What are building services?
Building services are the technical installations that make a building work. They include heating, hot and cold water, drainage, electrics, ventilation and data connections. Together they are also called MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) or, in short, building technology.
Types of building services
The services in a home or building can be grouped roughly into:
- Heating and cooling — boiler or heat pump, radiators or underfloor heating, and sometimes cooling.
- Water and sanitary — water supply, hot-water provision, drainage and taps.
- Electrics — consumer unit, circuits, wiring, switches, sockets and lighting.
- Ventilation — natural, mechanical or balanced ventilation with heat recovery.
- Data and security — network, internet, home automation, fire and intruder protection.
Importance in design and renovation
Building services make up a large share of the build cost: in a new home, a quarter to a third of the total budget often goes to the services. Taking them into account early in the design avoids later chasing and breaking out, and lets pipes, ducts and the consumer unit be planned sensibly. In an energy retrofit (heat pump, solar panels, mechanical ventilation) the services are the core of the work.
Have services installed by a qualified contractor; gas, water and electrical work are governed by legal requirements and standards.
Related terms
- Boiler
- Mechanical ventilation
- Consumer unit
- Home automation
- Connection rating
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