2021 Spring TAB Journal Quiz

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Company Name(Required)

Are you an AABC, ACG, or EMA member? (check all that apply)(Required)

AABC

ACG

EMA

None of the above

When to Give a Second Opinion

Thomas Stewart, Jr., TBE, ETB Arizona LLC

1. Why was the initial TAB report on this project rejected by the engineer of record?(Required)

It didn’t account for building commissioning factors.

The TAB company was not certified.

The TAB company worked on the fire life safety systems.

When to Give a Second Opinion

Thomas Stewart, Jr., TBE, ETB Arizona LLC

2. How did ETB Arizona LLC respond when they found duct detectors placed incorrectly?(Required)

Reported what they found to the engineer of record in a deficiency report.

Said nothing because they were instructed not to perform TAB on the fire life safety system.

Fixed the deficiencies and reported back to the building owners with the costs.

Balancing a Hospital's Systems After Conversion from Constant to Variable Volume

Bryan Baker, TBE, Testing and Balancing Co. of the Ozarks LLC (TABCO)

3. Which of these is one of the two separate exhaust systems in the hospital’s HVAC?(Required)

One was not connected to any air handler and lead directly outside.

One serviced just the doctor’s area and used a UV disinfection system.

One serviced airborne infection isolation rooms that required particulate air filtration.

Balancing a Hospital's Systems After Conversion from Constant to Variable Volume

Bryan Baker, TBE, Testing and Balancing Co. of the Ozarks LLC (TABCO)

4. What was the discharge air temperature?(Required)

40◦F

45◦F

50◦F

Balancing a Hospital's Systems After Conversion from Constant to Variable Volume

Bryan Baker, TBE, Testing and Balancing Co. of the Ozarks LLC (TABCO)

5. What was ultimately the solution to allow proper balancing of the hospital?(Required)

Converting the entire building back to a CAV system.

Retrofitting rooms with an exhaust tracking box to maintain ACH.

The mechanical engineer recalculated the entire AHU exhaust system.

Common Problems in Domestic Hot Water Systems

Darren Lapish, PE, TBE, Palmetto Air and Water Balance, Inc.

6. What special care must be taken when balancing domestic hot water vs chilling and heating water systems?(Required)

TAB personnel must be careful not to burn themselves when servicing the much warmer heating water system.

Wiping down instruments used in regular chilled/heating water systems before using them on the domestic hot water system.

Using dedicated testing equipment to avoid contamination of the domestic water system.

Common Problems in Domestic Hot Water Systems

Darren Lapish, PE, TBE, Palmetto Air and Water Balance, Inc.

7. Why can closing the setters on domestic water systems to their lowest settings potentially cause a problem?(Required)

Sediment in the water coming into the system can clog the opening and cause the system to cease to function.

Closing the setters will cause water from the heating system to enter the domestic system, which will contaminate it and make it non-potable.

Pumps in the system will have to work harder to keep pressure up and burn themselves out.

Common Problems in Domestic Hot Water Systems

Darren Lapish, PE, TBE, Palmetto Air and Water Balance, Inc.

8. Why can tempering valves that force water to be delivered at the faucet at the correct temperature cause problems?(Required)

Their delicate nature requires exact calibration or else they can unbalance the entire system.

If a system supplies higher temperature water than the tempering valve allows, it can increase the time it takes to deliver water to some facets at the correct temperature.

If the water comes from a main city water feed line, it can cause the tempering valve to quickly become clogged with sediment.

Common Problems in Domestic Hot Water Systems

Darren Lapish, PE, TBE, Palmetto Air and Water Balance, Inc.

9. What was the result of the balancing that ultimately pleased the hotel manager on this project?(Required)

The flow was reduced to 34 GPM but the wait time for hot water was reduced to around a minute.

The pump’s flow was 46 GPM throughout the system with only rooms on the 14th, 15th, and 16th floors needing to wait almost 45 min to get hot water.

The pumps maintained a flow of 8 GPM throughout the system and hot water was able to reach the faucets in under a minute.

Nose for a Mystery: What Caused Kitchen Aromas to Occur Around Campus?

Kevin MacDonald, TBS, Controlled Air Management Ltd.

10. What was the initial problem the TAB agency found with the exhaust system when asked to investigate the kitchen smells?(Required)

The heat recovery wheel was fully operational despite it not being heating season.

The air streams for both the intake and exhaust were mixing and causing a neutral flow.

The motorized exhaust air damper to outside was closed.

Nose for a Mystery: What Caused Kitchen Aromas to Occur Around Campus?

Kevin MacDonald, TBS, Controlled Air Management Ltd.

11. How did the cause of this issue affect the building’s system?(Required)

The heat recovery unit’s wheel created a reverse flow that blew exhaust back into the kitchen.

The air handling units were getting air supplied by the ecology unit’s exhaust airstream.

The ecology unit shut down and didn’t allow any air to pass through.

Balancing Hydronic Flows without Circuit Balancing Valves

Darren Draper, PE, CxA, LEED AP, Epsten Group

12. Due to the lack of circuit balancing valves, how did the balancer determine total flow?(Required)

Using a transit time ultrasonic meter.

Installing a circuit balancing valve since that was part of the job.

Checking prior measurements to get a good idea of what they could be now.

Balancing Hydronic Flows without Circuit Balancing Valves

Darren Draper, PE, CxA, LEED AP, Epsten Group

13. What was the measurement found for the main line’s flow by the ultrasonic meter?(Required)

1,100 GPM

1,750 GPM

1,800 GPM

Balancing Hydronic Flows without Circuit Balancing Valves

Darren Draper, PE, CxA, LEED AP, Epsten Group

14. What caused the water to short-circuit the pump when it was in the off state?(Required)

The pump motor was rotating in the wrong direction.

The check valve was not closing when the pump was off.

The check valve was installed in the wrong direction.

Balancing Hydronic Flows without Circuit Balancing Valves

Darren Draper, PE, CxA, LEED AP, Epsten Group

15. What was the conclusion that the TAB agency came to and recommended to the owner and contractor regarding the issues with the system?(Required)

Sediment needed to be better filtered out of the system before it reached any of the valves.

The triple-duty valve needed to be disassembled and investigated.

The system needed to have circuit balancing valves installed.

Building Systems Commissioning Meetings

Jim Magee, CxA, EMP, Facility Commissioning Group

16. Why are periodic commissioning team meetings beneficial to the project?(Required)

They keep focus on the progress of the project

They ensure that building owners see the commissioning team at work

They focus the attention of the commissioning provider on trouble-spots

They help the commissioning provider get to know the building owners

Troubleshooting Low Hydronic Flow: Trust the Data

Brian Moss, TBE, Engineered Air Balance Co., Inc.

17. What was the TAB company’s approach after the strainers were removed but no debris were found? (Required)

Cut into the system to observe any blockages.

Mockup the system until the automatic flow devices have a differential pressure that indicates they are in control.

Switch off pumps to see how it impacts pressure.

Replace the oldest pump in the system to see if it changes the outcome.

Troubleshooting Low Hydronic Flow: Trust the Data

Brian Moss, TBE, Engineered Air Balance Co., Inc.

18. What was the cause of the blockage in the system?(Required)

The cleaner circulating through steel piping degraded the interior of the pipes

The cleaner circulating through the copper piping degraded the interior of the pipes

A glove had been left inside the system

Pieces of equipment were magnetized and degrading the interior of the pipes

Integrating BEM & EMIS with Cx: Optimizing Building Systems, Performance

Marlin S. Addison, M.S. Addison & Associates, LLC; Dotty Hage, MelRok, LLC; Adam Williams, PE, CxA, Sindoni Consulting and Management Services, Inc.

19. What is the key deliverable of EMIS? (Required)

A snapshot of a building’s energy use.

Identify energy cost-saving opportunities.

Limit high energy-cost generatorst impacts pressure.

Activate renewable energy resources.

Integrating BEM & EMIS with Cx: Optimizing Building Systems, Performance

Marlin S. Addison, M.S. Addison & Associates, LLC; Dotty Hage, MelRok, LLC; Adam Williams, PE, CxA, Sindoni Consulting and Management Services, Inc.

20. In the article‘s example of a medical-surgery space addition to an acute-care hospital in California, what did the RFP target as a not-to-exceed energy use index (EUI)? (Required)

150 kBtu/sf/year

166 kBtu/sf/year

185 kBtu/sf/year

212 kBtu/sf/year

2021 Spring TAB Journal Quiz

2021 Spring TAB Journal Quiz

Suggested Drawing Specification

AIA-Format LONG-FORM SPECIFICATION

Section 230593 – TESTING, ADJUSTING AND BALANCING FOR HVAC

AIA-Format SHORT – FORM SPECIFICATION

Section 230593 – TESTING, ADJUSTING AND BALANCING FOR HVAC

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