Spring in the northern hemisphere means startup time for cooling water systems that support comfort cooling or other summer industrial chilling needs. The southern hemisphere is the opposite: autumn is the time to think about shutting down any cooling loops that will not be needed as the temperature drops. In either case, whether north or south of the equator, for startup or layup, Cortec encourages facility managers and water treatment service providers to seriously think about the critical need for corrosion protection and enlist Cortec cooling water ‘reptiles’ to help.
When metal, oxygen, and water meet, it is a recipe for corrosion. That recipe is inherent in the cooling water environment, both for open evaporative systems and closed loops. Corrosion eats away at metal components, thinning the walls, increasing the potential for leaks, and reducing the longevity of the system. At the same time, corrosion products can cause clogging, and higher iron content can ‘poison’ the water, inhibiting the desired effect of water treatment chemistry. All these problems can lead toward more downtime and maintenance and higher costs for prematurely repairing or replacing the system – which is why corrosion inhibitors should be part of a standard water treatment program during operation. The greater risk comes during startup and layup, when the normal operating water treatment program is no longer active.
Also, startup is a vulnerable time for cooling systems because it may take a week or longer for the system to get back to its normal operating levels of water treatment chemistry.
