Buffalo Elementary to upgrade heating and air conditioning systems

More than $57,000 in improvements on Buffalo Elementary School’s heating and air conditioning system are moving forward.

In November, the Freeport Area School Board voted to approve the repairs and upgrades on the school, which was built in 1936.

Brad Walker, the district’s business manager, said they’re part of a series of upgrades that have been in progress.

“These have been ongoing since we started the (HVAC) controls project, which began a year ago,” Walker said.

One item that was approved outside the controls project is work being done on the school’s boiler by Combustion Service & Equipment Co.

“Our boilers are inspected every school year, and that was a result of the inspection this year,” Walker said. “CS&G did an inspection for us, and the recommendation was to repipe one of the boilers. It was preventive maintenance, really — age and use. Just wear and tear.”

He said the heating system at the school is functioning well, and classes have not been affected by the work.

“Nothing is disrupting instruction,” Walker said. “Everything we approved is being done outside of normal business hours.”

The work on the boiler by Combustion Service is costing the district $21,750.

The other repairs that were approved include the replacement of actuators and the retrofitting of an air handling unit to work in conjunction with the system’s controls.

Actuators are electrical or mechanical devices designed to receive signals from the HVAC system’s control unit or thermostat. They then initiate the appropriate actions by moving mechanical parts or adjusting electrical settings.

They are responsible for opening and closing dampers, adjusting valve positions, controlling fan speed and modulating the operation of other system components.

Four proposals for the work from O.Z. Enterprises LLC were accepted.

Those proposals included replacing a fan coil hot water valve actuator at a cost of $8,750, replacing an actuator for a cafeteria vent for $9,500, replacing a terminal box hot water valve at a cost of $10,000, and the air handling unit retrofit at a cost of $7,500.

The total cost of that work adds up to $35,750.

Altogether, the cost for the Buffalo Elementary HVAC system’s repairs and services comes to $57,500.

Money for those items will come out of the district’s capital account, according to Walker.