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DID
YOU KNOW THAT…?
Over the summer there were major projects completed regarding the
heating and air-conditioning of the school and church buildings.
- School Heating System Upgrade ($39,600)
The
School is heated by hot water baseboards which are fed from a gas
fired hot water heater. The school’s offices
and 16 classrooms were controlled by one thermostat. One side
of the school would be
so hot they would open the windows while the other side of the
building was cold. This caused the boiler to continually run to
keep up, which
is a costly waste of energy.
The second issue with the school heat was air getting into the piping
which would stop the water flow and result in no heat. Because the
school had only one zone, the whole system was affected. There was
no way to isolate the problem area. Due to this recurring problem we
had several service calls which cost approximately $4,400.
To alleviate these problems and use our energy more efficiently, each
classroom has been equipped with a zone valve and sensor. This will
allow us to regulate the heat more effectively and isolate problem
areas.
- Church & Hall Heating & Air Conditioning
Equipment Upgrade ($38,470)
The cooling system for the church and hall consists of two condensing
units and two air-handling units. One condensing unit was replaced
in 1999 and the remaining equipment is original to the system. The
air-handling units are located in the hall and provided only cooling.
The heating system in the Church is hot water baseboard. The hall
had been heated with 6 hot water units that were in the ceiling. Many
of these units did not work, the parts are obsolete, and repair was
too costly.
To correct these problems a new condensing unit has been installed.
Two new air-handlers have been installed in the hall along with two
hot water coils that will provide heat.
Both of these projects were costly and labor intensive but necessary
for the overall maintenance of our buildings. In the long run we will
benefit from the more economical use of energy.
- Due to the opening of the new parish school at
Mary, Mother of the Redeemer in North Wales, the parish enrollment
of St. Catherine
of Siena School was adversely affected and we have suffered a decrease
of 80 students for the new school year of 2003-2004. Needless to
say, this is a concern for our parish and in particular, our parish
school.
Throughout this year Sr. Maureen, our school principal, and our
Home and School Board will be looking at new ways to promote our
school
and keep it vital in light of this major loss of tuition income.
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