Cooling tower systems by design can be susceptible to dirt and debris and requires regular maintenance to stop the build up of debris. This debris can harbor different microbial organisms like Legionella pneumophila as well as provide nutrients for the bacteria to proliferate. They can enter the system through the fan at the top of the tower and cause damage to the tower sump, the tower fill as well as get into the water.
In a plastics facility in northern Indiana, this was happening regularly. Dirt and other particulates would get into the water through cultivation and plowing of nearby farms. This was causing problems within the tower system like heat transfer inefficiencies, dirty tower sumps and clogged filters. Having dirt and other particulates clogging up lines in plastics applications can be particularly costly with inefficiencies and even shutdowns.
This plastics facility was using an automated strainer to remove the dirt, but it was not solving the problem or preventing clogs. Chardon recommended installing a centrifugal separator to filter out his excess dirt and debris from the system. Chardon’s centrifugal separators can be a custom fit to a system with a variety of pipe diameters and metals and are highly effective at cleaning a system of debris.
Having filtration installed is very important to cooling tower operation and lifespan. Keeping cooling tower basins clean is vital to also prevent corrosion and blockage in the system. In extreme cases where the system is neglected, a dirty cooling tower can even require a replacement tower. Yearly cooling tower cleanings are recommended to help control these problems, particularly the control of Legionella bacteria.
Centrifugal separators are highly efficient at solving problems with particulate build up, especially in cooling tower applications. Within plastics specifically, preventing line clogs is crucial and can prevent shutdowns of production. This is how centrifugal separators work:
At this plastics facility in northern IN, the separator eliminated the debris from the cooling tower water. This process drastically improved the water quality in the system in a matter of weeks. The particulates were removed consistently and the clogs and build up in the basin were eliminated. The centrifugal separator was so effective that this facility installed new separators at their other locations to keep water clean in those systems as well.
Chardon has installed these separators in a variety of systems across various industries and have seen incredible results for removing particulates from the water. With today’s industry standards on Legionella control, having a reliable separator system to prevent a nutrient-rich harboring place for bacteria is vital.
Contact us today to learn more about Chardon’s separators and cooling tower treatment in plastics!
