Hot water on demand

Jonathan Cave, senior mechanical engineer, says: "Stokvis plate heat-exchangers are our preferred solution for hot-water generation. We don't wait until the equipment falls over; when a calorifier is costing too much to maintain or is nearing the end of its service life, we replace it."

The difficulty of keeping a large volume of water stored at high temperature for long periods, says Stokvis, is that an old calorifier can provide a breeding ground for Legionella bacteria. A plate heat exchanger produces hot water at a reliable temperature on demand. The buffer vessel maintains a small supply for instant use and the system constantly recirculates water to prevent stagnation and cold-spots developing.