Building Condition Assessment
and Documentation
Part IV – Mech, Elec & Plumbing
3 Day Course Prepared for Presentation at ESRU, March 10-12, 2008
Edited for Presentation at National Facilities Meeting, April 30-May 2, 2008
Mark McDonough, PE
Assistant Station Engineer
Southern Research Station
USDA Forest Service
Randy Warbington, PE
Facilities Program Manager
Southern Region
USDA Forest Service
Inspecting Plumbing
Backflow Prevention Valves – typically require annual testing
What to Look for When Inspecting
Plumbing
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Toilets and Urinals
Sinks and Lavatories
Tubs and Showers
Drinking Fountains
Eye Wash Units
Water Heaters
Piping – Water, Waste, Vent, Gas
WI 10001 – Toilet/Urinal Replacement
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Removal and replacement of
toilets and/or urinals, including
flush valves
Life expectancy for the fixture is
35 years, for the flush valves,
perhaps 10 years (note:
replacement of flush valves only
is O&M)
Many old ones are not
accessible; they may be leaking
May need replacement with
water saving toilets – dual flush
or 1.5 gpf water closets and
waterless or 1/8 gpf urinals
“Waterless” Urinals
WI 10001 – Toilet Replacement (cont.)
Bowl should be elongated vs.
round, and open seat cover as
above should be provided for
public uses.
Has grab bar (not right size)
and seat is too low.
WI 10002 – Sink or Lavatory Replacement
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Removal and
replacement of fixture,
including faucets and
drains
Unit of measure is
“each”, or per sink
May be needed for
accessibility purposes
Typical life
expectancy is 35 years
WI 10002 – Sink or Lavatory
Replacement
Replacement of a sink of this magnitude would be a custom
work item not covered by the standard item. Notice the
duplex receptacles (GFCI?) and the AC unit located just
above the sink.
Work Item 10003 – Tub/Shower
Replacement
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This representative work
item covers removal and
replacement of tub,
shower or combo unit,
whether porcelain, tile,
fiberglass, etc., including
faucets and drains
May be needed for
accessibility reasons
Expected life – 25 years
WI 10004 – Drinking Fountain
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Removal and replacement of complete
unit (don’t save old one)
May be needed for accessibility
purposes, or due to compressor failure;
unit of measure is “each”
Typical life expectancy is 10 years
Note: unit requires the “notch”
under the fountain for accessibility
Work Item 10005 – Eyewash Unit
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Remove/replace worn out
unit
Unit of measure is “each”
Test units during inspection
to assure that they continue
to be functional
Assure that they are easily
accessible
Life expectancy – 25 years
WI 10006 – Water Heaters
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This item includes complete
removal and replacement of
water heaters, gas or electric,
including valves, venting, etc.
as required with the Forest
Service standard (commercial,
not residential)
Also covers small boilers up to
about 150,000 Btuh
Look at the nameplate to
determine its date of
manufacture
Unit of measure is “each”
Life expectancy – 15 years
Water Heaters (safety items)
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Check to assure pop-off valves are present, are
turned down toward the floor and plumbed to a
floor drain or to the outside
Check to assure seismic restraints are in place
as appropriate
Check to assure gas units are located a
minimum of 18” above the floor
Check to assure anti-scald devices are
functional
Work Item 10007 –
LP Gas or Fuel Oil Piping
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This work item is for the complete replacement of a typical LP
service from the tank to the building, including piping and
fittings; the tank and regulators are a separate item, often
buried, unlike the one shown here; unit of measure is linear feet
Existing gas piping may be hard or soft copper, black iron,
polyethylene
May be rusted or corroded, or leaks may be suspected
Could also be used to cover fuel oil system
Typical service life – 30 Years
Using soapy water to
check for leaks at the
regulator
Piping – Water and DWV
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Water pipe may be galvanized,
copper, PVC, CPVC,
polyethylene, polybutylene
Drain, waste and vent pipe may
be cast iron, PVC or ABS
Usually lasts the life of the
building unless it has frozen, or
in the case of galvanized piping,
corroded
Fixing leaks is normally
immediately obvious and
handled as O&M
Required plumbing work of this
nature would be a custom work
item
Inspecting HVAC Systems
What to Look for When Inspecting
HVAC Systems
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Furnaces and Heat Pump Air Handling Units
Condensing Units
Condensate Piping – Terminations
Refrigerant Piping
Filters
Circulation Pumps
Boilers
Chillers
Cooling Towers
Package Terminal Units
Unit Heaters
Ductwork – Cleaning
Duct Replacement
Registers
Controls
WI 11001 – Circulation Pumps
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Fractional horsepower up to
about 3 hp, could also cover
vacuum pumps, including
controls
Note (water system pumps in
pump houses are W&S, not
Buildings)
Unit of measure is “each”
Often need better support,
vibration mounts, isolation
valves, flexible connections,
disconnects nearby
Typical Life Expectancy – 20
Years
WI 11002 – Boiler Replacement
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May be cast iron, steel,
copper fin, or condensing
type from 200,000 up to
about 2 million Btuh, oil
or gas-fired
Unit of measure is “each”
Often need replacement to
improve system efficiency
Typical life is 30 years
Small Boilers (150 MBtuh or less)
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Replacement of boilers up
to about 150,000 Btuh are
better represented by WI
10006 – Water heaters
Typical Life – 15 Years
Often need replacement to
improve system efficiency
– older boilers are @ 60%,
condensing are 90+%
Unit of measure is “each”
WI 11003 – Cooling Towers
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This work item covers the
complete removal and
replacement of a worn out
cooling tower and
appurtenances
Unit of measure is “each”
Typically used in
conjunction with a watercooled chiller
Life expectancy – 15 years
WI 11004 – Water-Cooled Chiller
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This item is for removal
and replacement
Typically used in
conjunction with a cooling
tower, normally located
indoors in a mechanical
room
May be centrifugal, screw
or piston and cylinder
Units with 60-100 tons of
cooling capacity are
common in our labs
Expected life is about 40
years
WI 11005 – Air-Cooled Chiller
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This work item is similar to
the one above, it is for
removal and replacement
of a worn out chiller
Unit of measure is “each”
Package units located
outside on a pad or on the
roof
Typical size for our labs is
70 - 100 tons of cooling
capacity
Life expectancy – 15 years
WI 11006 – Replace Condensing Unit
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Residential and Light
Commercial Units to 5 tons
Cooling Capacity
May be required for energy
efficiency and ozone-saving
refrigerants
Typical Life Expectancy – 15
Years
Other common situations –
inadequate clearance, not level,
bent fins or guards, refrigerant
pipe insulation damaged – if
exposed to sun recommend
white UV-coating.
Larger Condensing Units
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Larger Units like this up to
perhaps 60 tons each are
common at labs
Note the number to be
replaced and the tonnage
Base on life expectancy of
15 years, similar to
previous item
This is a custom work item
WI 11007 – Furnaces, Heat Pump AHUs
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Includes electric, LP, fuel oil and
natural gas furnaces, as well as
water source and air-air heat
pump blower coil units
Unit of measure is “each”
May need replacement to
increase system efficiency
Typical life expectancy is about
15 years for heat pumps and 20
years for furnaces
Wished they all looked like this!
Mechanical Room in Bessey RD
Office
 Check condensate lines and
terminations to assure they are
clear; also check condensate
pumps. If gas check to assure
that ventilation has not been
blocked, where required, and
check to see if carbon
monoxide detectors are in
place. If not, note the need for
these detectors.
 For water source units check
for visible leaks in piping. For
all units assure that filters are
accessible and are in place.
Wood Heaters and Wood Stoves
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Removal and replacement
of wood heaters and wood
stoves can be represented
by WI #11007 as well
Free-standing, central
system, wood, coal or
pellets
Includes the unit as well as
venting
Need to check to assure
adequate clearance from
combustibles
WI 11008 –
Package Terminal HVAC Unit
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Item is for removal and
replacement of worn out or
inoperative units
Through-the-wall, gas-pak,
hotel unit, rooftop, mounted
in windows, or suspended
from ceiling tiles
Vary a lot in efficiency
Unit of measure is “each”
Typical life expectancy is
10 years
PTAC
PTAC
Ductless Split System Could
Also Fit into this Category
WI 11009 – Unit Heater
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Note: CO monitors should be in place
if units are gas or oil fueled.
This item covers
removal and
replacement of unit
heaters, may be
electric or gas; could
also include gas tube
heaters as well
Unit of measure is
“each”
Typical life
expectancy – 15 years
WI 12001 – Air Compressors
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Note: portable air compressors are
personal property, not real. Also note,
OSHA requires monthly checks on
compressors.
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This items is for
removal and
replacement of worn
out air compressors
permanently mounted
to a building, not
portable units
Unit of measure is
“each”
Typical life expectancy
– 25 years
WI 12002 – Elevators
 This work item is for removal and
replacement of inoperative elevators
or lifts up to about 3 stories high, or for
installation of elevators in multi-floor
buildings where required
for accessibility.
 Unit of measure is “each”.
 Typical life expectancy –
50 years.
Elevators
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Elevators require annual inspection by the
state. Check to assure that tags are in place
indicating that this is happening.
Might check to assure oil reservoirs and
piping is not leaking.
Check to assure any phone lines are
functional.
Custom Elevators
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The elevator descending down a 216 deep
shaft into Blanchard Springs Caverns on the
Ozark NF would be a custom item
WI 12003 – Lab Fume Hoods
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Item is for removal and
replacement of worn out fume or
inoperative fume hoods
Sashes may be worn out,
inoperative, or could be needed to
improve energy efficiency
Unit of measure – “each”
Typical life expectancy – 30 years
Note: OSHA requires annual
inspection of face velocity and overall
function – should be tagged indicate.
Exhaust Fans
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Includes bathroom
exhaust fans as well as
exhaust fans in shop
buildings, residential
kitchen hoods, and fans
in attics, warehouses,
and garages
Use custom work item
for these
Life expectancy – 10
years
Typically guards are needed over fans
such as this for safety sake.
Sometimes they have been removed
and never replaced again.
Ductwork
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Flex-duct may collapse if not
properly supported.
Sheet metal ducts –
galvanized or aluminum usually last the life of the
building
Insulation, duct cement
and/or taping is often
compromised, however
Flex-ducts may sag over
the years if not well
supported
Duct cleaning may be
needed, especially in dirty
and/or dusty environments
Inspecting Electrical
Systems
What to Look for When Inspecting
Electrical Systems
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Transformers and Metering Equipment
Service Masts (pulling away from building)
Switchboards
Power and Lighting Panels
Disconnects
Conduit & Wiring
Light Fixtures
Emergency Light Fixtures, Exit Signs
Gensets
WI 13001 – Main Service Switchgear
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Note: transformer not included.
This work item covers
removal and replacement
of obsolete or worn out
metering and service
equipment up to 1200 amps
and 600 volts
Unit of measure is “each”
Typical situations are
corroded or undersized
equipment or fuses and
breakers no longer
available
Typical life expectancy, 20
years.
WI 13002 – Disconnects
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May be fused or non-fused, or
enclosed circuit breakers
(single CB in a cabinet)
Intended to serve a single
piece of equipment
Should be within sight of the
equipment they serve
Unit of measure is “each”
Normal service life – 25 years
WI 13003 – Electrical Panels
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Removal and replacement
of load centers or lighting
and equipment panels,
single or 3 phase up to 42
spaces, 400 ampere rating
May need replacement due
to rust and corrosion,
growth of load being
served or obsolescence
Unit of measure – “each”
Typical life expectancy 30
years
Electrical Panels
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Check to assure knockouts
are fitted with appropriate
covers, not open
Check to assure circuits are
properly labeled
After about 20 years electrical
connections should be
checked and re-tightened to
the appropriate torque by a
licensed electrician
If a thermography unit is
available test to assure there
are no hot spots in the unit
WI 13004 – Light Fixtures
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Removal and replacement of
broken light fixtures,
incandescent, fluorescent, HID,
interior or exterior
Change-out may be needed to
increase system efficiency,
going from magnetic to
electronic ballasts, for example
Unit of measure is “each”
Typical life expectancy is 20
years
Light Fixtures
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Look to assure the
prismatic lenses are in
place, not yellowed, wiring
channel covers are in place,
unlike this fixture
Many times missing guards
need replacing for safety
sake (O&M item)
Re-lamping is also an
O&M item
WI 13005 – Emergency Light Fixtures
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Includes removing and replacing
obsolete or inoperative emergency
light fixtures and exit signs
Fluorescent, LED or photoluminescent
May need to replace to improve
efficiency
Unit of measure is “each”
Typical life expectancy of 20 years
Inspecting Special Systems
and Equipment
WI 13006 – Fire/Security Alarm System
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Removal and replacement of
obsolete or inoperative systems
You might discover that changes
in occupancies like this that
require fire alarms, smoke
detectors, etc.
These systems should be tested
during inspection
Unit of measure – “each system”
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Typical system life – 20 years
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Fire Alarm System (cont.)
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The item covers the
complete system,
including control panels,
fire alarms, smoke
detectors, etc.
Combination fire
alarm/burglar alarm
systems are typical
WI 13007 – Lightning Protection Systems
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Removal and replacement
of complete system lightning rods, down
conductors, bonding
clamps, grounding
electrodes
Particularly important in
rural/remote areas
Need NFPA 780 master
label
Unit of measure – each
system
Typical system life
expectancy 25 years
Lightning Protection Systems
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For protection of the structure, not the electronic
equipment in it
Systems to protect electronic equipment from
lightning surges is separate, and very expensive
NFPA 780 has a flow chart used to guide the
decision whether or not this system is needed
Alternative systems (non-NFPA labeled) intended to
prevent lightning strikes, etc.) are highly advertised,
but are not proven to be effective, therefore are not
recommended
WI 14001 – Fire Sprinkler Systems
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Note: Existing systems should be
checked to make sure they have been
tested on a regular basis.
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Removal and replacement of
inoperative systems, as well as
installation of new systems
where required
Fire sprinkler systems should
strongly be considered to
protect sleeping quarters,
historic structures, etc.
Variety of NFPA standards
apply – NFPA 13, 13D, 13R,
101, 914
Unit of measure is “per square
feet” of floor space protected
Life expectancy is 40 years
Specialized Facilities
Seedling Coolers
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Seedling coolers are
composed of insulated
housing and a
packaged refrigeration
unit
Most common need is
for replacement of the
refrigeration unit at
about 15 years
Note: out of the building,
seedling coolers might be
considered as personal, not real
property.
Fire Towers
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Fire towers have
historically been used
for spotting fires
Towers are often
converted for
recreation use or as
historic displays
Typical maintenance
issues relate to the
structural components
or to lightning
protection and
grounding
Greenhouses
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Greenhouse support systems typically last about 20 years
Glazing typically needs to be replaced after about 10 years
Record by square feet of glazing
Eventually we can build a cost history on items such as this
Log Structures
before
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after
Look for rotten sills, sagging ridge beams, etc.
Usually involves extensive restoration work, which
might be as much as the CRV
Life of log structures varies from 20 to 50 years
depending upon climate
Other Required Items to Consider
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Item 15001 - ADA/ABA Mitigation
(Note: the interior accessibility portion is
explained previously in the section on interiors;
ramps are covered under Work Item 05002.)
Item 16001 - Lead-Based Paint and Asbestos
Mitigation
Item 16002 - Environmental Mitigation
Custom work items are needed to cover this work, as
there are no standard work items that can reasonably
be used to represent them
Other Operations & Maintenance Issues
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Termites
Rats, Mice, Vermin
Mold Damage
Fire Wise Maintenance
Hurricane Damage
Earthquake/Seismic Activity
Winter Damage
Building Demolition
Protection from Termites
Mud tube indicates infestation has occurred.
Hanta Virus
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Need to be aware of this
risk when entering
buildings that have been
shut up for winter, or
which might be rodent
infested
Bigger threat in the West
Visit
medical.smis.doi.gov/ihtopi
cs.smis.doi.gov.html and
http://fsweb.mtdc.wo.fs.fed.
us/toolbox/haz/hanta.htm
for additional info
Mold Prevention
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Mold requires moisture and
nutrition, such as cellulose in
order to flourish
Best prevented by maintaining
low humidity (less than 50%),
repairing leaks in roofs &
plumbing in a timely fashion
For more info visit
http://www.unh.edu/ehs/pdf/OS
HA-MoldRecommendations.pdf or
http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/eng/pr
ograms/facilities/sus_green/mol
d.htm.
Fire Wise Maintenance
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Practices to prevent
buildings from
catching on fire
Example: Preventing
combustibles from
getting up against
buildings
For more info visit:
http://www.firewise.org/
Winter Issues
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Ice & snow dam
buildup on the roof –
over entrances
Snow build up behind
flues
Visit
http://fsweb.mtdc.wo.fs.
fed.us/snow_load/
for site-specific snow
load information
Field Exercise
Pubs Building, Delaware Lab
Previous Assessment Report
Blank Forms - Complex
The End