"boiler"

Humberside homeowner James Clark scrapped the gas combi boiler at his three-year-old house in Welton, for indoor warmth and hot water are now provided by a Daikin air source heat pump that is partly powered by batteries and rooftop solar panels

application area: commercial gas heatinguse type: condensing gas boilersproject scope: line commercial freestanding chimney for condensing operationadded value: corrosion-resistant, air-tight and waterproof finishBackgroundThe combustion gases from the school's boiler room are exhausted through a freestanding 28-metre brick chimney. The structure was not suitable for the wet operation of condensing boilers. FuranFlex-25 Black was the chosen lining material.The new boiler plant required a 500mm diameter flue liner but the chimney could not accommodate a rigid liner this size. A FuranFlex25 Black liner was therefore specified as it expands into the rectangular flue shape when inflated with steam.Statement of workFuranFlex25 comes as a folded and soft tube. Inflating with steam irreversably hardens the liner fixing it in place. Within a few hours of steaming the liner was ready for connecting to the boilers. The appropriate adaptors/terminals were fitted making the chimney ready for operation.

In Autumn 2018, the heating system for a rural property in Hampshire was upgraded during which a Grant VortexAir air source heat pump/ oil boiler hybrid was installed. The installation of this innovative heating product now keeps the household warm, cleverly combining renewable energy with the trusted elements of an oil boiler.

Demonstrating flexibility and meeting requirements where other manufacturers weren’t able to has seen Instanta products specified at a hospital within the London NHS Trust.Inevitably, patient access to hot water needs careful consideration to ensure any risk of scalding is minimal. A decision was made to ensure water boilers within patient areas have a maximum dispensing temperature of 76°C - lower than the majority of standard water boilers.Not having used Instanta before, but needing a change from the existing supplier that couldn’t offer an adjustable temperature, the technical supervisor researched alternatives and was impressed with Instanta’s wide product range. “On reviewing our existing water boilers, we decided that we needed a product that could actually be modified so its maximum temperature is set at 76°C, an important safety measure for users,” commented the technical supervisor. “We were impressed with Instanta’s range. One of their wall-mounted products was just what we were after, however, its temperature was only adjustable to 80°C.The hospital’s enquiry led to further discussions with Instanta’s operations director and a feasibility study determined that it was indeed possible to modify an existing product; a 6 litre SureFlow Touch Wall Mounted Boiler (WMS6PB) to achieve the facility’s maximum temperature requirement of 76°C.“Instanta’s willingness to help and meet our requirements has been brilliant,” continued the technical supervisor. “As per our request, they made sure the maximum dispensing temperature was set at 76°C. Over the past year we have monitored this closely and we’re pleased to report that it has remained at this temperature, which affords us invaluable peace of mind.” In total, 20 wall-mounted boilers were purchased and placed in areas where patients have access to water heaters.

"Being able to use our standard house design was key – LPG boilers fitted perfectly, which meant we didn’t have to redesign each property." Chris McTague Engineering Manager at Taylor Wimpey Midlands

Hull homeowner Ben Andrew is watching his home energy bills carefully to measure the benefits of switching from an all-gas heating and hot water system to a combination of gas boiler and air source heat pump.

Gwinear Primary School in Cornwall has upgraded its heating system and switched to renewables by installing a Grant Vortex oil boiler which is using HVO biofuel, becoming the first school in the UK to use this fossil free liquid fuel.

Well known as one of North Norfolk’s gems, not just because of its historic setting - it’s believed to be Holt’s oldest building - Byfords is the place to go for delicious home-cooked food, from breakfast, lunch and dinner to everything in between.Busy all year round with loyal locals and visitors to the popular upmarket town of Holt, Byfords is so much more than just a restaurant. On entering, guests are shown through the store, jam-packed with savoury pastries, hot food and cakes to take-away, before arriving at the striking but homely vaulted dining-cafe. Those lucky enough to be staying the night or two are shown to a sumptuous B&B suite upstairs.January 2020 saw Byfords renovate the ‘conservatory’ area of the restaurant, adding an impressive open marble-topped serving bar, behind which are positioned coffee machines and everything needed to make the ever-popular hot drinks throughout the day. One element of this key area that also needed upgrading was the water boiler. Used almost non-stop to fill teapots and cafetieres, Byfords looked to upgrade their current boiler to ensure it could meet the restaurant’s needs.General manager Richard Knights explains: “All of our kitchen & Bar products need to be able to meet a high level of demand, along with being reliable, as we don’t want to be replacing appliances every year.” Richard selected an Instanta product after researching boilers and being impressed with the capacity options and dedication to quality manufacture.A SureFlow Counter Top Filtered (CTS11F) boiler was installed, providing the cafe with up to 162 cups of boiling water per hour, with its built-in multi-functional filtration. This filtration can be adjustable for any catering facility in hard water areas to not only ensure the product isn’t affected by limescale build-up but also to keep hot drinks tasting fresh.“The team makes numerous hot drinks throughout the day,” continues Richard, “so it was vital we have a boiler that is up to the task. The tap is at the right height for filling tall teapots and cafetieres and we never have to worry about waiting for the water to be at the right temperature. As it is in a front-of-house location, it’s also great that it looks good! The smart stainless steel styling complements our other products and looks professional.”The positive feedback from Byfords team means Richard wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Instanta to the other restaurants in the Norfolk Passport brand. “When we come across a product that works so well we always share our insights and I’ll certainly be letting the other teams know that they might be missing out on something!”

A Grant Aerona³ air source heat pump has been installed at a home in Wiltshire, replacing the biomass boiler that was previously heating the property. Working together with an underfloor heating system, the Aerona³ heat pump is operating efficiently to deliver warmth and comfort throughout the home.

The Medical Assessment Unit (MAU Ward) was having continuous issues with its old countertop water boiler. Due to excessive scale damage it was repeatedly out-of-use and the taste of the water it dispensed was increasingly unpleasant. Kevin Ferguson, Assistant Practitioner on the ward, was on the look-out for an alternative drinking water solution.

application area: commercial heatinguse type: industrial condensing boilersproject scope: preserve rectangular flue shape and maintain lined diameteradded value: quick and efficient installation with minimal downtime and disruption to the building structureBackgroundTwo new high efficiency condensing boilers fitted into the basement of a nine-story office block (Dublin Civic Offices, Ireland) using two separate brick lined chimneys that rose through the nine floors and exited on the rooftop.The brick chimneys posed a problem as the chambers measered 300mm x 450mm no standard 350mm flue liner would fit. Due to the pliability of Furnflex, the liner was able to take up an oval shape in the chamber giving it the full 350mm required. This building is an extremely busy high-profile office block therefore minimum disruption to day to day business was required.Statement of workFollowing an onsite survey, Furanflex was deemed the ideal solution to line both chimneys. The installations were carried out over two weekends, one for each chimney, with no disruption to the office operations. The project completed on time and within budget.

INSTANTA TOUCH-FREE SOLUTIONS HELP ROYAL UNITED HOSPITAL PRIORITISE HEALTH AND HYGIENE IN THE WORKPLACE.ROYAL UNITED HOSPITAL CASE STUDY OVERVIEWProviding care for more than 500,000 people in Bath and Somerset, Royal United Hospital is one of the area’s biggest and busiest hospitals. An innovative and forward-thinking hospital, the RUH provides constant emergency care as well as comprehensive specialised care to patients, with work being underway on the new Dyson Cancer Centre which will act as a cancer service hub for half a million people.The RUH installed touch-free Instanta boilers across the site to ensure key staff areas are COVID-secure with staff hygiene and health being a top priority. “Anything that reduces touch points in a healthcare setting is valuable. We are a major hospital in the area so it’s important to prioritise the safety of our staff and patients.”Owen Margetts, Interim Deputy Head of Estates/Senior Estates Officer | Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust THE BRIEFEmergency and specialised healthcare provider Royal United Hospital is located in Bath, Somerset.A part of Zip Water, Instanta has a long-standing and valued relationship with the RUH. Beginning with a free trial of the Zip HydroBoil in 2010, the RUH has been using our products for over 10 years. This led Owen Margetts, Senior Estates Officer, to ask us for a touch-free solution to help them reduce the risk of virus transmission in areas where hygiene is now of utmost importance. THE SOLUTIONAlongside the initial HydroBoil situated in the estate tea room, an additional two Instanta touch-free boilers were installed on the RUH wards. Offering 100% contactless access to boiling water, the Instanta Sureflow Touch Free Boiler enables staff to fill their mugs by simply hovering their hand over the clever infrared sensor. This touch-free technology is advantageous in a health care environment as it reduces touch points, therefore minimising the risk of cross-contamination in this essential, life-saving facility. THE RESULTS“We are very happy with the new Instanta Touch Free Boiler. The product has been an ideal solution for the workplace, especially where health and hygiene are a top priority. It is easy to use and very reliable in a healthcare setting.The touch-free technology has been amazing because it means we don’t have to worry about wiping down the appliance each time it’s used - saving time and also providing peace of mind to our employees.We would definitely recommend the Instanta touch-free range. We have had Instanta products for over a decade now and will continue to do so thanks to the product’s consistent performance and reliability.”Owen Margetts, Interim Deputy Head of Estates/Senior Estates Officer | Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust

There are two options to compensate for the heat loss in hot water distribution pipes: using a temperature maintenance cable or a re-circulation pipe. Which option is more sensible from an energy point of view, when using a condensing boiler for hot water generation? A study by the Technical University in Dresden addresses the question of which option is more energy-efficient.The results presented show that a single pipe hot water system that compensates for heat losses with a self-regulating temperature maintenance cable is a better solution.

National Trust owned, Saltram House is a magnificent stately home in Plymouth. Home to the Parker family for several generations, Saltram comprises an elegant Georgian façade built around a much earlier building. One of many National Trust premises to get a renewable makeover as part of a general drive to improve the environmental credentials of its buildings, Saltram is now home to a biomass system. Plumbed together using Geberit Mapress Carbon Steel, the new heating consists of 220kW and 95kW boilers fuelled by pellets.

When Booking.com decided to move their offices to a prime location in Central London, they required a full fit-out. They appointed HLW International, who specified Billi Taps for their main kitchen area, and another tea-point within the office space. Booking.com opted for Billi Quadra Plus 15. With a drainage font in chrome and a gloss finish, the tap delivers instant boiling and chilled water from an XL lever tap at just a touch of a finger, and hot and ambient from a second sink mixer tap – all this from a single under counter boiler unit.

Metal pipe boxing from the Pendock Profiles range is concealing heating pipework, electrical cabling and ventilation ducting at Phoenix Point in Thamesmead as part of a refurbishment and upgrade programme of homes at the striking, cylindrical high rise building.Originally built in 2008 on the site of a boiler house used for a community heating scheme, the 8 storey, circular building provides a mix of one and 2 bedroom flats. The Pendock aluminium boxing is used extensively in the refurbishment and is located below the walkway on each tier, following the form of the structure to conceal building services, as well as acting as a mounting point for lighting.

Edinburgh based football club, Heart of Midlothian Football Club (Hearts FC) is a city institution and its Tynecastle stadium is classed as a ‘must-visit’ destination for any football-mad tourist. The recent multimillion pound redevelopment has seen it undergo a major transformation to ensure visitors have the most memorable and safe experience possible.It’s no surprise that football fans want refreshments while at the stadium, so the concourse houses a number of food and drink kiosks around the ground. Something that can be found at each and every kiosk is an Instanta InstaTap – and with 30 new machines purchased as part of the refurbishment programme, that takes the total up to 50 so far.“We originally started using Instanta about three years ago”, comments Graeme Pacitti, head of hospitality and catering operations, “after the competitor product we were using back then just kept breaking down. We looked around for a replacement and narrowed it down to two products, but went with Instanta because we liked the idea of being with a British manufacturer. It means if we do need to contact the team, it’s very quick and efficient.” Graeme is impressed with not only how the Instanta products work, but also how well they fit in to the kiosks. “We have both under-counter and counter-top water boilers, and they fit the compact space very well, but still deliver the high volumes we require on match days. They also look good and are extremely reliable.” Ben McCosh of Arumba Coffee, who supplies the stadium with its catering machines, adds: “The Instanta machines deliver what they promise. Match days are hectic, with a lot of pressure on the refreshment kiosks, but the water boilers don’t let the team down.”

Sertus were commissioned to provide products that would help mitigate heat build-up within the common areas of the building.Project Name: Fulneck PlaceLocation: LondonSector: ResidentialClient: Breyer GroupInitial Brief:When the building was originally constructed, there was a natural smoke control system. However, due to very efficient insulation and a communal boiler, the building was becoming exceptionally warm, with corridors sitting between 40 and 50 degrees celsius.Sertus were called on to supply industry leading products, which would stop the heat build-up issues.Outcome:Sertus supplied, mechanical pods, roof single leaf vents and roof vent collars to this project. View these products here.

Salthaven Apartments, Tower Road, Poole, DorsetThe Salthaven apartments in Dorset aimed to deliver luxury living for occupants. Bayview Developments not only constructed beautiful homes for them, but also opted for highly energy efficient heating within the new development.Each of the 12 two or three bed apartments have been fitted with their own individual exhaust air heat pump (EAHP). This technology has been installed in buildings across continental Europe for many years but is now being used more commonly within the UK. Bayview Developments were looking to exceed their planning requirements by reducing carbon emissions and providing cost savings for occupants. NIBE’s innovative EAHPs were therefore the ideal solution.The solution to the projectA NIBE F730 EAHP system removed the need for gas boilers, something Bayview were keen to do given the UK’s net zero targets and commitment to phase out the technology. As heat pump technology is powered by electricity, no gas has been installed at the site.The NIBE F730 unit can be found in the utility room cupboard of each apartment and is comprised of a ventilation system, a hot water cylinder and a heat pump – a complete ‘all-in-one’ product. It works by drawing warm air from the kitchen and bathroom to feed the heat pump, which extracts the heat energy. The recovered energy from the ventilation system is used to drive the heat pump process, which heats the underfloor heating and provides water for the integrated 180litre hot water cylinder. The stale air from the ventilation system is then released outside, whilst fresh air from outdoors is introduced via wall inlets with cleanable filters. The efficient system minimises energy consumption by combing ventilation heat recovery with heat pump technology, that is perfect for well insulated new build properties such as these.The ResultsThe EAHP systems meet the average annual heat demand of 6019 kWh for each individual flat whilst also providing instant hot water. Occupants are able to schedule their heating to suit their timetable and energy tariffs, and therefore benefit from lower energy bills. The system performance factor (SPF) measures 3.33 – this means the system is very efficient as every kW of electricity used to run the unit produces approximately 3 kW of heat energy.NIBE utilised connected electricity meters in 3 apartments to remotely monitor the systems performance across a 12-month period. NIBE was thus able to see how the systems met energy demand consistently for residents, keeping them comfortable and warm throughout the year.Energy consumption data shown in Figure 1 visualises electricity consumption data from the monitored apartments throughout the year. This data also covers the provision of all heat pump controls and continuous mechanical ventilation.Figure 1: 2022 Energy Consumption data for monitored apartments.The all-in-one system has shown a noticeable reduction in energy bills for each apartment too, with all 3 monitored apartments experiencing both monthly and cumulative cost reductions in their energy bills as shown in Figures 2 and 3. This comes with the additional peace of mind that consumers will be kept cool in the summer months with ventilation with no increase in costs.Figure 2 and 3: Monthly and Cumulative Heating Bills for Apartment 11 with the NIBE F730 heat pump compared to a natural gas boiler.The occupants of Apartment 11 are saving on average £130 on their annual heating bills with the heat pump system in comparison to a natural gas boiler, even with the additional provision of mechanical ventilation. We expect that these savings will continue to increase as the Government seeks to rebalance green levies to decrease electricity prices.Sunstone Energy Ltd, the installer for this project, told us how easy the control system is to use for this heat pump, allowing for heating and hot water to be available at any time during the day. The building also benefits from insulation, underfloor heating, smart controls, double glazing, hot water cylinders and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR).TestimonialVictoria and John are both residents of the Tower Road apartment complex and have been comfortably living with the exhaust air source heat pump system for a year. They added “We are delighted so far with the new heating system, and love that it has been providing us with heating and hot water throughout the year, keeping us warm in the cold winter months. The heat pump works just as well as our older systems and it is great to know that we’re also doing our bit for the environment in the process.”About the installerSunstone Energy Ltd takes responsibility for delivering complete renewable solutions appropriate to their client’s properties. Their expertise includes the installation of ground source and air source heat pumps, underfloor heating, solar panels, biomass boilers and MVHR.  

Nearly forty years after the lights were switched off at Battersea Power Station, a decommissioned Grade II listed coal-fired power station, located on the south bank of the River Thames, this much loved London landmark recently re-opened to the public following a transformational eight-year restorationApple Inc. will be leasing approximately 500,000 sq ft. across 6 floors of the central Boiler House and plans to move all of its 1,400 London employees to the new venue. This will make Apple by far the largest tenant at Battersea Power Station.221m² of Stravifloor Channel, a resilient high-performance floating floor based on floor channels containing steel springs as resilient supports was installed to decouple the acoustically critical listening, screening and control room spaces at Battersea Power Station.The added insulation material between the channels contributes to the acoustic optimization of the spaces by preventing the so-called standing wave effect to take place within the air void.During the installation of the acoustic floating floor, careful attention was paid to the many service penetrations as improper installation would most certainly lead to rigid connection which in turn affect the system’s performance.

Top-of-the-range lab solution for a major new production siteNext to the company’s headquarters in Aalen, 70km east of Stuttgart in Southern Germany, Papierfabrik Palm – one of the leading European manufacturers of papers for the printing industry, corrugated base papers and corrugated packaging – has built a brand-new paper mill. Its scale alone sets it in a category of its own: Palm invested half a billion Euros into the project, and to supply the production process with the required amount of steam, the site relies of the two largest water boilers in the world.This new paper mill, though, is just one of many milestones. Founded in 1872, Papierfabrik Palm operates in the meantime 33 production sites. In 2020, the company generated 1.5 billion Euros in global revenues. In terms of size and success, Palm epitomises the ‘hidden champions’ of the German economy ­– family-owned businesses that have combined highly professional management with ambitious international growth strategies to expand far beyond the usual bounda­ries of the category. In addition – and today more than ever – Papierfabrik Palm is ideally positioned to reap the benefits of sustainability: since its inception, the company has been using exclusively recycled raw materials.

The 'HOOLA' in Tidal Basin Road in East London, gateway to the soon-to-be regenerated Royal Victoria Docks area, has transformed a brownfield site into two rippling 23 and 24 storey glass towers, that offer 360 apartments with a mix of studios, along with one, two and three-bedroom units.The buildings are super-insulated and the concrete frame will act as a heat sink – absorbing heat on warm days and releasing it back into apartments when it cools. An innovative link-up with the neighbouring ExCel Exhibition Centre will also see excess heat piped directly into the two towers. This will provide all the necessary heating and hot water requirements and significantly reduce maintenance costs by doing away with the need for individual boilers. A critical design requirement for such a super-insulated building was the avoidance of any risk of thermal bridging at the many concrete-to-concrete balcony connectivity points – so highly efficient structural thermal breaks were required throughout. The preferred solution was the Schöck Isokorb® T type K for cantilever balconies.Luke Smerdon-White, Technical Director at Thorp, takes up the story: "We had to design, manufacture and deliver 1410 precast concrete balcony sections that had to then be cast integrally with the in situ concrete structure." "The exposed front-face is curved, with almost 50 different dimensional configurations, while the internal face has a facetted line that had to correlate with the glazing line and opening doors."

PROJECTWith the UK market for high specification homes in desirable locations continuing to grow this year, Abode was the natural choice to supply the prestigious Limsi Grove Cala Homes development in Hertford. Designed to cater for the executive market, 41 exceptional 3,4 and 5 bedroomed detached family homes have been meticulously designed to complement a conservation area and provide the best in town and country living, offering modernity and low maintenance. With properties on the market at £834,950-£1,359,950, choosing the best suppliers was key.  PRODUCTSTwo styles of undermounted sinks from Abode’s classic R50 stainless steel range were selected for installation with solid surfaces for a premium look and feel in the kitchen (AW5015) and utility room (AW5014). The classic Matrix R50 under-mount stainless steel sink collection offers a range of 0.7mm thick 18/10 grade steel bowls that will suit every kitchen environment and budget. Other options include the AW5015 large single bowl, and LH or RH 1.5 bowl sinks. All Abode stainless steel sinks are made from 304 grade stainless steel, which is highly durable with excellent corrosion resistance.  The kitchens in the Limsi Grove development were supplied with AW5015 large single bowl sinks which were combined with an Abode Pronteau Prothia 3 IN 1 hot water tap (PT1142) in Chrome or Matt Black. This ensured a practical working area for the end user with domestic hot, cold and 98° instant steaming hot water, making the tap fully compliant with Part G (3) of UK building regulations.  The Pronteau Prothia 3 IN 1 tap is available in two contemporary spout choices, swan neck and quad and 5 on trend colourways: Chrome, Matt Black, Urban Copper, Brushed Nickel and Brushed Brass, an option to satisfy all decors  Developers also benefit from the quick to install, Proboil.2X intelligent hot water boiler which can be fitted quickly and easily in the wet zone. Furthermore, Abode’s Proboil hot water products comply with all LVD/EMC/ROHS standards according to CE and UKCA. Both Proboil boiler models (2L or 4L) have WRAS certification to further reinforce the company’s ability to design and make safe and stylish tap solutions. All Pronteau taps are either WRAS or KIWA approved or have approvals pending.  DESIGN COMMENT Paul Illingworth, Design Manager at Abode says, “We are proud to support superior homes in superb locations through our comprehensive range of contemporary sinks and taps. Our extensive trend-mapping and research into the UK kitchen market allows us to pinpoint key lifestyle trends and given that online research by consumers is now specific as opposed to just browsing, we know that home buyers demand practical luxury. Considering this, our main areas of focus major on all elements of luxury interior design including safety, efficiency, flexibility and reliability. This is why we were pleased to elevate the quality of life for end users at Limsi Grove with larger sinks which can accommodate bigger pots and pans especially in conjunction with a steaming hot water tap for enhanced cooking.”

The striking interior was designed by LaVita Style and features Perlata providing a rich, yet elegant finish to the walls in the reception area and corridors. The design uses light and shade to reveal subtle textures and tones resonating a calm and reassuring atmosphere. Working to a soft colour palette the use of additional custom ArmourFX Granite polished plaster panels to the front desk creates a stunning first impression.Lucy Walker, interior designer at Lavita Style Ltd comments “We chose Armourcoat for this project for their specialist expertise and creativity and were absolutely delighted with the end results. We wanted to create a striking yet welcoming reception and waiting area and this was achieved through Perlata’s beautiful finish in a range of tones and colours. Armourcoat realised our vision throughout the whole design process and delivered seamlessly. I would certainly choose Armourcoat for any future projects”The new dental practice, White & Co is part of the innovative redevelopment work to convert the Grade II* listed legendary landmark into a unique blend of residential, commercial, and cultural spaces. Armourcoat has also been specified in various other projects within this exciting development including the Boiler House and Switch House West where Armourcoat Tactite was applied within various bathrooms, ensuites and powder rooms and Embassy Gardens which included Armourcoat Koncrete finishes to entrance areas and columnsClient: White & Co, Battersea Power Station, London Designer: La Vita Style @lavitastyleltd Contractor: Apollo Interiors Photography: Mark Bolton @markboltonphoto

Keen to provide a safe and comfortable environment for their customers, Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff chose Yeoman Shield fire rated door protection products to help maintain and protect the condition of important fire doors.Owned by Live Nation, the concert and event venue receives over half a million visitors yearly resulting in the doors, situated both back and front of house, experiencing damage and unsightly marking from pedestrians and the movement of trolleys and equipment, etc. Not only can this have a detrimental effect on aesthetics but more importantly on the functioning of the fire door.To help protect from such damage Yeoman Shield’s directly employed fixing operatives installed door edge protectors as well as protective push plates to doors in back of house areas such as workshop, cutting room, and boiler cellars etc.Front of house doors, such as the entrances to the auditorium, which experience a huge amount of pedestrian traffic passing through, also had door edge protectors fitted along with half height door protection panels. Vulnerable glazing beads, were replaced with Yeoman Shield fire rated PVCu clad beads completing a comprehensive and durable door protection system that will withstand impact from hands, feet, bags and equipment well into the future.Manufactured from Yeoman Shield’s HessianEx material, the fire rated door protection products were supplied in black for a striking contrast to the colour schemes already in place within the arena.“I was impressed with the standard of work that was carried out by Yeoman Shield’s fixing operatives.“The doors certainly look cleaner and smarter and with the issuing of fire certificate evidence for all the products installed I am confident we will use Yeoman Shield products again.” Commented Marcus.

Severn Trent Water’s new £60m operations centre in Coventry, which aims to set new industry standards with one of the lowest carbon footprints for any UK office building, incorporates equally eco-friendly Armourcoat polished plaster.Designed by Birmingham-based Webb Gray Architects, and built by BAM Construction, this highly-sophisticated energy efficient building featuring the latest eco-technology. Designed for low-energy and low-carbon consumption, the offices include thermal adaptive cooling, biomass boilers, photovoltaic panels, solar panels and rainwater harvesting; justifiably achieving a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating.Armourcoat was used within the reception and main atrium space, to create a stunning and original design statement. Totaling nearly four hundred square metres of hand-applied decorative plaster, Webb Gray specified colourfade artwork for feature panels and curved walls using Armourcoat Spatulata. For the 30-metre high atrium panels, artisan plasterers blended over seventy colours of paste to achieve the seamless finish. Known as ‘stucco lustro veneziano’, Spatulata is a superfine stucco paste that is trowel applied in a series of fine layers to create a highly polished decorative surface. In keeping with the eco specification, the product contains 40% pre-consumer recycled marble.The project also included the use of ‘Anti-Crack’ - an innovative substrate preparation system from Armourcoat which ensures fast-track construction and a tough, unrivalled backing for Armourcoat polished plaster wall finishes. This cost effective, skim-coat plaster is designed for application in 3-4mm layers over plasterboard surfaces. Its use eliminates the need for taping, jointing and sealing the plasterboard surface and provides a first class substrate for Armourcoat finishes.

After a prestigious school near Birmingham suffered extensive damage when a leak went unchecked, we installed our award-winning leak detection system to prevent future devastationA tiny leak left to escalate at St George’s in Edgbaston ruined thousands of pounds of property and equipment and left the school without a properly functioning IT department. Leaks within buildings are very common and if not monitored can cause extensive damage, disruption and loss. So, once the school was back on its feet, we were delighted to work with their insurer, Hettle Andrews, to make sure the property was protected against future flooding. St George’s School, EdgbastonSt George’s School is a fully co-educational independent day school for children from ages three to 18 in Edgbaston, near Birmingham. Established as a charitable trust, the school opened in September 1999 as Birmingham’s first independent school to offer a complete education for boys and girls from kindergarten through to the sixth form.We worked with their insurance broker, Hettle Andrews, who facilitated the project. Hettle Andrews works primarily with schools, universities, colleges and charities. In the winter of 2021, the boiler in the room above the IT department of the school began to leak. The school was closed for the holiday period so no one went on-site and the leak went undetected. On return to the school in the New Year, staff discovered the leak which by that point had caused extensive damage.  The leak had not only destroyed the ceiling and light fittings but the whole IT department below including computers, carpets, plug points and furniture. The challengeNo warning: this was the first time anything like this had happened. There were no warning systems in place, nor were there any preventative measures. Extensive damage: the full ceiling had to be replaced, along with expensive light fittings, computers and IT equipment.Inconvenience: it resulted in substantial inconvenience and downtime for the department which in turn affected its daily function within the school.Disruption: the IT department had to be relocated elsewhere in the building, along with any remaining functioning equipment. Time-consuming process: while the damages were being claimed on insurance, the room was cleared and de-humidifiers installed to try and remove any remaining moisture.The solution;Andel Floodline®Andel's unique, award-winning water, oil and gas leak detection and monitoring solution. We are one of the global market leaders in leak detection systems and we knew our Floodline® solution would be a perfect fit. It is a true hybrid that can report to a single integrated control panel – unlike some other systems that require different alarm panels for different types of leak detection.Floodline® covers all possible leak detection requirements, from single-zone to multi-zone and distance measuring systems, with the capability to protect the largest of buildings, both old and new. Floodline® systems allow additional zones, sensors and upgrades to be added easily and cost-effectively so it is future-proof. So, we installed Floodline® SVCP – 2-Valve Control and Floodline® 1-Zone Leak Detection System. This means the school is now able to: Easily monitor all the Floodline® leak detection sensors installedEasily monitor the display LEDs which provide clear alarm information and system status for both leak detection and system faultHave peace of mind knowing the solenoid valve control panel will immediately close two solenoid valves in the event of a leak, ensuring the water source is stopped, preventing any damageBe alerted quickly as there is an audible alarm with a mute functionBe alerted when away from the property as output relays connect to a GSM communicator which sends out an SMS.The result;Bespoke solution: we were delighted to be able to come up with a tailored solution for St George’s School. Early warning: the boiler room at St George’s Edgbaston is now equipped with a bespoke leak detection system that will give early warning should there be any escaping water detected.Confidence: the client feels relieved and more confident now that our leak detection systems have been installed. Peace of mind: knowing they will no longer have to worry about leaks especially when there is no one on-site. Futureproofed: the school knows their chances of this occurring again and their building and equipment being unprotected have now drastically dropped. Community: as schools are the hubs of most communities, the last thing we want is for their day to day operations disrupted by escaping water, something which can be detected early and solutions provided easily. We are proud to have been involved in this project alongside Hettle Andrews and hope to work with more of their clients in future to provide proactive solutions.What the customer said;“We are relieved and more confident now that our leak detection systems have been installed. It has given us peace of mind, knowing we no longer have to worry about any leaks going undetected and resulting in catastrophic damage. The chances of this occurring again, meaning our building and equipment is unprotected, have now drastically dropped. We are really happy with the services and products provided by Andel and would happily recommend them.”Patrick Ryan, Maintenance Manager, St George’s School