Construction Defects

Condominium HVAC Construction Defects

Construction Defects

Condominium HVAC Construction Defects

Construction Defects

Condominium HVAC Construction Defects

A lawsuit was filed concerning a condominium complex in coastal South Carolina wherein a number of construction defects were alleged, including defects related to the Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) System.  The complex consisted of 10 buildings and 260 individual condominium units.  The EIS engineer assigned to the project was tasked with investigating a sample number of HVAC systems in each building to provide a general understanding of the validity of the alleged defects.  Some of the alleged defects and related findings are listed below.

Condominium Building

The Complaint alleged that the HVAC systems were unable to supply sufficient airflow to all of the rooms of each condominium unit to provide adequate cooling.  Using a balometer, the airflow to each room of the sample units was measured and compared to the mechanical building plans.  Typically, an acceptable airflow range falls within +/-10% of the value shown in the building plans.  It was observed that a number of the inspected HVAC units did not provide the listed airflow.  However, upon further inspection, it was observed that many of the air filters associated with the deficient units had not been changed for months or even years.  The dirty filters were inhibiting the overall system airflow.  With new filters installed, nearly all of the units were able to meet the airflow requirements.

The Complaint also alleged that many of the condensing units outside of the building were wired to the wrong air-handling unit (AHU), such that its operation would be controlled by a neighbor’s system.  Continuity and voltage tests were performed on the inspected units which showed that several of the sample systems were incorrectly wired.

Voltage Test to Verify Wiring
Louvered Doors at Laundry Room and Mechanical Closet

Another alleged defect was that the return ducting to the AHU’s had been omitted on all systems.  The engineering inspection revealed this to be correct.  The return air path to the AHU’s was via louvered doors in the laundry room and additional louvered doors at the mechanical closet.  This arrangement caused the laundry rooms and mechanical closets to fit the International Mechanical Code (IMC) definition of a plenum.  The code also requires that a plenum be free of all combustibles.  Therefore, items such as clothing, cleaning supplies, etc. stored in those areas would be in violation.

A fourth alleged defect was that the refrigerant lines run from the AHU’s to the condensing units were not installed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations which was causing premature compressor failure in many condensing units.  The site inspection revealed that this was true for the all of the systems serving 3rd and 4th level units.  The manufacturer’s recommendations were to include an accessory kit to systems with a specified vertical distance between the condensing unit and the AHU.  Despite the condensing units having been installed at ground level and the AHU’s at levels 3 and 4 exceeding the specified vertical distance, the accessory kits were not included in the installation.  This reasonably caused or contributed to the premature failure of many of the condensing units at the property.

Condensing Units at Ground Level

A lawsuit was filed concerning a condominium complex in coastal South Carolina wherein a number of construction defects were alleged, including defects related to the Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) System.  The complex consisted of 10 buildings and 260 individual condominium units.  The EIS engineer assigned to the project was tasked with investigating a sample number of HVAC systems in each building to provide a general understanding of the validity of the alleged defects.  Some of the alleged defects and related findings are listed below.

Condominium Building

The Complaint alleged that the HVAC systems were unable to supply sufficient airflow to all of the rooms of each condominium unit to provide adequate cooling.  Using a balometer, the airflow to each room of the sample units was measured and compared to the mechanical building plans.  Typically, an acceptable airflow range falls within +/-10% of the value shown in the building plans.  It was observed that a number of the inspected HVAC units did not provide the listed airflow.  However, upon further inspection, it was observed that many of the air filters associated with the deficient units had not been changed for months or even years.  The dirty filters were inhibiting the overall system airflow.  With new filters installed, nearly all of the units were able to meet the airflow requirements.

The Complaint also alleged that many of the condensing units outside of the building were wired to the wrong air-handling unit (AHU), such that its operation would be controlled by a neighbor’s system.  Continuity and voltage tests were performed on the inspected units which showed that several of the sample systems were incorrectly wired.

Voltage Test to Verify Wiring
Louvered Doors at Laundry Room and Mechanical Closet

Another alleged defect was that the return ducting to the AHU’s had been omitted on all systems.  The engineering inspection revealed this to be correct.  The return air path to AHU’s was via louvered doors in the laundry room and additional louvered doors at the mechanical closet.  This arrangement caused the laundry rooms and mechanical closets to fit the International Mechanical Code (IMC) definition of a plenum.  The code also requires that a plenum be free of all combustibles.  Therefore, items such as clothing, cleaning supplies, etc. stored in those areas would be in violation.

A fourth alleged defect was that the refrigerant lines run from the AHU’s to the condensing units were not installed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations which was causing premature compressor failure in many condensing units.  The site inspection revealed that this was true for the all of the systems serving 3rd and 4th level units.  The manufacturer’s recommendations were to include an accessory kit to systems with a specified vertical distance between the condensing unit and the AHU.  Despite the condensing units having been installed at ground level and the AHU’s at levels 3 and 4 exceeding the specified vertical distance, the accessory kits were not included in the installation.  This reasonably caused or contributed to the premature failure of many of the condensing units at the property.

Condensing Units at Ground Level

A lawsuit was filed concerning a condominium complex in coastal South Carolina wherein a number of construction defects were alleged, including defects related to the Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) System.  The complex consisted of 10 buildings and 260 individual condominium units.  The EIS engineer assigned to the project was tasked with investigating a sample number of HVAC systems in each building to provide a general understanding of the validity of the alleged defects.  Some of the alleged defects and related findings are listed below.

Condominium Building

The Complaint alleged that the HVAC systems were unable to supply sufficient airflow to all of the rooms of each condominium unit to provide adequate cooling.  Using a balometer, the airflow to each room of the sample units was measured and compared to the mechanical building plans.  Typically, an acceptable airflow range falls within +/-10% of the value shown in the building plans.  It was observed that a number of the inspected HVAC units did not provide the listed airflow.  However, upon further inspection, it was observed that many of the air filters associated with the deficient units had not been changed for months or even years.  The dirty filters were inhibiting the overall system airflow.  With new filters installed, nearly all of the units were able to meet the airflow requirements.

The Complaint also alleged that many of the condensing units outside of the building were wired to the wrong air-handling unit (AHU), such that its operation would be controlled by a neighbor’s system.  Continuity and voltage tests were performed on the inspected units which showed that several of the sample systems were incorrectly wired.

Voltage Test to Verify Wiring
 
Louvered Doors at Laundry Room and Mechanical Closet

Another alleged defect was that the return ducting to the AHU’s had been omitted on all systems.  The engineering inspection revealed this to be correct.  The return air path to AHU’s was via louvered doors in the laundry room and additional louvered doors at the mechanical closet.  This arrangement caused the laundry rooms and mechanical closets to fit the International Mechanical Code (IMC) definition of a plenum.  The code also requires that a plenum be free of all combustibles.  Therefore, items such as clothing, cleaning supplies, etc. stored in those areas would be in violation.

A fourth alleged defect was that the refrigerant lines run from the AHU’s to the condensing units were not installed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations which was causing premature compressor failure in many condensing units.  The site inspection revealed that this was true for the all of the systems serving 3rd and 4th level units.  The manufacturer’s recommendations were to include an accessory kit to systems with a specified vertical distance between the condensing unit and the AHU.  Despite the condensing units having been installed at ground level and the AHU’s at levels 3 and 4 exceeding the specified vertical distance, the accessory kits were not included in the installation.  This reasonably caused or contributed to the premature failure of many of the condensing units at the property.

Condensing Units at Ground Level