The Client
Founded on 25 September 1874, St Nicholas’ Church, is located in Blundellsands, Merseyside and is part of the Diocese of Liverpool. The church was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Chester and in October 2014, the Diocese presented the church with the ‘Child Friendly Award’.
The Challenge
The church plays host to wide range of services and activities for people of all ages. As well as the main church building, there are two halls and a council chamber which are also hired out for clubs and events. The original heating system consisted of one boiler, which meant that in order for one room to be heated, the rest of the building had to be heated too. The temperature of the rooms could not be individually controlled, so it worked under a ‘one temperature fits all’ basis and this is a problem that regularly occurs in commercial buildings. Heating the building was very expensive for the church, particularly when only one room was in use. It was also very impractical because not all rooms require the same amount of heat in order to reach a comfortable temperature and the desired temperature can differ depending on the time of year. As a result of this, many rooms in the building remained cold. In particular, a lot of heat was lost through the reception area because the door was constantly being opened by visitors coming in and out of the church during the day. It was virtually impossible for the reception area to retain its heat, so this had an effect on the overall temperature of the rest of the building. A modern, flexible heating solution was needed to suit the requirements of the church, which is where Smith’s Caspians came in.
The Solution
Seven of Smith’s Caspian UV fan convectors were installed as part of the new heating system. Four units were placed in the large hall, two in the small hall and one was installed in the reception area. The contractor, Colin Wakefield, from Wakefield and Wilson, has worked with Smith’s in the past and he chose Smith’s Caspian UVs because of their heat outputs, efficiency and low noise. When in operation, the Caspians make a minimal amount of noise which makes them the ideal product for a church environment. The new heating system enables each room to be heated separately and the temperature of each Caspian can be adjusted to suit the varying heat output requirements. This means that during the colder months, the temperature can be increased on each unit to ensure that the whole space is heated effectively. This provides the church with a much more efficient and cost-effective solution. Smith’s Caspian range provides the perfect solution for commercial buildings.
The Product
Fan convectors operate via a heat exchanger and small electric fan. The heat exchanger is connected to a standard two-pipe central heating system which passes hot water through the heat exchanger, transferring its heat to the aluminium fins. The fan draws in cooler air which is heated as it moves over the heat exchanger and is then expelled gently back into the room by the same fan. Unlike a conventional panel radiator, the fan convector provides more even temperature spread and much faster warmth. The small fan means that the heat produced is distributed using forced, rather than natural, convection and consequently this makes it far more responsive to thermostatic controls. As with all Smith’s products, the Caspians come with a free five-year warranty for parts and labour.