Each year, in the fall and spring, temperatures fluctuate substantially between daytime highs and nighttime lows. While Facilities Services’ goal is to provide a comfortable and productive environment for faculty, staff and students, the types of cooling systems in several buildings limit the ability to do so.
At the end of each cooling season, many of our air conditioning systems must be completely drained to prevent water from freezing inside the equipment. If systems are not drained and subsequently freeze, significant damage to building equipment and interior furnishings can occur.
Likewise, Facilities Services does its best to anticipate when to refill the cooling systems. The periods of Oct. 15 through Nov. 15 and March 15 through April 15 are typically designated for heating and cooling system changeovers. These periods may be altered for unusual seasonal anomalies. Should Facilities Services misjudge weather conditions, it runs the risk of causing damage that could delay the start up of the systems.
Facilities Services is aware of the disruption that significant shifts in outdoor temperatures can cause. The staff will continue to do its best to balance the risks associated with potentially damaging building equipment, with environmental conditioning that is necessary to conduct teaching and research.