Cleaning over 1 million pounds of laundry per week requires a significant amount of energy and reliable steam on demand. That’s why, as part of their green initiative to reduce their carbon footprint, Up To Date Laundry chose to replace their two conventional 300-HP fire tube boilers with three compact Miura LX-200 boilers.
As a result of this switch, not only has the company seen a tremendous reduction in their CO2 and NOx emissions, but they are also on track to see their energy costs lowered by 20 percent or more annually.
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Since its founding in 1946, Up To Date Laundry has expanded its reach to hotels and healthcare facilities across the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. Servicing the laundry needs of that many properties calls for significant steam output during times of high demand — but that demand can also fluctuate widely based on when loads come in. Rather than wasting energy during power up and down times, Miura boilers utilize a “once through” fin tube design that enables them to heat smaller volumes of water more quickly — in as little as five minutes, compared to an hour or more for conventional boilers — and to shut down more quickly when demand is low. For Up To Date, the boilers’ modular configuration also means individual units may come on or off as needed, greatly reducing waste.
“Miura boilers heat up quicker, provide steam more steadily, and deliver more versatility,” says Ken Weiman, Up To Date Laundry’s Chief Engineer. “They provide a tremendous amount of efficiency. For such a small boiler to put out such a large volume of steam so rapidly, on-demand, is incredible. During a break or if there is a rapid falloff, the boilers take care of themselves. They will either shut down or go to low fire on a standby system.”
Precision Monitoring and Self-Diagnostic Features
Another feature that Up To Date finds beneficial about their Miura boilers is their self-diagnostic capability (via an onboard BL Micro Controller) and remote monitoring (via Miura Online Maintenance). The units have a “sliding-window” feature that enables them to record issues four seconds before they occur, hastening the troubleshooting process and reducing the risk of breakdowns and downtime. “I can watch the boilers and see what they’re doing from my desk,” says Weiman. “I know where I am at with my fuel and I know what my BTU hours are; everything is right here for me. If there is a problem, if it needs a blow down I don’t have to check, it tells me.”Additional Savings
Between Miura’s increased efficiency and advanced monitoring capabilities, Up To Date is seeing reduced costs not only in energy output, but also in labor costs. “I don’t have to have someone here all night watching them on low fire,” says Weiman. “With a simple push of a button they are off, and with another simple push of a button they are on again. Just with fuel savings and manpower savings alone, we shave several hours off each day.“We are totally happy with our Miura boilers,” Weiman adds. “With Miura boilers, we don’t have a complaint in the world.”
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