The situation

Illustrative example. Not a real job or customer.

In a hypothetical single-story medical building in Aurora, a rooftop air conditioning unit runs hard through a hot week. Its condensate drain line clogs with debris, the pan overflows, and water runs along the roof deck and through a duct penetration. Overnight, ceiling tiles above two exam rooms and a hallway saturate and fall. Staff arriving in the morning find water on carpet tile and vinyl floors, wet tiles on exam tables and a puddle under a cabinet holding supplies.

  1. The office manager keeps staff and patients out of the affected rooms and calls building maintenance, who shuts down the rooftop unit.
  2. Power to the two exam rooms is turned off at the panel because water reached a ceiling light fixture.
  3. Photos are taken of fallen tiles, wet floors and the overflowing drain pan on the roof.
  4. A restoration contractor extracts water from carpet tile and hard floors and removes all wet ceiling tiles and soaked batt insulation above them.
  5. Sterile supplies in the wet cabinet are set aside for review rather than used.
  6. Drying equipment runs after hours and is moved to one side of the hall during the day so other rooms can operate.

The suite reopens most rooms within days, with the two exam rooms closed until ceilings are replaced and readings in the walls meet goals. The rooftop drain line is cleared and a float switch is added to shut the unit down if the pan fills again.

How the days fell

Morning of discovery
Rooms closed, unit shut down, power off in affected rooms, photos taken, patients rescheduled from those rooms.
Same day
Extraction completed, ceiling tile and insulation removed, roof drain cleared by the HVAC contractor.
Days two to four
Overnight drying, daytime equipment repositioning, daily readings in walls and under carpet tile.
After readings meet goals
New insulation and ceiling tile installed; exam rooms cleaned and returned to service.

What went right, what could have gone better

Went right

  • Power was shut off before anyone touched the wet light fixture
  • Supplies of uncertain condition were quarantined rather than used
  • Drying was phased around patient hours instead of closing the suite

Could have gone better

  • The drain line had no routine cleaning schedule
  • No float switch or alarm was installed on the rooftop unit
  • Nobody knew which tenant was responsible for the rooftop unit until the lease was checked

For managers of clinics and medical suites

General information for Aurora, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.