Gas fired Warm Air Unit – global internet retailer

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The life expectancy of a boiler depends very much upon the type of boiler in question but, on average, a traditional gas boiler should last between 10 and 15 years. When it comes to the end if its serviceable life, it’ll need to be replaced – as was the case when we were called to check out some issues a client (global internet retailer) was having with their current heating system at a warehouse in Croydon.

The team at CH Systems discovered that the older gas fired Reznor units had fulfilled their life expectancy and a decision was made to replace the current units with 6no new Reznor UDSA-100 units.

With the roof of the warehouse being 13 meters off the slab, the work had to be carried out on Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) – this was no problem as all of our engineers hold current IPAF Certified Training For Working Height certificates, which enabled us to carry out the work in a much more timely fashion (saving the time and effort of scaffold towers etc). See pics below:

Boiler service and burner replacement – Shoreham Power Station

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An existing client that has a maintenance contract in place with us for their boiler room at Shoreham Power Station requested a major service on their 4no Potterton Derwent Prestige boilers.

After completing a thorough clean of the burner, flue ways and heat exchanger we commissioned the boilers back into service but we were unable to get a satisfactory Flue Gas Analysis reading. The Prestige boilers are fantastic units but at 19 years old, time is taking its toll; the decision was thus made to replace all of the burners.

We are pleased to report that following the installation of the new burners and the re-commission of the boilers into use, we achieved the best readings we have ever seen on these units! See below for an idea of what the burners looked like pre-replacement:

Gas line installation – global online retailer

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Christmas is around the corner and as one might imagine, retailers are operating in sales overdrive; so when we were commissioned to install a gas line to an existing Lennox Air Handling Unit (AHU) for a global online retailer, the team at CH Systems was prepared to work out of hours so as not to disrupt operations (never a problem for us!).

The work comprised the installation of 80 meters of 76mm Geberit Stainless Gas pipework and fittings, which took place at an ‘above level’ working height  that required the operation of scissor lifts to give us access to the gas line. We opted to use the Novopress ACO203XL pressing tool as this meant we did not have any trailing power leads (created by the height at which we were working) and this managed to avoid any potential Health & Safety safety issues.

See below for images of the installation in process:

Boiler cashback for small and medium sized businesses in London

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Heard of the Cleaner Heat Cashback scheme? If you’re a small to medium sized business (SME) based in London, this is something for you! The Mayor of London is funding an offering that will enable SMEs to claim 30 to 40 percent cashback when replacing an older, inefficient heating system with a new, cleaner one. The scheme is part of Sadiq Khan’s £10 million initiative to improve the capital’s air quality.

In terms of benefits; other than a new heating system (that’ll cost you less) and a saving of up to 25 per cent on energy bills, you’ll be doing your bit to help improve London’s air quality and also contributing towards meeting the Mayor’s ambition of a zero carbon city by 2050, through a smaller carbon footprint.

Some interesting environmental facts (just to spur you on) in relation the pollution happening in London:

  • 7 per cent of London’s NOx (Nitrous Oxide) emissions are the result of commercial gas consumption.
  • 40 per cent of carbon emissions in London come from non-domestic buildings.
  • 187 air quality focus areas across London show high levels of air pollution.

As well as reduce harmful gas emissions, the Mayor’s scheme aims to boost commercial energy efficiency across the capital.

The Mayor recognises London’s air quality as a public health crisis. It is estimated that thousands of Lndoners are dying every year from long-term exposure to pollution. In 2010, London air pollution was linked to 3,000 hospital admissions and the economic cost of these health impacts is estimated as being up to £3.7 billion per year.

To find out if your SME is eligible for the cashback scheme, CLICK HERE and do note that the initiative operates on a first come, first-served basis. To apply, you will need to provide:

  • Your business details
  • Information about your current heating system
  • Details about your proposed heating system replacement
  • Two quotes from manufacturer-approved installers
  • Copies of your fuel bills.

CLICK HERE to make an application.

For all your energy related questions or to find out what new heating system might be best suited to your SME, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Plant room installation and pipework – Royal Chelsea Hospital

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Having carried out the enabling works for both the East and West Plant Rooms at the Royal Chelsea Hospital, the CH team moved on to carry out the installation of three Worcester GB162 boilers, supplied with frames and low loss headers to each plant room.

Due to the age of the existing system and a need to prolong the life of the new boilers, a decision was made to install a Plate Heat Exchanger, which offers hydraulic separation between the new and old system whilst allowing the necessary heat transfer to take place.

The team was also tasked with finding a suitable location for the associated Vessels and Pressurisation Units within some very compact/tight spaces. Looking at the images below, you’ll be able to see that usable space is at a premium; as such, a great deal of time was spent in consultation with the client over what would be the best and most acceptable use of the space we had.

This was by no means the largest project we have undertaken but the space constraints proved challenging – the team worked efficiently to get the job done and we are pleased with the end result.  

Freezing and enabling work – Royal Chelsea Hospital

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The team at CH Systems is currently on contract at the Royal Chelsea Hospital  – one of our most prestigious projects to date. We won a tender that commissioned the following:

1.Freezing and Enabling work
2.Plant room installation and pipework
3.Below ground pipe gas pipework

The work includes the creation of two small boiler rooms (within existing plant rooms), which are required to supplement the existing heating system during periods of high load. As one might imagine, this is extremely important within the context of a hospital environment.

As part of the ‘enabling’ that had to be carried out prior to commencing work on the boilers, we had to cut into the existing primary pipework within the plant rooms in order to make our connections to the existing system. With a building of this size, draining down the pipework is not an option due to the length of downtime and inconvenience this might cause to hospital guests, so we froze the pipework in the West and East plant rooms (with the help of an expert Pipe Freezing Service) and used liquid nitrogen to stop the flow of water thus enabling work to take place with as little downtime possible.

Because we were under pressure to get the system up and running as soon as possible, we opted for a number of prefabricated sections of 3-inch and 4-inch pipework (on which our welders did an excellent job) that we joined to the existing system without issue. Not being able to thread pipework or weld anything into place, we used the Viega Megapress system, with support from Paul Burkett (this being our first instance of using the megapress), enabling us to press onto medium and heavy weight pipe thus dramatically speeding up the entire process.

We’re still in the midst of completing the project but check out the pics below to get an idea of the the work explained above…and watch this space for further project updates.