Guardian of Your System: Revealing the Importance of Water Treatment for Optimal Cooling Towers
A cooling tower is the heart of many industrial cooling systems. However, like the heart, it requires proper maintenance to function optimally. Water, which is the lifeblood of this system, can become a source of harmful problems if not properly maintained. Bowen Co. and FicusBio, our two leading brands, offer cutting-edge water treatment solutions specifically designed to combat all threats to the efficiency and lifespan of your cooling tower.
Why is Water Treatment So Important?
Water treatment is not an option—it is a necessity. An unmaintained cooling tower system will experience decreased performance, poor energy efficiency, component damage, and most dangerously, become a breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria such as Legionella. Investing in a comprehensive water treatment programme will save significant operational costs, extend equipment life, and ensure overall system reliability.
Sludge & Deposits
What is it?: An accumulation of suspended particles such as soil, clay, and corrosion products (iron oxide, copper oxide) that form sludge.
Causes: Dirty make-up water, internal corrosion, and contamination from the environment.
Impact: Clogs nozzles, fills, and heat exchangers; reduces water and air flow; creates hiding places for microorganisms; accelerates under-deposit corrosion.
Bowen Co. & FicusBio Solution: A specialised polymeric dispersant programme that disperses particles and prevents them from settling. Our formula is designed to target specific types of deposits.
Limescale (Calcium Carbonate Scale - CaCO₃)
What is it?: A hard, white crust formed from the deposition of calcium carbonate minerals. This is the most common type of scale.
Chemical Reaction: Formed when bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) decomposes into insoluble carbonate (CO₃²⁻).
Ca²⁺ + 2HCO₃⁻ → CaCO₃↓ + CO₂↑ + H₂O
Causes: Water with high hardness, high cycle concentration, uncontrolled pH and alkalinity.
Impact: Insulates heat transfer surfaces (such as in heat exchangers), drastically reduces thermal efficiency, increases differential pressure, and impedes water flow.
Bowen Co. & FicusBio Solution: Phosphonate- and polymer-based scale inhibitors that interfere with the mineral crystallisation process, keeping them dissolved in water.
Silica Scale (SiO₂)
What is it?: A very hard and inert type of scale that is extremely difficult to remove once formed.
Cause: The presence of dissolved silica (SiO₂) in make-up water that precipitates when its concentration exceeds its solubility.
Impact: As severe as CaCO₃ scale, but mechanical cleaning is nearly impossible and requires aggressive chemical cleaning.
Bowen Co. & FicusBio Solution: A special treatment programme that keeps silica in a meta-stable state and prevents its precipitation, even at relatively high concentrations.
Microbiological Growth (Moss, Algae, Bacteria, & Biofilm)
What is it?: The growth of biological organisms. Biofilm is a slimy layer produced by microbial communities that attach to surfaces, protecting them from biocides.
Causes: A warm, nutrient-rich environment (from air and water), and the presence of sunlight (for algae).
Impact: Clogs systems, reduces efficiency, causes microbiological corrosion (MIC), and most dangerously, becomes a reservoir for Legionella pneumophila bacteria.
Bowen Co. & FicusBio solution: A strategically selected biocide programme, combining oxidising biocides to kill microbes quickly, with non-oxidising biocides (such as glutaraldehyde or isothiazolinones) to control biofilm and resistant strains. These are used alternately each week so that the algae do not become immune.
Corrosion (Corrosion)
What is it?: Degradation of metal (usually carbon steel or copper) due to electrochemical reactions with its environment.
Anode reaction (where corrosion occurs): Fe → Fe²⁺ + 2e⁻
Cathode reaction: O₂ + 2H₂O + 4e⁻ → 4OH⁻
Causes: Dissolved oxygen, acidity (low pH), interfering ions (such as chloride - Cl⁻), and galvanic action between different metals.
Effects: Leaks in pipes, structural damage, contamination of water with corrosion products (rust), and premature system failure.
Bowen Co. & FicusBio Solution: Corrosion inhibitors that form a passive protective layer on metal surfaces. Our formula may include film-forming inhibitors (e.g., tolytriazole/TTA for copper protection) and cathodic inhibitors.
High Approach (Poor Approach)
What is it?: Approach is the temperature difference between the cold water leaving the cooling tower and the wet-bulb temperature of the surrounding air. It is a KEY indicator of cooling tower efficiency. An increased approach (higher number) indicates decreased performance.
Causes: All of the above problems! Scale, deposits, and biofilm act as insulators on the fill and heat exchanger, preventing efficient heat transfer.
Impact: The cooling tower must work harder (consume more energy) to achieve the desired temperature, or fail to meet the cooling requirements of the process.
Bowen Co. & FicusBio Solution: Comprehensive water treatment programmes from Bowen Co. or FicusBio are designed to keep heat transfer surfaces clean, so that a tight approach and maximum energy efficiency can be maintained.
Conclusion: Choose Expertise, Choose Bowen Co. & FicusBio
Cooling tower problems are a real enemy. Understanding the chemistry behind each problem is the first step to solving it. Bowen Co. and FicusBio are not just chemical suppliers; we are partners who provide precision science-based water treatment solutions.
Our team of chemists and engineers analyse problems down to their molecular roots, enabling us to provide accurate, fast and effective recommendations
With premium products and 24/7 monitoring services, we ensure your cooling tower not only operates but operates at peak efficiency, saving energy and extending its lifespan.
Don't let scale, corrosion, and microbes disrupt your operations.
Consult our proven experts about your water treatment challenges and receive measurable solutions.