How to Fill Circulating Water Systems CW Condensate Pumps

Recognize the principles behind how circulating water systems work. Doing so allows you to determine the best method for filling the condensate pump. Cooling pumps need to be extremely efficient to be effective and in large industrial applications they pump over 100,000 gallons of water into multiple cooling towers. Cooling towers are dependent on the evaporation process and their efficiency is determined by the difference in temperature between the circulating water and the ambient atmosphere. Keeping the condensate pump filled properly will help to maintain the necessary temperature to obtain these conditions.

Open the inlet check valve to fill the condensate tank when the tank's level has dipped below the necessary amount needed to keep the temperature at the desired level. Consult the manufacturer's recommendations to determine the temperature and level needed. Water is let into the condensate tank from a receiver tank via gravity. The water feeds downward to the valve, which is opened by the system operator.

Ensure that the outlet check valve and the motive valve are closed. The vent valve remains open so that pressure can be equalized within the tank. Many systems do most of this on their own, so there is little for the operator to do beyond monitoring and troubleshooting. Once the tank fills, the vent valve closes while the motive force valve opens simultaneously. In the event of excess pressure, the outlet check valve will automatically open to relieve the pressure. The condensate then goes into the return piping and is eventually restored in the return tank. Because it is a closed system, this water eventually returns to the condensate tank on its own.