Short answer: not always. Long answer: it depends on the valve, and getting it wrong causes faults that are harder to diagnose afterwards. If you have ever scratched your head over a TMV that seems to work but delivers the wrong termpature, or one that has strangled the flow to a trickle, the answer very often lies in how it was installed in the first place. 

Orientation Matters More Than You Think

Most thermostatic mixing valves are clearly marked for hot and cold inlets, and those markings are not decorative. Reverse them and the valve cannot work correctly, because the sensing element is positioned to read the blend and modulate against a known hot side. Fitting it the wrong way around defeats the entire mechanism.

Some valves are approved for multiple mounting orientations, some are not, and some permit any orientation but only with specific inlet arrangements. The manufacturer's installation instructions are the authority on this. If a valve has been fitted in an orientation the

Store hot water at 60°C to kill legionella, then deliver it at 43°C so nobody gets scalded. Those two requirements sit in direct conflict with each other, and the thermostatic mixing valve is the device that resolves them. Understanding how it works and how to maintain it properly is not just good practice. In many settings, it is a legal obligation.

How It Works

Hot water enters one port, cold enters another. Inside the valve sits a thermostatic element, typically made from wax or bimetallic strip, that expands and contracts in response to temperature changes. As it moves, it slides a piston that opens one inlet and closes the other, continuously adjusting the blent to hold the outlet at the same temperature. 

The critical part is what happens when something goes wrong. If the cold supply fails, the element expands and shuts off the hot water supply entirely. The outlet stops flowing rather than delivering scalding water to the user. That fail safe behaviour is the whole reason TMVs are

This is the question that decides more installations than price does, and yet it is the one people research last. A hot water heat pump cylinder needs air to do its job. Choose the wrong location and it will underperform no matter how good the unit is. Before you browse models or compare prices, read this. 

It Takes Heat Out of the Air Around It

That is the whole principle. The unit draws air, extracts heat from it, transfers the heat into the water, and blows the now cooler air back out. The space it sits in must be able to supply enough air, and you need to be comfortable with that space becoming cooler and drier over time. 

Good locations: a garage, utility room, plant room, basement, outbuilding, or a large ventilated store. Somewhere with decide air volume that you are not deliberately heating. 

Bad locations: a sealed airing cupboard, a small windowless store, or at the centre of a heated living space. In a heating room you are simply reclaiming heat you already paid to produce,

Two small components stand between your unvented hot water system and a very expensive problem. If you manage a property in the UK, here is what you need to know about expansion vessels and pressure relief valves before they let you down. 

Why These Components Matter

Expansion Vessels and pressure relief valves are two of the hardest working components in any unvented hot water system. As water heats up it expands, and without a properly functioning expansion vessel to absorb that increase in volume, pressure inside the system builds rapidly. The pressure relief valve acts as the last line of defence, releasing water if pressure climbs too high. Together, these components protect your system, your property, and everyone in it. 

Neglecting them is one of the most common causes of costly call outs and premature system failure. Under UK Building Regulations, unvented hot water systems must be regularly inspected and maintained, making this not just a matter of good practice but of legal

Heat pump cylinders aren't a one-size-fits-all product. They come in 3 fundamentally different set-ups, and picking the wrong type for a property usually means an install that's harder, more expensive, or simple impossible. Here's how to tell them apart: 

Self-Contained Heat Pump Cylinders

This is the all-in-one option. There's no separate outdoor heat pump as the cylinder draw in surrounding air itself and uses it to heat the water, all from a single indoor unit. 

It's the simnplest install of the 3, and the obvious choice if there's nowhere sensible to site an outdoor unit, or the property just doesn't have the outdoor space for one. The trade-off is that it needs a reasonable volume of air around it to work efficiently, so it suits a utility room or plant space rather than a tight airing cupboard. Project CURV is a good example of these units. 

Integrated Heat Pump Cylinders

Here, the heat pump sits directly on top of the cylinder and draws its air from outside through insulated ducting,

Home batteries are getting all the attention. But there's a cheaper, quieter piece of kit already sitting in your home that does a similar job - the electric water heater. 

Why Hot Water Is Really Energy Storage

Heating water and storing electricity solve the same problem: using power when it's cheap and abundant, then using it later when it's not. A battery does this with lithium cells. An unvented cylinder or immersion heater does it with hot water and it's already installed in millions of homes and offices. 

Hot water accounts for roughly a quarter of a typical home's energy use, and most of that use is flexible. Heat the water overnight on a cheap tariff and it stays hot enough to use all day. No new hardware, no lithium, no five-figure installation. The same applies to offices, schools, and gyms. A well sized cylinder can heat overnight and coast through a full working day. 

Why This Matters More Now 

Time-of-use tarriffs like Octopus Go offer a fixed cheap window overnight, with

If you have started shopping for a boiling water tap, two names come up again and again: Quooker and Zip. We sell Zip, along with Calomax, Hyco, Instanta, Burco, and Marco at the counter top end. Since we have no Quooker, we are in a position to give you a genuinely straight comparison of what actually differs between these two leading approaches and, just as importantly, when neither of them is the right answer at all. 

Two Very Different Design Philosophies

Understanding why these products exist helps you choose the right one. Quooker's approach centres on a small, highly insulated undersink tank kept at pressure and temperature, designed specifically for the domestic kitchen. It does the job very well and the brand has built a strong following in the home market as a result. 

The Zip HydroTap takes a different path. Originally developed for commercial environments, it is a filtered, multi-functional system that prioritises dispensing volume, filtration quality, and the ability to deliver

Your Zip HydroTap ZT400 keeps the office sparkling with chilled, carbonated water all day long. But when those CO2 canisters run empty, do you know exactly where they should go? Getting disposal right is not just good practice. It is a legal sand safety responsibility that every facilities or office manager needs to understand. 

Why Proper CO2 Canister Disposal Matters

If you manage a workplace fitted with a Zip HydroTap ZT400 sparkling water system, you will already appreciate just how popular chilled sparkling water is with staff. But once those CO2 canisters are empty, it is essential to disposal of them correctly rather than simply placing them in the general waste bin. Pressurised vessels require specialist handling, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be serious. 

Can CO2 Canisters Go in the Recycling Bin?

The short answer is no, not via yor standard kerbsite or office recycling collection. CO2 canisters are pressurised vessels that require specialist handling before they

The humble office kettle has had its day. Boiling water taps are transforming UK workplaces - but before you invest, there are a handful of critical factors every facilities manager needs to consider. Get it right, and you will wonder how you ever managed without one.

Why Offices Are Switching to Boiling Water Taps

Boiling water taps are fast becoming a staple in UK offices, eliminating the inefficiency of shared kettles and cutting down the time staff spend waiting around. Instant access to boiling, chilled, and filtered water from a single tap can make a genuine difference to workplace productivity and morale - and with energy costs under the spotlight, the running savings are hard to ignore.

If you are considering making the switch, here is everything you need to know before you commit to a purchase. 

Step 1: Assess Your Office's Daily Demand 

Capacity is the single most important factor to get right. A small office of up to 20 people will typically manage well with a 3-litre unit,

When it comes to buying a new Zip limescale filter, it's easy to feel uncertain, especially if you've been using the older FL range, such as the FL170 or FL250. With Zip's latest edition of the limescale filters, the product codes have changed, and so have the requirements for installation. 

The key thing to know is this: the new Zip filters (codes 95601, 95602 etc) are not a direct swap for the old FL series. They require updated elbow connections and pipework to fit correcty. This means that even if your current Zip system has been running smoothly with an FL filter, you'll need to adapt your setup to accommodate the new models. 

To make the transition easier, we've create a simple flow chart that takes the guesswork out of the process. By following it, you can identify exactly which replacement filter you need and which additional fittings are reuired, based on the system you currently have in place. 

With the right Zip limescale filter installed, you can continue protecting your

In the UK, drinking water is carefully treated to make sure it is safe to drink. Water companies add chemicals to kill harmful bacteria, remove impurities, and improve taste and odour. While these treatments are effective, some people prefer to reduce their intake of these additives by using a water filter.  

Chlorine 

Chlorine is widely used to kill bacteria and viruses. It plays a vital role in preventing diseases, but it can react with organic matter to create byproducts such as trihalomethanes. These compounds have raised health concerns, which is why some households choose to filter their water. 

Fluoride

Fluoride is added to help prevent tooth decay, particularly in children. Although effective, excessive fluoride can cause dental flurosis, a cosmetic condition that affects tooth enamel. For those wishing to avoid it, water filtration provides a straight forward solution. 

Aluminium Sulphate 

Aluminium sulphate helps remove sediment, algae, and bacteria. UK water authorities

Dryflow makes one of the widest hand dryer ranges we stock, from slim budget dryers for a small staff washroom to HEPA-filtered and hands-in models for busy public spaces. That choice is useful, but it can make picking one harder. This guide groups the range by the job each dryer does best.

Slim and budget: Slimforce, Connect and Turboforce Junior Plus

The Slimforce, in brushed satin and black, is Dryflow's budget-focused dryer. It sits no more than 100mm off the wall, which makes it a genuine slimline hand dryer and a sensible choice for narrow corridors and accessible washrooms. It carries a 3-year warranty.

The Connect, in black and silver, is just as slim and draws the least power in the range, at 500W or under. It suits lighter-use washrooms in colleges, bars and restaurants, and also carries a 3-year warranty.

The Turboforce Junior Plus, in white, polished chrome and brushed satin, is a robust all-purpose budget dryer with a longer 5-year warranty.

HEPA filtered: Bullet Dri

Most washrooms end up with a hand dryer from one maker, a towel dispenser from another and accessories from a third, and it shows. The Allgood Modric range solves that: a hand dryer and a full set of washroom accessories designed to match, all in the same satin stainless steel.

Why the finish matters: marine grade 316 stainless steel

Every piece in the Modric range is made from grade 316 stainless steel, the marine grade used where corrosion resistance really counts. It holds its appearance far better than standard stainless in a damp washroom, which makes it a sound choice for washrooms that need to look good for years, not months. Most pieces also use concealed fixings, so there are no visible screws to spoil the clean lines.

The Modric hand dryer

The Modric SS2461N is a sensor-activated, high-speed hand dryer with a concealed fixing and BEAB approval. At 75dB it sits in the middle of the range for noise, and its square profile, 260mm wide by 310mm tall, is designed to line up visually

Anda makes straightforward, good-value hand dryers for everyday commercial washrooms. The range covers compact stainless units, a quieter energy-saving model, a hands-in dryer for busy sites and a simple option for low-traffic rooms. Here is how to choose between them.

Anda Fast Dryer: compact stainless steel

The Fast Dryer comes in polished stainless steel and satin stainless steel. It is a compact, fully automatic hands-under dryer with a strong airflow, and the stainless casing makes it a smart, hard-wearing choice for offices, shops and cafes.

It is the louder of Anda's two compact dryers, so for a washroom close to a working area the Eco Fast below is the better fit.

Anda Eco Fast: the quieter, energy-saving option

The Automatic Eco Fast comes in stainless steel and white. At 1kW it keeps running costs down, and it is noticeably quieter than the Fast Dryer, which makes it well suited to offices, surgeries and small businesses where noise carries.

Anda Jet Dry Plus: hands-in speed

Dolphin hand dryers are built for the washrooms that give most dryers a hard time: busy public spaces, rooms that get knocked about, and refits where the space or the look is fixed before you start. The range is small, but each model has a clear job. Here is how to pick between them.

Dolphin BC230: built to take a beating

The BC230 in chrome and in white is a traditional nozzle dryer, the kind that dries both hands and face. It is sturdy, fully automatic and vandal resistant, which makes it a natural fit for pubs, restaurants and other public-facing washrooms where a dryer needs to survive rough treatment.

It is also a good like-for-like replacement for older dryers of a similar footprint, so a refit can often go straight onto the existing fixings. The trade-off is noise: this is the loudest dryer in the range, so it suits a busy washroom better than one next to an office or classroom. It carries a 5-year warranty.

Dolphin Velocity BC2001: for washrooms that need to look the part

The Velocity

Hand Dryers are the unsung heros of every washroom. They run all day, every day, largely ignored until something goes wrong. But for facilities managers, recognising the warning signs early can save time, money, and a great deal of unnecessary frustration. Here are 5 clear signs that your hand dryer is due retirement, and what to replace it with.

It Takes Forever to Dry Hands

If users are giving up halfway through and wiping their hands on their trousers, that is a sure sign your dryer has lost its effectiveness. Reduced airflow is a classic symptom of a motor that is on its way out. No amount of filter cleaning will rescue a failing motor, and a sluggish dryer quickly becomes a source of complaints. 

It is Costing a Fortune to Run

Older hand dryers can consume significantly more electricity than modern energy saving models. If your energy bills have been creeping upward, an upgrade could pay for itself surprisingly quickly. Units such as the BioDrier Eco BE08W and the Xlerator XL BW Eco

This article, the second part of the great ‘Hand Dryer Vs Paper towels’ debate, looks at the cost element. If you haven't read the introduction, click here. For many people, this is the overriding reason for choosing one over the other, and is certainly the criterion that hand dryer manufacturers love to talk about. But is it as strong an argument as they make out?

Firstly, let me say that several hand dryer manufacturers have created their own calculators or cost illustrations, and some of them are extremely detailed. I have drawn on several of them, but I am trying not to be too anal about these calculations – the objective is to come up with a general opinion rather than any exact figures.

To start, let’s split this into the 2 most obvious areas: purchase price and running cost.

Purchase Price - Hand Dryers and Paper Towels

In today’s highly competitive market, you can get hold of a high-quality, efficient hand dryer which does a good job of drying hands quickly, for around the £200