Naperville Central's AC problem finally under control

It's taken about three weeks, but the kinks in the renovated Naperville Central High School's air conditioning system are just about worked out.

Since the first day of school, teachers and students alike have been bombarding him with lines from the Goldilocks fairy tale, Naperville Unit District 203 Facilities Director Ralph Weaver said Wednesday.

"They've been like the three bears since the first day of school, like they were reciting lines for the play" he said. "This one's room is too cold, this one's room is too hot and just a few were just right. Well now, we've got them all about just right."

Just about right, in Weaver's book, ranges from 68 to 74 degrees, and getting there requires fine balance and tuning, especially in a building still under construction with sections exposed to the elements.

"There are a lot of players involved in the installation and operation of these systems, and they all need to be inspected to ensure they're working properly," Weaver said. "Once that was done and we knew were going to have to fine tune some bugs, we got to work. So it feels a lot better in there now than it has for the first few weeks."

Weaver said kicking on the heat when the weather turns won't negatively affect the operation, either.

"Just by nature, heating is always easier than cooling," he said. "There won't be any problems with that."

The 3,000-student school at 440 W. Aurora Ave. opened Aug. 25 with a three-story, $87.7 million addition that houses all major subject areas. infrastructure upgrades, a new learning resource center, new athletic and music spaces, improved traffic flow inside and out and synthetic turf on the football field.