March 2009
-At The Fairmont Olympic, Seattle’s
premier luxury hotel, everything is secondary to its exceptional levels
of guest service. So when faced with the disruptive problem of
recurrent pinhole leaks in their domestic water system, hotel
operations and management agreed that a problem so serious required the
best possible solution. David Gault, director of engineering, was
charged with the responsibility of finding a solution to the problem.
That solution led him to ACE DuraFlo’s technology, referred to as
ePIPE®, which covers application to metallic and non-metallic pipes
as small as 3/8" in diameter. The patented ePIPE method restores pipes
“inplace” avoiding the typical destruction, interruption and a host of
other inconveniences that are often associated with a traditional
repipe. The types of pipes that can be restored include those carrying
potable water, natural gas, heating and cooling systems and fire
suppression systems.
Gault’s research included the
extraction of pipe samples, which were sent for metallurgical
examination by a corrosion engineer. “We were trying to understand the
nature of the problem, but the only certaintyseemed to be that the
problem was getting worse.”
Gault was familiar with past ePIPE projects completed by ACE DuraFlo.
“Based on our evaluation, ACE was the only company with the
certifications, solid references and past hotel experience to give Fairmont the
confidence to move forward with the ePIPE project.” Once the decision
was made to go with ePIPE, the challenge became how to complete the
work with a minimum impact on guest services, on a very tight
time-line, and without a significant effect on revenue. |
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Seattle’s Fairmont
Olympic Hotel faced
a disruptive problem of recurrent
pinhole leaks in their domestic
water system.
|
Project tailored to fit
The Fairmont, as Seattle’s home away-from-home to
royalty, dignitaries and celebrities, only the very best will do. To
tailor this project to a 5 Diamond level, ACE went to great lengths to
disguise the evidence that a major renovation project was taking place
in the midst of occupied guest areas. Outside, a sound deflecting wall
was built and painted to hide the compressor and to minimize noise for
the street level boutiques. Inside, “decorative hose socks and hangers”
were manufactured to match corridor wallpaper so that air hoses could
be hung like a scalloped work of art.
Operationally, the
restoration schedule was set for the winter low season and was
developed on a Thursday to Tuesday cycle so that the Olympic could
actually sell out 100% of their rooms on their two busiest (and most
valuable) nights of the week. As well, the ePIPE project had to be
scheduled around special holiday events, holiday street use
restrictions and a bathroom renovation that was also taking place.
The best laid plans
Adding
an element of difficulty to the project was some of the worst winter
weather that Seattle
had ever seen. A December storm knocked out power for days to more than
one million residents in Washington
and the downtown core of Seattle
was one of the few areas to remain operational. “Mid- December is
typically a lower occupancy period and we had scheduled to restore a
block of 60 rooms over that period,” explained Gault. “But when the
power went out, the city’s hotels immediately sold out. The ACE crew instantly went into overtime mode and quickly
returned 30 of those rooms to our inventory for an unexpected four
night sellout.”
This would not
be the last schedule adjustment for the project. With software giant
Microsoft hosting their mammoth Comdex conference in Seattle, the
city was once again oversold. With the certainty of a week-long
sellout, every additional room-night sold makes a significant
contribution to the bottom line. Fairmont contacted ACE management to
discuss an adjustment to the schedule for the 30 rooms to be restored
that week, without an option to extend the completion date! With some
collaboration and a few creative adjustments the schedule was revised
to return those rooms to inventory. Altogether, ACE DuraFlo was able to
adjust and give back a total of some 250 room-nights during unscheduled
sellouts over the course of the project.
A job well done
The
flexibility of the ePIPE technology allowed ACE to successfully
complete the project with no extensions to the original schedule. As a
token of appreciation, Fairmont
management hosted an appreciation luncheon for the ACE crew and
management at the end of the project. According to general manager
Dennis Clark, “With a project of this magnitude, we try plan for every
conceivable problem, and then prepare to handle the inevitable guest
complaints — but the phone never rang! We truly appreciate the care and
commitment which the ACE DuraFlo crew showed to complete this important
project.”
ePIPE for your toolbox
It has been 10 years since ACE DuraFlo
introduced their method of epoxy lining small diameter pipes. Today,
restoration of pressurized pipes is now recognized by the nation’s
major model code officials, International Association of Plumbing and
Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the International Code Council,
Evaluation Services (ICC-ES). Further afield, the ACE process is also
approved in Canada,
Europe, Mexico and Asia.
In addition to developing the technology,
ACE has built a network of franchisees and affiliates in the U.S., Canada,
Europe, Mexico and Asia. ACE’s, onsite, in-place restoration
program features multiple market entry points starting with the
miniE® program, a full residential package and a full commercial
package. By developing multi level marketing and application programs
ACE has been able to team up with companies like Mr. Rooter® and
American Leak Detection®, both of whom have added ePIPE to their
field of service.
About
ACE DuraFlo Systems, ePIPE: ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC,
provides pipe restoration products and services in the US, Canada and
Europe. ACE DuraFlo's patented 'in-place' pipe restoration technology
restores failing copper and encrusted galvanized piping systems to
multiple code requirements without the extensive demolition and
downtime that accompanies a traditional repipe. The process uses
heated, compressed air within an existing piping system to dry and
abrasively clean the interior of the piping. Next, the inside
surface of the pipe is lined with a proprietary epoxy barrier coating
that protects the pipe wall from future corrosion. The result is
a multi-code compliant epoxy lined pipe called ePIPE®. ACE DuraFlo
offers a complete solution for pinhole leaks and corrosion control for
both commercial and residential plumbing systems. Information on ACE
DuraFlo and ePIPE may be obtained by calling 888-775-0220 or visit: http://www.aceduraflo.com/. |