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Completed plant-room upgrade

Case study

Mulberry Bush School

Complete heating and hot-water plant replacement in Standlake, Witney.

Aerial view of Mulberry Bush School in Standlake, Witney

The project

Modernising an ageing school plant room

Mulberry Bush School’s central plant room was served by two Broag Remeha L200 oil boilers dating from 1998. After repeated failures, the school appointed the Oxyplumb Commercial team to replace the ageing equipment with a modern condensing-boiler system and reduce the building’s central hot-water storage.

Many outlets had already moved to point-of-use water heaters, so the original 700-litre calorifier was larger than the school now required. The upgrade was planned for the summer holiday to avoid interrupting school operations.

Twin boilers with hydraulic separation

Two Firebird Envirogreen commercial condensing oil boilers were installed with individual flues. A new 200 kW plate heat exchanger hydraulically separates the boilers from the school’s established heating system.

  • New Stuart Turner boiler shunt pumps arranged in reverse return between the boilers and plate heat exchanger.
  • Two larger Stuart Turner pumps installed on the system side of the plate heat exchanger.
  • Stuart Turner Pulse commercial-grade pumps serving the main building circuits.
  • Double-regulating valves fitted to balance the retained system correctly.
  • Copper press-fit pipework used throughout the new installation.

Right-sized hot-water storage

The 700-litre calorifier was replaced with a bespoke 300-litre indirect vented cylinder manufactured by Telford Cylinders. Its stainless-steel shell and high-efficiency insulation provide a compact replacement while the system remains open vented, making use of the school’s existing cold-water storage and available head height.

The new cylinder includes a 2-inch hot-water draw-off, a 2-inch cold-water feed and a new hot-water return pump.

Insulation, labels and handover

The completed pipework was finished with premium silver-foil insulation and clear service labels. The Oxyplumb Commercial team tested and commissioned the installation, removed the old equipment and waste, cleaned the plant room and recycled materials wherever practical.

The entire project was completed during the summer holiday, with the upgraded heating and hot-water plant ready before the school returned.

Project photographs

Before

Original Broag Remeha L200 oil boilers at Mulberry Bush School before replacement
The original Broag Remeha L200 oil boilers, installed in 1998.
Existing pumps and valves beside the original hot-water calorifier at Mulberry Bush School
The existing pump and valve arrangement beside the original 700-litre calorifier.
Original 700-litre calorifier and insulated services at Mulberry Bush School
The original 700-litre calorifier and connected services before refurbishment.

Removal and installation

Old plant-room equipment being removed at Mulberry Bush School
Removing the old heating and hot-water equipment.
Mulberry Bush School plant room after removal of the old equipment
The plant room during strip-out, with the original equipment removed.
Cleared plant-room floor prepared for new equipment at Mulberry Bush School
The cleared floor prepared for the replacement plant.
Twin Firebird Envirogreen boilers with new copper connections before insulation
The twin Firebird Envirogreen boilers and copper connections before insulation.
Bespoke 300-litre Telford hot-water cylinder with new copper pipework
The bespoke 300-litre Telford cylinder during installation.

Completed plant room

Twin Firebird Envirogreen boilers with individual flues and insulated connections
The completed twin-boiler arrangement with individual flues.
Insulated heating distribution pipework valves and service labels at Mulberry Bush School
Insulated distribution pipework, valves and clear service labels.
Telford cylinder with insulated pipework circulation pumps and controls
The new Telford cylinder with insulated pipework, pumps and controls.
Stuart Turner commercial pumps and insulated plant-room pipework
Stuart Turner commercial pumps serving the completed installation.
Low-level headers with silver-foil insulation and service labels
Low-level headers finished with silver-foil insulation and labels.
Close view of a Stuart Turner pump and insulated heating pipework
A Stuart Turner pump and the completed insulated pipework.

COMMERCIAL SCHOOL HEATING

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