As UK summers grow increasingly hotter, electrical wholesalers are seeing a clear shift in buying habits. Cooling solutions, once considered seasonal, are now essential across both domestic and commercial markets. We find out how Prime Electrical Distributors and Devola are helping wholesalers meet surging demand.

With forecasts suggesting that 2026 could be among the hottest summers on record – and conditions already warmer than average – the opportunity for wholesalers to expand into cooling has never been greater.

Meeting demand

Prime Electrical Distributors (PED), alongside its exclusive in-house brand Devola, is helping wholesalers meet this demand with a comprehensive, high-quality product offering backed by strong service and availability.

Established in 2009, Devola has become a fast-rising name within the HVAC sector. Its reputation is built on delivering reliable, well-designed products at competitive price points, without compromising on quality. This balance is particularly important for wholesalers looking to offer dependable solutions while remaining competitive in a price-sensitive market.

Today, Devola’s range includes over 100 products available from its UK distribution centre. The portfolio covers portable air conditioners, dehumidifiers and a wide variety of fans, giving wholesalers a complete solution for cooling requirements. The range continues to grow, with new products – including hand dryers and towel rails – set to launch later this year.

The need for cooling is being driven by changing environmental conditions. UK temperatures continue to rise year on year, with heatwaves becoming more frequent and intense. These rising temperatures have a direct impact on working and living environments. In commercial settings, excessive heat can lead to physical strain such as heat exhaustion and cramps, while also reducing concentration and productivity. As a result, businesses and organisations are placing greater emphasis on maintaining comfortable indoor climates.

This shift is driving demand across multiple sectors, including education, local authorities, hospitality and office environments. For electrical wholesalers, it presents an opportunity to provide practical solutions that address a growing and immediate need.

Air conditioning

Devola’s range of portable air conditioners is a key part of this offering. With more than 10 models available in both white and black finishes, the range combines strong performance with modern design. These units are ideal for spaces where permanent installation is not practical, offering flexible, effective cooling.

Portable air conditioners work by drawing warm air into the unit and passing it over refrigerant-filled coils, which absorb heat. The cooled air is then circulated back into the room, while hot air is expelled through a hose connected to a window. This simple but effective process allows users to quickly create a comfortable environment.

A major advantage of Devola’s air conditioning range is the inclusion of smart technology across all models. Users can control their units remotely, set schedules, and optimise performance to suit their needs. As smart home and workplace solutions become more common, this feature adds real value for customers and an additional selling point for wholesalers.

Alongside air conditioning units, Devola offers a wide selection of fans. The range includes high-velocity floor fans, desk fans, pedestal fans and tower fans, ensuring there is a solution for every application and budget. This breadth of choice allows wholesalers to meet diverse customer requirements, from personal cooling to larger-scale airflow solutions.

Partnership

The strength of the Devola brand is further enhanced by its exclusive partnership with Prime Electrical Distributors. PED has built a strong reputation within the industry for reliability, service and customer support, making it a trusted partner for wholesalers across the UK.

All Devola cooling products are available for next-day delivery nationwide, enabling wholesalers to respond quickly to spikes in demand, particularly during peak summer periods. This level of availability is essential in a fast-moving market, where timing can make a significant difference to sales. PED has also invested in expanding its UK sales team to support the growing demand for Devola products. This ensures that wholesalers have access to the expertise and support they need to make the most of the opportunity.

Electrical wholesalers can also benefit from becoming approved Devola stockists. This provides access to regular promotional offers and preferential trading terms, helping businesses maximise profitability while remaining competitive.

As the UK continues to experience rising temperatures, the demand for cooling solutions will only increase. For electrical wholesalers, this represents a clear opportunity for growth.

With its established reputation, expanding product range and commitment to quality, Devola – supported by Prime Electrical Distributors – offers a complete and reliable solution…

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Traditional dome top cable glands are ideal for creating simple and secure entry points for bulkheads and enclosures. However, when access to the interior of the enclosure is restricted or space is tight, installation time can be greatly increased and it may even be necessary to adopt specialist tooling – or, if the panel is large, two installers may be required to assemble the glands into position.

Here, Michael Crowther, Product Development Director at Hylec-APL, outlines the advantages of its Kwik-Fix cable glands for electrical installers in these scenarios.

Control cabinets, plant switchgear and building services, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, all require access for cabling. Electrical installers or building services engineers will usually be tasked with commissioning, installing and securing such access – ideally as quickly and cost effectively as possible. But there are plenty of situations where access to the inside of such enclosures is restricted, and space is often at a premium – making traditional solutions awkward to install – while the harsh environment they are usually situated in demands that such access must be weatherproof and not allow ingress of water, dust or dirt.

While traditional cable glands are ideal solutions for many electrical installations, each application has its own unique considerations – particularly where space is tight, or access is difficult. Rapid assembly cable glands offer a potential alternative to traditional dome top glands, which use a rear mounting lock nut to secure the cable gland in such scenarios. But plant and mechanical engineers often don’t put much faith in rapid assembly cable glands – and their reluctance is hardly surprising, as rapid assembly products typically require a special tool for assembly, are often unwieldy to install and form an unreliable seal.

Hylec-APL’s Kwik Fix cable glands represent a real advancement of rapid assembly cable gland design – and don’t require a special assembly tool either.

Kwik-Fix cable glands

Designed for use in applications where access to the interior of a bulkhead or enclosure is restricted, the patented Kwik Fix cable gland is installed from just one side of a panel, without any special tools, doesn’t require a rear mounted locknut and can still achieve IP68 sealing of a cable transit. The Kwik Fix can also reduce installation time, which will increase productivity and profitability, and is especially suitable for use with large switch cabinets, as well as cooling and heating systems.

The Kwik Fix cable gland is installed by placing the mounting foot of the gland through the entry hole. The mounting foot is designed with a lip that can be pulled tight against the inner wall; an external hexagonal locking nut is then turned anti-clockwise to hold the gland in place and form an IP68 seal. Once locked in place you can install the corresponding cable in the traditional manner, tightening the top dome nut in a clockwise direction.

This means that the gland can be easily mounted and dismounted from one side, making installation and maintenance far simpler. In addition, the gland takes up less internal space, leaving more space for internal wiring within the enclosure. The gland can be fitted onto entries where the wall thickness is between 1mm and 4mm and the waterproof solutions can operate safely in temperatures between -20°C and 100°C. It carries UL and VDE approval, boasts integrated strain relief and is available in all standard hole sizes, M16, M20, M25 and M32 (suitable for cable sizes from 5–17mm), in RAL 7001 (Silver Grey), RAL 7035 (Light Grey) and RAL 9005 (Jet Black).

Kwik Fix cable glands also offer advantages when connecting electric vehicle (EV) charging point enclosures. Where the incoming cable comes from behind the enclosure, through a wall, the Kwik-Fix gland can be fixed on the inside of the enclosure without the installer having to get behind the enclosure wall to tighten up a lock nut. This method can quickly and easily provide an IP68-rated connection to an EV charging point.

Summary

Previously, when faced with restricted interior or rear access, installers have been forced to use products that do not guarantee the seal. Also, they often required spanners or special tools. Kwik Fix cable glands are easily installed and removed from one side only, making installation and maintenance much simpler and reducing costs. Moreover, these glands take up less space, meaning a smaller enclosure could be used or leaving more room for wiring.

Figure 1. How the Kwik-Fix cable gland works

Kwik-Fix cable glands are the answer in a tight spot!
For a free sample of the Kwik-fix cable gland, email hylecuser@hylec-apl.com with “Free Kwik-Fix sample” as the subject and don’t forget to type the address you want the sample sent to.

For more information, click here or call 01933 234400.

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