The boiler chugging in the basement of St. Gabriel Catholic School in Chicagoâ??s Canaryville neighborhood was as big as a locomotive. When plumbers installed it in the 1930s, this equipment represented the latest and greatest coal-burning technology. But that was nearly eight decades ago. The school, located next to the parishâ??s church, needed an upgrade, one that would cut energy use as well as costs. So when St. Gabrielâ??s summer school ended in June, the Archdiocese of Chicago got to work.
Removing the two old boilers took a few days. â??They chop â??em up and take them out piece by piece,â? says Jake Preciado, the construction manager who oversees the mechanics, electrical, and plumbing for the archdiocese. The new models, in comparison, â??fit right through the doorway,â? he says. And they run on cleaner burning natural gas.
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