Case study proven, not promised
Clean Ducts was called in to remedy failed ductwork at Castle Hill Hospital, Hull, restoring a clean-room ventilation system with survey, cleaning and testing.
When newly installed ductwork at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull was found to be leaking and unfit for a clean-room environment, Clean Ducts was brought in to put it right. Across the works we surveyed, cleaned, sealed and rebalanced the ventilation system to bring it up to the standard a hospital demands.
The project ran from December 2020 to January 2024, working alongside main contractor Hobson Porter Ltd, system designers DSSR Ltd, and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Clients are often let down by other ductwork installers before we are brought in to help, and that is what happened at Castle Hill Hospital. The new ductwork that had previously been installed was found lacking.
In a hospital, where much of the building is a clean-room environment, the air ventilation system has to be demonstrably fit for purpose. Problems surfaced quickly: gaps and leaks throughout the system, alongside an overuse of sealant that masked rather than resolved the underlying faults.
Clean Ducts, the ventilation division of Gemini AMPM Ltd, was recommended by DSSR, the designers of the ductwork system for the construction company, Hobson Porter. We were then asked by Hobson Porter to carry out a range of additional services to support the remedial works needed to bring the ductwork up to industry-acceptable standards for a clean-room building.
We started with a CCTV-style internal camera inspection of the full ductwork system. Using specialist equipment, we assessed each run of ductwork in turn.
We use a bright fisheye-lens camera to carry out ductwork health checks, because problems can arise deep inside a system where they are easy to miss. We capture video footage that can be played back to the client to show the areas of concern, alongside a full written report setting out the detail and our recommendations. This puts the condition of the system into perspective and gives everyone a clear plan for resolving the issues quickly.
Clean Ducts was then commissioned to carry out full air ventilation system cleaning throughout the building. This included dust and microbiological testing and sampling for fungus, bacteria and viruses, which is critical to maintaining an immaculate environment in a hospital.
Cleaning and post-clean verification of this kind sits within the BESA TR19 ventilation hygiene framework, which sets out the internal cleanliness standard ventilation systems are expected to meet.
Air leakage becomes a problem once it exceeds the allowable limit for the ductwork’s classification. We used current specialist sealing techniques to seal the ductwork internally, a process that injects an aerosol into the system to find and seal points of leakage from the inside.
For the Daisy Appeal facility at Castle Hill Hospital, we then carried out pressure testing to 1,000 pascals held for 15 minutes. The system only passes if leakage stays within the allowable limits.
We also supported the hospital with its volume control dampers (VCDs), which balance and control airflow through the ducts, walls and floors and are an important part of the building’s fire safety strategy.
The existing VCDs had been damaged on installation and left glued shut, rendering them useless. Drawing on our experience in VCD installation, we replaced the faulty units with a modern, automatic VCD system. A central control panel was supplied and installed so that opening and closing is intuitive and airflow can be controlled automatically.
We were able to support Hobson Porter, DSSR and the Castle Hill Hospital Trust in resolving the ventilation system’s issues, so the facility could achieve the room airflows and pressures it required and get the building programme back on track.
Our expertise and connections within the ductwork industry meant the systems were made safe quickly, and we were able to offer cost-effective alternatives to the problems that had been found.
If your ventilation system is underperforming or you suspect leakage, we can survey it, evidence the condition, and give you a clear plan to put it right. Get in touch to arrange a ductwork survey.
Book a free survey and a named engineer comes back within 24 hours.