Pauls Blog: Henley Heat pump reinstall.

Because of the rainy weather I had an opportunity to fabricate necessary pipe work and valves in Mr Henley's new workshop! I was the proud first person to use the work bench.

As we have been upping the quality of our installs and I intended to change the Fernox Boiler buddies for Fernox TF1 dirt separator I had the opportunity to change the pipework and valves and simpifly the install original plumbers installation - which I was never happy with.

We will be using lever valves from now on. Easier to operate, less sore muscles trying to turn butterfly ball valves. Not Pegler - the Crane valves are a beauty to install, use and look at. Higher quality higher price but well worth it. They are also 'Climate Change Ready' - they will withstand operation under the sea!!!

Because of the ease of fabricating in a workshop one of our aims is to fabricate hydronic systems in a workshop and take it to site once tested and link one-piece Unipipe runs at the site into our completed hydronics, saving mess, increasing quality and reducing the amount of 'standard' plumbing required. Was that 'sub-standard standard plumbing'??? Or is it all like that.

Pauls Blog: Resolving lightning strikes and airlocks in the Isle of Sark

I was called out to Sark to resolve a life threatening emergency, no heating. During the week 18 inches of snow had fallen on Sark and lightning storms hit Clos Bourel, an energy project that has been running for 13 years and E-Si's offical R+D centre (renewables Research and Development). At the same time as 2 out of 3 controllers being taken out an airlock had developed leaving the two flats and main house without heating. First available boat I was able to get on was 8am Wed, with no hope of a day return to weather. I stayed on until Friday as the only other boat back was thurs at 11am. All resolved. Next job, hot water and battery upgrades.

Filled system, dearators whizzed out the air like a dream, switched on controls, more air out dearators, switched heat pump heat came through, switched parallel oil boiler all coming through, all circuits operating perfectly every flow massively hot, no air locks. Wonderful.

The excellent Spirovent dearator! We have and Mitsibushi ASHP and Worcester Bosch condensing oil boiler in parallel the oil boiler for backup in extreme cold weather only each with a Spirovent dearator.

The 28mm version of the Spirovent on the ASHP.

Paul commissioning the ASHP.

The scaffold ready for wind turbine erection.

Sarks main form of transport.

Further air eradication techniques. Watch the bubbles! Flush system with fresh water.

Simple but effective, look for bubbles and dirty water turning clear.

Bypass valve pushes water to heating system and back to purge outlet.

Leaving Sark harbour.

The magnificent Sark cliffs from the boat.

Leaving Sark with Jersey several miles in the background.

Arriving back at St Peter Port.