Use of Cooling Towers and Chillers in Healthcare Facilities

 

Healthcare facilities use cooling towers and chillers to control the temperature of the interior of patient and administrative buildings. As high-impact components to the overall comfort cooling system, cooling towers and chillers need to be well-maintained in order to operate efficiently with minimal water and energy waste. In large buildings that may have multi-facility medical centers or wings, keeping these units optimized directly impacts the ability for a healthcare facility to maintain temperature and clean air circulation.

 

Water Treatment Needs for Cooling Towers and Chillers 

 

Properly maintaining comfort cooling systems is critical for preventing dangerous pathogens and water-borne bacteria from forming within the cooling and chiller units, like Legionella, which could then be transferred into facility air ducts during air conditioning. When cooling tower and chiller units are not properly maintained, in addition to increasing risk of harmful bacteria spread in a healthcare facility, there is also a financial cost associated. Great amounts of water usage and excessive energy consumption can result, which is both expensive and wasteful with consideration to the environment. The units may also lose their operational longevity, which can lead to expensive replacement that may be premature. 

 

In order to control these scenarios, cooling towers and chillers need to have a well suited water treatment plan using chemical solutions. A chemical water treatment application will ensure the feed and circulating water is treated to achieve optimal PH levels and to reduce presence of harmful particles that cause corrosion and interfere with heat transfer.  A healthcare facility will see long term energy savings and water savings when units are under a well-balanced chemical water treatment plan. This has positive environmental impact as well, and can support a hospital or healthcare building in maintaining clean air circulation free of harmful bacteria such as Legionella. 

 

Chemical Water Treatment for Cooling Towers and Chillers

 

There are multiple chemical options for cooling tower and chiller treatment. Historically, chemical was often delivered to a treatment room pre-mixed in large 55 gallon drums. However, this created great risk of chemical exposure to technicians, high logistics costs in transporting full drums, required excessive floor space for storage, and necessitates drum cleaning and careful removal when chemicals need restocking. This is especially so in healthcare facilities with small treatment rooms, and with treatment rooms that are near administrative areas or patient care rooms, where risk of accidental chemical exposure is heightened.

 

Today, water treatment is now more safe and efficient thanks to ultra concentrated liquid chemical water treatment options. Similarly to the revolution that the laundry detergent industry faced, ultra concentrated water treatment options allow for smaller containers, less water wasted in pre-mixing, and more efficient use of chemical.

 

 

To learn more about LiquiLogic ultra concentrated liquid chemical water treatment products for cooling towers and chiller units, visit the Products page.