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. 

Evaporative systems are more complex to treat than closed systems. Why? It’s because the solid impurities become increasingly concentrated in the system water during the normal course of operation. Makeup impurities do not typically concentrate in closed systems. In evaporative systems, large quantities of water are used on an ongoing basis. Economics dictate the use of chemicals that can be applied at low dosages. Closed systems normally use only the amount of water required to fill the system one time and any water losses from leaks and repairs.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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!

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.

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.