Three Key Instances to Address Excessive Seal Water Usage

In industries reliant on water management, excessive seal water usage for mechanical seals can quickly become a hidden expense, wasting resources and driving up costs. This is especially true in industries like pulp and paper processing, where managing clean water and wastewater is critical to plant operations. With fresh water becoming increasingly scarce and regulations tightening, addressing this issue at the right times can lead to significant savings.

Let's explore three critical instances when addressing seal water usage becomes imperative and look at some actionable solutions and a real-world case study to demonstrate their impact.

1. When Outdated Systems Hinder Efficiency

Many facilities rely on outdated or conventional systems that lack precise control mechanisms. Often, this results in operators increasing water flow to avoid dry running, inadvertently wasting significant amounts of water. Without seal water control devices, plants end up over-flushing, using far more water than necessary.

This is what happened at a leading U.S. pulp mill, where excessive water consumption was causing inefficiencies. By upgrading to John Crane's Upstream Pumping seals, the plant achieved a significant reduction in water consumption while simultaneously increasing mean time between repair (MTBR). This strategic upgrade not only improved equipment reliability but also provided substantial cost savings. Read more about this success in the full case study here.

2. When Water Quality is Compromised

In many facilities, poor water quality leads to higher seal water flush rates to prevent particulate buildup around mechanical seal faces. While this helps maintain equipment performance, it quickly escalates water usage, particularly in environments with heavy contamination.

A solution such as John Crane's SafeJet filtration system addresses this challenge by removing impurities from water and reducing the need for excessive flush rates. SafeJet has self-cleaning microfilter technology, ensuring that even plants with compromised water quality can optimise water use without sacrificing performance.

3. When Water Costs and Environmental Pressure Rises

As water becomes a more expensive and limited resource, especially in remote or arid regions, the pressure to reduce consumption grows for businesses. Facilities are now under increasing regulatory and environmental scrutiny to manage water usage more sustainably.

By proactively investing in systems like Safeclean, a plant-wide seal water filtering system, companies can significantly cut water waste, lower operational costs, and improve sustainability metrics. The U.S. pulp mill case study mentioned above demonstrates that such investments not only lead to large reductions in water consumption but can also contribute to long-term operational stability.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

These three key instances present opportunities for facilities to make impactful changes. Whether addressing outdated systems, tackling poor water quality or responding to rising costs, taking action to reduce excessive water usage can transform your plant's efficiency and bottom line. The U.S. pulp mill case study exemplifies how taking action can lead to a significant reduction in water consumption, improved equipment reliability and less environmental impact.

John Crane's water control and filter systems can help you to save water and maximise cost savings initiatives:

• John Crane's Safeunit™: A complete monitoring and control solution for seals and seal water systems.
• John Crane's Safeunit™ Ultima: A monitoring and control solution for extreme conditions.
• Smartflow and Smartflow IG: An intelligent seal water control system that automatically adjusts to new operating conditions.
• Safejet: A self-cleaning microfilter system designed and engineered with flow-through filter technology.
• Safeclean: A plant-wide seal water filtering system which removes impurities and particles.

With decades of experience in seal water management, John Crane understands the complex needs of industries where water usage directly impacts efficiency and cost. Our expertise enables facilities worldwide to overcome challenges with customised solutions that target water waste, equipment reliability, and environmental concerns.

Whether dealing with outdated systems, compromised water quality or rising operational costs, we provide the tools and insights to transform your water management. To learn more about how John Crane's solutions can help your facility achieve results, look at the rest of our pulp and paper products and services.