Chelmer are proud to announce that the Ecocat cylinder – Brent Witherspoon’s latest thermal store creation has won the prestigious Mid-Essex Business Award for Innovation. This is the first time that Chelmer have entered a product into such an award and due to the high level of competition in the event, Chelmer were not expecting anything other than a free night out, courtesy of the Evening Echo. To everybody’s surprise however the Ecocat won! Congratulation to Brent and his award winning, heat pump and solar ready thermal store!

Super-Efficient Low Profile UFH

At first glance Chelmer’s new low-profile underfloor heating system called ‘The Retromat’ could be mistaken for electrical underfloor matting. Nothing could be further from the truth however. To suit current market trends, Chelmer have opened the door into the retrofit market with this extraordinary product, tried and tested in Germany but new to the UK market. The Retromat is very easy to lay and comes with its own self-levelling screed and special insulation board, producing a total constructed height of only 25mm with a response time of only 25 minutes! This makes it perfectly suited to retrofitting, extensions and in scenarios where a fast reacting system is required. The Retromat system also comes with its own compact and versatile manifold and control system, allowing it to be connected directly to an existing radiator system. Things really get interesting when you connect the Retromat underfloor system to an ‘Ecocat’ thermal store however, in a well insulated house we can now run a heat pump at 27-30°C, giving an astounding CoP of 5! For more details please contact Chelmer on 01245 471111 or download our sales leaflet.

Chelmer have recently rebranded their entire range of thermal store cylinders to celebrate a shift towards creating a more complete, yet simplified underfloor heating and renewable energy system for the self-installer and small developer. All Chelmer cylinders come solar ready and each one has been designed to provide a solution for a variety of energy sources: The Ecocat can accommodate the high flow rates from a heat pump whist maintaining optimum efficiency, The Thermocat will keep condensing boilers in condensing mode and prevents wasteful cycling, the Multicat can integrate multiple inputs, wood burners and biomass boilers and the Electrocat is an electric immersion thermal store for apartments and houses without mains gas supply. Chelmer have also integrated new ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers and high-efficiency boilers into their systems from manufacturers such as Kensa Engineering, Halstead and Gerkros who all share Chelmer’s ethos of reliability and quality.

Constructor Magazine Article

Carl Robinson – Our CAD & website designer extraordinaire will be featured in either the November/December or January’s issue of ‘Constructor’ magazine in their ‘Rising Stars’ column. Heres a sneak preview!

Name: Carl Robinson

Age: 18

Town: Chelmsford

Hobbies/Interests: Website design, clubbing and playing pool

Apprenticeship/qualification in: Level 3 Apprenticeship in 2D CAD

Start & Completion Dates: Sept 9th 08

Company employed at: Chelmer Heating

College/University attended: Colchester Institute

What made you go in to this field? I wanted a career where I could learn a technical skill and that would challenge me and give me progression in terms of my own learning and development.

Best thing about the job? Every job that I work on is completly different and each one challenges me in a different way, I enjoy working under pressure as it gives me a chance to improve my abilities.

Worst thing about the job? The apprenticeship wage!!

So what next? (plans for the future, etc) Once I have completed my qualification I would like to go more into the science of renewable energies as this is a growing market and could make a difference to everyone’s future

Quote from manager:

Brent Witherspoon – Managing Director

We have not employed a trainee for some time as we have had some bad experiences in the past. We were approached by a new scheme run by Connexions in Essex called ‘Train for your future’ who find apprentices for local businesses. They convinced us to give Carl a trial to see how he got on. Reluctantly we agreed but we were very pleasantly surprised! Carl was able to hit the ground running and in only a few weeks he had picked up the skills needed to have a positive impact on the company. His college also decided to move him to the next level as he was learning so fast. He has also used his web design skills to rebuild our aging website which has saved us thousands! His tea making skills still need some work but we can forgive him for that!

The Final Word

Chelmer's Managing Director, Brent Witherspoon, has done an interview for the Guardian Supplement. It was printed on Monday 6th of Oct 2008. If your missed it click here to view it.

Chelmer launched the new Ecocat cylinder at the National Homebuilding and Renovating show in April and we were overwhelmed by the amount of interest this new cylinder generated. Customers were particularly interested in the way it uses solar collectors to prioritise energy into underfloor heating and its ability to accept the high flow rate of a heat pump without losing efficiency.

Chelmer are now ready to announce a significant upgrade to the Ecocat; this highly efficient cylinder is now constructed from stainless steel which means it is capable of higher pressures. To reflect its reliability and strength, it now also comes with a 25 year guarantee as standard. Key to the Ecocat’s success is its unrivalled versatility. It is compatible with a range of boilers such as; gas, oil, LPG, electric and has been specifically designed to accept the high flow rates from virtually any heat pump; including ground, air and water. The Ecocat also comes ready to connect to solar thermal collectors as a supplementary heat source thanks to a solar coil fitted as standard. The Ecocat’s elegant, space‐saving design incorporates both a ‘tank in tank’ cylinder for optimal heat transfer and a revolutionary heating buffer to allow fully zoned underfloor heating and a marked increase in efficiency.

Since September 2007, Chelmer have been working in conjunction with Exterior Plas Ltd on an exciting new project in Stapleford Tawney, Essex. Sutton Manor is a beautiful listed building dating from 1540 which until recently was an NHS drug/alcohol rehabilitation clinic until sold by Essex County Council. Exterior Plas took on the property for redevelopment into 8 apartments in the main building. Chelmer were asked to design a state of the art UFH and hot water system with a particular emphasis on renewable energy.

As the building is listed it presented a series of technical challenges to overcome. In a building of this age, having the correct level of insulation was absolutely critical,particularly as the main energy source is a bank of 6 x 17kW air source heat pumps. The heat pumps are backed up by a bank of 2 electric flow boilers which are programmed to supplement the heat pumps when the ambient temperature outside falls below 5°c

The new Ecocat cylinder marks a turning point for Chelmer. Its unrivalled ability to work with environmental energy such as heat pumps and solar make it the obvious choice for the Eco‐builder. To highlight this, Chelmer have produced a new series of advertising images for use in the trade press.

Constructor magazine managed to get hold of our ’Angel of the South’ image which depicts the Ecocat with solar collector wings getting closer to nature. They liked it so much they decided they wanted it as their front cover in the June addition. Also currently in the press is our ‘Cat in Space’ image which shows the cylinder as an eco‐satellite—doing its bit for mankind!

For more information on Constructor Magazine, please visit their website: www.constructorgroup.co.uk

Chelmer Heating Services have been designing and supplying their own brand of underfloor heating and domestic hot water systems for over ten years. Over this time Chelmer have continuously adapted to this ever evolving industry, developing increasingly more efficient systems to meet the needs of a particularly demanding customer base, whilst simultaneously retaining the simplicity of installation and operation. Chelmer have developed a new range of self ‐install kits for small areas such as extensions and conservatories which are designed specifically to connect to existing heating systems.

Chelmer’s Small Area Kits are designed to provide the warmth and comfort of underfloor heating to extensions and conservatories. Through choosing underfloor heating you also negate the need for additional radiators which means you can make more efficient use of available space. The kits come in a range of sizes to suit different applications and are designed to work from an existing primary boiler feed whilst being controlled independently of existing heating circuits (i.e. hot water cylinder and/or radiators).

The kits are controlled by one or more wall thermostats which open the relevant loops of pipe on the underfloor heating manifold and turn on the boiler when necessary. Each wall thermostat activates the pump and motorised valve if the room temperature is below the thermostat’s setting, this will then activate the boiler and pump water through the underfloor heating circuit. The water temperature flowing into the underfloor heating circuit is regulated by the mixing valve. The mixing valve can be adjusted to vary the heat output of the underfloor heating in order to suit various floor constructions and heat demands.

To conform to BS EN 1264 standards, the kits are limited to an output of 100W/m² in a screeded floor covered with ceramic tiles (a floor temperature of 29°C). As a result, if the kit is to be installed in areas with high heat losses (i.e. conservatories) then supplementary heating may be required in mid‐winter in order for the room to achieve optimum comfort levels.

The kits are designed for the self‐installer and therefore are simple to install. They come complete with an easy to follow instruction manual and full technical backup is available via telephone to ensure your project runs smoothly. For more information about Chelmer’s Small Area Kits Click Here.

Chelmer are pleased to announce a new partnership with Kensa, making Chelmer an official UK stockist. Kensa ground source heat pumps have been recommended by Chelmer for some time, when customers request a ground source powered heating and hot water system. Kensa pumps are preferred for their reliability, performance and simple installation.

When Chelmer released their new Ecocat cylinder at the National Homebuilding and Renovating show in April it was clear that the market had finally turned in favour of the ground source heat pump; “I think 95% of people I have talked to today have wanted to talk about Ground Source!” explains our Marketing Coordinator Chris Laing. Through combining the new Ecocat cylinder with a Kensa heat pump, customers can enjoy the most advanced renewable energy solution available for their home.

This partnership represents a step forward, not only for Chelmer and Kensa but for the industry in general. There is a great amount of misinformation and misconceptions in the energy efficient market which leaves the public confused and gives the renewable energies industry a bad name. Companies offering similarly reliable, no nonsense and effective systems need to stick together and set the standard.

Chelmer have recently taken into stock a series of high efficiency condensing boilers from some of the industries leading boiler manufacturers including Halstead, Grandee and Gerkros. The new ranges available are even more efficient than the previous incarnations and provide low emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide. These manufacturers are well known for their superior build quality, ease of installation and reliability.

Condensing boilers are very high efficiency appliances with combustion efficiencies of around 95%. The extra efficiency compared with a standard boiler is achieved by extracting virtually all useful heat from the combustion and flue products. So efficient in fact, that the flue gases are cooled sufficiently to release their latent heat, with the water vapour which is produced in normal combustion, being cooled to the point of liquid concentrate.

It is only possible for a condensing boiler to work to these very high efficiencies if the flow and return pipework is also kept below 55°C. The flow & return temperatures need to be maintained for the heat transference to occur from the flue to the water (i.e. heat transference goes from hotter to cooler materials).

For more information on these new ranges please contact our sales team on 01245 471111.

With a tear in our collective eye, Eco‐Build (in February 08) saw the last outing of our trusty old Opti Trilite trade show stand. For 6 years Chelmer’s poor show staff carted this beast around the country, promoting the company and its energy efficient products. The times they are a changing however!

The National Homebuilding and Renovating show at the NEC saw the unveiling of our new stand, complete with a revamped logo. The new system makes the mammoth task of building and dismantling the stand that much easier thanks to its clip‐together design . The newly designed artwork also represents how Chelmer is moving forward in the energy efficient market.

Approximately 50% of Chelmer customers find us through the trade shows which are always an excellent resource for the self‐builder. Chelmer typically attend approximately 10 shows a year including; Homebuilding and Renovating, Ecobuild, Phex and M&E to name just a few! For free tickets for any of our upcoming shows, please contact Terry on 01245 471111.

Chelmer Heating are proud to announce the imminent opening of their new specialist training centre situated at the CHS headquarters in the picturesque countryside of central Essex. Chelmer have been developing advanced, eco‐friendly underfloor heating and domestic hot water solutions for over ten years. They are now opening their doors to self‐builders and installers alike to share their knowledge and expertise.

The purpose built facility can cater for up to twelve people and features a fully functioning Ecocat system with examples of how UFH can be integrated into various floor constructions. Through training with Chelmer, installers will gain expert insider knowledge from Chelmer’s experienced technical and design teams, enabling the installer to deal with a range of circumstances and configurations.

Training sessions last one day and cover all aspects of the product range that Chelmer supply. This includes the sizing, installation and operation of the entire underfloor heating and domestic hot water system and the full range of cylinders such as the newly developed Ecocat, Thermocat, Electrocat and Multicat. For more information or to book a session contact Chelmer on 01245 471111.

The Chelmer Electric Dual Thermostore is designed to provide all the heating and domestic hot water requirements for small houses and apartments without a mains gas supply. This also negates the need for radiators or a boiler which can be a distinct advantage when space in your property is at a premium. The underfloor heating has two or three separate zones controlled by programmable wall thermostats and the system is designed to operate with low tariff night time electricity.

The cylinders have two sections, the upper part is heated to 80°C for the hot water demand, with the lower section heated to 65°C to serve the underfloor heating. The Electric Thermostore is fitted with four immersion heaters, cheap rate electricity powers one 6kw and one 3kw immersion heater in the base of the cylinder. There are two separately controlled 3kw immersion heaters for the customer to use as a boost if they require extra heating or hot water during the day. The mains pressure domestic hot water flow rate is a nominal 20 litres per min at 50°C with a pressure of 2 bar from the mains. This will meet the average three person family's requirements using only the cheap rate stored hot water.

Key Points

• No radiators
• Powered by cheap rate electricity
• Built in electric control system
• No gas supply Infrastructure required
• No gas boiler with flue problems
• No corgi registered engineers required
• No overflow system required
• Direct mains hot water (not under unvented regs.)
• Up to 22 Litres/Min @ 50°C. No Pumps
• Up to 90m² of warm water underfloor heating
• Fully zone able
• CAD drawings for each project
• Installation manual with telephone backup
• Very simple to install