Commercial Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP)

Installing commercial heat pumps – what to look for

Adveco’s FPi32 commercial heat pumps range are not only a renewable source of hot water with low running costs but are one of the easiest to fit when it comes to installing commercial heat pumps.

With the government-led push to replace ageing commercial hot water systems with new, more environmentally friendlier technologies, the demands for heat pump based applications is expected to soar in the coming decade. One of the key concerns raised by the HVAC industry is the availability of trained installers capable of working with heat pumps. While the number of commercial installations may be superseded by domestic sites, their complexity means installers will increasingly be in demand. To prevent costly hold-ups, projects incorporating ASHPs should take into account how difficult or easy installation of commercial heat pumps might be.

The FPi32’s compact monobloc design, with a built-in circulation pump and plate heat exchanger, allows for an easy installation for a multitude of work areas. This includes both indoors and outdoors. They can be installed in small unused spaces, mounted on exterior walls or flat roofs of the site. Installed on flat roofs or mounted onto GRP plant rooms.

An FPi32 installation also requires few ancillaries (strainer, expansion vessel and pressure relief valve) to enable its operation as part of a hot water system. This also helps to keep system purchase costs lower as well.

Another advantage of installing commercial heat pumps, such as these compact FPi32 units, is that less construction work and time is needed to fit them. They can be up and running quicker, providing working flows of hot water sooner than other units currently in the commercial market. They can then efficiently and effectively sustain the necessary working temperature of 50°C required to provide preheat as part of a hybrid all-electric system in new build projects.

Ease of installation goes hand in hand with significantly reduced maintenance costs.

The design of these FPi32 units incorporates effective frost protection, enhancing the option to install outdoors. The FPi32 range is equipped with a 1.5-metre ‘trace heating cable’ as standard, which is there to protect the pipework between the heat pump and the building from frost conditions. This ‘trace heating’ via the mechanical thermostat is always available when the heat pump has power. This guarantees protection against frosty conditions when needed, regardless of whether the heat pump is operating.

This monobloc design simply requires regular cleaning of the coil and water filter in terms of regular maintenance. The internal parts are easily accessible for all maintenance needs. A refrigerant circuit high-pressure gauge is cleverly positioned so that this can be read clearly and easily through the external cover to monitor the pressure and indicate whether a leak may or may not have occurred. Access to the internal parts, in the need of any replacements, can be achieved without long evaluation wait times. For example, if the replacement of non-return valves on sensors and switches is required then the quick replacement time is advantageous, reducing the amount of “down time” on the unit. All of which equates to an extremely work effective and reliable unit for your commercial needs. This demonstrates that, once supplied by Adveco, installing commercial heat pumps is easy and is also a more forward-thinking way for a greener environmental contribution. Reliability and efficiency equal greater sustainability, as well as keeping those costs lower all round.

We would argue that under the right circumstances, installing commercial heat pumps can be a relatively straightforward and successful way to introduce greater sustainability into the hot water system for new build projects. The FPi32 heat pump range represents a win-win, ticking all the boxes for a sensible purchase, offering a simpler, more efficient option for installing commercial heat pumps in a variety of ways. Once fitted, required maintenance is quick and easy, all whilst helping contribute to a project’s green credentials.

Learn more about renewables.

Close up of hot water system from Adveco

Adveco SSB-E Lower Carbon Electric Water Heating

The Adveco SSB-E is a range of tough, stainless steel electric water heaters for commercial DHW applications. Based on the SSB buffer vessel, the SSB-E, through the addition of a specialised single or double-mounting flanges integrates electric immersions becoming a full-fledged electric water heater. SSB-E is available from 200 to 2500 litre capacity variants with up to 84 kW of heating for larger scale commercial hot water demands.

Heating capacity is achieved with up to four primary three to 12 kW immersion heaters. The addition of an immersion of three to 36 kW, installed in the side port is typically used to supply built-in redundancy, but can be used to raise overall heating capacity in high-demand scenarios.

The specialised flanges angle the primary heating elements downward into the vessel ensuring water is heated from the bottom of the tank for optimal efficiency. This energy efficiency is further improved through the addition of 100-125 mm removable insulation.

Alongside the advantages of built-in redundancy, the multiple immersions allow for individual element control. Adveco can supply bespoke control box systems that enable full, individual control of temperature, with easy switching and customisation allowing for varying periods of demand or differential tariff supplies.

Manufactured from high-grade AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel, the Adveco SSB-E range is designed and manufactured to the requirements of the Pressure Equipment Directive (97/23/EC) capable of delivering a maximum working pressure of 6 bar at 85°C. All vessels are tested to the procedure defined in BS EN 12897:2006 and are WRAS certified.

With a wide choice of water capacities, single or double flanges plus a range of immersion sizes and combinations, the Adveco SSB-E provides a bespoke water heater for the most demanding commercial hot water applications.

Discover more about SSB-E and Adveco’s other stainless steel hot water tanks for your bespoke applications.

The Adveco 2021 Product Guide Now Available

Hot water and heating specialist Adveco, has published its latest Product Guide for 2021 (PDF). This handy booklet provides a complete overview of Adveco’s current portfolio of commercial hot water and heating products. With the Government’s pledge to deliver net-zero by 2050, the commercial sector faces an increasing challenge to address the carbon emissions from buildings. The recent sixth Carbon Budget put the scale of the challenge into perspective, calling for a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 if we as a nation are to meet this long-term net-zero commitment. Whether planning a new build or refurbishing existing buildings, Adveco provides a broad choice of appliances, controls and ancillaries for the design and manufacture of bespoke applications. Supporting the drive to a more sustainable future, Adveco offers an ever-expanding range of renewables; from its long-term provision of solar thermal systems to award-winning boxed Heat Recovery Units, and the latest commercial-grade air source heat pumps. Wherever a project is located, Adveco can support with the optimal technology; from glass-lined water heaters for hard water areas to corrosion-resistant stainless-steel alternatives for soft water conditions, and renewables that address the limitations of regional climates. With access to the latest hot water and heating technology, we can ensure your application is provisioned with highly efficient, low-emission appliances, that offer the highest quality, robust construction to ensure longevity and best value investment. The Adveco 2021 Product Guide provides an easy reference for a range of boilers, buffers and thermal stores for heating projects. It also incorporates the A.O. Smith range of condensing gas and electric water heaters, all supported by Adveco calorifiers, plate heat exchangers and immersions for hot water systems. Also discover the advantages of Adveco offsite construction, providing complete prefabricated plant rooms for heating and hot water systems. All Adveco’s products are supported by 50 years of industry expertise as the independent provider of application and system design, bespoke manufacture and aftersales service and support. All supplied at a quality only a specialist manufacturer can deliver. Download the brochure today
Adveco commercial hot water and heating.Discover more about Adveco water heating, water buffers and calorifiers, and how we can help size your DHW application. Call us on 01252 551 540 or visit the contact us page.
Adveco commissioning

Adveco Covid 19 update – Engineering Site Visits

The provision of heating and especially hot water within hospitals and residential care facilities, supermarkets and those supporting key workers, such as schools, is being actively prioritised for support by Adveco. An important aspect of that work is the provision of site-based engineering services for emergency call outs, ensuring priority customers have a reliable supply of heating and, in particular, hot water.

Regarded as essential work, we are still providing this service in these times of social distancing and stay at home rules. Adveco is taking all necessary measures to protect its staff and help prevent further spread of the Coronavirus. As a result, we have made some alterations to our engineers’ working practices and we ask for your patience and help to keep them safe while doing their jobs. This will help to ensure we can continue to offer this critical engineering support throughout the duration of this pandemic.

While on site, we will be instigating the following changes to protocols to ensure the safety of our engineers:

  • No signing in – site contact to sign the engineer in.
  • No classroom-style inductions – inductions, if necessary, take place outside as toolbox talks, ensuring distances of over two metres from others.
  • No entry into crowded areas / areas that are heavily trafficked / areas where people loiter – the engineer is to phone and the site contact should come outside to meet him and take him around the outside of the building to the plant room. Plant room to be accessed from the nearest external door (not by walking through an occupied building, unless at the engineer’s discretion, he has our full support if he deems the risk too high). Please advise prior to the visit if you feel plant room access may be problematic.
  • No one else to be working in the vicinity / in the plant room while our engineer is there.
  • No signing out – site contact to sign the engineer out.
  • The site must provide facilities for hand-washing.

We will be requesting that agreement to the above protocols be agreed in writing prior to an engineering visit. If these allowances cannot be accommodated, we will deem the work non-essential and attendance will be rescheduled following the Government mandated ‘stay at home’ period.  Our engineer will carry out a risk assessment on arrival and if you cannot provide the stated conditions then he has been instructed to abort the job, this will incur a standard aborted visit fee.

We are sorry to have to impose conditions on our visit, but we are committed to the health of our engineers and the ability to continue to support our many customers providing key services to the nation.

We appreciate your support in these extraordinary circumstances.

Adveco 2020 Product Overview Now Available

The 2020 Adveco Product Range brochure serves as a quick reference document covering a wide range of products and services provided by Adveco and A.O. Smith. The current range incorporates commercial hot water and heating equipment including: condensing gas water heaters; storage tanks, oil & electric water heaters; solar thermal; boiler cascade systems; stainless steel cylinders, thermal storage tanks, carbon steel buffers, combined heat & power (CHP); Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP). These technologies are the building blocks for Adveco’s bespoke packaged plant rooms and system offerings. All supported by our applications and field engineers who provide expert commission services, warranty maintenance and training.

If you are seeking support in the design, supply, commissioning or servicing of business-critical hot water, heating and power then this brochure is a useful tool to have to hand.

You can download the brochure now.

TOTEM m-CHP site installation

Just Take The Stairs… Meeting the Challenge of Refurbishing an Existing Plant Room

Contracted by a London based customer to supply an improved replacement for a previous CHP system that had failed, Adveco was recently presented with the challenge of locating a new TOTEM micro-CHP system into the existing plant room which offered only step access, raised concrete room dividers and narrow routes of access due to the existing HVAC installation.

Fortunately, the compact form factor of the TOTEM T10, despite weighing in at 720 kilos, meant navigating tight spaces should be relatively easy. If needs be the entire unit can be stripped down into separate parts and then reassembled once moved to a new location, usually within a single working day. In this case, it became clear that a set of temporary timber ramps and supported bridges would suffice. With these built on location by Adveco’s engineering team, it was a simple and amazingly fast operation to bring the TOTEM onto site for installation and commissioning by the team.

Adveco’s specialist team of engineers navigated the issues of the site for a flawless install, and the customer can now take full advantage of cogenerated electricity and recovered heat from the unit to make considerable operational savings and guarantee accurately modelled return on investment.

TOTEM m-CHP installed location, refurbishing an existing plant room.With Adveco providing remote monitoring, service and maintenance call out for the TOTEM, the new m-CHP will continue to provide energy and heat for years to come. With assured quality of performance from Adveco, the TOTEM T10 delivers a refurbishment investment that comes with peace of mind for the customer, alongside all the advantages of a resilient, onsite source of power and heating whenever there is demand.

Watch the video of the delivery and locating of the m-CHP for installation by Adveco.

Bootham School Adveco mCHP exterior

Adveco TOTEM mCHP, a Lesson in Reduced Energy Cost and Lower Emissions

  • Bootham School selects Adveco TOTEM m-CHP based system for heating and domestic hot water
  • System design modelling accurately predicts operational costs and payback period
  • Savings of approximately £37,000 per annum

Bootham School in York, a charitably run independent boarding school, has selected a TOTEM micro-cogeneration (m-CHP) based system from commercial heating and hot water specialist, Adveco Ltd, for sustainable and cost-effective provision of power and heating throughout the school estate. The system provides £37,000 in annual operational cost savings and reduces the school’s CO₂ generation helping adhere to its Quaker values.

Working in partnership with Brentwood Consulting Engineers and contractor John Wright Electrical and Mechanical, Adveco recommended the installation of two TOTEM T25 m-CHP units and an Adveco MSS5000 for a pre-fed boiler system. Electrical generation by the m-CHP would decrease the energy import of the school, as well as lowering carbon dioxide emissions. Heat generated would be delivered to the hot water circuit which operates constantly through the entire school.

Adveco also provided Bootham school with a Full Maintenance Contract, covering all moving parts and controls, that guarantees long-lasting CHP unit efficiency.

“Whilst there are high servicing costs, we factored all of that into the total lifecycle costs. This means after 10 years rather than replacing the whole unit we can simply extend the contract with Adveco, saving the capital cost of installing new units,”

says Craig Pierotti, Estates Manager, Bootham School.

Bootham School Adveco Totem T25 mCHP

Running data was analysed against the pre-contract predictions which shows that the units are performing better in terms of cost savings per run hour. By extrapolating the figures to give a full year’s running (6,677 hours) the payback periods for the project will be achieved and Bootham School should save an estimated £36,996. Importantly, the CHP system also enables the school to adhere to its Quaker values with CO₂ savings of more than 115,500 (kg.CO₂). The NOx emissions are also greatly reduced with emissions from the TOTEM units less than 40 mg/kWh of electricity output.

“The installation was completed on time, to cost, and successfully due to the team effort.  Everyone was on board and got on with it, otherwise, I don’t think we would be in the situation where we are, producing the results we are today,” says Craig “Adveco are constantly monitoring the CHP’s for us and contact us only when they want to come and service the units. It is literally fit and forget. It’s absolutely fantastic!”

Read more about the Bootham School TOTEM m-CHP project


Adveco. Commercial Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP).Discuss your next project with Adveco whether it’s a hydrogen-ready CHP or commercial Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP).

Call Adveco today on 01252 551 540

Adveco commissioning

Give your new appliance the start it deserves…

Our Gas Safe engineers are on the road throughout the country commissioning installations built around Adveco and A.O. Smith appliances – from water heaters and boilers to m-CHP. Find out how working with us is more advantageous for the long term and successful operation of your investment in hot water and heating…

Discover more about Adveco commissioning.

Steve Withers Service Manager Adveco

Adveco Appoints Service Manager

Adveco announces the appointment of Steve Withers to the position of service manager.

“Steve brings a wealth of managerial and technical experience and is a great addition to the team and will enable us to further grow this important department,”

said Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco.

Providing appliance commissioning, servicing and expedited warranty call outs for systems designed and supplied with both Adveco and A.O. Smith Water Heater appliances, the service department ensures customers can always depend on business critical support from Adveco. With a team of industry leading engineers on call, carrying full inventory of official parts on all vehicles, Adveco can deliver single visit servicing, priority call out and faster resolution to ensure customers’ hot water, heating and power remain available 24/7.

Steve Griffiths national accounts manager Adveco

New National Accounts Manager for Adveco

Commercial hot water and heating specialist, Adveco, announces the appointment of Steve Griffiths to the role of national accounts manager.

“Adveco already has considerable success supporting national franchises in the hotel and catering sector with our bespoke heating, hot water and power systems. I look forward to further building on those partnerships as well as exploring exciting new opportunities within leisure as well as the health and education sectors,”

said Steve Griffiths, national accounts manager, Adveco.

Steve is well known to national accounts through his prior role at Adveco as national service manager. He will continue, for the interim, to also oversee service & commissioning ensuring the high quality of customer service delivered during his tenure is retained as the business continues to grow and evolve.

“Steve has shown invaluable skill in building trust with our national accounts customers through his sterling work managing our market leading commissioning and maintenance services,”

said David O’Sullivan, managing director, Adveco.

“As national accounts manager, he brings a depth of technical knowledge and familiarity with our customers that adds real value to existing accounts and provides a tremendously safe pair of hands for new customers looking for the perfect partner for their heating and hot water needs.”