warranty. Altecnic always tries to listen to the market and its customers. This often includes a full design and manufacturing service for customers approaching a trusted supplier for a customised product.
Altecnic’s Ecocal thermostatic radiator valve
products in this area. Altecnic is also leading the way in supporting heat networks with renewable energy by way of its solar, biomass and geothermal product ranges.
In addition to its extensive product portfolio, Altecnic offers customers a value-added consultation service through its experienced, technically-minded sales teams. At the same time, the company’s products are accredited to the highest standards including by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) and Buildcert accreditations (DTC, TMV2 and TMV3).
What products are in demand?
Altecnic offers heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) solutions for use by all installers, including high-quality compliance products such as filling loops, safety relief valves and the Dirtmag system filter with integral magnet. The demand for its commercial products range has been driven by the need to supply good quality heating and plumbing systems for use in high-rise accommodation and affordable housing environments. By the same token, HIUs have become
increasingly in demand for use in new build or refurbished multiple occupancy constructions, driven by the need to keep lifetime operating costs
What HVAC challenges do you face and how do you solve these?
One of the biggest issues in the HVAC market is lookalike products that may appear to be cheaper than companies like Altecnic can offer, but they can be very low-quality items that simply do not last. Not only are there serious issues of reliability and safety that can reflect on the installer but also, in today’s competitive market, a single call-back to site can turn a profitable job into a loss-maker. Another issue is over-specification. In a world
where delivering the best product for the job goes hand in hand with offering the greatest value, it is essential for companies such as Altecnic to be trusted to provide the perfect fit for a particular application. Trade counter customers benefit from advice from Altecnic’s technical department and installers regularly request the free vessel sizing calculator. Altecnic’s specification team works with heat network designers to right-size and optimise systems, delivering significant capital cost savings by removing waste and over-specification. Just as specifying an inferior product is unwise, there is also a very strong case for not over-specifying when it comes to HVAC systems.
Where do you fit in the UK market?
According to a survey carried out in 2016, Altecnic was praised by respondents for customer service and recognised in particular by installers and specifiers, as being highly trusted when it comes to
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 |
Page 45 |
Page 46
