Bergstrom Inc. has introduced a new air-conditioning system for school buses, called Cool Zone.

According to Bergstrom, recent testing on a Blue Bird bus to Florida and Texas school bus specifications found that Cool Zone cooled the bus five minutes faster than what is required by the state specs.

The Cool Zone system will be unveiled during the National Association for Pupil Transportation Summit in Kansas City, Missouri.

“Bergstrom began producing heaters for Carpenter and Thomas school buses in 1952,” said Bill Gordon, division president of Bergstrom Parts LLC. “We’ve taken this industry expertise and engineered an OEM-quality air-conditioning system for the school bus market that will keep students comfortable and happy.”

The Cool Zone system consists of front and rear bulkhead units, a midship unit, a dash unit, two three-fan condensers, and two compressors. Features include:

• Adjustable mounting brackets and filters that are easy to service, according to Bergstrom.

• Electronic freeze protection on the rear bulkhead to prevent coils from freezing and a fully insulated case to prevent case sweating.

• Powder-coated galvannealed steel construction on the midship unit to prevent rust and enhance durability. The two adjustable double louvers and ball louvers optimize air flow for passengers, according to Bergstrom.

• A two-ton thermal expansion valve on the front bulkhead to improve a/c performance while the adjustable louvers direct airflow and enhance cooling.

• Three sealed axial fans produce 1,600 actual cubic feet per minute of airflow. According to the company, performance is maximized with zinc chromate-plated steel hardware and a powder-coated steel receiver drier with 12 cubic inches of molecular sieve.

• Compressor options include Sanden Enhanced SD7 or Seltec TM-21.

• Cooling and heating capability in dash unit for occupant comfort in hot and cold climates.

The Cool Zone system is customizable and can consist of any combination of bus systems. Factors that determine the different types of packages include the size of the school bus, state regulations, and average temperatures in the region.

For more information, contact Effie Reyes at (815) 874-7821, ext. 6150.