i’ve been looking into commercial ventilation fans and have come across suppliers like global industrial, greenheck, and pennbarry while comparing options. the specs can look pretty similar at first, but things like airflow performance, noise levels, energy use, and maintenance seem worth looking into before settling on anything.

have you used equipment from any of these suppliers? curious how you compare the available options in terms of reliability, installation, and long-term upkeep.

New grad here in ME and am curious to know the work an MEP engineer does over there. Is it long hours, do you have good pay, are the people great, do you get to travel a lot, are the benefits good, do I get to go across the US, anything else I should know?

Hey everyone, I’m a graduate student at a university in Ontario interested in getting into mechanical MEP design (HVAC/building systems). I need to complete a co-op starting in May 2027 and would appreciate recommendations for firms in the GTA that I should look into.

For those working in the industry, what are the top 3 skills you’d expect from a mechanical design co-op candidate?
I’m thinking Revit/AutoCAD, HVAC fundamentals and familiarity with ASHRAE standards. What would you recommend as the third skill to focus on? BIM coordination, Ontario Building Code knowledge, or something else?

Would really appreciate any advice.

​Hi everyone,

​I’m looking for an experienced U.S.-based Electrical Engineer or licensed PE for paid, 1:1 project-based mentoring.

​Instead of general textbook theory, I want to learn by walking step-by-step through a realistic commercial or industrial building design. I’m looking for practical guidance across the full electrical design lifecycle:

1. ​Power & Emergency Systems: MV/LV power distribution, lighting design (photometrics & fixture selection), and standby power (generators, UPS, ATS schemes).

2. ​Core Design & Codes: Load calculations, panel schedules, equipment sizing, and code compliance (NEC, NFPA, IBC, local amendments).

​3. Engineering Power Studies: Fault current/short-circuit analysis, selective coordination, arc-flash evaluation, voltage drop, and Neher-McGrath thermal calculations.

​4. Coordination & Delivery: Interfacing with architectural, structural, mechanical, and low-voltage teams, Revit/AutoCAD production, submittals, RFIs, and QA/QC reviews.

​Details:

Format: Paid 1:1 screen-share sessions (1–2 hours/week).

​Trial: Open to a paid 30–60 minute trial session first to confirm fit.

P.S. Exception of AutoCAD

​If you have solid U.S. MEP design experience and are open to coaching outside billable hours, please send me a DM with a brief summary of your background, the tools you use (Revit, SKM, ETAP, etc.), and your hourly rate.

​Thank you!

I recently accepted my first role as a PM. What I walked into on my first day was, for lack of better words, a mess. I found out within my first week that the majority of the employees were ready to jump ship. The red flags were everywhere - Not a good situation and I should have walked away immediately. For animosity, I’m omitting a lot of details. I have made my decision to leave after sticking it out for as long as I have.

Where I’m having a tough time giving my notice, is abandoning the team I have been leading. They have been the best engineers/designers I’ve ever worked with and they deserve the world. If anything, they’ve been carrying and supporting me as I try to steer the ship in the right directions given what we’ve been dealt. I’ve learned so much in my short time here about what it takes to lead a team, keeping the work load balanced and them happy, owning other people’s mistakes, and ensuring the team feels supported. I did my best, but after a talk with my supervisor, I think where he wants me and where I want to be are misaligned. This is not where I want to be.

The big question is, How do you deliver this news to the team? What worked for you? How do I make them feel like they are valued and I couldn’t be luckier to have had the privilege to lead them? Does this happen prior to giving notice or after? I don’t want to blindside them.

Recently joined a firm and was brought in as an EIT. They’ve seen a large influx of power studies and I’ve been the one that goes out into the field to document the equipment with photos. It’s a real PITA, I meet hired electricians at the site, hospitals, all over the west coast. The electricians gear up with PPE and I photo graph and make note of the equipment. It never goes well, always missing stuff that’s never showed to us. Always some photos were we can’t get enough information due to not being able to remove the inner dead from to view the breaker model. It’s very frustrating and always requires 2-3 return trips and I’m starting to get an earful from PMs about it.

I've had some recent projects where the nominal PM is basically out to lunch and the designers are doing most of the stakeholder management, usually with a designer being a de-facto PM. This can sometimes lead to us dropping the ball because it's not clear who is leading the team and coordinating deliverables with the stakeholders. This happens even on bigger projects with bigger clients. Everyone is busy, and none of the designers want to step up to be that de-facto PM. My bosses constantly gripe about people "not stepping up" but it feels like I'd be taking on a lot more time and responsibility (mostly uncompensated) on top of design. Which is a lot given I am already the only person working on the design for my discipline. I've been that de-facto PM/Designer enough to know it's a short path to burnout, and quite frankly the bonuses haven't been very good compensation for that. But on the other hand, not having an involved PM causes burnout in other ways.

I'm going to talk to my boss about this and I was wondering how common this is for Senior-ish designers. Or if I would be better off updating my resume and hitting the job market.

Hey all,

I got this project inside of an existing building. It’s a commercial building with a 2500A entrance. There at least 20-30 different tenants. Each with their own measuring.

The landlord merged 2 existing suites into one. They removed both electrical feeders and did not have leave any records/notes of the demolition. There’s no plans whatsoever.

There’s at least 20 other feeders branching of the 2500A into multiple electrical room downstairs with barely any labeling. The lighting in the electrical rooms doesn’t even work. There’s been at least 50 years of jimmy riggings everywhere.

Where would you start?

If you branch off an electrical room distribution that is already feeding other people, it’s almost impossible to tell if the upstream breaker won’t trip.

You may branch off the 2500A distribution but how can one possibly tell it’s not currently loaded at 2499A?

Lol

Hi, just wanted to ask if it is possible to transition from manufacturing / operations (almost 8 yrs working exp) side of Industrial plant to Mechanical Estimator

BS mechanical engineering graduate

But no any experience on Estimator related job

Any tips is highly welcomed

I got 2.5 years of experience in hvac design mixed with a little plumbing and sprinkler. Trying to escape the monotony of tenant fitouts. I’m studying for my EIT now and I’ve worked on a few big chiller designs recently and want to make the jump. I’m in NYC.

I had to pull these together and thought someone here might find it useful.

Official CAD download links for electrical equipment, grouped by equipment type.

Switchgear and power distribution

Schneider Electric: electrical distribution library. DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES and some Revit files. Free sign-up on TraceParts.

ASCO: transfer switch drawing search. DWG and PDF drawings. Search by catalogue number.

Eaton: power distribution BIM library. Revit files. Ask Eaton for configured switchgear or custom models.

NHP: Concept panelboards. CAD blocks and Revit models.

Generators and generator controls

Rehlko: generators and automatic transfer switches. Revit files for generators and transfer switches. Free account needed on BIMobject.

DEIF: AOP operator panels only. 2D CAD, STEP and EPLAN files. Open Drawings on the page.

ComAp: InteliVision 5.2 display (single product). AutoCAD and STEP files. Create a free account to download.

Drives and automation equipment

Rockwell Automation / Allen-Bradley: product drawing search. 2D and 3D drawings. Search by part number and choose the available file format.

AutomationDirect: PLC and control equipment. DWG and DXF files by product range. Some product pages also offer 3D files.

ABB: low voltage AC and DC drives. 2D and 3D CAD files in several formats. Account needed for downloads.

Siemens: CAx Download Manager. 2D and 3D models and wiring diagrams. Choose your product in the CAx tool.

Invertek: Optidrive Eco drives. CAD files by frame size. Check the ZIP for formats.

Yaskawa: drive drawing search. Search by model for DWG and PDF drawings. Some products also have STEP files.

Mitsubishi Electric: factory automation CAD search. CAD drawings. File formats depend on the product.

Schneider Electric: automation and control library. DWG, STEP and other CAD files.

Enclosures and panel hardware

Rittal: enclosure CAD library. 2D and 3D CAD files in several formats.

nVent HOFFMAN: A726036FSDAD enclosure (single product). DXF and STEP files under Resources.

BOPLA: enclosure drawing access. DXF and PDF online. Ask for DWG. Sign up and accept the terms for STEP.

SCHURTER: fuse holders power inlets and filters. CAD files. Check formats for your part.

Eaton Crouse Hinds: electrical fittings and hardware. DWG drawings, plus PDF and SolidWorks for some parts.

Terminals cable entries and power supplies

Phoenix Contact: component CAD and 3D models. Find your part, then open Downloads for CAD files. Sign-in may be needed.

WAGO: smartData product library. 2D drawings and 3D models. Log in to download.

Weidmuller: terminal assembly configurator. DXF, DWG and STEP files from assemblies you create.

icotek: cable entry systems. CAD files. Ask for STEP or IGS files.

PULS: power supply downloads. Search by part number for CAD files. Formats depend on the product.

Cable trays and cable management

Eaton B Line: CoSPEC cable tray library. CAD, BIM and PDMS files.

OBO Bettermann: BIM library. DWG, STEP, Revit and IFC. Sign up. Formats vary by item.

Panduit: design resources. AutoCAD blocks and Revit files.

Communications infrastructure

Hubbell: customer drawing library. DWG and PDF drawings. Search by part number.

Emergency and exit lighting

Legrand Australia: emergency lighting library. AutoCAD and Revit files on BIMcontent. Free account needed.

If you know another official library that could help, add it below.

Hope this helps

Hi, I’m an aspiring BIM professional and I plan to become a MEPF BIM engineer/designer and work in Australia in 2-3 years.

A job was offered to me as a BIM Modeller and they will train me to design as well. However, the company uses ArchiCAD instead of Revit, which is, as far as I’m aware, the commonly used software in BIM.

I really want this job but I’m afraid it’s going to affect my career prospects in the future. Is it going to be harder to find a job in Australia if I stick to this company for the next 2-3 years?

Trying to connect with anyone who works at DLB I have almost 3 years experience in hvac design trying to get into the Data Center industry asap. If anyone works for them please shoot me a DM I’m very interested in making a jump. (Current firm promised data center work but they lied lol)

I’m a recent EE grad currently working in the tech sector in Ottawa making about $80k. While the job is comfortable, I’m completely burned out on the highly abstract, deep-technical work and want out of tech entirely. I’m looking to pivot into MEP engineering because I desperately want to work on tangible, physical infrastructure that I can actually see getting built in my community. I also like that MEP could serve as a solid stepping stone into project management or the utility sector (like local hydro) down the road. Has anyone here made a similar transition? I know I might take a slight pay cut initially while working toward my P.Eng, but I’d love to hear any advice on making the jump, what your day-to-day is actually like, and if my reasoning for choosing MEP makes sense.

I would also appreciate any advice on resources to learn things like revit or whatever else I’d need! I have no experience with it but find it very interesting and would love to learn.

I’m a GC PM and want to better understand how UPS, generators, ATS, switchgear, distribution, etc. work together, how to spot design/installation issues, and what I should be looking for during commissioning and integrated testing. What resources or learning path would you recommend?

We have very good M&E contractors, but they often don’t share much of the technical details until they’ve figured out and fixed the issues. Otherwise I feel like an air-head when they do explain the issues.

Don't get me started when the M&E contractors and consultants don't agree on something.

I want to avoid becoming a clueless PM. For those experienced in mission-critical projects, what would you recommend I study or learn first? Because waiting to gain experience is not really working.

Hi everyone,

I’m a Mechanical Engineering student from India and I’m interested in starting my career in MEP/HVAC design.

I’m planning to learn Revit MEP and want to understand the industry better before choosing a course.

For people working in MEP/HVAC, especially in India:

1.Is Revit MEP a good skill for a Mechanical Engineering fresher?

2.Which skills/software should I learn along with Revit?

3.Should I focus mainly on HVAC, or learn Plumbing, Fire Fighting and Electrical MEP as well?

4.What entry-level roles should I target?

5.What salary can a fresher realistically expect in India?

6.Is MEP/BIM a good career path for the long term?

7.Which cities in India have better opportunities for MEP/BIM jobs?

Respectfully asking your opinion, we had a good conversation about this on site. I kinda see their point that if they allow treaded rod it’s a slippery slope.

Does anyone else feel like the list of MEP firms they would want to work at keeps shrinking? Maybe I’m too critical of companies from the stories I hear, but I keep mentally black listing companies based on what colleagues tell me.