Ultimate Mech Room Ideas

Al Corelli

Please make sure the floor tiles you choose are fire rated.

Same goes for the plywood on the walls.

Good luck, and take PLENTY of pictures.

BC_3

Need ideas/advice for my boiler room

I’m at the point in my geo/radiant install that I need to finalize my mechanical room design. I’m retrofitting a water-water GSHP and ceiling/floor radiant to my 1850 Victorian (and keeping the steam system for backup/historic/aesthetic purposes). The paint is peeling, the roof leaks, the yard is a huge mess, but damn it, I’m going to have at least one room that will be a showplace, and to my wife’s chagrin, that room will be the mechanical room in the cellar.

I have a nearly clean sheet – there’s about 600 square feet of mostly open space and I’m going to frame in a room and cover it with ¾” plywood for mounting stuff. I want to keep the size reasonable to keep my material costs down, but I don’t want to skimp at this point either. I’m hoping to get some tips from the Wall’s collective experience about what you like to see in a mechanical room – and I’m not limited to a 4’x4’ closet!

Some specific questions:

Space: So far I just have the geo unit (about 24x28 footprint), a big water heater for a buffer tank (28” dia) and an indirect for DHW preheat (probably 24-28” dia). I also want plenty of wall space for mounting pumps, manifolds, controls, etc. shelves for spare parts, small counter for a work area and some room for future expansion (I can’t think of what at this point). I’m thinking 6x8 or 8x8 would be more than enough space, does this sound like enough?

Floor: I’ve added a sump pump and floor drain to control the occasional spring flood, but the floor is always a bit damp. I’m thinking of using the plastic interlocking tiles that they market for garage floors – it would provide some space for airflow under the equipment to help keep things dry and would give me a nice even floor (the floor is pretty rough now). Plus it comes in some really snazzy colors. Anyone ever thought of using this stuff? You can drive cars on it, so the load capacity/durability shouldn’t be a problem.

Piping: This is a big one since it affects how I will lay out the equipment. I was going to use copper, but after looking at prices for 1” and up, I’m strongly considering Pex-al-Pex like Kitec for all the piping. Any issues with doing this? The water temps will never be higher than 120deg. It would give me more flexibility in placing equipment. I know some codes want metallic piping connecting to boilers/water heaters for x inches, but would this apply in a low-temperature geo system?

Accessories: I’m probably going to use a WEL to monitor everything and have an old PC in the room for a display. What other goodies should I plan for? Plenty of 20A outlets, obviously. Comfy chair? Sink? Bar?

I’ve been saving some of the works of art that get posted here for ideas, but I’d love to see more pictures of particularly well laid out or interesting boiler rooms. I don’t think I’m going to go for the diamond plate walls at this point, but I’m leaving my options open!

Brad White_160

Diagram Layout

One technique I use when laying out a mechanical room is to start with a flow diagram, the logical sequence of flow.

If you are fortunate enough to have a blank slate as you do, install it the same way, starting from left to right for example, along the walls. When one walks into such a room, the flow and logic will be immediately apparent both to you, honored guests and any future owners.

This may yield an "L", "C"/"U" shape by default for the installed equipment and preserving access/service space in front of it.

In any case, I like to leave at least 36 inches of service space in front of any serviceable equipment unless the manufacturer recommends greater. Adding 12 inches to a manufacturers' minimum is a good thing to do.

More thoughts- You will be showing this off. Good lighting, nice paint job. Wet bar, yes- and Mechanical Bull.

Sounds like the house itself is a wonderful opportunity! That you are saving the steam system is a Mitzvah!

But do try to work on the habitable parts of the house soon too. Marital harmony demands it.


Best,

Brad

Uni R_2

Ultimate?

Some ideas? I'd try and think of two distinct spaces. A clean high tech control space and a mechanical space that houses the uglier (to non-techies) guts of the operation. If back to back you can put on a nice showy front for the control space and pipe cleanly back to where all of the piping and valving needs to go. Always think of future expansion flexibility on the mechanical side... It's also not a bad idea to have a beer fridge and standpipe nearby! LOL

I love your flooring idea, may I boorow it? My shop is right next to it and it needs a floor like that as well.

bob_46

Remember

to lay out your piping in two planes. If you are on the ceiling put north south piping at one elevation and east west at another. Whenever you change directions change elevation. You will never run into yourself this way. This same logic also applies to the verticle piping on your panels. Run homozontal pipes in one plane and verticle in another. The distance between the two planes should be at least as big as the inside dimension of a swing joint of the largest size pipe. You can build a free standing rack out of 35/8" face to face, back to back unistrut and have service access from both sides. bob

Maine Doug_53

Words are not necessary

for mechanical room accessories.

BC_3

Good advice so far - especially Maine Doug's! Anyone else? I'll work on my layout a bit and post it for comment.

Thanks!

Weezbo

Seems You Are\" All Over It!\"

*~/:)

Excellent!.

it is one of the reasons i personally like this site. Here we have innovative thinking. I will give it a go when i spin in the Red Green boiler room. thanks for the inspiration.

Thanks.