Are speakers in hotel bathrooms necessary?
CORRECT VAS INSTALLATION IN HOTEL FACILITIES
An audio warning system in hotel facilities is a seemingly simple topic, but its effective installation can be quite a challenge. The question arises whether loudspeakers are necessary in hotel bathrooms?
For an ordinary hotel room user, VAS appears in the bathroom as a single and often unnoticeable loudspeaker, but its implementation involves:
FOR THE DESIGNER
- designing a system almost twice as large
FOR THE INSTALLER
- spending twice as much time to carry out the installation
FOR THE INVESTOR
- increasing investment costs
GUIDELINES
In accordance with the guidelines for the design, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of sound warning systems CNBOP-PIB W-0004 (to which our company was invited), issued in 2021 by the Józef Tuliszkowski SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH CENTER for FIRE PROTECTION and the Association of Engineers and Technicians Firefighting, it is the responsibility of the designer of the voice warning system to design the VAS system so that the transmitted messages have an appropriate level of intelligibility of STI speech and SPL sound throughout the facility.
BADANIA
Over recent years, we have conducted a series of studies in hotel facilities, thanks to which we are able to determine that:
- When using a single loudspeaker in a hotel room, it is usually impossible to obtain the appropriate sound level and speech understanding in the bathroom, and this is regardless of the location and power of the VAS loudspeaker used (all tested in rooms with a traditional design).
The key aspect of loudness measurements is the degree of acoustic insulation of bathroom doors and the fact that, in accordance with the CNBOP-PIB W-0004 guidelines for VAS systems, STI speech intelligibility measurements should be carried out taking into account the actual noise levels in a given room, which in the case of bathrooms means, among others, incl. the tap in the sink or shower is open, or the ventilation is on.
The easiest way to visualize how this system works is based on a hypothetical situation. A loudspeaker was mounted on the ceiling in the vestibule of the corridor in such a way that the reflected acoustic waves are also propagated through a special ventilation grille, thanks to which it is possible to properly sound the bathroom. This situation is theoretically possible, but such functionality cannot be confirmed even through acoustic simulations, so implementing such an installation may be risky and insufficient to obtain appropriate parameters of speech intelligibility and sound intensity in the bathroom.
important!
Please remember that before implementing such a demanding and unusual solution, it is recommended to carry out tests on the entire facility using an approved STI speech intelligibility meter.
SUMMARY
It is extremely important that VAS provides the highest possible level of security. Incorrect design and, consequently, installation of VAS may result in people in the facility in the danger zone not being effectively warned about the danger. It should also be mentioned that if you install one loudspeaker in the room and one in the bathroom, and connect them to two separate loudspeaker lines, the level of safety is significantly increased, because even if one of the loudspeakers is damaged, there will still be a working loudspeaker in the apartment. A reliable and safe sound warning system that will ensure an appropriate speech intelligibility index STI and sound level SPL throughout the facility should include the installation of loudspeakers in each hotel bathroom.
