Features

£40m Growth for Bathroom Market in 2019

White Bathroom Market Sink

The new bathroom market report from MTW Research indicates that bathroom sales will grow by around £40 million in 2019, with real term growth returning in 2020 for most bathroom product sectors. 

Based on data from 130 bathroom suppliers, the report identifies rising ‘pent up demand’ in the bathroom market, highlighting growing latent demand for several sectors.  Bathroom retailers are reporting healthy levels of enquiries according to MTW, but consumers remain reticent to commit to purchase due to Brexit paralysis and economic uncertainties. 

School pupils work with drainage company in fight against plastic

School pupils working with drainage company in fight against plastic

Lanes for Drains are empowering teenagers to lead the fight against hidden plastics by working with secondary schools to produce unique and engaging lesson plans and a set of educational resources that are now available to schools nationwide.

The company – the largest privately owned drainage contractor in the UK – aims to raise awareness of the dangers of hidden plastics and how this generation can have the biggest impact in halting the problem.

Tool theft: top tips for prevention

Tool theft from a van

As technology advances within electric power tools, unfortunately so does tool theft and tactics which thieves use to break in and steal equipment. Thieves are becoming more sophisticated and are using methods to break into vehicles which leave no sign of damage; mainly by taking advantage of a security flaw in keyless vehicles. The popular ‘relay’ method is carried out using an illegal device which replicates the signal from your car or van’s key fob. So, not only are work tools at risk, so is the actual vehicle itself. 

Tips For A Healthy Winter Boiler

Boiler on a blue wall

Just like a car, a boiler needs to be well maintained in order to keep it operating at its best. Spring and Summer is the perfect time to make sure it’s in tip top condition. If you are doing DIY or jobs around your home this bank holiday, follow these tips to help prevent any stressful moments later in the year when the cold weather returns!

Check the system pressure 

Occasionally you may need to top up your heating system to maintain optimum performance. If your boiler pressure is below 0.5 bar then generally it’s too low and you need to increase the pressure. If it’s between 1 and 1.5, you can sit back and relax.

Bleeding a radiator

How a water fitting is tested to become an ‘Approved Product’

Approved water fitting tap

WATCH: an exclusive look at how a water fitting is tested to become an ‘Approved Product’

Water fittings, such as taps, pipes and showers, must be of an appropriate quality and standard to comply with UK water fitting regulations and byelaws, and prevent water from being contaminated – and a WRAS Approval is one way of demonstrating that a water fitting complies with this requirement.

To give an insight into how water fittings are tested, The Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) has shared a behind the scenes,  informative video detailing some of the intensive tests a tap goes through to ensure it complies with the relevant standards, before it can be granted Approved Product status.

The two-minute video illustrates tests such as:

Top 5 Lies Customers Tell To Obtain Cheaper Van Insurance

White van driving through a city

Top 100 Insurance Brokerage Reveals the Top 5 Lies Customers Tell Staff in Attempt to Obtain Cheaper Van Insurance

Constuctaquote.com also reveals that in some instances customers potentially do the opposite of what they intended and end up increasing their premiums by avoiding the truth 

Top 100 insurance brokerage, Constructaquote.com,has created a top 5 list of fibs told by potential customers on a mission to get cheap van insurance, the South Wales Company has revealed. 

Teddington Systems develops advanced controller

Teddington Systems advanced controller - The Sapphire

Teddington Systems develops advanced controller for next generation of domestic heating boiler

Electronics design and manufacturer Teddington Systems has developed an advanced controller for a new generation of domestic heating boilers.

Working closely with Cambridgeshire-based EOGB Energy Products, the controller provides a sophisticated method to manage the heat output of a boiler’s burner unit, delivering significant improvements in energy efficiency. The controller also has a first-of-its-kind OpenTherm interface to enable the heating system to utilise advanced sensors and controllers in the home.

Unpredictable weather driving 278% increase in boiler breakdowns

A man fixing bolier breakdowns

Britain’s increasingly changeable and unpredictable weather is driving a rise in callouts for emergency, boiler breakdowns and boiler repairs, according to theboilercompany.com.

The leading boiler repairs and servicing company, with over 700 nation-wide gas safe engineers, has seen dramatic increases of up to 278% in emergency boiler repair callouts during cold and snowy weather events over the last two years. The data shows a 71% increase in emergency call outs during the snow earlier this month (1st to 5th April) and a nearly three-fold increase during last year’s ‘Beast from the East’ weather event*. London saw the largest increases in emergency call outs during cold periods, followed by Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh and then Manchester