Cheaper Alternatives Sought To Heat And Cool Marks Building – CapeNews.net

The Edward Marks Building Advisory Committee at its February 5 meeting discussed lower-cost alternatives to the $160,000 variable refrigerant flow system proposed earlier by Trane, a heating and ventilation system manufacturer.

Selectman Douglas C. Brown and building committee member Christian Valle visited the former poorhouse to see if a cheaper system could be installed.

When we met over there, my HVAC guy said he is planning on going with a high-velocity AC from the attic, fed down into the basement, Mr. Brown said.

The cost of this system is to be determined. Mr. Valle presented a second alternative.

What my guy specked was a hydro-air system with the furnace and two air handlers in the basement, and running the duct work out and coming up to the first floor, he said. There would need to be some trenching and concrete cutting work, but wed basically be using the boiler for the heat and putting condensers outside.

The system costs an estimated $38,000. That figure does not include the cost of excavation or concrete cutting.

There would be some additional work we would need to figure out to add to that $38,000, Mr. Valle said. It is still going to be significantly less than what the mini-split system is.

Mr. Brown said the same is true of his proposal, as piping would run down from the attic. This would require the committee to make a decision about the second floor.

No one decided yet who is in charge of figuring out the use of the second floor, Mr. Brown said. I think wed have to come to a consensus as to what type of walls we want to use up there, whether it is minimal walls just to cover this, or whether we have some kind of layout. That is the snag with the proposal my guy has come up with. The advantage of Christians guys idea is it is all in the basement.

Committee member Thomas H. Renshaw said the three-inch tubes needed to run heating from the attic to the first floor could be enclosed within a column rather than a wall, preventing the need to fully lay out the second floor.

Both alternatives avoid the need to inatall exterior piping running down the building.

Committee chairwoman Barbara M. Weyand said, We have serious concerns about anything going on on the exterior.

Mr. Brown said the group will determine the cost of these various alternative options.

It seems like either one will be $100,000 less than the original proposal, he said.

Ms. Weyand said she will invite Town Manager Julian M. Suso and Assistant Town Manager Peter Johnson-Staub to a future meeting of the committee to discuss these options. She said the options demonstrate there is a more cost-effective way to heat and cool the building that respects the historic nature of the structure.

Weve shown there are other ways to get heating and cooling there that is cheaper, Mr. Valle said. Once we know what the duct runs will be, we will know what we need to get that excavated and fully completed.

Mr. Renshaw said the committee should also consider the existing radiator system within the building.

There is gas service, he said. There is a perfectly good, functional boiler that feeds the radiators. My overwhelming opinion is we should not mess with the heat.

Though the existing radiator system works, he said, they would need to install an air conditioning system. Noting the changing floor plan for the first floor, Mr. Valle asked if the existing radiator system could serve all future office space.

Wed need to add baseboard radiation in a few areas not served by the existing radiators, Mr. Renshaw said. Most of that floor plan is covered by the radiators as they exist where they are. I dont believe they should be touched.

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Cheaper Alternatives Sought To Heat And Cool Marks Building - CapeNews.net