Plant room config

[Adam2]

Hi, we're closing on on finalising the revised planning app and I'm thinking what will be in our plant room - appreciate thoughts on layout and additional items I may have missed.

 

I have read about the DHW cylinder being near most frequent/heavy points of use but the plant room seems best place may go with a PIR activated hot return to help with that.

House is ~300m and the spec (from BPC) was for 2 x MVHR units - am thinking one can go in the plant room to serve the 2 floors nearest and the other can go 1 floor up in the garage.

Heating is UFH with an ASHP which I'm thinking will be well located just outside the plant room - not near any neighbours and any noise will not be near any windows.

 

My layout idea is below. The dimensions are from the expected components we've been looking at so far. There is a separate utility room for washing machine/storage and drier etc.

 

One idea I read about somewhere was for a drying rack in the plant room - may be an add-on when we finish it.

 

Not currently planning on any windows.

 

Location is Dorset and the position of this room is to the side of a lower ground floor and will be mostly shaded from the sun.

 

[Bitpipe]

looks good, MVHR will need a condensate drain and your UVC will need the emergency overflow drain also so think on where that will go.

 

You will have a vertical run of electrical cables from the CU so make sure you won't foul that space with your external duct - mine (also BPC) os 180mm so more like 250mm once wrapped in insulation so quite bulky. 

[jack]

Where does your water come in? If it comes into the plant room, consider locating your water softener in here.

[Dudda]

Think where you want timers, switches, meters (water, electrical, heating, hot water, etc). Timers for outside lights? You'll be socked at how many switches, timers and control boxes this room will have.

 

Where does the internet come in? Do you've a lot of data points and will you need a small wall cabinet for data switches? Do you've CCTV or an alarm that goes back to a control point? Do you've a central server for media, satellite or TV? 

If you end up with any of this electrical coms room stuff then keep it to the far side from water sources like manifolds, tanks, expansion vessels, etc.

 

You have a water manifold. Is this for cold water? Do you've a hot water manifold? Will you separate the toilet and outside garden tap feeds into another manifold which would allow you to convert to rainwater harvesting in the future if water becomes more expensive?

[Adam2]

Thanks have added some notes to my plan so I remember this ? 

 

@jack yes good spot - I expect to have utilities enter at back left so water softener could be good here to keep kitchen / utility free.

 

@Dudda yes thinking to have hot & cold manifold and then a hot return from the top floor manifold.

 

Will be using some form of home automation technology - currently trialing Fibaro Z wave in current house) so may use the elec cabinet as the hub for that. Was thinking to have a small AV cupboard but if I can fit it all in here then that could be even better - hadn't really thought of doing that. Luckily my initial plan shows this opposite end to wet stuff and may be prudent to have cabinet 100mm off the floor as well...just in case. Only issue may putting laundry on the cabinet if we put a drying rack in here ?

[Markblox]

On 08/04/2019 at 17:19, Adam2 said:

 

Will be using some form of home automation technology - currently trialing Fibaro Z wave in current house) so may use the elec cabinet as the hub for that. Was thinking to have a small AV cupboard but if I can fit it all in here then that could be even better - hadn't really thought of doing that. Luckily my initial plan shows this opposite end to wet stuff and may be prudent to have cabinet 100mm off the floor as well...just in case. Only issue may putting laundry on the cabinet if we put a drying rack in here ?

 

Consider having an ALL OFF switch when leaving the house and to include a servo to turn off the water supply into the house when activated (controlled so it won't work if the WM is being used etc) Wouldn't want a flood in that room! I know this can be done with Loxone.