As the original boiler was located in the basement of the Guildhall, with very little ventilation, it needed to be replaced in order to comply with the Building Regulations. In order to do this without damaging the outside fabric of the building, Vaillant’s commercial team designed a method of connecting a new, high efficiency boiler to an old heating system.
Vaillant’s commercial ecoTEC boiler was installed at the top of the building with a short, vertical concentric flue exiting the roof at the rear of the building where it could not be seen. Pipe work was then routed behind the oak panelling on the stairs to feed a specially designed ‘low loss’ Vaillant heat exchanger, which was positioned in the basement where the old boiler once stood. This was then connected to the old heating system, which had a new quality dirt separator fitted, in order to protect the heat exchanger. Furthermore, as the boiler is now absent from the basement, the plant room does not require ventilation.
Colin Boyd is Contracts Manager at Aaron Services Ltd, one of the City of Lincoln Council’s partner companies responsible for maintaining the Guildhall. He explained the decision to install the ecoTEC boiler: “We have always used Vaillant on domestic projects,” he said, “so when the most impressive building in Lincoln needed a new boiler, we had to choose a product from a brand with as enviable a reputation as the Guildhall itself. Vaillant provides the best boilers available, which are easy to install and offer value for money and high levels of efficiency.”
Commenting on the installation, Graeme Twell of City of Lincoln Council added: “Vaillant’s design was extremely innovative and ensured that we did not have to conduct extensive renovation work on the basement. The Council was very impressed with the manner that Vaillant were able to meet our efficiency needs and the building has definitely been warmer since the ecoTEC was fitted.”
In addition to the ecoTEC commercial boiler and heat exchanger, a Vaillant VRC 430 weather compensator was also installed, as well as an air separator. The latter is particularly important, as it prevents air from getting into the system and reducing its efficiency. The weather compensator offers further fuel saving benefits, as it analyses the outside temperature of the building and then reduces the boiler’s heat output accordingly.
The City of Lincoln Guildhall is home to the Mayor of Lincoln, and it is the venue for meetings of the city’s administrative committee. The building is also used for council meetings; receptions hosted by the Mayor and for guided tours.
For more information on our ecoTEC range of high efficiency commercial boilers please click here
