Air and Dirt Separators Improve HVAC Operation

Cottey College is a small two-year liberal arts school for women located in Nevada, Mo. The college's largest residence hall, 59,000-square-foot Robertson Hall, houses the campus dining hall along with approxi- mately 150 students, making it a focal point of student life. Neal Swarnes, director of facilities, had deemed the building a problem area because excess air and dirt in the building's chilled water system were causing cavitation in the pumps, resulting in noisy and inefficient operation.

After some investigation, Swarnes replaced the existing centrifugal separator with a 6-inch combination air/dirt separator using a coalescing barrier medium to scrub air and dirt from the water system. The product is designed so that air is released through a release mechanism while the dirt falls to the bottom and collects in a chamber where it can be flushed out. Within a week of the installation, the noise and inefficiency problems were solved.

Pleased with the results at Robertson Hall, Swarnes next endeavored to solve similar problems at the President's House. Built in 1903, it is one of the oldest homes in the small college town. When the building was renovated in 1982, the boiler and piping were replaced and portions of the home were switched to a forced-air HVAC system. The hot water heating system was left in place because of the comfort level delivered by the boiler and cast iron radiators. Constant air lock and noise drove Swarnes to replace the existing air separator with a brass 1 ¼-inch Air and Dirt Separator.