Tag Archives: cooling tower maintenance

Cooling Tower Design

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Cooling Tower Design Phoenix

The first time we needed to have cooling towers was during the industrial revolution. New machines that created immense heat were being developed and used in the industrial processes. This is what prompted early cooling tower design. The difference between how those early industrial pioneers understood cooling tower technology and how we understand it today is drastically different.

Cooling tower technology has come a long way since its inception. Things that have changed are the overall environmental impact, energy efficiency, water conservation technology, more environmentally friendly reduced emissions, and the actual look of the devices. The basics principles however are quite similar to what they were using 100 years ago. Many of today’s brochures prove the point with their various emphasizes. These elements include:

Access Panels – The systems of today aren’t much different than those of yesteryear. They still have a tendency to get clogged and still require regular maintenance. This requires maintenance personnel to actually enter the unit. This is why louvers many times are hinged or other areas of the cooling tower are designed for easy access.

Corrosive Resistant Fans – These fans are large and typically top mounted. They operate in the stream of air exiting the cooling tower. Because part of the process is evaporation there is a lot of humidity in the air stream. This presents a hot, humid environment that requires a fan system that is constructed to exist in these environments.

Drift Eliminators – Part of the job of the drift eliminator is to simply keep the water in the system. With a cooling tower that has greater than .002% steps need to be taken to prevent chemically treated waster loss. It is expensive to continue treating the water and it can harm the environment, or land on cars, people, or equipment.

Cooling Tower Safety – With OSHA really growing and spreading its wings since the industrial revolution the work place has got increasingly safer. That might seem counterproductive, but safety is first as personal might be replaceable, but people aren’t. You’ll see that cooling tower manufacturers boast their ladders that help technicians safely climb up and do maintenance.

Water Conservation – In the early years steps weren’t taken to protect the cooling towers basins from direct sunlight. In today’s cooling towers the basins are covered from that light for a couple of reasons. Firstly sunlight causes evaporation. Secondly it is unsightly to see inside the basins, so it’s an aesthetic improvement. Having louvers and covers also helps cooling towers avoid Legionnaires ‘disease. Legionnaires’ disease in a cooling tower requires deep cleaning and water cleaning treatments. Avoiding this preserves water and cuts down on the amount of chemicals needed to operate the cooling tower. This means it runs cheaper and is kinder to the environment.

Designed Durability In Cooling Towers

As a facility owner or operator you might be tasked with deciding which cooling tower you need to install. Many manufacturers offer certain solutions to common problems. When you have a cooling tower where stagnant water might be a problem manufacturers offer basin sweepers. When there is a chance of having drift issues with top mounted fans a lot of companies offer forced draft designs. Some industries have especially corrosive elements in their water and FRP or stainless steel parts are offered.

When discussing your cooling tower design with the company building it you might be tempted to have the lowest cost cooling tower put together. This can mean that the cooling tower you get will have varied materials and technology that still allow many of the easily avoidable issues from 100 years ago. Consider what materials are use, avoiding galvanized steel and opting for stainless to keep the water cleaner. Make the decision to choose better materials for fans so they can perform for years in their given environment.

The more consideration you use in the design phase will ensure less maintenance cost, less parts having to be replaced, and a lower long term cost for the company. It also means less downtime for maintenance and repairs.

Cooling Tower Maintenance & Repair

If it’s need your cooling tower maintained, or you want to upgrade some of your parts give your Phoenix cooling tower experts a call.

All Kote Inc. – 480-966-4446

 

Cooling Tower Maintenance

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Cooling Tower Maintenance AZ

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

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Finding A Full Service Cooling Tower and Flooring Maintenance Company.

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If you are in the market for cooling tower services or flooring upgrades or repairs for your facility finding a company that can cover all aspects of cooling tower maintenance and flooring is ideal. Having the same entity handle all of your cooling tower maintenance and flooring needs is beneficial in many ways, the least of which is that over time the company will have intimate knowledge of your situation and that can greatly benefit and streamline the maintenance process. That is why we at All Kote Lining inc believe that taking a comprehensive approach to cooling tower and flooring maintenance is most beneficial to all involved, especially our customers.  In this blog we’ll outline some of the services we offer at All Kote Lining inc.

Coatings: We offer several fiberglass coating options for various applications. Over time the containment integrity of cooling towers and storage tanks can become compromised and will need some form of restoration.  All Kote is equipped to restore your fiberglass tanks, ceramic coating, steel tank, and sandblast your tanks and surfaces among several other services.

Cooling tower repairs: Cooling towers are large scale complex devices that can house many components that help them separate heat from water. Over time these components naturally wear down along with the overall structure of the tower. All Kote can repair your tower and its components and keep it operating at optimum levels.

Epoxy flooring: Keeping floors clean and conditioned is an important part of running any facility. Protective floor coatings wear down over time and lose much of their protective properties. Having your floor epoxy restored will improve both the look and performance of your facilities flooring.

Floor repairs: If your floor is cracked or damaged it can seriously effect your operation. Having your floor repaired and restored to ‘like new’ conditions will have your facility running on schedule and sporting the look that you want to portray to potential clientele and business partners.

Types of Cooling Towers

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Cooling towers are used to extract heat from water and disperse it into the atmosphere, but not all towers do this the same way. There are many types of cooling towers out there because there are so  many various environments and situations that they need to perform in. We are going to cover a few of the common cooling tower types here:

Hyperbolic: Commonly used in nuclear facilities, hyperbolic cooling towers work due to their stack/chimney style design. This design is used to take advantage of the times when the air outside of the tower is cooler than the air inside the tower which causes the warmer, heavily humid air inside the tower to rise and eventually leave through the top of the tower. The upward draft effect cools the water in the tower.

Crossflow: These towers are designed to cool water by sending air across water descending from the distribution basin horizontally. Once the water has descended to the flowing collection basin it has been adequately cooled. While more these type of towers don’t usually cost as much as other types, they are more prone to freezing which could offset the benefit of the lower cost in the long run.

Counterflow: In these type of towers air moves vertically against water descending water and sends the extracted heat out of the top of the tower. It takes power to send the air upward so counterflow towers tend to cost a little more. They are also more compact and ergonomically efficient which is can offset some of the sting of the higher costs of construction and operation.

There are many, many more cooling tower types out there and the science behind the design of each is fascinating. Finding the right cooling tower to for a facility is a huge decision that will have major financial implications in the big picture. Knowledge is your best weapon against wasting valuable resources.

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Tips to Streamline Your Cooling Tower Maintenance

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Cooling towers are widely used to keep large facilities comfortable and cool. Cooling towers are the size of Large Dinosaurs and keeping them working in top condition can take some work, especially if you fall behind on your maintenance schedule. It is not difficult to keep your towers humming; it just takes some dedication to the process and the time to do so. This blog entry is going to suggest some ways you can stay ahead on maintenance and keep your cooling towers working efficiently without having to break your budget.

Make needed updates

Cooling towers are a large investment to have installed as a part of your facilities operations. That kind of investment is meant to last and that means there are plenty of cooling towers out there that have already seen decades of service. These towers can stay efficient because their owners have made necessary upgrades as time when on and innovations were made. Keeping up with the times in regard to your cooling tower will maintain and even increase the efficiency of your tower’s performance.

Make and execute a plan

Developing a methodology for the upkeep of your towers is both extremely important and massively beneficial.  It takes time to learn your towers and their idiosyncrasies, but once you have a good idea on their behavior you can draw up a standard procedure for all to follow in regard to maintaining your cooling towers.

Collect as much data as possible

As stated above, it takes time to learn the behavior patterns of your cooling tower.  In the initial stages and beyond, collecting as much data about the various aspects of your cooling towers will arm you to be able to keep them running well with the least amount of effort put into their upkeep. Streamlining the maintenance process is only possible with enough data available to do so.

How Do Cooling Towers Work?

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Cooling towers have a very important commonality with the human body, sweating. At least in principle. We sweat when our body needs to cool itself down by emitting water over the skin and allowing the evaporation to cause a cooling effect which lowers the core temperature of the body. That effect isn’t exclusive to the human body, spreading water over any surface and allowing it to evaporate will leave the area or item much cooler than it was prior.

The environment you are in dictates how well this process works to cool via moisture. Air has a saturation threshold and one it’s reached it’s limit it cannot hold any more moisture. In areas with extremely humid conditions this process doesn’t work very well because the sweat and moisture remain on the skin instead of evaporating and can actually cause an increase in heat. Sweating in Arizona is much different than sweating in Georgia because the air in Arizona is very dry and has plenty of room for saturation whereas Georgia is very, very humid and the air becomes fully saturated very quickly even though it is much hotter temperature-wise in Arizona’s desert. This means that towers will work differently and utilize different measures to achieve optimal efficiency. There are variations to almost every component of cooling towers on top of the various styles that the towers themselves are designed within in order to accommodate differing needs and climates. Knowing which type of tower works best in your region is paramount to getting the most out of your cooling tower investment. The type of maintenance as well as the schedule you keep in regard to maintenance will differ by region as well.

Cooling Towers work in much the same way although the amount of water involved that needs to be evaporated is much greater than what the human body produces. This means that extra components will be needed in order for the process to be carried out efficiently. Fans are used to cycle saturated air out of the tower so unsaturated air can be brought in to promote further evaporation. Water is constantly circulated via various devices in order to replace evaporated water and keep the thermodynamic process going. Heat sources are also involved to ensure the water is always being heated to levels it can vaporize and evaporate. Cooling towers and their maintenance are very complex and their components can vary in type and number, but at the heart of the whole operation, the fundamentals are as simple as sweat.

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Legionnaires Disease 101

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If you are the owner or a perspective owner of cooling towers, one risk that you should be fully aware of is the potential for the development of Legionnaire’s disease in the pools of your towers. With the water disaster in Flint, MI (which is absolutely tragic and inexcusable) awareness of Legionnaires disease is on the climb because so many are currently being affected by it. While the development of Legionnaires disease is easily avoidable, understanding the disease is still important.

Bacteria:

Legionella is the bacteria that involved with outbreaks of Legionellosis, which can develop into Pontiac Fever or Legionnaires disease. While Pontiac Fever tends to pass through your system on its own, Legionnaires disease is a form of pneumonia that requires a hospital stay to eradicate. The mortality range of Legionnaires disease is 5%-30% which is alarming enough to take every measure to avoid its development.

Spreading Legionnaires:

The most common way that Legionnaires Disease is transmitted through water that has been aerosolized, which is why cooling tower owners need to be educated and aware of this disease. A less common way that it can be transmitted is via drinking water. While it is possible to become fatally ill, most people who actually come into contact with the disease do not fall ill and the disease cannot be passed from one person to another.

Legionella occurs naturally in fresh water, but it isn’t pervasive enough to cause illness. It’s when Legionella starts to prop up in artificially heated and contained bodies of water. These environments accelerate the growth of Legionella and are almost ideal for it to develop enough to become problematic for humans.

Performing regular maintenance on your cooling tower is the easiest and most effective way to avoid experiencing any problems related to Legionella, especially Legionnaires Disease.

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All Kote Lining Inc

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If you are looking for the premier cooling tower service and epoxy coating company in the Valley of the Sun in AZ, look no further than All Kote Lining Inc. Located in Phoenix, All Kote offers repair service, maintenance service, installations and replacements of cooling towers of all types and sizes. The health of your cooling tower can have a massive effect on your business on multiple fronts. Keeping your facility comfortable for your employees is vital to the efficiency with which your staff performs their respective duties.  Aside from comfort level, keeping your towers clean and up to standard can eliminate literal health risks as legionella can develop in the pools of unkept cooling towers. Decreased efficiency and a legionella bloom can be easily avoided with keeping tabs on the condition of your cooling towers and actively practicing beneficial maintenance habits. Your cooling towers are a major investment and All Kote fully understands the depth of that fact, which is why they take such care to ensure your tower is brought to its best possible working condition. All Kote can truly help you get the most out of your cooling towers while saving you money over the long term.

If you are looking for coatings for you cooling tower or your concrete flooring, All Kote also has you covered in both realms. The Coating experts at All Kote will suggest the best course of action to take to coat your Cooling towers and concrete floors. The experienced team will lay out a plan that will fit your budget and needs all while guaranteeing your satisfaction with the end results. All Kote Lining Inc has left a long line of satisfied customers throughout Arizona and that line is sure to grow longer. Call All Kote Lining Inc today and see why there is such a legion of satisfied clientele.

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Keeping Up Your Chiller Tubes

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Chiller tubes can use an incredible amount of energy, up to 50% of all energy used at a facility at peak times.  That can be an astronomical number and can effect your margins greatly if you aren’t getting the most out of the energy going into your chiller tubes.

Chiller tubes cans see up to a 35% reduction in overall efficiency if your cooling towers are poorly maintained or dirty. That is important for a couple reasons; A) You are losing a lot of money by paying for energy that isn’t necessarily being used effectively and B) You are making your chiller work harder than necessary to achieve results it could reach much easier if maintained which can drastically reduce the lifespan of your chiller tube. Maintaining your cooling towers does cost a good amount of money but the amount pales in comparison to the cost of replacing chiller tubes or entire cooling towers. That is the kind of expense that can cripple a business.

Keeping maintenance consistent is key as having as much data about your towers and their current condition can help you catch problems in their early stages instead of when they mature and become potentially problematic to other components in the cooling tower/chiller tube.  Legionnaire’s disease is commonly found in the pools of poorly maintained cooling towers along with other organisms that quickly breed and can potentially clog the system.

Make sure your waterways are clear as they can bring in sediment and particles from outside of the tower and introduce them into the inner workings of your towers. Keeping the water ways from collecting build up is important when it comes to keeping your pools clean and water clear of contaminates. It may seem like a lot to maintain your chiller tubes frequently, but it is well worth it to keep them working as close to 100% efficiency as possible.