Looking for a HVAC mechanic to donate some time

[Tower43]

In the Bowie Area,

I live in the firehouse, for the past 2 weeks, our HVAC has not been functioning, despite numerous calls to facility maintenance. The average temperature is 80+ in the living spaces. I am sure all of you can agree that is unhealthy.

Looking for an HVAC guy to come out and see if he can determine what is wrong with it. Once we know what's wrong we can force the hand of the bureaucracy of PGFD and Bowie VFD to pay to get it fixed.

Firehouse is on Pointer Ridge Dr in Bowie, MD.

If you think you could help take a look, please PM me, or post contact info. Thanks ahead of time.

 

[antco]

Three years ago I would've stopped by and probably fixed it for free.
Good luck with the repairs, Tower.

 

[engineerbrian]

Can you give us some of the symptoms of the unit? Maybe a quick fix you guys can handle.

I know people have done just that in the water cooler and had their problem figured out

 

[Tower43]

It doesnt work... lol

No really, the unit has power, it APPEARS to be set correctly (I'm not an electrician, so I'm only guessing)... Our biggest problem honestly, is the County (PGFD) bought this fancy $100,000 HVAC system, with this automated control crap.. we got a dozen of these little plastic boxes where thermostats should be... but they didn't spend the $5,000 for the control software. So every year, some one shows up, does "something" and it blows cold air like a meatlocker..... I've tried resetting the circut breakers, looking for some sort of setting, checked the fuses (it's got a big a** fuse up on the roof next to the unit), looked to see if hoses/belts were intact (they were 3 weeks ago when I first tried this)... And I have no idea what system it's supposed to be. the AHU blows outside air in, but it also doesnt push air very hard, so I'm at a loss at what it might be ><

 

[Bigdtc]

I would cut the power to the rooftop unit's fuses. Check to be sure they are off then check for continuity across each of the fuses. If one of the three are blown, the unit will not work.. Happens all the time.

 

[engineerbrian]

Check the fuses as Big mentioned, but i would tend to belive from your description that your "automated control crap" has issues that need to be looked into to get you up and running

Do you know whos control system is in place..Siemens, Johnson, Aaon, etc?

 

[Bigdtc]

Check the fuses as Big mentioned, but i would tend to belive from your description that your "automated control crap" has issues that need to be looked into to get you up and running

Do you know whos control system is in place..Siemens, Johnson, etc?

I'm kinda thinking that too but I always check the simple chit first.. LOL @ "automated control crap"...

 

[Tower43]

I would cut the power to the rooftop unit's fuses. Check to be sure they are off then check for continuity across each of the fuses. If one of the three are blown, the unit will not work.. Happens all the time.

Course... that would require a test light or something right? lol.....

 

[Bigdtc]

Correct!

 

[dave myrick]

Can you provide the make model and serial number of the rooftop unit? Often times it is possible to download the Operation and Maintenance manuals from the internet so while not physically there, we could give some much needed technical guidance.

Dave

 

[Wolff]

Tower Don't use a 12 volt test light.

 

[Mark75H]

I just had a brain reset ... try resetting the unit from the main circuit breaker. Turn it off and back on 2 minutes later.

If it really does work well for a day or 2 after maintenance, its probably cutting off on high pressure or low pressure ... dirty condenser coil or loose/broken belt. Downloading a manual for the RTU won't help if you don't know which control accessories are in the particular unit ... almost always varies with the purchase between bare bones units and deluxe units and the model numbers are as hard as car VIN's to decode what it was sold with.

If the rooms are exactly 82°, it could be that the controls are set for 78° and that is what someone at the county office wants. We have a lot of trouble with people at corporate HQ's saying they know what will make a particular store or zone in a store comfortable ... from 2,000 miles away.

 

[DCSCO]

Take a lamp and put it next to the sensor. Vary distance to control setpoint. In the winter, put refrigerated juice can on the sensor.

 

[Robert]

This is a $100,000 HVAC system, with a missing 5K dollar software package, that now requires a seasonal "Adjustment" for conditioning effect..????

I wouldn't touch this with a 10' pole.