Home > Blog

COVID-19 update – 27th March

Posted Date 27/03/2020

We are continuing to follow Government directives relating to the COVID-19 virus and we are taking the necessary actions to provide our staff and customers with the best solutions to the changing situation. Although many of our staff are now working from home, we are still ensuring that emergency and urgent deliveries can be carried out as safely as possible.

Andrews Sykes provides hire solutions to many essential services including: the health sector, communications networks, water industry, emergency services and many more. We will prioritise these services at all times.

Our depots are currently able to provide a service across the whole of the UK. Inbound calls are being answered promptly and all enquiries are being handled in the normal way. We have large stocks of air conditioners, heaters, pumps and dehumidifiers available for hire, along with specialist boilers and chillers for larger applications.

If for any reason you have any difficulty in contacting us by phone you can complete an enquiry form here and we will get back to you. Our 0800 211611 phone line remains available 24/7 for all emergency calls. To contact your local depot, it may be easier to call them direct, a full list of depot numbers can be found by clicking here.

Deliveries and collections, to and from our locations, can now only be made by prior arrangement, if you need to delivery goods or collect equipment from any of our branches, please call them first and make the necessary arrangements.

Posted in Tagged,,

COVID-19 update – 24th March

Posted Date 24/03/2020

The health and wellbeing of our customers and staff remains our highest priority.

We are continuing to observe the latest developments relating to the COVID-19 virus and are taking the necessary actions to provide our staff and customers with the best solutions to the changing situation. Many of our staff are now working from home and we are ensuring that deliveries and site visits are carried out as safely as possible.

Our depots are currently able to provide a level of service across the whole of the UK. Inbound calls are being answered promptly and all enquiries are being handled in the normal way. We have large stocks of air conditioners, heaters, pumps and dehumidifiers available for hire, along with specialist boilers and chillers for larger applications.

If for any reason you have any difficulty in contacting us by phone you can complete an enquiry form here and we will get back to you. Our 0800 211611 phone line remains available 24/7 for all emergency calls. To contact your local depot, it may be easier to call them direct, a full list of depot numbers can be found by clicking here.

For information about our operations elsewhere in Europe and the Middle East, please refer to the individual websites which can be found on the worldwide locations page.

Posted in Tagged,,

COVID-19 update – 18th March

Posted Date 18/03/2020

The health and wellbeing of our customers and staff is our highest priority.

We are continually observing the latest developments relating to the COVID-19 virus and are taking the necessary actions to provide our staff and customers with the best solutions to the changing situation.

Currently, all of our depots are fully operational and we are able to continue to provide our usual level of service across the UK. Inbound calls are being answered promptly and all enquiries are being handled in the normal way.

If for any reason you have difficulties in contacting us by phone you can complete an enquiry form here and we will get back to you immediately, during normal working hours. Our 0800 211611 phone line is still available 24/7 for all emergency calls.

For information about our operations elsewhere in Europe and the Middle East, please refer to the individual websites which can be found on the worldwide locations page.

Posted in Tagged,,

New road trailer boiler improves emergency response times

Posted Date 10/03/2020

We are excited to introduce a new innovation that changes the temporary boiler landscape, providing customers with an instantly connectable lightweight unit mounted upon a high-speed trailer that can be towed by any medium sized vehicle.

Originally trialled in 2019, our newly developed Rapid Response Boiler received an excellent response among customers which prompted us to commit to a significant investment of additional units both in the UK and in Europe.

This unit has been specifically manufactured for boiler maintenance and facilities management companies, providing an immediate solution to emergencies including boiler failure and breakdown. The Rapid Response Boiler will generally sit within a maintenance company’s facility or yard in readiness for an urgent requirement and can be hitched to a small van or medium sized car for swift delivery to site.

By deploying the boiler in this way, our clients can restore their customer’s facility almost immediately with a heating capacity of up to 100kW. This also allows potentially lengthier requirements to be assessed until a longer-term solution can be established.

The product ensures there is no need for a dedicated delivery vehicle, the use of tachographs or perhaps most crucially, additional staff resources.

Our Rapid Response Boiler can be collected, attached and deployed by a single person, with its Storz couplings simplifying the connection process which enables the unit to be operational within minutes of arrival on site.

An internal fuel tank allows the unit to operate at full capacity continuously for up to 11 hours, making it the perfect solution for urgent heating and hot water applications where swift action is essential.

Commonly used by boiler maintenance companies, the Rapid Response unit has been designed for a range of environments including care homes, hospitals, schools, utilities, sports centres, factories and offices. The unit can be positioned almost anywhere due to its compact frame and moveable chassis.

Other features and benefits include:

- Lightweight towable from for instant response times

- Can operate for up to 11 hours via internal fuel tank

- Quick connection to existing pipework

- Compatible with standard 240V power supply for ease of use

- Compact and manoeuvrable design aiding transportation

- Simple installation for instant deployment

- High maximum working temperature of up to 80⁰C

- Excellent fuel efficiency for low running costs

Matt Stapley, Technical Director for HVAC, said: “Following discussions with clients and an extensive period of market research, it became obvious that there was a need for this kind of boiler solution – particularly among contractors and utilities companies.

“Our 100kW Rapid Response Boiler can be taken directly to site from a customer’s yard, towed into the desired location and connected to existing pipework without any need for external assistance.”

We are therefore delighted to pioneer a new boiler concept that upgrades our hire fleet and ensures we continue to lead the way with adaptable heating and hot water solutions.

For more information on our Rapid Response Boiler or to gain a better understanding of the scenarios for which its use has been intended, call us today on 0800 211 611. Alternatively, click here for a full list of specifications and a product description.

Posted in Tagged,,,,

Andrews commit to Europe-wide air handler investment

Posted Date 03/03/2020

Following a significant investment both in the UK and across Europe, it is with great delight that we announce the introduction of a new lightweight 50kW FCU air handler.

This unit has been designed for both heating and cooling applications and features modern Inverter drive technology that allows a full percentage range of speed settings as opposed to just one or two variations.

This energy efficient air handler consumes just 1.8kW of power per hour of operation while offering significant air flows of up to 11,500m³/h. It has a nominal cooling duty of 50kW and a nominal heating duty of 100kW.

The product’s modest dimensions allow it to fit in a standard box van while its wheel-mounted design simplifies transportation and aids manoeuvrability.

Temperatures can be controlled either on the air inlet or outlet, with the air handler’s recirculatory capabilities guaranteeing incredible efficiency on both heating and cooling modes. Space temperatures can also be maintained by connecting an internal thermostat.

Other features and benefits include:

- Easy installation – enabling swift connection in emergency scenarios

- Quiet operation – for deployment in noise-sensitive areas

- Inverter technology – flexible range of speed settings

- Economical performance – ensuring low running costs

- Safe and easy to use – allowing simplified operation

- Environmentally-friendly – enabling greater sustainability

- Reliable product – affording customer peace of mind

- Robust construction – use in testing applications

Our 50kW FCU air handler be connected to an existing chilled water circuit or an Andrews chiller, heat pump or boiler, providing incredible flexibility in a multitude of scenarios.

Each unit can be fitted with up to 40 metres of ducting which allows the units to be sited a significant distance away from the heating or cooling source.

Fitted with internal condensate pumps and an air filtration system, the 50kW FCU air handling unit is suitable for use in a range of environments including marquees, offices, events, archives, restaurants and hospitals.

Matt Stapley, Technical Manager for HVAC, said: “Adding this air handling unit to our hire fleet will give customers greater flexibility with their heating or cooling applications and allow accurate temperature and noise control.”

View full case study

Posted in Tagged,,,

Sykes Pumps provides dewatering solution for water main project

Posted Date 27/02/2020

Seeking a bespoke solution to assist the construction of a major new water supply, a well-known contractor based in Cumbria contacted Sykes Pumps for a high capacity dewatering operation.

As the project involved the construction of a twin 30km pipeline to enable unaided flow between a reservoir and a new water treatment centre, the client sought an effective and reliable pump hire arrangement that could be managed by their site team.

Jonathan King said: “The client contacted us with the idea of creating wells along the route of their excavation where we could locate pumps to dewater below the excavation depth. It was an unusual proposal but the proximity of natural water courses and seasonal rain levels in Cumbria meant that dewatering the area was a significant challenge.

“Our role was to develop the customer’s idea into a viable solution and install the equipment to provide reliable dewatering infrastructure that could be managed by the client’s team on site.”

Six wells were dug, each to a depth of six metres, with a P701 electric submersible pump designated to each well. Providing flow rates of up to nine litres per second, these units can operate at heads of 16 metres and offer a robust solution in scenarios where constant use is required. A further nine 3” SP30 submersibles were deployed nearby, ensuring the presence of water was removed to allow the installation of pipework.

We also supplied ten Super Wispaset diesel pumps which were situated on the opposite side of the excavation area to that of the submersible units.

Explaining the decision to use diesel units in this manner, Jonathan King said: “In this area of the site, the power connections to electrical submersible pumps would have needed to run across the dig area, so, for safety reasons, we opted for diesel pumps here. These were supplied as bunded pumps to avoid any risk of fuel spillage and we provided toolbox talks for the client’s site teams to ensure that operatives were familiar with safe and efficient operating requirements for all the equipment installed.”

A Sykes engineer revisited site on a fortnightly basis to assess the performance of our pumps and ensure they continue to perform as expected. Guaranteeing a four-hour response time throughout the project’s duration, we afforded the client maximum peace of mind and designed a flexible pump hire arrangement that allows seamless movement to new locations as and when required.

Posted in Tagged,,,,

Rally fans pay homage to Russell Brookes at Race Retro

Posted Date 22/02/2020

One of the world’s most eagerly anticipated motorsport shows is underway at Stoneleigh Park this weekend, with the annual Race Retro event drawing visitors from all four corners of the globe.

In recent years, Andrews Heat for Hire has been involved with the action and supported current European Rally Champion Chris Ingram with some of his previous appearances. Our connection to motorsport spans several decades and began with what was, until recently, a world record 17-year sponsorship of rally icon Russell Brookes.

Fittingly, there is an exhibition celebrating the life and achievements of Russell at this year’s Race Retro and includes an impressive display showcasing some of the many classic cars that he competed in between the 1970s and 1990s.

These include the revered Opel Manta and Sierra Cosworth rally cars, featuring the distinctive Andrews Heat for Hire livery that became synonymous with Russell’s success on the track.

The company is honoured to forever be associated with Russell’s remarkable legacy in motorsport and proud that this historic collection of cars is remembered so fondly by fans from different generations.

Posted in Tagged,,,,

Emergency drying solution gets pharmaceutical manufacturer back on track

Posted Date 21/02/2020

Unprecedented levels of rainfall across South Wales caused largescale flooding throughout much of the region, including at the premises of a longstanding customer. Our client is responsible for manufacturing gelatins and peptides to form the coating of a range of pharmaceutical products – most commonly antibiotics – but the effects of Storm Dennis had seriously impeded their operations.

The company’s warehouse was left almost three feet deep in water, causing production to cease completely. Additionally, the heavy weather had left thousands of pounds worth of tablets submerged and unfit for use, causing a significant amount of wastage.

Unsurprisingly, our client was desperate for an effective dehumidifier hire solution to accelerate their flood recovery and restore both the warehouse and storage facility to a level of functionality that would allow manufacturing to recommence.

The urgent nature of the drying application meant that it would be quicker for the client to provide site drawings which our local technicians would then use to devise a suitable drying solution. Once received, our regional expert was able to provide a dehumidification hire solution that would provide sufficient drying capacities to accommodate all areas affected by dampness following flooding.

Within two hours of the solution being agreed, we delivered three DH150 refrigerant dehumidifiers and three HD500 building dryers to site before overseeing their installation. This high capacity drying package was strategically designed with these unique applications in mind, providing a combined dry out area of more than 6,000m³.

The client was ecstatic with the swift intervention of our team, whose immediate response ensured that a crippling emergency was addressed at the earliest opportunity. Our contact explained that the flood meant they were losing significant sums of money every day with business at a standstill prior to our arrival on site.

Interestingly, the customer also disclosed that they had opted to use our services instead of a competitor’s due to the efficiency with which we have handled their heating requirements on previous occasions.

View full case study

Posted in Tagged,,,,,,

Ongoing Hinkley Point C project requires Sykes dewatering solution

Posted Date 18/02/2020

The sheer scale of Hinkley Point presents its fair share of challenges, necessitating that the experts at Sykes Pumps oversee the site’s far-reaching dewatering requirements.

One of the difficulties of managing a site of this size and scope, particularly given its coastal location, and proximity to natural water courses, is taking rainfall and tidal surges into consideration. To help achieve this, the lead contractor has divided the vast site into six water managements zones (WMZ) and enlisted the help of Sykes Pumps, to provide the varied pumping solutions required.

One of the first tasks for Sykes was to provide a solution to manage the huge surges in flow caused by the tide during construction of the sea wall.

A spokesperson for the contractor explains: “At high tide we needed to be able to pump 350 litres of water per second away from the site. The best approach for this was a submersible pump designed for high flow rates and high heads, which is exactly what Sykes Pumps provided.

“The provision for each WMZ is based on 100-year storm levels; using data from the last century, we have considered what the worst case scenario would be if rainfall were to be as bad as it has ever been over that 100-year period and we then provided Sykes Pumps with the maximum flow rate requirements based on those calculations.

“Some of the excavations are as deep as 35 metres, which means a lot of water silt and sediment. That’s why water storage lagoons are a critical element of the water management strategy, allowing us to test the water before it’s returned to natural water courses.”

The water pump experts provided 3 x PX30 heavy duty electric submersible pumps capable of pumping 350 litres per second and heads of up to 70 metres. These low-maintenance pumps are simple to install and extremely robust, making them ideal for such a busy site.

With these requirements in mind, the contractor has hired super silenced Super Wispaset 100 4″ diesel pumps and super silenced Super Wispaset 150 6″ pumps from Sykes Pumps, for various locations around the site to pump groundwater and rainwater into ‘dirty’ water storage lagoons.

All the pumps are fully-bunded units to ensure that there can be no oil leaks and many have been provided with dedicated fuel cubes, with daily checks carried out.

Most of the pumps have been provided with a float switch-based control system to ensure that they will always kick in automatically should water levels rise, without running unnecessarily during periods of drier weather. This cuts energy costs and reduces the day-to-day management required.

The company has also bought a number of specially-modified surface mounted electric pumps to manage the ground water in each of the WMZ. These will be used in combination with specialist filtration units, which have been specifically designed to separate suspended solids and sediment from water before it is released back into natural water courses. The cleaned water can then be tested for impurities before being discharged.

A total of 14 modified electric surface mounted pumps for deployment across the six WMZ have subsequently been ordered; seven 22kW units and seven 55kW units. These have been modified to include an automated priming system, converting the units to automatic self-priming pumps. The company has also added ultra-sonic control systems with a control room housed in a container unit for each WMZ. The Sykes Pumps engineer involved in designing and implementing the modifications, Bob Lima, has commissioned each of the pumps and delivered training to the site operatives on managing the control system.

Bob explains: “The control systems mean they are extremely low maintenance and will respond rapidly to water conditions in real time. Each WMZ has been specified with a pumping capacity that meets the maximum 100-year resilience required for the specific location, with automated adjustments to flow rates and rapid start of up of the pumps with automated priming.

“The system also provides fault monitoring and the flow will automatically switch from duty pump to standby in real time if a fault is detected, enabling the on-site team to call our engineers out for a maintenance visit.”

The ultra-sonic controls fitted to the surface-mounted electric pumps work on a Windows-based system that collects weather data and predicts water levels based on rainfall patterns, adjusting the flow rate in-line with water storage lagoon levels.

Concluding, a spokesperson for the project explains: “This is much more than a pump hire agreement because of the size and complexity of the site. In addition to the right equipment, Sykes Pumps has provided us with a consultancy-based service that ensures we have the right solutions in place for different areas of the site and the varying pumping needs of different elements of the construction programme.”

Posted in Tagged,,,,

Printing company requires emergency ventilation

Posted Date 10/02/2020

When a well-known printing company needed to extract fumes created by dye chemicals at a Lancashire warehouse, Andrews Ventilation was drafted in to provide a solution.

The customer had originally turned to another company to tackle the issue but their response was ineffective, prompting the need for us to get involved. Immediate action was essential due to the high risk of workers being exposed to hazardous substances and sulphur dioxide fumes. The dye products stored on site were made up of complex chemical structures, necessitating the installation of a robust ventilation hire arrangement at the earliest opportunity.

We were able to gauge the size of the warehouse via an initial telephone conversation which accelerated the process. This allowed us to ascertain the scale of the application and propose the correct equipment accordingly. Two FV900 extraction fans were deployed adjacent to the areas requiring primary attention, with lengths of ducting used to remove large volumes of contaminated air.

Our ventilation hire package remained on site for several months and was only decommissioned after the client had implemented a more permanent solution. The customer was extremely complimentary about the proficiency of our engineers, whose diligence was underlined by frequent visits to site to ensure the kit was performing as expected.

View the full case study

Posted in Tagged,
Copyright ©2012-2020 Andrews Sykes Group PLC - All Rights Reserved