Peak heating

 

“When we went to our second build we were having some trouble with the boilers,” says George Lucas, owner of Lucas Greenhouses. “So, in 2006 or 2007 we worked with a design and consulting company and we designed a 12-acre system to be built in phases. And we chose Hurst Boiler for that build.”

 

Lucas had two, 300 horsepower Hurst heating systems installed in the first build. He was so happy with their performance that when the second build arrived, he decided to install another Hurst system. When the final phase of the project was completed, the company had three Hurst boilers.

 

The company is growing flowering annuals in the Hurst heated room. Specifically, they’re focused on annuals in 4.5 inch to 14 inch pots. Lucas says that they run those boilers “hard” from mid-January through early May. To keep the plants happy and healthy, the facility employs both overhead heating and floor heating.

 

“I always oversize my boilers. That way, if I lose one boiler, what’s left can handle the load,” he says.

 

To keep everything running at peak efficiency, Lucas takes maintenance very seriously. He says that every summer, when the boilers are down, all the tubes get brushed. The systems are cleaned and vacuumed. The staff constantly checks the systems for leaks. Lucas also brings in an expert to come in monthly and check the water quality. In the fall, before the heater use is ramped up, an expert is brought in to complete a full boiler checkup. To this point, he says, everything with the heating systems has been purring along. “Partly because I’m religious about maintenance,” he says.

 

“But the systems have been flawless,” he says. “They’re seven or nine years old now and we have had no problems with them. They hum right along. Out of the three boiler rooms at our facility, the Hurst room, is by far our best. It holds temperature in the greenhouse the best.”

 

He adds that he would buy another Hurst system in an instant. As it is, Lucas is planning another 130,000 square feet expansion that will be warmed by the Hurst systems.