Troubleshooting of DM plant
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Defects Causes Remedies
Decrease in capacity a. Increase in ionic load Check by analysis
between two successive
regenerations b. Flow recorder defective Check
c. Insufficient chemicals used Check
d. Resin dirty Give prolonged backwash
e. Plant being used intermittently Avoid this
f. Channelling in bed Check and ensure uniform distribution
/collection
g. Resin fouled If cation, give HCl wash; if anion, resin
give alkaline brine treatment
h. Resin deteriorated Check and replace charge
i. Resin quantity insufficient in unit Check and top up
Treated quality not upto the a. Cation exhausted Check
standard
b. Anion exhausted Check
c. Mixed bed exhausted Check
d. MB resin not in uniform mixed state Repeat air mix and rinse
Chec
e. Some valves like backwash leaking k
f. Na slip from cation high Check raw water analysis; change in Na/TA
and SiO2/TA ratio; use more chemicals
Check raw water analysis; change in Na/TA
g. SiO2 slip from anion high and SiO2/TA ratio; use more chemicals
Check
h. Unit idle Rinse to satisfactory quality
i. Unit not sufficiently rinsed Adjust to between unit min/max flow rate
j. Excessive/low flow rate Check and ensure uniform
collection/distribution
k. Channelling Check resin and give alkaline brine/ HCL
treatment
l. Resin fouled Check resin and replace
m. Resin deteriorated
Mixed bed quality not good a. Resin not separated during backwash properly Give extended backwash after exhausting
the bed
b. Air mix not proper Repeat
c. Final rinse not proper Repeat
d. Some valves may be leaking and Check and examine
contaminating the treated water
High residual CO2 from a. It can be due to choked suction filter of Check and clean filter
degasser degasser air blower
b. Improper air flow to the degasser Check damper, speed of blower, discharge
pressure
c. Degasser blower not in operation Check and operate blower
d. Air seal not fitted/broken resulting in short Check and replace fitting
circulating of air
Unit rinse takes long time a. Flow rate too high Increase flow rate
b. Unit exhausted Regenerate unit
c. Backwash valve passing Check and rectify
d. Anion resin organically fouled Give alkaline brine treatment
e. MB air mix not satisfactory Carry out air mix once again
f. Acid/alkali pockets formed in unit Faulty design check and rectify.
Temporarily backwash (followed by air
scour if MB) and rinse again
Flow rate too less a. Choked valve and suction strainer of pump Check
b. Cavitation in the pump Check
c. Low inlet pressure Check-pump
d. Distribution or collecting system choked Check
e. Resin trap at outlet choked Check and clean
f. Control valve shut due to low off-take Increase off-take
Pressure drop across the a. Defective valves Check
bed increasing day by day
b. Packed resin bed and resin fines present Give extended backwash with open
manhole and scrap off fines from top
surface of the resin
c. Collecting system choked Check, repeat backwash
d. Pressure gauge defective Check and rectify/ replace
Flooding in degasser a. Very high air flow rate Reduce air flow rate by adjusting damper
Open and check
b. Packed tower chocked due to dirt or broken
packing material
Resin being lost a. Excessive backwash pressure Check inlet pressure and reduce if
necessary
b. Faulty collecting system Examine same for breakage
c. Inlet strainer damaged Check and replace
Ejector not working a. Low power water pressure Check
b. Air lock in the unit Backwash & open air release
c. Choked or defective valves Examine and rectify
d. Ejector nozzle may be choked Check
e. Too much back pressure from the unit Check for chokage of collecting system;
passage of inlet/outlet valves
f. Bulge in pipe lining Check and rectify
Incorrect reading rota- a. Chocked orifice lines/orifice Check and clean
meters
b. Dirty glass and float check and clean
Improper reading from flow a. Choked impulse lines/orifice Check and clean
recorder integrator
b. DP transmitter requires recalibration Recalibrate
c. Leakage in signal tube between transmitter and Check
panel
Check
d. Low air pressure for DP transmitter or recorder
Level electrodes system for a. Improper contact between electrodes and Check contact and rectify
measuring and dilution tank control
not functioning properly cabling Check
and dry the contacts of moisture and dirt
b. Shorting of the two electrodes due to moisture
or Check
any foreign material
c. Improper working of the level controllers
Leakage from acid a. Improper adjustment of the mechanical seal Check and adjust
injection/unloading/transfe
r pumps b. Low strength of sulphuric and presence of Check concentration and take appropriate
ferrous sulphate action
Corrosion in concentrated a. Low concentration of sulphuric acid Check silica gel breather in acid storage
acid tanks and lines tank and replace silica gel charge if
exhausted
b. Lining of HCl tank/pipe line damaged Rectify
Improper opening and a. Defective solenoid valves Check
closing of pneumatically
operated valves b. Leakage in airline from solenoid valve to the Check
respective control valve.
Check
c. Improper contact of micro switch giving false
indication to panel Check
d. Fused mimic lamp giving false indication to the
panel
Improper operation of a a. Defective relays in the control circuit Check and replace relays
certain regeneration cycle
Solid state programme not a. The controller can be kept in "hold" due to the Remove conditions which cause "hold" of
functioning properly reasons explained under operation controller
b. Improper operation of the controls for the Press test switch & check the complete
controller cycle
c. Defect in the inside of the controller Check the instruments thoroughly from
inside. Meanwhile, operation may be
continued by using bypass toggle switches
