Q. I have a cooling tower in my facility which always needed chemicals to treat the recirculating water. Isn't this the only way to treat our water?

A. Absolutely not! The goal of traditional chemical treatment is to generate electrical changes within the makeup of the water. Chemicals are simply the mechanism used to generate an electrical reaction. We skip the chemicals and go straight to the electrical reaction, avoiding the harsh polymers and other chemicals commonly required.

The scientific principles applied in treating water without chemicals have been known for over 100 years. Advances in technology, and the availability of more reliable components and electronics, have enabled electro/mechanical water treatment methods to finally come of age.

Q. Electro/Mechanical methods? Sounds like science fiction! Does this really work? Tell me more

A. As far back as the turn of the 19th century, it was observed that lodestones and naturally occurring mineral formations decrease the formation of scale in cooking and laundry applications. Of course, the science involved was not well understood at the time, but the technical basis has since been documented and the technology has been proven. Your Universal Water Technologies representative can show you unbiased technical documentation that supports this claim. We can also supply case studies and testimonials upon request.

Q. I can understand how chemical addition to my water can make it change its character. But how does your system work using electricity?

A. Let's start by defining the problem. Hard water contains high levels of calcium, magnesium, and other "divalent" cat-ions. When subjected to heating, divalent cat-ions form insoluble compounds with anions such as carbonate. Because heat accelerates this process, scale fouling is most commonly found on hot surfaces (such as the insides of boiler tubes or heat exchanger surfaces).

These insoluble compounds are electrically charged and tend to adhere to vessel surfaces that have the opposite charge.

Our electro/mechanical system induces a programmed and dynamic high frequency field to the flowing water in an area where the water is not heated. As a result, mineral ions with opposite charge collide with greater frequency and greater force. This increased collision frequency and force binds oppositely charged mineral ions, forming "seed crystals" which precipitate as a neutrally charged insoluble compound.

Q. Aren't insoluble compounds the "hardness" problem we're trying to solve? Why are neutrally charged compounds good?

A. The binding process results in a neutrally charged compound that does not have an adhesive value, and thus, is not attracted to the negatively charged surface area. The neutrally charged material – called "aragonite" – is soft and "fluffy" unlike normal hard scale. This soft material will settle in the quiet zones of your system, like the cooling tower basin area, and will not cause scale buildup on your pipes.

Q. So your system does produce a by-product! Will it hurt my system?

A. Actually, it benefits the system. The system does produce a soft, and non-adhering, by-product. Our ECO Tower System filters out the larger particles to improve performance and optimize water savings. The system is specifically engineered to provide protection against corrosion by not allowing the water to become completely de-mineralized.

Q. How does the system handle the excess by-product that I don't want in my system?

A. To minimize the maintenance cost of cleaning the tower basin, our system uses a skid-based filtration system with a number of controls and safety features to capture, collect and ultimately dispose of the by-product from the cooling tower basin where it collects. A very small amount of by product is allowed to circulate in suspension, passivating the water system and providing corrosion protection without affecting thermal performance.

Q. Why does scale buildup increase energy costs?

A. Insoluble compounds formed from divalent cat-ions have much less heat transfer capability than the metal to which they attach. Scale buildup makes a great insulator and will make your system work much harder and at much higher operating cost. Consider this: a scale buildup of only 0.03" thickness (approximately 0.7 mm), can increase your energy consumption by 25%.

Q. Does your system deal with the scale buildup that I already have?

A. Here is where the real benefit comes into play! Not only will our treatment package keep your water system clean, but the physics of the operation will cause existing hardness scale on your equipment to disappear over eight to twelve weeks of operation.  Remember what we said about 0.03" thick (0.7mm) hard-scale causing a 25% increase in energy consumption? Causing scale to disappear will greatly improve energy efficiency and greatly reduce operating costs. In many cases, the energy cost saving can exceed water and chemical savings.

Q. How much power does it take to operate your system?

A. The system is very power efficient. Depending upon the size and configuration chosen for your particular needs, the electronics often require no more power consumption than a couple of light bulbs. The filtration/pump system is typically in the 1-2 horsepower (0.75-1.5 KW) range.

Q. What are some other benefits of your system?

A. In summary, our system reduces your costs and is more “green.” It:

• Reduces or eliminates the need for chemicals (resulting in increased safety, elimination of spill hazards, as well as direct cost savings).
• Keeps your system clean of scale – reducing energy costs.
• Removse pre-existing hard-scale deposits during the initial months of running time.
• Enables your recirculation system to operate with much less water "blowdown" (operates at higher "cycles of concentration"), which in turn decreases your need for make-up water. Both water and wastewater costs are greatly reduced.
• Passivates the water system and acts as corrosion inhibitor.
• Blowdown water can, in the absence of chemicals, be combined with rainwater runoff for irrigation and non-potable use.