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Town staff report recurring water contamination in public safety building generator; heater outlet and options under review
Summary
Town administrators reported repeated water in the propane generator serving the public safety building; the town plans to have a heater outlet wired, investigate elevation or replacement, and obtain electrician quotes to prevent future failures.
Town Administrator Bill Sweet and town staff reported on Sept. 9 that the propane generator at the public safety building has experienced recurrent water contamination in its fuel/oil system, producing recurring maintenance costs and reliability concerns.
The town said technicians found water in internal regulator components and that the most recent repair cost about $1,700. Brookfield technicians and the town's new propane provider inspected the unit and raised questions about how water was entering the generator. Staff told the board the unit sits at ground level (the pad was poured near grade) and that snow and moisture exposure may be a factor. The town also has a heater on-site that was installed previously but the outlet to power it has not been wired.
Town staff proposed three near-term steps: (1) have an electrician wire the heater outlet so the generator enclosure can be heated in cold/wet weather; (2) monitor the unit closely through the coming winter and keep the area cleared of snow; and (3) obtain quotes to elevate the unit or replace it with a configuration similar to the other diesel-powered generators the town operates. Staff said replacing with a more conventional diesel unit could reduce recurring maintenance risk and would enable resale of the existing propane unit.
The board asked staff to reach out to the electrician who wired the public safety building to get a cost estimate for running the heater circuit and to obtain options and quotes for possible replacement. No formal action was taken at the Sept. 9 meeting; staff will report back with estimates.
