Castle Hill has many initiatives in place in order to provide a healthy and small-footprint environment:
Uncannily comfortable, clean air:
- High-efficiency HEPA filtration
High-Efficiency HEPA Filtration
- Removes dust and other irritating particles
- Silent operation
- 99% efficiency on pollen and spores
- 99% efficiency on particles 5 microns or larger (most mold spores measure 5 to 10 microns in size)
- 50% efficiency on particles as small as 1 micron
- Uses no electricity
- Keeps heating and cooling equipment clean
- Media lasts 6 months to 1 year
- Low resistance to air flow
- UV germicidal lamps
Ultraviolet Germicidal Lamps
- Destroys odors and freshens the air
- Dark, damp conditions at the A/C coil are ideal breeding grounds for mold and bacteria. Thus the coil is usually the largest source of mold contaminating our air
- UV kills germs and molds growing on and around the coil and drain pan. Kills bacteria, mold and viruses circulating in the air by the coil. Prevents fumes and toxins produced at the coil to circulate in the air
- Green slime and building dust collecting on the A/C coil reduces efficiency up to 50%. UV breaks down slime and cleans the coil to increase efficiency
- Pressurized building
(fewer allergens, draft-free perimeter, no gym smell)
The most efficient commercial A/C system in Austin:
- 14 separate A/C units
for optimum comfort and efficiency
14 distinct units provide the right degree of control to each of our environments and use 29% less energy overall than one large commercial unit. - Variable speed fans
Variable-speed air conditioning
- Blower is always operating but only at 50% of normal airflow. Constantly circulating air at low volume not only eliminates hot/cold spots and eliminates stale air but does so without feeling drafty
- Lower initial airflow provides enhanced dehumidification. This helps eliminate the clammy feeling experienced at most health clubs. In the heating mode this feature provides warmer initial air flow
- Constant blower operation allows for a constant influx of fresh air and air filtration. Blower operation at low air flows allows maximum filtration, the lower the velocity the better the filtration
- Uses ¼ the electricity of standard blowers
- SEER = 14The efficiency of air conditioners is often rated by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) defined by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute.
The SEER rating is determined by the Btu of cooling output during a typical cooling-season divided by the total electric energy input in watt-hours during the same period. (typical large commercial unit is SEER = 10)
The best water:
- Tankless hot water system
Tankless
While in Texas the number one building energy user of electricity is the air conditioner, the hot water heater is the number one gas user at Castle Hill, where 8 showers, a commercial washer, and many a faucet run from dawn to dusk and beyond. And making that much hot water is a challenge, for 8 showers x 2 gallons per minute is 16 gallons per minute, which will drain a 100gal commercial water heater 100 gallon tank in just 6 minutes! Commercial gas tank type water heaters, like the one we just replaced, are essentially a big pot with a flame under it, that warms the water from the bottom and from a flue pipe that runs vertically through the middle of the tank. This inherently inefficient design further wastes energy during the night, by losing heat from the tank to the surrounding environment. The result is a 60% efficient hot water system, which means that 40% of the precious energy used to heat the water is wasted to produce undesirable heat.Hot WaterSystem
This is why we decided to kill two birds with one stone by installing a state of the art tankless hot water system. With this approach to hot water a bank of 3 instantaneous water heaters has replaced our single tank to deliver endless hot water. How is endless hot water possible? Water is circulated through a heat exchanger in each heater that is heated in a sealed combustion chamber by a powerful burner, hence heating the water instantaneously and not allowing any heat to escape. Because the burner only comes on when hot water is needed, much energy is saved. Our 3 tankless water heaters are set up to "cascade" , which means they turn on one after the other as the hot water demand increases. The result is an unprecedented 98% efficiency and endless flow of hot water for our patron. No more running out in the middle of your shower this winter, while our ecological footprint further decreases.
We also thank Strand Brothers for supplying and installing our best of the best Navien tankless water heaters! - Reverse osmosis purified drinking water
Reverse osmosis purified water
- Reverse osmosis works by using pressure to force a solution through a membrane, retaining the solute on one side and allowing the pure solvent to pass to the other side
- Reverse osmosis water has the least amount of impurities of any filter system, which is ideal for individuals with allergies or sensitivities to potentially harmful or foul-tasting tap water.
- We have several dispensers around the gym for your convenience!
Eco-friendly amenities:
- Flicker-free electronic lighting (Standard fluorescent strobes flicker at 60 cycles per second, while our electronic system oscillates at 20,000 cycles per second, which our eye and brain perceive as constant) with full spectrum lamps
- Bio-degradable chemicals for all aspects of cleaning
- Full recycling program
of paper, plastics, metal, glass - Round the clock in-house housekeeping staff that continually keep the gym clean and tidy
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