23/02/2015
Students at a high school in Greater Manchester are enjoying a more productive working environment after the installation of six Potterton Commercial boilers as part of a plant room refurbishment programme.
Hindley High School provides secondary education to around 850 pupils, with a particular focus on the arts.
A programme of efficiency measures at the school highlighted that boilers housed in the two plant rooms on site had come to the end of their lives and were failing to provide reliable heating and hot water, causing issues in the classroom and the school's kitchens. Working with the school and the local council, consultants NPS North West identified a need to fit a replacement system.
Lorraine Green, building services engineer at NPS Wigan, explains: "We had carried out a series of energy saving measures at Hindley High School, including recladding the building to make it more energy efficient.
"Staff explained that they had serious issues with under and overheating, which made for an uncomfortable working environment for both students and teachers.
"After fitting heating controls to address that issue, we were asked to replace the old boilers in both plant rooms with energy efficient models.
"From the start, we recognised that there was a challenge to overcome in fitting the new boilers, as access to the main plant room was very restricted.
"The site has one main plant room, with a second plant room to service the school extension.”
Four Eurocondense three 300kW boilers were installed in the main plant room, and two Sirius 110kW boilers in the second plant room.
Lorraine continued: "We selected Potterton Commercial to supply the new boilers because we have a great working relationship with the team. We know from previous experience that we can rely on them to follow through and give us back up if we need it.
"That sort of support, coupled with quality warranties, are a big influence on what we specify for our clients. The Sirius boilers come with five year warranties, while the heat exchangers in the Eurocondense boilers are covered for 10 years, both of which are a huge plus.
"Ultimately the service offering means that Potterton Commercial offers best value for money for our clients - something that is especially important in the public sector.
Paul Walmsley from Preston-based contractor, CPL Heating and Plumbing Ltd, which carried out the installation commented: "The install was straight forward, even with the site access restrictions, with the design of the boiler making sure that all connections were easily accessible providing for a swift installation.”
While annual fuel and cost savings are due to be measured later this year, Lorraine says that students and teachers have noticed a big difference when it comes to enjoying a quality working environment:
"The old boilers worked on a high or low setting, making it difficult to adjust the heating. However, the new boiler set up gives the end user greater control, resulting in a fit for purpose heating solution.
"The Sirius boilers fitted in the second plant room are much smaller than the old units, making access for servicing much easier - although the new, more reliable technology means servicing requirements are kept to a minimum.”
