Durapipe HTA pipework has been used to replace an ageing copper pipe network as part of a refurbishment at Lyndon House sheltered accommodation in Lancashire.
Managed by Hyndburn Homes, Lyndon House is a sheltered housing development comprising 40 individual flats and communal living and dining areas for the over-60s. As part of a wider refurbishment project to update the bathrooms and kitchens in the flats, the hot and cold water services also needed replacing.
The existing copper pipework serving the water services had been installed for more than 30 years and due to many alterations to the pipe network over the years, there were lots of ‘dead legs’ present in the system, which had the potential to cause contamination. As a result, Hyndburn Homes was looking to remove all the dead legs and replace the system with a reliable pipework solution that could stand the test of time.
The existing hot water system in place was also no longer efficient as the entire building was fed by one communal calorifier, which caused problems with water pressure in certain points of the building. To combat this, four new unvented hot water cylinders were installed, each feeding a quarter of the building on a loop.
There were strict requirements for the pipework that was selected to work with the new system. It needed to work on a pump return, due to the hot water being constantly circulated in a loop to ensure instant hot water can be achieved as soon as the tap is turned on in a flat. A variety of products were explored and Durapipe HTA was selected.
HTA was installed to transport the hot water from each of the four hot water cylinders and distribute it to each individual flat on a loop. It was selected as it can withstand the elevated temperatures and pressures of the system, while operating on a pump return basis.
The product’s installation properties also influenced the decision, as the main sections of the pipework needed to be installed in the roof voids so the lightweight nature of HTA made it easier to handle at height. The material, combined with a quick and simple solvent weld jointing technique, eliminates the need for hot works, further reducing the installation cost and time of the project.
Commenting on the project, Ron Clayton, commercial engineer for Hyndburn Homes Repairs, said: “We had some very specific requirements for this project in terms of the performance properties of the pipework. HTA ticked all the boxes. It has the necessary thermal properties, offered benefits during the installation stage and has a 50-year design life so it will maintain its performance levels over the lifetime of the system.”