Lakota Liberty and East HS Chiller Installation 2025

Prodigy Building Solutions was hired to replace two aging chiller systems for Lakota Local Schools—one at Liberty Early Childhood School and one at Lakota East High School. These upgrades improve cooling reliability, reduce noise, enhance system efficiency, and simplify long‑term maintenance for both facilities.

Lakota East High School – Water‑Cooled Chiller Replacement

At Lakota East High School, Prodigy replaced the existing water‑cooled chiller with a new Daikin unit selected specifically to match the original design criteria. The pressure drop of the new chiller aligns with the building’s engineered specifications, eliminating the need for pump replacements or pump modifications. This ensures seamless integration with the existing hydronic system.

A major benefit of the new Daikin chiller is significant noise reduction. The existing unit produced high‑frequency noise across multiple bands, including 78 dBA at 63 Hz and 86 dBA at 250 Hz. The new Daikin chiller reduces these levels dramatically—down to 46 dBA at 63 Hz and 65.5 dBA at 250 Hz—eliminating the high‑pitch whine previously heard throughout the mechanical area.

All major manufacturers were evaluated, including York, Trane, Carrier, and Daikin. Daikin was the only option that could be installed as a single factory‑assembled piece without requiring field‑installed shell gaskets, reducing the risk of premature leaks and build‑quality issues.

Safety enhancements include a refrigerant monitor with horn and strobe to meet OMC 2024 Chapter 11 requirements, along with an emergency refrigerant fan and louver/damper tied into the monitoring system.

Liberty Early Childhood School – Air‑Cooled Chiller Replacement

At Liberty Early Childhood School, Prodigy replaced the existing Trane air‑cooled chiller with a new high‑efficiency air‑cooled unit featuring variable‑speed condenser fans. The chiller was resized based on actual building load to prevent short cycling and improve long‑term performance. A strainer was added to protect the heat exchanger, and the new chiller was relocated to ground level to simplify future maintenance.

The scope included installation of Schedule 40 welded steel piping, stainless braided flex connectors, fiberglass insulation, and all required crane and rigging. Existing pumps, accessories, expansion tank, and air separator were reused. All demolished materials were removed, and the site was cleaned upon completion.