12 FABRICARE FE ATURE IN THE LAST ISSUE, I CONCLUDED THE ARTICLE AT THE STARTOFADISCUSSIONONIMPURITIESASSOCIATEDWITH BOILERS. This month we’ll delve deeper into what some of these impurities are, allowable limits for proper boiler operations, how to control them, and the type of damage they cause. The following charts list common impurities and allowable limits for Fulton boilers commonly used in drycleaning and laundry operations. Similar charts are available from all boiler manufacturers although the allowable limits may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Feedwater: combination of fresh makeup and condensate returning to the return (condensate) tank. Dissolved Oxygen . . . . . . . . . . . . .less than 0.05 ppm pH Value . . . . . . . .9-11 (tested at room temperature) Hardness . . . .less than 70 ppm in the form of CACO3 Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none Suspended Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none Organic Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .less than 5 ppm Chloride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .less than 50 ppm Total Dissolved Solids . . . . . . . . . . .less than 300ppm Boiler Water: water contained inside the boiler itself which will be converted to steam. Phosphate . . . . . . .30 to 50 ppm in the form of PO4 Alkalinity less than 300 ppm in the form of CACO3 Chloride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .less than 500 ppm pH Value . . . . . . .9-11 (tested at room temperature) Total Dissolved Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400 to 2,000 ppm Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 ppm maximum Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 ppm max. as SIO2 Hardness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .less than 50.0 ppm Dissolved Oxygen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .none You might say, "That’s quite a list of things I know nothing about. Lacking a degree in chemical engineering what can I do about it?" The answer is “not much” as far as the chemistry of the new or make up water is concerned; it depends on the local water supply. The good news is that commercially available boiler treatments (generically called “boiler compound”) and water softening devices are readily available, however, and do an excellent job keeping your boiler in top condition. In most cases providers of boiler compound and water softening services will take water samples ProbablyEverything YouWantedToKnow AboutBoilerWater TreatmentButDidn’t KnowWhoToAsk PARTTWO By Bruce Grossman, EZ Timers Manufacturing continued on page 13