A household and personal care manufacturer based in Wadeville, Germiston, has chosen to use a single Allmech F135 duplex valve solution to manage its water softening system. According to Lukas Makgopa, an Allmech water treatment technician, this manufacturer uses steam in various processes, including drying semi-liquid soap mixtures, setting packaging components and extracting active ingredients from silica-rich plants.
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“We chose the F135 because it’s a true duplex system that uses a single valve to control both of the softening supply vessels,” explains Lucas Makgopa, one of Allmech’s water treatment technicians.
To support the steam supply quality, Allmech has installed a water softener system capable of processing up to 10 000 litres of water per hour, powered by a Runxin F135 duplex valve.
“We chose the F135 because it’s a true duplex system that uses a single valve to control both of the softening supply vessels,” explains Makgopa. “That means when one vessel is in service, the other is on standby, ready to take over automatically when regeneration is needed. There is no need to switch two separate valves manually.”
Makgopa says that compared to installing two Runxin F74 valves in parallel, the F135 offers a simplified, space-saving design and faster installation, with fewer components and no need for interlocking signal wiring. It also provides seamless, automatic switching between vessels, ensuring no downtime during regeneration, which is crucial for manufacturers who can’t afford interruptions.
“This client uses a lot of water, and their boiler system needs soft water at all times,” he notes. “If calcium or magnesium enters the boiler, it can form scale on the tubes. That’s like cement building up. It makes heat transfer inefficient, increases fuel consumption and reduces steam output.”
By ensuring a consistent supply of soft water, the Runxin F135 protects the client’s boilers from scaling and reduces the need for reactive maintenance. The unit’s larger internal components also enable it to handle variable water pressures – an issue Makgopa says this site frequently faces, with pressure sometimes spiking from 200 to 600 kPa.
“The F135 can manage those pressure fluctuations, which is why it works better here than smaller valves,” he says. “It’s a durable system and it’s been performing very well since we installed it.”
Simpler system for consistently soft water
In the past, the client’s smaller vessels needed to be regenerated multiple times a day, but the F135 setup now typically requires regeneration just once every 24 hours. This allows time for proper brine saturation, an essential factor in achieving effective resin regeneration. Poor brining had previously led to morning samples testing positive for hard water, affecting steam quality and production efficiency.
“Since implementing the new system, hard water issues are no longer a concern on site,” Makgopa adds. “We used to get calls often about this. Now the water quality is consistent, and the team on-site only needs to monitor it once or twice a day.
“Compared to setting up two separate valves and synchronising them, this was much simpler in the long run. Maintenance is also easier. We’ve even set up a WhatsApp group with the client to resolve any issues that pop up quickly, so it’s a very collaborative relationship.”
With a customer base stretching from its head office in Benoni, Johannesburg, throughout Southern Africa and beyond, Allmech has become recognised as an experienced end-to-end provider for clients requiring boiler plants, steam supply of all types, cooling towers, water treatment equipment and associated chemical programmes. Aside from sales to direct and distributor clients, the company’s services include technical support, repairs and maintenance, and the sale of spares.
Allmech is also the only authorised South African agent for Runxin valves, produced by the global Wenzhou Runxin Manufacturing Machine Company, headquartered in China.
