The Client
Founded in 1857, St James’ Church, Birkdale is an Anglican parish church located in Southport and is part of the Diocese of Liverpool.
The Challenge
The church is used regularly by people of all ages and hosts a range of services, meetings and events each week. Making sure that the church is warm at all times is a main priority. The old heating system consisted of several 4 inch, cast iron pipes which ran round the outside of the building and were ineffective at achieving the temperature required to heat the church successfully. These were connected to boilers which were located outside in an external boiler room; the existing system was clearly outdated.
The Solution
The contractor, Colin Wakefield of Wakefield & Wilson, Garston, Liverpool had worked with Smith’s products in several church projects in the past, so he was familiar with the company. He recommended Smith’s Caspian Universal fan convectors because of their ability to heat large areas quickly and efficiently, with the flexibility to be installed virtually anywhere in the church. To ensure that the new heating system performs as effectively as possible, the boiler room was moved inside the building and twelve of Smith’s Caspian Universal fan convectors were installed in various locations. The fan convectors were also painted brown in order to match the interior of the church, so the vicar and the church council are very happy with the outcome. The new system has helped the church a great deal, as the team are now able to bring the building up to a comfortable temperature quickly and easily and ensure that all visitors are kept warm and cosy throughout the year.
The Products
Twelve Caspian Universal fan convectors were installed as part of this project. Caspian fan convectors are compatible with all types of wet central heating systems. Whether connected to a conventional boiler or renewable technology, such as ground and air source heat pumps, they function equally efficiently. As with all Smith’s products, the Caspians come with a free five-year warranty for parts and labour.