UNDER THE CONCRETE FLOOR of a storage closet that houses our sanctuary building’s electric meters, under the shed roof between the building and the play yard, is an opening to a vertical shaft.
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| Raised platform on floor of storage closet (marked by dotted red lines) |
Below the jump, this post describes the shaft’s configuration, how it connects to the basement, its purpose, and its history—according to inferences drawn from my exploration of it this week.…
OUR PROSPECTIVE CONSULTANT, a mechanical engineer, has observed that our restrooms have exhaust fans yet no clear way to replace the exhausted air. He believes that in order to approve our permit for expansion restrooms, the City might well require a dedicated source for intake air. (HVAC people call it make-up air, presumably because it “makes up” for the lost air that the exhaust fan is removing from the room.)
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| A typical restroom exhaust fan |
This raises the question: What is the best way to supply make-up air to our restrooms?
This question will eventually apply also to the basement restrooms, since they are likewise slated for eventual expansion. So let’s think about a comprehensive solution that will work for them, as well.
Below the jump, I offer a couple of cautions about one option that the architect has mentioned as being fairly normal. Then I outline a custom alternative that takes advantage of our building’s unique configuration [revised 9/10].…
THIS POST UPDATES one that I wrote in September. I'm still trying to arrange for improvements to be done in late December, during the preschool break. The present focus is on improving the HVAC system’s air flow throughout the building.…
THERE’S A LOT of room for improvement in the HVAC system of our school/office building. Thermal-comfort levels are good but not great. Our hospital-grade filter is reducing the risk of airborne disease, but it is taxing the air-supply blower. Running more than 45 hours per week, this HVAC system is much more heavily used than the one in the sanctuary. That’s why in July, when a preschool parent expressed interest in funding a system upgrade, it became my personal highest-priority new project for Mishkon. (This one is moving slowly, however, because I’m still heavily involved in old projects.)
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| A return-air register for mounting in a door (As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.) |
Below the jump, I discuss the prospects for improvement. This work would be done in late December, during the preschool break.…
Yesterday I spent the morning with Nathan Delgado, a service technician from Acme Heating & Air conditioning, with whom Mishkon has a service contract.
WHAT’S THE CONFIGURATION of the heating/cooling system in our sanctuary?
This post gives you a basic picture, through verbal description and photos.…
PICTURE A HALLWAY that’s lined with doorways. You might think that in a proper hallway, all those doors should be closed. A nice and neat look, yes?
Yet that is not how our school building was designed to function!
This post discusses our building’s characteristics, and how best to work with them.…
TODAY I took another look at a key section of the Historic Structure Report (HSR), namely its comprehensive analysis of the mechanical (air handling) system in the Social Hall, as of 20 years ago. Potentially good news there, with regard to our being able to provide decent ventilation in the era of covid-19, at least when the weather is mild. It may be practical for us to safely use the room, after all!
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| (As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.) |
What I hadn’t realized before is that even though the Social Hall’s furnace no longer works, the supply fan might still be able to provide ventilation to the hall and kitchen.