Wherever the max and min values are not listed on the

construction drawings, it is expected that the contractor would

know that the maximum value had to be equal to the total of
the cfm values listed for the diffusers connected to the
applicable VAV terminal box. Though this may work for the
maximum value, many different procedures are utilized to
determine what the applicable minimum value should be. One
method is to set the minimum values at 30 to 33% of the
maximum value. Though this method may be close to the
required value, it may fall short in providing the amount of air
required for good Interior Air Quality and/or good humidity
control and low load. For this reason, the maximum and
minimum terminal box values should always be selected by
the design engineer and shown on the design drawings. In
several situations reported to the NRC by SMACNA
contractors, where the minimum terminal box was not shown
on the drawings, the contractors elected to set the terminal
boxes in many areas at 30% of the maximum value. Only after
comfort problems developed did the contractors find out that
the actual design was based on minimums in many of the
rooms to be set at 50% of the maximum value. Had this value
been shown on the drawings at the design stage, much
fighting and money could have been saved rather than having
to make the corrections after the fact. In one major high rise
building reported to the NRC, close to 500 perimeter boxes
were set up by the contractor at 30% of the maximum value
since the minimum value was not shown on the drawings and
the contractor was in the middle of commissioning the HVAC
systems to meet a move-in dead line. After the units were set
up, the engineers came forth to notify all involved that the
terminal boxes should have been set with a zero minimum
flow value. After the terminal boxes were then set up at the
zero flow minimum, interior air problems were reported by the
majority of occupants. Many dollars later, and in the middle of
a litigation, the contractor was paid to go back and set the
terminal boxes back to 30% of the maximum value. To
accommodate the increase in minimum flow, the supply
temperature in these areas had to be reset to a higher value
which in turn created humidifies exceeding 60%. This
presented both additional comfort and health problems.