Nortec Industries GS Series GSTC Indoor - Manual (Page 25)

10-20
Page 18
2008-10-01
1. WATER CONDITIONS VS. HUMIDIFIER CLEANING REQUIREMENTS
(1) The GS Series humidifiers are to operate on cold potable, De-Ionized (DI) or
Reverse-Osmosis (RO) water supply and since the output of all GS Series
humidifiers is pure clean steam, minerals from the incoming water are left behind.
These minerals will eventually coat the tank walls or settle to the bottom of the
tank. The mineral content of the incoming water, the unit running time, output
capacity setting and blowdown rate ultimately determine time between each
cleaning.
(2) The Gas Steam humidifier will periodically “blowdown” or skim water from the tank
to reduce the concentration of total dissolved solids that accumulate during long-
term operation. The Gas Steam humidifiers are shipped from the factory set at
25% of output. This setting ensures that scale build-up will be minimized for most
water conditions. The amount of blowdown is field adjustable.
(3) The unit also monitors operation time and will indicate to the user when
maintenance is required. This time is adjustable to adapt to your water conditions
but is set from the factory at 500 hours of 100% operation.
(4) Three parameters will help determine the proper blowdown setting of the Gas
Steam humidifier.
(a) Water hardness
(b) Silica content
(c) Chlorides
(5) Due to the wide range of water conditions found throughout North America it is
important that the blowdown is set according to the local water conditions. By
water conditions we are referring to the hardness of the water supplied to the
humidifier. The hardness is measured in grains per gallon. It is also important to
test for silica content. Silicates may cause foaming and contribute to scale buildup
in the humidifier tank and float chamber. When excessive foaming occurs. Consult
factory for possible solutions.
(6) If you are unaware of the hardness or silica content of your water supply, there
are many “do it yourself” kits, which can be purchased, or there are several
companies that will perform the tests for a reasonable price. You can even contact
your municipality for your water condition.
(7) It is possible to reduce this setting according to observation and guidelines in the
blowdown setting table found in the GS Installation Manual (Form # XX-287). Also,
when high silica content has been identified, the humidifier tank and float chamber
will require increased maintenance and the blowdown setting should be increased
to maximum setting. In this case silica content may determine the appropriate
blowdown setting.
(8) Softened water is recommended if the incoming water has a hardness in excess of
8 grains/gal (136 ppm).
(9) Reverse osmosis (RO) water can provide very long times between cleaning since
it is cleaner than softened water. Deionized (DI) water can reduce the