Demineralizer Regeneration Frequency Determination

Routinely, I am asked how long will one of our cation-anion two bed demineralizers operate before it has to regenerate. To determine this, we need to know the flow rate and the inlet water quality.  The flow is generally known, but the water quality generally is not early in a water treatment project.  The easiest way is to use conductivity as a rough approximation of water quality for budget purposes only.  Before a system is purchased, a complete water analysis is required to verify with one of the ion exchange resin sizing programs to purchase the correctly sized demineralizer.

Here are a series of graphs I sent to the prospect to help get a budget determined.  The graphs include run times for a DT36072, DT54072 and a DT60072 dual bed demineralizers from Res-Kem. 

For Additional Information:
Ten Questions to Properly Size a Water Treatment System Including a Deionizer/Demineralizer
Equipment Bulletin for a Res-Kem DT36072 Cation-Anion Demineralizer
Equipment Bulletin for a Res-Kem DT54072 Cation-Anion Demineralizer
Equipment Bulletin for a Res-Kem DT60072 Cation-Anion Demineralizer
Need Technical Help sizing a unit?

Hands-on Pentair Valve Seminar-Feb 26 & 27

Jeremy Josetti and Doug Haring of Pentair will be presenting a two day, hands-on valve training seminar on most of the commercial/industrial and residential valves. Included will be the 2750, 2850, 2900, 3900 and Aquamatic industrial/commercial valves and 5600, 5800, 2510 and 7000 residential valves. You are welcome to attend one or both of the clinics.

Pentair 3900 Multi-port Valve on Poly-lined FRP tank

Day One - Residential Valve Clinic:

On February 26 from 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM, the residential valve clinic will cover the Pentair 5600, 5800, 2510 and 7000 valves. You will learn all the insider tips on water treatment as it relates to the operation of water softeners and filters.

Valves will be torn down and completely rebuilt by your team. You will learn electronic programming and the idiosyncrasies related to the various electronic packages.

Learn about the new Pentair 5800 Touchscreen valve!

Day One - Industrial/Commercial Valve Clinic:
On February 27 from 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM, the commercial/industrial valve clinic will cover the Pentair 2750,2850,2900 and 3900 multi-port valves. In addition, we will have a BONUS Aqua-Matic valve clinic.

Commercial valve clinic will discuss the critical aspects of proper equipment sizing. After that, we will move into valve programming and rebuilding, tank internals.

To Sign-Up:
Contact Michael Urbans at Res-Kem at 800-323-1983
Email Tom Dupnik at Res-Kem

For Directions:
Our address is 2 New Road, Aston, PA 19014

For Additional Information On:
Please note, the Service Manual files are very large
Pentair 2750 valve service manual, spec sheet and 2750 spare parts
Pentair 2850 valve service manual, spec sheet and 2850 spare parts
Pentair 2900 valve service manual, spec sheet and 2900 spare parts
Pentair 3900 valve manual, spec sheet and 3900 spare parts

For technical help, call 800-323-1983.

New Field Sales Engineering Position for New England

Res-Kem is currently seeking a Field Sales Engineer, based in New England, to support our High Purity and General Industry services originating from our New Britain, CT and Raynham, MA facilities. Individual will be responsible for the sales of Commercial High-Purity water treatment systems, their associated services, and after-market expendables, to the Commercial, Industrial, and Health Sciences markets throughout New England.

Responsibilities:

• Existing account management
• Incremental sales growth
• Targeted sales prospecting, lead follow-up and proposal generation
• Implementing tactical and strategic plans in order to meet the territory’s sales objectives
• Maintaining strong business partnerships with local branch service & operations teams

Want to Apply or Need More Information?
Please use your LinkedIn account and search for "Field Sales Engineer - Greater Boston Area" for qualifications, details, and/or to apply.

Condensate Polisher Shipped to Specialized Salt Manufacturer

Res-Kem recently shipped another condensate polisher to one of the largest manufacturers of specialized salts and minerals.

Specialized Condensate Polisher with Unlined Carbon Steel Tank
and Welded Schedule 80 Black Iron Piping

Enduser	Manufacturer of potash fertilizer, food grade salt, and food grade minerals
General Water Treatment Application	Polishing high temperature condensate
Expected ROI	Getting the immediate benefit from new unit Existing units were 25 plus years old ROI will be cleaner condensate, cleaner boiler tubes, and increased boiler efficiency
Operating Conditions	50-80 gpm at 240 F return temperatures
System Configuration	Twin Alternating / Parallel
Materials of Construction	Unlined carbon steel vessels Schedule 80 black iron welded and flanged construction
Type of Valves and Actuators	Bray butterfly 316 wetted parts Bray 93 series actuators
System Control	Enduser has extra I/O capacity on their existing  Allen Bradley Micro-Logix PLC and will program the CP with guidance from the Res-Kem engineering team Res-Kem provides solenoid box with position switch contact terminal blocks

For Additional Information:
Help Sizing a Condensate Polisher
Technical Bulletins for Condensate Polishers
Technical Bulletins for Rental Condensate Polishers
Res-Kem Condensate Polisher Portfolio
Condensate Polisher Questionnaire

Selecting the Perfect Filter Cartridge

Being a distributor of water treatment supplies, we are asked to provide filter cartridges. Most of the time, these requests will consist of: "Hey, I need a 5 micron 20" long cartridge." Sounds simple enough; however, there's more to a filter cartridge than the just those two particular pieces of information. Below is an overview of what is needed to select an ideal cartridge for your application.

Filter Cartridge End Configurations

What is the application?
Knowing the application can provide an idea if an absolute or nominal cartridge is required. An Absolute Cartridge by definition retains 99.9% of the particles within that micron rating. These types of cartridges are typically used for critical applications such as process water in the Pharmaceutical Industry. In most cases, we deal with nominal rated cartridges in which the cartridge retains a majority of the particles of the micron rating that pass through it. For the sake of the above request, let’s say the customer tells us he needs a cartridge filter as pretreatment before a carbon filter. From our experience with this application, we now know that a nominal rated cartridge will work fine, we just need to a little more information,

Do you have a part number of your existing cartridge?
Obviously, if a customer can provide a brand and a part number, this makes the process a smooth transition. There are a lot of different cartridge manufacturers, such as, Pall, Shelco, Watts, Millipore, etc. Usually, they offer very similar products that can be used within an application. If it is okay with a customer to offer a substitute, we will try to find a cartridge we carry that will work for them.  In this case, they do not have a part number, so we need to get a little more information.

Cartridge Dimensions:
Since we already know the length of the cartridge, 20 inches, the next bit of information we need to determine is the diameter of the cartridge. From our research, the most common diameter we have come across is a 2-3/4" cartridge. Other diameters we have seen are 2-1/2" and sometimes 2" diameter cartridges. Another popular diameter is the 4-1/2" size, most commonly referred to as, "The Big Blue Cartridge", because of the large blue colored housing these cartridges fit into. If the customer is not sure, we ask that they obtain diameter measurement from a micrometer or caliper or even put a ruler across the cartridge to get an idea. A measurement of the housing will also help us select the right diameter cartridge. For this application, 2-3/4" diameter is what is needed.

Materials of Construction:
Next, we inquire about the material of the cartridge and the type. Cartridges can be made of different materials, such as, Polypropylene, Polyethersulfone PES, Cotton, Rayon, etc. These materials can made into different types of cartridges like melt blown, string-wound, and pleated. Because we focus primarily on potable water treatment, we most commonly sell FDA grade Polypropylene, or Cotton. Cartridge manufactuters also provide information on common applications their cartridges can be used. For our case of a pretreatment cartridge before a carbon filter, a melt blown or string wound cartridge will work fine in this application with FDA Polypropylene or Cotton.

End Configuration/Gasket Material:
Cartridges can have different types of ends, from a double open ended, single open end - 226 O-ring with Flat end, single open end 222 O-ring; Fin(Spear), etc. And, different types of gasket material from Buna N, Silicone, Teflon, etc.

If a customer is not sure, we can either send this document along to them, or they can easily send us a photo of what they have which will allow us to determine the end configuration. The gasket material becomes important when you are dealing with something other than potable water. Typically, there will not be a gasket, or it will be Buna N or Silicone. In the case of this application, we determined this cartridge is a double open ended cartridge with no gasket.

To summarize, we need to quote the customer a 5 micron, 2-3/4" round x 20" long, melt blown, polypropylene, double open ended, nominal cartridge to pretreat water before a carbon filter. For us, it now becomes a question of pricing, availability, and packaging from our different suppliers. We can then present the customer with some options for them to determine.

Need Help Selecting the Perfect Cartridge?
Contact Mike Polito at 800-323-1983

 

OSHA Required Deadline You May Not Know About-December 1, 2013

Do you use chemicals or produce chemicals in your facility?  You may not be aware on December 1, 2013, OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, REQUIRES you to train all of your employees on the new chemical labeling elements and safety data sheet format, in addition to the current training requirements.


New Pictograms for Hazard Communication

If you have MSDS's at your facility, you will start seeing changes, with the above pictograms, from now on and should receive new SDS (Safety Data Sheets) before June 1, 2105. 

General Overview:
According to the Hazard Communication Standard Final Rule Fact Sheet:
"New changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard are bringing the United States into alignment with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), further improving safety and health protections for America's workers. Building on the success of OSHA's current Hazard Communication Standard, the GHS is expected to prevent injuries and illnesses, save lives and improve trade conditions for chemical manufacturers. The Hazard Communication Standard in 1983 gave the workers the ‘right to know,' but the new Globally Harmonized System gives workers the ‘right to understand.'"

Dates You Need to Know:

Major Changes:

• Hazard classification: Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to determine the hazards of the chemicals they produce or import. Hazard classification under the new, updated standard provides specific criteria to address health and physical hazards as well as classification of chemical mixtures.
• Labels: Chemical manufacturers and importers must provide a label that includes a signal word, pictogram, hazard statement, and precautionary statement for each hazard class and category.
• Safety Data Sheets: The new format requires 16 specific sections, ensuring consistency in presentation of important protection information.

What are the Benefits?

• Enhance worker comprehension of hazards, especially for low and limited-literacy workers, reduce confusion in the workplace, facilitate safety training, and result in safer handling and use of chemicals;
• Provide workers quicker and more efficient access to information on the safety data sheets;
• Result in cost savings to American businesses of more than $475 million in productivity improvements, fewer safety data sheet and label updates and simpler new hazard communication training; and
• Reduce trade barriers by harmonizing with systems around the world.

Additional Information:
Hazard Communication Standard Final Rule

OSHA's Hazard Communication Safety And Health Topics

Globally Harmonized System Pictograms

Need more information or help

Critical Safe Equipment Operation & Maintenance Reminder From Aquafine UV

On November 13, we received a bulletin from Aquafine stating this precaution:  "This bulletin is a reminder of the potential risk of an unsafe condition arising due to sleeve bolt failure and quartz sleeve ejection if the unit is not properly maintained and/or safety guidelines are not followed. In order to ensure safe operation, it is essential that your personnel observe all the safety precautions set out in the O&M manual at all times".

 

"The sleeve bolts used on the SwiftBeverage, TrojanUVFit, TrojanUVLogic, TrojanUVPhox, TrojanUVSwiftSC and UVK 1000-30000 series of products can potentially fail, and should be inspected annually and replaced if a defect is noted."

 

Please locate the above listed UV systems in your facilities.  Have trained personnel inspect and replace parts as appropriate.

 

Additional Information:
Product Safety Bulletin AQ111313 from Aquafine

Critical Safe Equipment Reminder Letter
Need a trained technician to inspect your UV system

Finally Available! - Stainless Steel Resin Traps

After many requests, Res-Kem now has stainless steel resin traps available!  So, in addition to our standard PVC and CPVC resin traps, we now offer them in 304SS and 316SS.

304 Stainless Steel Traps Each Rated for 210 gpm Flow

The end connections have Van Stone Flanges for maximum installation flexibility.  All stainless steel units are fabricated to the customer's exact dimensions and flow requirements.  Each unit is hydro-tested to 160 psig. 
 

Why You Need a Resin Trap
Many water treatment processes use small granular, plastic, powdered, pelletized and/or crystalline media in a pressure vessel. Over the years, complex screens, slotted pipes, perforated plates, molded devices, etc. have been engineered to keep the media in the vessel. Through corrosion, chemical attack, thermal damage, rapid flow changes, system age and/or water hammer, these distribution systems will be damaged.

Example of a PVC Hub and Lateral Distribution System Installed in New Steel Tank

When the distribution systems are damaged, the ion exchange resin or other media will get into the water distribution system contaminating and/or destroying downstream RO membranes, expensive membrane filters, pumps, tanks, piping, processes and any product touched by this contaminated water.

Where Should You Install a Resin Trap? A resin trap should be installed in the product water line of most resin and media based water treatment equipment like: Softeners, Dealkalizers, Condensate Polishers, Demineralizers, Carbon Filters, Sand Filters,
Portable DI Tanks, Greensand Filters,and/or Multi-Media Filters.

Also, a resin trap should be considered in the backwash lines of most ion exchange and carbon systems because temperature related flow changes can cause these expensive materials to be sent down the drain.  

What is a Resin Trap?
A resin trap is a simple, protective sieving device to insure ion exchange resin or other filtration media does not leave the water treatment equipment, and travel downstream where it doesn’t belong. It offers a stainless steel wedge-wire screen with slots small enough to retain upstream ion exchange resins or other filtration media. The number and size of the openings are designed to keep the pressure drop to a ∆P=2 psi at the rated flow rate. A clear acrylic sleeve or borosilicate glass will visually indicate whether there is an upstream problem. A small ball valve allows for recycling of resin or media after the problem has been repaired.

Since the slots in the wedge wire are 0.010 inches, 254 micron, a resin trap protects, but does not replace, downstream cartridge filters, bag filters and membrane filters which generally have a much lower micron ratings.

For Additional Information:
Technical and Sizing Information of a Resin Trap
Stainless Steel Resin Trap Bulletin
PVC and CPVC Resin Trap Bulletin 
Res-Kem's Complete Line of Industrial Water Treatment Equipment

1.4 MILES of Wire Saved Through Innovative PLC Architecture

,,,and over 800 electrical and 40 instrument air connections!

The field wiring for our customer became very complex because they wanted verification that each of the twenty actuated valves is in the correct position.  Also, the system is pre-programmed to allow up to four additional greensand filter units through a HMI touchscreen. If the control panel with the Allen Bradley PLC is only 10 feet from the first tank, fully outfitted, this control architecture would save over 2.8 MILES of wire, 1600 electrical terminations and 80 pneumatic connections and countless hours of wiring and troubleshooting!

Fieldbus Distributed I/O Module Blocks Installed n Each Greensand Filter Unit

One of the above fieldbus distributed I/O module blocks are installed on each of the four greensand filter systems for a local brewery.  This efficient architecture:

• Requires only two cables (Ethernet and low voltage Power) from each block to the main control panel eliminating point-to-point wiring from each system to main control panel
• Eliminates over 840 sources of potential errors by mechanical contractors during field installation (800 electrical terminations and 40 pneumatic connections)
• Eliminates enclosures with a total of over 40 penetrations
• Reduces the PLC inputs and outputs by 40, thereby reducing the size of the main panel
• Is rated IP67 (Dust tight and submersible to 1 meter)
• Operates at 24 VDC

The fieldbus system we employed is the PLC distributed I/O system (remote I/O modules) that is connected to the PLC using network called fieldbus. Typical fieldbus examples: Profibus, CAN, Modbus, ControlNet, DeviceNet, Ethernet I/P. At our customer, Res-Kem used  Ethernet I/P (I/P=Industrial Protocol) fieldbus. Each block must have communication adapter that is connected to the PLC network. At our customer, the Ethernet Adapter connected to the panel Ethernet switch. In addition to I/O blocks, the vendor Res-Kem uses, has solenoid blocks that are acting like digital outputs and are attached to the I/O system. Each block (fieldbus system) is powered from 24 VDC power supply providing power for backplane.

Greensand Filters During Factory Testing Showing Location of Each Fieldbus Block

Normal practice is to add an electrical enclosure which has solenoid valves to operate pneumatic actuators and electrical terminal blocks for the limit switches and solenoid valve.  At the customer's site, each electrical enclosure needs to have point-to-point wiring to the main panel with the PLC.

Typical Solenoid Panel WITHOUT Limit Switch Terminations

More About Fieldbus:
Fieldbus is an industrial network system for real-time distributed control. It is an efficient way to connect instruments in a manufacturing plant.

From Wikipedia, "A complex automated industrial system — such as manufacturing assembly line — usually needs a distributed control system—an organized hierarchy of controller systems—to function. In this hierarchy, there is usually a Human Machine Interface (HMI) at the top, where an operator can monitor or operate the system. This is typically linked to a middle layer of programmable logic controllers (PLC) via a non-time-critical communications system (e.g. Ethernet). At the bottom of the control chain is the fieldbus that links the PLCs to the components that actually do the work, such as sensors, actuators, electric motors, console lights, switches, valves and contactors."

For Additional Information:
For technical help

Greensand filter bulletin

Customized Greensand Filter for Brewery Prepared for Shipping

With factory testing completed, Res-Kem's greensand filter with several advanced features is ready for shipment to a local brewery.  Because the water is integral to production of their beer, this expanding brewery needed features which are not typical for a greensand filter:

• Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC with Ethernet gateway to communicate with the central plant control system.
• Expandable, in the field, from four to eight parallel greensand filter units without requiring reprogramming of the PLC.
• Multiple, user definable,  regeneration initiation options including manually initiated, differential pressure and/or totalized flow.
• Valve position feedback to insure when a valve supposed to be open or closed, the valve is in the correct position.  If incorrect, an alarm will sound and be indicated on the Panelview 1000 HMI.

Quad 48"Diameter Greensand Filter During Factory Testing

General System Information:
Four tank, continuous regeneration non-skid mounted greensand system with manual, differential pressure and/or totalized flow initiated regeneration. The system is constructed of four, 48" diameter fiberglass, non-ASME code, rated at 100 psig working pressure tanks. The system is controlled using an Allen Bradley CompactLogix PLC with an Allen Bradley Panelview Plus 1000 touchscreen HMI.  The system has Georg Fischer pneumatically actuated air-to-spring ball valves with visual and electrical valve indication.  The face piping is Schedule 80 PVC pipe and fittings.  Each vessel contains 38 cubic feet of Greensand Plus for high iron removal.  To allow for iron removal, the incoming water will be treated continuously with a chlorine dioxide generator.

Touchscreen Panelview Plus 1000 HMI for Equipment Control

For Additional Information:

Greensand filter brochure

To determine if a greensand filter will work for your company, contact us.