Hunt Heating supported Newcastle University with the user friendly, energy efficient heating solution across their four student accommodation towers. We provided a range of services and products including:

• Initial survey and consultation
• Onsite commissioning service provided
• Heating provided to all student rooms and common areas
• 908 Delonghi steel panel radiators delivered and installed
• Electronic actuators installed for optimum temperature control

In 2014, Newcastle university started construction of four new student accommodation towers and requested a user-friendly and efficient heating solution. After initial conversations with the consultants and builder, it was decided a survey, and onsite consultation would be best. So Hunt Heating flew to Newcastle to meet face-to-face and come up with some ideas. The towers are separate buildings, so the requirement was for four separate systems, but each was almost identical to the next.

Heating was required for all student rooms as well as selected common areas. Due to the nature of occupants coming and going at all times, the system needed to be easily controllable. Every area needed to be turned on and off independently of each other. A simple radiator system was best suited to this application. Due to there being no specific requirements other than an efficient to run and cost-effective solution, the Delonghi Radel Steel Panel was chosen. The Delonghi Radel range has about 400 different sizes available, so its versatility is ideal for almost any installation. Selecting a radiator based on output often provides multiple size options to choose from to suit any space restrictions.

In total, there were 908 Delonghi radiators supplied to the project. Another big advantage of this radiator choice is that we stock the majority of the range in our warehouse. Having many models in stock is a clear benefit when unexpected changes happen at the last minute—which is sometimes inevitable in a project of this size. With our generous stock holding, we are often able to facilitate unexpected changes without delaying the project due to having to order goods specifically from Europe.

Similar to the radiator choice, the plant room decision was quite simple – an Immergas Condensing Victrix, Pro Cascade solution was the clear choice for each tower. Each tower was supplied with 2 x 120kW boilers complete with mounting frames, flow and return headers and a hydraulic separator. Given the modular solution, it was an easy installation when the boilers arrived on site. All components were lifted by hand and quickly assembled in place with all required cascading accessories available. Each boiler plant also included a Flamco 18L Dosing pot and a 250L Imera Expansion Vessel.

The next consideration was the best way to control the system. The University was worried that if students had full time and temperature control that they would accidentally leave the system on when the rooms aren’t occupied and waste energy. Furthermore, it would be impossible to come up with a programmed schedule that would suit every occupant of each building effectively. In the end, quite a straight forward solution was supplied.

The contractor installing the job suggested putting electronic actuator heads on each radiator valve. These actuators had 2 hour pneumatic timer switches which were installed in each area that was heated by a radiator. The boiler system is set up on a program to provide hot water constantly throughout the winter period. Occupants simply need to push the timer switch which will give instant heat by opening up the radiator valve for 2 hours. A 2-hour window provides heat for a long enough period for the occupants but also means that heating can’t be left on for extended times when the room isn’t occupied.

Once all products were installed, a Hunt Heating engineer was requested to assist with the onsite commissioning of each individual boiler plant. Our onsite commissioning service ensured the heating products installed in the building were performing at an optimal level.