Hydro Systems Case Study

SEM Haven, a non-profit ministry in Milford, Ohio, providing nursing and residential care for older adults, has more than 130 rooms and is dedicated to providing the highest quality care for its residents. The facility operates on-premises laundry equipped with four washers and can process more than 14,000 pounds of linens per month. 

“With our previous vendor, our operation was dealing with stains and odors, even after linens emerged from the wash," says Juanita Williams, environmental services director at SEM Haven. "Our residents require linens to be clean and sanitary, so a new approach was necessary.”  

SEM Haven’s environmental cleanliness partner, InnoServ, proposed that the facility invest in its chemical/service package that includes equipment from Hydro, manufacturers of chemical dispensing and dosing innovations.

“We always want to deliver the best service and results for our customers,” says Rob Purdum, service specialist at InnoServ. “We’re continually looking for the highest quality equipment and realized that SEM Haven needed more reliable solutions that would not put residents at risk or require frequent maintenance.”  

InnoServ oversaw the installation of several useful laundry solutions, including:

• Four units of EvoClean, a venturi-based, water-powered laundry dispenser. EvoClean does not use squeeze tubes, so it eliminates the frequent service and maintenance associated with these parts and maintains consistent performance over time. This results in more predictable wash results than traditional peristaltic tube pumps.  

• Connected Total Eclipse — an Internet of Things (IoT) electronic controller that leverages the Hydro Connect platform. The controller is specifically designed for on-premises laundry operations and shares critical site data via Hydro Connect. Laundry managers and chemical providers can access real-time and historical reporting on productivity, chemical usage (including ounces per formula), costs and alarms. 

“As a service specialist, it’s very helpful to have the ability to access laundry data online and see what’s happening live, especially given that we are typically managing 20 different accounts,” adds Purdum.  

With Hydro’s solutions in place, SEM Haven and InnoServ realize the following benefits: 

• Cleaner, more hygienic linens. Because the system accurately and reliably doses chemicals, the linens emerge without stains. Staff have also noticed laundered items have a better scent. SEM Haven can rest assured that the linens are hygienically clean and will not put residents at risk. 

• Reduced operating costs. Prior to having Hydro’s connected dispensing solutions, Purdum’s visits to SEM Haven were usually consumed with changing failed parts and aging squeeze tubes that degrade and impact dosing accuracy. Now, his visits are more strategic, as he has time to review metrics, have productive discussions with Williams and make recommendations. Plus, he can see what’s happening with the washers remotely and make configuration changes via Hydro Connect — eliminating downtime and the drivers of the most common reactive visits each month. Additionally, the previous system required SEM Haven to frequently rewash linens that had lingering stains or odors. Now, because the equipment accurately delivers each formula, the site is experiencing better wash results and reduced need for additional chemical, water and energy consumption. Purdum can also advise Williams if loads are errantly being run with costlier formulas that use more chemicals. 

• Simplified yet detailed reporting. Williams previously had to manually secure load counts from each washer on a monthly basis. This required her to input a passcode to each machine and write down the number of loads processed. With Hydro Connect, all key washer metrics are easily accessible in downloadable reports. Meanwhile, Purdum can keep a close eye on chemical usage, alarms, and costs to ensure the formulas are being properly dosed with minimal downtime. 

“This system is very simple to use, and we no longer have any issues with the laundry,” adds Williams.