Complete the HVAC work on time and keep the customer’s business in normal operation
On Tuesday, 1-26-2010, we called for an inspection of the HVAC upgrades that were completed at the Howard Johnsons located at 12100 West 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge, Colorado, 80033. The General Contractor was BDR Construction and we have really enjoyed working for them on various projects this past year.
The reason for the HVAC upgrades was due to damage sustained by the dangerous and damaging hail storm that blew through Wheat Ridge and Lakewood last July. (We live in Wheat Ridge and it took out our Roof, Windows, Siding, deck and garden.) The damage to Howard Johnson’s from this powerful storm was not just limited to the exposed HVAC equipment on the roof, but to the siding, stucco, roof and P-tac units.
There was a Roof Top Unit (RTU) which heated part of the lobby and the restaurant inside the facility and it was badly damaged. Since the equipment was old, the replacement equipment needed to be adapted to the existing roof curb. That took a few tries by the outsourced fabricator, but we were able to hoist up to the roof the curb adaptor which took the weight of the new RTU and kept the water proof seal. (See the attached pictures of our installation in progress.)
There were two up blast kitchen exhaust fans from the hood that were made of aluminum which were also badly damaged by the hail. This change out was easier that the RTU replacement because we used the same manufacturer and the new units sat on the same curbs that existed without any modifications. We only had to adapt the new electrical connections and grease basins to the new fan to complete this replacement.
The real challenge was replacing the refrigeration equipment. The old manufacturer of the three compressor unit was in no hurry to give exact pricing or delivery dates for the single condenser coil which cooled all three compressors or the actual compressors themselves. Refrigerant and technology has changed a great deal since the early 80's, and one immediate challenge was to keep the beer cooler working throughout the entire process for the restaurant. In addition, the holidays had arrived and this work was started around New Years and the restaurant and bar were in full swing, so down time during the busiest week was not going to be tolerated and would result in loss of income for the bar and restaurant .
In order to expedite the process and prevent any down time for the bar and restaurant, we opted to buy three separate new compressor and condenser units, build a custom rack and install them on the same rooftop pad that existed for the custom refrigeration unit that has existed since 1983.
Our HVAC foreman, Mike Bryant, is extremely talented and came up with some great solutions. He created his own stands and welded them at home for this project. Also, much of this work was performed outside in the elements, so the weather conditions added more constraints.
Once the new units were mounted, we were faced with at least four direct shorts to ground for the power to the units. Previously the wiring to these units, coming from inside the facility was faulty and caused some serious electrical hazards. We had to pull new wire from the interior each time.
Eventually we relocated some the equipment from the roof to the various evaporators inside the kitchen and bars. Ultimately our efforts paid off. The walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer and beer cooler were working like a charm with some of the latest equipment, refrigerant and wiring. If it was not for the skill and talent of Mike Bryant and his team members, this job would have never been completed on time.
Our crane service subcontractor, Bill Boom Company, was very skilled and performed perfectly, as they always have in the past. HVAC Supply Company provided us with the RTU and curb and their delivery of the Goodman/Amana equipment was very timely.
This was a great product after all is said and done, but there was some high drama from beginning to end in order to complete the work on time and keep the customer’s business in normal operation. It took skill and talent to complete these unusual situations and I am very proud of our team’s efforts to get the job done.
If you have any questions about this installation or this type of work, please feel free to give us a call. We are always happy to talk to the customers and offer our suggestions and knowledge at no charge. The direct phone number to Kimmel Service is 303-952-8668.
Tom D'Agostino, Kimmel Service Manager