PHPI gets the lowdown on a recent boiler installation project for a church that dates back to 1848.
At the heart of the small market town of Brynmawr, the present Libanus Presbyterian Church was originally built in 1848. In frequent use, the church hosts weekly services, a Sunday school and Bible study sessions.
The chapel’s previous heating system was at least 40 years old and could not meet the demands placed upon it. As part of a system overhaul the boiler was replaced and the heating system was extended to the upper levels of the gallery, which had previously relied on heat rising from below. Double glazing was also fitted along with loft insulation to increase the thermal efficiency of the building.
Alpha Heating Innovation’s smallest combi boiler, the E-Tec, was chosen for the project. Keith Hallett and his son Owain, of Bryncerrig Heating were responsible for fitting the new boiler, along with three pumps, which were necessary to boost efficiency around the location’s large, three-zoned central heating circuit.
Keith explained: “The location necessitated about 100,000 BTU or 29kW, so the E-Tec 33kW was the perfect size. The E-Tec system also has a great output on hot water, delivering 14.1 litres per minute, as well as being an incredibly easy system for me to fit and commission.”
The standard E-Tec, like all E-Tec range boilers, fits easily into an average kitchen cupboard and features a stainless steel heat exchanger for optimal reliability, says the company. Available in both 28 and 33kW outputs, the unit comes with a five-year warranty as standard, which can be increased to seven-years with the addition of the PremierPack Pro.
Keith continued: “Alpha boilers are always easy to service and install and the afterservice provided is thorough and efficient. The systems are great value for money compared with other brands and I always push Alpha as my first choice of boiler to customers.”
Adrian Drew looks after and maintains Libanus Church, and he commented: “The chapel is only used on certain mornings and evenings throughout the week so we needed a system that was efficient and quick to heat up, to reduce the church’s energy usage as much as possible. Keith suggested the Alpha E-Tec, which is working really well so far.”
www.alpha-innovation.co.uk/products/Boilers/Combination+Boilers
Modernising in Maidstone
In another recent success story, Alpha’s FlowSmart with Climatic RF controller was specified to accommodate the high hot water demand required in an 18th century residential farmhouse.
After the previous boiler had broken down, the farmhouse needed a system that could heat 23 radiators and provide enough hot water for the two bathrooms in the property.
Tom Davies of TPS Heating, the installer for this project, commented: “I chose the FlowSmart as I needed a product that would improve the longevity of the heating system, after the original system had to be replaced. This is the first FlowSmart I have installed and it won’t be the last. It was simple to install and effective, although the system has only been in-situ for a few weeks, the homeowner is impressed with its performance.”
Combining the Alpha InTec 40GS combi boiler with a built in GasSaver and thermal store technology, the FlowSmart pre-heats mains cold water within the GasSaver by reclaimed boiler flue gases. It then passes through the thermal store’s stainless-steel coil heat exchanger, where it is heated further by surrounding hot water from the central heating system. From this, the water will then pass through a blending valve, where it is controlled to an optimum 30ºC before entering the boiler. In effect, the mains water is pre-heated and the boiler’s workload is significantly reduced.
