MEPF
Tenant
Concerns
FAQ
The MEPF Tenant Concerns FAQ Manual aims to provide
clarification on the common questions that need to be
addressed by Mall Operations regarding mechanical,
electrical, plumbing, fire and safety. These are clarifications
that normally arise during tenant pre-construction meetings,
ingress and egress.
To ensure quality of the content, the questions were
gathered from SCMC Mall Operations particularly from the
Building Administration Officers/Managers and Tenant
Relations Officers/Managers. The specific answers were
derived based on back and forth consultations between
SCMC Mall Operations and SMEDD Operations. Focus Group
Discussions (FGD) were also conducted in the malls to
further identify points of clarification.
This manual’s content can further be elaborated by the
Construction Guidelines portion of the Operations, Planning
and Control Manual (OPC Manual). You may access it
through the link provided at the end of this document.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Mechanical – Air Conditioning 3 - 6
Mechanical – Kitchen Exhaust 6 - 8
Electrical 9 - 12
Plumbing System 13 - 14
FDAS / Fire Protection 14 - 16
LPG System 17
Waterproofing 18
Others 19 - 20
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Egress
Mechanical 21 - 23
21 - 23
Electrical
21 - 23
Plumbing
FDAS / Fire Protection 21 - 23
LPG 21 - 23
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Mechanical - Air-conditioning System
(Chilled Water System-CHW)
1. What is the pipe size/diameter of CHW provision in the
area?
- Provision varies per leasable space. Tenant to conduct actual
site inspection for utility tapping points upon turn-over of
leased space.
2. What is the allowed pipe to be used on CHW system?
- BI pipe Schedule 40. All connections shall be fully welded
except on valves and accessories. Flexible pipe connectors (e. g.
rubber bellows) are not allowed.
3. What is the allowed insulation and thickness?
- Cylindrical Styrofoam or rubber/aeroflex insulation. Minimum
thickness of 40mm
4. Where to tap condensate drain?
- Tap to the existing condensate drain stub-outs/provisions. Do
NOT tap to kitchen waste line.
5. What is the required testing procedure prior to tapping to
mall stub-out?
- 150-psi hydro test for 24hours witnessed by the mall’s
authorized representative. File UTP (Utility Tapping Permit)
prior to tapping to main stub out.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 6
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Mechanical - Air-conditioning System
(Chilled Water System-CHW)
6. Can the tenant install ACCU?
- It depends on the approved location of the tenant, for tenants
that operate before and beyond mall hours, use of ACCU can be
permitted upon approval of Mall Operations. The location of the
condensing unit shall be approved by Mall Operations and EDD
Design.
Mechanical - Air-conditioning System
(Centralized AC)
1. What is the size of the mall duct provision?
- Provision varies per leasable space. Tenant to conduct actual
site inspection for utility tapping points upon turn-over of
leased space.
2. Where can tenant tap their AC branch duct?
- Side tapping only for Centralized AC.
3. What is the allowed ducting and insulation material?
- Tenant to use GI sheet Gauge 22 with at least 40mm thick
Styrofoam insulation and continuous corner beads.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 7
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Mechanical - Air-conditioning System
(Centralized AC)
4. What are the required tests before the tenant can tap in
the mall air-con duct?
- Tenant to conduct leak test (light test) prior to insulation
works and tapping to main stub out. Tenant to conduct the
testing to be witnessed by the mall’s authorized
representative.
5. Are tenants required to install dampers?
- Yes. Manual Balancing Damper (MBD) is required after the
tapping point. Splitter dampers are NOT allowed. Tenant to
install each diffusers with opposed volume blade damper
(“OVBD”).
6. Is multiple tapping for air-con duct allowed?
- If tenant is occupying only 1 tenant slot, multiple tapping is
NOT allowed. Bottom-tapping to the main duct is also NOT
allowed. If tenant is occupying 2 or more tenant slots,
multiple tapping to the main duct is allowed. See illustration
below:
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 8
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Mechanical - Air-conditioning System
(Centralized AC)
7. What equipment to use when conducting air balancing?
- Balometer will be used by tenant’s contractor during air
balancing to be witnessed by Mall’s authorized representative.
Balometer shall be presented with calibration certificate.
Mechanical - Kitchen Exhaust and
Fresh Air System
1. What is the dimension of tapping point?
- Provision varies per leasable space. Tenant to conduct actual
site inspection for utility tapping points upon turn-over of
leased space.
2. What is the allowed minimum thickness for KED and FAD?
- Exhaust ducts shall be gauge 16 black iron sheet. All joints and
seams shall be liquid-tight and fully-welded. For fresh air ducts,
use gauge 22 galvanized iron sheet.
3. What is the specification of the flexible duct connector?
- Tenant to use only fire-rated, leak-proof and non-asbestos
flexible duct connectors (NEOPRENE)
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 9
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Mechanical - Kitchen Exhaust and
Fresh Air System
4. What type of kitchen hood is required?
- Tenant to use stainless steel self-compensating hood. At
least 70% of the exhausted air shall be compensated with
fresh air introduced directly into the hood. Tenants with
grilling operations to install spark arresters. Refer to Tenants
Construction Guidelines for complete details.
5. Is it required for the tenant to install automatic fire
suppression system on kitchen exhaust hoods?
- Yes, it is required. Required to have available fire blanker
as well.
6. Can tenant tap their CR exhaust to mall kitchen exhaust
system?
- If tenant is occupying only 1 tenant slot, multiple tapping is
No. Use ceiling-diffused exhaust fans for comfort rooms.
7. Can tenant tap equipment exhaust to mall kitchen
exhaust system?
- No. Equipment (e.g. freezer, ice maker) exhaust shall be
discharged above ceiling.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 10
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Mechanical - Kitchen Exhaust and
Fresh Air System
8. Do we require catwalks and manhole?
- Yes. Tenant to provide rigid catwalks along exhaust ducts,
motors, above ceiling equipment for maintenance purposes.
Tenant to provide manholes (60cm x 60cm) strategically
located for above ceiling access.
9. What are the required tests before a tenant can tap in
the mall exhaust duct?
- Tenant to conduct leak test (light and smoke test) prior to
tapping. Tenant should also inform admin for the tapping
schedule, for the mall to schedule exhaust cleaning works
prior to tapping.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 11
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Electrical
1. What is the electrical provision for the tenant area?
- RE per mall to provide a list of leasable slots with
corresponding electrical provision. For 400V system (L-N),
60AT 3 phase for food tenants; 40AT single phase for non-
food tenants. For 230V system (L-L), 100AT 3 phase
for food tenants; 60AT single phase for non-food tenants. If
tenant is occupying 2 more slots, tenant will utilize the
electrical provision for the slots they occupied. See
illustration below:
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 12
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Electrical
2. Do tenants have emergency power provision for their
area?
- Yes. For malls which opened in 2010 onwards, 100%
emergency power is provided, thus tenant emergency panel
and MTS are not required. Some older malls have not
upgraded their generator capacities. RE will release a list of
leasable slots with corresponding emergency power
provision.
3. What type of conduits are allowed?
- Use RSC, IMC, or EMT. Use compression type fittings. For
auxiliary (telephone and data wiring), use PVC conduits.
4. Do we require GFCI?
- Yes. Use GFCI in circuits serving comfort rooms, kitchen
area and cooking equipment, outdoor electrical loads and
signages. GFCI protected outlets can be used in lieu of GFCI
type circuit breakers
5. What is the required wire color-coding?
Line 1 – Red
Line 2 – Yellow
Line 3 – Blue
Ground – Green
Neutral – White (applicable for 400V system only)
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 13
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Electrical
6. is the required type of Main CB?
- Residual Current with Overload Circuit Protection (RCBO)
or Moulded-Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB) with Ground
Protection.
7. What is/are the required test/s prior to energization?
- Insulation resistance test for all branch circuits without
connected load (for power and lightings, disconnect loads
prior to testing). Test shall be conducted by tenant’s
electrical contractor and witnessed by the mall’s authorized
representative.
8. Who is responsible to insWhat tall kWh meter?
- For constructing malls, tenant to provide their own kWh
meter while the mall’s permanent electrical provision is not
yet in place. Tenant to provide TRO copy of its meter’s
calibration certificate. For operational malls, tenant to
directly tap to the mall’s metered electrical provision
witnessed by the mall’s authorized representative. File UTP
(Utility Tapping Permit) before tapping to mall provision.
Mall to provide UTR (Utility Tapping Report) indicating the
tenant initial electrical reading to be confirmed by tenant.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 14
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Electrical
9. Can the tenant request for provision upgrading?
- No. Tenant will utilize the existing electrical provision in
their slot. If tenant is occupying 2 or more slots, tenant will
utilize the electrical provision for the slots they occupied.
Refer to illustration on Electrical FAQ # 1. There are a few
exceptions: If existing provision is for a non-food tenant, but
incoming tenant is a food tenant, incoming tenant is allowed
to upgrade from single-phase to three-phase power supply.
NOTE: SM already has historical and actual power load
profile database for many of its tenants, thus SM is very
much aware of the peak power demand of its tenants.
Tenants who insist to upgrade their electrical provision are
requested to coordinate with SM EDD so they can
understand why their upgrading request is no longer
needed.
10. What is the allowed schedule for welding works?
Refer to Mall Operations House Rules.
11. What are other test required for electrical?
Load balancing when the store is at its peak operating hours.
Required to conduct meager testing before tapping to mall
provision.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 15
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Electrical
11. What is the standard material for Plumbing?
- Use PVC Series 1000 for sanitary lines. Use proper fittings.
Use PPR PN20 (color white) for potable water line.
12. Are we required to tag sewer lines?
- Refer to Mall Operations House Rules.
13. Are the tenants allowed to conduct chipping works?
All coring works must be well coordinated with Mall
Operations and SM EDD since there might be utilities or
tanks below the tenant’s area. Ex: In SMOC, a tenant
conducted floor chipping/coring works and accidentally hit
the mall’s cistern tank.
14. What are the tests prior to tapping of sewer line?
- Leak and slope tests to be performed by tenant’s plumbing
contractor and witnessed by Mall’s authorized
representative.
15. What is the required grease trap capacity and type?
- Minimum of 5gpm for hand sinks. Minimum of 15gpm per
sink for dishwashing. Stainless steel material with 4
chambers and 3 partitions.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 16
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Electrical
16. Who is responsible to install water meter?
- Tenant will be the one to provide and install water meter,
should have calibration certificate of the meter. File UTP
(Utility Tapping Permit) before tapping to mall provision.
Mall to provide UTR (Utility Tapping Report) indicating the
tenant initial water reading to be confirmed by tenant.
FDAS / Fire Protection System
1. Do tenants have provision for hook-up to mall FDAS?
- Yes. RE per mall to provide a list of leasable slots with
corresponding FDAS provision, brand and type required.
2. For Smoke detectors, what particular brand is required?
- RE per mall to provide a list of leasable slots with
corresponding FDAS provision, brand and type required.
3. Are smoke detectors addressable or conventional?
- Tenant to provide own module with conventional devices.
RE per mall to provide a list of leasable slots with
corresponding FDAS provision, brand and type required.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 17
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
FDAS / Fire Protection System
4. Who will do the programming for tenant’s smoke and/or
heat detectors?
- The accredited PM or supplier/contractor of the mall’s Fire
Alarm Control Panel. RE per mall to provide a list of leasable
slots with corresponding FDAS provision, brand and type
required
5. Is in-house contractor required to do the sprinkler
works?
- No. Tenant to provide its own service provider/contractor.
6. What is the allowed schedule for the draining and
refilling activity?
- Monday – Thursday, 8am-5pm
7. What is the required rating of sprinkler head?
- For kitchen area, use 212°F rated sprinkler head (color
green). For non-kitchen area, use 165°F rated (color red).
Install upright sprinkler head for open ceiling and pendant
type for close ceiling.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 18
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
FDAS / Fire Protection System
8. What is the required maximum distance between
sprinkler heads?
- Three (3) meters. The maximum distance of a sprinkler
head to a wall or partition shall be 1.5 meters. The minimum
distance of a pendent type sprinkler head to the nearest
lighting fixture, diffuser, or any ceiling-mounted accessory
shall be 30 centimeters.
9. Do we require tenants to install an automatic fire
suppression system in the kitchen?
- Yes. For all food tenants.
10. How many fire extinguisher do we need?
- For food tenant, minimum of 4 units 10lbs dry chem type
abc or depends on area size. For non-food tenant, minimum
of 2 units 10lbs dry chem type abc or depemds on area size.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 19
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
LPG System
1. What type of pipe is required for the LPG system?
- Seamless BI pipe schedule 40 with all connections fully welded
2. Is in-house contractor required to do the LPG piping works?-
- No. Tenant to provide its own service provider/ contractor.
3. Where do tenants can tap their kitchen LPG pipeline?
- For Tenant to tap after the meter. The mall’s LPG supplier will
install a gas line from the stub-out above ceiling up to the LPG
meter. Location of the meter will depend on the tenant’s
kitchen layout and requirement. Size of pipe after the meter is
¾”
4. What are the required testing procedure prior to tapping to
mall LPG meter?
- 150-psi leak test for a minimum period of twelve (12) hours
using nitrogen. Electronic gas leak detectors shall also be tested
for functionality. Tenant to conduct the testing witnessed by the
mall’s authorized representative.
5. For Buffet tenants, are they required to provide separate
detector per dining table?
- Yes. Individual dining table with cooking must be installed with
automatic safety device.
MEPF Tenant Concerns FAQ 20
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Waterproofing
1. What is the allowed minimum type of waterproofing?
- Tenant to provide polyester/bitumen reinforced
waterproofing membrane (or its equivalent), with a
minimum thickness of 4mm, on the floors of kitchen, toilet,
sink, and other wet areas, subject to Landlord’s
specifications/requirements. Waterproofing shall extend to
300 mm high on the base of the walls.
2. What is the required test required for waterproofing?
- 24-hour flood test witnessed by the mall’s authorized
representative. Flood test shall start between 9:00am to
5:00pm.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 21
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Others
1. Are tenants allowed to do painting works during Mall
hours?
- No. Refer to Mall Operations House Rules (TRO/BAO to
answer this FAQ)
2. What is the process of hot works permit approval?
Secure hot works permit provided by mall and secure and
attached the welding/hot works permit from BFP.
3. Can tenants use plywood?
Plywood and other combustible materials are NOT allowed
to be used as wall partition and ceiling. TRO/BAO to answer
this FAQ as this is not under MEPFS scope of RE. Plywood
may only allowed on tenant furniture provided that it is
applied with fire retardant (application should be witnessed
by mall engineering) contractor should also provide
certification on fire retardant application.
4. Are tenants allowed to use plywood for cabinet/
drawers?
Plywood and other combustible materials are NOT allowed
to be used as cabinet/ drawer. TRO/BAO to answer this FAQ
as this is not under MEPFS scope of RE.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 22
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Ingress
Others
5. Are tenants allowed to have raised floorings?
- Yes for CR and Kitchen areas. Design and implementation is
subject for approval of Mall Operations and EDD Design and
Operations.
6. Do we require accredited contractors for utilities?
-No.
7. Do we require installation of CCTV?
- Yes as required also by city ordinance.
8. Where do tenants hook up their POS and internet?
- There is a mall provision (yellow box) above tenant are
where you can hook up the POS, telephone line and internet
line.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 23
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Egress
Mechanical
1. What are the items to be removed?
- Tenant installed chilled water piping, ac ducting, exhaust
and fresh air ducting.
2. What items are to be retained?
- The mall’s stub-out and duct provisions which are free
from leak and damage. Tenant to ensure all ducts are
properly sealed off and insulated.
Electrical
1. What are the items to be removed?
- All tenant-owned electrical conduit and wiring. All rough-
ins/ conduits and wiring from main provision/pull box. All
electrical fixtures
2. What items are to be retained?
- The pull box (tapping point) and mall feeder line
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 24
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Egress
Plumbing
1. What are the items to be removed?
- Tenant installed sewer pipes and water lines including
embedded ones
2. What items are to be retained?
- The mall’s stub-out / tapping points. Mall clean out and its
cover on each provision in place. Main stub-out and clean
out should be visible
3. What is the test required prior egress?
- Tenant to conduct water flow testing on the main stub out
to ensure no debris from demolition works witnessed by the
mall’s authorized representative
FDAS / Fire Protection
1. What are the items to be removed?
Tenant installed FDAS devices and wirings up to the tapping
point. Ensure all sprinkler heads/ fire protection pipes have
sufficient hangers.
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 25
Tenant MEPF Concerns During Egress
Others
1. What are the items to be removed?
- Tenant installed LPG line after the meter.
2. Tenant Ingress – Refer to Mall Operations Ingress
Checklist
- Already covered in the preceding FAQs per utility
MEPF Teant Concerns FAQ 26
To know more about how to
effectively address MEPF Tenant
Concerns, read the Construction
Guidelines that is included in the
OPC Manual.
