Limescale protection and fire safety in perfect harmony
Can chemical-free limescale protection go hand in hand with effective fire safety? The answer is yes—and the proof can be found in the residential development “Em Parkveedel” in Cologne-Nippes, where two chemical-free limescale protection systems have been successfully integrated into an existing fire protection system.
The systems provide limescale protection for the drinking water installation across several hundred residential units while also supplying extinguishing water for the fire brigade in the event of a fire. This is possible because the district’s drinking water supply is connected to an underground fire extinguishing pipeline.
A complex installation in a large residential area
The “Em Parkveedel” residential area consists of a total of 20 buildings, all supplied with water and heating via a local district heating network. The water in the area is known to be very hard, with a hardness level of 20° dH.
As a result, the buildings experienced frequent limescale-related damage and hot water failures. To solve these challenges, two BIOCAT limescale protection systems were installed. However, this was no ordinary installation—the systems had to be integrated into an existing fire protection concept, making it a technically demanding solution.
Custom bypass for fire emergencies
To ensure the required flow rate in the event of a fire, a customized BIOCAT design with a dedicated bypass was developed. In case of fire, drinking water is routed directly into the fire extinguishing pipeline via the bypass, avoiding the normal route through the BIOCAT systems.
This bypass does not compromise hygiene in the pipe network. Regular forced flow, automatic thermal disinfection, and internal flushing during normal operation ensure hygienic conditions within the BIOCAT systems. As a result, there is no stagnant water in the bypass.
Zero chemicals – and significantly reduced operating costs
“The chemical-free limescale protection technology used in the BIOCAT systems does not negatively affect water quality. Even though these are relatively large systems, operating costs have been significantly reduced. Only one annual inspection is required, and every five years the catalyst granulate and all plastic components used in the drinking water must be replaced,” says WATERCryst consultant Torsten Schmidt, highlighting some of the key advantages of the system.
Low maintenance was crucial
“Low maintenance was also a key factor for the operator, as was the importance of keeping changes to the drinking water to an absolute minimum,” adds Günter Sprünker from the Cologne-based installation company Heinz Geberzahn GmbH & Co. KG.
The company has worked with RheinEnergie for many years and was responsible for installing both BIOCAT systems in the “Em Parkveedel” development. For Günter Sprünker personally, this was neither the first nor the last BIOCAT system he has installed—he is confident that more will follow in the future.
High performance for fire protection
The BIOCAT KS 5D limescale protection system ensures a fire water supply capacity of 96 m³/h in the 230-apartment residential area “Em Parkveedel” in Cologne-Nippes. A specially developed bypass solution maintains the necessary flow rate in the event of a fire.