Notes from the ECA Town Hall Meeting on ePIPE, October 6, 2015

Board Members present: Sharon Bobb, Pat Batey, Peg Downey, Jim Jones, John McNerney

http://www.restoremypipes.com

As an alternative to re-piping (tearing out walls to replace failed domestic water pipes) in the Elizabeth, a vendor named ePIPE gave a presentation to a large number of ECA members.

ePIPE benefits include:

—Patented epoxy that lines old pipes to close pinhole leaks.

—No walls need to be torn out unless the pipe is beyond repair.

—Relatively low cost because construction costs are diminished since walls, ceilings, and floors are not torn out. Price is 20 to 50% cheaper than re-piping.

—Epoxy lining dries in two hours and water goes back on the same day in most cases.

—The process is quiet unlike re-piping.

—ePIPE process restores water flow. (This happens in the pipe-cleaning phase of the process.)

—Rust is removed from the pipe that causes water to turn brown. ECA may not have this problem.

—Accreditations by NSF (The Public Health and Safety Organization) http://www.nsf.org/regulatory/regulator-nsf-certification

  and IAMPMO (http://pld.iapmo.org/file_info.asp?file_no=0004058)

http://www.iapmo.org/pages/getcertified.aspx

—Process is done in short runs and in a building like the Elizabeth, it is done tier by tier.

—Environmentally safe and causes no change in water quality (does not cause water to taste strange). The epoxy is solvent free.

—Comes with a 10-year warranty while new pipe comes with a one-year warranty.

ePIPE caveats:

—Bathroom and kitchen renovations may require consultation with ePIPE representative. Sweating of pipes is not permitted because high temperatures will damage the epoxy lining. Every valve is tagged warning that this pipe may not be soldered.

—Better to do ePIPE process before pinhole leaks become pervasive.

More information: http://www.restoremypipes.com

Neighboring condominiums that have used ePIPE and report satisfaction with the service:

—The Carlton

—Somerset 1

Major Competitor:

CuraFlo from Arizona. Does not offer two-hour curing.