Tallahassee Single Day Surgery

A 14-Year Old HVAC System Can’t Handle What Tallahasse Dishes Out.

As its name implies, Tallahassee Single-Day Surgery Center (TSDSC) doesn’t usually let problems linger. But the legendary heat and humidity of Tallahassee, Florida present challenges that are not easily conquered. Extreme summer heat and humidity make meeting strict surgical ventilation, humidity and temperature guidelines difficult—not to mention very expensive. With those extreme conditions, it’s not surprising that the performance from the 14-year-old rooftop unit provided reliably poor temperature and humidity control. It was time for an upgrade.

Not Just Doing It Right, Doing It Better Than It Has Ever Been Done Before.

Mike Hartman and Matt Scaringe of HinesHartman Consulting Engineers worked with Trane Account Manager Don Frye to design a custom rooftop unit fitted with Trane’s new CDQ™ (Cool, Dry, Quiet) system. Trane’s CDQ system recently won the Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation of the Year Award for its breakthrough technology, which allows economical handling of high-temperature, high-humidity environments. The system’s great advantage? It uses return air—the lowest-grade heat available—to regenerate the desiccant. So while alternative systems reheat the air with gas-fired units to 140-200 degrees, the CDQ desiccant operates at 75 degrees. TSDSC was so impressed with the system, it had the Vause Mechanical Contractors install the new system within 10 days of getting the design.

Any Story That Begins With $135,000 of Savings is Bound for a Happy Ending.

The CDQ unit runs with 20 to 25 percent greater efficiency than other dehumidification systems. And while standard air conditioners have limited dehumidification capacity, since the dew point cannot be less than the coil temperature, the CDQ technology lowers the dew point barrier 5 to 15 degrees without consuming additional energy to subcool and reheat the air. These factors make for far better performance and significant long-term savings. But Matt Scaringe of HinesHartman discovered yet another benefit: "Without the CDQ we would have had to increase TSDSC’s electrical distribution capacity. With the CDQ unit, TSDSC avoided more than $135,000 in additional work." Certainly the savings are an important part of what the CDQ technology brings, but the bottom line is that it works better too. TSDSC Director of Nursing Elizabeth Trikardos has seen it for herself: “We now have much better control of operating room temperature and humidity. We can keep humidity at 40 to 42 percent or lower and keep temperatures wherever the surgeons want.”

Savings with superior performance—at Trane we believe it just doesn’t get any better than that.

About Tallahassee Single Day Surgery

TSDSC strives to provide the most cost-effective surgical care in the area, and an independent, pleasant and convenient workplace for physicians. TSDS is a free-standing ambulatory surgical center performing surgery in these specialties: General Surgery, Dentistry/Oral Surgery, Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedics, Plastic/Reconstructive Surgery, Podiatry and Urology. The center currently averages 325 cases per month.