Hard Water Deposits Impact Everyone – Some More Than Others

Monday, July 26th, 2010
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We’ve all heard the term “hard water”, but what does it actually mean?  How is hard water described and categorized?  What section of the country has the hardest water?

First, let’s describe “hard water” in more detail.  Hard water is water that contains large amounts of dissolved minerals, especially calcium and magnesium.   As our high-school chemistry teachers taught us, l0, those many years ago, water is an excellent solvent – some even call it the universal solvent.    As water passes through rocks and the ground on its journey from rain to our sinks, it picks up small amounts of minerals and keeps them in solution. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: coil cleaning, heat exchangers, HVAC equipment, HVAC Maintenance

The 20 Things You Should Know About Descaling:#16 – #20

Monday, July 19th, 2010
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Welcome to the fourth and final installment of Goodway’s  “Twenty Questions and Answers about Descaling“.  We ended the last post by telling you how Goodway ScaleBreak is safe for the environment.  That’s important, so we wanted to add a few details before moving  to Goodway descaling systems.

16.) ScaleBreak is completely biodegradable.  When you use it to clean water scale, it will have a slightly acid pH and will contain non-toxic salts.  ScaleBreak does not contain Cresols or tar oils and is not subject to SARA Title III, Section 313 reporting requirements.  Use a little sodium bicarbonate to easily neutralize before you dispose of any residue.  Just check with your local sewer authority if you have any questions. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: biodegradable, energy efficiency, water scale

The 20 Things You Should Know About Descaling: #11- #15

Monday, July 12th, 2010
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Welcome to part three of “Twenty Questions and Answers about Descaling“. So far, we’ve looked at scale (questions 1-5) and the best ways to remove it (questions 6-10).  In this third installment we’ll talk a little about Goodway’s ScaleBreak solution.

Scalebreak is different from the harsh chemicals you are used to using in the past.  It is safe to use on steel, iron, copper, plastic and rubber, and there is even a special version for stainless steel.  ScaleBreak is guaranteed to dissolve calcium carbonate and iron oxide deposits. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: corrosion, safe for environment, safety

The 20 Things You Should Know About Descaling – #6 – #10

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
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Welcome to the second installment of 20 straightforward answers to 20 questions about descaling.

If you are reading this then you have already taken the first step to getting rid of the scale currently accumulating in your HVAC system – you have recognized that it is there.  Just look at the picture illustrating this post to see what we mean.  Our last post covered questions 1-5:  what is scale and why you should be concerned about it?  Now let’s take a closer look at the best way to actually clean that scale out of your system.

6.)  There are two ways to get rid of scale – mechanically and chemically.  In a mechanical cleaning, you use moving brushes to actually scrape the scale off the walls of your pipes .  Using a chemical process,you circulate a chemical though your tubes that dissolves and flushes any scale.  the material.

7.)  Which way is better?  They both work well of and by themselves, but we recommend that you do both.  Start with an initial chemical treatment that will loosen scale, rust and other deposits and then follow up with an actual mechanical scrubbing with brushes.

8.)  Consider adding a regular chemical cleaning to your maintenance schedules.  Chemical cleaning in conjunction with mechanical cleaning will do a better job than either alone– it will help you stay ahead of the formation of new scale.

9.)  But chemical cleaning is more than just pouring chemicals into your pipes.  Look for a system – like Goodway’s systems – that keep the solution of cleaning chemicals moving, constantly circulating them so they clean in the most efficient –and safest — manner possible.

10.)  Goodway descaling systems can be used in almost every part of the circulating water side of your system, including heat exchangers, pumps and compressors.

To find out more about descaling, for your free copy of our new publication “20 Things You Need to Know About Descaling Now‘, and a free sample descaling kit,  please contact us.

Rich Silverman

Goodway Blogging Team

Public Domain image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: air conditioning systems, cooling towers, HVAC Maintenance and Efficiency

The 20 Things You Should Know About Descaling: #1-#5

Monday, June 28th, 2010
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Let’s talk about scale. If you are responsible for one or more of these:

• condensers
• chillers
• boilers
• heat exchangers
• cooling towers
• compressors

you have scale. You may not see it right away.  You may not notice its effects right away, but sooner or later, you will have scale buildup.  We hereby offer the first five of 20 things you should know about scale, what it is, what it does and how you can stop it. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: air conditioning systems, chillers, cooling towers, Descaling, energy savings

This Isn’t Your Dad’s Pressure Washer Anymore

Monday, June 21st, 2010
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In our last post, we talked about one of those devices that every maintenance department has, but sits in the corner until an emergency – the wet/dry vacuum.  Well, today we’re talking about another device which probably also sits unused in your maintenance department.  It is a simple machine that, if you used it to the full extent of its capabilities, could save you time, money and effort, and make maintenance and cleaning easier – the pressure washer. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: energy savings, industrial cleaning equipment

Does Your Wet/Dry Vacuum Just Sit Between Emergencies?

Monday, June 14th, 2010
HVAC Maintenance and Efficiency | Click Here To Add Your Comment Now

We know she’s there, tucked away in a maintenance closet or boiler room, somewhere in the basement.  She just sits there, ignored, unloved and unneeded, month after month.  And then one day, something happens and you realize that you really do need her and you need her now — , right away.  So, you rush to the maintenance closet and fling open the door and there she is.  You grab her and rush up the stairs or into the elevator with her and take her out and plug her in… and that reassuring whine kicks in and and you can see the water level start to drop and you can finally relax and breathe a sigh of relief. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: energy efficient, Energy Saving Tips, HVAC Maintenance

A Billion Gallons Here, A Billion Gallons There – Pretty Soon It Adds Up!

Monday, June 7th, 2010
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Its enough water to supply the needs of 40,000 people for a full year — or, enough water to fill about 1,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools at more than 600,000 gallons each.  Any way you measure it, a billion gallons is a LOT of water.  It is also the amount of water that Dow Chemical saved last year — and will save this year — at its Freeport, Texas facility. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: cooling towers, energy savings, HVAC Maintenance, HVAC Maintenance and Efficiency

Coming Soon To A Building Code Near You — ASHRAE 189.1

Monday, May 31st, 2010
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The art and science of green building management has come to a crossroads.  Current techniques for designing, building and managing  commercial, industrial or office building can no longer be maintained.  Over the years, the pressure to conserve energy, reduce operating costs and provide a safe, comfortable environment for the occupants of your buildings has been increasing. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: energy savings, green buildings, Green Buildings & Green Technology, green retrofits, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Green Building Council, USGBC

Is Your Air Conditioner Ready for Warm Weather?

Monday, May 17th, 2010
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Many buildings have their HVAC gear located on the roof, if for no other reason than the owners or managers decided that it’s not very attractive, can sometimes make noise and takes up valuable square footage on the ground. › Continue reading

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Written by: Goodway Blogging Team

Tags: HVAC equipment