PIPE DREAMS –
Duplexing Could Be Complexing
Fred
Evans, CEO
Medical Gas Management, LLC
FPA 99,
1999 has a basic requirement to duplex essential components of your
medical gas systems. The reason for this requirement is to provide a
continuous supply of each of the defined life support gas systems as well
as vacuum. Duplexing certainly seems to be an assured way of reducing
risk of a complete systems failure. In the real world, however, the
scenario is more often like this:
A vacuum pump or medical air compressor needs repair. Parts must
be ordered, or perhaps the pump needs to be replaced. It may be a day or
even weeks before the repairs can be completed. Of course, there is a
back up unit, but what happens when the back up fails? It is my belief a
facility is always obligated to supply at least a duplex system, even
during maintenance.
When selecting new source equipment, should the facility consider
multiplexing instead of duplexing? With budget cuts, the last thing we
want to do is spend more money.
Food for Thought: When new equipment is required, selection
of the correct size and the multiplex concept should be considered.
To select the correct equipment, size your new source equipment
based on total peak of the calculated demand. Demand charts are available
by calling MGM. Understand that properly sized source equipment is always
desirable.
Please remember that actual use on a system is not constant. From
late evening until around 6:00 a.m. minimal use is likely. As surgeries
start, so does the activity in the recovery room. Respiratory treatments
are started and use increases throughout the day. This cycle continues
day after day through the week. When the weekend comes, the system
usually has at least one day to rest. During the night and on weekends
when usage is lower, the big vacuum pump or air compressor must still be
started. If smaller pumps are purchased and multiplexed, a facility can
start only the equipment required to satisfy its need.
This decision for proper sizing and multiplexing may result in
lower utility costs. And, should a failure occur, the NFPA 99 minimum
duplex requirement is still met.
Look for future articles on proper sizing and a guide to
equipment selection.
|
|
MGPHO
NOTES
The
Crowne Plaza Hotel in Seattle, WA was the site of the summer meeting of
the Medical Gas Professional Healthcare Organization. Over 60 members
attended the two day event on June 10 & 11th.
Reports were presented to the membership on a standardized
document for MGPHO testing procedures, liability insurance and the
financial condition of the organization. George Scott reported that four
additional members tested for and were awarded MGPHO credentials.
The membership elected the following new officers: President, Tom
Evans and Vice President–Membership, George Scott. Other existing
officers retained include: Vice President-Structure, Keith Ferrari; Vice
President-Finance, Al Moon; Vice President-Legal, Evan McAllister and
Secretary, Connie Miller.
The organization expressed their thanks to Ann Fournier for her
direction and inspiration as the first MGPHO president. The organization
is stronger because of her leadership.
The next MGPHO meeting will be in early 2001.
|
|
Why
Oil Seal Liquid Ring Vacuum Pumps For Medical Use?
Preston Wright,
Future Medical
Preston Wight, President of
Future Medical is our guest columnist this month. Preston’s company
distributes medical gas equipment and supplies. In this article, he
shares his view of the advantages of OSLR vacuum pumps.
The
typical medical vacuum system of the early 1970's and 1980's was the
water sealed liquid ring vacuum pump. Liquid-ring pumps are extremely
durable, require almost no maintenance, are quiet running, and tolerate
fluid and soft solid contamination extremely well. These features were
much to the liking of hospital maintenance personnel. However, the
depletion of clean water resources, increased water acquisition and
disposal costs, pump destruction caused by rust and corrosive mineral
deposits, and the potential prohibition of disposing seal-waste water
into community sewers made water sealed liquid-ring vacuum pumps
uneconomical and environmentally unfriendly to use.
The disadvantages of water seal liquid ring vacuum pumps gave way
to the typical medical vacuum pump system of the late 1980's and early
1990's – the oil flooded rotary vane pump. These pumps are
efficient, compact in design, and quiet running. However, they run very
hot (with discharge temperatures above 260ºF), incur sliding vane
wear, require frequent maintenance, and do not tolerate dirt, fluid, or
soft solid contamination at all.
By sealing a liquid ring pump with standard 20 wt synthetic or
mineral oil, we capture all the inherent advantages of a liquid ring
vacuum pump system without the disadvantages of using water as the seal
fluid. We call these systems Oil Sealed Liquid Ring pumps or OSLR
systems. In OSLR systems, seal fluid management is through
self-contained, closed loop systems with cooling provided by heat
exchangers. Unlike water, oil protects the pump's metal parts from rust,
corrosion, and actually enhances pump seal and bearing life. OSLR vacuum
pumps typically operate for 10,000 hours or more before recommended oil
changes take place. In fact, OSLR vacuum systems have been known to
operate with dirty or contaminated oil for much longer periods of time
with absolutely no pump problems. It is not unusual to expect 50,000+
hours of operation from OSLR pumps with absolutely no spare part
maintenance required.
With ever increasing cost of utilities and equipment maintenance,
monitoring by government agencies, and the public's awareness of
decreasing natural water resources, it is imperative that today's medical
facilities and medical facility designers specify dependable, low
maintenance, and long lasting medical vacuum systems. The benefits of
high reliability, very low maintenance requirements, and extremely quiet
operation make the oil sealed liquid ring vacuum pump the logical choice
for all medical and laboratory applications. The benefits are too great
to be overlooked.
|
|
Medical Gas School Schedule
Two
more sessions of Medical Gas Installer’s School are scheduled at the
MGM Education Center in 2000. The dates are:
September 20, 21 & 22,
2000
November 15, 16 & 17, 2000
Tentative dates in 2001
are:
January 17, 18 & 19
March 21, 22 & 23
May 16, 17 & 18
July 18, 19 & 20
September 19, 20 & 21
November 14, 15 & 16
Here
are some comments from recent students:
"…having attended
construction related classes for over 34 years, this is one of the best
values I’ve seen."
"…after 10 years on the job, I finally learned how to
braze the right way. I’ll recommend that more of our employees get
this training."
"…I’ll be able to identify problems and suggest
remedies to correct them."
For information on classes and registration call 800-732-9035 or
visit our web site at www.mgmusa.com.
|
|
ASHE
Trade Show – A Winner!!
The
winners of MGM’s $100.00 Giveaway at the ASHE Trade Show in June
were:
Lee
H. Murray, MSIE, from Arkansas and Michael D. Roberts, P.E., of North
Carolina.
Congratulations to both
lucky winners! |
|
Professional Associations To Hear Fred Evans
The Iowa
Society of Healthcare Engineers, the Mechanical Contractor’s
Association, and the Chicago and Detroit Chapters of
the American Society of Plumbing Engineers have invited Fred Evans to speak at
their respective meetings in September.
Mr. Evans will present a history of medical gas systems with
information on the eight specific systems. Installation requirements
including qualifications, equipment and materials and steps involved in
the Certification process will be reviewed. Fred says he is honored by
these invitations to speak and is gratified at the interest of these
professionals in the medical gas industry.
The Iowa Society will meet in Newton, IA on September 8, 2000.
The Mechanical Contractor’s meeting is scheduled for September 20,
2000. September 21, 2000 is the date for the ASPE meeting in Chicago with
Detroit members of ASPE meeting on September 26, 2000. |
|
TECH
TIPS – Vacuum Flow/Pressure Testing
Tom Evans,
VP
Medical Gas Management, LLC
The SEI
Vacuum Flow and Pressure Test Kit allows the user to test the condition
and performance of the medical/surgical vacuum system. The kit includes a
0.55 to 8.25 SCFM calibrated test quality flow-rater, a 0 to 30 inches of
mercury Vacuum test gauge, a flow control thumb valve and the adapter of
your choice, making it compatible to your medical vacuum system. The kit
is packaged in a handy foam-lined instrument case to protect the device
when not in use.
Obtaining accurate flow meter
readings is quick and easy using the SEI Vacuum Flow/Pressure Test Kit.
First, open a vacuum inlet adjacent to the one being tested by inserting
an open adapter into the inlet. Then, place an adapter into the vacuum
inlet being tested. Read and record the maximum available flow-rate in
SCFM (standard cubic feet per minute). Next adjust the flow control valve
until 3 SCFM is shown on the flow meter scale. Place your finger or thumb
over the bottom opening of the flow meter, stopping the flow. Read the
pressure on the 0-30 in. hg. vacuum gauge and record the pressure. The
reading should be 12 in. hg. or greater.
The
NFPA requires that a minimum flow rate of 3 SCFM be sustained while a
minimum system pressure of 12 in. hg. is maintained. Ref; NFPA 99,
1999 4-3.4.2.1, and 4-3.5.6.1 (c).
The SEI
Vacuum Test Kit is another way MGM and Source Engineering, Inc. are
helping you do your job better! The SEI Vacuum Test Kit is available at a
20% savings during the month of September. Order yours
today.
|
|
Meet
the Staff
Corky Bishop, P.E., Senior Engineer
Since February 1993, Corky
Bishop has had a vital role at Medical Gas Management. As a Professional
Engineer, he has major involvement in plan and specification reviews. He
is a certifier, medical gas school instructor and our resident expert on
NFPA 99. He has endeared himself to the Medical Gas Matters! newsletter
staff as he can be counted on to provide interesting and informative
articles for this publication.
A challenging, yet rewarding
experience in Corky’s work is finding hidden problems inside a
pipeline. Common examples include burned rubber plugs at brazed joints or
a "cap lodged in an elbow” on a vacuum line.
Corky tells the story of a
strange experience that happened to him while working for MGM in Barrow,
Alaska. "It was about 1:00 a.m. and still daylight when I checked
into the Top of the World motel. Rooms were hard to come by, so I was
booked into a handicapped accessible room. I settled in for a good
night’s sleep not realizing the alarm clock was set to ring at 6:00
a.m. I awoke to an incredibly loud buzzer, flashing lights and a
vibrating bed! I thought we were having an earthquake, but it was just
the alarm system used by the hotel to wake their disabled
guests."
The thing Corky likes best
about his position with MGM is the variety in his work. Plan and
specification reviews are done in the office. He teaches the
Installer’s Course locally and at remote locations, and travels to
hospitals across the country to test and evaluate their systems. Corky
has spoken on medical gas systems at VA and Air Force seminars and worked
the booth at trade shows.
When asked about his leisure
time, Corky asks, "What’s that? Sara and I have four children
at home ranging in age from 12 to 20. We enjoy going to the local water
slide park and having cookouts at home. My interests include finding good
restaurants and surfing the web."
|
|
Beyond
The Walls…
By
Corky Bishop
You can bury headaches, but they won’t go
away.
You can
bury headaches, but they won’t go away.
During
an add-on project at a hospital, excavation was performed that exposed
the underground oxygen line. The contractor expected the line to be there
and the crew was very careful not to disturb it. The line was protected
and re-buried in preparation for a foundation to be poured over it. That
night there was a big rainstorm. The next morning, the crew discovered
bubbles coming up out of the mud at the excavation site.
This
valve was found buried in the ground. The bolts holding it together were
rusted and would certainly fail some day without warning. This would
leave the hospital with no oxygen supply.
The
hospital consulted MGM. We recommended the valve be cut out and replaced
with pipe. It was also suggested that this would be a good time to add an
Emergency Low Pressure Oxygen Connection and several isolation valves on
the mains for maintenance purposes. These items would be invaluable
during the tie-in of two projects currently in progress.
When
the valve was cut out MGM discovered there was actually another valve
buried to the left of the first, going back under the building. The
hospital was lucky the rain came when it did, and that they had the toll
free number of Medical Gas Management, LLC to call for
assistance.
|
|
