Installations
Installer showcases
u nconventional solutions
Volunteers of America is a non-profit organization
that owns and develops HUD (U.S. Department
of Housing & Urban Development) communities
across the U.S. As part of its mission to help America’s
most vulnerable people, the organization provides affordable
housing with supportive services that help build a
foundation for stable, successful lives.
Because many HUD buildings—either rural or urban—
are decades old, mechanical systems are often near or at
the end of their service life. In many instances, central air
conditioning is non-existent.
Both were the case at a property managed by the Pennsylvania
affiliate of Volunteers of America, Plainsview
Apartments in Wilkes Barre.
Ken Rex Heating & Cooling has had the service contract
for the 21-unit apartment complex for three years and
visits to the facility were frequent. The 23-year-old boiler
system needed constant attention. Three oil boilers were
used to provide hot water to an extensive fin-tube system,
zoned individually for each unit. The system also provided
domestic hot water.
“We’ve been battling thermostat and zone valve issues,
and the radiators are falling off the walls in places,” said
Rex, a former Navy machinist who followed in his father’s
footsteps. Both Ken Rex and his dad transitioned from
military duty to the heating industry.
The old system was a problem. Not only was the building
consuming far too much fuel, the 5,000-gallon, underground
tank would soon require replacement. Also,
Plainsview did not have a central air conditioning system.
More than a year ago, management at Volunteers of
America asked Rex about replacing the system. He knew
that an in-kind replacement wasn’t likely to be the best
option. As one of Pennsylvania’s earliest adopters of ductless
technology—he’s installed ductless split systems
since 1986—Rex immediately considered retrofitting with
multi-zone mini splits.
Volunteers of America Pennsylvania Housing Instructor
Joe Eldred was thinking the same thing.
Looking elsewhere
“Replacing the boilers would only have been part of a solution,”
said Eldred. “That still would have left us with an
old hydronic system, lack of individual control, an old storage
tank and no AC.”
At first, HUD wasn’t completely sold on using split-system
technology for the retrofit, despite Eldred’s support,”
said Rex. “Their architects were fully aware of ductless
capability on the air conditioning side, but understandably,
the climate in northern Pennsylvania gave them
pause. They weren’t convinced that split systems could
provide stand-alone performance for the worst part of our
heating season.”
Ken Rex, Owner Ken Rex Heating & Cooling; John Caruso,
NE PA regional sales manager for APR SUPPLY; Kevin Holmes,
sales representative for APR
That might have been the case a few years ago, but
split-system manufacturers have recently introduced “ultra
low temp” models capable of providing space heat during
bitter winter conditions. Rex was aware of this, and
also knew how to provide the information needed to show
that his split-system design would exceed expectations.
Rex, along with two other contractors, submitted bids to
retrofit the building with ductless units. His comprehensive
bid included replacement of the domestic hot water
system once the old boilers were taken offline. He also
supplied an energy use estimation and a plan to limit the
aesthetic impact to the building exterior.
“I’m a Fujitsu Elite dealer, based on the number of
units we install each year,” said Rex. “About two years
ago, Fujitsu released their low-temp models, which can
run efficiently in heating mode down to outdoor temperatures
as low as -15°F.”
Rex selected 22 multi-zone Fujitsu Halcyon units to provide
conditioning; one for each apartment, and one for the
first- and second-story hallways. Each unit is connected to
two, wall-hung indoor units. A 9,000 BTU air handler is
used in the bedroom, while a 12,000 BTU model is used in
the kitchen/living room area.
Fujitsu’s online Contractor Toolbox was used to create
an operation cost estimate, providing a rough projection
of energy use over the course of a year. At current energy
rates, each apartment will cost roughly $65 annually to
cool, and $385 to heat. Multiplied by 21.5 (because the
hallway unit will run far less often than the apartments),
the annual heating cost of the building will come to roughly
$8,300.
So that no stone was left unturned, APR Supply Company
also conducted a pre-visit with Rex while he began
assembling a design. “My local salesman at APR is Kevin
Holmes. He worked out a payment plan with me, and as
usual, supplied all product on time.”
18 ICM/September/October 2017