Ian Fleming, Gas Technical Trainer at EOGB, tells us about his experience in the industry throughout the years…

So where did it all begin?

Throughout my childhood, I always approached everything with a technical mind. I was inclined to pull apart, inspect and attempt to fix every faulty electronic item in the house.

In 1993, I left school and immediately started a gas apprenticeship with British Gas, where both my parents had worked. I gained all my qualifications and have worked in the industry ever since!

How did you become a gas trainer?

In 2002, after working in the industry for many years, I felt it was time to give back and begin training the next generation of engineers. In 2013 I met Martin Cooke, Technical Director at EOGB. I subsequently helped setup the company’s flagship gas training and assessment centre and have been working with EOGB ever since.

Alongside working as a gas trainer, I also work as an on-site gas safety auditor and an incident investigator, which keeps me very busy.

What’s the best advice you have been given throughout your career?

The best advice I’ve ever been given is simply to never stop learning. The day you wake up and don’t learn anything is the day you should start to think about new career options.

Luckily for me, the gas industry is always evolving, so there’s always more to learn. I’m currently completing a master’s degree in engineering with the Open University, which I am really enjoying.

What advice would you give to those thinking about a career in gas?

My advice would be to enrol onto a course and get stuck in, you definitely won’t regret it. Gaining qualifications will open the door to a variety of work environments and roles, so you’ll never have to settle for just one job.

What’s more, the industry offers plenty of opportunities for professional development and diversification, making it a lucrative career choice.

How do you relax after a hard day at work?

When I’m not studying for my master’s degree, you’ll find me in my workshop at home, where I am currently renovating a 1940’s gas iron.

I’m also a corporate sponsor of the British School’s Museum in Hitchin, which is home to the last Monitorial schoolroom in the world. In the near future, I hope to donate my renovated gas iron to the museum for display.

One final question, what’s your favourite book?

Believe it or not, I’ve never read a fiction novel in my life. However, I do enjoy reading technical manuals and guides, particularly the Haynes car manuals.

I remember reading my first Haynes manual back in the 1990s, when I passed my driving test and bought my first car – a Volkswagen Golf.

Boilers and burners play a key role in providing heating and hot water for commercial buildings, as well as being a critical component of  industrial process applications. However, managing sequencing and varying operating modes can present complex challenges.

Therefore, Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are often used in heat applications to improve efficiency and lower operating costs.

Although first introduced in the 1960’s, PLC systems have evolved rapidly over the years to offer improved features such as greater programming flexibility, smaller sized units and integrated wireless operation.

With PLCs continuing to develop at a rapid pace, and being combined with technology such as The Internet of Things (IoT), Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and Augmented Reality (AR), we take a look at what a ‘heating system of the future’ could look like…

The Internet of Things (IoT)

The IoT is the collective term for equipment, gadgets and components that produce data whilst connected to the internet and share this data with other devices (or humans) in real-time.

Increasingly many domestic, commercial and industrial components are connected via the internet or closed ‘intranet’. Systems such as Genius Hub can replace traditional heating control devices such as thermostats and radiator valves via a wireless connection, gathering data and saving energy in the process.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID)

RFID is the use of radio waves to identify, track and interact with information stored on a tag. An RFID tag can be assigned to items in a wide range of applications including retail supply chains and banking such as contactless payment cards.

For heating, a typical application is on the production of components for HVAC equipment. The tag stores the history of the job materials and equipment in addition to spare part numbers, maintenance and troubleshooting information.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is the integration of visual based graphics over real-world data.

AR, in conjunction with RFID, can be used to superimpose boiler plant components over a live camera image on a tablet or smartphone. By touching any superimposed graphic, more detailed information can be displayed such as part identification, service history, troubleshooting and much more.

Benefits of new technology

By using cutting-edge technology, we can eliminate many of the system components of a typical PLC system and instead collect physical data and send commands over the internet, significantly reducing wiring and equipment.

The technology also makes human interface operation much easier as programmers can be in a remote location to access secure data on IOT connected devices.

Looking to the future

New technology offered by PLC systems combined with other advanced technologies provides a great opportunity for commercial and industrial applications to improve efficiency, flexibility and reliability.

Technologies such as the ones described are set to dramatically change the face of our industry and EOGB is proud to be at the leading edge of this new revolution in the heating sector.

To speak to a member of our technical team about developing bespoke PLC controls to improve the efficiency of your heating process, email technical@eogb.co.uk or call 01480 477066.

This year we’re celebrating 15 years since the launch of our domestic oil burner range, the X Series.

Consisting of three models, the X400, X500 and X600, the X Series provides an output range from 14kW – 100kW and is designed and manufactured at our facility in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.

Since launching into the market in 2004, the X Series burners have seen steady year-on-year domestic and international growth. Last year alone there was a 20% increase in export sales recorded, compared to the previous year.

The products are widely used by installers as replacements in domestic and light commercial applications due to their reliability, performance and effort-free installation.

As a result of the continued popularity, the range has also been extended to include 12v and 24v burners for a variety of specialist applications, including road marking machines and mobile incinerators.

Martin Cooke, Technical Director at EOGB, said: “We’re delighted with the positive reputation that the X Series burners have gained across the oil heating industry since they were launched fifteen years ago. It is a real testament to the quality and reliability of the products that they still the top choice for many installers.”

Click here for more information on the X Series and visit the EOGB YouTube page for useful ‘how to’ guides.

Baltur UK, the UK division of Italian global boiler manufacturer Baltur, and part of EOGB Energy Products Ltd, has announced the introduction of an extended warranty program across its Comfort range of commercial and industrial boilers.

In addition to the two-year warranty that comes as standard, installers can now opt for Baltur UK’s five, seven or ten-year full parts and labour cover. To qualify, the boiler must be commissioned within three months of purchase and be serviced annually by a Gas Safe Registered engineer.

Products in the Comfort range include the MCS and MCS Hidro range of modular condensing boilers for external installation, the MCI range of compact gas boilers for indoor use, and the SMILE range of modular cascade boilers.

All products offer world-leading energy efficiency, full NOx compliance, and minimum carbon emissions whilst also providing cascade system capability with full modulation and sophisticated control options.

Martin Cooke, Technical Director for Baltur in the UK, said: “We are so confident in the quality and robustness of Baltur boilers, that we’re proud to offer industry-leading warranties of up to 10 years, which will add significant value for both installers and their customers.”

For more information, email enquiries@baltur.co.uk   

EOGB has launched a new service to design, develop and integrate bespoke burner control systems for commercial heating systems and industrial processes.

Working in partnership with customers to understand their production process and specific heat control requirements, EOGB engineers can utilise Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) technology, configured to individual requirements to deliver fully bespoke burner control solutions for a wide variety of applications. These deliver a range of functions such as sequencing systems to control multiple boilers and furnace control systems to accurately regulate temperature.

A graphical Human Machine Interface (HMI) can also be custom-designed to provide sophisticated management and a real-time view of system conditions and operational data, which engineers can access remotely from any internet connected device.

Martin Cooke, Technical Director at EOGB, said: “Unlike other PLC developers, EOGB has over 25 years’ experience in the combustion industry, meaning we are uniquely placed to provide PLC solutions to integrate with combustion equipment.

“By working closely with customers to fully understand what they want to achieve, we can design PLCs to optimise the use of advanced and highly-efficient combustion equipment to ensure the highest production yield and energy savings.”

For more information about EOGB’s bespoke PLC development service, click here or call 01480 477066.

If you are looking to reduce the bottom line but replacing your current commercial heating system is not an option, ensuring your burner is running as efficiently as possible is a key way to save on bills and reduce energy consumption.

Here is EOGB’s guide to ensuring your commercial burner set up is as cost-effective as possible:

• Optimise modulation

Unlike their traditional single-stage and two-stage counterparts, fully modulating burners are designed to safely operate throughout their firing range from high to low fire. The benefits of modulating burners include reduced running costs, reduced fuel consumption and an increase in boiler longevity.

Commercial heating systems typically have to cope with a far greater spread of demand than the average domestic system, so it is important to check that set points are correct and the burner is actually modulating to prevent inefficiency caused by constant on/off cycling.

• Don’t scrimp on commissioning

Commissioning is an extremely important and necessary part of any burner installation process to adhere to industry standards, check equipment is running safely and ensure future efficiency.

It is crucial that commissioning is carried out accurately so that maximum turndown is achieved. 

• Monitor combustion

To maximise combustion efficiency, it is important to periodically monitor the volume of combustion air, fuel and flue gas temperature of the burner through appropriate testing and measurement. This will ensure that excess combustion air is at optimum levels and that flame temperature is not reduced, causing combustion inefficiency.

• Correctly set up PID loop

When configuring a burner PID control loop, it’s vital to ensure it is set correctly to stop the burner overshooting. If configured incorrectly, the burner will begin on/off cycling which is highly inefficient and can drastically increase running costs.

For advice and guidance on improving the efficiency of your commercial heating system, email technical@eogb.co.uk or call 01480 477066 (opt 2).

Have you set yourself any New Year’s resolutions this year? Maybe you want to lose weight, exercise more, or cut down on alcohol?

Most of us go into the New Year motivated to keep our resolutions and make changes to improve our life in some way, whether big or small. Unfortunately, according to research by YouGov, over 80% of people in Britain break their resolutions by the second week of February. So, this year, why not make a resolution you can keep and invest in personal development?

Here at EOGB, we provide bespoke training in oil, gas, LPG, energy efficiency and water systems at our purpose-built training centre in St Neots, ideally located for heating engineers based in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. We pride ourselves on our personal approach to training and we always go the extra mile to provide a comfortable learning environment.

If you are just starting out in the industry, our popular OFTEC 50 course is an excellent stepping stone to prepare you for your future career. The course has no entry requirements and will provide you with a solid background and enough practical oil experience to move forward and gain OFTEC qualifications.

On the other hand, if you are an experienced heating engineer looking to diversify and expand your portfolio in 2019, our CONGLP1 LPG changeover course is a great option.

LPG is a common choice for off-grid homes in coastal and rural areas and is often associated with heating for residential park homes and caravans. However, there is a large skill shortage in the field, with many holiday park operators struggling to find engineers qualified in LPG. This provides a huge opportunity for heating engineers and the three-day course at EOGB covers installation and repair of domestic appliances, residential park homes and leisure accommodation vehicles.

Self-improvement is a fundamental part of career progression and there are many opportunities available for heating engineers to add a new string to their bow. From one-day domestic burner training, right through to advanced commercial burner training at the Baltur research and development facility in Italy, we have many options to choose from.

To speak to one of our training team, call 01480 477066 (opt 3) or email training@eogb.co.uk.