On 30/06/2017 10:35, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 10:09:25 on Fri, 30 Jun
2017, "Dave Plowman (News)" remarked:
On Newsnight yeaterday, a Grenfell estate resident (but not a resident of
the tower) said that there were unprotected gas pipes running up the
stairwell. This was also mentioned earlier by residents. But not by any
pros I heard interviewed.

Based on other comments, I thought initially they had gone over to
individual heating systems in each flat - hence the need for new gas
pipes. But it seems this is wrong - it had a new communal heating system.

So why the need for new gas pipes to all the flats? Or are they in fact
not gas but water? A layman might well not know the difference.

Sadly, running any new services through a fire protected area might well
compromise that, if badly done.

A picture has re-surfaced, that was posted online right after the fire -
showing a boiler apparently just inside a flat's front door. And loads
of copper *hot water* pipes. Also another picture showing what are
claimed to be cast iron pipes taking gas into individual flats from the
communal areas.

The former was one of the list of possible solutions to delivering
refurbished heating in the original feasibility study, and some sources
suggest the option chosen was a new heat-pump assisted *central* system.
If anyone has access to records of what was actually chosen, it would help.

Each flat had a heat interface unit (HIU) installed, in simple terms
these are heat exchangers; the primary side is connected to the communal
heat source (heat pump and gas fired boilers in this case), the
secondary side is connected to the apartment radiators. There is also
provision for instant hot water which is provided much like it would be
with a combi boiler. Heat meters work out the amount of heat used by
measuring the flow rate and temperature difference between the flow and
return. I am guessing the gas was for cooking.

See link below for more information:

http://www.kctmo.org.uk/files/board-...nuary_2015.pdf


snip


--
Dazza