HVAC - Is Water Treatment Necessary?

Drum-Kickers, Soap Salesmen...they have got been called many things. Water Treatment specializers (probably the name they prefer) are everywhere. As a mechanical contractor, we have got had many knocking on our door. With most big commercial edifices and industrial installations in Memphis utilizing H2O cooling/heating mechanical equipment, this industry is highly competitive, but is H2O treatment really necessary? In this edition of Mechanical Matters® Iodine am going to reply that very inquiry and discourse respective other of import facts about H2O treatment services.

In this edition I desire to reply three inquiries regarding H2O treatment:

Exactly what is H2O treatment and is it necessary?

How makes improper H2O treatment service consequence mechanical equipment?

Are there energy nest egg with H2O treatment?

1. Exactly what is H2O treatment and is it necessary?

Water treatment depicts a procedure used to do H2O more acceptable for a desired end-use. These tin include usage as imbibing water, industrial processes, medical and many other uses. The end of all H2O treatment procedure is to take existent constituents in the water, improving it for subsequent utilization. (Wikipedia.org)

In the mechanical industry H2O treatment is a method used to optimize most water-based mechanical and industrial processes, such as as: heating, cooling, processing, cleaning, and rinsing, so that operating costs and hazards are reduced.

Most H2O treatment programmes include H2O softeners, inhibitors and other chemicals needed to 'treat' the H2O in order to attain the desired statuses for mechanical usage and heat energy transfer. Products used to keep proper H2O statuses are often fed automatically by sophisticated equipment directly into a chiller or boiler's water. Water is used for both chilling and warming in big commercial edifice applications. In most industrial environments H2O is used for chilling production equipment or an ingredient to making a product. How the H2O is used will find what type of treatment is necessary.

Most H2O treatment companies utilize diagnostic test kits and chemical dispensing systems which have got made the usage of H2O treatment chemicals in chiller, steam boiler and cooling-tower systems much easier. But attending to details, such as as how often systems are tested, is critical to system performance. The right H2O treatment chemical science at the right clip is extraordinarily of import because even minor jobs can make major costs.

Last hebdomad I sat down to breakfast with Gary Sir Joshua Reynolds and British Shilling Franz Schubert of Garratt Callahan. They are H2O treatment 'specialists'. Gary and I have got worked together with respective common customers. Their attending to detail, client service and huge cognition of H2O treatment is why many edifices in the Mid-South are in good custody with Garratt Callahan. In our meeting they provided me with some great information about the importance of H2O treatment, the personal effects of mediocre service and things to look for in choosing a service provider

2. How makes mediocre or no service consequence mechanical equipment?

Improper Water Treatment or no treatment at all volition addition your energy ingestion and operating cost while decreasing your mechanical equipment's efficiencies and life expectancy. A well designed and implemented H2O treatment programme is highly of import to the operation of any steam boiler, centrifugal chiller and chilling tower. All three of the systems shown below use H2O for chilling and heating.

Poor H2O treatment allows H2O interact with the come ups of bagpipe and vas which incorporate it. Steam steam boilers can scale up or corrode, and these sedimentations will intend more than combustible is needed to heat up the same amount of water. Cooling towers can scale up and corrode, but left untreated, the warm, soiled H2O they can incorporate volition promote bacterium to grow, and Legionnaires' Disease can be the fatal consequence. The capacitor tubings within a chiller and other H2O chilling equipment can also scale of measurement up and corrode thus preventing good heat energy transfer. Increased energy ingestion and mediocre chilling public presentation is common consequence in inefficient H2O treatment.

Water treatment can often be categorized as 'low-tech' and unglamorous. However, the right chemicals, proper chemical provender equipment, and a dedicated service supplier is indispensable to your mechanical equipment and should be 'treated' with top priority.

3. Are there energy nest egg with H2O treatment?

Treatment Value: Expert H2O treatment can cut your water, energy, and care costs substantially. Perhaps most of import of all, it can salvage you the cost of fixing or replacing equipment that's been damaged by inadequate H2O treatment – including the downtime and lost gross usually associated with solving such as problems.

The illustrations of H2O treatment ROI (Return of Investment) shown below show how very thin layers of deposited stuff from poorly treated H2O can drive up energy costs.

Scale

System: 1,000 short short ton chiller

Operation: 12 hours/day, 365 days/year

Cost of electricity: $0.10/kWh

Scale thickness: 1/32 inch

Elimination of 1/32 inch of scale of measurement of measurement saved $15,018 per year.

Biological Fouling

System: 1,000 ton chiller

Operation: 12 hours/day, 365 days/year

Cost of electricity: $0.10/kWh

Bio-film thickness: 1/1000 inch

Elimination of 1/1000 inch of bio-film saved $26,834 per year.

"As small as 3/16-inch of scale can do a steam boiler system to utilize 38 percentage more fuel. The most miniscule amount of dissolved O in the H2O also intends a system could be headed for corrosion problems. And even a thin layer of bacterial sludge in chiller tubings can significantly impact heat-transfer efficiency."

Wrap Up:

As mechanical contractors we are no aliens to the importance of H2O treatment. However, after researching and authorship this article Iodine can guarantee you that I am much more than informed about the necessity and advantage to having a good H2O treatment program.

In this edition Mechanical Matters®, I discussed three of import facts about chemical H2O treatment. First we learned the definition of H2O treatment and its usage in the mechanical industry. Second, we learned that H2O treatment is definitely necessary, and without it your mechanical equipment will suffer. Last we learned how proper H2O treatment will salvage energy, and ultimately increase your underside line.