Existing village hall heating system
Having been built in 1921 Denham Village Memorial Hall is not a well-insulated building. The 20+ year old convection-based village hall heating system was coming to the end of its life and the Committee were looking to replace it with a more comfortable, energy efficient and controllable heating system.
The existing village hall heating system consisted of 125 kW gas boiler used to heat the main hall via a heat-exchanger and warm air blowers situated under the stage. The stage area, changing room and corridor used traditional wet radiators. The kitchen, toilets and meeting room were heated with old 2kW electric fan heaters controlled by manual on/off switches without thermostatic controls.
The heating system struggled to heat the main hall (700m3) with the warm air blowers, only effectively warming occupants near to the stage. This air quickly rose towards the 4.7m ceiling, leaving those at the rear feeling cold despite the two air blowers beside the entrance door. Only when the warm air cooled, did it sink back towards the floor, slightly raising the ambient temperature but offering little or no real benefit to those towards the back of the hall.
The challenge
The village hall is regularly used for a variety of activities by local clubs, societies and private hirers. The Committee was therefore looking for a village hall heating system which could easily be controlled whilst on or off site; accommodate the different heating requirements of the various activities and have minimal ongoing maintenance.
When heating large spaces with convection heating, like in the main hall, most of the energy consumed is used to ‘overheat’ the space above the ‘occupied zone’. The temperature difference between floor and ceiling was 15°C which meant it was taking a long time for the hall to feel comfortable and costing more than necessary to heat. The rising warm air also created convection currents which sucked-in cold air under the doors, causing an unpleasant draft around the sides of the hall.
Village hall heating solution
Two different types of ETHERMA infrared heating products were specified for the new village hall heating system. In the Main Hall, with a 4.7m high ceiling, medium-wave infrared heaters were used whilst in the other rooms with lower ceiling heights (<3m) long-wave infrared panels were installed. Ceiling-mounting the infrared heating will prevent accidental damage, avoid cold spots and keep the floor space free for seating and activities.
By directly warming the occupants, not the air, the ‘warm-up’ time of an infrared heating system is much quicker than a traditional heating system (e.g. radiators or air blowers). Absorbing the infrared into the skin is also a particularly relaxing and comforting experience – just like sitting in the sun. Direct heating with infrared also equalises the temperature difference in a large room and avoids wasting energy overheating the unoccupied space near the ceiling; equalising the temperature difference can reduce heat losses by as much as 30%.
The ability to precisely control the infrared heating allowed the village hall heating to be divided into five separate zones, each heated to a different ambient temperature, saving operating costs, avoiding the waste of valuable energy and improving thermal comfort for those using the hall.
The ETHERMA infrared heating products have no moving parts which give them a long operational life without any ongoing maintenance requirements. This also means the infrared heating system is completely silent – a major benefit in the meeting room.
The eNEXHO wireless home automation system allows the five individual heating zones to be easily configured and controlled by smart devices both on and off site by multiple users.
Village hall heating solution details
The main hall infrared heating comprised of 8 ETHERMA EZ 2kW double panel infrared heaters. These were installed in two rows of four on the ceiling. In the meeting room, the infrared heating system used four ceiling mounted LAVA BASIC-DM 750W panels and in the other areas (kitchen, toilets, corridor and changing room) either ceiling mounted LAVA BASIC-DM 500 W or DM 350 W panels.
Each heating Zone is controlled by a wall-mounted eNEXHO-CL thermostat and regulated by the eNEXHO home automation system. This fully automatic system allows the programming of zones and daily/weekly programmes.
ETHERMA EZ 2000 infrared heater
The EZ infrared ceiling heater has been developed to provide complete as well as additional heat and as protection against the cold drafts of windows in environments such as department stores, assembly halls and industrial buildings, etc. EZ infrared heaters give an even, pleasant heat and can be used to create a wide range of different comfort zones within a specific area or be used to provide ambient heating.
Benefits
- Full area heating or zone heating
- Hygienic room climate
- Dark radiator
- Rust-proof housing
- Straightforward installation
- Surface structure optimises radiation
Specification
- 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 infrared panels
The LAVA BASIC-DM is suitable for heating from the ceiling as well as from the wall for living rooms, offices, schools, containers. The LAVA BASIC-DM BASIC-DM is a 22 mm flat infrared heater that impresses with its uniform infrared heat and aesthetics.
Mounted on the ceiling, in suspended ceilings or on the wall, the heaters are ideally suited for full area heating or zone heating. When installed in suspended ceilings, the heater is fully integrated into the ceiling. Ceiling mounting allows optimal use of the area and prevents damage caused by accidental impact. Available in traffic white colour RAL 9016 and in 6 capacities.
Benefits
- Suitable for ceiling and wall mounting
- 350, 750, 1500 W suitable for grid ceilings (625 x 625 mm)
- Ideal for the ceiling due to a lightweight construction
- High radiant heating effect
- Maximum radiation to the front due to the optimally insulated rear
- Maintenance-free and magnetic field-free
Specification
- Rated voltage: 230 V
- Power consumption: 350, 500, 740, 750, 1000, 1500 W
- Surface temperature: max. 120 °C at standard internal temp
- Surface: Structured surfaces
- Frame: Steel housing, white RAL 9016
- Device/Installation depth: 22/52 mm
- Protection rating: IP 21
- Connection line: 1 m, 3 x 1.5 mm² without plug
- Factory warranty: 5 years
- Approval mark: TÜV
eNEXHO home automation system
eNEXHO is a complete product family that enables home automation with more comfort and security for homes, apartments and hotels. For the networking is a commercially available Wi-Fi router sufficient. If you connect this router to the Internet, access from outside to all components is easy and in real-time bi-directional possible.
