Regional Winners

West Midlands Regional Winner

Name: James Bowen
Business: Integral Plumbing, Heating & Renewables

Please tell us about a project you are particularly proud of – what was the problem and how did you solve it for the customer?

One project that I am particularly proud of is a large 5 bed new build property with 6 bathrooms located in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

The build started in 2017 and a previous plumber had been working on the first fix for some time but abruptly pulled off and the project couldn’t progress further in critical areas without more plumbing and heating work being completed. This left the owner in a difficult situation as he struggled to find someone who would be able to tackle the rest of the work including the heating and hot water systems as many others weren’t up to taking it on after reviewing the scale and complexity of the overall project.

After a couple of site visits, studying the plans, completing a full heat loss calculation and liaising with the owner and builders, I proposed a plan to address any foreseen problems and prioritised completing sections that needed attention first.

I started by redesigning and completing areas of the first fix pipework, drainage, and underfloor heating across all 3 floors to allow the build to progress and ensure there would be no problems when it came to second fixing the bathrooms and commissioning the heating and hot water systems.

As the property had underfloor heating throughout, there were a total of 6 manifolds across 3 floors. I split them into 3 circuits and balanced each one using IMI hydronic STAD balancing valves with the IMI HyTools app to achieve the correct flow rates for each circuit. Pipework sizes for the index circuit were increased as they were undersized when I first visited and would have resulted in insufficient flow to two manifolds due to substantial pressure losses. All pipework was correctly calculated to achieve sufficient flow rates for each manifold and velocities of as close to 0.9m/s as possible. All pipework except the underfloor loops was installed using copper.

Once the first fix was completed, I started work on the plant room. This consisted of two Daikin HXHD Hydroboxes connected to two outdoor condensers that combined to provide heat to both hot water storage cylinders and the thermal store to supply the underfloor heating throughout the entire build. 260L unvented hot water cylinders were stacked on top of both Hydroboxes to provide 520L of stored hot water. All equipment installed had future maintenance procedures in mind and everything was made easily isolatable. The property was situated at the top of a hill and whilst it achieved a static pressure of >8 bar, it suffered from a poor dynamic pressure and flow rate, the local water provider confirmed that there was nothing they could do to increase the incoming flow rate so I installed a cold water boost set to provide an adequate pressure and flow rate when the house was at peak demand.

Which products did you select for the job and why?

For this project, the Daikin VRV IV heat recovery system was specified to provide efficient heating and cooling throughout the build. A solar field had been installed and connected to the property with battery storage so the electricity generated and stored would power the Daikin equipment, which integrates weather compensation as standard.

System design changes were made including running the underfloor at a lower temperature and installing the internal diverter valves within the Hydroboxes to enable the integration of PDHW (Priority domestic hot water). The house was also designed to be a ‘Passive house’ meaning it is extremely airtight. A heat recovery mechanical ventilation system was installed to recirculate the stagnant internal air with fresh external air whilst retaining any heat expelled through the use of storage baffles which could then be reused, if needed, in rooms around the house.

Combining the heat recovery with the Daikin VRV IV equipment and good system design, means that these systems can achieve COPs of up to 8. To achieve exceptional water quality, a water conditioner was used on the incoming mains and secondary circulation. For the primary and secondary heating circuits, I took a chemical free approach and VDI2035 water quality guidelines were followed to achieve optimal water quality. I filled the system using an Elector Purofill-VA unit which passes incoming mains water through a bed of loose resin to achieve low conductivity between 50-100uS/cm and a p.H level between 8.2 and 10. An Elector S10 reaction tank, Adey Magnaclean DualXP filter and an IMI hydronic ‘Simply Vento’ vacuum degasser were all installed for permanent water quality treatment, and Dutypoint dosing pots were installed for future maintenance tasks if parameters ever needed adjustment. For potable system expansion, I chose to use IMI ‘Aquapresso’ flow-through vessels, as these allow water to constantly flow through when an outlet is opened which eliminates any potential legionella bacterial growth within the vessel or dead leg of a pipe leading up to a vessel that is commonly found on installations. For heating system expansion on both the primary and secondary sides, I used IMI ‘Statico’ expansion vessels as these have been proven to be of elite quality and durability through the use of their airproof butyl bag. 25mm Armaflex insulation was installed using self-seal lengths. High temperature glue and tape was used to ensure the insulation didn’t fall off over time and its thermal retention properties remained intact. The insulation surrounding the thermal store was improved with Armaflex insulation sheets to further decrease standing losses.

Overall, the products were chosen to ensure the efficiency and longevity of the system, while also providing optimal comfort for the occupants.

Tell us what was different or unique about this job? Why does it stand out?

This installation allowed me to push my limits across all aspects as the owner was open to any ideas I put forward and put his trust in me to deliver what others proved they couldn’t. I was able to implement the latest technology to drive up seasonal system efficiency and overall comfort whilst delivering an off-grid solution and future-proofing the building, with a focus on exceptional water quality for both potable and heating systems.

I started work around mid-September and the system was up and running by mid-January. It took a while because there was a huge amount of work to complete around the house including 6 bathrooms before commissioning could take place and, on top of this, working alone meant some tasks were difficult. I am proud of this project as it presented multiple challenges from start to finish but I was able to come up with effective solutions and complete the work to a high standard, it was a pleasure to work alongside everybody involved and it is one that I will never forget.

And finally, tell us what the end result was for your customer, for example, no more call outs, reduced energy bills?

This property’s heating and hot water systems are powered by electricity that is generated by Solar PV feeding 45KwH battery storage. The owner has made a huge investment into energy efficiency and self-sustainability so will be able to enjoy having no energy bills and exceptional heating and hot water production all year round.

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