1. (a)

   1. (1) Air handling units, pumps, boilers, and other mechanical equipment requiring frequent inspection and service should be located within the building or in separate buildings with interconnecting chases or pipe tunnels.
   2. (2) Equipment shall be located in rooms with ample space to provide routine maintenance, component replacement, operation, and inspection without requiring demolition of the building structures or unnecessary climbing or crawling by service technicians or mechanics.
   3. (3) Equipment located outdoors should be installed on the ground on solid foundations with concrete service pads around the equipment.

2. (b)

   1. (1) When equipment must be installed on the roof, provide raised equipment platforms that allow roof replacement and maintenance or full perimeter curb to eliminate the need to reroof under the equipment.
   2. (2) Equipment shall be selected with water tightness of the roofing system in mind.
   3. (3) Equipment that is prone to allowing leaks to penetrate the unit casing, interiors, or connections during normal and windblown rain shall be avoided.
   4. (4) Where equipment is mounted above the roof, provide a service platform on the service access sides of the equipment.
   5. (5) Provide stairs that are integral to the platform to avoid the need for ladders to gain access to the work platform.

   6. (6) Conform to Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety requirements with regards to:

      1. (A) Platforms;
      2. (B) Ladders; and
      3. (C) Confined spaces.
   7. (7) When it is absolutely necessary to have piping, conduits, ductwork, etc., across the roof, specify zero penetration support systems with nonrusting base supports to distribute the equipment weight without damage to the roof membrane or insulation.
   8. (8) Ensure that the installed system will resist the design wind loads without damage to the supported system or the roof.

3. (c)

   1. (1) Air handling equipment should be specified with access doors with view ports between each major section or component to allow inspection of the operating equipment without requiring the shutdown and opening of the unit.
   2. (2) Provide internal lights with exterior-mounted pilot light switches on units exceeding ten feet (10’) in width or height.
   3. (3) For package split-system equipment, provide a means to remove and clean the cooling coils and heating coils without requiring complete dismantling of the system.

4. (d)

   1. (1) A mechanical air conditioning system should be specified with the highest operating efficiency permitted by the project budget while still allowing for competitive bidding.
   2. (2) Minimum acceptable seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) shall be twelve (12.0) and minimum energy efficiency ratio (EER) shall be ten (10.0) indirect.
   3. (3) Gas-fired heating equipment shall have a minimum annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of eighty percent (80%).
   4. (4) Departments are encouraged to require higher efficiencies.

5. (e)

   1. (1) The use of alternative energy sources for both heating and cooling are encouraged.
   2. (2) Departments should consider the effects of diversity and quantity aggregation on their ability to negotiate utility rates and their ability to provide uninterrupted service at an affordable cost to the state.

6. (f)

   1. (1) Mechanical systems shall meet the requirements of the Arkansas Energy Code (ASHRAE Standard 90.1 for energy efficiency) and the ASHRAE Standard 62 for indoor air quality.
   2. (2) Equipment shall be selected to meet these requirements without requiring the equipment to operate outside of the manufacturer’s recommended performance envelope during the extremes of summer or winter.
   3. (3) Operation of the equipment during these extremes should not shorten the intended life of the equipment or subcomponents.

7. (g)

   1. (1) Mechanical system designs should be conducive to promoting good indoor air quality.
   2. (2) Air equipment subject to exposure to condensed moisture should be constructed of materials that do not promote or support biological growth.
   3. (3) These surfaces should be sloped to a drain point that will readily remove the moisture from the system.
   4. (4) These surfaces should be easily accessible for periodic inspection and cleaning.
   5. (5) The remainder of the system should also be readily accessible for inspection and cleaning.
   6. (6) Filter selections in air systems should consider not only the particle size to be arrested but also the possibility of odor transmission through the system.
   7. (7) Frequency and cost of replacement media should be considered, however, the cheapest filter media is often the least desirable from an air quality standpoint and a frequency of replacement standpoint.

   8. (8)

      1. (A) Unless otherwise specified by the department or dictated by the specific application, all HVACR systems shall maintain the space temperature and humidity within the bounds of the “comfort envelope” as defined by the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook.
      2. (B) This comfort envelope is generally accepted as a region where the indoor temperature and humidity will be acceptable to the majority of the occupants.

Codification Notes: "ASHRAE" means American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. "HVACR" means heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration.