As any business which depends upon effective warewashing knows, limescale is one of the main challenges which needs to be managed in order to optimise and maintain performance.
Experts have different opinions as to the best way to maintain warewasher performance, with Electrolux advocating a built-in internal softener. This is used to reduce scale build-up before the water enters the machine, saving internal components. Meiko, on the other hand, advocates using the GiO reverse osmosis treatment, which is offered as an add-on function to many of their models or as an integrated element on premium products. Either approach is designed to reduce the build-up of limescale and decrease downtime on equipment.
Manufacturers such as Electrolux now ensure warewashers manage limescale build-up more effectively, and function even in hard water areas. However, even with recent advances in equipment, limescale can still impact performance and reduce efficacy over time.
How to Maintain Performance Even in Hard Water Areas
Use of softeners tends to require a greater amount of water for commercial warewashers, and also reduce floor space. By switching to a product which uses reverse osmosis, firms can realise a number of benefits including a significantly reduced operational cost in comparison with more traditional equipment, which requires a cartridge to achieve demineralisation.
An integrated system also means that the limescale management doesn’t require an additional power source, as it’s controlled within the warewasher. Advocates believe that as the rate of water consumption and need for filter replacement is displayed at all times, downtime for servicing is minimised and firms are better able to optimise water use.
Soft Water Solutions
For areas with soft water, however, there is usually no need to invest in an integrated system to manage limescale. Many customers sourcing commercial warewashers through 247catering believe that standalone systems are often more effective, have greater capacity and provide an external ‘point of failure’ independent to the warewasher itself. This can make repairs cheaper, should one element of the solution fail.
Sodium exchange softeners are useful where firms want to accommodate different levels of limescale, as they enable specific settings dependent upon the hardness of the water.
Ultimately, combatting limescale effectively depends on understanding the nature of the water being used and choosing the most efficient solution based upon this.