We were called out to inspect a busy hotel’s commercial hot water plant. The client had been receiving complaints of “THERE’S NO HOT WATER” from hotel guests during the peak demand periods of showering, between 7am & 9am in the mornings. Upon inspection of the old unit (approximately 20 years old), it did not appear to be in fault, however, it was noted the style of unit was no longer fit for purpose and it was using high volumes of energy to heat masses of water that still were not keeping up with demand.
Our service team put forward a proposal to upgrade the entire plant to a more modern “on demand” style unit. The client’s annual maintenance costs, together with their annual gas consumption and estimated annual guest turnover were considered to calculate feasibility and an expected payback period. The hotel was surprised by how little time it would take to payback the initial capital investment, only 2-3 years in their case.
The upgrade required a shut-down like approach, working around a live 120-bedroom hotel with a busy commercial kitchen. Compliance around hot water temperature delivery and controlling devices were also considered in the upgrade. The changeover was a success, with no disruptions to the live hotel.