Mansfield Baptist Church, Nottingham

One common question we receive is whether infrared heating is suitable for churches. The answer is a resounding yes.

However, the Jigsaw team faces the challenge of finding the most effective method to quickly and efficiently warm the building, while also providing user-friendly controls for the church members.

THE INITIAL ENQUIRY

Recently, the Jigsaw team completed a three-week installation project at Mansfield Baptist Church in Nottingham. Initially, the church approached us, along with five other companies, to propose heating solutions for multiple rooms of varying sizes. One of their main concerns was that each room would require a different infrared solution.

The previous convection / gas system took too long to heat the rooms, and some large areas never reached a comfortable temperature. Consequently, the congregation experienced discomfort during the colder months.

THE AREA FOR INSTALLATION ON THE FIRST PHASE:

• Reception
• Managers Office
• Central Corridor
• Nave (10m+ High Vaulted ceiling)
• Balcony
• Vestry Office
• Parent and Baby Room
• 3 x Large Meetings Rooms
• 3 x Bathrooms

HEATER SELECTION

The team on their first visit knew that the Mid Range of Infrared heaters would be required for the larger spaces. Jigsaw’s Made in Britain Infrared Panels would be used in the others. Their expertise were put in to use for calculating the requirements of the rooms, the heaters needed, control systems and the installation processes.

COMFORTABLE WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Once an initial estimation had been made, the custodians of the church visited one of our previous church installations in the Midlands. This gave them the sense of what the IR heat feels like and how it can quickly warm the space up. This gave the group the confidence in their investment. Two demonstration heaters were loaned to the church to aid their decision. With Infrared you need to feel it,  know what it does and how far it reaches.

INSTALLATION

Given the size of the installation, we needed to upgrade the power supply for the church. The electric company swiftly met all the necessary requirements for this upgrade. Collaborating closely with the church, Jigsaw provided valuable guidance on their specific installation needs. This not only made the process smoother but also ensured the work was completed with ease.

A team of three electricians worked for 14 days to finish the entire installation. This was primarily due to the numerous heaters to set up and the extensive wiring and updates required for additional consumer units or rewiring. The church was impressed because everything was cleverly hidden from sight. Our control supplier even mentioned that it was one of the neatest installations he had come across.

CONTROLS

One of the most important components that Jigsaw handles is the control system. If it's not done well, it could add an extra 20-50% to your energy bills. In our planning, we ensure that each room has its own independent controls. This allows you to set different temperatures for each room when needed. What makes our system really smart is that you can control it right in the room, through the app, and even by simply moving around in the room.

Before switching on the power, the system checks for a few things:

1. What is the required temperature?
2. Is the room required to be heated at this time?
3. Is there anyone in the room?
4. Can I override this in the room? (Tamper proof maximum temperature settings and time controlled)

Why warm up a room if no one's in it? With our setup, you don't have to make that call. The control system does it for you. This not only saves energy but also gives you confidence that the heating is used wisely. The system automatically switches to a lower fallback mode when the room is empty, ensuring efficient use.

After completing the installation, we conducted a training session to demonstrate and set up the control system. The church managers were pleasantly surprised at how straightforward it was to have control in the room, on the computer, and through the app.