North Campus dorms crank up the A/C

Students living in Mangum and Ruffin residence halls can feel the fresh air.

This summer, UNC’s Department of Housing and Residential Education renovated the central air conditioning systems in the two North Campus residence halls.

Students staying in the Olde Campus Upper Quad Community for summer school were moved to Kenan Community, said Steve Lofgren, assistant director of facilities for the housing department.

New windows were also installed in Mangum, Ruffin, Manly and Grimes residence halls, Lofgren said.

Lofgren said the construction cost about $3 million.

The housing department plans to spend an additional $2.3 million to upgrade the air conditioning in Manly and Grimes residence halls in summer 2015.

The systems were installed in 1989 and their age makes renovation necessary, he said.

UNC has a 10-year plan to renovate air conditioning units in certain residence halls.

"(The 10-year plan) covers North and mid-campus residence halls that have window air conditioners (Joyner and Teague, for example) as well as 25-or-more-year-old existing fan coils/central air conditioning (Lewis, for example),” he said in an email.

Spencer, Joyner, Teague, Parker and Avery residence halls have window units that will be switched out for central air conditioning, according to the housing department’s website.

In addition, Lewis, Manly and Grimes have air conditioning systems that are more than 25 years old, which will also be renovated.

UNC did not become fully air-conditioned until 2011, when Ehringhaus Hall was the last dorm to receive full air-conditioning.

“About 10 years ago, the first thing my wife did was to run home and get a fan when she saw I was going to work here,” Lofgren said.

Students are happy with the improved air conditioning in North Campus dorms.

“Last year, some people said they would come in and start coughing,” said senior and Mangum Residence Hall office assistant Courtney Reynolds. “Now it’s fine. It just feels fresher.”

“It’s just so much nicer,” said senior and Mangum Hall resident Emily Brawley. “All the people who work here and help renovate, they always do such a good job.”

The housing department, which is fully funded by student housing fees, has no plans to upgrade window units on South Campus.

“Doing so might necessitate raising rent, which is never popular,” Lofgren said.

“For (Hinton James), I think the window units work fine,” Reynolds said. “It was central air in here – super old and definitely gross.”

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