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.

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

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.

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.

With the cooler months upon us, it is important to prepare your cooling towers for freezing temperatures. Even in extremely icy conditions, cooling towers can be operated successfully if proper precautions and protocols are followed. A frozen cooling tower is a major issue for business operations as well as from a cost standpoint.  Now is the time to prepare for winter weather.

Corrosion costs money.  In fact, water system corrosion costs an estimated $50+ billion annually in the United States alone.  System life, maintenance costs, production time, deposition, and efficiency are all negatively impacted by corrosion.

Periodic boiler inspections are necessary to ensure that all equipment and components are operating safely and properly. When removing a boiler from service, the proper procedures should be used to reduce thermal stress and prevent sludge from settling and “baking on” waterside surfaces.

If a boiler is cooled too rapidly or unevenly, the extreme expansion and contraction stress can cause leaks to develop on rolled tube ends as well as damage firebrick or refractory material. Rapid cooling and draining can also cause any suspended solids in the boiler water to form hard, difficult-to-remove deposits. These deposits not only reduce heat transfer efficiency but could also lead to a false interpretation of the treatment program results.

Biofilms are the root cause of serious problems in building potable and industrial water systems including clogged piping, reduced heat transfer efficiency, microbiologically-influenced corrosion, and Legionella transmission. Biofilms are dynamic, complex structures optimized for microbial growth and survival, which make them difficult to remove and control.

Reverse osmosis (RO) produces high-purity water for use in many applications, including low and high pressure boilers, manufacturing processes, cleaning, and ultrapure water systems. RO offers numerous benefits that can save water, fuel, operating costs, labor, and more. Understanding how it works will help in the selection, maintenance, and operation of RO systems.

Water Treatment consists of three crucial factors: Service, Chemistry and Equipment. It is an important part of the preventative maintenance program for boiler, cooling, and process water systems. With the right partner, you can ensure to have a reliable and well-working system that will minimize cost, maximize efficiency and provide sustainable solutions.