ASHRAE 90.1 / ASME B31.9

ASHRAE 62.1 Section 5.9 / OSHA 1910.94

Industrial exhaust systems require adequate makeup air to replace the exhausted volume. A closed makeup air damper creates negative building pressure, reducing exhaust hood capture velocity and potentially causing backdrafting of combustion appliances. ASHRAE 62.1 and OSHA require balanced ventilation in industrial facilities.

ASHRAE 62.2

Long flex duct runs with multiple bends severely reduce airflow. Each 90° bend in 4" flex adds ~15 equivalent feet of duct. This run has excessive pressure drop.

ASHRAE 90.1 — Insulation

Chilled water pipes MUST have vapor barrier on insulation to prevent condensation. Without it, moisture penetrates insulation, causes mold, and reduces R-value to near zero.

ASHRAE 90.1 / IECC

Economizer operation using outdoor air for free cooling is not only allowed but required by energy codes for most commercial systems. Using enthalpy (temperature + humidity) control is the preferred method. The 55°F changeover and 100% OA capability are standard economizer settings. The 20% minimum OA ensures ventilation is always maintained.

ASHRAE 90.1 Section 6.5.1

This fails ASHRAE 90.1 requirements. ASHRAE Standard 90.1 Section 6.5.1 requires economizer systems for cooling equipment above certain capacity thresholds in climate zones with sufficient free cooling hours, and Climate Zone 5A (Chicago) easily qualifies with thousands of annual hours where outdoor conditions can provide free or assisted cooling. A PUE of 1.8 indicates that 44% of total facility energy is consumed by non-IT overhead, which is very poor by modern standards. With a properly designed air-side or water-side economizer, this facility could achieve a PUE in the 1.2 to 1.4 range, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual energy costs. The economizer requirement is not optional regardless of cost justification arguments.

ASHRAE 90.1 Table 6.8.3-1

Per ASHRAE 90.1 Table 6.8.3-1, a 4-inch hot-water pipe (NPS 4 falls in the '4 to <8 inch' column) operating in the 141-200°F fluid band requires a minimum of 2.0 inches of insulation. At 200°F the pipe is in that band, so the 1.5 inches of fiberglass installed is below the 2.0-inch minimum — the pipe is under-insulated and the installation fails. (1.5 inches would only satisfy the requirement for pipe smaller than 1.5 inches in this temperature band.) The fix is to bring the insulation up to at least 2.0 inches for a 4-inch pipe at this fluid temperature.