coming up in this week's electrical news weekly mk make their rapid fix screwless socket available from more wholesalers uk power networks are trying to find out how customers with heat pumps react to freezing weather and we discover how electric chopsticks can reduce your salt intake all this and more so stick around i'm joe robinson and i've been through the best of the electrical industry news to save you the trouble welcome to electrical news weekly whether you're listening in the van on-site down at the wholesale counter or if you're an electrical designer and you've made it safely to your desk wherever you are i hope your week is off to a great start first up we had a thump at the door last week as a new catalogue from electrical direct landed having a flick through we noticed that mk have now released a rapid fix screwless socket to more wholesalers previously it was only available from screwfix and bmq diy stores the rapid fix is the first 13 amp screwer socket on the uk market and offers up to a 45 time saving compared with traditional screws check out the video we made for the product launch last year i'll leave a link in the show notes and also a link to pick up a copy of the new electrical direct catalogue moving on to product news skullmore group have released a new metalclad fused connection unit with a secret key operating switch so it's intended for the same purpose as a regular switch fuse connection unit but the switch can only be operated by a key rather than just by hand this product has been launched in response to demand from contractors working in areas such as student accommodation because apparently students have been known to switch things off as some form of practical joke unlike the rest of the general population of course next up hilec have launched a new version of their popular d-box enclosure range the d-box 11 is ideal for exterior electrical applications with a rating of up to ip67 and multiple cable entry options manufactured from polypropylene with innovative mounting features and captive lid screws along with three terminal lever type connectors this new addition looks like an absolute winner for electricians hilec have adopted the classic henry ford colour scheme as the d-box 11 is available in any colour you want as long as it's black and just before anyone leaps in to tell us that this statement about the ford model t was only ever partly true we know but it made for a nice conclusion there in an interesting move marshall tufflex have produced a product to help electricians save time when installing accessories into suspended ceilings when installing circular recessed lights or sensors often they require a petrous installing behind them to help support the weight so the tile doesn't break often this would mean cutting a wooden square out of plywood or similar however this is time consuming unless you happen to know a friendly chippy the tuflex tile is a product that solves this problem it's super lightweight strong and easy to cut or drill meaning installations can be completed far more quickly additionally the product is flame retardant and lsf so it won't contribute to the dreaded fire triangle it's made from super lightweight correct material easy to handle and store it comes in pre-cut 595 by 595 mil squares with pre-chamfered corners making it easy and quick to install and won't produce waste and dust from soaring also reducing the need to use ppe for long periods always nice to see some outside the box thinking from manufacturers although in this case it's more thinking outside the two-dimensional plane now we can't move out of product news without a mention of lighting which has a special place in our hearts here at efix knightsbridge have announced the launch of their new low bay light fittings for commercial installations where ceiling heights are typically under 6.1 meters demand shallower reflectors and manageable outputs the fittings come in a 90 watt 12 800 lumen version and 165 watt 23 220 lumen achieving efficacy levels of over 140 lumens per watt accessories available include emergency lighting packs 360 degree pir and microwave sensors and even mounting brackets for surface mounted installations definitely a consideration for your next commercial project in testers and testing a new device from mega the evcc 300 electric vehicle charger checker which can make you feel either like james bond or a road traffic controller depending on where your ambitions lie for those listening only we should point out that the charger is vaguely gun choked this tester does exactly what it says on the tin it's a checker so it's not designed for initial verification of a new install but it is a super helpful diagnostic tool for maintenance and fault finding it's centered around the basics such as earthing checking protective devices for nuisance tripping and correct ev charge point operation the best way to understand it is to think of it as being a bit like a plug-in socket tester it serves as a great functional check and the starting point for fault finding although of course with way more functionality tool news now in our fortnightly live streams we've looked at the precursor to this tool briefly we've all been there trying to use our biggest flat head screwdriver to tighten up roofing bolts on cable tray with it skidding out at the critical moment no doubt wondering why isn't there a better way of doing this the same thought must have occurred to electrician john mielski who was tired of the endless struggle when installing roofing bolts to fix tray in place having snapped the corner of yet another flathead screwdriver this ingenious electrician decided enough was enough and decided to solve the problem instead of just moaning about it the result was the impact rated roofing bolt driver a driver bit specifically designed for use with roofing bolts including a magnetic holder in the center that holds the roofing bolt in place prior to and during installation mr mielsky worked in partnership with ahmeg to get the tool onto shelves and into the hands of grateful electricians now however armage have released another version that clocks in at a longer 100 millimeters or about four inches if you're listening from the past the longer length will make it much easier to access bolts in tray with deeper flanges and is better than using an extension bit as the bolt driver is impact rated making it much tougher in ev and renewables news now in response to the booming ev market ctek the swedish charge point manufacturer has expanded its uk team to support a growing network of installers and wholesalers cecilia routledge no relation global director of energy and facilities for ctek says we are delighted to have expanded our uk team to provide unrivaled expertise training sales and technical support in the field of ev technology another swedish charge point manufacturer joining the uk market is charge amps headed up by paul routledge no relation the keynote viewers will have seen the charge amps residential charger in a recent effects video exploring power supplies to garages and outbuildings presented by gordon routledge again no relation this follows on from our successful workplace ev charger series co-presented by gordon routledge no relation and featuring the ctek chargestorm ev charger we must stress again that we don't believe any of these routledges are related however we have passed this case over to a family history researcher for further investigation and we can only imagine gordon's reaction when he discovers he's actually from sunderland i'll leave a link to the ev charging videos in the show notes uk power networks are conducting research to find out exactly how much energy is needed to keep homeowners warm using heat pumps and other electric heating technologies the neighborhood green project will compare energy use in the trial homes with a theoretical model to predict energy use in response to 1 in 20 year cold winters the data will be used to help plan electricity network upgrades to cope with the expected growth in heat pump installations as gas heating is phased out and our next story relates to the sterling work being carried out over the last couple of years by napit in supporting letting agencies local authorities and landlords in getting to grips with the electrical safety standards in the private rented sector regulations of 2020 the rules surrounding electrical safety and the need for periodic testing to produce electrical installation condition reports for rented properties can be confusing for non-electricians and electricians and so napit have delivered a number of free webinars to interested parties reaching over 850 individuals from the rental sector to educate and inform them about their responsibilities what eicrs are and how to find a competent electrician to carry them out they've received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the clarity and informative nature of the webinars this is undoubtedly a real boost to improving electrical safety for residents in the rental sector and we wish napit all the very best with their ongoing efforts in this regard now here's your rundown on what's coming up on efix this week the team will be visiting the elect show in harrogate on thursday joining the weha stand to take a look at some of the latest tall additions and recount tales of the recent electricians challenged by weha uk boss steven lester please please do pop along and say hello if you're visiting the show on friday we'll be visiting fully charged live taking place at the farnborough exhibition center to bring you the latest in ev charger and home energy technology videos being released on our youtube channel this week include 10 things you didn't know about waygo or is it vargo tune in to find out the definitive answer and a lot more about this powerhouse of innovation we'll also be taking a look at some new downlights from ansel and an ev charger from zaptech which solves problems for ev owners who live in apartments and while we're busy blowing our own trumpet we've spotted one of our 30 under 30 award winners making the national press as colin mulvaney owner of cm electrical made an appearance in the daily record leading with the headline hard work pays off as lannister electrician's bright young company recognised with a ward in the lannisha live section of the records website the story details how colin came to start his own business and how he felt on receiving the news that he was a winner initially thinking that the call was a wind-up a big congratulations to colin and all the other winners we're looking forward to next year's awards so keep an eye on our website and social media to see how you can get involved and even win an award and finally in lighter news researchers in japan have created chopsticks that use electricity to intensify the umami taste in food by adjusting the function of ions such as sodium chloride and sodium glutamate to change the perception of taste by making food seem to taste stronger or weaker the chopsticks work in conjunction with an electronic controller one on the wrist while eating to change the perceived saltiness of food to the taste buds it's hoped that the use of the chopsticks could reduce the sodium intake of people using them as less salt can be used to achieve the same flavor we'll keep you posted if they make it into production and become widely available and in the meantime please do not attempt to make your own version using the mains or even a battery because if you do then high sodium in your diet may well be the least of your worries that's all from us this week make sure you subscribe to receive the next update have a great week stay safe out there and remember there's no such thing as a torque calibrated arm
