PHPI heads to Northern Ireland to tour Warmflow’s HQ & manufacturing facility in Lisburn, discover more about the company’s roots and to take a look at its latest heating solutions for the UK market and beyond.
Warmflow is a leading heating appliance manufacturer with a portfolio of solutions spanning Liquid Fuel Boilers, Warm Air Heaters, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Cylinders and Air Source Heat Pumps. Based in Lisburn, Northern Ireland at its 150,000 square foot facility, the company is well known throughout the region and is expanding across the UK. In fact, its reach goes right around the world, with customers across Europe and as-far-a-field as Canada, New Zealand and the Falkland Islands.
The company is also expanding closer to home, with its GB facility, currently in Telford, soon to be replaced as it moves operations to Shrewsbury and a larger site, all part of a multi-million pound investment.
Heating focus
Established in 1968, as Castlereagh Sheet Metal, over its history the company has manufactured everything from gun cabinets to metal urinals, but for some time Warmflow has focused on heating appliances and is particularly known for its oil boilers.
Seven years ago the company completely redesigned its oil boiler introducing a new range called Agentis. Brian Beattie, Director of GB Sales and Marketing at Warmflow, said: “When we re-launched the Agentis oil range, it was completely a radical change, not just an evolution, it is completely different, the size is different, where the components are is different, everything about it is different.”
The move delivered a robust appliance and reduced warranty issues substantially. Since then, the range has been modified and improved. Warmflow includes a number of additional items with the Agentis boiler that installers often need to source separately. Included is a filter, oil valves, pressure reducing valve and shock arrestor. Within the Agentis range there is also a PRO version with further options. The moves are designed to assist installers as much as possible, reducing complexity and installation time.
Renewable future
With the market moving toward Low Carbon Heating solutions the Agentis Liquid Fuel range can be run on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), a renewable fuel which can be used as a replacement to oil. Neil Rumbold, GB Renewables Manager at Warmflow described HVO as, “a game-changer”.
However, to offer consumers and installers a broad range of renewable heating options the company has also brought to market both Ground Source Heat Pumps and Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP), together with Heat Pump Cylinders.
The company’s Zeno R290 ASHP comes in three sizes, 9, 15 and 22kW all of which fully modulate. The R290 refrigerant has a low Global Warming Potential (GWP) of three and can heat water up to 75°C. It has a sleek anthracite finish and sound levels as low as 41dB.
A helping hand
Shifting to installing Heat Pumps can be a daunting prospect for some installers. To help Warmflow has 10 training locations across the UK to help provide installers with the required knowledge.
Additionally, it provides its ‘Heat Pump Assist+’ programme, which uses an MCS umbrella scheme to help installers deliver a MCS accredited installation without the need to be MCS accredited. Brian Beattie noted: “the umbrella company, working with us, will do system design, on-site support, onsite commissioning, holding [an installer’s] hand right from start to finish.”
Take control
To help installers commission, service and maintain its Zeno Heat Pumps the company has developed Warmlink. Via a SIM card, which has a five-year SIM plan and can be extended at the end of the period, Warmlink provides engineers with control of the heat pump. Neil Rumbold noted: “You got full operation of the heat pump. It is more for the installer and our tech support rather than the end user.”
He continued: “There is a read only setting, a service engineer setting and a senior service engineer setting. You can have full remote diagnostics. As long as there is power to the unit you can do everything from there.”
Using the remote diagnostics, issues or faults can be investigated prior to a support visit, saving time for installers, and especially journey time which can be significant issue in rural areas.
Hot water
Supporting the company’s Heat Pumps is the Nero range of Heat Pump Cylinders with sizes from 170L to 290L. The cylinders come pre-assembled, are made from duplex stainless steel and are MCS compliant.
Nero Heat Pump cylinders are slightly different from some other cylinders as they don’t have a coil. Neil Rumbold explained: “Normally you’d have a coil in the cylinder to give you the water temperature. We use a heat exchanger on the side and a shunt pump. So that pump moves the whole body of water and you get really fast recovery.”
Stay connected
To further support installers the company also has a loyalty programme, Warmflow Connect. Neil Rumbold explained the scheme, “helps to get products registered, it activates guarantees, plus there are other goodies on there.”
He explained how one customer recently got £200 vouchers for a well-known coffee shop. These were split across a number of cards and passed out to fitters across the company, who could then get ‘free’ coffee in the morning on the way to a job.
Well placed
With a new GB facility under development and a large range of low-carbon heating appliances, including both ground source and air source heat pumps, Warmflow is well placed to support installers looking to specify and fit a range of heating solutions.
Summing up Warmflow’s position Brian Beattie said: “We are constantly innovating and moving our products forward. We only use premium market leading components and we have a great sales support teams.”
Images: Warmflow
