Check heating systems before winter rush

With the UK having already experienced some cold weather snaps, here at Dura Pump, we are urging businesses to check their heating systems before the cold winter season to avoid emergency situations during peak times.

Bradley Ford, Manager at Dura Pump explains, “When heating systems are first switched on, water that has been sitting in the pump since last winter can cause the impellor to seize to the pump housing resulting in a pump that cannot run. This water can also allow limescale to build up around the mechanical seal making it rigid and brittle. When the system is pressurised, this mechanical seal will leak and could lead to a significant pump failure.

“A leaking system might last a few weeks before eventually failing, but we’d like to encourage people not to wait until there is an emergency situation before taking steps to fix it.”

If buildings do not reach minimum temperature requirements set by the government, they may have to close. Guidance from the House of Commons Library and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) recommends temperatures in accordance with activity levels.

For example, temperatures range from 13°C in factories where heavy work is carried out, to 18°C in places like classrooms and hospitals and even 21°C for rooms with lower than normal levels of activity such as sick rooms.

“Our first heating-related call-out came a few weeks ago from a well-known travel company based in Heathrow. They had turned their system on and discovered it was leaking”, Bradley continues.

“We diagnosed the problem and recommended the most efficient solution, which was to strip it down, carry out the work on the pump and then reinstall it. We work as quickly as possible but the process can take up to two days, which is why we recommend testing systems and fixing any problems before they become urgent.”