CASTLE EDEN BREWERY DRAMATIC INCREASE OF PRODUCTION WITH INSTALLATION OF RINNAI CONTINUOUS FLOW HOT WATER HEATING UNITS
Castle Eden Brewery of County Durham has dramatically increased its production capacity thanks to the cascade installation of 4 x Rinnai HDC 1500i direct to outlet wall mounted hot water units.
Two local businessmen, Cliff Walker and David Travers, have revived this historic North East brewing name, relaunching the brand as a micro-brewery operation in Seaham. County Durham after it had closed 10 years.
Both Mr Walker and Mr Travers have a background in the brewery industry. Mr Walker worked as sales director with the original Castle Eden Brewery, as well as experience with other major breweries and international drinks companies. Mr Travers has worked in the drinks industry since 1976 with a variety of major names in the industry, including Vaux Breweries.
Castle Eden Brewery played an important part in the commerce and heritage in the area. The products were of high quality and had an almost 200 years history as the original Castle Eden Brewery was established in 1826 where it gained a reputation for its ales which were sold throughout the UK.
Beer, as every sensible person knows, is the collective term given to any beverage made by alcoholic fermentation of a cereal carbohydrate, for example, barley. But it must be without distillation of the finished product. Beer, as purists all know, three distinct products -Ales, Lager & Stout - which each have their own unique fermentation process.
All the production processes for whatever brew is being made require huge volumes of water in producing the honeyed neck oil. Factors such as temperature, moisture, alcohol ratio, length of fermentation and the variance in added products (adjuncts) determine the taste and texture of the beer.
Hot water is need for the production and for the necessary hygiene regimes at each stage of the process. The Rinnai system of hot water delivery allows for virtually limitless amounts of hot water at a precisely set temperature, depending on the requirement of the production process.
At Castle Eden the four units means that if one is having maintenance then the other three will continue supplying hot water on demand, as in a seamless operation.
Cliff Walker commented, ‘’Rinnai’s solution of continuous flow water heating and the ability to deliver limitless amounts of useable hot water thus giving the brewery endless controlled supply in water delivery. This guarantees considerable cost savings over other forms of hot water generation.
“The relatively compact footprint of all 4 no Rinnai units means the system can optimise production and safeguard accessibility for maintenance and servicing without stopping production. There is huge potential in our industry for on-demand style water heaters such as the Rinnai HDC 1500i condensing appliances which will help reduce our energy consumption and our carbon footprint.’’
Rinnai’s heavy-duty condensing range uses two heat exchangers to capture residual heat from flue gases to pre-heat incoming water, with the HDC1500i turning in 105% net efficiencies*. These figures add up to considerable on-going energy savings when compared with traditional gas fired stored water systems.
The 4 x Rinnai HDC1500i internal mounted water heaters at the site provide all hot water on demand and on continuous flow mode for hygiene and production on a virtually limitless basis. Total Control (digital) of water temperature with superior fuel efficiencies, plus the option of wall mounting internal or external are just some of the major features and benefits over and above any other type of hot water delivery system.
With a Rinnai condensing unit, temperature is regulated to within +/-1ºC via ‘smart’ internal controls without any variation of temperature at the outlet even when water is drawn off elsewhere. All models have full electronic ignition, no pilot light and operate on demand only, so there is no gas consumption when the unit is idle.
The units are easily configured in a manifold arrangement, ensuring there will never be a shortfall of instant hot water whatever the demand.
Rinnai, the UK’s leading manufacturer of the ErP A-rated Infinity range of continuous flow condensing gas-fired water heaters, supplies the best energy efficient range of low-NOx water heating units currently on the market.
Advanced condensing heat exchangers combined with innovative burner technology ensures that every cubic metre of gas is used to the maximum on HDC 1500i.
Legionella proliferation is answered by Rinnai: the company has developed additional ‘SMART’ controls for secondary return DHW systems in the form of an advanced temperature control system which allows for safe running of water at 42°C core temperature during the day and 60°C at a time when the building is closed. By the time the building reopens, core temperature is 42°C for safe use.
Another Rinnai innovation addresses an age-old industry problem with hot water delivery - lime scale build-up. The company’s integrated scale control system is an innovative solution and comes in the form of an LC (lime check) code on the display of the controller.
Almost all water-fed appliances, including plate heat exchangers, boilers and water heaters will accumulate scale deposits when used within hard water areas over time. Lime scale consists of calcium carbonate (calcite) with lesser amounts of other calcium salts such as the sulphate. Sometimes lime scale deposits contain corrosion debris and this scale build-up can affect the water heaters by reducing their efficiency and overall performance.
Ultimately, ongoing use with hard water may shorten the lifespan of conventional water heating appliances and systems. To safeguard against this Rinnai units continually self-monitor for lime scale deposits around the heat exchanger. If a lime scale builds up has being identified, a message is sent to the built-in interface panel on the front of the appliance. The message is displayed as ‘LC’, which alerts the end user that it is time to call a Rinnai service agent to perform a lime scale flush to clear the potentially harmful deposits. This avoids and eliminates the adverse effects associated with lime scale build up, including lower energy efficiencies and rapid product de-generation.
Rinnai’s HDC range offers condensing technology with up to 107% gross efficiency, ultra-low-NOx of less than 20 ppm, a widely expansive modulation range of 54kW-4kW and high flow rates of 37/ltr/min. Add to these benefits are the peace of mind of an extended warranty, a top A-rating exceeding the demands of eco-labelling legislation, the flexibility of external wall mounting and delivery to site with all relevant accessories and the knowledge that the HDC range is future-proofed against future regulatory and legislative changes.
* Tested and certificated by Technigas to EN 26.
