Heating/cooling transition set for April 1 to May 9 Published March 21, 2008 OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The 55th Civil Engineer Squadron HVAC Maintenance Section is currently performing pre-seasonal cooling system inspections to identify repairs needed in preparation for the No-Heat/No-Cool transition that converts facilities from winter heating to summer cooling. During the next six weeks, people may notice civil engineer craftsman working in their mechanical rooms preparing for the upcoming cooling season. With this in mind, the base has set the date for transition to occur between April 1 and May 9. This extended cooling-free period will operate the utility systems at a reduced capacity, saving utility dollars. However, if the temperature dictates, the base will accelerate the changeover and move the transition dates forward for critical buildings. The seasonal change from heating to cooling will start with mission critical 24-hour operation facilities and quality-of-life facilities such as dormitories, dining, and childcare facilities. These facilities have priority over all other comfort cooling. The majority of HVAC systems on Offutt are two-pipe systems which requires the 55th CES to turn off the heat before the air conditioning can be turned on. Additionally, with a two-pipe system, once the changeover takes place it is not possible to convert between cooling and heating in a timely and efficient manner. During the transition period, Offutt may experience some warm days; however, the design of base systems will not allow the 55th CES to respond to sudden relapses in cold weather and they ask that users refrain from calling in service calls for "too hot" or "no cooling" while temperatures return to seasonal conditions. For more information, facility mangers can call the 55th CES customer service section at 294-6101.