Biofilm Monitoring and Removal in a Commercial Office Building

GoalEliminate biofilm deposits to improve cooling efficiency, optimize microbiological control, and reduce energy losses.

<h5>Customer Challenge</h5> <p><!-- /wp:heading --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Chem-Aqua installed a bioDART Biofouling Monitor on a cooling tower system with suspected bacteria problems. The bioDART data confirmed the system had a high potential to form biofilm and likely had biofouling deposits present.&nbsp;</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:heading {"level":5} --></p> <h5>Recommended Solution</h5> <p><!-- /wp:heading --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>A system audit identified the free cooling heat exchanger as an operational dead leg. During the warmer months, the plate and frame heat exchanger was isolated without</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>circulation, creating stagnant conditions allowing biofouling deposits to form. When the heat exchanger was brought online during the months when the chillers are not required to remove the building heat load, the biofouling deposits released high levels of bacteria into the system water. Due to the tight tolerances in the heat exchanger, the insulating biofouling deposits dramatically lowered cooling efficiency and increased energy costs.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></p> <p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>bioeXile, a patented cleaner that disrupts the calcium bridge holding biofilms together and making them hard to penetrate, was circulated through system, including the heat exchanger. An oxidizing biocide was added following the bioeXile circulation to kill the microbes released from the biofilm. After the cleaning procedure, the bioDART was used to provide chemical and operational recommendations for improving microbiological control.</p>