01-30-06 Special Called City Council Retreat Meeting of La Porte City Council

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HVAC/NOISE AND ODOR CONCERNS Lawrence A. Gates • Gates Hafen Cochrane Architects 735 Walnut Street Boulder, Colorado 80302 (800) 332-4413 Imagine an animal shelter where your ears didn't ring with the sound of barking dogs and the air smelled fresh. It's possible! Using proven methods of sound control in concert with a well -designed mechanical system and a sanitary environment can help reinforce a positive adoption experience. HVAC (HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING) The goal in designing an effective HVAC system is to create a comfortable working environment. A comfort zone includes the following elements: • A room temperature of 72 to 78 degrees. • Twenty to 60 percent humidity. • Six to 12 air changes per hour. • Air velocity at head level of 10 to 50 feet per minute (a special issue in animal habitats). • To maintain the comfort zones for articular areas in our shelter, you should meet P Y � these requirements: • Public areas: Provide a minimum of six to eight changes per hour, with slightly positive pressure. • Adoption, relinquishment, lost and found, holding areas, grooming, and isolation: Exhaust should be 110 percent of air supplied to maintain negative pressure. Provide 10 air changes per hour. • Veterinary care: Provide a minimum of six to eight changes per hour. • Surgery: Air supply should be 110 percent of exhaust to maintain positive pressure. Provide 95 percent filter for supply duct. A variety of systems can accomplish this comfort zone. In an animal shelter, a forced - air system works best. This system can respond to your needs more quickly and help control odors more effectively than a radiant heat system. The Run Environment Typically, it is required that you exhaust a tremendous amount of the air from the run area. Finding an efficient, cost-effective way to condition this air is imperative. Some alternatives to the typical forced -air system include: • • Radiant heat flooring: Use either low -voltage electric or hot water piping. This is a good system for runs because floors dry more quickly during cleaning.