Jepp Valve Investment Calculator
The Jepp Valve can be used in homes and managed properties where a sealed heating system, such as a gas combi boiler, requires a filling loop. Its simple operation is particularly useful for landlords, housing associations and local authorities managing social housing because an occupier can be shown how to restore pressure without handling a loose hose or several isolation valves or requiring a visit by an engineer or plumber.
Although a Jepp Valve can be installed at any time, the most cost-effective time is:
-
When installing or replacing a boiler: Gas Safe Register scheme records one million natural-gas central-heating boiler installations in the most recent 12-month period for which government figures are available.
The typical installed replacement boiler cost is in the range £2,500 to £3,000 (average £2,804), while the cost of an external filling loop is in the range £14 to £30 (average £22). Assuming a Jepp Valve cost at the RRP of £58.98, the incremental cost of a Jepp Valve over a conventional filling loop is only about 1.3% of the overall boiler installation cost.
-
During an annual boiler service. Published data reports that approximately 50–55% of domestic gas boilers receive a service in any given year which equates to approximately 12–14 million domestic gas boilers serviced in the UK each year.
Where a heating engineer is already attending a property for a scheduled service, the additional cost of installing a Jepp Valve is substantially lower than undertaking a dedicated retrofit visit; the cost of travel, property access and the primary engineer attendance has already been incurred.
-
During regular gas-safety checks on gas appliances and flues provided for tenants by housing associations and local authorities under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
Social landlords then have the opportunity to inspect and upgrade during service. Engineers could assess the filling arrangement during the normal annual service and identify properties where a Jepp Valve would be technically appropriate and economically beneficial.
This approach would allow deployment to be targeted initially towards properties with a history of low-pressure calls, vulnerable customers, customers who have difficulty operating conventional filling loops, and housing stock where maintenance records indicate a disproportionately high level of repressurisation-related visits.
If installing a Jepp Valve prevents just one call-out during its lifetime, the avoided attendance cost is already more than the approximate incremental hardware cost. The Jepp Valve investment calculator can be used to develop a business case for fitting a Jepp Valve.