The Hall was built in 1914 as an extension to the former manor house which dates back to the late 15th Century. The village hall heating consisted of five 3kW electric convector heaters which were regularly left on by the hirers when they departed. There was also a central heating system with the gas boiler and controls located in the former manor house – now used daily by a pre-school. The restrictive access to the central heating controls meant the heating was often left on after the hall had been used or not turned on when it was needed!
The distance between the boiler and the radiators also led to significant heat loss as the water flowed through the extended pipework. As a result, the radiators never got hot enough to effectively heat the hall.
Hall Heating Requirements
The Committee was looking for an infrared village hall heating system which would warm the Hall to a comfortable temperature in a relatively short time, to avoid heating the hall when it was not in use.
The ability to accurately control the temperature was also an important consideration to avoid wasting valuable energy and to cater for the different temperature requirements of the various activities taking place in the Hall, for example, pilates, static-spinning, bridge, meetings, dances and private functions.
The high pitched roof had been a problem for the convection heaters as the warm air produced was lost into the roof space giving little immediate benefit to the occupants. It was important the new heating system addressed this issue.
The toilets and a storage area also needed to be warmed, but to a lower temperature than the Hall. It, therefore, made sense to divide the building into separate heating zones each with their own thermostatic controls.
Infrared Heating Solution
The ETHERMA EZ medium-wave infrared heaters provided an ideal solution for the village hall heating, whilst wall-mounted LAVA Basic DM long-wave infrared panels were more appropriate in the toilets and storage rooms where the ceiling height was lower.
Unlike the convection heating, infrared directly warms the occupants, quickly making them feel more comfortable. This allows the room thermostat to be lowered by a few degrees (e.g. from 21°C to 19°C) whilst still maintaining the same level of thermal comfort. A reduction of the temperature by 1°C results in an energy savings of 6%-7%.
Overcoming heat loss from stratification
In rooms with high ceilings like Berrynarbor Manor Hall, the temperature difference between the occupied zone and the ceiling is often significant, between 10-15°C. Equalizing the temperature difference using suspended infrared heaters can reduce this loss by as much as 30% while making optimal use of the heat which develops when the infrared waves hit a thermal mass, such as the floor, walls and people. The energy is absorbed and the warmed surfaces then give off heat in the occupied zone – just like your patio giving off heat in the evening after a sunny day. As a result, the temperature difference between ceiling and floor is reduced.
Use of heating zones
The different rooms were treated as separate heating zones, each controlled by programmable thermostats. Precise control of the heating saves operating costs, avoids wasting valuable energy and improves thermal comfort. The use of radio-controlled, programmable thermostats avoided the need for new cable routes and simplified the installation process.
Infrared Village Hall Heating Solution in Detail
The village Hall heating comprised of eight ETHERMA EZ 2kW double-panel infrared heaters. These were suspended in two rows of four, approx. 3.5m above the floor and controlled by a wall mounted eTOUCH-eco thermostat through an electrical contactor. The toilets required two LAVA® BASIC-DM 350W panels controlled by a wireless ET-14A thermostat and the Store, three LAVA® BASIC-DM 500W panels controlled by a wall mounted eTOUCH-eco thermostat on a frost protection setting.
ETHERMA EZ Infrared Heaters
The EZ model is intended for total and supplementary heating as well as protection against cold draughts from windows in environments such as, department stores, assembly halls, industrial premises etc. The infrared heaters give a soft, pleasant heat and individual comfort can be created with spot and zone heating, ideal for heating areas with high ceilings. They also provide excellent protection against cold draughts from windows. No moving parts mean a maintenance-free, silent system that does not cause air movements and created a hygienic indoor climate where the spread of dust, bacteria or odours is reduced.
Ceiling mounting or suspending the infrared heaters gets the heat exactly where it is needed, increases safety and leaves the walls free for shelving etc. They give instant heat and the room temperature can be reduced with maintained comfort.
- Voltage: 230, 400V
- Output: 800 – 3600W
- Max. element temp.: 340ºC
- Colour: Traffic white, RAL 9016; EZ-3600 galv. steel panel
- Mounting height: 2.5m – 9m
- Protection rating: IP 44
- Permanent connection
- Approval: SEMKO, CE compliant
LAVA Basic DM Panels
The LAVA Basic DM is suitable for heating from the wall or ceiling. Ceiling mounting allows for discreet heating in offices, bathrooms, dance studios, schools, etc. The panel is a 22 mm flat infrared radiant heater characterised by its uniform infrared heat and aesthetics.
Mounted on the ceiling or high-up on the walls the heaters are ideally suited for full heating or zone heating. Ceiling mounting allows optimal use of the area and avoids any wear and tear to the panels.
- Lightweight design – Easy ceiling mounting
- Large infrared emitting surface
- Maintenance free and magnetic field free
- High proportion of infrared radiation
- 350, 750 and 1500 W suitable for suspended ceilings
- Also suitable for wall mounting
Wireless Programmable Thermostat (ET-14A)
Radio-controlled thermostats avoid complex elevation and plaster work for cable routing and allow easy installation of heaters.
The receivers are controlled with the ET-14A radio thermostat, which can control up to 10 ET-111A radio receivers. The ET-14A has a programmable week program, frost protection function, manual mode and On/OFF function.
- Large, illuminated LCD display
- 5 Operating modes (Comfort, reduction, frost protection, AUTO, OFF)
- Week and day programming
- Battery level indicator
- Open window detection (in combination with ET-14A-FK)
- Ecodesign guidelines compliant
- Adaptive start-up control
eTOUCH-eco Thermostat Wireless Programmable
- Easy menu navigation
- 4 programmes: Home, office, timer and heating
- Self-learning function
- Energy consumption indicator
- Switching from summer to winter time is completely automatic
- Switchable between output control, underfloor, room or combi thermostat
- Temperature drop detection
- Eco-design guidelines compliant
