Keeping a Manchester Crematorium Warm During a £230k Boiler Decarbonisation

When a public sector site needs to move off gas and onto heat pumps, the physical works are only half the challenge. The other half is keeping the building running while the old plant comes out and the new plant goes in. For a live crematorium, there’s no “off-season” — services carry on regardless.

Here’s how we supported a full boiler plant decarbonisation at Blackley Crematorium, working alongside our sister company Mellor & Mottram to keep the site operational throughout.

The project

Blackley Crematorium in Manchester was moving away from its ageing gas-fired boiler plant, replacing it with a three-pump air source heat pump system, waste heat recovery from the cremator, and full new plant infrastructure. Total value of the mechanical works: circa £230k.

The catch: like any operational crematorium, the site couldn’t shut down for the duration of the works. Services had to continue, and that meant hot water and heating had to be available throughout the changeover period.

Why temporary boiler hire was needed

Any full plant decarbonisation follows the same rough sequence:

1. The old boiler plant is isolated and stripped out
2. The new heat pumps, buffer tank, cylinders and pipework are installed
3. The new system is filled, tested and commissioned

Between step one and step three, the site’s permanent heating and hot water are unavailable. On a small domestic property that might be a few hours’ inconvenience. On a public building running a public service, it isn’t an option — you need something to bridge the gap.

That’s where temporary boiler hire comes in. A properly specified temporary unit is delivered to site, connected into the existing distribution, and provides full heating and hot water for as long as the changeover takes. When the new plant is commissioned and running, the temporary unit is disconnected and removed.

Our approach

For a project like Blackley, the specification comes down to a few things:

• Heat load — enough capacity to cover the site’s actual heating and hot water demand, sized against the season and the building
• Fuel and connections — matching the temporary unit to what’s available on site (gas, oil, or in some cases electric)
• Access and siting — getting the unit into position, often into tight or awkward spaces around live construction works
• Duration and flexibility — hire terms that flex with the programme, because major plant works rarely run exactly to plan

Because Boiler Hire UK works closely with Mellor & Mottram, the temporary hire and the permanent installation were coordinated as a single programme rather than two separate contracts. That meant the temporary unit was in place before the strip-out started, and stayed in place until the new heat pump system was fully commissioned.

The outcome

The crematorium never lost heating or hot water. The main works — full strip-out of gas boilers, installation of three Ideal 50kW air source heat pumps, waste heat recovery from the cremator, new pipework and controls — ran on programme. And the temporary unit was removed cleanly once the new plant was commissioned and running.

When you might need temporary boiler hire during works

Blackley Crematorium is a specific example, but the same requirement comes up on any project where a building can’t afford to lose its heating or hot water during works. Common scenarios include:

• Full boiler plant replacements — like this one, where the old system has to come out before the new one goes in
• Decarbonisation and heat pump conversions — where the changeover involves reconfiguring the entire heating distribution
• Boiler breakdowns — emergency cover while a permanent replacement is sourced, delivered and installed
• Planned maintenance and refurbishments — where the primary plant is offline for extended periods
• Extensions and phased projects — where the existing plant can’t cover the temporarily-expanded demand

In all of these, the goal is the same: keep the building running while the permanent works get done properly.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can a temporary boiler be delivered and connected?

For emergency situations we can often deliver and connect within hours. For planned works like a decarbonisation project, we schedule the delivery to fit around your programme — typically the temporary unit is on site and running before the permanent works begin.

What size temporary boilers do you offer?

Our commercial and industrial hire fleet covers a wide range of capacities, so we can specify to your actual site heat load rather than defaulting to something oversized. If you’re not sure what you need, we’ll work it out with you from the building’s existing heat demand.

Can you provide temporary hire alongside a permanent installation?

Yes — this is one of the most common scenarios we handle, particularly on decarbonisation and full plant replacement projects. Because Boiler Hire UK works closely with mechanical contractor Mellor & Mottram, we can coordinate temporary hire and permanent works as a single programme.

Planning a project that can’t lose heat during the works?

If you’re looking at a boiler replacement, decarbonisation, or any project where your building’s heating or hot water can’t go offline, we can help scope and deliver the temporary hire that keeps you running.

Get in touch for a quote → — or call us on 01782 274537 for anything urgent.