Attachment 4 BCWC Dwelling Mech and Elec System Info.pdf

Buffalo Creek Dwelling – Existing Mechanical and Electrical System Description

Current Use: Single family Quarters residence. Sometimes used for multiple unrelated occupants, the Rent Class remains House and rent is just divided by occupants. Total 2,612 Sq. Ft.

Notes: The residence has a split level entry and features a bathroom, living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms on the main floor. The upstairs has an attic area and small bedroom with two beds in it. The basement has several individual rooms but the windows are too high and too small to serve as bedroom means of egress as currently constructed.

Kody Nathe, our R2 Architect, has created floorplans and a code analysis that is available for review.

Electrical: The Residence is served by its own single phase, three wire, 200A service from the utility. The main panel is outside on the SE side of the building and serves a subpanel in the attic. The attic subpanel in turn serves a smaller subpanel at the front entryway. In addition, the main panel directly serves the exterior service receptacle, boiler, water heater, and septic effluent lift station. As the water heater is now heated by the hot water loop boiler system, it’s unclear where the two-pole, 30A circuit for the water heater in the main panel is running to.

The neutral to the attic subpanel is wired with fabric insulated wire (possibly Paranite or Paraflex based on the labeling) that appears to be aluminum. Several types of fabric insulated wire and aluminum wire are in use throughout the house, including at lighting circuits, the entryway subpanel, and the attic subpanel.

The attic subpanel is a Federal Pacific Stab-lok model. These models are known to be fire hazards (https://blog.societyinsurance.com/why-you-should-replace-federal-pacific-stab-lok-panels/). The load noted as water heater in positions 2 and 4 has a tie between the breakers, even though it is serving only a single pole now. The 30 amp breakers in positions 13-19 are unlabeled in the subpanel. Separation of grounding and neutral systems in the subpanel is uncertain; bonding may be present within the subpanel. A ground serving the subpanel from the main panel is not evident.

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An electric resistance radiant heat unit is located in the SE unfinished two thirds of the attic with zero clearance from the insulation and surrounding wood structure and should be evaluated for fire safety.

The Residence was retrofitted with interconnected surface mount carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.

The entryway subpanel shows no grounding system. Branch circuits appear to be a mix of aluminum and copper. There is no neutral bus bar and the neutrals are tied in a bundle; it’s unclear if a split bolt or other splicing device is present. The subpanel is a Square D Cat. No.

71061 F rated for a maximum of 70A.

The furnace has a 15A fused overcurrent protection at the cabinet. It appears to be powered off the lighting circuit via a MC cable whip.

HVAC: The residence has a forced air system running on the hot water loop for heat. The air handler is an ADP BCRMB4236S3P3. The furnace is an ADP 065608008. Despite the air handler tag, no AC unit was noted on site. Date of manufacture based on the serial numbers is 2002. A humidifier unit is attached but is unplugged. The central air system is controlled by a dumb programmable thermostat in the main floor hallway.

The forced air system is supplemented by two electric radiant heat units in the upstairs, one in the bedroom and one in the unfinished attic.

The main floor living room also has a Sierra brand wood stove, likely a Sierra Hearthstove Classic Turbo-Burn Model 2000T produced in the early ‘80s. Date of last chimney sweep and inspection is unknown.

The bathroom appears to have an exhaust fan, though it appears to be installed from the attic with a rough opening through the floorboards and plaster. Vent piping to the exterior was not noted in the attic.

The Residence and Office are heated from a propane fired boiler located in an exterior-entry utility closet on the NE side of the Residence. The model is a Dunkirk Quantum 90. According to product literature, the unit is 90% AFUE; the vent is PVC. Notes written on the boiler state, “No Glycol as of 3/25/19 – CPH&DC.” A crossed out note suggests propylene glycol had been added for freeze protection. Users state that freezing of the line to the Office occurred in the last few years and a recirculation pump and glycol were added to prevent this. The circulation pump is a Taco model 0015-MSF2-IFC multi-speed circulator. An invoice and notes from the Forest show that 4 gallons of glycol were added to the water heating loop for freeze protection down to -30 F; there are no reports of freezing since. Four partially filled jugs of propylene glycol were on-site in the closet.

Boiler product literature notes, “Only Intercool NFP-50 is approved for use.” Although the boiler has exhaust and combustion air through the roof, please advise on the possible need for fresh air to the mechanical space. Because the boiler runs year round for hot water demand, in the summer the boiler room gets very hot and this may shorten the equipment life.

A Watts model ETX-30 hot water expansion tank is present on the boiler system.

A Taco ZVC406 controller controls 6 zones of hot water heating between the Residence and Office (see IMG_1019 for zone assignments). Analog gauges show hot water leaving the boiler at 142 degrees F and returning at 118. Copper pipe sizing is 1 ¼” at supply and return, reducing to ¾” on individual Residence zones and 1” heading to the Office. The office has enough control wire for control of 4 zones.

Hot Water: Hot water is provided by a Crown Boiler Co. Mega-Stor 39 gallon tank, model MS-40. Date of manufacture is 2009 based on the serial number.

Boiler Room: Boiler room is a concrete pad with plywood interior walls and ceiling.

Walls: 168 SF

Ceiling: 27.39 SF

Floor: 27.39 SF

Ceiling Perimeter: 21 LF