Commercial Ber

maestro2009

Well fellow assessors, I am a just about to register as commercial ber assessor level 3. Just wondering on how others are finding it and i got asked to do a commercial property already a 220 metre squared pharmacy. Any ideas what level this would be? any theories appriceated

digestive

Congratulations,
With all due respect if your wondering about this at level 3 stage you really shouldn't be in a position to be carrying out non domestic BERs. There is clear guide lines on how to categorize a level 3, level 4 and level 5 non domestic building.

I won't be going into categorizing details with this reply but I suggest you go back to the drawing board and review your course material. What may appear as a level 3 building could easily turn out to be a level 4. You need to be very careful. If your audited re your level 3 pharmacy and it is actually a level 4 you will need good PI insurance. Good luck

sydthebeat

digestive wrote: »

Congratulations,
With all due respect if your wondering about this at level 3 stage you really shouldn't be in a position to be carrying out non domestic BERs. There is clear guide lines on how to categorize a level 3, level 4 and level 5 non domestic building.

I won't be going into categorizing details with this reply but I suggest you go back to the drawing board and review your course material. What may appear as a level 3 building could easily turn out to be a level 4. You need to be very careful. If your audited re your level 3 pharmacy and it is actually a level 4 you will need good PI insurance. Good luck

digestive....

i suggest you go back and have a read of the levels...

the only difference between level 3 and level 4 is that level 3 is for simplified EXISTING buildings only.

level 4 is for NEW and EXISTING buildings.

Im sure the assessor would know the difference between new and existing.

maestro2009

Thanks for the reply, But clear guide lines are you serious... I know the guidelines inside out and they are very vague to say the least. My Problem is i get called to do a Existing Building and it is right on the border between a level 3 and 4 by what the client tells me as most clents are not going to be able to tell me over the phone that their boiler is bigger than a 100kw or their cooling loads dont exceed 12kw. This means i end up going to survey the building meaning it could be a level 4 quite easily and ends up as a completely wasted trip. Also why dont level 3 assessors take a different exam than level 4 assessors, Cause if i passed the exam which both levels take, why shouldnt i submit level 4 buildings?

sinnerboy

The difference between level 3 and 4 is "new" and "existing" so boiler size are cooling load won't come into that

You simply need to ask - is the building let or otherwise in use. If the answer is yes - it's existing . If the building has never been let or used - it's new .

So the boiler size cooling load is a marker between 3/4 and 5

So - rule of thumb - allowing 200w/m2 , a building would have to be in the region of 500m2 to require a 100kw boiler .

So 2 simple questions -
approx m2/ft2 -
is the building / has the building been used already

No6

Mastero what are your qualifications, the rules for level 3 & 4 assessors have changed recently, you may be elligible to register for level 4. I know a friend of mine who is an RIAI Tech was able to do this recently when I told him about the change in accecptable qualifications and equlivant qualifications.

maestro2009

Note:

1. Level 3 only applies to existing non domestic buildings with frequently occurring characteristics.
2. Level 3 does not include new non domestic buildings.
3. Frequently occurring characteristics:
   1. Simple heating systems (Boiler Systems <100kW)
   2. Simple natural ventilation
   3. Small comfort cooling systems (up to 12kW)
   4. Typical fabric as defined in the approved methodology

Im a graduate Building services engineer level 7 so thats why i am restricted to level 3.
Already there has been three different interpretations of the rules in this thread.
So would level 4 be the exact same as level 3 only for the building has been in use? E.g I went to do a 220 m sq pharmacy that was put up for rent an existing building obviously but I had to turn it down as the pharmacy was heated and cooled by fan coil units, 4 to be exact. This meant that cooling load existed more than 12kw i presumed so i couldnt do the Ber for it. Was i correct in this instance? Thanks for the replys

sinnerboy

I see what you mean . There are 2 interpretations as I see it

1. Small comfort cooling systems (up to 12kW each ) would make it 3 ( if existing ) or 4 ( if new )

2. Small comfort cooling systems ( totalling up to 12kW) would make it 5