Commercial boiler retrofits

By Rob Marchiori, President of Ram Mechanical Ltd.

One of two recent boiler installations that Ram Mechanical has recently completed. The boilers at Landmark Belvedere Apartments in Vancouver are three Viessmann Vitoden 200s with a total plant capacity of 1,110 MBH.

There are a number of reasons to consider retrofitting an existing commercial boiler. The equipment may be at the end of its service life, the maintenance costs may be getting too high, or the potential savings in fuel with a more modern system are all good reasons. Regardless of the reason you have decided to retrofit your boiler, you will want to source out mechanical contractors who specialize in commercial boiler retrofits.

Not all plumbing, heating or me-

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chanical contractors are certified and experienced in this type of installation, however. In British Columbia, commercial installations require companies to be certified by the B.C. Safety Authority to carry out these installations. As well, there is likely to be more than one inspection agency to deal with; that is to say that most installations require not only a boiler or pressure vessel permit, but also a gas permit, or plumbing permit and an electrical permit. You may also be required to obtain a seismic engineer’s report, a chemical engineer’s report, and a commissioning report. When looking for an appropriate contractor, ask for proof of their experience, as well as references. Contractor associations, such as the Mechanical Contractors’ Association, are a good place to find the right companies. The local or provincial authorities can provide information on which companies are certified to carry out commercial boiler retrofits.

Once you have identified qualified contractors, you will want to get proposals from them. However, there are a number of different types of boilers, as well as heating systems, in today’s market and proposals can be vastly different. As with most retail items, purchasing the cheapest product is not necessarily the best option. What you are looking for is to get the best value from your heating system. To get the best value, you will want to be asking some key questions – specifically, you will want to analyze the payback from a new system.

It is assumed that older heating equipment is not as efficient as new heating equipment. Therefore, there should be savings to be realized in fuel consumption. The variable is in how many years

The recently installed boilers at Walter Moberly Elementary School in Vancouver are three Viessmann Vitocrossal 200s with a total plant capacity of 2,634 MBH.

it will take before the savings in fuel use will equal the cost of the installation. A few other key questions to be asked are: • What are the anticipated maintenance costs of the new system? Even new equipment requires preventative maintenance. • Are there any incentives available? Almost everywhere in Canada now, there are incentives available. A good heating contractor will know what incentives are available and should either include them in the proposal or, at the very least, be able to walk you through the processes. • What is the life expectancy of the new equipment? The life expectancy of a

piece of equipment is very dependent on the conditions of the installation. In some cases, “top of the line” equipment has failed in a relatively short period of time because of an improper installation condition. The manufacturer likely won’t replace it under warranty. • What is the warranty on the new equipment from the manufacturer, and what kind of warranty is the contractor providing on the installation? • What type of relationship do the manufacturer and the contractor have? Most manufacturers offer contractor training for their products and, therefore, certify certain contractors in the installations of their products. Look for a contractor

that has a good local relationship with the equipment manufacturer. • What type of contract will be used for the project, and who will provide the contract documents? Often, if a contractor provides an “in-house” contract document, there is a perception by the customer that the contract benefits the contractor more than the customer. The same is true if the customer provides the contractor with the documents. The Canadian Construction Association has developed a series of construction contracts that are designed to provide mutual protection for the contractor and the customer. These contract documents are purchased and therefore registered through the Canadian Construction

Association.

The outcome or success of a commercial boiler retrofit project will depend largely on the contractor who does the installation. Taking the time and putting in the effort to source a good contractor will be worthwhile in the end.

About Ram Mechanical: Established in 1994, Ram Mechanical Ltd. has built a solid reputation for quality workmanship, fair pricing, and reliable service in the mechanical contracting industry. Ram’s commitment is to provide optimum energy-efficiency and reliability in the systems we install. We do this through constant upgrading of our services and technical expertise, and by applying the latest technology to the systems we install and maintain. For more information, please visit www.rammechanical.ca. b

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