All cooling towers for commercial and industrial air conditioning or HVAC systems are designed to provide a very cost efficient way to remove the heat from the system and increase the cooling ability. The larger the size of the cooling tower the more challenging this can be, especially when hard water is an issue.
Unfortunately, the chemical makeup of the water, specifically with hard water with high levels of both calcium and magnesium poses a real risk to the functioning and the life cycle of the cooling towers. Treating the water for inorganic and organic contaminants is an important consideration to ensure proper operation and efficiency of the system and to increase the life cycle of the equipment.
Removing Minerals
With the vast majority of water in the United States falling into the hard water category, having effective solutions for non-chemical or chemical water treatment for cooling towers is a must. Each specific cooling tower system may have different requirements, but all will need both organic and inorganic contaminant removal processes.
With the HVAC system requiring evaporation in the cooling toward for the desired heat dissipation, contaminated water becomes a problem. Concentrations of minerals will collect on the surfaces of the tubes and the heated surfaces, greatly reducing efficiency. Water treatment that prevents the minerals from adhering to the surface is necessary to maintain the efficiency of the system.
New technology using electronic fields on the outside of the water pipes actually creates a change in the shape and charge of the mineral molecules in the water. This prevents them from adhering to the interior surface, eliminating lime scale buildup without the need to use old salt softener technology.
Removing Organic Contaminants
Original contaminants will allow bacteria and biofilm to become a problem. In the past, the only option for chemical water treatment for cooling towers to control organic contaminants was the use of chlorine or other chemicals.
By choosing a combination of copper and silver as an ionizer, this issue can also be eliminated. This continues to function and kill organic contaminants, even when the water levels drop in the tower due to evaporation and natural concentration.
Managing organic and inorganic contaminants in cooling towers doesn’t have to be challenging. By utilizing the latest in technology, these systems will self-regulate, providing readouts, information and precise applications for water management for years without costly chemicals, salts and the need for continual adjustments to the system.
