Steam Humidification: How to reliably prevent limescale in pipes
Limescale deposits are an everyday issue, but one that has complex negative implications in many industries. While it is only a nuisance in accessible components, lime poses a challenge in other places such as pipelines, and in devices whose function and service life are impacted by lime deposits. Room humidification often comprises all the factors for problematic limescale formation: lime-containing water, elevated temperatures, and small cross-sections in such elements as nozzles and pipes. It is therefore necessary to find solutions for limescale build-up and ensure optimum indoor humidity.
Dry indoor air must be avoided for a number of reasons in both private and public spaces. Air quality is not only vital to our well-being and performance, but a sufficient relative humidity (RH) is also crucial to many industries for preventing damage to hygroscopic materials, disruptions in automated manufacturing processes, and undesirable material changes.
Steam humidification technologies
If steam is to be generated directly at the point of use, electrically operated steam humidifiers are a good option.
Humidifiers can generate steam via two isothermal processes. In one process, fresh water is heated by a grid of metal electrodes in the water tank, with the current flowing directly through the water medium causing evaporation.
The other process is based on the resistance heating principle. With this method, immersed heating elements boil water, generating steam in a steam cylinder with several resistive heating elements. At the latest, when comparing it with the immersion heater, images of calcified heating coils from older household appliances may come to mind.
Depending on the requirements for room air quality and structural conditions, there are two ways of humidifying the air: either indirectly via the room air conditioning system (AHU), or directly via a device installed in the room. Direct room humidifiers are frequently used regardless of existing air conditioning systems. The appropriate accessories can enable a connection between an AHU system and a direct room humidifier. In commercial and industrial humidification, steam humidifiers have performed very well.
Lime – and how it gets into drinking water
To understand the impacts of lime, we must first understand how it enters the water cycle, beginning with precipitation. Rain, snow, and hail either land directly in bodies of water or seep into the ground. Below the soil, the water then enters deep rock layers that contain calcium carbonate, a primary mineral in lime. Further along the cycle, the water reaches bedrock at depths of hundreds to several thousand meters, varying by region. From there, this groundwater eventually flows into lakes and oceans, where it can be evaporated when exposed to the heat of the atmosphere. On its long journey, the water absorbs minerals and trace elements from the earth’s crust and varying amounts of lime.
For indoor humidification, the issue of lime is a major challenge. Though the calcium carbonate composition of drinking water is not always harmful to human health, it is a problem for the function and service life of technical equipment and is therefore a key consideration when selecting a humidification system for your space. Addressing lime buildup can require maintenance, cleaning, and water treatment at additional cost.
Avoiding limescale deposits from the outset
Some humidification technologies are capable of breaking lime buildup within their machinery into small particles and washing them away. However, this can transfer the blockage to the building’s plumbing system, causing damage there. If left unmaintained, pipes may even need to be replaced prematurely. In addition, calcium carbonate deposits provide an ideal breeding ground for microorganisms that are harmful to health. Over time, these form a biofilm on the inner walls of pipes, resulting in a continuous release of germs.
Conclusion: Prevention instead of expensive replacement
The best way to manage lime is to prevent limescale deposits from forming in pipelines in the first place. While pre-treatment of water through decalcification can be effective, it is often costly and requires ongoing maintenance depending on facility size.
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