Heating and Cooling

Update 04/09/24:
The heat will be turned off in all buildings for the season on Friday, April 12th and we will then be operating in "Swing Mode". We will continue to monitor weather patterns to determine when we will turn on the air conditioning and will provide an update at that time. Please contact the Work Control office at 610-519-4420 with any questions or concerns.

Here at Villanova University, we operate in three HVAC “modes” which include: Heating Mode (Oct-April), Cooling Mode (April-Oct) and Swing Mode (Oct-Nov, April-May). The systems here on campus do not allow us to switch back and forth from heating to cooling like a residential type of system, which you may be familiar with at home. For many of our buildings, we must drain and shut down cooling systems before engaging our heating equipment, and vis versa.  Because of the extensive work associated with switching from one system to another, there are times of the year where we opt to disengage both systems while monitoring weather patterns to ensure the practical comfort of our campus community.

What does Swing Mode mean? Swing Mode is for those in-between weeks when we turn off the heat/air conditioning to the building but do not switch over to heating/air conditioning for the next season.  We do this in the event we get a hot/cold spell and need to turn the heat or air conditioning back on. We typically operate in Swing Mode anywhere from 1-2 weeks, depending on the forecast. During this time, it is best to keep your thermostat in the off position. We ask for your patience during these weeks and encourage you to open windows, utilize fans or heaters and dress appropriately while seasonal weather patterns stabilize. Once we make the official switch to either Heating or Cooling Mode, we will notify Residence Life and they will inform everyone that Heating/Cooling is now available.

Thank you for your understanding,
Facilities Management