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Spout - Bathroom Academy News May 2009
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Welcome to SPOUT - the first edition of our new occasional newsletter aimed at keeping you fully informed with what’s happening at
The Bathroom Academy

The Academy was launched just a couple of years ago and since then it has grown to be the most important source for up-to-date, relevant and accurate training in the bathroom industry. SPOUT is designed to keep readers fully abreast of all the latest news about Academy courses, CPDs, industry guides and the Certification Programme.
Yvonne Orgill, chief executive of the BMA welcomes SPOUT “I am really pleased to see the launch of the Academy newsletter. It is very important that we keep everyone involved in bathrooms fully up to date with all the Academy news and events. SPOUT is the ideal vehicle and we aim to publish it regularly. We also want feedback and SPOUT will feature a regular column - SPOUTUP – your chance to write to the editor with your news, your ideas, and your opinions. So welcome to this first edition. I hope you like it!”

Latest industry news
BMA Welcomes Revised Part G | The news that the government has announced the publication of the revised Building Regulations Part G has been broadly welcomed by members of the BMA. The regulations were laid before parliament on May 13th 2009 and the document heralds a great step forward for both safety and water efficiency in the bathroom. Three important issues are highlighted in the new regulations.
1. From October this year Part G requires that all new build homes will need to meet a new minimum water efficiency standard of 125 litres per person per day. The current average consumption of water in the UK is around 150 litres per person. WC flush volumes are now at their lowest ever. Products are now available with dual flush as low as 4 and 2.6 litres. Baths with maximum volumes down to 120 litres are being marketed and eco-friendly, low flow, showers and taps are appearing.
2. Grey Water and rainwater harvesting is also set out in the new regulations. Details of how this secondary source of water can be safely used in new homes to achieve water efficiency targets are given. The government aims to make ‘new homes even greener’ as part of its commitment to zero carbon homes from 2016.
3. Scalding is deadly serious and an important addition to Part G has been widely welcomed. The TMV is a relatively inexpensive piece of lifesaving bathroom equipment and the revised regulations require that baths in new homes are fitted with such devices to limit the temperature of the incoming water.
An excellent new publication from the Bathroom Academy provides an in-depth and informative guide to the TMV. The guide, in PDF format, is downloadable from the Academy website at www.bathroom-academy.co.uk/guides2.asp and for a nominal fee of just £20 readers may apply to register for the Full Guide and CPD Certification.

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Revised Guide to Shower Enclosures | The excellent guide to shower enclosures has been thoroughly updated by experts from the industry and is essential reading. The guide is one in the series from the Bathroom Academy. This edition of Shower Enclosures gives the most up-to-date information about this important product. Enclosures, screens and the increasingly popular steam/shower cabin are covered in the nineteen page booklet.

The use of showers in the UK has been growing for a number of years and all forecasts suggest that this growth will continue. The choice now available is vast and manufacturers have developed products which meet the needs of all situations, styles and budgets. The guide is available free from the Academy website at www.bathroom-academy.co.uk/guides2.asp and can be downloaded in PDF format.

The guide is one of eleven which form part of the Bathroom Academy eLearning programme. Students wishing to gain the coveted Certificate in Bathroom Studies (CBS) can apply on line for more details.



NEW INDUSTRY GUIDE
Thermostatic Mixing Valves (TMVs) This new guide, goes into great detail about the TMV; what it is, where it is used and what are the relevant regulations.
Following an in-depth introduction to the safety aspects of hot water (and the dangers it poses when it is uncontrolled) the guide describes the three main types of valve and how they work. The differing configurations of valves are explained with illustrations of T-pattern valves, exposed or built-in showers, and bath mixers. Readers are guided through the various factors which influence choice of products and the important aspects of plumbing systems and water pressure are described. Download yours now from The Academy www.bathroom-academy.co.uk/guides2.asp

CONFERENCE 2009
The BMA’s Annual Bathroom Conference is now in its 4th year and has gone from strength to strength. Last year’s Conference attracted 191 senior personnel across manufacturers, merchants, designers and installers. The 2009 event will be held at the De Vere Hotel, Carden Park, near Chester on 19th and 20th October 2009. The theme is all about The Home and this year there will be a special awards ceremony at the conference dinner. Application forms are available on the main BMA website.

SPOUTUP
Ed, Great to see the new edition of SPOUT hitting the streets already. I was privileged to see the first ideas for SPOUT and I am really pleased to see the newsletter being published for the very first time. Keep it up!
UK INDUSTRY EXHIBITIONS
• 10.06.09 – West Midlands Property & Business Investment Show | Solihull
• 16.06.09 – Housing Conference and Exhibition | Harrogate
• 17.06.09 – Greenbuild Expo 2 | Manchester
• 13.07.09 – Housing Development | Warwick
• 12.09.09 – Kitchen and Bathroom Evolution | Manchester Central (GMEX)
• 16.09.09 - PHEX Scotland | Glasgow
• 02.10.09 – National Home Improvement Show | London
• 13.10.09 – PHEX Manchester
• 25.10.09 – Interbuild | Birmingham
• 18.11.09 – PHEX | London

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Registering and paying for Academy courses is now easier than ever before. Arrangements have been made with this well established payment system and readers can use PayPal to fund their training. PayPal is an easy and intuitive system and needs no further explanation from SPOUT. Go to the Academy website and log on ...

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CIPHE & The Bathroom Academy

The Bathroom Academy has entered a unique training partnership with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers.

Both organisations share the belief that delivery of high quality services to the customer can only be achieved by increasing the professionalism of those employed in the industry. Working together they will be able to utilise their expertise and influence to achieve considerable improvements in training more quickly and effectively than working alone.

The agreement brings many more benefits and services to members of the CIPHE and will aid recruitment and retention of its members. Training from the BA will help improve the knowledge and skills of CIPHE members, nurturing career development and improving professionalism.


Changes at the top | There have been some recent changes at the offices of the BMA. Phil Lumley, Training Manager, has left the Academy and has moved to pastures new after almost 4 years at its helm. She has brought a wealth of experience and developed the Academy to the current level of professionalism. We wish Phil the very best in her new role. Your main contact is now Linda Williams.
Mike Rymill, Technical Director of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association for seventeen years has retired. Mike, the well known and undisputed technical expert in everything concerned with the British bathroom has closed the lid of his laptop and turned off his metaphorical taps for the very last time! He is now looking forward to a well-earned retirement. “Mike will be sorely missed,” commented Yvonne Orgill, chief executive of the BMA. “He has been a senior member of the BMA Secretariat for almost two decades and during that time has had a major influence on the fortunes of the UK bathroom industry.” Members of the BMA and all the staff in the BMA Secretariat wish Mike a long and very happy retirement.
Mike’s position has been filled by Christian Taylor-Hamlin. Christian has a wealth of experience in the technical aspects of the bathroom industry and over the last decade has built up a considerable knowledge of the various British and European standards to which it must comply. He has held senior positions at Kohler Mira and Reliance Water Controls, is a member of several European Standards committees, and is expert in the increasingly important issues surrounding water efficiency.
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College Partners | The Bathroom Academy is delighted to have formal partnerships with sixteen colleges in the UK. These partnerships form part of the drive to enable all those working in the Bathroom Industry to improve their professionalism.

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Two new Generic Industry Guides | Principles of Bathroom Design and CAD for Bathrooms | These two guides, which complement each other perfectly, were launched last year and are proving a hit with Academy members. They further enhance the portfolio of excellent eLearning material and bring the number of guides to an impressive 11. Principles of Bathroom Design studies the structure of the design process: the brief, the survey, the plan and the presentation and helps all those who design and sell bathrooms CAD for Bathrooms. If you’re serious about design, then you’re serious about CAD and really can’t afford to be without this guide. More details from the Academy website.

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Sponsors | The Bathroom Academy would not exist without the full backing and support of the BMA. BMA members invest heavily into the Academy with both their time and money and thanks to them courses are heavily subsidised. All course material is written by leading industry experts. Thanks also go to these companies and organisations for their sponsorship.

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