Claremont Manor contracted Calmec to provide an HVAC solution that met the client’s requirements for general extract systems, eco-friendly mechanical heat recovery and air conditioning systems.
Situated in the picturesque seaside town of Dawlish, Claremont Manor is a new purpose-built 71-bed care home. As a nursing home that provides care to those with various health conditions, it is critical that the care home is kept at a comfortable temperature year-round and has clean, fresh air circulating the home.
At every stage of this project, we ensured that our solution and installation complied with relevant regulations.
With the cost of running a care home high, we aimed to design and install an efficient HVAC system that would work to keep energy bills down where possible.
As the care home was under construction, we were asked to design and install a full HVAC system, which included ventilation, heat recovery and air conditioning systems that would keep the home warm during the winter and cool in the summer months.
We worked with the client throughout the process to guarantee that our solution was suitable for a care home setting. In doing this, we specifically focused on ensuring noise levels were kept to a minimum and that temperature control was easy to amend should the rooms get too hot or cold.
The system that our CAD team designed included two parts: a ventilation system to circulate fresh, filtered air, which also heated the air when needed, and a cooling air conditioning system.
We proposed a number of ventilation systems to the client, ultimately giving them the choice so they could be confident that it fits their needs.
The client opted for Nuaire ‘I-sense’ point-of-use extract fans, which enable accurate control of flow rates via easily programmable settings. Trickle speeds can also be set and boosted on these systems using a presence indicator within the room. These systems were also chosen because they have extremely low running costs, meeting our objective of providing efficient and low-cost equipment.
In the care home, several rooms are considered “landlocked” where there is no possibility of natural ventilation. In our design, we had to consider this and provide a ventilation system that would generate air circulation within these rooms. This was achieved using Toshiba Heat Recovery systems. These systems are incredibly efficient and warm the incoming air by passing it through a heat exchanger, which is heated by the warm extracted air from the dwelling.
Ultimately, this reduces the heating costs of the care home by warming the supply air before it enters the room, meaning less demand on the heating systems.
During the installation of the ventilation system, the team at Calmec ensured the systems and their fitting were within the stipulations of the relevant regulations; these specifically included Part F ventilation, DW144 duct regulations, and En1366 fire rating regulations, ensuring compliance for the end user.
In conjunction with the ventilation systems that were designed and installed, we also created an efficient air conditioning system.
Temperature maintenance was provided by a Toshiba VRF air conditioning system. We selected this system because it offers both heating and cooling simultaneously, meaning one area can be cooling, whilst another room heats. This is incredibly beneficial for the care home as it allows staff to keep rooms and areas at a temperature that suits those using each room.
The Toshiba system installed includes the latest technologies, including heat recovery and twin rotary compressors using inverter technology, which ramps the compressors and fans up and down to suit the internal heating and cooling demands of the building to ensure optimum efficiency and performance.
In using the latest technologies, we were able to hit and, in most cases, exceed the minimum requirements for CIBSE and Part L2A 2013 and as-built compliance SBEM / EPC for Building Control approval.
The outcome of this project was a bespoke and comprehensive ventilation and air conditioning system that efficiently provided clean, temperature-controlled airflow throughout the home.
With the assistance of the client, we were able to design a system that suited the specific needs of the care home, ensuring simultaneous heating and cooling across different rooms and ventilation that offered eco-friendly and optimised heating utilising the warmth within the building already.
At Calmec, we always focus on professionalism and providing the best quality product possible. We are confident that we achieved this throughout the project and have satisfied all the needs and requirements of the client, ensuring a comfortable living space for residents.
It is a pleasure to have been able to assist in delivering a tailored solution to this new care facility that will ultimately provide the elderly population of Dawlish with the quality of life and assistance they require and deserve.
Reach out to our staff for knowledgeable, custom HVAC design and installation for your care home. Call us at 01202 070 280 or complete our contact form.
