Water Solutions with Chem-Aqua

Addressing Stagnant Water in Buildings Due to COVID-19 Shutdown

Cycles of concentration, or often stated as just cycles, is a core concept when controlling boiler or cooling tower water systems. Running cycles too high can lead scale and corrosion. Running cycles too low can lead to wasted water. But what is really meant by the phrase “cycles of concentration?” Basically, it is telling us how many times the water in the boiler or cooling tower has been concentrated compared to the makeup water. The next logical question may be “What do you mean by the water being concentrated in boilers or cooling towers?” Both boilers and cooling towers function by evaporating water. In a boiler, fuel is burned to turn water into steam. In a cooling tower, evaporation occurs as air is blown across the water to remove the heat picked up from air conditioning a building or cooling a manufacturing process. As water is evaporated in both the boiler and cooling tower systems, primarily only pure water leaves the system. Other impurities, such as calcium, sodium, and chlorides, are left behind

HVAC systems work tirelessly to heat, cool, and clean the air we breathe. But too often, critical components fail to receive regular maintenance, and the consequences are costly. Over time, condenser, evaporator, and air handler coils accumulate dirt, grease, and bacteria from the air and environment. Without proper cleaning, this buildup compromises efficiency and effective operation. When a unit struggles to cool air effectively, it runs overtime, shortening the overall life-span of the equipment while racking up high energy bills. In fact, according to The U.S. Department of Energy, a dirty condenser coil can increase compressor energy consumption by 30%. More than just a burden to your budget, dirty evaporator or air handler coils can lead to bad air quality. When the coils are dirty and working poorly, the air becomes more damp and humid. Per the United States Environmental Protection Agency, humidity above 60% can lead to mold and mildew growth, a danger to human health and immune systems. So, how do yo

When it comes to air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration, energy consumption for industrial chillers is at an all time high. Typically chillers can account for over 50% of the electricity used in a single facility. It goes without saying, that an inefficient chiller can be catastrophically wasteful and economically costly to a business, which makes monitoring this machine’s performance essential to saving money, time, and resources. Ensure a chiller works safely and reliably every time by learning the signs of operation failure on this Water Droplet, a quick news minute from Chem-Aqua's Water Solutions podcast. In just 3 minutes, learn and understand “chiller approach temperature,” and why it’s crucial to keeping costly refrigeration equipment in peak working condition.

Outbreaks of disease are always an intriguing and worrying topic with the public, and the widespread news of some very high profile cases regarding water treatment, both in New York City and Flint, Michigan, have left people concerned about water treatment, Legionnaires disease and the need for stricter laws and better practices concerning water management technology. On today’s inaugural episode of Water Solutions with Chem-Aqua, Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B, talks with Chem-Aqua Engineering Manager, Jerry Angelilli, about industrial and commercial water treatment, and what improvements have been made to the equipment itself. Angelilli is on the Association of Water Technology’s Technical Committee and is Chair of the Boiler Subcommittee. There, he gets consistent information regarding the latest and greatest innovations in boiler technology. The focus lately has been on how the industry treats piping to protect it from corrosion, mostly using chemicals called amines to treat the steam condensation syst

(This podcast was originally conducted for MarketScale's Building Management Podcast.) This episode of MarketScale's Building Management Podcast explores an interesting cause and effect within the industry. In the last several years, the push for more green water conservation initiatives has created an unexpected issue in home and building water supplies. With conservative toilet flushes, low-flow shower heads, and automatic sinks, water is left sitting in piping for longer periods of time, creating perfect environments for waterborne pathogens to thrive. This issue has appeared almost parallel to another evolution in the Industrial Water Treatment Industry, one that’s putting a focus on public health instead of just asset management. In this episode of the Building Management podcast, we continue our discussion on pathogens that exist within our water supplies, and how they’re causing a ripple effect that changing the Commercial, Hospitatlity, Real Estate, and Tourism industries. Chem-Aqua’s Manager of Wate

(This podcast was originally conducted for MarketScale's Building Management Podcast.) Imagine a building undergoing renovations, needing to shut off some water pipes and therefore leading to a dead leg of piping. Now imagine, once the renovations are completed, that water is flushed right back into the system. You may have just put a pathogen in your entire building’s water supply. When it comes to water treatment, whether on a domestic or processing side, simple choices can have drastic effects, for better or for worse, and no one knows this better than our guest today, Tony Self. “As water flows past that dead-leg, it will pick up whatever pathogens may be growing there. It just needs an opportunity for somebody to become exposed,” Self said. Self, Director of Engineering for Chem-Aqua Incorporated, came on this episode of MarketScale's Building Management Podcast to discuss the challenges that come with keeping both consumers and workers safe around potential water pathogens, the effect of increases in g