Our B2B Water Treatment Services in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Managing a commercial facility — whether a brewery, automotive company or health care center — is a hefty undertaking. Unfortunately, with the sheer number of other responsibilities to juggle, industrial water system treatment tends to land on the back burner. By delegating this task to a professional water treatment provider, you can focus on other organizational aspects that command your attention.
At Chardon Laboratories, we offer all-inclusive commercial water treatment plans in Chattanooga and throughout Tennessee. We'll help you customize a chemical treatment program that keeps your systems efficient and your energy bills down.
Cooling Tower Water Treatment
Many buildings rely on cooling towers for efficient temperature control, including hospitals, food processing centers and manufacturing factories. However, it's not uncommon for cooling towers to experience the following issues:
1. Bacterial Growth
Your cooling tower's humid environment makes it a breeding ground for algae and fungi. Bacteria can present health risks for those in your facility. It can also lead to fouling and corrosion of interior cooling tower surfaces.
Legionella bacteria is particularly concerning in these water systems. It spreads through airborne droplets, potentially causing a type of pneumonia called Legionnaire’s disease when inhaled.
At Chardon Labs, we implement rigorous measures to control microbiological growth:
- Collecting and analyzing cooling tower water samples for bacterial contamination
- Creating and proposing a customized chemical treatment plan based on these lab results
- Assessing treatment plan outcomes and adjusting as needed
2. Corrosion
Corrosion usually results from a chemical reaction in the cooling tower's metal, water or ambient air. There are two types of corrosion. General corrosion spreads over the entire metal surface, while pitting causes more severe corrosion in one area.
Corrosion eats away at the metal over time. It causes pits and holes that can spiral into larger issues, such as leakage, pipe blockages and equipment failure.
Chardon integrates these methods to minimize corrosion in cooling towers:
- Inhibitor chemicals: Our proprietary corrosion inhibitors stifle chemical reactions that cause corrosion. We'll help you select and apply the appropriate chemicals to your water system.
- Epoxy coatings: An epoxy layer creates a barrier between the cooling tower water and metal, hindering corrosion.
- pH control: Between our specialized chemicals and state-of-the-art equipment, we'll help you regulate and monitor your water's pH levels to ensure it's within the neutral, noncorrosive range.
3. Scaling
Scale is a white substance with a chalk-like consistency. It stems from dissolved mineral buildup in the cooling tower water, such as calcium, magnesium and silica. Like corrosion, scale can block tubes, decrease efficiency and damage equipment.
Our Chardon experts incorporate various strategies to mitigate scale formation in cooling towers:
- Chemical treatments: We'll help you choose and administer the proper scale inhibitor chemicals. We also monitor and adjust them as necessary to ensure they don't exceed solubility limits.
- Conductivity monitoring: To prevent calcium buildup and scaling, our ISO 9000-certified technicians will keep your process water's conductivity within a suitable range.
- Blowdown removal: This process extracts water with high mineral content from your cooling tower, lowering the risk of scale development.
If you're looking for cooling tower treatment near you, Chardon Labs offers comprehensive solutions in Chattanooga. Whether you're dealing with the above issues or want to implement a more robust prevention plan, our knowledgeable technicians are ready to work with you.
Closed Loop Water Treatment
Many commercial facilities use closed loop water systems for industrial heating and cooling. Closed loops hold process water in pipes, which helps reduce air exposure and retain water volume and quality.
However, closed loop systems can be as vulnerable to corrosion issues as their open loop counterparts. Sludge and other harmful deposits can develop without routine monitoring and maintenance.
For example, iron oxide particles can bind and accumulate on different parts of the system, like coils, pipes and heat transfer surfaces. Undetected leaks could be present in your closed loop, exposing the system to oxygen and spurring bacteria and corrosion. Additionally, unregulated pH levels can lead to microbiological growth.
Your closed loop system could be gradually corroding without you knowing it, wasting water, energy and money. But fear not — Chardon Labs provides high-quality closed loop water treatment services in Chattanooga. Our solutions include:
- Chemical applications. We apply chemical compounds to regulate pH levels, eliminate oxygen from the water and optimize dissolved solids in the system. These chemicals work together to impede the spread of corrosion on metal closed loop surfaces. We also use chemicals that form barriers over metal components, further protecting your closed loop from corrosion.
- Flushing and cleaning. Our specialists use a robust cleaning and flushing process to reduce scaling and corrosion in closed loop systems. This strategy filters out harmful iron deposits and uses a decontaminating biocide solution.
- Glycol additives. Your closed loop might require a glycol solution, depending on its surrounding climate. Glycol helps prevent fluid freezes and pipe bursts, promoting smooth water flow in your system. We typically use ethylene glycol in closed loops, unless potable water contact or food processing applications are involved. Of course, glycol won't stop corrosion on its own, which is why we supplement this solution with inhibitor chemicals.
- Ongoing maintenance. To ensure efficient heat transfer and keep your closed loop free of foreign particles, we perform a variety of routine maintenance measures. These include pH inspections, filter changes, system flushes and conductivity testing. We also use state-of-the-art equipment like biocide feeders and pH probes to monitor water quality.
Water Treatment Chemicals We Use
We use a range of chemical compounds to thwart corrosion, bacteria and scale in cooling towers and closed loop systems. Your treatment plan may involve one or more of these chemical solutions, depending on your unique water system needs:
- Pretreatment chemicals: Our pretreatment chemicals stimulate two key phases of the decontamination process. These include foreign matter removal, also called precleaning, and promoting the development of an inhibiting film, also called prefilming. Pretreating your water preps surfaces for corrosion inhibitor chemicals.
- Corrosion inhibitors: Our inhibitor chemicals minimize metal and fluid contact to prevent scale, rust and corrosion.
- Antifoaming chemicals: Biocide overfeeding and other factors can create foam in your water system. We use antifoaming chemicals to eliminate excess foam from your closed loop or cooling tower. These chemicals rupture bubbles across the water's surface.
- Oxidizing biocides: Our oxidizing biocides attack bacteria in process water using an electron transfer reaction.
- Nonoxidizing biocides: Nonoxidizing biocides typically help with pH regulation, bacteria control and water quality maintenance.
Contact Our Water Treatment Experts in Chattanooga
Proactive planning and maintenance are critical to keep different issues from infiltrating your water system. When you choose Chardon Labs as your commercial water treatment provider, you'll receive a comprehensive plan fully tailored to your facility's needs. This program includes:
- A free initial evaluation of your closed loop or cooling tower.
- A customized chemical treatment plan to manage scaling, corrosion and bacteria.
- Filter changes, pH testing and other routine upkeep.
- Regular flushing and cleaning services.
- Continued maintenance at a fixed annual cost.
To schedule a complimentary survey of your water system, connect with one of our specialists today.
