Inmates and personnel in the Warren County Jail will soon be able to cool down after spending much of a record-breaking summer with a damaged chiller on the jail’s HVAC unit.

The jail’s chiller has been in need of repair for some time, and after multiple repairs, it was decided the best course of action would be to replace the part in full, Warren County Purchasing Agent Victoria Bell said earlier this month.

“The Warren County Jail is experiencing an emergency with the decline and failure of the chiller. That has been determined a couple of months ago,” Bell said. “With diligent efforts being made to try to repair the function of the chiller, it resulted in multiple vendors suggesting the replacement of the unit.”

Due to extreme temperatures in Warren County and heat indexes above 105 degrees, and the chiller not being able to function at its full potential, the county is authorized, to immediately procure a new chiller as an emergency purchase to maintain jail facilities and avoid the occurrence of significant health issues resulting from extreme temperatures.

The Warren County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Aug. 7 to replace the chiller. Board President Kelle Barfield said the jail chiller will be purchased using funds from the county’s facilities budget.

A chiller (cooling water circulation device) is a general term for a device that controls the temperature by circulating a liquid such as water or heat medium as a cooling liquid whose temperature was adjusted by the refrigerant cycle.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said he was relieved that the chiller issue would be resolved soon. Not only does the heat have a negative impact on inmates at the jail — he said there have been “several days” above 80 degrees inside the jail building as a whole.

“The air conditioning system for the jail and the sheriff’s office is one system for the entire building and it has not been operating at full capacity,” Pace said. “We’ve been told by the experts is actually operating, at times, at about 50 percent of its capacity. So, we appreciate you know, the board taking the action that they have to correct this problem.”

The jail averages 100 inmates on any given day, Pace said.

On Monday, Barfield confirmed the chiller purchase was still in the early stages, as the part needs to be manufactured and shipped to the county’s vendor before it can be installed.