S-tube keeps costs down and wastewater moving in Kilkenny

The increased downtime meant a constant risk of overflow and as each incident amounted to EUR 300 in service costs, the clogging became a costly affair.

The Grundfos solution

Based on the load-profile of the system and the duty point of the old pump, the Contractor, Cantwell Electrical Engineering Ltd., installed a Grundfos 22 kW SE wastewater pump with S-tube impeller on a trial basis.

The high total efficiency of this range made it possible to replace the existing 30 kW pump with a 22 kW model, boosting total efficiency from 58 % to 70 %. Designed to handle rag-filled raw sewage, the S-tube impeller proved ideal for resolving the clogging problems. The trial period was set to last six months.

The outcome

The Grundfos solution proved to be the right solution, because it solved the clogging issues immediately:

• Not one clogging incident during the six months since installation
• Substantial savings in service and maintenance costs
• Large reduction in energy consumption – and CO2 emissions
• A payback time of less than two years

The customer – Kilkenny County Council – is very satisfied, as the substantial cost and energy savings shown by the Lifecycle Cost analysis were met, as well as a relatively short payback time on the investment.

The S-tube impeller provides world-class hydraulic efficiency without compromising free passage, reducing clogging and lowering life cycle costs.

“Kilkenny County Council is not so easily impressed; however the Grundfos solution we installed exceeded their expectations. They are now in the process of converting similar sites in the county to wastewater pumps using the S-tube impeller. This lead by Kilkenny County Council should be an example to neighbouring county councils,”

Simon Cantwell, Managing Director, Cantwell ElectricalEngineering Ltd.