www.heatingandventilating.net
DOMESTIC SOLUTIONS & APPLICATIONS Delivering high-performance
heating for new builds in Manchester Belper Terrace, a small estate of eight semi-detached four-bedroom homes in a
sought-after neighbourhood in Manchester have been developed to deliver effi ciency, comfort and smart living. To ensure effi ciency, the homes feature an EV charging point, solar panels and the Navien’s NCB700 ON Combi boiler
B
efore the development could be placed on the market, as with all new build developers, Burke Construction had the challenge of
meeting strict Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations. Introduced by the government to assess and compare the energy and environmental performance of buildings, the SAP assessors calculate how much energy a new development will consume in line with Building Regulations and all energy and environmental policy initiatives. The calculations consider a range of factors
from insulation to the effi ciency and control of heating systems. Given the requirements of the SAP calculation and their own ambition of creating effi cient, spacious and smart homes, Burke Construction required a heating system that would be compact to save space but also powerful enough to deliver consistent temperatures to all three bathrooms without overly high temperatures or inconsistent fl ow rates. SAP recommended that a system boiler from another well-known manufacturer be installed in the new Belper Terrace homes; however, as Burke Construction had already decided to use a Navien heating system due to their positive experience with the technical team, they asked Navien’s technical director to speak with the SAP accessor, after which they agreed that it would meet the requirements of the assessment.
Support
For Keith Burke, director of Burke Construction, the priority when choosing a heating system was how much space it would save. He heard that Navien’s combi boiler could deliver consistent hot water in larger homes, without the need for a large, bulky cylinder taking up what could have been storage space. And the boiler itself is compact enough to be hidden in a kitchen cupboard, so as not to intrude on the design of the room. Burke commented: “The technical team came to the site within a couple of days [of the enquiry], the technical manager also came. They installed the boiler into the show home and converted it to Calor gas. It worked perfectly, and we were confi dent to install it in the rest of the homes.”
Installation
The installers for the project, Remi Moses and Adam Wellens, agreed the combi boiler was a suitable
choice due to several factors: its ErP A+ energy rating (when used with the Navien Smart Plus controller), its two-zone heating, which allows the homeowners respective control of the upstairs and downstairs heating, and the fl ow rates that are up to an industry-leading 22 litres per minute. The Navien boiler has an in-built secondary
circulation pump and NaviCircTM device, which is designed to halt the secondary circulation if it senses that the water temperature has gone above 35 °C. This gives a fast hot water draw-off time and guarantees consistently warm water in the home, with the whole process taking an industry-leading 9 seconds to complete. It also signifi cantly reduces energy and water usage while delivering instant hot water to several outlets simultaneously. The boilers, which come with the gas conversion kit included, were installed rear-piped, with a pipe down the back and a standoff bracket for a neater fi nish to the installation. Wellens added, “Navien’s engineer came out and showed us how to set it up and convert it. There’s no natural gas on the site, so Navien provided an LPG tank to temporarily set it up, which took two minutes.”
Boosting effi ciency for the next generation
For new build homes in particular, the effi ciency of heating systems is crucial as the UK continues to advance towards Net Zero 2050. The NCB700 ON’s ErP+ rating is increased to ‘A+’ when connected to
Navien’s Smart Plus control pack, which provides control for up to three heating zones and allows homeowners to prevent energy being wasted on heating unused rooms.
When used with one Smart Plus control thermostat, the boiler has an overall 98% effi ciency, which Moses confi rmed: “Paired with the Navien smart thermostat, we’re getting about 98% effi ciency running through the heating system, with very good fl ow rates. The rates we are getting are competing with unvented cylinders, which are a lot larger. So, for the size of the boiler, this is unique and very easy to install in comparison.” As well as boosting energy savings, it also
reduces water wastage due to the maximised recirculation of domestic hot water (DHW), which delivers instant hot water to outlets at the same time, and sensors ensure that this water remains at a consistent temperature. Burke commented: “The one thing I was most
impressed with was the three bathrooms running off the combi. I’ve used combis all my life, and you’d never get that before. And I was impressed when we did the fi rst one, that it did actually work. A big selling point is that no other boiler will do it, plus the fact that we were going to use system boilers, and instead of putting the large cylinder upstairs, we’ve gained that space. Gaining space, any developer will tell you, even if it is an airing cupboard, is a plus. And so, a combination boiler is better for us; we wouldn’t have put it in if it didn’t work for a four-bed house, and I’m happy.”
DOWNLOAD THE HVR APP NOW September 2026 27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
