Fernox has updated its range of commercial water treatment solutions. The new range provides heating engineers with the solutions to treat and protect commercial heating and cooling systems, in the quantities needed across the majority of jobs.

Lochinvar has extended its range of thermal stores in response to growing demand for hybrid low carbon heating and hot water solutions. 

For building services managers water offers two major challenges - using it efficiently and ensuring it is safe. David Meacock explains why the latest technologies can support better performance when it comes to stored water.

Alan Edwards of the CSCA explains why a relatively new Association is offering reassurance to FMs and building owners that their water treatment will be carried out to recognised and audited standards.

Against a backdrop of rising mains water supply costs and climate change causing stress to water resources, building services engineers are under pressure to reduce water consumption and associated costs. Mark Hadaway considers the alternatives to mains water.

Bathroom furniture supplied by Roca for the luxury Sesame Apartments in Battersea include basins, baths, water-saving taps and showers. This development by Thornsnett comprises 80 apartments with views over the River Thames.

Grundfos’s range of single-phase pre-packaged CMB/CMBE booster sets are based around the CM stainless-steel booster pumps. They are suitable for use in many applications that require clean water to be delivered from a cold-water storage tank — such as boosting to pressurised hot- and cold-water systems and above-ground storage tanks.

The Expressions range of shower trays from MX Group has been designed to provide the maximum showering area and has a discreet, hidden waste system (pictured) that drains via a standard shower waste. These shower trays have an acrylic ABS finish and weigh 40% less than a high-wall stone-resin shower tray.

Wavin has added six new soil bends to its range of Osma soil and vent systems. There are three 110 mm spigot bends and three swept bends. They have solvent-free joints and are easy to install in restricted spaces.

The Lowara range of booster sets from Xylem Water Solutions UK now has WRAS approval. These packaged sets are suitable for all building-services applications — including domestic dwellings and office buildings and shopping centres.

Rinnai’s latest Infinity 1600i condensing low-Nox water heater has been tested to below 20 ppm (Nox). In commercial test areas incorporating flow and return systems, the units have recorded Nox levels as low as 7 ppm. These water heaters have a downward-firing pre-mix burner and continuous optimisation of gas input using intelligent integral controls. Maximum output is 54 kW, with modulation down to 4 kW.Up to 37 l/min of temperature-controlled hot water can be delivered.

Bristan has launched a comprehensive WC pack to meet the requirements of Part M (access and use). It is easy to maintain and comes complete with TMV 3 basin mixer tap that is suitable for commercial washrooms designed for people with disabilities.

Micronics, a leading UK manufacturer of clamp-on metering products for building services, has increased its product offering to provide complete metering solutions for building services. A comprehensive range of traditional inline meters (pictured) complements the established clamp-on range.

A key part of the environmental strategy for the new headquarters building of children’s charity Barnardo’s is domestic hot water provided by a combination of evacuated-tube solar collectors and Lochinvar EcoShield gas-fired condensing water heaters. A particular design requirement was that any rooftop solar array should not be visible from street level.

Hot-water services for the purpose-built athletes village for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are provided by two bespoke skid-mounted packages supplied by HRS Hevac via contractor Vital Energi. The skids were designed and drawn (3D) in house by HRS Hevac.

Lower water consumption and better hygiene levels. What more could you want for washrooms? David Meacock of Cistermiser looks at retrofit options to bring water use down but keep hygiene standards up.

Uponor’s Smart Ends range of fittings opens up approaches to installing hot and cold water services that address two of the principal ways of combatting the build-up of legionella bacteria — keeping water moving and keeping it at the right temperature. The approach is based on avoiding the use of T pieces with long runs of pipe up to taps and other water outlets that could lead to stagnation.

With water supplies in the UK under more sustained pressure, it’s now more important than ever to conserve and manage water in and around today’s buildings. Rainwater harvesting continues to be one of the most popular approaches to this issue. Polypipe Terrain’s Ian Crickmore gives an insight into its benefits.

Lochinvar’s Squire range of indirect water heaters can be used with traditional boilers as pre-heat vessels for renewable technologies such as solar thermal or air-source heat pumps. There are 20 models with storage capacities from 290 to 2850 l. Eight units are also available with twin coils.

Raychem HWAT self-regulating electric trace-heating cable is said to meet all the recommendations in the new ‘CIBSE Guide G: Public health and plumbing engineering’. The guide recommends that secondary circulation or trace heating should be provided when the hot-water installation is such that its would take an unreasonable length to draw off the cool water from the pipework.

Dimplex’s Quantum electrically heated hot-water cylinder delivers hot water at mains pressure and has sophisticated yet simple controls to help householders plan their water usage. A display shows how much hot water is available and consumption history.

With growing demand putting pressure on UK water resources comes the need for businesses to manage their water usage effectively. The good news is that investing in effective water management can help businesses achieve substantial savings. Chris Tranter of Bristan tells you what you need to know.

Residents were able to stay in their homes while cast-iron soil and waste pipes were replaced in three separate high-rise residential towers in Birmingham. Polypipe Terrain worked with M&E contractor IDS and Birmingham City Council to devise a solutions based on plastics pipes.

Fresh from helping to update CIBSE’s Guide G on public health and plumbing engineering, Paul Angus shares some thoughts on the risks of skimping on design and installation.

The wider use of low-carbon heat sources to produce domestic hot water necessitates a considered approach to risk control. Jeff House of Baxi Commercial Division explains.

The need to use less water is becoming increasingly recognised and accepted. The industry is ahead of the public is raising awareness, as Barbara Osborne of Deva and Methven UK explains.

When managers at an acute district general hospital in Bedfordshire wanted to understand the consumption of hot water to enable requirements to be identified for replacing equipment with the most energy-efficient solution, ETA Energy Systems was called in. Peter Richardson, managing director of ETA, explains, ‘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.

Grundfos has further enhanced its Sololift2 range of macerators. The family comprises just five models that, through the flexibility of their design, their adaptability and performance, provide the solution to handling wastewater for any combination of WC, bidet, sink, shower and washing machine.

Well over half the energy that goes down the drain as hot water from showers can be recovered to preheat cold water using simple maintenance-free technology. Jon Cockburn takes up the story.

According to Rinnai’s Scott Humphries, its continuous-flow hot-water systems are easy to keep free of scale. He says, ‘When quoting for big installations, for example, multiple showers and numerous wash hand basins — continuous-flow systems save 30 to 35% on install and around the same on gas costs. And there is no costly messing around with salt-based conditioners.’

Lochinvar has supplied a solar-thermal system to meet the high demand for hot water in the new city-centre Redmond Building of Liverpool John Moores University. Consisting of a range of social and learning spaces, the 11 500 m2 building has toilet and changing facilities on each of its six floors, with a hot-water requirement throughout the day.

David Pepper welcomes the flexibility and practicality of the proposed changes to Part L of the Building Regulations, but questions their significance for producing domestic hot water.

When the time came to replace the 20-year-old DHW system at the de Vere Village Hotel in Warrington, Rinnai gas-fired continuous-flow water heaters and storage vessels were installed in a closet next to the existing equipment so that changeover was achieved without the need for temporary oil-fired plant.

Using less water means more BREEAM credits — and considerable savings in water costs. Bob Blincowe of Cistermiser has lots of suggestions that do not trade off hygiene against BREEAM credits and savings.

What happens to a building’s or site’s water after the water company’s meter. And can you rely on that meter being accurate? How can you go about reducing the consumption and costs of cold water and hot water? Michael Farnon of Micronics has the answers.

Storing cold water might be regarded a one of the simplest services in a building — but there are a number of operational and safety issues — as Neil Weston of Keraflo explains.

The £50 million restoration project at Greenwich of the tea clipper Cutty Sark includes the installation of a Grundfos cold-water booster set and ancillary items to help ensure that there is sufficient water where and when it is needed. This 19th-century ship has three masts and is over 28 m long. The restoration project was interrupted by a serious fire in 2007, but recently opened by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

With the energy benefits of solar-thermal hot water must not come an increased risk of legionella bacteria developing. Kevin Potter of Hamworthy Heating considers the issues.

Helping to reduce energy and carbon emissions at Thomas Rotherham College in South Yorkshire is a solar-thermal system supplied by Stokvis Energy Systems to provide hot water for staff and public toilets. The system for this college for students aged from 16 to 19 years is expected to achieve energy savings of 2.6 to 3 MWh a year.

The patented Fluidic spray technology used in Bristan’s range of EVO shower handsets are described as ‘creating a warmer, more luxurious shower experience that blankets the body, yet actually uses less water than a power shower. The innovation is in the handset itself, so any mixer shower can be upgraded to deliver this spray pattern simply by replacing the existing handset.

Dimplex’s EC-Eau range of heat-pump hot-water cylinders offer mains-pressure hot water with low running costs, reliable hot water and ‘fantastic’ flow rates for a wide range of domestic and light-commercial installations. These heat-pump cylinders offer the same efficiencies as the rest of the EC-Eau range.

Rinnai’s heavy-duty condensing continuous-flow water heaters have two heat exchangers to achieve optimum water heating by capturing residual heat from flue gases and transferring it to the water being heated. Available for indoor and outdoor installation, the HDC1200i achieves a net efficiency of 107% and the HDC1500i turns in 105% net efficiency.

The current programme of modernising hot-water systems to improve energy efficiency is also the perfect opportunity to tackle the ongoing threat of scalding, says Blane Judd of the Building & Engineering Services Association.