Construction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center (PREEC) in Scottsbluff began on May 1 to update the facility's HVAC system. Some of the HVAC system, which runs the heating and cooling on the west side of the Elliott Building, has been in place since the mid-1960s.
“We’ve been fortunate to get away with the remaining system for this long,” said Cardinal Farrington, UNL PREEC Facilities Manager.
General Contractors Fuller Construction will remove the two old boilers along with the pumps on the north side of the building, which should take about two weeks.
“The pumps control the heating and cooling for the HVAC and the drive, which shuts them (pumps) on and off,” he said.
Because the drive isn’t automatic, the glycol feeder, which distributes glycol through the closed loop system, has been run manually. Farrington and his crew have had to guess how much glycol is needed in the system for the past two years.
Along with some noise, the temperatures in the building will fluctuate while the boilers are down. The building will rely on natural temperatures for about two weeks. After replacing the boilers, there will be a lull in construction before the next phase.
“After the first phase, we’ll have to go through and remove the four air handler units on the second floor. We’ll take down electrical, plumbing, and piping,” he said.
A crane will be used to lift the rooftop units, which are state-of-the-art commercial systems, into place. All four units will likely be done together. The roof will be replaced, and holes will be cut while the equipment is installed.
“It’s going to be a process from now until the end of October,” Farrington said. “At times, it will be noisy and hot.”
He added the project couldn’t be done without these challenges but will bring greater efficiency and temperature control to the building.
