Some call them House Tanks, others Break Tanks, Storage Tanks or Buffer Tanks. If you have been in the pump room of a building in Houston, you’ve seen these large water tanks, but why are they used? The Houston Amendments to the Uniform Plumbing Code states that upstream from a pump system, an atmospheric storage tank with an air gap between the tank and city water supply must be used. This applies any time the city water pressure is insufficient to supply a building for both Domestic (potable) and Fire Water applications and the addition of pumps is required.
Older Domestic Booster System Modifications Versus Replacement
In Houston, there was a construction boom in the 1970’s and 80’s with hundreds of high-rise buildings adding to the skyline. Many of these buildings are still using the original mechanical systems for HVAC and pumping applications. Potential mechanical failure and energy savings are forcing building operators to choose between modifying existing equipment or replacing them all together.
5th Annual Engineer All Stars: Maintenance Olympics
We had a blast participating in the 5th Annual Engineer All Stars Maintenance Olympics that took place this past Saturday, October 6, at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, TX.
Low Flow Shutdown Sequence for Pressure Boosting Systems
According to ASHRAE 90.1, Domestic Water Booster Systems must shut down during periods of no flow demand. Operating pump systems when there is little or no demand wastes energy and increases wear and tear on the pump and piping system. While this sounds simple, it is one of the most challenging control sequences for a Booster System.
Living Water International - Trip to Honduras
Recently Cougar USA employee Deanna Parmenter worked with Living Water International to drill water wells in Honduras. Living Water is an NGO based in the HOUSTON, TX area. Here she shares her experience.
Design Considerations for Pressure Boosting Systems in Commercial Buildings
More than 60 years ago, the Late Dr. Roy B. Hunter developed a system for calculating water loads in commercial buildings. The estimated water demand of fixtures (water closets, sinks, etc.) are given a value called Fixture Units which have an equivalent demand load in Gallons Per Minute (GPM). The Fixture Units and Demand Load relationship is known as Hunter’s Curve and is still the basis for plumbing system design today.
Building Assessments for Energy Efficiency and System Performance Improvements
In 2017 about 39% of total US Energy Consumption was consumed by the residential and commercial sectors. In a commercial building, HVAC Equipment (ie. chillers, boilers, cooling towers, etc) and Lighting are the biggest targets for energy savings, but the capital costs for improving these may be prohibitive. There are many opportunities for energy savings and building performance improvements with other systems in commercial buildings.
Water — A Precious Resource
Why We Need to Conserve Water
When you see photographs of Earth taken from space, water seems abundant. Most of that water, though, can't be used for drinking or for growing crops. In fact, only 1 percent of all the water on the planet can be used to support human life. Most of the Earth's water is undrinkable salt water. Even some of the fresh water is unavailable for our use because it’s frozen solid.
And The Rain Came Pouring Down
The story of how Cougar USA dealt with Hurricane Harvey was recently featured in the 2017 Annual Report for Grundfos. The full article can be seen here: And The Rain Came Pouring Down on Houston.
Cougar USA Celebrating Women in Construction (WIC) Week
Cougar USA is proud to recognize Women in Construction (WIC) Week.
The focus of WIC Week is to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry, raise awareness of the opportunities for women and to emphasize the growing role of women in this field.
