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Strafford County commissioners approve emergency replacement of failed Haider House boiler
Summary
Commissioners voted unanimously to waive bidding and approve an emergency replacement for a failed 500,000 BTU boiler at the Haider House; the new unit is expected to be a 96% efficient condensing boiler with an estimated cost of $16,000–$17,000 and a Unitil rebate of about $4,000.
Speaker 3 reported that one of two original 500,000 BTU boilers at the Haider House failed after its annual service, leaving the property operating on a single unit and prompting an emergency replacement.
The replacement unit, Speaker 3 said, is a fully condensing boiler with roughly 96% efficiency compared with the current unit’s approximately 80% efficiency. Speaker 3 estimated the replacement would cost between $16,000 and $17,000 and said “we're gonna get, roughly $4,000 back from Unitil.” Installation was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. the following day.
Commissioners discussed the condition of the failed unit. Speaker 3 described the heat exchanger as “rotted out” with burners and stands corroded; the unit was about 20 years old and could only reach about 130°F in service, the transcript shows. Because the failure was weather-sensitive and would jeopardize heating during cold weather, the commission considered an emergency procurement.
Speaker 1 moved to waive competitive bidding to permit immediate procurement and installation of the replacement boiler; the motion was seconded and the commission recorded a roll-call vote approving the waiver unanimously. The commission instructed staff to proceed with the vendor identified (Webb/Brewlot) and to complete the installation.
Speakers also noted energy-utility programs that reduced the town’s net cost: Speaker 3 credited outreach that secured a roughly 20–25% cost contribution from Eversource for similar projects and said boiler rooms at other municipal sites had been insulated through the same initiative.
The commission’s action was limited to authorizing the emergency replacement and waiving normal bidding procedures; no long-term capital appropriation or further policy change was adopted at the meeting. The installation was scheduled to proceed the next morning, and the commission closed discussion and moved on to other agenda items.
