Rishi Tea & Botanicals

Rishi Tea & Botanicals, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers premium teas and botanicals sourced from growers around the world. Timeline: April 2014 to October 2014. H&H Mechanical completed the commercial HVAC installation and commissioning for Rishi Tea’s facility in Milwaukee, including rooftop units, VAV zoning, unit heaters, and a building automation control system serving both production and office areas.

Scope of Work

H&H Mechanical Contractors provided and installed:

H&H Mechanical provided and installed the following systems for the office and production areas:

• 8 Trane RTUs for office and production areas, with associated supply and return ductwork
• 8 RTU roof curbs
• All necessary natural gas piping serving RTU units
• 15 VAV boxes in the office area for zoning
• Carrier BACnet i-Vu control system for the HVAC system throughout office and production areas
• All associated ductwork and controls for the VAV system
• 2 gas-fired unit heaters
• 1 ductless split unit serving the office IT room

Results

This project reached substantial completion with full commissioning of multiple packaged rooftop units supplying a variable air volume (VAV) air distribution system designed to support production, processing, and office areas. RTUs were set on factory-approved roof curbs, verified for level and structural compliance, and isolated for vibration control. Supply, return, relief, and outside air duct systems were installed, sealed, and insulated per SMACNA pressure class requirements, with roof penetrations flashed and weatherproofed.

Startup and commissioning verified fan rotation, VFD programming, motor amperage, belt alignment, and total external static pressure versus design values. Heating and cooling performance was validated, economizers were calibrated, and minimum outside air setpoints were established to meet ventilation and process requirements. Safety devices were tested, including freeze stats, high/low pressure switches, smoke detection, and airflow proving switches. Static pressure control loops were tuned to maintain stable operation across load conditions.

VAV terminal units were installed with pressure-independent dampers and factory-calibrated airflow sensors. Zone airflow setpoints (minimum ventilation and maximum cooling) were programmed and verified, and reheat sequences were tested where required. Terminal units were balanced to design CFM, and diffusers were adjusted to support uniform air distribution.

All zone sensors, actuators, and devices were integrated into the building automation system (BAS). Functional testing confirmed coordinated RTU and VAV operation, including scheduling, demand-based ventilation, economizer changeover, and alarm reporting. Final TAB and functional performance testing confirmed compliance with design documents and delivered reliable, energy-efficient temperature control throughout the facility.

The result supported Rishi Tea's operations in a 50,000 sq. ft. food-grade facility with climate-controlled storage, mixing and blending rooms, and office space.