Contaminants in drinking water
Hygiene in drinking water heating and fresh water is more important than ever. This is because the greatest risk of water contamination comes from “standing” hot water supplies, as found in boilers in the past and still today. If, as is common in old boilers, fresh water is used as a heat store, an invisible moist biotope forms at the bottom of the boiler, which no one wants to have in their home. This is the ideal place for bacteria, such as life-threatening Legionella, or for a wide variety of fungi, which can also be harmful to health. Heat exchanger systems, which work on the same principle as a continuous-flow water heater, solve this problem and are the optimal solution for hygienic drinking water heating.
As with Stratified Storage Technology (Oskar° stratified storage), ratiotherm has therefore been relying on specially developed fresh water systems for decades. It does not matter whether single-family homes or larger properties, such as hotels, need to be supplied with fresh hot water; every application is possible. We offer optimal solutions for central and decentralized hot water preparation.
The advantages of our heat pumps at a glance:
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Our proven products in this area
Central hot water supply
When all hot water outlets in a building are connected to a common network and supplied by one or more hot water generators, this is referred to as central hot water supply. Storage, flow, and storage charging systems are used to heat the water. The water is heated indirectly, i.e., the heat energy is transferred to the drinking water via a heat transfer medium. The systems are operated with gas, electricity, district heating, heat pumps, renewable energies, or any combination of these energy sources. ratiotherm consistently focuses on efficiency and the advantages of central flow-through systems. Here, the heat storage tank contains only heating water, and the energy required for heating the drinking water is provided by a heat exchanger at the point of consumption.
Decentralized hot water supply
In addition to electrically operated boiler solutions, decentralized drinking water heating also includes apartment stations. Heating water flows through these stations, and the station installed in each residential unit distributes the heat to space heating and hot water production as required. This system also offers a number of installation advantages, such as no need to lay separate pipes for the drinking water supply within the building, which saves costs. In some applications, the prescribed hygienisation is not absolutely necessary, which increases the efficiency of decentralised fresh water treatment and saves energy.
In principle, the most sensible solution for hygienic drinking water heating is a continuous-flow water heater. It provides hot water exactly when it is needed. Cold water flows through pipes, is heated in them, and then dispensed through the tap. Small, compact devices, which are usually installed directly in the kitchen or bathroom and run on electricity, perform this task well. However, they have the disadvantage of requiring a high energy supply, which increases consumption costs.
A system that can also be operated with a solar energy system, for example, and a stratified or buffer storage tank for the heating system with a drinking water heater can help here. When hot drinking water is required, it is heated via a heat exchanger using the flow principle. This means that existing heat, ideally generated free of charge by the sun, is used instead of first having to be generated with expensive electricity, as is the case with compact devices.
At the same time, all hygiene requirements are met because the cold water is only heated when needed and only in the amount that is currently required. With powerful, modern drinking water heaters, the flow rate can also be continuously regulated. They also offer the option of cascading, so that several of these systems can be combined into a single unit, making them suitable for large consumers.
