No Place Like Nome

Jobs remain the main topic of conversation in many industries. This holds especially true in the construction industry, where unemployment hovers around 20%.

Three Pureheat hydronic air or surface heaters from Wacker Neuson Climate Technology are doing their part to keep workers on the job in Nome, AK, this winter. As temperatures drop well below 0° F (–18° C), Inuit-NCI, JV – a joint venture between Inuit Services, Inc., and Neeser Construction, Inc., Anchorage, AK – is using Pureheat heaters to keep workers warm on a $90.5 million construction project to replace a 61-year-old hospital that serves about 10,000 patients every year.

Non-Stop Construction

Construction on the new 150,000 ft² (13,935 m²) Norton Sound Regional Hospital began in 2009. With its 2012 contract deadline, work continues through the long winter months to stay on schedule. “The structure was enclosed with blue skin when the Pureheat units went to work during late fall 2010,” says Daniel Sheridan, regional jobsite specialist for Wacker Neuson.

Ferrum Equipment, the Wacker Neuson dealer in Alaska, supplied Neeser with the three Pureheat units and HX200 Heat Xchangers for the job. “Past experience and a proven track record with the Wacker Neuson E5000 and CH5000 hydronic heaters sold Neeser on Pureheat,” continues Sheridan. “Positive experience and full service support to ensure against downtime.” 

Given the extreme operating conditions during the harsh Nome winters, onsite support is critical. According to Will Burton, representative for Ferrum Equipment, “the area can have –20° F (–29° C) ambient temperatures with 80 mph (128.7 kmph) winds,” creating wind chills of –66° F (–54° C). Pureheat is built to provide consistent, reliable heat for just such applications.
When equipped with Heat Xchangers, Pureheat efficiently delivers clean, dry temporary heat to large structures like the Norton Sound Regional Hospital. Removing excess moisture from the work space, this hydronic air heater offers up to 50% fuel savings over traditional heating methods.

Pureheat has no open flame, so it delivers dependable operation, even with Nome’s windy conditions. Offering up to 860,000 BTU/hr fuel input, the versatile heater operates at 83% efficiency, and it can be equipped to run on diesel, propane or natural gas fuel sources.

Each of Neeser’s three Pureheat units comes standard with four HX200 Heat Xchangers, offering more flexibility in directing heat to where it’s required. Converting hydronic to air heat, these exchangers offer 200,000 BTU/hr heat output at 2,400 CFM airflow.

The three-story hospital building rests on a series of pilings driven 60 ft (18 m) into bedrock. When Neeser needs to position the exchangers on the hospital’s third floor, far away from the heating unit, Wacker Neuson offers an option that ensures the heat continues to flow to the exchangers. Wacker Neuson Booster Pumps are designed to enhance the supply/return of heated oil flow to the exchangers when they are positioned more than 400 ft (122 m) from or 40 ft (12 m) above the heating unit.

With Pureheat, Neeser has a multifaceted tool that does more than just deliver healthy, dry heat to the building’s inside. With its 1000 ft (300 m) of hose, this hydronic heater is capable of thawing up to 18,000 ft² (1,672 m²) or curing up to 30,000 ft² (2,787 m²) of concrete. This gives Neeser multiple options to increase its return on investment.  

Got a challenging application in extreme cold? Try the flexible Pureheat hydronic air or surface heater from Wacker Neuson Climate Technology. With its ability to deliver thawing, curing and air heat capabilities, Pureheat is quite possibly the most versatile heater in the world. 

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