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A crane lowers a compressor unit onto the roof of Wenatchee High School Wednesday morning. Each of the three compressors weigh between 1,200 to 1,500 pounds, which is about the size of a small SUV, according to district spokesperson Diana Hagund.

A crane lowers a compressor unit onto the roof of Wenatchee High School Wednesday morning. Each of the three compressors weigh between 1,200 to 1,500 pounds, which is about the size of a small SUV, according to district spokesperson Diana Hagund.

The installation work Wednesday morning came with a hiccup when a crane used to hoist one of the compressors malfunctioned. Crews planned to work into the evening Wednesday to finish the work.

Crews will also return sometime after Labor Day to finish the installation, though Haglund said the district does not anticipate the future work impacting the school's schedule.

WENATCHEE — Like a student stacking Lego blocks, a crane slowly lowered compressor units onto the roof of Wenatchee High School Wednesday morning.

The last-minute work to install three compressors before students arrived was needed to repair the school’s cooling system and keep temperatures comfortable. The Salcido Connection installed three refurbished compressors on the roof, each weighing 1,200 to 1,500 pounds.

The cooling system at the school is old — first installed in 1972 and renovated in 1993 — and requires considerable upkeep.

Over the past few years, extreme heat has caused some parts to reach their “end of life,” according to district spokesperson Diana Haglund. Forecasts this week call for triple-digit high temperatures through Friday.

The system’s manufacturer is no longer operating and replacement parts are hard to come by. In some instances, the district’s two full-time HVAC technicians have manufactured parts.

“District HVAC staff monitor the system closely and make repairs using creativity and technical skills,” Haglund said. “It’s amazing they have been able to maintain a system of this size and age as long as they have.”

So, on the scheduled first day of classes at the high school, the start time was delayed and a crane was erected for the repair work. Though initial plans called for the use of a helicopter in the installation, FAA flight approval was not provided in time.

“While these components will help get the system up and running as school gets underway, the potential of another part of the system failing is possible due to the age and complexity of the system,” Haglund said.

Replacement for the three compressors is estimated to cost $200,000, with the money coming from leftover funds from the bond to build Washington Elementary School, Haglund said. That work was completed in 2016.

During last week’s board meeting, Interim Superintendent Bill Eagle said “refrigerant leaks in some of the older coils and piping” largely impact the cooling cycle at the school.

Eagle said he would explore the possibility of grants to fund a replacement and “share some options at a future meeting for a more permanent solution for the HVAC problems at the high school and the potential costs associated with that.”

The failed 2018 bond proposal, which would have renovated the high school, included funding to replace the HVAC system. Haglund said this project would be included in any future bond.

WENATCHEE — Work to install compressors on the roof of Wenatchee High School Wednesday morning hit a snag when a crane malfunctioned.

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