Legionella: To Sample, or Not To Sample?...That is the Question

What's required and what is my sampling plan?

Legionella: To Sample, or Not To Sample?...That is the Question

The simple answer is no (not directly), and here’s why:  There is no known safe level of Legionella in a building water system.  Therefore, even a non-detect sample result is not necessarily “safe.” The reason why is because the life cycle of this organism, coupled with the stresses put on it via temperature, disinfectants, etc. found within building water systems, may cause it to enter a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. 

Chlorine and Bromine Testing In Cooling Tower Systems

What You Need to Know

  • 25 June 2019
  • Author: Allan Browning
  • Number of views: 21582
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Chlorine and Bromine Testing In Cooling Tower Systems

Chlorine and bromine based biocides are widely used for microbiological control in cooling tower systems. These halogen compounds form strong oxidizing agents in water, which is how they kill bacteria and other microorganisms. Routine testing is important to confirm effective halogen residuals are maintained. Low residuals can result in poor microbiological control. High residuals can cause corrosion and destroy inhibitors.

How to Calculate Softener Capacity

  • 18 June 2019
  • Author: Chem-Aqua, Inc
  • Number of views: 82418
  • 0 Comments
How to Calculate Softener Capacity

Water softeners are ion exchange systems designed to remove scale-forming calcium and magnesium ions prior to boiler, cooling, and reverse osmosis systems. The amount of hardness a softener can remove between regenerations is known as the softener capacity and can be expressed either in grains or in gallons. Capacity is important when sizing, configuring, or troubleshooting a softener.

Not All Water Supplies are the Same

How Blended Water Supplies Impact Water Treatment

Not All Water Supplies are the Same

The source(s) of water supplied to cooling towers, boilers, and processes may vary greatly daily or even hourly.  The impact this has on water systems must be closely monitored to avoid scale, deposits, corrosion, inefficient water usage, and other negative impacts on operational costs.

How Often Should I Test My Water?

  • 7 May 2019
  • Author: Tim Daniels
  • Number of views: 8373
  • 0 Comments
How Often Should I Test My Water?

Chem-Aqua representatives are frequently asked, “How often do I need to test my water?”  The answer to this question is as varied as the systems that Chem-Aqua treats.  There are a number of factors that go into determining the “best practice” for each facility.  Typically, these factors are:

Cottonseed and Other Spring Associated Problems

How to Keep Your Cooling Tower Clean

Cottonseed and Other Spring Associated Problems

Every spring we welcome the milder weather, and with it, various plant and animal life. However, not all of nature’s gifts are beneficial to our evaporative cooling systems; especially the outdoor cooling towers that reject heat from our commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. Late wintry storms can cause ice and snow accumulation. Heavy rain and hail can disrupt the anticipated easing of the harsh environmental conditions of winter.

Water-Cooled vs. Air-Cooled Equipment

How Should You Stay Cool?

  • 5 March 2019
  • Author: Chem-Aqua, Inc
  • Number of views: 12336
  • 2 Comments
Water-Cooled vs. Air-Cooled Equipment

When seeking to cool a large scale commercial or industrial facility, insufficient information often leads to an unsatisfactory solution. While some stakeholders choose water-cooled chillers because they believe the cooling tower in these systems offers more efficiency, others prefer air-based cooling systems because of the less prohibitive upfront price. And with recent technological advances made in both air and water-based chilling systems, determining which option is the right fit has become even more challenging. To decide which system best suits a specific project’s needs, it’s important to understand the pros and cons associated with each option.

4 Ways to Minimize Legionella Risk

Knowing Who, What, When and Why

  • 26 February 2019
  • Author: Dominick Tuzzo
  • Number of views: 6251
  • 0 Comments
4 Ways to Minimize Legionella Risk

Simply defined:  Risk Management is the process of identification, analysis, and either acceptance, or control of risks you’ve identified.

Deaerator Design and Operation

  • 12 February 2019
  • Author: Chem-Aqua, Inc
  • Number of views: 20791
  • 0 Comments
Deaerator Design and Operation

A deaerator preheats boiler feedwater and removes dissolved gases, especially oxygen and carbon dioxide. These gases are undesirable because they cause corrosion and increase treatment chemical requirements. 

Deaerators operate based on the reduced solubility of dissolved gases as temperature increases. For example, the solubility of oxygen decreases from about five ppm at 150ºF to about two ppm at 190ºF. Virtually all the free carbon dioxide gas is removed by increasing the temperature to greater than 170ºF.

Filtration Options for Closed Loop Systems

How they Apply to Different Types of Closed Loop Filtration

  • 4 December 2018
  • Author: Chem-Aqua, Inc
  • Number of views: 18691
  • 0 Comments
Filtration Options for Closed Loop Systems

Closed loop systems, typically hot and cold water recirculating systems, are often ignored when it comes to water treatment programs. Not only should closed loops be chemically treated to control corrosion and microbiological growth, they should also include a side-stream filter to remove suspended solids. 

Even though closed loop systems are theoretically “closed,” suspended solids can still be introduced as a result of corrosion, new construction, new additions to older systems, leaks, and poor commissioning practices. Turbidity or discoloration can be one sign of suspended solids.

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