Ideal Heating - Experts & Thought Leaders

Darren Finley, Managing Director for Commercial Products at Groupe Atlantic UK & ROI Division, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Industrial and Commercial Heating Equipment Association (ICOM) - a not-for-profit trade association, representing and promoting the interests of the non-domestic heating sector since 1933. Having worked in the heating industry for over 37 years and, as MD for Groupe Atlantic commercial brands Ideal Heating Commercial, Hamworthy Heating and ACV, Darren’s extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of this market sector made him an ideal candidate for the role of Chair at ICOM.  Latest Chair of ICOM Commenting on this prestigious accolade, Darren said: “I am honored to be appointed as Chair of ICOM. This long-standing trade association has contributed to the success of the commercial heating industry time and time again and, as it’s latest Chair, I intend to continue the excellent work it has done."  "Now, more than ever, we need to come together as an industry and drive decarbonization forward and ensure we present with one united voice to protect and promote our industry.” Tangible benefits for members Each group holds quarterly meetings, participating in retail and technical talks and valuable networking ICOM works closely with governments, professional bodies, and associations at the national and European levels, generating tangible benefits for members, as well as being instrumental in the development of product and installation standards. It has an active and representative membership operating within one or more product-related groups. Each group holds quarterly meetings, participating in commercial and technical discussions as well as valuable networking. When specific issues arise, working groups are formed to produce suitable documents that are presented to the relevant Government department or standards body. Darren’s organization skills  “Darren is a well-known, highly regarded figure in the commercial heating industry,” states Steve McConnell, Director of ICOM, “and we are delighted to welcome him as Chair of ICOM." "Darren’s knowledge of this sector, along with his organization skills and forward-thinking attitude, will help ensure ICOM members are well represented at some of the most senior levels.” Darren officially started his role as Chair of ICOM on 1st October and will retain his post for two years.

Ideal Heating Commercial has released a new CIBSE-approved CPD: Understanding refrigerants & how they affect the choice of commercial heat pumps. It addresses both synthetic and natural refrigerants, and provides valuable advice for customers seeking the most energy efficient commercial heat pump. Future of refrigerants A concise CPD, ideal for a lunchtime session, it opens with a brief introduction to heat pumps and how they operate, including the refrigerant cycle and key principles such as co-efficient of performance (COP) and global warming potential (GWP). It then proceeds to explain the different refrigerant types (synthetic and natural) and their key features, and the factors to take into account when designing an efficient heating system using the different refrigerants. The CPD also addresses decarbonization in the heating sector and refrigerant phase-down, and closes by touching on the future of refrigerants. Range of commercial heat pumps The new CPD has been raised to raise awareness of refrigerant types following the recent expansion The new ‘Understanding refrigerants & how they affect the choice of commercial heat pumps’ CPD was officially launched at the BESA Annual Conference on 17th October, where it was presented by Ideal Heating Commercial Head of Specification Richard Brown. The new CPD has been introduced to raise awareness of refrigerant types, following the recent expansion of Ideal Heating Commercial’s ECOMOD range of commercial heat pumps to include natural refrigerant models for the first time.  ECOMOD heat pumps are now available with R32 refrigerant, and with natural refrigerants R290 (ECOMOD 290HT) and R744 (ECOMOD CO2), which are capable of delivering high temperatures, while providing ultra-low GWPs. Latest industry developments This latest CPD joins Ideal Heating Commercial’s expanding collection, which covers the latest industry developments and provide advice of new ways to add value, performance and efficiency to customer projects.  Further CPDs address low carbon systems, heat networks and heat interface units, plant room surveys, and boiler heat exchanger materials. CPDs are delivered by Ideal Heating Commercial’s specification team managers either online or in person nationwide.

Two Imax Xtra 2 240 kW Ideal Heating Commercial condensing boilers have been installed at Hull Maritime Museum as part of a major restoration project to the Grade 2* listed building. Dating back to 1871 when the building was Hull’s Dock Offices, the Hull Maritime Museum has been in operation since 1975 and had been heated by the same cast iron section boiler for the last 30 years. Imax Xtra 2 240 kW boilers The old boiler has been replaced by two Imax Xtra 2 240 kW boilers installed in cascade on a header kit The boiler had not only outlived its natural working lifespan, but was also energy inefficient. With building services being replaced and updated throughout the museum as part of a restoration project that began in 2020, the old boiler has now been replaced by two Imax Xtra 2 240 kW boilers installed in cascade on a prefabricated header kit. The Imax Xtra 2 range of floor standing condensing boilers from Ideal Heating Commercial provide up to 97.7% full load efficiency and up to 108.2% part load efficiency, and have a high 5:1 turndown, making them highly energy efficient.  Energy efficient solution Installing the boilers in cascade, as at Hull Maritime Museum, makes for an even more energy efficient solution as they have a higher modulation ratio than a single larger boiler, so there is less need for each individual boiler to cycle on and off to meet changing demands for heating over a day. Up to four Imax Xtra 2 boilers can be installed in a cascade for an output up to 1120 kW. Imax Xtra 2 boilers can operate at up to 30°C ΔT, and five of the six models - including the 240 kW - operate at 26 mg/kWh on natural gas.  Specification of the new boilers Imax Xtra 2 boilers are also highly compact with a small footprint to fit through standard doorways As with all Ideal Heating Commercial boilers, they are built to last and feature a robust cast aluminum-silicon alloy heat exchanger. Imax Xtra 2 boilers are also highly compact with a small footprint to fit through standard doorways. All these factors played an important role in the specification of the new boilers, but a further factor that sealed the deal for the client was that Imax Xtra 2 boilers are proudly manufactured in Hull! Full range of boilers The heating contractor on this project, family-owned HF Brown & Son Ltd. that has been in business since 1947, is a long-standing Ideal Heating Commercial customer, who has used the company’s full range of boilers extensively.  Managing Director Nick Brown is satisfied with this latest installation: “The whole install appears to be working well and the boilers were an ease to install. The service and support from Ideal Heating was very good as usual.” Hull Maritime Museum is expected to reopen in 2026.