Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries are similar when it comes to management requirements. Besides ensuring that your facility is working to the legal standards defined by the FDA, you also need to ensure that your facility has the latest equipment and set up. This does not just mean having new models of equipment, though. You also need to be sure that the floor is safe and well cared for and that your drainage system is the right one for the job.
If you have a traditional trench drain installed, you may want to consider retrofitting floor drains to something new and more effective.
Does Your Current Drainage Solution Measure Up?
Regardless if you are managing a beer brewery, a winery, or distillery, there is a lot of liquid involved in the creation process. There needs to be a drain system in place to handle any overflow and wastewater.
While a traditional trench drain can do this, they tend to require a lot of upkeep and need fixing every few years, particularly when it comes to the grates, which can break and cause serious safety issues. Beyond that, the system currently installed may not be the right one for the job, in terms of the material used and capacity it is made to handle. Because of that, it is essential to replace inadequate drainage systems with something more effective.
Retrofitting Floor Drains: Replace Your Old Trench Drain
Fortunately, it is incredibly easy to replace an old trench drain system. The new drainage system that you select for your facility can easily get retrofitted over where the old one once laid.
One excellent drainage system to consider is the Slot Drain system, which comes mostly pre-assembled. All you will have to do is connect the different sections and set it in the same area where the old system was. Once it has been properly put into place and stabilized, the concrete surround can be poured and left to dry. Then, you only have to redo the floor and apply any necessary floor coatings, and the retrofitting is complete.
Why Consider the Slot Drain System
No More Grates
The Slot Drain system is a new and innovative type of drainage system that is meant to replace the traditional, grated trench drain systems most facilities use. Slot Drains offer different models, including some that are geared specifically towards food and beverage facilities.
These FDA-approved systems use food-grade stainless steel, which is extremely resistant to heat, cold, bacteria, and even corrosion, making it tough enough to handle any job. Additionally, the Slot Drain system eliminates the biggest issue that exists with ordinary trench drains: the grates.
Because Slot Drains are grateless, there is no need to worry about replacing a grate once it is worn and broken, which eliminates some of the potential worker compensation lawsuits that come with grated drainage systems.
Ease of Installation
Beyond that, the Slot Drain system is easy to install. So easy, in fact, that a few employees could easily do it themselves with proper guidance and care. If you are only retrofitting floor drains, then part of the work will already be done, and the Slot Drain will merely go over where the old trench drain once was.
This also helps to reduce the cost, especially since beverage facilities require multiple stages, which all need their own dedicated drainage channel.
More Sanitary Than Traditional Drains
Due to the nature of the food and beverage industry, hygiene is always the main priority. Besides being made from bacteria resistant stainless steel, the Slot Drain system is much easier to clean and maintain.
Because it comes pre-assembled and uses smooth stainless steel, The Slot Drain has no cracks or crevices where bacteria can get stuck and begin to grow, potentially becoming airborne and contaminating ingredients and other products. When it comes to cleaning, there is also no grate to worry about, so workers can simply use a back-and-forth motion with a paddle and brush and rinse away any debris.
There is even the option of a self-cleaning Slot Drain system, which helps make maintenance much easier at the end of every day and ensures the channel gets cleaned thoroughly.
Replacing Your Old Drain with a More Reliable Drainage Solution
Replacing an existing drain system in your facility does not have to be difficult, time-consuming, or expensive. The Slot Drain system will offer you superior drainage capabilities at a fraction of the cost of traditional trench drains or circular drains.
These systems are also easy to install and are made with retrofitting floor drains in mind. Meaning, you do not have to worry about creating a whole new hole in the floor to fit it in. The job can be done quickly, with the help of a few employees, and you can get to work in no time.
