Installation & Technical Execution: Transforming a Historic Liverpool Building's Heating System
- Chris Welford
- 1 day ago
- 9 min read
This is Part 2 of our three-part case study documenting DD Wilson Gas and Heating Engineers Ltd's complete commercial heating transformation for the League of Welldoers charity in Liverpool.
Read Part 1: Planning & Assessment
In Part 1, we detailed the planning and assessment phase of this major commercial heating project. Now, we take you behind the scenes of the actual installation, revealing the technical innovations, problem-solving, and skilled execution that enabled DD Wilson to complete this transformation of a 74-room building in just 21 days, when competitors had quoted up to 82 days.
The Installation Challenge: Working Around an Operational Charity
The League of Welldoers serves vulnerable community members daily through lunches, activities, and essential services. Shutting down the entire building for weeks simply wasn't an option. Our installation strategy needed to be both compassionate and technically sound. Steve Baldwin, DD Wilson's Commercial Manager, led the project with a clear understanding: every day without heat or hot water was a day this vital Liverpool institution couldn't fully serve its community. The pressure was on to work efficiently while maintaining absolute professionalism.
Starting at the Top: Roof-Level Water Supply Conversion - Historic Liverpool Building's Heating System
One of the first critical phases involved converting the Historic Liverpool Building Heating System and the building's antiquated gravity-fed water system to a modern mains-fed supply. Steve and team member Josh began work on the roof, where decades-old infrastructure needed careful dismantling and replacement.
The Existing Roof System
The building relied on massive roof-mounted storage tanks that gravity-fed cold and heated water throughout the facility. The incoming supply used imperial pipework, 40-foot sections of 1.5-inch (42mm) imperial pipe, technology dating back decades.
"This is our incoming old imperial 40-foot, well, inch and a half imperial, or 42 mil, very slightly different,"
Steve explained during the roof work. The team needed to convert from this obsolete sizing to modern metric standards while maintaining water supply to the operational building below.
The Conversion Process
The DD Wilson team bridged the old imperial system to new metric pipework using specialist conversion fittings. The new distribution system used 67mm copper pipe,
"the size of my hand,"
As Steve demonstrated, providing substantially improved flow rates for the modern boiler system.
The roof conversion included:
Bypassing the old gravity-fed tank system
Installing new 67mm main distribution pipework
Creating two outlet zones: 42mm for the kitchen area and 67mm for the rest of the building
Professional clipping and support for all new pipework
Careful coordination to avoid disrupting the building's daily water supply
This wasn't simply a matter of installing new pipes; it required careful planning to ensure the building never lost water service during the transition.
Press-Fit Technology: Speed, Safety, and Quality
One of the key technical innovations that accelerated this project was DD Wilson's use of modern press-fit copper technology instead of traditional soldering methods.
What is Press-Fit Technology?
In the plant room, the team demonstrated their Pressfitt machine, a specialist tool that creates watertight joints without hot work, soldering, or naked flames.
"This is an absolute monster of a thing,"
Steve explained, showing the press tool in action.
"We've got the press machine, the press jaws that wrap around, and these pinches, a bit like a crab, go on tight."
The process involved:
Positioning the copper pipe and fitting
Clamping the press jaws around the joint
Activating the hydraulic press with a simple button
Creating an instant, permanent, watertight seal
Why Press-Fit Matters for Commercial Projects
The advantages of press-fit technology were particularly important for this occupied building:
Safety: No naked flames or hot work permits required, crucial when working in an operational building with vulnerable occupants and historic features to protect.
Speed: Joints that would take several minutes to solder are completed in seconds, dramatically accelerating installation without compromising quality.
Reliability: "Even with water coming out of it, like this one, you don't need to solder," Steve noted. The press-fit creates joints that are actually stronger and more reliable than traditional soldered connections.
Versatility: "This can be used on water and gas," the team explained, making it suitable for the entire system installation.
Reduced Disruption: No fire watch requirements, no hot work coordination, no concerns about heat damage to surrounding structures or furnishings.
For a project of this scale, with complete building repipe including water and heating distribution, press-fit technology was transformative, helping DD Wilson deliver weeks ahead of the original 12-week estimate.
Section-by-Section Installation: The Five-Zone Strategy
The building was divided into five distinct sections for sequential installation, allowing most of the facility to remain operational while work progressed in isolated zones.
Section 1: The Plant Room and Main Systems
The priority was establishing the new plant room, the central hub from which all heating and hot water would be distributed.
Cascade Boiler Installation:
The team installed a 300kW cascade heating system using commercial-grade boilers with 2-year manufacturer warranties. This system would serve all 24 radiators throughout the building with modern, efficient heat distribution.
Hot Water System:
Three Rinnai high-flow gas-fired water heaters were installed to provide reliable, high-volume hot water for the kitchen facilities, communal toilets, and utility areas. These units came with an impressive 5-year manufacturer's warranty. Crucially, the team incorporated a secondary return circulation system, a legal requirement under Legionella legislation for public buildings. This ensures hot water continuously circulates, preventing the stagnant conditions where dangerous bacteria can develop.
Distribution Infrastructure:
From the plant room, new copper pipework radiated throughout the building. The team carefully routed pipes to minimise visual impact while ensuring optimal flow rates and system efficiency.
Radiator Replacement Throughout
One of the most visible aspects of the project was the replacement of radiators throughout the building's approximately 72 rooms. This was a massive undertaking; each radiator needed removal, wall preparation, new radiator installation, and system connection. The old radiators had been sized for outdated, inefficient heating technology, requiring massive units to deliver adequate heat.
The new Stelrad radiators, backed by 20-year manufacturer warranties, were:
Significantly more efficient, delivering more heat from smaller units
Sized adequately for each room's calculated heat requirements
Positioned to optimise heat distribution while minimising visual intrusion
Connected with modern thermostatic radiator valves for individual temperature control
The Professional Touch: Wall Painting and Finishing
A detail that particularly impressed the League of Welldoers was DD Wilson's commitment to leaving spaces better than they found them.
"When we've removed these radiators, the old radiators, because they're old, they used to use a lot bigger radiators,"
A team member explained.
"So it's left all marks, like where the old radiators used to be."
Rather than simply installing new radiators and leaving unsightly wall marks, DD Wilson brought in professional painters to touch up all affected areas.
"We've got the painters in, and basically, what they're doing is let's go around your radiator locations and paint them in."
The team noted.
"That's some of the touches that we do at DD Wilson to make sure our work stands out. We're doing these finishing touches, basically going the extra mile for our customer."
This attention to detail, painting walls after radiator removal, exemplifies the difference between adequate contractors and exceptional ones. For a historic public building, these finishing touches matter enormously.
External Gas Supply: Routing New Infrastructure
Paul, another DD Wilson team member, handled the installation of the external gas supply, a critical component often overlooked in discussions of heating projects but essential for safety and compliance.
The new gas supply routing involved:
Installing external pipework from the gas meter location
Running supplies through the offices
Routing into the hallway
Dropping down into the kitchen area where the gas meter was located
Professional clipping and support throughout
Full compliance with Gas Safety regulations
As a Gas Safe-registered company (Registration No. 583586), DD Wilson ensured that every aspect of the gas installation met or exceeded regulatory requirements, essential for a public building and a charitable institution.
The Condensate Solution: Soak-Away with Limestone Neutralisation
One fascinating technical detail that Vaughan explained was the condensate drainage system, an often-overlooked but crucial component of modern commercial boiler installations.
What is Condensate and Why Does It Matter?
"When a flue produces gases, not all of the gases come through the boiler." "They drop into a little cup at the bottom of the boiler called a condensate trap that fills up, and then that excess water in that trap from the flue originally drops down and goes to a condensate soak-away."
Modern condensing boilers are highly efficient precisely because they extract so much heat from combustion gases that water vapour condenses. This condensate, however, is acidic and can't simply be drained anywhere.
The Soak-Away Solution
For the League of Welldoers project, traditional drainage to waste pipes wasn't feasible in all locations. The solution was to install condensate soakaways with limestone chippings.
"Now this is a soak-away. It basically sits inside the floor in this hole,"
Darren demonstrated.
"Limestone chippings get placed inside, and this condensate overflow pipe gets installed here."
Why Limestone?
"The reason for limestone is that the flue vapours produce an acidic water, so that limestone chippings neutralise that water, because it's really bad for foundations. It burns through foundations, and especially if animals or whatever see the puddle of water and drink it, it's very fatal to them."
This environmental and safety consideration, neutralising acidic condensate with limestone before it enters the ground, demonstrates the depth of expertise DD Wilson brings to commercial installations. It's not just about making the system work; it's about ensuring long-term safety and environmental responsibility.
Coordination and Communication: The Human Element
Throughout the installation, DD Wilson's team maintained constant communication with Tony and the League of Welldoers staff to coordinate work schedules, minimise disruption, and ensure the building could continue its vital community services.
Working Around Activities
The charity's daily schedule included lunch services, activities for elderly community members, and various gatherings. The DD Wilson team scheduled noisy work during quieter periods, coordinated room access carefully, and kept Tony informed of progress at every stage.
Dust and Debris Control
Images from the project show professional floor protection in historic rooms, including a formal dining area with period furniture and decorations. Yellow protective sheeting protected carpets and furnishings, while the team cleaned up meticulously after each work session.
"We're keeping it safe,"
One team member noted, showing the protective measures in place. This wasn't just about protecting property; it was about respecting the 130-year legacy of community service this building represents.
The Team: Skilled Professionals Making It Happen
Throughout this project, several DD Wilson team members demonstrated the skilled craftsmanship that sets professional commercial installations apart:
Steve Balwine (Commercial Manager): Overall project coordination, client liaison, and technical problem-solving throughout the installation.
Darren Wilson: Company director personally involved in client consultations and project oversight, demonstrating DD Wilson's commitment to major commercial projects.
Josh McVey and Mick Parry: Pipework installation, handling conversion systems.
Paul Bithel: External gas supply routing and installation, ensuring full Gas Safe compliance.
Other team members: Condensate systems and technical installations requiring specialist knowledge. Plus, additional team members are handling radiator installations, painting, cleanup, and the countless other tasks required for a project of this complexity.
Each wore high-visibility workwear clearly branded with"DDWILSON.COM - COMMERCIAL & DOMESTIC GAS ENGINEERS,"
Maintaining a professional appearance and easy identification for building users who needed to coordinate access or had questions.
Technical Challenges Overcome
Imperial to Metric Conversion
Working with decades-old imperial pipework while installing modern metric systems required specialist knowledge and conversion fittings not commonly needed in standard residential work.
Multi-Storey Distribution
Routing pipework through multiple floors of a historic building, while protecting period features and maintaining structural integrity, demanded careful planning and execution.
Pressure Balancing
Converting from a low-pressure gravity system (under 1 bar) to a modern pressurised system (over 1 bar) required careful pressure management to ensure even heat distribution across all five building sections.
System Commissioning
Each section needed independent pressure testing, flushing, and commissioning before being brought online, all while other sections remained operational.
Quality Assurance and Testing
Before any section was signed off as complete, DD Wilson conducted rigorous testing:
Pressure testing: Every section of new pipework is tested to ensure no leaks under operating pressure
Flow rate verification: Ensuring adequate water flow to all radiators and outlets
Temperature testing: Confirming each radiator reached target temperatures efficiently
Safety checks: Gas pressure testing, flue gas analysis, and safety device verification
Control system testing: Ensuring thermostats, timers, and zone controls operated correctly
As a Gas Safe-registered company, DD Wilson's testing protocols exceeded minimum regulatory requirements, providing the League of Welldoers with confidence that their new system was not just functional but also safe and optimised for long-term reliability.
The Result: Ahead of Schedule, Beyond Expectations
What DD Wilson initially estimated at 42 days (6 weeks) and competitors quoted at up to 82 days (nearly 12 weeks) was completed in just 21 days. This remarkable timeline was achieved through:
Careful pre-planning and material procurement
Use of modern press-fit technology is accelerating installation
Skilled team coordination minimising downtime
Excellent communication and cooperation with the League of Welldoers staff
Professional project management keeps all phases on track
The building's heating and hot water systems were transformed from antiquated, inefficient, and potentially unsafe infrastructure to a modern, reliable, highly efficient system, all while the charity continued serving its community members daily.
Looking Ahead to Part 3
In the final instalment of this case study, we'll explore the project's completion, Tony's comprehensive testimonial revealing why DD Wilson stood out from the competition, and the long-term benefits this heating transformation delivers to the League of Welldoers and the Liverpool community it serves.
We'll also examine the warranties, maintenance provisions, and ongoing support that make this not just a successful installation, but a long-term partnership between DD Wilson and a vital charitable institution.
Need Commercial Heating Services in Liverpool or the Wirral?
DD Wilson Gas and Heating Engineers Ltd specialises in commercial heating installations for businesses, charities, schools, and other organisations across Liverpool, Wirral, and surrounding areas.
Our commercial heating services include:
Complete heating system design and installation
Hot water systems for commercial facilities
Legionella risk assessments and control
Energy efficiency upgrades
Contact DD Wilson today:
📞 Phone: 0151 739 8945 📧 Email: info@ddwilson.com 🌐 Website: www.ddwilson.com
Address: Unit 8, Redwood Point, Woodward Road, L33 7UZ, United Kingdom
Emergency commercial heating support is available because we understand that heating failures in commercial buildings can't wait.
