Heating, Sanitization and Hot Water – What Are Those Big Boilers Doing By My Hospital?

When you are at a hospital, you may happen to catch sight of the huge boilers that are attached to these modern building. When you see these boilers, they may not always be the most attractive-looking thing you have ever seen. You may find yourself wondering why something that big has to be right next to the hospital. The truth is that boilers are one of the most essential types of equipment used by a hospital. They are just as essential as the doctors and nurses. Here is a look at some of the many ways boilers are used at hospitals.

Sterilization

One of the most crucial things in a hospital is to keep germs at bay. This requires a process called sterilization. One of the most common ways sterilization is done is by cleaning things with hot water. The way that hospitals get all the hot water they need for sterilization is by heating it in their boilers. Just think of your water heater at home but at a much larger scale.

Bathing Patients

When a hospital has hundreds of patients staying in it at one time, that requires a tremendous amount of hot water for bathing. To provide all the hot water that is needed, hospitals need to install boilers with huge capacities so that it is always ready and waiting. Nobody wants to take a cold shower and with a large capacity boiler from Nationwide Boiler nobody will go without.

Dietary Uses

Hot water is also needed for the kitchens in a hospital. With hundreds of patients that all need to be fed at the same time, it is crucial that the dietary department has all the hot water they need to use without running out at critical times. A large-capacity boiler ensures that the kitchens have all the hot water they need to prepare meals.

Hand Washing

Another important use of the hot water created in the boilers is for hand washing. Healthcare workers need to wash their hands after every patient they treat and the hot water necessary come from that big boiler you’ve seen. Because of the sheer number of patients each provider sees they end up washing their hands dozens of times over the course of a single shift, and all this hand washing adds up to a lot of hot water usage.

Heating

Some hospitals use their boilers to heat the hospital. The hot water is pumped throughout the building to provide radiant heating. This is an efficient means of heating that is good for the environment.

As you can see, boilers are one of the critical components of a hospital’s operation. Next time you are at the hospital, take a moment to marvel at how many things these boilers are used for. They are truly one of the wonders of the medical world.

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