Question 84Steam Plants - Assistant Engineer

You are correct, the answer is A) insufficient blow down. The concentration of total dissolved solids in boiler water can increase due to insufficient blow down. Blow down is the process of removing a portion of the boiler water to control the concentration of dissolved solids. If the blow down is insufficient, the dissolved solids will accumulate in the boiler water, leading to an increase in total dissolved solids. The other options are incorrect because: B) zero water hardness would not lead to an increase in total dissolved solids, C) frequent surface blows would actually help remove the dissolved solids, and D) dissolved oxygen deaeration would not affect the concentration of total dissolved solids.