Since it was constructed a decade ago, Avanti Apartments has been struggling with mould, mildew and corrosion in its pool space.
This was due to inferior ventilation installed during the original build. Poor indoor air quality led to the eventual deterioration of the ceiling panels within the pool area, and the corrosion of many surfaces in the space.
The Avanti development includes two towers with 198 residential apartments, 45 commercial spaces, eight shops, a childcare centre, heated pool, spa and fully equipped gym. It is located 25km norwest of the Sydney CBD.
In this case study snapshot, Air Change outlines the solution delivered by its local engineering and manufacturing team. The team was able to tailor a customised 'turn-key' solution for Avanti from design, through to installation and maintenance.
The brief was to provide energy efficient heating for the pool, to eliminate condensation and corrosion issues and improve indoor air quality within the pool environment. Avanti also had the added challenge of space restrictions due to the limited available plant space.
Air Change’s solution was to supply a split DX heat pump system. A fully ducted fan coil incorporating an air to air heat exchanger was installed in the ceiling space to manage the quality and temperature of the air. To heat the pool water, Air Change installed a heat pump in the lower car park.
The most innovative aspect of this design is that the two units are linked, to ensure the energy from the exhaust air in the pool room released during water evaporation is recycled back into the pool air and water. This system dramatically reduces the heating costs compared with conventional pool water heating systems. The air to air heat recovery further reduces the overall running cost by improving the overall system efficiency.
The installed equipment has an energy metering and logging device that tracks energy consumption. Current indications show an annual energy cost reduction of 51 per cent. More importantly, the pool air environment is healthier and more comfortable while preserving the building fabric.
Best of all, it all happens at a lower heating cost than before the system upgrade. As the cost of gas increases in Australia the Air Change PoolPac Plus system offers an ideal solution to reduce energy running costs, minimise condensation and improve air quality in new pools and refurbishments.
Condensation and corrosion have long been an issue within poorly ventilated indoor pools, but now there is a solution that can also reduce running costs. Indoor pools are one of the most energy intensive building spaces with inherent health and safety risks, challenging architects, developers, builders and building managers with questions of design, installation, operation and maintenance in which owners must ultimately fund.
In addition to the high operating costs of any heated pool environment, there is the hidden costs of building fabric degradation if the moisture in the air is allowed to condense. The ideal indoor environment requires good temperature and humidity control, but this comes at increased operational cost.
Most people associate the interior of indoor pools with high humidity, stuffy chlorine smelling air and steamy windows, floors and walls. Water condensation is not only a safety, comfort and health problem but in the long term can cause serious, structural damage to the building. Without effective dehumidification and ventilation control, there is a risk of mould, corrosion, structural damage and an uncomfortable pool environment.
In a correctly designed pool heating system, a well-controlled environment can be created at the same cost as heating the pool water.