How To Tell If Descalers Are Still Effective

Tips & tricks
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Understanding the cleaning effectiveness or scale dissolvability of ScaleBreak® during cleaning is an important part of your procedural steps. This simple practice is designed to make sure your solutions activity level retains functionality. Performing these tests can be accommodated in two straightforward methods, measuring the pH value of your circulating solution and mapping the readings or a simple calcium carbonate spot test of the circulating solution. 

Testing the pH of your ScaleBreak® solution during circulation is one method that will identify ScaleBreak’s activity level. The pH of ScaleBreak starts out with a value of less than 3. As ScaleBreak dissolves the deposits within your equipment, it absorbs the calcium into a liquid suspension, thus naturally neutralizing the solution. Frequent pH readings at intervals of every 10-15 minutes will allow you to map your solution's activity during a cleaning procedure.

Example: if you have been testing your pH with a consistent pH reading below 3 and the solution abruptly rises, take additional readings to make sure this is a consistent pattern. If your pH has a consistent 5.5 reading or greater for multiple readings, your solution has become neutralized and you will need to add an additional product to complete your cleaning. If you have circulated for the recommended time duration, the pH did not go above 4 and you are not visually seeing any additional bubbling & foaming, your cleaning is complete. You can now start flushing your piece of equipment with clean water.

A calcium carbonate spot test is performed by simply having a sample of your ScaleBreak® solution come in contact with a form of calcium carbonate. The calcium carbonate utilized can be a sample of the deposit you are cleaning, a calcium tablet, or concrete. When you add the calcium to your ScaleBreak® solution, if the product is active, it will bubble and foam. If you add the calcium tablet and visualize a little reaction, your solution is neutralized. You can perform this test with fresh ScaleBreak® so you understand how the fresh products will react vs depleted. If your ScaleBreak® solution has lost its effectiveness, you will need to add fresh ScaleBreak to complete the cleaning. If your ScaleBreak® remained active during the recommended cleaning duration, you can perform a clean water flush.

PLEASE NOTE: Deposits comprised primarily of rust (Fe2O3) can give false pH readings. The pH value will remain low, yet the solution will be inactive. In situations where rust prevalent, the following calcium spot test is recommended.