A cooling tower needs to be appropriately maintained. Failure to do so can lead to a plethora of undesirable outcomes. The thing with cooling tower maintenance is it’s not just a single task. Instead, it is a complete process that needs to be completed on a regular basis. So, what is the right way to maintain a cooling tower? Well, that’s what this article is all about.
Cooling Tower Maintenance
1. Tower Inspection
The cooling tower must be checked at least once a month. You need to watch out for the build-up of slime, scale, and sediments. These unwanted elements can lead to Legionella growth, which can then cause health problems. Doing regular inspections is vital so you’ll know when to schedule a thorough cleaning.
2. Tower Disinfection
Cooling towers provide an ideal environment for the growth and proliferation of harmful bacteria and microorganisms, especially Legionella. Hence, aside from regular cleaning, a proper disinfectant must be used.
Generally, cooling tower cleaning services will have access to potent disinfectants to ensure that the tower does not become a breeding ground for harmful microorganisms.
3. Tower Basin Sludge Removal
The tower basin is where the sludge usually accumulates, which can reduce the effectiveness and longevity of the entire system if left alone. You can use a fill cleaner to help remove debris, sludge, and dirt from the basin. However, if you want a more effective way to clean the basin, then you’ll need the help of a cooling tower cleaning service. Aside from the powerful cleaning solutions, they will have specialized vacuums to clear the sludge thoroughly.
4. Fill Cleaning
Within the cooling tower system, there is a part known as the cooling tower fill. This is the part of the system where the warm air passes and converts into cool air through a heat exchange process. If the fill becomes clogged, then that means that the system is taking less warm air to convert to cool air. Furthermore, the system also compensates by working harder, which means more power consumption. This will also cause the system to undergo extended stress, which reduces its longevity.
Thus, it’s imperative to clean the cooling tower fill to ensure that the system is running the maximum amount of warm air to convert to cool air.
5. Descale The Cooling Tower Fill
Aside from the dust and debris that tends to collect in the cooling tower fill, you also have to clear it from mineral build-up. Mineral build-up causes problems as it blocks the airways of the system. Unfortunately, cleaning it is not as easy compared to removing dust and debris build-up. You will have to use a descaler to dissolve the mineral deposits.
Benefits of Cooling Tower Maintenance
Keeping your cooling tower adequately cleaned and maintained will yield many benefits. For example, you can rest easy knowing the system is free from dangerous microorganisms that uses the HVAC system for a mode of distribution.
You can also expect to pay lower utility bills. This is because an inefficient HVAC system will consume more power. This reason alone makes hiring a cooling tower cleaning service the more economical approach. Some people make the mistake of assuming that hiring such professional services will cost a lot of money. If they only knew how much money they are losing due to increased electric bills brought on by system inefficiencies, then opting for such services would become a no-brainer.
Regular maintenance can also help you save money by fixing minor issues before it becomes a major problem. Furthermore, there’s a massive difference between the cost of repairing small vs. big problems.
Regular maintenance can spot potential issues before they manifest into real-life problems. This can help you make the necessary adjustments to avoid complicated or costly problems in the future.
It’s crucial to have routine maintenance
It doesn’t matter if you are implementing a reactive approach for tower maintenance or developing a routine maintenance program, it’s crucial to have the necessary skills and knowledge. You also need to have the right tools, cleaning solutions, and equipment. Otherwise, you could do more damage than help the system.
Because of the complexity of the job and the necessary tools, it’s generally better to hire cooling tower cleaning services for any major tasks.
It is important to have a company like Brothers Mechanical Services provide routine cooling tower maintenance for your building’s cooling tower to provide expert advice and oversight to keep your equipment functioning properly.