Stability and certainty with district heating
The Salo family’s heating substation had served their detached house bravely for 35 years. However, the substation’s retirement days were already at hand, as the estimated service life of a heating substation is approximately 20–25 years. Soon the Salo family heard a creak and bang from their hallway, when the old heat exchanger of the heating substation started to leak. This is when the Salos decided that it was time to replace the heating substation.
The Salos have been living in a detached house for about three years, and the sale of the house included district heating to heat the home. For many long years, the home's heart – or heating substation – had served the house and its inhabitants, but after 35 years of work, the substation needed to retire.
“Last winter, our old heating substation completely jammed. We still got it up and running, but little by little, the substation started leaking and tapping away. It was such an old device that it wasn’t worth fixing anymore,” says the family’s father, Acke Salo.
Simple, easy, and fast communication – a new heating substation quickly installed
The Salos sent tenders to companies in Oulu about new heating substations. Oulun Energia responded immediately. “Just a couple of days later, the guys were here and found out what was wrong with the old device. There was probably an internal leak.” The overall service life of a heating substation is approximately 20–25 years. It is then recommended that the device be replaced with a new one.
When an old heating substation is replaced with a new one, a suitable substation can be acquired on the basis of existing data. In this way, it can be guaranteed that the device is not too powerful and expensive in relation to the heating needs, for example.
“If the customer already has a residential property that is heated with district heating, we can use our statistics and collected usage data to carefully plan the size and power of the equipment to be installed on the site,” explains Jarno Hautajärvi, HVAC engineer and project leader.
According to the Salos, the project went smoothly: “Right from the time of the tender, everything worked immediately”. Abiding by the Salo family’s wishes, the substation was switched out during a trip to their cottage. “The whole package worked very well for us. The technicians came here to install it, and when we got back from the cottage, everything was ready – the old device was gone and the new one was in operation.” The Salos praised the company for their clear communication in particular: it was always known when someone was working on-site.
A heating substation as a turnkey solution
We deliver new heating substations as a turnkey solution. From the customer's point of view, this means that once the offer has been accepted, there is no need to worry about anything else. “Replacing heating substations is a routine task for us, and the Salo project went just as it was on paper. The exchange went entirely according to plan,” says Hautajärvi.
At Oulun Energia, installers openly communicate with the customer and provide as much information as possible about the various stages of installation. Effort will be put into the introduction of the new heating substation, and its use will be made as easy as possible for the customer.
“Our work begins with a survey of the situation. We visit the site and write down things to consider when purchasing a new heating substation or parts of it. Once the offer has been accepted, we acquire the parts and equipment, and schedule the installation work. We dismantle the old device and install a new one. Finally, we do the final cleaning. When the installers have done their work, we conduct a district heating inspection, which is carried out on all heating substations connected to the district heating network. We then give you thorough instructions on how to use the device. If there are any questions afterwards, you can always contact us,” Hautajärvi describes the different stages of the process.
The Salos also felt that help was available when needed: “We had a positive experience of getting help and good service if we needed it.”
Worry-free and affordable heat for your home
The Salo home will remain warm, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient with district heating in the future. The heating substation will now remain quiet and satisfied for the coming decades, and the Salo family is also satisfied. With the new heating substation, the Salos received a modern device with an easy-to-use user interface and control panel. “You don't have to be a professional installer to know how to use the new substation,” Acke concludes happily.
According to Hautajärvi, heating substations can be installed all year round, as the heating disruption required for installation is short. Installation can be completed in a day on residential properties. The busiest seasons, however, are from summer to early autumn, when the beginning of the heating season prompts people to think about their own heating solutions.
Is your own heating substation retiring soon, or are you looking into buying a new property? We recommend that all heating substations that are over 15 years old, and buyers of new property, receive a district heating inspection. The purpose of the inspection is to improve the operation of your district heating equipment, such as district heat water cooling.
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