Vaughn

High-Temperature Sanitizing Tanks for Dairy Applications

Dairy consumption in the US averages 236 billion pounds a year, according to the USDA. This includes raw milk used for cheese, bottled milk, and other products including butter, yogurt, ice cream, and dry milk. But raw milk is prone to rapid and potentially dangerous bacterial growth. To safely support the incredible annual volume demands, commercial dairy farms and processing facilities must operate under strict sanitation guidelines. A critical piece to meeting these requirements is the ability to deliver high temperature water for cleaning processing components.

Sanitary Requirements of Dairy Processing

Today’s dairy operations involve several processing stages to convert raw milk into a usable ingredient or end-product. During production, milk comes into contact with many surfaces within pipes, filling and packaging equipment, and collection/storage tanks. To maintain product quality and safety, microbial control is required for any surface where raw milk touches. Otherwise, you run the serious risk of bacterial contamination from pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, and Salmonella. To prevent the spread of the serious illness that these can cause, FDA and state regulatory authorities maintain strict standards for handling and sanitization.

Farm Water Quality – An Added Challenge

In addition to bacterial pathogens, farm operations must contend with another complication: well water. It often contains elevated mineral content, sediment, and biological contaminants. As a result, system components such as water heater tanks, become prone to premature failure from mineral scaling, decreased efficiency, and accelerated corrosion.

There’s another twist. Dairy sanitation cycles demand high volumes of water in very short windows of time. Conventional well pumps simply can’t keep up. To satisfy these spikes in demand, dedicated high-temperature water storage tanks are needed. They store hot water to help guarantee immediate and uninterrupted volume when wash cycles are triggered. 

Vaughn HHD/SD Series

The Vaughn Dairy High Temperature Tanks were designed specifically to meet the sanitization and operational requirements for dairy farms and processing plants. Key features include:

High temperature thermostats – which go up to 180° to meet final sanitizing rinse temperature requirements.

HydraStone Lining – 1/2 inch high density cement is 100 times thicker than a glass lining. It provides maximum protection from the corrosive effects of hot water and makes our water heaters some of the longest lasting on the market. HydraStone-lined tanks do not require a sacrificial anode, eliminating periodic inspections and replacement costs associated with glass lined tanks.

Steel Tank - welded heavy steel construction designed for 150 psi working pressure and tested to 300 psi. All tank openings are non-ferrous solid copper-silicon and are resistant to the corrosive effects of hot water.

Insulation - highly efficient thick non-CFC polyurethane foam insulation meets or exceeds the requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2018 standards for energy efficiency and heat loss.

Plastic Jackets - protects the heater and ensures years of reliable service in high moisture environments.

Innovative Cold-Water Inlet & Diffuser - designed to reduce turbulence in the tank and facilitate tank stratification

Click here to learn more about Vaughn’s High Temperature Tanks for Dairy applications, or feel free to reach out to our team with specific questions or to get a quote.