DELOACH BLOG

When do you know if your decarbonation system needs service?

When a degasification tower or decarbonator become fouled there are several indicators that identify you may have a problem or its time to clean your system.  If the efficiency of the degasifier has dropped you will see an increase consumption rate of chemicals.  If you are removing less H2S in the degasifier your chlorine consumption will increase.  When you increase the amount of chemical reaction occurring in the water, you will see an increase in the TSS levels and drop in water quality.  As the H2S reacts with chlorine more solids will form and be present in the water and the water quality will diminish.

Another indicator of a fouling condition is the adjustment of pH in the Industrial Water Treatment industry you are required to meet the set standards. As performance of the tower drops the removal of CO2 will also drop leaving a higher pH level than may be desired. A quick inspection to check out the media bed should be performed. Also, do not forget to inspect the distribution system at the top of your tower and remember that all distribution systems are not alike and to inspect the condition of each of them may require additional efforts on your part. With a header lateral system you need to inspect the distribution nozzles but with a Weir or Tray type you will need to check the amount of scale or fouling that is building up on the Weir edge or int the bottom of the pan. If the Weir edge becomes fouled unevenly it will create "Channeling" of the water and an increase in the initial hydraulic load to a concentrated point on the media bed.

All induced draft, forced draft aerators, degasifiers, and odor control scrubbers rely on some type of air blower to enhance removal efficiency or move airflow. When a change in performance is noticed in water effluent quality, the first thing to inspect and troubleshoot is your blower.

An induced draft inspection, at times, can be a bit more tricky because it is located on top of the unit and typically requires some type of access ladder to allow for an inspection. You must always follow proper OSHA safety guidelines when attempting to inspect. Larger units often come equipped with an attached access ladder and handrail system, whereas small units with limited space do not.

The forced draft units have the blower typically mounted on the ground or top of the Clearwell/catch tank so that access to inspect a forced draft blower is less complicated. Once reaching the blower, if the noise of other operating equipment prevents easy listening, place your hand on top of the blower housing to detect if the motor is running. You will feel a vibration from the housing. If the water flows to the unit, but the blower is off and not running, you can determine that the motor is not operating.