Elephant trunk ventilation systems

Donia Conn <bookconservator [at] yahoo__com> writes

>We are in the process of designing a new 6000 square feet building
>for a private conservation practice and want to incorporate an
>elephant trunk system in the lab areas.

Here's a little tip that I would like to relate. If and when you
settle on a system (e.g., Nederman), be sure to specify the name and
model in all the appropriate project documents. *Do not* let the
architect include a clause that says, "or equivalent." The
contractor may use this as a license to install a cheap substitute
cobbled together from off-the-shelf parts. The result will not come
close to a commercially available model in terms of performance or
design. You could end up with an installation that sounds like a
central vac, is embarrassingly crude to look at, and cannot be made
useable with any amount of retrofitting (e.g.,  fiberglass
insulation "soundproofing"). Insist on a brand name and don't budge
an inch. At least then you'll have some recourse if it doesn't meet
your expectations.

George Prytulak
Conservator, Industrial Collections
Canadian Conservation Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:38
                Distributed: Saturday, January 13, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-14-38-002
                                  ***