Installer News
Be prepared for winter
20 Dec 2019Top tips – Start preparing now There’s no time like the present to get started, here are a few simple things to share with homeowners and businesses to prepare for a cold winter. Locate the stop tap and check it is in working order – if a pipe freezes and bursts in your home you need to be able to shut off the water supply quickly. Insulate outside taps and pipes in unheated areas like lofts,
‘Hall of Shame’ - public water feature
20 Dec 2019Welcome to our new “Hall of Shame” feature. This is a new feature where we share a picture themed on water fittings that you might have seen in your town. This months’ shameful picture This picture was taken in a busy town and shows the careless discarding of a hose filling a public water feature. Whilst public spaces and water features should be enjoyed by all, sharing the water from it by
Domestic and Residential Fire Suppression Systems
20 Dec 2019There has been a lot of focus on fire protection systems for single households since the Domestic Fire Safety Measure was passed by the Welsh Government and came in to force in 2016. In Wales it has become compulsory to install an automatic fire suppression system in all new residences, which include houses and flats including those being converted as well as some specific types of buildings
Spot the difference – Check valves or Non-return valves…
20 Dec 2019Non-return valve is a term commonly used in industry and easily understood by the public. Simply put it describes devices trying to stop fluids returning back. Since industrialisation engineers soon realised the need to stop fluids flowing backwards, either to aid processes or to prevent damage. They soon came up with ingenious designs to stop this, giving them a variety of different names
Why could my water taste of petrol
07 Nov 2019Plastics materials have been one of the major innovations of the 20th century. The humble pipe is one which has benefited from innovation and provided a number of benefits including anti-corrosion properties and flexibility. These have helped enormously with ground movement stresses and soils that aggressively attack some traditional materials such as copper and iron. For underground water pipes,
District heating systems and the Water Fittings Regulations and Byelaws
24 Apr 2018In this article we will briefly explain the requirements of the Water Fittings Regulations (Byelaws in Scotland) as they apply to these types of systems. The UK is driving forwards to a low carbon economy where the use of district heating schemes providing central heating or hot water is likely to increase. This is being reinforced by the UK Government and its announcement of a five year, £320m
Type AB air gap app
24 Aug 2017links updated 25 Jun 2021 WRAS has recently published a second plumbing design app, this time to help designers and installers with type AB air gap arrangements. The Air Gap Calculator replaces the former Microsoft Excel spreadsheet-based tool on the website. The new calculator is based on the ‘calculation methods’ set out in British Standard BS EN 13077:2008, and provides a guide to help
WaterSafe moving house campaign
24 Aug 2017WaterSafe, the UK national accreditation body for approved plumbers,has created a quick and easy five-step guide for new home owners and those moving house to check their plumbing is in tip top condition. WaterSafe has launched a Moving House guide for new home buyers and those moving home on what they should look out for in their new home when it comes to plumbing, pipes, taps and fittings.
The Regulators' view on domestic plumbing
24 Aug 2017Drinking water quality regulators across the UK have highlighted issues with private plumbing in their annual reports. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), overseeing water supply quality in England and Wales , issues regular reports looking at drinking water quality at a national level from the perspective of the Chief Inspector of drinking water. From 2016, the DWI has been issuing quarterly
Water competition arrives in England
24 Aug 2017In April 2017, in a bid to increase market competition, 1.2 million more non-household customers for water and sewerage services have been able to choose their supplier. Arrangements for this overhaul of national water services and its implications for the Water Fittings Regulations are outlined below. Benefits of competition Since privatisation of the water industry in 1989, most premises have
WaterSafe rebrand
16 Mar 2017WaterSafe, the national hub for approved plumbers administered by WRAS, has recently rebranded and launched new logos and a revamped website – www.WaterSafe.org.uk . The rebrand and website relaunch were primarily to make it easier to identify the purpose of WaterSafe and make it easier for customers and plumbers to find information. All current members are encouraged to use the new logos on
Dipping into the Water Regulations
16 Mar 2017Like many mains-fed installations, there are regulations to ensure swimming pools and spas/hot tubs meet legal requirements. All water fittings and appliances connected to mains water supply must comply with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Byelaws in Scotland. It is the installer’s legal duty to ensure the
Approved or not approved... WRAS is the question
15 Mar 2017Thomas Cook, WIAPS Manager Are you a ‘WRAS Approved’ plumber? There are many of you out there! It is a common misconception that plumbers can be WRAS Approved . However, no plumbing business may claim to be WRAS approved and this would breach a registered trademark. Worse still, if a plumber claims to be WRAS approved, then they might find themselves in hot water with trading standards. The
How poor plumbing is causing pollution
15 Mar 2017Andrew Broadbent, chair of the National Misconnections Group It may seem like a small mistake – one wrongly connected bit of plumbing. But that is all it takes to see waste from toilets, showers and washing machines flowing into our rivers and seas and polluting our environment. Sewage and wastewater from toilets, baths, showers,dishwashers, washing machines and sinks should go straight into the
Pipe Insulation Tool
16 Dec 2016As the weather is getting colder, WRAS has released a new ‘Pipe insulation Tool’ app to help designers and installers calculate minimum insulation requirements for every installation. The app is free to download or use on the WRAS website without the need for any specialist applications. The tool enables users to calculate how many hours protection from freezing water pipes insulation will offer
Plumbing in appliances
29 Nov 2016Commercial premises often need higher levels of backflow protection for their water-using appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines. This article provides advice to help identify the right backflow prevention for these appliances. The design, manufacture and installation of appliances if supplied from the public water mains, come under the scope of the Water Supply (Water Fittings)
Don't be a douche about hand showers
29 Nov 2016What the installer needs to know - Nobody would expect or want to find water from the WC pan coming out of their kitchen tap. But across the UK faulty installation of ablutionary showers in homes could have this result. Ablutionary showers are fittings designed for personal cleansing whilst using the toilet – hand showers, bidets, douches, toilet bidets seats all pose similar risks to the water
RPZ data refreshed
17 Mar 2016Recently WRAS refreshed the RPZ testers list so it more accurately reflects those who are currently offering testing services. During this process we did not hear back from all testers so if you are a tester and wish to be back on the list please do get in touch and update your contact details. More details are in the ‘ Plumbing Professionals ’ section of the WRAS website. WRAS news -
Marking a change
17 Mar 2016No one wants to have contaminated drinking water. But it can and does happen, particularly if pipes in the home carrying reused water look the same as those carrying drinking water. The way to distinguish them is to ensure the proper labelling is used. In one water company-reported case, a rainwater harvesting system in an East Anglian eco-home allowed contaminated rainwater into the home’s
Ready for the RPZ Approved Installation Method (AIM)
17 Mar 2016An update of the installation requirements for RPZ valves is expected to be published this year. Water Industry Approved Installation Methods (AIMs) are approved by water companies who enforce the regulations and are recognised by the regulator, giving them special legal status under the Water Fittings Regulations and Byelaws. The AIM is likely to introduce significant changes for testers and