Continuing on with Part 2 of the discussion on troubleshooting problematic HVAC systems and buildings (read part 1 here), I want to get a little more detailed with how to grasp the big picture when starting out with problemsolving an installation.
Those of you who read this column on a regular basis will know that I always mandate that a design engineer start with a flow diagram of the HVAC system he is preparing to design or retrocommission. The same should be mandatory when troubleshooting an HVAC project. Always start with a simple, freehand sketch (unless you are more computer literate than I). This will give you a good overview of how the system is supposed to be configured, based on available record drawings and/or automatic control drawings.