Industry: Hotels & Hospitality
Location: Spain
Case Study
Overview
The Mariposa Hotel is a modern boutique hotel with 52 rooms, located in the centre of Malaga. The hotel did not have a traditional water softener, although it had made a significant investment in a magnet-based water conditioning system that did not end up performing as expected. As a result, it had been having problems, caused by hard water, in critical domestic hot water equipment. in particular the heat exchanger, as well as in all its taps and its nebulizer system located on the roof, which required weekly maintenance, due to constant obstructions.
Key Issues
The problems identified during the first inspection of the property were:
- The heat exchanger suffered constant scaling, affecting its efficiency and requiring periodic maintenance.
- The limescale accumulated in taps and shower heads generated aesthetic imperfections and increased the risk of bacteria formation.
- The cleaning of the shower enclosures required a special anti-limescale product.
- The rooftop fogger system was clogged every week to two weeks, requiring constant maintenance to operate.
- The dishwasher’s heating element had signs of fouling.
Our Solution
After an inspection of the property, it was decided to install two Integro™ units at critical points of the hot and cold water installation, in order to eliminate the historical accumulation of lime and prevent future formations. An Integro™ 2 unit was installed at the cold water inlet that supplied the entire building, and another Integro™ 2 unit was installed at the domestic hot water return pipe.
Summary & Results
Heat exchanger: Within a month of installing the Integro™, the heat exchanger suffered a sudden major blockage, which affected its ability to heat the water. When he serviced it and it was found that it was full of dirt and mud.
This type of incident occurs when there is dirt trapped in limescale deposits, somewhere in the installation. When the operation of the Integro™ dissolves these deposits, this accumulation of dirt is released and can instantly clog some equipment.
The result: once the heat exchanger was cleaned, the heat system worked perfectly and the entire interior installation was clean, not only of limescale but also of the dirt that had accumulated after a long time. Since then, the team has not suffered any more fouling.
- Cleaning: both the cleaning manager and her team confirmed that it is much easier to clean limescale stains on screens, taps and tiles, reducing the time needed to clean the bathroom and increasing the time available for other areas of the rooms.
- Taps: there are no longer incrustations or traces of limestone inside shower heads and taps.
- Nebulizers: After several weeks of use, the Head of Maintenance ensures that the nebulizers are still working perfectly.
- Dishwasher: the heating element has been completely clean and free of limescale.
Both the Head of Maintenance and the Housekeeper of the hotel affirm that the installation has been satisfactory and that it has been demonstrated, irrefutably, that the Integro™ system works to remove the existing limescale and prevent future formation in the entire water installation.
Environmental Benefits & Energy Saving
In addition to the considerable economic savings and other advantages detailed above (improved legionella control, easier cleaning of equipment, etc.), this hotel will achieve the following environmental benefits:
- Extending the life of equipment connected to the water system, such as pumps, heaters and heat exchangers, and improving the efficiency of heating and cooling equipment.
- Reduced equipment breakdowns due to calcification and corrosion, resulting in fewer technician visits and reduced demand for spare parts, which in themselves represent a direct and indirect increase (manufacturing and supply chain) of the hotel's carbon footprint.
- Improved water efficiency.
- Reduced use of detergents and chemicals.
The Carbon Trust in the UK estimates that just 1 mm of lime in heating equipment increases energy consumption by up to 7%, while 6 mm increases consumption by up to 40%. It’s not at all uncommon for heaters and heat exchangers in hard water areas to have at least this amount of buildup, causing a significant increase in utility bills.
Contact Details
- Saltire Centre, Pentland Ct, Glenrothes KY6 2DA
- +44(0)1592 407807
- enquiries@sidonwater.com
