Protected Historic Commercial Buildings
Hydronic balancing and connected valve control for protected historic buildings.
Introduction
This project covers a group of protected historic commercial buildings in Europe. The buildings were being adapted for contemporary use while retaining their historic character.
The project team needed to modernise hydronic control without visibly altering protected radiators and their connections.
The Hydronic Challenge
Historic conservation requirements limited the changes that could be made to visible installations. Existing radiators and their connections needed to remain unchanged, while the project required a method for controlling and balancing radiator flow.
Some locations also presented specific supply-and-return configurations that needed to be addressed to provide the intended flow direction through the valves. Standard radiator components could not meet all of the site requirements.
- Retain the visible appearance of historic radiators and connections
- Introduce hydronic balancing within the existing installations
- Address site-specific supply-and-return configurations
- Apply the hydronic approach across buildings with different uses
Solution
Climate Control, a sector of IMI, developed a tailored IMI Heimeier Eclipse radiator insert for the application. The insert combines flow-limiting and radiator-control functions within the physical and visual constraints of the existing installation.
The wider hydronic solution combined connected valve technology and balancing through IMI TA TA-Smart connected control valves and STAD balancing valves. IMI Heimeier Globo shut-off valves, IMI Pneumatex Statico pressure expansion vessels and Zeparo ZCX equipment were also included. Together, the components cover control, measurement, balancing, isolation, pressure maintenance and water-quality functions within the system.
The system solution applies hydronic balancing and connected control within the constraints of protected buildings, linking the building requirements and the heating-system design in one project approach.
Project Approach
The tailored radiator insert provides a defined route to radiator flow control while retaining the visible historic connections.
The broader system solution brings connected control, balancing, isolation, pressure maintenance and water-quality functions together within the project approach.