At the prestigious Maison Talbooth Hotel in the beautiful Dedham Vale guests enjoy swimming in the hotel’s large outdoor pool at any time of the year in the certain knowledge that although the air may be cold the swimming pool will be pleasantly warm. The pool is part of the luxurious Pool House Complex at the Essex hotel which also incorporates a hot tub, decking, covered stoop with log burning fire and facilities for indoor and outdoor dining.
Until the summer of 2010 the swimming pool had been heated by powerful LPG boilers. Director Robert Walmsley suggested to Milsom Hotels that a saving on running costs and considerable savings on carbon emissions could be achieved if the pool was heated through Spring, Summer and Autumn by an Air Source Heat Pump. While the outside air is relatively mild the coefficient of performance of an air source heat pump would result in very significant savings compared to heating the swimming pool with the LPG boilers.
Anticipated savings should be around 80,000 kWh per year which equates to around a 50% reduction in running costs and reduced CO2 emissions of approximately 10 tons per year.
After initial discussions in late July 2010, Paul Milsom quickly decided to take the idea on board and a Gullberg & Jansson Air Source Heat Pump was supplied and installed during August. The heat pump was commissioned on 2nd September and kept the pool at its customary temperature through September and October. A by-pass mechanism has been incorporated so that heating can easily be switched from the air source heat pump to the LPG boiler when the outdoor temperature drops and the heat energy from the LPG Boilers is required.
Mr. Milsom commented that he was delighted with how the contract had been managed and with the level of service provided noting that the work was carried out with least disruption and without interruption to the use of the swimming pool. He commented, “the heat pump operated very well during the autumn and we look forward to monitoring the running cost savings through the season next year.”