AMEN to what Marc and Ware said re: institutional memory,  
documentation and facilities assesment.

I like to add the following: Make sure YOU (or whoever is responsible)  
understand as much about the science and technology involved as  
possible. Even if you are lucky enough to be able to hire an  
independent consultant (not someone who comes with the package of some  
HVAC company) for the whole period from planning to implementation  
(and you really, really, really should) you are still left with a  
complex system in a complex house and you need to understand what  
consequences result from failures of or willingly turning off of the  
system. Make sure you monitor the climate in all the different climate  
zones continously with good, calibrated equipment (no, not that  
thermohygrograph who hasn't seen a check against a reliable source in  
years!).

Also: be aware that companies and engineers might have a tendency to  
claim "user errors" or "walls need time to adjust" or similar crap  
when the desirable results aren't met, instead of searching what is  
wrong with their system. You might have to push often and hard for  
them to look at a problem, which is especially the case if you are  
"just a historian/archaeologist/woman/[insert prefered reason for  
being inferior to someone else]" and don't have a reliable expert on  
your side to help consolidate your arguments. Here are two "war  
stories" for you:

1. Instead of the desired 59 degrees Fahrenheit the room temperature  
circulated around 75. The explanation of the company ranged for months  
from "heat that came in during the renovation process", "wrong  
temperature measurement" to "it's the electrician's problem, not  
ours". Said electrician discovered that one of the valves of the  
heating system installed by the HVAC company was stuck, so no matter  
what temperature point was set, the heating was on. At the time the  
musem already had paid $$$ for unnecessary heating, not to mention a  
catastrophic room climate.

2. The HVAC reports a constant climate of 70 °F/ 55% relH with only  
minor swings. However, the logger shows a wide range of temperature  
and humidity fluctuations. Staff reports that it's either too hot or  
too cold. The company's engineer claims that the measurements of the  
HVAC must be correct, because they use calibrated sensors, the logger  
and the staff is wrong. A few unpleasant discussions later the  
facilities manager investigates the subject by himself to discover  
that the sensor of the HVAC still sits snuggly on the side of the HVAC  
device instead of being placed in the room it should control.

Best wishes
Angela


Angela Kipp
Collection Manager
TECHNOSEUM, Mannheim, Germany
www.technoseum.de

Join the Registrar Trek at http://world.museumsprojekte.de/
Follow us on Twitter @RegistrarTrek


Quoting Shaker Historical Society <[log in to unmask]>:

> I would add if it hasn’t been mentioned previously – which it may very well
> have been since I haven’t read this full string – is the importance of
> having a FULL FACILITIES ASSESSMENT and not just HVAC. Such a study should
> document all systems, their longevity, maintenance plans, likely
> replacement dates, etc. etc. Having the big picture to guide priorities,
> investment in infrastructure and overall cost of any new or replaced system
> cannot be fully understood nor wisely determined without knowing how each
> system and plan will affect the other.
>
>
>
> For example, what if you decide to switch to HVAC when your historic house
> has an old vapor system, which may be more efficient in your climate, and
> then someone rips out radiators… and then you discover that repairing the
> old vapor may have been a better option after all – but NOW – it is too
> late because the money has already been allocated to HVAC and the original
> rads were given to Habitat? Having a plan – a full plan – is always a good
> idea. It does take TIME – and that is often a luxury many institutions
> cannot afford. Still, in the long run, it could save your institution many
> hassles, long committee meetings and discussions over which is better and
> board members asking questions to which you don’t have the answers.
>
>
>
> Marc is so right about institutional memory being a major issue with this
> and all museum operations. I have too many times witnessed the trouble
> caused by a lack of institutional memory. If interested, I would be happy
> to cite some examples. Trouble is – until this world can be SOLD the idea
> that art and history are worth saving, preserving and teaching by well
> educated and qualified museum staff - then institutional memory is too
> expensive for most institutions to maintain. Your new graduate will leave
> in 2-3 years for more money no matter how much they might love museums
> unless you are especially fortunate or are able to pay well over the
> minimum wage.
>
>
>
> My two cents –
>
> Ware
>
>
>
> *Ware Petznick, PhD*
>
> Executive Director
>
> *Shaker Historical Society since 1947*
>
> *Shaker Historical Museum*  *Elizabeth Nord Library & Archives*  *Lissauer
> Art Gallery*  *Spirit Tree Gift Shop*
>
> 16740 South Park Blvd
>
> Shaker Heights, OH 44120
>
> ~ Celebrating 70 years of the Shaker Historical Society
>
>
>
> *We inspire people to engage in and celebrate the Shaker Heights story and
> its impact on the region…. past, present and future.*
>
>
>
> *Proud recipients of a Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Grant*
>
>
>
>
>
> *EXHIBIT ON NOW!*– ABOVE STAIRS: Domestic Service in Shaker Heights. Join
> us as we discover more about Shaker Heights households and the people who
> kept them working! Opens Feb 24th and runs through July.
>
> *In the LISSAUER GALLERY* – Elisabeth Cain Pressler: Enigmatic Nostalgia.
> Opens THURSDAY, April 13, 6-8pm.
>
> *COMING SOON: Liz Plummer, Librarian of the Ohio History Connection, will
> speak about Genealogy resources with particular reference to researching
> your Ohio family. May 13th, 3pm. *
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On
> Behalf Of *Marc A Williams
> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 09, 2017 8:22 PM
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
> *Subject:* Re: [MUSEUM-L] HVAC For Historic House Museums
>
>
>
> David,
>
>
>
> How true!  In addition, there is a HUGE issue with institutional memory, or
> lack thereof.  I am currently working with a major internationally-known
> historic house museum.  No one there with knowledge/responsibility for
> collections was present when the HVAC system was installed.  No one knows
> how it operates.  No one knows how the settings on the control software
> work.  No one knows if they even produce the desired results.  If an HVAC
> system is the right choice (emphasis on IF), there MUST be a detailed
> written procedural manual created that can be understood by a lay person
> such as a curator, and this must be placed in a location that can be
> discovered by future staff.  I can not tell you the number of small
> museums/historic houses that I have provided written guidance on how to do
> things on a budget that respects both the collections and the historic
> building which is completely unknown when staff turns over.  This has
> happened with all-volunteer organizations (all Board run), and staffed
> organizations.  Lack of succession planning is perhaps the largest Achilles
> heel for collections preservation in smaller institutions.  Quite
> frequently, it is two or three weeks notice and gone.  The new staff person
> is not even identified yet, much less interviewed or hired before the old
> one is gone.  There is zero training or coaching.  It is as if the job was
> just created with no history, no continuity.  The solution to this is not
> easy.  Ideally the outgoing person will have enough integrity to stay on a
> bit longer to allow a smooth transition, but often new opportunities do not
> allow for this time, and the old institution does not want to pay for
> double salaries for a period of time.  But the lack of this type of
> planning has lead to significant lapses in collections preservation,
> including HVAC issues.  At the very least, have a comprehensive written
> description of HVAC systems and settings, including the rationale for what
> was chosen.  Having a good engineer or conservator involved at the onset is
> not enough.  Continuity planning is essential.
>
>
>
> Marc
>
>
>
> Marc A. Williams, President
>      MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
>      Former Chief Wooden Objects Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
>      Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
>
>
>
> *From:* David Grabitske <[log in to unmask]>
>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 09, 2017 3:50 PM
>
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
>
> *Subject:* Re: [MUSEUM-L] HVAC For Historic House Museums
>
>
>
> Just a few thoughts from experience:
>
>
>
> Begin by looking for a qualified HVAC engineer with museum experience,
> rather than the local HVAC contractor (often only sells/installs/maintains
> just one kind of HVAC). The local HVAC contractor will come into the
> picture later. The engineer also should have experience in assessing a
> historic structure for its ability to maintain a museum climate. In certain
> building methods, vapor transfer through the walls may be necessary for
> building material stability. In which case, a museum climate may not be
> achievable. Then engineer should also have familiarity with the Secretary
> of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Be
> aware that there may be trade-offs in expectations between museum standards
> and historic preservation standards. Often there will be a middle ground
> that satisfies most of both - neither one trumps the other, but both inform
> the discussion about a path forward. The engineer must be able to advise
> you on what is possible, assist you in having a system designed and
> specified, and help you with overseeing installation and commissioning any
> new system. With design, be sure that the system can be operated by an
> organization without staff that only maintains the system. Once a system is
> designed, those documents will help you create an RFP that local
> contractors can bid upon. With commissioning, do not close the project
> until the system performs as specified in the RFP. This is not usually a
> short process and may take years to figure out. Commissioning can take a
> lot longer than projected as adjustments often need to be made.
>
>
>
> As others have noted, the process is more complex than this. These are
> written to help avoid common pitfalls I've seen where a museum is housed in
> a historic building.
>
>
>
> Best wishes for success,
>
> David
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *David M. Grabitske, DBA, MPNA*
>
> Manager, State History Services <http://www.mnhs.org/lhs> | 651-259-3460
>
> *I am MNHS: Celebrating a Century of Service to History Organizations
> <http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54988875e4b0e6ee185ace18/t/573cb0933c44d8941221c03c/1463595156002/SMH+2.5.pdf>!*
>
> <http://www.mnhs.org>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 1:56 PM, William Hosley <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> HVAC has been oversold to HHM's - many better uses of money
>
>
>
> Bill Hosley
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On May 9, 2017, at 12:21 PM, Marc A Williams <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> Kayla,
>
>
>
> This issue is more complicated than it perhaps appears on the surface.
> Feel free to give me a call and we can chat about it.
>
>
>
> Marc
>
>
> American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
>      4 Rockville Road
>      Broad Brook, CT 06016
>      www.conservator.com
>      860-386-6058 <(860)%20386-6058>
>
>
>
> *Collections Preservation Consultation
> *Conservation Assessments & Surveys
> *Environmental Monitoring & Low-Tech Control
> *Moisture Management Solutions
> *Collections in Historic Structures
> *Collections Care Grant Preparation
>
>
>
> Marc A. Williams, President
>      MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
>      Former Chief Wooden Objects Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
>      Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Marciniszyn, Kayla <[log in to unmask]>
>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 09, 2017 12:03 PM
>
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
>
> *Subject:* [MUSEUM-L] HVAC For Historic House Museums
>
>
>
> Hello all!
>
> We are in the process of implementing a new HVAC system for a
> Georgian-style (1780s) historic house museum. The museum is located in the
> Mid-Atlantic, which experiences fluctuating temperatures and humidity
> levels depending on the season. Has anyone recently gone through this
> process and have any suggestions or recommendations of what to look for
> and/or what not to do when putting in an HVAC into a historic house? Thanks
> in advance!
>
> Kayla Marciniszyn
> Collections Manager
> Montpelier Mansion
> Laurel, MD
>
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