Automatic, self-cleaning filter(s)
Controller with touchscreen display
The liqui-filtra controller, which consists of a powder coated NEMA 3 steel enclosure and touch screen interface, orchestrates all operations of the system. The controller includes mounting feet to allow it to be mounted to any flat surface. It is not rated for outdoor use.
Specifications:
- Measures, records, and stores
- Flow fluctuation
- Differential fluctuations
- Inlet pressure
- Outlet pressure
- Flushes per hour
- Alarm and alerts when outside of parameters
- Local dynamic visualization of system operation
Questions & Answers
There is a host of information that is tracked, collected and reported from liqui-filtra and numerous ways it can be vital to keeping your building’s water safe.
There is generally an assumption by facility staff that the equipment is working correctly but the information tracked by liqui-filtra assists in generating a risk profile that can be very impactful for the building’s water safety.
Liqui-filtra measures and tracks inlet, outlet and differential pressure and those metrics help determine system performance.
Let’s look at a real hospital facility application. Through liqui-filtra it was shown that a hospital had a large amount of pressure variation from the municipal source. One day the pressure would be 80 and the next drop to 70. A 10 psi difference from one day to the next. Consider the sediment accumulating in the pipes and the effects of pressure change. An analogy to paint the picture is waves in the ocean that vary and cause deposition and erosion on a beach. When pressure in the pipes constantly changes it disturbs the sediment and biofilm, breaking it up, releasing it and forcefully moving it forward. It is no longer a homogeneous system at rest.
This analogy is the same as what happens in real-life when
- A watermain breaks – there are over 240,000 watermain breaks each year
- The municipality is working on nearby infrastructure
- Construction is happening nearby
Pressure can be taken for granted because we expect to have pressure when we are at the tap, and we expect the booster pump to be working. But, when real time data is examined, changes in pressure are identified and can happen multiple times within as little as an hour.
This means the risk profile of the building’s drinking water system is always fluctuating, bacteria amplification is occurring, and water quality is going up and down. Ultimately, the risk to the building and its occupants and visitors is always changing.
Liqui-filtra can help identify, assess and act on the changing risk profile. Alarms are triggered based on pressure fluctuation.
Here is another real-life application:
There is a catastrophic watermain break outside a hospital. This is obviously unplanned and there is no notification to the facility staff of such event. Liqui-filtra will signal an alarm notifying a change in pressure so appropriate action can immediately be implemented.
Pressure variation has a huge impact on the efforts a facility team must take to maintain a safe drinking water system. It is one of the most important factors for assessing and managing water quality and bacteria risk.
Legionella outbreaks are frequently tied to large and small disturbances in the system such as construction, maintenance or replacement of water bearing equipment, and pipe replacements but also external disturbances such as watermain breaks.
The water hammer effect these events have is extremely disruptive and the time of the event usually correlates with an explosion of Legionella and other waterborne pathogen amplification.
If we know of pressure changes and associated increased risk, we can quickly act. With the right information, provided by liqui-filtra risk can be minimized.
Pressure fluctuation is one of the most important metrics of a water management plan. It is one of the most actionable data points a facility team can utilize.
Liqui-filtra’s flow meter can send warnings based on flow and pressure fluctuations set by the team. Data is useless unless it initiates action. Liqui-filtra drives action based on data. If a pressure drops below a set parameter, the facility team will know, and action can start immediately. And, this can all be recorded in a water management plan.
If flow drops below a set parameter the team will be notified that usage has changed. Flow drop can indicate an increased risk and a direct correlation with stagnation. Some activity that can cause a flow drop include a flushing regime change, construction and a host of other items.
The LiquiTech team utilizes liqui-filtra to scrub information and data to determine system performance, identify key issues, and act on them quickly to reduce associated risk. We act.
And, all of the data's activity is recorded and can easily be maintained in a water management plan.
Two to eight inches is typical and other pipe size accommodations can be made.
Virtually any industry that depends on having water free from harmful bacteria, sediment and other contaminants can benefit from adding this innovative self-cleaning water filter to its infrastructure. The versatility and ease of use offered by this point-of-entry water filter makes it an ideal addition to practically any kind of operation that needs water of the highest quality.
At LiquiTech we have found a direct link between sediment and bacteria. There are two scenarios that often play out.
- A facility sees erratic spikes in bacteria. In this situation, the bacteria spike can often be linked back to uncontrollable events such as a watermain break or a weather event that has caused higher levels of sediment to enter the building. When liqui-filtra is installed, it filters out the sediment caused by such events and the facility is able to control bacteria levels even when events happen that are out of their control.
- A facility has had long-term control over bacteria but continues to get low positivity with no known source. In this situation, the low-level positivity can most often be solved by filtering out the sediment through liqui-filtra. Once the sediment is removed, the bacteria levels decrease.
We often work with facility managers, infection prevention professionals and engineers at facilities in the healthcare industry to lower waterborne pathogens through sediment control to protect immunocompromised patients.
Other industries we work with include hospitality, education, food processing and manufacturing, and a multitude of others.
The filtration unit is designed on water usage and pipe diameter. The unit is designed to handle pipe size, flow and pressure requirements normally designed for typical buildings regardless of square footage or water usage.
It is 99.9% efficient. Every gallon of water that passes through has a .1% rejection rate. In other words, for every 100,000 gallons that goes through the filter it uses only 100 gallons of water. Traditional water filters such as sand and cartridge have higher water waste, sometimes as much as 10 to 20%.
Liqui-filtra reduces and helps eliminate sediment from entering into the building through the municipal water supply. Sediment has been shown to increase wear and tear on water bearing equipment including pumps, valves and heating sources. Liqui-filtra, by reducing sediment, reduces the wear and tear on such water-bearing equipment. It extends the life of equipment, avoiding early and frequent equipment failure and replacement.
LiquiTech has found that often, if a facility is experiencing higher than normal valve and pump replacements the culprit is high sediment. When liqui-filtra is implemented, sediment is reduced, and equipment failure and the need for early and often replacement is reduced or eliminated.
While ROI can be hard to calculate, liqui-filtra will deliver on-going savings for the facility. Liqui-filtra will reduce sediment which will extend the life of other water-bearing equipment such as valves and pumps. Reducing the overall sediment load will also assist in reducing bacteria load and increase overall water quality which will decrease risk of Legionella outbreaks along with other waterborne pathogens such as pseudomonas.
Liqui-filtra is a key component of a multi-barrier approach to reducing the risk of Legionella, other waterborne pathogens and HAIs. Reducing sediment in your system will increase the efficiency and efficacy of copper silver ionization, ultra-violet disinfection and any other supplemental disinfection. Essentially, these systems will not have to work as hard because the water going through them is free of sediment.
Liqui-filtra lowers the “shadowing effect” in ultra-violet disinfection. If sediment is in the water the ultraviolet disinfection can mistakenly hit the sediment instead of the bacteria making it less effective. Liqui-filtra lowers the sediment ensuring the ultraviolet disinfection is hitting the bacteria, therefore, increasing its efficacy.
Yes. Little to no maintenance is required. A facility team does not have to change filters, empty sand or change cartridges. Alerts and alarms indicating change in flow and pressure will also save the facility time and money by arming the team with early data that can initiate immediate action to reduce the risk of decreased water quality.
Resources (Downloads)
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