Scale on Cooling tower fins

[upte1]

Excess build up of white scale on the cooling tower fins? What is the predominant cause?

 

[nh33fan]

hard water you need a chemical co. to treat your water to get scale off then maintain you water and the proper ph and conductivity levels. Hope yhis answers your question. Its just like owning a swimming pool you have to keep the water treated.

 

[imok2]

The total dissolved solids are too high, nomally you need to keep the cycles of concentration at about 2 other wise you get calium carbonate buildup such as you describe. for a better understanding of this process go here:

http://www.filterswater.com/technical-information/conversion factors TDS.pdf

 

[quark]

If the scale looks to be formed of small globules, and is easy to remove physically (as far as you reach), it is generally magnesium silicate. There are many parameters involved that influence this mechanism. You can reduce the scale forming tendency by chemical treatment. Contact Nalco and the likes.

 

[Yorkman]

Double check the calibration and blow down point of your T.D.S. meter. When Total Disolved Solids reach 1200-1500 p.p.m. a controller should have energized a blow down solenoid. If the solenoid is malfuntioning or the line is plugged up the solids will continue to build, this not only affects cooling tower capacity but will also foul any heat exchangers in that system. One why to identify a fouled condenser is to look at the approach and the delta t on the water side. High approaches with a small delta t could be an idication that the tubes are fouled. The approach of the cooling tower is also a good way to see how well your tower is rejecting heat. Just a few things to consider.

I'm not a real engineer, but I play one on T.V.
A.J. Gest, York Int.