Sharon Hospital HVAC Upgrades

Throughout the hospital Controlled Air, Inc. provided the following work: Fire Dampers, Air registers and diffusers, Hot water VAVs and associated piping, Ductwork, as well as Johnson controls BMS and wiring.

The behavioral health unit in Sharon Hospital provides short-term psychiatric care of patients 55 and older. The unit provides acute care for short-term stays; admission may be a result of factors relating to the aging process. Others have been living much of their lives with psychiatric conditions, which can be exacerbated with age. Controlled Air, Inc. had to follow both typical hospital requirements, as well as for those of a psychiatric facility in order to follow code for this renovation.

Controlled Air, Inc. installed a Carrier roof top air handler , VAV boxes with hot water reheat coils, a steam to hot water heat exchanger off the steam boiler plant, hot water pumps, exhaust fans, hot water piping and insulation, ductwork and a controls system. Because of the psychiatric component all finishes within this unit had to be ligature resistant to protect the patents from self-harm. Our ligature resistant finishes included supply and return air diffusers, thermostats, radiator covers, exposed hardware was tamper proof and calking was specialty pick proof.

This project was also multi-phased and required performing the scope of work without interruption to the hospital. Proper coordination was critical to keep existing systems up and running to maintain air conditions to existing occupied spaces. Temporary cooling units supplied by Controlled Air, Inc. were used to maintain conditions in these spaces as required.

Low ceiling height was another challenge to work with. This wing of the hospital was circa 1960s and wasn’t designed for today high efficiency mechanicals with larger insulation and added controls systems, both HVAC and additional hospital controls. Ductwork was especially difficult to route through the existing structure and required careful coordination with all trades.