Articles by Argile

Reusing an existing duct rather than running new ductwork is often the only workable option in renovation. It still pays to know what the energy calculation makes of it, because three solutions built on the same duct are scored very differently: from 1.17 to 2.24 m³/(h.m²) of conventional flow, a factor of two between best and worst.

6 min read

When a client wants better comfort without blowing the budget, it's often the order of work that makes the difference. As a tradesperson, you can avoid false good ideas by reading the home as a whole — first limiting losses, then sizing the heating, and finally securing air quality. With a simple method, you move faster, and your projects deliver on their promises.

5 min read

On site, a few degrees of difference can be enough to throw off a heating setting or a heat pump tune-up. With a reliable measurement that's readable remotely and logged over time, you save time on diagnosis and cut down on client callbacks. Here's how to sort through the right criteria to choose and install without bad surprises.

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

Solar circuit pressure is not set by feel: it is calculated from the static height, a 1.5 bar margin at the highest point and the vapour pressure of the glycol mixture at the chosen maximum operating temperature. Here is the expansion vessel precharge formula, the vapour pressure table, and the limits the safety valve and the membrane impose.

5 min read

A hybrid gas heat pump only qualifies if two conditions hold at the same time: the seasonal space heating efficiency calculated with the backup, and a heat pump coverage rate excluding the backup of at least 70 %. The second is the one that gets lost in commissioning, because a bivalence point pushed too high to avoid defrost cycles sends the system onto gas and takes the installation outside its own eligibility criterion.

4 min read

A pipe that rusts is a job site that quickly gets complicated. To keep a network reliable over time, you need a method that treats the cause, not just the symptoms, and that can be checked with simple on-site measurements. By structuring the diagnosis, the choice of system and the maintenance, you protect your interventions and limit costly rework.

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

Combustion analysis is not an optional flourish at the end of a visit. The French order of 15 September 2009 requires, at the annual service of a boiler from 4 to 400 kW, an assessment of its efficiency and of its air pollutant emissions, and its article 3 splits the reading of ambient carbon monoxide into three bands, one of which means shutting down on the spot. Here is the protocol, the thresholds that stand up, and the basis on which the analyser calculates the efficiency it displays.

5 min read

Between bills that keep shifting and clients who want more autonomy, you’re often looking for a simple way to make the most of every kWh produced, without adding a technical room or a physical battery. The virtual battery answers exactly that need: it “sets aside” the energy fed into the grid so you can recover it later, with rules and costs that need to be clearly framed from the quote onward. In the lines that follow, we help you clearly explain the principle, the points to watch, and the right field practices to secure your job and keep your clients satisfied.

5 min read

Between logs, pellets and wood chips, the right choice comes down to the practical details. You save time on site when the fuel matches the feed rhythm, the storage space and the level of automation expected. With the right criteria, you secure your client's comfort and your own settings, without oversizing or complicating the installation.

5 min read

A descale is judged on readings, not on a feeling that the flow has come back. The only benchmarks that stand up are regulatory ones: the hot water temperatures of the French order of 30 November 2005, the ambient carbon monoxide limits of the order of 15 September 2009, and the reference efficiency of the 3CL-DPE 2021 method. Here is what you measure before and after, what you compare it against, and why lowering the hot water setpoint to fight scale runs into a public health floor.

6 min read