Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
The Manufacturers’ Association of Radiators and Convectors (MARC) has issued a reminder that all radiator suppliers, whether they be manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers or resellers, have legal obligations under the Construction Products Regulation 2011.
Under the UK Construction Products Regulation (CPR), which aligns with EU Regulation (EU) No 305/2011, it is a legal requirement for all radiators to be accompanied by a Declaration of Performance at the time of supply, either in paper or electronic form, for example as a website download. The Declaration of Performance must include precise outputs measured in Watts, at both Delta T 50 and Delta T 30. Delta T (∆T) refers to the temperature difference between the water circulating in the central heating system and the ambient room temperature, and is crucial for accurate heat loss calculations.
Failure to meet the legal requirements of the Construction Products Regulation 2011, particularly by declaring the heat output of radiators at Delta T 60 to provide an exaggerated perception of higher radiator output, misleads consumers and risks investigation by the Office of Product Safety and other regulatory bodies.
Such non-compliance by unscrupulous suppliers can affect the consumer because they could be buying the wrong sized radiators for their room, resulting in higher energy bills, cold-er homes and increased carbon emissions.
Chair of MARC, Andy Phillips, emphasised: “Complying with the Construction Products Regulation and adhering to BS-EN 442, by providing values for Delta T 50 and Delta T 30, is crucial not only for regulatory compliance but also for ensuring that consumers get the level of heating they expect. Using Delta T 60 values or higher is in breach of the Construction Products Regulation and also undermines the integrity of our industry.”
