Compressed air within a laundry is as important as water. We use Compressed air for controlling our washers to folding the towels yet most never give it a second thought. There is a science to compressed air but this article will deal with some common problems found in laundries and why it is important to correct them in order to provide the Cleanest, driest air possible. Different laundries pose different design features but here are some examples of common problems and solutions.

Start at the beginning of the System. I see a lot of Compressors located in a Boiler/Mechanical Room. You will find that almost all Compressor Manufactures have a Maximum Ambient Temperature limit of below 120 Degs. I find a lot of Boiler Rooms tend to run hotter than this in the Summer. You also would wish to have the Compressor draw in the Coldest (denser) air possible with the lowest moisture content. I live in Florida and have seen several Boiler rooms that were hotter and contained more humidity than the outside air. Now do we move the Compressor? It would be great if possible but if this is not the case I move the Suction of the compressor to the outside. Just up size the Pipe and remount the Air Filter to the pipe outside. If it will see rain or snow, then cover it with an overhang. The compressor will run cooler.

Now the laundry equipment needs the cleanest, driest air possible. The compressor should discharge to an Air receiver. If you have Multiple compressors then pipe Each one with its own pipe to the Receiver. This way they do not pump against each other. What size Receiver? I use a rule of thumb that is one gallon of receiver size for every Cubit foot of air provided. Example – two compressors providing 100 CFM each would be piped to a 200 Gallon receiver or 2 100 gallon receivers. The Receiver is the First location where Water and Debris are removed and where the Air loses some of the temperature caused by compressing air. The air can now be piped to a Primary Filter and then a secondary finer Filter. Then the air can go the Dryer. A large amount of Water and Debris have been removed and the dryer removes the rest of the water. The idea is to protect the dryer coils and size the dryer correctly. If the Dryer is in a Boiler room and has compressors piped straight to it the Dryer will need to be derated due to the high ambient temperature and the high Compressed air temperature plus the Debris and high amounts of water in the Air.

Now that there is Clean Dry air available what size pipe should you use going out to the Laundry? That depends on the Pressure, FLOW Rate required (CFM) and Length of pipe required. When I am looking at a system I look for a 1in pipe to go up by one inch for every 500 CFM of air required and another 1 inch for every 1000 feet of run. An example – 2000CFM required = 1in + 3in for the extra 2000 CFM = a 4 inch pipe would be the size of the main manifold. There are designs with accumulators and I also prefer a Loop system where the pipe runs back to the Main Receiver to prevent “Starving” the components at the end of the system. For brief large draw areas such as Washer Extractors Tilting the use of air tanks as accumulators is a good practice.

When running a length of pipe and the pipe drops to a lower level then place TEE instead of a 90 to continue along a Parallel run with a 6 to 8 inch length of pipe and a small ¼ inch valve to drain off water. This is called a drip leg which will help keep the system clean and dry.

Every time the system needs to go to the Equipment place the “T” pointed up then 180 degrees down to the Equipment. This will help debris and any water that may be in the system from getting to the Equipment. Air controls and components are costly and I see more damage from an air system with problems than any other cause. The water you see spraying from an exhaust or dripping from a cylinder is damaging that component and others.

Last is that Compressed air cost money. Every ¼ inch of leak can equal $10,000 dollars a year or more. It also causes the system to work harder which can be costly in increased maintenance. So take a look at the complete air system in your laundry and see what you can change or plan on next time new equipment is needed. If you have a Vendor that supplies/maintains your air compressors then they can be a valuable resource at the Design, unique requirements and capacity of your system. The return is longer air component life within the laundry and a lower running/maintenance cost of the system.

Mark McLeod – AKA TUNNELTECH

Over the last twenty years I have witnessed Ozone laundry companies come and go.  I have witnessed outlandish claims from some of these companies, and quite frankly am tired of listening to the outright lies and fallacies that some of these companies are stating.

I would like to look at some of the facts and hope to help our readers make an educated decision about ozone laundry.

This month, let’s look at the two major design differences.

Some ozone laundry companies have taken the path of the “fine bubble diffuser” to inject ozone into the wash water, while other have chosen the Direct Venturi Injection as their means of transferring the ozone gas into the water.  There are claims by manufacturers of advantages to both, so we should look at the design criteria of each and pick what is best for your application.

Ozone gas is dissolved into water by utilizing pressure.   It does not take a lot of pressure to start dissolving ozone into water.  In the industry we call the ability to dissolve gas into water “Mass Transfer.”  The efficiency of Mass Transfer of either style of injection device is highly dependant upon the design criteria of the device.

The idea of the fine bubble diffusion injection method used on washing machines is borrowed from the bottled water industry.  In bottled water plants, ozone in introduced into a large column (or tank) of water.  These are usually in excess of 15 feet tall. Water flows in to the top of the tank and exits the tank through the bottom.  The fine bubble diffuser is placed in the bottom of the tank.  Ozone is introduced thru that diffuser in the bottom of the tank. Water in introduced in to the top of the tank and flows downward, where it exits out the bottom of the tank.  As the ozone bubbles rise, they are violently thrashed around due to the counter flow if the water flowing thru the tank.  This turbulence lends for a pretty decent mass transfer of the ozone gas into the water.  The tanks used in the Las Vegas water treatment plant are 32 feet tall.  Remember that pressure is needed to transfer the ozone into the water solution.  Every inch of water column used adds more pressure to the diffuser stone, located in the bottom of the tank.  Therefore the taller the tank, the more pressure created at the bottom of the tank from the weight of the column of water, and the better the mass transfer of the ozone into the water.

Once the un-dissolved ozone reached the top of the tank, it is removed thru an air vent and destroyed by passing thru an ozone destruct system.

All in all, this is a very safe and effective way to dissolve ozone in to water.

However, when the designers of the fine bubble diffusion systems implemented this type of system on a washer/extractor,  they left out a couple key ingredients.

First, the column of water in a washer/extractor is nowhere near that of a 32 foot tall water tank.  It is more like 12 inches.  This allows for a much lower Mass Transfer efficiency of the ozone gas.  Several ozone engineers that have studied this design have figured that the efficiency is somewhere in the 25-40% range at best.  That means in the best case scenario, 60% of the ozone gas does not get dissolved.  This is important in that 1% of un-dissolved ozone gas can easily make a room unsafe for the laundry workers.   In the bottled water design, you have the ability to capture this un-dissolved gas and destroy it.  The main problem here is that the designers somehow forgot to include this important piece of the puzzle.  Common sense tells you that if you force air(or Ozone) into an unsealed vessel, air (or Ozone) will escape out the vents of the machine on into the laundry room where it comes into contact with the laundry workers.  Some companies have tried to cover up this major design error by installing an ambient ozone room monitor that in theory shuts off the ozone generators when this level is reached.  In reality, the ozone generator is only on a few seconds before it is shut down due to over saturation of ambient ozone in the room.  Then many times it takes several minutes for the room sensor to reset and let the system turn on the ozone generator again.  I have witnessed the ozone generator being in operation for all of 45 seconds during a 7 minute wash step.  That’s not going to kill many “Super Bugs”.  I recently attended an ozone conference where the guest speaker said that a fine bubble diffusion system on a washer/extractor was “So easy to Build, that even a Caveman could do it”

It is not only that it is easy to build, it is also cheap to build this type of system.  That is why there are so many on the market, and the low price keeps the attention of the potential uneducated buyer.

The Venturi Injection System uses the pressure of the water stream in the piping to create suction.  When applied to this suction port, 85-90% of the ozone gas is instantly dissolved in to the water.  Since we still have this water and un-dissolved gas contained inside the water piping, it can easily be run thru an Ozone Degassing chamber that removes the un-dissolved ozone gas where it can be destroyed.   The end results are 100% dissolved ozonated water going to the washing machine.  This is an over-simplification of the process.  But it should get the point across without going into all the hydraulic engineering facts that make this a much more reliable and stable way to dissolves ozone into water. The disadvantage of the Venturi Injection System is that it costs more to build this type of system.

Another reason not to consider the fine bubble diffusion type of technology is the time it takes to build up to concentration.  Those of you operating commercial laundries know that you never want to fill up a washer with cold water then steam up the temperature to 160 degrees, because it takes too long.  I know there are some cases where this is unavoidable.  But normally you would fill your washer up with your standard hot water usually 130-140 degrees, then add steam injection to raise the temperature in those wash steps where you need a little higher temperature.  The same is true with the fine bubble diffuser.  A Venturi Injection system instantly fills the washer with highly concentrated ozonated water that instantly starts the cleaning and sanitizing process.  It can take as much as 20 minutes for a fine bubble diffusion system to reach the ozone levels where the Venturi Injection system starts.  None of us have that much extra time available in our wash cycle.

Finally, some Venturi Injection Systems on the market allow for larger than normal fill valves and water lines to be utilized.  This will allow for much faster fill times.  I have witnessed a 60 lb washer/extractor being filled in under 25 seconds, whereas the standard fill time was in excess of 2 minutes.  On a standard hospitality wash cycle with five fills, this would shorten your wash cycle by more than 7 minutes of total operating time.  Washing an average of ten loads per day, this type of ozone laundry system would easily eliminate over one hour of processing per day.

In the graph below, you can see two identical tests that show the concentration of ozone throughout a complete wash cycle.  Notice in the Venturi Injection System, the levels start off high and slowly dissipate before the water is drained in each bath.  You should also notice the effect of PH on each bath in the wash cycle.  During the detergent and bleach steps, the ozone is reduced as it is counteracted by the higher PH from the wash chemistry.  As the detergent and bleach are rinsed out, you can see that the ozone hangs around much longer.

In the fine bubble diffuser, you will notice that the ozone levels never reach above the 0.2 PPM of ozone in the water.  It is also evident that the higher PH makes it hard for the ozone to overcome when using a Fine Bubble Diffuser.

I am not stating that the fine bubble diffusion system does not work, or does not clean laundry, but rather, it is no where as effective as a properly designed Venturi Injection System.  Results will be more consistent with the Venturi Injection System than a comparable Fine Bubble Diffusion System. 

Next month we will discuss “How to tell if your Ozone Laundry System is working”, and “How do we know if ozone will really kill the Super Bugs”.

I invite you to email me with questions and topics that you would like to see covered in our monthly article

Mark E. Moore, CEO

ArtiClean Ozone Laundry Systems  

REM Laundry Equipment, Inc.                                                                                                                                

m.moore@articlean.com

Mark E. Moore is a 30 year veteran of the Industrial Laundry Equipment Industry.  He is the owner of REM Laundry Systems, a Commercial Laundry Equipment Distributor/Laundry Consultation Group with over 40 employees and offices located in Versailles, KY and Nashville, TN.  He has worked with and consulted for several Ozone Laundry companies over the last 20+ years.  He formed ArtiClean Ozone Laundry System with a vision of creating a better ozone laundry system.   Today, ArtiClean is the largest Ozone Laundry Company in the world with distribution networks in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

In the United States most of our AC electrical power is generated at 60 Hertz (cycles per second). 60 cycles per second is equal to 3600 cycles per minute.

This is a very constant reliable index.  Synchronous motors can be designed to run at multiples of this delivered frequency. Clock motors for example, are generally designed to run at one revolution per cycle which equals 3600 RPM.

The most common motors found within industry are not synchronous motors. They are squirrel cage motors.  These will run at a speed slightly less than that of synchronous motors. This is referred as “slip”. A two “pole” synchronous motors will run at 3600 RPM; where as a two pole squirrel cage will rotate at about 3450 RPM.  Different electric motor manufactures allow slightly different amounts of slip. As the number of poles within a motor increase, the speed of the motor will decrease.

Motors must have an even number of “poles”. Therefore you will not see any electric motors running on 60 Hertz with a speed greater than 3600 RPM. The speed of the AC synchronous motor is determined by the frequency of the AC supply and the number of “poles”, according to the relation:

Ns = 120F / p

Where:

Ns = Synchronous speed, in revolutions per minute

F = AC power frequency

p = Number of poles per phase winding

Therefore:

Number of poles  Synchronous motor RPM  Squirrel cage RPM (about)

2   3600     3450

4   1800     1725

6   1200     1150

8   900     860

The most common motor within the industry will be a 4 pole squirrel cage running at about 1725 RPM.

The Laundry List. com

4525 Sherman Oaks Ave.

Sherman Oaks, Ca. 91403

Office (818) 789-8045  fax (818) 789-8065

Mike Burdine  Mike@TheLaundryList.com

Cell (702) 606-0696

www.thelaundrylist.com

Periodic laboratory analysis of your fluid can help pinpoint glitches before they turn into real problems.

Contamination

Contamination such as dust and dirt, protective lacquer coatings, quench oils and welding flux will reduce your fluid’s thermal stability, its heat carrying capacity and its ability to transfer heat. Hard contamination like mill scale, minerals and welding slag and spatter can damage pumps, seals, control valves and other components.

The cleaner your thermal fluid system is, the better — and longer — it will run.

Oxidation

All organic heat transfer fluids oxidize when hot and in contact with continuous supplies of fresh air. As oxidation occurs, weak organic acids are formed- concentrating as the oxidation continues. The fluid thickens, and begins to lose its heat-carrying capacity and ability to transfer heat. As it degrades, it becomes more susceptible to thermal degradation.

Significant oxidation can occur in some fluids at temperatures below 150°F, but generally doesn’t become a problem until temperatures of 225°F to 250°F are reached. Starting at the point your fluid begins to smoke, for every 20°F rise in temperature the oxidation rate approximately doubles. Thus, at 350°F the oxidation rate would be 32 times that of fluid in contact with air at 250°F.

If your system is equipped with a cold-seal tank, make sure that it is properly piped, valved and maintained. If you do not have a cold-seal tank, and the expansion tank must operate above 150°F continuously, you should consider inert gas blanketing (nitrogen is inexpensive and readily available).

Thermal Degradation

Thermal degradation occurs when the fluid’s maximum bulk or film temperature is exceeded. As the film temperature is reached and exceeded, the smaller molecules begin to boil at the film surface and vaporize. The fluid thickens causing flows to decrease.

Each fluid molecule, now maintaining longer intimate contact with the heated surface, picks up excessive heat – and the fluid continues to degrade.

When the film temperature dramatically and quickly rises beyond the fluid’s maximum, many of the fluid’s chemical bonds break. Significant amounts of carbon come into solution. Some of this carbon becomes suspended in the fluid producing a mixture that can be considerably thicker. Some of this carbon adheres and immediately bakes onto the heated surfaces. Successive layers form thick, insulating carbon crust.

Note: The most common cause of overheating is reduction in fluid flow at the heated surfaces — not loss of input heat control. Reduced fluid flow can be caused by pump performance, plugged in-line strainers or filters, restrictions in return lines, malfunctioning valves, mis-set or faulty back-pressure relief valves, power “bumps” and failures and improper system shutdown, among others.

Fluid Analysis

In analyzing your fluid, we compare it with new fluid using three ASTM tests: Total Acid Number (TAN), change in Kinematic Viscosity and change in Distillation.

TAN (ASTM D-974) measures the acidity of the fluid, acidity produced when the fluid is oxidized. New Paratherm heat transfer fluid has a TAN of 0.01 or less (neutral). If the TAN of your fluid reaches 0.70, you should immediately check the system to determine the cause of air entry. At a TAN of 1.00 you should plan to change fluid at the next convenient opportunity. When the TAN reads 2.00, your fluid is becoming significantly acidic and corrosive and you should plan to change out ASAP. Once the TAN reaches 3.00 the fluid should immediately be changed.

Kinematic Viscosity (ASTM D-445) is a measure of how thick (or thin) your fluid is. Your fluid’s viscosity is compared with that of new fluid. Higher viscosities are produced when the fluid is oxidized, if it’s been overheated (and some of the smaller molecules have boiled off) or if it contains significant amounts of suspended solid matter. A lower reading can mean that a less viscous fluid has been added to the system or that some of the fluid’s molecules have been cracked (broken) into smaller ones.

The Distillation test (ASTM D-1160) compares the boiling temperatures of standard molecular sizes (fractions) of new fluid with those of used fluid. As heat transfer fluid overheats, some of the lighter fractions will vaporize and gas off. The average boiling temperatures of the remaining fractions (now comprised of larger molecules) will be higher. This percentage shift in boiling temperature reveals how much the fluid has been overheated and approximately how much life remains. A shift of 10% or more indicates that the fluid has been severely “bruised” and calls for an immediate change.

Taking the Sample For Analysis

Samples must be taken from a “live” part of the system. Good locations to sample from include any low-point drain near the pump or heater and the blow-down valve mounted on the Y-strainer. You’ll normally find the Y-strainer in the return line just upstream of pump suction.

It’s best to draw the sample after the system has been on standby (the pump’s still running but the fluid has cooled down). Not only is this considerably safer than taking a hot sample, but cool fluid will not oxidize (smoke) as it flows out the drain valve. If the fluid smokes, the TAN test may show artificially high acid levels.

When you first crack the drain valve, allow some fluid to drain into a metal container. This flushing helps remove excess contaminants that have settled out. Make sure that the pump has been running so that the fluid you sample is truly representative of the fluid in your system.

Notes:

1. Samples taken from the expansion tank, or from a “dead leg” are not representative of your system’s fluid.

2. The independent testing lab requires approximately 3/4 quart to properly conduct the analysis. Please fill the sample jar to this level.

Shipping the Sample

Paratherm stocks special sample kits. We will send one of these to you at no charge. To request one, call us toll-free at 800-222-3611.

Because all testing is performed by an outside ISO 9000 certified hydrocarbon lab, tests are invoiced. As soon as the test is completed and the report received, we will call you to discuss the results. A written report will follow, along with the laboratory’s original certificate of quality. Please allow three weeks for the written report.

For in-depth troubleshooting or application discussion, call Jim Oetinger at 
+1 (610) 941-4900, or email him at info@paratherm.com

Chlorine bleach:

Temperature range: around 150

Ph range: around 10.5

Hydrogen Peroxide:

Temperature range: around 180

Ph range: around 11.0

As you can see from the operating parameters, chlorine bleach requires lower temperatures and a lower ph to effectively perform than compared to hydrogen peroxide. Depending on the environment, this can be an advantage or disadvantage. The parameters can be manipulated for either oxidizer to work in less than optimum conditions. Higher alkalinity and higher ph impedes chlorine bleach’s ability to destain and whiten while the converse is true with hydrogen peroxide. Higher alkalinity and higher ph improves hydrogen peroxide’s ability to destain and whiten. In lower temperature environments, chlorine bleach can perform but a lower alkalinity and ph will be necessary while for hydrogen peroxide to perform in a lower temperature environment, higher alkalinity and ph will be needed.

In my opinion, chlorine bleach is generally a better destainer and whitener than hydrogen peroxide. It will attack a broader spectrum of stains than will hydrogen peroxide. However, the aggressive nature of chlorine bleach has some disadvantages. In the healthcare market, chlorine bleach reacts adversely with products containing CHG (chlorhexidine gluconate, an anti-microbial) to create a permanent stain. Products containing CHG are being used more extensively in the healthcare market. If the CHG cannot be completely washed from the fabric prior to chlorine bleaching, a permanent tan to pinkish stain will be created. In tunnel environments where short cycle times prevail, it is not always possible to remove CHG prior to chlorine bleaching. Where CHG staining is a problem, hydrogen peroxide has an advantage because hydrogen peroxide does not react adversely with CHG. Chlorine bleach can be corrosive to stainless steel. Again, in tunnel applications where there is a standing bath of chlorine bleach, the potential for corrosion exists. The stainless steel compartments where chlorine is injected might be subjected to the exposure to chlorine bleach 24-7. Hydrogen peroxide is not corrosive to stainless steel. Where corrosion is a concern, hydrogen peroxide has the advantage. Chlorine bleach can also remove color from colored linens. Hydrogen peroxide is less likely to remove color. Sometimes the washing environment might favor one oxidizer over another. Again, this is usually in tunnels. It may be difficult to get down to the temperature and ph range to favor chlorine bleach. The use of hydrogen peroxide might match up better in tunnel conditions.

There are just some stains that hydrogen peroxide will not remove. Hydrogen peroxide does not remove mildew stains nor does so very slowly. In operations that process fabrics used in the food service industry, chlorine bleach is probably the oxidizer of choice. Chlorine bleach is generally more cost effective. 12% chlorine bleach is about half the cost of 35% hydrogen peroxide. As indicated in the operating conditions, chlorine bleach can be used a lower temperature. Therefore, the energy costs might be somewhat lower with chlorine bleach.

Each operation has its own unique conditions. Both chlorine bleach and hydrogen peroxide have their place in the market.

Regards,

Terry Allen

Manager of Market Development

GURTLER INDUSTRIES, INC.

Ozone is the strongest reproducible sanitizer known to man. It is used primarily in cold water washes, thus reducing the usage of natural gas. Ozone is a natural bleaching agent that opens up the weave of fibers to make them softer. It helps moisture to evaporate faster in the drying process, and can lengthen the life of the linen. With all these attributes, it is no wonder that men have been trying to perfect this “Science” in laundries for over two decades. There have been many success stories, and but also, many failures with ozone. Some of the early problems were directly related to the technology at the time, others were from not understanding the product.

There are many trained professionals selling the proper use of ozone by not overstating what ozone can do for your laundry. However, for every ozone expert in the field that has a good working knowledge of the product, there are many more that mislead the customers with promises that simply cannot be substantiated.

In this series, we will cover many aspects of ozone laundry and use our experience to set some of these facts or fallacies straight.

Our goal is to help you learn more about ozone along the way.

In the upcoming months, we will cover such topics as:

• The fundamental differences between ozone laundry systems design – Venturi Injection vs Bubble Diffusion.

• Is Ozone Laundry Safe?

• How do I know that my Ozone laundry system is working and sanitizing properly?

• Can Ozone Laundry really reduce your Chemical Consumption?

• Can Ozone save Labor?

• Can I wash in Cold Water Only?

• Does Ozone Laundry really Kill Bacteria?

• Can I wash and dry faster with Ozone Laundry?

• Will my linen last longer with Ozone Laundry

• How does Ozone Laundry Whiten and Soften my Linen?

• What items does ozone not clean?

Plus Many More Topics

I invite you to email me with questions and topics that you would like to see covered in our monthly article

Mark E. Moore, CEO ArtiClean Ozone Laundry Systems REM Laundry Equipment, Inc.

m.moore@articlean.com

Mark E. Moore is a 30 year veteran of the Industrial Laundry Equipment Industry. He is the owner of REM Laundry Systems, a Commercial Laundry Equipment Distributor/Laundry Consultation Group with over 40 employees and offices located in Versailles, KY and Nashville, TN. He has worked with and consulted for several Ozone Laundry companies over the last 20+ years. He formed ArtiClean Ozone Laundry System with a vision of creating a better ozone laundry system. Today, ArtiClean is the largest Ozone Laundry Company in the world with distribution networks in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

What does good boiler preventative maintenance include?

We have all been told that good boiler chemistry is essential to good boiler efficiency.

• Soft water is a major component of good boiler chemistry:

Without it, boiler tubes will become contaminated with solids that prevent good heat exchange.

How much solids enter a boiler?

How damaging could one day of city water hardness be?

If a laundry is using 200 gallons of city water per minute with a water hardness of 20 grains: The total mass of hardness that should be removed if the facility were to run for 16 hours is:

Calculation:

200 GPM * 60 Minutes/hour * 16 hours * 20 Grains / 7,000 Grains per pound = 548.6 pounds

These 548 pounds of hardness (Calcium & Magnesium) would have a volume of approximately 50 gallons!

If your boiler is using 5% of your total water, then approximately 2.5 gallons of contamination could occur in one day of running hard. This is enough contaminate to cover the tubes in a 400 horsepower boiler with 0.002 of an inch of insulator!

Imagine using 5 gallons of 50% solids paint, per day, to coat your boiler tubes!

Calculation: (2.5 Gallons * 231 Cubic Inches / Gallon) / (400 BHP * 5 Square feet / BHP * 144 Square inches / Square foot) = 0.002 Inches.

Have you installed polishing softeners on your boiler, or are you relying on your primary softeners to handle the job? Polishing softeners on a cheap insurance policy! A two cubic foot system can be purchased for about $1800.00.

So, providing soft water, every day, is part of good boiler maintenance.

• Feed water temperature:

Oxygen is about 6% soluble at 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and only 2% soluble at 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Less oxygen means less oxygen pitting. Also, less thermo shock will occur with higher feed water temperatures.

So, providing feed water at higher temperatures is part of good boiler maintenance.

• Hot Spots:

Hot spots on a boiler tube are a tube failure in the making. One way to help reduce hot spots is the addition of turbulators. High stack-gas temperature indicates wasted heat that’s going right up the boiler stack. Turbulators can improve boiler efficiency, reducing stack-gas temperature. When turbulators are installed, carbon dioxide increases in the stack gases indicating more complete combustion; flame temperature increases indicate less excess air is being drawn into the boiler. Test conducted before and after the installation of turbulators, has shown repeatedly, that when installed, turbulators can cut heating costs. Turbulators help boilers last longer by eliminating hot and cool spots that cause thermal stress. Leading boiler manufacturers make turbulators available as a part of their original equipment package, proof that turbulators work.

So, turbulators are part of good boiler maintenance.

• Mud Legs

Preventing dirt & scale from entering the boiler, Dirt pockets, (mud legs) provide a low-flow area where these contaminates can settle out of the steam and condensate stream. Dirt pockets must be cleaned out periodically and, therefore, should be part of a regularly scheduled maintenance program.

So, mud legs are part of good boiler maintenance.

• Boiler blow down heat exchanger

No matter how hard you try to prevent it, solids will build up within the boiler!

So now you must bleed (blow down) these solids to an acceptable level. This involves losing valuable heat energy. Many boiler operators run the boiler at higher than recommended solids level to lessen the energy losses. To prevent this poor maintenance procedure, a simple surface blow down heat exchanger can be added.

So, the installation of a boiler blow down heat exchangers is part of good boiler maintenance.

• Steam system design

If the steam & condensate system is a poor design, boiler performance will diminish.

Higher steam velocities, the speed of the steam flowing through the lines measured in feet per minute, will cause pipe erosion, increasing the contaminate levels within the boiler feed water. Steam velocity should be maintained between 6,000 and 12,000 fpm with a maximum of 15,000 fpm.

So, Steam system design is part of good boiler maintenance.

• Stoichiometric ratio

Two key components of the boiler efficiency equation are the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio and the heat of combustion value for the fuel being burned. The stoichiometric ratio shows the exact amounts of air and fuel needed for a combustible to be completely consumed. The heat of combustion shows the amount of energy that would be released in such a perfect reaction.

Since our laundry boilers are operated in a variable load condition, controlling the excess air becomes a major component of boiler maintenance. If a boiler were to operate in a “rich” gas mixture condition, sooting will occur and unburned fuel gas will exit the stack. This could also lead to an uncontrolled fuel explosion. By definition, I assume, that if we allow the boiler to rapidly disseminate (explode) this would be poor boiler maintenance.

So, controlling the stoichiometric ratio is part of good boiler maintenance.

• Additional boiler maintenance issues

Insulation maintenance

Burner adjustments

Added chemistry

Controlling boiler load variations

Combustion air filtering

Corrosion prevention

Fuel control

Fuel pre heating

Combustion air preheating

Safety valves (nearly 50% of the safety valves installed are done incorrectly, according to Factory Mutual)

Start up, shut down procedures

Boiler storage procedures

Water level controls

Exhaust stack pressure monitoring

Boiler grounding (boiler frame should be less than 5 ohms to earth)

Fire wall separation

Combustible material separation (not a good maintenance procedure to store gasoline within the boiler room, or to have the exhaust stack too close to a wood roof member)

Mike Burdine 1995

Mike Burdine 2008

1. When to PM?

Most Tunnel Manufactures list the Normal week of operation as 40 to 50 hours per week. The Weekly, Monthly, Semi-annual and Annual PM’s listed in the Equipment Technical Manual are based on this, 40 to 50 hours per week of operation. If the Tunnel Washer is in operation 16 to 24 hours per day then the Monthly maintenance becomes a PM to accomplish on a Weekly basis as an example.

1. What to Do during a PM?

1. Prior to shutting the Tunnel Washer observe the operation of the Tunnel. This is when I check the rotation. When the drive motors engage you wish to have the drum already turning in that direction due to its momentum. Drive motors engaging to late (when the drum starts to turn the opposite direction) causes severe wear to the belts, drive wheels, gearmotors and such. On chain driven Tunnels (Milnor – Sinking, ECT) this will also damage mounts, chain and even the drum. Do this with a full load in the tunnel. Make any adjustments to the rotation Time delay relays, Programming depending on the Tunnel and age.
2. Check the amperage draw on each of the motors at the overloads. You need to see an equal amount of amp draw from each motor. Too much of a difference signals a problem such as loose belts (causes the other motors with good belts to carry too much load) motors engaging too late, Gearmotor problems and such. Investigate any change from the last PM.
3. Make sure the cabinet cooling fans are working.
4. While it is running check the water flow. Lavatec Tunnels are crossflow Tunnels and too much or too little water not only can cause cleaning the linen difficult this will also cause Plugs, Roping and Jams. Watch the flushing water leave the trough on the chute. Is it uniform or seems like more water is coming from one area that the other? I use a long wood saw zaw blade in the narrow opening to clean out the debris that can clog the opening. This can really increase the water flow into the chute and be more effective in pushing the load into compartment One. Check the Weir boxes to ensure good water flow and the water flow gauges for correct flow. Check that all sample hoses and level switch hoses are clear. Doing this will all but eliminate plug tunnels. As a side note check the Flushing pumps on your Lavatec Tunnel. Everyone I have worked on had the two pumps tied together via a TEE to the Chute. I am a pump guy at heart and this is just wrong. They were fighting each other. I piped them to each side by themselves and now have a lot fewer problems with those pump seals and a lot better flow (Push) of water down the Chute. Helped to push those bulky loads into the opening. Check the Water tanks and drain valves. Check the water flow going into the last compartment. If the Valve is leaking by then too much water will be in the compartment and splash out and possible to fault the press or have linen float towards the front and a possible plug. If the load does not flow smoothly into the press programming more water into this compartment can help.
5. Test all the E – Stops.
6. After shutting down the Tunnel and Locking it out check the Drive wheels, Belts, Thrust bearings under the front drive ring and the axial movement limit switches. Switches are on the Left side of the Tunnel. (Note: Left, right, forward and back is referenced by the flow of linen. Face the flow as the reference. The components are wired this way.) If I need to change out one set of belts I change them all. Prevents one gearmotor momentarily having the full load or slipping. Grease the Drive wheel bearings. Some Tech manuals say this does not need to be done but you need to do it. I have removed these bearings from tunnels and they were full of rust. You only need to put in ONE stroke of grease if there is any sign of grease coming out of the bearing. Do this last to allow the grease to cool. (Note: Always push grease in SLOWELY! There are times you can blow out seals and cause damage. A Grease Gun can develop 6000 Psi of pressure. A count of 10 to stroke in one stroke of grease is a good habit. On Milnor bearings I double that time due to me changing a LOT of seals damaged from overpressure.)
7. Clean out the water tanks, Lint separator and weir boxes as needed. If you do not have drains on the compartments then open the bottom where bleach enters. Any build up of debris, sand or such can absorb the bleach and eat away at the bottom of that compartment. Once a month I remove the fittings where chemicals enter the compartments and flush them to prevent corrosion. I have had to weld in some of these before. Ensure the Brushes, Drive chain, sprockets and bushings are good on the Lint Seperator.
8. Blow out the control cabinet and all the motors. Change out the filter media. Blow out the Drive wheels as well.
9. Note any seals that are leaking that will need to be changed.
10. Clean the Chute Photocell. Place a 6 ft ladder into the chute to help getting to the sensor.
11. Tech Manual states to change out Gearmotor oil every 10,000 Hours. 24/7 = 8736 hours per year. I do this once a year and I use a higher viscosity gear oil as well. The gear box is next to a very hot and humid environment. I also check the level monthly. I had a trainee not check these and when I asked him why he stated there was no oil on the platform thus no leak. I crawled under there with him and checked them. One had almost no oil. The oil had leaked into the MOTOR. He now checks them every month!!
12. Check the Flags and 5 rotatation Proxes for damage and corrosion.
13. Drain Air filter and fill lubricator.
14. Check drain air cylinders. These will be in the Water Tanks and Weir Boxes.
15. Check that the rinse water pneumatic does not leak by. (Note: The Brass valve body on the valve is rated at 150 Psi @ 72 degrees. If you have rinse water at 140 degrees or above these will leak by. I change out all of mine to an Asco Stainless steel Valve. Have not changed one in 10 years!! I do this to All my HOT water solenoid or inlet valves for all my washers. Use “Steam” valves for the hot water and you will actually spend a lot less.
16. Install all the covers, Remove the Locks and Test.

Preventive and Predictive Maintenance are the life blood of any mechanical device. The “ounce of Prevention” should be the Maintenance Mantra as it can never be more true. Please conduct all PMs with Safety in mind to yourselves and to the people around the Tunnel. Some tunnels and the laundries they are in will add more to this PM but it covers most of what to look for. I covered some things done only on monthly or yearly PMs to illustrate what to investigate their equipment during a PM.

Mark McLeod – AKA TUNNELTECH

Par levels are based on a specific standard formula:

Unit par level = Daily average usage X a safety stock (1.25) X the number of days supply is needed.

For example, if on a daily average you use 30 flat sheets and you get a cart daily the formula would look something like this:

EXAMPLE: When usage is known

Average Daily Usage = 30

Safety Stock = 1.25

# of Days Usage on Cart = 1

Formula: 30 × 1.25 × 1 = 37.50 rounded to 40 Par Level

Safety Stock Factor Range 1.25 – 1.30

EXAMPLE: When usage is unknown

Sheets – Normal Usage per Inpatient Day = 1

36-Bed Unit, Average Daily Census = 28

Safety Stock = 1.25

# of Days Usage on Cart = 1

Formula: 1 × 28 × 1.25 × 1 = 35 Par Level

For maximum census: 1 × 36 × 1.25 × 1 = 45 Par Level

Safety Stock Factor Range 1.25 – 1.30

If you currently do not use a linen management software program or tack daily usage you can do a two week usage study in order to know your daily average usage.

After par levels are set they should be reviewed on a quarterly basis or sooner if a unit is constantly running short on linen or too much of an item is left on cart or on the shelf at the end of the 24 hour period. Par levels directly affect how much linen is used per patient. If extra linen is placed on the cart, then it is more is likely to be used or abused. The domino effect is that pounds per adjusted patient days / pounds per patient days go up and you get further and further away from your goals and cost saving potential.

Karen Landers Mills

Midwest Laundry, Inc.

Gurtler Industries, Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of AuroraChem East, the textile care division of CHT R. Beitlich Corp.  AuroraChem East is a manufacturer and supplier of specialty laundry chemicals and services based in Charlotte, North Carolina. This acquisition follows the recent acquisition of its sister company, AuroraChem West based in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Most importantly, the entire AuroraChem East staff, sales, service and management team is joining Gurtler. 

CHT R. Beitlich GmbH., the parent company of CHT R. Beitlich Corp. and AuroraChem East is a multinational chemical manufacturer based in Germany.  They serve the entire chain of the textile market; most importantly they have developed intelligent system solutions and products for the textile care or laundry markets. In addition to the acquisition, Gurtler and CHT R. Beitlich GmbH have entered into an exclusive technology relationship which allows Gurtler to market CHT products and systems in the United States.

“We appreciate the acquisition of AuroraChem East business by Gurtler Industries.  Gurtler and CHT R. Beitlich GmbH share similar business philosophies and values,” said Uwe Halder, CCO of CHT R. Beitlich GmbH, from Tübingen, Germany, headquarters of the global CHT/BEZEMA group.  “We look forward to further cooperation based on Gurtler’s access to our speciality textile chemicals and technology.”  CHT has been very successfully engaged in the development, production and sale of additives for the textile processing industry for more than 50 years. 

Steve Gilmore, vice president of sales of AuroraChem East says, “Our philosophy, blended with Gurtler Industries’ reputation makes a perfect combination. Like Gurtler, we place the customer first.  We designed our products and equipment to solve the problems and future requirements in the industry.  Gurtler gives us the opportunity like we’ve never had before to market our Go Green and Low Temperature programs. We as a group are excited to be a part of a dynamic, growing organization.”

Greg Gurtler, president of Gurtler says, “With the acquisition of the AuroraChem East operation, we reunite the AuroraChem team under the Gurtler umbrella.  We are very pleased to welcome these true professionals to the Gurtler family.  Besides their broad expertise and industry knowledge they bring with them an excellent line of unique products and in-house engineered dispensing systems.”  These additions are being integrated into the full Gurtler line and will soon be available across the country.  He goes on to say, “With the addition of AuroraChem East Gurtler becomes stronger and positioned for improved service and growth in the key southeastern states in the country.  And the exclusive relationship with CHT R. Beitlich GmbH will have broad benefits for our entire market and customer-base in the future.”

Gurtler Industries, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of advanced detergents and specialty chemicals for the commercial laundry industry. A privately held, family owned and operated business, Gurtler has grown into one of the largest specialists in the laundry chemical supply industry, offering a full line processing chemicals, injection systems and personalized service across North America. 

For more information contact:

Steven J. Tinker

Phone: 708-331-2550

Fax: 708-331-1210

E-mail: sjtinker@gurtler.com