All posts by elseyadcock

Aquatronic Group Management Plc help maintain water services for global bank

AGM were asked by CBRE Managed services Ltd, to provide a reliable and robust solution for the bank’s Head Office in London. They required continuous low temperature hot water for the heating system along with a continuous, chilled water supply to the air conditioning in the server rooms.

To guarantee this level of continuous service, and considering the limitations of the space available in the plant room, AGM used their own Aquatech Pressmain brand of products. Providing a solution of two AP7 pressurisation units, one running, one in duty standby mode for the hot water and another two set up in the same way for the chilled water system. All four units are in use ensuring equal wear, controlled by a changeover panel.

The four units are housed in a bespoke framework designed and manufactured by AGM to fit in the restricted space within the plant room, at the same time ensuring easy access for maintenance.

AGM installed the units and they will be maintained by them under their maintenance contact with 24/7 call out.

If you have a project which needs this level of service and would like AGM to help, please contact the project department on 01206 215176.

Warning – clench ring expansion vessel failures

One bar of force fractures finger.

Pressure vessels should be regularly examined whatever their size.

Even though there was only one bar of force, that was enough to fracture the finger of an AGM Service Engineer when the clench ring on an 8 litre pressure vessel failed.

The clench ring is designed to hold two halves of a vessel together so if it fails the vessel breaks.

The story – During the service of a Pressurisation Unit the air charge of the 8 litre vessel was checked. A pressure gauge was applied to the air valve and as it was pushed down the clench ring moved which is unusual so the pressure gauge was removed and in the process the clench ring popped and the top of the vessel flew upwards.

Incidents like this are exceedingly rare but it is a reminder that had this been a larger vessel the consequences may have been more serious.

This is a good demonstration of why pressure vessel inspections are vital for safety, no matter what size the vessel. Our sister company ESIS can carry out these inspections for you. See ESIS website.

New Factory Helps Celebrate 45th Anniversary

Aquatronic Group Management Plc celebrate their 45th anniversary by building a new factory at Copford.

Group Chairman Mr David Taylor started the business 45 years ago on his own with one van. Today AGM are a group of companies with over 50 vans and 150 employees.

AGM Pressurisation Services (formerly Acorn Pressurisation Services) provides the installation, repairs and maintenance services associated with the original company together with expanding the brief to include water hygiene, waste water and other plant room support.

Aquatech Pressmain, AGM’s brand of water pumps and pressurisation units can be found all over the world, enabling water to flow in buildings such as Tate Modern, Heathrow Airport and The Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Over the past 45 years when much of the UK’s manufacturing industries have been lost, AGM are understandably proud to have kept this side of the business not only profitable but thriving.

The new factory in Copford provides a state of the art facility for Aquatech Pressmain to meet the challenges of leaving the European Union and the next 45 years.

When asked to what he attributed his success Mr Taylor said “We have always focused on providing a high quality product, meeting the needs of the current market. With a supporting service and maintenance department, available 24/7 throughout the UK. Our ethos has been to keep the values of a family firm and many of our staff have been with us for over 20 years”

AGM Engineers make easy access to water possible in Ugandan School

We take clean running water for granted but in Uganda this is a luxury. Phil and Melvin Cotton, two experienced AGM service engineers undertook the 22 hour journey to The Alpha and Omega School in Entebbe Uganda and used their skills and AGM equipment to make life better for 350 children.

During their four day stay they fitted solar panels to the school roof to power the solar pump, donated to AGM which they fitted to an 11 meter deep well in the school grounds. This means the children no longer have to undertake the dangerous walk to springs or miss lessons to get water.

Melvin and Phil were also able to transform one young man’s fortunes by buying him a pig and were obviously taken by the positive attitude of the people who’s daily lives are dominated by the need to find food and water.

Office building in London SW1

Background : The heating, chilled and condense systems were all fitted with Warmac spill type units approx. 20 years old. Whilst the units had been very reliable in operation, due to their age and lack of BMS compatibility we were contacted in order to quote for modern replacement units.

Solution : We specified 3 custom built Aquatech Pressmain SB5 pressurisation units for the 3 systems. To reduce the cost to the customer 2 of the units were specified with GRP spill tanks. The units were designed specifically to fit into the available space on site and to minimise the alterations required to the connecting pipework. The units were installed over 2 weekends to minimise the disruption to the end user.

Prison Complex in Middlesex

Background : The site had experienced multiple failures on the outgoing boosted pipework to the fire hydrant system causing major loss of water and loss of the fire hose-reel system to the prison.

Issues : On investigation it was found that the flexible pipework connector was operating at the limit of its pressure rating and had been installed in such a way as to cause the connector to rub against a raised edge on the PVC flange and cause premature failure of the connector. A temporary repair was carried out to enable the system to operate.

Solution : With the assistance of a specialist manufacturer we specified and installed a custom designed, 25.0 Bar rated, stainless steel flexible connector and also replaced a 2.5m length of PVC-U pipework with 25.0 Bar rated stainless steel. The new pipework was reinsulated and trace heating refitted to match the existing pipework.

AGM Support Children’s Health and Education in Uganda

Next Spring two of AGM’s Service Engineers, Melvin and Phil Cotton will be installing a solar powered water pump supplied by AGM at a school and orphanage near Jinga, 70 kilometres north of the equator in Uganda.

As the children currently spend six hours a day collecting water from a poor quality supply, our new pump will mean they can spend that time in school and the water they use will be good quality, improving both their health and education.

Melvin explained “The project was started a few years ago by the charity Beacon Christian Fellowship and having been there for a few weeks working we have built up a friendship and were asked if we could help with this situation. How could we refuse putting our skills and knowledge to some great use and help these children have a better life.”

www.beacon-fellowship.co.uk

We will update you as the project progresses.

London Borough of Redbridge – Fullwell Cross Leisure Centre, Ilford

Customer approached Acorn to advise on solution of underground water course running in leisure centre main boiler plant room. Following site meeting below works were agreed:-

Employed vacuum tanker/jetter unit to remain onsite throughout duration of works to empty pump chamber & keep level down to minimum whilst works are being carried out.
Confined space man entry into well to clean out main side of pump chamber.
Removed 5 bucket loads of silt/debris.
Drilled pump stools to base of chamber.
Cut out & removed existing pumps & pipework/non-return valves.
Installed new pipework & non-return valve.
Connected to existing external pipework.
Measured & cut guiderails, secured.
Installed 2no. new submersible pumps.
Supplied & installed 4no. new float switches & set levels accordingly.
Installed & connected new upgraded control panel.
Setup & commissioned unit into system.
Alleviating flood issues & protecting new boiler installation.

Rain Water Harvesting For Salisbury Cathedral

Aquatech Pressmain supply rain water harvesting system for the new visitors centre “Little Paradise” at Salisbury Cathedral.

Little Paradise is first permanent new build at Salisbury Cathedral since the fifteenth century. A purpose designed building providing new toilet facilities supplied via the rain water harvesting unit, it marks a significant milestone for the cathedral as it looks to deliver a long term programme of improved facilities for its congregation and visitors to the Cathedral and surrounding Close.

The building combines timber, glass and stone to blend perfectly with the historic environment around it, and has minimal impact on the fabric. It replaces temporary toilets, enhancing the appearance of the south side of the building and simultaneously returning the south cloister, which had become an over-flow storage area, to its original beautiful and reflective space. The project has been made possible through donations, legacies and pledges from the Friends of Salisbury Cathedral and other generous supporters.

Portman Mews pump station

This pump station is a foul water facility located in the basement. The well had alarmed over the previous weekend in a highly contaminated state with massive amounts of accumulated fat which had solidified onto the control floats and thus made them too heavy to tip.

The floats were cleaned of fat and returned to the well. Standard checks for fully auto operation were carried out together with load checks’ all parameters and operations found to be normal. The fat accumulation in this well was a direct consequence of the effluent containing a large volume of waste from a restaurant located in the building. The cooking style relies greatly on a product that is essentially clarified butter and the residues from the cooking utensils, plates etc. will find their way into the waste stream regardless of any recycling mechanisms that the restaurant uses for waste oil.

The well required jet washed and then emptying by vacuum tanker. This operation would then need to be carried out at a regular frequency to keep the condition of the well in an acceptable condition.