Controlled Air recently solved this seasonal challenge for a local medical service building. To prevent any disruption to patient care, our team coordinated all trades and performed the entire installation after hours. Here is a look at why precision humidity control matters, and how our design-build team executed the solution.

The Why: The Hidden Risks of Dry Air in Operating Rooms

Hospital operating rooms must meet strict environmental standards to remain compliant and safe. ASHRAE Standard 170 governs ventilation for healthcare facilities. It requires operating rooms to maintain relative humidity (RH) between 20% and 60%.

However, maintaining compliance requires looking closer at your medical gear. Most equipment manufacturers specify a narrower target range of 30% to 60% in their instructions for use. When humidity drops below this 30% threshold, risks escalate.

The primary threat is electrostatic discharge (ESD), or static electricity. Dry air allows static charges to build up on surfaces and clothing. A sudden static spark can cause sensitive electromedical devices to malfunction or fail during a procedure. Data from the FDA confirms that static discharge causes real-world equipment failures in surgical suites.

The What: Precision Engineering and Smart Installation

To stabilize the facility’s climate, Controlled Air furnished and installed two Nortec EL series steam humidifiers. We selected a 50-pound unit and a 75-pound unit to handle the building’s specific load requirements.

Our team mounted the units on the third floor below the ceiling, close to existing drainage access point. We placed the first unit on the Pre-OP inside corner wall and the second unit above the single handwash sink in the operating room corridor. A closet will be built around these units to keep them out of sight.

Key technical highlights of the installation include:

• High-Efficiency Piping: We ran steam piping from the humidifiers directly to the main rooftop unit (RTU) supply ducts. We wrapped all copper lines in high-grade insulation to reduce heat loss and lower energy waste.
• Rapid Absorption: We installed short absorption duct distributors. These components ensure that steam absorbs into the moving air stream instantly, preventing moisture from pooling inside the ductwork.
• System Protection: The Nortec units feature a built-in quench mechanism. This system cools excess steam condensate before it enters the building drainage lines, protecting your pipes from thermal damage.
• Safety Controls: We installed airflow switches, high-limit switches, and dedicated manufacturer humidity sensors within the operating rooms to guarantee precise, automated regulation.
• Smart Monitoring: We wired the controls for standalone operation, but the entire setup is ready for building automation system (BMS) integration. Our project partners at ABS are currently finalizing the digital BMS graphics for remote facility monitoring.

Low Maintenance, Long-Term Value

We choose equipment that protects your bottom line over time. The Nortec EL series features replaceable canisters. When the system requires service, technicians can swap the canisters out quickly. This design reduces maintenance hours and minimizes facility downtime.

Looking Ahead to Summer

Controlling a medical environment requires year-round vigilance. Now that we have secured the building against winter dryness, Controlled Air is preparing for the next seasonal shift. Our team is already designing the dehumidification strategy for this summer to ensure the facility stays compliant, dry, and efficient when the outdoor humidity spikes.

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Just to give you an idea of the enormity of this project, it required over 58,000 ft. of ductwork with a combination of insulted and non-insulated. A brief overview of just some of the HVAC equipment we installed includes:

• Seven AAON units with humidity control, return air bypass, energy efficient dehumidification and economizers; one AAON units with a premium efficiency motor, economizer with power exhaust and a VFD; one AAON unit with an Energy Recovery wheel, premium efficiency motor, and 2 motors on 2 VFDs; and two 25 Ton High Efficiency Lennox RTUs with variable volume air flow and economizers. All new RTU’s installed use R-410A refrigerant per the EPA requirements.
• We also installed six (6) Sterling Linear Radiant Hydronic Ceiling Panels. Radiant Panel ceiling systems are an energy and cost saving method of heating. They provide distributed heating radiantly rather than by forced air providing a “draftless” environment.
• 2 PK Gas fired condensing boilers with Axiom Condensate Neutralization Tank and Nuro touch-screen control system.
• 8 Nortec Humidifiers, The industry’s most precise humidifier. An isothermal system that produces mineral free, odorless, sterile steam from any water type.
• Ceiling Grid System by Titus which allows for the building of critical environment spaces with flexibility. Each system is custom engineered to meet the requirements of codes and guidelines, such as ASHRAE Standard 170 and the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) ‘Guidelines for Design and construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities.’

The Expected completion date is 10/31/2018.

What is always challenging about medical facilities and pharmacies, are the extensive regulations for air changes, filtration, as well as humidity and temperature controls. Unlike office buildings where the building requires consistent settings throughout the building, medical facilities can have different requirements per area. Surgical rooms and pharmacies, have different settings from the offices and also from each other. It take extensive controls and programming to make sure each area functions as required.

The post HVAC and VRF, Rocky Hill CT | Surgery and Medical Center appeared first on Controlled Air.

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In the first two phases of work, Controlled Air, Inc. installed two Carrier high efficiency gas electric roof top units on standard 14” insulated curbs with slope, to match their existing roof pitch. The RTUs have multi stage cooling with barometric relief and MERV 7 filters. Units are equipped with factory controls along with BacNet interface that tie into a new Johnson Controls FX system.  In addition to installing the RTUs we manufactured and installed the supply and return duct distribution system.

In the second phase, Controlled Air, Inc. installed a Carrier heat recovery VRF system for the new surgery recovery rooms, which consisted of eight ceiling mounted recessed evaporators and one outdoor condensing unit with a single and central controller. For additional energy efficiency, an Energy Recovery Unit (ERV) with a supply and return duct distribution system was added.

In the third phase Controlled Air, Inc. furnished and installed three AAON roof top units with filter curbs and HEPA filters, serving the new operating rooms and clean room. These units include high gas heat and multi stage cooling. Additionally Controlled Air, Inc. manufactured and installed the necessary supply and return-duct distribution system with Nortec steam humidifiers and HEPA grills. Each operating room was equipped with thermostats, humidistats and room pressure monitoring sensors. Multiple fresh air and exhaust fans with hood systems were installed for the oxygen storage rooms and clean rooms.

To accommodate the new system our controls department upgraded the existing FX-30 web based supervisory controller to a new FX-80. All the new equipment was tied into the new system by our in-house controls department.

When making renovations to an existing medical center it is important for us not to interrupt any daily activities. All work in critical areas was performed at specific shut down periods dictated by the vacation schedule of the facility, during holidays or after hours.

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