Recognizing the need for rest and recreation for members in the Public Service, the Civil Service Club was set up by the Singapore Government in the 1970s. Starting out as a humble club with modest facilities, they have now expanded to their newest location at Bukit Batok, boasting a wave pool and double tiered swimming pool among many other facilities.
Photo credits: Civil Service Club Singapore
Recently, in their initiative to go green, the Civil Service Club commissioned a project to upgrade their water heating systems to use heat pumps. Heat pumps draw heat from the ambient air to heat water. While regular water heaters run at 3000 watts, heat pumps run at only 210 watts which helps save energy and lowers running cost.
Several site surveys were made to find the best location to install the heat pumps. Heat pumps come in many shapes and sizes and they can be placed above false ceilings or outdoors. Weatherproof models can be installed near air-con compressors or at locations exposed to sun and rain.
The club considered two options and settled with option B for the following reasons:
Option A
Heaters are installed far away from shower area and hot water takes a longer time to get to the user. More heat loss through pipes.
Option B
Heaters installed just above shower area, can save on piping costs.
Generally, the best location to install water heaters is as close as possible to the shower. However, this not a hard and fast rule and the installation location is usually determined based on several factors such as price or ease of maintenance.
The heat pump systems were installed over the span of a few days with minimal downtime. Before mounting, they are lined up for inspection. They are as quick to install as regular electric heater units as the installation process is simple.
As they fall under the category of ‘storage’ systems, heat pumps can also be expected to produce hot water at consistent temperature and pressure like conventional electric storage water heaters that are commonly found in Singapore.
Heat pumps can easily save more energy than solar heaters in Singapore, but just how much energy have they saved for the club? To test this, meter readings were recorded 3 months before and after the installation of heat pumps in shower rooms. Records show a 70% energy reduction on weekdays and an 80% saving on weekends when usage is higher.
Heat pumps systems are widely used in hotels, serviced apartments and clubs around the world. Management groups which are ultimately responsible for their own utility bills are more aware of the energy saving options available to them. Find out more information about our Heat Pumps here.
