Boiler Makeup Water Treatment Systems

Scale buildup inside boiler tubes is one of the leading causes of boiler failure. A deposit just 1/16-inch thick on heat transfer surfaces increases fuel consumption by approximately 12%, and at higher pressures even thin scale can cause tube rupture. The American Boiler Manufacturers Association (ABMA) publishes water quality guidelines for steam boilers by operating pressure — at 600 psig, total dissolved solids in the feedwater must be below 150 ppm, with hardness at zero and silica below 0.3 ppm.

AMPAC USA designs reverse osmosis systems specifically for boiler feedwater applications. Systems are sized by steam output requirements, blowdown rate, and local makeup water TDS to ensure the RO permeate consistently meets the target water quality specification. Where operating pressure demands it, a mixed-bed deionization polisher is added downstream to achieve resistivity above 1 megohm-cm.

Pre-treatment is matched to the source water: softening for hard groundwater, carbon filtration for chlorinated municipal supply, and antiscalant dosing to protect membranes. All systems include a conductivity meter on the permeate line so operators can monitor feedwater quality continuously and catch membrane degradation before it affects boiler performance.

For plants operating multiple boilers at different pressure ratings, AMPAC designs zoned distribution systems that deliver different water quality grades to different service points from a single treatment skid. High-pressure boilers receive fully deionized water while lower-pressure units and domestic hot water systems receive softened or RO-treated water. This approach minimizes treatment cost while meeting the specification at every point of use.

Contact AMPAC USA at (909) 548-4900 to discuss boiler makeup water treatment for your facility. Provide your boiler operating pressure and current makeup water analysis and we'll specify the right system.