Failed HVAC floods classrooms

Mountain View Elementary School in Colorado’s Windsor School District experienced over $100,000 in water damage over the Thanksgiving holiday. The disaster caused the school to close its doors for three days to make sure the facility was safe for students before it re-opened its doors.

The Incident

The cause of the incident was due to a failed upgrade to the HVAC system. The roof damper of the unit remained open during the Thanksgiving weekend, and the allowed cold air to flow through the ductwork of the HVAC unit. Consequently, the cold air caused the heating coils to freeze and crack, spilling throughout Mountain View Elementary School’s ceilings. As a result, 22 classrooms experienced extensive water damage.

A schoolteacher discovered the water damage when she went to the elementary school on Sunday afternoon to prepare her lessons. She reported the damage, and the water damage restoration process began the same day. The items that experienced water damage include drywall, brickwork, ceiling tiles, carpeting, teaching materials, computers and other electronic equipment. Additionally, the school had to dry wet documents and wet books.

No Building is Immune to Water Damage

Water damage is so destructive because it is many times hard to predict when it will take place. For instance, Mountain View Elementary School had an upgraded HVAC system. Most individuals would trust the system to work properly, but sometimes the unexpected happens. Fortunately, the elementary school’s insurance policy covers flood damage and the school district had an emergency disaster plan in place.