PX- Chapter 13: Mechanical & Electrical Systems

Question 1

what are the two primary ways of heating and cooling air?

Answer 1

air and water

Question 2

in the plenum, if fire rated partitions extend above the suspended ceiling and have hvac ducts or openings for return air running through them, what needs to be done

Answer 2

where the wall is penetrated, fire dampers are required to automatically close in the event of a fire to contain its spread

Question 3

what is a convector in the scope of heating and cooling

Answer 3

a coil unit used in an all water system for heating. a convector is in each space in which hot water is circulated. Like old radiators

Question 4

what is a mixing box in a plenum and what type of system is it a part of.

Answer 4

it adjusts the quantity or temperature of air going in to a space from the main air supply line. it reduces the velocity of the air and controls noise. Thermostats are connected to these. Part of a variable air volume system. can be quite large. Expensive and difficult to move

Question 5

when you should look at mechanical drawings- before or after drawing the RCP

Answer 5

before

Question 6

what is a plumbing chase wall and where are they commonly used

Answer 6

two runs of studs separated by several inches determined by the largest pipe that needs to be concealed.

used in commercial back to back washrooms

Question 7

who determines the location of thermostats

Answer 7

the mechanical engineer

keep away from exterior walls or heat sources though.

Question 8

how far away from a window should a drapery panel be and why

Answer 8

2” to avoid excessive heat buildup which might cause the glass to crack or break.

Question 9

when a wall is penetrated by a HVAC pipe, how do you control noise going between rooms

Answer 9

sealed with acoustic sealant around any cracks or openings

Question 10

when would you use a slot air diffuser

Answer 10

in a GWB ceiling or where you want to minimize the look of the diffusers or where you don’t have the space for a 12 x 12 or 24 x 24 square one.

Question 11

who designs the outlets power and data plan?

Answer 11

he designer then the electrical engineer takes the design and does the specs etc

Question 12

in residential construction, how far apart is the max for outlets

Answer 12

12’ max

Question 13

which plan do you show electrical info on for residential and commercial design

Answer 13

residential- show it on the construction plan because it’s pretty simple.

commercial- do a separate electrical plan because there is usually more info cluttering up the construction plan.

However you can show them on the furniture plan too if your furniture is significantly influencing your outlet locations- like for office stations

Question 14

does the designer show dimensions of outlets on their plan

Answer 14

only if the dimension is critical to the design

Question 15

what does HVAC stand for

Answer 15

heating, ventilating & air conditioning

Question 16

what are the two major components of a plumbing system

Answer 16

water supply (hot and cold) and drainage

Question 17

why are small pipes used and housed in walls

Answer 17

because the water is under pressure to each individual plumbing fixutre.

Question 18

why are drain pipes difficult to work with

Answer 18

because they rely on gravity to drain, they need to slope

Question 19

what is a soil stack

Answer 19

a vertical plumbing line that carries human waste from toilets

Question 20

what is a waste stack

Answer 20

a vertical plumbing stack that carries waste other than human waste

Question 21

what is a wet column in a commercial building

Answer 21

a structural column where hot and cold water supply and drainage risers are located other than at the core. Used so that individual tenants can easily tap in to the lines if need be with out having to connect to more remote plumbing near the core

Question 22

what are the three major objectives of fire protection and life safety

Answer 22

1. the protection of property
2. the protection of life
3. restoration and continued use of the building after a fire

Question 23

How can you protect buildings from fire? Name 5 ways

Answer 23

1. preventing fires
2. early fire detection and alarm
3. providing quick exiting of the building occupants
4. containing the fire
5. suppressing the fire

Question 24

what is compartmentation in fire protection and how does it related to ID

Answer 24

basic idea is to contain a fire and limit its spread. we need to be able to maintain it and not ruin the compartment the architect designed.

Question 25

what is the most dangerous part about fire

Answer 25

the smoke inhalation and other gases, more than the flames and heat exposure

Question 26

how do you control the spread of smoke in fires

Answer 26

containment, exhaust and sometimes dilution.

the same things that compartmentalize fires do the same for smoke. like using fire dampers and gaskets on fire doors and automatic closing fire doors.

Question 27

Name four types of fire detection devices and what they do. Which one is an early warning system?

Answer 27

1. Ionization detector- responds to products of combustion-ionized particles rather than to smoke. Can detect fire before it bursts into flames- early warning systems.
2. photoelectric detectors - respond to smoke that obscures a light beam on the device. Requires a lot of smoke to work
3. Rise of temperature detectors- sense the presence of heat and trip the alarm once a particular temperature is reached. Flames need to be present to produce heat which might be a lot later than the toxic smoke
4. Flame detectors- respond to infrared or UV radiation given off by flames. Again they need flames so not an early warning sign

Question 28

what is the best way to suppress a fire

Answer 28

sprinklers

Question 29

IBC says you need sprinklers in buildings that are over how high?

Answer 29

75 feet

Question 30

which types of sprinklers are best for remodeling

Answer 30

horizontal sidewall sprinklers because they can be plumbed from the wall instead of the ceiling

Question 31

according to the NFPA 13 how many groups of fire hazards are there and how far apart do the sprinklers need to be for the one we use the most

Answer 31

1. light hazard- residences, offices, hospitals, schools and restaurants: 1 per 200 square feet but for open joist ceilings its 1 per 130 square feet. Max spacing is 15 feet and half of that to the wall
2. ordinary and extra hazard

Question 32

what is a standpipe

Answer 32

pipes that run the height of a building and provide water outlets at each floor for the fire ppl- those pipes in the stairways of buildings.

Question 33

what types of security do we need to be aware of in a home

Answer 33

1. perimeter protection- entry points - doors and windows, things on the door or windows
2. area or room protection- within a room in the house- the laser beam, infrared detectors
3. object protection- tampering with actual objects.

Question 34

Names some access control devices

Answer 34

1. simplest and traditional is the mechanical lock with a key with a cover plate. but ppl can copy keys
2. electronic locks- can monitor who enters when . card reader is the most common or numbered keypads

Question 35

what is a VAV box vs mixing box vs terminal reheat

Answer 35

VAV is a mixing box of sorts, it varies the quantity of air in a space and reduces the noise. one duct in, one (or many)ducts out depending on how many rooms the thermostat is controlling

mixing box with two lines in - hot and cool

thermal reheat has a hot water coil that provides additional heat- has a copper pipe leading to it.