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Fläkt Woods has designed, supplied and installed six bespoke JM Aerofoil axial fans, complete with inverter drives, to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

The project involved replacing six ageing fans – which had been in use for over 40 years – with highly efficient models. The original units were running constantly at an estimated 76% efficiency, whereas the new units are over 93% efficient. Coupled with the new inverters, the running costs have been significantly reduced, ensuring a payback period of less than two years.

The new JM Aerofoil axial fans supply fresh air to the outpatients department of the hospital. To minimise installation time and costs, the fans were specifically designed to match the dimensions and mountings of the original units. The project was completed in April 2013.

Commenting on working with Fläkt Woods, Paul Cairns, Head of Estates at NHS Lothian, said: “We have been really pleased with both the products and the service received from Fläkt Woods. Now that we have more control over the fans, we’re sure they’ll provide impressive savings on the building’s energy costs.”

“And, based on this installation, we’re now also looking to fit new extract units from Fläkt Woods throughout the building.”

Fläkt Woods’ Service Sales Engineer, Tim Hewes, described the project: “Having supplied the original fans in 1967, we were contacted to look at the older units. During the site survey we determined that, due to the complexities of the installation, it would be necessary to design new fans. We provided a full service for the project including: disposal of old units, electrical package, project management, engineers and electricians, all while minimising disruption to the client, staff and the public.”

The JM Aerofoil axial fan is a highly efficient unit that is designed to operate between a temperature range of –40°C to +50°C. Encompassing the latest IE2 motors (and also IE3 ready), the units can provide significant energy savings when replacing ageing units, and are suitable for a wide range of applications, including: general ventilation, extraction, cooling, refrigeration, emergency ventilation and pressure testing.

Fläkt Woods develops, manufactures and distributes ventilation and air climate products, as well as system solutions for commercial and industrial applications.

For more information on service projects, please contact David Perry either by phone on 01206 222 649 or by email: david.perry@flaktwoods.com.

For more information on the complete range of fans and other ventilation products from Fläkt Woods, visit: www.flaktwoods.co.uk.

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TE Energy has launched a new Crompton Instruments cabling and interconnection product that enables its latest digital metering system to be connected to its 3-phase current transformers as well as to the incoming or outgoing supply in an instant.

Q2C wiring solution reduces wiring time by at least 80% and in panel building time is money – anything that reduces the labour required in constructing electrical control gear is highly advantageous. At the same time, because the connection looms are made in quality assured UK factory, the scope for error in the connections is virtually eliminated.

Q2C has been designed to be used with the company’s latest Integra Ci5 digital metering system and its 5A secondary 3-phase current transformers. The system comes with three types of pre-cut wiring loom in various lengths to cover fuses to voltage; voltage to voltage; and CT to meters connections. The voltage looms are also multipurpose and can be used for both incoming voltage supply and for additional meter looping. All the installer has to do is simply click the components and the wiring together. The integral pull resistant connectors and earthing are included on the looms which are crimped to ensure vibration resistance.

The Integra Ci5 digital metering system is both advanced and flexible. The Integra digital metering systems (dms) provide fully programmable, highly accurate measurement, display and communication of all major electrical and power quality parameters, including true rms system values, power quality data and measurement of total harmonic distortion.

On the Ci5 there is both voltage in and out connection and user programmable system configuration. Pulsed and standard RS485 Modbus RTU is standard. CT ratio is programmable and there is true rms/THD measurement. A new backlit LCD screen makes the unit easily readable in any location and the unit is easily clipped into its panel mounting.

The QC 3-phase 5A Secondary current transformers can be used with or without the Q2C solution and combine, as the name suggests, three traditional current transformers in a single moulded case. The unit has internal grounding/earthing, has reversible mounting for left or right hand side and is supplied with a pluggable locking connector for easy installation.

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Maintaining its lead in digital technology, Mira Showers has launched a website optimized specifically for smart phones. Now customers can keep up with the latest information and product news from the UK’s leading manufacturer of showering products and accessories.

The first mobile site in the showering industry carries a full product catalogue, complete with full product details, and enables purchases of spares and accessories to be made over direct from the site phone through mobile commerce. It also provides maps and details of where to buy Mira products and features links to Mira videos and social network sites as well as fixed price servicing information and booking forms.

According to industry research more people will view Web sites via mobile phone than by PC or laptop by 2013, so Mira is yet again ahead of the curve in anticipating its customers’ requirements, providing swift, accurate information in the manner most convenient to a competitive fast-moving market.

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An Ofsted 'Outstanding' Academy in Norfolk has chosen Supacord carpet with inlaid bespoke logo mats from Heckmondwike FB to create a distinctive new identity and to help achieve its vision of becoming a 'World Class' learning establishment.

The new Ormiston Venture Academy, which replaces the former Oriel High School, required over 2,600sqm of Supacord fibre bonded carpet and three bespoke logo mats installed as part of a £8m refurbishment and new build extension. A brand new 'entrance plaza' provides the focal point for the new academy. Heckmondwike FB was called upon to reinforce the school's brand identity in this key area by producing a bespoke flooring design which incorporates the schools logo and colours. The robust properties of fibre bonded carpet, which will not ravel or fray, meant that contractors B & K Systems were able to cut the Supacord carpet on site to create a complementary flooring design.

Supacord in Steel Grey was used extensively in the school throughout corridor areas and in some of the classrooms. These colours from the Supacord range create a neutral base for bright vibrant furniture to be added to create a stunning effect. Widely specified in secondary schools, these colours are recognised for their positive effect on pupils' mood and concentration.

Sam Thomson, Finance Director at Ormiston Venture Academy, said: “We are delighted with the flooring design in our new entrance plaza. It really sets the scene for the rest of the school and supports our vision to become a world class academy. We are confident that it will provide a long-term, cost-effective solution thanks to its durability and ability to withstand the demands of the busy school environment.”

The school will also benefit from the durability of Supacord, which is renowned in the education sector, where it is vital that floorcoverings are able to withstand heavy wear and tear.

On projects like this, where sustainability is important, Supacord has been assessed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and has gained a BRE Global A+ environmental rating for use in school buildings, offices and retail outlets.

The academy building has been transformed by the £8m refurbishment which included extensive remodelling of the existing building and the addition of a new two storey block, classrooms and facilities. The aim of the refurbishment was to create a University-style building, including a tiered lecture theatre, to encourage the aspirations of its pupils and the local community.

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Sentinel’s popular new system filter – the Eliminator – keeps gaining converts across the UK! Here we hear from two more installer firms that have taken the Eliminator to their hearts – one in the North East and one in Northern Ireland!

ELIMINATOR SYSTEM FILTER – A CANNY OPTION IN THE NORTH EAST!

Sentinel’s new technology heating system filter “Eliminator” has been very well received by installers all across the UK including several ‘Hot Spots’ one of those Hot Spots being the North East.

Rothwell Plumbing Services Limited (RPS) was formed in June 1997 by Bill Rothwell. Since this time, RPS has enjoyed considerable success in its expansion encompassing, domestic plumbing and heating, gas servicing, domestic, commercial and industrial electrical installations. Since 2008 RPS has invested heavily in training its staff and engineers in the installation of micro-renewable technologies and are MCS accredited to install solar PV, solar thermal, air and ground source heat pump technologies. RPS has completed many successful large scale renewables projects since 2008.

RPS is justly proud of its broad client base consisting of local authorities, housing associations and many well-known major construction companies, most of whom are long term and repeat customers. A large percentage of the company’s turnover is generated in the social housing sector, delivering high quality upgrades to bathrooms, kitchens, central heating systems, electrical installations and the installation of several micro-renewable energy systems.

One of the unsung heroes of reliable heating and plumbing installations is effective water treatment solutions. RPS has utilised Sentinel products since its inception and so it will come as no great surprise that when the new Eliminator System Filter was launched in 2012, RPS was willing to give it a chance to impress. Chris Jones is the regional manager for RPS based in its North East office just outside Newcastle says: “Many of us were brought up through the heating and plumbing sector relying on Sentinel products – the X-range of liquid products in particular – X100 inhibitor and X400 and X800 cleaners – and as with most things in life, if it doesn’t let you down you develop a loyalty to it. We had been installing a competitor brand of system filter for a couple of years, since the use of filters really took off in a big way, but quite frankly had too many problems with it to feel comfortable. When the new “Eliminator” was launched by Sentinel, just knowing it was a Sentinel product gave us enough confidence to give it a sensible trial run, and very quickly we were getting feedback from the guys in our team that this was doing the business for us. Our rate of call backs was drastically reduced and so were reports of leaking filters.

“The most obvious common denominator was the new Sentinel Eliminator Filter which was making a big improvement to the quality of the installations. The great feedback from our engineers has convinced us that fitting these new filters on our installations for our housing association and local authority clients and on all our ECO installations is a major benefit to us.”

Sentinel joined RPS installers Gareth Davies and Nathan Temperley in Hexham, west of Newcastle recently to see a new filter being installed as part of a boiler replacement installation. A brand new Vaillant boiler had been installed in the kitchen and the Eliminator was installed just below the boiler; “We install plenty of these,” said Gareth, “and the Eliminator filters are simple to install and do a good job.

“Our customers seem to understand the value of the “Quadra-Cyclone Technology” and accept that the technology which is incorporated in a well-known vacuum cleaner brand is also likely to work well in a water based environment, spinning the debris in the circulating water out of the heating system leaving it clean and debris-free. To be honest most just accept that we know what we’re doing and that they will have an excellent heating system after we’ve done our job!”

The Eliminator’s four powerful hydro-cyclones force clean water out of the top of the filter and spin all types of suspended system debris down into the bottom of the collection chamber. Four strategically positioned magnets accelerate the capture and removal of any magnetic debris.

Vitally, the unit will never block as the design arrangement of the cyclone chamber ensures continual flow through the filter, even when the collection chamber is full. Optimised flow design continues to remove debris until the collection chamber is full, unlike simple magnetic based filters in which performance markedly diminishes once the magnet is coated with debris.

Installers love the Eliminator because it can be installed in any orientation so ideal for awkward fitting situations. No specialist tools or complex O-Rings are required, making it a lot simpler and quicker to install than some other leading brands. Dual cleaning provides installers with two options to remove debris. Collected debris can either be flushed away, or the collection chamber can be removed for a complete maintenance clean. End user customers love the Eliminator too as dual seals minimise the risk of leaks which means no mess or fuss for the householder.

For more information on Rothwell Plumbing Services Ltd visit www.rothwellplumbing.co.uk and to find out more about the Sentinel Eliminator and all the other Sentinel products available to help you do a decent job at every heating installation – visit www.sentinel-solutions.net.

Nelson’s not turning a blind eye to new system filter!

Meanwhile, George Nelson Plumbing & Heating – based in Belfast – has been a loyal Sentinel installer for more than 15 years! As with many companies in the sector, George himself, was raised through the ranks using Sentinel water treatment products because he was always told to use quality products to keep heating systems running smoothly – and importantly to ensure there were no call backs to fix faulty systems after the installation work was completed.

“That was pretty much it,” agrees George. “When you use a good quality product for many years and it doesn’t let you down, you stick with it. The cost of water treatment isn’t exactly outrageous, so why save five or six pounds on inferior water treatment when you may get yourself problems from doing so. It doesn’t make sense to me. All the boiler manufacturers I respect say use a good quality water treatment product and mention Sentinel by name. They know what they’re doing and hat will keep their boilers operating efficiently – and I agree with them!”

So when Sentinel launched its exciting new technology Eliminator system filter in 2012, with quadra-cyclone technology to remove all the magnetic and non-magnetic debris from a system, George was one of the first into his local merchant branch to give it a go.

“It’s got the Sentinel name on it and I spoke to John Lynch at Sentinel who I’ve known for several years and asked him what was special about the Eliminator. He took me through it and showed me one and I decided to give it a go. That was more than fifty Eliminators ago,” says George. “And frankly I wouldn’t use any other filter now. It does exactly what it says on the tin! It removes all the circulating debris left in the system after correctly flushing and inhibiting a system. They’re easy to fit – they don’t leak – and I’ve had no call backs to any installation where I’ve used one. That’s good enough for me!”

There’s lots of useful information on the new Eliminator on the Sentinel website at www.sentinel-solutions.net where there’s a video you can watch, and you can find out more about George Nelson Plumbing and Heating by calling them on 028 9050 2800. Alternatively follow Sentinel on Facebook and Twitter and take a look at the Sentinel videos on their YouTube channel.

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Academic institutions are busy places with complex estate requirements and the last thing they need is disruption to the smooth running of their plant. Manchester University Estates Department were faced with a problem. 3 blocks had been newly built including a large lecture theatre and reading rooms but there was insufficient metering for the 250mm+ pipework. Each block included a separate boiler house with a gas meter on each. Shutting down each system and draining it each time was time consuming, making it costly to undertake any repairs.

Assistant Mechanical and Energy Engineer Chris Cunningham called in contractors to remedy the problem but they failed to read the invasive heat meter manufacturers’ instructions correctly. Incorrectly installed invasive heat meters result in inaccurate data which can have considerable knock-on effects. Chris had used the Micronics U2000 and 3000 clamp-on flow meters previously and knew that they were easy to install and, above all, allowed simple, low cost measurement without the need to cut into the pipe, saving time and cost. He was confident that a Micronics product could solve the problem. This time, the Micronics Ultraflo U1000, a cost-engineered permanent/fixed on flow metering solution for measuring preset flow rate was specified. It provides accurate measurement of liquid flowing within a closed pipe, without the need for any mechanical parts to be inserted through the pipe wall or to protrude into the flow system. It takes just a few minutes to install by simply clamping onto the pipe, connecting the power and entering the pipe diameter – indeed no specialist skills or tools are required. Furthermore, there is no need to shut down flow or drain the system and no programming is required.

Chris was also pleased with the maintenance benefits offered by the non-contact technology.
“I would thoroughly recommend the use of the U1000. It is compact, rugged and has proved to be completely reliable.”

There are considerable opportunities to use the Ultraflo range of Micronics products in similar applications. It is an excellent alternative the use of mechanical meters and to cutting pipes. And provides simple, low cost flow measurement from outside the pipe. In addition, there is the advantage of dry servicing, providing minimum downtime and maximum availability.

For further information on this project or the Micronics range call Micronics on +44(0)1628 810456, or visit www.micronicsflowmeters.com.

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Hartland CFX Colours – the newest addition to Hamilton’s bestselling range

Decorative electrical wiring accessories and lighting controls manufacturer Hamilton Litestat has announced a series of new additions to its popular Hartland CFX range – Hartland CFX Colours.

The new glossy plastic switch plates and sockets replicate every detail of the best-selling metal Hartland CFX collection – even down to Hamilton’s patented concealed fixings system, which gives an even smoother look to the slim, contemporary plates.

Available in bright white, jet black and pillar box red, the new Hartland CFX Colours collection has been designed with aesthetics, functionality and value in mind. The sleek finish is attractive and tactile, whilst the practical, robust plastic provides a lower-priced alternative to the metal designs.

The availability of the plates in pillar box red is ideal for differentiating particular sockets in commercial and healthcare environments for safety reasons but also provides a fun option for brightly designed residential schemes.

T: 01747 860088
E: info@hamilton-litestat.com
www.hamilton-litestat.com

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Easy-Form® plus stretchable by up to 30%

Easy-Form® Plus is a highly durable, reinforced flashing which has been designed as a substitute for lead in building work. Incorporation of a metal mesh provides the perfect combination of flexibility and rigidity needed for vertical applications such as chasing into mortar on chimneys. Easy-Form Plus can be stretched by up to 30% without use of a lead forming tool or detriment to its smooth, lightly ribbed surface appearance. This makes life far easier when forming around heavily profiled tiles such as a Double Roman or Bold Roll.

Unlike some lead substitutes, Easy-Form Plus has a strong butyl adhesive backing which retains its high bond strength and enables the material to be used on most dry surfaces without a primer. Its release paper is cut along the length of the roll so that upstand work can be completed before removal of the remainder for forming over tiles. Easy-Form Plus is UV, frost and rot-resistant and can be used for bridging gaps of up to 5cm on pitches as low as 10°. It is available in terracotta red, dark brown and anthracite as well as traditional lead grey. Rolls are 5 metres in length and widths of 250, 300 and 450 mm are available.

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Heron Tower has become one of the best known landmarks in central London. The 46-storey building has a VMZINC PLUS standing seam system on the two main roof areas, on the 38th and 41st floors. The building is among the tallest in which the compact, warm roof system has been used and as it needs no supporting ventilation views from the Drift Restaurant, Sky Bar and terraces are not affected by unsightly vents.

Precise wind loading calculations were needed, but the metal also had to be reflection-free. VMZINC’s pre-weathered mid-grey QUARTZ-ZINC® offers exceptional colour retention and was therefore the perfect choice.

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In the current climate of NHS cuts it is more important than ever for a Trust to use every means to save resources without direct effects on patients. Similarly, with the prevailing focus on reducing energy consumption because of climate change, it is vital to keep a close eye on energy usage and make efficiency savings wherever possible. One way of fulfilling both these ambitions is to keep stringent controls on the use of heat and domestic hot water consumption.

Managers at an acute, district general hospital, which provides healthcare services to over 270,000 people in north and mid Bedfordshire, wanted to understand their consumption of hot water which would in turn allow them to identify the requirements for replacing their equipment with the most energy efficient solution.

They called in ETA Energy Systems Ltd, Bedford-based consultants, designers and suppliers of specialised energy equipment and systems who work with the Carbon Trust to reduce energy usage. ETA specialise in determining that pumps, flow-rates and balancing valves are correctly set. Peter Richardson, ETA’s MD commented, “During our assessment of the Hospital’s needs, we established full weekly hot water consumption profiles allowing equipment to be accurately selected and specified for the replacement project. Having considered various measurement alternatives two Micronics PF330 meters were selected due to the ease of installation and the maintenance and service benefits delivered by this non-contact technology.” The specialist Micronics product, used for clean liquid monitoring, with its integral logger and software and non-invasive measurement represented significant savings on installation costs and less disruption than when installing an alternative in-line meter. The Micronics clamp-on flowmeter for liquids is portable and easy to use and offers continuity and long term reliability. It is robustly constructed and provides a quick and reliable means of measuring flow accurately.

In this example, the meters have been installed at a number of locations for a trial period in order to determine the appropriate size of the new equipment and to make sure that it is the most efficient possible for the task. Staff will be able to monitor flow rates and calculate energy and therefore cost and carbon footprint implications.

Micronics were selected as the supplier due to their extensive experience with clamp-on, ultrasonic, flow measurement technology and their competitive pricing in comparison to similar technology solutions or alternatives which would have required considerable construction work. This example demonstrates that the opportunity for replication and contribution to good energy management in similar schemes across the UK is extensive.

For further information on this project or the Micronics range call Micronics on +44(0)1628 810456, or visit www.micronicsflowmeters.com.

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