If the distance between the plant-room and the surgeries is excessive, suction performance can suffer (both in the airflow/pressure at the tip, and also in the time it takes for suction to reach the tip after picking it up and activating the suction unit). Below is a general guide to the maximum distance from the plant-room to the surgeries (measured between the plant-room and the most distant surgery):

1 surgery       -       5 metres

2 surgeries     -      12 metres

3 surgeries     -     15 metres

4 surgeries     -     15 metres

          

If you are to go beyond these recommended maximum distances, you may need to increase the size of your suction pump to compensate. Speak with our trainied technician or the Cattani Tech Team if you would like to discuss the maximum distance from surgery to plant-room in your clinic.

When designing a new surgery, there is a strong case for locating the plant-room in a room in or close to the centre of the clinic. This can mean that all of the surgeries are close to the suction system (i.e. there is no surgery at the end of the line), and it is also very accessible for clinic staff to access for routine maintenance. Modern sound-proofing materials can render the noise level almost silent. Please note that in these cases a dedicated air-conditioner is required to control the temperature inside the plant-room.

If the plant-room is to be close to the surgeries, for example in a dedicated room inside the clinic (and this can be the best option in many cases), measures will need to be taken to control the noise escaping the room. This is most affectively done by sealing the plant-room, and having it soundproofed (for a new clinic, this can be easily done when it is being constructed, for existing clinics this can be done by lining the walls will sound proofing material). This can only be done however if the plant-room has a dedicated air-conditioner, to maintain a cool temperature.

If the plant-room  is to located outside the clinic (i.e. alongside the building, in a box, or shed) considerations should be made to what affect the noise will have in that particular area.  Proximity to neighbours’ residences can be particularly problematic. If the location is to be close to a neighbour, measures can be taken to reduce the noise level (mufflers on suction motors' exhaust, lining the enclosure with sound-proofing material) however, this cannot be done at the cost of the ventilation of the enclosure, which is often very difficult. If you have an existing enclosure that you would like to reduce the noise of, please get in touch with our Tech Support Team so they can advise on what might be done to improve the noise level without compromising the ventilation.

You should ensure that the location has enough space for not only the plant-equipment to fit, but also for a technician to be able to work on the machine, and change key components.  For example, there should be enough room for a technician to change the head on a compressor, or access a circuit board on a suction unit. The more easily a technician can access these key components, the more quickly they will be able to diagnose and remedy an issue and get you working again. If they first have to move equipment around (sometimes requiring plumbing connections to be disconnected first), time taken can be greatly increased, and sometimes the quality of diagnosis affected (in extreme cases).

If the area you have is tight, one option is to install the compressor on a stand that sits over the suction unit. dentplex can supply such stands (known as 'Vento').

Clinic staff should be able to access equipment easily to perform routine maintenance (i.e. cleaning the suction filter at the end of each week, replacing compressor filters every 6 months). It is our experience that plant-equipment located inside the clinic is usually much better maintained by clinic staff than equipment located outside of the clinic (which is often forgotten about until something goes wrong). Likewise, technicians should be able to access the plant-equipment easily and without obstruction. If the equipment is to be installed alongside the clinic, you should ensure that they can get to it easily, also allowing for any replacement equipment to be brought through without obstruction (i.e. if there is a gardened area near a path, measures should be taken to ensure bushes and plants aren’t overgrown, obstructing paths).

Often, a potential location for your plant-room will satisfy some of the key areas, but be very poor in another. Understanding the key issues however will help in understanding what is most important in your clinic and help you decide which is most important in your case. 

You should ensure that you have sufficient power to run all of your Plant-Room equipment (double adaptors, powerboards should not be used).

The compressor and suction unit generally operate at the higher side of a powerpoint's capacity (i.e. close to 10 Amp) 

Dentplex will guild you to install two single 10 or 15 amps power points within you surgery plantroom and each power point to be on it own circuit breaker