Don't get into hot water- it pays to get the mix correct!

Further, with schools and colleges having a much greater control over their budgets they increasingly appoint their own (local) contractors to undertake maintenance and refurbishment.

It is important therefore that the school management and their contractors are fully conversant with the issue of safe delivery and storage of hot water which is a major obligation within education establishments and is in fact covered by legislation under The Schools Regulation Standards.

On safe water delivery, it is mandatory to install thermostatic mixing valves (TMV’s) to showers along with a strong recommendation that basin taps are also TMV controlled. Hot water storage and distribution must also comply with the ‘HSE L8’* guidance document, effectively ‘the bible’ for best practice to prevent the occurrence of bacteria such as legionella in the hot water system.

The issues of safety and economy in school washrooms and shower areas have been addressed in some depth by market leading shower and washroom equipment manufacturer Rada, the commercial division of Kohler Mira.

With safety in mind it has concentrated on developing its Rada range of TMV valves for showers and basin taps. Whereas many other suppliers use off-the-shelf thermostatic solutions, Rada TMV’s use their patented ‘Radatherm’ temperature sensor, specifically designed to react faster to temperature fluctuations.

“Safety is all important in schools and education environments,” explains Roy Minett, Rada’s Marketing Manager. “If water delivered through showers and basin taps is too hot it could well be breaking health and safety regulations and in a worst case scenario, result in the school being sued or prosecuted if a user receives scalding.

“Taking very simple precautions by using TMV’s that meet the industry standards can address these problems,” he adds.

TMV options …
Rada offers a range of mechanical TMV3 approved thermostatic mixing valves – tested to the highest standards and suitable for healthcare establishments and therefore also ideal for use by school children.

The TMV3 accreditation is essential. The TMV Scheme is an independent third party approval scheme administered by Buildcert and certifies Type 3 thermostatic mixing valves manufactured to meet the highest specifications.

An example of a fully compliant unit for day-to-day hand washing is the Rada Thermotap-3. The first TMV3 approved thermostatic basin tap, Thermotap-3 controls both flow and temperature via a sequential lever. It is easy to install, easy to maintain and offers an economic yet safe hand washing solution.

Alternatively, there is also a range of Rada under basin TMV3 approved thermostatic mixing valves suitable for wash hand basins which control the water temperature supplied through conventional taps.

Showering is another important area and Rada has developed a range of TMV3 compliant thermostatic shower controls suited to individual showering environments. TMV3 standards do not cover group showering installations but it is accepted best practice that in individual cubicles, in any education environment where hot water delivery is required, it should be through a TMV3 compliant appliance or valve.

Another important feature that Rada has addressed in washroom environments is economy. Rada offers a range of simple, press action mechanical timed flow controls but to ensure complete control over all aspects of water flow in the washroom environment there is a more sophisticated option.

It has developed an electronic flow control system – Rada Pulse – which has been specifically designed with group washroom applications in mind, covering showering, wash hand basins and urinals.

The Rada Pulse control system offers programmed timed flow control to ensure economy of both water use and, as a consequence, energy consumption for the hot supply. Correct hot water temperature is still maintained via a Rada TMV but sensors mounted by the showers and overhead for basin and urinal water flow control ensure economy of use. Another added advantage is that showers and basin taps are no touch, promoting the highest standards of hygiene.

“While there can be no compromise on safety in schools environments,” Roy Minett adds, “simple measures to reduce waste can produce quite an impact on the bottom line.”

By way of an example, Rada undertook research using direct comparisons between unrestricted showers and those with timed flow and based on a ‘typical’ 500 pupil school with showers used by each pupil twice a week for a 4 minute shower.

Across a 35 week period, total water used with the unrestricted showers was 1,960,000 litres. However, had timed flow controls been fitted to all showers in conjunction with 6L/min water flow regulators, water consumption would drop to 630,000 litres, in itself a massive saving.

Experienced Rada sales personnel are available to will visit educational premises either at the new build stage or where refurbishment is being considered. They will undertake a survey of existing or proposed equipment and advise where savings can be made.

To contact Kohler Mira call (01242) 282527 or fax (01242) 282404. e-mail: Rada_Technical@mirashowers.com * ‘

The UK Health & Safety Executive – approved code of practice & guidance for the control of Legionella bacteria in water systems - L8’