Relações Públicas

Drain Doctor Portugal (www.draindoctor.pt) – a company-owned franchise of Drain Doctor Plumbing (www.draindoctor.co.uk) – is warning businesses in the Algarve region to ensure their solar heating systems are carefully maintained.

Regular inspection is essential to avoid the build up of the deadly Legionella bacteria, the cause of Legionnaire’s Disease. Since April 2010 it has been compulsory in Portugal to install thermal panels to produce hot water. This has led to the potential for an increase in Legionella bacteria in the solar water collection tanks and pipes in heating systems. In hotels and resorts it is mandatory to ensure that water in these reservoirs is heated to 70 degrees Celsius in order to prevent this potential build up.

To ensure that solar heating systems operate at their optimum level they must be regularly serviced on an annual basis. To guarantee the quality of the thermal solar collection systems professional installers and maintenance providers must be certified by the Direcção Geral de Geologia e Energia (DGGE). Installers must have the Certificate of Professional Aptitude (CAP) Technician Installer Solar Thermal Systems.

Operations Manager of Drain Doctor Portugal, Paulo Martins, said: “It is important to have these checks carried out by a properly qualified technician. “Drain Doctor is a certificated provider of maintenance services for solar heating systems. Our maintenance technician holds the appropriate CAP certificate.”

Paulo recommends that to ensure the systems are functioning to their best and to help avoid the build up of Legionella annual maintenance of the solar system should include the following:

• Cleaning of solar collectors.

• Checking of the pump.

• Adjusting the flow and pressure of the solar circuit.

• Checking the expansion vessel.

• Setting the preload (if necessary)

• Verifiying of the concentration of antifreeze fluid.

• Checking the PH of the antifreeze fluid.

• Inspecting the structure.

• Verifying of the security features on the collectors and circulation group.

• Checking the temperature probes and the installation of the solar collector.

• Visually verifying stored water.

• Verifying of deposit magnesium anode (hot water).

• Verifying the safety valve (hot water).

• Checking and adjustment of the thermostatic mixing valve (hot water).

• Renewing, if necessary, the liquid in the solar circuit or replacement of pressure in the loop.

• Purging the solar collectors and circulation group.

• Checking the proper functioning of clocks, thermostats and programmers.

Paulo added: “We aim to continue to give businesses and householders in Portugal the same ‘dazzling’ level of service in plumbing and drainage which Drain Doctor provides across the United Kingdom.” Drain Doctor in the Algarve region covers Loulé, Faro, Silves, Vilamoura, Portimão and Lagos. It is demonstrating the concept of Drain Doctor’s guaranteed 24 hours per day 365 days per year service with a fixed price ‘menu’ and no call-out or out-of-hours charges.

Expatriate Drain Doctor technician Simon Gordon, Drain Doctor’s Portuguese operations manager Paulo Martins, Mary Kennedy Thompson and Freddie and Jan Mitman with one of the company’s vans in Portugal.

Mary Kennedy Thompson, president of the Mr. Rooter Corporation of the USA, has been meeting Drain Doctor staff in Portugal.

Mr Rooter is the US equivalent of Drain Doctor Plumbing – the UK’s largest emergency plumbing and drain repair service which recently launched in Portugal – and both are part of the Dwyer Group in the USA.

Mary – who was an officer in the US Marines before embarking upon a highly successful career in commerce, was the guest of Freddie and Jan Mitman, respectively the chairman and franchise sales director of Drain Doctor.

She said: “There is a two-way trade in ideas between Drain Doctor and Mr Rooter. Having an opportunity to see first hand some of the things that Drain Doctor is doing has helped to strengthen the links between the two companies.”

Jan Mitman said: “We have learned a lot from Mary and from American franchisees over the years. Mary’s visit gave a real boost to European franchisees as they saw what could be possible for their own businesses.”

Drain Doctor and Mr Rooter both offer guaranteed 24 hours per day 365 days per year service with a fixed price ‘menu’ and no call-out or out-of-hours charges.

Having started the Drain Doctor business in the UK in 1993, Freddie and Jan Mitman are now exporting their success formula to Portugal where they intend to set up a similar nationwide chain of franchise businesses.

They chose Portugal as their first expansion into the European mainland as a result of their own experiences.

Jan Mitman explained:“We are lucky enough to have a holiday villa in Portugal but were unlucky enough to have a problem with the drains which turned out to be the result of tree roots growing through the pipes.

We were unable to get a competent plumber in Portugal to deal with the problem and, in fact, ended up flying out a CCTV drain inspection kit from the UK for a local contractor to use in locating and – eventually – fixing the problem.

This incident set us thinking and a little research soon showed that our experience was far from unique. It was clear that there is a tremendous opportunity for a plumbing business which operates to the standards which Drain Doctor has established in the UK.”

Initially the company has established a directly-owned operation in the Algarve to prove the concept for the Portuguese market. Its fully-equipped vans cover Faro, Albufeira, Portimao, Largos and Sagres. Once that business has been successfully trading for a while, Drain Doctor will start to sell franchises.