What’s the big deal? It’s just a little slime…. But even a little bit of slime can cost a substantial amount of money in cooling system inefficiencies. Scale or microbiological deposits the thickness of an eggshell (1/64") on chiller condenser tubes can increase electrical consumption by up to 15 percent.

In a 1,000-ton refrigeration system, such an increase might mean $20,000 or more annually in excess electrical costs, depending on a plant’s electricity rate. Add maintenance costs and downtime (lost production) to correct the problem, as well as possible equipment damage due to microbiologically induced corrosion, and a little slime quickly becomes a big problem. Implementing an effective preventive maintenance program is well worth the extra effort.