February 20, 2025
Recent interruptions due to weather may have slowed things down a bit, but construction progress on our beautiful new Greenfield Chapel IS happening.
While current progress may not be all that obvious on the exterior, newly installed windows make for dry conditions inside the building. So interior work on plumbing and electrical systems has begun in earnest. (And at least some of the work crew is now shielded from snow and wind.)
Long-awaited HVAC Upgrade
With all eyes mainly on construction of the new chapel building, other important projects have also been moving forward at Greenfield. In early December the aging heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system was totally replaced in a major upgrade.
While the older system did get the job done, it was both inefficient and expensive to run, not to mention noisy.
Big Job, Done Well
Replacing the old HVAC system was a big project that could have meant major disruptions. However, it went well and lasted only three days.
It took six workers to remove the very heavy boiler from the basement and also to pump out and remove two 250-gallon fuel oil tanks.
One of the new HVAC units needed to be installed in the attic. That came in through the second floor skylight.
Of course, all kinds of pipes and wiring needed to be removed and new hook-ups created. No need to go into all the details here. Suffice it to say that it was a major project that went off smoothly.
Sweet, Sweet Pay-offs
One major advantage is that the two outside heat pump units are extremely quiet. You have to be within 10 feet of them to determine if they are even running. This is a big improvement over the old AC units, which were so loud that even with noise barriers installed they were still loud enough to be heard in the chapel with the windows closed.
Another advantage is that with the removal of the boiler and fuel tanks from the basement, an appreciable amount of much-needed floor space is freed up.
The nuns are now experiencing warm and efficient heat, and can look forward to efficient cooling in the summer time. And all this with decreased energy bills!