Last year, in Midlands, it was reported by WMBF News that there were more than 35 percent of school buses in the state that still don’t have air conditioning. Lack of air conditioner upsets both parents and school bus drivers, because kids, back to school with riding on buses with no air conditioning, could have a heat stroke. So could the bus drivers.
Do such things only happen in England? Guchen Team searched the related reports on non-air-conditioned school buses, and found hundreds of reports/news on children enduring sweltering conditions on school buses with no A/C all around the world.
For example, United States: in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools district, for a fleet with 1,328 school buses, there are 120 school buses (about 9%) being reported A/C issues. In hot summer days, the temperatures on the school bus could get above 100 degree, which is a great danger for healthy children, let alone those who may have breathing issues. Australia: in North Queensland, school kids complain of being dizzy and having headaches, because they are being forced to endure long journey hours on school buses without air conditioning in the blistering summer heat.
Parents and school children are seeking a more comfortable ride. Officials are providing effective solutions. When people realize that it’s a concern, new school bus with air conditioner comes.
In Clay County (locating in the northeastern part of Florida State), half of their old non-air-conditioned school buses are replaced by new ones with air conditioning. Children taking the school buses there will be get a lot “cooler” NOW (in 2020), while there was only 36% of their school buses having air conditioning in 2016. Getting A/C system is part of an effort to solve the existing problems.
We all know that bus air conditioning can be classified into 3 types: sub-engine driven type, main-engine driven type, and electrically-driven type. >>> you can read more useful info. on types of bus air conditioning here.
Roof-mount systems as a popular choice for school bus fleets
For the yellow school bus, the most widely installed HVAC system is rooftop-mounted air conditioner. It seems that school bus operations are also purchasing roof-mount air conditioning systems the most.
Just as the name implies, roof-mount system means its condenser is located on top of the roof. Most of the bus air conditioner manufacturer in the world offer rooftop-mounted air conditioning systems for school buses, for example Guchen PD-06, which has a cooling capacity of 111,000 BTU/hour and is driven by vehicle engine (main engine driven type A/C unit).
Sales data in Guchen Industry reveal that there is an increasing number of public transportation clients requesting systems which take up as little space as possible, so as the pupil transportation clients. As the best selling system last year, PD series air conditioning system is earning more popularity due to its efficiency, excellent corrosion resistant and small occupation. When it comes to air conditioning school buses, Guchen rooftop mounted PD series air conditioner is becoming a popular choice, and effective solution.
With the increasingly fierce competition in air conditioning industry, manufacturers will definitely keep on offering a wide range of school bus air conditioners to fit all school bus models. In the future, the air conditioning system will surely be more flexible in mounting configuration, and efficient in cooling capacity.
To improve safety of students, it’s time to address the need for air conditioning. The St. Johns County School District plans to equip all its non-air-conditioned school buses with A/C unit. Currently, the fleet has 252 school buses, among which 194 have not been air conditioned.
The plan includes:
◆ buying 20 new school buses with air conditioning this year;
◆ retrofitting another 113 existing school buses with air conditioner early next year.
It was estimated that the plan will takes about one year to equip every school bus with A/C system, but it deserves.
There are so many bus air conditioning manufacturers and exporters in the world. While each of them offers different kinds of HVAC systems to choose from. It is really difficult to figure out which kind is just right for your school bus fleet. When it comes to retrofitting your fleet, it becomes more essential to take all the following factors into consideration.
1. BTU Capacity Considerations
BTU (British Thermal Unit) capacity varies depending on different systems. It is a valuable piece of information to measure whether a bus air conditioning system suits your school bus fleet or not.
School buses range anywhere from 20 feet (6 meters) to 45 feed (13.5 meters) in length. Equipping your school bus with corresponding system in accordance with its length, taking Guchen Industry as an example:
School Bus Length
Best Model
BTU Capacity/h
Compressor
5.5m-6m
BD-03
87,000
Bock FK40/470K
7m-7.8m
BD-04
95,000
Bock FK40/560K
PD-03
71,000
Valeo TM31
9m-10m
BD-05
111,000
Bock FK40/560K
10m-12m
BD-06
127,000
Bock FK40/655K
Different manufacturers can measure their BTU capacity with different methods, therefore do talk to your retailers and advise them for the best model. Just take it slow!
Installing an evaporator in the front or back?
Adding a roof-mounted unit or not?
......
There is a huge range of possible ways air conditioning a school bus. As the most popular system, rooftop bus A/C units have relatively straightforward piping requirements. It is also usually simple to retrofit an AC system for rooftop installation, the least work when compared with other systems.
Besides that, for electric school buses, you should choose electrical bus air conditioner rather than traditional bus systems.
There are some other factors that will affect your final decision, such as electrical demands, and cool-down time. Still do your homework on the wide variety of school bus air conditioning systems on offer, and advise your dealer.
