Hi everyone, I just graduated in mechanical engineering and will be starting my first job after college working for an MEP company. I have some previous experience in the field through an internship last summer, but all I really did there was make CAD drawings and heat load calcs. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to learn more about the field, like any book recommendations or any classes that would be useful?

I assume you will be doing HVAC and Plumbing:

For "applied HVAC piping" (boiler/hydronic, chilled water): get all of John Siegenthaler's books. Also he has a CD, which has dozens of his excellent articles.

For fluid flow fundamentals: get "Cameron Hydraulic Data". It may be out of print, but find a used one online (ebay, etc.) It is the most practical fluids text I have ever seen.

HVAC Cooling/Heating Fundamentals: Trane and Carrier used to publish handbooks - approx 1-inch thick. These books are very practical, but also well grounded in theory. Maybe they are available used, or you could check with Trane & Carrier sales representatives. Also, you might get a used copy of Faye McQuiston's HVAC textbook. It is (was?) a text used for undergraduate, but it is superior: many clear problem examples, reference charts & tables, etc. - a must-have book.

Study all these books. Read them from cover to cover. Then you'll know where to go when you're on a deadline.







Plumbing: check out the books on the ASPE website. They are the best.

Hire an experienced mechanical engineer who knows what he is doing.

Only kidding =o) (but a lot of answers to questions in this forum are answered with the above clause)

I recommend:

-ASHRAE Handbooks
-Price books
-McQuiston's book is very book
-Spend some time learning eQuest if you haven't learned it already
-Lots of coffee

Hire an experienced mechanical engineer who knows what he is doing.

Only kidding =o) (but a lot of answers to questions in this forum are answered with the above clause)

I recommend:

-ASHRAE Handbooks
-Price books
-McQuiston's book is very good
-Spend some time learning eQuest if you haven't learned it already
-Lots of coffee

You can also get equipment design information from the McQuay website. They have a number of different design manuals that can be downloaded.

A key item would be the Honeywell Engineering Manual of Automatic Controls for Buildings. Ask a local rep for a copy or you may be able to download a PDF version.

One of my mentors said, you can size everything right, have a really good design, but if your control strategy doesn't work you are dead. You can also have a poor system design that works with a good control strategy.

The two best guides I have for a introduction to the field, and also for a range of calcs that will be required:

• BSRIA Illustrated Guide to Mechanical Building Services
• BSRIA HVAC Building Services Calculations

Good luck!

Find a mentor.

You can learn a lot from books, but it takes an actual person to tell you how to put that information in practice.

Very encouraging to see a young engineer take the responsibility to learn on his/her own. Agree w/ all above. A mentor is crucial, ideally one in your shop/firm. However I have had mentors ranging from master plumbers to temperature control contractors to college professors. Learn everything you can from any source you can. That said you must be able to discern who is giving you good information and who is giving you fertilizer. I was fortunate enough to have many people in the industry 'take me under their wing' so to speak early on in my career.

As far as reading material again I agree w/ all above. Other sources include;

Bell & Gossette's ITT Engineering Manual for hydronic systems.
McQuiston was my text book along w/ ASHRAE Fundamentals but I have found Clifford's text to be very good. George Clifford ISBN 0-13-602830-6. (this version maybe out of print...) ha!
Somebody above said Cameron Hydraulic Data. Probably my most used book.
Dan Holihan's writings are not only informative by extremely entertaining to read.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.... Industrial Ventilation.... While most people will crack open for industrial designs, it does cover very good basics on fan operation.
SMACANA HVAC systems duct design & HVAC Applications...

MFGR's websites. White papers... Somebody above said McQuay. Pretty much any good mfgr will have white paper's out there.

Articles in trade Magazines like E.S., HPAC, ASHRAE, PM... are all good for giving you an overview of what is out there.

you got advice on many useful books, but, as peddarin said, you absolutely need mentor for first period of your career. mentor has to be experienced engineer in field, and he will guide your through mix of practices, teach you how to approach different problems and many other things which cannot be learned through book reading only.

hvac is also very wide field, and if you do not learn where, when, why and how to focus, you can get suffocated by myriad of information.