Commercial Boiler Installation at Manchester’s Beetham Tower

This commercial boiler installation in Manchester saw Atmostherm replace the ageing heating system at Beetham Tower, one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks, with four high-efficiency Ideal Evomod boilers.

History of Beetham Tower Manchester

Beetham Tower, also known as the Hilton Tower, is a landmark skyscraper in Manchester, England. Designed by Ian Simpson Architects, construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2006. At 554 feet (169 metres) tall, it became the tallest building in Manchester and the tallest residential building in the United Kingdom outside London.

Initially, the lower floors were intended for commercial use, featuring offices, retail spaces and a restaurant. However, in 2008 the tower underwent a complete conversion, creating 219 luxury apartments with panoramic views over the Manchester skyline, and a 279-room hotel operated by the Hilton Worldwide chain.

This conversion marked a shift in the tower’s primary function from commercial to residential and hospitality, catering to both long-term residents and short-term visitors to Manchester. The latest news, published by the Manchester Evening News, is that the tower could now be in line for further major renovations.

Project Overview: A Commercial Boiler Installation for a Manchester Landmark

Since its opening in October 2006, the building had been equipped with four gas-fired pressure jet boilers, delivering a combined heating capacity of 4,800kW. However, one boiler was no longer working and the others were at the end of their lives.

Atmostherm, with over 40 years’ experience in the HVAC industry, was awarded the contract to replace the boilers at Beetham Tower. We selected the Evomod commercial heating boilers by Ideal, specifically designed for powering hotel hot water and hotel heating systems.

The solution involved the strategic selection and installation of four Evomod 1000kW boilers, each capable of delivering high efficiency with a compact footprint — crucial for the space-constrained environment of Beetham Tower. To ensure efficiency and adaptability, Plate Heat Exchangers were incorporated. These were pivotal in managing the heating system’s pressure, allowing for the seamless distribution of hot water throughout the skyscraper and delivering consistent heating across the residential apartments, hotel spaces, and health and fitness facilities.

The Challenge: A Commercial Boiler Installation Without Downtime

At Atmostherm we have the experience needed to install commercial water heaters for hotels while maintaining heat and hot water when heating systems are upgraded in hotels, restaurants, office buildings and warehouses.

The key is a phased approach, ensuring that heating and hot water services are not disrupted. Temporary heating solutions may be necessary to bridge gaps while systems are being upgraded or replaced. Strategic planning — including the timing of renovations and temporary installations — is crucial to minimise inconvenience and ensure buildings remain functional and compliant with safety standards throughout the process.

The Solution: Ideal Evomod Commercial Boilers

We chose Ideal Evomod commercial boilers for the Beetham Tower project.

The Evomod boiler is available in 250kW, 500kW, 750kW and 1000kW models, offering a scalable solution of up to 1MW per unit. These boilers have a small footprint, enabling installation where space is limited — exactly the case at Beetham Tower.

The Evomod boilers have transformed heating at Beetham Tower, delivering several key benefits:

• Energy Efficiency: The advanced control system optimises energy consumption, reducing operational costs and environmental impact.
• Space-Saving Design: Their compact, modular nature made installation feasible within the constrained plant room — a critical factor in the project’s success.
• Exceptional Support and Service: Ideal Heating provided outstanding service, from pre-installation advice to onsite support and a smooth commissioning process. Atmostherm benefited from Ideal Heating’s free commissioning service, ensuring optimal performance from day one.

Our Project Director, Andy Payne, commented:

“The service from Ideal Heating has been brilliant from beginning to end. Paul Jones, Ideal’s Commercial Business Development Manager, was always available for questions and advice, and the team came to site for visits whenever required. The commissioning process went very smoothly. They were also on hand when it came to deciding to use the plate heat exchanger to achieve our desired output. There have been no issues with the boilers since installation.”

We valued the boilers’ advanced control systems, which allow precise modulation of heat output. In the renovation of Beetham Tower, four Evomod 1000kW condensing boilers were installed to serve both the hotel and apartment units. Equipped with Plate Heat Exchangers, they facilitate the efficient distribution of hot water throughout the building, showcasing our expertise in heating solutions.

Atmostherm provides commercial heating solutions to clients across Manchester and the North West of the UK.