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More on engineering letter..I need Engineer

Paul Mitchell_2
Paul Mitchell_2 Member Posts: 184
Talked to the plumbing inspector in Jackson NJ today. I am bidding boiler replacements in a small complex of apartments. Basic systems. One main circulator pumps water through a 2" main. 3/4" baseboard loops off of this with zone valves in the apartments. 2 story building. 12 apartments per building. Some boilers will have a 80 gallon indirect off of them. The inspector needs to have this certified by an engineer thaty the boiler will be able to serve a multi-family dwelling, what pressure the boiler will run at??.. Call me crazy but with a basic system like this with the proper expansion the pressure will operate at 12-15 psi. I did a similar job in another town with no problems or engineers required.
So the point of the post is what is your take on this and who do you guys recommend I contact in Monmouth/Ocean county NJ. I am obviously not going to submit my bid untill I know what will be involved with this "design" cost.
Thanks
Paul

Comments

  • Weezbo
    Weezbo Member Posts: 6,232
    Maybe you can explain that it is low temp hydronic heating..

    and that it has low water and secondary high limits installed,ask him what specific rational that guides the use of a mechanical engineers stamp on the job. Offer him some pictures of similar systems you have designed and installed or rettro fitted and explain that you use the current materials and products available for such systems to save operational and maintinace costs with all currently available control stradgeies. what precisely do you require the engineers assistence to accomplish.
    When a muni requires something you have a "need to Know."Is it governing any size installation ,over a tri plex in instances of over a certain BTU requirement,Flue size,is it a mechanical requirement is it a supplier of fuels requirement is it a firesafety issue let him give you the reasoning ... if you are required an engineers stamp it maybe something some business passed into the building reqirements to protect the locals of a given amount of work in the future and may by now no longer be known the specific reason.Let him know that many engineers now use computer programmes to do this work and while you also have these programms at your disposal a computer program is not an engineer. experience of this work has a great deal to do with the economical installation that functions within the parameters that are required in this size building. are you needing NICET engineering then that is some completely seperate issue and tell him your bid doesnt include that aspect of the construction:) if none of that makes a dent then i think ok wheres the nearest engineer in his community that he knows....and go run it by him.
  • lchmb
    lchmb Member Posts: 2,997
    just a question

    ok, question for you out of curiosity. Is this an idividual boiler for each apartment or one boiler to run 12 unit's?
  • Paul Mitchell_2
    Paul Mitchell_2 Member Posts: 184
    One boiler

    that will do the heat and domestic
  • Paul Mitchell_2
    Paul Mitchell_2 Member Posts: 184
    I am with you but

    Most of these towns are not very receptive to me explaining my experiance and how the system is basic. I might nmake the inspector feel like I am better than him.
    I would state it as the following.
    The heat loss is xx, The hw demand is xx, The size of the new boiler is xx, The system is a standard hydronic system operating with a max hi limit of 200 degrees at 12 psi. BUT since I am not an engineer I don't think it would fly. As usual the problem is I could go through all this foot work and still not get the job.
  • bryan_14
    bryan_14 Member Posts: 8
    new code requirements

    It may have to do with whether or not they've adopted a new set of codes. Around here (Pennsylvania) more and more jobs are requiring engineered & stamped drawings for even the most basic of jobs.
  • Paul Mitchell_2
    Paul Mitchell_2 Member Posts: 184
    I called 12 engineering

    firms and no one does this or not for "private" jobs. On this one I am going to do the design and the figuring. Then present it to the inspector. If he still wants a letter then he can recommend one. Just like one of the guys above said.....worth a shot.
    Paul
  • Ken_8
    Ken_8 Member Posts: 1,640
    I suspect this is so throughout the entire US

    An inspector must follow a legal, written protocol for enforcement. He can only impose codes that are adopted by the town, county of state they are adopted in. Should the code be silnet on a life/safety issue, he may use "common sense" directives and "wing it."

    The codes are written - and so is his authority to enforce it. The manner of how he enforces is also written. Ask him to show you "by what authority" (code) he makes the demand he makes, and also the code that says it is a requirement to do what you are doing. If he can do both, you better call a P.E. licensed in your state. Find a good mechanical contractor. They always know or have, on staff, a P.E. or M.E.

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