News

10 July 2020

Leak Detection inspection identifies third party installation failings

As part of our comprehensive servicing and maintenance capability, our experienced team of specialist engineers can review Leak Detection Systems which have been installed by unknown or third-party installers. This was a particularly helpful service to a leading data centre after experiencing multiple alarm faults and failures in the system.

After successfully identifying the causes of the issues experienced, the data centre recognised the importance of using a trusted supplier across its 30 data halls and has contracted Diamond Controls to perform regular system servicing and maintenance across all sites and multiple manufacturers systems. Along with the consistency of service and confidence in our capabilities for uninterrupted protection against unknown leaks, they have been able to reduce costs considerably and improve efficiency.

The Data Centre’s facilities management team contacted Diamond Controls to assist with identifying issues with the leak detecting equipment and the installation, which was completed during the building’s construction by an unknown company.

Despite the installation only being a year old, it was failing to perform and, of course, could have not identified a leak which could cause irreparable damage to data servers and significant damage to the business. The incumbent system was regularly going into alarm mode and failing to clear, even when a leak was not identified. This often leads to staff switching off the system completely, as is what happened in this case.

The Diamond Controls Servicing & Maintenance team attended the facility and undertook a full review of the system to identify causes for the failure. Unfortunately, they found the design of the Leak Detection System was not suitable for its required application.

After assessing the insight gained from this report, the Data Centre commissioned a complete replacement system from Diamond Controls. In addition to the specification and installation of the leak detection equipment, which was from a quality assured manufacturer, the data centre also received comprehensive operations and maintenance manuals, system training, and full design drawings.

Company director, Iain Ames said, “We are privileged to have a very experienced and knowledgeable engineering team and they could see straight away serious failings with the original system installation. Unfortunately, we see all too often how some installations are not fit for purpose. This rectification work has ensured their system is fully working as it should and can provide vital early warning diagnostics for any potential liquid leaks on site.”

The Data Centre has now safeguarded the future success of the new system, along with others in situ at their premises, by contracting Diamond Controls for regular servicing and maintenance. They are also benefiting from an extended 5-year warranty as part of this.

To find out more please contact us.

18 June 2020

Industrial Trace Heating addition for fabricated tanks

Our electrical engineers were on hand to offer industrial trace heating expertise and installation on the latest vessels to be manufactured by Sinclair Stainless Fabrications Ltd, before they left for their final commissioned home.

The two large tanks will be used in an industrial environment by an East Anglian chemical manufacturer for storage of solvents and have been especially designed to be used in an ATEX zoned area. The addition of a top-quality Trace Heating System, designed, installed, and commissioned by fully qualified personnel, positioned around the entire circumference of the vessel means the business can accurately control the temperature of the large volumes of fluid being stored.

Electrical heat tracing involves the installation of a specialist heating element, which can be run in contact along the length of a pipe or outside of a vessel. The most popular requirement of Trace Heating in manufacturing is to maintain fluids at required temperatures to prevent spoiling, degradation, or solidification. Maintaining good process control in this area also helps prevent wear and tear on system infrastructures such as pumps and filters.

As a critical part of the finishing process before the vessels could be delivered to their destination, the installation was carried out by observing strict site operating guidelines and Covid-19 Secure procedures. A comprehensive risk assessment was conducted prior to our visit and covered our procedures to take all possible precautions and limit exposure wherever possible.

Senior Estimator and Projects Manager, Paul Davis said, “Trace Heating offers many significant benefits to industrial businesses, especially where the safe storage and movement of potentially hazardous materials is paramount. By working with Sinclair Stainless Fabrications before the tanks were sent on to the end customer, the vessels can be put into use as soon as they arrive, with no downtime and increased efficiency from day one.”

Diamond Controls is an authorised partner installer to nVent Raychem, one of the leading heat tracing manufacturers, and uses its products to ensure long lasting, low maintenance, and highly efficient results. Find out more about our Industrial Trace Heating & Leak Detection solutions.

Sinclair Stainless Fabrications Ltd is a specialist metal fabricator offering stainless steel and nickel alloy pressure and process vessels, storage tanks and silos, plus a host of other industrial storage solutions.

21 May 2020

Why a service visit now is perfectly timed

It is more important than ever to ensure your leak detection equipment is working fully, so it is there when you need it.

With many businesses unoccupied during the lockdown, if your Leak Detection System has not been serviced recently, it could be putting your building at risk from costly damage and disruption from an undetected leak. You may also find you are not covered in event of a claim being made, adding more business worry and concern.

Our highly experienced engineers are on hand to help. By performing our servicing and maintenance checks while your building is unoccupied, we can avoid any disruption to your daily schedule and save you cost by visiting during standard working hours rather than during an out-of-hours appointment.

Our service visits include a wide range of checks to give you peace of mind that your Leak Detection equipment for liquids, gas or fuel, are fully operational and our documented report will identify our team’s findings, including any faults or hazardous damage, and recommended remedial works.

What’s involved?

Our engineers conduct an extensive survey and inspection of your equipment and using fully calibrated test equipment, perform leak simulation tests across the entire site. They will also check all circuitry, sensors, and identify any contamination while assessing the general condition of your system.

If you have inherited a system with no previous operations and maintenance manuals in place, we can also provide a full audit and condition reports and make sure all of your system documentation is in place for the future.

Experts you can trust

With many years of experience in the Leak Detection sector, our experienced engineers can service almost all manufacturers’ systems and offer our expertise even if we were not the installers of your system. To book in your visit and to find out more information, take a look at our Servicing & Maintenance page and contact us.

Maintaining Covid-19 Secure Procedures

Our engineers are following strict site operating procedures and the latest Government advice to maintain a Covid-Secure work environment. The safety of our team and yours is our highest priority and we are taking all necessary precautions when undertaking our work.

14 May 2020

Celebrating Water Saving Week

Helping the environment while reducing running costs is a win, win for businesses when it comes to increasing water efficiency. Water Saving Week is an initiative close to our hearts as we have seen first-hand how effective our early warning systems and automatic shut-off products can be for an organisation. As an expert in Leak Detection Systems and leak monitoring, we are here to help your organisation play its part in helping to save water.

Whether you operate in a commercial enterprise such as an office or public building, in an industrial setting or manufacturing facility, or if you are a landlord with residential dwellings, Leak Detection equipment offers many significant benefits.

Water loss from leaks is one of the largest areas of water waste for businesses. It can also cause costly damage to your building, disruption, and if it goes unnoticed, increase your utility bills.

*A leak of just 1m³of water an hour could cost your business: £73 a day, £516 a week and that is a staggering £26,820 a year!

How can a business improve its water efficiency?

Install and maintain a Leak Detection System which can alert you to even the smallest liquid leaks in areas such as kitchens, toilets, pipework and underfloor heating.
Ensure your solenoid valves are working. These control the flow of liquids and gas and are an important part of most pipe systems. By checking they are fully operational, automatic shut-off systems will be in place when and if you need them.
Conduct a water audit and understand where and how you are using water within your organisation. If you’re using water in your production, then a process audit will help you identify where utility efficiencies can be made.
Review and renew your washroom and sanitation facilities. Sensor operated taps and adaptors, spray taps and water saving cisterns can offer hygiene benefits as well as energy saving measures.
Use the support of your employees. In a recent study conducted by Water Plus, 67% of employees felt their organisations could be doing more towards water efficiency. This means they will champion the changes you put in place and embrace water saving techniques which will in turn help you to reduce your carbon footprint and costs.

Concerned about the capital cost of water saving technology?

Businesses can benefit from a Government scheme to help with your initial outlay of water saving devices. The Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) means you can claim 100% first year capital allowance on all water efficiency products from an approved list. Find out more.

Plus, you will soon reap the rewards of a reduction in your utilities costs because of your investment.

Water Saving Week Initiatives

Split over five days, with each day focusing on an area of water saving we can all embrace, Water Saving Week is organised by Waterwise, an independent not for profit organisation and a leading authority on water efficiency in the UK.

Here are the core areas featured during the week;

Save water to reduce your carbon footprint

The use of energy and water are closely linked and account for almost 1% of the UKs total emissions. We can all do our part to reduce our personal carbon footprint by taking simple measures in our homes to reduce the amount of energy used to heat hot water.

Save water and help your community to thrive

By 2050 there will be an estimated 8.7m more people in England at Wales and if we can all save small amounts of water, we can ensure communities can continue to thrive. As water resources become threatened by drought and building new infrastructure more expensive, we can reduce pressure on existing sources and offset the need for more.

Save water to save wildlife

We rely on water from rivers and lakes for much of our supply which are also used by wildlife. Already, over one in five water bodies are at risk from too much water being taken. 13% of freshwater and wetlands species are threatened with extinction and more than half are in decline. Climate change is likely to worsen this situation as droughts become more frequent and flows could reduce by up to 20% in many rivers. Saving water now can reduce our impact and allow wildlife to flourish.

Save water to save cash

Installing water saving technology such as efficient taps and showers saves both water and energy, saving you money too. A toilet leak can waste up to 400 litres of clean water a day and an efficient shower head with slightly shorter showers could help you save up to £120 a year.

Save water to keep the UK beautiful

A predicted increase in average temperatures and prolonged dry spells means it is more important than ever to conserve water and use water collection where possible to help your garden prosper. The average roof collects about 85,000 litres of rain in a year, enough to fill 450 water butts and can be a great source of natural water collection.

To find out more about our Leak Detection products please contact us.

*Source: Water Plus

22 April 2020

Top tips for protecting your vacant property

In these unprecedented times, there are important considerations to be made when your building is left unoccupied for any period of time.

System failures can not only cause costly damage and disruption, they can also be a safety concern. You may also find that you’re not covered in the event of a claim.

As leak detection system specialists, we offer servicing to make sure your system is fully functioning. By strictly adhering to the latest Site Operating Procedures our skeleton team of engineers can ensure your system is fit for purpose and provides that vital early warning sign for any potentially damaging liquid leaks.

Other maintenance tips for when your building is vacant include;

Make sure all emergency lighting, fire protection and alarm systems are operational and maintained
Keep up with statutory checks and routine inspections such as F-Gas checks
Notify your insurers if a property is temporarily vacant
Prevent stagnation of closed water services for heating and cooling systems with regular operation and maintenance checks
Ensure cooling towers receive specialist attention and full cleaning before being put back in service
Flush all domestic water outlets regularly, at least monthly, and prepare for full system chlorination before reoccupation
Review and update where necessary the water services legionella risk assessment
Maintain normal facilities for service and security personnel
Deep clean catering and other potentially harmful areas before reoccupation

We’re able to help maintain your leak detection equipment, even if we did not install your system. Our experienced engineers are on hand to provide technical support and advice, fault finding, maintenance and calibration to ensure that your system is operating correctly. Please contact us to discuss your requirements further.

19 March 2020

A Message Regarding Coronavirus ‘COVID-19’

We wanted to keep you up to date on what we’re doing following the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Most importantly, we want to reassure you that the safety and wellbeing of our customers and team members is our number one priority.

We are closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it unfolds and are continuing to adapt, following the guidance issued by the government and health authorities, to help keep everyone as safe as possible. Our thoughts go out to anyone who has been personally impacted, and we hope that you and your families are safe and well.

Business Continuity

Rest-assured that we are doing everything in our power to ensure continuity of service during this difficult time. One of the greatest benefits of being an independent, family-owned business, is that the phone will always be answered, emails responded to and as far as humanly possible, orders fulfilled.

We have a fully operational engineering team and the operations and support team are continuing to work from our office, but we are taking extra precautions to ensure everyone’s safety.

We have secured additional stock and have been reassured by the responses from our supply chain, and so will continue to operate as normal for as long as it is safe to do so.

Please be assured that we remain fully committed to helping you in whatever ways we can.

Many thanks

The Diamond Controls Team

15 October 2019

Diamond Controls launch five year warranty on all Leak Detection products

Our products come with a three year manufacturer’s warranty as standard, however when you sign up to a Diamond Controls Service and Maintenance contract, we will provide an additional two years of cover for system longevity and peace of mind.

That means your system and all parts are covered for a full five years against any component failure/ workmanship, ensuring no surprise costly repairs.*

Contact Diamond Controls for more information and a full list of exclusions and conditions at: sales@diamondcontrols.co.uk, 0203 8765940 or click: www.diamondcontrols.co.uk

*Exclusions: Accidental or malicious damage, modification or repair by anyone other than a Diamond Controls authorised engineer and misuse of the product or use of the product in an environment for which it was not intended. Full list of exclusions and Terms and Conditions available on request.

18 September 2019

Aquilar launch wireless Leak Detection System

AquiWave by Aquilar is a new, compact wireless Leak Detection System designed to safeguard property and contents to keep things working…

With proven reliability, Aquiwave is perfect for use in commercial or residential premises to protect high-value assets, but what makes Aquiwave really special is that it is suitable for installation in areas where a traditional wired system would cause too much disruption. Because of its wireless capability, AquiWave can be installed in locations previously inaccessible for a standard Leak Detection System, offering protection against costly leaks to even more clients.

AquiWave requires a less complicated install and is more mobile, making it ideal for temporary installations such as construction sites, heritage as well as listed buildings in which the infrastructure cannot be changed.

The highlights…

Design based on proven fire alarm technology which has been tested to rigorous standards, far exceeding standard Wi-Fi systems.
Lower installation costs.
The wireless system won’t interfere with your other Wi-Fi systems.
Two way communication for improved monitoring, control and communication.
Wirelessly control valves, beacons and sounders, etc.
The expandable system can accommodate up to 240 devices.
Battery back-up as standard retaining full functionality.

The Diamond Controls Promise

Our engineers are specially trained by Aquilar, combining over 40 years of experience to bring you a complete turnkey solution (from initial recommended radio survey, installation, servicing and maintenance), so we are with you every step of the way. Diamond Controls also offer a five year warranty as standard with a Service and Maintenance contract (three year manufacturers + Diamond Controls two year extended warranty) to give you extra peace of mind.

Get in touch with Diamond Controls for more information or to book in your radio survey at: sales@diamondcontrols.co.uk, 0203 8765940 or click: www.diamondcontrols.co.uk.

Alternatively, come and see us at London Build 2019 Expo in London between 27th and 28th November. You’ll find us on Stand F15 with the Aquilar team.

7 August 2019

We are proud to announce that we are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified!

Diamond Controls is proud to have been awarded the internationally recognised ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification.

The ISO 9001 ensures that our services meet the standard needs of clients through an effective quality management system. Sophie Ames, HR Business Partner at Diamond Controls Ltd, explains:

“Working towards the ISO 9001 accreditation has helped the business mature by formalising our processes. It also demonstrates our commitment to providing a quality and consistent service to clients as well as the desire to continuously improve.”

The ISO 14001 is the world’s most recognized environmental management system, enabling businesses to make day to day operations more sustainable. It requires us to have an environmental policy and action plan to manage environmental impact. Managing Director, Iain Ames, is very proud of this accomplishment:

“Identifying our environmental impact and developing actions and procedures aimed at improving our performance creates a more efficient business with less waste, which goes hand in hand with Diamond Controls’ existing green aware ethos.”

About Diamond Controls

We are an ISO accredited leak detection and trace heating system specialist operating throughout London and the UK.

Working closely with our partner suppliers Aquilar and nVent, and our installation experience spanning nearly two decades, has enabled us to develop bespoke operations to ensure that our commercial and industrial leak detection and trace heating systems projects are always delivered successfully.

For more information about the services we provide, please take a look at our systems pages, or contact us for a free, no obligation discussion about your project requirements.