Take a look at some of our previous plant room designs and installations:
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\n \nA plant room is a crucial part of any large commercial building or facility. It serves as the central hub for essential equipment and machinery that’s responsible for keeping the building services running, such as heating, electricity, water supply, ventilation and more.
\nYou may have heard them referred to as boiler plant rooms or simply boiler rooms - these are plant rooms that just contain equipment to provide heating and hot water.
\nIn this article, we’ll delve into the purpose of a plant room, explore the components typically found in a plant room, and highlight the benefits of a well-maintained plant room, as well as answer some of the frequently asked questions surrounding plant rooms.
\n \n \n\n The primary purpose of a plant room is to house and protect the equipment necessary to operate the critical systems within a building. These systems commonly include heating, ventilation, conditioning (HVAC), electrics, plumbing, fire suppression and lighting.\n
\nA plant room also helps to minimise noise pollution within the premises. By enclosing the equipment in a designated space, the noise generated by these systems is contained, preventing disruptions to occupants in the surrounding areas. This is particularly important in flats and office spaces, where tenants won’t want to be disturbed by noisy boilers or ventilation systems.
\nAny large building supplying lots of rooms with various services, such as heating, hot water and ventilation, needs a plant room. Most commercial buildings should have a plant room, such as flats, hotels, office blocks and swimming pools.
\nUnlike domestic properties, there are usually lots of different systems providing different utilities to various areas around the building, so keeping everything in one area makes it easy to access each system and look after it properly.
\n\n A well-designed plant room contains all the components that enable the smooth functioning of various building systems. Some of the typical components found in a plant room include:\n
\n\n A well-maintained plant room brings several benefits to a building or facility:\n
\nA plant room should be proportionate to the size of a building, so there isn’t one answer to how big a plant room should be. If you have a particularly large commercial building that spans many floors, you may need more than one plant room, each with its own function.
\nYou may have one plant room that acts as a boiler room, then another as a battery or ventilation room, for example.
\nIt’s a good idea to place your plant room centrally within your building if possible. This prevents you from needing lots of pipework that spans from one end of the building to another.
\nHowever, it’s not always possible to have a central plant room, especially if your building is a residence or in a place that requires a level of quiet as the machinery inside can be quite noisy.
\nIdeally, a plant room should be placed somewhere where there won’t be lots of foot traffic and can only be accessed by authorised people. They’re often put in basements, but this can cause problems with access when you need new boilers or other equipment.
\nThere may not be a perfect place for your plant room, but a good engineer will be able to help you locate the best spot for it and design one that works for you. At BBIS Commercial Heating, we’ve got years of experience in designing and fitting plant rooms for a range of commercial premises.
\nYes, a plant room does require ventilation. Most of the machinery within a plant room will generate heat, so it needs somewhere to escape to prevent the room from becoming too hot and damaging the equipment.
\nIf you’ve got gas boilers in your plant room, it’s a legal requirement that your plant room is ventilated by a flue and fresh air intake to ensure the gases are removed from the air. Without these measures, there’s a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to anyone within the building, which can be fatal if it goes unnoticed.
\nA plant room plays a critical role in maintaining the functionality and efficiency of various building systems. Housing and protecting essential components ensures optimal performance, improved safety and enhanced comfort for occupants. Regular maintenance and proper servicing of a plant room are essential for extending its lifespan and reaping the numerous benefits it offers to a building or facility.
\nBBIS are experts in installing and maintaining plant rooms. If you’re looking for more information or would like a qualified and reputable engineer to help you with your plant room, then give us a call.
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