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New Purewell Variheat mk2 upgrade at Skipton Building Society
Sector: Offices, public buildings & retail spaces
Building: Building society
Products: 6 Purewell Variheat mk2 boilers
Application: Space heating
The Skipton Building Society was established in 1853 in Skipton, North Yorkshire, where it remains headquartered. The society’s purpose-built headquarters houses a dynamic hub, complete with a restaurant, café, and a wide range of on-site services tailored to its staff.
The building required an efficient, reliable heating system to meet the growing demands placed on its facilities when its existing Purewell boiler system from Hamworthy Heating needed updating. More importantly, the building required a solution that could be installed quickly with minimal disruption, making product availability a critical factor in securing a replacement system on short notice.
With the constraints of space and time, Skipton Building Society turned to Watson’s Building Services for an effective solution. After conducting a site visit, Watson’s proposed replacing the buildings nine Purewell boilers with six new Purewell Variheat mk2 cast iron condensing boilers.
These new units provide a total output of 1,060kW and offer a similar footprint to the old units. This allowed a seamless installation on to the existing plinths. Additional accessories supplied by Hamworthy Heating also included flue transition pieces to each boiler and volt-free contacts.
The new Purewell Variheat mk2 condensing boilers were specifically chosen for their availability and prompt delivery. Featuring a compact design, this also made them a perfect choice for transporting and accessing the plant room at Skipton Building Society.
As the new Purewell mk2 boilers also share the same pipe centers as older Purewell models, this enabled the replacement process to be further simplified. Fitting on the footprint of the existing Purewell models, the new boilers also use the same pipe kits, service clearances, and key combustion spares.
Purewell Variheat mk2 boilers are particularly well-suited to older heating systems, such as the one at Skipton Building Society, due to their cast iron heat exchanger. Cast iron has been a trusted material in heating technology for decades, particularly for older buildings, because of its durability, thermal efficiency, and ability to handle the demands of traditional heating systems.
Also offering excellent heat retention, Purewell Variheat mk2 boilers provide consistent and reliable heating without the need for frequent cycling on and off. This not only improves the overall efficiency of the system but also reduces wear and tear on the boiler, extending its lifespan. For buildings like Skipton Building Society, which rely on their heating systems to meet the needs of a busy environment, this reliability and durability are crucial.
Keen to stick to a brand they could trust, Watsons Building Services has worked alongside Hamworthy Heating for over 30 years.
Dean Peltier, Managing Director of Watsons Building Services, shared his thoughts on the long-standing partnership with Hamworthy Heating, saying:
“We’ve had a strong relationship with Hamworthy Heating for many years. Their products have consistently delivered high-quality performance, and their customer support is second to none. The team is always available to provide expert advice and guidance and as a customer, we always feel very well supported"
Established in 1920, Watsons Building Services provides a wide range of M&E, Plumbing, and Facility Management services to multiple sectors. Based in Keighley, West Yorkshire, the company has worked on many prestigious projects involving complex steam, water, air, heating, cooling, and electrical installations.
The installation of the new, upgraded Purewell Variheat mk2 system at Skipton Building Society was completed in just three weeks. As a result, downtime was kept to a minimum and the heating system was restored promptly without compromising the quality of the work. Skipton Building Society was pleased with the efficiency of the project and the minimal disruption to their daily operations. The upgraded system now offers a reliable, energy-efficient solution, that delivers significant savings and contributes to improved performance across the building.
