Whitehorse General Hospital recently welcomed a major infrastructure upgrade with the arrival of its new, 200-tonne chiller—an essential system that plays an important role behind the scenes.
A chiller is like the heart of a hospital’s cooling system. It keeps air temperatures stable—not just for comfort, but to protect patients, medical equipment, and sensitive spaces like laboratories and data centres. Without reliable cooling, equipment can overheat, lab results can be compromised, and patient care could be disrupted. In a hospital, stable temperatures aren’t just a convenience, they’re critical for safety, healing, and smooth operations.
“The importance of mechanical cooling in a hospital setting can’t be overstated,” says Eric Walker, Facilities Manager. “It’s just as important as electricity or heat when it comes to keeping operations running smoothly.”
The chiller is a massive unit that measures 18 feet long, 6 feet high and 8 feet wide, and contains critical components, including compressors, refrigeration tanks, heat exchangers, coils, and fans. The former unit was originally installed at Whitehorse General Hospital in 1996 and after nearly three decades in service, the team recently began upgrading to a more efficient system.
During the tendering process, the WGH team expressed a desire to include a sustainability component in the project. HVAC Tech responded with an innovative idea: to remove and donate the old compressors—the most essential part of the former chiller—to Yukon University. This initiative serves a dual purpose: it diverts waste from the landfill and supports local education by giving students hands-on access to complex, industrial-grade equipment that’s typically expensive and hard to come by. For students, having access to these complex machines offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with equipment that’s typically both expensive and difficult to source.
“It’s mutually beneficial,” says Walker. “We’re helping to build technical capacity here in the Yukon so students can train locally, instead of having to travel south for similar opportunities.”
“To keep the parts alive and in use for the purposes of education is a big win for everyone,” Walker adds.
The new chiller at WGH arrived in late March and was recently installed.