Keeping Cooling Towers Clean
Keeping cooling towers clean does more than just improve efficiency, it helps keep occupants healthy. Dirty cooling towers use more energy to do the same job. Also towers that are not kept clean can be breeding grounds for germs and bacteria.
While just about everyone has heard of pneumonia most people aren’t aware that it can be caused by dirty cooling towers. Legionnaries’ disease in cooling towers can spread bacteria and germs. One of those bacteria is the Legionella Pneumophila. The CDC states that “Water within cooling towers is heated via heat exchange, which is an ideal environment for Legionella heat-loving bacteria to grow. “
Regular Cleaning & Disinfection
The way to having clean towers and healthy occupants is regular cooling tower cleaning. OSHA recommends opening up your cooling towers for visual inspection and cleaning on a quarterly basis, or at least twice a year if the cooling tower is not used year round. Addition cleaning and maintenance tips include:
Using Biocides – Control your cooling tower’s bacteria with biocides. This will help keep the water inside your system from becoming overrun with bacteria. It is however limited if there is high levels of dissolved solids or organic matter in your water.
Keep Water Under 68°F – The sump water in your cooling tower should not exceed 68°F, or 20°C. This helps control the development of bacteria. The exact temperature of the sump water varies based on design, flow rate, heat load, and your wet and dry bulb temperatures.
Cleaning Frequency – If the cooling tower isn’t running during the winter time it should be cleaned before use, and at shut down at the end of use in the fall. Cooling towers that run all year long should be cleaned at least once every 3 months. If the system experiences high bio-fouling due to water conditions the cleaning should be more frequent. New systems and systems that have not been in use for extended period of time should always be cleaned before use.
Monthly Inspections & Online Maintenance
In addition to the semiannual or quarterly cleaning a monthly inspection of equipment should be performed. This helps catch problems while they are small and cost less to address. It also avoids the development and spread of bacteria. To see where you cooling tower bacteria levels are there should be a monthly analysis of the microbiological condition of the cooling tower. Online maintenance includes using biocides and rust inhibitors that are fed continuously during the operation of your cooling tower.
Required Recordkeeping
All operation and maintenance should be logged in a book. This should include all of the activity associated with the cleaning of the cooling tower. That includes the inspections, cleanings, water quality results, bacteria outbreak investigations, and any maintenance done to the tower. Up to date records should be kept that describe the design, components, and make-up water of the cooling tower system.
Additional materials should be made available that detail the proper operation and maintenance of the cooling tower system. This should include the use of corrosion, scale, and antifoaming products used in the cooling tower. Any chemicals added to the system should be recorded to accurately track changes to the development of bacteria in the cooling tower.
Phoenix Cooling Tower Cleaning
If you have a commercial property it is important to keep the cooling tower disinfected and clean. The spread of bacteria from the cooling tower poses and health concern for your visitors and costs you money in energy costs. Before you fire up a cooling tower that has been shut down for the season, or for a longer period of time, it must be inspected, cleaned, and disinfected. This helps fight the spread of disease and cuts down on your overhead. To get your cooling tower cleaned call All Kote Lining at 480-966-4446.