Category
Conductivity Analysers for Cooling Towers
Control cooling tower blowdown, boiler water and RO quality with Chemitec conductivity analysers.
A cooling tower conductivity analyzer measures dissolved solids in the water and controls the blowdown valve, so scale and corrosion stay in check without wasting more water than needed. The Chemitec S411 U cell, Series 30 and Series 46 controllers cover cooling towers, boilers and RO or softened water, up to 120 °C.
3 Products · Conductivity Analyser
Selection guide
Conductivity Analysers for Cooling Towers Guide
How conductivity blowdown control works
As water evaporates from a cooling tower or boiler, the dissolved salts it leaves behind become more concentrated, raising conductivity. The S411 U cell reads that conductivity continuously, and the controller compares it with a setpoint: once the reading rises above it, the controller opens the blowdown valve to bleed off concentrated water, and fresh make-up water dilutes the system back down.
How to choose a conductivity analyser
- Cell constant: the S411 U comes in K = 0.1, 1 or 10 cm, covering 0 to 200 µS at K = 10, 0 to 50,000 µS at K = 1, and 10 to 200 mS at K = 0.1, so match the constant to your expected conductivity range.
- Installation: the cell threads directly into a pipe or tank at 1/2 inch or 1 inch GAS, and comes with a 5 m cable, extendable to 10 or 15 m on request.
- Temperature and pressure: it operates up to 120 °C, with operating pressure of 6 bar at 20 °C falling to 2 bar at 120 °C.
- Controller: the Series 30 is a single-parameter controller with a graphic display and bar graph, well suited to a single cooling tower. The Series 46 handles conductivity plus a second parameter such as pH from the same unit.
- Application: cooling towers and boilers use conductivity for blowdown; RO and softened water use it to confirm the treated water quality.
For process, effluent applications and other cell types, see conductivity transmitters and cells.
FAQ
Common questions
How does conductivity control cooling tower blowdown?
A controller compares the measured conductivity with a setpoint. As water evaporates and dissolved salts concentrate, the reading rises, and once it crosses the setpoint the controller opens the blowdown valve to drain concentrated water until fresh make-up water brings the reading back down.
Why does the conductivity cell need temperature compensation?
Conductivity rises with temperature even at a constant salt concentration, so an uncompensated reading would drift through the day as the cooling tower water warms and cools. The S411 U cell is thermo-compensated, keeping readings comparable regardless of temperature.
What cell constant do I need for cooling tower water?
It depends on your expected conductivity range: K = 10 cm suits low readings up to 200 µS, K = 1 cm covers up to 50,000 µS for typical cooling tower water, and K = 0.1 cm covers 10 to 200 mS for higher-conductivity applications. Tell us your expected range and we'll confirm.
Single or dual-parameter conductivity controller, which do I need?
The Series 30 suits a single cooling tower or boiler where conductivity is the only measurement you need, with a graphic display and bar graph. The Series 46 adds a second parameter, such as pH, from the same unit, useful where the loop needs both measurements together.
Can the conductivity analyser connect to my BMS?
Tell us what your BMS accepts and we'll confirm the output options on the Chemitec controllers, since both the Series 30 and Series 46 offer analogue and alarm outputs suited to typical BMS analogue input cards.
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