Janitor Closet Ventilation

[ssn61]

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.

 

[willard3]

Janitors use stinky stuff, ventilate the closet.

Codes are minimum and not good design practice.

 

[Badbird2000]

What he said. I always exhaust janitors closets, usually the same rate as a restroom, 75 cfm per fixture.

 

[EnergyProfessional]

check the code, here in WI it says 2cf,/ft² or 75 cfm. So you get 70 or 75 cfm.

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.

 

[ssn61]

My client does not want anything unless it's required by codes and/or AHJ. With that being said, is there any national codes that require J/C being exhausted?

 

[EnergyProfessional]

Maybe you should hire a licensed engineer that knows the local codes.

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.

 

[DRWeig]

Other examples:

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

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[willard3]

You need to exercise your Engineering judgement here.....the codes may not comply with your judgement.

Janitor's closets stink....exhaust enough air to control that.

 

[JohnMcNutt]

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.

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.