VIEGA IMPRESSES AT PASSIVHAUS PROJECT
Agar Grove, an award-winning Passivhaus project, consists of five blocks of 125 new flats in the London Borough of Camden. At the heart of the project was a focus on controlling overheating and minimising plant heat loss. Promech Services were brought on board to deliver an efficient heating system which met the Passivhaus standards. Their solution used Viega press systems to improve efficiency on site and deliver the performance the project demanded.
The design of the heating system was centralised around minimising heat loss. Each bloc has an ambient heating system with a plantroom on the ground floor and two air source heat pumps on the roof. Each dwelling is connected to a water source heat pump which connects directly to the riser by short pipework legs on each landing.
For the pipework, Promech Services specified the use of Viega Sanpress Inox stainless steel. “We’ve used Viega and their press systems before so we knew they would be perfect for the specification.”
“For us Sanpress Inox is the go-to for this sort of work. Its quick and easy to install, meaning our team can go to site and get the work done quickly and efficiently. And thanks to the high-quality stainless steel used to make it, the water used within it will be of an incredibly high quality, meaning there isn’t any need for any additional work to prevent corrosion. Providing us and the client with peace of mind.”
“The other benefit was simplicity on site. We specified Profipress for the lateral copper pipework which we knew would work flawlessly with Sanpress Inox. It also meant we could use the same Pressgun jaw and press ring for the fittings. Over the course of 100’s of connections, not having to change tools or jaws really adds up and keeps things easier on site.” Jamie explains.
“Press connections just need a push of a button to be installed, making it quicker and cleaner than any alternative method out there, such as soldering. It allowed us to get the pipes installed and fitted quickly and cleanly - something I know the client appreciated.”
Efficiency was the watchword for this project: both for the installation process and the ongoing operation of the system. Profipress, was the perfect choice for the copper pipework, with over 800 connections available, all suitable for connection with a stainless-steel system. Easy installation and a long service life helped to clinch the decision. “We needed a system which integrates perfectly and guarantees the quality of the water passing through. Profipress was a no-brainer for us.”
Fault finding
Pressure testing is always a stressful situation which puts the installers’ handiwork to the test. Jamie was keen for the team to install fast, and safely, so that testing could be done earlier to eliminate any errors ahead of schedule. Long time users of Viega products, Promech Services knew how easy testing could be thanks to SC-Contur.
“SC-Contur is simply brilliant. It lets you test on the go and will tell you quite clearly if there are any leakages anywhere. Making sure you’ve got complete peace of mind and aren’t worrying about something cropping up when the work is done.”
SC-Contur is integrated into each Viega connection and aids in installation and testing. Through a dedicated leak path, any unpressed connections are instantly highlighted, giving long term peace of mind that the system is secure.
Keeping up with expectation
Moving into project completion, the feedback for the Viega system was summed up effusively by Jamie. “Brilliant, just brilliant. We rate it massively and are always impressed with the way the products perform.”
“For us Viega Press Technology is the best system on the market. We’ve been using it for years now, and this project has just reinforced that we’re right to do so. We have complete trust in the product and have great support from the Viega team.”
