Case study at the Royal Bank of Scotland

Are you aware of what is going on inside your plumbing systems? Many people will probably be like, “No idea,” or, “Never thought of it.” We may pay attention to water pipes only when something unusual happens to them. However, the piping systems are also part of our home. If they aren’t kept in proper conditions, they can cause disruptions, such as water discoloration and water leaks, to our daily lives. But the cost to repair pipe damage isn’t cheap. It’s crucial to take care of them despite the fact we don’t usually see them.

Now, let’s talk about iron as ions dissolved in tap water. Though dissolved iron particles may be difficult to notice, you might have been consuming a high level of iron by now. Excessive intake of iron has a great impact on human health, especially on infants. We want to avoid it at all costs. But, what should we do?
We can say with confidence that Pipetector, developed by Japan System Planning Co., is the most effective solution to those issues.
In this column, we describe the episode at a UK major bank group as a successful case study of Pipetector.

Background

Pipetector led to a significant cost reduction in building maintenance at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), one of the UK’s leading megabanks whose head office is located in Edinburg, the capital of Scotland.

The RBS has a history of nearly 280 years since it was established in 1722 by King George I.

The financial institution, which used to be one of the semi-major banks in Scotland, continued growing through a series of mergers and acquisitions as its drastic expansion policy. In 2000, it succeeded in acquiring the National Westminster Bank.

The bank’s activities are not limited to the UK but have also expanded to the US, EU nations and Japan. The group company particularly increased its influence in the US by acquiring the Citizen Bank in NY and Mellon Financial Co., establishing its position as a universal bank worldwide.

Bank spearheading the age

The RBS has been keen on implementing new systems. In 1985, it established a unique car insurance system that sold insurance on the telephone for the first time in the world. This new sales system was a complete game-changer in the car insurance industry.

The RBS was also one of the first of its kind to adopt direct banking services, which have now become commonplace. In 1997, it launched the UK’s first full online services. It has acquired and merged with more than 200 banks throughout its history as a pioneer, leading the financial industry with many innovative ideas.

Under the circumstances, the RBS is now facing a major turning point. The bank announced it will change its name to the National Westminster Bank between 2026 and 2030. This will be the beginning of a new story.

Now, we want to emphasize the bank’s new policy, which plays an important role in terms of environmental protection. As one of the leading financial institutions in the UK, the bank launched an environmental protection policy to reduce the use of chemicals in water pipes to zero. The world’s first chemical-free facility operation has been put into practice.

Pipetector in Bishopsgate

The RBS’s Branch No. 250, which has a dark gray modern appearance, is located near Liverpool Street Station in Bishopgate, north-east of London. The city of Bishopsgate showcases a touch of both history and modernity being blended while attracting the public as a trend-setting area for fashion and art.

After 18 years of its construction, however, what emerged were issues regarding red rust in the air-conditioning heating water pipes. The bank had dosed anti-corrosive chemicals to handle the issues, but due to the expensive costs and environmental concerns caused by those rust inhibitors, the bank had to stop using them.

Instead, it installed Pipetector on the piping in March 2018. At that time, red rust was severely dissolving in the heating water, causing water discoloration.

The effect of Pipetector appeared immediately. The hot water’s iron level, which was 1.1 mg/ℓ before installing Pipetector, dropped to 0.41 mg/ℓ in nine weeks. The rust development in the pipes stopped, and the existing red rust was also converted to black rust from its surface. The red rust was no longer leaching into the water. A year later, the level further dropped to 0.03 mg/ℓ, about 1/30 of the original. With these outcomes, Pipetector proved itself that it could solve the problems of red rust without replacing pipes.

Advantages

Let’s look at the benefits of Pipetector once more. At the RBS, existing red rust stopped dissolving in the water as well as newly developing. There is no need to worry about rusting anymore.

But, is that the only benefit that Pipetector has brought to the bank? Well, it’s not. The water tubes, which were once corroded with red rust within and thus brittle, were coated with black rust. The black rust coating increases the pipe’s structural integrity and can extend the tubes’ lifespan expectancy.

The cost of replacing many aged pipes is enormous. But because the RBS adopted Pipetector, the bank greatly benefited from the product, successfully cutting the facility maintenance costs.

Such an epoch-making body adopting Pipetector is quite meaningful. As of April 2020, the maker’s mindset toward environmental protection deepened even more.

In addition to the product’s great cost merit, the RBS started to see the device as a proactive means of environmental preservation. We hope it will greatly inspire other UK companies towards the same goal.

Pipetector is used not only at large public/commercial buildings but also at apartments and condos. The Pipetector’s lasting effectiveness will bring long-term peace of mind to our homes. It isn’t too late to begin dealing with water discoloration and other red rust-related issues from today.