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Abseiler changes the flue 180 feet up
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As part of its Decent Homes refurbishment programme, Nottingham City Homes is replacing the old boilers on the Woodlands Estate in Nottingham with new, high efficiency Baxi Megaflo boilers. But there’s a problem. The properties are situated in five multi storey tower blocks and the highest flue terminal is 180 feet above the ground.
So Nottingham City Council has found an unusual solution for replacing the flues. The have brought in abseiling specialists Total Access to access the flue terminals of the 373 high rise flats.
The abseilers work on one block at a time in coordination with heating contractor Vinshire Plumbing and Heating. As the engineers installing the boiler get to the stage when the flue needs to be changed, they hang a sheet out of the window to mark the right flat. Then the abseiler drops down from the roof of the tower, removes the old flue, exchanges it with a new one handed through the window by the heating engineer, and fits and seals it.
Paul Ruston, Project Manager for Nottingham City Homes, explains: “Choosing abseilers to help with the installation of new boilers in these tower blocks has made an otherwise extremely complicated and expensive procedure very simple.
“Total Access is very experienced in carrying out technical procedures at great heights, and has all its own professional equipment to carry out the operation without damaging the building. And the abseilers have extremely stringent health and safety procedures.
“We have five weeks to complete the installations and are doing about 20 flats per day,” he adds.
The boilers are being replaced with Baxi Megaflo HE boilers as part of Nottingham City Homes ‘Secure Warm Modern’ programme for meeting the requirements of the Government’s Decent Homes initiative.
“This project shows how Nottingham City Homes has worked with contractor, supplier and manufacturer to bring affordable warmth to our residents”, concludes Paul.
There is a video of the abseilers at work on the Baxi website
at
www.baxi.co.uk/podcasts
