Coming up on this week's news, over 100,000 heating parts are being recalled over the  risk of electrocution to tradespeople. There are big changes to the rules on who can carry  out periodic inspections and testing. And electricians are warned over the increasing  volume of critical electrical kit that's turning out to be fake. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly.  Whether you're listening in the van, on site, or down at the wholesale counter, I'm Joe Robinson,  and I've been through the best of the electrical industry news to save you the trouble. This week,  the recording studio is being powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with high  stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG and free next working day delivery on  orders over £150. We're being lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting  connection system that keeps your installation times razor sharp. And if you think you've  spotted the two words that I've been challenged to slip into this week's show, comment with them  below for the chance to win a prize. And while you're there, click the links to check out what  our sponsors offer. 114,000 circulating pumps are being urgently recalled across the UK and Ireland  over the risk of electrocution to trades people. The Chinese-made pumps were imported by Irish  brand Tucson and were popular in both the Republic and at Northern Ireland. The Office for Product  Safety and Standards is advising electricians not to touch the pumps under any circumstances. That's  because it says the mains cables can be connected to the pump in reverse, allowing the live pin  to connect to the earth pin and posing a serious risk of electrocution. The affected models are the  Tucson 5 m, 6 m, and 8 m head models made between 2017 and 2024. The organisation says trades people  should check the serial number against its database. If your customers pump is affected,  Tucson will replace it for free. The office says that anyone working on heating systems must be  very aware of the serious risk presented by these pumps. It also says retailers must check their  stock and stop sales of the affected units immediately. Homeowners in Northern Ireland  who have had heating system work completed or who have moved house within the last 8 years are being  advised to check if their property contains one of the specified pump models. Tucson Pumps is part of  the Sandra Group and a sister company to Instantor and one of Ireland's top pump brands. I'll put a  link to the database where you can check serial numbers. Thanks to regular viewer and friend of  the show Dave Frizelle and others for alerts on this story. Another product warning has gone out  this week, this time over counterfeit electrical equipment for high-risk areas. Fake ATEX certified  kit is said to be flooding industrial supply chains. It's putting electricians and businesses  at serious risk of explosions, injuries, and even death. ATEX certification is essential  for explosive environments where flammable gases, vapours, mists, or combustible dusts  may be present. But the kit is only valid if it's verified through official channels. Terry McDonald  of supplier Thorne and Derek International says unscrupulous distributors and manufacturers are  callously risking lives. He says fake equipment lacks proper design and safety controls. It's also  increasing the risk of sparks or overheating that could trigger explosions in hazardous  environments. McDonald recommends that electrical contractors cross-check product certifications  with the relevant authorising body. They should also buy kit from official and reputable  channels. Still on compliance, Beama's low voltage switchboard and busbar systems group has launched  a safety campaign to educate electricians on the importance of product conformity throughout the  life of a low voltage switchboard. Specifically, installers must comply with the standard BSEN  IEC61439-2, the consequence of non-compliance initiative comes at a critical time. That's  because Beama says there's more regulatory scrutiny, increasingly complex systems, and rising  safety standards. It wants manufacturers and installers to ensure that the necessary 61439-2  assessment protocols are carried out to every stage from concept to commissioning. The group has  designed an eye-catching poster to raise awareness of best practice and is promoting a technical  guide to the standard. Nick Hayler of Beama says that conformity is not just a regulatory  requirement. It's fundamental to safety, reliability, and trust across the supply chain.  I'll put a link to the Beama resources in the show notes. Makita's turning up the power this autumn  with a brand new redemption deal that you won't want to miss. Between now and December the 31st,  when you buy one of their selected twin kits, you can claim a free high performance battery. Pick up  the 40 volt XGT twin kit and you'll get a 2.5 amp hour BL4025 battery capable of a full charge in  just 28 minutes. Or choose the 18volt LXT twin kit and claim a 5 A BL1850B perfect for long demanding  days on site. Both batteries are part of Makita's cutting edge cordless range built for serious  runtime, rapid recharge, and reliability when it matters most. The twin kits themselves come loaded  with powerful brushless drills and drivers, all packed in a rugged MacPack carry case. To claim  your free battery, simply buy from an authorised dealer and register your purchase within 28 days  at makitauk.com/redeumptions. You'll find a link to the deal and full terms and conditions in the  show notes. In other news, new rules about who can carry out periodic inspections and testing  have been unveiled this week. An update to the electrotechnical assessment specification now  requires that anyone doing the work must hold a core of technical competence and qualifications.  This includes a level three award specifically in the periodic inspection and testing of electrical  installations. They must also have a minimum of two years relevant experience. Finally,  they need to be able to show evidence of ongoing continuing professional development. They can do  that by regularly doing CPD courses such as the ones offered by us here at eFIXX. Links  in the show notes. Businesses certified by the NICEIC, and Search Sure will be asked about this  requirement during their next assessment visit. If they don't meet the standard, it will be  recorded in their assessment report. However, you have until October 2026 to achieve the relevant  qualifications. As part of the EAS update, there are also four new low carbon installation work  categories. These include EV chargers, solar panels, battery packs, and microwind turbines.  Again, people undertaking this work need to have the relevant level three qualifications. If you  get the qualifications, you may be able to buy all your kit at IKEA. That's because the Swedish  flatpack giant has begun selling solar panels, battery packs, and heat pumps in the UK this week,  and you don't have to assemble them yourself. The stores previously sold photovoltaic systems,  but pulled the products in 2019 when the UK government ended the feeding tariff scheme. Now,  the panels are back following a hugely successful debut in Germany. IKEA says that to ensure that  installations comply with all the regulations, the renewable kit will be installed by certified  installers. The retailer has teamed up with Sully and Era to deliver the service. Your home could  soon be warm enough to dance the Calypso. VTAC has unveiled a range of portable power units. They  include a power station that comes in both 300 W and 600 W options. It has a battery capacity of  576W hours and features two 230 volt AC outputs and two 12V DC outputs. There's also two USB  sockets and two type-C outputs. There's also a wide range of folding solar panels which you can  connect to the units. Vestel has unveiled one of the sleekest looking chargers we've seen. The 22  kW Gemini can charge multiple vehicles at once. It features dynamic load management and there's  a choice of either dual type 2 sockets or tethered cables. There's an optional payment terminal and  1.6J OCCP connectivity so it can talk to the wider world. Now, how do you install solar panels on a  roof with the structural integrity of a Meringue? That was the challenge facing packaging company  Corex at its factory in Luxembourg. Its rooftop couldn't tolerate more than 5 kg per square meter  of additional load. The solution, special super lightweight units that weigh just 4.3 kg per  square meter. The nebula panels from Aiko were paired with an ultra light mounting system of  just 0.7 kg per meter squared. This meant they met the rooftop safety limits while delivering  608 peak kW. That's something no conventional module could have achieved. If you're looking to  get into PV systems, take a look at Open Solar. Its mission is to make the best solar operating  system accessible to installers, but without you having to get pricey licenses for software. It's a  cloud-based software platform made for people who install solar panels, batteries, and EV chargers.  Think of it like a toolbox, a customer records management system, and an ordering platform,  all rolled into one. You get free design tools for creating proposals. You can check prices and order  kit, and you get leads from customers who are interested in a solar project. To learn more, I've  popped a link in the show notes. A reminder that there's still time to avail yourself of a special  offer this month from Velocity, maker of top tier tool bags and backpacks for the trade. If you buy  one of four qualifying products from the brand during October, then the company will add a £40  drill pod excess for free. Qualifying kit includes the firm's top-of- the- range Rogue 600 wheeler  tool case. This one has a superpower. It's the world's first trackable tool bag. The Rogue 600  is equipped with a velocity connect tracker right out of the box so you can know where your kit is  at all times. It combines massive storage capacity while being super mobile as it's equipped with two  sturdy all-terrain wheels and a telescopic handle. It has two front tool sections for vertical tool  storage and a larger open section on the rear for your larger tools. In total, it has no fewer than  55 pockets for all your gear. Other kit that qualifies for the deal are the Rogue 50 and  the Stealth NB 100 backpacks and the Rogue 20 XL service bag. To avail yourself of the deal,  simply buy the kit and pop the Drill Pod XS into the basket as well. Then use the promo code EFIXX  to make the Drill Pod XS complimentary. You can use the code up to Friday the 31st of October.  Now, it's that great moment where we get to celebrate the sterling work being done by the  next generation. Our learner of the week slot is brought to you by Eltako, German manufacturer of  premium actuators, sensors, and energy meters for smart homes. And our learner this week is Johnny  Gough. Johnny's a student at Southern Regional College in Wearingstown, Northern Ireland. He  recently competed in the World Skills Competition. While he was unfortunately not placed this time,  he's already set his sights on representing the UK at the Shanghai World Skills next year. With  a full year of additional training, we believe Johnny will make the UK proud and has every chance  of winning at the highest level. His college says he's an outstanding student, conscientious,  motivated, and determined, who aligns his hard work and dedication with his natural talent.  Lecturer Gary Larkham says Johnny truly stands out as exceptional with remarkable potential.  And he even doubts if he'll ever have another student quite like him. Many congratulations,  Johnny, on being the eFIXX learner of the week in association with Eltako. And now to the lighter  side of the electrical news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with quick wire and its range  of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. The Chinese have come up with a solution for the  problem of data centres generating lots of heat. They're putting them at the bottom of the sea. The  world's first commercial underwater data centre is to be sunk off the coast of Shanghai. Data centres  consume huge amounts of energy, a lot of which is used to cool the enormous heat generated by  the computer chips. They also require significant amounts of water to keep the systems at optimal  temperatures. Putting them on the seabed will save around 90% of the energy used for cooling.  What could possibly go wrong? That's the lighter side of the news in our tea break with QuickWire  and their range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Click the link in the description to  check them out for yourself. Now, just before we get to your favourite bit of the show,  where I reveal last week's challenge words and winners, we want to thank our premium  partners. We couldn't make the news without you. First up, empowering their customers  to harness power through light with their intelligent energy solutions, solar technology,  and advanced lighting systems. It's Ledvance. With their new award-winning Lumo consumer unit  and offering complete product support from their highly trained team, it's CPN Cudis. And with  over 5,000 product lines from heating, lighting, ventilation to wiring accessories. If you need it,  they've got it. It's electrical distributor CED Group. And the best thing to come out of Yorkshire  since stainless steel, the home of EV Ultra and other groundbreaking and quality products,  it's Doncaster Cables. Click the links in the show notes to find out more about these great  brands. If you think you know the words that I've smuggled into this week's show,  pop your guess into the comments. will take all the correct guesses and select one at random to  be the winner of an eFIXX goodie bag prize. Answers submitted after about lunchtime on  the Thursday after release will not be entered into the draw. Now, let's reveal the winners of  last week's challenge word competition. Last week's words were breaststroke and ponytail,  and we had all the usual suspects getting it right. So, well done to you all, but the person  to come out of our electronic hat first is first time winner John Avery 15. Well done to you, John.  Click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. This week, the recording  studio has been powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with high stock levels of your  favourite consumer units, including BG and free next working day delivery on orders over 150 quid.  And we've been lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting connection system  that keeps your installation times razor sharp. Don't forget to click the links in the show notes  to find out more. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly. Make sure you  subscribe to receive the next update. Thanks for listening and until next time, have a great week.  Stay safe out there and remember there's no such thing as a torque calibrated arm.