HEADLINES Stay Cool When Determining Your Bus A/C System By Sylvia Arroyo B
ill Schroyer, fleet manager with the Escambia County (Fla.) School District and the former director
of fleet management for the Florida Department of Education, believes in two simple rules when selecting AC systems: “purchasing the right system and maintaining the system.” Joe Reed, a school bus and coach
maintenance professional and consultant based in Atlanta, agrees with Schroyer. “Te first issue is specifying the
best system for your needs. Te next is training your staff to effectively maintain the buses with these systems. It should get easier after that,” said Reed, the former assistant director of transportation maintenance at Palm Beach (Fla.) District Schools. Schroyer and Reed echoed the
statements made by a number of AC system manufacturers on what bus operators should look for in a new system and how to properly and regularly maintain the system. “Being aware of your ‘special needs,’ such as operating climate
(geographic conditions and locations) and operating profile (frequency of stops and idling), has direct bearing on what you should specify and demand of your AC system,” said Jerry Peters, sales administrator of commercial and bus sales for Mobile Climate Control. Chris Kroeker, product manager at Termo King, noted that
preventative maintenance is key to increasing the life of any bus AC system. “It also ensures optimum unit performance and reduces fuel consumption,” he said.
DETERMINING THE RIGHT SYSTEM Manufacturers note that the more you know what you
need before placing a purchase order on a new AC system, the more success you’ll have in finding the right system. An AC manufacturer can better guide you through the process if you provide them with certain specs, starting with the size and length of your buses and respective passenger capacities. “Tis is necessary to determine the relative size of the bus and
interior volume to be cooled,” said Dave Hammonds, engineering manager at Trans/Air. Te regional climate also plays a role. Southern climates at 100 degrees require more air-conditioning capacity and a higher BTU rating than northern climates at 90 degrees. Over-sized or under-sized units can create uncomfortable
conditions inside the bus and can lead to premature failure of components, resulting in increased costs to replace parts. Other key information includes the bus manufacturer, chassis type and engine size, which is necessary to determine the available
Manufacturer Product Support, Availability Vital One important aspect to maintaining a bus AC system is developing a good relationship with the AC manufacturer for service
and products support. Without this, “AC systems can quickly become burdens on fleet maintenance and scheduling departments. Te right AC system will ultimately help operators, not hinder them,” said Chris Kroeker, product manager at Termo King. For some operators, however, the availability of parts has been an issue. In some cases, they have had to wait several months
on larger items or kits. Dave Oberdorff, general manager of American Cooling Technology, said the company keeps its units and parts in stock to
ensure customers receive what they need in a timely manner. “Our lead time on systems is typically ship from stock or one to two weeks ARO (After Receipt of Order) maximum.”
26 School Transportation News Magazine March 2012
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