51st CES preps for end of no heat, no cool period

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Craig Cisek
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  51st Civil Engineer heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technicians have started preparing air conditioning units for facilities here.

There are three teams of two technicians, working 12 hour shifts to prepare over 600 buildings on Osan.

The process involves draining the boiler water and ensuring the water cools to a maximum of 72 degrees Fahrenheit before pumping into the chillers. In addition to water cooling, the oil inside the compressors must sit for 24 hours before the units can be turned on.

Senior Airman Devin McCree, 51st CES HVAC, said, "It takes 24-72 hours to get everything started up, just to turn on the air conditioning for one building."

All buildings on base use a water flow system for heating and cooling, which is a major factor in getting units up and running. Between water, compressors, and refrigeration lines, there are a lot of procedures that must be followed, before an air conditioning unit can be turned on, said McCree.

During the no-heat, no cool period this spring, Osan saves an average of $12,000 a day by not running air conditioning units, but with the temperature rising, the HVAC teams are readying for the Korean heat.