B35 Chiller REplacement RFIs 27 Aug 2026.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 21 KB Posted
- Attached to
- B35 Chiller Replacement
- Solicitation number
- W50S7X-26-Q-0013
- Issued by
-
Department of the Army National Guard
About this file
This is a Request for Information (RFI) document containing 32 questions and answers related to the B35 Chiller Replacement project at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas (Solicitation W50S7X-26-Q-0013). The RFIs address critical technical, operational, and compliance requirements for the chiller replacement.
Key technical clarifications include: the existing chiller system contains a 30% glycol mixture that must be captured and reused; the contractor is responsible for confirming glycol concentration and performing necessary system flushing if metal shavings are present; the new chiller must connect to existing 4-inch piping without major modification, with the contractor responsible for verifying proper pipe sizing during chiller selection; heat tracing is required on exposed piping areas not built into the chiller; and the new chiller must comply with the Buy American Act. Regarding controls integration, the existing Trane RTAA 80-ton chiller operates with a Trane DDC/BAS system managed by Sandifer Engineering, and the contractor must coordinate with Sandifer to ensure compatibility and programming of the new unit's controls. The RFIs clarify that the period of performance is 90 days from Notice to Proceed, temporary cooling is not required during replacement (with a 30-day advance notice required for scheduling the outage), and no new equipment pad is required. Refrigerant specifications address Section 608 technician certification requirements for ozone-depleting substances, refrigerant recovery procedures, and allowable leak rates per the Clean Air Act. The applicable wage determination is Service Wage Determination 2015-5341 Rev. 34. The contractor is responsible for all training, commissioning, testing, and controls/BAS functional testing, while the government will handle final fluid analysis testing.
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Text version
Sheet1
| Questions | Answers | ||
| 1 | Does the existing chiller system contain glycol? If so, please confirm the type and required glycol concentration. | 30% Mixture | |
| 2 | Are we required to capture, store, and reuse the existing glycol, or should the existing fluid be removed and replaced with new glycol? | Capture and reuse as much as possible. | |
| 3 | If the existing glycol is to be reused, is the contractor responsible for testing the existing fluid for glycol percentage, freeze point, pH, and chemical condition? | The contractor just needs to confirm it is at least 30%. | |
| 4 | Please confirm whether the existing fluid is to be saved and reused in the new/reconfigured system. | The system is to be drained and given to CES. New will need to be added into the new system. | |
| 5 | If the existing glycol is to be reused, is the new/reworked piping required to be flushed, cleaned, and chemically treated before the existing fluid is reintroduced? | If metal shavings are found yes if not then it will not be required. | |
| 6 | Please confirm the required cleaning, flushing, treatment, and chemical testing procedures. | This is a contractor responsibility | |
| 7 | Is a final fluid analysis required after the system is filled and operational? | No | |
| 8 | Please confirm whether the existing building controls/BAS will be compatible with the proposed new chiller. | Yes, it is also recommended that Sandifer Engineering be used to help program the Chiller. They are responsible for all KANG DDC controls. | |
| 9 | Can the existing controls be reused as-is, or will modifications/upgrades be required? | Refer to Sandifer Engineering when new unit is chosen and approved. | |
| 10 | If an update is required, please identify the required hardware, software, programming, communication interface, and/or gateway | Refer to Sandifer Engineering when new unit is chosen and approved. | |
| 11 | Please confirm whether BACnet integration is required and provide the required BAS points list and sequence of operation, if applicable | Refer to Sandifer Engineering when new unit is chosen and approved. | |
| 12 | Please identify the controls contractor responsible for the building. | Sandifer Engineering | |
| 13 | Please confirm that the new chiller has the same piping connection sizes, locations, elevations, and orientation as the existing chiller. | This is contractor responsibility and will ensure the chiller chosen is approved through the submittal process. | |
| 14 | Please provide the manufacturer's dimensional drawings and connection details for the proposed chiller. | This will be provided from the contractor. We do not handle the design of the unit only the requirement. A submittal will be provided by the contractor to ensure the new chiller meets our basic requirements. | |
| 15 | Can the existing piping be connected to the new chiller without major modification? | This is a requirement that was called out in the SOW the new chiller needs to attach to 4” piping already tied into the building. | |
| 16 | If piping modifications, reducers, adapters, offsets, or other fittings are required, please confirm the required scope. | During the chiller selection this again falls on the contractor to verify it meets the correct pipe sizing. | |
| 17 | Please confirm whether the new or modified chiller piping requires heat tracing. | Yes, but this is dependent on the chiller provided. | |
| 18 | If heat tracing is required, please identify the piping sections requiring heat trace and the associated controls/electrical requirements. | Only on exposed areas that are not already built into the chiller. | |
| 19 | Please confirm whether Quantech is an approved equal to Trane for this project. As long as the unit concurs with the “Buy American Act”. | We can entertain, although KANG only has two chillers brands on base Trane and Daikin. This is for the ease of maintenance. | |
| 20 | If Quantech equipment is acceptable, please confirm whether a formal substitution request is required prior to bidding or whether it may be submitted as an approved equal. | The unit need to made and purchased in the US per the “Buy American Act”. If the unit does not meet this standard it will not be acceptable. | |
| 21 | Please clarify whether inspections, testing, startup, and commissioning are the responsibility of the contractor or will be performed by the Base/Owner. | Contractor will provide training for KANG CES personell. | |
| 22 | Please identify which inspections and commissioning activities are included in the contractor's scope. | All training, commissioning and testing | |
| 23 | Please clarify whether controls/BAS functional testing and commissioning are included. | Yes | |
| 24 | The solicitation documents indicate that the existing equipment is located on a pad and state that the pad is to be extended if it is not sufficiently large. During our subcontractor's site visit, it appeared that the existing equipment is not currently installed on a pad as indicated in the documents. Please clarify whether a new equipment/housekeeping pad is required. | No, this pertained to the concrete the unit is sitting on. KANG labels this as an equipment pad. There is not requirement to install a raised pad. | |
| 25 | If a new or modified pad is required, please provide the required dimensions, thickness, reinforcement, elevation, and finish requirements, and confirm whether the concrete work is included in the contractor's scope. | Not needed | |
| 26 | Existing building controls: Please identify the manufacturer and model of the existing Building 35 DDC/BAS, front-end software, communications protocol, and incumbent controls contractor. Please also provide the existing chiller point list and sequence of operation, if available. | Trane RTAA- 80-ton chiller. | |
| 27 | Controls integration: Will native BACnet/IP integration be acceptable? Please confirm the required chiller points, graphics, alarms, trends, remote commands, and functional testing. Will the Government provide the successful contractor and controls integrator with access to the existing BAS front end? | It is on the contractor to reach out to Sandinfer Engineer as they run all our DDC controls systems. | |
| 28 | Refrigerant: The SOW specifies R-134A or equivalent; however, current 80-ton air-cooled chillers may use R-454B or R-32. Please confirm whether these refrigerants are acceptable and identify any specific equivalency, safety, code, or base requirements that must be satisfied. | 1. Ozone Depleting Substances Certification | |
| a. | All technicians working on equipment that contain ozone depleting refrigerants must be certified as a Section 608 Technician to meet requirements in 40 CFR 82, Subpart F. Provide copies of technician certifications to the Contracting Officer at least 14 calendar days prior to work on any equipment containing these refrigerants. | ||
| b. | If all products do not contain any refrigerants identified in 40 CFR 82, submit all refrigerant SDS sheets and a general statement of exemption from 40 CFR 82 in alternate to the certifications. Statement of exemption must indicate all equipment containing refrigerants with respective refrigerant types. | ||
| 2. | Testing | ||
| a. | At all times during the installation and testing of the refrigeration system, take steps to prevent the release of refrigerants into the atmosphere. The steps must include, but not be limited to, procedures which will minimize the release of refrigerants to the atmosphere and the use of refrigerant recovery devices to remove refrigerant from the system and store the refrigerant for reuse or reclaim. At no time will the allowable leak rate exceed the leak rates allowed in Section 608 of the Clean Air Act: 30 percent of the full charge per year for industrial refrigeration, 20 percent of the full charge per year for commercial refrigeration, and 10 percent of the full charge per year for comfort cooling. Any system leaks within the first year must be repaired in accordance with the requirements herein at no cost to the Government including material, labor, and refrigerant if the leak is the result of defective equipment, material, or installation. | ||
| 29 | Piping and temporary connection: Please provide available drawings or photographs showing the existing 4-inch piping, valves, supports and tie-in arrangement. Please clarify the required configuration for the 4-inch temporary-chiller tee and valve, including connection type, cap or blind flange, isolation requirements and preferred location. | KANG will rely on the contractor to decide the best avenue to configure the chiller pipping during installation. The contractor should take this into account during the bidding process, KANG assumes the contractor is capable of installing pipping as needed. | |
| 30 | Temporary cooling and outage: Is temporary cooling required during replacement, or is the contractor only required to install the permanent temporary-chiller connection? Please identify the permissible cooling outage duration, approved outage periods and any occupied-building temperature requirements. | No this will not be a requirement. KANG asks that the contractor schedules the outage at least 30-days prior to installation of the new unit. | |
| 31 | 1. Period of Performance: The original solicitation identifies a 90-day period of performance after NTP, while the Site Visit Presentation identifies a 60-day construction period after NTP. Please confirm the required period of performance. | The Period of Performance is 90 days | |
| 32 | Applicable Wage Determination: Please confirm the applicable labor standards for this requirement. The solicitation/site-visit documentation references Wage Determination 2015-5341 Rev. 32, while Davis-Bacon applicability was also discussed during the site visit. If Construction Wage Rate Requirements/Davis-Bacon applies, please provide the applicable construction wage determination. | Service Wage Determination 2015-5341 Rev. 34 Applies |
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