Case Study 1 – Retrofit Installation
Client:- Ministry of Defence
A typical 3 storey MOD barrack block built in the mid 1930’s housing fifty soldiers. The existing cold water installation working from a 4000 litre cold water storage tank in the roof space supplying two direct gas fired water heaters rated at 295 litres storage capacity and capable of producing 851 litres of hot water per hour at 50°C each. These units were sited in a ground floor plant-room along with LTHW boiler.
Shower pumps had been fitted on each floor in an attempt to boost pressure and volume.
The incoming cold water main static pressure was recorded at 5.0 bar, the flow rate approx 100 litres per minute.
Existing Problems:-
The problems experienced with this installation were:-
1) Hot water generating equipment can not cope with unusual peak demand.
2) Gravity fed system led to poor pressure issues generally within the building this also leads to poor performance from shower mixer valves.
3 )Maximum demand leads to water starvation issues.
4) Inclusion of localized booster/shower pumps compounded the starvation issue with pumps working against each other for the limited supply (hence regular breakdowns) also pumps appear to be undersized.
Design Brief:-
To provide sufficient hot and cold water to allow 50 soldiers to shower for ten minuets after all returning from an exercise.
Therefore:50 x 8 x 10 = 4000 litres of blended water two thirds of which is hot water, which equates to 2666 litres. This has not taken any other outlets into consideration. 12 x showers @ 8.0 litres per minute flow rate = 96 litres per minute of blended water.
The hot & cold water system is supplying the following outlets within the building:
12 x showers, each shower rated at 8.0 litres per minute.
3 x bathrooms with baths and 2 basins in each.
3 x kitchens with sinks.
3 x kitchens with sinks and 2 washing machines.
18 x basins.
15 x W/C .
After investigation the non typical usage was identified and after calculation this proved to be the peak demand and not within normal design criteria.
Proposal:-
To remove the existing cold water storage tanks in the roof space, extend the existing 2.0 “ rising main into the roof space forming a manifold and fitting a MainsBoost 450/5 (Five Unit System, install a further MainsBoost 450/3 (Three Unit System) on the remaining two floors in the cupboards and duct areas, each connected to the rising main.
Flow restrictors were installed, 9.0 litres per minute to the basins and 18.0 litres per minute to the baths.
Outcome:-
The installation was carried out with great success.
Conclusion:-
As a result of this installation the M.O.D have sanctioned several other installations at barracks in the South including, Picton Barracks, Deepcut Barracks, Sandhurst and Borden Army Camp with promise of many more in the near future.
Benefits and Advantages:-
1) MainsBoost Uses No Energy Except That Harnessed By The Standard Cold Water Mains Pressure. i.e System Locks and Loads Free Energy
2) No Storage Tanks
3) No Chlorination
4) Reduced Risk of Frost Damage
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Client: - Portsmouth Housing Association.
Main contractor: - Mansell Construction.
M & E Contractor: - Emcor Drake & Scull.
Project:-
28 flats arranged over 3 floors: Ground Floor, 1st floor & 2nd floor.
Each flat complete with:-
1 x bathroom with bath and shower over bath, 1 x basin, 1 x W/C, 1 x kitchen sink and 1 x washing machine.
The incoming cold water main static pressure was recorded at 2.1 to 2.2 bar with a poor flow rate, the pressure and flow rate dropped considerably in times of high demand in the area, the pressure did increase at times of no demand, i.e during the night.
Design brief:-
All the flats would have a combination boiler fitted with a minimum operating pressure required of 1.5 bar.
The traditional solution had been considered using a booster set and cold water storage tank sited in a purpose made building in the car park to provide boosted water to all the flats.
The space taken up by this equipment would have occupied three car parking spaces.
The cost of the housing, booster set and cold water storage tank would have been circa £30,000.
Proposal:-
It was proposed that as an alternative to the traditional solution be installed, it was decided that the incoming water main, as in many circumstances was adequate in pressure and flow rate to supply the ground floor but insufficient to provide adequate pressure and flow to the 1st floor and the 2nd floor.
Therefore a MainsBoost Charger pump unit was used in conjunction with a MainsBoost 240/1 unit for the flats on the 1st & 2nd floors only, a total of ten flats.
This option would not only save a considerable amount of money but would also save three parking spaces.
Outcome:-
The equipment was selected by a very sceptical M & E contractor after we guaranteed both the system design and selection of the equipment and was installed and commissioned mid-2007.
Conclusion:-
The M & E contractors were amazed how well the system functioned, for example; with a MainsBoost vessel full, the shower over the bath would run for at least 25 minutes with the water main turned off.
Considerable cost savings over the traditional equipment were achieved along with energy savings (not every litre of water needed to be pumped) and no chlorination is necessary, the MainsBoost system is a sealed system and not open to atmosphere.
As everyone will realise car parking for both residents & visitors, even in a development of this size is always a problem, so saving three car parking spaces turned into a better engineering solution as the pumps were installed in the service ducts and the storage vessels were tucked away in a cupboard in each flat.
As result of this installation many more projects using this system are being designed.
Benefits and Advantages:-
1) MainsBoost Only Uses No Energy Except That Harnessed By The Standard Cold Water Mains Pressure. i.e System Locks and Loads Free Energy
2) When a MainsBoost Charger Pump Unit Is Used Energy Usage Is Minimal, Not Every Litre Is Pumped Because When The Cold Water Mains Pressure Is Adequate This Will Supply The System Via The By Pass.
3) No Storage Tanks
4) No Chlorination
Reduced Risk of Frost Damage
Case Study 3 – New Installation
Client:- Honourable H. Ackland.
M & E Contractor:- Shackleton & Wintle Ltd.
System Design:- Jon Draper of JDA Associates
Background:-
Notgrove Manor is a 200 year old privately owned traditional Cotswold manor house set in a remote location within its own estate grounds. The historical village of Notgrove is geographically also part of the estate lands and has many tenanted cottages that are within a stones throw of the Manor House. Consequently the infrastructure of utilities has been evolved over many years and indeed has been shared with the whole community. The local economy has relied on in the past on agriculture but with recent developmental changes the current owner decided that the Manor could be updated and refurbished and then be made available for the use of corporate letting for short / medium uses.
The Problem:-
The Manor has a very conventional gravitational water supply held in galvanised tanks mounted in the loft spaces. This of course has given very poor pressures especially at higher levels within the building. The tanks fed into the cold water circuits. The mains supply feeding the village is an old galvanised piped that traverse’s the surrounding countryside. The bore has reduced through corrosion over the years giving reduced volumes although the static pressure was good at peak periods. Additionally the use of water from the remaining agricultural facilities resulted in unreliable pressures and volumes at other times. The hot supplies were direct from Gledhill copper unvented cylinders. This arrangement gave rise to unbalanced hot / cold pressures.
The property has also suffered from a fire in recent times and a hose reel was consequently connected to the 1 ½ inch incoming main due to the fact of the time it would take for emergency services to travel the distance from the nearest appliance station. This connection and reliance on an old unstable main has proved problematic and may not have satisfied the insurance company who were underwriting the policy. The cost of replacement to this main on private ground over a long distance would have been prohibitive
It was therefore decided that a solution must be found to satisfy the proposed development that would include converting third and fourth levels within the Manor to include 6 bathrooms with an abundance of terminal fittings yet to be selected by the client. This proposal also had to cater for the expectations of overseas business clients who were very used to high performance showers. The solution also had to improve the fire fighting system reliability in terms of volumes on demand without pumps in case of power failure.
The Solution:-
The project was considered to be complex enough to warrant a professional design to be made by a consultant familiar with the MainsBoost system.
The main was measured at 5 bar max at peak time and would give a volume of about 45 litres per minute at this pressure. Because of the uncertain nature of the client’s final selection of terminal fittings the new MainsBoost system had to allow a high level of redundancy in case the shower heads were of a low specification high volume pan head type and that all other fittings was not water saving in design.
As the static pressure was deemed to be available no MainsBoost Charger pump was deemed necessary.
After an onsite survey the consultant calculated that the volume required would be in the order of 1600 litres softened water and 225 litres per minute untreated water. This plus the main would then give a first 15 minute draw of up to 2275 litres. This in turn could support alone a fire hose nozzle discharge of up to 151 litres per minute, far in excess of what was possible before on the old main. This objective was therefore quickly accomplished.
The incoming main was sited in the basement area close to the plant room and it was decided to place all water treatment at this point then to route supplies to a bank of 8 total MainsBoost 450 units. These then were sectioned to 7 soft water and 1 untreated to feed kitchen and utility where dishwashers require un softened water. The primary pressure reduction valve was placed in this first section to control the limit of pressure peak to match that of the maximum on the new high recovery tank in tank unvented cylinders. The water softener was selected to accomplish a treatment rate of 50 litres per minute.
The MainsBoost units were connected via the distribution header to enable high volume discharge. This pipe work then fed the unvented hot water cylinders and cold water circuits via a ring circuit arrangement. This technique allows for smaller bore pipes to installed around the building but has the benefit of allowing a balanced effect when multiple fittings are turned on. It also allowed for great versatility when terminal fittings were finally selected and placed and connected into the system as a “plug in and play circuit”. Flow regulators were selected to conserve excessive consumption and “splash back”
Summary:-
This product selection allows for:-
1) Known captured water volume at a capped pressure after charge to the MainsBoost Units.
2) High flow rates & reliable water supplies for the Fire hose reel and sanitary systems.
3) Balanced pressure to hot and cold circuits.
4) No power consumption.
5) No noise.
6) No mandatory chlorination.
7) Allows versatility for room layouts and design opening up attic space.
8) No proactive maintenance other than visual inspection.
9) No need to replace original mains pipe through estate fields, saving a considerable sum.
MainsBoost and MainsBoost Charger;
energy saving, enviromentally friendly solutions to boost
water flow and pressure.