2023 - Andrews Sykes

The late shift: Our pumps work while the city sleeps

Posted Date 18/12/2023

As a facilities management provider relying on a steady stream of water tankers, our customer required an automated pumping solution to transfer delivered waste from drop-off skips up into the main holding tanks. With trucks arriving day and night to service the community, an set-and-forget solution was needed.

A customer who manages waste collection and transportation for a network of commercial and residential buildings. Water tankers visit the centralised depot to dispose of hauled waste in on-site skip bins which then feed into the primary storage tanks.

December product of the month: DE 25 Portable electric heater

Posted Date 11/12/2023

Tired of the cold weather putting a chill on your productivity? Then warm up to our December Product of the Month, the DE 25 Portable Electric Heater!

This compact climate control unit is ready to make the festive season even better. As Jack Frost nips at your nose, our DE 25 guardian angel will keep you cosy with personalised heating powers. Its sleek, lightweight body delivers targeted warmth straight to your workspace thanks to a powerful fan that circulates heat evenly across rooms up to 67.6m3

Heating tips for your holiday parties

Posted Date 08/12/2023

Planning an event during cold weather comes with the added challenge of keeping guests comfortable. Providing sufficient heating should be a top priority when hosting gatherings in temporary structures like marquees or tents. With over 50 years of expertise supplying heating for events of all sizes, here is some useful guidance on choosing and operating heaters to create warm environments.

When setting up a marquee or tent for wintertime celebrations, the size and layout will determine the best heating approach. Indirect oil-fired heaters can duct hot air inside while the unit itself is positioned safely outside a marquee. Electric heaters with adjustable settings can operate from a single plug and be sited discreetly within an indoor venue. Running heaters ahead of time lets temperatures reach comfortable levels as visitors arrive. For longer events, fuel supply management prevents any disruption. Where possible, aim ducts or vents towards entrances so warmth greets guests immediately. Testing equipment the day prior provides peace of mind, and our engineers will always ensure units are running as expected before departing customer premises.

Optimise concrete batching temperatures with customised boiler solutions

Posted Date 07/12/2023

Concrete batching is the process of mixing the ingredients of concrete to produce a hardened form in predetermined shapes and sizes at batching plants. The concrete batching process requires careful control and monitoring of temperatures. Concrete is produced by combining cement, aggregates, water, and other admixtures in precise quantities. This mixture must be heated to the proper temperature to facilitate adequate clumping and hardening.

There are two main methods of concrete batching – weigh batching and volume batching. In volume batching, a volumetric measure of materials is taken (e.g. 1 bag cement = 35 litres). In weigh batching, the measurement is by weight (e.g. 1 bag cement = 50 kg). Weigh batching allows for more precise control.

Making cold weather history: Emergency solution for the British Museum

Posted Date 30/11/2023

The British Museum in London hosts thousands of important events and functions each year in its expansive historic halls. In November, the museum faced a sudden heating crisis that threatened to disrupt a high-profile evening gala.

At 14:00 on the day of the event, the British Museum’s facility management team realised that the temperature in the event space had dropped well below a comfortable level. With limited time before the scheduled 17:30 start, they urgently needed a rapid heating solution to get the room back to an appropriate temperature.

Warming hearts and facilities following school boiler breakdown

Posted Date 29/11/2023

We recently received an urgent call from an autistic children’s school in North Wales. A devastating fire had damaged their biomass boiler system, leaving the school without critical heating and hot water – and just as temperatures began dropping! Naturally, restoring operations was imperative to protect students amid the cold weather.

The Challenges:

Arriving on-site, we faced two major obstacles:

The current boiler system suffered severe fire damage and required complete replacement. The school needed ample heating capacity to serve the entire facility.

Andrews Sykes appoints new manager to spearhead German growth

Posted Date 23/11/2023

We at Andrews Sykes are thrilled to be expanding into Germany – the next destination of our European evolution. As part of our plans, we have appointed Michael Piette as the new Business Development Manager to launch and grow our business in this promising and previously untouched market.

Though we may have only just opened our doors in Germany, we certainly aren’t hanging around, as evidenced by our recent boiler rental contract with a customer on the outskirts of Berlin – and not just any customer! At Andrews Sykes, we’re used to working alongside household names from multiple industries, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that a Center Parcs resort in Germany solicited our assistance.

Introducing our 30kW Variable Speed Drive (VSD) control panels

Posted Date 21/11/2023

We are excited to announce the launch of our new 30kW Variable Speed Drive (VSD) control panel series. This innovative product incorporates groundbreaking advances in solid-state drive technology, processor capabilities and interactive interfaces.

What this signifies for our business is a major leap forward in design flexibility, energy efficiency and manufacturing scale to meet fast-growing customer demand for smarter motor solutions with enhanced control philosophies.

The built-in self-tuning algorithms, real-time performance optimisation, and newly added connectivity features provide our customers unprecedented levels of customised control, reliability, and actionable insights.

Emergency boiler hire helps avert patient relocation at healthcare facility

Posted Date 16/11/2023

An unexpected boiler failure can have a range of consequences for healthcare facilities and leave patients vulnerable. Issues are commonly detected and reported during the build-up to winter, and this was the case for a large NHS Trust looking after a dedicated mental health service in the South East. In this instance, a control malfunction had left the boiler inoperable, prompting the estates team to contact Andrews so that an alternative unit could be installed.

Our client contacted us late in the evening and requested the deployment of a replacement boiler hire as quickly as possible. Due to concerns about the potential for legionella bacteria to grow as a result of low water temperature, it was vital that we connected a substitute boiler that same evening.

Our latest HS2 Viaduct ventilation project

Posted Date 15/11/2023

The deafening sound of jackhammers and welding torches echo through the dimly lit tunnel below the Colne Valley Viaduct, which stretches for approximately two miles between Hillingdon and the M25. Sparks fly as construction crews work tirelessly on the generational HS2 project that will soon connect London to Birmingham.

Our team has been brought in for a critical mission – to provide proper ventilation that will keep hundreds of site workers breathing easy. Four of our high-capacity FV1800 units were rushed to the site on Monday, with their adjustable airflows and amperage rendering them perfect for this particular purpose.