www.heatingandventilating.net


INDUSTRY INSIGHT


ALFIE IS TOP BRASS boiling A


London-based making full us benefits offere


mounting plate andm


dbuildingservicesspecialistis se of the multiple istallation ed by Alfie – a patented wall manifold device for brassware


– during a complex and demanding refurbishment of a large house in No


realised the invention firm’s founder. Wesley replacement and refur in top-end residentialw West Hampstead Pl


on a six-bedroom prop


period they are vulne crucially offering both to simplify the install Brought to market


Alfie is the inventio


could offer the perfect install solutionw yHort,firstsawAlfieayearagoatatra rbishment to new-build and commercia work, ranging from bathroom lumbing&Heating specialises orth-west London.


p


perty in Hampstead’s fashionable Heat by sector specialist, Coolag, Alfie has ation of taps, bar shower valves and haccuracyandprotectionforthecon erable to other trades prior to final fix on of an experienced plumber and pro


x. –TyHarnett–andis designed to overcome such problems


oduct innovator sasalignment,


depth planning, rigidity and the risk of water leaks occurriing within the wall. It is manufactured from corrosion resistant materials and can be rapidly configured for either solid wall or hollow wall applications Reflecting on his fir


s.


seen the Alfie device demonstrated at PHEX last year andwa so whenwewere look to trial them. It has tur


rst experience of the Coolag product, Wesley says: “I had d


W king for a quality, high strength fixing on


as very impressed, nthisjobwedecided


bathrooms including en-suites. There was also the issue of th


on the front for use in which is secured to th Alfie’s versatility st


ntimberandothertypesofframewor he back of the base plate for setting i tems from the use of an easily repos


rned out very well, fitting 10 in total acr oss the five different e


contract. We started work in July and there is always a concern about potential damage by other trades, but Alfie’s design provides good protection.”


rk. Once configured, nto solid walls or itioned manifold


installers follow a simple, five-step process to complete the first fix, wherein four corner fixings hold the baseplate in place.


Sales and marketing manager for Coolag, Ollie Pirret, says: “Alfie has enormous potential fo quicker to install than


or the plumbing and property industr ries. It is 75% nconventionalapproaches,soworks out cheaper for the


customer; and prevents leaks so protects the asset owners’ investment. It avoids depth plan


nning of fittings or the need to use offset adaptors while


the interlocking base plates guarantee a perfectly upright shower fitting. Basically everyone benefits from having a rapid and foolproof means of providing a sturdy mounting for their brassware and fittings.”


Alfie is manufactured from DZR brass for exceptional corrosion resistance and is fully WRAS approved.


In the case of a bar shower mixer, eight fixings appropriate to the wall substrate are used to secure the two interlocking back plates in position. diswoundaroundthesupplypipeco are tightened into the manifolds. The readed chrome tubes, which, once tig wall at the required spacing. This sta ith the protective sleeves provided. g, plastering or tiling is complete, the in sonthechromecoverplates,upagains


to the tubes and winds Once wall-boarding covering the tubes wi perpendicular to thew then used to fit the th threads, before they a Loctite 55 thread cord


section of tube using a oscillating blade. Final


p, p


an electric drill to create a precise, flat e lly, the Alfie dressing tool is pressed ov


ge is completed by ghtened, stand solidly same approach is onnection adaptor


st the finished wall and staller applies silicone


wipes off any excess. The taps or mixer are positioned to determine what length of excess needs to be removed, the tubes duly marked and cut to length with an


end. ver the remaining


his being a prolonged


Most peo Legionel Legion


when he started work ade exhibition and al contracts. The


nnections during the other brassware sbeendeveloped hDrivelastsummer.


boilingpoint J


ohn Thompson, chief executive at th


provides an potential f


he Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) a overview regarding the for a serious public health


concern once the current COVID-19 trading restrictions are removed. As I wriite this, restaurants, pubs,, ,,p


sports fac cilities, bed & breakfasts, hotels,


hairdressers and many other leisure establishments have been closed for four weeks and I feel there is an urgent need to raise awareness of the potential spread of Legionn


naires’ disease once these establishments reopen.


ople catch Legionnaires’ disease by in la bacterium. This disease can be ser nnaires’ disease is a severe type of pn


nhaling the bacteria from water rious if not treated immediately. neumonia caused by the


droplets dispersed through taps and showers.


The current lockdown means that the plumbing systems of the aforementioned establishments aren’t being systems are not being correctly maintained th become the ideal environment for Legionella bacteria multiplies in stagnant water, poorly d water with temperatures between 20ºC and 45ºC. ugh Legionnaires’ disease can be fata icate matters, the symptoms of Legio ptoms associated with COVID-19 - hig


the symp to compl Althou


ords and employers have a legal duty


designed water systems and in bacteria to grow, as Legionella hey can relatively quickly used. If these redundant


gh temperature, feverishness onnaires’ disease are similar to al it is also treatable. However,


and chills, coughing, muscle pains, headache and diarrhoea with the potential to lead to pneumonia. Landlo


of exposure to Legionella bacteria. Risk asses


ytoassessandcontroltherisk ssments, precautionary actions


and remedial work can be implemented to protect against Legionnaires’ disease. However, I believe the vast majority of landlords and employers are unaware of their legal duty and of the actions that need to be taken. These


or so long without any thought for bringing these buildings back into use,,whichifnotfacilitatedcorrectlyc ould lead to a serious outbreak of Legion COVID-19.


closed fo


eareunprecedented timesandneve b o


nnaires disease just as the country and the NHS recover from


er have so many buildings been


www.heatingandventilating.net


May 2020


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