Built to perform
A total of 10 Andrews SUPAflo R2000 series instantaneous commercial water heaters have been delivered to the site of Bristol's first out of town indoor shopping complex.
Recently opened, The Cribbs Causeway Shopping Centre, a joint development by Prudential Assurance and JT Baylis, has been designed by Building Design Partnership. It incorporates the very latest energy efficient technology in heating, thermal insulation, ventilation and cooling plant options.
Above the main entrance concourse is an impressive glass canopy leading to 140 retail units on two floors with an "anchor" store at either end. At upper mall level is a food court, comprising 6 kiosks and 5 restaurants seating a total of 1200 covers.
The Andrews SUPAflo units are generating hot water for all public toilet facilities on each floor and kitchens in the food court. Specified by Hoare Lea & Partners, who designed the engineering systems, two water heaters are incorporated into each of five customised packaged roof-top plant rooms, constructed by AC Engineering.
The gas-fired SUPAflo has a low water content of only 5-30 litres and is therefore lightweight and compact for ease of siting whilst offering the high efficiency and rapid response required for this project. A major advantage offered by these instantaneous water heaters over storage systems, apart from the space saving aspect, is that there is no statutory cleaning requirement where the water content is so low which minimises maintenance. In addition, all parts within these water heaters that are in contact with water are either copper or stainless steel and are therefore particularly suitable for use in food and catering applications.
The extruded finned copper tube heat exchanger responds immediately on demand to provide, from each of the 8 SUPAflo R2017 specified, 1117 l/h hot water instantaneously and from each of the 2 SUPAflo R2022, 1444 l/h, based on a temperature rise of 44°C. The fully modulating principle of these units achieves high operating efficiencies which improves still further under part load conditions.
The specification included the addition of Andrews' EM fully modulating controls, an option available with the SUPAflo R2000 Series, which gives temperature accuracy to+/- 1°C. Whilst this is a self controlling system with fault signalling to ensure water heater down time is kept to the absolute minimum, it has the facility to link into the BEMS if desired.
