Loughmore Nursing Home

Loughmore Nursing Home is a purpose-built, 82-bed residential care facility designed to provide a high standard of accommodation and care for its residents. As a new build, the project offered the opportunity to design and install mechanical systems from the ground up — but it also demanded that every system met the stringent requirements set by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), which governs the standards of residential care facilities across Ireland.

Fergal Warren Mechanical was appointed to deliver the full mechanical package across the facility, including en-suite bathrooms to every resident room, heating and ventilation throughout, and a specialist hot and cold water system designed to meet both comfort and regulatory requirements.

Delivering mechanical services to HIQA standards in a residential care environment is a precise and demanding undertaking. Every en-suite in the facility was designed for disabled access, requiring careful installation of sanitary ware, pipework, and associated services to meet both the care standards and the accessibility requirements applicable to each space. With 82 rooms, the scale of this element of the works alone was significant.

The hot water system presented a particular technical challenge. A dual-stage heating approach was specified to manage energy efficiency while maintaining the water temperatures required to prevent Legionella growth throughout the system. The first stage used electrical heating to raise water temperature from cold to an intermediate level, with the second stage using gas to bring the water to full operational temperature. Managing the interface between the two systems, ensuring consistent performance across a building of this size, and incorporating a full Legionella prevention flush programme required careful design coordination and precise installation throughout.

The ventilation and air conditioning scope added further complexity, with heat recovery systems and air conditioning required throughout the building to maintain the comfortable, controlled environment that residential care residents require.

Fergal Warren Mechanical delivered the full mechanical installation across Loughmore Nursing Home, completing all 82 en-suites to the disabled access and HIQA standards required. Every bathroom was installed with the care and precision that a regulated residential care environment demands, with all works inspected and documented on completion.

The dual hot water system was installed, commissioned, and balanced to deliver reliable, consistent hot water throughout the building, with the Legionella prevention flush programme fully integrated and documented from the outset. The heat recovery and ventilation systems were installed and commissioned to deliver the air quality and thermal comfort standards required, with air conditioning throughout ensuring residents benefit from a comfortable environment year-round.

The project was delivered as a complete, fully compliant mechanical installation — meeting the HIQA standards that protect residents and giving the nursing home management confidence in the quality and safety of the building services from day one.