The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) offers guidance for reducing water usage and improving water efficiency, and their Best Management Practices publication includes a section on cooling tower management. Although the FEMP resources are designed specifically for federal businesses and campuses, they’re best practices that can help all building owners and managers save money on cooling tower operations.
The FEMP’s best practice #10 offers water efficiency opportunities for cooling towers, and we’ll focus on three of those tips:
Cycles of concentration
Maximizing cycles of concentration reduces water lost through blowdown, thereby minimizing the amount of water needed as make-up water. Significant water savings can be achieved by running lengthier cycles, but using the same water for a longer period allows dissolved solids to accumulate between blowdown flushes, causing scaling and corrosion problems. The extent of those problems is highly dependent on environmental factors and the quality of your makeup water.
The next two water efficiency recommendations, however, provide solutions for increasing cycles of concentration in new and retrofit configurations.
Side-stream filtration
Side-stream filters run continuously, filtering sediment from a portion of cooling water and returning clean water back into the system. This process prevents the buildup of scaling and biofilm and requires fewer maintenance interruptions. High-efficiency side-stream filtration also improves operational efficiency, saves water, and reduces the need for water treatment chemicals.
Learn more about high-efficiency side-stream filtration in “2-in-1 Solution for Industrial and Commercial Cooling Tower Water Treatment.”
Alternative water treatment options
The FEMP guideline here is a bit vague but refers to the fact that new treatment options can be effective tools in your arsenal for cutting chemical use and saving water. AS Filtration’s antimicrobial filter media, Pathex, is one such solution. Pathex is EPA-registered as a pesticide and is a proven tool for destroying waterborne bacteria on contact. The filter media enhances the efficacy of side-stream filters by removing not only suspended solids, but also by controlling bacteria as water is filtered. Pathex is a drop-in replacement for most sand and multi-media filters.
Our blog, How Clean is Your Water Filter?, compares water disinfection technologies and shows how Pathex filter media stacks up against traditional treatment options.
For more best practices in cooling tower management, read the FEMP’s full Best Management Practice #10.
To talk with an experienced engineer about your water efficiency needs, contact us.
The FEMP’s best practice #10 offers water efficiency opportunities for cooling towers, and we’ll focus on three of those tips:
- Maximize cycles of concentration
- Install side-stream filtration
- Consider alternative water treatment options
Cycles of concentration
Maximizing cycles of concentration reduces water lost through blowdown, thereby minimizing the amount of water needed as make-up water. Significant water savings can be achieved by running lengthier cycles, but using the same water for a longer period allows dissolved solids to accumulate between blowdown flushes, causing scaling and corrosion problems. The extent of those problems is highly dependent on environmental factors and the quality of your makeup water.
The next two water efficiency recommendations, however, provide solutions for increasing cycles of concentration in new and retrofit configurations.
Side-stream filtration
Side-stream filters run continuously, filtering sediment from a portion of cooling water and returning clean water back into the system. This process prevents the buildup of scaling and biofilm and requires fewer maintenance interruptions. High-efficiency side-stream filtration also improves operational efficiency, saves water, and reduces the need for water treatment chemicals.
Learn more about high-efficiency side-stream filtration in “2-in-1 Solution for Industrial and Commercial Cooling Tower Water Treatment.”
Alternative water treatment options
The FEMP guideline here is a bit vague but refers to the fact that new treatment options can be effective tools in your arsenal for cutting chemical use and saving water. AS Filtration’s antimicrobial filter media, Pathex, is one such solution. Pathex is EPA-registered as a pesticide and is a proven tool for destroying waterborne bacteria on contact. The filter media enhances the efficacy of side-stream filters by removing not only suspended solids, but also by controlling bacteria as water is filtered. Pathex is a drop-in replacement for most sand and multi-media filters.
Our blog, How Clean is Your Water Filter?, compares water disinfection technologies and shows how Pathex filter media stacks up against traditional treatment options.
For more best practices in cooling tower management, read the FEMP’s full Best Management Practice #10.
To talk with an experienced engineer about your water efficiency needs, contact us.
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