Aging HVAC units leave some classrooms dependent on portable ACs — find out which schools
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Air conditioning in Beaufort County schools doesn’t come cheap — and when units fail, students and teachers feel it.
The challenge of keeping the classrooms from becoming too warm on hot days has plagued the district for a few years and the solution has been a series of temporary fixes to overcome late or defective replacement parts as well as changes in the federal rules governing cooling chemistry.
Now, a month into the new school year, every classroom has cooling, though some still rely on portable units while broken heating, ventilation and air conditioning units wait for parts, said Robert Oetting, the district’s chief operations officer.
Although an improvement from the start of this school year and last school year — when several classrooms began the semester without functioning air conditioning — parents have continued to question why units keep failing and why they aren’t replaced entirely.
The district manages more than 2,000 units, and replacing some of them would cost around $20,000 each, while others could approach $1 million, Oetting said. Instead, officials focus on repairs and gradual replacements, leaving some classrooms temporarily dependent on portable units. Unlike last year, Oetting said, there have been no “catastrophic type failures,” but recurring breakdowns highlight the challenge of keeping students and staff comfortable while managing aging and expensive equipment.
Faulty compressors, broken fan motors
Hilton Head Island Elementary highlights some of the ongoing challenges. One HVAC unit there controls an entire wing of classrooms and went out at the end of last school year, Oetting said. Two compressors failed, and while replacements were ordered over the summer, one arrived defective from the factory. The unit now runs on three of four compressors, and a few fan motors have gone out recently, forcing maintenance crews to run it 24 hours a day to keep classrooms cool.
“We’re always working on units,” he said. “Every day, there are teams out there fixing some, while others are having problems.”
Oetting noted that there is currently no confirmed date for when the faulty compressor will be replaced.
Challenges across the district
Oetting has previously said this year’s HVAC challenges are due to a shorter summer break, upper-90s temperatures and the federal phase-out of R-410A refrigerant, a common air conditioning compound. Manufacturers retooled production lines for the new refrigerant, creating nationwide delays.
At H.E. McCracken Middle School, units ordered in March were expected by May or June but didn’t arrive until August. Meanwhile, six portable units cooled classrooms until the new systems could be installed over weekends. Smaller units, like water-source heat pumps at Hilton Head Island Elementary for the Creative Arts, were replaced in about six weeks, with portable units keeping classrooms cool before then as well.
For parents asking what they can do to help, Oetting said, “The only thing I can suggest, especially if they have a portable unit in their classroom, is to be flexible and patient with us.”
“Parts may take several weeks to get in. Their understanding and patience is all I could ask for,” he added.
Which schools are relying on portable ACs?
Portable AC units are temporarily helping classrooms at:
- Hilton Head Island High School – 1 classroom
- Robert Smalls Leadership Academy – 1 classroom
- Beaufort High School – 1 classroom
- Hilton Head Island Elementary School for Creative Arts – several classrooms, two units recently replaced
- Hilton Head Island High School – 1 classroom
- Ladys Island Elementary – 2 classrooms
- Beaufort Middle School – 2 classrooms
- H.E. McCracken Middle School – a wing recently replaced, previously had six portable units
What’s next?
At Tuesday’s district Operations Committee meeting, members reviewed progress since the November meeting and outlined next steps for HVAC systems and facilities management.
Since 2022, the district has committed $32.5 million to HVAC improvements, with about $20 million already spent. These investments have focused on replacing aging units, especially those using R-22 refrigerant, which must be fully phased out by 2030 to meet environmental standards. Of the 1,500 R-22 units identified in 2022, a large portion has already been replaced; however, the rest will still be a “massive undertaking.”
This status update — showing what has been accomplished and what remains to be done — will be presented at the next 8% meeting.
In addition to replacing units, the district has restructured its preventive maintenance program to improve reliability and reduce classroom disruptions. HVAC technicians are now paired with preventive maintenance staff, and external contractors have been brought in to address high-demand periods and ongoing repairs.
