Hotel guests demand a constant supply of hot water instantly from their Hotel heating system; operators want it supplied in a cost-effective, energy-efficient manner by equipment that is reliable and easy to service and maintain. The Village Hotel in Warrington found the ideal solution with Rinnai gas-fired continuous flow water heaters.
The hotel, with top-ranking Village Premier status, needed a safe, constant supply of hot water, 24/7 for its 116 bedrooms and their en suite facilities. According to Eddie Kane, Maintenance Manager at the hotel: “The showers are very powerful and use a lot of water, so we needed a hot water system that could keep up with demand at the busiest times and that could be guaranteed never to run out of hot water.”
“The old system was 20 years old and well past its sell-by date. We looked at various likely candidates, but none offered exactly what we were looking for until the contractor told us about Rinnai. As well as being able to guarantee delivery of constant hot water, competitive pricing, running costs, and energy efficiency were important.”
His decision was made to go with Rinnai gas-fired Hydrogen Blend 20% ready water heaters and two 800l storage vessels for backup during peak times. The Rinnai Internal condensing water heaters are a wall-hung, gas-fired, continuous flow water heater capable of producing hot water at 780 litres per hour at a 50°C rise.
Compact and reliable, the Rinnai gas fired water heaters operate between 1-10 bar pressure, which is suitable for mains and systems with boost pumps. Incoming water temperatures of up to 60°C are accepted, making the HD55i suitable for secondary return systems.
A DIP switch enables pin-point temperature setting and for safety, the over-temperature protection will switch off the heater should the water temperature exceed by 3°C above its set-point so there is no risk of guests or staff scalding themselves. Another major plus in the choice was the slim profile of the units themselves. “The old Beamount system filled the whole plant room. In fact, we had to knock a hole in the wall to allow us to get into the room to perform any maintenance. The Rinnai units are space-saving and it is so easy to service and maintain them.”
Choosing Rinnai also meant less upheaval when the refurbishment of the hotel heating system took place. Initial plans had involved a temporary external oil-fired water heating plant being brought in at considerable cost to provide hot water while the boiler room was ripped out and refurbished. In the end, the Rinnai system was installed in an adjacent closet; when the job was done the supply was simply switched over and the old plant room put to new use.
“With our Rinnai system there is more than enough capacity for our needs. In fact, we have over-capacity as I wanted to ensure we never ran out of water,” says Eddie Kane.
“The plant room is on the second floor and between two bedrooms. The Rinnai Hydrogen Blend ready 20% water heaters are so quiet in operation (there is no sound insulation between the bedrooms and plant room) we have never had a complaint - you only know the Rinnai unit has ignited if you look in the unit to see the flame,” says Kane.
The installation was performed several years ago and Kane is really pleased with the way the condensing water heaters have performed during that time. “When we were designing the hotel heating system, we had excellent backup from the Rinnai technical team and that relationship has continued. The technical guys are really knowledgeable. You can ask them anything and they have the answer to any question. And, they offer 24-hour call-out support. It is reassuring to know that they are there at the end of the phone.”
“So far we have had years of worry-free service from the Rinnai gas fired water heaters. Apart from the yearly service, we really don’t need to do much. I am impressed with new equipment coming in from Rinnai, which I have my eye on for the future. When I need to upgrade it is just a question of replacing the units like for like onto the existing pipework. Still, that is a long way in the future as the units we have are doing so well,” concludes Kane.
Hydrogen Blend Ready 20% Water Heaters: A potentially Future-Proof Solution
As the world moves towards greener energy solutions, the demand for hydrogen blend ready water heaters could be on the rise. The Rinnai commercial range of condensing water heaters are not only efficient but also future-proof, being compatible with a 20% hydrogen blend. This means that as hydrogen becomes more prevalent in the energy mix, the Rinnai system will be ready to adapt, ensuring continued efficiency and reliability.
Hydrogen blend ready 20% water heaters are designed to reduce carbon emissions, making them an environmentally friendly choice for hotels looking to reduce their carbon footprint. The integration of hydrogen into the energy supply can significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change. At Rinnai we also have a range of heat pumps, solar thermal and hybrid solutions to support onsite decarbonisation - contact us today to find out more.
To find out more about hotel heating from Rinnai at London Heathrow, visit https://essmag.co.uk/rinnai-checks-in-to-heathrow-hotel-with-energy-efficiency-and-high-performance-on-hot-water-heating/.
