Case studies – SCHELL solutions prove their worth in the field

7-minute read

Fitting out sanitary facilities in places where usage frequency varies widely presents particular challenges to the solutions deployed – and also affects the duties of the building operators. At company production sites or in sports centres or spa/sauna facilities, usage frequencies tend to vary a lot, and not just on a day-to-day basis. Depending on the property type, longer usage interruptions can also occur, as a result of seasonal breaks or public holidays, for example. Fittings that are used by an ever-changing set of patrons also need to meet particular requirements for their design: exceptional robustness and resistance to vandalism are required, plus user hygiene and support for maintaining drinking water quality. Last but not least, the hygienic yet simultaneously economical operation of the drinking water installation is also important for building operators. We will now use three examples to show you how these demands can be met perfectly with solutions from SCHELL.

Vema GmbH & Co. KG has shared a joint head office with parent company Kläger Group in Neusäß, Bavaria since the 1970s. As part of a comprehensive renovation project, the sanitary facilities received a state-of-the-art update with SCHELL products.

The changing rooms and sanitary facilities at this family-run business dated from the 1980s. The design, technology and functionality offered by these facilities was therefore no longer fit for purpose. As part of large-scale renovations to the property, one objective was to comprehensively modernise the sanitary equipment. Alongside user hygiene, the building operators were also keen to maintain drinking water quality. Their aim was to find intelligent solutions that could effectively prevent the excessive spread of Legionella in the piping while supporting high-quality user hygiene.

The new sanitary facilities are based around the SCHELL SWS Water Management System. Networked with electronic SCHELL fittings, SWS ensures optimum support for maintaining drinking water quality and hygiene. Individually programmable, automated stagnation flushes effectively prevent the excessive spread of bacteria such as Legionella, even during periods of non-use for the building – such as during company holidays and on public holidays. Thanks to the digital logging of all relevant data, the operators also have no problems proving their compliance with German drinking water legislation. User hygiene is ensured by the deployment of contactless wash basin taps and low-contact shower fittings, both of which minimise the risk of contact infections. CELIS E HD-M wash basin taps were used for the wash basins: networked together with SCHELL SWS, these meet the highest demands for drinking water hygiene. The IR sensor technology that they use also ensures their hygienic operation while making the CELIS E especially economical, since the flow of water is only triggered when water is actually required and stops automatically when the user moves their hands out of the sensor’s range. In the shower facilities, LINUS Inox DP-C-T shower panels with matching COMFORT Flex shower head plus a LINUS Inox DP-C-T-D-H shower panel and additional hand shower were installed, and also networked together with SWS. The water-saving and hygienic shower panels, made from high-quality brushed stainless steel, are triggered using CVD touch electronics, while their innovative ThermoProtect technology offers reliable anti-scalding protection – even if the cold water line fails. Matching soap trays on the shower fittings offer a handy place to store items while showering and help to further improve user comfort.

More information about the project and other SCHELL products used for this customer can be found in the Head office, Vema GmbH & Co. KG case study.

In the new multi-sports centre built in Erbach, Baden-Württemberg, to replace the old Jahnsporthalle, SCHELL products are meeting the highest standards for building services. After deciding to deploy advanced technical equipment across the board, the responsible developers chose modern, high-quality solutions from SCHELL for the sanitary facility fit-out.

The new centre’s sanitary equipment also needed to be ‘fit as a fiddle’, with innovative products capable of meeting the highest demands for functionality and drinking water/user hygiene. These sanitary facilities also needed to optimise the operational processes at the sports centre: here, building operators were looking for a solution that would support and simplify their record-keeping with the aim of proving the specified normal operation of the drinking water installation.

To ensure that drinking water hygiene could also be maintained during seasonal periods of less use, the developers decided to install the SCHELL SWS Water Management System to network the drinking water tapping points in the washrooms and the showers. The use of automated stagnation flushes effectively prevents the excessive growth of bacteria in the installation piping. This is not only an efficient and time-saving approach, but gives building operators proof of the specified normal operation of the drinking water system. The digital documentation cannot be tampered with and is therefore 100% reliable. Nor do records need to be maintained by hand, further reducing the administrative workload. Last but not least, contactless wash basin taps and low-contact shower heads ensure high levels of user hygiene and comfort. This ambitious approach to facility design includes the use of CELIS E electronic wash basin taps, which feature no-contact triggering via IR sensors: this minimises the risk of contact infections while supporting user hygiene during periods of peak use. Since the flow of water is only triggered when a hand is present in the sensor field, the wash basin taps also help to ensure the economical use of water. The LINUS D-C-T concealed showers installed have also been networked with SWS. Their CVD touch electronics are triggered by the pressure-sensitive actuation element and stop the flow of water automatically after a preconfigured period of time. Anti-scalding protection is also provided by the built-in thermostat, even if the cold water line fails or pressure fluctuations occur in the system. The matching COMFORT Flex shower heads also ensure relaxed showering after a sports session with their soft jets and hygienic anti-limescale burls. The robust shower head design also considerably extends the durability of the sanitary facilities in the Erbach multi-sports centre.

More information about the project and other SCHELL products used for this customer can be found in the Erbach multi-sports centre case study.

The Panorama Sauna in Grafschaft-Holzweiler is one of the most popular sauna venues in the Cologne/Bonn metropolitan area. In the course of a comprehensive extension and renovation project, SCHELL products were chosen that could enhance the unique spa experience at this site while also maintaining drinking water hygiene.

With the construction of an elegant sauna area, the family-run Panorama Sauna was looking to enhance its popular spa venue with another beautifully appointed attraction. Alongside a modern and appealing design, premium, robust quality was also needed – capable of handling the high numbers of regular sauna visitors. Specific requirements for energy efficiency, drinking water hygiene and user hygiene also needed to be met, so as to ensure hygienic and trouble-free day-to-day operations at the spa facility.

SCHELL offered an impressive package of high-end, modern design, first-class advice and assistance, and exceptional product quality. First of all, LINUS Inox DP-C-T shower panels were installed into the new shower block. As renovation work proceeded, more than 40 other panels were then installed all over the sauna premises. Reliable protection from scalding – even if the cold water line fails – is offered by these shower panels with their innovative ThermoProtect technology. The flow of water is triggered using low-contact, CVD touch electronics actuation and stops automatically after a preconfigured time. This ensures that LINUS Inox shower panels not only improve user hygiene in the Panorama Sauna but are also effective at cutting water consumption. The pleasant soft jet produced by the COMFORT Flex shower head also provides a refreshing shower experience before and after a sauna. The premium-quality, stainless steel LINUS Inox DP-C-T exposed shower panels installed at the spa offer an appealing design, an especially robust construction and economical water usage. Despite the consistently high volume of visitors, showers at the Panorama Sauna occasionally experience periods of downtime, such as during public holidays. To provide optimum support for maintaining drinking water hygiene even at these times, the owners installed the SCHELL SWS Water Management System. The programmable stagnation flushes complement the Sauna’s hygiene strategy perfectly, as this reliably prevents the propagation of any bacteria dangerous to health, such as Legionella.

More information about the project and other SCHELL products used for this customer can be found in the Panorama Sauna Grafschaft-Holzweiler case study.

Tried and tested in many real-world projects, SCHELL products are ideally suited to meeting the particular challenges faced in sanitary facilities that are provided by responsible-minded building operators for their large and heterogeneous mix of patrons. Solutions from SCHELL are a solid choice for periods of heavy or fluctuating use alike, and most especially in the case of breaks in use – such as seasonal shutdowns or business interruptions caused by public holidays, for example. The SWS Water Management System in particular helps operators maintain the facility’s drinking water quality easily yet economically.

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