Frozen Coil Causes Elevator, Other Damage in Carnegie Building

A frozen coil caused a fairly large water leak in the Carnegie Building on Monday, damaging the elevator, ceiling tiles and some office space, according to Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant.

OPP spokesman Paul Ruskin said water poured into the elevator shaft, frying electrical components. Maintenance workers were on site at the time of the leak and responded immediately. Ruskin expects the elevator to be back in service late Wednesday.

The amount of water that leaked onto all three floors of Carnegie, which houses College of Communications offices and classrooms, is unknown. The cost of damage is also unknown until an investigation into how the coil froze is complete — the coils are designed to withstand cold temperatures.

“It’ll be a fairly routine maintenance issue,” Ruskin said, adding damage was minimal. “Frozen coils are not an unknown thing and water damage is not an unknown thing.”

Coils are used to transfer heat in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

Six OPP crew members are currently replacing the damaged ceiling tiles and repairing the elevator.