Pentair Thermal Building Solutions’ single-pipe trace-heating cables are fully compliant with the recently updated UK standards for hot water systems which were released in September 2015.
The BS8558:2015 standard highlights single-pipe systems with electrical self-regulating heat-tracing cables as a suitable and efficient technology for substituting secondary return pipework when hot water recirculation is not practical. To meet this need, Raychem self-regulating heat-tracing technology is suitable for commercial and residential buildings, in conjunction with the primary flow pipe network. This solution provides immediate hot water at the tap, without the use of a water recirculation system. As a result, users are no longer required to run the tap for extended periods of time before achieving the desired temperature, saving both water and energy.
Raychem self-regulating heat-tracing cables automatically adjust their power output to compensate for temperature changes within the pipe network and are fully compliant with BS 8558. As the ambient temperature drops, the number of electrical paths through the core increases and more heat is produced. Conversely, as the temperature rises, the core has fewer electrical paths and less heat is produced.
This innovative technology ensures power consumption is reduced to a minimum without affecting user comfort or safety. When water usage is high and hot water is flowing from the water heater to the point of use without delay, the heating cable powers down for further energy savings.
Human safety is also a significant factor for the new standard. There is increased pressure on building owners and managers to prevent water contamination with bacteria (Legionella). They are faced with the continued challenge of installing safe and reliable systems which minimise risk. Heat-tracing cables can be an effective solution to ensure this. These can be set to maintain the correct water temperature to stop bacteria from multiplying. Raychem heat-tracing cables and the Raychem HWAT-T55 thermostat automatically lower the temperature by 5°C during hours of low use, reducing energy consumption. This still sustains the required maintenance temperature of 50°C to ensure users are protected from harmful bacteria and can comfortably continue to use hot water.
Jonathan Jones, Global Product Category Manager at Pentair Thermal Building Solutions comments: “We’ve seen an increasing demand for single-pipe heat tracing solutions globally. It’s great to see that such intelligent solutions are now accepted and encouraged by the UK standards. Our expertise and know-how enable us to design reliable and high-performance systems that allow building owners and managers to efficiently increase energy-savings without compromising on comfort and safety.”