With energy costs as high as they are proper cooling tower maintenance can mean better profitability for your company. With time a cooling tower that’s left neglected leaving water temperature will rise. This can raise your energy costs by up to 6% for every 2 degrees F that it rises. To ensure that you keep your energy costs low keeping your cooling tower well maintained with help it to run at optimum efficiency. With the harsh summers here in Phoenix Arizona it can be the critical difference in the performance of your cooling tower, and your company.
If you’d like to save up to 15 percent on your electricity costs these simple maintenance tips can help you save money. Regular maintenance also will help you save on water and extend the life of your cooling equipment.
What you need to know – A step by step guide to help you
- Listen for any unusual noises to set a baseline which will help you notice any possible problems. Also check the condition of the unit as a whole.
- If it requires some hands on work make sure that you follow the lock-out protocol and disconnect the motor switches to make sure you’re working safely.
- Clean debris from strainers to keep the system clear from excess materials and inspect it thoroughly.
- Take a look at the water distribution system and keep an eye out for dry areas over the fill coil area. This will help avoid scale buildup and help add years to the system’s lifespan. If the surface is not fully wetted, inspect the nozzles for cracks and clogs.
- Flush debris and dirt from the cold water basin out the tower drain or use a sump strainer to maintain water filtration and prevent dirt from collecting.
- To conserve water and reduce air entrainment check the makeup water supply for the predetermined water level that is considered appropriate.
- To prevent an accumulation of solids from recirculating water match the bleed rate according to your local evaporation rate regulations and local water quality.
- Address any tension issues on the belt to ensure the best belt-drive system performance.
- Following the manufacturer’s recommendations make sure to routinely check oil level, shaft alignment, oil quality if you’ve got a gear driven system.
- Lubricate fan shaft bearings on a quarterly interval at the very least to ensure proper operation. Consider talking to the professionals about installing automatic bearing greasers that will save you on monthly maintenance.
The frequency of your maintenance can vary depending on the condition of the water and environment in which you operate your machinery. Solid maintenance habits will help avoid failure and increase the lifespan of your cooling tower.
Professional Cooling Tower Maintenance
Keeping up with all the steps that you need to take to just keep one part of your operation functioning up to its full potential is a time consuming project. It takes training and education to understand how to effectively perform the routine maintenance that these towers require. Using dedicated professionals who only do this day in and day out will help your bottom line when it comes to man hours, training, extending the life of your cooling tower and even helping to cut energy costs through ensuring optimal performance. Let the experts at All Kote use their expertise, skills, and specialized tools to take the headache and guesswork out of how to maintain these critical parts of your operation.
Give us a call at 480-366-4446 or shoot us an email at info@allkotelininginc.com