Three Ways to Minimize Boiler Blowdown

If one of the goals of your company is to decrease how much water is lost during boiler blowdown, then it is important to turn to a company that knows how to do precisely that. There are three ways to minimize boiler blowdown that will save water for your boiler plant. • Automate Surface Blowdown • Proper Pre-treatment • Condensate Recovery Automating Surface Blowdown Automating the surface blowdown allows for the highest TDS (total dissolved solids) portion of the boiler water to be purged. High TDS can lead to scale formation which increases energy and water usage. This method is preferred over manual blowdowns because it is better controlled and uses less water in the process. To automate surface blowdowns a probe installed on the boiler. The level is continuously measured by a microprocessor and activates equipment to purge water from the boiler. Pre-Treating the Water Before It Goes into Your Boiler Pre-treat the make-up water before it feeds your boiler system. Consider installing a water softener, reverse osmosis (RO), or a demineralizer. These remove impurities like hardness and TDS from the make-up water and allow for increased boiler cycles. The higher the cycles, less water will need to be purged from the boiler and will reduce your boiler plant water usage. Recovering Your Own Condensation Returning condensate is essential in saving water for your boiler plant. Condensate is condensed steam that is captured and then returned to the make-up for the boiler. It is low in TDS and hardness and requires no pre-treatment. In a boiler system, you want to return at least 80% of condensate for use as boiler feed water. Make sure your steam traps are working properly and inspect condensate return pumps and valves for leaks. Automating surface blowdown, installing a pre-treatment system, and implementing a condensate recovery system will improve the efficiency of your boiler plant while reducing water usage. For more information on how this can benefit your company, call us here at Earthwise Environmental to see how much we could help! Our number is 630-475-3070!