Case Study on a Project: The Austonian, 200 Congress St. Austin, TX
Overview of the installation site
The Austonian is the upscale luxury residence in Austin. Located in the heart of Austin’s eclectic cultural district, it offers its residents 360-degree views and unparalleled amenities; in addition, it received a four-star rating under the Austin Energy Green Building ™ program. At over 680 feet in height, The Austonian is the tallest residential tower west of the Mississippi River.
The opportunity offered
The managers at The Austonian were not satisfied with the time required to supply each unit with hot water. In some cases, it took 2 to 3 minutes for the hot water to reach the devices. A team of engineers was set up to find a solution to reduce hot water supply times, a reduction that upper-class residents were entitled to expect. With more than 60 floors to upgrade, the Solver Circuit was deemed the perfect solution for The Austonian’s domestic hot water system and no other options were considered.
The installation
The distribution pipes are housed in the ceilings of the corridors and supply branch lines serving each of the residential units. Certified plumbers installed Circuit Solver in each of the units, above the ceiling, near the return. Located behind fake air vents for easy access, shut-off valves have been placed on either side of the Solver Circuit to simplify maintenance in the future. Most of the work was done in the corridors, but entry into the private residential units had to be planned. The construction time in a private unit has been minimized due to the ease of installation of the Solver Circuit.
Following installation, residents are more than happy with the hot water supply times. The units for which waiting times were several minutes saw their number decrease substantially, the devices now reaching the correct temperature in 20 – 30 seconds. Another benefit is the reduction in utility costs resulting from decreased water wastage and the use of less powerful pumps.
The result
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