Moody Church
Moody Church seats 3,800 in theatre-style seating
on a main floor and cantilevered balcony

Business Challenge
The Moody Church challenge was to install a complete air conditioning system in a historical building that was never designed for modern air conditioning. To complicate matters further, the building’s out-dated ventilating system relied on under floor concrete tunnels to supply outside air in through small mushroom-shaped floor vents. The lack of mechanical cooling resulted in extremely warm temperatures inside the building.

The Air Comfort Solution
Air Comfort determined that a roof-mounted 185-ton air-cooled liquid chiller would be required to handle the cooling load of the sanctuary’s main floor and two multi-function rooms located in the lower level. A chilled glycol solution would circulate through the cooling coils of three air handling units located in the church’s lower level. Two 75-ton, roof-mounted, air-cooled package units would provide cooling to the balcony and choir seating areas via new ductwork in the attic and new ceiling grilles installed in the 71-foot high vaulted ceiling of the main sanctuary.

As work began, a demolition company was contracted to take apart and remove the original air handlers located in the lower level where the new air handling units would be installed. At the same time, a scaffold company was hired to construct working platforms in the 12-foot high attic space above the main sanctuary. A concrete and bricklaying firm provided openings in one end wall of the attic through which the majority of the new attic ductwork would be loaded prior to installation. Finally, new steelwork on the roof was scheduled to support the new chiller and two new rooftop units.

The Result
Working around the church’s schedule, as well as the weather, the project took one year to complete. The new system effectively cools the entire church, which occupies one full city block. The floor vents installed allow the cool air to gently “waft” from the vent. The amount of noise generated by the new cooling and air handling systems was considered so as not to interfere with the church’s radio broadcasts.

The new ventilation system is controlled by a Trane building automation system that can be easily accessed by an operator at a desktop terminal. According to Richard Karnath, a licensed architect who is facilities director of the church, parishioners are singing the praises of the new system and parishioners who were unable to attend services because of the heat are now comfortably enjoying services.