On July 18th, a man named Steven Ball was working at a home in Avondale, AZ. It was roughly 107 degrees that day in Avondale. Steve, an HVAC technician, went up into the attic to continue an install he had going in. Steve had 20 yrs as a tech and owned his own business. When Steve went up that last time, he did not return. Steven Ball died that day.
Now, there is some speculation as to whether it was a medical condition that took his life. The homeowner and a technician afterward believe electrocution may be to blame as Steve’s hand was found in a pan of water near some blower motor wires. Most are saying, as the fire dept initially suspected, it was due to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
My opinion? Only a coroner can tell if it was medical, and we can all only hope that it was and that Steve went quickly. Electrocution is doubtful; during the installation process, the power is disconnected the entire time. My strong belief is that it was heat related and that if it was medical, that heat played a strong role in exacerbating whatever was going on. My doubt for the electrocution is because a 20 yr veteran HVAC technician is going to know how to play with electricity and when to apply it in that environment. If he did make a mistake, the only way a seasoned experienced tech makes that kind of mistake is if he’s absolutely confused, and hot as hell. So, heat related. And if so, he isn’t the only one. Several HVAC installers or techs die each year due to heat exposure for long periods of time. This article’s purpose is to explain certain changes I feel should be made to existing codes to prevent deaths like Steven’s from happening in the future.
Editors note*: As a 10 yr career HVAC technician and business owner, this one strikes home for me. I will try to remain as objective as possible, but at the risk of hubris, I probably speak from greater expertise on this subject than perhaps on anything else I’ve ever written about on the page. You may not find this information helpful, but at minimum, its still worth a read.
First the premise; I don’t believe the building code should allow for installation of mechanical equipment in attics anymore. Ductwork, yes. But equipment, no.
My reason for this is that I believe by changing the code, it is better for the Equipment, for Homeowners, and for Technicians.
Second, the problem; how and why did it come to pass that we started putting systems in attics to begin with?
That one is easy; to save square footage. Modern trak-built homes are placed so close to each other that often times, there is little choice other than to put it in the attic. For ranch style homes, simple floor plans that don’t account for mechanical equipment could be the cause.
Third; the fix: what would I suggest be done differently and why.
I would suggest to the state code enforcement office to disallow the practice, going forward, of installing mechanical equipment and water heaters in attics. Ductwork could still be installed up there, but disallow the system itself. Here’s why…
Equipment:
Attic heat takes a toll on HVAC Equipment. When not in use, the coil in the attic acclimates to attic temperatures of 120-130 degrees. When in use, obviously, it cools down to 40 degrees. That’s a 80-90 degree difference in temperature that is happening several times a day, hot, cold, hot, cold. When metal is cold it contracts, when it heats up it expands. This expansion / contraction is directly responsible for so many leaks we find in evaporator coils. Not to mention if the duct work isn’t 100% sealed perfectly, it is allowing hot, humid, unconditioned air to be sucked into the return past the filter. This means a higher supply temp out of the vents and longer run times as the system is doing everything it can do to cool the home. Increased wear and tear on micro levels over a macro period of time will result in breakdowns. Its just that simple.
Conversely, with the system in the conditioned space or in a garage, it just doesn’t get as hot. That 80-90 temp difference comes down to a manageable 40-50 cutting it in half. This results in longer longevity. Any air leaks are now also affecting the supply temp half as much putting in 50% cooler air into the house and cooling it off more efficiently, effectively, and faster.
Homeowner:
All of the things mentioned above result in a lower cost of ownership over time for the customer. Lower utility bills. Less use of power. Greater comfort. Lower repair bills over time.
Additionally, it has the added benefit of a reminder. Attic systems, as well as crawlspace systems, are out of sight, out of mind. Placing them in their own space inside the conditioned dwelling or at least in a garage is a constant reminder for filter changes. Changing filters on time every time is the number one easiest way to ward off expensive repair bills and high utility usage.
Another benefit to the homeowner is that it better protects the asset. If a system is in a mechanical room or a garage and the condensation line becomes clogged, the situation is simply a nuisance, it is noticed right away, and taken care of just as fast. A system over a conditioned space in the attic poses a serious threat to the home. A clogged drain line and a pan without proper safety protection becomes full of 10 gallons of water that can sit and overflow to insulation and sheetrock. Many homes every year suffer everything from small ring around the ceiling, to mold, to outright cave-in of their damn ceiling due to water problems. It is simply avoidable. In the case of water heaters, if the tank fails and begins to rust through, that homeowner has no recourse to stop it fast other than shut off hot water and share the leak with a garden hose to outside. Many nowadays dont know where or how to even do that, not to mention the fact that you have water lines in the attic exposed to freeze conditions in the winter. What about if they’re on well-water with brass fittings that begin to calcify? Under a house this is a nuisance and a problem. Inside the walls, this is bad, but above the home in the attic, this can cause serious damage that can put the homeowner out of their home for weeks at a time while being repaired. Its an unnecessary risk.
Also, there is the fact that its easier for the technician to work on and replace (more on that in a minute). This translates to less down time for the customer, and simple economics tells us that it should also result in less labor costs associated with replacement as well. And these systems ARE going to have to be replaced, just a matter of when, not if. We would be wise to design around that fact instead of ignoring it or making it someone else’s problem. Because that someone brings us to….
Technicians
Ultimately, there is a man somewhere that has to crawl his overworked hot and tired ass into that attic to service, repair, or replace that system. And the tragedy of Steven Ball’s senseless death should serve as a reminder of just how dangerous and costly that can be. As a technician for 10 years, I can attest, it never gets easier. It doubles my labor getting the damn thing in and out of the attic and requires start time hours on the job that are frankly uncomfortable for my homeowner. Little miss Betty is still in her bath robe and curlers when we have to get there in order to beat the heat. If the unit were in a garage or conditioned space, 40-50 degrees cooler, we could afford to arrive like normal at 8 am when most folks are up and dressed.
It allows techs to do a cleaner job. Too many jobs I’ve seen are sloppily put in and you know why: it was hot and they were ready to GTFO of the attic. I know I myself have gotten frustrated and sliced my hands many times on sheetmetal due to being in a rush or hurry where otherwise, if I weren’t slow cooking in the heat, I’d have had the patience to not get hurt or mad. Think about it folks, 120-130. And in the South, roughly 50% humidity. Another 60 degrees warmer and its the ideal temperature for slow cooking or smoking meats on the grill. And we’re in it for hours at a time.
Bottom Line is this:
I’ve seen some codes passed over time just to make it easier for the code inspector to do his job.
- The switch from all white Romex wire to color coded accoring to gauge size
- The requirement for a light to be in the crawlspace near the unit
- The requirement that the system has to be within 20 feet of the entrance to the attic or crawl
- The requirement to use a color dye in the primer used for PVC that stains the shit out of everything.
- The many local, municipal, regional codes that are just “made-up” and arbitrarily enforced by a guy that you have to make happy or he wont pass your shit so you can get paid.
All of these have no added benefit to the Equipment, the Homeowner, or the Technician. (of course, however, they will spin it to seem otherwise, we know its not true and can prove it to anyone who would ask why). These rules only exist to serve the ease and comfort of the local code enforcement guys.
With that being said, if we can pass half a dozen codes just to make their life easier, why can’t we get one code passed that would make a positive effort for homeowners, insurance companies, HVAC equipment, HVAC Companies, but most importantly, the technicians who pay dearly with their health and their lives every time we go into those attics? It shouldn’t be that difficult for architects with fancy 4 yr degrees to architect themselves a mechanical room in the home. It shouldn’t be ground breaking to plan on the equipment you installed at home building time to be replaced in roughly 10-15 years. It shouldn’t be that hard to simply account for this and plan accordingly. It will better take care of the equipment, it will better take care of the customer, not just the homeowners now, but whoever owns the home after its sold once or twice. It will better take care of the technician as well; who knows, it might even save a life.
redneckphilosopher 