Heating and Plumbing issues have been in the news with the recent announcement of the Government’s 2019 Climate Action Plan.
As part of the recently published Climate Action Plan the Irish Government aims to retrofit 500,000 homes. Under the new plan, homeowners could choose to pay for the cost of retrofitting their homes to make them more energy efficient through higher property tax or electricity bills. A new “easypack” model for retrofitting homes will be examined by the end of the year. Improving the energy efficiency of homes is a major element of the plan, with the Midlands earmarked for a “major house-retrofitting programme”. The installation of oil boilers will be banned from 2022 – and gas boilers from 2025 – in all new homes. The required regulation for this will be enacted this year.
The Government proposes a retrofitting programme to install 400,000 heat pumps in homes and businesses. A major push to promote alternatives to fossil fuel boilers is envisaged, such as developing national standards for heat pumps and introducing – by the end of 2023 – a training programme to “upskill approximately 300-500 heat pump installers”. –
In the National Development Plan the Irish Government laid out its intentions to change out oil boilers to heat pumps in at least 170,000 homes as part of a campaign of deep retrofitting of existing housing, commercial and public building stock, while regulating new build to the highest energy efficiency standards. Irish homeowners, as of April 2018, qualify for a grant of up to €3,500 via the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to install a heat pump but will no longer be eligible for a grant to replace their fossil fuel boiler.
According to the SEAI “Inefficient heating systems are wasteful of energy and costly to run because of the amount of fuel needed to maintain adequate comfort levels and hot water
in the home. Replacing a conventional heating system with a heat pump system, particularly in a well-insulated dwelling, can transform the comfort levels in the home while reducing running costs, energy usage and harmful greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the heat pump system can eliminate oil and gas bills from the home.” – https://www.seai.ie/resources/publications/Homeowners-Guide-To-Heat-Pump-Systems.pdf
New Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ system
Since Pipelife was established in 1970 it has been committed to producing quality plastic goods for the construction, agriculture and plumbing sectors. The Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ system is a new unique system designed specifically for the Irish market. The Qual-PEX Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ system is supplied in Irish sizes of ½” and ¾” for use with Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Lay’ pipe. The Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ system requires no expensive tooling, no reaming of the joint prior to fitting; no pipe inserts, and gives an incredibly secure joint. The system is designed for optimal installation speed, ease of use, joint security, and competitiveness. Because it is Irish sized the system is ideal for use in retrofit applications or other applications as it is fully compatible with existing Irish size pipe and fittings systems. For new builds this system is unbeatable for installation speed.
Their extensive range of quality ‘Easy-Crimp’ fittings have complete compatibility with their 
Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Lay’ pipe. The airforce grade annealed aluminium protective metal sleeve is precisely attached to each fitting during production and is designed to provide a unique metal reinforced leak free joint. The polymer fittings are made from a high performance thermoplastic and can withstand high temperatures as well as being corrosion resistant. Pipelife say they listened to what plumbers wanted and the Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ system was designed to deliver.
The secure water tight seal is made when the Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Lay’ pipe is compressed onto the body of the Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ fitting. The “air force grade” aluminium holds that seal permanently. This seal eliminates any contact between water and metal which has been the focus of problems in the past (brass bodied fittings degrading due to corrosive water). The Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Lay’ pipe and the Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ fittings are completely corrosion resistant.
The sleek light weight Qual-Pex Plus+ Clamp Tool has been designed to make the seal with minimum effort form the installer. Gone are the days of tool belts, spanners, sealer,
inserts, hacksaws, solder, gas torches, big bulky expensive battery operated tools reamers etc. All you need is a Qual-Pex Cutters and the Qual-Pex Plus+ clamp tool. The Qual-Pex Plus+ Clamp tool is ideal for working overhead due to its light weight and the ability to get into awkward spaces will surprise you.
Pipelife’s guarantee on the Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ System against manufacturing defects is a minimum of 50 years. The guarantee remains valid, provided that the pipe and fittings are installed as per the company’s recommended installation guidelines and that the products installed were not damaged before, during or after installation.
Qual-Pex Plus+ ‘Easy-Crimp’ fittings are the professionals choice due to the right materials used for the job, the rings don’t fall off, no o-rings, pipe inserts or pipe de burring required, no slide just crimp and move on. Once you push the pipe in you can rest for sure knowing it’s docked and locked – then crimp.
For further information contact, Pipelife Ireland Ltd, White’s Cross, Cork. Phone: 021-4884700, Fax: 021-4884701, Email: ireland@pipelife.com www.pipelife.ie
MT Agencies and Netatmo – A Smart Partnership
MT Agencies Ireland Limited is delighted to announce its appointment as the Netatmo Pro distributor for the Republic of Ireland. MT Agencies distributes premium showering and heating products and with the addition of Netatmo to its portfolio only reinforces the company’s commitment of offering well designed quality products to its customers. Since 2011 Netatmo have been developing ground breaking beautifully designed connected consumer electronics.
The Netatmo Smart Thermostat allows you to control your heating from work or from the other side of the world from your smartphone, tablet or PC. If used in conjunction with the Netatmo Smart TRV you can control individual radiators from the Netatmo App, which is designed to be simple to operate yet deliver a rich user experience.
To find out more on the Smart Heating products or for more information on the complete range of Netatmo products contact MT Agencies Ireland Limited on 01 8643363 or email sales@mtagencies.ie.
Grant launches Multiple Package Solutions offering
A key driving force within Ireland’s plumbing and heating industry, Grant is once again leading the way with the launch of its Multiple Package Solutions offering. Suitable for those undertaking a new build project, this latest offering from the heating technology manufacturer combines the benefits of the expanding Grant product portfolio with the specialist knowledge of its Technical team and provides the full heating requirements for a property under one roof.
In response to the changing needs of those in the new build construction sector, Grant’s Multiple Package Solutions offering provides a time-saving and hassle-free service which designs, quotes and supplies a highly efficient and integrated heating solution. By outlining a property’s main heat source, accompanying hot water cylinders and suitable heat emitters, Grant ensures that maximum efficiencies are achieved for the heating system.
Barry Gorman, Grant Technical Team, explains, “High efficiencies, innovation and great reliability have been at the core of our manufacturing process for over four decades, resulting in the wide product range that forms an integral part of our Multiple Package Solutions offering. By combining multiple technologies which complement one another in operation, we can ensure that the products are closely matched to the exact requirements of the property to help maximise efficiencies and subsequent savings on the property’s heating bills.
“The development of this free of charge service highlights the dynamic approach we bring to the plumbing and heating industry and how we go above and beyond to meet the needs of our customers. Reinforcing this further, we have also recently introduced an A+++ 13kW model into our Aerona3 air source heat pump range, featuring R32 refrigerant which has a lower global warming potential than other typical heat pump refrigerants and therefore has greater environmentally-friendly benefits,” continued Barry. The Aerona3 heat pump range is an important element within Grant’s Multiple Package Solutions offering and a popular choice for new build properties as it can help meet Part L compliance required under building regulations. An exciting development for the industry, the new Aerona3 R32
heat pump exceeds current regulations and can essentially help to future-proof a property. The R32 refrigerant meets upcoming legislative targets outlined in the 2014 EU Fluorinated Greenhouse Gas Regulations and will feature in all models within the Aerona3 heat pump range in the coming months.
Following the selection of an Aerona3 heat pump and accompanying hot water cylinder, the property’s full heating requirements can be finalised with heat emitters from Grant’s extensive range. Two of the manufacturer’s most recently-launched heat emitter offerings include the Grant Solo fan convector radiators and Grant Afinia aluminium radiators, either of which are an excellent choice to work effectively with an Aerona3 heat pump’s low temperature operation.
Available in three models, the Grant Solo fan convector radiators incorporate clever technology which champions faster rates of convection than traditional radiators and
provides a boost of warmth to areas of the home that could be harder to heat. Units within the Grant Afinia range, which feature curved surfaces and a brilliant white powder-coated finish, are designed with versatility in mind and are available from 6-20 panels as either standard or vertical radiators to ensure they can fit any application. The Grant Technical team also provides full specifications for underfloor heating which can be easily integrated with any home heating system. For more information visit www.grant.eu
How your customers can avail of Grant’s Multiple Package Solutions offering:
- Send their planning drawings to heatpump@grantengineering.ie
- A member of the Grant team will be in touch to discuss requirements
- They will receive full property specifications with recommended products all available from Grant
Innovative products available from Calpeda Pumps
Creating engineering-led solutions comes from a unique mix of innovative pumps complemented by a team of in-house specialists offering design advice and technical support at every stage of a project, including domestic, commercial, industrial or specialist applications. As part of the Italian pump giant, Calpeda SPA, Calpeda Pumps (Ireland) Ltd can also boast of continuous product development, a typical example being the Calpeda Aquarius tank system.
This is the latest example of the innovative products available from Calpeda Pumps (Ireland). For over 20 years the company has built a strong reputation for delivering customised pump solutions to meet the requirements of a wide range of projects and applications.
Calpeda Pumps (Ireland) designed this unique pump and water storage solution and it is manufactured at its premises in Blanchardstown. Calpeda Aquarius is designed to meet the demand for a self-contained, integrated pump and water storage solution and is suitable for applications such as houses, apartments, retail, commercial, hospitality, nursing homes, sports clubs and gyms. It also holds the prestigious Guaranteed Irish symbol of accreditation.
Displaying its versatility, there are multiple tank size options in capacities ranging from 100lt to 2000lt, and a number of different pump sizes with pressures up to 12 Bar and flow
of 183 litres/minute. Tanks can be interconnected for larger storage capacities as appropriate.
The variety of tank sizes and shapes means that Calpeda Aquarius is suitable for a wide array of applications in a variety of house types and locations. Being locally manufactured means that project-specific solutions can also be created. Initial installation and future servicing is kept simple. Everything relating to the pump is incorporated into the self-contained special screw-on/off lid. Servicing is also straightforward and, if the need arises to replace it, the lids are interchangeable, so the installer simply needs to extract the old pump and drop in the new unit. Every tank is manufactured from non-toxic, high-density
polyethylene and certified for use with drinking water.
The materials used are all non-corrodible and are UV, mould, algae and lichen resistant, while every tank is fully pressure tested and certified prior to dispatch. The range of Calpeda Aquarius tanks come complete with secure access lids, a screened vent, and dry-run protection built in as standard. The pumps use jacketed motor technology in order to prevent heat transfer to the stored liquid, while pressure control options are possible via the patented Calpeda IDROMAT and EASYMAT variable speed controls.
Ancofer launch exciting 2019 catalogue
With over 20 years as trusted suppliers of off-the-shelf and custom bathroom supplies to 
the hardware industry, Ancofer, the home of Western Bathrooms, launched its exciting 2019 catalogue earlier this year. As Ireland’s only manufacturer of acrylic baths, whirlpools and spas, their experienced designers and craftspeople continue to deliver innovation and sophistication to the Irish and UK markets. With thousands of homes already enjoying the luxury of their products, they are pleased to introduce the next generation of baths, spas and whirlpools.
The 2019 catalogue emphasises clean, elegant lines, with a keen eye on form and function, bringing new life to traditional designs. They are also delighted to introduce modern, eco-friendly designs to the market. Harnessing the latest in whirlpool technology, the range brings a touch of luxury to every home’s bathroom regardless of size or shape.
Ancofer is a 100% Irish-owned company founded by the late Tom Davy, and continues to operate as a family company to this day. From the hands of their skilled craftspeople in Mayo to bathrooms, their experienced sales team can be trusted to guide customers through the process from design and manufacture to delivery. The 2019 brochure is available from ancofer.ie and their specialist advisers are available to discuss your specific needs at +353 (0)94 963 0850.
South Coast on a Mission
South Coast Sales was formed in 1990 with a mission of supplying quality products
coupled with outstanding service. They started with Philmac products, which they demonstrated to end users at trade shows all over the country. Gradually they built up the Philmac business to be the market leader in the industry. They supply Co-ops, Builders Providers, Plumbing stores & Hardware stores all over the country with a next day service.
Over the years they have added more quality brands such as South Brass Fittings, South Plumbing Products, Ideal Immersions, PF Press Multilayer Pipe and Fittings. Farho heaters were added in 2008 which has seen them grow into the Electrical Wholesale sector too. In 2018 they added the Ideal Infra-Red heaters to their growing list of products. Today South Coast continue to offer the same next day service that they did from the beginning which ensures that their customers need only stock the minimum quantities.
They have listened to their customers and grown their range of products with their needs in mind and will continue to do so going forward. The company continually strives to provide
Top Brands and the best service to all their customers.
Heating, hot water & ventilation – the complete apartment solution from Dimplex
As a market leading innovator and the world’s largest manufacturer of electric heating products, Glen Dimplex remains at the forefront of current and future developments and trends within the heating, hot water and ventilation space.
The current housing crisis has seen a surge in the number of apartment developments in recent years, paired with the 2019 building regulations which focus on reducing carbon and energy rates by 65% and 70% respectively, the need for a more energy efficient and cost-effective heating solution is more prevalent than ever before.
The high levels of insulation required by the building regulations means that new apartments have very small demands for space heating, in fact hot water accounts for
more energy in new apartments today than space heating. Compared to traditional wet systems which require large centralized boilers, combined heat and power and require large volumes of water to be pumped around the building to meet very small amounts of heat in individual apartments, Glen Dimplex has developed a smart electric heating solution that ensures each homeowner has control over their own standalone heating system.
Developed here in Ireland, Glen Dimplex can deliver heat wherever there is an electric connection, it is this level of flexibility that allows up to 40% lower capital costs and greater efficiencies across apartment developments.
As electricity moves to low carbon sources of generation, and with significant drops in emissions targets expected by 2030, electricity will become a universal and versatile source of low carbon energy. By installing the Dimplex Q-Rad space heating system with the Dimplex Edel hot water tank, along with Xpelair MVHR, the new nZEB targets are easily achieved.
To find out more about the Dimplex heating and hot water solution, or any Dimplex product, contact us on 01 842 4833 or email salesireland@glendimplex.com or
visit: glendimplexireland.com.
