Systems

Plumbing
Service and Equipment
Plumbing may or may not be required in a retail store, depending on the store's operational
needs. Plumbing is required in : Employee washrooms. Guest Washroom & facility for
handicapped person.
The requirement for employee facilities will sometimes be waived if the landlord provides
adequate public washrooms for both shoppers and employees.

The other plumbing requirements of a retail store may include

a washbowl
a kitchen sink for employees
a utility sink for cleaning tools or watering plants.
A floor or wall drain and waste line may also have to be provided to accommodate HVAC
condensate or sprinkler-system drain water.

Service & Equipment

Role of Landlords.
With regard to materials: Waste and vent pipe is generally cast iron or plastic (where permitted)
water pipe is copper or galvanized (plastic pipe may be permitted). Galvanized pipe should be
used instead of copper in areas where labor costs are low in comparison with the material cost
of copper.

Fire Protection
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Sprinkler System
The most significant design feature of a sprinkler system is the sprinkler head. These heads are
generally all that is visible because the remainder of the system is concealed above the ceiling
or in partitions. The sprinkler head is mounted in the wall or ceiling and connected to the
sprinkler supply piping. If the room reaches a high temperature (usually 165°F), the sprinkler
head will spray the nearby area with water and extinguish the fire.

Many different types of heads are available, but from a design standpoint three should be
considered for ex-posed locations in a retail store. The first and least expensive is the pendant
type pendant head with its escutcheon (ornamental) plate is the industry standard and is used
widely but presents a problem for design-sensitive projects (the pendant head is not as
attractive as some of the others are). The flush pendant type, is slightly more expensive than
the simple pendant type, but it is recessed into the ceiling and so is less visible.

In the concealed sprinkler head, the only visible element is a plate flush with the ceiling. This
plate can be painted at the factory (field painting is not recommended, as it may void the
underwriter's listing) to match any ceiling color and offers a neutral design image.

Fire Extinguisher

Local codes or the community fire department may require the tenant to install fire
extinguishers. The exact number and type required vary, but at least one all-purpose
extinguisher should be placed in the storeroom or other nonpublic area.

Alarm Systems

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In addition to a sprinkler system, a fire alarm system may be required by code authorities, the
fire department, or the landlord. The alarm system may incorporate smoke or heat detectors in
the ventilating system ducts, and many code jurisdictions require automatic shutdown of HVAC
air-handling equipment by means of smoke detectors even if a fire alarm system is not required.
Smoke purge(evacuation) systems, which exhaust smoke to the outdoors in addition to the
cessation of normal ventilation, are sometimes required.

Heat, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems (HVAC)

Ducts
Retail-store ducts are commonly constructed of galvanized sheet metal and run above the
ceiling. Although ducts are usually made of galvanized sheet metal, ducts exposed to the
weather may be aluminum, and ducts that are part of a kitchen exhaust system are constructed
of black iron.

Fiberglass boad ducts are sometimes used for their insulative qualities. Flexible reinforced
plastic ducts may be used for the last few feet of supply ductwork or the first few feet of return
ductwork, to permit ease of location for diffusers or registers.

Dampers -Dampers are installed in supply air ducts to control the volume of air flow.

Supply Diffusers and Return Registers - Supply diffusers distribute supply air from the duct to
the conditioned space, and they contain local volume controls. Diffusers should be placed so
that they do not direct drafts toward shoppers or employees. Three common types of supply
diffusers are the perforated-face, louver-face, and continuous linear type .
All are designed to be incorporated into a gypsum board or plaster ceiling or a ceiling grid
system. Linear types are more expensive than are perforated-face or louver-face types.

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Special Exhaust Systems - Special exhaust systems are required when a retail store has a
working kitchen or otherwise produces strong odors or fumes.

Electrical Systems - Electrical systems supply electricity for outlets, lighting , equipment, and
sometimes heating. In larger shopping malls, tenants usually must complete the entire electrical
installation in their space, whereas in smaller strip centers, all basic electricity and lighting may
be provided by the landlord.

Service Equipment - A panelboard receives and distributes power, and the circuit breakers it
contains will disconnect the power if there is an overload.

Distribution - Electrical power is distributed from the panelboard to outlets, fixtures, and other
devices via insulated copper conductors usually enclosed in metal conduit (pipe).
Store Fixtures
Electrical power for store fixtures can be routed through the ceiling, wall, or floor.

Communication Systems - The retail store may install a sound system to provide internal
paging, emergency paging, and/or background music. Speakers for paging may be spaced at
about twice the distance of a sound system designed for high-quality music, that is, a 12-foot
spacing for paging only and a 6-foot spacing for quality music. Of course, the entire sound
system must be upgraded from amplifiers to speakers to increase the sound quality for proper
music reproduction.

Emergency Lighting - Most jurisdictions require some form of store emergency lighting that is
activated in a power failure and provides the minimum illumination necessary for shoppers to

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exit the store safely. Because most shopping malls do not provide a source of emergency power,
battery-operated units must be used.

Many different self-contained units, which use self charging batteries to power the emergency
light, are available. The battery container may be located in a service area, and the light fixture
can be exposed to public view. These fixtures may be located on a wall at the ceiling line or in
the ceiling. Some battery-powered emergency lights look like a typical fluorescent troffer.

Closed-circuit television cameras can be installed to monitor areas of the store not visible to
store personnel from the cash counter. Entry-sensing devices are useful when a salesperson is
serving a customer and his or her attention is on making the sale. Entry-sensing detectors can
also be microwave, ultrasonic, infrared, photo cell, door-hinge contactor, or a hidden floor mat.

Exit alarms are activated by merchandise tagged with special devices to sound an alarm if these
special tags are taken out of the store. An employee-operated panic alarm can be placed at the
cash counter or elsewhere to sound a local audible alarm or signal a central station in the event
of a robbery or other emergency.

Burglary, Arson, and Vandalism Control

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Entry sensors such as those that protect against shoplifting can also be installed to defend
against after-hour intruders. These do not sound an audible alarm, but do signal the central
station monitor. The central station is a privately operated, off-premises company at which
personnel monitor signal panels 24 hours a day. The entry-sensor signal light is activated
automatically when an intruder enters the store.

The signal from the sensor is sent to an automatic telephone dialer, and the alarm is transmitted
over regular telephone lines. Central system personnel then dispatch their own security person
or notify the police of the break-in. Systems that direct their alarm to the police are generally
not used, however, because of the high incidence of false alarms. Other similar sensing devices
may be located throughout the store to detect intruders entering through the walls, floor, or
ceiling.