[CAUT] Heating system volume level

[Tim Coates]

I have appreciated the comments from this list.  I have also  
contacted some educators who have dealt with noisy HVAC units in  
class rooms and rehearsal  rooms.  Proper air handling, turning off  
the units during rehearsal, moving the HVAC units outside the room to  
the roof, and staying on good terms with the janitors and engineers  
are consistent comments.  One other solution is the use of an in-room  
PA with the instructor using a headset.  One band director reported  
students requesting the continued use of the headset even after the  
noisy HVAC unit was removed from the room.  The headset allowed the  
instructor to never use a raised voice.  Which when you think about  
it can change the tone or character of a rehearsal.  No yelling.  The  
relationship between the students and the instructor became  
conversational.   The wear on the instructors voice also affects  
their physical energy.

My major concern:  voices or instruments need to blend together to  
make music.  Noisy HVAC units prevent the blending.  I think side  
effects are teachers with hoarse voices and students who don't hear  
directions properly.

Tim Coates


On Sep 24, 2008, at 9:32 PM, Michael Magness wrote:

>
>
> On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 4:45 PM, joel a. jones <jajones2 at wisc.edu>  
> wrote:
> Tim & Alan,
>
> During the remodeling of our concert hall it was discovered that  
> only one of the
> four main inlets was working.   The other three were not connected,  
> therefore
> forcing all the air into a small pipe.   After they were all made  
> to function and
> the air supply balanced the hall was amazingly & acoustically  
> pleasant.
>
> I have no idea if this is the problem with your facility, but I  
> listen in rooms
> with forced air to take note of the sound and the amount of air  
> movement.
>
> Take your HVAC engineer to lunch and ask about the system.  We  
> toured the
> air handlers looking at the humidity system and the dirt in the  
> filters.  Soon
> after that our engineer found a piece of wire in the ducts that had  
> been causing
> an annoying  rattle in our small recital hall since 1970.  Since  
> the building was
> constructed this tapping would come and go without any set pattern.
> Show how important it is to have a quiet  environment for music.
>
> Find the guy with the screw driver has been, and continues to be,  
> my mantra.
>
> Joel
> Joel Jones, RPT
> Madison, WI
>
> On Sep 22, 2008, at 1:42 PM, Alan McCoy wrote:
>
> Tim,
>
> I think most HVAC systems are designed for minimum air changes per  
> hour (or
> some such target) as dictated by state regulations. How that  
> affects the
> uses the room is put to probably does not enter the equation. Hence  
> our
> continuing battle. The HVAC system in our recital hall has to be  
> shut off
> for each performance because it is so loud. Then of course the room  
> becomes
> unbearably hot for performers and audience.
>
> Fun!
>
> Alan
>
> -- Alan McCoy, RPT
> Eastern Washington University
> amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
> 509-359-4627
> 509-999-9512
>
>
>
> From: Tim Coates <tcoates1 at sio.midco.net>
> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>"  
> <caut at ptg.org>
> Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:48:46 -0500
> To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: [CAUT] Heating system volume level
>
> I have looked over the CAUT website concerning heating/cooling for a
> building.  I don't see it addressing the volume aspect of heating/
> cooling.  I am looking for information concerning the acceptable
> volume level of units within a room.  Is there such information?  I
> have my own opinions, and I hope others on this list have their
> opinions.  My opinion is that heating/cooling units within the room
> that create low frequencies make that room a poor choice as a music
> room.   I am also of the opinion that there seems to be a point when
> the overall volume of a heating/cooling unit exceeds a certain level
> the room becomes unacceptable as a music room.  I don't know what
> that point is.  Does anyone?
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Tim Coates
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Joel you make a point I've been pointing out for years, befriend  
> the guys with all of the keys, the "janitors, system engineers"
> etc. and make your point to and with them, they know where the  
> access is to these things and many times don't have to go through  
> miles of red tape to accomplish it.
>
> Mike
>
>
> -- 
> I feel sorry for the person who can't get genuinely excited about  
> his work. Not only will he never be satisfied, but he will never  
> achieve anything worthwhile.
> Walter Chrysler
>
>
>
> Michael Magness
> Magness Piano Service
> 608-786-4404
> www.IFixPianos.com
> email mike at ifixpianos.com

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