Energy Efficient Hot Water Maintenance System for New Hospice
Construction of a large state-of-the-art hospice in Norwich is almost complete and Diamond Controls has been privileged to supply and install its energy-efficient hot water maintenance trace heating system. The new Priscilla Bacon Lodge will welcome its first patients in September 2023 and supports those with life limiting or terminal illnesses as well as providing vital assistance to their carers, families and friends both during a person’s illness and through bereavement.
The Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity launched an appeal to raise the £12.5m needed to build the new facility in 2019 and broke ground on the new site in February 2022. Once open, the new hospice will replace the organisation’s current 40 year old premises which belongs to the NHS and will be repurposed.
View footage of the new Hospice
Trace Heating was specified as part of the building’s hot water system to provide instant, safe hot water to staff, patients and visitors throughout the site. Hot water maintenance systems offer significant benefits to commercial buildings including impressive energy efficiencies in utilities costs and water usage, and the capability to carry out legionella pasteurisation cycles to eliminate harmful bacteria within pipework.
HWAT-R trace heating cable from nVent RAYCHEM was used in the install alongside HWAT-ECO controllers within two NVent Raychem SBS control panels to offer complete control over the hot water system, reaching a consistent temperature of 600C along the full length of pipework. It’s also connected to the facility’s BMS (Building Management System) for ongoing monitoring.
Senior estimator and project manager, Paul Davis, said, “HWAT-R has been specifically designed for commercial buildings such as hospitals, care homes and hotels as it offers an efficient, reliable and safe solution for hot water distribution. The temperature maintenance system has been installed across the full length of pipework on both floors of the building and will automatically compensate for pipe losses where they occur, maintaining the water temperature at 600C using its self-regulating technology.”
“Pricilla Bacon Lodge is a fantastic facility and has been built with the future in mind, utilising the best energy-efficient technologies to keep operating costs to a minimum and provide a long-lasting solution. HWAT-R, for example, comes with a 10-year warranty but has a proven useful lifetime in excess of 40 years.”
The new hospice has a capacity for 24 in-patient beds and daycare facilities alongside a wellness centre and physio gym and includes patient, clinic, treatment and therapy rooms, catering facilities, washrooms and a chapel on its eight-acre site. The all-electric healthcare building is entirely fossil fuel-free and aims to be the centre in Norfolk for education and research into palliative care.
Diamond Controls worked on behalf of PJ Plumbing, Heating and Maintenance Ltd to supply, install and commission the hot water maintenance trace heating system. View how Hot Water Temperature Maintenance systems work.
