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1. Exactly
what is water treatment and is it necessary?
Water
treatment describes a
process used to make water more acceptable for a
desired end-use. These can include use as drinking
water, industrial processes, medical and many other
uses.
The goal of all water
treatment process is to remove existing components
in the water, improving it for subsequent
utilization.
(Wikipedia.org)
In the mechanical
industry water treatment
is a method used to optimize most water-based mechanical and
industrial processes, such as: heating, cooling,
processing, cleaning, and rinsing, so that
operating costs and risks are reduced.
Most water
treatment programs include water softeners,
inhibitors and other chemicals needed to 'treat'
the water in order to reach the desired conditions
for mechanical use and heat transfer.
Products used to maintain proper
water conditions are often fed automatically by
sophisticated equipment directly into a chiller or
boiler's water. Water is used for both
cooling and heating in large commercial building
applications. In most industrial environments
water is used for cooling production equipment or
an ingredient to making a product. How the
water is used will determine what type of treatment
is necessary.
Most water treatment
companies use
test kits and chemical
dispensing systems which have made the use of water
treatment chemicals in chiller, boiler and
cooling-tower systems much easier. But attention to
details, such as how often systems are tested, is
critical to system performance. The correct water
treatment chemistry at the correct time is
extraordinarily important because even minor
problems can create major costs.
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Last week I sat
down to breakfast with Gary Reynolds and Bob
Schubert of Garratt Callahan. They are
water treatment 'specialists'. Gary and I
have worked together with several mutual
customers. Their attention to detail,
customer service and vast knowledge of water
treatment is why many buildings in the
Mid-South are in good hands with Garratt
Callahan. In our meeting they provided me
with some great information about the
importance of water treatment, the effects of
poor service and things to look for in choosing
a service provider.
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Gary Reynolds
(901) 292-6583
greynolds@g-c.com
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Robert (Bob) Schubert
(901) 568-1215
bschubert@g-c.com
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For more
information about Water Treatment Services for
your facility, feel free to call Gary Reynolds
or Bob Schubert. Tell them Jimmy V. sent
you. |
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2. How does
poor or no service effect mechanical
equipment?
Improper Water
Treatment or no treatment at all will increase
your energy consumption and operating cost while
decreasing your mechanical equipment's efficiencies
and life expectancy. A well designed and
implemented water treatment program is highly
important to the operation of any steam boiler,
centrifugal chiller and cooling tower. All
three of the systems shown below utilize water for
cooling and heating.
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Poor water treatment
lets water interact with the surfaces of pipes and
vessels which contain it. Steam
boilers can scale up
or corrode, and these deposits will mean more fuel
is needed to heat the same amount of water
(refer to the boiler tubes to the left 'Did you
Know' fact). Cooling towers can
scale up and corrode, but left untreated, the warm,
dirty water they can contain will encourage
bacteria to grow, and
Legionnaires' Disease can be
the fatal consequence. The condenser tubes
within a chiller and other water cooling
equipment can also scale up and corrode thus
preventing good heat transfer. Increased
energy consumption and poor cooling performance is
common result in inefficient water treatment.
Water treatment can often
be categorized as 'low-tech' and unglamorous.
However, the right chemicals, proper chemical feed
equipment, and a dedicated service provider is
essential to your mechanical equipment and should be
'treated' with top priority.
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3. Are
there energy savings with water treatment?
Treatment Value:
Expert water treatment can cut your water, energy,
and maintenance costs substantially. Perhaps most
important of all, it can save you the cost of
fixing or replacing equipment that’s been damaged
by inadequate water treatment – including the
downtime and lost revenue usually associated with
solving such problems.
The examples of water
treatment ROI (Return of Investment) shown below show
how very thin layers of deposited material from
poorly treated water can drive up energy costs.
Examples of Water
Treatment ROI (Return on Investment)
provided by Garratt Callahan
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Scale
System: 1,000 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 saved
$15,018 per year.
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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. |
Operating Costs Compared
It’s a sliver of
your overall facilities budget, but effective
water treatment can make an enormous difference
in your other costs. Your water treatment
representative can help you calculate the
potential savings from your custom water
treatment solution. |
"As little as
3/16-inch of scale can cause a boiler system to use
38 percent more fuel. The most miniscule amount of
dissolved oxygen in the water also means a system
could be headed for corrosion problems. And even a
thin layer of bacterial slime in chiller tubes can
significantly affect heat-transfer efficiency."
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Wrap Up:
As mechanical contractors we are no strangers to the
importance of water treatment. However, after
researching and writing this article I can assure you
that I am much more informed about the necessity and
advantage to having a good water treatment program.
In this edition Mechanical
Matters®, I discussed three important facts about
chemical water treatment. First we learned the definition of water treatment and its
use in the mechanical industry. Second, we learned that
water treatment is definitely necessary, and without it your
mechanical equipment will suffer. Last we learned
how proper water treatment will save energy, and
ultimately increase your bottom line.
I of course didn't show
all my cards at once.
There is so much more to
the mechanical
water treatment industry...I haven't even scratched the surface. If
you are not sure your mechanical equipment has a proper
water treatment program or pleased with your current
service provider, please give me a call.
We at S.M. Lawrence Company partner with good water
treatment specialists like Garratt Callahan and not
'drum-kickers'. For a definition of
'Drum-Kicker' please
click here
and scroll down.
"Until next to please
remember to leave the Mechanical Matters® to us!"
-Jimmy
Veteto, 901.378.7655
jimmyv@smlawrence.com
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