Commercial challenges –

1. Space constraints;
2. Increased capacity requirement;
3. No mains gas supply;
4. Maintenance of Eco-credentials;

Crai Valley Eco lodges are located in the beautiful Crai Valley in the Brecon Beacons and have been given a 5 Star rating by Visit Wales. The owners contacted us because they wanted to increase their capacity in their onsite laundry from a 6kg washer and 8Kg electric dryer but keep energy costs low and. And in keeping with their eco-credentials, minimise their carbon footprint.

We were of course happy to meet the brief. The first step was to understand the clients requirements, specify the equipment and create a CAD drawing to show the client what we could achieve for them.

The first challenge we encountered was a space issue due to an industrial ironer being incorporated into the structure of the building and so space was extremely tight. With some careful planning however we managed to fit a Danube 14kg washer and a Danube 16 Kg lpg dryer, thereby doubling their capacity within the existing available space.

One of the main considerations was that gas dryers are more cost effective than electric dryers however because of the remoteness of the location there was no mains gas supply at this site. And this is why an electric dryer had been originally specified. Fortunately for this client, technology moves on and so we were able to high to provide a dual fuel dryer which could be converted to LPG (liquid petroleum gas) fuel. The additional features of this advanced dryer are:-

• Dual fuel drier means that it was an easy process to convert to LPG and keep costs down
• Sensor control feature – more sensitive effective heat control measuring the differential in inlet and outlet temperatures, which allows reduction in use of energy
• Radiant gas burner – More cost effective burner which gets the best heat from the fuel available
• Humidity sensor feature – allows the user to pre-program the machine for different humidity levels to assist with the ironing process after drying.
• Reversing drum feature– stops the laundry knotting up in a drying cycle. A common issue with large items such as sheets and towels.
• Stainless steel drum – more durable dryer for longer life
• Cool down feature – This is an important safety feature always runs a cycle after then end of the heating – and continues to tumble periodically to prevent hot spots, dryer fires, and protect user’s hands

The 14Kg washing machine that we specified more than doubled their capacity and had the following features

• Fully programmable tailored wash cycle – which allows the user to get the best wash results at the optimum efficiency for each type of wash
• High spin washing machine – this reduces the time of the linen in the dryer and therefore the cost
• As part of the installation – The client chose to go with their own chemical supplier and so as part of our expertise we provided on site technical assistance for their installer.

All the machines came with a 5 Year labour and parts warranty as standard

As you would expect from a specialist in laundry with 20 years of experience and worldwide sourcing we have the answers for your site. So, why not test us out and arrange a site visit from one of our experts.