
ASHRAE 15-1994
SPECIFICATION
General
Machinery Room Safety Compliance |
All Mechanical rooms are to be
in strict compliance with standard ASHRAE 15-1994.
This will include the following:
- Tight-fitting
doors opening outward (self-closing if they open into the
building) adequate in number to ensure freedom of escape.
- No other
openings to the building that would permit passage of
escaping refrigerant.
- Dimensioned for
easy access to all parts and adequate space for service,
maintenance and operation.
- Clear head room
of not less than 7.25 ft. (2.2m) below equipment situated
over passageways.
- All indoor
machinery rooms must be vented to the outdoors utilizing
dedicated mechanical ventilation, activated by
refrigerant sensors at threshold limits of refrigerant.
- No open flames
that use combustion air from the machinery room. (Boilers
can be located within the equipment room as long as the
combustion air is ducted from the outside to the boiler
or shut down sensors are installed).
- Access is
restricted to authorized personnel.
- Refrigerant
detectors are located in areas where refrigerant vapor
from a leak will be concentrated so as to provide alarmed
warning at a concentration not exceeding the refrigerants
TLV-TWA (example HCFC-123, 10 ppm/HCFC-22 & HFC-134a
1000 ppm).
- Periodic tests
of detectors, alarms and ventilation must be performed in
accordance with manufacturers recommendations and/or
local jurisdictional authority.
- No more than 330
lb (150 kg) of refrigerant (beyond the system charge and
that stored in a permanently attached receiver) may be
stored in a machinery room. If storage of refrigerant is
required, an ARI 740 approved storage tank and transfer
unit must be provided.
- At least one
approved self-contained breathing apparatus must be
provided outside the machinery room. (A second, backup,
self-contained breathing apparatus shall also be
provided).
- Purge systems
and pressure relief devices must be vented to the
outside. If purge lines are vented to the vent pipe for
relief device that pipe will have a drip leg and drain
valve along with a heating strip to drive off vented
refrigerant.
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