Maintenance Tips to Improve the Efficiency of Your Commercial Cooling Tower

Cooling towers are critical parts of commercial and industrial HVAC and refrigeration systems. They use evaporative heat rejection technology to cool commercial buildings with the help of HVAC systems. They can also be used to reject heat from other equipment, such as freezers and refrigeration units. Due to the nature of their applications, cooling towers can adversely affect your building's operating costs if they are not properly maintained. A faulty cooling tower can paralyze the HVAC and refrigeration systems in your facility. That's why you need to care for it and keep an eye on its performance.

Clean the cooling tower

Most cooling towers are usually installed on the roof of commercial buildings. This means that they tend to gather a lot of dirt and debris. What's more, the water used for cooling the air may contain minerals which also build up within the system. All the dirt, waste and minerals can clog the system and impede operations. They force the motor to work a little harder than expected to reject the heat, and this can cause overheating and breakdown. Clean the cooling tower, and focus on the drains and filters where most of the build-up occurs. Do this at least once every four to six months to keep contaminants out of the system.

Treat the water

Cooling towers use water as a medium for cooling the air from the building. The water that you feed into the system can have a significant impact on the performance of the cooling tower. Hard water that contains mineral deposits and particulate matter can lead to the development of scale and sludge in your cooling tower. This attracts bacteria and increases the chances of circulating contaminated water in the system. Water treatment prevents sludge buildup and keeps harmful bacteria such as Legionella from your cooling tower. If possible, invest in a water softener to prevent scale buildup within the system.

Schedule regular inspections

Regularly inspecting your cooling tower can save you from dealing with issues that result from a failed system. It also allows you to schedule early repairs and prevent costly replacements which occur when multiple faults develop within the cooling tower. As such, make sure that your inspection schedule addresses the following vital components: the motor, fan, gear drive shafts and bearings and gearbox. Lubricate the bearings regularly and check the motor for faulty parts which could affect its operation.

Contact a professional for regular cleaning, inspection and repair of your commercial cooling tower.