Janitor Closet Ventilation
Janitor Closet Ventilation
(OP)
I am working on HVAC design of a office-warehouse. There is a janitor closet that opens to the warehouse, about 35 sq.ft. Is there any code requirements for ventilation of this closet? I know ASHARE 62.1 calls for 0.12 cfm/sq.ft. for a storage. In this case that's only 4 cfm. Plus, this is a janitor closet not a storage.





RE: Janitor Closet Ventilation
Codes are minimum and not good design practice.
RE: Janitor Closet Ventilation
RE: Janitor Closet Ventilation
and don't confuse exhaust with ventilate. Exhaust to the outside. If you ventilate, the air will travel to surrounding spaces, which you don't want.
RE: Janitor Closet Ventilation
RE: Janitor Closet Ventilation
Codes that are national, international etc. are meaning less unless your local authority (State, City etc.) adopted them and if they amended them.
for example WI adopted the IMC, but included alterations on how ventilation is calculated. with that it is meaningless what IMC wants, since WI made a decision. Your county/city may have additional requirements.
RE: Janitor Closet Ventilation
California mechanical code (2007 Table 4-A): 10 air changes per hour, all exhausted, all directly to outdoors. Negative to surrounding spaces.
If it's a warehouse, it better be in compliance with OSHA and the ACGIH standards to which it refers -- Click Here for a pdf of the law. You will have to decide if they will ever store anything in the janitor closet that is: irritant, toxic, carcinogenic, etc... Look at the MSDS on some commercial floor cleaners. You'll find that many qualify as all three of those items I mentioned. Janitor sinks sometimes go long periods of no use. They'll be after you for all the gases resulting from a dry drain trap, and whatever else nasty wafts out of that space into the warehouse.
UMC says 2 cfm/sq ft (with or without sink) or 75 cfm/sink
With all that said, PICK UP THAT 5000-LB PHONE AND CALL THE AHJ. When he or she gives you an answer, the debate is over, eh?
Best to you,
Goober Dave
Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies
RE: Janitor Closet Ventilation
Janitor's closets stink....exhaust enough air to control that.
RE: Janitor Closet Ventilation
You need a trap primer for that, ventilated or not. Sewer gas can be hazardous in some conditions as well as not smelling very good.