Sustainability
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and sustainability, through both the specification and installation phases. To make the most of plumbing and heating
systems in multi-occupancy buildings, there are five key considerations to keep in mind.
Enabling heat efficiency with underfloor heating
Sustainability in multi-occupancy buildings
Richard Bateman, product marketing manager at RWC, looks at five ways installers and specifiers can make multi-occupancy buildings more sustainable
C
ities across the UK have been experiencing rapid growth over recent decades and, as their populations have expanded, so too have their
buildings. Today, multi-occupancy properties – those that contain two or more units – are commonplace in urban environments, with high-rise residential buildings also becoming familiar features of city skylines. As these buildings become more popular to house the growing population, sustainability
22 January 2024
needs to be a core focus, with plumbing and heating playing a key role. To adequately supply individual units within
multi-occupancy buildings, both a commercial and domestic plumbing and heating system will typically be required. While this means that there is a greater chance of inefficiencies arising due to a larger and more complex system, it also creates greater opportunities to improve efficiency, performance,
When opting for underfloor heating (UFH) – which is being widely adopted in domestic properties to improve comfort and sustainability – specifiers will need to consider the floor construction throughout the building. Just as in a traditional domestic setting, establishing the floor construction in a multiple occupancy building is key to ensure the most effective UFH flooring solution is selected. It’s common to see screeded solid floors constructed from concrete block and beams within these types of buildings, however, it’s also likely that the floor could be constructed from standard timber sub straits - therefore identifying the type of sub floor is essential as there are specific solutions for each. When retrofitting a UFH system in a multi-
occupancy building with a concrete block and beam floor construction, a low-profile system is the most cost effective and practical option, with minimal disruption. One such solution from JG Underfloor – the JG LowFit Castellated Panels for 12 or 15mm pipe – can be installed directly over solid floors, delivering a high heat output at lower flow temperatures, while also keeping floor height build up to a minimum, only raising it by 21-25mm, or around the diameter of a £1 coin.
Reducing connections, while saving time and space
As more apartments are housed within single buildings, one area of plumbing that becomes more difficult and time-consuming for installers is the assembly of the single chain of valves supplying water from the mains to individual apartments. In addition to being time consuming to connect, having to make many connections poses an increased risk of leaks occurring. This is where solutions such as the Tenant
Valve from Reliance Valves can help, controlling and monitoring water supply to multiple units. The valve’s single unit cartridge design requires
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