Water is an essential component of life, so much so that human beings will die if they do not drink any water for 3 days. Unfortunately, natural water is also teeming with life, and many of the microbes that can be found are toxic or harmful to human beings. Water filtration systems are responsible for removing all of the harmful junk in natural sources of water, and companies that require industrial water filtration systems can be held liable if they do not maintain the filtration systems and keep them in good condition. Here are 3 signs that the filters are malfunctioning and need to be repaired.
The Presence of Microorganisms
Contaminated water was the main cause of disease in the past. For example, cholera and tuberculosis are both spread through contaminated water and have been recorded to kill thousands, if not millions, of people in the past. One of the main objectives of industrial water filtration systems is to remove the presence of unwanted microorganisms.
No matter how effective an industrial water filtration system may be, not all microorganisms may be filtered out. For example, there are almost always trace amounts of cryptosporidium, which are protozoans famous for causing diarrhea, in drinking water. The key to detecting a malfunctioning industrial water filtration system is to look for microorganisms that should have been completely filtered out because of their size. In particular, it's important to test for rotifers, which are microorganisms that can grow up to 1mm in size.
Unusual Water Flow
Different monitors should be set up at different check points of the industrial water filtration systems. The monitors should look at the rate at which water flows, overall water pressure and other types of information. This type of data should be recorded on a daily basis and reviewed by a qualified professional.
With time, you should observe fluctuations in the data. The water flow or the water pressure may rise or drop significantly. Once this happens, it is fair to assume that there are parts of the industrial water filtration system that needs to be repaired. Depending on where the fluctuations are witnessed, it's possible to narrow down which parts may be malfunctioning. Generally speaking, most of the time, malfunctioning parts are upstream of the sudden changes witnessed in water flow or water pressure.
Unusual Water Color or Odor
Unwanted minerals can cause unwanted or unusual changes in the color and odor of the water. Whether cool, warm or hot water is being filtered will also give you a good idea of the causes behind unusual changes in water color or odor. At times, unusual changes to the water color or odor may not necessarily be a result of a malfunctioning filtration system. Instead, it may signify that something else is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced.
For example, if the industrial water filtration system is filtering hot water, sudden and unusual odors may signify that the anode rod from the hot water heater is reacting with the water and producing unwanted gases. The anode rod will need to be removed and replaced with a new one. If the water color or odor changes, get the water tested immediately. At times, changes to the water color or odor may not actually be a sign that the filtration system is malfunctioning.
Knowing what signs to look out for is important for quality assurance purposes. Contaminated water can trigger major health conditions if the filtered water is to be ingested. Ions that are not filtered out from the water may also cause unwanted chemical reactions. To determine when the industrial filtration systems may be malfunctioning, learn about what the different signs to look for and what they may mean.
Contact a company like PFC Equipment, Inc if you have specific questions about water filtration systems and products your business could utilize.
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