T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E P R O F E S S I O N A L’ S C H O I C E   ■  ISSUE NO.

 32

Professionalism:
It’s Our Bottom Line
p. 1

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 tabb supplement — advertisement

Professionalism:
It’s Our Bottom Line
T
hey may not wear lab coats or carry stethoscopes, but the trained and the intelligence that is necessary to
certified professionals who care for mechanical systems in hospitals and coordinate space management with
health care facilities take pride in their professionalism. They are among other contractors, allowing us to fab-
the most valuable players on the teams that work to keep patients and staff safe, ricate material offsite.” DSI is respon-
healthy and comfortable in the indoor environments of America’s leading hos- sible for the full mechanical scope
pitals, clinics and specialty health care facilities. including duct work, HVAC piping
and all plumbing for DWV and the
In recognition of the unique chal- That’s why a company like Dynamic med-gas systems. There are stringent
lenges that the physical plants of Systems Inc. (DSI) has a leg up when requirements for installation for criti-
health care facilities present, increas- it comes to winning bids for mechani- cal systems such as medigas piping
ingly hospital administrators are cal contracting. DSI is one of several and only journeymen are allowed to
requiring specialized training and SMWIA signatory contractors work- do the installation.
certification before contractors can ing on major hospital projects in Opening up dialogue between
even qualify to bid on projects. South Texas. Jay Rohan, Sr. Vice health care administrators and con-
“Given the fact that a significant per- President for Labor at DSI, says tractors would seem to be an obvi-
centage of nosocomial infections con-
tracted by hospital patients are trans- “We have a special responsibility to see to it that everyone
mitted through airborne pathogens, working in a health facility understands how to minimize risks.”
we have a special responsibility to see — Mark Kenneday, Vice Chancellor for Medical Services, University of Arkansas
to it that everyone working in a health
facility understands how to minimize his company’s experience with BIM ous connection, but until contractors
those risks,” says Mark Kenneday, Vice (Building Information Modeling)— like Gowan Mechanical Services, an
Chancellor for Medical Services at the they’ve used CAD programs since EMCOR Group company in Texas,
University of Arkansas in Little Rock. 1993—is key to ensuring that “all began cold calling to discuss the ben-
From design to commissioning, the mechanical contractors on these efits of HVAC Fire Life Systems test-
maintenance to operations, owners projects are on the same page. We ing in Houston several years ago, no
demand full value for the dollars spent can easily exchange information. Our one had made the connection. When
on construction and renovation. software automatically brings in all Don Viningre of EMCOR’s Gowan
continued on p. 2

Also In This Issue TABB Staff

Case Study: Wing’s Testing & Balancing. . . . . . . . . .7 James Page  Administrator

New Metric: Study Proposes New Metrics John Hamilton  Chief Operating Officer
for Gauging Building Performance . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Kevin Casey  Director of Certification
—
Value Chain: ICB/TABB—Leading the Way
Testing, Adjusting & Balancing Bureau
Toward Energy Efficiency and Sustainability. . . . 9
8403 Arlington Blvd, Suite 100
Problem Solving: Calculating Fairfax, VA 22031
a Dual Pump Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Phone: 800-458-6525  •  Fax: 703-683-7615
www.tabbcertified.org

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 continued from p. 1

Unless something goes

wrong, casual observers
rarely notice indoor air
temperature, humidity
or airflow. Behind the
scenes trained, experi-
enced specialists moni-
tor complex equipment,
electronic controls, and
on a regular schedule
check filters, fire and
smoke dampers and
document energy usage.

ICB/TABB encourages contractors to secure

professional training and specialty certifications.
Mechanical Services approached
officials at several healthcare facili-
ties, including Memorial Hermann
Healthcare Systems in Houston, he
identified the American Society for
Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) as a
natural partner interested in the bene-
fits of services unique to TABB contrac-
tors. “As an industry, we know HVAC
mechanical systems, design and build,
commissioning, hydronics, pressuriza-
tion, energy auditing and fire dampers
as well as TAB services that extend to
compliance testing of laboratories and
pharmacies,” Viningre points out, add-
ing: “Few administrators we meet know
or understand that one contractor can
supply all of the above and more, while
saving money on all of it.”
Since 2010, nearly 500 contractors
have chosen to validate their com-
petence in dealing with the special
complications of working in health
care facilities by taking a two-day
course and passing a 110-question
examination developed by ASHE (the
American Society of Health Care
Engineers).
“Passing this exam and securing
the title of Certified Healthcare
Constructor (CHC) shows that a con-
tractor has acquired a body of knowl-
edge and experience in the indus-
try that is vital to understanding the
rigors of hospital operations,” said
Kenneday who also serves as ASHE’s
President.
“As part of our drive to quality,
ICB/TABB encourages contractors to
secure professional training and spe-
cialty certifications to strengthen the
foundation of their business. The chal-
lenge we all face is to keep pace with
change and to master new skills that
will sustain our competitive edge and
ultimately better serve the customer
base,” explained John Hamilton, Chief
Operating Officer of ICB/TABB.
In 2010, ICB/TABB’s training pro-
gram became the first (and remains
the only) HVAC industry group to
earn ANSI accreditation for its certifi-
cation process.
Whether they are designing and
installing the latest air handling
equipment, working as part of a com-
missioning team assessing the overall
performance of a building, or provid-
ing contractor crews to maintain an
HVAC system at peak performance,
TABB-certified specialty contractors
and personnel play a vital role in
America’s health care industry.
Teams of ICB/TABB specialists also
install fire life safety systems, inspect fire
dampers, calibrate electronic controls
and compile real time energy use data.
Hospital administrators credit fine-
tuning by their ICB/TABB partners
for saving millions in energy usage,
dollars that can be added back to
health care operational budgets.

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 tabb supplement — advertisement

Vincent Del Vacchio of Keystone Contractors and technicians who risk and maximize the efficiency of
Balance in Philadelphia has been in have earned their specialty certifi- indoor systems.
the forefront of another new technol- cations through the International Along the interstate corridors that
ogy to benefit both the health care Certification Board/Testing and link Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin
and R&D industries. Del Vacchio’s Balancing Bureau (ICB/TABB) are and San Antonio, contractors are hard
work with variable frequency drives the “go-to” source that health care at work on major hospital construction
and fume hoods, has produced big administrators rely upon to minimize projects that are likely continued on p. 4
savings for customers who operate
laboratories. He recently concluded a
series of installations in laboratories
on the campuses of Villanova and
Ryder University.
A veteran of 40 years in the HVAC
business, Del Vacchio says training
and many years of experience working
in pharmaceutical facilities has given
him particular insights. “I’ve built and
renovated specialty rooms, including
vivariums to house research animals.
Our work has evolved with the science.
Labs may have problems maintaining
pressurization and thanks to our expe-
rience, we sometimes find that the
solution can be as simple as filling hol-
low door jambs to eliminate sources
of air leakage.” Solving problems and
saving money for customers forges a
strong bond between companies like Workers install a fume
Keystone and the clients they serve. hood in Philadelphia.

SMWIA Local 105 in Southern California trains technicians

on facets of health care construction and operations in this
state-of-the-art clean room testing facility.

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 continued from p. 3
to keep them busy for the next several
years. Among these are new construc-
tion and expansion of the University
Hospital System at San Antonio, a new
massive facility, Darnall Memorial, at
Ft. Hood, and a $1.3 billion expansion
at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Similar
projects are underway in Austin and
Houston.
Hospitals and specialized health
care facilities are the toughest test of
mechanical systems and those who
install and maintain them.
Hospital buildings are subjected to
intense use around the clock, 365 days
a year. People are born and die inside
those walls and the task of sustaining
hygienic indoor environments that
minimize the risk of transmitting bac-
teria and viruses falls to technicians
and the contractors that employ them.
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14038_TABB_Talk.indd 4
The physical plant that houses
patients, medical staff and all the
modern and expensive high tech
equipment associated with 21st
Century medicine plays a critical role
in the delivery of first rate health care.
Whether a patient lives or dies can
depend not merely on the skill of a
surgeon but also upon the proper per-
formance of thousands of vital com-
ponents—air exchangers, chillers,
filters, fans, ducts, diverters, motors,
sensors and controls.
There are complex space require-
ments and precise temperature and
humidity parameters for sensitive spe-
cialized medical equipment—scan-
ners, x-rays, laboratories, lasers and
robotic operating tools. Design and
performance demands are rigid for
clean rooms, fume hoods and cabi-
nets used in the disposal of hazardous
Lonnie Lentz of Mueller & Wilson
checks controls at the Methodist
Medical Center in San Antonio.
biologic waste. It all presents addi-
tional design and technology chal-
lenges for contractors and technicians
working in health care facilities.
Health care facilities—whether
they are large complex hospital build-
ings, or small specialized clinics or
laboratories—are intensely utilized
buildings, meaning that their air
exchangers, HVAC systems and occu-
pant safety networks have more strin-
gent compliance standards than other
commercial structures.
Even taking into account the reces-
sion and a continued sluggish econ-
omy, health care construction spend-
ing grew by 68 percent between 2002
and 2012, to a total of $40.1 billion.
Some 75% of that spending is for pri-
vate facilities; the balance represents
spending on federal, state and local
government facilities.
As with the health care industry in
general, education, specialization and
professionalism have become critical
elements for designers, developers,
contractors and technicians in health
facility construction.
Hospitals are no longer just brick and
mortar structures. Instead of sterile
hallways and cookie cutter rooms with
beds, 21st century health care facili-
ties are filled with sophisticated elec-
tronics: scanners, nuclear medicine,
countless monitors and thousands of
electronic connections. Instead of
large storerooms set aside for metal
filing cabinets and paper forms, hos-
pitals need specially designed rooms
for computer servers and data storage.
Chillers and HVAC systems must be
specialized beyond mere comfort; they
must be designed to minimize the risk
of HAIs (healthcare associated infec-
tions). Likewise, every individual in the
decision chain for health care facilities
must be conversant with the concept of
risk assessment and tactics to minimize
those risks. Many lives and millions of
dollars hang in the balance.
Dale Knowlton, with Mueller and
Wilson Mechanical in San Antonio,
holds certification from ICB TABB as
continued on p. 6
1/10/13 10:24 AM
 tabb supplement — advertisement

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 continued from p. 4
a Fire Life Safety supervisor and as a
TAB supervisor. He and his company
have been with the Methodist Medical
Center in San Antonio for 13 years.
Originally hired for construction at
the hospital, Knowlton coordinated
with the Center’s facilities personnel
handling testing and balancing. The
company’s role has grown to include
fire damper repairs, maintaining air
exchanges in the Center’s four build-
ings (including operating rooms and
other patient care areas) and testing
and balancing, all of which keeps
eight Mueller and Wilson technicians
busy virtually year round.
“Health care is a growth industry and it offers the promise
of steady work for contractors who are willing to do
the homework required to equip themselves for the challenges.
It just makes good business sense to keep up
with the industry and earn every certification you can get.”
— Don Viningre, EMC Corp
As scientific knowledge about
viruses and bacteria has expanded,
entire medical specialties have grown
up around biologics and infection
control. So, hospitals need space for
laboratories—necessitating clean
rooms, fume hoods and specialized
storage cabinets to isolate and dispose
of hazardous substances.
There was a time when patients
might spend days or even weeks in a
hospital room. Today, few patients—
even those undergoing major surger-
ies—are admitted for more than one
or two days. So, rooms have become
nodes or clusters where three or four
patients can be easily monitored by
nurses and technicians.
Meanwhile, the evolution of BIM
and new efficiencies in HVAC systems,
controls and fume hoods have created
significant operational savings that
administrators can tap to pay for new
construction and renovation. It’s a
perfect storm enabling the health care
industry to expand and adapt while
infusing the sheet metal industry with
expanding opportunities.
6 TESTING ADJUSTING AND BALANCING BUREAU T h e P r o f e s s i o n a l ’s C h o i c e
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This perfect storm is also imposing
added responsibilities for the indus-
try at every level to elevate its educa-
tional standards and professionalism.
Organizations such as ASHE and oth-
ers recognize the importance of per-
formance standards and have created
a number of educational programs
accompanied by certification require-
ments for contractors and technicians
to ensure standardized performance
for critical systems.
About three years ago, ASHE began
developing a process to qualify con-
struction professionals. According to
Kenneday, “Certification is critical
to develop a pool of capable indi-
viduals. It makes the bidding process
smoother.”
The ASHE Healthcare Construction
Certificate (HCC) workshop com-
bines a prerequisite e-learning pro-
gram and a two-day seminar that edu-
cates attendees on critical topics in
health care construction. Participants
gain an understanding of the latest
compliance issues in health care con-
struction and what owners, staff, and
patients expect of constructors work-
ing in the health care environment.
Since ASHE created its Certified
Constructor program nearly 500 con-
tractors have taken the requisite two-
day course and successfully passed the
110-question exam, Kenneday says.
“Health care is a growth industry
and it offers the promise of steady
work for contractors who are willing
to do the homework required to equip
themselves for the challenges,” says
Don Viningre of EMC Corp. “It just
makes good business sense to keep
up with the industry and earn every
certification you can get.” ■
How ICB/
TABB certified
professionals
serve the
health care
industry:
• Using proprietary
Benchmark Software,
they design, build, install,
monitor and repair
mechanical and control
systems.
• They play the lead role in
minimizing exposure to
biohazards and airborne
contaminants.
• Hospital administrators
rely on TABB specialists
to maximize energy effi-
ciency by balancing com-
plex operational systems.
Periodic maintenance,
fine tuning and exploiting
the latest energy saving
technology can produce
savings that not only pay
for themselves, but often
provide funds for other
vital operations.
• ICB-certified HVAC Fire
Life Safety professionals
inspect and document
operations of fire damp-
ers and related equipment
to protect against smoke
and fire hazards and
ensure compliance with
fire code requirements.
1/10/13 10:25 AM

Case Study: Wing’s Testing & Balancing
Providing One-Stop
Shopping for a
Major New York Hospital
By Matthew Cole, LEED AP BD&C
W
orking in the healthcare envi-
ronment is challenging and
rewarding at the same time.
It has been documented that more
people die from infections they receive
in the hospital environment than from
the diseases that sent them for care. As
a TABB Technician and Supervisor, my
work in hospitals is extremely impor-
tant. It helps provide a safe, comfortable
environment for staff and patients.
Our firm, Wing’s Testing &
Balancing, performs numerous
projects for major hospitals in New
England and New York City. From
consulting, to plan review, to perfor-
mance testing, to commissioning and
maintenance, our goal is to be part
of the hospital’s team. Our success
is a function of our ability to work
directly with the owner. That allows
us to develop strong relationships so
that hospital management knows who
to call when they have any question
about HVAC.
New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital joined the North
Shore LIJ health system in 2010.
Arriving onsite, the North Shore LIJ
Team faced challenges to ensure com-
pliance with healthcare regulations in
the environment of care. Wing’s collab-
orated with North Shore LIJ to develop
a scheduled testing program for operat-
ing rooms and specialized areas which
need to comply with pressurization and
air change regulations.
While Wing’s performs monthly,
quarterly and annual measurements
of many rooms and systems, we have
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14038_TABB_Talk.indd 7
also trained North Shore LIJ’s in-
house HVAC staff in methods of test-
ing and the correct use of instruments
for their daily rounds.
As certified TABB Technicians and
Supervisors, we not only document
the results of our testing, but we are
also trained and qualified to adjust
the systems we test. At Lenox Hill, we
were able to adjust systems that were
underperforming and bring rooms
into compliance with codes and
guidelines. The hospital is pleased
with the results, since we provide a
‘one-stop shop’ for them. We have bal-
anced renovation and project work for
Our goal in our healthcare work is to leverage
our training and certifications to become the ‘go-to’ company
for our hospital client’s HVAC needs.
the Hospital, and we have performed
plan reviews for major infrastructure
upgrades on the campus.
Our TABB HVAC Fire Life Safety
certifications have proved useful
in reviewing testing reports for the
hospital. In the process we have
uncovered some gaps in the report-
ing. Survey work on systems has
sometimes found unaccounted for
fire/smoke dampers, or dampers that
were in need of repair.
Our filtration certifications with
NAFA have proved valuable as we
meet with suppliers to the hospital,
review filtration efficiencies for AHJ
compliance, and ensure maintenance
is being properly performed.
We are also now in discussions with
hospital management to perform the
tabb supplement — advertisement
ICB Certified ASHRAE 110 testing
of the fume hoods on campus, and
HEPA filter testing-in-place.
We are currently assisting in the
development of a scheduled mainte-
nance program for Lenox Hill and
additional training for the in-house
staff that will keep the campus run-
ning smoothly and efficiently.
Our goal in our healthcare work is
to leverage our training and certifica-
tions to become the ‘go-to’ company
for our hospital client’s HVAC needs.
The management of these high per-
formance buildings understand that
our ICB and TABB certifications are
value-added. Even though a given
project might not need the expertise
of a particular certification, owners
feel more comfortable that techni-
cians trained in multiple specialties
are staffing their jobs.
TABB contractors can start these
types of relationships by offering air
change and pressurization testing for
hospitals. At a minimum, this work
will need to be done annually for
Joint Commission compliance. Our
on-site presence for regular testing
often leads to additional projects, all
while we help to provide a safe and
comfortable environment to staff,
patients and visitors. ■
7
1/10/13 10:25 AM
 new metric
Study Proposes New Metrics
for Gauging Building Performance

A
study undertaken by the National Center for The “Scientific Outreach Program,” as described in a
Energy Management and Building Technologies scholarly paper jointly authored by engineer Jim Woods
(NCEMBT) four years ago asked the question: are and NEMI’s Davor Novosel as a project of NCEMBT, is
buildings performing as intended? According to the study, slowly moving the dialogue forward in an effort to address
the answer is “seldom.” public policy and to develop market transformation.
In commercial buildings, the perfect balance between “There are indications that the federal government is
energy efficiency and occupant acceptability continues to be interested in our findings, but none of this stuff moves
an elusive target despite the mountains of information on quickly and that’s probably as it should be given the mul-
energy usage that has been collected over the past 30 years. titude of considerations. Improving how we use energy in
Along with a general dearth of useful metrics to validly commercial structures will remain a work in progress for
assess performance, the introduction of new terminology, many years to come,” Novosel said.
such as “high performance buildings,” has prodded stake- The authors dismiss the use of the Energy Utilization
holders to take a fresh look at how to improve data defining Index (EUI) as a standalone metric because it does not
efficient building operations and to enable stakeholders to quantify the effectiveness of how that energy is used.
take specific steps to address performance shortcomings. After all, Woods points out, “you can drive energy usage
down to zero by clos-
Forcing Response
ing a building, but that
Functions Functions would be absurd.”
Nevertheless, EUI has
Physical
Factors
cost been the standard mea-
Factors sure for some 30 years.
· S ources It has been adopted in
· First Costs
· Building
· O&M Costs federal regulation and
Systems
· Other Costs
legislation despite its
· Exposures shortcomings. Similarly,
the authors say, award-
ing green “credits” for
design options that
Personal
Human merely reduce energy
Factors
Responses
usage based on EUI
· Intrinsic Occupant
· Objective Performance
Productivity such as the case in
· Adaptive LEED construction do
· Perceptive
· P sychological/ Motivating not account for effective
· Affective
Environmental Factors energy use.
· Risk Perception
· Economic
While conceding that
Motivators EUI does address scien-
· Other tific-technical issues of
Social Motivators building performance,
Factors
Woods and Novosel set
· Secular Trends
· S ocial Factors
in Mini-
[ Human
Factors [ Figure 1. Extended rational model for
evaluation of Human Response, Occupant
out to determine how
to add measurable val-
Performance, and Productivity ues for other such real
environment
world considerations as

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occupant health and safety, productiv-
ity, lighting and acoustics and general
comfort to arrive at more precise per-
formance measurements. They came
up with an Acceptability Index Value
(AIV) which is a ratio of the EUI mixed
with responses of building occupants to
surveys that assess other environmen-
tal factors, such as lighting, acoustics,
temperature and productivity issues.
This new metric sets a number derived
from measurements and from care-
fully crafted occupant surveys to enable
interested parties to identify exactly
how to improve building conditions to
reach performance targets.
The paper points out that during
the lifespan of a typical commercial
structure, transformations occur due
to changes in the original purpose of
the building and changing functions of
its occupants. Other factors that miti-
gate against perfect operation include
the quality of maintenance, the types of
repairs and renovations that take place,
and changes in the costs of owning
and operating the building. All these
variables need to be accounted for to
get a snapshot of how any building is
working on a given day.
The authors also noted that account-
ability for building performance
remains undefined. Should it be the
designers and architects, owners, facil-
ities personnel, or all of the above?
In the final steps of the research
project, the authors tested their
theory on a set of seven buildings
selected from criteria established
by the NCEMBT and the National
Institute of Building Sciences.
According to Woods and Novosel
“only a fraction of the available data
are sufficiently valid and reliable
to establish new metrics.” They sug-
gest convening a charrette of stake-
holders to identify and document
other variables that could develop
other Figures of Merit to continu-
ally improve the accuracy of per-
formance measurement while evolv-
ing new methods to improve perfor-
mance at the same time. ■
w w w. t a b b c e r t i f i e d . o r g TESTING ADJUSTING AND BALANCING BUREAU
14038_TABB_Talk.indd 9
tabb supplement — advertisement
A rigorous training regimen strengthens the ICB/TABB value chain. This certified TAB lab in Boston,
enables instructors from Local 17 to present real world challenges for technicians to solve.
Value Chain
ICB/TABB—Leading the Way Toward
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
T
he link between HVAC technology and overall building perfor-
mance and sustainability seems obvious today, but as recently as
the 1990s, there were few who understood just how vital that con-
nection could be until the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau
was founded in 2001. It was at that point industry professionals laid
out a straight line—from concept and design through construction
and installation to operations and maintenance—enabling a holistic
approach to HVAC. Since then, scientists, engineers, contractors and
technicians have jointly perfected a comprehensive approach toward
sustainability. In the process, ICB/TABB has become the first and
only HVAC systems testing, adjusting and balancing organization to
earn official accreditation from the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI).
ANSI’s accreditation reflects the rigorous training regimen provided
by the more than 160 Local Joint Apprenticeship and Training pro-
grams nationwide where TABB technicians master vital skills with the
support of the International Training Institute (ITI) of the SMWIA,
TABB contractors and all the members of the Sheet Metal and Air
Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA).
As the term implies, sustainability is an ongoing concern. Sheet
metal workers and TABB contractors are the critical links in the build-
ing performance value chain—keeping HVAC systems functional and
efficient long after the initial design and planning. And, the savings
and return on investment accruing to stakeholders in commissioning;
periodic re-commissioning; and testing, adjusting and balancing—as
well as regular system maintenance—can be dramatic.
Simple periodic adjustments to an HVAC system can yield energy
savings of from 5 to 15%. Advances exploiting new technology, such
as heat recovery and energy capture, high performance fans and more
can nudge those savings up even more significantly. ■
9
1/10/13 10:25 AM
 Problem Solving
Industry Looks to Manufacturers for Better
Programs to Calculate Dual Pump Solutions

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By Matt Sano, Fisher Balancing Co., Williamstown, NJ
I n theory, all things are possible. In fact, achieving the possible
often requires trial and error.
That’s what confronted our team when we recently performed
a hydronic balancing operation in a 14-story research facility in
Philadelphia.
The customer’s air handling equip-
ment, using 100% outside air, serves
35,000 square feet in multiple offices
and ground floor retail space, as well
as 32,000 square feet of vivarium
research labs on two of the 14 floors.
This diversity of space with very dif-
ferent characteristics and indoor air
requirements presents a challenge to
the HVAC system. The geography
of the region requires both sensible
seasonal cooling and a high level of
dehumidification.
Our focus was the chilled water sys-
tem which supplies some areas of the
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14038_TABB_Talk.indd 11
tabb supplement — advertisement
building continuously, i.e., 24 hours
per day, seven days a week, and other
less-intensively used areas, such as the
office and retail space, on an intermit-
tent basis.
The system’s hydronic piping has a Each pump has the capacity to deliver
differential pressure (DP) sensor at the 2,500 gpm. However, in the process of
riser, but no automatic vent to bleed off system testing we found that running
air when water is added. Consequently, these parallel pumps at full speed
readings from the DP sensor are likely only supplied a maximum of 3,750
to be skewed and unreliable—send- gpm—21% below optimum.
ing signals that unnecessarily slow the The effect on the system varies as
pumps down and limit performance of the units modulate the controls on
the HVAC system. the variable frequency drives and the
In theory, we should be able to cal- control valve. With the current two
parallel operational pumps and one
culate a pump curve
standby, the system could not keep
and performance
up with demand for all the spaces. An
based on the variables
unreliable DP sensor further compli-
of rated pump capac-
cates the problem, indicating higher
ity, pressure, head and
levels of pressure than actually exist
required flow. In fact,
and slowing down the pumps.
simply inserting a sec-
Achieving proper system effect
ond pump—either
requires verification in the field
in a parallel or serial
where actual usage may get very dif-
conf iguration— cre-
ferent results than theoretical calcu-
ates a system effect lations provide; in other words, trial
that is typically some- and error.
what less than the We recommended installing a third
simple total of the pump to meet the cooling load dur-
system resistance and ing periods of peak demand. That
flow capacity of the pump would go off-line as the load
two pumps combined. decreases. This pump would be in
In this case, the addition to the stand-by pump which
connected coils in gives the system redundancy.
the customer’s system Although all the standard texts
have the capacity to provide handy pump curve calcula-
deliver 4,700 gallons tions to gauge pump sizes and system
per minute (gpm). capacities, no one has, as yet, come
The system has three up with a system to input onsite real
pumps—two online world data that brings in all the vari-
and one de-energized ables we find at the jobsite. Hey, man-
for standby service. ufacturers, are you listening? ■
11
1/10/13 10:25 AM
 Got 60 Minutes?
We can turn the average lunch
hour into a valuable seminar.
Representatives from ICB/TABB or a
local TAB expert are available to meet
at your office with engineers, plan-
ners and designers to give seminars
on many technical topics including:

·W
 hy Testing Adjusting and Balancing
is needed in a building (101)

·H
 ow Green design affects TAB and
building performance

·H
 ow the HVAC system is balanced
proportionally to minimize system
resistance

·A
 ny customized training on TAB you
may request or need

Your will also learn how our profes-

sionally trained testing, adjusting and
balancing technicians maximize
building performance, reduce costs
and improve energy efficiency for
your stakeholders.

ICB/TABB professionals can contrib-

ute to your success at any stage—
from design/build to maintenance,
repair and operations.

Contact John Hamilton

to request a
lunch and learn today:

jhamilton@tabbcertified.org

14038_TABB_Talk.indd 12 1/10/13 10:25 AM