Cooling towers are the backbone of industrial and HVAC systems and keep every process running safely and efficiently. Heat exchange is at the heart of a functional cooling tower. It’s a process that transfers excess heat from your system into the atmosphere.
Cooling towers create a drift during this process, which can affect their efficiency. If overlooked, this can send your demand for water and energy bills through the roof. That’s where drift eliminators come in. Adding a drift eliminator to a cooling tower helps reduce water loss.
At Pinnacle Cooling Tower Service, we know how critical drift eliminators are for cooling towers. In this quick read, we’ll walk you through everything you should know about drift eliminators and why they’re critical for your system in 2025.
But first, let’s understand what a drift is and what causes it.
What Causes Cooling Tower Drift?
Cooling tower drift refers to the tiny water droplets that escape with the exhaust air. However, this is more than just loss of water. These droplets often contain dissolved minerals or chemicals from the system’s water, which can cause environmental contamination and potential health hazards.
The main factors contributing to drift include:
- High airflow can lift water droplets out of the tower quickly.
- The lack of a proper water distribution system results in uneven flow patterns, which increases the chances of droplet formation.
- Poorly maintained, or absent, drift eliminators let the water droplets flow through the exhaust.
- External conditions like wind and temperature can increase the likelihood of droplet formation.
How Is Drift Loss Different from Evaporation Loss
Like the drift loss, cooling tower systems also experience evaporation loss. While the latter is a natural process, drift loss is preventable. Here’s a quick comparison of the two:
- Evaporation Loss: Removes heat by converting water to vapor, which is critical for cooling tower performance.
- Drift Loss: This represents water droplets escaping the system, which can be lowered using effective drift eliminators.
Without advanced eliminators, drift losses can account for up to 0.2% of your system’s circulating water flow. However, installing a drift eliminator in your cooling tower can help reduce this figure to negligible levels. That’s an important step in saving a declining natural resource like water.
What is a Drift Eliminator?
A drift eliminator is a device designed to trap water droplets. Adding a drift eliminator to a cooling tower helps you improve water efficiency and ensure environmental compliance. It essentially redirects airflow and collects water droplets, returning them to the system.
There are two main types of drift eliminators:
- Cellular Drift Eliminator
A cellular drift eliminator is a honeycomb-like structure that captures and redirects water droplets back to the cooling system. The intricate network of cells forces air to change direction multiple times, which increases the likelihood of trapping droplets.
Most people prefer using drift eliminators in cooling towers because they maximize water recovery while maintaining consistent airflow. These eliminators are typically made using durable materials like PVC, which helps them last longer. Their compact design also makes cellular drift eliminators perfect for modern cooling towers. - Blade Drift Eliminators
A blade drift eliminator uses a series of angled blades to change the airflow, which separates the water droplets and helps them fall back into the cooling tower. Usually, people use these drift eliminators in cooling towers owing to their long life and high performance. They are made from polypropylene or fiberglass, which are lightweight and corrosion-resistant.
Blade drift eliminators are particularly effective in cooling towers with high air velocities because they maintain high performance without substantially increasing air resistance. Thanks to their modular structure, these drift eliminators are easy to clean.
How Does a Drift Eliminator Work?
This is a simple yet powerful device that intercepts water droplets from the cooling tower’s exhaust air. When you install a drift eliminator in a cooling tower, the airflow passes through it, and the strategically placed cells capture and redirect droplets back into the system.
Modern drift eliminators use materials like PVC and polypropylene because they can:
- Are recyclable and eco-friendly materials
- Be shaped to maximize efficiency
- Provide better resistance to UV light, corrosion, and chemical degradation
Why Use Drift Eliminators in Cooling Towers?
Installing a drift eliminator in a cooling tower offers several benefits, including:
- Ensure Environmental Compliance
As water conservation becomes a global priority, every government is trying to save more water in 2025 and beyond. Adding drift eliminators to cooling towers is one of the many ways the federal government is pushing for these reforms. These simple devices help you prevent water loss and comply with local and state regulations in your area. - Improve Performance
Another benefit of installing drift eliminators in cooling towers is improved performance. These devices can significantly reduce water and chemical loss, which in turn helps lower your operational costs.
Retaining more water means fewer replenishments, saving a valuable resource and money. Additionally, this helps your tower function better, reducing the risk of frequent wear and part replacements. It’s a win-win. - Health and Safety
Minimizing drift also prevents harmful chemical-laden droplets from contaminating the surrounding environment or exposing your workers to potential health or safety risks. In fact, the CDC recommends installing high-efficiency drift eliminators to control Legionella growth.
Keep Your Drift Eliminators in Top Shape
Drift eliminators deliver optimal performance only if they are in excellent condition. To keep yours in top shape, you must:
- Schedule regular inspections to check for cracks or wear.
- Clean them periodically to remove debris and scale buildup.
- Use appropriate cleaning agents to prevent material degradation.
- Ensure proper installation to avoid gaps that allow drift escape.
- Replace damaged or aging parts immediately.
- Monitor system performance to detect any decline in efficiency.
When Should You Replace a Drift Eliminator
While drift eliminators can last long, it might be time to replace one if you notice the following:
- Reduced performance.
- Visible water droplets (drift) escaping the cooling tower.
- Visible damage like cracks, warping, or brittleness.
- Frequent preventive maintenance and poor results.
- Increased water or chemical loss despite cleaning and repairs.
How Is 2025 (And Beyond) Looking Up for Drift Eliminators
The future of drift eliminators looks brighter than ever, with a strong focus on technology and sustainability. The market is expected to reach around $2.3 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of about 9.1%, and it will be fueled by the increased use of AI for real-time monitoring. This will help enhance preventive maintenance.
Likewise, many top cooling tower manufacturers are investing in drift eliminators made from sustainable materials. These materials are developed with the focus of making them more durable, recyclable, and environmentally conscious.
Conclusion
Drift eliminators are indispensable components of modern cooling tower systems. From saving water to boosting performance and ensuring regulatory compliance, they offer several benefits for cooling tower operators. In 2025, you should add modern, high-performance drift eliminators to your cooling towers with the help of a seasoned pro like Pinnacle Cooling Tower Service.
We specialize in all types of cooling tower maintenance, installation, and repair, with round-the-clock emergency service. Our experienced technicians serve the greater tri-state area.
Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
