Brewery gets 18-month payback in cutting limescale

An Environmental Treatment Concepts product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 20, 2001

Wadworth Brewery has successfully installed the Scalewatcher-Enigma scale control system onto its hot water storage tank and mains cold water supply to the Brewery

Wadworth Brewery, famous for its traditional brewing techniques and real ales, has chosen 21st century technology to provide an environmental and cost effective solution to limescale build-up.

The company has successfully installed the Scalewatcher-Enigma scale control system from exclusive distributors, Environmental Treatment Concepts onto its hot water storage tank and mains cold water supply to the Brewery.

Situated in Devizes, Wiltshire, Wadworth's Northgate Brewery is located in a typically hard water area with a pH balance of 7.6, hardness factor of 274mg/lt and alkalinity of 240mg/lt.

Around 50,000 M3 of water is consumed annually on the site for brewing, cleaning and other uses.

The 300-barrel hot water storage tank, heats in excess of 3000 g/hr of water via external steam calorifiers, to a temperature of 80C.

The hot water is then fed to a ring-main system for use in draught beer production, cask and keg washing as well as a limited number of hot water outlets.

Limescale was deposited on the calorifiers and pumps as well as the storage heater, reducing their efficiency and necessitating the equipment to be acid descaled twice a year.

This involved plant shutdown and the employment of two men for two days, which cost the company around ?1000 a year in additional to extra fuel costs.

Following a site survey conducted by an ETC engineer, it was agreed that a Scalewatcher-Enigma system would be installed for an evaluation period.

The first unit was configured to treat before and after the pump on the recirculating pipeline, which includes a calorifier to heat the hot water in the storage tank.

An inspection of the hot water storage heater six months' later found that the cover, when lifted, had only soft scale on the inside which could be easily wiped away.

The thick covering of hard limescale on the inside of the tank, fell off the walls to the floor with just a touch and was easily removed.

Following this successful evaluation period a second unit was configured to treat both inlet water feed pipes to the storage tank as well as the ring main calorifier.

A decision to purchase a third unit to treat the main cold water supply to the Brewery soon followed.

"I have calculated that the Scalewatcher-Enigma system has provided a pay back in just 18 months", says Robert Tyre, Chief Engineer, Wadworth Brewery.

"We are now using less fuel and acid, have saved on labour costs for cleaning and improved the lifespan of our pump.

In addition the Scalewatcher-Enigma system has also removed hidden costs such as reducing production losses due to blockages".

Wadworth and Co Ltd was originally founded by Henry Wadworth in 1875 and is still run by his descends as a family business.

The Northgate Brewery was designed in 1885 and remains the existing site of Wadworth Brewery today.

The company maintains its original brewing techniques and closely guarded recipes, which include the famous 6X beer now sold throughout the UK.

Other traditional beers available from Wadworth are Henry's IPA, "JCB", Malt and Hops and Old Time, all sold in Wadworth's 240 public houses and free trade outlets throughout the South of England.