Water heater(natural gas)

The South Carolina Department of Corrections Facilities Division issued a Request for Quote (RFQ) solicitation numbered 5400026385 for the procurement of a single commercial natural gas water heater. The specific procurement requires an AO Smith Cyclone BTH 250A natural gas water heater or an equivalent product meeting precise specifications, including a 100-gallon condensing design with 250,000 BTU capacity, ASME certification, and 1-1/2" hot and cold water connections. Key technical requirements include a high-efficiency modulating down-fired pre-mix burner, with specific height measurements to the gas valve (75.50" from floor) and T&P valve (56.38" from floor). The solicitation was issued on January 3, 2024, with proposals due by January 11, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., and award notification scheduled for January 18, 2024. Delivery is required within 30 days of purchase order receipt to the department's location at 4322 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, with pricing required to include freight and be submitted on a fixed unit price basis.

The procurement allows vendors to claim South Carolina end-product preference, United States end-product preference, or South Carolina resident vendor preference if meeting statutory requirements. Vendor registration with the State of South Carolina is mandatory, and nonresident contractors may be subject to a 2% withholding requirement unless properly registered. In this specific procurement, Water Heater Distributors LLC of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was awarded the contract on January 18, 2024, at a total evaluated amount of $10,757.00 for the single water heater unit. The solicitation included provisions for potential vendor preferences and required all items to be new. No specific funding amount was stated in the original solicitation, but the awarded contract demonstrates a precise budget for the equipment. The procurement is governed by South Carolina law and subject to all applicable state procurement regulations, with standard terms and conditions specified in the solicitation document.