How the plumbing and heating industry is evolving

All industries in the UK are continually evolving. Technology is accelerating and growing at an incredible rate. And as it gets better, we can come up with more solutions to ease the common problems we experience.

We’re in the middle of a technology revolution which is making our lives more convenient. And, as an added bonus, it’s making our bills cheaper! Here are some of the best innovations and what they can do for you.

Smart showers

Smart homes are becoming more popular. Companies like Samsung make it their business to boost innovation in heating across home appliances. But an interesting one is the smart shower.

These come with fun features like voice control, digitally accurate and reliable temperature settings, and safety features for all members of the family. Some even have Bluetooth speakers built into the showerhead so the water doesn’t drown out your favourite tunes.

Heat pump innovation

Traditional methods of heating aren’t perfect. They release carbon which contributes to climate change. Heat pumps aren’t a new invention, but they’re definitely becoming stronger and more effective.

They’re the most energy-efficient model for heating and cooling, but not always the most practical. Sometimes, extreme temperatures can render heat pumps ineffective. New generations of heat pumps are now equipped with the ability to handle extremes in temperature, drawing heat from dual sources like the air and ground to heat homes. If the UK wants to reach the Net Zero 2050 target, households need to reduce their emissions by 95%. Installing heat pumps could bring the UK closer to this goal.

Condensate insulation

Frozen condensate in pipes is both a very simple problem to solve with the right equipment, yet incredibly common in the winter. You could unfreeze the pipe using your kettle. But the simpler solution is to insulate the pipes to prevent freezing in the first place.

In the past, pipe insulation has been messy, often using zip ties to attach bulky insulation to pipes, giving it an unprofessional finish.

There are better tools and pre-insulated pipes out there that solve condensate-related issues. These pipes come with UV- and weather-resistant insulation pre-attached, in handy kits with all the parts you need for a quick condensate pipe installation or upgrade. They also provide all the extras you need to make sure it’s a high-quality job.

The size of an idea isn’t what matters; it’s the impact which is important. These three innovations are just a few examples of the developments keeping the plumbing and heating industry on its toes and heading in the right direction. It’s exciting to see what comes next!

Condensate Pro has the perfect condensate pipe insulation for you. You can invest in our products or tools on our website. See how our condensate kits and tools can save you time and money, and give you the space to focus on what matters most - delivering the best customer experience.

Solutions you can offer your customers to get them through the winter

As heating engineers and installers, we know winter is the busiest time of year when it comes to residential and commercial boilers. People aren’t expecting the sudden breakdowns the icy weather brings. So we get called out in wind, hail, sleet, and snow to get people’s homes back up and running.

It might keep business tiding over, but there are ways to help your customers before they get into trouble with their heating. And the best part is this can still be great news for your business.

Boiler cover plans

Most boiler breakdowns (over 15%) happen in January. As winter gets into full swing, we’re expecting the number of call-outs to rise. Most residents with broken-down boilers are taken by surprise. But offering a boiler cover plan can help them avoid surprise high repair fees in the winter. It’s like Netflix for their boiler.

Boiler cover plans require a monthly payment from clients ensuring full coverage on their boiler all year round. You can create a tiered pricing plan including services such as emergency call-outs, checkups, and maintenance, or create them bespoke for each client. This means clients can benefit from annual check-ups to pre-empt any sudden breakdowns for an affordable monthly price.

This gives your business a steady income to focus on bringing value to your clients. You won’t have to wait for late payments from clients struggling to pay large bulk sums as they can spread the costs out. And they’ll get a better service in exchange.

Educate your customers

One of the main reasons people’s boilers break down in January is because of frozen condensate in their pipes. If clients knew this, it would cut down on the number of call-outs we get each winter as customers will know how to prevent and fix the problem.

This isn’t only the case for condensate. General knowledge on boiler and heating maintenance, repair, and installation is concentrated among professionals. Customers aren’t always aware they can easily fix minor problems on their own, saving them money.

Most customers probably don’t realise they can prevent problems in the first place. If you ever go on any call-outs, pass on some tips like telling them to turn their taps on to keep water flowing through the pipes. Or, in the case of frozen condensate, let them know they can insulate their pipes to stop any potential freezes.

These solutions are a win-win for you and your customers. They can save your clients thousands while helping you improve the value of your service and increase your revenue. But, this winter, one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to help clients is use condensate pipe insulation that looks great, lasts for a long time, and works well.

Condensate Pro offers a range of connections and pipes that come pre-insulated to create a simple, quick, and professional installation process. With UV- and weather-resistance, they’ll look amazing for longer, helping you give your clients the ultimate service. Take a look at our products via our website.

How to defrost and prevent frozen condensate

Early in October, as temperatures began to slide down the scales, Scottish Gas announced they were facing a 33% increase in demand for call-outs. They predicted 7,000 households would require their repair services in the first week of October. And they aren’t the only energy company who paces huge surges in call-outs every time the temperatures plummet.

What’s the cause? Frozen condensate, of course.

Frozen condensate is one of the most common causes of boiler breakdowns in the winter. It’s worse at that time of year because that’s when we need our boilers the most. Without them, there’s no escape from the icy weather at home. So how can you prevent pipes freezing and boilers breaking down, avoiding high repair charges and ensuring a cosy winter?

Defrosting a frozen pipe

If your boiler isn’t working and it’s cold outside, it could be due to a frozen pipe. You should defrost it as soon as possible. The first thing to do is to locate your pipe. It’s often a white pipe that comes out of the wall somewhere on your house and runs directly into an outside drain.

Boil the kettle and let it cool for about 10 minutes so the water is hot, but not boiling. Then, starting from the top and working your way down the pipe, pour the hot water over the pipe until the ice within has melted. You may need to do this more than once.

When you have successfully defrosted the pipe, you can reset your boiler and it should work as normal.

Preventing condensate freezing

Preventing problems is always better than fixing them. The most important thing to do to prevent condensate freezing is to insulate your pipes so they don’t freeze at all. This is particularly important if your pipe is in a hard to reach area. If it is, you may not unfreeze it using the above method.

You can insulate the pipe yourself, but it can be a little tricky when pipes aren’t easy to reach. You need to ensure the materials you use are up to the task. Your pipe insulation should be weather- and UV-resistant if you want it to stay looking good and effective. This will save you from shelling out on regular insulation replacements.

But, sometimes, your pipe might not be the problem. While in winter, this is overwhelmingly the cause of broken down boilers, there can be other problems at play. To ensure excellent boiler health through the colder months, it’s great to get an annual check during summer so when winter rolls around, you know you’re all set for a comfortable season.

Condensate Pro takes the hassle out of pipe insulation. Our pipe installation and connection kits come pre-insulated and are UV- and weather-resistant. This means your pipes are easy to install and keep warm, and they look tidy and professional. Take a look at our products on our website.

How to save time during boiler installation

The time needed to install a new boiler depends on many factors. What type of boiler are you installing? Do you need to convert any of the old system? You’ll need to consider the location of the new boiler and whether the heating system meets current Gas Safe regulations.

There are several things that can impact the time needed to install a new boiler. But there are a number of ways to keep this time to a minimum, saving both you and your clients valuable time and money.

Invest in quality tools

Without the right tools, a job can take a lifetime. As a professionals tradesperson, it’s likely you’ll have all the right tools. But a quick job often depends on the quality of these tools. Some professionals are inclined to buy cheaper tools to save money and widen their profit margins, but this can have the opposite of the desired effect.

Cheap tools can make simple jobs more difficult. Things like pipe cutting, insulation cutting, or pipe bending can take much longer than they should. It makes the whole installation process drag. This ends up costing you time and can eat into your profits and customer satisfaction.

Then there’s the cost of more frequent tool replacements. It won’t only affect your profits, but high hourly costs will also deter customers, leading to less work for you and your business.

Include advanced training for staff

You and your staff will benefit greatly from consistent and advanced training. The more experience you and your staff have, the greater your understanding of the boiler installation process. You’ll have better knowledge of the latest advancements in the industry, new tricks to speed up the process, and the best products on the market. This gives you an edge in installation.

Use time-saving products

Time-saving products shouldn’t just save you time on installation. They should also be high-quality and provide a professional finish. And they should solve some common issues you face during the installation process.

For example, fitting condensate pipes during poor weather means you’ll be cold, wet, and it will be difficult to use sand and cement to get the job done. But if you had something ready-to-use and insulated out of the box with no need for sand and cement, you could improve installation times and overall quality.

It’s factors like this that determine whether a product will aid your installation process. You should ask yourself:

Does it make my life easier?
Does it enhance the result?
Will it improve customer satisfaction?

If the answer is yes, you’ll likely benefit from time savings, increased profits, and more business as word spreads about your brilliant service.

At Condensate Pro, we’ve come up with a range of products and tools to make condensate pipe installation and insulation quick and simple. There is no fiddling about in poor conditions. Everything you need comes ready-to-use, made from top-quality materials so you can get the job done quickly to a professional standard. See our range of condensate insulation products and tools on our website.