Getting More with Less Using Ozone

Sullivan County Healthcare’s New Ozone Powered Laundry

October 15, 2006 -- UNITY, NH.  It reduces operating expenses and produces super clean laundry, all while helping the environment. “It” is ozone gas—a supercharged oxygenated air stream—and the laundry at Sullivan County Healthcare in Unity, New Hampshire has recently discovered just how powerful it can be.

“The new machines have improved the laundry operation in a few ways” says Heather Presch Director of Environmental Services for the facility.  “The wash cycles are much shorter, allowing us to wash the same volume of laundry with smaller machines.” 

The Sullivan County Healthcare facility consists of 135,000 square feet with additional areas for administrative offices and support services.  The home is licensed for 156 dually certified beds.  Those beds are located on four nursing floors including one Alzheimer’s unit consisting of 32 beds.  In addition, there are several outside services offered by the facility including a respite program, dedicated skilled unit, and an area for seminars, training and community functions.  All this adds up to a large amount of laundry to be processed.  And Sullivan County processes all of its own laundry, as well as all of the laundry requirements for the local hospital in Claremont, New Hampshire for a total of 517,000-pounds annually.

The new ozone powered washers replaced traditional steam heated units.  The operational efficiencies of the new washers allowed the facility to reduce their washer rated capacity from two 250-pound washers to three 60-pound washers and one 40-pound washer for personals.  A capacity reduction of over fifty percent with no increases in operating time.

What make ozone gas special in the laundry?
Ozone gas is highly unstable, and this property also makes it a very powerful oxidizing, cleaning and bleaching agent.  Ozone is created when air is exposed to either:  ultraviolet light sources, lightening or man made high voltage electric arcs.  Any of these conditions cause some of the oxygen (O2) molecules to fracture into two oxygen (O) atoms.  These activated oxygen atoms then combine with other O2 molecules, forming a molecule of ozone; consisting of a group of three oxygen atoms (O3).  Ozone is very reactive and is natures own way of destroying pollutants and cleaning up the atmosphere.  Ozone works best in cold water - hot water breaks ozone down before it can perform as intended - it attacks most organic soils and kills bacteria more effectively faster than chlorine bleach at similar concentrations.  Ozone is totally biodegradable and when it completes its function, it reverts rapidly back to oxygen (O2), leaving no chemical residues behind.  Because it is so reactive, ozone readily attaches itself to fatty and other soils that bind dirt to clothing, destroying them rapidly.  As one of the strongest known oxidizing agents, ozone is capable of breaking down virtually any organic soil into innocuous compounds such as carbon dioxide and water.  And being a gas in solution, ozone penetrates and opens individual garment fibers, allowing faster cleaning and bleaching of garments with the use of less chemicals.  The overall effect results in reductions in the washing cycle times, and whiter, cleaner and softer garments.

 The major reduction in washing capacity at Sullivan County is attributable to the operating efficiency of the ozone powered washers.  As the ozone gas is directly injected into the sump of each washer, it speeds the cycle time be eliminating lengthy time while heating steps and costly rinses.  Equipped with independent ozone generators, each machine is capable of washing with colder water saving time and heating resources by making a smaller capacity ozone powered washer process more laundry per day than a traditional steam heated counterpart.  The ozone gas also acts a water treatment method cleaning the water as the water and chemicals clean the laundry, so the sewer discharge is cleaner.

The laundry operation has four washers:  three 60-pound and one 40-pound EDRO DynOzone washers; four 125-pound dryers, a large piece folding machine, a small piece folding machine, as well as a household washer and dryer.  There are seven fulltime laundry workers with assistance on a daily basis from two Department of Corrections workers.  The laundry operates approximately 60 hours per week: 5:30 am to 3:00 pm weekdays, 6:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, and 7:00 am to 3:00 pm on Sunday.  There is one working laundry supervisor.  Typically, there is one fulltime person and one DOC worker assisting them, on the washer side.  One person is devoted entirely to delivering personal clothing and collecting soiled linen from the facility.  Two people label and sort personal clothing.  And two people run the dryers and fold with the assistance of one DOC worker.  Everyone does some folding throughout the day.

 “We anticipate using fewer chemicals and less hot water which will have a positive impact on the budget”, Presch adds.  “We have found that heavily soiled items come cleaner easier and we end up with less staining and less rewash.  Laundry staff feels that the ozone has made a difference in the look and feel of the linen as well as the smell.  This is important to the quality of life of the residents we serve.  If we can give them softer towels, brighter looking personal clothing and overall fresher smelling linen, that is important to us.” 

For more information contact:
The EDRO Corporation
Phone: (860) 828-0311
Fax: (860) 828-5984

Internet: www.edrodynawash.com
E-Mail: sales@edrodynawash.com

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