Bolton Wanderers Stadium – Cold Water Booster Set Replacement

In February 2025 we completed the replacement of a 4-pump fixed speed booster set at BWFC, to convert them to variable speed and provide huge energy savings for the stadium long term.

The existing Holden and Brooke set was long obsolete and is original to the build of the stadium which was completed in 1997, outstanding longevity with all 3no. main pumps still being original. The set was mainly running on the jockey pump with the assistance of 1no. main pump on matchdays so we have long known the set to be oversized. Furthermore, the set had been increasingly problematic for the last 3-years, coupled with the desperate need to convert it to variable speed; therefore the client had been preparing for the replacement for some time.

The existing set had 3no. 15kW pumps, whereas, the new Xylem GHV40 set has 7.5kW pumps in a Duty/Assist/Assist/Standby configuration. The switch to variable speed alone will provide considerable energy savings but coupled with the drop from 15kW to 7.5kW; the estimate payback period on this project is a little over 1-year!

Given the nature of the stadium this work had to be carefully planned so as not to disrupt matchdays or the Hotel on site. Furthermore, this work required a complete water interruption to the stadium due to 3no. main isolation valves passing. Therefore, we worked in conjunction with the stadium team to isolate the incoming water to the Stadium on a quiet Sunday, replace the 3no. failed valves and then restore the water on bypass. This allowed us to complete the removal and installation of the new unit in normal working hours.

Given the sheer size and weight of the new 4-pump unit and the existing 15kW pumps we had to utilize lifting aids to remove the equipment and access restrictions meant the new set had to be completely dismantled; then rebuilt in situ.

The suction and delivery pipework was smartly modified in 6” and 5” PVC, supplied by Epco Ltd. We also installed new 6” bellows and fully lugged isolation valves from Valves Instruments Plus Ltd. The new Xylem GHV Hydrovar X booster set is one of the most energy efficient on the market and provided a smart and cost effective solution for this project. It benefits multiple master inverters, multiple pressure transducers and 2no. Reflex flow through vessels, removing single point of failure.

The works were completed over 2-days and will now be continually serviced under PPM regime to hopefully ensure the new set lasts as long as the old set did!

The engineers reported this was a challenging & physical job but thoroughly rewarding one to be involved with. Through the course of the works this included our entire engineering team at different intervals: Antony Chesters, Ben Brown, Carl Rogerson, Andy Shelley, Kieran Shields, John Murphy and we were also supported by our friends at Pump Solutions Richard Chesters and Ryan Ashurst.