Inventor, and former electrical professional, Kieran Pye tells PBM about the development of CHUMPFix and the time-saving benefits it offers to all trades on site.
Launched at the end of January and initially designed as a drill-free fixing solution to help electricians, CHUMPFix has already proved popular in its core market with installers and wholesalers alike, and is now increasingly finding uses by other trades in a host of applications.
Designed to be easier and faster than plugs and screws, the product can be used to fix most surface-mounted fittings to plasterboard walls and ceilings without the need for drilling — such as pendants, smoke alarms, chandeliers, ceiling and wall light fittings, pull cord switches, surface-mounted sockets (both metal and plastic), fire call points, surface-mounted switches and many more besides. The unit can also be used to complete plasterboard repairs.
A common application is electricians using it to change a pendant to a decorative light fitting (in a new build home, for example). Customers have commented at how shocked they are by the speed of the work and cleanliness involved, with next to no dust produced. This offers a massive time saving on both the work and the making good.
Since the launch, we’ve seen some amazing responses from the electrical industry as the product continues to gain traction with the end users it was designed to help. We’re having new applications presented to us all the time, including securing a light through a Victorian ceiling rose, attaching bulkhead lights to ceiling tiles and securing a smoke alarm over a 75 mm hole in the ceiling.
“We’ve seen a significant upturn in enquiries from wholesalers and have now grown our stockist list to over 1,000 outlets. This includes builders’ merchants such as C&W Berry as the range of applications and customer sectors increases.”
Beyond the electrical sector
At trade shows such as Elex and ToolFair, we’ve also had interest from across the trades — extending outside of just purely the electrical domain — and the product is increasingly being used by any professional who has an item that requires a good, sturdy fixing, such as plumbers using it to fix radiators to walls.
As a result of this demand, we’ve seen a significant upturn in enquiries from wholesalers and have now grown our stockist list to over 1,000 outlets. This includes builders’ merchants such as C&W Berry as the range of applications and customer sectors increases.
CHUMPFix is not just any standard fixing. Because the entire product was designed to be behind the plasterboard, not only do you get a quality, durable fixing, but the board is also reinforced at the same time. Installers simply feed the fixing through the same hole as the cables, for instance, and hold on to the handle while screwing the accessory to the ceiling or wall.
This alternative way of thinking contributes to a faster, stronger and tougher way of fixing items to plasterboard.
There’s no need to relocate lights to the nearest joist, leaving ugly holes for the customer or decorator to repair, and no more making holes larger to feed wood above the ceiling with the risk of visible damage after the work is completed. The CHUMPFix will span the hole and hold on tight.
The product itself is very easy to use with multiple fixing points, and I’m confident in stating that it is all but impossible to miss out on getting a secure fix first time if you’re applying it correctly. The fixing can comfortably hold up to 50 kg in weight — which is far more than the plasterboard — and this means it can be used for any normal light fitting, for example, and it’s also especially useful for surface sockets.
Made and packaged in the UK and manufactured from nylon, the tough material will take the threads of a screw securely. As a result, it’s virtually impossible for a user to pull a surface socket off the wall with a CHUMPFix. In fact, the wall will have to break for the socket box to become detached.
Security is assured by reinforcement of the board at the point of stress, spreading the load beyond that of traditional fixings. There is no need to drill holes for plugs or insert fixings into additional holes, meaning fewer steps to the installation for faster job completion.
Merchandising support
Produced in a distinctive green colour, the bold green and yellow packaging is intended to purposefully stand out in branch. A range of additional POS materials is available, including a floor-standing display unit which is 43cm wide, 37cm deep and 1.76m tall and comes with three shelves.
The top shelf has a demonstration of the use of CHUMPFix with a pendant hanging down into a decorated section of the display. Above the demonstration is a hanging hook for showing packs of the product (with five in each pack) whilst the lowest shelf is suitable for storing two display boxes which contain 30 packs in each.
The sides of the display unit have examples of use on one side and installation instructions on the other side. Roller banners, at 80cm wide by 2m tall, can also enhance your CHUMPFix display in-store.
Click or tap here for more information on CHUMPFix.
