Supermarkets
With
extended shopping hours, the need to maintain produce freshness,
moisture, visual appeal and weight has become an important issue.
Whether stored in refrigerated or ambient units, as soon as produce is
put out on display, dehydration starts; produce quality deteriorates,
produce begins to look tired and weight is lost as water evaporates into
the atmosphere.
Produce
MISTING SYSTEMS have greatly reduced shrinkage and spoilage as well as
lowering labour to maintain produce displays. However, at the same time
water related problems due to hardness and dissolved minerals are being
created. Hard water and dissolved minerals have an adverse effect on
both the misting systems themselves as well as the racks that display
the produce. When the water evaporates it leaves behind minerals
causing, spots and discoloration especially on the cases and mirrors.
These minerals also clog the misting nozzle tips, which results in
maintenance problems. In terms of sizing information, most produce
misting systems use 1.8 gallons per foot per day. Misting systems can
vary in size from 6 - 244 feet.
Another
area that benefits from water treatment are ICE MACHINES. Two out of every
three service calls on ice machines are water related! The most common
culprit is lime scale build-up which clogs water distribution channels,
small orifices and evaporator plates, adding to cycle times and thereby
increasing energy usage. For example. as little as 1/40 of an inch of
lime on an evaporator's surface increases energy cost as much at 30%.
For
both of the above applications, depending on the amount of the dissolved
solids and corresponding hardness, either a softener or reverse osmosis
system could be
the solution. Generally, a softener would be recommended when the
hardness does not exceed 8 gpg and the TDS is not above 170 ppm. R.O.
should be recommended on water over 8. Also, according to ice machine
manufacturers, point of use filtration systems are strongly
recommended. One of the most frequently recommended filters is a carbon
filter. Carbon is used to remove chlorine, which creates a taste and
odour problem. Chlorine can also corrode metal surfaces. Micron
filters are also used to remove sediment, which builds up on machine
parts causing maintenance problems as well as interfering with the
purity of the ice.
Many
supermarkets have BAKERIES that use proofing cabinets (as well as retail
bakeries). These proofers are used mainly for yeast raised products.
The proof box requires controlled temperature and humidity and has
either electric or steam heat. Contingent upon the size, it can use
from 2 to 200 gallons per day. In the operation of a proof box,
there is a water line at or near the top which goes to a steam
generating pan. The pan has heating elements (or Calrods) that are
immersed in the pan where the water is brought to boil, producing
steam. When the heating element becomes scaled or corroded, the quality
of the product suffers. Here again is another example where a
reverse osmosis system would be beneficial. Also, since chlorine inhibits the yeast process, carbon filtration
is a must for the bakery.
In summary there is a wide scope of potential benefits for supermarkets
upon the installation of proper water
treatment. Areas where water related problems occur and which can be
solved with a water purification and/or water softening system include:
