Effect of brackish water on equipment
Effect of brackish water on equipment
(OP)
Would anyone be willing to lend an opinion of brackish water effects on machinery, such as compressors for air-cooled chillers? I am talking about if they have been at least partially submerged in brackish flood waters for 3-4 days. I have seen systems work after the fact; however, I am uncertain as to whether my above example would warrant replacement of such a system.





RE: Effect of brackish water on equipment
While doing deckhand duty on a tugboat in the Gulf of Mexico I remember seeing the deck equipment exposed to the elements looking quite crusty. Up North I watch how road salt rots your car out from under you if you don't get those weekly car washes.
Maybe the equipment doesn't need replacing (yet), but it's certainly time for a good fresh water flushing and hosing it down with preservative to protect what you've got left.
TygerDawg
RE: Effect of brackish water on equipment
If terminal boxes and other enclosures are only "drip proof", they may be full of water, or mud, or critters.
"Water proof" enclosures generally are only water proof from the inside out, not from the outside in, so they may be full too.
Once water gets into one box, it can move to others through conduits.
Corrosion tends to increase the resistence of connections and contactor contacts, so even if things work right after the flood, they may die later.
If there was some kind of conductive material in the water, it may have formed semi-conductive paths on circuit boards.
Mud and gunk can block vents and exhaust holes on things like pressure switches, pneumatic valves and pressure operated unloaders. It can wear seals on moving things.
RE: Effect of brackish water on equipment
Was the equipment designed to be submerged in brackish waters? If not, then there is a good chance that the salt will corrode the metal.
Reidh
RE: Effect of brackish water on equipment
RE: Effect of brackish water on equipment
The balance you have to strike depends on the relative costs of downtime, maintenance time, replacement parts, and replacement systems.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Effect of brackish water on equipment