Abstract
Two series of tests are reported in which hard make-up water used for small, low pressure steam boilers is examined to determine the effect of electrical treatment of the water on the formation of scale and sludge in the boilers. One test involved boilers specially constructed so they could be taken apart for examination in which two types of electrical treatment devices, one using direct and the other alternating current were applied to two boilers while two other boilers were fed untreated water as controls. The other test involved boilers in commercial use in which tests with and without electrical treatment devices were made. Examination of the sludge and scale residue as to volume, tenacity, constitution and chemical analysis from both boilers receiving electrically treated and boilers not receiving electrically treated water showed wide differences among the boilers. There was no way, the authors concluded, in which these differences could be associated with electrical treatment of the water.
