Category: News

On Saturday 21^st June, the Ferroli Fancies – aka Karon, Kayleigh, Helen and Kelly – will be taking part in the 10 miles Pink Ribbon Walk at Chatsworth, Derbyshire, to raise money for the Breast Cancer Care charity. Karon, one of our Customer Service Advisors, explains here why she has taken on the challenge and why she is asking for your support.

In July I will be celebrating my 50^th birthday, an age that one of my very best friends Theresa never reached.  This year will be the 10^th anniversary of Theresa losing her battle with breast cancer and the 10^th anniversary of Breast Cancer Care pink ribbon walks.

So in remembrance of Theresa and to support Breast Cancer Care – and not forgetting to celebrate my 50^th – I have taken it upon myself with the support of my friends and colleagues Kayleigh, Helen and Kelly, to take part in the 10 miles Pink Ribbon Walk around Chatsworth on Saturday 21^st June.  The walk is a personal challenge for myself to prove that 50 will be the new 40 and that my laps around the warehouse during my lunch break have not been a waste of time.

We would very much appreciate any donation you can make and you are more than welcome to come along on the day to support and join us for a picnic (and a drink or two!) following the walk in the beautiful surroundings of Chatsworth.

Below are a few examples of how the money we raise will support someone fighting their battle with breast cancer:

• £2 provides a suitable headscarf for a woman who has lost her hair during treatment.
• £5 provides a comprehensive, easy-to-understand information pack for someone newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
• £10 teaches someone how to be breast aware for life at a local workshop.
• £25 trains and supports a member of BCC’s Nursing Network for a year to help improve the care of people with breast cancer.
• £50 pays for a personal HeadStrong appointment to help women prepare for the possibility of losing their hair from chemotherapy by providing practical support and information.
• £100 pays for four calls to our confidential Helpline so people with questions or concerns about breast cancer or breast health can get support from our expert team.

If you would like to donate please visit our Just Giving page http://www.justgiving.com/FerroliFancies

Thank you for any donation you feel able to make, we very much appreciate your support,

Karon, Kayleigh, Helen & Kelly

To get the absolute best out of any boiler it must be installed correctly and regularly maintained. As with any appliance, it won’t deliver on its promise of reliability, performance and energy efficiency if these two vital tasks are not taken seriously.

One action that is essential to prolonging the boiler’s life and ensuring optimum efficiency is the fitting of an automatic bypass valve.

Bypass valves are valves fitted to heating systems between the boiler and the radiators. They are connected between the flow and return pipes to maintain a constant minimum flow rate through the heat exchanger and to provide heat dissipation on pump overrun.

Having a bypass valve fitted helps to prolong the life of the boiler, aids in maintaining efficiency and helps to ensure the reliability of the boiler.

All modern boilers are ‘low water content’ and require a constant flow of water through them to prevent them overheating.  For example, the Ferroli Modena HE requires a flow rate of 6ltrs/min at all times. When the heating system has a large number of TRV’s (Thermostatic Radiator Valves) fitted the flow rate is reduced as the TRV’s begin to close. An auto bypass will then begin to open as the system water pressure is increased due to low flow through the heating circuit.

Automatic bypass valves are adjustable to allow for correct flow rates required by boiler manufacturers.  They also allow for circulation to dissipate heat after the heating demand period has ended.

 

We’re always improving the Modena HE boiler to make sure it remains at the leading edge of energy efficient domestic boilers, and the new digital clock is a perfect example of our ongoing research and development to produce what customers want.

The new clock features a blue backlit screen and bigger numbers than conventional boiler clocks, both of which make it much easier to read, especially if the boiler is located in a dark area, such as a cupboard. It is also ideal for people with less than perfect vision.

The new digital clock has a very useful boost button so if the customer feels the need for an hour or two of heat they just press the button once for one hour, or twice for two hours.

The timer has four independent on/off periods available each day and the programming options are:-

1. 7 days the same
2. Weekdays and weekends ( 5 + 2 )
3. Daily programmes. (Each day independently programmable).

It also comes with an auto summer/winter facility which means there’s no need to remember to adjust it twice a year when the clocks go forwards and back.

The fascia of the Modena has been designed to allow the customer to choose from a range of timers that can be fitted in the 60mm circular aperture. As well as the new digital clock, the boiler can also be fitted with a mechanical 7 day timer. These work in conjunction with an external room thermostat (not supplied). The receiver unit for the RF mechanical and digital programmable room thermostat also fits the same 60mm aperture.

We’re very pleased to welcome back Gerry Lanagan to the Ferroli sales team as our Divisional Manager for Scotland & Ireland.

Gerry is no stranger to Ferroli boilers, having spent 11 years with us between 1997 and 2006. Gerry, who is a qualified heating engineer, joined the team as ASM for Scotland in 1997 and worked his way up to Divisional Manager for Scotland & Ireland and then Northern Sales Director before being appointed UK Sales Director. Since leaving Ferroli in 2006 he has worked with Vaillant Group and Ideal Heating. He returned to Ferroli in April 2014, bringing with him his extensive experience and knowledge of the boiler industry and the market in Scotland and Ireland.

“I’m really looking forward to talking to merchants and installers in Scotland and Ireland about Ferroli’s extensive range of boilers and heating appliances, especially the very impressive Modena domestic combi boiler that’s been developed since I’ve been away,” said Gerry. “Ferroli’s technical development team in Italy is producing really innovative designs and the build quality is superb. It’s an exciting time to be back with the company and I’m looking forward to getting the message across to new customers in my region.”

Gerry, who is based in Glasgow, is a lifelong supporter of Celtic and has travelled the world following his team.

London’s Grosvenor House Hotel was the place to be seen for the leading names in building services when the industry gathered for the 20^th annual H&V News Awards and Ferroli was delighted to be there to meet old friends and make new ones.

These industry ‘Oscars’ are an inspiring showcase of the innovation and technological advancement being achieved by the UK’s building services companies in the heating and ventilation sector.

The glittering evening was hosted by Jeremy Vine who did a splendid job of keeping the awards presentations running smoothly with a charming and witty firm hand.

With the continuing development of Ferroli’s unique high efficiency, high performance Modena HE boiler, we have our eyes on taking home an accolade ourselves maybe next year…

A brand new Ferroli training centre has opened its doors to students of all ages at South Lanarkshire College in East Kilbride, just south of Glasgow.

Seven different boilers from Ferroli’s domestic and light commercial range have been installed in the College’s gas boiler training room which has been completely refurbished and refitted with new kitchen units.

This is the latest project for Ferroli’s ongoing initiative to make training available to installers, apprentices and engineering students all over the UK on a wide range of Ferroli appliances, not just the best-selling Modena HE range.

South Lanarkshire College first opened its doors in 1948 as the School of Building and has grown since then to become what is now Scotland’s largest construction college. The last review by HMIE of colleges in Scotland found teaching standards at SLC to be the highest in this sector, proved by SLC’s numerous awards and achievements including the 2010 Business to College Award for the design and build of the first affordable low energy, low carbon house to be built in Scotland by a mass market house builder.

“Ferroli has delivered the rejuvenation of our gas boiler training facility that we were looking for,” said James Jamieson, Curriculum Manager for the Faculty of Construction. “We were looking for a new boiler manufacturer to partner with for our plumbing, heating and gas training courses who would give us the support we need. It’s crucial that the boilers our students work on are 100% safe and that we have constant access to updates and advice. Ferroli’s commitment to best practice and customer support is exactly what we need so we now have a brand new fully working set-up that provides comprehensive training for both experienced installers and apprentices.”

Ferroli became involved with SLC as a sponsor of new technology in 2008 when the college underwent a £34m rebuild. “We have received fantastic support from Ferroli over the last five years,” said James. “Ferroli’s support has enabled us to upgrade our equipment so that our students are able to learn on the most modern technology available within the plumbing, heating and gas industries. This is so important for young people because it means they will acquire the most genuinely useful skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Equally important is that encourages upskilling for those already working in this sector and helps to drive the development and innovation that is so crucial to the longer term goals of a low-carbon future.”

The full working models are a Modena 27kW combi; Modena 18kW system; DOMIcondens 26kw combi; Optimax 32kW combi; FER Tech 25kW open vent and an Energy Top W80-125. There is also a dry Modena 32kW combi for breakdown so that students can handle the parts and learn how the boiler can be serviced and maintained. More boilers will be added to the training room in the future.

“We are committed to fully supporting the staff and students at South Lanarkshire College,” said Gavin James, Ferroli’s representative for Scotland. “Training is very much a two-way street and it’s so important that the teaching staff feel they can always access the support and advice they need to deliver first class training for their students.”

South Lanarkshire College is a great place to spend a day’s training with plenty of parking, an on-site newsagent, food court and even silver service lunch available for around £5 from the award-winning Training Restaurant. The College is offering excellent discounts to installers booking onto the Ferroli training course. Contact training@ferroli.co.uk for more details.

Ferroli has taken its entire range of commercial and domestic appliances to the global platform for the HVAC and plumbing industry at this year’s Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) exhibition in Milan.

From 18 – 21 March Ferroli’s extensive stand in Hall 1 is welcoming professionals from all aspects of the industry who want to see the most innovative developments in boiler technology, ranging in size from the spectacular industrial COMBIREC H/S exhaust gas heat recovery unit to the very compact domestic Modena HE condensing combi & system boiler.

MCE is one of the year’s most valuable opportunities for the manufacturing and distribution arms of the industry to meet to reinforce and develop the business relationships that are so crucial to advancing energy efficiency in the HVAC industry.

Ferroli is pleased to announce that they have entered into a collaboration with the Magic Thermodynamic Box Company (MTB Co) to offer the Ferroli T-One range of boilers with MTB Co’s Central Heating Management System (CHMS).

The relationship started when members of the Research and Development Department at MTB Co obtained feedback from their distributors that there was a large demand for upgrading existing boilers and the search began for a modern cutting-edge boiler that would complement the CHMS offering.

Malcolm Stratford, Technical Advisor at MTB Co said: ”Our aim is to give the customer an improved central heating system and a more energy efficient system. The CHMS upgrades all aspects of an existing wet central heating system, including contemporary digital controls; it also changes the way radiators work by increasing the proportion of radiant heat rather than convection heat to increase the comfort factor for the customer. This allows the boiler to be set at a lower temperature and also ensures that the temperature of the returning water is always below the dew point, allowing the boiler the opportunity to condense all day, every day.  This makes the boiler work at its designed efficiency and will reduce the customer’s energy bill. We want to give the customer a wonderful deal and the opportunity to purchase the whole package from one place rather than having to shop around.”

The Magic Thermodynamic Company was recently exhibiting at Ecobuild at London’s ExCel, which proved a huge success. “Our stand was one of the busiest stands at the exhibition, people were interested in all of our products due to their uniqueness and direct customer benefits,” said MTB Co’s sales director Scott Styles. “We exhibited the Ferroli T-One boiler alongside our products and they drew considerable interest; we are looking forward to a very successful year as a result of our collaboration. We will be exhibiting at some of the biggest renewable energy shows in the world including Europe’s largest renewable energy show Intersolar in Germany on June 4^th, where we will again be promoting the Ferroli T-One boiler.”

Boiler sales have become somewhat of a barometer of the economic climate these days so if the steady increase in figures recorded in 2013 continues, 2014 promises to be a year of excellent opportunity and growth.

After two years of working together, boiler manufacturer Ferroli and Sussex Plumbing Supplies have been contributing to the recovery of the boiler replacement market by offering installers a product that sells. That may sound like a blindingly obvious strategy but during a depressed period for any product, it takes a much more focused approach to weather the storm and bring about a change in fortunes.

“Boilers are around 30% of our business so identifying models that aren’t going to sit on the shelf is crucial,” said Sussex Plumbing Supplies MD Glenn Vinall. “When a new supplier approaches me I need to be convinced there’s a USP in the product that justifies us recommending it to our customers. That’s what Ferroli achieved when the Modena HE range of domestic boilers came onto the market two years ago.

“When introducing a new supplier to our customers I look for someone who will go the extra mile with back-up support. When we first started selling the Modena we had an issue that needed attention and Ferroli resolved it immediately. This kind of first class service and the reliability of the product itself are the two key issues that have underpinned our successful working relationship.”

To create awareness of the Modena range and encourage SPS customers to try something new, Craig Worth, Ferroli’s Divisional Sales Manager for the South, organised a series of trade events and on-site training days and delivered a Modena boiler to each SPS branch so that both the staff and potential customers could see the innovative design and technology for themselves.

“When it comes to boilers, brand loyalty is powerful and changing hearts and minds is a challenge – people like what they know – but progress is based on change and that’s what we aim for at SPS. Our decision to try something new has resulted in steadily increasing sales and happy customers who come back for more. The fact that a manufacturer will offer a boiler with a long warranty is testament to its reliability and if it comes at a price that consumers can afford, it’s even more likely to sell. Naturally we have to consider our margins and so we have found stocking the Modena to be a very good decision.”

Vinall puts the increase in boiler sales in 2013 down to returning consumer confidence in the economy rather than Government initiatives such as the Green Deal. “We really saw no evidence of the Green Deal having any effect on boiler sales last year, but that doesn’t mean we won’t in 2014. The Government has got to make it work so as the process is tinkered with to make it easier for people to understand, coupled with a growing willingness to spend money on home improvements, I believe the upward trend boiler sales will be a sustainable one.”

SPS has branches in Hailsham, Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill and a new branch has just opened in Uckfield.

The talent and dedication of Ferroli’s Chief Technical Officer Rob Steeley was celebrated by his colleagues on 7th February when they marked his 25^th year with the UK division of the Italian boiler manufacturer.

Rob joined Ferroli in February 1989 as Assistant Service Manager when Ferroli was still based in Minworth and operated as a joint venture with Brassware Sales . It was Rob’s uncle Mike Reade who, as Brassware Sales’ technical manager, suggested that Rob switch from his career as a quantity surveyor and join him in the boiler industry. Since then Rob has scrutinised and analysed every nut, bolt, valve and pipe of Ferroli’s boilers and is now very proud to be associated with the company’s innovative products.

“Back then it was just me and Dave Brown taking all the service calls, dealing with all the parts coming in and out and overseeing all technical aspects of the company’s operation,” said Rob. “We honed our skills in the old-fashioned way by taking the boilers apart to find out how they worked and how they could be improved and that’s still what I do today, along with all the necessary accreditation courses and gas competency qualifications of course.”

Over the past 25 years Rob has witnessed the colossal advances in innovation in boiler technology and seen the size of boilers shrink by half to the very compact models available today.  “It’s hard to believe, but the production costs of a boiler to the customer are the same now as they were in the late 1980s, around £500-£600,” he said. “At Ferroli I’ve seen some very impressive developments such as the copper dual pass heat exchanger that we designed in 1988, which was unique at the time. This was the forerunner of the current stainless steel pipe-in-pipe heat exchanger that helps make the new Modena HE boiler such an exceptionally reliable product.”

On 7^th February 2014 Rob was coaxed out of his workshop to take centre stage for a presentation by Ferroli’s Commercial Director Andy Dimond, who thanked him for his invaluable contribution to the company and presented him with a framed letter of thanks from company owner Dante Ferroli, an engraved trophy and a track day of racing Ferraris and Lamborghinis.