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HVAC Airmen winterize base facilities
Posted 10/26/2012 Updated 10/26/2012
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by Staff Sgt. Evelyn Chavez
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
10/26/2012 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- Members of the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning shop are readying more than 450 Aviano buildings for the winter season.
To accomplish this task, Senior Airman Michael Audet, a 31st CES journeyman, and the rest of his 16 person shop, are working 640 man-hours a week for several weeks to drain air conditioning units, functional check heating components and ensure they have enough water to operate, and turn on boilers.
"We have been working [hard] to prepare the systems," said Audet. "If there is something that needs to be fixed, we will ... ensure everything works properly."
To help conserve energy, base officials said the heating systems will not be turned on until temperatures drop to 55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 Celsius during the hottest part of the day for four consecutive days.
"I ask the customers to be patient with this changeover, our shop is doing everything in their ability to have these systems working properly," said Master Sgt. Donald McNair, 31st CES HVAC NCO in charge. "[Everyone can] expect a few days before someone arrives to turn on the heat as we have a very large area we are responsible for."
Until the temperature drops to levels requiring heating systems to be turned on, building occupants are asked to dress accordingly, base CE officials said. Personnel may smell unusual odors emitting from the vents when the systems are initially turned on due to them not functioning since last winter and dust build-up. Any facility with a consistent smell or leak should be reported to the facility manager as soon as possible to initiate a CE work order to have it fixed.
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