Why is Having Your Cooling Tower Operating Properly Important?

A cooling tower is a necessary component of so many construction and engineering projects around the world, not to mention a common feature within the manufacturing industry. These powerful machines use a variety of methods to reject heat waste and pump it out into the atmosphere in order to maintain healthy temperatures. Cooling towers may be used based on the process which it is maintaining the temperature of and also because of the climate where it is being used.

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Cooling systems, whilst very powerful and important, have to be kept in great shape in order for them to continue operating at their full capacity. Regular maintenance and cooling tower repair is of paramount importance and here are the risks of failing to do either.

Legionnaire’s Disease

This is a water-borne infection which attacks the lungs and causes great distress to anyone who contracts it. A poorly cared for cooling system could easily become a breeding ground for the Legionella bacteria. This bacteria loves warm, moist environments and this is why cooling towers have to be disinfected and regularly maintained.

Wasted Money and Energy

Much like an HVAC system in the home, if a cooling tower is not properly cared for and regularly checked, then it will end up operating at the lowest end of its capability, yet still burning just as much energy as it would if it was functioning at 100%. This of course means that the company is not going to enjoy the benefits of the tower, and they will also be wasting a great deal of money as a result.

Consequential Damage

A faulty part may not always mean that the cooling tower is not working properly, in fact in some cases it will simply diminish the output of the cooling tower, which is why it may go unrecognized. The longer however, that this part is not spotted and repaired, the higher the risk of more parts being damaged as a result. We often see this with dry type cooling towers, when the plates begin to age and pump air through slower than they usually are able to, and it can result in more damage done to the warm air outlets as a result.

Proper Care of a Cooling Tower

In order to remove the risks associated with the growth of bacterias, the wasteful use of power and money and the damage which a poorly functioning cooling tower can have on its parts, regular maintenance is required. This maintenance should take place on a weekly basis and levels should be checked on a daily basis. The water in the cooling tower must be continuously treated with biocides in order to maintain water health and control any growth of micro-organisms. Furthermore samples of recirculating water should be sent off to labs for a heterotrophic colony count every three months. Records of checks should be made and analytics should be checked in order to make sure that the tower is always in full working order.

This is a highly important cog in manufacturing and industry, it is one which has to be well maintained.