Scale buildup isn’t just an energy drain—it’s a major threat to your equipment. Even a thin layer of scale from water deposits can significantly increase operational costs, reduce efficiency, and lead to expensive repairs or replacements.

For perspective, just 1/32” of scale (the thickness of a credit card) can increase energy consumption by nearly 10% (9.2%). Even half that thickness (1/64”) can cost businesses tens of thousands of dollars annually in wasted energy, especially in cooling towers, chillers, HVAC systems, and kitchen equipment.

But expenses go beyond just increased energy bills:

  • Boilers with scale buildup can experience heat transfer losses of up to 15%, forcing them to work harder and risk overheating. In severe cases, excessive scale can cause boiler tube failures, leading to costly downtime and repairs that can exceed $10,000–$50,000 per incident.

  • Chillers and cooling towers with scale buildup can see a 20–30% drop in efficiency, requiring expensive chemical treatments, manual descaling, or even complete system overhauls that can cost $100,000+ for large industrial setups.

  • HVAC systems impacted by scale suffer from reduced airflow and heat exchange inefficiency, which not only spikes electricity bills but can lead to premature compressor failure—a repair that can easily cost $5,000–$15,000 per unit.

  • Commercial kitchen equipment, like dishwashers and steamers, clogged with scale, requires frequent maintenance and early replacements, costing thousands of dollars per year in extra servicing and parts.

Ignoring scale might seem like a small issue, but over time, it’s an expensive problem that leads to skyrocketing costs, inefficiency, and major equipment failures. Prevention is always cheaper than repair.

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