Replacement keeps hotel water flowing

Andrews Water Heaters supplied a new system to a hotel in Cirencester as part of a replacement project. Specify & Build reports.

The Kings Head Hotel, a boutique 64-bedroom Cotswold Inn in the heart of Cirencester, is well known for the consistently high-quality service it offers its guests. As with all hotel buildings, ensuring a reliable and efficient hot water supply is a priority for the hotel owners, Brakspear Group, for the comfort and safety of its guests. 

So, when the hotel encountered issues with the hot water supply, they approached Baxi service agents Spa Gas to assess the cause and recommend a suitable replacement. A key requirement was to ensure long-term protection against further water-related issues. Following an inspection, Spa Gas identified that two of the three existing water heaters were beyond economical repair. Cirencester is notorious for its hard water, a factor which can lead to scale build-up and internal corrosion in water heaters. Spa Gas identified this as being a contributing factor to the premature failure of the units.

The next step was to calculate the hot water demand with accurate sizing – key to optimise efficiency and minimise associated energy costs and carbon emissions. After using Andrews Water Heaters’ ‘Size-it’ tool to carry out detailed sizing calculations, Spa Gas recommended replacing the two failing gas water heaters with a single Andrews Water Heaters MAXXflo EVO 150-302. Andrews Water Heaters is part of Baxi.

Tom Grove, Contracts Manager at Spa Gas, says: “We recommended the MAXXflo EVO as the best option to meet the hot water demand at the Kings Head reliably and efficiently. It’s a great product that offers exceptionally high efficiency levels and recovery rates, as well as a built-in anti-legionella programme to meet safety requirements. It’s also designed for easy maintenance and service, with features such as the twin burners providing inbuilt redundancy and service flexibility.”

Access and lifting challenges

A key challenge on the replacement project at Kings Head was the need to navigate tight lifting and access restrictions. The first hurdle was the location of the top-floor hotel plant room. Manoeuvring a fully assembled MAXXflo EVO to the second floor within the live hotel environment was deemed costly, time-consuming and near impossible. The position of the hotel in front of a busy shopping street added to the access issues. Applying to the Council for road closure permission and a crane licence to remove the old plant and bring in the new was similarly not considered feasible. 

Working with Baxi, the Spa Gas team concluded that the most viable approach was to disassemble the new MAXXflo EVO water heater into smaller, manageable sections. The components could then be transported safely into the plant room ready for reassembly, installation and commissioning. Having undergone extensive training with Baxi and Malvern Boilers, Spa Gas is the only company in the UK qualified to carry out this work and retain the full manufacturer’s warranty on the MAXXflo EVO. 

Given the known water hardness in Cirencester, and the poor condition of the removed water heaters, Spa Gas also recommended installing a commercial-grade, salt-based water softener. This protects not only the newly installed MAXXflo Evo but also the remaining ECOflo unit that was still in service.

A watertight outcome

The replacement project was carried out seamlessly with minimal disruption to hotel operations. The added protection from the water softener has also ensured the longevity of the new system, helping to reduce future maintenance costs and downtime for the hotel.

Brakspear Group’s Anthony Lewis says: “We are extremely pleased with how the project has gone. In the MAXXflo EVO we have a highly efficient new gas-fired water heater that will meet our hot water needs reliably now and in the future. By navigating the access challenges on this project, Spa Gas were able to finish in an impressively short timeframe. This has enabled us to maintain business as normal with a continuous hot water supply and quality operation. It has been a great example of a collaborative effort resulting in a fantastic outcome.”

Tom adds: “As always, we had excellent support from the Baxi team on this project to overcome the initial lifting and access issues. Spa Gas’s accreditation, which enables us to disassemble and rebuild the MAXXflo EVO water heater, has allowed us to avoid lengthy installation time, costs and potential disruption. At the same time, our client has peace of mind that their MAXXflo EVO water heater has been installed to the highest technical standards and remains fully covered under Baxi’s manufacturer warranty.”

Anne Wraith, Head of Commercial Product Sales at Baxi, concludes: “At Baxi, we are committed to working closely with the hotel sector to meet their heating and hot water needs with reliable, highly efficient solutions. By providing expert support and flexibility we can help hotel managers identify the best solution for their project while ensuring the best approach to achieve optimal reliability and performance.”

www.andrewswaterheaters.co.uk