Narrative:

We close florence approach at XA00 local. The janitor went into the equipment room and brought it to our attention that it was very hot in there. We followed procedures by calling cae (columbia) gmcc (gnas maintenance control center), the maintenance technician wanted us to check the circuit breakers. Everything looked all right. The technician said he needed to think about calling somebody out. We opened the doors to the equipment room trying to keep it cool and left at XA00. The next morning the commercial phones were ringing nonstop. Our own af technicians showed up at their usual XJ00 start time. They showed us a backup air- conditioning switch that was not labeled very well and apparently the gmcc technician was not even aware of. I feel that airways facilities (af) is so worried about saving money that they would not send anybody out. This could have been disastrous by frying not only the commercial phones lines but all the other equipment (ie, ARTS, land lines, ids). I also think there needs to be an alarm or at least an automatic switch to the backup air- conditioning. What if it had happened after we had left? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that bearings in the air-conditioning unit were replaced. Reporter said there is no automatic switching to the backup air-conditioning. Reporter indicated that some of the equipment has built in heat alarms which were not heard in the control room. Reporter is unaware of any discussion regarding having a technician called out in the event of an overheat problem or how to handle the problem when the facility is closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLRS WERE INFORMED BY THE JANITOR THAT THE EQUIP ROOM WAS VERY HOT. PROCS WERE FOLLOWED TO NOTIFY GMCC. CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE CHKED PER THE GMCC TECHNICIAN. PERSONNEL WERE NOT AWARE OF A BACKUP AIR-CONDITIONING SWITCH. AF TECHNICIAN DID NOT COME TO THE FACILITY TO HANDLE THE PROB.

Narrative: WE CLOSE FLORENCE APCH AT XA00 LCL. THE JANITOR WENT INTO THE EQUIP ROOM AND BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTN THAT IT WAS VERY HOT IN THERE. WE FOLLOWED PROCS BY CALLING CAE (COLUMBIA) GMCC (GNAS MAINT CTL CTR), THE MAINT TECHNICIAN WANTED US TO CHK THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. EVERYTHING LOOKED ALL RIGHT. THE TECHNICIAN SAID HE NEEDED TO THINK ABOUT CALLING SOMEBODY OUT. WE OPENED THE DOORS TO THE EQUIP ROOM TRYING TO KEEP IT COOL AND LEFT AT XA00. THE NEXT MORNING THE COMMERCIAL PHONES WERE RINGING NONSTOP. OUR OWN AF TECHNICIANS SHOWED UP AT THEIR USUAL XJ00 START TIME. THEY SHOWED US A BACKUP AIR- CONDITIONING SWITCH THAT WAS NOT LABELED VERY WELL AND APPARENTLY THE GMCC TECHNICIAN WAS NOT EVEN AWARE OF. I FEEL THAT AIRWAYS FACILITIES (AF) IS SO WORRIED ABOUT SAVING MONEY THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEND ANYBODY OUT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS BY FRYING NOT ONLY THE COMMERCIAL PHONES LINES BUT ALL THE OTHER EQUIP (IE, ARTS, LAND LINES, IDS). I ALSO THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ALARM OR AT LEAST AN AUTOMATIC SWITCH TO THE BACKUP AIR- CONDITIONING. WHAT IF IT HAD HAPPENED AFTER WE HAD LEFT? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT BEARINGS IN THE AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT WERE REPLACED. RPTR SAID THERE IS NO AUTOMATIC SWITCHING TO THE BACKUP AIR-CONDITIONING. RPTR INDICATED THAT SOME OF THE EQUIP HAS BUILT IN HEAT ALARMS WHICH WERE NOT HEARD IN THE CTL ROOM. RPTR IS UNAWARE OF ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING HAVING A TECHNICIAN CALLED OUT IN THE EVENT OF AN OVERHEAT PROB OR HOW TO HANDLE THE PROB WHEN THE FACILITY IS CLOSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.