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Helm: district HVAC units aging, many use obsolete R‑22 refrigerant; phasing saves money but raises trade-offs
Summary
Contractor Helm presented a district HVAC condition assessment, flagged obsolete R‑22 refrigerant in many rooftop units and recommended options ranging from repair cores to full replacement; contractors said grouped replacements lower costs, while phasing may increase long-term expense and create mixed control systems.
Contractor Helm delivered a condition-assessment briefing to the Norris School District 160 board Wednesday, identifying aging HVAC equipment at the high school and elementary school and warning that many rooftop and heat-pump units still use R‑22 refrigerant, which the contractor described as obsolete.
"All the refrigerant in those units is an R‑22 refrigerant, and that's been obsolete," the contractor said, noting R‑22 manufacturing ceased and future availability depends on reclaimed supplies. Helm detailed that ASHRAE life-expectancy guidance and visible physical wear (hail damage, missing panels) informed ratings of 'poor' or 'fair' for multiple pieces of equipment.
Helm presented budgetary, high-level 1‑for‑1 replacement pricing for rooftop units and a menu of options. The contractor explained two basic approaches: perform 1‑for‑1 replacements in a single building (which can use the same crane and gain scale savings) or phase replacements across buildings in smaller chunks. "If we were to do a pot of 10 at a time, we don't need 1 crane for each," the presenter said, stressing grouped work yields cost efficiencies.
Board members asked whether controls could be phased in alongside unit replacements. Helm responded that partial control systems are possible — a new control system could be installed to manage only the newly replaced units, but running multiple control systems concurrently is likely and phasing usually increases total cost because of repeated mobilization.
On energy savings, the contractor estimated that replacing old equipment with modern units would reduce energy usage "right around 5%" but recommended running district utility bills through a calculation to provide a district-specific projection. Helm also highlighted energy-reduction options such as ERV (energy-recovery ventilator) refurbishment or replacement and suggested the district could explore solar partnerships with utilities for larger projects.
Administrators said the Helm assessment will support decisions about whether to include HVAC projects in any bond or to address individual failures as they occur. The board was asked to consider whether to target a single building for a 1‑for‑1 replacement or phase projects to match cash-flow and budget constraints.
What happens next: Helm will provide the full assessment report and can supply more detailed repair vs. replacement cost breakdowns on request; the district will use the report when prioritizing projects for the steering-advisory process.
