Issue 143 February 2021
Safety starts at home Gas Safe teams up with TV expert as awareness campaign continues
Industry Standard Update All the details of the new Code of Practice for LAVs
Powerflushing How and when to clean heating systems effectively
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER
In this issue
Issue 143 February 2021
04 Gas Safe news
Top tips to renew your registration smoothly; Gas Safety Week 2020’s report is now available to download – are you in it?
07 Gas Safe Register’s inspection process during lockdown; Updates to Technical Bulletins; Remain vigilant at work, urges CIPHE
08 News
Millions have never had their boiler serviced, new survey finds; HHIC updates condensate guides; Discounted training and certification in renewables
12 Profile
How Saera James’s traumatic experience has put her on the path to becoming a gas engineer
14 News focus
How will the UK’s green revolution be delivered?
16 The good, the bad and the ugly 20 Technical Bulletin 158
Requesting a concession to the manufacturer’s instructions
22 Industry Standard Update 100
IGEM/UP/6 Edition 3 Application of compressors to Natural Gas fuel systems
25 Industry Standard Update 101
Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 32
29 Code of Practice 32
Liquid Gas UK highlights the key areas of its new Code of Practice
30 Hydrogen
Your questions answered about the hydrogen blending trial due to take place in 2021 in Winlaton
34 Low-carbon heating
What’s the latest on the energy efficiency regulations and initiatives planned for 2021? PLUS The government’s plans to decarbonise the nation’s heating systems are an opportunity for gas engineers
37 Opinion
All talk and no action: the misfiring heat pump trial
39 Focus on powerflushing
Make sure you study and survey the installation first; Why powerflushing is necessary and how to keep heating systems clean; Why each system should be treated individually
44 Products 51 Competition
Win a Makita radio plus 6 months’ FREE membership of Checktrade
Are you read
FROM THE EDITOR
Comment
I
’m not often lost for words (just ask my colleagues). But it happened when I interviewed trainee gas engineer Saera James last month. And afterwards, I was left with a real sense of hope, especially during these difficult times. Saera and her gas engineer husband Mat lived through one of the worst experiences you could imagine. But they didn’t get in touch to tell us about that: they did it because they wanted to thank publicly the people who have helped them and their business to recover and then grow. You can read their story on page 12. It’s got us thinking a lot about ‘giving back’. We know you’re a big-hearted bunch, and we know how some of you have been helping fellow gas engineers and colleagues in need. If you’d like to thank someone who’s helped you, or if you’ve helped someone, please let us know. Also in this issue, you can read more about the government’s plans to ‘green’ the UK and how it could affect you, and we answer some of your questions about HyDeploy’s work on hydrogen blending this year at Winlaton in the North East of England. Nicki Shearer, editor The quickest way to reach the magazine team is via email. Gas Safe Register, PO Box 6804, Basingstoke, RG24 4NB. Email: enquiries@gassaferegister.co.uk, register@gassaferegister.co.uk or technical@gassaferegister.co.uk Managing editor: Scott Darroch scott.darroch@gassaferegister.co.uk Editor: Nicki Shearer editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.uk News: Jennie Ward news@registeredgasengineer.co.uk Publisher: Peter McCreary publisher@registeredgasengineer.co.uk Technical consultants: Gary Aymes, Carl Banister, David Smith, Jonathan Stirling Production: Mark Turpin Advertising enquiries only: Ian Carter ian@rgemagazine.co.uk
f you’ve got your registration renewal coming up soon, there are some simple steps you can take to make it’s as straightforward as possible. You’ll receive your invitation to renew eight weeks before your registration expires. If you manage your account online, you’ll receive your invitation via email. Make sure that all your details held by Gas Safe are up to date – once you’ve logged into your account, you’ll see an Alert that your registration is due for renewal. If you don’t manage your account online, you’ll receive your invitation in the post with an invoice for payment to return to Gas Safe Register. You can also renew over the phone using the automated service 24 hours a day on 0800 408 5577. Make sure you’ve got your Gas Safe four-digit PIN and your registration number to hand before you call. Changing your trading title If you’re going to change your trading title, please make sure you request this with Gas Safe Register before you renew. This is so that your ID card(s) and registration certificate will have your new company name, if the change can take place. It’s free to change your trading title, just go online to
complete the request or email Register@GasSafeRegister. co.uk and the forms will be sent to you. Don’t leave it too late – the Register needs to carry out additional checks, so make sure you allow enough time. Competencies The HSE and Gas Safe Register have permitted a six-month extension to ACS qualification lifespans to enable you to remain registered if you have been unable to undertake your ACS because of Covid restrictions. To maintain your registration, you must make sure that you renew your expired ACS qualifications within the following timescales: • If your ACS expired before 1 October 2020 and you were unable to book ACS reassessment, you can remain on the Register for up to six months from the expiry date on your ACS certification while you wait for re-assessment. • If your qualifications expired on or after 1 October 2020, you must renew your qualifications by 31 March 2021. • If your qualifications expire after 31 March 2021, you must renew your ACS by the expiry date on your certificate. Many assessment centres are prioritising gas engineers
Fees 2021/22 (ex VAT) Non-web registration £157.00 Web registration £137.00 Notification reprint (telephone) £3.50 Notification reprint (web) £2.20 Operative fee
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The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Gas Safe Register. The publishers will accept an advertisement or other inserted material only on the condition that the advertiser warrants that such advertisement does not in any way infringe copyright or contravene the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act. All copy is subject to the approval of the publisher, who reserves the right to refuse, amend, withdraw or otherwise deal with advertisements submitted to it at its absolute discretion and without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice. ABC membership approved 19 March, 2009. Calls to phone numbers starting 084 and 087 cost up to 7p per minute plus your service provider’s charge.
Registered Gas Engineer is written, designed and published by The Team on behalf of Gas Safe Register. 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ
Many registered businesses will soon be receiving their invitation to renew registration. A little planning can make it a smooth process.
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | GAS SAFE REGISTER NEWS
y to renew?
Did you know you can now recycle your expired ID card? Following suggestions from engineers, you’ll now receive a Freepost envelope inside your registration renewals pack. Just pop your old card into the envelope and return it to Gas Safe for secure recycling. Note: Gas Safe is also reducing the use of plastic, and card holders are no longer provided with your ID card.
whose competences have expired or nearly expired, but reduced capacity due to social distancing requirements means that many are extremely busy, so don’t leave it to the last minute to book. If you’re not sure when your qualifications expire, sign into your online account, then choose Business Details and Download Engineers. You can stay up to date with the latest guidance from Gas Safe Register at: www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/ help-and-advice/covid-19advice-and-guidance/
Did you know? 9 out of 10 businesses renew their Gas Safe registration online, saving them time and money – and helping to protect the environment too. If you haven’t got an online account, it’s easy to set up: just call Customer Services on 0800 408 5577.
Are you in it? What had a digital reach of more than 73 million and encouraged nearly 89,000 people to visit Gas Safe Register’s website in just one week? You can find out in the Gas Safety Week Report 2020. Thousands of supporters came together in different ways in 2020 to promote important gas safety messages, despite the pandemic. You can find out about supporters’ activities, and how Gas Safe Register amplified gas
safety messages to help keep the nation Gas Safe when you download the report at: www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/ media/3216/gas-safety-weekreport-2020.pdf
Cutting corners risks invalidating insurance A boom in home moving and improving, combined with a pandemic squeeze on finances and a lack of understanding about insurance policies, risks jeopardising people’s health and wealth in 2021. New research from Gas Safe Register shows that nearly half of householders (49 per cent) say the pandemic has made them thriftier, prompting 45 per cent to DIY rather than relying on qualified, legally registered professionals for improvements and renovations. However, these efforts to save money could prove more costly: almost 90 per cent of the 2,000 householders surveyed did not realise that home renovations can affect their insurance cover, and many couldn’t identify some of the most common issues that could invalidate policies, leading to future claims being rejected. These include: • Using faulty home appliances (61 per cent were unaware) • DIY damage caused by improvements such as such as relocating a gas boiler, building a conservatory or similar (50 per cent) • Not using a certified tradesperson for gas and electrical work or repairs in the home (48 per cent). More than half of those surveyed said they had never read their home insurance policy in full. However, for safety reasons, gas,
electrical and plumbing works must be carried out by a registered professional. Tackling these types of job can invalidate home insurance and warranties, leaving people significantly out of pocket if something goes wrong. To help these millions of home-movers and improvers stay safe and save money, Gas Safe Register has teamed up with TV personality and DIY expert Jo Behari as part of its Safety Starts at Home campaign. Jo Behari says: “Before deciding to embark on any work, I urge all homeowners to ensure that the tradespeople they hire are properly qualified to safely and legally carry out the work. “As with our health, prevention is better than cure when it comes to gas safety and keeping you covered for the unexpected. Having your gas appliances checked annually by a registered engineer means you won’t risk invalidating your insurance by continuing to use appliances that have developed faults.” Jo regularly appears on Channel 4’s popular Steph’s Packed Lunch, and last month on the programme re-iterated the importance of using a registered gas engineer. She told viewers: “Check your boiler and, if you have issues, make sure you use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fix them.” Not doing so, she warned, could invalidate insurance as well as being illegal. www.gassaferegister.co.uk 05
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | AROUND THE INDUSTRY
Update on inspections During the lockdowns in place across the UK, adjustments have been made to Gas Safe Register’s inspection process so that they can continue while minimising face-to-face contact. Where possible, Gas Safe Register will use video to carry out a remote technical assessment: the outcome of this will determine whether a
face-to-face inspection is needed. Where customers make a complaint or raise a concern, Gas Safe will make an initial assessment over the phone, using video calling to support the assessment. This information will be used to confirm the next steps and whether an inspection visit to the property will be required.
Technical Bulletin revisions Following the publication of Liquid Gas UK CoP32, revised Liquid Gas UK Consumer Guidance Sheets and the withdrawal of Parts 1 and 2 of BS 5482, administrative revisions have been made to the Technical Bulletins below. No technical changes have been made: • TB 011 The use of clips to secure vapour phase LPG hose and tubing to BS EN 16436-1 and BS EN 16436-2 to end fittings • TB 040 Meter Box – Installation pipe sleeving • TB 042 Repairs following reported gas escapes • TB 053 Modular boiler installations – competency requirements and applicable Industry Standards • TB 146 Consumer Guidance Sheet (CGS) 05 – LPG Hoses and Tubing for Use with Vapour Offtake. The following Technical Bulletins on LPG have been withdrawn because the guidance is contained in other guidance documents: • TB 072 Separation distances between LPG cylinders and tanks and domestic oil tanks • TB 079 BS 5482-1: 2005 (LPG Installations) – additional guidance • TB 080 Changes to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) regulator standards • TB 134 Gas tightness testing of LPG service pipework, installation pipework and appliances in holiday homes, caravans and motor homes. You can read and download all Gas Safe Register Technical Bulletins by logging into your online account at: www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/sign-in
New owner for Wolseley UK Wolseley UK is being sold by its parent Ferguson to private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. The £308 million disposal was due to be complete by the end of January 2021. Ferguson chief executive Kevin Murphy said: “Wolseley is a leading heating and plumbing distribution business in the UK
and we are confident the business will benefit from working with its new owners, who will develop the business further by focusing on continued opportunities in the industry.” Wolseley UK trading profits were £5.8 million in the year ended 31 July 2020 and revenue was £1,373 million.
BEIS confirms work can continue in lockdown New BEIS Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng last month wrote an open letter to people working in the construction sector, which included confirmation of the government’s position on tradespeople working during the lockdown. In the letter, he said: “Firms and tradespeople in manufacturing, including supply chains, should continue to operate during this national lockdown. “I would also like to make it clear that where it is essential to travel or to stay in accommodation,
whether to get to your work or for the purposes of carrying out your work, those in the industry are able to do so. “It is vital that manufacturing continues and I want to reassure you that the government values the contribution your sector is making. “To help ensure that it is safe for you to operate while carrying out your work, the government and devolved administrations continue to update their safer working guidance, which can be found on Gov.uk.”
Remain vigilant at work, reminds CIPHE Gas engineers must continue to prioritise personal and public safety, says the CIPHE. Membership secretary Tim Sainty says it’s particularly important to remain vigilant to continue to protect your own health as well as those of your customers when you are carrying essential work. “The advice from the CIPHE mirrors government guidance,” says Tim, “and remains largely the same as at the start of the pandemic. We are supportive of the fact that plumbing and heating repairs and maintenance work can continue, provided that the tradesperson and customer is well and have no coronavirus symptoms. “Do check with clients that they do not have a positive diagnosis, are not self-isolating, or displaying symptoms of
COVID-19 before attending the premises. “Even if everyone in the household is healthy, social distancing is still essential and we reiterate the Public Health England guidelines for maintaining social distancing, with a 2m distance from any household occupants. The wearing of a face covering indoors when working and regular 20-second handwashing are also advised. “Work should not be carried out in any household isolating due to coronavirus, unless it is to remedy a direct risk to the safety of the household, such as life-threatening or other emergency plumbing or repairs. Guidance should be provided to the household to ensure that no contact is made between the engineer and the occupants.” www.gassaferegister.co.uk 07
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | AROUND THE INDUSTRY
‘Millions have never had their boiler serviced’ More than 3 million UK households have never had their boiler serviced, according to research from the Benchmark Steering Group. Benchmark’s survey of 2,000 people asked them about the maintenance of their heating system. While 76 per cent of respondents said boiler servicing was either important to them or very important, almost half said they don’t maintain their boiler in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidance. Furthermore, 15 per cent of homeowners are not sure if their boiler is in or out of warranty.
With 80 per cent of breakdowns resulting in people being left without heat or hot water for at least a day, and one in 10 enduring this for three days, it’s clear that a greater awareness is needed around boiler servicing, says the Benchmark group. Benchmark raises standards in installation, commissioning and servicing. The steering group is responsible for policy and management issues in the Benchmark scheme. Billy Wilgar, deputy chair of steering group, says: “The results show that while UK homeowners know the importance of servicing, this is not
HHIC updates condensate guides The HHIC has updated its ‘Guide to Condensate Discharge Pipe Installation’. The guidance provides a summary of industry-agreed best practice to minimise the risk of condensate pipes freezing in cold weather. HHIC has also reissued its customer information booklet, which gas engineers can give to their customers to explain the risks and any remedial action that may be required for those installations that may be at risk of freezing. Director Stewart Clements says: “We are acutely aware that there are a significant proportion of installations that are not installed to current standards and manufacturers’ instructions. For example, where they are not connected to internal drain points such as a soil stack or sink waste. “Condensate discharge pipes should be connected to an internal gravity discharge point, [but] where this is not possible, the HHIC guide details what action should be taken, such as external pipe insulation. In addition to this guidance, all other technical requirements for condensate discharge 08 February 2021
translating into proactive action. “It’s clear that it’s more important than ever to encourage prevention rather than cure. In support of this, Benchmark is launching a new app so that heating engineers can keep track of servicing and maintenance of the heating system, simplifying the process and allowing for full transparency. “It’s our hope that the app will ensure more accountability, and prevent us from remaining trapped in ‘fit and forget’ culture.” A new app for homeowners will launch soon, and both apps act as a digital passport for
heating systems, storing key information for engineers to access, including installation and servicing history. They will encourage regular servicing via annual push notifications to homeowners, as well as enabling heating engineers to fill out the Benchmark checklist online at the time of installation. www.benchmark.org.uk
Consultation on building safety in Wales The Welsh Government is proposing a new building safety regime and is consulting on legislative reform. Its White Paper sets out its proposals, focusing on legislative change across the lifecycle of buildings, as well as setting out aspirations for a culture change in the way buildings are designed, constructed and managed. You can find out more and respond by 12 April 2021 at: gov.wales/safer-buildings-wales
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installation should still be followed.” HHIC is urging engineers to to make sure they know what’s in both guides, as well as ensuring that all new boiler installations comply with the manufacturer’s instructions. It also says engineers should ensure that any remedial or servicing work includes a condensate discharge pipe check, and explain any remedial action required to homeowners. The guides are free to download from www.hhic.org.uk
Williams Trade Only Plumbing and Heating Supplies is one of 1,000 companies to inspire Britain, according to a London Stock Exchange report. The report recognises the UK’s fastestgrowing and most dynamic small and medium-sized businesses. To be featured, businesses had to demonstrate strong revenue
growth over the past three years and outperform their sector peers. MD Ray Stafford says: “This represents much deserved recognition for a great group of hard-working and creative colleagues, trusted suppliers and, above all, the ever growing band of loyal customers who collectively make this business what it is.”
Competition winners Our competition winners in December’s issue were Ian Andrews from Weymouth in Dorset, and Adam Goldman from Mill Hill in London. Andrew won a KANE458s CPA1 kit from our friends at KANE, and Adam won a job site radio and a lava lamp from Williams Trade Only Plumbing and Heating Supplies. You can enter this month’s great competition from Checkatrade on page 51.
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Discounted training and certification in renewable technologies Building services training provider GTEC has been awarded almost £1 million to help tradespeople access discounted training in renewable technologies, in order to meet the demand presented by the Green Homes Grant. The Renewable Heat Installer Training and Support Scheme (RHITSS) aims to help installers gain the qualifications and certification required to become registered installation companies as required for consumers to take advantage of the Green Homes Grant. RHITSS will provide vouchers worth up to 70 per cent of the cost of the training, assessment and certification and will enable companies to install low-carbon heating technologies, such as heat pumps and solar thermal.
The scheme covers the whole process that candidates need to follow to be listed on the GHG Installer Register. Awarding organisations BPEC and LCL Awards will provide a number of training locations at their centres to support the roll-out of the courses. The RHITSS is a package of support designed to provide financial incentives and make the process of becoming a GHG installer as easy as possible, from accessing vouchers to subsidise the cost of training and the various certifications required, finding suitable training providers and overcoming the practical barriers to help individuals and small businesses become MCS and TrustMark registered. GTEC managing director Griff
Thomas says: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this bid. Our approach is focused on helping installers more easily take advantage of the market potential of two of the most popular renewable technologies. Working with MCS, LCL Awards and BPEC ensures candidates have access to the best possible training and support, while contributing to meeting the UK’s low-carbon targets. “With the Green Homes Grant now extended to March 2022, the next year could be busy for installers with the right skills to deliver related technologies and services.” Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, says: “This is an excellent opportunity for those installers wishing to deliver renewable heat
technologies. This scheme will provide the necessary training and support to become MCScertified, which in turn will allow a trained and certified installer to provide customers with a Green Homes Grant-supported installation.” You can register your interest at www.rhitss.co.uk
KANE FGA support in Dublin Gas engineers in Northern Ireland can now get KANE after-sales support, calibration and repair for their analysers in Dublin at CalMet instead of returning them to the UK. KANE sales director Tom McCue says: “We’re so pleased CalMet will deliver our unique after-sales service in Ireland.” https://calmet.ie/pages/kane-gas-analyser-calibration
Strengthen your business in 2021 with Vaillant book Vaillant’s new Bigger Little Book of Business is dedicated to strengthening gas engineers’ business in 2021. The business support guidance is designed as a go-to tool for practical support and is available only to Vaillant Advance members. Featuring expert advice from the Sales Resolution, APHC, and the Boiler Business, topics expand on the Business Clinic content from 2020 to include building income resilience, diversifying your business into new areas and low-carbon technologies. 10 February 2021
There’s marketing information too, including advice on how to segment your market, using digital media successfully, and how to be realistic about what you are trying to achieve; whether that’s maximising every customer lead or offering a stand-out service in a busy marketplace. You can access all Advance business support tools and find out when new tools come online in 2021, as well as download the book, at: www.vaillantadvance.co.uk
Step inside Grant’s virtual house A virtual house featuring a range of Grant renewable heating technologies has been added to the company’s online Knowledge Hub. Visitors can step inside virtual reality to see how a Grant heat pump, cylinder, radiators and underfloor heating system can work together in the home. The virtual house has been developed so that people can immerse themselves in a real home environment. It aims to help homeowners on their own journey to net zero by showing how renewable technologies can integrate seamlessly into their home. Visitors enjoy warm feet as
they walk over the underfloor heating system in the hallway, then walk to the back of the home to the cylinder that provides hot water storage. Stepping out into the garden, an air source heat pump is beside the property. Throughout the property are aluminium radiators. Grant’s Knowledge Hub is an area of zones designed for homeowners who want to research renewable technologies, helping them to make informed decisions about the sustainable future of their own heating systems. www.grantuk.com/ knowledge-hub
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‘We can’t wait to see What made you want to become a gas engineer? Registered Gas Engineer talks to Saera James – whose traumatic and life-changing experience with her gas engineer husband spurred her to take up a new career – and to the training centre that helped them.
M
athew James will be welcoming a newly qualified gas engineer to his family business, SAS Gas Solutions, later in 2021 – his wife Saera. Like many busy sole traders, Mat can struggle to keep up with the demand for his work in and around Pontypridd. And Saera’s support can’t come soon enough: he still suffers the aftereffects of being shot and critically injured in a terror attack in Tunisia in 2015. Mat and Saera were on holiday, relaxing in an all-inclusive resort as a reward at the end of a couple of years of hard work setting up their own business after he had left energy company SSE. It was their first holiday without their children, now aged 12 and six. They were on the beach when they heard gunshots. Saera says: “Everyone started running and people were dropping left, right and centre. Mat went to run but I froze, I couldn’t move, and he rugby-tackled me to the floor.” As Mat shielded Saera, he was shot three times, in his shoulder, chest and hip. Saera pulled a sunbed over them to try to protect him and then ran to get help. She says: “Mat said, you need to run, you need to get me help. Tell the kids I love them.” Saera enlisted the help of the entertainment team at a neighbouring hotel, who helped Mat to safety and then into an ambulance. But Saera was not safe yet: hiding inside a hotel, she suffered shrapnel injuries to her leg and side from the explosions that continued to rock the resort. At the hospital, Mat underwent life-saving surgery. “The bullet in his chest lodged right by his heart,” says Saera. Saera’s family were able to arrange an emergency flight to Cardiff the next evening, where they were transferred straight to hospital and Saera’s shrapnel wounds could finally be treated. Mat underwent further surgery and
12 February 2021
would spend five weeks in hospital. Recovery from such serious injuries was slow and painful and it was a year before Mat could return to the job he loved, during which time the couple had no income.
about the couple and, realising that Mat would be unable to work for a long time, decided to do something about it. “We knew he had issues with mobility and had to convalesce,” says John. “But we said, come and train, and learn new skills so
They were on the beach when they heard gunshots. Saera says: “Everyone started running and people were dropping left, right and centre. Mat went to run but I froze, I couldn’t move, and he rugby-tackled me to the floor.” But their plight had been noticed and offers of help started to arrive. A Facebook group set up a fund to help pay their bills and put food on the table for the family, and then a nearby gas training and assessment centre made an offer of help that would change their lives. GATC is close by where the couple live and work, although Mat had never trained or done his assessments with them. Director John Forrest had read an article
that you’re not sat at home.” Mat took them up on their offer and started to train in new areas, including LPG and commercial ACS, all offered free of charge by GATC. But he was still recovering and struggling to keep up with the physical demands of being a gas engineer. Saera, who has a business and accounting degree and had always looked after the admin side of the business, started to work with him, helping him to
“I’ve never met a female engineer before. Our customers love it. They’ve said, we can’t wait to see you on your own next year.”
lift radiators and boilers. Mat says: “I am unable to keep up with the physical demand of being a full-time gas engineer and we found ourselves needing to take on another engineer. “We decided that the best way forward would be for Saera to become a gas engineer herself. She has been running the day-to-day aspects of the business for the past eight years, and has often used her acquired knowledge to enable customers to get back up and running over the phone, without the need for a call-out.” GATC was the obvious place for Saera to train. She is enrolled on their new entrants to gas course, and although the Covid pandemic has meant that new-entrant training is on hold as non-essential, she hopes to qualify in time to work alongside Mat next winter. She plans to study for one week a month when she is able to, spending the rest of her time learning on the tools alongside her husband. GATC’s John Forrest says: “It makes perfect sense for Saera now to take a wage out of the business rather than give it to somebody else.” The couple want to share their work, with Saera focusing on servicing and landlords’ gas safety record checks, leaving Mat to do what he loves best – fixing breakdowns. They plan to work together on installations. “I’m really enjoying it and I’m really excited about it,” says Saera. “I’ve never met a female engineer before. And our customers absolutely love it. They’ve said, we can’t wait to see you on your own next year. “We’ll hopefully be able to grow the business a bit as well. I told my mum the other day, we’re going to be the next British Gas. She just laughed. We’re never going to be that big but the ambition’s there. We plan to get bigger.” ■
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | PROFILE
you on your own’ ‘You can’t leave this earth just having taken’ GATC in south Wales regularly sees around 12,000 gas engineers through its doors in tandem with its Dorset operation, Technical Gas Training. The centre, which has 25 trainers and associates, has been affected by Covid restrictions, like many others, but for them it came on top of the devastating flood caused by Storm Dennis in February 2020. Its three training areas were damaged as the nearby river burst its banks, causing thousands of pounds of damage. But director John Forrest says there was an upside too. “We took the opportunity to refurbish and then came out of the lockdown in May with a brand new centre.” GATC is now in the process of expanding, creating bigger training rooms that can accommodate more people while still maintaining social distancing. And it’s also created what it says is an industry first, its Virtual Reality Emergency Procedures and Unsafe Situations. The qualification, certified by BPEC, enables gas engineers to rehearse and become familiar with a variety of scenarios without the physical risk.
“It’s immersive technology – they can see it, live it, almost touch it, but it doesn’t exist. Through the VR they go to a property where there’s a smell of gas and they have to deal with the scenario. If they don’t do it, there’s an ‘explosion’,” says John. It’s all part of what John describes as ‘sticky training’, which is designed to be powerful and is light years away from more traditional methods. The centre aims to provide its VR training in a few months’ time when the risks posed by Covid have receded. John and co-director Phillip Jenkins take an active role in the wider industry too, with roles on IGEM and EU Skills committees. But above all, John believes in giving back: “We’ve all had a leg-up. Every now and again, where you can, you should do something for someone else. “The challenge for us is to leave the industry as we found it: sustainable, healthy and safe. We don’t just take money out of our business, we’re putting it back in innovative ways and trying to put it back into the industry as well. You can’t leave this earth just having taken.”
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How will the UK’s green The government’s Energy White Paper sets out the policies and commitments that will put the UK on course to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050. Registered Gas Engineer reports on what this means for the heating industry.
A
flurry of energy reports came out at the end of 2020, revealing ambitious netzero targets and key milestones for the coming decades as the UK transitions to a low-carbon economy. The 10-Point Plan and Sixth Carbon Budget set out the government’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but were light on detail on exactly how this can be achieved. The Energy White Paper: Powering our Net Zero Future, published in December 2020, delves into the changes that will be needed to achieve these targets. It sets out plans for an entirely new clean energy infrastructure, with the ultimate goal to cut emissions by 230 million tonnes by 2032. More than half of this reduction is expected to come from changes to buildings and people’s energy habits (Figure 1.6). Consumer energy habits Smart technology and an increasingly digital world are changing how we use energy in the home, and the government expects electricity to become a significant proportion of domestic energy consumption over the next 30 years. The White Paper sets out regulatory reforms to protect consumer interests and keep energy bills low by increasing competition in the energy market, and upgrading domestic energy efficiency levels. Expanded schemes, including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), Warm Home Discount and Green Homes Grant, will help those in fuel poverty, the White Paper says, by providing at least £6.7 billion of financial support over the next six years. The national roll-out of smart meters will continue to deliver more accurate energy bills, and a 14 February 2021
new smart meter obligation for energy suppliers is due to begin in July 2021. This, the government says, will encourage take-up of smart tariffs that reward consumers financially for using less electricity at peak times. One of the key goals set out in the White Paper is to ensure that moving the UK to a low-carbon economy does not result in higher energy bills. Figure 2.1 shows that although electricity prices have gone up in the past decade, and gas prices have fluctuated, consumers have been using less energy, which has mostly balanced out the increased costs. Projections by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) estimate that bills will stay largely the same over the next decade, as increased costs continue to be offset by lower energy demand. However, the
launched a review of how the transition will be funded and where the costs will fall, with an interim report expected in the spring. Decarbonising the UK power grid The UK has already taken significant steps towards decarbonising the power sector. More than 50 per cent of our power now comes from lowcarbon technologies, and renewables capacity has grown five-fold since 2010, driven by the deployment of wind, solar and biomass. The government plans to publish a consultation to phase
“The government says it will focus primarily on creating a long-term regulatory framework to improve the energy efficiency of homes.” cost of possible heat pump deployment policies has not been included in these calculations. The White Paper says: “Over the next 10 years, increases in network costs, along with funding for clean energy and supporting vulnerable households, could push gas and electricity prices up. Households who install energy saving measures will see significant savings and can offset the costs.” The government says it will put fairness at the heart of its approach to energy, to make sure that everyone pays a fair share of the costs of the net-zero transition. The Treasury has
out coal in the electricity mix by 2024, to continue this trend. Modelling suggests that overall energy demand could double by 2050 because of the electrification of cars and vans, and the increased use of clean electricity for heating, rather than gas. This could require a four-fold increase in clean electricity generation (Figure 3.4), as well as increased energy storage. The role of natural gas Gas represents 30 per cent of final energy consumption, and 40 per cent of electricity generation. This means natural gas will continue to be a key part
of the energy grid for many years, even as carbon emissions are eliminated. Britain’s gas network connects 23 million users through 284,000km of pipelines, and it will take time to transition these users to low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen, solar and clean electricity. The government has pledged to enable continued investment in the gas grid during the transition, while also promoting the use of low-carbon options where possible. This, it says, will help build the infrastructure needed to support new technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture, use and storage. Achieving net-zero emissions requires a complete transition away from traditional natural gas boilers. By the mid-2030s, the government expects all newly installed heating systems to be either low carbon or appliances that can be converted to clean fuels. The White Paper expects these low-carbon technologies to be a mixture of heat pumps, hydrogen, green gas and shared heat networks. There will be a consultation on whether it is appropriate to end gas-grid connections to new homes, but the government says it will use natural trigger points such as the replacement cycle for existing heating systems for this change, to minimise disruption to consumers. Its 10-Point Plan set out a goal to achieve 600,000 electric heat pump installations by 2028, up from the current 30,000 a year. The Clean Heat Grant, due to launch in 2022, will support the installation of heat pumps and
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | ENERGY WHITE PAPER
revolution be delivered?
biomass systems. A consultation this year will consider policies to underpin the development of the heat pump market, including voluntary take-up in on-grid homes. A consultation in early 2021 will set out potential new regulations to phase out fossil fuels in off-grid homes, businesses and public buildings, including a backstop date for the use of any remaining fossil-fuel heating systems. There are also plans to increase the proportion of biomethane in the gas grid, funded by a levy on gas suppliers, to treble the amount of biomethane in the gas grid by 2030 from 2018 levels. The government hopes clean hydrogen will be a significant contributor to decarbonisation, and there are plans for a pilot scheme to heat an entire town through hydrogen by the end of the decade. Studies are under way to assess the feasibility of hydrogen heating, as well as assessments of the infrastructure that would be required, with plans to decide on the long-term role of hydrogen for heating in the mid-2020s. A consultation on hydrogen-ready appliances will take place towards the end of this year. The government is also committing £122 million towards a Heat Network Transformation Programme to support the roll-out of district heating systems, with further legislation
on the regulation of heat networks due in this parliament. Heat in buildings Buildings are the second biggest source of emissions in the UK behind transport, with 90 per cent of homes in England currently using fossil fuels for heating, cooking and hot water. The White Paper notes that the installation of energy efficiency measures and tighter Building Regulations have already improved the energy performane of buildings, and
the UK makes a full transition towards greener heating systems. The White Paper sets out concrete actions to reduce building energy usage, including publishing a dedicated Heat and Buildings Strategy in early 2021, which will provide further details of policies to encourage consumers and businesses to make the transition. The Future Homes Standard will require all new-build homes to be zero-carbon ready, and have
“By the mid-2030s, the government expects all newly installed heating systems to be either low carbon or appliances that can be converted to clean fuels.” reduced household dual fuel bills by around £40 in the past decade, but more needs to be done. Achieving the UK’s net-zero ambitions by 2050 requires a reduction five times greater than has been achieved to date, however. Public awareness of the high carbon cost of traditional heating is low, with BEIS research suggesting that almost one-third of gas users believe they are using environmentally friendly heating. This increases the challenge, though, encouragingly, the research also says 90 per cent of respondents believe it is important, or very important that
75-80 per cent lower carbon emissions than current new-build standards. The government has already consulted on an interim 31 per cent reduction in carbon emission standards, and will set out a roadmap to the Future Homes Standard as soon as possible. Upgrading existing homes is a much bigger challenge, and the government wants as many existing homes as possible to reach Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2035. Current schemes, including the Green Homes Grant and local authority delivery schemes, have been extended to support this
goal, and the government has also consulted on proposals for all privately rented homes to achieve Band C by 2028, where practical. A £50 million funding pot has been allocated to kickstart the upgrade of social rented homes to Band C, although the White Paper makes it clear that the estimated £100 billion capital required to improve the energy performance of existing buildings must come “principally from business and homeowners, and from landlords of domestic and commercial premises”. The government says it will focus primarily on creating a long-term regulatory framework to improve the energy performance of homes, along with the package of financial incentives outlined in the 10-Point Plan. To ensure that fuel-poor households can also take advantage of energy efficiency measures, ECO is being extended 2026 from 2022, and a Fuel Poverty Strategy for England, which is due to be published in early 2021, will include a “multi-billion-pound plan to transform the poorest quality housing”. ■
You can read the full White Paper at: www.gov.uk/government/ publications/energy-whitepaper-powering-our-net-zerofuture www.gassaferegister.co.uk 15
Thegoodthebad+theugly We want your pictures Registered Gas Engineer wants to see your pictures – whether you’ve come across some horrors or instances of really good work. And there’s a prize for the best one: so go on, get writing and email your stories and pictures to editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.uk or via Twitter @RGEMag
Michael Hutchings sent in this fine example of a blocked catchment area behind a gas fire. The chimney was completely blocked above the catchment area. Michael made safe.
Thanks to James Green for sending this photo in of the chimney to a boiler. We suspect the manufacturer’s instructions had not been followed. The installation was made safe.
Mark Brown came across an incorrectly fitted LPG hob installation. The hob was re-piped using copper pipework, correctly supported and sleeved where it passes through the wall.
Dariusz Ulan found a cracked heat exchanger on a routine service visit to a water heater. A new water heater has now been fitted.
16 February 2021
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | YOUR PHOTOS
This month winne ’s r
Brett Carey was called to investigate a boiler locking out. The painters had covered the chimney while they were painting the outside of the house. The obstruction was removed and the boiler left working safe and sound.
Thank you to Brian Penny for sending in this LPG shocker – and for making the installation safe.
Keith Ball was surveying for a replacement for this fire that had been in situ since the house was built 15 years ago. He could see no signs of a chimney terminal outside, and inside found that products of combustion were discharging into the roof space from the chimney adaptor block, which had never been connected. Keith made the installation safe.
Stuart Leith was called to a smell of gas after a boiler had been installed by another engineer the previous week. The picture highlights the importance of carrying out a tightness test before and after any work that involves alterations to the gas supply. Not strictly gas related but Gary McCann sent us a photo to give us all a bit of a laugh. It certainly did Gary!
We may share some of your pictures on social media, so remember to include your contact details so we can tag you (or let us know if you’d rather we didn’t).
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 17
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | YOUR PHOTOS
Thegoodthebad+theugly Robin Holland was called to a gas fire, whereupon his personal CO alarm sounded off the scale. A birds’ nest was subsequently cleared by a chimney-sweep and the installation left safe.
Jack Sinnot discovered a boiler chimney, which, due to leakage from exhaust duct, shows that the leakage of products of combustion may have caused the air intake tube to fail. The installation was made safe.
Photo prize There’s a prize for the best photos sent in (in our opinion). Please remember to take pictures at high resolution and email them to editorial@registeredgasengineer.co.uk This month, Anton is giving away its AGP 45 combustible gas leak detector and belt pouch, which is compact, affordable and easy to use. It’s perfect for quick initial tests, with an adjustable tick rate and sensitivity to pinpoint gas escapes. It can detect gas escapes from as little as 30ppm methane, has audible and visual alarm indicators, and a bright LED searchlight for poorly lit conditions. A belt pouch and two AA alkaline batteries are included. This month’s winner is Brian Penny from Ely, Cambridgeshire. Congratulations!
18 February 2021
Stephen Leitch came across the chimney from a boiler not only terminating within 600mm of an openable roof window, but sited in such a way that products of combustion could have entered the property. The installation was made safe.
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D A O L N PP W A O E D TH OW N
Technical Bulletin 158
Developed by Gas Safe Register and HHIC
Requesting a concession to manufacturer’s instructions Date issued: 23 December 2020
The guidance in this Technical Bulletin (TB) is intended to provide Gas Safe registered engineers/businesses with guidance on what to do when, in unique circumstances, the only available location will not comply with manufacturer’s installation instructions. Introduction Gas Safe Register is aware of the challenges that installing a new gas appliance can throw up from time to time. Gas engineers often need to balance their customer’s requirements against those of the manufacturer’s installation instructions – which can be compounded by factors such as the constraints of the property and intended appliance location. Despite these factors, the primary requirement is to ensure that the installation is safe and complies with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 as amended (GSIUR). Gas engineers need to ensure that the specific installation requirements of the manufacturer are met, and they should undertake a survey of the specific intended location of the appliance and its instructions before work starts, to ensure that the installation will comply with the relevant regulations. What if I cannot meet all the requirements as specified? Gas Safe Register recognises that on occasion there may be unique circumstances where the only available location for an appliance is one that will not comply fully with the manufacturer’s installation instructions. As a Gas Safe registered engineer/business, you should not just plough ahead with the installation under these circumstances. You must seek the advice and approval of the appliance manufacturer beforehand so that you ensure that the intended deviation from its instructions will not reduce safety.
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To help you in this, Gas Safe Register has worked in collaboration with the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) and its members to create a formal process that will provide a consistent approach for dealing with these circumstances. The new process will protect you, as the business responsible for the installation and compliance with relevant regulations, and your customer, where others encountering the installation on servicing or maintenance visits identify and question the installation’s compliance. The new process From 1 October 2020, if your intended installation cannot fully meet the requirements of the manufacturer’s installation instructions, you must request a formal concession from the appliance or equipment manufacturer to deviate from instructions. To provide a consistent and robust method for this process, you can use a new template, the Request for Concession to Manufacturer’s Instructions, along with a supporting process (see opposite). The new process ensures safety and compliance and produces an auditable record of the concession approval that is recognised by Gas Safe Register. Note 1: This document should be used at the quotation stage, in advance of work taking place. Note 2: You can find the document template by logging into your online account at: www.gassaferegister.co.uk/ sign-in
Manufacturer’s view and advice The manufacturer’s installation instructions will cater adequately for the vast majority of installations. This process is to cater only for those rare circumstances where there is genuine ambiguity or extenuating circumstances: • Any concession given by the appliance manufacturer to its standard written instructions, as detailed on the Request for Concession template, will relate only to the appliance, address and concession stated. It shall not be used as justification to apply similar concessions to other work without first obtaining the manufacturer’s permission in writing for the other site or appliance, for which you must complete an additional copy of the template. • Approval will not be granted without a valid reason and comprehensive supporting evidence such as photos. “It’s just easier to do it this way,” is not a valid reason, for example. • A Request for Concession to the manufacturer’s instructions does not detract from them: it is aimed at helping compliance with the regulations and making sure that unfounded defects are not raised, nor unsafe situations logged incorrectly against an installation, and to avoid the consumer distress and disputes with gas engineers that this can cause. Gas Safe Register will require you to evidence approval using this process where an inspection identifies appliance or equipment
installation defects during inspection. Where approval of a requested concession decision has not been granted by the manufacturer, you will be required to correct the defect to meet the existing installation instructions, in accordance with the issued Defect Notice. Note 3: For general information about the process behind the development of Gas Safe Register Technical Bulletins and the expectations for all stakeholders, see TB 1000 at: www.gassaferegister.co.uk/ sign-in Note 4: Gas Safe Register Technical Bulletins can be viewed at www.gassaferegister. co.uk/sign-in
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | TECHNICAL BULLETIN
Request for Concession to manufacturer’s instructions Customer requests a new gas installation/appliance Gas engineer carries out pre-installation survey. They identify unique circumstances with no alternative installation option or solution that will allow full compliance with MIs X
X
Gas engineer sources and completes Request for Concession template document from Gas Safe’s website and sends to manufacturer’s technical team for approval X
X
X
Manufacturer assesses the Request for Concession
Manufacturer does not grant concession
Manufacturer grants concession or asks the gas engineer for more information
New installation does not start and alternative compliant installation solution must be sought and used
Gas engineer provides more information, such as technical detail or photographs Manufacturer grants concession Gas engineer tells customer that concession is approved and installs and commissions appliance in accordance with the concession Gas engineer provides their customer with a copy of the concession approval, along with all appliance instructions and completed Benchmark commissioning documents X
Gas engineer sends copy of concession approval to Gas Safe Register to be added to their registration file X
X
X
X
Gas engineer notifies the installation as compliant with Building Regulations
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 21
Industry Standard Update 100 IGEM/UP/6 Edition 3 Application of compressors to Natural Gas fuel systems Date issued: 23 December 2020
This Industry Standard Update provides an overview of the recently published revised Industry Standard IGEM/UP/6 Edition 3 Application of compressors to Natural Gas fuel systems, and highlights areas of significant change that the revisions have introduced.
Introduction During December 2020, IGEM published a revision to IGEM/UP/6(1). IGEM/UP/6(2) (Communication 1813) supersedes Edition 2 (Communication 1741), which is now obsolete. The revision to this standard comes into effect immediately. To allow registered businesses time to carry out internal update training to reflect the technical requirements of the amended standard, Gas Safe Register will inspect to the new requirements of this standard from 1 April 2021. However, this should not restrict businesses from applying the specification sooner. The following is a brief overview of the amendments made to IGEM/UP/6 Edition 3. General References to legislation and current standards have been updated throughout where required. Section 2: Scope IGEM/UP/6 covers the installation and operation of compressors, with outlet pressures in the range exceeding 0.5bar but not exceeding 400bar. IGEM/UP/6 applies to new construction and replacement of, or extension to, servicing, and maintenance of existing installations using compressors. It is not retrospective, but it is recommended that existing installations should be modified to meet this standard, when appropriate. Section 4: Gas supply Clause 4.1.1 provides guidance that the meter asset manager (MAM) shall be informed of the:
22 February 2021
•P resence of a compressor, and associated equipment including receivers, pipework, etc •M aximum volumetric flow and pressure lift •T he number and type of each unit of plant and, where available, the anticipated load pattern for each •E stimate concerning any anticipated growth over the next 12 months •W here necessary, for example during commissioning where testing may require peak flow, for a short period, that may exceed stated Qmax •M aximum fault pressure that the compressor is capable of putting back on to the meter installation, MIPc (for example arising from sudden stop or reverse flow from the outlet) •D esired inlet pressure. The characteristics of the gas pressure at the outlet connection from the meter installation shall be obtained from the MAM, including possible variations: •S TPmi: strength test pressure •M IPmi: maximum incidental pressure (fault pressure) •M OPmi: maximum operating pressure •S Pmi: set pressure •L OPmi: lowest operating pressure •D mPmi: design minimum pressure. Clause 4.1.5 states that when an unregulated meter installation is being considered, the GT must provide declared network pressures as follows: • MIPu • MOPu • LOPu • DmPu.
Note 3 has been added to Clause 4.6.1.2.1, which states that further information for NRVs can be found in IGEM/G/10(3). Note 2 to Clause 4.6.1.4 states that the formula in the clause assumes that Pso = 1. Section 6: Installation of a compressor Gas compressors should not be located within engine enclosures or plant rooms unless permissible, subject to risk assessment and confirmation of hazardous zoning requirements for the particular plant involved. A Note has been added to Clause 6.3.1.5 to advise that suitable warning signs may be used to discourage the storage of flammable products. Compressors should have an emergency depressurisation and venting system. Clause 6.8.3 states that venting shall be to atmosphere via a vent stack of suitable height, exhausting to a safe location and taking into consideration the following: • Should terminate preferably 3m above ground level and preferably 1m above roof level • Vent pipes should terminate vertically upwards where practicable or vertically downwards • Vents should not pass through electrical intake rooms, transformer rooms, lift shafts, or refrigeration chambers • Vents shall be of permanent construction • Vents should be straight and as short as practicable and shall be designed to prevent undue back pressure upon the relief valve • Consideration shall be taken in the design of vent terminals to minimise the risk of blockage
from foreign matter and ingress of water • Vent system shall have adequate support to reduce stresses caused by the venting process • When deciding on the location, consideration shall be given to the preservation of the environment, the impact on planned alterations, routing and termination of vents • The hazardous area zone should not pass the outside of the customer’s boundary on to publicly accessible areas • Ventilators shall not be located by or near any air intake duct. Clause 6.8.10 states that the use of a flame arrestor is not recommended with NG compressors, although flame arrestors may be required with air/gas mixing machines. If a flame arrestor is fitted, the required flow capacity for the vent shall be maintained under all conditions and it shall be designed to encourage the safe dispersion of the releasing gas, and prevent the ingress of water, rain, snow, etc. The siting of any vent termination shall result in a hazardous area classification at the point of discharge. Vent manifolding shall be permitted only where it can be shown that excess pressures, or adverse back pressure effects on other equipment, will not occur. Guidance in Clause 6.8.13 states that vent pipework shall be designed for exhausting gas at high pressure and high velocity, by catering for the effects of erosion, excessive noise and reduction in temperature due to expansion of the gas. Table 2 has been included in Clause 6.13.2 to provide
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | INDUSTRY STANDARD UPDATE
guidance on the minimum inspection and testing of steel welds for installation with a MOP exceeding 500mbar. Clause 6.18.1 provides guidance on which safety features the electrical control system shall include in addition to motive power. Clause 6.18.3 states that equipment interlocks shall be provided to ensure safety of operational staff and the operation of the compressor. This shall take account of the
process interfaces with connected plant and equipment. Further guidance on interlocks can be found in Clause 6.18.3.
Summary As previously stated, this Industry Standard Update is only a brief overview of the information contained in the amended standard. Registered businesses should be aware that they have a responsibility to ensure that they are fully apprised of all of the requirements of the whole published standard and its practical application.
Bibliography (1) IGEM/UP/6 Edition 2 Application of compressors to Natural Gas fuel system (Communication 1741) (2) IGEM/UP/6 Edition 3 Application of compressors to Natural Gas fuel system (Communication 1813) (3) IGEM/G/10 Non-return valves (Communication 1785)
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | INDUSTRY STANDARD UPDATE
Industry Standard Update 101 Liquid Gas UK CoP 32 Date issued: 5 January 2021
This Industry Standard Update provides an overview of the recently published new Industry Standard Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 32 2020 LPG systems in Leisure Accommodation Vehicles and Road Vehicles with Habitation – Post Delivery Inspection, Commissioning and Maintenance, and highlights areas of significant change that the publication has introduced.
Introduction During November 2020, Liquid Gas UK published a new code of practice, Code of Practice 32 2020 LPG systems in Leisure Accommodation Vehicles and Road Vehicles with Habitation – Post Delivery Inspection, Commissioning and Maintenance(1). The requirements of this standard come into effect immediately. To allow registered businesses time to carry out internal update training to reflect the technical requirements of the new standard, Gas Safe Register will inspect to the requirements of the standard from 1 April 2021. However, this should not restrict businesses from applying the specification sooner. The following is a brief overview of CoP 32. General After the publication of CoP 32, the intention is for BSI to withdraw both BS 5482–1(2) and BS 5482-2(3). The information contained in both guidance documents has been either superseded or withdrawn and is included in other codes of practice, including CoP 32. Section 1: Introduction, scope and references CoP 32 specifies the requirements for the post-delivery commissioning, inspection and testing of LPG installations that are not included in the scope of either BS 6891(4) or BS EN 1949(5), and where connection to external gas supply is provided and/or installation requires on-site commissioning. Guidance has been included to provide guidance on
maintaining appliances and installation pipework in a safe condition. CoP 32 includes details of a standardised procedure and check report, which should be followed by a competent person to check the safety of the gas installation. This section includes guidance on safe operation, the limitations of CoP 32, and regulations and the responsibility to implement them. Included in this section are two tables. Table 1 provides guidance on other standards that may apply where installations fall within the scope of CoP 32; Table 2 provides guidance on which standards apply where installations do not fall within the scope of CoP 32. Section 2: Installation of pipework regulator and safety devices This section provides guidance on the design and installation of service pipework and modifications. Service pipework is defined as the complete distribution pipework system from the LPG storage to the Emergency Control Valve (ECV) installed at each holiday caravan. Service pipework shall be installed in accordance with the requirements of Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 22(6) and, where relevant, Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 25(7). This section details the requirements for: • Installation of flexible pipework, hoses, tubing, assemblies and their connections • Emergency control valve(s) (ECV) • Holiday caravan connections
• Regulators • Holiday caravans, regulator location • Meter, regulator and safety devices. The following Figures are included in Section 2: Figure 1 Cylinder Installation, Standard Regulator Figure 2 Cylinder Installation, Automatic Changeover Figure 3 Bulk Vessel, 37mbar Supply Figure 4 Bulk Vessel, Property End Final Stage Regulator Figure 5a Proximity Distance for an Operating Pressure >75mbar Figure 5b Proximity Distance for an Operating Pressure >75mbar Figure 6 Proximity Distance for an Operating Pressure ≤75mbar Figure 1 Emergency Control Valve Label Table 3 provides the pressure characteristics of regulators and aligns with the guidance provided in BS 6891. Table 4 provides the minimum proximity distances for meter boxes and relief valve vent tips. Section 3: Commissioning This section details the requirements for: • Gas tightness testing and purging • Operating pressure • Maximum pipework pressure drop • Over-pressure and underpressure shut-off verification. The installation (ie, fixed LPG
tank, service pipework, installation pipework, regulators and hoses) shall be tested for gas tightness and purged in accordance with Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 22 and for the fixed tank Appendix F. Installation pipework shall be tightness tested and purged in accordance with Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 22 or IGEM UP 1B(8). Table 5 provides guidance on regulator operating pressures and safety devices settings, including vehicles designed to BS EN 1949. Operational set pressures for the limited relief valve, the UPSO and the OPSO are factory pre-set and tested by the manufacturer in accordance with the appropriate manufacture standard on specific test rigs. Functional on-site tests to confirm setting pressures for these controls is not normally practical unless specified by the manufacturer with a supporting testing procedure. It is only deemed necessary to test the functional operation of these controls if the control manufacturer provides a supporting procedure: in these situations, the controls should be tested in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions provided. Section 4: Maintenance This section of the Code of Practice covers the following topics: • Periodic inspection and maintenance • Periodic inspection and maintenance of fixed tanks used in touring caravan, motor caravan, trailer tents and
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 25
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | INDUSTRY STANDARD UPDATE
Industry Standard Update 101 continued
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vehicles with habitation • Garaging, repair and maintenance • Removal and scrapping of tanks. Periodic inspection and maintenance, including safety devices, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions (where applicable), shall be undertaken to ensure the continued safety and performance of the installation. Where flexible pipework connections have been installed, they shall be periodically checked and replaced as necessary. Flexible pipework connections shall not be used if, when inspected, they show any signs of any physical damage, environmental deterioration or service failure. Section 5: Guidance for safety checks on LPG appliances in caravans The compact nature of most caravans and other mobile units emphasises the need for regular maintenance and servicing. LPG installations in touring caravans and other mobile units also put stress into pipework and appliances not experienced in their static counterparts. This reinforces the need for complete and regular safety checks, included in CoP 32. Section 6: Annual inspection of vehicle-mounted LPG tanks This section provides guidance on the following topics: •M ethod of inspection • Inspection of the LPG tank for damage, defects and corrosion • Corrosion
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•T reatment of surface corrosion (without pitting). Included in this section are two tables. Table 6 provides guidance on damage or defect rejection limits, and Table 7 provides guidance on corrosion rejection limits. Section 7: Instructions and procedures This section provides guidance on the instruction of personnel, emergency procedures and on the consumer instructions detailing actions that should be taken in the event of an emergency. Appendix A: Safe handling and properties of LPG The title of this appendix is self-explanatory. Appendix B Safety Data Sheets The title of this appendix is self-explanatory. Appendix C Legal Requirements CoP 32 was published taking account of primary and secondary legislation that was in force in the United Kingdom at the time of publication. This appendix lists the legislation applicable. Please note that the list is not intended to be exhaustive. Appendix D: Standards and references The title of this appendix is self-explanatory. Appendix E: Definitions The title of this appendix is self-explanatory.
Appendix F: Purging vehicle-mounted LPG tanks The guidance provided in this appendix is for personnel inspecting tanks and installations at annual service intervals. It shall be noted that personnel carrying out the required 10-year inspection will need additional qualifications.
Summary As previously stated, this Industry Standard Update is only a brief overview of the information contained in the standard. Registered businesses should be aware that they have a responsibility to ensure that they are fully apprised of all the requirements of the whole published standard and its practical application.
Access to Industry Standards from Gas Safe Register This standard is included in the list of current Industry Standards available on a subscription basis to the majority of Gas Safe registered business. To subscribe, log into your online account at www.gassaferegister. co.uk/sign-in and select ‘Standards Subscriptions’. Choose and pay for a one-year or three-year subscription and then you and your engineers will be able to access the Normative Documents on Gas Safe Register’s website.
Bibliography (1) Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 32 LPG systems in Leisure Accommodation Vehicles and Road Vehicles with Habitation – Post Delivery Inspection, Commissioning and Maintenance (2) BS 5482 – 1: 2005 Code of Practice for domestic butane- and propane-gas-burning installations — Part 1: Installations at permanent dwellings, residential park homes and commercial premises, with installation pipework sizes not exceeding DN 25 for steel and DN 28 for corrugated stainless steel or copper (3) BS 5482 – 2 Design and Installation Domestic butane- and propane-gas-burning installations. Installations in caravans and non-permanent dwellings (4) BS 6891: 2015 + A1 2019 Specification for the installation and maintenance of low pressure gas pipework of up to 35mm (R1¼) on premises (5) BS EN 1949: 2011 – Specification for the installation of LPG systems for habitation purposes in leisure accommodation vehicles and accommodation purposes in other vehicles (6) Liquid Gas UK CoP 22 – LPG Piping System - Design and Installation (7) Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 25 LPG Storage and Distribution Infrastructure for Multiple Consumers (8) IGEM/UP/1B Edition 3 – Tightness testing and direct purging small Liquefied Petroleum Gas/-Air, – Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas installations
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | CODE OF PRACTICE 32
Code of Practice 32 2020 Liquid Gas UK highlights the key areas of its new Code of Practice 32.
I
n December 2020, we were delighted to publish a new Code of Practice for LPG systems in Leisure Accommodation Vehicles and Road Vehicles with Habitation – Post Delivery Inspection, Commissioning and Maintenance. The Code covers holiday home parks, and a key stakeholder of the Code was the British Holiday & Home Parks Association and the National Caravan Council. The Code replaces Parts 1 and 2 of BS 5482 and specifies the requirements for the postdelivery commissioning, inspection and testing of LPG installations not included in the scope of either BS 6891 or BS EN 1949. Guidance is included on maintaining appliances and the installation pipework in a safe condition. It includes details of a standardised procedure and check report, which should be followed by a competent person to verify the safety of the gas installation. This includes checks on the appliances, gas tightness of the system, ventilation and flueing.
This includes leisure accommodation vehicles (LAVs) such as: • Holiday caravans • Touring caravans and trailer tents that are connected to an external LPG supply not incorporated in the original manufacturer’s design • Touring caravans that are used for more than four weeks while connected to external cylinder supply • Other vehicles with or without aftermarket conversion incorporating accommodation for habitation. Code of Practice 32 does not cover the installation of tanks on vehicles for non-propulsion purposes. Where tanks are being installed in vehicles for nonpropulsion purposes, the requirements for installing tanks and their fittings (including filling pipework and connector) are set out in Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 11. ■ • I ndustry Standard Update 101 on pages 25-26 of this issue provides more information on key areas of CoP 32.
Bibliography BS 6891:2015+A1:2019 – Specification for the installation and maintenance of low pressure gas installation pipework of up to 35 mm (R11/4) on premises BS EN 1949:2011+A1:2013 – Specification for the installation of LPG systems for habitation purposes in leisure accommodation vehicles and accommodation purposes in other vehicles Liquid Gas UK Code of Practice 11 – Autogas Vehicle Installations
Liquid Gas UK (formerly UKLPG) is the trade association for the UK LPG industry and represents producers, distributors, equipment and service providers and vehicle converters. As the voice of LPG, Liquid Gas UK works at both National and European level, actively seeking to raise awareness of the benefits of LPG. Liquid Gas UK produces LPG Codes of Practice for the UK and for countries who are still developing regulation for sectors using LPG. In the UK, the codes are classed as Normative Standards and are used by Gas Safe Register, HSE and local authorities to carry out inspections. Liquid Gas UK is a member organisation and its staff work with many sectors to promote good safety practice. Consumer Guidance Sheets are free for gas engineers, consumers and other interested parties. For further information, including details of other Codes of Practice or membership of Liquid Gas UK, please contact Noelene Maguire at noelene.maguire@liquidgasuk.org or go to: www.liquidgasuk.org
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 29
Your questions about hydrogen blending trial Nearly 700 Gas Safe registered engineers from the Gateshead and Newcastle areas joined a webinar recently to find out more about the trial that will introduce blended hydrogen into the natural gas supply in Winlaton in early 2021. During and after the webinar, organised by Northern Gas Networks, attendees asked a number of questions, some of which are answered here by Tommy Isaac, principal engineer at Progressive Energy. Appliance operation Which appliances have been tested with the hydrogen blend? Extensive appliance research has taken place at HSE and Kiwa Gastec laboratories, along with expertise from Blue Flame Associates and appliance manufacturers. Safety and performance testing has been carried out on boilers, cookers, ovens, grills, fires and heaters to assess heat outputs, temperature profiles, combustion efficiencies and flue gas analysis, as well as safety devices such flame detectors. The overall conclusion of the appliance research has been to demonstrate that current domestic appliances operate safely and within the bounds of normal operation with a blend of hydrogen up to 20 vol%. Will the heat output of appliances change? The heat output of an appliance is determined by the Wobbe number of the fuel being supplied. The Wobbe number of a gaseous fuel is the amount of heat that will be provided for a given pressure drop over a gas valve. The gas characteristic takes account of both the calorific value of the fuel as well as the fluid properties that dictate its flowrate through a valve – namely its density. Therefore, gases with the same Wobbe number will provide the same heat output within an appliance. A 20 vol% hydrogen blend remains within the current non-emergency natural gas Wobbe limits, as stipulated by the GS(M)R legislation, which is 47.2-51.4 MJ/m3. Therefore, the heat output of appliances operating in the UK won’t be 30 February 2021
changed because the range of fuel quality provided to appliances won’t be impacted. Will I need a new flue gas analyser? Flue emissions are of key concern with any change in gas quality, and a reduction in CO2 emissions is the principal motivation behind the adoption of hydrogen in the gas network. The appliance research has demonstrated that both CO
manufacturers Kane and Crowcon (manufacturers of the Anton Sprint), using a bespoke research facility constructed through the HyDeploy programme at Keele University. The research confirmed that current flue gas detectors (both direct and indirect CO2 measurement) can continue to be used with a hydrogen blend, without the need to know if the blend is present or not. This
“Much like spraying deodorant in the air, hydrogen and methane will mix by themselves and stay mixed.” and CO2 production reduce when hydrogen blends are introduced: therefore, from a toxicity perspective, the combustion results in a safer emission profile. There is also a general reduction in NOx emissions. This effect is created because of a slight cooling of the flame, which in turn is the result of a slight increase in excess air, caused by the lower volumetric air requirement of hydrogen to fully combust. Flue gas analysis research was conducted in collaboration with Worcester Bosch, Vaillant, Baxi and Ideal as well as gas detection
The Boiler Research Facility at Keele University
research was published by Gas Safe Register in Technical Bulletin 157, published in May 2020. Gas characteristics Could hydrogen and methane separate in the pipework? The notion of separation within pipework is a common misconception about hydrogen blends. A great deal of research, both desk-based and experimental, has taken place in the field of gas characteristics to understand the fundamental physics of a hydrogen blend so as to inform operational procedures and technical assessments. Hydrogen and methane are two of the most ideal gases available: therefore, they mix extremely effectively. Much like spraying deodorant in the air, the two gases will mix by themselves and stay mixed. The natural tendency of a system to maximise its entropy results in a uniform mixture of gases that stay mixed throughout the pipework.
Will a hydrogen blend leak more readily than natural gas? Some people have pointed out that hydrogen is a very small molecule and so it might find leak paths through which natural gas can’t travel. This is a misconception: a hydrogen molecule is smaller than a methane molecule (its diameter is 84 per cent of a methane molecule), but both molecules are infinitesimally small relative to a leak path. If a leak path was a mountain tunnel, methane would be a bee and hydrogen would be a fly. Leak rates are determined by flow regimes. Small leaks, such as those identified through drop testing, operate in the laminar flow regime: for these potential leaks there is a negligible change in leak rates of less than 1 per cent. For larger leaks, such as a full-bore rupture, the leak flow will be turbulent. In this flow regime, the leak rate could increase by up to 10 per cent: however, because the blended gas is more buoyant, the resulting ventilation rate within the room also increases. During a large gas leak, the gas will rise and escape. This draws air into the room and, over time, an equilibrium concentration of gas occurs. Even though a large leak would increase by up to 10 per cent, the resulting ventilation caused by the escaping gas will also increase. This results in no change to the ultimate concentration of fuel in the room – it is a self-correcting system because both the leak rate and resulting ventilation rate are governed by the gas’s density.
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | HYDROGEN
Leakage research facility
Is the hydrogen blend more flammable than natural gas? The lower flammable limit (LEL) of a hydrogen blend is almost identical to natural gas. Natural gas has an LEL of 4.4-5.0 vol%: the corresponding LEL of a 20 vol% hydrogen
blend is 4.3-4.8 vol%. Therefore, from a procedural perspective, the actions taken to protect against a flammable environment being created with natural gas are adequate to mitigate a flammable atmosphere of a hydrogen blend forming as well.
Will I need to add to my competencies to work with the blended gas? A full review of all the procedures, both IGEM and BSI, that underpin ACS competencies to work on natural gas domestic applications has been undertaken to understand their potential impact due to a hydrogen blend. The review concluded that no change would be required to any domestic procedure to accommodate a blend and
maintain the same level of risk management. Therefore, natural gas competencies should be directly applicable to working on installations being supplied with up to 20 vol% hydrogen. This work is in review with the standards institutions and is due to be formalised through an upcoming Technical Bulletin that Gas Safe Register will publish before the Winlaton demonstration starts. ■
You can listen to the webinar for gas engineers, hosted by Adam Madgett, HyDeploy project manager for Northern Gas Networks, and Tommy Isaac, project manager for Progressive Energy at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYiHGjhDGik
Winlaton demonstration The HyDeploy project is on course to build on the demonstration currently under way at Keele University, where a hydrogen blend of up to 20 per cent is being supplied to 100 homes and 30 university buildings on a private gas network. The next demonstration will be conducted in Northern Gas Networks’ region in Winlaton, Gateshead, where 668 homes will receive the hydrogen blend via their public gas network from spring 2021. The project is working with HSE to review the evidence submitted to support the safety case for the demonstration: proving that the hydrogen blend is as safe as natural gas. In parallel with this regulatory approval process, the project is designing and constructing the necessary equipment and infrastructure (‘the compound’) to enable the demonstration to take place. The compound will consist of a hydrogen supply source provided by Air Products, along with a grid entry unit (GEU) provided by Thyson Technology. The GEU will maximise the hydrogen blend (up to 20 vol%) within process constraints while maintaining the current lower non-emergency Wobbe limit within the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations (GS(M)R) of 47.2 MJ/m3. Northern Gas Networks is the gas distributor for the north of England, transporting gas to 2.7 million homes and businesses across the North East, northern Cumbria and much of Yorkshire. The company has ensured that the public network that will be supplied with the hydrogen blend has been isolated from the surrounding network to create a closed network. A service main from the compound to the isolated network has been installed, along with an associated governor to regulate the blend from the production pressure of 2 barg (medium pressure tier) to around 30 mbarg (lower pressure tier) for distribution to the end users. The demonstration in Winlaton is due to last for 10 months until early 2022. The project team has engaged with the residents of Winlaton to provide information about the project
The Winlaton demonstration area
and gather details on the appliances in use. Working with the local authority, gas safety check information has been collected from 90 per cent of the homes, with external assessments undertaken on the remaining 10 per cent where possible. The gas safety checks were carried out to ensure the integrity of the appliances due to receive the hydrogen blend and to understand the profile of the appliances.
Safety case
The safety case submitted to the HSE for review has been developed on the basis of evidence generated through technical workstreams. It details the expected effects of a hydrogen blend to all components and equipment that will interface with the blend, both during transportation and combustion, as well as post-combustion analysis.
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 31
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | LOW-CARBON HEATING
Looking to a more efficient future What’s the latest on energy efficiency regulations and initiatives planned for 2021, asks Baxi’s head of External Affairs Jeff House. And how will the heating industry will move towards a more sustainable future?
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ast year was very challenging because of the coronavirus pandemic. Not only did COVID-19 have an impact on the way we all go about our daily lives, but it contributed to delays to expected policy announcements. Despite this, 2020 did still see several updates from the government and independent advisors on low-carbon aims and ambitions. What we can take from this is that the pledges made by the government in 2019 to achieve its net-zero ambitions by 2050 are still central to plans for the future on how we heat our buildings. 2020: a lookback Residential heating and hot water have long been acknowledged as key areas for action in order to meet national carbon reduction targets. As the Energy Saving Trust points out, the majority of household CO2 is the result of these two activities, roughly 31 per cent of the nation’s overall emissions. Before the net-zero target passed into law, the UK was aiming for an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050, which would have meant reducing the carbon generated from a home’s heating and hot water to 692kg per year. Now, however, this figure will need to drop to 138kg per household per year.1 All new-builds will need to be low-carbon from day one to avoid adding to the 28 million existing homes that will require retrofitting in the future. In 2020, several publications were released that aimed to show how the UK could plan to tackle these ambitious carbon emission reduction targets – the Prime Minister’s 10-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, the Energy White Paper setting out how the UK will reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and the Climate Change Committee’s
(CCC) Sixth Carbon Budget recommendations. A common theme across these publications includes a favourable view of air source heat pumps (ASHPs) and hydrogen technology. For instance, the CCC recognises the longer-term benefit of hydrogen in decarbonising heating and recommended last year that all new boilers should be hydrogen-ready by 2025. The CCC’s path to net-zero recommendations also put forward aims to achieve an installed base of 5.5 million heat pumps by 2030. Likewise, the 10-Point Plan’s ambitions to create a hydrogen neighbourhood in 2023, a hydrogen village by 2025, generate 5GW of hydrogen, and inject half-a-billion pounds represent a significant vote of confidence for hydrogen as a future fuel. Alongside this, a target has been set to grow the heat pump market to 600,000 installations per year by 2028. In 2020, the government also reaffirmed its commitment to the Future Homes Standard 2025. As part of this plan, all new homes will need to incorporate low-carbon heating systems alongside high levels of energy efficiency. It is proposed that new properties will be unable to connect to the gas network, which means that other lowcarbon heating and hot water solutions will be needed. What to expect In 2021, we expect further publications to shape how the UK will set out to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In particular, we should see the highly anticipated Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Heat and Buildings Strategy and a UK Hydrogen Strategy. Other imminent and anticipated changes include revisions to
Approved Document L of the Building Regulations, which will likely mandate tighter targets for new dwelling emissions, together with implementing Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) 10.2 as the underlying compliance calculation. The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, will be a key calendar event that will see nations come together to review their commitments and strengthen ambition for a more sustainable future. Underpinning the low-carbon publication guidance issued in 2020, hydrogen research and development, alongside investment in air source heat pumps, will continue to thrive in 2021. Furthering the development and uptake of these technologies will be a major part of plans to
achieve net-zero ambitions. What is clear is that in order to achieve hydrogen and heat pump ambitions, investment in engineer training to install low-carbon technologies, financing and incentive payments, as well as consumer engagement, will be instrumental in achieving as a smooth a transition as possible. With a greater reliance on electrification expected, a review of tariffs and how to offset high usage peaks will also be advantageous. In fact, work is already under way to test how smart heating systems can interact with the grid and make use of cheaper off-peak energy. n www.baxiheating.co.uk/ the-future-of-heat 1 energysavingtrust.org.uk/significant-changesare-coming-uk-heating-market/
Baxi Heating is involved in a number of hydrogen trials and has developed a 100 per cent hydrogen boiler to help facilitate research into the viability of this fuel. In 2021, a number of high-profile hydrogen testing projects will be coming to fruition, including Hy4Heat and HyDeploy. Data should be available in the coming months to further prove the concept of hydrogen and allow for more hydrogen testing on a larger scale across more towns and cities. The various sustainable heating projects and initiatives under way are strong indicators of how the UK is serious about investing in a low-carbon future. Baxi Heating understands the importance of helping its installer network and, along with the government, will support registered gas engineers along their sustainable heating journey.
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 33
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | LOW-CARBON HEATING
An opportunity to diversify Heat pumps are evolving from being an option explored largely by those familiar with the technology to playing a central role in the government’s plans to decarbonise the nation’s heating systems. Mark Wilkins, Vaillant’s Technologies and Training director, looks at why gas engineers should consider diversifying their business.
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ith a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028, as set out in the government’s 10-Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, demand for this technology is set to rise significantly over the next few years. If you’re thinking of expanding your business, this is the market to be in. The plan has put sustainable technology at front of mind for property owners and developers, while the extension of the Green Homes Grant to 2022 has made it a more realistic proposition in terms of cost, encouraging more people to start their journey to
often complex heating systems, the progression into renewable technologies is a clear next step for any business looking to broaden its horizons with additional training and qualifications. Heat loss and sizing remain a key part of specifying a heat pump installation. However, mindset and approach are also important elements. Where a quick survey may be all that is required when replacing a gas boiler, heat pumps require additional time up front to measure and size the room and figure out pipe runs to work out the most suitable system.
“If there is one stumbling block in the plans to move homes towards heat pumps, it’s the shortage of qualified people to install them.” decarbonising the heat in their homes and buildings. It’s a turning point for the heat pumps market, transforming what was once a niche technology into one that looks set to experience significant growth. However, there is one stumbling block in the plans to move homes towards heat pumps: the shortage of qualified people to install them. Support and investment in installers and infrastructure will be crucial to ensuring wide-scale uptake of low-carbon technologies. And it’s a big opportunity, leading to additional revenue for those willing to seize the opportunity. Latest figures suggest there are approximately 1,000 MCS-accredited installers actively fitting heat pumps. To meet the set targets, around 26,000 more will be needed. This is compared to the estimated 130,000 Gas Safe registered engineers. With the technical knowhow and the experience of working on 34 February 2021
Following this, the installation work is not too dissimilar to that of a conventional boiler. The extension to the Green Homes Grant not only gives customers more time to take advantage of the financial incentives on offer, but also goes some way to addressing the training window open to installers, allowing more time to train and obtain MCS and TrustMark certifications. Training opportunities For those seriously interested in widening their knowledge base, training is key. Manufacturer support has already proved vital in helping many on their heat pump journeys, from giving advice on the capabilities of ground source and air source systems, to finding the right training courses. Partnering with a manufacturer provides the opportunity to find out about products in detail and gain access to expert guidance when required. We feel it’s always best to take
an agnostic approach to heating, suggesting the right system for the property, whether that’s a boiler eventually running on hydrogen, a heat pump, or a combination of the two, and we’re developing products accordingly. Being able to offer all solutions inevitably puts gas engineers in a position to maximise every opportunity and revenue stream as the push towards net zero continues to gain momentum. When you look at the UK’s current infrastructure alongside the diversity of the communities
and housing stock, pinning the future of the environment on a single type of fuel or technology is overly restrictive. There is no silver bullet here, and a more complex approach is needed. While retrofit and existing gas grid properties could benefit from boilers powered by hydrogen and other greener gases, new-build and off-grid properties may be better served by maximising the potential efficiency increases that heat pumps offer. What we do know is that, for those looking to grow and diversify, heat pumps are well worth considering. ■
Vaillant’s online training courses on low-carbon heating technologies are designed to be easily accessible. Building on your product and installation knowledge, the six in-depth modules can be taken in isolation to fill knowledge gaps, but also fit together to cover the journey from beginning to end. Starting with an introductory course, explaining the workings of a heat pump and the reasons and rationale for decarbonisation, modules then cover specifying and installing a heat pump. Further modules expand on this learning to cover more technical topics, including natural refrigerants and split systems. Extensive training on designing and installing our heat-pump heating systems, and our work with industry bodies such as CIPHE and the Heat Pump Association, means you can gain the knowledge and competencies needed to deliver quality installations. Vaillant’s latest podcast series and online webinar sessions include first-hand experience and advice if you’re thinking about diversifying into heat pumps.
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | OPINION
All talk and no action: the misfiring heat pump trial How could a trial of heat pump installations into existing homes predict the possible future for the technology? Martyn Bridges, director of Technical Communication and Product Management for Worcester Bosch, has been taking a look.
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wo years ago, BEIS (the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) announced that it would spend £14.6 million on a heat pump trial that aimed to install 750 heat pumps into existing properties. The trial began in July 2020 and although we’re still in the COVID-19 pandemic, the actual uptake was shockingly low. Here’s maybe why. Best intentions The trial was split between replacing existing gas-fired boilers (85 per cent) and oil or LPG-fired boilers in off-gas grid properties (15 per cent) with a heat pump. The trial was conducted in a few regions that represented a good cross-section of UK housing stock. More than 4,500 applications were received for a free heat pump installation. This would cover all the work required to the house and heating system to prepare for the efficient running of a heat pump. For example, this included property fabric changes to improve the energy rating. By the end of November, just 19 installations had taken place. All of these were replacing gas boilers, with none for off-gas grid installations, even though these are the ones the government is targeting for replacement as early as 2022, with the help of a £4,000 grant.
1% success rate The statistics show the trial had a success rate of less than 1 per cent, which doesn’t bode well. There were a number of major barriers that regional contractors for the trial encountered, starting with the fact that no home had a heating system that was ready for a heat pump simply to be dropped in to replace the boiler. Somewhat counter-intuitively, the homes most in need of extreme remedial work, if not a totally new heating system, were those built post-2001. All post-2001 homes surveyed had insufficiently sized radiators or underfloor heating, as they were sized for already high levels of insulation and would not benefit from any retrofitted insulation that would make existing radiators big enough. Upheaval Radiators were virtually all connected to plastic microbore pipework buried in the wall behind the plasterboard. At an average of 10mm diameter, the pipework was too small for the higher velocities required for a heat pump installation; so new, surface-mounted, generally 15mm diameter pipework would be required. On top of that, any pipework under the floor would also need to be modified. The material for
most floors in post-2001 properties is large sections of chipboard rather than floorboards, which means they were unlikely to be removed in one piece. Any fitted carpets would need to be lifted and the floor taken up so the pipework could be altered or renewed and then all replaced. Finally, a combi boiler was present in 80 per cent of the properties, so a hot water cylinder would also be required, which took up valuable space (if there was any) in a bedroom or on a landing. Put simply, all these factors contributed to householders declining a free-of-charge heat pump installation, due to the upheaval and disruption it would cause. The future? What does this trial show us? It does make me question the feasibility of the full heat pump roll-out that many are pressing for, particularly in off-gas-grid properties. These 4,500 properties are only a small fraction of the UK population, but, given that 99 per cent of them declined a free installation, I can only imagine what the figure would be for the country, particularly when people will need to pay for most of it themselves, even if some incentives or financial support are available.
For example, the Green Homes Grant, introduced in 2020 and now extended until March 2022, may be able to support some of the cost of a heat pump installation, but it isn’t far-reaching enough. Limited to £5,000 per household, the grant will only scratch the surface of the cost of a heat pump, which is estimated at an average installation cost of £10,700. This is before you take into account the cost for house or heating system changes. Even if money was no object, as was the case during this trial, the other barrier for uptake of heat pumps will be disruption. Much better then, for an alternative zero-carbon fuel for existing heating systems to be introduced. For example, hydrogen. That’s not to say that there isn’t a place for heat pumps on the road to decarbonisation. They would be well suited for new-build homes, where space can be provided for hot water cylinders, and radiators and pipework would be specified and fitted of the correct size and material to support an efficient heat pump. This trial shows that, instead of forcing a technology into an existing space, we should use it in areas like new-build, where we are essentially starting from scratch. ■
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 37
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | POWERFLUSHING
Study and survey first You should only powerflush a heating system after you’ve made a thorough study of it, writes Kamco’s Keith MacBain.
P
owerflushing domestic heating systems has been established for decades. The principle is sound, and is based on methods used on commercial systems for many years. It is water velocity that moves debris, not pressure, and this is why BS 7593 suggests that heavily sludged heating systems will benefit most from a powerflush. The same standard advises that a cleaning chemical must be used during a system clean, and it is simple to add to the powerflushing pump tank when starting the flush. While some heating engineers will opt for a mains water flush only, the flushing chemical must then be added on a prior visit and not on the day of the system clean. A further downside is that, without a powerflushing pump, the requisite high water flow rate is not available when the mains water supply pressure is low or fluctuating. The high water velocity provided by a powerflushing pump will loosen and mobilise debris that the standard system circulator pump simply will not move. Used in conjunction with a good flushing chemical, cleaning can be taken to a much higher level. The need for system cleanliness is even more vital as boiler manufacturers compete to give longer warranty terms on their new boilers. It is good news for householders, but that guarantee
“It’s water velocity that moves debris, not pressure, which is why heavily sludged heating systems will benefit the most from a powerflush.”
has to be earned by the engineer, with a requirement for a high level of system cleanliness to protect heat exchangers and other components from the problems caused by corrosion debris. Boiler manufacturers are very aware that, in the early years of a new boiler, more than 80 per cent of service calls are related to poor water quality. Study and survey While powerflushing is regarded as the most effective method of system cleaning, the decision can only come after a thorough survey and examination of the system: What are the clues to look for? 1 The system is slow to warm up 2 Some radiators are completely or partially cold when the system is operational. Heating engineers often use an infra-red thermometer or camera to assess the degree of fouling 3 The radiators are not getting very hot even with the valves on maximum, but the pipework running to the radiators is hot 4 The radiators need frequent bleeding as a result of gas generation (hydrogen is a by-product of the corrosion process) 5 Water samples taken from radiators are dirty and discoloured
Before committing to a powerflush, don’t forget to study this list of dos and donts: it’s always a good idea to use a survey form to note the details. Always read the instructions for the powerflushing pump or study the brief guides attached to each pump before starting your first flush. Familiarise yourself with the manufacturer’s helpline number Check the type and number of radiator panels, and their condition Check the make and type of boiler. Does it have an aluminium heat exchanger and therefore requires extra care in the choice of cleaning chemical? Check the age of the boiler: is it new, and should you isolate it from the system before flushing? Consider whether you should even be powerflushing the heating system if it is poor condition Take and evaluate a sample of the system water Check for reasons why corrosion has been taking place, and plan to remedy these Consider where you can safely discharge the dirty water into a foul water drain Always flush every radiator individually Check the water quality, clarity and pH after the flush, and before adding corrosion inhibitor.
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘
on’t attempt to powerflush old systems with galvanised steel, D stainless steel or low-quality copper pipework – and ask for advice if you are unsure Don’t powerflush a heating system with a primatic cylinder (it’s time to upgrade these inefficient systems) Don’t quote for a powerflush without first firing the boiler and checking all the radiators for heat-up Don’t forget to cap off/isolate the feed and expansion tank very securely in vented systems Don’t push the discharge hose down a toilet without tying the hose to a seat hinge or trapping it securely with the toilet seat Don’t leave a powerflushing pump running while you attend to a job in another house. Don’t be be put off by all the these dos and don’ts: tens of thousands of powerflushing pumps are in use in the UK, and the procedure soon becomes second nature. a) There are black particles present in the water. These are most likely to be magnetite. This is the final stage of corrosion, and large deposits can be expected in the system b) If there is a reddish tinge to the water, it indicates that red iron oxide is present, suggesting active corrosion and the presence of a lot of air in the water. Check for air ingress or ‘pumping over’ 6 One or more radiators have failed and have pin-hole
perforations 7 The boiler is making kettling noises 8 The circulator pump is heavily fouled and needs replacing frequently. If these symptoms are present, powerflushing is recommended, and by now the engineer should have learned a lot about the heating system to help them in the clean. n www.kamco.co.uk BS 7593: Code of practice for the preparation, commissioning and maintenance of domestic central heating and cooling water systems
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 39
REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | POWERFLUSHING
Guide to powerflushing Keeping central heating systems clear of sludge, scale and debris is key to maintaining heating system health and efficiency. Here, Richard Crisp, head of chemistry at Fernox, looks at powerflushing, why it is necessary, and how to keep systems clean.
W
hy is cleaning the central heating system important? When water comes into contact with the metals in a central heating system, corrosion can occur. If left untreated, limescale, sludge and other corrosion debris will build up. Once formed, this debris can circulate and lodge in pipework and vulnerable system components, causing blockages that force the system to work harder, resulting in higher fuel bills. Over time, it can even cause system breakdown. The good news is there are ways of cleaning the system to remove sludge and debris, and restore system health and efficiency. BS 7593:2019 suggests cleaning the system using a recognised method like powerflushing in the following situations: • If the system is heavily contaminated – signs of this include a sluggish, noisy system that takes a long time to heat up, and cold spots in the radiators. • When a new radiator is installed or extra pipework is added – to re-commission the system and remove any installation debris, oil and grease. • When a new boiler is installed – the system should be cleaned either before the boiler is fitted or when it is isolated from the rest of the system, to prevent existing contaminants from reaching or depositing in the boiler and causing lasting damage. The Benchmark Commissioning Checklist, which acts as documented evidence of correct boiler installation and servicing, supports this by requiring confirmation that the system has been flushed and cleaned, and identifying the brand and type of cleaner that has been used. What is powerflushing? A powerflushing unit sends water at high velocity through the 40 February 2021
system to dislodge and remove debris, limescale, and sludge build-up. A thorough powerflush will improve heat distribution throughout the property. To accelerate and aid the cleaning process, pH-neutral, citric acid-based cleaners can be used. They are designed to remove contaminants in heavily sludged central heating systems, to restore and maintain optimum efficiency and reduce the risk of breakdown. Always check that the formulation is non-foaming because this will reduce the time needed on site to remove residual cleaner from the system. What to do after powerflushing After cleaning the system, BS 7593:2019 suggests dosing with a high-quality inhibitor to maintain cleanliness and protect the system. Inhibitors work by creating a barrier between the metal surface and the circulating water, preventing corrosion and the formation of sludge and scale. It is important to make sure that the system is dosed correctly, to ensure full protection. To eliminate the chance of accidental under-dosing, you can choose a
is suitable for all types of boiler, radiators and pipework systems as well as all metals and materials commonly used. For added
“The Benchmark Commissioning Checklist requires confirmation that the system has been flushed and cleaned and identifying the brand and type of cleaner used.” product that treats the majority of systems with one bottle. The inhibitor should also contain three different types of inhibitor molecule: • Organic inhibitors, which bind to the metal within the heating system to protect from debris • Anodic inhibitors, which react with the system’s metal surface to create a protective layer • Cathodic inhibitors, which combine with hard water salts to form an insoluble layer. Always check that the inhibitor
protection, the inhibitor should incorporate a pH buffer because this keeps the system at a constant level and prevents pH levels from dropping below 6.5 or above 8.5 – the optimum pH range for preventing corrosion. BS 7593:2019 suggests checking the inhibitor concentration levels on site as part of an annual maintenance service. This can be done easily and quickly with testing kits that indicate the level of inhibitor present within seconds.
It is also important to remember that inhibitors work hand in hand with in-line system filters to prevent scale, sludge and debris from causing lasting damage. An in-line filter should be installed permanently to provide continued protection and maintain system efficiency. It should also be serviced as part of the annual boiler maintenance and according to the manufacturer’s instructions, to remove any sludge or debris that has been captured. This will ensure that the filter continues to work at its best, removing contaminants from the system. Powerflushing, together with effective chemical water treatment and filters, is an easy way to keep central heating systems working at optimum efficiency. ■ www.fernox.com BS 7593:2019 – Code of practice for the preparation, commissioning and maintenance of domestic central heating and cooling water systems
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | POWERFLUSHING
A modern approach to flushing There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to successful flushing: each heating system needs to be treated individually, says Powderflush’s Stephen Kukard.
I
have been cleaning central heating systems for more than 10 years and can’t help but notice how different jobs have become over time. Straightforward open-vented systems, with all-copper pipes and single zones for heating and hot water, have become a rarity. It is much more common to find a sealed system with microbore plastic pipes for the main heating system, rubber hoses in the boiler and underfloor heating covering two or more rooms with its own pump. For this system, at least three connection points are needed to clean it correctly. With modern systems being different and more complex, heating engineers need to up their game and learn new techniques to clean them. No two heating
Now you see sludge; now you don’t
to confusing accounts about their issues and set you up for a rough start. Many of my clients would think that two of their radiators are not working correctly but,
“The most sludge I have taken out of a system is 15kg from just 15 radiators – the customer had described their system as heating a little too slowly.” systems will respond in exactly the same way to being cleaned, and each system has to be treated in its own way. Some systems will actually block up more when you try to clean them: my advice is to start flushing up the return pipe, and always flush the closest radiator to your machine first. By flushing the system in reverse, the blockages are pushed out towards your machine and filters rather than compressing them. Always double-check what your client is telling you: they are not professionals and they get it wrong all the time. Unlike the professionals, they often only touch the top of their radiators, and often compare the halfworking ones to the ones that don’t work at all. That can lead 42 February 2021
after an initial walkthrough, I would discover that five of them are already in various stages of blocking up and two are completely blocked. It’s all about sizing up the job correctly: the fewer radiators that are blocked or partially blocked, the easier it should be to clean that system. As a rule of thumb, if 40 per cent or more are blocked, it’s unlikely that a powerflush will resolve all the issues. Clear water doesn’t always mean a clear system A common error is to assume that systems containing black water have more sludge in them than ones where the water flows seemingly clear. Clear water in a sample does not always mean a clear system. Newer systems
have different types of pipe and metal in them, each one causing sludge to form and block up differently. Some materials condense the sludge into small, hardened flakes lies in the system, leaving water seemingly clear, while others build up on the pipe walls. You can often recognise systems with sludge flakes because the water sample has an unusual smell and there are small pieces of sludge flakes while being a seemingly clear sample overall. To increase your chances of cleaning a modern central heating system successfully, connect on the largest pipes possible to get the best flow rates. You might
much magnetic filtration as you can, as your filtering capacity does matter on bigger systems. The more magnetic filtering, the less cleaning, and the faster the job finishes. The most sludge I have taken out of a system is 15kg from just 15 radiators – the customer had described their system as just heating a little too slowly. Some customers wait much too long before they call in the experts and, in some cases, the systems have become too blocked for powerflushing to get it back to 100 per cent functionality – make sure you give your clients a realistic assessment about the chances of success.
“A common error is to assume that systems containing black water have more sludge in them than ones where the water flows seemingly clear.” need to connect your machine in multiple locations to be closer to the blockage to force it to break apart. It’s also a good idea to use heat and chemical cleaners wherever possible to soften up the more stubborn pieces, while focusing down your flow to a single radiator at the time. I would recommend using as
And remember to always clean the whole system, not just part of it. Sludge moves around over time and tends to block up in the same places as before. Leaving sludge in any section of the system will probably result in a callback for the same issue. n www.powderflush.co.uk
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Productnews Two more brassware ranges from Aqualisa Aqualisa has introduced two more ranges of brassware under its new brands Downtown and Central. The new taps mean that Aqualisa can provide co-ordinated shower and taps under one brand with the same style elements. The taps come with a variety of levers, covering basin and bath variants, and can be paired with single and dual-lever mixer showers and bar valves, including the AQ, Mian, Midas and Dream ranges. “We’re keen to support our showers through specialist retail and merchant showrooms, with consumers who are looking for co-ordinated taps with strong brand values, as well as brand-loyal installers at the trade counter who will specify taps as part of a complete bathroom refurbishment project,” says head of marketing Sian Brink. The company says all its taps are easy to fit, and come with flexible hose connections and with click-clack wastes included. They have a high-quality, limescaleresistant chrome plate finish, and come with a five-year guarantee against manufacturing defects. The introduction of the new tap ranges marks Aqualisa’s step into the brassware market: it says more will follow later this year. www.aqualisa.co.uk
Revamp for Drayton’s Wiser Heat app Drayton has made a number of updates to its Wiser Heat app, including upgrades and design changes to make it easier to use. Key changes include a new home screen, where homeowners can access quick actions, the ability for multiple rooms or Wiser Plugs to follow the same schedule, and a function to copy schedules between rooms. On the home screen, the weather and outside temperature are displayed, along with the sunrise and sunset times at the user’s location. Users can view their whole system from the home screen and individual rooms individually from the navigation bar. They can also boost the heating or hot water, and switch Wiser Plugs on and off directly from the home screen. Wiser Plugs can now be assigned to rooms to sit alongside the heating information on the home screen. Re-ordering rooms on the home screen has also been simplified so that users can drag rooms into the desired position on the editing screen. From the home screen, users can access the new Automation page, which combines the quick actions of ‘away mode’, ‘boost all’ and ‘cancel all overrides’, along with access to schedules. The Insights feature, which helps homeowners understand how their heating is performing and helping to save energy, is now accessed from the home screen, giving it a more prominent position. Heating engineers will see a refreshed icon both on their device and in the app store. The new icon reflects the integration with Schneider Electric and Drayton’s intent to enhance its smart home offering. wiser.draytoncontrols.co.uk
44 February 2021
RWC adds push-fit range RWC’s new Reliance Valves range features push-fit connections from JG Speedfit. The new range transforms the speed and simplicity of installations because no tools are required, says the company. Valves with push-fit connections include the Easifit thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) in 15mm, the 312 compact pressure reducing valve (PRV) in 15mm and 22mm, the nickel-plated ball valve
in 15mm and 22mm, and the automatic air vent in 15mm. UK sales director Mike Riseley says: “We’re bringing our family of brands closer together by combining two of our worldleading technologies, and this range brings countless benefits. “Our aim is to provide control valves for the modern built environment, where time is money and jobs need to be completed efficiently. This new range of push-fit valves has been developed to deliver just that in both domestic and light commercial applications. Alongside this, these valves make repair and maintenance much faster too, as they can be demounted and re-installed without tools, also reducing system downtime.” rwc.co.uk
New Gas 320/620 Ace range from Remeha Remeha has unveiled its Gas 320/620 Ace, which succeeds the Gas 310/610 Eco Pro and combines new features with compact dimensions. With a high temperature differential (∆T) of 10°C-40°C and wide operating range of 20°C80°C/90°C, the Gas 320/620 Ace is a suitable heat source for heat interface units, low-temperature heating and hybrid installations, as well as retrofit applications. Its low water content heat exchanger enables low to zero-flow condition operation and monitoring, so it can respond rapidly to changes in load and reduce running costs. Boiler control has been improved with the Ace control platform, an intuitive controller that provides rapid access to an extended range of parameters, making installation and maintenance easier and maximising boiler efficiency, says Remeha. A Modbus gateway option provides remote connection to a Building Management System and optional Bluetooth functionality for enhanced connectivity. The Gas 320/620 Ace is designed to provide optimum design flexibility for designers and
installers. Lightweight and narrow enough to fit through a standard doorway or lift, the multiple configuration options make installation simpler while improving access for servicing and maintenance. It comes inclusive of commissioning and has a comprehensive seven-year warranty, plus round-the-clock technical support helpline. Baxi Heating commercial sales director Dan Martindale says: “We’ve listened to our customers and know that they want a boiler that responds quickly to heating demands, as well as a support team that reacts promptly to their needs.” remeha.co.uk/relax
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Statement regarding the death of Luke Crocher
Gas Lead Operative and Engineer Vacancies
On 7 September 2020 Northallerton Heating Centre was convicted, following a guilty plea, at Leeds Crown Court of the following offence:
Saxon Weald is a challenging, fun, vibrant place to work, and we employ great people who are committed to our values, work hard and strive for continuous improvement to enable us to be the best we can be. One of our strategic aims is to be a ‘great place to work’. Delivering an effective gas and plumbing service is essential for our customers and keeping them safe and warm in their home is one of our key priorities. We have over 6,000 properties (81% in Horsham District, 6% in West Sussex, 5% in East Sussex, 8% in Hampshire) and operate zone working to reduce travel time and increase productivity.
Corporate Manslaughter, contrary to Section 1 of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. The charge arose out of a fatal fall from height of an employee who was working on a flat roof whilst assisting in the fitting of a boiler at a domestic property in Bishop Monkton. It was admitted that gross failure by the partnership to take reasonable care for Luke’s safety in the course of his employment caused his death. The partnership was fined a total of £160,000.00 and ordered to pay £36,315.97 in costs. The partnership was also ordered to publish this notice of conviction. The qualified engineers involved no longer work for Northallerton Heating Centre.
Lead Operative – Gas (c. £37k + £1,000 vehicle responsibility allowance) We need an experienced Gas Engineer with management potential, or an experienced line manager to lead and motivate a professional team of gas engineers. This lead operative role has a dual purpose; supporting and managing Gas Operatives and carrying out gas works in our residents’ homes. You will be able to mix working from Office/Home and staying operational. You will be promoting and leading on health and safety, ensuring operatives are working safely and comply with current legislation, they are productive and deliver the standard of works required. Gas Engineers (c. £36k + £1,000 vehicle responsibility allowance) We are looking for two experienced Gas Engineers to support the Gas and Plumbing team in delivering efficient and effective gas installations, servicing, breakdown support and repairs to our properties. You will play a key role in ensuring HomeFix meet or exceed customer expectation, adhering to health and safety practices and ensure all jobs are completed to the required standard. To be successful in these roles, Reasons why you should apply: you will need to have: • No travel costs – you’ll get a company van • Experience in domestic breakdowns and repairs • Experience gas servicing and issuing CP12 certificates • ACS Qualifications - CCN1, CPA1, CENWAT, CKR1, HTR1 • Excellent customer service skills and competent IT skills
and fuel card • 27 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays • Excellent employer pension at 3x employee contribution, up to 12% It’s people at Saxon Weald that make us special. Join us and you’ll be part of an exceptionally friendly and welcoming team who work hard so that together we can make a positive difference.
Closing date: 14 February 2021 To apply, please visit www.saxonweald.com and complete an on-line application.
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Technical Gas Engineer (Service & Repair and Installation opportunities available nationally)
At British Gas we are proud of our position as the UK’s largest energy and in-home servicing supplier, serving over 6.5 million customers every year. Each day, thousands of engineers are trusted by customers to enter their homes and businesses to provide energy solutions that keep them warm and safe. We have some exciting new opportunities to become part of the team. We need Technical Gas Engineers to help us deliver a range of energy solutions to our customers; including the servicing, repair and installation of central heating systems. The role would mean working with talented, friendly people from a range of diverse backgrounds. As a team we pride ourselves on being “Here to solve” for our customers; keeping things simple and continually striving to improve what we do. Once you have completed a full induction, you’ll be ready to go out to customers’ homes in your own fully equipped van, with the latest tablet and mobile phone at your fingertips. As you would expect from a company such as ours, we offer a very competitive salary of up to £34,900 (dependant on location & experience) for a 40-hour week, with an additional £3,828 to £5,328 for living or starting your day within London. Overtime is available, should you want it, at an enhanced premium of 33%, plus an excellent individual bonus up to 24% which can be taken in time off or as a cash payment – it’s up to you! We also offer a host of benefits to suit your lifestyle and support your wellbeing. These include private health cover, 33 days paid holiday (Inc. bank holidays), enhanced sick pay and excellent company discounts. In addition, we offer a generous pension scheme.
What will you need to do the job? 3We are looking for extensive experience in domestic service and repair and/or installation of central heating systems and other appliances or products. 3For Service & Repair roles you will need to hold current ACS accreditation in CCN1, CEN1, WAT1, (CENWAT), CPA1, CKR1, HTR1 3For Installation roles CCN1, CEN1, CPA1, HTR1 and Energy Efficiency (N/A for Scotland). 3A full UK driving licence with 9 points or less is also required.
3It’s important that we do the right thing and we will carry out financial, criminal record and reference checks before you Your personal development is important to us. We will enhance your technical skills by offering ongoing training to ensure you develop the future capability needed to continue deliver relevant solutions for our start working with us. customers.
Come and join our ever-growing talented team To apply or find out more, contact us on engineerrecruitment@britishgas.co.uk or call/text 07769 542353
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 47
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SOUTH WEST PENINSULAR TRAINING LTD Westover Trading Estate Langport, Somerset TA10 9RB Tel: 01458 253493 Fax: 01458 253445 Email:info@swptraining.co.uk www.swptraining.co.uk
BUSINESS FOR SALE
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY IN CAMBRIDGE Retiring old hand seeks up & comer to care for his customers: Loyal client base for sale by one-man-band in operation since 1986. Are you a qualified gas engineer / plumber looking to branch out under your own name? Are you an established company keen to easily secure an immediate increase in workflow, to keep your guys busy, or expand your team? Instead of gambling optimistically on advertising, here’s a rare chance to take over a very profitable and ever busy operation. Would suit someone living in Cambridge or the Fens: an area of stiff competition, so here’s your chance to jump 35 years ahead in the growth of your business. Over 30+ years my hard working reputation has grown a base of loyally returning clients who I would now like a reliable and trustworthy young plumber to look after. I’m a specialist in boilers and central heating, though many come back for bathrooms, services, & general maintenance.
Chemicals Sentinel and Fernox Etc. Text information to Martin on 07821 517 954 Email: Webuyplumbingstock@live.co.uk
Included in sale: client database and their associated goodwill, redirecting of all my calls / emails / website traffic direct to you. Optional extras could include: all tools, Nissan eNV200 Van (purchased July 2020), stock parts and fittings, customised workwear. Payment schedule and handover period between now and spring 2021 to be agreed between ourselves over coffee. Possible period working alongside & joint-branded flyers to the customers explaining the transition. Detailed financial report available (offline, in person) to anyone seriously interested.
Annual turnover: £ 110,000 Net Profit: £ 50,000 Asking Price: £45,000 Please get in contact; classified@rgemagazine.co.uk quoting ref RGE0121/38.
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REGISTERED GAS ENGINEER | COMPETITION
Competition Win with Checkatrade Checkatrade and Registered Gas Engineer are giving you the chance to win 6 months’ free Checkatrade Membership plus a Makita radio.
All ent will re rants month ceive 2 so Check f FREE a memb trade ership *
T
he past few months have been challenging, to say the least. But, while it’s far from over, gas engineers can continue to work in people’s properties as usual. Checkatrade is committed to supporting both tradespeople and homeowners during this difficult time. As the UK’s number one website for finding a tradesperson, Checkatrade lists more than 50,000 trade members who have been recommended, vetted and monitored and are helping tradespeople and homeowners alike to get their job done safely. Checkatrade prides itself on its robust vetting standards, which give consumers the confidence that they are in safe hands. Up to 12 rigorous checks take place on our members before and throughout their membership. We receive more than 2 million monthly searches from homeowners looking for a reliable tradesperson. Whether you are looking to grow your business and generate more work, or receive endorsement and the tick of approval from Checkatrade, we can help. Membership includes: • Receiving local, relevant leads from homeowners looking for a gas engineer • Building your own profile page on Checkatrade.com • Using your profile to showcase your high standard of work by uploading your best images • Using your profile to promote your TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By entering this prize draw, you agree to these terms and conditions: • Registered Gas Engineer and Checkatrade do not accept responsibility for lost, delayed, corrupted or invalid entries. • One winner will be chosen at random from all correct answers submitted in accordance with these terms and conditions. • The winner will be notified by email. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. • The prize cannot be substituted or upgraded.
Your chance to win To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the following question correctly: How many tradespeople are listed on Checkatrade? a) 500 b) 5,000 c) 50,000 Please email your answer plus your full name, address, telephone number and registration number to competition@registeredgasengineer. co.uk Closing date is Sunday 28 February 2021.
credentials with your verified customer reviews • Receiving free marketing materials and van vinyls to promote your membership • Accessing the Checkatrade Buying Club, saving you thousands of pounds on business essentials like vehicles, fuel, tools, insurance and workwear. *Terms and conditions apply
• The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. • Registered Gas Engineer and Checkatrade may disqualify you from winning if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that you are in breach of these terms and conditions or your participation is fraudulent or otherwise unlawful. • This draw is not open to employees of Checkatrade, Gas Safe Register or Registered Gas Engineer or their direct family members or agents. • This competition is not open to existing members of Checkatrade.
Last month’s winners Daniel Humphreys from Kettering, Ben Beadle from Malton, Neil Day from Northfleet and Richard Swan from Helston won last month’s competition. They will all receive a BS 7593:2019 pack from Fernox. Congratulations!
• Registered Gas Engineer and Checkatrade do not accept any responsibility for any network connection, technical failure or other problem in any telephone line, network, system, provider or otherwise which results in any entry not being properly recorded or received. • One entry per person. • Your entry details will be provided to Checkatrade, which may use them for marketing purposes. By entering this competition, you agree that you may receive communications from Checkatrade. If you do not wish to be contacted, please add NO COMMUNICATIONS in your email entry.
www.gassaferegister.co.uk 51
WAREHOUSE CLEARANCE
SALE
EVERYTHING MUST
GO! Visit the Sale Now
www.grahamdirect.co.uk/sale 1st JANUARY - 31st MARCH 2021
