One common concern that we hear is: "We have hard water at our facility. Will it form scale deposits inside our automated watering system?" The white solid "scale" that can appear on plumbing components is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. If a water is supersaturated with calcium carbonate, then hardness scale can precipitate.
What problems can scale cause in an automated watering system?
Drinking valves may leak if tiny calcium carbonate salt crystals develop inside the valve, preventing it from sealing properly.
Solenoid valves can leak when scale forms inside. If the pressure station’s flush solenoid valve leaks, you will get a high water pressure condition.
Scale buildup inside flow switches makes them stick. This can cause actual leaks to go undetected or false alarms when there is no leak.
Drain valves on rack manifolds do not close easily.
Aesthetically, hard water deposits leave stains and build-up on the outside of drinking valves and rack manifold piping.
This bulletin describes how the scale-forming tendency can be calculated and how scaling problems can be avoided. If you have any further questions or concerns about water quality, contact Edstrom Industries at 800-558-5913.
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