The indoor padel court in Nokia features Vallox Pureo air handling units
Vallox Pureo TX 1300 and Vallox Pureo TX 500 air handling units replace the indoor air of the indoor padel court in Nokia efficiently when the facility is in use.
Padel Nokia was opened in October 2020. The visitors can always be sure that the indoor air is fresh, both in the court and the sauna premises. In the court, the high quality of the indoor air is ensured by the Vallox Pureo TX 1300 air handling unit. In the sauna and club premises, which are located upstairs, the freshness of the indoor air is ensured by Vallox Pureo TX 500, the “little brother” of the product family.
-Good ventilation is extremely important in facilities that are used for exercising and sweating, as well as for relaxing in a sauna. The Vallox units have operated reliably and unnoticeably, says one of the owners of the padel court and the chair of its administrative board Sami Somero.
A decision was made to install two units in Padel Nokia, because the operating hours and ventilation needs of the facilities differ. Somero, who is clearly pleased with the choice, says that the air handling unit of the padel court is time-controlled and functions when the facility is open. This means that Vallox Pureo TX 1300 operates more efficiently from 7 to 23, when the facility is used by players, and less efficiently during the night-time.
-In addition to being easy and care-free to maintain, this is also energy-efficient.
The sauna and club premises located upstairs have been used less than normal recently due to the coronavirus situation, for which reason the efficiency of the Vallox Pureo TX 500 unit has been reduced. Both units have been located in a visible place: the larger unit is right next to the padel court and the smaller unit upstairs on the indoor terrace.
-The visibility of the units tells our customers that the ventilation has, in our premises, been organised appropriately. The situation is not this good in all playing courts, says Somero.
Flexible installation options
The Vallox Pureo air handling units were installed just before the facility opened to the public. Vallox Pureo TX 1300 has a modular structure and was transported to the location in three parts. Thanks to the modularity, the unit can be hauled into place through standard sized doors (90 cm).
The location of both units was changed during the installation phase from that specified in the original HVAC plan. In its original location, the larger unit would have covered the lifting door of the facility. Because the handedness of the units can be changed on the fly, it was easy to change their installation position at the site. The original plan was to install the Vallox Pureo TX 500 unit that serves the upstairs premises outside the club.
-The location was altered because the club premises can also be used for meetings, meaning that all extra noise can be a disturbance. For this reason, the unit was relocated in a more user-friendly location on the side of the court, says Product Manager Juuso Nyström from Vallox.
In the installation phase, the standard liquid post-heating radiator was replaced with an electric post-heating radiator, because the standard radiator would have required a larger geothermal heat pump than the site currently has. The ability to modify the units based on the needs and conditions of the facility create flexibility.
A pilot project showed that the units function as designed
The units in Padel Nokia’s facility serve as a pilot project of Vallox’s new product group, and the company has already put into use experiences gained from them. For example, a few matters that came up during the installation phase led to minor but significant additions in the installation instructions. The operation of the units has also been monitored especially carefully during the first months.
-Padel Nokia’s units have electric devices and controls, as well as air flow meters. The operation of the units in winter was, for example, monitored remotely. The monitoring confirmed that the units operate even during periods of very cold weather in the way they were designed to operate. This is especially important in the varying Finnish conditions.
Somero praises the good cooperation with Vallox on behalf of the operators involved in the pilot project. The fact that the delivered units suit the specific needs of Padel Nokia is excellent. Somero has also noticed that the soundproofing and thermal insulation of the units are excellent. For example, no condensing water appears on the outer surfaces of the units in any conditions.
-Luckily, the units make a low noise, which lets us know that they are actually running, says Somero with a smile.
Servicing of the Vallox Pureo air handling units
The Vallox Pureo air handling units can be serviced from either side. Padel Nokia’s units were equipped with pressure difference transmitters of the filters, which are available as an accessory. They measure the efficiency of the filters and send a service need alarm based on the measurement results to the party responsible for the servicing. This means that the manager of the padel court does not need to guess when the filters need to be changed.
-Our intention is to do the servicing ourselves in the future. Luckily, this has been made easy and Vallox provides additional information and technical support where needed.
