Connected by a bridge to Seattle from the west and Bellevue from the east, Mercer Island features 475 acres of parks and open space that includes three public beaches, and over 50 miles of hiking trails. The island also is one of the 100 richest ZIP codes in the USA according to the IRS figures for adjusted gross income.
In 2015, JayMarc Homes built a then new spec home on Mercer Way Avenue. The 3-story home is 4,300 ft2 with 5 bedrooms, 4-1/2 bathrooms, and a 3 car garage. Sitting just off the coast of Lake Washington, residents are showered with views of the lake from almost every angle.
Homes with large cooking areas generally use a large kitchen exhaust fan to move cooking odors and smells out. Within this residential home on Mercer Way, the kitchen uses an exhaust system that can exhaust up to 400 CFM and then some. Built in 2015, the home was built to the International Residential Code (IRC) under the 2012 version. This version was the first iteration that included section M1503.4, which states,
“Exhaust hood systems capable of exhausting in excess of 400 cubic feet per minute (0.19 m3/s) shall be provided with makeup air at a rate approximately equal to the exhaust air rate. Such makeup air systems shall be equipped with a means of closure and shall be automatically controlled to start and operate simultaneously with the exhaust system.”
Without a makeup air system, operation of this kitchen’s exhaust system can create negative pressure and cause “back-drafting” of hazardous combustion products from vent/chimney systems, including carbon monoxide into the living spaces.
To protect the health & safety of future occupants and to satisfy the IRC code, Doug Quinn, General Manager of Bob’s Heating, chose the makeup air system by Fantech.
Fantech’s makeup air system is an all-in-one solution to the M1503.4 code. The control package includes a transducer that measures the current that the exhaust fan is drawing and uses that information to regulate the volume of makeup air. This control activates the system when the kitchen exhaust fan activates. Once activated, the makeup air system detects the amount of air moving out and brings in the exact same amount of fresh air; keeping the pressure scheme balanced. This kind of control is essential to meet M1503.4 where the makeup air system must be automatically controlled and must start and operate simultaneously with the exhaust system. Quinn told Fantech,
“I’m not aware of any other exhaust makeup air solution that allows the flexibility to automatically adjust the makeup air CFM and preheat the incoming air. The installation went pretty darn well so we are encouraged.”
Jeremy DeBoer, site supervisor for JayMarc Homes, worked alongside Doug Quinn of Bob’s Heating to build this Mercer Way Home. Fantech would like to congratulate all involved on a successful project!
