Today we are in a rural property in the Edenbridge/Tonbridge area of Kent.

Deliveries start to arrive

Our customer has recently moved back to the UK from working abroad.  He has bought a detached house in the middle of the Kent countryside.

The subject of an extensive makeover in the last 20 years, this property had a Lennox oil fired warm air unit in the cellar, a Worcester standard efficiency boiler in the external cupboard, and a conventional hot water system.

The warm air system was around 20 years old, and covered the two reception rooms , kitchen and hall areas. It was very noisy in operation and took up almost the whole of the cellar, and asbestos panelling had been built all around it.

Our customer did not like the on/off basic nature of the warm air heating, but did like the virtually invisible vents in the floor.  He didn’t like the noisy shower pumps and the limited cold water storage.

The water supply into the property was a bit variable and tended to deliver a poor flow rate, but replacing the water incoming pipe for a larger one was not straightforward, as the route passed under some shared access roads

Having understood the brief, we suggested the following;

  • a modern varispeed warm system that uses the main heating boiler as the energy source
  • removing the old cylinder, tanks and shower pumps and replacing with an unvented hot water system
  • improving the existing water incoming supply with an accumulator
  • controlling the whole system, warm air, radiators, hot water, with Honeywell Evohome

We isolated the old warm air unit from the electrics and the oil supply, allowing our customer’s chosen contractor, TS Environmental Ltd to commence asbestos removal works.  (Asbestos is commonly found in older houses, particularly those equipped with open flued warm air systems, where it was required for the enclosing cupboards to have a high fire resistance).

When we returned to site, all the cellar area had been stripped of lining materials and was spotlessly clean, so we could start our works.

Lots of room now in cellar

Firstly, we installed the new MultiCalor MC20 warm air unit.  This is an inverter controlled varispeed fan coil unit, that is in effect a very large radiator coupled to the warm air ductwork.  The fan inside modulates in speed and therefore is virtually imperceptible when it starts and stops, unlike contemporary warm air systems.

Dave, our ductwork guru, measuring up

It is also intrinsically safe, and requires no gas, oil or indeed a flue.

Nearly there

We fitted a Trion 1400 electronic air cleaner.  This unit, made in the USA, is a robust very efficient unit at removing dust, smoke and other particles.  NB: If you compare it to a J&S electrostatic cleaner it is interesting to note it is around 6 times the size.

Trion air cleaner; internal washable plates

MultiCalor control panel used for commissioning

warm air finished

we do our own electrics

We then set about fitting a TWS Mainsboost accumulator in the basement, together with an inlet kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mainsboost accumulator

Safety inlet group for accumulator

We specified a Worcester Danesmoor 18/25 Utility boiler, which was mounted at the top of the cellar stairs.  This was fitted with an external KBB fire valve and filter, as per building regulations.  It is surprising how many oil boilers do not fitted with a local filter, relying on the coarse filter at the tank end (which does not meet minimum Bosch requirements).

 

 

New boiler during commissioning

 

 

Boiler finished, complete with frost protection and local isolator

Evohome control relays in boiler area, and Reflex additional expansion vessel

We added some additional towel rails, and equipped every radiator in the house with Evohome radiator valves.  Evohome also controls the warm air system, and the hot water.  One panel does it all, as they say.

All the existing radiators were Powerflushed and Magnacleansed.

Then we turned our attention to the hot water system;  the old cylinder was removed and we replaced it with a 200 litre Joule Cyclone unvented unit.  We’d normally fit a Worcester Bosch cylinder with their boilers, not least because there are preferential warranty terms making it attractive – but in this case we needed a slimline format cylinder, so Joule it was.  Joule units seem well finished and come with a Honeywell zone valve (whereas many cylinders use cheaper accessories).

New unvented hot water

Finally, we commissioned the system and set the Evohome up.

All the heating is controlled from here in 12 areas –
or the other side of the World.

 

Our customers were lovely people and kept us full of coffee and tea throughout;  there was even a nice Ginger and marmalade cake……..

They even took a picture of us for the blog, so here we are;

Our team photo