Every spring, as the City of Chicago sheds its winter layers and balconies


begin to buzz with life, the maintenance staffs at residential high-rise community associations step into high gear behind the scenes. As Chief Engineers, we’ve got one mission when summer rolls around: To keep our homeowners and residents cool, comfortable, and oblivious to the Herculean effort it takes to make that happen.


While neighbors swap out winter wardrobes for linen shirts and sundresses, our teams are deep into chiller inspections, rooftop unit calibrations, and more than a few “it’s leaking again” moments in mechanical rooms. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to keep a skyscraper calm and collected in a heatwave, buckle up. There are a wide variety of cooling systems that buildings use, such as 2 or 4 pipe systems, thru-wall/window package air conditioning units, and heat pumps. Here are some of the ways we prepare our vertical villages for the cooling season and how residents may help.


cai-illinois.org • 847.301.7505 | 15


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