Chiller removed from Otis House roof
On Saturday, June 12, the old chiller unit was removed from the top of the Otis House roof. This unit, installed in the 1970s, cooled the administrative offices in the rear section of the Otis House.
The only way to remove the equipment is by using a crane capable of accessing a roof five stories off the ground. This is a big crane! Mobilization costs and the logistics of getting a crane like this are quite daunting. We found out, however, that Turner Construction, while performing work for Mass General Hospital, would be using such a crane in the parking lot right next to the Otis House. Preservation maintenance coordinator Josh Wright contacted Turner’s project manager to see what they could do to help us. 
At the end of their work day when their truck bed was empty they agreed to take the chiller off the roof and cart it away for us. All we had to do was to verify that the chiller unit had been properly drained of any refrigerant and make sure it was detached from the roof and ready to go.
It was a quick process once all the pieces were in place and the chiller unit was carted off, leaving us with one less item on our Otis House to-do list.
This was a Preservation Maintenance Fund project. Learn more about how you can support our work.
