Hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities need HVAC systems to ensure the comfort, safety and health of patients and their visitors, as well as medical and administrative personnel. Unlike in commercial and residential applications, however, the requirements for ventilation, heating and air conditioning tend to be more stringent.
Below are some important things to consider when designing HVAC systems for medical facilities.
HVAC design. The design of HVAC systems must take the various indoor environments inside the medical facility into account. These include critical care spaces such as intensive care units (ICUs), operating rooms and other areas where medical procedures are performed, as well as laboratories, research rooms and administrative offices.
HVAC size. Heating and AC units must be properly sized to accommodate the comfort needs of everyone inside the medical facility. Over- or undersized systems will use far more energy than necessary, causing them to perform less efficiently and even have a shortened lifespan.
Energy efficiency. The United States Department of Energy estimates that HVAC systems consume almost half of the total energy used in healthcare facilities. It would be better for hospitals and clinics to focus on other important things like improving their facilities and services by investing in heating, cooling and ventilation equipment that helps promote energy efficiency. This includes new systems with compressors that can adjust their effort based on the actual building load demand at various times of the year.
Reliability. HVAC systems that will be installed in healthcare facilities must be reliable. Redundancy is imperative to ensure that a likely failure or shutdown won’t affect the comfort needs of all building occupants, particularly patients. To ensure the long-term operation of the equipment, preventative maintenance must be carried out regularly.
M & M Heating & Air Conditioning Service Co. is the local area’s go-to choice for dependable HVAC installation, repair and maintenance services. From central air conditioning unit maintenance and heater installations to building design for large commercial projects, we’ve got you fully covered. Give us a call at (209) 952-6580 or fill out our contact form to request service or obtain a free estimate.
