A commercial laundry equipment setup is used in large commercial establishments. It covers a wide range of applications right from on-premise laundries in commercial institutions such as nursing homes, athletic facilities, hospitals and hotels to common laundry rooms in apartments. Industrial laundry services cater to the same set of users. Additionally, some of them also offer linen, diaper and uniform services. Several dry-cleaning establishments have a set of on-premise laundry equipment for bulk cleaning. There are different types of washing equipments that are used in such commercial setups. These include:
- Tunnel washing machines
- Top loading washing machines
- Front-loading washing machines
In the recent years, there has been an attempt to reduce energy and water consumption by commercial and industrial laundry machines. The various measures introduced for this purpose range from the use of more efficient equipment to the use of ozone systems and water recycling techniques. In dry cleaning operations, silicon and carbon dioxide based technologies have replaced the use of water.
A couple of technologies are used for controlling water use and for reducing the wastewater volume. These also cut down on energy expenses and pre-treatment costs. Washing machines that incorporate recycling/water reuse technologies use a part of the total volume of water. The remaining water is used for the next wash. There are different versions of the equipment and it is important to choose a proper system based on the requirements of the laundry service. Companies manufacture systems that are especially designed for use in Laundromats. Reuse and recycle systems save on energy consumption as the water remains warm from the previous laundry operation. Wastewater recovery also holds much potential for energy conservation when it comes to laundry operations.
A basic recycle system collects the wastewater after the final rinse cycle as part of a multi-cycle operation that is used in the first rinse or first flush of the subsequent wash cycle. Other advanced systems can even recover as much as 85% of the water for another wash. The systems that have a simple mechanism hardly incorporate features pertaining to water treatment, as the water from the final rinse cycle is clean. However, in order to achieve high recovery rates, it is necessary that the wash water is treated before it is used for another wash cycle.
Ozone systems are gradually becoming popular and been widely accepted in the industry. Ozone is a strong oxidant that reacts with the organic material and dirt and oxidizes the same. It acts as a good whitener and disinfectant that reacts with stains, organic material and odours. Ozone is transformed into oxygen during the wash process.
Ozone also helps to reduce the water temperature since it is most effective at 80ยบ F. This helps to save energy. This also cuts down on the use of chemicals and detergents and therefore the clothes require minimum rinsing. Ozone systems are suitable when it comes to washing lightly soiled linen. When it comes to heavily soiled clothes, it is best to go by the conventional methods of washing clothes with detergents and warm water.
By Thomas Rankin
Title: Technologies for Reducing Water Consumption in Commercial laundry Equipments
Rating: 88% out of 100% based on 25 ratings
Written By Unknown
Rating: 88% out of 100% based on 25 ratings
Written By Unknown
