Descaler equipment and chemicals can save industrial businesses considerable money and lost productivity. Hard water deposits cause scaling on piping, faucets and drains. Calcium or magnesium carbonates or bicarbonates form particularly hard-to-clean deposits. If water scale accumulates, water flow problems can develop. Water flow restriction can cost your businesses in lost productivity when equipment fails. Your water streams can become contaminated, affecting your end product. You may also end up replacing parts more frequently. Another potential problem arises when your company's boilers and heat exchangers require repair or replacement because of scale build-up.

Several methods of descaling water-carrying equipment exist. Descaling equipment can remove scale using mechanical equipment. Some processes use electricity or ultrasound. Chemical descalers eliminate scale without damaging the surface of the equipment. Some descalers contain rust prohibitors and other chemicals that inhibit the ability of chemicals to redeposit.

To use descalers in your business:

1. Determine the type scale that develops in your equipment and if descalers will eliminate the problem.

2. Identify suppliers of descaler and where you can buy descaler online.

3. Find descalers that work well with waste water sources

4. Consider hiring descaling services from other businesses.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Study how descaler products benefit your business

Descaler manufacturers make a wide variety of products. These products clean your equipment and extend its life. Equipment also operates more efficiently and saves energy costs.

I recommend: The Dynamic Descaler website contains complete information what types of cleaning jobs descalers can do and what can happen if you don't use them. This descaler store distributes Dynamic Descaler, the leading industrial descaling product. Tarksol Green provides descaler information, comparing it to other compounds' effectivity. This website also explains some benefits of using descalers.

Look for information on descaler suppliers

You will find descaler suppliers make a variety of products for different applications. Some products apply to specific types of water transfer systems while others fit more specialized uses. Some descalers apply to domestic or small scale use.

I recommend: Summit Industrial Products, a descaler manufacturer, sells Sublime, a water-based solvent with corrosion inhibitors and degreasing agents. This product has a special color-changing formula that changes when the solution is spent. Scalewater makes Scalesolve, which removes water scale, lime and iron from cooling towers, water distillation units, boiler equipment and other industrial equipment. Scalewatcher manufactures an electronic water conditioner that uses electric current to keep crystals suspended so they don't deposit on water transfer equipment.

Find a descaler for wastewater treatment

Certain descalers have specific uses. Some products only work for small scale applications, such as bathroom fixtures. Others apply to large water systems such as cooling or waste water streams in a manufacturing plant.

I recommend: Progressive Environmental combines a three part system to remove water scale: descaler to remove and prevent scale, filtration to remove suspended solids, and ion disinfection to prevent algae and bacteria. Acculube Industrial Products produces Ultimate Descaler, which removes suspended particles from equipment that is water-cooled.

Determine if hiring an outside vendor to provide descaler services can save resources

For many applications, in-house staff can treat the problems with descalers. However, sometimes hiring outside help saves time since in-house staff might require training or special protective equipment. External consultants already know how to handle the equipment and chemicals needed.

I recommend: Blastec manufacturers mechanical descaling machines that use forced air to clean water scale. Blastec makes several machines customized for plate and structural steel, rebar and railcars. One descaler provider, Ohman Descaling Services, specializes in descaling boilers, heat exchangers, process piping and cooling towers using a chemical process. Arrow Cryogenics provides descaling methods including shot blasting, chemical descaling and vibratory descaling. Arrow specializes in the automotive, electronics, military, hydraulics and OEM manufacturer industries.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take care when using chemical descaler solutions. Use adequate ventilation. Avoid skin contact, breathing the fumes or getting in your eyes.