New heating is a vast improvement for housing association
Heating that is both effective and efficient is now enjoyed by the head office of Poole Housing Partnership (PHP) in Poole following the replacement of a system that dated from the building’s construction in the early 1980s. The new heating includes two Evomax 70 kW wall-hung condensing boilers from Ideal Commercial Boilers and 90 Stelrad energy-efficient Radical radiators. It replaces two inefficient floor-standing boilers and a complex system of 28 mm copper pipes installed in a loop around the building with convectors located above.
PHP originally occupied three floors but took over the lease in 2014, expanding into some areas and sub-letting other. PHP therefore decided that it was the ideal opportunity to completely upgrade the heating system to minimise carbon emissions and reduce running cots.
Richard Freeman, building-services manager with PHP, specified the boilers and radiators.
Ease of installation as a key benefit. Richard Freeman says, The frame and header kit made a big difference as the prefabricated modules are fitting with all vital components — from valves to pumps, so the boilers were much easier to install in the restricted space in the plant room.
‘Another important cost-saving factor was that each boiler module was compact enough to be transported to the top floor via the lift, eradicating the need for expensive equipment like cranes.’
Removing the old boilers and replacing them took less than a week and was completed in the summer. The 90 radiators were then installed over a period of six week while the building was still in use.
There are two heating zones on each floor. Optimisation and compensation control are integrated into each boiler.
The design of the Radical radiators reduces energy use by 10.5%, a saving that has been independently assessed by KIWA. They heat up more quickly than standard double-panel radiators, with the front panel heating up first to create higher levels of radiant heat. The lower return temperature also increases system efficiency.
