Hospital Boiler Room Demolition: Removing Steam Boilers and Mechanical Equipment

R. Baker & Son was tasked with a complex demolition project at an active hospital, systematically removing two aging Cleaver-Brooks steam boilers (a 350 HP and a 200 HP unit), along with an associated deaerator, steam-to-hot-water heat exchangers, and a 2,500-gallon hot water storage tank.
 

As with all hospital work, this project required extensive pre-planning and enabling work before any demolition could begin. Hospital mechanical rooms present unique challenges. These spaces are typically congested with years of layered conduit, piping, ductwork, and plumbing installations, all of which must be carefully navigated before any equipment can be touched.

Starting with the Hot Water Storage Tank

The first order of business was removing the old, inefficient 2,500-gallon domestic hot water storage tank. However, that removal could only proceed after three new high-efficiency steam-to-hot-water boilers were installed and made operational, ensuring the hospital would have an uninterrupted source of domestic hot water throughout the project.

Environmental Testing and Preparation

Before any demolition work began, all insulation was carefully tested for asbestos and all painted metal surfaces were tested for lead paint, with particular attention given to the old boiler flues and related components. Once environmental clearance was granted, R. Baker & Son worked closely with the hospital maintenance staff to properly ventilate and exhaust the mechanical room.

With ventilation in place, crews carefully removed all insulation from the hot water tank and its associated piping. All related mechanical and electrical systems were then properly marked, locked out, and tagged out in preparation for demolition. The crew utilized Sawzalls, cutting torches, and grinders as needed, along with a small battery-operated forklift to maneuver materials in the tight space.

Once the hot water storage tank was removed in sections and all associated piping was cut back to the mains, attention shifted to the two steam boilers, which were no longer needed with warmer weather arriving.

Clearing the Way for New Equipment

Working alongside the hospital maintenance staff and the project design engineer, R. Baker & Son identified and removed several exhaust ducts, electrical conduit runs, and piping lines that no longer served an active purpose. Several sprinkler lines and four larger plumbing lines also required rerouting to make way for the demolition and the installation of four new high-efficiency Aerco hot water boilers.

Boiler Removal

The two Cleaver-Brooks boilers were systematically shut down, locked out, and tagged out. Natural gas and fuel lines were carefully removed and capped. The crew then removed the boiler flues and waterside economizers, followed by both burner assemblies. The outer casing, fire tubes, and combustion chambers were then stripped away. Simultaneously, the deaerator tank, its metal frame, and the condensate pumps were cut and removed in sections. All associated steam piping, steam-to-hot-water heat exchangers, and the steam manifold were removed back to the main and capped. Both boilers were fully broken down and removed in pieces through the mechanical room's double doors, loaded onto a waiting truck for scrap recycling.

Final Scope and Site Preparation

As part of the overall project scope, R. Baker & Son also removed makeup water lines, condensate lines, and various mechanical hangers and supports. This cleared the necessary space for a new large concrete housekeeping pad, which will serve as the foundation for the new Aerco hot water boilers replacing the Cleaver-Brooks units.

A Satisfied Client and Future Work

The hospital's maintenance staff and their director expressed strong satisfaction with the safety measures maintained throughout the project, including daily mechanical room ventilation, fire watches, and strict lockout/tagout protocols. Operating in a tight, active environment with little room to spare, the R. Baker & Son team delivered the attention to detail the project demanded. The hospital is already planning to replace several aging chillers with new high-efficiency units and has brought R. Baker & Son back to perform that work as well.

R. Baker & Son 190 Boundary Road, Marlboro, NJ 07746 - 732-222-3553

Contact us today for a no-obligation pre-construction consultation.