Caversham Care Home is located near the picturesque suburbs of Reading, Berkshire. The newly constructed residential building features a modern aesthetic, stunning views over Lake Caversham and beautifully maintained outside space designed to improve the quality and tranquility of life for its residents.

The project
With 86 purpose-built apartments spread across three blocks, Caversham Care Home’s mission is to provide a safe haven for seniors where they can nurture their physical and social needs, thus providing their families peace of mind.

One of the key aspects of this project was to safeguard the care home’s vulnerable occupants by providing a circulating hot water system with regulated flow, temperature and disinfection properties.

For M&E Installation and Servicing Contractors, Neptune Building Services, it was also important to create a safe and reliable hot water supply system that would be easy to adjust. Designed with ease of installation and cost reduction in mind, the Thermal Balancing Valve is pre-insulated and can be easily maintained and serviced for years to come, which was essential to Neptune Building Services.

During the installation of hot and cold water supply, Neptune Building Services worked closely with local NHS Trusts to ensure compliance with new procedures and standards in all healthcare premises with regards to flow management and waterborne pathogen control.

RWC involvement
Meeting NHS standards, Reliance Valves Thermal Balancing Valves (TBVs) were specified and installed to maintain an optimal and safe water temperature by regulating flow rates according to its set temperature. During thermal flushing of the hot water supply, when then system temperature is raised above 70c, a bypass opens and the flow rate increases for the purpose of disinfection, preventing Legionella from spreading. It was crucial for Neptune Building Services to select this technology from RWC as they needed a solution to effectively balance the circulating hot water system as well as provide protection against water borne diseases.

Designed to be installed at the hot water return point of a toilet or washroom, the WRAS approved valve also has a dry-fit thermometer to eliminate the need for draining the system during repair and maintenance, as well as a tamperproof cap to secure settings in place.

"The Reliance Valves Thermal Balancing Valves made balancing of the hot water systems at Caversham Care Home a simple and efficient process. The design team were keen to utilise these valves on the scheme, due to their built-in disinfection function to prevent against Legionella."

  - Daniel O’Leary, Joint Managing Director