Status - Active Technical Evaluation
A structured proof-of-concept and estate-evaluation programme delivered in partnership with Severn Trent Services, assessing how Integro™ technology can support limescale control, hot water reliability, asset protection and long-term water hygiene resilience across a large independent school estate.
“Supporting reliable hot water, protected plant assets and improved operational resilience across high-occupancy boarding accommodation.”
Project Summary
Customer: Uppingham School
Partner: Severn Trent Services
Sector: Education / Independent Boarding School Estate
Location: Fircroft Boarding House, Uppingham School
Programme Status: Active / Proof of Concept Completed / Wider Estate Evaluation Recommended
Solution: Integro™ Water Restructuring System
Initial Survey Date: 29 July 2025
Installation Date: Late 2025
90-Day Inspection Date: 4 February 2026
Overview
The Uppingham School project represents a structured collaboration between Sidon Water, Severn Trent Services and Uppingham School to evaluate the performance of Integro™ technology within a large, complex educational estate affected by hard water.
Uppingham School comprises approximately 120 buildings, including multiple boarding houses with centralised and distributed domestic hot water systems. The estate has experienced persistent hard-water challenges, including limescale accumulation in calorifiers, scale-related obstruction at outlets and reduced return temperatures.
Fircroft Boarding House was selected as the first proof-of-concept location due to its clearly documented hard-water issues, accessible plant configuration and suitability for visible and technical performance assessment.
The programme began with a detailed site survey, followed by targeted Integro™ installation and a 90-day follow-up inspection. Early evidence from Fircroft shows the system behaving as expected during the initial scale-release and stabilisation phase, with visible detachment of historic deposits, cleaner heat-transfer surfaces, clear shower and tap performance, and no evidence of new hard crystalline scale formation.
Timeline & Project Details
Phase 1 – Site Survey & Technical Assessment
Sidon Water attended Uppingham School with Severn Trent Services to assess the Fircroft Building as a potential proof-of-concept site.
The survey reviewed the domestic cold water and hot water systems, including:
- Cold water storage and booster pump arrangements
- Calorifier configuration and associated pipework
- Hot water recirculation loops
- Existing limescale-related issues
- Outlet condition, including taps and showerheads
- Suitability for installation and performance monitoring
- Opportunities for future estate-wide application
The cold water system was found to feed from a single unpartitioned storage tank of approximately 9,000 litres, supplying a booster pump set on 2” pipework. The hot water system included three electric calorifiers arranged across two separate hot water loops, with one loop serving a single calorifier and another serving two calorifiers in parallel.
The survey confirmed significant hard-water challenges, including visible scale build-up in calorifiers and associated pipework, blocked taps and showerheads and insufficient return temperatures.
Fircroft was therefore identified as an ideal proof-of-concept location due to the combination of known hard-water problems, practical installation points and clear mechanisms for visual and technical validation.
Phase 2 – Targeted Integro™ Installation
Following the site survey, a targeted Integro™ installation strategy was proposed to provide treatment across both incoming cold water and key hot water circuits.
The recommended approach included:
- Integro™ protection on the cold water outlet from the storage tank to treat incoming water to the building
- Integro™ units on hot water return loops to support scale removal before the calorifiers
- Optional additional treatment on the hot water flow serving the dual-calorifier loop, where historic scale and water hygiene issues had been noted
The purpose of the installation was to prevent new hard limescale formation, support gradual removal of historic scale deposits, improve the cleanliness of heat-transfer surfaces and reduce outlet obstruction over time.
Installation points were selected to work with the existing plant room configuration while minimising disruption to the school’s operations.
Phase 3 – 90-Day Inspection & Early Evidence Review
A follow-up inspection was carried out approximately two to three months after installation to assess early performance.
The purpose of the inspection was not to claim full long-term results, but to confirm whether the system was behaving as expected during the early scale-release phase.
Inspection activity included:
- Endoscopic inspection of the main calorifier
- Review of heat-transfer surfaces and immersion elements
- Inspection of taps, screens and filters
- Inspection of shower heads, hoses and internal screens
- Visual review of debris captured at outlets
- Assessment of whether new hard crystalline scale was forming
Calorifier Findings
The main calorifier inspection found significant quantities of freed-up scale debris settled at the base of the vessel. The internal coil surface was notably clean, very little scale remained bonded to the immersion heater element and there was no evidence of new hard crystalline build-up.
This indicates that historic deposits were detaching from previously fouled surfaces rather than actively forming as new hard scale.
Outlet Performance & Building-Wide Observations
Taps and shower outlets across Fircroft were inspected to determine whether scale-related obstruction was still present.
Tap screens contained small amounts of fine debris, but this material appeared soft, powdery or paste-like rather than hard crystalline scale. This is consistent with historic deposits being softened and released from upstream pipework during the early operating phase.
Shower inspection also showed positive results. Spray nozzles were clear, jets were straight and uniform, and there was no visible deflection or partial blockage. Hose filters contained only minor quantities of flushed debris, with no crusted or bonded scale present.
The condition of outlets provides strong visual confirmation that the system is supporting both scale prevention and gradual removal of historic deposits.
Interpretation of Early Results
At approximately 90 days post-installation, the Fircroft system is progressing in line with expected Integro™ performance characteristics.
The evidence demonstrates:
- Detachment of historic scale within the calorifier
- Cleaner heat-transfer surfaces
- Reduced bonded scale on immersion elements
- Softened debris flushing through to end points
- No evidence of new hard crystalline scale formation
- Clear and unobstructed taps and showers
- Early signs of protected hot water performance
Continued release of historic deposits should be expected during the stabilisation phase. Screens and filters may continue to capture small amounts of debris while the system clears legacy scale from pipework, calorifiers and outlets.
Programme Values
The Fircroft proof of concept is important because it demonstrates how Integro™ can be applied within a live boarding school environment where hot water reliability, asset protection and water hygiene resilience are operationally critical.
The project supports the following objectives:
- Protecting calorifiers, immersion elements and heat-transfer surfaces
- Reducing new limescale formation
- Supporting gradual removal of historic deposits
- Improving outlet performance at taps and showers
- Reducing maintenance pressure caused by blocked strainers, outlets and elements
- Supporting more stable domestic hot water performance
- Providing practical evidence for wider estate decision-making
- Supporting Severn Trent Services in delivering a non-salt-based approach to scale control for complex client estates
Next Steps
Based on the encouraging early results observed at Fircroft Boarding House, Sidon Water recommends progressing to the next stage of estate assessment in partnership with Severn Trent Services and Uppingham School.
The next stage should include:
- Identification of additional boarding houses or high-priority buildings
- Site surveys of selected locations
- Review of existing plant layouts, hot water generation systems and known scale issues
- Selection of further validation sites based on operational need
- Continued monitoring at Fircroft to document the stabilisation phase
- Further review of outlet condition, calorifier condition and maintenance feedback
- Consideration of phased rollout across the wider Uppingham estate
The Integro™ installation at Fircroft Boarding House has delivered strong early evidence of performance within two to three months of operation.
Historic scale is visibly detaching, heat-transfer surfaces are cleaner, taps and showers remain clear and there is no evidence of new hard crystalline scale formation. These findings provide clear visual and physical confirmation that the technology is operating as designed during the early stabilisation phase.
The Fircroft project provides a strong foundation for continued collaboration between Sidon Water, Severn Trent Services and Uppingham School, with the potential to support wider deployment across the estate.
As the programme progresses, further monitoring and additional site assessments will help build a robust evidence base for long-term asset protection, improved hot water resilience and reduced scale-related maintenance across Uppingham School.
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