Client: Harrogate Council
Type of works: supply and installation of Airedale's Packaged Air Cooled Liquid Chiller and Chilled Water Answer Cassettes.

North Yorkshire based Harrogate Hydro provides leisure facilities to the Harrogate community and has 800 full time members. Three swimming pools offer a range of activities and Brimham’s fitness centre with its state of the art fitness equipment has a purpose built dance studio and changing rooms.

Harrogate Council was aware that the nature of the complex and overall size of the building warranted air conditioning. "Our priority at the Hydro is to maintain a comfortable environment for all our customers" comments Andy McCulloch, Group Engineer at Harrogate Council. "Our major concern was to find a reliable, appropriate air conditioning system which would keep a cool, constant temperature within the building."

Airedale’s Packaged Air Cooled Liquid Chiller (ACCS60D) was installed with the non ozone-depleting refrigerant R407C. The chiller provides 137kW cooling capacity to the aerobics studio, gym and crèche and has a flow temperature of 6°C providing an ambient temperature of 15°C. Two Chilled Water Answer Cassettes were also installed in the offices.

"The Airedale units were providing a comfortable environment within the Hydro and we were keen to protect the equipment with regular maintenance to secure our investment and our level of customer service", adds McCulloch. "We were very pleased with the professional commissioning provided by Airedale Service after the units were installed and especially interested to learn of their Chillerguard^® maintenance programme."

The Airedale Service Bronze level programme provides Harrogate Council with:
> four maintenance visits a year
> technical support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
> qualified engineers registered with the Refrigeration Industry Training Board

Harrogate Council have support from qualified Airedale technicians whether it be over the phone, on the help desk or, should the need arise, calling an engineer out on site. "We have confidence in the professional support of Airedale Service. The visits from the technicians are announced which allows us to reduce the temperatures accordingly prior to the visit before we turn the air conditioning off " McCulloch comments. "It gives us peace of mind to know that our air conditioning equipment is receiving regular inspection and 24 hour support, providing the comfortable environment which our customers have come to expect."

Airedale Service can adapt Harrogate Council’s building management software with a remote tele-monitoring system. This would allow the Council’s air conditioning equipment to be accessed remotely through a PC. By using the BMS, Airedale Service can remotely monitor and change the performance of the equipment according to, for example, weather conditions on site. McCulloch concludes, "…this would not only save time but also energy, which is a high priority here at the council."