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Case Study Mount Vernon

The 260-year-old home of George W ashington, M ount Vernon, VA, w as vulnerable to damage f romw eather fluctuations and humidity. M any artif acts could not be housed there and long-term pre-servation of the structure and its contents w as a concern. Expertise in climate control for historicpreservation w as needed to replace the vintage 1899 heating system w ith m odern HVAC equipment not only to select the right components to keep the historic treasures safe, but to i nstall the newsystem w ithout damaging or visibly altering this national landmark.

Carriers team of preservation cooling experts designed a system that houses air handlers in under-ground vaults, whil e keeping ductw ork out of sight in closets and between raft ers. The air-cooled,chlorine-free Ecologic chiller w hich also cools other buildings on the grounds w as installed200 yards from the mansion, hidden by trees. M ost importantly, the new system is designed toavoid condensation problems that a modern HVAC system could cause in an uninsulated, w ood-frame structure like M ount Vernon. Room and in-wall sensors continuously detect moisture content,enabling the Carrier controls t o adjust humidit y levels before condensation has a chance to form.

Carrier Preserves Mount Vernons Past and

Protects Its Future

Case Study Mount Vernon

AIRSIDE/APPLIED/CONTROLS/SERVICE/SPECIAL SOLUTION/ TOTAL SYSTEM/UNITARY

EDUCATION/HEALTH CARE/LODGING/MANUFACTURING/OFFICEBUILDING/RETAIL/SPECIA

Project Objectives

Solution

Frankly the prospectof installi ng an air

conditioning systemin the mansion hadalw ays terrif ied us

because of t he

potentially damagingeffects it could poseto a structure of this

age and historicalsignificance.

The mansion is aone-of-a-kind original not a rest orat ion.

Jam es C. Rees, IV,executive director of

Mount VernonEstate & Gardens

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George W ashingtons M ount Vernon is one of the nations most treasured historic landmarks. To ensurethat future generations w ould be able to enjoy this beautiful mansion and other buildings on the estategrounds, preservationists called on Carrier to i nstall a stat e-of-the-art HVAC system. Proper climate controlw ould not only preserve the buildings infrastructure, but also protect the valuable artif acts housed inside.In fact, many items of signif icant historic interest could not be show cased in the mansion due to the uncon-trolled indoor environment.

The project demanded signif icant expertise in preservation cooling. The Carrier team w orked wit h theM ount Vernon staff f or nearly tw o years to design a system that w ould provide precise climate control withminimal impact on the buildings. And there could be no possibil i ty of damage from condensation problems,w hich can result from heati ng, cooling and humidity control in an uninsulated, wood-frame structure l ikeM ount Vernon. The installation challenges w ere signif icant as well. Equipment had to be hidden from viewas much as possible, both inside and out. Another concern was the environmental impact of the equipmentand the future availabil i ty of refrigerant to keep the new system running.

The solution included an air-cooled Ecologic chiller, which uses chlorine-free, non-ozone depleting HFC-134a refrigerant, installed about 200 yards from the mansion and hidden from view by a tree l ine. Two ofthe systems six central station air handlers are housed outside the mansion in below-ground vaults. Inside,the ductw ork was carefully snaked through closets and between rafters, hiding it from view and preservingthe buildings structural integrity. M ultiple humidity sensors continually detect moisture levels in the air andinside the walls, enabling adjustments to humidif ication and preventing the formation of condensation. Thechil ler also cools the estates museum, servants hall and greenhouse, all recently renovated.

In addition to t he historic buildings new HVAC equipment, Carrier also installed air conditioning in the

directors residence. Two high efficiency 12.0 SEER WeatherM aker

units w ere chosen for their energy-saving operation and their use of Carriers non-ozone depleting Puron refrigerant.

The benefits of the new Carrier system are many. A valuable part of our nations history wi l l be protectedand preserved for future generations. Artifacts including documents, china, furniture and personal memora-bil ia wil l now be showcased in the home w here they w ere originally used. And tourists visit ing historicMount Vernon wil l be more comfortable, too.

Project Synopsis

Climate control is one ofthe reasons w e w ill be able

to bring home so m any ofW ashingtons artifacts,

w hich have been main-tained by collectors and

museums aroundthe country.

Carter King Laughlin,M ount Vernon curator

200 0 Car ri er Corpo rat ion 05/ 00 811- 100 12

For more information, contact your nearest Carrier Representative, call 1.800.CARRIER or visit our web site at www.carrier.com

Project Summary

Location: M ount Vernon, VA

Building Age: 260 years

Project Type: Replacement

Building Type/Size: Wood-frame construction (mansion)/Three-story

Building Usage: Historiclandmark/museum

Objectives: Provide modern,environmentally sound climate

control to protect and preservehistoric structure and artifacts;install HVAC system w ithoutdamage or alteration to structure

Major Decision Drivers:Expertise in preservation climat econtrol; environmentally-fr iendlyequipment

Design Considerations:Equipment must be hidden

from view; minimal impacton structure

Total Cooling (tons): Ecologicchiller: 115

HVAC Equipment: Model30GX Ecologic ai r-cooledHFC-134a chiller; twoW eatherM aker model38TXA Puron refrigerant

air conditioners; six model 39Tcentral station air handlers

Unique Features: Preservationinstallation

Project Cost Range:$100,000 to $500,000

Installation Date: 1998

Contractor: Calvert-JonesCo., Inc.

Case Study Mount Vernon continued

AIRSIDE/APPLIED/CONTROLS/SERVICE/SPECIAL SOLUTION/ TOTAL SYSTEM/UNITARY

EDUCATION/HEALTH CARE/LODGING/MANUFACTURING/OFFICEBUILDING/RETAIL/ SPECIA