One of the items in the Mineola School District referendum is replacing the boiler in the high school which as was quoted could be 52 years old. Don’t they know how old it actually is?
There is a U.S. Government Web site about all the boilers in the U.S. It says that most of the larger ones are 30 years old. That does not mean that many of them are not older. They are still working. It was not said why this boiler needed to be replaced.
There are many very large boilers out there such as those used by petroleum and metal refineries, the food industry, heating the pentagon and the high pressure ones sending steam under the streets of New York City to heat the buildings, to name a few.
I asked around about how big a boiler is needed for this and that. All I got was that they would have to measure the area and other things.
It was clear that they did not want to answer my question. Keeping the public ignorant seems to be their motto as is the case with many kinds of professions. I decided to figure it out for myself and for all who will read this.
There is a legitimate Web site that shows the pictures of 329 boilers of various sizes and manufacturers. Most of them to be for areas such as houses.
I was drawn to a two million BTU (British thermal unit) boiler. Everyone knows that one BTY will raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Farhenheit; right?
For all of those who should wish to follow my math, here is how I have reached a determination. If a thermostat in a room turns on at 62 degrees and off around 68, the boiler would probably need to heat the water to the boiling point, 212 degrees at standard atmospheric pressure (usually around sea level). Those living in higher elevations know that water boils at a lower temperature and does not cook very well.
Raising the temperature from 62 to 212 degrees is 150 degrees. Dividing two million (BTUs) by 150 equals 13,333 pounds of water raised 150 degrees or 6.6 tons. How many gallons is this?
A quart is 32 ounces and a gallon 128. That divided by 16 ounces (a pound) reveals that one gallon is eight pounds. 13,333 divided by eight yields 1,666 gallons.
I can’t imagine an average two-level home needing as much as 50 gallons for the boiler and all of the pipes but I will err on the safe side. 1,666 divided by 50 would be enough for 33 homes such as those mentioned. Imagine trying to fit 33 homes on the land area of any of our local two level school buildings.
Forget it. Therefore, I determine that a two million BTU boiler would be way larger than needed.
Here is what this is all about: The Herricks district was quoted in the press as wanting to spend $700,000 for new boilers for two schools. The 2 million BTU boiler I have used as a model is priced at less than $38,000 with free delivery.
If more than $10,000 (and probably should be less) is charged for removing the old and installing each new boiler, it would be criminal. So, $38,000 plus $10,000 times two equals $96,000. Into whose pockets would go the remaining $604,000 dollars?
What Herricks does is not directly my concern. Mineola has not published in the press how much the high school boiler would cost. Hmm! This is like other items on the agenda.
Christy Hinko recently wrote an article in the Mineola American about backup-standby generators with professional input that substantiates what I have said that they should not cost more than $20,000 installed.
As has been quoted in the press, the Mineola School District was talking $300,000 and the Mineola Mayor and Board unanimously, enthusiastically and adamantly approved up to $387,000.
There has been no recent talk about generators. The next time the grid goes down there still probably won’t be any. That is not what they are really concerned about judging from their actions.
‘Too busy doing The Hokey Pokey. That’s what it’s all about. Perhaps there is still some time for them to ‘turn themselves around.’
Charles Samek
Mineola
