BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, Louisiana– -- BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, Louisiana– The 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation and air conditioning team activated a new chiller on March 10 at the Air Force Global Strike Command Headquarters.
A chiller is an air conditioning system that uses water or an antifreeze-type substance to chill the air in the building that it services.
The new chiller replaces the old machine that had been operating for the past decade. It features a larger capacity and cools more liquid at once than the previous iteration. The increased efficiency saves on energy costs as it cools more water using less energy.
“It's an easier and cheaper way to cool a facility,” said David Foster, 2nd CES AC equipment mechanic.
The new machine is located on the ground level adjacent to the AFGSC rear parking lot, as opposed to the older model located on the roof of a nearby utility building. The new location is safer and eliminates the risk of falling when accessing the chiller.
The machine is far more reliable and less likely to break down during the hot Louisiana summer months.
“We can rely on the new system and be confident that our command facility won't be hindered if we had an outage,” said Master Sgt. James Clement, 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron HVAC non-commissioned officer in charge.
The HVAC team, electricians and engineers all coordinated to make the project a success. The 2nd CES used the installation as an opportunity to train newer Airmen.
“It was a troop training project,” said Airman 1st Class Kevin Gilbert, 2nd CES HVAC apprentice. “I got to go out there and see firsthand what actually goes into setting it up and installing it.”
Barksdale is in the process of updating all of its AC systems. For the 2nd CES HVAC team, the new chiller behind AFGSC HQ is only the beginning.
“I've been in the military for 19 years, and I've only ever replaced four chillers in my career before coming here,” said Clement. “Now, at Barksdale, we've done five chillers in the past 12 months and are projected to do another nine chillers in the future.”