25 March 2026
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Jay Abley, Operations Director at EcoFuture, tells us about delivering a retrofit project with a very limited airing cupboard. The cupboard previously housed a small, vented cylinder, so an innovative product was used to meet the customer’s needs.
EcoFuture delivers total renewable solutions from design to installation for commercial and residential projects across the North of England.
The business is thriving due to increasing demand for solutions that provide low carbon and energy efficient benefits that help the environment.
The team is experienced in renewable heating and is always seeking product enhancements that can further improve the service offered to customers. The team identified that the new high recovery uniSTOR cylinders from Vaillant, with a choice of internal or external expansion, a new design, a full range of slimline sizes, and easy to install pre-plumbed and unplumbed models for boiler and heat pump systems, would be an excellent addition to support their service offering.
In a recent residential heating upgrade project, the uniSTOR plus 175 litre pre-plumbed cylinder was installed.
Talking about the project Jay said: “Every project is different, and you have to be flexible about the best solution. We were approached for a retrofit job at a 1980s four bedroom timber framed property in Hexham that has a very limited aiuring cupboard, which housed a small, vented cylinder.
“Part of the overall solution, which replaced an inefficient legacy electric based heating system, included the specification of an aroTHERM plus air source heat pump and a wet radiator system in all parts of the large house. It also included a full suite of accompanying heating controls to give oversight to the owners, as well as remote access for us to monitor the system as required.”
Jay explained that when it came to the accompanying hot water cylinder which would complement the entire install, he was delighted to be able to call upon the design, installation, and performance benefits of the new uniSTOR plus 175 litre pre-plumbed cylinder as it helped overcome many of the traditional challenges installers face.
Installation solutions
Jay continued to explain that often the number one issue is the space limitations which they encounter in people’s homes.
He said: “It can be a challenge to site the hot water cylinder in the available space and can complicate the installation process. Projects will often require higher cylinder capacities to suit hot water demands for the household, but space constraints can compromise what we can do.
“The important thing we have found with the cylinder option is that its slimline dimensions mean we can suitably fit it into smaller spaces whilst offering increased water capacity levels. Also, the design has clearly labelled connections at the front of the cylinder. This is a great bonus, especially on the pre-plumbed model, which helps us to speed up installation times.
“The new cylinder affords the option to be fitted with a boiler today, and then when the homeowner is ready to upgrade to a heat pump system, the buffer can be installed at either the top or bottom of the cylinder, or even somewhere else depending on location. This is immensely helpful to the install team. It means we can work with a variety of scenarios knowing that we have fitting alternatives to combat the mentioned common space barriers. This innovating development will be of 100% benefit on our future install projects.”
Heating costs cut and the trade supported
Jay explained that as the heating sector continues to welcome new installers, he also believes that features such as the clear labelling used on the product will be highly beneficial.
He said: “We have apprentices working on installs alongside experienced staff. As apprentices build their confidence, being able to work with easy to understand and accessible connections, as well as accompanying instructions, definitely helps. It is also of great assistance for those who have been in the industry for a while, ensuring they get the job done right first time, every time.”
Jay continued to explain that now fully installed, the combined air source heat pump, hot water cylinder and controls package, alongside other renewable technologies, is making a real difference for the customer. Heating running costs on the inefficient legacy system of around £10,000 per annum have been drastically cut to about £1,500, driven by system efficiencies which are now delivering much higher levels of heat into the home for the amount of electricity consumed.
https://yourecofuture.com
