The town of Harpswell has made changes to its half-million-dollar contract for a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in the Town Office, including the addition of a new boiler.
The Select Board approved the contract addendum at its Oct. 28 meeting. It includes removing the office’s 23-year-old heating oil boiler and tanks, and installing a high-efficiency liquid propane boiler.
On Aug. 20, Select Board Chair Kevin Johnson signed a $453,000 contract with Auburn-based Thayer LLC for the HVAC system’s installation. The Select Board had approved the decision at a previous meeting.
The new system will include five heat pumps, along with energy recovery ventilators, which improve indoor air quality and reduce energy usage by exchanging heat and moisture between incoming fresh air and outgoing stale air.
Under the addendum, Harpswell will pay an additional $41,691 for the new boiler, from Tennessee-based Lochinvar LLC. Town officials said the existing boiler has a small leak, and a Thayer representative advised against attempting to repair it.
However, the addendum also modifies the original contract to go with a less expensive temperature control system that will save the town $19,253.
The net change in costs is $22,438, bringing the total contract amount to just under $475,500. The new HVAC system’s installation is expected to take about 2 1/2 months.
