Case Study from HydroFLOW Italy
Irrigation system limescale at a Ligurian Cycas nursery
Irrigation system limescale was disrupting daily work at a six acre Cycas nursery in Liguria, Italy. On well water at 35 °fH, around 350 ppm hardness, mineral deposits built up on spray nozzles, valve seals and hydraulic rails. Sprayers had to be dismantled and chemically cleaned, and shut-off valves and rails dripped constantly. One HydroFLOW® K40 was fitted to the 50 mm irrigation line after the transfer pump. Nozzles stopped blocking, the drips stopped and irrigation pressure held steady. The nursery has reported no blocked sprayers in the months since, giving the precise, even irrigation that a nursery growing slow, high-value plants depends on.
The Challenge
- Irrigation system limescale formed on nozzles, valves and hydraulic rails
- Spray nozzles blocked frequently as mineral deposits accumulated
- Sprayers had to be dismantled, chemically cleaned and reassembled
- Deposits on seals caused shut-off valves and hydraulic rails to drip
- Well water had a total hardness of 35 °fH, equivalent to 350 ppm
The Solution
- Unit installed: one HydroFLOW® K40
- Installation point: main irrigation line, after the transfer pump
- Pipe size: 50 mm
- Water: well water at 35 °fH total hardness, equivalent to 350 ppm
The irrigation system limescale was treated with a single unit on the main line, so the hard well water supplying the whole six acre Cycas nursery was treated before it reached the sprayers. The signal disrupts the conditions that let mineral deposits bond to surfaces. Nozzles, valve seals, hydraulic rails and irrigation pressure were then followed over the following months.
