Yokota heating system suffers ‘catastropic failure’

[unhappycamper]

Yokota heating system suffers ‘catastropic failure’
By Bryce S. Dubee, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, February 15, 2008

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Residents on the base’s east side had to deal with the cold reality of winter as the boiler system providing heating and hot water to them suffered a “catastrophic failure.”

The east side boiler plant has four boilers, said Master Sgt. Joseph R. Hudson, the chief of the mechanical section for the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron. Boilers one and four had been down before Tuesday’s failure.

“Yesterday, we lost boilers two and three,” he said. “But only a few hours after the failure, we had boiler one running in a reduced capacity.”

The failure meant facilities on the east side — including the elementary school, natatorium and residences — had no hot water or heating. Hudson said the hospital, which has its own boiler for hot water, lost only its heating capabilities.

By Wednesday, repairs brought one boiler to full capacity and another to partial capacity.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52486