MAINTENANCE Checking cooling systems
are ready for winter Dave Palmer, general manager for the UK at ICS Cool Energy talks about the importance of having a water treatment plan for winter and why it’s not just about adding glycol.
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n today’s competitive business, minimising operating cost and mitigating risk while keeping focused on energy effi ciency and delivering the temperature control a business needs to keep running and succeed is important. Experienced plant and facility managers know that deferring regular maintenance to save money in the near-term is a poor practice and will likely cost the organization more in the long-term. Delaying the maintenance of complex process cooling applications places crucial assets at risk for more extensive damages and costlier repairs in the future. Decreased system life, decreased reliability, increased failure rates, and increased downtime are typical byproducts of deferring maintenance to later dates. In this article we want to address the steps needed to prepare your temperature control equipment for the inevitable winter, but a good practice that helps maximise investment is to have a proactive maintenance plan customized to the process needs and all times of the year.
Getting ready for winter It may seem that during winter, the demands
on the chiller plant system are lower, but the production in industrial applications hardly ever stops and cold weather can create added pressures on the equipment situated outside. Autumn is the perfect time for a thorough
review of the system and to apply the right proactive maintenance measures to avoid costly
12 October 2023 •
www.acr-news.com
interruptions or downtime when temperatures drop signifi cantly and things go wrong. In-depth reviews of your systems will also allow you to consider technologies and ways in which your system could be enhanced to reduce operating costs and increase performance. Let’s look at some of the elements that need to be addressed when preparing for winter.
Water treatment, glycol dosage, its quantity and quality
Cooling systems depend on the fl uid circulating within the equipment. A right water treatment plan is essential for the longevity, effi ciency and reliability of the process equipment. In winter, glycol, or anti-freeze is important to
lower the freezing point in the application of the chilling system and prevent the fl uid inside the system from freezing. However, it’s not merely about adding glycol. Utilising the correct glycol concentration is essential, but it’s quality matters just as much. It goes without saying never to use automotive antifreeze, as it is formulated for engine cooling and can cause problems with fl ow rates/ pressures and reduced heat transfer. Uninhibited glycol and water mixtures are very
corrosive, hence inhibited type plays a crucial role in ensuring the fl uid in your system doesn’t freeze and the pipework doesn’t corrode. Inhibitors protect against corrosion, scale and rust and act as a pH buff er and a biocide. It’s best never to use less than 25% Glycol, which will ensure that
an adequate quantity of inhibitors is present and protect you from the winter freeze. Going below this threshold makes it a feeding ground for bacteria. It’s also important not to mix diff erent types of glycol or diff erent brands. Incompatibilities can lead to formula separation which clogs fi lters, strainers and pump suctions as well as reducing its transfer properties. Over-mixing can also cause problems so it’s best to use only the glycol concentration necessary to protect the equipment. Adding just glycol to a system isn’t enough when it comes to treating your water. The chilled water system must be fl ushed, cleaned and sanitised prior to adding a new water/glycol solution.
Selection of the appropriate water treatment
also isn’t a once-size-fi ts-all matter. While there are Continued on page 14
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