The Palmer House Hilton needed to replace its cooling tower and called on Team Mechanical Inc. (TMI) to aid the purchasing and installation of the tower onto the roof of the 24-floor hotel.

The helicopter lifting the cooling tower into place.
The Palmer House Hilton needed to replace its cooling tower and called on industrial and commercial HVAC firm Team Mechanical Inc. (TMI) to aid the purchasing and installation of the tower onto the roof of the 24-floor hotel. TMI worked with Maddock Industries to purchase the new $250,000, 112,000-lb. Marley Cooling Technologies cooling tower, and the easy part was over. The hard part-closing down Chicago's loop to lift several tons of equipment via helicopter onto the roof of the 24-floor hotel-had just begun.

One weekend this spring, State and Monroe streets were shut down so that an S61 helicopter with a lift capability of 8,500 lbs. (provided by Helicopter Transport Services) could lift four lower cells and four upper cells of a Marley four-cell cooling tower onto the roof of the Palmer House Hilton at 17 E. Monroe St. Weighing more than 7,700 lbs. per piece, the helicopter lifted each of the eight pieces individually onto the roof, requiring a two-pilot operation.

The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago has 24 floors.
Once the pieces were in place on the roof, Maddock worked with TMI to coordinate the installation of the new cooling tower and connect the new equipment to the existing condenser water piping and cooling tower system.

"Because Palmer House's cooling tower was old and the original manufacturer was no longer in business, the hotel did not want to spend money on costly repairs to fix an outdated machine," said Matt Maddock, president of Maddock Industries. "It made sense for the Palmer House to purchase and install a new cooling tower with expert assistance from TMI."

In order to help the Palmer House justify the capital expense of a new tower, Marley and Maddock had conducted a productivity analysis. The analysis, which consisted of an extensive audit of the original system and modeling of the new system, demonstrated how replacing the tower would pay for itself in reduced maintenance and energy savings. The justification for upgrading was there, with more than $60,000 per year in energy savings alone.

Constructed of stainless steel, the new Marley cooling tower is 23 feet by 4 inches tall and 22 feet by 5 inches wide and has a life expectancy of more than 25 years.
Constructed of stainless steel, the new Marley cooling tower is 23 feet by 4 inches tall and 22 feet by 5 inches wide and has a life expectancy of more than 25 years. Maddock Industries also outfitted the new tower with variable frequency drives from Yaskawa-an efficiency feature that will save the Palmer House energy.

"The best part about the new cooling tower is that not only will it keep guests cool, it is environmentally sound and will save the hotel money in the long term," said Bob Doessel, vice president of construction operations for TMI.

Established in 1971, Maddock Industries, Inc. represents manufacturers of commercial and industrial HVAC equipment throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Maddock Industries specializes in cooling tower sales, warranty and restoration services in addition to Armstrong Pump sales and services. For more information on Maddock Industries, Inc. visit www.maddockindustries.com. For more information on Team Mechanical Inc., visit www.tmi.com.