Adding Calcium to the System

To add calcium to the system, connect the brine mixing barrel as shown. If there is a good level in the blending tank, open valve #3 until the barrel is 1/2 full. If the brine level is low fill the barrel 1/2 full with cold tap water. Turn on mixing pump with valve #1 and #4 open and valves #2 and #3 closed. Slowly pour calcium into barrel while vigorously stirring by hand or with an electric mixer. Stir until no sign of crystals remain and let the brine circulate in barrel for a few more minutes. To add to system open valve #2 and close valve #1. Pump brine mixture into system until barrel is nearly empty. Repeat process to add more calcium. If the balance tank is full and the brine is still too weak, some of the brine mixture will have to be drawn off and stored.

Brine Filtration System

It is extremely important to keep your brine in a very clean condition. Dirty brine will shorten the life of the brine pump seals, impede heat transfer in the chiller, and restrict the flow of brine to the cooling floor grid.

The illustration on the right shows a cut-away single cartridge brine filter. The brine flows to the outside of the filter cartridge removing all of the contaminants as it passes through the pleated filter. The clean brine returns to the system.

The illustration below depicts how the brine filter is connected to the system in a by-pass stream arrangement. Cleaning the filter can be done without disrupting normal plant operation.

Brine System Maintenance Tips

• Do not let the balance tank run dry
• Check and record levels on each shift
• Use side stream filtration to keep the brine clean
• Keep the pH between 7.5 and 8
• Abnormally high pH levels can mean an ammonia leak
• Keep the cooling floor freeze point between -5 and -10 F.
• Keep the heating floor freeze point between 10 and 15 F.
• Run pump once a month during the off season
• Repair brine leaks immediately
• Do a brine analysis every year

Determining if there is Air in the Brine System

A good way to determine if you have air in your brine system is by observing your balance tank. The two illustrations below depict a situation where there is air in the brine system. The illustration on the left depicts the brine pump running. This is evident by the pressure on the brine pressure gauge. Note that the brine level in the balance tank is quite low. The reason for the lower brine level is that all of the air in the system is being compressed by the brine pump. The pressurization of the air reduces the volume of air in the floor piping grid. This reduced air volume is then replaced by brine from the balance tank. The illustration on the right shows the system after the brine pump has shut off. Note that the pressure gauge is now at 0 PSI pressure. The air decompresses and returns to its original volume which displaces brine from the floor piping grid back into the balance tank. If there is a great deal of air in the system it will displace so much brine that it will overflow down the drain as shown in the right hand illustration. The real hazard here is each time the pump cycles on and off more air will enter the system and eventually a great deal of brine will be lost potentially destroying the chiller.

Potential Problems In Brine Piping System

Cracked or broken brine lines can be detected by a loss of brine in the balance tank or by a visual sighting of brine on the arena floor or in the header trench. The leaks must be located and repaired to ensure the brine system stays full.

Caution:

Never let the chiller and pumps go dry.

The headers should be inspected annually for leaks and repaired where required. Any rusted areas should be cleaned up and primed. Worn or poor insulation should be replaced.

Air can be detected in a system by the lowering of the brine level after starting the brine pump. Gauges and thermometers should be inspected regularly for proper operation.

Air can be worked out of the brine system at the header purge valves and through the balance tank. To assist in rapid air removal, full sized tees are highly recommended in the brine mains for the balance tank line takeoffs.

Over a period of years some of the nipples from the headers can become partially or totally restricted. This becomes evident by soft strips of ice running lengthwise down the ice. If the headers are an older steel version, it is best to replace them with non-rusting PVC headers. PVC headers will not rust and cause fouling in the system.

Side stream filtration is a good method of removing dissolved solids. A filter can be permanently installed for this purpose.

Reducing Refrigerant Loss

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Removing Air from the Brine System

Air is extremely harmful in a brine system. It will promote an aggressive rate of corrosion, causes cavitation in the pumps, and can displace brine to the extent that the brine will overflow down the drain. After the initial installation there should be no air in the brine system. However, it you have carried out some brine system maintenance or have had a leak you might have a situation where air has entered the system. The proper installation of full size tees in the brine mains as shown in the lower left illustration is the best way to eliminate air from the system. The brine discharge service valve is only left open until all of the air has worked its way out of the system. Occasionally you might have to work air out at the headers. This method is shown in the right hand illustration below. The best way to do get the air out is to shut the brine pump off and let the air rise to the top of the header and release it at the header purge valve. This can take a long period of time and you will have to start and stop the pump many times to "Bump" the air into the headers.