Site Locations for Utilities --Update January 2011
The following is an attempt to provide all cohousers with the knowledge that many have accumulated over the years. It is particularly important for managing board members to know where the mechanical aspects of our community are located, but we all should have access to this information. Thus, I have made the following document as a start to mapping where electricity, gas, water, and HVAC equipment is located. If there are errors or additions, please let me know, and I can update it as needed. There is a map that goes along with this listing which is posted in the office for easy visual reference. Thanks to everyone who helped assemble this document. Susan
Thirteen Outdoor Water Spigots (Locations and shut off levers):
(1) Unit #101 – street side; between 101 & 102; freeze proof
(2) #102 – corner of garden and walkway; freeze proof
(3) #103 – located under kitchen window; NO shut off, water comes directly off main feed to kitchen sink
(4) #108 – Turn off in Brian’s bathroom under shelving behind the shower (may be freeze proof)
(5) CH entry walkway near Guest Rooms – shut off in Guest Bathroom (behind toilet)
(6) Shade Garden –shut off in unit 114 under kitchen sink
(7) Behind WE – near music room window – shut off in music room ceiling
(8) #116 – under kitchen window; shut off in kitchen
(9) #120 – to left of patio; shut off in ceiling of basement office near workshop
(10) #121 -- next to driveway entrance; shut off in SE corner of 121 basement
(11) Behind EE basement – shut off in ceiling of basement office near workshop
(12) #105 – 3rd floor deck
(13) #106 – 3rd floor deck
Location of Meters for Gas, Electricity and Water
Gas Meter (for hot water heater and kitchen stove only):
· Shade garden – near fence; shut offs are at the water heater in the mechanical room (Map #3) and behind the kitchen stove
Electricity:
2 Electricity Transformers – located in trash enclosures in East and West Ends
2 Electricity Meters – Located next to the transformers in E and W end trash enclosures
Water meters:
West End in the Utility Room (Map #1) off the entrance to 103 basement (door closest to garage car entrance)
East End in the SE corner of the basement in 121 (Map #9)
Radio readable water meter – above window well on E side of 121 (connected to water meter in basement of 121)
NOTES ABOUT OUR WATER SUPPLY: CCH has 2 pipes coming into us from the city of Cambridge domestic water supply system. One comes in at the west end into the “utility room” (Map #1) near the garage entrance of unit 103. The other comes in at the east end into the SE corner of the basement of unit 121 (Map #9).
If both of these supply pipes are open, and all the valves in between are open, then water flows in one end and out the other and we get billed for it although we do not use it. Not a good situation!!
In theory, there is a backflow prevention valve whose job it is to prevent exactly that kind of occurrence. However, it does not work. Instead, there is a manual valve that we close.
In addition, the outside faucet, at the SE corner of unit 121, draws its supply from the main pipe between the inflow and the manual valve. So to allow water to flow to the outside faucet, we cannot simply close the master inflow at the unit 121 supply pipe.
Here is a description of the various valves in the order they appear along the water pipe as it enters from the street into the ‘utility room” (Map #1) adjacent to unit 103:
1. West End supply pipe from street
2. West End master valve (left open)
3. West End Water Meter
THE REST OF COHOUSING
4. pipe entering East End in SE corner of basement of unit 121
5. backflow prevention valve (does not work completely)
6. Boss 600 WOG 150 WSP manual valve (should be CLOSED)
7. tap going to outside spigot (turn off valve??)
8. East End water meter
9. East end master valve (should be (slightly)?? OPEN
10. East End supply pipe
Shut off levers for Gas, Water, Electricity and HVAC:
Gas: 2 Shut offs are at the hot water heater in the HVAC mechanical room (Map #3) and behind the common house kitchen stove.
Water: 1. For all of cohousing: West end “Utility room” (Map #1) (Door code: 2541) inside garage entrance to unit 103
2. For all EE: Valves for CW, HW, HWR, and 2 HVAC pipes are located in the recreation room behind the stage.
3. Individual stacks: x19 stack: for kitchens -- in ceiling of Julie’s office, for bathrooms -- in ceiling of laundry.
4. For x20 stack bathrooms (also all water in #121 and 122) – in ceiling of workshop near windows
5. EE townhouses #116, 117, and 118: water shut offs are in their basements.
6. For units 121 and 122 – hot & cold water and return have shut offs in panel on south wall of workshop
7.
NOTE: (Please email me other locations so I can update this information.)
Electricity:
· East end - in small room between 121 and 122 (Map #8); and in EE mechanical room in corner of workshop (Map #7)
· West end town houses, stacked flats and common house: major turn off lever for all these is in the “Switch Gear” room (Map #2) off garage entrance to units 101 & 102. (Left hand door near car entrance)
HVAC (HVAC Shut offs are indicated by a large circled dot on the map):
All of WE – ceiling of music room
All of EE – recreation room wall behind the stage
#121 & 122: in workshop south wall (2 levers on left hand side of this panel)
x08 stack – in ceiling of garage
x09 stack – in ceiling of garage
x10 stack – in music room ceiling
x11 stack – in basement hallway ceiling near “Free City”
x12 & x14 stacks – in CH storage ceiling near doorway
x15 stack – in recreation room to left as you enter main area
x19 stack – in ceiling of EE storage room
x20 stack – in workshop ceiling near south wall
other CH areas – in ceiling of laundry room
Electricity circuit breakers:
East End:
Between units 121 & 122 in basement (Map #8)
Mechanical Room (Map #7) off workshop
West End:
“Switch gear” room (Map #2)– access through basement door to units 101 & 102 (controls garage doors, WE outside lights and timer, rec room bathroom…?)
Common House:
Paintry (Map #5) – circuit breakers for CH public spaces
Electric room (Map #4)– (off hallway to storage room) circuit breakers for common house units; outside lights timer
Phones and cable TV:
· East end:
Between units 121 & 122 in basement (Map #8)
Mechanical room off workshop (Map #7) – for 116 to 122
· West End:
“Utility Room” (Map #1) off garage entrance to unit 103
Common house:
Electric room (Map #4) off hallway to storage room
Other mechanical rooms:
HVAC Mechanical room (Map #3): common house basement – HVAC pumps, hot water etc
Elevator mechanical room (Map #6): off recreation room
Location of 7 fan coils in common spaces:
· Vestibule between garage and basement hallway
· Music room – next to exercise room
· Paintry – opposite laundry room
· Bathroom off recreation room
· Recreation room – small area off rec room
· Kid’s bike room off spine
· EE basement hallway outside workshop
2 Fire Alarm Panels
· Common house – on wall to left of lobby entrance. Bob Cowherd (unit #107) has a key and knows what to do.
· East End stack flat entrance – on wall to the right as you enter. Ileana Jones (unit #120) has a key and knows what to do.
NOTES:
1. The keys will open both fire alarm panels. They are to be used only when there is a beep that indicates there is a problem in the panel. Instructions for silencing the beep are on the inside of each fire alarm panel.
2. For ALARMS (even when the cause is known to be NOT a fire) only the fire department should open the panel. NO COHOUSER SHOULD ACT TO STOP THE ALARM!
Other information needed:
Please email me with any changes or additions and I will update this information
Map Key:
Mechanical, Utility rooms and locations (Map shows numbers in red):
#1. “Utility room” (entrance to 103 from garage)
· water meter
· water main shut-off for all of cohousing
· phones and cable for West End
#2. “Switch gear” room (off entrance to 101/102 from garage)
· electricity circuit breakers for the West End town houses, stacked flats, and Common House
· controls the garage doors, WE outside lights and timers, rec room, bathroom….etc.
#3. HVAC Mechanical room
· HVAC pumps
· Hot water system
#4. Electric Room
· Electric circuit breakers for the Common House
· Phones and cables for the Common House
· Timer box for outside CH lights
#5. “Paintry” closet
· Circuit breakers for the Common House public spaces
#6. Elevator room (off rec room)
· All controls for the elevator
#7a. East End workshop Mechanical Room
· Electric circuit breakers for East End
· Electricity shut off
· Phones and cable for East End
· Timer box for outside lights
#7b. East End Workshop – Wall Panel on south wall
· Shut offs for hot and cold water and return to #121 and #122
· HVAC 2 shut offs on left hand side of wall panel
#8. Basement “closet” between 121 and 122
· Electric circuit breakers
· Phones and cable TV
· Shut off for electricity
#9. East End, southeast corner of 121 basement
· Water main entrance (2nd one)
#10 and #11. Electricity Transformers in both Trash Enclosures
· Each has an electricity meter next to the transformer
Spigot Locations and shut off levers (Map = S) :
(1) 101 – street side; between 101 & 102; freeze proof
(2) 102 – corner of garden and walkway; freeze proof
(3) 103 – located under kitchen window; NO shut off, water comes directly off main feed to kitchen sink
(4) 108 – Turn off in Brian’s bathroom under shelving behind shower
(5) CH entry walkway near Guest Rooms – shut off in Guest Bathroom (behind toilet)
(6) Shade Garden –shut off in unit 114 under kitchen sink
(7) Behind WE – near music room windows; shut off in music room ceiling
(8) 116 – under kitchen window; shut off in kitchen
(9) 120 – to left of patio; shut off in ceiling of basement office near workshop
(10) 121 -- next to driveway entrance; shut off in SE corner of 121 basement
(11) Behind EE basement
(12) #105 – 3rd floor deck
(13) #106 – 3rd floor deck
Location of 7 fan coils in common spaces (Map = FC)
· Vestibule between garage and basement hallway
· Music room – next to exercise room
· Paintry – opposite laundry room
· Bathroom off recreation room
· Recreation room – small area off rec room
· Kid’s bike room off spine
· EE basement hallway outside work shop
2 Fire Alarm Panels (Map = FAP)
· Common house – on wall to left of lobby entrance. Bob Cowherd (unit #107) has a key and knows what to do.
· East End stack flat entrance – on wall to the right as you enter. Ileana Jones (unit #120) has a key and knows what to do.
· Written instructions are located inside each panel BUT are only to be used to silence the “beep” that signals a malfunction in the panel. Do NOT use to stop an alarm!!!
Map Key:
#1-#11 = Mechanical/utility room location
S = outside spigot
FC = common fan coils
FAP = fire alarm panel
· = HVAC shut off locations