Cooling Tower Safety and Maintenance
Adjusting Debris Management Water Treatment and procedures are essential for cooling tower safety and efficiency
The following is an important reminder of the need for all businesses that use cooling towers, adopt and keep diligent in their maintenance program and cleaning. Why? because what is at stake is a business, work and health protection, corporate reputation and operational efficiency, which can be significantly influenced by uncertainState of a cooling tower only.
In 2001, one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, experienced a tragedy when four of its facilities maintenance personnel ill with pneumonia-like symptoms that eventually claimed the lives of the two. The reason – legionnaires 'disease' caused by Legionella bacteria discovered in one of the producers process cooling towers. The company moved shortly thereafter to conduct a "root cause analysis" for the inspection of cooling towers to identify the world, such systems have beenmaintained and best practices to determine maintenance. This led to the creation of a global observatory and maintenance procedures, that such a tragedy will never be repeated in the company guided safely.
Legionnaires as a tragedy can happen
It 's interesting that when someone becomes ill with a cooling tower uncertain, it is usually not a result of a company glaring deficiency, but this is usually the result of a company with a clear understandingneed for water management program in accordance with an effective cooling tower maintenance program and debris. Although it may seem obvious that if the amount of waste in a cooling tower biocide dosage determined exceeds the demand placed on the dosage should be consumed quickly and has little effect on bioactivity. In other words, it appears debris and biological activity in a cooling tower to exceed the dosage of chemicals. And 'knownand recalled that the cooling tower air purifiers are highly efficient, all passes a cooling tower is likely to be caught in its design and suck-in.
When organic waste, such as poplar seeds, leaves, pollen, grass, birds and their droppings, etc. entering the water and decompose, along with the relatively warm water temperatures, producing a rich environment for bacterial growth, including Legionella. It 'alsoimportant to recognize that if the amount exceeds the debris decomposing ability to provide chemical dosing to control the cooling tower noise rise further dose hazardous chemicals. The fact is that it is easy to develop for companies to ensure the safety of a false sense of water or air, because they have hired a water treatment plant to provide service to their treatment dose of cooling towers are safe because they have orensure the tower is safe. In any case, the waste management does not comply with the doses of water treatment, and be made if a part of maintenance, there is a greater likelihood that the tower at a health risk and safety. No matter how big or small a company or a cooling tower, including Legionella bacteria is not an inconvenience – it will grow poorly managed in each cooling tower!
An obvious question
"What'snecessary relationship of water treatment, remains in the cooling tower to ensure the load, cooling tower safe? "Even if the demand is obvious, the answer is no. Organic debris is collected in cooling towers in different concentrations depending on location and time of the year. Any dirt places another demand on biocides and scale inhibitors as water in it, so there are no known conditions that are constant for each coolingTower. But it is safe to say that if you work hard to ensure maintenance calls in particular for the prevention of organic dirt, the periodic cooling tower or transferred, more water treatment chemicals will lead to guarantee him the '. Some might say: "to ensure the tower load of chemicals for safety, but federal and state EPA guidelines to limit the amount and type of chemicals that can be used and therefore the use of chemical weaponsTreatment alone is not the solution. Moreover, the addition of chemicals to counteract the poor maintenance practices is a link that blow down valves do little to prevent dirt and clogging of the bed, filters, coolers and heat exchangers, and can ultimately lead to problems of safety and health and poor performance of the unit. Although the response to chemical compounds in ruins appears to be a response to ensure a cooling tower is crystalline andIn short – "Keep the cooling tower free of dirt and provides a good water treatment program and your cooling tower is an effective and safe to use." It may seem simplistic, but in reality if you keep the debris cooling tower will break the bacterial food chain support. If you have additional chemicals that treat the water to create an environment not conducive to dwelling bacteria. In short, if you eliminate foodand shelter for the bacteria, not to take up residence in your cooling tower!
Keeping a safe distance from cooling tower
In recent years, ASHRAE recommendations for excellent maintenance of the cooling tower as a guideline 12 has established itself known. In addition, maintenance tips, but also requires the establishment of procedures can be measured. Although the ASHRAE guidelines are excellent, the company must also consider the economic and operating conditions of eachThe maintenance procedures for their use. As the old proverb says: "There are more than one way to skin a cat." If the maintenance is often cumbersome and complicated, often leads to more downtime, increased productivity and maintenance costs. Moreover, the natural tendency for people to take shortcuts to quickly reach an unpleasant work – often with unsatisfactory results. Conversely, if the intervals are too long between maintenance, can be cheaper effective, but the cooling tower during each interval can be less than desirable, and potentially the city's maintenance workers, employees, tenants and the public at risk. So the answer is certainly somewhere in the middle, where treatment and management of the rubble of the tower meet.
Companies today have many ways to make the waste management, covering a wide range of technology-based water filtration and air intake filtration technology.> Filtration of water can help manage the shipment and other debris, after the cooling water under the air intake filtration technology is extremely effective to stop the dirt from the air in the tower by filtering the air in the IT system. . Furthermore, filtration of the intake air cooling systems in glycol-based systems are used and other air-cooled condenser for dirt in the air from the coil to maintain, so that optimum cooling.
In definingWhat will need maintenance and management of technology ruins, it is important to consider first what is the source of contamination. If the source of contamination is water-based (eg, sediment, algae from a pond or river water or high-resolution solid content), water filtration in combination with a good water treatment program is usually the best solution is to protect and heat exchanger cooling and heating of scale and scaling. If on the other hand, the source of pollutionAir locks (Cottonwood seeds, insects, leaves, pine needles, paper, birds and fertilizers, harvest chaff, construction debris, etc.), water filter gives as not to stop them from debris in the cooling tower (in including floods). For issues with debris air is the best solution from the wreck of the system through the filtering technology that prevents the air intake filter air entering the system. Air filter intake in combinationa good water treatment program is very effective in preventing the type of residue, filter clogs screens, blow down valves, fill, chillers and heat exchangers – in short, the air intake to protect the entire system. In extreme cases where water and debris from air is problematic both for both air filtration and water filtration, combined with a good water treatment program can and must keep safe to cooling towerfunction effectively.
Personal Safety
Regardless of the method of maintaining cooling towers is assumed that the security arrangements are an integral part of personal maintenance. Best Practices workers use respirator masks, gloves and protective clothing to prevent exposure to bacteria, including Legionella. Important: the cooling water is not dirty to be dangerous – because the water is clear does not meanpure or free of bacteria – Each tower can harbor bacteria. Always, always take precautions, because if the water is routinely tested for Legionella bacteria and other bacteria never known until it is too late in his presence.
Consider the cost of a patient tower
Companies that take appropriate precautions and do not insist on procedures for cooling tower maintenance work hard not only two of its employees' health and safety risktheir business and reputation. Consider the cost of a single incident cooling tower Legionella:
Reduction in staff morale and productivity through a secure site.
Negative perceptions of customers to buy the company and his desire for goods and services, should an outbreak of legionnaire becomes public. (Especially risky for food processors and related)
Loss of income for families when a loved one falls ill or dies of Legionella.
The high cost of litigation, which canto follow.
credit insurance subsidiaries where there are higher due to illness or death job.
Compared to the costs of a proactive maintenance initiative of events before, when viewed individually or collectively contribute overwhelmingly listed costs.
Follow a Leader
You may be wondering just how big carmakers recalled the beginning of a tragic situation and turned it into a world class maintenance program. They made a mistakeCommittee on Administration and sponsored by the Executive, there were guidelines mandate with the responsibility to work with consultants, professional water treatment and reporting service to create a team of water-management program includes overall responsibility for certain maintenance tasks , maintenance methods and procedures, maintenance planning, management and installation level. The representative of each plant is compared with a regional representative,Report activities and results of the monitoring committee. The establishment of the Committee and the supervision of the network of global governance ensures consistency of their plus, which gives him a vehicle to rapidly implement changes and improvements, continuous improvement of its water, management of the overall program.
It is not Rocket Science
It requires only that companies start cooling towers with step-up to the plate "andongoing maintenance procedures, proactive adaptation effective management technology rubble with water proof and effective treatment techniques, because if these elements are in alignment, the result is a safe, healthy and efficient functioning.
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April 10, 2010 8:51 pm
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