Leisure environments can be challenging when it comes to climate control – installing and maintaining the correct HVAC systems will be key to ensuring that your customers experience is what it should be. Hot and steamy environments, coupled with small, enclosed spaces make ventilation and temperature control a challenge and increase the need for regular maintenance to keep HVAC systems in prime working order.
What is the ventilation requirement for Gyms and Health Clubs?
Due to the nature of the environment, there is a requirement for a much higher level of ventilation in a gym than in most other indoor areas. By nature, these areas are typically confined, often with a high density of occupation and high oxygen usage! For this reason, regulations stipulate that typically gym areas should be supplied with 20 litres of fresh air per second, which is almost double that of a standard commercial environment.
Due to the damp environment in areas like swimming pools and saunas, you may experience challenges with standard filters in your ventilation systems. Disposable filters often come with a cardboard frame which will not last long once exposed to moisture. Salix Mechanical Ltd are able to offer a range of solutions to meet this challenge, including plastic or metal framed filters instead of standard cardboard filters.
Maintaining HVAC in Leisure
One of the most important things about air conditioning and ventilation systems within gyms and health clubs is that they are maintained properly. This involves a planned, preventive maintenance programme (PPM) with scheduled service visits.
Not only will regular maintenance ensure that systems are kept clean and operating efficiently, but also will ensure that you are not landed with any nasty surprises by way of unexpected system breakdown or failure.
Air conditioning systems in gyms can become dirty and clogged surprisingly quickly, due to the damp and sweaty environments in which they are installed. It is likely that systems will need a more thorough deep-clean as much as once a year, in addition to the routine maintenance.
Air Conditioning at health clubs and Gyms
Air conditioning has become the norm for customers in health clubs and gyms in recent years. Being able to retreat to a cooled and ventilated environment in the middle of a hot day is all part of the experience that a discerning gym member is looking for.
Since the global pandemic, people are also more conscious of ventilation in public spaces and there is no more important space than a gym environment to be well ventilated.
Ensure that you can attract more customers by installing the correct air conditioning and ventilation systems in your leisure facility and then ensuring it is kept clean and well maintained. You can then communicate confidently to your customers that your space is a safe and healthy environment for them to enjoy.
Extraction in sports changing rooms
Changing rooms offers a challenge from a ventilation perspective – confined spaces, stale air and steam is given off from showers all contribute to that feeling of a damp and stale environment. Effective extraction of stale air and supply of fresh, filtered air need careful consideration, in order to maximise the comfort of those that use these spaces. Routine maintenance is also imperative, to ensure these systems are kept in good working order and also that air quality in these areas is maximised.
Changing rooms are a classic example of where the risk of infection is significant, both in terms of airborne transmission as well as surface contamination. Regular cleaning and ensuring adequate air quality through ventilation will significantly reduce this risk.
Air Handling Units
An Air Handling Unit (AHU) is used to provide a complete ventilation solution for a building or part of a building. Air handling units are typically large and therefore installed on a roof deck or plant room. Ductwork then runs from the unit, throughout the building to provide fresh air supply to each area.
As mentioned earlier in this article, air handling units in leisure facilities are subject to additional challenges due to the damp and humid environments in which they operate. It is essential that air handling units in these areas are kept well-maintained and cleaned, to ensure that ventilation levels are adequate and building users are kept safe.
Ventilation Validation
It is essential that gyms and leisure facilities offer adequate levels of ventilation, levels which are advised and governed by industry bodies. Salix Mechanical Ltd offers a ventilation validation service, to measure the current level of ventilation in your buildings and ensure it meets these regulations. A ventilation validation survey will give you the confidence and peace of mind, that you have taken all necessary precautions as the building owner or manager.
Please get in touch to discuss your HVAC challenges and we will be more than happy to help. Salix Mechanical Ltd works in all areas of the leisure and wellbeing ranging from Leisure Centres to Health Clubs, Hotels to Gyms and much more.
