Astwood bank primary school
During the summer holidays, we have carried out the completion of a major project at Astwood Bank Primary School.
Working alongside Barker's, a consultancy company, we have made it our aim to form new working relationships and make a lasting impression, as well as providing continuous support to our existing customers.
The first phase of the project was to carry out the installation of a new boiler room. From the very beginning, we knew we had our work cut out for us, with a small boiler room, and a floor space of just 9m². This required forward thinking and daily planning to ensure all the required components would fit in the spaces they were required to, but more importantly, that they were accessible for future servicing and repairs.
We started by removing the existing old Hamworthy non-condensing boilers and giving the boiler room a fresh coat of paint. We replaced the boilers with two modern Ideal Evomax2 80kW condensing boilers, and this has provided the customer with an increased efficiency rating of up to 96% and a manufacturer-backed 5-year warranty, thanks to the addition of Ideal's own magnetic low-loss header.
A Grundfos Magna3 twin circulator pump was installed for each of the three heating zones. The first of which was a constant temperature circuit, with a total of 18 fan coil units situated in classrooms, toilets, and cloakrooms. The remaining two zones were variable temperature circuits installed with Belimo actuator valves, which can increase and decrease the required temperature to the radiators depending on the outside air temperature, to increase efficiency and ensure a consistent and comfortable temperature in the offices and classrooms.
The existing feed and expansion tank was removed, and a new pressurisation unit and expansion vessel were installed. This ensures the system always has the correct amount of pressure and expansion.
The old control panel has been removed and replaced with an automated Trend building management system. This ensures the customer can have the ongoing benefits of efficiency and comfort without the need for any manual adjustments.
The second phase of the project was to replace the heat emitters throughout the school.
Twenty fan coil units were replaced with modernised Biddle cabinet fan coil units. All the units were installed with new fan speed controllers and thermostats so that they can be individually controlled depending on the room's requirements.
A total of seven radiators were replaced with low-surface-temperature radiators, and these are essential on sites such as schools, as they provide the required heat without any potential risks that come with conventional radiators.
A great deal of hard work went into this project, with everybody playing their part from apprentice to director. We are all very proud in setting what we hope is a benchmark for future projects to come.
