Technical Product Information To Help You Find The Correct Product

 

Finding the right product

We stock a wide selection of products across many categories, therefore we've detailed a few common questions below to help you find the product you need.

We have staff with a large amount of experience in the plumbing, heating and bathroom industry if you would like to discuss your requirements. However we must stress that we are not installers and as such can only provide limited advice as to the best product for your particular needs.

We would recommend speaking with your installer prior to contacting us / ordering to get an idea of what you need and then let us assist you from there. It may require a site survey in order to ascertain the right products from you. Unfortunately this is not a service we provide.

Commonly asked questions

What is the difference between a combi and a system boiler?

What is the difference between a direct and indirect cylinder?

What type of cylinder do I need?

What is the difference in radiator types?

Which shape of radiator valve do I need?

How to tell whether an offset shower tray is left or right handed.

What is the difference between a combi and a system boiler?

• A combi boiler produces instant hot water on demand at any time and usually doesn’t store any hot water. In general the higher the KW rating of the boiler the better the flow rate of hot water will be.

• A system boiler requires the installation of an unvented cylinder and much like a conventional heating system; the boiler heats the hot water in the cylinder, which is dispensed at mains pressure. The boiler must be programmed to heat the water in the cylinder at specific times. Please note a system boiler is not suitable for replacing a conventional boiler, which uses a vented cylinder (usually copper) and a header tank.

We recommend that you confirm your personal requirements with your installer prior to placing an order.

What is the difference between a direct and indirect cylinder?

• A direct cylinder is an electric only option that heats the water through one or more immersion heaters.

• An indirect cylinder has a coil inside, which is plumbed into the boiler to heat the hot water in the cylinder. Indirect cylinders usually also have an immersion heater to provide a backup method of heating the water.

We recommend that you confirm your personal requirements with your installer prior to placing an order.

What type of cylinder do I need?

• If you have a regular / conventional / heat only boiler with a header tank to fill the heating system with water then you will need a vented cylinder, which is usually made from copper and is simply referred to as a “Hot Water Cylinder”.

• If you have a system boiler on a sealed system, which uses a filling loop to add water to the heating system then you will need an unvented cylinder. These are usually made from stainless steel and are also known as mains pressure cylinders.

We recommend that you confirm your personal requirements with your installer prior to placing an order.

What is the difference in radiator types?

• A type 11 radiator (also known as single radiator) has one panel which contains the water and one convector which is a zig-zag shaped part at the back of the radiator. This is the slimmest type of convector radiator but gives out the least heat for the particular size.

• A type 21 radiator (also known as P plus radiator) has two panels which contain the water and one convector which is a zig-zag shaped part in the middle of the radiator. This radiator is not as slim as a type 11 but is quite a lot slimmer than and type 22. They give out approximately 40% more heat than a type 11 of the same size.

• A type 22 radiator (also known as double radiator) has two panels which contain the water and two convectors which are a zig-zag shaped parts in the middle of the radiator. This is the deepest type of radiator but they give out approximately 80% more heat than a type 11 of the same size.

We recommend that you confirm your personal requirements with your installer prior to placing an order.

Which shape of radiator valve do I need?

Radiator valves come in a number of shapes and finishes. To determine which shape radiator valves you need, firstly identify where the central heating pipes are coming from. For example, are the pipes coming up from the floor or out from the wall?

Secondly, choose your radiator then identify where the inlets are. This is where the valves will connect the radiator to the pipework, so this will determine which shape you require.

• Straight valves have no bend or curves meaning they connect the pipework either horizontally or vertically. These are required for pipework coming up from the floor.

• Angled valves connect the pipework to a radiator at a 90-degree angle and are required for pipework that comes from the wall. Angled and corner valves are essentially the same shape, but the difference being which direction you want the valve head to face.

Choosing your valves

For radiators with bottom inlets you will need angled valves for pipework through the wall and straight valves for pipework through the floor. Corner valves are needed for pipework along the wall.

For radiators with side inlets you will need angled valves for pipework through he wall and pipework through the floor. Straight valves are needed for pipework along the wall.

Your plumber should confirm with you which shape radiator valves are required. Unfortunately, this is not something we can advise on as all installations are different.

How to tell whether an offset shower tray is left or right handed.

We offer both left and right handed shower trays for offset quadrant shower enclosures. The simplest way to tell whether a shower tray is left or right handed would be to identify which direction the curve goes from the longest edge. For example, if the longest edge of the shower tray is on the right hand side and the shower tray curves from the top to the left, this would be a left handed shower tray. Please consult the technical drawings on the product page to confirm which hand of tray is needed.