Energy savings from water appliances and systems
Increases Energy Savings from Water Appliances and Systems
The US government and marketplace are focused on reducing the overall energy costs with various incentives to promote alternatives and improvements. There are numerous agencies, plans and directives to achieve these ambitious goals in commercial and residential applications.
There is an affordable easy and proven technology that can dramatically impact energy costs nationwide- HydroCare for limescale problems in areas with hard water.
HARD WATER REDUCES APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY
Existing Data:
The areas of focus from the burgeoning home energy industry are on improvements in appliances and new technologies; amongst them – efficient heating and cooling systems, solar panels, and radiant heat. These technologies would result in dramatically reducing the second largest expenditure in the home – the water heating system and appliances. Besides energy concerns, households “waste” up to 12,000 gallons of water annually waiting for water to be heated.
US Department of Energy indicates that by using Energy Star® water heaters households can save up to $823 Million. These Energy Star® water heaters are primarily tankless, meaning that they will save energy and contribute to a reduction in water consumption. It is estimated tankless water heaters can contribute up to a 35%+ energy savings over traditional water heaters.
Besides tankless water heater manufacturers, there are a host of other advanced energy efficient units for solar power, gas condensed water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines, and radiant heat units. All of the manufacturers and energy experts tout the savings and improved performance of these technologies and units suggesting energy savings from 25 to 60%.
These appliances operate at optimum efficiency when there is unrestricted water flow, but 80 – 85% of the homes in the US have hard water. Hard water creates limescale build-up (mineral deposits on pipes and heating coils) that restricts water flow and reduces heat-transferring capability in appliances.
A study by Water Quality Association (2004) stated water heaters using untreated hard water consumed almost 26% more energy. New Mexico State University reports that by reducing and preventing mineral limescale build-up on pipes and appliances, households could experience up to a 30% savings in energy costs and longer life (25 – 40%) for their appliances.
A major problem for homes in hard water areas is the resulting limescale buildup. Limescale originates in the components of water’s carbonic rigidity-calcium carbonate (lime), magnesium carbonate, calcium sulfate, calcium phosphate and sediment formations. The higher the PH level and temperature, the larger the quantity of limescale. When the water gets heated up the scale formation begins and adheres to the pipes, water appliances and the plumbing system.
Limescale is a significant insulator and substantially reduces the capacity of the heat exchangers to heat the water; expending more energy to compensate for the mineral buildup that encapsulates them. Just a small coating of limescale of 1.6mm (.06”) on a heat exchanger in a boiler system can reduce its efficiency by an average of 11%. As the scale increases, the efficiency losses rise dramatically. The build up of limescale usually results in reduced flow rates, loss of efficiency and early failure of components.
All of these highly efficient units utilizing water are experiencing tremendous problems with the rapid buildup of limescale on the equipment. The companies selling the units receive complaints from customers saying they are not getting the results as promised. These units are frequently removed and require servicing. Most of the tankless water heater manufacturers have added fine print on their warranties with a disclaimer from damages or performance issues incurred from limescale.
There are similar issues with the performance of solar panel water heater systems, radiant floor heating and other appliances. Simply stated, the advanced energy efficient products are not delivering the energy savings in hard water areas because limescale insulates and restricts the efficiency on the heating elements reducing overall performance.
Studies in a number of countries have attempted to determine the national cost of corrosion caused by hard water. The most extensive of these studies was the one carried out in the United States in 1976, updated in 1995, by the Battelle Memorial Institute for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) which found that the overall annual cost of metallic corrosion to the U.S. economy was 4.2% of the gross national product. Projecting this percentage to recent GNP information, this amount is about $350 billion annually.
Furthermore, according to the study, $139 billion (40 %) of these costs could be avoided through application of existing technologies and best known practices. The cost of corrosion study estimates that these corrosion-related costs to most of the large industry sectors are between $3.5 to $14 billion annually. The costs of corrosion come in the form of either premature deterioration or failure resulting in the need for maintenance, repair and replacement of damaged equipment.
EXISTING SOLUTIONS
Treating limescale ranges from use of a salt based or chemical water softener system, magnets and coil wraps around the pipe.
Water Softeners: ¬The idea behind a water softener is simple. The calcium and magnesium ions in the water are replaced with sodium ions. To do the ion replacement, the water in the house runs through a bed of small plastic beads that are covered with sodium ions. As the water flows past the sodium ions, they swap places with the calcium and magnesium ions. Eventually, the beads contain nothing but calcium and magnesium and no sodium, and at this point they stop softening the water. It is then time to regenerate the beads.
Regeneration involves soaking the beads in a stream of sodium ions. Salt is sodium chloride, so the water softener mixes up a very strong brine solution and flushes it through the beads (this is why you load up a water softener with salt). The strong brine displaces all of the calcium and magnesium that has built up in the beads and replaces it again with sodium. The remaining brine plus all of the calcium and magnesium is flushed out through a drain pipe which then enters the water supply that is treated by the municipal water facilities. Regeneration can create an excessive amount of salty water, close to 25 gallons (95 liters).
This system requires routine maintenance and does little to eliminate existing limescale in the system. There are environmental aspects that communities across the country are struggling with today. This salt-laced water is harmful to plants, shrubbery, and vegetables that are sensitive to high salt levels. There are health related issues in the minimization of the minerals required in a diet and the abundance of salt in the water intake. Additionally, there is a significant cost to the municipalities in up-grades to their water treatment facilities to remove the salt.
In Santa Clarita, California the Sanitation Districts’ solution is an increased local sewer assessment to pay for $250 million to upgrade two SCV water treatment plants to remove the salt. The proposed sewer assessment rate hike could take the price from $14.92 per month to $47 per month during the next six years.
Magnets and Coils: Magnets and coil wrapped devices are largely flow dependent and do not function when water supply is not moving (which is most of the day),and varies with water temperature. With the system being dependent on flow and a limited magnetic signal, it does not manage the system effectively.
HydroCare Solution:
One product, HydroCare, a technology developed in Europe years ago and used in 30 countries world wide for residential and commercial applications, prevents mineral buildup and dissolves existing build-up of limescale by utilizing patented radio wave technology. One unit has the capacity to transmit a patented radio signal that traverses the entire system and appliances in a house. The unit works continuously without losing any strength in the signal and is not dependent on water flow or temperature levels. The cost to operate the unit is less than 2 watts of electricity and there are no maintenance costs, replacement of parts and installation issues. It not only prevents the formation of new limescale but also breaks down the years of accumulated limescale.
It is easily installed, requires no maintenance, and has been independently tested under extreme conditions and has performed as an effective solution. It does not change the natural composition of the water and maintains the existing mineral content.
Tests/Studies
Numerous independent studies validate the technology as excerpted below.
British Gas
The British Gas study states, “The technology is ….. the only device to approach an ideal device for reducing/preventing scale formation on a continuous operational basis at high temperature. This is an essential and unique feature required by water heating appliances.”
The study goes onto say, “This is the first non-chemical water conditioning device, of the type required by British Gas, to show potential for reducing the scale formation, and to offer economic benefits for reducing service and maintenance on water heaters and boilers.” “The device operates continuously and is not dependent upon flow although it does sense it, and by its AC pulsed field it holds and releases nuclei continuously throughout the system”
Oil Industry-Weatherford
The Weatherford International Ltd is one of the largest global providers of products and services to the oil industry. They issued a Report in 2008 after a two year study of a commercial unit adapted for this application, utilizing the same technology as HydroCare. Scale formation in the oilfield operations are reducing productivity, increasing downtime and are expensive to remedy. The scale can be deposited on a gradual basis, slowly building up to where it becomes a problem or it can happen literally overnight. In either case, the cost of treatment can be substantial, running into the hundreds of thousands dollars. In a South Texas well, the operator spent over $400,000 on scale removal with bi-weekly acid job resulting in extended down time.
The device was installed on the well after an acid clean up and has been producing, trouble free since. In another well, the device contributed an annual savings of over $375,000 due to reduced downtime and a note worthy production increase.
OnSpex-Lab
An independent test done by OnSpex, a renowned consumer product evaluation lab in Ohio, tested the unit on a tankless water heater system. The water heater ran for 15 minute intervals at 120° F. then was off for a period of 45 minutes with no water flow through the heater. Water was conditioned to simulate hard water in a household environment. Test end criteria were for six weeks or if the flow of the water flow fell below 0.9 gallons per minute of heated water. Test results on the tankless water heater with the HydroCare technology attached were compared to a control unit without the unit.
Results reported that after six weeks of testing, the flow remained constant at a rate of 3.0 gallons per minute on the unit with the attached hard water conditioner unit attached. It kept the hard water from depositing minerals to impair heater operation during this series of time accelerated testing.
Summary of report: Analysis of the deposits and flow readings indicate that this unit is effective in preventing clogging due to calcium carbonate build up. Analysis of the effectiveness of control unit testing: This test was conclusive. The control unit without the device installed was shut down after 39 days because the flow fell below the test parameters of 1.0 gallons per minute.
HydroCare Benefits
This device is inexpensive, easily installed, requires no maintenance and can save homeowners on the average $1200 a year in energy costs and appliance replacement and repairs. The chart below took utility rates from around the country and plugged in annualized savings anticipated from installing the HydroCare unit. Savings will differ based on area, hardness of water, and mineral buildup.
Based on a 25% savings **
City
Avg. Mthly Bill
w/HydroCare
$ Monthly Svgs
$ Yr Svgs
Austin, TX
$335
$251
$ 84
$ 1008
Boston, MA
$486
$364
$122
$ 1464
Denver, CO
$260
$195
$ 65
$ 780
Los Angeles, CA
$379
$284
$ 113
$ 1356
Average Utility Savings = 4 cities divided for average yearly savings of $1152
** **Average Monthly Residential Utility Bills Rates based as of 1/1/2003 report by City of Memphis.
Figures are computed with a 10% increase to reflect current rates.
Commercial industrial applications and municipalities can save millions. There is no high upfront cost and the return on investment can be realized in a few months through reduced utility bills. The technology will save in wasted water and have no environmental impact when compared to other solutions. The technology is available and the energy savings are immediate.
The device is adapted for the US market and is sold under the HydroCare brand. It is exclusively distributed by HQ Hometek Inc/Hydrocare USA, Oceanside, New York.
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