The British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has stepped up its campaign against non-compliant domestic heating circulator pumps entering the UK market, with the introduction of a new online facility designed to help identify suspect products and report them directly to the appropriate authorities.
Highlighting the scale of the problem, the BPMA says that investigations undertaken by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) have revealed that more than 85% of the domestic heating circulator pumps inspected during its 2022/23 market surveillance programme were found to be non-compliant. This resulted in 38 pump models being delisted from sale, readily highlighting the extent of the issue.
More recently, the BPMA has made a number of its own referrals to OPSS, where 16 out of 17 products assessed were found to be non-compliant, further emphasising the problem, and the need for more sustained enforcement. The Association estimates that as many as 100,000 such pumps could be reaching the market each year.
Available through the BPMA’s dedicated campaign page, the new reporting facility provides a straightforward way for manufacturers, merchants, distributors, installers, contractors and consumers to identify potentially illegal pumps and bring them to the attention of the relevant enforcement authorities. It is hoped that greater visibility will help the authorities build a clearer picture of the problem, identify sources of non-compliant imports and take more targeted action.
The facility can be accessed at: www.bpma.org.uk/stop-illegal-heating-pumps
Wayne Rose, CEO of the BPMA, comments: “We have been raising concerns about non-compliant circulator pumps for some considerable time, and while we welcome the action taken by the OPSS to date, we cannot afford to become complacent. The problem has not gone away, and the continued availability of these products represents a serious concern for the entire pump industry.
“Our new online reporting facility gives manufacturers, distributors, installers and consumers a practical way to help tackle the issue. We need everyone involved in the supply and installation of heating circulators to remain vigilant and report any products they believe may not be compliant.
“Ultimately, this is about much more than protecting the interests of legitimate pump manufacturers. It is about consumer safety, energy efficiency and maintaining confidence in the products our industry supplies. Those businesses that invest in proper product development, testing and certification should not be expected to compete against products that simply do not play by the same rules.”
The BPMA stresses that this is not about restricting legitimate international trade, but ensuring that the same standards apply to every product entering the market, irrespective of where it has been manufactured.
For further information on the work the BPMA undertakes on behalf of the pump industry across the UK and Ireland, please visit the website: www.bpma.org.uk.
