Assisted living facilities are a growing business in the United States, especially in Florida and other southern states where retirees tend to gravitate. With the combined needs of an apartment complex and a medical clinic, these facilities have unique commercial electrical requirements that may not appear in any other construction job. Whether you’re renovating an older structure or creating new construction, electrical needs should be paramount when planning your facility.
Backup Power Source
Electricity is crucial for some medical procedures and equipment, but power outages don’t play favorites when it comes to health needs. For some residents in assisted living facilities, electrical power isn’t just a convenience but a matter of life and death. Your new construction electrical plan should include a permanent alternate power source in case of power outages. Florida is the lightning capital of the United States, and that means many thunderstorms that knock out power each year. Combine that fact with tropical storms, hurricane, and simple accidents and you’ll see how important an alternate source of power really is.
GFCI Outlets
If you’re renovating a relatively new building you may already have these outlets on hand, but older structures are often lacking in this basic electrical safety addition. A GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor) outlet is installed anywhere an outlet is near a source of water. If an appliance is plugged into the outlet and it comes in contact with water, the switch inside instantly interrupts the flow of electricity to the plug. This can be extremely important to residents who may have limited mobility or those with problems with having a firm grip on smaller items such as hair dryers or electric shavers.
Security Lighting
When creating your building plan, consult with your electrical contractor in South Florida to include security lighting indoors and out. For the residents, this complex will be their home, and you’ll need security lighting on the outside of the property to help protect any valuables they may have in their rooms. Motion sensor floodlights and static property lights will illuminate the building, making it less of a target for burglars.
Security also means safety, and if the power goes out, your residents will need a safe way to find their way around. Emergency lighting will help show the way to exits, and strip lighting on hallway floors cut down on confusion in times of emergency.
Storm Protection
With lightning storms being so common in south Florida, lightning strikes can pose a real fire hazard to any building. Protect your assisted living facility with a set of lightning rods, also known as air terminals. Far from the tall, ugly poles of the old days, today’s air terminals are short and blend into a roof’s design. Any lightning that strikes your building will be harmlessly led down to a grounding area, directing the energy away from the building.
LED Lighting
Traditional light bulbs may seem like the least expensive alternative when building a new assisted living facility or renovating an old building, but LED lighting can prove to be less expensive over the life of a light. LED lights last ten times as long as traditional bulbs, or longer. In addition, they’re cool when they light up, removing a burn danger from residents and lowering the stress put on building air conditioning. LED bulbs are a sensible, frugal alternative to provide bright steady light at a fraction of the cost of older systems.
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