In June, the Embassy of the Republic of Austria in Bulgaria contacted TANGRA for the replacement of the pumping equipment in the building located on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard in Sofia. This building was constructed over 110 years ago and is declared a cultural monument. For this reason, it was a privilege for TANGRA that the embassy’s technical department turned to us for the replacement.
The reconstruction was prompted by the embassy’s desire to replace the outdated pumps with ones that comply with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, which came into effect in 2013. The building had pumps that had been in operation for more than 50 years. The equipment installed in the building consisted of Grundfos pumps UPC 40-60, UPS 42-50, and UP 35-60. They provided heating and domestic hot water supply for the building.
For the necessary replacement, the latest generation of electronic Grundfos pumps were selected, respectively:
– Magna-3 40-60 – for the heating system;
– Magna-3 40-60 – made of stainless steel for domestic hot water;
– Alpha-2 25-60 – for the individual circuits of the heating system;
During the replacement, the installation was not modified, thanks to the fact that the dimensions of the new pumps were matched to those of the old ones. The replacement of a total of 19 pumps included draining, replacing, refilling, and venting the system. No adjustment of the installation was required during the pump replacement, due to the built-in „Auto Adapt” function, which allows the pumps to adapt to the respective branch of the system. The only change required was in the electrical supply.
The old pumps were three-phase, while the new ones are single-phase. During the installation of the new pumps, motor protection devices were also installed, which were missing on the old pumps. This is not mandatory, but recommended, as it protects the pump.
The new pumps provide smooth and consistent operation of the system within the set parameters, regardless of changes in flow and pressure caused by the thermostatic valves installed on the radiators. This was not possible with the old pumps, which could not adapt to the system and its instantaneous demand. The new Grundfos Magna 3 and Grundfos Alpha 2 pumps adjust their operating parameters according to the needs of the consumers, resulting in a significant reduction in energy consumption by the heating and water systems in the embassy building.
Thus, the team of TANGRA replaced the pumping equipment and achieved the energy efficiency improvements desired by the Embassy of the Republic of Austria, and the results reflect a satisfied client! „Because we believe that satisfied customers are our best advertisement!”
