The latest technology and fittings from Grohe are benefitting installers, according to the company’s training manager, Adam Logan.
With installer shortages across the industry, pent up demand from lockdown and a surge in consumer home improvement projects, there has never been a greater need for efficient fittings and systems that can help simplify and reduce installation times for plumbers, installers and fitters. With so many options of fittings for consumers to choose from in today’s market, there is increasing need for universal first-fix systems that can work flexibly across any project. For those customers wanting smaller retrofit work or upgrades carried out, systems that can speed up those jobs can make them more worthwhile for the installer whilst improving customer service time and satisfaction too. Grohe – a leading provider of complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings – has worked closely with its network of installers to understand the pain points and needs within the industry in order to integrate installer-friendly solutions into its product development.
The manufacturer’s Training Manager Adam Logan discusses four of the brand’s most innovative and specified systems and technologies that have been designed to improve day-to-day working practises for installers.
TileFix
TileFix allows for the adjustment of the fixing brackets on a shower rail in both length and depth. For instance, with a 600mm shower rail, the brackets can be fitted between 570mm & 630mm in length, so you don’t have to drill new holes. The brackets can also be adjusted by up to 16mm in depth, making it a perfect solution for partially tiled rooms. TileFix speeds up the installation process, especially in retrofit or partial upgrade projects.
QuickFix
Many Grohe kitchen and bathroom taps use QuickFix technology which means they can be fitted completely tool free. By reducing the number of loose components to enable a faster installation, taps benefitting from the system are simple to fit, even using just one hand. When looking at average installation times against a standard GROHE basin mixer, installation time is reduced by up to 65 per cent. What makes QuickFix unique is that it is the only system on the market that allows the installer to push the nut to the top of the threaded shaft meaning you only have to tighten the final few turns.
Rapido Smartbox
Consumer’s expectations of their bathrooms, in particular their shower performance and functionality, are increasing and first fix shower systems like Rapido Smartbox can allow customers to get more from their shower, offering the only non-digital concealed shower system that can control three water outlets at the same time from one singular system. Its profile is also extremely slim – just 75mm – which makes it compact enough to work within even the narrowest of walls, opening up the accessibility of concealed showers to a greater number of projects. The Rapido Smartbox is an innovative system with an array of benefits designed with the installer in mind. Time-saving features include 16 different fixing positions for both 6mm & 8mm screws, centre positions and a built in lip for easy levelling; clear indications for Hot & Cold water supply; piping instructions printed directly on the front plate so no need to keep referring back to the installation manual; standard ½” threaded UK connections so no soldering necessary; and the ability to adjust the finished trimset by up to 6° if for any reason the Rapido Smartbox can’t be installed completely level.
Rapid SLX
The Grohe Rapid SLX system is a universal concealed support frame with flushing cistern that is designed for use with wall hung and rimless toilets, a growing trend in the market, and smart shower toilets. Alongside all the features you might expect, such as clear indication of height adjustments, spring loaded feet for easy height adjustment and levelling on uneven surfaces, a 400kg weight limit, fully insulated cistern and a tiling template to ensure adequate space to run the flush and soil pipes, it also offers some additional unique features and technologies designed to aid the installer.
Perhaps the most unique of these is its flow manager, a device that allows the installer to intuitively adjust the flow of the flush to prevent splashing within a rimless toilet pan. This does not reduce the volume of the flush but rather alters the speed in which the water is introduced into the pan. Most importantly, the flow manager can be adjusted without the need for tools or dismantling of any components of the cistern. The Rapid SLX also comes with built-in conduits to run additional water supplies and a power supply which can facilitate a shower toilet such as Sensia Arena, should your customer wish to upgrade a more advanced toilet system in the future. The additional conduits make it easy for installers to perform this upgrade without complete removal of the tiled surfaces as all water and power can either be accessed via the service opening behind the flush plate or from the opening behind the ceramic.
Finally, the Rapid SLX is unique in that it also comes with a magnetic small flush plate as standard which can be fitted without the need for any tools and is available in a selection of three different designs and twelve different finishes, which allows you to give your customer unrivalled choice when it comes to the finishing touches of their new bathroom.
Grohe has also produced a number of installation videos for its products. To access these visit https://www.grohe.co.uk/en_gb/our-service/installation-videos/
