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NEW RADIATORS MEAN SAFE HEAT FOR SHELTERED SCHEME
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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.
