New AC units going in at courthouse

New AC units going in at courthouse

Crews trying to beat the heat installing new system

news@theeveningtimes.com

The main court room is up and running and keeping things cool, but the rest of the offices in the county courthouse may have to wait another two weeks before the new air conditioning system is fully operational.

“We don’t have any air conditioning in this building at all right now other than the big court room,” said County Judge Woody Wheeless. “But they are trying to finish it and it is coming along good.”

The county is replacing the 60-year-old chillerboiler system with a new $480,000 heating and air system that has individual thermostats and heating and cooling units in each room.

Wheeless said contractors are almost done laying the condensation lines on the second floor and once they are done with that will start on the first floor.

“That’s the biggest part of the whole job — laying the condensation lines,” Wheeless said. “But by the end of the weekend they should have the whole second floor done and will be able to throw a switch and have that whole section working at one time.”

The AC in the main court room is already running and County Treasurer Charlie Suiter said it is working perfectly.

“We had the maximum number of people you can put in the court room and the temperature never went up one degree,” Suiter said.

“We set it at 65 and it never went above that. It handled the maximum load.”

Suiter acknowledges that it is hot inside the building now, but that they should have everything working in about two weeks.

“Everyone is bearing with it right now,” Suiter said.

“But we have been opening the doors.”

Wheeless said they have been lucky so far that the hot weather has held off.

But he realizes that it is only a matter of time before the 80 and 85 degree temperatures arrive.

“It’s going to be an inconvenience,” Wheeless said.

“Thank goodness we haven’t had hot weather yet. I talked to the owner ad he told him we need to step it up and get this done fast.

He said within two weeks the whole building will be done and running.”

By Mark Randall