Lowara Presfix Beta Pressurisation Unit Installation
The Existing Spill & Fill Pressurisation Unit
This Pressurisation Unit was installed at a hotel in Buxton. We have maintained it for a number of years now and it was over 20 years old. This is a large system with relatively high operating pressures which is one of the areas the spill and fill design comes into its own. The existing unit has more than served its time and with very little issue until circa 5 years ago. In this instance we offered the client the option to keep spill and fill design going forward or move to a cabinet unit and vessels, they chose to move to a cabinet unit with vessels.
Problems:
The unit had begun to run into problems in the last 5 years due to the system being particularly dirty. Also, a number of leaks on the system had put a lot of strain on the unit, whilst also introducing lots of fresh oxygenated water into the system. Fresh water being introduced into a heating system is a real problem as it encourages oxidisation/corrosion to take place. As a result, the tank was rotten in three places and the unit and system pipework was quite heavily corroded and pin-holed in places (pictured).
The main problems occurred during lockdown, with an empty hotel the pressure unit was left on, during which time the solenoid failed and caused corroded water to leak out over the pumps and the unit itself. The unit then saw this as demand, and as a result the pumps were working hard to try and keep up. This caused excess wear on the pumps and both seals failed.
Given the unit was over 20 years old and had more than served its time, we recommended a new unit. We couldn’t effectively repair the unit and leave it in full working order due to the further issues with corrosion, so a new unit replacing the corroded pipework was the best option.
Whilst installing a replacement unit, we recommended to site that they drain and flush out the system, to prevent further issues with system pipework down the road. We also recommended they get their water treatment company to look into a treatment regimen for this system. A useful option going forward to help counteract some of the corrosion issues they are seeing is Vacuum Degassing, however, in this instance it is cost prohibitive due to budget restraints.
Dismantled & Removed
Due to access limitations, the old tank had to be cut into pieces to allow disposal from site. We often get asked about time frames for these types of jobs, with this job all work had to be completed in one working day to ensure the heating was back on the same day for the hotel. The pictures below show the equipment cut up for disposal and the space cleared ready for the new unit and vessels:
New Lowara Presfix Beta & GWS Vessels
In this instance we installed a higher output Lowara Presfix Beta 255 pressurisation unit, along with 3x 450 litre Global Water Solutions (GWS) expansion vessels. We also retained the low loss header from the original installation at sites request.
The Presfix Beta is a real mainstay in the market nowadays and is our floor standing cabinet unit of choice. The unit is versatile and benefits from two peripheral turbine pumps, pump vessel, full digital controls with LED display and an 18 litre break tank. The GWS Vessels really are quality and one of the best vessels on the market in our opinion, complementing the installation well.
Please see below for the finished installation:
For all your Pressurisation Unit, Pressure Vessel or Booster Unit needs, get in touch today and we will be happy to help!