FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Energy, Gas & Oil Industries

American Efficiency Services, LLC Identifies 2,456 Leaks during 2002

Ellicott City, MD – Wednesday , January 1, 2003 - 2,456 leaks were identified by American Efficiency Services during the calendar year of 2002.

The leaks were a combination of condenser air leaks, condenser tube leaks and electrical generator leaks.

The basis for identifying the leaks ranged from general preventive maintenance to leaks that were hindering plant operation.

With a dedicated inspection program followed up by an aggressive maintenance program to resolve the identified condenser air leaks, units can operate within the standard “rule of thumb” 1 scfm per 100 megawatts. Lowering the amount of air allowed to enter the condenser steam space reduces the potential damage to the feedwater and steam generator systems. Lower air inleakage also translates into reduced unit backpressure and increased megawatts!

Condenser tube leaks can be identified within a two—four hour period per tube bundle. Most condenser tube inspections are conducted in the early morning hours when the demand for electricity is low. Condenser tube leaks are often resolved within one night shift.

Hydrogen system leaks on Electrical Generators are typically identified at the conclusion of an outage just prior to the unit being put back into service. Minimizing the amount of hydrogen allowed to escape from the electrical generator system puts the surrounding area in a much safer condition for the plant employees and contractors.

The 2002 inspections were conducted in 20 states (from California to Maryland) and 2 Canadian Provinces (Alberta and New Brunswick).

Additional information regarding American Efficiency Services can be obtained at www.AmericanEfficiency.com or by call the main headquarters, toll free, at 877-816-9081.