<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> 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.<div><br></div><div>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. <br><div><br></div><div>Tim Coates</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div><div>On Sep 24, 2008, at 9:32 PM, Michael Magness wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><br><br> <div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 4:45 PM, joel a. jones <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jajones2@wisc.edu">jajones2@wisc.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Tim & Alan,<br><br>During the remodeling of our concert hall it was discovered that only one of the<br> four main inlets was working. The other three were not connected, therefore<br>forcing all the air into a small pipe. After they were all made to function and<br>the air supply balanced the hall was amazingly & acoustically pleasant.<br> <br>I have no idea if this is the problem with your facility, but I listen in rooms<br>with forced air to take note of the sound and the amount of air movement.<br><br>Take your HVAC engineer to lunch and ask about the system. We toured the<br> air handlers looking at the humidity system and the dirt in the filters. Soon<br>after that our engineer found a piece of wire in the ducts that had been causing<br>an annoying rattle in our small recital hall since 1970. Since the building was<br> constructed this tapping would come and go without any set pattern.<br>Show how important it is to have a quiet environment for music.<br><br>Find the guy with the screw driver has been, and continues to be, my mantra.<br> <br>Joel<br>Joel Jones, RPT<br>Madison, WI <div> <div></div> <div class="Wj3C7c"><br>On Sep 22, 2008, at 1:42 PM, Alan McCoy wrote:<br><br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Tim,<br><br>I think most HVAC systems are designed for minimum air changes per hour (or<br>some such target) as dictated by state regulations. How that affects the<br> uses the room is put to probably does not enter the equation. Hence our<br>continuing battle. The HVAC system in our recital hall has to be shut off<br>for each performance because it is so loud. Then of course the room becomes<br> unbearably hot for performers and audience.<br><br>Fun!<br><br>Alan<br><br>-- Alan McCoy, RPT<br>Eastern Washington University<br><a href="mailto:amccoy@mail.ewu.edu" target="_blank">amccoy@mail.ewu.edu</a><br>509-359-4627<br> 509-999-9512<br><br><br><br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">From: Tim Coates <<a href="mailto:tcoates1@sio.midco.net" target="_blank">tcoates1@sio.midco.net</a>><br> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org" target="_blank">caut@ptg.org</a>>" <<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org" target="_blank">caut@ptg.org</a>><br>Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:48:46 -0500<br> To: "College and University Technicians <<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org" target="_blank">caut@ptg.org</a>>" <<a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org" target="_blank">caut@ptg.org</a>><br>Subject: [CAUT] Heating system volume level<br> <br>I have looked over the CAUT website concerning heating/cooling for a<br>building. I don't see it addressing the volume aspect of heating/<br>cooling. I am looking for information concerning the acceptable<br>volume level of units within a room. Is there such information? I<br> have my own opinions, and I hope others on this list have their<br>opinions. My opinion is that heating/cooling units within the room<br>that create low frequencies make that room a poor choice as a music<br>room. I am also of the opinion that there seems to be a point when<br> the overall volume of a heating/cooling unit exceeds a certain level<br>the room becomes unacceptable as a music room. I don't know what<br>that point is. Does anyone?<br><br>Thoughts?<br><br>Tim Coates<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br></blockquote><br><br><br></blockquote>Joel you make a point I've been pointing out for years, befriend the guys with all of the keys, the "janitors, system engineers"<br></div></div></blockquote> </div> <div>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.</div> <div> </div> <div>Mike<br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>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. <br>Walter Chrysler <br> <br><br><br>Michael Magness<br>Magness Piano Service<br>608-786-4404<br><a href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</a><br>email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</a><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></div></body></html>