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0800 464 7025
Available 24/7
Basildon University Hospital is one of Essex’s key healthcare facilities, providing acute medical services to a large and growing population. With over 700 beds, thousands of patients cared for every week, and a busy workforce of doctors, nurses, and support staff, the hospital is a critical hub for both emergency and planned healthcare across the region.
When the hospital’s roof-mounted chiller required significant repair work, including the removal of refrigerant gas, a major challenge emerged. The chiller was essential to maintaining stable internal temperatures across wards, operating theatres, and diagnostic departments. Without air conditioning, patient comfort, staff wellbeing, and the operation of sensitive medical equipment could all have been compromised.
The hospital needed a robust temporary cooling solution to ensure that vital services remained unaffected while the permanent system was offline.
To deliver uninterrupted cooling capacity, the following equipment and materials were supplied and installed:
1 × 500kW Chiller
44 × 4″ 5m Camlock Hoses
4 × 25m Cable Sets (100m total)
2 × DN150 flange to DN100 camlock fittings
Basildon Hospital’s requirements demanded a careful and precise approach. The key challenges were:
Limited roof access: All pipework and cabling had to reach the roof where the existing system was located.
Public safety: Walkways and entrances below had to remain open and safe for patients, staff, and visitors.
Zero downtime tolerance: Any interruption to cooling would risk patient comfort, medical equipment reliability, and staff performance.
Precise coordination: The transition between the permanent and temporary systems had to be seamless, avoiding any rise in temperature.
To meet these challenges, Rapid Energy designed a carefully managed installation plan:
1. Safe Access to the Roof
A scaffold was erected to securely run pipework and cabling up the exterior of the hospital, while ensuring normal use of walkways below.
2. System Connection
At roof level, a 30m run of pipework was installed and connected to the hospital’s existing system flow and return connections.
3. Seamless Integration
The hospital’s existing pressurisation units were used to backfill the temporary setup.
While the roof chiller remained online, the temporary system was filled and purged of air.
Once prepared, the switch to the temporary chiller was completed in under 10 minutes, preventing any rise in temperature.
Basildon Hospital successfully carried out essential repairs to its roof-mounted chiller without disruption to operations. The temporary system maintained stable chilled water supply throughout, safeguarding patient care, staff wellbeing, and climate-sensitive hospital areas.
By securing a reliable and expertly managed temporary solution, Basildon University Hospital demonstrated resilience and commitment to uninterrupted healthcare services, supported by Rapid Energy’s expertise and rapid response.
