Walnutport’s new furnace is expected to be installed by the end of next month.

Borough grant coordinator Mike Wentz said at Thursday’s borough council meeting the shipment date is Nov. 1.

Last month, Wentz reported progress on installation of the new furnace for borough hall. He said the old unit had been removed and H.T. Lyons was completing work on the new system.

Wentz said at that time the old furnace was gone, and they were working on hardware for hookup of a new one.

He said then the new furnace is 99.9% efficient and would require two 1,000-gallon tanks located at least 25 feet from the building. The project also includes a fence estimated at $7,000 from Tri-Boro Fencing and a concrete pad for the tanks.

Contacted Monday morning, Wentz said the tanks are in, and the concrete pads are being delivered Wednesday.

Council President Michael Gaston asked at Thursday’s borough council meeting if the day care is going to be able to operate.

Wentz said they’re going to close the area in the back when the tanks come so the crane can lift it.

Gaston said that theoretically, the shed has to be removed, and has to be removed by the end of the month.

“It has to get moved,” Gaston said.

Gaston noted at last month’s meeting that time the placement could affect the day care’s shed on the property due to the placement of the gas supply line to the furnace.

Council at that time then approved the related work, as well as an agreement with Sharp Energy LP for propane at $1.70 per gallon.

In April, borough council agreed to accept and proceed with the quote from H.T. Lyons in the amount of $274,995 for a new furnace.

After that meeting, Wentz said the new furnace was expected to be up and running by the end of this summer.

In February, Wentz informed borough council that the borough received a grant in the amount of $275,000 to replace the heating system.

In December, the borough received $275,000 in Local Share Account grants from the Commonwealth Financing Authority.

The old furnace is over 70 years old.

In December 2023, Wentz said it would cost $16,000 to update all the heat pumps, and that it would come out of American Rescue Plan funds.

Wentz said at that time that while the building had temporary heat, a permanent solution was necessary.

Wentz said the age of the furnace, coupled with the fact inside brick is deteriorating, caused the back wall behind the furnace to crumble and fall in.