Steam from Boiler Plant heats water for heating (in building mechanical room).
Heating hot water is pumped to air handlers and convective heaters.
Air handling fans blow air across hot water coils. (Some fresh air from outside is mixed with recirculated air).
Ducts from fans provide warm air to terminal boxes (above ceilings)
Terminal boxes are controlled by room thermostats (adjust air temp and flow).
Some spaces have fan coil units (with fans, heating coils and thermostats).
Perimeter walls and building entrances may have convective heaters (radiators).
Residence Hall rooms
Renovated buildings: similar to “large buildings” above. Missouri Hall has below-window packaged units.
Un-renovated buildings:
All heat is provided by hot water convective heaters (radiators).
Room air naturally enters heater at the bottom, and rises through hot water
fins, heating the air (natural convection circulates the air).
Blocking airflow to or from the heater will reduce its effectiveness
Other buildings
May have their own hot water boiler (including Barnett Hall, Campbell Apartments, Student Recreation Center, West Campus Suites).
May have a natural gas furnace with air fan.
Dates
In buildings without automatic controls, heating is turned on in the fall when low
temperatures are likely to remain at or below freezing for several days.
In the spring, heating is turned off when low temps are likely to remain above 40
for several days and highs remain in the 60s or higher.
Cooling
Campus chilled water loop
Several buildings have large chillers in mechanical rooms.
Chillers produce chilled water for the building and the campus loop.
Chilled water loop piping runs in tunnels between buildings.
Some buildings without chillers use chilled water from the campus loop.
Most large buildings
Chilled water is provided by building chiller or campus loop.
Chilled water is pumped to air handlers.
Air handling fans blow air across chilled water coils.
(Some fresh air from outside is mixed with recirculated air.)
Ducts from fans provide cool air to terminal boxes (above ceilings).
Terminal boxes are controlled by room thermostats (adjust air temp and flow).
Other buildings
Air handling fans blow across refrigerant coils
Similar to home central AC
Systems have a condenser located outside on roof or ground
Ducts from fans provide cool air to building spaces.