Packaged comfort ventilation at leisure centre

Originally opened in November 1989, the Dome Leisure centre is operated by the Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT) on behalf of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council. The Centre comprises of seven free form interlinked pools with a children’s area and flume water rides. Other features include two whirlpool spas, eighteen ‘Water Bubble Beds’, two artificial geysers, four water cannons, three massage channels, four water gargoyles and a mushroom drench shower.

The challenge

The high level of activity in such a large number of pools requires powerful and correctly dimensioned ventilation and dehumidification equipment. Since the opening, the leisure centre ventilation and humidity control equipment had already been replaced twice before Dantherm was contacted. High moisture loads and aggressive chemicals simply caused the air handling units to fail just 11 years after having been installed on average. Therefore, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council wanted a solution offering longer lifetime (upwards of 20 years), reduced operational costs and, equally important, creating a pleasant environment for bathers that would also protection the building itself from humidity damage.

The solution

DCLT chose Dantherm as their supplier of the new packaged AHU solution, DanX.

DanX is a range of comfort ventilation and air handling units for leisure centres, hotels, office buildings and more. The modular units regulate and control temperatures, humidity and air quality, creating a pleasant indoor climate. This also means that you can choose the exact functionality required for a specific project. The modules subsequently joined using a rail system that then contain all functionalities in one unit.

The integrated reversible heat pump delivers cooling in the summer and heating in the winter, so cooling installations on the outside are not necessary.

The solution that was ultimately installed at the Dome has the following overall characteristics:

• Dantherm provided a swimming pool ventilation and dehumidification solution DanX XKS with an expected operational life in excess of 20 years.

• The energy-efficient products will generate instant operating cost savings for the customer.

• Dantherm dismantled both of the DanX air handling units and transported them safely into position within a very restricted plant room and then reassembled them to factory standards.

• Dantherm’s project management team was responsible for the on-time delivery of a high quality installation working with particular focus on health and safety.

• The Dome Leisure Centre was operational and open to the public throughout the installation period and the new units provided temporary ventilation until final commissioning.

• Dantherm’s commissioning package included customer training and a detailed handover.

A satisfied customer

Terry Parker, Head of Facilities at DCLT, stated the following:

“DCLT had a clear remit from the start. We could not close the pool other than for a 4 week closure to decommission the old AHU’s and commission the new AHU’s. With this in mind, the only way to do this was to split the project into two Phases. Phase 1 involved the creation of a new plant room and the delivery and installation of the two AHU’s. This part of the project was very well coordinated and allowed the pool to remain open. The second phase of the project was very challenging for all parties. It involved a team of engineers from a number of companies working together to remove the old plant, adapt the Mezz floor, install the new ductwork, install a new BMS and commission the plant all within 4 weeks. Everyone pulled together to ensure that the project was delivered on schedule and within budget. Dantherm was a key part of this team and I would not hesitate in using them again on future projects”.