Dairy Farm Energy Management Handbook - Wisconsin Department ...

Equipment Operation and Maintenance
Tune Up Your Washing System
A basic way to minimize energy usage is to make sure that your washing
systems – including clean-in-place systems – for the bulk tank and milking
system are operating efficiently and properly. These two areas use a lot of
water.
“Annually, have your dairy equipment dealer come in and tune up the cleanin-place
washing systems for the bulk tank and milking system,” advises
Sanford. “To save energy, it’s important to conserve the water and use only
what’s absolutely required for flushing the system.”
A good example of a tune-up is to make sure the air injection system is
working properly and check the settings to make sure you’re using only the
amount of water needed for each wash cycle. In cold climates, wash-solution
volume can often be reduced in the summer. However, remember to increase
it in fall to assure enough thermal mass to maintain proper temperatures. (4)
Time, temperature, concentration, and physical action represent the chief
factors in good cleaning procedures. (5)
For example, cleaning solutions need some time to work. In most farm
equipment cleaning, about 10 minutes is adequate to dissolve or suspend
milk solids.
Hot water is critical to emulsify milk fat, to disperse milk proteins, and to
promote good cleaning action. For example, water for chlorinated alkaline
detergent solutions must enter the wash sink at no less than 150°F, and it
must be discharged to the drain at no less than 120° F. (5)
Generally, maintaining adequate cleaning solution temperature is more critical
than the actual washing cycle duration. In short, washing for longer-thanrecommended
times doesn’t necessarily result in better cleaning.
Consequently, it’s suggested to avoid circulating solutions until they cool
below minimum recommended temperatures (120° F.), even if contact time of
the cleaning solution is slightly shorter than recommended. (5)
Always use the recommended amounts of quality cleaners and sanitizers.
Don't try to save money on bargain-priced cleaning chemicals, and carefully
measure the amounts of water and cleaners you use.
Hard water can reduce the effectiveness of dairy cleaning chemicals. Most
package labels will specify the amounts to use per quantity of water,
according to the grains of water hardness.