Full Steam Ahead: Sanitizing with Steam and Water Mixing Stations Whitepaper

Washdown stations ensure cleanliness in food processing, dairy, breweries, wineries, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and other industrial facilities where a high-temperature washdown is required.

Traditional cleaning methods include soap, hot water, and sometimes chemical disinfectants. These procedures may require breaking down equipment to ensure all components are efficiently cleaned and sanitized. If chemicals are used to sanitize a processing plant, especially in food and beverage, labor costs, the possibility of safety hazards, and the overall sanitization time increase.

Utilizing a Steam and Water Mixing Valve to Sanitize Processing Plants

Sanitizing your facility or plant using a steam and water mixing valve is one of the most efficient ways. Using steam to heat the water is more beneficial than chemical cleansing because it avoids chemical agents and can reduce labor times and water consumption.

Steam and water mixing valve stations provide instantaneous high-temperature steam-heated water with pressure behind it, which can kill bacteria, sterilize, and break down greases and other residues in processing plants. The World Health Organization states that bacteria are rapidly killed at temperatures between 149°F and 185°F degrees.

There’s also less downtime for dismantling and reassembly when utilizing steam-heated water to sanitize manufacturing equipment. Steam is sterile as well as being an excellent carrier of heat. Harmful chemicals are also used less or not at all, allowing for more uptime and a safer environment for personnel; while they are doing their jobs.

Not just anyone can utilize high-temperature steam and water mixing washdown stations. Plant personnel must be trained on proper use to ensure safety because the goal is to sanitize, and the goal of the plant is safety.

STVM® Steam & Water Washdown Station

STVM Steam and Water Mixing Valve Washdown Station

ThermOmegaTech’s STVM® Steam & Water Washdown Station has been designed to put the safety of maintenance operators first. Every STVM® Washdown Station is built-to-last and has two built-in safety features – interlocking ball valves to prevent steam-only operation and an automatic shut-off when output is 15°F over the unit’s temperature set-point (either 150°F or 185°F) or when cold water flow is interrupted.

This Washdown Station also incorporates unique Venturi mixing technology to deliver water at the required temperature quickly, quietly, and on demand.

The ‘ST’ in STVM stands for ‘Silent Type,’ meaning it is quieter than other washdown mixing stations. The Venturi effect mixes water in smoother than other steam-to-water mixing stations on the market, which can cause cavitation downstream of the mixing valve.

The steam-supplied station is a self-contained mechanical control unit, so it doesn’t require external hookups for electrical, instrumentation controls, or compressed air.

Find out how the STVM washdown station can efficiently clean your facility. Read more and download the Full Steam Ahead Whitepaper.

Protect Your Employees From Freezing with Thermostatic Valves

Thermostatic Freeze Protection: Winter is the time to protect your pipes and personnel.

Water-bearing piping must be appropriately winterized to keep temperature-sensitive processes and equipment functioning optimally throughout the freeze season. When water lines to cooling and condensate systems, safety showers, and eyewash or facewash stations are left exposed to the elements, or their heat tracing fails, freezing temperatures can cause frozen or burst piping. This can lead to overheated equipment and severely dangerous working conditions for your employees, which can interrupt systems, burst piping, and cause lengthy and costly repairs.

If safety shower, eyewash, or facewash station water lines freeze, personnel could be at significant risk of being unable to cleanse after contamination exposure. Condensate drain lines are also in danger of freezing even if it is electrically heat traced and the tracing malfunctions or the facility loses power.

ThermOmegaTech’s self-actuating temperature control valves are the ideal water line freeze protection solution.

HAT/FP Freeze Protection Valve

The HAT/FP valve is designed to sense the water temperature in the pipe or ambient temperature, depending on installation. The valve will gradually open to bleed off the cold water when temperatures approach the valve’s set point, typically 35°F (1.6°C).

Once the flow is initiated, the valve will remain open until the discharge water temperature is 5 degrees above that, typically 40°F (4.4°C). Once the freeze danger passes, the valve will modulate closed again to conserve water and reduce wastewater disposal costs.

These 100% mechanical valves require no power source to operate, eliminating the human errors associated with manual valves. They can also save you thousands on your water or energy bills.

Result: Guaranteed freeze protection and water savings because of the reliable and automatic HAT/FP thermostatic valves.

Read the feature on HAT/FP valves in the latest issue of Plant Engineering.

ThermOmegaTech and Grundfos Announce Partnership

This month, ThermOmegaTech and Grundfos announced a partnership, bringing together two industry leaders to simplify and enhance domestic plumbing systems and installations for contractors throughout the United States.

Beginning in late Q1, the partnership will offer a new packaged solution featuring ThermOmegaTech’s CircuitSolver® product line with the appropriate pump from the Grundfos MAGNA Series.

“We are excited about growing our relationship with a well-respected worldwide company like Grundfos,” said Tom Ruggierio, national business development manager at ThermOmegaTech. “Having two companies with innovative, synergistic products working together will bring optimized solutions for domestic hot water systems that will serve the plumbing community well.”

The partnership supports the companies’ shared goals of enhancing the accessibility and conservation of water, our most precious resource, by providing solutions that exceed energy and efficiency standards. “Working together allows us to save time for contractors who no longer need to source the appropriate pump style and size,” said Ruggierio. “The CircuitSolver® solution will now come with an expert-recommended pump, allowing contractors to focus their efforts on what they do best — the installation.”

“We continue to be impressed by the innovation of our ThermOmegaTech partner. Joining forces is a win-win opportunity for both companies as well as our manufacturer representatives, contractors, and the homeowners,” said Barry Nauss, Grundfos vice president of HVAC OEM. “When used together, our products greatly minimize water consumption and increase energy efficiency by optimizing the recirculating flow rate. This ensures the precise amount of water and power are utilized as water rotates through the system versus flowing down the drain. We’re proud to offer our new, sustainability-focused packaged solutions to the market.”

Grundfos and ThermOmegaTech will also offer expert training sessions together in 2022 with the goal of increasing awareness of the benefits their product portfolios bring to a domestic hot water system.

Best Practices for Effective Safety Showers

Best Practices for Effective Safety ShowersRecently, an employee at a chemical plant was accidentally exposed to a caustic solution that the plant was processing. He ran to the nearest safety shower in order to rinse the caustic off. Unfortunately, the safety shower was malfunctioning.

Instead of tepid water in the 85°F (29° C) range, he was doused in water under 60° F (15.5° C). His initial reaction was to jump out, but his fellow employees held him under the cold water to rinse off the chemical. As a result, he ended up with hypothermia from the cold water.

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Regulate Water Temperature

Avoid permanent injury, freeze damage and corrosion.

In brief:

  • Federal regulations require you to flush supply lines to emergency showers and eyewash stations weekly.
  • The water passing through these devices must be at a temperature between 60°F and 100°F.
  • The showers/eyewashes must be placed strategically, depending on the plant’s physical layout.

Regulations and standards are intended to help keep employees and processes safe. Water temperature can mean the difference between whether an employee incurs permanent injury in an accident, whether outdoor processing facilities avoid expensive freeze damage, and whether a plant can keep operating without extensive maintenance. These matters are critical to operating a safe, compliant, and efficient plant. Continue reading

Winter is Coming – Use Freeze Protection Valves to Keep Lines Flowing

Winter is Coming - Use Freeze Protection Valves to Keep Lines Flowing - HAT/FP Freeze Protection ValveFreeze protection valves are effective in preventing freeze damage in process lines. Unlike steam or electric tracing, which require power and can cause water to overheat, freeze protection valves operate by simply draining or bleeding water as the temperature approaches freezing.

This prevents the formation of ice that can clog lines, shut off the flow, and cause pressure within the line to build, cracking pipes, valves, and fittings and damaging equipment. Damage due to ice formation can incur costs for replacement parts and labor and reduce productivity due to shutdowns.

Nonetheless, freeze protection valves do not necessarily completely prevent the formation of ice. In some cases, ice may still form as a layer on the inside of a pipe. This acts as a good insulator, reducing further heat loss to the cold outside air. Also, no damage will occur if the ice does not completely block the pipe or equipment flow area.

Damage due to freezing is caused when a pipe or flow passage in equipment is completely blocked. Then, as additional ice forms, the expansion associated with the ice formation compresses the water and causes a dramatic increase in the internal pressure in the line. When the pressure exceeds the pipe’s or housing’s strength, these will break.

Learn more about ThermOmegaTech Freeze Protection Valves

Valves vs. Tracing

When to Use Tracing

Tracing is required when the temperature to be maintained is above the resupply water temperature; that is when additional heat input is required. Use tracing if the complexity of the equipment layout makes it difficult or impossible to bleed or drain the system properly. Also, tracing should be used if the discharge from bleeder or drain valves presents a handling problem. This may be the case in plant areas where all discharges must be controlled or reported or where discharge treatment problems and expenses outweigh the benefits of bleeder/drain valves.

When to Use Valves

Valves are generally more economical to install and operate than tracing. Use valves in remote plant areas where steam or electricity are not available and the cost to provide them is high. Also, use valves when potential overheating from tracing is a problem. In critical applications, where power failures will cut off electric or steam tracing, select self-operating valves as the primary or backup freeze protection system.

Click to read more about how Freeze Protection Valves Keep Lines Flowing.

Circuit Solver Valve

Circuit Solver from ThermOmegaTech, Inc.

Circuit Solver is a self-actuating thermostatic recirculation valve which automatically and continuously maintains the end of each domestic hot water supply line at the specified water temperature. This simple inline valve completely eliminates the need for time consuming and expensive manual balancing procedures and equipment. By allowing only water that actually cools below the setpoint to flow to the return, the Circuit Solver also eliminates the need for oversized recirculation pumps which cause pipeline erosion and waste energy.

The Problem:
1. Water flows to the path of least resistance.
2. Many buildings require multiple branches off the hot water supply line.
3. Hot water use is hyper-dynamic, so the path of least resistance constantly changes.
4. Manual flow control valves cannot properly resolve these issues.

The Solution:
Install a Circuit Solver on each hot water supply branch line immediately downstream of the last run out to a hot tap.

Click here to see how the Circuit Solver Valve works

More information

Circuit Solver Balancing Valve

 

Frost Valve for Solar Thermal

Frost Valve for Solar ThermalAustralia has the highest average amount of solar radiation of any continent, making it the perfect place for generating power or heating water with energy from the sun. Not surprisingly, the combination of generous rebates and sunny weather has given rise to solar thermal installations across the continent. Generally these installations are quite straightforward, but in the southern part of the continent, temperatures can drop below zero (Celsius), causing freezing problems for some thermal systems.

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OSHA Standard 1910.151(c)

OSHA Standard 1910.151(c) Safety Showers and EyeWash StattionsOSHA Standard 1910.151(c)

Need a refresher on the OSHA standard for safety showers and eyewash stations?

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=9806&p_table=STANDARDS

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=24288

Will OSHA cite a facility for not following the recommendations as stated in ANSI standard Z358.1-1990? Specifically, will an OSHA inspector cite a facility for not supplying tempered water to an emergency eyewash and shower?

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=24119

A Sight for Sore Eyes

Safety Shower and Eyewash

Imagine the following scenario: One of your plant floor employees has just had their eye or skin exposed to a caustic chemical, which needs to be immediately flushed from contact. Per OSHA regulations, you should already have an eye washing station or emergency shower on the plant floor, which the employee should be familiar with. In an instant, they need the proper water, at precisely the correct temperature, to prevent scalding or escalating the issue any further. Can you be sure that your employees are safe in a washing emergency?

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Instrument Performance Problems?

TV/SC-IR Instrument Enclosure Valve

Instrument Performance Problems?

It could be the temperature inside your enclosure.

Are your enclosed instruments under the weather? It might be time to check the temperature inside the enclosure. Enclosures protect instrumentation against adverse weather conditions or physical damage, and ensure that instruments operate in the proper temperature ranges. However, enclosures may not always provide sufficient protection against temperature extremes that can affect instrument performance. High temperatures can cause some fluids to vaporize, while low temperatures can cause some lines to freeze or some products to thicken – even damaging sensitive equipment. For many instruments, the correct temperature of the instrument and sample will affect measurement accuracy. The best way to solve this problem is to equip enclosures with systems designed to maintain interior temperature within the range specified for optimal instrument performance.

Keeping warm

The most common systems used to keep enclosures warm involve steam or electricity – essentially using an outside heat source to keep equipment in the enclosure at a predetermined temperature. Electrical heating can take several forms. Typically, a radiant heater or heating cable is installed inside the enclosure. A thermostat is used to control temperature or the cable may be self-limiting. However, electrical heating has limits. In large installations, the electricity required can be ex- pensive. If combustible substances are present, the possibility of electrical sparks poses risk. And, if the cable breaks, everything beyond the break could freeze.

Read More about Instrument Performance Problems.

Is Your Safety Shower Ready for the Cold?

Temperature Control for Safety ShowersKeeping your safety shower working at optimum performance is important, no matter what time of year. However, cold winter temperatures can make this especially difficult. Water can freeze in supply lines, clogging the system and shutting off flow. And because water expands as it freezes, internal pressure in the line can increase enough to break steel pipes and their associated valves and fittings. The result can be costly replacement parts, in- creased labor costs, and a shower that’s out of commission while it’s being repaired.

Cold weather can bring other problems, too. Water that’s too cold can discourage workers from using the showers for the full 15 minutes as recommended by ANSI and OSHA standards, thereby contributing to worker injury. Although federal regulations such as OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910 do not mandate every detail of safety shower systems, they do specifically require safe work- place conditions. Unless you provide comfortable water for safety showers, these regulations can be easily interpreted to result in safety violations.

There are a number of steps you can take to prevent cold weather from interfering with safety shower performance. Many are relatively simple to implement and can be readily put in place before cold weather begins.

Read More About Is Your Safety Shower Ready for the Cold…

The Dynamics of Freezing

Facts About Water Freezing

Water, when it freezes, changes from liquid to solid. As the temperature drops, the molecules become less energetic, moving more slowly, until they reach a point at which the molecular structure changes, followed by the transformation into ice, or solid water. Unlike most substances which shrink in volume as they freeze, water expands since ice’s molecular structure takes up more space than water. Conversely, when you heat water, the molecules become more excited until they reach the point where the water vaporizes and becomes steam.

There is a misconception that if water can be kept moving, it won’t freeze. Wrong! Water freezes at 32°F (0°C). Period.

Since the expansion of water as it freezes is a fact of life, what things should we know about this process in order to create effective means of dealing with it in industry? Water that has frozen in piping systems does more than simply clog the system and shut off the flow. Because ice takes up more room than liquid, when freezing occurs in a confined space like a steel pipe, the ice will build up extreme internal pressure which is often enough to break the pipe and its associated valves and fittings.

Damage from a burst pipe or valve can escalate beyond just replacing the broken parts, into labor costs for the repair and time/money lost from “down-time” in the affected area. Before effective measures can be taken to prevent such disasters, we need to learn about and understand what is happening.

The Physical Principles of Freezing

What are the underlying principles that determine whether the water in a given device (pipe, valve, etc.) will freeze? We already know that water freezes at 32°F. To arrive at this temperature, heat must be removed (transferred) from the water (Remember – heat always travels from high temperature areas to lower temperature areas). Heat transfer, or the removal of heat from one place to another (i.e. from the 45°F water inside a pipe to the 25°F air outside a pipe) is one of the basic laws of nature. Heat is a form of energy. Others include chemical, electrical, mechanical and nuclear, and each is convertible from one form to another. In the USA, heat is usually measured in BTUs, or British Thermal Units. One BTU is the amount of energy which, when added to one pound of water, will raise the temperature of that water by one Fahrenheit degree (as from 65°F to 66°F).

Click here to read the full article “Basics Of Freezing