Hot water is generated on a daily basis for almost every manufacturing facility. If it’s not delivered in a safe and efficient way, however, it can have a significant impact on costs. 

As most estates or plant managers will know, legionella is water-borne bacteria that can grow in engineered water systems such as cooling towers, condensers, and hot and cold-water systems. Protecting against an outbreak is a legal requirement. 

Legionella bacteria are always present in a water supply but industrial facilities have a higher-than-average risk of legionella because they are typically large, complex, and use significant amounts of water. 

Facilities that use a calorifier could be at greater risk of legionella. Generally, a calorifier will use a heat transfer coil, in which steam is used to heat water in large quantities. It can radiate heat, which reduces efficiency and takes considerable amount of space within a plant room. 

An alternative is to consider packaged plate heat exchangers as a potential way of combatting these concerns. 

They are generally around a third of the size of an average calorifier. This not only saves space, but has the ability to deliver hot water instantaneously. The result is a significantly reduced legionella risk, with potential energy savings of around 15-20% a year.

What’s more, systems like these can be implemented readily, and are easier to maintain and control.

Inspections

Any manufacturer relying on storage vessels such as calorifiers will be familiar with the need for an annual insurance inspection of the condition, welds and pressure levels of the vessel. These inspections require the vessel to be drained and the heat transfer coil to be removed. The plant also needs space for this procedure to take place.

While the packaged plate heat exchanger doesn’t eliminate the need for annual servicing entirely, its requirements are easier to manage. For this technology, a service generally involves checking the plates, which can be done by sliding them along the frame of the unit. 

The benefits, however, of replacing a calorifier with a packaged plate heat exchanger will only be fully realised if staff on site know how they need to manage the legionella risk and apply relevant legislation daily. 

Ensure that anyone tasked with operating a boiler plant or plant room has attended a legionella awareness course. From there, the next logical step should be ensuring the heating and hot water systems on site do the same job.

By relying less heavily on storing hot water, manufacturers will be able to improve energy efficiency, cut their costs, and dramatically reduce the risk of legionella in the process.