Hospital Air Conditioning

Retrofitting a Hospital Air Conditioning System

Hospital HVAC design is a complex matter to begin with. When you attempt to retrofit a hospital air conditioning system while a hospital continues to operate it becomes increasingly complicated. Special attention needs to be paid to areas where construction and renovation are taking place to ensure the health and safety of patients is not put at risk.

The new hospital design should account for potential disruptions to power and water during construction. It should also account for the presence of dust and air born contaminants that are invariably part of any renovation. Efforts need to be taken to minimize the presence of infectious contaminants that could threaten the health of patients.

Taking Proper Hospital HVAC Design Precautions

Retrofitting a new hospital air conditioning system can involve the demolition of walls or other internal structures that can pose particular dangers. If not properly coordinated it can lead to the disruption of critical hospital functions. The demolition and removal of an existing hospital air conditioning system can also introduce contaminants into the air. Your HVAC hospital design team needs to work closely with the hospitals infection control unit to minimize the impact of the renovation. Together they can create a hospital design than incorporates contaminant barrier and control techniques. Barrier precautions include:

• Separating construction areas from other areas with temporary partitions that prevent the spread of dust
• Closing off areas to foot traffic where renovations are taking place
• Isolating ducts that connect construction areas with patients
• Installing supplemental HEPA filtration units into the hospital air conditioning and filtration system

Hospital HVAC design must also account for the possibility of accidental disruptions to hospital services during the renovations and take measures to minimize that possibility. The hospital design team should be well versed in the existing building systems and make an evaluation as to what the impact of a renovation project may be. This should include a thorough inspection of the hospital and all it's systems including plants and rooms.

The hospital's facilities management team should be able to provide access to the building's systems. Relying on existing plans and blue prints is insufficient because they may not be accurate. The hospital HVAC design team should identify which areas in the new hospital design may be the most affected by the hospital air conditioning renovation and take the appropriate precautions.

A hospital air conditioning system is an essential part of its operation. Be sure to work with a qualified HVAC company that's well versed in the unique challenges related to a hospital air conditioning retrofit.