Information Notice No. 84-30: Discrepancies in Record Keeping and Material Defects in Bahnson Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Units

                                                       SSINS No.:  6835 
                                                       IN 84-30 

                               UNITED STATES 
                       NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 
                    OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT 
                           WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 

                               April 18, 1984 

Information Notice No. 84-30:   DISCREPANCIES IN RECORD KEEPING AND 
                                   MATERIAL DEFECTS IN BAHNSON HEATING, 
                                   VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING UNITS 
Addressees: 

All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL) or 
construction permit (CP). 

Purpose: 

This information notice is being provided to inform licensees of a 
potentially significant problem pertaining to heating, ventilation, and air 
conditioning (HVAC) equipment manufactured by the Bahnson Company. The NRC 
expects that recipients will review this notice for applicability to their 
facilities. Suggestions contained in this information notice do not 
constitute NRC requirements, therefore, no specific action or written 
response is required. 

Description of Circumstances: 

Inspections concerning allegations about the Bahnson Company (a division of 
Flakt, Inc.) of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on September 7-10, 1982, and 
February 2, 1984, as well as site inspections of Bahnson-supplied equipment 
at Millstone 3 and Shearon Harris have found discrepancies in record keeping 
and material defects. Records for liquid penetrant inspections conducted at 
the factory were not completed during the actual manufacture of the charcoal 
adsorption units, but were constructed from travelers, the inspectors' 
personal notes, and from memory. 

Installed units at Millstone 3 had low-strength carbon steel fasteners sub-
stituted for the required ASTM-A449 fan motor anchor bolts and selftapping 
stainless steel screws were substituted for ASTM-A193-GR B8 bolts used for 
mounting the cooling coils. In addition, the weld filler material heat lot 
number was not recorded for eight of the units. 

The units inspected at Shearon Harris had welds with cracks, lack of fusion, 
and undercut or material reduction which exceeded 1/64 inch. There were also 
missing welds and welds not made in accordance with design drawings. When 
some of the welds were reinspected by dye penetrant, unacceptable 
indications were found. 




8403140284 
.

                                                            IN 84-30 
                                                            April 18, 1984 
                                                            Page 2 of 2 

A list of facilities supplied with Bahnson HVAC equipment follows:  

FACILITY            QUANTITY/TYPE OF UNIT                   APPROX. SHIPPING 
DATE 

Shoreham                 4 air handling units               9/75-5/76 
Zimmer                   16 air handling units              5/76-77 
Wolf Creek               4 air handling units               10/79-11/79 
Callaway                 4 air handling units               10/79-11/79 
WPPSS 1&4                24 evaporative air coolers         77-78 
                         12 charcoal adsorption units       8/81-3/83 
LaSalle                  12 coil cabinets                   77 
Summer                   21 air handling units              77-78 
Shearon Harris           47 air handling units              7/79-11/83 
                         6 charcoal adsorption units        7/82-8/82 
Catawba                  2 air handling units               12/78 
Oconee                   1 air handling unit                8/81-9/81 
Yellow Creek             14 charcoal adsorption units       3/82 
Palo Verde               6 charcoal adsorption units        9/18-12/81 
Millstone 3              10 air handling units              1/82-12/82 
Comanche Peak            21 air handling units              79-81 

No written response to this information notice is required. If there are any 
questions regarding this matter, please contact the Regional Administrator 
of the appropriate NRC Regional Office or this office. 


                              Edward L. Jordan, Director 
                              Division of Emergency Preparedness 
                                   and Engineering Response 
                              Office of Inspection and Enforcement 

Technical Contacts:      E. T. Baker, IE 
                         (301) 492-4540 

                         M. S. Wegner, IE 
                         (301) 492-4511 

Attachment: 
List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices