M.D.
ANDERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL / BOONEVILLE, MISSISSIPPI
Concerned with creating a good learning environment for the children at
the M.D. Elementary School, board members and administration began the search
for ways to update a system that had made learning difficult at best.
The school had aging wall mounted natural gas heaters and window air
conditioning units. Teachers found
it difficult to instruct while the units were running because of the noise and
so shut them off during instructional periods and turned them on while the
students worked independently. That
is not a good way to control the temperature environment in a classroom.
School administrators went to several schools and similar facilities in
northeast Arkansas to personally visit with teachers and administration to
explore the possibility of converting their facility to ground source heat
pumps. After exploring several
options, it was decided they would pursue the possibility of using console units
manufactured by the Hydro-Temp Corporation.
Still one of the primary concerns was acoustical.
Could they use a console unit that would be their best-cost option and
still not have complaints about sound. If
the console units weren't significantly quieter than the present system they
would not use the console system. Hydro-Temp
being keenly aware of how sensitive the issue of sound was made an offer to the
school to bring a new prototype console unit there, install it in a room of
their choosing and let teachers, board members and administrators judge for
themselves if this was the route they wanted to take.
As the old adage goes "the proof is in the pudding", all who
saw the system, its small footprint, the quietness and the level of comfort
agreed this was the way they wanted to go.
Hydro-Temp also asked their head maintenance director, Pete Scott, to
tell them things he would change if he could to make the unit easier to service.
Several of his suggestions were incorporated into the units design
because if the unit is not serviceable in the future then it becomes a
maintenance nightmare, and who would recommend something that gives them
trouble. These units are simple in
design, simple to install and simple to service.
Hydro-Temps philosophy of continuous improvement has been based on
suggestions made by Pete and many others over the years.
These units were manufactured with a special damper to connect to the
hole in the wall where the gas flue went out and now allows them to bring in
fresh air to improve indoor air quality a feature missing on the previous
system.
Booneville has been pleased with the results and are now in the process of
renovating their middle school with a similar setup.
For further information contact any of the following listed below:
Booneville
School District
Larry Morgan, Superintendent
201 North First Street
Booneville, MS 38829
1-662-728-2171
Mechanical Contractor
Air Flo Company
Steve Hudson or Mike Jones
3636 Hwy 67 South
Pocahontas, AR 72455
1-800-382-3113
