Unico Cooling System & Local Inspector!

Jamie_6

Who in the State do I contact to determine if it is approved for the state?

Pennsylvania State ?

I'm also taking consideration about what you said, thanks for the input! And the boy is great! If we could only get him to sleep.

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Jamie_6

HELP

I'm currently on a job that has 6 radiant zones three baseboard zones and a Unico System air handler. We have all the radiant roughed in, the entire baseboard roughed in, and the air-handler and duct work wrapped and installed.

On Wednesday the building inspector came to inspect the framing and plumbing, while he was there he saw the unico supply ducts coming through the floors and put the whole job on HALT! He said he wanted to know the flame spread and smoke development on the Unico piping. He said the flame spread must be below 250 and the smoke development below 750. So, I called UL and they e-mailed me (GREAT PEOPLE) the UL spread sheet on Unico which states the flame spread is 25 and the smoke development is 50. One would think everything is fine.

Know this guy is saying since Unico is not BOCA evaluated I can not put it in. (Meaning I have to take it out)

The real kicker is; in June I installed two of these systems in a large addition that he inspected. One for a home theatre which was 1 1/2 ton and one for the addition which was 3 1/2 ton. NO PROBLEMS. I also worked in a large house over 10,000 square feet in the same township which had 4 Unico systems installed in 1993.

What do I do? I am holding up a large project and this builder gives me A LOT of radiant heat jobs.

Thanks,
Jamie


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paul lessard_2

building and plumbing inspector all in one?

wow jamielooks like alot of fun.sounds like this guy has too much to do(jack of all trades)
Does jack report to the state or is he running his own thing?
Did one of your guys upset him last time?

paul lessard_2

building and plumbing inspector all in one?

wow jamie.looks like alot of fun.sounds like this guy has too much to do(jack of all trades)
Does jack report to the state or is he running his own show?
Did one of your guys upset him last time? and what else does he do on the side? plumbing and heating (competition)?
good luck paul

GW

that stinks

I hope it works out. Maybe the guy needs to feel like he has some power or something

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Jamie_6

I'm not really sure who he reports to! He is fully employed by the Township as far as I know.



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EricR_3

Unico System

I think that manufacturers specifications or an engineered system generally takes presidence over local building requirements, at least that is how it is in my area.

Earthfire

Isn't BOCA

basically dead in Pa.? I was under the impression that Pa. was supposed to go international Code in September state wide. Besides, in my experience, under Boca, UL Label was always sufficient for any equipment to be accepted in Pa. even by the envelope grabbers in Filtadelphia.

Steve Ebels

Some just want to see how far you'll

> I'm currently on a job that has 6 radiant zones

> three baseboard zones and a Unico System air

> handler. We have all the radiant roughed in, the

> entire baseboard roughed in, and the air-handler

> and duct work wrapped and installed.

>

> On

> Wednesday the building inspector came to inspect

> the framing and plumbing, while he was there he

> saw the unico supply ducts coming through the

> floors and put the whole job on HALT! He said he

> wanted to know the flame spread and smoke

> development on the Unico piping. He said the

> flame spread must be below 250 and the smoke

> development below 750. So, I called UL and they

> e-mailed me (GREAT PEOPLE) the UL spread sheet on

> Unico which states the flame spread is 25 and the

> smoke development is 50. One would think

> everything is fine.

>

> Know this guy is saying

> since Unico is not BOCA evaluated I can not put

> it in. (Meaning I have to take it out)

>

> The

> real kicker is; in June I installed two of these

> systems in a large addition that he inspected.

> One for a home theatre which was 1 1/2 ton and

> one for the addition which was 3 1/2 ton. NO

> PROBLEMS. I also worked in a large house over

> 10,000 square feet in the same township which had

> 4 Unico systems installed in 1993.

>

> What do I

> do? I am holding up a large project and this

> builder gives me A LOT of radiant heat

> jobs.

>

> Thanks, Jamie

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 289&Step=30"_To Learn More About This Contractor,

> Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A

> Contractor"_/A_

Steve Ebels

Some

Some just want to see how far you'll bend over to kiss their royal behinds.

I would compliment him on his sharp eyes and his professional concern for the homeowner. Tell him that you've never had the pleasure of working with an inspector as thorough as he is and you appreciate his work and attitude. Then explain to him that this tubing is used nationwide and is UL listed. You've used it in many applications and no other inspectors have ever questioned it. (again, proof that he is a notch or two above the rest) Then give him the phone number and name (important) of someone he can call a Unico. Tell him you would appreciate it if he could find out what the approvals are for you. Make sure you call a tech at Unico and give them a "heads up" that this guy will be calling. That way they don't get caught with their britches at ankle height.

Treat him with respect, courtesy and decency and I'll bet he'll turn into your friend.

Good luck to you. Remember that they all have bad days occasionally.

ScottMP

Jamie

I would take Steves advice as much as you can. Alot more with sugar then vinager.

That being said, call your State board and see if Unico is approved in your State. If so he has no case. He can cry all he wants. Is it possible he's got a hair across somthing from a previous job ? I find it best just to smile with these guys and ask how can we resolve this.

Good Luck

Scott

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Joel_3

inspectors

be as nice as you can and give him the info he wants. call Unico I'm sure they would speak with him about it. unico meets all codes in Mass and we are much more anal and stricter than most other states. If these tactics don't work you can take it to the next level. But you have to do this as a last resort only!!!!!! Basically you call his bluff he has to prove that the Unico system is not approved by his state. Maybe his brother in law bid the job ?? I've had inspectores threaten to pull my liscence from the state because "I don't want that in my town" i offered to call the state for him and reminded him that if he was wrong it could well be him that would be out of a job. He gave me a bewildered look and signed the card I was about 22 and he i think he wanted to give "the kid" a hard time. I don't think he had a clue what to say

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hot_rod

BOCA in PA

Interesting problems! We have one Twp still going by BOCA 93. They haven't adopted anything more current, but the inspector decided he was going to go by International code rules and he has overstepped his authority.


He and his Twp are being sued by several mechanical firms for the extra expenses his rulings have cost the Mech. firms.

As an example: In each of the bathroom groups, he (the inspector) decided that wet venting via the lav will not be allowed. Instead, he ruled that the mechanical contractor had to go back in and add a relief vent at the water closet connection! This is a very large project with lots of bathrooms, so no small potatoes. No way the inspector is right on this ruling & I would have refused to install the relief vent.

But it gets dicey where the back to back closet connections meet. In BOCA 93, it states that blowout closets may not be served by a dual stack T, but says nothing regarding standard tank types. While I don't much care for the idea of cross T's serving back to back WC's, the code only indicates the blowout style is disallowed. However, the International code indicates no WC's may be installed in a cross T application. In this case, while the 93 BOCA only disallows BO styles, the inspector used his International book to render a decision. That's a sticky wicket if ever there was one! Go by the letter of the law or allow the inspector the leeway to determine what BOCA meant by their ruling.



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hot_rod

for help

I'd call the good folks at Unico first. They should know about approvals and be in a position to give your inspector the info to get him straightened out. He's not in a very strong position on a number of counts, not the least of which is the fact that you've had Unico systems inspected, and passed, in this same area before.

Be sure to keep the owners and GC involved along the way so they maintain a comfort level regarding the doubts the inspector has raised.

If your area is like mine, inspectors can be appointed without any training! No tests to pass. No prior experience in the given trade they're to be inspecting. Go figure. Lot's of room for abuse of power.

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