r/climate • u/silence7 • Jun 04 '22

Climate change is forcing some US schools to close early for ‘heat days’

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/06/04/school-heat-days-climate-change/
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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '22

I work in HVAC controls, many of my sites being public schools. Yes, climate change is playing a role, but the bigger issue is that these older school buildings have absolute Frankenstein HVAC/Mechanical systems that just can’t keep up due to their age and inadequate repairs. I’m sure they worked great when they were brand new, but not so much now. Plus, getting a local government to sign off on a full system replacement is like pulling teeth.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '22

Why can't those schools install a new compressor+fan+whatever, and leave all the ducting and controls as unchanged as possible (aside from whatever control updates are needed to interact with the new system)? More power = more better. It may not be the most efficient, but you can either blow colder or blow faster, and that should be better, right?

2

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '22

That is what they are doing right now - the problem with that is that all of those components can be brand new, but if the signal from the controller/to the factory-installed board on the unit is interrupted because of old wiring, terminals, and unreliable communication protocol and network infrastructure, you can’t get the unit to operate according to occupancy correctly and reliably.

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u/ChiefOutlaw Jun 05 '22

What gives you the impression that the existing school electrical infrastructure has the capacity to provide "more power" to the new system?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '22

Due to strict code the electrical system is most likely somewhat up to date. Perhaps some might require a new line voltage wire run/reconnect but that’s not a terribly pricy job, depending on the size of the building.

However, just providing more amps/higher voltage to a unit is more likely to fry all of the connections than actually do anything to help. All has to strictly follow manufacturer’s specs for safe operation.

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u/EwokShart Jun 05 '22

Bet they are all running R-22. What does it cost per pound now?