PHAM NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2024 Radiators & Towel Warmers Expert on-site guidance
As installations manager at DiscreteHeat, Carl Barrington supports successful ThermaSkirt fi tting on site, guiding installers through surveys, installations and commissioning. He also leads training sessions at DiscreteHeat HQ and online. Here, Carl explains the many ways he supports and trains ThermaSkirt installers, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge to confi dently install this innovative heating solution.
T
hermaSkirt is very easy to fi t, but it’s natural for installers who are more familiar with radiators to be a bit wary. Understanding this, I often join installers on site to give them the confi dence they
are doing it correctly. Before the installation takes place, the customer submits plans, and I receive a copy. Then I survey the property, walking through to assess potential pipe positionings. We can move them and adjust the plans at this stage, if necessary.
First fi x Once we’re happy with the plans, the order can be placed, and we move to the fi rst fi x stage. On installation day, I drive to the property with the fi rst fi x materials as per the survey. Before we do anything, we protect the fl oor coverings and furniture as necessary, then drain down the heating system and remove existing radiators. We install the new pipework, according
to the plans, then cap it off and test with pressure, to make sure everything is sealed. At this stage, the customer may want to decorate or, if the installation is in a newly built property, there may be more building work to do. Then we would arrange to go back for a second visit to install the actual skirting when the other works are complete.
Second fi x For the second fi x, I load the van with the ThermaSkirt at HQ, drive to the customer’s address and, if it hasn’t already been done, we drain down the heating system. Then we unload the van and set up a
‘cutting area’ – usually outside. I show the installer how to make a cutting list, deducting all the cutting allowances required for the installation, and use the list to cut all the skirting. We ream the ends of the skirting; this is very
important because it allows the fi ttings to slide into the skirting panels with ease. I assemble the feed connections ready to connect to pipes from the fi rst fi x visit. Once the feeds are in place, I start to fi t the brackets provided which hold the skirting to the wall, along with the ‘foil’, which helps project heat into the room rather than losing a little into the wall structure.
Commissioning process I can then start to build up the cut pieces of skirting with the connections and fi t them to the brackets on the walls around the room, starting from the feed. Once all the skirting is attached, I can begin my commissioning process. First, I add an inhibitor. This is a requirement of the 10-year warranty. We use a sacrifi cial anode to allow the system to be drained down at any time, without losing any chemicals.
35 Then I start to fi ll the system, checking for leaks
and bleeding any air out of the system as I go. When I’m happy it’s holding pressure, we can turn on the heating.
Finishing touch The fi nal part of the installation is the fi nishing off . There are two diff erent products, each installed diff erently, and we fi t whichever the customer has ordered. First is a gasket fi nish, which has a modern streamlined look, with square edges. This is mostly chosen for new apartments and open plan, modern extensions. The gasket runs around the room, inserted into the skirting almost like ‘decorator caulk’. It can be removed to decorate the room in the future, then be reinstalled, providing the same, clean fi nish. The other is option is ‘capping’, and there are two
Carl Barrington, installations manager at DiscreteHeat
DiscreteHeat provides on-site assistance to fi rst-time installers, from surveying the property through to the fi nishing touches. Carl makes
sure every installer is confi dent when fi tting ThermaSkirt
choices. The fi rst is ‘Torus’, which has a traditional look and matches existing wooden skirting boards. Once fi tted, a tool is needed to remove it, so it becomes a security feature – ideal for commercial environments, such as care homes. The second is ‘Easy Clean’ – which does what it says on the label! It is often used in hospitals and schools because it can be wiped down as the fl oors are being mopped. Once the gasket or capping is fi xed,
I fi nish off by fi tting parts such as the internal corner covers, and TRV feed and return covers. The only thing left is to remove the protective fi lm for the grand reveal!
Taking turns If I am carrying out one-to-one training on site, my days are very much like what I’ve already described, except that I’ll show the installer all the components beforehand, and talk
through what everything does and how it works. If there’s more than one room to fi t, I’ll do the fi rst room, with the installer watching me, and the installer will do subsequent rooms while I shadow them, helping out or correcting where needed. It could take one or more days, depending on the size of the project. The training room at our factory is fi tted out with pretty much every simulated scenario an installer is likely to face. We can accommodate up to eight installers per session and help them work their way through the diff erent scenarios. Working in this test environment gives them confi dence, rather than having to do it for the fi rst time in someone’s home!
Become a Registered Installer We have also produced an online training course, consisting of three modules, each consisting of smaller, bite-sized chunks of digestible information. When installers have completed the training and I’m happy they’re competent, they can become a Registered Installer, and we’ll add them to our website, and send them any leads we get in their region. We also have an in-house team that off ers technical support and will even use WhatsApp to
help the installer in real time during an installation. I support the technical team when an installer needs some additional reassurance, for example if they are on the early stages of their ThermaSkirt journey. ThermaSkirt is the perfect choice for heat pump
Once installed, ThermaSkirt
seamlessly blends in with existing interior decor by mimicking the look of standard skirting boards
heating systems, because it is suitable for low temperature heating, without the need for oversized radiators. For this reason, it is becoming increasingly popular, and we are receiving lots of enquiries. The most important thing is that installers know that we are there to support and help them so they have confi dence to survey homes, carry out the heat calculations, and specify and fi t ThermaSkirt. ◼
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