The mechanical room is the heart of any multi-unit residential building. Here is a plain-language tour of the major equipment and what each piece does.
The Boiler Plant
Most Ontario condos heat with natural gas boilers. The boiler heats water that is circulated through the building. Modern buildings often use high-efficiency condensing boilers. Key components include the boiler itself, circulating pumps, expansion tanks, and backflow preventers.
The Cooling Plant
Larger buildings may have a central chiller and cooling tower. Smaller condos often use individual suite fan coils connected to a two or four-pipe system, or package terminal air conditioners (PTACs) in each unit.
Domestic Hot Water
Domestic hot water (DHW) is separate from heating water. It is typically heated by a boiler or heat exchanger and stored in insulated tanks. Legionella risk in DHW systems is managed by maintaining storage temperature above 60C.
Pumps and Distribution
Inline circulation pumps keep water moving through the system. Plate heat exchangers transfer heat between different water circuits (e.g., district heating to building heating) without mixing the fluids.