Quite by fortuitous chance whilst JCS were on the roof wrestling with the flue lining this week, local chimney specialists Tim’s Chimneys got in touch through Facebook wondering if they could lend a hand in any way. The offer was gratefully taken up and they have since worked with JCS making a very neat job of the top of the chimney with the flue, fabricating a bespoke cover for the disused one, as well as sprucing up the whole area up there. Thanks go to Tim and his team!

JCS are approaching the point where the boilers can be commissioned. I perhaps didn’t fully realise it, but they really are the heart of the operation. Virtually everything runs off them; the central heating, pool water heating and shower hot water as well as the air handling (such as it is at the moment) in the pool hall. An upgrade that we have decided will be included at this stage which we hadn’t budgeted for, is modern circulation pumps. I keep mentioning pumps with the boilers, but these particular ones circulate the water actually in the boiler rather than the water heated by it. The original ones could possibly have been used but it turns out even if they did work (!) they are too powerful for the new efficient heat exchanger! Plus they run at a constant speed regardless of demand. The upgraded ones are intelligent, variable speed models which, drum roll, use 80% less electricity to run! It is estimated they will pay for themselves within 3 1/2 years. A no brainer really. Oh and there’s a lovely new red thing in the plant room too now, so that must be a good sign!

Gareth White’s team will be tackling the wiring for the boilers next week, so the commissioning really isn’t far away! Once that is done we can start finalising the plan for the domestic plumbing including the showers.

Speaking of Gareth and his team, they have been on site this week upgrading the changing room lights to full LED units, funded in part by a £500 donation from the Standon May Day committee. Not only are they a lot brighter, but being more energy efficient, they cost about two thirds less to run. Work on similar upgrades to the pool hall lighting will be undertaken in the coming weeks. Notably, the replacement of the old sodium lighting with LEDs, will significantly reduce our running costs and carbon footprint still further. Further electrical upgrades are planned, so fund raising must continue. 

Old Light fitting
New one ready to go in
Done!

Staying in the pool hall, Aquatilers’ Paul, Simon and Asa are about a week’s work away from completing the repairs to the pool itself. The shallow end is just about finished and looks great. 

Asa and Paul inserting new expansion joints
Shallow end done!

Still to come as well as the lighting upgrades, Welwyn Garden Alarms are coming to install a new intruder alarm which they have donated and SPE will begin work on, yes you’ve guessed it, more pumps! These ones though are the biggies, to circulate the pool water through the filter! Watch this space for more updates!