HVAC

Equations, Data, and

Rules of Thumb

Arthur A. Bell Jr., PE

McGraw-Hill
New York San Francisco Washington, D.C. Auckland Bogotá
Caracas Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan
Montreal New Delhi San Juan Singapore
Sydney Tokyo Toronto
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bell, Arthur A.
HVAC : equations, data, and rules of thumb / Arthur A. Bell, Jr.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-07-136129-4
1. Heating—Mathematics—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2.
Ventilation—Mathematics—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Air
conditioning—Mathematics—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 4.
Mathematics—Formulae—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
TH7225 .B45 2000
697'.001'51—dc21 00-025029

Copyright © 2000 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the
United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of
1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any
means or stored in a data base or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of
the publisher.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 DOC/DOC 0 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

ISBN 0-07-136129-4

The sponsoring editor for this book was Linda Ludewig, the editing supervisor was Frank
Kotowski, Jr., and the production supervisor was Pamela A. Pelton.

It was set in Minion by North Market Street Graphics.

Printed and bound by R. R. Donnelley & Sons, Inc.

McGraw-Hill books are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales
promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please write
to the Director of Special Sales, Professional Publishing, McGraw-Hill, Two Penn Plaza,
New York, NY 10121-2298. Or contact your local bookstore.

This book is printed on recycled, acid-free paper containing a minimum of 50%

recycled, de-inked fiber.

Information contained in this work has been obtained by The McGraw-Hill Compa-
nies, Inc. (“McGraw-Hill”) from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither
McGraw-Hill nor its authors guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any informa-
tion published herein and neither McGraw-Hill nor its authors shall be responsible for
any errors, omissions, or damages arising out of use of this information. This work is
published with the understanding that McGraw-Hill and its authors are supplying
information but are not attempting to render engineering or other professional ser-
vices. If such services are required, the assistance of an appropriate professional should
be sought.
About the Author

Arthur A. Bell, Jr., is a registered professional engineer with more than 15

years’ experience designing HVAC systems. Bell has also been involved in the
design of plumbing systems, fire protection systems, and construction field
engineering-mechanical systems. He has taught ASHRAE HVAC classes, as
well as contractor training courses. A member of ASHRAE, ASPE, NFPA, AEI,
and NSPE, he is a resident of Monaca, Pennsylvania.
 PA RT

12
Lighting Rules of Thumb

H V A C E Q U AT I O N S , D ATA , A N D R U L E S O F T H U M B
102 PA RT 12

12.01 Offices, Commercial

A. General 1.5–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

B. Private 2.0–5.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

C. Conference, Meeting Rooms 2.0–6.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.02 Banks, Court Houses, Municipal Buildings, Town Halls

2.0–5.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.03 Police Stations, Fire Stations, Post Offices

2.0–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.04 Precision Manufacturing

3.0–10.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.05 Computer Rooms

1.5–5.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.06 Restaurants

1.5–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.07 Kitchens

1.5–2.5 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.08 Cocktail Lounges, Bars, Taverns, Clubhouses,

Nightclubs

1.5–2.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.09 Hospital Patient Rooms, Nursing Home Patient Rooms

1.0–2.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.10 Hospital General Areas

1.5–2.5 Watts/Sq.Ft.
Lighting Rules of Thumb 103
12.11 Medical/Dental Centers, Clinics, and Offices

1.5–2.5 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.12 Residential

1.0–4.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.13 Apartments (Eff., 1 Room, 2 Room)

1.0–4.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.14 Motel and Hotel Public Spaces

1.0–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.15 Motel and Hotel Guest Rooms, Dormitories

1.0–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.16 School Classrooms

2.0–6.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.17 Dining Halls, Lunch Rooms, Cafeterias, Luncheonettes

1.5–2.5 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.18 Libraries, Museums

1.0–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.19 Retail, Department Stores

2.0–6.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.20 Drug, Shoe, Dress, Jewelry, Beauty, Barber,

and Other Shops

1.0–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.
104 PA RT 12

12.21 Supermarkets

1.0–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.22 Malls, Shopping Centers

1.0–2.5 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.23 Jails

1.0–2.5 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.24 Auditoriums, Theaters

1.0–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft. (3)

12.25 Churches

1.0–3.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

12.26 Bowling Alleys

1.0–2.5 Watts/Sq.Ft.

Notes:
1. The lighting values for most energy conscious construction will be the lower values.
2. Actual lighting layouts should be used for calculating lighting loads whenever available.
3. Does not include theatrical lighting.
 PA RT

13
Appliance/Equipment
Rules of Thumb

H V A C E Q U AT I O N S , D ATA , A N D R U L E S O F T H U M B
106 PA RT 13

13.01 Offices and Commercial Spaces

A. Total Appliance/Equipment Heat Gain: 0.5–5.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

B. Computer equipment loads for office spaces range between 0.5 Watt/Sq.Ft. and
2.5 Watts/Sq.Ft. (recommend 1.5 Watts/Sq.Ft.). If actual computer equipment loads
are available, they should be used in lieu of values listed here.

13.02 Computer Rooms, Data Centers, and Internet Host Facilities

2.0–300.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

13.03 Telecommunication Rooms

50.0–120.0 Watts/Sq.Ft.

13.04 Electrical Equipment Heat Gain

A. Transformers:
1. 150 KVA and Smaller 50 Watts/KVA
2. 151–500 KVA 30 Watts/KVA
3. 501–1000 KVA 25 Watts/KVA
4. 1001–2500 KVA 20 Watts/KVA
5. Larger than 2500 KVA 15 Watts/KVA

B. Switchgear:
1. Low Voltage Breaker 0–40 Amps 10 Watts
2. Low Voltage Breaker 50–100 Amps 20 Watts
3. Low Voltage Breaker 225 Amps 60 Watts
4. Low Voltage Breaker 400 Amps 100 Watts
5. Low Voltage Breaker 600 Amps 130 Watts
6. Low Voltage Breaker 800 Amps 170 Watts
7. Low Voltage Breaker 1,600 Amps 460 Watts
8. Low Voltage Breaker 2,000 Amps 600 Watts
9. Low Voltage Breaker 3,000 Amps 1,100 Watts
10. Low Voltage Breaker 4,000 Amps 1,500 Watts
11. Medium Voltage Breaker/Switch 600 Amps 1,000 Watts
12. Medium Voltage Breaker/Switch 1,200 Amps 1,500 Watts
13. Medium Voltage Breaker/Switch 2,000 Amps 2,000 Watts
14. Medium Voltage Breaker/Switch 2,500 Amps 2,500 Watts

C. Panelboards:
1. 2 Watts per circuit

D. Motor Control Centers

1. 500 Watts per section—each section is approximately 20″ wide × 20″ deep × 84″ high.

E. Starters:
1. Low Voltage Starters Size 00 50 Watts
2. Low Voltage Starters Size 0 50 Watts
Appliance/Equipment Rules of Thumb 107
3. Low Voltage Starters Size 1 50 Watts
4. Low Voltage Starters Size 2 100 Watts
5. Low Voltage Starters Size 3 130 Watts
6. Low Voltage Starters Size 4 200 Watts
7. Low Voltage Starters Size 5 300 Watts
8. Low Voltage Starters Size 6 650 Watts
9. Medium Voltage Starters Size 200 Amp 400 Watts
10. Medium Voltage Starters Size 400 Amp 1,300 Watts
11. Medium Voltage Starters Size 700 Amp 1,700 Watts

F. Variable Frequency Drives:

1. 2 to 6 percent of the KVA rating

G. Miscellaneous Equipment:
1. Bus Duct 0.015 Watts/Ft/Amp
2. Capacitors 2 Watts/KVAR

Notes:
1. Actual electrical equipment heat gain values will vary from one manufacturer to another—
use actual values when available.
2. Generally, electrical equipment rooms only require ventilation to keep equipment from
overheating. Most electrical rooms are designed for 95°F. to 104°F.; however, consult elec-
trical engineer for equipment temperature tolerances. If space temperatures below 90°F.
are required by equipment, air conditioning of space will be required.
3. If outside air is used to ventilate the electrical room, the electrical room design temper-
ature will be 10°F. to 15°F. above outside summer design temperatures.
4. If conditioned air from an adjacent space is used to ventilate the electrical room, the
electrical room temperature can be 10°F. to 20°F. above the adjacent spaces.

13.05 Motor Heat Gain

A. Motors Only:
1. Motors 0 to 2 Hp 190 Watts/Hp
2. Motors 3–20 Hp 110 Watts/Hp
3. Motors 25–200 Hp 75 Watts/Hp
4. Motors 250 Hp and Larger 60 Watts/Hp
108 PA RT 13

B. Motors and Driven Equipment are shown in the following table:

13.06 Miscellaneous Guidelines

A. Actual equipment layouts and information should be used for calculating equipment loads.
B. Movie projectors, slide projectors, overhead projectors, and similar types of equipment
can generally be ignored because lights are off when being used and lighting load will
normally be larger than this equipment heat gain.
C. Items such as coffee pots, microwave ovens, refrigerators, food warmers, etc., should be
considered when calculating equipment loads.
D. Kitchen, laboratory, hospital, computer room, and process equipment should be obtained
from owner, architect, engineer, or consultant due to extreme variability of equipment
loads.