City staff have begun the slow process of removing the ice from the multiplex after an ammonia leak was discovered last weekend.
Specialized technicians worked around the clock to repair the weeping leak in a weld on the ice chiller discovered on Sunday, and while hopeful they could fix the weld quickly, a second leak was discovered Wednesday night.
City CAO Tim Pley said the ice-chiller was just installed in April at a cost of more than $300,000
“We’re dissappointed and surprised that we’ve experienced a failure this early in its life and the manufacturer tells us he’s never experienced a situation like this one. State-of-the-art equipment and the manufacturer says it’s the first such failure that they’ve experienced,” he said.
Pley said the leak was very small, and the public was never in any danger, but there is a heightened awareness about ammonia.
When first purchased, the city called the Titanium Plate Chiller, “the safest ammonia system on Vancouver Island”.
The chiller was installed in April of this year, is covered by a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.
With the chiller down, the ice melts and must be removed and replaced, which takes about a week according to Pley.
As a result, two Bulldog home games have been postponed, and a minor hockey tournament cancelled.
