Just in time for winter, three new boilers are now operational at the Defense Finance and Accounting Services offices in Columbus, Ohio. The new high-efficiency condensing boilers in Building 21-A serve as the main heating source for a 600,000 square foot, seven-story facility and will provide a significant cost-savings to the government.
In the past, numerous issues with the original dry back boilers occurred—tubes and face plates cracked and leaked—causing the boilers to shut down for repairs.
"Because of their age, the old boilers were not very efficient, and in fall of 2013 all three dry back boilers had to undergo a major overhaul just to get through the tough heating season," said Clayton Hayes, Louisville District project manager. The repairs were very costly and time consuming."
So in the spring of 2014, the design for new boilers was initiated. By summer, a contract was awarded for the $550,000 Operations and Maintenance project. The new boilers were installed along with new controls and were operational by the end of September 2014.
The new condensing boilers are expected to deliver a significantly higher efficiency rating and have an anticipated pay-back period of less than eight years based on the difference in efficiency compared to the old boilers.
"It’s a huge savings to the government because of the efficiency of the new boilers versus the old ones," said Hayes. "The pay-back is huge."
Final commissioning will be completed after the boilers are used in the upcoming cold weather season.