Trianco, the leading manufacturer of central heating products entered into administration back in July with a reported loss of 43 jobs. With seemingly popular products within their portfolio (including the Trianco Aztec electric boiler, the timeless Trianco TRG solid fuel boiler, a wide range of Trianco oil fired boilers and a growing collection of renewable products) there was a real sense of shock at the news.

However, it is our understanding that Trianco and their products will rise again this time under a new company, TR Engineering, backed by the Mountcity Group. There have been quite a few rumours flying around the industry suggesting that only the Trianco solid fuel range would be retained. It now appears that the entire range of products will be continued possibly using the same pricing structure.

We will keep you updated on this story as further information becomes available. In the meantime a wide range of Trianco / TR Engineering products are still available to buy online at BHL. If you have a Trianco product and require aftersales help, take a look at this website which we hope may be of use.

BHL have once again been approached by ITV1 to supply products for their 60 Minute Makeover show for the upcoming Petersham Episode.

60 Minute Makeover is ITV1’s daily interior design series and is hosted by a team of high profile designers including Colin & Justin, Richard Randall, Hannah Sandling, John Amabile and Linda Barker.

BHL were approached by ITV1 to supply Fireside products for the Petersham episode. Under the guidance of designer Derek Taylor the show will be broadcast on Friday 10th September 2010 at 2pm on ITV1.

Stay tuned for further details including the show highlights…

Bumford Heating Limited (the parent company of BHL) installed their first Central Heating System back in 1968, the year that astronauts first orbitted the moon and the year of Martin Luther King’s assasination.

Rewind a further 118 years to 1850 and the Elsecar branch of the South Yorkshire railway was opened. This single track line ran from Mexborough to Elsecar via Cortonwood, crossing the Dearne and Dove Canal by lifting bridge. The line was originally brought into use for the transport of mineral traffic buy also served the collieries, ironworks and other local businesses.

The line also found use due to its proximity to the Wentworth Woodhouse estate of the Earl Fitzwilliam. Earl Fitzwilliam ran private trains on the line from his own covered station at Elsecar, often running trains from Elsecar station to Doncaster races. The Earl even operated trains for the Prince of Wales (Later King Edward V11) during his stays at the Wentworth Woodhouse.

Eventually the line went out of use in 1984 when the Cortonwood Colliery ceased production, the section to Elsecar having closed some years earlier.

Today, manned by a team of commited and enthusiastic volunteers, Elsecar Heritage Railway (EHR) operates as a tourist attraction running trips on weekends and bank holidays. EHR is South Yorkshires only preserved line.

In the future Elsecar Heritage Railway plan to relay a further mile of track on the Elsecar branch to a new terminus adjacent to the retail park at Cortonwood in Barnsley.

The costs involved in running and maintaining EHR are tremendously expensive. The engines and rolling stock need constant maintenance. The costs of the coal alone for the steam engines is staggering.

Bumford Heating are proud supporters of local causes and heritage. When the opportunity arose to support EHR we donated plumbing fittings for use on the engines, as well as warehouse equipment such as shelving and pallett trucks. We have also donated £500 to help with the upkeep of the line.

You can find out more about Elsecar Heritage Railway on their website.

Bumford Heating are installers of quality central heating and renewable energy systems in Barnsley, Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster and throughout the whole of Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Humberside. Click here to book a free site survey and appointment with Bumford Heating

Today we launched a new look for the BHL website. We have refreshed the design and have made it easier to navigate and find the 75,000 plumbing products that we display. This is phase 1 of the launch, we have many new, exciting and interactive features to add to BHL which we plan to roll out within the coming weeks.

About the new design..

The website structure remains pretty much unchanged. We still have thousands of categories displaying everything from Boilers to Basins. The old site was in desperate need of a revamp. Feedback had suggested this and it was something that we had been thinking about for a while.

As I said the basics of the site remain the same (including our great range and low prices) but we have improved the shopping experience.

We have tidied up the website. The site has been growing and growing but has not had a tidy up session for a while. So we removed a lot of the clutter.

The website is wider. We decided that we no longer required three columns. So now the site only has two, meaning more room to see the products and a greater sense if space on the page.

Easier to find products. Because we offer so many products, finding what you are looking for can sometimes be a challenge. We have tried to address this by improving our Search facility. In addition to this we have tried to lessen the amount of clicks to your chosen destination by introducing a drop down menu and displaying deep categories. We have also put the most popular searches at the top of the page as well as a larger tag cloud at the page footer.

Resources. We have made it easier to access and find resources such as product data sheets and information videos as well as links to news and articles and relevant forum posts. It is also now easier for customers to leave product reviews and have their product questions displayed for other users.

Related Products. Many of our products wont work without another product, for example a radiator requires radiator valves. That is why we have improved access to related products and categories. This improvement coupled with our product reviews and ‘customers who bought, also bought’ will really help our customers product selection.

Points. Every product now displays the points that will be earned whenever a product is bought. Remember to login when next ordering to redeem your points and save money off future orders.

Social Media is an increasingly important part of our operation. It enables us to reach and connect with customers, industry proffesionals and students. Using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube allows us to discuss industry developments, new products, promotions and developments within BHL. Our new website design enables easier access and greater promotion of our social websites.

Please have a look around the site and let us know what you think. We hope that you like it. As I said at the beginning this is only the start. We hope to add new features in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled for future developments. You can see the revamped BHL website here.

We have all seen the countless talent shows for singers, dancers and entertainers. The search is now on for talent which does not normally hog the limelight.

‘Young Talent of the Year’ is a BBC Three series celebrating young trade talent across the country.

BBC Three are on the lookout for those talented youngsters with a trade. Young Plumbers along with Beauticians, Butchers, Fishmonger and Hairdressers are encouraged to enter

The BBC are looking for talented young Plumbers who can be a true ambassador for their trade. Entrants should be aged 16-25 and must be up for a challenge and ready to show their skills off to the world.

Plumbing experts will help choose an eventual winner to represent their industry.

Applications are open from Monday June 7th. To apply for an application form Email: youngtalent@bbc.co.uk
OR Write: Send a SAE to Young Talent of the Year (series 2), Casting Team, Room 4060, BBC Entertainment, Oxford Road, Manchester M60 1SJ

To all entrants, BHL wish you the best of luck

Plumbing Supermarket

Originally uploaded by BHLPlumbing

Plumbing Supermarket, eBay’s premier supplier of Plumbing, Heating and Bathroom products. Visit Plumbing Supermarket now http://stores.ebay.co.uk/PlumbingSupermarket

Baxi Megaflo System Boiler

Originally uploaded by BHLPlumbing

The Baxi Megaflo System Boiler on display at EcoBuild 2010

Vaillant Aurostor Hot Water Cylinder at EcoBuild

Originally uploaded by BHLPlumbing

We saw the Vaillant Aurostor Hot Water Cylinder at EcoBuild2010

Manufacturers of plumbing and heating products are not traditionally known for promoting their wares via mass media. In fact central heating has always been the poor relation when it comes to home improvement promotion.

We have all seen the TV adverts for double glazing, flooring and kitchens. But, with a few exceptions you would have been hard pressed to find advertisements extolling the virtues of plumbing and heating products outside the confines of the plumbers trade press.

The reason for this historic lack of hype is probably because plumbing and heating products were marketed exclusively to the installer rather than the end user. Mass marketing was not required because the manufacturer influenced the plumber who in turn specified the products for the consumer.

Nowadays, thanks mainly to the advent of the internet, the route to market of plumbing and heating products is changing. The end user can now research (and buy) central heating systems and products online, independent of the (biased) opinion of the plumber. Magazines such as Which?, manufacturers own websites and blogs (such as Glow-worms great Blog), plumbing forums and DIY sites help the decision making process.

This new found end user power has encouraged manufacturers to rethink their marketing strategy. Some forward thinking brands are now talking directly to the end user using a whole arsenal of methods from improved websites, social media, press advertising and even television adverts.

Worcester Bosch Group sponsor Channel 4’s weather. Saniflo and their TV adverts. I even spotted the Worcester Bosch logo being paraded during the recent Tottenham Hotspur Vs Leeds FA Cup game at White Hart Lane.

Why Vaillant? TV Commercial

The most high profile advert was Vaillant’s recent ‘Why Vaillant’ TV commercial. Vaillant are leading manufacturers of home heating products including Gas Boilers, Solar domestic hot water systems, ground source heat pumps and solar cylinders.

With Vaillant’s high profile advert designed to target the homeowner, the end user is at last beginning to influence which plumbing and heating products are installed within their home.

The internet has helped revolutionise the way the world shops and helped reshape traditional industries. Today it is as easy to buy Basins, Baths or Boilers online as it is CDs or books. More and more UK households have access to the internet, resulting in more transactions taking place online. Customers can now research products thoroughly on the web and then buy from the comfort of their home 24 hours a day.

Before the web revolution, if you wanted a new boiler or radiator your options were limited. Most people approached a plumber who would specify, usually the brand that made him the most money. Another option would be to visit a specialist plumbers merchant – difficult for those at work and with no guarantee of expert advice or discounted prices. Option three would be a DIY shed, offering a wide range of products but a limited selection of plumbing and heating materials.

The UK Internet Plumbing Market 2009-2013 report published by AMA Research has highlighted trends within the industry.

• The Internet plumbing market value is forecast to be £172m at DSP by 2013
• In 2008 it is estimated that around 45% of plumbing products sold on the internet through e-tailers are own label products.
• The leading plumbing e-tailer’s are Plumbworld, Victoria Plumb, Bathroom City, Boundary Bathrooms and BHL. Together the 5 leading suppliers account for 46% of the market overall.
• Bathroom and shower products account for around 70% of the total internet plumbing market.

We built our first website back in 1998 (see below). Despite the basic design, the website announced our presence to the world and gave us a platform to build on for the future.

Today the BHL website is one of the most popular online plumbers merchants attracting thousands of visitors per day. Since our first website back in 1998 we have significantly increased our product offerings and improved all aspects of the online experience. We are constantly increasing our range of products, lowering our prices and improving and investing in our website.

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