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Whilst Stelrad radiators are often associated with residential installations, increasingly they are being specified for commercial and public buildings where the quality of their manufacture and consequent longevity as part of an energy efficient heating system make huge sense. One major area where Stelrad radiators are making their mark is in educational buildings – schools, colleges and universities across the UK, where they work equally well with traditional boiler driven heating systems or modern renewable systems, ground source and air source heat pumps in particular.

Putney Academy in south west London, is one of 31 academies owned and managed by ARK in the UK. The organisation took over the former Elliott School in 2012 and has set about improving the quality of the buildings and their surroundings in a big way, such that the main buildings have been totally refurbished with high quality, modern school facilities that will hugely benefit the pupils attending the academy. The work will be completed by the time staff and pupils return to school after the summer holidays.

Part of the major refurbishment work at the academy has inevitably seen the provision of a brand new heating system to provide comfort and warmth in the colder months of the year. Both the UK’s leading low surface temperature range – perfect for a building with young people, offering safe heat from radiators where the surface temperature of the attractive casing never exceeds 43 degrees C – and a smaller number of Stelrad Planar designer, flat fronted radiators along with a selection of traditional Classic Column radiators were specified for the project.

Skelly & Couch are the building environment and services engineers for the project. Director Mark Maidment says: “We wanted quality radiators to complement the other components of the heating system but in particular wanted to use LST radiators in areas of the academy where youngsters congregate to ensure maximum safety. Stelrad’s leading range of LST radiators are easy to install and offer the maximum protection to the end user – the casings actually cover the pipework as well as the radiator itself so there are no ‘hot’ areas that could cause any problems. In addition, it’s vital the radiators used in a school environment are built to be robust and able to withstand and resist vandalism and day to day wear and tear. With those manufactured by Stelrad, the casing is held by security fittings that are quick and easy to install. The security fittings have a unique seam fixing bracket system that prevents unauthorised access to the emitter inside the casing.”

“We were delighted that our radiators were specified for this project,” says Stelrad’s Chris Harvey. “We’re seeing a huge increase in the use of our radiators in commercial and public buildings. The use of LST radiators in schools makes huge sense from the point of view that they provide safe heat whatever environment they are installed in and they are protected from tampering by the way they are fixed to the wall, ensuring that the heating systems on-going performance is not compromised.”

Full details of the wide range of radiators available from Stelrad can be found at www.stelrad.com.

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Triton has supplied 3,000 m2 of BBA certified Platon P8 cavity drain membrane to waterproof several basements at the iconic West Midlands Fire Brigade building at Lancaster Circus in Birmingham.  The membrane forms part of a Type C drained waterproofing system (as defined in BS 8102 2009) to the area, which is being converted to residential accommodation for 463 students from Aston University.

The system is being installed by Triton approved contractors, Protectahome, working for Watkin Jones Construction.  Cavity drain membranes work by allowing any water ingress to continue to enter the building through the walls, but then controlling it and diverting it down the wall to a perimeter drainage conduit. In this project, the conduit diverts the water to one of 10 sumps, each housing a Triton Aqua Pump Pro Plus kit (each comprising mains powered and battery back up pumps).

Moisture had been penetrating into parts of the basement for several years through the wall/floor joint and various cracks in the original floor slab.  Although large floor areas have been excavated to allow for greater head height and replaced with new floor slabs, many of the original floors have been left in situ. As the Platon system allows moisture to enter the structure there is no hydrostatic pressure on existing floor slabs and no need to replace them.

Triton’s technical team has worked closely with the architect, main contractor and specialist basement contractor from design inception through to overseeing installation and testing of the system.

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The new regional office for Interserve Construction Ltd in Syston, Leicestershire features some of the most advanced green building solutions to achieve a targeted 90% reduction in energy usage and costs compared with a traditional building.

27 windows and four doors from the GENEO® system were installed in the £1.5m, 680m² Passivhaus certified office, the majority of which were across its south facing aspect to increase solar gain in winter and minimise the requirement to generate additional heat. The 86mm REHAU GENEO® window is manufactured using the 100% recyclable RAUFIPRO® fibre composite material.

The inherent strength of this material enables the six chambered REHAU GENEO® system to perform without any requirement for steel in standard sized windows, eliminating the thermal bridges which can occur in conventionally reinforced PVC-U and which result in energy being lost.

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Amendment 3 to BS 7671 (aka the 17th Edition Wiring regulations) is due to be published in January 2015 and will come into force in July 2015. To help electrical specifiers and installers get to grips with the new requirements, Amtech has published a handy guide to the five most significant changes.

Entitled ‘Five Shades of Yellow’, reflecting the distinctive yellow cover of Amendment 3, the Amtech publication takes each of these key changes in turn and provides an overview of the current situation and the significance of the forthcoming changes.

For example, it explains the significance of the new regulation numbering system, provides an overview of changes to requirements for protection against electric shock and explores the introduction of a new minimum voltage factor when calculating maximum fault loop impedance values for protective devices.

This invaluable reference document also flags up inclusion of characteristic curves for 2A and 4A rated protective devices and highlights an important change to the model inspection, testing certificates and reports.

Five Shades of Yellow can be downloaded at www.amtech.co.uk/five-shades. Its content is currently based on the proposed changes in Amendment 3 and will be updated should these change at the time of publication.

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A prestigious headquarters building has been created within the stylish Harley Street Conservation Area in central London with the help of Crittall Corporate W20 windows both inside and out.

No. 116 Marylebone Lane, a four-storey 1930s building in the W1 area north of Wigmore Street, is owned by the Howard de Walden Estate and was previously in use as a Cordon Bleu cookery school.

Architects Morrow+Lorraine, who have particular expertise in the London commercial office, residential and retail sectors, were engaged to refurbish the building converting it from D1 non-residential use into a B2 self-contained Grade A office building.

A layout was chosen that maximises the floor to ceiling height with clear open floor plans yielding some 150 sq m on each of the four floors plus basement. The design provides for flexible space devoid of lobbies so as to aid free-flowing circulation.

‘The building frontage had been badly altered in the past and we wanted to recreate the elegance of the original façade which was achieved using a combination of glazed bricks, bespoke joinery and new steel windows,’ says director of Morrow +Lorraine Julian Morrow.

The project architect Peter Merrett takes up the story: ‘“We selected the Crittall Corporate W20 product to re-create the slim lines of the original 1930s glazing that needed to be replaced, whilst dramatically improving the thermal performance by incorporating double glazed units. The choice was largely driven by a desire to maintain the same pattern of glazing bars to preserve the character of the Marylebone Lane conservation area.”

The Crittall Corporate W20 units were employed front and rear in the refurbishment and the front elevation at ground floor level was reconfigured to reflect the original drawings from the architectural practice Forbes & Tate who designed the building in 1926-27.

Internally, the designers wished to reveal as much of the original fabric as possible. This was achieved by stripping back finishes and exposing the steel columns of the building’s structural frame. This emphasis on the use of steel was enhanced by the fenestration of the façade, a new steel staircase and the use of steel internal partitions.

‘We used the same Crittall Corporate W20 system to create single glazed screens which in turn allowed for a visual connection between the office space and the stair well, reception area and common parts, ‘ explains Peter Merrett. Referring to the W20 he adds: ‘The product is a design classic which fits seamlessly with our industrial, yet refined interiors.’ The inclusion of fire-rated and acoustic glazing also enhanced the technical performance of the Crittall Corporate W20 system.

The Crittall partition in the reception area acts as a muted backdrop to the focal point of the space, namely a bespoke polished concrete desk designed by Morrow+Lorraine and constructed by Lowinfo Design.

www.crittall-windows.co.uk

Project data

Location:                    116, Marylebone Lane, London W1

Client:                         The Howard de Warden Estate

Architect:                   Morrow+Lorraine

Main contractor:       Cameron Black and subsequently ARJ Construction

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SolarWorld UK has begun to use Wakaflex to provide a watertight seal between its panels and the roof. Wakaflex can be used with either PV or solar thermal systems, its exceptional stretchability making it ideal for use with even deeply profiled tiles.  Highly durable and available in four colours to blend with the roof covering, it can be stretched by up to 60%. A high-tack butylon backing not only provides immediate weatherproofing protection and wind uplift resistance but self-welds when used on laps.

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The FAKRO FGH-V Galeria Balcony Window provides a modern alternative to a dormer but its use is by no means restricted to contemporary designs. A Kent peg tile or plain tile roof with a 40° pitch is typical of those in which dormers are a common sight but the FGH-V is far lighter in weight, quicker to install and can normally be installed without planning consent. When closed it has the appearance of a standard roof window and its long glazing span enables a far higher amount of natural daylight to enter a room.

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RESIDENTS IN PICTURESQUE SNOWDONIA

Leading radiator manufacturer Stelrad has supplied 155 of its sector leading low surface temperature radiators to provide safe and controllable heat in a refurbished sheltered apartments scheme – Cysgod y Coleg – in beautiful Bala – in the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales.

This scheme is just part of an overall £136 million refurbishment project being undertaken by Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd – CCG – and highlights the level of investment the social housing provider is prepared to make in its extensive portfolio of social and sheltered housing across the region.

The work in Bala is being undertaken by main contractor Lovell Partnership, with the help of specialist plumbing and heating installers Aspect Plumbing & Heating. The selection of the Stelrad LST standard radiators was made by Engineering Design Services in Chester and these high quality radiators will be the means of sharing heat throughout the 28 apartments over two floors of this scheme and in the communal areas for residents use as well.  The new heating system is driven by the latest condensing boilers and replaces an elderly and highly inefficient electric heating system that saw a large number of electric storage heaters throughout the premises.

LSTs are specially designed to provide comfortable heat, but in a radiator whose casing never exceeds 43 degrees centigrade. This makes them ‘safe to touch’. LST radiators are key where there is a need for special heat emitters that are ideal for safety critical environments – especially those that need to meet NHS Guidance for ‘Safe Hot Water and surface temperature’ – in hospitals, care and nursing homes, doctors and dentists surgeries as well as schools, nurseries and as in this case – sheltered accommodation. It’s a specification requirement of building designers and architects that the heat emitters in these buildings protect the young, the elderly and the vulnerable, who will live in or visit buildings such as these.

LST radiators negate the risk of in particular, older people falling and injuring themselves on a radiator along with potential dangers from those with a visual impairment bumping into or brushing against radiators. Some elderly people have a reduced sensitivity to high temperatures and others simply cannot react quickly enough to prevent injury from hot surfaces if they inadvertently touch and come into contact with a conventional radiator, where surface temperatures may be as high as 75°C. Older people and those suffering injuries have an increased susceptibility to losing their balance and falling, and the possibility of these people falling and becoming trapped against a conventional radiator brings the need for LST radiators sharply into focus. With Stelrad LST radiators, the casing also covers the incoming pipework making sure all the heated surfaces are concealed and that any exposed surfaces stay at a safe temperature of no more than 43°C.

“These LST radiators are simple to fit and offer quality heat emitters that are controllable and effective in a building such as this,” says Phil Houghton from Aspect Plumbing and Heating. “We have fitted these for many years and were happy to find they were specified by the architects for this job.”

“The safety and comfort of our tenants is the key consideration for us,” says Steve Williams, Contract Co-ordinator for CCG. “When looking at the refurbishment of Cysgod y Coleg, it was clear that these low surface temperature radiators were the answer for the apartments, the corridors and the extensive communal lounge areas within the newly revamped building. The new radiators combined with the condensing boilers, high levels of insulation and the new, precise heating controls installed will see far more effective heating and a much more cost effective heating system than the old building had. It’s a major investment but one that will pay back relatively quickly for us in lower energy bills.”

“We’re delighted that our LST radiators were selected for this particular sheltered scheme in Bala,” says Stelrad’s Marketing Communications Manager Sarah Baker. “Our LST range is the most popular range in the UK and contributes to the safety and comfort of huge numbers of elderly, young and vulnerable people in the country. Low surface temperature radiators are clearly a highly effective way of guarding hot surfaces and eliminating the dangers of burning people who are in the vicinity, whether in their homes or in a public building.”

Full details of the Stelrad LST range can be found on www.stelrad.com, you can call for brochures and information on 0844 543 6200 or email marketing@stelrad.com . You can follow Stelrad on Twitter @Stelrad or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StelradRadiators.

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Mike Nankivell, marketing director for the UK Daikin Distributor, Space Air Conditioning plc, comments on the latest VRV development from Daikin Europe. 

“The VRV IV heat recovery system makes huge advances in climate control efficiency. Not only is it up to 28% more efficient than the previous generation of VRV, it is more flexible and can be installed faster than any other heat recovery system available.”

“Daikin’s VRV IV heat recovery system is able to integrate heating, cooling, ventilation and hot water, recovering “free” heat from areas requiring cooling and using it to heat other areas and provide hot water. Daikin Europe calls it “The most Sustainable HVAC System in the World”.

Focus on Efficiency

Daikin Europe’s three-pipe VRV heat recovery systems were already considered the most energy efficient on the market but VRV’s fourth generation features important new innovations outlined below, which “fine tune” the focus on efficiency with remarkable results:

1. Variable Refrigerant Temperature technology
2. Continuous heating during defrost
3. The VRV configurator

1. Variable Refrigerant Temperature technology enables the refrigerant temperature to be adjusted to match heating or cooling demand and the outside temperature, reduced power consumption results in an improved operating efficiency of as much as 28%. Comfort is also enhanced because variable refrigerant technology enables cold draughts to be avoided,

2. The defrost cycle can result in reduced indoor temperatures at a time when this is undesirable. VRV IV’s continuous heating during defrost avoids this issue and maintains comfort levels when the defrost cycle is activated.

3. The VRV configurator software enables the system to be “set up” off site, saved to a USB and simply uploaded at the commissioning stage. This feature greatly simplifies both the installation and commissioning of Daikin VRV systems.

New Multi-Port BS Boxes

Daikin’s VRV systems are renowned for being the most flexible available. Modular by design, VRV be adapted to fit any can size of building and reconfigured easily if internal layouts change over time. To enhance this flexibility even further, Daikin has introduced new multi-port BS boxes. The new multi-port BS boxes have up to 16 ports and are the lightest and most compact on the market. These can greatly reduce installation times compared with installing single BS boxes. To complete the new VRV package, Daikin Europe’s Intelligent Touch Manager offers comprehensive climate control and mini BMS facilities whilst also being able to link with third party systems.”

Concluding Mike Nankivell observed. “As one of the oldest of Daikin Europe’s network of independent distributors, Space Air is accustomed to the continuous development of Daikin products, yet even we were impressed with the improvements that have been achieved with VRV IV. We are also delighted to see the key 4^th generation features being extended to the entire VRV portfolio at a time when operating efficiency is recognised as a critical factor in reducing the carbon footprint of our air conditioned buildings.”

For more information please call Marketing on 0333 0069 755 or email marketing@spaceair.co.uk.

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In line with the requirements of the new 3^rd amendment to the wiring regulations, Crabtree has launched a comprehensive range of Starbreaker consumer units, in all-metal, non-combustible enclosures. This means whether specifying or installing consumer units to comply with this new requirement, together we are ready.

Amendment 3 to BS7671 IET Wiring Regulations (published January 2015) requires that consumer units (and similar switchgear assemblies) for use in domestic household premises shall have their enclosures manufactured from non-combustible material (regulation 421.1.201). This UK regulation also gives an example of non-combustible material as ferrous metal. The intent is considered to be, as far as reasonably practicable, to contain any fire within the enclosure and to minimise flames from escaping.

Statistics maintained by London Fire Brigade show a significant increase in the number of domestic household fires involving consumer units as the source of ignition and this drove forward the amendment. These fires, involving plastic consumer units, have mainly been the result of poorly installed connections and the location of the enclosures themselves, often situated on escape routes, under stairs, and surrounded by other combustible materials.

The new Starbreaker range is all-metal and has a busbar system that contains socket apertures for plug-in devices (MCBs and RCBOs), providing instant, guaranteed factory quality connections as standard. This means there are no screws to tighten on the incoming side of the devices, assuring the connection and reducing the risk of an error being made during installation.

The range of consumer units includes all of the models necessary to meet the requirements of the 17^th Edition such as Main Switch, Split Load, Hi Integrity, and Dual RCD. Circuit protection and control devices include B & C Curve MCBs and 30mA RCBOs with ratings from 6A to 50A all 100% tested and all incorporating Siemens technology.

The latest range of Starbreaker AM3 all-metal circuit protection systems couples high levels of safety and ease of installation, with proven Crabtree quality and design. Crabtree have published a concise Starbreaker consumer unit catalogue detailing the whole of the new range, so together we are ready!

For further information about Crabtree and the new all-metal Starbreaker consumer unit range, contact Electrium Sales on 01543 455000 or go to www.electrium.co.uk/crabtree.

A list of ‘must haves’ when specifying a consumer unit for the new amendment:

• Full metal enclosure, no exposed plastic parts
• Low smoke and fume paint
• Self closing stay shut and metal hinges
• Cable entry knockouts on all sides and to rear
• Mains tails cable entry grommet extra insulation
• Non combustible cover blanks for unused ways
• RoHS compliant and UKAS certified to BS EN 61439-3
• Factory quality plug in instant connections
• 25% fewer manual connections
• Plug and DIN clip to give positive device location
• Raised busbar for easy routing of cables
• Permanent non-removable busbar insulation
• No need to cut busbar
• No exposed busbar prongs
• Less exposure to live parts (e.g. when testing etc.)
• Consistent levels of safety assured in all models

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