Advantages of SST-60 Resin Back to Previous Page >

Shallow Shell Technology Resins

The Purolite SST family of high efficiency ion exchange resins is based on Shallow Shell Technology. Under a microscope, Purolite SST resins look very different from other resins. Thats because the resins have inert centers. Only the outer shell is functional-ized which shorten the ion exchange diffusion path. This leads to more efficient ion exchange and regeneration, providing higher capacities, lower leakages and better handling of iron and organic foulants.

In todays increasing need for performance and lower operating costs Purolite SST enables a more complete regeneration and provides a higher, more efficient utilization of the regenerant. The result is a family of resins with unsurpassed regenerant efficiency, lower leakage, and reduced rinse water requirements. When compared to conventional softening or demineralization resins, regenerant cost reductions of 20 to 50% is often possi-ble without sacrificing capacity or increasing leakages.

Purolite SST ADVANTAGES Higher Recovered Capacity

Lower Leakages at All Regenerant Levels

Better Iron Removal

Lower Rinse Requirements

No equipment Modifications Needed

Excellent For High TDS Waters

Shorter Regeneration Cycles

Superior Physical Strength

More Resistant to Oxidation

Lower Iron and Organic Fouling

Facts About Iron Filters Back to Previous Page >

Alternatives for Iron Removal

An iron problem is characterized by the red-brown staining of bathroom fixtures and laundry. In well water, iron usually occurs in its ferrous state. The water is clear when drawn but once exposed to air the iron changes into a ferric (oxidized) state. The water turns red and forms insoluble rust particles. Staining can be caused by as little as 0.3 milligrams per litre (mg/L). Depending on the iron concentration there are several solutions to this aggravating water problem.

Iron Bacteria

Often an iron problem is the direct result of an infestation of iron bacteria. Although these bacteria do not present a health hazard, they stain fixtures, can clog pipes and valves, and make the water unpalatable. The best control can often be accomplished by shock chlorination. Shock chlorination is the direct treatment of a well and water system with 15 to 20 L of chlorine bleach. This strong chlorine solution is held in the well and water system for at least eight hours before being flushed out. Shock chlorination wont solve the problem permanently, but it will usually keep the bacteria in check. This procedure should be carried out before selecting iron removal equipment. Shock chlorination in spring and fall is recommended for the continued successful operation of any water treatment equipment.

Continuous chlorination of the well, using dry pellets or liquid chlorine, is another option. Occasionally this treatment may be needed when iron bacteria cannot be effectively controlled by shock chlorination.

1. Air Injection (See Terminator System and Birm)

These iron filters use the oxygen in the air to oxidize the iron in the water. A small venturi type air injector is installed between the pump and pressure tank to draw the air into the water. The iron oxidizes to form rust particles which are then strained out by a filter. These filters have worked very well, and are presently replacing the manganese greensand filter in the market place. Some companies selling these units claim iron removal capability up to 30 ppm of iron. High iron situations often require extra equipment, such as retention tanks, air release valves, and air mixing devices. Conditions for use include: adequate pump and well capacity for backwash and air injector operation, adequate time for iron to oxidize before passing through the filter, proper adjustment of the air injector.

2. Manganese Greensand Iron Filter (See Manganese Greensand System)

The manganese greensand iron filter used to be the most common iron removal device. It can be used successfully for iron concentrations up to approximately 6 mg/L. Iron is oxidized by a coating on the manganese greensand. The greensand must be periodically regenerated with potassium permanganate to replenish the oxygen on the greensand. Continued successful operation requires an availability at least 20 L per minute flow for proper backwash, pH above seven, and regular regeneration. Failure to regenerate often enough can ruin the filter media.

3. Water Softener

A water softener will generally remove up to 3 mg/L of iron. The iron must be in the ferrous (clear water) state or the iron will damage the softener resin. Care must be taken if a softener is used to remove iron because iron tends to clog and foul the softener resin. A resin cleaning compound must be used regularly to protect the resin. The most common resin cleaning compounds contain sodium hydrosulfite or phosphoric acid. Some water softener salt contains a resin cleaner.

5. Chlorination-Filtration

Another system for iron removal is chlorination. Chlorination and filtration can remove high concentrations of iron, iron bacteria, and hydrogen sulfide gas. The iron is oxidized by the chlorine. A sediment filter is used to remove the rust particles and an activated carbon filter is used to remove excess chlorine. The pH of the water must be above seven.

6. Aeration, Settling and Filtration

High levels of iron can be removed from water by spraying the water into a storage cistern. The iron is oxidized by spraying it through the air. Some of the resulting iron particles are settled out in the cistern, the rest are filtered out by repumping through a sediment filter. This alternative is particularly useful where the well has a low capacity. Most iron removal equipment requires four to five gallons per minute for proper operation

Water Softeners

Special For The Month!

Best of Business 2009 Water Softener Service Award Quality Water Treatment

Quick Links

Tips and Advice How to Size Your Water Softener How to Install Your Water Softener How Does a Water Softener Work? Tips for Buying A Water Softener Flow Rate Chart Use Traditional Softeners Without Salt Looking For A Clack Softener?

Products on this Page Metered On Demand Water Softeners: SoftPro Elite SoftPro CS1 EE Fleck 2510 Fleck 5600 Fleck 7000SXT

Twin Tank Metered Alternating Water Softeners: Twin Demand 9000 Twin Demand 9100SXT

Salt-Saving, Water-Saving Softeners: Vortech Water Softeners Go Green Fleck 2510SXT

Time Clock Water Softeners: Fleck 5600 Time Clock Fleck 2510 Time Clock

GE Autotrol Metered On Demand Water Softeners: Autotrol 255/ 460i

Articles

Differences Between Big Chain Store Bought Systems And A Professional Water Treatment Dealer What is the difference between Big Store bought water softeners and the water softeners that you carry?

Please use the Size Your Water Softener Calculator. It will appropriately size the water softener system for your needs. It walks you through two simple steps that will guide you through choosing the proper size and explain the pros and cons of each control valve. It's simple and quick.

All Of These Options Are Included At No Additional Charge.

Q. What is a Bypass Valve for?

A. The Bypass valve is needed to put the water softener in bypass and still have water to the house. It's like having insurance it is there if you need it, but is seldom used. Note: if you already have a bypass valve installed in your plumbing system, use the Bypass Valve drop down menu to remove it from your order. This will lower your price by $16.00.

Q. What is a Safety Float?

A. The safety float is an emergency float. Its function is to make sure that the salt tank cannot overflow salt water all over your floor if the injectors on the water softener valve get plugged up. Without the safety float you could have a mess on your hands not to mention possible damage to the floor.

Q. What is a Brine Well for?

A. Brine well isolates the air check valve on the safety float from the rock salt or potassium chloride a substitute for rock salt that is environmentally friendly and healthy for humans from clogging up the air check valve and the water softener valve.

Q. What is a Grid Plate AKA Salt Platform?

A. Grid plate is at the bottom of the salt tank its purpose is to help the salt or potassium chloride from bridging up hardening over the top of the water. When this happens the water cant dissolve the salt so when the water softener regenerates the resin beads will not get charged and your water will be hard.

Q. Why is the 8% Crosslink Resin better?

A. 8% crosslink is more resistant against chlorine than the 6% that most other companies offer. Therefore, the resin is intended to last longer.

Q. Why is an appropriate size mineral a.k.a Resin Tank important?

A. It is important to have a minimum of 12 to 15 of space between the top of the resin bed and the bottom of the control valve so the resin can get lifted and cleaned properly during backwash. If there is not proper space the resin will not perform properly and will go bad quickly. All of our tanks our sized properly and allow the proper 12 to 15 space.

Q. What size Brine Tank should I choose?

A. If you have the floor space choose the round 18x33 brine tank. It is built better than the rectangular and square tanks and holds more salt. We do not charge for the 18x33 brine tanks. Choose the size that is best for your application on our drop down menu. Please note: 64,000 grain capacity water softeners and up will not work properly with smaller brine tanks.

Water Softener Flow Rate Chart

Back to Previous Page >

SoftPro CS1 EE Water Softener Models. All flow rates are based on a 50 PSI feed pressure.

Grain Capacity

GPM Service Flow Rate at 15 PSI Drop 7 gpm

GPM Peak Flow at 20 PSI 9 gpm 11 gpm 14 gpm 18 gpm 22 gpm 23 gpm

24,000

32,000

9 gpm

40,000

12 gpm

48,000

16 gpm

64,000

20 gpm

80,000

21 gpm

5600 Econdominder and 5600 SXT Models. All flow rates are based

on a 50 PSI feed pressure.

Grain Capacity

GPM Service Flow Rate at 15 PSI Drop 6 gpm

GPM Peak Flow at 20 PSI 8 gpm 11 gpm 14 gpm 17 gpm 20 gpm 20 gpm 20 gpm

24,000

32,000

9 gpm

40,000

12 gpm

48,000

15 gpm

64,000

18 gpm

80,000

18 gpm

96,000

18 gpm

2510 Econdominder and 2510 SXT Models. All flow rates are based on a 50 PSI feed pressure.

Grain Capacity

GPM Service Flow Rate at 15 PSI Drop 8 gpm

GPM Peak Flow at 20 PSI 10 gpm 12 gpm 16 gpm 19 gpm 23 gpm 25 gpm

24,000

32,000

10 gpm

40,000

14 gpm

48,000

17 gpm

64,000

21 gpm

80,000

23 gpm

9000 Twin Demand Water Softener 3/4" Meter. All flow rates are based on a 50 PSI feed pressure.

Grain Capacity

GPM Service Flow Rate at 15 PSI Drop

GPM Peak Flow at 20 PSI

24,000

8 gpm

10 gpm 12 gpm 16 gpm 19 gpm 23 gpm 25 gpm 26 gpm

32,000

10 gpm

40,000

14 gpm

48,000

17 gpm

64,000

21 gpm

80,000

23 gpm

110,000

24 gpm

Fleck 7000 SXT and SoftPro CS1.25 Water Softener All flow rates are based on a 50 PSI feed pressure.

Grain Capacity

GPM Service Flow Rate at 15 PSI Drop 10 gpm 12 gpm

GPM Peak Flow at 20 PSI 12 gpm 14

24,000 32,000

gpm 40,000 14 gpm 16 gpm 20 gpm 22 gpm 28 gpm 32 gpm

48,000

18 gpm

64,000

20 gpm

80,000

26 gpm

110,000

30 gpm

Autotrol 255/460i Water Softener All flow rates are based on a 50 PSI feed pressure.

Grain Capacity

GPM Service Flow Rate at 15 PSI Drop 6 gpm

GPM Peak Flow at 20 PSI 8 gpm 11 gpm 14 gpm

24,000

32,000

9 gpm

40,000

12 gpm

48,000

13 gpm

15 gpm 16 gpm 18 gpm

64,000

14 gpm

80,000

15 gpm

Facts About Activated Carbon Filters Back to Previous Page >

Clack granular activated carbon is designed for reduction of tastes, odors and dissolved organic chemicals from municipal and industrial water supplies. Manufactured in the United States from select grades of bituminous coal to produce a high density, durable granular product capable of withstanding the abrasion and dynamics associated with repeated hydraulic transport, backwashing and mechanical handling.Activation is carefully controlled to produce exceptionally high internal surface area with optimum pore size for the adsorption of a broad range of high and low molecular weight organic contaminants.

One of the most common applications for Clack High Activity Carbon (HAC) is the reduction of the undesirable tastes and odors present in many chlorinated water supplies. HAC has been successful for many years in the reduction of free chlorine from water supplies. The end product is clean, fresh water with no objectionable taste or odor characteristics. High Activity Carbon (HAC) may be used for a variety of water treatment applications requiring the reduction of chlorine, tastes, and odors.

ADVANTAGES

HAC is an outstanding material for applications requring taste, odor and dissolved organic chemical removal from water with suspended matter present. This product can be used for filtering waters having a wide range of pH levels. Large surface area results in an exceptionally high capacity and efficiency.

Balanced pore structure gives a more efficient adsorbtion range. HAC is very durable so losses due to attrition are kept to a minimum. HAC has a very high carbon-low ash content. Service rates of 5 gpm/sq. ft. are practical for ordinary taste, odor and chlorine loads. HAC will impart a high polish to the filtered water. To obtain maximum efficiency of the activated carbon in the adsorption process, it is desirable to have the greatest possible surface area in the smallest practical volume. This is necessary because the rate of adsorption is proportional to the amount of surface area of the adsorbing medium media. HAC has a surface area of 850 square meters per gram. This results in high efficiency and greater system economy. Clack has for many years provided activated carbon to the OEM and replacement market as a pretreatment for other water purification systems as well as for use in individual treatment equipment for the removal of specific impurities. HAC requires periodic backwashing to eliminate accumulated suspended matter and to re-grade the filter bed. HAC has an extremely high capacity but must be replaced when the filter bed loses the capacity for reduction of taste and odor. HAC may be used in either domestic or industrial applications using gravity flow or pressurized filter vessels.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Color: Black

Mesh Size: 12 x 40

Bulk Density: 31 lbs./cu. ft.

Specific Gravity: 1.4-1.5 gm/cc

Effective Size: 0.55-0.75 mm, 0.65 typical

Water Soluble Ash: less than 0.5%

Iodine #: 850 min., 900 typical

Abrasion #: 75 min., 81 typical

Moisture as packed: 2% max., 0.7% typical

Meets American Water Works Association standard B604-96

CONDITIONS FOR OPERATION

Water to be filtered should preferably be free of oil and suspended matter The water to be filtered should be relatively free of iron and turbidity for maximum service life Water pH range: wide range Bed depth: 26-30 in. Freeboard: 50% of bed depth (min.) Service flow rate: 5 gpm/sq. ft. Backwash flow rate: 10-12 gpm/sq. ft. Backwash bed expansion: 30-40% of bed depth Upon installation, backwash to remove carbon fines before placing unit into service

on April 25, 2011 in Cooling Tower Maintenance, Energy Saving Tips, HVAC Maintenance and Efficiency, Industrial Cleaning Equipment

If youre a regular reader of Just Venting, and/or if youre involved in any aspect of commercial and industrial HVAC cleaning and maintenance, then its no secret to you that cooler tower cleaning is one of Goodways specialties. After all, we have a whole line of equipment our CTV-1501 Cooling Tower Vacuum, our TFC-100 TowerWash Cooling Tower Fill Cleaner, our CTV-F2 Cooling Tower Filter System dedicated to it.

The current spring season is prime-time for directing attention to this necessary task, and so for your convenience and edification we thought it would be a great time to review and emphasize the basic reasons you need to focus on system cleaning and maintenance. Weve mined not only our own blog archives but also some other Internet resources to summarize the reasons for keeping current with your cooling tower cleaning schedule.

Reason #1: Improved efficiency and energy management

Facilities management expert James Piper, in 5 Threats to Chiller Efficiency, lists five major threats to the efficiency of commercial/industrial chillers. Note especially number 3:

Poor operating practices Ignored maintenance Ignoring cooling towers Oversizing Ignoring alternative-fuel chillers In Energy Management Opportunities for Cooling Systems, FMLink explains the direct link between energy management and cooling tower health:

No matter where your facility is located, your cooling system consumes a large amount of energy each year. Preventive maintenance measures and the right operating techniques can help reduce energy consumption and reduce operating costs, while also extending the life of your cooling system.Heat transfer capacities are reduced when scale or dust fouls the heat transfer surfaces on evaporators and condensers. Water circulated in evaporative-cooled condensers and cooling towers should be filtered and chemically treated to reduce the formation of scale, algae, and chalky deposits.

And if all thats not enough, the U.S. Department of Energy pointed out in a recently revised version of their FEMP (Federal Energy Management Program) that The thermal efficiency and longevity of the cooling tower and equipment used to cool depend on the proper management of water recirculated through the tower (Best Management Practice: Cooling Tower Management).

Reason #2: Improved health

Last May we published a post (Protecting against Legionella by Cleaning Your Cooling Towers) about the serious issue of Legionella contamination in cooling towers. Heres the short version:

As described in a recent article in the American Journal of Infection Control, the chances of a cooling tower being infected with deadly strains of Legionella are close to 50 percent.If there is an outbreak, one of the first places investigators will look is cooling towers upwind of the infections. They can and will test your water and determine if the strain of Legionella making someone ill is the same as that present in your cooling tower. The good news in all this is that while the risks are definitely present, it is a fairly simple matter to keep them under control by keeping your system clean and well-maintained good advice no matter what the levels of bacteria and testing to make sure things stay that way.

Reason #3: It makes everything better

Heres our short-but-sweet summation of the whole thing, from our post Cleaning Your Cooling Tower: Now Is the Time:

The benefits of cleaning your cooling tower are well established and pretty clear: you will reduce the possibility that your cooling tower can become a source of contamination by spreading such bacteria as the one that causes Legionnaires Disease. You can also get rid of algae and any other contaminants so you can go into the winter with your HVAC running at peak efficiency. At the same time, a clean cooling tower can help you maximize your entire HVAC systems operations, enabling maximum heat-transfer efficiency.

Of course we know that we dont have to actually sell you on the value, in fact the necessity, of keeping your cooling towers ship-shape. After all, its just common sense. But it doesnt hurt at all to be reminded and remotivated. As Martin Luther shrewdly observed, How soon not now becomes never. In other words, if you put something off, you dramatically increase your likelihood of never doing it at all.

Speaking of which, dont you have a cooling tower to check on?

Matt Cardin Goodway Blogging Team est Management Practice: Cooling Tower Management Cooling towers regulate temperature by dissipating heat from recirculating water used to cool chillers, air-conditioning equipment, or other process equipment. Heat is rejected from the tower primarily through evaporation. Therefore, by design, cooling towers consume significant amounts of water.

This page outlines cooling tower best management practices across:

Overview Operations and Maintenance Retrofit Options Replacement Options Resources Case Study Overview The thermal efficiency and longevity of the cooling tower and equipment used to cool depend on the proper management of water recirculated through the tower. Water leaves a cooling tower system in any one of four ways:

Evaporation: This is the primary function of the tower and is the method that transfers heat from the cooling tower system to the environment. The quantity of evaporation is not a subject for water efficiency efforts (although improving the energy efficiency of the systems you are cooling will reduce the evaporative load on your tower). Drift: A small quantity of water may be carried from the tower as mist or small droplets. Drift loss is small compared to evaporation and blowdown, and is controlled with baffles and drift eliminators. Blowdown or bleed-off: When water evaporates from the tower, dissolved solids (such as calcium, magnesium, chloride, and silica) are left behind. As more water evaporates, the concentration of dissolved solids increases. If the concentration gets too high, the solids can cause scale to form within the system or the dissolved solids can lead to corrosion problems. The concentration of dissolved solids is controlled by blowdown. Carefully monitoring and controlling the quantity of blowdown provides the most significant opportunity to conserve water in cooling tower operations. Basin leaks or overflows: Properly operated towers should not have leaks or overflows. Check float control equipment to ensure the basin level is being maintained properly and check system valves to make sure there are no unaccounted for losses. The sum of water that is lost from the tower must be replaced by make-up water:

Make-up = Evaporation + Blowdown + Drift

A key parameter used to evaluate cooling tower operation is "cycles of concentration" (sometimes referred to as cycles or concentration ratio). This is calculated as the ratio of the concentration of dissolved solids (or conductivity) in the blowdown water compared to the make-up water. Since dissolved solids enter the system in the make-up water and exit the system in the blowdown water, the cycles of concentration are also approximately equal to the ratio of volume of make-up to blowdown water.

From a water efficiency standpoint, you want to maximize cycles of concentration, which will minimize blowdown water quantity and reduce make-up water demand. However, this can only be done within the constraints of your make-up water and cooling tower water chemistry. Dissolved solids increase as cycles of concentration increase, which can cause scale and corrosion problems unless carefully controlled.

In addition to carefully controlling blowdown, other water efficiency opportunities arise from using alternate sources of make-up water. Water from other equipment within a facility can sometimes be recycled and reused for cooling tower make-up with little or no pre-treatment, including the following:

Air handler condensate (water that collects when warm, moist air passes over the cooling coils in air handler units). This reuse is particularly appropriate because the condensate has a low mineral content, and typically is generated in greatest quantities when cooling tower loads are the highest. Water used in a once through cooling system. Pretreated effluent from other processes, provided that any chemicals used are compatible with the cooling tower system. High-quality municipal wastewater effluent or recycled water (where available). Back to top

Operation and Maintenance To maintain water efficiency in operations and maintenance, Federal agencies should:

Calculate and understand your "cycles of concentration." Check the ratio of conductivity of blowdown and make-up water. Work with your cooling tower water treatment specialist to maximize the cycles of concentration. Many systems operate at two to four cycles of concentration, while six cycles or more may be possible. Increasing cycles from three to six reduces cooling tower make-up water by 20% and cooling tower blowdown by 50%.

The actual number of cycles you can carry depend on your make-up water quality and cooling tower water treatment regimen. Depending on your make-up water, treatment programs may include corrosion and scaling inhibitors along with biological fouling inhibitors.

Install a conductivity controller to automatically control blowdown. Working with your water treatment specialist, determine the maximum cycles of concentration you can safely achieve and the resulting conductivity (typically measured as microSiemens per centimeter, uS/cm). A conductivity controller can continuously measure the conductivity of the cooling tower water and discharge water only when the conductivity set point is exceeded.

Install flow meters on make-up and blowdown lines. Check the ratio of make-up flow to blowdown flow. Then check the ratio of conductivity of blowdown water and the make-up water (you can use a handheld conductivity meter if your tower is not equipped with permanent meters). These ratios should match your target cycles of concentration. If both ratios are not about the same, check the tower for leaks or other unauthorized draw-off. If you are not maintaining target cycles of concentration, check system components including conductivity controller, make-up water fill valve, and blowdown valve.

Read conductivity and flow meters regularly to quickly identify problems. Keep a log of make-up and blowdown quantities, conductivity, and cycles of concentration. Monitor trends to spot deterioration in performance.

Consider using acid treatment such as sulfuric, hydrochloric, or ascorbic acid where appropriate. When added to recirculating water, acid can improve the efficiency of a cooling system by controlling the scale buildup potential from mineral deposits. Acid treatment lowers the pH of the water and is effective in converting a portion of the alkalinity (bicarbonate and carbonate), a primary constituent of scale formation, into more readily soluble forms. Make sure workers are fully trained in the proper handling of acids. Also note that acid overdoses can severely damage a cooling system. The use of a timer or continuous pH monitoring via instrumentation should be employed. Additionally, it is important to add acid at a point where the flow of water promotes rapid mixing and distribution. Be aware that you may have to add a corrosion inhibitor when lowering pH.

Select your water treatment vendor with care. Tell vendors that water efficiency is a high priority and ask them to estimate the quantities and costs of treatment chemicals, volumes of blowdown water, and the expected cycles of concentration ratio. Keep in mind that some vendors may be reluctant to improve water efficiency because it means the facility will purchase fewer chemicals. In some cases, saving on chemicals can outweigh the savings on water costs. Vendors should be selected based on "cost to treat 1,000 gallons make-up water" and highest "recommended system water cycle of concentration." Treatment programs should include routine checks of cooling system chemistry.

Consider measuring the amount of water lost to evaporation. Some water utilities provide a credit to the sewer charges for evaporative losses, measured as the difference between metered make-up water minus metered blowdown water.

Consider a comprehensive air handler coil maintenance program. As coils become dirty or fouled, there is increased load on the chilled water system to maintain conditioned air set point temperatures. Increased load on the chilled water system not only has an associated increase in electrical consumption, it also increases the load on the evaporative cooling process, which uses more water.

Back to top

Retrofit Options The following retrofit options help Federal agencies maintain water efficiency across facilities:

Install a sidestream filtration system composed of a rapid sand filter or high-efficiency cartridge filter to cleanse the water. These systems draw water from the sump, filter out sediments, and return the filtered water to the tower. This enables the system to operate more efficiently with less water and chemicals. Sidestream filtration is particularly helpful if your system is subject to dusty atmospheric conditions. Sidestream filtration can turn a troublesome system into a more trouble-free system.

Install a make-up water or sidestream softening system when hardness (calcium and magnesium) is the limiting factor on cycles of concentration. Water softening removes hardness using an ion exchange resin and can allow you to operate at higher cycles of concentration.

Install covers to block sunlight penetration. Reducing the amount of sunlight on tower surfaces can significantly reduce biological growth such as algae.

Consider alternative water treatment options, such as ozonation or ionization, to reduce water and chemical usage. Be careful to consider the life-cycle cost impact of such systems.

Install automated chemical feed systems on large cooling tower systems (over 100 tons). The automated feed system should control blowdown/bleed-off by conductivity and then add chemicals based on make-up water flow. These systems minimize water and chemical use while optimizing control against scale, corrosion, and biological growth.