Freezing up for sales opportunities with Arctic Hayes

Want a new way to save your plumbing customers time and money? Arctic Hayes’ UK business unit director, Lee Parsons says he has just the product.

Our Arctic Hayes, Pipe Freeze brand has long saved plumbers and installers time, money and effort on the job when it comes to the time-consuming, messy and wasteful drain down.

It creates a temporary, solid ice plug within a pipe so you can isolate sections of the system without the need to drain it – and no need to locate a stop-cock or service valves either. This ice plug can also withstand pressure, allowing plumbers to work on the pipes without disruption and the risk of thawing and leaks.

Now, a technological advancement combines digital intelligence, real-time app monitoring and ultrasonic sensing to remove guesswork and uncertainty from the process. A high-margin tool that drives demand amongst increasingly tech-savvy trade professionals, it opens a whole new revenue stream across merchants and their digital channels.

The Smart Pipe Freeze Clamp is a next-level, connected and much more accessible solution for isolating pipework on live systems. At its core is a simple but powerful concept: giving plumbing and heating engineers clear, live feedback on exactly what is happening inside the pipe as it freezes.
Using an interactive iOS/Android app connected via Bluetooth, it provides real-time temperature monitoring, visual countdowns and alerts throughout the freeze cycle, allowing plumbers, engineers and installers alike to see precisely when an ice plug has formed and when it begins to thaw.

The integrated ultrasonic sensor confirms freeze formation by measuring the actual temperature of the pipe itself, rather than relying on estimated times or ambient conditions. The result is a more accurate and repeatable process.

This directly translates into improved confidence and job efficiency on-site. The system provides audible and visual confirmation when a solid ice plug has been achieved, ensuring it is safe to begin work. It also alerts users if the freeze begins to weaken and additional refrigerant is required, helping to prevent any costly mistakes and unnecessary disruption.

Using a Y-piece connection, users can operate two clamps simultaneously, allowing sections of pipework to be isolated with greater control, which is particularly useful in more complex installations or commercial environments.

It also features a secure locking mechanism, clear orientation indicators and full compatibility with the current range of Arctic Hayes refrigerant kits. Available in 15mm and 22mm variants, it is optimised for the most common UK copper and PVC pipe sizes and can be used on both horizontal and vertical pipework.

Research tells us that 70% of the trade have never tried a pipe freeze product for fear of it not working and/or lack of experience. That in itself represents considerable marketplace headroom and a huge opportunity to re-educate, generate demand and build new sales and customer loyalty.

Our ageing workforce tells us they don’t want to try something new in case it goes wrong, but Smart Freeze Clamp brings clarity and certainty, and we’re confident it’s the product to change minds and old habits. Additionally, with more youngsters coming into the market, who haven’t been exposed to using Pipe Freeze, but have been brought up with digital, IT and more improved ways of working, they will really be switched on to new tech that makes their lives easier.

For merchants, that balance of proven performance and future potential is important, and via savvy digital functionality, it improves outcomes and delivers the ultimate streamlined experience from start to finish – ensuring you get the perfect freeze every time. We are supporting the launch with training materials and digital training content to help merchants demonstrate the tangible difference the product can make – and how to operate safer, cleaner and faster with the very latest in technologically advanced kit.