SUMMARY
A biofilm monitor is only useful if it can operate where the water is. The BG5 Biofilm Growth Detector specification sheet answers the questions that decide fit: what the probe is built from, where it mounts, what it tolerates, and how the controller is powered.
Probe electrodes are Type 316L stainless steel for fresh water and titanium Grade 2 for saline service. The standard probe installs as a threaded pipe plug in a stainless steel or PVC body, sized for 1-inch or 2-inch NPT, and mounts in coupon racks, dedicated heat exchanger ports, or other existing access points in any orientation, indoors or out. Flow-through, flush-mounted, and custom configurations are available.
The controller is a compact unit powered by USB-C or Power over Ethernet with battery backup, driving an LCD display and status indicators for alarm, initializing, and clean conditions. It retains six months of data, requires no calibration, and communicates over Ethernet or Bluetooth.
BG5 works across the full range of aqueous systems — high-purity water through seawater and most brines — and is compatible with biocides, deposit control agents, and corrosion inhibitors. Because biofilm forms faster on the probe than on surrounding surfaces, a clean probe is dependable evidence that piping and heat exchangers are clean too. SI’s Operational Support Services and nuclear chemistry teams support siting, installation, and interpretation.