As a cooling tower operator, you know the importance of properly maintaining your towers and performing cooling tower maintenance. Cooling towers are essential pieces of machinery in a large commercial or industrial facility. Without proper cooling, electronics will overheat, key processes will grind to a halt, and working conditions will become not only unbearable – but potentially dangerous.
Your cooling tower works hard and needs to be taken care of so it remains efficient and lasts longer. Like other equipment, cooling towers only last for a set number of years. Generally, the lifespan of cooling towers is 15-25 years. With proper cooling tower maintenance, you can significantly extend the life of your towers for years to come.
Maintaining your cooling tower is a multi-step process. It’s important to perform each step correctly to keep your tower efficient and prevent the spread of disease.
So, what needs to be included in your cooling tower preventative maintenance checklist?
It’s important to have a cooling tower maintenance plan. This step-by-step preventative maintenance checklist will show you everything you need to do to keep your cooling towers running smoothly for years to come. Let’s dive in.
1. Inspect Your Cooling Tower Monthly
The first (and easiest) step is to visually inspect your cooling towers. A visual inspection will spot any obvious issues you need to fix or investigate more closely. You want to look for physical damage or even leaks.
Check all of the cooling tower’s major components, including the fill, fans, and motor. If you have any questions or concerns about something you see, it’s a good idea to contact a professional cooling tower technician and have them perform a more thorough inspection of your towers.
You’ll also want to make sure there’s no standing water inside or around the cooling tower. That’s indicative of a physical malfunction or a leak. Catching these issues is crucial to keep your towers running safely and efficiently.
2. Disinfect the Tower
At least once every year, you should perform water cooling maintenance and disinfect your cooling tower. This helps with efficiency, but more importantly, it prevents the growth of bacteria and Legionella. Legionella is a bacterium that is spread by breathing in small water droplets or accidentally swallowing water containing Legionella.
Cooling towers are part of a centralized cooling system for buildings and industrial processes. They contain water and fans that remove heat from the air. If your cooling tower is inadequately maintained, it can create aerosols that contain and spread Legionella bacteria. Cooling tower service will help identify any potential issues.
There are several different methods you can use to disinfect your cooling tower to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and Legionella. Disinfecting your cooling tower ensures that those who work near or in the vicinity of the cooling tower remain healthy and aren’t breathing contaminated air. It will also extend the life of your tower. If you’re unsure about how to properly disinfect your cooling tower, contact a professional cooling tower technician.
3. Clean Tower Basin Surfaces
You’ll want to clean and vacuum the surfaces of your cooling tower basin to remove any dirt, debris, or other biological growth. This should be on your preventative maintenance HVAC checklist. It’s an important part of the preventative care that’s needed to keep your cooling tower functioning efficiently.
The basin in your cooling towers is the most common area where sludge accumulates. This sludge can impact the performance, efficiency, and lifespan of your cooling towers. Fortunately, it can easily be removed with a specialized vacuum. If you don’t have one of these, contact a cooling tower maintenance provider and they can provide you with the service and equipment needed.
Surfaces can accumulate bacterial growth and scale buildup that will impact safety and performance. Cooling tower maintenance that includes disinfecting the tower basin and fan housing stops bacteria from distributing over the water and becoming aerated. Preventing bacteria from spreading is the key to stopping Legionella from growing and spreading.
4. Fix Clogs and Fouling in the Fill
The fill is one of the most critical components in your cooling towers. It’s important to keep it clean and free of debris. Debris removal will prevent clogs and is one of the steps you’ll need to take when performing cooling tower maintenance. It’s always best to have a professional formally clean your cooling tower unit so nothing gets missed.
The fill is what directs the moving air within your system so it can efficiently remove heat and produce cold water. Debris buildup and other contaminants can quickly clog up the areas in your towers and prevent cooling – as the air cannot come into contact with the heat source.
This puts a strain on the compressor, which causes energy costs to rise. This can also lead to a costly shutdown if the problem gets worse. Large-scale repairs can usually be prevented by performing regular water cooling maintenance.
If you notice leaves and debris gathering around your cooling tower unit, you can always remove these by hand. It’s best to do this while wearing PPE or gloves in case there are contaminants or bacteria near the base of the unit. If you have questions about how to keep your fill working properly, contact a cooling tower technician.
5. Descale the Fill
Scale can build up on the cooling tower fill – which reduces its efficiency and can lead to corrosion. If there is too much scale built up on the cooling tower, the compressor works harder and energy costs increase. This also decreases the longevity of the system. Maintenance of the cooling tower can keep this from happening.
Scale can lead to increased bacteria and fungi that cause illnesses in humans. Chemical de-scalers are normally used to remove scale. Common cooling tower de-scalers include the following;
- Sulfamic Acid – This is a gentle treatment that works very well, but can take longer than other options due to the time it takes for the powder to dissolve in liquid.
- Methane Sulfonic Acid – This is a newer and safer option that is extremely effective in de-scaling your cooling tower.
- Hydrochloric Acid-This is a liquid solution that is commonly used for de-scaling but it has a strong odor and can affect the air that travels through your HVAC system.
Once the chemical cleaning is done, you’ll want to rinse the cooling tower with water to remove any chemicals left behind. By de-scaling, you’ll make further cleaning safer and easier. This step will also help deter excessive growth in the future. If you have questions about which de-scaling solution is best for your cooling tower, it’s a good idea to contact an expert in cooling tower maintenance services.
Wrap up
By performing regular cooling tower maintenance, you’ll not only increase its efficiency – but extend the life of the tower.
Cooling tower repairs (or a full replacement) can be expensive and put your tower out of commission for an extended period of time. To avoid this, we recommend performing preventative maintenance twice a year.
Contact us
Pinnacle CTS is a cooling tower service company that specializes in cleaning, preventative maintenance, repairs, and replacement of all makes and models of cooling towers in the Greater Tri-State area. For over 20 years, we’ve provided a safe work environment, high-quality work, and complete customer satisfaction.
Contact us today and one of our factory-trained technicians will examine the health of your cooling towers. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Reach out today for a free inspection and estimate.
