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District orders heat exchangers after multiple failures at Parkside and Riverview schools
Summary
Facilities staff said four heat exchangers have failed across Parkside and Riverview and they have authorized immediate orders; GEM HVAC agreed to prepay parts to accelerate delivery while the district continues to investigate causes with contractors and the manufacturer.
Facilities staff updated the Buildings and Grounds committee that two additional heat exchangers have failed at Parkside and Riverview, bringing the total to four and with a potential fifth failure under review.
Staff said they have authorized immediate orders for replacement heat exchangers and that GEM HVAC, the district's contracted HVAC firm, agreed to prepay for the parts to avoid delivery delays. Staff said GEM HVAC is also seeking deep discounts from suppliers; staff indicated hope that some of the cost may be reduced but cautioned that final pricing is not yet confirmed.
The district said it has been meeting with Roberts Mechanical (the local distributor for RBI boilers) and is communicating with RBI, the Canadian manufacturer, to clarify cause and responsibility. Staff described multiple possible causes — manufacturing setup, installation programming, piping configuration or undersized auxiliary components — and said they are awaiting more definitive answers before assigning liability.
Facilities staff emphasized they will share confirmed information with board members (including Mr. Thompson and Mr. Rotino) once they have it. Staff said they are moving forward with ordering parts because they do not want buildings without heat during the winter.
Roger, the district's owner's representative, was referenced during the discussion and staff said his involvement underscores the importance of thorough construction oversight on large projects.
Ending
Staff said they will provide additional updates to the board when more information about root cause and final costs are available. No formal emergency purchase vote was recorded; staff said they would call a board meeting if formal approval for additional spending were required.
