Undercounter with integral RO and water softener saves space, too
Winterhalter’s new undercounter warewashers, the UC Excellence iPlus, uses a new hybrid technology that combines reverse osmosis (RO) and a water softener. This offers a variety of benefits, including preventing blockages of the RO membrane, extending membrane life and ensuring perfect wash results from first wash to last.
It is generally understood that a reverse osmosis system coupled with a top quality warewasher is the way to get the best wash results. However in the past these systems have tended to be bulky, use lots of water and stretch beyond caterers’ budgets. The UC Excellence iPlus brings the advantages of reverse osmosis to tight counter areas because the system is fully integrated into the machine. The smallest model measures just 810mm (h) x 460mm (w) x 617mm (d). It can wash up to 77 racks (400mm x 400mm) per hour.
The UC Excellence iPlus delivers a perfect combination of warewasher and reverse osmosis, guaranteeing brilliant wash results every time, as it removes almost 100% of water impurities. Alongside its RO system is an integral water softener. The water treatment process is fully integrated into the wash process to deliver flawless wash results on glassware, cutlery and dishes, without the need for extra polishing. This saves staff time and speeds up turnaround of glasses and tableware.
The UC Excellence-iPlus features a built-in pre-filter with monitoring, membrane flushing and Winterhalter’s AquaOpt system, which minimises running costs with its choice of good, better and best results. This AquaOpt function optimises water quality during extended wash break periods and can be adapted to meet specific on-site requirements, ensuring consistent washing.
Thanks to the integrated softener, the iPlus machines also feature VarioAqua. This feature allows the user to select whether to use the RO system or not. So less critical items can be washed using softened water only, which minimises running costs, while more important ones can have the full RO treatment, for sparkling results.
Both water treatment systems are fully integrated within the warewasher, with the operating status displayed on the control panel. The machine automatically selects the appropriate treatment for certain functions – for example, RO-treated water to flush the boiler, but softened water to run the self-cleaning programme. If there is an issue with the RO, such as the membrane needs attention, the warewasher switches to softened water only. Similarly, if the softener runs out of salt, it switches to RO only.
Compared to standard RO systems, the UC Excellence-iPlus saves at least 10% in water usage.
Winterhalter’s UC Excellence machines are the only warewashers with integral RO that can be individually tailored to meet the site’s specific conditions, such as the hardness of water, water pressure, and so on. This also saves water and optimises the use of all resources – the saving is dependent on the individual site. It also optimises the wash results.
Winterhalter is the only catering equipment company to achieve carbon footprint labelling with The Carbon Trust. This means that foodservice operators interested in the UC Excellence-iPlus can use specially developed software to accurately estimate the lifetime cost of their machine, its energy use and its carbon footprint, before they buy.