Osan participates in no heat, no cool season

  • Published
  • By 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  The time has arrived for Osan Air Base to participate in the seasonal no heat and no cool shutdown.

The 51st Civil Engineer Squadron Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration shop shutdown air conditioning after Sept. 15 to not only allow the air systems to be evaluated and repaired before the heating season begins, but to also save the base money.

"The no heat, no cool period is essential for the HVAC-R shop's preparation for winter," said Master Sgt. Octavious Smalls, 51st CES NCO in charge of HVAC-R. "These measures help prevent unnecessary costs and downtime associated with replacing components and fixing ruptured piping."

More than 243 major facilities and 2,500 stand-alone heating and A/C systems on Osan are affected by the switchover. It takes 3-4 weeks to properly stand down the A/C units.

"Each type of equipment requires separate maintenance actions to prepare for shut down," said Smalls. "Some common maintenance actions are draining water from chillers and chiller lines to prevent freezing and pipeline breaks."

Once temperatures have reached less than 80 degrees for a five consecutive days, the A/C is turned off for the year. When the low temperature dips below 40 degrees for at least five consecutive days, heat will be restored base-wide.

On average, Osan spends an estimated $19 million on energy annually.

"The HVAC-R section is proud of its ability to prevent equipment damage through preventative maintenance and our role in helping to reduce utility expenses by $1.1 million annually," said Smalls. "We know that every dollar saved supports the Team Osan mission and improves the quality of life for everyone on base."

To help reduce energy costs, it is suggested that dorm residents keep the temperature no lower than 76 degrees and work centers no lower than 78 degrees during the summer months. During the colder months, home and office temperatures should be no higher than 68 degrees.