PHPI finds out more about a that has been designed to keep working areas clear of spillages and can be shaped to fit even the most awkward spaces.
Q. Heating engineers and plumbers are working with liquids every day – how does your collection system help with daily tasks?
DERBLAUE® can be used for both collecting and pumping liquids, in a simple, efficient and clean way, for almost any application. The collection tub can be folded so small that it even fits in a trouser pocket. When unfolded, it has a capacity of 10 litres. The powerful pumping system can pump liquids out of the tub at a rate of 10 l/min and has a suction depth of 5mm. DERBLAUE® is a complete system consisting of different products that can be combined with each other.
Q. In what kinds of scenarios would plumbers and heating engineers use a liquid collection system?
Every time when working with liquids – for example, when replacing radiators, valves, expansion vessels, siphons, pumps, toilets, corner valves, pressure reducers, heating circuit manifolds, toilet push plates or water meters.
Also, for the professional maintenance of heat exchangers or when draining wall mounted radiators, boilers and buffer tanks (especially when there is no floor drain). Furthermore, for all difficult overhead work on drainpipes, pumps, gate valves and especially for emergency service when dealing with leakages and burst pipes.
Q. Which liquids is the tub suitable for?
It is resistant to all common liquids, including contaminated heating water, liquids containing glycol and magnetite, hydraulic and heating oil and many more. We are currently testing many liquids within the chemical industry and will summarize a list of liquids on our website when applicable.
Q. Do installers need to carry the tub to a drain to dispose of the liquid?
No. There is the DERBLAUE® pumping system. The pump can be placed into a specially designed lug in the tub, and the 3m hose can then be routed to a drain and fastened via a mounting clip, so that there is no need to hold anything (some plumbers even replace/prolong the hose themselves up to 30m).
The pump has a flow rate of 10liters per minute at 0,5 bar, so that you can easily pump from a cellar to the ground floor. The pump can be operated either with a power supply unit or a splash-proof rechargeable battery. With one full charge you can pump for 3.5 hours non-stop, i.e. up to 1500 litres.
The advantage of the pumping system is firstly the major time saving, as this way every valve only needs to be opened once and the complete liquid can be drained in one go directly to the final destination, so during this time plumbers and heating engineers have their hands free and can already start with other work in the meantime. Secondly the pumping system allows such a controlled draining that the risk of damages to carpets or floors are close to zero.
Q. Plumbers and heating engineers often find themselves in tight and awkward spaces, how does the system help reach spaces that are hard to access?
That’s exactly what makes DERBLAUE® so special. All products are so flexible that a 5mm gap is enough to fit the products in the smallest spaces. Integrated bending metal elements underneath the sealing lip of the collection tub (and also in other products) can be bent into any shape and thus perfectly adapted to any surface.
As every application situation can be different this allows maximum flexibility to adapt the products to each individual situation, exactly how the situation requires. The sealing lip therefore also adapts perfectly to uneven surfaces, so that water running down the pipe is directed nicely into the tub.
Our complete system is designed for the heat engineers and plumbers to install the different products in the beginning and then have their hands free, which is a massive time saver, and which improves the efficiency and ease of work immensely.
Q. How do you attach accessories, such as the slide and splash guards?
The slide has two strong neodymium magnets and can therefore be attached to all metal surfaces on its own as a splash guard or to conduct liquids into the tub, however it also can be combined with other products with these magnets. This is because not only the tub, but also the splash guard and the slide have built-in bending metal elements so that the slide and tub or slide and splash guard can be seamlessly connected to each other via the magnets and liquids can be drained away in a controlled manner. This way the surrounding area is protected as much as possible from splashes which leads to happy customers and happy plumbers and heating engineers.
PHPI spoke with Melinda Schmidt, Head of Sales at DERBLAUE®.