Energy-efficient dishwashing with heat recovery

In the dishwashers of many care organizations, energy costs are skyrocketing, partly due to the energy-guzzling dishwashers used here. An investment in an energy-efficient one is therefore well worthwhile. "With a pass-through dishwasher with heat recovery, energy savings of as much as 60 percent are possible compared to conventional pass-through dishwashers," says commercial manager Eric Harsta of Hakvoort Professional from Emmeloord, a specialist in catering equipment and commercial kitchen equipment.

Flush kitchens sometimes seem like saunas. Full of steam, very hot and stuffy. The cause?
Dishwasher heat released during each wash cycle. The moist air released in the process must then be extracted with an exhaust vent or condensation hood. "It's much smarter to reuse that heat - which the machine produces anyway," Harsta says. "Dishwashers with heat recovery do just that and combat steam. Our pass-through dishwasher from Zanussi Professional with built-in Energy Saving Device (ESD) uses the heat produced by the machine to preheat the added water to 50°C. This avoids having to heat the cold water all the way through, saving energy. An additional advantage: much less steam is released, making separate extraction unnecessary. This again saves energy."

To wash more economically as well as cleaner, Zanussi's dishwashers are also equipped with the latest technical gadgets. Eric Harsta lists the most important innovations: "An advanced filter system keeps the wash water clean of food residues and improves the effect of the detergent, which also means that the wash water needs to be changed less often. An atmospheric boiler - regardless of water pressure - ensures a constant rinsing temperature of 84°C. This guarantees exceptional washing results and thorough disinfection of the machine - which in turn is beneficial for a longer service life. On top of that, the Zanussi uses only 2 liters of clean water for each rinse cycle. By comparison, the market standard is 2.5 to 3 liters. The speed at which you can work with this pass-through dishwasher is also unique: only 45 seconds per wash cycle. That equates to about 1,440 plates and 80 baskets per hour, so it saves a huge amount of time."

Zanussi's pass-through dishwashers are easy to use and maintain. But it doesn't stop there. In fact, the heat recovery machines are also equipped with automatic descaling. "This ensures complete removal of limescale, the biggest enemy in sink kitchens," says Harsta. "This particular innovation allows the parts in contact with water - especially the heating elements - to be kept in perfect condition, as if they were new. This guarantees the best technical performance. It also prevents unnecessarily higher energy consumption due to limescale."

As a specialist in professional kitchen equipment, Hakvoort Professional is also on the road a lot in the healthcare sector. For this sector, where kitchens are usually used intensively, a dishwasher with heat recovery is currently the most sustainable choice. Harsta explains why: "With a Zanussi dishwasher with ESD module, energy savings of as much as 60 percent are possible and savings on dishwasher detergent of up to 32 percent. Because thanks to the reduced use of water, a smaller amount of dishwasher detergent is needed. The latter is also essential, as such chemicals are becoming increasingly expensive. According to calculations carried out by LAB Electrolux Professional, all in all this allows annual savings of up to €1,000." Finally, the commercial manager has another practical tip for healthcare organizations: "The environmental friendliness of these innovative pass-through dishwashers is rewarded with the Energy Investment Allowance, or EIA for short. This allows most of the purchase cost, namely €5,000, to be charged to the gross profit. That makes a significant difference in investment costs."