Saks Fifth Avenue

Overview
Saks Fifth Avenue called on Trane for assistance when one of its chillers failed in mid-August, less than a month before Fashion Week.

Saks knew that their two remaining chillers wouldn’t be able to handle the load, especially with the August heat and humidity. It was critical to get the failed chiller back up and running as efficiently and as quickly as possible.

Knowing it could take a month to service the failed chiller motor, Trane proposed installing a rental chiller to keep the store’s indoor climate comfortable.

Details
Saks and Trane went to work, beginning with a site survey. The only logical place was the roof, in a setback area on the historic ten-story building’s eighth floor. The 10-foot wide space was secure, just big enough to squeeze in a water-cooled chiller, and close enough to the equipment room to allow electrical and mechanical tie-ins to the system. Upon evaluation, it was determined that the roof was not structurally sound enough to support the 16,000 pound chiller. Trane devised a solution to build a steel structure that would balance the chiller’s weight between the parapet and a windowsill.

The team coordinated permits and worked around hurricane weather to get the project completed on time.

Highlights
The Trane Rental Services team overcame the challenges of hurricane weather, timing, a historical building and tight city quarters to provide a turnkey chiller solution for Saks Fifth Avenue. Their quick action and ingenious rigging design allowed a temporary rental chiller, saving upcoming high-end fashion events at the retailer’s first and most prestigious location.

The rental chiller allowed Saks to meet summer load requirements, and its installation left no impact on the building’s appearance or historic façade. Trane also coordinated the motor change-out in the failed chiller, allowing Saks to return to normal operations, without having to replace the entire chiller.