December 21st, 2020

Patterson-Kelley Replaces 30 Year Old Heating Bundle in Pennsylvania Jail

Introduction

The Lehigh County Jail is a state-of-the-art correctional facility located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This 250,000 square foot high rise facility has a maximum capacity of 1,352 inmates, which are separated between maximum security housing and short-term local sentencing.

Thanks to Blankin Equipment, for nearly thirty years, two Hot Water Storage Heater Series P-K W 144 V2 /4V have provided constant and efficient water heat to the facility.

Challenges

After thirty years of continual use, the site wanted to upgrade the tube bundle to restore optimal performance. The blades of the original electric element bundle had begun to corrode. However, the bundles that needed to be replaced, are not commercially available “off-the-shelf”. The electric heating element bundles in these units are
considered a proprietary Patterson-Kelley design. The only options were to update the operational water heaters or replace them entirely.

Patterson-Kelley Solution

The obvious solution for the Lehigh County Jail was a complete electric heating bundle replacement by the Patterson-Kelley team. With only a series of pictures and a few measurements, the P-K engineering and aftermarket sales team were able to completely review, redraw, and reconstruct the tube bundle to match the exact dimensions of the previous heating bundle.

Efficiency

While this update is still fairly new, the new bundle is thriving under the inflexible needs and conditions of the jail. The new electric bundles and blades are now working properly, and the system is heating more efficiently. This will save energy for the full life of the water heater, and help the facility save money.

Download the Complete Lehigh County Jail Case Study Here.