Dairy farmers enjoying instant hot water benefits with Flogas Dairy heating system
Gerald and Henry Dunne of Beechtree dairy farm in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, whose Flogas Dairy heating system is delivering instant hot water and significant cost savings.
Instant hot water on demand, day or night, is no longer wishful thinking for the Dunne family, who run Beechtree dairy farm in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Since they made the switch to the Flogas Dairy Instant Hot Water system in 2018, the family has never looked back.
The Flogas Dairy system provides on-demand hot water at up to 85°C and will eliminate hot water storage costs on dairy farms, making it a cheaper alternative to electric water heaters. The farmer has complete control over the Flogas LPG system, which heats water instantly to temperatures ranging from 37˚ C to a bacteria-killing 85°C.
In 2018, due to the growing farm size, Gerald and Henry Dunne began a major transformation of their old dairy parlour into one suitable for a state-of-the-art Lely Astronaut robotic milking system.
The Dunnes pride themselves on supplying a top-quality dairy product, so the search began for a cost-effective hot water solution that would fulfil the requirements of the new Lely Astronaut system. As it is incompatible with chlorine-based detergents and contains built-in hot water alarms, having instant and reliable hot water is vital for its smooth running.
The Dunnes also targeted electricity cost savings as a core part of their plan. “We had seen the Flogas Dairy system in action on other farms and we were keen to investigate how Flogas could help meet our hot water requirements while reducing electricity costs,” said Henry Dunne, who had returned to the family farm in 2008 having completed a business degree.
The Dunnes requested a free farm visit and David Conroy, the Flogas Farm on-site demonstrator, called into the Wexford farm mid-construction to undertake a free survey, assess the requirements, and offer guidance. He advised the Dunnes on how to achieve maximum usage from the Flogas Dairy system while minimising hot water loss.
David Conroy said: “I recommended supplying two gas water heaters to wash the 18,000-litre milk tank. We positioned the boilers as close as possible to the milk tank. That meant a faster hot water flow with no lag in the inlet line. Gerald and Henry are delighted with the results.”
The Dunnes were impressed and once agreed, Flogas arranged for a smooth changeover as part of the overall parlour upgrades and expansion. A Flogas LPG bulk tank was delivered while the wall-mounted water heaters were installed and connected to the Flogas tank.
David Conroy added: “We also positioned a third water heater directly beside the Lely robots as the Dunnes wisely pre-ordered their robots with an optional extra water intake valve. This specific water valve allows our boiler to feed the robots directly with hot water at 85°C. Without it, the robots would have had to use electricity to heat the water, which would have been a very costly alternative.”
A telemetry monitoring system sends tank readings to Flogas daily to allow for automatic gas deliveries to the farm when needed. Farmers won't be caught out with an empty tank anymore and any worries over theft are banished.
- On demand hot water up to 85°C
- Reduced running costs
- Hot water storage costs are eliminated
- Increased temperature control of water from 37°C to 85°C
- LPG is secure and safe from theft
- Carbon Offsetting available on LPG
- LPG is a clean, lower carbon and innovative energy source
Engaging with rural communities in relation to farm safety is also very important to Flogas, for whom 'Safety First' is a key business message.
For this reason, Flogas is sponsoring the initiatives of Agrikds, whose Be Farm Safe & Stay Farm Safe! campaign is proving so popular with children.
The ethos of Agrikids has always been to engage, educate and empower children to be farm safety ambassadors. Via the Agrikids.ie website and through its farm safety story books and accessories, Agrikids encourages children and parents to explore and enjoy the farm and countryside.
Eoin O’Flynn, Flogas marketing manager, said: “Our values are the bedrock of our business and represent our attitudes and core beliefs. Everything we do is customer focused. Our core values include innovation, integrity, quality, reliability and safety.
“Just like our staff, our customers know that these values are at the core of our business. We believe that our innovative products are cleaner, lower in carbon emissions, more efficient and they are better for communities and the environment.
“We are very proud of our association with Agrikids. At Flogas, where ‘Safety First’ comes first, we are proud to support Agrikids in helping children to be farm safe. We provide LPG, natural gas and electricity, bringing light, warmth and instant hot water to farming families at home and in the farmyard.”
Read the stories of dairy farming families that have switched to Flogas LPG for their instant hot water needs on www.flogas.ie/dairy or www.flogasni.com/dairy.
If you want to find out more and avail of a free site visit from Flogas to discuss your requirements and receive a quotation, go to www.flogas.ie. Our local representative will respond to your request by phone and follow up to arrange a site visit once Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.
