Replacing a 30-year-old HVAC System

Erected in 1973 and owned by Oxnard Mayor Manuel Lopez, this 30,000-square-foot professional building in downtown Oxnard had endured complaints of the HVAC system for many years. The building was operational 24/7/365 and the 30-year-old heating and air-conditioning system required constant repairs with bills often exceeding $10,000 annually. The entire ground floor was home to a number of Oxnard merchants, including a print shop and an optician. The entire second floor was dedicated to office space, including the mayor’s office.

Project History
In spring 2003, Steve Dishman, Kaiser Air Conditioning, Oxnard, advised Mayor Lopez to replace his worn-out equipment with state-of-the-art technology—a cooling and heating system that could provide individual zoning controls for each one of the building’s retail and office tenants. New technology would require special bypass dampers and sophisticated controls in order to balance the existing ducted system that was neither balanced nor sized correctly for the fluctuating air volume.

In spring 2004, southern California experienced an early “heat wave.” Air- conditioning systems throughout the state were put under enormous pressure, including the mayor’s office building. In March, eight different leaks were found in the coil of the old 30-ton air handler. The mayor decided to move on Dishman’s proposal to replace the outdated HVAC system. But there was a problem.

Discovering the Ideal Solution: a Perfect Fit
The cost of raw materials, including sheet metal, copper and all metals required to complete this project, increased over 80 percent from the prior year resulting in an additional $25,000 in material costs. During this period, the staff at Kaiser Air Conditioning attended a 1-day seminar presented by Buddy Delaney, western regional manager for Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating Solutions, Suwanee, Ga. At this seminar, Dishman realized that the Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless system demonstrated exactly what he needed to effectively cut back the incredible cost increases of the raw materials. He also recognized that the Mitsubishi Electric technology and innovative systems design would keep labor and installation costs down.

After analyzing the actual costs for materials and installation, Dishman found that a Mitsubishi Electric split-ductless system would be a perfect fit for this project. He contacted his distributor, Derek Chan, US-Air Conditioning Distributors, Los Angeles, as well as a local Mitsubishi Electric HVAC representative, Bobby Hahn. The result was an immediate decision to scrap the original plans and begin designing around the Mitsubishi Electric MXZ INVERTER technology. Within a month, construction began with a completion date of June 30, 2004. The installation of the Mitsubishi Electric units allowed a 30 percent reduction in labor because all that was needed on site was a single master technician and two to six journeymen.

24/7, 365—a Thing of the Past
“With this dramatic conversion from an obsolete enthalpic (thermodynamic) system to a sleek, cost-busting variable frequency compression technology, the Civic Center Professional Building today is the most perfectly balanced and zoned system in the entire City of Oxnard,” Dishman said. “The retail and office tenants are ecstatic to have their very own systems and controls. The previous system ran 24/7, 365 days a year, with either the whole building in heating mode or in cooling mode. Aside from the initial cost savings for both labor and materials, the monthly electric bill has been cut in half! This was a real win-win for everyone!”