Surveying performance of large-scale heating and hot water systems
Water that is naturally hard, as in 70 per cent of the UK, contains dissolved calcium and other minerals. Their effect on pipe work and water systems can be disastrous, including reducing heat exchanger energy efficiency by up to 40 per cent due to lime scale build-up.Surveying existing large-scale heating and hot water systems installations to establish a basis for installing improvements can be a daunting task and Environmental Treatment Concepts (ETC) has found that the PF330 portable clamp-on flow and heat-meter from Micronics is a suitable tool for the job.
The Micronics products are used to demonstrate how bad the performance is before installation and the improvements in efficiency following installation with LTHW pipe sizes ranging from circa 2 to 18 inches.
The ETC products prevent new and reduce existing lime scale, water flow rate is a key factor in the process and the PF330 provides the essential information for assessment and timeframes for improvement.
Having considered various suppliers ETC selected the Micronics – PF330 - Time of Flight - portable flow instrument plus heat-meter data-logger. Portable Clamp-On Ultrasonic flow measurement has clear advantages for survey work and Micronics were selected as the supplier due to a combination of their long-term experience with non-invasive, clamp-on technology, product performance and pre-order assistance.
ETC Technical Services Manager, Simon Elliot, says: “The PF330 has proved to be a great tool to undertake plant surveys including identification of circulation shortfalls, even pumps going backwards. It provides a real insight into what’s going on, like having X-ray vision. And it’s also a valuable tool for demonstrating how well our installations work to improve performance and reduce energy consumption.”
For more information, visit www.micronicsflowmeters.com
