Chuck Guider, project foreman, Galdi Mechanicals Inc., stands beside Bradford White’s eF Series of high efficiency commercial water heater. |
High school banks on water heaters
As the population grows, so too must the infrastructure that supports it. West Orange, N.J. is an affluent suburban community just a short commute from both Newark And Manhattan. In recent years it has seen its share of growth. The School district, and specifically West Orange High School (WOHS), is breaking ground to meet the needs of their growing enrollment. While construction of classrooms, auditoriums and offices proceeds in brick, steel and glass, the school sought a quick, albeit temporary, solution to the need for an additional athletic complex.
The 90’X160’ pressurized bubble houses a weightlifting room, batting cages, trainer’s room, coaches’ offices, showers and therapeutic whirlpool tub. |
WOHS has a proud and highly successful history of athletic accomplishment and needed to ensure that rising enrollment did not lessen the quality of its competitive programs. But space and funds were not unlimited. They found the answer with an inflatable bubble. Just slightly downhill from the football is a 90’X160’ pressurized bubble that houses a weightlifting room, batting cages, trainer’s room coaches’ offices. It also contains two locker room facilities with total of 12 showers, five sinks and a therapeutic whirlpool tub. Peak hour demand at the athletic seasons was a serious factor in sizing the water heating equipment. Galdi Mechanicals Inc. of Hawthorne, N.J. looked to Bradford White’s eF Series of high efficiency commercial water heater for their high deliverability, quiet operation and their money and energy saving performance. Three EF-100T-250 models would be installed just eight feet from the coaches’ desk.
The three eF Series water heaters were manifolded together in series. The intake and exhaust venting was set up in the direct vent mode, one of several options in Bradford White’s specifications. But just before startup, a question was posed by construction project foreman Chuck Guider. He was asked if there was a way to reduce the number of holes required for piping in the roof portion of the bubble fabric.
While construction of class rooms, auditoriums and offices proceeded, the bubble offered a solution for an additional athletic complex. |
There was no choice but to vent the exhaust gases externally. That piping went through the sidewall of the bubble where rain, wind and snow were less likely to infiltrate. Intake air needed to come from somewhere else without additional piping through the bubble. Guider immediately contacted Jay Schechter of Focus Sales, LLC in Middlesex, N.J. (a Bradford White independent sale representative agency). The two discussed the situation and decided that conversion to power-vented installation was the simplest and least expensive solution. A test was conducted. Guider removed the intake air venting material from one eF Series water heater and started the unit. It operated flawlessly.
These water heater units ca support combustion with either inside or outside air. |
Shortly after this field test, Schecter spoke to the Bradford White engineer who had designed the system to see if taking air inside the bubble would be problem. That’s where the installation flexibility of the eF Series water heater saved the day. Since the eF Series was designed to operate in both power vent and direct vent modes, these units can support combustion with either inside or outside air. Schechter was assured that the new configuration would be fine. After removing the 4” PVC intake pipes from each of the three water heaters, the new West Orange High School athletic complex had a power-vented installation and all the hot water it needed. The installation also provided substantial energy savings that provided the school additional funds to be utilized in improving the quality of its competitive programs.
Description of installation: For this installation, three Bradford White EF-100t250E-3N models were connected together in series. An expansion tank was installed to absorb any pressure build up in water heaters. A pressure-reducing valve was utilized to reduce incoming water pressure and therefore eliminate any potential issues with high water pressure.
Performance: The system installed at West Orange N.J. High School has the ability to deliver 1,110 GPH at a 100F rise. The EF-100T-250 models used in the installation are rated at 97% efficiency. When compared to conventional commercial model (80% efficiency), one eF model will run 1.31 hours less a day and save $899.57 yearly in energy costs. This three-unit installation has a potential savings of $2,689.71 over the course of a full year.
Installer: Chuck Guider, project foreman, Galdi Mechanicals Inc., Hawthorne, N.J. |
