Wasted Resources

During a recent central plant survey I came across these boiler blowdown controllers. Both were controlling on line boilers with similar run time, load, and make up water characteristics. The controller on the right is in alarm due to low conductivity. Unfortunately, the plant operator hadn't noticed the alarm. No corrective action was taken. Running the boiler in this condition is costly. It wastes water, chemical, and electricity. The water treatment cost associated with running a poorly controlled boiler can easily be double the cost of running a similar program with good controls. If you find that your water, chemical, and electrical costs have suddenly increased it may be time to revisit the control parameters of your water treatment program.