Reflex Variomat Pressurisation Unit Installation

High Profile Court Building in Manchester City Centre:

Over a period of 6 weeks, we carried out a large scale project working in conjunction with Integral UK at one of the courts they maintain in Manchester. We successfully delivered this project on time all as per our plan of works and have now handed back over to the building. This is a job that we are immensely proud of and provides the client with equipment that is fit for purpose for a very long time to come.

Logistically, this is without doubt one of the most complex jobs we have ever undertaken, due to access constraints on site and the building being fully operational throughout the course of the works. The initial plan for this job was to close the road approaching the court, and remove the old unit via crane and subsequently crane the new unit in. This would have been a massive undertaking and the cost would have shot up exponentially. However, after meticulous planning, we worked with site to get their access hatches into the roof plantrooms tested and commissioned. We then went to Reflex and changed the setup to 3 vessels instead of 2, so that they were then small enough to fit through the hatches. At the same time we worked closely with Integral and G4S, we collectively went to great lengths to ensure the disruption to the client was kept to an absolute minimum, and the work was carried out with safety as a primary concern.

The problems site were experiencing:

This site have had problems with the existing pressurisation unit for a number of years. The unit in question was simply not fit for purpose and was not dynamic enough for the needs of the building. Obvious problems include, horizontal pumps mounted in the vertical plane, a 5 litre break tank for re-filling the system, the unit was inherently difficult to interrogate and above all else, obsolete. We were called back into the courts in March 2018, with site experiencing continuing problems of low pressure, as the existing unit failed to keep up with the demands of the system.

Existing unit:

Our recommendation:

As a result, we recommended a Reflex Variomat unit as in our opinion this is dynamic enough to cope with site demands and is the quality of equipment this site requires. At this stage, we brought in Dave Boardman of Reflex UK to carry out a site visit with us. We agreed that the Variomat Giga was the ideal unit and method of operation for site.

In order to install this unit, we had to extend the concrete plinth slightly, with a length of steel (pictured), and modify the system pipework back to the boiler header. The new unit benefits from touch screen control and has functionality to monitor several alarms that site were previously not able to monitor. Please see below, the completed installation:

Feedback:

At our recent handover meeting, we were fortunate enough to hear the thoughts of the client and several members of Integral that we were working for. The client had commented how happy they were with not only the job, but the fact that they had not noticed any disruption or even our presence on site. This is something we pride ourselves on, and to be on site for 6 weeks and not cause disruption to the client, highlights that our hard work pays off.

As a result of the success of the job, we have been given the order to replace the 3 pump cold water booster set in the basement, and this project will commence shortly. Site are also in the process of instructing us to carry out a Bi-annual service of all pressure and booster equipment on site, to ensure the continued good operation of their plant; for years to come.

If you have any enquiries or just want some advice about your site, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: