HVAC team turns on fire

  • Published
  • By Airman Jack Sanders
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Elmendorf's Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning shop keeps base buildings warm during the winter months.

Every year, between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, the HVAC shop turns on the heating systems around the base.

However, the dates set for the heat system to be turned on are unpredictable.

"I've had years when the heat's turned on in August," said John Elsholz, the HVAC work leader.

"When the weather turns, we're out there pounding the pavement getting the heat turned on," Elsholz said.

It's during this period of the year that cold weather snaps become an issue for the HVAC team Elsholz said. "When the weather turns, it turns quick," he said.

They must make the choice on whether it's cold enough to turn the heating systems on. Once it's turned on, it stays that way until it's time for the system to be shut down again. "What we don't do is turn the heat on and off," he said.

When the time comes for the HVAC team to initiate heating system startup, it happens quickly. "We can have the whole base turned on in a couple of weeks," Elsholz said confidently.

However, the HVAC team may take longer to turn the heat on because of unforeseen problems the systems incurred while inactive. Elsholz said that sometimes the system being inactive will have small parts break or become damaged.

Elsholz also said a piece inside the system must be fixed, but requires large portions of the unit to be dismantled to get to the problem piece. This could cause the system to be down for a long time.

"Through the winter, we keep a working log of what can be fixed in the fall," said Tech. Sgt. Brad Nicholas, the acting NCO in charge of HVAC. When the HVAC team runs across one of these problems that can be fixed later, they mark it in their running log. Elsholz added if the problems don't stop the system from running properly, or if there is a part that has the potential of failing next year, it's added to the work log. This ensures the part may be fixed before it becomes a problem in next year's startup.

When the heat system is turned off, on-base energy consumption is reduced dramatically, Elsholz said. For this reason, the HVAC team's careful about when the heating system is turned on. They risk wasting expenses if they cut it on before it's needed.

The HVAC team puts the pieces of this puzzle together every year and ensures Elmendorf makes it throughout another harsh Alaskan winter to accomplish the mission.