An HVAC Replacement to Restore Reliability
At St Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, Illinois, a failing air conditioning unit had reached the point where it could no longer reliably support the facility’s needs. The facilities team knew a replacement could no longer wait.
Our team worked with on-site staff to evaluate the facility and understand the best path forward. Upon assessment of the space, they discovered that there was limited mechanical room access and a constrained layout. That meant a detailed and tailored approach to the replacement was necessary.
How a Knockdown AHU Can Work with Space Constraints
Our engineers wanted the solution to work with unique space aspects in a seamless way, so they decided to assemble a Knock-Down Air Handling Unit (AHU) on site.
Delivered in sections and assembled on site, a knockdown Air Handling Unit (AHU) allows equipment to navigate tight access points such as doors, corridors, and elevators. For this project, the approach not only made installation possible but also optimized the use of valuable mechanical room space.
Benefits of a Kockdown AHU include:
- A design that is tailored to site-specific conditions
- Faster installation timelines
- Pre-verified layouts that reduce risk
- Minimal building modifications
These AHU systems are well-suited for facilities where access is limited, including healthcare campuses, schools, universities, data centers, and historic buildings.
Selecting Customization that Support Stable Healthcare Operations
Our expert partners at Airflow Equipment helped bring this alive with their custom air handling units. Working closely with the facilities team, our sales engineers developed a specialized layout for the AHU. This collaborative approach ensured every feature was selected to support the hospital’s specific needs both today and in the future.
OSF St. Joseph Medical Centers’s custom air handling unit featured:
- A 100% outside air AHU
- A SEMCO Energy Recovery Enthalpy Wheel
- A design optimized for easy maintenance
- Increased airflow capacity
- A reduced mechanical load
For healthcare facilities, reliable performance is critical. Through careful planning, collaboration, and custom engineering, our team delivered a solution that provided dependable ventilation and gave building staff confidence in their system.
How Rental HVAC Solutions Help Support Operations
OSF St. Joseph Medical Center needed operations to remain uninterrupted during tear down and replacement. To maintain ventilation and occupant comfort during installation, our team utilized temporary AHU rental equipment from AirFlow Equipment.
The rental solution helped ensure:
- Continuous support for mission-critical hospital operations
- Proper ventilation throughout the installation process
- Factory-trained personnel could take the time needed to install and commission the equipment correctly
The Result: A Successful Update to a Critical Ventilation System
Despite the building’s space constraints, our team partnered with on-site personnel to safely install the knockdown AHU with a custom layout. The result was a fully functioning and upgraded ventilation system designed to fit the facility’s unique space requirements while delivering improved performance and reliability.
With the new AirFlow Equipment custom air handling unit in place, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center gained a long-term ventilation solution that also incorporates energy recovery technology to help reduce energy costs over time.
Explore More Customer Case Studies Like This.
Our team helps commercial HVAC customers across a wide range of applications solve complex building challenges. As a trusted partner, we deliver solutions designed to improve performance, reliability, and long-term success.
Read about our projects and customer partnerships on our Projects Page.
