Air condenser saves university millions of litres of water

Air condensers from instrument manufacturer Radleys have helped win a prestigious conservation award for the University of California, San Diego, with the university saving an estimated 5.7 million litres of water following their installation.

The Findenser super air condensers were acquired by UC San Diego as part of efforts to rein in its water usage, with the state’s first ever mandatory water restrictions imposed in 2015. Comprising an internal glass condenser and an external finned aluminium jacket, the Findenser seals a small amount of water permanently between the pair, stopping the need for a constant flow of water.

Since installation, each of the university’s 280 Findensers has been able to save as much as 1200 litres each day — the same as two people’s water usage in the drought-hit state. Those savings added up to a total of 5.7 million litres for Pacific Hall, a large research building at UC San Diego, and resulted in the university being awarded the Industrial Environmental Association’s Water Conservation Award by the County of San Diego.

“It’s hard to believe how much water has been used using conventional condensers,” said Professor Seth Cohen, who accepted the award on behalf of the university. “The continuous flow of water needed for the many reflux reactions being performed by synthetic chemists in our department adds up to incredible amounts of water that have now been conserved thanks to Findenser.

“The results of the water saving are so spectacular, with millions of gallons of water saved over the course of a few months.”

Not only is the saving of water good news for the environment, it has also helped the university’s bank balance. In the past few years, UC San Diego has spent in the region of $5 million in repair costs following floods in their labs.

“Findenser was a simple and effective tool to improve water savings and laboratory safety,” said Professor Cohen. “We are hoping more laboratories across the university will adopt the Findenser.”