Wood chips in the cooling water ( O/H condenser issues)

[f1ori]

I work with a small packed column ( 3ft x 45ft), which normally runs under 125 mmHg vacuum and a O/H condenser cooled by water. Last week, we steamed the O/H condenser line to the steam jets and we found wood chips, which are coming from the cooling tower. Since then, the dist. tower is pressurizing to 160 mmHg. We are steaming the lines constantly, but the only way I know to drop the pressure to 125 mmHg is to torn apart the O/H pipe and do a real clean up.

How can I troubleshoot the vacuum in the tower?

Does it have any other way, besides shutting the tower down to make the pressure under control?

PS: The cooling water line to the O/H condenser does not have strainer neither booster pump prior it.

 

[ash9144]

Backflush through the condensor. Block in supply leave return open and blowdown on the supply line.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

And fix the cooling tower. The wood will continue to flake off.

 

[unclesyd]

If you can not correct the problem as suggested above you might want to install a self cleaning filter like the ones by Orival on you critical water circuits.

http://www.orival.com/