Temperatures in buildings across campus are soaring as students and faculty wait for the air conditioning systems to be tested.

The air conditioning has yet to be turned on in most campus buildings, because the air conditioning systems are beginning to be tested, said Carol Strode, director of facilities planning and management.

Crews are ahead of schedule and are ready to start testing the air conditioning in the buildings and most will be cooled down by the end of this week or the middle of next week if tests prove positive.

“If the contractor wasn’t ahead of schedule, the air conditioning could not have been tested at this time,” she said.

Booth Library and Coleman Hall saw especially hot temperatures, causing complaints from many students and faculty.

Jean Toothman, an office systems specialist, said the thermometer in her office on the third floor of Coleman Hall read 85 degrees on Wednesday even with two fans in the office.

“Its been very hot and I know several people have complained,” she said.

While no classes have been canceled, she said many teachers have been moving classes outside and and shortening classes.

A library thermometer registered at 97 degrees in the fourth floor computer lab, said Katherine Huskey, a senior industrial technology major and a student library worker.

“It was roasting up there,” she said.

Strode said air conditioning should be activated in all buildings by next week, if everything goes right with the water loop tests.

“If all of the systems check out, the air conditioning will be on in any of the buildings that are tied to the chilled water loop,” she said.

Workers are looking for any leaks, faulty valves, any areas that are not connected properly and making sure all controls are installed. If there are any problems, there may be delays in getting air conditioning started.

In past years, the university has had to wait until May 10 to turn on the air conditioning, when the threat of freezing temperatures was over, so cooling towers did not freeze. However, the unusual high April temperatures have prompted the university to turn them on early.

“If the temperatures would fall into the freezing zone, and we had filled the cooling towers with water, these towers could freeze causing considerable damage to the equipment,” she said.

By this week, the south end of the Fine Arts Building, the Union and Booth library will have air conditioning, provided the system works correctly.

Next week Stevenson Hall, the Physical Plant and Life Science Building will be tested.

Buildings in the South Quad are also expected to have air conditioning by the middle of next week, including Taylor, Lawson, Andrews, Thomas Halls and Coleman and Klehm Hall.

Air conditioning was turned on in the Student Recreation Center and parts of the Union Wednesday afternoon.

Next year the system will be more dependable and the electric-driven chillers will give the university more flexibility in when the air conditioning, Strode said.