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Project Title: Replace Inefficient Water Heaters and HVACs (FFS #R8GR*)
State: California
Project Description: The previous heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system in the government quarters at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge was 40 years old and acquired with the house when a land purchase was made in 1998. The government quarters is located adjacent to Pelican Road in Stanislaus County, California, on the Refuge. The HVAC system was a combined heating and cooling unit located on a concrete pad next to the quarters. The unit used propane gas and electricity as power sources. This HVAC system, due to its age and wear, was inoperable and red-tagged to prevent its use.
This project included the removal and proper disposal of the existing unit from the government quarters and its replacement with a new, appropriately sized Energy Star rated HVAC unit (14 SEER or better); with programmable thermostat(s); and all necessary electrical (and fuel) connections and duct/fittings work. This project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The main office for the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge is the office for the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex located in Los Banos, California.
Scope: Provided all construction, labor, materials, management, supervision, and incidentals to construct a complete project suitable for the use intended.
Removed and properly disposed of the existing combined HVAC unit from the government quarters and replaced with an appropriate HVAC unit which was a new Energy Star, high-efficiency system including, but not limited to, exterior condensing unit, interior air handling units, controls, control wiring and connections, power wiring and connections, and balancing of system.
The new HVAC unit is able to heat and cool the single story 2,100 square foot house. The unit is able to cool the house to a maximum temperature of 74 F and heat the house to a minimum temperature of 70 F. The unit includes an interior programmable thermostat(s). The unit is a ground unit that fits on the existing concrete pad where the previous unit was located. The heating unit uses propane gas as a fuel and the air conditioning unit uses electricity as its power source. The project also included replacing the existing duct work.
Work also included salvage and disposal of existing refrigerants in conformance with Federal, State, and Local environmental, building, and electrical codes. Work also included the proper sealing of all connections, replacing the duct work and fittings to needed sizes for the proper functioning of the HVAC unit.
Project Status: The contract was awarded to A.M Truscello, Inc. of Modesto, California, on January 5, 2010, in the amount of $ 9,725.00. The project was completed in January 2010.
San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge: The San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, which is located in Stanislaus County, encompasses over 7,000 acres of riparian woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands that host a diversity of wildlife native to California’s Central Valley. The Refuge is situated where three major rivers (San Joaquin, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus) join, providing a key travel corridor for wildlife. The refuge was established in 1987 under the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Conservation Act.
The Refuge has played a major role in the recovery of Aleutian cackling geese by serving as a key wintering area, and continues to be of major importance to this species. By 1975, the total population was under 1,000 geese. However, removing nest predators (non-native introduced foxes) from the breeding grounds in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and improving wintering habitat resulted in its delisting as an endangered species, resulting in a population well over 100,000 and growing. Restoring wetlands and providing grasslands and croplands at this refuge has provided ideal wintering habitat for the geese.
It is estimated that 95 percent of the San Joaquin Valley’s riparian woodlands were lost during the last century due to changing land uses. However, this refuge is in the process of restoring this critical habitat. Within the borders of the San Joaquin NWR is California’s second-largest riparian forest restoration project: over a half-million native trees and shrubs, such as willows, cottonwoods, and oaks, have been planted across 2,200 acres of river floodplain, creating the largest block of contiguous riparian woodland in the San Joaquin Valley. This important riparian woodland habitat is host to many rare animals. Swainson’s hawks nest in the canopy of tall cottonwood trees. Herons and cormorants form communal nesting colonies within the tops of the large oaks. Endangered riparian brush rabbits have been re-introduced to this restored habitat from captive-reared populations. These woodlands also support a diversity of breeding songbirds, including grosbeaks, orioles, flycatchers, and warblers, as well as least Bell’s vireos – a threatened species which last nested in the San Joaquin Valley over 50 years ago.
A wildlife viewing platform along Beckwith Road is a favorite location for viewing the Aleutian cackling geese, along with other waterbirds, from October through March.
Photos:
 Newly installed HVAC unit. |
 Newly installed HVAC unit. |
For more information, visit the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge website, or contact:
Eric Hopson
Assistant Refuge Manager
San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 2176
947 West Pacheco Blvd., Suite C
Los Banos, CA 93635
Phone: (209) 826-3508
Fax: (209) 826-1445
Eric_Hopson@fws.gov
Mary Crist
Administrative Officer
San Luis NWR Complex
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 2176
947 West Pacheco Blvd., Suite C
Los Banos, CA 93635
Phone: (209) 826-3508, Ext. 12
Fax: (209) 826-1445
Mary_Crist@fws.gov
Kim Forrest
Refuge Manager
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex
P.O. Box 2176
Los Banos, California 93635
Phone: (209) 826-3508
Fax: (209) 826-1445
Kim_Forrest@fws.gov
Robert Parris
Deputy Refuge Manager
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex
P.O. Box 2176
Los Banos, California 93635
Phone: (209) 826-3508
Fax: (209) 826-1445
Bob_Parris@fws.gov
John Purl
A.M. Truscello, Inc.
P.O. Box 578971
Modesto, CA 95357-8971
1107 Kansas Avenue
Modesto, CA 95351-1525
Phone: (209) 480-6430
Phone: (209) 543-9228
*Project R8GR is a Regionwide project impacting multiple sites. To learn more about the energy-efficiency projects taking place in this region, visit the Pacific Southwest Region’s Energy-Efficiency project page.
Originally posted 05/03/2010
Page Completed 12/01/2011
