DIY GREEN INSULATION FOR YOUR HOME
Thermguard has manufactured cellulose fibre insulation since 1984, meaning they have 37 years of valuable industry experience. “We introduced the product to South Africa in 1984 when consumers were not as environmentally conscious as they are today,” explains MD Eric Quarmby, adding that the company gained market share through retrofitting houses and the public’s realisation that Thermguard performs exceptionally well. The ensuing “green” revolution saw more and more architects specify the product in major projects.
Responsible manufacture
Thermguard is manufactured from recycled newsprint. Harmless household chemicals are added to ensure the product is fire-retardant as well as insect and rodent repellant. The company uses a specialised low-density mill from the USA which allows them to mill the recycled newsprint to lower density than its competitors. This ensures that more air is trapped between the fibres, thereby providing a lighter, fluffier product capable of superior insulation values.
Installation
Until recently, Thermguard insulation could only be installed by an approved distributor using a specialised blowing machine. Thermguard now offers a locally made DIY installation machine that can be rented for smaller projects or purchased for use on large projects. This DIY option is available from the factory in Kempton Park and is currently limited to the Gauteng area. Installation of Thermguard is simple and fast – an average-size installation takes only two to three hours. The installation machine and bags of insulation remain outside the house while a hose is taken into the roof space. The insulation is then blown through the hose and onto the ceiling.
An important point to note is that because Thermguard is a loose-fill insulation, it fills every nook and cranny, leaving no gaps where heat gains or losses can occur thus providing 100% coverage.
At a glance technical specification
There are numerous benefits to specifying Thermguard insulation:
• Member of GBCSA & TIPSASA
• Manufactured under ISO 9001:2015 accreditation
• Carries the SABS mark of approval
• Fire tested under SANS 428 (rated B/B1/2)
• DIY installation option is now available in Gauteng
Insist on using Thermguard insulation in your home and future projects!
THERMGUARD
011 018 7800
www.thermguard.co.za
BOREHOLE WATER TREATMENT
FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING
De Grendel Wine Estate, a leading wine farm in Cape Town, has blueberry orchards on its estate in addition to its vineyards. These orchards require a sustainable supply of high-quality water for irrigation purposes. To this end, Water Purification Solutions (WPS) designed a complete water treatment system to purify borehole water to make it suitable for irrigation and other applications. The source of the water to be treated was an existing borehole on the estate.
Generally, the challenges associated with groundwater from boreholes in the Cape comprise hardness and excess quantities of minerals such as chloride, sodium and metals. In this case, the borehole water that required treatment had excess iron and manganese as well as elevated levels of sodium chloride. All of these factors contributed to the water quality not conforming to the high standard of water that the client required.
As a result, the client could not use the groundwater from the borehole for irrigation or potable applications. Instead, they had to make use municipal water for most of their applications. This was a significant expense that was not sustainable for their business in the long run.
The water from the borehole was intended for multiple points of use. Besides blueberry orchard irrigation, other potable uses for the water is the wine cellar, the restaurant, the dairy, and staff housing.
WPS’s team designed and manufactured a turnkey water treatment system that purifies the water in four stages in order to ensure that the water meets all the quality standards associated with the abovementioned points of use. These stages are:
- Pre-treatment
- Filtration
- Reverse osmosis
- pH adjustment and disinfection
Pre-treatment
The pre-treatment stage consists of a combination of pH adjustment and oxidation in order to remove excess metals from the water.
Filtration
The filters used in the filtration stage are a media filter containing DMI-65 and granular activated carbon along with a bag filter.
Reverse osmosis
The third stage of treatment consists of acidification follow by reverse osmosis. A total of three reverse osmosis vessels were added to the system. Reverse osmosis was implemented to reduce the salinity in the water.
pH Adjustment and Disinfection
Another round of pH adjustment was necessary to raise the pH level above 7, as the client specified that this level of pH is necessary in water used to irrigate blueberries.
WPS sources all the components and equipment that they use in their manufacturing processes from reputable suppliers in the water treatment industry.
The water treatment system delivered a total of 350 000 ℓ/day. This satisfied the client’s water requirements and ensured that they could operate optimally. The primary use of the treated water is the irrigation of their blueberry orchard. The remainder of the water is stored in a reservoir and used on demand.
After they installed the water treatment system on site, WPS scheduled regular maintenance visits to De Grendel. By doing regular maintenance, WPS can ensure that the water treatment system is functioning optimally. Their maintenance service includes cleaning, refilling chemicals and consumables, etc.
If you are ever in need of a tailored water treatment solution for borehole water, WPS is available to provide expert assistance anywhere in southern Africa. Contact us anytime to discuss your water-related challenges. We would be honoured to help in any way they can!
WPS
info@wps.co.za
021 851 2451
www.wps.co.za
