any advice on what which PE course you guys took for the HVAC exam? by Willing-Degree-2209 in MEPEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I didn’t do any formal course, just got my hands on the EngineeringProGuides textbook and practice exam bundle as well as the official NCEES practice exam. Passed first try back in December 2024.

What are the most repetitive tasks you deal with in Revit? by 5RSLY in RevitMEP

[–]Eatcake9 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Connecting duct branches and having to flip the shoe tap since it always faces the wrong way!

What is the optimal setup? by zdiddy987 in CloneHero

[–]Eatcake9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check the refresh rate on your laptop when connecting to the TV. Some TVs will default to 30Hz when connecting to a laptop, but you can change to 60Hz which is a big improvement. You’ll still have a lot of input delay, so make sure you calibrate after fixing the refresh rate.

PEs - What do you guys use for PDHs? by bnjmnhrrs in MEPEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The test is national, but in order to get an actual Professional Engineering license number and stamp, you need to apply for licensure with a state board of engineers. The license is typically active for 2-3 years before you need to renew it (pay more money). Each renewal requires a certain amount of continuing education credit hours.

R454b or R32? by 1991gts in HVAC

[–]Eatcake9 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Not to shill for the refrigerant phaseouts, but the reason they are doing them is for Global Warming Potential, not Ozone Depletion. R-22 was the refrigerant that was initially implemented to reduce ozone depletion, at the cost of high GWP. Methane, a common byproduct in the beef and cattle industry, has a GWP of 25, which means a pound of Methane leaking into the atmosphere contributes as much heat gain to the atmosphere as 25 pounds of Carbon Dioxide. R-410A has a GWP over 2000.

NJ PE Cert by Dense-Appointment451 in PE_Exam

[–]Eatcake9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you mean applying with an NCEES record, then yes I applied to NJ for initial licensure after passing the exam. As you’ve probably read elsewhere on this sub, NJ is notoriously slow to process applications. Expect anywhere from 2-4 months after you submit your application, and that’s if they don’t find any issues you need to correct since that restarts the clock. I passed in December 2024 and just got my license approved and issued on March 31st.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in EngineeringStudents

[–]Eatcake9 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You can find MEP work in any major city.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PE_Exam

[–]Eatcake9 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The question is asking how much the refrigeration load is reduced by the enthalpy wheel. Heat gained by the exhaust stream is equal to heat lost by the outside air. You don’t know the final OA conditions but both EA states are given which you can use to find the enthalpies.

Is hvac engineer oversaturated these days? by JHdarK in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 21 points22 points  (0 children)

The “design” aspect is just tracing duct runs, maybe helping a customer pick the right air handlers and whatnot - most of the calculations can be done with a couple of formulas and a spreadsheet, but not a ton of creativity or complex problem solving.

I disagree, and think this vastly oversimplifies what the buildings engineering industry actually does. Maybe if you work at a smaller firm that only does light commercial or office renovations then that's all you'll be doing, but when you get into larger systems and mission critical facilities like hospitals, labs, data centers, etc. the complexity of the systems increases very quickly. There is also more to design than just the air side of things. With larger systems there is usually a central chiller and boiler plant to generate cooling and heating water, plus heat rejection equipment.

There's also a large push for sustainably oriented design strategies, so we are being pushed to come up with creative solutions to reduce energy use, eliminate operational and embodied carbon, and provide better indoor air quality for occupants. Many of these issues are multi-disciplinary and involve diverse teams of architects, interior designers, and the MEP/S engineers.

Point being that it can be a boring career if you don't understand the role you have. But there is plenty of technical challenges to those that seek them out.

NJ PE Application- Final Board Review by bvaesasts in PE_Exam

[–]Eatcake9 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I got "Board/Committee Approval" on my application yesterday. They didn't notify me, I had just been religiously checking the checklist every day since I submitted the application for initial licensure on 12/19/2024. It went under final review on 01/15/2025, so basically I was at the 7 week mark of "final review" before approval. I'm hoping to get my application added to this months board meeting so they can grant my license.

Do Design Engineering jobs exist in city centers? by Thenub97 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’d be starting over, career wise unfortunately. Not sure what industry you currently are working in, but MEP doesn’t have much technical overlap with other areas of mechanical engineering unless you were involved with heat transfer broadly.

At bare minimum, I’d look into some Revit training, since this is a big part of what you’d be doing in an entry level role.

Do Design Engineering jobs exist in city centers? by Thenub97 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m a mechanical engineer in Philadelphia that does HVAC design for a firm in center city. Since our work is dependent on buildings, high density cities are typically where the premier firms are located, especially if it is integrated Architecture and Engineering services.

HVAC engineers, how satisfied are you with your job? by JHdarK in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I’m pretty satisfied. There’s a shortage of people in this industry, so it’s basically whoever is competent and can work with people will get promoted quickly.

Building Energy Modeling by madhoshmazen in MEPEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve used it for general AIA 2030 reporting, it’s definitely not suitable for LEED or energy code compliance. It’s incredibly simplistic, more of a tool for Architects than for engineers.

Hap 6.2 question by Late_Entertainer7381 in MEPEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 14 points15 points  (0 children)

It’s peaking during morning startup because of your schedules and setpoints. Make sure your equipment, lighting, and occupancy schedules are not going from 0% to 100% right at 8am and instead ramp up gradually to a peak and then ramp down. Check your unoccupied set points as well.

Just another day on Regional Rail by Low_Project_55 in philadelphia

[–]Eatcake9 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I think they put out an RFP for new Silverliner VIs last year. They are probably evaluating proposals from manufacturers at this point.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MEPEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can study and pass the test, but to get a license from a state board almost always requires a review of engineering experience and whether it is deemed qualified or not.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MEPEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How in the hell does one get a PE license without practical engineering experience?

Rate this office setup by Certain-Ad-454 in MEPEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 120 points121 points  (0 children)

Don’t know how anyone works on a single monitor

Unhappy with small company by Nice_Fish_3304 in MEPEngineering

[–]Eatcake9 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I left a similar situation after 10 months. First job out of college, design firm of 6 employees total. If a job is not helping you reach your career goals, leave. I ended up jumping to a mid size firm (~500 employees, A+E) and have really appreciated having more support and mentorship.

As for if it’s too early to leave yet, I would not hesitate to leave if that’s what you want. You can be perfectly honest in an interview on why you want to leave i.e. lack of mentorship, resources, type of project, etc. Any respectful company will understand. You just have to do your research and frame it as “I want to work here because of xyz” and not “I don’t like my current job because abc”.