The Project:
We were recently contacted by Express Gifts to help deal with a long standing problem of pressure issues at one of their sites. We attended site to find that their current method of supplying water around the building was via storage tanks in the roof; feeding the building atmospherically. However, as has been the case for many areas over the last few years, their utilities company have dialled down the water pressure. As a result, the pressure they were receiving was not sufficient to satisfy demand and the tanks were being starved of water. For such a high profile building, operational 7 days a week, this was unacceptable. Working in conjunction with our site contact for Express Gifts, Bill Stott, we agreed that the site required a booster set on the ground floor to take the mains supply and boost it to the roof and the rest of the building. Bill was keen to keep the roof tanks in situ, as a means of insurance, in the case of an interruption to supply to the building.
The first problem with this project was where to locate the booster set, unfortunately, there was no space available within the building and as such, we needed to install a GRP enclosure external to the building, that could house our booster set and break tank. Working with Bill, we surveyed the entire site to find the best location for the enclosure. We settled on a site very close to the incoming mains supply to the building, primarily we did this for convenience for site, but also to help keep it as cost effective as possible for the customer. Below is a picture of the site before works commenced:
Before:
This job required civil work to dig out this section of land and a trench running from it to the building, to allow the setting of the pipes under ground. This project had a number of variables and as such we worked closely with a number of expert sub-contractors. Site wanted a large amount of this work done out of hours so as not to disrupt the workers in any way. Therefore, our civil engineers carried out this work on a Saturday when the building was at its quietist. See below, the concrete base:
Civil work:
As you can see, we have used the limited space available and reinstated the flagging back to original, this was incredibly important to us, that all the work we carried out did not change the integrity of the building or landscape to a great extent.
GRP Enclosure:
Once we had the civil work carried out, the next step was to install a fully insulated GRP enclosure to house our booster set and break tank. However, this was also a difficult task due to access restrictions. Traditionally, GRP enclosures come as whole units, however, as you can see from the pictures below this was no an option:
From one side of the building, a gas incoming outhouse blocked the way, and from the other there was a single gate with air conditioning units in the way. Furthermore, the closest point of access was not suitable for a HIAB delivery. Therefore, in conjunction with our enclosure manufacturer, we installed a flat pack enclosure, to fully suit site requirements. Please see the enclosure below:
We ensured the enclosure was made bespoke to suit the land available on site and is securely anchored to the new concrete plinth. Additionally, it was important to use as much of the plinth as possible for the enclosure, to ensure room inside for future service and maintenance of the plant. Within the housing itself, we installed a distribution board, RCD socket, tubular heater and frost stat.
Tank and pump set installation:
Once the enclosure was in place, we installed a two piece tank, complete with ball valve housing and access hatch. As well as a twin pump variable speed booster unit, complete with float switch for dry running protection, individual pump accumulator vessels, individual pressure transducers and individual inverters, thus, making the unit completely fail safe to provide the customer with the reliability necessary. This again was carried out on a Saturday to provide minimal disruption. Please see picture below of the completed installation:
As you can see, the plinth is compact to suit the sites requirements, but vitally, has ample room to facilitate future service and maintenance of the plant. Additionally, the tank overflow is piped externally to the building, to give site an indication should the tank ever overflow, yet also provide vital protection to the booster set.
The future:
Site now has a booster set that is sized specifically to that building, with highly energy efficient variable speed pumps. A set which will ensure no more pressure issues on site, with a constant and reliable flow at all times. However, installing the equipment is just the start, here at PressBoost we always emphasise the importance of service and maintenance, it is imperative in maintaining the good operation of equipment, and maintaining its integrity. Going forward, Express Gifts have expressed their intention to carry out a biannual service on the equipment to ensure the longevity of the plant. We look forward to a long lasting relationship with site, providing them with a reliability they have craved for so long.
If you have any enquires or questions relating to the services we provide, please don’t hesitate to get in contact, we can liaise with you over the phone and are more than happy to carry out site surveys to discuss things further with you.