Overview
This 151 bedroom hotel is in a hard water area and historically had not implemented any solutions to resolve the resulting problems, As a consequence, the water systems were badly scaled up, which was impacting on the operation and running cost of essential pieces of equipment
Key Problems
During a site survey and initial inspection, the following areas of concern were raised by the Maintenance Manager:
- Dishwashers and ice machine were badly scaled
- Rational steam ovens were badly scaled and required callouts for a full descale every month
- Potential for increased waterborne bacteria, especially Legionella, due to scale build-up throughout the system
- General housekeeping issues due to limescale such as showerheads, taps and other water fittings which were regularly scaled up
- Waste downpipes on the outside of the building were choked with limescale
Water Analysis
A water analysis test carried out in October 2020 gave a result of 221.5mg/l hardness as CaCO3
Our Solution
In December 2020, after the site survey and discussion with the Maintenance Manager, an Integro™ 4 was installed on the mains water supply covering the cold-water tank and system. In addition, and for extra protection to the hot water system, an Integro™ 2 v3 was installed directly before the calorifier.
The Results
Immediately after installation, the Integro™ technology began to remove historical scale build-up as well as preventing further scale from forming. As confirmation of this, the following observational findings were evident within a matter of weeks and have been ongoing:
- No call-outs for Rational to descale the steam ovens (previously this would have been monthly)
- Showerheads, taps and other water fittings in the rooms were proving much easier to clean
- The ice machine that was serviced by the Integro™ was free from scale
- Significant decrease in number of Legionella hits
- Water quality was felt to have improved
- Dishwashers were keeping free from hard scale build-up
- Waste water downpipes have cleared
Environmental Benefits
In addition to the quantifiable savings on energy consumption, labour/call-out charges, equipment downtime, cleaning and Legionella control, the hotel are also enjoying the following additional benefits:
- Improved water quality and efficiency of hot water equipment
- Extended life of all water related equipment and improved efficiency
- Reduction in scale and corrosion to critical equipment, meaning decreased engineer visits and reduction in spare parts which would otherwise carry direct and indirect increases in the hotel’s carbon footprint
- Reduced chemical use
Summary
Since installation in December 2020, the Integro™ technology has been reported to have been working really well throughout the hotel to eliminate existing scale and prevent any further build-up and the hotel are continuing to use the system to great effect.
What the Hotel had to say
I haven’t had Rational out to descale the steam ovens since we re-opened, we used to have to call them every month to do a full descale so the system is working really well. The dishwashers are also all keeping free from scale. I have noticed a difference in the limescale build up, it’s virtually non-existent since installing the technology. They have caused a few leaks though, where the limescale has been eaten away round joins and valves, but that was to be expected and is a good thing because it identified issues we would never have seen and enabled us to repair them before they caused too much damage.
Lee Martin, Maintenance Manager, Oxford
