Barnard Castle School Boiler Plant Upgrade

RM Myers & Co. Ltd completed the replacement and upgrade of the main boiler plant at Barnard Castle School, significantly improving system efficiency, reliability, and long-term protection of the heating infrastructure. The project involved removing the existing ageing boiler plant and installing two modern high-efficiency condensing boilers. The plant room pipework was reconfigured with new flow and return headers, hydraulic separation via a low-loss header, and new pressurisation and expansion equipment to ensure stable and efficient system operation.  As the existing heating system throughout the school is largely older steel pipework, protecting the new boilers was a key priority. A pumped side-stream filter was installed to continuously remove circulating debris, magnetite, and system contaminants, helping safeguard the new plant and maintain long-term system performance. Another major improvement was the installation of full pipe insulation throughout the plant room. Previously, the heating pipework was uninsulated, resulting in unnecessary heat loss. By insulating all primary pipework, heat losses from the system have been significantly reduced, improving overall energy efficiency while ensuring more of the generated heat is delivered to the building rather than lost within the plant room. Gas pipework and flue systems were modified to suit the new boilers, and the full installation was tested and commissioned on completion. 

Project Highlights 

• Removal of existing boiler plant 
• Installation of 2 × high-efficiency condensing boilers 
• New low-loss header and hydraulic separation 
• Pumped side stream filtration to protect boilers from debris within the existing steel system • Full plant room pipe insulation reducing heat loss and improving system efficiency • Upgraded pressurisation and expansion equipment 
• Gas and flue system modifications 
• Full testing and commissioning 

Result

A modern, efficient and well-protected heating plant that reduces energy losses, improves reliability and protects the new boilers from contaminants within the existing heating system.