ACV
Overview
ACV have been designing and manufacturing systems for heat and hot water generation since 1922. With offices throughout the world and manufacturing sites in Belgium and the USA, ACV’s UK operations are based on Dalgety Bay, Fife.
Most ACV products are based on the tank in tank principle giving ACV solutions excellent performance in both heating and hot water generation.
The Heat Master range sees the tank in tank principle working with a dual circuit stainless steel heat exchange delivering a commercial grade combination unit with Total Condensing heating and hot water, low resistance, fast recovery and low NOX levels.
The Prestige range are high efficiency wall mounted gas condensing boilers manufactured from stainless steel from 18kW to 120kW.
Heatmasters
The ACV Heatmaster TC85 Condensing Units are designed around the tank in tank principle where the hot water is housed in the inner stainless steel tank and the primary water circulated between the inner and outer tank. This allows the hot water tank to be fully immersed in the primary water and the contents heated up to and above the minimum temperature required for protection against Legionella. It also means that a small storage is used and because of the large heating surface a greater volume of water can be generated to the designed temperature in a short period of time, i.e. the 85TC unit has a storage of 195 litres but can generate 459 litres in 10 minutes at 60 deg C.
With the hot water demand being intermittent the primary water can be used to provide LTHW to the heating system without prejudice to the hot water system. In the case of a Leisure Centre the effect of producing hot water at the times requested would have a negligible effect on the heating system.
The Tank in Tank system principle has been used very successfully in many Leisure Centres, Sports changing facilities, health centres, hotels, etc. throughout the country over the past 15 years and many authorities and organisations have standardised on ACV units on many of their projects.
Cost savings
The principle of having combined hot water/heating generators has resulted in costs savings being achieved in both installation and running costs. Installation space has been greatly reduced by installing ACV units only as against separate boilers and separate water heaters. Installation costs have been reduced by having smaller gas main supplies because there is no additional gas load to be catered for to meet the HWS load as this is included within the boiler power required to serve the heating. Similarly by only having one range of units to serve both heating and hot water systems, savings are also made in the reduction of flue systems which would be required if separate boilers and water heaters where emploved. Running costs have been reduced by lower gas demands, not storing large quantities of hot water, and over sizing systems.
Efficiency
The ACV Condensing Heatmaster 85TC boilers are supplied with the latest fully modulating pre-mix gas burners producing a seasonal efficiency of 96.4% depending on the load conditions.
With the ACV unit you can generate your hot water requirement quickly at the correct supply temperature without vast storage and without a detrimental effect on the heating system. By combining the generating capability of your plant you can produce the required conditions without over-sizing your systems and maintain stand-by facilities should they be required.
From a maintenance point of view annual maintenance/servicing costs are reduced by only having to carry out works on a reduced number of boiler units.
Life expectancy for ACV units is no different from all other forms of current modular boilers and water heaters, with a 15 year period being average timescale subject to annual maintenance