Plumbing retrofit faster, retrofit better with JG Speedfit

The British housing stock is long overdue an en-masse plumbing retrofit, with the country’s 29 million homes being some of Europe’s most inefficient. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that these homes contribute to 15% of the UK’s total emissions. So, if the UK is going to have a fighting chance of meeting their net zero targets, retrofitting these homes to be more energy efficient is priority number one.

However, due to a growing skills gap, and the back log of jobs created as a result of the lockdowns during the pandemic, installers are more in demand than ever. With plumbing retrofit’s looking to make up a big part of all jobs in the next few years, for installers to make all their commitments, efficient solutions from an installation perspective are a must. Luckily, JG Speedfit has an answer to the problem.

Whilst plastic push-fit plumbing solutions cannot be used for every plumbing retro-fitting situation, for instance when connecting directly to a boiler, the added efficiency they provide when used for hot, cold and central heating applications cannot be understated.

Plastic push-fit fittings such as JG Speedfit Twist & Lock^® fittings can be installed entirely tool and flame free. The fittings offer an efficient and time-saving solution to both install and demount. This is made possible by the primary O-Ring seal and the Grip & Seal™ collet with stainless-steel teeth, which, when combined with JG Speedfit’s Superseal Inserts can create a unique multiseal.

To be suitable for most plumbing retrofit needs, the fittings are available in a range of connections, including tees, elbows, and straight connectors. This means you can more efficiently install retrofit projects from every angle, whilst making for safer and longer lasting systems, too.

Not only can plastic push-fit fittings be installed without the need for tools other than a pipe cutter, by using solutions such as JG Layflat Pipe, you can actually bend pipe around corners and therefore reduce the number of fittings you need to use in the first place, which of course makes retrofitting a much faster process.

Water leaks are the silent saboteur of most homes’ energy efficiency credentials. Often going unnoticed until they’ve more than taken their toll on the home, leaks are not only costly, but a huge potential drain on water resources. A single leak can lose up to 1400 gallons of water in 24 hours, and it requires an installer to drive out and fix it, which leads to unnecessary emissions, not to mention loss of time.

Therefore, retrofitting a home to reduce the chances of leaks from occurring is a big plus, and doing so in an efficient fashion is a win-win for both homeowners and installers.

Plastic push-fit plumbing manifolds from JG Speedfit fit the bill here. The manifold acts as a central hub for both hot and cold water supplies, and therefore reduces the number of fittings required for the system to operate. Individual runs of pipe can be cabled to an outlet by using JG Layflat pipe, creating a faster better retrofit.

Whilst having time efficient solutions is going to be at the forefront of every installer’s mind over the coming years, the primary reason most like to retrofit a home is for it to be safer and more efficient. And so, installing some additional solutions to protect a home, and make second fix installations easier, should be a consideration too.

As before, wastewater is the lead culprit behind many homes’ energy inefficiencies. And nowhere is this more pronounced than when doing those second fix installations. Far too often the home’s entire water supply has to be drained off for work on individual systems to take place.

The solution? Installing a valve with the ability to isolate a home’s water supply. JG Speedfit’s push-fit valves bring together different functions into one fitting, not only to save space and make isolating the water supply easier, but also to make the installation of such a system more efficient for installers, too. And installers are spoiled for choice in this aspect, with multiple valves achieving the same result. For example, double check valves combined with service valves for outside taps can save a lot of space under the sink. Equally, there are lever-operated shut off valves, hand-operated shut off taps, or screwdriver-operated valves that can shut off water supply with a single turn, meaning that installers can mould the fitting to whatever works best for the individual system.

With plumbing retrofits set to be a larger chunk of the workload for installers over the coming years, having efficiently installed solutions is becoming increasingly desired. With solutions from JG Speedfit, installers can be certain that they are not only making homes more energy efficient but are doing so in a time efficient fashion, allowing them to get onto their next job with time to spare.