Some buildings on Michigan State’s campus may be hotter than usual this week, due to a mechanical failure at the T.B. Simon Power Plant.
A boiler at the power plant failed Sunday, which means it may be warmer in about 25 buildings on MSU’s campus.
Director of Utilities Robert Ellerhorst explains.
“So we had to take a boiler unplanned offline yesterday. And it may seem odd, but the steam from this boiler is needed to send to campus for refrigeration and keeping buildings cool.”
With one less boiler working, the steam generated chillers will be limited on the amount of cooling water they can produce for the campus.
Some air conditioning units in offices and classrooms will have their control temperature adjusted higher than normal.
But Ellerhorst says they are able to manage the chilling by hand while the boiler is being repaired, so they should be able to keep temperatures in check.
Ellerhorst says things should be back to normal in one week.