NEW GENERATION OF NON TOUCH TAPS AND SHOWERS FROM SIRRUS BY GUMMERS

Sirrus by Gummers has launched a new generation of its non-touch Pulse 8 capacitance range of taps and shower controls. The products, which operate by harnessing the electric impulses naturally generated by the human body, have been redeveloped and refined to incorporate a more sensitive control and to compete on a cost basis with infra-red applications.

Featuring stylish contemporary spouts at competitive prices, the range, which is WRAS, Rohs and CE compliant, is suitable for a wide variety of commercial, health and institutional installations.Product marketing manager Fiona Bowyer says: “Capacitance technology is well established in consumer electronics applications, where it is widely used to enable touch-screen operations in products such as laptop computers, MP3 players and point-of-sale systems where the user simply has to apply a light touch to a glass screen. We have developed this proven technology by increasing the sensitivity of the capacitance unit within our taps so that they respond to the electrical energy stored within the human body without the need for actual physical contact.”Capacitance technology offers a number of advantages. With no sensor involved, the units are far more resistant to vandalism, nuisance or accidental operation, all of which can lead to a waste of water. Fiona Bowyer: “Capacitance is more reliable and offers a consistent level of performance. It is also an intelligent technology: if an attempt is made to vandalise a unit by, for example, wrapping material around the tap, the unit has the capability of working out that something is wrong and will then turn off and re-set itself.”

The Pulse 8 electronic control box is pre-programmed with variable overrun times which can be selected at the point of installation. Taps are supplied programmed with a clean flush, which runs for 2 seconds after hands are removed to clean the hand basin or trough. Handwash, which can be used with an individual wall plate, has a 15 second overrun time. Showers can use the 15 second setting or the more suitable 60 second shower time.The new Pulse 8 range consists of two non-touch basin spouts, a remote sensor plate and a power pack that is hard-wired to the mains. Where mains operation is not an option, a separate battery pack is available.

For more information, visit http://www.sirrusshowers.com/ or call 0844 815 3125.

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THERMOSTATIC BLENDING VALVES PROTECT AGAINST DANGER OF SCALDING WATER

Each year 20 people die and almost 600 suffer serious burns from scalding bath water. The young, elderly and those with mobility problems are most at risk. The most effective way of ensuring safe hot water temperatures is to use a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV). A TMV will maintain the preset temperature even if the water pressure fluctuates when other appliances are used and will completely shut down the outlet flow if either the hot or cold supply fails.

It is vital hot water safety is considered at the design stage of a commercial project. According to NHS guidelines, water temperatures should never exceed 46°C. Bath fill is recommended at 44°C, showers and washbasins at 41°C while bidets should never exceed and 38°C. Current legislation in healthcare and education makes the use of TMV3 approved valves a must. Part G of the building regulations requires that water delivered to a bath is thermostatically controlled.

Sirrus has one of the largest ranges of TMV3 valves which comply with BS7942 and are BuildCert approved to NHS standard D08, meeting the demands of all application. Sirrus’ mixing valves are suitable for 15, 22 and 28mm supplies. Designed to deliver safe, stable hot water at a pre-set temperature to single or multiple outlets, they are ideal for a wide range of installations where users may be at risk or where precise water temperature control is a prerequisite. Service isolation and inline plumbing can also be catered for.

The latest products in the range are all TMV2 and TMV3 approved and therefore Part G compliant and incorporate an automatic shut-off feature in the event of hot or cold water supply failure. New products include:

MT503CP-22 - A 15mm blending valve with 22mm Compression inlets. Suitable for high pressure bath fills, the MT503 CP-22 has 22mm inlets and 15mm outlet. Check valves and serviceable filters are supplied as standard.

IN403CP – A 15mm inline blending valve which is ideal for basins as it plumbs in line with standard pipework and will be easily hidden by a pedestal. It is also easy to service, thanks to the inclusion of check valves and serviceable filters.

IN403CP-ISO – As above, but with an isolation valve making it even easier to service.

For more information visit www.sirrusshowers.co.uk

ONE SMALL CHANGE RESULTS IN A MASSIVE MAINTENANCE TIME SAVING FOR DERBY HOSPITAL

The installation of new shower panels from Sirrus by Gummers in patient and staff washrooms at Royal Derby Hospital has resulted in a massive annual saving of 1,500 maintenance man hours for the on-site facilities management team.

The slim-line shower panels were developed by Sirrus by Gummers in conjunction with the project specifiers and they are now part of the company’s standard range for the healthcare industry.

Described as a ‘super hospital’, the Royal Derby was designed and built by Skanska UK under the Government’s PFI programme. At the same time, the construction giant’s facilities management arm Skanska Facilities Services was appointed to handle the ongoing maintenance once the hospital opened. This meant that maintenance considerations were at the forefront during the specification process as Skanska facilities manager Simon Marriott explains: “The design and construction teams went through the normal tendering processes but then we had a say on what was selected from the maintenance point of view. In terms of the shower panels, certain aspects of the specification were pre-determined by NHS requirements; what we were looking for was something extra that would offer us an added advantage when it came to ongoing maintenance.”

Iain Stringer, commercial director at Sirrus by Gummers, takes up the story: “The Skanska project engineers came to us and said ‘you make shower panels, but so do others – how can you provide Skanska Facilities Management with a cost saving when the project is handed over?’ From experience, we knew that the biggest cost with any TMV3 valve is the annual maintenance and in discussions with the facilities management team, it was determined that easy access to the valve for servicing would deliver the sort of savings they were looking for.”

The solution reached by the Sirrus by Gummers design team was the first easy-access shower panel to be introduced to the market. Existing designs had a solid panel which had to be removed complete to give access to the valve. Removing the entire panel made servicing a two-man, one-hour job. With a small servicing panel inset into the bottom of the shower panel, valve servicing has reduced to a one-man job that can be carried out in just 15 minutes.

With something in the region of 1,000 shower panels installed in patient and staff facilities, the reduction in the annual service to a one-man job has reduced the total man hours required by over 1500 hours a year. Simon Marriott continues: “Having this easy-access panel makes servicing the showers a thousand times easier. All we need to do is remove the security screws that hold the small panel in place and we can get to the valve to carry out the work. As well as the cost benefits, this means much less disruption to both the patient wards and the staff facilities while we are carrying out the work.”

The Derby shower panel, which has since been specified on a number of other major hospital projects, is designed for flush-mounting to the ceiling. It incorporates a wax capsule thermostat to maintain stable temperatures and has an automatic shut-off in the event of either hot or cold water failure. Factory pre-set to 43ºC maximum, it is TMV3 approved and suitable for all plumbing systems above 0.1 bar.

SHOWER PANELS FROM SIRRUS BY GUMMERS MEET DOUBLE ECONOMY BRIEF FOR BRISTOL ACADEMY

With an estimated usage of 4,000 litres per pupil a year, water comes at a high cost for schools; an estimated £20,000 for a large secondary school in fact. With this in mind, timed flow control showers to manage water usage were a priority for a new sports facility at a school in Bristol. By opting for panels from Sirrus by Gummers, installers Shire Integrated Systems Ltd were also able to deliver additional upfront cost savings.

The school is the Oasis Academy John Williams in Bristol built by the Bristol based team of Skanska Construction. Operated by Oasis Community Learning, a charity established in 2004 to develop a number of Academies across the UK, Oasis Academy John Williams specialises in visual and performing arts. The Academy opened in 2008 and last year it opened a new state-of-the-art building housing a fully-equipped 200 seat theatre, dance and drama studios, am industry standard media suite and a community fitness centre and sports hall.

Specialist washroom installers Shire Integrated Systems Ltd of Bristol were commissioned to provide the sports facility shower block and washroom installation with a brief to use time-flow panels for water economy. The Sirrus by Gummers TFP1001 Stainless Steel Panel with Timed Flow Control was specified as it provided all of the features required at a competitive cost. Designed for group shower installations, the TFP1001 is also built to minimise risk of water-borne infection.

Martyn Peters of Shire says: “When we discussed the specification and performance requirements with the merchant, PBS, we were recommended the TFP1001 as the most cost-effective commercial option. It offered all of the features that we were looking for and proved very quick and easy to fit.”

As well as helping to control water costs, the use of timed flow control showers offers additional safety and security benefits. In a school environment, showers that can be left on accidentally or turned on maliciously pose a serious risk of flooding. By automatically cutting off after 60 seconds, the TFP1001 delivers a generous constant flow while eliminating this risk. The panels are also designed to provide a robust, easy to clean and hygienic installation. By incorporating thermostatic blending valves close to the water outlet, they virtually eliminate any deadleg and therefore risk of legionella.

The TFP1001 is part of the Sirrus by Gummers’ range of group showering products, which includes a new collection of slimline TMV3 panels. The slimmest on the market, they are designed for ease of installation with a slide-off front which leaves the valve attached to the wall for easy maintenance. The panels go to ceiling height, leaving no visible pipework to prevent vandalism and they have instant thermostatic shut-off in the event of hot or cold water failure.

For further information about the TFP1001 shower panel, or any other products in the Sirrus by Gummers range, visit http://www.sirrusshowers.com/ or call 0844 815 3125.

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