Equipment options compared
Six building systems, and the realistic ways to upgrade each one in a hotel or hospital that stays open. For every option: what it needs on site, how long the system is off and how we phase it, the noise risk, the upkeep, the rules that apply and what you receive at handover.
The comparisons are qualitative. Ratings compare the options within one system only; they are not measured figures. The right option for your building is decided at survey.
Equipment explorer
Pick a system, then compare the options
Every option is compared on the same eight rows, for an existing building that keeps trading or treating patients while the work is done.
EQ-01 HVAC
Chillers and central cooling
The chiller plant is often the largest electrical load in a Riyadh hotel or hospital, and the system guests and patients notice first when it fails. Three realistic ways to replace it while the building stays open.
In a hospital: before a unit is taken out, we confirm that the cooling the theatres, ICU, pharmacy and data rooms depend on is carried by the remaining units or by temporary cooling, and the swap is agreed with the facilities director and infection control.
- Condenser fans
- Condenser coil (V-bank)
- Compressor
- Variable-speed drive (option B) or starter panel
- Evaporator
- Anti-vibration mounts on a concrete plinth
- Flexible connectors
- Isolation valves
- Chilled water flow and return
Select an option to highlight it. On a phone, the option you select is shown as a card.
| Compared on | AAir-cooled screw, fixed speedLike-for-like replacement | BAir-cooled, variable speedScrew with a VSD, or magnetic-bearing centrifugal | CWater-cooled with cooling towersIndoor plant room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical use case | Replacing a failed or ageing unit on the same roof plinth, where budget, lift weight and programme favour the simplest swap. | The same roof position, for buildings that run most hours at part load: nights, the milder months, low occupancy. | Larger central plants with an indoor plant room and space for towers, where a secure make-up water supply can be arranged. |
| Relative energy efficiency | LowestLowest of the three at part load: the compressor steps or cycles instead of slowing down. | MiddleHigher part-load efficiency than fixed speed, because compressor and fan speed follow the load. | HighestUsually the highest, because heat goes to water rather than to Riyadh's summer air. We count the tower fans and condenser pumps in the comparison. |
| What it needs on site | Plinth and roof structure checked for the operating weight; a crane lift with a street-closure permit; power supply and starter checked. | As option A, plus a check that the drive's harmonics suit the LV network, and room for a separate drive panel where it is not built in. | Plant room space, towers on the roof or at grade, condenser pumps and pipework, continuous make-up water, water treatment and a drain for blowdown. In Riyadh, the water source and its cost are confirmed before design. |
| Shutdown to swap, and how we phase it | Least disruptionOne unit at a time between November and March. The remaining chillers carry the load, or temporary cooling is brought in for each swap. Each new unit is commissioned before the next is touched. | Least disruptionAs option A. Where the new unit is larger or heavier, the top guest floor is held back from sale on lift days. | Most disruptionA plant change, not a swap: towers, pumps and pipework are built while the existing chillers run, then the system is cut over in a planned shutdown window. The longest programme of the three. |
| Noise and vibration risk | Compressor and condenser fan noise at roof level. We check the top-floor rooms and fit anti-vibration mounts and flexible connectors. | Usually quieter at night, when fans and compressor slow down with the load. Mounts and connectors as option A. | The chillers move indoors. The noise sources become the towers on the roof and the plant room walls next to rooms or wards; both are checked at design. |
| Maintenance demands | Condenser coils washed before summer, refrigerant leak checks, compressor oil analysis. | As option A, plus the drive's cooling and filters. Magnetic-bearing machines have no oil system, but need the maker's trained service for their electronics. | The heaviest: tower water treatment and Legionella control under the water management plan, tower cleaning and disinfection, condenser tube cleaning. |
| Saudi rules and standards | Each new unit checked against the SBC 601 minimum efficiency at AHRI 550/590 rating conditions, and its refrigerant against the phase-down rules. | As option A; the part-load rating is the one that shows the difference. | As option A, plus the Legionella standards for the towers, and the water efficiency of SBC 1001 where the permit or the owner invokes it. |
| What you receive at handover | Test and commissioning records (CT-11) with full- and part-load readings, the refrigerant recovery record, a first-summer peak-load check, as-built drawings (CT-15), O&M manuals (CT-16) and the warranty register (CT-18). | As option A, plus the drive settings and the logged part-load performance. | As option A, plus the water treatment regime, the tower risk assessment and the updated water management plan. |
EQ-02 Electrical
Standby generators
Standby power keeps the fire systems, emergency lighting and lifts running in an outage, and in a hospital it feeds the essential electrical system. The question is how to renew it without a gap in cover.
In a hospital: the essential electrical system must restore power to the life-safety and critical branches within 10 seconds (Type 10 under NFPA 110, which NFPA 99 requires). A temporary generator is connected and tested before the existing set is disconnected.
Electrical in the standards libraryAsk about your standby power
- Radiator
- Diesel engine
- Alternator
- Exhaust silencer
- Flexible exhaust connection
- Fuel day tank
- Automatic transfer switch (ATS) to the LV board
- Anti-vibration mounts
Select an option to highlight it. On a phone, the option you select is shown as a card.
| Compared on | ALike-for-like diesel setSame rating, same position | BLarger set, or a second set in parallelFor load growth or redundancy | CKeep the engine, renew the restControls, transfer switch, fuel system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical use case | The engine is at the end of its life or fails its load tests, and the standby loads have not grown. | Loads have grown (more chillers on standby, a new kitchen, a hospital extension), or the facility needs a second set so one can be serviced while the other stands ready. | The engine has a good service record, but the controls, transfer switch or fuel system are obsolete or failing tests. |
| Relative energy efficiency | Not a deciding factor: a standby set runs only on tests and outages. We compare start reliability and fuel storage instead. | Not a deciding factor. Two sets need their load-sharing controls set up and tested. | Not a deciding factor; unchanged from today. |
| What it needs on site | The same plinth and room. We check the removal route or crane, exhaust and silencer, the intake and discharge air paths, and the fuel tank and day tank. | Space for the second set and a synchronising panel, a structural check, a second exhaust route, more fuel storage, and a fault-level check on the LV boards. | Little new space: room for the new controller and transfer switch; fuel pipework replaced on its existing route. |
| Shutdown to swap, and how we phase it | ModerateA temporary generator is connected and tested before the old set is disconnected, so the building is never without standby power. The changeover is made in an agreed low-load window. | ModerateThe new set is installed and tested beside the old one. Connecting it to the switchboard needs a planned shutdown of the loads on that board, with temporary standby in place. | Least disruptionShort planned windows. Replacing a transfer switch briefly interrupts the loads on it, so it is done at night with a temporary generator standing by. |
| Noise and vibration risk | Test runs are loud. We schedule them away from sleeping hours and clinical sessions, and check the enclosure and silencer against the nearest rooms and windows. | Two sets mean more noise on test days, and a second exhaust to keep away from windows and fresh-air intakes. | Engine noise is unchanged. We check that the existing attenuators and mounts still do their job. |
| Maintenance demands | Monthly exercise under load for at least 30 minutes (NFPA 110), an annual load bank test where the monthly loading is too light, and fuel quality checks. | As option A for each set, plus tests of the synchronising and load-sharing controls. | As option A. We check the engine's spare parts are still available, because it now outlives its original controls. |
| Saudi rules and standards | The life-safety loads (fire alarm, emergency lighting, smoke control, firefighting lifts) are checked separately from the other standby loads. In hospitals, NFPA 99 and the medical-locations part of IEC 60364 also apply. | As option A, plus the LV switchgear standard for the new synchronising panel. | As option A; the new transfer switch and controller are checked against NFPA 110 and SBC 401. |
| What you receive at handover | An on-site acceptance test under load with transfer times recorded, the updated single-line diagram, as-built drawings (CT-15), O&M manuals (CT-16) and the warranty register (CT-18). | As option A, plus the synchronising and load-sharing test records. | Transfer switch test records, the controller settings, and the fuel system pressure test. |
EQ-03 Fire & life safety
Fire pumps
The fire pump feeds the sprinklers and hose reels. It can only be taken out of service under a written impairment, so the choice is as much about how the swap is done as about the pump.
In a hospital: patients can't be evacuated quickly, so the impairment is planned with the hospital's fire safety lead, kept as short as possible, and the fire watch covers the wards on the affected zone.
Fire & life safety in the standards libraryAsk about your fire pumps
- Listed fire pump controller
- Electric motor (a diesel engine in option B)
- Horizontal split-case fire pump
- Check valve and isolating valve on the discharge
- Pressure gauge
- OS&Y gate valve on the suction from the fire water tank
- Test header with flowmeter
- Jockey pump
Select an option to highlight it. On a phone, the option you select is shown as a card.
| Compared on | AElectric pump set, like-for-likeHorizontal split-case, listed controller | BDiesel-driven pump setIndependent of the mains supply | CVertical in-line electric pumpWhere the pump room is tight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical use case | The pump is worn or fails its annual flow test, or the controller is no longer a listed fire pump controller. | Where the electrical supply can't be shown to be reliable as NFPA 20 requires, or where the approved fire protection design calls for a diesel driver. | Smaller duties, in pump rooms with no floor space for a horizontal set. |
| Relative energy efficiency | Not a selection factor: the pump runs on tests and in a fire. It is selected on rated flow and pressure. | Not a selection factor. Fuel storage and reliable engine starting are what matter. | Not a selection factor; selected on rated flow and pressure. |
| What it needs on site | The same pump room and base. We check the suction from the fire tank, the wall space for the controller, a test header or flowmeter, and drainage for test water. | As option A, plus a fuel tank, engine exhaust, combustion and cooling air for the room, and battery chargers. | Less floor space; structural support for the vertical motor; pipework re-routed to the in-line connections. |
| Shutdown to swap, and how we phase it | Only under a written impairment with a fire watch, as SBC 801 requires, notified in advance. Where there are two pumps, one is replaced while the other stays in service, and the new set is tested before the impairment is closed. | Fuel, exhaust and ventilation are built while the existing pump stays in service; the impairment covers only the final connection and the acceptance test. | As option A. The pipework changes make the connection longer, so it is planned in detail before the impairment starts. |
| Noise and vibration risk | Low between tests. Test runs are scheduled away from sleeping hours and clinical sessions. | The loudest: a diesel engine on its periodic test. The exhaust is routed and silenced away from rooms and wards, and tests are timed with the facility. | As option A. A vertical motor on a slab next to occupied rooms is checked for structure-borne noise. |
| Maintenance demands | No-flow (churn) tests at the frequency NFPA 25 sets for the driver type, and an annual flow test. | As option A, plus engine servicing, fuel quality checks and battery care. | As option A. The motor comes off from above, so we check the lifting access. |
| Saudi rules and standards | Drawings approved by Civil Defense before installation; fire systems installed only by Civil Defense-licensed contractors. | As option A; the diesel driver and its fuel system are part of the approved design. | As option A. |
| What you receive at handover | A field acceptance test to NFPA 20, recorded against the maker's certified curve: at 150% of rated flow the pump must still deliver at least 65% of rated pressure. The FLS inspection pack (CT-12), as-built drawings (CT-15) and O&M manuals (CT-16). | As option A, plus engine start tests on each battery set and the fuel system records. | As option A. |
EQ-04 HVAC
Air-handling and fresh-air units
Air-handling and fresh-air units set the air quality, and much of the comfort, in rooms, corridors, ballrooms and theatres. The choice is to replace the unit, refurbish it in place, or add a dedicated fresh-air unit.
In a hospital: theatre and isolation-room units are only worked on in a closure agreed with the clinical team, and the space is re-tested (air flows, pressure regime, filters) against its design to ASHRAE 170 or HTM 03-01 before patients return. The type of heat recovery is checked against ASHRAE 170 for the exhaust air it may use.
- Fresh-air intake and damper
- Filters
- Heat-recovery wheel (option C)
- Exhaust fan
- Cooling coil and drain pan
- EC fan array
- Sound attenuator
- Flexible duct connection
- Anti-vibration mounts
Select an option to highlight it. On a phone, the option you select is shown as a card.
| Compared on | AReplace the unitNew casing, coils and fans in the same footprint | BRefurbish inside the casingEC fan array, new coils and filters | CDedicated fresh-air unit with heat recoveryTreats outside air before it reaches the rooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical use case | The casing is corroded or leaking, the insulation has degraded, or the unit can't deliver the air the space now needs. | The casing is still sound but fans, motors and coils are worn; or the unit is built into its plant room and can't come out without demolition. | Fresh air is poorly controlled, or ventilation rates have to be brought up to SBC 501 and ASHRAE 62.1 without adding the full cooling load of hot outside air. |
| Relative energy efficiency | MiddleBetter than the old unit, with current fans and motors, but no energy is recovered from the exhaust air. | MiddleSimilar to option A. EC fans stay efficient when slowed down, so the gain is largest where the airflow varies. | HighestHighest where exhaust air can be brought back to the unit: the heat-recovery section pre-cools hot outside air with the cooler air leaving the building. |
| What it needs on site | A removal route: units often come out and go in as sections. Plant room openings, a structural check, and sometimes a crane. | No new space. Parts are carried in through the access doors and assembled inside the casing. | Roof or plant room space for the unit, a route to bring exhaust air back to it, new ductwork and power. |
| Shutdown to swap, and how we phase it | Most disruptionThe unit is off for the swap. The areas it serves get temporary cooling and ventilation, or are closed in an agreed sequence. | ModerateDone section by section, often over nights, with the unit back in service each morning where possible. | Least disruptionBuilt alongside while the existing units run; the cut-over to the new fresh-air supply is short. |
| Noise and vibration risk | New fans and flexible connections. Duct-borne noise is checked at the nearest rooms after balancing. | EC fan arrays have no belts and low vibration. Noise is checked in the rooms after the change. | A new unit near rooms or wards: its position and attenuators are checked at design. |
| Maintenance demands | Filters, coil cleaning, drain pans, and belts on belt-driven fans. | No belts to change; filters, coils and drain pans as before. | Filters on both air streams, cleaning and seal checks on the heat-recovery section, coils and drain pans. |
| Saudi rules and standards | Ventilation rates and plant efficiency; in hospitals, the healthcare ventilation standards. | As option A. | As option A, with the exhaust air used for heat recovery checked against the healthcare standards in hospitals. |
| What you receive at handover | An air balance report (supply and fresh-air flows), controls point tests and filter pressure readings in the test and commissioning records (CT-11), as-built drawings (CT-15) and O&M manuals (CT-16). | As option A, plus the fan curves and settings for the new array. | As option A, plus the heat-recovery performance measured at commissioning and the fresh-air flow to each zone. |
EQ-05 Plumbing & water
Domestic hot water
Hot water must never stop, and must stay hot enough to control Legionella: the water management plan sets the temperatures, and stored water is kept at 60 °C. Three heat sources, and what each one needs.
In a hospital: water safety follows HTM 04-01 and the hospital's water safety group. New pipework is flushed, disinfected and sampled before it is brought into use, and augmented-care areas are planned first.
Plumbing & water in the standards libraryAsk about your hot water
- Plate heat exchanger on the chiller condenser water (option C)
- Preheat tank
- Calorifier with top-up heater
- Air-source heat pump (option B)
- Circulation pump on the hot-water return
- Temperature sensor at the calorifier outlet
- Cold water feed
Select an option to highlight it. On a phone, the option you select is shown as a card.
| Compared on | ACentral gas or electric heatingLike-for-like calorifiers and heat source | BHeat-pump water heatingAir-source, high-temperature | CHeat recovery from the chillersPreheats water with heat the chillers reject |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical use case | The heater or calorifier is at the end of its life, and there is no space, roof position or budget for a change of heat source. | There is roof or outdoor space for the units, and the owner wants to cut the energy used for hot water. | The chillers run most of the year, as they do in Riyadh, alongside steady hot-water demand from laundry, kitchens and guest rooms or wards. |
| Relative energy efficiency | LowestThe baseline. An electric heater turns each unit of electricity into one unit of heat; a gas heater burns fuel. | MiddleA heat pump delivers more heat than the electricity it uses, because it moves heat from the outside air. | HighestUses heat the chillers would otherwise reject on the roof. Pumps and the top-up heater still use energy, and cover peaks and chiller downtime. |
| What it needs on site | Plant room space, and either a flue and gas supply or enough electrical capacity. | Outdoor air for the units, usually on the roof; an electrical supply; and often more storage, because heat pumps reheat a tank more slowly than a boiler of similar size. | Pipework between the chiller plant and the calorifier room, a heat exchanger or heat-recovery unit, a preheat tank and a top-up heater. |
| Shutdown to swap, and how we phase it | ModerateHot water can't stop in an occupied building. Units are replaced one at a time, or a temporary heater is connected, and each is cut over in an agreed low-demand window. | Least disruptionUsually built in a new position beside the existing heaters, then connected in a short planned cut-over. The old heaters can stay as backup. | ModerateThe hot-water side is built alongside, but the tie-in to the chilled or condenser water needs a planned window on the cooling plant. |
| Noise and vibration risk | Burner and pump noise stays in the plant room. | Fans and compressors outdoors: their position is checked against the nearest rooms and windows. | Little new noise: pumps and a heat exchanger in plant rooms. |
| Maintenance demands | Burner servicing or element replacement, descaling, and the Legionella checks in the water management plan. | Coil cleaning and refrigerant checks. Stored water must still reach 60 °C: standard heat pumps may not, so we specify a high-temperature unit or a top-up heater. | The preheat tank runs cooler, which is a Legionella risk to manage: it is sized for quick turnover and given a regular heat cycle under the water management plan. |
| Saudi rules and standards | The plumbing code, the fuel gas code for gas heaters, and the Legionella standards; HTM 04-01 in hospitals. | As option A without the gas code, plus refrigerant safety and the energy code. | As option A, plus the mechanical and energy codes for the work on the cooling plant. |
| What you receive at handover | Temperature records at the calorifier and the sentinel outlets, flushing and disinfection records, the updated water management plan, as-built drawings (CT-15) and O&M manuals (CT-16). | As option A, plus the heat-pump settings and the logged storage temperatures. | As option A, plus the preheat tank's heat-cycle settings and records. |
EQ-06 Lifts & escalators
Lifts
The lift work itself is done by the lift maker or a licensed lift contractor. We plan the power, the fire alarm interface, the builder's work and the phasing around it, and coordinate the inspection. These are the options the owner chooses between.
In a hospital: a bed lift stays in service for every clinical floor while another is worked on, and shaft work is dust-contained under the infection control risk assessment (ICRA).
- Controller
- Traction machine and sheave
- Hoist ropes
- Guide rails
- Counterweight
- Car and door operator
- Landing doors
- Buffers in the pit
Select an option to highlight it. On a phone, the option you select is shown as a card.
| Compared on | AFull replacementNew machine, controller, car and doors | BController and drive modernisationRails, car frame and sound parts kept | CTargeted safety upgradesItems found by an EN 81-80 or ASME A17.3 assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical use case | The lift is at the end of its life, its parts are no longer supported, or the building needs a different capacity or speed. | The mechanical parts are sound, but the controls are obsolete or unreliable, or the car stops unevenly at the floors. | A sound lift that falls short of current safety rules on specific items, such as door safety devices. |
| Relative energy efficiency | HighestA new gearless machine on a variable-frequency drive; a regenerative drive can return braking energy to the building. | MiddleBetter than old relay or two-speed control, because the new drive controls motor speed smoothly. | UnchangedUnchanged: the work is about safety, not energy. |
| What it needs on site | A machine-room or machine-room-less layout decided at survey; the shaft surveyed for size and plumb; a lifting beam; the power supply checked. | Space in the machine room for the new controller; the power supply checked. | Usually nothing beyond access to the shaft and machine room. |
| Shutdown to swap, and how we phase it | Most disruptionThe longest: each car is out of service for weeks. One car at a time, so the group keeps running, timed to low occupancy. | ModerateShorter than a full replacement; still one car at a time. | Least disruptionUsually short works per item, planned car by car. |
| Noise and vibration risk | Drilling and fixing in the shaft is heard in the rooms beside it, so noisy work is done in agreed daytime hours. The ride is quieter afterwards. | Less shaft work than option A; a smoother, quieter ride afterwards. | Short, local works. |
| Maintenance demands | Maintained by the lift contractor. Before the order, we ask whether the controller can be serviced by others or only by its maker. | As option A: the new controller's service tools and access are agreed before the order. | The original parts keep ageing; their support is reviewed at each inspection. |
| Saudi rules and standards | The standard the lift is built to, its behaviour in a fire, and firefighters lifts where the building has them. | The rules for improving existing lifts, and fire behaviour. | The assessment itself. |
| What you receive at handover | Inspection and test certificates, the fire-recall test with the fire alarm, as-built drawings (CT-15), O&M manuals (CT-16) and the lift contractor's warranty in the warranty register (CT-18). | As option A, for the modernised parts. | A record of each item closed against the assessment, and the inspection certificate. |
The decision
The right option depends on the survey
These tables show how the options usually compare. Your building decides which one wins: its loads, its space, its utilities and how it is used.
- Loads and logsWe check the existing equipment against its records, the bills and, where needed, logged readings, so the new plant is sized to the building as it runs today.
- Space, structure and accessWe measure the plant room, the removal route and the roof, and ask the structural engineer to check new loads and openings.
- UtilitiesPower capacity, water supply and gas, and the lead time of any application to the provider.
- Occupancy and clinical constraintsYour occupancy forecast and events, or the clinical areas that can't be interrupted, set the windows we plan in.
- Rules and approvalsWe list the codes that apply to the scope and the approvals each option needs, and how long they take.
The figures on this page, and where they come from
- 10 seconds (Type 10)NFPA 110 classifies emergency power by the time to restore it; Type 10 is 10 seconds. NFPA 99 requires it for the life-safety and critical branches of a hospital's essential electrical system.
- Monthly, at least 30 minutesNFPA 110: diesel generator sets in service are exercised under load at least monthly for at least 30 minutes, with an annual load bank test where the monthly loading is too light.
- 150% of flow, 65% of pressureNFPA 20: a fire pump must deliver at least 65% of its rated pressure at 150% of its rated flow. The field acceptance test checks it.
- 60 °C stored hot waterThe storage temperature set in water management plans for Legionella control, and in HTM 04-01 for healthcare premises.
Minimum chiller efficiencies are not quoted here because they depend on the edition in force, the chiller type and the capacity band. We check each unit against the edition of SBC 601 that applies when the permit is applied for. No savings, prices or project results are stated on this page.
Before you choose