Farrel Ltd, a company based in Rochdale in the North West of the UK, are part of the HF Mixing Group. They have been manufacturing since as early as 1900, with their focus of work being the production of Rubber Processing Machinery.
The Challenge
The existing on-site plant room was originally situated beneath a carpark, where the waterproofing above had become breached.
As a result, the plant room would flood, causing damage to the boilers, pumps and heating controls. Since the original installation of the existing boiler, the Gas Installation and Use Regulations have been updated extensively, which left the current plantroom ventilation properties unsuitable for new heating equipment.
Farrel had in mind to invest in the existing site which meant that the plant room would be re-sited in the near future, however the existing equipment required immediate replacement.
The Solution
As a reputable, local company, Farrel engaged with us to provide a competitive price and solution to the situation for their plant room. We ensured that our proposals took into account the future plans, so we could meet their needs and also identify and demonstrate future savings for Farrel.
Our idea was to install heating equipment that a) would have a lifecycle that went beyond the future site improvement works; b) that could be moved to any location they deemed suitable, and c) could be moved when they were ready to do so. Our solution was simple: to upcycle a shipping container to become the new plant room, to be re-sited whenever required.
The Results
Now the Farrel workforce have a reliable source of heating and hot water, which the building managers can operate remotely. As other associated equipment is upgraded, the managers can control them all from the same platform. The greatest overall cost saving is removing the need to form a new plantroom with traditional construction methods (which would exceed the cost of the equipment itself), and then refit with the existing or new plant.
The new existing single boiler was band D energy rated, whereas the 2 new boilers are ‘A-rated’ condensing boilers. This will reduce the company’s carbon emissions and save up to 20% on future energy consumption.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the answer to the ques-tion “How do you refit a plantroom that will be removed in 5 years?” is to create an operating plantroom that can be adaptable and compatible with the changing times and requirements of the client. Our solution allows Far-rel Ltd to continue to operate, as well as allowing any future refurbishment of the property to continue without disruption; their new plant room can be re-sited whenever needed.
