No Heat No Cool soon to be underway at Yokota

Airman 1st Class Jacob Trout, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician, checks the flow of underground heating valves before operating the system here Oct. 14. The HVAC shop maintains the heating and cooling systems for over 1,000 facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo/Osakabe Yasuo)

No Heat No Cool soon to be underway at Yokota

Published Oct. 17, 2013
By 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- With the arrival of fall, the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron will flip the switch Monday, Oct. 21st, shutting off Yokota's heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, systems.

The program, called No Heat/No Cool, helps maintain Yokota's critical and aging HVAC infrastructure by allowing routine, preventative maintenance to be performed.

"We've experienced a fairly warm October, but we need 30 days to clean out our steam pipes before we can turn on the heat," said Col. Mark August, 374th Airlift Wing commander. "We really cannot wait another week and be stuck in the cold in late November. So, while we are saving money, it's really about getting base infrastructure postured for the winter season before the cold hits."

With the added maintenance, No Heat/No Cool allows for a reduction in power outages as well.

"This period is critical to increasing the lifespan of Yokota's infrastructure and reducing the frequency of unplanned heating or cooling outages at other times during the year," said Lt. Col. Christoff Gaub, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron commander. "Maintenance of the heat-side equipment will begin once the chilled side has drained."

The No Heat/No Cool season will run until the five-day average maximum temperature is 62F or until Nov. 19, whichever comes first.

The order of precedence to begin turning on the HVAC systems starts with housing, high-use facilities and critical facilities such as the Child Development Centers.