Mech Rooms

[Alwayslearningelec]

Do you guys find running pipe work in mech rooms is more labor consuming that non mechancial spaces? Why?
All the equipment? Heights?Thanks.

 

[Rick 0920]

It's not necessarily more labor intensive as it is more forethought involved. The hierarchy on jobs has always been: Electrical up high, then plumbing, then HVAC. Mentally seeing your finished product before you begin work will help you immensely. Another thing that will be beneficial is to put spare conduits on your racks and stub them just outside your mechanical rooms. It doesn't add that much more time or cost to the project and it can save you a lot of labor in the long run if these extra conduits should be needed.

 

[Alwayslearningelec]

It's not necessarily more labor intensive as it is more forethought involved. The hierarchy on jobs has always been: Electrical up high, then plumbing, then HVAC. Mentally seeing your finished product before you begin work will help you immensely. Another thing that will be beneficial is to put spare conduits on your racks and stub them just outside your mechanical rooms. It doesn't add that much more time or cost to the project and it can save you a lot of labor in the long run if these extra conduits should be needed.

Thanks . I though electrical always last trade out of mechanical and plumb!!??

 

[Rick 0920]

Thanks . I though electrical always last trade out of mechanical and plumb!!??

No sir. We usually run our feeders and home runs up high. It is usually stated on the plans. Whenever I was doing the planning for conduit runs on a big job, I would have the plumbing and mechanical sheets out of the print set and I would overlay them on the electrical sheet. This helped me from having to do rework later when the HVAC guy told me he had a 20" duct that needed to be where my conduits were! Keep in mind, put as many conduits in the slab as you can. It's a lot faster and less labor intensive than running them overhead. SPARES, SPARES and SPARES in the slab too!

 

[Rick 0920]

Thanks . I though electrical always last trade out of mechanical and plumb!!??

In residential, you are correct. We are the last trade. The reason for this is that cable can be routed around ductwork and plumbing piping easily. In commercial, we want to run overhead piping before all that stuff is in our way. We have a lot more space above the ceiling in commercial work usually.

 

[Alwayslearningelec]

Thank you. So do thers run spares as stated by Rick? Why spend buy and install work that your not getting paid for?

 

[infinity]

So do thers run spares as stated by Rick? Why spend buy and install work that your not getting paid for?

We run a few extra conduits for spares. Often things get missed so they're a CYA and it's cheaper to run a few empty EMT's while running out all of the other home runs. When the GC wants some extras you'll get paid for them anyway.

 

[Alwayslearningelec]

We run a few extra conduits for spares. Often things get missed so they're a CYA and it's cheaper to run a few empty EMT's while running out all of the other home runs. When the GC wants some extras you'll get paid for them anyway.

But of you miss something can't you just go back and pull the circuits through one of the HR's you already ran?
Assumming there may not be room and you may have derating issues if adding more conductors which may change the size wire of all existing conductors..uh oh.

 

[infinity]

But of you miss something can't you just go back and pull the circuits through one of the HR's you already ran?
Assumming there may not be room and you may have derating issues if adding more conductors which may change the size wire of all existing conductors..uh oh.

Yes youve summed up the potential issues. And going back to run additional raceways after the tin, sprinkler and ceilings are up can really increase your labor costs.