The heating system in the church was very old-fashioned and the boiler room was located outside in a separate building which was overrun with dust and dirt. 

St James’ Church Birkdale is an Anglican parish church located in Southport, North West England. It is a family church that welcomes people of all ages to attend a wide range of services, meetings and events each week. Founded in 1857, it is a Grade II listed building which underwent an extensive re-ordering project in 2002/03, funded by church members, to improve the aesthetics and ergonomics of the building and has since celebrated its 150th birthday in 2007. 


The boilers were old and tired and the cast iron pipes that ran round the outside of the building were rusty and outdated and proved to be ineffective at achieving the temperature required to heat the church successfully. St James was clearly desperate for a modern replacement and the new system needed be able to generate heat quickly and efficiently, fit flexibly in various locations whilst matching the interior of the building. So, under the recommendation of the contractor, Smith’s Caspian Universal fan convectors partnered with a new, indoor boiler room ticked all the boxes for the church.  


The contractor, Colin Wakefield of Wakefield & Wilson had worked with Smith’s products in several church projects in the past, so he was very familiar and complimentary about the company. He said, “By creating a new boiler room inside the main building and installing 12 Caspians in different parts of the church, we have been able to completely reinvent the church’s heating system so that no matter what time of year it is, it is always warm and cosy inside. The vicar and the wardens are delighted with the finished product and they no longer have to come in early to bring the building up to temperature before a service or event; it has made a massive difference to everyone involved. “


Smith’s fan convectors are provided as standard in white, but can be painted in a variety of different colours to match the interior of a building. As St James has a mainly brown interior, it was important that the heaters matched the colour scheme to avoid them looking out of place, so each heater was hand-painted brown especially for this project. The vicar and the congregation are very impressed with the overall look of the product.


Smith’s Caspian Universal fan convectors have been specially developed for a wide range of applications in larger spaces and commercial environments. They are practical, energy efficient and successful in heating large areas quickly, at low cost; making them the ideal product for churches and schools. The Caspian Universal is available in a range of models to suit varying room sizes and heat output requirements and they are suitable for high, low or ceiling-mounted installation.


Caspian fan convectors are compatible with all types of wet central heating systems. Whether connected to a conventional boiler or renewable technology, such as ground and air source heat pumps, they function equally efficiently. Also, as with all Smith’s products, the Caspians come with a free five-year warranty for parts and labour.


For more information contact Smith’s Fan Convectors on 01245 324900; visit www.smiths-env.com; follow Smiths Fan Convectors on LinkedIn; or email via sales@smiths-env.co.uk.