Wilo Delivers a Lesson in Pump Performance

The University of St Andrews has a lot to be proud of. Recently voted UK University of the Year 2002/2003 in the Sunday Times University Guide and presently enjoying Prince William's internship, Scotland's oldest university has been thrust into the academic limelight. The auspicious seat of learning has also undertaken its largest-ever construction project, replacing an ageing student hall campus with 12 purpose-built accommodation blocks consisting of 764 beds.

The enormous project is expected to cost around £28.8 million and is set for completion in 2004. Two accommodation blocks are, however, already being prepared for handover and, like the others, will contain a number of Wilo Salmson pumps and booster sets. "They're well manufactured, well-thought-out pumping systems," Niall Campbell Morrison, Senior Project Engineer, says.

A key member of the Harly Haddow Partnership team responsible for all site utilities and design and build specifications, Niall's role extends from specifying pumps to overseeing the project's development. He explains that each block contains rainwater utilization equipment, booster sets and a variety of circulating pumps supplied by Ferrier Pumps Ltd, a Wilo distributor. He points out that if the pumping systems failed, the accommodation blocks would be simply uninhabitable. "Without the pumps, the buildings wouldn't function; they would be cold and unserviced spaces that you couldn't live in."

Reliability is clearly an important factor. "We specify Wilo pumps because they're reliable, competitively priced and we get the level of service we require. More importantly, they meet the system's requirements and, on the odd occasion when things go wrong, the pumps are replaced without question. This ensures that the client always has a working pump and is what I've come to expect from Wilo's aftersales service."

The new accommodation at the University features Wilo-TOP-ED and Wilo-TOP-SD twin-headed models as the circulating pumps for the buildings' underfloor heating and domestic water supplies. The Wilo-TOP-ED units were selected for their infinitely variable speed capabilities.

Wilo's COR-2 MVI 803/CR multi-pump pressure boosting system maintains a constant water-tank pressure throughout each accommodation block, while the Wilo-RainSystem reduces the use of expensive drinking water by providing a highly economical demand-responsive and environmentally friendly water supply for the lavatories. The Wilo-TOP-Z single-head bronze circulator has been selected for use as a domestic water return pump.

Niall says the project, commonly known as the Westerlanglands campus development, is "going extremely well" and is expected to be completed on programme. He concludes by remarking on the importance of nurturing relationships with clients and the important role suppliers can play in this area. "I've been using Wilo for 10 years. The reliability of the equipment and the service we receive has helped us build and maintain long-term relationships with our clients."