Illinois State Heating Plant braces for extreme wind chills

Image courtesy of Illinois State University

NORMAL, Ill. – Despite wind chills expected to drop below 20 degrees Friday, Illinois State University’s Heating Plant remains prepared to keep campus buildings warm.

According to Assistant Superintendent Josh Wiechman, the plant experiences conditions like these a couple of times a year.

Built in 1916, the Heating Plant is located adjacent to Schroeder Hall.

According to the ISU website, it heats more than 2 million square feet of classrooms, residence halls and offices across campus.

In cases of extreme cold, the plant undergoes a specific process for these conditions.

“There are outside air dampers that will control mixed air temperature, based on what it is in a fan, and provide that to the building,” Wiechman said. “One of the ways to combat the extreme cold is to temporarily pinch down those outside air dampers, so that the extremely cold weather doesn’t get into the fan and freeze coils.”

Ahead of the frigid weather on Friday and forecasted snow for the weekend, Wiechman presented some advice for ISU students to deal with the extreme cold.

“Wear layers, keep your dorm windows shut and make sure your heating system is working correctly,” he said.

As wind chills are expected to drop below 20 degrees on Friday, Illinois State University will remain open, with the campus Heating Plant prepared to handle the extreme cold.