HVAC SYSTEMS


HVAC system that may not be needed for the rest of the year.


Andrews Boilers says it is ‘adept at overcoming the challenges of overseeing an equipment changeover inside an application that is in use 24 hours a day’.


and cooking, a boiler plays a central role in supporting a number of fundamental practices. Investing in new boiler equipment can be extremely expensive, but the right choice can also significantly reduce utility costs and spatial requirements, while boosting performance. In many cases, the aforementioned ‘right choice’ means hiring kit on an indefinite basis – particularly when there is uncertainly around the long-term future of a healthcare facility. Why pay tens of thousands of pounds on a permanent solution when a relocation is imminent? Insufficient climate control or improper conditions are never excusable when there are vulnerable patients in your care, which is why those in charge of expenditure are under intense pressure to provide and maintain much-needed boiler systems. Implementing state-of-the-art heating and hot water amenities does not always represent an efficient use of funds in such circumstances, which creates a practical scope for hire.


Avoid ‘a short-sighted approach’ In such a scenario, decision-makers are often tempted to purchase the cheapest equipment available, despite the obvious consequences. This short-sighted approach is rarely the best choice, as sourcing low-priced kit tends to have a proportionate impact. Instead, it is imperative that you analyse each requirement on its own merit to ensure


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that the resulting solution has been tailored to fulfil its intended purpose. The saying ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ could hardly be more apt as far as this situation is concerned. When lives are on the line, there is simply no room for false economies.


For a large proportion of hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, the ageing estate from which staff operate renders it unfeasible for the estates and facilities manager to invest in new HVAC systems. Capex advisors will not authorise the procurement of a modern boiler arrangement when there is a very real prospect that the entire staff will move into new premises within 5-10 years. Uncertainty over the future of a building does not negate the constant need for heating all the while it remains operational. Even if a closure or relocation isn’t imminent, an HVAC hire package can ensure that all requirements are accommodated with a greater degree of flexibility than would be possible with an outright purchase.


The benefits of plant hire Plummeting winter temperatures, for example, may only need to be counteracted for a four-week period – but the fact remains that a heating or boiler solution will still be urgently required. By hiring equipment on this basis, the estates and facilities team can address the problem at hand without have to request funds to invest in a permanent


From increasing internal temperatures and sterilising surgery instruments, to assisting with cleaning and cooking, a boiler plays a central role in supporting a number of fundamental practices


Before settling on a boiler for your hospital, surgery, or health centre, there are a number of important variables you need to consider. Firstly, how much do you have to spend? It’s commonly accepted that administrators are most concerned with the initial cost of installing a boiler before adding into the equation fuel, maintenance, and operationality. It is obviously also key to ensure that your chosen boiler is suitable for handling the critical services for which it is needed. The chances are that you’ll need a trained engineer to evaluate likely usage in order to guarantee that your boiler can handle multiple process requirements simultaneously. Opting for a unit that is larger than required is counter- productive, and will prove extremely inefficient even if the unit is cost-effective when deployed at full capacity. At a time when healthcare services in general, and the NHS in particular, are incredibly strained, the need for resourcefulness and efficiency has never been greater.


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Carl Webb


As UK HVAC Sales Director, Carl Webb is responsible for the HVAC, Dehumidification, Boiler and Chiller divisions at Andrews Sykes, which reportedly offers the UK’s largest range of specialist hire equipment and services. After completing his apprenticeship in fabrication and welding for ventilation systems, he started his career in the hire industry by joining a small tool hire company in Essex. Carl Webb has been in the hire industry for over 32 years, and originally joined Andrews Sykes in 1991 as hire desk supervisor in the company’s Basildon office. In his role he oversees sales for the company’s HVAC and Specialist Hire Divisions.


February 2019 Health Estate Journal 57


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