Dimplex adds warmth for worship

   Dimplex adds  warmth for worship  A Dimplex air curtain above a draughty  north facing doorway is helping to    create a warmer and more welcoming  atmosphere for parishioners in an     historic Cirencester church.    Completed in 1851 at a cost of £5,000, the  gothic revival-style church has all the       traditional heating challenges presented by  its classic design; high boarded roofs with  no insulation, beautiful single glazed stained glass windows as well as a downdraught  from the bell tower. And this, together with  the north facing main entrance, can make it  a cold and draughty place which deters  some parishioners from attending the      services.  Cirencester Church  It was parishioner and retired architect Terry  Hopegood who researched a series of      options and worked with electrical contractor  Tim Herbert to help create a warmer       environment for worship while longer term plans and budgets for upgrading the overall  comfort are being developed.    As well as finding the entrance heating    solution, it was equally important to       minimise any intrusion on the architectural integrity of the building, explained Terry  Hopegood.      We selected a Dimplex air  curtain because not only  did it turn out to be a      cost-effective solution but  we were also able to have  the unit’s finish colour  matched to blend as closely  as possible to the cream  distemper on the walls  

      Client         Products         Partners   A division of the GDC Group, Millbrook House, Grange Drive, Hedge End, Southampton, SO30 2DF  Tel: 0844 879 3587      Email: [email protected]      www.dimplex.co.uk/commercial     D1553/1111      Cirencester Church      Dimplex air curtain      Tim Herbert  The carefully planned installation also involved concealing the three phase  cabling which runs through a hole  drilled in the 750mm thick wall behind  the air curtain which is now concealed  in the porch roof. It runs neatly down  the wall angle on the exterior of the church and it is then concealed below  ground, eventually connecting to the  consumer unit in the vestry.    “Obviously you can see the unit on the Gothic arch above the doorway but  we’ve added some careful infilling with  matching coloured spandrel panels    below so the intrusion is minimal and no -one really notices it. Not only that, it’s  quite quiet so we can leave it running if need be while a service is taking place.   But most importantly, people remark on  how much warmer it feels when they  walk in, so it really does do its job,”  added Mr Hopegood.  “It’s a beautiful church and we wanted to avoid having any unnecessary       cabling, visually intrusive heaters and of  course wished to avoid damage to the  fabric of the building itself for practical  and aesthetic reasons,” he said.   “We selected a Dimplex air curtain    because not only did it turn out to be a  cost-effective solution but we were also  able to have the unit’s finish colour  matched to blend as closely as possible to the cream distemper on the walls,”  he added.