PROJECT 17
“ The hot water systems used were non-pressurised heat pump systems provided by IEES. We went non-pressurised to avoid the heavy maintenance and wear and tear that comes along with pressurised systems. In this case, we ' ve got a stainless-steel coil that is inside a fiberglass tank, where the coil acts as a heat exchanger, so it’ s got direct pumping pressure onto that coil, which then runs through the hot tank as a heat exchanger.
Supplied by Plumbou Plumbers
“ All the heating is done by 21kW heat pumps per 2 000l system, which use about a third of the electrical energy that electrical elements do. Essentially, the entire hot water system is probably one of the most energy-efficient non-complementary( i. e. solar) hot water solutions currently available.
“ As part of the upgrade, a 128kl Abeco sectional storage tank was installed to provide approximately two days of water storage during municipal shutdowns.
The plumbing works under way.
Supplied by Plumbou Plumbers
“ There is also a pressure sensor in the ring main line, which monitors the pressure in the line, and the pressure boosting pumps drive up and down as and when required based on demand to ensure the pressure in the line is always at 4 bar," says Setaro.
The challenge of the project The main challenge of the project was that all existing underground sewers had to be retained –“ I was very uncomfortable in retaining those sewers because we didn ' t know the condition, and we had to sign off on form 4 and 2,” says Setaro. He recommended to the client that they put a camera down the pipes to evaluate their condition, which the client agreed to.
“ A CCTV inspection revealed cracked pipework, root ingress and misaligned joints,” explains Setaro. So, the decision has been taken to reline the pipes.
The exit temperature from the hot water tanks is around about 55 ° C.
Supplied by Plumbou Plumbers Supplied by SPU
The relining is extensive, totalling around R1.5-million,“ but without doing it, we wouldn’ t have been able to get SANS 10252 compliance. And at the end of the day, the decision to reline the pipes gave the client a lot of peace of mind,” concludes Setaro.
* Note: The pipe relining had not yet been completed at the time of writing in August 2026. PA
“ The existing plumbing system was made up of old cast-iron pipes and no longer complied with SANS 10252 requirements.”
Class 16 UPVC was used underground, and stainless-steel for all above-ground piping.
Abeco steel sectional tanks.
Supplied by SPU
October 2026 Volume 32 I Number 08 www. plumbingafrica. co. za