The project is sponsored by the City of Columbus, which has successfully implemented acid phase digestion improvements at its Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, saving the city upward of $1M annually.
I first encountered formic acid erosion/corrosion when our installed air conditioning and heat pump evaporator (indoor) coils began suddenly leaking refrigerant in 2008. These were not old coils either, and some had only been installed for a year when the issues arose.
In my January 2022 column, I made a broad call for improved water intelligence to offer improved building occupant health. This is nothing new to the HVAC industry, with system monitoring and control extending far beyond the mechanical room and into the most remote areas of the building
You would expect water in a hospital to be safe. But, far too often, water in hospitals and other health care facilities can put patients at risk of severe illness or death.
On the older hydronic systems, replacing the existing boiler with a new one was pretty straightforward. The installer connected the new boiler to the existing flue, piping and electric. The newer high-efficiency boilers are much different and require some additional planning.
Recently, I wrote about plumbing pipe thermal expansion and expansion fittings. Based upon feedback from some in the design community, there seems to be a feeling that more design professionals within the consulting industry need to have a better foundation to enhance their understanding of the topic.
One of the things I love about engineering is remembering those moments that inspire us to keep learning. For me, most of the time, it was related to somebody trying to fix something that was broken.