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Traditional Best Practices for New Costruction Projects

When commissioning a new facility, water systems are often considered operational only after startup. In reality, the risks begin much earlier.

During construction and commissioning, systems are exposed to metal oxides, welding residues, cutting oils, suspended solids, microbiological contamination…

Without a proper startup strategy, these contaminants can quickly lead to corrosion, black sludge formation, fouling, hydraulic imbalance, reduced energy efficiency, premature equipment degradation.

Industry best practices emphasize critical steps for successful commissioning:

• Initial system inspection
• Pre-operational cleaning, flushing, and passivation
• Water quality verification
• Preventive water treatment

However, traditional approaches often treat cleaning and protection as two separate operations, increasing commissioning time, water consumption, and chemical demand during startup.

The real challenge is no longer simply cleaning the system. It is stabilizing and protecting it from day one.

A more Efficient Alternative : Pre- Startup Cleaning and Passivation

Traditional commissioning programs typically separate cleaning and corrosion protection into multiple stages. While effective, this approach often results in:

• extended commissioning time,
• multiple drain-and-refill operations,
• higher water consumption,
• flash corrosion after cleaning,
• high chemical demand during startup.

Clean and Protect simultaneously

Using a dedicated formulation combining cleaners, dispersants, and filming amines, the system is cleaned while protective molecular films are formed directly on metal surfaces during circulation.

The result:

• removal of construction residues and oxides,
• immediate corrosion protection,
• reduced dissolved iron release,
• faster system stabilization,
• lower risk of black sludge formation.

Unlike conventional approaches, the surfaces are already conditioned before normal operation begins.

Why This Changes Startup Performance
Immediate Surface Protection

As contaminants are removed, FFAs adsorb onto the metal surfaces and create a hydrophobic protective barrier. This helps protect heat exchangers, piping networks and low-flow areas vulnerable to under-deposit corrosion.

Lower Long-Term Chemical Demand
One major advantage of pre-passivation is the drastic reduction in startup chemical consumption.

With conventional treatment programs: freshly exposed metal surfaces consume large quantities of inhibitors during the first weeks of operation.

With FFAs pre-conditioning: the protective film is already established, so maintenance treatment requirements are significantly reduced.

Operational benefits:

• lower chemical dosages,
• reduced operating costs,
• improved system stability,
• simplified long-term treatment management.

Faster and More Reliable Commissioning
By combining cleaning and passivation into a single integrated operation, facilities benefit from:

• fewer treatment stages,
• reduced downtime,
• simplified startup procedures,
• faster project delivery.

This approach is particularly valuable for:

• big systems (green houses)
• hospitals,
• data centers,
• industrial facilities,
• high-performance HVAC systems.

The Objective Is Not Just Cleanliness
The real objective is long-term asset protection and operational stability from day one.

A properly commissioned closed-loop system should not only start clean, it should start protected.

Case Study – New Green House Facility

System in place

• 2 Hot Boiler units
• 1 Buffer Tank
• Volume: 1’300’000 gal (5000 m3)
• Soft make-up water

Pre-Startup Cleaning & Passivation

• Fill up the network
• First injection of the dedicated Pre-Startup Cleaning Formulation
• According to filter fouling and/or presence of sludge, second injection of the dedicated Pre-Startup Cleaning Formulation
• Monitoring of the cleaning process
• Thoroughly drain and flush the circuit until the flushing water is completely clear
• Refill with fresh water, and add a blend of FFAs and Alkalizing Amines

Monitoring of Iron and pH after the commissioning

Conclusion

In closed-loop systems, the first days of operation often determine long-term performance.

Integrating cleaning and passivation into a single operation with FFAs allows facilities to:

• accelerate commissioning,
• reduce chemical demand,
• improve system reliability,
• and secure long-term asset protection from startup.

For modern facilities, successful commissioning is no longer just about starting systems. It is about starting them protected.