About the Project

Carpenters Middle School is located in Maryville, Tennessee and was built in 2001. With 650 students in grades 6-8, Carpenters has the third-largest enrollment of all middle schools in Blount County.

Educating so many preteens can make proper heating and cooling a tricky task. Before renovations, the old and unreliable unit ventilators at Carpenters caused students discomfort during the warmer months. The HVAC equipment was also noisy, making it more difficult for teachers to maintain a focused classroom environment.

The Blount County Board of Education hired FourSeasons to install a quieter, more efficient HVAC solution. FourSeasons set to work replacing the existing system, which consisted of loud and leaky water-source heat pumps tied into a geothermal loop.

To reduce the noise nuisance, classroom units were relocated outside of the building. The team poured concrete pads along the school’s outer wall, then installed 36 new ground-mounted Aaon package units on the pads. Ductwork was directed through the walls and above the drop ceiling, terminating with ceiling grilles and bringing quiet, cool comfort to each room.

To serve the rest of the school, the old central station air handlers were replaced with large, efficient Aaon split systems. FourSeasons also removed and replaced the rooftop units, using new curb adapters to adapt the new units to the old unit footprint. With these school-wide renovations, the gymnasium, music rooms, offices, cafeteria, and hallways could now stay as cool and comfortable as the classrooms.

The Carpenters Middle School project brought value to more than just the teachers and students. Most of this project was completed during the summer break, minimizing disruption to the academic schedule and reducing administrative hassle. Just as students started the new school year with a more comfortable environment, the school board and administrators started the year knowing that a much-needed project had been done, and done well.

Scope:

• 20 rooftop package units for the offices, music rooms, and gymnasium
• 7 split-system units for the cafeteria, kitchen, and hallways
• 1 through-the-wall unit for the custodian’s office
• 3 ductless split systems for administrative offices
• 36 ground-mounted package units serving the classrooms