Watertech of America, Inc.

Weekly Twitter posts

2012-05-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday - hope your week was a good one! There's been a lot going on this week in the world and our community that we share via Twitter. Since not everyone follows Twitter, we post our Tweets from the week to our Blog on Fridays - so check it out. You could also subscribe to receive our blog whenever there is a new post. How? Just click on the "Subscribe to Watertech of America, Inc. by Email" link on our blog page and you will receive the new post whenever one is published.

Here are our Tweets from this past week:

Checkout our May newsletter for info on boiler shutdown & other great water related articles http://h2ote.ch/K8lzEo
Our resources page is filled with technical articles, newsletters, webinars & even more useful info. Check it out @ http://h2ote.ch/InMIGD
Our webinars page contains powerpoint slides and informational audio on boiler and cooling systems & dairy facilities http://h2ote.ch/JgzVYF
Nice article in chicagotribune about water jobs in IL. This holds true in WI and throughout the country. http://h2ote.ch/JepZ0s
How efficient is your cooling system & how can it improve? Find out by using our free cooling system ROI calculator http://h2ote.ch/H94762
Previous blog post on choosing and calibrating MyronL conductivity meters. Two short videos offer insight view now @ http://h2ote.ch/JB49S1
Our friends & Milwaukee Water Council member; advancedwst help clean water from Miller Compressing fire. http://h2ote.ch/Ijk9JP
Prefer Facebook to Twitter? Follows us there using this link and have a great Friday. http://h2ote.ch/KgqkdW

Have a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!

Watertech Welcomes Sveinn Storm

2012-05-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

President Joe Russell is pleased to announce that Watertech has hired a new Engineer based in Sioux City, Iowa. His name is Sveinn Storm and Sveinn will cover parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Sveinn has had extensive experience in zero liquid discharge systems specifically in ethanol as well as much other water treatment experience in the water treatment industry.

Joe and everyone at Watertech are thrilled to have Sveinn as part of our team! Welcome!!

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-04-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

New blog post on proper boiler shutdown. Review these important steps to ensure proper and safe shutdown by going to http://h2ote.ch/I5ADr4
An excellent article from Chem Processing profiling several company's water conservation efforts http://h2ote.ch/IdzDxm
While written for chemical manufacturers, this article provides good ideas to identify energy saving opportunities. http://h2ote.ch/IvWW69
Congratulations to the H2OScore team for winning the MUSoc Innovation pitch contest today!!!
Loved seeing the work that The Water Council & MATC are doing to develop career pathways for the water industry. Keep it up!
Prefer Facebook to Twitter? Follows us there using this link and have a great Friday. http://h2te.ch/KgqkdW

Boiler Shutdown

2012-04-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

During the normal operation of a boiler, suspended matter is maintained in a fluid state, using a chemical treatment and the circulation pattern. If proper care is not taken during the shutdown stage, these solids can settle out in drums and tubes and dry to a hard, tightly held deposit that could require chemical or severe mechanical cleaning. It is also possible to mistake the deposits formed at this stage for a problem that developed during the normal boiler operation. Following is the procedure recommended when shutting down your boiler:

1. Three to five days before a scheduled shutdown, increase the blowdown rate by at least 50%

the lower blowdown limit should be considered the maximum during this phase
Chemical residuals must be maintained at normal levels
If it is being fed separately, the level of sludge conditioners should be increased by 50 to 100%
As much of the additional blowdown as possible should be accomplished by the manual rather than the continuous blowdown system

2. During the last 24 hours before shutdown, decrease the continuous blowdown and increase the manual blowdown

Employ frequent short bottom blows (open 5-10 seconds every 1-2 hours) rather than fewer longer blows
When the load is dropped from the boiler, include header blowdowns, along with mud drum blows

3. Cooling should be accomplished at the rate specified by the boiler manufacturer

Blow down the water column, gauge glass, and feedwater regulator while there is still pressure in the boiler
Continue heavy manual blowdowns, and refill with deaerated feedwater
Maintain all chemical residuals
Continue to blow down and refill until the furnace is cool enough to enter. At this point, the boiler is cool enough to drain
If the boiler is drained too soon, it will contain enough heat to bake on remaining sludge

4. Open the boiler as soon as it is drained and immediately wash out any remaining sludge with a high-pressure hose

Washing at the point will ensure that remaining sludge will be in a fluid form that is easily removed
Never leave the boiler filled with water unless measures are taken to prevent corrosion

Continuous Blowdown Method of Boiler Layup

2012-04-18T06:49:00.002-07:00

The CDP or Continuous Blowdown method of boiler layup consists of piping continuous surface blowdown from the operating boiler to the bottom of the stand-by boiler. The overflow from the vent goes to heat recovery or to the drain. This method is typically not used on boilers with superheaters.

Advantages of this method are as follows:

Good corrosion control due to proper sulfite and alkalinity readings
Boiler contains proper chemical residuals when you return it to service
Boiler remains hot, so less time and thermal energy is needed to get the unit up to pressure
Refractory stays hot and fireside corrosion is eliminated
No need to maintain high chemical residuals
No need to fire the boiler to promote circulation

Disadvantages of this method are:

Possible suspended solids deposition if you have poor (>1 pm) feedwater quality on operating boiler (1 ppm = 1# sludge/100,000 gallons feedwater)
Installation cost
Possible short circuiting
May not work on multiple boiler operations
May negate blowdown heat recovery

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-04-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Below you will find our recent Twitter posts. Every week, we post links to water related articles on our Twitter page which cover a wide variety of topics we think will be valuable to you. Since not everyone follows Twitter, we are posting these links to our blog on Fridays. Check back every Friday to catch up on info from the week. Or, if you would prefer, you can subscribe to receive our blog whenever there is a new post. Simply click on the "Subscribe to Watertech of America, Inc. by Email" link to the right and you will receive the new post whenever one is published.

Here are our last several Tweets:

We are offering a free water system management for Dairies webinar on April 25th. learn more and RSVP @ http://h2ote.ch/wR5vl5
An article discussing Waukesha, WI and its continued water scarcity issues. Click to check out the new proposal that is in the works @...
A link for the Great Lakes Century video discussing our vision for the environmental & economic renewal of our region http://h2ote.ch/Huq0xc
The date for our Dairy based water system management webinar is approaching fast. If you haven't already, RSVP now http://h2ote.ch/wR5vl5l,
Check out our April newsletter on Water Management in Dairies, preventive maintenance tips, an ROI calculator & more! http://h2ote.ch/HuuEvg

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-04-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

Clear your calendars! Watertech will be offering a Dairy-based webinar April 25th with all sorts of cowtips. RSVP @ http://bit.ly/yHL8u7
Check out last month's newsletter for tips on cooling system start-up as well as a link to our free ROI calculator @ http://h2ote.ch/Atbw8q
Our free technical library contains thousands of relevant informational and instructional articles. View them now @ http://h2ote.ch/ugdosG
Feel free to check out our 3 keys to cooling system start-up webinar as a resource for Spring season start-up tips @ http://bit.ly/AlkPe0

Have a great weekend and happy Easter!

World Water Day 2012

2012-04-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

Watertech employees recently attended the United Nations World Water Day in Milwaukee on March 24th. The Day started with a screening of The Balanced Equation, a documentary produced by three 8th grade film makers from Racine, WI. The documentary takes an in-depth look into water scarcity issues and explores six unique point-of-use water filtration and chemical treatment systems being implemented in developing countries such as Kenya and Dominican Republic.

It was incredible to see how much of an impact three 8th grade girls could make. The documentary should also stand as proof that everyone and anyone can make a difference in the fight against water scarcity. Click here to watch the entire documentary and learn more about the filming process.

The screening was followed by the “Wisconsin Walk for Water,” where participants walked 3 miles (some with buckets of water) in order to simulate the travels people in other parts of the world must make daily in order to provide their families with water. Cannedwater4kids was also in attendance, providing water and information to participants. Check out the World Water Day Facebook Page for a slideshow filled with photos from the day’s events.

Watertech of America would also like to encourage our customers and friends to do their part by reducing water usage and increasing awareness. Click here to check out a series of previous blog posts pertaining to reducing water usage and lowering your water footprint.

Cooling System Start-up

2012-03-28T08:08:00.001-07:00

As the weather continues to warm up, it is time to start thinking about starting up your cooling system. Here are 2 valuable resources to help you prepare for a cost efficient cooling season.

ROI Calculator
Test your cooling system efficiency

This calculator will allow you to:

check your system's actual cycles vs. optimal cycles
Identify potential energy and chemical savings

Right now is an optimal time to check your system's efficiency based upon last year's reports. This will allow you to start up your system confidently and identify any needs before the season starts.

In addition to tips on increasing system efficiency, the calculator also offers downloadable whitepapers on effective water management, preventing legionella, scale and sidestream filtration.

Click here to run the calculator. You will need your cooling tower conductivity as well as makeup conductivity.

3 Keys to Cooling System Efficiency Webinar recording

With cooling season upon us, now is the perfect time to think about efficiency. Click here to find the keys to prevent an inefficient cooling season and save time, energy and money. You will also obtain access to:

webinar audio and visuals
a system start up checklist
presentation slides to ensure proper startup and system efficiency tips

Happy Spring!!!

Dairy Webinar

2012-03-27T07:34:00.002-07:00

On Wednesday, April 25th, Watertech of America will be hosting a free webinar focused on helping dairy facilities maximize the money and time spent managing their water systems.

**This webinar qualifies for 1 hour of continuing education hours for wastewater operators.**

Also providing informational handouts, the webinar, "Water Management in Dairy Facilities" will offer:

Techniques for easier system maintenance
Testing Advice
Strategies for the effective use of cow water
Tips for avoiding contamination in sweet water systems
Energy efficiency opportunities

This information will help your dairy facility minimize costs and time spent on dealing with water usage. In the end that means less money, less chemicals, and more time.

Our webinar will be held from 10:00-11:00 am Central Standard Time on Wednesday April 25th with a chance for questions at the end of the presentation. Visit www.watertechusa.com/cowtips to learn more and RSVP.

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-03-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Spring and cooling system start-up are right around the corner. Use our ROI calculator to check system efficiency @ http://h2ote.ch/ypGjDV
Governor Walker and WEDC CEO Paul Jadin in Milwaukee today to sign contract for $750k for water startup companies.
Need a refresher on proper cooling system start-up? Check out our 3 keys to cooling system start-up webinar @ http://bit.ly/AlkPe0
Our March Newsletter is filled with information on water cooling system startup & boiler shutdown. Check it out @ http://h2ote.ch/Atbw8q
It’s almost time for cooling system start-up. Make sure your system runs efficiently by using our ROI calculator @ http://h2ote.ch/ypGjDV
Feel free to check out our 3 keys to cooling system start-up webinar as a resource for Spring season start-up tips @ http://bit.ly/AlkPe0

Support World Water Day

2012-03-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

Recently Watertech has become aware of a local water charity from Sussex that is doing some great work. CannedWater4Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing safe water access to those who need it through sustainable water sourcing initiatives.

To raise awareness about the lack of safe water access for many people around the world, CannedWater4Kids is partnering with Novelis Inc., the world's largest global producer of roller aluminum and the global leader in beverage can recycling, and Ball Corporation, the largest global producer of recyclable beverage cans. Novelis has agreed to donate $1 for every person who takes one of the following actions through social media to promote the importance of clean, safe water access on World Water Day, March 22nd. YOU can help out by taking any of the following 3 actions:

"Like" the CannedWater4Kids Facebook page. Post it on your own Facebook page to recruit family and friends to do the same!
Follow CannedWater4Kid on Twitter or Novelis on Twitter. Re-tweet @Novelis or @CannedWater4kid with hashtag #WorldWaterDay.
Visit CannedWater4Kids and hit the "Donate" button to earn a $1 donation from Novelis.

Again, Novelis will donate $1 for every person who supports the cause in one of these 3 ways, up to $20,000. These must be received by March 22nd - so please take a minute to support this cause NOW!!!

Thank you so much for your help in supporting children around the world!!

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-03-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

Our latest blog post on Cycling Up Water in a Recirculating Cooling Tower System. Go to our blog @ http://h2ote.ch/A6yAL1
CannedWater4Kids 2012 PFMA expo photo pic.twitter.com/4v87XrDa
Check out this months newsletter on Measuring and Controlling dissolved solids in your boiler water system @ http://h2ote.ch/xshbFv
Check out our Technical Library which contains the best boiler, cooling and wastewater treatment articles we find @ http://h2ote.ch/ugdosG
Listening to Dean Amhaus from The Water Council speak at the Green Energy Summit in Milwaukee.
Check out our Technical Library which contains the best boiler, cooling and wastewater treatment articles we find @ http://h2ote.ch/ugdosG
Is your cooling system operating at optimal level of cycles? Check your system’s performance with our ROI calculator http://h2ote.ch/ypGjDV
Be sure to check out our ROI calculator in order to see if your cooling tower is using water efficiently by going to http://h2ote.ch/ypGjDV
Dr. Murali Vedula will be hosting events at UW-Milwaukee 4 World Water Day! A documentary screening, a walk 4 water http://h2ote.ch/xuKA1r
Need tips 4 starting up & maintaining your cooling system? Check this month’s newsletter on cooling system efficiency http://h2ote.ch/Atbw8q
Check out our 3 Keys to Cooling system start-up webinar for a slideshow, informational audio and a start-up checklist @ http://bit.ly/AlkPe0

Enjoy the spring weather this weekend!

Maintaining Cycles of Concentration

2012-03-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

After examining what it means to "cycle up" water in a recirculating cooling tower system, last week our blog dealt with the system's Cycles of Concentration. Your water treatment specialist can help you determine what the maximum number of cycles is for your system. Once that is determined, the best method for maintaining this maximum number of cycles is an automatic control system that controls the tower water to a predetermined level of total dissolved solids. Conductivity is an easy measurement that correlates well to total dissolved solids. As the level of total dissolved solids cycles up through evaporation, an automatic conductivity controller can energize a blowdown valve based on a conductivity set point. This allows highly concentrated recirculating cooling water to be sent to the drain. As low conductivity make up water refills the system, it dilutes out the recirculating water and maintains the cycles of concentration at a preset level.

A cooling tower allows the user to reuse, recycle and reduce water consumption. As a result, cycles of concentration play a big part in minimizing water usage and maximizing water conservation for these systems. The higher the cycles of concentration, the less water that is lost from the system in the form of blowdown. Small increases in the cycles of concentration can mean huge savings in:

daily makeup water
bleed water volumes
associated water costs
chemical treatment costs

To site an example:
A 5000 gpm recirculating cooling water system with a 10 degree F water temperature drop through the tower is operating at 3 cycles of concentration but could safely operate at 4 cycles. That tower would use 3,000,000 gallons of fresh makeup water more than necessary in a year's time if operating 24/7, 350 days a year. Correspondingly, the bleed volume would increase by the same amount. Based on today's ever-increasing water and sewer costs, that could amount to a significant and unnecessary operating cost expenditure, not to mention using more of our precious water resource than necessary.

Maximizing and controlling your cycles of concentration can go a long way in positively effecting your bottom line. Check out how your system is operating by using our ROI calculator!

Cycles of Concentration in a Cooling Water System

2012-03-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

In previous blog posts, we have discussed what dissolved solids are and what circumstances lead to their creation. Last week, our blog dealt with "cycling up" water in a recirculating cooling tower system. As the water is "cycled up" and the mineral concentration increases, some of the minerals become so concentrated that they reach their saturation point and begin to come out of solution - that is, they start to "scale" out and can form extremely hard and insulating deposits on heat transfer surfaces. Because of this potential occurence, a properly operated water treatment program should allow the water to be "cycled up" to a maximum number of cycles without forming the energy-robbing deposits. Your water treatment provider can look at your makeup water quality and water conditions in order to determine the maximum number of cycles that a specific recirculating cooling water system can safely operate at. An effective water treatment program should also control corrosion, maximizing your assets' useful life. In addition, special attention must be given to the microbiological control program as public health and safety must be the highest priority when operating these systems.

Makeup water quality is a major factor to be taken into account when determining maximum cycles of concentration for a cooling tower system. Other factors include:

maximum temperature
system metallurgy
contaminant loading
control capabilities

Once the maximum allowable cycles of concentration is determined, the goal would be to run as close to the maximum without going over. Remember, when you go over the maximum allowable cycles of concentration for a system, the chances of creating scale deposition on heat transfer surfaces is increased considerably.

How do you control and maintain the maximum number of cycles of concentration? Our blog next week will explain.

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-03-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

Check out this months newsletter on Measuring and Controlling dissolved solids in your boiler water system @ http://h2ote.ch/xshbFv
Attending today's Water Council meeting @Carroll College. Looking forward to seeing whats new.
Great to see students from UW-Whitewater at today's Water Council meeting.
Be sure to check out our ROI calculator to see if your water cooling system is using water efficiently by going to http://h2ote.ch/ypGjDV

Have a great weekend!! Enjoy the snow!

Cycling Up Water in a Recirculating Cooling Tower System

2012-02-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

The FUNCTION of a cooling tower is to reduce the temperature of an open recirculating cooling water stream so that the water can be reused. The main PURPOSE of a cooling tower is to conserve water.

A cooling tower is a heat rejection device that cools the water by evaporation. This is accomplished by recirculating water and passing ambient air through it. Heat energy is removed through this evaporation process, thus dropping the temperature of the remaining recirculating water. Approximately 970 BTU's are removed from the recirculating water for every pound of water that is evaporated. As the water evaporates in a cooling tower system, it leaves behind all of the dissolved solids that were present in the fresh makeup water used to replenish system losses (due to evaporation and system bleed). Remember that only water evaporates - any dissolved solids or suspended solids that remain behind in the water become more concentrated as additional water is evaporated. As the concentration of dissolved solids builds up in the recirculating water, it is said to be "cycling up". Here is an example: Our makeup water has a dissolved solids concentration of 500 ppm. If we allow the dissolved solids in this water to concentrate up in an open recirculating water loop to 1500 ppm, we would be running at 3 cycles of concentration.

What happens when some of the minerals that make up the dissolved solids reach their saturation point? We will investigate that situation in our blog next week.

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-02-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

As this article from Waukesha Patch explains water issues rarely have a simple fix. http://h2ote.ch/x33ABG
Check out this month's newsletter on Measuring and Controlling dissolved solids in your boiler water system @ http://2ote.ch/xshbFv
H2OMilwaukee wins another Water Prize for innovative water solutions. More good work coming from Milwaukee & WI. http://2ote.ch/zuljtB
To learn how to navigate through our blog posts and view previous posts, check out today's blog @ http://h2ote.ch/x2zTU5
Nice story about students @MSOE helping a local homeless shelter conserve water.
Check out our Technical Library which contains the best boiler, cooling and wastewater treatment articles we find @ http://h2ote.ch/ugdosG
Be sure to take a look at our ROI calculator to see if your cooling tower is using water efficiently by going to: http://h2ote.ch/ypGjDV

Thanks for checking out our blog - we appreciate your support. Have a great weekend!

Navigating our Blog

2012-02-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

Recently we have had inquiries about search and storage capabilities of our Watertech blog. The question was asked if someone could refer to a previous blog or if they have to save a blog on their own system. Good News! All of the info on Watertech's blog is archived and categorized so that it is available to you 24/7 - whenever you need it! Here's how it works:

First of all, our blog is a page on our website. To access Watertech's blog, simply go to our website at www.watertechusa.com and click on the 'blog' tab. If you look on the right side of the page under the subscribe options, you will see the following:

If you see the post you need, simply click on it to access it. Or if you know when it was posted, click on the month and it will bring up all of the posts for that month. (The number in parenthesis is the total number of posts for that period of time.)

More likely, the TOPIC is what you want to search on. No problem...

Click on the topic you are looking for and all of the posts relating to that topic will be shown. Again, the number after each label is the number of posts made on that topic.

One other way to search is to simply type in the topic you are looking for in the 'search' box (located under the list of labels):

Watertech's blog is a user friendly resource that captures all of the information you need related to your water treatment responsibilities. Think of it as your go-to reference site - Take advantage of it!!

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-02-17T06:28:00.000-08:00

Way to go Lana, Aly, Emily & Tamara! SILVER in the Relay! We are so proud of Team USA!
We are proud to announce our next project- St. Francis School for the Blind Latrine and Water Storage Project - Uganda http://goo.gl/eXzEX
An informative article on the importance of consistency when doing preventive maintenance to your water systems http://h2ote.ch/wIMo1A
Check out our February Newsletter to get important tips for saving water, energy & time with efficient water systems! http://h2ote.ch/xshbFv
Enjoyed the screening of 'The Balanced Equation' documentary yesterday. Clean drinking water is a luxury we all take for granted!

Automatic Blowdown Controllers

2012-02-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we began a series of posts on Boiler Blowdown and explained the 2 methods: Bottom Blowdown and Surface Blowdown. Our series continued with Bottom Blowdown Systems and the Steps to Bottom Blowing a Boiler. The last couple of posts have dealt with Dissolved Solids and the way a Surface Blowdown System works. We end the Boiler Blowdown series today talking about how an automatic blowdown controller aids in controlling dissolved solids and the advantage of using this automation.

As we mentioned in our last post, most boilers operate with a fluctuating steam load - because of that fluctuation, controlling dissolved solids with a needle valve becomes impractical. This is where an automatic blowdown controller is invaluable. It is installed with a conductivity sensor placed in the surface blowdown line. The sensor and controller monitor the boiler water dissolved solids' concentration. The controller can open and close the motorized ball valve on the skimmer line for measuring purposes on a timed cycle. If the boiler water dissolved solids concentration is higher than a predetermined setpoint, it will remain open until it comes down to the recommended level.

Other systems may use both a needle valve and an automatic blowdown controller. A small portion of boiler water is continuously removed through the needle valve while the automatic system "trims" the conductivity to the correct level. Some control systems can even modulate the surface blowdown valve to maintain the conductivity with very strict tolerances. But for peak efficiency with minimal operator time, AUTOMATIC surface blowdown is the method of choice.

This concludes our series on Boiler Blowdown. We hope that some of the information and tips on controlling suspended and dissolved solids we provided will help you maintain and extend the life and efficiency of your boiler.

Weekly Twitter Posts

2012-02-13T13:18:00.000-08:00

Just enjoyed my first sip of cannedwater4kids. Great to hear about what this Wisconsin based charity is doing. http://ow.ly/i/rwH1
According to author Charles Fishman, in four days the United States uses more water than the world uses oil in a year! World Water Day 3/22
Here's a video showing small changes in your daily routine that can lead to drastic decreases in water consumption. http://h2ote.ch/yfKzqr
Today's Blog: How a surface blowdown system works .http://h2ote.ch/AbBaMx
The Watertech USA Technical Library: A great resource for articles about boiler, cooling & wastewater treatment.
The Packers may not have been in the Superbowl but it was still a green event.

How a Surface Blowdown System Works

2012-02-08T06:25:00.000-08:00

As we discussed in last week's blog, learning how to control dissolved solids in your boiler system by surface blowdown can save time and money. Today we will look at how a typical surface blowdown system works.

Surface blowdown systems typically consist of a pipe entering the upper section of the boiler approximately 6 inches below the boiler water surface. This may be in a steam drum in a water tube boiler or the upper steaming portion of a firetube boiler. This pipe needs to remain below the water level at all times when the boiler is operating. The flow of boiler water from the "skimmer" pipe is controlled using a special pressure rated "needle" valve or flow throttling valve designed for this purpose. Some of these "skimmer" valves have built in micrometers so that the valve setting can be monitored and adjusted precisely. Operators simply adjust this valve to maintain the recommended boiler water dissolved solids level. This may be an adequate method of controlling dissolved solids in a boiler that is operated at a steady load. However, because most boilers operate with a fluctuating steam load, controlling dissolved solids with a needle valve becomes impractical because of the frequent adjustments that are needed. In these situations, automatic blowdown controllers are recommended. We will cover the advantages of using these controllers in next week's blog which will end our series on Boiler Blowdown.

Weekly Twitter posts

2012-02-03T05:45:00.000-08:00

Help a local water charity cannedwater4kids make an impact on the global water crisis. http://h2ote.ch/yavwYI
Article on why it is important to consider water conservation in your supply chain & how it can affect your success http://h2ote.ch/wc55W0
Keep up the hard work Aly!!! RT Aly Dudek: Umm, -11 degrees today when we left for the rink. Just a tad cold in Russia.
More water innovation from Milwaukee thanks to H2OScore and Badger Meter. http://h2ote.ch/wDRpxU
Graphene: The perfect water filter? Interesting innovation. Will be interesting to see if it works commercially. http://h2ote.ch/xJPQJt
An Article from our Technical Public Library giving several tips on how to save energy through your water systems http://h2ote.ch/xr8Ja1

That's it for the week - Happy Super Bowl weekend!

Measuring and Controlling Dissolved Solids

2012-02-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

Last week, our blog dealt with surface blowdown and how this process is used to remove dissolved solids from a steam boiler. In order to control these solids, they have to be measured. A conductivity meter which reads in Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) or in Conductivity (micromhos) is the instrument to use. As the dissolved solids' concentration goes up, the TDS or Conductivity reading increases proportionately. Your water treatment company can help you set surface blowdown conductivity control limits that maintain the dissolved solids in a safe, economical range.

It is important to understand the importance of controlling high AND low concentrations of dissolved solids in your boiler. Just as having a HIGH concentration can have disasterous effects on equipment, LOW dissolved solids concentration indicates that excessive amounts of boiler water are being lost. Water can be very expensive - it has been purchased and:

treated with pretreatment equipment
treated with chemical
fuel has been purchased to heat it
you may have to pay again to discharge the blowdown to a municipality or your own wastewater treatment system

So, as you can see, minimizing surface blowdown goes a long way in maintaining a cost effective operation.