Instantaneous domestic hot water systems have become commonplace in our hospitals, forming the basis of design over the traditional storage calorifier.
With plenty of aspects to consider to ensure such systems' maximum effectiveness and reliability, Angelo Giambrone, Regional Business Development manager for the Healthcare sector in Northern Europe at Spirax Sarco, explains why ‘looking at the bigger picture’ can help.
Over the last 20 years or so, we have seen a shift in the way that domestic hot water is produced in hospitals. Traditionally, storage calorifiers were used, consisting of a large tank capable of generating heat within a mass of water using a heat transfer coil. These can still be found, and steam is often the primary source. While this approach is familiar to many, the problem with stored hot water is that the volume continually radiates heat, which therefore limits efficiency levels, plus it can introduce a point of risk for Legionella. Storage calorifiers also take up a considerable amount of space within a plant room – important in an era when space is increasingly valued, and clinical/non-clinical space is targeted.
So, how can hot water be generated on demand, without the need for stored volumes? A plate heat exchanger can deliver high levels of heat transfer within a very compact housing – generally around a third of the size of an average calorifier, or even less if the stored volume is high. It can provide rapid heat transfer, which, when combined with the latest generation of accurate control systems, results in the ability to deliver hot water instantaneously. This eliminates the need for large quantities of hot water to be stored in calorifiers, removing the inherent standing losses, and reducing the Legionella risk.
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