Scott Miller, TBE
Thomas-Young Associates
Stairwell Pressurization Checklist
O
ur company is involved in Life Safety Testing in
many of the cities and towns in our area and as
is probably typical throughout the country, we
find different requirements for each city. As a result of
this, we have developed a checklist over time that has been
useful to not only our company but also to all of the other
contractors involved.
We use this checklist as a tool to save time and headaches
for all contractors involved. Our experience has shown us
that there is nothing worse than scheduling the local fire
department for an inspection only to find out that all the
items are not ready. As is typical for most jobs, life safety
gets pushed off to the last minute and does not become
a priority until the general contractor is trying to get the
certificate of occupancy.
To complicate matters, we have found that on most jobs,
the general contractors are not always sure what exactly
is required to pass a life safety inspection. It is for this
reason that we find it extremely important to stress the Life
Safety (Stairwell Pressurization) requirements to the general
contractor as early as possible during the construction
process in order to ensure a smooth and successful
inspection.
Our checklist concentrates on the stairwell and elevator
pressurization portions of Life Safety and includes items
which need to be complete before starting any stairwell or
elevator pressurization testing. The checklist also includes
some procedures which need to be followed during the
actual testing. Our experience has been that if the first
inspection does not pass, each additional inspection
becomes more difficult and this checklist can help to make
the general contractor aware of what is involved in the
testing process.
Our checklist places stress on the items that we find to be
the most critical in completing both stairwell and elevator
pressurization testing. Some of the items that we commonly
20
Stairwell/Elevator Pressurization Checklist
Project Name: _____________________________________ Date: __________
Address: ________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
encounter are architecturally incomplete stairwells (wall
penetrations not sealed, doors or door hardware not Contact: ____________________________________________________
installed, door sweeps not installed or finished floors not
complete), volume dampers not installed, controls or
control sequences not complete and fans not wired. ❏ Are stairwells / elevator shafts architecturally complete?
The requirement for trained and certified technicians ❏ Are all wall penetrations properly sealed?
to perform this testing also cannot be overstated. It is
imperative that the technician performing the testing ❏ Are all doors and door hardware installed?
completely understands not only the balancing requirements
but also the requirements of the local inspectors and testing ❏ Are door sweeps installed and set to the correct height?
criteria. The technician needs to be intimately familiar with
the contract drawings as well as the sequence of operation ❏ Are thresholds and finished floors complete?
for the equipment.
❏ Are the correct fans installed and are they wired?
Prior to starting any testing the technician must completely
❏ Are all volume dampers installed?
review the drawings for the following:
Are all of the registers installed?
■
❏ Are all motorized dampers installed and are the motors wired and powered?
■ Are the correct damper types installed? (manual,
motorized, weighted barometric etc.) ❏ Are all relief dampers installed?
■ Are all control dampers including damper motors
installed?
❏ Are the correct type of relief dampers installed and have they been tested for
proper operation?
■ Are the correct fans installed?
Once the above is verified, the sequence of operation
❏ Has the ATC contractor completed and commissioned all of the control
components?
for the stairwells needs to be reviewed with the controls
contractor so that the correct procedure for balancing ❏ Has the ATC contractor downloaded the correct sequence of operation?
can be formulated. The final step is to perform the actual
balancing of the stairwells and vestibules. As the balancing ❏ Have all pressure sensors been calibrated?
starts, coordination between all contractors is essential.
All systems must be running and all stairwell and vestibule
doors must remain closed during the setting of airflows and
individual floor pressurizations. Remarks: _________________________________________________________
In summary, we have found that the most important
items of a successful stairwell or elevator pressurization _________________________________________________________
test are planning, coordination and trained and certified
personnel. _________________________________________________________
✃
TAB Journal 21
Scott Miller, TBE
Thomas-Young Associates
Stairwell Pressurization Checklist
O
ur company is involved in Life Safety Testing in
many of the cities and towns in our area and as
is probably typical throughout the country, we
find different requirements for each city. As a result of
this, we have developed a checklist over time that has been
useful to not only our company but also to all of the other
contractors involved.
We use this checklist as a tool to save time and headaches
for all contractors involved. Our experience has shown us
that there is nothing worse than scheduling the local fire
department for an inspection only to find out that all the
items are not ready. As is typical for most jobs, life safety
gets pushed off to the last minute and does not become
a priority until the general contractor is trying to get the
certificate of occupancy.
To complicate matters, we have found that on most jobs,
the general contractors are not always sure what exactly
is required to pass a life safety inspection. It is for this
reason that we find it extremely important to stress the Life
Safety (Stairwell Pressurization) requirements to the general
contractor as early as possible during the construction
process in order to ensure a smooth and successful
inspection.
Our checklist concentrates on the stairwell and elevator
pressurization portions of Life Safety and includes items
which need to be complete before starting any stairwell or
elevator pressurization testing. The checklist also includes
some procedures which need to be followed during the
actual testing. Our experience has been that if the first
inspection does not pass, each additional inspection
becomes more difficult and this checklist can help to make
the general contractor aware of what is involved in the
testing process.
Our checklist places stress on the items that we find to be
the most critical in completing both stairwell and elevator
pressurization testing. Some of the items that we commonly
20
Stairwell/Elevator Pressurization Checklist
Project Name: _____________________________________ Date: __________
Address: ________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
encounter are architecturally incomplete stairwells (wall
penetrations not sealed, doors or door hardware not Contact: ____________________________________________________
installed, door sweeps not installed or finished floors not
complete), volume dampers not installed, controls or
control sequences not complete and fans not wired. ❏ Are stairwells / elevator shafts architecturally complete?
The requirement for trained and certified technicians ❏ Are all wall penetrations properly sealed?
to perform this testing also cannot be overstated. It is
imperative that the technician performing the testing ❏ Are all doors and door hardware installed?
completely understands not only the balancing requirements
but also the requirements of the local inspectors and testing ❏ Are door sweeps installed and set to the correct height?
criteria. The technician needs to be intimately familiar with
the contract drawings as well as the sequence of operation ❏ Are thresholds and finished floors complete?
for the equipment.
❏ Are the correct fans installed and are they wired?
Prior to starting any testing the technician must completely
❏ Are all volume dampers installed?
review the drawings for the following:
Are all of the registers installed?
■
❏ Are all motorized dampers installed and are the motors wired and powered?
■ Are the correct damper types installed? (manual,
motorized, weighted barometric etc.) ❏ Are all relief dampers installed?
■ Are all control dampers including damper motors
installed?
❏ Are the correct type of relief dampers installed and have they been tested for
proper operation?
■ Are the correct fans installed?
Once the above is verified, the sequence of operation
❏ Has the ATC contractor completed and commissioned all of the control
components?
for the stairwells needs to be reviewed with the controls
contractor so that the correct procedure for balancing ❏ Has the ATC contractor downloaded the correct sequence of operation?
can be formulated. The final step is to perform the actual
balancing of the stairwells and vestibules. As the balancing ❏ Have all pressure sensors been calibrated?
starts, coordination between all contractors is essential.
All systems must be running and all stairwell and vestibule
doors must remain closed during the setting of airflows and
individual floor pressurizations. Remarks: _________________________________________________________
In summary, we have found that the most important
items of a successful stairwell or elevator pressurization _________________________________________________________
test are planning, coordination and trained and certified
personnel. _________________________________________________________
✃
TAB Journal 21