Commercial Architecture May 2017 - 57

hvac

PROJECT
those units through the building's top level to the kitch-

ed facility reopened in early 2015, according to S&A's

ens and shops at ground level.

Beddow. In fact, because of the "reliable experience" the

Although seldom destructive, minor seismic activity is

company has enjoyed at the market, it opted for a tank-

a routine fact of life in Southern California. That is why

less solution from Noritz at two other Santa Ana proper-

Crandall quickly concluded "some rinky-dink, wooden

ties, both restaurants.

structure to hold the tankless units would not have been a

Tankless water heaters "provide a reasonable solution

good idea." Instead, Crandall foreman Rolondo Jimenez

to the demands of the county health department and the

and his team chose to build from scratch a Unistrut rack

state plumbing code," Beddow commented. "We also

system that "worked phenomenally," said Crandall, al-

know that tankless units are energy-efficient for our ten-

though not before a certain amount of trial and error.

ants," given their high, ongoing demand for hot water. CA

Want more information? To download
the information listed below, visit
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1705noritz.

Circle 6 on the Reader Service Card.
Download a spec sheet.
Access an installer's guide.

"When something did not immediately work as we envisioned it, we improvised and adjusted. That was true of
our work on the rack, like everything else. We had never
built a tankless rack before, so we had to figure it out-and
we did."

NEW BLUE.
NEW POSSIBILITIES.

The pipe runs proved an even bigger challenge. On
the roof, installers used copper tubing for the water lines
and galvanized steel pipe for gas. The piping covers approximately 4,000 sq. ft. of roof space, runs to one of five
chases leading from the roof, through the second floor, to
various vendors and kitchens on the first level.
Why five chases? Once again, because of limited space
in the building, in this case between the roof and ground

SNX 51/23 on CrystalBlue

level. Any more than five chases would have been unac-

ceptably disruptive for the floor layout on both levels.
Among the challenges with the chase-building work was

New Guardian CrystalBlue

observing specified clearances for head height in a build-

™

is perfect for contemporary structures

ing that measured only 10 ft. from ground level to the

that are big on light, smart on energy.
Our clients prefer its light blue color,

bottom of the second-floor joists.
As in most commercial-rehab projects, fitting the nec-

and CrystalBlue pairs perfectly with the
SunGuard® coatings we specify."

essary infrastructure through the five chases was no easy
chore, Crandall reported.

Paulo Perkins, GraceHebert Architects

"Coordinating the layouts of the different grease trap,
HVAC, electrical lines, plumbing, and gas-plus the installation schedules of their respective trades-was quite a

SN 68 on CrystalGray

chore. Everything was very tight."
Predictably, the path from the roof to the first level
was not a straight vertical shot. If a copper water or blackiron gas line inside the chase did not wind up precisely

Spandrel H T

where it was needed on the first floor, the team adjusted,
jogging the line in whatever direction was required to
make the final connection. As a result, piping distances
varied from the original plan. In these instances, the engineer resized the pipe to accommodate the variance.
Crandall said that the tankless installation, including
the rooftop lines, took his team roughly a week to complete. The five chase runs required another four weeks.
"We did no prefabrication on this project, because we are
not a prefab shop," said Crandall. "Everything had to be
done in the field. We'd see a problem, put our heads together, sketch something out, and then go for it. In the
end, it all came together nicely."

Order a sample at: GuardianGlass.com/commercial,
or call 1.866.GuardSG (866.482.7374)

SIZE MATTERS

The 22 tankless water heaters at 4th Street Market have

performed "without any problem" since the renovatSunGuard_CrystalBlue_CommercialArchitecture_2017Apr05.indd 1

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4/5/17 11:48 AM

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture May 2017