Photo By Staff Sgt. Nicholas Ross | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Bosch, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron heating,...... read more read more
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KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --The summer months can bring a host of challenges for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. As temperatures climb, the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration flight works diligently to ensure all facilities maintain comfortable temperatures.
The flight installs, maintains and operates hundreds of HVAC-R units across the base, from massive chiller units to smaller residential and individual units.
“Our equipment works three to four times harder in the middle of summer because of the heat outside,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Bosch, 8th CES HVAC-R technician. “Therefore, our equipment has to work that much harder to maintain the temperature inside.”
This heightened demand can strain systems, leading to breakdowns or decreased efficiency, especially in older units.
The HVAC-R consists of 25 people with 13 active duty Airmen, 3 guard Airmen and 9 civilians. Each day, HVAC-R personnel break up into teams of two or three to complete work orders. The turnaround time for any service request varies greatly on the issue and if they have the parts to fix it.
“We do emergencies first, then preventative maintenance, then everything else,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nickolas Lawson, 8th CES HVAC-R work lead. “We have to make sure that our guys who respond are knowledgeable enough to fix it in a timely fashion.”
Servicing units on Kunsan comes with some unexpected logistical challenges. The units used across the base are from multiple American and Korean manufacturers, each having unique parts that won’t necessarily work in a different unit.
“There’s not always an easy or timely way to get those specific parts,” said Lawson. “So, we have to try and figure out the right Korean version that matches. On rare occasions, we’ve had times when it’s a serious emergency, our civilians have been able to immediately go off base and get a part for us.”
As a last resort, ordering parts from the United States is possible, but Lawson said it can take as many as four months to be shipped.
To combat some of these challenges, the HVAC-R shop has been providing portable units to affected user to help mitigate equipment shortfalls.
“We’re trying to get more units for people having AC issues,” said Lawson. “We’re about to start trying to get bigger ones so they cool better.”
As summer winds down, the HVAC-R flight will continue to tackle repairs and preventative maintenance necessary to maintain ideal temperatures in work centers and quarters to keep the Wolf Pack ready for tomorrow’s fight.
| Date Taken: | 08.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2024 04:12 |
| Story ID: | 478785 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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