Pierre-Louis Guhur

Good heating control is no longer just a fixed setpoint. On the job site, you can offer settings that adapt to the household's rhythms, free heat gains and weather variations, improving comfort without overconsuming. Understanding how the device "learns" and what data it uses helps you avoid vague promises, ask the right questions to the client and secure the commissioning.

5 min read

On a job site, choosing the insulation under the roof covering isn't just a technical question. You're the one who has to decide between thermal performance, moisture management, available height and ease of installation, without overcomplicating things. With the right approach, you secure comfort in both summer and winter, and you avoid the problems that come back to cost you.

5 min read

Asymmetry is not a sales line, it is a way of pulling two critical frequencies apart. A 4 mm pane dips around 3,000 Hz, a 10 mm pane around 1,200: a 4/16/4 unit stacks both dips at the same point in the spectrum, a 10/16/4 separates them by more than an octave. What remains is reading the right index for the noise source, and not giving back on the install what the glazing gained.

5 min read

Producing heat and electricity at the customer's home, continuously, without complicating your life — that's a promise worth examining closely. On site, this type of system changes the game on sizing, connections and plant-room space, with some very concrete points to watch. If you're aiming for a coherent, RGE-compliant renovation, you save time by clarifying usage, available fuel and maintenance level from the outset.

5 min read

On a heat-pump installation, vacuum evacuation isn't a luxury. It's what drives out air and moisture before charging, to avoid faults that always strike at the worst moment, and to protect the compressor, expansion valve and oil. By mastering this step, you save time on callbacks, stabilise performance, and deliver a clean commissioning with no bad surprises.

5 min read

When the volume of water heats up, it expands, and that's often where problems start: rising pressure, a valve spitting water, callbacks. As an installer, choosing the right vessel capacity secures the installation from the moment it's filled and avoids repeated adjustments on site. Here's a simple method, with the right parameters to record, for sizing correctly without oversizing.

5 min read

In a renovated home, what people actually feel doesn't come only from the number on the thermostat. It's the balance between heat and humidity that makes the difference, especially once insulation and airtightness step up a level. As a tradesperson, you can help clients avoid rooms that "heat up but still feel cold," windows that bead with condensation, and air that leaves people tired. With a few good settings and the right material choices, you make the result visible — and above all, pleasant to live with every day.

5 min read

A tightness test on pipework is not a matter of judgement, it is a numbered procedure. BS EN 806-4 sets the test pressure at 1.1 times the maximum design pressure and defines the pressure drops allowed between each reading. The report that comes out of it is what you will produce at handover.

5 min read

A domestic condensing boiler produces in the order of 4,000 litres of condensate a year, at a pH of 4 to 5. No national rule requires that condensate to be neutralised before it reaches the wastewater network, but the pipe material, the fall and the local drainage rules do decide whether the installation survives.

6 min read

When a system needs to be shut down for water, everything comes down to one simple point: being able to cut off and drain quickly, without flooding the site. As a tradesperson, you save time with a few regular checks, a firm shut-off, a leak check, and a quick clean of the mechanism. The result: fewer callbacks, and cleaner repairs, even in an emergency.

5 min read

When a workshop, a laundry, or a food-processing plant needs reliable heat, every kWh counts. Today, you can offer a solution that reaches high temperatures while significantly cutting emissions, without overhauling the whole installation. By carefully handling sizing, the heat source and the connections, you secure the process and gain credibility from the quote stage onward.

5 min read

"Anti-burglary" is not a product feature, it is a test class. BS EN 356 defines eight, P1A to P5A by ball drop and P6B to P8B by axe attack, and it is BS EN 1627 that says which one goes with the resistance class specified for the whole unit. On the thermal side, laminated glass is paid for in kilograms, not in watts.

5 min read

Adding up per-person demands does not give a building's demand. The reference method goes through the standard dwelling, a three-room social housing flat occupied by 2.1 people, whose measured average daily demand is 125 ± 50 litres at 40°C. Every flat type is brought back to that standard dwelling through an equivalence coefficient.

5 min read

Pellet prices are read by pack format, not by market: €365/t in bulk, €339 bagged at retail and €383 on a pallet at the latest ADEME survey. The gap between the cheapest and dearest delivered price still runs to a factor of two, which moves the margin on a job far faster than the national trend. Here are the series, the spread, and how to hold the fuel line on a quote.

5 min read

When a slab extends outside the heated envelope, heat escapes and your clients feel it immediately. In renovation, your real lever is deciding quickly between correcting it with continuous insulation or a clean structural break, depending on access, structure and finishes. With a clear method, you limit callbacks, secure the job site and gain performance without unnecessary complications.

5 min read

On a job site, the right choice of fluid circulating through the pipes can be the difference between a stable installation and callbacks in the middle of winter. Between freeze risk, maintenance constraints and compatibility with the heat pump or solar collectors, you need a simple, clear decision. Here's the rundown, no jargon, to keep your installs and settings safe.

5 min read

When a client tells you that traffic noise "comes right into" the living room, they expect a simple, clear answer. Between acoustic bridges, worn-out windows, and forgotten joints, leaks often come down to details you can fix quickly, without an endless job. Starting from a good diagnosis and clean execution, you turn a noisy home into a pleasant room, and you secure your result.

5 min read

On site, the choice of construction system changes everything. Installation time, load-transfer constraints, routing for services, level of prefabrication — you need a solution that's reliable and easy to explain to the client. Here's a concrete rundown to help you decide fast and lock down your measurements.

5 min read

A hydraulic schematic reads in three layers: the generator, the decoupling device, the secondary circuits. Ten configurations cover most domestic retrofit work, from a direct connection to a multi-fuel setup on a buffer tank. This article gives the selection table, the flow calculation per branch and the hot water temperatures the schematic has to hold.

5 min read

On a room-sealed boiler, two things decide the outcome: the equivalent length of the run, which is calculated before you order, and the position of the terminal, governed by the gas installation rules and the flue-work standard. Everything else that causes lockouts comes from assembly direction and condensate fall.

6 min read

In renovation work, every kilogram counts and every thermal bridge shows up on the bill. Lightweight, insulating masonry blocks help you save installation time, limit rework and keep walls breathable. Well chosen, they also give your clients year-round comfort, summer and winter, without adding weight to the job site.

5 min read

In a housing development, heat is often best handled at the scale of the neighbourhood. With a small local network and a properly sized shared boiler room, you can pool production, simplify maintenance, and secure the performance of a project, without complicating life for residents. It's also a lever for making the most of a renewable energy source available on site and making your jobs clearer for the client, from the first plans through to commissioning.

5 min read

A solid traditional wall dries inwards. Once the outside face is rendered, that is the only drying path it has left, and internal wall insulation is what closes it. The water vapour resistance factor puts a number on it: 1 for mineral wool, 60 for expanded polystyrene, 150 for extruded. At 120 mm that is 12 cm, 7.2 m and 18 m of equivalent air placed against the masonry.

8 min read

A 1970s house is often a job that hides surprises, but also real potential for quick wins. You have to work around period insulation, ventilation that's sometimes absent, and equipment nearing the end of its life, all while keeping a workable schedule and budget. Here, we start from the concrete details to help you secure your choices and move forward without guesswork.

5 min read

When renovating a workshop or a small industrial site, the right emitter is the difference between a job that goes smoothly and a commissioning process that drags on. You need robust heating that's simple to install, heats up quickly, and stays consistent with an existing boiler or a future heat pump. Here are the concrete reference points to keep in mind to choose correctly, without wasting time on unnecessary options.

5 min read

You have clients who want to heat better, without blowing up the bill or depending on a single energy source. By combining a wood stove for cold snaps and a heat pump for the rest, you gain in comfort, control flexibility and continuity of service. The challenge is sizing the whole system correctly and orchestrating the controls, so it runs simply and cleanly on the job.

5 min read

On a job site, what saves time isn't going fast, it's moving forward in the right order. By structuring the works into clear sequences, you secure the final performance, avoid costly rework and keep the client engaged until the last step. A simple method, designed for your on-site constraints, changes everything.

5 min read

When a job calls for effective ventilation without pushing up the bill or complicating the installation, a passive solution can really make the difference. You capture heat from the sun to create a draught that renews the air, with no motor and often little maintenance. Properly sized and placed, it improves summer comfort while showcasing your expertise on renovation projects.

5 min read

When a client mentions "quality", you need a simple, solid benchmark. DINplus and ENplus certifications exist precisely to sort out reliable bags, with requirements on moisture, density and above all cleanliness, meaning less dust and less clogging. By mastering these labels, you protect your installations, cut down on callbacks, and add value to your advice, without getting lost in endless technical sheets.

5 min read

On an energy-renovation job, the difference often comes down to detail. As a tradesperson, you save time when the work items are clearly classified, with the right prerequisites and the right order of execution, from insulation through to final adjustments. Here's a simple method for quickly spotting the right levers, securing the quote, and moving forward without grey areas.

5 min read