Waste heat from telecomms equipment to heat home

Specially-adapted Honeywell controls enable waste heat from telecomms equipment to heat home in former water tower

Honeywell heating controls will enable a unique home to use waste heat from telecommunications equipment to supply its total heating needs.

Lymm Tower House is a 130-year old stone water tower in Cheshire, converted by owner Russell Harris into a modern family home.

Specially adapted Honeywell Excel controls were installed by contractor Zalti Controls for individual control of 16 manifolds, each controlling an underfloor heating zone within the 5500 square feet of living space.

The accommodation comprises bedrooms and an office on four levels within the tower itself, plus a two-storey ground level extension which provides more bedrooms and an open-plan living area.

"The Honeywell Excel controls are very versatile and provide far better temperature control than would a conventional system," said Robin Minton of Zalti Controls, based in Manchester.

"An Excel 50 controller communicates via a LONworks module with LON distributed I/O (inputs/outputs)".

"The controls are panel-mounted in the plant room, while a user-friendly Excel 500 operator panel, with a clear digital readout, is mounted within the living space." The underfloor heating system was installed by Teqni Gas, of Aberystwyth.

Five cell phone networks use the tower as a base station.

Each has a chilled water cooling system for its electronics.

The combined "waste" energy these produce is channelled through a heat exchanger which provides all the home's heating needs.

Remaining heat energy is dissipated by a chiller unit at ground level, in a corner of the plot.

Owner Russell Harris managed the tower's conversion project himself and hopes heat loss from the double-glazed extension and the tower itself - its stone walls are three feet (1 metre) thick and have additional insulation - will be minimal.

He expects the "free" recovered heat to be more than sufficient for all domestic needs.

He has installed a boiler for back-up heat but hopes it will never be used.

The tower is a grade II listed landmark of special architectural and historical interest.

Its conversion took seven years because Harris insisted no corners would be cut on the design, the quality of construction or spoiling its unique external appearance.

"Getting the telecoms companies to co-operate with each other was itself a major challenge", revealed Harris.

"The equipment from all five operators is hidden from view in a loft space within the tower, while the antennas are concealed within an extension to the stairwell." The tower outline is therefore unpolluted by untidy equipment.

In place of the ugly telecoms equipment on the roof when he bought the tower, Harris has constructed a unique leisure space with stunning views of the Cheshire plain, the Peak District and over Manchester some 20 miles away.

Honeywell's catalogue of Heating control products is available online.

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