The Background
Selwood’s pumping solutions specialists were called in by a local company to help with a job involving a district heating line which served several buildings around the city. The line comprised an estimated four to FIVE MILES of pipework that needed flushing out. The customer initially approached Selwood with a request for a standard eight-inch pump, but the experts at Selwood investigated the job requirements and following further discussions and a scoping exercise, recommended that a larger pump would be needed to achieve the power flush needed.
The Challenge
The exact length of the pipework was unknown and there was no map showing the route of the heating line.
The system needed to be set up to cover the upper end of the estimated distance – five miles – and was also required to flush out all debris and particles from the existing system, so flow needed to be high enough to make an impact and flush through any debris. If debris was left to remain, it would damage the small bore pipework in the system and impact the ability to heat apartment buildings and offices.
The Solution
Selwood’s solution was to use an H150 pump. Pumps in Selwood’s H range are high head units that offer maximum performance and efficiency and are ideal for HIGH PRESSURE applications. Selwood developed a system that looped back on itself to carry out the flushing operation to ensure that the system could flush everything out and continue to heat the area.
Our engineers worked closely with the customer, whose teams worked around the route to co-ordinate the opening and closing of valves to the buildings during the operation to maximise flow and ensure all of the debris was cleared out. The customer also entered all of the buildings involved one by one to ensure that pressure was correct throughout the stretch of pipework.
The Result
The installation resulted in the pipework being successfully flushed and cleaned out of all debris and particles. The customer noted that they were “happy with how we helped them size up and work out the pumps required, and the overall service from Selwood”. They are CONFIDENT that the system will continue to provide heating to all their residents throughout the winter.