OSO Hotwater: An Introduction
OSO Hotwater UK is the British arm of A/S OSO, the largest and most successful water heater manufacturer in Norway, and a major force and innovator in the water heating industry in Scandinavia, Europe and beyond.OSO Hotwater UK
OSO Hotwater UK is one of the principle suppliers in the rapidly expanding British unvented cylinder industry. Oso have made a number of innovations to advance the industry.
- First stainless steel unvented cylinders widely available in 1989.
- First bubble top unvented cylinders to save substantial space on installation.
- First twin coil solar cylinder available from a mainstream manufacturer in 1997.
- Oso Super S launched in 2009 to industry and press acclaim to give the neatest, most compact installation possible.
OSO cylinders are widely available from plumbers' merchants. The company offers full technical support and has a nationwide sales and specification team.
OSO – An Innovative Market Leader
OSO is a privately owned Norwegian-based manufacturer offering a huge variety of stainless steel water heating products. The company welds over 3,000 metres of stainless steel daily, and has produced over 2.5 million stainless steel water heaters in the last 35 years, making it one of the principle water heating manufacturers in Europe.
OSO group is certified to ISO 9001 (quality management systems) and ISO 14001 (environmental management).
OSO is the undisputed market leader in its Norwegian home market with over 60% market share of all water heaters sold in the past 30 years. OSO's turnover reached NOK530 million (£53 million) in 2008.
OSO is a global leader in water heating for shipping, off-shore oil exploration and other marine uses. OSO supply water heaters for approximately 75% of the European shipping industry.
All of OSO's products are manufactured at the company's production plant at Hokksund, Norway, which delivers products to OSO's sister companies in Norway, Sweden and the UK. Our products are also sold through agents and distributors in various other countries.
OSO's production consists of seven different product lines. We produce water heaters varying from five litres up to 10,000 litres. Domestic water heaters with high sales volumes are always in stock and are produced in large numbers, while industrial/commercial heaters are largely made to specification. This assures a complete availability of all our standardized products at all times, as well as fast delivery of all customized products.
OSO was founded by Frolich Braathen in 1934. Still controlled by the Braathen family, the second and third generations continue to push forward quality and innovation, thus ensuring OSO's long-term success.
An Uncompromising Environmental Ethos
The Scandinavian Chamber of Commerce has awarded OSO as being the most environmentally friendly manufacturing company in the region. The production facility recycles and saves 7.5 million litres of water for pressure testing and cooling every year. During the welding of domestic cylinders OSO does not use filler materials, thus reducing air pollution.
A comprehensive presentation of OSO's continuous efforts to reduce energy waste, and strengthen its environmental commitment, can be found in the online Environmental Report (PDF document, 6.7Mb).
The most important criteria for acquiring new production equipment are environmental concerns, use of resources and efficiency. This assures a minimal impact on the environment as well as minimal problems with waste disposal.
In the development of our products the same criteria play a fundamental role in the selection of materials and components. Environmental concerns – including waste disposal, recycling, emissions as well as the use of raw materials – are factors which are taken into serious consideration by our engineers.
We have been developing environmentally friendly water heaters for more than forty years, and OSO's products are distinguished by their high quality, durability, and a minimal loss of energy. The water heaters maintain a high temperature in order to eliminate the hazard of bacteria, which might lead to diseases such as legionellosis. Due to the high water heater temperature customers do not need a larger heater, which leads to reduced use of resources.
OSO ECO Foam is used to insulate water heaters made for the residential market. This provides 30% more insulation than the use of mineral wool. The OSO ECO Foam insulation is ISO 3285 certified, produced without any exhaust, flame-retardant and may be recycled into new plastic products. The foam-based insulation used by OSO is water-based and has a minimal GWP (global warming potential) of one, compared to other kinds of insulation, which might have a GWP factor of close to 1600. At the same time, OSO ECO Foam has an ODP (ozone depletion factor) factor of zero.
The effects achieved by using this new kind of insulation is estimated to reach approximately 850 GWh in Norway once a complete replacement of two million old water heaters is achieved (an estimate certified by ENOVA). This serves as a confirmation that OSO's environmental goals and visions are being implemented and achieved. The annual effect of 45.000 installed water heaters using OSO ECO Foam equals the conservation of almost 20 GWh (as compared to water heaters using mineral wool).
OSO also makes use of other kinds of insulation in larger-scale water heaters produced on a smaller scale. In accordance with the company's goals we use a kind of insulation based on waste textile fibres. Surveys made by Sintef Byggforsk show that the insulating properties of this insulation material are at least as good as those of mineral wool. OSO's annual use of such insulation equals 200 tons of waste textile fibres, which will contribute to a reduction in the omission of methane gases equal to the annual omission of 2000 cars / personal vehicles.
In Norway, OSO water heaters have an average lifespan of 26 years. With the new Super S we expect a further increase in the average lifespan, one reason being unique welding techniques and the exclusive use of patented, non-welded, threaded connections. This makes it possible for OSO to use thinner and stronger steel, resulting in a reduction in the total amount of steel used. Pure gases, such as nitrogen, argon and hydrogen are used during the welding process.
In Norway, OSO cooperates with Ragn Sells, a company certified by the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority which collects discarded water heaters on some 4000 different locations. Customers simply call a toll-free number in order to arrange the pick-up of discarded water heaters. This arrangement is being financed through a law-enforced environmental tax customers pay when buying a new water heater. Furthermore, OSO was the first company worldwide to introduce its own, cost-free return programme for all water heaters more than 25 years ago.
The OSO ECO Foundation
Spearheaded by the Braathen family, OSO has demonstrated an immense commitment to the outside environment with the establishment of the OSO ECO Foundation. The foundation sponsors various public education projects on environmental issues and provides practical and financial help to other groups engaging in environmental projects.
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Please explore our website to discover more about OSO UK, our products and international reputation. We aim to make the website as informative and comprehensive as possible, however if you have any questions or comments to make, please do not hesitate to contact our Head Office or UK sales team on the numbers or E-mail addresses displayed on the contacts page. There is also a easy-to-use contact form available under the "Contact us" menu.
OSO Hotwater UK is proud to be an exhibitor at PHEX - the Plumbing & Heating Exhibition:
