With the introduction of fan flued gas appliances in the mid 1990’s installers were able to install boilers away from external walls freeing up valuable space. With gas boilers being able to fitted to internal walls and flued through ceilings and stud walls the design of new builds and renovated properties could make better use of space. The practice of flueing gas appliances through ceilings and walls became more popular from 2000 onwards and now many new flats and apartments have concealed flues.

Gas Engineers are legally required to check the flue after any work on a gas boiler or gas appliance; this also includes a visual inspection of the flue. Also when fitting a boiler the installer must be able to inspect the flue to ensure that it does not constitute a danger to anyone.  The installer and subsequent engineer performing periodic services and maintenance must be able to check that:

• The flue is continuous throughout its entire length
• That all joints and properly connected and appropriately sealed
• And that the flue is adequately supported throughout its entire length

Unless the engineer can make these checks they cannot ensure that the flue from the boiler is safe for use, in compliance with their legal duties. Therefore this necessitates the need for appropriate inspection hatches whereby the flue is concealed.

The original industrial technical guidelines advised that where a boilers flue was concealed with the ceiling or wall void and could not be visually inspected it should be accesses as being ‘not too current standards’ (NCS) in accordance with the ‘Gas Industry Unsafe Situation Procedure’ (GIUSP). This is dependent on the boiler not having any other risk present which may make it unsafe for use.

Therefore because of the issue of not being able to visually inspect concealed flues revised technical guidelines are being introduced. Homeowners are now required to have inspection hatches fitted into ceilings and stud walls to allow for visual inspections to be made by 31^st December 2012. Any engineers performing work on any affected systems after the 1^st January 2013 will advise the user that the system is ‘at risk’ in accordance with GIUSP, and with the owner’s permission will turn the gas supply to the boiler off so it cannot be used.

During the interim period whereby inspection hatches have not been fitted the gas engineer will undertake a simple risk assessment which will ensure the risk of CO expose is managed in the short term. This risk assessment includes:

• Looking for signs of leakages along the entire length of the flue
• Carrying out a flue combustion analysis check
• Checking for the presence of appropriate audible CO alarms, and install such alarms where they are not already fitted

As long as the boiler passes the series of checks and risk assessment does not indicate any concerns to safety then the boiler can be left on. However suitable inspection hatches must be fitted to ceilings and walls by the end of the 31^st December 2012. Once the inspection hatches are fitted the engineer can ensure that the flue is safe and has been installed in accordance with relevant standards and manufacturer’s instructions.

If your property has a concealed flue within a void and no inspection hatches:

• If the property is less than 2 years old contact the original builder for assistance with the retrofitting of inspection hatches and repair of any flue defects.
• If the property is between 2 and 10 years old contact the home warranty provider as you may be covered by them if there are defects in the flue. The main warranty providers (NHBC, Premier Guarantee and Zurich Building Guarantee) have however advised that cover is not provided for installing inspection hatches in homes over two years old.
• If the property is 10 years or older you should contact a Gas Safe registered engineer. You or your landlord will have to meet the cost of the inspection hatches and any defects to the boiler or its flue. It may still be worth contacting the home builder who may be able to assist in some way, or be able to recommend reputable building services companies to carry out the work.

Having taken advice as above, arrange for a competent builder or building services company to fit inspection hatches as soon as possible and by 31st December 2012. (If you don’t, from 1st January 2013 a Gas Safe registered engineer will advise you that the appliance is “at risk” and, with your permission, will turn off the appliance; they will tell you it should not be use until inspection hatches are fitted.

For more information about this new regulation Click Here.

Glow-worm is now offering a FREE Extended 5 Year Warranty on their Ultracom and Flexicom Boiler Ranges from 1st September to the 31st December 2011.  This great offer is available to installers who are a member of Glow-worm’s  loyalty programme Club Energy.

The Club Energy loyalty programme is designed to help installers to develop their businesses with free business development tools. As well as having access to Glow-worm’s extensive range of high performance heating products they are also entered into an ongoing partnership with Glow-worm that can be rewarding with access to:

• New customer leads
• Free boiler and renewable product training
• Free business development tools including a business website, professional advert design tools and professional quote generation and service reminder tools
• A priority techncial helpline
• Instant rewards on Glow-worm products
• Luxury UK and Foreign trips
• And now a free 5 year warranty

For more information about this great offer and Glow-worms Club Energy programme (click here).

Baxi has announced that they are providing a 5 year guarantee on all of its boilers that feature their new innovative THINK combustion management system. This covers all models of the Neta-tec, Duo-tec and Megaflo System Compact high efficiency condensing boiler ranges.

The THINK combustion management system is designed to help improve the efficiency of the boiler by monitoring the boilers gas consumption and air intake and modulate this to adjust the boilers output. By adjusting these parameters the boilers can more efficiently maintain the temperature of the hot water generated and cut fuel consumption helping the user reduce their annual fuel bills and carbon emissions.

Now with this new offer of a 5 year guarantee households that opt for a Baxi Neta-tec, Duo-tec or Megaflo System  Compact not only have a highly efficient and reliable boiler but the peace of mind that if a problem occurs they are covered. This offer only applies to Neta-tec, Duo-tec and Megaflo System Compact boilers purchased and installed between the 5^th September 2011 and 31^st December 2011.

For more information and the terms and conditions of this offer visit the Baxi website.

Vaillant are offering customers a 5 year guarantee on it’s ecoTEC plus and ecoTEC exclusive domestic boilers, and a 3 year guarantee on its ecoTEC pro boilers. This offer is only available between the 19^th September and 31^st December 2011 and if you’re a member of the Advance Loyalty scheme, or join the scheme now, you can take advantage of double reward points for the duration of this offer.

To claim your increased guarantee all you need do is send the completed guarantee card to Vaillant using the freepost address. Once the completed guarantee card and boiler serial sticker (proof of installation) are returned to Vaillant, within 30 days of installation, your guarantee will be processed and Vaillant will send you conformation on completion.

Along with this extended guarantee the ecoTEC range has also been given the Which? Best buy award for 2011 giving costumer’s peace of mind knowing they have a reliable boiler that is covered for up to 5 years.

For more information about this offer and the terms and conditions visit the Vaillant website.

When Trianco released their first range of combination oil boilers on to the market over 25 years ago they were among some of the very first. Since then Trianco has gone on to develop their ranges of oil boilers and have now released high efficiency version of these first combination oil boilers. These High efficiency combi oil boilers will join the proven Eurostar oil boiler range and are available in both an internal and external floor-standing models. The new Eurostar HE combi oil boilers have been given a SEDBUK ‘A’ rating the highest official energy efficiency rating in the UK.

The Trianco Eurostar Combi boilers feature a 50litre pre-heated thermal store providing instant domestic hot water at a generous flow rate. The Eurostar combi is also fitted with the high performance and highly reliable Riello burner an ideal partner for this high efficiency oil boiler.

The internal versions are ideal kitchen or utility room installations with their compact dimensions they can easily be fitted under a removable kitchen worktop. The internal versions are finished with an insulted, stove enamelled, robust casing in white which will fit in well with other kitchen and utility room appliances. The controls are neatly hidden behind the front door featuring adjustable hot water and heating thermostats with a 7 day digital programmer for both the domestic hot water and central heating providing flexibility and convenience. The internal Eurostar combi boiler models are available in a 15-20kW and 20-26kW options suitable for range of property types.

The external models are an ideal alternative to the internal models where living space is limited and is also available in the 15-20kW and 20-26kW options. The external models come complete with an integral, low level, discharge flue with a frost thermostat and terminal guard as standard with a durable and weather resistant galvanised steel case.

The Eurostar combi oil boiler range is manufactured in Sheffield, the home of Trianco, is come with a 5 years manufacturers guarantee on the steel boiler unit and a 2 year guarantee on the boiler components. Also a nationwide network, of highly trained and experienced, service engineers are available to provide onsite support and technical advice

During the launch period Trianco are offering a free 600mm low level flue kit with it Eurostar HE Combination Oil Boiler range until the 31^st Decemeber 2011

The Eurostar Combi Oil Boiler Range is available to buy from BHL now at competitive prices with quick delivery within the UK.

Worcester has unveiled a 5 year guarantee promotion on all of its Greenstar CDi and Greenstar Si condensing gas boiler ranges. This new offer extends their original guarantee by 3 years and applies to any Worcester Greenstar CDi and Greenstar Si installed between the 1^st September and 31^st December 2011.  The offer covers all of the CDi and Si condensing gas boilers installed between this time and registered with Worcester within 30 days of installation. The offer applies to the UK mainland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland; however it cannot be used with any other Worcester offer.

For more information on this promotion visit the Worcester-Bosch Website.

The Worcester Greenstar CDi is a condensing gas combination boiler range ideal for small homes; however with the higher output models are suitable for larger properties with more than one bathroom. The Greenstar CDi range can help cut annual gas bills by up to 15 to 20% and is around 90.2% efficient giving it a SEDBUK ‘A’ rating.

The Worcester Greenstar Si is a mid-range condensing gas combination boiler range ideal for flats and small to medium sized houses with a single bathroom. The domestic hot water and central heating temperatures can be controlled separately on the Si and it is about 90.1% efficient giving it a SEDBUK ‘A’ rating capable of significantly reducing gas bills and carbon emissions

Both the Worcester Greenstar CDi and Greenstar Si are supplied by BHL at low prices with quick delivery within the UK. Also available is a comprehensive range of Worcester flues and boiler controls at competitive prices that will help improve the efficiency of the boiler and help reduce gas bills and carbon emissions.

Adey was founded by Chris Adey, inventor of the award winning Magnaclean, in 2003 which has since become a market leading UK manufacturer of innovative products designed to meet the day to day needs of domestic central heating systems.

The success of Adey is built on product innovation and quality along with a genuine understanding of the practical and daily working needs of the professional installer. This understanding comes from the company founder’s long experience within the industry as an engineer. This has helped Adey go from strength to strength and established a reputation as the pioneering force behind magnetic filtration within the central heating industry.

Adey has also had a long commitment developing new ideas, through working alongside heating engineers and installers, and has invested heavily in research. This investment has helped towards the development of an impressive range ofproducts which has evolved over recent years.

Adey also understands that everyone has a responsibility to the environment and therefore has influenced the design and development of their products, which have contributed significantly to reducing carbon emissions, energy and water usage throughout the UK’s domestic and commercial central heating systems.

The Award winning Magnaclean is the companies leading product an innovative magnetic filter designed to remove the buildup of harmful deposits that can lead to corrosion in pipes, radiators and boiler components. By preventing the buildup of these magnetic and non magnetic deposits from forming expensive and inconvenient repairs can be avoided. Also these deposits can reduce the efficiency of a high efficiency boiler increasing fuel and water consumption and carbon emissions which defeats the purpose of having a HE boiler.

Also available from Adey is a range of products designed to clean a system without a filter of these harmful deposits that naturally buildup in central heating systems. The Vibraclean and Magnacleanse can restore a domestic central heating time in less time than standard methods. The Magnacleanse also comes with a Magnaclean meaning that once the heating system is restored to full efficiency is also fully protected for the life of the system.

At BHL we supply a comprehensive range of Adey products an ideal solution to protecting your central heating system and maintaining the high efficiency performance of the boiler, helping household reduce their heating bills and carbon emissions. With our new and improved Adey category fining these high innovative products is easier than ever, with low prices and quick delivery within the UK.

John Guest is a long established leading manufacturer of push fit fittings, valves and plastic pipe, a reputation built on years of producing high quality and innovative plumbing products. The speedfit system is a push fit design suitable for use in standard domestic hot and cold water systems and central heating systems. The speedfit system is designed to be used with copper pipe as well as speedfit pipe, available in 10mm, 15mm, 2mm and 28mm.

The John Guest speedfit system has under gone extensive testing and has shown to withstand temperatures and pressures in excess of normal domestic working conditions. The benefits of a John Guest Speedfit system are:

• Push fit connections mean reduced installation time and cost.
• No need of hot works, i.e. soldering.
• Easier to work with in confined spaces.
• A permanent and reliable water tight seal.
• Corrosion and scale resistant.
• Flexible and elastic properties of speedfit pipe means reduced risk of bursting under freezing conditions.
• Truly demountable system.
• Light weight system for ease of handling and installation.

John Guest also produces a wide range of underfloor heating products for hydronic underfloor heating systems. With a comprehensive range of manifolds designed to be used with speedfit underfloor heating pipe and intelligent controls a John Guest underfloor heating systems can provide efficient and cost effective heating. The John Guest manifolds are also designed with the speedfit push fit system helping to cut time during installation and is also demountable meaning making alterations is quick and simple.

At BHL we supply a comprehensive range of John Guest products including their speedfit system of fittings and pipe that are demountable providing flexibility and reduced installation time, helping homeowners to save on fitting costs. With our new and improved John Guest Category finding and buying any John Guest products is quick and simple and also comes at low prices with quick delivery within the UK.

Danfoss is a leader in research, development and production of mechanical and electronic products and controls. Danfoss have a comprehensive range of heating products including a wide range of valves for domestic and commercial applications. In short, Danfoss can contribute to the conveniences of modern life as well as provide safe and reliable heating products. Danfoss success as a producer stems from their ability to combine traditional mechanical-based technologies with up to date modern electronic solutions.

Danfoss have a wide range of thermostatic radiator valves designed to control the flow of water through a radiator to maintain the pre-set desired temperature for that room. Also there is a wide range of lockshields available also designed to control the flow of water through a radiator but this is to ensure that the central heating system is balanced. Ensuring that the central heating circuit is balanced ensures that all of the radiators heat to the same temperature and that there isn’t a progressive drop in temperature along the heating circuit.

Danfoss’s range of innovative programmable heating time switches control the central heating system when demand for heat is made by the timer the boiler will fire up to generate hot water for the central heating system. There are two main types of Danfoss Electro-mechanical and Electronic timers are designed to be compatible with all types of boilers on the market. Heating timers can help improve the efficiency of a household’s central heating systems by allowing the use to set what time the heating is to come on and when to turn off ensuring that the home is only heated when needed. This can help reduce energy bills and cut carbon emissions as well as providing a comfortable living environment.

At BHL we supply a comprehensive range of Danfoss central heating valves and timers to provide efficient domestic central heating and domestic hot water, helping households reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions.

Baxi are a leading UK based manufacturer of heating products including Gas Boilers, Solar Systems, Gas Fires and Biomass Boilers. Baxi began life back in 1866 and since have grown to become leading players in domestic heating systems. In 1966 Baxi launched its most popular heating product the Baxi Bermuda a highly reliable gas back boiler which shortly after its release accounted for around 80% of all new back boiler installations at the time.

Today Baxi offer a wide range of award winning gas boilers including the Baxi Duo-tec & Baxi Neta-tec range of combination boilers. Baxi’s latest combination boilers are all equipped with the THINK combustion management system which boasts cutting edge technological features such as:

• Gas adaptive control which continually monitors and optimises combustion by adjusting the gas and air mixture delivering maximum efficiency for the life time of the boiler.
• Automatic configuration to either natural gas or LPG.
• A wider modulation range which automatically adapts the boilers output to heating demands reducing gas consumption, fuel bills and carbon emissions.
• All of the new Baxi combi boilers use common parts making installation and maintenance simple and cost effective.
• Service due indicator reminding householder to arrange the annual service for their boiler.

The Baxi Megaflo range of compact system gas boilers is as available in a range of outputs and also comes with the THINK combustion management system making this a high efficiency system boiler helping households save on gas bills and carbon emissions.

Baxi in recent years has also moved into the area of renewable heating systems with the Baxi biomass boiler range and Baxi solar system range. Baxi Biomass boilers including the Baxi Bioflo, Baxi Innova and Baxi Multiheat run on a renewable fuel called biomass, a renewable energy source derived from biological material from animal or plant matter. Commonly biomass fuel is plant matter grown specially for generating electricity or to produce heat by incineration. Biomass fuels such as wood pellets and wood logs are a carbon neutral fuel as they absorb the same amount of CO2 when it was growing as it releases when burnt. Baxi Also have a range of solar collection panels and evacuated tube panels which take advantage of free and readily available solar energy from the sun. All of these new technologies are designed to help households reduce their heating costs as well as helping to reach the governments targets in reducing carbon emissions.

Baxi offer both excellent pre and post sales service and Heateam from Baxi have a huge network of engineers located across the UK on hand to offer service and maintenance advice. Baxi’s after sales support is acknowledged as one of the best in the industry.