MSC CASE STUDIES
RTU Gas Pressure Investigation at Indoor Recreational Facility
Natural gas pressures and regulator selections were suspected as possible causes for numerous burner failures, alarms, and sporadic burner shutdowns on a 50 PB indirect furnace installed in a packaged rooftop unit, and MSC was called in to investigate. Diagnostics entailed installation of manometers and gauges to read pressures under various firing conditions, verification of field-installed piping and selected specialties, piping trace-out, and observation of furnace operation throughout testing.
View our full Diagnostic Report including observed piping, instruments and fittings, detailed pressure readings during various testing, and recommended MSC's recommended fixes.
Humidity and Negative Pressure in Optical Fiber Draw Tower
MSC was assigned with determining the cause of high humidity levels in an optical fiber draw tower on humid and rainy days as well as negative pressure relative to outside and adjacent areas, causing unconditioned, unfiltered air to be drawn into the space. The four-story tower was served by a roof-mounted dehumidification unit with desiccant wheel as well as conventional heating and cooling, and our extensive examination of building systems and equipment uncovered a combination of causes.
View our in-depth, nine-page Diagnostic Report detailing our investigation of the various, complex issues plaguing this mission-critical facility and our recommended solutions.
Unstable Heat Recovery Units in R&D Laboratory
A 350,000 sq. ft. R & D laboratory reported unstable operation of a heat recovery unit equipped with a vortex inlet (VI) damper as the method of volume control. Further, the building management system (BMS) was unable to provide a stable negative static pressure condition in the exhaust duct upstream of the HEPA filter bank. Over the course of a week of diagnostic testing and analysis, during which the issue was discovered in multiple HRUs, MSC provided extensive documentation identifying fan selection as the issues' root cause.
View the full Diagnostic Report for MSC's step-by-step diagnostic process, conclusions reached, remedies applied, and recommended path forward.
Multiple HVAC Issues Plague Newly-Opened School
A newly-constructed school was granted a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy at substantial completion, allowing it to open at the beginning of a new school year. Staff and students immediately complained of comfort issues throughout the 100,000 sq.-ft. school, and local officials signaled that a final CO would not be granted until the problems were resolved. When project subcontractors denied responsibility and began pointing fingers, MSC was called in to perform an extensive system evaluation of the school's HVAC systems and report their findings.
View MSC's objective, in-depth slide presentation identifying numerous issues, root causes, and the actions necessary for the final CO.
Inadequate Airflow on Multi-Phase Hospital Renovation
MSC was retained at a four-story Northern New Jersey hospital that had been renovated in three phases over the course of several years. Upon completion of the final phase, an air volume shortage was detected when system balance reports indicated the system was providing just 60% of the 50,000 CFM specified in the design. MSC's assignment was to confirm or disprove the low volume condition, determine the cause, and provide recommendations for corrective measures.
View our Diagnostic Report showing conclusive evidence that parallel supply fans and the return fan were not capable of delivering required design flow against actual system resistance.
Operating Room: Slow Pull-Down & Poor Temperature Control
A hospital reported slow temperature pull-down between surgeries involving surgical teams with different space requirements as well as poor temperature control. MSC was called in to determine the cause of these issues and provide recommendations for improving performance. While the equipment proved to be of adequate size and configuration,
a number of system deficiencies were identified, the main problem being excessive air volume that did not allow proper heat exchange to occur.
View our detailed Diagnostic Report describing testing procedures, the problems uncovered, and nine recommendations for effectively correcting these issues.
Underperforming Heating Coil at Large New Jersey Hospital
MSC was called in to examine and diagnose an issue with a steam heating coil located in a lower level mechanical room in a large NJ hospital. The coil was logging condensate and not draining properly under normal operating conditions, causing nearly half of the coil surface area to remain unheated. Utilizing a thermal imaging camera and various testing procedures, we determined that space and elevation issues rendered the existing coil and trap unable to overcome external pressure drops required to effectively remove the steam condensate.
View MSC's comprehensive Diagnostic Report detailing system specs, testing performed, observations and technical notes, and recommended solutions.
Split Unit Evaluation at New
7-Story Corporate Headquarters
The piping configuration of a 100-ton rooftop-mounted condensing unit and an air handler located six floors below came into question when both scroll compressors failed due to high head pressure and high FLA readings, causing the unit to trip on the overloads. MSC was tasked with inspecting the piping in the new 7-story corporate headquarters, comparing it with the design, and determining the appropriate steps to correct existing problems.
View MSC's full Diagnostic Report detailing our observations, the multi-layered combination of piping issues that led to equipment failure, and ten recommended corrective actions.
Tripping Pumps Traced to Motor Starter Issues at R&D Facility
When two large condensate pumps providing mission critical cooling for walk-in boxes, freezers, environmental rooms, air compressors and other critical equipment kept tripping on startup, MSC was called in to investigate. These pumps were the life blood of the facility, and intermittent operation was not an option. After ruling out electrical problems, we zeroed in on the controls side. The problem: incorrect dip switch settings on reduced-voltage motor starters and the control module (ACM).
View our extensive Technical Note, which includes charts, graphs, tables, wiring diagrams, photographs, and other data detailing how we arrived at our conclusions and provided successful solutions.
Problematic Potable Hot Water Heating System in Vivarium Facility
MSC was called upon to perform testing on a steam-fired, semi-instantaneous potable water heating system at a large vivarium facility. Reported problems in the system serving cage washers, point-of-use sinks and hose bibs included constant rapid cycling of steam valves, erratic temperature control, failure to reach specified temps, and over-temperature relief on flow shutdowns. Extensive testing on pneumatic controls and the three-way mixing valve led MSC to the source of the problems.
View our detailed Diagnostic Report including eleven pages of extensive charts, graphs, and other collected data detailing how we arrived at our diagnoses and prescribed solutions.