Each year in the fall and spring, temperatures fluctuate substantially between daytime highs and nighttime lows, which can affect building system operations. While the goal of Facilities Services 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 the 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 typically are designated for heating and cooling system change-overs. These periods may be altered for unusual seasonal anomalies.
If weather conditions are misjudged, damage could occur, delaying the start up of systems. Facilities Services is aware of the disruption that significant shifts in outdoor temperatures can cause and 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.