773d CES bring the heat and keep it running

During the harsh and cold winters of Alaska, without heat, pipes can freeze and burst, forcing whole buildings to shut down until spring. 

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson deters this loss through hardworking 773d Civil Engineer Squadron employees from the Energy Management Control System, Boiler and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning shops, and associated contractors, said David Simmons, 773d CES Boiler supervisor. 

“The workers here at the 773d CES HVAC shop are some of the finest I have had the privilege to work with during my 32 years of service in the Department of Defense,” Simmons said. “The 773d CES Boiler, HVAC and EMCS produce quality work daily to keep the heat on and customer satisfaction high, while striving to save our tax dollars and improve things for the future.” 

Every year, the 773d team turns on the heat for JBER, in accordance with wing guidance, when the daily low temperature for three consecutive days is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit – usually the second or third week of September. 

During that period, CE asks facility occupants to be patient, because once the process has begun it may take up to two weeks to start the heat for the whole base. Once the heat is on, it will remain on for the rest of the winter. 

“It is a huge energy savings for the base when we shut down [the boilers] in the spring because it gives us the opportunity to work on the equipment, perform maintenance, annual inspections and make repairs that can’t be done during the winter,” Simmons said. “Another reason we don’t turn the heat on as soon as it gets cold is because, even though it might be cold one day, [that] doesn’t mean that it will be cold the next; one day it may be 40 degrees and the next will be 60 degrees, and we’d be getting calls to turn their heat off.” 

Since 2003, CE has been replacing their steam boilers with high-efficiency condensing boilers. These are automated, connected to EMCS, and can be started remotely and need minimal checkups from the boiler shop, while older-steamed models are manually started and may need more attention. 

“As we get more equipment replaced and automated controls up to the new systems, it has been getting better by saving more energy,” Simmons said. “We get [fewer] service calls, and people seem more satisfied and comfortable.” 

Thus far, they have upgraded 30 percent of the boilers to more efficient automated ones and cut the cost of energy by approximately 30 to 40 percent. These numbers only apply to the steam boilers which heat 412 facilities, but other buildings use electric or gas heating instead. 

If the facility is run on propane, it is the responsibility of the facility manager to monitor the fuel level and inform CE because it may take a considerable time for a delivery from the propane company during peak times of the year, like mid-winter. 

“We ask the customers to please route all problems through the facility managers so they can report the problems to the 773d CES customer service,” Simmons said. “This will allow them a way to track the work, get it to the correct shop and stay updated on potential problems.”