The Importance of Preventative Maintenance
Air conditioning (AC) systems that do not function properly can be cumbersome. Properly maintaining these units is critical––especially the coils, whether they are in an air handling unit or a packaged air conditioning unit. These delicate coils require regular upkeep to preserve the life of the AC unit, maintain capacity, improve energy efficiency, and ensure the indoor air quality is at its best.
The More You Know
Carryover is any contaminant that leaves the boiler with steam. It can be in a solid, liquid, or vapor form. The most common form of carryover is boiler water droplets that contain dissolved and suspended solids.
Boiler water carryover can cause deposits to form in valves, heat exchangers, turbines, and superheaters. If deposits are significant, heat transfer and/or turbine efficiency may be reduced. Additionally, carryover can strip away the protective magnetite layer on steam lines, remove the film formed by filming amine programs, cause erosion-induced corrosion, and result in product quality problems in processes using live steam.
How to be Better Prepared
Corrosion in water systems is a costly problem. In the United States alone, the costs associated with corrosion in water and wastewater systems are estimated to exceed $50 billion annually. The metal loss resulting from corrosion reduces system life, increases maintenance costs, and ultimately results in premature equipment failure. Corrosion can also produce deposits that impede water flow, foul heat exchange surfaces, and reduce overall water system efficiency. A basic understanding of the different types of corrosion can help you diagnose and solve corrosion related problems.
A Critical Component of the Boiler Water Treatment Program
In a steam boiler system, blowdown involves removing a portion of the concentrated boiler water and replacing it with feedwater, which is a mixture of condensate and makeup water.
Good blowdown control is a critical component of the boiler water treatment program. Boiler blowdown is heated, treated feedwater that is sent to the drain instead of converted into steam. Blowdown is used to control the dissolved and suspended solids level in a boiler within the range necessary to minimize scale deposits and carryover. Too much blowdown increases fuel, water, and treatment requirements. Too little blowdown can cause scale deposits and wet steam (carryover)
Key Terms for Water Treatment Novices
Water treatment specialists can forget that their clients may not understand the technical terms used in our industry. The language of microbiological control can be particularly confusing. To help establish a common working vocabulary, it’s important to define some key terms. Let’s get started!
Basic Boiler Functions
Boilers are specialized mechanical devices designed to generate pressurized steam. Steam is an essential raw material that drives industry and commerce worldwide. From the electricity used to power our homes and run our plants, to the plastic and vinyl in our automobiles, the paints and wood in on our homes, and the preparation of the food we eat, steam is used to make our lives more comfortable and convenient.
How To Have an Effective Water Treatment Program
Plastics manufacturing is a cooling water intensive process with production efficiency and product quality directly tied to effective water treatment. Increased cycle time, high defect rates, unscheduled downtime, mold damage, and high maintenance costs can all result from water system problems including corrosion, deposits, and biofouling.
The Key Differences and Similarities
Monitoring bacteria levels in cooling water systems is vital to the operating life, efficiency, and functionality of a well-run system. Unmonitored microbiological activity can lead to deposits, corrosion, blockages, downtime, increased energy usage, and possibly even disease. There are many variables in field versus laboratory bacteria testing that need to be considered in order to take the proper course of action when required. While differences are expected between these two testing methods, both offer various advantages. Ultimately, trends over time and after specific events offer the most clarity.
Whether testing in a lab or in the field, results from microbiological water analysis must be dependable and accurate to maintain proper system control. A highly trained Chem-Aqua water treatment professional can help to maintain the right system chemistry to ensure that a facility’s systems remain optimal and compliant. Check out this infographic to learn more about the differences between field and lab testing.
Regulations and Compliance
Hospitals use steam boilers to meet a variety of needs including domestic hot water, space heating, food preparation, sterilization, and humidification. The use of water treatment compounds called “neutralizing amines” can be a source of confusion, especially where plant steam is used for humidification and sterilization. Recently updated standards provide clear guidance on neutralizing amine use in hospital steam boiler systems.
A More Accurate and Safer Process
Scale and corrosion in cooling tower systems can reduce heat transfer efficiency and cause unexpected equipment failures. While scale and corrosion inhibitors added to the water supply can minimize these occurrences, maintaining treatment levels within the control limits necessary to optimize performance and minimize costs can be a challenge. Let’s take a look at a more accurate and safer process for controlling inhibitor levels over traditional methods.