Pump service specialists Dura Pump has solved a significant sewage headache for a large hospital in the Midlands, saving the NHS Trust three-quarters of a million pounds per year.
All too frequent blockages from floating debris, plus fats, oils, and greases had rendered the existing system unfit for purpose, with the NHS hospital facing constant downtime and the very costly need for tankers to remove the accumulated waste.
To address the issue with a far more robust solution that would be able to handle the high solids content, Dura Pump installed its latest offering, Velocity Sentinam, making use of two submersible Chopper Pumps, made by Landia. Designed with an external knife system that prevents solids from entering the pump’s casing, the Chopper Pump (invented by Landia in 1950) continuously reduces particle sizes.
A GOOD EXPERIENCE, A SOLID UPGRADE
In addition to installing the new, much tougher 15kW pumps, Dura Pump upgraded the hospital’s effluent system with a new twin control panel that is fully integrated with the site Building Management System. The Dura Pump SenIQ panel includes inverters, a radar to measure the tank level, and a program to deliver intelligent pumping controls and warning alerts. Energy usage is also optimized as incoming flow rates are detected, controlling the output of the pump to match.
“We’ve always had good experiences when using Landia’s pumps,” says Dura Pump Technical Director John Calder, “so we were confident that these reliable tools could more than handle this challenging hospital application. Previously, when providing sewage solutions for prisons, we saw that not even shoes, jeans or bed sheets have been able to stop the Landia Chopper Pumps from running.”
With the new advanced software system designed by Dura Pump (who were established in 1975), the wastewater is pumped down to the base of the pumps, allowing them to skim all the floating debris off the surface. This can be repeated multiple times during the day.
By regularly skimming the tank, the level of fat buildup is significantly reduced. This is further enhanced by having an adjustable stop/start level that prevents the fat building up at one specific start/stop point.
The new system includes a monitoring and alert service, Dura Pump SenSync, which allows the system to be monitored remotely. If for any reason there is a fault with the pump, the pit level or the power, an instant message is sent to a nominated mobile number or email, informing the receiver of the problem, enabling them to take action before it causes a major issue.
Trends can be recognized over time, giving indication of wear on the pumps, valve issues and other performance related matters.
DOWNTIME AND DISRUPTION MINIMIZED
With full Building Management System (BMS) integration, it means the system operates with minimal manual input while providing the hospital with detailed performance insights.
Calder adds, “No longer facing repeated pipe blockages, the hospital now operates far more smoothly, with downtime and disruption to daily operations minimized. Together with our bespoke system, the Landia Chopper Pumps play an important part in helping us deliver better cost management and energy savings for our customers.”
PARTNER PROFILE: THE STORY OF DURA PUMP
Back in 1975, the first seed of Dura Pump was planted in a garage attached to a house in Northampton. The desire was to provide a high-quality engineering service that was reliable and professional. A strong team of experienced engineers and consultants ensure you receive a wealth of knowledge and services that you can trust.
For more information, visit www.durapump.co.uk.
Soren Rasmussen is the director of Landia, Inc. Landia uses its nearly ninety years of experience to continue to develop new and efficient products and solutions. Together with its customers, Landia is aiming for new heights. Customers get a partner with a strong team of happy employees who focus on what matters most to them: good solutions that solve the task at the lowest possible cost. For more information, call 919.466.0603, email info@landiainc.com, visit www.landiainc.com.