DELABIE’s direct flush technology transforms toilets at Holy Trinity church
St Paul’s church in Onslow Square was designed by Victorian architect and surveyor James Edmeston, and consecrated in 1860. In the late 1970s, the parish of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) merged with the neighbouring parish of St Paul's and, following a campaign by the churchgoers, the building was saved from closure.
As well as providing a place of worship, HTB undertakes fundraising activities, delivers theological training programmes and provides courses on marriage preparation, parenting teenagers, bereavement and divorce. To cater for these diverse uses, the building has undergone significant refurbishment to extend and improve the facilities for users.
The project manager at HTB, is very familiar with DELABIE’s products: “We started using DELABIE a long time ago, around fifteen to twenty years ago. One of the selling points is that they have an all-brass body … that, and the quality of the workmanship.
The DELABIE flush valves we installed at Holy Trinity lasted very well, for about 15-16 years. Long term they are an economical solution.”
Typically, usage patterns for church washrooms are similar to theatres, with periods of intense activity followed by lulls. This can cause problems for cistern-flush toilets, especially in historical buildings. HTB was no exception:
“When you have a bank of toilets, and when you have a rush, the cisterns don’t fill up quickly enough and we were getting blockages. Not at the WC - that is relatively easy to deal with – but at the manifold. This meant lifting floors which was a two-man job for 2 hours. With the direct flush we don’t have any down time.
It’s also a great way to save space. You can get pipework down to about 100mm depth, saving a vast amount of space versus a cistern.”
Churchgoers reflect a broad spectrum of society, so washrooms must cater for all ages and different mobility levels. For this reason DELABIE's TEMPOSOFT 2 wall-mounted tap was specified. It features a soft-touch push-button that requires much less pressure to operate, so it can be used by both children and the elderly alike.
“The reason we use Temposoft 2 taps is: the quality of manufacture and reliability; they look good; and the fact they are easy to operate.
The simple things is... we’ve used your products for a long while. They are extremely well made and extremely reliable.”
DELABIE products installed
TEMPOFLUX 2 direct flush WC valve - reference 762901
TEMPOFLUX 1 direct flush WC (Special cross wall length 900mm) - reference 761110
TEMPOSOFT 2 wall-mounted tap - reference 741500
Stainless steel drop-down rail - reference. 510160P
Stainless steel grab bars - reference 50505P2 and 50506P2