Three Navien NPE tankless water heaters have replaced electric heaters at a family-owned dairy farm in Northern Ireland.
Carrowcroft Holsteins houses 250 cows and is run by Geoffrey and Suzanne Patton, along with their three sons.
Due to the heavy workload and harsh environment, Navien said Carrowcroft Holsteins experienced issues with its hot water system. Two electric heaters with cylinders were used to heat water for the entire farm. This included washing out the milking parlour twice a day, washing the milk tank every other day and pumping hot water 200ft across the yard to mix milk for baby cows. However, with three primary uses and only two heaters, the company added that the system was proving ineffective and causing additional workload for the already busy farm.
The Patton family said how essential it is for the milking parlour and milk tank to be kept clean due to the strict hygiene standards when it comes to handling dairy. As well as ensuring food safety and protecting cattle from the risk of spreading diseases, the family added that the cleanliness of each system is key for dairy farms to produce high-quality milk in safe environments. However, with the electric heaters, they said they often found themselves running out of hot water and would have to wait an hour for the boost setting to heat the water or plan and anticipate the need for hot water. Geoffrey also shared how the electric heaters were expensive to run.
Geoffrey and his family worked with a local installer to replace the two electric heaters with the three Navien NPE tankless water heaters over a year and a half ago. The heaters are able to run up to 85 degrees in a parallel and cascading format.
According to Navien, the new system runs automatically, provides instant hot water 24/7, with gas being topped up only once a month. This switch from electric to gas has significantly reduced operating costs, it noted. Geoffrey has estimated savings of 30% to 40%. The system ensures that hot water is always available, which is crucial for feeding calves, cleaning and looking after sick animals. Navien added that it has improved the overall efficiency of the everyday tasks at the farm.
Geoffrey said that the five-year parts and labour warranty that Navien offers was a key reason for the switch, as it is much longer than others available on the market.
The Navien system is nearly maintenance-free due to the automatic monitoring and scheduled topping-up of gas usage. The company added that this means staff can rely on the system without needing to keep an eye on it, giving them the time back to carry out more essential tasks on the farm. Each water heater tracks its own gas consumption, allowing customers to remotely check when the gas needs topping up by using a connected app from their chosen gas company that comes to top up gas once it has hit a certain level.
Featuring ComfortFlow technology and dual stainless-steel heat exchangers, Navien said the system provides reliable, energy-efficient performance while reducing heat loss and maintenance. The company noted that multiple units can be joined together if there is a high demand, making it well suited for busy farms. The NPE range includes features such as freeze protection down to extremely low temperatures and easy-to-access components.