Back in February, the boilers at the Community Centre gave out, forcing the Community Centre to be closed for the better part of a month.
Now, the boiler at the Recycling Facility has gone down as well.
The boiler installation was performed when the Recycling Facility was built back in 2020. According to a report from Technical Safety BC (TSBC), it was installed “without the required permits. “On February 25, 2021, the boiler was inspected…and a Gas Certificate of Inspection … was issued, identifying the installation as ‘Unpermitted’ and recording a failed inspection,” current Director of Operations and Infrastructure Jason Bradley writes in his report.
“The inspection documented multiple deficiencies, including the absence of a licensed contractor, inadequate venting and combustion air, missing underground gas line pressure testing records, and non-compliant electrical work.”
Bradley—who took on the role of Director of Operations and Infrastructure in 2023—says that a Gas Installation Permit was obtained by Zwick’s Plumbing & Heating Ltd., apparently with the intention of working on the boiler. “However, there is no evidence that the deficiencies identified in the original inspection were ever remediated or reinspected to achieve compliance,” says Bradley.
The failure of the boiler, he says, was attributed to inappropriate equipment selection. “The unit installed was grossly undersized for the heating requirements of the building. As a result, it operated continuously at maximum capacity throughout each heating season, rather than modulating to meet actual demand. This excessive operating condition led to the progressive breakdown of internal components. Over time, the refractory lining inside the combustion chamber deteriorated under sustained high temperatures. Cracks formed in the combustion chamber, allowing refractory material to collapse into the base of the chamber. This material obstructed the flue gas passages, preventing proper airflow and combustion. The resulting blockage caused the unit to be inoperable. Given the extent of the damage, the boiler was unable to be repaired”
Bradley says it is reasonable to conclude that the equipment’s inappropriate sizing contributed directly to the premature failure of the system. “The district file pertaining to this property does not include how this boiler became selected for this particular project.”
Bradley says the district is proceeding with the boiler replacement project “in accordance with all required permitting and documentation, including gas and mechanical permits, to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. In addition, the necessary upgrades to the gas supply system and other supporting infrastructure are being implemented to ensure the new equipment operates as intended and provides reliable service over its lifespan.”
Once the new boiler is in, Bradley says that TSBC will return to inspect the boiler.
Mayor Krakowka asks what sorts of checks and balances are in place to prevent this from happening in the future. Bradley says when he talked to the contractors who come into town to inspect the boilers, the ones at the Recycling Centre have only been inspected once. “They are now on the list,” says Bradley.
Krakowka says that it is important that when people come into the district to do inspections—whether it be boilers, lift gates, overhead doors or whatever—there is a proper inventory sheet.”
He says this is important for the district. “We’ve now got some checks and balances in place to move this forward,” says Krakowka. “That is huge news for our municipality and for this council. We’ve found something that was not working within our corporation, and this is the checks and balances that staff has come forward with. I’m happy to hear that staff is working diligently to make sure that we’re not missing steps going forward. All I can say is thanks to staff for doing that. I appreciate the frankness of this report.”
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
