Live Healthcare Environment – Complete Plant Room Replacement
PJ BIRD were contracted to undertake the isolation and complete strip-out of an existing LTHW plant room serving a live NHS Health Centre. The project was undertaken during the winter months of 2025, presenting the additional challenge of maintaining heating to the healthcare facility throughout the works.
Due to the critical nature of the building and the requirement for the Health Centre to remain operational, PJ BIRD developed a carefully phased approach to ensure the facility could continue to provide its services without interruption.
Temporary Heating Strategy
Prior to the existing plant room being fully isolated and stripped out, PJ BIRD installed new circuit connection points outside of normal working hours. These enabled temporary heating plant to be connected directly into the Health Centre’s existing LTHW heating circuits.
This approach allowed the temporary heating system to maintain the required heating provision throughout the project, ensuring the Health Centre could remain fully operational for the duration of the works.
Scope of Works
PJ BIRD delivered the complete refurbishment and replacement of the LTHW plant room, including:
- Plant room strip-out: Full isolation and removal of the existing LTHW plant and associated equipment.
- New boilers: Installation of 2 no. new high-efficiency boilers.
- Heating circuits: Installation of 3 no. new heating circuits, complete with associated control valves.
- Pressure and expansion equipment: Replacement of the existing pressure and expansion vessels.
- Gas services: Upgrade of the gas distribution pipework, incorporating a new safety solenoid valve, associated safety checks and gas sub-metering.
- BMS controls: Installation of a new TREND IQ5 BMS control panel, including all associated wiring, controls installation and integration.
- Temporary heating: Design and installation of temporary heating connections to maintain heating services to the live Health Centre during the refurbishment.
- Testing & commissioning: Full testing, commissioning and handover of the completed mechanical and BMS systems.
- Plant room finishes: Full decoration and finishing of the plant room, transforming the space into a clean, modern and professionally presented mechanical environment.
Delivered in Just 5 Weeks
Despite the complexity of working within a live NHS healthcare environment during winter, PJ BIRD successfully delivered the complete new plant room within 5 weeks.
The project required close coordination, detailed planning and careful sequencing to ensure the Health Centre remained operational while the existing plant was removed and the new installation was brought online.
Project Outcome
The completed plant room represents a significant transformation of the Health Centre’s heating infrastructure, providing new boilers, upgraded heating circuits, modern gas services and an intelligent TREND IQ5 BMS control system.
The fully refurbished and decorated plant room has delivered a modern, reliable and professionally finished installation, with the project receiving excellent feedback from a very satisfied client.
PJ BIRD are proud to have delivered a complex heating plant replacement safely, efficiently and within a demanding 5-week programme, while ensuring the NHS Health Centre remained open and operational throughout the works.