Field Service Bulletin (FSB)

Title: AHU/CRAHU Sump Pump Failure Remediation (rev. 1)

Published Date: 2021-09-29
Equipment Class: AH - AIR HANDLERS
Manufacturer: Silent-Aire/Mestex/Trane/Huntair
Model: All AHU/CRAH models with sump pumps (except 104k Silent-Aire AHUs)
Primary SIM: FSB-327
Severity Level: Sev 5 (364 days)
Publication: 100502
FSBs are intended to rectify availability or safety issues with electrical or mechanical infrastructure.
If you need the cooperation of your Colo operator to remediate this issue, please provide the Colo-specific notice provided on
the publication page. DO NOT SHARE THIS FSB IN ITS ENTIRETY.

Reason for Notice

Sump pump air-locking issues were found at multiple JITDC sites. The pump discharge piping does not have a weep hole as
specified in manufacturer’s installation and operating manual. This creates the risk of pumps getting air-locked and
eventually turning off, thereby affecting availability of the unit. Both EBARA and Gould’s Submersible Sump Pump manuals
state that there must be a 1/8-inch relief hole in the discharge pipe in order to purge air from the piping.
The purpose of this FSB is to reduce the probability of sump-pump air-locking by providing a way for air to vent out
immediately downstream of the discharge connection.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this FSB, please cut a SIM via this QuickLink.

Regions Affected:

X APA X BOM X CMH X DUB X IAD X LHR X PDX X SIN X ZHY X Construction
X ARN X BPM X CPT X FRA ICN LUX X PEK X SYD X Controls
X BAH X CDG X DCA GRU KIX X MXP SEA YTO X CPI
X BJS X CGK X DEN X HKG X LCK X NRT X SFO X YUL X Commissioning
Notify Colos

If you have received work orders for Colo assets that are not affected by this FSB, please cut a SIM-T to the EAM team
via this QuickLink.

Data Center Health & Safety Requirements:

All personnel must be Ready for Work and adhere to the minimum PPE requirements in the Data Center Safety Personal
Protective Equipment Standard throughout the implementation of the FSB.
As stated in FSA: AHU and CRAH Door Hazard, when opening or closing AHU/CRAH doors, the fans must not be operating.
If work is required inside the AHU or CRAH, the unit must be powered down or fan speed reduced to zero prior to
entry/exit.

Required Tools and Materials:

• Hand drill with 1/16” drill bit
• Zip ties
• Self-piercing saddle valve,1/4” - Grainger item# 4GU27

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 Note: This valve works for 3/8" to 1-3/8" O.D. copper tube.
• Tubing, 3/16” inside diameter, approximately 18” – 20” long per sump pump - Grainger item# 2LPX8
• Steel toggle bolt anchors, 4” #10-24 - Grainger item# 1NA19
Note: Use for 1-1/2" and higher pipe/tubing diameters
• Machine screw nuts, #10-24 - Grainger item # 2GA58

Initial Conditions:
• CRAHU/AHU is in AUTO mode and running.

Corrective Action(s):
During corrective actions, reference Figure 1, which shows the typical sump pump discharge piping installation instructions
from Goulds and Ebarra, the two major suppliers of sump pumps used at AWS data centers.

Figure 1 Typical sump pump discharge piping installation

1. Turn off the respective sump pump and drain the discharge piping.
2. Drill one 1/16” hole 5” above pump discharge:

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3. Install saddle valve to 1/16” pilot hole using 4” toggle bolt and nut

Note: The needle of the saddle valve will fit tightly into the pilot hole
and expand the hole to the necessary 1/8” diameter to meet the
installation specifications.

4. Connect plastic tube to the saddle valve.

5. Direct the unconnected end of the tube directly into sump tank.

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6. Secure tube with zip tie at the lowest possible point on the sump
pump discharge pipe.

7. Fully open saddle valve needle to provide the necessary flow

8. Clean sump tank and CRAHU/AHU floor to ensure no debris is left.

9. Adjust the stage balancing valve to ensure adequate flow to the media
is restored.
10. Record flow rate for each stage and validate with design documents
and/or prior FSBs.

Restoration and Validation:

1. Return CRAHU/AHU to AUTO mode.
2. Confirm that there are no leaks and that water is flowing through tubing.
a. Pump water to media to check for leaks and water flow.
b. If leaks are found, tighten or fix as needed.
3. If not in evap mode, force into evap or flush mode.
Note: If units must be forced to evap mode, only move one unit to evap mode at a time. For AHUs with multiple
sumps, only move one sump to evap mode at a time.
4. Check for any damage, cracks, or leaks on the pipe.
5. If unit was forced to evap mode, return to AUTO mode.

Other Pertinent Information:

See the Links section of this FSB’s policy page for the following related resources.
• FSB_GLB_MECH_68471_ AHU Sump Pump Failure Remediation – Reference AHU FSB
• Silent-Aire Engineering Bulletin - ENG.BUL.004.R0_(2020-06-29)- Amazon 104K AHU_ In-situ Remediation for Sump
Pump Flow Concerns.pdf -
• Grainger Sump Pump Line Parts
o Toggle Bolts – Grainger# 1NA19
o Self-piercing saddle valve,1/4” - Grainger item# 4GU27

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 o Tubing, 3/16” inside diameter, approximately 18” – 20” long per sump pump - Grainger item# 2LPX8
o Machine screw nuts, #10-24- Grainger item # 2GA58

A-Team Members

FE: Ajay Sunkara

FSBI: Eric Weight
DCEO: Joshua Lacasse
DC Health & Safety Marisha Mirich
EAM: Austin Hylick

Document Details:

Published by: StellaJ

Date created: 2021-09-07
GRC document number: 100502

Revision History

Rev Date Release Notes

0 2021-09-07 Initial release.
1 2021-09-29 FSB title updated to remove uncertainty around affected types of equipment.

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