Last winter we found ourselves replacing numerous rooftop HVAC units at our school building. This summer, several air conditioning units at the church building have needed repair or replacement.  Fortunately, St. John’s has been blessed with several church members who know how to complete many basic repairs and one is even a licensed HVAC Technician!

BALCONY AC UNITS

Years ago leaders installed two air conditioning units in the balcony to help moderate the heat for musicians, ushers, and others but, more importantly, help dehumidify the air closest to the pipe organ. These units have not functioned correctly in many years. Some re-wiring and a few new parts got them running again!

SANCTUARY AIR CONDITIONING

The air conditioning units for the sanctuary failed late this summer, and the age, size, and cost of the units are a big issue. If all we did was replace the existing units, it could easily cost $50,000-$60,000 or more!  Thanks to several leaders, we are working on a plan to both lower the cost of repair or replacement and also spread out the cost over years (as compared to all at once).

One church leader spent more than 20 hours working on these very large AC units and has been able to get one unit working at about one-half of its capacity. During the warmer days of August, this has helped moderate temperatures considerably. We would likely never PAY for these many hours of repair work!  This work would easily cost $3,000 or more.  So far the cost of parts and materials has been limited to $500.  (Thanks be to God!)

NOTE: The size of an AC unit is measured in “tons.” A typical home AC unit is between four (4) or five (5) tons of cooling capacity. Our sanctuary units are 15 tons each, for a total of 30 tons of cooling capacity! 

THREE OTHER AC UNITS

Fortunately, the three other air conditioning units at the church are functioning well and keeping the chapel, narthex, and basement cool. These same volunteers have done some preventative maintenance to help extend their life even more.