Location:
Wichita, KS

Service:
HVAC Equipment & DDC Controls

Partners:
General Contractor: Hutton
Mechanical Contractor: Kruse
Mechanical Engineer: PEC

The Kansas Humane Society had 12-year-old rooftop units that needed to be replaced due to failing heat exchangers. They were told by the existing RTU manufacturer that it is typical to replace the whole unit, due to it being cheaper than replacing the heat exchangers alone; in which we agreed. The CEO asked if BCS would also like to provide an estimate to replace their units with AAON units. BCS took this opportunity to educate the Kansas Humane Society (KHS) on the difference of their current RTUs vs AAON RTUs. The first difference being a 25-year non-prorated warranty on the heat exchangers. If they were to fail at the 12-year mark (which is highly unlikely), you would simply get a new heat exchanger at no cost! The second being dehumidification. Their current units did not have the ability to dehumidify the space where they hose off hundreds of dogs daily. AAON units come standard with dehumidification, so their humidity issues would be solved. Lastly, AAON units are built to last 25+ years. If KHS moved forward with AAON for their rooftop units, they would get to more than double the time in between replacement conversations, from 12 years to 25 years.

After talking about the mechanical system that BCS can support KHS with, they asked about HVAC controls. Their current system was supported out of
Kansas City by a manufacturer that was difficult to contact. Controls can be complicated, and KHS did not have the proper training to understand how to operate
them, nor did they have the opportunity to be further trained. That’s where BCS is different. We provide local support for Siemens Controls, where we can generally have someone on-site the same day to resolve issues. BCS also offers free training for life. We want to empower stakeholders with the knowledge of how to operate their systems. That sort of mentality is exactly what the CEO was looking for.

The CEO presented both options to the Executive Board. We were significantly cheaper than the alternative after factoring in the total cost of ownership (upfront, ongoing, maintenance, training, replacement costs, and service costs), which made the decision a no-brainer to the board to move forward with units that would last twice as long, provide a non-prorated warranty on the heat exchangers, and provide dehumidification for the RTUs. Add an HVAC controls system to the mix that they can always get local support and free training on, and it was a home run for both organizations.

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