Due to the cold overnight temperatures, HVAC staff began the process of switching campus buildings from cooling to heating mode.  By the end of the day (Oct. 18), residence halls will be switched over to heating. 

HVAC staff will continue working to transition the rest of campus buildings to heat, which should be completed by the end of the week.

Due to the unique piping infrastructure of our buildings, bringing our heating systems online is much more complicated than simply flipping a switch. The University’s heating and cooling system consists of miles of underground pipes which are filled with steam to heat and chilled water to cool, but not both at the same time. For this reason, the process to change buildings from cooling to heating, is a manual and labor-intensive process due to the need to drain and refill the pipes.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

— Aaron Edwards, Facility Planning and Management