If you manage a large facility that requires comfort heating, such as a hospital or nursing home, failure of your heating system could be a potential health risk. It's important to understand what your options are for providing temporary heating while your main heating system is being repaired or replaced, or for times when your current heating system is unable to keep up with the demands Old Man Winter places on it. Here's what you need to know and some questions you may have.
Why are space heaters not an option?
According to the Harvard University Environmental Health & Safety, improper use of space heaters results in an average of 6,000 emergency room visits in one year when they are used to heat residential dwellings. Given the size of your facility and the number of space heaters it would require, the use of space heaters is too dangerous and places your patients at a greater risk of injury.
Is it possible to move patients to another facility?
You might consider relocating patients to another facility, especially the most critical patients who cannot withstand cold temperatures. However, doing so could be too taxing on critical patients. It may be difficult to find enough empty beds in other facilities to handle your needs, even on a temporary basis. Also, if patients are moved to a different facility, there are concerns of providing ongoing care since the medical staff in the other facility will not be familiar with your patients.
What about temporary boilers?
Temporary boilers are capable of providing the heat your building requires to keep the patients and staff in a comfortable environment. Temporary boilers are self-contained heating systems that can be easily connected to existing heating ducts. These boilers are housed inside steel structures that are similar to large storage containers or freight trailers. They are designed specifically to provide temporary heat for any industry or facility.
Will a temporary boiler work with your air purification system?
Since the quality of the air in your facility is also important, you are likely concerned about whether or not the use of a temporary boiler to provide heating will work with your existing air purification system. That depends on how your air purification system is designed and incorporated into your building's HVAC network. If your system uses UV lights within the heating ducts to purify the air, the location of those lights will impact whether or not they will work with a temporary boiler.
For example, if the UV lights are housed within your heating system's air handling unit, the heat provided by a temporary boiler will not have purified air. Fortunately, temporary boilers can be customized to include air purification systems.
How long does it take for delivery of the equipment?
Due to the fact that facilities such as yours require the essentials of emergency heating and air purification systems, the customization should not cause a delay in the delivery of the temporary boiler, as the service providers are already prepared for these types of requests. Since temporary boilers are available for emergency situations, they are usually ready for use within 24 hours.
Where will the temporary boiler be placed?
After you or your HVAC technician make arrangements for a temporary boiler delivery, you will need to prepare a location for the container. An HVAC technician or a representative from the boiler rental service can determine the most suitable placement for the container. Depending on your facility, this could be alongside the building, in a parking lot, or on the roof. In some cases, removal of trees and shrubs may be necessary to place the temporary boiler in the best location.
For more information, contact a local industrial boiler supplier like Nationwide Boiler.
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