Monday 8 August 2011

Zip instant water heaters


Zip Heaters are becoming a common installation in the workplace in the UK, providing instant boiling and chilled filtered water for staff and the general public efficiently and cheaply. Zip launched its Zip Hydroboil instant boiling water heater in the late 1980's which transformed the way in which boiling water was provided in the work place. The Zip Hydroboil heats and stores hot water for instant delivery and also retains any steam generated to heat the cold water fed to reduce the energy output required to bring the cold water to the boil. These features make this a far more economical way of producing boiling water helping businesses reduce their energy costs.

More recently Zip launched the Zip Hydrotap under counter units that provides both boiling and chilled filtered water through a counter mounted tap. The Hydrotap is a high efficiency instant boiling water heater ideal for both commercial and domestic uses for making drinks and cooking. There are a range of Hydrotaps available for both the home and businesses of varying sizes.

Zip has a comprehensive range of vented and unvented water heaters for kitchens and bathrooms in a wide range of capacities from 5 to 250 litres. Also there are a range of filtered water chillers which are available from Zip which run off of the mains water supply which is cheaper than having bottled water supplied.
Zips wide range of instant filtered water heaters and filtered water coolers are used across the UK on a daily basis in hospital, schools, offices, factories and homes. They are an energy efficient way of providing drinking water for employees and can help businesses reduce their water consumption and energy bills.

For more information about Zip instant hot water heaters and chilled water systems click here.

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Kitchen sink guide

There are a wide range kitchen sinks available on the market including inset kitchen sinks, sit on kitchen sinks and undermount kitchen sinks all available in a variety of materials including ceramic. Ceramic kitchen sinks are finished in a high gloss fired ceramic which are durable and hard wearing ideal for both modern and traditionally styled kitchens. The most iconic ceramic sink is the traditional Belfast Sink, also referred to as a Butler sinks the Belfast first appeared during the Victorians. The Belfast sink is a large rectangular sink with a rounded rim that is set into the work surface. As well as the traditional ceramic Belfast sink there are also modern stainless steel Belfast sinks.
Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks are ideal for kitchens as stainless steel is highly resistant to staining and corrosion making them long last. This is due to the minimum 10.5% Chromium content of the steel which provides an air and water proof layer that helps maintain the lustrous appearance of stainless steel providing a clean and hygienic looking kitchen.
For more modern kitchens there are a wide range of Composite Kitchen Sinks which give a striking and contemporary look to a kitchen. Composite kitchen sinks are made from composite materials which are either man made or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials. As Composite materials are made from a mixture of constituent materials it makes it easier to form them into any shape in one solid piece making them strong and durable. Many kitchen sink manufacturers combine metallic particles to granite during the manufacturing process which gives a granite sink a more striking and appealing look.
As well as composites there are Granite Kitchen Sinks available which are hardwearing and robust ideal for kitchens. Granite is the fourth hardest natural material known to man and is highly resistant to impacts, scratches, stains, most household cleaning products, colour fading and temperatures up to 280°C. All these properties make granite a practical material for kitchen sinks and work surfaces and also makes a striking statement in any kitchen.
For more information on Kitchen Sinks visit here.

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Taps

Taps are valves used to control the release of liquids or gases, most common are Kitchen Taps and Bathroom Taps designed to supply cold and hot potable water for drinking and cleaning in homes and businesses.

The first manufactured screw-down tap was patented by the Rotherham brass founders Guest and Chrimes in 1845. Most taps work by using a soft rubber or neoprene washer that is screwed down onto a valve seat in order to stop the flow of water.

There a many different types of modern bathroom and kitchen taps available with the modern Thermostatic Mixing Taps becoming the most popular choice. The Thermostatic Bath Mixer Tap/Basin Mixer Taps and  Kitchen Mixer Tap all work by by using a valve to mix the hot and cold water supplies and will also usually incorporate a pressure balancing feature so that the temperature of the water does not change if there is a drop in pressure from either the hot or cold supply. This type of bathroom and kitchen tap is most common as it allows the user to set the temperature to their desired water temperature and also helps to reduce the risk of scalding, especailly to vunerable people such as the children, the elderly and the disabled. Also many basin thermostatic mixer taps have a pull up waste which is a lever usually found on the back of the tap which when pulled releases a plug to drain the waste water from the basin. there are a large range of different thermostatic mixer taps available on the market including:
  • Shower Bath Mixer Taps that incorporate a shower head into the tap allowing the user to switch between the bath filler and a shower attachment. 
  • Three Hole Bathroom Taps which can either be deck or wall mounted and comprise of a single spigot and two separate tap mixer valves. These taps are designed to fit 3 tap hole baths or to be wall mounted to conseal the cold and hot water feeds behind the wall.
  • Catering Mixer Taps that incorporate a spray head for washing fresh fruit and vegetables in bulk and pre cleaning pans and equipment before placing them in steam cleaners and dishwashers, commonly used in catering but domestic options are available. 
  • Knee and Foot Operated Taps used in laboratories and healthcare are a type of mixer used where the operator need to use a basin without touching the basin with their hands. 
  • Non Concussive and Time Flow taps are push operated and designed to conserve water by automatically closing after a short period and are ideal for unsupervised areas such as public toilets and washrooms where taps maybe left on.
  • Sensor Taps are a non touch activated mixer tap which use either a built in or stand alone infra-red motion sensor to open the tap or shower valves and automatically close after a period of time
The common Kitchen Pillar Taps/Bath Pillar Taps/Basin Pillar Taps are also a popular choice of bathroom and kitchen taps and provide seperate cold and hot water and are a more traditional type of tap. All though the Pillar Taps is a tradional type of tap modern pillar taps have come a long way from the basic cross head pillar taps with a wide range of contemporary and stylish options available some including a lever top rather than the common screw top valve. 

Most modern Pillar and Thermostatic Mixer Taps come with a chrome plated finish providing a contemporary and clean look to any bathroom and kitchen, however other finishes are also available.

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Pegler Yorkshire demonstrate new heating and plumbing products at PHEX

Pegler Yorkshire will be demonstrating their new heating control product the terrier i-temp at this year’s PHEX, plumbing and heating exhibition. The terrier i-temp is a programmable radiator control (PRC) which allows you to set the time and temperature of individual rooms without altering the master programmer. This can help save energy as the end user can heat individual rooms when need without any wastage from heating rooms that are used infrequently.

The terrier i-temp is a simple upgrade for existing heating systems and will fit most existing brands of Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRV). The i-temp packs come with adaptors that allow it to fit most existing TRV bodies with the terrier i-temp i30 PRC fitting vertical TRV’s and the i35 PRC for horizontal TRV’s. Both the i30 and i35 come with thermostatic valve bodies as well so they can be fitted as completely new installations rather than an add on to existing TRV’s.   

Also Pegler Yorkshire will be exhibiting its new water conserving designer taps within the Francis Pegler range. Taps, mixers and showers included in the range are the Haze Eco, the Loko Eco and the Pulsar Eco which all incorporate triple action click cartridges reducing mixed flow rates by around 70%.

The new Prestex TMV’s will also be displayed with t shape under basin, shower, bidet and bath fill applications that conform to the new water safety section of G regulations introduced last summer. The anti scald safety products are third party approved under the Buildcert TMV2 and TMV3 schemes, and benefit from additional 46°C testing that is not included in the standards. 

The Henco multilayer flexible tap connector with built in isolation valve will also be showcased. The range includes both the kuterlite compression and tectite designed to connect varying materials from coppers to PEX/PB. The flexible connectors offer heat free connections through the kuterlite compression fitting and instantaneous jointing with the tectite push fit version. 

Read more here.

Thursday 24 February 2011

Biasi UKs dolomite towel rails is a cost effective range

The robust biasi dolomite range which incorporating Italian style and quality is cost effective for merchants, installers and homeowners. The dolomite range is manufactured from 19mm steel tube and able to run at 6 bar pressure. The towel rails come in chromo or matt white finishes, a choice of straight or curved and sizes ranging from 300mm-600mm.
The marketing director for biasi, Richard Braid said “Dolomite complements our range of quality, high efficiency home heating products and existing radiator ranges and in these days when everyone is keeping a close eye on budgets, prove that quality doesn’t have to be sacrificed over cost”
The dolomite comes with a full fixing kit which includes brackets, air vent and plug along with a 5 year warranty.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

New vent-axia lo-carbon tempra heat recovery unit

Vent-axia’s new tempra range of heat recovery units give contractors and social housing specifies an alternative to standard ventilation fans. The unit can recover up to 74% of heat lost from bathrooms, toilets, kitchens and utility rooms through vents. The unit can be retrofitted to 100mm diameter holes in the wall making them easy and cost effective to install.  
The tempra’s compact heat exchanger recovers heat from extracted air and returns it back into the home. In the summer the unit can be set to extraction only ensuring your home doesn’t become overheated.
The tempra is available in four models including a standard version, a light switch controlled version, a T version which comes with an overrun timer and an H version that comes with a built-in humidistat.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Plumb centre launch new digital shower from mira pixel

Plumb centre have launched the new mira pixel digital shower with wireless controls, with push button controls and digital displays this shower is said to have a number of unique features that won’t be found anywhere else on the market.

The unique features include wireless controls that can be located up to 10m away for the valves allowing owners to place their showers in the most convenient place for them. As well as this the temperature and flow rate can be set to your own preference.  The shower also has an eco function which reduces flow rate and turns the shower off after 5 minutes, this could help lower energy and water bills (if the property is on a water meter).

Installation is said to be straightforward and the wireless technology is believe to be easier to install than a normal mixer and guaranteed to fit any system.
    
As well as launching the mira pixel digital shower plumb centre are offering double extra points on any mira pixel purchase between February and March. 

to find out more: http://www.plumbingpark.co.uk/plumbing_hvac_article14540.html