In February, Lou presented his idea at a State Incentive and Productivity Commission meeting in Austin, accompanied by AM 7 Supervisor Clarence Wolbrueck. Pictured l-r are Clarence, Lou, Chair Vickers B. Meadows, and Executive Director Ed Bloom. Lou Hebert of Area Maintenance 7 saw the water damage that cost building tenants time and money in repairs and the turmoil of ruined equipment and experiments. He saw the extra work it took Area Maintenance, Construction, and Custodial crews to clean up and make repairs. Lou's prototypes are installed at Horticulture Sciences.
Later units have smaller pipe, less coil, and a smaller box.
Future units will use stainless steel coil. Lou, who has worked with AM7 since 1994, saw that building interior's were being damaged by water condensing on drain lines coming from air handlers. The Physical Plant maintains approximately 750 to 1,000 sizable air handlers. Air goes through the air handler, which is part of the air conditioning unit, to be heated and cooled through contact with the heating hot water and chilled water coils. Water left the unit about 25 degrees colder than the drain line.