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HEATING & PLUMBING T


imes are tough for everyone working in the construction industry. Companies from right across the sector are struggling, even going out of business, we all navigate the continuing political economic uncertainty.


With construction projects being delayed and the latest Plumbing & Heating Merchant Index from BMBI showing sales through specialist merchants down -1.9% in May 2024, how do merchants make sure the products they stock, and the suppliers they choose to work with, are reliable? Chris Ingram, found of Continal Underfloor Heating, explains: “Firstly, choose a supplier that offers a full range of products from that sector. Taking underfloor heating (UFH) as an example, you want to work with a company like Continal, that can provide solid floor, suspended and overfloor systems, as well as a comprehensive range of controls and associated pipe and manifold products. Why? Because only by choosing such a business can you be assured that your customers will always be able to choose exactly the right product for the job, rather than just the best possible product from their limited available range. He highlights that another important thing to watch out for is that your supplier can provide you with the products quickly after you place an order. This is particularly important because many installers place an order and expect it in the next few days. So it is important to check supplier’s lead times. “Another red flag is when you place an order, and the supplier says they can only deliver one part of the order now, with the


TIME FOR


ACTION ON NET ZERO


Richard Soper, managing director of The Unico System, talks to BMJ about the critical role of HVAC technologies in reducing carbon emissions


O 30


ur new government faces many challenges to get the country back on track to its 2030 reduced emissions target and achieve


zero net emissions by 2050. It’s a very tall order and new initiatives are required very quickly. Reports by recognised independent organisations set out their thoughts on what


CONTINALLY


KEEPING YOU WARM With an ever-increasing range of products on the


market, merchants must be careful to choose suppliers they can know will provide quality, reliability and excellent customer service.


customers and delays in the installer getting paid.


“It’s important to note that there is a difference, here, between suppliers who dispatch part-deliveries, and suppliers like Continal, who can deliver orders in full in just a few days, but who can also hold sections of an order back for installers who are fitting their UFH in stages, and who don’t want extra materials hanging around on site where they might get damaged.


rest to come at a later date,” says Ingram. “Installing UFH in a project is a job that usually needs to be completed – from start to finish – in one go, and any unexpected delays risk causing knock-on delays to the rest of the project, potentially resulting in unhappy


actions need to be taken to achieve these goals - and they make perfect sense. When it comes to heat pumps, the still relatively high upfront cost of heat pump installations, the payback periods and the practical difficulties in retrofitting the technology in existing housing stock remain major obstacles, as well as the comparative cost of electricity needed to run a heat pump. One idea is to make electricity cheaper and ensure that the lower running costs of heat pumps compared to fossil-fuel boilers is reflected in household bills. Another is that new heating engineers must be able to access high quality training in low-carbon heating and existing gas heating engineers must be supported and incentivised.


Unico is one of those companies. Its Small Duct High Velocity (SDHV) technology that heats, cools and ventilates homes may not be widely taken up as yet, but residential installations are growing quickly. Unico Fan Coil Units/Air Handlers not only work brilliantly with heat pumps, but they are also highly energy efficient.


There are other significant benefits too. Firstly, as an all-in-one system, there is no need for investment in separate technologies


“Also watch how long it takes your supplier to respond to your enquiries. Again, you want to work with those companies who are quick to reply, who can provide fast turnaround times for any quotes or technical questions and who don’t leave you waiting ages for a response. At the end of the day your supply partners can affect your reputation, for good or bad.” BMJ


around the home. Secondly, it offers the not- to-be-underestimated benefit of raising and maintaining Indoor Air Quality levels. The Unico System offers air filtration and is equipped with integral standard air filtration. There is also the possibility of upgrading to higher grades of filter.


So let’s stand in support of all the organisations shouting out for fast action from this government. Time is running short, but if implemented quickly, new initiatives and changes to our approach to achieving net zero can help to save the planet. Such measures will create a better platform for making daily living in our homes greener. BMJ


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net September 2024


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