DISINFECTION
Disinfection of your cooling system may be needed in case of high concentration of aerobic bacteria and/or
Legionella. Disinfection is also recommended for evaporative cooling systems with known or suspected high
bacteriological levels, prior to a cleaning procedure.
Some local or national guidance also recommends disinfection prior to initial start up, after a prolonged shut
down, after routine cleaning operations or when significant alterations have been made to the cooling system.
Disinfection must be carried out in accordance with a proper procedure and take into account the safety of the
cleaning and disinfection staff.
Typically disinfection is achieved using a sodium hyper chloride solution to maintain a residual value of 5 - 15
mg/l of free chlorine and circulate this around the system for up to 6 hours. Higher chlorine levels for a shorter
period are possible, but require a higher level of corrosion protection than galvanized steel only. Consult your
BAC representative for further information.
Excessive levels of chlorine must be avoided as this quickly can lead to corrosion and damage to your system.
Chlorinated water should be de-chlorinated before draining and after disinfection the system must be thoroughly
flushed through with clean water.
A proper regularly monitored biocide programme reduces the need for cleaning and disinfection actions
significantly.
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