The latest evolutions in apartment heating
As the UK’s leading manufacturer of products and services for the UK plumbing, heating and ventilation market place, Watts Industries recognises the impact the increasing number of apartment developments springing up all over the UK will have on the industry. As Watts’ Key Accounts Manager, Martyn Frost comments on the differing needs of apartment living and the solutions on offer for the provision of heating and hot water.
“The last decade has seen a dramatic upsurge in apartment living. In our city centres you can’t look up without seeing a crane swinging into action to produce the latest fashionable apartment complex. And in towns and villages much potential has been recognised in providing secure and manageable multi-home developments. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has now released data which predicts an annual average increase of 213,000 households to 2021, with 72% of the increase accounted for by one-person households – raising implications for the type of property that is now in demand. With all this is mind, it is no surprise that 44% of new build properties are apartments – combine this with the huge number of developments in constant need of maintenance and upgrade, and the requirements for effective building systems becomes even more fundamental.
An efficient and reliable heating and hot water system is a crucial to a successful trouble-free apartment development, and improving the current options available for multiple homes complexes is imperative as the percentage of the population investing in apartment living increases.
Currently the most popular homes heating system is an independent boiler installation which can effectively supply a home’s heating and hot water and proves relatively simple when considering the design, building and installation aspects of developing. Thanks to the continuous improvement of individual boilers, the independent system will certainly remain to be the most valid solution with regards to cost and performance for single buildings or small apartment developments.
However, when serving the heating and hot water requirements of larger building complexes or heavy concentrations of several properties, it has proved preferable to consider a district heating station or central boiler room. Such a system is easier to manage and eradicates both the need for separate water storage in individual apartments and the costly need for maintenance associated with individual boilers.
On the downside, such systems prevent individual control of room comfort level and often limit the quantity and quality of hot water available to individual apartments. Users are also required to pay a standard charge for their heating and hot water regardless of what they have consumed, encouraging a more irrational use of energy and consequently, greater energy waste.
The most effective and efficient heating and hot water system for apartments is one that utilises the more manageable district heating station but which controls the heat supply to single apartments and allows individual control of room comfort level, whilst removing the costly need for maintenance associated with individual boilers.
Individuals are then guaranteed absolute freedom of choice in activation times and temperature of the heating provided, and there is no limit on the hot water supply. The user is satisfied upon opening a hot water tap and immediately having hot water at the right temperature, and an ordinary electronic timing thermostat allows control of room temperature.
A direct metering system completes the remote thermal unit, granting users the luxury of only paying for energy consumed, as opposed to standard centralised heating systems; thereby encouraging a rational energy usage and reducing the amount of energy wasted.
At Watts Industries, we have found that by feeding the heating circuit of each apartment from a central point, these thermal units can save as much as 23% on the amount of fuel expended when compared to an individual boiler system, and 65.4% less energy is needed for heating.
And although the installation costs of both systems amount to the same, the costs for supervision and scheduled maintenance are 40% more expensive with an independent boiler system than with a remote thermal unit system. Any replacement operation is within the capabilities of the company running the system, as it does not require any specialisation, ensuring it is hassle-free for the user.
What homeowners expect from the performance of their heating and hot water systems is rising, and considering new innovations that offer greater efficiency both in terms of cost and energy usage is the only way we will meet these demands.
True room comfort is the comfort offered by a system whose operation is not noticed, and with more space, minimal bother, no concerning cost issues and no noise pollution, these remote thermal units are the only way forward for apartment living.”
For further information on the remote thermal units available from Watts Industries please call 01386 446997 or visit http://www.wattsindustries.com/
